LEO

April 13

I used to have one of those 'special' spanners shown in the illustration, purchased it from 'Snap On', made life a lot easier when I had a 1.5. Good luck, I recall the nuts were 5/8 AF........

April 6

Hi,

The Gardner 2LW (March1957) in my nb. was like many other 2LW's exported to South Africa, to work in various jobs in the gold mines. 'Digging' round and with the help of the Gardner website I have details of the original order when lots of them were exported to power small Hunslet rail traction engines, order dated 1956/57. It was probably repatriated about 1998,and again like many rebuilt by Walshes. Attached is a pic of the small Hunslet engines and the restored engine. It was probably and early restoration, not highly polished and it gives great service. I had this picture made into a computerised jig saw puzzle, brill if you like puzzles......Happy Days.

March 15

Hi, just read the Wendover Arm has been closed by inserting stop planks, closing off the length from Little Tring Bridge to the winding hole, apparently water is draining into the fields at this point. CRT have required the investigation. So winding is limited to the feeder.............and remember the fun that caused at the Festivals........

No indication how long this stoppage will last.

March 10

13 hours ago, Rincewind said:

I have used a Karcher with the Patio cleaning attachment on the roof of my boat with great results, cleans all the green muck out of the non slip sand surface with no elbow grease required.

Also good for conservatory roofs. Use it conjunction with a Karcher extending lance, can reach up to soffitts on houses.

February 19

There is interest in the canal at the old workshops, the owners of the Manager's house have just emailed me, they are delighted with the picture, want to buy it and will make a generous donation to charity, good news, My wife is delighted as well, a bit more 'junk' cleared from the garage.

February 18

16 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Thanks, an excellent set of pictures, I wonder if the original forge remains, good seeing the gates made..........wonder where all the templates for gate sizes for all locks on the GU went?................I did see a small railway cart loaded with sheet metal has been retained, but I doubt if ever a boat will moor again......the Pub has reverted to it's original name and is under the Oakman Inns badge.

The Cowroast PH name is shelved, it's now the Artisan.................check dress codes before you cross the threshold........

February 17

I have moored at Cowroast for many years (30+), as have many others, some of us used to organise charity auctions, they were renowned - buy the stuff one year, store it, resell it next year (for the same amount).............well it was for charity!. About 7 years ago I bought a framed (20"x 15") print of a boat passing the Manager's house and Workshops at Bulbourne, it was a Springer, the picture was taken about about 1986..... good quality picture. It cost £2...............

The redevelopment started - sell it to the Developers I thought..........Covid came......I broke my leg, I had a new knee......the picture gathered dust in the garage.

So in 'TYOL 2024'the development is finished, the Manager's house has sold for about £1million+ my wife wanted to visit Tring Garden Centre at Bulbourne ( a short walk from the canal - best value restaurant on the summit). I thought, I wonder if those peeps who bought the Manager's house might like...........

I called, no answer to video door bell.....another door bell.....somebody came, I had interrupted a Zoom Call............no real interest in the picture. my wife might want it - 'How much?' - a fiver for canal related charity.............I had left full contact details......... I left the picture.......not heard anything.

Actually, the conversion of Bulbourne Yard looked brilliant, a place to live brilliant, interest in canals history from the inhabitants............................................................ ZERO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So at Bulbourne, the pub has changed, the last time any recognition of history emerged there was when filming of an episode of 'Call the Midwife' was filmed there............

We traveled on to Cowroast, another Boater's stopover.............here the 'modernisation' of canalside pubs, in this case the Cowroast (now the Artisan) continues, but unless CRT have left you with any money and you have very (£60 a head for a meal) deep pockets AVOID............... again canal or local history ZERO...............the basic dream is to develop it into a Night club..........so scurry on dear Boater.......North or South...........history is disappearing.......

February 8

Hi,

I have a Kabola Old Dutch, good little stoves, that 'nut' needs really careful adjustment, so that the flap is just closed, be careful as the nut is the counterweight. The fires are sensitive to 'down draughts' and can blow out. which is annoying. Take care when cleaning the bottom of the burner pot as mine developed a pin prick hole, and replacement pots are expensive and in very short supply. they like burning for long periods, I think mine burnt continuously for just 3 weeks once.

