How Old are You?

[Pirate]

1: Why do people class blondes and Irish people as stupid

2: Why do people think men should go to work and women stay at home.

3: Why do people think that all teenagers are yobs

4: Why do people think OAP's are grumpy

All of the above are stereotypical views and are also very incorrect. I think it's a case of majority. More older people have boats so class it as an older thing to do but I know it's not

 

 

Why do people call Doctors QUAKS?

Edited January 27, 2006 by Pirate

[Maffi]

Why do they call Doctors QUAKS?

 

They don't!

[Allie]

As for the misperception that narrowboating is for old people, here is my view.

 

Here in the southwest U.S., it is popular to boat on the Colorado River and its many reservoirs. One commonly sees fast, expensive speed boats racing down the river piloted by arrogantly flamboyant men and their silicone-and-botox Hollywood babes.

 

(Warning: If you are offended by sexual references, please stop reading now.)

 

The Urban Legend among women here is the louder and faster the boat's engine, the smaller the guy's (male genitalia) is.

 

If that myth is true, narrowboating isn't for the elderly, it's for the well-endowed!

[anhar]

As for the misperception that narrowboating is for old people, here is my view.

 

Here in the southwest U.S., it is popular to boat on the Colorado River and its many reservoirs. One commonly sees fast, expensive speed boats racing down the river piloted by arrogantly flamboyant men and their silicone-and-botox Hollywood babes.

 

(Warning: If you are offended by sexual references, please stop reading now.)

 

The Urban Legend among women here is the louder and faster the boat's engine, the smaller the guy's (male genitalia) is.

 

If that myth is true, narrowboating isn't for the elderly, it's for the well-endowed!

Hello Allie

 

It's isn't a myth, it is true that predominantly it is older retired people who are to be found on the our canals, especially when it comes to those who cruise a lot rather than simply use the boat as a floating but relatively fixed home. The reasons are fairly obvious in that these people have both the time and the money to do so. In fact it is a retirement dream for many to do just that. You won't see many "babes" on the canal here unfortunately for us lousy males, rather no-nonsense ladies of a certain age in sensible shoes.

 

regards

Steve

Edited January 27, 2006 by anhar

[Allie]

Hello Allie

 

It's isn't a myth, it is true that predominantly it is older retired people who are to be found on the our canals, especially when it comes to those who cruise a lot rather than simply use the boat as a floating but relatively fixed home. The reasons are fairly obvious in that these people have both the time and the money to do so. In fact it is a retirement dream for many to do just that. You won't see many "babes" on the canal here unfortunately for us lousy males, rather no-nonsense ladies of a certain age in sensible shoes.

 

regards

Steve

 

 

Hey! I resemble that comment!

 

Allie

[Supermalc]

You won't see many "babes" on the canal here

 

Speak for yourself

 

 

Some of my 'slaves' have been passable

[JohnO]

To you want to boot Me, Liam, Sam, Chris, and everyone else under 30 off the canal system.

 

Well hard luck, im staying!

- And in 50years time, all being well, i'll still be going strong!

Daniel

 

ah but Daniel will you in 50 yrs time still hold the same opinion

 

 

Liam misquote

 

3: Why do OAP's think that all teenagers are yobs

4: Why do teenagers think OAP's are grumpy

 

 

as you get older you will find the answer's

 

 

chronologically I’m 42

[Carrie]

Hey, I've got a good idea - 'let's have a gender button on this forum!'

[iteldoo4me]

Hi David.

 

I fall into your 60/70 category (just). I don't agree however that boating is very physical, I always tell people that boating or locks in particular are as hard as you make it, you can go at it like a Royal Tournament gun crew or you can plod along at a very pedestrian pace. I think there is a rough cross section on here though with a bias toward live aboard's.

 

I think there should be an age limit imposed on the canals, no under 30's allowed and that includes the pubs.

Edited. Why do I keep doing that.

 

POPPYCOCK!

[Moley]

Cuddly Blondes in Leathers: PHHHWWOOOOOAAAARRRRR!!!!!

 

Hi Rose, not seen your name on the board much lately, was beginning to get concerned.

