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we've had trains, buses, lorries etc but very little about canal transport so here's a bit of local info

 

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I think I took these photo's from my Bradshaws canals book

 

Rog

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Not canals but the River Trent. I remember when there was active barge traffic on the Trent in the 60’s. Quite often, when I was in the Bromley arms at Fiskerton, barges would moor up overnight and the crews would come in for a beer. The last barge operating in the area came from Whittakers of Hull which used to bring petrol up to the Colwick fuel depot. A friend of mine hitched a ride on one once and it dropped him off on Fiskerton wharf outside his house.

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38 minutes ago, plantfit said:

we've had trains, buses, lorries etc but very little about canal transport so here's a bit of local info

 

P1080328.jpg

 

P1080329.jpg

 

I think I took these photo's from my Bradshaws canals book

 

Rog

The build now has modern windows and the lower part is a restaurant but the writing is still visible on the walls

 

P1090182.jpg

 

Rog

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‘The Inland Waterways of England’ by LTC Rolt is a definitive guide to the waterways. Out of print now but used copies can be found cheaply on eBay and Amazon. A very interesting read. I’ve been trying to find it in my library but to no avail. I think I need a Dewey Decimal system!

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Canals ! Now you're talking my language Rog.

Phil, a really good read is "Windlass in my belt", about working on the canals.

Another interesting story is an audio book in the Inspector Morse series called, "The Wench is dead", it's about a murder on the canal that Morse tried to solve. Well worth a listen to. Can be found on you tube, but I have a recording of it. Can I post some canal pix? 

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I’ve always had a fascination for canals but my only practical experience was a long weekend on the North Oxford about 25 years ago. A friend, who is approaching retirement, has a new build narrow boat under construction and I follow progress with interest. At my age I’ve decided that my boating days are over but I’ve had a lot of interesting experiences sailing in the Falmouth Bay Area and around the wild waters of the Hebrides. I take pleasure in doing scary things but it’s time I stopped!

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Alas, I too have called a halt to narrowboating. I know there are people older than I who still cruise, but the thing is, 'er indoors started complaining about the harness digging into her shoulders. We really ought've got a boat with an engine.

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2 hours ago, Beekay said:

Canals ! Now you're talking my language Rog.

Phil, a really good read is "Windlass in my belt", about working on the canals.

Another interesting story is an audio book in the Inspector Morse series called, "The Wench is dead", it's about a murder on the canal that Morse tried to solve. Well worth a listen to. Can be found on you tube, but I have a recording of it. Can I post some canal pix? 

post away mate post away

 

Rog

1 hour ago, Beekay said:

Alas, I too have called a halt to narrowboating. I know there are people older than I who still cruise, but the thing is, 'er indoors started complaining about the harness digging into her shoulders. We really ought've got a boat with an engine.

:laughing:

 

Rog

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Bradshaws canals and navigable rivers, Bradshaw was made famous again through his Railway guide by Michael Portillo for the TV series but Bradshaw also published a canal guide and covers some 14,000 miles of navigable waterways giving facts and figures on the subject

 

DSCF1795_(2).jpg

 

Rog

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2 hours ago, PeverilPeril said:

Did you ever perform at the old Empire Bekay :)

No PP, but I did at the Bulwell Olympia.thumbsup

Screenshot-20221104-231505-You-Tube.jpg

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Cruising on the canals can be such a calm leisurely experience and I’d quite fancy having a week on the local canals.  I took the kids on proper organised school holiday day trips on the Grand Union Canal when we lived down that way but the best canal trip we’ve done is on the Canal du Midi in Southern France.  It was a brilliant and beautiful trip but quite tiring as there are so many locks along the stretch we travelled.  We rented an 8 berth boat (for 6 of us plus our dog, because we didn’t want to be too cramped) also rented a couple of bikes so we could get even more exercise along the way.  I’d really recommend this trip and we’re considering doing it again. 

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Sadly, we don't have any canals here in OZ but we do have the mighty River Murray. It is in serious flood right now and all water activities have ceased. We often go for houseboat holidays on the river with a group of friends. Very civilised it is too. This boat has three large bedrooms each with en-suites and a bar and spa on the upper deck. We have used it twice.

Outback Star Houseboat | Wilkadene Above Renmark Experiences

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13 hours ago, philmayfield said:

There was a Grantham canal preservation society. I don't know if its still running. I doubt they'll get it under the A46 now and there would be no chance of joining the Trent just past the Forest ground.

When the new A46 was constructed a bridge was put over the old canal route to assist any future opening of the Grantham canal, The section near the A1 in Grantham has just been cleared and is now looking like a canal once more

 

Rog

 

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We did go on a short narrow boat trip somewhere to the rear of Belvoir castle many years ago. I knew the chap who owned Tadley Electricals on Haydn Rd. in Sherwood and he was was an avid Grantham Canal activist and I noticed a man in Lidl Bingham yesterday with a ‘Grantham Canal Preservation Society’ badge on his jacket so I guess the society is still running.

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I believe there are plans to try and open the Grantham canal again. It would be a wonderful 26 mile cruise. If memory serves me right is Hickling basin still in water. I know some stretches are still navigable as I've done a You Tube walk along there. In 1977, a ranger colleague of mine walked the entire length in stages. He'd walk about 9 miles then catch a bus back. Next day a bus to where he stopped then continue the walk, and so on. Think he took about 300 slides.   B.

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There are lots of obstructions to progress on the Grantham Canal. A lot of bridges were flattened to ease road traffic movement and the canal just flows under by a couple of concrete pipes. The canal is also completely blocked where the A1 crosses the course of the canal.

 

The Grantham basin was completely filled in in the 1930s and has long been an industrial estate. There are some photos of it just before demolition on the Britain From Above site.

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6 hours ago, Oztalgian said:

Sadly, we don't have any canals here in OZ but we do have the mighty River Murray. It is in serious flood right now and all water activities have ceased. We often go for houseboat holidays on the river with a group of friends. Very civilised it is too. This boat has three large bedrooms each with en-suites and a bar and spa on the upper deck. We have used it twice.

Outback Star Houseboat | Wilkadene Above Renmark Experiences

You're making me envious Oz. Nice lifestyle.

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A nice little read if you get a copy, lots of memories and some quite rare photo's of part of the Cromford canal

 

DSCF1796_(2).jpg

 

Rog

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