adam1uk

There is a marina (can't remember the name) at Calf Heath on the Staffs and Worcs which uses an old arm, and has a lock at the entrance.

While you're go, go an have a look at the very end of the arm. It's been drained because of building work, and there's a huge plug hole and plug!

We (two of us) did the Stourport Ring in a week many years ago. Pearson's suggests the ring is 44 hours, Canal Plan says 54. I'd suggest the Pearson's figure is probably more like it, because flights of narrow locks (such as Tardebigge and Wolverhampton) don't take as long as you might think. 44 hours would be about seven hours a day (bearing in mind that a hire week is really only six days), but I don't feel qualified to say whether that falls into the category of a doable bimble. Only you can decide that.

We're planning on doing the Avon in September, so it would be good to hear what you think of it.

There aren't many shops or pubs along that stretch. There are a couple of each in Crick, just up from Bridge 12, and there's also Edwards restaurant next to the canal. Yelvertoft has a little village shop and an excellent butcher (walk down the hill from Bridge 19). There's also a pub in Yelvertoft, but haven't been to it. There's a pub at the end of the Welford Arm, and a very strange little shop in the village. There are pubs at Foxton Locks and in Foxton village, and as Richard says Market Harborough has everything you need. The town centre is a bit of a walk down the hill from the basin.

We passed a naked rambler (not THE naked rambler) near Hilmorton locks last August. He was carrying a divining rod and wearing a rucksack. I wonder if he's just fed up with walking, so has taken to wheels.

The July issue is already in the shops. Back issues are available by ringing 0870 830 4960.

The canal system is supported by the Exchequer. From memory, BW gets £70-odd million pounds from DEFRA and another £13 from the Scottish government. The total government funding is far, far more than the money raised from boaters.

I agree. And it also depends which locks, and how you mention it to them. I met a hire boat coming up the Napton flight who were very grateful to find out how to avoid their boat being sent crashing into the top gates. They'd already broken several glasses as a result, and were worried they'd have nothing to drink their wine out of by the time they got to the top.

The IWA insists on towing path...

One of the bloggers reports that Whitefield's cratch (or whatever they call their design of cover) was torn going through Crick Tunnel.

Did they ever get around to announcing the winner of best boat?

We're glad we went on Saturday too. We were quite worried about the signs that kept blowing off the roofs of the boats. Some of them could have done some real damage.

Is no-one going on Saturday (which appears to be the best day weather-wise, if the forecast can be believed)?

Leave it as it is, and make a selling point of it in your literature.

I rather like the Wolverhampton 21. The bottom end is quite countrified, and there's the racecourse, trains to watch, a little shop nect to one of the more urban locks, and a rather attractive area at the top lock. IIRC, they need an anti-vandal key, so you'd better make sure they have one on board.

Have moored in both parts of Birmingham that you mention. Between the Mailbox and Broad Street can be quite noisy. I'd always suggest going round the corner and stopping near the NIA/Sealife Centre. It's much quieter, because it's residential. There are also more mooring spaces there, as you can use either side of the canal.

Most pay as you go schemes are designed to encourage people to use less of something, whether that be water metres to try to get people to use cut their water consumption, or congestion charging to try to stop people using their cars. Surely BW shouldn't be in the business of discouraging people from using their boats? It's meant to encourage participation. A boat tied up in a marina adds very little to the waterways environment, and (as Allan has already said) the costs caused by boat movements are insignificant. A pay as you go scheme would replace a simple charging regime with a complicated one, without providing any benefits at all. In fact, it could severely damage the cause of the waterways.

Getting a reduction on insurance (which in the scheme of things isn't that expensive anyway) isn't the reason why you might want to do a course. We'd been boating for quite a while when we did one, and still learned things, including lots of little tricks that you just wouldn't know unless someone told you. Plus it was a lot of fun!

This is very true. And all that reverse actually pushes the boat away from the side, which is exactly what you don't want to do. I was taught to approach very slowly, allow the bow to touch, and this will gently swing the stern in.

The prices quoted in Canal Boat are £9 for one day and £18 for three days. Online, it's £8 and £16. So if you're buying a three day ticket, or two or more one day tickets, you're making a saving. And avoiding the queues. And getting a free guide (if you want one).

The website says buying online will save you money (although there is a £1.50 transaction fee per order). Either way, it was so frustrating standing in a long and slow moving queue last time, we'll buy in advance. And if you use the code CBS5 before 12 May, they'll send a free show guide too.

You have to ask why they decided to put the service area is the furthest, most inaccessible corner of the marina. It's probably not too bad if all the Black Prince boats are out, but the day we popped in, there were dozens of hire boats, about five abreast, making things tricky.

As long as the boat ticks all the boxes ...

I'm glad it's not just me then!