Tim & Pru New Series

[Emerald Fox]

 

I find it most distressing - hammering both the 'contact sport' and Prue's Alzheimer's condition in every edition demeaning both to them and the pastime of boating. Otherwise it was pleasant to see locations muddled up.

 

When we met them June 2014 Sybil seemed perfectly normal and quite witty.

I didn't know they were married and told them this when she said they had celelbrated their 50th wedding anniversary 'last year' and she retorted "Oh my! Do you think we are having an affair??!!"

 

Alzheimers and Dementia are Politically Correct terms for Old Age.

When you're over 50, you're living on borrowed time.

Even I forgot my sandwiches in the fridge at home today (at age 55, 5 years snatched from the hands of the Devil already!)

I am becoming increasingly concerned about the pair of them in terms of their safety when boating.

 

Are there any Canalworld members who'd like to go along with Tim & Pru sometimes and give them a helping hand?

 

(edited to mention saw Grey Lady's post after mentioning A&D - no offence intended)

Edited October 26, 2015 by Emerald Fox

[churchward]

 

I have rammed things myself in the past

And probably will in the future

And I have the occasional "minor bump", "rub" or "touch" on a fairly regular basis.

 

Hands up anyone who doesn't (or hasn't)

 

Comments to me about "static caravans" would be best made when I am far from the canal edge and not carrying a windlass

Quite so. I used to work for a short time at a converted warehouse just outside the dock entrance at Gloucester at the south end. I used to watch the dredging barges when full being towed from the dock to go down the Sharpness canal passed the warehouse. More often than not the tug would get through the lock entrance but one or more of the towed barges would hit the wall on the way through sometimes so hard the impact could actually be felt inside the warehouse building.

 

If it was so that anyone who ever hits anything can no longer go boating would mean quite a lot of empty canals I think.

[Emerald Fox]

Have you ever considered swopping your boat for a Static Caravan ? Lol

 

Quotes

Arthur Daley: [Arthur is sat in his car fast asleep, a gang of boys are kicking a football against a wall nearby, one of the boys boots the ball and it hits the window of Arthur's car, on the driver's side. Arthur winds down his window to give the boys a piece of his mind] Watch it!

boy: Naff off, you narky old bastard!

Arthur Daley: Not so much of the old!

 

[Peter X]

 

...

Are there any Canalworld members who'd like to go along with Tim & Pru sometimes and give them a helping hand?

 

...

I would, and I think there are others.

Going from Teddington to Guildford they went right past "The Boater":

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=79990

 

But it wouldn't perhaps be so interesting for a viewer to watch Tim & Pru sit watching the world go by, while I operate locks and make the tea, and some other equally unknown person from the forum steers.

 

To anyone who's finding boating difficult due to health problems, but would like to be able to carry on, I would say think about whether having crew aboard would make that possible without ruining your enjoyment, and if so who you know who would help, or whether you want to try someone from Crew Swap. It all depends on the nature of the problems I'm sure, but there must be many older people out on the cut who can steer their boat but struggle with some of the physical work at the locks. There's always the alternative, for anyone not in a hurry, of just waiting at a lock for the crew of another boat to help, most probably will.

[Athy]

 

Are you suggesting Trevor Maggs should already have given up, then?

 

(For clarity I am not talking about Trevor's competency, which I could never aspire to - I'm talking about the fact he single hans a working boat at a similar age to Tim and Pru).

He passed us in the Braunston area earlier this year, and we have run into seen him several times in the past, but I had no idea that he was in that age group.

[GreyLady]

Quotes

Arthur Daley: [Arthur is sat in his car fast asleep, a gang of boys are kicking a football against a wall nearby, one of the boys boots the ball and it hits the window of Arthur's car, on the driver's side. Arthur winds down his window to give the boys a piece of his mind] Watch it!boy: Naff off, you narky old bastard!Arthur Daley: Not so much of the old!

 

lol great sketch.

