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Indeed 'what a result'. It's confirmed my belief in optimism - I'm just waiting for the owners of Flemish Weaver to step forward now! According to Jim Shead's list there is only one craft of that name registered. When I started on this quest I too was wondering about this very point. Could this boat (which must be around 35 years old now) have been scrapped, sunk, abandoned, cut up, or whatever. So what is the realistic life of a narrowboat? I'd be interested to hear people's experience. When I was first contemplating buying a boat I was told that 20 years was the expected life of a new steel narrowboat. Clearly that was somewhat erroneous information!

Thanks for the reply Dave. It seems that we're looking for a boat by the name of FLEMISH WEAVER now due to a name change. As a matter of interest did Brummagem Boats hire out any boats built by Canal and RiverCraft or did they build their own? From the details that Pete has provided I can see from Jim Shead's list that this boat was built by C & RC. There might have been another name change along the way or else B B just brokered the sale.

Thanks very much for that nugget of information Pete - pure gold. So she's called Flemish Weaver now and appears very much alive ...... and I hope well. Her previous owners will be delighted. Now can anyone throw any light on a 50' narrowboat called FLEMISH WEAVER ................................??

This is a real long shot – possibly a basket case in fact – though may be one that Dave Moore can shed some light on. So here goes: Brummagem Boats sold a boat called Claragh in 1982 to a couple in Stockton (Warwickshire) who then went on to have three boys – two of whom spent their early life on the boat – until the profusion of nappies forced the owners to reluctantly move on land and sell the boat! The details of the craft are somewhat sketchy – 50ft; painted green; Perkins engine; square stern/transom; square windows, opening at the top – probably of a hopper pattern. The boat had been in a hire fleet (having two bunk beds at the stern). It was possibly in the Brummagem Boats hire fleet, but briefly privately owned, before BB sold it to this couple. There is not a single Claragh in Jim Shead's list and the past owners have no record of the index number. For sentimental reasons they'd like to track it down if it's still 'alive.' (which it very well might not be on account of its advanced years). However, any light that can be thrown on this craft would be very gratefully received. Thank you in anticipation.

You're welcome. It's an excellent permanent mooring by the way!

Yep - those are my old moorings. The address is: The Paddocks Station Road Broadwell Rugby Warks CV23 8FZ You could sent it to Molly Rose or phone Ann Loudon - the owner of the moorings - on 01926 814850 and ask her. I believe this boat has only recently taken a mooring there.

Until recently I moored near Gibralter Bridge - but I could only cruise east or west from there! If you could be a bit more specific with a description of the location and appearance of the moorings I think I will be able to help as I still have several contacts on boats around there.

Because it was closed for a while (between tenants) and the number was disconnected.

Thanks for that - I'll see that it gets added to the appropriate boating guide!

Is this uni-sex hair cutting?

Within the framework of the Recreational Craft Directive (RCD) a non-tidal canal is Cat D. It is , however, very easy to get confused with the MCA helmsman qualifications for skippering passenger boats which work in the 'opposite direction' A - D.

I have used an iPhone in an all porthole tug for a couple of years now and a dumbphone for 10 years before that in the same boat - on the dreaded vodafone at that. Going with the simple solution I just prop the handset up in the porthole, turn on the loudspeaker setting, and stand there talking into the device. If I have an overwhelming urge to slob out, reclining on a bed/chair/whatever, I use a cheapy bluetooth hands-free thingy stuffed into my ear. Both are simple, cheap, cheerful and have worked everywhere in GB for me.

We had a wee dialogue on this topic a while back Tony and I meant to post this link then. For those with time on their hands and a burning desire to really understand this complex subject: http://www.scielo.br/pdf/rm/v30n1/0001.pdf Happy reading!

I'm probably misunderstanding the word 'resolution' here, but by double tapping on an individual map you can then pinch it up (2 finger's spread) to a massive scale - to the point where the individual pixels become visible. Every last bit of detail is then visible to those with even the worst eyesight! I'm seeing detail on the OS 1:25000 maps that I've never before noticed.

The Boat Inn, Birdingbury Wharf (just above Stockton Top Lock - GU Mainline!) is now doing food 12.00 - 21.00 daily. N.B. This is a statement of fact and should not necessarily be taken as a recommendation.

