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Not in the least bit amusing. Completely on the contrary. If there were more cyclists there would be less of a problem. I have refrained from answering the rabid anti cycling views on here before. However one of our sons in law recently had a taxi do a u turn in front of him. Fortunately it was his bike that went under the taxi, he was thrown over the roof into the road. Now he's back cycling he again uses the canal tow path. Last week he was cycling in the centre of nottingham at 2 in the afternoon and was watching a group of youngsters as he approached them. As he drew level, one grabbed his arm and asked for help claiming the others were trying to rob him. Our son in law had to make a quick assessment and was able to let the lad get away then catch him and escort him to safety. Not everyone can stop a potential robbery but I feel safer if there are more people about. Putting tin hat on and leaving.

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That is why the standard advice when sailing on lumpy water and you unfortunately lose a crew member overboard is that you throw everything that floats over the side after him/her. Don't tie a life belt to anything before you chuck it - just chuck it. It stands a much better chance of getting within grabbing distance of the casualty if it isn't being hindered by a piece of string, particularly if you are on water with a current. And, let's face it, it is more important that the casualty can float, you can worry about recovery once they are safely attached to something buoyant.

Mike the Boilerman hails from Reading. Sez it all really!

There's been an horrendous lot of fuss and disinformation about these ladders and fire extinguihers - even from boaters ON the Thames. This is my take as a 'local:- ALL Thames locks have very nice stairways with handrails on either side that you can use if you don't mid the slime that often forms on them. The ladders are as others have said are stored on the side of the lock and probably go back to the days when some of the locks' stairwells ended above the water level (e.g. Marlow) -( so it was difficult to climb out). These have all been fixed 'long since. The ladders are very long and very heavy - too heavy for even a fit person to lift and deploy on their own. As locks (when they are actually manned...) are invariably single handed lockies have been forbidden to use them and they (the ladders) will be removed. Fire extinguishers are also being removed because Elfin-safety have deemed that lockies are not trained in their use - so now they have to wait until the fire brigade arrives which will in all probability be not until the boat in question has sunk because there aren't any fire engines available / they don't know where the locks are / the access is over muddy fields (cynic..) So folks - don't come on the Thames, it's dangerous, you'll sink in the locks and the locals are revolting....

You should clear all that grass out of the top of your chimney though.

Too many boats making a home there, especially in winter. It should be a short stop like Leighton Buzzard

Sign of the times really. But errrr Reading...Posh...

Anyone who is bipolar might know.

There's a C&RT owned Marina below Town Lock. You could bring the boat up to Newark at any time that suited you between now and early December, leave it there until the stoppage comes off on 14 Dec, and then you've got nearly 3 weeks, until 4 Jan to clear the two stoppages on the Soar, which are a maximum of 2 days run from Newark.

I thought the children's bedroom was very badly thought out. It would be difficult to nurse a poorly child in that space and with two children in such close proximity they will never get a chance to have any more children.

I don't think you are looking at the gearbox oil filler/dipstick. I think you are looking at the low level engine oil filler cap which is on the engine block under the injector pump. This filler is not used on the Barrus marinisation. The gearbox is between the prop. shaft & the engine. Barrus use PRM 80, 120, 150, 260 gearboxes on the Shire series, all have a hexagonal (20mm AF I think) filler/dipstick on the top. Which Shire model/series do you have ? Refer to the manual which you can download. http://www.barrus.co.uk/media/1348/rdg603a8-issue-1-shire-14-canal-boat-complete-manual-30-35-38-40-45-50.pdf

If the engine has had an overhaul maybe the guys burnt out the starter motor cranking it over for to long, Check the power at the starter/solenoid terminals on cranking and check the earth strap Knock hell out of the Solenoid Other than that I would take it off and take it to an Alternator/Starter Motor Refurb place such as this one in Stockport only 5 miles or so from where you are That Solenoid Click is normally just a Low Battery but not always, maybe borrow a Battery from a fellow Boater and rule that out. http://www.robinsonrewinds.co.uk/