Thames Twinned with Midi

[dash300]

Just returned from an interesting 10 day cruise on the Midi and the issues there reflect our own on the Thames. Lock houses now rented out commercially and the Lockies no longer have a right to a house. Many of the locks are now being totally automated with no on hand lock keeper. The Lockies believe that eventually only the flights will be manned
the remainder being automated; a frightening thought when you consider the number of hire boats and depth of locks.
Also a shame about the thousands of Plane trees marked for destruction.
One interesting point I gleaned when on one of the hydraulic locks sprung a leak was that they use vegetable oil thereby avoiding pollution. I wonder what our locks use.

 

[Actionmat]

Interesting comparison with the thames. Vegetable oil is still a nasty pollutant.

 

[byron]

Interesting comparison with the thames. Vegetable oil is still a nasty pollutant.

I agree, oil is oil no matter what the derivation.

 

[dash300]

I agree, oil is oil no matter what the derivation.

I think the issue for the VNF is reducing the toxicity of the pollution to marine aquatics and the fact that the veg oil they use is biodegradable.
I'm no chemist however!

 

[Actionmat]

Do they pump waste out on the midi? Or does it go into the canal?

 

[dash300]

Do they pump waste out on the midi? Or does it go into the canal?

Ironically into the Canal as elsewhere in France. Pump outs available but never used. Some talk of making it compulsory but it's France so
doubt it will happen very soon.

 

[Actionmat]

In that case, I hope the lock keeper wasn't boasting about his planet saving hydraulics.

 

[teddington_lock]

One interesting point I gleaned when on one of the hydraulic locks sprung a leak was that they use vegetable oil thereby avoiding pollution. I wonder what our locks use.

We use bio-degradable oil on the Thames too . It's not vegetable oil though , and I doubt that the midi will use it either , it froths too easily.

I'll have a look tomorrow what it is.

 

[dash300]

In that case, I hope the lock keeper wasn't boasting about his planet saving hydraulics.

They do have some very large Carp (correct spelling) though !!

 

[Actionmat]

They do have some very large Carp (correct spelling) though !!

Cheers. Made me chuckle

 

[teddington_lock]

For those who are interested , we use Shell Naturelle HF-E32 Biodegradable Fully Synthetic Hydraulic Oil.

 

[Grehan]

Oh, Naturelle.

 

[Ramage]

Mais ouais, it is very nice.....

 

[boatone]

Mais ouais, it is very nice.....

"Ouais" ??????

 

[dash300]

"Ouais" ??????

Perhaps a case of 'mangetout mangetout Rodney'

 

[Ramage]

It's a cooler way of saying Oui... Very common in the South of France, a bit like Yeah instead of Yes.

There dash300, you have learnt something new today.....

 

[byron]

It's a cooler way of saying Oui... Very common in the South of France, a bit like Yeah instead of Yes.

There dash300, you have learnt something new today.....

The Greeks say "NEH" for yes rather than the more formal "MALISTAIRE" (my interpretor of spelling)

 

[dash300]

It's a cooler way of saying Oui... Very common in the South of France, a bit like Yeah instead of Yes.

There dash300, you have learnt something new today.....

Peut-être.