Big Bob W

I agree. Frustrates me when you look at the boat at the front of the queue and no-one from it at the lockside. I frequently lose my partner as she disappears up the flight with her windless!

I have heard similar stories about hire-boats being given priority at Watford. I don't know what's happened there. The lockies at Watford are normally well organised and efficient. We went through the flight during the last week in May, not long after the restrictions were put in place to facilitate the works on Sulby reservoir. We arrived at the bottom of the flight soon after 9 to ensure we got through once they were unlocked. They let 11 boats down before we moved. It was after 1 before we cleared the locks. What annoyed me was when we were cruising the summit pound, the leve

I am sure a flock of geese once guarded a distillery in Scotland. Found it! Scotch Watch: the Ballantine’s geese | Scotch Whisky

So we can see if you're a local!

Nen No argument. Have lived within a couple of miles of it most of my life. Always has been, always will be Nen.

I have never heard of these people, but what the hell, I thought I would take a look at one of their videos. What an ignorant, obnoxious, arrogant bloke the guy is! Why would anyone subscribe to that rubbish?

Previously, I spent a season helping with handovers on a hire fleet. The hire companies have an obligation to ensure the crews have training on boat handling, locks, safety etc. The handover guys have to sign off paperwork confirming they have done this and the hirers also sign to confirm they have received this training and accept their obligations. In our case, the hirers received a handbook and DVD after booking, they watched a video again on arrival at the base, had instruction using a model of a lock (not ideal, but no locks close to the base) and then a trial run up to a wind

I discovered this one last autumn. We were moored just north of Welton Haven near the narrows (Bridge 4?). From the towpath, the brickwork looks like a culvert, but if you climb down the embankment, its quite a well preserved tunnel. Its probably only about 5ft high. I wonder what its purpose was? Cattle creep?

A few years ago I did a job for a northern brewery. In the canning department, there were several different products getting filled ranging from cheap supermarket "own-brand" to the premium brands. All got filled with the exactly the same beer. I guess this applies to loads of products. Despite that I always use Comma Classic 20w50 in my BMC 1.5 - maybe I should save a few quid and go to Halfords!

We've just come down from Nether Heyford, through Stoke Bruerne, to Grafton Regis. Only seen 4 other boats on the move.

Northampton Arm is shut

This is exactly what I am thinking. The last 12 months provided CRT a perfect opportunity to get on top of maintenance with very little activity on the waterways. I hope I am wrong, but I suspect the next couple of weeks are going to result in multiple stoppages as the system is suddenly populated with owners and hirers out boating again on the clapped out infrastructure.

Now there’s one appeared at Heyford Fields!

Plenty of good moorings at Zouch. Loughborough has moorings in the basin - also water/elsan there. Its a lovely river. Yes you could get to Leicester in a day, but I would take your time and enjoy.

Other than the crime reference number, that's all that was in the Rozzer's email bulletin! Not even a boat name. I wonder if anyone has probed the mooring with a long shaft just in case its on the bottom?