Aardvarks & Maffi's Boat

Where is the Justice?

2012-01-27T23:42:00.001Z

This world is F***ed up. I know this chap should be locked up because he looks guilty of being just ugly.

This chap’s crime is far more heinous and yet he only gets 20 years.

I kind of wanted to say only in America, but unfortunately this could have almost as easily happened here.

Trust BW

2012-01-26T12:37:00.001Z

Ruth Ruderham was appointed last year to the role of fund raising manager, by British Waterways for the new CRT. She will be on an salary of £70,300 pa. So before the CRT is even a legally constituted charity it is already £70k+ in the red. I get the idea she will be swimming through treacle. She had better be good.

As of yet BW have not released the salary details of Daniel Charles the Individual Giving Manager (yeah I asked that).

How much hard work are these two going to have to do just to stand still?

Oops!

2012-01-25T21:46:00.001Z

So I click on the tweet button and Twitter says:-

Sorry! we did something wrong. Try sending your tweet again in a minute.

So in a minute I click on it again and Twitter says:-

Oops! you have tweeted that already.

This is a simple bug that they should be able to fix.

Today . . .

2012-01-25T20:55:00.001Z

. . . I found Snowdrops.

Wi-Fi

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000Z

David Cameron (that posh nob from Eton) said a couple of weeks ago that they are planning to provide free, yes FREE, Wi-Fi for the whole of London.

I thought, “Well that’s nice. Give all those in London for free what we in the sticks pay for but can’t get. That is certainly the way to divide a nation.”

This is a man of great vision.

He looks a lot, but sees bugger all.

WANTED:

2012-01-25T02:02:00.001Z

Escaped Prisoner, if you know the location of John Anslow
please call the dedicated incident room 01785235051

Do not approach him this man is DANGEROUS!

Alice

2012-01-24T18:18:00.001Z

Mark Davies is an author and he writes about the local history of Oxford. He has written a number of books about and around Oxford. Mark lives on a narrowboat near Isis Lock which is where the canal meets the Thames, so it is no surprise that, a couple of years ago, he published a book about the Thames, more specifically how the Thames and Alice Liddle are inextricably linked in the annuls of literary history.

Alice Liddle was the inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. This book follows the Thames from Godstow on the northern reaches of the city to Nuneham down Abingdon way. This is some considerable distance to cover in a rowing skiff as Carroll did. Godstow was ‘the birthplace of all Alice’s adventures’. The book then follows the route of the river past Binsey, the site of the ‘Treacle Well’ under Folly Bridge, near by is the ‘Wool and Water’ shop which still exists today at 85 St Aldates as the Alice Shop. It drifts lazily along the Christ Meadow stretch. On the flow to Iffley where a prince was unceremoniously blacked in the eye by Alice, and then onward to Sanford the ‘Pool of Tears finishing up at Nuneham ‘a material Fairy land’.

The book, which is written as a diary, is full of historical reference, maps, copies of the original illustrations, photographs of people who became characters and talks about all the places as they appear in the original book.

This is a lovely insight into the history behind one of the most famous childrens books ever written. Well worth reading even if you are not an Alice fan.

In Oxford you can buy it at many of the local bookshops. It can be purchased directly from Mark by Isis Lock (if he is home there is a poster of the book on a board by his post box) or you can get it online ISBN 078-1-904955-72-6.

It is published by
Signal Books
in association with
Oxford Towpath Press.

Ahem!

2012-01-24T10:00:00.000Z

Mum, I shouldnt have to sit in this titchy basket while the Wonder Dog sits on a chair. Its just not fair!!! I don’t fit.

Discarded

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000Z

The number you are calling . . . .

2012-01-23T22:06:00.001Z

I don’t know about all you guys but all my phone numbers are saved onto the phone so when I want to call someone I look for their name on the list and press call. Now that is simple. Eazy Peazy. So why is it than when the phone I am calling goes to voice mail does the ‘voice’ tell me what number it is that I am calling. I don’t know if its right and I don’t really care. It was right the last time I called and I haven’t changed anything, but still they persist. When will they realise that no one cares, it doesn’t matter. They never say anything useful such as “your mum is pissed with you and isn’t answering her phone” or “the drunk you were out with last night doesn’t want to talk.” or “that chick you were getting giggy with? she doesn’t want to know,” you know what I am saying, something that you need to know. No they just trot out the number that your phone gave them and they do it with that superior air that makes you want to punch them. Bloody bastards!

NME honours 'genius' Noel Gallagher

2012-01-23T21:43:00.001Z

Noel Gallagher is to be honoured with the "Godlike Genius" title at this year's NME Awards for his contribution to music.

He said,
"I accept that I am now a genius, just like God."

Well that’s good, not only is he a total arse he thinks he’s a deity. He will be insufferable! Oh! no changes there then.

Where in Oxford . . .

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000Z

. . . would you find a water wheel?

Dog Fouling

2012-01-23T00:37:00.001Z

This is a cut ‘n’ paste from the Keep Britain Tidy site. The problem

Dog fouling is a major issue for many of our towns and cities. It is the most offensive type of litter on our streets and it is consistently raised as a public concern.

What is dog fouling?

In 2010 the UK dog population was estimated to be 8 million, with dogs producing approximately 1,000 tonnes of excrement each day. In a recent survey of over 10,000 sites dog fouling was present on 7% of these sites. Some dog owners still fail to clean up after their dogs and the highest level of dog fouling can be found in areas where people actually live.

Why is dog fouling a problem?

Although Keep Britain Tidy has recorded a reduction in overall levels of dog fouling since 2001/02, it is still a significant cause of offence amongst the public.

Dog fouling is not only unpleasant it is dangerous. The biggest threat to public health from dog excrement is toxocariasis.

What is Toxocariasis?

Toxocariasis is an infection of the roundworm toxocara canis. The eggs of the parasite can be found in soil or sand contaminated with faeces and if swallowed, result in infection that lasts between six and 24 months. Symptoms include eye disorders, vague ache, dizziness, nausea, asthma and epileptic fits. Often the eggs are ingested when passed to the mouth by the hands, but this can also occur through contact with dogs or other inanimate objects including the wheels of toys and the soles of shoes. Infected soil samples are often found in play areas and as a result, Toxocariasis most commonly affects children between 18 months and five years.

Whose responsibility is it to clear away dog fouling?

It is the the responsibility of the dog owner or the person in charge of the dog to clear up any dog foul left by their dog. If you fail to clean up after your dog you can be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice, or if the case goes to court a fine of up to £1000.
The regulations state specifically, that being unaware that the dog has fouled, or not having a suitable means of removing the faeces is not a reasonable excuse for failing to clean up after your dog.
If someone fails to clean up after their dog, the council will clear dog fouling from public places that it has a legal responsibility for. Over 90% of councils have dog wardens and over 80% of councils provide dedicated dog waste bins.

What can I do about dog fouling?

Many people find dog fouling offensive and want to do something about it. If you feel strongly that dog fouling should not be tolerated on our streets why not sign up as a Keep Britain Tidy supporter and show that you are committed to tackling the issue of dog fouling. We will keep you updated on everything we are doing to put an end to dog mess on our streets and let you know about all other relevant work. We also have some posters that you can put up locally. View and order your free posters.
If you are with someone you know and they allow their dog to foul you may feel safe telling them that they shouldn’t. However, if you do not know the person it is important not to confront them if you think that your personal safety might be at risk. Dog wardens are empowered and trained to deal with offenders.

If you have information about a dog fouling you could report it to the police, the local council or a dog warden, but it is up to them to decide whether they wished to proceed any further. Whilst it is possible to take a private prosecution, it would be at a person’s own expense and you will need strong evidence to prove your case in court.

For more information about dog fouling view our Knowledge Bank

I hope that’s clear. It is dangerous, there are no excuses for not clearing up and if they don’t want to clear it up take their picture pass it on to the council. Remember to hammer home the £1000 fine.

Henry Winkler

2012-01-22T08:00:00.000Z

I just love Henry Winkler. I’m sure we all do. Many of us will remember him as the Fonz in Happy Days. Henry was part of that feel good factor TV show that everyone tuned into in the seventies.

He was awarded the OBE last year for his work with Dyslexic children in this country. Henry works with Dyslexic children for one simple reason Henry himself is dyslexic and he wants to make a difference. You can imagine the trouble he had reading scripts. Now I never knew this. I don’t have TV and I don’t often read newspapers and even then I skip read, which is how come I didn’t know ‘why’ he got an OBE.

So when I picked him up on his spelling, on twitter, last year he had every right to be angry. Did he get angry? No he simply replied ‘This is true I cannot spell.’ And still I did not understand. Well I am, after all, a bit of a twat as you will all know.

The last thing I would want to do, would be to make fun of anyone who is dyslexic. My daughter Kim is dyslexic. She wasn’t diagnosed until she went to University (she got a 2.1).

