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Just a belated update to say I sold Mr Bunbury in May. I believe the new owner has renamed it Blunderbus ? so give him a wave if you pass. I now have a Devon conversion Motorhome and am enjoying visiting those places the boat couldn’t reach. I still have an interest in canals and boats so may well see some of you at one of the old boat gatherings. As you can see from the pic below I’m still attracted to water. This the new van on the smallest ferry in Scotland - at 53ft it’s shorter than Mr Bunbury ?

I once employed a cook who was done for growing the same in a windowbox. The local paper reported that when the magistrate asked her why she was growing it she replied "Well it's too expensive to buy the stuff".

Only after you have smoked enough of it! ? George

Why is there a big tank full of people inclined to question or doubt accepted opinions. ?

So you have to negotiate with them as opposed to declare? They have a say, like they're involved in your diesel use beyond supplying it? How bizarre! "I have diesel central heating, so I raise my domestic portion by 20%." "It's been a mild spring, so I'll only allow you 10%." "But my wife likes a warm bathroom! Please, I beg you!" "Ok, I'll allow you 15%, but only if you buy something from the shop." "Done. I'll have two extra bags of Taybrite and leave the bathroom door open." (Thanks for the tip, Tuscan)

Who the hell would want to 'cruise' a 12.5 ' beam boat on a typiical UK canal?. It's not an aquatic housing estate.

Not recognising culitation, I thought it was something to do with the flag. If you ask me the arse isn't the one who reported you.

Giant weedhog!

6. You just shrug it off and say "WotEver"

Missing the point by a country mile! Without the tv licence fee income, none of the bbc radio stations would exist for you to listen to by any method.

Not only a duck, she has a tree monkey too! (and a dodgy hair cut)

Woohoo! @mrsmelly has his personal raincloud back. Stand by for flood alerts shortly. You could do us all a huge favour and start boating towards the L&L or the Rochdale on your way to York

Pixie Lott if you please!!

Yeah probably barby tomoz. Had a oooge Keeeeeebab tonite ? my body is a temple and all that. Most temples of course are in ruins ? The temperature is way better now than it has been. I hate this hot wevver. If I wanted hot wevver I would be European and voted remain in the referendum but I cant wait till we exit and then only ever get nice cool British weather back ?

..... Cos you're smartgauge is lying. (lets go round again......)

Like I said a few months go, the answer to all battery questions is "they are knackered mate, because you aren't charging them enough."

The boat builder should have checked for beams before makiing the hole and advised you. Stove collars and stoves can't always be installed exactly where you want because of this. If the beam crosses a bolt hole you'll have to hack- grind it flush with the roof and hope it doesn't weaken it. A beam alongside could be added and welded in.

Hi Kev I havnt bothered with the bolts. Its sealed down tight with sikaflex and it aint going anywhere. It will be removable though if it rots and needs replacing with a crowbar. I have used this method in the past without fault.

There's one at Braunston and another at Blisworth …… both called tunnels. After that it's wherever the towpath is on your left and another boat comes towards you.

It OK to make light of the use of class B drugs, pot is socially acceptable in some cultures, but having a life long friend who is totally destroyed by it does distress me greatly. He is paranoid, a hermit, cannot leave his home which is squalid. Brain gone soft years ago.

It aint worth worrying about. Stick a sensibly located in line switch somewhere easily accessible and turn it off when you go to bed if such a thing wakes you up.

Tell that to my Landrover!

We once enquired about using the laundry there...after it was listed in the ACS laundrette list...they were most off hand and said for moorers only etc....think our phone call disturbed tea drinking....as we probably would have got diesel, gas etc at the same time they lost out....I'm amazed that a lot of marinas seem to treat visiting customers as a nuisance.....but you never know where that might lead....I know one boater that was told a pump out was too much effort....he was also going to enquire about them building his new boat too...he went elsewhere....

Or cradle it over your shoulder. Plus use of belt.

We have visited twice. Once to look at buying a boat. We were made to feel fairly unwelcome, having arrived by boat they made a fuss about where we could moor even though no-one was on or wanting the service area pontoon (which is badly designed in terms of getting on and off it). In the end we were grudgingly allowed. But we then waited around for 30 mins to see someone about a boat, no-one was interested in us so eventually we left not having seen the boat. We just felt a generally hostile atmosphere as if we, the customer, were a nuisance. Then a couple of weeks ago we foolishly stopped by to get a new Nicholson’s book 5. Mid week, high season. Doors were locked and lights out with a sign on the door saying closed for lunch 13:00 to 14:00 but it was only 12:50. If you are going to advertise times of opening you should stick to them. Again, gives an impression of not valuing customers. Two strikes out of two visits and you’re out as far as I’m concerned.

Lots of it near the summit of the L&L last summer (near Foulridge), and owners were letting their dogs swim in it. I mentioned it to one owner, and got a reply that the dog's been swimming in it for years. Didn't have an answer to that. Was paranoid in case ours fell in. Why take chances?

Try getting hold of fuel boat Halsall ( 4 counties fuel), they are on Facebook and cover most of your journey.

I lost my hot water from engine late last year after inadvertently letting the header tank run empty and air entering system, which was a bit of a bugger as my ebersbastard kept playing up all winter. I've had the opportunity to strip the lot down in the last month, thermostat was OK, water pump was OK, but in the pipe from the thermostat to the calorifier there was a load of crud built up....this had led to the problem. All put back together with new hoses, clips and paint and everything is ticketyboo now. If your thermostat has stuck open, you may not get hot water from a 2LW or 2L2 unless running it on a river anyway as it doesn't get particularly hot.

If you use my method of carrying the windlass in your lower back in a belt than it doesn’t hang down or get in the way and doesn’t affect movement. I carry mine like this up/down lock ladders so it’s quite secure and it’s easy to whip out and place in. To try it you just need a normal belt - I won’t recommend using the same one to hold your trousers up as we don’t want to frighten the natives.

Oh nearly forgot to say to PD1964 you don't need to apologise for calling me a liar and if you find it tight getting a 62 foot boat were 70 feet will go Ill pop up and give you boating tuition anytime you wish ?

I have a small hatchet...

MMnnn - before we descend into too much vitriol, without even the excuse of beer, I am the owner mentioned earlier who bought Jenny Rose off that nice mrsmelly. I went though this lock backwards on my maiden voyage from the Aire and Calder to Tamworth via the Trent / Nottingham etc. in what is still my 70ft Hudson. I know from practical personal experience therefore that it's doable even when you've only owned your first narrowboat for a couple of days. End of. But it is tight, and the gates will push hard against your stern, fenders need to be up. Probably not doable for shiny boaters more proud of their paintwork than their locking skills.