NB on weir at Ditchford, R. Nene

[RLWP]

The TV reporter seems to pronounce the river Nene as "nen". Is this correct? I've always thought it was pronounced the way it's spelt.

 

If I remember correctly, pronunciation changes from one end to the other.

 

Richard

[nbfiresprite]

The TV reporter seems to pronounce the river Nene as "nen". Is this correct? I've always thought it was pronounced the way it's spelt.

 

Would be correct for that part of the river until you reach Thrapston after which it changes to the Nene

[Tam & Di]

The TV reporter seems to pronounce the river Nene as "nen". Is this correct? I've always thought it was pronounced the way it's spelt.

 

 

We always heard it pronounced Nen when we were on it at various times some 30-40 years ago

[ditchcrawler]

The TV reporter seems to pronounce the river Nene as "nen". Is this correct? I've always thought it was pronounced the way it's spelt.

No comment

[gazza]

Would be correct for that part of the river until you reach Thrapston after which it changes to the Nene

 

i have never believed this, its bought about by a few lines in the imray guide.

 

i am a local lad, none of my mates from thrapston who have lived there all their lives call it neen. the correct pronuciatiuon is nen, and has been done to death by various folks at the clubs up and down the river. old maps clearly have it spelt nen, when the e got put on the end is anyones guess

 

it makes a nice change for local news to use the correct pronunciation.

 

in my experience its the fenland folk from peterborough and beyond who call it neen.

[Athy]

 

in my experience its the fenland folk from peterborough and beyond who call it neen.

Yes they do. Our house is by the Old River "Neen".

I wonder what Rolls Royce's official pronunciation of their Nene aero engine was.

[gazza]

Yes they do. Our house is by the Old River "Neen".

I wonder what Rolls Royce's official pronunciation of their Nene aero engine was.

 

not thraston then i too wonder about that.

 

blagrove is also responsible for adding to the nonsense about thrapston p7 of waterways of northamptonshire, p11 has an extract of 1795 act with the correct spelling.

 

edited to add the missing shire...

Edited November 5, 2012 by gazza

[WJM]

The aero engine was definitely 'Neeene'!

[GUMPY]

I thought it changed from Nen to Nene at Oundle first time Ive heard its Thrapston

[gazza]

I thought it changed from Nen to Nene at Oundle first time Ive heard its Thrapston

 

mark neigh stalwart of fairline/oundle marina for over 40 years calls it nen.

 

first time i have heard oundle quoted as the reference point.....

[Athy]

The aero engine was definitely 'Neeene'!

Ah yes, that's just how they sounded when one went overhead.

[GUMPY]

mark neigh stalwart of fairline/oundle marina for over 40 years calls it nen.

 

first time i have heard oundle quoted as the reference point.....

The change at Oundle was something I heard 20-30 years ago

Edited November 5, 2012 by idleness

[Duchess Omnium]

Interesting advice from the EA. 'Sign up for our Strong Stream' text, phone or email service'. The reporter says the boater HAD signed up for it but received nothing. I signed up for Strong Stream on the the Thames text alerts too but I never receive any.

 

Not sure how they help though. I found all I needed to do was look in the river to see the strong stream on my recent hairy trip from Reading up to Oxford.

 

I signed up for strong stream alerts on the Thames. I never receive texts (though I double checked that they had my number) but I do get emails.

[the grinch]

I signed up for strong stream alerts on the Thames. I never receive texts (though I double checked that they had my number) but I do get emails.

 

not much use if you're down the Nene!! lol

[MtB]

I signed up for strong stream alerts on the Thames. I never receive texts (though I double checked that they had my number) but I do get emails.

 

My experience too. The system doesn't work.

 

I hope the owners, in commenting that they didn't receive the warning text, are not saying that they decided to set out relying on the absence of a text as evidence the river was safe to navigate.

 

I have the feeling that boatmanship must have played a part in this incident. A competent boatman would have perceived the risk of the stern being drawn across the weir-stream and avoided it happening.

 

I appreciate it is easy to sit here at a warm PC criticising, but in order to learn from other peeps accidents, it is important to analyse and understand how accidents came about. My speculation is that they arrived at the lock landing and tied the bow first, intending to disembark and get the lock ready, and the stern was caught by the current. Going downstream it is always prudent to tie the stern first.

 

Alternatively, if the lock was ready and the gates open as they approached, they were probably hacking along downstream at 6 or 7 knots carried by the current, and slowed to enter the lock, and at which point as the bow entered the slack water of the lock mouth, the stern was pulled across onto the barrage by the current.

 

I'm puzzled that RCR were allowed to attempt recovery. I was under the impression that any obstruction to navigation would dealt with by the EA, and the owners perhaps billed to the recovery. I think RCR have caused themselves a LOADS of trouble by attempting and screwing up the recovery. I thought they were a breakdown organisation equivalent to the AA rather than a sunken boat-lifting organisation. Maybe they are expanding their operation and offering new services...

