BlueStringPudding

Haha! You'd be surprised - I find a handful of blackberries add plenty of sweetness. Let me know how it goes with the honey - I'll be intrigued to know!

Hallo matey! Yes - elderberry liquer is gor-geeee-ous and is made in just the same way as sloe gin. Here's how: 1. Buy a bottle of the cheapest gin you can find (the cheaper the better because (a) it's cheap! and ( it's less likely to have a strong juniper aftertaste than a better quality gin) 2. Wash your elderberries (the more the better) and removed from the stalks using a fork. I like to give a few of them a bit of a squashing (not much, just enough to break a few of the berry skins... but not all otherwise you'll end up with a gin and elderberyy juice cocktail!) 4. Put a small handful of blackberries in it too to add sweetness. 5. And here's the important bit: shove 'em in the gin! 6. Leave for two months, giving it a really good shake once a day. 7. Drain off the liquid and strain into another bottle. 8. Quaff! Tips: It helps to either use a tinted glass jar or bottle to make it in (I use a giant dark blue glass spaghetti jar with one of those rubber and glass clip lids) or or keep it somewhere completely dark. (The light can react with the fruit and cause it to go a bit "off") Don't fill it up to the top - leave some space in it. Every day give it a bloomin' good shake and put it back in the dark. Be patient - in two months it'll be perfect. I have been known to give in after 6 weeks and it's still yummy, so it's up to you! Don't be tempted to use vodka instead of gin, vodka gives it a bitter taste. I don't like using sugars or honey in it because it's not necessary. Put a handful of blackberries in with the elderberries and it'll be plenty sweet enough and they're on the bushes at the same time of year. Or just use the elderberries if you'd like it slightly drier. And if you can wait the couple of months it takes to infuse really well, it'll be timed nicely for Christmas! Bishty-boshty, job's a good'un! By the way, I forgot to mention, the other thing is don't be tempted to keep opening up the jar/bottle and having a look/sniff/sip because repeated contact with the air can cause the fruit to decompose! ( I made that mistake once, but to be honest there wasn't all that much of it left by time it was finished anyway!) Someone decided last week would be a good time to trim back all the foliage along the towpath near me (Stratford-Upon-Avon canal) and have lopped off all the elderberries, damsens, sloes and blackberries in the process; leaving fruitless stumps instead. Charming.

And this rather explains why when you talk to the owner of moorings/marina they tell you the waiting list is years and years long. It's because the person at the top of the list doesn't get the next available mooring, so the list simply doesn't get any shorter!

Hello, Mine came from Cargo Home Shop for £120 some time ago but if you fancy a bargain, there's one on e-bay: ebay for £50 Lisa

I've got a dining table just like this in my flat (from the days I lived in a bedsit) And it's great because it folds up so small and all the chairs fit inside it. We use it all the time and fold it away to give us more space in our living/dining room. I recommend it! And it's on castors so it's easy to move around.

Hi Duchess, Interetsing question. I'd like to know more about this too.

Ah! That;s more like it! Thanks Alan. Useful stuff for me to bear in mind when I finally get the readies out of my moth festooned wallet!

Thanks for that link Moley, That forum is predominantly about new builds which is not what I'm after. However it does suggest that if anyone feels strongly negatively towards a certain make/builder that information could be passed on by PM as it's not being published therefore not libellous. I think that's a great idea! If anyone does feel that a certain boat they've had in the past was a nightmare or unreliable or needed "constant vigilance" because it was prone to certain problems, please feel free to warn me off them by sending me a Personal Message! Thanks. Otherwise, on with the merry banter - what's GOOD about your boat, everyone?

Thanks everyone - your opinions are much appreciated. I don't want to get anyone in trouble, so please don't slander any builders here (!) but everyone is entitled to preferences, and provided they're not worded as fact but opinion, they cannot be construed as libellous. This is the kinda thing I mean, very helpful to an ignoramus such as myself (thanks Carlt!) but not slandering anyone!

Thanks Yoda, Do you own a boat? If so, have you owned several boats in your time or just the one? What did you like and what did you want to improve upon? I'd like to hear comments like "I found XX problematic on my nb, but that's a typical Springer problem, that is" or "Oh, you wouldn't have had that trouble with a Colecraft!" or "I love my boat coz Bridgewater boats last forever" etc. What are the pros and cons of the different builds? (By the way - that last bit isn't just aimed at you Yoda, I'm not expecting you to be a sage on all nb's! ) The more opinions on this the better really, because I suppose you can only form these kind of opinions by living/crusing on the boats for a while and talking to fellow boaters about it. Please, everyone, share your wisdom (or indeed rants)! Thanks

Hello wise sages of the waterways. As I'm looking into buying a narrowboat in the next year or so I'd like to know more about what I'm reading on the brokers' and classified ads about the quality of the build of a craft. I understand about 10/6/4 etc but in terms of secondhand boats, which manufacturers are good? Which are less reliable? I see Colecraft and Springer, Bel Pilo and Heron and Liverpool Boats, Hirst, Bridgewater... ad infinitum I'm interested in knowing what people think of the different builders and what to look out for with each make when buying secondhand. For example, is a thirty year old Colecraft gonna have a better quality hull than a Springer of a similar age? Is one sort more prone to condensation or any other trouble than another?... etc. I'm sure everyone will have different preferences but I'll be interested to hear your opinions. Thanks.

"Significant part of it" - don't ya love the vagueness of red tape!? I consider 87 miles pretty blimmin far.

Trust me on the chocolate thing... coat them in lots and lots of thick dark chocolate. Actually... most things would be tasty in enough chocolate!

What a great photo!

Oh, and another thing. Find yourself a DIY shop because you can buy a very fine (but fairly stiff) mesh designed for screening windows against bugs. It's about £4 per metre and you can cut it to size to fit your windows. You can either fix it over your windows permanently or used sticky back velcro. Alternatively, a freehanging mosquito net over your bed would help you out at night like these ones http://www.wildday.co.uk/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=853 which are impregnated with bug repellent. Hope that helps!