Narrow Boat Albert

Snowy by Berlie Doherty & Keith Bowen

2012-01-27T18:51:00.000Z

Snowy is one of the most delightful children's books there is. It is about Rachel who isn't allowed to take her canal boat horse into school when the teacher invites the children to take in their pets. As a result she gets teased by her classmates. That is, until they meet Snowy on a surprise school trip to the canal. That brings her the admiration of all her classmates. Maggie used to read it to her class when she was a primary school teacher and the kids loved it.

If you look at the illustrations carefully you can see that the story is set in Chester. I recognised immediately, but I never for one moment considered the provenance of the story. However, last night I read again PJG Ransom's The Archeology of Canals. There on page 110 was a colour plate of a grey mare called Snowy at Chester. The horse was being prepared to tow a trip boat called The Chester Packet with a butty in the background on the far bank. The butty carries the name Betelgeuse as in the book. Berlie Doherty and Keith Bowen's book is therefore authentic in terms of canal operations. It appears during the summer Jim Marshall used Betelgeuse, pulled by Snowy, to carry passengers as The Chester Packet. The butty was converted for this role, with a small cabin extension, in the mid '70s.

A picture on the current owners web site shows Betelgeuse as The Chester Packet but the horse is not Snowy. Therefore, in homage to that great children's book here is a photograph from Ransom's book showing Snowy being prepared for work with Betelgeuse in the background. Doesn't Snowy look fine. Presumably this photo comes from the late 1970s (the book was published in 1979). The picture was by PJG Ransom. I wonder where Rachel is?

Snowy and butty Betelgeuse at Chester

Blog Pages

2012-01-26T12:03:00.002Z

Following on from my redesign of the blog, I have recently been developing pages to give readers easy access to some features of Albert's blog. There are now dedicated pages covering the basics about Albert, the Ruston & Hornsby engine, Albert's boat builder, and a page cataloguing my waterways books that also links to some related posts.

Thames Diamond Jubilee Pagent

2012-01-19T23:56:00.002Z

I see that today they announced the list of vessels (powered and unpowered) for the Queens Diamond Jubilee Pagent on the River Thames. The list includes forty narrowboats but not, as Andrew Denny recently revealed, Granny Buttons.

The Narrowboat list is strong on community boating groups as might be expected and it was good to see a local representative in the Mountbatten Crusader. It is operated by the St John Ambulance, Northamptonshire and normally moors up at Gayton Junction. She is regularly seen about our area but appears to be a bit wider than 7ft. But still, who's counting.

Mountbatten Crusader at Stoke Bruerne

Amongst the boats in the Narrowboat section is also Beatty representing Merseyside. I presume that it is the Grundy family boat that we have met on several occasions; at Bath (2003), Brinklow(2004) and Preston Brook (2009). She is a wonderful example of an early converted working boat (built by Yarwoods at Northwich in 1936). The Beatty website gives lots of great details and photographs of the boat during her working days and subsequently as a family leisure boat; it's a delight to read.

Converted working boat Beatty and Albert at Brinklow in July 2004

It is also good to see a strong rowing contingent with crews from Putney Town Rowing Club, Twickenham Rowing Club, Leicester Rowing Club, and Weyfarers Rowing Club.

Finally, the press release labels the leisure cruiser section "The Tupperware Navy" but narrowboats avoided the equivalent label of "ditch crawlers"!

Boat Identified

2012-01-16T21:55:00.000Z

In my earlier post about Stoke Bruerne in 1976, I wondered about the identity of the butty with David Blagrove's name on the cabin. Following a clue from Bob Westlake it appears that it is Elton which is now in the hands of the Wooden Canal Boat Society.

As it says on their site:

By 1968 even Willow Wren were unable to competewith lorries using the expanding motorway network. “Elton” was sold to DavidBlagrove, a teacher and diehard canal carrying enthusiast, who used her tocarry coal for retailing from the boat.

It appears that Elton has been at Portland Basin on the Aston Canal for some time and has been used as floating storage for much of the societies equipment. She did however sink in November 2003 but was raised again.

Elton was built in 1936 by Walkers of Rickmansworth. Her history is on the WCBS web site.

Rowing in the 1960s

2012-01-12T23:15:00.000Z

In the 1960s and 1970s I was involved in competitive rowing, firstly coxing as a young lad, mostly at Llandaff Rowing Club near Cardiff, and then rowing and sculling at Tiffin School in Kingston-upon-Thames, Stratford-upon-Avon Boat Club and then Loughbrough University.

I have very few pictures of these times except the odd newspaper cutting when we happened to win (rarely). However, a few days ago I came across two colour pictures taken in 1965. They both relate to events held on river navigations used by canal boats. The first is a shot of the Stratford coxed four which won at a few Midland regattas and eventually reached Junior-Senior status. I am seen rowing at my usual place in the bows. At two is Barry Burke, three is Boris Holdsworth and the stroke is Richard Lawrence. The cox is out of shot. The photograph was taken at Leicester Quarts, an autumn event held over the straight mile on the River Soar in the middle of Leicester. I remember that we didn't do too well that day. We are wearing tracksuit tops and are obviously making our way to the start.

Leicester Quarts Event, River Soar 1965 - Stratford Boat Club Crew

For reference, here is a picture of the same area when we passed that way forty years later on Albert. Our friend Edward Winter is steering and taking a phone call!

River Soar 2005 - NB Albert

The second image is of a joint Stratford and Evesham crew that in the same year (1965) entered the Boston Marathon. It's basically the same crew as above but Richard Lawrence has been replaced at stroke by a rower from Evesham whose name I can't recall. The Boston Marathon covers the 31 miles from Lincoln to Boston. This was not the only time I took part in this gruelling event. I took part again in the early 1970s when I rowed in a coxless four from Loughborough University. The picture below was labelled "only five miles to go". We had plenty of blisters on our hands and other places when we finished! You may just make out that there are fisherman lining the opposite bank. As we approached Boston I remember that our cox kept asking them how far it was to the end of the race. They gave very misleading answers!

Boston Marathon, 1965 - Stratford/Evesham coxed four

Albert and the Iron Trunk

2012-01-06T18:07:00.000Z

I have just reached a significant birthday - the one where I get my State Pension. Wishing to mark it with a memorable present Maggie arranged for a local artist Peter Bowtell, whom we have known for many years, to produce a watercolour of Albert crossing the Iron Trunk Aqueduct at Cosgrove.

We had seen similar watercolours by Peter of the Iron Trunk but wanted one of Albert. In order to feature the boat more, Peter selected a slightly tighter view than his other images.

I am really delighted with it and will treasure it!

Albert crossing the Iron Trunk from an original watercolour by Peter Bowtell

PS The aqueduct will reach its 201st birthday later in the month and is shortly to be repainted.

Stoke Bruerne 1976

2012-01-01T19:50:00.000Z

We have lived in Northants for over 35 years so it's not surprising that some our photos of the canal are quite old. We occasionally used to visit local Grand Union locations, particularly with weekend visitors who came from elsewhere in the country.

Sorting through a load of old photos, regrettably not mounted in an album, I recently found these four images taken in early spring 1976. They are from Stoke Bruerne when it was much quieter than today - even in winter.

Stoke Bruerne Top Lock, 1976

This first photo shows Maggie in a trendy cape, with my mother Rose alongside her, watching a pair of narrowboats going up through the Top Lock. Unlike today, there are no extra railings on the lock beam, no wall to the left of the picture which tries to keep the public away from the lock side and of course no new pedestrian bridge.

Regrettably someone has left a windlass on the paddle gear. It's in a very dangerous position should the latch slip! In those days, not being familiar with operating canal locks, we were oblivious of this. Once we became boat owners we quickly learnt how dangerous this is. On our very first trip we met a women sitting by a lock at Long Buckby waiting for the ambulance after she had been hit on the head by a windlass that had spun off the mechanism.

Stoke Bruerne Wharf, 1976

The second photo is looking across from the museum towards the boats moored opposite at the wharf where David Blagrove lives. The working boat Seaford is Yarwoods Town Class built at Rickmansworth in 1936. She recently appeared in the BBC Four film "Golden Age of Canals". The home movie footage in the BBC film relates to around the time this photo was taken when she was owned by Bob Derricott. He appears in the film with his colleagues Keith Christie and Tony Gregory who all operated as Midland Canal Transport. The boat on the inside of Seaford is obviously a butty, or horse boat, and it appears to carry the Blagrove name. This requires further investigation since I can't work out any identifying features.

Moorings at Stoke Bruerne, 1976

The third photo is a view of the moorings along from the museum showing a Springer moored up with the stove lit. As with one of the boats going through the Top Lock in the first photo, the solid front doors of this boat mimic the decoration of stern doors of working boat cabins and have the "mouses' ears" decoration. On the cabin roof is a nicely decorated water can. Weeds are growing by the edge of the towpath - not so nowadays.

Signwriting and Decoration on Linda

The last photo is of the sign writing on Linda. She used to operate as a trip boat in the Cosgrove and Stoke Bruerne area for many years, often taking parties of young people out for the day. She was latterly operated by Steve Miles (aka author Geoffrey Lewis). The decoration appears to be by Ron Hough. Linda didn't look so good in 2010!

Boxing Day Boating

2011-12-29T10:12:00.001Z

We took the opportunity of the recent mild weather to go boating on Boxing Day. Our immediate family was with us over the holiday, so we all went on a short trip to Cosgrove and back. With the short winter days, it starts getting dark around 4:30, so you can't go too far.

We went down through Cosgrove Lock across the Iron Trunk, turned outside The Galleon and came back to Yardley Gobion. There were only few boats moving. In all we might have seen about half a dozen. We were certainly the only boat out of Kingfisher Marina. The important thing is, the trip included mooring up to have a tasty Cottage pie lunch.

Cosgrove Lock

Chris and Amelia

Our granddaughter Amelia has come onboard Albert before, and been on a trip along the Thames near Kingston, but this time she was able to appreciate boating more. She particularly liked the horn button - she tried it a few times when no other boats were around!

Amelia discovers the horn button

A memorable trip!

New Blog Layout and Theme

2011-12-27T22:32:00.000Z

You can't have failed to notice that I have changed the style of Albert's blog. I decided a little while ago that I would go for a three column blog with a suitable background. There are lots of blog backgrounds out there that reflect interests in many spheres, many of them freely available. However, none appeared to particularly suit canal boating.

I therefore took the bull by the horns and developed my own background. After some deliberation I went for a canal decoration theme. Using Photoshop I took some images of the rear cabin doors of Albert and made them into the green border decoration you see behind this post. The original decoration (that is "Roses") were crafted some years ago by Maggie.

Below are the door panels when they were being painted back in 2004. Maggie also did the "Castles" on the red outlined block panels. Tony Lewery recently pointed out on a TV programme that we should really call the "Castles" landscapes. Enjoy.

Albert's Rear Cabin Door Decoration

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T16:28:00.000Z

Merry Christmas from a wet and windy Yardley Gobion. Last year temperatures were well below zero and Albert was iced-up for quite some time. This year temperatures have yet to drop below zero for more that just the odd day. As always the British weather remains unpredictable.

Wet and windy at Kingfisher Marina, Christmas 2011

Ice and Snow at Kingfisher Marina, Christmas 2010

Getting ready for CART

2011-12-22T14:19:00.000Z

I see that British Waterways is adopting a strapline that mentions canals and rivers under their logo ahead of the transition to CRT (or should it be CART?). This one appeared on Waterscape.

Chesterfield Canal

2011-12-07T23:19:00.001Z

We spent last weekend in Sheffield. In the past we have taken the opportunity to visit Victoria Quays , but this time our friends Anne & Edward Winter arranged a little treat for us. It started with a walk along a newly restored part of the Chesterfield Canal and lunch at Nona's Coffee Shop at Hollingwood Hub. I had visited the Tapton Lock area of the canal, close to Chesterfield, a few years ago but without my camera. This time I took some shots.

The weather was "bracing", exactly what you expect of December in Derbyshire. The new locks, built in Halifax looked fine and Hollingwood Hub is great facility with its coffee shop, offices and meeting rooms.

Lock and Hollingwood Hub

After a short walk towards Chesterfield we retraced our steps back to the coffee shop to have lunch of meat and potato pie with mushy peas and that "must have" condiment - mint sauce. Maggie was at college at Bingley in Yorkshire and this was a typical student treat at the time, particularly at the Ferrands Arms.

Old Lock Gates

We shall soon have to visit the connected navigable section of the Chesterfield with Albert.

In the afternoon we visited Renishaw Hall, home of the Sitwells, which is close by and well worth a visit.

Renishaw Hall and Rainbow

Sunday saw us visit Kelham Island Museum in Sheffield. It was full of visitors to their Victorian Christmas Fair. For me the star of the show was the most powerful working steam engine in Europe (12,000 BHP), the River Don Engine. It used to run the armour plate rolling mill at Cammell's Grimesthorpe Works where it worked for over 50 years. It was built by Davy Brothers of Sheffield in 1905.

Its size is impressive and its ability to reverse so quickly (because it powered a rolling mill) was breathtaking. The huge crowds watching enjoyed it. On the basis that many boaters are interested in industrial history I have added a video clip of its performance. I hope you also enjoy it.

Also at Kelham Island is a Crossley 150 HP gas engine. A Crossley gas engine, obviously smaller, was once fitted to the FMC motor Vulcan in 1906 for tests but later replaced. Here is a short clip of it working. It also powered a rolling mill.

NB Lion Update

2011-11-22T22:35:00.006Z

In the summer we passed the moorings on the North Stratford where in 2004 we had discovered NB Lion. In the 1960s Ken Tremain, Maggie's uncle, converted Lion from the stern half of a BCN working boat of the same name. On Ken's death in 1987 Lion was sold and in 1988 she came into the hands of Ken Bromage. In 2007 I posted about the conversion of Lion, our discovery of her whereabouts and our meeting with Ken Bromage. There is also the Lion Web Album on our blog giving lots of details about the conversion including Ken Tremain's notebook. We were looking forward to meeting Ken Bromage and Lion again, so it was with some regret we found that the old mooring was empty. We were told by local moorers that Lion had gone some time ago and they thought Ken Bromage was "on the bank".

We were therefore very pleased when an email came in the other day from Ken Bromage explaining that Lion was now moored up just off the Birmingham Main Line and he was still living onboard. More good news followed when he sent me some photographs of Lion in the 1980s. I've added these images to the Lion Web Album.

Here are just a couple of Ken B's images.

NB Lion at the top of Smethwick Locks c 1984

NB Lion in the Boshboil Arm, near Windmill End, BCN c 1986

We are very pleased to find Lion still giving service almost 50 years after her conversion and who knows how long after her hull was originally laid down. Ken Tremain would have marveled at her longevity as a conversion.

Through London by Canal, by Benjamin Ellis Martin (1885)

2011-11-20T10:17:00.003Z

I recently discovered an original version of an article published in 1885 of a journey through London on the Paddington Arm and Regents Canal to Limehouse Basin; the same journey we took in 2008.

The article was published in Harper’s Magazine, or Harper ‘s New Monthly Magazine as it was known at the time. This New York magazine has a long and distinguished history and is still published. Indeed the article I am writing about is still available (at cost) as a PDF download through the magazine’s web site.

The article is full of interesting social history. It reports on conditions along the canal at a time when London was expanding rapidly and was the industrial powerhouse of an empire. The conditions Martin describes are of factories belching smoke and steam, piles of dust, and docks full of shipping from all over the world.

