CRT No Longer Wish To Meet With Boaters

[Peter Reed]

How very sad. cart showing their true face at last.

[Jerra]

Is it safe to assume that some of you who have met and hosted the "man at the top" have/will be letting him know your/our feelings?

 

On the other hand would it be better if we were pointed to his email address and filled it with our outrage?

 

I was once told by a politician that one letter was assumed to represent the views of up to 100 people who hadn't bothered to write would the same be true for email?

[churchward]

We have a solicitor working on that at present just so that we understand the options at the end of the day it is up to boaters and gets away from the original idea that was simply to give boaters talking shop with CRT

We? Who are they?

 

I know it was not the original intention but if it is the only way CRT will engage it may well be worth it. In any case there are many examples across history and all sorts of contexts where an informal gathering of like minded individuals have come together in at first an informal way only for it to grow into a significant more formal organisation.

[the grinch]

I really don't get any joy out of saying " I TOLD YOU SO" I was never convinced the leopard had changed its spots too many managers from the old regime.

[billS]

They were simply meetings where boaters could engage with CRT so that CRT could hear what boaters had to say and so that boaters could understand the problems faced by CRT and engage to try and solve the problems or at least understand them better, but hey they wont be happening anymore so why worry. The door has been firmly slammed in our faces.

 

Well i'm not surprised that CRT have decided to discontinue such meetings, and I am surprised that they agreed to them in the first place.

 

Never having been aware of these meetings, I would think that boaters who did know about and attend these meetings on the most part would have had some sort of axe to grind - and probably many different and disparate axes.

 

It is not unreasonable that CRT prefer to deal with organised bodies representing a known number of customers presenting a united viewpoint.

[cotswoldsman]

We? Who are they?

 

I know it was not the original intention but if it is the only way CRT will engage it may well be worth it. In any case there are many examples across history and all sorts of contexts where an informal gathering of like minded individuals have come together in at first an informal way only for it to grow into a significant more formal organisation.

I guess I have been caught out by my bad posting the we is myself and Jenlyn and we are only looking at it as an option when we realised the same as you that all the bases need to be covered. I stress it is just one option we are looking at, I personally have never been a great joiner and shudder at anything that involves Chairmen etc. But I am very concerned about what is going to happen in the future and people need to stand up. The silly thing is deep down I still think the way forward is to engage with CRT it is just a shame they do not feel the same

[RLWP]

 

Well i'm not surprised that CRT have decided to discontinue such meetings, and I am surprised that they agreed to them in the first place.

 

Never having been aware of these meetings, I would think that boaters who did know about and attend these meetings on the most part would have had some sort of axe to grind - and probably many different and disparate axes.

 

It is not unreasonable that CRT prefer to deal with organised bodies representing a known number of customers presenting a united viewpoint.

 

This is a fair point. If there is one thing you couldn't accuse us of it would be being organised

 

Richard

[peterboat]

I have read through the topic and I am stunned by cart and to some extent us (that is me included) we all know that a shiny new name doesnt change the people that work there. I suspect thst the only way to change cart would be if all the employees had to be boaters then maybe they would realize what the canals are about? Today I heard about the backpack cam which says it all should it not have been a boat cam? Anyway many thanks for your efforts on my behalf all of you that do these good works

 

 

Peter

[RichardH]

What I find most puzzling is that John Dodwell is generally regarded to be a 'Good Bloke' and certainly not from the old school of BW (he wasn't employed by BW) . I thought Sally's input at the Skipton event was excellent and we all valued her attendance.

[Jerra]

Never having been aware of these meetings,

TuT Tut you aren't following the forum closely enough they have all been well publicised and discussed here.

[churchward]

I guess I have been caught out by my bad posting the we is myself and Jenlyn and we are only looking at it as an option when we realised the same as you that all the bases need to be covered. I stress it is just one option we are looking at, I personally have never been a great joiner and shudder at anything that involves Chairmen etc. But I am very concerned about what is going to happen in the future and people need to stand up. The silly thing is deep down I still think the way forward is to engage with CRT it is just a shame they do not feel the same

Fair enough. I still think this may have been inevitable with or without CRTs position and changing to a more "formal" organisation could be viewed just as a step in the maturing process.

