Interesting times at Grindley Brook

[Hudds Lad]

12 hours ago, Tony1 said:

Who knows, perhaps the recalcitrant youths of today could be extracted from their luxurious centrally-heated classrooms, and instead of wasting time on gender studies,

Since the covid thing started they’ve been in classrooms with wide open windows no matter the weather for ventilation. Due to uniform rules they cannot wear coats on school premises or face sanctions (detention in old money), similarly they cannot remove their blazers or again face sanctions.

Daughters school did relent a few weeks back to allow them to wear the school branded PE sweatshirts under their blazers for a week whilst temps were particularly low, coats were still to be kept in bags (no cloakrooms anymore due to fear of theft and/or loitering).

 

We bought the offspring some white thermal tops to wear under her shirt, so far no teachers have noticed otherwise it would be a C3 sanction (30min detention)

[Tracy D'arth]

13 hours ago, Tony1 said:

 

Thanks for the heads up. I'll keep an eye on it. 
I've heard that there are fewer than normal moorings spots on the Macc, and that news would normally incline me towards trying it in winter, but if I start south from the Chester/Tattenhall area in early June, I can't really just go right past it, so if its looking good for a month or two I'll give it a try. 

 

Do consider that the Macc is a high pound, 518 feet above sea level, and is one of the first canals to ice up. I have been iced in a few times on the Macc, sometimes for weeks.

Still if global warming eventually gets going we may be able to cruise all winter everywhere.

[Tony1]

3 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

Since the covid thing started they’ve been in classrooms with wide open windows no matter the weather for ventilation. Due to uniform rules they cannot wear coats on school premises or face sanctions (detention in old money), similarly they cannot remove their blazers or again face sanctions.

Daughters school did relent a few weeks back to allow them to wear the school branded PE sweatshirts under their blazers for a week whilst temps were particularly low, coats were still to be kept in bags (no cloakrooms anymore due to fear of theft and/or loitering).

 

We bought the offspring some white thermal tops to wear under her shirt, so far no teachers have noticed otherwise it would be a C3 sanction (30min detention)

 

Its this kind of mollycoddling that will do our youngsters no good in the longer term. 

My viewpoint on children is probably not too far from that of ancient Sparta, who reportedly left newborn babies outside overnight, as a sort of survival test. 

Why not introduce this principle into modern Britain? Classes could be conducted in the open air throughout winter, and with no coat-wearing permitted. 

The weakest of the current crop may well perish of course, but think of the savings in NHS costs.

And the survivors will be all the stronger, ready for a lifetime of productive work in any number of fast food outlets. Or indeed digging canals.

 

 

[Mike Todd]

15 hours ago, Tony1 said:

 

It strikes me that our canal building ancestors were by no means as hard working and industrious as history would have us believe. 

One imagines that a few more strokes of the shovel and this unsatisfactory V shaped canal becomes a U, and your innocent 21st century visitor would have been able to find a nice mooring within a civilised range of a restaurant. 

I know its too late for regrets, but surely there were children who could have been hauled out of the local mines to do the extra spadework required? 

Its this lack of lateral thinking that is so disappointing about the 19th century.

But all may not be lost.

Who knows, perhaps the recalcitrant youths of today could be extracted from their luxurious centrally-heated classrooms, and instead of wasting time on gender studies, they could be put to work making the Macclesfield into a canal that us poor retired boaters can actually use? 

This is modern Britain. We're better than V shaped canals.

 

But do remember what the canals were built for - carrying freight. As such, mooring overnight was not an issue - a boat not moving is a boat not earning. Until the sunset days of the canals, once railways poised a serious competitor, most boats would return to a home base and the crew did not live aboard. (As I understand it!)

[Tony1]

23 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

But do remember what the canals were built for - carrying freight. As such, mooring overnight was not an issue - a boat not moving is a boat not earning. Until the sunset days of the canals, once railways poised a serious competitor, most boats would return to a home base and the crew did not live aboard. (As I understand it!)

 

I'm far from the sharpest tool in the box, but even I've noticed those boatmen's cabins on traditional boats, with those pull-out beds. 

Somebody was sleeping on those boats, Mr Todd. 

Now it is possible that you are correct.

Perhaps the beds were strictly for use by the small ferret colony that was traditionally kept aboard every working boat, for example.

But if you are wrong, Mr Todd, a group of angry traditional canal experts will be along directly, looking to beat you senseless with regulation Calder hand spikes. 

 

 

Edited April 7, 2022 by Tony1

[MoominPapa]

9 minutes ago, Tony1 said:

 

I'm far from the sharpest tool in the box, but even I've noticed those boatmen's cabins on traditional boats, with those pull-out beds. 

Somebody was sleeping on those boats, Mr Todd. 

Now it is possible that you are correct.

Perhaps the beds were strictly for use by the small ferret colony that was traditionally kept aboard every working boat, for example.

But if you are wrong, Mr Todd, a group of angry traditional canal experts will be along directly, looking to beat you senseless with regulation Calder hand spikes. 

 

 

Almost all of the traditional boats around now are from the last generation of working boats, built for the "sunset days". For most of the carrying life of the canals, cargo boats were wooden, and propelled by a horse. There are very few of those left.

 

MP.