StoneHenge

I'd better not sink then, after hitting an obstruction. Thanks for the tip off.

You don't get anything for free in this world!

I must admit, I'd rather be on my own, as most people couldn't take just how quiet we are, and I like the solitude as well, but if someone was really stuck, then I would feel pretty bad saying no, so I would like to think I wouldn't mind in most situations but I would say no to a large group of people just because they would be a lot noiser then us and I wouldn't enjoy it at all.

Did they settle in the end? What was the claim for? (Sorry, not being purposely nosery, just trying gage what they skirt around and what cannot be argued)

The only issue I have with some cats is that they tend to poo away from their own abode and poo near yours and one dear little kitty decided to leave me nice fat muddy footprints all over the sides and a nice bit of scratched paintwork, but other than that I've never had a problem with them, and have seen lots of happy cats flaked out on a boat roof enjoying the sun and a nap.

I am going to move over to craftinsure. I checked them out yesterday and comapred them with about 7 others including who I am already with and they were by far the cheapest for the same cover, so I have done that. Thanks for your suggestions. I just saved myself £60 and the ability to pay monthly.

Dan, I would definitely be interested. No different from jag owners having their clubs, so I would be all for a Black Prince one. You could even write to black prince, I'm sure they would be thrilled knowing people were taking such an interest in their old boats who most of which have shiny new owners ready to love them. I didn't see you mention it on the other thread, but I would definitely be interested so please do, and if you need any help along the way about contents or layouts etc, just yell. I'm everyone would chip in something.

Is there a company that you can insure your narrow boat with that takes monthly payments like car insurance companies? I ask because we have a lot of bills all coming up the next two months with boat insurance, RCR, our car MOT, insurance and tax, and currently we pull the full years insurance on the boat, but wondered if there was a monthly premium company instead?

And don't forget the rituals involving sacrificing virgins etc.......important that bit. Oh and edited to say: when we changed ours it was half way through the license year for us, so we were told it would be noted in the records, but we had to manually scribble out our old name and add the new one on the current licenses we had or just leave them until we got new ones through.

There is a website which charges you £95 but gives you tips on how to fool the DLA into giving you disability benefit for those who do not wish to work. Things like: 1) Never walk or get the bus to the assesment/interview or they will deem you fit to work, take a taxi, be delivered right to the door and use a walking stick (all the time). 2) Make sure your walking stick looks well worn like you use it every day, all the time. 3) Carry packets of pills with you so it looks like you are in constant pain and wince when you are sitting down and standing up. FFS, what kind of website does this to encourage people to skive off work and claim to be disabled! It is disgusting. Makes of mockery of those people who really are incapable of working for genuine medical reasons. Jezz the amount of scrapes, bumps and long term pain I have, I could easily pass the interview, but I choose to work instead and live with what will never ever be cured. Madness!

Glad he was OK. It is quite a shock when you are not expecting it. I have only fallen in 3 times, once was completely and I came out with injuries, but we have been very careful since and as you say Chris, we have the ring ANd a rope ready on standby to haul someone back in. The last people we pulled out were a woman and her dog but as she was under the bridge it was easier to pull her out as I had let the hubby off then to go resuce her.

A very dear friend of mine has John, and I tell you, she's a tough cookie, but even they have worn her down. The social system in this country seems to be very biased to certain groups of people and everyone else seems to be told to take a hike. I pity some of the abuse and treatment some of our less able bodied citizens have to cope with with sub standard health services and the authorities tied up in knots, let alone trying to justify a legitimate disability to help claim allowance for you to live on. Grrrrr!

I'd love to know what kind of people they are targeting then, as it seems to me to be out and out age discrimination, or discrimination against single people who haven't popped out 20 kids. It is a disgusting system, and I've not heard one good word about it.

I quite agree, and to be honest if I was forced out of work for one reason or another, I would get off my own back and find work, if it took me all day every day. Fortuantely, I haven't been in that situation, but as you never know whats round the corner I just hope I never have to step into one of those places.

I've been lucky, I've never had to sign on. The very thought immensely depresses me. When one of my work collegeauges went to do that after she had voluntarily left her job because of stress related issues, she was so completely humiliated by the way she was treated, she never went back after a month of abuse. They were cruel beyond belief and were so curt and nasty I am not surprised so many people find it a dreaful experience. They bascially told her she was an idiot for leaving her job and that she was required to attend interviews for jobs whether she wanted to or not, or else she wouldn't get her allowance. Now I know there are conditions, but she was actively seeking work. What she did want was to find a job she really wanted to do after what was almost 25 years in the same job. She was filling out loads of application forms, but you can't just walk into a job these days. She was the wrong side of 40, and being told by some 20 year pip squeak that you are an idiot and being so belittled is just plain wrong. She was one of the good guys, actively seeking work, not lounging around. I was only out of work once since the age of 17, for two weeks, when I had moved to Leicester when I ws 21. I flatly refused to go anywhere near the job centre and got myself work within those two weeks. I can imagine it must be frustrating when you are working in a place trying to get people in work, when it is obvious some people simply do not want to work, but you would have to be pretty desperate not to work for the measly sum they expect you to 'actively' seek work with.

