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My first encounter with the Anchor was in the mid 60s, when Lily kept the pub. At the time, the Stourbridge 16 were being restored, a joint project between BW and the Staffs and Worcs Canal Society. I was a keen teenager at the time, often the local volunteers were supplemented by London IWA members John Dodwell and Graham Palmer. They used to overnight at my parents' house in nearby Blackheath. One Saturday evening we decided to enjoy a pint or two at the Anchor. Armed with a torch and an OS map we climbed in to John's Morris Traveller, he driving, I was crammed in the back while Graham struggled to map read by torchlight on remote Shropshire lanes. We got there somehow and ordered pints from Lily. She disappeared into the cellar and re-emerged with a tall enamel jug full of beer, from which we were served....truly a throwback to life much earlier, though Olive has recreated the scene since. Much wisdom and opinion has already been aired here about the future, some of which I agree with...if the Anchor is lost,,another piece of the waterway jigsaw that I have known since those days will disappear too.

Possibly.

Some folk would get bent out of shape if CRT sent them a Christmas card with a free licence in it.

Excusing the CRT "apologists" for a moment, and looking at the letter sensibly, it could well be written in a more "customer friendly" format. I see your point in it coming across as "harassing". Sadly, this sort of communication format seems to be the norm these days, and the apologists are only to keen to score some brownie points when anyone attempts to question the need for such poor writing. I would write back, explaining how the communication made you feel when received, give the information asked for and then suggest a more user friendly approach that would be acceptable.

. You work and make a living from H and S I,m guessing, I was brought up by my nan, who survived for 100 years,saw two world wars the coming of the motor car, mans first flight, and loads of other things that make you proud to be a human, all those things happened completely unhindered and unaffected by H and S, all I see in your modern H and S world is a noose slowly tightening around the neck of the human animal, a classic example that we all see is mans lack of ability to cross an empty road unless the green man flashes and bleeps to allow it, kids have learnt not to touch the fire by burning there fingers for years and years, but not for much longer because they are so wrapped in cotton wool they will never be allowed to burn there finger, it's all just dumbing down the human being until we are just brain dead tax paying zombies that only jump when we are told to, sorry but I will carry on making my own decisions for as long as I possibly can thanks,

. If it worry,s you fit your own ladder, why does everyone expect people to do everything for them, I fell off a slippery jetty in the middle of the winter last year in full winter clothing when I got out I stripped off in the laundry room chucked my cloths in the tumble dryer rushed back to my boat and sat by the fire until warm, I did,not complain or moan or try and blame I just went and got my pressure washer the next day and cleaned the slippery green shite of the jetty, it seems that no one wants to take responsibility for there own actions any more and just moan and complain and ultimately hope someone will compensate them, we are heading in a very sad and pathetic direction I'm sorry to say

We've got our licence for our big boat, when the weather gets warmer I want to take my kayack on the boat too so I can paddle by myself for a bit, do I need to get a separate licence for unpowered craft at nearly £50 or does my big one cover me for a small tender kayack ;-).

I keep my boat off CRT waters in the winter, and pay for a licence for the 6 months in the summer when I cruise their waterways. I think it is terrible that they have not sent me any correspondence at all to remind me about their charges for my next licence.

Do what you want to do!..then go to XR&D and get what you asked for

I always appear awkward when dealing with poorly managed and/or dictatorial public authorities.

Please don't. The thing is, no-one has ever built an elegantly styled wide beam narrowboat. So unless you have no artistic sensibilities, you'll be deeply disappointed once you get your 'eye' in.

Cutting thru all the nonsense, It's no effort to inform the navigation authority that you are no longer on their waters and do not need a licence until you return - why you wouldn't give them that small courtesy is beyond me. My experience with a similar matter was to inform the EA our Mayland was going to be kept on the Broads for the foreseeable future, the lovely lady I spoke to said no problem, we will put a marker on your reg number so you are reissued with it upon your return to our waters. The same was done 12 years ago with the BA - Upon returning to the Broads she was given her original BA reg number. Courtesy costs nowt but pays dividends

People on Facebook have identified it as Dundas Tim

Very probably there is no legal necessity to notify CRT when you are not on their waters. However what reason apart from being bloody minded and trying to give CRT yet another problem is there for not doing so? If you notify them you don't suffer what you consider to be harassment and CRT don't think they have another licence avoider and waste resources looking for you. To me a win win situation.

Not ideal but better than nothing to make ends meet over winter If you told them you'd grass yourself up, i'm sure they would have no hesitation giving you a job...

I've said it before, A C&RT sub forum would be a great idea, it would stop the general boating stuff that isn't moaning about C&RT being bumped off the page

Thank you for the very sensible and reasonable post.

Perhaps the OP could take a leaf out of your book instead of just ranting about a none issue. How would you prefer to see it written?

Some folks are very delicate, it is a wonder how they exist in the real world.

Before lacquering them, why not paint little roses on them? They'll look right boaty then, and no rust!

oh dear, mister enforcer - you noticed me paddling along this stretch in sight of my boat, but I didn't actually come from or go to my boat, and you noticed after checking your database on your handheld gizmo that my kayak is not actually licensed. it's a fair cop. please handcuff me now and take me away. ............. DUHH !!

well sadly I,m not but I am a relative of someone that's just been fined £26,000 because he employed someone on the back of a pack of lies, who then fell from a scaffold that he had made unsafe by removing all the decking boards after a liquid lunch, oh and he decided not to wear the safety harness that he had been supplied, the victim now drives around in a brand new Audi convertible, while my lad has had to sell the company to settle the legal bills, seems like a really good system can't believe I fail to embrace it at face value, the only people really benefiting from it are the lawyers and scammers sorry but that's my view of it

i loved it when my mum visited and so did she a minor inconvenience for what she has done for me

You should be ashamed.