 

Mike

[Keeping Up]

Alternatively, if the lock was ready and the gates open as they approached, they were probably hacking along downstream at 6 or 7 knots carried by the current, and slowed to enter the lock, and at which point as the bow entered the slack water of the lock mouth, the stern was pulled across onto the barrage by the current.

 

Unlikely. Nene locks are always left empty on departure (whichever direction you are travelling)

[gazza]

My experience too. The system doesn't work.

 

I hope the owners, in commenting that they didn't receive the warning text, are not saying that they decided to set out relying on the absence of a text as evidence the river was safe to navigate.

 

I have the feeling that boatmanship must have played a part in this incident. A competent boatman would have perceived the risk of the stern being drawn across the weir-stream and avoided it happening.

 

I appreciate it is easy to sit here at a warm PC criticising, but in order to learn from other peeps accidents, it is important to analyse and understand how accidents came about. My speculation is that they arrived at the lock landing and tied the bow first, intending to disembark and get the lock ready, and the stern was caught by the current. Going downstream it is always prudent to tie the stern first.

 

Alternatively, if the lock was ready and the gates open as they approached, they were probably hacking along downstream at 6 or 7 knots carried by the current, and slowed to enter the lock, and at which point as the bow entered the slack water of the lock mouth, the stern was pulled across onto the barrage by the current.

 

I'm puzzled that RCR were allowed to attempt recovery. I was under the impression that any obstruction to navigation would dealt with by the EA, and the owners perhaps billed to the recovery. I think RCR have caused themselves a LOADS of trouble by attempting and screwing up the recovery. I thought they were a breakdown organisation equivalent to the AA rather than a sunken boat-lifting organisation. Maybe they are expanding their operation and offering new services...

 

Mike

 

Mike, I take it you haven't been on the nene or ouse? They are unique n that the locks are used as sluices in times of flood. Ea post notices at all locks detailing this, floodline numbers river inspector numbers etc. The locks should always be against you traveling downstream unless you meet someone at the lock. Times of flood the upstream gates will be chained back, with the guillotine raised, you don't want to motor into a lock thus set...

 

Bottom line is they shouldn't have moved text or no text, the nene makes it well clear when it is not safe to boat, your judgement of speed would be about right BTW

 

I got my text.at 10.14 am the morning of the river going on ssa.

 

I doubt they got anywhere near getting off with a rope, the sluice they ended up being swept againts the barrier is about 20-30' wide, plenty of water to drag an out of control boat to its fate.

Edited November 5, 2012 by gazza

[nb Innisfree]

Don't know about texts but when I've seen the Nene in fast flow it's been scary and the thought of navigating it especially in a narrow boat fills me with foreboding.

[gazza]

Don't know about texts but when I've seen the Nene in fast flow it's been scary and the thought of navigating it especially in a narrow boat fills me with foreboding.

 

Any boat..

As I said, our river makes it clear when to stay put. The biggest problem is the lack of safehavens. There are a few boat clubs, a few marinas and several flood friendly ea moorings.

 

Boats have been lost at Peterborough floating onto the path and getting caught as the level drops.

[gazza]

Wellingborough embankment is a prime candidate for flood friendly moorings, it's a days cruise from Northampton town, with tesco and a pub close to hand.

It's popular but yet still only has bollards to tie to.

Oh well we have plenty of canoe portarges....

[keble]

[snip]

Going downstream it is always prudent to tie the stern first.

 

Good point Mike, one well worth remembering.

Over here, approaching Glos lock coming down the Severn, you need to do just that if the lock isn't open.

The various guides do tell you to moor stern first (to chains on the wall).

[lydfordcastle]

The TV reporter seems to pronounce the river Nene as "nen". Is this correct? I've always thought it was pronounced the way it's spelt.

 

Received wisdom seems to be that it's 'Nen' from Northampton to Thrapston and Nene thereafter. However, I have heard locals in Elton pronounce it 'Nen' so who knows?

[gazza]

Received wisdom seems to be that it's 'Nen' from Northampton to Thrapston and Nene thereafter. However, I have heard locals in Elton pronounce it 'Nen' so who knows?

 

Me!

 

It's a debate that won't be resolved though.

[Theo]

Why are the Nene locks left empty? I would have thought that if they decide to use the locks as flood relief an empty lock needs to have

 

1. the gate lowered,

 

2. the lock filled,

 

3 the topgates opened and chained back

 

4. then the bottom gate opened to suit

 

If the lock were left full the process would be much quicker.

 

Nick

[the grinch]

the top gates are lower than the guillotine and act as natural weirs when in normal operation, its only when "reversed" that the top gates get chained open (and locked with a different key to the user abloy one) and then the guillotine is raised to a set level according to how much they want to draw off