Explanations

For readers not in the UK some explanations may prove beneficial as follows:
The Krankies are a Scottish "comedy " duo of a man and a woman who cross- dress. the woman playing the part of a naughty schoolboy and the man playing the part of a more serious and more mature schoolboy. Their humour is best described as childish, I think.
Locks are a very old,crude and successful mechanism for moving canals/rivers and boats up and down hills. Rivers find their own levels and canals were dug level, generally following the contours of the landscape. Each lock gate is constructed of wood and weighs 1.5 tons It has metal"paddles" attached which can be raised and lowered by a ratchet using a winder called a windlass, the cause of my leg injuries. In both cases the ratchets were worn(most are over 100 years old.) and the windlass slipped off and onto my left leg. Depite their-age and weight locks can be easily used if the gates are "balanced" and are well maintained.Some are.
Checking to dates blog has had around 7,500 hits, many thanks.