Onionman

I can see what you mean and I might have been more forgiving in summer but both the bad ones' rudeness was astounding (and it was midweek on a deathly quiet canal). Unfortunately the diesel pump at the marina on the Prees branch was out of order (but the owner managed to discuss that quite civilly, with a sense of humour and a suggestion for the next available fill - I'd have no qualms about using them in future).

Just back from a two week cruise up the (marvellously quiet) Llangollen. No names, no pack drill but the startling variety of service in marinas astounded me. Two were rude to the point where we just passed them by after phoning one and walking in to check the other before entering. Brusque and unpleasant and made it clear that our custom (and money) were just an inconvenience to them. Lucky for them we moved on, I guess. Three others were fabulous. Couldn't help enough, keen to make our brief stops as easy as possible. Seemed very much like one extreme or the other. How do the former ones stay in business? Do they truly have a captive market so they don't need to care?

Apologies, posted then caught covid and didn't check in as I was feeling a tad miserable. Thanks for all the suggestions; we were at the bottom and I think it was just a night's leakage. We did manage OK but I will definitely bear in mind the half open sluices to avoid moving too much silt. Thanks all!

Arrived at Stockton flight the other morning and the flight was pretty much empty. Someone was having a go ahead of us but it all looked a bit slapdash and they were clearly making it up as they went along. What's the correct way to fill a flight?

As I've grown older I've come, more and more, to realise that irritation comes from within me, not from the situation.

Oh my word. I'm so tense after just reading that!

Thanks all - down and back at Isis lock it is. Shame.

Resurrecting a slightly old topic but does anyone have a rough guide to the cost for a day pass to go round the Thames past Oxford rather than turning back at Isis Lock? Looks like close to £50 on the EA site - is that correct? Sounds a hefty chunk of cash for an hour on the river... Thanks.

It's one way to dip your headlights.

I thought that the benefit of an insulated flue is that, in staying hot, it reduces the build up of deposits that block the chimney and the safety problems that causes. I assumed it was that rather than direct fire or burns that led to change.

This arrow by the pump sign tells you which side the filler cap is:

Except that flow of cars will be minuscule. Given that well over 90% of journeys will be in the range of an overnight charge at home, there's not going to be much of a volume to that business.

Seriously, get a cardboard box of roughly the correct size (see video). Put in layers of cardboard with a pan-shaped hole in them as insulation until it's full. Total cost, zero. Uses up old cardboard. Works as well as a slow cooker and uses no energy.