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And I though that the loop was to pass the rope through so that when the pin pulled out from the ground you didn't lose it in the cut

Long story short. My old Land Rover got nicked, got found half trashed, written off, bought back from insurance, so was looking for a cheap running tow car. Went all over looking for an old but running Discovery and kept missing some good ones. Yesterday, saw one on gumtree, turned out to be maybe 100 yards from my parents' house, a guy who's lived there for probably 3 decades and my parents' age. My dad knows him to say hello on the dog walk. Chatting away while we're looking over the car, another one of their neighbours stops, starts talking about the canals and it turned out that the guy selling the car was brought up in a canal worker's cottage on the Rochdale. His dad worked on the stretch all his life. Bought the car. I think the word for today is serendipitous!

Yes we do or they will continue to be “cycling like an idiot”. That said, we have laws about zebra crossings and traffic lights which too many cyclists ignore.

Bugger me, they kept that one quiet, I had to go and find my own....?

And I though big woowich was a term of endearment as in "Come here you big woolwich"!

I can boil an egg without burning it. AND been on several vacuum cleaner courses. Glad you've learnt how to spell Hoover correctly.

RCR tend to call out the local boatyard to where you are. If the local boatyard send a numpty, you have a bad experience. If the local boatyard send out a good chap, you have a great experience. I don't pay for RCR, but I have access to Google who know where the local boatyards are!

Extracts - full article https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/jul/27/on-roads-cyclists-are-vulnerable-but-on-towpaths-theyre-the-menace On roads, cyclists are vulnerable – but on towpaths they're the menace The use of Britain’s narrow canal towpaths as cycling commuter routes is not sustainable. It’s time to ban bikes at peak timesA tipping point has been reached, the volume of cyclists exceeding the capacity of paths built during the industrial revolution for horses to slowly tow boats laden with goods. The issue now requires political intervention, a recognition that using canals as key cycling commuter routes is not sustainable. Many of the UK’s towpaths are narrow and cannot be widened; separating cyclists from pedestrians is not possible. Proposals such as speed gates and painting 3D “sleeping policemen” on the towpath, infrastructure modifications borrowed from roads, are not long term solutions. Nor is distributing leaflets enforcing cycling etiquette which, although well meaning, offers no evidence that it will influence mass behaviour. The Canal & River Trust’s messaging that cyclists should give way to pedestrians as the more vulnerable party is only selectively obeyed. Prohibiting cycling on canals during peak times should be trialled and enforced with on-the-spot fines. The move would be easily policed, as the structure of canals means cyclists cannot avoid checkpoints. Fines should be invested directly into fundraising alternative, safe cycling routes on the road network. Fundamentally, canals need to be reclaimed as places of contemplation – greenways that are quickly accessible to huge tracts of the UK’s urban population. Not long ago canals served a purpose for cyclists, a traffic-free route through cities still in thrall to the internal combustion engine. But the rise in numbers and demands of a cleaner city mean their purpose for cycling has been outgrown. Their value needs to be reappraised. These ancient routes, a retreat from the frantic hubbub of the streets above, are too important to sacrifice.

Sorry, can't resist quoting this just posted elsewhere.... Now it is of course quite possibly the "elderly couple" were going to fast, but it doesn't say a lot for the quality of the mooring "pin" in use at the time, does it? Or had they perhaps used wooden mooring "pins"?

There's nothing like a reliable and accurate newspaper article, and that's nothing like one.

You're not moored next to @LadyG by any chance? ?

No the context is irrelevant to the OP's question. It's not up to you or me to decide whether the OP's perception of the service they received from RCR was correct or incorrect, just as it's not up to us to decide whether Athy's perception of his experience was right or wrong. They were the customers and it was their money so it's their perception that counts. I don't like shopping in Tescos or the taste of Mars Bars but lots of other people do. Who's right? The OP asked for alternatives, it's as simple as that. If those options are limited then the OP can decide for him/herself what to do.

On a towpath, a cyclist should be down to no more than walking speed before passing, unless say someone has stopped to let them past, and everyone is quite clear about things, Holding cyclists to account for their actions is perfectly correct but banning them from the towpath isn't the answer. It is one of the few places that offers gentle cycling for mixed ages along good stretches.

