Cheshire cat

Yes It's definitely an age thing. I've got it too. It comes and goes depending on whether I remember to do the exercises or not

I think you've got to say it's a fair cop but what's the £15 government surcharge. Fine and costs I can see but government surcharge? Thet're having a laugh. Chesh

It was still there two weeks ago

Tes, the silence speaks volumes doesn't it

A friends of the Bridgewater Canal group has recently been set up. I think their focus is the area between the M60 and Broadheath but I'm not a member so I'm not sure what their remit is.

It sounds no different from buying a house

Only 20 men on the L&L but each one has 10 chainsaws they can call upon. And as for the vegetation, I bet they didn't have ride on mowers in Victorian times.

I'm still keeping an eye open for it. Not spotted anything remotely like it recently though. Not heard anything from the boats owners either. I'm still cycling the canals but it's an excuse to get some exercise rather than any belief that I'm going to discover the boat. Cheshire Cat

There's free internet access at the pub too or at least there was last time we were there

There's an impounded boat at the waterworks near Stockton on the Caldon. It was there in October and it was still there this week. It looks like a nice shell but it hasn't seen any paint in years. It's permanently secured to a BW tug

A trebuchet is far too dangerous. How about a zip wire?

The Stanley Arms has changed hands in the last twelve months. Food is OK. The old landlord would have made a great Peter Kay character. He just stood at the end of the bar ordering everyone around

We moved our boat up to the Macc today. We noticed that The Romping Donkey at Hassal Green is closed and looking for a new tennant. Not quite a canalside pub but pretty close and popular with quite a few boaters. Oh, and we've had to wait until today for the stoppage at lock 62 to clear. We were first boat through this morning and the bad news is the bottom gates don't want to stay closed. I had to lean on them with the boat. Not good if you're single handed. Chesh

Been there done that. February is a bad time to do the Ashton. You have to stop every lock to unwrap the boiler suit, nightie, mattress from the prop. It is getting better though. As has already been observed the fun really starts above the City of Manchester stadium and its all over by top lock (where there is to be a new basin if the developer hasn't gone belly up). Stick with it, I'm sure over the next few years it is going to become a lot better. I met some guys in June by the stadium in an Anglo Welsh boat unwrapping something from their prop. I assured them it was much more fun in February Chesh

There is an excellent farmers market in Nantwich but I can't remember when it is on I would also recommenf Broadhursts butchers (especially their pies) at Adlington on the Macclesfield canal

I can't help thinking that in this day and age it should be possible to hoover up the mud rather than have to use a digger.

I thought BW had given up on Crick after last year's disaster but no it's confirmed on Waterscape that it will be happening again over the Whitsun holiday

Just for the record the army and navy store in Burton on trent sells new and used ones. They've got pallets full of them. If I remember correctly the used ones were £8 each. I can't remember the price of the new ones. They also sell pouring spouts seperately.

I went to London by train from Manchester today. Raining in Manchester but below Macc it was dry and then it was on and off frozen canal. It seemed particularly cool around Rugby. Sometimes the GU was Frozen not frozen , frozen again within a few hundred yards. I don't think it was thick enough to stop the traffic anywhere though.

I am currently wearing that particular tee-shirt. Injured myself in July playing squash. Went boating and hoped it would clear up. It did to some extent but it's still a nagging pain. Went to minor injuries clinic expecting them to diagnose a stress fracture. They declined to X-Ray and sent me to Doctor. Doctor sent me back to minor injuries clinic for X-ray. X-ray took 10 days to arrive at Doctor's who decided everything looks normal and referred me to NHS podiatry. Got to see someone last Friday who gave me a half hour consultation and prescribed stretching exercises for my calf muscles and achiles tendons and insoles for my shoes. I have to go back in a month but in the meantime he has encouraged me to take up exercise again. I must warm up first though. There are a lot of people offering advise and miracle cures on the web but I'd say pay to see a Podiatrist if you can find the money. Cheshire Cat

Smelly, £9 is peanuts compared with the cost of a reconditioned engine. I agree, find out what the correct oil is but in the mean time don't resent spending the money. It's only four beers