February 6

Like others I don't like that rigid connector and instructions normally want a flexible connection twix pump and pipework (as others have suggested) Also I like to mount the pump in an ally cooking tray, it catches water from leaks and make the search for same easier.

February 1

5 hours ago, PeterScott said:

This is a pic (Aylesbury Canal Society's picture) looking towards the current end of the basin, and wonder if it shows some water in front of the garage that was later filled in ??

17Sep1980...

and picking out the detail of the pastiche-crane ...

... and also 17Sep1980 a similar viewpoint from the OP ...

...and 19Jan2019

Thanks an excellent set of pictures, the first (oldest) one brings back a lot of memories - 1963/4, school lunch breaks, wanting around here, spares from Mick Riley's motorcycle worksop in the canal buildings, or Claude Rye across the road. The canal was scheduled to go from here and link up with the River Thame to join the Thames near Dorchester............seeing narrowboats being converted in the covered area..................... I think one of the 'Clee' boats built here ended up at os D&DBC at Pitstone, great picture, thanks.

February 1

Thanks for the info..........

January 31

That was a while ago, I think there was a Rally down there, early 60's?. It's all change now, the power station in the background has gone. I have attached a picture of a dockside crane at the Aylesbury basin, which appears in a series of pictures recently released. Hope you are well...

M

January 29

An alternator charging only one battery.............sounds like the old argument again - alternator only charges for a short while after starting, and needing a -stimulator to keep them charging.

January 22

I have had 3 Samsung tablets, all good, lastest one S9 FE+, lovely bit of kit, bought a folding case for it and it comes with a stylus. I had a problem with the second one, the screen died, repaired under 2 year warranty. I see Samsung have closed their shops.

January 22

13 minutes ago, Aground said:

Leo, the Zibro-type stoves in your original picture are very common here in France (and, weirdly, in Japan). There are two variants: mains powered and unpowered; the powered ones have a fan to circulate the hot air and are amazingly efficient, the unpowered ones work by convection and, while less effective, are great for smaller spaces (a summerhouse?). Both types run on paraffin which varies considerably in price, the more you pay the less it will smell; 33- euros for 20 litres up to 50- euros for 20 litres, the price and the pong are up to you.

I hope that helps.

Aground.

Thanks for that, I am looking at paraffin prices and availability......................Eco fan powering a Zibro stove. I wonder?.

January 19

3 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Depends on the rate the polar ice caps melt and what altitude your summer house is at. 😀

Not sure about the icecaps, summerhouse about 425 above sea level..........

January 19

On 18/01/2024 at 02:33, smiler said:

I use the same heater (paraffin) in my summer house without problems. You get a slight whiff when lighting it - after that no smell at all. I leave a small window open and have 2 CO meters and sleep occasionally there.

I get my fuel from Belgium as it's a lot cheaper than here in The Netherlands. The fuel is called petroleum C here which is a bit more refined compared to paraffin. I used to use a calor gas fire but the Zibro works out much cheaper in fuel.

With adequate ventilation - no condensation at all.

Thanks for that information, I may follow it up, the stove is for occasional use only, and whilst a small woodburner would be the preferred choice is it a bit of an 'overkill' solution.

January 18

2 hours ago, Ken X said:

I still miss the tin foil wrapped KitKat. Pull into Petrol Station, ask if they sell fuses. Usually find out they didn't. Buy KitKat, consume said item, wrap blown fuse in foil and continue on. 🙂

Great minds..................fan belt gone, ask partner for stockings............and tie over pulley and waterpump............a gent always offer to replace items.......................I said replace not refix!!!!!!

January 16

2 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

I know, and agree with you, but remember, in a few years time when a newby comes onto a boating forum looking for advice they may not expect (or read the whole title) advice on how to heat a Summerhouse.

You need to allow for the lowest common denominator and point out that this is not suitable (or 'legal') for use on a boat.

Actually I do tend to agree with you...........It's worth covering every angle, and I agree with allowing for the 'LCDOM...' I was often asked for advice informally, I stopped giving it after a ' Clever Dick Bounce back'........thus I asked 'for a summerhouse' - these units are cheap, somebody might try to install one on a boat...

A late friend was a highly qualified gas engineer and swapped tales of gas installations on boats......some were frightening......

