Hastings

Probably - I thought that I had posted it, but it obviously didn't work. Email info@audlemmill.co.uk and I'll reply with the information Yes, they are on the list (booked in by David Williams), as are 22 other boats (pretty good, considering there's five months to go).

This year's gathering at Audlem on the Shroppie is on Saturday and Sunday 30/31 July. On the Sunday, there's also the Festival of Transport, with about 300 vintage and classic vehicles. There are still places available for historic ex-working boats, though the list is filling up steadily. Please email info@audlemmill.co.uk to reserve a space in this very popular event, which has a maximum of about 40 boats. The attachment provides more information, and a booking form. There's always room for visiting boats, though places cannot be reserved. Please moor between locks 11-12, or below lock 15.

It is on the shelves at Audlem Mill, and on mail order at www.canalbookshop.co.uk

This year's Gathering of Historic Boats at Audlem on the Shroppie is on 25/26 July, but all 41 spaces in the bottom three lock pounds have already been booked. Several more boats are coming, and they will moor below the locks. If you would like to bring your historic working boat, you will be very welcome, but you will also have to moor below the locks - although you will go on to the reserves list in case of cancellations. Find out more about the event at http://www.audlemmill.co.uk/gathering.html, where you can link to a list of boats already booked in. For bookings or more information, please email events@audlemmill.co.uk

The Bridge Inn at Audlem was built at about the same time as the canal opened (1835), The Barbridge Inn is a very modern name - it was the Kings Arms for most of its existence. Then there's the Boat Inn and the Navigation at Gnosall, the Wharf at Goldstone, and the Hartley Arms at Wheaton Aston. The Talbot at Market Drayton is almost canalside. And no doubt lots more.

Just to confirm - most of the water on the Shroppie main line is from Wolverhampton sewage works, and it enters at "Cut End" (Autherley Junction), near the stop lock. Cut End is the highest point on the Shroppie, so it flows downhill till it gets to Ellesmere Port where it falls off the other end... Water also comes down the canal feeder from Horseshoe Falls above Llangollen into what is correctly known as the Ellesmere Canal (the name Llangollen Canal is a fairly recent invention), then at Hurleston Junction, it adds to the already full canal. An earlier poster is right - both these canals predate the canal from Autherley (built as the Birmingham & Liverpool Junction Canal), and they certainly predate the sewage works! We have lived by the Shroppie for eight years, and there's never been a water shortage. And nor will there be, as long as they keep drinking the Banks Bitter in Wolverhampton! Peter

We learnt in time, so we took Aber out of the list for the leaflet. Pity you can't make it, but hopefully next year! And perhaps another Measham item. Peter

With only two weeks to go to the Gathering of Historic Boats at Audlem on 26/27 July, we have now sent the list of 48 boats booked in to the printers for the leaflet to be printed. To see the boat names, go to www.audlemmill.co.uk , and then click on the link in the blue box on the right. Peter

We have 48 boats booked in at Audlem on 26/27 July. It's still ok if you want to bring your boat but haven't booked, though you'll have to moor below the flight on the 14 day moorings. There will be several historic boats there. Please ring 01270 811059 to register (no charge). Peter Audlem Mill

I gather that on the Shroppie are several apparent winding holes - but they are not. They are private wharves etc., and the land under the water is not owned by CRT. An example is at the top of Tyrley locks. The landowner of such places can put as many boats as they like there, as it is not a winding hole (however much it looks like one). Someone with greater knowledge than me will no doubt list the others on the Shroppie - there are several. Peter

Another opportunity to see the pair is at the Audlem Gathering of Historic Boats on 26/27 July on the Shroppie - along with about 50 other historic boats. Peter

Many thanks - I will read that bit. Well, it proves one thing, whatever you thought you knew about boating, someone will come up with facts to prove that you are wrong! Back to square one.... And I'll look for photos of Redshank. Thanks Peter

You might be confusing springs with other things. A spring is usually a second rope, but is normally attached to the same stud as the main mooring rope - it simply goes in the opposite direction (rearward from the bow, or forward from the stern). Therefore it won't come into contact with cabin paintwork, though it might rub the paint on the gunwhale. But paint is only there to protect the metal, and you surely must expect it to get marked or scratched. Safety and security must be more important than spotless appearance!

