Tom Morgan

I bet I'm not alone in having been there only once, a few years ago now. I found it really interesting, but not interesting enough to want to go again! Foxes are inviting expressions of interest in buying their boat as their new build starts soon. They describe it as "one of the most famous narrowboats in the world!"

Can't say about prices but the N23 is certainly not as wide as a Freeman 22. 6' 10" for the Norman and 7' 6" for the Freeman, I think.

I have a Norman 23. On mine, the dinette has been removed and replaced with a single bench seat, so my boat sleeps three. When made up for three to sleep, there isn't much room left for all their things! (Where the dinette is still in place, the resulting double bed is narrow for adults, but it would be OK for 2 children, I think.) As built, the N23 had quite a roomy cockpit, as Chevron says, and many of them have been converted to give comfy outdoor seating which, depending on how it was done, could be used as sleeping space for smaller people. They are good, strong boats.

I stop at the South portal of Cookley Tunnel on the Staffs & Worcs, walk up into the village and get my chips from the village chip shop, Cookley Fisheries. Opinions may vary, of course, but to my mind, all chips are dross that are not from Cookley Fisheries.

Speedy cyclist falls into Scottish canal after passing on blind corner (msn.com)

Latest situation photo.

And we referred to the film itself as a picture, as in "That was a good picture". The use of "pictures" to describe cinemas and the films they showed has quite an exalted pedigree. The 'Oscars' are award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

I'd have said a leather hat, but I haven't seen many of those, lately. Perhaps they've fallen out of fashion.

Alan - I took the photo while the paint on the cone was drying - but well spotted!!

Coming back to thank members for their help. After several days of rubbing down, I put on two coats of etching primer and three coats of Trilux 33. Ready to go back on the boat this coming weekend. I hope this will give this sound but rather ancient motor enough protection to last a bit longer. (And I'll leave it tilted out of the water).

Alan - the engine's in the back of my van at the moment. I took it off the boat this evening. I have an engine stand here, so I can work at home.

Thanks for your opinions, all. I should have mentioned that the lower leg is aluminium. I believe it'll need rubbing down and a zinc primer. Alan's point about it looking like a definite DIY job is well made. Fortunately, about 80% of the section that needs paint is under water. Above the waterline, the original paint gives a fairly sound surface despite its age, so should come up better. The cowl I have already resprayed and added new "Honda" transfers.

The pre-1987 Honda 9.9hp on the GRP boat I bought about 18 months ago is still a great little outboard, but the paint on the lower leg is in a very poor state. While the motor's off the boat for an oil change, I'd like to paint it (the lower leg) but as beginner, I'm not sure what type of paint I need to buy. Obviously it'll need to be something that can stand up to immersion in canal water, but that's as much as I know. Could anyone advise me, please?

All the photos in the Sun article are credited to the young lady herself, so it doesn't look as if a reporter and a photographer turned up for an interview. (And an article of hers elsewhere on the net informs that her boat Scallywag is a 57' x 10' boat.)

Didn't make myself clear ? I watched one and couldn't get past the first minute. Tried with two more episodes just to be fair, but with the same result.

I did watch two or three episodes of their vlogs but I have to say they got on my nerves within the first minute each time. But they have decent numbers of viewers, so I think I'll leave it to them.

Citizen Caen The Shortshaft Redemption Flight Club The Good, the Bad and the Dudley One Flue Over the Cuckoo's Nest Mondo Canal CaRTacus.

I saw a Mexican-looking man wheeling his trolley out of Morrison's today. He had two crates of San Miguel, 5 paellas and 3 sombreros. I thought, "Hispanic buying."

I have a 23-foot cruiser. It weighs next to nothing compared to narrowboats, but it has a v-shaped hull and anywhere near 3 or 4 mph it starts to make a wash. So I slow right down to my 9.9 hp's tickover when passing moored boats, well in advance and giving plenty of further room after passing. This really is dead slow! I've noticed that many narrowboaters will thank me if they're outside or, if inside, will tap on their window and give me a wave. Not all, of course, but it's nice to see this two-way kind of etiquette being observed. I'm sure others will have experienced this, too.

It isn't. I unplug it and put it back in the drawer and then turn the power off before I leave.