[Psycloud]

 

Did he ever say it more than once in any previous program? I got the impression from his expression that he understood it is not really a valid excuse, and was perhaps being tongue in cheek.

It feels like it's said more than it was because they show it on practically every repeat and as a trailer.

 

I watched the show with great interest but do feel that perhaps it is time to stop now as Pru seems to be really struggling and whilst her bravery is admirable her health really does seem to be in decline quite badly now.

[David Schweizer]

 

When we met them June 2014 Sybil seemed perfectly normal and quite witty.

I didn't know they were married and told them this when she said they had celelbrated their 50th wedding anniversary 'last year' and she retorted "Oh my! Do you think we are having an affair??!!"

 

Alzheimers and Dementia are Politically Correct terms for Old Age.

When you're over 50, you're living on borrowed time.

Even I forgot my sandwiches in the fridge at home today (at age 55, 5 years snatched from the hands of the Devil already!)

 

Are there any Canalworld members who'd like to go along with Tim & Pru sometimes and give them a helping hand?

 

(edited to mention saw Grey Lady's post after mentioning A&D - no offence intended)

 

That simply isn't true. Dementia is a well recogised medical condition which affects the memory (particulary recent memory) , and is not confined to old people. Alzheimers is probably the main cause of dementia, but there are eight other known causes. If you had someone close to you suffering with dementia you would perhaps be a little more selective in your judgemental outbursts.

[GreyLady]

That simply isn't true. Dementia is a well recogised medical condition which affects the memory (particulary recent memory) , and is not confined to old people. Alzheimers is probably the main cause of dementia, but there are eight other known causes. If you had someone close to you suffering with dementia you would perhaps be a little more selective in your judgemental outbursts.

Exactly Alzhiemer's can strike at any age often in people in their 20's.

 

Early onset is very common.

[David Schweizer]

 

Are you suggesting Trevor Maggs should already have given up, then?

 

(For clarity I am not talking about Trevor's competency, which I could never aspire to - I'm talking about the fact he single hans a working boat at a similar age to Tim and Pru).

 

I think you know perfectly well that I am not suggesting that at all. One can hardly compare Timothy West, a part time recreational boater, with Trevor Maggs, a former commercial working boatman,who I have known for decades.

[kevinl]

Alzheimers and Dementia are Politically Correct terms for Old Age.

When you're over 50, you're living on borrowed time.

It may be a "politically correct" term but given the large number of people with Alzheimer's in denial, sometimes aggressively or violently so, I'd prepare yourself for a possible "punch in the bracket" if you use it to the wrong person.

K

[kevinl]

Early onset is very common.

"About one person out of twenty over the age of 65 develops Alzheimer's disease and less than one person in a thousand under the age of 65".

K

http://www.alzheimer-europe.org/Dementia/Alzheimer-s-disease/Who-is-affected-by-Alzheimer-s-disease

[churchward]

Alzheimers and Dementia are Politically Correct terms for Old Age.

 

They are not politically correct terms at all.

 

Dementia is a group name or syndrome for a host of symptoms brought on by a group of conditions in the brain that is or has damaged it. Alzhiemers is one of those conditions/diseases. You can grow old and die without having Alzhiemer's or dementia. Alzhiemers is the most common source of dementia but it can be caused by Huntingdons disease as well for example.

Edited October 26, 2015 by churchward

[GreyLady]

"About one person out of twenty over the age of 65 develops Alzheimer's disease and less than one person in a thousand under the age of 65".

K

http://www.alzheimer-europe.org/Dementia/Alzheimer-s-disease/Who-is-affected-by-Alzheimer-s-disease

We lost my gran to an Alzhiemer's complecation last night, its been hell for the last 9 months.

 

When I started to read about Alzhiemer's I was shocked to read people so young can get it, maybe common was not the right word and your right some people can be violent with it as I am finding out with my dad, it seems to be quite common in our family.

[lydfordcastle]

I stay convinced it's all down to the producer / director. He/she wants diversion from "just chigging through the water".