Though I do slow right down past moored boats, I do have one or two observations. Firstly, lots of people don't tie up properly. If the side is at at all soft, use springs front and rear, i.e. two ropes at each end, one pointing forward, and one back to about one third from the end of the boat. This should keep your boat fairly stationary when others pass. (And never use the centre rope for mooring - it's not meant for that. It's for holding the boat whilst in a lock or at a water point etc. on a temporary basis. If the water level changes significantly, it can cause your boat to list.) In the "olden days", when I started boating, you wouldn't expect a loaded working boat to slow down. Time was money, and they drew rather more than most modern boats. You really did have to tie up well in those days! It's tedious going at tickover past a long line of boats, e.g. at Wolverhampton and Chester near us. I can see why people speed up a little. Depth of water has got a lot to do with it. You can pass moored boats at a higher speed in a deeper, wider canal, with little effect. Some owners of moored boats will shout, however slow you go, just because you have caused the TV to flicker, or they have overfilled their glass with Chardonnay, and it has spilt! In other words, whatever you do is wrong! Peter

Thanks - two or three replies, plus me talking to more people etc., suggests to me that I'm right that porthole (fixed light) crochet is probably a reasonably modern invention. I suspect that it might date from the 1970s. I don't remember seeing it before then, but of course private boats in those days tended not to have portholes as many do now, but big windows. And portholes just wouldn't have looked right in Dawncraft, Normans or converted pontoons! No doubt somebody will now come up with a photo of one with lots of portholes! Back to the point. Please, if you have any evidence of porthole (fixed light) crochet on a working boat in trade, please let me know. Or, if you have a circular piece with provenance (name of boat, date, captain/steerer etc.), I'd love to know more. Peter

Thank you - I haven't personally, but I believe that some of our pieces did come from the Whitlocks. That side is being dealt with by our crochet person, a Waterways Craft Guild expert, and I will check it out in due course.

Laurence - First, thank you for confirming what I thought, that porthole (sorry, fixed light) crochet doesn't seem to have existed on working boats. Secondly, I willingly take your admonishments re misuse of the Town and Star names, and for taking Walkers name slightly in vein. Perhaps I was using shorthand - I normally do use large or small, Northwich or Woolwich. And I did realise that Yarwoods Joshers tended to have fixed lights, like the GUCCC boats built around the same time. Re liner funnels, Darley has one and the owners often put it on for gatherings, though I think normally not when travelling. Peter Audlem Mill

We're preparing a book on cabin crochet, based round historical pieces, and have come up with an interesting point. These days, lots of boaters crochet circular pieces to put inside portholes. I suspect that's a modern invention, but would like to have this confirmed or rebutted. The historic crochet we have (or have access to) is from a fairly wide variety of boats from the 1940s-1960s, and there is no porthole crochet there. It's all rectangular or long pieces, designed of course to hang over beds, and from shelves etc. There's always an exception to every statement, but I think it's true to say that portholes were not fitted to Joshers (except some were retro-fitted some time in their life). GU Town and Star motor boats generally had three portholes - one each side in the engine hole, and one to starboard over the bed. But unlike earlier narrow boats, most were built (except for the few Rickies) by shipbuilders - either Yarwoods or Harland & Wolff, and it might be that this had some influence on design. After all, some were also fitted with those rather strange liner funnels. Obviously, no-one would put porthole crochet in the engine hole, as it wouldn't stay white for long - but what about the cabin porthole? I have looked at lots of period photos, and cannot see any - but then photo quality isn't always that good. And the boaters I have spoken to who were working up to the 1960s don't remember seeing any. Comments were that it would keep the light out, which at least the portholes and roof bulls eyes had brought. Any thoughts (and particularly evidence) would be much appreciated, and if anyone has any genuine pre 1965 porthole crochet, might they agree to us featuring it in the forthcoming book? Peter Audlem Mill

Vimart Signwriting at Swanley Bridge Marina 07960 324539

Fitting lock ladders would probably be impossible for the reason stated, but also remember that the lock is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and is listed Grade 2* - so I don't think we'll ever see much change! Sometimes, historical importance is rather more important than making life easy. And boaters have managed to get through Beeston Iron lock for around 220 years.

