Tonic required. Send in your photos of what is nice on the waterways now.

[PeterScott]

On this day in 2003

 

Uttoxeter Branch Lock1

 

Excellent online talk yesterday evening on the Uttoxeter Canal by @SteveW ood

including the current planning application to obstruct the line of the canal at Froghall, covered in thread here

 

[PeterScott]

On this day in 1982

 

The One in t'blue'at has a grandstand view of

 

Woodham Junction

 

RWey/BasingstokeC

[John Liley]

Two ways of turning a corner, on the Canal de l'Est,(southern portion) and the Rhone-Rhine Canal. The latter was scheduled in the 1970s for large-scale enlargement, a move with major economic consequences, but was cancelled by the French government in the face of local protest. Environmental concern, ironically, was the explanation given 

[Tam & Di]

49 minutes ago, John Liley said:

Two ways of turning a corner, on the Canal de l'Est,(southern portion) and the Rhone-Rhine Canal. The latter was scheduled in the 1970s for large-scale enlargement, a move with major economic consequences, but was cancelled by the French government in the face of local protest. Environmental concern, ironically, was the explanation given

 I remember that! The Green Party managed to hold the balance of power in the election as I recall, and argued that development of the Rhone-Rhine would destroy a natural habitat for wildlife - i.e. the existing smaller guage canal.

[ditchcrawler]

55 minutes ago, John Liley said:

Two ways of turning a corner, on the Canal de l'Est,(southern portion) and the Rhone-Rhine Canal. The latter was scheduled in the 1970s for large-scale enlargement, a move with major economic consequences, but was cancelled by the French government in the face of local protest. Environmental concern, ironically, was the explanation given

I once turned into the Wardle Canal after exiting Kings lock like that, just for the hell of it.

[Keeping Up]

On our trip across Sweden by Gota Canal, they used the technique on one tricky corner which I reported as "This is a tricky feat of navigation; first the ship must turn upstream into a flowing river section using some impressive "proper boating" techniques. As the ship passed close to the shore, the "jump-ashore Johnny" (in this case a particularly athletic crew-member whose nickname was Tarzan) leapt to the bank and ran ahead. A crew-member on the bows threw him a line with a loop on the end, which he dropped over a substantial strapping post which turned the ship part-way upstream. As the ship continued without slowing down, he lifted the line and transferred it to another post further ahead to turn a little further, and then repeated the exercise on a third post to complete the turn into the river before taking a flying leap back on board. It was wonderful to see this traditional technique being employed here to such good effect, even if most of the other passengers did not appreciate or understand it."

 

 

 

[ditchcrawler]

4 minutes ago, Keeping Up said:

On our trip across Sweden by Gota Canal, they used the technique on one tricky corner which I reported as "This is a tricky feat of navigation; first the ship must turn upstream into a flowing river section using some impressive "proper boating" techniques. As the ship passed close to the shore, the "jump-ashore Johnny" (in this case a particularly athletic crew-member whose nickname was Tarzan) leapt to the bank and ran ahead. A crew-member on the bows threw him a line with a loop on the end, which he dropped over a substantial strapping post which turned the ship part-way upstream. As the ship continued without slowing down, he lifted the line and transferred it to another post further ahead to turn a little further, and then repeated the exercise on a third post to complete the turn into the river before taking a flying leap back on board. It was wonderful to see this traditional technique being employed here to such good effect, even if most of the other passengers did not appreciate or understand it."

 

 

 

They have some interesting boating techniques, H&S seams a bit low on the list in some casses 

[PeterScott]

On this day in 2009

 

Dutton Stop Lock T&M Compare 23Dec2008 and Preston Brook Tunnel Compare 11Oct2008

 

[Dav and Pen]

6 hours ago, John Liley said:

Two ways of turning a corner, on the Canal de l'Est,(southern portion) and the Rhone-Rhine Canal. The latter was scheduled in the 1970s for large-scale enlargement, a move with major economic consequences, but was cancelled by the French government in the face of local protest. Environmental concern, ironically, was the explanation given 

I got caught out by the bend after the tunnel on the Rhone Rhin canal  and we were only 24m but didn’t know it was there 

[DandV]

2 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

They have some interesting boating techniques, H&S seams a bit low on the list in some casses 

I think that could be said about a great deal of the traditional boating techniques, and traditional boating equipment.

[PeterScott]

9 hours ago, PeterScott said:

Excellent online talk yesterday evening on the Uttoxeter Canal by SteveWood including the current planning application to obstruct the line of the canal at Froghall,...

... with serendipitous links to:

 

Start with Steve leading a (very wet) walk along the Burslem Arm in 2016. Yesterday's talk, by happenstance, was in parallel to Radio4's Any Questions  advertised as "Chris Mason presents ...discussion with the Home Office Minister Victoria Atkins MP, ...Daisy Cooper MP, ...Thangam Debbonaire MP and ... Lord Sumption.", the first of whom is the Member of Parliament for the Louth Canal, and hence the 1983 picture of Tetney Lock. Steve's encouragement of opposition to the recent planning application brought to mind the 2007 Westminster Hall debate initiated by Charlotte Atkins, then MP for Staffordshire Moorlands "The project [to bring back life to the Uttoxeter canal] is close to my heart because it would start at Froghall on the edge of my constituency. " and included mention that Staffordshire county council, Staffordshire Moorlands district council and East Staffordshire borough council had all endorsed the project.

