Ron

Just returned from 2 weeks on the K&A: Aldermaston to Bath and Back. Wonderful weather ans a good time. All those double locks made it a bit slow, but wonderful countryside. After our usual Midland tours on narrow canals the K&A offerred few challenges, it was also impossible to get lost! Caen Hill was spectacular and the locks not too bad if you found a boat to travel with ... though the canal was very quiet and this could be a bit of a challenge, we only met one boat comming up on the way down, which took about 3.5hrs. there seemed to be quite a few Crayfish around, usually spotted on the cills, I have not seen these before. We managed to catch one for closer examinationa and photos. Enjoyed Hungerford ... do go inside the Blue Cross charity shop to see the wonderfully excentric beams .... anything that floated down the canal it seems. Similarly enjoyed Newbury and many other places. Bath was spectacular as ever and the better for being seen from the water. Lost some keys on the towpath a few miles west from Whaddon I think: Blue fob,one VW Beetle key ... flat asymetric T shape and a couple of yale keys. If anyone has them please get in touch, thanks.

Our diary for T & M and Cheshire Ring 2010 is at http://www.canalbarge.co.uk/Canal%20Boat%20Holidays/cruise%20diary%20-%20Trent%20and%20mersey%20with%20Cheshire%20Ring.html Really enjoyed looking around Manchester for the first time. Moored on the wooden pontoon at Piccadilly Basin ... accessible from Dulcie street via gate with BW lock on it. Spent 2 nights here without problems, though we were warned off mooring on the car park side,which is the original site of Picadilly Basin. Youth get lively!

or try http://www.canalbarge.co.uk/narrowboat_interface/Hirecompanies/results2_page.asp which lists about 120 companies giving locations, canals and a few other details It should be working now .... web hosting stop supporting Frontpage , so i had to rebuild it ... might be a bit slow

I have just found the NB Towy website at http://www.nbtowy.co.nr/ if anyone is interested, but still not sure where she is.

I just did a search .... I was trying to find out where the boat was. Did not realise how old the thread was until after commenting

There is an article on NB Towy at http://canalbarge.co.uk/Canal%20boat/NB%20Towy.html writen by Stanley Jenkins, who is apart owner

Thanks for comments on my website: http://www.canalbarge.co.uk some corrections have been made .... it must have been a late night when I set up that page. One day I will have the time to re-do the whole thing properly, until then I cringe with you. I would not call it a "Company" it is really just small ads for some Narrowboat Timeshare Ownwers( maybe 20 ) trying to cover costs, by renting out unused weeks. A loss cutting exercise on the whole. Shakespeare were originally a Timeshare company, though they now rent out unused weeks as well ... decent enough boats and in my opinion a better option than Canaltime ... I own and use both. The incorrect use of the words: "Barge" and "Bargee" are a cynicle ploy to play for attention in the search engines, you will find similar on a lot of Canal sites e.g. quote from Black Prince " Canal boats, barges, longboats, call them what you will" Confessions over, I am out to enjoy the rain.

I have been updating a database of hire boat companies at http://www.canalbarge.co.uk/narrowboat_interface/Hirecompanies/results2_page.asp The updated entries have the activated links and update dates. If anyone wants to add a company, or make a comment please ask,reviews can also be accommodated in a "more info" link.

I was looking at Calmer Cruising at http://www.calmercruising.co.uk/ Does anybody know any thing about them? I cannot find any reviews, boat looks good. Sorry .. title should have been widebeam ... not wideberth!

http://www.canalbarge.co.uk/narrowboat_interface/Hirecompanies/results2_page.asp might throw upsomething of use

In case of bored moments for 9 year old take plenty of stale bread to feed Ducks. ... entertainment for all ages!

Damn ... didn't get the Teeshirt! Judging from the level of interest I suspect a few others have hit it too.