 

I'm taking a big chance there, but I hope I know you well enough from previous ‘conversations’ to be fairly sure that you'll take that, as intended, tongue-in-cheek, in good humour, please.

 

Definitely no pin up but blonde and leather clad yes ... and after all when I have my crash helmet on who can tell? Moley .... you are going to have to avert your eyes.

In any case, we have already established from those previous ‘conversations’ that I respect you as a person, so appearance is irrelevant, not that you've got any need to hide inside a skidlid ... oh help, when in a hole, stop digging. It's nice to be able to put a face to the screen name.

 

Mind you, I'm no oil painting.

 

Hey, I've got a good idea - 'let's have a gender button on this forum!'

Whose stupid idea was that? Sorry

[DHutch]

1: Why do people class blondes and Irish people as stupid

2: Why do people think men should go to work and women stay at home.

3: Why do people OAP's think that all teenagers are yobs

4: Why do people Teenages think OAP's are grumpy

1, I dont think any one serously does.

- Infact, i find it tends to be the blonde/irish person who comes up with most of the blonde/irish jokes/comments.

2, I dont

3, Becuase there are old and grumpy.

4, See above

 

 

On the blonde side of things...

 

In our rooms we have a waredrobe, which has a large(ish) mirror on the inside of one of the doors.

- And then yesterday, the cleaner came round and 'cleaned' our rooms

 

At tea time steph proclamed that earlyer that day she couldnt find her mirror, and had though the cleaner had taken it down.

- Only to find that she (the cleaner) had just shut the waredrobe door!!!

 

 

Daniel

[bottle]

Hi Daniel

 

That's not a blonde moment that's a typical dozy teenager, if its not under their nose they can't find it.

[GRPCruiserman]

I am 41 years old, by the way, and have been boating since I was 8 years old, on the canals since I was 28 years old.

 

On Windermere, when I was young, no-one really cared about who was who, how big your boat was, etc etc, we all had fun and got on with it.

 

Now that Windermere is no more, ie the speed limit has made it a deserted place, I only see the canal scene, and there is definately an 'us' and 'them' situation between Narrow Boaters and 'other' boats owners.

 

On The Lancaster Canal, we have further sub-divisions in to 'Real' Narrow Boaters and people who use their Narrow Boats as they did their cruisers, ie only cruise The Lancaster with small excursions to Preston Dock and would never go through too many locks as it might scratch the paintwork. These are the types that, when owning cruisers, usually Freemans, had a set of fenders for cruising and then a mucky set which were changed for when approaching locks.

 

The other sub-division is within the cruiser community, ie the aformentioned Freeman owners who have not yet got their first Narrow Boat. They are a bit like BMW or Peugeot drivers on the roads, ie they think they own it.

 

In my experience; age, colour of hair, or anything else seems immiterial, and these are stereotype generalisations, there are obviously exceptions in all catagories, but generally you are more likely to get a wave back from a fellow cruiser owner than a Narrow Boat steerer. This seems escpecially true when it is raining.

 

I even had a Narrow Boat owner ask me if he could moor alongside my GRP cruiser in a semi tidal stretch!! He was quite insistant, and when I tried to explain the damage he could do by the 'twisting' effect to my boat, he laughed with the type of smirk that builders use when they throw a technical term at you that you do not understand. He clearly showed no knowledge of GRP costruction or the necessary precautions and would not be told. I even offered to moor on the outside of him, but he again bit off his nose to spite his face and stayed where he was.

 

I have a GRP boat, but I like to know the ins and outs of steel boats, wooden boats, and any other type of boat I may come across, as we all have to share our waterspace and we should be empathetic to other types of user. How would a deep drafted steam powered boat like it if I didn't move in to the shallows to allow them to pass.

 

Some people make the effort to appreciate another's point of view, and some don't, whether they are old, young, blonde or brunette, this makes little difference.

 

As regards the car drivers above, perhaps it is just certain type of person that buys a BMW or Peugeot.

 

Anyway, not to get too far off topic, I enjoy the canals, and there seem to be a growing number of younger people coming in to it, or perhaps it's me that's getting older !!

[Yamanx]

I'm 39 and a few months. 60 to be precise.

