Ouch, point taken!

Seyyed, This is my pleasure. I can send you hi-resolution images if you wish.

Thanks, Peggy. So far no one's got angry with me on the post! But I get so irritated with filling station flowers wrapped in plastic. It's partly the plastic, partly the cheap sentiment and lack of commitment. I think it's charming that there's a tree or a hardy perennial or a bunch of snowdrops or something. I did like the fact that that particular family had made the effort to cut the grass, but I doubt they'll keep it up. Actually, if it happened to me, I wouldn't want to be remembered at the location where I died, but where I lived. Andrew

Neil, I've not been up there for a couple of years, but I don't remember it being in operation when I went up. I've been looking forward for a long time to using sideponds myself.

Andrew says: "Good doggy, thank you for the wood, but Granny does have a diesel heater!"

Patsy, I like to say the English canals are 'ethnic', in the sense that they have a unique and distinctive culture. Boats are readily available for hire all the year round, although the hire season only comes into its own from Easter to late September. Best to hire (if you can) when school children aren't on holiday, as it will be a little quieter then. As to where to hire from, well perhaps the Midland narrow canals are a good start.

Apologies, Dawn. Yes, it's not technically a 'workboat' (I don't know why I called it that). It *is* old, though! I saw it was Darley when I arrived, but after a night of wandering I forgot, saw it adjacent to Malus, and assumed it was Atlas.