roland elsdon

He was an underwriter. Authorised to write insurance policies on behalf of several companies. He printed his own policies underwritten ( when I worked with him in the 1980s) by if I recollect Royal Insurance , Sun Alliance and Commadore Marine. He worked with the companies on the specialist insurance of ex commercial boats. He also held agencies as a broker with other companies. Course dont know what happened after I left in 1986 ish.

The boat next to the old boat inn at brinklow is ( was ) associated with tge cottage. Bwb end of garden mooring. We were offered a mooring their in 1988 for our pair in association with it, but chose not to take it up. 1988 pictures we have show us tied there with a sneaky but legal mains hook up to the garage behind . The building is afforded two moorings as I recall.

Put the key in the bridge at foxton last night. Came on green lights. Had left boat behind so went no further but boats were turning right at bottom of locks today.

It was a fence not a house. It was a nature strip tree , and the council came and dealt with it after the junk doco. not a fricking great 1870s canal cutting. we lived in brinklow for some time, that cutting has always been wet, unstable and a liability. It always appeared to hold together by tree roots, and luck. The repaired towing path narrowed a shallow channel and pushed boats nearer the off towpath side. course in the end it was vandalism that did for it, not a hasty bit of cutting a new canal as part of the shortening scheme. Original line goes nowhere near the cutting.

Broke our hearts last time we saw what was our pride and joy. Even in our worst financial periods we cleaned and brass polished. Painted repaired re skinned the cabin replaced the range , put on steel gunnels and had cloths made. All done by hours of overtime and our unskilled labour. Last time we saw her at Weedon couldnt bring ourselves to look properly at the hideous mess. And its Thaxted. Widgeon was a temporary Willow Wren name, appertaining to a short period of ownership. Less time than we owned her.

Ive only put together the old one. It was very difficult and messy. Rust dust frozen bolts warped panels. In the scheme of things not too bad , Given that the whole boat was by then in kit form. At one point we had no bottom no footings, no gunnels no conversion. The Rayburn was by then on the dockside where I made new back plates and put it back together, cleaned out the boiler and rebuilt it. Once the footings and bottoms were in it was dropped in to the boat. I then had to put the floors back in and used trolley jacks and rollers to shove it into the right place. Then I put a new top on the boat. Fitted it out. and finally - lit Rayburn. Endless hot water cooking and central bleating, from september to may. Still miss it 28 years on.

We just hung the Rayburn off the railway bridge below common moor , deconverted a bit of boat and swung it in with a chain hoist. However that was in the days when boats were more diy. At one point the rayburn was hanging of the bridge mid channel when we lifted it from boat a to boat b. Did enjoy the 80s

When we were at university we used to have a little business fitting kill switch's to students cars .Many student had cars because the courses involved 6 month work placements with salaries. Any ford escort or viva was easy for the crims in uxbridge and slough. Only a few keys. We used to regularly have to go and find my wifes Singer Vogue until we did this. You could start it with a halfpenny. one day I got into my spitfire outside the swan and bottle span the engine and hit the hidden switch. Oil went everywhere. Little shits had stolen the oil pressure gauge and voltmeter, but hadnt been able to take the car.

You can circumvent those switches with a spanner in about 30 secs if you undo a terminal. if you put the spanner across maybe 2 secs. if you want an interrupter put it in the positive feed from the key to the starter. or get a handstart engine. Or a bollinder.

You are thinking your priorities wrong. We can get at least 20 bikes under cover and out of sight. You just have to have the right boat. Our last living boat had a tandem 2 road racing bikes 2 mountain bikes and my going to work bike on board. Never put on roof. Boat far too shiny

Or 175000 for canalside flat in desirable town. with allocated parking ( address storage washing machine etc) Decent narrowboat 60000 865000 @4% = 34000 pa . Plus pensions. Screw Lunun.