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Hang about! In the continuing stooooory of cassette vs pumpout, the 50% cassette supporters always say there is no problem going to an Elsan point on a weekly basis. You must be wrong. Surely is it always a nice experience. Our pump outs are!

My dad was a Bobby. I remember his tunic, his truncheon pocket, he showed me how to loop the leather strap, so it couldn't easily been taken from him. He had a cape. A helmet, a whistle. I remember once, he drove an MG two seater. Brought it home to show us all. He also got p**sed on duty in Chorley and got caught. He got transferred to Huyton as a punishment. It wasn't a too bad a place to grow up. Yes, we lived in Police Houses, it was okay. We certainly moved about a bit. For whatever reason, the Police don’t have the same respect from joe public as bygone days. Nor do the Police of today have respect for jo public as in bygone days. Jo public isn't the same beast As in bygone days. My dad wasn't a tough guy by any stretch of the imagination, but he knew how to handle himself. Ex army, wartime in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. Palestine followed after wartime end. I guess that toughened you up a little. Picture of Dad and I, after my passing out parade in Plymouth, 1969. He sadly passed away in 1978 at the young age of 55. Very much missed. Did i go off topic? Ooops!

But an alternative view: Back when your observations were, or rather might have been true, the so-called respect was largely born out of subservience, even if it was dressed up with a measure of benevolent paternalism. This was amusing but very perceptively captured in the famous sketch with John Cleese etc. You were born to a class and you knew your place. Anything that tended to give an opportunity to escape would have been labelled as revolutionary. Some would like to think that we have made it all the way to a more egalitarian society but, scratch the surface, and 'knowing your place' is still a dominant controlling factor - round the world, not just UK. Some of the eastern societies may well have a more ordered society but it comes at a price of much greater repression. A very modern example is seen in the row over exam grading. Ostensibly, the objective of 'education' since the 1960's (see Robins Report) has been to enable everyone to have an opportunity for social mobility. But the main constraint on the 'algorithm' was just the opposite: make sure that grade inflation dopes not happen ie if one school improves then another must be labelled failing. And then we find that the net effect has been to protect the results of schools of a certain type and to disadvantage others. And some wonder why there is mistrust of authority when all through this pandemic we have seen examples of one rule for the powerful and one rule for the rest. Now, I am not really a raving red, as those with power usually label those seeking opportunity (see US Presidential Election memes for examples from a so-called egalitarian society) and I present an alternative view simply to demonstrate that there is more than one way of reading your evidence. Looking at my next generation but one I am delighted, sometimes amazed, to see endless examples of responsibility and social awareness often missing from public discourse of late. I have great faith in upcoming generations . . . Let's hope those in between don't mess it up before they get a chance to have their hands on the tiller. (Of course, every generation discovers that age and experience readily destroy progressive enthusiasm!)

Apologies! I keep wanting to say "because its full of water!" I'll get my coat.

They all go into a silent sulk cos you've just killed one of their mates. The Albert Pierrepoint of the woods.

I am of a generation that can still read maps, and like to be able to see how local roads and towns interact with the canal route, so Nicholsons.

Or... https://www.loveskirting.co.uk/skirting-architrave-c12/by-product-c201/modern-skirting-c85/pine-square-single-edge-skirting-3-5-metre-p647

Nit sure if I have posted this before, apologies if I have. L & L short boat at Verdun,

Yes, this would be most beneficial. I was pleased to note that the portion of our Council Tax allocated to the police had gone up by a bit more than inflation this year, and I'd be happy to see it go up still further. Just down our road is a detached building which is a former police house (and presumably station). I wish it still was one. In fourteen years of living in Upwell, I have only once seen a policeman walking along our road. The rot started not through lack of funding but by the introduction of TGP, total geographical policing. Some bag carrying, scramble egg chasing, never really done proper police work oik used a computer to model where officers where needed and when. So whereas lots of areas were assigned a beat officer the computer decided or showed that these areas had no reported crimes or only at certain times so resources were reallocated meaning areas only saw an officer when something had happened. It's why I am a strong supporter of report, report, report as it messes with the stats. Coupled with so many people allocated to specialist roles, people not wanting to work nights or weekends or good officers being disillusioned with what the role has become so leave are some reasons why numbers have diminished I liken today's officers with fire crews. They only have time to rush from job to job. Which means they do not get the opportunity to meet the majority of people who abide by the law. Dealing with the minority of society that have no respect for anyone else but themselves and think they can behave in anyway they like to get what they want puts them in the us and them position. After all behaviour breeds behaviour

I suppose the fact that it was posted in the BMC forum went over your head. Don't EVER answer any of my questions. Although it's not likely that I would ask any questions on this forum after a similar sort of answer a few years ago from another "expert."

