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agg221

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Everything posted by agg221

  1. Thanks Ian, a useful explanation from the inside. It is pretty much as I expected (although I was not aware that the trustees can only be fired en masse rather than individually). My employer has a relatively similar structure, except that the council members are themselves the legal directors of the company, rather than appointing trustees to the role. In our case, this is a very longstanding structure (dating from 1946) so it has been through more sets of circumstances than CRT has yet experienced. For obvious reasons I won't go into any specific issues. My employer has not received state funding since the 1980s, having been forced through a similar transition to that which CRT is supposed to achieve so it would not be appropriate or necessarily pertinent to air any dirty laundry (although looking at how the transition away from state funding was achieved may be insightful). What I will say though is that when you have a fundamentally well-intentioned executive the very soft power of the council to influence it can be highly effective, as it wants to listen. This is where I personally feel CRT currently is, which is why I anticipate that the personal interests of the elected members of Council will matter - they will be granted the privilege of using it as a platform (as you and Phil Prettyman did). However it becomes essential that Council is coherent, observant and aware of its role in circumstances where the purpose of the executive is at odds with the articles of incorporation of the Trust. It is early awareness which enables nudging through soft power which stops these circumstances arising, or steers things back on track before damage is done. If the Council is either unaware of its purpose in this regard, or the individuals are too wrapped up in their own agendas to act coherently, this is where major damage could be done. Alec
  2. I have been contemplating whether to contribute to this thread or not. On the one hand, I believe I am exceptionally well qualified to comment on the technology, address some of the preconceptions which are based on frequently repeated mis-information and detail the rationale behind government sponsored projects of this type. On the other hand, there is no point wasting my time on what are inevitably long and time-consuming posts to write if people do not actually want to read them but just want an outlet to express their preconceptions. There are times when this forum reminds me of Statler and Waldorf from The Muppets, in which case I will just leave people to it and get on with my day, making bits of boat furniture and a chimney chain, which would be a much better use of my time. Alec
  3. It may be that, but I did note that three of the four candidates who were voted in appear to be Continuous Cruisers, with one of them who does not declare an NBTA affiliation also standing on what seems to be a similar platform. The third is also a Roving Trader and I was not entirely comfortable that someone with a canal boat business interest can stand in the Private Boater category. I think I am right in saying that in the Private Boater and Volunteer categories, those who stood for re-election were not successful. I am not quite sure what to read into that, but I suspect it represents either lack of visibility or a desire for a change due to general dissatisfaction with the status quo, rather than being a personal comment. Liveaboard/CC represents, as I understand it, around 15% of all boat owners (5,000 out of 35,000) so achieving 75% representation is somewhat disproportionate, however I suspect it is more about who is more active and feels more hard done by following recent licence changes. The complacent majority may have simply not voted. It will be interesting if a consequence is rowing back on the CC licence increases - that may make the majority sit up and realise why they should vote in future elections. The risk of course is that it results in the council becoming a battleground between groups of boaters, rather than fulfilling its primary purpose of (constructively) holding CRT to account. Alec
  4. There is a cash machine at the Co-op so it shouldn't be too much of a problem for sales. The excellent Indian (and everything else!) take-away also prefers cash so it is handy for that too. Alec
  5. That looks to be a standard 240V domestic fusebox, with three circuit breakers - one for sockets, one for the immersion and one master switch. It is probably wired between your inverter/shoreline and your sockets and immersion. If you want to check that this is what it is, try pulling the immersion switch to the down position and then turning the immersion on - the little light should no longer come on. Then put it back to the up position and try the immersion again - the light should then come on and the heater work. You can try the same with the sockets but if nothing else is working I am guessing you are using the sockets for lighting, so have a torch handy before you throw that switch! Alec
  6. Reminds me of a Waterway Recovery Group dig on the Wilts & Berks sometime in the 1990s. One frosty morning someone attempted to start the dumper by pre-heating it, and melted through the plastic fuel inlet pipe...! Alec
  7. Reading them all was a fairly lengthy exercise. I can only vote in the boaters category. Given that there is also a business category, I deprioritised a number of the candidates whose statement focused more on the business side (several roving traders and others whose primary interest appeared to be commercial rather than as a boater). There were several others who appeared to be rather militant/activist and personally I don't feel that the current issues are going to be solved by a shouting crusader. One of the statements was so bland it could have been written by AI. Several people appeared genuine but naïve so they appeared on my list but ranked lower down. I prioritised people with a relevant background who I felt could constructively challenge CRT's approach, particularly over operational efficiency and prioritisation of spending. There were coincidentally four people who fell in that category, who made it to the top of my list in no particular order. I'm not sure how useful the exercise will be, but my professional experience is that bodies run by a council such as this may drift for a while, but then they suddenly find that the council has teeth when they overstep the mark too far. I hope that doesn't happen with CRT, but I do feel a council which is well placed to ask questions is more useful than one which is not. Alec
