BATCHWORTH OPENS ON WE GO

Following the opening of Batchworth lock we have moved on to Cassio Bridge just a half hour walk from the mooring into Watford and practically within Cassiobury Park with it`s many walks.
Sitting here on the laptop i used a canal route planner to set a route to Llangollen. After setting in a few options ie cruising speed, time needed to navigate a lock etc it came up with the following.
246 miles
164 locks
13 moveable bridges
21 small aqueducts
6 tunnels
2 major aqueducts
Now having set the options of:
8hrs cruising per day (as if) Pheeew
4mph
15 mins per lock
It came up as 13 days to get to Llangollen!!!!!
Stuff that, it would be like working again. I expect we will get there late April early May PERHAPS
Anyway if you fancy planning a route for fun just google CANALPLAN AC







British Waterways head office in Watford. This certainly is quite something. From where i took the picture i was just half way across the car park and if you imagine this distance ALL round the building it gives some idea of the size of the plot of land involved.
This building and land has i am told been sold and BW are seeking a new site for it`s HQ. The building will become flats and housing will fill the car park. I hate to think what price the developer will want for each house/flat as just 8 mins walk is Watford Jct. stn. with a link to Euston, also the Watford town centre is 10mins walk.

And this is the view from the reception area, as you can see the offices surround a large pond that contains many koi carp. Bet some of you would like to work with a nice view like that rather than maybe just traffic passing your window.

As happens to all boaters at some time during the year it was time to re-new my licence and as i am at Watford it`s so much easier to take a walk to BW head office and collect my new licence discs in person.
The fee for my 58` narrowboat was £572.37, this figure being the prompt payment amount. To gain this prompt payment discount, in my case £63.60, the licence must be obtained before expiry date of the old licence. Be nice if the government done this with car tax.
Last year i paid £547.20 so this years figure represented a 4.6% increase.