I am very fortunate, my father taught me to read before I went to school. I could read everything, didn’t understand it all, but hey, I was 4. I have no knowledge of a time when I couldn’t read. The problem I had was no one would believe I could read which in my case was somewhat debilitating. I remember one teacher being amazed that not only could I read but I could read upside down, I was eight. During those periods when we all read out in class, I was always several pages in front of the other kids. When it came to my turn I had to find where we were in the book. It appeared I wasn’t paying attention or I was struggling to read, I found this so frustrating. Whilst I could liken it to the problems that other kids had being unable to read, for me it was going to get better. Eventually, as I grew older no one would question my reading ability. From starting High School it was just accepted that I could read. The trouble being of course that before that ever happened I had lost the will to learn and would never regain the enthusiasm I once had.

If you have dyslexia it must be so frustrating to be out of the loop. Teachers teach. Pupils learn. As pupils learn the teachers progress on to more difficult topics and the pupils learn more. Imagine how difficult it must be to learn if when you open a book all the words on the page jumble up or appear to slide off the edge. If particular words become fuzzy, or morph into something else, blocks of colours for instance, how would we read a book?

Talented people can help. Henry Winkler is talented. He writes books for dyslexic children. He goes into schools, both in the US and here and he helps dyslexic children to understand that they matter and this is the first step towards their understanding of the written world they live in.

There was a chap in our class at school who had a cleft palette, Barry. We kids didn’t know that this wasn’t related to his inability to read, (he had the worst repair job I have ever seen in my now 61 years).

People with dyslexia are their own worst enemy simply because they are so good at hiding their problem. I only knew two people with dyslexia when I was at school, Barry was one and my brother was the other. Of course we didn’t know of DYSLEXIA just that some people “were stupid” and could not read. Kids can be evil.

Henry Winkler over came his problem, mainly by hiding his problem but also by being extremely funny and I think it is very brave for him to say on his twitter profile:-

Actor, director, producer and author. AND I'm in the bottom 3% academically in America.

He may be in the bottom 3% academically but he is in the top 3% good guys.

Please, google Dyslexia. Find out about it, understand. then maybe you wont make an ass of yourself as I did.

Boots and Molly at play

2012-01-21T19:22:00.001Z

Is there a God?

2012-01-20T17:52:00.001Z

Another internet story. I don’t know if there is any truth to it (probably not) but I like the sentiment.

A college professor, an avowed atheist and active in the ACLU, was teaching his class. He shocked several of his students when he flatly stated that for once and for all he was going to prove there was no God. Addressing the ceiling he shouted:
"GOD, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you exactly 15 minutes!"
The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop.
Ten minutes went by. "I'm waiting God, if you're real, knock me off this platform!" Again after a few more minutes, the professor taunted God saying, "Here I am, God! I'm still waiting!"
His count down got down to the last couple of minutes when a NAVY SEAL, just released from the Navy after serving in Afghanistan and Iraq and newly registered in the class, walked up to the Professor. The SEAL hit him full force in the face, and sent the Professor tumbling from his lofty platform. The Professor was out cold.
The students were stunned and shocked. They began to babble in confusion. The SEAL nonchalantly took his seat in the front row and sat silent. The class looked at him and fell silent ..... waiting.
Eventually, the professor came to and was noticeably shaken. He looked at the SEAL in the front row. When the professor regained his senses and could speak he asked: "What the heck is the matter with you? Why did you do that?"
"God was really busy protecting America's soldiers, who are protecting your right to say stupid things and act like an idiot. So He sent me."

Breaking News

2012-01-20T13:23:00.001Z

Administrative errors by the organising team of the Queens Jubilee Flotilla have resulted in the canals top bloggers being left off the list. None of the top waterways bloggers have been included in the royal line up, not even me!. Neither Sue nb No problem nor Andrew Denny nb Granny Buttons or even yours truly on the Milly M will be taking part in the biggest flotilla for several hundred years. Such an oversight is inexcusable.

Sue was well put out and Granny too. Fortunately for nb Epiphany they will be on the Lancaster Canal so are not too offended. I on the other hand as the resident Mr Goody-two-shoes thought I would be included just to keep me sweet. Don’t these people understand social politics.

Well that’s me done, I am not turning up to her birthday bash this year, Liz will have to do without me. No sorry Your Maj you can send as many invitations as you like, One has to make a stand.

Freight on the canals

2012-01-20T08:00:00.000Z

Yet another newspaper article advocating the bringing back freight onto the canals. I have to wonder if these people have the slightest idea what state the canals are in? Have they asked how commercial traffic and ‘pleasure’ traffic will interact. What would happen when a motor and butty turn up at Dashwood’s Lock behind a queue of private and hire boats on a Friday afternoon. Private boaters kicking their heels while yard staff are showing newbie hirers through the lock. I have followed so called working boats through lock flights and often they don’t close gates when leaving a lock. Hire boaters wouldn’t be troubled by this but many Private boaters would.

Will commercial boats be required to keep to the set conventions of speed rules or will they take it that they are ‘working boats’ and the rules don’t apply to them? After all they will be on the clock.

How is it ever going to be cost effective to move freight by boat. We all love boating and would pay to take a boat out, but if you were doing it 5 days a week you would need to be paid, I can’t see anyone doing it for less than £50 a day that’s £250 a week. Why pay a boater £250 to take a load from Oxford to Rugby, for instance. when a truck driver can do it for 30 quid (two hours driving). If, as the article suggests, bio fuels are too be transported to power stations the extra cost will be loaded on to consumer bills. Fortunately power stations are on big waterways

Are working boaters going to be happy to moor up in the sticks in preference to mooring on a honey pot visitors mooring outside a pub, I doubt it.

The big river/canals like the Aire & Calder are still taking freight, but they are big waterways and carry 650 ton boats. They were built for this. The Manchester ship canal the same, bigger water, bigger boats.

Mind you as a starting point I suppose they could strip a lot of trees off the canals that are most likely to fall, but the narrow canals would need the bottom dropped a couple of feet to accommodate proper working boats not to mention the water supply needs some serious attention

I am sure the CBOA would love to see working boats on the water again, but is it really going to happen? I very much doubt it, but hey never say never as they say. I would take a cargo boat out.

And finally the post has gone

2012-01-20T04:02:00.001Z

Hoorah!

Syria

2012-01-19T12:05:00.001Z

The Arab Spring is now ten months into its new life, and yet Syria’s leader, Bashar al-Assad, is still in power in a country that doesn’t want him. The Arab League has failed to sort out this problem. It maybe time for intervention. Not intervention by the West but by Arab troops. 6,000 Syrians have died since the trouble started and it is for the Arab nations, together, to bring this problem to an end.

Corrupt Morons

2012-01-19T10:00:00.000Z

Another little peice I found on the net amusing but sad.

This should be read and understood by all Americans Democrats, Republicans, EVERYONE!!

To President Obama and all 535 voting members of the Legislature,

It is now official that the majority of you are corrupt morons:

1. The U.S. Postal Service was established in 1775. You have had 234 years to get it right and it is broke.

2. Social Security was established in 1935. You have had 74 years to get it right and it is broke.

3. Fannie Mae was established in 1938. You have had 71 years to get it right and it is broke.

4. War on Poverty started in 1964. You have had 45 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to "the poor" and they only want more.

5. Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965. You have had 44 years to get it right and they are broke.

Wal-Mart

2012-01-19T00:06:00.001Z

This is interesting the punch line is thought provoking.

1. Americans spend $36,000,000 at Wal-Mart every hour of every day.
2. This works out to $20,928 profit every minute!
3. Wal-Mart will sell more from January 1 to St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) than Target sells all year.
4. Wal-Mart is bigger than Home Depot + Kroger + Target +Sears + Costco + K-Mart combined.
5. Wal-Mart employs 1.6 million people, is the world's largest private employer, and most speak English.
6. Wal-Mart is the largest company in the history of the world.
7. Wal-Mart now sells more food than Kroger and Safeway combined, and keep in mind they did this in only fifteen years.
8. During this same period, 31 big supermarket chains sought bankruptcy.
9. Wal-Mart now sells more food than any other store in the world.
10. Wal-Mart has approx 3,900 stores in the USA of which 1,906 are Super Centers; this is 1,000 more than it had five years ago.
11. This year 7.2 billion different purchasing experiences will occur at Wal-Mart stores.
(Earth's population is approximately 6.5 Billion.)
12. 90% of all Americans live within fifteen miles of a Wal-Mart.

“You may think that I am complaining,” says the writer, but he is really laying the ground work for suggesting that, “MAYBE the Americans should hire the guys who run Wal-Mart to fix the ailing American economy.”

Goodbye!

2012-01-18T02:14:00.001Z

Judges send Qatada back to jail
BBC Tuesday, 2 December 2008
A radical preacher, who has been dubbed Osama Bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe, has been returned to jail after judges agreed he might abscond.
Law Lords back Qatada deportation
BBC Wednesday, 18 February 2009
The Law Lords have ruled that radical cleric Abu Qatada can be deported from the UK to Jordan where he faces jail for terrorism.
Abu Qatada jail 'justified', High Court rules
BBC Friday, 19 March 2010
A high-security prison governor acted reasonably when he tried to prevent a Muslim preacher "radicalising" Muslim inmates, the High Court has ruled.

