Not looking good for us

[Midnight]

https://waterwaysworld.com/community/latest_news?s=09

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Just scanned through Mr Denny’s ‘speculations’. 
I’ll have another look later. 
 

My immediate speculation is we ain’t had no rain, so the immediate future is a bit bleak regardless of funding. 
And the North will be shut on/off/on/off/off/off and off again. 
 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

15 minutes ago, Midnight said:

https://waterwaysworld.com/community/latest_news?s=09

 

 

It's certainly not looking remotely 'good' - not unexpected and everything mentioned has been discussed regualrly on the forum.

 

It doesn't make it any easier to bear, but it has to be accepted that we have seen the best of the canals and it is only going to get worse.

Edited February 7, 2023 by Alan de Enfield

[TheBiscuits]

4 minutes ago, Goliath said:

And the North will be shut on/off/on/off/off/off and off again. 

 

 

 

 

[Momac]

Maybe a move to salty water is the way to go.

The end of boating on the inland waterways seems very close.

 

 

[LadyG]

It's quite scary really.

I don't think that employing people on massive salaries inspires my confidence in CRT management. It's a relatively small but difficult organisation and if the existing lot can't cope they should stand down rather than taking on more people who are unlikely to suddenly discover a pot of gold at the end of an imaginary rainbow.

Every time I see yet another "consultation", it triggers another reassessment of my boating life.

Edited February 7, 2023 by LadyG

[Guest]

1 minute ago, MartynG said:

Maybe a move to salty water is the way to go.

The end of boating on the inland waterways seems very close.

 

 

 

I forsee pressure on the little used waterways rather than wholesale closeure.

 

So for those boaters based on the Northern parts of the system may need to consider heading for the Midlands and the South in order to have a reasonable chance of cruising any sort of distance unimpeded.

 

Save the well used bits by sacrificing the undersused bits.

 

They could call it 'levelling down'.

 

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

29 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

It's certainly not looking remotely 'good' - not unexpected and everything mentioned has been discussed regualrly on the forum.

 

It doesn't make it any easier to bear, but it has to be accepted that we have seen the best of the canals and it is only going to get worse.

have ‘we’ (our generation) seen the best?

 the best was 19th century?

 

I think we have the best to come again!

Maybe not soon enough

But Keep marching on!

 

 

 

[magnetman]

Closing the K&A would be a good start then the Regents section of the Grand Union. 

Ideally unless people want to pay to live in an area and this bring in revenue to the navigation authority it would be best to get rid of the areas clogged up by residential users paying virtually nothing and concentrate funding on areas where people actually want to go boating. 

 

I feel that the model which assumes "more boats must be good" is flawed.

 

Something will need to be done. 

 

I was wondering where to set up the canal boat scrap yard. If things change significantly there is going to be a lot of steel scrap about. 

Edited February 7, 2023 by magnetman
Sexist comments removed

[rusty69]

1 hour ago, magnetman said:

Closing the K&A would be a good start then the Regents section of the Grand Union. 

Ideally unless people want to pay to live in an area and this bring in revenue to the navigation authority it would be best to get rid of the areas clogged up by residential users paying virtually nothing and concentrate funding on areas where people actually want to go boating. 

 

I feel that the model which assumes "more boats must be good" is flawed.

 

Something will need to be done. 

 

I was wondering where to set up the canal boat scrap yard. If things change significantly there is going to be a lot of steel scrap about. 

They should just auction off individual pounds. I'd buy two pounds for a pound. 

Edited February 7, 2023 by rusty69

[Midnight]

One of the questions I put to Sean McGuinley last year was would CRT consider mothballing the Hudderfield and Rochdale to divert resources into keeping the Leeds and Liverpool open. The answer was an emphatic 'No'.

They just mothball all three regularly now.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

1 minute ago, Midnight said:

One of the questions I put to Sean McGuinley last year was would CRT consider mothballing the Hudderfield and Rochdale to divert resources into keeping the Leeds and Liverpool open. The answer was an emphatic 'No'.