However, he starts by describing more rural scenes. Brentford at that time was largely rural and he describes the journey to Paddington as “made up of twenty miles of the commonest country canalling, albeit through a charming country”. However, Paddington was by the 1880s part of London and Martin wonders about its recent rural history noting that close to Warwick Road “A nice old lady in a sun-bonnet is picking at things in the bushes; a clean old gentleman mends a rake; a muscular maiden mixes manure at a stable door. It is all peaceful and pretty, and it is all that remains of the quiet rural spot called Paddington.”

He notes that boats are boats are unloading brick and sand to build the suburbs of Queen’s Park and Kensal New Town and by Battle Bridge he describes large heaps of cinders and dust that “grew higher and higher year by year” and mused that some of these mounds were worth thousands of pounds sterling. In his view “this whole region is a place sweet to the contractor and the dustman doubtless, but surely to no one else. Everything is mercantile, money-grubbing, and sordid”. At Paddington he discovers the work-house is “a long dreary brick structure, set in a vast dreary field” and notes that along the Harrow Road, was the “Lock Hospital for destitute fallen women”. There was, however, the occasional pleasure boat operating along this stretch.

Seeing the numerous boats moored up at Paddington Martin notes, “the whole scene calls up Venice to us all, whether we see it with the setting sun sinking behind or with the dawn breaking over it, or the full moon flooding it. It must surely have been of this bit that Byron wrote, there would be nothing to make the canal of Venice more poetical than this of Paddington were it not for its artificial adjuncts.” Although Wikipedia notes that Little Venice was believed to have been coined by the English poet Robert Browning who lived here from 1862 to 1887, it appears that Lord Byron also has a strong claim particularly since Martin’s journey is contemporary.

Martin reports being legged through Maida Hill tunnel and describes the use of wings for the leggers to lie on. When passing Regents Park Zoo Martin notes “ the queer boxes and cages lying about on the bank above, in which beasts and birds have been brought from other lands” and “the discordant shrieks of the parrots, housed here in hundreds, drown the piping of the little wild birds in the trees”. One wonders what he would have made of the thousands of parrots that now occupy the western districts of London.

As Martin leaves Regents Park he notes that canals always attract boys as he puts it "men may come and men may go, the canal may change …. but the Boy re¬mains”. I suppose it is still the same – particularly where fishing is concerned.

It is not clear what boat Martin travelled on, I suspect he may have travelled on a number, but part of his journey appears to be on the Medway barge Alice. He describes the accommodation in detail and having tea on board.

As he gets closer to Limehouse Martin describes the industrial scene. “The monster coal yards of Rickett Smith and Co. hold mountains of coals, and farther along are acres of chains, and castings, and pipes, and every sort of unwieldy iron thing. The massive walls of foundries stretch along the bank, their tall chimneys, like grenadier sentinels, keeping watch over these fortresses of trade.” He also notes the squalor around Shoreditch, Hoxton and Bethnal Green. At Acton’s lock he found a stationary engine operating by the lock pumping water into the canal. He found one at nearly every lock below this lock to the Thames.

After Stepney Martin found that everything became more nautical and he met many large sailing barges, their masts and sprits “showing picturesquely, their brown sails tied up against them”.

Arriving at Limehouse Martin found himself “in another world, half sea, half land”. His description is so evocative I will quote it at length:
“… vast stone quays and jetties surround a water area of about ten acres, and on the quays and in the water is a busy scene. Men and machinery are at work loading and unloading vessels of every build and every rig, lying alongside the jetties or in the basin, beleaguered by barges. There are sloops and schooners and brigs, paddle-wheel steamers and screw colliers, bluff-bowed Dutch boats, sharp and shapely coasters, some low in the water with their heavy cargoes, some high out, already unladen. Moored together in neighbourly way is the Ulrika Wardo, with pine from Norway, and the Carolina, with ice from Boston; and queer foreign names are painted on the sterns of vessels from every foreign port. The huge rudders of the barges take up as much space as their vessels. On one side men are piling timber; on another they are screening coals; on another they are breaking into small bits and redressing gray granite from Aberdeen and blue granite from Guernsey, which comes rough-dressed for building and for paving. Here are mounds of small stones and sand dredged from the bottom of the Thames, to be sifted and used for concrete; here are heaps of lime and cement; here under sheds is the maddest medley of old iron ever seen — iron pots and pans, hoops and horseshoes, bars and bolts, rails and railings, tubing, rings, nuts, screws, nails, hooks, all the queer scraps ever dreamed of, all that can be bought all over London by perambulating "old rag and bottle men." It is brought here in great vans, piled with that brought up from the Medway by barge, weighed and shipped to Hartlepool, Sunderland, Newcastle, and there born again into useful iron things”
– a bit different today in London’s Dockland!

This 20-page article with engravings provides a unique glimpse into our canals when they were still carrying large tonnages. However, the spectre of the railways is there as Martin notes the incredible activity around Paddington, St Pancras and Kings Cross stations and the plans for extending railways throughout London.

I found it truly fascinating article with great illustrations.

Bridgwater Canal Celebration

2011-11-01T20:32:00.002Z

Whilst boating last week I was contacted by Simon Robertshaw of the BBC Philharmonic who wanted to use a couple of my images of the Barton Swing Aqueduct for a public event at the Lowry theatre in Salford.

The event celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Bridgewater Canal on November 6th 2011, and includes a performance by Salford primary school children, actors, and members of the BBC Philharmonic called Songs from the Bridgewater Canal.

Sounds a great event. I wish I could go, the Barton Bridges feature in my childhood memories.

Great Linford & Yardley Gobion

2011-11-01T20:09:00.000Z

On Saturday morning we left our overnight mooring above Stoke Hammond Lock. At the lock we met two Wyvern Shipping hire boats going down the lock and helped them through. Another hire boat joined us in the lock and we sorted out the gates for them. We then followed them down towards Milton Keynes. The weather was fine and bright, and for autumn quite warm.

The trip through MK was relatively uneventful although the canal was quite full of debris. At Fenny lock we used the keb to remove weeds and on two occasions I selected reverse to free the prop. We had lunch just south of Campbell Park and then set off for Great Linford.

Just before the park in Great Linford we came across some anglers and as we passed one caught a sizable pike.

Pike caught at Great Linford

We moored up for the night at our favourite spot just by Stantonbury Abbey. I changed the gearbox oil whilst Maggie took a walk down to the River Ouse.

It got quite windy overnight and Sunday was dull. On our way through Wolverton we met a club fishing match. All the anglers appeared quite relaxed as we crawled passed them and several chatted to us. It was nice to receive compliments about going through slowly.

At Cosgove Lock we met a narrow beam "dutch barge" who had waited for us as we crossed the Iron Trunck. Quite different behaviour than at the same lock on the outward journey.

We got back to Kingfisher Marina mid afternoon and then spent some time putting Albert "to bed".

Slapton & Stoke Hammond

2011-10-28T21:36:00.002+01:00

On Thursday after overnight rain, we woke to find that levels on the Tring Summit were even lower. NB Zenith, moored up behind us, wanted to travel down the flight with us. They arranged for us to meet them at Marsworth Top Lock after they tried going down the arm. However, they were warned by a BW man that it was too shallow so they waited in the lock. The BW man then told us to meet NB Zenith at the lock by 9:30. We were unaware that he had also been in touch with another boat coming over the summit that was due to get there at 9:15. It arrived late just before 9:30. As a result we cast off just as it arrived causing great confusion as to which boat was supposed to be in the lock with NB Zenith. It all got sorted out in the end but it took us some time to understand how the confusion occurred.

The former Ship Inn at Marsworth

A line-up of gulls

We then spent the rest of the day travelling down locks with NB Zenith. Pat and Patrick made great company and both boats moored up mid-afternoon just above Slapton Lock. Patrick came on board for a cup of tea and a natter.

On Friday morning, again after overnight rain, we woke to heavy mist. It was dramatic and provided plenty of photo opportunities. Again we travelled with NB Zenith, this time to Leighton Buzzard; both crews needed to visit Tesco.

Morning mists at Slapton

NB Zenith in the mist

NB Albert entering Slapton Lock in the mist (courtesy NB Zenith)

Cobwebs on Slapton lock gates

Leaving Slapton Lock (courtesy NB Zenith)

After shopping and lunch we left Leighton and said goodbye to Pat & Patrick. In glorious weather we travelled down the Three Locks at Soulbury. The water levels at the Three Locks were out of kilter and lots of water ended up flowing over the gates. We suspect a paddle had been left up by the crews that went up the flight just before we arrived.

We moored up just short of Stoke Hammond lock. The warm sunshine, and the views over the Ouzel valley, made our overnight mooring particularly delightful. Great autumn boating!

Marsworth & Bulborne

2011-10-27T18:31:00.000+01:00

We left Linslade on Monday and stopped off at Tesco, Leighton Buzzard, for provisions. After taking on water we made our way to Grove Lock where we caught up with NB Pinmill who has just started mooring at Kingfisher Marina. Because another boat was waiting they went through the lock, and waited for us at Church Lock. From then on we travelled southwards as a pair. We reckon that this is the first time we have travelled as a pair with a boat from our marina. The weather was bright and sunny and with two efficient crews we reached Marsworth late in the afternoon.

We spent a day away from the boat on Tuesday but in the evening we visited the Red Lion at Marsworth. This CAMRA pub does great real ale. I had a local brew from Tring and Maggie had some suitable cider. It was great to be in a good local with a warm fire and we enjoyed the freshly made food.

On Wednesday we started up the Marsworth flight in the morning and found that the other Lion in Marsworth - the White, was closed. We have eaten there on a few occasions.

Closed White Lion at Marsworth

We reached Marsworth Top Lock around midday. Our plan was to try going up the Wendover Arm to moor. We went up their in 2009 and enjoyed mooring overnight at the terminus. This time we thought it might be difficult and it was. NB Pinmill, who met at Marsworth Bottom Lock, and were on their way back to Kingfisher, had made it to the end, but they only draw 18" unlike our 30", and they said it was "touch and go". We only made it about 50 yards up the arm before we ran aground. With some difficulty we reversed back out of the arm, turned north, winded with even more difficulty, and then moored up just before the junction. A lot of tricky boating with so little progress.

Last picnic of the year (?) at Bulbourne

After a lunch, on the handily placed benches, and some frustrating maintenance on Albert (I lost a vital screw), we walked along the arm to the terminus. A wide beam, but shallow draughted, boat was crawling back along the Wendover Arm after a trip to the end. They were making heavy weather of it with water levels so low on a stretch of water that is shallow at the best of times.

Wide beam crawling along the Wendover Arm

There were plenty of storm clouds around but luckily they didn't drop rain on us. They made a dramatic sight, particularly looking east.

Storm clouds over Heygates Mill, Wendover Arm

We also picked some sloes for out winter sloe gin. We have produced Aylesbury Arm Sloe Gin in the past. This batch will have to be named after the Wendover Arm.

Little Tring Bridge - restored by the Wendover Arm Trust

In the evening we visited the Grand Junction Arms at Bulbourne and had a great dinner. The food was delicious, very well presented, and the staff friendly. The last time visited the Grand Junction was about seven years ago with our friends the Kinnings. At that time the house speciality was curry, the decor shabby chic, and Timothy Spall was moored up outside and was enjoying meal. We related this to the landlord. He said that it would be great if Timothy dropped in again. Unfortunately we can't arrange this.

Autumn Cruise South

2011-10-23T20:38:00.000+01:00

We left Yardley Gobion on Saturday travelling south along the Grand Union. Our aim is to get to the Wendover Arm. The weather was warm (for October) and windy. We filled up at Baxter's with diesel and gas and had a pump out. As with buses the wharf was quiet until we arrived and then there were three of us.

This trip allowed us to test our revised gas central heating system - we have an extra radiator in the saloon area to provide better heat distribution.

New saloon radiator

There appears to be a good number of Wyvern Shipping boats out for half-term or a long weekend. Unfortunately, the first we met us at Cosgrove Lock, who was travelling alone, managed to ignore us as we approached the lock, close the gates, and then empty the lock in front of us - all why we were in full view less than 50 yards away. So much for water shortages! I should point out that all the other Wyvern boats we have met so far this trip have not behaved like this.

We moored up overnight at Great Linford close to Stantonbury Abbey. Had a good chat with an angler who was pitched close by.

Great Linford

Today we had a good trip through Milton Keynes and moored up at Old Linslade another favourite local mooring when water levels are resonable. We went up Stoke Hammond and Soulbury (three) Locks with a friendly Wyvern crew flying the French flag. The wind made navigation interesting at times. We visited the church of St Mary just as the sun set.

St Mary's Church, Old Linslade

Good trip so far. Great to be on the move.

Thames Tug Teddington

2011-10-21T20:44:00.002+01:00

We took our grandaughter down to Teddington Lock yesterday to feed the ducks. This rather delightful Thames tug appropiately called Teddington was moored up by the wharf.

Tug Teddington

It appears she was built by Brooke Marine in Lowestoft in 1949 and used to belong to Tough & Henderson who were based in Teddington.

Tralee Canal, Co. Kerry

2011-10-17T18:35:00.002+01:00

Last week I went to Tralee in Ireland on business but one evening I had a short time to explore the environment around the town. I couldn't resist taking a walk from the centre of town to Blennerville along the restored Tralee Canal. Although the weather remained dry throughout my two hour walk, all around the clouds were full of rain. On occasions the sun did dramatically break through making photography interesting.

An empty Prince's Quay, Tralee Canal

Charming commemerative plaque

The canal was built in the 1830s as a ship canal with capacity to take vessels up to 300 tons. It is somewhat remiscant of the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal but much shorter being only around 2 km long. The canal runs alongside the River Lee and has just one (sea) lock.

At Blennerville, where there is a famous windmill, there is a swing bridge and a road bridge across the river. The canal was built for trade to bring goods directly into the town of Tralee rather than Fenit which is further along the coast.

River Lee, Blennerville windmill, and bridge

The port of Tralee was one of the places where numbers of emigrants left for North America. Around the time that the Tralee Canal was being restored in the 1990s, with an eye to tourism, a replica of the famous Jeanie Johnston that sailed to Canada and the US from Tralee was built alongside the canal at Blennerville. The replica now mostly resides in Dublin. When I visited there was only one boat, a residential barge, moored up. A single sculler was about to make use of the canal for some evening training.

Barge moored at Blennerville

There was also a famous railway (Tralee and Dingle Light Railway) that ran alongside the river and canal and onwards to the Dingle Peninsula. A short section to Blennerville was restored but its future appears to be uncertain.

CART it is

2011-10-07T08:24:00.002+01:00

So the new name for British Waterways when it becomes a charitable trust is to be Canal and River Trust - will it be known as CART?

A new logo was released yesterday with the name. I always throught the old logo said it all and was a great design. The new one, also designed by the agency Pentagram, looks less clear. I think it takes some time to realise it is a bridge in the background.

Village at War 2011

2011-10-01T22:46:00.001+01:00

We again visited the excellent Village at War event organised by the Friends of the Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne. The weather this year was, of course, just glorious and the crowds appear to have come out in force. Their coffers should be swelling after this weekend!

Here are a few images. As I said last year, with the reenactors dressed up for their parts this event is a photographer's delight. Those in khaki drill must have been quite hot!

Field Marshal Montgomery and his staff

The ARP Warden

Law and order in the 1940s

Mr. George Formby playing "When I'm cleaning Windows"

Mr. Winston Churchill and ladies in their summer frocks applauding Mr. Formby

Enjoying the Indian Summer

Newly painted NB Purton

Icebreaker Laplander always adds interest to a canal event

We met up with Keith & Jo on NB Hader, as we hoped, and had a chat about their winter plans. We also spent some time with Ann & Jim from Adelaide, Australia who are relatives of our next door neighbours. They a keen enthusiasts of British Canals having been to the Anderton Lift, the Falkirk Wheel, Foxton Locks, Hatton Flight, Tardibigge and the Caen Flight! A chat over lunch outside The Boat Inn with the Wilsons from from Deanshanger revealed that their family was a boating family who moved onto the bank in the late 1940s.

