Wednesday 3rd June; home
Apart from grabbing the odd dry spell to load the car, and road-works around Stratford causing delays on the way home, there is little to report boatwise. So instead here’s something I spotted on CanalPlan during our trip. I don’t know which book it came from, but I wouldn’t have got any I-Spy points when I was a child – no boats in our part of Essex!
Narrow Boat-Motor Powered
Canal barges about 7 ft. wide are called Narrow Boats. They usually travel in pairs, the motor boat
towing the butty boat. In the motor boat
I-SPY the steel tiller, often with an extension making a long steering handle. (20 points)
Butty Boat
I-SPY the wooden rudder - called the Ram's Head, the tiller - turned up at
moorings, and the bright colourings. Roses and castles are traditional features of
the decorations. (20 points)
Painted Can
Look out for it on the deck. And often
you will see the dipper too. Both have
the gay roses in pink, red, and yellow. (20 points)
Ram's Head
The entwined rope is the Turk's Head, and the upright piece is the Swan's Neck
(20 points)
Ornamental Chimney
I-SPY the cabin chimney decorated with horse brasses. Show your REDSKIN badge, and you may be
invited to see the brasses inside the cabin too. (20 points)
Stop press on Claydon bottom lock; yesterday (Tuesday 16th June) a navigation closure alert came through for the Claydon flight. It only said ‘due to damage to offside bottom gate at Claydon lock 21’. I suspect that the leak had got so bad that the levels wouldn’t equalise to fill the lock any more – if it’s boat impact or balance beam failure they usually say. Anyway, it’s been inspected, remains closed and the next review isn’t till Friday. We are lucky we went when we did!
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| It was too early for the meadowsweet to be flowering – this photo is from July 2019 |
Trip stats
1 mile 3¾ furlongs broad canals, 6 broad locks
85 miles 2¼ furlongs narrow canals, 68 narrow locks
9 lift bridges; Banbury, Chisnell, Mill, Shipton (twice each), and Haynes (once).
Back in the 80's when I was a book seller in York, there used to be a customer who came in the shop most weeks asking for the 'I-Spy train spotter booook' You would have to look for him, but always coming back with the same answer 'sorry, no'. I did once try to order him a copy, but there was a reason I can't remember now, most probably not in print. I suspect even if we did sell him a copy, he'd still have come in too ask each week, 'have you got an I-SPY train spotter booook?'.
ReplyDeleteApologies, the anonymous comment was from me Pip Nb Oleanna
ReplyDeleteI was wondering - could have been some random person googling I-spy books! I volunteer in our local Oxfam Books & music shop and have only ever seen one I-spy book, a more recent one but not used, no idea if it sold or not. But it wasn't a train spotter booook! Best of luck with the painting, hope it all goes to plan - must be so frustrating for you both-can you keep Tilly out of cat prison?
DeleteWhen are you out next Debby? cheers Ian (NB Skylark)
ReplyDeleteHi Ian, July all being well. Somewhere in the Midlands!
ReplyDelete