avonside1563

Indeed Richard, what he's hoping for is some period shots

Thanks for the info so far... What he would ideally like is photos of the basin or area, and if they are around the 1960s/70s he would be very grateful!

A friend of mine is planning to model Chillington Basin in Wolverhampton which was a transfer basin between the canal and the railway. He's looking for any information and ideally photographs of the basin and immediate vicinity so that he can get it as accurate as possible. He would appreciate any help, please contact me in the first instance. If you would like to see how far he's got so far then take a look here http://staffordshirefinescale.wordpress.com/2012/02/17/black-country-buffalo/ Thanks Nigel

The Shrewsbury and Newport canal trust http://www.sncanal.org.uk/ are still talking about restoration from Norbury to Shrewsbury, although there hasn't been much progress in the last few years! As Andy says, heading towards Telford from Wappenshall is probably unfeasible without drastically altering the character of the locks to accommodate traditional narrow boat dimensions and the fact that much of the system was only accessible via Trench incline plane, the route of which is partly buried below the A442, means you couldn't go far before coming against a major obstacle.

There's more left than I realised, great stuff Andy, thanks for posting. Must have a trip over there and take a look myself before the undergrowth starts to grow again!

I was given a Kontax sterling engine fan recently and find it makes a small but useful difference to the heat distribution. But I would say the impact of the noise when it's running can be a problem. They are quiet but not silent, unlike the ecofan, and at times it can be a little intrusive as the stove itself acts like a soundbox to amplify the noise from the pistons. Would have rather had an ecofan but hey, beggars can't be choosers!

A stove and a stove top fan (eco or maxi) would be my preference rather than CH. My Morso and fan work well for me!

Talking to the manager at Great Haywood before christmas he said they are finding more boats leaving the marina now as people feel the pinch on pensions/investments. Some are finding it difficult to maintain a boat and a home, and so the boat goes - perhaps this has something to do with the freeze on mooring fees at Tatenhall and Haywood.

Greg, If you need some help with your printed literature then drop me a pm. I run a print business not that far away from you and already supply the print to a couple of canal based companies, including one of the longest established hire fleets on the T&M. Nigel

No reports of any injuries etc at present according to the link below http://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/5695

The Sole fitted to my folks boat was a reliable little engine, the mini 29 I think from memory, and it managed perfectly well even after we had stretched the boat from 30' to 46'. The problems we had were with the electrics and the alternator which couldn't cope with the demand from the 2 leisure batteries and starting battery and we fitted a larger unit after the original gave up! Spares were a little awkward as you are limited in where to obtain them but the distributors were usually very good about sending bits via post or carrier. As long as you accept that these were no frills boats built down to a price rather than up to a standard then you will find them a handy and inexpensive boat. However, keep in mind that because of this the steelwork used was definitely heading towards the minimum thickness you would want. As an aside, and I'm not convinced of the truth of this tale, but I did hear tell of a Hallmark owner who, on his first outing after taking delivery of his boat, reached the first lock and discovered that the boat didn't fit. Upon measuring it he discovered it was just over 7' wide instead of 6'10"... Add: Just had a look at the ebay ad, it looks like a very basic Hallmark with very little added in the way of frills inside. Oh and having just asked... my folks boat was £14,500 when new in 1999 and I got the length wrong in the first post too, it was a 30' not 35'... Doh!

This website has lots of material on the canals around Telford including recent photos and surveys. http://www.telford.org.uk/index.html

Quite agree Martin, it would have made much more sense to simply add Trust. What a waste of our money!

My folks bought a Hallmark 35ft new in 1998 and I would agree with the comments above regarding the rear deck drainage particularly. It was a good boat as long as you bore in mind that it was a cheap build and corners may have been cut hear and there, such as not dressing welds or leaving wiring loose! New I think it cost around £17,500.

Excellent idea Bizzard... have a greeny!

Boating is very much something you can always learn something new at. I worry for the people who know everything there is to know because they probably don't know that much at all! I will always smile and nod, if not wave, at all boaters, walkers, fishermen et al when I'm out and about on the boat. Have also had some grand evenings in canalside pubs with fellow boaters who start out as strangers and end up as friends by the end of the night. Yes there are some out there who will stare straight ahead as they surge past you or even look the other way, but they are far and away the minority.

use my onboard facilities while the weather is fine but my water heater won't cope with extreme temperatures such as last winter and so I use the marina showers when the water is just too cold in the winter! Having said that the facilities at Haywood are kept beautifully clean and are heated

Aren't they usually electro magnets tho so that they will release the doors if there is a fire?

Once saw an Anglo Welsh come full tilt out of the Llangollen arm at Trevor and put the bow on the towpath on the opposite side... It was a fair few years ago in the days of bridge bars at the bow and the coffee and cream colour scheme!

Great Haywood marina is full and a vibrant place to be with boats coming and going all the time. There was a keypad operated barrier at the entrance which is waiting re-installation when the ground works associated with the new farm shop at the entrance are finished. I believe some of the issues raised above with the other marinas are being addressed with GH being used as the model they wish the others to become. These things can take time to deal with....

British Railways' latest idea for keeping pigeons off the roof of station buildings.

The winding hole just prior to the tunnel at Froghall is apparently given a maximum length of 65ft and the people writing on the blog below couldn't wind a 69ft boat. http://www.luphen.org.uk/public/2010/caldoncanal1.htm

Caldon Canal is well worth it even if you can't fit through Froghall tunnel as you can wind just before (as long as your under 60ft I think) and then moor and walk the last half mile to the wharf. Even if you don't do this it is still worth the effort to get to Consall Forge for a visit to the Black Lion and sit outside watching the steam trains go by!