« Beale Park setup

UK Waterways Ranking Site Scores – September 2010 »

I travelled home on the train yesterday afternoon and packed the car with all the material for our stand during the evening.

This morning saw a trouble free drive to Beale Park and we were unloading our boxes by 10 o’clock and stacking them in the marquee.

Most of our setting up was done by lunchtime when we retired to our boat for a quick sandwich and a coffee.

We finished the stand this afternoon and watched everyone else working on theirs.

If you are coming to the IWA National Festival then please come and say hello to us. We are at stand A2 in the Premier Marquee, just inside the left hand entrance doors.

Our Waterway Routes narrowboat is moored outside on berth N2B, that’s just to the north of the entrance if you miss us during the day.

« Meeting Bloggers

Beale Park stand »

We’ve made it to Beale Park for the IWA 2010 National Festival. With the strong winds that have been blowing and the recent heavy rain it is good to see all the marquees nearly finished and the site progressing well.

Boaters are starting to gather and the official mooring spaces come into effect from tomorrow when there will be a shuffling of boats to get everyone into their correct place. Come and see us at berth N2B if you get a chance. - that’s just north of the entrance to the lake and the second boat out from the bank.

I have a little shuffling to do with a return home by train to collect the car with the exhibition stand and boxes of DVDs, ready to set this up during Friday.

Look our for our stand, A2, in the Premier Marquee. next to the left hand entrance door.

Please say hello, and introduce yourselves – we’re looking forward to meeting you.

« Oxford Canal’s new Bridge 189

Beale Park setup »

Getting ready to leave this morning we were passed by bloggers Chas and Anne on Moore2Life as they headed into Banbury.

I walked into Banbury and was rewarded with the opportunity to meet Bones, aboard her boat Bones. It was great to meet another blogger and have the opportunity to chat, however briefly.

We’re heading into Thrupp tomorrow, then onto the Thames on Sunday as we head to Beale Park where we have a stand at the IWA exhibition for the bank holiday weekend.

« Sunrise

Meeting Bloggers »

Bridge 189 on the Oxford Canal has been missing for several years, awaiting repairs. The abutments have recently been repaired and today was the day for lifting the new bridge into place.

The crowds gathered from the waiting boats - note the pampered pooch sitting on its owners chair.

The crane arrived and lifted the deck into place first and the fit was checked. It was lifted out again for minor adjustment, then replaced.

Aligning the teeth at the pivot was a little tricky but lots of hands soon made light work of the task and the platform was in place and correctly aligned.

The first of the balance beams was lifted into place and large bolts used to fasten it there.

The workboat was used as a working platform to access the bolts underneath to make sure they were tight.

Suddenly it was starting to look like a proper bridge.

Then the second was lifted into place and bolted into position and it was time to test the balance.

The beams had deliberately been manufactured a little too long and the chainsaw was used to make the final adjustments.

The press were getting bored by then so two proud craftsmen who had made the bridge stood for photos and answered their questions. They fitted the handrails and finished their work after a short lunch break.

We talk about "hanging" lock gates but what’s the correct term for fitting a bridge? Any suggestions?

« Coincidences & Connections

Oxford Canal’s new Bridge 189 »

Travelling south along the Oxford Canal this morning we reached Hardwick Lock as we approached Banbury.

A lady, from Sunrise queuing below the lock had come up to help and recognised our boat as she was a blog reader.

She introduced herself as Carol, from Norfolk, with Mark holding the boat below. She had found our blog from reading Sue’s No Problem Blog.

Thanks for introducing yourself, it’s always nice to meet blog readers in person, however briefly.

« UK Waterways Ranking

Sunrise »

Last Sunday I filmed Canal Voyagers Hotel Boats, Snipe & Taurus, ascending the Wolverhampton 21 Locks for a short promotional video we’re planning.

While I was there I collected a copy of their latest brochure which has a splendid picture of the hotel boats in the locks at Braunston, outside the Canal Shop at the bottom lock,

I followed them a little along the main line towards Birmingham, taking more photos.

A few days later, after they had visited the Black Country Living Museum and Windmill End, they were moored in Birmingham. After walking along the towpath and chatting to Neil and Corinne, the owners, I continued towards out boat.

Two boats further along I spotted Sarah-Kate and stopped to chat with Mike and Jo who we had met when we helped Balmaha and Sarah-Kate through Caen Hill Locks. Jo explained she had taken photos of the Hotel Boats at Braunston and let them have a CD with permission to use them.

I showed Jo the cover photo of the Canal Voyagers brochure and asked if it was one of hers – she thought it might be.

Later in the evening, when I met Neil again, I asked about the cover photo and he explained it came from a kind lady who posted him a CD. I explained the kind lady was probably moored two boats behind.

They introduced themselves the following morning. It would have been a shame to be so close and miss each other without knowing.

Two days later after I had moved our boat from Birmingham to the Lapworth Link, 19 miles, 19 locks and 3 lift bridges single handed in one day, I filmed the hotel boats again.

Talking to a guest on the hotel boats I discovered he had already purchased some of our Canal DVDs by mail order through the Canal Shop Company.

By now we were approaching Lapworth lock 14 where Neil runs his Canal Shop from a boat moored alongside the lock and the guest was able to introduce himself to Neil.

We’re moored near Long Itchington tonight, ready to ascend Stockton Locks tomorrow morning, perhaps even reaching the top of Napton Locks, as we head towards the IWA Festival at Beale Park on the Thames where we have our stand for the Bank Holiday Weekend.

« Norton Junction

Coincidences & Connections »

Time for another look at the comings and goings on Tony Blews’ wonderful UK Waterways Ranking Site. This counts website hits over seven days and ranks the site accordingly.

Our own Waterway Routes score has been gradually climbing during the nine months I have been collecting the statistics - nothing too exciting but a comforting, gradual climb in score.

Let’s look at a couple of others too.

Derek and Dot on Gypsy Rover have been travelling the waterways and blogging about their journey. There are lots of ups and downs but they have achieved a reasonably consistent 1500.

They recently sold their boat and are now renting a home in March while awaiting delivery of their new motor home.

I wonder if they will continue blogging about waterways and remain on the ranking site, or if they will start blogging in general.

A newcomer to the statistics is Neil Ratcliffe’s Canal Shop Company. Neil registered on the ranking site a long time ago, but has only recently added the code to his web pages (and still hasn’t added it to all the pages),

It always takes seven days from adding the code for the seven day total to be meaningful but there’s a clear climb to over 1500. I wonder where it will settle down.

Let me know if you would like to be featured in future statistics.