They just mothball all three regularly now.

did you think he were gonna admit to yes?

 

I don’t trust him, he neither shaves or grows a beard. 

[LadyG]

1 minute ago, Midnight said:

One of the questions I put to Sean McGuinley last year was would CRT consider mothballing the Hudderfield and Rochdale to divert resources into keeping the Leeds and Liverpool open. The answer was an emphatic 'No'.

They just mothball all three regularly now.

Indeed, they do, I've been on the Rochdale for quite a few months, but when I queried the stoppages notices which were extensive, I was informed that it was just awaiting updating, I'm not sure about that.

It would be a shame if canals recently restored had to be mothballed, it would affect hire boats as well as leisure boaters.

 

[Jon57]

11 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Indeed, they do, I've been on the Rochdale for quite a few months, but when I queried the stoppages notices which were extensive, I was informed that it was just awaiting updating, I'm not sure about that.

It would be a shame if canals recently restored had to be mothballed, it would affect hire boats as well as leisure boaters.

 

That’s probably why shire cruises are apparently up for sale. Who knows what the future holds if it’s true.😱😱

[Midnight]

4 minutes ago, Jon57 said:

That’s probably why shire cruises are apparently up for sale. Who knows what the future holds if it’s true.😱😱

I think it's up for sale because Nigel wants to retire. Not an attractive proposition considering the endless stoppages in the area. 

[Jon57]

Just now, Midnight said:

I think it's up for sale because Nigel wants to retire. Not an attractive proposition considering the endless stoppages in the area. 

Don’t we all.🤣🤣

Just now, Jon57 said:

Don’t we all.🤣🤣

If they mothball the Rochdale and Huddersfield the business will be a not going anywhere concern. Even more so.

[magnetman]

What would happen to the great wall of Tod? Will it be kept as a hysteric monument?

[Jon57]

1 minute ago, magnetman said:

What would happen to the great wall of Tod? Will it be kept as a hysteric monument?

Outdoor climbing wall for the wolves possibly.

[dmr]

Whenever the closure topic crops up the Rochdale and HNC are top of the list but maybe this is wishful thinking by midland boaters.

There is a lot of BCN that is little used, and those huge locks on the Weaver are a liability, and Harecastle tunnel is still slowly sinking????

 

However I do suspect that a part closure of the Rochdale from the summit down to outer Manchester would be tempting..

[system 4-50]

"The Caldon Canal's Hazlehurst Bridge – a farmer's small accommodation bridge – is costing £2m to rebuild to required heritage standards. "

We could economise on these for a start.  And then a strike, close all bridges over all canals.  Would anybody notice? 

Edited February 7, 2023 by system 4-50

[Ronaldo47]

Perhaps consideration should be given to replacing it by a heritage Bailey Bridge? There is still one in use over the Chelmer in Chelmsford south of the town centre that formerly provided vehicle access to a car park and is now a link in a cycleway. 

[Rob-M]

I was idling through the Historic England web site the other day and was surprised at the number of listed canal structures.  No wonder it costs so much for repairs and takes so long.

[ditchcrawler]

Its our heritage that every one keeps drumming on about 

[matty40s]

3 hours ago, magnetman said:

 

I was wondering where to set up the canal boat scrap yard. If things change significantly there is going to be a lot of steel scrap about. 

You already have Whilton and the Scrapboatshop south of Leighton Bizzare! , how many more do you want...

[Philip]

12 hours ago, M_JG said:

 

I forsee pressure on the little used waterways rather than wholesale closeure.

 

So for those boaters based on the Northern parts of the system may need to consider heading for the Midlands and the South in order to have a reasonable chance of cruising any sort of distance unimpeded.

 

Save the well used bits by sacrificing the undersused bits.

 

They could call it 'levelling down'.

 

 

 

How do you define 'Northern' and 'Midland' canals? You could argue that the Shropshire Union from Audlem upwards and the Trent & Mersey above Harecastle are in the north, and it's hard to see these being allowed to mothball.