Quite a few people have come to visit The Booze Cruise now. Here's what they thought of the experience.
Bobby,
impressed that you actually worked on your vacation... I am lucky to make prints let alone scan and make into a web site.
thanks for sharing your vacation and web site.
Fire-ho from California.
Well I read all your pages Bob and my feelings are thus:
- Great narrative style. You write really well!
- Wonderful photos, sum up the waterways a treat.
- The web pages display well.
As for the content...
Well up until the latter part of the holiday, I could put up with laddishness, I mean you guys are young and are not expected to be saints! However a few things really made me sad. I don't like the way you take the piss out of innocent people like the poor girl in the Red Lion and the gongoozlers in Brum [onlookers in Birmingham]. They really left a bad taste in my mouth.
Brett Laniosh from Redditch & Bromsgrove CAMRA .
Writing: Okay.
Content: Interesting.
Photos: Okay.
Opinion:
I'd have been interested to hear more about the canals and your reactions to them rather than quite so much of the inerpersonal stuff. Glad you all enjoyed the trip and hope you'll come to the canals again, but perhaps a little more peacefully.
Mike Stevens in the UK.
I say - shame on Anglo-Welsh.
I hope not to meet up with this crowd if they hire again!
[and later, in reply to my apology for producing a site he found offensive: ]
Bob,
The site *is* good and well put together. It is the content that is lacking i.e. the boorish behaviour. What must other potential hirers and indeed *any* visitor to your site think about the English youth from your behaviour as a minority.
What I intended to convey was that as no other hirer was prepared to hire to a group of teenage males then Anglo-Welsh were IMHO failing to recognise the 'dangers'.
With a report such as this, do you think it likely that they would let you hire again?
I say again - Anglo-Welsh, shame on you, and shame on you and your friends Bob. It's a pity that you can't put your obvious talents to better use without the *abuse*.
If you *must* use this email as a reference, then ONLY in it's entirety. All too often messages can be taken out of context and ultimately mean something different.
Dave Goulbourne from uk.rec.waterways.
I have just browsed through your pics and enjoyed them.
I may even read the main text later!
thanx for the reminders of the stourport ring.
Delbuoy
You obviously had a wonderful time - and the photographs are excellent.
The text is a little wearing at times and could be tidied up in places to keep the 'action moving'. Otherwise, a rather enjoyable read.
Frances of the Comhairli Cairde.
I think you did a fine job, and I think you have a great eye for illustration--how to document a story. I was literally laughing out loud from time to time -- you tell the story well, and with great humor. The photo of K [Rizwan] in front of the frozen foods section is hilarious!
Steve Rach Mirarchi, professional concert photographer.
Just wanted to say that I came accross your boozy cruise site and thought it was great. marvellous picture quality and very entertaining narrative. Well Done !!
Gerry from London.
Writing: Awful.
Content: Awful.
Photos: Okay.
Opinion:
Frankly this was one of the least interesting stories I have ever read in my, admittedly, short but infinitely more exciting life than yours. That you think that anyone is interested in even three words about your insanely moronic and puerile escapades is a sign of your extreme self-absorption and general lack of personality. To say that thirty thousand words is an over elaboration on the details of your 'holiday' is an understatement. The only mildly interesting thing about the whole story was that you circulate with people with ridiculous names such as Finbar. Further to this you are suffering from a serious case of narcissism. Evidence of this is the array of admittedly well taken photos. A fine standard of photography they may be, but the subjects hardly allowed this to be realised. Most of the time I felt as I did during the recent Jackson Pollock exhibition at the Tate. Random squiggles and lines in various places with only the hint of anything recognisably human. If you feel that the points I have made are unfair then feel free to disregard this critique. I sincerely hope that you do not, however, since the world of publishing and literature can do without your crass storylines and terribly reported dialogue. Reading your work reminded me of the work of one Jonathon Vickery. You will not have heard of him. The reason for this is that he was at school with me and had the intellect of a dung beetle. This boy thought a square was a three sided shape and yet he still managed to interest me more with his everyday chat than you have managed with your intense scrutiny of the booze cruise. Frankly at your age you should have more things to do than escape from it all to a world of alcoholic pleasures. Were you repressed as a child and have you now decided to live like a faecal remnant on the backside of humanity. Also if you are going to get drunk, why don't you consider writing in that state because at least then I might laugh at your drunkenness as opposed to being bored brainless by this drivel. In any case I hope you put this on your 'What people said about my story'page to warn off any other poor fools who happen to wander into your web page. One last thing: please, please, please refrain from writing about any subsequent holidays as your time could be spent much more effectively reading something to inprove your style. I suggest the Mr. Men series by Roger Hargreaves. If you ever rech the levels of panache exhibited in his work it will be an infinite achievement.
Yours sincerely,
Vidad Lintbiff at University College London
Writing: Superb.
Content: Brilliant.
Photos: Good.
Opinion:
Sounds like it was a lot of fun, BASTARD!!
just joking....
I posted your site on The Guide to Sailing and Cruising Stories, take a look:
http://cruisenews.net/NewDiscoveries.htm
DON'T PANIC!!!!
Paul VandenBosch in Michigan USA. Admin of The Guide to Sailing and Cruising Stories.
Writing: Superb.
Content: Interesting.
Photos: Okay.
Opinion:
Loved it! I'm old enough to be your mother, but the next time I see a bunch of 18-year-olds mouthing off and having a good time, I'll think of you guys and cut them some slack.
Linda Moore in Massachusetts USA.