These are just some of the quotes about this Arab despot from our Judges. They seem to have him nailed yet for the last ten years yet this poor excuse for a man has given the courts of this country the run around.

I really dislike it when the BBC or any of our newspapers call this man Abu Quatada for this is not his name. His real name is Omar Mahmoud Mohammed Othman. Abu means Father or esteemed father and Quatada is probably the name of his first son. Abu Quatada = Esteemed father of Qatada. To him you and I are just the ‘infidels’. When I was in Saudi I was sometimes referred to as Abu Toby. In the Arab culture this is, as you can see, a term of endearment. We don't want to endear this man to ourselves.

Now about this Jordan thing. I cant help wondering, given that Omar Mahmoud Mohammed Othman was born of Palestinian/Jordanian parents in Israel why he has to go to Jordan. It really shouldn’t matter to us where he goes all we should have to do is simply give him a week to arrange somewhere to go. He could go to Palestine, he could go to Israel or any of the other 70+ Islamic republics that there are in the world. This man, with the eyes of death, has no claim on this country whatsoever he has abused our hospitaliy and cost us a lot of spondoolicks making sure his human rights were not interfered with. That would be the very same human rights that he would have refused each and everyone of us had we not cottoned on to him.

Some years ago when it was decreed that he would be deported Human rights group Amnesty International said it was "gravely concerned" about the ruling's implications.

Spokesman Nicola Duckworth said: "No-one should be deported to face a risk of torture, whatever they might be alleged or suspected to have done.

(He doesn’t have to go back to Jordan)

"States simply cannot pick and choose which people have human rights.

(unlike Omar Mahmoud Mohammed Othman who chooses who can live and who can die)

"If these individuals in question are reasonably suspected of having committed a criminal offence relating to terrorism, it is always open to the UK authorities to charge them and give them a fair trial."

I kinda think he has had more than a fair crack of the whip (no pun intended!) and he should stop wasting our money. I cant help wondering where the Nichola Duckworths are when his victims are dead and dying. Show him to the airport let him choose.

London Boaters verses BW

2012-01-15T19:16:00.001Z

LONDON BOATERS ‘A vibrant community of people who live on boats in London, mostly without a permanent mooring.’ Or so it says at their Twitter profile. The without a permanent mooring means they are Continuous Cruisers. So you will forgive me if I don’t see the problem with BW asking them not to inhabit particular parts of the canal/river for a specified period of time, as long as it is for a ‘bona-fide’ reason. That period can be managed for the time they need to be away from a particular area so it shouldn’t really cause much, if any, inconvenience. I don’t see what their argument is, but we know it is not as simple as that. Life never is.

However we all pay to travel the whole system. That system baring maintenance is supposed to be open to all 365 days of the year. It should not be closed to traffic for specific periods so that BW can charge a friggin gold mine for a few boaters who want to see the Olympics and stay on their boat. Is it that people with money are too posh to moor alongside/near ‘ordinary’ boaters. They may think that, but let me tell you the reverse is often true.

So BW and the powers that be start talking about security. If security is a problem a simple profiling exercise would show that boaters are are generally diamond geezers and hardly likely to lob an RPG round or SAM 7 missile into the Olympic Stadium. If boaters are a security risk then so is any one living in the vicinity. Why haven’t the powers that be started emptying the people from the local houses. You can get a better aim from an upstairs bedroom window

If I don’t come back here to work this summer I will be out and about on the water. I haven’t been to London yet I might like to go, but no those who are normally in the Olympic vicinity will be shoved off to where ever they can get a mooring and certainly, for the likes of me, there wont be a mooring to be had east of Uxbridge. In this case BW are not only pissing on the LONDON BOATERS, but every other boater that wants to visit London this year. “Well you can go another year,” I hear you say. We might not be here next year. I could contract veils disease tomorrow and be dead by the end of the week.

British Waterways, can I just reiterate, the waterways belong to the people, all of the people. To prevent some people using it because others will pay squillions is totally unfair. It smacks of apartheid, excluding one section of society in favour of another. It may have escaped your notice we boaters are people, we have rights. You are behaving like fascists. If you want a fight I am sure you will get one, this country is good at sorting out fascists.

Defra

2012-01-15T10:00:00.000Z

I love the way the truth is twisted. This little statement looks innocent enough.

A Defra spokeswoman said: “We have already committed nearly half a billion pounds worth of property and £390 million in funding over the next ten years to help the charity get off to the best possible start.

Now correct me if I am wrong but the half billion pounds worth of property is surely part of the system that the government are trying to unload onto the CRT so that HMG can walk away washing their hands of the whole business.

Post Script
The Canal system we have here in the UK is second to none in the world. It is unique to Britain, an integral part of our history. HMG should not baulk in its duty to ensure the Canals and Rivers of this country are properly preserved for the future. If the government doesn’t want this historical wonder then how about they hand over to the CRT all taxes made by canal related business, then we could have a fantastic system.

FOI

2012-01-15T08:00:00.000Z

Even though we were promised by the government that the Freedom of Information Act would be applicable to The Canal and Rivers Trust when the operations are transferred from British Waterways it seems like most Government promises this one is as empty as any others.

The Sunday Express has discovered that the promise will only last for two years. So much for government promises. The small print of a Defra document published last month reveals that there will be a review of the pledge in 2014. Should the Government think that the administrative burden of complying with the Act has placed the new charity in a “disadvantageous” position compared with charities then it will reconsider the commitment.

If the CRT is placed in a “disadvantageous” position compared with other charities then surely its the other charities that need to comply with the FOI. It cannot be right that any charitable organisation is allowed to operate without the level of transparency the FOI affords.

But what disadvantage are they talking about? Would it prevent people from donating if they were able to see what salaries, bonuses and pensions were being paid to the bosses. Yeah that’s probably it!

David Cameron has been spouting on about the ‘Big Society’ since before he became the second biggest flim-flam artist ever. I wonder if he will ever stop treating citizens like they were stupid. Hey David how about a bit of honesty. I think we could probably all get together if it was:-

The Big Honest Society

North of the border

2012-01-14T19:50:00.001Z

Well, well, well, our countrymen north of the border want to have a referendum on devolution/independence. I think that is a great idea However, given that they are a part of the union, the whole of the Union should be able vote. This is something that will affect all of us. And besides we want to make a sure they get a yes vote, don’t we?

We that are left after the split should be better off and might want to encourage the rebuilding of Hadrian’s wall. The Scotch* don’t want us to be involved, but that is unfair. The English have been governed by the Scotch* for too long. The British Government (cabinet) for many years has been liberally doused with people whose first language has been their often difficult version of English, a sort of celtic patwa.

Central Government Fund part of the local councils budget in England, Wales and Scotland to different levels. England gets less per head of population than Wales who get less per head of population than Scotland. Which means England gets less than both of them. Lets cut the Scotch** nation free and see if they survive.

*Before anyone gets pedantic Scotch is English for Scot.
** the nation that makes Scotch.

CRT or not CRT

2012-01-12T01:45:00.001Z

I wonder what would happen if the Government said, “Sorry, but no it wont happen this year. It all needs more time to sort things out.” What would happen to those who BW have hired as Fund Raisers and Donor Managers etc. Where would the funding for their salaries come from? Purely theoretical you understand. I’m just thinking out loud. Although I am sure we all understand that CRT does not exist and will not exist unless the financing is sorted.

Night all!

BW Scotland?

2012-01-11T08:00:00.000Z

Wheel of fortune: Amor’s £2.3m waterways contract
(Unfortunate choice of headline)

By Peter Ranscombe
Published on Wednesday 4 January 2012 02:09

AMOR Group, the fast-growing Scottish IT firm, yesterday unveiled a £2.3 million deal with British Waterways Scotland, the body that runs the Union and Forth & Clyde canals and the Falkirk Wheel boat lift.
The Inchinnan-based company will design a computer system for the canal operator, which is being split up from its partner organisations in England and Wales and so needs stand-alone IT infrastructure.
Amor said it will fulfil the three-year contract by using the Scottish Government data centre at Saughton House in Edinburgh, which the company also runs.
Debs Hurst, financial controller at British Waterways Scotland, said: “With Scottish ministers having decided we shall remain in public ownership as a stand-alone public body, we needed a partner to help us develop a new IT system that is flexible enough to support business growth. We are delighted to partner with Amor.

I don’t know that much about all this computer system stuff but I am relatively good at flim-flam and bullshit. I have in the past written contracts for military computer system albeit for a smaller system 20 years ago, but even then my budget was about £200,000.

BW Scotland will have 200 miles of waterways to manage after they get cut off from the main system. I can imagine they will need much more than a couple of dozen staff in the office and the same on the ground [most contracted out]. The work of such a small organisation could probably be carried out on half a dozen laptops. So will someone please tell me how such a small system needs £2.3 million pounds worth of computers. They already have most of the hardware and they may or may not need to actually disconnect it from the current nationwide system.

