FMC.MINNOW

The Last Post

The End of an Era

Fender Kickers and Time Wasters!

Iced in and nowhere to go

That was another week (end) that was.

That was the week (end) that was

Whining and Dining

A weekend Frolic with frost and food.

A quick update

Things that became apparent part 2

Things that became apparent part 1

Good food and shallow pounds

Homeward bound

More beer an bostin company

Water pumps, generators and Beer.

finding your way underground!

Like the Jam - Going Underground

Dem bones, dem bones.

Braunston, Bloggers and Bruce!

Middlewich and Beyond

News in Brief.

Another new generation of boaters

Buon Appetito!

Happy anniversary

Hot under the collar

To go or not to go, that is the question.

Dog walking and cups of coffee

identifying Grand Union's

A good day done

Maltese Beauty and a Donkey's D**k

There’s a rug on the roof

A Wet Fish

Spent all day bonking.

Servicing the washing machine

New generation of boaters.

A sobering Sunday

A satisfying Saturday

Eggstrodinary free food

Tea and a chat

Know your Knobsticks

A Days boating with Andy and Laney.

Boats, booze, bar b que, and bands.

Hoo Mill 'ere we go!

A Weekends Work

Pets 'R' Us

Happy Eostre

New Coat for Minnow's Bolinder

Wild Goose Chasing Season.

100 years of love/hate

Rain Stops Play

Boys Toys and All Steam Ahead

2011-04-25T21:57:00.000+01:00

And as the Sun sets slowly in the West, in the distance the rhythmic beat of the Bolinder faded into the evening sky until it could be heard no more only to be replaced by the soft tones of a lone bugler could be heard playing the last post, oh no sorry he is playing 'happy days are here again'.
As I stated in my last blog I have come to an end with Minnow's blog as I have started up a new blog here www.darley135.blogspot.com
I would just like to say thank you one and all who have followed my ramblings on Minnow's blog and for their support and I hope you will follow me over to my new blog for some more of the same sort of waffle, hope to see you all there, but untill then, as always
Don't bang 'em about
Blossom.

2011-04-17T19:33:00.000+01:00

Well it’s been nearly two months since the last time I blogged, and to be honest, I just have not felt like it as I have been on an all time low, and this will be my last blog about Minnow. But let me start with a question:

What goes bop bop boperty bop – kerching?

Anyway back to this blog. Minnow is still up at Norton Canes and we have not been down to her for months, her brasses are all dull, her ropework is green and she’s looking a little unloved. Went down to her on Saturday though with a crowbar and broke the locks off the back cabin as the keys have still not been returned yet. The batteries were completely flat so I could not pump the rain water out the hold and I could not even charge them because we had taken absolutely everything home, including the genny and the battery charger weeks previously when we thought she was sold. I proceeded to spend the next two hours bailing the water out using only an old pot noodle tub! With this completed I waited for the arrival of a couple of new friends who I’d arranged to meet there. After initial meets and greets we set about having a bottle of beer in the glorious sun shine, then I was asked if I could fire the Bolinder up for them, which of cause I did and the threesome sat in the sun, drinking their beer and being gently rocked by Minnow’s Bolinder. Eventually the time had come for us to leave and so I locked every thing up and we walked back to the cars where I handed the keys over to Minnow’s new owner. So that’s it, Blossom is now boatless, but not for too long I hope.

So till next time

Dow bang ‘em about

A boatless Blossom

2011-02-18T19:13:00.005Z

Well what can I say, Dawn and I are absolutely gutted. Things have been very quiet on the blogging front and there has been a very good reason why. I am a simple Black Country bloke and my view on life is very simplistic, most of this stems from my upbringing and my Father who taught me many things like ‘if something costs a penny and you only have a ha’penny you can’t afford it’ or ‘if something not bust, don’t fix it’

Back in September 2010, I reported on my blog THINGS THAT BECAME APPARENT PART 2 and about the decision to sell Minnow well from just after then until earlier this week we have been negotiating the sale and what follows is an account of the proceedings and from this you will see why we are gutted. I know its a bit longwinded but I feel this is part of the ‘healing process’

On 1^st October, the day after putting it on my blog, I received an enquiry off a girl and her partner, the owner of a boat hire Company, stating that she was ‘seriously interested’ in buying Minnow, this then started us off on what I can only describe as a long drawn out wild goose chase!

7^th Oct Asked if they could come over and have a look at Minnow and also if we could take her out, perfectly reasonable request so we agreed to take her out for a couple of hours up to the boat turn at Handsacre and back.

9^th Oct Took Minnow out for a two hour ‘jolly’ with both of them taking turns on steering.

11^th Oct Received an E mail requesting a second viewing and an out of water survey. Perfectly reasonable request.

12^th Oct E mailed them and arranged to make a detour from our return journey from Norbury Junction and instead of going back to our mooring we went up Wolverhampton 21 and round the Wyrley & Essington round to the Cannock Extension Canal.

6-7^th Nov Moved Minnow round to Cannock Extension Canal.

16^th Nov Had Email off them stating that Minnow was on dock this week and that it was going to be surveyed.

25^th Nov They asked for the keys to Minnow so they could go and have another look over her. Strange request!

26^th Nov E mailed them informing her that it is a combination lock so no keys, but agreed to meet them up at the boat for them to look over and us to check out boat.

28^th Nov Met them up at Minnow and they had another thorough look over her.

1^st Dec Made an enquiry to Terry Bellamy about his large Woolwich motor boat he had for sale Darley, and arranged to go over on Sunday and have a look at her. (Love at first sight)

5^th Dec Went to look at Darley and told Terry that we were definitely interested but explained the situation over selling minnow.

6^th Dec They sent me an Email making an offer on Minnow (below the asking price)

7^th Dec Telephoned Terry and explained that I had been made an offer for Minnow and that was what I could offer him for Darley and he went away to think about it.

8^th Dec Terry telephoned me and we agreed on a verbal offer for Darley.

19^th Dec E mailed them accepting their offer for Minnow

21^st Dec Received an Email off them asking if they, along with his engineer from the boat yard could strip the Bolinder down remove the piston, de-coke engine and piston then re-assemble the engine, while I supervised them. Also that they would not hand over any money until I had showed him .Strange request.

23^rd Dec Sent them an E mail agreeing to supervise them stripping the engine and also requesting for us to be able to take all our personal belongings off minnow. I also asked them to comfirm that theirs was a confirmed offer. (Copy pasted below)

“What we are really looking for, I suppose, is confirmation of a committed offer from yourselves, even if money doesn't change hands until later, as we have still got to confirm our offer for Darley which we of cause can not until we know Minnow is sold, my fear being loosing Darley if Terry gets another/better offer, as well as I think it is unfair on him to keep him hanging on.”

27^th Dec Recieved an E mail off them confirming their offer and stating

“Sorry for the delay in responding, I only just caught up with my partner. It is a confirmed offer, but he, not knowing anything about bolinders (or even boats come to that) would like to make sure the engine is ok, Strip it down, rebuild it, under your supervision before handing over any money. They will do the work on the engine, you just observe, advise and teach.“

18^th Jan Sent Email to them asking for access to the moorings so we could remove all our things.

20^th Jan E mail arranging to go over to Minnow on Sunday to remove personal items off Minnow

23^rd Jan Went down to Minnow and they looked over her again while we packed things away.

29^th Jan I Went down Minnow and removed half of our belongings bedding, clothes, food,etc,etc. Loaded car full and took them home.

30^th Jan We Went down Minnow and removed the other half of our belongings loaded car full and took them home.

1^st Feb Received Email off them asking if after stripping the engine and re-building it could they take Minnow out down to the winding hole, and also for my bank details for the money to be paid into my account by BACS.

5^th Feb They sent me an Email stating.

“He has just asked me to send you a quick e-mail. He wont speak to his accountant until Monday and wanted to let you know that the money will be with you by Wednesday at the very latest, he just needs advising on the best way to pay for her. If he can go through the company he can transfer it Monday evening.”

6^th Feb Spent day down at Minnow stripping, de-coking and re-building her Bolinder. Started her up and found a water leak on the expansion box so I would not take her out boating.

7th Feb Received a telephone call off Terry about Darley and were we definitely interested as he had someone else interested. I told him that we were having Darley and explained about the money being transferred to me by BACS by Wednesday 9^th and that as soon as it had I would be paying him for Darley.

13^th Feb Went down to Minnow and fixed the leak on the expansion box then started the Bolinder and took her down to the winding hole just down the canal then we went for a jolly up to Pelsall Junction and back with all three of them taking turns in steering her and changing gear etc. On return to the mooring I changed the locks on Minnow and handed the keys to them.

No hint as to what was coming

15^th Feb Recieved an Email from them to see if I had a photograph of Minnows head gasket as they had found somewhere in Oldbury that could make a small batch for them. Emailed her back stating that, Unfortunately I did not have any photo’s of the head gasket.

So still no hint of what was coming!

17^th Feb Sent an Email to him at 8 15am stating.

“Hi (person) Dawn and I were expecting the money to have been transferred by now, is there a problem.”

17^th Feb As I had not heard anything by that evening, I sent an Email to the girlfriend stating.

“Hi 'the girlfriend', I sent (him) this Email this morning, but as yet have not heard anything so I have sent this copy to you. Could you let us know what's going on.”

Malcolm Edge to him

show details 8:15 AM (10 hours ago)

“Hi (person) Dawn and I were expecting the money to have been transferred by now, is there a problem.”

Blossom & Dawn.

18^th Feb Eventually received an Email off him stating:

“Hi Blossom,

I have been agonizing over Narrowboat Minnow since the cleaning of the head, the leak and my difficulty starting her. I try to convince myself that I can handle her, but, the more I think about it, the more I realise that I can't. So it is with great regret and many apologies that I must inform you at this very late stage that I have had a change of heart. I'm sorry. I will arrange for the keys to be returned this weekend. Regards”

Well what can I say, and this has been going on for the last 6 months! now you probably all understand why Dawn and I are so angry. Now I have the unpleasant task of telling Terry that we are unable to have Darley even though we have made him a confirmed offer. All I hope is that Terry does not think the same of me for I am certainly not a time waster and would not have made him the offer if they had not already confirmed their offer for Minnow. Finally they can both look out if ever Dawn (The Rottweiler) meets up with them again when were out and about for all along she had a suspicion about his genuine interest saying he was a time waster from the very beginning and thought he was only trying to impress his girlfriend and was leading us on and putting new obstacles in the way as things progessed.

And so to ‘whats next’. Don’t know, for now we have got to find another mooring for Minnow as we have told our previous mooring to stick their £30 per month un announced increase where the sun don’t shine making it over £2300 per year for nothing more than a wharf to tie up against with no facilities. We have also got to take all ‘the basics’ back to Minnow before we can move her, and then there is still the question of what we will do with her for as i said in that previous blog, old fools and Bolinders so we either try and sell her again or take the Bolinder out and put something else in which Dawn can handle. I am sure time will tell but for now its good bye to my Big Woolwich and my Petter PD2 so till next time, there’s always some things you would:-

Love to bang ‘em about

Blossom.

2010-12-18T12:19:00.003Z

When the boats are fast, In the icy blast,

And the strong Nor'easters roar'

Then we pay the price of the frost and ice,

In laying up and waiting for a thaw

Well I'm sitting looking out of my patio door at a lovely Christmas scene and thinking s**t! Minnow has been iced in up the Cannock Extension now since the end of November and looking at the way the snow is coming down here it does not look likely to be moving her back to Kings Bromley for a while yet. We were hoping to get out on her between Christmas day and New years day but that does not look too hopeful at the moment, but you never know. Our poor old Yellow Labrador (15 1/2 years old) is in a bad way at the moment, when I came home on Thursday he was in a terrible state being unable to stand and completely disorientated. We took him straight up the vets, suspecting that he had had a stroke. The vets prognosis was Peripheral Vestibular Syndrome. This is most common in older dogs and is caused by a swelling of the nerves between the inner ear and the brain, where balance is controlled. She gave him an injection of Steroid I think, and said that about 50% of dogs respond well to this treatment and that we should see a marked improvement in the next 24 hours. I am glad to say we have as over the next two days he seems a lot more settled, he is eating and now able to get up and walk about, albeit it very unsteady as if drunk. We understand that most dogs get over this and go on to have a happy healthy life, although we realise that 15 is already a 'good innings' for most dogs. At the moment he is being given 'special treatment' during his recovery and has the full run of the bungalow being allowed to lie down just where he wants, and needless to say he is taking full advantage of the situation. So for the rest of his time with us we will be taking extra special care of him and will try not to bang 'im about

Blossom

2010-11-11T21:28:00.004Z

The week was soon round again and we were loading up the car and heading off to Minnow. We dropped one car off at Norton Canes and then drove up to the Red Lion at Great Chatwell where we met up with the gang for a bonfire, fireworks and food and the odd drink or two. As Dawn works until late on a Friday we did not get there until after the fireworks but went into the pub to join Dave Ray, Lucy Waldron, Sue Cawson, Mathew Burge and Kaz, Matt Parrott and Sarah, Mike Pinnock and Lawrence Williams and a good time was had by all. Back to Norbury and Minnow fire lit and to bed. A lazy start to the weekend's boating as we collected diesel, oil and water before we setting off. Every time we travel this way we always stop at Norbury and Dawn had said that she would like to stop in Gnosall and try out The Boat, and so the first days boating was only an hour and we tied up and went for a meal at The Boat.

The Sunday morning and we were off for 6.50am and had a good clear run down to cut end where as we approached the stop a boat came round the turn and into the stop lock. It was Rocket Ron and Brenda Withey after an exchange of greetings and words we were both on our way's Ron having warned me of low pounds up the Wton 21. As we made the turn at Aldersley Junction we were met by Horace Foster and Trish and passed them in the bottom pound again greetings, a few words and then farewells.

We hit the bottom lock at 11.59am and did not get to the top lock until 2.55pm thanks to a combination of very low pounds around locks 11 to 8 aggravated by four boats returning from the BCNS bonfire and travelling down the locks in convoy with two boats sharing pounds, the overspills were really running on the pounds below.

We pulled Minnow round into Broad Street basin and made use of the facilities for the night emptying bins, toilet and having a wash in red hot basin full of water. Another early start on the Monday waiting for day break at 6.40am heading off in pouring rain and really high winds. Just as we came out of Broad Street tunnel we picked up a blade full and throwing the Bolinder into reverse to clear it we were caught by the high winds which slewed Minnow across the cut and we ended up well and truly grounded right outside the new posh apartments. It took another twenty minutes with shafts, rocking and the Bolinder ahead/aster at full chatt before we eventually cleared and were off again to make the turn at Horseley fields Junction and head off along the Curly Wyrely. Apart from getting soaking wet and changing into dry clothes half way through the journey was quite dull and un eventfull apart from just after going through Little Bloxwich Bridge when Dawn, who was wearing my High viz work Jacket said she was going into the cabin for a warm. I handed her my empty mug off the cabin top and asked if she would make me a drink while she was down there. Off she trotted along the cabin gunnels with my cup in hand and as she got level with the engine 'ole door she suddenly disappeared into the inky black, freezing cold canal, and of cause I did not laugh (well not then anyway) As Dawn reached the edge of the cut and climbed out she was still gripping tmy favourite mug which she proceeded to smash on the towpath in temper! By just after 1.00pm we were tying up on the Cannock Extension canal at Norton Canes Boatyard, where we have left Minnow for the moment. With the car loaded up we set off home for Dawn to soak in a hot bath and get some warmth back into her bones. The moral of this weekend being, if you have a favourite mug,

don't let Dawn bang 'em about

Blossom

2010-11-02T21:03:00.005Z

Oh my god what a week end. It would take me forever to write down all the happenings in such a short space of time. Arrived up at Minnow by about 7.30pm on Friday after stopping at that excellent chippy in Gnosall again and eating fish and chips, this time with clean hands. Dave Ray, manager at Norbury Wharf Limited came over and said that one or two were joining him in his converted river class boat Ant at about nine for a drink or two and for us to come over if we wanted and that was the start of the boozy weekend for at about nine Dawn and I, Sue Cawson, John Blunn and Mavis Waldron and a couple who Dave knew who I can't remember their first names but surname was Ghost (very apt for halloween) The evening went on till quite late and several pints of cider and a bottle of port later, apart from a glass that Sue had, we ambled (staggered) back to Minnow at about four in the morning after listening to hours of David's crap CD collection of boy bands from the eighties going full blast. At about five in the morning Lucy Waldron arrived and went over to Dave's boat where he was fast asleep in the chair still clasping the nearly empty bottle of Jack Daniels and the music was still playing full belt! Saturday morning came too soon and after a good full English, courtesy of Dawn we were ready to face the world along with many other's who were all cleaning brasses and cleaning boats down ready.