We have the canal shop next door, and hear lots of good reports from customers about the Shroppie Fly. We've also eaten there a few times, and agree that the food is very good, and excellent value. The beer seems well kept. Always Timothy Taylor Landlord (arguably one of the classic British bitters), plus others that vary, though usually one from the local Woodlands brewery. Give the Shroppie a try - it's streets ahead of what it used to be like. But also, when in Audlem, also visit the Bridge Inn and The Lord Combermere! Peter

Until the 1970s or perhaps later, it was common (certainly on most 'narrow' canals) for the water point to be a tap affixed to a wooden board on/by the wall of the lock cottage. This was obviously pragmatic - it was close to the water supply to the cottage. Until that time, boaters either only had traditional water cans, now all generically but wrongly known as Buckby cans, or, if they had tanks, the tanks were fairly small. Very few boats had showers, and water was dispensed by manually operated suction pumps (a popular brand was Whale), so little water was needed, and it wasn't wasted as it is now with electrically operated taps. Small tanks only took a few minutes to fill - perhaps about the time it took to fill or empty the lock, not the half hour it takes now.

I'd agree. I was a National Officer for the employer's side in trade union negotiations in a large manufacturing industry, and my view is that sensible, well thought through proposals and discussion do work. I would simply ignore bad language, accusations, and phrases like "incompetence", "buggering around", " failure", "obstructive behaviour" etc. Well, I didn't ignore them, I regarded them as unhelpful, and the chances of getting an agreement were henceforth minimal. My thoughts are therefore - never bash CRT if you want to achieve something, but put forward a proposal that they will find it hard to say no to.

The 51 boats booked in to date to the Gathering of Historic Boats at Audlem on 26/27 July are listed here in groups by original operator (more or less – I’ve learnt over 50 years with canals that nothing is certain!). BCN day Boats – Gerald, Jake BW – Ant, Lindsay FMC – Alder, Badger, Bison, Cactus, Dory, Elizabeth, Empress, Grange, Ilford, Ling, Lynx, Marquis, Plover, Tench, Viceroy, Victory GUCCC – Aber, Alcor, Aldgate, Aquarius, Battersea, Birmingham, Buckden, Darley, Ladybank, Leo, Princess Anne (Plato), Purton, Scorpio, Shad (or Clayton’s Spey), Sickle, Stamford, Stanton, Stirling, Thea, Tycho, Whitby LMS - Ethel (probably Peru) Midlands & Coast – The North Samuel Barlow – Beatty, Ian SURCC – Saturn Thos. Clayton (Oldbury) – Gifford, Spey (or FMC Shad), Tay WH Cowburn & Cowpar – Starling, Swallow, Swan This list has several more boats than will fit in to the three lock pounds we are using, which we estimate as about 45, but we know that a very small number of boats will drop out, with dodgy engines, leaks etc., so most will in fact be moored within the main area. However, we have an almost unlimited length of mooring just below the Audlem flight, so we are saying to boats wanting to come to do so, and join in the fun of what most people now say is one of the most enjoyable gatherings, but accept the fact that they must moor below the locks. If you want to bring your boat, please ring 01270 811059 Peter Audlem Mill

An update on the Gathering of Historic Boats at Audlem on 26/27 July. We have now got 50 boats booked in, so this event is getting to be one of the biggest in 2014! It's free to attend, and on the Sunday afternoon, there is also the Audlem Festival of Transport - about 300 historic vehicles. And that's free too.... Peter Audlem Mill 01270 811059