Amor are the fastest growing IT company in Scotland I am not bloody surprised with contracts like that coming in

With bulk buying discount they would probably be able to buy 10,000 laptops or more. Thats 50 laptops for every mile of water. Are they really serious. Don’t they know there is a recession on. We can’t afford to be throwing money away like this. At this time. What ever happened to

“We are all in this together”

its just a twee little sound bite like all the other shite we are constantly fed by the bastards that run the show both in BW, the fat cats, the Government in fact every one for who the recession means no more than a new tax avoidance trick to side step a minor inconvenience.

Oooo I think I have just had a funny turn Cough! and moving swiftly on . . . . . . . . .

I think . . . . .

2012-01-10T12:42:00.001Z

. . . . the Boaters Manifesto is now officially dead in the water.

From Twitter

workboatpug Workboat Pug
aka Jonathan David Ody
Daily Rant: Where exactly do boaters get the impression that they have a right to be listened to??? If you don't like it >> caravans, ennit?

This from a man who claims to be the voice of the Oxford waterways. I can’t think of any boater who will accept a statement like that how ever well intentioned the original idea of the site. Someone throw him a lifebelt.

Hire Base Still in Thrupp

2012-01-10T10:42:00.001Z

North Oxford’s premier Canoe and Kayak hire base is still operating in Thrupp. Canoeing weather is not far away.

Have you ever thought you might like to take out a canoe or kayak on to Oxfords waterways for the afternoon now the hot weather is here?

Where would you go to languish on the calm waters of the Oxford Canal or paddle along the more challenging river?

Where would you go in Oxford to hire a canoe or kayak?

Canoe & Kayak Hire

Thrupp Oxford

In Thrupp, 8 miles north of Oxford, at the old BW yard on the OXFORD CANAL you can hire a canoe or kayak by the hour or by the day/half day. You can set off in tree lined shade along the canal and then on to the river for an enjoyable paddle ‘up the creek’ so to speak.

If you can’t be bothered to make lunch we can provide a picnic lunch for £8 pp. You can have lunch in Annie’s Tea Rooms or finish your day with a fabulous dinner at the near by Boat Inn

North from Thrupp will take you by way of Shipton Weir Lock onto the River Cherwell where you can go north again to Bakers lock and The Rock of Gibraltar or south down towards the old paper mill at Hampton Gaye.

South from Thrupp to the Jolly Boatman then onward you will pass the outskirts of Kidlington and if you are fit down to the River Thames.

Phone 01865842708

The phone will be answered by a garden landscaping company but it is all the same people so leave a message. If you want to turn up on spec ask in the tea rooms for me, Maffi, and we will get your boat out onto the water.

Set your Tom Tom to OX5 1JZ Look forward to seeing you soon.

Ciao

The Boater’s Manifesto

2012-01-09T18:31:00.001Z

The Boater’s Manifesto was written to put forward the wants and needs of the boaters to the ‘new’ CRT in order that boaters are not sidelined if the transition takes place in April. I have stayed clear of it until the last few days. Just popping in on the odd occasion to see how things were progressing. This weekend due to a very severe dose of man flu I peeked in again, well when you are dying there is little else to waste your time on.

One of the main protagonists spoke to one of the 191 members in a manner that does not engender feelings of confidence in the hierarchy and ended up banning him. 190 members now are reeling. By the time I disassociated myself there were only 185 members. It is not very representative of boaters at all. I did ask said protagonist to stand down (he is an administrator I think) because his behaviour was suspect, but he would have none of it. He didn’t think that calling a member a c_**t was a problem. Well I wouldn’t either but the said member was being rebuked for using bad language.

I think the Manifesto in essence is a good idea. What I don’t like about it is what is left out. I have mentioned this on the writers blog. It says a lot about what boaters want, but very little about what boaters are going to contribute. That in my opinion is its downfall.

Please don’t take this as gospel. It is after all only my opinion.

Go look for yourself with an open mind. And please contribute if you can. You may find it to be exactly what you feel is needed.

The CRT

2012-01-09T00:16:00.001Z

The CRT is not far away. Come April whether or not it is the right thing to do we will have the CRT like it or not. I am absolutely amazed that the IWA which has been a stalwart of the waterways for 60 years does not have a place on the trust automatically. They along with other boating organisations, RBOA, NABO etc have to fight for one of the 4 Private Boaters seats. Should they win those seats the private boater will effectively be outside the CRT. The IWA is not about boaters it is about the waterways. Boaters who provide 13% of one income pot will have no influence on the CRT whilst walkers, cyclists, neighbours? who provide nothing to the pot get 4 seats along with anglers, donors and ’other supporters’ who ever they are. Were it not for the IWA The Board of BW would be car park attendants. How British Waterways (new name Canal and River Trust) can ignore the work of the IWA fills me with wonder. It would be a bit like the Dutch government ignoring the boy whose finger in the Dyke saved Holland from sinking into the sea. BW have over the years done some very daft things but this . . . . . . .!

		Elected	Nominated	Total
1	Private Boating	4	1	5
2	Boating Business	2	-	2
3	Volunteers	-	(1)*	1
4	Other Supporters – walkers, anglers, cyclists, neighbours, donors, etc	-	(4)*	4
5	Employees	1		1
6	Historic Environment	-	2	2
7	Natural Environment	-	2	2
8	Local Government	-	2	2
9	Local Partnerships Chairs (including Museums and all Wales Partnerships)	-	-	13 ex-officio
10	Co-options	-	3	3
	Initial Total	-	-	35

* to convert to elected members once electoral roll database developed

Crack down

2012-01-08T08:00:00.000Z

David Cameron is going to crack down on bosses pay. Err about thirty years too late.

Iran

2012-01-08T00:35:00.001Z

This is the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The description of the Iranian Flag is as follows:

Three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red.

The national emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah in the shape of a tulip, a symbol of martyrdom) in red is centred in the white band.

ALLAH AKBAR (God is Great) in white Arabic script is repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11 times along the top edge of the red band.

According to Ancient and Heraldic traditions much symbolism is associated with colours. The colours on the Iran flag represent the following:

White - peace and honesty.

Red - hardiness, bravery, strength & valour

Green - hope, joy and love and in many cultures have a sacred significance as that of Iran

This is all very idyllic if there is truth in this, but following the Arab Spring the Irainan government are scared of the ability of the new technologies that can bring down the rulers of state and bring about democratic intervention.

Iran is working on its own domestic Internet, a “Halal” network that will restrict citizens from penetrating foreign sites. Halal is an Arabic word meaning lawful or permitted is the opposite of Harram which means forbidden or bad. Internet users are reporting delays in their network connections, which is believed to be connected to the new network’s trial run.

The domestic Internet aims to restrict the influence of non-Islamic culture and western ideology. More importantly it allows the government to tell its own version of truth to the people of Iran. The network — technically an Intranet — should be ready to go live within a few weeks, Iranian media reported. What this will do is allow the Iranian Government to control what access Iranians have to the truthful information and of course to all porn sites. The government will decide what is the truth and what truth their citizens know. Of course if there should be an ‘Iranian spring’ the government can shut down the system leaving protesters isolated from their contemporaries. A new slant on the old adage ‘divide and conquer’ maybe.

The connection is being reported as slower than usual and access to political sites is restricted and access to sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, in fact all sites all sites that had a great influence on the Arab Spring

The country announced its plans (link in Farsi) to build the Intranet in March 2011, motivated by social media fueled protests during its 2009 election and inspired by China’s domestic controls. So ‘Iranian Islam’ in this instance is planning to slow down the technical revolution and block the access to the future so keeping Moslems back in the dark ages. Iran plans to offer Intranet access to nearby countries interested in taking advantage of the Halal network. Hilal in this instance has come to mean ‘controlled’.

“We can describe it as a genuinely ‘halal’ network aimed at Muslims on an ethical and moral level,” the Iranian Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs Ali Agha Mohammadi writes.

Yes Ali you can describe it as a genuinely ‘halal’ network aimed at Muslims on an ethical and moral level, but that is not the truth. Islam will only survive if the truth is restricted.

While the Intranet will initially run parallel to the global Internet, the plan is to eventually restrict access to the Web to only governmental ministries, banks and big industries. Currently, According to government estimates 23 million Iranians are Internet users. That means 23 million people who are connected to each other. That’s about a third of all the people in a country of 78 million. Wars can be won by the side with the best communications.

In addition to testing the Intranet, the Islamic country launched a new round of web restrictions, which require Internet cafes to install security cameras and document their user’s personal details, such as their ID numbers, addresses and fathers’ names. Cafes have 15 days to get their camera systems in place.

The new restrictions come two months before the upcoming parliamentary elections Mar. 2, and amidst talk of international sanctions. The government hopes the latest restrictions will limit election-related protests of the kind that organized on social networks in Egypt last year.

All online planning of protests — through social media or email — will be considered NATIONAL SECURITY crimes. (This is different to the situation we had here in the UK during the late summer where the internet and social networks were used to commit crimes of looting theft and arson). Well no surprises there then.

This is about Islam and morality, not Islam and morality as laid down in the Qur’aan, but as laid down by radical Islamists who as it happens are the government. Its about keeping the masses under the control of the government, and the mullahs who control the government. The object of the exercise is that no one has protection, they can trace whoever is involved in what they perceive as anti-government activity at any given moment and at any location,” Ehsan Norouzi, an Iranian cybersecurity expert living in Germany told the WSJ.

