Willington drowning............

[bargiepat]

Hi,

Updated news here............. http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/Wom...il/article.html

[gary4lw]

Looks like this will be the man thats been there since last year. sad loss RIP

[Morphyous]

This is very sad. I wonder whether his gas bottle fell in and he fell in trying to retrieve it.

[pagan witch]

Thanks for bringing the topic back into line Patrick.

 

Sheeeesh . . . If I'd have known that a man's death would have resulted in 7 pages of talk about ladders I don't think I'd have posted.

 

The death is very sad, but at that part of the canal the water is less than 3 ft deep + another 1 ft for bank and the reports say that 1 person pulled the poor chap out. At the end of the day it seems a tragic accident took place and my post was just to point out that we need to be carefull. Last thing we need is more rules.

[nene offspring]

I slipped on my deck last week and I came close to falling in. The Nene was fast flowing and cold. It was a real eye opener to me as I looked at the eddies and current, I'm a strong swimmer but fully dressed in winter gear I think I would have been in trouble. I'm a lot more careful now and Ive cleaned the deck to remove the thin film of slime I slipped on.

 

I slipped on my deck last week and I came close to falling in. The Nene was fast flowing and cold. It was a real eye opener to me as I looked at the eddies and current, I'm a strong swimmer but fully dressed in winter gear I think I would have been in trouble. I'm a lot more careful now and Ive cleaned the deck to remove the thin film of slime I slipped on.

[carlt]

I see NBW are now confirming that it was the "overstayer" who drowned.

 

Shame Tom hasn't removed the other derogatory comments, about him, from the rest of his blogsite.

[andywatson]

Hi,

Updated news here............. http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/Wom...il/article.html

 

Thanks for starting this thread..

 

Some local boaters (including forum members) knew the deceased and were aware of this event the day it occured.

 

I supect a combination of discretion and the way the other thread developed into a squabble inhibited relavent response.

[gaggle]

I wonder why a man off that age could not have his bottle changed by a helpful boater nearby , maybe he did not want help or no one offered because he was overstaying and not playing the game.

It is tragic such a thing could happen in what is supposed to be a friendly life on the cut , more so because the last weeks of his life he was under attack and placed in the spotlight.

[sueb]

I wonder why a man off that age could not have his bottle changed by a helpful boater nearby , maybe he did not want help or no one offered because he was overstaying and not playing the game.

It is tragic such a thing could happen in what is supposed to be a friendly life on the cut , more so because the last weeks of his life he was under attack and placed in the spotlight.

Careful, 63 isn't too old to change a gas bottle. I haven't heard but did BW give him a winter mooring there. I know someone else who was hounded for overstaying one winter. He had BW permission because he was having a hip replacement and needed a mooring where he could get on and off the boat. Why can't people mind there own business.

Sue

[gaggle]

You would not think so but clearly something went wrong , its heartbreaking to think he may have been struggling to get along and he went in the water alone and unnoticed.

Certainly people noticed he was there and took time to complain about him , if people who took time to stop and ask if all was ok or even just to chat with him the story could be so different , we just dont know.

[carlt]

Since he has died, his boat and car have been vandalised (according to NBW).

[Smelly]

I've just looked at NBW and I'm utterly horrified by the fact that within days of his passing they're vilifying him. I've never been entirely enamoured of NMW but I reckon that hits a new low. I don't think even the mail would sink to such lows.

[gaggle]

When they started publicising the fact he was there and OVERSTAYING the usual suspects became outraged and wrote demanding to know what the hell bw were doing about him.

The gang had someone to pick on and nbw was proud to have roused the rabble , no one cared why he was there , he just was and may not be paying to be there.

Some posters on here have expressed the view that it does not matter what the circumstances are if someone has not paid , they have to be got rid of.

That kind of attitude stinks as much as the campaign of hate by nbw.

[Smelly]

When they started publicising the fact he was there and OVERSTAYING the usual suspects became outraged and wrote demanding to know what the hell bw were doing about him.

The gang had someone to pick on and nbw was proud to have roused the rabble , no one cared why he was there , he just was and may not be paying to be there.

Some posters on here have expressed the view that it does not matter what the circumstances are if someone has not paid , they have to be got rid of.

That kind of attitude stinks as much as the campaign of hate by nbw.

 

I'll stand by you here, nuff said!

[denboy]

I'll stand by you here, nuff said!

 

seconded

[Greybeard]

Don't know about the car but, according to their site, NB Swansong has been moved into Mercia until his (Skipper's) relatives have got things arranged.

[furnessvale]

I see NBW are now confirming that it was the "overstayer" who drowned.

 

Shame Tom hasn't removed the other derogatory comments, about him, from the rest of his blogsite.

 

Why should he? The act of dying does not convert one into a saint. I once knew a man who was a dangerous knife carrying yob. When he got older he became a dangerous knife carrying OAP who wasn't afraid to use it. He has since died but my attitude to him remains the same.

 

Any comments made about this man, if true should stand. If false they shouldn't have been there in the first place.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[carlt]

Any comments made about this man, if true should stand. If false they shouldn't have been there in the first place.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

They are derogatory comments that are based on assumptions about a stranger's life and no, they shouldn't have been there in the first place.

[bottle]

SNIP>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

Any comments made about this man, if true should stand. If false they shouldn't have been there in the first place.