A fun day. It's now definitely part our calender.

Favorite Mooorings

2011-09-27T10:06:00.003+01:00

We stopped at Flore Wharf on the way home from our August trip. I see that Keith & Jo on NB Hadar stopped there recently on their way to Stoke Bruerne for the Village at War event. They did us the honour of a link. I thought I would add a photo I took this August showing Hadar and Albert by the Admiral Nelson at Braunston.

NBs Hadar and Albert in the rain at Braunston

We were moored up in the pound and had just left Albert on our way into the village to meet friends. Hadar arrived to go up the lock just after we left the boat. We didn't go back to say hello because it was raining "stair rods" - as they used to say. Perhaps we shall see them at Stoke Bruerne over the weekend.

A Couple of "Rustons"

2011-09-25T10:48:00.000+01:00

I've recently seen a couple of interesting Ruston engine installations.

A couple of weeks ago I visited the blacksmith, Bob Nightingale who works out of the Tug Store at the tunnel mouth at Stoke Bruerne. As I walked back to the village NB Pyrus was mooring up. Pyrus won the "Best in Show" at the 2009 Crick Boat Show and is still used by William Piper Narrowboats, who fitted her out, as their demonstrator. I took the opportunity to have a short chat to Martin Baker, who runs William Piper and was steering Pyrus, The engine of Pyrus is a 2YWM Greaves version that was renovated by Phil Lizius of Longboat Engineering. As with Albert she has a PRM 260/160 gearbox.

Greaves (formely Ruston & Hornsby India) 2YWM in NB Pyrus

She looked very smart and the engine installation interesting. The Greaves 2YWM in Pyrus very similar to the Ruston & Hornsby (India) 2YWM in Albert but the most obvious difference is the inlet manifold. Our manifold is labelled as being for the air-cooled version (2YA) although our Ruston and Hornsby parts manual, supplied with the engine, shows it as being correct for a 2YW. Other engines of the same ilk (supplied by Keith Jones) have similar manifolds. Albert's engine also has a slightly different position for the oil filler and Albert has two fuel filters. I notice that Pyrus has dispensed with the engine-mounted control panel and the high-level hand-start mechanism. That, and the simpler control system, makes it a "cleaner" installation than on Albert.

The other Ruston engine we recently spied was much older. Last weekend we visited the open day at the New & Used Boat Company at Blisworth Marina. Some friends of ours are thinking of getting a bigger boat wanted to size up the market so we tagged along. In the marina was Empress, built by the Mill Wharf Boat Company from Blisworth, a 2011 replica of the famous FMC Boat . She is not quite finished but is fitted with a rather fine Ruston 2VSH and a very interesting Caledonia gearbox.

Ruston 2VSH in NB Empress
The gearbox is labelled as being made by the Ferguson Brothers of Johnstone, Scotland. I can't find any details of the company, or the design, on the web.

Caledonia gearbox with control chain drive (right lower) and engine cooling pump (top right)

The control mechanism for the gearbox is via a chain drive. This is connected to a speedwheel. As a result both the controls of Empress (that is engine speed and gearbox) are speedwheels. It would take some getting used to after a more conventional speedwheel and push-pull D-handle, and is certainly very different from a modern single-lever system. Interestingly the details supplied by the broker do not mention the gearbox or the age of Ruston.

Further Boat Improvements

2011-09-21T22:54:00.002+01:00

Following our overheating incident in early August I decided to improve the air-bleed system on Albert's Ruston engine.

When we purchased Albert, back in autumn 2003, overheating occurred on our first trip which was from Bath from Bradford-on-Avon. It was undoubtedly caused by an air lock. This didn't reoccur again until this summer. Twice in 8 years means it isn't a serious problem, but I decided I needed to sort it - it's called peace of mind.

Automatic Air-bleed Valve

I am trying an automatic air-bleed valve of the kind you find on domestic central heating systems. It replaces a manual equivalent that required a screwdriver. Being brass it looks the part and is something else to polish!

Boat Improvements

2011-09-17T09:14:00.003+01:00

I've been doing some engine room improvements associated with electrics. Our Adverc Battery Monitor, which gave good service for many years, gave up the ghost when it got wet (engine overheating!). I decided to go down a slightly different route with the new monitor and purchased a Sterling ProCounter that monitors volts, amps and amp hours. I was also attracted by a Adverc Quick Monitor which is a voltage indicating LED that indicates approximate state of charge - "as it says on the tin". This should be useful to glance at when passing through the engine room.

Sterling Battery Monitor and Adverc Quick Check

For several years I have considered upgrading the Victron inverter/charger. Our original, that came with the boat, was a physically large (and heavy) quasi-sine wave version (circa 1995). I have now replaced it with a new Victron - a 12 volt/1200 watt/50 amp MultiPlus Compact. It is considerably smaller and lighter than its predecessor and has a better performance.

Victron MultiPlus Compact Inverter/Charger

My last improvement was to add some new plastic signs to indicate the battery isolation switches. Previously I used some laminated self-made signs. These are much smarter. It is amazing what you can get designed and made on-line for very little cost.

Engraved plastic signs

Bovine curiosity with boats

2011-09-14T14:57:00.003+01:00

Granny Buttons has again posted about the curiosity of cows. We too have noticed this behaviour and have some images of cows watching us pass by, particularly on rivers.

I haven't got an image of a line of cows available, but our most memorable example of curious cows was when were moored overnight at Cogenhoe ( by the way pronounced Cook-no by locals) on the River Nene in 2006. A group of cows and their bull approached us and got right up to our side hatch which gave us a very close view. The image below was taken from inside the cabin with a standard compact camera - Canon PowerShot A40. As you can see we were at eye level.

Bull by the River Nene at Cogenhoe, Northants

You will notice that the bull was nearest and, although he was grazing when I took the picture, he appears to be keeping a "weather eye" on us.

Waitrose Towcester supports the Canal Museum

2011-09-13T11:36:00.001+01:00

As part of its support for local community groups Waitrose at Towcester donates £1000 to local charities based the on amount of customer tokens placed in a three boxes.

One of the three supported charities this month is the Friends of the Canal Musuem. So far they are comfortably ahead in the ballot. Let's hope it stays that way.

Flore Wharf & Home

2011-08-30T23:33:00.000+01:00

On Saturday August 27th we left Braunston and made our way through Braunston Tunnel to Norton Junction where we took on water. It was busy, being a Bank Holiday weekend, but we negotiated the tunnel without incident. There were several boats at Long Buckby Top Lock, some taking on water. One hire boat caught our eye. They appeared to have no control of the boat and the adults in the party also had no control of their children. They were running up and down the roof and hanging off the sides. A nearby boater shouted "get those children off the roof" but this had no effect. When they entered the lock one of the adults considered it helpful to stand on the roof with a boat hook in his hands. Heaven only knows what good that did. Most of those assembled around the water point expressed sympathy for anyone who shared a lock with them.

Our journey down the locks was, however, straightforward and a pleasure. We were accompanied by NB Plato which is actually written in Greek - Πλάτων. I gather being written in Greek can cause consternation on the Thames where they expect Latin script names. Plato was being operated single-handed. Nevertheless, the three of us made good progress down the Buckby Flight and we had lunch at Whilton. With good weather by early evening we made it to a favourite mooring of ours just below Flore Wharf. The rain then came down in torrents! A typical August bank holiday.

A curious and hungry duck in the rain at Flore Wharf

August Bank Holiday weather

On Sunday we had a straightforward journey south to Blisworth but in the tunnel we met over eight boats going north. One boat caused us consternation since some of its crew were on the roof inside the tunnel! A very foolish idea ignoring the warning signs placed by the tunnel portal. We had a good Sunday lunch in The Boat and watched the Belgian Grand Prix on their big screen television. We then went down the Stoke flight singly and finally got to Kingfisher Marina in the late afternoon.

According to Canal Planner AC, the total distance of our trip was 271 miles with 269 locks. There were at least 46 moveable bridges, 15 small aqueducts or underbridges; 13 tunnels and 1 major aqueduct.

We covered around 43 miles of narrow canals; 107 miles of broad canals; 31 miles, of commercial waterways; 42 miles of small rivers; 46 miles of large rivers; 105 narrow locks; 158 broad locks and 6 large locks.

A great trip! Very memorable.

Weed Hatch Adventure

2011-08-30T21:29:00.001+01:00

This post concerns what happened to narrow boats Penny from Heaven and Albert going up Bascote Flight on Friday August 26th. Both boats reached the bottom lock of the flight, not the staircase. The pound was shallow and we waited for the lock to empty in mid channel. The water was very murky and full of sediment.

As both boats moved to enter the lock the engine on NB Penny, a Gardner 2LW, just stopped - obvious signs of rubbish around the prop. Jim opened up the weed hatch and could find nothing around the propellor and the propellor shaft solid. It was not easy to sort out the problem there and then so NB Penny breasted-up against Albert and we took both boats through the lock and up the flight. We then moored up by the top lock where there was more water in the pound.

It was not easy to see what had happened but by poking the area around the propellor with a pole we eventually found that there was something solid below the prop covering most of the area of the weedhatch. It was clear that Penny had picked up a large flat object of some sort that was lodged between the skeg and the prop.

Jim set about trying to dislodge it. Eventually, after hitting the object with an iron bar, in the direction it probably came in, it moved. Jim then moved what he then discovered was a large plank and the end gradually appeared through the weedhatch. It came out wih some difficulty, but finally the whole plank came out. It was a 4' 9'' long by 1' wide 1 1/2'' thick plank and had obviously been in the water for some considerable time.

Jim discovering that he has just released a plank from below the prop

Jim holding the plank he has just removed through the weedhatch!

Marks on the plank made by a propellor

You have to imagine that the plank was caught in straight across the boat blanking off the whole of the bottom of the area of the weed hatch! It would have projected out from the boat profile.

Long Itchington and Braunston

2011-08-30T20:54:00.000+01:00

On Thursday, August 25th we left Warwick and travelled towards Braunston along the Grand Union with NB Penny. It was good boating weather, bright but not hot, and we made good progress until we got to Bascote Locks. The adventure we had there will be the subject of another blog. However, we managed to moor up by the Two Boats Inn which we visited for drinks. It was resonably full but by the time we left, only 10.30, it was empty. The landlord was a bit pessimistic about the pub trade.

The next day was quite rainy. We got up early and made the Stockton Flight relatively quickly. The rain came on heavily as we approached Calcutt Locks. At the top of Calcutt NB Penny took on water. We pressed on to Braunston and found that it was jammed packed with boats. We suspected the rain had forced many boaters to stay put for the day. It was also Bank Holiday Weekend and Braunston was having a village celebration. This accounted for the range of trading boats, including The Cheese Boat, that were moored up.

We finally decided that we were not going to find a mooring in the centre of Braunston and so moved up two locks to moor up by the Admiral Nelson Inn. We had arranged to meet up with Jim & Mary from NB Penny at Poppie's Cafe in the village. We had delicious tea and cakes. NB Penny did find a mooring. Jim & Mary had not found any available and had turned around by the Stop House and were making their way out of the village when a mooring right opposite The Boathouse pub became vacant. What luck!

We met that night with Jim & Mary for a farewell meal. They were going on the North Oxford towards Hawksbury Junction and the Ashby Canal and we were going East towards Norton Junction and home. We will miss travelling with them.

Robin in a tree

2011-08-29T09:36:00.000+01:00

Whilst passsing through Preston Bagot lock I noticed that there was a Reliant Robin placed in a tree. I gather that others have noticed this.

Reliant Robin in a tree - Preston Bagot

The big question is why? An art installation? Answers on a postcard to...

Warwick (Again)

2011-08-29T09:17:00.000+01:00

Wednesday (August 24th) saw us going down Hatton with Mary and Jim on NB Penny. It was bright and sunny and although many locks were set against us and we were not in a hurry it took a creditable three and half hours. We moored up at Saltisford Arm.

Hatton Flight

In the evening we all visited the Aqua Lebanese restaurant in Warwick. The food was excellent and the service friendly.

Rowington

2011-08-25T10:07:00.002+01:00

On Tuesday (August 23rd) we left Wilmcote under cloudy skies. Rain had been forecast and it duly arrived about half an hour after we left. However, it was short lived and we were soon cruising under clear blue skies. The rest of the day was, in fact, delightful both in terms of weather and cruising.

Getting through a narrow Strafford Canal Bridge

The section of canal between Wilmcote and Kingswood is charming. The first notable feature we reached was the Edstone Aqueduct. Taking our cue from Mary on NB Penny, Maggie went down onto the lane below the aqueduct and photographed Albert crossing above. It is not often you find a suitable location for doing this.

Crossing the Edstone Aqueduct

Wootton Wawen Aqueduct

Preston Bagot

We passed numerous barrel-roofed cottages and crossed the very short cast iron aqueduct at Yarningale. It has everything the Pontcyslltte has – only in miniature!

Yarningale Aqueduct

There were a group of friendly geese occupying the side of Lock 27.

For the last few locks were accompanied by a very friendly family who were investigating the local towpaths. The three young boys helped with all the gates and asked a lot of questions. As we were leading our pair of boats we arrived at Kingswood first, we took on water and waited for NB Penny to arrive. The weather being just perfect we had a welcome cup of tea.

Kingswood Link

We turned down the Grand Union and moored up on the Rowington Embankment. The views over the rolling countryside in the evening sunshine were delightful. As we settled down for the night we heard and saw a barn owl.

Wilmcote

2011-08-25T09:51:00.003+01:00

We decided not to leave Stratford until the afternoon of Monday (August 22nd). This gave some time for shopping. The weather was again bright and sunny. It was quiet along the river until about 10 o’clock when the visitors started to arrive.

At the water point at Stratford-upon-Avon

By the time we left (1 o’clock) it was heaving. Our passage through the Barge Lock into the basin was watched by a large crowd – locking in goldfish bowl.

In contrast, after we passed under the very low bridge that marks the start of the canal, all the crowds had disappeared. The entrance to Lock 55 was very tricky. We got under the very low bridge and then discovered a boat coming down the lock. We backed up and waited. After the boat passed us, we went again under the bridge but this time we went solidly aground. It took quite an effort to get us off. We were helped by group of people including Geoff Caine who runs canalscene.com. (Have a look at his site.) We finely made into the lock after two attempts.

The passage up the first few locks was also tricky. At one lock the bottom gate refused to stay closed and managed to stay open even when the top gate paddles were opened. We left a message about our problems on the gate for Jim and Mary who were following. They thought it was amusing. When they passed through they managed to get three passers-by to hold the gate.

Signs of National Trust Ownership a lock-side sign near Wilmcote

The bright sun stayed. As we reached to top of Wilmcote Locks we looked for a mooring and managed to squeeze into two places at the visitor moorings by Bridge 59. There was quite a happy crowd there. Bridge 59 is course famous in the restoration of the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal. It was that bridge that caused the local authority to seek permission to abandon the canal for navigation back in 1958. The famous struggle to ensure that it survived then began. Tomorrow rain is forecast and we hope to get to Kingswood (or there about).

Stratford upon Avon

2011-08-25T09:46:00.000+01:00

On the Sunday (August 21st) we left Evesham, again with NB Penny in bright sunshine. The rowing club were quite active with lots of scullers. We had a glorious day’s boating but it was quite late when we finally got to Stratford.

Around George Billington Lock I saw two kingfishers. One was chasing the other which had the fish.

Robert Aickman Lock, Harvington

We stopped for lunch on the visitor moorings at Bidford-on-Avon. It was busy with families parked up by the river enjoying the weather and picnics.

