According to AS - Gradual deterioration of a waterway due to normal use is
easy to counter.
Adrian I wonder what canals you cruise. Your statement would make sense if
BW actually did what you imply. In the actual real world it might be easy to
fix deterioration but most of the canals I cruise seem to have plenty of bits
where it seems BW find it easier to not do any fixing or countering at all and,
if questioned, use the 'no money' excuse. (A thing which they have done for as
long as we have been sending in those suggestion cards and well before old S.
Whitty dumped them in the Defra.)
Of course - if the deterioration gets bad enough then BW might do something
about it - like sticking a load of tape round the area to keep the public out
or even closing the canal for safety reasons. As for canals that deteriorate by
getting ever shallower - we churn ever more mud as we go along - where have all
the dredgers gone.
Adrian Stott <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
"dave hearnden" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
>Adrian commented
>
>>Or, better, give them up altogether. They have outlived their
>>usefulness, and put undue strain on the system.
>>
>>Replace them with staggered regional gatherings around the system.
>>
>Please explain yourself, They have outlived their usefulness?
Waterways World, 2006 November, page 51
>I suppose that is why thery are getting bigger, more traders, more punters
>etc. I also
>think that you maybe limiting what the festival is about and what its
>purpose is. Education to the kids. etc
Those aspects are fine. It is making them a destination for visiting
boats that is the problem. These boats are now immaterial to the
event, as most visitors don't walk the miles necessary along the
towpath to see them, and, if they do, can't see most of them anyway as
they are usually moored about five abreast.
The National is for campaigning. This can be done effectively with
selected, invited, boats there that will be of special interest to
those who (should) arrive by other means. There is no need for a
massed fleet. Focusing on small number of boats would allow the event
to be held in centres of population (e.g. London's Isle of Dogs docks)
where non-boaters, and their support, can be more easily attracted.
>Put undue strain on the system? What making the waterways used, having
>work done by the water authority that will allow boats to actually get
>through to the festival. The work which might not have been done until much
>later in the year.
Note "undue". Gradual deterioration of a waterway due to normal use
is relatively easy to manage and counter. However, an event which
concentrates use without the possibility of normal maintenance per so
many boat passages, possibly leading to serious collapse of some
structure or water supply problems (yeah, yeah, not this year) really
can't be justified if you respect the waterways IMHO.
>Adrian when did you last go to a National.
Last year. See the article.
>Have you been to the trailboat rally, the campaign rally, Little Venice and
>all the other little
>festivals/rallys around the waterways that have been mentioned on this group
>or other groups as well?
Yes to many. It is because these work much better as boater
gatherings that I am suggesting enhancing annual regional ones of them
as a replacement for using the National for this purpose.
Adrian
Adrian Stott
07956-299966
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