arbutus

Todays Guardian has a piece with the headline "Quarter of England's rivers at risk or running dry, finds WWF" https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/24/quarter-england-rivers-risk-running-dry-finds-wwf

This is my Attempt Draw a diagram with a line connecting the minimum and maximum time that the correct time could fall between for each clock. For example the grandfather clock shows 1:32am so the correct time has to be within + or – 3 hours, which gives 22:32 to 4:32am. All five clocks display the correct time within +/- three hours. The diagram shows that according to the DIGITAL CLOCK the correct time cannot be EARLIER than 2:08am (the digital clock is displaying 5:08am which can be a maximum of three hours ahead of the correct time), while the RAILWAY CLOCK shows that the correct time cannot be LATER than 2:08am (the railway clock is displaying 11:08pm which can be a maximum of three hours behind the correct time). Therefore the true time has to be 2:08am. Midday---------------------------------------------------------------Midnight---------------------------------------------------------------------Midday Grandfather 22:32_____________________________4:32 Cuckoo 20:51________________________________2:55 Digital 2.08_________________________8:08 Wall 1:16_________________________7:16 Railway 20:08___________________________________2:08

Perhaps I should have said a very quiet steam engine. It was a few years ago when I was on the Windsor Belle but I do remember a narrow boat passing us and it sounded very agricultural and very unrefined compared to steam power.

If you really want a skippered trip then the Windsor Belle is the one to go for. Drinking Champagne from cut glass flutes while silently cruising the Thames on a steam launch. The helmsman rings a bell to tell the engineer in the engine room what speed to set the coal fired steam engine. I’ve no idea of the cost but it is a great experience http://www.windsorbelle.com/index.php

Anglo Welsh have two day-boats at Wootton Wawen near Stratford-upon-Avon. Each boat accommodates a maximum of ten people, so two boats should be ideal for fourteen people. The price guide shows each boat is £99 Monday to Friday, £140 weekends. I haven’t hired them, but a friend said he had a good day out when he hired one. Looking at the map there is a six mile length with one lock, so a twelve mile trip. Cruising hours are 9:00 am to 4:00pm. From the Nicholson guide it looks like there are a few pubs near the canal. http://www.anglowelsh.co.uk/Our-Boats/Dayboats---A-day-out-of-the-ordinary

If you use BBC iplayer radio you can listen to todays program anytime in the next 29 days. You could listen to this week’s program next week at 8:00 am. You’d just always be a week behind schedule. Not a problem as the music has been around for fifty years anyway. The website also lists all the tracks played. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08gmhlh#play

There was a two page review of a Mallard boat, called Dabchick, by Andy Burnett in the September 1989 Waterways World. It says “The boat Dabchick” is operated as a hire boat by Ian Sharp who fits Mallards out for moulder Peter Dodimead. Both are experienced boat builders” In 1989 it listed the builder and hire company. Builder: Crystal Marine. Potterne Park Farm, Potterne, Devizes, Wilts. SN10 5QT Hire: The White Horse Boat Company, Bridge Inn, Horton, Devizes, Wilts. SN10 5AQ. In April 1994 Waterways World, in their Boats and Pieces column mention that Ian Sharp now sells outboard motor versions of Mallard. Swift2: I’ve sent you a PM

48 volt systems are being looked at and designed for cars. They will probably coexist with 12 volt systems. Autoblog: Mercedes-Benz engines with 48-volt systems coming in 2017 “The industry is moving toward 48-volt power, with the SAE working on a standard for the systems and Delphi claiming a 10-percent increase in fuel economy for cars that make the switch. The supplier is said to be working with two major automakers to implement 48-volt systems, and most companies are rumored to be working on adding the technology to next-gen vehicles.” http://www.autoblog.com/2016/06/14/mercedes-benz-2017-engines-48-volt-electric/ The Economist: At last the 48 show http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21704778-upping-volts-will-make-hybrid-cars-much-cheaper-last-48-show Autoweek: The 12-volt car battery is about to be a thing of the past 48-VOLT POWER IS COMING, OFFERING A BIG ADVANTAGE TO AUTOMAKERS http://autoweek.com/article/technology/48-volt-systems-are-bringing-more-power-and-better-fuel-economy

Have a look at The Conversation, written by academics. Sign up for their newsletter to get an idea of the articles that they publish. They also have other sites that specialise in other countries including USA and Australia. Select the country from the drop down menu on the top line. https://theconversation.com/uk The London Review of Books allows a few of its articles to be read online each month without subscribing. http://www.lrb.co.uk Slightly different, if you fancy signing up for free, short online course that take 3 or four hours a week over three to six weeks then look at Future Learn. https://www.futurelearn.com Other sites to try are http://www.newstatesman.com http://www.spectator.co.uk For a Scottish view try Bella Caledonia http://bellacaledonia.org.uk

If you are a fan of whisky, then the wine merchant Nickolls and Perks is the place to go in Stourbridge town center, they carry a huge range. It’s well worth looking at their web site. Their prices seem reasonable. Currently, ten year old Ardbeg is £41.26 while Tesco are selling it for £47.00. Although they do also have a fifty year old Glenfiddich in stock for £19,800 http://www.nickollsandperks.co.uk The entrance to Tesco is in the same complex as the entrance to the town hall and library. The easiest way to walk to the town center and Tesco is to walk through the underpass under the ring road and then walk up lower high street which is up a slight hill. At the top of lower high street Nickolls and Perks is a white building on the left hand side. Turn left here to go down Coventry Street to get to the Duke William that Tim Lewis mentioned or turn right and go through some glass doors to find the Library and the entrance to Tesco. Waitrose is also a short walk from here up Market Street.

