archie57

There are quite a few places on the N Stratford where boats like mine struggle, a bit of spot dredging would make the world of difference - I carry a Tirfor with me these days.......

Usual Lock Keeper at Napton at the time was one Esme Dowling, always had his dog with him attached to a piece of baling twine.......

Bob Woodward lived there pre-restoration, istr he was related to John Greenway......

There used to be a reservoir on the Coventry canal - Oldbury , near Mancetter. There was a pollution problem with it some years ago which never got resolved apparently, and it has since been sold off and destroyed. Elsewhere they have reservoirs which have been leased to other organisations and their ability to take water has been severely restricted - Stockton, Olton, Chasewater to name but three, and they haven't been maintaining Rudyard Lake properly. We're now paying the price for their shortsightedness, global warming has been going on for a while.........

I don't know who owns it now, but I knew well Mr James Ryle who took the Pisgah over to France!

I bet Olton reservoir is full of water......

- don't forget we are mired in H & S nowadays, it'll take 10 months to do the risk assessments, put up the fencing etc before they even start.........

I'm not suggesting the that the Hunton Bridge change lock only was connected to the steamers, I think all boaters may have referred to it as such when going down the "Three Lengths".........

Talking to lots of boaters, and having asked the question, the lock below Croxley only ever seems to have been known as "Lock 80", I know there have been other names used for that. You're correct about the "Hunton Chain" lock , it's "Change" lock - as in steamer crew, I think Miss Gayford got it wrong.....

A visit to Gloucester is called for.....

No mention of clearing the bridgehole - they seem to think it's bottomless...........

Alf Best's boats Tarporley, Bakewell and Elstree, Mrs Frances Best in charge of the pair. Alf Best had won the prize for the best turned out boats at the 1950 rally I believe, and his boats here were still immaculate! Modern historic boat owners should take note of some of the finer details - eg scrubbed Ash strips, size and position of plaits on the helm etc. Mr Best latterly was at Stocker's lock where you may have met him!

Having referred to the Braunston lock keeper's log book, I think this sequence at Braunston is 6th Sept 1961 - but am awaiting Mr Harrisons response!

Thats why I said largely - There were still Barrel boats, pile boats and cement boats in the SE division, but any long distance GU boats at Braunston after 1963 would have been Willow Wren