Just a warning burton on trent

[Athy]

2 minutes ago, mart166 said:

Next time i'll act like Alf Garnet and say "bloody foreigners that don't speak our lingo" that'll set the forum on fire and I will not care as will not be here to read it.

[mart166]

4 minutes ago, Chris Davidson said:

Like I said earlier, it is a real shame you had a bad experience in Burton.

That kind of thing, generally makes you want to avoid the area in the future.

Stick with it and I'm sure you will find the good ones far out weigh any bad times.

 

Thank you for that, and you are right.

We had 13 great nights and one bad one, but it seems putting a warning of the bad night on here causes outrage, heyho some people !

Mart

 

[Athy]

9 minutes ago, frahkn said:

 

IMHO "our ethnic minority friends" does not constitute a more felicitous form of words.

Perhaps I'm a little odd but I can refer to people without feeling the need to refer to their ethnic origins at all.

 

You are probably correct in your self-assessment, yes. 

[mart166]

1 minute ago, Athy said:

You are probably correct in your self-assessment, yes. 

Well I am from East London same as Alf

 

[Athy]

Just now, mart166 said:

Well I am from East London same as Alf

 

Tee-hee.

But my last post was not directed at you, Guv.

[frahkn]

11 minutes ago, mart166 said:

I speak with a great deal of experiance about the Thames, know a lot of boaters there, Windsor the worse side for problems is on the northern bank just by Eton school, Reading I have moored at Tescos with no problem but would not dream of overnight (I have house 5 miles away and know area well).

The Coopers Tavern we tried as well as another pub around the corner, they both looked good but unfortunatly the only food on offer was cheese and pork pies, needed more than that after 8 hours of boating, shame because I would have loved to go in them. It's difficult when you arrive in a new town and do not know where to go, we relied on trip advisor, and nicholsons canal book.

Mart

 

I imagine that you are younger than me (most people are!).

When I was first going into pubs they were almost all like that. 

[Victor Vectis]

16 minutes ago, mart166 said:

 

The Coopers Tavern we tried as well as another pub around the corner, the Devonshire Arms?. One of the Burton Bridge pubs. they both looked good but unfortunatly the only food on offer was cheese and pork pies

 

Could be because they are proper pubs, with the emphasis on beer not food!

[mart166]

Just now, Victor Vectis said:

Could be because they are proper pubs, with the emphasis on beer not food!

I do not disagree with that, hate gasropubs where you are paying for the conversion, but a bit of hot food not too much to ask for, pie and chips or sausage and mash, not the end of the world and not so hard to produce lol.

Mart

 

[mart166]

Whilst on subject of pubs, can I reccomend one, the wheatsheaf in Crick Leics, we had an excellent meal, very cheap prices and the locals were really nice.

 

Mart

[Victor Vectis]

5 minutes ago, mart166 said:

Whilst on subject of pubs, can I reccomend one, the wheatsheaf in Crick Leics, we had an excellent meal, very cheap prices and the locals were really nice.

 

Mart

And the beer.....................?

(I rest my case, m'lud)

[mart166]

1 minute ago, Victor Vectis said:

And the beer.....................?

(I rest my case, m'lud)

Sorry cannot comment as that night I was teatotal, but they run the beer halll at the Crick inland waterways show and can say the cider was gorgeous.

 

Mart

 

[Arthur Marshall]

1 hour ago, frahkn said:

You are correct in that I would not have preferred "our ethnic enemies", well done.

IMHO "our ethnic minority friends" does not constitute a more felicitous form of words.

Perhaps I'm a little odd but I can refer to people without feeling the need to refer to their ethnic origins at all.

 

That's just silly. Someone gets accused of racist behaviour and is then supposed to defend himself without referring to ethnic origins? And I simply don't believe that you don't refer, in the  privacy of your head, to some ethnic  origination. Everybody does. It's what you then do about it that matters. Implying you don't even notice is of the "protesteth too much" school. 

[reg]

1 hour ago, LadyG said:

hi,

they gave me a hard time too, but do not worry, there are lots of great folks on here................... stick with it 

Sheesh are you still here? Some people you just can't shake off. 

 

[MtB]

1 hour ago, Victor Vectis said:

Could be because they are proper pubs, with the emphasis on beer not food!

 

I'm inclined to agree!

If you want to eat, a restaurant is the type of establishment to visit.

You'll be complaining you couldn't get a beer in MacDonalds next 

Coopers Arms, you say? Pub that don't sell food tend to be particularly good at beer, and are often well worth seeking out.

[Sea Dog]

22 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

 Pub that don't sell food tend to be particularly good at beer, and are often well worth seeking out.

A bit of a sweeping generalisation, but not without some truth. Curiously, the exception that proved the rule for me was the much revered May Pardons (I thought it was Ma Pardoes, but my spell checker may know better). Frankly, the beer was a bit unpleasant and the barman seemed not to know the difference between his offerings. Unlucky perhaps, but the walk from Windmill End is too far to risk a repeat visit.

Plus, I do rather like the cobs they sell in Bathams pubs where I always find the beer to be very in indeed, but I concede that a cob is not really all that 'gastro'!

[Machpoint005]

On 27/07/2017 at 15:55, frahkn said:

Perhaps I'm a little odd but I can refer to people without feeling the need to refer to their ethnic origins at all.

Good for you. Same here -- ethnic origins are usually not at all relevant.

I'm sure, however, that people for whom English is not their first language find that fact much more inconvenient than do the monoglot English speakers wishing to communicate with them. 

[Nightwatch]

The Cooper Arms is the pub I. Got lost returning to the boat from. I'd had a few!