Personally I like the river Soar, not sure if you could do Foxton and Back in a week, but it might be worth considering. The route should have a far bit of interest. Ron Route from http://www.canalplan.org.uk Preferred route from Sawley Marina to Sawley Marina via Foxton Bottom Lock River Trent (Western End) From Sawley Marina to: Trent Junction Junction of River Trent, Grand Union Leicester Section and Erewash Canal 1 mile, 1¼ flg, 1 lock Grand Union Canal (Leicester Section - River Soar Navigation) From Trent Junction to: Soar Mouth 0 miles, ½ flg, 0 locks Normanton-on-Soar Wharf 6 miles, 5½ flg, 5 locks Loughborough Branch Junction 2 miles, 3¼ flg, 2 locks Barrow upon Soar Junction Between Barrow upon Soar road bridge and Barrow Deep Lock No 51 3 miles, 5¼ flg, 1 lock Barrow upon Soar Bridge 28. Barrow upon Soar village a quarter of a mile north 0 miles, 3¼ flg, 1 lock Mountsorrel Railway Bridge Also known as 1860 Bridge 1 mile, 3¼ flg, 0 locks Sileby Road Bridge No 24 0 miles, 1 flg, 0 locks Sileby Changline Bridge 0 miles, 5½ flg, 1 lock Junction Lock No 47 2 miles, 5½ flg, 2 locks Syston Bridge No 19 0 miles, 7 flg, 1 lock Thurmaston Lock No 46 Thurmaston on east bank 1 mile, 1¾ flg, 0 locks Memory Lane Wharf 3 miles, 3½ flg, 4 locks Soar Lane Bridge 0 miles, 7¾ flg, 1 lock Leicester Moorings for city between Newarke and West Bridges 0 miles, 4½ flg, 0 locks Great Central Railway Bridge Now the Great Central Way - Route No 6 of the Sustrans National Cycleway 2 miles, 3½ flg, 3 locks River Soar Junction Junction of GU Leicester Section and River Soar Navigation 0 miles, ½ flg, 0 locks Grand Union Canal (Leicester Section - Leicestershire and Northamptonshire Union Canal) From River Soar Junction to: Blaby Bridge No 98 Blaby half a mile south 2 miles, 3 flg, 4 locks South Wigston Crow Mill Bridge No 92. South Wigston on north bank 1 mile, 4¾ flg, 2 locks Kilby Bridge No 87 A50 1 mile, 5 flg, 3 locks Newton Harcourt Newton Church Bridge No 80. Newton Harcourt to the north 2 miles, 2 flg, 7 locks Great Glen Station Bridge No 77. Great Glen village 1 mile north 0 miles, 6¾ flg, 0 locks Fleckney Bridge No 73 Fleckney half a mile west 2 miles, 1½ flg, 5 locks Saddington Tunnel (Northwest end) 0 miles, 2¼ flg, 0 locks Saddington Tunnel (Southeast end) 0 miles, 4½ flg, 0 locks Smeeton Westerby Smeeton Hills Bridge No 70. Smeeton Westerby half a mile north 1 mile, 2 flg, 0 locks Gumley Bridge No 69. Gumley village three-quarters of a mile south 0 miles, 1 flg, 0 locks Foxton Junction Junction of Grand Union Market Harborough Branch with Leicester Section 2 miles, 2½ flg, 0 locks Grand Union Canal (Leicester Section - Old Grand Union) From Foxton Junction to: Foxton Bottom Lock 0 miles, 0 flg, 0 locks Turn round here Foxton Junction Junction of Grand Union Market Harborough Branch with Leicester Section 0 miles, 0 flg, 0 locks Grand Union Canal (Leicester Section - Leicestershire and Northamptonshire Union Canal) From Foxton Junction to: Gumley Bridge No 69. Gumley village three-quarters of a mile south 2 miles, 2½ flg, 0 locks Smeeton Westerby Smeeton Hills Bridge No 70. Smeeton Westerby half a mile north 0 miles, 1 flg, 0 locks Saddington Tunnel (Southeast end) 1 mile, 2 flg, 0 locks Saddington Tunnel (Northwest end) 0 miles, 4½ flg, 0 locks Fleckney Bridge No 73 Fleckney half a mile west 0 miles, 2¼ flg, 0 locks Great Glen Station Bridge No 77. Great Glen village 1 mile north 2 miles, 1½ flg, 5 locks Newton Harcourt Newton Church Bridge No 80. Newton Harcourt to the north 0 miles, 6¾ flg, 0 locks Kilby Bridge No 87 A50 2 miles, 2 flg, 7 locks South Wigston Crow Mill Bridge No 92. South Wigston on north bank 1 mile, 5 flg, 3 locks Blaby Bridge No 98 Blaby half a mile south 1 mile, 4¾ flg, 2 locks River Soar Junction Junction of GU Leicester Section and River Soar Navigation 2 miles, 3 flg, 4 locks Grand Union Canal (Leicester Section - River Soar Navigation) From River Soar Junction to: Great Central Railway Bridge Now the Great Central Way - Route No 6 of the Sustrans National Cycleway 0 miles, ½ flg, 0 locks Leicester Moorings for city between Newarke and West Bridges 2 miles, 3½ flg, 3 locks Soar Lane Bridge 0 miles, 4½ flg, 0 locks Memory Lane Wharf 0 miles, 7¾ flg, 1 lock Thurmaston Lock No 46 Thurmaston on east bank 3 miles, 3½ flg, 3 locks Syston Bridge No 19 1 mile, 1¾ flg, 1 lock Junction Lock No 47 0 miles, 7 flg, 0 locks Sileby Changline Bridge 2 miles, 5½ flg, 3 locks Sileby Road Bridge No 24 0 miles, 5½ flg, 1 lock Mountsorrel Railway Bridge Also known as 1860 Bridge 0 miles, 1 flg, 0 locks Barrow upon Soar Bridge 28. Barrow upon Soar village a quarter of a mile north 1 mile, 3¼ flg, 0 locks Barrow upon Soar Junction Between Barrow upon Soar road bridge and Barrow Deep Lock No 51 0 miles, 3¼ flg, 1 lock Loughborough Branch Junction 3 miles, 5¼ flg, 1 lock Normanton-on-Soar Wharf 2 miles, 3¼ flg, 2 locks Soar Mouth 6 miles, 5½ flg, 5 locks Trent Junction Junction of River Trent, Grand Union Leicester Section and Erewash Canal 0 miles, ½ flg, 0 locks River Trent (Western End) From Trent Junction to: Sawley Marina 1 mile, 1¼ flg, 1 lock Total distance is 88 miles, 3¾ flg and 86 locks. There are at least 2 tunnels. This is made up of 0 miles, ¼ furlongs of narrow canals; 30 miles, 5¾ furlongs of broad canals; 57 miles, 5¾ furlongs of small rivers; 44 broad locks. This will take 47 hours, 32 minutes which is 6 days, 5 hours and 32 minutes at 7 hours per day. For calculation purposes this is taken as 7 days. Overnight stopping places This is calculated based on 7 full days travelling. Each full day will be approximately 6 hours and 47 minutes travelling. First day of trip On the Grand Union Canal (Leicester Section - River Soar Navigation), at Meadow Farm Marina, Barrow-upon-Soar (a third of the way between Barrow upon Soar and Mountsorrel Railway Bridge) 14 miles, 7¾ flg and 10 locks. Second day of trip On the Grand Union Canal (Leicester Section - River Soar Navigation), at Freestone Bridge No 106 13 miles, 5¾ flg and 12 locks. Third day of trip On the Grand Union Canal (Leicester Section - Leicestershire and Northamptonshire Union Canal), at Newton Harcourt 8 miles, 4¾ flg and 17 locks. Fourth day of trip On the Grand Union Canal (Leicester Section - Leicestershire and Northamptonshire Union Canal), at Great Glen 14 miles, 2 flg and 10 locks. Fifth day of trip On the Grand Union Canal (Leicester Section - River Soar Navigation), at Aylestone Mill Lock No 39 (just past Great Central Railway Bridge ) 9 miles, 3¼ flg and 16 locks. Sixth day of trip On the Grand Union Canal (Leicester Section - River Soar Navigation), at Meadow Farm Marina, Barrow-upon-Soar (two thirds of the way between Mountsorrel Railway Bridge and Barrow upon Soar) 13 miles, 1 flg and 12 locks. Seventh day of trip On the River Trent (Western End), at Sawley Marina 15 miles, 3 flg and 10 locks.

