Hest Bank Ammenities An Absolute Disgrace

[Androo]

Needed to post this to let people know about the ammenities at Hest Bank on the Lancaster Canal.

 

Basically they are an absolute disgrace and I hope a BW employee will read this and get something done!

 

I think the block is shared by BW and the local council no excuse at all! so, the doors to the toilets are open all the time.

 

This is what I saw...

 

Close to gents loo was a dead rat

 

The gents, and the ladies (according to my wife), were absolutley putrid.

 

Waste paper disposal was a bag stretched over the hand basin cold tap.

 

Worst of all apart from the rat was the water top up point ( IT WAS IN THE GENTS LOO) so how on earth would any female boaters top up their water tanks without seeing men urinate!

 

Because of the situated water top up connection it meant that the hose was lying on the floor of the toilet sat in all sorts of stale water urine etc..

 

I was so shocked when I saw this as Hest Bank is an exquisite place to visit..

 

 

Just to add, there are various other top up points for water in the area spoken off but they are not specifically designated 1 hr max areas and they where all occupied by boats and it was impossible to get near without doubling up or having a 100mtr hose.

 

BW should get their act together as I and many others are paying a substantial amount each year for these services and they are extremely poor..

 

Androo

[Graham_Robinson]

Quote 'BW should get their act together'

 

That'll be a first. The clowns have taken over the circus

Edited August 6, 2009 by sparky2

[Smelly]

Methinks completing a comment card or speaking to BW might glean a better response than ranting on a forum...

[County4x4]

As far as I know this facility is operated by the local council rather than BW - I don't think we have any input. There are a number of water points spread along the visitor moorings a couple of hundred yards to the south. I don't think the tap in the toilet is really intended for filling water tanks to be honest.

 

I can understand your feelings as having used the "facilities" myself a number of times when passing in the course of my work, I can agree that they are not particularly pleasant. On the other hand though, and I'm not trying to make excuses (as I think in this case it's down to the council), there are decent visitor facilities at pretty regular intervals on the Lancaster which are checked and cleaned by BW staff on a daily basis - Garstang, Galgate, Lancaster, Carnforth and Tewitfield - probably not more than four miles between most of them. We also get to sort things out when these facilities are used incorrectly by boaters - like emptying cassettes down the toilet and spilling half of it on the floor, throwing nappies down the elsan and so on

 

My colleague and I have spoken to a great many boaters, both local and visitors from the link this season, and I would say that well over 95% of them have told us that they've thoroughly enjoyed the Lancaster.

 

Cheers,

 

Andy

[mayalld]

Needed to post this to let people know about the ammenities at Hest Bank on the Lancaster Canal.

 

Basically they are an absolute disgrace and I hope a BW employee will read this and get something done!

 

I think the block is shared by BW and the local council no excuse at all! so, the doors to the toilets are open all the time.

 

This is what I saw...

 

Close to gents loo was a dead rat

 

The gents, and the ladies (according to my wife), were absolutley putrid.

 

Waste paper disposal was a bag stretched over the hand basin cold tap.

 

Worst of all apart from the rat was the water top up point ( IT WAS IN THE GENTS LOO) so how on earth would any female boaters top up their water tanks without seeing men urinate!

 

Because of the situated water top up connection it meant that the hose was lying on the floor of the toilet sat in all sorts of stale water urine etc..

 

I was so shocked when I saw this as Hest Bank is an exquisite place to visit..

 

 

Just to add, there are various other top up points for water in the area spoken off but they are not specifically designated 1 hr max areas and they where all occupied by boats and it was impossible to get near without doubling up or having a 100mtr hose.

 

BW should get their act together as I and many others are paying a substantial amount each year for these services and they are extremely poor..

 

Androo

 

I think that what we have here is a council facility that happens to be close to a canal, so it is probably not worth shouting at BW about it.

 

The tap in the gents is probably for hosing down the floor rather than a boat water point.

[Big John]

I think that what we have here is a council facility that happens to be close to a canal, so it is probably not worth shouting at BW about it.

 

The tap in the gents is probably for hosing down the floor rather than a boat water point.

That is not what the signage says.

 

Andy, have the water points further along got tap symbols on? That would help notify boaters what they are. Maybe one of BW's A4 laminated signs could be displayed at the Council facility directing people to the BW tap cabinets?