 

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<SNIP

 

Agreed but we are never sure that the diatribe written on that site, is true.

[furnessvale]

They are derogatory comments that are based on assumptions about a stranger's life and no, they shouldn't have been there in the first place.

 

I have back read all comments about this man that I can find on NBW and can find nothing offensive in them. The harshest comments, but by no means libellous, are in e mails from readers and not to print them would be censorship by NBW. The comment by NBW AFTER the event seems to be most respectful in the circumstances.

 

The only alternative is that in future ALL comment about unlicenced boats or chronic overstayers should be banned.

 

George ex nb Alton retired.

[bottle]

SNIP>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

The only alternative is that in future ALL comment about unlicenced boats or chronic overstayers should be banned.

 

<<<<<<<<<<<<<SNIP

 

That seems like a very good idea.

[carlt]

I have back read all comments about this man that I can find on NBW and can find nothing offensive in them.

So Tom (under the guise of Victor) calling him a "scrounger" is not offensive?

 

 

The only alternative is that in future ALL comment about unlicenced boats or chronic overstayers should be banned.

 

Can't argue with that.

[gaggle]

Why should he? The act of dying does not convert one into a saint. I once knew a man who was a dangerous knife carrying yob. When he got older he became a dangerous knife carrying OAP who wasn't afraid to use it. He has since died but my attitude to him remains the same.

 

Any comments made about this man, if true should stand. If false they shouldn't have been there in the first place.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

 

I dont think being on a 48 hr mooring eqautes to your knife carrying yob.

NBW have painted him as a nuisance to boaters and the locals , they say they highlight him because he is overstaying but they go on to say his dog is noisy and whats more he has bits and bobs on the towpath and look at this picture of his boat ,its not polished . have you got the picture they are painting .

Maybe the people who attacked his property attacked him first ,maybe he never fell but was pushed , maybe the read about him on NBW and thought he was an easy target and anyway he is a nuisance to all and sundry , we might never know but we do know NBW chose to publicly try and humiliate him and encourage others amongst it readers to join them in condemning him and so some did.

A certain section of people on the canal network leave a sour taste in the mouth and it is them that that should be shunned and told they are not welcome.

[Lady Muck]

I dont think being on a 48 hr mooring eqautes to your knife carrying yob.

NBW have painted him as a nuisance to boaters and the locals , they say they highlight him because he is overstaying but they go on to say his dog is noisy and whats more he has bits and bobs on the towpath and look at this picture of his boat ,its not polished . have you got the picture they are painting .

Maybe the people who attacked his property attacked him first ,maybe he never fell but was pushed , maybe the read about him on NBW and thought he was an easy target and anyway he is a nuisance to all and sundry , we might never know but we do know NBW chose to publicly try and humiliate him and encourage others amongst it readers to join them in condemning him and so some did.

A certain section of people on the canal network leave a sour taste in the mouth and it is them that that should be shunned and told they are not welcome.

 

You get exactly the same thing with motorhomes - we had a knackered camper van and a caravan club membership. The filthy looks we would get from the 'shiny motorhome brigade.' I reckon people like this exist in all walks of life - not unique to the canals.

 

I can accept that there is a big problem with overstaying, (my boat is moored on a river that is inundated with overstayers, after all), but I sometimes find it hard to understand what some of these boaters are perceived to be 'getting away with' exactly - Health problems? So broke you can't afford to run a stove even though its minus five outside? Drink or drug problems? Engine caput? Getting away with what exactly? Some of them I see deserve our sympathy. I wouldn't like to be in that position, would you?

 

It smacks to me like the haves complaining about the have-nots, wanting to take away even the little that they have. Very sad.

 

Where will it lead next? One of my friends comitted suicide last week because he was so worried about being taken off the sick in the reforms (he's not fit enough to work, yet he was being reassessed). What do you suggest we do? Shoot the evil towpath moorers so the canals are full of honest, decent hardworking people like us?

 

I also think that by photographing these boats and naming and shaming them on a website you are picking an easy target that can't easily defend itself. Wonder how many of them have an internet connection? They probably don't even know that this is happening.

If you lived in a house, would you post up a picture of your neighbours house and claim that they were not paying their council tax? Well? What about the legalities of this? What would your ISP's view be on this? If you were the target of this kind of vigilatism, how would you feel? I personally think it's a disgraceful way to behave that does absolutely nothing except create bad feeling.

 

/rant over.

Edited February 6, 2009 by Lady Muck

[estwdjhn]

they go on to say his dog is noisy and whats more he has bits and bobs on the towpath and look at this picture of his boat ,its not polished . have you got the picture they are painting .

 

I saw the picture of the boat published by the NBW story, my inital reaction was - that looks nice, a propper boat being used like it is intended, and not just polished to death...

 

I also see little point in making lots of loud noise about how nasty someone was after then have died in an unfortunate acident. I've had annoying neigbours on land, but I wouldn't wish them dead, nor had they died would I have been kicking up a fuss about how annoying they were before they died.

 

If NBW have an axe to grind, I suggest they aim for BW's failure to take action against those who do overstay without a good reason, rather than picking on individuals when they don't know the full circumstances.

 

As Lady Muck says, there are heatbreaking cases about of people really struggling to survive on the waterways - just because we are the fortunate, does not mean we should dispise the unfortunate. As I said in an earlier post -"There, but for the grace of God..."