Monday, 12 September 2016

Cruise To Hawne Basin 2016 (9)

Cruise To Hawne Basin 2016 (9)

Rolfe Pipe Bridge to Hawne Basin

Date:  12/09/2016

Just a gentle cruise avoiding scratching the new paintwork.
 

Today's Total:
Miles: 9.6
Locks: 0
Swing / Lift Bridges: 0
Tunnels: 3
Pump Outs: 0
Engine Hours: 4.5
 
Accumulated Total:  
Miles: 2801.1
Locks: 1797
Swing / Lift Bridges: 362
Tunnels: 69
Pump Outs: 26
Engine Hours: 3719.3

Sunday, 11 September 2016

Cruise To Hawne Basin 2016 (8)

Cruise To Hawne Basin 2016 (8)

Aston Roving Bridge to Rolfe Pipe Bridge

Date:  11/09/2016

Just a gentle cruise avoiding scratching the new paintwork.
 

Today's Total:
Miles: 5.0
Locks: 13
Swing / Lift Bridges: 0
Tunnels: 1
Pump Outs: 0
Engine Hours: 4.5
 
Accumulated Total:  
Miles: 2791.5
Locks: 1797
Swing / Lift Bridges: 362
Tunnels: 66
Pump Outs: 26
Engine Hours: 3714.8

Saturday, 10 September 2016

Cruise To Hawne Basin 2016 (7)

Cruise To Hawne Basin 2016 (7)

Minworth Bottom Lock to Aston Roving Bridge

Date:  10/09/2016

Just a gentle cruise avoiding scratching the new paintwork.
 

Today's Total:
Miles: 5.4
Locks: 14
Swing / Lift Bridges: 0
Tunnels: 1
Pump Outs: 0
Engine Hours: 5.5
 
Accumulated Total:  
Miles: 2786.5
Locks: 1784
Swing / Lift Bridges: 362
Tunnels: 66
Pump Outs: 26
Engine Hours: 3710.3

Friday, 9 September 2016

Cruise To Hawne Basin 2016 (6)

Cruise To Hawne Basin 2016 (6)

Body Moor Heath Wharf to Minworth Bottom Lock


Date:  09/09/2016

Just a gentle cruise avoiding scratching the new paintwork.
 

Today's Total:
Miles: 5.0
Locks: 11
Swing / Lift Bridges: 0
Tunnels: 1
Pump Outs: 0
Engine Hours: 5.0
 
Accumulated Total:  
Miles: 2781.1
Locks: 1770
Swing / Lift Bridges: 362
Tunnels: 65
Pump Outs: 26
Engine Hours: 3704.8

Thursday, 8 September 2016

Cruise To Hawne Basin 2016 (5)

Cruise To Hawne Basin 2016 (5)

Pooley Hall to Body Moor Heath Wharf

Date:  08/09/2016

Just a gentle cruise avoiding scratching the new paintwork.
 

Today's Total:
Miles: 8.1
Locks: 2
Swing / Lift Bridges: 0
Tunnels: 0
Pump Outs: 0
Engine Hours: 5.0
 
Accumulated Total:  
Miles: 2776.1
Locks: 1759
Swing / Lift Bridges: 362
Tunnels: 64
Pump Outs: 26
Engine Hours: 3699.8

Miles: 2894.7
Locks: 1819
Swing / Lift Bridges: 382
Tunnels: 74
Pump Outs: 27
Engine Hours: 3889.6

Tuesday, 6 September 2016

Cruise To Hawne Basin 2016 (4)

Cruise To Hawne Basin 2016 (4)

Atherston Top Lock to Pooley Hall

Date:  06/09/2016

Just a gentle cruise avoiding scratching the new paintwork.
 

Today's Total:
Miles: 5.6
Locks: 11
Swing / Lift Bridges: 0
Tunnels: 0
Pump Outs: 0
Engine Hours: 6.1
 
Accumulated Total:  
Miles: 2768.0
Locks: 1757
Swing / Lift Bridges: 362
Tunnels: 64
Pump Outs: 26
Engine Hours: 3694.8

Monday, 5 September 2016

Cruise To Hawne Basin 2016 (3)


Cruise To Hawne Basin 2016 (3)

Charity Wharf to Atherston Top Lock

Date:  05/09/2016

Just a gentle cruise avoiding scratching the new paintwork.
 

Today's Total:
Miles: 8.5
Locks: 0
Swing / Lift Bridges: 0
Tunnels: 0
Pump Outs: 0
Engine Hours: 4.5
 
Accumulated Total:  
Miles: 2762.4
Locks: 1747
Swing / Lift Bridges: 362
Tunnels: 64
Pump Outs: 26
Engine Hours: 3688.7

Saturday, 3 September 2016

Cruise To Hawne Basin 2016 (2)


Cruise To Hawne Basin 2016 (2)

Smeaton Lane Aqueduct to Charity Dock  

Date:  03/09/2016

Just a gentle cruise avoiding scratching the new paintwork.
 

Today's Total:
Miles: 9.4
Locks: 1
Swing / Lift Bridges: 0
Tunnels: 0
Pump Outs: 0
Engine Hours: 5.2
 
Accumulated Total:  
Miles: 2753.9
Locks: 1747
Swing / Lift Bridges: 362
Tunnels: 64
Pump Outs: 26
Engine Hours: 3684.2

Friday, 2 September 2016

Cruise To Hawne Basin (1)


Cruise To Hawne Basin 2016 (1)

Granthams Bridge to Smeaton Lane Aqueduct 

Date:  02/09/2016

Just a gentle cruise avoiding scratching the new paintwork.
 