 

The other picture is the Wyre Aqueduct, Lancaster Canal, within the boundaries of the (old) Parliamentary Constituency of Preston North, where we might imagine the Election broadcast of the 3 May 1979 General Election: "Over now to a declaration: the marginal constituency of Preston North, we remember the victory for the Conservatives in 1964 by fourteen votes in the closest election this century ... here now is ... being the Deputy Returning Officer for the said constituency I hereby declare that the votes cast in the election were as follows: Atkins, Robert (voice off: Conservative) eighteen thousand six hundred and thirty two (muffled cheers); Atkins, Ronald (voice off: Labour) eighteen thousand six hundred and three (exstatic cheers drown out the rest) (voice off: that's a Conservative gain, twenty nine votes overturning a Labour majority of just under eighteen hundred: a Conservative gain and Mrs Thatcher set fair to become the first ..." The late Ronald Atkins MP was father to Charlotte Atkins. Sir Robert Atkins is father to Victoria Atkins, and later became a junior minister in the Environment Department, and is currently a trustee of the IWA. As far as we know, there is no further family (nor party-political) connection between the two Atkins families, all of whom have been supportive of the waterways.

 

Such is how to occupy a lockdown afternoon with Wikipedia ...

[David Mack]

 

24 minutes ago, PeterScott said:

... being the Deputy Returning Officer for the said constituency I hereby declare that the votes cast in the election were as follows: Atkins, Robert (voice off: Conservative) eighteen thousand six hundred and thirty two (muffled cheers); Atkins, Ronald (voice off: Labour) eighteen thousand six hundred and three (exstatic cheers drown out the rest) (voice off: that's a Conservative gain, twenty nine votes overturning a Labour majority of just under eighteen hundred: a Conservative gain and Mrs Thatcher set fair to become the first ...

And I wonder how many voters in that 1979 election got confused about which R Atkins they wanted to vote for?

Edited March 13, 2021 by David Mack

[David Mack]

29 minutes ago, PeterScott said:

Steve's encouragement of opposition to the recent planning application

...

Quote

 

Such is how to occupy a lockdown afternoon with Wikipedia ...

 

And I spent the afternoon at the HNBC virtual AGM, where Steve Wood described the recent planning application at Froghall, and urged members to submit their objection to the building over the line of the Uttoxeter Canal before the deadline of 23 March.

 

(See the application and how to object at http://publicaccess.staffsmoorlands.gov.uk/portal/servlets/ApplicationSearchServlet?PKID=142566)

Edited March 13, 2021 by David Mack

[PeterScott]

On this day in 2020

 

Firth of Clyde. Hunters Quay - McInroy's Point Ferries passing one another. Compare #91 #95 (both also this day 2020)  More thirteenths of March

[PeterScott]

On this day in 1978

 

River Thames, London. Bridge.

[Bee]

19 hours ago, John Liley said:

Two ways of turning a corner, on the Canal de l'Est,(southern portion) and the Rhone-Rhine Canal. The latter was scheduled in the 1970s for large-scale enlargement, a move with major economic consequences, but was cancelled by the French government in the face of local protest. Environmental concern, ironically, was the explanation given 

Interesting little tunnel directly above the actual boat tunnel, presumably that was from the days when barges were hauled by teams of dogs 

[Athy]

17 minutes ago, Bee said:

Interesting little tunnel directly above the actual boat tunnel, presumably that was from the days when barges were hauled by teams of dogs 

Well spotted (must have been dalmatians, then).

[Rob-M]

This day 2020.  Last time I visited Icknield Port.

 

 

[PeterScott]

On this day in 1981

 

St Katherines Dock,

London

 

Compare

#1238 (1981) 

#4519 (1990)

#4367 (2003)

#1218 (2013)

 

 

 

[PeterScott]

On this day in 2020

 

 

Durham River Wear. Prince Bishop Compare 12Oct2014 and here

[John Liley]

The Rhone-Rhine Canal again. This tunnel, the Souterrain de Thoraise, has since my photos, had a light sculpture installed above each entrance, with curtains of water to get through for those who are afloat.

 

At an earlier lock, the loaded peniche, seen earlier, had to come out of the current at a lock entrance, approaching at minimal speed, then, once the bow touched, carefully motoring round, until straight. This is a dramatic waterway on the western side, but dangerous in in times of flood, with weirs to run alongside. There are also large rocks, with maps at the lockside, sometimes, to show where they are. 

 

The eastern end iwe found very different, with many locks and travelling keepers, with lots of sluice-winding to be done.

[PeterScott]

On this day in 2015

 

 

 

 

 

C+H Batteyford Above and below the lock, and the drydock at South Pennine Boat Club

 

 

[PeterScott]

On this day in 2020

 

Craigendoran River Clyde  Compare 4Mar2016  7Mar2016  1Mar2017   2Mar2017  3Mar2017  7Mar2020

[Ray T]

On 13/03/2021 at 18:08, ditchcrawler said:

They have some interesting boating techniques, H&S seams a bit low on the list in some casses 

(7) Kanaler, båtar och kärlek Göta Kanal Sveriges stolthet - YouTube

[Keeping Up]

For those who haven't the will to watch a 45 minute video, here is my written account from 2013 of the Gota Canal (with lots of photos and a few short optional videos)