Attack in Reading

[Tony Brooks]

Reading is absolutely fine - this just happens to be one very small area where oiks hang out. It if fine to pass through, just not a great place to overnight.

 

Incidentally, I always called that lock 'Waterworks', I only came across the name Fobney in recent years. It is the one where a side spill weir pours over the landing platform when the river is up. You have to leg it along the railings to avoid wet feet.

 

 

 

It is also a place to avoid (as witnessed by two other posters) at any time the youths are likely to be around and this location is a seems to be a magnet for them.

 

It is NOT fine to pass through when they are around, even if you have had no problems. I have been showered with missiles more than once. On one occasion an older lady suffered a bruised arm. And I do try to chat to them. I am sure that drink has a lot to do with it but being relatively isolated it seems the authorities think out of sight and out of mind.

 

All I asked is that if you have had problems of felt threatened that you email the editor of the paper so he has something more to go on that the BW & TVP's apparent whitewash. Sorry I asked.

[alan_fincher]

All I asked is that if you have had problems of felt threatened that you email the editor of the paper so he has something more to go on that the BW & TVP's apparent whitewash. Sorry I asked.

Tony,

 

Don't be sorry - I endorse your stance, and from what others have said, it's clearly more than a one-off occurrence.

 

All such incidents should of course be reported, and those they have been reported to should then not just lose the report.

 

I'll put my hand up to having had minor stone-throwing, (and fruit throwing!) incidents elsewhere, and not bothering to file a report. Actually I think I should have done, and congratulate those who find the time to do so.

 

Most of the time large numbers of young people are grouped around a lock and behaving in fairly riotous behaviour its easy to say "they are just being young, and treat them right, and there will be no problems".

 

But when they have just dived behind paddles you have opened full, despite your protests not to, it's sometimes hard to stay calm and collected.

 

My OH is a teacher used to dealing with a wide spectrum of teenagers on a daily basis, so usually gets the job of "crowd control" at problem areas. Even then we have occasionally found ourselves in situations that are decidedly uncomfortable, and from which one likes to boat away as fast as possible.

[NB Alnwick]

I lived in and around Reading in the early 1980s and ran a modest estate of managed pubs for Courage. Even in those days I found the behaviour of a certain sector of the local population exceedingly threatening. As I recall, even the enquiry desk at the town's Police Station was defaced with graffiti! As always, it is a case of a small minority in just a few locations giving the whole area a bad reputation. There is much to see and do in Reading and if there were adequate secure moorings, I am, sure that many boaters would enjoy visiting the town. I am extremely sorry to hear of the attacks on Tony and others and I hope as many as possible will respond to tony's request - perhaps that way something may be done about the situation.

[Guest User]

We've moored outside the Reading Tesco's no problem, but we got water-bombed right on the approach to Caversham Lock on the Thames last year .... a lady walking a dog kindly reported the incident to the police on our behalf .. sadly once we were in the lock, the lock keeper was totally uninterested when we tried to tell him about the reception committee below the lock. What it did highlight was the need to have the relevant local phone numbers for the Police, we didn't have them, and unless reported straight away there's a very strong tendency to not bother once a day or two has passed.

[GSer]

It can be intimidating passing through Fobney, and whilst i've never had any physical abuse from the locals there has been the odd object thrown and plenty of verbals, in recent years I never navigate through on the Kennet unless it's an early passage through and i won't stop any closer than the Cunning Man at the very closest. The Thames seems OK & exept for some verbals and stone throwing at Tesco's I'm happy enough to stay a night elseware on the Thames in that area.

 

To put a balance on things I have had equally annoying contacts with 'youffs' in Newbury as well, but the Reading groups seem to be 'proffesional and practised' as opposed to Newbury's 'amatuers'

 

Paul

[hughc]

Narrowboat World is reporting that a canoeist has been injured by missiles thrown at him and his girlfriend at Fobney. He needed hospital treatment. This is obviously bandit country and to say that because you personally have had no problems does not alter this. I have argued before that BW owes a duty of care to its customers and that includes all aspects of health and safety not just silly notices and dangerous bollards inspired by boating 'no nowts'. BW will find themselves facing questions in court unless they get a grip on towpath yobs. Regards, HughC.

[Tony Brooks]

Narrowboat World is reporting that a canoeist has been injured by missiles thrown at him and his girlfriend at Fobney. He needed hospital treatment. This is obviously bandit country and to say that because you personally have had no problems does not alter this. I have argued before that BW owes a duty of care to its customers and that includes all aspects of health and safety not just silly notices and dangerous bollards inspired by boating 'no nowts'. BW will find themselves facing questions in court unless they get a grip on towpath yobs. Regards, HughC.

 

 

Thats the incident the local paper reported and TVP's & BW's assertion that this is not a problem area prompted my first post. Neither organisation find it possible to mitigate the problem and try to deny it exists.