CaRT grass cutting contract 2022

[LadyG]

16 minutes ago, MrsM said:

I'm definitely in the rewilding camp. I think it's rather nice to see longer grass and other plants along the towpath. It's a couple of minutes work to clear a small area with our hand scythe when we moor up.

I liked it when in May there was lots more insect activity, and the grass was heading at about twelve inches or less, however, I  have to get off the boat safely, that is a priority and the big grasses are now obscuring the ground.

Bones break quite easily at my age, I've already had two months on crutches this year. The verges are very uneven, and great holes cannot be seen, the Armco is covered, so I have to scrabble in the undergrowth to put my chain through, I was lucky to find a bit which had been cut by a householder, so managed to pull up and get off safely, but it would be a different matter in a strong wind. 

I don't believe this has anything to do with CRT wanting to re-wild, the have changed the contract and the grass has not been cut. 

[Athy]

31 minutes ago, MrsM said:

I'm definitely in the rewilding camp. I think it's rather nice to see longer grass and other plants along the towpath. It's a couple of minutes work to clear a small area with our hand scythe when we moor up.

"Rewilding" is a very useful woerd. In our garden, Mrs. Athy uses it in the sense of "That flower bed that we haven't weeded yet".

[MrsM]

1 hour ago, LadyG said:

I liked it when in May there was lots more insect activity, and the grass was heading at about twelve inches or less, however, I  have to get off the boat safely, that is a priority and the big grasses are now obscuring the ground.

Bones break quite easily at my age, I've already had two months on crutches this year. The verges are very uneven, and great holes cannot be seen, the Armco is covered, so I have to scrabble in the undergrowth to put my chain through, I was lucky to find a bit which had been cut by a householder, so managed to pull up and get off safely, but it would be a different matter in a strong wind. 

I don't believe this has anything to do with CRT wanting to re-wild, the have changed the contract and the grass has not been cut. 

It is so very much easier when there are two of us. Goodness only knows how you managed when you broke your ankle. 💪

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, magnetman said:

That's dodgy of there are trees growing between path and canal. I am all for hemlock,

 

You Witch, do you use it in your "hubble, bubble, toil and trouble" concoctions ? - the posionous nature of Hemlock is well known, apparently the Greek Philosopher Socrates is one of the first recorded to have been poisoned by it (He died !).

Edited June 28, 2022 by Alan de Enfield

[LadyG]

10 minutes ago, MrsM said:

It is so very much easier when there are two of us. Goodness only knows how you managed when you broke your ankle. 💪

I was off the boat at the time having already moored up,  spent overnight in hospital, tests and drips and so on, applied for overstay, just as well I was opposite lower park marina, a lovely lady boater looked after me, so it wasn't too bad. Also the hospital contacted the local care service, so they would have arranged food etc, Not sure about the cassette!

Edited June 28, 2022 by LadyG

[Athy]

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

You Witch, do you use it in your "hubble, bubble, toil and trouble" concoctions ? - the posionous nature of Hemplock is well known, apparently the Greek Philosopher Socrates is one of the first recorded to have been poisoned by it (He died !).

I must look on a waterways map and find Hem Lock, so that I can avoid it.

[TheBiscuits]

1 minute ago, Athy said:

I must look on a waterways map and find Hem Lock, so that I can avoid it.

 

You'll be OK Mike - the navigation is completely silted up due to grass clippings being thrown in the water ...

[doratheexplorer]

Where I'm moored the vegetation is above my head now.  I'm all for encouraging wildlife but the situation is ridiculous now.  The actually pathway is now very narrow, making things even more dangerous when fast cyclists come along.  You can't see them coming and you end up in stinging nettles trying to get out of their way quickly.  I had a devil of a job mooring up the other day, in a spot I've moored before with no problems.  You can't see the armco and I really struggled (again with stinging nettles) trying to get through the vegetation so I could get the nappy pins on.  The view out of my window is just thick docks and coarse grasses etc. right up against the glass.  I imagine there have been some twisted ankles too, from boaters stepping onto the bank but not being able to see what they're stepping onto.

 

This change in contract hasn't been forced upon CRT or come along unexpectedly.  Surely the changeover could have been properly planned for?  What about changing over in October/November so they'd have 6 months to get things right before it became a problem?

[Athy]

1 hour ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

You'll be OK Mike - the navigation is completely silted up due to grass clippings being thrown in the water ...

[Midnight]

5 hours ago, Athy said:

In theory, I suppose. But fly-tipping is illegal and isn't something I would ever do.

It is indeed an entertaining thread.

We do have a pond, but nothing bigger than a frog and, on one occasion, a dead pigeon goes in tlhere.

