Jim

Well my advice wasn't that far out. Thanks for solving a mystery. I'm intrigued by Alan's reference to Tim and Andy Collier's book, something I wasn't aware of. As a participant on the northbound trip I'd like to read Andy's account of it. The pace was certainly frantic and the passengers (customers) were given no say in where or when the boats would stop for the night . I even recall the steerer refusing to stop to pick up a girl who had fallen in whilst trying to board the moving boats and requiring her to run down the towpath to overtake them and try again! I'm surprised though that I have no memory of bow hauling against the current on the Trent, so perhaps it was another trip being written about. But if someone can give me the title of the book I'd be grateful. Edited to say that I've now realised that on the trip to Nottingham the boats would have been going with the current, so the bow-hauling must have happened on the return south. Doh!

I'm trying to find out where this photograph, dating from 1973, was taken. I believe it to be somewhere between Leighton Buzzard and Nottingham. The boats are Elstree and Lyra, which were then being operated as a camping pair by T&A Collier. I'm told that if I post the image here I'll have an answer "in seconds" so don't let me down.

Yes, definitely sold - and only the once (by me at least!) It went for a bit less in the end but to be fair it did need quite a bit of work doing on it. The "fake" advert text was lifted from the broker's (genuine) website entry.

If you don't fancy mooring at Autherley Jc and you have a bit of spare cruising time you could always go down the Staffs and Worcester to Compton. There are plenty of buses info town from there. You,ll have to go through the next three locks to wind.

Presumably Lafarge will shortly be amending this section of their website! Clicky

I suppose that as these are offside moorings that may be the case but the "No Mooring" sign is definitely a new CRT one.

Boaters visiting Lancaster are usually advised that if the towpath visitor moorings near the Water Witch pub in the city centre are full it is also possible to moor in the two side basins opposite. Recently, however, the mooring rings here have been removed and CRT "No Mooring" signs have appeared. The visitor moorings get very busy, especially at weekends, and these basins provided a useful overflow. Needless to say no replacement spaces have been provided. There are flats alongside the basins that have recently been given a makeover (may be student accommodation for the Univetsity) and I wonder if this is a case of CRT continuing where BW left off in putting outside interests above boaters'.

Having just done this trip in the opposite direction I would say that the bits worth "lingering" in are from the top of Wigan locks to Feniscowles and Barnoldswick to Silsden, including Skipton itself. That's not to say there aren't some pleasant bits elsewhere but nowhere you may particularly want to stop, except perhaps Saltaire and Calverley/Rodley I stopped for a while in Silsden, Skipton, Gargrave, Barrowford and Barnoldswick with overnight halts at Dobson Locks, "Bidge 113" (near Church) and Adlington and I'd be happy to use any of those places again. I'd also have been happy to have used the visitor moorings at Blackburn (Eanam Wharf) and Burnley (Weavers' Triangle) based on what they looked like as I passed through during the day, although whether you'd want to spend any time in either place depends on your taste for decaying, post-industrial urban landscapes. (I speak as a resident of Lancashire). IThe warning about the swing bridges should not be taken lightly! Some of them are extremely stiff and need more than one person to move them. All of them will slow you down.

"Lots" of people may moor at the junction, but the moorings didn't look too clever to me. Slightly better on the PIC itself just beforehand. Free mooring for 14 days Manchester at New Islington Marina two locks up on the Rochdale. and of course good mooring at Castlefield below the Rochdale"nine"

In fairness, I ought to say that the "Four Mary's" in Linlithgow is excellent. Way better than most English pubs and highly recommended. You'll note we stopped there on the way back as well!

