Wednesday 20 July 2011

On the Coventry

We passed through Hawkesbury Junction last Monday and have been making our way up the Coventry.  Hawkesbury Junction is a notoriously sharp turn and the Greyhound Pub is well situated for all the drinkers to watch and laugh at skippers who ‘mess up’!

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As we were going down the Atherstone flight of eleven locks we met a single-handed boatman who has well and truly got it sussed!

He has a clever little remote-control gizmo that enables him to drive his boat backwards and forwards while the boat is in the lock and he is on the bank operating the gates and paddles. 

   Clever eh?    New camara A's 012 (800x600)

Aren't we all glad it’s summer?!!   The showers keep coming, it’s dull and really quite chilly.  Time to gather some fuel I thought.  Have yet to persuade him to use some of it though. 

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Passing Alvecote marina there were still lots of old working boats moored up following their celebratory ‘gathering’ last weekend.  It’s special to see so many together in one place.  They looked fantastic.               5 more 001 (800x600)5 more 003 (800x600)

NOW FOR SOMETHING POTENTIALLY CONTENTIOUS ………..

I’m all for the canal environment being used and enjoyed by a diversity of interested parties and, like the civilised, intelligent race we are, we all need to tolerate and respect each other’s interests.  It’s really good to see the canals being used not only by boaters but also by fishermen, joggers, dog walkers, ramblers and cyclists.  No one group is any more important than another …………… or is it?

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Can they really DO this?

Can they really prevent boats going through a section of the canal for 10 hours?  If they can then I really hope that someone will think to inform all hire boat companies within a wide radius so that they can pass this information onto their hirers.  Hirers and private boat owners alike could find their schedules seriously impeded.  Hopefully they don’t actually mean to prevent boat passage, just boats being moored along this section of tow path?  That would be fair enough.

AND ….What about the way in which this notice is attached to the lovely LIVE oak tree?   It’s been screwed to the trunk of the tree in four places! Speared! The eejit who put this notice up obviously has no respect for nature.  Anyone with half a brain knows that damaging the bark of a tree like this can leave it open to infection and disease.  At this moment in time I’m feeling very concerned for the fish!      

Time to take the dogs for a walk I think!         

5 comments:

  1. I'm pretty sure that "closed for fishing" means you can't fish there -- not that you can't boat through.

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  2. I would have read it as closed to boats, I think a phone call to BW to see if they have okayed it with them is in order

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  3. To keep your lovely Ange warm it's time you bought a chainsaw, but I'm not sure that they come in 24v!!!!!!!

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  4. Chain saw? NO WAY!! He needs the exercise!

    Also - that notice! It never occured to me that it meant no fishing for anyone who was not a member of the club running the competition! I thought it meant no passage for boats. Ambiguous or what! Live and learn!!

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  5. We are going slow to allow you to catch us up. So just put in a few extra hours steaming and less polishing of the boat.

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