Oh well when we came through Upwell last year the Fen waters were full of cuttings from the EA weed boats so I don't think anyone should be too troubled by the few grass cuttings the ducks don't eat.

[Athy]

41 minutes ago, Midnight said:

Oh well when we came through Upwell last year the Fen waters were full of cuttings from the EA weed boats so I don't think anyone should be too troubled by the few grass cuttings the ducks don't eat.

The EA don't operate around here The Middle Level authorities do have a small fleet of rather natty maintenance boats, looking like small diesel shunters without wheels, one of whose tasks is to cut weed growth.

    If it's grass which was floating, that would be from bank mowing which is done by tractors equipped with side-mounted hedge-trimming-type tools (because the banks are too steep for the tractors to drive along).

[Midnight]

5 minutes ago, Athy said:

The EA don't operate around here 

Oh come to think of it those cuttings must have been yours 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Athy]

25 minutes ago, Midnight said:

Oh come to think of it those cuttings must have been yours 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Oooh you are awful.

The MLC's stance on grass cuttings, as told to me by a chap in their relevant department a little while ago, is as follows: emptying them into the water is acceptable as they break down and don't do any harm. He added that all their cuttings go into the water and said "If we had to pick them up, we wouldn't do any mowing".

[MrsM]

Athy, must commend you for your humour. I've had a proper chuckle following this thread.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Athy said:

Oooh you are awful.

The MLC's stance on grass cuttings, as told to me by a chap in their relevant department a little while ago, is as follows: emptying them into the water is acceptable as they break down and don't do any harm. He added that all their cuttings go into the water and said "If we had to pick them up, we wouldn't do any mowing".

 

You do realise that explanation won't satisfy the forum pitch fork carrying contingent?

[Arthur Marshall]

1 hour ago, The Happy Nomad said:

 

You do realise that explanation won't satisfy the forum pitch fork carrying contingent?

It's a bit like the peeing in the cut discussion somewhere else on here. I reckon if every single male boater used the system as a urinal it wouldn't add up to a googolplexth of what the cows put in it.

[LadyG]

13 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

It's a bit like the peeing in the cut discussion somewhere else on here. I reckon if every single male boater used the system as a urinal it wouldn't add up to a googolplexth of what the cows put in it.

I think you'll find cows pee on the grass not in the cut, whatever gave you that idea?

[David Mack]

1 minute ago, LadyG said:

I think you'll find cows pee on the grass not in the cut

So do some boaters.

[Alan de Enfield]

6 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I think you'll find cows pee on the grass not in the cut, whatever gave you that idea?

 

Youv'e not done much canal cruising have you ?

 

They tend o 'leak' a lot when stood in water / walking down the canal.

 

 

Llangollen :

 

 

[Midnight]

5 hours ago, Midnight said:

Oh come to think of it those cuttings must have been yours 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Brill I'd give you a greenie but you're a mod

[Athy]

3 hours ago, The Happy Nomad said:

 

You do realise that explanation won't satisfy the forum pitch fork carrying contingent?

No.

3 hours ago, MrsM said:

Athy, must commend you for your humour. I've had a proper chuckle following this thread.

Thanks.

Me too!

I should add that the remarks from the MLC are genuine.

Edited June 28, 2022 by Athy

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Athy said:

No.

 

Ah right...no problem.

[Mike Todd]

22 hours ago, Athy said:

Oooh you are awful.

The MLC's stance on grass cuttings, as told to me by a chap in their relevant department a little while ago, is as follows: emptying them into the water is acceptable as they break down and don't do any harm. He added that all their cuttings go into the water and said "If we had to pick them up, we wouldn't do any mowing".

The Middle Level always was a law unto itself - in the few times and places where 'law' meant anything at all!

[Athy]

49 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

The Middle Level always was a law unto itself - in the few times and places where 'law' meant anything at all!

Yes, they're unusual - perhaps unique - in that they're a water management and drainage authority which just happens to allow navigation. They seem to be pretty efficient, even regarding navigation: for example, dredging is a thorough and well planned operation. (No, they don't throw the dredgings back: much is taken away in tractor-hauled trailers and some is left at the edge of farm land. I assume that the farmers spread it on their field.

[LadyG]

1 hour ago, Athy said:

Yes, they're unusual - perhaps unique - in that they're a water management and drainage authority which just happens to allow navigation. They seem to be pretty efficient, even regarding navigation: for example, dredging is a thorough and well planned operation. (No, they don't throw the dredgings back: much is taken away in tractor-hauled trailers and some is left at the edge of farm land. I assume that the farmers spread it on their field.

The problem with dredging on the cut in industrial areas is contaminated soil, so I don't think it can always be returned to  farmland