Little care for the disabled

WHILE we know that in many places there is a problem with motor cycles racing on the towpath as well as cycles, the answer is the gate/stile etc, writes James Cookes.

These slow them down or deter them from using the path as a race track. However the problem comes when like me you are a disabled boater and rely on your scooter to do shopping etc.

Become unusable

British Waterways in its wisdom at Newbold [Oxford Canal] put up such gates fitted with a Radar key lock which most disabled have, and  this is fine—but if you don't maintain them they become unusable. Having arrived at Newbold to do shopping and have a meal at the local pub I found the gate near the tunnel seized and unable to open. (Photograph of the Newbold gate by Warwickshire Association of Youth Clubs.)

I contacted CaRT who sent two men out to look at it, but they didn't have a key because it had been lost and no one knew where to buy one, so they borrowed mine.

The gate's hinges were rusted through and broken, but they managed to open the gate but said they had no orders to take it away to repair it until someone higher up had given the go-ahead. They tied the gate open and disappeared.

No repair

We have been on our travels for a month and returned to Newbold on our way back to have a meal and go shopping. Guess what?—the gate is closed and no repair has been done. So I can't have my meal or go shopping as it's Friday and the man in charge went home at 3.00pm.

P.S. if you wish to see the tunnel lights that were installed at great expense at Newbold Tunnel there are now only two working out of the 20 or so fitted—another waste of money!