Bidford-on-Avon

Negotiating the bridge at Bidford

NB Penny from Heaven on the River Avon

After lunch the weather continued bright and sunny and we enjoyed some of the particularly fine views along the river near Welford.
Stratford was busy and the Bancroft Basin moorings were fully occupied. We did, however, find some excellent moorings just below the chain ferry.

Evesham

2011-08-25T09:10:00.000+01:00

It was sunny and bright when we left Eckington Bridge with NB Penny for Evesham on Saturday morning (August 20th). However it soon clouded over and then it rained as we went through Pershore. It was also quite busy on the river, being a Saturday.

We passed Wyre Piddle and noted that a new bar has opened using a play on words on the name of the village.

Bar at Wyre Piddle

The Anchor Inn at Wyre Piddle

Cropthorne Mill – Fladbury Lock

All along this section of the Avon there are many reminders of the floods in 1998 and 2007 with markers showing flood heights, some in extraordinary locations.

Flood Markers at Fladbury Lock

Leaving Fladbury Lock

We moored up for the night at Evesham just above the Workman Bridge and went for a meal at Rily’s Indian restaurant which is just by the bridge. It has been there for 21 years and appears to be flourishing. We had visited the same restaurant just after the 1998 floods and found that they had been recently refurbished. At that time, despite the floods, the proprietor was quite upbeat because the insurance company had paid for the redecoration. At the time he actually said that he wouldn’t mind a flood in about a decade so he could keep his restaurant up to date. He of course got his wish in 2007. The food at Rily’s is quite varied and our meals were delicious. We can recommend it.

Eckington Bridge

2011-08-21T08:27:00.002+01:00

Early on Friday morning (August 19th) we left Gloucester Docks, locking down with two other narrow boats and a cruiser. It was misty and very still following the heavy rain of Thursday.

Misty morning in Gloucester Docks

Three narrowboats and a cruiser entered the lock. However, one of the narrowboats locking down stayed in the lock and went up to the docks again because their dog was on the dockside and was unable to get on board outside the lock. The cruiser shot off into the distance, so this left ourselves and NB Penny from Heaven to travel up to Tewkesbury as a pair. The weather was clear a bright and the journey uneventful and pleasant.

Negotiating the bend where the River Chelt and Coombe Hill Canal join the Severn

Haw Bridge Inn

We arrived at the Avon Lock at 1 o'clock just as the keeper went for lunch. Over the hour a clutch of cruisers and a third narrow boat had arrived. NB Sammy Jo had come from Gloucester Docks but their journey had also included a trip down to other River Avon from Bristol Docks, an overnight mooring at Portishead to wait for the tide, and a trip up the tidal River Severn to Sharpness. They had accompanied another boat and shared the services of a pilot; very intrepid!

After paying our temporary LANT navigation fees (£50 for seven days)to the lockeeper, we locked up into the River Avon with NB Penny from Heaven. They suggested going up river sharing locks and we readily agreed. The wind was quite strong as we left Tewksbury and a narrow boat attempting to get into the narrow entrance of Tewksbury Marina was having great problems - they were being blown crab-wise upstream away from the entrance. Last seen they were fending themselves off moored boats.

On the Avon, passing under the M5 near Tewksbury

The river was delightful. In the afternoon sun I spotted another kingfisher on the reach below Strensham Lock. We moored up at Eckington Bridge along with Penny from Heaven. According to the crew of Cecilia, who had been there sometime, we were lucky to get the moooring because until just before were arrived the moorings had been packed with cruisers.

Eckington Bridge Mooorings

Eckington Bridge under repair

In the evening we went aboard NB Penny for drinks and a sociable evening with Jim & Mary.

Gloucester Docks (Again)

2011-08-18T23:06:00.000+01:00

By Wednesday morning (August 17th) the wind had dropped and it was a very pleasant trip back to Gloucester Docks. Around Quedgeley I saw a kingfisher flying down the reach in front of us.

Tall Ship Phoenix moored up at Monks Meadow, Gloucester

After a stop at the Sainsbury’s superstore near Llanthony Bridge, and taking on water near the Victoria Warehouse, we moored up on the floating pontoons in the main basin.

Taking on water outside the National Waterways Museum

We stayed put on Thursday (18th) as the weather was predicted to be wet. The forecast turned out to be correct – it was not the day to go up the Severn. We investigated the Antique Centre and discovered Gloucester Quays shopping outlet. Dinner at the Pan-Asian restaurant on the docks, the Vinery, was great – a good value buffet.

Saul Junction

2011-08-18T22:56:00.000+01:00

On Tuesday August 16th we left our mooring near Slimbridge and travelled to the end of the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal. It was windy and with the wide open areas around the canal it felt a little like sailing.

Ferro-concrete barge near Purton

We moored up the junction with Sharpness Docks and investigated the “end of the line”. The views across the estuary are very fine and the remains of the old Severn Railway Bridge mark a reminder of bygone days.

Remains of the Swing Bridge section of the Severn Railway Bridge

Model of Severn Railway Swing Bridge section

End of the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal

The remains of Mary, Severn Trow

As we had a cup of coffee, the workboat/dredger Sabrina came down the river, through the docks and up the canal towards Gloucester. The exit from the docks requires two bridges to be swung. The high level bridge was swung manually using a capstan.

Swinging the bridge at Sharpness Docks

MV Sabrina (Latin name for the River Severn)

We walked over the areas where TS Vindicatrix(the training ship and camp) was located. The “end of the world” feeling was broken only by the sound of trucks loading a ship in the docks. As the tide went out we saw the remains of the old railway bridge piers in the river mud.

Sharpness Docks

The Docker’s Club overlooking the docks was recommended, and looked interesting, but we decided not to sample it. After lunch on board we left Sharpness and travelled back via Purton to Saul where we moored up overnight. The location, just after the junction, with views of the Forest of Dean and the Cotswolds, was idyllic.
We investigated Saul Junction, including the new marina and the Canal Heritage Centre. It is certainly a boating “honey spot” like Braunston and Fradley.

Saul Junction

Stroudwater Canal - Saul Junction

We watched a superb sunset over the Forest of Dean. It looked like a case of red sky at night – shepherd’s delight.

Sunset over the Forest of Dean

Shepherd's Patch (Slimbridge)

2011-08-15T22:51:00.001+01:00

On Monday 15th August we left Gloucester Docks to investigate the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal. Our nineties Pearson Guide talked about the outskirts of Gloucester being seedy. Today it appears to be far from seedy. Superstores, converted warehouses, new roads and new housing all make it quite different. The bridge at Llanthony doesn't open until 9.30, after the rush hour so we had a lazy start.

Llanthony bridge

Lightship

The G & S is wide and deep and usually straight.

Typical G & S scene

We soon got familiar with the protocol with the movable bridges. All are manned and controlled with traffic lights, some lift, a few swing, and some are able to be left in place as we went under. The bridge keepers have a variety of buildings for their working accommodation but in the past most occupied doric columned cottages.

Former bridge keepers cottage

The views at start of our journey were limited but when they opened out we got great views of both the Cotswolds and the Forest of Dean. An usual feature of the Gloucester & Sharpness is that all along the canal are large mooring bollards spaced at regular intervals.

G & S mooring bollards

We had planned to stop at Saul Junction to pick up gas and have lunch. Just as we got past Parkend Bridge in the distance we saw a Tall Ship approaching. It was the Phoenix that had arrived on the morning tide at Sharpness. She was on its way to Gloucester Docks for the Tall Ships Festival that takes place from August 26th to 28th. She, along with the other four tall ships, will moor at Monk Meadow before moving into the docks on the Friday.

Tall ship Phoenix

Saul Junction

The Phoenix passed close by and I managed to get some good shots.

Overtaking scullers

After lunch we made our way to Shephard's Patch where we moored up for the rest of the day. We visited the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Centre at Slimbridge for the afternnon. We enjoyed the birds in pond areas and the views across the estuary from the hides. We also enjoyed watching the otters being fed.

WWT Slimbridge

View from hide

In the evening we ate at the Tudor Arms which has good pub fare and a range of good real ales and ciders. It is CAMRA recommended. Tomorrow we go to Purton and Sharpness.

Gloucester

2011-08-14T23:13:00.001+01:00

This morning we had a leisurely start and made our way downstream to Diglis Lock to start our journey to Gloucester. Rowing crews were out early on the river and we were passed by a group of very enthusiastic canoeists. Being Sunday morning, the bells of Worcester Cathedral were chiming.

Worcester Cathedral from the river

Enthusiastic paddlers

We were joined in Diglis lock by another narrow boat, a Viking Afloat hire craft, but in the other two locks today were were alone. We had discussed stopping at Upton for lunch but in the end we continued right through the day getting to Gloucester around 5 o'clock. Around 21 miles in all. Progress on wide rivers can be quite different from canals.

It stayed fine all day, unlike our first trip down the Severn a few years ago which was in heavy rain. As a result we enjoyed the wide open vistas and the quite reaches. The only negative was a couple of very fast cruisers who overtook us at speed and with considerable wash. What is the point?

Views of the Malvern Hills

Telford's Mythe Bridge

The odd shaped Upper Lode Lock

Getting into Gloucester docks is always tricky even at low river levels. After Upper Parting there is a strong current that comes down the channel and then flows over a weir close to the lock. The dock also lock takes some time to empty, so crews waiting for the lock are required to grab onto chains along a high wall. We did manage it but it is always a nervy manoeuvre.

Waiting on the chains for Gloucester Dock Lock

Going up Gloucester Dock Lock

We found a good mooring on the floating pontoons in the dock and then investigated some of the new developments and the historic boats. The area just keeps on changing.

Mooring in Gloucester Docks

NB Gorst in a Dry Dock having new planking

Some classic sailing boats in Gloucester Docks

Tomorrow we plan to go down the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal. We understand that tall ships are due in the docks at the end of the month. We just hope we might see one before we leave the G and S.

Worcester

2011-08-13T23:16:00.000+01:00

On Saturday (August 13th) we said farewell to our extra crew (Edward & Anne) who caught a train to Milton Keynes to pick up their car before heading south to a Ruby Wedding. We shall miss them. We headed down the Barge canal after picking up water in Netherwich Basin. It was reedy all the way; very reminiscent of the Northampton Arm.

Reeds! - Droitwich Barge Canal

A38 tunnel - Droitwich Barge Canal

We were alone all the way through Ladywood Locks but were joined by another boat just after we stopped for a sandwich lunch. The outlook from the Barge Canal is picturesque when you could see over the reeds. It was certainly difficult for walkers to see boats from the towpath.

The pound from lock 2 to lock 3 was also very shallow and we wondered how long it might take to reach the river. Our pace was well below walking – shades of our trip a few years ago to Wicken Fen. All the more galling when on a sharp blind bend we met a shallow drafted boat who was belting along in the opposite direction and only managed to stop by heading for the bank. They had the cheek to suggest that we might have to slow down!

Bevere Lock - River Severn

We dropped onto the Severn and had a swift journey down to a mooring at the racecourse at Worcester. There is a beer festival going on in the centre of the racecourse. By way of contrast, in the evening we visited the cathedral and managed to hear sung choral evensong. Tonight it's gala night for the Three Choirs Festival.

Droitwich

2011-08-13T23:02:00.000+01:00

On Friday (August 12th) we went down the rest of the locks on the Astwood Flight and then turned onto the newly opened Droitwich Navigations (Junction and Barge Canals).

Newly opened canal!

We were greeted at the top lock on the Junction Canal by the lockkeeper who instructed us not to use the sideponds as he wanted some water going lower down the flight – normally they are used (the Waterways World guide is incorrect).

Working side pounds

Site of a new marina on the Droitwich Junction near Hanbury

The first three locks are restored and are not new locks. They conform to the Worcester & Birmingham pattern. The rest of the new locks on the Junction Canal are built in concrete which makes them a very different environment and not like boating in England. The staircase locks were straightforward and very deep. The top paddles of the upper lock were restricted to make them very slow filling.

Concrete new locks

Droitwich Junction Canal staircase lock gates

The culvert (tunnel) under the M5 has nominal headroom of 6ft 5in. We stripped the paraphernalia of the roof and squeezed underneath with just about a foot to spare above the cabin roof. I steered standing on the coal box peering past the pigeon box.

M5 Culvert

A tight squeeze!

Some boats have too much air draught!

Standing on the coal box to steer!

The depth of water in the Narrow Canal was adequate - Albert draws just over 30 inches- so we are quite sensitive to low water levels. We understand the lower sections of the Barge Canal are shallow; we will have to see how we get on.

We moored up on the moorings in Vine Park in the centre of Droitwich, just after the first lock on the Barge Canal. The basin is a great secure location with floating pontoons and a gate entrance operated by a BW Key. In the afternoon we investigated the town – we now know a lot more about brine extraction and salt.

Vine Park, Droitwich

Quite a few boats appear to be investigating this new route to the Severn. A new marina at the Hanbury end will surely increase traffic further. It was also suggested that it may also act as local reservoir for the two canals.

Astwood

2011-08-13T22:39:00.002+01:00

On Thursday (August 11th) we went down Tardebigge Flight. Although the weather was mixed, it rained on and off, and was quite good for locking. We came up Tardebigge several years ago and quite enjoyed it. Single locks are far easier with four crew – a steerer plus three on the locks, one working ahead.

We managed to get down to the Astwood Flight – forty two locks in a day.

We took on fuel at Stoke Prior and the Red Arrows flew directly overhead!

The overnight mooring looking out over the Worcestershire countryside was very pleasant in the late summer sun.

Hopwood

2011-08-13T22:36:00.000+01:00

After a quiet night moored up on the Lapworth Flight, the next day (August 10th) we went up the rest of the flight under cloudy skies. We met another crew coming down the flight at Bridge 32 where there is a difficult turn under the bridge. It necessitated a bit of manoeuvring.

Lapworth Flight

Drawbridge - Shirley

Brandwood Tunnel

The site of the Lifford Lane Bridge which was raised for NB Cressy in 1947

The summit of the North Stratford was quiet; it was also quite shallow. We did, however, manage to moor up for lunch just short of Dicken’s Heath. Most of the afternoon was spent on the summit making our way to the junction with the Worcester & Birmingham Canal at Kings Norton.

Kings Norton Stop Lock

The lack of water made it a slow journey. At the Kings Norton Junction there was a scuffle between youths in the bushes. Just as we got our mobiles ready to call the Police a PCSO arrived and we directed him towards the source of the noise. Hopefully it got sorted out.

Just before Wast Hill tunnel, a group of youngsters launched stones from a bridge. A few landed on Albert luckily not causing significant damage – a couple of stone chips. In Shortwood Tunnel we saw a bat.

We moored up overnight at Hopwood House and had a great pub meal. We moored up near Keeping up with the Joneses who came and had a good chat.

Kingswood

2011-08-13T22:28:00.000+01:00

On Tuesday (August 9th), we tackled the Hatton flight. At the bottom lock we fortunately immediately met up with NB Prestige, from Rose Narrowboats. They had an effective fit crew and we had an easy passage up the flight only delayed by a slow single boat in front and a single boat coming down the flight that foolishly waited in a lock (rather than a pound) for another boat to join them. Three hours forty minutes broke no records. At one point we were averaging 9 minutes lock but the delays soon put paid to that. Lunch at the Hatton Top Lock Café was welcome and one of the crew felt the need to have chocolate cake.

Hatton - "The Thick"

Hatton BW Depot

The summit was short of water and we ran aground a couple of times. We turned onto the Stratford Canal at Kingswood Junction and immediately met Brian and Irene O’Neil on NB Rangitoto leaving the bottom lock of the Lapworth flight. Unfortunately, we didn’t have chance to catch up on their travels. It will have to wait until we meet up back at Yardley Gobion.

