Lock cranking / fact checking / windlass dropping / crank it crewing / e-scootering / mcdonaldsdining on the Wolverhampton 21. More stuff: robbiecumming.com Get your name in the logbook: / robbiecumming
It is surprising how being in a band can lead to another career. I knew someone in Peterborough who had been in a band some years before and, as he liked woodworking, had made some custom crates to house the bands gear when touring. Other bands saw them and asked him to make them some. In the end he gave up playing and turned it into a big business making custom crates for not only bands but Formula 1 teams and other touring organisations.
"Thanks for watching the video" - no way, thanks TO YOU for uploading it. YOU are to be thanked - you make the effort, you produce the editing, you battle YT, we only benefit, and how hugely. You belong to the very few subscriptions that I immediately click on. I think you think going up/down the Wolverhampton staircase is an everyday occurrence. Well, it isn't, such as me will never experience it, so please continue thus, Mr. Narrowboat Legend.
Big shout out to Matt. I worked with a guy in the 70's who made sound systems for the raggae scene in the south London area in his spare time, I didnt realise then that I was talking to a legend, who was one of those who started what we now know as Large PA Sytemes.
Great vlog Robbie, good to know where the clean water comes from. Well done to Matt as well getting all the locks set for you. Keep safe Robbie and keep on crack'n..
Great blog mate not wot I was expecting for the Wolverhampton flight looked quite nice. RE that lovely viaduct , Bill Bryson wrote that there is so much history and fine architecture in Britain that much of it is completely ignored or even done away with without any thought at all . Never a truer word. Stay safe and keep on crankin. ( No gee) as a famous DJ once said😁.
Thanks Robbie, Clear water explained, thought you were going to collapse after the triple burger, I felt bad after one! Towpath was like a race track, ideal for Matt and his scooter. Nice one Matt.
I thought the water was so clear due to Covid - there being so few boats travelling up and down (since last March) that the water has had a chance to get rid of the boat fuel that makes the water cloudy. I may be wrong, but it's still a good reason I think! Well done for keeping going with the videos all through this strangest of times, and keeping us entertained with historical facts and anecdotes. Makes a dark wet January seem more bearable!
Top tip: we have a windlass that isn’t attracted to a magnet (maybe aluminium???); anyway, we have added a jubilee clip near the right angle so we can magnet fish it out of the drink when we inevitably drop it in..... also, we have a spare windlass!
Urban architecture can be fascinating. The amount of blue bricks in that viaduct is amazing! I hope you bought your mate, with the electric scooter. a coffee! Great video again.
Hi Robbie,so nice to see you on the canal again,how’s the family hope all is good ,,glad you got the windless out ok you drop so many things in the canal lol butter fingers ,now you have ripped your jeans you are now in fashion lol I bet it was nice to have that guy helping you in the locks lucky you ,what a-viaduct looks very old makes you think how they build them ?take care keep safe Robbie
That railway viaduct is an artists dream the way the arches are symetrical but the center arch over the canal is offset, it's a talent to draw on 2D and show in 3D the perception of depth. That viaduct is a standing monument and art exhibit.
I was always told canal water is cloudy due to chemicals off farmland and that back in the days most canals would have been clearer before modern farming, apart from more human waste went in!
We used to fish in that canal at Aldersley Junction in the 60's with nets, we could see the sticklebacks in the water, so it's been clear for a long time :-)
I cycle between Wolverhampton and Birmingham, via the canals and always wondered why the canals were so clean on the Wolverhampton side? thanks for clearing that up (no pun intended).
