Netherton Tunnel under threat

Cracks and bulging bricks have been found on a 150-year-old canal tunnel in the West Midlands. British Waterways' engineers are investigating after tests showed the lining of Netherton Tunnel's centre sections had moved. They will spend the next few days carrying out tests to find out the nature of the movement and possible causes. A spokesman said the tunnel was still structurally sound. The tunnel, which is 3,058yd (2.8km) long was completed in 1858, and was the last major tunnel to be built on the UK's canal network.

Senior manager Dean Davies said "The tunnel was known to suffer from ground movement and that is was monitored on a weekly basis. We are currently concerned about the amount of movement happening in the centre section of the tunnel, which is a common weak spot in tunnel design." Vic Smallshire of the Dudley Canal Trust said "In terms of diameter it was the biggest in the country and, when it opened, was the M1 of its day. Before it opened, boats could have waited up to two weeks to use the previous Dudley tunnel, which was only wide enough for one boat to pass through at a time." During the works, the canal will be restricted to boat traffic at intervals and the west side towpath will remain closed.

On another tack...

Some people have a bucket list of things they want to see or do before they die, others like the government have a New Years Honours List. Me, I have a Grumpy Boater New Years Dishonours List of what I would like to see happen.

Top of my list is :-

Just pineapple topping!

Pensioner

If the Socialist Peoples Republic of Iran and Bradford can make plans to send a monkey into space. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Why can't we do a similar thing with the CEO of British Waterways. Robin Evans.

I was not thinking of sending him into “Space - the final frontier” type space, though it has some merit. I was thinking of sending him into the “Waste of Space” type of space. He could go “where no man has gone before” and he could do us all a favour and be gone much earlier than planned.

In most years in the Governments flavour of the honours list, some old decrepit musician is wheeled out. The dust is blown off and everyone collectively mutters under their breath "Who's that?".

This year will be a bit different. For the first time a member of the popular "Arab Spring" band who's latest gigs in the desert went down a bomb will be honoured.

This year it was the turn of the old stalwart Muamar Gaddafi to make a killing. The much loved and misunderstood front man (who led to the creation of the Arab Spring) and a close oil rich friend to Tony Blair.

With memorable evergreen songs like "Tanks for the memory" and "Never gunner give you up" or the duets like  "All These Things That I've Done - The Killers" or "Civil War - Guns N' Roses" or "Give Peace A Chance - Plastic Ono Band" not forgetting  "I Hope You Get Drafted - The Dicks" and "March With Me - Montserrat Caballé and Vangelis."

Later.....