By early afternoon there was quite a collection of working boats around the basin with Minnow, Thea, Lion, Sickle, Kangaroo and Australia, Empress, Bootes and Battersea. By about 8.00pm the evening had started with the beer tent open with a selection of real ales, Holdens Golden and Enville brewery as well as Stowmill cider and Carling Larger for the girls. On the wharf three cut down oil drums were stocked with logs and a bag of coal each for people to gather round as well as tables and chairs in the marquee. At about nine the crowds were entertained by the band Meet On The Ledge who played for well over two hours followed by a computer full of music for all tastes, except when Dave took over as DJ and played eighties boy bands again. After about twelve pints of cider and well into the early hours, somebody suggested that we start Kangaroo and Minnow's Bolinder's in unison and so Lawrence and I set off back to the boats and put the lamps on and kicked both Bolinder's off to the delight of the crowd. The revelries continued until about four in the morning when sadly it all came to an end. But there was still Sunday left, as earlier on the Saturday it had been planned to go off for a jolly up to the Anchor Inn for a diner time drink, and then come back to Norbury for a communal Sunday Dinner provided by Lucy. At about 9.30 on the Sunday morning Dawn and I made our way over to the Cafe and had ourselves a full English to set us up for the day. At about midday Lawrence fired Kangaroo's Bolinder up and set off with Australia followed by John Blunn on Lion and then us on Minnow followed by Sue on Thea. Unfortunately there were two large fishing matches being held north of Norbury and along with the miles of moored boats, progress was quite slow and with the Anchor Inn shutting at 3.30 we were running out of time.

Lawrence was first there and he ordered twelve pints of beer ready for our arrival. With these consumed and an hour chatting we arrived back at Norbury just as it was getting dark, and just as the Sunday dinner was cooking. By six we were all called round to Lucy's boat and fourteen of us sat down for roast beef, roast pork, roast potatoes, carrots, peas, cauliflower, sweet potato mash and broccoli, it was absolutely superb. When finished we decided to have a drink of wine so I think four bottles of Lucy's wine were opened and consumed, followed by another three from off our boat then another six supplied by Dave and to finish off two bottles of Lucy's port. The evening passed all too quickly but the craick was brilliant with fourteen people sat in the well deck and the 'Dinette' of Lion the jokes, the humour, the sights (monkeys climbing trees at two in the morning and I believe that Lawrence saw an eclipse of the moon through Lucy's telescope! Long hard weekend's bring sore heads and I spent most of Monday morning recovering until Dawn drove us home in the afternoon after saying goodbye to all our friends and all hoping to do it again soon. Can't wait for the do at the Black Country Museum next year and of course for this bash next year. All I would like to finish off with is a massive great big thank you to all concerned for making this weekend one of the best, especially Simon and Dave from Norbury Wharf for making it possible, and don't bang 'em about too loudly

Cheers

Blossom

2010-10-28T22:03:00.005+01:00

In my last post I mentioned a couple of eating houses and said I would post more! As those of you who know me well would agree, I do like the 'odd pint or three' and are not one for 'small portions' I am not that keen on beer that has the bubbles inside it instead of on the top ( like certain soft southerner friends of mine) as a Black Country lad I was raised on Bank's mild and always enjoyed a head on my beer and served my apprenticeship on that brew until about 15 years ago when I took a liking to 'the black stuff'.

It's Guinness' porter that has me this way,

For it's sweeter than buttermilk and stronger than tay'

And when in the morning I feel kinda rough,

Me curse on Lord Iveagh who brews the damn stuff!

Any way one of the things I enjoy when out boating is stopping at different pubs along the cut and eating out and after having a rather poor meal and even worse beer one night last week end I thought I would make a blog entry each time we have either a good/bad meal/drink (as do quite a few) so here's the first.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Clifford Arms

Clifford Arms,Main Rd ,Great Haywood

Trent and Mersey canal. Off the canal at Trent Lane Bridge 73 walk about 100 yards to pub.

Saturday 23^rd October 2010

Cajun Chicken

12 oz horseshoe Gammon

TOTAL SCORE :50%

COMMENTS: The prices charged were restaurant prices but the meals did not live up to restaurant quality. Both meals were served with cheap greasy frozen chips, and my horseshoe of gammon had been cooked far too much and as a result was dry and tough (fit for shoeing a horse) and Dawn’s Cajun chicken was nothing like any Cajun chicken she had ever had before. It came in a bowl and consisted of chunks of chicken breast in a very liquid sauce that resembled a Balti sauce. The best part of both meals was the salad dressing on the side of the plates, it was a pity as much effort had not been put into the meal itself.

MENU RECOMMENDATIONS: Would not recommend the meals that we had although some of the other meals being eaten looked ok..

TOILETS: Ladies toilets Clean if not a little dated. Gents toilets smelt terribly.

BEERS: Looked like a very good selection of six ‘real ales’ including Adnams, Speckled Hen, Bass, Directors however the Guinness was like vinegar and so was the cider so we both ended up drinking Vodka.

COST: About £24 in total for both meals which, had they been restaurant quality meals would not have been too bad but the meals were no more than ‘pub grub’ meals.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Fox and Anchor

Brewood Road, Cross Green, Wolverhampton, WV10 7PW

Telephone: 0190279 8786

Alongside the Staffs and Worcester canal at Cross Green. With excellent deep moorings directly outside..

Sunday 24th October 2010

Beef Mushroom ale pie followed by Butterscotch & Toffee steamed pudding

Beer battered fish and chips followed by the cheese board.

TOTAL SCORE :60%

COMMENTS: This is about the fourth time we have stopped here and eaten and I can not fault the meals/service etc. This friendly canal pub does not try to pretend it is anything more than it is, a pub that does value meals.

MENU RECOMMENDATIONS: We would both recommend the meals that we had this time and the times before which were a really succulent lamb shoulder and a gammon. (Every time Dawn has had the Beef Mushroom ale pie.

TOILETS: Ladies toilets clean

BEERS: A good selection of ‘real ales’ including Bank’s, Bass and Marston’s Pedigree. The Guinness was how it should be, not too cold and creamy. The bar also sports a wide range of wines.

COST: £25.65 in total for both main meals and two deserts. which, had they been restaurant quality meals would not have been too bad but the meals were no more than ‘pub grub’ meals.

2010-10-26T21:37:00.004+01:00

Well a good three days boating was had last weekend taking Minnow up to Norbury Junction for the ‘end of season bash’ next week end. It all started on Friday after work when I went to pick up my new car. An hour old with about twenty miles on the clock and I was parking it an the grass verge opposite ‘The Junction’ car park to leave it there for three days for the birds to sh*t on and tractors to scrape down the side (tractors didn’t but by god there’s some big birds round there!)

Originally Dawn was going to work Saturday morning while I fetched Minnow up to the house from the moorings but Dawn decided to let the girls look after the shop so I thought oh good we’ll get an early start! Well first we went shopping then Dawn had a shower then we packed all the food and clothes into plastic boxes and we finally drove down to the moorings about 12.00pm and after loading up Minnow we set off about 12.30.pm. Had a good trip up to Great Haywood and managed to get moored right up by the Junction. After washing the boats down we had a wash and change and headed off into the village for a meal and a drink or two at the Clifford

Arms (more in the next blog) Sunday we were off by 8.30am and were greeted by a heavy frost with all the ropes stiff and everything stuck to the cabin top. Another great day and by about four in the afternoon we were moored up at Cross Green for a meal and a drink or three in the Fox and Anchor (more in the next blog) Monday and another 8.30 start and again greeted by a beautiful heavy frost which as the morning started to warm presented some beautiful scenes of mist off the cut and trees festooned with whitened spiders webs.

An hour saw us failing to make the turn into the Shroppie at Cut End

and then onto a canal I love/ I hate / I love / I hate. I love its depth and width, it’s straightness, its embankments and it’s rocking’s but at the same time I hate the miles and miles of moored boats, so do Bolinders as they like to be working not idling!

By about four we arrived at Norbury. I dropped Minnow into a gap just before the start of the BW moorings and dropped Dawn off to go and see what room was available nearer the junction. Dave Ray, the manager at Norbury Wharf had heard Minnows Bolinder coming along through Shelmore woods and was waiting for us and met Dawn at the junction and said to bring Minnow down and moor in front of The Junction Pub ahead of Kangaroo and Australia.

By 6.30pm we were all packed up and car loaded and we headed back, stopping at the chippy in Gnosall (more in the next blog) and sat in the rear car park eating fish and chips, big bottle of full fat Coke and all with Bolinder hands! Can’t beat it. Talking to Dave and Sue Cawson outside the Junction pub (from which Dave’s barred) it looks like it’s going to be a good weekend with quite a few working boats expected, but will report back after the event, but until then as always

Don’t bang ‘em about

Blossom

2010-10-18T21:45:00.003+01:00

It's amazing how quickly news travels round the system and talk about Chinese whispers! First of all many thanks for all those friends who have contacted me to hope I am over my ordeal and that my leg is mending - to put the record straight, I have not or did not break my leg/knee when the Bolinder kicked back as was asked of me from a couple of sources, it was just badly bruised as I stated in my blog after a few hours rest I kicked her over and we got back home. We had a little sally out with Minnow last week end, only up to the boat turn at Handsacre and back and enjoyed a couple of hours Bolinder boating in glorious sun shine and good company. One of the things to come from this trip however was an E mail to a British Waterways manager (10th Oct) regarding the illegal infilling of this winding hole. I have copied the e mail here for your perusal, its contents are quite self explanatory:-

Dear Mr Davies,

please forgive me if you are not the right person to whom I should be sending this E mail, but if not I hope you will be able to forward it's contents to the right department.

I am the owner of a historic narrow boat and have been involved in the canals for almost half a century and it really makes me angry when people try and do just what they want to irrespective of the effects on others. At 70 foot in length it is very limited as to the places/winding holes where it is possible to comfortably turn such a craft round. On the Trent and Mersey canal, Just below Handsacre Crown Bridge No 58 there exists one such winding hole and on passing it a couple of weeks ago, I noticed that the private property whose rear garden surrounds the winding hole, were building a wooden garden shed/summerhouse right on the point of the winding hole at garden

height about four foot above canal level, also that in front of it they have built a wooden decking platform that actually extended right over the point of the winding hole the supporting legs for the decking being driven into the edge of the canal making turning of a seventy foot boat very dangerous and at risk of the bows hitting the legs of the decking causing it to collapse and in danger of injury to both the boat turning and anybody on or in the said building. That was bad enough, but today (Sunday 10 th Oct) we went up to this winding hole with our boat and they are now in the process of infilling the corner of the winding hole, as can be seen in the attached photo's, using a small 'JCB' type digger with loose rubble/dirt. The effect of this is that now with a 70 foot boat you have to position your bows 20 foot either side of what was the centre of the

winding hole and this makes the process of turning very difficult. As well as the health and safety considerations, and the inconvenience to boat users, I always understood that local canal by

laws stated 'the throwing of refuse, dead or alive, into the navigation is strictly forbidden and offenders will be prosecuted.' as well as the fact that I understood that British Waterways actually owned about a yard of the land surrounding any of their canals, including private gardens. If these people are allowed to get away with this, then I feel it will only be a matter of time before all canal sided property owners will start extending their gardens by infilling of the canals at will. As this winding hole is only a short distance from British Waterways depot at Fradley Junction it would be easy to despatch someone quite quickly to stop further infilling taking place I look forward to you response/reply.

Yours sincerely

Mr M J Edge

I received an E mail back the next day stating :-

Hi Mr Edge,

Thank you for highlighting this problem. Unfortunately the Trent and Mersey Canal no longer lies within West Midlands waterway. Following a restructure last year the Trent & Mersey at Handsacre comes under the jurisdiction of Central Shires waterway, under the management of my colleague Darren Green. I have therefore passed your email on to Darren, and I am sure he will be in touch in due course.

Regards - Dean

As to date I have not heard anything else so I will see. Below are a couple of the photo's I sent, taken on mobile phone so quite poor quality but good enough to see what's been done.

On the left f this photo can bee seen the steel piles which then disappear underneath the unfilled rubble

Anyway that my update so until next time, unless your the legs to a summer house then :

I'll bang 'em about

Blossom.

2010-09-30T21:50:00.001+01:00

Old fools and Bolinders.

Something that those of you who know me really well will have heard me say before is that a Bolinder’s engines are great, in someone else’s boat! It is certainly a love hate relationship. Sunday we had a great day with the Bolinder skipping along all day and with Minnow flying through the deep water of the BCN and down the twenty one then along the twelve mile pound. Day two, again we were flying until we hit the problems I’ve already blogged about with low pounds. Hovering about mid channel at Shutt Hill lock for ages while other boats were fannying about and the Bolinder went out. Jumping down into the engine ‘ole to re-start it and it finally had its revenge and kicked back and copped me good and proper. This is the first time it has copped me properly in the whole of the four years we have had Minnow. As I have had a full knee replacement about five years ago, this was very painful and I was really struggling to bend my knee to lift my foot onto the flywheel pin to kick it off. Dawn tried but to no avail. She has made several attempts over the last three years to kick start the Bolinder and she just can’t start it. For one she is quite short and struggles to get her leg up high enough to get her foot on the pin and also she is frightened of it and one thing you can not afford to be is scared of a Bolinder or they will kick back and have you every time. (This time it kicked back on me because I think it was very hot and I probably should not have primed it before kicking it over again) we spent the next two hours below Shutt Hill lock after me bow hauling Minnow through and waiting for the pain to subside in my right knee. Dawn’s topic of conversation (and for the next couple of days was all about Minnow. The result of these long and drawn out conversations are that certain things have now been agreed about Minnow’s future and some of the salient points to come from these discussions were:

1. Dawn can’t master the change of direction of the Bolinder and get it to come over in reverse.

2. Dawn can’t work boat through locks etc because of above

3. Having a titanium replacement knee it’s getting too painful to just kick it over.

4. Silly old farts like me should realise I’m too old for all this palaver.

5. Dawn wants something that starts with a key/button!

And so this brought Dawn and I to an agreed decision on Tuesday night as to the future of Minnow.

We have had the boat for 4 years. It took me the first year to get the Bolinder running something like (with a little help from Joe Hollinshead of cause) but in the last three years we have thoroughly enjoyed four to six weeks boating every year covering well over 500 miles and 400 locks each but now the time has come to pass her on to her next custodian. I have already said that I will never be without a boat again and so we are on the lookout for something suitable and we are going to be putting Minnow up for sale. Dawn thinks something suitable will have cookers, shower, flush toilet etc. etc. when in reality it will most likely be a Grand Union, as I have always wanted a pair of Little Northwich boats, but I also like Woolwiches as well Big and Little!

