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JohnOnTheWey

By JohnOnTheWey
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JohnOnTheWey Contributor

JohnOnTheWey

Posted
Posted (edited)

If you're able to view this, I'd be interested in any opinions about the comments which have been posted on the YouTube site concerning the video. There's only 5 comments so it's not too arduous. In fact, you could just skip the vid (although I rather like it) and just read the comments.

I know my audience, and I know which way the balance is going to swing, but even so I'd like to hear what you think.

 

 

 

 

In a couple of days I'll tell you a little story about the subject.

 

John

 

PS. Please don't post your own comments on the YouTube site (just yet anyway). I'll explain why later.

Edited by JohnOnTheWey
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Stephen Sugg Proficient

Stephen Sugg

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Sorry Scotty; now edited. It's Friday, I'm tired and I'm an idiot.

(30 years in IT, and I do this about 3 times in 10 :::mutter mutter:::lol:

 

John

Erm, it's bit odd Nice images, strange comments, does one of them work for the EA? (and is that Walton on Thames John?)

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JohnOnTheWey Contributor

JohnOnTheWey

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Erm, it's bit odd Nice images, strange comments, does one of them work for the EA? (and is that Walton on Thames John?)

 

Hadn't thought about the EA angle, but I don't think so. And yes, it's WOT; we had one of our banters there.

 

By the Wey (see what I did there?), once I get the furniture sorted out on this boat would you and Ange and Lucy fancy a weekender on the big river?

 

Cheers,

John

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SoggyMoggies Contributor

SoggyMoggies

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There's obviously some significance to this but I suppose I'll have to wait until you let us all in on it...

 

Until then, my only thought is that YouTube seems a bit of a strange place for people to be discussing the rights and wrongs of overstaying on visitors' moorings

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Stephen Sugg Proficient

Stephen Sugg

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Hadn't thought about the EA angle, but I don't think so. And yes, it's WOT; we had one of our banters there.

 

By the Wey (see what I did there?), once I get the furniture sorted out on this boat would you and Ange and Lucy fancy a weekender on the big river?

 

Cheers,

John

Oh I'd say so! that'd be great, thanks John!

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JohnOnTheWey Contributor

JohnOnTheWey

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Typical DARN SOUTH topic I'd have thought.

 

Well you've certainly got that right Malc.

I'm a Northerner who found myself down here for various reasons, and I've sort of acclimatised to it. Every so often, though, this kind of case comes up and I start thinking with a Lancashire accent.

 

John

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blackrose Veteran II

blackrose

Posted
Posted
If you're able to view this, I'd be interested in any opinions about the comments which have been posted on the YouTube site concerning the video. There's only 5 comments so it's not too arduous. In fact, you could just skip the vid (although I rather like it) and just read the comments.

I know my audience, and I know which way the balance is going to swing, but even so I'd like to hear what you think.

In a couple of days I'll tell you a little story about the subject.

 

John

 

PS. Please don't post your own comments on the YouTube site (just yet anyway). I'll explain why later.

 

My thoughts are - I don't care, I've got better things to think about. Sorry they're just my honest thoughts. I've had enough of these sort of arguments.

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Chris J W Influencer

Chris J W

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Boring video, typical comments, boat looked pretty tidy, towpath was clear, bit rude filming through the guy's window,nice looking dog.

Don't see the point?

 

Yep, with Carl on this. Overiding thought was WTF?

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JohnOnTheWey Contributor

JohnOnTheWey

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Thanks everyone for the comments.

Maybe I should have left out the link to the video and just tried to explain my point from the first.

 

Shadow's "owner" (let's call him Jim) is well-known to me. All he has is his boat, his dog and a pension. And throat cancer.

He likes the Thames and that's why he settled in this area. The EA know him well, and generally just chivvy him along if he overstays his welcome. During most of the winter he couldn't move his boat far because of lock closures up- and down-stream and he was left alone.

 

Recently, there has been a change in EA attitude towards him because of a complaint made by the owner of a quite upmarket flat with nice river views from windows which have to be at least 15 feet above the river level (if it's a ground floor flat).

Jim's now left the area, and is desperately trying to save up to buy a gold licence for 2008 so that he can take himself off up the system.

 

Jim is ex-Navy and an engineer, and on Thursday I reckon that he saved me about £450+VAT (and probably a lot more) by servicing my engine. For payment, he asked for "a couple of drinks". He made me watch his every move and kept up a running commentary (as best he could) so I could understand why he was doing things in a certain sequence, and so that next time I would be able to do it myself (my knowledge of diesel engines tending towards zero). As an encore, he fixed a new glass into my Squirrel door - the fittings of which were so corroded I could hardly determine which kind of screwdriver I needed (ask Bones what condition it was in - she cleaned it up and reckoned (as did I) that the fittings would need to be drilled out and re-tapped). It took him 7 minutes to do it.