[County4x4]

Hello again John,

 

Fair points I think - most people probably wouldn't know what was in the water point boxes unless they tried their BW key out of interest! I'll have a word and see if there are some signs that can be attached to them.

 

Cheers,

 

Andy

[cotswoldsman]

Not quite sure why this is in waterways news. Anyway having spent a few days at Hest Bank (my fav mooring spot on Lancaster) I understand as has been mentioned that these facilities are 100% run by Lancashire Council the reason being that this is a very very popular walking spot and the facilities are open to the public from 7am until 6pm. I guess the state of the facilities says more about the people that use them than about Lancashire Council.

Not so long ago I posted about a boater using the facilities for a self pumpout even though there is a sign saying NO SELF PUMPOUT this boater was pumping into a bucket then emptying the buckets into the Gents Toilet the complete operation took about 1 hour. I would advise anyone to carry on to Carnforth or Lancaster, both these facilities are BW and require a FOB to use BW Key alone is no good.

[County4x4]

John is correct - it seems that BW used to make a financial contribution to the local council to help with the upkeep of this block, but came to the conclusion that as they were doing very little to keep it decent, there was little point in continuing to spend the money with them. We have no input at all into this site now.

 

As far as the rat goes - well rats can often be found living near canals, and they do die from time to time. It really doesn't warrant calling out the major incident unit. But to help out and avoid it ruining anyone elses day I have removed it myself this morning - wasn't a big job to pick it up and get rid of it

 

Cheers,

 

Andy

[Androo]

That is not what the signainfront ge says.

 

Andy, have the water points further along got tap symbols on? That would help notify boaters what they are. Maybe one of BW's A4 laminated signs could be displayed at the Council facility directing people to the BW tap cabinets?

 

The problem with these water points is, there are no restrictions on mooring up infront of them, (Ie, Galgate has the same system at a similar water point but with a 1hr MAX stay. Here boats moor up at the water point and can stay 14days blocking access for those that need water.

 

What is the point of that?

 

As far as the rat goes - well rats can often be found living near canals, and they do die from time to time. It really doesn't warrant calling out the major incident unit. But to help out and avoid it ruining anyone elses day I have removed it myself this morning - wasn't a big job to pick it up and get rid of it

 

Cheers,

 

Andy

 

 

 

Yeah well we are not all as brave as you and, just to add it was there for 3 days.... so much for hygiene

Edited August 8, 2009 by Androo

[Androo]

Methinks completing a comment card or speaking to BW might glean a better response than ranting on a forum...

 

Like I said as I thought it was council shared with BW I thought I would ask on here before I sent them a letter. Seems that it is 100% council owned so I saved myself some ink didn't I!!

[cotswoldsman]

The problem with these water points is, there are no restrictions on mooring up infront of them, (Ie, Galgate has the same system at a similar water point but with a 1hr MAX stay. Here boats moor up at the water point and can stay 14days blocking access for those that need water.

 

What is the point of that?

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah well we are not all as brave as you and, just to add it was there for 3 days.... so much for hygiene

 

There is a shortage of mooring at Hest bank and 3 water points if you include the toilet block. Surely if someone is moored on one of the other water points then just breast up, I am sure that the person moored by the water point would have no problem with this.

 

As for the rat. If as you say it was there for 3 days why did you not take some action? Or do you expect a rat inspector to visit every day!! Rats and canals are just a normal thing and if you were not brave enough to remove it then would have been just as easy to ask someone else.

[County4x4]

I'm not sure whether I'm starting to find this rat thing a bit comical to be honest!

 

If it had been lying on the toilet seat or in the sink, then fair enough, but it wasn't even in the building! There are dead things all over the canal system - floating in the water, half eaten by something on the towpath and so on. It really isn't a problem in my eyes - it's nature. The only time it narks me is when it's something like a swan that's all wrapped up in fishing line - and not just because last time we had one (and a fairly "ripe" one at that) I ended up having to carry it about a mile to the van!

 

We really can't (and shouldn't) sanitise everything to the n'th degree. Creatures die every day, and sometimes they do it where we can see them - that's just the way it is. I have a much bigger problem with dog owners leaving crap all over the place - effectively all over YOUR doorstep when you're out cruising.

 

Anyway - I've moved it for you and for the dozens of other people who passed it and left it there, so it's done with now.

