Stroudwater1

I understand the desire to not have anyone own it before, but then again many boats second hand have been loved and nurtured since the day they were built. Change the mattress if you must and no one will have slept on it before. You may find it anxiety provoking to go into locks with a new all shiny boat. Followed one this year and each lock was an ordeal, took ages approaching the lock they then checked before and after for any scratches and tried to touch them up. Try to spend some time working out what it is about a brand new boat that appeals then try to be rational and look for a second hand fairly new one. Its a decent time of year to buy too.

I noticed that the Great Dorset steam fair is cancelled next year, not sure why but perhaps the cost and organisation with the liabilities now is getting too much for large outdoor events?

Many can be obtained directly from Ellesmere Port, a couple of early ones are not in print, ordered one myself earlier in the year. They will IIRC accept card payments now as well when not busy. The past edition titles in each volume are referenced on this page, though you need to buy the back copy to read them. https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-history/the-waterways-archive/waterways-journal

I thought it says “I told you I was ill?” Daft doing it across the aqueduct but agree with Matty it’s good fun plus exercise in the right place.

Indeed, the Porter (if that’s their name now 😊) advised us the underside of the bridge is being repaired though didn’t know how long it would take . How deep is the water you travelled up beyond where the puntmaster advised you not to go, though we know you’ve done it before? I suspect you are not too deep a draft? I could have sworn we moored above Jesus lock in a Summer journey many years ago. Is that not allowed now till Autumn now? That explains the autoglym polish the other week done so well😂Thanks for an interesting journey. Trinity bridge Dec 10th

Getting my Shell points the other day had no download speed at all, so couldn't bring up my barcode points generator. The cashier advised me to switch to aeroplane mode, which I did and the scanner worked with the barcode coming up instantly. I found it hard to understand that one

Yes it takes a surprising amount of time to thaw. Even if very warm latent heat and other physics dictate IIRC . The ice now is fairly thick in places. It will probably be slower than Alan’s snowman as the ice is in touch with very cold water.

I hope you’ve got mooring sorted as it seems to be in short supply round there I believe?

This is the May 1982 Waterways world report at the time. It was hidden away on P23, would be front page headline now 🤣🤣

Was fairly steady on Saturday with less snow. Blankets and hot water bottles were useful apparently Mathematical Bridge, one similar in Oxford copied from this

Have you a pull out stop engine device as many have on their boat? It’s easy to forget to push back in if you’ve pulled it out to stop the engine. Often a cause of engines not starting when new to boating 😃

I’ve thought the point and definition of a reservoir is to receive and store water from another source apart from the canal but now I’m not sure. Some of these reservoirs as discussed are only receiving water from the canal 🤣? The definition seems to be a large lake used as a store of water so perhaps the smallest is the smallest large lake that’s actually called a reservoir 🤣 The reservoir a couple of locks down the Tardibigge flight seems small to me. I would think it smaller than the Marsworth ones or Sparth? However Google maps seems to denote it as a lake?? Would the pounds on the lower Lapworth lock flight be seen as a reservoir? Between lock 19 and 20 especially with no boats able to enter? Not sure there is a separate feed other than from the canal

Probably not 🤣 That article clearly explains why it is unlikely to happen, the only reason not to do it appears to be because it makes the driveway slippery 🤣. The expanding due to water in small windscreen cracks isn’t limited to occasional pouring water on the windscreen as rain does it too🤣 it’s not hot but tepid water we use. It’s an old tale from plain glass windscreens of the 1950s. pouring warm or hot water over a laminated glass windshield can not crack it. This is because of how laminated glass is created and protected by the materials mentioned above.

But is that hearsay from older days? I’ve never heard it happen and my friend swears he’s done it for 30 years! this suggests not but recommends a non environmental spray ? https://www.stablevehiclecontracts.co.uk/blog/will-hot-water-crack-a-frozen-windshield

Friend next door just pours glass of warm water over the windscreen and has been doing that for years. Started doing that myself and it seems to work very well especially if you don’t use the wipers immediately. Appreciate some cars have automatic wipers. I know we always are told not to do that but I wonder if the old wives would tell a different story with modern car windscreen glass?

Im sure you are right, These pictures of the side thats still fairly decent being done in 1997 with a dam around it, from one of Peter Scotts pictures. These days I expect the whole pound to be drained 😉, cranes aplenty and closure for 3 months.

How kind of the driver to consider that in advance then 😁

One thing I don't completely understand is why CRT don't fit some vulcanised rubber strip where boats turn, its the same at Norton Junction. Lovely sandstone edging at Coventry basin, being mashed by boats turning and hitting the edge as often happens. Its sad, as replacement costs would be large and unsightly. Appreciate they haven't any money, and that they don't tend to do preventative . Thus perhaps I have answered the question. Surprised the Coventry Canal society/ IWA haven't raised it, or perhaps they have.

Its going to be a frequent occurrence as it wipes all DNA< suspect thats why the door was left open to flood the insides too. Should definitely go through insurance, unless its been stolen, written off as disappeared, hidden away then used in a crime?

Lovely photo, but I believe that is from King Johns Bridge, on the Mythe Road A38 ? Mythe bridge is the cast iron one over the Severn a little way out of Tewkesbury and a left turn off this road by the Water treatment works?

Doesn’t it depend on the height of the pound above and the pound below for the actual drop? Tardibigge alway feels very deep but is often a constant drop. I didn’t consider any of the Ashton locks so deep last year. York Street always feels deep partly as the bridge hole and towpath inaccessibility at the bottom makes it feel dark - crew members often long deserted the boat going up. As Marple pounds are short and some gates leaky it’s quite possible to have a very full pound then a very empty one so have the greatest drop. Perhaps at times are the deepest narrow links in the system?