Shocking News Concerning Well Known Coal Boater

[LoneWolf]

When I said spell checker I didn't necessarily mean an online type. There are the good old paper/hardback methods of looking up the correct spelling of words.

 

People are becoming lazy. But let's leave it there.

 

you mean like lazily calling something a spelling error when in fact it was a homophone error?

[matty40s]

 

you mean like lazily calling something a spelling error when in fact it was a homophone error?

as opposed to a mobilephone one..?

[Androo]

 

you mean like lazily calling something a spelling error when in fact it was a homophone error?

Did you not go to school? This was a basic teaching method in my day!

 

No offence to deaf people

Edited March 26, 2014 by Androo

[Southern Star]

Not everyone.

 

I feel the sentence is far too light but remain absolutely opposed to capital punishment.

Although the individual concerned has committed a repellent crime, I'd have to agree with the above.

[carlt]

No offence to deaf people

No full stop?

 

That's just plain lazy!

[Barry]

 

you mean like lazily calling something a spelling error when in fact it was a homophone error?

 

I had to look that up

[NigelMoore]

As a follow up. Does anyone actually know what happened to the little Staffie?

 

Troy the Staffie was happily overseeing the pair’s move to secure offline moorings today.

 

He plans to spread the favour of his company around his extended family of known carers [much as he always used to in fact]. As I write, he is being treated to his second meal of the day, which I always understood to be a bad thing, but perhaps he is skilfully playing the sympathy card.

[Nightwatch]

Good on him! Good boy.

 

Martyn

[roland elsdon]

Sorry to burst your bubble people , ex criminals and ex sex offenders live hide and operate in all spheres of life. They can easily hide on canals where they are mobile and difficult to track. Prior to the register it was an easy no fixed abode option, and even now and address of "narrowboat. $$$$$$ moored at @@@@ is hardly a way for them to be easily tracked, and if they are identified they can repaint and move. Probation officers can force address compliance under release licences but there is no good character qualification for boat or licence.......

[carlt]

Sorry to burst your bubble people

No bubble bursting at all.

 

I think people are fully aware that evil people walk amongst us in all walks of life but it still comes as a shock when someone you know (or know of) turns out to be one of them, whether they drink in the same pub, work in the same office or live on the same waterways.

[IanM]

Indeed. I don't think people are shocked that someone on the canals can do that sort of thing, more that it's someone they recognise or have had met in the past.

[alan_fincher]

I have no firm idea if the stories I have been told about James Bill, (who seemed to actually oftern call himself James Bills?), in the past are factually accurate or not - someone else will no doubt know more, and correct me if I'm talking nonsense.

 

However he was projected as someone who had maybe not had the best start in life, but who had been introduced to boating by someone who had taken him under their wing, and, although I didn't always like the hard and fast way he boated, there is no doubt he was passionate about his life onthe canals and rivers.

 

I suppose things are made worse in my head by the fact that, rightly or wrongly, he was projected to me as a kind of success story of what can happen if someone is given a chance, and hence I'm doubly shocked to see it ending up as it has.

I would not have been surprised to find him in trouble for a whole host of reasons, but never in my wildest bad imagination would I have predicted this. That said I didn't know him well, but I had certainly chatted many times with him on the canals, and the arrival of me with my dog would often cause him to bring his out to meet him.

I'm not naive, and know there are bad people in all walks of life, but this has been deeply shocking.

[Athy]

Indeed. I don't think people are shocked that someone on the canals can do that sort of thing, more that it's someone they recognise or have had met in the past.

Quite so. I am involved with a web site about vintage reggae music. One member was very active with projects such as compiling sound files of obscure records. His avatar showed a man with an Aston Villa shirt and a friendly smile. His on-line manner was civil and articulate and he was always happy to share his considerable specialist knowledge.

Then one day the webmaster announced that this man had been arrested in the USA on charges of repeated sexual molestation of his girlfriend's daughter who was about nine at the time. he was duly found guilty and imprisoned.

This was a great shock, as I, along with many other forum members, felt that we knew him personally and considered him a friend. Only then did it transpire that, while various members thought that other members knew him socially in real life, none of us in fact had ever met him.

Rather spookily, his surname was the same as the name of the lock above which we moored our boat at the time, so I was reminded of his appalling story each time we passed through it.

[Guest]

roland elsdon, on 27 Mar 2014 - 08:13 AM, said:roland elsdon, on 27 Mar 2014 - 08:13 AM, said:

Sorry to burst your bubble people , ex criminals and ex sex offenders live hide and operate in all spheres of life. They can easily hide on canals where they are mobile and difficult to track. Prior to the register it was an easy no fixed abode option, and even now and address of "narrowboat. $$$$$$ moored at @@@@ is hardly a way for them to be easily tracked, and if they are identified they can repaint and move. Probation officers can force address compliance under release licences but there is no good character qualification for boat or licence.......