Blossom

2010-09-29T20:12:00.002+01:00

British Waterways.

As I mentioned in my last blog we had quite a struggle from Gailey lock down to Tixall lock with some low and some very low pounds and when you are grinding your bottoms away as you plough a channel along the whole length of a pound then it does get a little annoying to say the least and, I might add not for the first time for at least the last four times we have gone this way we have had to plough our way through. The problem is not ‘ as suggested on two occasions by BW staff’ “someone left a paddle up last night” but in fact a complete lack of maintenance. The gates at both ends of Tixall lock are leaking like a sieve and it takes two locks of water to fill the chamber and you don’t have to draw a paddle to empty it. The top gate is leaking all round and water is even pouring from underneath the ‘babby’. This is bad enough but to infuriate even more BW have got a tug, hopper and dredger spot dredging all along this whole stretch instead of fixing the leaking gates, and to infuriate even, even more the dredgings are being placed on the offside edge of the canal only to immediately start to wash/slip/slide back into the canal and within a few months will be back into the channel again. Early Monday morning we saw a BW employee with a black bag and an litter picker walking the pound at Boggs lock. While I accept that stretches of canal through towns/cities will suffer from litter louts but this is a stretch of canal miles from anywhere, in the middle of the country and not suffering with litter. The second irritating BW staff usage was just along the Staffs & Worcester from Hayward Junction where an employee was observed cutting waters edge reeds down with a petrol strimmer on a little used stretch of towpath and which were not causing any inconvenience anyway. I am sure that the working hours of these five members of staff along with the dredger,tug, hopper, fuel, wages etc. etc. could have been put to much better use. My final moan is regarding overhanging vegetation. When oh when are British Waterways going to start serving notices on home owners who allow their trees to block the canal navigation. On the stretch of the Trent and Mersey just between kings Bromley and Brindley bank are several examples where huge weeping willows hang right down to the water and block over half the width of the canal, the problem being for deep drafted historical craft you have a choice either go through the green curtains not being able to see through or past them or go round them with the risk of grounding. In this instance I have noted the exact positions of these offending trees (houses in Leyland Drive, Poplars Road, Little Brickyard Gardens and 153 Armitage Road which only took ten minutes on 'Google earth' and 'street map') and am sending a letter to BW’s area manager warning him that now that I have brought these risks to his notice and that he is aware of them, then any accident or injury resulting from these overhanging trees will be his responsibility under the Health and Safety at Work Act. Ok so whinge and moan over until the next blog!

Blossom.

2010-09-28T23:17:00.000+01:00

Another wonderful weekends boating. NOT! Started off great and ended great but the middle bit – We had booked a couple of extra days off work to bring Minnow back from the Black Country Museum. Left the museum at just after 8.00am and ‘bonked’ round to the top of the 21 by half ten. 1.0pm saw us pulling round the turn at Aldersley after having a bad road all the way down the flight as we were following another boat and did not pass anyone coming up the flight . By half two we were mooring up outside the Fox & Anchor where we spent an enjoyable evening, me with a beautiful tender shoulder of lamb and Dawn with her usual Beef and Guinness pie, little did we know what sort of day lay ahead of us. With the lamp on at 8.00am we were away by quarter past and were making the turn at Hatherton by nine. All went well until we came down Gailey lock wnen we were greeted with the pound running about 4inches low, but that was nothing for every pound from here to Tixall lock were all running at least this low with a couple at least nine inches down and the pound running down to Otherton lock about 12” down. It was such a relief when we eventually got through Tixall lock and back to a reasonable depth. The second night we tied up at The Radford Bank for one of our regular ‘value for money’ carvery. We were away by 7.50 the next morning and were making the turn at Great Hayward Junction by 9.50am. By just after 1.00pm we were back at our mooring and tying up. Loaded the car and headed home after collecting my car from the Black Country Museum. Apart from a trip up to Norbury at the end of October this brings our 2010 boating season to an end and once again we have enjoyed ourselves but a couple of things have become very apparent to us which I will blog about over the next couple of days. One is to do with the inefficient use of moneys/labour by British Waterways, and then second to do with old fools and Bolinders, so till next time as always

Don’t bang ‘em about

Blossom

2010-09-25T09:45:00.003+01:00

Oh well, here we go again. At present Minnow is at the Black Country Museum and over the next couple of days we are bringing her back to her moorings at Kings Bromley where she will be prepared for the winter season. I have taken her top cloths across to Tarpaulin Supply and Repair Co Ltd in Birmingham to have them altered as they were too wide and overhung the gunnels and have arranged to pick them back up next week, so next weekend I shall be clothing her up to keep out the Winter weather. After that the only other action we have planned is to Take her up to Norbury Junction for the end of season open day at Norbury Wharf Limited on the 30th October where there will be opportunity to see all the facilities they have on offer for docking,blacking, painting, maintenance etc. and a beer tent. There are a few other folks we know that will be attending as well so a good day/night should be on the cards. (Did I mention there was a beer tent.)

It will be an ideal time for us to catch up with old friends and have a good old chin wag probably in the beer tent. After this little 'jolly' it will be back to her moorings for some serious Winter maintenance. So if any of you see me over the next couple of days give me a shout/wave/nod but whatever you do

Don't bang me about

Blossom

2010-09-20T20:00:00.003+01:00

Oh what a wonderful weekend we’ve had, two whole days with people ‘spakin proppa’

It was Tipton Community and Canal Festival a lovely event based around the canal either side of Owen Street bridge at Coronation Gardens and what used to be Mitchards coal yard. It is only a very small event in canal terms but quite a big event in Tipton’s calendar. Working boats in attendance were Atlas and Leo, Ex Cowpar Swallow, NBT pair Nuneaton and Brighton, (which I must say were looking quite respectable), DCT’s display boat Saggita, Alan Stevens tug Caggy, BW’s heritage tug Nansen and Minnow, as well as The Cheese Boat, two trip boats and many other private modern boats.

Minnow was at the museum so we went over on the Friday night, had a lovely fish and chips from the Britania chippy on Tipton cross roads and spent the night on the Tunnel approach moorings. As there were several other boats on the moorings I thought it best not to start the Bolinder up too early, so I put the lamp on at about 8.00am, kicked her off and tootled around to the rally site. Passing through Coronation Gardens one of the guys off a moored boat shouted across “are you stopping or passing through” I told him I was stopping so he stated to moor alongside Leo and Nansen so I went down to Factory Junction, winded and came back alongside Nansen, moored up and stopped the Bolinder. All weekend we were in good company with Joe Hollinshead keeping me well amused with his anecdotes and humour while he entertained the locals with his fender making. On Saturday afternoon we were visited by a group of friends and, while we were chatting the heavens opened up so I said quick come in our back cabin out of the rain. And so we tried to break the world record for ‘number of bodies in a Josher back cabin and managed to squeeze six of us in. Unfortunately for Trish, Dawn was cooking butchers home made faggotts and so had banked the fire up and she ended up sitting opposite the Goodwife and ended up with a nice rosy red face.

Saturday evening we had arranged to meet up with old friends and retired boaters Henry and Phyllis Johnstone, Horace Foster and Trish and Steve.The evening was spent with this motley crew in the ‘Fountain Inn’ home of the Tipton Slasher and at 11.30 we all made our way back to our boats. Unfortunately for Dawn and I, for security reasons, the access gates to our part of the site had been locked and this called for me to scale the iron railings. Unfortunately Dawn could not make it over the fence and so I had to go down onto the boat and shaft her over to the towpath side for Dawn to get on. The next morning she collared hold of the security man and had a word in his ear! As the day wore on the crouds started to drift off and we decided to make our way back to the museum and so the lamp was lit, Bolinder kicked into life and we made our way back to the museum where our car was parked and then home for hot shower oan food. The week end had lots available to keep people interested for as well as the many trade and charity stands there was Beacon radio intermixed with live bands, gospel Choir, Bangrah dancing, a brass band, as well as burger stand, Afro Caribbean curry & chicken, and much, much more.

On the whole there was something for all the family and a bostin day out, certainly a venue we will go to again but till then

Dow bang 'em abaht

Blossom

2010-09-14T21:55:00.005+01:00

Well finally got time to sit down after a couple of hectic weeks/weekends boating. I really don't have much to say about our journeys as they have been very well reported on Chertsey's blog. But here's a few additional bits of info. Spent the first weekend getting from Kings Bromley to Top of the Wolverhampton 21 (always has and will be my favourite flight of locks) spent next weekend from top of 21 round to Windmill End for the 25th Black Country Boating Festival and as always a cracking boat gathering/ fair /wake etc. Marred only by the amount of time I had to spend in the engine 'ole messing with the water pump spring on the Bolinder. Mark Mayo off another Bolinder driven Josher, Adder, came to the rescue with a new spring, thanks Mark. This was then followed by the starting recoil handle on the generator breaking, luckily someone at the show had a genny for sale so that was replaced otherwise we would have not had any lights for the return journey through Netherton Tunnel (my favourite canal tunnel) Highlights of the weekend - Meeting up with all our old friends like John Blunn and Mavis, John and Marion Thornett, Henry and Phyllis Johnston, Horace Foster and Trish, Dave Newell off Stour as well as new friends such as Blog watchers Les & Chris H (very nice to have a chance for a chat) and Ian 'the swanman' who I spent an hour with chatting about Alfred Matty's boats used on the Albright & Wilson chemical run. The beer tent, again as always, was brilliant with some excellent beers of offer at sensible prices such as Sarah Hughes Ruby Mild at 6%, Stout Coffin, Black Ram Stout, Black Swan to name just a few of those I can remember drinking. Another memorable event happened on the Sunday morning when we were all serenaded by the atmospheric sounds of Glen Miller 78's played on a wind up gramaphone on the cabin top of Dove. He has the exact same wind up as I have at home which I am now tempted to take to the boat next time we are out and about.

Minnow is now round at the Black Country Museum as we are taking her to the Tipton Community Gathering next week end and meeting up with Henry and Phyllis, Horace and Trish for hopefully a repeat of a pleasant nights entertainment, drink and good company, so until then

Don't bang 'em about

Blossom.

PS for any one who's interested the new set of cloths that Andrew has had made for Dove by Sam Noon look very good indeed very tidy and well made.

2010-08-31T11:01:00.004+01:00

Oops sorry, this was the map that I had drawn to go with the last blog on the underground canal system under Castle Hill and I forgot to post it so here it is anyway.

Blossom

Just left click on the map to enlarge it then left click again to enlarge it again.

2010-08-30T17:17:00.005+01:00

I was recently given a copy of the Dudley Canal Trust’s newsletter called The Legger from Spring 2009 to read.

The main reason it was lent to me was the fact that within it was a re-print of the first newsletter of the Dudley Canal Tunnel Preservation Society[DCTPS] (Dudley Canal Trust’s forerunner) It was lent to me by Margaret, the owner of the next boat to Minnow on our moorings, having had quite a few discussions with each other over the last couple of years we have both been around a few years and both know a lot of the same people from the same 1960’s – 70’s period and also that I had been an early member of the DCTPS, so she knew I would be interested. Reading the articles and looking over the pictures reminded me of my early beginnings as far as canals are concerned and also my other hobby of the time of potholing/caving /mine exploration.

The DCTPS had been formed in 1963 when the tunnel was under threat of closure from British Rail wanting to build an embankment over it’s Tipton portal to support/replace a collapsing viaduct, their first bulletin was produced in September 1964 and I joined in early in 1965. As the tunnel went through and was linked to the Limestone workings it was only natural for me to be also interested in the ‘Caves’. Through the 1960’s and 70’s I spent many hours poking about down the mines mainly under Castle Hill and less time under Wrens Nest Hill, and even one sortie in the middle of the night within the Zoo grounds and under the castle itself. As this system of mines were directly connected to and serviced by the canal network, I thought this may be of some interest as it is part of our ‘canal system’ that is no longer available in the main to the general public apart from the ‘Disneyfied’ sections seen on the current tunnel trips undertaken by the Dudley Canal Trust.

The network of mines were served by a series of interconnecting canals, sometimes through brick lined tunnels, sometimes through rock tunnels and sometimes in open sections (although inside the mine of course) There was also underground brick built loading wharfs which in some cases were served in turn by tub type tramways/railways although long gone, visible evidence of their existence was still in place such as in the brick lined tunnel sections of Flooded Mine where the imprints of the sleepers were still clearly visible. The craft that were used in this subterranean network of canals were of very crude construction being similar, but much shorter, to the ‘Starvationers’ used in the Duke of Bridgewater’s coal mines at Wordsley.

(A mine boat in Castle Mill Basin in 1917, 3 years before limestone extraction finished in Dudley)

I remember spending a couple of weekends in about 1967 along with several other DCTPS members trying to clear away all the limestone rocks and mud in and around one of these mine boats which was sunk just inside the rock tunnel leading from Singer Cavern to Little Tess.

What follows is a reflection of a typical Saturday or Sunday down the mines. I will attempt to remember as much detail as I can. Equipment we would take with us would be :- a complete change of dry clothes, 2 pairs of boots (1 dry, 1 wet. The wet ones had ½ “ holes drilled in the soles, overalls, hard hat, ex-miners battery pack & lamp, a carbide lamp, various ropework and climbing equipment, an inflatable ex-RAF one man survival dinghy (although we have had three in it) Flask of hot soup/drink, sandwiches, small emergency tin (match/candle/safety pin/plaster)

(1965 and ready to crew another trip through the tunnel and left to right Eddy Sherwood, Me and Phil Ritchie all dressed the same as we did for a day ‘down the mines’)

We would all meet at a pre arranged time at Castle Mill House, which at the time was owned by the DCTPS and situated above the top of the construction shaft in the Lord Wards Tunnel close to Shirts Mill Basin, it actually came up into the kitchen floor of the house by means of a square access manhole. All unnecessary items including dry clothes and food were stowed in Castle Mill House and then we would set off to make the short walk past the Hexagon shaped ‘gatehouse’ to the Zoo grounds/castle hill, which at this time was still inhabited, then follow the pathway off up the gradual climb up the back of castle hill. The ground around this area was pitted with depressions where early limestone excavation had taken place and also some the result of subsidence where the mines below had suffered with roof falls and collapse, some of these occurring while the mine was still active the miners response being to drive a brick lined tunnel through the roof fall accessing the remaining mine such as at Sam’s Dig in Mud Hole . After a walk of just under a mile the entrance of Big Ben would be reached, a large triangular shaped entrance in the bottom of one of the larger depressions.

