Victor— Will it be honest?

THE latest of a long list of dubious schemes churned out by the old British Waterways, and now the new British Waterways, better known to us all as Canal & River Trust, is to contact a thousand boaters to gather what they think of how the waterways are being run.

Then of course CaRT will tell us the results of what you tell the Trust.  Though from the boss-man's various 'Meet the boaters' meetings, his Twitter sessions, the complaints the Trust receives and reading narrowboatworld, it already knows what you think.

No doubt it will all end up in the form of statistics—need I say more?

Another one

I'm not really sure how long we have been moored in Sawley Marina, but somewhere around 18 years, and have seen lots and lots of managers, and lots and lots of other staff come and go, particularly in the chandlery. The latest manager, Susan Cooper, welcomed only last year we are told has now upped and left.

As usual, no reason given, but I often wonder why.

Off to Mercia?

Mind you, we don't see the chandlery staff anymore, for in its wisdom Sawley Marina has decided not to open on Tuesdays, the day we spend on the boat, which means we now have to go to Midland Chandlers at Mercia Marina for the various items we have needed.

Jan reckons we would be better off mooring there, with the further advantages that we would not be constantly thwarted by a flooded Trent and it would be a lot quieter.

Up again

Here comes the demand for the boat licence again, and for a 54ft boat it is now just under £800, taking advantage of the prompt payment scheme.  And I remember when it was 300 quid!

For those continuous cruisers/moorers who often have larger boats, the annual demand of well over a thousand quid must be hard to meet, especially for those 'skimming' the Social Services, so little wonder there are still so many licence-less.

No comparison

Somewhere or other I read someone spouting about the cost of living on a boat, but comparing it to living in a house, using the comparison to show that the boat residents were living under the poverty line.

What crap! Doesn't the fella realise that it is very much cheaper living on a boat, for even though there is the licence, there are no rates to pay, water is free as is refuse collection, and a boat takes the hell of a lot less heating and lighting than a house. Which is why many obviously take to the water.

Deathly silence

I reckon that we will not hear a peep from CaRT about its new record of being the third most complained about charity in the country, but it certainly shows that if the Charity Commission, which is not known for acting on spurious complaints, acting on four of them concerning the Trust, then there must be something very suspect.

Not a very good record for a brand new charity, the third most complained about out of 150,000.

I only hope we hear what they are all about, but not the CaRT version...

Getting through at last?

I have heard a rumour that one of CaRT's regional managers has been summoned to headquarters to determine how bad is the maintenance, because I understand the 'powers that be' do not trust what is being told.

Perhaps all those complaints about the deteriorating waterways that are being showered on the boss-man is getting through, and he is perhaps beginning to realise that the much acclaimed 'everything is the garden is lovely' is just not so.

Victor Swift