Sources WSJ & Mashable.com

Respect

2012-01-08T00:03:00.001Z

I found this line under ‘Iran flag etiquette’.

No disrespect should be shown to the Iran flag

It is a shame that they don’t show the same respect for the flags of other nations.

Samuel Smith thieves

2012-01-05T08:00:00.000Z

It cannot be right that a brewery owner can suspend staff because they refuse to break the law. Samuel Smiths Brewery have demanded their managers serve every pint 5% short. The manager at one pub, The Junction, give their customers what they ask for. On New Years Eve one of the brewery owners walked into the Royton pub at 8.30 in the evening and shut the pub. Mean, selfish, fascist. Whilst I feel sorry for the manager and his wife I hope the pub closes for ever due to lack of customers.

Full story here

Smokers

2012-01-04T22:28:00.001Z

It is nearly three years since I quit smoking. 27 February 2009. I say this not because I want cheers (waits for cheers to cease) but so you know I speak with the tongue of a ‘reformed sinner’, and they can be such a pain. When I was in Rugby a while back, outside of a small block of flats, canal side, along the edge of the canal were hundreds of dog-ends seemingly thrown from the flats into the canal, but not quite making the distance. Cigarette ends proliferate along the canal side. I remember I used to flick my dog-ends into the water as I went along. And I hate myself for it now. In parts of Oxfordshire there is a fine of £75 for dropping a cigarette end in the street or public place. I think Abingdon has signs up. I don't see why that cant be applied across the board. Enforcement would be a problem, but we shouldn't let that stop us making laws that in time will improve the environment. Lack of enforcement has never before been used as an excuse.

Andy Tidy

2012-01-04T08:00:00.000Z

Andy Tidy, Author of Captain Ahab's Watery Tales is putting himself up for the CRT. This is his mini statement.

“My passion for boating dates from the ‘dirty ditches’ of the 1960's to the magnificent system of today. I have travelled widely on our narrowboat Wand'ring Bark, and it has been said that canal water flows through my veins!

Professionally, I oversee operational integrity within a multinational business, shaping policy, strategy and applying a commercial approach to planning.

If elected I will approach this Council role as an enthusiast and a professional, combining 30 years of commercial experience with a 40 year passion for our waterways. It's crucial that the C&RT strikes the right balance between the needs of the various user groups, particularly the boaters who must remain core to its operation.

I will take a critical view of commercial and strategic aspects of the Trust's proposals and plans. I would be honoured to represent the boating community.”

Well, I don’t know about you, but, this guy gets my vote.

North of Nuneaton

2012-01-03T08:25:00.000Z

This burnt out plastic hull is just north of Nuneaton, Funnily enough the next bridge down from the washing machine in this post. Apparently this hull is now across the water causing an obstruction.

Today . . .

2012-01-02T23:00:00.000Z

. . . we had visitors. This is Buster and Olive, Sarah and Marks dogs nb Woodruff. Molly kept her head down.

Molly . . .

2012-01-02T20:00:00.000Z

. . . doing her Del Trotter impression

Boots . . .

2012-01-02T17:27:00.001Z

. . . its too small!

I told you so!

Now Boots play nicely share Molly’s toys

Oi! you heard him share ya bag o’ bones.

Right! I’ll have this end.

In the New year

2012-01-02T15:10:00.001Z

Take a long walk through a muddy forest then stop off at a tea room for some refreshment. Don't forget to take your boots off.

See if I care

2012-01-01T08:00:00.000Z

Boots is simply refusing to let molly in his basket.

Seen on the Thames

2011-12-31T01:14:00.001Z

Boots, standing his ground.Falling treeWarplane to Brize

Signage! Signage! Signage!

2011-12-30T08:00:00.000Z

The Electric Wharf Footbridge which has a span of 30 yards across the Coventry Canal and was completed in August 2006. It is about a ¹/₂ mile from the basin.It is very impressive. Unfortunately it leads from the back of a skip storage yard on one side and an industrial site on the other. The bridge spans a about 40 foot of water, and the end to end walking distance is about 150 yards. It is a lot of bridge for such a narrow piece of water. BW are to be applauded.
This sheet of laminated A4 paper screwed to an odd size piece of ply, fixed to the bridge using cable ties is how BW chose to inform the canal user (boater) about the bridge. I don’t know who paid for this bridge but I would have thought that the signage would have warranted a bit more money spent on it than £0.30p. Perhaps some senior member of the BW board might consider using some of his unearned bonus to put up a proper sign.

Amazing . . .

2011-12-29T11:49:00.001Z

. . . the temperature in Redmond, Western Australia is 48^oF/9^oC exactly the same as here in Oxford.

Oo-er!

2011-12-29T10:00:00.000Z

Have I discovered a rare Pygmy Push-me-Pull-me in a field near the North Oxford Canal.

New rolling stock

2011-12-29T08:00:00.000Z

I see that Bombardier, not Bombardi-ay, have just been awarded a contract worth 187 million quid to build 135 rail carriages. Now I know that train carriages are not cheap to make, but £1.4 mill per carriage for what is simply a redesign of seating lighting heating on a set of wheels which has not changed in a long time is rather overpriced don’t you think.

What gets me is that they made 1400 people redundant, many of whom the taxpayer is now supporting due to the loss of an earlier contract that was awarded to the Germans. This new contract comes with an £80 million taxpayer subsidy.

Sorry but I cant afford to subsidise this as well as support those that were made redundant and the excessive increase in fuel cost and coal. I am not a charity! The Government need to understand this before the populace rise up and take back control of their lives.

Visitors

2011-12-28T21:44:00.001Z

We live in strange times. The internet gives us the opportunity to reach far peoples we could never have reached in the past unless we were international journalists. I have on many occasions written about the Middle East, Islam and from time to time received threats of violence even the ultimate ‘death’ threats. Last July I felt the need to report one such threat to the police. Christmas Eve I wrote on this blog about the Middle East, something I don’t normally do (I have other blogs for that). That post only received two comments. One, No Direction, agreed with what I said, no ifs ands or buts. The other probably did agree with me, but being the sceptic I am, I didn’t read it that way.

This is the first time i am visiting this site. Thanks for sharing your information. Its a reminder that you need to stay sharp in everything you do.

The first line says, to me, that this is someone for whom English is not their first language. That’s fine I have visitors from 174 countries, at the last count, they can’t all have English as a first language. I love it that people from across the world come here to see what I have to say.

However the third sentence might be worrying. You or I would probably have said,

‘Its a reminder that we need to stay sharp in everything we do.’

He, however said,

‘Its a reminder that you need to stay sharp in everything you do.’

This is in keeping with other threats I have had. I am sure in this case that it is simply semantics, but it does worry.

Top ten visiting countries over the last 2¹/₂ years are:-

United Kingdom	128,150
United States	22,085
Australia	5,516
Germany	3,303
New Zealand	2,084
Russia	1,569
France	1,312
Netherlands	1,247
Canada	1,185
Philippines	467

Azerbaijan has been here on 9 occasions in the last week, that is scary, as is Iran, which turns up from time to time.

The Middle East

2011-12-24T14:51:00.001Z

So the troops have left Iraq, and the terrorists have waged a bombing campaign. I am sorry, but If you show me anybody who did not expect the bombing in Bagdad after the troops moved out I will show you an absolute idiot.

That any politician could believe that it would all work out belief beggars. It is simply not the Arab way. Now that is not racist it is a simple statement of fact. The Arab nations have vastly different ideas to the west and will not come easily to the table. While there they will talk the talk because that is what they think the west wants to hear. After leaving the table they will decide what they want to do and if that is in opposition to what was agreed then so be it. The western politician who can sort out the Middle East has not yet been born. Or if he has we are still waiting on his second coming.

Across the ME the Arab Spring has given rise to demands for Democracy. That is not to say Democracy as we know it but as they know it. The two do not compare.

Best wishes to Tom and Jan

2011-12-23T14:15:00.001Z

When it comes to the old Bulldog spirit you just have to applaud those Antipodeans, Tom and Jan at Waioru. Despite the many problems they had with their builder who’s name will not be mentioned here again, Kiwis Tom and Jan have set to getting their hull back to its original state and rebuilding their boat. Many of us would have given up when confronted with the destruction of the boat that we had lovingly designed for our retirement together, but not Tom and Jan.

Few of us can imagine what it must be like to be so badly treated by a builder, yet despite all the heartbreak, they have shed their tears screamed their anger and started again. Currently the blog talks of the construction of the black water tank, the gas locker, and the diesel tank. Instead of talking about how they are building it they should have been able to talk to other boaters they meet around the system about how long the b/w tank will last and how many hours the engine will run on a tank of diesel, how they are enjoying the life they chose.

It must be a gut wrenching sight to see the vandalised paint work every day, but Tom and Jan plod on relentlessly following the dream. A life on the water is what they wanted and a life on the water is what they are damn well going to get, and the builder can go to hell!. No rogue builder is going to stop them. I have not met them, but hope; when they have finished their long task, to meet them out on the cut.
I wonder what happened to that asshole.