(View from the bottom of Big Ben looking back up towards the surface)

With lamps lit we would start our descent into the mines. The entrance sloped down at an angle of about 45° and this ‘ramp’ would be approached by a succession of continuous jumps, with each jump managing to cover about 20feet in distance. The other way to travel down (for the less ambitious) was sitting either on your bum or on your own feet and ‘skiing’ down the limestone screed. After about 100 yards the bottom of the mine would be reached and we would either turn left for about a further 150 yards towards a total collapse of the mine although many hours of fun could be had crawling over, under, around the huge slabs of fallen limestone, some as big as a car. Turn right and it was about 100 yards to the roof fall at the other end of Big Ben. At the very bottom of this mine, it was about 100feet wide and about 75 feet from floor to roof and before the roof had collapsed, it was all part of the Dark Cavern or 144 making the Dark Caver originally in excess of ½ mile long. Over the years, cavers/potholes etc had found/dug/opened up a very small passage through the roof fall going over, under, around the slabs of fallen limestone which lead out into the end of 144. I’m afraid that nowadays I would not have been able to crawl through it, but back in those days I flew threw it. It was that small and tight that it was nicknamed The Virgin so I can safely say that when I was younger I went through a virgin most Saturday afternoon’s! When once through The Virgin you dropped down over the other side of the roof fall again made up of huge blocks of limestone into another cathedral sized mine, Dark Cavern. Over to the left and at the very base of the mine was a partially covered brick wall in the centre of which was a tunnel entrance which led into a brick lined tunnel of identical design but of smaller section than the associated canal tunnels. This was one of the brick lined tunnels driven through the roof fall to allow continued extraction of limestone from the ‘Big Ben’ section of this mine to be taken out via the canal in Dark Cavern.. After a short distance the brickwork had collapsed and this tunnel closed. There was evidence of ‘sleeper imprints’ in the floor of this tunnel showing that Big Ben’s limestone in its latter years was removed in tub’s via this tunnel then following along the rock wall at the base of the Dark Cavern for approximately another 50 yards then making a 90° curve, terminating alongside a brick built loading wharf. Running along the right hand side of the mine was an elevated flat level ‘pathway’ about 20 feet above the base of the mine. The roof along this section of Dark Cavern was supported by huge pillars of limestone being left in place during limestone extraction. Due to the beds of limestone running at an angle of about 30° then these pillars lurched up from the right hand side of the mine at an angle of about 60° and about half way up their length there was a fault in the limestone with a 2 foot thick layer of softer material which, on some of the pillars was supported with large timber sections and wooden wedges, which often fell out. In total there were ,I think, thirteen of these huge pillars running in a row along the length of the mine. As I mentioned the tub way from Big Ben ended alongside a brick loading wharf, at this point was an underground canal basin from which the canal ran back from this point along the bottom left hand edge of this mine for about 150 yards then the canal, which was about 20 foot wide and 5 foot deep entered a brick lined tunnel about 14foot bore and about 50 foot in length. After this the canal emerged into another open section about 50 foot long to disappear into another brick lined tunnel originally about 50 yards long but blocked by a roof fall half way through, which lead the canal into Little Tess Mine by an open canal about 75 yards long then finally into a 50 foot section of tunnel leading to the underground junction with the main bore of the Dudley Canal Tunnel at Cathedral Arch.

(1966 and an empty trip boat returning to Tipton, behind the boat is the main Dudley Tunnel bore while to the left can be seen the entrance tunnel to Little Tess known as Cathedral Arch.)

Back to the canal basin in Dark Cavern, also at this point the canal makes a 90° turn then immediately disappears into a brick lined tunnel about 80 yards long until it opens back out into a mine about 75 feet in length called Mud Hole. At the far end of this mine the canal stops but running along each side of the canal are brick built loading wharves form where the limestone was loaded into the mine boats described earlier. This limestone mine actually ran at 90° to the canal and the mine ran off both to the left and the right. On the right the roof had collapsed and a brick wall ran parallel with the wharf about 20foot away and at the middle of it was a partly covered tunnel entrance called Sam’s Dig which lead into a small brick lined tunnel that had also collapsed a short distance in. On the right hand side running away from the loading wharf was a short mine that terminated in a total roof collapse called The Conference Room. At this point the limestone was quite soft and crumbly and lumps were easily split open with a welders chipping hammer or a brickies hammer to reveal loads and loads of the famous Trilobite known as ‘The Dudley Bug’. Continuing straight on from the loading area, lead through a very unstable section of mine regularly collapsing, then to a rising passageway leading to the surface and bringing you out through a small climb/crawl into the bottom of another of the surface depressions or pits. Back into the Dark Cavern at the canal basin, the pathway we were following passes over the top of the tunnel entrance to Mud Hole then past the next limestone pillar and finishes at the base of a stone set of palatial steps leading up the sloping side of the mine to a higher level.

(A view inside Dark Cavern showing one of the huge pillars and its fault line. Also the stone steps and the tunnel leading to Mud Hole)(photo Roy Fellows)

At the top and at the left of this stone staircase, is the Bandstand a flat ‘stage’ area surrounded by a low stone wall, again all built out of limestone. It was from this stage that in 1849 Sir Roderick Murchison gave a lecture on Dudley’s limestone and fossils to an invited audience of 15,000. Evidence of the gas lighting installed for this and subsequent visits were around this area with iron gas piping and supporting brackets. Continuing along this higher pathway brings us past another six limestone support pillars and then to the main entrance on the right hand side which consisted of a large pit breaking through into the mine with a set of stone steps leading up through the pit to the surface. Continuing on a further 50 yards you are confronted by a most impressive stone arch way in which was a large iron gate. Between the top of the arch and the roof, large sections of tree trunk were fitted as supports and from a distance, especially with a light behind the archway, it looked like a set of monster teeth hence its name The Dragons Teeth. Behind the gateway was a pathway that lead up to the surface which I understood to be a mine workers entrance. As there was no access forward to link to Little Tess, you had to leave the mine system here at this point and walk the short distance across to another small surface fissure which led down into Little Tess via a climb/crawl. Little Tess was only a small mine in comparison to the Dark Cavern being about 70 yards long, 50 foot wide and about the same height. At the bottom was the open section of canal with a tunnel leading off to the right to the Dudley Tunnel, originally a tunnel went of to the right leading back to Dark Cavern, but this had been lost in roof fall. Leading off on the left at an angle to the through canal was another tunnel, this time not brick lined but of natural rock. This tunnel being about 9 feet wide and with water 5 foot deep. This 80 yard tunnel leads through to the Singing Cavern, which now forms part of the modern day Tunnel trips and has been ‘altered and landscaped’. In the 60’s the canal continued along the whole length of the mine up to the roof fall at the end, approx 100 yards. About half way along its length and on each side of the canal were brick built loading wharfs. Leading back from these wharfs were short 25 foot rock tunnels and at the end of each of these tunnels was a 10 foot circular brick lined shaft leading to the surface but capped off and leading down to a second set of galleries about 70 feet below and totally flooded. Above where the rock tunnel emerges from Little Tess, were three large limestone pillars similar to those in the Dark Cavern and also at this time, above and behind the rock tunnel were two large holes leading out to the surface giving both fresh air and easy access. Some say this mine was called ‘singer’ because the wind used to blow through these two holes and make sounds, but I must say I’ve been down there from slight breeze to gale force and never hear any sounds, however this mine was very close to the surface and as a result was always very wet with drips continuously falling and as the floor of the mine was all canal, if you stood quietly all you could hear was plop plop plip plop plip plep plip plop plap plup plip plop! And I was told that this was where it got its name from! The last two mines I will describe were not connected to any of those previously described, other than they all connect back to the main Dudley Tunnel. Leading off the Castle Mill Basin on the Dudley side is Murder Mine. Originally both Castle Mill and Shirts Mill Basins were not basins as such but were roofed over and were limestone mines in their own right but later had their tops taken off opening them up to the surface. Murder Mine was named after a dead body found there many years ago ( there’s always a body!) It is a bit non descript really being about 80 feet wide 30 feet high and 125 yards long and terminating in a roof fall. The other mine, known as Flooded Mine , for fairly obvious reasons, ran at 90° to the main canal off Shirts Mill Basin. As you come out of the main Dudley Tunnel into Shirts Mill Basin, or to give this section it’s proper name , Lord Wards Tunnel, you are flanked on both sides by brick built loading wharfs. The tunnel entrance you had just come out of had two side tunnels, now bricked up, to enable boats to await loading and leaving a through route open for boats using the main Dudley tunnel.

(The Lord Wards Tunnel looking back towards the Tipton portal showing the two ‘loading tunnels’ either side the main tunnel.)

On the right a short brick tunnel lead to a round vertical shaft leading both up presumably originally to winding gear, and down to Tipton Colliery running through this short tunnel was excavated a short length of tub rail track with cast rails and sleepers into which was cast the name Ward, the Earls of Dudley family name. On the left hand side was a small triangular mine entrance which lead into a small chamber about 20feet square then leading off from this was a brick lined tunnel of similar dimensions to the brick lined tub track tunnels in Dark Cavern and Mud Hole. This tunnel was about 100 yards long then it opened out into another small mine about 70 feet long and 40 feet wide only to again disappear into another brick lined tunnel about 100 yards long which again opens out into a small mine with a larger section of mine going off and upwards to the right hand side. Continuing into a third 100 yard section of bricked tunnel you finally come out into the main mine. So far you have been wading through 2 feet of water from the very start of this mine, also the remaining imprints of the tug rail sleepers can be seen through the whole length of this mine before you disturb the crystal clear water that is! As you emerge into this last part of the mine the water gets shallower and shallower until over on the left hand side of the mine you are walking on dry floor. Over on the right at this point there is an iron pipe about 4 inches diameter running vertically from ceiling to floor and into the water. At a point on the surface that we worked out to be over the top of this point is a small brick building with a 4 inch pipe coming up through the floor and on the top of the pipe was a series of ceased levers and mechanism which I would say was some pumping system. Eventually after a further 100 yards the floor of the mine gradually gets nearer the roof as you clamber over another roof fall. In total you have probably travelled close on half a mile or there abouts and in freezing cold water just below your tender bits, (so long as you don’t splash about to much and walk gently) Well there you go that’s about it, once again my biggest regret is, same as the canals at this time, that I didn’t take loads of photo’s. Anyway I have only one word of warning for you, if you still could venture down and you did, then as far as those big loose lumps of rock are concerned – Don’t bang ‘em about,

Blossom.

2010-08-22T21:08:00.000+01:00

Well what a weekend it has been. Saturday night we were supposed to be going to an anniversary party being held by fellow ‘fish’ Josher owners of Trout Dave and Karen in a field up above Hoo Mill in a marquee. But in the end this was not to be. Saturday morning and Dawn went off to work and I went off down Minnow to work, at about 1.00pm Dawn phoned me to say that her mother had fell in the kitchen at home and broken her hip and could I come home and meet her at her shop to go over to the hospital in West Bromwich We did and sat with her mom and dad until the doctor and surgeon came round and explained what would be happening and that she would be going down to theatre about 9.30am on Sunday morning. By now it was after 8.00pm and we came away leaving Dawn’s Dad and elder sister with her Mom. At this time neither of us had had anything to eat and was really hungry so we stopped off to collect some battered chips. By the time we had got home and devoured these chips it was about 9.30pm and far too late to be going to the party.

Sunday morning we received a phone call from Dawn’s dad saying that the operation had been cancelled and that her Mom would not be going down to theatre until Monday morning. We arranged to go over and visit her Mom on Sunday evening and to pick her Dad and elder sister up on the way. After breakfast Dawn did her housework while I went down Minnow for a couple of hours. I repaired three of the false floors with timber re-cycled from a pallet that was lying about the yard and gave them a coat of my mixture. With this done, all the false floors are now finished and I am now ready to start on other jobs. I came back home about 3.30pm and had dinner, after which we went over to pick up Dawn’s Dad and visit her mom in hospital. She has now been told she will go for surgery tomorrow. Here’s hoping.

And just for the doctors and nurses,

Don’t bang ‘er about.

Blossom

2010-08-17T23:09:00.002+01:00

Been very busy at work at the moment!

Been doing lots of jobs round the house!

A lot going on in my life at the moment!

My computer has been down!

Been on holiday!

Been to see my new Grandson!

I thought of all these excuses that I could use for not blogging for the last five weeks when the actual truth is I could not think of anything to write about. I have never professed to be any type of scholar or academic and writing does not come naturally without I have a subject that I think worthy of writing about. I will sometimes think of some snippet of subject matter and then as quickly as I’ve thought of it, I think naw, nobody would be interested in that. I sometimes get directed to other blogs and read what I consider to be absolute twaddle, then there’s others that I regularly read (daily) such as Dove’s and Chertsey girl’s and am amazed how they find such interesting things to blog about. So excuses over and humble apologies made here we go and so to waffle on about nothing in particular other than a quick catch up of what little has happened over the last five weeks after returning Minnow to her home moorings at Kings Bromley.

Went down to St Ives, Corwall to spend a few days with my eldest daughter and son in law and more than anything see my latest grandchild Sam.

Drank lots of Rattler cider, ate loads of Cornish pasties, went to Land’s End on a rainy foggy day and saw nothing and spent loads of time with Sam!

Since coming back from St Ives have spent most Saturdays down at Minnow carrying out lots of little jobs that needed doing as well as polishing brass and black leading.

As we had been having quite a bit of rain in the last couple of weeks I went down the boat this Saturday and pumped about 9inches of rain water out. Quite early in the day Jim and Sarah returned with Chertsey after their jaunt up the Trent. After helping them to tie up and a quick chat they were off to Shardlow to fetch their car back before heading off home. I had decided the next job would be to re black the false floors with creosote mixed with black bitumastic. On Sunday afternoon both Dawn and I went down and made a start. Dawn sat and kept Bruce occupied and worked really hard on a book of wordsearch puzzles while I lifted all the false floor panels (some call them shuts) from one side and stacked them on the other side of the hold then proceeded to wash the bottoms out removing all the accumulated crud.

After washing down and again pumping out, the floors were all put back down and were all given a liberal coating of my special brew. On the Sunday afternoon I managed to finish all the one side. On Monday I took a change of clothes to work with me and went straight down to Minnow after work to start on the other side.

Dawn turned up about an hour later with Pizza, wedges and garlic bread for tea so we sat on the back end boards and devoured as much of this feast as we could, leaving one slice of the ‘Spicy chicken’ pizza. After stuffing myself I started blacking again and Dawn said she was bored so asked where the fishing pole was. I fetched it and set it up for her, stating we Had no bait but undaunted Dawn set about fishing using small pieces of the spicy chicken. ‘Never catch anything’ I thought when Dawn cries out shad had one.

A nice plump 8 inch roach! She went on to catch another five and dropped two off, all in about half an hour. (beginners luck) Tonight I again went straight down Minnow from work and finished off the floors, all done, so Need to think of next job for this weekend. So till next time

Don’t bang ‘em about.

Blossom

2010-07-06T22:08:00.002+01:00

On Friday last we took Minnow back to her moorings at Kings Bromley. Forgot to mention last blog that last Sunday we drove down to Braunston for the working boat gathering. Walked round - looked at boats - chatted with friends - met new friends, fellow bloggers off here, Halfie and moomin papa. This Saturday I drove up to Derby to pick up our new chocolate Labrador puppy called Bruce, then spent most of the weekend feeding, cleaning, playing, etc. with him. Can't wait to take him boating, but he ain't had his needles yet. Here he is trying ever so hard to get our 14 year old Labrador, George, to play with him

2010-07-03T22:32:00.001+01:00

Well where do I start! So much to report. My blog has been quiet now for a couple of weeks as we have been off on our main summer holiday with Minnow and what gorgeous Summer weather we have had. I have decided to write up this trip in several stages so to speak so here goes.

Sat 12 June. Sister-in-law drove us up to Stone in my car to pick up Minnow and bring my car back home. We left Stone about 4.00pm and headed off to Middlewich for the Folk and Canal Festival that weekend. Overall the trip went off without any major hitches, but as with all trips out, there were a few minor hick ups such as the headlight going out 100 yards into Harecastle tunnel. We arrived at Middlewich by Monday lunchtime, stopping at Longport wharf on Saturday evening and a meal and a pint or two while being serenaded by Karaoke in The Pack Horse, followed by stopping at the Romping Donkey at Hassal Green the following night for a meal and a pint or two, and more Karaoke.

