Southdowner

On the Warwickshire Railways website, mishaps section, is this early view of a shunt of coal wagons that ran away and piled up in a heap, in and around the canal, blocking it to navigation. http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/misc/lnwrb23.htm The Warwickshire Railways website http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/

http://www.nrm.org.uk/PlanaVisit/VisitYork/howtogethere.aspx The direct walking route signed from the footbridge is more direct.(not suitable for wheelchairs) than leaving the station by main exit and walking round the streets.

Noticed this on Rugby Boats website Humber keel built to the dimensions of the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation http://rugbyboats.co.uk/barges.php name : NIDD 61ft 6in x 14ft 6in Humber Keel. c.1937. Built by Henry Scarr at Hessle, on the Humber Estuary, this is a classic Humber keel built to the dimensions of the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation.

Went to it for the Broads boats, it has that and everything you desribe too, high days of the fishing fleet too!

I have no connection with this channel except in successfully finding what I was looking for from the channel, saw all these canal films listed, just passing it on, can't believe how much period material there is, covering many, many subjects. They sell MP4 downloads. The youtube channel is A60stock There go the boats, Barging Along, President's Fly Run, Brentford 150, Broad Waterways, Gentle Highway, enjoyed the 1930's film "East anglia" showed the Broads boating scenes.

A stunning photograph of Brunel's "Great Eastern", taken in 1857, one of several. I often look out on the internet for interesting old photographs, to me this is especially so, not just for the quality of the image itself, with so much history and struggle wrapped up in the concept,construction, launch and career of this ship, at the end of which came the great Atlantic telegraph : history on the wing, seen here at Millwall 1857. The photographs, for there are several, keep clicking on "older" to find them, plus others later in the ship's life. The history, and catalogue of events relating to the ship. http://www.atlantic-cable.com/Cableships/GreatEastern/index.htm It's not a canal image, or story, so maybe it should be in the VP, bless the internet for making these available.

Staying on topic, the mastrou proposed name is withdrawn on grounds of received translation likely being wrong, apparently). (If it is a diminutive of Lamastre that won't do at all for a canal boat name. Colloquial and multi dialect French is a total mystery to me, Ch'ti it was in Lille where I worked for a few years....boss was from Marseille, got 1 word in 3 on a good day) Off Topic : Perhaps a Vivarais thread in the virtual pub? I look forward to the eventual day when a diminutive of Le Cheylard is how that railway is named - further, farther and up a big hill to boot!

A very pleasant name, (and also a steam loco if that matters), but a pleasant name for a boat on canals and rivers : Watersmeet. On the earlier-mentioned Vivarais railway theme, if a smaller boat, then : Mastrou. Means little mouse, as the Vivarais is a narrow gauge railway. 2 nice names IMO, I hope they are original in canal context, with a railway context if wanted, but not obviously so.

While reading about the former railway works and loco sheds at Gorton, Manchester, was interested to read that a canal branch and its boat depot and dry dock co-existed in the midst of the expanded loco works and loco shed area, until canal branch, loco works closed 1962. As there are what appear to be locally supplied photos of the canal installations, posting them here for your interest, lest you not find them in what is a railway-focused website. Link to Stockport canal website added for context. Stockport canal website; canal depot; canal depot pictures ; map relating canal to railway works http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nb.jemsabi/index.html http://www.gorton-tank.com/TheCanalDepot.html http://www.gorton-tank.com/CanalDepotPictorial.html http://www.gorton-tank.com/DevelopmentPictures.html

I understand a form of treatment is or will soon be available that at least slows down rate of eyesight degeneration. I hope this will be of help and soon. Dad is now 88 and managing in his home, walks to shops, reads using the electric magnifier, and uses a hand-held magnifier for tv changer - the tv is also his radio through the digital channels. The electronic magnifier is made by Optelec, the model a Clearview+, they also make a rechargeable electronic hand-held magnifier. These machines offer stepless magnification and colour choice of print and background, they are expensive however. In his case the dry macular eye declined slowly but steadily, but he then got wet macular in his good eye and that declined in weeks. His sight is as bad as Macular Degeneration will take it and he manages remarkably well - he is of that wartime generation, I really respect his ability to remain positive and manage the enforced change over the last 5 or 6 years. At age 88 it won't get worse apart of course from natural decline - I will be moving in later this year, there comes a time when being alone is not such a good idea in these circumstances. The East Sussex Association for the Blind take him to a monthly social which has been good for him. They ran courses to help people adapt to the condition. Each County will have some similar organisation and resource, volunteer-run too. It was at their HQ training room he was able to try out much of the available proprietary equipment - important as there are no private sector showrooms for this sort of thing. Optelec have been a good organisation to deal with, the internet will reveal others. best of luck to all, do check on the advance in treatment, check if a postcode lottery prevents treatment locally.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-1184501/The-narrowboat-girls-Our-waterway-war.html Link to article on Emma Smith

How good is that? Great! Prior to this had only seen a few stills of the "Idle Women", as published in the various books over the years. How great to have some film - I wonder if any more exists. Towing butty on running blocks too! Many thanks for a very welcome post.

Cuneo did some Channel Ferry Posters (Dover - Calais) etc, as they were operated by the Southern Railway, later BR, Sealink etc. link to 2 of these (edited, link needs u to press Go to see the 2 posters!) http://www.scienceandsociety.co.uk/results.asp I saw an exhibition at Royal Armoured Corps Tank museum at Bovington, Dorset comprising not only his military work but also some yachting scenes amongst the other subjects, don't recall any narrow boats though.

When looking at Robert Doisneau's post-war (WW2) photos of Paris I came across this picture of Emma Smith 1947/48. Have seen a reference to using this in a Paris Match article about her book "The Far Cry" published soon after. http://img.izismile.com/img/img2/20090122/paris_16.jpg link to newspaper interview with Emma Smith that mentions her work during the war http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-1184501/The-narrowboat-girls-Our-waterway-war.html link to publishers, review of The Far Cry http://www.persephonebooks.co.uk/pages/authors/?id=77 lastly, link to 71 of Doisneau's best photographs. http://izismile.com/2009/01/22/great_photos_of_robert_doisneau_27_pics.html