A grand day out - when all is good on the canal.

[twbm]

I am a relatively recent member of the NBT. I'm trying to work out the point that's being made in the first post: the boats weren't going fast enough for the author? So what? We're all volunteers for goodness sake - we do it for fun. Perhaps the crew were just taking it at an easy pace, and why on earth shouldn't they? Does it cross anyone's mind they might just have stopped for a cup of tea?

 

And yes the boats are a bit scruffy at the moment - we don't have a bottomless pit of money and they actually work relatively hard compared to some of the chocolate box 'working boats'.

 

If you would like to change that, donations and new members welcome. See our website for details.

Edited November 4, 2009 by twbm

[alan_fincher]

I am a relatively recent member of the NBT. I'm trying to work out the point that's being made in the first post: the boats weren't going fast enough for the author? So what? We're all volunteers for goodness sake - we do it for fun. Perhaps the crew were just taking it at an easy pace, and why on earth shouldn't they? Does it cross anyone's mind they might just have stopped for a cup of tea?

Blimey!

 

Everybody is taking this a bit seriously - I rather regret giving them a mention now.

 

I don't care whether NBT travel fast or slow, (as long as it's not too fast, and, if too slow, they let me past).

 

What rather amused me was the initial attitude that implied they were in quite a hurry, and we would need to work hard if we wanted to stay in front of them.

 

We didn't work particularly hard, and we had no trouble in staying in front of them, (to the extent that after a couple of locks we never saw them again until some considerable time after we had tied up).

 

No issues at all - perhaps they just had us marked down as slow-coaches, because we had to turn every lock, and, unlike them, were working with just two of us.

 

As I have already said, I struggle to see what the NBT is really about these days, (although I understood and supported it's original objectives). It's not an outfit I currently feel I want to contribute to, either in a financial way, or in a volunteer way - there are simply other places that seem more deserving. If they do actually want the active support of additional volunteers or sponsors, they need to engage people far more when they are out and about, otherwise it is simply not apparent. As a member of the public, (if I don't already know), how am I supposed to learn what they are about, or how they differ from any other pair of unconverted boats passing through - it needs more than just an anonymous trust name painted on the cabin.

 

I still like looking at any pair of GU boats though, even if some of their original authenticity has been needlessly lost, (again in my view!). I walked up specially to see them lock through, but would have done that whoever the boats belonged to.

[mayalld]

I am a relatively recent member of the NBT. I'm trying to work out the point that's being made in the first post: the boats weren't going fast enough for the author? So what? We're all volunteers for goodness sake - we do it for fun. Perhaps the crew were just taking it at an easy pace, and why on earth shouldn't they? Does it cross anyone's mind they might just have stopped for a cup of tea?

 

I think the point is that NBT have a reputation for charging around the countryside mob handed with a complete lack of consideration for other boaters, and justifying their failure to slow down for moored boats with "we're a working boat, you know".

 

Here we see an example of their lock wheeler rushing about pressuring a boat ahead, when the crew seems unable to work at that speed.

 

Yes, NBT do it for fun, but why must that fun so often harm the enjoyment of others?

[raymac]

I would to thank the crew of the narrow boat trust for helping me on the 31st while at cowroast lock. The s--m bags where back last weekend and broke into my van and tried to help themselfs to my genny, poor sods it was too heavy for them ( it takes four men to lift ) and dropped it. So I am glad they where in no rush and only too willing to help me lift the genny back into my van. Thank you the crew of the narrow boat trust.

[LEO]

I would to thank the crew of the narrow boat trust for helping me on the 31st while at cowroast lock. The s--m bags where back last weekend and broke into my van and tried to help themselfs to my genny, poor sods it was too heavy for them ( it takes four men to lift ) and dropped it. So I am glad they where in no rush and only too willing to help me lift the genny back into my van. Thank you the crew of the narrow boat trust.

 

Sorry to hear of more break-ins at Cowroast, there are some very determined scroats active along this stretch of the canal.

 

Leo

[twbm]

Alan, Mayalld,

 

Thank you - both useful responses and food for thought. I don't intend to wash our dirty linen in public but suffice to say the trust is having to take a good hard look at itself at the moment and we need to be aware of how other people view us. I hope there are others like raymac who were left with a postitive impression.

 

Raymac,

 

Thank you - I'll pass that on at the AGM next week. Seems we're not always clever but we can lift heavy weights!

[alan_fincher]

Alan, Mayalld,

 

Thank you - both useful responses and food for thought. I don't intend to wash our dirty linen in public but suffice to say the trust is having to take a good hard look at itself at the moment and we need to be aware of how other people view us. I hope there are others like raymac who were left with a postitive impression.

That's a good attitude to have - I think all such outfits can fall into the trap of forgetting their original aims, and failing to put things right over time.

 

Unlike Dave, I have never had a problem with the way the NBT work the system, and actually I wish them well. But if they are intended to be there for the public, and not just as a private boaters club, I think a lot of effort needs to go into considering ways to make that happen. It could, I feel, with work, be much, much more than it can currently appear from outside. (Same applies to other groups with similar aims, so not picking on NBT in particular. )

 

Good luck at the AGM.

[mayalld]

Alan, Mayalld,

 

Thank you - both useful responses and food for thought. I don't intend to wash our dirty linen in public but suffice to say the trust is having to take a good hard look at itself at the moment and we need to be aware of how other people view us. I hope there are others like raymac who were left with a postitive impression.

 

That is good to hear, and a far more positive reaction to honestly voiced criticism that the last thread that discussed NBT got.

[furnessvale]

Dog owner moan 2.

 

Berkhamsted has become bad enough now that someone is now labelling the lock-side poos with little "anti-social dog owner" labels on pointed sticks. Whilst looking to see where the poo associated with one label was supposed to be, I skidded on another (unlabelled) "offering". Berkhamsted, despite it's affluence, seems to be particularly bad on the dog s**t front right now. I counted at least 3 in just the length of our boat whilst doing a supermarket stop.

 

Moany enough for you ?

 

Passing through Berko about 10 years ago I carefully cleaned up after my dog, making a neat paper parcel. At one lock I put it on the balance beam to work the lock and, of course, forgot all about it. I remembered it on the tring summit.

 

I wonder if anyone thought they had found something valuable?

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[alan_fincher]

Passing through Berko about 10 years ago I carefully cleaned up after my dog, making a neat paper parcel. At one lock I put it on the balance beam to work the lock and, of course, forgot all about it. I remembered it on the tring summit.

 

I wonder if anyone thought they had found something valuable?

No, it has still been there every time we have gone through!