Then they must be aware of the problem by now. The "entertainment" will no doubt continue, still, must be a strong little craft! My feelings about Fradley Junction are likewise ... on leaving the locks told the crowd of onlookers that I was especting an applause, but did not get one. Ron

Who owns the dinghy at Fradley Junction, that for the last 5 years or so has been loosely moored outside the Swan or on the other bank? I think i hit it first time out ... and felt very guilty about it at the time, but have seen other boats hit it most years and sympathy with the owner diminishes with each inccident. Could it not at least be tied fore and aft so it does not drift? It is near impossible to see ifrom the tiller of a narrowboat, as was demonstrated again on our holiday this year by the gent I was yelling and waving at just before he hit it. If it is still the same dinghy it says a lot for its construction that it has not sunk yet! ... what make is it? Fradley junction can be fun enough without the need of further entertainment.

Hi Jan, the name Tonka rings a bell, though my memory is not good enough to remember where. I hope you had a good time too.

Thanks, suspected they were there somewhere!

Just got back from doing the Cheshire Ring from Mercia Marina, so covered most of the T & M too. Great time, but weather could have been better. Diary and photos at http://canalbarge.co.uk/Canal%20Boat%20Hol...ire%20Ring.html

went through last week in a Timeshare boat. Plenty of romm except for one low section where we had to watch our heads at the tiller. Most Hire boats should get through without problems

Good news ... I was begining to wonder