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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.

We are letting a good friend and his family borrow our boat in a couple of weeks. We have spent time preparing a user manual and are quite proud of it. Photos, how-to's, etc. But.......and it's a big but...... we are massively anxious about locks. They have been with us on the boat and been taken through Hilmorton locks a few weeks back, but it was a busy time with lots of activity and the usual "peer pressure" to move along quickly. We are away overseas ourselves when they will be on the boat (they will be on the Oxford) so more anxious than might normally be the case. They are very sensible people, but I do need to have a simple 'chapter' on locks (This sounds very anal, doesn't it?!). Has anyone ever written a simple, but comprehensive, guide to using locks for people borrowing their boat? Or know of one? It's not just the mechanics but also the etiquette.....looking for approaching boats, taking everything at their own speed, not tying up in narrow locks, the rearward surge then the forward surge when going uphill, speeding up if they see Maffi's boat moored up..... yada yada yada. I know I'm being a bit paranoid, but it's our boat and the love of our life. We are more than happy for people to borrow her for a few days but want to make sure that they know what to do and don't inadvertently annoy other boaters. And I say, inadvertently, because these are really nice people. So...does anyone know where to find a simple, concise but comprehensive guide to using locks (The section in the Nicholson's doesn't quite 'do' it)?

Thanks for that. I assumed they were nothing to do with the background interview....although it was the latter that was intriguing.

There's a lot of choice in the area. We are at Lime Farm which is part of an old loop of the canal - just a dozen boats, trees and green all around, no real facilities, but peaceful, nice walks nearby, close to Newbold and Brinklow. Good value.

I have searched to see if these interviews have been mentioned before, but couldn't see any mention. Apologies if they are already known. A man from Bedworth - Allen Parsons - has put interviews of Bedworth people on YouTube. They appear to be radio interviews with (unconnected?) video footage as a backdrop. There is a ten-minute interview with Violet Stanley and then more interview and a lecture with contemporary footage. Fascinating. Finally, there is a general film about the canals. I hadn't seen it before, but I'm sure others have. Ironically, I was looking for video footage of Newdigate colliery.....and didn't find anything useful. Typical, eh?

On the same subject(ish), one thing that always gets me is when the powers-that-be tart up a bit of the canal and put in red building bricks on the towpath. These shatter, crack and generally deterioratewithin months, if not weeks. So instead of seeing decaying heritage, you see decaying crap. Except the decaying crap has probably cost the taxpayer a bundle and is totally inappropriate. You see it all over the BCN. <rant over>

We're at Lime Farm. It's small, friendly, cosy, off-line. Highly recommended.

Sorry to hear this. We were also recently broken into at Leamington Spa and have reason to believe the miscreants (or is it excrements?) were on the boat twice...yet didn't take anything at all, despite there being two laptops and a phone onboard. My father-in-law suggested we had been burgled by an Amish person.

I came across this thread once again by accident. Your explorations of this section is fascinating.....and I see someone else has added some extra snippets on your blog too. Several years ago I spent months using, scanning, copyin, tracing old maps of the area immediately north of the current end of the Cannock Extension and resolved to explore the area. I pass this area every second Saturday on the way to and from Molineux <sigh>. (My wife says I'd have a much happier life if I just stopped at the Cannock Extension Canal and frgot about the match.) Unfortunately, I've never yet managed to fnd the time to do the on-the-ground exploration though.

Range Rovers have indicators????!!! Well, you certainly learn something new ever day. Bext you'll be telling us Audis can travel on motorways more than 6" from your rear bumper!!