Mon 14^th June Arrived at Middlewich and moored above Kings lock against the towpath and on the inside of Stuart Coopers coal boat Anne. Also there were old friends Horace Forster and Trish on JJinad and Henry and Phyllis Johnstone on Perch as well as new friends Mick and Julie on Princess Anne and Telford.

Tue – Wed Spent two of the hottest days ever carrying out a few jobs on Minnow but replenished the liquid each evening in the Kings Lock pub.

Thurs 17^th June by this time several other working boats has assembled with Lynx, Rudd, Princess Anne (Plato), Pices, Ariel, Shackleton all at Kings lock and with Saturn, Shad, Gifford, Mountbatton, Jellico, Sweden, Buckden Thursday evening was the boaters supper at the Boars Head with hot pot on the menu and entertainment from a folk trio.

Fri-Sat-Sun the sun beat down and the crowds turned out each day. Early on Friday night we all went down to the British Legion for a quiet pint followed by an evening in the garden of the Cheshire Cheese being entertained by the Middlewich Paddies. Saturday night I set up a table out of some boards and diesel tubs and everybody brought their chairs down and some booze and we had our own ‘party’

Sunday night we went down to the Boars Head as it was the last day of the folk festival they have a free and easy singers night.

Monday afternoon we left Middlewich and made the tight turn onto the Wardle canal and on up to the Middlewich branch tying that evening just below Barbridge Junction. Tuesday saw us travelling on through Nantwich along with the Audlem and Adderley flight of locks and eventually stopping for the night at Market Drayton and going to the Talbot by Bridge 62 for a meal, and what a meal it was both huge and great quality. Wednesday we climbed the Tyrley flight and made our way to Norbury Junction where we spent the evening in The Junction Pub,

On Thursday morning we had a leisurely morning bought some diesel from Norbury Wharf Ltd. Had a browse around their shop and headed off at lunchtime as we were only travelling as far as Brewood and a night in The Bridge. Friday saw us get as far as the Cross Keys at Penkridge and one of their home made steak & kidney pie meals. Finally we got Minnow back home on Saturday where she was to stay for a couple of days while we cleaned/washed/ bedding etc. before returning her to her moorings last night.

Don’t bang ‘em about

Blossom

2010-06-08T22:25:00.002+01:00

And it will be brief for a while due to all the things going on at the moment – at work, at home and at the boat. Well what a busy week so far. Friday I did a bit of single boating and moved Minnow from her moorings to the bottom of the garden to load diesel, gas, food water etc, etc.

Saturday, after Dawn had finished work, we took Minnow up to Hoo Mill for a surprise visit to Andy and Laney off Josher motor boat Lily, surprise it was as well as it was Andy’s mom’s 80^th birthday and they had all gone to a surprise party for her and did not return until the early hours of Sunday morning and so we ended up having to drink the supplies that we had taken with us!

At about 4.00am on Sunday morning Dawn was awoken by what she thought was somebody rolling one of these water barrels along the towpath past Minnow, that is until it repeated a second time and she realised it was thunder followed by a good old downpour. Sunday was quite a lazy day as we started off with a full cooked English, followed by a couple of hours chatting to Andy and Laney, who by then had arose from their pits, By about 12.30pm we were ready for the off and so made our farewells and we moved Minnow on up to Stone. The trip was quite uneventful apart from being raced to a bridge ‘ole by a hire boat so I chucked her in astern and let her walk across the canal and straddle across the bridge ‘ole making them wait while I buggered about getting Minnow back in channel, then just before Weston lock an old couple on a forty footer decided to pull out in front of us as they saw us approaching only to proceed to travel at less than tick over, which as those of you who know is something a Bolinder hates. They finally tied up just before stone but the damage had already been done and Minnows Bolinder played up all through stone locks, I should have put the lamp on really I suppose to put a bit of heat back into the engine.

We finally tied up at Stone at about 5.30pm and left Minnow opposite Roger Fullers place so he could keep an eye on her for us. We walked down off the towpath to the garage on the main A34 and sat on the wall munching crisps and a chocolate bar from the garage while we waited for Dawn’s nephew to pick us up. When we got home it was shower then ordered a Chinese take away for delivery. While we had been away we had received a message from the breeder of our new ‘boat dog’, as George was now 14 years old and boating was all getting a bit too much for him. The message was to say to call her and arrange to go and see the litter. On Monday, while I was at work, Dawn phoned her and arranged to go over that evening. The whole litter were beautiful, great big three week old chunky chocolate Labradors,

there are three dogs and four bitches. We have pick of the litter, but we have already said we will be having a dog but have not yet picked one as I like to wait until at least 6 to 8 weeks to give them time to grow a little bit and to develop their individuality. Can’t wait for the next few weeks to pass and pick one and bring it home and take him Boating! Dawn has already picked his name, Bruce. So until next time

Don’t bang ‘em about, Bruce

Blossom

2010-06-03T23:35:00.002+01:00

Just a very short update on the ‘Blossom’ family of boaters. I reported last month about my youngest daughter presenting me with a beautiful new grand daughter, well the ‘tribe have been at it again. This time it’s my eldest daughter who gave us our latest addition at 1.30pm on Tuesday, this time an 8lb baby grandson, can’t wait to teach him all about Bolinders.

Mother and baby are now both doing well after a seventeen and a half hour labour (the Edge tribe have always been known to take their time) So many thanks go out to Rebecca and Neil for such a wonderful gift, and please,

Don’t bang ‘im about.

Blossom.

2010-06-01T21:32:00.003+01:00

What a wonderful meal, as always, we had at The Plum Pudding, Armitage, canal side on the Trent and Mersey just by the Eastern end of Armitage tunnel.

Giuseppe Laconi – otherwise known as ‘Il Marchigiano’ cooks traditional, home style meals in the peasant tradition so if you’re looking for Spaghetti Bolognaise or similar, you won’t find it on the menu, but what you will find is excellent service of some brilliant food and wines. If ever you are passing and you enjoy a traditional Italian meal, the water is deep and the moorings are right outside the pub. If you enjoy a ‘feast for a fiver’ or a ‘ two for one’ then it’s not for you as with most Italian restaurants it is not cheap, but well worth it. Two starters, two mains with additional sides of garlic bread and sautéed potatoes and two deserts as well as two large glasses of Pepsi and a bottle of Italian red set me back £74 so not that bad really. Now that’s our 13^thanniversary out of the way, I can get back to working on Minnow! So till next time

Don’t bang ‘em about

Blossom.

PS Dawn said if she'd have known, she would have got her posh frock out and had her nails done!

2010-05-31T17:27:00.003+01:00

Have had a really good week as far as Minnow was concerned. On Tuesday the cotton line I had ordered had arrived so spent the next couple of evenings making a new set of rockets for the cratch along with a set of cabin strings and chimbley strings, which I’ve always known as ‘ears’ for some reason. This was something that young Charlie Atkins taught me to do when I was a lad and he was living at the top of the ‘old thirteen’ in Birmingham and driving the British Waterways tug Bittel. Spent the last three days down Minnow getting lots of jobs done. Saturday started off with a trip into Rugeley town to buy a tin of white gloss, a tub of creosote, and a new scrubbing brush, after mine took a ‘swim’ over the weir at Haywood lock a couple of months ago after being flicked off the fenders by the rope I was strapping Minnow in with. The day was a bit wet so not a lot of painting done and so I spent my time clearing out all the junk from under the cratch and storing it tidily away in the bow cabin. Following this I got the suitcase generator out and started it and tried the ‘security light’ which we have as a tunnel lamp. After making a bracket to mount this lamp on the front of the box mast I then hooked up the battery charger and gave the three leisure batteries a top up ready for our trip to Middlewich. I now retired to the dry of the back cabin and hung some small jugs on the ribbon plates.

Sunday was a lot drier if not a little windy and so I re-painted the engine ‘ole and back cabin slides and also gave ‘the biscuit tin’ vent a coat of green. I also gave the large brass mushroom ventilator a good polish. When I got there Ling had gone for the other side of the bridge and Brian told me that they had left about 8.00pm the previous night after I had gone home.

Monday was another great day, especially as it was our 13^th wedding anniversary and I gave Dawn a really special day down at Minnow working! What more could a girl ask for ( we are going out for an Italian meal tonight though) When I looked at the newly painted slides, the wind had blown loads of bits off the roof of the industrial unit next to our mooring and so those had to be re done. I scrubbed the hose on the front of the cratch then mopped and wiped all the cratch cloths down and then set about fitting the new rockets and even though I say it myself, they look good.

As we were going out tonight and also as we had our three year old grand daughter with us, we had to leave Minnow quite early and take her home in time to get ourselves ready.

So for now, and till next time,

Don't bang 'em about

Blossom

2010-05-24T23:48:00.000+01:00

Well Summer’s come at last I hear some of you say, and I know I should not moan, but I’m one of those who hate the sun and hot weather. As soon as the sun starts blazing down, I run for the shade and this last weekend, god it wuz ‘ot. My philosophy is that no matter how cold it is you can always put another layer of clothing on, but when it’s hot and you’re down to your last layer there’s nothing else you can do! Spent the whole week end down on Minnow working. Most of the time it was just too hot for painting but we did manage to red oxide the timberworks including top planks, cross beams and mast and stands as well as blacking the gunnels with bitumastic, getting the second coat of varnish on the back cabin top and the first on the bow cabin, I have also managed to make a start on re-blacking the false floors with creosote and bitumastic. I have also ordered some new cotton line to make a new set of rockets for the cratch as the old ones were worn out and rotten.

One of Minnows sister boats was moored the other side of the bridge ‘ole all weekend, Sarah Edgeson’s newly acquired ex British Waterways maintenance boat Ling, although I did not see anyone on the boat all weekend.

Blossom.

2010-05-20T22:00:00.003+01:00

Well can't wait for the next three weeks to pass as we are off on our summer jolly on Minnow. As I have mentioned earlier we are planning to take a leisurely trip up the Trent and Mersey spending the week end at the Middlewich Folk and Canal Festival the returning back up the Shroppie. We have been to and through Middlewich many times over the years and moored above Kings lock as well as below the town but we have never been to this festival before. I was warned recently about trouble on the canal at this festival from gypsies who jump all over the boats removing anything loose or valuble especially brass etc and was also told not to leave your boat at any time during the weekend. I just wondered if anyone reading this blog had any - good or bad - experiences of the Middlewich festival. Any comments would be much appreciated as at the moment we are having second thoughts about going.

Blossom

2010-05-20T00:56:00.003+01:00

The week before last, I was keeping my better half sweet by doing some work at home, namely at the bottom of the garden and as I stepped down the bank to the canal I slipped and landed quite heavily on the base of my spine. After about half an hour it eased and I thought that was the last of it. This Sunday I decided to continue my ‘good deed’ and to re-lay about a dozen slabs on the patio which had all sunken and moved. By the end of the day, while I was sat at my computer, typing up my blog, I could feel the aches and pains getting worse in my back but just thought ‘they will go after a good nights sleep’ but they didn’t. The next day at work I was in agony and by Monday night could hardly move. It has been three days now and it is only just about getting right. When Dawn came from work she said that being as it was such a nice evening did I want to go to our favourite chippy in Handsacre by Crown Bridge (58) get fish and chips and take them to Fradley Junction, park up by Keepers lock and eat them then take the dog a walk up the canal past the Swan and up to Woodend lock. With this agreed we loaded the dog in the back of the car, grabbed the bottle of red sauce and the salt pot and off we went. With fish and chips consumed we got out the car and strolled along the towpath/roadway up past the pub and the bikers and drinkers enjoying the last of the evening sun shine sitting on the benches and tables out side the ‘Mucky Duck’ as we got just past the junction there was a shout from off the island of “ alright Blossom, Dawn, how ya doin. It was Viv and Simon off Monarch and Grimsby. After the exchange of a few words, Simon shouted do you want to come round and have a coffee. And so the dogs walk was postponed and we spent the next hour catching up as we had not seen them since last summer. Viv is now the manager for OwnerShips at Fradley and the work that she and Simon have done in the shop there is astounding.

They sell a good range of food and supplies including organic and ‘green’ foods and products, gifts, boat fixtures and fittings magazines, books and bric a brac to name but a few so please drop in if passing or even for diesel or a pump out. (There you go Viv there’s your free advert) By the end of the hour, Email addresses and mobile phone numbers had been exchanged and even discussions of a mini boat gathering that involved food and beer. Sounds like a good mixture to me, so until then,

Don’t bang ‘em about.

Blossom

2010-05-17T23:05:00.003+01:00

Whilst discussing the merits of Large Woolwich engine ‘ole tops I thought there may be some reading either Chertsey woman’s, Dove’s or my blog who may make use of a little boat identification as far as Grand Union’s are concerned and so I have come up with this. There are many variations amongst the boats built for the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company and when one has mastered the various types identification is relatively easy. First of all the ‘classes’ of boats, while I strongly disagree with classes of boats, I will use them for ease of description.

Grand Union’s break down into three main classes, Town class, Star class and Royalty class these in turn, can be broken down into builders incorporating such yards as Wakers of Rickmansworth, Harland and Wolff of Woolwich, W J Yarwoods & Sons of Northwich, James Pollock & Sons of Faversham, The Steel Barrel Company, Uxbridge and Woods. Again these can be broken down even further into Large and Small and in some instances Middle. ( depending on the built depth of sides) Some were of wooden construction, some were of composite and some were all steel construction, majority were flat bottomed and a few were vee bottomed. All the Small and Middle boats are ‘Star’class and the large boats are ‘town’ class, although some of the ‘Stars’ are other heavenly bodies such as Moon, Comet, Planet, Meteor, Sun, Venus etc. and some of the ‘Towns’ are cities, .such as Birmingham, Belfast, Bristol etc.

Ok clear as mud now! It is no wonder that some people find it difficult to tell the difference so I thought I would add my two pennyworth just to confuse, forgetting for the moment all the wooden boats, as these are quite distinctive and readily identified. The all steel riveted large motor boats split into two groups. These can be identified by their alphabetical names A-H (Aber to Hawkesbury) are large Woolwich boats while H-Y Halsall to Yeoford are all large Northwiches. Another and easier way to identify them is by their construction/design differences.

From the counter. All Woolwich counters, both large and small, have only two equal tunnel bands around their counter

while Northwiches both large and small, have three tunnel bands, a large one at the top and two smaller ones below.

From the bows, (Northwich at the back, Woolwich nearest camera) on Woolwich boats the side plates are riveted through the flanges of the stem post on each side of it while on Northwich boats the side plates overlap each side of the central stempost and are riveted through from the side.

Also the top of the stem post on Woolwich boats finishes level with the top of the deck, while Northwich stem posts continue over the top of the top bend and then return to the deck. And so that’s it, at least I tried

2010-05-16T09:42:00.003+01:00

Had a really enjoyable day down the boat on Saturday and feel as though I am starting to finally get on top of the jobs resulting from the Winter and in readiness for the Summer boating season. I really need to get my finger pulled out as we are off in four weeks for a fortnights holiday. We are going down to Middlewich on the Trent & Mersey for the Middlewich Folk and Canal Festival over the 18^th – 20^th June then going to take a week to come back via the Shroppie, so I have to really get stuck in to get the boat ready. A start, though, has been made with the flywheel cover.

there’s the Ocean plait Mat in place doing what it was intended for.

And just to show the Mast Dropper in position-

Then finally I gave the two back end cupboards and the hold steps a rub down followed by a coat of red oxide.

I would have given the cabin top another coat of varnish but, There were far too many ‘sugar fairies’ in the breeze.(dandelion seeds) and as I said to Brian off the next boat to ours, if I had of varnished it would have ended up as a mohair finish!

