Lock Keeper facing eviction.

[John Orentas]

20k a year ....... that would be nice , perhaps BW lock-keepers get paid better than us EA ones .....

 

 

I can tell you that the BW lock keepers and maintenance chaps do not get anything approaching 20k.

[boatchad]

In my fairly frequent trips on the canal as a boater, cyclist and gongoozler it has become apparent that in general the BW men on the towpath are for the whole, a top bunch. They seem to have the respect of the many and varied canal users and do a first class job of being the face of BW, the men behind the organisation and the front line in public relations. They do a great and usefull job, often in dire conditions and at odd hours, usually with a smile!

 

The current climate and vibes from the towpath and forums like this one seem to see corperate BW in a dark light with suspicion and little or no trust and zero respect, despite the best efforts of the men on the towpath such as the lockeeper in question. British Waterways are either loosing their way with regard to public relations or they just don't care! If it is the latter then that would explain a lot, and if it is the former then maybe they should consider swapping the positions of the lockeeper and whoever is responsible for public relations. It strikes me that Ray is doing a far better job as both lockeeper and public relations person than the whole PR department of BW.

 

And as for the 'embarrassment caused to his employers' we are his employers, or does the contributions from our license fees and taxes not count? There is considerable embarrassment caused to us not by Ray but by the actions of British Waterways management decisions almost daily, so who should be facing a disiplinary panel? Or as the title of that great Pink Floyd song said "Carefull With That Axe Eugene".

[Hairy-Neil]

Not exactly brain surgery looking after a canal is it, many organisations would be competent to do it.

 

We've seen others attempts at managing canals. I've been boating long enough to remember the South Stratford Canal when The National Trust managed it...........

 

No organisation is more able at managing historic structures, listed buildings and conserving the countryside and rural landscapes than The National Trust, yet their record for managing that canal was not good and their ongoing efforts with the River Wey still leave a lot to be desired.

[GRPCruiserman]

With running the risk of going slightly but still connected:

 

What money is used when BW buys a marina for BWML? Also, does BW (not BWML) get a return for this investment from BWML. Also, what return do BW get for those marinas owned by BW then transfered to BWML when it was set up, as that financial investment seemed also to be lost to BW?

[minerva]

erm, as I understand it from our meeting with BWML, they are only leasing the marina....our marina is on a 25 yrs lease.

 

Actually that is exactly what was told to us by the northern manager for BWML. and the managing director BWML...they were out in full force Monday, I think they were expecting a gunfight at the OK coral...or something...

Edited September 21, 2006 by minerva

[bottle]

Well, I expect they knew you would be there, safety in numbers

[tony collins]

 

I think you've half answered this yourself with the word 'surplus', but to be absolutely clear, these were old work boats that simply were not adequate for the job of maintaining today's waterways, not yesterdays. Should my colleagues have to work with outdated equipment that doesn't offer the flexibility they need to do their jobs of maintaining the waterways? Eugene

 

 

At least with the "outdated" equipment e.g. powered flats, the helmsman could actually see where he was going! With one of the new modules in place, the tug driver in the wheelhouse cannot possibly see what is in front of him without leaving the wheel! How safety concious is that?

 

Tony

[DHutch]

At least with the "outdated" equipment e.g. powered flats, the helmsman could actually see where he was going! With one of the new modules in place, the tug driver in the wheelhouse cannot possibly see what is in front of him without leaving the wheel! How safety concious is that?

Yeah, i ahve to admint, from what ive seen of them the new tugs, smart tho they look, seam to be badly thought out overly expesive junk.

- Ive seen them out and about three times so far. Each time i hollered over to the driver "so these are your new tugs are they, what do you think?" and each time, after a bit of murmering, they annouce that they "would rather have the old stuff back"

 

 

Daniel

[minerva]

Well, I expect they knew you would be there, safety in numbers

 

 

exactly

[Jon]

Posts removed above for the following reasons:

 

- They are irrelevant to the discussion.

- Many, including myself found them to be profoundly inaccurate and offensive.

 

Up to this point this has been an interesting discussion. Thanks to Eugine for adding his comments to this thread. For this reason, I am not closing this topic, however any further comments on the nature of those that have been deleted will be removed.

 

Thanks for your help,

 

Jon

[anthony]

Posts removed above for the following reasons:

 

- They are irrelevant to the discussion.

- Many, including myself found them to be profoundly inaccurate and offensive.

 

Up to this point this has been an interesting discussion. Thanks to Eugine for adding his comments to this thread. For this reason, I am not closing this topic, however any further comments on the nature of those that have been deleted will be removed.

 

Thanks for your help,

 

Jon

Sorry people feel this way Jon.

IM confused though because you say one thing in private and another in public.

 

Anthony,

 

I have received a number of complaints about your posts in the above thread. While I appreciated your right to express your opinion, this forum is not the right place to do so. While I may not disagree with all of your sentiments, they did not reflect the nature of the original topic and therefore have been removed. Please refrain from posting in a similar nature in the future.

 

Thanks Jon for abusing my free speech you know that thing called freedom my grandfather died for like many others!!

Edited October 1, 2006 by anthony

[carlt]

(quote: anthony)

Thanks Jon for abusing my free speech you know that thing called freedom my grandfather died for like many others!!

 

I missed what you had posted Anthony but, considering the strength of opinion that jon allows on HIS forum, I think he is probably right on the few occasions he feels obliged to remove posts.

 

You misuse the term 'freedom of speech'. take a look around the internet and you will see that, whatever your views, you will find a platform to air them. But, unless you build your own platform (as jon did) you have to abide by the rules of the person who bothered to.

 

The fact that you can go and set up your own website/forum and say what you like proves your grandfather didn't die in vain.

 

Sorry to be off-topic by the way.

[anthony]

(quote: anthony)

Thanks Jon for abusing my free speech you know that thing called freedom my grandfather died for like many others!!

 

I missed what you had posted Anthony but, considering the strength of opinion that jon allows on HIS forum, I think he is probably right on the few occasions he feels obliged to remove posts.

 

You misuse the term 'freedom of speech'. take a look around the internet and you will see that, whatever your views, you will find a platform to air them. But, unless you build your own platform (as jon did) you have to abide by the rules of the person who bothered to.

 

The fact that you can go and set up your own website/forum and say what you like proves your grandfather didn't die in vain.

 

Sorry to be off-topic by the way.

Fair point make and I take it on board.

However this forum would not exist without the opinions of those on it either.

No foul language was used and this is a forum occupied by adults who should be able to express without over control.

Ill leave it be now.

[John Orentas]

A bit of an update on the situation re. Lock Keeper Ray McDonald's lock house on the Rochdale.

 

Following the campaign of support both locally and within the canal community in general, the decision to evict the lock keeper from his home has been deferred for a period of 12 months and will be reviewed subsequently at yearly intervals. Ray McDonald is a quiet modest man and has never attempted to publicise his problems in any way but I understand from another source that as a result of the disciplinary mechanism within BW he has been instructed not to discuss his problems with anyone other than his employers.

 

So it is good news for Ray, but most importantly good news for the canal in that the essential function of an on site lock keeper on the summit level will remain if only for a year. His supporters will need to stay vigilant however as it is just possible that the people at the route of these problems are merely waiting for the dust to settle before renewing the implementation of their policies, other voices within BW will no doubt be as loud as ever.

 

It has not gone unnoticed that support from this forum played its part is this (for now) successful outcome.

[bottle]

Thank you for the update, John, the only problem now, as you say, those at the top will wait for the dust to settle.

 

The other thing is that he will have this problem looming every time Christmas is on the horizon.

 

I wish him well and to all those that campaigned on his behalf.