General Witterings -
Radio Rosy

BOATY BITS

Boaty folks might have seen the 'Boating in France' supplement given out with Waterways World.  A lot of the French canals really ARE as they appear in the supplement - quite big, fairly tranquil, and with very little traffic.  It is quite unusual to have to wait for a lock.

On Page 19 of the supplement, there is a piccie of the Briare (with an 'e', unlike the photo caption) Aqueduct.  I'm moored for the winter about a km away from this, and see it most days.  I believe it is the longest aqueduct in Europe, though the new one being built across the Elbe may be bigger.  People attribute it to Eiffel (of the tower fame) though others say that his company played a minor part in the masonry supports, and had little to do with the metal trough or the decorative embellishments.

On the next page there is a photo of a narrowboat, and, when you find the caption (on the following page (?)) it says 'A stop for English boats...'.

Roy and Audrey have a house beside the canal called The Lighthouse.  They extend a warm welcome to all boaters regardless of nationality, politics, social standing or IQ.  Coffee, shower, a book exchange, a cheery welcome and a willingness to help are their stock in trade.  They have some spare beds if anyone is need of rest or refuge.  This is all done quietly and with a (small) dollop of Jesus.  Their boat is called 'Rosie' (mine is 'Rosy').

Roy has a camera which I believe is in need of servicing or adjustment - leastways he took a picture purporting to be of me, but showing someone rather stouter than my sylph-like self image.

THE RADIO

One of the several pleasures of living in France is the ability to have a lie-in until 0900 hrs, and still hear the 8 o'clock news on BBC Radio 4 (World Service).  A downside is being stuck without the option of a morning story or the God Slot.  If I want the morning story, I can get it half past midnight UK time (0130 my time), which, I guess, is in the morning, but is, in reality, both too late and too early.

My big criticism of the radio at the moment is that they have taken off Humphrey Lyttleton's "I'm sorry I haven't a clue" and replaced it with "Just a minute" with the ghastly Nicholas Parsons.  I guess that it is just possible that Parsons, in real life, is an OK sort of a person, but, frankly, I doubt it.  On the radio etc he come over as ... er ... nauseating.  I'm pleased to say that one of the highlights of my life was to get him off a stage.  'Twas at a Sandhurst June Ball, which I was much enjoying, when the (very good) music stopped, and the (ghastly) Parsons came on to entertain (used in its loosest sense) us.  This he failed to do, though he did manage to annoy us.  "Gerroff!" someone called out.  Parsons was somewhat put out.  "If you don't want me here, I'll go" he said.  And off he went to cries of "Good", "Hooray", "Goodbye" etc.  And no, we didn't feel sorry for him.  Parsons is VERY thick skinned.  Even Paul Merton's cutting comments don't draw his blood.

The weather seems to have quietened down a bit.  The ice and snow have gone, though we still have the occasional frosty morning

EURO UPDATE

Even the launderette owner has got around to changing his slot machine to Euros, so I have now swapped all my Francs for Euros.  I'm a Franc-less person.

Time rolls on.

Toodle pip!!

Bill