roland elsdon

When we ran the trip boats up there in 1982/3 there were many exposed boats in the hare field wide. Some still had remains of cabins. At the moorings above batchworth lock there was a cruiser that had 6 portholes. They were all woolwich portholes salvaged from the cabins.

Yes its possible. Now the questions really need to start. Like how do i make the possible safe and achievable. Then there is the bureaucracy registering and becoming qualified. Good luck, and enjoy the likely bumpy journey!

The boat is overlapped butt rivetted and just been on dock, where localised repairs have been carried out. The heat and interference ( twist in dock may have distorted the overlap joint leading to the weeping. it might take up with local rusting if you are lucky. Ive had a few plates weep post docking that have taken up over time, away from areas of repair, bcause of flex in the dock. Keep a close eye, put in an auto pump, and try not to go aground. It could also be a rivet damaged during welding or failing. If you are sure the bottom is good you could run her into soft mud ( a technique we used with composite boats to encourage the leak to slow down and allow it to take up , but its your risk!

They are round the bend at Stowe hill.

When I moved to Australia to work I went to a small regional service that had 34 beds plus aged care all in the grounds of a general hospital.Most work was community, our community being 600 kilometres wide by 250 deep. Then they built 10 more beds then they built a mother and baby unit then they built 10 bed community rehab beds And a huge community based service on a separate site. then they planned a secure facility on that site. now I have heard they are moving the acute and aged services off the general hospital site and purpose building acute and aged beds on the separate site. hello folks we have just reinvented the asylum. The locals are revolting. ( in many ways) They got ride of the asylum 30 years ago

Went past yesterday too, with my friends saying ‘ you could buy that’ Too late! When we moored at ‘the castle’ by Stowe hill on the same stretch in the 1980/90s there were no end of garden costs.

Well the owner of the boat said let’s go anyway! ( if the paints on by then). Haven’t done shroppie for a bit so maybe we will head that way.

Just been passed at Buckby by something vast and hideous, next door said it had gone past the night before too. Didn’t understand quite how as it came from the direction of the tunnel. Hopefully they will report the clear damage they inflicted on the canal system to crt, as evidenced by the damage to the handrails of the once shiny slug.

Just had email from organisers cancelling due to the Covid restrictions slow down. Not surprised. Very sad for organisers ( thanks so much for trying). Maybe next year.