If you had a million pounds

[Bettie Boo]

1 million??

 

off the top of my head...

 

commission a bran new wide beam (57 x 11) reverse layout, and launch her on the northern canals

keep the one we have for the southern canals

have a wine/beer cellar installed in current boat

purchase a lovely large brass light for the front

have a nice secure home mooring for each where they could stay when we were cruising on the other one

 

set up Junior with two coal/diesel boats, one for the northern canals, one for the southern canals (with the understanding they'd be on the same canals as us when needed)

 

a hefty donation to RSPCA, Heart & Stroke foundations, & Compton pumping station

 

set up my closest friends from back in Canada with air tickets so they could come over and cruise with us for a couple of weeks each

 

buy a small house to rent out 150K - this is doable around the Coventry area

 

restore the gates on the bottom lock on the Hanwell flight!!

 

add a proper step added to all the K&A lock gates that have those silly stirrup things

 

set up Paul & Phill with a small doughnut factory with a good delivery service...

 

hmmm wonder how far down the list I'd get before it was all gone

[Guest]

After I had divided it amongst near family who could be trusted to make good use of it - five, there wouldn't be enough left in my portion to change my plans significantly. But the NB would get a professional paint job.

Pretty much the same here. I would set my kids up first, then enjoy a bit of it myself. I'd still be a mean, scrimping old git though, it is what I do best.

Edited November 6, 2014 by Guest

[KenK]

Retiring money. Sell the house move onto the boat and cruise the UK system for a couple of years. Buy a nice Dutch barge, sell narrowboat, move to Europe and cruise off to warmer climes.

 

Ken

[Sabcat]

A million pounds you say? I'd bring my CC goal forwards, buy a working boat, cabin over most of it but leave 12ft hold and fill it with Scotch. I'd cruise until either the Scotch ran out or I expired.

[Guest]

I suspect a lot of folk on this forum are at the age and/or wise enough to know a lot of money wouldn't make much difference to your life. It can't guarantee you good health, it can't make you more talented, it can't make the sun shine.

 

I'm sure many of us would have their dream boat and maybe it would accelerate plans to go cruising full time, but that still leaves the frustrations of coping with a worn out canal network. What would be nice is if every time you came across a broken paddle or a collapsed towpath you could say to CRT here's some cash on the strict condition you spend it on this..?

 

I've met a lot of people with serious money and often thought instead of going and buying a fleet of Harley Davidsons why not just go around fixing things and helping people whose lives could be turned around with a few quid. But I suppose if they thought like that they wouldn't have acquired the money in the first place.

Excellent post, have a greenie.

[The Toad in the Hole]

We've discussed this a few times at home. My wife is going to built the Llangollen Lido, as she reckons that what Llan really needs is a spectacular open air swimming pool. She's already identified a site and every time we go past she adds new features. I'm not quite sure how far she'll have to drill for the thermal springs though, it might break the budget. We're thinking a big version of those swimming "ponds" with lillies and overhanging trees. (regrettably the 'gators have been vetoed - not in the proper spirit, apparently)

[Emerald Fox]

I would buy a blooming big tractor and spend all day driving up and down A roads just to annoy everybody!

[5thHorseman]

....

 

its only a concept , but would one and ten million make the difference to making you leave /not go on the cut for long time cruising..

 

The OP's post was how much to stop you going on the cut, not what you would do with the cash.

Me, I'd take the money, put the boat on brokeridge, change my name, buy the boat & be on the cut the next day, but maybe that is not in the spirit of what the OP meant.

[Mark & Michelle]

Would buy the best vintage trad stern I could get my hands on, refurb all the original and traditional parts / hull to A1 condition then get the living areas refitted out with best materials to traditional finishes but include 12V technology (LED lights etc) . give up work and spend time sign writing it to the best designs I could come up with.

 

Replace the 150 foot hose and box that leads to my filling tap and buy a new wheelbarrow.

 

Wouldn't bother with going abroad, no need.

 

Also might buy a bottle of wine and a pint or two.

Edited November 6, 2014 by Mark & Michelle

[junior]

You lot are mad.

 

I'd be on the beach in Mallorca drinking Sangria surrounded by bikini clad beauties for the rest of my life.

[Sabcat]

You lot are mad.

