Hot Block Swap

[Magot]

AHA! So from now on Barb you are The Ship of the Fens! Built by William the Conqueror! http://www.cathedral.ely.anglican.org/welcome/

It is a lovely little city - my daughter wanted to buy a narrow boat there.

[Jeke]

Magot, Could you please explain "narrow boat"? I teach geography and love to have little details to share with my students. Thought this might be a good one.

Thanks,

[Magot]

In the context of British Inland Waterways, "narrow boat" refers to the original working boats built in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries for carrying goods on the narrow canals (where locks and bridge holes would have a minimum width of 7 feet) built in the English midlands during the industrial revolution. The term is extended to modern "narrowboats" used as homes and for recreation, whose design is an interpretation of the old boats for modern purposes and modern materials.

For example the boats my daughter and son in law are looking at are 50-60 ft long and about 6 ft wide - fully self contained, bath, washing machines, wood burning stoves fixed double bed etc. If you can get a mooring ( where you pay rent and can have electric hookup, sewage facilities and rubbish collection) they are a cheap way of getting a house. A bit like a caravan on water...

Used to be pulled by horses and had to be 'walked' through tunnels. One person would take the horse ever the top and the others would lie on the roof of the boat and walk along the walls of the tunnel pushing the boat along. Nowadays they have deisel engines.

[Jeke]

Jan,
Thanks so much for the mini-lesson on narrow boats. I will use it with my students. We often talk about how British English and American English differ.

Wow not only do we swap quilting - we also swap knowledge. Isn't this a great place to be?

[Magot]

I love it!

Bear in mind most people DON'T live in the 19th century - unlike my son in law who would be one to know come the Nuclear winter!

[lendube]

So this is where is all happened. Hmmmmm. Interesting this Dark Side.

Scary how easy it is to get here..........

[Pudge99]

Where all what happened?

[Mom of Six]

Thanks Jan I bookmarked that to read when I am more awake! DH relatives have been traced back to England Coming over soon after the Mayflower. His uncle is the family geneologist & has done the work.

[lendube]

Silly Gina...............

[Patty22]

So Lennie is investigating the dark side