I am packing up boating soon, (started 1975) and will miss lighting the stove, I think I will look for a small stove and install that, with suitable flue and fire precautions, my hobby, woodworking produces offcuts. Happy Days........thanks for all the advice - how soon will I need a BSC for my summerhouse?..

January 16

Thanks for all the replies, still thinking about the ethanol, use will not be great as the building is mainly used as a workshop. Indoors we went for a 'flickering flame' 'leecky' job but the ones my folks had years ago were better, the spinner creating the flame effect worked off convected heat from an electric light bulb, great, no noise, now the flicker is produced by a transformer and motor which produces an annoying, slight 'buzz' - some even have a smoke effect by dripping water onto a heated plate of metal - we have one...but it is little used, due to the buzz.

Calor is interesting and I may go down that route, but the Company is another word for excrement with me at the moment as I use small bottles on the boat and found the uncertainty of continuing supply from them, annoying as the tug style creates difficulty with storage and use of tall bottles, I see the range has recently changed............

Hope all well Pete, started speaking Welsh yet?

Alan - what goes around etc, like the small Ethanol camping stove, takes me back to journeys with my folks in the early 50's, they had a large biscuit tin with a similar meths burner which boiled up a kettle, worked well, to put it out they tipped the lid on the meths burner..........

January 16

I have a garden Summerhouse, obviously cold this weather, I ideally I would like to install a small wood-burning stove, not possible at the moment, electricity is not connected, I have been looking at a Zibro Ethanol stove, available through Wayfair or Amazon. The Amazon one seems to be a Paraffin model where as Wayfair lists Ethanol as the fuel source. Experience with Paraffin is smell and condensation. Ethanol seems to be like meths, both list a flue as 'not required'.

Has any body got any experience of using these fires.......TIA.

January 5

16 hours ago, kevinl said:

Total piece of madness, but I used to work for Gardners making parts for their diesel engines, never knew what a 7/64 flange was then, but I've reamed out more than I care to remember.

K

I filmed a 6L2 Gardner some years ago which had a small hinged pan at the end of the air filter, the late great Jim MacDonald said 'that's a very cold start'. for extreme climates, fill it with meths, light, and offer it up and crank the engine..... film is on UTube....handcranking a Gardner 6L2.....

January 1

Good news, I had my boat moved by Tuckeys about 15 years ago, they took some while and a lot of chasing to provide a quote, which was very reasonable and they did a good job. The boat was only a modest 48ft long and it got stuck at that lock as well. Good luck for the future and Happy New Year!.

December 27, 2023

18 hours ago, cuthound said:

Check that the pipe between the regulator and the stove is completely clear. It can get blocked.

Also check the hole feeding oil into the scraper part is not partially blocked.

December 10, 2023

This is an interesting post - eyes alerted 'suing a Surveyor' - OK...........but the problem is.. being a good Surveyor takes years.looking at boats, problems, gaining experience.....whether it be houses, land, boats or what. a good Surveyor is always learning. I'm an old 75 FRICS.......and a boater for nearly 50 years, made some mistakes, but always look at legal cases and learn from them.....In this case the Surveyor should have ' followed the trail' , leak, smell, where does it come, find source - report Shower pump easy - but what else........ A person - Surveyor, with boating experience should know that ageing holding tanks have been doing the job for many years - they hold caustic chemicals, they corrode, have limited life.....leaks.....I have not ever bothered looking at boats unless they have Porta tanks for loos and Self contained tanks for water. if they don't have those - problems!!

Obviously, I have dealt with houses, and walked off jobs where the problems were too great to be financially viable for the client..... and not charged a full, or any fee, but at 75, am still learning, for example ,,,,a boat nearby was turned down by a good Surveyor, it was bought and turned for a quick profit as a ' cheap liveaboard' ..... watch this space.....(sinking on the SGU).

Also, I have learnt over the years ---- try and tell some one they are buying problems, when their heart is set on buying it.......

Question --Houses cost LOTS! Purchasers spend peanuts on surveys, boats costs. Peanuts (relatively) people spend lots on survey? Why?

Have fun, the legal gang have been making loads out of sorting it out for years.............

I remain, a master of the sharp, in drawn breath, unblinking eyes,

L.

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