Blossom.

2010-05-14T23:26:00.002+01:00

Making the ocean plait mat for the cabin top got me into the ‘ropework’ mood and so on Wednesday night I decided to make Dawn a mast dropper which she has been going on about for twelve months. She only want’s one so she can talk about it (it’s only because of it’s alternative name which refers to a donkeys appendage.)

I am only doing a short blog tonight as I am sooo tired. We had friends visit us last night and they did not leave until after 2.00am this morning. Paddy and Lucy Courtney live aboard a 60’ narrowboat at Nantwich and are on their summer cruise and contacted us to say they were coming past our house so we suggested that the moor at the bottom of the garden and spend the night with us as we have not seen them for about 5 years

They both retired two years ago sold everything and bought a boat to live on and are enjoying every moment. Spent most of the night talking canals on such subjects as ‘cabin roofs’ ‘nice places where to park’ and places with ‘tight corners’ what’s all that about? One thing that did come out of the conversations which I never knew about Paddy was that although I knew he did his stint in the Royal Navy, I never knew he actually spent a year with the RN’s canal based submarine and frigate. Which had been talked about recently on CWF.

We popped down to our moorings to show them Minnow and start the Bolinder for them, then it was back to our house for drinks and nibbles.

We had a cracking evening catching up, Thanks Pat & Lucy and have a good trip down the Coventry, and as always, don’t bang ‘em about

Blossom

2010-05-10T00:12:00.002+01:00

Or to put it correctly, we’ve now got a mat for our cabin top.

Let me start with an apology for the previous post was written yesterday and should have been posted yesterday, but we went out with my daughter and son-in-law and my two grand daughters last night and I forgot to post it before I went. So I haven’t gone mad doing two blogs in one day, just catching up so to speak.

It does not matter how careful you are when using a cabin shaft properly, for closing bottom mitre gates when going downhill, knocks, bumps and scratches are inevitable on the cabin top as the shaft is put back. Back in the early 1970’s when Charlie Atkins Jnr was working the tug Bittle for BWB and living at the top of the Old Thirteen in Brum, he made two ‘mats’ to place on the cabin top for the cabin shaft hook to sit on. Clive and Pat Stevens who used to run Battersea and Barnes still have theirs, unfortunately I let mine go with Bingley when I sold her. I have never had another as I did not know how to make them, but I do now. I was browsing the net and came across a site for dolls houses and there, as a door mat was an identical mat to the one Charlie had made me. It was called an ‘ocean plait’ and the article went on to explain how to make a miniature one for a dolls house out of white cotton string, but it went on to say that by using larger diameter rope a full sized one could be made. After spending most of Sunday in the garden moving soil and weeding, I came in at tea time and proceeded to make a mat for Minnow using about 20 foot of 6mm white polypropylene ( yes I know it should be cotton line and scrubbed but this will do for a starter)

The rest of the evening was spent painting a swag of roses and daises on the flywheel guard which has already been painted the same colour as the engine, (Mid Brunswick Green)

Can’t wait until the week end so that I can fit the guard to the engine. There’s just the day tank that I want to decorate with a few roses and then that’s it, no more embellishments. I promise, that it so long as nobody Bangs ‘em about

Blossom.

2010-05-09T18:37:00.000+01:00

Rain, rain and more rain. Went down to Minnow on Saturday but could not get any of the jobs done that I really wanted to as it poured down most of the day. So I spent the day tatting about in the back cabin. Wire brushed the range then gave it a good black leading followed by brass polishing which included Fiddle rails on range

Six rosettes

Chimbly chain

Four brass bed knobs

Back door handles

Ticket draw handle

Towel rail over range

Nine pot hooks

Star horse brass

Four mini brass windlasses

And not even started on the engine and so do I like polishing brass – no I hate it – but I do like to see it.

Brought the engine flywheel guard home with me as I needed to drill some extra holes in it, as I am moving it further back towards the engine so that it catches any oil that spins off the flywheel. While I have it at home I will also paint it. Here’s hoping we have some better weather next week end and I can varnish the cabin tops and get on with some of the jobs I need to get done before we head off for the Middlewich Folk and Canal Festival on 18,19 & 20^th June.

Blossom

2010-05-05T21:12:00.006+01:00

Just a quick update really, took the piston down to Minnow on Tuesday and spent most of the morning lying on the cold floor of the engine hole with my hands through the air intakes fitting the big end bearing back together.

Screwed the 6” bolt into the top of the piston to use as a handle then lowered the piston back in the bore until it sat on the lowest piston ring. One by one the piston rings were eased in by tapping them in with a piece of 3/8 nylon then tapping the piston down to the next ring until all rings were in and the piston was sitting down on the big end bearing

Connected, shimmed and tightened the two bolts in the big end then rotated the flywheel several times by hand to check free movement of piston/crank/bearings etc. oiled the big end bearing with the oil can before putting the two air intake covers (Bells) back on. I now turned my attention to the top end and fitted, bolted and tightened the cylinder head. Another new asbestos string gasket for the hot bulb followed by assembly of the hot bulb, the water jacket, the spindle assembly then finally the oil rod control.

By early afternoon the Bolinder was all back together and the lamp was put on. Ten minutes pre-heating and second kick and away she went with a crisp sharpness to her beat. For the next couple of hours I ran the engine and played. The rest of the afternoon was spent ber-bonking, twiddling and tweaking until I was once again happy with the performance. By tea time I had packed all the tools away cleaned all the black oily hand prints off the engine and engine ‘ole and left for home a contented man. And so, because I am in such a good mood, you can bang ‘em about as much as you want !

Blossom

2010-05-03T20:09:00.004+01:00

A busy week end so far. Friday night saw us out on the pop again, we had been invited to a friends 60^th birthday party at a club in Rugeley town and I must say the buffet was good (helped soak up the Guinness) and so was the disco. Saturday morning I went down Minnow and took my sore head with me. As the previous week end I had fitted a new string gasket to the hot bulb but had not tried the engine, I had decided to run the Bolinder up later on today. I started by rubbing down the back end boards and giving them a coat of red oxide just to freshen them up. I had intended to give the cabin top a second coat of varnish but the skies were grey and threatening so I gave that a miss and decided to start the engine, or at least I thought I would. I wanted a film of the engine being started which showed each of the various stages of starting and so I had taken my flip cam with me which I proceeded to film the pre-start checks while the lamp was on warming the engine. As I had to wait ten minutes while the hot bulb warmed up, I switched the camcorder off. I then decided to start the engine first, run it until it was hot, then stop it, and then film starting it. I never got that far though, after a couple of kicks it started and I ran it for a couple of minutes, and then stopped it. I then set the flip cam up on top of the tunnel lamp to film the starting. I gave the flywheel a kick expecting it to fire up straight away, but it didn’t, in fact it took several more kicks before the Bolinder responded, at which point it started in what I call ‘washing machine mode’ where it fires as it comes up to top dead centre at each side of the cycle ending up with the flywheel; going half a cycle in each direction, back and forth like the old top loader washing machines. After several further attempts to start, all resulting in the same action, I decided to leave it and let it cool down. Although after an hours cooling it would have cooled enough for me to be was able to work on the engine, I decided to leave it until the next day. This ‘washing machine mode’ is the result of not a powerful enough ‘bang’ to send the piston over top dead centre and it can be the result of at least one of two things. Not enough fuel injected in or not enough compression. As I has messed with the spindle last weekend, that’s where I started on Sunday morning, stripping the spindle out and checking the ‘spray’ by manually pumping fuel through it. The spray seemed to be coming off slightly one sided so I cleaned the nozzle out again until all was well and the spray was perfect. After re-assembly of the engine I again put the lamp on as I knew the fuel input was right. All you ever need for a Bolinder to run is heat, fuel and compression and they are guaranteed to start and run. After ten minutes pre-heating I kicked on the flywheel and again the engine started in washing machine mode, as it also did for the next several failed starts. So that was the start of the rest of the weekends work for being as the fuel was right I took it to be a problem with the compression, in other words the piston rings were probably gummed in again and so I set about stripping the engine down and removing the piston. When once I had the piston out it was obvious that was what was wrong with it as the piston rings were all stuck in.

PISTON RINGS ALL GUMMED IN

With the piston suitably bagged up, I headed off home as my daughter, son in law and new grand daughter were coming over after four.

Monday Spent most of the day in the shed working on the piston with paraffin, old kitchen knife and some 200 wet and dry. By tea time all the crap had been removed and the rings all moved freely within their grooves.

ALL CLEANED AND MUCK REMOVED WITH RINGS FREELY MOVING WITHIN THEIR GROOVES.

Dawn is back at work tomorrow but I have the day off so I will be re-fitting the piston etc. and hopefully starting the engine in correct mode so until then, as always

Don’t bang ‘em about

Blossom.

2010-04-28T23:54:00.000+01:00

Just a very short and sweet blog tonight. The early morning peace was broken this morning at just turned 6.30am when Dawn’s mobile started ringing. It was Sarah, the youngest daughter , to say that her contractions were every 3 minutes and that Kev was about to take her into hospital. By 8.40am it was all over and my second grand daughter, Bethany, was born. As soon as I got back from work we were off up the hospital to visit and at 8lbs 7ozs she is both bonny and beautiful ( just like her Gramps!) and so here she is and I’ll let you judge for yourselves.

2010-04-25T19:00:00.002+01:00

Joyful nights bring sorrowful mornings, as I mentioned in yesterdays blog, we were off out for the night last night, I only wish I had only had two or three Guinness but when your in good company and it’s going down so easy- well what more can I say. I did not get breakfast on until turned 10.00am then we chucked a few things in the car and headed off down the moorings. Weather wise, the morning had started out promising but as the morning rolled on and into afternoon, the clouds started gathering and then about 4.00pm it started raining. It’s amazing, as I mentioned earlier, Minnow had been coated in lime by a farmer liming his fields up at Hoo Mill and at the time I said that what it needed was a good downpour of rain. Well it hasn’t for the last fortnight and so we had decided to wash the cloths down with a hard broom, a mop and a hose pipe, before taking them off for the Summer, we both set to scrubbing and swilling down until all was clean again. While we waited for the cloths to dry I filled a bowl with water and washing up liquid and washed down the off side of the cabin and scrubbed all the lime dust of that as well then swilled it off with the hose pipe. I was just coiling up the hose pipe to put it away when the first couple of rain drops fell – I don’t believe it-

This putting the cloths on, and taking the cloths off is an annual event for we fully cloth the boat in winter just to keep the rain out so we don’t have to pump out so often, then take them off at this time of the year for boating an empty boat fully clothed is not a method of boating to be enjoyed.

The only problem with clothing the empty hold up is it can lead to randomly storing allsorts under the cloths like “where shall I put this” “Oh just stick it under the cloths. Which while the hold is clothed up ain’t a problem, but when you take the cloths off and all is on view to every passing boat then this accounted for the afternoons work. Moving empty diesel containers, bags of coal, batteries, a sack truck/trolley, two generators, timber and a host of other various items. While I did this Dawn set about the bow cabin top with her plane blade and removed all the lifting varnish then scrubbed it all off with an old toothbrush. All in all another satisfying day getting lots done. Unfortunately the rain stopped us putting the first coat of varnish on the bow cabin and the second coat on the back cabin as well as some red oxiding I wanted to do, but, hey ho, there’s always next week and so as always till then’

Don’t bang ‘em about.

Blossom

2010-04-24T16:58:00.001+01:00

As I had mentioned in a previous blog, the cold weather over this winter/spring had taken it’s toll on the graining varnish on the cabin top and Dawn spent time over Easter peeling off all the blown varnish. The weather forecast for the weekend was for hot dry weather so, an ideal opportunity to get a coat of varnish on it. Got down the mooring about 9.30am and started by washing down and scrubbing all the marks off the graining on the cabin top, as well as all the ‘farmers lime’ from the weekend spent up at Hoo Mill. With that done, I had to leave it to dry completely, which would not take too long in this weather, and so I turned my attention to the engine. On the journey up to Hoo Mill the gasket between the cylinder head and the hot bulb had started to blow a little bit but nothing to worry about as they do tend to do this. On the way back it started really ‘blowing smoke’ from out the engine ‘ole doors and so I decided to fit a new one while I waited for the cabin top to dry.

Removed the oil rod from the top of the spindle and raised the spindle by hand screwing it out, loosened the nuts holding the spindle flange in then carefully pulled the spindle out of it’s mounting. Slackened the fuel supply pipe and rotated the spindle and pipe out of the way of the engine. Disconnected the in/out cooling water pipes followed by the two nuts holding the mounting onto the top of the hot bulb.

THE SPINDLE ASSEMBLE REMOVED

Lifted the flame hood off out of the way then proceeded to remove the five nuts clamping the hot bulb to the cylinder head.

THE HOT BULB REMOVED

With both the flame hood and the hot bulb off the engine I took advantage and gave them a quick paint over with Calfire stove paint prior to fitting them back. While the flame hood and hot bulb were drying I got back to the cabin top which by now had completely dried. For the next hour I gave the whole of the cabin top a coat of International yacht varnish. Now with the varnish wet I returned my attentions back to the engine.

THE NEW STRING GASKET IN PLACE

I greased a 3 foot length of asbestos string which is used to produce the gasket by spirally winding it in a coil on the mating surface, the grease simply to hold it in place while you mess.

THE HOT BULB

With this done the hot bulb was bolted back on followed by the flame hood. While I had the spindle assemble out of the engine but still connected to the fuel supply I cleaned the carbon build up off the end of the spindle and cleaned the hole in the end using a set of gas welding nozzle cleaners. Having cleaned the nozzle I then loosened the fuel supply pipe and rotated the spindle assemble back and placed it loosely into it’s mounting before tightening up the fuel pipe. The spindle was again lifted clear of it’s mount and a small oil jug placed under the nozzle to catch the diesel as I gave the lifter several pumps just to check the spray pattern with the spindle both raised and close. All was fine and so the whole lot was put back together.

ENGINE ALL BACK TOGETHER AGAIN

With this done I once again turned my attentions to the cabin, this time the cabin sides, well one cabin side as I sat on the edge of the wharf and proceeded to scrub down the cabin side with a sponge and soapy water followed by a coating of Auto Glim car polish and a good buffing. By the time my arms were aching and it was getting on for 3.30pm and I needed to get back as we are out to a show night at the Power Station Club tonight at six, A Take That tribute band (I’m only going for Dawn’s benefit) still I suppose I could end up having a couple or three Guinness.

Till next time

Don’t bang ‘em about

Blossom.

2010-04-23T21:24:00.002+01:00

The one thing I really love about this time of the year is ‘eggs’ especially duck eggs and goose eggs. I know some people say that duck eggs are too strong for them but if you’ve never tried a goose egg – yummmmeee.

To give you some idea of size that’s a cracked goose egg and a hen egg in it’s shell in this bowl and as you can see the goose egg yolk is bigger than the whole hen egg! Unlike a duck egg they do not have that strong flavour and are more like a hen egg, and I’m not on about those pale insipid things one buys from a supermarket but proper free range hen eggs that have lived on a wide variety of wild growth etc. with their bright yellow yolks. Some good friends of mine, from the days when I used to do a lot of match fishing, operate, manage and fish a local lake where there has been an ongoing problem over the years with Canada Geese, hundreds of them who all nest on the two small islands in the lake and each year swell their numbers by breeding about fifteen to twenty broods of goslings, usually about over a hundred, that is until the last couple of years since they have been ‘managing’ the geese as well, that is after a little tuition by yours truly.

