Hastings

Hi Glenn. Saturn won't make it to the Gathering at Audlem. But wait a moment - it's a fly-boat. Maybe it can fly down the flight and land in the Town Pound....

The poor state of the top gate heel post at lock 7 at Audlem means the flight of 15 is closed - two days before the Gathering of Historic Boats. Up to half the entries would have come this way. But it will still go ahead, even if with fewer boats.

Sorry, not true. The email I (and no doubt mny others) received from the Events Team announcing the charges says "Please note we are not accepting applications for events taking place in 2024 until after 1 June 2023." It doesn't say you can't apply for events from 2025 onward, but I think I can anticipate what the reply might be!

And a well-known Chief Exec usually attends every year, so CRT certainly know about the event!

Jen-in-Wellies and MtB both have admirable ideas, but I still have a feeling that CRT might notice 30 historic boats that have coincidentally arrived at the same time, and not be best pleased if we haven't filled in forms and paid!

We at Audlem Mill organise the Gathering of Historic Boats at Audlem every July, which attracts lots of visitors to the canal (Education, history etc.). It has alway been a strictly non-commercial event, with no income whatsoever (and there's nowhere to put stalls anyway). We pay nominal costs ourselves - signage, leaflet etc. - but the new CRT rules mean we'll have to pay around £225 to £300+ on top. Looks like that could be the end of an event that started in 2009.

The Lord Combermere at Audlem closed a couple of days ago, having reopened a few months before. But it did not attract many customers for quite a while. On the contrary, the Shroppie Fly is getting very busy, and tables are often fully booked (and there's no boats yet). Friendly staff, good food, clean, comfortable - and warm. Opens at 10.30 daily for morning coffee etc. Muddy dogs (and muddy owners) welcome.

Thanks, Alan, I'll contact them Peter

Some distance away, I know, but I lived in Marlow, Bucks, on the Thames till the early 1960s, and there were various small streams running into the river that were navigable for quite some distance, leading to posh houses with boathouses. In fact, the Abbotsbrook estate in Bourne End even had a skiff lock on it. See https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Repair_work_on_the_smallest_lock_-_Abbotsbrook_Estate_-_geograph.org.uk_-_302159.jpg and https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/322976811390 (which incorrectly says Bourne End, Herts instead of Bucks,)

Thanks for the information, Peter

Does anybody know the current status of GU 'Town' class BELMONT? I'm about to publish a book of colour photos taken all round the canal system in the 1950s-1970s. One photo, taken in 1965, shows STANTON and BELMONT breasted up just having worked up through Lot Mead Lock at Rickmansworth. They are painted in Blue Line livery, having recently been acquired by them. I know that STANTON is still around, and regularly attends events - but what is the current position for BELMONT? I saw it when it was a static exhibit many years ago at the now closed Snibston Discovery Park in Leicestershire, and it was in a very sorry state then. Did it survive, and, if so, what's the latest? I'd like to put a brief comment in the caption to the picture.

Bookings are being taken for this gathering re former working narrow boats built up to 1962. Further information at http://www.audlemmill.co.uk/audlem-mill-gathering-of-historic boats.html ; contact Peter on 01270 811059 or email info@audlemmill.co.uk

Not just out of stock - the sole distributor has sold out of all stock, so instead read "out of print". Peter, CanalBookShop, Audlem Mill

Still there, unaltered. Also, contrary to poular opinion, there isn't really a quick succession of landlords at the Shroppie Fly. In the last 9 years, since in was renovated in late 2013, two have been there for 3-4 years each. Admittedly there have been two or three short-term temporary people, and a six month period of closure. But it's not as bad as suggested!

Thanks, Glenn, for your good wishes, and all the best to you for the future. I perhaps understand why you don't seem to get further north on the Shroppie than the Anchor, but you really ought to try to get to the Shroppie Fly now, which now has all the makings of being a very good canal pub now! Peter