kevinl

Some interesting bit explained in a Guardian style mainly aimed at those who like lots of "newspeak" words in a description of a situation with no opinion or conclusion. The bit, and this may be my maths is they give a figure of 0.3% of the population as boat and caravan/park home residents, if there's 60,000,000 of us that means 20,000 boat & van dwellers, is that all? Static caravan parks, travelling caravans and resident boaters, just the one's on the K&A account for this figure if all I rwad is to be believed (never been there so don't know) but it doesn't seem like many to me.

Canit and 'avesome can-ale, also available in draft.

How is it "sour grapes"? It was a straight question. Nothing I can see implied anything in the way of an opinion. Mayalid didn't say "good" or make them "pay their way" or even"I'm alright Jack" or anything that might imply he was against these guys, good luck to them I wish I could get a place in a marina like that. It is in fact a quite valid question he asked now that we've cleared up that licence holders from other canal and river networks can still get a week/s licence then is this just C&RT taking a pop at non-licence marinas because if not them who does it apply to?

Having read it again that's what I now understand the article to say too: if you have a licence from another canal or river authority you can still buy a short term licence, if you have no other licence it costs too much to administer a short term licence so you have to buy a quarter's licence so it looks like I'm OK but Donald Gilchrist will get a kick in the C&RTS.

Good news, I should have thought about doing that too. So then what is the story, C&RT are doing what exactly? There does seem to be a line of thinking that if you moor in a licence free marina you can't go out without buying a 3 month licence. Licence free marinas are a new one on me though.

This topic came up quite recently so I asked someone I know who works in the business and the one thing he did suggest is to use blue flashing strobe lights inside the boat linked to the alarm. They disorientate the thief and apparently burgulars hate them as it means you don't know if the police have pulled up outside. He gave me a demo and it's not nice having these things flashing in your face, likewise a piercing alarm again inside the boat, them may well get in but they won't stay long was his principal. All the bits are cheap and easily availably.

I've just seen in Narrowboatworld (Home page>Pam the season of goodwill?) that the minimum period you can licence a boat for is going up from one week to 3 months, thanks C&RT. I'm moored on the Bridgewater about a mile from Preston Brook tunnel so currently if I want a 2 week holiday the first week is free second week I buy a one week licence (about £28 for me). Likewise BW boats get a week free on the Bridgewater, enough time to cruise it, have a day or 2 in Manchester then back onto BW water at Plank Lane, Leigh. There doesn't seem to be any limit on how many one week stays you can do or how long in between them so if you go off to Liverpool, the Lancaster, Leeds Liverpool to Yorkshire then come back down the Bridgewater no fee, after one week it costs about the same as C&RT charge me. But a 3 month minimum licence!!! This must affect others who go onto C&RT waters but are licenced elsewhere so thanks guys, makes me wonder why I put my hand in my pocket to help fix the recent breaches.

Cropredy is the Fairport Convention festival and if you like that folk-rock style has to be one of if not the best of its kind, as PIR says the the audience tends to reflect that, songs like Hippy hippy replacement and Stanier stairlift to heaven if you know what I mean. Last bank holiday in August is Cream Fields weekend, just off the canal about a mile north of the Preston Brook tunnel just onto the Bridgewater is good, mind you it's easily possible to hear if from your boat it's that loud.

I give in private, but I will admit that when, as ones incomes go down you end up giving less. We had the choice at work: work less hours and get less pay or some of you will go, we picked the first option so we all work between 3-4 days a week with a pro rata pay cut. Three days mean you get 60% of your previous pay, it's not easy but some of my workmates would have lost their home if they lost their jobs. Do I see that happen or take a bit of the pain and walk past the charity collectors where before I would have dropped some cash in. Fact is charities will be the first to suffer in times like these, it's wrong but it happens, and I do feel guilty, if that helps.

Never try syphoning it out, it can go horribly wrong.

Come up with a plan and if we can meet up at the Wigan locks, Johnsons Hillock or the locks through Manchester I'm up for giving you a hand. I'm on the Bridgewater but I think I could turn one of the handle things you use to flood the deep brick holes, are they called locks? As they say at Tesco "happy to help" if you need a hand.

Good thinking MtB, I've 2 tins of red and in tin of blue in the shed, what colours have you got?

Scio Investments appears to be a property company set up earlier this year by an individual who is already a director of a property company with a negative net worth. Have you noticed both companies have the same address too?

Sister Dredge or is the Grateful Dredge

I could buy a 3 bed semi in my bit of the world for £150,000 and rent it out for £700-£800 PCM. I'm guessing looking at these boats they're secondhand and in the £40,000 - £50,000 price range, get 3 for the price of a house and rent them out for nearly £1,000 a month each so 3K ish total PCM, not a bad idea this one, anyone got any cash they want to invest?

Right, that's it with all this musical talent on the canal we form a band, but first we need a name. My starters for 10 are the Righteous Bargers or Emerson, Lake & Pumpout. Famed as many of you are for your ready wit let's see what you can come up with. Oh! Earthcloset, Wind & Fire.

I understood the reselling regs did apply on a marina. One boater told me he brings all his washing and drying, does it on the boat as the electricy is cheaper than he pays at home as we get it at their bulk purchase rate.

Looks more like someone homeless and sleeping rough to me. Wood for a fire, burned cans where they've cooked the food in the can on the fire, plastic for sleeping on and keeping dry. There are a few bad boaters around but not too sure on this one.

Why's it a bad thing? Somewhere new to moor in a lovely bit of the world, Ellesmere's a nice enough little town. Supply and demand mean it will keep the local mooring fees competitive, I think we need more marinas specially with residential moorings.