BCN Challenge 2016

[Victor Vectis]

can a hire boat enter?

Well a boat looking like a hire boat won a year or two ago!

[Victor Vectis]

Email through this morning that there's a fishing match on the Titford Canal. Doesn't say which day but presumably Saturday.

 

They're gonna bloody love us lot!!

Do we get extra points for vexing maggot danglers?

 

Or perhaps a bonus for the most entertaining exchange of abuse?

 

Such as:

 

Fisher Person <with sarcasm> "Can't you go any faster?"

 

Boater <with glee> "Oooooo, I don't know. Would you like me to try!"

[john6767]

Well a boat looking like a hire boat won a year or two ago!

Naughty.... But an actual hire boat did take part 3 or 4 years ago, it was I think a Black Prince boat with a Scandinavian group on board.

 

As to the fishing, you could say that they knew the BCN Challenge was on when they organised it, but it is the Bank Holiday so it is not surprising that everyone want to run events next weekend.

 

On the same subject we had a fisherman on the Tame Valley actually say, <with sarcasm> "Is there a race on?", to which the reply was of course "yes there is!".

[Richard Fairhurst]

There was an overnight fishing session on the W&E when we did the BCN Challenge once. One of the anglers called out "What time do you call this?". My response was "I'm the one with heating, coffee and a bacon sandwich...".

 

Looking forward to doing it this weekend for the first time in years, though I don't think we'll be troubling any of the more competitive sorts. Hope you've got your own bolt-cutters this time, Dave_P.

[Dave_P]

There was an overnight fishing session on the W&E when we did the BCN Challenge once. One of the anglers called out "What time do you call this?". My response was "I'm the one with heating, coffee and a bacon sandwich...".

 

Looking forward to doing it this weekend for the first time in years, though I don't think we'll be troubling any of the more competitive sorts. Hope you've got your own bolt-cutters this time, Dave_P.

haha! You remember then? I now have my own bolt cutters and they're BIGGER than yours. You may need to borrow them when you get stuck on the fabled sunken mattress of Ryder's Green.

[Dave_P]

Seeing as I have no intention of competing for any 'honours' this year, here's my plans:

 

Thursday evening - a pint or five and a big pie at the Black Eagle Hockley.

Friday - relocate to Walsall am. Prep boat pm (attach flag).

Saturday - head north to the W&E, then to Wolverhampton, then down the mainline and through Netherton to Windmill End (meal booked at Ma P's).

Sunday - straight to Hawne and the delights of the bar.

Monday - Crick Show

Tuesday - erm, not sure yet.

 

I predict a score of dismal mediocrity and a weekend of much frivolity.

[Little Else]

Mrs Tawny Owl makes the best fruitcake on the cut. I am planning on drinking lots of gin/cider/beer, whatever is on offer at the time and being at HB in time for food and more beer/gin/cider.

[Dave_P]

Mrs Tawny Owl makes the best fruitcake on the cut. I am planning on drinking lots of gin/cider/beer, whatever is on offer at the time and being at HB in time for food and more beer/gin/cider.

Beer/gin/cider. Sounds like an interesting cocktail.

[guelrose]

Guelrose is now safely moored in Brum and will move to its 'top secret' start point on Thursday, ready for the crew to arrive on Friday. Needless, to say, there is a pub very close to our start point... The fishing match on Saturday will be interesting, and don't forget, Aston number 2 lock is closed if you are ... sorry were ..... going that way. Never mind, Ashtead and Garrison is still available, however only for the same points but by my calculations it is at least a mile further.... Good luck to all, hope to see most of you, either during the challenge or at the bar in Hawne Basin.

[Captain Pegg]

Guelrose is now safely moored in Brum and will move to its 'top secret' start point on Thursday, ready for the crew to arrive on Friday. Needless, to say, there is a pub very close to our start point... The fishing match on Saturday will be interesting, and don't forget, Aston number 2 lock is closed if you are ... sorry were ..... going that way. Never mind, Ashtead and Garrison is still available, however only for the same points but by my calculations it is at least a mile further.... Good luck to all, hope to see most of you, either during the challenge or at the bar in Hawne Basin.

 

As there is only one route available from Old Turn to Salford Junction it really should score the actual number of miles for that route.

[Paul C]

Do we get extra points for vexing maggot danglers?

 

Or perhaps a bonus for the most entertaining exchange of abuse?

 

Such as:

 

Fisher Person <with sarcasm> "Can't you go any faster?"

 

Boater <with glee> "Oooooo, I don't know. Would you like me to try!"

 

My favourite is "Why don't you sit on the other side and use a 1 metre rod, rather than sit on that side and need an expensive 10 metre rod?"

 

Or the time I passed a fisherman and he asked "Why didn't you slow down?" so I said "because there's no moored boats to slow down for?"