Saltisford

2011-08-13T22:22:00.000+01:00

On Monday (August 8th)we went down Fosse and Radford locks and made it to Warwick. As we crossed over the railway, just before the Avon aqueduct, the driver of a freight train sounded us a greeting. It made us jump! We found a very convenient mooring in Saltisford Arm. After our extended stay earlier in the year it felt a bit like returning to base.

We visited the Lazy Cow for dinner. Good as ever even on Monday night. The London riots on the television gave the end of the evening a very surreal feeling.

Saltisford Arm with rain clouds

Welsh Road Lock (Bascote)

2011-08-13T22:19:00.000+01:00

On Sunday (August 7th) we travelled from Braunston towards Warwick. The trip along to Wigram’s Turn was quite busy – summer weekends. At Calcutt the IWA Warwickshire Branch were carrying out a fund raising lock ransom. There was a small queue at the locks, not caused by the IWA.

IWA Lock Ransom - Calcutt Locks

Unfortunately, just past Ventnor Farm Albert’ s speedwheel suffered a small mishap. The threaded section that operates the mechanism became detached – unscrewed. As Edward put it, a bit of fettling soon sorted it out. Quite conveniently it rained over lunch. We went down Bascote locks with a Viking hire boat that also joined us going down Stockton Locks. We moored up above Welsh Road Lock – a nice quiet location.

Welsh Road Lock

Braunston

2011-08-13T22:13:00.002+01:00

On August 6th, we had a short trip to Braunston. As we approached the junction a boat appeared from the Leicester Arm and failed to give way despite being warned by our horn and the crew in bow. They quite plainly misjudged the difficult turn and had to reverse back and try again. They followed us to the tunnel but their steering continued to be erratic. We left them behind as we went through the tunnel. We passed only three boats in the tunnel, which given the high season, was probably not bad.

NB Maggie May was waiting for us at the top lock. We had great journey down the locks and moored up by the marina in Braunston. In the afternoon our friends Anne and Edward Winter joined us. They are taking a week’s cruise with us.

Norton Junction

2011-08-13T22:12:00.002+01:00

On August 5th we put in long hours. After an early (8 o’clock) start we managed to get to Norton Junction in the day. The weather was good all day and it was great cruising. The only negative was the idiots at Stoke Top Lock who “stole our water”. A crew had kindly seen us in the lock below and left open one of the bottom gates of the top lock. We watched the activity at the top lock carefully in case a boat arrived and we were dismayed to see it close as we left the lock below. Maggie ran up and found it half filled by the time she got there. She received an apology from the crew, who were not novices) but I am afraid that I followed it up to make sure they realised quite how stupid they had been (it would have only taken a quick glance under the bridge).

When were moored up at Norton, just below the New Inn, we were joined by NB Tarn, a tug-styled boat fitted with a Greaves 2YWM that appears to have been imported by Lawrence Hogg. They were returning to London from the IWA Festival at Burton. Despite its similar Greaves (R & H, India) lineage their engine had several layout features that were different from Albert’s 2YWM. That night we ate in the New Inn – Maggie had her usual half of Old Rosie.

Stoke Bruerne

2011-08-13T22:10:00.000+01:00

We are on the move!

We left Yardley Gobion on Thursday August 4th with the intention of cruising the Avon ring in an “anti-clockwise” direction with added diversions to Sharpness and the newly-opened Droitwich Canals.

Our start wasn’t particularly auspicious. Firstly, the rain on Thursday was quite intense, and secondly, when we did get going Albert’s engine overheated! This is only the second time – the first was in 2003 when we had our first journey in Albert (from Bradford on Avon to Bath). The problem was probably caused by an air lock since once cooled, and refilled, the engine was fine. As a result of this minor problem we only got to Stoke Bruerne Bottom Lock.

Out of Dry Dock

2011-08-03T11:16:00.000+01:00

Freshly painted & blacked counter

Albert is now out of dry dock and we are planning a summer trip.

Raising the stop planks

Filling the dock

Side Car on Boat

2011-08-03T11:03:00.001+01:00

I reported last year about cars spotted on boats (barges on European rivers). Motor bikes, for obvious reasons, are quite common on narrow boats, but yesterday I spotted a motor bike and side car on a narrowboat moored in Milton Keynes.

Triumph Bike & Side Car

Despite their initial appearance both bike and the side car are new. Chatting to their owner it appears the side car transports his three dogs.

Blacking

2011-07-30T23:09:00.001+01:00

Albert has spent the last week in Baxter's dry Dock at Yardley Gobion having the hull blacked. All appears OK. The last blacking was only two years ago and the "new" anodes appear to be in good shape.

New blacking and gunwales repaint

We did appear to have picked up quite a bit of rubbish around the prop. It must have happened on our trip to Stoke Bruerne. I must admit I wasn't aware of any change in performance. Took some hacksaw work to remove it -it included a hose pipe!

Interesting collection of rubbish around the propeller

It was also interesting to line up the new stern fender arrangement with the rudder to see just how much protection we have. It appears three fenders wouldn't have been enough.

Fenders and rudder

Trawler Racing

2011-07-20T19:15:00.001+01:00

Yes, we've been away and not on Albert - that may happen next month. We spent the last week in July at a great holiday house that overlooks Mevagissey harbour. Unlike St Anthony, where we spent a week in 2009, the seas around St Austell and Mevagissey are relative quite for shipping. However, there is an active trawler fleet based in the harbour and the village still revolves around fish and the sea. It was pure coincidence that we chose the week we did, but we were very pleased to find that we had chosen Mevagissey Feast Week - a long established festival loosely based on the sea and originally set to celebrate the villages patron saint - St Peter.

Throughout the week there were numerous activities, including bands performing on a stage on the harbour, parades, food events, concerts, fish auctions and, of course, a floral dance.

Fish Festival stalls

However, the one event that really grabbed my attention was the trawler, or more accurately fishing boat racing. It consisted of a handicapped race around buoys placed in the bay. The local fishing boats were dressed overall and packed with friends and family all having a great time. There was the usual winners prize and also a prize for the "best dressed boat".

Dressed Overall

Complete with sponsorship

The weather whilst were in Cornwall was dry and bright, but the day of the boat racing a sea fret came in and visibility was very poor. The foghorn on the harbour wall sounded all morning. The race was postponed until the afternoon when the mist lifted.

Testing Visability

The racing was quite exciting even viewed from the land but being handicapped it was very difficult to establish who were the leaders. Turning around the buoys was a cut throat bussiness with nobody giving way without a fight. Amongst the entrants were the usual array of different size fishing boats and some visiting classic lifeboats. They looked particularly great. Apart from their design it was difficult to tell that they were not currently commissioned. A close examination by binoculars revealing the tell-tale "former RNLI lifeboat .." was the give away.

Waiting for the start

Negotiating a buoy

Not much freeboard! - note the classic lifeboat in the background.

Lots of flags

We had a great time over the week. We can recommend Mevagissey and its Feast Week. We shall try and come again, and if so, at the same time.

Electrifying Waterways

2011-06-22T19:03:00.000+01:00

Having recently read both Robert Aickman's The River Flows Uphill and David Bolton's Race Against Time, which deal with the early days of the Inland Waterways Association, I have been keeping my eye out for old copies of the IWA Bulletin. Both books draw heavily on Bulletins for their source material. Indeed the Aickman's book quotes liberally from them. At the recent Stoke Bruerne Gala Day I found a small collection of early Bulletins for sale and sought out the most interesting of them from the pile.

The most interesting Bulletin turned out also to be the oldest; number 57 from October 1958. It covered the likely impact of the Bowes report on the future of the inland waterways and included pictures and a report from the IWA Annual Dinner where Leslie Bowes, Robert Aickman and John Smith were among the speakers. I have seen these pictures reproduced elsewhere, notably in Waterways World. Nevertheless, the booklet is fascinating and no doubt I will develop more posts from it during the coming months.

However, the section that struck me as being the most noteworthy was a short article written by an engineer from Birmingham, Andrew Allison, on a scheme to electrify the waterways. The article definitely smacks of the "white heat of technology"; a phrase that was coined a few years later by Harold Wilson. It describes in some detail, but without economic justification, how electricity could be used to move "barges" along the canals. The author points out the Britain has The Grid which he describes as being ubiquitous and if it were used there would be no smoke. As he puts it "In the nuclear days to come we should be ashamed of every puff of smoke from oil fuel that fouls the countryside"!

The scheme describes how sections of canal could be served by overhead power lines transformed down from the 11 kV of the grid to just 380 V three-phase. Above the canal there would be two power lines and an earth (or ground) line, with the latter being the closest to the ground. All catenary or supporting wires would also be earthed. The drawing below from the article shows how Allison envisaged the system could be laid out. Power would be picked up by boats using either a shoe or roller sprung against the overhead line. Ten boats at a time could occupy any powered section.

Allison's sketches of a system for providing overhead electric power to canals

Safety was discussed. The motive power system and "driver" would be enclosed in a ironclad enclosure or cab ". The driver would be able to watch the operation of the power pick-up system in his mirror! There is talk of a "driver's seat" and the "bargee" using electricity for heating, cooking and pumping at 110 volts. Electricity could also be used to rapidly pump water at locks using large (30 inch diameter) submersible pumps and electric controls - no mention of water supplies. I don't think he was thinking of using back-pumping.

Allison also discusses how there would be a waterways Highway Code to prevent operational problems such as could occur when "barges" pass each other. He discusses how tunnels and bridges would be accommodated. There could be protection for the wires as they pass under bridges (see Fig. 3 above); maybe he had seen how small boys often misbehaved near canal bridges. However, with a minimum specified height of 7ft for an unloaded barge you can't help feeling that there would been lots of local problems associated with modernising what was then a 150 year-old system. Did he envisage two sets of wires under narrow bridges?

There had been, of course, examples of electric power used on waterways before but not on the scale envisaged by Allison. Harecastle tunnel tug was, for example, was for many years powered using a system similar to a trolley bus or tram. But Allison is thinking on a grand scale. He estimates that electrifying 1,000 miles and modifying 400 pairs of narrow boats would have cost in 1958 around £18.6 million. He was certainly using "blue skies" thinking. However, I can't help concluding that although he had been discussing his ideas with BICC, the major cable manufacturer who had expressed interest, he probably hadn't seen many narrow boats operate on the narrow canals in Birmingham, or discussed his ideas with boat operators. The editorial notes attached to the article pointed out that he wasn't the only one advocating this kind of approach. Letters advocating similar approaches had been sent to the Nottingham Evening Post and the Kidderminster Shuttle and were quoted by the Bulletin editor, Robert Aickman.

Maggie's view of this is that it would have made boating very lively!

Stoke Bruerne Day Trip

2011-06-20T00:10:00.003+01:00

In the past we have taken groups of friends on local day trips. By judicious planning it is possible to take make quite a sociable party by taking one group to a specified location in the morning, meeting another group for a joint picnic lunch, and then returning with the second group to the start. It only requires a little bit of jiggery-pokery moving cars for around a around dozen people to enjoy a "day" trip on Albert.

So where do we normally go? Obviously, given its attractions, and distance away, Stoke Bruerne is the usual choice. A trip to Stoke Bruerne from Yardley Gobion, with seven locks and great countryside with views over the Rive Tove, gives plenty of opportunity for waterways newcomers to enjoy (perhaps experience is a better word) locking and socialise together. It's a bit like company team-building, but perhaps on a more gentle scale than some pastimes.

So why am I explaining this? Well a couple of weekends ago we had such a trip with a group of colleagues from the Institution of Agricultural Engineers. We were celebrating a significant event, which I won't explain further.

This sort of exercise really requires decent weather. The weather forecast was not that great but the Sunday morning was actually fine and sunny. The afternoon was less good and it became a bit chilly. The newly-initiated crew (trained by Maggie) worked well travelling up the lock flight and going up as a pair with a hire boat from Gayton made it even easier. With no shortage of hands to help we got to the top efficiently and in resonable time .

The picnic on the bank at Stoke Bruerne was good fun with both "shifts" joining together and lots of food and drink supplied. The rain even held off. Being a Sunday there were quite a few visitors walking along the towpath to Blisworth Tunnel. Some of the working boats for the coming gala weekend were arriving. I helped NB Victoria moor up just ahead of us - Victoria & Albert again.

Because there were more people onboard than normal, and some of our visitors were located in the engine room and elsewhere onboard, the photographs were more varied than normal. We hope you like them - they are all from our friends. The video clip from the engine room is particularly welcome since it gives a view that is out of the ordinary and another chance to listen to the engine!

Preparing to leave Kingfisher Marina

Albert near Grafton Regis

Enjoying the trip

Entering Stoke Bruerne Bottom Lock

Raising a reluctant ground paddle

Working the gates

Freeing a trapped line at the lockside
Why do they always get caught in cracks?

Entering Stoke Bruerne Top Lock

Picnic Lunch
The crowd behind were admiring a 67 year-old tortoise!

It was cold on the way back

Stoke Bruerne Gala

2011-06-12T14:21:00.001+01:00

Back in 2005 Stoke Bruerne celebrated 200 years of the Blisworth Tunnel. Over the subsequent 6 years (is it really that long ago!) the village has held a boating event in June that gathers interest in the museum. This has now become an annual event and is organised by the Friends of the Canal Museum. Coming shortly before the Braunston Historic Boat Show this usually means that a lot of historic working boats, particularly those working their way north, are available for the weekend.

This year there were more trade boats than before who appeared to be doing good business as the sun was shining. The Fudge and Cheese boats were doing particularly well. Today, Sunday, its raining so I expect trade will be well down. Back Cabin Antiques were in a trade tent with a great selection of ribbon plates, brassware and books; Colin Dundas was demonstrating his signwriting expertise and in the Old Smithy by the entrance to Blisworth Tunnel and Bob Nightingale was demonstrating his blacksmith skills. It appears that Bob will soon moving into the Tug Store close to the tunnel mouth to work.

Motors Emu and Victoria demonstrating locking

Colin Dundas making a sign for use on NB Towcester

Smart looking National engine on NB Cyprus

Roses & Castles on butty Raymond

BW Transfers on motor Cassiopeia by Frank Jones

Some fancy ropework on ex-Bantock Success

GUCC boat Stanton

Narrowboat Trust Boats Nuneaton & Brighton

Display of Sweet Williams & Delphiniums on NB Brighton

Trevor Maggs Corona looking smart after her repaint

Crick Boat Show

2011-05-29T11:33:00.001+01:00

Visited Crick Boat Show yesterday (by car) under threatening skies but the weather managed to stay dry.

There were the usual trade stands but each year there is always something new to see. This year's upcoming accessories trend appears to be LED lighting. Most of the chandlers, and many of the smaller accessories companies, were offering them. Last year I replaced a number of incandescent lamps on Albert with LEDs but I am waiting for the day when a replacement for the 2D fluorescent tubes in Albert's main lights is offered; that will significantly reduce our energy use. I notice that one company is already offering LED replacements for straight tubes. I hope it won't be long before the range is extended.

Dark clouds over Crick Show

We also visited some of the antique dealers and craft stalls at the show. It was good to see that Lockside Antiques were back at the show. Maggie just had to purchase a brass scoop. I gather it will be used for flowers. I resisted buying yet another brass knob.

On another antique stand (Phil Dovetil) I found a magnificent Polesworth (Lees & Atkins) back cabin door panel. It had been sold for £350 so it was going back home to Polesworth. I gather the new owner appeared to know how important the panel is - that's why he paid the price. It appears that the panel was discovered at Charity Dock. Good to see it's going to a good home.

