Derek R.

Getting a bit off topic, but whilst CROW upset some, what it became embodied in in 2006 with the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act has upset more. Though the upshot was (and is) that the Countryside Landowners Alliance and various parliamentarians supporting GLEAM were hand in glove in assuring their stakeholders benefited most. The general public least. There's a pdf available using the search facility and putting 'David sees Goliath' in the search box HERE. Nothing to do with bridges though.

Not American are you?

Artistic licence! Can't help with any details, but reading a copy of a 2009 Beautiful Britain magazine there was an article on John Constable. In it are the popular paintings of Flatford and Dedham, along with the comment that the artist had removed the topmost horizontal beam in one painting, so as to allow a distant view of a Church tower. There also appears to be an 'air gap' between the heel of a gate and the post it hung from. Was he painting what he saw - or what he remembered, possibly clouded by the manner in which farm gates were hung? There is also the thought that if he had painted the gate as we are familiar with them, a general public might have questioned why a gate was not hung from pintles: 'The artist is wrong, gates are hung from pintles - he's left out the hinges!' One of his paintings show an overhead beam at the tail, another shows just stout upright posts. Was he painting what he wanted to see, based on what he wanted to show? Probably. Edited to correct magazine title from 'England' to 'Britain'

Gunmetal? More like Galvanised! Retirement gift for a canal enthusiast: "Retired Sept. '85."

It could be much the same as certain 'Highways'. Many public rights of way are on or over land that is owned privately, but as a public right of way the surface is maintained by a local authority - unless it's a footpath that crosses a field in which case it's not unreasonable to expect it to be ploughed up on occasion, though putting an aggressive Bull in it is frowned upon. Works access and railway bridges are another kettle.

Nice looking boat, and quite tastefully fitted out, but what's the beam? Is it not wider than 7'? There's a photo within the cabin of her in 'working' day trim.

Oops! http://www.englishbullterrier.org.uk/ The book introduction looks delightful, looking forward to reading the book. Thanks for the link. Edited to add: To view the images within the book, and there are some charming water colours as well as b&w photos including within the cabins, I can recommend Calibre to read the epub format. Calibre can be downloaded for free, and has a host of facilities. Once downloaded and installed, take the 'Grand Tour' to get to grips with loading the downloaded epub book into the Calibre library - and away you go! Sounds complicated, but I'm no computer techy and have managed it!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45777493@N06/8237675330/ HAZEL, built 1914, a five plank Runcorn Woodenheader. Only one shot there it appears, but log on to Wooden Canal Boat Society and there is much written information.

Following the links within the BBC report tell of mixed feelings over the move. Mixed from the management side only though, the workers wanted to stay put. St Modwen; a 'Regeneration Specialist'

Well it is only conjecture, but MP has a point. I dare say there is some financial benefits afoot for both Lister directors and the business park owners. If the original site was owned by Lister, then a rebuilding program would indeed have been expensive. The option might have been to sell off the site and move into rented property. The liabilities for upkeep may be less, but it does question the morals and scruples of the company, as once moved into rented there is less incentive to continue making improvements, and a little more at some time in the future - to drop the baby and run. 'Lister' vanishes into the history books (or Brazil/India/China), property developers win out with whatever is built and sold/rented off on the old site, and St Modwen just collect rent from the next tenant. Perhaps the Lister book is reaching its last few pages.

The report states the new site is custom made, has better transport links being close to a motorway, and that the old site has considerable rebuilding needed. It's eleven miles away, the distance my wife travels to work. No one likes change, especially me, but there are times when it becomes necessary through economics.

Ahaah! Three years later in 66' I did the Dragon on a C15! Had all sorts of weather; fog, floods, rain and snow, still did the headlight parade around Llyn Padarn. Still got the badge too.

So I believe it should be, but then you will have the 'go slowly' brigade asking what's the hurry, and the safety brigade saying how dangerous they are in their capacity to flood a fore-end with the end result being the 'baffles' now collecting plastic and litter making maintenance that much more tedious. Long live gate paddles. But the cut is used by too many amateurs, and as we've continually seen with historic buildings and infrastructure, it's money safety first.

Half way through. Well balanced, and mention of China, the Romans and the Exeter canal preceding Brindleys' is a nice touch. Well done Richard. Looking forward to the rest - pretty much on my current doorstep too being close in Much Wenlock.

