2008/9/18 Captain Beeky [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > We are clearly blessed hereabouts by the presence of one capable of > olympic standard polemicism. Previously I had understood that involved > elevation to a great height in an apparently precarious and > unsupported manner. >
But that's always been Adrian's way. He formulates a view and then with a certitude of which only the truely arrogant are capable he refuses to ever concede a single point in his argument. At the same time he bleats that no-one will ever engage him on the facts. It almost invariably gets personal because he makes it personal - as he has done just now with one of his characteristically rude comments to Bob. When we ignore him, this allows him to continue to believe that he is cleverer than the rest of us who he probably thinks avoid debate because we haven't got the wit for it. Most of us know we are best just keeping on ignoring him. Which is a sad thing really because occasionally he has a point - as he does on this debate. Sadly he betrays his self interest by defending the rights of barge owners but not the rights of continuous cruisers. With respect to Julian, this is what we should be talking about since it effects so many more of us. What is happening is that on the basis that most of us pay mooring fees and feel sort of resentful at those who don't, BW are now about to take away the basic right that we had in buying a licence, namely our ability to cruise our boats anywhere at any time without further payment. Make no mistake about it, if they get away with this (as they look as if they are going to do because they have cleverly split the waterways community), they will get away with everything. Steve [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
