Graham_Robinson

Ach zo it was only a matter of time. Hitler has been to Pooley Hall then Braunston now he's apparently on his way to Birmingham. For you, you 2.1336M schweinehunds das krieg ist zu ende. Star is up for sale I'm buying a Spitfire.

Have you the cap to go with the badge? I think you'll look very fetching wearing that ensemble on the back of the Otley

I think you'll find that it's not only historic craft that are getting stuck. there have been instances of private and hire boats struggling through and some getting stuck. There is some serious subsidence occuring here which has accelerated alarmingly in the last couple of years. I've been working close by here for a few years now and I can assure you you don't need a laser or tape measure to see the how the lock is slowly collapsing into the sunset........ Hopefully this Winters stoppage will arrest this damage otherwise you'll be struggling to get a canoe up the flight.

I once spent an interesting 3 hours or more searching through the 'stuff' in the hold before I finally found a pair of matching brass escutcheons. Wonder what happened to it? Maybe it's part of the joblot.

LMS Hire boats? SY Cygnet and Teal Mmmmmmhhhhh Ssssstttttteeeeeaaaaammmmmm..............................................

There were 4 Middlewich boats for sale in Venetian Marina earlier this year including 'Willow' which I and friends hired 4x in the 90's. My parents hired from The Tardebigge Boat Co. in the 60's. Tardebigge top lock being my first introduction to locks on the cut. Nothing like jumping in at the deep end. They also hired boats from Wheaton Aston, I think that would be Anglo Welsh but I stand to be corrected. Our hiring boat days finished off with a two week epic on an Ernie Thomas boat. I still remember to this day conversations with himself the biggest majority unprintable in todays PC world.............or other stores for that matter.? I've got a box full of prints, negatives and slides which I keep threatening to convert to digital file.....................one day....................

Steaming right off track again.....metaphorically that is.... Non can beat the mighty LMS................ Watching a Scots express drifting down the hill through Lancaster or thundering through Carnforth is a sight I'll never forget.

Thanks Dave. I have to agree, of course I would. Those open square eyed things are chewing up tapered lock spindles up and down the system. That's from C&RT engineers not me but anyone with half an eye can see the damage being done. So if you want the best, forget the rest. We are investigating the possibilities of placing a steel insert into the handle on the next batch of Duntons to be cast for those poor souls who inadvertantly drop theirs into the cut. Or we can cast the whole windlass in steel if enough people were interested in purchasing. Oh hang on that'll include me then!!! After dropping mine in and later recovering, I began the search for the producer of Dunton windlass and eventually found him. Here they are then

This is what you need ?

Talk about crawling!!! So this is how you get ahead of me in the queue.☹️

Hudson, high end????? Really????

A sad tale indeed. Perhaps when a Mr. S. Priest returns from The Hawthorns ( in a bad mood one suspects as the Baggies only managed a draw against bottom club Ipswich?) he can enlighten, us, them, me when Water Rambler will recommence rambling

How many pasties did you have on New Years eve pray tell??

Aaah the tall tales of the Dunton windlass. I could write a book on them. This is a new one on me though so congratulations. An abridged history on them was featured in both the HNBC newsletter and in this months Towpath Talk. Please get in touch with me and I'll gladly sort you one out. I have never mentioned the specific location of the foundry only that it is in the Black Country and trying not to be too pedantic they certainly weren't designed there. The location of the foundry is a secret, even from me. Nick is keeping his cards close to his chest on that one and knowing what he has had to suffer over the past years ( being ripped off, not paid etc.) I don't blame him one bit.

You can buy new Eppings but it might be easier to try jumping through several hoops of fire. I may have one for sale very soon if successful in negotiating said hoops, to add to my collection of reconditioned ones also up for sale.

You can have your bits back if you like ?

I'm hoping I've some sort of fore end, not sure what yet! I may well be coming into Braunston in astern gear ? We're sorting prices out tomorrow and I'll also sort out postage costs next week. If more peeps throw theirs into the cut this time next year I may well be a millionaire?

I'm hoping to have a selection of Dunton Double and Double+ windlasses for sale at Braunston this weekend. Hoping to be there on Star, that is if Steve can put the gas axe down for a moment. I could tell you the full story as to how we've got to this point......................................but I'm not.? Maybe a few beers at the weekend may loosen my tongue.???

Not anymore there isn't ? 90% of it is in the skip along with most of my fore end ?

Do you think the dog is chained to the can? If can and dog get swept of roof it could easily retrieve it.............oh hang on it looks more like a german shepherd than a retriever so maybe not!

Enterprise is heading to Ellesmere Port From Brinklow.

There's 12 hours of daylight @ this time of the year...........how much more do you want?

To Archie Does this mean your towing job may be in jeopardy this weekend?

Judging by the depth of those cuttings I think we can safely say that would have been the original and mother of all 'Big Digs'.

After our conversation earlier Peter I pm'd the poster..expect a call from them