stagedamager

Thank for the advice, duly listened to and taken onboard!

sounds like a plan, let me go and have a skin full and see how it goes!!!

I haven't got that far yet, it is currently lying in pieces in my shed! i would have thought that you should be able to "Feel" when they are tight enough, or at least i'm hoping so anyway!!! i would assume you need to glue the rope in, but not too much or it may be difficult to get the bolts to bite. likewise, i hope you get it sorted, it will be worth it!

Hi Daveyboy, i assume the bolt size you are referring to is the head size not the shaft size? On the squirrel i'm restoring at the moment, there was no evidence in change of shaft size, maybe corrosion? I found the only way to loosten the bolts was with a large propane torch and a wire brush. i took perseverance but i only managed to snap two of the 18 bolts. you are correct though, in my experience the fastenings are not the best quality i have ever come across and as such they are all going to be replaced with stainless steel! Regards Stagedamager

Gutted, we currently don't have a boat but are only 100yds from GU in Milton Keynes. One of our kittens was hit by a car on Friday and unfortunately died in hospital that night. Her sister is wandering around the house all lost and confused but we have just rehomed some kittens yesterday. I hope they go to good homes!

if anyone sees Meteor lurking in the shadows be sure to shout!!!! hope everyone has a great weekend!

have we had any news on this recently? would be a shame if it was lost for good. any one know who towed it away?

Hi Speedwell, I wouldn't reccomend staying near pasture lock, it is a favourite haunt for the local teenagers. especially when the weather is warmer! Padmore moorings are in the centre of sandiacre, they are next to a road but prob. the best bet. either there or there used to be a pub in sadicare with offside moorings! Hope this helps, Regards

i agree, just been on waterscape.com and its amazing the amount of towpath you actually can't cycle on, unbelievable!

i stand corrected, you are indeed right, mental note, never speak to secretaries! it does beg the question though, like you have pointed out, what indeed do you do when there is no alternative redway / footpath? end up miles out your way, or pop onto the grid roads, which cyclists are also advised not to use!

absolutely fine, even checked with bw just in case, as there are the wonderful redways running parallel, but sometimes they are in a worst state than the towpath!

having been bought up on the cut for most of my life, i remember the good old days of being thrown off the boat with a bike and pointed in the direction of the next lock and told to go set! now i quite like towpath cycling, especially when you manage a whole trip without a puncture! having relocated to milton keynes, i now only use the towpath for cycling to and from work, as i have no time or money for getting my own boat. there seems to be a trend happening recently, and i don't know if it is just related to mk or not, but there are little communities starting to spring up, towpath side, mainly just out of view of any road bridges, and people expanding their worldly goods all over the towpath and beyond, the worst one is just north of fenny stratford lock, where, tied up under a dual carriageway bridge are a few boats, who are obviously there for a long time ( been at least 1 year now) as the towpath is totally blocked, items tied up along the railings and rubbish down the embankment next to them, leading to their cars parked at the bottom. When there is a gap on the towpath, it is blocked by the owners' several dogs, which can be distressing at times, especially when they are hungry! i remember hearing of another one at braunston with signs up saying towpath closed! surely this shouldn't be allowed, i thought the towpath should be kept clear? anyone else had issues on this matter?

What was scarier, meteor half way up or torpedo-ing out of the lock with a bunch of fresh hirers coming through the bridge hole chester bound with the fear of god on their faces!!!! i wish i had the money to buy it and put it back, i think conversions can be tastefully redone, and quite clever. however, and unfortunately, too many working boats seem to be being chopped around and converted as the ever increasing house prices creep ever higher and force 1st time buyers off the property ladder, and onto the cut, as the space in a converted town class probably equates to the same amount of space as a modern london flat but a third of the price, financially this is viable, but i feel it isn't just as simple as "Bunging a cabin on the hold", care has to be taken to ensure that history is maintained with these boats, rather than being swallowed up into suburbia and covered in tubs of french marigolds!

on a side note, its nice to see a butty with a tasteful conversion that doesn't stand out........................then again! think i preferred it as a camping boat!