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Canals??

Micky

By Micky
in General Boating

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Guest Quo Vadis

Guest Quo Vadis

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Posted (edited)

When i first became interested in the canals of England and narrow boats around 1967 (it coincided with The Flower of Gloster television program in 1967) canals were of interest to only a very few but since discovering this site i realize that every so and so under the sun seems to have discovered the waterways & canals of England and all of them seem to be 'expert' on the subject nowadays just read these message boards on this site?? :angry:

 

I had a 2 weeks boating holiday in a 70ft converted narrow boat back in 1985 and even then i noticed that the canals had attracted a "different kind of person" with some boater's on passing them in there boats were "playing loud music and even dancing on top of there boats" so what they must be like 26 years on i can only wonder?? :o

Well, as it was a beautiful afternoon, I skived off work and took my boat out for a couple of hours. Cruised down to Foxton Locks, had a pleasant drink at Bridge 61, then cruised back to my mooring as the sun was setting. Water was glassy calm, I only saw 2 other boats on the move, and everyone I met, either on the towpath or on moored boats was pleasant and friendly ..... not unlike the experience I had when I hiring in the 70s.

Edited by Quo Vadis
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fuzzyduck Experienced

fuzzyduck

Posted
Posted

I notice no one's telling you the real truth.

 

The canals are now a hot-bed of sin. just last week I was out, and there were people singing, dancing and being rowdy. Just round the corner on a quieter section they were dogging for England. boats moored up 3 abreast with naked people running from boat to boat.

  • Greenie 1
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onionbargee Influencer

onionbargee

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When i got my first boat and worked out how cheap it would be to live on i couln't beleive it, and i said that it would only last 10 years max before the whole system was solid with boats. That was 10 or more years ago and i just went down to Brentford and back, from Bulls Bridge, and did'nt meet another boat. Plenty of visitor mooring spaces at Brentford, Bulls bridge, and every where around here.

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Allan(nb Albert) Veteran

Allan(nb Albert)

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The canals are now a hot-bed of sin. just last week I was out, and there were people singing, dancing and being rowdy. Just round the corner on a quieter section they were dogging for England. boats moored up 3 abreast with naked people running from boat to boat.

 

I am writing this up for narrowboatworld but need some pictures.

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matty40s Veteran II

matty40s

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Posted (edited)

Yes a new member but interested in canals on & off since 1967.

 

It's just an observation folks and i'm not trying to create mischief but somehow it's lost it's magic, the days of being a member of the I.W.A. and buying WATERWAYS WORLD once a month and the "deep digs" on the old Basingstoke canal on Saturdays seem a very long time ago indeed :mellow:

 

Hasn't lost it's magic for me.

I was out on the Soar today for 8 hours, absolutely stunning weather, about 4 boats passed me all day including a very well behaved day boat at Junction Lock (going down, and then met them coming back up).

Clear water, masses of wildlife and fish, trees turning gold and red, fantastic.......

 

I'd better not add and pics because you may change your mind.......

 

 

 

edited to add, where??? fuzzyduck, have I missed something up the wreake arm, couldn't get me chimbley under the bridge.....

Edited by matty40s
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Geoff Taylor Collaborator

Geoff Taylor

Posted
Posted

Hi Micky

 

I think you were unlucky to have experienced what you did on your cruises quite a few years ago, I also cruised in the eighties and correct me if I am wrong but in those days I seem to remember encountering the nightmare of the club 18-30 holiday groups,the nightmare being trying to avoid a 65 footer full of people heading towards you at full steam ahead with their steerer three sheets to the wind having a memory blank on which way to move the tiller!

 

This past year whilst cruising from our base at Calcutt on quiet and busy times of the year I have not experienced anything like this, just sheer pleasurable cruising.

 

You will, wherever you are in what you are doing come across the odd prat or two but that is life, for example,we were moored for the night near Leighton Buzzard on mooring pins knocked in to the hilt and must have had twenty or so hire and private boats pass by with no problems,all of them slowed etc and at approx 9 o clock in the morning a possible distant relative of Donald Campbell came by in a private boat ripping out our pins and putting us adrift.

 

In general,its great out there!

 

Regards

Geoff

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

Posted
Posted

I always wondered about that you know.

 

What proportion of NBW content is made up by 3rd parties rather than being made up by the staff writers?

Huge amounts, trust me.......

 

I have regularly seen the exact text verbatim taken from another news source, (errors included), with the only addition being something like "says our reporter Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx". (Unless of course you believe, say, the Beeb is plagiarising NBW).

 

This is not such a bad thing though, as it does still tend to be a fair bit more accurate than the stuff they write themselves!......

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Dominic M Influencer

Dominic M

Posted
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I had a 2 weeks boating holiday in a 70ft converted narrow boat back in 1985 and even then i noticed that the canals had attracted a "different kind of person" with some boater's on passing them in there boats were "playing loud music and even dancing on top of there boats" so what they must be like 26 years on i can only wonder?? :o

In my case I became a boat broker. Still like dancing on the top of boats though. Whaddya you do on holiday: knitting?

nitting?

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sociable_hermit Experienced

sociable_hermit

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I'm sure the old canal digs were sober affairs, in both senses of the phrase.

 

Oh no, wait a minute, it was generally a load of enthusiastic nutters with a fondness for ale. Or have we been lied to?

 

Canals are still great fun, with great people. If you want to colour your vision with rose tinted specs, and deny the possibility that change can be good, that's up to you. I'll be boating.

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Graham Davis Veteran

Graham Davis

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I'm sure the old canal digs were sober affairs, in both senses of the phrase.

 

Oh no, wait a minute, it was generally a load of enthusiastic nutters with a fondness for ale. Or have we been lied to?

 

Canals are still great fun, with great people. If you want to colour your vision with rose tinted specs, and deny the possibility that change can be good, that's up to you. I'll be boating.

 

I'm sure I don't remember any canal digs with the PFCS being sober!!

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Micky Gongoozler

Micky

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Hopefully still going!

Where was this? I must go and see, sounds like a fun place to be!

 

It was around NORTON JUNCTION on the G.U. back in 1985

 

I'll let you into a secret - it's you or your attitude that's changed.

 

Your attitude will get what you perceive or deserve.

 

Mark

 

Na Mark i'm still the same BUT THE WORLDS CHANGED ;)

 

I'll let you into a secret - it's you or your attitude that's changed.

 

Your attitude will get what you perceive or deserve.

 

Mark

 

Na Mark i'm still the same BUT THE WORLDS CHANGED ;)

 

It was around NORTON JUNCTION on the G.U. back in 1985

 

 

 

Na Mark i'm still the same BUT THE WORLDS CHANGED ;)

 

SORRY FOLKS FOR THE ABOVE EDITING

 

I'VE BEEN ON A NUMBER OF OTHER FORUMS AND THIS ONE IS "PROBABLY THE WORSE FORUM" TO TRY AND DELETE OR EDIT A POSTING ONCE YOU HAVE POSTED SOMETHING THAT I HAVE COME ACROSS :angry:

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the grinch Experienced

the grinch

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Posted

as you say the days of the restoration on a weekend at the basingstoke are long gone, if things don't improve and quckly we will be restoring it again!! have to say though that MJG etc have a very valid point that the northern canals are quieter as are the eastern ones.

the really busy ones are in the midlands, the GU, The K&A and the llangollen, but again these tend to be busy in the main season, a trip in the winter is often very peaceful.

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