Photo: Cruising past Windsor wearing a Pith Helmet (pic Sue NPXL)
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Having read through the CRT Mooring Consultation I cant help thinking it is a done deal. They are only just asking us to comment out of politeness. They seem to be talking about ‘when’ not ‘if’ it is implemented.
Like all of these ’consultation’ exercises it about making sure the ‘due process has been allowed, not about what the people want. But hey ho bend over and take it with a smile.
I don’t hold a lot of truck with canal-side art and poetry. I don’t think the canal is the place for that, but I do like this! A bit special don’t you think?
Looking down.
Looking up from half-way down.
Twenty-one locks is a lot of work single handed!
I was up early this morning and moved six locks before nine am. I am now in sight of the Grand Union canal. Then we (me and Molly) went for a walk. On my return I chopped up this lot. I am now officially worn out. I think I will go for a snooze.
We are all, I am sure, not happy about horse meat in beef products. David CaMoron says it is not a health issue, but about getting what you pay for.
Would it not be the easiest solution to re-label all beef products as Beef/Horse. Then we will be getting what we are paying for and the government can get on with more important things – like fiddling expenses and selling off the family silver, simples!
While CaMoron is talking about getting what we pay for, maybe he could apply himself to the problem of getting a pint of beer in a pint glass. We are still being short measured by over £40 million a year. This is a scandal and should be corrected asap, but I fear as long as MPS are getting subsidised bar prices nothing is going to change.
I am absolutely gobsmacked. When the Phase 1 plans were issued for HS2 the Trent & Mersey canal was crossed in two places near the picturesque Woodend lock at a height that would prevent the passage of narrowboats. (1m & 1.5m above the water level). Now with the release of the Phase 2 plans we are told that many canals will be affected by the rail plans.
Affected navigable waterways are:- Aire & Calder, Bridgewater, Coventry, Erewash, Middlewich Branch, Trent, Trent & Mersey, Sheffield & South Yorks, Soar.
But the main problem is those canal that are being restored albeit slowly. The new rail line will cut the Chesterfield Canal several times over a four mile stretch between the two restored sections at Staveley and Renishaw. This four mile stretch it was hoped would have a £2 million in lottery funding towards completing the link.
Not nearly so badly affected by the new line are the proposals to restore the Barnsley and Dearne & Dove Canals in Yorkshire. Also included is the northern end of the Ashby Canal at least here there would be enough headroom to build through the railway embankment.
Is it just me or are we all feeling bullied by the builders of this White Elephant.
Why would the Birmingham City Council want to pay good money for a giant size booger? It snot good. 
You may remember my haircut last year in Banbury and the story that went with it. See here.
Then somewhere around Christmas I had this done. Well…
..today I went to get my hair cut again, at this rate the industry will have an influx of finances this is the third time in little over a year. I walked about around the city for a bit and found 6 million places to eat, so I then asked a couple of likely lads outside a pub smoking. Chap said I might try the college and directed me to it. Down the canal to lock 4. Right over Saturday Bridge. UP to the University College of Brum then go around the back. I found it a 84 Newhall Street. (Newhall Street rang a bell for me. My mother being as brummie has, at sometime past, mentioned it to me though why escapes me at this time). Anyway I just walked in to 84 and asked. They pointed me to the school, who said it will a ten minute wait. And sure as eggs is eggs a young lady came out and asked for Paul, who wasn’t there, I said I would be Paul if it was any help. The lady behind reception said, “That’s Maffi, he’s next”. After taking my coat, which I noticed was beginning to smell a bit, young Fern took me into the training room. We discussed a few things about what I wanted which really was just something that wouldn’t take two hours to dry. She set to first washing my hair, and that was an experience I can tell you, and then combing my hair she set to clipping away. Very ‘professional’ chatting away about how she failed one assessment by cutting her finger. Well surprise she did it again. She did try very hard to cover it up but it got spotted. Poor girl. End result judge for yourself!. I like it. If you read this Fern. Best of luck with the interview. 
The old force
It’s next door neighbour
And The New
Kind of adds a different dimension to the phrase Cop Shop
I was hit by a car in Wolverhampton today. I was standing on a traffic island, when the traffic stopped. The woman who stopped about 10 feet away was on the phone. So I said she should get off the phone. She ignored me so I stood in front of the car and repeated 'Get off the phone'. She just drove straight at me. I stepped to one side and she glanced off me as she passed. I suppose this is what passes for manners in countries where the sun shines all year round.
What is more annoying is I looked at the number plate and thought if only I had my camera, which is odd because I never think about my camera when anything exciting happens. Needless to say I don't remember the number. Doh!
I stayed in Brewood last night because I felt the need to clean up a bit between Bridges 13 & 14.
