JamesWoolcock

Hi Thanks so much for that. Two down, one to go! Yes, I knew about Holloways renaming her Sally. Sally was apparently Joe Holloway's sister Sarah, but known as Sally. When I bought her in 2006, she came with a big box of history which Paul Hunter had put together after much research. But as in all history, other facts emerge. For instance, after Holloways had her, the late Joe Chetten and I concluded from what he told me from when he was a kid, she went to Alan Stevens after she was shortened and before going to Haywards. And Harry Arnold said the she didn't start her cruising life at Yates's, but was converted in Stone, at Stone Boat Builders or their forebears! But not David Wyatt's. The other name you may be looking for is 'Calypso', as that is what she was called in her early cruising days. We keep collecting. Thank you so much for your help.

Hello Jeanette I'm rather confused here, but it's easily done! The upper photo is overlaid on top of a black and white photo. This was taken many years ago by the late Malcolm Braine who told me that he took it at his Norton Canes yard and that it was of MARQUIS when owned by WJ Haywards and still called SALLY. By then he couldn't remember the identities of those pictured but I have subsequently discovered and met the family of the captain, on the right, George Wood ex FMC. Would you know the other two?

Thanks for that. Done!

Mine too. Very annoying. Someone please stop it.

Quite a way away and below deep-ish Yard Lock so shielded by the geography and I'm unaware that there has been any complaint from there. Any valid complaints have been from dwellings in Trent Court (the old hospital buildings). The pub has two elevations to the canal, one facing Canal Cruising's yard and their small basin, and Trent Court, and the other set at a different angle against the canal proper and where, when here, my mooring. There is a quite tasteful 3 storey residential development of flats and housing behind the towpath hedge and therefore behind me. They would suffer no worse than me if there was a real problem. But there really isn't, but I suspect this is where many of the moaners reside. Shame

The Crown Wharf does not play loud music late at night, or any other music late at night for that matter. Most complaints were about the noise of mass conversation, with some poor soul complaining of a choir practice, which in the summer months can be heard, and is quite delightful. They're a bit good.

There are no gated retirement homes nearby.

Ring Kathy Artus on 07970 021607

Me too

But don't forget that's the income from boat licences. It doesn't stop there. Without boaters with money in their pockets, so few of CRT's business tenants would be viable and able to pay them rent. The estates department is doing so well that the director for this, Stuart Mills, earns, with his bonuses (not begrudged) more than CEO Richard Parry! Almost every boatyard is a CRT tenant, and then there are all the other businesses along the towpath side of the cut frequented by boaters where the freehold belongs to the Canal & River Trust, from pubs to shops, to goodness knows what. And many on the offside too. They have been asked to come clean and show all this in the Annual Report as income derived from boating activity. Some is slowly creeping in. No boaters, no dosh!

I, we, whoever, do the tidal Trent every year or few and have just found and joined 'Trentlink - Safe Navigation of the Tidal River Trent' on Facebook. Frequent updates, sometimes several a day, and in the last few, ongoing updates on the Vazon rail bridge across the Stainforth & Keadby Canal, including a boat who was told it was closed and turned up and they opened it! Worth a look. Everyone else I've mentioned it too, including old Trent hands, have joined up straight away.

Meanwhile, they took an angle grinder to the one below Star Lock in Stone (T&M) and chopped it down!

It was the BBC that reported this this morning and is still insisting that Castle Street is a towpath on their website news. The path referred to is a riverside walk. No canal anywhere near.

The point raised was that old hire boats are or will be eligible to take part in the Braunston Parade, inferring that they would be invited to participate in the Braunston Historic Boat Rally, held at the end of June. I think you'd all better take that up with the organisers. This is a privately organised event, based around a privately owned marina and boatyard, and I think I know what their answer would be!

No

Why? Is it a working or ex-working boat?

If you are getting on in years or are in some way disabled and are going to be single handed, telephone CRT and talk to them. If not, get on with it. They are delightful and delightfully easy, as long as with the rest of the Shroppie, you are mindful of the fierce by-washes.

Now credit where credit's due; one Richard Parry of CRT got personally involved in this re-alignment, and no doubt, having spent many years in the railway industry, was in a good position to bend a few ears and provide solutions. I believe he took HS2 to task on several other sensitive sites along the proposed line.

Well I think CRT are taking us boaters for mugs. CRT told me it wasn't them but the Highway Authority that demanded the long closure. This indeed is a bridge designed for the deck height to be raised in the case of subsidence. The new deck could easily be made off site, brought to the job and installed. And as for lime mortar taking six months to harden....!

Reported last night that there was a growing queue of historic ex-working boats returning from Ellesmere Port. Good luck!

So whose having your rebate?

Well I would agree with you in many respects, but to say you've never found the town of Mkt Drayton?! So sad. But I'm sure you're not one of those who tie up leaving gaps so us deep boats struggle, and then just get your chair out. It's just up the road, and may have seen more prosperous days, but still full of individual traders and great pubs. Nice little country town and a great street market.

When I was at college in London in the late 60s, the saying was "Don't take the piss out of Watneys, It needs all the flavour it can get."