The incidents on the Wey last night were manufactured. Only a complete novice would take a line up with a bridge in the way or perhaps even without one.

Ditto the wrong type of windlass.

 

 

 

You've obviously never met Tim coming the other way up the North Oxford Canal

[Richard10002]

 

The incidents on the Wey last night were manufactured. Only a complete novice would take a line up with a bridge in the way or perhaps even without one.

Ditto the wrong type of windlass.

 

With or without dementia, Pru obviously knew what she was being told to do, (in no uncertain terms), was wrong, but Timothy, without dementia, had to see that it was wrong before he would acquiesce. He has a habit of doing this, and I would guess he is actually that type of person, rather than it being staged. I dont deny that some stuff must be staged - it is TV, after all.

 

I was wondering why that particular lock was difficult to get into - I was expecting a bywash, which might involve steering towards the wash, in order to be pushed in line with the lock... or something similar.

[Tony Brooks]

With or without dementia, Pru obviously knew what she was being told to do, (in no uncertain terms), was wrong, but Timothy, without dementia, had to see that it was wrong before he would acquiesce. He has a habit of doing this, and I would guess he is actually that type of person, rather than it being staged. I dont deny that some stuff must be staged - it is TV, after all.

 

I was wondering why that particular lock was difficult to get into - I was expecting a bywash, which might involve steering towards the wash, in order to be pushed in line with the lock... or something similar.

 

 

That lock is set at 90 degrees to the natural river so no bywash and the large river cross section reduces the flow. In fact if he had used the official layby the current would have tended to push the nose round for him rather than having to try to force the stern upstream.

[OldGoat]

 

You've obviously never met Tim coming the other way up the North Oxford Canal

Oh dear - shattering my illusions

 

With or without dementia, Pru obviously knew what she was being told to do, (in no uncertain terms), was wrong, but Timothy, without dementia, had to see that it was wrong before he would acquiesce. He has a habit of doing this, and I would guess he is actually that type of person, rather than it being staged. I dont deny that some stuff must be staged - it is TV, after all.

 

I was wondering why that particular lock was difficult to get into - I was expecting a bywash, which might involve steering towards the wash, in order to be pushed in line with the lock... or something similar.

We were on the Wey for four years (until Ting Dene bought Pyrford marina) - but it was a while ago so perhaps memory doesn't serve. The lock landings were often diabolical - but all were well set back from the lock - so wandering up with a bow line was never an option. If a previous post is correct - that particular lock has the lay by set well back - so I detected a rat (=production).

At Cox's lock you see a shot of Tim winding the offside upstream paddle with speed and great aplomb (Wey locks have a diabolical paddle gear designed by "Vince-the-ice-cream-man" - great idea but very heavy, and Prue pitting the wrong size of GU windlass on the square - she knows enough about windlasses (windlayii?) tha not only was it wrong but completely wrong. Tim's long arm whatsit was new - so I guess they'd bought / hired it at from Thames lock - who would have suggested two???

 

No I'll stick with idea of a photo opportunity fudge. Shame on the producer...

[Emerald Fox]

"About one person out of twenty over the age of 65 develops Alzheimer's disease and less than one person in a thousand under the age of 65".

 

That seems to me more like old people get it?

 

I'll put myself in my own black book for my flippant comments. I have seen dementia (or memory loss or whatever it is) first hand, my girlfriend's father had it for many years. I saw him ask her who she was, after she had explained, a minute later he asked again. Six times.

However, he could sing songs from end to end - now how is that done? You have to know where you are in the song, surely?

I think Psychology would be fascinating to study, Genetics too.

So much to do and so little time.

[kremmen]

Nearer the OP topic.

 

I saw this on YBW forum (thames) and it is am interesting and amusing viewpoint that I thought worth sharing. ...

a personal view only.

Once apon a time....Everybody knew their station in life, their place in the world order and could afford to live in a in a house.

They also did the decent thing and expired about 3 years after retirement.

