Victor too has doubts of the 'results' of consultations

CONGRATULATIONS indeed to Allan Richards for unearthing the real results of Canal & River Trust's boating consultation.

That with the help of Freedom of Information requests clearly showed there was a difference between the actual results and those shown by the trust.

It was way back in the distant past when I lost any confidence in the results of consultations when it was discovered even the BBC was fiddling the results from one of its  consultations concerning a childrens' programme.

But CaRT had a professional company to organise its consultation, perhaps to make it seem genuine.

There is only one way to have a genuine consultation—with the actual numbers being shown on screen as a choice is made, with the results shown incremented after each vote.  And certainly not organised by the organisation itself but by a fool-proof 'out-of-house' method.

And more

More about that consultation from Rod Halladay. who tells:

"26% of boaters responded to the licence fee survey. Canal & River Trust claim 66% of boaters prefer a particular option.

"To me this adds up to very few supporting any option but also I would think this shows that 74% of boaters think that any response is a waste of time as CRT have made the decision regardless of what any boaters might say."

And it came to pass...

What the hell is it?

Frequently taking our young dog on to the Park at Mercia Marina where she is allowed to dash around off the lead with others of the same ilk, we pass this sign, and just can't see what a dreki is, though search as we will.

I can only see that we will have to get our guide Mary on to it...

Teaching black women to swim

The latest from Canal & River Trust, it tells, is an arrangement to 'teach black women to swim'. Having arranged swimming lessons in the Meadows in Nottingham.

It's purpose 'to give the black community more confidence around water'. With funds provided by Sport England.

Boaters are aware of the distinct lack of coloured people in and around the waterways, though the trust's adverts have a prominence of them, and perhaps this it for it to be seen as helping coloured people.

But alas, boating, as many are aware, is a white middle class activity.

How many boats?

I wonder  just how many boats are on the inland waterways these days?  As we are getting an alarming number of people telling they have sold or are selling their boats and the number for sale all around the country is alarming.

And new boat sales must be near an all-time low, with so makers gone out of business.

Methinks that before long, with the expected dramatic rise in the cost of licences and virtually everything else, it will soon be resident boaters that will be the majority—taking advantage of cheap easy living.

Victor Swift—telling tale for 23 years