Dyertribe Posted August 25, 2020 Report Share Posted August 25, 2020 Sad news; Sadly Nigel passed away on 23rd August. He had been suffering from terminal cancer.He will be greatly missed 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 25, 2020 Report Share Posted August 25, 2020 2 minutes ago, Dyertribe said: Sad news; Sadly Nigel passed away on 23rd August. He had been suffering from terminal cancer.He will be greatly missed Thanks for reposting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
restlessnomad Posted August 25, 2020 Report Share Posted August 25, 2020 just checking if I can post... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ange Posted August 25, 2020 Report Share Posted August 25, 2020 (edited) Such sad news. An incredibly knowledgeable man always generous with his wisdom and advice. RIP Nigel x Edited August 25, 2020 by Ange Because autocorrect turned RIP into Rip 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyG Posted August 26, 2020 Report Share Posted August 26, 2020 I think it would be a good idea to post details of memorial service, as boaters could attend Jo 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athy Posted August 26, 2020 Report Share Posted August 26, 2020 R,I.P. Nigel, whom I met only once (he turned up at our house asking about our end-of-garden mooring) but for whom I had, and have, great respect. He was an erudite man who would go to great lengths to advise and help other members. Was he actually a legal professional? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post matty40s Posted August 26, 2020 Popular Post Report Share Posted August 26, 2020 1 hour ago, Athy said: R,I.P. Nigel, whom I met only once (he turned up at our house asking about our end-of-garden mooring) but for whom I had, and have, great respect. He was an erudite man who would go to great lengths to advise and help other members. Was he actually a legal professional? No, I dont think so. Nigel went to great lengths to study and learn legalese in order to challenge unfair and illegal practice by BW, their legal arm, and then CRT. He did this to help others and himself protect their abodes and moorings at first, and then to assist others against the might and wealth of the waterways, developers and Shoosmiths where they were trying to circumvent or ignore law or historic navigation rights. He wouldn't defend cases willy nilly, only where his knowledge of the law and history showed him that there was fault. He also spent considerable time challenging the Middle Level Commisioners to make sure that the new legislation was fair and correct within their control. A true scholar, gent and knight for the trodden on. RIP Nigel. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan de Enfield Posted August 26, 2020 Report Share Posted August 26, 2020 A most helpful person, a real gentleman. We will remember him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark99 Posted August 26, 2020 Report Share Posted August 26, 2020 (edited) I bet the authority who crossed Nigel and his mooring rued the day they tried. From memory he took them apart in the Courts. Edited August 26, 2020 by mark99 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doratheexplorer Posted August 26, 2020 Report Share Posted August 26, 2020 A real loss to the canals. Very sad news. We need more like him. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higgs Posted August 26, 2020 Report Share Posted August 26, 2020 I'm sorry to hear of his death. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnetman Posted August 26, 2020 Report Share Posted August 26, 2020 (edited) I met Nigel a couple of times and took him on a boat ride on the tidal Thames a couple of years ago where he hadn't been for years despite living in Brentford. He had his lady with him who is most pleasant. His passing is a serious blow to anyone wanting to challenge unfair or illegal practice by CRT because he was always happy to share his immense knowledge of the law around waterways and help people who deserved help. Rest in peace Nigel. Edited August 26, 2020 by magnetman 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnetman Posted August 26, 2020 Report Share Posted August 26, 2020 Here is an example of how technical Nigel got about things. https://nearlylegal.co.uk/2013/02/without-lawful-authority-the-houseboats-strike-again/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tam & Di Posted August 26, 2020 Report Share Posted August 26, 2020 Nigel was not 2 hours ago, Athy said: Was he actually a legal professional? We did speak with Nigel several times about our successful petitioning against the British Waterways Bill in the 90s, but haven't been in touch for several years now and had not heard he was seriously ill. Nigel was not a legal professional, but did act as a "McKenzie friend" in several cases - a person not allowed to speak in Court himself, but who may offer support and advice to a litigant, a role extablished in the 70s under the European Convention on Human Rights. His knowledge and his willingness to share it will be sorely missed. Tam 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WotEver Posted August 26, 2020 Report Share Posted August 26, 2020 RIP Nigel. I always found his posts illuminating and informative (and sometimes baffling). He'll be sorely missed. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Marshall Posted August 26, 2020 Report Share Posted August 26, 2020 Dreadful news. A true gentleman as others have said, a great champion of both the underdog and the truth. Will be hugely missed by us all, even by those who won't know why they are missing him. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bearwood Boster Posted August 26, 2020 Report Share Posted August 26, 2020 As I said on the other side,if Nigel said something-I'd believe him to be correct.He came across as a gent who cared passionately about the waterways & people being treated fairly.A real loss. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted August 26, 2020 Report Share Posted August 26, 2020 8 hours ago, matty40s said: No, I dont think so. Nigel went to great lengths to study and learn legalese in order to challenge unfair and illegal practice by BW, their legal arm, and then CRT. He did this to help others and himself protect their abodes and moorings at first, and then to assist others against the might and wealth of the waterways, developers and Shoosmiths where they were trying to circumvent or ignore law or historic navigation rights. He wouldn't defend cases willy nilly, only where his knowledge of the law and history showed him that there was fault. He also spent considerable time challenging the Middle Level Commisioners to make sure that the new legislation was fair and correct within their control. A true scholar, gent and knight for the trodden on. RIP Nigel. There are not many like him about with his knowledge of waterway legislation, we are in a worse place without him 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beerbeerbeerbeerbeer Posted August 26, 2020 Report Share Posted August 26, 2020 I was sad when I heard he’d died. I met him just the once at an NBTA meeting and he left a lasting impression on me. Lovely bloke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnight Posted August 26, 2020 Report Share Posted August 26, 2020 Sad news indeed a true gentleman and a great loss to the boating community Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mayalld Posted August 27, 2020 Popular Post Report Share Posted August 27, 2020 It is indeed very sad indeed to hear of Nigel's death. I wasn't even aware that he was unwell. I am glad that we both stuck at it from initial butting of heads on issues upon which we would never agree to the point where we still disagreed about most things, but we had moved past the fact that we disagreed. Our arguing about the detail turned heat into light, and although we continued to disagree, we were both intellectually challenged by the fine detail of the argument. In some cases, we each came to understand that the world wasn't as we would want it, and that in some cases the other was right as to the law. I would have loved to hear his views on the use of the term "houseboat" in the Coronavirus Regulations. He managed to argue well, and with courtesy, and I will very much miss that. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dharl Posted August 27, 2020 Report Share Posted August 27, 2020 (edited) Sad news and condolences to the family. Whilst I never had the pleasure of meeting him and I enjoyed reading his posts and learnt many things from his writings. Fair winds and a following sea. Edited August 27, 2020 by Dharl 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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