Richard T

Just seen the picture of Emma Jane - it does look like an early Willow Wren. I'll scan a couple of pictures of Larch and if I can find one Pine and post them.(this will take a couple of days it has to be done at work) Its unlikely that it was ever a Middlewich boat as they kept them for a very long time. Does your boat have any evidence of 'bridge bars' as they were fitted to a lot of the hire boats as the wooden tops were very vulnerable to bridge damage. Middlewich used to put photos of damage in there boat manual as a warning. Incidentally Chris Cliff who ran Middlwich Narrowboats is still around do could answer questions about eraly boats.

Middlewich Narrowboats only pensioned off their last wooden top about three years ago - Oak was a 70ft 12 berrth boat with an SR3 in an engine room and a full back cabin. We hired her and some of the other wooden tops on several occasions. The earliset being Larch in 1974! The 70ft boats have a very distinctive shape at the stem and bow and are easily recognised, I understand that not all were built by John Pinder were some Coles Morton? Most of the old Middlewich boats are still around in various states of repair. Pine was last seen on the Dee branch at Chester, Oak on the Shroppie, Larch on the K&A. I'm afraid that I know little about the Rugby boats - some I know were converted working boats others were new. Also at Rugby were Rugby Boat Builders who had a hire fleet named after clouds eg Alto sirrus. These again had a distinctive prow and were built with virtually no gunwhales. Some are still around. Perhaps the time has come for someone to compile a list of the early hire baots which are still around - some will surely qualify as historic boats and be worth preserving

It is very important with foam types to differentiate between bouyancy aids and life jackets. They have to satisfy different BS requirements. It also important to check life jackets annually, you should look for signs of abrasion, check that the valve is in good order, check all straps and buckles and finally inflate it fully using the mouth inflator and then submerge it and look for bubbles. Scrap if any are seen coming from any part of the jacket. Our home is the Soar/Trent so wear foam jackets a lot in the winter, I like to have the security of knowing that if I go into the Trent once the shock of the cold has been got over I can inflate the jacket to increase bouyancy and then try and solve the major problem of getting out of the river in full winter clothing. Remember better be safe than sorry.

Just a thought on safety - please fit thermostatic mixer valves on taps which could be used by children or vulnerable adults. Hot water generated by an engine driven calorifier is much hotter than a normal domestic (house) hot water system and serious scalds could easily happen. My own boat gets hot water at around 85 to 90 deg C. We have TMVs on our shower and wash basin regulated to 43deg C which is the normal hospital setting. We do not regulate our sink tap as we like to wash up in very hot water. TMVs are not expensive and are easy to fit. You can fit one near to the calorifier to regulate the supply to all taps.

We used to use them when we were hiring. Boats always well presented. The three 'Barneys' are good for late season cruising - solid fuel stoves trad stern nice sounding engines as well. We have known them for over 30 years and have never hesitated to reccomend them.

Hire boats with solid fuel stoves? Well the infamous Holly has one as well as her sisters Willow and Maple, so does Elan Valley from Valley Cruisers, Wrekin, Cheviot and Malvern from Union Canal Carriers. The last three are all 'Barneys' and being trad would make be ideal small boats for an October trip up the Ashby. We hired from UCC several times before we bought into a private shared boat, we had Wrekin one October for a week on the Oxford.

Just be carefull where you moor. Its Ok at the top of the Wolverhampton 21. But why not vary the route and go via Perry Bar locks, Thame valley, Rushall canal, Anglesey branch, Cannock extension, and Wyrley and Essington to Horseley Fields junction. Its adventurous but worth doing. There are good moorings all the way round this, obviously there are places to avoid but ican be planned to go through the not so good areas early morning when the yobs are still asleep. We managed to cover all but a couple of bits of the BCN in three weeks earlier this year and enjoyed it.

