@@richardfearn6638 no worries thanks for watching

@@Paul_C the government doesn’t fund any of this, it’s all done by private investment, grants etc from things like the heritage lottery, membership and local organisations. I agree though this country is in pieces, I’ve just had a massive rant at a councillor on Facebook about the state of our streets 😂

@@CourtAboveTheCutwell said

@@richardfearn6638 I get regular comments like this, I never get a response when I say the above 😂

@@CourtAboveTheCut Perhaps you could approach your local Members to get the Social Payments paid to "the Poor Starving Workers" to be channelled through the Restoration Trusts as wages for work done on these projects? That way the poor bleeders could get the chance to gain some useful skills that might give them a leg-up into a productive lifestyle. Maybe even canteen meals on site to obviate the loot being bled off on drugs, booze, ciggies, video games. Win-win all round! 🤔🙄 Also interesting to get another perspective on the use of drones today - other than the loss of "Muh Writes and Freedumbs!" 😱 And that's from someone just in from our usual Sunday Old Farts Flying Session. 😉😊

@@markh-thai Grantham?

@@CourtAboveTheCut Nottingham, Gedling to be precise :)

@@markh-thai I’ll be doing more Nottingham videos, probably next year. I’ve got plans for the Trent and Beeston Cut and then one or two on the old Nottingham canal, maybe something on the Erewash as well.

@@Sarge084 how cool, I’d have loved to have seen the network working, although that was probably one of the worst times for canal and railways, I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of closures!

@@CourtAboveTheCut The railway closed in Stourport but the canal was popular for leisure way back in the 60's. They've even dug up an old basin in recent years that was under the Larch Lap factory before they moved to the old RAF Maintenance Unit at Hartlebury.

@@Sarge084 oh where’s that? I’m not sure I’m familiar?

@@CourtAboveTheCut I don't know if you're familiar with Stourport basins at all, but the reopened basin is next to the existing basins, on the opposite side of Mart Lane. There was also another lock from that basin down to the Severn but that hasn't been reclaimed. There is a footpath that goes over the approach to the lock, you can see that it was a bridge, the parapets are clearly visible.

@@Sarge084 I went through them as a kid on a Narrowboat holiday but I was only 7/8 and my memory is a bit faded! I can barely remember what I had for breakfast 😂

@@ericalawson631 CRT don’t pay for canals to be restored, it’s all done by private funding and grants. When the canals are restored they also won’t take many on unless things changed. To become a CRT waterway you have to prove it will be profitable for them. You’ll pay your licence on these direct to the canal trusts/societies

@@malcolmrichardson3881 yes very much so, they have to get over the gypsum issue but apart from that there isn’t a huge amount of structure to replace. Just a diversion which we will go into more next week

@@billbasherbill1364 thank you and thanks for watching

Ah interesting, you often hear of locks being lowered to get under roads but rarely raised!

I’ve got another 2 videos on it coming up, the Grantham end and the second part of this (Nottingham end) I recorded these months ago but they’ve only just squeezed into my playlist

@@StupidBlokeStupidVideos it’s great isn’t it, I love all the wacky ideas that took off and either became things or were the start of something epic!

@@StupidBlokeStupidVideos I’ve got the butt crack and belly though 😂

@@CourtAboveTheCut I can relate 😂. What type of plumbing do you do? I’m a motorcycle mechanic/MOT tester primarily but my boss has 2 businesses and on the other one we get involved in all sorts. I’m fitting a set of booster pumps to a tower block on Tuesday. A couple of weeks ago we had a set to fit which involved shortening some 67mm pipework, and sweating a straight fitting to join it up afterwards. Was a right pain in the cock because the water wouldn’t fully shut off, so steam kept blowing the solder out. I was close to finding a shop for some bread, but we managed to get it sealed after some swearing at it.

Plumbing was always a skilled trade requiring good communication ability and patience especially when dealing with stroppy customers and pommy bilkers..

@@tomcarr1358 unfortunately they are killing the trade, I’m still old school, I don’t use plastic although I do press from time to time. Even the boiler side has become easier with most faults diagnosed by a code rather than thinking about how the boiler is running. I’m lucky in a way that in 20 years I’ve seen both sides but I worry about the quality of apprentice coming through these days

@@QALibrary at the moment they aren’t giving anywhere near as much, they used to give loads but they put a cap on the amounts. It would be nice if they went back to the old ways!

It’s a shame what’s happening to the Rochdale near me. I think it was a National Lottery grant that helped that get restored 20 years ago, but 20 years on it’s been so poorly maintained that it’s becoming unnavigable. Mainly due to leaking lock gates draining pounds.

