UMBRELLAS

Maybe I am just sensitive, but I cannot abide umbrellas. The owners of this dubious fashion accessory seem incapable of understanding the damage that can be wrought with the rib ends to anyone's eyes let alone mine.

Umbrellas have a simple function to keep the rain off ones head and shoulders, so why, oh why, oh why do some people carry umbrellas that could house a circus. A golf umbrella is for the golf course not the city.

I am surprised that H&S of even the EU have not outlawed them yet.

I can only say that the morons who wield these dangerous weapons should at least be compelled to have insurance lest they injure anyone especially me!

Maybe this is the answer

Speeding

We had a visit today by a plastic hire boat who thought it would be great fun to come under Abingdon bridge as fast as possible. Not only did he send all the plastic boats around on a white knuckle ride on their morings, poor old Tapper was thrown off balance in his boat and cut his head open. Don't let me hear anyone say speeding doesn't do any harm.

BOLLARDS again

And another use for those bollards.

Picture by J Stansfield

Bones on the Rochdale

Love the Gov

What a caring government we have. In response to a petition for separate service hospitals they have said this:-

The Government is entirely committed to providing excellent medical care for the members of the Armed Forces and for veterans and we share the aspiration of the petitioners to see Servicemen and women and veterans receive the best medical care possible. However, we do not believe that this would be achieved by attempting to create a separate military and veterans hospital in the UK.

Then they said this:-

“The principle behind the decision to move from stand-alone military hospitals to facilities which co-operate with the NHS was the right one, from a clinical, administrative and financial point of view.”

So its not about money then?

The former UK military hospitals, which have been progressively phased out from the mid 1990s, increasingly failed to offer the range and volume of cases that military doctors, nurses and allied health professionals needed to remain at the leading edge of their professions. This is a pre-requisite for providing the best possible operational medical care which is at the heart of
the Defence Medical Services.

It's about the career path of the clinicians. Oh well thats alright then.

Doo Doo again

One thing the Rochdale seems to have a lot of is doggie doo. Lock surrounds seem to be a favourite place to unload ones dog. The signs BW have put in place are yet another waste of money. There is no policing. Maybe there needs to be a shotgun policy!

Water

Sometimes the water level on the Rochdale is less than adequate as seen here in the pound before the summit.

Passenger

I picked up a hitchhiker on the Rochdale. Kate thought it was great.

Bollards

Finally a reason for those damned bollards

Latest

Maffi is away on the Rochdale Canal.

Another little change

Milly's back end looked rather swish when I first took her out on the water. However it soon became apparent that the circuit breaker panel was not best placed. Not only was it on an opening door, but it was in the entrance so CB's were often switched off as people came in or went out.

A little bit of jiggery pokery and it is now mounted on the forward panel of the electric cupboard.

The old position is being formed into a place to keep current maps.

Emails are not from me.

---

If you got an email from me about a company, it wasn't from me at all.

Sorry folks.

Oh Ship!!!!!!!

I don't really understand all this ship shit. My boat is not a 'qualifying ship', but then it isnt any kind of ship. It was never intended to be any kind of ship and it will never be any kind of ship.

I had my boat built specifically for me to live on and to this end I sold my house to finance it. It is my home it is not a ship it is the only home I have.

I did not pay VAT on my brick house. So why should I or anyone pay VAT on any house they buy. There is no law that says I cannot live on my boat full time so I do.

As long a God makes little apples I will never understand why HMRC insist that this is a ship but doesn't qualify as a ship for living on.