Tim Lewis

Article from the DIWE house magazine 'Lock and Quays' dated March 1950:

I've looked at my Nicholsons guide to the Middle Levels and can no reference to a More Than 360'' bend

Go to the top right of the reader and there is a pdf button to enable downloading

https://www.boatsafetyscheme.org/about-us/news-and-press-releases/news-releases/nr20-001-covid-19-bss-temporary-suspension/?fbclid=IwAR1CkzpkpeDQAiY_eKmNazu_39_7OFbMBVOahjxId9TEcWrtsPB4xPiPjsI

The Nicholson guide to the Middle Level had/has a blue cover!

I've just been elected as Secretary of the Association For The Abolition Of TLA's

I would gladly pay not to be seen in a car with that colour scheme 🙂

View this email in your browser Avon Navigation Trust News 24th March 2020 COVID-19 update Dear Boater & Supporter I wanted to give you an update of the situation following the Prime Minister's announcement last night. Also I wanted to give you an update on the state of the navigation following six month of flooding. Following from the Prime Minister's announcement we are asking leisure boats to restrict non-essential travel. This is for three reasons. One to support the Government in trying to stop the spread of the virus. Two to help those who live-aboard and will need to travel and have access to services and moorings on the river and thirdly to ensure that there are enough flood safe moorings available for those who need to travel for essential reasons or who are on their boats self-isolating. In support of this we have therefore suspended the 24 hour and 48 hour mooring duration limit on all our public moorings until further notice and until government guidelines change. We have also suspended any overnight mooring charges that would normally have been in place at various locations. Also it is important that when boats do have to move that they moor up at flood safe moorings. This information is on our website and all services and moorings identified in our welcome leaflet link below. Unfortunately both Pershore and Evesham pump outs were wiped out in the floods and the machines are away at the supplier being rebuilt. We are trying to get these reinstalled as soon as possible but obviously the COVID 19 situation is causing the contractor major problems who has now closed for at least two weeks. All other service sites are operational. Private marinas and boat yards will be taking their own decisions on managing the situation so you will need to call them to see if they can provide their normal services. We request that everyone be considerate and make sure a minimal amount of essential movement is maintained to keep vital facilities available to those who need them. To try and control boat movements in support of the Government's instructions, Tewkesbury lock is closed to normal traffic, however it can opened for booked essential passages. The Lock Keeper is self-isolating on site in a secure compound. Boats should book a passage 24 hours in advance by ringing 0300 999 2010. A team will then be sent to site to operate the lock at an agreed time. Even though the ANT team is reduced due the need to for some of them to self-isolate, we still have two teams of field personnel out on the river doing essential flood recover and public safety works while strictly following the government COVID-19 guidelines. Our administration function has been moved to our satellite office (used in flooding) and the Trust continues to be administered in the normal way. Contact details are as below. Unfortunately following six months of flooding the navigation has been hit quite hard. The river only went down just over a week ago so we still have a lot to do with a much reduced team. Below are the current issues. Barton Lock top gate has failed and the lock is closed. Evesham Lock is closed due to a significant amount of debris on the weir barrier and at the lock entrance. Nafford Lock is closed due to significant debris above the top gates. Eckington Bridge has debris on it partly into the Navigation arch. There are numerous trees down on the navigation partially blocking the channel. Most moorings and lock sides have mud and debris on them. The tree shear and clearance barge is working its way down river from Pershore and it is hoped that we will clear from Pershore to Tewkesbury by the end of this week. An update will be issued later this week. We will do everything we can to support our boaters by administering and maintaining the navigation so that we can all return to enjoy our lovely river once this crisis is passed. We recommend that all boaters follow the government advice on the coronavirus by visiting the GOV.UK website by clicking the button below. Please do not hesitate to contact us on our numbers below if you need any advice, guidance or support. Satellite Administration Office & Customer Service: 0300 111 2010 Licensing Enquiries: 0300 111 2010 Navigation concerns or incidents including an update of the navigation condition: 0300 999 2010 For general enquires or online licensing visit our website by clicking the button below. Thank you for your patience and continued support. In these difficult times we need to all pull together to ensure that we get through this and are ready to once again enjoy our wonderful waterway. Best Regards Clive Matthews Welcome Leaflet Government Advice ANT Website ABOUT Avon Navigation Trust The statutory Independent Navigation Authority for the River Avon between Tewkesbury and Alveston just above Stratford upon Avon. Copyright © 2020 Avon Navigation Trust, All rights reserved. You have received this email because you have opted to receive alerts about boat licences, or have a boat licensed on the River Avon. You may unsubscribe from this list at anytime by clicking the link below. Our mailing address is: Avon Navigation Trust Mill Wharf Mill Lane Wyre Piddle, Worcestershire WR10 2JF United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Tim

