ChrisG

If you didn't get to go, there's some clips here - just click on the pic: http://www.uk-boating.tv

Had an excellent couple of hours on the lovely little Brum tug Asti from Saisons at Whilton, and we'll reveal all in our programme airing on Friday, 4th July at 7.30pm on Sky 167 - it's in the 2nd half of the show.

That really is truly awful, poor girl. It isn't hard to get hold of BW keys, or any keys come to that, so messing about with the bridge isn't hard to imagine happening. As to the parents? Young people of this girl's age deserve and have to have a good amount of freedom. Without a very good reason for grounding them, could or would you stop a fifteen year-old going out with their friends? You have to rely on their developing commonsense, combined with your guidance, to keep them out of most dangers . . .

We're filming today on the BCN-style Tug Asti from Whilton (Saison's boat hire), and trying it single handed, a couple of locks perhaps just to see how it goes. Report in the show premiering on (I think) 6th July (first Fri in July, anyway!).

Our last little bit of Crick show coverage premieres on UK Boating at 7.30pm on Sky 167.

And that's what it's all about! Good luck and enjoy it!

The boats and firms people have listed here look excellent - the key is probably to avoid the big agency-style firms. like Blakes and Hoseasons, who don't own baots themselves, and go direct to the smaller firms operated by individuals or families - they're more likely to make decisions based uponhow they feel about it than follow some set of arbitary rules! I've done several weeks single-handed on the UK and French canals, and thoroughly enjoyed it - for myself, all I need is an adequate supply of red wine, some decent grub aboard, and some good books, so as long as you can put up with your own company, go for it. You'll love it.

There's now a sample video from our trip on the French canals on YouTube, here: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ptgjO8dh92E There are three other clips, which are/will be only available on the UK Boating website.

Excellent photos, Martin, and a really interesting site. Like it a lot. Will the first section be in water when completed this year, to add to the look?

the magic word springs . . . springs to mind!

as said in the post you quoted, Nick . . .

They had a gazebo over on the far side of the marina on Sat and I think on Sun - but they seemed to vanish for Sunday morning, sensible them!

Harral were there, Dominic, and Stephen Harral appears in the upcoming UK Boating Get Afloat show on Sky . . along with Jeff Whyatt of BW!

On none - Sky only, Nick, but you can see it on broadband at the same time - here's the address: http://www.uk-boating.tv/infotv.html You have to wait for a short info film to play while the stream kicks in. Clips are also eventually put up on our website. It's possible that we'll go onto Freeview this year.

The 12th 2008 edition of UK Boating Get Afloat, which premieres* on Sky 167 (information TV) on Friday 6th June at 7.30pm, features a report from the IWA National Trailboat Festival at Tiverton, plus a couple of serious interviews recorded at the Crick Boat Show with BW's South Eastern General Manager Jeff Whyatt, and narrowboat brokerage boss Stephen Harral. There'll be more from Crick in the next edition, which premieres at 7.30pm on Friday 20th June on Sky 167. *UK Boating Get Afloat produces a new programme every two weeks. Programmes premiere on a Friday, then show 7 more times over the subsequent 2 weeks until replaced by the next programme - showing days are Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Unlike most boat-oriented programmes, UK Boating Get Afloat is quite up-to-date and moderately newsy - most of the content is usually produced in the 14 to 16 days prior to each programme's first showing.