Roger t' Bodger

The heavily loaded pair, Nuneaton and Brighton are making their way south to the Thames this last week via the Oxford on their summer coalrun. - Has anyone seen them? I only ask as the weather has been a bit rough and the water levels low.

It's not part of the system I've visited although I used to know Camden well - just going by the BW sign. Don't forget that the Water Channel is updated at least 3 times a week with videos featuring water in all its many guises and anything featuring a boat! If you haven't visited before, do a search as there are 100's of videos many of astounding excellence. You can join for free and get updates as videos are added.

http://vimeo.com/channels/water I've just added a video called 'Mercutio' The W A T E R channel on Vimeo. Made by Crown Vap, perhaps the owners would like to see themselves on a memorably awful wet day at West Hampstead Locks last autumn.

My dear mother, originally from the East End use to try and correct our Essesx accents much to our bemusement and confusion. Please don't say 'kids' - say 'children', bless her.... Of course she was right in a way but swepted away by the mutilation of language much far worse. Leicester seems to be a weird geographical extention. The buhter iz inn therr guhter etc, etc. Dear Tommy, he's a trooper, a chap betwix the music hall, pop music and er.... comfortable retirement. Trying to upload a better version of the Walkies films but the thunderstorms have meant that the system has been closed down twice while doing it. So tomorrow morning will have to be the time - far sharper and concise and only 5 mins long too.

The knig has included his credit in some of the earlier films but thought that since the man mined that one single Laughing Policeman song (based upon a Leicester Rozzer) with so many other tired (the Laughing Bachelor) or even quite weird (Dismal Desmond the Dog) 78's, the king thought he had rmore than enough bites of the cherries. But well done for championing the chap who featured regularly on Uncle Mac's Children's Favorites. Once upon a time there was a little white bull.... Grocer Jack! Grocer Jack! Get off your back, Get into town, Don't let us down! Memories

No old working boats this time, just a bit of the wrecked ex industrial waters edge where the Leicester Light once stood across from the New Lock above the Mile Straight. http://www.vimeo.com/13294593 No subtitles May contain nuts

Is it due to some of the boat's having new crews that this has been posted on the NEW TO BOATING thread or is this to scare new boaters away? :-) And why do I hear 'Coals to Newcastle' being echoed about the place? Have fun but is there an environmental advantage in all this inert gravel movement? Mind you, all the leisure boats who use this route, in this drought, will have an easier passage!!

Thanks - and you're sorted until friday now

Along with not having the internet and being very busy, Forum member didn't get notification of two jolly King Learie films made at the excellent Riverside Festival in Leicester a month ago. Enjoy! http://www.vimeo.com/12408242 http://www.vimeo.com/12408242 Rain tomorrow - I hope! Roger t'B

I owe him a drink as I got a year's contract with Leicester Museums on the strength of a description he gave of Laplander which I, in turn, gave to towpath walkers as they passed by (I was dismantling the cratch on the now wonderfully newly painted Brighton) :-)

I forgot to mention that the Riverside Rangers here in Leicester with their legion of willing helpers and lots of new vessels only manage to get 12 bags of pennywort from the old Soar (read breeding grounds) but it's better to grab the littl;e now than the crane loads later in the season but it will still mean another couple of visits in this year and many more after.

I asked the King and yes he does appear in several shots but he said he had his eye on the steerer! Whoever that chap is?

No it hasn't gone (just wait until October!) but the long cold winter killed it back as it does in Canada from where it was illegally imported. They reckon that the pennywort, dump in the Soar in Aylestone, Leicester, will take another 15 years to irradicate due it's ability to benefit from our climate. But for how much longer?

The music is called 'Ecstacy' by Spud Murphy and is on Decca (60 years ago though!)

I like to bumpity bump!

I'm a volunteer community flood warden for Leicester City Council with a role to identify where Fluvial and Pluvial flooding may occur in the area on the east side of the Soar in the city centre. The Soar is very low now and recent rain showed no real effect in levels, reflected in the EA's report on the Trent levels. My biggest task is identifying what road drain is not doing it's job as many are Victorian and only 2 weeks ago street and premises were flooded in a rainstorm. The climate is changing for whatever reason and unfortunately for many here are dependant on having water under their hulls, moored or on the move. The canal below Foxton was baked dry in 1976 and with lower investment on maintaining the infrastructure that can happen very easily again. It rained briefly last night and more is forecast this week but the majority will be on the north west of the country. On a domestic level I'm thinking of collecting the shower and washing up water for the vegetables growing in our garden as our waterbarrels are nearly empty now and I hate using the hose.

Sorry he's done it again! http://www.vimeo.com/12938919, Some of you may spot that Laplander appears again, this for a number reasons that the King refuses to illuminate me on. I shall ask him again when he's had his dinner and a ferkin or two....:-)

The King was too polite to ask you to move. :-) Anyway you in 5 of his other films to date.... Thank you and it show what high esteem the King hold the noble sport of paying a bunch of lads far too much money then distracting the population with a facile kickabout while the world goes to the dogs while drinking their own weight in cheap lager while surpine on the sofa or slumped in the pub being shouty.... Anyone for tennis? Arrrrgh!

The king has gone to bed but not before assembling another video due to popular demand, called er... Part 2 which will be up tomorrow :-) I shall you let you know as soon as it's up.

The King gives his thanks as it takes great pains to get it right hence the huge NHS prescription bill but thats what he says....

The king nodded his head in recognition of the kind compliment and the wig fell off with the crown!!!!

Without further ado due to the heat, here is Sunday's sights. :-) http://www.vimeo.com/12913577

I've been posting on the Facebook site trying to temper their weird and misconceived demands for urgent action on safety measures to prevent any further tragedies. But despite all my years of experience I'm seen as a fly in the ointment and keep getting deleted. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=109676769044084 We haven't heard yet the results of the post mortum on Phil Dillon as he was in the cold water for 3 weeks. I still think it's strange that he was found just 100 yards down stream from where he was seen staggering on CCTV, on a night where the waters from the melting snow that fell heavily that day, had caused a steady current that I thought could have carried his body far further. I would also thought that amount of clothes he wore would have given bouyancy. The one thing I would say in regards to their demands for more safety measures is that the new mooring rings that have been recently installed, in response to success of the Riverside Festival, are not recessed like the originals and present a clear trip hazard to those weaving along the towpath in the semi dark BW have posted their measured response.