Midnight

I would have been happier still if they were 4 or 5 day moorings. Why so many 2 day moorings? Someone told me they had been problems with continuous moorers but mixing 2, 5 & 7 day mooring would make no difference to that problem.

^^^^^^^^^^ and you will have to pay for mooring in Lechlade too, but well worth it - it's a really nice stretch of river. The only disappointment was the Oxford moorings. It took us a full 14 days to get there only to find about a mile of largely unoccupied 2-day moorings at the end of the canal.

I've met these wonderful chaps three times. Always friendly, pick up their own litter, help you through the lock and offer a swig of whatever is in the bottle in the brown paper bag. They should be given a civic honour of some kind. Unlike the Mayor of Rochdale who should be given a certificate for the scruffiest canal in Britain and made to clean up all the fast food packaging and mattresses that usually wrap around the passing boater's propeller.

Experience tells me from Nantwich you could do the circuit via the L&L & Rochdale in about 18 days but that wouldn't be enjoyable as those daily distances are based on when I've been moving the boat to get somewhere or to get back to base. There's the Wigan flight crew who may help you there. As there's not too many landing stages I think it would be an ordeal single-handed. The L&L swing bridges will slow you down but there's usually plenty of friendly boats moving so you should be able to team up for many of those. A few of the electric ones have had the control panel moved to the towpath side. The Rochdale is tough by yourself but as the locks are doubled you may get lucky there too. I haven't been over that way for a couple of years so there may be help from Volunteers now. There was a really good one on the descent into Manchester helping the single handed boat in front of us all the way from lock 65 last time I was down there. There's usually a few boats moving off from the Rose of Lancaster pub to Manchester around the same time so if you leave with them Grimshaw Lane lift bridge shouldn't be too much of an issue either. Both the L&L and the Rochdale are very spectacular waterways with some great places to stop so you really need time to enjoy them.

Yes that's where the problem started, but CaRT's woeful management have made a pig's ear of it all. Remember Mr Parry after the Whaley Bridge incident saying they had enough money? They have concentrated on well-being,whilst getting rid of experienced staff and replacing them with volunteers and more managers who have not a clue. In our area two very experienced and able technical managers were made redundant and replaced with someone from a greetings card company who, I've been told by those who know, went to a staff meeting and repeatedly said he knew nothing about canals.

I'm on flood watch duties for the boat club it looks like it started to drop at Tod just before 3pm. Marsden is also dropping now.

I never met anyone who could tune a banjo

Off topic but the best example of experienced boater (Not) was a couple I knew who lived on a boat for years making the occasional trip down the river. They saved up for ages to go on a year's cruise around the country and set off one Easter. By coincidence I caught up with them on the Rochdale. Going down into Manchester they were one lock ahead. Five locks down I heard their screams of despair. "Oh no the engine has seized up.... our lives are ruined," they cried. Looking at the situation and considering where we where I suggested it may be something large wrapped around the prop and they should look down the weed-hatch. "Weed-hatch, what's that?" they replied. After removing an old donkey jacket they carried on and fulfilled their dream

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