Try to get uo to Anglesey Basin and the Cannock Extension possibly via Saford Junction and Perry Bar locks, Thame valley and Rushall canals. Or go through Netherton tunnel, then Hawne Basin, Stourton Junction Aldersley JUnction and Wolverhampton 21 and back into Birmingham via the Old Main line. Enjoy the trip

Try Sissons www.sissons.co.uk. They do all the hospital range in stainless steel. Otherwise all the major sanitaryware manufacturers will do something that should fit the bill. Remember canalside businesses so look at Armitage Shanks - canalside Armitage on T&M and Ideal Standard at Middlewich. Otherwise measure up a good bw one and get your local steel fabricator to rmake one.

Don't forget Loughborough - it will be 7-9th March 2008. It isn't exactly canalside but there are good moorings nearby. If next years is as good as last years it will be a good do!

I think that there was one in Union Canal Carriers boat Great Britain.(its now retired) Which was a good heavy boat - a Braunston version of a little woolwich. Alan Akehurst commented one day when we were breasted up with Archimedes in a lock that it would make a good carrying boat with the cabin cut off. Memories of the engine were that it was good willing work horse. I guess if you rang UCC they would fill you in on the details and if not far from Brauston go and have a look at the beast for you.

Sadly the fish on the Soar are also threatened by disease. I sail at Watermead country Park - next to the Hope & Anchor - and we and the Park Rangers have been pulling dead and diseased fish out since the last floods. We don't know what the problem is but the EA have taken water samples for analysis. The pond weed is also getting bad on the river again.

We always like to moor on the Weaver aqueduct on the Middlwich arm. Tip for this time of year go up Audlem late in the day, we started at 5pm last August and had a really easy time, try and avoid first thing in the morning when every man his dog and mistress are on the move! Moorings are good at the top and its a sobering walk back up from the pub. The damsons might just be ripe at the site of the cottage half way up as a bonus. Penkridge is worth stopping at for the good bakers and butchers - both increasingly rare these days. avoid M Drayton its like a ghost town - all charity shops: most of them doing so badly that they have sales on. The italian at Wheelock does a decent meal and so does the chippy there. There peaceful moorings just before Autherley junction as well. Have a good trip.

Further to my earlier post B&Q stock a 20/50 API CC oil by Carlube ( part of the Tetrosyl group) with name Daytona for £6.98 for 5ltrs. Not bad value!

All I know about Springers is that one of their welders was Jez Harris who played fly half for Leicester Tigers. If his welds were half as good as the way he kicked a rugby ball they will be bl.... good welds!!!

I went into my local Halfords and asked for API CC or CD oil and got a very blank look, the assistant had no idea about what I was talking about. So looked on their shelves but found nothing with a low enough spec for my BMC 1,8. They are good for the filters once you get over the 'what car is it from' question. B&Q stock an API CC oil at about £8 which I use. Wilkinsons do a cheap and cheerful un API rated oil for about £5 for 4.5ltrs which states it is for naturally aspirated diesels so also use that. Found a good motor factors in Ladywood Birmingham when I had to repalce a hose recently Autozone 98 Steward Street which is off Spring Hill/Dudley rd close to its bridge over the SOho loop. Phone no. 0121 456 5609. They went and found an odd box of hoses which yielded one to suit. And service with a smile.

Definitely Galton Tunnel - been through it three times in the last two weeks and have removed quite a bit of the chimney removing ivy! Netherton tunnel is fine. There are gatse on it to prevent pedestrians etntering they have padlocks with BW keys, but one at the south end had been left open. Coombeswood Canal Trust at Hawne Basin wre very helpful with overnight moorings. However a word of warning about Gosty Hill tunnel - it drops to be loweer than Harecastle when you are about 70m inside all chimneys etc need removing.

The Soar has gone down further but is probably not open for navigation. Given the downpour that I've just driven through it will soon be rising again!! this will be my last post for sometime as I've now got two weeks boating. We were hoping to go to Gloucester but have abandoned that idea so will probably just potter around the black country, our baot is in Birmingham at present so down to Stourport and maybe Worcester.

Just a few images of Torksey taken last night by a work colleague. A bit dark but better than nothing.Try looking in my gallery as I'm thick and can't work out how to post images from my gallery. http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php...m&album=202 Perhaps someone can point me in the direction of an idiots guide to getting images from my gallery into a posting.