 

I don't want this to turn into a bitchin' and moanin' session, but when I first saw that little video and the comments it had provoked it occurred to me that I'd much prefer more Jims on the Thames and fewer riverside property owners complaining about the nasty boats on the water.

 

John

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carlt Veteran II

carlt

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Thanks everyone for the comments.

Maybe I should have left out the link to the video and just tried to explain my point from the first.

 

Shadow's "owner" (let's call him Jim) is well-known to me. All he has is his boat, his dog and a pension. And throat cancer.

He likes the Thames and that's why he settled in this area. The EA know him well, and generally just chivvy him along if he overstays his welcome. During most of the winter he couldn't move his boat far because of lock closures up- and down-stream and he was left alone.

 

Recently, there has been a change in EA attitude towards him because of a complaint made by the owner of a quite upmarket flat with nice river views from windows which have to be at least 15 feet above the river level (if it's a ground floor flat).

Jim's now left the area, and is desperately trying to save up to buy a gold licence for 2008 so that he can take himself off up the system.

 

Jim is ex-Navy and an engineer, and on Thursday I reckon that he saved me about £450+VAT (and probably a lot more) by servicing my engine. For payment, he asked for "a couple of drinks". He made me watch his every move and kept up a running commentary (as best he could) so I could understand why he was doing things in a certain sequence, and so that next time I would be able to do it myself (my knowledge of diesel engines tending towards zero). As an encore, he fixed a new glass into my Squirrel door - the fittings of which were so corroded I could hardly determine which kind of screwdriver I needed (ask Bones what condition it was in - she cleaned it up and reckoned (as did I) that the fittings would need to be drilled out and re-tapped). It took him 7 minutes to do it.

 

I don't want this to turn into a bitchin' and moanin' session, but when I first saw that little video and the comments it had provoked it occurred to me that I'd much prefer more Jims on the Thames and fewer riverside property owners complaining about the nasty boats on the water.

 

John

Pm me an address John and you can put me down for £20 for his licence.

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JohnOnTheWey Contributor

JohnOnTheWey

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Pm me an address John and you can put me down for £20 for his licence.

 

That's a very generous offer Carl, but he's a funny old stick.

After he serviced my engine, I took him over to a place which does good batteries at sensible prices because he'd decided his 2 leisure batteries had reached the end of their useful life. He asked me if I could possibly stop off in town first, and we did this. He found the first hole in the wall and drew out just about his whole pension (he gets it paid fortnightly) so he could do a cash deal with the battery guy. I wanted to say to him that I could maybe help him out a bit, but I knew fine well what he would have said. I'll make sure he's OK for heading off up the canals at the end of the year, but I'm going to have to be a bit creative about how I do it; it's like a case of stealth caring.

 

Thanks again,

 

John

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DHutch Veteran II

DHutchDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

I can why to comments have been made, and obvously in an ideal world he (or anyone else) wouldnt be overstaying any 24hour moorings.

- However it isnt a ideal world, and it does happen, with or without good reasons. And he does sound like a fully paid up member of the human race whos just wond up with cancer and not much money, what whatever reason.

 

Im not a smoker, im not a fan of smoking, and i think people my age who smoke are idiots. But again, it happens. Etc...

 

 

I mean basicaly, to cut a long story short. Its not ideal, and i can see that some people would prefer him not to be there. But it is diffcuilt to know what to do about it.

- And personaly, i would be temped to side with the fellow on the boat.

- If nothing else, the whole "narrowboat spoils my view" thing cuts SOOO little ice with me its just unfunny!! Morons.

 

 

Daniel

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drunkensailor Collaborator

drunkensailor

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Posted (edited)

I'll keep the location and mooring anonymous, but I know a bloke who owns a house which he moors his own bloody narrowboat on who would like nothing more than to have a long established, permanent BW mooring closed down.

 

Whenever he's spoken to me, he's always got some kind of dig in about the "scruffy boats". Of course, I just tell him how droll he is and walk off, which really annoys him.

 

Property owners can be mental. If you don't like boats, what the hell are you doing owning a riverside property? The bloke in the flat needs a kick up the a**e.

 

If you do find out a way to help this bloke I'd love to be involved.

Edited by drunkensailor
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Doubleblanker Gongoozler

Doubleblanker

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but I'm going to have to be a bit creative about how I do it; it's like a case of stealth caring.

 

 

Sell him raffle tickets (but dont tell him only he is getting any) and then do a collection on here to make up the prize.

you could print up some fake charity draw tickets

 

Colin

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dacaB Contributor

dacaB

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Sounds like a 'right good chap' as an 'old soldier' I'd be more than happy to help out an 'old sailor'.

 

A Navy engineer who is a 'diesel engine service expert', he should fly a pennant advertising his skills, I would think he could make more than a few squids :) Stop me and buy one ;)

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