Graham Blott

Hear, hear.

As well as Stoke Golding (and the White Swan is very good - homely, friendly and with a varied menu), there are excellent moorings at the Battlefield site, at Shakerstone as well as just before asnd after the tunnel at the end. Market Bosworth is a bit of a walk (15 mins) but worth it for a range of small shops - butcher, greengrocer etc as well as a small Co-op - but nowhere for your clubcard I'm afraid It is a great little canal - particularly once past Hinkley. Enjoy.

It is currently moving to a new server and I believe should be up and running in the near future - but not sure of when.

North Kilworth - on the Leicester Arm of GU was 69p last Saturday

Most of the hire boats tend to go clockwise and so, if you decide to go anti-clockwise you should hopefully have less delays at locks.

The trouble with that on a 12' beam boat is that to look down one side you have to leave the tiller - unless there are two of you of course. OR you have arms as long as telegraph poles. Good point, hadn't thought that one through

Hi Janet, Leaving asides concerns over how you like your beer and your carp.............................. Suggestions: 1. Get divorced 2. If you want to do that grand tour de force it will take (according to my canal planner programme) 180 hours - that.s using Trent and Mersey, Coventry, North Oxford, Grand Union, Thames, South Oxford, North Oxford, Coverntry and Trent & Mersey again. You xcould avoid repeating canals by going back via Birmingham and round the Shroppie, Middlewich and then back down T & M to Stone. But even going direct it is 9 hours a day - every day. What are you, some sort of masochist? For me 4 hours is a long day. 3. Alternatively, Caldon canal and Maccalsfield and Upper Peak Forest are worth doing - particularly visiting Bugsworth on Upper Peak. Much less time cruising = more time for BBQs, pub visits etc. 4. If you haven't already found it http://www2.mihalis.net/canal/cgi-bin/canal.cgi is a good site for planning purposes.

Rather than keep moving from side to side, I line my boat up on one side of the lock, bridge or whatever and just watch that side. The other side of the boat looks after itself. Works well for me as long as the gap is slightly wider than my boat. Mind you, my beam is only 6 ft 10. Still should work for broad beam as well.

Hi Bewildered, welcome. I changed the name of my boat which I bought second hand, The pervious owner had given it a really "naff" name based on her and her daughter's first name (hope she isn't reading this...) As Chris has siad - no problem, just make sure that you quote the BWB number to them............ As for the superstition, I was told that the ill luck inevitable when changing a boat's name can be avoided by making a paper boat, giving it the name that you are changing from, setting light to it and letting it sail off down the cut - bit liek a Viking funeral. Not sure that it works, but a great excuse for opening a bottle or three to celebrate!!! Graham

Yes, but I believe that this was a 5star towpath, Carl.

Yes, but apparantly they id not sleep aboard, so that doesn't count does it.

Well, I was born in the South. Whilst I moor just north of Watford Gap (whether that be a geographical feature, a geological feature or a motorway service station, I frequently cruise south of it as well as the northern waters. And I moor in a Marina. Probably best I go and shove my head in a gas oven now then. Graham

Yes, thats the one Scotty but damn I got ripped off if they are that price. It works fine despite looking a bit plasticy. We don't live on and so have less washing to do. It catered for our needs well over a five week cruise this summer - although we wouldn't use it for bedding or other really large items. But it removed the need to find launderettes. Graham

We have one taht we bought from Midland Chandlers for about £85. It's a twin tub - the sort of thing that my mother had in the 1950's - but smaller. Does a 1.5 kilo load in about 30 mins from start to finish and I tun it off a 1000W alternator with hardly any appreciable drain on the batteries. I think it is rated at 150W (does that sound right?) but it is on the boat and (sadly) I am not so cannot check.Google for Midland Chandlers and look on their websiteGrahamI must learn to proof my postings. For "I tun it off a 1000W alternator" readd I run it off a 1000W inverterGraham

Did the Calden this summer and can confirm: a) there are no developments that affect the waterway. Stoke tunnel is completed and the only development is of an old building nect to Planet lock. Yes, the first six miles are a bit depressing, but the rest is wonderful. c) The Hollybush is alive and well. Moored up outside the front door both times that we passed it without any difficulty - but did tend to arrive early d) Didn't attempt the tunnel (far too high to get through) but teh moorings before the tunnel are OK - not as good as down the Uttoxeter branch though e) If you feel in need of exercise the walk to Foxt from Froghall is good and the pub there is excellent f) Leek branch is also definitely worth doing. g) The Black Lion pub at Consall Forge is quaint - but the staff can be a little wierd. Graham P.S. If you do go to the pub at Foxt tell the landlady that you come with the personal recommendation from the customer that she threw a pint of beer over!