The whole area is stunning, just down the road is horseshoe pass which is incredible

@@earllutz2663 thank you, thanks for watching :)

@@earllutz2663 thanks

I’m actually there again next weekend but won’t make a video on it again yet. I’m there for the Northern Canals Association meeting but they have a tour and a work party that weekend so I might get some updated pictures

@@JustinGeorge-x9q it’s a lovely walk isn’t it, we did it a couple of times with the kids when we were staying there, it’s lovely when the horse drawn barge goes past as well

@@michaelmiller641 Chirk tunnel, viaduct and aqueduct are amazing as well

@@TheAde71 I love wales, I’ll live there one day, Llangollen is one of those areas I remember as a kid I absolutely loved, there’s just something about the place

@@CourtAboveTheCut agreed.im particularly amoured to Llandudno.

@@TheAde71 another stunning spot. We used to holiday in Harlech as kids, I always go back to that huge beach

@@CourtAboveTheCut that was a regular destination when I was a kid ,the Min-y-don caravan park on beach road.i didn’t know about the artillery practice range on morfa harlech and also a P38 fighter which is still on the beach and reveals itself at very low tides.

@@TheAde71 I’ve heard about that but I’ve never seen it

@@RayGoodwinCanoe very interesting, I didn’t know that

@@CourtAboveTheCut You can easily find confirmation that Telford and Jessop built sluices at Bala. I cannot find a definite source to confirm their involvement with Llyn Arenig Fawr and Llyn Arenig Fawr. I will continue to research this.

@@RayGoodwinCanoe I’ll do some reading up in the next few days, Bala is beautiful, I was planning to do the railway there but we didn’t have time. It’s the same line as well isn’t

@@CourtAboveTheCut Yep same line. It split at Corwen with one branch going to the North Coast of Wales. it split again at Bala with the original line heading for the west coast at Barmouth. The old line alongside the Mawddach Estuary is an absolutely stunning walk and the rail bridge across the estuary is brilliant. From Bala a line went north to Blaenau Ffestiniog to tap into the slate trade. The planning permission has been granted to the Bala Lake Railway to take an extension back into the town (just been granted). It is a completely new section of line with the old line being covered by the industrial estate. PS good video on the canal. Thanks PPS this is my local patch. I live in Cynwyd a mile beyond Corwen. Telford is one of my hero's.

@@RayGoodwinCanoe yes I saw the planning had gone through, I follow heritage railway stuff a little bit I’m not massively knowledgable on it. I love exploring old lines we have an old Brunel built branch line running past our houses, it’s a lovely walk complete with one of the stations still largely intact. Telford was an absolute legend, he changed the industrial landscape with his innovative ideas

@@theoztreecrasher2647 you’ve got some interesting bridges over there, I remember going to gundagai where they have the old railway bridge and all the wooden raised sections, it’s really interesting

@@25mileswest86 thank you :) it’s probably obvious how much I love the work they are doing, it’s an honour to be associated with them

@@johncamp2567 no problem, thanks for watching

@@Sarge084 yes I thought the same, I drink black tea when I’m being healthy but didn’t fancy any of that 😂

@@tuberdave1 thank you

@@18robsmith it’s beautiful isn’t it, the whole ride you really feel like you are in the 1950s

@@malcolmrichardson3881 exactly that, nothing is done small, it’s all epic

Thanks for watching and your lovely comment

My dad used to take me as a kid, I had these images in my head of this place I used to go to, It was earlier in the year and I drove through and immediately booked a holiday. An absolutely incredible place to explore

@@petes5041 there’s more to it than that, local economies benefit massively from open waterways, figures pre covid (which are now considered low due to changes in habits) found each mile of restored canal brings on average 100,000 people to it within a 12 month period, from boaters, holiday makers, cyclists, walkers and locals, those people on average spend £10 each. Meaning on average every mile of the canal network brings in £1 million pound to the local economy per annum. You can then add health and well-being figures to this, which conservatively sit at 4-5x the economic value, this is stuff like savings to the NHS from more people using a cycle way, walks etc and becoming healthier as it’s on their doorstep, it also includes environmental benefits from both trees, cars off roads, connected habitats and further green growth around a restored channel. So no it’s not a waste of money for a handful of enthusiasts it’s worth tens of millions to the area. The canal network is worth something like £6.4 Billion per annum to the the country, and receives less than £40 million per year from the government.

@@madwhipet58 the bit after fosseway lane?

@@CourtAboveTheCut yes

@@madwhipet58 do you reckon he would ever let me explore the land? Just to look at the locks? Or is he dead against everything canal?

@@CourtAboveTheCut he is old he does not like people on the fields so propbably not, he is not against the canal but I don't think you will be able to, sorry

@@madwhipet58 thank you anyway, I have to ask these things. What sort of state are they in?

I can’t wait to sail over the border

They have a deadline with things which has helped spur it on but it’s still incredible progress. It’s amazing what a couple of people can do with limited tools and funds!

@@richardfearn6638 thank you and thanks for watching!