I remember building some retaining walls on the canal up that way years ago in Wednesbury. My mate dropped his mobile phone in the canal and had to get in to find it in his underpants. He didn't find his phone but I had a good laugh watching him 😂
Robbie you need to put one of those floats, you can get them on Amazon, that makes your tool float if it gets dropped in the water. You know like a float you can put on a go Pro handle. I've got a few that I have put on some fishing tools, like needle nose plyers, so if I drop them in the water, from that huge fish I'm pulling in, I can retrieve them on top of the water instead of on the bottom. There, the floats, are not expensive @ all. It will save you a lot of headaches. Be safe & crank it on, Chris from Missouri
Thanks Robbie for another fascinating and wonderful episode. Re electric scooters in the UK: “There are no rules.” WHAT"?? “they are completely illegal.. Thats better! I’m sorry to pour cold water on everyone’s fun but all electric scooters and any battery-only-propelled bicycles (ie. if you are not turning the pedals at least a bit) are forbidden on the towpath, and indeed on pavements or any other space to which the public have an expectation of access including parks, and pub and shopping centre car parks. A few English cities are running a trial of a certain spec of hired scooter, but these can only be used on the actual roads (and not higher speed roads at that). Any scooter not from these hire firms, and used in the specified areas is classed as a motor vehicle. As un-taxed and uninsurable vehicles they are subject to confiscation and crushing by the police, and any offences (starting with the one for driving uninsured) count towards the 12 point disqualification penalty as if you were driving a car. Sobering thought if you are over the limit! A big, big shame.
Next time your are around Worsley check out the water at the head of the arm where the boats used to come out from the mines. Last time I was there the water appeared to be gin clear but because of the rust coloured silt on the bottom it makes the water look coloured.
Oxley Viaduct built by William Baker & Robert Stephenson. Robert being the son of George Stephenson the "Father of Railways" Wiki: "Pioneered by Stephenson, rail transport was one of the most important technological inventions of the 19th century and a key component of the Industrial Revolution. Built by George and his son Robert's company Robert Stephenson and Company, the Locomotion No. 1 is *the first steam locomotive to carry passengers on a public rail line* in 1825. *George also built the first public inter-city railway line in the world to use locomotives"* en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Stephenson
I think you do need either a little scooter or a scooter-'ish' bicycle to replace your old bike. I ride my bike at the beach a lot, one day there was a guy cruising around on a really small fold-up bike. The photo I took of it, shows it was called a 'Q-Bike', but the photos online look nothing like the bike he was riding. Although, he did mention at the time it was still a prototype and they were to be made in Israel. When folded up, the bike was as wide as 12 bottles of beer (2 rows of 6) and just about as tall. It was brilliant, able to cruise with ease through the blow sand and geared nearly identical to my cruiser.
there are rules about electric scooters, privately owned one can only be used on private land, hired ones can be used on some roads, otherwise they are illegal to use on public roads and pathways and limited to 15.5mph.
Love the Videos Rob , my Dad told me about your BBC Documentary . Been watching you for the last few days now . I used to work at Collingwood Boats in Liverpool as an electrician for a year , was very interesting how they built the boats from sheets of metal and fitted them out . About 8 being built constantly . I live in St Helens , the St Helens canal system is not navigable ( I think ) these days . A section is locally known as "The Hotties " as the water used to be warm due to the glass factory using the water to cool the machinery in the 70/80s . As you may know ? . I was wondering if you have come across any other warm canal systems ? . Any road , Keep Cranking !!! :-) Love the vids , you're funny and interesting . Tim White
As you cruise up the New main line from Birmingham towards Wolverhampton the water is jet black and then it turns crystal clear as you have noticed it is as if a line had been drawn in the water one side black one side clear very unusual
I had kids throwing rocks at my boat when I was between Wolverhampton and Birmingham..made me fell very uneasy! I threw them the rocks back though! Just incase...
I grew up in between Wolves and Brum, 1970's. Never in a million years, would we throw stones at the boats, or trains that run along side. We did however, manage to hitch a few rides on some of the working boats. we'd ride for miles with them but have to walk back for miles! It would freak society out today!
@@glynpayne4393 doesnt surprise me mate, kids dont have enough to do and too parents who dont parent! It the same in most places...cruised allot of the system and city suburbia is always dodgy!
Great to see you back on the move sir. How long did the flight take in the end ? Did it myself going up a few years back and it took 6 1/2 hours as i was single handed too !
@@RobbieCumming Sounds like good speed - even with your helping hand you obviously stopped here and there to take footage (and get McDonalds lol !) so overall would say you made good time - well done to both of you.
Robbieeee (in 'tellie-offie voice), C'mon, no-one is THAT desperate to not have proper food.................(coffee's not too bad though!) Would add a winking emoji, but can't seem to do that from a Mac (or I'm a luddite) Cheers, Martin
But holes in jeans are in fashion, dunno why as when I was much, much younger my mam would throw out my jeans when the holes go large. Anyways skew arch bridges fascinates me, how did those engineer's work it out?
