Hi, Your comments are always most welcome
Sue, what I mean is, I don't think the best way of doing it is to do a single post about multiple days.
For example, Maffi's great, and I like it when he gets irritated about something and lets off steam in his own unique way, but I much prefer it when each day has its own entry.
Yes, I did re-read what you said Andrew, and it made more sense to me 2nd time around.. I still find it great to read blogs though even if it is a weeks worth at once.
Maffi always has a lot to say about things he is passionate about.
I still am of the opinion that if it was not for him getting irritated then all us continuous cruisers might have had to pay 2.5 times what we do now for our licence to BW.. he sure did lose some friends with the pressure he put on BW, but he made a lot of good friends too.. 
Sue
Sue
Don't get too excited about the East Anglia rivers, the great ouse has been closed to navigation more since easter than it has been open - high water levels and flood conditions - Add to that if conditions do improve it is closed at Ely because a train has fallen through a bridge. Several friends have gone away for a week and been stranded for a couple of weeks because of river levels, others have taken a cheap late deal in Spain - lets hope everything improves for the IWA festival.
Always interested in your blog even it is just you are bored.
David & Joy
Marina locked at St Ives 
I read your blog everyday as long as I get an internet connection! Don't mind what you write about, it's just great to have a regularly updated read! 
I think the mechanisms is used to open paddles between the lock chambers of the pair of side by side locks as an aid to conserving water.
If you were going up, for example, your lock would be empty and if the other was full you would open these paddles to half fill your lock by half emtying the other one. The close this and use the normal paddles to use half a lockfull of water from the pound above.
Then the other lock could be emptied for the next boat to come up and only half a lock full of water was let go.
It all works the other way round if you are going down.
By opening the normal paddles and these extra ones at the same time you could get the locks to fill and empty quicker, although not saving much water.
I hope that all makes sense - ask me again if it doesn't.
Paul
Hi Sue
David and Joy are right - East Anglia isn't a great place to be right now - those wide open skies are chucking it down with rain!! The EA keep opening the sluices to keep everything from flooding but it takes several days for the water to catch up with its self, so our boat is going up and down like a yoyo, and frequently gets stuck on a mud bank normally well below the keel.
Hoping it runs out of rain by the time the school holidays begin.
Keep up the blogging - I think its great which ever way you do it.
Here's to sunny days.
Gail 
Hi Sue/Vic
Just passed Staff` Canopies so it looks as though we will miss meeting as we are all heading for Stourport/Gloucester (floods permitting)
Blogs are like books, if you don`t like one put it down and choose another so don`t worry if you might be boring anyone, we all write as we want. Mine was started so the kids could follow my adventures but as in yours and many other blogs we meet a lot of nice people through our writings.
Be safe
Regards to Chas/Ann
David, Joy and Gail,
Yes the East Anglia scene at the moment is not a good one.. but then I wouldn't have minded that. Being stranded over there would not cause me a problem, and as far as getting grounded is concerned, I am getting grounded almost every 5 minutes on this canal system with narrowboats passing by at a good 3-4mph.. Only 3 boats in all the time I have come from the Thames have passed us on true tickover.
The IWA festival is going to be a difficult one I think, unless they can work miracles and get that bridge cleared there is going to be total confussion using the other link to Hermatige.. especially coming back and getting the tides right.
There are going to be a lot of upset boaters me thinks and a lot of complaints to the IWA as to the venue this year.. remains to be seen.
Paul,
Thanks for that, a good explanation.. so similar in a way to the Foxton and Watford Flights that use side pounds.. On the way back I will take a closer look. Pity they are not in use now then.
Elsie and Les,
Well it has been a few years of writing, and like you Les, I started this blog because the children wanted to know where Mum was and to save phone bills on keep phoning me up!!
They still want to know where Mum is, and have the blog as their home page when they switch their computers on..
Tis a good way of keeping tabs on someone.. At least if I don't write a blog one day, I get a phone call in the evening!! 
Sue
Hello Sue & Vic,
Nice read as always, how are you? glad you enjoyed yer time with Mo & Nessa, I hpe they put you in the picture about my latest health news.
Did you get a cork from Balmahas party? tee-hee. take care. best regards Pat x 
Pat,
How lovely to hear from you.
Yes Mo has kept me up to date with how you are. I was sorry to hear that you had moved off the waterways, I bet that was quite a wrench.
Yes we had a great time with Mo and Ness, we seem to get on just fine, or maybe it is an excuse for a good 'ol booze up when we meet!
Oh, and yes, I did manage to get a cork from Ness.. she had loads of them, and now Fred has a perch!
Sue
Les,
So we will catch you on the way back won't we?
I hope you are not going to the K&A via the Severn Estury?
Sue
