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Team “The Workers” Virtual BCN Challenge 2020 Cruise Log


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The good news is that the computer has produced a design for the perfect BCN boat.

 

The bad news is that our time machine seems to have corrupted the printer software and it thinks it’s 1968.
 

Here’s the result:


 

 

6EB6BA17-59CE-49C8-89BA-8E481972A7DB.jpeg

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That is a good looking boat!

 

I hope the welders are going to get it finished in time. Judging by the ominous ring on the plans it appears you may have already started your party - then again as you are workers I guess you have to make the most of non-school nights and there were some crazy parties in 1968

 

MV5BNDRhMzhjZmUtNTEzMy00MjRjLThhMjYtZmQ2

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19 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

Right time to take this seriously, I am packed and ready to go, obviously being an old hand at this I travel light only taking the absolute essentials.

Boating hat, hi vis cause safety is important, one of those funny key things and of course a windlass

 

20200502_121757.jpg

 

As is now a tradition I supply a small stash of fine malt for the crew to enjoy but as travel light is my creed only the essentials.

 

20200502_121706.jpg

 

Just in case I have snuck in a bottle of gin for the ladies who we might meet along the way.

 

 

But that is a colander!

 

Thant won't float

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56 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

Right time to take this seriously, I am packed and ready to go, obviously being an old hand at this I travel light only taking the absolute essentials.

Boating hat, hi vis cause safety is important, one of those funny key things and of course a windlass

 

20200502_121757.jpg

 

As is now a tradition I supply a small stash of fine malt for the crew to enjoy but as travel light is my creed only the essentials.

 

20200502_121706.jpg

 

Just in case I have snuck in a bottle of gin for the ladies who we might meet along the way.

 

 

He is a Monkey!!!!

 

Gin for the ladies? You might need a bit more, I dare say the ones we’re going to meet will be able to drink us under the table.

 

JP

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5 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

He is a Monkey!!!!

 

Gin for the ladies? You might need a bit more, I dare say the ones we’re going to meet will be able to drink us under the table.

 

JP

Fine if you insist I will throw in a bottle of sweet sherry and a gallon of dubonnet, it's at bit dusty, does dubonnet go off?

 

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18 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

Fine if you insist I will throw in a bottle of sweet sherry and a gallon of dubonnet, it's at bit dusty, does dubonnet go off?

 

The sweet stuff is a much better bet. Remember this is Brum, and in the past. I doubt they’ll notice if it’s gone off.

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3 hours ago, Rob-M said:

In preparation for the final day of positioning a fake away breakfast was called for...

 

IMG_20200503_114120563.jpg.c6368464e3c767e8b9c78db284f81bf2.jpg

 

Hmm, seems travelling back through time has caused the atoms of your full English breakfast to reform in a different order.

 

Have the crew been similarly affected? ??

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1 hour ago, Rob-M said:

A surprising cold start this morning, time to get the boots on and prepare to set off...

 

...for work.

 

That’s right. We are “The Workers” and we have to squeeze in work before we can go boating. So while everyone else sets off at 0900 we’ll be joining you later. We can still fit 7 hours in before the deadline though.

 

See you later.

Edited by Captain Pegg
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6 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

...for work.

 

That’s right. We are “The Workers” and we have to squeeze in work before we can go boating. So while everyone else sets off at 0900 we’ll be joining you later. We can still fit 7 hours in before the deadline though.

 

See you later.

We should get a bonus for single handedly keeping the economy ticking over and managing the virtual BCN 

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2 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

We should get a bonus for single handedly keeping the economy ticking over and managing the virtual BCN 

Must be worth something I’d think. Without us there may be no BCN at all in future.

 

When it’s all over I’ll campaign for Walsall No 7 to renamed ‘Rob-M Lock’ with a little plaque that says “Rob-M loved this lock so much that on more than one occasion he simply couldn’t leave it.”

 

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Today there’s no pacing around waiting for the start time of the Challenge like normal. Straight from the very real world of work into the virtual one.

