JamesWoolcock

Congratulations from MARQUIS. And a lovely picture from Laurence Hogg of BIRMINGHAM & BORDESLEY, apparently new. Well nice to see that they've made a really good start on reshaping the motors counter! James

If you are coming off the River Severn, you will be able to travel the Droitwich Barge Canal its full length right into the town. From there it becomes the Droitwich Junction Canal and runs up to the Worcester and Birmingham Canal at Hanbury. This narrow canal is the part which the M5 crosses. You may very well have difficulty here. But the Barge Canal and Droitwich town itself are still well worth the visit. And you can always do what I did and walk to the top with a windlass and lock someone back down! Recommend a copy of 'The Droitwich Canals' from the Droitwich Canal Trust, even at seven quid! James

Just a very huge thank you to Malcolm for hosting, Laurence for organising, and everyone else on the Alvecote team. Great hospitality from you all. What a cracking weekend. Thank you so much. James

I wouldn't expect any problem at the pub if you ask and use their establishment - so very many don't and take them for granted. I'd get very ***sy too!

Upstream is a real must. You go through Northwich under the two swing bridges, passing BWB's former Hayhurst Yard, then Yarwoods' and Pimblotts' old yards (amongst other ship and boat builders) and soon to Hunt's Lock which is as spectacular as the others; but then there is Vale Royal Lock. A must see gem. And the navigation around there is simply gorgeous. Pub at Winsford well recommended but very limited mooring. We got a 54' cut down Josher and a full length Small Woolwich on, breasted, and filled it all but a few feet. And we chickened out about the flash and backed downstream to wind in the morning! And you might have time to shop too. Take a Pearsons Guide with you. Informative and chatty as ever. Invaluable. James

MARQUIS will be there. I did tell Drew! James

Just came down Northgate Locks in Chester today, single handed and one 25ton iron narrowboat. No they are not easy. Besides cilling there is a good opportunity to get the fore end stuck in the bottom gates too! Very many thanks to the nice guy who came to assist. A boater who knew what he was doing. Thanks again fella. James

Had same problem last year and it was a duff accumulator James

I'll vote for The Holy Inadequate too. Kept us well happy at the Etruria Jubilee do as the beer tent hit new lows!

So are you STILL at the Lion Salt works?

I've just sent the following to CRT: Hello. I've just logged onto your website to join up, but sadly in the examples given about how much a month's subscription could do, there's no mention of the navigation. Now I know that most things connected with the navigations are very dear, and no reasonable amount of a single subscription is going to make any impression, but surely a mention somewhere about it's importance would encourage more navigators, such as I, to the cause. I await a satisfactory reply; then my money's yours! James Woolcock MB MARQUIS

I use Pearson's because, beside their charms and usefulness, at a glance they tell me what I most want to know - MILES,LOCKS,HOURS for each map. And then a Chris Clegg's Canal Time Map, £4.00 inc postage from hnbc.org.uk Club Shop, is a good thing to have too. It shows journeys in 2 hour chunks as well as 6 hour, 8 hour and 10 hour summaries. James

The BBC's crass comments included remarking that when the Royal Party left the Royal barge they were going to the first floor of HMS President ! Was I three when I learnt that ships have decks, or was I four?

Autoglym Super Resin Polish from your local auto shop is an excellent colour restorer, without cutting into your paint too much, like T-Cut might. Worked well on the 9yo paint on this boat (red!) before I could have her repainted. And what's good enough for Aston Martin, Jaguar, McLaren and Morgan (so the bottle says) is good enough for me. James

Passed a lovely big grass snake on a hot afternoon at the beginning of July 3 years ago on the Tame Aqueduct just outside Fazeley. There was room comfortably for both of us. Something must be good for them round there. James

Hi Mike. Not bunking in another boat! Sofa here always available for the civilised (!) but I shall be in Northwich where I thought you were going to be! James Ooops!! Just sent this to the wrong boat! Sorry J

Try a call to Towergate Mardon in Shrewsbury. Tel: 0870 1566377. 'Latitude' policy from Royal & Sun Alliance. Excellent. Got to be good to cover an old iron riveter like this boat! And I live aboard. However, if anyone knows of a policy that would comprehensively cover an 114 year old boat and lived on I would like to compare. James

The test is whatever model you buy, will it hold your head out of the water? If not it's just a bouyancy aid and of limited benefit. James

Wanting it to last? Much of this maybe in the paint. MARQUIS was repainted in September 2009 in Craftmaster paint. She was last polished in September last year and still I get comments everyday on the paint job. And she's RED! James

Hi Dawn. Very interesting and something I missed. Which boat and where? James

Greetings from Fellows Morton & Clayton's ex-steamer MARQUIS, built 1898. Go onto Richard Thomas's excellent website www.steamershistorical.co.uk and so much will be revealed about the number of steamers that were about. Incidently, of the iron built FMC steamers, built by FMC at Saltley, I think you will find almost every single one is accounted for and still afloat.

Just had a pint with John Jackson who used them last year said the Garrison Locks bottom gates don't all close when the top paddles are drawn. I went down in September and all those did that I recall ( or I used like this? ) But happy to stand corrected. James

I've just come down the Staffs & Worcs over the last few days, from end to end, single handed and arriving in Stourport tonight and those new railings already installed are not a problem. They do look alright too. Much better than some of the older but nevertheless rightly cherished structures. However, I await the comments of the buttymen! The tempory scaffolding is workable as well, but it won't be there for long. Just a very few locks would require a bit of an extra walk right now. However, the scaffolding at Penkridge Lock is dangerous because people will, and have been seen, climbing throught it.

Strongly recommend: 1. Go on ebay and get a suitable dongle with a tiny jack plus socket in the side, if yours hasn't got one. Probably an earlier model, like mine now. 2. Then onto Baoters Phone Co on the net and buy an external aeriel Good luck James