Americans afloat on the Oxford Canal-any tips?

[Athy]

 

Speak for yourself. I bloody never get snippy, OK?

That's two new words I've learned on the forum today: Gee-gaw and Snippy. They could be a cartoon duo.

[MtB]

That's two new words I've learned on the forum today: Gee-gaw and Snippy. They could be a cartoon duo.

 

 

A bit like Coasty's two cartoon character adventure animals, the Vactan and the Owatrol?

[Athy]

 

 

A bit like Coasty's two cartoon character adventure animals, the Vactan and the Owatrol?

Shurely the Owatrol shared its adventures with the Pussyatrocat?

By now, Turtle is beginning to think that British boaters are a little way different from most people. A valuable lesson, that.

Edited April 25, 2016 by Athy

[MtB]

Yes. Worth a Dime at least, I'd say!

[Victor Vectis]

My new word for the day, thank you (though I think there's an old word gewgaw which may be synonymous).

As used in the 'Lavender Hill Mob'.

 

Wonderful Ealing Comedy starring Alec Guiness and Stanley Holloway

[LEO]

Hi,

 

The best advice I can give is don't talk to strangers........I was moving a boat up the Thames in 1979 and caught up with some Americans exploring the Thames and Oxford canal.

 

We met in the pub at Sandford again that evening and they gave me at tow into Oxford when I ran out of fuel the next day. I gave them some more advice when they finished their trip.......

 

About 2 weeks after the meeting a letter arrived thanking me for all the 'help' and the offer of a visit (all expenses paid) to California was made - Including the airfare - Freddie Laker was booked (I paid the fare!) and I had two fabulous weeks living with them and touring round - their generosity was mind blowing (I was 29 and finances were mixed).

 

I kept in touch and over the years have visited them many times and got to know California and Oregon well as a result, Jack has died sadly, ( he was very successful in real estate) but Sally is in her 90's and unable to travel. They toured Europe and visited me many times.

 

I am always impressed with Americans ability to take in culture - their daughter was over a few years ago and took in Blenheim Palace, the Cotswolds and Stonehenge in one day...............................

 

PMme (bear in mind the minimum number of postings you have to make) with details of your tour dates, numbers etc. and perhaps I can help you.

 

L.

[Athy]

...and details of domicile in the USA?

I was joking. Have a greeno for that heart-warming post.

[LEO]

...and details of domicile in the USA?

I was joking. Have a greeno for that heart-warming post.

Don't worry, medical insurance costs makes a visit to the USA a 'no go' for me.

[twbm]

 

 

Then again, watching T.V. on your computer (does anybody really do this?) is a grey area!

 

Nah, that's just low bandwidth.

[TurtleW]

Thanks all for the advice! The first episode of Inspector Morse is a 90 minute advertisement for College Cruisers (you can't miss their sign), and we'll check out the Wench is Dead as well as the Timothy West show about the canals. I hadn't heard of it, and it sounds delightful.

 

If you see an American family this summer on the Oxford canal with a boat that is not crashing into anyone, that will be us.

[Athy]

 

 

If you see an American family this summer on the Oxford canal with a boat that is not crashing into anyone, that will be us.

The pub shown in The Wench Is Dead is The Barge at Honeystreet, which is just as nice as it sounds - but it's not on the Oxford Canal!

[OldGoat]

TurtleW, on 25 Apr 2016 - 6:41 PM, said:TurtleW, on 25 Apr 2016 - 6:41 PM, said:

Thanks all for the advice! The first episode of Inspector Morse is a 90 minute advertisement for College Cruisers (you can't miss their sign), and we'll check out the Wench is Dead as well as the Timothy West show about the canals. I hadn't heard of it, and it sounds delightful.

 

If you see an American family this summer on the Oxford canal with a boat that is not crashing into anyone, that will be us.

 

Does that episode show the Old Bookbinder's pub in Jericho?

There's a web page advertising a pub crawl through pubs said to be used by Morse:-

http://stantrybulski.com/2012/05/fancy-a-pint-or-threetry-the-inspector-morses-oxford-pub-crawl/

 

The Trout at Wolvercote was used extensively by Morse. It's on the River Thames so you won't be able to visit by boat.

It's very shallow up the weir stream; we grounded and took the dinghy instead.

 

edit: you won't have a licence to cruise the Thames.

Edited April 25, 2016 by OldGoat

[cereal tiller]

 

Does that episode show the Old Bookbinder's pub in Jericho?

There's a web page advertising a pub crawl through pubs said to be used by Morse:-

http://stantrybulski.com/2012/05/fancy-a-pint-or-threetry-the-inspector-morses-oxford-pub-crawl/

 

The Trout at Wolvercote was used extensively by Morse. It's on the River Thames so you won't be able to visit by boat.

It's very shallow up the weir stream; we grounded and took the dinghy instead.

