rogerb

Thanks Gaggle Not much space at Appley Bridge but Crooke looks good - there is a suitable site there - Eldonian Village looks like a very suitable and needy place. Signing off now till the end of September - Romance arrives tomorrow - come and see her when you have an hour or two to spare Roger

Hello Red Star I do hope that you have forgiven me for pinching your excellent photos - will you come and do some for us after 30th June? Gaggle My understanding is that proper pump-out and toilet facilities are required at Eldonian Village and in the Appley Bridge/Crooke area - could you please confirm? - I have a meeting with NWDA on other matters in a few weeks time -I can raise this with them at the same time. Roger

Facilities have to be improved on the Wigan to Liverpool stretch of the L & L - to spend 17 million pounds on the new link and then have no proper shower facilities, no proper pump-out and no proper toilets is madness. I have been trying to make contact with MMBC without success - are you a member or does anyone reading this know of a member who has a mobile phone - if so the name and number would be helpful. BW does not have the funds to do this but the NWDA does but I need to know what is needed before I approach them. Take heart - things will improve but we only have 9 months to improve them! I like your photos - come and take some for us after 2nd July - cant say who we are as that would be advertising - does anyone know? - if so please enlighten Roger

I was unable to get to this meeting - how did it go? Roger

Have just fitted two Aquafax Viking 32 12v punps for toilet waste pump out - too early to say how effective they are. Aquafax say they are great - what else would they say? Does anybody have experience of these pumps - they should save a fortune in pump-outs if they work and don't clog. Roger

I am thinking of restoring a 54 year old wooden boat that has a current MCA licence - is Portland Basin the nearest that could do this - is there nobody in Liverpool that can do this - there is a clue to which boat this might be in this. Martin? Roger

During April we took advantage of those very warm days to visit Henley - out of season it is lovely - with lots of boating activity. We went on to visit Windsor and Richmond - as an afterthought we decided to visit Teddington Lock - if you have not been there consider moving it to the top of your list of places to go. Mind-blowing - the biggest weir I have ever seen - a lock 650ft long that can take 6 boats plus a tug - immaculately kept with a lock-keeper on site. This has got to be a must do. Roger

I have been to see the Anderton Lift a number of times but never picked a day when it was working. My favourite canal engineering work in the North West is the Barton Aquaduct - the canal being carried over the Manchester Ship Canal is absolutely stunning.

Hi Steve We will be sailing our new boat "Romance" from Monton, Eccles to Appley Bridge on Friday 22nd June providing the MCA inspections go without a hitch next week. This brings to an end a difficult and challenging build and I will be pleased to see this boat doing what she was made for - giving hundreds of people pleasure this summer. If you find yourself on this stretch of the Bridgewater that day give us a wave - there will be a 9 hour celebration party going on! Roger

Hi Pie (forgive the pun) But dont use the toilet if you dont buy a pint - they dont like it. Where is your boat Coccium moored - and where does Coccium come from? Roger

The mists have cleared I think - works on the principle of two buckets each of equal weight going over a pulley - very little effort is needed to produce movement - been onto the fipt website - fascinating. Thanks Roger

The Orwell at Wigan Pier is only a short walk from the dry dock - good food, real ales -shish kebabs to die for. The Moon on the Water in the centre of Wigan (about 10 minutes walk) has good food and about 8 real ales but it is always busy. Roger

Thanks for this - the mist is clearing - so the next question is: why did they fall out of favour - are locks a more cost-effective way of changing levels?

I understand that there is an inclined plane at Foxton that is being restored - how do these work? Are the boats pulled up them by an engine with rollers underneath it in a similar way to a big dipper getting to the top of its run? Apparantly there are a number of these working in Europe but I don't know of a working one in the UK. Roger