Dave123

Yes it's absolutely worth it! Just do your research on the latest advice RE where to moor. Moorings are sparse and as with many rivers with private banks, situation can change year to year. But Nene is stunning and middle levels worth it for being so different to anywhere else on the system. Plus they are all under used so what more reason do you need! I'd just aim to be back on the canals by autumn before it rains!

But does any of that actually end up in a normal CRT bin? Surely it mostly goes in a hedge if you are rural or council dog bins if in a town?

I really doubt that much dog waste finds its way to CRT bins. From observation the vast majority ends up in the hedge, canal or a council dog waste bin. So this argument that CRT bins can take all this dog waste and nappies is a bit flawed I think.

Rumours circulating, following CRTs update today, that this won't be open until at least mid summer, although there was also mention of organising some one way controlled passages before then. Bosley and Marple will be busy when lock down ends!

What I don't think anyone has mentioned is the lack of winding holes on the Oxford Summit. You can only turn at Fenny Compton in the middle (unless you are only about 50ft and can use the small winding hole about Marston Doles top lock), this means you'll need to go down and back up Claydon locks and/or the first 3 at Marston Doles/Napton every time you go anywhere. The Napton pound you can turn more or less immediately before all 4 locks leading off the pound, assuming lock free cruising is your aim

I would say from what I've seen on the canals during the lockdowns that many boats are staying put on short stay moorings. Great Bedwyn vms were full all April as were Kintbury, some of which are 24h all year. I suppose moving for the purpose of complying with a short stay restriction could be seen as not permitted as it isn't essential and isn't given as an example of essential by CRT?

The 23rd of May was when movement was relaxed for those who live on a boat. The 14 day rule (and short stay mooring rules) begun from that date. Several pages earlier someone mentioned the Foxes went to the Peak forest for a funeral and back in mid December rather than in January as it appeared. That they chose to publish their new location straight away but delayed publishing the reason is why some were speculating (myself included) about why they travelled so far. The most they seem guilty of in April is some loose interpretation of what counts as a busy towpath, to allow them to

A few more photos from fb. Hope it will be open by the summer🤞

That is true, but they weren't using that as their justification during the first lockdown.

I would have thought that as they have permission to move for the purpose of filming, that would be the end of the debate.😅

Did they give reasons for how they got to the Peak Forest from the Caldon?

I'm not for a moment suggesting people should bend or break rules but it annoys me how these sort of stories of two people doing something like having a takeaway coffee has become the focus for so much anger and blame. A good article here quoting the Dean and vice Dean of the intensive care medicine faculty explaining why this approach is wrong and where the blame and anger should be directed. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/23/covid-dont-blame-public-overloaded-hospitals-icu-medics-tell-nhs-staff

I was trying to give a more balanced opinion of their movements...the reason they were justifying why they moved each time was presumably an attempt to appease those that have become blinded by their rage and want to focus it on minor transgressions by individuals rather than the government where the fault for all this squarely lies. Ask yourself if you get as angry at the government for allowing 1000s to continue going to offices and construction sites as you do over 2 men moving a boat a few miles every fortnight? But on a more general note I think many lesuire boaters on here pe

Quite, its just that they were going to lengths to justify their moving. I think some of those on here that are so anti the Foxes are just bitter that some people can still have fun on boats while they are stuck in their houses, even though they say it's all because of covid and no other motivation. Quite, its just that they were going to lengths to justify their moving. I think some of those on here that are so anti the Foxes are just bitter that some people can still have fun on boats while they are stuck in their houses, even though they say it's all because of covid and

This thread actually made me curious enough to go back and watch the Foxes videos from the first lockdown. They mostly give reasons why they are moving (down Hatton to Warwick for shops, Calcutt for diesel and coal, Napton for facilities) but they did make it look like they had to go up the Napton locks for water at Marston Doles...dont know why they didnt use the quieter place excuse as the towpath was a quagmire in Napton in Dec so clearly is busy. But otherwise they had valid reasons each time. However I am curious as to how they will explain going to the Peak forest from the Caldon unless

It was actually the 23rd of May that the suspension of the 14 day rule ended for those without a home mooring. I remember it well as I had had to move onto a 48h mooring that day and was aware that I only had 48hours on it for a change!

I think the take home message is not to be driven to distraction or hysteria over surfaces, like the stories of people refusing to shut gates in farmers fields or spraying their shopping with bleach. I'd say there may also be a risk of attaining some false sense of security from obsessive behaviour over surface transmission that may lead to complacency with other things like spending too long or being too close when talking to others (masks or no masks).

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7333993/ An excellent read and hopefully understandable to non scientists.

Asymptomatic carriers infect people when they are not taking precautions like a face mask and staying distanced. To say that everything they touch is infected is a little extreme. The surface transmission route is minor. There was a study a while back where scientists tried and failed to grow viable virus from indoor surfaces touched by infected people. I think it would help people to focus more on distancing and masks rather than quarantining their shopping for 3 days in the shed but yelling at the neighbours over the gate for 30 minutes🤦‍♂️

Why are there 2 threads about them....They are good but not that good🤣

It's their job, as has been covered ad nauseam on this thread. So it's allowed. CRT don't make guidance that covers this as far as I know. The reason the infection rate is so high is the government permitting so much more activity this time around (like religious services, construction work and schools/nurseries). Not 2 people moving about a bit on a boat.

But they aren't breaking the rules...

South Oxford closed at various points from Banbury southward due to flooding. River flowing into canal below Banbury lock and Shipton flood gate (the single gate before the bridge by Shipton Church) is closed. Some numpty obviously ignored the fact the river was in red leaving Aynho weir lock and is now stranded. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=216769546763823 And someone tried to go up through Banbury lock🤦‍♂️🤷‍♂️

Banbury also flooded and locks closed to run water down. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=216769546763823

I watch them on and off and didn't see what they did during lockdown 1. If you live aboard it is certainly within the rules to move from a town (for shops etc) to rural area (for quieter towpaths) and no reason to keep winding and returning to the same town (in some places this may represent a longer trip than continuing in the same direction. Provided you have a couple of weeks say between visits to towns you arent really likely to be spreading covid from town to town, and back then there werent tiers of higher and lower prevelance.) But I'd be surprised if following this pattern allowed them