Webchem

Harsh but fair! I would also like to add: 1. Cold tinnies of whatever you are drinking. 2. Ice bucket for keeping tinnies cold. 3. Catapult for adding spice to local Chav's lives 4. Mobile phone 5. Mooring spike (x2) and mallet as they alway seem to end up in the wrong place.

These are great. I feel a book of Canal World Discussion Forum tips coming on.

Now there is a story that leaves me feeling all warm inside! An earlier poster was right, I think we need to agree to differ. I do wish though that those lucky enough to own there own boats would give hire boaters a bit of slack, and also remember that some of us are pretty good - and yes you guys make mistakes too!

I have just returned from a week on the Warwickshire ring with 25 kids and 3 boats (+ 3 other members of staff). The best ever! We had an awesome week. Some of the best teambuilding possible. The best day/evening/night was the Aston Flight and Farmers Bridge. We started with plenty of time to get us up to Cambrian Basin, but a series of problems with the boats ranging from rope wrapped around the prop to engine failure (I am now a diesel god), meant that we ended up still doing the locks a little later than we should (in fact a lot later than we should). I have never seen such fantastic teamwork. The speed with which we got up the flight was truely amazing, god bless em all. It was also raining - but who cares, just a shame the water pressure of the water point at the top of Farmers Bridge is terrible! Sadly the week was mired as it usually is by the behaviour of private boat owners. They are generally rude and arrogant especially when they see young people out on the cut. If this is how they behave towards our future, then it is no wonder that young people have a bad name. I think it took all our student's self control not to swear and use foul language back. A certain gentleman (who should have known better), whose boat was named after a large northern county and a english flower was especially abusive after he shot through a blind bridge hole (which we had approached at a correct speed), nearly hit us, the GRP cruiser moored and 2 other boats in a quite astonishing display of arrogant steering. He then had the audacity to 'eff and blind at us for going too fast. I wish this was an isolated incident, but it wasn't. The standard of helming also seems to have seriously decreased, hireboaters for the most part are competent - a great many private owners (members of this forum excepted of course), seem to think that everything will get out of their way as they clearly own the cut. But before the barrage of abuse heads my way. There are still some decent people out there, who smile and wave, and others who offer helpful advice. When I mentioned this to the hire company they said that this was definately on the increase, with increasing numbers of experienced hirers actually complaining to them about the behaviour of specific named boats. I'll just keep telling the kids to smile and wave - rant over.

What a slur on a lovely lady!

Honestly our cousins from across the water, what bunch of softies...

I think Clarkson always looks like he has a hangover..... Someone at work did tell me who they thought the Stig was, but I have sadly forgotten.

Mmmmmm guinea pig..... Did it taste like chicken?

I have never really come across a program that completely divides people. Top Gear is a bit like Marmite, you either love it or hate it. The only thing worth watching on Fifth Gear is the lovely VBH. If I remember rightly Tiff has done his fair share of donuts in million dollar supercars, and lets face it, the main aim of the program is to give those of us who will never get a chance to drive these cars an opportunity to experience to what it might be like. Whoever thought of the idea of the Stig was a genious! Mind you I did get a chance to drive a Range Rover Sport the other day, I was quite disgusted that I only managed 9 mpg! Very scary - not to mention noisy, ho hum, back to my 8 year old Volvo.....

Thank was quite possibly one of the funniest things I have seen on tv for some time. Why did he insist on going so fast in that truck?

Breasting up is a fantastic and easy way to travel. If both boats have engines, its possible to steer without using the tiller, and even more alarmingly (though very entertaining), full reverse on one, and full forward on the other makes them both go sideways. Word of warning, don't try to go through any bridges, wide beams are a slightly different design and they fit, though you won't - or at least 2 hire boats didn't, resulting in an entertaining collision!