Saw a picture on Facebook last week of an ex working boat using it as a test!

From today's Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/wideboys-shatter-the-calm-of-canal-living-8tqrp0zjm The tranquillity of life on Britain’s waterways is under threat as canal boaters fight a “class war” with larger, trendy vessels that are invading the space of traditional narrow boats, according to campaigners. Wide-beam boats, which are twice the width of narrow boats, have become increasingly popular on the London and Manchester networks thanks to their extra room for designer kitchens, bathrooms with roll-top baths, and giant TVs, sofas and double beds. New wide-beams can cost well over £100,000, compared with about £70,000 for the most expensive narrow boat. Boaters have grumbled that wide-beams have proliferated on waterways intended for narrower vessels, saying they do not have to pay more for a licence, take up more room at moorings and cause traffic at locks as only one can fit in at a time, instead of two narrow boats. As they displace more water, wide beams can also disturb moorings if they move too quickly. Ian Shacklock, chairman of the Friends of Regent’s Canal in London, said: “There’s a class war. It’s a matter of space. These things were never an issue 20 years ago because there was so much more space. There’s such tension now because of the congestion. “It’s a snobbery thing. People are competing on the canal and there is tension between the different types of boat. Some people have money to throw around but there isn’t the space.” After complaints, the Canal and River Trust, which issues licences, has agreed to introduce up to a 20 per cent surcharge next year for wide-beams. About 23 per cent of owners nationally use their canal boats as a home, according to the trust, a figure that rises to more than 60 per cent in London. There are about 35,000 boats registered with the trust. Collingwood boat builders in Liverpool said that the demand for luxury wide-beams had doubled in the past decade, having made 74 in 2010 and 155 last year. There are four main canal systems that are wide enough for these boats: London and south England, East Anglia and the Severn and Trent waterways. Chris Leah, 67, head of the Wooden Canal Boat Society in Ashton-under-Lyne, near Manchester, said: “You hear complaints about wide-beams taking up all the space and blocking the canal. The big problem is moorings, it’s getting so crowded there.” Jonas Roebuck, 33, a sound designer who moors Grow Beautifully near Victoria Park in east London, said: “When you are inside you do not know you are on the water. There’s so much more space. I have got a corner sofa, a big kitchen and a double bed.” Allan Salmon, 37, a musician who owns The Freya and Josephine, said there was a “stigma” against boaters like him. “It’s the closest thing possible to living in a flat. You can have ten people round for dinner and you can properly do yoga that would be a bit more challenging on a narrowboat.” Tim

At Pancras lock this evening

Interesting piece on a canal boat model maker at about 8 minutes in:

A great shame as I've always enjoyed Ellesmere Port, also seen that events at Bradley and Norbury have been cancelled Also seen post saying that all CRT museums and attractions are closing

Only two days late

France has already stopped pleasure boating, you will need to translate https://www.vnf.fr/vnf/alertes/mesures-exceptionnelles-mises-en-place-sur-le-reseau-vnf/?fbclid=IwAR0v9ZUBJC9kg2PgJtyP6bA6E5CZqaEY8LdM0hxiUgF6dCWGrKXoZNMzjI8