Today's Total:
Miles: 8.6
Locks: 1
Swing / Lift Bridges: 0
Tunnels: 0
Pump Outs: 0
Engine Hours: 5.1
 
Accumulated Total:  
Miles: 2744.5
Locks: 1746
Swing / Lift Bridges: 362
Tunnels: 63
Pump Outs: 26
Engine Hours: 3679.0

Murdoch Media - click bait.

Finding, checking and telling the real news - from Murdoch Media - click bait.

Like an increasing number of British people. I gather much of my news sources from Facebook and Twitter. I am sure that these aren't the best sources, but because of the untrustworthiness of the media in the UK, that is today's reality. Especially if you believe that truth, transparency, balance and accuracy are important factors. The ability to separate real information from lets say satire or propaganda is a critical core skill. Especially as we are seeing now - every year is a Labour Party leadership election year.

Thongs evolve and change over time. Now that the media is increasingly being forced away from print and output is moving over to the web. Print copies numbers are being replaced by click count. Now known on the web - coequally as click-bait. We all from time to time create a link to an on-line article or news report. Especially when this item is supportive to our interests or cause. However, its important that we, the readership, discourage propaganda and disinformation from being spread. The media lies and half truths that's simply designed to outrage in the desire to propagate propaganda and to acquire website 'clicks' for the media.

Today, truth in the 'news' is an elusive item - even on social networks, where anything goes and 'facts' are almost never fact checked. So, rather than provide a link, for even more - click bait numbers – why not cut and paste the pertinent bits into a posting of your own. You can also provide your personal viewpoint - backed up with your own fact checking endeavours.

Now that the media is split across newsprint and web content. Its essential to understand what is happening and how you can avoid the click-bait trap. For years the print media has had to report the number of copies sold. (Advertising charges are often calculated from circulation figures) 
 
In 2010 the Sun's daily circulation figures were 3,006,565 by 2016 this had fallen dramatically to 1,787,096. The Sun was deserted by 1,200,000 readers. I imagine that the intrusive, phone hacking. Plus the unrelenting media pillorying of the McCann and Dowler families - went some way towards accelerating this trend. Hated by a whole area of the nation (Merseyside) for its horrendous coverage of the disaster at Hillsborough.

The Daily Mail in 2010, the circulation figures were 2,120,347 however by 2016 the figures had fallen to 1,589,471. That is a fall of over 600,000 copies. This in no small way being prompted by the public renaming as the Daily Fail or even the Daily Wail. 
 
In the same time period, even the Daily Mirror, has fallen from 1,218,425 to a low of 809,147.

The availability of multimedia news platforms around the world, has also accelerated this decline in the 21st century. By the close of 2014, not a single UK newspaper had a daily circulation exceeding two million. The general overall circulation of newspapers has declined by 6.6% in 2014–15 alone. Now, the media is increasingly promoting a web presence and trying to sell a tainted product in a very competitive market – one where the reader is also an on-line editor, operating unfettered by the newsprint owners propaganda machine. News is and can be - fact checked - as fast as it is published. Complete websites have been created just for source checking.

It is the same on television. Thirty years ago if Reginald Bosanquet said it on the BBC, it was most likely true. Today the BBC has lost its reputation for impartiality and reporting facts. Now the BBC is just another organ of media propaganda. Peddling bias for whichever political colour is in government. Once there were few TV channels available – but now there are thousands available – either via digital or satellite television. Once upon a time I would watch the BBC as a matter of course – now I tend to watch the news in English from foreign broadcasting services.

One curious outcome is that now, if you read it in Private Eye Magazine, it is presented in a satirical format - but with a large spoonful of the truth. Today, if it is something you read in a UK newspaper whether in print or on the web - well, who knows, but there is one thing upon which you can be certain – its biased and designed to spread propaganda or in the media's eternal search for click-bait.

Thursday, 1 September 2016

Another Shiny Boater is back on the cut!

Well - its been a while (almost 3 months) and I have enjoyed these few months away from blogging. I needed a break,  I also needed to concentrate on some other pressing matters. 

However, now I have returned.

One reason was a complete refurbishment of 'Rosie'.  Our boat's paintwork was tired to say the least. After 12 years and 3,500 hours of cruising the inland waterways, 'Rosie' was in serious need of a repaint. We had patched and partially repainted bits of the boat in the past. But it was time for a complete cosmetic makeover. We looked at many boats out on the cut, comparing them for quality. Time and again when we checked boats that we thought had been well repainted. You would see the name of Granthams Bridge Boatyard and the name of the painter, G Moore.

Rosie (semi-trad) had always had a problem with drainage in the foot well. She had a second problem in heavy rain, with water cascading from the roof and into the foot well area. So new roof scuppers were made and the back deck was given two additional drain points. The end result has already been tested by a very heavy torrential downpour - everything worked as we hoped.

We left behind 'Rosie' and went off for a couple of months to tour France in our motorhome. You can imagine our joy when we returned to find that 'Rosie' had been repainted and we had to make time to discuss the signage with the signwriter.
We are pleased with the quality of the repainting and structural changes. So much so - we also decided to have some of the boat internals remodelled. Now sporting a new Dinette and some boxing in of kitchen equipment. Not only does the outside look good - but the inside is much better and meeting all of our requirements.

The old pram cover had done sterling service, but like the old paintwork, was also tired and ready for replacement. So we also had the pram cover replaced and once again we are pleased with the quality of materials used and the fit.

The boatyard is a friendly place to visit. Its a very relaxed atmosphere and you can also talk to any of the team and get advice and opinions about their specialities. 
Would we recommend Granthams bridge boatyard for painting, structural alterations and internal joinery, yes we certainly would. We will be back at Granthams bridge in the spring 2017 to have a diesel heater fitted as a replacement for our existing but tired LPG system.