Thoroughly negative article in NBW

[carlt]

 

Not a nice place at all, it seems!

I've heard it's next to a canal....Ewwwww!

[Laurie Booth]

AFAIK it was built for Thomas Cook:

Sudan linky

 

A boat inhabited by the memory of the King Fouad who received it as a gift in 1885;

[Neil TNC]

A boat inhabited by the memory of the King Fouad who received it as a gift in 1885;

 

There is some controversey about this.

The Clydebuilt website, a very authoritative source for all Clyde-built ships, lists SS Sudan as having been built by Bow, McLachlan at Paisley, Scotland in 1921, for Thomas Cook and it is likely that she was started in 1915 and completed in 1921.

It was subsequently acquired (in 1950) by King Faoud and converted to a royal steamer.

[FadeToScarlet]

If any potential first timers read NBW, they'd never start at all!

 

I did, but still started. I certainly expected loads of trouble that didn't materialise.

[john6767]

I am shocked, what utter twaddle.

 

<sarcasm>

 

Why this fixation with there being supermarkets everywhere. A hire boater (which was us until last year) is going to take more food and beer with them to last twice as long as the holiday, why waste valuable time shopping. You do get saved as you get further south though as there is more shopping available, great.

 

It seems that locks are to be frowned upon, unless there is a lock keeper to help. Why? And all the rubbish about hydraulics, ha, get you fact straight. No mention that these locks are great as they fill and empty really fast, I guess we don't want to have too many positives do we.

 

 

I notice their tag line on the web pages is "Informative influential independent...", give me a break.

 

</sarcasm>

 

Time for another beer, angry of Solihull.....

[magpie patrick]

Whilst the difficulty of working locks and the attractiveness of a waterway's surroundings are a matter of opinion(I believe some people find the Severn boring) certain observations in that article just don't stand up. I have done Salford Junction or Farmer's Bridge to Knowle and Kingswood on many occasions and can not recall seeing bridges frequented by "druggies" as page one suggests. In addition, given the depth of the Northern GU when in the channel at Knowle, I would dispute that pound is "drained", it's a bit low, probably 3 feet down, but Ripple has been through twice with levels like that

 

One wonders whether the author had actually been on this trip? I much prefer it to the Northern Stratford

 

Edited to add. I had missed the unbelievable statement that the 1930's Hamm and Baker gear is hydraulic!

Edited February 20, 2011 by magpie patrick

[Lady Muck]

I notice their tag line on the web pages is "Informative influential independent...", give me a break.

 

Depressing, negative, inaccurate?

[Midnight Rider]

Well --- I,ve used the Leicester section quite a lot recently & while the write up is a bit gloomy, it's not far off.

 

I wouldn't agree that you can't go through Leicester at the weekend, but there's no doubt that the section between the city & the Space Centre is an absolute s**t hole.

 

Also,whilst I believe the pontoon moorings in the city are safe, we have found moorings which suit us better above Kings Lock.

 

I think that it's fair comment to mention the shopping facilities (or lack of) so that you can take more provisions if necessary.

 

I would say that if you take these reviews & the ones that you get in the canal magazines, the truth is somewhere in the middle.

 

Tony

[Lady Muck]

I just remembered, I've been to the perfect canal for our friends at NBW - it's in a shopping mall! Security guards so no druggies! No locks! Shops everywhere you look!

 

 

Clicky

 

They'd give it 5 out of 5 I reckon!

Edited February 20, 2011 by Lady Muck

[Midnight Rider]

Viva Las Vegas

 

Tony

[PiRSqwared]

I just remembered, I've been to the perfect canal for our friends at NBW - it's in a shopping mall! Security guards so no druggies! No locks! Shops everywhere you look!

 

 

Clicky

 

They'd give it 5 out of 5 I reckon!

 

And cheap too! A definite 6 out of 5!!

[Guest wanted]

First and last time I’ll be reading that drivel,

 

WTF do they mean by this?

 

'There is also the problem that it is the residents of a certain creed living above the locks that demand when eating a certain food, its remains must be thrown into water—usually the canal, and complete with wrappings.'

 

I know I get accused of being in the PC brigade and all that but really?

[muddywaters]

Do you get the feeling they are trying to put first timers off lol.

After only reading 2 of the 5 pages I had a quick look at what they had to say about the Llangollen.

Only gave it 3 starts for features, would have thought the Pontcysyllte alone would make it worth 5.

 

Edited to add

 

Have just read what they had to say about the worcester & Birmingham canal lol.

Not sutable for first timers, ok maybe it was our first time but we found it to be a fairly easy canal to operate.

Even enjoyed Birmingham lol of which they give very little mention only Worcester and have to say partly agree with the comments about there as Worcester is about the only place I have been by boat where I did not like.

Still think they are trying to put first timers off

Edited February 20, 2011 by muddywaters

[Laurie Booth]

There is some controversey about this.

The Clydebuilt website, a very authoritative source for all Clyde-built ships, lists SS Sudan as having been built by Bow, McLachlan at Paisley, Scotland in 1921, for Thomas Cook and it is likely that she was started in 1915 and completed in 1921.

