Midnight

Webasto Thermotop C seems to be the best choice. See Ebay for deals but about £1400 retail

I have a lot of difficulty with fox hunting. As a teenager I was 110% anti then I moved to the country. I live almost between two estates. One owned by a large corporate. The gamekeepers there gas the fox coverts, there's no hunting but there again there are very few if any foxes. On the other estate owned by a lord there are foxes and there is a hunt but made up of local farmers and villagers, many are neighbors. I now keep my own council and wrestle with the conundrum. Do I want foxes which means the hunt - who despite the law probably do chase live foxes. Or do I want no hunt which probably means no foxes. To complicate matters I once had a fox break into a coup and kill 21 of my bantams in one night. I would cheerfully have ripped the little bugger apart if I'd caught it.

I suggest you moor in the Castlefield area then do the Rochdale 9 and the Ashton in a day or split it and stay at the bottom of the Ashton there's a few good places around there. The Ashton isn't so bad these days and even 20 odd years ago I never met with any real trouble. I been down into Manchester a dozen or so times since then and not had any issues at all. Facilities are poor in Manchester last time I was there only a water point in the Potato wharf and the sanitary station was closed. Remember the Bridgewater Canal is managed by Peel who only allow CaRT license holders 7 days before they charge.

I think we all agree with that Arthur. Is it likely CaRT will get more funding for reservoirs - probably. Is it likely CaRT will get more funding for general canal maintenance - unlikely

I've no idea and I'm no expert but that damage looks similar to Whaley Bridge and will be a big concern to those living below.

errr but didn't Mr Parry say on Newsnight “We aren’t short of money to spend on reservoirs,"

'Don't fix it until it's broken' in action

Under the terms of the lease SPBC can only supply non-members with a small quantity in emergencies.

I'm afraid you looking at the wrong boat here - my advice is walk away now. You said "She was also shot blasted, 2-pack epoxy coated including base plate and had 12 new anodes fitted in 2018" According to McDuff technical support anodes do nothing until the blacking breaks down. My boat was 2-packed from new 15 years ago and has been re-blacked using same 2-pack every 3 years since. The original anodes are still only partially corroded. "do you think this is a massive alarm bell for issues underneath?" "he's knocked a further 2k off the price agreed if I do not get a survey and move in this month" ALARM BELL There's too many things that don't add up here I would be very wary. If you are set on it get a full survey but I don't see why you would need to pay a 10% deposit first. I would be very cautious, you may not see that again under any circumstances.

Hi Mac Heading up the Pocklington next weekend. How was the link between the river and canal and how bad is the weed up to Melbourne? We had a few problems last year and there was a willow hanging at about 45 degrees over the link which I reported it to the Barrage Lockie

Hebden Bridge has got to be the slowest in the world

I think that applies only to tidal rivers, but there are many sewage treatment works that discharge raw sewage into rivers when in flood. I was quite horrified to find that out after the Boxing Day floods in the Calder Valley. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/16/raw-sewage-flowing-into-rivers-across-england-and-wales Looking at the azolla problem on the Selby canal it makes you think.

You would work it. It would just either be full if going down or empty if going up.

... if CaRT instructed them not to help with locking a boat unless asked but to help by setting locks ready they would still get to play locks and nobody would object to them being in charge of a lock not yet in use.

Absolutely No. When single handed going down, centre rope 2 turns around a forward bollard or at my feet if there's none and I never leave the boat until it's down and the bottom gates open - too many hang-ups both going up and down. Fortunately always been there to sort it out.