Back cabin door panels from Lees & Atkins, Polesworth

On the boat front, this year's offerings appeared to be more up market than of recent and also there were a number of traditionally inspired boats. Steve Hudson even had a seventy-footer with accommodation under cloths. One boat builder had decided that false rivets were important and had them "in spades" all along the cabin sides but with none on the hull - the usual location.

False rivets along a cabin side

Although there were big queues for most of the new boats, with appointments required, the small number of historic boats were quiet.

Queuing for the Barnowl Narrowboats exhibit

We briefly looked over President & Kildare but had a long chat to Sean on Laplander - the 1830s Birmingham Canal icebreaker now converted to steam. Evidently the sockets for the mast, which is where the crew held on to provide the rocking motion to break ice, are still to be seen below the floorboards. We first saw Laplander in the mid 1990s when we were on our way up the Hatton flight. As we entered a lock she was leaving and gave us a friendly toot on the steam whistle.

Ice Breaker Laplander

The steam engine on Laplander

Laplander has a riveted iron hull that is not symmetrical and is powered by a Clarkson boiler and Bailey single-cylinder engine with slip-eccentric reverse direct-driving a 24” x 48” propeller. Cruising speed is only 200 rpm. She burns oil and has a small pre-heater/boiler in the back cabin for starting. Water is fed from the canal. Sean recalled that in the late 1990s the heavy duckweed infestation on the North Oxford caused him great difficulties. We remember how bad it was around Ansty and Newbold and how for weeks afterwards we found remnants on the weed in our front gas locker. Our discussions concerned how Laplander was converted to steam and how she is not symmetrical. Because she has a pointed counter she needs a series of anti-cavitation plates below the water.

This was my first post with photos from my new Nokia N8 phone which replaces my trusty, but now slightly battered, Nokia N95. With an impressive 12 mega pixel camera, that also has HD video, my first impressions are positive. I resisted the temptation to go towards iPhone on the basis that, above all, I love having a good camera always in my pocket.

To Yardley Gobion

2011-05-22T21:04:00.002+01:00

Over Thursday & Friday we moved Albert from Braunston back to Yardley Gobion. When I say "we" this time instead of the usual crew it was Andrew Foster (our son-in-law), his dad Ray and me. It was the Fosters first time as crew so the first lock in the Braunston flight was a learning experience. The photos in this post are all from Andrew.

The weather was kind to us. Once again we met Bob Doyle - this time he was power washing the hull of NB Moriarty at the dry dock alongside the Bottom Lock.

Braunston

Steve with Ray Foster

At the Bottom Lock we were joined by NB Calypso. They had an experienced crew which helped us go up the flight efficiently, setting the locks ahead. It turned out that the owner of Calypso was putting her up for sale at Whilton Marina after boat owning for some 25 years. It was therefore no problem entering locks as a pair.

With NB Calypso Braunston Flight

Passing NB Rowan in Braunston Tunnel

The Eastern Portal of Braunston Tunnel

Having gone up the Braunston flight with Calypso we decided to stay with them down the Buckby flight. All went smoothly and we moored up for lunch at Whilton. As we had lunch we witnessed Richard Saillet getting into the canal to help fix the rudder of his boat. It appears a hirer had knocked the rudder stock out of the skeg and not let on when returning it. Richard noticed the problem when he saw that they had wrapped rope tightly around bottom of the tiller - presumably in an effort to keep the rudder under control. I gather it was quite cold in the water!

Mending a rudder by getting in the water!

Getting dark near Gayton

We moored up for the night at Stoke Bruerne at 8:30 and just managed to get into The Boat for last food orders.

Departing Stoke Bruerne

On Friday we went down the Stoke Flight with NB Glis Glis. They were very experienced having boated for around 35 years, picking up IWA Silver Shields as hirers along the way. They were on their way to The Tideway. However, the trip down the flight was slow because in front of us was a fibreglass broad beam boat with a novice crew who didn't set the locks ahead.

Ray Foster filling Stoke Bruerne Top Lock

With NB Glis Glis at Stoke Bruerne

We arrived "home" at Yardley Gobion and met Brian & Irene our neighbours on NB Rangitoto who had just arrived from Wellington, New Zealand. Good to see them and enjoy a chat.

In praise of short boats

2011-05-21T12:31:00.000+01:00

I've been photographing quite a few short narrowboats recently. They appear fun. After we moored up in Braunston recently the first Sea Ottter, NB Marionette, went by. I just couldn't resist snapping this delightful boat on my old Nokia N95.

Chatting to the owners and designers, Marion & Mike Kelly, they filled me on the detail of how they were involved with the boat's construction 15 years ago. The Sea Otter story was recorded by Graham Booth for Waterways World a few years ago.

I must admit I can see the rationale for the trailable short boats. The larger Sea Otters unfortunately leave me cold.

Marionette looked immaculate and is a credit to her owners. As the first of a now extensive range of water-ballasted alluminium boats she will no doubt be a classic boat of the future.

Lazy Cow, Warwick

2011-05-20T16:27:00.000+01:00

Whilst moored up in Warwick we spent two Friday nights at the Lazy Cow in Theatre Steet. We can throughly recommend this interesting modern take on the steakhouse concept. As the strapline on their flyer says "Town house meets steak house meets cocktail club - Grace Kelly meets Lady Gaga"!

It is quite original. The food is excellent, their ales are good, they have an extensive wine list and it is very popular. For lively dining you can't go wrong but don't go there for a quiet intimate meal. It's not cheap but then quality of the food makes it good value for money. They do have a set two course meal for £10.50 (early evening Monday - Friday) but then you will probably be attracted to the steaks!

Last Friday's Blackboard Invitation - Maggie unfortunately didn't take up their offer!

Braunston

2011-05-18T09:09:00.003+01:00

Over the weekend we moved Albert from our temporary base in Saltisford towards our home base at Yardley Gobion. This first step was a trip to Braunston.

Our mooring at Saltisford

We left bright and early, stopping for a pump-out at Saltisford and fuel at Kate Narrowboats. At Cape Locks we passed another Albert moored up by the pub. In contrast with recent weather it was dull for most of the day.

Another Albert

The section from Leamington, from the Fusilier pub to Radford Bottom Lock, was very sluggish again. Just before Radford we were caught up by a following boat who accused us of going too slowly! I did point out that I thought it was the lack of dredging and that we had the same problem going in the other direction. Certainly another deep-draughted boat passing us in the other direction had similar problems.

Bascote Locks with threatening dark clouds

Great little boat

We moored overnight at the Blue Lias. This time because of the weather it was relatively quiet and all diners were inside. There was a wedding party in the events area which appeared to slow down the food service in the bar.

Warwickshire Fly Boat Company

The next morning we joined up with NB Kate Elizabeth (from Kate Boats at Warwick) and went up the Stockton flight very efficiently. It was their crews first experience of entering locks side-by-side. The weather improved as we got to Calcutt where were had complicated locking. The back-pumping system was playing up (the electric motors were drawing too much current and were in danger of overheating) so the lock keeper was ensuring that all boats shared locks. In our case we met a boat at the first lock who stopped for diesel at the first pound but then joined another boat who just left their mooring in the first pound.

Stockton Flight

Steam Tug Adamant

Tug Ruislip

Calcutt Locks

We managed a stop at Flecknoe for lunch and made Braunston by late afternoon in somewhat brighter weather. We also managed to moor up close to the pub - The Boathouse formerly the Millhouse formerly the .... etc. As usual we enjoyed a 2 for 1 meal.

The mobile reception (from 02) was even worse than normal. We must get a SIM from another provider just for Braunston!

Wightwick Manor, Wolverhampton

2011-05-08T18:24:00.006+01:00

Last weekend, from our base on Albert at Saltisford in Warwick, we visited Wightwick Manor a National Trust Property near Wolverhampton. As enthusiasts for Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite Art we had wanted to visit this property for some time. Also, some boating friends, who live in Wolverhampton, had recommended it to us for some years - they moor their boat close to the manor and visit it regularly.

The house, with its William Morris interiors, is a late Victorian treasure. Built in the ‘Old English’ style for local industrialist Theodore Mander, Wightwick Manor is considered one the best surviving examples of a home furnished under the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement. There is currently a special exhibition celebrating 150 years of Morris and Co. and the rich interiors feature artwork by Rossetti and Burne-Jones, glass by Charles Kempe and ceramics by William de Morgan.

During our tour of the house the excellent guide told us about the ITV programme (broadcast last weekend) where Andrew Lloyd Webber describes his passion for Pre-Raphaelite Art and visits the house.

Wightwick Manor featured heavily in the programme and Lloyd Webber describes how is "blown away" by the house which he visited for first time for the programme. He describes the house as being "extraordinary" and "about a family's passion for Victorian Art". We can concur - it is fabulous.

Photography is not allowed in the property so I haven't any images from inside the house. However, the gardens are also very fine with lots of yew hedges and secluded areas. It looked glorious in the sun.

Wightwick Manor

Bug "Home"

Well-Clipped Hedges

Wonderful Wisteria

Bluebell Glade in the late afternoon sun

The Lake

Wightwick lies just above the Staffs & Worcester Canal at Bridge 56. It is close to the Mermaid Tavern. You shouldn't miss it.

NB Harnser

2011-05-07T23:59:00.003+01:00

Whilst Albert was moored up at Saltisford last week a boat called Harnser was moored up alongside us for over a week (that is breasted-up). I recognised the name Harnser as being that of a fellow blogger who we met on the Oxford Canal near Wormleighton in 2007. However, this was definitely not that boat but a boat based on a Steve Hudson hull. When we met the owners it was obvious there are two NB Harnsers

I see from NB Harnser (that's the blogger) that both boats met yesterday travelling up the Watford Flight towards Crick. It's not a common name so that must have been a bit strange.

Saltisford Geese

2011-05-03T20:00:00.000+01:00

We have Albert moored in Saltisford Arm, Warwick, whilst we support Maggie's mother after her hospital stay. The arm boasts two very noisy geese. They do appear to be inseparable and even honk together making a great din. It appears they replaced two earlier geese who lived well into their forties.

Geese visting Albert

About sixteen years old, the current geese have not been named. The former geese were called Sid and Nancy (that's Vicious) because of their aggressive nature.

The Mill Garden Warwick

2011-05-02T18:44:00.002+01:00

Whilst moored up in Warwick we have visted various local attractions. One we noticed recently was The Mill Garden which nestles under the walls of Warwick Castle. It is an absolute treasure! This wonderful cottage garden opens as part of the National Gardens Scheme (yellow book). At £1.50 entrance, for garden lovers it represents great value. Proceeds go to charity and last year they raised around £9,000 for local and national charities. It opens every day from April to October and on other occasions out of season.

Garden Entrance - below the castle walls

The gardens are at the end of Mill Street. At one time this street led to the main bridge crossing the Avon and the cottage was occupied by the bridgekeeper. In the 18th century the bridge became congested and Earl George Greville built a new bridge up stream (the site of the current bridge)and knocked down the old bridge to make a "romantic ruin".

The cottage on the site dates from the 15th century but was re-faced in red brick in the 18th century. A cottage has been on the site since 1398.

The garden was the work of Arthur Measures, the father-in-law of the present gardener. It has the most wonderful vistas along the Avon, looking over a weir, and it makes the most of the ruined bridge. It is a cottage garden par-excellance and in the warm Spring it looked at its very best.

View of the weir, River Avon

Old Bridge, Warwick

Lilies under the Bridge Arch

Canary Bird Rose

18th Century Stocks which have preservation order

Bellis

Thrift

If you moor up in Warwick take a walk down to the river and visit this little gem. We can thoroughly recommend it.

Warwick - Saltisford

2011-04-25T21:57:00.001+01:00

We picked up Albert on Good Friday from Tony Redshaw's works at Braunston. The injector pumps were fixed and after a bit of "fiddling about" Albert's engine was running well again. It was good to get off again.

The only negative was the duck crap all over the roof! In the unseasonal sunshine it had become baked on hard. It appears that when Albert was moored up along the towpath she was under the favourite roosting site for the duck population of Braunston. It took some elbow grease and hot water to remove.

We took on water at the water point by the turn. Being a Bank Holiday weekend it was busy and the boating skills displayed varied. At one point it appeared that a gridlock might ensue but it was sorted out in the end.

We headed for Wigrams Turn and in the early afternoon went down Calcutt Locks with a boat from Ventor Farm Marina. We went down Stockton Flight singly and moored up for the night at Blue Lias just behind narrow boat Ol' Smokey - a Gardner engined Steve Hudson Boat. The engine doesn't smoke - the owner used to have a steam traction engine before taking up narrow boating. We were joined for the evening by the Matllock side of our family for beer and food. The Blue Lias has a great selection of real ales including Hook Norton, Wadworths, and Broadside - good place to stop overnight.

The next day we continued along the Grand Union towards Warwick. The weather was glorious. Bascote Staircase Locks were in a mess. We met a hire boat coming up the flight who couldn't get over the cill because there was no water in the top lock. We let some water down to get them out of trouble and then sorted out the water levels. I don't know how they were in such state since a pair of boats had just gone down. Maybe they had left a paddle up.

Bascote Locks

We were joined by NB Inapickle and went down the locks to Warwick together. The stretch through Leamington hasn't improved and was quite sluggish - presumably in need of dredging. It got better near Warwick and we reached Saltisford about 5.30.

River Avon Aqueduct

We got a good welcome from Ian the Canal Centre manager and were allocated a very good visitor mooring close to the winding hole. We think Saltisford is a little gem. A friendly community, good facilities, secure moorings and Warwick on the doorstep.

Saltisford Canal Centre

Albert's new stern fenders

2011-04-21T20:39:00.000+01:00

A short time ago I realised that over time the stern fenders had become compressed and they were no longer covering Albert's ample rudder. Since this is their prime job I thought I would sort it out whilst at Braunston. It's no good a rudder not quite being protected.

We consulted Pete Flockhart of Tradline Fenders and now Albert, unusually, sports four stern fenders - three tip cats (two standard and one deep belly) and button.

Four stern fenders - the new one is the inner tip cat

Terry Darlington's New Book?

2011-04-20T23:45:00.001+01:00

Some time ago I visited the Darlington's web site (that's Terry, Monica and of course the dogs Jim & Jess) and discovered that Terry was writting a new book about their travels in the North of England in Phyllis May 2 the boat that replaced the original Phyllis May that took them to Carcassone but caught fire in 2009.

It appears it may be close to publication with their web site promising a Spring 2011 date.

En Route to Ellesmere Port

2011-04-20T09:15:00.001+01:00

No not Albert (of course)!

We met working narrow boat Archimedes in Braunston on Sunday Evening. By Monday lunchtime we were at the excellent Cafe at Hatton Locks (travelling there by car) where we met them going up the top lock.

NB Archimedes at Hatton Top Lock

They are "on a mission" getting to the Easter Ellesmere Port Boat Gathering. They were really getting a move on. Chatting to them it appears that they stopped boating on Sunday at 11.00 PM and woke at 5.00 AM - shades of fly-boating. They also plan to be back in London for the Little Venice Canal Cavalcade.

Braunston (and a problem)

2011-04-19T21:53:00.005+01:00

In common with most of our posts whilst on the move I have titled this post as our final location. Our circumstances have been changing daily but last Thursday (14th) it was clear that at long last we could get away boating. Our plan was to move the boat up towards Birmingham and spend some time residing on the boat whilst visiting family.

We left for Yardley Gobion for Stoke Bruerne in the afternoon and had a routine trip up the Stoke flight. We managed a dinner at the excellent Spice of Bruerne. Friday saw us going through Blisworth tunnel around 8:30 to get far north as possible.