It was subsequently acquired (in 1950) by King Faoud and converted to a royal steamer.

I must admit, when I sailed past it, I was very impressed. Have you seen it.

[Minos]

No! Stop!

 

I've booked ten days on the GU between Leighton Buzzard and Little Venice this August. Nobody told me it was a canal! You mean I have to operate locks? Where are the staff? What about room service?

 

I thought boating holidays were supposed to involve stage shows and dinner at the captain's table?

[Lady Muck]

I hate to break your heart but it's not like the one in Vegas, there isn't a roof so it might rain on you.

[PiRSqwared]

Further proof that the GU should be avoided, especially where it is urban...drift out of site of an out of town Tesco and you only have yourself to blame

 

Click

[dor]

I thought boating holidays were supposed to involve stage shows and dinner at the captain's table?

 

I once read that some Japanese time-share owners did just that when they turned up for a Canaltime 'cruise' having swopped one of their weeks!

[soldthehouse]

The latest article by NBW, entitled "Boat Hire - Grand Union Canal", has to be about the most negative article I've ever read about any stretch of canal anywhere. It is even (surprisingly for NBW ) totally inaccurate with all its references to hydraulic paddles.

Alan you should have posted a link to the Samaritans with the link to Narrowboatworld, it took me ages to look it up.

[gaggle]

All i noticed was the lady in the pics looks to have put some weight on and maybe that is why the locks ect all seem to be taxing.

[Mick and Maggie]

It's like when someone says "Eeww! That milk smells off. What do you think?" I want to say "No thanks, I'll take your word for it."......but can I resist a quick sniff?

 

Its like when someone says here, have a sniff at this finest Columbian, only to find its coffee!

[Laurie Booth]

Further proof that the GU should be avoided, especially where it is urban...drift out of site of an out of town Tesco and you only have yourself to blame

 

Click

 

"The men are described as black, and aged between 20 and 25, with Detective Inspector Les Newman"

 

 

What was Detective Inspector Les Newman doing with the stabbers?

[Neil TNC]

I must admit, when I sailed past it, I was very impressed. Have you seen it.

 

errr..yes, when I took the piccy of it.

[Evo]

Well, I just read most of that article and I think its fundamentally correct. It seems your referring to being realistic as being negative.

 

Alot of the locks are stiff and heavy. There is some grot. Blah blah.

 

We've done most of the GU in the last few years, and last year did the bit down to Brentford.

 

Dont get me wrong, me and the missus enjoyed it, neigh, loved all of it..!! There was only the two of us and we did way over 20 locks a day down to Brentford, we've done leicester a couple of times and loved it both times, and we've done Birmingham, yes its depressing...!!! I love looking at the brickwork of the buildings, seeing the dereliction, and imagining what it must of been like at the time. However, can you imagine what some of the more shall we say sensitive holiday maker folk think of all that black lifeless water, used shringes and nodders on the bank, bin bags under bridges.

 

One women we met last year (with her completely useless husband) in a hire boat, and others we met on their first hire boat trip would have found that article a useful and enlightening read. Admittedly there's some scare mongering going on about certain areas but some of the idealistic softies that hire these boats need a bit of that IMO.

[Lady Muck]

Well, I just read most of that article and I think its fundamentally correct. It seems your referring to being realistic as being negative.

 

Alot of the locks are stiff and heavy. There is some grot. Blah blah.

 

We've done most of the GU in the last few years, and last year did the bit down to Brentford.

 

Dont get me wrong, me and the missus enjoyed it, neigh, loved all of it..!! There was only the two of us and we did way over 20 locks a day down to Brentford, we've done leicester a couple of times and loved it both times, and we've done Birmingham, yes its depressing...!!! I love looking at the brickwork of the buildings, seeing the dereliction, and imagining what it must of been like at the time. However, can you imagine what some of the more shall we say sensitive holiday maker folk think of all that black lifeless water, used shringes and nodders on the bank, bin bags under bridges.

 

One women we met last year (with her completely useless husband) in a hire boat, and others we met on their first hire boat trip would have found that article a useful and enlightening read. Admittedly there's some scare mongering going on about certain areas but some of the idealistic softies that hire these boats need a bit of that IMO.

 

See, I don 't see it that way at all - I really think it depends on your outlook. I find Brum one of the most interesting bits of the system and not at all depressing, it is fascinating to me, including the dereliction. I didn't notice that much rubbish, saw no syringes or nodders. Ditto the bits of the L&L that people whinge about Burnley etc. Really interesting. The 'menacing' local youth we met were more interested in telling us about their pet lurchers than being menacing.

 

I think if it was me writing canal guides -I'd try to write it from a different angle, for instance, if you want a reasonably easy time and some nice towns and villages do the Shroppie, if you're interested in canal history and industrial architecture do the BCN and so on. These NBW articles all seem to be written from the perspective of a paranoid pensioner who wishes it was still 1952.

 

And I do wish they'd stop going on about the Regents. Millions of people use those towpaths every year without incident - they go on about stabbing on the towpaths but there is no mooring in those areas and why would you be boating through these areas at 2am anyway? All it does is scare boaters from visiting the capital.

Edited February 21, 2011 by Lady Muck