Heartland

BCN No 4 district was the Walsall District, so I presume the name is correct.

The Moor Lane destructor- I remember this working and the Salvage Carts there. It was possible to see this building from the top deck of a No 11 bus. As stated Birmingham Corporation had a number of day boats. It is quite possible the records of their building exist in Birmingham Library Archives. Wolverhampton Corporation also had salvage boats which can be traced through records at Wolverhampton Archives near the Wolves Ground. The movement of night soil was a primary function of the salvage boats. They then moved ashes from the destructors in Birmingham such at Rotten Park Street, Banbury Street and Moor Lane.

Local Archives have limited finances, and so deposits may take time to be catalogued. It may rake years to do this, in fact. Yet the collection may be relatively safe. Transport Societies also have important collections, and to dismiss this option may not be the best. Yet the publication of images remains the best, as such images reach the general public and help show the diverse nature of transport.

Don't forget the rivers some might find muskets, swords, coins and arrowheads there- and perhaps others have. There were fording places where road traffic passed and was a location noted for loss.

There is a useful post on the Birmingham History Forum http://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/cadbury-canal-boat-history.49106/ BOURNVILLE III is shown to be built by F C Perry of Wolverhampton

Yes, Cyclists were just an example... others include motorists who park their car on the pavement---- the list could be quite long !

The tribal practices of the troglodytes appear to include throwing metal objects into the cut. May be C & RT should reclaim the material placed on the bank. There must be a scrap value

I feel as if the this word should be included in the English language. The definition of this term being: "A selfish person, act or action, which specifically relates to self interest and completely disregards the needs or requirements of people, regulations or rules." Certain cyclists are guilty of this transgression when they: (a) cycle along a towpath at speed (b) cycle in narrow places where dismounting would be a benefit to others (c) the wearing of a digital recording device whilst on the towpath as there is no likelihood of being knocked of their bicycle through the action of a motorist, but every likelihood of supporting their actions, however wrong, when challenged by walkers or boaters (d) expecting walkers and boaters to move out their path so that they can cycle uninterupted (e) the neglect of having a bell or other warning device (f) wearing items such as head cams that restrict their ability to perceive the action of others on the towpath

Yes, that is particularly annoying if it difficult to get off to work the lock and fishermen are on the mooring stage.

Magnet fishing has become more popular late and magnets more powerful. The dedicated can haul bikes out of the canal and recent finds have included safes and loaded guns. CRT appear to discourage the practice, yet it is a benefit to the navigation if rubbish can be removed from the waterway. The CRT objection may be the result of the finds being abandoned on the bank. Some who use the magnets do arrange for the metal to be taken away and may even have some financial benefits from doing so. If a licence was introduced then the CRT might also benefit as well as having their waterways cleansed. There is nothing worse than having mattress springs around the propeller shaft as some previous contestants in the BCN challenge have found out!

A few more why's (1) Why do some fishermen set up at a winding hole and moan when a boat turns in front of them ? (2) Why do some boaters leave gate paddles up where there is no reason to do so ? (3) Why do not the CRT and other canal owners do more to maintain the navigable depth? (4) Why such owners do more to trim back overhanging trees? (5) Why do not such owners provide more mooring spaces? (6) And why are some "boaters" allowed to occupy prime mooring spots (with limited mooring periods) for weeks on end?

There are a lot of things at the bottom of the list, in this country and the police have so much to do, considering the cuts in their organisation, yet if apathy creeps in, what next. Gangs on bikes robbing boaters as they stop at the locks. Something needs to be done now before this or other nightmares actually do happen. Anyway in the Times article it was recognised that bicycle licensing was not the answer, but may be licensing the cyclist would.

Nick Freeman wrote a piece for the Thunderer column in the Times (September 3rd) where he noted reckless cyclist are hard to identify and weave away easily. Cyclist often adopt the moral high ground where cycling is considered both a healthy and more environmental way to travel. At present cyclist commit road traffic offences with impunity since they often wear helmets and shaded glasses and are difficult to identify. He suggests that mandatory registration for cyclists (rather than the bicycle) may be the solution. The cyclist would wear a numbered tabard to aid identification and also subscribe to an insurance scheme.

There are many rail/bus opportunities when walking waterways. These are of course limited by cost of travel. Train fares are very complex these days. A few suggestions though Stratford Canal a walk from Wilmcote Station to Stratford by canal Grand Union- a walk from Warwick Parkway up Hatton Locks or the other way to the Cape and Warwick Station Trent & Mersey- a walk from Rugeley Town to Rugeley Trent Valley, or a Walk from Rugeley Trent Valley to Brindley Bank aqueduct BCN a walk from Coseley Station to tunnel and onto Tipton for the station there Long Eaton a short walk from that station by road takes the walker onto the Erewash Canal and travelling to Trent Lock you can walk along the Trent and the cut to the next Lock. The pub at Trent Lock is very good. With a bit more planning it is possible to get a bus to Trevor (Wrexham perhaps) and walk along the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and onto Chirk for a train home.

