Narrowboat Trust - Informal open day

[twbm]

On Saturday and Sunday 8th and 9th May, members of the Narrowboat Trust will be at the Samuel Barlow, Alvcecote Marina, Tamworth, working on Nuneaton and Brighton to prepare them for a repaint prior to starting this seasons cruising.

 

Forum members living in the area are welcome to drop in, talk to members and climb about on the boats between 1100 and 1600.

 

Nothing formal has been planned - our main purpose is to work on the boats - but if any one does want to drop by for a natter we'll be pleased to make time to talk to you.

 

Regards,

 

Trevor W.

[Dyad]

On Saturday and Sunday 8th and 9th May, members of the Narrowboat Trust will be at the Samuel Barlow, Alvcecote Marina, Tamworth, working on Nuneaton and Brighton to prepare them for a repaint prior to starting this seasons cruising.

 

Forum members living in the area are welcome to drop in, talk to members and climb about on the boats between 1100 and 1600.

 

Nothing formal has been planned - our main purpose is to work on the boats - but if any one does want to drop by for a natter we'll be pleased to make time to talk to you.

 

Regards,

 

Trevor W.

 

I'm going to try and make it, I would of been working the night before so excuse me if I'm half asleep. Alvecote is on my patch of railway that I look after and Robeys Lane is one of our access points so I know it well.

[twbm]

I'm going to try and make it, I would of been working the night before so excuse me if I'm half asleep. Alvecote is on my patch of railway that I look after and Robeys Lane is one of our access points so I know it well.

 

... and the bridge has reopened so access from either side is possible.

 

Look forward to seeing you .

 

T.

[twbm]

Just wanted to pop this back on the front page, lest anyone has missed it.

[Dyad]

Just wanted to pop this back on the front page, lest anyone has missed it.

 

Bump

[imnogeek]

Bump

dropped by about 2.00 sunday, only boat moored outside Samuel Barlow was "Jaguar"

 

had you all gave in and gone home?

[Dyad]

dropped by about 2.00 sunday, only boat moored outside Samuel Barlow was "Jaguar"

 

had you all gave in and gone home?

 

I was there Sunday morning and didn't see them either, so it looks like it was a no show

[Guest]

What a silly thing to do - post a public invite to something and then not bother to turn up.....

 

would have taken but 30 secs to post a cancellation on here if they needed to.

[alan_fincher]

From

 

NBT Link

 

Events 2010

 

Contact: trevorwinterbottom@ntlworld.com with your availability in the next couple of months. we are moored next to the Samuel Barlow pub, Alvecote at the home of the South Midland Carrying Co fleet of Joshers - so parking & easy access, beer, food, facilities & interesting boats - what more do you need....but.....

WE NEED YOU!

 

Apparently not! (On both counts! )

[billS]

From

 

NBT Link

 

 

 

Apparently not! (On both counts! )

 

Hmmmm....looks like the quality of their info is similar to the quality of helmsmanship I've seen displayed by this organisation.

[Hairy-Neil]

They'll run out of feet to shoot themselves in.

[Dyad]

What a silly thing to do - post a public invite to something and then not bother to turn up.....

 

would have taken but 30 secs to post a cancellation on here if they needed to.

 

Yes that was my reaction yesterday but I would like to give them the benefit of the doubt, there could be a whole host of reasons why they didn't get there or post a cancellation.

 

I hope Trevor can come on here and let us know.

[Steilsteven]

They were there on the Saturday as they had been for some weeks.

Due to the inclement weather, it was decided to move them at the end of the day to Grendon dock to carry on with the repaint under cover.

This was a snap desicion and totally unplanned.

 

Apoligies to all those who turned up on Sunday, it was unfortunate that Trevor didn't think to post the info Saturday night.

Sorry for your wasted journeys.

 

It's a pity some people feel the need to, once again yawn, yawn, see this as an oportunity to knock the Trust but I guess that says a whole lot more about them.

 

Keith.

[Guest]

They were there on the Saturday as they had been for some weeks.

Due to the inclement weather, it was decided to move them at the end of the day to Grendon dock to carry on with the repaint under cover.

This was a snap desicion and totally unplanned.

 

Apoligies to all those who turned up on Sunday, it was unfortunate that Trevor didn't think to post the info Saturday night.

Sorry for your wasted journeys.

 

It's a pity some people feel the need to, once again yawn, yawn, see this as an oportunity to knock the Trust but I guess that says a whole lot more about them.

 

Keith.

 

Not knocking you just pointing out it would have taken but 1 minute to post -

 

Sorry guys this has had to be cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.

 

don't you think??

[rrt2]

Hmmmm....looks like the quality of their info is similar to the quality of helmsmanship I've seen displayed by this organisation.

 

 

 

Where else can somebody who possible has never been on a canal boat before learn to steer a pair either loaded or empty.

 

I have to assume from your comment that you are a very skilled steerer with years of experience steering working boats both loaded and unloaded perhaps you would join the trust and give us the benefit of this knowledge.

[alan_fincher]

It's a pity some people feel the need to, once again yawn, yawn, see this as an oportunity to knock the Trust but I guess that says a whole lot more about them.

I'm not up for deliberately bashing the NBT, and really do wish that things could improve for their image, (having been a very early supporter back in the 1970s).

 

But, (whatever you think my comment says about me!), this kind of thing is a considerable "own goal" in my view.

 

Anyone who did take the trouble to turn out for the invite will probably feel more disenfranchised than I did when I have turned out to a railway preservation's "come and find out about volunteering" day, only to find they are more interested talking to each other than really trying to attract much needed newcomers.

