When bandits attack.

[rjasmith]

A late post of commiseration from us as well and glad to hear you're putting it behind you, aided by the scenic end of the Caldon plus its hostelries!

 

We did it in 2003 on Braidbar's hire boat Giffnock and I seem to remember a very minor stone attack on us somewhere at the Stoke end. Nothing serious and I'm not even sure they hit the boat, let alone any of us. Can't remember what persuaded them to go away but it might have been the waving about of cameras.

 

Hope you continue to enjoy the rest of the trip and will look forward to hearing about any comments you get from the powers that be!

 

Richard

[madcat]

I hope that the police and the local authority can be persuaded to take this seriously. I don't get why youths feel the need to be so viscious.

[John Williamson 1955]

Part of the problem, especially on the sink estates in the Potteries is the knowledge that unless you're very lucky, you'll be following your dad's career progression of signing on every fortnight for the rest of your life. Some wards in the city have 70% unemployment

 

In the inner city area where I lived for a few years, there were families where nobody had worked for two or three generations. Being known to be violent and not caring is one way to get attention from your peers. Then you get a gang, all trying to outdo each other...

[Emerald Fox]

Hmmm... machete/billhook added to my list of acquisitions... already have an axe (for firewood).

 

Stoke-on-Trent = Scrotes-on-Trent?

[MHS]

Hmmm... machete/billhook added to my list of acquisitions... already have an axe (for firewood).

 

Stoke-on-Trent = Scrotes-on-Trent?

Now now, don't tar everyone with the same brush, some very nice people were born in Stoke. Including me!!

 

With a Dad from the East end of London, a Mum from Surrey, and moved out of Stoke to North Yorkshire when I was 2, I'm a bit of a mongrel, I suppose!!

[Capt Ahab]

I am really sorry to learn of your problems coming out of Hanley. I have to say that you picked a most unfortunate place to stop. Its the stretch where we experienced the worst episode of stoning to date with kids up in the trees hurling old ballast at us. Wand'ring Bark still bears a few scars! Since the episode I never stop between Etruria and Engine Lock and never travel through in the afternoon / evening. As you have discovered, the Caldon is delightful after running the gauntlet of the first few miles! Top tip for your return - get past the area before 11.00am. Andy

[Arthur Marshall]

Stoke's no worse than any run-down town type place. It's just the canal goes right through a slightly dodgy bit, but then it does in Nuneaton ... Manchester ... mostly there's nothing to worry about anywhere and it's certainly a lot better than it was twenty years back, though that's not much consolation for the OP.

I shall still be going up the Caldon on Monday with a song in my heart and a trombone to my lips.

PS actually, I won't be taking the trombone, the wife's coming and there's no room for both of them. Concertina and tin whistle, i think.

[bigcol]

I've come up with a stupid idea, but may need some tweeting or binning.

 

Some years ago I bought a new house that had a panic alarm in a couple of rooms.

Hit it and the house alarm goes off, and your neighbours do jack shit. Lol

But surely these can be monitored by a company security, or normal alarm or car alarm company

 

But seriously combine it with a moderate erib, ( can't think what they called) you've got a panic button which when set of will/ should get a mediate response from 999 service police if needed possibly set the scrolts on their way!, giving way points exact position down to 5 mtrs

Ship to shore only a few years ago use to major on Chanel 16, now it's done just by pressing distress button, this sort of thing DCR

 

Of course it will have a annual subscription, but can you imagine, a company like RSR, security company nation wide body of some kind. Who will notify police etc, may be cab be used for all emergency use.

 

Basically emergency security, police, ambulance, Fire,through out the canal system, or simply a mobile app which you pay annually that when the DCR button pressed will bring help, or a designated system for the boat. Heath applications will be tremendous.

 

If it takes off making millions can call it COL. Can't think of what it could stand for, I leave that to you

 

Maybe I've stuck my neck out to far,

 

Paul go and weep, having a donut and a coffee now!!!

I was moored near a bridgehole and felt something hitting the tarps so went out to investigate.

There was a boat alongside waiting for another one to come through and the husband was hanging on to the back cabin and the wife was holding on to a boathook hooked round the tarp strings and was pulling the retaining rings out of the gunwales.

I asked them to stop and they responded with abuse saying that they had every right to hold their boat steady.

After the other boat had passed the wife couldn't untangle the hook and was just yanking at it and put a hole in the tarps.

I went to to front and extricated the hook saying "look at the effing mess you've made!" at which point the bloke threw his lump hammer at me but luckily he missed.

Concerned that he would struggle to moor up later I returned it to him popping it through his closed porthole.

Made me laugh, nicely put. Lol Edited June 1, 2014 by bigcol

[John V]

Castigate 'Orrid Lurkers ?

[MHS]

If we have a bad crash our Ford Focus, it will ring the emergency services for you automatically with a grid reference.

 

It has to be bad enough that the airbags have gone off, or fuel cut out switch is activated.

 

The problem with a manually operated system on a boat, is it could be abused like the 999 service.

"Well officer, all the ducks were fighting "

[MoominPapa]

I shall proceed valiantly up the Caldon next Monday and disguise the fact that I am shivering with fear with a hearty blast on my trombone.

