Compliments acknowledged—complaints ignored
As many people may know, I have been guilty of constructive criticism for many years, writes David Carden.
I have been very cynical of the 'Trust' idea from the start—knowing it was just going to be a continuation of the old school. So far we all have been proved right, what with five/six directors etc. on a million pounds between them.
Not interested
And some (though not all) waterway managers who are not at all interested in us navigators but would prefer voles, badgers and weeds to boats!
But one thing has changed—and to back up Pam Pickett's piece—that if you write to the CaRT with compliments (as I do when warranted) or a question, you will get a reply But any criticism is met with a blank! I am still waiting for several replies to various navigational aspects but I don't hold out much hope.
Not make me give up
This of course will not make me give up because I care about the canals and most importantly the navigation as I am sure many others do—but will people, who have not boated all their lives like me, just give up in the end when faced with such disdain and lack of respect to us boaters, when even chairman Hales says we are sad and that we should not criticise the Trust. (Waterways World.)
Well, I have just paid my licence/donation—nearly £800.00 up 6% on last year—I would not criticise if I found there to be a 6% improvement on service i.e. navigation. The trust has really lost the plot and I fear it is going to be very difficult to raise donations while rubbing people up the wrong way and with the aforementioned top pay.
Why need advice
Although I welcome the navigational committee, why would you need advice on what to do on basic maintenance when you are supposed to be running the authority at a highly inflated pay package?
It also doesn't help that the IWA has sold out to them, maybe both they and the Trust, as mentioned in your columns, will actually look at narrowboatworld, and realise the depth of anxiety amongst the Boating fraternity! Watch this space.