Canada

geese are strange animals as if one is sitting a nest of six to eight eggs on average and you take them all leaving one in the nest, they will lay another clutch. So the method is this, the fishermen have a small fibreglass dinghy which they use for maintenance and an emergency boat, which they row over to the islands and take all but one egg off each of the nests and discard them as it is not known how long they have been laid. The egg that’s left is marked with a felt pen. They return a couple of days later and take all the newly laid eggs removing the one marked with the felt pen and discard it, then they mark another fresh egg with felt pen. The geese then conveniently lay again in time for another egg gathering. The resulting eggs are shared out between several of us. The season usually last a couple of months and as Dawn doesn’t like them I get them all! The only thing with them is, like duck eggs, you have to cook them well so I either have them whipped and as an omelette or as a fried egg cooked both sides and when I say a fried egg, they are usually about six/seven inches in diameter (on the plate that is not the egg) with a yolk about 2½ inches diameter!

Writing this has started me off so I’m thinking of a goose egg for supper, so till next time,

Don’t bang ‘em about.

Blossom

2010-04-21T23:10:00.000+01:00

Tonight we spent a very pleasant hour or so with our neighbours to be up at Keith Balls yard at Stretton on the Shroppie. Dawn and I went there to visit Sarah and Jim and their big Woolwich motor boat Chertsey which is undergoing a major improvement program including new back end bottoms, some patching to the footings etc., some reinforcing of the usual lace like sections on the knee’s, replacement engine, hull blacking and red oxiding inside. Well I must say, most impressive it all was as well. We sat in the cosy back cabin drank beer (well I drank tea!) warmed by the ever reliable Epping range and chatted about a variety of subjects, all canal related and mainly about Chertsey as I was keen to find out what their intentions were for her ‘restoration’. The funniest moment of the evening was when Keith went off to get chairs for me and Dawn to sit on in the yard. He came back with two white plastic patio chairs, an aluminium mini work bench and an old folding wooden deck chair which he proceeded to open, put down and sit on. There was a loud crack and Keith ended up full length on his back lying on the yard floor on top of the smashed deck chair. “at least I now have some wood for lighting the range” was Sarah’s response whilst the rest of us just fought back the tears of laughter. No camera so no record I’m afraid. By 9.00pm we made our farewells agreeing we would see them again soon and headed off home.

Blossom

2010-04-20T21:19:00.003+01:00

For some time now I have been thinking about having a go at painting Knobstick roses. This was the knick name given to the more realistic style of roses painted for the Anderton Company by Bill Hodgson. I have never received any tuition as such but simply picked it up over about the last 50 years during which time I have simply listened, looked and tried. Some of my very early attempts were very poor when I look at them now but I was only a lad.

Later flowers and scene’s are, I think of a more acceptable standard like this bucket I painted last year

So anyway back to the practice, starting by forgetting anything I had ever learned, for the style is completely different. I studied what images I had and what were available on tinternet, which I must say was very limited. I painted a couple of practice boards a dark green undercoat, which gives an ideal surface as it isn’t a high gloss surface making it readily accept the flat colour paints.

After some practice the above was my first real attempt. My good lady wife said they were OK but thought that they looked flat, that the centres did not appear raised and so with that said it was back to the practice boards along with a few changes to the techniques I was experimenting with for the next couple of weeks.

With the two full weekends we have had it was not until tonight that I was able to complete my latest attempt which I must say I was quite happy with and certainly something I can work with- my good lady wife- she say’s there OK but remains, as always very non-committal. Peoples views would be appreciated, and be honest, don’t worry as I take constructive criticism well!

Till net time

Don’t bang ‘em about

Blossom.

2010-04-18T23:36:00.003+01:00

After last weekends bash we had to get Minnow back to Kings Bromley and so we got up this morning and had a bit of breakfast then dropped Dawn’s car off at the moorings then shot over to Hoo Mill in mine. A cupper and a chat and we were ready for the off when Andy and Laney says “we’ll come to the windin ‘ole with you” which as it turned out they did and on to Haywood lock before Laney went back while Andy was enjoying himself so much he came all the way back to Kings Bromley with us.

The canal is populated by ‘arseholes and nice people. Thankfully there are more nice people about but we met one of the others today who keeps his noddy boat immediately before the winding hole just north of Ingestre Bridge No 78. As I stuck Minnows bows into the winding hole I saw the ex Staffs & Worcs Directors inspection boat Lady Hatherton who held back and waited. We winded Minnow and headed back down the canal on dead tick over as there were both moored boats both sides of the canal and Lady Hatherton approaching which we passed and said our hello’s then as we passed the moored boat the owner said something about the motorway being just down the canal. Fortunately for him I did not hear or understand what he was on about otherwise I would have stopped Minnow and ‘had a chat with him’.

Above Haywood lock a hire boat decided that he would like to push me out of the way as his wife signalled it was clear for him to pull out of the trees where he had temporarily moored, then changed her mind and panic had set in and he went all over the cut, much to the amusement of Dawn and Laney who had fits of uncontrollable laughter. As we cleared Haywood lock I handed over the tiller to Andy who enjoyed getting his hands on a working boat again.

The rest of the trip went without anything happening just enjoyable boating all the way back to Kings Bromley. After locking up the boat we took Andy back to Hoo Mill and collected my car. An evening with TV and Chinese take away on the cards for tonight!

2010-04-12T21:28:00.003+01:00

The weather forecast for the weekend was for some much needed sun shine and so my first job on Saturday morning was to get myself to my good lady wife’s hair dressers for a much needed hair cut to get rid of the Winter fluff if the weather was going to be as good as forecast. It is very true to say that in general people married to a painter and decorator live in very poorly decorated homes, people married to car mechanic drive round in poorly maintained cars and those married to hair dressers are always in need of a good haircut!

After getting my hair cut I drove over to Hoo Mill and arrived at the site at about 11.00am to hear the strains of Brian Wells' 89 key Gavioli fairground organ playing away to some of the resident moorers etc. who were sat in the glorious sunshine on bales of straw. I walked over to the boat to be greeted by Laney who told me of the plight of the boats. The local farmer across the other side of the canal to the boats, on the towpath side, had limed the fields opposite and all the boats were completely white over. I started by wiping everything off with a dry cloth, thinking that if I tried mopping it this would just turn it into white sludge that I would just spread all over the cabin. Dry wiping, in fact, did very little other than move the dust about and so I decided to try the mop with plenty of water. I mopped the cabin top and gunnels which eventually removed most of it, what it could really do with is a good old down pour of rain to wash the lot down, but not this weekend. Next job was to polish all the outside brass work including mushroom vent, chimbley bands and chain etc. So that after an hour sporting clean brasses, klaxon and water cans, Minnow didn’t look too bad.

Finally I laid a fire in the range for although it was warm now, I knew it would chill later. So with this done it would just need a match putting to it when I left about 3.00pm to collect Dawn. With all my jobs done, I wandered off across to the marquee to find Andy to see what needed doing. Helped Andy with remaining jobs such as the electrics and setting up a sturdy table structure to support the Burco water boiler for tea’s and coffee’s for the ‘old ‘uns’. With this done I then filled the boiler up and switched it on to boil.

By two thirty there was nothing left to do so I left to head home, get changed and collect Dawn who had been at work. After a shower and a change to more suitable clothing we put a few things in the car such as my pewter tankard to drink out of (only plastic pint pots at the do) two folding camping chairs, milk and bread and bacon for breakfast and headed off. Got back down to site about 4.30pm to the smell of roasting pork and the fairground organ playing. By now both working boats Trout and Dove had arrived along with about 50 other friends and family of Andy and Laney. We met up with the new friends we had made off narrowboat Acer, moored in front of us, which they lived on at Hopwas with pet ferret Colin. For the next hour or so people milled around talking and tucking into the food and drink, whilst we were being entertained by a very talented young pianist who entertained us playing an electric key board until about 8.00pm when main band came in and started setting up on the brilliant stage that Andy had built out of large baulks of timber and thick sheets of plywood painted in black and white squares! While they were ‘tuning up’ they put some CD’s on the PA system just to get people in the mood, who were still eating and drinking. ( did I mention the three barrels of real ale that Andy had put on)

At about 9.00pm the band were ready and started the first of three sets they were to play. Well what can I say. The Rude Boys, an 80’s tribute band who did three ‘sets’ covering Ska and reggae in the first set, 80’s chart music and rock in the second set and right up to the latest Muse, Cold Play, Greenday, Keiser Chiefs etc.for their last set taking us up to about 1.30am (I think, not sure, did I menshun tha three barrels uv bier Andy put on, hick))

Went to bed after the band had finished, about 2.00am and collapsed into a deep ( drunken stupour) sleep. Abruptly woken at just after 8.00am as John and Jenny Jackson left with Roach, just got up long enough to put my head out of the hatches and squint out of one eye, then promptly got back into bed. Up at 9.00am for coffee with bacon sandwiches at about 9.30am. Faced the rest of the world by 10.00am when everybody who was about was a little tender. Sat out in the sun shine for an hour for another fairground organ recital including such rousing numbers as 633 squadron, The Thieving Magpie, several marches and more, including another rendition of Andy’s favourite, The Phantom of the Opera.

At about 12.00am more fresh food was piled out in the annex to the main marquee Pork and crackling, various cold meats and salad, chicken dippers, hot boiled skinned potatoes etc. Etc. which was eagerly tucked into by those who had the constitution. At about 1.00pm we were to be entertained by an unnamed duo (guitar and female vocals for some chill out music from writers like Bert Baccarat with hits from such artists as Dusty Springfield, Paul Weller, Dionne Warwick, and Barbra Streisand, to name but a few. The day for us finished about 4.00pm when we made our farewells and left for home. (to rest and sleep)

All in all it was a great weekend with around a hundred people there mostly like minded people who were into old things [(well the men anyway) (and I am not referring to the women before that’s hinted at)] and talking of old things the main things there to look at included:-

Working boats

Trout with her Kelvin J4

Lily with he 20hp Bolinder,

Minnow with her 9hp Bolinder,

Dove with her new Armstrong Sidderley AS2,

Roach

A 1940’s Foden lorry

Two showman’s caravan’s

A Romany bow top caravan

An 1895 fairground organ

A 1972 Mark 1 Ford Escort

sorry about the lack of photos only Dawn thought I'd picked the camera up and I thought she had!

All in all it was a fantastic weekender and all our thanks go to Laney and Andy for all the hard work and effort they had put in and also for inviting us all. I am sure this has the makings of an annual event and I’m sure as the word gets out more and more will want to attend.

Blossom

2010-04-06T21:50:00.001+01:00

As I said in yesterdays blog, we have been invited to a weekend bash up at Hoo Mill next weekend and so we took Minnow up there today. I had a doctors appointment at 10.15am first which I did not get out of the surgery until after 11.00 then came home to pick Dawns car up so that we could leave mine at Hoo Mill for when we got there. After dropping my car off, we returned home and picked up a couple of things then we were off down the moorings. I put the lamp on the Bolinder and by 12.30 we were off reversing back to the entrance to the marina to wind. The wind was blowing a gale and with the boat clothed up for the winter the journey was a nightmare with Minnow ‘crabbing’ along all the open stretches like Taft Farm and approaching Shugborough. As we approached Hoo Mill Lock, we were greeted by Laney who had heard us coming and she had run down to help us through and tell us where to moor. By 4.30pm we were tying up alongside Andy and Laney’s 60’ livaboard and spent the next hour drinking coffee and catching up on gossip with the main topic of conversation being Andy’s forthcoming ‘weekender’ Some other working boats are expected including Trout, Monarch, Dove and England as well as some old cars, lorries, a tractor, a restored fairground organ, and in the marquee Andy has built a temporary stage for the 70’s Ska band and a rock band called Guinness Pigs, as well as the three barrels of real ale he has resting. Am really looking forward to meeting up with old friends and having a laugh including Viv Scragg off Monarch and Andrew & Andrea off Dove, I’m sure I will be reporting more after the event but, as always

Don’t bang ‘em about.

Blossom.

2010-04-05T22:34:00.003+01:00

Friday: Started day off by popping down to Homebase to get sandpaper and a tin of black smooth Hammerite paint. Got down to the boat by about 11.00am and spent the rest of the day down there doing various jobs. Started by fitting the Klaxon to the back cabin slide, looked very nice, then went on to paint the internal exhaust pipe with the Hammerite paint followed by giving the chimbley another coat of paint. While I waited for the exhaust pipe to dry I put the lamp on the Bolinder and ran it up for about an hour. This put some heat in the exhaust pipe which dried it so I gave it a second coat. After the engine had cooled, I set about polishing all the brass fittings/pipe work on the engine so now it looks really smart, seems a shame to start it and dull the brasses! I finally set about making a cardboard template for a cover to the blowlamp.

Saturday: Gave internal exhaust pipe a second coat of black along with giving a coat to the exhaust ‘titch’ after this had dried, I gave the top band of both the cabin chimbley and the titch a couple of coats of white paint. Being as the sun had come out to play, I spent the afternoon rubbing down the last three foot of the top planks as the painted diamonds had become tatty and chipped. High light of the day was a woman fell in the cut off a passing boat!

Sunday: After cooked breakfast at home went down Minnow whilst Dawn set about starting to remove perished varnish from the cabin top, I painted half the engine ‘ole floor plates followed by re-painting the diamonds on the end of the top planks.

Monday: Made bacon and sausage sandwiches to take with us so made quite an early start. Started by wandering over the site to see if I could find something suitable to make a chimbley extention. Found a large empty paint tin which the bottom was cut out of and split down the side. With that done I finished off painting the engine ‘ole floor plates then painted all the ‘red’ bits on the Bolinder while Dawn finished peeling the varnish off the cabin top.

On arrival home, there was a note in the porch off the owner of another Josher motor boat called Lily, inviting us to take Minnow to his 50^th bash next weekend where there’s live music, a marquee, a hog roast and a number of other working boats, so looks like we will not be doing work on Minnow tomorrow, but taking her up to Hoo Mill instead, ready for next week end.

