avonside1563

More evidence of nanny culture... someone somewhere will do it for me, or else someone somewhere is to blame! Never actually occurs to some people that they can do things for themselves! (And yes I saw it was a 14 yo, but same goes for 24yo's, 34yo's etc. etc.)

gunports? Fire a broadside and board em in the smoke!

Here's something I saw posted on facebook yesterday that made me smile: I have to laugh at people who are against smacking. My parents sometimes smacked me when I was naughty.. . I didn't hate them.. I didn't have trust issues with them because of it... I didn't fear them... But I darn sure respected them! And I learned what my boundaries were, and knew what would happen if I broke them. I wasn't abused, I was disciplined....SINCE WE TOOK THIS SOFT APPROACH LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR COUNTRY & YOUNGSTERS *Re-post if you got your ass smacked and survived and also this: RIP Broken Britain.. You went soft on discipline!.. You went soft on immigration! You went soft on crime.. Parents were told.. 'No you can't smack the kids'....Teachers were prevented from chastising kids in schools.. The police couldn't clip a troublemaker round the ear.. Kids had rights blah blah blah.. Well done Britain..You shall reap what you sow.. We have lost a whole generation!

40-45 minutes gives time to look at all the interesting stuff in the tunnel, yes I have done it in 30 but then you don't get to peer in the nooks and crannies!

Definitely not a problem going through Harecastle, North is nice as you get the light to 'aim' for but South you have the sudden surprise of the tunnel doors opening to reveal the canal ahead! I would reckon on about 45 minutes journey time at a reasonable speed. No point trying to rush though as you can only move so much water past the boat and more revs doesn't mean more speed in Harecastle. Definitely agree about putting a cabin light or two on; a) it means you can see the sides of the tunnel to aid steering and the missus won't fall down the steps when going below to get the biscuits!

I give it 2 years! Shame they ripped up a perfectly good railway to build this. I don't think anyone can point at one of these that has been successful.

Did I pass you at Weston on Saturday? There was a boat called Lola facing the right way moored just to the North of the road bridge by the Saracen's Head.

The FFD is not turning the gas off as the flame pops when it goes out but the gas continues to run for a few seconds until the FFD cools and cuts it off. Chappie due back in a couple of days to check it all (he's full Gas Safe for boats) so will take on board comments and pass onto to him, although he's one of the old school and been all round the block several times so rather think I might be teaching him to suck eggs! Will come back if that gives no joy! Thanks chaps

Thanks, the pressure was tested two weeks ago by a gas safe inspector at a test point just beyond the hob. He's due back to check the installation so will get him to look. Yes it does have FFD and the original purchasers were selling as it didn't fit in the space they had. most of the bits were still in the original sealed packaging when I got it.

I have just installed a Vanette 4000 Hob, bought second hand but unused, and the burners won't stay lit when it is turned down to minimum. They run for a few seconds then pop and go out, and sometimes when on full the note of the gas changes from a hiss to a roar (although not a loud roar!). I wondered if this might be due to the wrong jets being fitted? It's running on standard orange calor and the pressure and flow rate are all fine. Any suggestions?

Canal Cruising at Stone will tick the cottage box very nicely

Did the cheshire ring about 15 years ago in the clockwise direction hiring from Anderson boats in Middlewich. No problem doing it in a week, although that was with similarly aged crew of 6 (in our late tewenties at the time). Couldn't comment on the current situation through Manchester and the Ashton but we had no problems anywhere, although it was in school term time.

I find the best way to deal with a tunnel is to put the cabin lights on so you can see the sides clearly, having a lamp 50+ feet away at the front doesn't always help in dark and well weathered tunnels! Absolutely no need for a mass of high powered lights at the front, just one as a marker.

Related question, how do you go on with digital satellite dish and decoder box if you have a TV with built in Freeview decoder? I use a digital aerial and run the freeview through the TV at the moment and want to change to a dish as the aerial is far too big!

Personally I would have no problems with the railway crossing the canal at that point. Modern bridges, as MP says above, will be wide and probably of concrete beam construction with little or no narrowing of the canal. Regards the environmental impact then I would much rather it was a railway with a train passing every 5-10 minutes than a blinking great trunk road with constant heavy traffic. Yes I agree it will be a shame to lose a peaceful stretch of canal but there are plenty of other quiet places to moor and the benefits to the environment will be far greater if HS2 is successful in reducing travel on other more polluting modes of transport.

Ah, but then I would have missed the oportunity to have a mild rant on here!

Pottering up the Llangollen arm past a line of moored boats a few years ago I spotted a hire boat ahead and the 'father' of the group, on seeing us approaching, obviously hurried up his 'crew' to unmoor and proceeded to pull out ahead of us. No problem I thought, we're in no rush so he will get away from us. Oh no, quite the opposite, he then proceeded to swan along barely above tickover, slowing down for every narrow and bridge hole and, despite my hopeful, gentle approaching behind, made no move to let us past or even look behind him, even when he came to an almost complete stop in a bridge and our bow nearly overran his stern! We had to follow him all the way to Llangollen taking twice as long as hoped, at which point he winded and headed straight off back towards Trevor! We weren't in that much of a hurry but he did make it very difficult to keep control of the boat as I was having to drop into neutral regularly as we couldn't go as slowly as him in tickover. Having said that I have had equal problems with Private boaters and generally find the issue is not whether they are hire or private boats, it's the people on them that are the problem!

Thanks Tony

I have just realised my BSS certificate ran out a week ago, can anyone point me in the direction of someone who can do the inspection for me in the Stafford area? My boat is currently on the T&M near Great Haywood. Thanks in advance

Likewise, railway lines are also thought to be corridors for nature as the ground between the lines and the fence is not managed very heavily and hence allows for all sorts of wild flowers and wildlife to live virtually undisturbed.

Four counties is easy to do in a week if you keep moving during the day. I did the four counties and Llangollen in a fortnight including a 2 day stop in Llangollen easily a few years ago. And that despite the fact it absolutely chucked it down for the first 5 days!

Didn't enjoy last night's as much as the first one, maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind but I gave up after 20 minutes to go and eat tea! Did find the continual 'boss' and other terms mildly irritating too. Ah well will still give it a go next week and see.