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astalweeks

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Everything posted by astalweeks

  1. Came down Hatton today and was plagued by a particularly annoying swarm of little flies. I remember many years ago being told that they were a unique species belonging to Hatton. Was this true or was my plonka being pulled?
  2. We had a week out ten days ago doing a circuit starting and finishing at Great Haywood via Birmingham. All the family and the dog had a great time and can't wait to do it all again. Here are the latest moans Day Boats. Don't you love them! I would imagine they are desperately hard to steer, they seem to take a very interesting course when going the same way as us and when they come toward me they always go into reverse and then end up broadside on the canal. Actually this not necessarily confined to day boats, both hire boats and owned boats also do this sometimes. Previously I've had to dodge the electric boats in London and now I see they have reached Birmingham as well. Paddle Boarders. This is a new menace which I have not encountered before. I caught up with one so I slowed right down to pass only to get a torrent of abuse mainly because apparently there was a bow wave at the front of the boat, when I suggested it was very hard for a boat to move forward without the bow creating a bow wave I was told I was a 'Tocking Fusser' or something like that I think. I wished her bon voyage. Wolverhampton to Factory Locks, what a lot of weeds, luckily the water is so clear you can see how clogged up the prop is getting which it did 3 times. And then the BCN, which is now such a beautiful canal, green banks, wildlife, we saw 2 kingfishers. Compared to my first trip along there in 1972 when it still had horse drawn boats and steel works and an individual odour. Gas Street/Birmingham has had a complete makeover since my last visit. I actually quite liked it when it was still industrial and everyone spoke like Carl Chinn so it was good going down Farmers Bridge Locks and passing all these new lookalike flats with balconies and then going under the big bridge and entering a time warp with the drinkers having a garden party outside the derelict factories. Holdens v Bathams. Still can't decide, went to the Great Western. Had the Holdens Bitter and then a Bathams, so had another Holdens and the another Bathams and then bought a carry out with 4 pints of each for further research. Still undecided so will have to return and carry out further tastings. I think the Bathams is stronger than the Holdens but the Holdens seemed to slip down easier. We also had the faggots and mushy peas to soak it up. Global Warming. 7 days of non-stop sunshine followed by a months worth of rain once we had tied up. There didn't appear to be any water shortages but presume this will change once the schools are out. Are CRT dredging, I thought the Coventry round Hopwas was fairly shallow and I was in a hire boat. I took a partly loaded boat through there in 1980 with no problems. Yes they are dredging further along on the T&M. Whats with these sacking bolsters, won't they just rot away. Out again in October, intending to the Mon and Brec
  3. We had a hire boat out last week, and in my opinion, October is always a good time of year for boating. The trees are turning and there are very few boats around. We worked our way up a flight of locks, carried on for another 1/2 mile and tied up. We were in the middle of nowhere, not a house in sight, so I was quite surprised when I went to look at the moon later that evening (a euphonism) to see that someone had tied up 10 ft behind us. I was even more surprised when he fired up a petrol generator at 7.30am the next morning. We weren't actually intending to be up that early, it was a Sunday. I suppose I could have got dressed and gone and have a word with them but then I would be up as well. So, we joined in and cranked up our rattly old engine which rather ruined the whole idyllic pastoral setting. There were a series of letters earlier this year in some newspaper bemoaning the fact that wherever people stopped for a picnic within 10 minutes they would be joined by fellow picnickers. It would appear to be affecting boats now as well.
  4. Well, it's only taken 7 years but eventually, I have found a Measham tea pot in a charity shop. £15 slight damage to spout.
  5. I always believed that I had sold Sirius to Bryan through the good offices of John Wooley. I am pleased to hear that it had further work undertaken by John though when I had it the hull was still in a reasonable condition. But obviously not as good as I thought it was. So where are Arcturus and Sirius now?
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  12. Big article in today's Torygraph property section all about buying a boat and living in london. The lady says it's all very easy and saving her a shed load of money. I wonder if this is an idea which will catch on, even CRT are quoted as saying it is a good idea. I would like to add a link but there doesn't appear to be one yet.
  13. Successfully completed the second leg of our Hants/Surrey canal cycling adventure. The Wey is not a patch on the Basingstoke in the beauty stakes. Guildford seems to have chosen to turn its back on it. But the White House did an excellent London Pride. The towpath was fairly ropey in places. obviously I can't comment on the navigation of the Basingstoke but the one boat i did see appeared to moving easily enough. The locks didn't seem to be overly leaky compared to others I have seen but as they only have one set of paddles I would imagine they would be woefully slow to operate. there seemed to be quite a lot of work being undertaken, such as vegetation being cut back. Certainly more than is done on our local canals.
  14. Today the wife and I cycled from Greywell tunnel to Woking along the canal. I would say the Basingstoke Canal has to be the prettiest canal on the system, especially at this time of year. Towpath in excellent condition, castles, pubs and no strings of linear boat moorings. Saw one boat on the move. Tomorrow we are going to finish it off and then head down to Godalming. It's supposed to be november, feels like May!
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  16. In the 70's a butty was regarded as a 70ft canoe for licensing purposes on the Thames. Is this still the same today?
  17. Today's charity shop trawl produced a most peculiar item. A Habitat plate, made of bone china, with a lace plate printed on it. I paid £1 and have since looked it up on Ebay. Like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Habitat-Ella-Doran-JOANIE-Dessert-Plates-21-5cm-set-of-3-/172236013648
  18. I remember a wooden butty 70ft with a clinker conversion in the early 70's called 'Edwina M' (after Mrs Mountbatten I expect). It had a lovely Lister CE2 and a brick open fireplace with a boiler in the chimney. I was told it had been built pre war (WW2) solely for pleasure and had never been worked. It was for sale on the Northern Stratford for £500 (I think). I always wish I had bought it
  19. National already fitted but would only be started with a generous application of easy start. Even in summer.
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  21. I owned Towy at one stage and I can happily say it was the most interesting boat I ever had. Fun events included nearly sinking in Blisworth tunnel, the gearbox snapping whilst being interviewed by the BBC approaching Stoke Bruerne locks, getting a barbed wire fence (plus posts) stuck round the prop and having to dive in to cut it off in March and catching the rudder on the cill causing it to drop off.And then I sold it. LIfe became rather dull after that so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
  22. Daughter no2 was in hysterics when Pru was being guided up the hill by the dashing Viking leaving poor old Tim floundering behind on all fours. In fact she found it so amusing we had to to replay it about 10 times. I did point out it wouldn't be long before I would be in the same position (if not already) :1cry
  23. To continue the saga our winter cruise we have now arrived at Buckby. Amusingly I managed to jam myself across Norton Junction due to a miscalculation of the angle of the entrance to the GU Leicester arm. Luckily it was getting dark and no-one saw it (I hope). There seems to be a lot of brick dust in the front well, I hope the bridge is alright.
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