  8. Thermostarts may be a good option. Retro-fitting them to Kelvins is relatively common, to replace the petrol start (Kelvins not generally liking starting directly on diesel). They seem to work pretty well and are a bit more controlled than a blowtorch up the inlet, although I have done the latter to get around a failed magneto, with success. Alec
  9. I suspect the slab sided swim may not be the most hydrodynamic, but it would probably be OK. I think the counter could be made respectable. Perhaps Governor would be pushing it, but it might lend itself to a Bittell or Pacific style alteration. See: Alec
  10. How long ago was that though Ian? The longstanding landlord who offered a varied and slightly more upmarket menu than usual pub fare (which was well worth it in my opinion) retired a year or so ago. There was a replacement lined up before his retirement and it seemed to keep going with quiz nights etc, but the quality of the food was definitely not as high, although the prices remained so. I believe they lost a lot of the regular and local customer base as a consequence and local intelligence suggests it then went downhill fast and I believe they then left. It appeared closed in October but the lights being on again suggests it may have re-opened, one hopes with a return to the previous higher end of the market where it seemed to fill a popular (and profitable) niche for many years. Alec
  11. Yes, I was talking to the landlord about this at the end of October. One of the major changes is that they need a bigger cellar as they can't fit in enough beer - I generally regard that as a good sign! The place is being run very well at the moment and the landlord lives aboard on the moorings just up from the pub, so it definitely has its priorities right. The Bridge isn't bad either, so it's just the Combermere which is currently suffering. Still, two out of three isn't bad in a place the size of Audlem. Alec
  12. Personally, I would keep the hull 'as is'. It's an interesting early riveted conversion. I fear rather a lot of repair is needed but at least the baseplate won't have worn much in the past 25yrs... The biggest problem is likely to be the number hazmat suits you would get through whilst decontaminating the interior, but I would be inclined to cut the cabin straight off, get whatever the remains of the engine are out and reconstruct it as a rather nice tug along the lines of The Governor with a 20-40hp twin or three cylinder vintage engine, to be determined by what turned up. Set up like that, I don't think too many people would then recognise its recent history. Alec
  13. That was the issue. Now found and voted. Thanks. Alec
  14. It can be done for a lot less than that (speaking from personal experience) but you do need labour. Alec
  15. I can quite understand the decision not to move - equally unpleasant here (and we haven't even made it to the boat yet!) If you do get a break in the weather and decide to move on a bit then the moorings at the top of Adderley, the top of Audlem and at Cox Bank two locks down Audlem are all very pleasant. We quite often use one of the latter two if we get to the boat on a Friday evening with enough time to set off somewhere, as it breaks up the flights a bit. It is also a fairly easy walk down from Cox Bank to Audlem of the pub beckons! Alec
  16. Yep. Checked with a friend we stayed with over New Year (also a licence holder). He has received nothing either. Alec
  17. Nope. Neither my wife or I has received anything. Alec
  18. Yes, I would agree it is worth seeing both for the contrast, and it doesn't really get lock-heavy whichever way you go around the main Birmingham-Wolverhampton lines. I have been thinking a bit about other things to see - the problem is that you could easily stretch well beyond the allocated time. However, just to mention that heading up to Titford Pools is an interesting diversion for the opportunity to go around on them. We have also poked our nose as far down the Tat Bank branch as possible, and also continued on up the Ridgeacre Branch of the Wednesbury Old rather than going straight down Ryder's Green (not officially recommended but not banned, and if nobody ever does then it will silt up to oblivion), and gone up what there is of the Gospel Oak branch. All of these are short diversions and so long as you don't mind reversing are very simple but have the feel of exploring lost canals. I wondered about whether I would head on to the Black Country Museum after having gone down to Hawne Basin and then back to the Wednesbury. If timing looked OK I think I would on balance as one of the less interesting stretches is from Tipton to Wolverhampton, so if that gone missed out it wouldn't be so bad. That might mean going up Smethwick, along the old main line to Dudley, then down Tipton and back along the new main line, although there then wouldn't be an obvious route along the Gower branch, but you could take in the Titford if you felt so inclined. So many choices...! Things I wouldn't mind missing - The Tame Valley, the Rushall (nice but not worth the detour to get there) and the Main Line from Dudley to Wolverhampton unless the route particularly too me that way. Diesel is available at Hawne Basin. Not sure whether you have a cassette or pump-out but worth planning around this - both are possible in the centre of Birmingham and at Hawne Basin but beyond that I am not sure on other pump-outs. There is an Elsan point at Wolverhampton (in the old FMC basin, which is worth a look anyway). I mentioned the mooring at Pelsall - didn't mention that this is by a decent pub. There is also a handy mooring in Brownhills near a supermarket. Anglesey Basin is one of the most remote spots on the network - perfect for loud instruments! Also worth mentioning that I think there is still a visitor's mooring at Ocker Hill (pretty