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Billing Aquadrome


Captain Miss Pugwash

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no one from Billing had bothered to phone her at work to let her know. The park manager when interviewed on radio, didn't even know the phone number of Billing Aquadrome!

 

That's terrible - I used to go out with the daughter of the chap who started and owned Blling for many years, it would never have happened in their day!

 

I'm pretty local, so if a work party is being organised, let me know and I'll happily pitch in

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That's terrible - I used to go out with the daughter of the chap who started and owned Blling for many years, it would never have happened in their day!

 

I'm pretty local, so if a work party is being organised, let me know and I'll happily pitch in

 

 

 

I am prepared to help , we are a couple of hours away let me know if anything is organised and we will be there , (cant do Friday)

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Only just picked this up. I can't believe it, poor Tree, its hard to imagine how this must feel. Hopefully insurance will help out, but its so much more than just that.

I'm sure the forum will rally in any way we can.

meanwhile, Tree, if you are reading this, our biggest hugz, you know where I am if I can be of any help xx

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I have just seen this devastating news :( . I do hope that your boat is raised soon and restored.

I hope it doesn't make you give up on narrowboating, as I have found so far, just by the forum, what great people there are on here with help to questions and assistance even before I have started life on the water.

 

All the best, James.

Edited by canals are us?
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Arrested? What for?

To be actually arrested you need to have perpetrate (or suspicion of) a criminal offence however I believe the police have the powers to forcibly remove someone from a situation if they are in grave danger or likely to cause a danger to others. There are also sections of the mental health act that can get you taken into custody for assessment for your own protection or the protection of those around you although these are hardly likely to apply in this situation.

 

I suppose since Billing Aquadrome is a private place the owners may close it and ask the police to remove members of the public but not sure how this would work.

 

I don't expect the authorities would act on the threat it is more a tactic of last resort to get someone to realise the serious situation, act on their advice and leave.

 

Very sorry for the owner of the boat but at least they are safe.

Edited by churchward
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Tree has asked me to let everyone who has posted here know that she wishes to thank everyone who has offered her help at this time, particularly as she hasn't met many of you yet. She is very touched by it.

I have mentioned that if she would like a group of us to go and scope things out and see what we can do about raising the boat before she has to actually come face to face with it herself, I reckon with the offers that have been mentioned in this thread and the others I am sure would come if asked, we could do this. I hope she will consider this over the next few days.

She is totally shellshocked at the moment and understandably, completely in pieces. Her boat was lovely inside and out, and made me quite jealous, I must admit. But I know with a lot of work and effort, her dream can still happen.

It's so devastating when shit like this happens to particularly good people. :(

 

As an aside, I must say, I think from what I have heard that Billings have behaved very shabbily here. Twice this year they have forced people to leave their boates at risk- forced, no choice involved, even when the owners wished to stay, and in this case, when only the access road was flooded- and then not taken any steps to safeguard the boats under their care in their owner's forced absence.

 

I fail to see how anyone could have been legally arrested for refusing to leave, but infact it seems a lot of the boat owners who wished to stay were bullied out under spurious threats that could never have come to fruition. :angry:

Edited by Starcoaster
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Unless this happened quickly perhaps overnight it beats me that another boater or the marina staff had not seen poor Tree's boat in trouble, possibly held down by too tight mooring ropes. They have plenty of small boats there which could be used to go and sort out any boats that look in trouble, indeed a marina like that which is prone to flooding over like that should have a small powerful launch handy to go out and deal with these problems, after all they're quick enough to chase up their customers mooring fees.

  • Greenie 1
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Oh dear, such sad news. Tree, we don't know each other and neither have we exchanged any messages, but my heart goes out to you. I wish you all the best and hope you're soon back on your boat. x

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As an aside, I must say, I think from what I have heard that Billings have behaved very shabbily here. Twice this year they have forced people to leave their boates at risk- forced, no choice involved, even when the owners wished to stay, and in this case, when only the access road was flooded- and then not taken any steps to safeguard the boats under their care in their owner's forced absence.

 

I fail to see how anyone could have been legally arrested for refusing to leave, but infact it seems a lot of the boat owners who wished to stay were bullied out under spurious threats that could never have come to fruition. :angry:

Billing aquadrome is mainly a mobile-home and caravan park, with a marina attached, so it's possible that the boaters were victims of a blanket policy which is much more applicable to the caravan-dwellers. The example mentioned up-thread of a lady with a six-week old baby in caravan is a good one, she really couldn't be left there when fast-rising floods are on the way.

 

There's possibly also the old "ragged edge of planning law" problem. The authorities are closing the holiday park, people, go home! What do you mean, this is home? It's a holiday park, does not compute!