Blastin! Must get a couple for the van . . . .

Go by the BS numbers, as Laurence says the blue was called Azure 104, and the yellow Golden Yellow 356, both in the BS 381C range. Be aware that some yards painted a darker blue, more like Oxford Blue. Laurence knows. I had a small tin of International called Danube Blue, and the colour on the paper label on the lid seemed way off. But that doesn't mean what was in the tin was wrong, and even out the tin it'll be a different shade to what it dries like on the boat. Dave and Phil will know all there is to know about that. A chart - but no names: http://www.icomsps.co.uk/colour_chart.htm - and also be aware colours as seen on such charts and computer screens will likely be corrupted from true. A 'guide' only.

But what kind of environment would be needed to treasure a high speed train? It needs a special track, supervised operation, technical back-up operations and infrastructure, a start point and destination to be completed at the 'preserved' high speed. Not quite the same as a narrow gauge railway, or other preserved railways around the country. I got quotes for tickets by rail from Wellington, Shropshire, to Brighton last week. The prices varied from £52 - £764 (two people each way). Same journey, same number of changes, same journey time. We went by car, cost less, and was quicker - just. But would happily pay £17 to travel on the Severn Valley Railway from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster - not very far. The likes of HS2 may one day be preserved, but like Concorde - a static exhibit going nowhere. HS2 - a white elephant. Quicker by video conference and internet.

Re-arranging chairs on an ailing ship. The manoeuvreings of heads of departments, the financial and political diktats are nothing more than smoke and mirrors. Oh how it could be different! But it won't be. Different names, different titles, but the old procedures remain. They always will - they are the ones that maintain 'control', and always under the label of necessity in meeting costs. If CaRT are going to maintain their Trust independent of government backing, it's an enormous challenge, especially so with the vast amount of waterways and and its infrastructure. But it would be the only way in which the cut could survive without too much gov.co intervention and influence. It's the calm before the storm that will see wallets emptied, and infrastructure sold off. Neil mentions 'beds in sheds'. Such is the position people are forced into. Just as people will be forced out of their homes if they can't prove that all of their bedrooms are being occupied. Pay up or get out, so say gov.co and anyone else in positions of power. Pessimist, or open eyes?

There's an irony, as Portillo I believe is Spanish for 'small entrance'. Is that why he walks a bit odd? Yes, appalling dress sense, but very watchable, especially when he messes up and laughs at himself. A better narrator than politician.

I think 'Eynsham Harry' mentioned that in Temple Thurston's book 'The Flower of Gloucester' about passage through Sapperton tunnel - 'lightening' boats.

Connection? No more than another hammer on another nail in the coffin. Oddly enough I cannot remember too much of that freeze even though I was 15yrs at the time. Part of that may have been due to me having left school and working on a farm in rural Dorset. We were pretty much out of touch with many things other than the continuing battle to get feedstuffs to livestock, and attempting to keep the milking parlour clean without water! And the agony of frozen feet in wellies stumbling over concrete hard ruts in formerly muddy gateways with baler twine cutting through equally frozen fingers and hands. No fun. But I do remember the previous freeze. I was still at school, and stranded at my big Sisters house in Buckinghamshire. Ten inches of snow and no chance of going back to school - yippee!

Winterwatch on BBC2 saw a reshowing of Cliff Michelmore introducing a program made in 1963 showing the effects of the Winter of '62/'63. Predominantly about the plight of wildlife, Winterwatch show the whole 1963 program which sees less of the wildlife aspect, and more of the human one. Trains Planes and Automobiles, as well as waterways are seen in the grip of the two month long Arctic weather that hit most of Britain. A reminder for those of us who saw and experienced it, and perhaps a bit of a shock to those who didn't. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01q9d86/Winterwatch_1963_The_Big_Freeze/ As it is on BBCi player, there will be a limit to the number of days this is available. Broadcast today 19 January 2013.

I did guess you might have! The relationship says much.

Kathryn wrote: "There are some lovely photographs on the the Imperial War Museum website taken, I understand, at Tipton by the Ministry of Information to promote women helping with the war effort. I have copies but I think they are the copywrite of the IWM so here's a link to the images. " Some nice pictures there. What you have transcribed also appeared in the 2011 HNBOC journal, first quarter, along with a lot of history of the Heather Belle, and a fascinating story it is.

Help is at hand: Posting images.