much opposite where the Tame Valley meets the Walsall) just up the short arm. This is a little out of date, but can be a useful guide: https://bcnsociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/BCN-Safe-Moorings-2017-12-06.pdf Things around the canal to see and do, depending on your personal taste. Central Birmingham is accessible within walking distance, including the Bull Ring area (Digbeth) where the rag market is worth a look; as is the Jewellery Quarter (good for looking in the windows, perhaps less so to actually go in) and there is the pen museum in the same general direction. Smethwick pumping station is interesting, as is Bradley if you do go up the arm. The Black Country Museum I still find enjoyable, although its shift to a focus on social rather than industrial history makes it less appealing and the condition of the boats and the canal-related end of it I find rather depressing; the trip into the tunnel is still good though. There is some good industrial history up around Anglesey and the other excellent place to stop briefly is the final remaining railway interchange basin with the infrastructure still in place at Chillington Wharf. This is on the run in to Wolverhampton, on the right. You can't get in to it so it is simply a quick pull in and peer over the fence, but it's derelict and collapsing so it won't be there to see for long. In Wolverhampton itself, mooring anywhere near the top lock has always been fine. There are some extremely secure moorings on the offside, where you can't even get off the boat, but we have always found it fine. There is a homeless shelter just across the road so there are usually a few homeless people about but I have always found them friendly and rather lonely, just wanting a chat, never drunk or threatening. It can be a bit of a challenge to get away though! Wolverhampton also has an excellent (and free) art gallery if you enjoy such things. I particularly like the work of Edwin Butler Bayliss and they have the largest collection of his paintings anywhere. That will do for now! Alec Alec
  19. I have looked at the topic, but am not aware of what it is referring to. Should I be? Alec
  20. In that case, without working out the stations specifically, I think I would head down the T&M and then the Coventry, probably picking up your wife from Tamworth station. The junction with the Birmingham and Fazeley is a couple of miles from the station but the canal does get closer, to within a mile at Glascote, and Glascote Basin is quite pleasant (and Menzies Marine Hardware is an interesting place to visit). I would then go down the Birmingham and Fazeley, in to the centre. Exactly where you moor doesn't make much odds but anywhere from Old Turn to the NIA is decent for the centre. From there, I would consider what you want to see - there isn't a single simple route through, more poking about to look at things. I think I would include a trip down through the Netherton Tunnel and on to Hawne Basin. Just outside Hawne Basin and just south of Netherton are both nice spots to stop. I'm not sure I would look to carry on down to Delph as it takes you a bit out of the way unless you are going down to Stourbridge. I would then probably head either to the Northern BCN or the Black Country Museum, depending on timing and preference. Ryders Green flight is, for me, the closest thing to the old BCN I have found. The Walsall is not exactly pretty, but it isn't difficult and the basin is OK as a mooring. There is also some interesting work going on clearing out the connection to the Bradley Arm. Once you have reached the top of the Walsall flight, again time dictates where to go. There are no more locks, so you can either head up to Anglesey Basin if you have time (one of my favourite places), or stop at Pelsall, or just turn left and head round to Wolverhampton via Sneyd. If you have time you could head back left at the end and take in Bradley or the Black Country Museum. When it's time to head home, I would go down the Wolverhampton 21. There is a station within walking distance of Wolverhampton Boat Club just up the SU but you could head up either the S&W or the SU depending on your preference. Both have some nice small towns and plenty of services. Just a few thoughts - it's all interesting, and I agree with Glenn, if your timing allows then visiting during either the Explorer Cruise or the Challenge could be a good option. Alec
  21. Is the 8 days inclusive from leaving your mooring to returning to your mooring? If so, it would be handy to know where on the Macc you need to leave from, and how long it normally takes you to get to the closest point you normally head to. If the 8 days is not inclusive it would be handy to know how close you want to be at the start/end of it. There are some very interesting parts of the BCN to see although I have realised that what we normally cover in the BCN challenge over a weekend is probably nearly six days worth of your trip! Alec
  22. The general conclusion is, the most likely problem if this pump has actually been fitted as a bilge pump is to unscrew the brass plate from the front and see what state the impeller is in. If it is stuck, they can be freed off (usually by removing the crud from around the impeller with a small screwdriver) and if the impeller blades have snapped off then a new one is in order. Either way, from memory, it is a good idea to get the service kit as there is a seal which is best changed at the same time rather than re-used I think. Alec
  23. How deep is the water you are trying to pump in the two sections where the pumps do come on but do not pump water? Are the pumps located right at the lowest point? Any chance of a photo of the hand pump? There are several sorts and there are different possibilities as to what the issue may be. Alec
  24. I would imagine driving flocks of sheep up and down in narrow trenches behind lock walls may be somewhat frowned upon, although they are probably stupid enough to put themselves down there given half a chance! Alec
  25. Absolutely not. The molecules are slightly different sizes. If you put metric propane down imperial pipes it won't fit, and if you put imperial propane in metric pipes it will leak out! Alec
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