The Anonymous Bard

Good for you too... bollocks or no bollocks. Sueb's contribution is very admirable and i'm not aware of her attitude to angling either for or against but as you referred to this on the back of my comment "i've never in my entire life met an "anti" that was there on the bamks muckin in and actully doing somrethimg constructive!" i'm not really sure of the relevance as I haven't met her, which in turn enforces my statement regardless of whether you agree with it or not. That, sir... in my opinion hangs the bollocks firmly on the end of your own nose. It's too nice out there today and as much as I would like to enter into a marathon of dialogue with you I really can't see the point as you will fail to change my opinion as much as I will change yours but feel free to poddle on, i'm sure you will.

Ditto... but then it's easy for them to hold a lazy opinion as they watch morning tv as they endure the torment and torture, having time to consider all that is wrong with the world yet doing little about it, whilst awaiting "sign on" time! Must be Hell! Edited to add: For signing on and a couple of other things and...i've never in my entire life met an "anti" that was there on the bamks muckin in and actully doing somrethimg constructive!

A up Andy... good man that chap! Wellies were my first point of call today as I felt the cold water around my chest!

Well... Having completed my first ever work party weekend (post bath... aching back reminding me) on my local lake which I have recently re-joined having last fished it some thirty years ago as a lad I can honestly say that despite naturally defending the genuine angler in general... whilst trying to keep an open mind, I have witnessed a truly broader perspective. In the re-constructing of a "peg" which we happened upon that housed a nest of thriving crayfish amongst the tree roots which lay below it we then spent most of the morning dragging said nest in saturation below the very cold water to a point of almost submersion until we could rest it in a safe place where they could then continue to thrive. Aaaah... but if we weren't there, interfering in the first place, we wouldn't have had to? I should say that the crayfish have begun to thrive because of the water quality which in turn has improved as a result of the angling club's persistence in persuading the local farmer (who's natural lay of land drains into the lake after any significant rainfall) to moderate his use of pesticides and crop enhancing chemicals. Big deal? Yes the fish would have been netted and re-housed elsewhere should any plans develop for the land area but... As the club in question has mortgaged the lake over a period of twenty years in the face of opposition that wanted to fill it in and build a housing estate (to the gratitude of the factory which previously owned it and drew water for cooling via means of the pump house which is still in situ) the trustees of the club have put their own roofs and necks on the line as guarentor's. Where does this leave the "antis" who's only consideration seems to be that a fish (or the wider environment, although I have rarely if ever seen evidence of the wider environment being referred to by the "antis", presumably because they are incapable of thinking that far ahead?) doesn't experience any pain as they often perceive it to be? Looking on in judgement and ignorance as they gently lean on their tillers (or not?) as they themselves pump damaging gasses into the atmosphere which their minds seem to be so blissfully ignorant of in their pursuit of their own enjoyment? Some people seem to speak out in their defence of "compassion" whilst inadvertently adding to the problem. What did you do today to help things? Please... this is not a rant but some balanced, objective comment for those against in the face of the above would be most welcome. Edited for a missed space and the fact that I envisage "antis" as dumb, nose pierced, benefit drawing idiots... That should get it going!

The following article, revealing the depth (!) of the problem, appeared in the Daily Express a couple of days ago. Hosepipe bans as early as Spring? http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/302039/Britain-faces-drought-crisis-Water-shortage-worst-for-90-years

Lol! Watch this space, I trust that if he didn't mean that and there is an opposing view from PaddingtonBear he will be eager to post it rather than letting us all interpret it as irresistible temptation towards an S M Hudson boat (carrot, dangle...).

Really? On the basis of... ?

I can’t help but think that the human brain, despite its evolution of thousands of years, sometimes works like a partitioned computer drive and isolates selective data… on the one hand it’s ok to hold an opinion that something is hurting something else yet on the other hand it’s perfectly ok to jump on our boats in the pursuit of what we consider leisure and enjoyment (liveaboards excluded) and then go on to collectively pump tons of carbon into the environment in the name of pleasure and not for one minute consider that there will be any consequences or that anything will suffer, or even that we are a contributor in any way… I’m not sure how you would balance that? Not a criticism of your comment in any way, just an observation. Food for thought all the same…

I agree. One of the good things about Steve's open weekend is that you always get to see many boats, last year there were literally dozens of not only the boats but their delighted owners too in addition to boats in various different stages of completeion and you can physically see for yourself and make your own judgement on the quality of work, some of the owners boats are brand new and some are many years old so you're not just getting the glossed up "show version". I think Steve's own website is fairly basic to be honest although you can get an estimate of cost from it, i'm not sure about Facebook as i'm not on there myself but the Flickr site that we work is an independent appreciation and nothing to do with Steve himself.

He certainly puts on a good show... 2011 was the last weekend in July IIRC, well worth a look along with many other buildres. http://www.flickr.com/photos/50005139@N08/sets/72157627268026048/

Lol! I couldn't make out what that was myself until looking at some other pictures taken at the same spot, different boat but it looks as though it's the No Parking sign. I'd be surprised if there hadn't been a few good ghost stories circulating over the years at The Swan just up the road... http://www.flickr.com/photos/50005139@N08/4920633293/in/set-72157624018893692 Edited to add that it didn't take long to look one up (rumour, not ghost!). Quote taken from the following link, "If you stay until dark, watch out for the lady ghost who reputedly appears in the mirror in the bar. But we’re not fooled, this pub couldn’t be spooky if it tried: besides, any real ghost worth its salt would probably only want a bag of crisps and a pint and to be as sociable as everyone else." http://www.towpathtalk.co.uk/news/an-amble-with-a-pub-on-the-trent-mersey-canal

I'm just wondering if the exaggeration of this huge wave came from a much smaller wave hitting their cratch whilst it was still intact and effectively "exploding" upwards and giving the impression of a much larger wave, looking at the image I posted above it does seem feasible as the boat in that picture appears to be pitching forwards if you compare the line of the cabin roof to that of the bridge in the background. I could imagine a good swell hitting the cratch front of a moving boat making quite a high escape route over the top of it.

I can't remember where this image came from but i've always thought it to be a good demonstration of tolerance in moderate (relatively speaking) wind/swell... http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/7286/thames.jpg

Could we be talking far up north... on the Caledonian?

Well, as a bit of fun and something we have never gotton to the bottom of... It's a bit vague from the size of image but download and enlarge it, then look directly above the guys head and see what you think? This was something which we never noticed at the time and only picked up on afterwards whilst viewing some images which we had taken, there is a good marker in the signpost to the right of the picture which we have used on visits since to trace back on site but to no avail in finding out what it was as there has never been anything there that could represent the "figure" as we interpreted it in the image. Upon enlargement it's so clearly James Brindley in typical cloak floating half way up a tree with his back to us. Oh how the imagination runs riot... where's the Speckled Hen i'm running dry! http://www.flickr.com/photos/50005139@N08/4589328011/sizes/o/in/set-72157624018948598/

The only option I would have considered is not there... namely wrapping the whole lot in nice paper and Fed Ex'ing it to my boss.

Sounds pretty ideal to me given the convenient proximity to the hallowed turf of Nottingham Forest... even if you do have to pass their poorer relation Notts County on yer way in

Well done Ange... I think you will like Nottingham. Be sure to do the tour below the Broadmarsh Centre of the Victorian streets and tunnels that lie below it and many other places around Nottingham. Edit: Can't spill tunells.