My Canal

[Mick and Maggie]

My canal - gone forever

Last night I had a dream of a new and yet distant past;
of a time somewhere in the future, that left me all aghast;
the canals were silted up, the locks were broken down;
iron bridges rusting, stained a sickly yellow brown.

Was it just a momentary flashback, of a long distant past;
was it a warning of the future, now the die was cast;
there was a faded notice, that was fastened to a gate;
a nightmare and a shock, it carried yesterdays date.

It talked of the bright new future, an idyllic scene was set;
the promises of a new time ahead, broken without regret;
starved of all repairs, the canal had since succumbed;
the depth of despair for boaters, had finally been plumbed.

The lengthman has gone now, there is no one left to check;

he's left with the knowledge, of the lock that's now a wreck;

lockkeeper also up and went, a volunteer is now in his place;

wearing a bright yellow jacket, and a blank and ghostly face.

Standing in the rain, for a boat that now could never come;
now the playground of mice and voles, a muddy sticky gum;
filled with plastic rubbish, and engine oil a rainbow hue;
and sickly stench of decay, one day it would come true.

Two managers are in the office, for each worker on the bank;

its Tristram and Rupert planning, work for tradesman Frank;

endless shuffling of odd bits of paper, until the end of the day;

both managers with a bonus, and performance related pay.

No work could be planned, a hidden agenda had been made;
to let everything fall into disuse, until it could not be saved;
the boater of the future, would be like a boater of the past;
ignored and a long lost breed, CaRT had their way at last.

CaRT's hand is seen on the tiller, steers the canal to the brink;

seemingly then to lay back, relax and watch it slowly sink;

spending less on much needed repairs, is their way to improve;

to work in this way requires, that the grey stuff is removed.

A great big lie if repeated often, can become a fractured truth;

the obvious error in their thinking, does not require a sleuth;

so say a fond farewell boater, as the canal just slowly decays;

turning into a big pool of evil mud, not worthy of any praise.

[luctor et emergo]

Anybody want to buy a boat?

[churchward]

Well I guess instead of folk bemoaning the state of affairs on the canal they could do what they did 40-50 years ago (and some still doing today) and get stuck in and do something about it.

 

Whist I agree there are some significant challenges ahead I do not see it as being as bleak.

 

If you think the canals are bad now you should have been boating in the 1970s. I rarely now come across a lock that are near impossible to open and paddle gear that won't budge unless you stand on the windless.

 

If anyone lives near Northampton then why not join in with the IWA who have officially adopted the Northampton Arm to look after and improve from this summer. They are having regular work parties to gradually improve the run down to the Nene from the GU. Wouldn't it be great that all the people who moan switch their energies into positive action and form groups to adopt canal pounds etc.

Edited June 28, 2013 by churchward

[BargeeSpud]

Well, cheer us up why dontcha!

 

[Jim Riley]

non hic sumus ut felices simus!

[Athy]

Er, from my very rusty O level Latin, "We are not here to be happy"?

 

I assume the "canal pounds" mentioned above refers to the shortfall between CART's budget and the money required to maintain the system properly.

[alan_fincher]

Well I guess instead of folk bemoaning the state of affairs on the canal they could do what they did 40-50 years ago (and some still doing today) and get stuck in and do something about it.

Well said!

 

I'm sorry, but the sentiments expressed at the top seem to come from those who think there is some kind of good old days to hark back to, and that everything now wrong with the waterways is down to relatively recent failings by BW/CRT management.

 

Nowt could be further from the truth, and certainly by the end of the war the waterways were in a desperately run down and neglected state, and what got nationalised in 1948 would in many cases have been considered beyond all hope.

 

Even forty years ago that we would now have as many miles of navigable waterway as we do now would have seemed unthinkable, and whilst people can complain all they like about lack of maintenance it is in an immeserably better state now than it was in the 1970s.

 

Never mind, if we write poetry about it, I'm sure it will all sort itself out....

 

(Or perhaps this was just a submission for something to be engraved into some balance beams? Perhaps a bit lengthy for that though, unless you are going to do it serially all the way down Caen Hill?).

 

 

[Arthur Marshall]

(Or perhaps this was just a submission for something to be engraved into some balance beams? Perhaps a bit lengthy for that though, unless you are going to do it serially all the way down Caen Hill?).

You'd have to do it descending, so you get more and more depressed as you go down the flight. Then you want something on the other side of the lock beam so you feel uplifted as you go up...

