Thames Water's new reservoir

[fender.]

The scheme for the new, controversial Thames Water reservoir in Wiltshire/Berkshire includes proposals to restore the Wilts & berks canal as part of the package.

 

Many London people, including myself do not see the new reservoir as a suitbale way to resolve the London water supply needs, in my view it is cycnical to try to tie in W&B restoration to the proposals especially when the scheme does not attempt to deal with the six million gallons of leaks every day in London.

 

I would have though that restored canal reservoirs (and new smaller reservoirs) and deeper pounds would have provided the neccessary means for extra water at little cost and at no destruction to exisiting countryside and loss of homes etc etc.

 

See

http://www.oxfordmail.net/news/headlines/d...oes_on_show.php

[NB Alnwick]

The scheme for the new, controversial Thames Water reservoir in Wiltshire/Berkshire includes proposals to restore the Wilts & berks canal as part of the package.

 

The Oxford Mail reports that "New railway sidings would have to be built between Steventon and Grove to bring in sand and gravel. And a section of the Wilts and Berks canal would be restored to allow the reservoir to be drained into the Thames for maintenance work to be carried out."

 

Wouldn't it be better for the environment if they restored the whole canal first and then brought the materials in by narrowboat?

[WJM]

Sounds wonderful - if only they could include a replacement for the National Watersports Centre, soon to be abandoned to a marina-

 

- but it is great to think that all the facilitiy development money involved in the Olympic Games being poured into a toff's private lake (Eton School) and not wasted on the vulgar british public's national facility on the Trent - I mean, where is the Trent anyway, somewhere up north isnt it - Rah Rah for Eton - spiffing!

[John Orentas]

Everyone with the exception of the people who live in the South East realise that this grotesque North /South imbalance is the cause of many of our national problems, there were reports on the radio yesterday that the planned move of the BBC to Salford may now be called off on some pretext or other, it appears the BBC lovie's would rather tolerate the overcrowded conditions, transport log jambs and general squalor than move a couple of hundred miles up the M1 where they could enjoy some quality of life.

 

Personally I have mixed views, do we really want them up here, perhaps not.

Edited January 9, 2007 by John Orentas

[tomsk]

Everyone with the exception of the people who live in the South East realise that this grotesque North /South imbalance is the cause of many of our national problems, there were reports on the radio yesterday that the planned move of the BBC to Salford may now be called off on some pretext or other, it appears the BBC lovie's would rather tolerate the overcrowded conditions, transport log jambs and general squalor than move a couple of hundred miles up the M1 where they could enjoy some quality of life.

 

Personally I have mixed views, do we really want them up here, perhaps not.

 

 

This is all very well John, but do you realise that 'Up Norf' is full of Northerners, replete with whippets, flat caps ande the like...and that they actually prefer to drink beeeer pulled through some devilish device called (I think) as sparkler which reduces a fine ale to the consisency of a Mr Whippy. The majority of their 'women' are fattys who cook with lard (and, some would say, bathe in it), wear wrinkled stockings as a marital aid and have bags of spanners for faces..... Quality of life???? I would rather live in the SE with work, money and choices than live in oop north with unemployment, social exclusion and mithering professional northerners living in caves and wondering why no-one wants to join them for a pint of heavy in the 'snug'.

 

 

Just my opinion, but the only sane man to come from north of the Watford Gap in the last 25 Years is John Cooper Clarke

[John Orentas]

Couldn't dispute a word of that except I think your geography is a bit awry, I think you need to travel a bit further, north of Carlisle to drink pints of heavy. (But don't get me going about Scotland)

 

And who the hell is John Cooper Clarke.

[tomsk]

Couldn't dispute a word of that except I think your geography is a bit awry, I think you need to travel a bit further, north of Carlisle to drink pints of heavy. (But don't get me going about Scotland)

 

And who the hell is John Cooper Clarke.

