Derek R.

The first boat (from the left) has its rudder and ellum hanging from the safety chain, the second has none, the third has the ellum in the pintle, but displaced from the bottom, the fourth has none. The two middle boats are very run down, especially the third. I suspect all have original long distance cabins and probably been selected for their bouyancy and not appearance. Contact with the bank may have dislodged the two that can be seen, maybe the other two are stuck on a weir somewhere.

I'm inclined towards the River Severn. I have a book on them somewhere, now if only I could remember where it is . . .

I don't know how much traffic there was for milk on the cut, but there must have been collection places where lorries would trans-ship in bulk. Ordinarily, loaded lorries would deliver to milk processing plants for bottling. Whilst the canals pass many farms, I doubt you would find any that would 'ship' their twenty or forty churns canalside onto boats. Those were fleets under contract to 'fill' boats, and that would take a dedicated depot.

I think it is more likely the spiral is for empties. A full milk churn holds ten gallons (Imp), and having had to load same onto the lorry during my teens, can vouch - they are heavy! It would take two of us to lift a full churn from near ground level, to lorry bed height. A UK gallon of milk weighs a little over 10lbs. Each churn therefore holds 100lbs of milk, plus the weight of the churn. That structure might not withstand the overall weight of over 8.5 tons presuming it can hold upwards of 180 churns (which it looks like there could well be that number). I would suggest that incoming lorries would off-load onto a bay level with the flatbed of the lorry, where handlers would 'roll' the full churns (one in each hand) skilfully into the shed for processing. After washing, the empties would be elevated via the mechanism shown. Gravity would feed the empty churns down to the loader seen at the bottom so that the waiting lorry can be loaded with empties ready for the drivers next collecting round, exchanging his empties for full from the farms.

To Australia? The simple living van looks to be part of a circus/funfare set up.

Image from upstream of Hicklings lock, looking towards Simpsons. Gets my vote.

Almost certainly a Braithwaite & Kirk boat. (Different ice though). Stem fender by Joe Bridge, Skipton.

There is also no lock within sight of Grantham Gas Works (as was). https://tinyurl.com/ydvfu5mn Here's a long shot: Firth & Clyde Canal just West of Glasgow. Imagine looking East from Temple Lock. There's a lock ahead, and to the South East with Gas Works No. 4, and Kelvinside brick works beyond. https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=15.8&lat=55.89405&lon=-4.31851&layers=6&b=1 Long shot.

The Caldon image looks to be a spoon dredger, with the 'spoon' laying alongside the 'crane'.

A curious load. It looks like round timber, with something else on the lockside with a tarp covering it. The hold 'look' like it has water in it. Offering the thought that rolling such a piece into the hold would act as a cushion if no lockside crane available. I wouldn't think this was a common practice.

The bridge stonework says Northern waterways, which brings to mind the Shroppie, Macclesfield and Peak Forest. The angle of the photo and the lens focal point make further comparison difficult. The B & W looks to have a lesser distance between the bridge and the bottom gates, and the building in the colour image is either not there - or it's due to the angle and distance the shot has been taken from. I'm not convinced they are the same place. Is that a lock number on the balance beam - (1)? Doesn't look central enough somehow.

The boat shouts Norfolk, the chap on the bank Scottish. No idea.

Such imagination.

Gladstone bags were popular with Doctors.

Tettenhall. By pure coincidence, my wife brought home a book from the charity shop in which she works, that features the village (as was) of Tettenhall. Two images within show the Staffs and Worc. with boats, one without: From 'Tettenhall' by Jon Raven. Broadside publications ISBN 0 946757 08 9 A view with Compton lock in the background. Looking towards Aldersley, an 'Outing'. 1890's. At Newbridge.

Two women, five children (two babes in arms) and Brindleys' tunnel ahead (if I am not mistaken). That's touching.

Excellent coverage Steve, and clearly spoken! Thank you. Often glimped the cut from the M4, never explored.

Some history here: https://www.rifleman.org.uk/Birmingham_Small_Arms_Co.html

Correct. 57 Bottomside, 56 Topside.

Winkwell Top, Middle, and Bottom. The New'uns - Apsley three and Nash two, replacing the old four locks at the foot of 'The Long Pound'. Court cases were brought by the mill owners for taking water from their mills. Good luck in finding any traces of it today, totally built over. As Bengo says, 'The Grand Junction Canal' by A. H. Faulkner, pages 76 on. Map on page 78. Never heard of 'Irishman's' or 'Parglena'.

When leaving the L & L in Leeds, the first lock on the River had fixed windlasses. On the Rufford branch:

Chester's Nothgate flight used to be a bit like that. Going down you'd open the bottom paddles, and it was a battle to get the lower gates open against the inflow from the leaky top gates.

King's Cross Station has a history of flooding, mostly causes by the rising waters of the nearby River Fleet and after heavy rainfall. About an errant lock keeper causing such a flood, I know nothing. About the abandonment of the dualled locks, I would suggest the lack of traffic and maintenance costs would have been the predominant reason. As to water flow pushing boats one side or the other, this can occur if the paddles are drawn in such a way that the balance of flow can indeed put a boat against one wall or another. This can be seen very clearly when ascending Hatton or Knowle. Put a boat against a right hand wall, lift the right hand paddle more than the left, and the boat will stay against the right hand wall. I believe this was a design factor, or it may just have been coincidence.

There's a few about. I'm told the hole was to secure with chain & padlock. This one's about 16 inches long.

Brilliant! Pass the Hay incline most days. Thanks Steve.