tree monkey

May 2

7 minutes ago, LadyG said:

No, no, we currently import far more than we are currently producing, so they can become ready made tax payers.

Nothing no about my statement, children become adults who become tax payers, I never mentioned immigration

May 2

20 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I passed no opinion of my own.

Read my post again.

What makes me laugh is that people who have children, make that decision knowing that they are heavily dependant on the state for the next sixteen or more years, but dont view this as a Benefit.

And the state is heavily dependent upon those children when they grow up and become wage earners

May 2

8 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

As questions in this subject are now fairly common, and the replies tend to drift away from the matters concerned into general debate about benefit claimants' motivations and, often, characters, it might be valuable to have a specific place for this. Would make sensible suggestions easier to find, experience easier to share and probably cut down the aggro from those who just want a fight or demonstrate their political position.

It would also show that we're not entirely focussed on well off folk with expensive boats but have some comcern for the whole spectrum of boating folk.

I don't think it's a bad idea, but i think it would need heavy moderation after seeing the reaction to the most recent post, plus the other issue is there already exists a very good source of information on FB

April 30

10 minutes ago, Chance said:

Water based caravans that think they are superior to those who dare to venture into their world without tax dodged money.

You are, let's be honest here, making as many assumptions about people on here as you claim those people made about you

April 30

2 hours ago, Smart51 said:

I'll have to come along and watch this. What do you have to do to get points? Presumably be seen at different points on the network. Anyone got a map?

To answer my own question, the rules are explained more here: https://bcnsociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/BCNS-Marathon-Challenge-2024-Info-and-Rules.doc

Points per mile, points per lock, points for finishing on time, points for only finishing slightly late. More points for deeper draught boats and longer boats. More points for having a smaller crew. Bonus points for taking photos in certain locations. Bonus points for collecting the most rubbish from the canals.

Take it seriously or don't it really doesn't matter, I've done it both ways and enjoyed every minute ( well maybe not the Walsall and there was that mad bugger that kept me awake until I scared him off at 3 am), just get stuck in do what makes you happy and get to the end of challenge party, meet some folks and have a beer

April 28

3 minutes ago, magpie patrick said:

Who is the blogger doing this - I've enjoyed this one and he's obviously done others so I'd like to look him up.

His name is on the video, he does a lot of historical based stuff, normally very interesting

April 28

5 hours ago, Chagall said:

You may find the information you seek on here https://www.facebook.com/groups/407453139424368 'Benefits for Boaters'

Seconded, ran and moderated by some very knowledgeable people

April 27

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Then why not just cruise with a "100 mile range" and then there can be no question to your intentions.

Your question suggests you want to do the minimum movement you can get away with (ala NBTA)

It was a reasonable question and certainly didn't deserve your rather unpleasant accusations.

April 22

36 minutes ago, MtB said:

What is a faggot anyway? Sounds to me like some sort of firework....

A sort of midlands haggis and about as unpleasant

April 20

46 minutes ago, junior said:

There's a roadside tea stop at the top of the M67 in Mottram called 'Bettys big baps'.

Wouldn't quite have the same ring to it if it was Burts big baps I suppose

April 20

On 17/04/2025 at 12:29, Lily Rose said:

Have you tried it yet Mike?

I just made my first batch in a while (been away/busy).

300g Aldi bread flour, 180g water, half a teaspoon of yeast. Nothing else, not even salt.

Dough made 10 PM last night then left overnight to prove (avoids 10 minutes of boring kneading). Divided into 4 this morning, 2nd prove then 20 minutes at 160°C in the AF plus a further 5 minutes upside down. To go with thick homemade vegetable soup for lunch.

1st photo is straight after dividing them up, 2nd is them still in the pan after 20 minutes and just before turning them over to get a crusty bottom.

They look grand but no salt!

The one time I forgot the salt and the bread tasted off somehow, not bad just not like bread, considering how little salt goes in a loaf it was fascinating how much difference it made.

I can't post any air fryer bakes as I don't own one, I've thought about it but that's as far as it goes

31 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

I'd have thought that as obvious as I not only quoted it but highlighted it.

But why in the first place, a light hearted thread about bread and other nonsense you posted what you must know is a controversial and unpleasant subject.

April 17

Thought this might Intrest a few people on here, forward to 13min in

@magpie patrick

April 16

32 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Are you likely to lick something out of the engine drip tray to see if its water or antifreeze? Answers on a post card please

Errrrr yes

April 13

59 minutes ago, magpie patrick said:

Found these on a charity stall in Sherborne last week. Not canals other than canals are marked on them. However if you have a dirigible and a time machine they will tell you where you can moor it! Felixstowe wasn't much of a port then presumably - wouldn't fancy all that container traffic so close to an artillery firing zone!

