Victor finds it the slow season...
THE slow season for news that is, with people involved with Christmas, and so little information.
Even only a single stoppage notice this week—which is something I just cannot remember! But not to worry, come the New Year and things will soon get back to normal.
Get it right
Our esteemed editor has been told off for misspelling Lichfield, putting in an unwanted 't', but doesn't mind, as things really can never be absolutely perfect, so only too pleased to be told.
I wonder though if those at CaRT are told about the literally hundreds of errors in its stoppage notices? If so it obviously falls on stony ground!
Will it get the money?
The most important matter at the moment however is will the trust get any more cash from the government? For now having being told how it is spending its cash, as opposed to the way of the old British Waterways Board spent, where it all started, it seems doubtful from what Allan Richards so well relates.
After all it should be about the waterways and CaRT's customers, and not about the so many other things it spends our money—as boaters' licence fees are a big part, it is our money—so should certainly not be wasted on so many alternative ventures, most of which are well catered for by specialist concerns.
Which alas has left our waterways in such a deplorable state—to wit—33 stoppages in its busiest month of August, the main holiday period, this year.
Such is hardly conducive to encouraging the government handing it more cash.
Getting personal
I'm getting personal for once in relating about Thomas's Rhodesian Ridgeback Rusty, a real boating dog, seen in his usual position as above.
A very friendly thing indeed that over the past eight years was met by many boaters and visitors alike in our twice yearly cruises who made a fuss and remarked on its friendliness to human and dogs alike. And people at Sawley who made friends.
If you look closely in this picture you will see a little dog using him for shelter on the towpath at Sawley Cut! The picture below shows his first attempt at crossing a lock and our hearts in our mouths wondering what he will do in his attempt to to reach us.
As he rarely leaves our editor's side when boating he can often be seen in many published photographs on the site, being remarked upon by many,
Then recently he simply refused to eat, so it was a scan without any delay, to find he had a cancer that was pressing on his stomach. So Thomas could only do the decent thing, losing a great friend and companion, felt (as many of you must know the feeling) particularly saddened as living alone and somewhat isolated.
Victor Swift