 

Finally, Billing is downstream of the Northampton flood protection reservoirs and upstream of a fairly narrow length of the river. As long as there's space to put water in the reservoirs, it's OK. but as soon as the resvervoir is full, the EA have a stark choice of flood Billing or flood Northampton. Clearly they will always flood Billing first, so there exist standing plans to evacuate Billing to make that possible.

 

I'm not sure either how the police could legally threaten someone who stayed, but there undoubted exists some emergency legislation, or maybe once the park owners say "Go", anyone left is technically trespassing.

 

Once the boaters were gone, the responsiblity for the safety of moored boats falls on the marina owners, and they clearly failed here. If the people running the marina where I moor didn't loosen mooring ropes and check boats during a flood, I'd be very unhappy. Where I moor, they do, and during the 1998 floods, when the level got too high for the pontoons, even moved all the boats into an enourmous raft floating out of harms-way in the middle of the marina.

 

 

MP.

 

ETA. Got so carried away there I forgot to say the most important bit: Tree, this is awful, I'm really sorry but I'm sure it can be put right in the end. If there's anything I can do to assist the recovery effort, let me know.

Edited by MoominPapa
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The boat is completely submerged now. My heart goes out to Tree. I was worried sick about my boat, all my life is on my boat.

A friend who has a daughter living in a caravan on site received the same threat of arrest, even though she has a small baby.

 

Could you expand oh WHO is threatening you with arrest? Is it the Police? The staff at the marina? Someone else?

 

It seems to me as though your civil liberties are being threatened here, and a bit of 'pushing back' might be in order, although I'm not sure how. Other forum members will have a clearer idea.

 

MtB

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I would have thought that regardless of the residential status, or not, people have a right to ensure their own property is safe. As said, if not then the landowners have surely taken on that responsibility if they have banned people from attending their property.

 

How can we be of help though, this seems the important thing now.

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I would have thought that regardless of the residential status, or not, people have a right to ensure their own property is safe. As said, if not then the landowners have surely taken on that responsibility if they have banned people from attending their property.

 

How can we be of help though, this seems the important thing now.

 

I would have though helping the owners of the other boats which have NOT sunk is the most important thing right now. The damage has been done to Tree's boat, and cannot be unwound.

 

In addition, she is in no state of mind to direct a re-floating operation right now as I understand it, although I'm sure plenty of forum members would turn out to do it in an instant, given the nod. But even if we did, surely access and the 'threaten with arrest' issue would be the first hurdle.

 

MtB

 

 

Edited to add: Having been off the forum for a whole evening, I have now read back and seen a whole page of posts I missed, some of them commenting on this 'arrest' issue.

Edited by Mike the Boilerman
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I have mentioned that if she would like a group of us to go and scope things out and see what we can do about raising the boat before she has to actually come face to face with it herself, I reckon with the offers that have been mentioned in this thread and the others I am sure would come if asked, we could do this.

I'd be glad to help ... I'm about 1/2 hour away .. unfortunately I don't come with pumps or a welding torch, but I'd be happy to fetch, carry, pull, push or whatever .

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A friend of mine offered me 6 large lift pumps a while ago that were used to empty a swimming pool, If he still has them I know that we could use them. They are in Dorset but that's a minor issue. I would be more than happy to enquire... Coupled with the collective knowledge and skills here we could have her up quickly I am sure. Of course in Trees time.

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It seems to me as though your civil liberties are being threatened here, and a bit of 'pushing back' might be in order, although I'm not sure how.

MtB

 

:smiley_offtopic:

 

I once got threatened with being arrsted for 'aggravated tresspass' when I tried to use a public footpath that farmer didnt want used (access to an event in a forest, that the farmer didnt like)

He phoned his mate, Mr Plod, who threatened everyone who tried to use said public footpath with this fete! The path was not closed. The plod has no right to stop people using it. The farmer has no right to stop people using it. The offence is aimed at people who tresspass with a view to stopping a lawful activity taking place!

 

In short - Plod was trying it on. Nothing but a bully!

 

So - if you think you are being badly treated by officialdom - dont just take it lying down - stand up for yourself!

 

:smiley_offtopic:

 

As you were!

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(in response to MTB's post, but can't find 'reply' on phone version)

What IS the current water level there? Do others need help? I have been in contact with tree also, and am aware where she is at, but didn't feel we shouldn't ask how we can help.

perhaps others there could keep us up to date with the general situation there too.

Edited by Ally
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That's terrible, thoughts are with you Tree.

 

It is once again amazing, and heartening to see how in the face of such adversity to a member of this informal community, how other other members have revealed their underlying real compassionate and generous selves. It is indicative that that their often fractious and grumpy posts can be misleading to their author's true humanity.

 

Mind you I do enjoy observing a good debate! Keep it up, or in the case of Tree's boat get it up. Best wishes all

 

Don & Val

Auckland

Edited by DandV
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