 

Cheers,

 

Andy

Edited August 9, 2009 by County4x4

[Natalie Graham]

I'm not sure whether I'm starting to find this rat thing a bit comical to be honest!

 

Creatures die every day, and sometimes they do it where we can see them - that's just the way it is. I have a much bigger problem with dog owners leaving crap all over the place -

Creatures crap every day, and sometimes they do it where we can see them - that's just the way it is.

[County4x4]

Haha - touche!!

 

 

Andy

[soldthehouse]

I'm not sure whether I'm starting to find this rat thing a bit comical to be honest!

 

If it had been lying on the toilet seat or in the sink, then fair enough, but it wasn't even in the building! There are dead things all over the canal system - floating in the water, half eaten by something on the towpath and so on. It really isn't a problem in my eyes - it's nature. The only time it narks me is when it's something like a swan that's all wrapped up in fishing line - and not just because last time we had one (and a fairly "ripe" one at that) I ended up having to carry it about a mile to the van!

 

We really can't (and shouldn't) sanitise everything to the n'th degree. Creatures die every day, and sometimes they do it where we can see them - that's just the way it is. I have a much bigger problem with dog owners leaving crap all over the place - effectively all over YOUR doorstep when you're out cruising.

 

Anyway - I've moved it for you and for the dozens of other people who passed it and left it there, so it's done with now.

 

Cheers,

 

Andy

just put it down to the percentage rule mate 99% get on with life 1% dont and moan and berate everyone who tries.

[kerching]

I'm not sure whether I'm starting to find this rat thing a bit comical to be honest!

Andy

 

It could have been a Siberian hamster.

[tony collins]

Creatures crap every day, and sometimes they do it where we can see them - that's just the way it is.

 

Perhaps, therefore all wild animals should be banned

 

Tony

[County4x4]

Well there's crap and crap isn't there?

 

As a teenager spending most of my weekends camping and caving in Derbyshire, I was never happier than paddling round the farmyard through the cow muck in my bare feet. Horse muck is similarly pleasant stuff.

 

Dog crap, on the other hand, is pretty obnoxious stuff, especially when it's all over the towpath, or sweating in plastic bags chucked in the nearest hedge!

 

Andy

[tony collins]

Well there's crap and crap isn't there?

 

As a teenager spending most of my weekends camping and caving in Derbyshire, I was never happier than paddling round the farmyard through the cow muck in my bare feet. Horse muck is similarly pleasant stuff. Both vegetarians

 

Dog crap, on the other hand, is pretty obnoxious stuff, especially when it's all over the towpath, or sweating in plastic bags chucked in the nearest hedge! Meat eaters

 

Andy

 

Spot the difference?

[Matthew Knowles]

Spot the difference?

 

Does that mean that my (a meat eater) crap is far worse than that of a vegetarian? Would walking through a veggies crap be 'pleasant'? Is there such thing as 'pleasant crap'?

[carlt]

Does that mean that my (a meat eater) crap is far worse than that of a vegetarian? Would walking through a veggies crap be 'pleasant'? Is there such thing as 'pleasant crap'?

Oh yes!

 

Vegetarian poo can be used as a green alternative to deodorant!

[Chertsey]

Does that mean that my (a meat eater) crap is far worse than that of a vegetarian? Would walking through a veggies crap be 'pleasant'? Is there such thing as 'pleasant crap'?

Having been both, I think probably yes, to the first question.

But no to the second two - it's more a matter of degree.

[Sir Nibble]

Yesterday I got back from the boat and Mrs Snibble put a fresh nappy on the cuckoo baby and moored her in her play pen whilst stuff was put away. Unpacking complete and coffee in hand I went for a sit down only to find that Cuckoo baby had removed her nappy and shat on the floor. The product of this endevour will go into the stern tube greaser, I shall report upon my findings.

[County4x4]

Is there such thing as 'pleasant crap'?

 

Yes indeed!

 

As a very keen potholer/walker/camper in my teens I spent an awful lot of time in Derbyshire and often stayed on farms where I took great delight in walking round the farmyards in bare feet through lovely warm sweet smelling cow muck. I'm sure posh women pay good money to be immersed in baths of someting very similar! Probably illegal now of course in case we catch something - these were the days when you could get raw milk straight from the farmers bulk tank. Ahhh - happy times....

 

Andy