Memories from Simon Gates now in Canada

Hi David,

I have been thinking about the canal trips and this is what I can add at the 
moment.

The first trip I came on was the second for the group. (The first trip was 
the sinking boat and the origin of the Corgi anecdote, I believe). That trip 
we went from Wolverhampton up to Ellesmere Port. The weather was pretty bad 
and I distinctly remember helming back from Ellesmere port in a hail storm! 
I also remember that the canal out of Wolverhampton was really filthy - the 
water was black and full of run-off from a sewage plant.

1990 was the year that we went up through Manchester (The Manchester Ring?) 
on the Macclesfield canal and met a certain boat full of Prison Officers. I 
am sure of the date because it was when I bought my first house. It was also 
the year that a certain Dr. brought the "fridge" on the boat. I also 
remember how cold the deck plates were to sleep on.

1994 was definitely the Leeds and Liverpool as you have on the list. It was 
my last trip and I remember we finished it very quickly and spent a couple 
of days moored up in Halifax (I think).

General things I can remember include:

Waking up in Llangollen with the boat leaning over (I kept falling out of 
bed and couldn't work out why until I woke up fully) and then looking out to 
see only a little water left in the canal and the ensuing panic to get back 
down the Llangollen until we found deeper water.

Exiting a deep lock sitting at the back of the boat and Martin C., who was 
up front, yelling "ramming speed" and the look of sheer horror on the faces 
of the people on the fiberglass cruiser which had somehow got itself 
diagonally across the canal in front of us.

Cruising flat out on the River Severn and Ted dropping bits of tissue in the 
water at the front of the boat and timing how long it took till the stern 
passed them to work out how fast we were going (8 Knotts, as far as I can 
recall). On the same trip, mooring to a floating pontoon but omitting to 
tell everyone that it wasn't the full length of the boat. John P's 
expression of surprise (!!) when he went to step ashore but there wasn't any 
'ashore' at that point.

Mooring at a remote country pub at around 2pm and asking the landlord how 
long he would be open. He looked us all up and down and replied dryly "As 
long as you lot keep drinking!" I seem to remember we took that as a 
challenge and drank him out of a particularly good Wadworth's 6X.
Then I remember shortly after we got the boat going again ( God alone knows 
how!!) Mike N and I rescuing a lamb that had got stuck in a fence. I could 
hardly stand at the time - I don't think I had ever drunk so much in 
lunchtime session before or since.

Brian W and beer on his cornflakes.

Enormous steaks for breakfast.

Coleslaw that seemed to take on a life of its own.

Precooking 2 meals for the boat - a chilli and a spag. boll. I think - using 
15 lbs of meat, 5 lbs of onions, countless tins of tomato and kidney beans 
and it was still only just enough even though each one had to be cooked 
using all my saucepans at once.

I also remember the year that we were all very ill on the boat - someone 
came aboard with 'flu and of course we all got it. Martin C had the idea 
that we should all drink as much spirits as possible because viruses are 
soluble in alcohol. We were permanently pissed and going through rum and 
whisky at an amazing rate. Funny how the memory of rum and mars bars at 10 
am sticks in my head. I remember you were very worried about what Dorothy 
would say when Brian got home because he was really quite ill for a few 
days. I think I even had to have the next week off work I was so ill.

The mobile phone on narrow boat to Cathay Pacific jetliner over the south 
pacific sked.

The first narrow boat in the UK to be equipped with mobile Phone, 2m and GPS 
and the resulting Hedgehog effect on the roof!

Oh happy days!

As I remember more I will send it.

Did you get my first long(ish) email last week?

Cheers for now,
Simon.