Regarding food. Pork Scratchings (crunchy pig skin) is normally satisfy my hunger whilst supping. You see, easy to explain, I eat onboard.

 

[mart166]

On 27/07/2017 at 17:52, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I'm inclined to agree!

If you want to eat, a restaurant is the type of establishment to visit.

You'll be complaining you couldn't get a beer in MacDonalds next 

Coopers Arms, you say? Pub that don't sell food tend to be particularly good at beer, and are often well worth seeking out.

Your right, but when only resturants we could find were indian, and we was not in mood for a curry, we wanted a good brew and some nice food.

Mart

 

[Neil2]

On 7/26/2017 at 12:06, frahkn said:

A sensible summing up with which I largely agree. Just two things:-

I think 5% is an excessive estimate, even in a "dodgy" area you will not be molested by one in twenty passers by.

It's hard to overestimate the extent to which the attitude displayed (consciously or otherwise) by a boater affects these situations. 

I do wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment.  Every so often we get a reminder that not everyone is in love with canals and narrowboats.  I recall a similar experience to the OP many years ago when we overnighted in Stoke on Trent.  I think it's maybe a bit more canal friendly these days but it was definitely a "porcupine in a balloon factory" experience, I suspect because we were on holiday and subconsciously expected to be treated as tourists, not interlopers. 

Mind you, even now I clearly haven't mastered the art of blending in.  The last time we went to the supermarket the woman on the till greeted us with "off a boat, are yeh" before we even opened our mouths.  (Possibly the Captain and First Mate hats were a giveaway.)     

[Mac of Cygnet]

2 hours ago, Neil2 said:

 

Mind you, even now I clearly haven't mastered the art of blending in.  The last time we went to the supermarket the woman on the till greeted us with "off a boat, are yeh" before we even opened our mouths.  (Possibly the Captain and First Mate hats were a giveaway.)     

I just REALLY, REALLY hope that last bit wasn't serious.

[Jess--]

On 27/07/2017 at 11:10, mart166 said:

As still a member at moment I'd just like to reply, yes my user name was a typo.

 

I'm not an inexperienced boater having brought a boat from Germany to Oxfordshire and have been boating on the Thames for the last 30 years. I know as a fact places to avoid, Reading a no no, Windsor you have to use anchor as mooring lines get cut, Pangbourne our boat was used as a bathing platform board by teenagers (nobody bothered other than telling me next day).

I merely was sharing my experience of what happened to us but was jumped on by obvious apologists.

Many thanks for the supporting comments they were appreciated.

I found life on the canal system very enjoyable, friendly helpful people, and I'm considering retiring and buying a boat, I just hope I do not meet some of the people on here !!!

Mart

 

Moored in both the places you mention and suffered no problems, outside tescos in reading overnight and on the north bank at windsor (the brocas)

Reading had some colourful characters but nothing was touched in any way despite an obviously brand new mountain bike being on the roof (not so obviously alarmed)

In windsor my only complaint was it being slightly shallow and a couple of dog walkers hadn't cleaned up after their dogs.

In both cases I have no hesitation in mooring there again and plan to do so twice in september.

[Mrs Trackman]

I don't very often read this forum anymore, partly as so busy and partly because I find some people's attitudes to others dire. I can't face reading all of the horrible things some of you are saying so sorry if repeating what others have said.

We love Burton on trent. It's a very handy mooring for the nearby lidl and the railway station. It just isn't a destination for restaurants or even meals in pubs. It's a fair walk into town but if you take the trouble you'll be rewarded by simply amazing victorian buildings. The brewery owners had some fine houses right in the town centre. If you venture a bit further you'll reach the trent.

It just isn't a tourist destination or a twee village like Alrewas. It's just a town where people live and work and we love it.

[mart166]

On 28/07/2017 at 23:26, Jess-- said:

Moored in both the places you mention and suffered no problems, outside tescos in reading overnight and on the north bank at windsor (the brocas)

Reading had some colourful characters but nothing was touched in any way despite an obviously brand new mountain bike being on the roof (not so obviously alarmed)

In windsor my only complaint was it being slightly shallow and a couple of dog walkers hadn't cleaned up after their dogs.

In both cases I have no hesitation in mooring there again and plan to do so twice in september.

Sorry not been able to reply for several weeks due to medical problem stopping me using PC.

In reply to above comments, after so many years on the Thames everybody I know uses an anchor chain in Windsor, I suffered a not so serious incident, but a group of lads peeing onto your boat not so nice. Reading the east side where tescos is is not so bad if you can tolerate the university students (no problems), it's the west side to look out for, I know the town well and would never moor there, worse is the Oxford road, sounds nice but you can get any substance you like there, I never moor the boat or park the car near there.

This is advice and does not need replies

 

[mark99]

On 27/07/2017 at 17:52, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I'm inclined to agree!

If you want to eat, a restaurant is the type of establishment to visit.

You'll be complaining you couldn't get a beer in MacDonalds next 

Coopers Arms, you say? Pub that don't sell food tend to be particularly good at beer, and are often well worth seeking out.

 

Reverse logic.

Hang a sign outside a pub declaring:

"Food not served here"

 

Edited August 16, 2017 by mark99

[MtB]

On 16/08/2017 at 18:44, mark99 said:

 

Reverse logic.

Hang a sign outside a pub declaring:

"Food not served here"

 

 

This is already happening. I see a few about. 

One that springs immediately to mind in in Burgage near Pewsey. The village has two pubs and one has a sign outside saying "no food here, just very good beer", or something along those lines.