We didn't do much boaty related things this weekend. Mainly shopping, a trip to the inlaws to deliver a birthday card, and some eating! We did pick two of our favourite pictures of stonehenge out though. One of the two of us took by the other couple that were there when we had it all to ourselves at 6am in the morning, when his knibs proposed to me in the middle and one where the sun is just rising and hitting the side of the one of the stones. We brought two wooden frames to go with the two wooden mounts we have our brass navigation plaques on inside, but as we don't always follow convention, all of these are mounted under the gunnels surrounding the telly. This does two things: 1) It means we have something to look at when sitting when not watching the Tv (which is hardly ever) and 2) It hides the faded carpet currently on the walls up the gunnels, which where we have taken out fixed furniture has left the nice fresh colour underneath and faded colour outside, so now you just can't see it, so we did put all those up. Sunday we ventured round Abbey park in Leicester which I have never been to before. It's nice as an edge of it follows the Leicester GU section, and the river soar goes through the middle, only the non navigable bits with the weirs. Very pretty and a nice day out which I haven't felt like doing for ages with this holrrible cold/flu thing. Very busy on the canals though, and it was nice seeing some boats I hadn't seen before as well. # The only thing that got me this weekend was two boats who in their stupidity were making such incredible bow waves and the wash they were creating was disgusting. Why don't people think? Judging by the names and locations painted on the side, they are obviously used to wider canals and rivers, but you ALWAYS check if your speed is creating a wash, and these two didn't. It was awful and I cringed. I can't understand why you need to do this. They did slow down just before the bridge but they paid no attention to the wash and some banks on the Ashby have really suffered for this. For goodness sake, check your wash, some of us CARE about our waterways and preserving them, and we don't feel the need to navigate them at record speeds. The other big thing of the weekend was his knibs arranging a game of squash with his brother. OK, that does not sound bug but the consequences of this game has meant his knibs has now decided to quite smoking, and he started today. I have said to him if he lasts a week, I will follow. We did (giving up together) at the same time about four years ago, and we about killed each other doing it. I went completely cold turkey and he had the gum, but the stomach cramps, night sweats, mood swings, feeling nauseas really is nasty, and it is not to be laughed at. It can be as hard as coming off a class A drug, if you don't have help. Anyway, I couldn't have done it the same time, so we are staggering a week and putting what we would have spent into a kitty to do something nice with next year. The first months savings we will just blow and treat ourselves, something we haven't done for a long time given limited funds, and the big hole in the boat that keeps sucking it all down! So this is me, last week as a smoker. I am going to need some encouragement, so please encourage me to give up and stay given up. I need the people power!

Yeah sorry that is what I meant, the big bow thing, it is a big rubber malarky compared to the smaller neater metal one you have. It really is a show stopper!

If that were true, then he should have given way to Mick, but I was unsuure how the bend and straight scenario should play (talking canals, not sexuality here peeps!).

On Monday his knibs took the boat to the water ole, whilst I took the car, did the school run, then met him at the water ole. He told me after that as he was approaching a bridge, you could see what was coming, but then you came to a bend where you could no longer see. He could see a boat some way off in the distance and as he seemed to be the closer, he thought he would navigate the bridge first, especially as the approach tot he bridge was a straight and he had to navigate a bend it would be safer for him to navigate the bridge first as it was a blind bend for whoever was coming the other way once they were through the bridge. As he got to the bridge though the front was just entering the bridge when this guys did too. He had obviously put full whack on to get to the bridge first, as he was a fair distance and as e know the canal pretty well, we can judge distances etc. Anyway, straying off, the guy reversed and let Mick pass through first but not without a rather displeased look. Who in this case was in the wrong/right?

I've not seen a brought one yet, but I am guessing if anyone did they take them deep underground somewhere, perform some grotesque operations on them and completely repaint them before allowing them to come out in the world of the cut. I get it all the time 'an x black prince, an unmistakable snout, and big bottom' I HOPE they were referring to the boat.

You don't, you add it as a unique feature to the credentials of the boat and claim it as unique architecture. No-one will ever know......