Victor: Not an April Fool joke

Published: Sunday, 02 April 2017

ONE or two of you have congratulated us on the April Fool 'Egg' story. But alas, it was no April Fool joke.

Yes, my friends, I know you can't believe that Cart is being so stupid to have an egg moored—free of charge and with neither BSS or licence, but it has, jumping of course on its 'artistic' merit.

One just wonders what next it will find to spend our money on—as this one is costing a packet having to be craned out, transported and craned back in at various locations, and with security too.

And in case you did not realise—the fella who created it actually lives in it.

Have a go

The suggestion that the Bargees do something similar was no idle thought either. Indeed, get your tools out and turn your narrowboats into something 'artistic', Cart will surely fall for it.

Then you will indeed have no need to 'travel', not need any licence and be able to moor where you want, and without paying.

'Self praise is no recommendation' response

Poor old T. Lang—none of us have managed to get his first name—a contributor of long standing, who wanted to congratulate Thomas on narrowboatworld but received his 'self praise is no recommendation' response, so his effort didn't make it.

Our Mr Lang was just comparing two other waterway web sites with us, but as he did not mention them by name I'll let him have his say as he did mention it was his third attempt to get a bit of praise through, without success—so here's the latter part of his missive:

'I was wanting to mention that two web sites only seem to be interested in Canal & River Trust, or Cart as your Victor calls it. One more or less its Press agent, our suffering all its obvious Press releases and little else whilst the other, the newbie, is only concerned at attacking Canal & River Trust however it can, and nothing else.

So my attempt at congratulation was to mention that at least you give us something entirely different and usually exclusive, for which I was hoping to add that it is appreciated.'

You made it after all lad! So does that make us No 1...?

No more hold-ups

 

There is little doubt that the Great Crested Newt has had its day for far from being a protected species and far from being endangered, it is the most prolific of our native newts.

It was of course mostly the French—whose farmers had decimated it over there—and who had caused it to be protected, by one of the 19,000 laws subsequently foisted upon us by the EU that then caused such havoc with our waterway restoration.

This law will definitely come off the statue books—the building industry, that has suffered vast losses through having to stop work through the newts, will see to that.

And no doubt English Nature will squeal, but it is getting far too aggressive, and could do with reining in a bit.

Victor Swift