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Of course. What do you expect? As a forum you prevaricate and ponder, but do not achieve anything in the way of moving forward. Many inquiries are a sham and usually place blame on the wrong side. Wont Jenny Jones be investigating the hundreds of unlicensed boaters who at the weekend littered the Regent's Canal with thousands of bottles and other rubbish, absconded from and abandoned many boats, pe-ed, crapped and dumped litter in people's backyards and made noises until the early hours of Sunday morning??? 100% of these so-called boaters were people from the land, and no doubt quite a few were wealthy do-gooders who work perhaps in the City and must be quite a number who live in flats alongside the canal - the very type who want to screw boaters. In comparison real boaters are a quiet and generally tidy lot.

But should it be someone so readily at hand? I know of many boaters who 'love' boating but are prepared to foresake those who live on boats. We have one example in London where one such major person loves boats, defends them to the death, and is regularly featured in newspapers because of their protectionist views, but then tries to use the law to stick a hot poker up the arses of certain boaters. It's certainly not an isolated incidence. Forgot to add - The surprise is this person and the greens are buddies. How easily things are overlooked/forgotten/not known about! Wont be discussing this matter any further, clearly CWF members are more knowledgeable than I!

Who doesnt have a knowledge of boating?? Even the most distant natives on this planet use boats! PS - not long ago the Greens were saying look what a massively underused resource is the canals in London. Improve this bit, that bit, encourage more trade, reopen the Bow Back Rivers etc. An increased number of boaters must be servicing London's economy somehow so the greens should be happy. They should be happy with the overcrowded cycle towpaths and unceasingly high speed cyclists. Unless for some reason they do not equate such kinds of Spectrum with being green?? In that case why bother to report on an 'issue' when their objectives appear to have been made?

Jenny Jones is one of the more elite participants in the goings on of the canals. She is not a liveaboard or a CC'er, merely a moorer at SPCC. This concerns me as it is quite likely she will abide by the wishes of residents rather then liveaboards. Its concerneing because one wouldnt want liveaboards to end up being treated like Romanians. There is a whole world of difference in living on the waterways and that of plonking down communities uninvited in the centres of London's posh squares. People always forget the waterways came first, built well away from London's houses (mainly because the land was cheaper) then people started building up and down the canals - "ooh posh Blomfield Road, look at those pretty boats, let's buy a house there" etc. When the canal was built there were no feckin houses! Many parts of London's canal network have now become parts of richer communities. They have money and they have influence that liveaboards dont have. In many places the boats are not wanted. Interesting point, if people dont want boats then clearly they do not want canals, and do not deserve to buy flats/housesby the canals. Take a 'famous' Camden flat - they looove their view of the canal but did not like the boats that moored there blocking this view. This kind of game is only destined to go one way, and the involvement of Jenny Jones, despite being a green, a politician, rich, whatever, should be a major concern because it is predicting a certain outcome presidented by a partisan landlubber.

Thanks for the info. Its clearly nepotism!

Moorings managed by: bespokeboatingsolutions.co.uk Website has no info, just says 'managed by Easyspace.'

A private company now manages the moorings. Edited to say - 'Bespoke Moorings' or something like that.

When I said 'bespoke' its because private companies seem to be getting a look-in, taking over control of moorings presumably so that C&RT doesnt have to bother. Yes one has to pay for these moorings or these firms loose revenue. One only has to look at the first bit of Paddington basin, and see the new signs just up, to realise what is happening.

And the number of visitor moorings in central London are now a bit less, or more bespoke should I say....???

Really droll comment, No doubt you did not read my post properly. Clearly you'd like the gentrification of our waterways to continue and nimbys to dictate where and when boaters can moor. No problem. Shan't even bother with consultation documents or campaigns. Let the bigwigs have their way.

Jenny? Does one wonder whether this is her influential cruising club once again trying to push things in an advantageous way towards the removal of as many of the increased numbers of boaters who have come into London, something they apparently complain about a lot of the time. OMG! It must be all these new boaters CC'ing around the city who are alone responsible for the massive increase in overcrowding on the tube! No wonder we need more trains! 'Consultations' are a waste of time. What we need is a paradigm shift. For a start London is becoming a rich playground and boats are just NOT WANTED. BUT there WILL be more boats in and around London - there is no doubt about that. But do not try to make it some problem that is the boaters' alone. We need to realise that is the very product of economics, job markets and housing policies and NOT the fault of boaters. Such approaches could be a prerequisite towards a London based 'UMBEG.' However by decree looking on the other side there are just far too many cars, too many parked and not going anywhere, there's no convivial space. Thousands of entire streets are a feckin' eyesore of vehicles parked bumper to bumper. There's also too many people also and drastic steps should be taken to control numbers coming into London. In short the boater does practically nothing to compound the many problems London faces, but a target nevertheless because they are easily and readily identifiable.

At least they know what tied way means!

Still remember the narrowboat that travelled around the system during the 1970's with its car along for the journey!

Could this be the start of a new canal Protectorate? Everyone to wear black and abstain from sex and shopping? All to be banned from laughing at C&RT's misadventures? And perhaps 'ejectors' shall be employed to remove C&RT staff who do not abide by its new religion?

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The 1930's - especially 1934 were particularly bad years for the canals

Well I suppose it depends on one's view. I regularly use the services between Crewe and London and the 158 miles are timetabled to be done in 1hr 37 minutes southbound. On several occasions we have done it in 125 minutes. The timings in the 1980's to Crewe were well over two hours 15 minutes or more. On the Birmingham line other services (Cross-country, London midland locals, Redditch-Litchfield, and occasionally Chiltern railways) can adversely affect the service from London, and there's often a wait outside New Street while platforms are vacated, so perhaps that's why there is more recovery time on that route? If you dont like Virgin to Birmingham, use Chiltern, as i do, its so much cheaper and nearly as fast as that from Euston now they have improved the route with higher speed turnouts etc.

Why are the BBC using a pic of the Lee Nav just below Stansted lock? Its nowhere near the Olympic Stadium!

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Poundland - ready mixed antifreeze £1. 99p stores - pure antifreeze 500ml £1 End of post - and end of topic - as usual.

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Yes it has worked. I have pics and a video of it in operation. As far as I remember there were problems with the interlocking mechanism. Vandalism of the large curved glass panes was also an issue. The helix does not seem to have been used for at least a couple of years now. There were plans for a central cafe rotunda in the middle of the inner basin with moorings around it, this is something that seemingly will not be done so the helix has no purpose now. The outer basin was also supposed to be enlarged too, providing a v shaped basin on its northern side. Plans here: http://www.richardrogers.co.uk/work/all_projects/paddington_basin_masterplan

I remember the day very well. I can see from my pics that Fulbourne was practically one of the first boats out of Regents Canal dock. Its the first time in years I've seen any other peoples' pics of the IWA Thames cruise.

Fact - I can see the canal from where I live. I know that most CC'ers do choose to stay over the limit sometimes. I'm not BW but I have a pretty good track of boaters in London. Only have to cycle down the canal track and see whos gone where, how much effort is being made to be a CC'er. I'm sure if you came to London you'd like to stay in the more delectable areas a bit longer than the rules generally specify. Understandable. End of discussion. Back to Twitter, its a better jungle out there!