Boats are tourist attractions

[DeanS]

What is left of Britains history for tourists to see?

Old buildings.

Museams.

A few tudor houses.

The normal landmarks.

 

....but it seems many of the smaller , more intimate forms of English culture is being eroded daily by commercialism, big shopping malls, new developments.

 

It's sad that CRT and other historical charities aren't working together to protect the traditions of canalboats. Instead of many visitors being steered towards pubs where they can see rows of canal boats moored outside, with boaters coming and going, it seems most boats are stuck away in marinas, out of sight, out of mind.

 

There are many historical canal "spots" which have a lot of history...but it's all being lost. There should be more Visitor Information signs sharing the wealth of history of the canals, and it's people, with perhaps dedicated mooring for historic boats, where the owners can give weekly talks to school children.....maybe knot tying activities and the like.

 

A LOT more could be happening to preserve the hstorical history of the canals, but alas, it seems that all CRT is interested in is chasing overstayers away to make sure those weekending boats can stop at Waitrose.

 

There are places like Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool, where canals are a genuine part of why those cities grew, the manufacturing that happened there, and the transport systems used at the time, as well as the boating families who supported it all. There should be booklets, statues, websites, live actors, old boats moored for view in all of those places.

 

Can I work for CRT?

 

[sueb]

It isn't just the boats. The historic properties have been and continue to be sold and then altered. You have only to look at the Stratford canal to see how the little cottages have been turned into large houses so they are completely unrecognisable. Many of the brick built huts have vanished.

[BenC]

Special moorings for historic boats, at prime locations, preferably with parking and garden, at subsidised rates, now that would be a good idea!

[Tuscan]

Special moorings for historic boats, at prime locations, preferably with parking and garden, at subsidised rates, now that would be a good idea!

I'm up for that !!

 

I'd rather money was spent on infrastructure , moorings and dredging so that we can move about, rather than making the towpath pretty and graded. I remember in the early days of the gastro pub when the landlords wanted the boats to move past as it attracted the punters but not to moor up and clutter his pub with our scruffy clothes and beer drinking. Not so bad now to be fair.

[cheshire~rose]

History and heritage is a huge attraction and increasingly brings in a lot of money when managed in the right way.

 

I had to smile at your opening post Dean as only last night I read a press release from The Chesterfield Canal Trust which I quote from here:

 

 

The Chesterfield Canal Trust has resorted to an 84 year old to spread its message. Its ex-British Waterways working boat Python will be visiting festivals and events right round the canal system this summer.

The Trust prides itself upon using all sorts of modern media including Twitter and Facebook. It sends out regular e-newsletters. Its website gets over 1000 hits a week. Its award winning magazine Cuckoo has been going for over thirty years. The Chesterfield Canal Visitor Guide runs to 25,000 copies per year. It issues over 30 press releases a year. Six years ago it purchased a publicity trailer which is usually out over 40 days a year reaching tens of thousands of people.

However none of the above has the same attraction for diehard boaters as does Python. She attracts crowds wherever she goes and we get notes of disappointment because she cannot attend every event to which she is invited.

 

I think it is great that cities like Birmingham have embraced their canals but I hate the thought they are being "Disneyfied"

 

The current trend towards over restrictive visitor morrings is a massive worry. If it pans out across the country then we would already have fallen foul of the rules as we spent both Christmas and Easter at Gnosall. (if we were not allowed to return within 12 months that would not have been able to happen) I am certain the landlords at The Navi would hate to see that happen on the popular moorings there. In fact if it was rolled out across the country it would mean that most weekend and leisure boaters like us (at present) would have no where they could take their boat at weekends without breaking the rules. It would also mean that a lot of the historic boats like Python which cannot moor just anywhere due to needing sufficient depth would be severely restricted during the summer as they head to shows and then retrace their steps, often several times during the season. .......... and then there are those boats who deliver our coal supplies - always on the move, but usually over the same patch. No chance of getting on a particular visitor mooring more than once a year?

 

It is a step too far

[Pluto]

I was just going through some old notes and leaflets which I worked on about fifteen years ago for the Canal Character Project. Bruce Harding and David Blackburn represented BW, with Tony Conder from the Waterways Museum, and myself as a canal historian. Bruce did produce a guide to the character of the GUC, followed by the basis for one on the L&LC, and these identified what was specific to individual waterways from an historic and environmental view, and it was hoped would become guides to future developments. I did get some of our L&LC Society members to record smaller historic features along the canal, but the difficulty was that you need years of heritage experience to make such surveys really useful. That said, it did introduce a good number of people to heritage aspects of the canal.

