They Dont Hang Around Long

[frangar]

9 minutes ago, TheMenagerieAfloat said:

Some people in houses have little/no interest in interior design or buildings maintenance. Similarly many people in 'park homes' have little interest in caravanning. It is quite difficult to feel sympathy with the leisure boater when the GU was designed and built for trade and workers' accommodation (in boatman's cabins), not for boating as a pass-time... Do all the 'proper' boating-interested boaters paint over their scumbling becasue it is all about making their boats too similar to a pleasant place to live? Burn their crochet on their stoves becasue pretty needlework is too homely in the context of 'serious' boating? There is a longer tradition of making cheap homes as nice as possible on the canals than there is of swooshing (or not swooshing, becasue washes and all that) around them for fun.

You have a lot to learn!! 

[Guest]

Just now, frangar said:

You have a lot to learn!! 

Of course. But I'm pretty sure the GU wasn't built for retired people to go canal-spotting on.

[frangar]

Just now, TheMenagerieAfloat said:

Of course. But I'm pretty sure the GU wasn't built for retired people to go canal-spotting on.

Nor was it built for widebeams...or narrowboats to be used as cheap housing....however narrowboats actually fit the navigation unlike widebeams.....for some reason widebeam owners never expect to meet themselves coming the other way....or indeed anything coming the other way in my experience. 

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, frangar said:

narrowboats to be used as cheap housing...

Narrowboats have a very long tradition of being used as cheap housing - what on earth do you think boatmans cabins are?!?

Edited February 10, 2020 by TheMenagerieAfloat

[frangar]

2 minutes ago, TheMenagerieAfloat said:

Narrowboats have a very long tradition of being used as cheap housing - what on earth do you think boatmans cabins are?!?

Really!!?? You need to read up on some history of the cut...oh and they are back cabins....

[Guest]

Go on, have fun finding me a lovely book to read explaining how it is an entirely stupid novice mistake to assume that the small accommodation sections at the back of boats were ever used as accommodation by the people who worked on the boats...

[frangar]

1 minute ago, TheMenagerieAfloat said:

Go on, have fun finding me a lovely book to read explaining how it is an entirely stupid novice mistake to assume that the small accommodation sections at the back of boats were ever used as accommodation by the people who worked on the boats...

There’s your answer “worked on boats” not lived on a boat while working in a coffee shop in Hoxton because they dont want to pay for a flat.....

[Guest]

1 minute ago, frangar said:

There’s your answer “worked on boats” not lived on a boat while working in a coffee shop in Hoxton because they dont want to pay for a flat.....

That is still cheap (possibly the only affordable - have you seen how much baristas get paid vs how much flats in Hoxton cost?!?) accommodation for those working near by. Which is still way more 'in keeping' with what the GU was built for than retired ppl canal spotting.

[frangar]

Just now, TheMenagerieAfloat said:

That is still cheap (possibly the only affordable - have you seen how much baristas get paid vs how much flats in Hoxton cost?!?) accommodation for those working near by. Which is still way more 'in keeping' with what the GU was built for than retired ppl canal spotting.

Have you thought of joining the baton twirlers??? Seems you’d fit right in with them.....

[Alan de Enfield]

3 minutes ago, frangar said:

Have you thought of joining the baton twirlers??? Seems you’d fit right in with them.....

[frangar]

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Looks like theve changed their name & website....perhaps they were fed up with the association!! ??

[Ray T]

11 minutes ago, TheMenagerieAfloat said:

That is still cheap (possibly the only affordable - have you seen how much baristas get paid vs how much flats in Hoxton cost?!?) accommodation for those working near by. Which is still way more 'in keeping' with what the GU was built for than retired ppl canal spotting.

Actually The Grand Junction Canal, part of the Oxford Canal, Napton to Warwick Canal and the Warwick to Birmingham Canal , which made up The Grand Union Canal on the 1st January 1929.

 

The Grand Junction Canal grew out of a need for a better waterway than that provided by the Oxford Canal and the Thames, to link the industrial Midlands with London, which besides being a considerable market in its own right was also one of our principal seaports.

 

https://tringlocalhistory.org.uk/Canal/c_chapter_01.htm#d

 

Have a read of this.

 

https://tringlocalhistory.org.uk/Canal/index.htm

 

Edited February 10, 2020 by Ray T

[Alan de Enfield]

3 minutes ago, frangar said:

Looks like theve changed their name & website....perhaps they were fed up with the association!! ??

Maybe this one ?

 

 

 

National Boats always Tied up Association

 

No Boats Travelling Anywhere

Edited February 10, 2020 by Alan de Enfield

[Parahandy]

1 minute ago, frangar said:

Looks like theve changed their name & website....perhaps they were fed up with the association!! ??

Its a pity we cant give you some Award for your work on this Thread Today , you certainly deserve one ?

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Ray T said:

Have a read of this.

 

https://tringlocalhistory.org.uk/Canal/index.htm

 

Nice pictures of e.g. the Ward family who lived on NB IRIS? And an account of the difficulties faced by the Grand Junction Canal Company in the '30s with too few boatmen prepared to live/work on the canal?

7 minutes ago, Parahandy said:

Its a pity we cant give you some Award for your work on this Thread Today , you certainly deserve one ?

I think you can (new to forum so fount of all board knowledge, me) - there is some form of likes counter on here isn't there? And picking on new boaters is such a noble art form ?

[Captain Pegg]

10 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

This is the nub of it. The GU was designed and built for narrow boats, but is being filled up with widebeams by people with little or no interest in boating. People whose only or main concern is to obtain accommodation as similar as possible to a house, but cheaper.

