JV44

I have to be honest the owl pics are all down to my other half she is a bit of a camera buff and we moor there specifically to get barn owl shots that said sometimes you just get so engrossed in watching them she misses lots of pics ,she goes off for ages with the camera in search of images and I go off for hours in search of fish..... relationship utopia Cannon 70 D with a Sigma 100-500 is lens captured the images for anyone interested Steve

Just above Pinkhill lock on the left are some 24 hour moorings and the hill like bit behind you is where the barn owls fly even mid day if they are feeding young ,a walk round the Farmoor reservoir at the top of said slope is a nice way to spend an evening. Curlew around Rushey and you can hear them warbling away ,to much to list you will love it enjoy your trip Steve

Recently took the yak on a 2 week adventure up to lechlade attached to the mother ship Some of the bridges were a tight fit Wildlife of upper Thames was a bit special Great trip alternator for domestics went pop but even that didn`t spoil it the barn owls were superb and believe it or not we saw an Otter whilst moored overnight on the way out ........on the prison loop in Reading!!!! after dark mind so guess they get brave with the cover of darkness Steve

Yes makes you blow a bit for sure ,Whitchurch lock is 105 turns for the sluices 105 turns for the gates each way which does not sound to bad till you have to do a few

Years ago we Trialed Owatrol used on rust and in conventional gloss against hammerite and Combi colour and a load of metal seats and fire escapes we had to do,All were powerwashed off and a mobile shotblasting outfit prepped them ...messy beyond words and then they were painted .........The Owatrol and Combi colour easily outperformed the hammerite type . Guy moored next to me has just painted his boat with the Rustoleum Combi Colour and I shall watch events unfold with interest

Brewers should be able to get it for you if there is one near to you and some have it on the shelf ,Superb product we use loads of it at work on exteriors in the summer makes stuff flow in the brush without taking the guts out of the paint

On or around our lower Kennet mooring we have seen plenty of Oystercatchers, Kingfishers, Little Egrets,Sparrow hawk, Goshawk...well a grey blur that I am fairly sure was it weaved it`s way through the trees of the island at mach 3 and the usual suspects of Red Kite/kestrel et all . whilst out on the Thames the barn owl obliges most evenings at the lower end of the Pangbourne meadows moorings and a pair of Hobbies have been doing there acrobatics between the lions and the smaller island at Child Beale . Barn owls also performing fairly regularly at Tyle mill and just downstream of the Rowbarge pub Steve

The section at Hungerford is covered by the Hungerford canal fishing club and this is the limit of where you can fish it in the close season everything downstream of Kintbury is out of bounds due to being classed as flowing canal even though a few pounds are proper canal below there ....don`t make logical sense but that is what it is .

Use lots of Owatrol at work as said it eases without taking the guts out of the paint like thinners do but more importantly keeps the open time on working the paint longer esp in warm conditions,Corona brushes are well worth a look there Moro range of black bristle make the lastest Hamiltons seem s$%t and the Silk range with the Chinex bristle are superb at moving oil paint around . Most of the decorators I work with are binning there Purdy brushes in favour of the Coronas or brands like Picasso pro form Steve

I concur tried most of them as mrs as driving and rude not to in those circumstances ,all the beers were well kept and certainly hit the spot . They change them all fairly regularly I believe Steve

Barrier has been replaced but not sure if it has been re used or just re jigged ,mate said the rope had rotted/worn away near the post and that is where it broke.....if reused does not inspire confidence.....but then I don`t intend to test it

Think many a verbal fisticuffs has started this way on many forums written word /context and all that

Ditchcrawler sorry I meant the river when I said was not as bad as I imagined ,the food and service was superb at the pub

2 boats off our mooring still stuck in there as its still overtopping the upstream gates and the thinking is it is likely to be Tues/Weds before she drops enough if a load more doesn`t fall ,we have to try to head upstream from Burghfield to Newbury for blacking this weekend that should be fun...not. wont be bringing her back down if it`s like this though . We ate at the Rowbarge with friends last night and it wasn`t as bad as I imagined and as a plus they have dredged the shallow shoal on the nearside so a better angle for entering the lock heading upstream can be achieved Steve

Well done keith and thanks for the cuppa yesterday ,we start our attempt upstream Friday evening so guessing we may pass you at the weekend Steve.

Our friends stuck in the lock said they had come downstream went wide saw the weir stuck her into reverse took out the safety bouys protecting the weir with a vengeance stern went right as they reversed with flow pushing against it and bow stuck against far wall ,Fobney got locked as no overshoot the weir protection in place now and will stay locked till they sort that ,hope they have put sign on downstream end of Oracle at traffic lights to warn boats heading up . Widebeam got stuck by flow underneath Burghfield bridge last night as we walked to pub and we tried to help I jumped on and backed her up fpr another bite at it but just to wide a craft sitting deep as well and not enough power to punch through in the small brige hole German lady new to boating no pins no pole short ropes brutal lesson learned . Burghfield weir sluices look fully drawn so they are trying to flash it off quickly but as said it all ends up at county with no way round it

As said can be difficult if you don`t know that bit of river even when it is not charging through ,2 boats off our island are stuck in county lock heading upstream as I type not sure if it`s due to said boat or more likely the fact Fobney has been padlocked to stop boats heading down . Hope she drops back quick as we are heading to Newbury for blacking next weekend

Have spent many an amusing moment watching peeps get surprised by the flow through that bridge hole as they pass the island ,need the engine in Louth sometimes

Sounds like we are both going to have fun getting upstream then ? ,we are offt out onto the Thames Easter weekend for a play down to Child beale with a few other boats off the island give you a wave as we pass . As an aside do you know/have you heard what is going to happen to the building at Fobney that they are re roofing?? heard it`s going to be a café but you know what canal rumours are like

keith you must of overslept or risen early on Sunday then as Richard [NB Louth] off the island left 7am Sunday heading downstream ,either way good to see stuff moving again Steve

This will fit just about any hoover and the 20mm hose fits straight onto the extract of a Makita plam sander ot with a couple of fittings and imagination can be fixed to the back filter box of a Bosche pex 400 orbital sander http://www.restexpress.co.uk/acatalog/Mirka_Abranet_Flexible_Hose.html?gclid=COmK0_KXmr0CFaQfwwod-bIAvw Any holded discs in the right diam fiot as long as they are Velcro backed but better still is this stuff either but on a roll for the mirka or get the right size disc ,connect to a henry at the lower 600w setting and dust free sanding awaits http://www.restexpress.co.uk/acatalog/abrasives_and_steel_wool.html

Houseboat was the one lacking turning stopping the wake boats miss you the guy behind often don`t

Ah ok are they still pumping across the road from the sub station keith?? I had wondered where all the water in those fields outside the entrance gate had come from