THEY are the disturbing words from Canal & River Trust concerning the problems with the Shropshire Union Canal at Bunbury.
Disturbing obviously, as these words portended the closure of both the Leicester Section of the Grand Union Canal and the Peak Forest Canal, with both having no intimation of when they will reopen.
This closure of the Shroppie on Saturday is between Tilstone Lock (13) and Bunbury Lock Bridge 105, but what is also worrying is that no reason whatsoever is given for the closure.
So it will be a matter of 'wait and see', or more likely 'wait and hope.'
(LATEST: The canal is now open but care must be taken when passing area.)
Must be bad
For the Inland Waterways Association to complain of the state of a waterway means it must be bad, as since the association has 'associated' (climbed into bed) with Cart, it has since rarely passed aspersions on the trust.
But the association has complained about the state of the last section of the Leek Arm of the Caldon Canal stating that is has become silted-up and hemmed-in with reeds, and that its North Staffordshire and South Cheshire Branch has written to Cart asking when the arm will be dredged.
It is so bad that there is now less that a 7ft gap and so much mud that boats can no longer reach the winding hole at its terminus, having to reverse back through the tunnel to turn.
As is normal these days, it has had no response to its request.
Why?
I just cannot understand why the IWA is so intent upon backing Cart in its desire to take over the Environment Agency waterways, when the association obviously knows what a mess it is making of those already under its jurisdiction.
There are now many boaters who take out a gold licence these days to enable them to take more trouble-free cruising on such as the Thames, and others taking to the Middle Level and the Ouse, both of which are free from Cart.
Mind you...
At last Cart is realising what a poor state its waterways are in at the moment as it now has a roving team of engineers tackling such as broken locks, paddles quickly, that really is essential in view of its 'wait until it breaks' policy.
Which is okay to a point, but it still leaves boaters stuck for a day, as it is always the next day that engineers inspect and then the further time to repair. Wouldn't it be a damned sight better maintaining them properly in the first place?
Dumping in the canal
Here's a picture for you, taken by Alan Baxter from the side hatch of his boat moored opposite near Bridge 20 in Nuneaton.
The fella is obviously using the Coventry Canal as his own private dumping ground, seen tipping load after load of old building material into the waterway.
Bricks and rubble going in by the barrow-full.
Not for us
An email from our marina telling there was 20% off boating goods, clothing, books, rope and even televisions at what is now called 'chandlery shops' at Sawley Marina and Glasson Basin Marina, but alas not for us.
Or in fact the fella moored on Sawley Cut who wanted some clothing—it was a Tuesday, the only day we have at the marina, and alas the day the 'chandlery shop' is closed.
Very fond of notices as it is, I reckon the management should erect one more—on the Cut—telling of the Tuesday closure, thus saving boaters a long walk around the busy road to a closed establishment.
Victor Swift