magpie patrick

This is the reason that there is a stop gate at the end of the CRT section of the Ashby, rather than stop planks. It only protects CRT, but as they have about 30 miles of level canal to protect and the canal society about half a mile this is probably fair enough.

Short answer no - my most up to date info is from about ten years ago when working for the Coal Authority on the Worsley to Leigh section when there was certainly a PRN, and I'm not aware of any legislation or order since.

Yes, not being nationalised the Bridgwater wasn't affected by the provisions of the 1968 Transport Act. How much of a lever that is to getting this fixed is another matter. I believe there is also a PRN through Welches Dam for example

A certain Mr Catchpole, once of this parish, had his brand new narrow boat launched on the tidal river Welland, and once they'd untied him and let him set off he found the Morse control lever was backwards. So, not only can it be done, it can be done unintentionally.

Personally I would not get on the side deck of a boat in a lock, if the boat rocks towards the lock wall you may get very badly injured.

There appears to be a lock called "Five Paddle", did it really have an extra one? (I suppose if one included gate paddles it might have one less than the others!)

They key is intriguing, as it includes quite precise information relating to facilities, above, below etc - the fact of their existence would be useful, but such detail is for someone who needs to look for them, so not a typical working boat crew and not an office bod who needs general information. The lack of ownership, copyright etc suggests it wasn't intended for wide circulation If it was drawn by Molly Trail she must have been a dab hand at drafting.

Needs more than a bit of duck tape....

If they are called Old Ford Locks you could go through five "Old Ford Locks" in succession. I assume "Old Ford" is an area, normally lock names are very local so it's unusual to get two locks over a mile apart with the same name. Going back to the original topic, the poor owner may have got their boat back but I guess they'll have to start again on the interior - carpets *might* dry out but i guess anything electrical will be a write-off

I was talking about the Tennant Canal at a meeting in Neath the other day and someone advised me that Red Jacket Pill had in the past been known as "Trowman's Hole", presumably somewhere where a trow could be laid up

Yes, but they don't have any more money to budget with do they? I know my income for years ahead but I still buy old cars - knowing how much I have doesn't give me any more, it just lets me plan a bit better (will this car last until the next time I can afford one, knowing when "next time" is) Yes, they could spend more on steel gates, but what do they not do? Or lets be more blunt, what should they not do that you wouldn't whinge about. They do in fact budget several years ahead on gates - they know what gates will be replaced over the next four years assuming nothing fails in that time, if it does, it jumps the queue.

We are considering the same and I have friends who've done this for years. Pros - you get four weeks a year for a fraction of the cost of your own boat and quite a discount on hiring. Cons - most are professionally maintained and many are professionally managed, so less scope for cost control by, say, servicing the engine yourself (against that you're only paying a twelfth of the cost) You can't decide that this year you'd like a six week long mega cruise

This is partly the result of automated enforcement. A police officer seeing you move into a bus lane to let an ambulance with blue lights on go past is unlikely to book you. The camera does catch you and now it's your job to justify your actions. Automated enforcement has many benefits but it does take reason out of the equation.

It looks pretty much the same now except for 10 years more dust! Well that's ruined the can-can as a spectacle!

I've now found those thank you - they will either keep me occupied for quite a while or be so far over my head that I need something simpler before tackling them! In Narrow Boat Rolt makes reference to the miller in Church Minshull using apple wood for the gear teeth, the miller has a supply handy to make replacement teeth when needed

Earlier this week I was invited to look around Baylham Mill on the Gipping - disused for decades but never converted to any other use. This has given me an appetite to know more about water mills, both history and processes. I know the basics but lack details. Can anyone recommend a good book or three? No pics inside as it was too dark (no lights) and anyway it's private, but a view of the outside for your delectation. the big arch is for the navigation, the small one is for the exit leat from the mill. I did get a picture of a vintage fire extinguisher which may interest some of you - I wouldn't fancy putting out a mill fire with it!

You can use the Crinan Canal but it won't help much! It runs east-west across the Mull of Kintyre so has sea at both ends of its 9 mile length

Alvechurch is on the Birmingham level, so doing the Black Country Ring from there doesn't involve doing any more locks than starting on the ring itself. Go straight to central Birmingham and either go down Farmers Bridge Locks or follow the main line to Wolverhampton Edited to add - mooring in Central Birmingham is okay albeit sometimes a bit noisy if you're in Gas Street Basin.