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Augean stables Nick ?....thank you on behalf of everyone for your hard work

But I think Mike's point was that increasing facilities will just encourage more new liveaboards and so in turn create an even greater demand - so it doesn't actually solve the problem. I suppose one could accuse CRT of making people's lives as miserable as possible simply by failing to respond to demand, but on the other hand they didn't create the higher demand (mainly coming from new liveaboards), and no waterways authority was ever really established to act as a housing authority.

Ah well, another arrogant idiot for the ignore list.

That scenario has undoubtedly been a characteristic of many instances of inappropriate action in the past and present. Where ‘conspiracy’ rears its ugly head, however, is not so much to do with any ‘organisational decision’ to target someone, as with the organisational ethos of backing such inappropriate decisions of an “uptight” employee, come what may. That is still an institutional carry-over from the insufficiently accountable BW to the negligibly accountable CaRT. The in house legal team [even if not the largely ignorant enforcement team] most certainly realise what the pertinent legal grounds are, but their remit is to justify the conduct of the organisation, at the behest of their CEO. I doubt that qualifies as “conspiracy”, but the distinction is perhaps subtle.

Still rather unlucky I'd have to say. Just for my own understanding though (anybody comment please): Toilet waste tank - Are they often so inaccessible as to not be checked at survey? Stove - Could a fault be missed if the stove was not tested (ie lit) and if so is it likely that the fault was already there at purchase? Or did subsequent wear and tear cause the problem. Sounds nasty either way! Fridge/Cooker/Invertor - Were they already quite old (originals?) and so did you wonder how long any of them might last or were they just unlucky 'routine' failures? They other items seem like normal things to go but you must have been wondering if the boat was trying to tell you something!

Thank you Nick. A tougher approach to moderqation, deleting unpleasant and downright nasty posts will go a long way to making CWF a nicer place to be. I appreciate the amount of work involved though. MtB

He's been arrested in Goring Kitchen shop for shop lifting. He said it was a whisk he had to take.

Which brand of meths do you prefer? I find the Wickes stuff to have some cheeky citrus notes, great with fish.

One thing I do feel the need to add before I toddle off to bed. The friends I meet at banters are "real" friends. I may have met them via the internet but they are real people who I have now met on enough occasions to appreciate and respect. The suggestion that because you met via the internet makes the friendship less is insulting to those of us that know the truth. When i go to a banter I meet up with true friends. I dearly hope they feel the same about me.

Why would I bother? The only reason I write is to be helpful, to the end of avoiding unnecessary and pointless litigation. He is disinterested in that, and the last time he replied to that effect he cost CaRT thousands in lost costs, even in a case which they won. He is unlikely to repeat that mistake, and as he has no interest in alternative dispute resolution [yes, I know he tells you different] he will not write again – whether I am rude or civil. I prefer civility; apart from natural inclination it serves to emphasise our different style of approach – Johnson’s own legalistic and aggressive approach earned BW the condemnation even of the judge who found in their favour [in the judgment that was overturned on appeal].

I can't say I agree with you very often, but you are quite right this time around. Tony has every right to be as much of an in-your-face curmudgeon as he wants to be, and that particularly applies when an organization with endless resources and the authority of a quasi-government organization tries to take his home. Tony's attitude and personality determine how many friends he has, they don't determine his rights. No person should have to ask nicely to not have their rights infringed upon. As a matter of fact, it is those who are overtly confrontational with abusive authority that guarantee that the meeker amongst us do not have their rights curtailed or trampled upon. Those people who are saying that Tony is an obnoxious person are probably right. However, to say that his problems could have been avoided with an appropriate amount of arse kissing are missing the point. Tony showed CRT that they can't steamroll boaters just because of their unlimited resources and position of authority. His was a veritable David vs. Goliath scenario, and David won. In winning, it would seem that he has done a service to all those subject to CRT's whims. Anyone who thinks that a tyrant becomes more benevolent with victory hasn't paid much attention to history. If CRT had succeeded in taking Tony's home in an illegal manner, they would have felt empowered to take anyone else's boat in the same manner. Those who say they have nothing to fear because they are playing by the rules, seem to ignore the fact that Tony was playing by the rules when CRT came after him. ETA - a missing word.

NBW? Well what can you say? If C&RT don't deal with bridge hoppers or license dodgers they are failing in their duty. Try and get someone to follow the rules and they get another drubbing. Whilst one can feel some sympathy for people living on boats in difficult circumstances, it is not C&RT's job to act as a social service. Try parking on a yellow line with the untaxed van you live in and see how long it would be until you were dealt with.