robsusiecuttlefish

Hi everyone from a geography PhD student, 7 years afloat, co-caring our 2 year-old son and with another expected in February! I am doing a PhD at Queen Mary, University of London in collaboration with the Geffrye Museum of the Home http://www.geog.qmul.ac.uk/staff/stephensonr.html ] I have just entered my 2nd year of the research and am actively seeking participants who are male primary carers, looking after their children at home. These need not be full-time carers; they may be engaged in other work such as part-time employment or perhaps are self-employed or volunteer. I have a substantive information leaflet for potential participants that I am sending to Tony [for distribution at Chester]. I have hoped to target potential recruits via Children's Centres but my experiences to date suggest that such opportunities may be limited, as it appears that CCs struggle to recruit men from any situation! I was a househusband myself in the 1980s and now co-parent my 2 year-old son with my wife, a Children's Geographer at London South Bank University, so am anxious to explore the hidden voices of such men and my research to date leads me to believe that access via online digital fora is the way to go to try and contact these hard-to-find fathers. I am particularly interested in young fathers and fathers from BME backgrounds as they are under-represented in current research globally. Additionally part of my remit is to interview up to 15 'significant others' such as institutional gatekeepers ... practitioners, managers [and especially spouses]and the like, to elicit a more contextual policy view of male primary carers in the community of London. Would anyone living afloat who meet that criteria be interested in assisting me or do you know of any people that might fit my remit? The Geffrye has no archive of 'Home' as floating, so it would be great for that part of the research to shape new directions in which they could exhibit narratives of 'Home' as we see it from the water. Very best wishes, Robert Stephenson

Hi all, As we are expecting a new arrival [baby boy] in a few weeks I am anxious to locate someone reputable who will service my Bubble corner stove, which has been running perfectly for 3 years but has never had attention. The rope seal may need replacing and, all parts checked etc. Does anyone know anyone who will travel to me at Harefield, on the Grand Union, close to Uxbridge to do this work? What sort of cost can I expect? Thanks, Rob

Cool ~ thanks and thanks for the drink invite ~ we shall look out for you! Let's hope the weather is better than tonight!!! Rob

Thanks for this!

Hiya guys, We are commencing inaugural shake-down cruise in two weeks. I need advice regarding powering my laptop ~ I would like to work with it for at least 4-6 hours a day ~ Is it worthwile purchasing [an expensive] external battery pack? Would a smaller inverter do the job? Thanks Rob & Susie

Morning guys. We wish to replace our bulky 'household' TV aerial ~ can anyone suggest an effective replacement for digital coverage ~ preferably non-directional? Rob & Susie

Good morning all. Susie and I are having our inaugural 'shake-down' cruise in 2 weeks, with a 2-week jaunt along the Lee Navigation, via Paddington and Camden and the Hertford Union, up to Bishop's Stortford and Hertford. We're happy to moor overnight at Paddington Basin but would like advice regarding 'good' overnight moorings from there northwards, especially along the initial stretch from Camden. Any advice greatly appreciated guys! Rob & Susie

We use Ecover - expensive but it does last for ages if used with a hand sqeezy type of thing (unsure as to the correct name)!

Hiya, Susie and I have been living aboard our 65ft boat for 2 years and are planning to start our family asap - as there's 27 years between us AND we propose having the baby aboard we may suffer some interesting reactions! Rob and Susie

Hiya Mark, Yes my Wife and I have considered reseraching this very topic [we are geographers and professional researchers] but to date have been unsuccessful in obtaining funding from various Universities who appear to be sceptical as to its merit etc. Pity as i think it would be a great study. I actually got an interview at the Open University for a phd but they turned it down! Rob & Susie

Excellent - very interesting. Susie and I are reseachers and geographers - do you know how many such links to similar info might exist for other areas? Rob Stephenson NB Cuttlefish

Hiya all, We're now 80% through out fit-out from a shell - 65ft trad Colecraft and have just finished her first paint job! Still without an engine. Anyone out there with good experiences (reliability/smooth running etc) of a BMC 1.8? Rob & Susie

Thanks Richard - really useful reply and much appreciated! Rob/Susie

Hiya all, We're now 80% through out fit-out from a shell - 65ft trad Colecraft and have just finished her first paint job! Still without an engine. Anyone out there with good experiences (reliability/smooth running etc) of a BMC 1.8? Rob & Susie

We're just looking to buy a stove with backboiler for our 65' narrowboat. We already have a little Wenlock in the saloon but we need a fairly small but powerful stove for the study/engine room. It would need to heat our water tank and two radiators + towel rail. We like the Villager Puffin Stove as it is quite compact and just wondered if anyone had any experience of it - good or bad? Rob & Susie NB Cuttlefish