Tim & Pru New Series

[dave moore]

I'm intrigued. Why might I be mortified? Mark is welcome to visit the West Midlands at any time, an invite made a year ago has yet to be realised. I suppose I take much of Brum and the BCN for granted, having lived around it for much of my life, I say again that it has an ill deserved reputation among many modern boaters. I endorse Top Cat's post. The pubs and local ales are something else, as others will attest.....

 

 

 

Dave

[mark99]

I'm intrigued. Why might I be mortified? Mark is welcome to visit the West Midlands at any time, an invite made a year ago has yet to be realised. I suppose I take much of Brum and the BCN for granted, having lived around it for much of my life, I say again that it has an ill deserved reputation among many modern boaters. I endorse Top Cat's post. The pubs and local ales are something else, as others will attest.....

 

 

 

Dave

 

 

I ain't forgotton Dave - honest. Busier than ever and awaiting an opportunity to combine client meeting with a meet up.

[Barry]

Yes Tawny was there at the top of Hatton, Richard could have given her a wash.

 

They are in Calcutt!

 

Yep. Tawny was shown twice.

[Sea Dog]

I'm intrigued. Why might I be mortified?

 

 

Only because you speak so warmly of the area, as recently when someone was Bumblehole-ing! As a fairly frequent visitor to those waterways I have to say I agree. Some of the local pub recommendations have been well worth a visit too, so if Tim & Pru have encouraged more to visit the area I approve!

[GUMPY]

But any idea where that odd bit is with the wide beam

If you mean the black and white shots of the coasters, I think it was the entrance to the Surrey Canal from the Thames, now long gone. I have pictures of it in a book but its up the cottage and not here.

 

 

If you watch Tim entering one of the locks, he has lots of room, puts the boat off course, then rams the lock as he is going in. Convinced me the producers "advise" him to do this.

As for hitting the lock entrance Knowle is reknown for its swirling waters in the pounds between locks its very easy to get taken off line there and hit the entrance. Edited November 2, 2015 by Loddon

[ditchcrawler]

If you mean the black and white shots of the coasters, I think it was the entrance to the Surrey Canal from the Thames long gone. I have pictures of it in a book but its up the cotrage and not here.

 

As for hitting the lock entrance Knowle is reknown for its swirling waters in the pounds between locks its very easy to get taken off line there and hit the entrance.

I have turned right round there when waiting for a boat who didnt come out of the lock below.

If you mean the black and white shots of the coasters, I think it was the entrance to the Surrey Canal from the Thames, now long gone. I have pictures of it in a book but its up the cottage and not here.

 

 

Photo here http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/British-Waterways-Kennet-Avon-Grand-Union-Canal-Narrow-boat-35mm-slide-1960s-/191725117929?hash=item2ca3b521e9:g:SDMAAOSwwbdWL66v

[Laurie Booth]

The programme has made me want to visit Birmingham.

 

Not something I would ever have thought possible before.

CGI

[Jess--]

As for hitting the lock entrance Knowle is reknown for its swirling waters in the pounds between locks its very easy to get taken off line there and hit the entrance.

I can agree with that, the boat we went through with got spun through 90 degrees and ended up aground in the pound between the bottom 2 locks. We had to drag them off with a line from our bow to their stern.

[ditchcrawler]

Afterwards I stood and watched a piece of drift wood just going round and round long after the boats had gone.

[Victor Vectis]

As for hitting the lock entrance Knowle is reknown for its swirling waters in the pounds between locks its very easy to get taken off line there and hit the entrance.

We've been up and down Knowle many times and have never encountered this.

 

However, the pounds between the locks are quite open and windswept. Because of this we don't loiter in them but stay in the lock until the next one is ready and then shoot across.

 

Perhaps this explains it.

[Mike Todd]

If you mean the black and white shots of the coasters, I think it was the entrance to the Surrey Canal from the Thames, now long gone. I have pictures of it in a book but its up the cottage and not here.

 

As for hitting the lock entrance Knowle is reknown for its swirling waters in the pounds between locks its very easy to get taken off line there and hit the entrance.

The pound at Hatton which is outside the workshop base can do the same - as we discovered a few days ago when a slow couple of boats were coming up (they would not even open the top gates until e had come out of the lock above!) and going slowly as they inched forward our boat was suddenly turned around in front of the slowest boat. Not nice.

[dave moore]

There seems to be a tendency these days to win a prize for the slowest exit from a lock. I've seen it many times....gates open,,seconds pass, exiting vessel crawls out of lock with agonising slowness. Efficient working seems to be a thing of the past... I suspect it's just me.... Maybe someone will explain....

 

Dave

[mango]

There seems to be a tendency these days to win a prize for the slowest exit from a lock. I've seen it many times....gates open,,seconds pass, exiting vessel crawls out of lock with agonising slowness. Efficient working seems to be a thing of the past... I suspect it's just me.... Maybe someone will explain....

