Alan de Enfield

Did that make significant difference to the draft ?

I really don't remember - it was some years ago. I think it was from the reply to an FOI request No. it wasn't that - that's just a marketing "fluff" document used to prove to DEFRA they are doing a good enough 'job' to keep getting the grant paid. I took the number of vists from the annual accounts where they have to report the results against a list of "targets" and show growth to retain the DEFRA grant.

No. they have engaged a marketing company who call/meet with 1000 people and ask them questions (I have the questionnair somewhere - I'll try and find it) Typical questions include such as Have you used a pub or restaurant near the canal in the last to weeks, if so how many times ? Have you walked along the tow path of any canal or river in the last 2 weeks, if so how many times ? Etc, etc This gives some interesting results - Someone who walks along the canal to work, pops out at lunchtime to the pub, walks back to work, walks home from work it 'using' the canal 4 times per day (56 times per fortnight) A mother walks along the tow path taking the kids to school (1 usage), back on the canal to the canal side Supermarket (1 usage), walks back home along the tow path (1 usage) goes along the towpath to pick the kids up from school (1 usage) and walks back along the tow path to 'feed the ducks' on the way home (1 usage) total 5 visits in one day. The total number of visist/usage from the 1000 people for the 2 week period is added together. The total population of GB is around 69 million (AI figure) 1000 people is 0.00204081633% of the population. The figure obtained by marketing is extrapolated by taking the number as 0.00204081633% of the actual total of canal and towpath users in 2 weeks and multiplied to give the annual visits to the canals and towpaths. C&RT went out to tender for a new telemarketig company a couple or three years ago - but, the above is certainly the system previously used, and if the current figures are still aligning with the previous figures, one assumes the process is very similar. Edit to add - found it ....................... Visitor Numbers Questionnaire Q1 Firstly, I am going to read out some activities that you may have taken part in recently. For each one, can you tell me whether you personally have taken part in this activity in Britain within the past two weeks? So firstly, have you……[rotate activity list]…. on a stretch of inland water which is used by boats, for example a canal, river or lake. 1. Been on a boat with an engine 2. Been on a boat without an engine? Please 3. include activities such as canoeing, rowing boats and sailing boats 4. Been fishing 5. Been cycling 6. Walked a dog 7. Visited a specific attraction, heritage attraction or museum 8. Taken a walk or a ramble for leisure 9. Taken a run or jog for leisure 10. Used or walked along only in order to get somewhere else? For example, to get to work or to go shopping 11. Bought food or drink in a pub 12. Just sat or stood by the water as a break in the day to relax (always penultimate activity) 13. Used or visited for some other purpose? (SPECIFY) Q2. [For each activity at Q1] On how many days in the past two weeks have you personally……[read out activity]….on a stretch of inland water used by boats, for example, a river, canal or lake in Britain? WRITE IN NUMBER OF DAYS BETWEEN 1 AND 14. Q3. [For each activity at Q1] And thinking about the last day you have……[read out activity]….which river, canal or lake did you do this on? RECORD ALL OF THE FOLLOWING: a) Name of Waterway (if known): b) Nearest Town / Village: c) Name of County:

You really need pictures of the "poo-mountain"?

You are correct - but are you aware how even that astronomical figure was derived ?

C&RT also stated that 888,000,000 (888 million) people visit a canal every year

It is not just the "canal" reservoirs/ About 5 years ago (maybe 8 years ago) ALL reservoirs were inspected and the vast majority of them were forced to reduce their capacity and cut 'overflows' into local dykes / streams. Our local Estate had 4 large agricultural irrigation reservoirs along side some of our land and they 'lost' almost the equivalent of one reservoir under the new legislation. we sold them some 50 acreson which they planned to buils two Reservoirs, in two stages. They have now built the 1st one at a cost of £5 million and have plans to start the second in the next year or two. The new reservoir contains 230,000,000 litres

This seems to be an intermittent problem. Whenever I get an intermittent electrical problem I initially start looking for loose connections/joints and/or a bad earth connection. Follow every cable in the circuit or put in temporary 'jumpers' from A-B and see if the problem goes away Once all of the circuit (potential) problems are removed you can go onto looking for component failures.

Fluffing is the 'start of the end'. You can get a brief respite by using a cigarette lighter (other models available) to melt the fluff off and, it will seal the edge, (for a short time) and reduce the re-fluffing.

Permission given on receipt of £5000, renewable annually.

So you agree that the CC licence should have a premium attached to it to cover all this 'extra wear and tear' The question is, "how much" ? The additional amount at the moment has been suggested as nowhere near enough.

As has been said - this is very unlikely as the icing we have had for many years has rarely lasted more than a couple of days - maybe 1 week. There is currently a licence review being undertaken, and looking at ways C&RT can manage the waterways better and actually enforce breaches of licence conditions. The conclusions are not yet known but NBTA (a militant boaters organisation representing boaters with no home mooring - ie CCers) claims that the following are proposed : Those Licence Review recommendations – the good and the bad. 1. The bad (in no particular order): · End to the Rivers Only licence · CRT should have the ability to fine people for breach of T&Cs · Removal of boat at your cost (£10 000) if you don’t pay a fine within 21 days · CRT should be able to use “reasonable force” during enforcement · End of bona fide navigation · Ad hoc differential pricing by area · Trackers on boats · Publicly accessible register of boat owners, funded by boat owners. · Increased powers to refuse a licence · BSS certificates older than 3 months invalid when a boat is sold. I'm sure that much of this is just scaremongering, but there will be some additional enforcement and tightening of the rules, methods as yet unknown.

If you use a truck with a suitable Hiab, you can drop it in anywhere (with permission) P&S Marine Transport

Set up a Tirfor before you leave the mooring ............. Simples !