In Rugby

2011-12-23T03:14:00.001Z

Pig Sty Rugby. All these pictures were taken within the same few feet

Grrrrrrrrrrr!!

2011-12-23T00:17:00.001Z

I was told today about a boat that pulled over under the rail bridge at Enslow and dumped a load of wood on the off towpath side.

If you see a boat dumping rubbish take their number. If you dont want to report it then send it to me because you know I will. We must stop this wanton destruction of our environment.

I found all this between Nadkey Bridge (near Banbury) and Thrupp.

Traffic Cone, Waste Bin, 1/2 a Table, Dustbin, Plastic Bucket, Dog Basket, 20 ltr Container, Sheet 2x3 Hex Board, Several bags of litter (two were dumped together in the hedgerow below Dashwood’s Lock)

And I wasn’t even trying. I could have picked up 2/3 times this much if I hadn’t been so angry with the skankey bastards who do this.

OHGood Lord

2011-12-20T12:08:00.001Z

Its been a whole week. I bet you were all worried. I thought I might be having yet another detached retina and so I went off to Oxford to see the specialist eye hospital there at the JR. All clear! I did however leave my laptop charger on Bones' boat and have been powerless to use the laptop despite having several chargers on the Milly M. DELL are odd in that they have an hexagonal connector, which none of my others have ergo no Internet.

Here I sit in the Internet room of Banbury library hence this diatribe. Ah! I hear you say 'Banbury is not oop norf' and you would be right, although it is norf of Oxford. I thought I might go home for Crimbo being as I have a few things to deal with down there in the new year. Not least of which is a driver awareness course in Heyford. Naughty me got caught doing 35 in a 30 zone. Poo!

Ciao

Any old iron?

2011-12-14T08:00:00.000Z

One has to wonder how this washing machine got here.The clue is of course in the steps which lead down from a housing estate.

What is it that make people think this is acceptable behaviour? Well it could be that Local Authorities charge too much to dispose of old Washing Machines.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

2011-12-13T21:47:00.001Z

If this notice is so ‘important’ why is it on the off side and why isn’t it on a proper board instead of laminated. British Waterways might just as well have thrown this sign on the fire for all the good it is doing.

All Oaks Wood

2011-12-13T21:15:00.001Z

I was very disappointed to see this today. I have previously taken 7 bags of litter out of here.

Big brother

2011-12-13T21:00:00.001Z

An innocuous looking old fashioned lamp. Well no it’s a video camera. You can’t do anything these days without someone watching. There is a similar one where I am moored.

Watch the old ‘uns

2011-12-13T20:51:00.001Z

I watched this dog have a dump. Clear as day. I throttled back and asked the old biddy if she would like a bag to clear it up.

“What?” she said.

I repeated my offer and she said, “He only had a wee.”

“No mam,” says I, “I definitely saw lumpy stuff coming out of his bum.”

“Oh no,” she says, “he was peeing.”

“Madam you are required to clean it up.”

She ignored me. I am not surprised. Obviously an ignorant old biddy.

This took place in Nuneaton just a few hundred yards north of the Boatyard.

Someone has some sense

2011-12-11T23:46:00.001Z

Endless task

2011-12-11T20:34:00.001Z

Spent the morning collecting three bags of litter down the first 5 Atherstone locks add to that the 4 I collected earlier in the week and that equals a very dirty Atherstone (although now its clean).
My total in the last weeks since Napton is 72 bags +1 TV + 1 porta potti + 2 traffic cones + one lid of a wheelie bin and one mooring pin.

There is an increasing amount of prop foul. It seems that few, if any, once they have cleared their propeller ever bother to take away the rubbish. They just dump it on the towpath. This is folly. Some yob will come along and kick it all back in where it will await for the next unsuspecting boater to come along. Often the contents of your weed hatch will fit in a carrier bag. So why not bag it and put it on the roof and dispose of it at the proper place. It isn’t difficult!

Litter

2011-12-11T08:00:00.000Z

I wrote some time ago about a site called ‘Litter Heroes’. Just looking at their site today I came across their ‘Cotswold Litter Heroes’ page. This is something that could be adapted to the canals. I think it would also be a thing that local authorities could fund being as it is mostly tax paying locals that seem to litter the canals.The cost to the LA would be quite small for the amount of work done and there would be no need to employ anyone to organise it. The Cotswold Litter Campaigners are supplied with bags, litter pickers and Hi-Viz vests by the LA and insurance. Volunteers can go online see what areas are not currently being cleaned and select one that suits them. It is so simple.

For the canals those boaters who live in one place should be able to keep their area clean (they could even help with cutting back the overgrowth). Other boaters could make a point of clearing up the towpath where they moor, up to half a mile in each direction. Anyone else who wants to take part could simply take a a bin liner or two with them when they go out walking. I paid a couple of pounds for a pair or those red rubbery drain gloves today, so you don’t even have to get your hands dirty. How easy can it be? So can we give it a go?

I reckon if I could get 100 volunteers we could clean the Coventry Canal from Hawkesbury to The Basin in one or two days. Yes the whole lot! I am not just talking about the towpath, but all the rubbish you can see from the tow path. All the bridge surrounds, all the little pocket parks, the civic art works the lot! But then the Everly Brothers come to mind …..Dream, Dream, Dream.

But we can try can’t we? We can all try! Please.

Cuppa?

2011-12-10T22:45:00.001Z

This believe it or not is a candle. Made by a local chap.

On the Atherstone Flight

2011-12-10T12:39:00.001Z

There are still roses on the briar

2011-12-10T12:35:00.001Z

Remember, remembering this.

2011-12-09T17:41:00.001Z

Well do you?

I had an email this week from the Traffic Department. Well I would because I wrote after the last email to ask them if they had understood my concerns about the sign post.

They said:

I believe the priority signs were installed over 10 years ago. Since then the responsibility for Highways has changed Authorities and there has been much staff turn over. Consequently, I am unable to trace any record as to why the sign was located exactly where it was. However, the presence of underground services can often influence the exact position of the post.

You may notice that the post is planted in a cut trench, so there is a man that can talk out of his arse.

They go on:

As you are probably aware the sign itself gave westbound traffic priority and as such needed a sign and give way markings to halt eastbound traffic. However, since the sign’s erection the former factory access has been upgraded into a full junction. Consequently there is no room for the necessary give way markings. We were therefore concerned that retaining a sign telling westbound traffic they had priority, without indicating where eastbound traffic should stop, could have more serious consequences.
As a result we felt that it would be prudent not to indicate any priority especially since visibility over the canal bridge has improved since the construction of William Lucy Way.
I hope this answers your query.

That’s a ‘no’ then

Yob’s nest, Nuneaton

2011-12-09T15:09:00.001Z

This pile was in the corner of of what looked like an elderly people’s home where it met the canal. Beer cans and trash just lobbed over the wall by the towpath.

New to me

2011-12-08T14:49:00.001Z

Misplaced intentions

2011-12-08T14:36:00.001Z

Some well meaning old biddy thinks this is the thing to do to help the wildlife through the winter. Well Its not really winter and the only thing they are helping is the rats. The rats here will take out any cat stupid enough to pick on them. They are near as big as ‘orses.So what does the best fed rat eat these days? Well here there is a collection of bacon sandwiches and on the other side of the bridge is more bread. People really are stupid.

I am making a habit of this

2011-12-07T13:37:00.001Z

Panic entered the boat yesterday as I came to the realisation that my wallet was nowhere to be found. Now if you know me you will know that I can lose anything on the boat. So even after two searches of the boat I wasn’t particularly worried. I did retrace my steps after deciding I might have lost it on the tow path when out with Molly. Off I went back down the locks to see if I dropped it while taking pictures but to no avail. I passed a Thruppian’s boat, Jim who is also on the CC circuit at this time he wasn’t home. Having now walked a few miles I decided I needed some refreshment and stopped off at the Kings Head.

Jim the Thruppian was sitting in the corner of the bar. We had a long catch up, after all I haven’t seen him since Rugby. While there I received a phone call from Mark Paris of Thrupp. Mark had received a phone call from a chap at the marina that was the limit of my walk this morning. The chap asked if he knew me? Well Mark of course said “No” mainly because the name on my bank card and the name everyone knows me by are not the same. Eventually he caught on and took a number which was the reason he phoned me. I was reunited with my wallet. I shall be eternally grateful to the wife of an American chap who found the wallet and to him for making the effort to find out who I was and get in touch. There are such nice people on the cut!

Maid Of the Mill

2011-12-07T13:09:00.001Z

I am moored at Bridge 41 on the Coventry Canal. For those of you that don't know that's in Atherstone at the top of the locks. Alongside the canal is an old mill/factory (hats) alongside that is the Maid of the Mill. Maid of the Mill is a well known piece of music by Schubert, the connection might be a bit tentative, I don’t know for sure but there is a framed copy of the sheet music up in the bar.

