In message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Captain Beeky <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes
<a load of stuff snipped> My opinion was more on the glass half full side - I thought it was a useful meeting, more constructive than I had feared. Yes, there were a few ranters, and some of the stuff was way off target, but some reasonable ideas came up, and I had a feeling that BW were not completely committed to the proposals. As an example, Ian Jarvis seemed willing to positively contemplate the concept of fixed opening times - not to my mind a workable solution, but evidence that he might look at alternative propositions. There may be a compromise way forward: if some bridges can be made user operable, and some remain manned (as at present, on the basis of a bridge-keeper doing two bridges), and a few bridges or locks could be manned by office staff or volunteers or "BW Specials" or something similar, then we could be in with a chance of keeping the waterway open to an extent not much different to recent winter levels. BW didn't seem to rise to the idea of five-day working, which seemed to be on the basis of the show of hands the most popular solution. I would be reasonably content with this, but I understand some peoples' reluctance to contemplate this as a solution. BW now seem receptive to the concept of user operation, albeit on a very limited basis, which is a real foot-in-the-door. Wassail! -- Martin E Phillips http://www.g4cio.demon.co.uk Homebrewing, black pudding, boats, morris dancing, ham radio and more! The Gloucester-Sharpness canal web page http://www.glos-sharpness.org.uk Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/canals-list/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/canals-list/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
