The waterways are running dry

TODAY, Wednesday five more closures are reported through lack of water.

These, reported by Keith Gudgin, are the Erewash from Langley Mill to Eastwood Lock; the Rochdale with the summit pound closed; Wigan Flight on the Leeds & Liverpool at  locks 65 to 86; Leigh Branch at Lock 1 on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal; Locks 29 to 30 on the Oxford Canal.

Minimum of maintenance

As expected, vandals are blamed, but with the minimum of maintenance over the past few years coupled with the many cancellations of winter maintenance, boaters are only too aware of the real reason—leakage from badly maintained paddles and gates that are failing.

Though it is only the 13th of the month there have already been 24 'Navigation: closed' notices this month—calculating at nearly two every day!

Never have been such closures in so short a time.

National Press

Such is the condition of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal at present with so many stoppages that the National Press is showing interest, the Guardian taking the lead in disclosing its present state.