Actually, thinking about it, that's quite likely to get me shot at...

We passed you very early this morning as we slipped quietly away. At least, we passed Lord Byron's Maggot, you may have been out on an all-night tromboning session, of course.

 

The return trip was uneventful and we're at the top of the Cheshire Locks now, having followed the world's slowest hireboat through Harecastle.

 

MP.

Edited June 3, 2014 by MoominPapa

[nebulae]

Had lumps of railway ballast thrown at us in Wolverton(Grand Union),smashing a window and narrowly missing me.The bridge they were on was the main raliway bridge(4 track) When I jumped of the boat they scarpered across the railway lines.This railway has high speed trains.When I told the police,they said,what do you expect us to do about it.This was some years ago,but it does not seem if attitudes have changed.

[Graham Davis]

To be totally accurate, the County Police can do very little about people on a railway line as they have no jurisdiction, or training, to go there. They would have to notify the British Transport Police to deal with the trespassers.

[jonesthenuke]

Last week the wife and I took the boat round the Warwickshire ring, mostly very pleasant apart from two incidents of stone throwing by yobs. First on the Birmingham and Fazeley near spaghetti junction where the canal passes under a large factory on stilts (junction of Jarvis road and the A38 Tyburn road. This was 3-4 teenagers about 16 years old who lobbed several stones and then hid behind the building supports.

 

The second incident was on the Coventry, approaching Bedworth and the Ashby Canal. Again 3-4 individuals, probably 12 -13 who ran behind the hedge and lobbed stones from there.

 

The problem is what to do? Whilst I am tempted to respond with a measured degree of physical action (I have considered catapult etc and am particularly tempted by a paintball gun) the yobs have several advantages. They outnumbered us, we cannot escape (4mph will not do any good), and finally bridges or locks form positions where we could be severely disadvantaged (I would not like to have bricks lobbed at me from a bridge!). The other issue of course is liability if some physical injury arises.

 

The best I can think of is a non threateaning response like a clearly visible camera with obvious telephoto lens and making it clear that the pictures will be with police within a short time.

 

Any better ideas?

 

Chris

 

PS whilst writing this I am thinking that a suitable pump, fed from 2kW inverter, would make a reasonable short range water cannon using canal water..........

[MHS]

 

PS whilst writing this I am thinking that a suitable pump, fed from 2kW inverter, would make a reasonable short range water cannon using canal water..........

Why use canal water if you have a pump out toilet??

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Why use canal water if you have a pump out toilet??

Now THAT'S an idea,

EBay is going to do well on Fire Hoses, I can feel it.

[jonesthenuke]

Why use canal water if you have a pump out toilet??

Oh! That's Nasty! I thought just canal water would be a deterrent.........

[c c]

The answer is just a click away

"http://i.imgur.com/OdHKZkA.jpg"

Edited June 12, 2014 by canalchef

[Starcoaster]

I got wise to this after we got "stoned" on Reg a couple of years ago, the location escapes me but it really unsettled me.

 

The other week coming through Birmingham, I was teaching someone to steer when we came up to a gang on a bridge with their hands full all staring directly at us. The last thing I wanted to do was freak the brand new steerer and end up with us potentially whacking the bridge and being there longer than we needed to be, so I just told her to speed up a bit to get through the bridge, then got my phone out and started taking obvious shots of them and pretending to take video (I couldn't work out how to do it quick enough!) By the time we got under them and I was about to worry about what was gonna come down, they dropped their handfuls and all started mugging for the camera when I yelled hi.

I did get her to wind it on a bit as we got right under, in case they gobbed on us coming out the other side!

Edited June 12, 2014 by Starcoaster

[Miemie]

We passed you very early this morning as we slipped quietly away. At least, we passed Lord Byron's Maggot, you may have been out on an all-night tromboning session, of course.The return trip was uneventful and we're at the top of the Cheshire Locks now, having followed the world's slowest hireboat through Harecastle.MP.

So glad u made it through ok I did text u to see if u ok but no response just happy everything went fine xxx

[MoominPapa]

So glad u made it through ok I did text u to see if u ok but no response just happy everything went fine xxx

The text must have been eaten by the gremlins, sorry. All fine, and thanks for your concern.

 

MP.

[luctor et emergo]

Goalkeeper CIWS Gun System:

[mattlad]

Goalkeeper CIWS Gun System:

Which Chandlers did you say are selling this?

[nbfiresprite]

Which Chandlers did you say are selling this?

Trinity Marine don't have any gate keepers in stock, But they do have two of these for sale. One would look perfected on a tug's front deck.

 

http://www.trinitymarine.co.uk/marine-antiques-and-collectibles/cannons-arms-and-artillery/a-pair-of-coastal-defence-guns

 

[luctor et emergo]

Trinity Marine don't have any gate keepers in stock, But they do have two of these for sale. One would look perfected on a tug's front deck.

 

http://www.trinitymarine.co.uk/marine-antiques-and-collectibles/cannons-arms-and-artillery/a-pair-of-coastal-defence-guns

 

You obviously didn't watch the goal keeper video....