The dangers of high vegetation

COULDN'T agree more with Victor about the dangers of high vegetation on the towpath, writes Ralph Freeman.

If a child (or anybody else for that matter), is unfortunate enough to fall into the canal, rescue is made much more difficult because would be rescuers cannot see the person in the canal!

What's the point if you can't see it?

This also begs the question—what is the point of walking by the canal if you can't see the water (or fast approaching bikes for that matter)?

Tall vegetation does nothing for boaters either as it restricts their view of the canal ahead, especially on contour canals that are very rarely straight.

Come the autumn, where does this all this mass of vegetation end up. Yep, in the Cut. Brilliant.

Call me old fashioned, but I like a nice trimmed towpath. You can see bikes coming and also keep an eye on your dog if it's off the lead. (Not sure which side the the canal is in our picture!—Editor!)

How to inspect the canal?

I have no idea how you are supposed to 'inspect' the state of the canal, the offside bank or the towpath when it's all hidden from view by a huge bank of weeds?

However, we all know CaRT's attitude to maintenance don't we—let it fail, sod the boaters. Apparently the safety of its other 'customers' is not an issue either.