Sunday 11 November 2007

Haven't moved yet

Still moored at (Batchworth) Rickmansworth

Not much has happened around here today except the usual walk to town. This morning we went to Travis Perkins for some timber to repair water damage in the bathroom.

Reading other boater blogs we would like to agree with Sue on No Problem over BW's actions of changing limited time moorings to long term winter moorings.  This effectively leaves continuous cruisers out in the cold so to speak.  We recently came across this at Brentford where the visitor moorings have been cut back to 3 spaces and the rest have been marked for winter moorings only.  When we were there, there were 3 boats on the visitor moorings with another breasted up.  As we wanted to stay here for a while we found a slot up by the work shed which was marked "Winter moorings only" which we occupied for 14 days.  We had our licence inspected by BW staff but nothing was said even though we were only displaying a gold licence and NO mooring permit.  Apparently the moorings here at Batchworth are supposed to be winter moorings also but there are no signs stating this.

The other boater we agree with is Andy on Granny Buttons over super market plastic bags.  Like Andy we store our bags for use as rubbish bags but we also do use reusable shopping bags occasionally and gain green card point from the likes of Tesco's.  I think that plastic bags are "greener" than we give them credit for as they are made chemically where the old fashioned paper bags come from tree's which the world is running short of and take 15 years to replace. Admittedly paper is more biodegradable but is not as durable as plastic.

What is wrong with shopping bags made from Jute, flax or even string. They fold up small and go in your pocket.  That's all my grand parents ever used. When I was a kid I can remember people going door to door selling cane shopping baskets.  Just before we left New Zealand there was a plastics manufacturer who had come up with a way of making fence posts for the farmers from guess what,- USED PLASTIC SHOPPING BAGS. It all comes down to the slogan Re-use or Recycle.

815 locks, 1132.5 miles, 33 Tunnels, 39 swing bridges and 19 lift bridges since Nov 2006

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