[Hawkmoth]

Are there many on here who would gladly change their 'friends' contribution to one which would help any fledgling organisation started here for the purpose of engaging C&RT?

Bob

[churchward]

Are there many on here who would gladly change their 'friends' contribution to one which would help any fledgling organisation started here for the purpose of engaging C&RT?

Bob

or possibly defect from paying subs to other organisations.

[cotswoldsman]

 

Well i'm not surprised that CRT have decided to discontinue such meetings, and I am surprised that they agreed to them in the first place.

 

Never having been aware of these meetings, I would think that boaters who did know about and attend these meetings on the most part would have had some sort of axe to grind - and probably many different and disparate axes.

 

It is not unreasonable that CRT prefer to deal with organised bodies representing a known number of customers presenting a united viewpoint.

It just shows how little you know. The meetings were anything but what you describe and I think it is very insulting to those boaters that went out of their way to attend in many cases paying for hotels. The only one that maybe went a bit of track was the one in Birmingham but that was in the middle of the South East Mooring Consultation. I am sorry for not contacting you personally to ensure your views were heard

[RLWP]

or possibly defect from paying subs to other organisations.

 

That's already happening. I defected from the IWA years ago

 

Richard

[churchward]

 

That's already happening. I defected from the IWA years ago

 

Richard

Indeed and others will have joined. What I meant was defect and pay to join a new boaters organisation.

[cotswoldsman]

What I find most puzzling is that John Dodwell is generally regarded to be a 'Good Bloke' and certainly not from the old school of BW (he wasn't employed by BW) . I thought Sally's input at the Skipton event was excellent and we all valued her attendance.

I would second that Sally Ash is a diamond I have a lot of respect for her and she has tried very hard to work with boaters. I am dissapointed that all the effort she put in has come to nothing

[billS]

 

Actually, we probably only lack a label. The social and meetings that Cotswoldman and Jenlyn has organised have been between us and CRT. But we are not 'official' even though we may represent a lot of people

 

Richard

 

Sorry, but without a constitution and membership, how can you possibly claim to represent anyone except yourselves as individuals?

[carlt]

 

Sorry, but without a constitution and membership, how can you possibly claim to represent anyone except yourselves as individuals?

Well NABO has a constitution and membership and they openly say that they do not represent boaters so Richard's claim seems just as valid as theirs but the difference is that their "label" is a lie.

[jenlyn]

Sorry, but without a constitution and membership, how can you possibly claim to represent anyone except yourselves as individuals?

Dont fret over it :-)

[cotswoldsman]

 

Sorry, but without a constitution and membership, how can you possibly claim to represent anyone except yourselves as individuals?

Sorry where did we claim to represent anyone? We just gave our opinions and those that we we were asked to put forward. Every boater that attended the meetings knew they were representing them selves. I might also add that NABO, IWA and RBOA all sent representatives to the meetings, they were open to all.

[billS]

It just shows how little you know. The meetings were anything but what you describe and I think it is very insulting to those boaters that went out of their way to attend in many cases paying for hotels. The only one that maybe went a bit of track was the one in Birmingham but that was in the middle of the South East Mooring Consultation. I am sorry for not contacting you personally to ensure your views were heard

I have aready said that I was unaware of the meetings, so of course I don't know the specifics of what went on them. There is certainly no insult intended or implied. My point is that it is almost impossible for organisations such as CRT with thousands of boating customers to engage meaningfully with a few individuals who have no mandate to represent a wider body of their boating customers.

[davidc]

Well I for one would pay subs to a new user group built up of independent boaters. for the soul purpose of representing boater interest.

[cotswoldsman]

I have aready said that I was unaware of the meetings, so of course I don't know the specifics of what went on them. There is certainly no insult intended or implied. My point is that it is almost impossible for organisations such as CRT with thousands of boating customers to engage meaningfully with a few individuals who have no mandate to represent a wider body of their boating customers.

So it seems but anyway boaters seem very low on the agenda, not sure how they are going to communicate with the important 10 million who via the government contribute more than boaters.

Well I for one would pay subs to a new user group built up of independent boaters. for the soul purpose of representing boater interest.

So would i

[AndrewIC]

I wonder how many of us have joined the friends scheme?

Bob

I was astonished to discover that licence payers were not automatically "friends".