 

We’re at Huddlesford Junction. We’ve been here since yesterday and I posted a clue to our location because that picture of Hexa - Vulpes’ sister boat - that I posted yesterday was taken underneath the railway bridge at Huddlesford. As expected more than a few other folk are starting here. So it’s not such a bad thing we’re making a later start, we should have a clear run up the locks. (Remember folks it’s uphill to Birmingham, and it’s even more uphill to Wolverhampton). 

 

It’s not just the canal that’s busy today, there’s a train passing every few minutes right behind us, lockdown or not. To be honest in spite of all the hustle this doesn’t feel like at all like the BCN, it’s way out in the countryside. We’re heading somewhere very different, and this time more so than usual.

 

First though let’s test out this ‘Automat Sehnsucht’ thing. I’ll be brave and let it pick a random date. OK, it works and it’s now 28th March 1911 and it’s much more peaceful for a start. A goods train is just disappearing into the distance and what’s this? 

 

A young boy comes in to view, leading a horse along the towpath round the bend from the south. Although one horse could haul two boats there is just one boat in tow, and that’s not a boy, not dressed like that. It’s a young girl. As the boat approaches I see it’s cabin is signwritten ‘S Littlemore - Middlewich’ and at the rear the bend of the hull up to the helm carries the boat name ‘Scotia’. It’s beautifully decorated and highly polished. 

 

An owner boatman, so called ‘Number One’, in full flight with a laden horseboat. What a great sight. That’s a good run to be down here from Middlewich, I wonder if it’s a regular contract. The boat is sheeted and low in the water so they’ve got a back load to take home as well.
 

We’re right in the way of the towline, Mr Littlemore is none too pleased. His wife peers up from the cabin to see what’s happening. She seems more sympathetic - or is it a look of total bewilderment - and she waves as they pass and head off round the bend beneath the railway bridge. 

 

After they have passed I reflect that Littlemore is a familiar name on the canals, but from Cheshire? I thought they worked further south. Nothing to do with the BCN I’m sure. Nonetheless I must find out more about this family when we’ve finished boating this evening.

 

Wow, this is some piece of kit and I can’t wait to use it to find out about the BCN as it used to be, but I expect to find a very different kind of boating and boat people when we get there. We’re back to the present now and it’s time to set off and find out if I’m correct.

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Given the short boating days on this virtual challenge there has been time to fire up the BBQ and try out bacon wrapped meat balls on the Weber rotisserie skewer system.

 

IMG_20200504_192329916_HDR.jpg.33ef7cc193971b38b67c6a940674972c.jpg

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So, briefly back to where we started, I’ve done a little family research and it turns out the Littlemore family were from Middlewich originally and that the chap we saw earlier today, Stephen, was one of at least eight brothers who all worked on the canal. The eldest brother, Peter, went to work on the Grand Union and south Midland canals and had a large family and that’s why the name is well known on southern canals. I believe his daughter-in-law Ada is the main inspiration for the title character of ‘Ramlin Rose’.  So maybe canal people were socially mobile. Not something they’re perhaps commonly associated with.

 

However, I can’t find a BCN link so now I’m wondering if the canals of the Midlands were a bit like the settlements themselves. Too high up and too far from the coast for ‘invaders’ to bother with. There’s a theory that’s how the Black Country came to retain - rather than develop - it’s archaic language and accent. Closer to an ancient British language than anywhere else in England.

 

Anyway, tomorrow I’ve arranged to meet someone very well known on the canals who I think might be able to shed some light on boat people. We’d better hope that stoppages don’t prevent us from getting there.

 

 

Edited by Captain Pegg
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Cheers @Dr Bob. It’s nice to know someone is reading all this sh...stuff. There is a point to all this waffle. Just better hope I don’t forget what it is before Saturday when I’m meant to get to it.

Edited by Captain Pegg
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8 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

Cheers @Dr Bob. It’s nice to know someone is reading all this sh...stuff. There is a point to all this waffle. Just better hope I don’t forget what it is before Saturday when I’m meant to get to it.

There's some great stuff in this lot....in all different guises...just so much of to to read.

Keep it up.

Oh no, that's someone else.

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