 

Dave

The majority of waterways are used for leisure these days and there's no point in rushing.

[ditchcrawler]

There seems to be a tendency these days to win a prize for the slowest exit from a lock. I've seen it many times....gates open,,seconds pass, exiting vessel crawls out of lock with agonising slowness. Efficient working seems to be a thing of the past... I suspect it's just me.... Maybe someone will explain....

 

Dave

Then the second one comes out at the same speed after the first one is 100 yards clear

[haggis]

The reason for boats leaving locks so slowly is that they have to allow time for the skipper to count the number of bricks in the lock wall. I thought everyone knew that :-)

 

haggis.

[alan_fincher]

Efficient working seems to be a thing of the past... I suspect it's just me....

 

No trust me - it isn't just you that thinks this.

 

The best exception to that otherwise fairly standard "norm" was last year's BCN challenge, (we couldn't do this year's, unfortunately). Watching largely experienced crews work long strings of boats through flights of as many as 13 locks with almost zero delay, and not any sign of "rope macramé" was a real and unexpected pleasure. We even managed to post most of them through Gosty Hill tunnel with no significant delays.

[dave moore]

I don't rush, I just like to boat efficiently and not waste time. If the boat isn't moving vertically, I prefer to be moving horizontally....it's a mindset I acquired many years ago based on those I knew then, a mix of enthusiasts and working boaters we strove to emulate. I'll admit to being a bit full on and frantic in my youth, as a 60 something I'm calmer but still like to work without undue sloth.

 

Dave

[alan_fincher]

The reason for boats leaving locks so slowly is that they have to allow time for the skipper to count the number of bricks in the lock wall. I thought everyone knew that :-)

 

haggis.

 

At at least one of the Stoke Bruerne locks it may well be quicker to count the number now remaining than to spend tie estimating the huge numbers now missing!

[Rob-M]

I don't rush, I just like to boat efficiently and not waste time. If the boat isn't moving vertically, I prefer to be moving horizontally....it's a mindset I acquired many years ago based on those I knew then, a mix of enthusiasts and working boaters we strove to emulate. I'll admit to being a bit full on and frantic in my youth, as a 60 something I'm calmer but still like to work without undue sloth.

 

Dave

I agree Dave, efficient working through locks isn't rushing. I too like to move through in a timely manner and limiting the number of times I have to stop so if a boat comes out of a lock as I approach and neither of us have to stop then all well and good especially if the wind is howling. Another thing that I don't like to see is someone running backwards and forwards between locks in a flight, there shouldn't be a need for it, go ahead and set the next lock but leave the steerer to finish the current lock.

[tidal]

i can still move a boat through a series of locks at a reasonable speed but most of the time I tend to take things more sedately.

If I see a more efficient boat coming up behind me and I can let them through I will.

We all enjoy our boating in different ways and I see reason to spoil either their enjoyment or mine.

[FadeToScarlet]

There seems to be a tendency these days to win a prize for the slowest exit from a lock. I've seen it many times....gates open,,seconds pass, exiting vessel crawls out of lock with agonising slowness. Efficient working seems to be a thing of the past... I suspect it's just me.... Maybe someone will explain....

 

Dave

Although I suspect the majority of boaters now think like this, there's certainly quite a few youngsters who want to preserve old ways of working and get 'em ahead. We might be at odds with most people's attitudes, but a love of efficient working and techniques like strapping in is far from completely dead.

[Theo]

In addition to the slowth of movement there is a marked reluctance even to get moving!

 

N

[Top cat]

There seems to be a tendency these days to win a prize for the slowest exit from a lock. I've seen it many times....gates open,,seconds pass, exiting vessel crawls out of lock with agonising slowness. Efficient working seems to be a thing of the past... I suspect it's just me.... Maybe someone will explain....

Dave

Yes I've noticed that recently too, now im not in a tearing hurry but it's polite to make reasonable progress and get out of someone's way. Trying to hover in a lock pound on a windy day is asking for trouble and being forced to do so because the other idiot won't get his boat moving is frustrating.

 

Top Cat

[mango]

I have just watched the second programme, which was interesting. It was disappointing that the piece showing the late Sonia Rolt was captioned Sonya Rolt. The correct name on the plaque should have given a clue.

[Scholar Gypsy]

I have just watched the second programme, which was interesting. It was disappointing that the piece showing the late Sonia Rolt was captioned Sonya Rolt. The correct name on the plaque should have given a clue.

 

... and a few other continuity issues eg saying it is downhill from Solihull all the way to Braunston.

 

I also got a bit annoyed of the numerous recaps at the end of each ad break. Doesn't anyone watch a TV programme from beginning to end any more?