Entering Blisworth tunnel from the south

Burn-out boat at Weedon - amazing amount of distortion to the cabin steelwork It appears that it happened on April 7th and was a stove accident.

The trip went well and we reached Wilton by lunch. We went up the Buckby flight as a single and moored up at Norton Junction late afternoon.

Attractive marsh marigolds in side-ponds at Long Buckby

In the evening we went to The New Inn and enjoyed their food and ale.

To get through Braunston tunnel without a hitch we again left relatively early and got through the tunnel without meeting a boat coming the other direction. At Braunston Top Lock things took a turn for the worst when, very unexpectedly, Albert's engine stopped on tick-over as we approached to lock moorings. Not a good scenario! We managed to re-start the engine but all the way down the flight the engine ran erratically.

Descending Braunston Flight with cruiser

It was clear there was a problem with one of the injector pumps that was sticking. We stopped in Braunston to sort out the problem and consulted Tony Redshaw but the problem got worse with time. To cut this story somewhat short, we failed to solve the injector problem and so we booked Albert into Tony's workshop for Monday. Albert is now at Braunston but without injectors which were sent by Tony to be refurbished by a specialist company near Leicester. We look forward to having them back and the engine working properly again.

Braunston Marina

Sunset at Braunston Turn

Many thanks to our friends Bob and Lyn Doyle on NB Moriarty who on Sunday helped us out a lot by towing Albert from Braunston Marina to Redshaw's which is close to the turn. It was not without a bit of excitment. There were no boats around when we decided to move Albert using poles, but as soon as we started to move two boats entered the marina, one wanting to moor alongside us. As we got close to the road bridge, under tow, a day boat crew going under the bridge were quite suprised to find the pair of us approaching!

English Rivers and Canals by Frank Eyre & Charles Hadfield

2011-04-01T08:46:00.000+01:00

A truly stylish cover with a distinctive font

Part of the Britain in Pictures series and first published in 1947, this slim volume similar to the Rolt book The Thames from Mouth to Source in that it relies heavily on images from art. Its authors were Charles Hadfield, the famous canal historian and publisher who was then Vice-Chairman of the IWA, and Frank Eyre its treasurer.

It is a charming slim volume covering rivers, not only the main navigable rivers, and canals - mostly from a historical perspective. For its era it is a very well produced book and many good condition copies are still available through ebay, and other sources, at modest cost.
The book has a useful map indicating the chief rivers and canals of England, which also happens to include Wales, but ignores Scotland. This is interesting for a book claiming to cover Britain - maybe they were not as sensitive to national identies. There are 8 colour plates and 19 black and white illustrations.

Illustration from JB Dashwood's The Thames to the Solent by Canal and Sea, 1868

The above illustration, from the frontispiece sets the tone of the volume.

Three Locks at Stoke Hammond (Soulbury), Bucks
from J Hassell's Tour of the Grand Junction Canal, 1819

Old Battersea Bridge, from oil painting by Walter Greaves 1846-1931

Etruria: The Potteries from an oil painting by Hesketh Hubbard

It would be great to see the original of this. I presume the colours of the working boat make a marked contrast with the bleak industrial background. Unfortunately, the book does not recorded where the painting was kept. Eric Hesketh Hubbard produced a lot of art that adorned railway carriages.

Perpendicular lift on the Grand Western Canal,
engraved by S Bellin from drawing by J Green, Transaction of the Institution of Civil Engineers, 1836

If you see a copy on ebay I would make a bid - if you win you won't be disappointed.

Small "Buckby" Cans

2011-03-29T20:44:00.001+01:00

A few years ago we spotted a small decorated can in a local antique shop and purchased it for £35. It was obviously old and not a souvenir. We asked at the shop about its history but all we found out was that it was sold to them by a local family.

Forget-Me-Not Can

We set about discovering what we could about it. I dropped a letter to Hugh McKnight who was writing a column in the Canal Boat magazine and although he had seen similar cans, he sent us a photograph of one, he couldn't really help. However, a discussion with Tony Lewery at a Braunston boat show helped a lot. He had a similar but better painted can with good provenance (as they say on the Antiques Roadshow). Tony's can was once owned by Angela Rolt. She had given it to Tony and had supplied it with a "business" card with her then address in France.

Tony was able to state that our can was probably painted around 1911 by somebody in Nurser's yard. The boat name on the can is Forget-Me-Not. There were several boats of that name so I haven't been able to tie it down.

Forget-Me-Not Can Close-Up

My reasons for this post are firstly wondering if anybody has any clues on our can's history and secondly wondering exactly what were these small cans were used for - milk or perhaps as a tea pot? I remember in the steam engine drivers used to "mash" tea in somewhat similar cans but they didn't have access to stoves.

The can is treasured and has pride of place onboard Albert.

Shake-Down Trip to Cosgrove

2011-03-28T09:40:00.001+01:00

After a very long time holed up in the marina we finally managed to take Albert out onto the cut to celebrate summer time, do some spring-cleaning and sort out any problems. We like winter boating but this year, with the ice and more recently our preoccupation with our youngest daughter's wedding, we just haven't had the chance. Even a planned local trip with friends in February got cancelled by ice.

Albery had a sticking shower tap but their didn't appear to be any significant adverse effects on the plumbing from the intense cold of the winter. This week I will have to give Albert a good wash and polish - she looks a bit gruby.

In honour of the great event (that is getting a trip on Albert!) I am posting a photograph of Cosgrove. Note the new three-bell swinger on the pigeon box.

Solomon's Bridge Cosgrove

Blog Milestone Again

2011-03-22T20:42:00.001Z

Since installing the site counter in November 2006 we have had 35,000 hits. Not a large number by some standards but interest in the blog continues and lots of it is international. Hit 35,000 was from California and the entry page was my post about the English canals article in a 1940 National Geographical magazine.

Thanks for your interest!

Fenland Waterways by Alan & Michael Roulstone

2011-03-22T16:39:00.002Z

We are fans of the Fenland waterways since our exploration in 2006. So when I noticed copies of this on eBay I decided to purchase one. Luckily I went for a very cheap (just over £3.00) "reading" copy. This ex-library copy is hardbacked and slightly dog-eared although it is a first edition dating from 1974.

It is a curious and not very good book. There is some discussion in early chapters about the definition of Fenlands; presumably in order to broaden the book's appeal it includes the rivers Fossdyke, Witham and Welland. However, that is the least of its problems. The book is probably more akin to Rolt's Thames from Source to Mouth than a Nicholson guide. However, the plates from Alan Roulstone do not have the quality of the Rolt book and the text by Michael Roulstone is very clunky and stilted. Quite frankly, the whole style of the book might have just been acceptable forty years earlier but when it was published it must have appeared very old-fashioned and difficult to read. Below is a quotation that illustrates the writing style.

"Before passing to a consideration of the cathedral itself — which is really the only reason for visiting Peterborough today, unless one is travelling by train and is required to bide awhile at the station in order to achieve a connection— it cannot be left unsaid that what must at one time have been a lovely old city has been irreversibly disfigured in recent years by the decision taken by what used to be known as the London County Council to use it as a 'London overspill' town. Large complexes were accordingly planned, negotiated, constructed; new housing estates were established."

I don't suppose they had good sales in Peterborough!!

Jesus Green Lock, River Cam, Cambridge

The Old Haycock, River Nene, Wansford

The Cutter, River Cam, Ely

The colour illustrations could perhaps be described as charming and naive. They were intended to be the book's selling point since it is described as a pictorial anthology. Some of them, such as those above, I like. However, most I just found uninspiring.

Race Against Time by David Bolton

2011-03-12T16:54:00.002Z

After reading Aickman's The River Run's Uphill, I bought a copy of David Bolton's Race Against Time which is much more interesting and gives a full account of the early days of the IWA, the battle to save the canals, and civil wars within the IWA. It is a good read and provides much more of an insight into those difficult times than Aickman's book. Published in 1990, good second hand copies of this hardback are still relatively easy to find at a reasonable price.

Norfolk Houseboats

2011-03-10T00:15:00.001Z

We were away from home last week spending some time with friends at Heacham on the North Norfolk coast. It's the only place in Norfolk where you can see the setting sun over the sea - the coast faces almost due west. The weather was dull but the location always impresses. The wide views across The Wash and the long sandy beaches are great. We managed to visit the RSPB reserve at Titchwell March on a cold windswept day and for the first time I saw snow buntings.

So what of boating?

We stayed at a beachhouse at South Beach in the dunes. Alongside the more conventional beachhouses were some really unusual constructions. Behind the beach is the Heacham River which fails to reach the sea. Across its mouth is a dam which is a part of coastal defences. However, at one time boats must have come up the river towards the village because right alongside the river are some former boats that have been hauled-up and converted into quirky beachhouses.

Doris

Princess Mary

Perhaps the most memorable is Wild Duck which has a web site and its let for holidays. According to their site " The Wild Duck was built in 1878 at West Lynn for George Cresswell. She has been dry beached on South Beach, Heacham since 1923." It would be interesting to learn the history of some of the other boats.

Wild Duck

The Prow of Unity

Stern of Unity - reminiscent of 19th century sailing ships?

Strong River Flows in Spring

2011-02-28T21:18:00.001Z

Last year at this time we planned our trip around the Thames Ring. On March 2nd last year I reported that there were lots of red warning boards on the RiverThames stopping boating. This year it appears we have the same.

Our plans this Spring don't include the River Thames but they do include other rivers such as the Warwickshire Avon and the Severn. Let's hope things improve.

Last year stream conditions improved a little in early March but heavy rains in early April caused us to break our journey at Oxford and wait about two weeks. I will probably use the Thames warnings as a general monitor. We may have to consider a canal-only cruise.

Boating Blogs

2011-02-26T23:41:00.000Z

I see that according to the UK Waterways Ranking that Granny Buttons is no longer top of the waterways blogging heap. Once again No Problem is the most popular. Presumably this is because Granny hasn't posted for nearly two weeks. Andrew must be very busy with Waterways World. Albert has never ranked very highly, mostly around 25, but it is interesting to see what gets readers.

Camping by Water - Noel Carrington & Patricia Cavendish

2011-02-23T21:40:00.000Z

My collection of waterways-related second-hand books has at its core books related to the canals and navigable rivers. However, some of my collection has extended to more unconventional waterways literature covering other modes of transport, for example I have a copy of Solo & Duet by Sir John Squire which contains a description of his 1938 canoe journey with William Bliss along sections of the Oxford Canal, Grand Union and River Avon. I have yet to review this literary tome because it is not an easy book to summarise, being more about the author’s views on a whole variety of subjects than about their journey. To call it rambling would be an understatement; but then I am also digressing!

Camping by Water is a delightful practical book published at an important point in the life of our inland waterways – 1950. I recently bought a good copy via an eBay auction for a reasonable sum (less than £20). It has 140 pages with numerous line drawings and some photographic plates. I think there was only ever one edition.

To use the advertising cliché, as it says on the cover it is about camping using the waterways. Transport is assumed to be mostly by canoe although details of sailing dinghies, and the hire of cabin cruisers & open narrow boats are provided.

The book was published just after canal nationalisation. The historical significance of the period hit me immediately when I read the foreword by Peter Scott who was then vice President of the Inland Waterways Association (IWA) and his then wife, Elizabeth Jane Howard, was its part-time secretary. Scott begins his foreword to Camping by Water with an eloquent promotion of the importance of water in the landscape and ends with this plea for support of the IWA:

"The indefatigable unpaid workers of the Inland Waterways Association are putting the whole nation in their debt by their unceasing efforts to promote the restoration of all British navigations to the good order which the law has all the time required, and the subsequent full use of those navigations for both trade and pleasure boating. The Waterways are an asset which must no longer be wasted, but they stand, at the moment, in grave danger. In the main they have been nationalised, they belong to us all and what is done with them is our decision. We must decide wisely and at once."

You would, however, be wrong if you think this book is all about campaigning for the waterways. Far from it, it is a very practical book explaining how to get access to our waterways heritage at a time when it was far from easy and their future was in doubt. It is more of a Nicholson Guide than a Narrow Boat. The first author Noel Carrington was involved with Oxford University Press and originated Puffin Books. He was a noted book designer which might account for the charming embossed illustration on the book cover.

Early chapters cover the choice of craft, tents and equipment. These provide a fascinating insight into boating in post-war austerity Britain. However, the bulk of chapters include descriptions and maps of rivers and canals that can be navigated by small craft. These chapters also give details of where boats of all sorts and sizes can be hired.

The section on the Shropshire Union gives the following advice:

"The Welsh Canal passes through Whitchurch, Ellesmere and Chirk up the valley of the River Dee to Llantisilio, which is a mile beyond Llangollen. It is navigable at all times for boats drawing up to 3' of water. It passes through some very beautiful country, but it is unfortunately very shallow and weedy. Nowadays there is no commercial traffic on this canal to help clear the weeds, and technically the L.M.S. Railway obtained powers of abandonment in 1945. Actually a certain amount of maintenance is still done as the water is needed, being taken in from the Dee at Llantisilio as a feeder to the main canal. But the upkeep of bridges has passed to the local District Councils and there is some danger of their substituting flat bridges on main roads for the present hump-backed ones."

It was only just before this was written that Tom and Angela Rolt had finally managed to cross the Pontcysllte aqueduct with narrowboat Cressy after years of trying.

There is a chapter covering the Broads by Peter Heaton and several chapters about rivers such as the Wye and the Arun that in canal-boat terms we would consider not to be navigable. Given the book has a foreword by Peter Scott, the final chapter in the book is very apposite; it covers waterside wildlife and is written by EAR Ennion who was the warden of Flatford Mill Field Centre.

All in all, a charming historically important book that is very evocative of its era. I am delighted with it.

Film of Sister Mary Ward

2011-02-11T22:46:00.001Z

I recently posted about Stoke Bruerne's Sister Mary Ward. When recently browsing the British Pathe News video clips about waterways, I discovered that some film of her carrying out her duties in 1949.

Classic stuff! I hope you enjoy it. It is unfortunately labelled the Bargee's Doctor! There is much more on the British Pathe site that will interest those with an interest in modern social history.

Click on the image below to run the clip. You may have to tolerate an advert before the film loads.

BARGEES' DOCTOR

Your browser does not support iframes.

The River Runs Uphill by Robert Aickman

2011-02-03T00:06:00.002Z

With the intended change in status of British Waterways to charitable status the ideas of Robert Aickman, the founding chairman of the Inland Waterways Association, for a National Waterways Conservancy have become more relevant and certainly more discussed in the waterways press than of late. Indeed Waterways World recently ran a series on Aickman.

So what of Aickman’s most significant waterways book – The River Runs Uphill? I picked up a first edition late last year on ebay, read it, and then pondered long and hard before writing a review. From this you might guess that it hasn’t been easy to sum up my feelings about the book and you would be right.

The first thing to note is that this book is largely Aickman’s views of the early history of the IWA and it was only published posthumously in 1986, by Michael Pearson, after it had lain gathering dust at another publisher for several years. It was published to help celebrate the IWA's 40th anniversary.

The early years of the IWA were full of conflict between those who supported Tom Rolt’s more “pragmatic views” and those who supported Robert Aickman’s crusade. As a result you might have thought that the book would provide a fascinating insight into what occurred by one who was deeply involved. However, you would be wrong. The book is largely a mixture of the author’s philosophy of operating a campaigning organisation and historical notes abstracted from early IWA Bulletins. It does contain some interesting passages, particularly associated with the famous 1950 Market Harborough Rally, but even this section omits important details and skirts around several issues; a problem that runs throughout the book.