It’s a short stretch I am moored on complete with mooring rings. There are two picnic tables along the length, not just any old tables but really sturdy ones with a two inch thick top and seats. These are fixed to a block-paved floor for which the sloping embankment has been cut in a semi circle and walled with up-ended sleepers. It is I think you will agree quite nice, now.
In the past some boaters, who in the main didn’t give a shit, have used the tables as saw horses as testified by the myriad chainsaw cuts in the top and seats. Not only have they damaged the tables they have also left a copious quantity of sawdust and chippings where they fell surrounding the tables. So much so that were the weather suitable the tables would not have been unusable. One of the tables has had three of the four top planks removed no doubt cut up for firewood. If you are passing this way have a go at this one Both tables were like this
Any way I removed about six bag of collected debris and cleaned the brickwork as best I could with my shovel. At least now one of the tables can be used in the summer.
It seems there is a certain type of boater on this canal (the Shroppie) who use and abuse the system. Who never put anything back. Who never so much as clear up after their dogs. They do have their uses. Fallen trees don’t last long in the winter, falling prey to chainsaws, being cut up almost before they hit the ground. The smaller branches and the Ivy, a big feature of the cuttings here are abandoned on the towpath waiting for some unsuspecting walker to trip over them.
How CRT deal with these people I really don’t know, but we who find this behaviour irksome must hold steadfast to the belief that we are the only people who are going to clear up after these anti-social morons. Yes I know its not right, but if we don’t do it no one else will. It is important that we do this to redress the criticism that Continuous Cruisers are a skanky bunch of ne’er do wells who leave crap everywhere. We have to do this because no one else will. We have to do this because there is no money to pay for someone else to do it. I cannot stress how important it is that we all get off our high horses and take this task on-board. Together we can make a difference. Together we can make the canal a beautiful place to come visit.
Next time you are out on your boat or just walking make sure you have a carrier bag or bin liner. Collect all the litter you see everything that is not natural. It wont hurt to have a couple of black bags on the roof until you get to a disposal point. It doesn’t take long to tidy the place where you moor up. You can clear 100 yards either way or even a mile either way. Whatever you do, do something. Don’t just say “Its about time someone cleared up,” it ain’t gonna happen. We are none of us above making an effort, even if the skankeys don’t, we must.
Despite what the CRT think it is our canal and the solution is in our hands!
Of all the dumb places to park a boat. With the exception of bridge holes this must be the narrowest part of the canal. What a muppet!
I am all in favour of volunteers, I do it myself, but If this is the best we can do then a re-think is in order. Just because we are doing it for free it doesn’t mean that we can do a crap job!
Six months ago, without an election manifesto mandate David Cameron decided out of the blue that the government would propose a law giving gay people the right to marry. At a stroke he was going to change the definition of a word that had been sacrosanct for a couple of thousand years.
Why did he do this? Well I very much doubt he did it for the gay community. I would rather think he did it because it was a vote puller. His speech about the ‘wonderful institution of marriage should be shared by everyone’ was no more heart felt than I am PM. Some of our most dangerous criminals are kept in institutions. Why does Cameron want to commit everyone to institutions.
What he did with this legislation was to raise an army of fascist sympathisers against those who, for whatever reason, oppose the bill. All the pro gay marriage supporters have been whipped up in to a pack of baying hounds who at the click of David’s fingers bellow BIGOT at any one who is not ‘pro’ or just urges caution. I do not believe that all the 400 who voted ‘yes’ voted because they wholeheartedly support the bill. Rather that they voted yes because they feared the fascists would tar and feather them if they didn’t.
Me? Personally I can’t see what was wrong with the Civil Partnership. Did that not give the gay community the legal security they wanted or did I miss something? I don’t really care one way or the other, although my life experiences says I should, just as long as it doesn’t become compulsory.
This is the pint of Guinness I was served at the Cross Keys in Penkridge exactly like that. It is a full pint. The glass is 24 fl/oz. This doesn’t seem to be a problem here so why is it everywhere else?
This was my birthday prezzie from Bones.
No cheap tinplate Its the real M’coy.
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WTF?
This is the horse tunnel on the way out of Stone. Lock 29, whose name I cannot remember now because I have lost my map (in the water), is up to the left. Oddly enough it still rotates. The wooden roller is rotting away and one will soon be able to remove it. I think the local canal society needs to replace the roller so it cant be removed.
This is another picture of a similar roller but this time mounted horizontally on the Stonework surround, which forms part of the bridge wall, to stop wear when the horses cross over the road. It would pull the boat out of the lock as far as the bridge then the rope would slip the looby post and hopefully the boat would have enough forward momentum to clear the bridge. This lock is at a wide road bridge on the Marple flight. The towpath changes side here.
