Brilliant.

Seems a bit OTT just for carrying a toolbox round .

Footie trainers and white socks though?

I love stuff like that!
Shows that some of us are still alive and not following the herd.

My ex-FiL (actually, when I think about it he's still officially my FiL) had the only remaining iron, steam powered narrowboat. It was quite mad, there were no guards or covers on the engine and you had to squeeze past it if you wanted to get from one end of the boat to the other. I find narrowboats generally dull but that was always a fun day out.

"Quite mad, there are no guards or covers on and you have to squeeze past if you want to get from one end of the house to the other"

I'm strangely reminded of Mrs Perrin.

I find narrowboats generally dull but that was always a fun day out.

Yes agreed -and i own one!
There are som eancient old diesel engines with heat rails heavy fly wheels and low revving that are almost interesting - its impressive to see a coin balanced on a 100 year old running engine - for at least 3 seconds anyway

Lazarus wrote: ↑Tue Jun 09, 2020 10:34 am

I find narrowboats generally dull but that was always a fun day out.

Yes agreed -and i own one!
There are som eancient old diesel engines with heat rails heavy fly wheels and low revving that are almost interesting - its impressive to see a coin balanced on a 100 year old running engine - for at least 3 seconds anyway

I can see why some find it dull, but I lived on one with my partner for 5 years, it was brilliant!

I was editorial assistant on Canal and Riverboat for a short while, many years ago. Adrenaline levels were generally towards the lower end of the scale, although I did once almost take a borrowed narrowboat over a weir

Not too much to do with cycling although there is cycling & the odd bivvy but Jasper Winn's book Water ways is quite a nice read.

https://www.waterstones.com/book/water- ... 1781257968

Ties in nicely with the Canal boating on this thread.

Cheers Rob

On the subject ... narrowboats were one of the things my old mans fabrication firm used to make. When they were busy with other stuff my dad would often build them singlehandedly. It was always interesting to see them take shape from nowt but sheet. I recall that when he sold up and retired, one potential purchaser for the boat side asked where the big press was that they used to form the hull Also, Josh Brycelands dad would often fit them out once built.

They also built cremators, so I've been inside quite a few without actually being dead

Boat/cremator..... You'd want to make sure which one you were inside of before any testing commenced......

Barrowboat?

I can see why some find it dull, but I lived on one with my partner for 5 years, it was brilliant!

I did about 15 years and will be back on it once the kids are grown up.
I did not say I did found narrowboating or life afloat dull just those brass polishing types who talk about engines, collect canalia, and tell you about the history of the canal [ christ I hope you were not one with your castle pictures on your doors - mine had those BTW]

I have 18 Locks and 40 ish miles to look fwd to this weekend- thankfully not solo.

Lazarus wrote: ↑Wed Jun 10, 2020 9:03 pm just those ..... types who talk about engines, collect canalia, and tell you about the history of the canal ......

Errrrrrrm...... sprockets, tarps, Jones, meths stoves, bottle cages, bikepacking vids, maps, ditches, H-bars, seatpacks, bikepacking goes back centuries, historical meths stove collections, clunkers, trespass laws, blah.................

Lazarus wrote: ↑Wed Jun 10, 2020 9:03 pm

I can see why some find it dull, but I lived on one with my partner for 5 years, it was brilliant!

I did about 15 years and will be back on it once the kids are grown up.
I did not say I did found narrowboating or life afloat dull just those brass polishing types who talk about engines, collect canalia, and tell you about the history of the canal [ christ I hope you were not one with your castle pictures on your doors - mine had those BTW]

I have 18 Locks and 40 ish miles to look fwd to this weekend- thankfully not solo.

Ah, good on you! No, I definitely wasn't interested in roses and castles, brass knobs, and potted plants! We painted over most of that. I like/find interesting the industrial architecture of canals, but it's not something I wouldn't talk about in open society! Sounds like you have a long day of chugging ahead, certainly too much solo. Similarly, we also fancy getting back on board somehow when the kids are grown up...seeing as one is only 6 weeks old it might be a while!

Interesting story about the narrowboats and cremators stu, there's inspiration for a cloth patch in there somewhere...'cremator survivor'?