Humber Rescue - one of Britain's busiest independent lifeboats "The River Humber is said to be one of the most dangerous navigable rivers in the world. It is not surprising that even the most experienced of navigators can be caught out by its shifting sands and seven knot currents. Humber Rescue is an independent charity responsible for the provision of a fast-response rescue boat on the rivers of the Humber Estuary. The area covered by Humber Rescue is approximately 540 square miles and includes the Rivers, Trent, Ouse, Hull and Humber. Prior to the service provided by Humber Rescue there was no dedicated rescue or safety vessel on the upper Humber". Quote from their website. It must be very galling for this independant (and independantly funded) organisation to be "mistaken" for the RNLI. I hope the rescued couple make a donation to the correct body. I recently spent a sunday morning on a training session with the Severn Area Rescue Association and was impressed with their dedication, versatility and levels of skill.This year is their 40th anniversary and they reckon that independant rescue bodies might actually outweigh the RNLI. Whether true or not, I was amazed to discover just how extensive the 'independant' rescue movement is.

Further enquiry confirms that for the time being they're not doing food - but the beer is OK.

The Boat has definately re-opened. Mate of mine enjoyed a pint in there last week. However, I don't think they were doing food at that point.

Where is Mr Pink these days anyway?

It couldn't just be a reference to the prompt payment discount that we'd loose could it? And therefore a simple statement of fact - not really a threat at all IMHO ..............

I could always ask him .............

Methinks that this is deliberate 'dramatic licence' to spare a few blushes - that would be in keeping with Den's style! A while back he published a slim volume of humourous tales recounting episodes from his past as a police dog handler around Ilford. These include the 'Henry Stories' about his reluctant Viarama who, on cold wet nights (or when he just had something better to do) would dream up anything to avoid his shift!

Well there I am working my way through this thread and this wee missive lands in my inbox, sent by a good friend who used to moor next to me in my days in Warwickshire. Talk about a coincidence!! By way of background he's an ex-police dog handler with a delightfully laid back attitude to life and a host of tales to tell in the same humourous vain. "So, there we were gaily floating downstream on the River Avon and just coming into Bridport on Avon, a quiet little village where nothing ever happens. At 10-30am we rounded a bend and there was a bridge with four arches. Which one to go through? No signs so lets go through the one on the right. Ten yards away we see the sign on the left arch telling us to go through that one - too late. Bumpty bump and we are stranded on a rock. Can't go back so we are well stuck. A man on the bank says "That happens a lot, I will tell the man in the boatyard and he will come and pull you off" When he comes back he tells us that the boatyard man hasn't got a boat available until after 6 o/clock this evening. A small crowd gathers. A man in a narrowboat going the other way shouts that he will help us and drives his boat towards us. I tie a rope to the front of his boat just before the current sweeps him sideways and he is now stuck right across the main river. A hire boat comes along and ties a rope to the back of the samaritan's boat and tries to pull him but they then get stuck across the river stopping inches away from a plastic "gin palace" with a screaming owner. Mrs Busybody calls from the bridge "I've called the police" Da da, da da police car arrives with a plastic policeman and a real one. Da da, da da the first fire engine arrives. The crowd gets bigger. Da da, da da fire engine number two arrives, traffic on the single way bridge stops. The crowd gets even bigger but offer lots of helpful advice. White hat from the fire engine lowers two life jackets and tells us how to put them on because so far only the dog is wearing one. White hat tells us he is going to get us off the boat because he is only interested in saving our lives (remember this is in three feet of water). Da da, da da fire engine number two arrives with a very senior white hat. He tells us he is in charge of this incident and we have nothing to fear. He points a lots, speaks on his radio a lot, but doesn't do anything useful except send for fire engine number three. The river authority come and close the river. Da da, da da fire engine number three arrives. This one has come from Rugby and ten minutes later three husky fireman knock on the side of our boat; they are sitting in a fire rescue boat. The crowd is enormous. An ice cream man who stops has a bumper day's business. We then decline the third white hats offer to save our lives and get in the boat, because we have seen a farmer with a tractor and a long rope pulling the hire boat and the samaritans boat out of trouble. This seems to be a good idea. White hat is extremely disappointed at not being a hero and helping his "saving of lives" statistics and leaves in a huff. Farmer earns a good drink and pulls us off at 4-30pm. The crowd cheers then disappears but happy at having a free show Boating is relaxing (but not on our boat). No animals were harmed in the making of this story".

Amongst other things the chance to annotate any page with an infinite number of one's own notes; use of a colour coded highlighting system (good pubs etc = green/bad ones = red); search, define, copy and share functions, together with live links to any content with a web site listed - the bulk of the entries in the latest editions - thereby, in effect, vastly extending the database. Oh, and I believe that it's possible to zoom into both text and maps, which will allow my dodgy eyesight to finally enjoy the finer detail within the Ordance Survey mapping. At £8.99 they're a few quid cheaper than the printed version as well!

Probably important that you change the running order of your paper use somewhat ..................................