PeterScott

From this day in 2017. Grindley Brook Llangollen Canal

Wikipedia says "... in an unusual move Johnson Brothers built in 1960 three new, specialized barges, named Milton Princess, Milton Maid and Milton Queen, to convey pottery over a 2.5-mile (4 km) stretch of the canal from its factory in Milton to a new packaging plant near the Ivy House lift bridge in Hanley. The experiment was a huge success. Transport by water reduced costs by 50 per cent and diminished the number of breakages of wares. Operation continued until 1990, becoming one of the last commercial narrowboat runs." and this is a picture of a not-loaded boat from our Caldon trip in 1977.

On this day in 2018 Coventry Canal. The famous boat is the one in the middle: the floating pontoon. MiltonMaid which once moved pottery beween factories on the CaldonCanal

On this day in 2019 Coventry Canal

Sadly, another silent Sunday, and no chance of the regular teaching of new bellringers. Sadly, too I haven't any recordings of the bells of Braunston, so here is St Michael's Southampton, where we learnt as students and by chance was on the BBC's Bells on Sunday last week. Back to Braunston, here is a picture from Duncan Davis's excellent coffee-table book BRAUNSTON andBACK of Elaine (swmbo) posing in Braunston's ringing chamber with her rope and sally, in Duncan's description "in full regalia". Also in the picture is Peter Wenham, tower captain at Braunston, who died in 2015. This was brought to mind by the Channel5 programme Celebrity Britain By Barge (Episode5 from 50'50" in), when Braunston vicar Rev Nat White remembered Elaine's ringing as a link to the old boating communities. Having a TV neither at home nor on the boat it was happenstance to be watching the programme live in a flat in Scotland a fortnight ago. In these isolationist days, a fortnight of days seems a long time ago.

Less wooly sheep...

From this day in 2017: I think there may be a sheep under there somewhere

Isolationist times away from t'cut ? Picture from this day last year on CoventryCanal. How to isolate your canal from its towingpath users.

Isolationist times away from t'cut ? and this day in 2019 (and 2018) was a not-boating day between two boating-days. In 2017 we were descending the T&M's Cheshire Locks (Heartbreak Hill), and the motorway hereabouts was being converted to all-lane running, which brings traffic much closer to the canal.

Isolationist times away from t'cut ? Picture from this day last year: one of the Leeds watertaxis taken from t'other.

No ducks were hurt in the taking of this picture...

Isolationist times away from t'cut ? Pictures from this day last year have a short day from FradleyJ to base at Streethay via HuddlesfordJ here. Not prticularly spring-like ...

Social Distancing ...

Shouldn't (leave home) and it isn't (sinking) ...

If only kingfisher would come so close or stay so long ...

This one's not particularly wild, but doesn't look particularly pleased, either: we were both happy to have a fence between us: by the Caldon Canal ' a bit ago'

Neither particularly wild nor clasically beautiful, but will a 'bit shaggy' do?

More from Dunoon

For these troubled times ... ... a wash ... from the Dunoon ferry last week

Spring - from a few years ago

Had some trips in 2006 on a namesake, and we seemed to cheer up passing boaters.

Just below Nash Mill footbridge twixt Locks 68/69 southern GU in the last week of April 2019. By the time we passed on Fulbourne, C&RT had exacted significant retribution on the offending tree

Middlewich moorings are generally good in our experience, and have left boat there on 14day moorings without difficulty. Out of choice, above Wardle Lock on Middlewich Branch (first pic) , or above Big Lock below Andersen Boats are OK. Or stay where you are and a taxi might be less uncomfortable Good Luck ?

Some backstory on br17: when we passed up the canal on Sunday 6th Oct, (the collapse was on Mon 7th) the metal piles in the earlier pictures - which had been installed the previous week, it seems - were holding up a new wall. If that was being used as extra height to the canal-bridge wall as a retaining wall, it didn't retain too well. I wonder what the site looked like when it had a lift-bridge. Any offers of very-old pics ??