No Water, No Lockies, no response.

[PiRSqwared]

Oh dear. Currently at Napton and hoping to be on the Leicester summit tomorrow.

[Tuscan]

Leicester summit is lovely and shallow in places but we get up and down it on a regular basis

[matty40s]

Why should I be placing a second follow up call anyway - this is an emergency out of hours line run by a national organisation.

I gave clear details - including my contact details.

The fact that a CRT emergency response line struggled for 10 minutes to identify the lock flight I was in given the lock numbers, nearby locations, possible other locations, nearby road numbers etc is daft, nay, irresponsible.

Some response should be forthcoming - if not action immediately.

 

It is galling that a Norwegian holidaymaker managed to sort the immediate problem with direction - and CRT arent interested to know what the problem was, or how to sort it tommorow, or the next day, or the next......

[Pete & Helen]

 

I thought the Emergency number went through to West Midland Ambulance Control who act as the call centre for CRT. Therefore your comment seems a little unwarranted.

 

OK let me qualify that then. The Emergency number in my opinion isn't staffed by people that understand what you are talking about when you try to explain why you are stuck on the canal. Better? Also if you read other posts you will see people have the same impression.

I would think the Ambulance service call centre were too busy with their own calls to take on extra from people on the canal. If I was needing an Ambulance I would call them direct. Where did you get your information from??

[bassplayer]

The 'pounds' above Braunston and Long Buckby are pretty huge so surely this can't be due to a general fall in water level.

 

There are some leaky gates (which have been leaky for a long time with no major problems). Could it be due to 'inexperienced' or 'pissed' boaters leaving paddles open?

[Guest]

OK let me qualify that then. The Emergency number in my opinion isn't staffed by people that understand what you are talking about when you try to explain why you are stuck on the canal. Better? Also if you read other posts you will see people have the same impression.

I would think the Ambulance service call centre were too busy with their own calls to take on extra from people on the canal. If I was needing an Ambulance I would call them direct. Where did you get your information from??

Rubbish. If the they have taken on a contract to deliver a service that service should not be diminished by the fact they cannot meet it because they also provide a 'life and death' emergency service.

 

They sound as if they are not up to the job.

[matty40s]

The 'pounds' above Braunston and Long Buckby are pretty huge so surely this can't be due to a general fall in water level.

 

There are some leaky gates (which have been leaky for a long time with no major problems). Could it be due to 'inexperienced' or 'pissed' boaters leaving paddles open?

The Braunston problem has been happening for several weeks now apparently, no, not caused by boaters, but unequal leakage from several lock gates - draining pounds - which could be alleviated by CRT persons on teh ground knowing what they are doing and letting down water frequently.

There seems to be a complete absence of these according to locals.

 

The Buckby problem seems to be a back pumping issue, with one of the pumps not functioning. When the top pound gets low, the backpump is actioned, unfortunately, this only draws/drains from the pound below, which is currently not being filled by the pumps from further down.

but what do I know, I only use it 50 times a year.

[ditchcrawler]

 

OK let me qualify that then. The Emergency number in my opinion isn't staffed by people that understand what you are talking about when you try to explain why you are stuck on the canal. Better? Also if you read other posts you will see people have the same impression.

I would think the Ambulance service call centre were too busy with their own calls to take on extra from people on the canal. If I was needing an Ambulance I would call them direct. Where did you get your information from??

They are not busy 24/7 so its a nice little earner taking a few calls for CaRT. If you can tell them the waterway and the lock number they can normally contact the on duty chap for that area and pass on your details. If he doesn't call you back there is nothing she can do about it. And yes it is the ambulance service. If you dial 999 you only get the BT operator who knows nothing about fires, of car crashes, but she connects you to the service you request. You don't ring the ambulance service direct.

[Pete & Helen]

They are not busy 24/7 so its a nice little earner taking a few calls for CaRT. If you can tell them the waterway and the lock number they can normally contact the on duty chap for that area and pass on your details. If he doesn't call you back there is nothing she can do about it. And yes it is the ambulance service. If you dial 999 you only get the BT operator who knows nothing about fires, of car crashes, but she connects you to the service you request. You don't ring the ambulance service direct.

Ok I think you knew what I meant.

Would be far better for one of the on duty CRT people to take calls then pass it on if not in their area. cheaper and at least the will give the impression that they understand the problem. Its obviously not well known that the ambulance call centre take the calls where as we all know 999 is an operator service.

[bassplayer]

The Braunston problem has been happening for several weeks now apparently, no, not caused by boaters, but unequal leakage from several lock gates - draining pounds - which could be alleviated by CRT persons on teh ground knowing what they are doing and letting down water frequently.

There seems to be a complete absence of these according to locals.

 

The Buckby problem seems to be a back pumping issue, with one of the pumps not functioning. When the top pound gets low, the backpump is actioned, unfortunately, this only draws/drains from the pound below, which is currently not being filled by the pumps from further down.

but what do I know, I only use it 50 times a year.

I hate to say this ...do we need more people the other side of the computer screen?

[furnessvale]

Rubbish. If the they have taken on a contract to deliver a service that service should not be diminished by the fact they cannot meet it because they also provide a 'life and death' emergency service.

 

They sound as if they are not up to the job.

It sounds like CRT monitor the work of this contractor as well as they monitor all the others.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[Leo No2]

Snip.....

 

The Buckby problem seems to be a back pumping issue, with one of the pumps not functioning. When the top pound gets low, the backpump is actioned, unfortunately, this only draws/drains from the pound below, which is currently not being filled by the pumps from further down.

but what do I know, I only use it 50 times a year.

The back pumping at the top of Stoke Bruerne (feeding the Stowe Hill pound) is running (not quite 24/7 but a good proportion of the day and night) - I do know because it enters the cut outside my front door (!) but I imagine it is not the only back pumping into the Stowe Hill pound. The Stoke Bruerne back pumping has had it problems in the recent past but is 'on stream' these days with, I understand, about 136L per second being pumped - it is a huge pound to replenish. My understanding is that the Stoke Bruerne back pumping works on the basis of being triggered by the level in the Stowe Hill pound and the levels on the 'Cosgrove' pound. I would have thought that the reservoirs in the Daventry area (e.g. Drayton) should be helping to supply the top pound, and therefore both Braunston and Buckby flights as well.

 

Leaking locks won't help - Stoke Bruerne top as a leak on the lower gates the east side of the lock which CRT are aware of.

[Tommo]

Plenty of water this morning on braunston flight.

 

Ian

[Dharl]

Hi Dharl,

 

You can't get to either north or south Oxford canals from Gayton without going through Buckby or Braunston locks (well not without a long detour). If there are still problems by the start of your holiday, I would go up the GU Leicester Branch. One of my favourite canals.

 

Enjoy your first holiday on Honeystreet.

 

Alan

Thanks Alan,

 

looking forward to it, will keep an eye on the levels in the Cut closer to the time!

 

David

[PiRSqwared]

Braunston fairly straight forward today once I got to the front of the queue (1 hour)

[MyLady]

6pm and still no return of call from CRT.

 

Pots and kettles Matt - I've been waiting for a reply from you since the 25th of July...

 

Roger

Edited August 1, 2014 by MyLady