 

I think what is slightly 'shocking' is that you think people are 'shocked' because they have in some way been naïve in not realising that a paedophile could also be a boater. Its obvious that their type come from all walks of life including celebrities, priests/vicars, doctors and nurses even. Why should the boating community expect to be exempt from having such individuals amongst us?

 

I think it is obvious that any 'shock' stems from the fact that people actually knew this person (or knew of him) and had no idea of either his previous convictions or his most recent one, that is what has taken people aback.....

Edited March 27, 2014 by The Dog House

[magnetman]

I find the suggestion that a boat life is an ideal way of evading authorities has some slightly unpleasant undertones and i am not quite sure what RE was saying there.

 

I am disturbed because this person has delivered coal to my boat when it was just my misses a 1 year old daughter and a 3 year old daughter on board. Swmbo was a bit scared and seems she had good reason!!!

 

You just don't know people...........

[Yank on the Cut]

I have no firm idea if the stories I have been told about James Bill, (who seemed to actually oftern call himself James Bills?), in the past are factually accurate or not - someone else will no doubt know more, and correct me if I'm talking nonsense.

 

However he was projected as someone who had maybe not had the best start in life, but who had been introduced to boating by someone who had taken him under their wing, and, although I didn't always like the hard and fast way he boated, there is no doubt he was passionate about his life onthe canals and rivers.

 

I suppose things are made worse in my head by the fact that, rightly or wrongly, he was projected to me as a kind of success story of what can happen if someone is given a chance, and hence I'm doubly shocked to see it ending up as it has.

 

I would not have been surprised to find him in trouble for a whole host of reasons, but never in my wildest bad imagination would I have predicted this. That said I didn't know him well, but I had certainly chatted many times with him on the canals, and the arrival of me with my dog would often cause him to bring his out to meet him.

 

I'm not naive, and know there are bad people in all walks of life, but this has been deeply shocking.

Regarding James' childhood, there is a lot a truth in what you have written, Alan. Indeed, James himself was rumoured, at the time, to have been one of the victims of the type of abuse he has now been convicted of, at an age close to that of his victim, whilst boating. That is ancient history now and certainly does not excuse what he has done, not that you were in anyway trying to excuse it, of course.

[Mike Tee]

This thread has been in my mind since the first post, and I wanted to contribute but couldn't think of the words to put my thoughts down.

 

What Alan F says in post 187 sums up my feelings on this exactly. I've met Bill, shared locks with him etc, as have many on here, and found it hard to believe the original post. This type of crime deserves a far longer sentence, and it beggars belief that Bill could be out and back on the canals by Braunston 2019. I've no doubt his victim will carry this with her for a lot longer than that.

 

Green thing for AF.

[Emerald Fox]

"I have to say that I always found him an arrogant tosser"

 

Perhaps a suitable (extra) punishment for the guy would be that he's made to read this thread every day of his sentence?!

[bizzard]

And I suppose at 3 to 4mph you could say Bill could also have been a sort of ''towpath crawler'' instead of kerb crawler if you like, an easier option and wouldn't arouse much suspicion.

[Chris-B]

I remember Alan and Trish. Very likeable couple I used to have a good natter about iron boaty stuff I was pulling out on the magnet. Think they live near Blisworth Tunnel on land now ?

 

Edited to remove

They sold the Blisworth property a few years ago and retired to rural France

we still stay in touch

[Androo]

No full stop?

 

That's just plain lazy!

I apologize for being partially sighted. Now let's leave it there Clem.

[nb Innisfree]

I can state with conviction that I'm far from naive but I find it impossible to be continually on my guard looking for hidden bad elements in people, it would make my life depressing and unbearable. Instead I leave it to my 'sixth sense' (whatever that actually is) to warn me, but these feelings need to be recognised when they appear. About 20 yrs ago I was walking to scool to collect the kids and I had a strange feeling of being watched from some nearby woodland, a puzzling and uneasy feeling that came out of the blue, I shrugged my shoulders and dismissed it. A week or two later a flasher was reported to be operating in that woodland.

 

Learn to trust these feelings, often it can be just a logical progression of thoughts with no real basis but once experienced, a genuine feeling is completely different. I don't know how common these things are in the general population, quite common I suspect, I've had just a few of these over 50 odd years or so, nothing dramatic, more like a strong hint but it's the only mechanism we have.

[Tuscan]

They sold the Blisworth property a few years ago and retired to rural France

we still stay in touch

Alan was good at playing the Irish whistle if I recall ,

[Daiboy]

Just had some bits and pieces from the IWA regarding the Little Venice Cavalcade in May. Under the paragraph "smokeless fuels on boats" they say that a fuel boat (Archimedes) will be in attendance which will sell smokeless fuel. Is this the same one or are the IWA a bit behind?

[PiRSqwared]

Just had some bits and pieces from the IWA regarding the Little Venice Cavalcade in May. Under the paragraph "smokeless fuels on boats" they say that a fuel boat (Archimedes) will be in attendance which will sell smokeless fuel. Is this the same one or are the IWA a bit behind?

Yes it's the same Archimedes.