nebulae

I have had to remove a trailer load of lorry tyres,illegaly dumped on my land. Disregarding my time, fuel and the use of my tractor and trailer,the local re-cycling centre charged me £450 to take a 12 ton trailer load.(actual weight about 2.5tons) Also,fridges,washing machines and a large television.

One of the problems restoring the final length of the Mongtgomery Canal is that a major sewer pipe is now in the bed of the canal as far as the sewage works/wildlife sanctury. I believe,but am not certain,that this pipe serves the whole of Newtown. This explains why this length now belongs to Severn Trent Water. I believe that the wier that impounds the water which the pump drew from the River Severn in Newtown would need work. The Water Wheel/Steam/diesel/electric pumps were removed as soon as the works that used this water,closed. Below Freestone Lock the canal takes water from the river via a substantial leat and is in good order The next lock, Newhouse Lock,has been restored. The towpath past the pump keepers house has been slightly diverted. The access for road vehicles to the pump keepers cottage would need a bridge of some kind. The basin has been built over and a major flood bank now infringes on the canal. There is some space for a new basin in the old dairy site/builders yard.? I think the article posted by Stroudwater 1 is a little unclear. Acording to The Trow magazine(Cotswold Canal Trust issue 190),the total cost of the phase 1b Ocean to Saul is £24 million,of which the National Lottery is giving 9 million. Not sure if the 4 million Whitminster Rounabout scheme is included in the 24 million.

I do agree that Ardd lin is a major problem. I was sitting on the bench by the "marina" in Welshpool eating my lunch. Contemplating the difference between Welshpool and Ellesmere. I think there are only the 2 Sunshine boats on the isolated Welshpool length.(may be a CART tug? I dont think narrow boats can get beond Gronwen Wharf at the moment,so quite a way from Crickheath Wharf. At least Schoolhouse bridge seems to be making progress.

I agree,it is worth shouting about. We get little enough from the UK government. If a certain cabinet minister had agreed to find match funding to match the offer of match funding from the EU,the whole canal to Newtown would have been restored by now. The legacy of his decision will be increased costs and probably the canal never being fully restoted.

If anybody is interested,the Whitminster Roundabout ,scheme built by Alan Griffiths Contractors,has won prizes and is shown on the Cotswold Canal Trust website.

I am surprised at some of the negative posting on this subject. This is a grant to Wales,not England. Restoration of the Montgomery Canal has been going on for nearly 50 years,wih huge and sustained progress by volunteers and BWB/CART. Also much EU /BWB/vol fund raising. The towpath is one of the best maintained of all CART canals and passes through beautiful countryside. As to the cost of the Ardd lin blockages,anybdy who is familiar with the two road bridges on the A 38 (roundabout) over the Stroudwater Canal (wide canal) and the A483 blockages at Ardd lin lin (narrow canal) both have very heavy traffic and both have some similarity of scale (4 million Dept of transport costings.recently completed by Griffiths on target)

The Bristol Road roundabout work on the Stroudwater has recently been completed By Allan Griffiths, payed for by the Highways Agency. This involved two road bridges and major works to both carrage ways. The cost was,apparently 4 million. This may give an idea of the cost of the works needed at Ardd lin. Bridge 103 and bridge102 Maerdy Bridge, Montgomery Canal,( lowered)

There is a winding point at Reffail,one bridge short of the end of the Eastern Branch. Because the main road and the canal are so close together,replacing the dropped bridge to give clearance for boats and an acceptalble approach for vehicles I understand the canal would have to be diverted. Do able but expensive. At the navigable part conected to the system, work has begun to replace the dropped School House Bridge. As this is the last obstruction in Shropshire and the old railway enbanckment has been removed there will be no blockages before Llanymyenec.h,where a trip boat operates on a short section. However,I am not a civil engineer,but I can see a big problen next to the old railway,where the lane below the towpath is much lower than the towpath. 93 Walls bridge still exists,but a causway has been put accross the canal to give access to houses. This prevents access to Carreghoffa Locks. Bridge 96 has been dropped by Powys Council. They gave an undertaking that if the canal was restored, they would restore the bridge to navigation. I hope they remember this pledge. After this,the canal is good condition to Four Crosses and though to Arddlin. Two major blockages at Bridge 102 and 103. The canal is navigable through Welshpool to the Reffail.

After 40 years,both us and the boat are getting old. Unfortunately,sold before prices of second hand boats took off, Also,poor state off the waterways made planning a route imposible. Work involved in maintenance and increasing costs did not help. Back to caravaning.(Still like to walk the towpath.)

If the barge is a second world war ferro concrete barge,then it is amost indesructable. Appart from the Mulberry Harbours,these barges were not a great success. When barging opperations finished due to changing cargo handling,steel (and wood)barges could be re-cycled. Ferro concrete barges are with us for ever unless they can be used for bank protection(as at Purton). May as well use them for something usefull.I have no view of the location in Bristol Harbour,as I am not familiar with the area.

I have most of Charles Hadfields canal books in my library. I believe he also either colaborated or contributed to works by other authors. A true giant of the canal history world. Hard to believe that he passed away 25 years ago. Many of my canal books were purchased from Thorpes booksellers in Guldford( many at bargain prices.Try buying new hardback book for £2.50 nowadays) .What happened to David and Charles publishers. I have a vague memory that it was sold on?

I dont understand how VAT affects the value of second hand narrow boats. Obviously,most boat builders will be VAT registered. All new boats will be subject to 20%VAT unless the builder is not registered or the boat qualified as a house boat. All(most) hire boat operators will be VAT registered,so they can re-claim Vat. Private buyers will normaly have to stump up 20% VAT. I assume that very few private buyers will be able to re-claim VAT. So,does the Vat element of a second hand boat disappear on sale by first owner or does it disappear gradualy as the value of the boat diminishes?

We tend to avoid school holidays,so cant comment about this period. Never had a problem on the Ashton ,Rochdale, Huddersfield. Rochdale(Littleborough) to Castlefield in a day,so avoid mooring Miles Platting area. Been cast adrift in Chester,which you would think was a posh area.

The level on the river section can change very quickly. Sometimes half an hour is enough to see the level change. Went down towards Chedleton once with the level a gnats off red. Fastest and most scary ever.