NbCassie2

There is barely a trickle coming down the bywash at Swanley No2 lock and Swanley marina is lower than I've known it. A fellow moorer came back last weekend saying that he had difficulty getting passed the pipes and that Hurleston was to be closed for 6 weeks (!), so we visited to check that out. They are back pumping from the Shroppie to maintain sufficient flow of water into Hurleston reservoir, because apparently the stoppages at the various tunnels are severly reducing the flow. The claimed stoppage at Hurleston was a misunderstanding, though I'd be a little apprehensive about anyone getting into the top lock at Hurleston passed to outflow from the pipe (aso watch out for the stones that you can hear rattling up the pipe from the Shroppie!)

I think that Station Tug means Hoo Mill. There is a small marina just below the lock - it's just north of Great Haywood. I don't know the area too well (south Staffordshire was where the posh ,lived when I was a lad) but it can't be far from the A34 and you can't get lost finding your way to work then.

Once you get to Swanley call in at the picnic table on Springe Lane for a warm welcome and gossip.

I'm a regular reader but very irregular poster, but has anyone considered what this thread might do to the blood pressure of the editor of Narrow-whingers-world? There will surely be an item in the other place soon pointing out the inaccuracy of the figures and commenting on the self-congratulatory content posted here. PS Many thanks for all the past helpful information and the sheer entertainment of the forum. I'll keep an eye out for any members of the forum at Audlem's gathering this weekend.

Keep in touch with Swanley, as there may be vacancies coming up on the 60' pontoons - there are three boats on brokerage on the pontoons close to where we are. There are vacancies on the 70' and 50' pontoons as far as I can see. Dave

From what I remember, they landscaped an old quarry to create the basin for the wheel and it was cheaper to have the lock rather then excavate more of the quarry to create a level with the canal. Besides watching the lock being worked provides more entertainment for the visitors. Dave

I gave up nearly 7 years ago, as a condition of taking early retirement, but the following figures helped me as they appealed to my bloody minded side. I found on the interweb that the costs of smoking to the NHS were 2.1 billion, the chancellor's (that nice Gordon Blown) take from tobacco taxes were 8 billion. Apparently 1p added to income tax raised at that time 2 billion. Thus the government made about 3 billion on tobacco and if all smokers give up then the government would need to have raised taxes by the equivalent of 4p in the pound. Think how all the self-righteous non-smokers who complain about the smell would react to that! The figures also explain why governments are unwilling to go for an outright ban on tobacco, but tinker round the edges and ostracise smokers. Hope you succeed and hope you experience also the supposed non-financial benefits of stopping.

I'd not thought of tunnels - but Ellesmere and Chirk tunnels for me are both uphill when going west to Llangollen and downhill when returning. I agree about Harecastle, but I only have this sensation when going north and can see the light at the end

I should have been clearer that this is a purely visual perception and that I'm puzzled by what aspects of the surroundings cause these strange perceptions. That flow is not an issue is shown by the sense of traveling west up Chirk cutting, but down the feeder from Trevor to bridge 34W. This latter section is interesting because initially there is little view on either sides, basically trees with odd glimpses of hills on the right and the dee valley on the left, then you come round the bend with the straight leading very clearly down to bridge 34W. This sense of down comes over even on photographs (they are all on my computer in Edinburgh - sorry). What aspects of the surroundings affect these perceptions? I used to think that in cutings it was whether the canal curved to the right, a sense of downhill, or left, a sense of uphill, as in Chirk cutting. The same is true of Woodeaves cutting, but what about the section from Market Drayton to Tyrley locks. When heading south for me this is clearly uphill, wide open canal with trees on both sides across the embankment, the view opens up just before the bridge but still uphill, then it bends to the left in a deepening cutting and you're still going uphill, then a final long straight in a deep cutting and it's still uphill to the lock (and the reverse as you head back north). All very odd. Is there and "??ologist" somewhere whohas down research on any area of perception related to this? ((Maybe I shouldn't have started this topic: this used to a matter of "hm that's funny" but having put it into words it could become an obsession.)

Can anyone explain why certain sections of canals give you the impression that you are traveling downhill and uphill on the way back e.g the feeder up to Llangollen, while others give the opposite impression, e.g Chirk cutting? Of course it could just be me, but I can't remember anyone ever mentioning this before in the 17 years I've been be holidaying and owning a boat.