Stroudwater1

That’s impressive from the BCN 😂 Meanwhile up North we moored over a group of 6 attached together and another two loose that we put back in Stalybridge Tescos. Not sure if they noticed them. The six were too heavy to lift out. Sadly there didn’t seem to be any coins in them. However this may near to a record at Marple lock 3. It’s near to Asda. All were squashed by boats descending. Retrieved by a magnetfisher.

Looks very good. The pessimist would at least be reassured that it can be used as a mirror if it falls off.

Thanks David, as you know the restoration of the channel was quite extensive in places. IIRC it was carried out by the Upper Avon Trust but could be wrong on the name. I hadn’t appreciated the EA had taken that on. Perhaps it was a given as a river. Rather fortunate for the ANT!

It would be interesting to compare their funding to CRTs per mile. The impression is of a highly productive and responsive Avon Navigation Trust in comparison

Strangely shillings were still in use for many years after decimalisation. They were schillings in Scotland. I hadn’t realised they stopped being legal tender only in 1990 but do remember them being around in the late 1970s. They were the same size as the 5p piece originally. I do remember using 6d bits also well into decimalisation, they went out in 1980. Looks like they are still currency in some African countries , Kenya Tanzania. It was also currency in Austria pre Euro so up to 2002. The sixpence was the price of a second class stamp in 1971, 2 1/2p. Like many things the price rocketed at decimalisation. The price of a second class stamp went up from 3d to 6d. Now it’s 85p @IanD how’s the rudder been performing this year?

Why never again Dukinfield to New Mills? It’s not particularly difficult on that section other than the occasional tree down and so forth. New Mills area is lovely. Apart from goose poo Stalybridge isn’t too bad either. The only trouble we had was at the bottom of Diggle (pretty shallow there) the guillotine lock and some fabric on the prop in Huddersfield.

It looked like some smoke at the other end. I forget some of these old diesels are pretty smoky TBH. This one was smoky at Minehead recently (the one on the left)

Take an umbrella whatever you do. The habit of chucking beer in the air when England score is antisocial- horribly sticky and smelly. Plus what a waste. Almost as bad as the champagne sprayers at formula one. Pass me the humbugs, cheers, bah.

What has age got to do with it? Some are good drivers, some will never be good. Same with boaters. You either get it or not. That’s more to do with various aptitudes unrelated to age.

I believe Sir Nigel Gresley was the locomotive on the front end wasn’t s/he with the diesel on the back? I’m not sure but there were mutterings of it being a mandated thing a while ago . The photographers are in effect having two bites of a photo cherry with these older diesels at the rear, looking like they are at the front end!

It’s best to do test trials but I suspect you would scrabble quicker in a panic by putting into neutral than finding and turning a key. Adrenaline has horrible effects one of which can make people shaky in their limbs. Its a moot point for us as the ignition is in the engine room. We do have an emergency one but the flywheel continues to rotate for a while anyway. Each trip I do a surprise test for others on board to put the engine into neutral.

It’s a thought, will that prove a hinderance to reversing though? Suddenly as well as concentrating where you are going, you are bent over pushing the control too? It could make it more likely to topple over by hitting a bank when looking at the control for example. Not all are near the tiller. I can see some folk putting a piece of elastic on to hold the control open. Bought a secondhand hedge cutter recently where the hand safely control was taped shut. Same with lawnmowers.

Hi it deepens on the canal The Trent and Mersey between Shardlow upwards to Middlewich probably fits that bill of village/pubs/ towns more. However it’s always good to have a couple of nights worth of planned food as even if found many pub moorings are quite busy. Most canals will have pubs and villages though, the Shropshire Union does and the Worcester and Birmingham in parts. Rivers less so, but there still are nice places on most rivers for villages and pubs. Most boats are similar as they follow the pattern of fitting people in with bunk beds etc. A couple of the smaller hire firms have more upmarket boats. This includes Armada, Cafwen cruises (near to you in Droitwich) Napton hire boats (a larger firm) and one that @IanD And Ditchcrawler reminded me, Aqua. Im not sure if any have bow thrusters. It’s not essential at all, and rarely if ever needed if your navigation skills are good. Develop your skills as you are “only a hire boater” but truth is many owners are worse than many hire boaters at navigating. You are probably better off choosing the canal first then the hire boat. I think Cafwen boats get booked fast as one is all electric. Coincidentally I had a friend live in Lypiatt Court Cheltenham years ago.

So was the late David Trimble a boat owner for some years. https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/lord-trimble-paddles-his-own-er-narrowboat/28061221.html The late Jo Cox alas murdered also owned a lovely barge moored up on mooring pontoon on the tidal Thames.

Absolutey! and one persons off beer is another persons delight. Had an excruciating experience with friends in a restaurant who twice sent “corked” wine back. They didn’t taste too bad at all to me. We don’t go out with them for dinner these days for some strange reason.

Locally if the politicians had not acted with funds at Stroud District Council, and don’t continue to act the Lottery funding would have gone elsewhere and the Stroudwater would continue to be the car park for the council offices. Don’t underestimate the influence they have, please with silly pictures.

The steerer of Cygnus is very skillful I must say. I think that’s Duchess that does it. Unless it’s the steerer of Ottley that makes it look easy for the butty to steer. It’s probably both. 🤣 What happened to Coleshill, the motor at Stratford? Theres pictures of her being on the hard with restoration planned. Apologies for diverting away from The original posting which was such an important part of the restoration story of inland waterways.

It’s how a lot of us get/got hooked. Two of the three other officers of the waterways group have also gone. I think that’s a great point. I will speak with a friend who has his boat in the local MPs constituency and is very persuasive. It’s vital to get them onside. Their cogs may whirl and realise for canals being restored especially photo shots of things happening is a golden opportunity. It’s much more attractive to have an invite to go on a boat than a farmers invite to a chicken farm let’s face it.

Nice to see Cygnus there, a more recent Cygnus picture 59 years 352 or so days later. and 59 days 245 days later. Lovely paintwork.

I’m not good at reading planning permission sites but possibly it’s the building of 23 mobile timber holiday lodges? I thought that the Wharf was taken on by new owners more recently than the application which was approved in 2020.

The last two I know about were driven in by males in their 20s. It’s funny how the age seems to be seen as relevant. I’ve noticed Google maps doesn’t seem to say turn around when possible these days. Perhaps this is why?

Arundel September 2023 on the South Oxford. Lovely boat

It’s different from a GDPR perspective. DVLA are not telling anyone where the vehicle is, merely that it’s taxed and MOTed For CRT it states where the boat is. For 99% of us all is fine and we don’t mind. However imagine a stalker/ex partner etc discovering where your boat is. Just watched CCTV footage of a crazy person smashing a window in Wolverhampton and setting fire to the house. Killing someone. There are dangerous people around. For your Old Ford Anglia being 1961 era it would be a straight number with no letters eg WAD 377. Some are being sold off by DVLA, sometimes on request of an individual after certain initials etc. Theres auctions selling these off which is probably how it’s now on a Porsche. https://dvlaregistrations.dvla.gov.uk/auction/ If anyone has a personalised plate on a wreck of a car make sure it’s a SORN declaration otherwise a good number could disappear from your ownership