If you moor just above Godstow bridge on the thames,it is only a couple of minutes walk to the Trout

 

CT

[Peter X]

 

 

I'll let you into a secret. Some of the smarter Americans have figured out how to watch English TV programs, using' the internet'...

Canadians too, or at least my daughter and her husband who are immigrants here. They're not impressed by Canadian TV, so they use a site called Filmon, which enabled me to watch Jon Sergeant on Friday lunchtime. Yesterday via some other streaming site, I saw Palace beat Watford in the FA Cup while eating my breakfast.

[MtB]

The pub shown in The Wench Is Dead is The Barge at Honeystreet, which is just as nice as it sounds - but it's not on the Oxford Canal!

 

 

You consider a derelict pub up for sale 'nice'?

 

But to be accurate, I was referring to The Barge at Honey Street. Maybe there is a place called Honeystreet too, with another pub called The barge. Also on a canal

Edited April 25, 2016 by Mike the Boilerman

[MtB]

Snippy? Moi??!

[dmr]

 

 

You consider a derelict pub up for sale 'nice'?

 

But to be accurate, I was referring to The Barge at Honey Street. Maybe there is a place called Honeystreet too, with another pub called The barge. Also on a canal

 

But you turned around at Pewsey so never really got to the Barge at Honeystreet.

It is possibly going through a bad patch just now (though should be open again from 23 April?) but surely no K&A boater can really call themselves a K&A boater till they have spent a week or two moored outside the Barge and been to a couple of the events there!!!!

 

Despite all its faults it is still the most Iconic and dramatic building on the K&A and it sells beer too.

 

Honeystreet is reputable named because the mud is so deep its like walking through honey.

 

..................Dave

[Scholar Gypsy]

Thanks all for the advice! The first episode of Inspector Morse is a 90 minute advertisement for College Cruisers (you can't miss their sign), and we'll check out the Wench is Dead as well as the Timothy West show about the canals. I hadn't heard of it, and it sounds delightful.

 

If you see an American family this summer on the Oxford canal with a boat that is not crashing into anyone, that will be us.

 

More detail on the Wench is Dead here, including the various filming locations.

 

There's a nice plug there for my father, who introduced Colin Dexter to the story. We found out about it because our boat (well, the front half) was built at Hoo Mill lock, one of the last places the victim was seen alive....

Edited April 26, 2016 by Scholar Gypsy

[Athy]

 

 

You consider a derelict pub up for sale 'nice'?

 

But to be accurate, I was referring to The Barge at Honey Street. Maybe there is a place called Honeystreet too, with another pub called The barge. Also on a canal

No, what makes you think that it's "derelict"? It looks in good condition judging by the photos on their web site - where the location is indeed identified as "Honeystreet". I don't see how it being up for sale affects its appeal.

[PaulG]

Scott Waters from the USA has some amusing observations and advice for his compatriots:

