A newcomer to posting

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richard b

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21 Dec 2009
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shillingford
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I have been lurking on this forum for quite for a while, and as a result learnt quite a lot, for which I thank you all. However I thought it was time I introduced myself. I have a Freeman 24 which has been in prison for the last eighteen months undergoing osmosis treatment, Andrew the owner of the yard finally released her (Basketmaker is her name by the way) a couple of weeks ago allowing me to bring her up to her mooring at Shillingford. Yesterday I took her back to the yard to pay the bill (ugh) and motored on past the Beetle and Wedge on the opposite bank was a very fine mooring with this rather odd fellow trundling up and down on a very shiny mower and I wondered could this be the famous Byron ??
 
For Heaven's sake, don't look directly into his eyes. He's been known to kill at 100 paces, with a single glance (especially if you're driving a narrowboat!) :D
 
YUP! although I wasn't mowing yesterday, I was a couple of days before though.
The Mower I use on that section is my pride and joy. It is a beautiful John Deere X540 with power steering, cruise control, slipping diff (what ever that is) and loads of other goodies. The Rolls Royce of Mowers.
Anyways welcome to our little band of brothers.
 
apollo said:
One of life's characters is Andrew..
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Once bought a stainless steel fuel tank off him he had made up for me, the price was a nice rounded up number ending in 00's, i said I needed two half inch copper washers to seal the fitting to it, he counted them out, 10p, 20p, and added it to the total, thought he was joking but he wasn't :D

Great place though, one of the best little boatyards on the river, hope he keeps it going forever.
 
Chris_d said:
Once bought a stainless steel fuel tank off him he had made up for me, the price was a nice rounded up number ending in 00's, i said I needed two half inch copper washers to seal the fitting to it, he counted them out, 10p, 20p, and added it to the total, thought he was joking but he wasn't :D

Great place though, one of the best little boatyards on the river, hope he keeps it going forever.
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It is amazing what obscure items Andrew can produce as if by magic, I really don't know how or where he manages to store all the stuff. His overall knowledge is extraordinary too. He is an absolute mine of information.
 
Can't be all bad; just look at his customers moored four abreast in front.

Full of advice to keep my flock of Seagulls going.

He and Mrs Seagull were away when I called in last week and the residents were not as knowledgeable....
 
TrueBlue said:
Can't be all bad; just look at his customers moored four abreast in front.

Full of advice to keep my flock of Seagulls going.

He and Mrs Seagull were away when I called in last week and the residents were not as knowledgeable....
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They pay darn good money for those 4 abreast berths. As regards the Seagulls, isn't he now the owner of the UK franchise for them and all parts?
 
I understand he bought all the stock and spares and the name (I think) from the liquidator - or however it was wound up.

He also has new parts manufactured to keep the oil burners running.

I know folks are rude about 'gulls - in the same vein as Stuart Turner products; both were a tribute to British Design as in the days of yore, and if one puts up with their idiosyncracies, then they work well.

I prefer a 'gull with its solid propellor and bent brass tank for river work, when compared with more modern kit that can't be bashed around.

I also liuke vintage cars and ditto engines.
 
You know where you stand with that old decrepit technology.

It usually fails gently and gracefully, and can be fixed with a few simple tools and some forethought.

Parts cost acceptable amounts.

They make noises you can understand.

You don't need a Microsoft engineer to fix things.

Spanners are measured in fractions.



Long live Stuart/ Perkins/ Lucas/ Borg Warner (Well, probably not Lucas....)
 
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