Hey Robbie, how have you been? Loving the vids, if I could get your and maybe anyone's opinion on something that would be great! I want to get my own narrowboat but I want to do the fit out myself and try and use reclaimed materials.... would you buy a used one and re fit the interior or get a sail away? Also, what do you think of the idea of using reclaimed materials?
Great vlog Robbie When we did the 21 we moored up in the same place Such a shame that you ripped your jeans grrr Always a pleasure to see you on your travels. Keep safe and dry and virus free.
Love your video editing skills Robbie. Well done. The world is getting crazy. Hopefully, we all get thru this stretch. Send some positive vibes toward us across the pond during the next week and a half. It's currently like living in an episode of the Twilight Zone. Stay safe!!!! Oh, and if you see Dr. Who, send him our way. 🤣🤣🤣💙💙💙🥰🥰🥰
@@RobbieCumming Thanks Robbie, I am. Just super stressed about the upcoming election here and the pandemic. Your videos, along with the Foxes and Well Deck Diaries are keeping my stress down a bit. I am so appreciative of you all. Xoxoxo
It is so stressful isn’t it. I take the view that if I can’t control it I can’t worry about it - but easier to say than do! Hope all of these videos continue to keep you distractedly relaxed 😎👌
Something just popped into my head after rewatching this video. It seemed that some of the lock gates were pretty hard to swing. Have you ever thought about using your barge pole to stick through the handle for a little extra leverage? Or, is this frowned upon by the C&RT? I know that some locks simply don't have the clearance, but many do. Just a thought.
@@RobbieCumming maybe you should carry an axe handle or Sledge Hammer handle that you could use to give you an extra three feet of Leverage. Either that, or just push the barge pole in far enough that you only have two or three feet sticking out.
Here in the states there are FAR TOO MANY fast food dump sites. Fallen arches is the leader of the pack. Nonetheless, not being paid to say this, Mickey 'D's coffee is the best! Far better than starfuzz's swill. Do carry on Cranking. Your vlog is pure magical
Hey Robby. Once again, nice to see a video from you. I thought you had an inverter to convert your batteries to AC power. Am I wrong in that? If you do have an inverter, you could certainly get yourself a nice little electric scooter or skateboard and just plug it into your inverter to charge it. If you don't have an inverter, then, in the words of Gilda Radner, "never mind"!
@@RobbieCumming No, you said you wanted an electric skateboard. They =are= made. Every time we go Mission Beach in San Diego, we have to dodge the damn things along the boardwalk. :-)
Robbie all those scooters at 12-volt when I was on lockdown I bought a Fido D2 folding electric bike no problems charging it it's the best bit of additional kit on my boat I've invested in does a range of 30 miles get your wallet out☺☺☺
Matt what a dude & certainly the best job EVER! loved your new soundtrack btw very low key chilled joy division vibe going on there.. speaking of post-punk sew your jeans up with some dental floss it's the CRASS way to be ;)
Hi Robbie Your mate, Matt, was wrong. There are laws re electric scooters. Basically they are illegal to use almost everywhere apart from private land. By the way, it's pronounced Brade ley to rhyme with Richard Madeley. It's where a lot of the lock gates for CRT canals are made. Jeff
@@RobbieCumming Hi Robbie A quick google took me to Halfords which explains quite well. It is not illegal to own one but they are classed as motor vehicles at the moment and they cannot accord to the safety specs of road vehicles. As usual with new tech, the law has not caught up and there are proposals to introduce some but some wretched virus has dropped a spanner in that cog. Keep up the great vlogging. I actually prefer your vlogs to the TV programmes which lack some of your wilder flourishes. Jeff
Thank you so much Jeff. I wouldn’t say Matt is too far off the mark though - government are preparing changes to the laws relating to e scooters www.gov.uk/government/consultations/legalising-rental-e-scooter-trials-defining-e-scooters-and-rules-for-their-use/legalising-rental-e-scooter-trials#proposed-regulatory-changes
Should be possible even without mains. If the charger output is 12v, then it should be possible to substitute a DC lead. The scooter makers might even sell them for in-car charging. Otherwise use a cheap low output inverter from the battery, when the engine's running.