The Maid is a hatters pub, no no a proper hatters pub. It is a pleasant Olde Worlde pub but not the sort of thatched roof and cottage garden type pub, but a typical working class pub. Probably been there as long as the mill. It is a warm friendly pub and I quite like it. The pub has a pool table, dartboard, skittles and a book/video library. The furniture is maybe getting a bit worn but the place feels comfortable. The floor has a mix of carpet and quarry tiles, and the windows hung with red velvet curtains. There is an enclosed garden at the back.

I am most impressed the Guinness is £2.90 a pint which is the cheapest I have seen so far. Even the pork scratchings came in proper sizes bags and at a proper price of 65p. OK the head on the beer is a bit on the large side but I did already have a slurp off this one.

Other delights from the brewery, John Smiths Extra Smooth
Green King IPA, Abbots, Brew XI Best Bitter from the Mitchell and Butler brewery, Stella, Carling and Strongbow.

One chap in the bar, a Ronnie Corbett look a like, says he has been drinking all his life and if beer goes over three pound a pint he will give it up. (I remember saying that about ciggies as they approached 50p.) I said that £2.90 was the cheapest I had paid and that I had paid £4 down in Oxford. “Well,” said Ronnie, “your an arsehole then.” On that score I am inclined to agree with him. One customer called the local Taxi firm to get him some cigarettes. He was quite impressed that the delivery fee was only £3.70 on top of the price of the fags, but but that one packet of ciggies still cost him £10. Yes I know what you are thinking, as did the others in the bar . EDIT: Funny thing was they had cigarettes in the bar.

A conversation set up in the bar about the Mill next door after I asked about how long it had been closed (15 years). Various people said their relatives worked there. One chaps uncle and grandfather worked there. The girl behind the bar had a relative that worked there, well he robbed it, I suppose you could call that work. What did he steal? Why hats of course.

Atherstone has a ship named after it HMS ATHERSTON what else. There is a picture up in the bar.
The present HMS Atherstone is the third to bear the name. The first was an 810 ton paddle minesweeper built in 1916. The second HMS Atherstone was the first Type I "Hunt" Class Destroyer of 1000 tons displacement to be built in 1939. The current HMS Atherstone, launched in 1986 is one of the most expensive ships (per cubic metre) ever built. And is one of the largest warships to be built with a GRP hull.

Sht Sht Sh******t

2011-12-04T16:00:00.000Z

I just cannot seem to find the words to express what I feel about the stupid moron who did this. I took this picture a week or two ago on the Ashby in the middle of nowhere. Who do they think will clean it up? If this is not touched it will probably still be there when their grandchildren are drawing their pensions.

I must have picked up over 500 bags like this dotted around the countryside and towns I have visited. I really want to go and stuff it through someone’s letter box.

Stamps foot and exits left.

Nuneaton

2011-12-04T14:05:00.001Z

I am in Nuneaton between bridges 19a and 20. The mooring is clean………NOW! I have never seen a stretch of towpath with so much doggy doo on it. Not just on the grass edges but on the path itself. I have so far removed three bags full of rubbish. I know that boaters are apt to dump their rubbish in places they shouldn’t, but the sheer volume of rubbish is certainly not down to boaters, not to mention the dog crap. I think I will write to the council and suggest that as their taxpayers appear to be such a dirty disgusting bunch of social misfits, that they should help to clean it up.

Arrrgh!

2011-12-03T18:30:00.001Z

There is something seriously wrong with being 61 at my age.

Country Crust Tearoom

2011-12-02T08:00:00.000Z

This is the Country Crust Tearoom. It is situated in unit 12 in the Coventry Canal Basin not far from the BW facilities which are part of the garden in the background. It is a nice Tea Room for such a place on the edge of the city centre.

Don't miss Breakfast Lunch or Cream tea at Coventry Canal Basin’s Country Crust Tearoom.The prices are very good. Soup of the Day and a baguette a mere £2 that's good value. In fact there are only a few items on the menu that are over £3

They have a Country Crust Tearoom in Hinckley also.

Pavments

2011-12-01T18:22:00.001Z

When we walk around a town/city centre we find the bits we can walk on in safety are different to the bits that we normally can’t. As can be seen in the first picture the edge of the walking bit is light grey, the vehicle bit is dark grey. We have an awareness of the edge because of the contrast. There is a very definite line between the two areas and we don’t have to walk around looking at the ground all the time to make sure we don’t fall off the curb which is about 4” – 6” high.However although this pavement below looks as if it would be the same, it is most definitely not. The two rows of slabs at the top of the picture are level with the red road surface.
The curb is also only about 1¹/_2"".

I have marked the edge of the curb in this next picture. There is a 1¹/₂" drop a full foot before the contrast tells you to expect it. Today I met this problem and suffered great pain. And many of the people who came to my aid said they had done exactly the same thing.It is only a matter of time before it is more than a twisted ankle and some one is suing the council for broken bones or worse death, I fell forward when I went down this step. Had there been a bus coming I would have been squished.

Yes we could walk around looking at the ground but we would all be bumping into one and other, not to mention lampposts.

Now add to this that with a 1¹/_2"" deep gutter heavy rain water will not be carried away to a drain as it would with a 4” – 6” gutter is but will flood over the pavement causing inconvenience to pedestrians and possible flooding to shops.

Who designed this? What level of incompetence is required to be a designer? I think the council need to take a serious look at this. There is a lot of rebuilding/ remodeling going on in Coventry it would be as well to sort it before it is all finished and the claims start coming in.

Name dropping

2011-11-30T18:07:00.001Z

Ok I can understand DKNY and FCUK NEXT D&G etc. but what I don’t understand is why the makers of my thermal hats think I would want to display these labels on the front for everyone to see. No sorry, but I don’t think Thinsulate^TM is a fashion statement of any kind whatsoever. Its not cool (pun intended) its not Goochie and it is not staying on my hats!

I am not an advertising bill board

The Admiral Codrington

2011-11-30T01:30:00.001Z

It is a shame that this pub has closed. There are three large tower blocks near by plus the houses in the area. One might have thought that there were enough locals to keep it open. Obviously not!

Scam!

2011-11-29T23:55:00.001Z

This gets my goat. If they can sell it for 60% off they were charging too much for it in the first place. Don’t give me ‘loss leader’ the whole shop is like this.

Soon be Barbie time

2011-11-28T08:00:00.000Z

:) :) :)

2011-11-28T07:00:00.000Z

Happy Birthday

Mortimer Bones

Sorry I am not there. XXXXXXX

Market Bosworth

2011-11-27T22:25:00.001Z

Through the side hatch

2011-11-26T21:33:00.001Z

Blokes Christmas Tree

2011-11-26T15:36:00.001Z

Dead in the water.

2011-11-26T10:30:00.000Z

Its amazing how in the first four months of this year 10 people who were totally unable to walk a straight line thought it would be a good idea to walk down a towpath, this being the last journey they ever made. This is in comparison to 12 people in the whole of last year.

I suppose it could be a good idea to fence off the whole canal, but then we probably would see more deaths as inebriated punters tried to walk along the top of the fence. ‘Safety’ is not necessarily the best solution.

Once a person is three sheets to the wind his/her decision making process is shot. There is simply no stopping a drunk from doing as his/her drunken mind will want. Whilst the death of anybody is to be regretted neither boaters nor BW should feel in any way to blame. In life shit happens. Each individual is responsible for his own safety in the first instance.

The Missing Persons charity want emergency services to carry water scanners to find bodies sooner. They wants new technology to be used so victims of water course tragedies can be found and identified sooner, this would mean everyone carrying a bleeper of some sort showing where they were, but guys who are ‘not drunk’ would surely object.

No, the status quo has to be maintained, and that is for the individual to take responsibility for themselves. After that it has to be down to abdominal gas to bring them to the surface.

The Rat

2011-11-26T08:00:00.000Z

If a cat does not have a pointed nose and a long thin tail then I have just seen the biggest rat ever! It was sitting on my rear button. Big brown and beady eyed. He sat cleaning his whiskers while he pondered how to get at my larder. Swims well, and so he should. He will need a plan to escape the Hebble Hand Spike should he ever venture inside the boat.

Edible or poisonous?

2011-11-25T09:05:00.001Z

Muddy Waters Christmas Special

2011-11-25T08:33:00.001Z

A new Santa experience for the little people. A Christmas canal boat ride from the peaceful village of Thrupp, with Oxfordshire Narrowboats and the child-friendly narrowboat Muddy Waters & Jolly Boatman.

Enjoy a short festive boat ride in the beautiful peaceful setting of Thrupp followed by a visit to our exclusive floating Grotto aboard the Marvellous Muddy Waters himself.

Cruises will be taking place on the 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th, 17th and 18th of December.

Avoid queuing in busy shopping centres to see Santa and enjoy his company in this magical setting instead.

There are limited places available and tickets must be pre-booked. When you book we will ask you a little about the children visiting Santa so that we can make this a truly personal occasion. We also encourage you to let the children write a letter to give to Santa on the day.

Tickets are an introductory price of just £7 per head, this will include a gift from Santa for the children and a tea and mince pie at the lovely Annie's Cafe for the grown ups.

Call 01865 356140 (office hours or email muddy.waters@live.co.uk to discuss your booking.