 

A couple of years ago, I gave a presentation about waterway heritage conservation in South Holland, where they were having a year promoting canal heritage. After much discussion, the consensus amongst the wide variety of interested groups was that a survey of surviving heritage should be undertaken before further decisions were made as to how to develop modern uses of their inland waterways. My presentation looked at the importance of small details to interpreting waterway history, something we are not good at in this country. Although traditional boats and other large features are interesting for the public, and encourage them to visit canal locations, it is the small details which give canals their particular ambience. Just look at some modern developments which have 'restored' old buildings, which now lack character because all the small features have been 'plastered over'.

 

The whole canal interpretation 'business' needs more co-ordination. For the L&LC Society, I have produced heritage interpretive panels for quite a few locations along the canal, as well as historical guide leaflets. We also produced interpretation for Johnsons Hillock Locks, working with BW and Galloways, the local blind and partially-sighted charity, which won a Waterways Renaissance award, yet little further similar interpretation has been done. There have been a few expensive interpretation schemes, but a lot can be done with comparatively little in the way of finance. The challenge is how to support such low-key grass-roots work.

[kevinl]

Great idea making boats a tourist attraction, be interesting to see the reaction of some boaters though. How many times have you read/heard boaters moan about being looked at and photographed? The "I'm moored here now so everyone stop using the towpath til I decide to leave" and "all put your cameras away while go through the locks" attitude always suprises me, people look at boats, they make them smile, they will look and take pictures, get used to it.

[Paul C]

History and heritage is a huge attraction and increasingly brings in a lot of money when managed in the right way.

 

I had to smile at your opening post Dean as only last night I read a press release from The Chesterfield Canal Trust which I quote from here:

 

 

I think it is great that cities like Birmingham have embraced their canals but I hate the thought they are being "Disneyfied"

 

The current trend towards over restrictive visitor morrings is a massive worry. If it pans out across the country then we would already have fallen foul of the rules as we spent both Christmas and Easter at Gnosall. (if we were not allowed to return within 12 months that would not have been able to happen) I am certain the landlords at The Navi would hate to see that happen on the popular moorings there. In fact if it was rolled out across the country it would mean that most weekend and leisure boaters like us (at present) would have no where they could take their boat at weekends without breaking the rules. It would also mean that a lot of the historic boats like Python which cannot moor just anywhere due to needing sufficient depth would be severely restricted during the summer as they head to shows and then retrace their steps, often several times during the season. .......... and then there are those boats who deliver our coal supplies - always on the move, but usually over the same patch. No chance of getting on a particular visitor mooring more than once a year?

 

It is a step too far

 

Sorry, where does the mooring restrictions which only allow one stay per year come from? I thought the recent SEVM proposals were x days in any month (NOT year).

[jenlyn]

 

Sorry, where does the mooring restrictions which only allow one stay per year come from? I thought the recent SEVM proposals were x days in any month (NOT year).

Keep up

[Paul C]

Keep up

 

 

That's a pretty rude response. The SEVM proposals mention x days in a month. I'll ask again, maybe someone else apart from you can be more helpful - where is the per year restriction coming from?

[jenlyn]

 

 

That's a pretty rude response. The SEVM proposals mention x days in a month. I'll ask again, maybe someone else apart from you can be more helpful - where is the per year restriction coming from?

Rude? Lol get real.

[cheshire~rose]

I have heard a great deal on here about the proposal of it being brought it at the popular moorings. Admittedly most of it has been on this forum but the discussions about it lead me to believe that it is geuinely being considered and not just a case of scaremongering.

 

There is some mention of signs actually being in place in this thread:

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=56448&page=4

 

I can't remember where in the thread it is mentioned to quote it and do not have time to read the whole thread now sorry!

[jenlyn]

I have heard a great deal on here about the proposal of it being brought it at the popular moorings. Admittedly most of it has been on this forum but the discussions about it lead me to believe that it is geuinely being considered and not just a case of scaremongering.

 

There is some mention of signs actually being in place in this thread:

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=56448&page=4

 

I can't remember where in the thread it is mentioned to quote it and do not have time to read the whole thread now sorry!

Python got stuck in berko jan. Just nipped across and helped them refloat. No water here, pounds really low.

[cheshire~rose]

Python got stuck in berko jan. Just nipped across and helped them refloat. No water here, pounds really low.

 

Thanks for that!

 

Python gets stuck everywhere!

[Keeping Up]

Yes Python found the shallow hump of mud just outside my mooring, as they tried to stop for the lock. I was grateful to them, it needs just a few more deep-draughted boats to help move the silt. Python managed to stop eventually but had to reverse back from the lock moorings to tie up (as a large and inexpertly-handled boat came along behind and nearly used them as a target). They then set off to go to the pub, and returned a few minutes later when they realised they had stopped 1 lock and 1 mile too soon!

