Victor reckons it's better late than never

MOST of you will be aware of the shambles caused by the lack of a stoppage notice at Hillmorton Flight.

This was where boaters arrived at the Hillmorton locks on the Oxford Canal on Wednesday being advised they were open to navigation but discovered they were certainly not, with one boater telling narrowboatworld there were seven stuck at one side all believing they could get through.

Adding insult to injury their being informed that the locks would be closed until the middle of December!

But come Friday were told by a somewhat late stoppage notice from Canal & River Trust that there had been 'problems' and an 'oversight' and an 'error' and 'not getting this right'—so take your pick!

What do I think?  Most likely as many others—a usual CaRT balls-up.

An enquiry

This  stoppage notice also informed there is to be an enquiry.

But what sort of an enquiry I ask? 

We are told it 'will be investigated internally to ensure lessons are learnt and the mistake does not reoccur in the future'.

I reckon it hardly needs an enquiry. The 'problems' and an 'oversight' and an 'error' and 'not getting this right' rather sums it up.

Perhaps it's to sucker us poor boaters that something is being done. 

Yes, yes, yes!

Our Software Developer, Jason Crossley, has solved the matter of all those extra millions of visitors to the waterways.

He tells they have counted all those insects that have taken residence on all the undergrowth that CaRT has allowed to grow to the waters' edge.

So that's why it was decided to encourage more insects by not cutting any more to the waters edge.  Which means that next year it will be not be 750 millions of visitors to the towpaths but a nice round 1000 millions!  And more and more and more.

Certainly makes sense of the figures, as all us boaters so used to endless miles of seeing no one, that there is nowhere near the number of visitors it claims, a quarter of the number would be pushing it, especially this time of year.

Want a laugh?

We are being swamped by requests to 'have a laugh' at a video that has been released by those at Ivory Towers.  Lost count of how many of you have sent us the link.

So all I can do is pass it on.

Have a click and wonder...and most likely like me too, have a laugh.

Victor Swift