Greygal

Conway has just passed us here at Dutton on the T&M puttering away very nicely. Made my day

I was quite disappointed not to see you next to me, given our magnetic attraction of late

Andy's blood pressure rockets whenever he sees me eyeing a 'For sale' sign. Well, eyeing up any boat really

If next time we decide on a strategy to just follow TO, please know that it's not for the points, it's for the proximity to lovely cake.

Many congrats! And thanks too for removing temptation, as I was seriously contemplating adding to the fleet, which may have just seen me divorced.

Well we were quite tempted to moor alongside you on Monday night just for old time's sake. I'm sure they'll be company for one another

Enceladus craftily nipped past you all to be first down Lapworth this morning, despite having earlier been commandeered by Team Tawny Owl for luggage portering duties to avoid a bit of swampy towpath. A toll of two flapjacks was paid, which went down very nicely, thanks. A simply splendid weekend, and lovely to do that meet people in real-life thing. It could catch on...

Think we must smell or something as Team Enceladus is all on its lonesome here at Pelsall. I say team...more 'te' as the 'am' are coming in the morning. What can go wrong?

We'll be keeping the historic end up in Enceladus. Indigo Dream will also be back, competing hard while keeping one eye on the greyhound crew

We had Ian Mac help us up the 18 a couple of years ago. We asked for assistance (very easy) because we draw close on 3 foot and were just a bit worried we might struggle in places, which we did. But with Ian's local knowledge and physical help we made it through and are so glad we did because the Rochdale is a fantastic canal, and wouldn't hesitate to do it again - as long as Ian was there, because he is a super chap to have along for the ride. And the natives were very friendly..

Any educated guesses as to when this might have been?

As if to underline my point above...never ceases to amaze me what people know and are happy to share. Thank you, Andrew.

Will have a good look through that thread, thank you, Alan. Another excellent distraction from this morning's work. I did have the pleasure of a super chat with Pete at Braunston...looks like the missing aft section is the Holy Grail

Thanks, Alan, and I have to say that yes, you're quite right, she never looked like a conventional 'trip boat' and I am a tad confused about this phase. But I'm going on a couple of pieces of information here. One, that I've seen repeated across a number of sources, like the RN Register, which says 'based as trip boat at The Bratch on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal'. And second, what this chap said to me at Braunston...So it's even more important I find out now!

Hello all, this is a bit of a long shot but I never cease to be amazed at the help and knowledge available here so here goes... Last year we took Enceladus to the Braunston festival - first time for the boat, first time for us. I remember a chap commenting as he passed by the boat that he used to work her in her Water Valiant/Valiant trip boating days. Trouble is, I was so giddy and excited at the whole show experience that I wasn't really thinking, and therefore didn't do what I would do now: pin him in a corner and extract every last detail out of him. As I'm now trying to put together as much of Enceladus's past life as I can, I'm kicking myself about this missed opportunity. So here's my plea - was that you who passed by? Or do you know who it might have been? Or, while I'm at it, does anyone know anything about Enceladus/Water Valiant that might supplement the basic working boat/pump boat/maintenance boat/hire boat/trip boat/private boat history I already have? Answers on a postcard please, and thanks in advance

Mmm, I wonder if a small Northwich would like a big Woolwich as a pal....I love this thread too, off or on piste but it can have quite serious consequences for one's bank account...

Ditto. The own boat bit, not the honeymoon bit. Who needs Venice when you have the BCN Challenge?

Hey, my memory isn't as bad as I thought it was! Thanking you

A forum member - so sorry, can't quite remember who but poss Archie57? - did post Enceladus's inventory up some time ago with Arthur Pearsall as captain, and 1 dipstick is listed.

Whichever way they turn - whether south down the Shroppie, west across the Llangollen or north to Chester, they will be going into well populated areas in terms of boaters and marinas. If we can spread the word via the forum and FB as to its likely location further north now, surely it can't keep hiding? Maybe worth a call to the marinas in the vicinity, such as Nantwich Canal Centre, Overwater, Swanley Bridge, ABC at Wrenbury and Anglo Welsh at Bunbury. A good few volockies in these areas too

As debutants this year, I'd just like to say that we had an absolutely fantastic time, Saturday's deluges notwithstanding, and thank you to everyone, including several forum members, who made us so very welcome throughout the weekend. Especial thanks to Pete Harrison for his generous filling in the blanks of my patchy GU history. Looking forward to doing it all again next year. Oh, and Mrs Tawny Owl makes a cracking biscuit!

While the rest of the canal has its charms, the actual stretch through Rochdale town is like a floating midden. And this is from someone who quite likes the Walsall...

I think you need to experience the canal in Rochdale to appreciate the extent of the problem because until I saw it, I didn't believe it. I'm a natural clearer upper (one of our hire boat holidays was notable for the well deck being filled with half a shed, a wheelbarrow and a gas cylinder) but the intensity of the rubbish, and the fact that the offside is stanked off so it just collects there in rotting stagnant pools, would necessitate a big BCN clean up style effort with boats in the water. If a big weekend bash was organised I'd be there with my grappling hook like a shot - and it could make such a difference in quite short order.

People have asked for a comparison between the Rochdale and the Wallsall - my own view, having travelled both recently, there's absolutely no contest: the stretch in Rochdale town itself is by far the vilest, rankest, most squalid bit of canal I have ever travelled. But it was small pain for major gain because it is a cracking canal and don't let it put you off, it just has to be endured for a short time. I for one will be writing to Mr Percival and suggesting he gets down to Specsavers so he can change those rose tinted goggles he's wearing.

Hoping to be able to make it - every Challenge needs its retired greyhounds and with regular hound boat and Challenge veteran Indigo Dream off up North, it falls to us to fly the flag. Sadly, at 40 feet and with an OH that's allergic to locks, long days and early starts, we will not be emulating the stellar performances of previous years - in fact, I was just thinking the other day that we were lacking a wooden spoon, but I appreciate the competition at that end may be just too intense.