10am-3.30pm

£7. To book, call 01865 356140 in office hours, or email muddy.waters@live.co.uk.

Annie's Tearoom
Canal Road
Thrupp
Oxfordshire
OX5 1JZ

The Dog & Hedgehog

2011-11-24T22:38:00.001Z

I had a very nice evening in the Dog & Hedgehog, Dadlington this evening. If you are coming up the Ashby Canal in the summer or any time, be sure to stop at Bridge 30. The D&H is just 1/2 mile up the road on the right. Its a nice 200 year building very comfortable and all the pumps are £3 a pint even the Guinness. Thursday night is locals night and it was heaving. Lots of very pleasant people from the village meeting up, drinking, dinning and talking. Good atmosphere. This pub closed in 2008 and has only just recently re-opened. Gets my vote!

The new owners, Bill Reinking and Robert Marko,

Some reviews

Hadar, Snarestone Tunnel.

2011-11-23T14:34:00.001Z

The Ashby Canal

2011-11-22T22:45:00.001Z

Beautiful!

What price freedom?

2011-11-22T02:34:00.001Z

So there I was in the Gift Shop at the Bosworth Visitor Centre. They have some nice related stuff in there but I have enough ‘stuff’ on my boat so I wasn’t buying. In came two men and borrowed the counter assistants stool. One of the men climbed up on the stool and looked on a high shelf where the transformers for the Christmas lights were resting and read out the voltage and current consumption. Man No 2 wrote the figures down. "24 V .12 A X 4 sets of lights which for 9 hours a day for 39 days comes to about 4kw. Oh we had fun working that out.

Apparently someone had made a Freedom Of Information (FOI) request to the Leicester County Council asking how much power was being used to illuminate the Christmas lights through the county. So consequently every local government department had to come up with a figure so HQ could add them all up. What a waste of resources. The cost of answering that question must be phenomenal and to what end?

The Battle of Bosworth

2011-11-22T01:04:00.001Z

Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond wanted to be King of England.

Richard 111 the current king was happy having the big job in town, he had after all iced his 12 year old nephew to get the job and was miffed that a mere Tudor wanted what, he thought, rightfully belonged to the Plantagenent’s.

They had a rumble in the heartlands of England on 22 August 1485 The Battle of Bosworth.
King Richard met his demise funnily enough at Richard’s Field. What a coincidence!

Richard was the last English monarch to be killed in battle. Not really a good career move!

Since then we have been ruled over by a broken line of inbreeds very few of whom were English. We had the Romans, the Danes, the French, by the time the Germans came to play we were used to being raped and pillaged it not like the Scots and Germans were not going to make a lot of difference were they?

The Bosworth Visitor Centre has easy access from the canal. There is a 48 hour mooring which will take 5/6 boats. Steps lead down into King Richard’s Field. Its a good walk down hill to Shenton Station rail line and uphill along the side of a field with talking boxes along the route. As you come up the hill you see the Royal standard flying above the King’s crown mounted on a sundial.

There is lots to see and do. Including helping to workout the power consumption of the christmas lights in the Olde Gifte Shoppe to answer an FOI request.

There are lots of buttons to press to hear the story from different peoples point of view. Children are catered for in the secret questions all around. There is even a long bow rigged up to a meter for us to test our pull and expected distance. I managed 220 meters which is over 240 yards

There is a fine display of weaponry, but I think very little original stuff.

And for Bones, bones.

Molly not happy

2011-11-21T08:00:00.000Z

Molly poking her tongue out while Boots is inspecting his cover on the floor. I have seen her look like this before. She is one pissed puppy!

Today at Sutton

2011-11-20T19:33:00.001Z

This morning I took Molly walking. It is easy walking with me. I spend most of my time filling bin liners. Molly forages around and hunts mice and things. She never seems to catch anything, wouldn’t know what to do with it if she did. I filled two bin liners today, That is in addition to the one I filled yesterday.

Apart from the usual sweetie wrappers, ‘Christmas’ poo bags, fast food containers, cans, bottles et al I have noticed a new litter. Stuff that you would not have seen a few years ago.

In some places ‘Wet Wipes’ hang like paper chains in the trees and hedgerows of our country lanes. Where do they come from? Do those that hang the poo baubles also hang the paper chains? I don’t know, but whoever it is could they please stop?

Teachers Pensions

2011-11-20T14:14:00.001Z

We have of late been bombarded with information about teachers pensions. About how it cannot continue as before. I must say I have to agree.

Since 1923 46.4 billion more has been paid in to the TPS than has ever been paid out. To my way of thinking the government are making a pretty hefty profit out of the teachers and they should be grateful that their ‘creative’ accounting hasn’t been called in to question.

If the government were to give back the 46.4 bn then the teachers could pay themselves whatever pension they wanted and it would have no effect on the economy, local or national.

http://www.teachers.org.uk/node/14349

"There is no £46.4 billion to hand. The fact is, however, that the Government has accepted a long series of cheap loans from teachers’ pension contributions before complaining about paying the pensions promised in return."

So in fact the government is reneging on past agreements. No changes there then!

Visitors, how lovely!

2011-11-20T13:48:00.001Z

Today I had a visit from Dave & Angie Culley. Dave & Angie have a boat, nb Lady Esther, at Trinity Marina, Hinckley. They follow my blog (well doesn’t everyone). They came to give me a gift, for which I am most grateful. They gave me socks! The most fantastic socks, 2 pairs. I am lucky.
The socks were recycled. No not someone’s old skanky socks that have been washed and darned. The were new socks made from Sainsbury’s bags. “Nah we have all done that ,” I hear you say, but no we haven’t, not like this anyway.
Angie cuts the bags into strips to make a sort of yarn out of them. She then crochets the ‘yarn’ into socks and gives them to boaters for their mooring pins. Being bright orange they are easy to see at night and save the bags being placed into landfill sites.

There could be other applications of this ‘technology. How about a sock for your tiller arm. ~~Or a willy warmer.~~ A bag to store mooring chains, piling hooks etc. This could become a new cottage industry in the boating fraternity.

I would give Angie a Maffi Award for innovative recycling but there isn’t one.
You meet such nice people on the canal.

Ashby Canal

2011-11-19T19:07:00.001Z

So my long sojourn at Hinckley has come to an end. The people in the houses have shouting matches at 4 in the morning. I have been on the canal since Tuesday and travelled less than 6 miles. Taking in two stops. Boots was suitably exercised and has been returned to Mort who arrived at 10. I set of after 11, stopping at the marina for my first fuel since I set off only six weeks ago. I was heading for Stoke Golding. On arrival I found no where to moor with any depth in it, and a whole load of hire boats along any good edge. In fact in the whole journey I had to keep bang in the centre. At Bridge 31 trying to round a right hand bend with the tiller hard over the boat went straight and landed me on the bottom next to the towpath. I have always thought I was 30” in the water but when I had the boat blacked, back in September, it was measured at 24”. Why this canal is so shallow I don’t know. Its no wonder Keith and Jo on Hadar are having trouble up in front. Anyway I finally found a place to moor at Sutton Cheney, through Bridge 34 on the right past the water point, which is very pleasant. I have now travelled 155 miles Which is over 25 miles a week. Or averaging 3.6 miles a day.

The mooring is a 48 given over to Winter moorings, ‘Permit holders only’ Pah! There was space for probably four sixty footers and there was only one 35 foot boat there. I kinda figured if no one was there they were not very good as winter moorings. It will do me for the rest of the weekend.

Needless to say I picked up a bag full of rubbish in the area.

Aardvarks & Maffi's Boat

Where is the Justice?

Trust BW

Oops!

Today . . .

Wi-Fi

WANTED:

Alice

Ahem!

Discarded

The number you are calling . . . .

NME honours 'genius' Noel Gallagher

Where in Oxford . . .

Dog Fouling

Henry Winkler

Boots and Molly at play

Is there a God?

Breaking News

Freight on the canals

And finally the post has gone

Syria

Corrupt Morons

Wal-Mart

Goodbye!

London Boaters verses BW

Defra

FOI

North of the border

CRT or not CRT

BW Scotland?

I think . . . . .

Hire Base Still in Thrupp

The Boater’s Manifesto

The CRT

Crack down

Iran

Respect

Samuel Smith thieves

Smokers

Andy Tidy

North of Nuneaton

Today . . .

Molly . . .

Boots . . .

In the New year

See if I care

Seen on the Thames

Signage! Signage! Signage!

Amazing . . .

Oo-er!

New rolling stock

Visitors

The Middle East

Best wishes to Tom and Jan

In Rugby

Grrrrrrrrrrr!!

OHGood Lord

Any old iron?

IMPORTANT NOTICE

All Oaks Wood

Big brother

Watch the old ‘uns

Someone has some sense

Endless task

Litter

Cuppa?

On the Atherstone Flight

There are still roses on the briar

Remember, remembering this.

Yob’s nest, Nuneaton

New to me

Misplaced intentions

I am making a habit of this

Maid Of the Mill

Sh*t Sh*t Sh******t

Nuneaton

Arrrgh!

Country Crust Tearoom

Pavments

Name dropping

Sht Sht Sh******t