 

I'd be on the beach in Mallorca drinking Sangria surrounded by bikini clad beauties for the rest of my life.

 

I used to DJ Ibiza, you can only have so much sex with bikini clad babes before it gets old mate.

[madcat]

I'd be out the cat flap and feral again before you could say curried rat.

[Laurie Booth]

I'd get the time machine, go back to Nazi Germany, kill Hitler and take over from him and rule the world..........

On 2nd thoughts live full time on my boat.

 

Sorry. Hit Edit instead of Reply

 

N

Edited November 6, 2014 by Theo
Didnb't mean to.

[Cloudinspector]

Pack in work and cruise the system until I leave this mortal coil, simples!

[Victor Vectis]

But I might just set enough aside to buy a traction engine.

Excellent idea sir!

 

But, given a choice, what particular variety?

 

For me it would have to be a Burrell Gold Medal or a Fowler Tiger tractor. Both 'mini' road locomotives.

 

Although, thinking about it, if I did have a million quid at my disposal I'd commission a mate of mine to build a 6" scale Burrell GMT for which drawings, castings, boilers etc are readily available.

[MtB]

To paraphrase Mr Best I'd probably spend 90% of it on wine, women and fast cars, then waste the rest.

 

 

MtB

[Sabcat]

Having given this more thought. I'd cut the stern off a butty, get a counter fitted and cabin it over. Apart from the Scotch hold.

[Kwacker]

I think boating would take a bit of a back seat until I'd spent the million.

 

[patty-ann]

OK I would employ someone to finish Horror House, hang up my cap which doesn't fit, and u know what they say...if the cap don't fit....

I would then give the kids some so they leave me to chug around, in fact one of them could have horror house and the funds to do it up.

Then would get some warm clothes and decent waterproofs and for a while be totally selfish. Never done totally selfish.

Then I would spend time chugging around.

[Dar Kuma]

I would get NASA to make a space ship so I could be the first person to land on the sun.

[John V]

OK I would employ someone to finish Horror House, hang up my cap which doesn't fit, and u know what they say...if the cap don't fit....

I would then give the kids some so they leave me to chug around, in fact one of them could have horror house and the funds to do it up.

Then would get some warm clothes and decent waterproofs and for a while be totally selfish. Never done totally selfish.

Then I would spend time chugging around.

 

 

Then for once.....it's about time.....

[Delta9]

I'd buy one of these and then get on the first ferry out of England.

[Athy]

Excellent idea sir!

 

But, given a choice, what particular variety?

 

For me it would have to be a Burrell Gold Medal or a Fowler Tiger tractor. Both 'mini' road locomotives.

 

Although, thinking about it, if I did have a million quid at my disposal I'd commission a mate of mine to build a 6" scale Burrell GMT for which drawings, castings, boilers etc are readily available.

Sometimes I like the smaller tractors, sometimes the well-proportioned Burrells, occasionally my head is turned by a gleaming showman's engine...but in the end it would have to be a Fowler ploughing engine. No other engine exudes such an aura of sheer power. Trouble is, I'd need a pair of them, would I not? Oh, and a balance plough as well.

 

Is the vehicle (road tractor?) in the avatar yours? is it a 12" to the foot model?

[Victor Vectis]

No, it's a 4" to the foot miniature.

 

More about it here http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/showthread.php?t=32391

 

Anyone recognise it?

[blackrose]

I said to my g/f a yr before last, that as we had enjoyed narrowboat holidays north west east south, I want to spend my retirement on one doing the whole of system and back again, and I said in fact if you gave me a million pounds , I would still want to travel on a nice narrowboat trip tropping up and down for the rest of my life. The question is..?

If I gave you a million pounds ,

A.if you have a narrowboat would you move off it

B If you have a house and wanted to move on to a canal would a million extra change your mind

C Buy a time machine

D move abroad and go on canal holidays.

 

its only a concept , but would one and ten million make the difference to making you leave /not go on the cut for long time cruising..

 

 

A: Yes, I've already done that on a lot less than a million pounds

B: N/A (I don't have a house)

C: I don't think they exist.

D: I'd do that as well.

 

If I had a million I'd probably spend about £300k on a new build Dutch style barge, cruise the Thames for a couple of years and then take it to France and live off the rest of the dough.

Edited November 6, 2014 by blackrose