The Derby Canal offices were at Siddals Road at one time. 34 Irongate was a collection of offices including solicitors. The Derby Canal moved their offices to this location where George Eddowes was clerk. He had replaced C K Eddowes, his father as clerk in 1918, following the death of his father, Eddowes name and the Irongate address appears on the notice made in 1934 for the abandonment of the canal to Little Eaton.

I noticed what appeared to be gate renewal at Welshpool Town lock on the Montgomery last Tuesday- will this be an indication of improvements there, perhaps. There is currently a Bridge to Gap appeal to help rebuild Schoolhouse Bridge the last blockage in Shropshire on what is now called the Montgomery Canal. Though progress is slow the link Llanymynech is steadily moving towardss completion and once finished will require further work to reach Pool Quay. Once that is done, Welshpool again will be linked to the network!

It must be a matter of concern that other boat details are being passed onto people renewing their licence, when only their details should be present for verification. The recent legislation made would indicate CRT are in breach of the data protection laws. Data once sent cannot be unsent.

I notice Icknield Street heads north from Perry Barr in Staffordshire and crossed the Trent near Wichnor Forge according to Snapes 1775 map.

Certainly we could do with a cyclist diversion in Birmingham- those on the Birmingham & Fazeley could come off the canal near Snow Hill, cross at the pedestrian crossing and head along Water Street, George Street, crossing the Parade on a safe crossing then head down Clement St, and St Vincent Street, thus avoiding the ICC and Arena area. Those from the Worcester & Birmingham come off near Granville Street bridge, head up Granville Street, cross Broad Street and follow Sheepcote Street to St Vincent Street. Another tactic is to make cyclists use only the one towpath north of St Vincent Street,

According to Highways England the projected route is from the M4 near Didcot through Oxford, Milton Keynes and Bedford, crossing the M1 and ending at the M11. There are three alternative routes at present: The Oxford to Cambridge study identified three broad corridors for the ‘missing link’: · Option A – southern, via Aylesbury, linking to the M1 south of Milton Keynes · Option B – central, following the east-west rail corridor · Option C – northern, roughly following the existing A421 to the south of Bicester and via Buckingham to the east of Milton Keynes Waterways that may be affected include the Thames, Wilts & Berks Canal, Oxford Canal, Grand Union Canal (Main Line) GU Aylesbury Branch, Bedford and Milton Keynes Canal (proposed), the Great Ouse and the disused Ivel Navigation.

There have certainly been issues with the route of HS2 and organisations such have the IWA have been in regular discussions over the impact, poor planning etc. but this proposed expressway harks back to the murky days of Ernest Maples when the road lobby in Parliament changed the face of British roads with the creation of the motorway network. Both canals and railways suffered. This new proposal for a pollution ridden highway between the two great University towns, appears to ignore the intentions of improving the railway links between these two seats of learning, thinking and innovation.

The duplicate locks were built for a different age when fly boats, horse drawn and normal boats also horse drawn would pass both ways. Those who worked horse boats were used to poling their craft into basins and places where a motor boat had less opportunity to turn into. Could that be an explanation, I wonder. Yet would an experienced engineer like Rennie allow such a situation, or was the new construction dictated by space and land availability?

In this lengthy and convoluted posting, one truth has emerged and that is the number of pedestrians injured by cyclists is on the increase. Whilst no accident should be allowed to happen, cyclists who harm pedestrians generally do so on the footpath or towpath. A key aspect is speed. It is of particular concern that not all accidents are reported. Perhaps they should and despite the current parliamentary diversions with Brexit, our legal system should have the powers to correctly penalise cyclist who speed.

With the hybrid drive, internal combustion provides the power required. With pure electric drive a suitable chargeable battery is needed. Would such a craft been a suitable replacement ? An on shore source of electric current would be needed to charge for the voyages and for the day to day other requirements such as lighting. The current use of internal combustion for all needs still must be cheaper, it would seem. And, as Alan has observed, much more thought must be made for electric propulsion to be an effective choice for boaters

How practical are electric boat engines in tackling all boating conditions. I would be interested to know. With road technology and improved batteries there is certainly enough power for the general needs of the car driver, but for the boater has such technology been transferred across. It is alright for a trip boat to pass through Dudley Tunnel, day in and day out, but how would such type of craft fare on the tidal Trent, on the Severn to Worcester or Stourport or indeed against the normal flow on the Llangollen.