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What I find interesting is that the Baton Twirling Association have taken up cudgels against CRT (as is their wont), to tell us that CRT are dreadful, picking on a vulnerable individual, yet I cannot find a single example of them EVER saying that CRT was justified, because the (ex-)boater was just taking the proverbial. Basically, their standpoint is that anybody who doesn't pay or doesn't play by the rules must have a good reason for it, and should just be allowed to do as they please, with the cost of their licences distributed amongst those who do pay. I might have SOME respect for them if I felt that they accepted that there must be rules, and expected something different only for genuine cases of NEED (rather than WANT). I would have even more respect if they chose to do something instead of bleating. If they believe that some people cannot pay for a licence, and need to have it paid for them, can they not stick their hands in their pockets to pay for the licence. It is very easy to demand that all boaters pay for this, less easy to actually contribute to a fund and decide who is actually deserving. Here is an idea. Let us have a fund, administered by boaters to which we can all make voluntary contributions (yes I would contribute). That fund can be used to pay for licences where boaters (not CRT) accept that there is genuine need. At the same time, CRT adopt a zero-tolerance approach to unlicenced boats. How would that play out? Well, CRT would get more income from licences, and could hold the charges lower, which would mean that I actually get my voluntary contribution back in lower licence charges. The boating organisations would need to decide who was ACTUALLY deserving, to keep within their means, and because if they were seen to buy licences for the undeserving, people would stop contributing. I actually see NBTA as the bad guys here. They could have helped to ensure that the guy kept his boat, but that didn't suit their purposes. From their point of view the guy being evicted is far more useful to the cause than actually doing something.

The wifes toothbrush, never fails.

But the continued passage of 3 ft deep boats, which do get stuck from time to time, ensures that there is adequate depth for all the shallower boats. Same as the passage of 7 ft (and a little wider) narrow boats ensures that 6ft 10in wide boats can pass through locks, even with silly rubber side fenders down, without sticking. Those with long memories will remember the sign at Hurleston Junction advising that boats drawing more than 2 feet should not attempt the Llangollen. It could so easily have been the same everywhere.

Hi all, rivers still running high, I have left my boat in a secure place on canals and left home to return on Sunday and try again to enter Nene and cruise to Suffolk. I have tried last Friday. I went down the Rothersthorpe flight solo and because I was advised not to navigate even to Northampton Marina, I turned back and went all the way back on Grand Union where I felt it safer for my boat than in the middle of Northampton. So 32 locks in two days Anyway I had great time last week navigating the Leicester arm up to Welford and back. Huge thanks to Matty40 to helping me with some advice whom I met at the first of Buckby locks (almost miraculously). Also huge thanks to all the lovely boaters who helped me along my first boating experience. Loved it every bit (even after I sent my new mobile swimming with the fishes). Cheers Martin

You're wierd, I am not telling you where I go

The two Ronnies Parodied and referred to him as Elton Bog

Let me help you there. You're a dogtor!

The Nissan won't break down?

Well I know that! And don't mention Leo.I've been sailing for years and i've never met the bloke,although his name is often mentioned!

Ah, but you're a giant! You'd have to get Gog or Magog to help you.

Was the child also removed prior to this? The mind BOGgles.

On the grounds that the most stupid question is the one that nobody asked, did you separate the holding tank from the superstructure or try to tip it all out with the bog seat attached? :-0

Because then they couldn't have another unfounded dig at CRT?

It hasn't stopped an awful lot of people doing so, though! Without making any comment on this particular case, but harking back to some previous discussion, anybody who thinks there is good mental health provision in this country has probably had little experience of either trying to access it themselves, or on behalf of someone else. It is, in my experience, one of the most broken bits of the system, and already was before the latest cuts have undoubtedly rendered it even more so. Our own personal experiences were not even as good as "shambolic".

I wouldn't say that I'm totally against graffiti since some of the toilet graffiti can lighten up a moment of strain, and I would have no objection to Banksy putting something on my house/boat but it just struck me what a stupid piece of graffiti the bit on the bridge was, and done by a boater. Here we had someone complaining about a possible increase in his/her licence fee whilst committing Criminal Damage to the canal infrastructure which will cost money to clean up, they obviously have little or no conception of cause/effect. It isn't as though their 'protest' is going to change anything whatsoever, to Joe Public it is probably meaningless (what licence? do they mean stop canalside house-building?) as far as CRT are concerned it is just another piece of graffiti to clear up so the only real 'target audience' are other boaters and I have no real sympathy with someone who scrawls on the canal infrastructure, whatever their beef may be. There are legitimate means of protest but in my view, this wasn't one of them. How can we, as boaters, complain about CRT not clearing up offensive Graffiti when some of our 'fellow boaters' are putting up graffiti themselves.

