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We had one last blast for the year over the weekend with another trip to West Stockwith. This time with a couple of narrowboatists on board. The lady took very well to driving Cal and drove her from Torksey Viaduct to Gainsborough road bridge where Liam took over for the speedier section of the journey. Needless to say they were bith very surprised by the handling and speed that NC could muster. After a spot of lunch in the basin we went our seperate ways and we had a lovely afternoon/evening/night in the White Hart, helping the locals raise money for the Help the Heroes campaign and generally having a boozy time. With an early start on Sunday to catch the tide we were all suffering somewhat but luckily we had a brisk 5 knot tide helping us along so the journey back wasnt too long The Trent at Stockwith NC refilling the water tank with the hoods off. Not bad for November!! The chesterfield canal looking fine in the sunshine NC and Red Duster in the basin Red Duster on the way back to Torksey

I do hope that you don't charge 20% VAT to your customers. To do so would be VERY naughty indeed if you are VAT registered. Regardless of the VAT that you pay on the supply, you are selling the electricity for domestic use, and should charge 5%. As a VAT registered business you don't lose any money on the transaction; Assume you are supplied with 1000 units of electricity at 10p + VAT per unit. You pay the supplier £120 You supply this to the consumer at 10.5p per unit (5% VAT), and get £105 from the users. At first glance you are £15 down on the transaction. HOWEVER; When you do your VAT return, you reclaim £20 as input Tax and pay £5 as Output VAT. HMRC pay you the missing £15. I've played this game before with a mooring owner that was an out and out crook. Once we left, I asked for a refund of the overcharged VAT. He refused. He ended up talking to HMRC, and I got my money back.

Well I don't know the particular stove, but I think you'll find it much cheaper to clean it up and fit the new parts than buy a new stove! Why do you need a new door - it's quite unusual for a whole door to need replacing. It's simple to fit glass and rope, and they are easily obtained. As to the flue, you can have any length you like, as you can buy various lengths which fit into each other. Fitting properly at the top, where it goes through the roof, is the only tricky bit, but if the roof collar is intact and the chimney is there, you should be able to see what has been done already, and do the same. Sealing stove to flue with fireproof rope + fire cement and flue to roof collar with plumba-flue. Then get someone who knows about it to see what you've done. Just as (more?) important is the heatproofing behind and around the stove. Make sure that this has been done properly with fireproof boards and insulation. A search on this site with various keywords (flue, stove rope, fireproof, etc) will give loads of info). Oh and get smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Edited to say you seem to be able to get all spares here There's even a picture of your stove!

Whilst that might be an original its a very well known picture of a Shropshire Union boat at Owen St Tipton, you can still take the same image today as the cottages still exist. Boatmans Cabin Co reproduced the picture as apostcard in a series in the late 1980's, I must say the price is ridicolous for the one on ebay! Its been in my archive for years. So here it is for just asking! Oh and if you contact John Bolsom at High Line Yachting (Boatmans Cabin Co) he may still have some stock (01753 651496)