[Supermalc]

I'm 39 and a few months. 60 to be precise.

 

Love it ......

[cheshire~rose]

Hi Rose, not seen your name on the board much lately, was beginning to get concerned.

Thanks for the concern Moley! I have actually been laid low with an awful chest infection which has lasted 12 days now and confined me to bed for around 48 hours! My doctor suggested I should be well enough to go back to work yesterday but I still feel lousy and I am beginning to doubt if I will be right by Monday. I am just about managing a short burst on the net a couple of times a day to stave off the boredom of daytime tv!

 

... oh help, when in a hole, stop digging.

I thought that was what Moles did best????

 

Mind you, I'm no oil painting.

I think you should let others be the judge of that! what a fine looking family in that photo! smashing pic there!

 

With regard to some of the other comments... I only learned to ride a m/cycle aged 40 so those there is plenty of time for the youngsters to catch up! My best mate Susie is also my riding partner (she rides a harley and is also blonde!) she would never speak to me again if I were to even hint at her age but her sons are around their mid 30's and she was no child bride! We always have a laugh at the reaction we get as people just do not expect two blonde females to turn up at a pub (or anywhere else) riding motorcycles and we soon realised that people were jumping to conclusions and through we were 'dykes on bikes'!

there is another stereotype! (and let me just state that those people were quite wrong!)

[Keeping Up]

With regard to some of the other comments... I only learned to ride a m/cycle aged 40 so those there is plenty of time for the youngsters to catch up! My best mate Susie is also my riding partner (she rides a harley and is also blonde!) she would never speak to me again if I were to even hint at her age but her sons are around their mid 30's and she was no child bride! We always have a laugh at the reaction we get as people just do not expect two blonde females to turn up at a pub (or anywhere else) riding motorcycles and we soon realised that people were jumping to conclusions and through we were 'dykes on bikes'!

there is another stereotype! (and let me just state that those people were quite wrong!)

My friend that runs the chicken sanctuary used to ride big bikes. She was only 5 ft 1in and stick-thin, her main bike was a BMW frame with a 1600cc VW-Porsche car engine squeezed into it. When she was young and foolish she'd ride it around London with her waist-length hair blowing out behind her and wearing just a leather bikini - said her ambition was be mentioned on the news for causing a traffic accident at Hyde Park Corner when all the taxi drivers turned to watch!

[Pirate]

Hey whats this with the Blondes?

 

I know Blondes who are so considerate, in Paticular I know one who was so considerate

 

She used to tip toe past the medicine cabinet so she wouldnt wake the sleeping pills

[grumbletum]

first and formost i would like to say hi im a newbie to this site

wel im 44 and my wifes 37 and we have not long moved onto our boat 55 foot narrow boat we have been around boats for a long time and finally got our chance to live aboard it ,well i will post a bit more later laptop battery getting low and not got my generator on lol and i cant be asked its 9 ish now

[Guest st170dw]

I am 48 (for a week and a day!) and I had planned to buy a boat when I retired. We both have had experience of cruisers and hiring narrowboats for 25 years and we decided we would wait to own our own narrowboat.

 

We were lucky when I started working from home and we were able to cash in our London hovel for an indecent amount of cash.

 

We tried in the 1980s but were too late to sell before the housing crash.

 

My wife insists on a house as well so I now feel incredibly lucky to have been able to buy both before retirement.

 

I hope more young people realise the benefits of using the canals so they will want to retain their peace rather than a linear housing development!

 

Dave

Edited February 8, 2006 by st170dw

[DHutch]

Im 44 and my wifes 37

- and we have not long moved onto our boat 55 foot narrow boat.

Welcome aboard!

 

 

 

Daniel

[Liam]

Hi Grumbletum,

 

Welcome to the Forums

[steaming floater]

I am 48 years old in a land based lifestyle, but 48 years young now as liveaboard

 

Tell me about your internet connection, I am presently using a landline, but want to go mobile

[William Martin]

"1: Why do people class blondes and Irish people as stupid"

 

The only former colony to ever overtake the former colonising country in economic performance!

[steaming floater]

did you live up in stafford on a "narrowbarge"