hamster

They play this mental game called 'Northampton Skittles' involvong standing some hal;f size pins on a table and throwing a lump of wood at them. A sign above states "Underhand ONLY" !!

Should mention that Saints - JPT - Wemberkley was flying proud the whole way around. Rule 1's lanother time.

Sory, I do a bit dont I.

phil, you may be surprised to hear that due to pub breaks and a small encounter with the hooligan elemnt of canal life, in the first 48 hours we had trasvelled a grand distance of about 4 miles. First night we just lit the fire cracked open a bottle of sainsbury's 'finest' red and battened down the hatches. Wasn't 'til late saturday aftrenoon that we pulled the pins and headed around the corner to Blisworth where we found a dog friendly pub with the most amazing jukebox you have ever seen (more of that later). We stayed and we drank and we drank and we sang (well, one of us did). I spotted a poster for some live music the following Friday and a plan was made to return for our last night aboard. Next morning (11:30 IS still morning) we went through the 3rd longest tunnel in Britain - Blisworth to Stome Bruerne - and got drenched. On entering I panicked having spotted another boat heading straigh towards us. I hit reverse and pushed the tiller so hard to post that it was bending until the almighty whack as she hit the side, and another as she bounced across to the other side. mrs h screamed and Boo (the ever-fatithful Pug) yapped and farted simultaneously, which was a blessing really as the stench helped to mask my own evacuation of the bowel area. Anyway, as the boat steadied herself I realised that this headlight heading in our direction was in fact not a headlight, it was the light at the other end of the tunnel! At Stoke Bruerne (immediately the other end of the tunnel) I had to stop I was soaked and shaken and their was no way in this World that we were going to tackle our first locks without a break to consider our options; one being to turn around and give it up as a bad job. Of all the places you don;t expect to see 'disabled parking' it must surely be on a canal. Wrong. the only two free moorings were both painted bright bloody orange and had little wheelchair emblems on them! Anyone who knows me will testify that I have no beef with people with disabilities, in fact some of my best friends are disabled ;-) My beef is with British Waterways actually and I am reliably informed that until one has a beef with BW, one is not considered part of the canal community, BW OUT! Anyway, **** em said mrs h, "who's gonna tell?". I tied up temporarily to assess the locks and as I stodd there scratching my beard along comes our saviours, another boatful of fools suffering from March madness (evenm if it was still February). We descended two locks together and deciding that it was as ood a place as any to take a *** (canal people will know exactly what this means and why it must be done), we moored up and hastily retreated to THe Boat Inn. It would have been rude to just use their WC's and go so I ordered a pint of Frog Island which went down as quickly and smoothly as a lady of a certain profession in a certain village near Southampton on a certain Premier league managers todger - allegedly. Boo liked the company and we stayed a while.

Beards eh? I've had mine since New Year and was foing to keep it either until saints lost in the league or until after my holiday (from whit i have just returned). Coincidence? Strange forces? Anyway, it's coming off this week.... ..............perhaps.................. ...............perhaps not

Neighbours

/\ mrs b, mrs b, i was so disappointed that we didn;t get to share knotting tips. It was an amazing holiday, they should have it on prescription they really should. Evrything we expected and more, much much more. What is it about the canals that makes everyone so nice, friendly and helpful? Some brilliant pubs and some excellent ales. Already excited about our next excursion, might try to squeeze a couple of long weekends in if I can fit it around all our other commitments, not least renewing my kinship with my beloved Saints. btw, did I miss much?

Roullette

/\ Very funny ls, very funny indeed. I can assure you that my body naturally counters the effects of alcohol through decades of practice. The land-lags were genuine, mrs h also experienced the sensation which she likenend to....well protecting her modesty prevents me from repeating what she compared it to, suffice to say she was smiling when she said it. We had quite a few unexpected happenings along the way, you wouldn't beleive what happened to us at Stoke Bruerne and as for Three Locks a Soulbury, well I honestly thought that I was going to die, seriously. Note to self (note to mrs h actually) - always check that their is plenty of water in 'pound' prior to opening top lock paddles, ALWAYS. I was sat like a fool as the water beneath me disappeared andf our boat listed dangerously to starboard, thankfully when these canals were built they had the foresight to make them saucer shaped and the bottom was a safe resting place. On the plus side the only souls about were staff from the adjacent Nameless pub who assisted mrs h in refilling the canl from further up. You'd like the canals l.s, very peaceful and not much happens to spoil the idyll. ;-)

CHiPS

You may well jest BB but by a strange twist of fate we found ourselves moored up just 2 boats along from 'Ragdoll' on the Thursday night awaiting our course to begin the following morning. They weren't in before anyone asks and I will rule 1 it at a lter date. Suffice to say i have many a takle to tell from distant shores which will be told when I gets me land legs back. Weirdest sensation yesterday, stood in a public house ordering some food and found myself swaying from side to side - legs like jelly, never expected that at all.

Ahoy there me hearties. 'tis I 'greybeard' returned from me travels, what be occuring?

Right I'm just about to 'pull the pins' as us boaty folk like to say. See y'all laters.

own (as in 'fond of')

****horse and by some strange coincidence we are off to Banbury in a short while. Spooky eh?

/\ Are you preaching to me Dog? Your pint in The Wharf could be in jeopardy. We'll be there about 8-9 tonight if you fancy it? I have no distinguishing features but we will have a Pug and shall be quaffing large glasses of white wine and hearty pints of ale.

broken

The texts have stopped and now I feel bad. Nevermind, I may get the chance to make amends hopefully, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

I as in Ipod maybe I ain't so old after all.

/\ Yes that is correct SL, I meant Chtham House Rule. Don't you just love these English quirks?

I worry where this might be going actually. 'Chatham Rule' applies then fellas?

Oi! Southampton's Albiom Band' is part of this club's heritage. Bring them back I say to join in the 125 year celebrations.

I bet many have a tale to tell about fancying eachers, I would have to reveal far too much about myself to join in with that one.

Can we move this thread on a bit and discuss who our all time biggest crushes have been. Celebs only. No English teachers. That's for another thread.

I used to be a Beatles nut, can't remember this at all. I am sure I have heard it at some time if they had done, I used to own some studio tapes at one time. Must be worth a fortune nowadays. Love the Beatles to bits.