 

This "no show" may have been because of unexpected circumstances, but it is clear people had a wasted trip as a result. Only the very dedicated or enthusiastic will bother to try finding you the next time, in my view.

[imnogeek]

@NBT members

 

I know very little about you and have no preconceptions about your trust or your members.

 

If you want to build up your membership, funding, public profile or whatever then you need to act like an organisation and be organised.

 

Keeping the public (future members) informed of what you do, why you do it, when you do it and changes to plans etc are not only good practice but build up a trust between you and the public.

 

I was one of those that turned up to find out about you and was dissapointed to find nobody there., I asked behind the bar and the barmaid had no idea what I was on about, a simple message behind the bar would have been better than nothing. Better still as you had arranged this as a public event then one of you could have stopped behind to apologise to the public and have a chat about the trust anyway.

 

Reading some of the posts above you seem to have created (rightly or wrongly) an image yourselves that you did not want, well work together to correct that rather than getting into squabbles about boat handling etc.

 

:/rant off

 

If you do hold an event in the future that is local to me I would still like to find out more, as long as you promise to be there

[carlt]

This was a snap desicion and totally unplanned.

As someone who has never, in the past, criticised the NBT (I save my barbs for another boat trust) I would say that the excuse given is totally inadequate.

 

To run for cover because of a bit of rain, cancelling a planned event, designed to recruit new enthusiasts is totally short sighted and, in my opinion, downright rude.

 

It reinforces the "private club financed by charitable donations" image that these boating "charities" portray.

 

It's a pity some people feel the need to, once again yawn, yawn, see this as an oportunity to knock the Trust but I guess that says a whole lot more about them.

If the Trust insist on providing opportunities for critics to "knock" them surely they shoud expect all that they get?

 

Where else can somebody who possible has never been on a canal boat before learn to steer a pair either loaded or empty.

In my experience private boat owners, who spend their own money restoring and maintaining their boats, are far more willing to let you hop on their back deck, after a friendly chat, than the publicly funded private clubs.

[rrt2]

In my experience private boat owners, who spend their own money restoring and maintaining their boats, are far more willing to let you hop on their back deck, after a friendly chat, than the publicly funded private clubs.

 

 

 

lot of difference between hoping on the back and learning to steering a pair

[Athy]

hoping on the back

 

What a great description of steering an unfamiliar boat.

[Guest]

In my experience private boat owners, who spend their own money restoring and maintaining their boats, are far more willing to let you hop on their back deck, after a friendly chat, than the publicly funded private clubs.

 

 

 

 

lot of difference between hoping on the back and learning to steering a pair

 

Quite probably but that's not the main point is it. The boats would still have to be there to steer.

[carlt]

lot of difference between hoping on the back and learning to steering a pair

Yes it is the difference between being given the opportunity to have a go and not.

 

If they can't even be bothered to turn up to their own event, because of a bit of rain, it reinforces the little clique image they frequently protray.

 

I learnt to steer boats by "hopping on" working boats and I have offered my services, as an experienced steerer, to a similar club masquerading as trust and have never received a response, because I wasn't in the club.

[Pluto]

I learnt to steer boats by "hopping on" working boats and I have offered my services, as an experienced steerer, to a similar club masquerading as trust and have never received a response, because I wasn't in the club.

On the short boat Kennet, we currently require those moving the boat to be members of the L&LC Society as it makes insurance easier. The person in charge also requires some sort of official paperwork to show they can steer, which could be thought a bit daft as several members without such paperwork worked professionally on short boats, but that's the delights of bureaucracy for you.

[Chubby Chaser]

The Narrowboat Trust. Hmmm.

 

Witnessed them going down the Soar when the boards were on red. Expert steerers. First the motor hit my boat, then the butty. Undaunted and insisting they knew better then "the girls at BW" they went through the lock and tried to get under the bridge at right angles immediately after. Motor hit the bridge, butty got caught, line snapped and there was the sound of snapping timber and steel against stone. A rather sad looking butty emerged. Goodness knows how much that cost to put right.

 

But remember they knew what they were doing. And anyway, the boards were only just on red!

[Steilsteven]

None of us professes to be an expert and anyone is capable of making a mistake.

Anyone who says they're an expert is to be avoided at all costs!

 

The only ''experts'' that I've come accross, are the ones whilst watching someone cock up, are full of how it should have been done.

Of course they've never put a foot wrong in their lives, have they?

 

I've met some well known ''names'' over the years, all excellent boaters but not one of them would claim to be an expert.

They all tend to use the same phrase, you never stop learning.

 

In the Narrow Boat Trust we have and have had some very good steerers, some were good steerers when they joined the Trust and some developed their skills within the Trust.

By its very nature NBT will be seen at times doing things wrong, just like a driving school when a pupil takes to the road for the first time.

 

We are not an exclusive club, we welcome all comers. If we were an exclusive club with only ''expert'' members, then, perhaps, any critisism could be justified.

As it is,as volunteers, we are all giving what spare time we can to maintain something we all enjoy and want to share with others.

 

Anyway, I spoke to Trevor last night by phone, he is spending the whole of this week painting the boats, he feels very embarassed for not letting anyone know about the boats leaving on Saturday night and very humbly apologizes to all who were inconvenienced. Unfortunately, because of his location ( about 200 miles from home) he hasn't been able to get on line to do this himself, not even on his Blackberry!

 

I hope what I've said here will help calm the waters a little.

 

Keith.