Incredibly foolish to hypothesise that someone has a mental health condition, moreso if you've not met them, even moreso over the internet, and excuse me if I assume you don't have any/sufficient medical qualifications to do so either. But I'll forgive that you're simply "hypothesising". And if so, we're into the realm of theoretical stuff, so excuse me if my reply does the same. Its obvious that CRT DO make equality adjustments, in fact they have historically made quite a number of these, and have a process for doing so. And accepting that mental health is somewhat difficult to obtain NHS help on, there are agencies and bodies in place which can and do, via various means, try to get the relevant help to the relevant people. For example, police would pretty soon involve the medical services if they suspected it (and they are trained to do so and deal with these kinds of things regularly). So would social services if they had any contact; and I imagine CRT's mysterious welfare officer would see it as a primary part of their role. And of course, there are processes (not brilliant but they exist) to get treatment for those who refuse treatment but need it. Of course, my reply is an idealised one; but it matches your presumptions in distant diagnosis too. In terms of the question "can you be exempt from the section 8 process if you're depressed" - the answer is, yes. Because CRT can and do make equality adjustments; or discontinue enforcement in these cases. Without further actual evidence, we simply don't know the relative severity of any hypothesised condition, vs the scale of the non-compliance with areas of the law.

That statement clearly shows no understanding of depression, which is a mental illness. It is quite possible for someone to undertake some tasks but not others, and this is how many depressives live day to day. Anyway, lets hope no one we know ever gets "bottomed out", living in a cardboard box on a towpath in London. People do not choose to live this way.

I like to think I am a reasonable man, but...... I have passed thay way many times without a problem. It is not often that I agree with Nick Norman but what I hit this morning was solid, NOT slit, and it sure as hell wasn't beamed there by the Starship Enterprise.

Ere.I thought you was watching the bell ringing tonight!

Seriously a wolf related to a monkey, there's a closer link to a dress wearing beagle

I suspect you only need to replace the thermocouple, not the full thermostat assembly. Generic thermocouples should be available for little money. ETA http://www.leisureshopdirect.com would appear to have oven and grill thermocouples in stock for £20 ish.

That was after the fact. I was barking up the wrong tree so I deleted my post - It was Rusty that called that tree a tree monkey and muddied the waters. I'll just be in hole that I keep digging for my self.

Auntie Waitrose asked me to keep stirring it. (the duck stew!....wrong thread...ooops!)

Yes you did!

Which shows the cants in all they gory!

We use to achieve that out in the North Sea. Watch the weather forecast, spend a day blasting the old paint off, next gay if conditions looked favourable the light blast again to remove overnight rust, this would bring you to lunch time, by now hopefully the dew point, steel temperature and every thing else would be with you so air less spray Sigma Coatings 2 pack on. measure wet film thickness as you go. This required a team of blasters, kettle men, sprayers, paint mixers and the paint inspector who's job it was to make sure it was all in spec. A lot of time was spent watching the TV

I wouldn't listen to him.He talks a load of sh@t!

or bams = muppets

Lighten up Ronaldo. It's only sh*t. Once you've gone through the emptying and swilling out routine a few times, it won't be there any more. Be thankful you didn't know what an Elsan was - a toilet seat fixed above a 5-gallon bucket, in which you could observe not only the results of your own struggles, floating around, but everyone else's too!

That's the last line :

All I could see on that link was the party food for Thursday night over at the not unstable bar. Isn't Newry in the UK?

On our boat ,we have sheets, duvets and pillows!

I couldn't find her on Google but i did get a result for Anastasia Matilda Hummus. https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=anastasia+matilda+hummus&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjm-t_f6q_aAhXEasAKHTBYD5cQsAQILQ&biw=1600&bih=767

Probably one of the most polite things ive been called in my life. My erstwhile employers in australia spelt my name wrong for 14 years, in spite of frequent attempts to stop them, and my current car’s v5 was sold to r elson from r elsdon when we moved address. I gave up rather than have even more ‘owners on the log book.

Not so! I get it all the time.

I just empty, rinse,empty, apply concentrated disinfectant with an amount of H2o, shake vigorously and empty. We use bio washing stuff in the holding tank. We tend to eat eat loads of Parma violet sweets after very meal. Assists in achieving a better aroma.

On the wider subject of bridges in general, my favourite bridge graffito is on the Brunel viaduct over the M25 near the M40 exit, which philosophically exhorts: "GIVE PEAS A CHANCE"

If all else fails then contact Captain James T Kirk of the Starship Enterprise, apparently he can get rid of Clingons.

You can't be that clever if you've been deprived of some hay by a manky dog!

No. Two moorings, but one mooring has this one week residence limit, and the other doesn't. That is the oddest thing.

For clarity I wasn't accusing you of being too late; after all you can only respond after you have found the thread. I was looking at it from the OPs perspective who had received a number of less than flattering replies and assertions about her style and character prior to your offer and I think already had her mind set she wasn't interested any longer. Also I don't think either pete.i or myself were suggesting that all contributors were at fault of being less than welcoming. LadyG was supportive on a personal level and Rob-M - and I think at least one other person - did try and clarify the purpose of the thread. Sorry for the confusion, JP

Perhaps ..... Possibly ...... Likely. Not good enough, we need to understand the reason behind this otherwise it's the thin end of a wedge where Custom and Tradition allows a radical change in what we're all used to and expect. Explain CRT!

(P.S. Anyone want to buy a National? Excellent nick, new injectors, £7,500 no offers. Just needs the injection timing sorting out... )