When we hired from Falkirk in March we did the Union Canal to Edinburgh and back as a short break. It's about 11 hours travelling each way (which we did over two days, stopping at Linlithgow in both directions). The boatyard will book you a slot on the Wheel going out but coming back you have to be at the top of the staircase one hour before the Wheel closes and you have to let them know you are coming, so check the Wheel opening hours. There are two other timing constraints - if you want to go all the way to the end at Edinburgh you have to pass through Leamington Lift Bridge, which as with all moveable structures is worked for you, but only within set opening hours (they need 15 mins notice). If this is a problem you could turn before the bridge. There's also a stretch near Edinburgh that is supposedly closed for a couple of hours in the afternoons for use by rowing boats, although I don't think this applies every day and there is a number to ring to check. The canal itself is a very pleasant contour canal with good views (on a fine day) towards the Firth of Forth (The Forth Rail Bridge can be seen) and the aqueducts are quite spectacular. Unless you like tying-up in the middle of nowhere the only stopping places are Linlithgow and Ratho. Very few moving boats or moored ones come to that, except in Edinburgh itself. We had no problems with "bandits". We failed to find a decent pub anywhere near the Wheel itself and the pubs in the nearest settlement of Camelon looked positively dangerous. Best of a bad buch is the Union Inn at lock 16 on the Forth & Clyde.

Yes, your memory is correct. The visitor moorings are 48hrs There are also the long-term moorings opposite (i.e. on the pub side) but these don't appear on CRTs list of mooring sites so presumably they are operated privately (perhaps by the adjacent caravan site?). There are also privately operated moorings just to the south of the bridge on the off-side.

I don't live on my boat so can't help with "living costs" but you might find my experiences of the cost of owning and maintaining a narrowboat useful clicky

If it's as simple as that then I am tempted as it would mean I could bring the old door home and do a proper job. Villager's own website seems slightly cheaper than MC and the doors come "complete" but I think I'd better check on how my existing door is fitted before lashing out.

Thanks everyone so far for your advice - much appreciated. I also like the idea of Innisfree's spare door but, dare I ask, how easy is it to remove and fit a door? Can it really be "quickly swapped over"!

Returning to the boat after the New Year I discovered that the door glass on my Villager Heron stove was cracked. It's held in place by four studs, which look as if they are designed to be loosened with a screwdriver and the glass sits in the door held in place by the stud tops and the washers that go with them. The problem is that the studs are jammed. I was able to get the old glass out because it was cracked and I could get it out bit by bit, but to get the new one in I need to loosen the studs. I've tried brute force and ignorance (in plentiful supply) and also 3-in1 spray and WD40 and now I've run out of ideas. It's not urgent - I don't live aboard, but I do hope to use the boat before next summer! Any ideas?

Perhaps cc'ers now wishing to engage more with the Trust could begin by using its preferred acronym of "CRT" rather than the somwhat derogatory "CART"?

Congratulations to all at CRT. Now I can get Starcross home!

No. Council Tax is just that - a tax, not a charge for services.

Am I missing something here? As I read it, the draft directive relates to craft (i.e. boat) licences - and we all have one of those already, don't we? European Union Amendment Threatens UK Boating Issue date: 1st November 2012 What was looking like an innocuous directive to harmonise standards between boat designers in the EU and to standardise and simplify safety arrangements has developed into a potentially huge issue for boaters throughout the EU but particularly in the UK and Republic of Ireland. An amendment by a Dutch MEP at the tenth draft stage has introduced a request that a further directive be developed because: "There is no harmonisation or level playing field with regard to water craft licences or technical checks, and tax evasion can still take place through the use of agricultural diesel. Therefore the Commission should consider submitting proposals to harmonise water craft licences at Union level, to encourage regular technical checks and to prevent tax evasion by discouraging the use of agricultural diesel."

Having been on the Shroppie for six years I can honestly say I've never had a problem getting on a visitor mooring, although most of them do have their regular overstayers. The problem on the Shroppie is the excessive number of legitimate on-line permanent moorings.

The only "horror stories" I have heard relate to the area immediately outside the north portal of Harecastle Tunnel. As others have said almost anywhere else is OK. My boat is currently "somewhere in this area" and has been for over a fortnight (with permission!)

Welcome to the Forum. The navigable section of the Lancaster Canal extends as far north as Tewitfield, where the line was cut when the M6 was built.