With a full height bulkhead between the lounge and the bedroom the heat from the stove will have problems moving down the boat. I had a full height bulkhead on my boat between the lounge and adjacent kitchen. The kitchen was always chilly. I think that is one reason to have lounge, kitchen and diner in one space with free air space between them at ceiling height. Of course, with central heating this may not be a concern.

I’ve recently filled in a PIP (Personal Independence Payment) form for my sister-in-law who currently receives DLA (Disability Living Allowance). We spent many hours over a three week period deciding what to put down on the form. The form is a bit like sitting an exam. There are ten activities that you are scored on to see if you qualify for the daily living component of PIP and two activities for the mobility component. After submitting the form there will also be a face to face interview with a health professional. As romani123 suggested, I would look at the PIP criteria but don’t claim until the DWP send you a letter telling you that you need to fill in a form. The general advice is that if you are already receiving DLA, don’t claim PIP until you have to as if you claim PIP and find that you don’t qualify, your DLA will stop. There is lots of information and a sample form on the www.gov.uk website. I found this guide useful. Appendix B and C in this guide gives the questions you have to answer, the marking criteria and possible scores. http://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/sites/default/files/word/PIPGuidetoclaiming23June2016-1.docx As an example, here is the marking schedule for one activity. There are ten activities in the daily living component. To be entitled to the standard rate of the daily living component, you need to score at least 8 points; to be entitled to the enhanced rate, you need to score at least 12 points. These points can be scored from just one activity heading or from any of the 10 headings added together. Reading and understanding signs, symbols and words a Can read and understand basic and complex written information either unaided or using spectacles or contact lenses. Score 0 b Needs to use an aid or appliance, other than spectacles or contact lenses, to be able to read or understand either basic or complex written information. Score 2 c Needs prompting to be able to read or understand complex written information. Score 2 d Needs prompting to be able to read or understand basic written information. Score 4 e Cannot read or understand signs, symbols or words at all. Score 8

Have you got either a Nicholson guide or Pearson guide book to show the route and where to find water points etc.? https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_4_15?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=nicholson+guide+llangollen&sprefix=nicholson+guide%2Caps%2C138 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Welsh-Waters-Shropshire-Llangollen-Montgomery/dp/0992849225/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469263706&sr=8-1&keywords=pearson+guide+llangollen Although mooring is easy, the Shropshire union canal society have installed mooring rings in many places, in nice spots in the countryside. If you can find these places it makes mooring quick and easy if you want to stop for lunch and there will be enough water to get tight to the bank. There is an interactive map showing the site locations http://www.shropshireunion.org.uk/the-canals/interactive-map Try to load a week’s provisions onto the boat before you start off, especially heavy and bulky items as there will not be many places to stop and stock up. Carrying stuff back to the boat on foot can literally be a pain in the neck. Here’s a list for starters beer, wine, milk, bottled water (if you use it), potatoes, fruit, toilet rolls. Ellesmere is the easiest place to stock up mid-trip. You can go up the canal arm and try to find a mooring. The town, and Tesco supermarket are at the end of the canal arm. There is a good delicatessen in the town Vermeulen & son. Make sure you can make a couple of evening meals, just in case you decide to moor overnight in the countryside or you find that you are running late and can’t get to a pub in time. As mross has already said, the boat will be longer than the canal is wide, make sure you know where to turn the boat when you decide to head back to base. Turning points or winding holes are marked on the canal guides but are not always easy to spot. I’ve met a few hire boats that have missed their turning point and have had to continue to the next point. This added a few hours to their journey and really threw their plans into disarray. Although in your case I assume you will go to the basin at Llangollen. Space on a narrowboat will be at a premium. For your luggage, either try to use soft bags that can fold and stow, or if you have a car, empty your bags and suitcases and leave the empty suitcases in the car. Grindley Brook locks and also New Marton lock can be a bottlenecks with queues of boats, so do allow time for this possibility on the return journey. If you moor in Llangollen there is a ruined castle on a hill that is a pleasant walk and gives good views, Castell Dinas Bran http://www.castlewales.com/dinas.html In Llangollen, I’ve hade some nice food at the Corn Mill. This is just over the bridge, overlooking the river. http://www.brunningandprice.co.uk/cornmill/

Daisy Ashford was advertised in a semi-display advert for WFBC in the classified ads section of the September 1985 edition of Waterways World. It read: “DAISY ASHFORD” 70-FT all steel converted narrowboat. New steel cabin and refit 1983. Shower, gas heating, fully fitted galley with double s/s sink, fridge freezer, pump out toilet etc. Lister HR2. 10 berth. Ideal school or youth organisation boat. £20,000 ono In the November 1985 WW the price had dropped to £18,000 In the July 1986 WW the price had dropped to £16,950 In the September 1986 WW the price had dropped to £16,000 September 1986 was the last month the boat was advertised. Hope the information helps.

I was the original owner of Arbutus, a Norton Canes with a Gardner 2LW, but I sold it in September 2014. It’s now on it’s third owner. It was bought in February this year. It wasn’t me who was responsible for putting the tractor seats on the back of it!