I love the clarity at such a small scale - modern maps could learn from it.

I couldn't have walked away from those either, I have absolutely no reason to need them but I wouldn't have been able to walk away.

Good find

April 12

58 minutes ago, Jonny P said:

Always thought that faggots and peas (pays) was more a Black Country thing. As is the cob.

I think Coventrians would also recognise that cob refers to a crusty batch even though they may still refer to it as a batch.

At Fishsmiths - the chippy near Newbold moorings - they sell a chip batch rather than a chip butty. I make a point of having one when there simply so I can order one and use the word as a bit of childhood reminiscence.

@matty40s I wasn’t aware of batch being the term for a bread roll in Blackpool but I think it is used on the Wirral.

Wirral boy here batch was a term used but it also referred to a batch loaf.

April 9

17 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Laurel berries are a little similar to sloes and are poisonous. They are darker and of a gloss rather than matt appearance and the plant does not have thorns.

We have quite a lot of spindleberry at the country estate. The berries are very pretty but not edible.

An unpopular opinion maybe but if you mix up sloe or any other prunus and laurel wellllllll maybe you shouldn't be outside unsupervised.

Yes I know laurel is a prunus but come on.

April 9

1 hour ago, MtB said:

I think I asked slightly the wrong question.

Are there similar-looking fruits that people out looking for sloes might take for sloes, but aren't?

For example, do hawthorn trees have sloe-like fruits that aren't sloes and make awful sloe gin if you pick them assuming they are sloes?

Fanx!

Mostly the only thing that looks like sloes are sloes and various damsons, bullaces etc all of which can be used in gin, prunus hybridise like buggery.

April 8

14 minutes ago, Stroudwater1 said:

Incidentally worthwhile looking at trees currently- Oak Ash Maple Poplar among others producing lovely catkins/flowers. It’s taken me years to appreciate them. Seems a perfect time for them at the moment

Maple

Oak.

Oak before Ash we are in for a splash.
Ask before oak we are in for a soak Both are coming out together by the looks of it. My rhyme doesn’t seem to go that far.?

Spring larch can be beautiful

The rhyme actually has some truth to it, unfortunately I've forgotten which is which but one of the trees reacts to day length and one to temperatures, so cold springs means the day length tree should come out first, warm springs means the other comes out first

April 8

6 hours ago, MtB said:

I thought it was considered important to wait until after the winter frosts begin, before harvesting your sloes.

Although last year I don't think we ever had any!

(Frosts, that is.)

The frost apparently helps break down the fruit so it releases its juice easier, there might be a suggestion that it helps concentrate the sugars in some way as well.

All of this is why it is suggested to bung them in the freezer first.

Personally I think this is all bunkum, pick them when ripe and pour on the gin, shake occasionally and leave them until you remember about them then rack the gin off, 2 months as a minimum.

oh i never prick them either, im far roo lazy and the gin i produce is lush

We did have a lot of frosts last winter, problem is mostly after Christmas by which time most sloes would have been eaten by the various beasties that eat sloes

April 6

36 minutes ago, MtB said:

Are sloes the fruit of the blackthorn? Or are 'sloe trees' a different tree/bush?

Yes, sloes are the fruit of blackthorn, once tasted never forgotten

Worth noting blackthorn thorns have a nasty habit of causing infections and some people can react quite badly, rare just worth being aware

April 5

2 hours ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

Blackthorn is one of a large genus - Prunus - which not only includes plums, damsons, etc, but also cherries. But it's the most vicious, well named scientifically Prunus spinosus. And the debate between shrubs and trees can be vague, but generally a tree has a central trunk, but a shrub has several branches from the base

This, there isn't an actual legal definition of a tree beyond a tree tends to have a central stem, a shrub has several.

I would argue blackthorn is a classic shrub due to its strongly suckerung growth, but I am also positive you could grow a blackthorn tree with a bit of effort.

Anyway back to the tree puns

April 2

On 22/03/2025 at 23:04, ditchcrawler said:

Accee

Having spent a fair few years there this is what all the locals call it, or

March 22

4 minutes ago, junior said:

Would that be the Shot Tower visible on the left hand side of the canal?

Yup

March 22

Spent a fascinating afternoon with a cousin talking about my family history and amongst the photos were these that I thought might be of interest, they are only of family interest because grandad was moved to one of the houses after the slum he was living in was demolished, so I have no more information about the images I'm afraid