Contacting Canal & River Trust

I HAD the misfortune of having to contact Canal & River Trust as my passage was blocked by a fallen tree on the Coventry, writes Brian Jarrett.

It has to be accepted that with the recent storms their will be many trees down across the entire system. However, the phone conversation leaves much to be expected of customer services!

The conversation

I wish to report a tree down and blocking the Coventry Canal near Boot Wharf Nuneaton.

Which Canal?

Coventry.

Is that the main line?

It is one line the Coventry.

Where is it ?

Near Boot Wharf.

What is the post code?

I don’t have a post code.

What is the grid reference?

I’ve just arrived on a boat it’s about half a mile north of Boot Wharf just past a foot bridge.

How are they trained?

Wow! Who are they employing and how are they trained ?

Having no confidence that the correct message would be relayed correctly I used my various contacts to ensure the message was past through to the correct department.

This all took place at 2;00pm today Tuesday 22nd February

I now await the contractors some time, hopefully

It appears that shallow boats can get over the sunken tree branches (as shown above) but my 2’2” won’t pass over! Hope it’s clear before the gravel boats arrive!

Cleared

Men arrived 11:30 on Wednesday 23rd and by 1pm there  is just the trunk left and the canal once more open to navigation. Well done CaRT!  Photographs by Brian.