Be that as it may, I agree with someone or other up above - the system over the last ten years has been the best it's been since its working days. But I think it's probably peaked - the funding just isn't there to maintain such an old system very much longer.

[Tonka]

Alan, today is tomorrows good old days

[Chris Pink]

 

(Or perhaps this was just a submission for something to be engraved into some balance beams? Perhaps a bit lengthy for that though, unless you are going to do it serially all the way down Caen Hill?).

 

 

 

Caen hill flight has always been the best maintained set of locks I know on the canals (having 2 lockkeepers might have something to do with it)

 

I did have a look at the site the OP first appeared on and I did look for a eulogy on the beauty and joy of the canals to balance his (possibly justified) moaning but unfortunately they were all in this vein.

 

I agree with every other poster get out there and do something about it like we did the first time round. I feel it gives me a right to tell CRT what to do rather than the other way around.

 

(though I know Maffi vehemently disagrees - what was that? "he would, on principle" yes, i suppose you're right)

[Tuscan]

The canal is in better condition now than I recall 30+ years ago , I'm not sure that would be the case compared with 10 years ago during that time the navigation hasn't deteriorated but the character has with the sale or abandonment of some of the infrastructure and the loss of lock keepers and the lengthmans knowledge for example. But and it's big but in my opinion the canal has suffered less than many other areas of the UK. The curse of the bureaucrats and the HSE brigade will continue though I am afraid.

 

I intend to boat on for as long as I am able and I hope with some construction criticism and assistance from boaters CRT will evolve positively and in 20 years will still be enjoyed by a wide variety of boats and boaters as is now.

[RLWP]

Can I point out that the remaindered waterways are in such poor condition that Tawny Owl only managed to cover 60 miles and 33 locks in 24 hours

 

 

Richard

[Woodstock]

What a load of doom and gloom- I'm going boating tonight and the sun's shining over the weekend- yippeeee!!!

- oh and I just got 18 cans of Magners for £12 from Tesco (other supermarkets are available)

 

What more can I ask for?

 

Seriously I can remember watching a programme where canals had been concreted up and the water quality around Birmingham was a mix of chemicals, muck and rubbish- Lets occasionally look back and see how much things have improved.

[churchward]

I agree with every other poster get out there and do something about it like we did the first time round. I feel it gives me a right to tell CRT what to do rather than the other way around.

I agree. I did my fair share of navi'ing on the then closed K&A and some Wilts & Berks when I was a teenager and it does give me more of a sense of "ownership" I feel. I doubt I could do the work I did then but there are other ways to get involved.

 

I do think that if the black future for the canal system painted in the OP was to come true that rather than CRT to blame it will be us who use and love the canals to blame for letting it happen.

Can I point out that the remaindered waterways are in such poor condition that Tawny Owl only managed to cover 60 miles and 33 locks in 24 hours

 

 

Richard

Yes the canals in Brum are just awful! So much so I can't wait to go there again.

Edited June 28, 2013 by churchward

[jonathanA]

poetry - it was a load of crap when i was at school - hated it snobby pretentious arty farty rubbish and waste of time

 

nowt's changed...

 

Far better to engage with CRT at every chance and use the canals rather than sit in a marina/mooring and bemoan why you can't go out and enjoy them...

 

unfortunately I can see no point in joining the IWA as it just doesn't seem to have any relevance, but I will and have joined working parties to clear rubbish from the canal etc and continue to support volunteering when ever I can...

[Ronniesonic]

Well said!

 

I'm sorry, but the sentiments expressed at the top seem to come from those who think there is some kind of good old days to hark back to, and that everything now wrong with the waterways is down to relatively recent failings by BW/CRT management.

 

Nowt could be further from the truth, and certainly by the end of the war the waterways were in a desperately run down and neglected state, and what got nationalised in 1948 would in many cases have been considered beyond all hope.

 

Even forty years ago that we would now have as many miles of navigable waterway as we do now would have seemed unthinkable, and whilst people can complain all they like about lack of maintenance it is in an immeserably better state now than it was in the 1970s.

 

Never mind, if we write poetry about it, I'm sure it will all sort itself out....

 

(Or perhaps this was just a submission for something to be engraved into some balance beams? Perhaps a bit lengthy for that though, unless you are going to do it serially all the way down Caen Hill?).

 

 

 

Alan, you are correct.

 

However, could you imagine how much better things would br now if Evans & Co had not basically spunked £100million plus on foolish property ventures, rather than focus on maintenance, or at least applied a better balance of spend. Even worse than this is not being held to account for any of it & waltzing off into the sunset with a fat pension & a bucketload of money he & they did not deserve.