[Richard Fairhurst]

haha! You remember then? I now have my own bolt cutters and they're BIGGER than yours. You may need to borrow them when you get stuck on the fabled sunken mattress of Ryder's Green.

 

Now you're making me nervous. Though we did Ryder's Green last summer with no problem - in fact we didn't need to get the bolt-cutters out for the whole trip via the Rushall and the W&E. So far we've lent the bolt-cutters to three other boats but never (touch mattress) had to use them ourselves...

[Laurie Booth]

Off tomorrow to get to my starting position.

[wrigglefingers]

Getting excited ...

 

Setting off tomorrow to start the BCN. Route is ..

 

Bont Dolgadfan to Gobowen (have knee prodded and be ticked off for being fat again)

Gobowen to Whitchurch (pick up Moomins)

Whitchurch to Kenilworth (eat take-away, see above)

 

Kenilworth to Bill Fen (drop off No 1 Moomin)

Bill Fen to Cleethorpes (pick up necessary spinning wheel for challenge)

Cleethorpes to Newark (drop off knitting machine to friend)

Newark to Kenilworth (collapse in chair)

 

Kenilworth to Brum (wander round Rag Market collecting cheese for cheese o'clock)

Brum to Tawny (Rejoin crew and wrangle to Top Secret Starting Point)

Tawny to Tawny (eat all the cheese and cake, see first log entry)

 

Tawny to Hawne Basin (Fulfilling destiny to be the Ship's Cat following tragic sale of Cobbett)

 

Hawne Basin to Caersws (Spinning demonstration for Newtown Textile Museum, which we trying to get re-opened, if anyone wants some Welsh red flannel knickers, I'm your woman ...)

 

Can anyone see how I can squeeze in going to Liverpool and Skelmersdale into that programme?

[Peter X]

My preparations are altogether simpler.

Wednesday: at home making biscuits.

Thursday: at home making cake. The NBT crew will not go hungry.

Friday: Start in the opposite direction going south by tram and train to Caterham where the Captain collects me.

Then M25, M40 and Mwhatever in Birmingham. That may take us some time, as traffic might be rather busy on the south and west side of the M25 on the Friday evening before a bank holiday.

[NickAndAnne]

After four full days of preparation, we are about to begin our positioning move!!!

 

Three days to get to the start so nice and relaxed.

 

Just need to work out how to fix the yellow leaflet to the front of the boat.

 

Blowed if I can see how to turn the picture the right way up though

[wrigglefingers]

After four full days of preparation, we are about to begin our positioning move!!!

 

Three days to get to the start so nice and relaxed.

 

Just need to work out how to fix the yellow leaflet to the front of the boat.

 

Blowed if I can see how to turn the picture the right way up though

How long does it take to get from Oz? I can't find it on CanalPlanAC ...

[Ray T]

 

[AMModels]

How long does it take to get from Oz? I can't find it on CanalPlanAC ...

[Dave_P]

post-25427-0-20992000-1464099318.jpg

They never sent me one of those!

[NickAndAnne]

How long does it take to get from Oz? I can't find it on CanalPlanAC ...

 

I am hoping no more than three days!!

 

post-25427-0-20992000-1464099318.jpg

Thank you! That saved me from having to turn the boat upside down...

 

They never sent me one of those!

Have you checked in the bottom of the envelope?

[john6767]

They never sent me one of those!

I want mine too, all I got was a cr*ppy photocopy.

[Captain Pegg]

Guelrose is now safely moored in Brum and will move to its 'top secret' start point on Thursday, ready for the crew to arrive on Friday. Needless, to say, there is a pub very close to our start point... The fishing match on Saturday will be interesting, and don't forget, Aston number 2 lock is closed if you are ... sorry were ..... going that way. Never mind, Ashtead and Garrison is still available, however only for the same points but by my calculations it is at least a mile further.... Good luck to all, hope to see most of you, either during the challenge or at the bar in Hawne Basin.

 

 

 

I took this photo earlier this afternoon. I recalled reading this post when I saw the boat but didn't remember the detail so I thought you might be trying the very cunning trick of hiding in the last place someone would expect you to try and hide.

 

JP

[Odana]

Cake production underway. The Spey tunnel crew who have so kindly allowed us to labour for them (I'm pretty sure legging Dudley Tunnel counts as walking the Challenge?) won't go hungry. Nor will the Cat.

 

Getting excited now. Have you seen the weather forecast? It has funny yellow spiky things on it.

[Rob-M]

Cake production underway. The Spey tunnel crew who have so kindly allowed us to labour for them (I'm pretty sure legging Dudley Tunnel counts as walking the Challenge?) won't go hungry. Nor will the Cat.

 

Getting excited now. Have you seen the weather forecast? It has funny yellow spiky things on it.

Surely the weather doesn't matter as you will spend most of the time in Dudley Tunnel