David: Volunteers Welcome—up to a point

THE scheme for volunteer lock keepers seems to have produced mixed experiences, if the recent piece on narrowboatworld is anything to go by. As that article mentioned, we had one very welcome experience this year and a couple where they made very little difference.

The problem seems to be a confusion in many people's minds, including CaRT's, as to what the volunteers are supposed to be for. One school of thought seems to think that they are largely to act as 'ambassadors' for CaRT, explaining the canals in general and locks in particular to the uninitiated, a category which does not include most boaters, except for first time hirers.

Another school seems to think that they should be deployed at flights like Devizes or Hatton to offer assistance to boaters. A third school, obviously active within CaRT, sees them as a way of saving money by not having to pay lock keepers on difficult sites like Foxton or on river locks like those on the Trent and to supervise boaters, but not assist them.

I have no difficulty with the first two theories, which are anyway not mutually exclusive, providing it is clear what to expect. The third category, however, I think is just unacceptable, and could be downright dangerous. Locations like Foxton, Grindley Brook or the Trent locks need someone who knows the local conditions and has experience built up by actually doing the job, not just a short briefing session. It also needs someone who can be relied upon to turn up because it's their job, not a volunteer who may suddenly find that something in his life is of higher priority, or simply decides that he doesn't like the look of the weather.

The situation on the Thames is a bit different. There the volunteers have not replaced the paid lock keepers, but have been used instead of the paid 'summer assistants', although these have not all disappeared. I hope the EA will not take this process any further, as the disappearance of professional lock keepers from the river would be very dangerous. Although the locks can now be boater operated (slowly) I have yet to see any consideration of the issue of who is responsible if something goes badly wrong with several boats in a lock—is the person who happens to be pushing the buttons liable in any way?

Hurlestone rebuilding

About time too. Last year I spent an entertaining couple of hours at Hurlestone Junction when the boat in front of me (without fenders) got stuck. The (professional) lock keeper was assiduous in helping him, as he was heading for a permanent mooring in one of the marinas up the canal. After several attempts the boat was successfully passed through going backwards, with its sides heavily lubricated with washing up liquid.

One wonders why this has not been addressed years ago, especially as CaRT managed to find funds earlier this year to deal with a similar problem at Worksop on the Chesterfield, which was very welcome, but I would have thought a lower priority in terms of the number of boats affected than Hurlestone.

Kelpies

Hooray, hooray, the Kelpies are finished. I simply don't understand the mindset of those creating this sort of 'art'. I visited the site back in the Spring, and what is there is the junction of the Forth & Clyde Canal with the Forth, which has been rebuilt as part of the project. It is surrounded by a completely artificial 'park', flanked by a very noisy motorway and close to the visual delights of Grangemouth Oil Refinery. So close are the Kelpies to the motorway that the original intention of having them moving when the new lock was operated had to be abandoned for fear it would distract the passing motorists. (The picture show the site under construction, motorway in the background).

I cannot imagine what the '350,000' visitors are going to be attracted by more than once, since the Kelpies simply sit there. At least the Falkirk Wheel, just up the road, has a function and you can go for a trip on it—though I would be interested to know how many repeat visitors there are to that. Perhaps we should be grateful that CaRT hasn't yet come up with a daft project like this—so far their silliest scheme is only a few pointless slogans on balance beams.

David Hymers