Probably the one who is fed up with cyclists coming towards them at speed ringing their bell for you to get out of their way.

Classic quote from Dick Whittington: Alice (at the ball): 10 o’clock and still no sign of Dick!

A bit personal Mike, a bit personal. I've met a few Dicks that could take that the wrong way!!

and if you are correct then the contact rating may make switching an immersion heater "interesting".......... as in the contacts may now be cinders.

C'mon - remember the "Mog" it will be henceforth known as the Thames (sq yardage measurement)

I need to file off the burrs that have been created over the years.

Ya have to bring a bit of serious boating in to the discussion every now and then else people might think a " Big woolwich " is actualy a big boat

Another possibilty, I have often see people tied to just the welded eye near the top of the mooring pin, without passing the rope around the pin. This weld can easily break (especially if it has been hit with a hammer on a few occasions) with just the gentlest of pulls on the rope. In fact most of my pins are old ones that people have thrown away after they have broken in this way, because they can't use them any more.

Why, I wonder, when I read your posts, I read them as if young Boris had written them?

I don't think the OP is under any obligation to justify exactly why they aren't satisfied with RCR or relate details of their experience to this forum. If you're all happy with the service you've received from RCR that's all well and good, but it almost sounds like some people here are telling the OP that they should be satisfied when clearly they're not. The OP was simply asking if there are any alternatives. Personally I don't bother with RCR. I carry lots of spares and will attempt any repairs myself, but I guess it depends on your abilities and your boat; how old and what sort of condition it's in, access to the engine, etc. But that's my alternative.

I have called RCR twice in my 10 years or so of boat ownership. The first time it was an unmitigated disaster but they did compensate me, to my complete satisfaction, for that. The second time they came out it was a brilliant success and experience. As said it depends on who comes out to you. They do have their problems I suppose, especially considering where their mechanics have to go and work, the conditions they they might have to put up with and the, normally, complete inaccessability of some of the stuff they have to work on but anyone else would have those same problems where boats are concerned. I'm still with them and likely to stay with them for the foreseeable future.

They're usually known as scuttles in the Royal Navy who tend not to use the term porthole.

In appreciation of the bread you gave them earlier they are surveying the hull for you. Don't forget to ask thrm for a written condition report. ?

Called them out twice brilliant service of them both times ?

The first national census was taken in 1801 no names purely numerical to ascertain what the population was. The 1811,1821 and 1831 were also just numerical 1841 did give names ages and occupation and if born in the county enumerated in and no family connections ie husband , wife and so on. The 1795 Boat Registers where taken in counties where there were canals these are held in local county record offices if they have survived.

Hopefully there will be an article in the Autumn 2019 Narrowboat Magazine of my research into the origins of the Canal Boat Families which has taken me 25 years to find. No Gypsies, one Navvy, some Farm Labourers, quite a lot of Watermen from the navigable rivers and a few surprises.

Ive ridden and boated it. I found the natives friendly but virtually impossible to understand ( and i went to school for seven years only 2 miles away) we rode the towpath on the tandem, as part of a ride taking in the erewash the nottingham and the cranfleet cut. We expected abuse but instead the locals were great helping lift the bloody great thing round the anti motorbike barriers. we were wearing australian tops that may have helped , and i said crikey and strewth a lot.

No connection with this thread at all. But can I just say, great isn't it. All those years have passed and memory can be dug out from the archives with a simple comment.

A few years ago we arrived at the canal swing bridge to find it open for the ship canal. No big ships in sight and then the hi vis mob swarmed and the bridge started to close but didn’t quite. Lots of hi vis guys scratching heads then two appeared with big sledge hammers brayed the Life out of something. Bridge then swung to open to the ship canal and back again this time all the way so we dashed across whilst the going was good. Seemed to be a fairly practiced operation but I didn’t fancy being stuck so didn’t wait to see what happened next... also didn’t want swmbo going back into the Trafford centre with the credit card - won’t make that mistake again....