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Never a dull moment on the GU

Bettie Boo

By Bettie Boo
in General Boating

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Bettie Boo Experienced

Bettie Boo

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Years ago Dave and I were looking to relocate to the Birmingham/Coventry area and looking at a house in the Black Country, we popped into the local pub to check it out. I took a seat while Dave got the drinks from the bar, I sat beside a table with about 7 local people at it and was completely unable to ear wig in the slightest. It was like they were speaking a different language, I was able to pick up about 1 word out of 5 that was spoken.

 

When Dave returned to the table, I quietly asked if he could understand what they were saying, at which he had a good laugh and said "no one who is not a yam-yam, understands 7 locals from Dudley sitting in a pub".

 

We ended up taking a house in Coventry - much easier to understand what they are saying icecream.gif

Edited by Bettie Boo
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Emerald Fox Rising Star

Emerald Fox

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From a different thread but as this is Bettie's she'll recognise it:

 

"coffee spill in isle 8

off to get the cloth to wipe up the splatter"

 

Sound familiar?:

 

"Mr. Skinner, a baby's sicked up in aisle six."
"Please excuse me. Michael!"
"Yarp."
"- Child vomit. Aisle six. Mop it up."
"- Yarp."

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Emerald Fox Rising Star

Emerald Fox

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I've gotten to know Birmingham (and the greater area around it) fairly well in the past 10 years and. strange to say, I think it's quite an enchanting conglomeration.

The accents are gr8 (we used to have a lorry driver from Birmingham visit us sometimes when I was around 7 years old, and liked his accent).

Birmingham is Babylon!

The new library, though, is a hideous waste of money with it's techy-stuff most of which is already broken, and the stupid blue lighting along the escalators.

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Bettie Boo Experienced

Bettie Boo

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We have all been caught out by James's boat at one time or another Betty, but it is funny to watch people who haven't met it!!

 

Yes - I'm sure the look on our faces was a picture to anyone who knew about the dual steering positions on that boat - never mind me almost to the point of sending Dave racing down the tow path to try and get the attention of someone onboard blush.png

His brother John's new boat Avonturier is similarly equipped with twin steering positions.

 

Oh Great!! another one to be on the look out for tongue.png

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Peter X Experienced

Peter X

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There's more to be worried about. In that picture I see that the man appears to have a laptop, part of the technology needed to take remote steering to the next level. The Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle method, in which the driver sits at the rear facing backwards at a screen showing the picture from a camera at the front. It's designed to protect the driver in the event of a crash, though I never could work out why that mattered to Captain Scarlet, as he was indestructible. It would be handy for his colleagues though.

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churchward Veteran II

churchward

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There is a similar one for sale on ABNB, an inspection launch with tiller and inside wheel steering, she is called Boudicca. I have nothing to do with this sale, I just saw her on their website today and remembered this thread.

 

http://www.abnb.co.uk/boat_pages/2777web/2777abnb.php?BoatID=2777

That boat used to moor near to us in Brinklow Marina a year so so back. It is a nice boat and an alternative style. Inside is very nice.

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Neil TNC Rising Star

Neil TNC

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There's more to be worried about. In that picture I see that the man appears to have a laptop, part of the technology needed to take remote steering to the next level. The Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle method, in which the driver sits at the rear facing backwards at a screen showing the picture from a camera at the front. It's designed to protect the driver in the event of a crash, though I never could work out why that mattered to Captain Scarlet, as he was indestructible. It would be handy for his colleagues though.

 

That bloke is John Chapman, My good friend that was responsible for most of the TNC and OP salty adventures. Sadly John now has the start of Parkinson's, so the end of an era.

The laptop is displaying the chartplotter, only way of steering during the night in the middle of the Irish Sea!

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ditchcrawler Veteran II

ditchcrawlerDonate to Canal World

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That bloke is John Chapman, My good friend that was responsible for most of the TNC and OP salty adventures. Sadly John now has the start of Parkinson's, so the end of an era.

The laptop is displaying the chartplotter, only way of steering during the night in the middle of the Irish Sea!

I have just been for a medical as part of the Parkinson research program as my sister suffers from it.

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Bettie Boo Experienced

Bettie Boo

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I have just been for a medical as part of the Parkinson research program as my sister suffers from it.

 

I had a scare a couple of years ago when I started having tremors in my head, work colleagues pointed it out to me as I hadn't noticed, I mentioned it to Dave and after watching for a couple of days he said it was doing it when I was either on the pc or watching tv. I had an Aunt who had Parkinson's. After having some blood work done it turned out to be problems with my thyroid rather than Parkinson's. Although I'm now on medication for the rest of my life, I remember the overwhelming relief I felt when I received the diagnosis.

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Nightwatch Veteran II

NightwatchDonate to Canal World

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There is a similar one for sale on ABNB, an inspection launch with tiller and inside wheel steering, she is called Boudicca. I have nothing to do with this sale, I just saw her on their website today and remembered this thread.

 

http://www.abnb.co.uk/boat_pages/2777web/2777abnb.php?BoatID=2777

It was also in the Braunston area moored on the tow path November/December time.

 

Pleasant looking boat.

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Nightwatch Veteran II

NightwatchDonate to Canal World

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I had a scare a couple of years ago when I started having tremors in my head, work colleagues pointed it out to me as I hadn't noticed, I mentioned it to Dave and after watching for a couple of days he said it was doing it when I was either on the pc or watching tv. I had an Aunt who had Parkinson's. After having some blood work done it turned out to be problems with my thyroid rather than Parkinson's. Although I'm now on medication for the rest of my life, I remember the overwhelming relief I felt when I received the diagnosis.

A few years ago I was getting palpitations quite severely, as I have had past heart problems I was a bit worried, turned out to be thyroid issues. After three years of mucking about with medication it was decided to whip it out. Surgeon said it was massive in thyroid terms. No wonder they couldn't kick it into line. I have now beaten Margaret onto HRT.

 

Off topic,sorry.

 

Martyn

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bottle Veteran II

bottle

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Going back to never a dull moment...

 

Today we have had

 

A boat get stuck in gear, full revs because the boat was still going forward and not stopping, hit the recently repaired bottom lock gates that flew open at great speed (luckily the lock was empty) and then hit the top gates.

 

A boat get stuck in the lock, fenders down, although a sign at previous lock says lift them.

 

A boat that had only to speeds full ahead and full reverse and wondered why he could not get off the mud he had managed to aground on.

 

When I informed him that less was more, I got informed by one of his crew he had been barging for thirty years. frusty.gif

 

Other than that we have had wonderful day and a pub lunch. cheers.gif

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thunderbird Contributor

thunderbird

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If there was a "prize" you'd have won it smile.png

 

Just looked it up and yes it was indeed that boat, and it's described as having dual steering from both fore and aft....

 

Do they not realize the scare they give people who don't know about such things LOL

 

Live and learn I guess

Memories of Thursday's Child passing with a(toy!) monkey at the tiller! Shocked reactions but later found the boat was being steered from the front!

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