2010-04-01T11:02:00.000+01:00

I know that yesterday I said that I would not be blogging until after the Eostre break, but I have snatched a few moments to put this one together. I am thinking of putting a large illuminated sign on the roof of my bungalow which reads “ Eat At Joe’s” for, of late, we seem to be attracting a lot of waifs and strays. Two weeks ago, on the Saturday afternoon, Dawn returned from work and as she pulled up on the drive, saw through her rear view mirror, what she thought was a feather fall behind her car as she stopped. When she got out of the car, there on the drive, was a budgie. Quick thinking, she took off her coat and threw it over the budgie catching it. .The budgie was then picked up and brought into the house where, after calling me and explaining, a suitable small cardboard box was quickly prepared with holes as a temporary home. A telephone call to her sister, who lives a few doors away and who happened to have a spare bird cage, was made and the budgie was given it’s new home. On the Sunday a trip was made to the local ‘pets at home’ where a new large cage, feeders, toys, bells, mirror, swing and food were purchased (free budgie – I’m all for that, £50.00 for setting up house – not so sure) Settled in his new abode the budgie is giving hours of entertainment with it’s antics and loves to ‘squawk’ along with any music that’s playing and, strangely enough every time the Dyson is switched on! It appears as happy as Larry and reacts as if it’s lived here all it’s life even taking to it’s new name of Joey, (even though it’s a hen bird).
Last weekend an almost identical event occurred, when \dawn got out of her car, hopping about on the drive was what \Dawn at first thought was a sparrow, which made no attempt to fly off as she approached. She walked straight up to it, bent over, and simply picked it up. Coming into the house she said “your not going to believe this by I;ve caught an unusual sparrow on the drive, I think it’s injured though because it did not fly off”. And so the empty ‘spare cage’ which had not yet been returned to her sister as she is in America golfing, was purloined as a ‘temporary house’ for the sparrow while it gets better. When released into the cage I could see it was not a sparrow but in fact a canary that was absolutely flown out and exhausted. Fearing another expensive trip to Pets at Home, I said “doesn’t look very well, don’t think it will survive” and so for the moment anyway it is reduced to living in it’s ‘council house’ and not a ‘luxury detached desirable property with extensive facilities’. (Although I’m sure that is to come)
We also have two stray cats which regularly visit for feeding as well as our own tortoise shell cat and yellow Labrador. Dawn is, and always has been a bit of a sucker for a sad story as far as animals are concerned as over the years we had taken in many unwanted animals. I have said before that Dawn own’s a hair dressers and customers regularly come in with a “you don’t know anybody who wants a kitten-puppy etc. And so in the past we have taken in a pair of Dutch rabbits, a guinea pig, gerbils, hamsters and the list goes on, even the two cats weve had and the Labrador are from rescue. We often take unwanted blankets, duvets, towels etc. To a local dogs/cats home in Penkridge where she insists on looking at all the residents ‘while were there. Poor old George is now a pensioner and 13 years old and showing the signs of old age with deafness and arthritis setting in. Already Dawn is talking about a puppy!
Blossom

2010-03-31T22:33:00.004+01:00

Starting to get a bit twitchy now as the holidays approach. Originally we were taking Minnow down to Coventry Basin for the alternative historic boat gathering but, as the cabin top has took a bit of a battering this winter and as I am a bit of a stickler for presentation of boats then a decision was made not to go but instead to spend time down the moorings working on Minnow instead. For some reason, and I have never experienced this before, the varnish has completely lifted off the graining in great big areas all over the cabin top, and yet none of it has lifted off the central panel of painted diamonds down the centre of the cabin even though they were varnished at the same time as the graining!. The graining and varnishing were done the summer of 2008 when the weather was perfect for painting being warm and dry, the paints I used were Ratcliffe`s Graining Products and International’s Yacht Varnish so I just don’t understand why the varnish should completely detach itself from the surface of the graining and peel off, don’t know if it is anything to do with the prolonged snow covering and freezing temperatures that caused it but what I do know is that I have got to get it right back to the undercoating and start all over again (oh bugger)

I have a whole list of jobs I need to get done as well including fitting my Klaxon and lots of various painting and tarting up jobs so I will be down at Minnow from Friday through to Tuesday so this will probably be my last post until at least Wednesday next week when I should have some more to blog about, so until then

Don’t bang ‘em about

Blossom

2010-03-27T17:43:00.002Z

Had a really satisfying day down on Minnow today. As the weather was so fine I decided to finish off prepping and painting the engine. After coffee and toast I loaded a few bits and pieces into a bag and I was off. Spent the first couple of hours finishing off the prepping with file, old kitchen knife and an assortment of various grade sandpaper/wet & dry. I had already painted the flame hood and hot bulb Almond White with ‘Calfire’ stove paint and so I set about spending the next three hours painting the main castings with Craftsmaster Engine Enamel Mid Brunswick green. The sun shone gloriously but with all doors/slides open for maximum light, I was absolutely frozen even with tee shirt, jumper and fleecy shirt on. (lying on the steel floor plates of the engine ‘ole did not help I suspect. When finished I made a coffee and just sat on the battery box admiring the engine and I must admit it does look quite good.

Before painting

Flame hood painted and engine castings prepped

Bolinder’s new paint job

We are off out tonight to a show night with female singer, comedian and a tribute Queen band called QE2 so a good night is expected and a bad head in the morning!

So I’m off for a shower and get ready as the taxi is at 6.30pm. so till next time,

Don’t bang ‘em about.

Blossom.

2010-03-26T23:47:00.002Z

Before anybody says anything, I know it was my own fault!

Sarah and Jim off Chertsey have been up at Stretton all week and I have just not been able to get away to pop over and visit them and have a nosey round their boat and the work being done up at Keith Ball’s yard. As I finish work at 3.00pm on a Friday I thought I would surprise them with a visit, even though I had got to be down at the local Power Station Club house for 6.30pm to help out with the membership renewals. I raced home and quickly ran through my chores, had shower, shave and got dressed so I could go straight to the Club after my visit. Headed off to Keith Ball’s yard and got there just after 4.00pm. As I pulled onto the yard and switched off the engine I saw a fellow coming over towards me and recognised him as Keith. He asked if he could help me and I said “is Jim and Sarah here, or have they gone”. “You must be Blossom” he said and went on to explain that I had missed them and they were now on their way home but were calling at the moorings at Kings Bromley on the way. I spent the next hour chatting to Keith as he showed me round the yard and we discussed some of the historic boats he had at the yard as well as the 9hp and 15 hp Bolinders he had along with the original fuel tank off Minnow! Unfortunately he did not want to part with it as he intended to use it, along with the 9hp Bolinder in Gambia/Siberia. Anyway after this hour’s chat, I bade my farewells and raced off down to the moorings at Kings Bromley to try and catch them there, but again unfortunately I had missed them again. It looks like it will be after Easter now before I get to see them, In the meantime I am keeping my eye on there new home. So till next time,

Don’t bang ‘em about.

Blossom

PS Chertsey’s looking good!

2010-03-22T22:09:00.008Z

Whilst still on the storyline of food related, I received a freebee through the post the other day which I received for completing a customer survey ages ago which I had forgotten all about. When I picked it up off the hall floor, it was obvious which Company had sent it from the logo’s etc. on the box, but what it contained was beyond belief!

You love it or you hate it, yes that old favourite Marmite! My self I fall into the love it camp, whilst my better half Dawn hates even the smell of it. Receiving this freebee got me to thinking about Marmite so I decided to ‘Google’ it so to speak and found out allsorts about this wonderful product. In fact to start with, I will link it to last nights blog for one of the meals I used to have when living on Bingley involved Marmite.

Ingredients:

12 slices of very thick white bread

Enough butter to butter the bread

Approx a 2 pounds of mature cheddar cheese

Two/three large onions

A good knob of butter

Black pepper & salt to taste

A jar of Marmite.

Prepare by peeling the onions and slicing into rings.

Grate the cheese.

Spread one side of each of the twelve slices of bread with butter and a thin layer of Marmite.

Using the cast iron casserole pot, place a good knob of butter in the bottom along with roughly a third of the onions and place on top of the range to melt the butter whilst stirring the onions. When the butter has melted and coated the onions evenly, take the pot off the heat. Evenly spread the layer of onions across the base of the pot then add a layer of four slices of buttered/marmited bread facing up, followed by a layer of a third of the cheese. Repeat the process with a second and finally a third layer of onions, bread, cheese. Put the lid on and put into your hot oven for about 45/60 minutes. For the last ten minutes take the lid off to brown the top layer of cheese. Mmmm Mmmm delicious.

As most of you know, Marmite is a yeast extract and is made from the by product of brewing beer It’s Original factory is in Burton on Trent close to Shobnall on the Trent & Mersey canal and you can fill your lungs with the exquisite aroma if the wind is right as you pass through. I was amazed as to how many differing products and types of Marmite were available, here’s just a few.

The original traditional Marmite

Marmite with Champagne

Marmite with Guinness

Marmite with Marston's Pedigree Bitter

A variety made for Australia

And then there's other 'Marmite' products

Marmite flavoured Cheddar Cheese

Rice Cakes

The ever favourite, Twiglets

The latest promotional Walkers Marmite crisps

The original Walkers Marmite crisps

Marmite flavoured Fudge!

Marmite's own branded crisps

Breakfast cereal bars

Marmite Breadsticks

Cashew Nuts

Mini Cheddars

And yes Marmite flavoured chocolates

Marmite sausages

Marmite cheese spread

And then there's other products

set of mugs

A set of egg cups

Marmite sandwich box

Marmite gift boxes

Personalised sterling silver jar lids

Waste bins for chewing gum!

4 London Taxi's

Sports shirts

Bomber Jackets

And of course now Paddington Bear no longer eats Marmalade sandwiches but has been converted to Marmite!

And finally, if you have made it to the end, what this blog all started off with - the freebee I received and here's the box it came in, and honest it is the actual product, I even gagged at the thought of brushing my teeth with Marmite flavoured tooth paste. What I would like readers to do is post a comment as to whether they love it or hate it, and those who love it would they use Marmite toothpaste.!

Just click on these images to get a larger view and read for yourselves!

Blossom

2010-03-21T21:41:00.005Z

Simon of narrowboat Tortoise ‘requested’ the other day for information about cooking on/in an epping or similar type back cabin range.

The first thing I would say is this, the best money I ever spent was on a cast iron casserole pot which I bought back in 1970 when I lived on big Woolwich butty Bingley, and am still using today on Minnow’s Guidwife. The particular one I used is still made today, it is Le Creuset Cook ware, vitreous enamelled cast iron oval casserole pot I think it is the 25cm one.

Stews have always been a favourite of boating for it needs little doing when once it’s set up, simply chop up what ever is to hand put it in the pot with water and an oxo stick it on the top of the range to give it a good start then put it in the oven and just wait. You can leave it on all day and all night for several days and just keep adding water until everything dissolves and even the cheapest cuts of meat will just fall apart and melt in your mouth. I know it’s down to personal choice, but my absolute favourite is rabbit stew, there’s nothing finer than a rabbit saddle that’s been stewing for 48 hours in the stew pot!

As anyone will tell you, traditional back cabin ranges cook the best meat pies and pasties ever, especially the tinned varieties like Fray Bentos as they seem to crisp the pastry up a treat. (and the empty tins make traditional chimney covers)

Fish is also a good winner cooked in the oven by placing your selected piece of fish on a piece of kitchen foil, adding a knob of butter, sliced mushrooms and whatever seasoning you fancy, folding the sides of the foil up and sealing them by folding the edges over each other. Finaly seal the ends and place the fish parcels on a plate and put them in the oven for about 45mins, (depending on the range and how hot it gets)

As far as taking the hot plate off the top of the range to place a saucepan or kettle on for ‘quick boil’ that is the done thing, just watch the bottom of your pans/kettles as they get very black!

Being as we don’t live on the boat now, what we tend to do is when we cook at home we cook in bulk and always drop the extra portions of curries, chillies, or spag bog’s in the freezer and then take them on the boat and drop these in the oven during the day. Hope this has been of some use, and especially if you are cooking on the move,

Don’t bang ‘em about

Blossom.

2010-03-20T20:04:00.003Z

Some months ago now, I was down the moorings working on minnow when Brian a neighbour who’s boat is moored next to Minnow at the moment, came knocking on the cabin side. When I stuck my head out of the engine ‘ole he was stood there sporting a water can type thing. A design I had never seen before and obviously old. “Ay up Blossom, just wondered if this was any use to you” It turned out to be his dads and was in a garden shed and his daughter had painted in with ‘roses and a church in oil paints which had all faded and cracked. “Just thought you could paint it up for on the roof of your boat.” “Cheers Bri’ I’m sure I’ll find a use for it” I brought it home and it has stood in the office/computer room since before Christmas and when I had finished painting Chertseys bucket ‘n’ chucket I was in the mood for painting and so I set to work on it. As it poured down with rain all day today I decided not to go down to Minnow, but occupied myself by finishing off the ‘can thing’

I will put it in Minnows engine ‘ole and I’m sure I will find a use for it. If anybody knows what it is please let me know, the body is about 12” wide and 14”high.

Cheers

Blossom

QUALITY

QUANTITY

SERVICE

SURROUNDINGS

VALUE FOR MONEY

2010-03-18T19:39:00.003Z

About a week ago a colleague at work, knowing my love of tinkering with all things mechanical and old, came into the office and asked me if I would have a go at fixing something for him. He had bought it when his lad was a very young boy ( he’s now in his thirties) but it’s been in the loft for the last 20 years and it won’t go. “What is it” I asked but he would not tell me he just said “you’ll love it, I’ll bring it in next time I’m in the office. The next couple of days I was out of the office undertaking contracted work, but when I returned on Monday there was a box on my desk with a note attached saying, “weve tried to start it but it wont go or do anything, see what you can do please”.

Well Talk about toys for the boys – I could not wait to get it home and start tinkering. “What is it” I hear you all ask, well here’s a clue.

Still don’t know, well it was what I can only describe as every boys dream in the 1950’s-60’s I would have given my right arm for one of them here’s another clue

It was a working model of a steam traction Engine, built by Birminham Compay Mamod Limited of Gravelly Hill which used to be close to Salford Junction. At the time that my colleague had bought it, the company we both work for were working in association with them and he used to go in there as their Training Officer looking after their apprentices. Here is the inside of the flyer that was inside the bow showing the full range of the vehicles that they had on offer.

Below are all the bits as they came out of the box, all there, just in need of a little TLC.

I started by doing what every young boy does, working on the kitchen table and taking it all apart to see how it works (usually used to end up remaining in it’s box ,in bits, for the rest of it’s life) after stripping down I examined all the moving parts for damage or wear and all seemed all right then the fault became obviously apparent to me. The years spent in the loft without oiling and with the remnants of the last charge of steam left in the cylinder without cleaning had, first of all allowed a ‘growth’ of verdigris to turn the inside of the cylinder green stopping the free movement of the piston, and secondly there was that much clag in the workings that the steam delivery valve/hole was completely blocked. With the assemble completely removed and the piston eased out through the top end,I was able to run a strip of cloth coated in brasso through the cylinder and remove all the gunk. The delivery hole was simply cleaned with some Ajax surface cleaner, a cotton bud and a cocktail stick left over from Casino Royalle. All parts were then cleaned , wiped over with a clean oily rag then re-assembled. The safety relief valve was unscrewed and the small funnel placed into it’s hole in the top of the boiler and the boiler was filled from a boiled kettle (just to speed the process up) and the water level checked on the working sight glass! Two of the solid fuel tablets were loaded into the fire tray and the whole thing put back together. I struck a match and lit the fuel then sat back while the magic was performed.

A bit like starting my Bolinder and it’s at this point with the bolly that I usually put the kettle on and make a brew, or as in the case of the traction engine I decided to amuse myself by reading the text on the side of the solid fuel tablet box, and amused I was as I thought what Health and Safety would make of it today and state “What sort of toy is this to give to a small child” for the warning read.

May be harmful or fatal if swallowed. Not to be used by children except under adult supervision. Contains Methenamine – in case of accidental ingestion, feed sodium bicarbonate and give plenty of water to drink. Call a physician immediately! So that’s why Dads always played with them and the child would not get a look in, the dads were ensuring the child’s safety!

After five minutes of heating, the hiss of escaping steam from the cylinder told me that she was ready. A couple of spins on the flywheel and she was away. Childhood dreams flooded back aided by the smell of the steam and the hot oil.

With the fire box held up on the box of matches and under full steam, holding the traction wheel off the table allowed the engine to just run as can be seen from the blur of the flywheel and driving wheel unfortunately what did not show up was the steam coming out of the stack. While I sat there ‘playing ‘ I gave several loud blasts on the steam whistle which alerted the attention of my good lady wife who stuck her head round the kitchen door, tutted, shook her head muttered ‘childish’ then disappeared back into the lounge. I continued playing until the steam ran out! After wiping every thing down, it was all carefully put back into it’s original box ready to take back to the office tomorrow. I don’t really want to give it back though!

I must go down the boat this week end and have another tinker with my Bolinder- that will do the trick, as always

Don’t bang ‘em about

Blossom.