I felt I should put this picture here coz I think I didnt do too bad.

There are no wheel clamps in France. This is because when they were introduced the French public put super glue in the locks. Within two weeks they were withdrawn. Single-use wheel clamps simply are not economic. The French public acted together and stopped the scourge. We allowed it to go on and so we still live with them.
Whatever you think of the French they do tend to stand up to bureaucratic claptrap more than we do.
KILLER BISCUITS WANTED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER.
(Actual AP headline)
Lisa Burnett, 23, a resident of San Diego, was visiting her inlaws. While there she went to a nearby supermarket to pick up some groceries.
Several people noticed her sitting in the car with the windows rolled up with her eyes closed and both hands behind the back of her head. One customer who had been at the store for a while became concerned and walked over to the car. He noticed that Lisa'a eyes were now open and she looked very strange.
He asked if she was OK and Lisa said she had been shot in the back of the head and had been holding her brains in for over an hour. The man called the paramedics who had to break into the car because it was locked and Lisa refused to take a hands from the back of her head. When they finally got in they found Lisa had a wad of dough on the back of her head. A Pilsbury biscuit canister had exploded in the heat, making a loud noise that sounded like a gunshot and the wad of dough hit her in the back of her head. When she reached back to find out what it was she felt the dough and thought it was her brains. She initially passed out, but quickly recovered and tried to hold her brains in for over an hour until someone noticed and came to her aid. Lisa is a blonde
The sad thing is that there is Armco piling here and it is a nice place to moor if the vegetation could be cut back. It would be interesting to find out if the local inhabitants on the other side of the canal have anything to do with this. I know of at least one who complains regularly about boats mooring there.
Saturday saw her franticly sawing oblong sections of ply and Steve (nb OCELOT), who had just innocently sauntered down hoping the kettle might be on, ended up nailing them to the old pole.
So now Bones has a paddle of sorts and is wanting to try it out. What surprises me the most is that Steve actually got in the 'Banana' and let her take him to the lock while standing up! I used to think Steve was alright but now I wonder about his sanity as I am sure he does.
Her ladyship now encouraged buy the success of this venture is planning her next experiment venture in the Banana this time with a sail which somehow she thinks we will assist her with, time to visit my mother in London methinks. I wonder if Steve might like to come along?
I am a Nokia phone fan, they seem to me to be much stronger/hard wearing than all other phones I have had, but this time I went for an LG. I may live to regret this but I do live in hope.
My phone package included the hand set for free, which is quite amazing really Especially as it has a built in 5 Mega pixel camera. I had been looking to get a new camera but won't have to now.
I wonder if it floats?
It took me a while to find said kiosk, but when I did I asked, holding out my watch, "Can you fix this".
Increasing the cost of continuous cruising (which includes continuous mooring)by a significant sum—so as to provide an incentive for people to seek permanent moorings elsewhere, and to raise income which could partly be used for enforcement of continuous mooring.
Tell me if I am right. This possible proposal is suggesting that CCers have their licence fee hiked to raise funds to deal with continuous moorers. Why is that something CCers should sort out.
The number of itinerant moorers has steadily increased over the last 5 years. BW has had the temerity to take their licence fees and do nothing to stop them. This problem is mis-management. The funding for this should come out of the fund put aside for senior execs bonuses, who often by their own addmissions have failed to do what they are paid for. When I failed in my job the only thing I got was my cards.
It would seem that we live in a society where screwing up is OK if you sit in a big fancy chair because you can shaft some other poor bugger to correct your blunders. Well its about time boaters stood together. All (all boaters) make a point this weekend of writing to at least three government officials including your MP.
Increasing the cost of continuous cruising (which includes continuous mooring) by a significant sum—so as to provide an incentive for people to seek permanent moorings elsewhere, and to raise income which could partly be used for enforcement of continuous mooring.
In the absence of agreement about a workable strategy for differentiating continuous cruisers and continuous moorers, British Waterways must continue to treat both groups in the same way.
I would suggest that if BW cant find a way of diferentiating then resign and let someone in that can. One stays put the other moves. It aint rocket science.
Which reminds me, Why is a pigeon superior to a Merchant Banker. Because he can still put a deposit on a Ferrari.
Apologies to the boys of Monty Python
Maybe I am just sensitive, but I cannot abide umbrellas. The owners of this dubious fashion accessory seem incapable of understanding the damage that can be wrought with the rib ends to anyone's eyes let alone mine.
Umbrellas have a simple function to keep the rain off ones head and shoulders, so why, oh why, oh why do some people carry umbrellas that could house a circus. A golf umbrella is for the golf course not the city.
I am surprised that H&S of even the EU have not outlawed them yet.
I can only say that the morons who wield these dangerous weapons should at least be compelled to have insurance lest they injure anyone especially me!
Maybe this is the answer
The Government is entirely committed to providing excellent medical care for the members of the Armed Forces and for veterans and we share the aspiration of the petitioners to see Servicemen and women and veterans receive the best medical care possible. However, we do not believe that this would be achieved by attempting to create a separate military and veterans hospital in the UK.