Canals were a muddy ditch at the back of the industrial estate and very useful for getting rid of your Astra GTE or your old Formica table.

A recent trip to a bit of the Medway by dinghy under the 6ft airdraft bridge in Tonbridge town revealed loads of NBs.Had no idea that so many existed unseen on the Medway.The Wey TV programme simply confirmed that hundreds of them lurk in the back waters and bywaters of our navigations.

Quietly and unrealised they have proliferated like an alien species until they were everywhere.

All of sudden we have a generation,with the time,the money and the inclination not just to fade away but to do something and what better than a canal boat to enjoy this knew found liberty.

This was fine all the while they stayed in Macclesfield or Industry on Tyne.But they got adventurous and started to move south.

The glistening Thames lay there under used in all its glory,warm climate and lock keepers who actually worked your lock,what better way for those with more aches than ambitions to spend a summer.

After all there is nobody there but a few well heeled gin palace owners who rarely use their boats and seldom venture

out of the marina.

Suddenly the Thames mafia could no longer find somewhere to park 40ft of shiney white plastic out side Hampton Court on a Saturday evening and the grumbling started.

Here endeth the first lesson.

By the way how much does it cost to buy a NB and believe the Cart charges are very reasonable indeed.

[lydfordcastle]

Oh dear - shattering my illusions

 

 

Better your illusions than the bow of my fibreglass Dawncraft Rover

[Peter X]

Thank you kremmen for passing on that item from YBW, it was indeed an interesting and amusing viewpoint. The gin palace owners probably do worry a bit about narrow boats competing with them for moorings on the Thames and other rivers, but as they're happy with non-residential places in marinas and cope better with choppy water, but have too much airdraft to get into backwaters they're often not competing for the same moorings.

 

There will probably be a few who are looking for an argument with narrow boaters, but the small sample I came across doing Oxford to Reading in July certainly weren't. They seemed to view us as part of the scenery, not a problem to them.

[Peter X]

When the Wey and Arun opens fully, which I suppose may well happen in a decade or two from now, or sooner if they get lucky with funding, they're going to need to have a good think about their moorings policy, and so are the people who run the Arun (the EA I assume). A lot of boaters are going to be interested in doing the trip to Littlehampton and back through all that lovely countryside, and some of those will be trying to do a part of it as slowly as possible so that they can be near a station with trains to Waterloo, or other desirable locations in what is one of the wealthiest areas of the country. The various bodies involved, not least the local authorities considering any application to build a marina, need to set some fair rules from the outset, so far as the law allows them to, to prevent trouble before it builds up.

[Tony Brooks]

Especially if you offer to let them moor alongside. A lot do not seem to want to, probably something to do with blacking getting onto the fender socks.

Oh dear - shattering my illusions

 

We were on the Wey for four years (until Ting Dene bought Pyrford marina) - but it was a while ago so perhaps memory doesn't serve. The lock landings were often diabolical - but all were well set back from the lock - so wandering up with a bow line was never an option. If a previous post is correct - that particular lock has the lay by set well back - so I detected a rat (=production).

At Cox's lock you see a shot of Tim winding the offside upstream paddle with speed and great aplomb (Wey locks have a diabolical paddle gear designed by "Vince-the-ice-cream-man" - great idea but very heavy, and Prue pitting the wrong size of GU windlass on the square - she knows enough about windlasses (windlayii?) tha not only was it wrong but completely wrong. Tim's long arm whatsit was new - so I guess they'd bought / hired it at from Thames lock - who would have suggested two???

 

No I'll stick with idea of a photo opportunity fudge. Shame on the producer...

 

Simply as a matter of interest I found my "standard" long arm windlass easier to use on the Wey locks that the one we borrowed form Thames lock because it has a rotating handle on it and was lighter to carry.

[tidal]

Somewhere in my stored tools I think I still have a windlass with an adjustable arm which I purchased for my then partner who struggled with some paddles (I borrowed it a lot)
Can't remember where I bought it though