magpie patrick

There are technical problems but not the ones most people think. Flow can be increased (or velocity eased depending on how you look at it) with short run culverts at pinchpoints and, wait for it, dredging to the original depth One problem for the Llangollen is that it is a small canal to start off with, and badly dredged to boot. Restoring a canal is generally an order of magnitude less in cost terms compared to a pipeline. Plenty of cash left over for peripherals like dredging and fixing leaks. The biggest problem is expected to be water quality, not from run of the mill industrial contaminants, but eutrophication and all the other water courses that end up in a canal carrying everything from decaying rat flesh to discarded pharmacuetical. Of course flow CAN be an issue, a few years ago I saw a presentation at the world canals conference regarding irrigation canals in Tucson (I think) and how they had become focuses for community activity but not boating as they flowed at around 4mph. When asked why not pipe them the guy commented that a pipe the same guage had greater friction and far greater maintenance issues.

I've one to get into Frome Town Hall! I doubt Dan's would work on that though...

By ook or by crook.... I guess you visit the large town further down the Loire, where the Mayenne joins, and ride around on the trams in those seats facing rearwards - look back in Angers...

and another one....

Here we go... Aside from this test trip, an even bigger achievement is that I managed to open a YouTube account and upload this from a WhatsApp message Sara sent me! (Sara took the video)

Google is right - taken from the west ooking towards Briare

Thank you for those answers: I tried to trawl the memory banks but realised the truth that I hadn't a clue. I recall seeing pictures of the Naas Branch reopening and I recall it was an early scheme but not how early it was,

Believe it or not there was a time when Bath Abbey was black - I dated a girl (slightkly younger than me but brough up here) who remembered it. Rather like you she came home from Uni for the weekend to find it had changed colour!

When I had a contract with the Coal Authority (a contract, not a job) we had a brief induction which included Aberfan - "It's our job to make sure this never happens again". My contract had nothing to do with securing mining tips, but the Coal Authoirty wanted everyone to know what the Coal Authority was for. I'm surprised CRT don't do the same and start with "we run an interconnected system of canals..." - it wouldn't be hard, just a map on an office wall and tell everyone that a boat on a canal on that map can reach any other canal on that map without the need of a crane - perhaps they do, and people just forget?

To add to your thoughts, the Chesterfield Canal between Stavely and Chesterfield belongs to Derbyshire County Council, is now navigable and was nationalised. Some parts may have passed through intermediate ownership. So canals presently navigable, nationalised but now locally run, are: Grand Western Cromford between Cromford and Ambergate Chesterfield between Chesterfield and Staveley Ashby at Moira* Monmouth Canal between bridge 46 and five locks** Any others? *this one was actually abandoned by the nationalised entity **this one connects to a CRT waterway and is presently being re-restored I suspect that is staffed by me, you and @Pluto!

Just a minor query - I'm writing a short paper which makes passing reference to the state of canal restoration in Ireland in 1997 - I know the Shannon-Erne opened in 1994 and that the Royal Canal didn't reopen until 2010, but I can't find a date for the creation of the Suck Navigation to Balinasloe or the reopening of the Nass Branch of the Grand Canal. Anyone happen to know of able to point me in the right direction?

Two interesting points to come out of this My basic question, perhaps now well articulated, was "why are there two embankments on the canal system known as puddle banks? What distinguishes them?" At least part of the answer is that the meaning of the term "puddle" has changed Second - clay wasn't anywhere near universal as a lining as people suppose. That's is of great relevance on canal restoration as it probably explains a lot of futile ground investigations trying to find clay lining!

That was planning committee - that's it, Council have spoken However, regarding your second point, the developer may well have a punt at appealing - I don't think they'd win, appeals nearly always go with policy, but be ready to charpen your pencils again

For those wondering how the outboard installation went.... I was going to post a video but the site doesn't like mp4 files, so here's a few pictures... The passengers were Sara, her mum Pam and her stepdad David - we went about a mile across Dundas aqueduct to Limpley Stoke bridge, first time Juno had left the marina under her own steam for 9 years. Celebrated with ice cream at the angelfish when we got back. I didn't take many photos, was concentrating too much on whether everything was working! Now she can travel I have an incentive to get the rest of the work done.