• I was in England again a few weeks ago, mostly in small towns, but here’s some of what I learned:
• Almost everyone is very polite
• The food is generally outstanding
• There are no guns
• There are too many narrow stairs
• Everything is just a little bit different
• The pubs close too early
• The reason they drive on the left is because all their cars are built backwards
• Pubs are not bars, they are community living rooms.
• You’d better like peas, potatoes and sausage
• Refrigerators and washing machines are very small
• Everything is generally older, smaller and shorter
• People don’t seem to be afraid of their neighbors or the government
• Their paper money makes sense, the coins don’t
• Everyone has a washing machine but driers are rare
• Hot and cold water faucets. Remember them?
• Pants are called “trousers”, underwear are “pants” and sweaters are “jumpers”
• The bathroom light is a string hanging from the ceiling
• “Fanny” is a naughty word, as is “shag”
• All the signs are well designed with beautiful typography and written in full sentences with proper grammar.
• There’s no dress code
• Doors close by themselves, but they don’t always open
• They eat with their forks upside down
• The English are as crazy about their gardens as Americans are about cars
• They don’t seem to use facecloths or napkins or maybe they’re just neater then we are
• The wall outlets all have switches, some don't do anything
• There are hardly any cops or police cars
• 5,000 year ago, someone arranged a lot of rocks all over, but no one is sure why
• When you do see police they seem to be in male & female pairs and often smiling
• Black people are just people: they didn’t quite do slavery here
• Everything comes with chips, which are French fries. You put vinegar on them
• Cookies are “biscuits” and potato chips are “crisps”
• HP sauce is better then catsup
• Obama is considered a hero, Bush is considered an idiot.
• After fish and chips, curry is the most popular food
• The water controls in showers need detailed instructions
• They can boil anything
• Folks don’t always lock their bikes
• It’s not unusual to see people dressed different and speaking different languages
• Your electronic devices will work fine with just a plug adapter
• Nearly everyone is better educated then we are
• If someone buys you a drink you must do the same
• There are no guns
• Look right, walk left. Again; look right, walk left. You’re welcome.
• Avoid British wine and French beer
• It’s not that hard to eat with the fork in your left hand with a little practice. If you don’t, everyone knows you’re an American
• Many of the roads are the size of our sidewalks
• There’s no AC
• Instead of turning the heat up, you put on a jumper
• Gas is “petrol”, it costs about $6 a gallon and is sold by the liter
• If you speed on a motorway, you get a ticket. Period. Always
• You don’t have to tip, really!
• Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Cornwall really are different countries
• Only 14% of Americans have a passport, everyone in the UK does
• You pay the price marked on products because the taxes (VAT) are built in
• Walking is the national pastime
• Their TV looks and sounds much better then ours
• They took the street signs down during WWII, but haven’t put them all back up yet
• Everyone enjoys a good joke
• There are no guns
• Dogs are very well behaved and welcome everywhere
• There are no window screens
• You can get on a bus and end up in Paris
• Everyone knows more about our history then we do
• Radio is still a big deal. The BBC is quite good
• The newspapers can be awful
• Everything costs the same but our money is worth less so you have to add 50% to the price to figure what you’re paying
• Beer comes in large, completely filled, actual pint glasses and the closer the brewery the better the beer
• Butter and eggs aren’t refrigerated
• The beer isn’t warm, each style is served at the proper temperature
• Cider (alcoholic) is quite good.
• Excess cider consumption can be very painful.
• The universal greeting is “Cheers” (pronounced “cheeahz” unless you are from Cornwall, then it’s “chairz”)
• The money is easy to understand: 1-2-5-10-20-50 pence, then-£1-£2-£5-£10, etc bills. There are no quarters.
• Their cash makes ours look like Monopoly money
• Cars don’t have bumper stickers
• Many doorknobs, buildings and tools are older than America
• By law, there are no crappy, old cars
• When the sign says something was built in 456, they didn’t lose the “1”
• Cake is pudding, ice cream is pudding, anything served for desert is pudding, even pudding
• BBC 4 is NPR
• Everything closes by 1800 (6pm)
• Very few people smoke, those who do often roll their own
• You’re defined by your accent
• No one in Cornwall knows what the hell a Cornish Game Hen is
• Soccer is a religion, religion is a sport
• Europeans dress better then the British, we dress worse
• The trains work: a three minute delay is regrettable
• Drinks don’t come with ice
• There are far fewer fat English people
• There are a lot of healthy old folks around participating in life instead of hiding at home watching tv
• If you’re over 60, you get free tv and bus and rail passes.
• They don’t use Bose anything anywhere
• Displaying your political or religious affiliation is considered very bad taste
• Every pub has a pet drunk
• Their healthcare works, but they still bitch about it
• Cake is one of the major food groups
• Their coffee is mediocre but their tea is wonderful
• There are still no guns
• Towel warmers!

Read more: http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/tourist-s-funny-comments-Cornwall-UK-viral/story-27940104-detail/story.html#ixzz46v49ZaFH

[MtB]

No, what makes you think that it's "derelict"? It looks in good condition judging by the photos on their web site - where the location is indeed identified as "Honeystreet". I don't see how it being up for sale affects its appeal.

 

 

Dave told me! Rumour is that it closed having been driven into deliberate commercial failure as part of a development plan for the whole site.

 

And I checked the map for the spelling before posting. The map says "Honey Street". Maps generally take trouble to get place names correct, or they never hear the end of it...

[Athy]

 

 

Dave told me! Rumour is that it closed having been driven into deliberate commercial failure as part of a development plan for the whole site.

 

And I checked the map for the spelling before posting. The map says "Honey Street". Maps generally take trouble to get place names correct, or they never hear the end of it...

It apparently was closed and taken over but reopened on April 21st.

Obviously Honey Street and Honeystreet refer to the same place. It is, as mentioned earlier, a very nice place whichever way you prefer to write it.

[billS]

 

Obviously Honey Street and Honeystreet refer to the same place. It is, as mentioned earlier, a very nice place whichever way you prefer to write it.

 

Unfortunately it smells strongly of creosote - due to the wood yard next to the canal.

 

I do hope the Barge survives, although the last time I was there (about 4 years ago) The community grant (or whatever it was that had rescued it last time) had been spent on "improving" the interior, whilst the glass was left practically falling out of the frames due to the rotten woodwork.

[Athy]

 

Unfortunately it smells strongly of creosote - due to the wood yard next to the canal.

 

I do hope the Barge survives, although the last time I was there (about 4 years ago) The community grant (or whatever it was that had rescued it last time) had been spent on "improving" the interior, whilst the glass was left practically falling out of the frames due to the rotten woodwork.

It's the charming local dialect: "creosote " is obviously a Wilts word for "honey". Or should that be Creo Sote?

I may of course be talking crop and going round in circles.

[MtB]

It's the charming local dialect: "creosote " is obviously a Wilts word for "honey". Or should that be Creo Sote?

I may of course be talking crop and going round in circles.

 

 

You are...

 

It's 'Wiltsword', obviously!