 

 

Apologies for poor geog. John, my Atlas just says 'Here Be Dragons' north of The Wash.

 

Mr Cooper Clarke is 'The Greatest Living Northener' (Collingwood excepted). If you want to hear a Northerner mither in verse or prose, and you remember the late 70's/early 80's and all the nonsense that went with it, I would commend 'Beasley Street' to you as your starting point, available as a download somewhere I'm sure. Enjoy

[Janet S]

The majority of their 'women' are fattys who cook with lard (and, some would say, bathe in it), wear wrinkled stockings as a marital aid and have bags of spanners for faces.....

 

Ouch! You furry little oik!

 

Janet

[tomsk]

Ouch! You furry little oik!

 

Janet

 

Present company accepted, all northern womenfolk on here are of course, paragons of desirability and the exceptions that prove the rule. (Am I forgiven?)

[Janet S]

(Am I forgiven?)

 

Not on your life! I expect much more grovelling.

 

Janet

[Moley]

And I don't have a whippet or a flat cap

 

I'm not even a Northerner, but his definition seems to be anyone north of Watford Gap.

 

As for “a pint of heavy” - that's the Scots, pillock!

[anhar]

And I don't have a whippet or a flat cap

 

I'm not even a Northerner, but his definition seems to be anyone north of Watford Gap...

But it's true Ade. To any Londoner it's all "northern" and funny accents.

 

Recently I was conversing with someone when Birmingham entered the discussion. I said something, not derogatory, about it being up north whereupon I was corrected. I think her expression was "only a southerner would describe Birmingham as in the north".

 

No doubt for her, from Newcastle, Birmingham is way down south, but to me Birmingham is the north, notwithstanding that, say, Carlisle or Newcastle are much further north. My point is that I know perfectly well where Brum is, but whatever some Geordie or Manc thinks, it's north for me. A former neighbour of mine came from the far north of Scotland, Thurso. I recall him commenting that people from Glasgow and Edinburgh were southerners in his mind.

 

regards

Steve

[tomsk]

But it's true Ade. To any Londoner it's all "northern" and funny accents.

 

Recently I was conversing with someone when Birmingham entered the discussion. I said something, not derogatory, about it being up north whereupon I was corrected. I think her expression was "only a southerner would describe Birmingham as in the north".

 

No doubt for her, from Newcastle, Birmingham is way down south, but to me Birmingham is the north, notwithstanding that, say, Carlisle or Newcastle are much further north. My point is that I know perfectly well where Brum is, but whatever some Geordie or Manc thinks, it's north for me. A former neighbour of mine came from the far north of Scotland, Thurso. I recall him commenting that people from Glasgow and Edinburgh were southerners in his mind.

 

regards

Steve

 

 

Just the usual 'sense of humour failure' I fear, frankly couldn't give a fig for where people hail from, but I would rather own a small flat in London than a street in Manchester. (even if the street costs half the money).

 

 

BTW those sorry souls that live in Sarf London call me a Northerner

 

It's all relative as anhar states, what I can't work out is if it's all sunshine and roses oop norf why they all seem to be working in London (same goes for Aussies)

Edited January 9, 2007 by tomsk

[NB Alnwick]

BTW those sorry souls that live in Sarf London call me a Northerner

 

When I worked in Portsmouth, 'Northerners' came from North End and anyone off the island (Portsea) was regarded as a foreigner.

[fender.]

Maybe these northerners'll be happy with the new reservoir? Any takers???

 

The Oxford Mail reports that "New railway sidings would have to be built between Steventon and Grove to bring in sand and gravel. And a section of the Wilts and Berks canal would be restored to allow the reservoir to be drained into the Thames for maintenance work to be carried out."

 

Wouldn't it be better for the environment if they restored the whole canal first and then brought the materials in by narrowboat?

 

That would have been something!

[magnetman]

Is this reservoir actually going to be built?