 

 

 

 

 

37 minutes ago, frangar said:

Nor was it built for widebeams...or narrowboats to be used as cheap housing....however narrowboats actually fit the navigation unlike widebeams.....for some reason widebeam owners never expect to meet themselves coming the other way....or indeed anything coming the other way in my experience. 

We’ve been here many times before and no one has yet countered my previously evidenced point that the GJC was designed and built with the ultimate intention of the operation of wide beam boats.

 

When that did not materialise as a regular occurrence north of Berkhamsted the maintenance standards were not sufficiently upheld to support it. Today that may be the case for the whole canal. I don’t dispute it may never be an easy canal for a larger modern widebeam but let’s not distort history or suppress the future capability of the network with inaccuracies.

 

JP

Edited February 10, 2020 by Captain Pegg

[frangar]

6 minutes ago, TheMenagerieAfloat said:

And picking on new boaters is such a noble art form 

Maybe if new boaters took time to take stock and learn rather than just acting like they are experts then it might benefit them....the cut is full of history and traditions...there are very good reasons why things are like they are...yet some insist they know better.....

[peterboat]

8 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

 

We’ve been here many times before and no one has yet countered my previously evidenced point that the GJC was designed and built with the ultimate intention of the operation of wide beam boats.

 

When that did not materialise as a regular occurrence north of Berkhamsted the maintenance standards were not sufficiently upheld to support it. Today that may be the case for the whole canal. I don’t dispute it may never be an easy canal for a larger modern widebeam but let’s not distort history or suppress the future capability of the network with inaccuracies.

 

JP

Virtual greenie mate 

[Parahandy]

8 minutes ago, TheMenagerieAfloat said:

Nice pictures of e.g. the Ward family who lived on NB IRIS? And an account of the difficulties faced by the Grand Junction Canal Company in the '30s with too few boatmen prepared to live/work on the canal?

I think you can (new to forum so fount of all board knowledge, me) - there is some form of likes counter on here isn't there? And picking on new boaters is such a noble art form ?

I didn't attack you , I posted a Thread inviting some comment about the amount of Widebeams for sale comparatively early in their respective ownerships , I drew a comparison with comparable Narrowboats which in my opinion enjoyed greater longevity with their original owners . Incredibly you accused me of being guilty of jealousy and another cretin of taking pleasure in anothers misfortune ? Dont bother to reply because I am past caring but spare me the faux outrage

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, frangar said:

Maybe if new boaters took time to take stock and learn rather than just acting like they are experts then it might benefit them....the cut is full of history and traditions...there are very good reasons why things are like they are...yet some insist they know better.....

Maybe if old boaters took time to take stock and learn they'd at least be able to impart some factually correct historic or current info ?

 

2 minutes ago, Parahandy said:

I didn't attack you , I posted a Thread inviting some comment about the amount of Widebeams for sale comparatively early in their respective ownerships , I drew a comparison with comparable Narrowboats which in my opinion enjoyed greater longevity with their original owners . Incredibly you accused me of being guilty of jealousy and another cretin of taking pleasure in anothers misfortune ? Dont bother to reply because I am past caring but spare me the faux outrage

I meant picking on new widebeam owners.

New, expensive widebeam owners.

Edited February 10, 2020 by TheMenagerieAfloat

[PD1964]

11 minutes ago, frangar said:

Maybe if new boaters took time to take stock and learn rather than just acting like they are experts then it might benefit them....the cut is full of history and traditions...there are very good reasons why things are like they are...yet some insist they know better.....

  Most new boaters have no interest in canal history, they seem to just want to film themselves for their Vlog on YouTube, they move their boat do a couple of locks and are experts. They get a narrowboat for a cheap place to live while still working and not for the the life or history. Offer them a 2 Bed Semi and they would be off in a shot never to be seen on a narrow boat again.

[frangar]

4 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

  Most new boaters have no interest in canal history, they seem to just want to film themselves for their Vlog on YouTube, they move their boat do a couple of locks and are experts. They get a narrowboat for a cheap place to live while still working and not for the the life or history. Offer them a 2 Bed Semi and they would be off in a shot never to be seen on a narrow boat again.

You are very right...the few videos I’ve watched have been hilarious...and not in a good way! 

[Parahandy]

13 minutes ago, TheMenagerieAfloat said:

Maybe if old boaters took time to take stock and learn they'd at least be able to impart some factually correct historic or current info ?

 

I meant picking on new widebeam owners.

New, expensive widebeam owners.

I never picked on any new wide beam owners , where did you read that ? 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, PD1964 said:

  Most new boaters have no interest in canal history, they seem to just want to film themselves for their Vlog on YouTube, they move their boat do a couple of locks and are experts. They get a narrowboat for a cheap place to live while still working and not for the the life or history. Offer them a 2 Bed Semi and they would be off in a shot never to be seen on a narrow boat again.

That went for most of the original occupants of canal boats too. They weren't the landed gentry taking time to 'cruise x% of the network' - they were working people who could very often not afford anything else. 'The life (of a retired canal spotter)' is definitely not a part of 'the (older) history'.

[Parahandy]

5 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

  Most new boaters have no interest in canal history, they seem to just want to film themselves for their Vlog on YouTube, they move their boat do a couple of locks and are experts. They get a narrowboat for a cheap place to live while still working and not for the the life or history. Offer them a 2 Bed Semi and they would be off in a shot never to be seen on a narrow boat again.

Sadly true .