So its not about money then?“The principle behind the decision to move from stand-alone military hospitals to facilities which co-operate with the NHS was the right one, from a clinical, administrative and financial point of view.”
The former UK military hospitals, which have been progressively phased out from the mid 1990s, increasingly failed to offer the range and volume of cases that military doctors, nurses and allied health professionals needed to remain at the leading edge of their professions. This is a pre-requisite for providing the best possible operational medical care which is at the heart of
the Defence Medical Services.
A little bit of jiggery pokery and it is now mounted on the forward panel of the electric cupboard.
The old position is being formed into a place to keep current maps.
HMRC v Lt Cmdr Colin Stone (The Kei)
HMRC has lost its appeal in the
High Court, against a Tribunal decision that a sea-going Vessel (a reproduction Dutch barge) qualified for zero-rating within the meaning of Schedule 8, Group 8, item 1 Value Added Tax Act 1994.
The appellant (Commander Stone) was applying to bring in a houseboat which was capable of self propulsion. However, he was intending to use it for a residential purpose. HMRC argued that VAT was payable but the High Court confirmed that it qualified for zero-rating.
If you feel you have something to say on the topic I will gladly publish it here.Sympathies my a**e
Of course Gillian Stokes was 'Harrisioned' about her comments re Continuous Cruisers and Continuous Moorers.
There is a difference and she fails to see it.
Although in her last email she does leave out CCers when she says "That Di, is how I knew they were continuous moorers. I would have thought it obvious." If she wanted it to be obvious she should learn to differentiate.
A Continuous Cruiser pays the same licence fee as a marina moorer and as such has the same right to moor on a visitor mooring as a marina moorer which ever store they may be near.
She may come out of her secure mooring once in a blue moon and have problems mooring outside Sainsbury's but genuine CCers have the same problem irrespective of the colour of the lunar orb.
Being a CCer is not a 'privilege' as she says, it is a planned for life choice. It is also absolutely legal due to an Act of Parliament.
She needs to remember that if a CCer is charged a mooring fee they may well just stay put and ignore the limits.
She also needs to remember that a genuine CCer is not taking up space in a large pile of bricks that can be better utilised by a family.
According to the site http://www.ragdoll.co.uk/ Rag Doll is not currently on air at this time. And if you ask if you can visit Rag Doll the answer is no 'The Rag Doll is not open to visitors a the moment'.
Addendum: I am told this is not 'THE' Rag Doll. B*ll*cks!
I have spoken on the phone a few times since and was very pleased when her now husband Steve Clarke called and said they would like to visit this weekend.
They arrived at 9 am with Jaynthie's sister Chandry in tow and after the usual pleasantries we set off up Abingdon Lock for water and a pump out. The queue was enormous and it took about two hours to get sorted. Following this we set off down stream heading for Clifton Hampden to go for lunch at the Plough, up the weir stream. On arrival there were three plastic boats moored up on the only available moorings and the kids were all playing around more plastic boats. They weren't eating at the pub just playing.
I turned around and made my way down to the bridge past the lock where we moored and went to the Barley Mow for our lunch. I was surprised to learn that both Jaynthie and Chandry remember my youngest daughter Kim, from photos, and the fact that she had graduated from Uni.
After lunch I had a call from Kim (funny that?) asking where I was and could she visit ....di da di da di da. We arranged that she and Jim would catch up with us at Culham Lock. Sure enough when we were in the lock K&J arrived. I checked out with the locky if it was alright to stop for half an hour. "Yes, but right on the far end." So we did.
It was a surprise that they should want to come down but not so much as the surprise I got when I discovered the reason. Introductions were made, I think J&C were quite pleased to meet Kim.
Kim and Jim have been together for ten years. They lived in my house while I was away globe-trotting and eventually bought it. This weekend they decided to make it official and Kim was toting an antique engagement ring. I am so happy for them both. And glad I was the first one they wanted to tell. Woooo Hoooooo!
K&J left after about half an hour and we continued on our way to Abingdon. Arriving about 6:15 and mooring up in the same place I had left 9 hours ago. It was great to see them all again. Steve seemed more relaxed after a day on the boat, and the girls were happy that they had seen this old buzzard once again.
“The conclusion of the report is that brickwork in the lock was not protruding or in such condition to have been the cause of the incident.
Using information from engineer reports, photographs and an eyewitness statement, it is considered the most likely cause of the incident was that the crew of the boat concerned, regrettably, did not manage the locking appropriately
“British Waterways is confident the lock remains in sound condition and is safe for boaters to continue using in accordance with good practice.”
I fully understand that it is possible that those locking through 'may' have been in attentive, but "Did not manage the locking appropriately", does not explain why this boat ended up. . . up ended. . . does it?
I am not sure what CCers have to do with being 'Stoned at Wallingford'.
I assume that she has never been on a council estate. Though most residents are upstanding members of the comunity there are always those who 'appear' not to be. It doesn't make them bad people just people you would rather not live near. (I could tell you stories)The Duck arriving late.
Pic stolen from their BLOG