Edited May 7, 2013 by Keeping Up

[cheshire~rose]

Typical! They try and push off early to the pub before the job is done

 

I will have a word with the crew and see if they will aim for your "hump" on the way back Allan!

[alan_fincher]

I was grateful to them, it needs just a few more deep-draughted boats to help move the silt.

Well we have been through there three times in recent weeks with "Sickle" Allan and failed to find any humps!

 

I would say that generally any of the GU in that area should present no problem for a working boat, (particularly an unloaded one), but must admit I was surprised to find myself keeling over yesterday when I thought I was pretty well "in channel" on the Jackdaw Pound just South of Three Locks.

 

Berkhamsted and beyond we should be tackling next weekend, so Pythoneers, please leave us at least a little water to float in!

[Keeping Up]

Well we have been through there three times in recent weeks with "Sickle" Allan and failed to find any humps!

 

I would say that generally any of the GU in that area should present no problem for a working boat, (particularly an unloaded one), but must admit I was surprised to find myself keeling over yesterday when I thought I was pretty well "in channel" on the Jackdaw Pound just South of Three Locks.

 

Berkhamsted and beyond we should be tackling next weekend, so Pythoneers, please leave us at least a little water to float in!

 

You clearly didn't pass close enough to my boat (unlike some of the Wyvern hirers this weekend)

[cheshire~rose]

Python has been through and is long gone thanks to Jenlyn and co who helped them on their way. It appears they had a 2 hour delay but that is all part of volunteering to steer a historic boat.

 

The next problem is that the event we wanted to get down there early for does not now appear to be happening so - what does one do with a boat in a place with such stringent mooring restrictions when you need to loiter for a period?

[Tuscan]

Move it to a place that doesn't like Berko where you will find 14 day VM's still , plenty of towpath near Hemel still at the moment I expect. Others will have more recent knowledge. Good luck.

[GUMPY]

Yes Python found the shallow hump of mud just outside my mooring, as they tried to stop for the lock.

Is that still there? I remember when your mooring was first created and the reed bed was removed, leaving the hump right in the middle of the cut, spent an interesting hour or so beached there as I was on my own and had no way of getting to the bank

[Derek R.]

To consider that historic boats are NOT a tourist attraction comes as a surprise to me. I have always considered them to be part of the history of canals, and whenever and wherever I have cruised, people have shown an interest in the boat, and I have always responded with some potted history of not just the boat but also of the cargoes and destinations available. Quite often this has been met with surprise: - "I thought it only went a few miles" is a comment not infrequently heard. But for linear moorings, I fear we are our own worst enemy. Let alone the marinas full of mostly modern craft, are we not in an ironic situation that 'Waterways' were in over seventy years ago - Too Many Boats? In some ways we are not, as not all are likely to be on the move at any one time save Bank Holidays whereas 'Waterways' (and I mean that not in any specific, but carrying companies in general) were short of crew. cargoes, and facilities - and faced with road competition. Today it seems to be moorings, and getting ahead becomes difficult when there are lines of moored craft where once there was clear towpath, no generators, no clutter. It's 'society' that has changed.

 

The history is there, but it's been lost in the main through development demands and the smudging of former evidence of their purpose. Perhaps that's the problem. Most of history is in the archives bar a few remnants, as history alone does not turn sufficient coin. We read the books, watch the films, and regret its passing - or do we? The camaraderie was in part created by common hardships and a desire to outshine your peers, but it was all graft, graft, graft. Those buildings and boats echo it, but those tuned in to hear are a minority, and seldom wealthy. The rest - do they care?

[DeanS]

When you move from one country to another, it's not the same big name brand stores that give a country it's identity, it's the things that country has in the form of culture, and history, that seperates it. The centre of most UK cities look identical to any other city in Europe and afar. The canals, I think, could be waiting for a rennaisance/revival . Castlefield in Manchester was full of boats on the weekend. Hordes of people looking on. Today, those boats have all gone back to their marinas, and Castlefield is boring in contrast. History is important. I was learning about Shaka's Spear, while you were learning about Shakespeare .

[Derek R.]

Can you explain the relevance of Shaka's spear and Shakespeare to canal infrastructure, its boats, and history please.

[Keeping Up]

Is that still there? I remember when your mooring was first created and the reed bed was removed, leaving the hump right in the middle of the cut, spent an interesting hour or so beached there as I was on my own and had no way of getting to the bank

 

It's not as bad as it was, but the silt caused by working the lock tends to accumulate there - and then if my boat is not on the mooring, it gradually tries to build a bridge to the bank which makes it interesting getting back on to the mooring after a long absence.