Michael Pearson, in his publisher’s note, appears somewhat at odds with the book, almost apologetic. He points out the Aickman heavily edited his original manuscript and that it contains “serious flaws” – not much of an advert. He expects the reader to “take the book as he or she finds it”. He does however claim it to be a minor masterpiece of its genre.

What are the flaws? Firstly, the key relationship between Tom Rolt and Robert Aickman is very sparsely and unevenly covered. He speaks highly of Rolt’s book “High Horse Riderless” but not much else. Reading this book doesn’t provide any more revelations concerning the well-known difficulties that the two had; they are covered better elsewhere. Secondly, Aickman often name drops or at least appears to be cultivating relationships with the “great and the good” at what appears to be the expense of growing a mass membership for the IWA. Maybe because this is because he considered the IWA to be primarily a campaigning organisation and he was operating under the principle “it’s not what you know but who you know that’s important”. However, reading the book I became more and more annoyed at his attitude and by his elitist philosophy.

There is no reference at all to Robert Aickman’s wife Ray, who appears in plates in the book and was with him when he met Tom & Angela Rolt at Tardebigge. She is “airbrushed” out of the manuscript. He does however mention in adoring terms Elizabeth Jane Howard, who was then married to Peter Scott. Aickman was clearly besotted by her describing her as the most beautiful of women and like a creature from the Arabian Nights.

Several passages in the book are also devoted to ghost stories; Aickman published collections of ghost stories and wrote several. The stories don’t fit well in a book which essentially describes the early days of the IWA.

So what are its good points? Although the description of the Market Harborough Festival is less than adequate, the book highlights the role of theatre in the event. I for one did not realise the importance of this. The famous voyage in the wooden cruiser Ailsa Craig on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal is well described in an interesting and enjoyable manner and the black and white plates, presumably selected by the publisher are very good.

Oh and the dust jacket, if you can find a copy with one, it is very attractive. Praising a book’s dust jacket must say something about a book. Pearson stated that “at worst the book frustrates attempts to read between the lines”. I got frustrated and I wasn’t reading between the lines.

Sister Mary Ward

2011-01-26T22:10:00.001Z

We visited the Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne recently to buy our 2011 IWA Calender. As I mentioned in an earlier post its narrow format is ideal for boating.
As we were leaving the museum my eye was drawn to a piece of nice sign writing at the rear of the museum and then to a grave headstone nearby. We had to examine it. It was the headstone from the grave of the famous nurse to the boat people, Sister Mary Ward. She lived nearby in what is now the Spice of Bruerne restaurant.

Relocated Headstone

Sister Mary Ward - Nurse

The interpretation board alongside says it all:

The red brick house before you is the family home of Sister Mary Ward, nurse to the boat people on the Grand Union Canal. After training and nursing on the Continent in the First War, she returned here in the 1930s and established a surgery in the house to provide nursing care for the boating families. Much of her work she funded herself, until eventually she received payment from the Canal Company. As well as providing medical care, she helped in many other social and practical ways, and was held in great esteem by the boating community She retired in 1962. The value of her service was officially recognised when she was awarded the British Empire Medal. The headstone was threatened with destruction when the site of her resting place changed ownership and function. The new owners of the property, realising the significance, offered it to the museum. It was agreed, with relatives' consent, that it could be accepted "as a place of safety", being an alternative to its uncertain future.

Here stands in acknowledgement of a lady who devoted her life and service to the people of the Waterways, and who was respected by all those who knew her.

Sister Mary - Nurse and, above all, Boaters' Friend

I presume the Baptist Chapel in Roade, where the headstone originally stood, has been converted to another use. It's good to see that such an important memorial is being preserved for future generations. More details on Sister Mary's life are available on a web page generated by local schools and of course Wikipedia.

She appeared on an early This is Your Life. I wonder if, like the recently screen Hattie Jacques episiode, the footage exists somewhere. A photo from the episode, which was filmed in 1958, appears in David Blagrove's excellent Waterways of Northamptonshire book. David identifies, and gives a biopic, of all the assembled guests who include Leslie Morton from Willow Wren and various boating families.

Cosgrove Aqueduct Abseiling

2011-01-20T09:59:00.001Z

When searching for links for my post about the 200th aniversary of the opening of the Cosgrove aqueduct (Iron Trunk) this week, I thought the only video of abseiling off the aqueduct might be that from the BBC. I was wrong.

It appears to be a favourite pastime of a group of daredevil (?) climbers. The second video hints that they have done it several times.

Does this happen at other aqueducts?

Thames Problems

2011-01-18T14:11:00.002Z

Having cruised the River Thames recently I still get Environment Agency stream warnings.

It looks quite difficult on the Thames at the moment:

"Red warning boards are being shown at ALL Thames Locks with an increasing number of weirs being fully open. River flows will continue to increase over the next 24 hours."

Lots of melted snow, lots of rain = difficult conditions on rivers.

Happy Birthday Iron Trunk

2011-01-17T09:45:00.007Z

In terms of canal architecture we are lucky since we live close to both Blisworth tunnel and Stoke Bruerne locks. However, just to our south we also have a fine example of the other main component of canal architecture, the aqueduct.

Cosgove aqueduct, or the Iron Trunk, lies just to the south of our village and this week it celebrates its 200th birthday. There is some confusion over the exact date of the opening, according to Alan Faulkner it is January 22nd but British Waterways state that is January 21st. I was reminded of the anniversary by Brian Dunleavy, who blogs about Wolverton history, following the post about our recent New Year’s Day walk around Cosgrove.

Iron Trunk in January 2009

The Iron Trunk has carried the Grand Union (Grand Junction) over the Great Ouse for 200 years since it replaced an earlier unsatisfactory structure which collapsed in 1808. Originally there was a system of locks that provided a crossing at river-level. The locks were used until 1805 when the first aqueduct, designed by William Jessop, was constructed. The line of the locks is still visible. The first aqueduct appears not to have been very satisfactory from the start and it collapsed on February 22, 1808. The embankment also had difficulties and part of it collapsed in 1806.

Compared to some other aqueducts the Iron Truck is relatively modest in height (60ft), modest in length (100ft) and is by no means a ground breaking structure. However, it is an impressive structure and it has proved to be very durable only being dewatered for repairs in 1921 and 1986. It was designed by Benjamin Bevan who adopted the construction technique employed by Thomas Telford at Longdon-on Tern where he constructed the world's first large-scale cast iron navigable aqueduct. The iron sections for Cosgrove were cast at the Reynold’s Ketley foundry at Coalbrookdale who had supplied the material for the Longdon aqueduct.

Longdon-on Tern aqueduct in 2006

Telford employed the same technique at the world-famous Pontcysyllte aqueduct.

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in 2002

British Waterways have just started giving the Iron Trunk a birthday facelift. It appears that this includes a repaint. Recently BW took samples of the 1811 paint by abseiling over the side. Video of this was featured on our local BBC news programme. BW plan to dewater the aqueduct at some stage. It would be great to see this happen, particularly seeing the water drop into the river below.

Iron Trunk dewatered in 1921

If you are interested in canal aqueducts then the blog by Captain Ahab specifically about aqueducts is very useful. Brian Dunleavy's blog about the Iron Trunk has some intersting images and details of the history. There is also a Wikipedia page on the Cosgrove Aqueduct.

I have earlier posts about the Iron Trunk and my visit to the Longdon-on-Tern Aqueduct.

The history of the Iron Trunk is also well described in Alan H Faulkner’s 1972 book “The Grand Junction” which was published by David & Charles. It provides a great description from the Northampton Mercury of the aftermath of the collapse of the first aqueduct.

Hatton Flight

2011-01-16T15:34:00.005Z

We visited family in Solihull yesterday and had lunch at The Waterman by Hatton Locks. The ale was good, the cider (Stowford Press) was good and the food was also good, although the fish served on a wooden platter had a bit too much batter.

We walked up to the locks and looked in at the Locks Cafe. It was very busy which for a January winter's weekend must bode well for their business.

The flight was closed for maintenance with the lock pound adjacent to the depot (which must be handy) drained. As always, looking at drained pounds gives you a new perspective. I don't know what job is being carried out but the lock island looks in poor condition. Some stop planks were in use. Unusually they were aluminium.

Maintenance at Hatton Locks

The ground paddles on the improved Grand Union locks were visible. In a drained state their large size was clearly visible.

Grand Union improved (c. 1936) ground paddles

The remains of one of the single locks, that are now used as weirs, was clearly visible. Their ground paddles were obviously a lot smaller.

The remains of an original single locks now used as an oversplill weir - lots of silt

I also noted that they were adding fillets between the lock beams and the gates. I presume that this is a safety measure to stop boats getting hung up when locks are drained.

Safety Fillet

New Year's Walk near Cosgrove

2011-01-03T20:14:00.004Z

For New Year's day, which was cloudy and relatively mild - particularly given the recent arctic weather, we took a walk near home along the River Ouse at Stony Stratford.

We started at Wolverton Mill and took one of the Ouse Valley walks but instead of following the river we crossed the bridge north towards Cosgrove heading in the general direction of the Grand Union aqueduct and the famous Iron Trunk. We visited the area below the aqueduct two year's ago when we posted about the "mock" lock that has been erected by the Milton Keynes Parks Trust near the river to indicate the original course of the canal and its river-level crossing. This year we were on the other bank. The original line of the canal is somewhat obscured by trees but it is still visible.

Former line of the Grand Junction alongside the aqueduct at Cosgrove

We followed the line of the former flight of locks up to the "modern" Cosgrove Lock. The boater wire sculpture looks impressive close up.

Boatman Sculpture - Cosgrove Lock

We then walked along the Buckingham Arm. The first part is in water and acts as a small basin. The ice was begining to melt and looked milky.

Grand Union Buckingham Arm - watered section

After what was the first bridge on the arm it is no longer in water. The footpath along the dry canal acts as public footpath to Old Stratford.

Grand Union Buckingham Arm - dry section

We walked along it for about a mile before we diverted across a field (very muddy) to the River Ouse where the modern A5 crosses. Unable to cross the river at this point, we then walked upstream along the river bank to the original Watling Street crossing before making our way back downstream to Wolverton Mill. A good new circular walk but around an area that is very familiar to us.

Happy Christmas from Yardley Gobion

2010-12-23T18:34:00.005Z

Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year

from a cold, snowy and icy Yardley Gobion.

Steve & Maggie

Snow & Ice at Kingfisher Marina

2010-12-21T09:52:00.003Z

Yesterday we walked from our village through the snow to the marina at Yardley Gobion. We had over a foot of snow over the weekend and temperatures have been regularly down to - 8 deg C at night and not above zero during the day. One night saw -10 deg C. The ice is well and truly set in along the canal with some snow settled on top of it.

Views from Bridge 60

When we boarded Albert she just didn't rock - it was if she was set in concrete.

Solid ice with some snow on top

The snow on the boats is very impressive, you can hardly recognise which boat is which.

Spot your boat!

A boat moored next to Albert, Jenny Wren, has the whole cabin side covered with snow with the snow extending onto staging. The patterns on the fore and aft fenders, and mooring lines are amazing.

Continous Snow

There's a pigeon box under there!

Stern fenders and snow drifts

Earlier in the winter I left a convector heater in the engine room set to a frost setting. It is probably used quite a bit of electricity by now but hopefully it will be worth it when we come to the thaw; a spring thaw as in 1962/3? Who knows! Certainly no Christmas cruising this year.

IWA First Bulletin

2010-12-16T21:18:00.004Z

I have just purchased a copy, a first edition, of Robert Aickman's The River Runs Uphill; I intend to review it at some stage. However, I was immediately struck by a fact that leapt out of a page - that Aickman records that the first IWA bulletin carried an obitury for a member Montagu Aubery Lloyd (Aickman's spelling). Aickman reports that Lloyd died after his cruiser sank on the Gloucester & Berkeley canal. He did of course, but this was after his boat had been repaired and his crew had travelled very close to their home on the Thames. The book was completed by Montague's daughter-in-law Ann who accompanied him on his voyage.

I reviewed the book which records the Lloyd family's epic voyage back in November 2007. Aickman considered that this was the first inland cruising book to be published post foundation of the IWA. In Aickman's list of the Associations early books is the classic Flower of Gloster and Bonthron's My Holidays on the Inland Waterways, both of which I own.

Hungry Heron

2010-12-06T09:31:00.011Z

Some time ago I posted a blog about herons and their behaviour. We live just over a mile from the Grand Union canal and the River Tove is just beyond it, so herons are not unknown in our village. Just over a week ago a heron perched on the roof of house in our High Street for over an hour. We presumed that it was eying up the local garden ponds but we saw no action.

Then yesterday morning we drew back the curtains in our bedroom, looked over towards the flat roof of our garage, and got quite a shock. A heron was on the roof trying to cope with a large brightly coloured goldfish. Although the fish appeared dead from the start (it didn't move), because of its size the heron took several attempts to swallow it. I photographed the whole episode through glass so the images are not the best; I wasn't going to open a window and disturb the bird and get cold.

The video below is a slideshow from my photos.

Heron Eating a Large Goldfish

In the penultimate slide the fish is lodged in the bird's throat. After swallowing the fish the heron stayed on the roof for a few minutes, presumably to settle its stomach! It then took off in a very laboured manner. We will have to ask our neighbours to see of they are missing any fish.

When I posted the video on You Tube I noticed that there was also a Heron eats Goldfish video. In that video the fish is still moving!

Granny's Shiny Boats

2010-12-04T09:10:00.003Z

I notice that Granny Buttons has posted about shiny boats. His latest features NB Morpheus which is part of a shared ownership with our friends Bob & Helen Westlake. Here they are, recently passing through Stoke Bruerne.

NB Morpheus at Stoke Bruerne, October 2010

The boat is still shiny but not quite so spectacular as in Andrews' original photo. However, you can still see another boat in the reflection.

Frozen in

2010-12-01T18:02:00.003Z

Its just 9 months since we had lots of snow and ice - now its back again.

In common with most of the country we have snow in Northamptonshire but not as much as up north. The ice is pretty impressive. We visited Kingfisher Marina on Monday and watch Jon from Baxter's breaking ice with a boat that needed blacking in the dry dock. It took quite an effort!

Yesterday we checked on Albert and took the attached photos. As you can see from the broken sheets, the ice is quite thick already.

"If it Keeps on Raining" by Jon McGregor

2010-11-30T18:10:00.004Z

Last night my ears pricked when I heard that Jon McGregor, whose short story “If It Keeps on Raining” was shortlisted story for the BBC National Short Story Award, on Radio 4’s Front Row, once lived on a narrow boat and that inspired his entry.

It appears that his boat was moored on the river at Nottingham (1999 - 2000) and that its cabin leaked, inspiring him to write a short story about impending rain and its effect on the river. The main protagonist in the short story is a man living beside a river who, fearing the world is soon to be destroyed by flood, builds a tree-house and a raft. He tries to decide who he should warn.

It appears from Jon McGregor’s web site that the title of the story is taken from the song, “When the Levee Breaks”, written and recorded by Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy in 1929.

I particularly like the description of the man contemplating the crews of passing cruisers who wave at him, the angler across the river, the passing gravel barges and the yacht club members. The descriptions of the state of the river following rain are very evocative – shades of the Thames in 2007.

How did the story fare? – it was runner-up. You can listen to it as podcast.

Blog Milestone

2010-11-30T09:31:00.003Z

So in just over 4 years Albert's blog has today achieved 30,000 visitors. As I have stated before, we don't appear to be getting huge numbers of visitors but it is still nice to know that our blog has readers. We only got to 10,000 visitors two years ago so our visitor numbers are increasing but then canal blogging is now more popular.

The 30,000th visitor appears to have come from London, but the 29,999th did come from India reflecting the international interest in canal blogs.

Thanks to those who have provided links on their sites to Albert.