 

Reminds me a bit of the 'Windsor and Maidenhead flood relief' channel, otherwise known as the 'flood the s**t out of anybody unfortunate enough to live in the Wraysbury area' channel. Two rivers = more rapid conversion of rainfall into flood conditions. At least the poor etonites got a nice little lake to ponce about on, thats only fair.

[fender.]

Is this reservoir actually going to be built?

 

Reminds me a bit of the 'Windsor and Maidenhead flood relief' channel, otherwise known as the 'flood the s**t out of anybody unfortunate enough to live in the Wraysbury area' channel. Two rivers = more rapid conversion of rainfall into flood conditions. At least the poor etonites got a nice little lake to ponce about on, thats only fair.

 

Its going to be as large as Lake Windemere!!!

 

No chance of narrowboaters getting a cruise on it!

 

Seems the Wilts & Berks will disappear under said reservoir - save for the bit to the Thames which wil be used as an overflow...

 

As for that flood relief channel I'm buggered they didnt use that to connect up the Slough arm to the Thames. What a waste.

 

There's a lot of real sh*te waterway planners about!

[WJM]

"As for that flood relief channel I'm buggered they didnt use that to connect up the Slough arm to the Thames. "

 

 

I like it - a flood channel into the Slough Arm of the GU, down Hanwell flight creating an artificial wild water rafting/canoeing course where the side pounds now are and reaching Brentford through my mooring - awesome!

[magnetman]

"As for that flood relief channel I'm buggered they didnt use that to connect up the Slough arm to the Thames. "

I like it - a flood channel into the Slough Arm of the GU, down Hanwell flight creating an artificial wild water rafting/canoeing course where the side pounds now are and reaching Brentford through my mooring - awesome!

 

Free rapid coconut deliveries - and they're still in their bags.

[NB Alnwick]

Free rapid coconut deliveries - and they're still in their bags.

 

What is it with coconuts down there - when we came up from Brentford we noticed hudreds of coconut shell halves floating in the cut?

[Moley]

Just the usual 'sense of humour failure' I fear

Was it 'eck as like!

It was an obvious piece of baiting which you knew full well we'd rise to

As Steve rightly says, it's all relative, and any 'us and them' is all good natured (I hope).

 

I quite like the idea of flooding Wiltshire and Berkshire though.

 

what I can't work out is if it's all sunshine and roses oop norf why they all seem to be working in London (same goes for Aussies)

Damned if I can see it, I went there once and you're welcome to it, wouldn't get me living anywhere near the place. We're looking to emigrate 'oop norf' one day, about as far norf as it's possible to go.

 

 

 

 

Actually, don't flood all of Wilts, I quite like Wadworth's

[magnetman]

What is it with coconuts down there - when we came up from Brentford we noticed hudreds of coconut shell halves floating in the cut?

 

Grand Union from West Drayton to Hanwell flight is the new Ganges.

[Janet S]

I would rather own a small flat in London than a street in Manchester

 

In that case, you silly little furrball, you don't know what you're missing. Manchester is very cosmopolitan. Very lively nightlife, lots of culture and lovely people. Great community spirit. Only minutes away from the most lovely countryside. Come up and see us sometime!

 

Janet

[John Orentas]

In that case, you silly little furrball, you don't know what you're missing. Manchester is very cosmopolitan. Very lively nightlife, lots of culture and lovely people. Great community spirit. Only minutes away from the most lovely countryside. Come up and see us sometime!

Janet

 

 

Absolutely, but the point is not whether he wants a bit of Manchester, rather does Manchester want a bit of him. He is probably quite comfortable in London W1, best leave him there.

Edited January 9, 2007 by John Orentas

[fender.]

Grand Union from West Drayton to Hanwell flight is the new Ganges.

 

Not only that - so is the Paddington Arm and the Regents Canal all the way to Limehouse. More coconuts than narrowboats! Seems we've got an expoential increase in cc'ers (continous coconuts)