Watercolour sketch thing

They do this for the same reason that some people who use communal bins outside flats and apartments, put loads of empty cans and bottles into the general rubbish bins instead of the recycling bins just next to them. It's pure laziness and a lack of any sense of community. This country unfortunately has fairly low levels of social cohesion compared to France, Germany or Scandinavia for example. Lots of selfish c@nts. Lots of Brits came out to clap for the NHS during lockdown and it seemed like everyone was finding a new sense of community, but later when the weather got hot some of the same people went down to overcrowded beaches on the South coast flouting social distancing, so in reality they didn't give a crap about the NHS. I'm afraid this selfishness runs across all sections of society including boaters.

Er, yes. Could that be why newer boats are dry bilge? Front decks are raised these days so that they are self draining. Rear decks on semi trads and cruisers need detailed work on drain channels to avoid engine room flooding and sinking. Never rely on a bilge pump, they are only guaranteed to work when you don't need them.

My engine is in front of the bedroom If you want to make you boat safe from weedhatch flooding then make sure its constructed the same was as Steve Hudson did and one or two others do them. Remember if you flood the back end you have negative buoyancy at that end not just weight to support

Can you back up that statement with any evidence? It's completely different to my understanding of how it came to be included in the 1995 Act. Thanks.

I use proper Ordnance Survey Mao's for that but I have to select the ones In need at the beginning of each year, leaving the rest in our sons loft.

Both, but if I had to choose one, Nicholson. I think it is confusing the way north can be up, down, left or right in the Pearson ones. So Nicholson for planning, underpays, and to see how far it is from one place to another. But Pearson is good for a bit of local colour.

Not too far from Pen y Fan last time I looked

On this day in 2015 River Welland. Seals

It appears that you're correct. And I'm wrong (again). https://www.scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk/about-whisky/whisky-or-whiskey#:~:text=Irish whiskey is always spelled,Irish whiskey and Scotch whisky.

The two dimensions are not necessarily contradictory. The CRT minimum craft dimensions have to be read in combination and it’s important to recognise they describe both a size and shape of craft and not the size of aperture in a bridge. What those particular dimensions say is that if your boat height does not exceed 5’ 7” in height at any point across a width of 7’ then you will be able to fit under all the bridges between Fradley and Coventry. It’s not totally clear what the other dimension relates to but let’s assume it is the maximum clearance available beneath the lowest bridge at normal water level. What that tells you is that you will not be able to transit all the way between Fradley and Coventry if any point of your boat exceeds 7.38’ in height. So if you have a boat that is between 5’ 7” and 7.38’ in height but only over part of it’s width then you might fit through all the bridges. So we can categorically say that you might fit. Very helpful I’m sure. In truth it’s pretty much impossible to publish dimensions that are anything other than the a conservative guide to what’s possible since no boat is a literal brick shape and every craft has a set of unique measurements in three dimensions as does every structure on the waterways. The only way to find out for certain if you are outside of any one of CRTs published maximum craft dimensions is to go there and try. JP

Hi Mark. PM sent.

First world problems, huh?

Boat got caught up in some trees trying to avoid a numpty who refused to move out of the middle - seemed to be just the usual light branches that you curse and drift through but a hefty one caught the tiller, pulled the thing right over and before I could get into reverse it was jammed solid and snapped. The wall thickness is 2mm and it's probably as old as the boat, which must be at least fifty years and maybe more. It has suffered a bit in the past - got bent a bit when it jammed against a lock wall. Being so long it does go a little over the rails at the back of the cruiser stern, but it's much more comfortable to steer it with a long shaft than with the bit that's left.

That's a kind offer but I don't think it'll work. Yes it will... pm sent I'll keep that in reserve, but as above, the wife wants brass, and one must preserve domestic harmony. Anyway, brass goes better with the trombone!

The Ashton is narrow.

Sounds like you need a 4' length with 6" chopped off?? ?

I don't know if you have tried to take a fast, free-drifting boat under tow, but its not easy. The boat is likely oscillating side to side, or even turning/spinning and is unlikely to be drifting in a 'straight line' veering left and right as differing currents 'get hold of it'. Some time ago we were a 'party'of 3 boats and having moored overnight top-side of Cromwell lock, we set off for Newark. The 1st boat off pulled out into the channel and started to turn towards Newark ( heading upstream), his engine stopped and he started to drift towards the weir. Myself and the other boat quickly cast off and went to try and assist, whilst doing this 'boat 1' lowered his anchor which slowed his drift but it failed to set, we tried to get a line aboard but he was moving about all over the place. The anchor finally set just after the brown trouser moment of " less than 100 yards to the weir". We both went in and approached from between the weir and his stern turning along side and trying to get a line aboard 'boat 1'. We failed miserably as 'boat 1' was swinging in the flow about 45 degrees to the right, and the same to the left, he was either moving into us, or away from us. After each of us made about half-a-dozen attempts we finally got a line aboard, moved him forward and he recovered the anchor. If you have an engine failure, do not 'prat-about' trying to get a tow, DEPLOY THE ANCHOR, GET IT SET, REVIEW SITUATION, ASK FOR HELP