Surely we must seek to continually improve & not just accept that the 1970's were crap?

 

I will cheer up again when the 'current' comes out as forecast this afternoon.

Now im 'hank' so i am going to get my 'diggers' into my 'frank' & get it down my 'gregory' sharpish. Can function on an empty tum!

 

I LOVE SICKLE btw.

 

 

 

Edited June 28, 2013 by Ronniesonic

[alan_fincher]

If anybody had attended the funding presentation at Hatton in February, they would have heard Stuart Mills, Property Director, be completely candid about deals that CRT got involved in where they got their fingers badly burned.

 

However we should not forget that the whole economic climate has been one where countless other organisations and institutions have been in a near identical situation.

 

There has been a downturn that few predicted, with far ranging effects anywhere between major pension funds being in deficit to impacts on "optimists" like me who invested a few grand in a "commercial property" fund with one of the recognised providers just before the whole bottom fell out of the market.

 

CRT claim that, overall, throughout these trouble times, their performance on property has been significantly better than recognised benchmarks, and that the recovery in values in their portfolio still well ahead of any average.

I'm not knowledgeable enough in these areas to validate such claims, and to know how much "spin" is being put on them. What is certainly true is everybody highlights the poor ventures they have got involved in, but that there have been other areas where they have struck very profitable deals, but these don't get anything like the same attention.

If you think they are pulling the wool over our eyes, then the next time a funding briefing is done, why not go along, and challenge what they say? They seem perfectly willing to try and explain their position to anybody taking the trouble to try and find out.

[Caprifool]

Well, if anyone wants to get rid of their boat after that, I'll gladly take it off your hands.

Edited June 28, 2013 by Caprifool

[alan_fincher]

Well, if anyone wants to get rid of their boat a after that, I'll gladly take it off your hands.

Nice try!

[madcat]

quite so caprifool,

 

Mick and Maggie please get out and walk your length,take litter pickers and bin liners to round up any mess. the canal will look better you will feel better, hopefully.

 

To all , please stop posting miserable downer stuff.

[Boondock]

Mick and Maggie,

 

(01226) 202222

 

Good luck

[twbm]

Well I guess instead of folk bemoaning the state of affairs on the canal they could do what they did 40-50 years ago (and some still doing today) and get stuck in and do something about it.

 

Whist I agree there are some significant challenges ahead I do not see it as being as bleak.

 

If you think the canals are bad now you should have been boating in the 1970s. I rarely now come across a lock that are near impossible to open and paddle gear that won't budge unless you stand on the windless.

 

If anyone lives near Northampton then why not join in with the IWA who have officially adopted the Northampton Arm to look after and improve from this summer. They are having regular work parties to gradually improve the run down to the Nene from the GU. Wouldn't it be great that all the people who moan switch their energies into positive action and form groups to adopt canal pounds etc.

 

I often see cars on the hard shoulder with flat tyres, occupants up the bank evidently waiting for someone to come and sort out the problem rather than just get on and change the wheel. Transfer that mentaility to the canals and you can see how some boaters would rather whinge at C&RT than clear debris of a gate cill with a keb or carry a bit of grease and a big hammer to keep things moving. I'm not suggesting we should go back to the days of nailing planks on to gates to stop them leaking or clearing pounds with grappling hooks so we can get through, but a general willingness to leave places a little better than how you found them would go a long way.

Well, if anyone wants to get rid of their boat after that, I'll gladly take it off your hands.

 

NBT needs active crew. Come and play on a traditional pair next time your over.

[bizzard]

Not so long ago the River Stort did not have many proper lock landings, a few makeshift bits of planks sticking out at some locks, otherwise you had to take a leap ashore with rope, stakes and hammer.

The Blisworth tunnel was also closed for a few years in the 1970-80's that cut off boat movements between north and south.

[Caprifool]

NBT needs active crew. Come and play on a traditional pair next time your over.

That is something I'm dyeing to do.

Edited June 28, 2013 by Caprifool

[matty40s]

I wandered lonely as a cloud,

'Mongst fields of floating coconuts......

 

I often see cars on the hard shoulder with flat tyres, occupants up the bank evidently waiting for someone to come and sort out the problem rather than just get on and change the wheel.

thats probably because the Highways Agency trot out their 'fact' that you only have 19 minutes on a hard shoulder before you die. !!!!