Canal Journey Tim And Pru

[hc4361]

Did anyone else notice the continuation errors on tonight's programme? It was certainly recorded at different times of the year.

Still enjoyed it though

[sapelesam]

Funny thing, Pru seems to have improved since these programmes started. Tim seems slightly more tolerant. Wonder if Pru is on new meds.

[sapelesam]

If you wondered why they never passed another narrowboat, check out the prices.

[goodgoalie]

Something I always wonder watching this and any other programmes about canals is how, when some of the tunnels on the canal system are over 2 miles long with only room for one boat, did they know - back in the day before the traffic lights they no doubt use now - did they know it was clear to enter, and that they wouldn't meet another boat halfway in? A system of tokens, like on a single-track railway?

[sapelesam]

It always worked well on the railways so that's probably what they did. Come to think of it, maybe the railways adopted it from canals.

[hc4361]

goodgoalie, they had men directing the barges - seriously, at locks as well as tunnels.

[sapelesam]

So how did it work with long tunnels with bends.

[hc4361]

I think Tim and Pru have a lot more help from the crew than they used to so the pressure is taken off Tim a bit. There are times when Pru looks completely dazed and of course the programme is heavily edited.

I don't think Pru is on her own when she's casting off, someone at least watches to make sure she has done it properly and to help her on and off the boat

[goodgoalie]

...but how could a man at one end of a two-mile tunnel communicate with the guy at the other end?

[hc4361]

A row of men signalling to each other

[sapelesam]

Men in the tunnel? or spread over a two mile hill.

[hc4361]

A man would hop on the last boat allowed through and let those waiting go through and hop on the last one, back and forth, whilst a man at each end would stop boats going through until travelling man got off a boat

[sapelesam]

So which one was it HC?

[hc4361]

And later they used the same system as trains on a single track - the last boat through would carry a signal of some sort which would be passed to the last boat allowed through

[hc4361]

It all developed over time - men signalling in a row, on the tunnel path if there was one, over the top if there wasn't; then travelling man on a boat; then the carried signal

[hc4361]

I've been a keen gongoozler all my life so I've picked up a thing or three

[Smowball]

I do like this programme

[sapelesam]

Smow, I've been wondering, did you sort out your card problems.