stort_mark

Tim, I think the information given about Broadbridge by his great grandson (?) was maybe a bit mixed up. There's no SR Broadbridge in the RAF records that I can find, and difficult finding any more records or information on him. A real pity as it would be interesting to know if he prepared a draft Vol 2! Mark

In 2007, we bought our boat, a 57'6" trad (now a semi-trad) and we had a massive amount of work done the following year. Ongoing engine and associated problems meant the boat wasn't used as much as we wanted and so the work was never quite finished off. Bits and pieces were done over three years, but we never got to the stage where we did the final repainting and finishing off. Sadly, my wife and I decided to go our separate ways, and it has taken three years to get to a final settlement, and the boat hasn't been used at all in that time. It is sitting on the North Oxford, getting tattier inside and outside as the days go by. The boat was always my dream, since I was a teenager, and I am keen to get her back in working order and finish off what we started a decade ago. However, distance (I now live on the south coast) and time (and - to be honest - a lack of skill) prevent me from spending time finishing off the work. So I am looking for someone who is interested in taking this on as a paid project. My estimate is that it will take a month or two to do the multitude of small tasks and I will pay for the work and also happy to allow the person to use the boat for a few months too. It provides accommodation and work for a while. I admit I'm not quite sure how the insurance would work for this, but am sure problems like that can be overcome. My sense (and experience in 2007/2008) is that the professionals will not want to do this kind of work because it is a lot of small tasks, isn't particularly glamorous and won't win awards! But I am hoping there is someone who is interested in taking on the task.

No. Seems he is eating in a hurry at Malagasy restaurants, though. Fast-eating scum.

No. You lost me. Although I confess I was losing interest after you stereotyped every person who travels to Thailand and that entire Asian nation.

You all think he's joking, don't you......?

Yes, that's one I have used a few times but was wondering about forums that might cover the old cotton mills. Thanks

Just wondering if there is a forum as good as this one but more generally about industrial archaeology, including mining..not just about the canals? I'm also assuming there is a good forum about railway history..... are any specifically recommended? Is railforums.co.uk the most comprehensive for that?

Yes, a real shame.

Volume 1 ends in August 1846, and I've been waiting since 1974 for the sequel... Anyone know whether a start was ever made on Volume II? Would be good to read the rest of the story. Ans whatever happened to Mr or Ms Broadbridge?

A couple of years ago when I had a **lot** more time, I got interested in why the Wednesbury Old Canal actually went to where it went to, and started tracking down some of the records of the early Hilltop mines. The archives people at various West Bromwich and Walsall were, I recall, especially friendly and helpful and one member of staff told me that theres quite a lot of "canal-related" information in the old mine documents. Unfortunately, lack of time has prevented me follwing this up.

I have posted about the short stretch of the WOC before. The lack of knowledge prompted an FoI request to then BW, Sandwell Council, EA and the Highways Agency. The response that came back was somewhat sheepish...that the water quality was no worse than anywhere else and that there was - effectively - no real need for the 'advice' not to use it. I will look out the exact responses (which included water sample results). It also came back with some hard copies of early maps of the WOC and Ridgacre. I have been up there on Richard & Sue's Tawny Owl (2009 I think) and my own boat (2010). The 'noxious' smell from churned up mud appeared to be no more than disturbed methane from years of reed growth and winter die-back. I have long suspected some kind of plan to eventually close this short and very historic stretch of canal. The stretches beyond the Spine Road are walkable and you can - with a bit of effort get along all the old branches, although you get some odd looks taking photos of yards and road junctions..... Forum member Capt Ahab has blogged about them a few times. (Ooops. See he's already posted above!)

Thanks again for the info. Very helpful

Thanks. Helpful. I was looking for leisure moorings so that's perfect. I would guess that online moorings would be slightly less.

I have Googled, but unsuccessfully...promise. Does anyone know the annual mooring fees (per foot or metre or for a 72' boat) on the North Oxford. There's a stretch of moorings at a farm (is it Combe Fields Farm or Coleshurst Hill farm or something) near Brinklow. We always call it Windy Hill because it always seems to be blowing a gale up there! Anyone know the kind of prices there?

Yeh. Tom Rolt did that. Clueless, he was.

Having met Richard a number of times, personally I can think of few people who would better represent the interests of boaters in this forum. He has no axe to grind, no hidden agenda and he knows how to use an apostrophe in most circumstances. Most importantly, he listens - which is what the NUF is all about.

Just joined this club. Fell partly in above Aynho Weir Lock this morning. Grazed my leg on narrowboat that got partly in the way. Pain was such that we needed to spend a number of hours in the Great Western at lunchtime and medical advice suggests that more time there may be needed this evening for a full recovery.

Thanks everyone (as always). In the end, we reversed 500m at Femny Compton and winded there. I do hate reversing.... But we did it without being seen or judged by the 'rolled eyes', 'tut-tut' or the 'we don't judge' brigades. There was a Dutch couple on an Oxfordshire Narrowboats boat though. We just said "that's how we boat in this country".

You can get similar ones in eye-watering colourful plastic too. Guaranteed to embellish your rudder.

I know the Nicholson says 50' but the CanalPlan (with our 57' 6" plugged in to the Options) says we can wind there..... We know you can wind 72' at Bradley Workshop regardless of whether the entrance to the workshop is chained....so Nicholson aren't always right. Anyone know if we can wind above Marston Doles or do we have to go down to the old Engine Arm?

That really is an excellent handbook. Puts ours to shame. Until I copy large bits of yours.

Again, thanks for the advice. I've downloaded the Boaters Handbook and also found a copy among all the brochures. He seems confident enough with what we have given him. They have already done the locks at Hilmorton with us. When they take the boat, they will have a few hours of cruising then the Napton flight. So time to get used to the boat and then a load of locks to focus the mind.

Thanks for the very good advice from everyone. I had forgotten the Boaters Handbook and I have a spare copy somwehere. Good to see there's an online version too. On the insurance, I wil check that. I had always assumed that the insurance was for the boat and that as long as any borrowing is not "for hire" (it isn't) then we were OK. I had seen the most recent sinking on the Huddersfield but that seems such an unusual situation that I had discounted it as extremely unlikely anywhere else on the network. The biggest concern isn't actually the boat but more that they will do something wrong and p*ss off someone off, etc. Even in the last few years we have noticed a serious decline in tolerance (two unpleasant examples in recent weeks alone). It used to be such fun boating.