Andrew Denny

The excellent historic NLS map https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=52.55880&lon=-1.53127&layers=168&b=1 shows the site near Mancetter quarries (with its wharf 1/2 mile north towards Atherstone) but the new marina site was just fields in 1903. However I can't find a more recent map with enough detail.

Oh, sorry. Yes, through a circuitous route I was told he was still alive but not well, but I couldn't contact him directly or confirm it, and I didn't like to speak about it in detail in case the facts were wrong. I've been in hot water before about spreading rumours and invading privacy 🙂 Rothen's PR agency just told me it was first excavated about 5 years ago but the project stopped until they took over last year. Companies house gives a postal address in Whittington, but I figured there must be an easier way to contact whoever runs the Baddesley moorings now.

Background to my question: Mancetter Marina, above Atherstone, has just opened. I know the Hawkins family bought it years ago, and last year they advertised it as 'opening soon', but it has now been opened by the Rothen Group instead. I'm trying to find out the history of the site. Was it ever a colliery or quarry basin? I could have sworn it was in water when I first boated past 20 years ago, but Rothen's PR people say it was only just excavated.

Thanks! (When you say 'the internet suggests', I'm afraid you must have a different internet from me! Googling for Baddesley & various combinations of wharf/basins/moorings brought up nothing, and all my old numbers for the site & the Hawkins family seemed to be down (including that number you just gave.)

Who runs Baddesley Wharf/Basin at Atherstone now. There appear to be no contact details for it. Thanks.

Thanks. I can't access subscribers list, GDPR and all that. By the way, I have since found that the content on jim-shead.com is back up, and I will mention this correction in the next issue, but I did hear from someone with knowledge that he's not well, and he hasn't responded to our emails. The domain was definitely 'for sale' a few weeks ago, so I still am not sure what's happened.

Not for me 😞

I have since heard that Jim is now retired due to ill-health. His domain is gone, but the invaluable website can be found on the Wayback Machine at https://web.archive.org/web/20190917131741/http://www.jim-shead.com/waterways/index.php

Thanks, but I was wondering about Jim himself - is he still OK? Also, his website was a treasure trove of information.

I see that jim-shead.com has gone offline - is Jim Shead still around?

For five years I have used 'wifi mobile hotspot' on my android phones (pretty much every phone now offers this, but check before you buy a new phone) and I long ago stopped worrying about external antennas or separate units. Often in the country I have to put the phone in the window, but provided I have a separate tablet/laptop to use the wifi signal it doesn't matter too much. I use a Three 30-day contract sim, currently about £19/month for 30gb of data, which is plenty. It normally gives 4g at a strong enough signal, not always great, but adequate. I only buy sim-free phones, and good ones now come under £200. I currently use a Moto One Action (c.£229) which is brilliant. The 'One' in the phone name, btw, means Android One, which means it uses the main Android One system, which gives guaranteed immediate updates to new versions of Android for two year. So often, the big companies (Samsung, Sony etc) use the updates as an excuse to make you buy a new phone. Apple iPhone is great, but they, too, come at a cost. I have lost 3 phones in 4 years in the canal, so I've learned my lesson and only buy cheap androids now - they are remarkably good. There are specialist marine wifi units, but they are very expensive and probably geared to boats with multiple occupancy (bit white gin palaces). My main

My alter ego, my aka, is Albion Dumsday (hence my twitter account @albiondumsday and my email of albion@dumsday.com), named after an ancestor born in 1797. I like it for that very English ring -- it was a patriotic name for a very patriotic time. But I created a rod for my own back, because when asked to spell out 'dumsday' over the phone it's pretty tricky without resorting to phonetics D ... "t?" No, d. u. m. "n?" No, m... etc)

Thanks, JP. Do you know, I have quite forgotten why I originally asked the question!

I have completely confused everyone with my retraction, and I apologise. It turns out that I was right first time, it is Albion Junction that's at the junction of the Brades Hall and Main Line. It appears to be that the Albion ironworks is across the canal and some distance away, so how the junction got its name I don't know. I thank everyone for their contributions, and will gradually tiptoe away from this 🙂

Now I'm completely confused. Oh, just ignore me, sorry 🙂