C&RT - A National trust for the waterways?? read on .....

[Laurence Hogg]

This article was pointed out to me on "Narrowboatworld", not a site I am a great fan of but when reading this I couldn't agree more with the sentiments. Mick Fitzgibbons has got it dead right!

 

http://www.narrowboatworld.com/index.php/news-flash/7717-national-trust-for-the-waterways

 

Just a taster of what it says: "

Waterway Partnerships

Not to worry the Waterways Partnerships another wonderful idea (banana skin) would be the saviour of the fund raising activities. The Partnerships would take up the challenge and the role of fund raisers extraordinaire. Not only that, but they would start to raise up to £800,000 a year each, to replenish the Trust's dwindling coffers. The first problem was that someone forgot to tell the Partnerships what their role was. The running total after running costs is a magnificent and mind boggling zero, nada, zilch! Even the pewter started to tarnish faster than ever."

 

Well done Mick Fitzgibbons.

[b0atman]

very well put

[cotswoldsman]

Laurance I do enjoy your posts nowadays I almost feel like saying welcome to the club. We have an organisation that I am afraid have completely lost their way. Some can see it and some prefer to keep their eyes closed. The waterways partnerships are like CRT not fit for purpose. Another secret society but do not think they have got to the stage yet of having people sign "Non Dissclosure Orders"

Edited February 18, 2015 by cotswoldsman

[Boat&Bikes]

No doubt I am about to be shouted down but I have seen an increase in repair and maintenance on our canals over the last year or so.

 

Ian

[alan_fincher]

Laurance I do enjoy your posts nowadays I almost feel like saying welcome to the club. We have an organisation that I am afraid have completely lost their way. Some can see it and some prefer to keep their eyes closed.

 

Can we safely assume you have stopped trying to sign up any more "Friends" then, John?

[bassplayer]

Bullshit!

[jenlyn]

Bullshit!

Good red?

[gaggle]

No doubt I am about to be shouted down but I have seen an increase in repair and maintenance on our canals over the last year or so.

 

Ian

where , have you been round the system , which canals have you seen all this happening on.

[matty40s]

No doubt I am about to be shouted down but I have seen an increase in repair and maintenance on our canals over the last year or so.

 

Ian

I have seen swift reactive maintenance to jobs reported which could well lead to an injury. sensible.

 

I have seen standard winter maintenance to locks , done in a way which stopped long distance navigation completely for most of the winter. ridiculous.

 

I have seen no maintenance done where problems have occurred for years, yet come across stupid bars hung from lock gates which stop you opening them where for 250 years no stupid bar was needed.

 

Oh, and I will have been on 8 rivers and interconnecting canals before Easter so will be happy to report back on the status then as well.

Edited February 18, 2015 by matty40s

[bassplayer]

Good red?

Hobgoblin actually...ouch!

 

Something about that article set me off, I'm not sure why though...[now where's the Ibuprofen?]

[cotswoldsman]

 

Can we safely assume you have stopped trying to sign up any more "Friends" then, John?

Alan not sure what point you are trying to make. I am not ashamed of the fact that I was a big supporter of CRT in the early days. Like many I was hopeful that at last we were going to get an organisation that were genuinely interested in the canal system. Unfortunately we have ended up with an organisation that think all they need to do is push out a lot of PR and all will be ok. I speak to a lot of boaters on a daily basis either in person or via social media who like myself feel boaters have been let down badly. Changes are made with no real thought, mooring times are changed on the basis of a few pints in a pub. Promises are made but never happen.

I think you only need to look at Laurance's post, a man to my knowledge who has volunteered and worked hard for the past 40 years to work with both BW and CRT.

We now have an organisation with a management structure that is all over the place and is simply not fit for purpose.

[Paul C]

Alan not sure what point you are trying to make. I am not ashamed of the fact that I was a big supporter of CRT in the early days. Like many I was hopeful that at last we were going to get an organisation that were genuinely interested in the canal system. Unfortunately we have ended up with an organisation that think all they need to do is push out a lot of PR and all will be ok. I speak to a lot of boaters on a daily basis either in person or via social media who like myself feel boaters have been let down badly. Changes are made with no real thought, mooring times are changed on the basis of a few pints in a pub. Promises are made but never happen.

I think you only need to look at Laurance's post, a man to my knowledge who has volunteered and worked hard for the past 40 years to work with both BW and CRT.

We now have an organisation with a management structure that is all over the place and is simply not fit for purpose.

 

If you read a lot of the posts and threads on the forum you will inevitibly read many from those who are just starting out in boating; perhaps they are seeking advice on buying their first boat, or becoming a liveaboard boater. Do you accept that whilst you might have deep reservations about many aspects of boating lifestyle; others don't necessarily hold these at such great a level, and are much more positive in general.

 

Perhaps it is a time for consideration and reflection, and you might conclude that the boating lifestyle is not for you.

 

 

 

 

 

PS If its just CRT, there's always the Bridgewater canal and EA/Broads etc.

[cotswoldsman]

 

If you read a lot of the posts and threads on the forum you will inevitibly read many from those who are just starting out in boating; perhaps they are seeking advice on buying their first boat, or becoming a liveaboard boater. Do you accept that whilst you might have deep reservations about many aspects of boating lifestyle; others don't necessarily hold these at such great a level, and are much more positive in general.

 

Perhaps it is a time for consideration and reflection, and you might conclude that the boating lifestyle is not for you.

 

 

 

 

 

PS If its just CRT, there's always the Bridgewater canal and EA/Broads etc.

 

I simply post what I think, see and hear. Yes I am well aware that a lot are more positive than I am but I am also aware that a lot like my myself that were positive are slowly becoming more and more concerned. Having Continuously Cruised now for nearly 9 years I do not really need you to tell me what to consider or reflect upon. It is the reflection that I have done over the last 12 months that have formed my current opinion. Like many I love the lifestyle and will do everything I can to protect it.

[mango]

Laurance I do enjoy your posts nowadays I almost feel like saying welcome to the club. We have an organisation that I am afraid have completely lost their way. Some can see it and some prefer to keep their eyes closed. The waterways partnerships are like CRT not fit for purpose. Another secret society but do not think they have got to the stage yet of having people sign "Non Dissclosure Orders"

Yesterday I commented that you used to be positive about CRT and your response was: "Yes it has changed I still try and support CRT where I can but can not support them on issues that I do not agree with." Have you now made up your mind?

[cotswoldsman]

Yesterday I commented that you used to be positive about CRT and your response was: "Yes it has changed I still try and support CRT where I can but can not support them on issues that I do not agree with." Have you now made up your mind?

You are becoming boring are you stalking me. I do not have to justify myself to you

[jenlyn]

Yesterday I commented that you used to be positive about CRT and your response was: "Yes it has changed I still try and support CRT where I can but can not support them on issues that I do not agree with." Have you now made up your mind?

Ahem!

 

""""mango, on 17 Feb 2015 - 1:14 PM, said:

My view is as important as yours.""""

 

:-)

[mango]

You are becoming boring are you stalking me. I do not have to justify myself to you

OK. I will leave you alone. I was interested by your comments that you made about continuous cruising a couple of years ago.

[PaulG]

Oh God. Not another rant by Mick Fitzgibbon.

CRT can do nothing right in this man's book.

[sueb]

 

I simply post what I think, see and hear. Yes I am well aware that a lot are more positive than I am but I am also aware that a lot like my myself that were positive are slowly becoming more and more concerned. Having Continuously Cruised now for nearly 9 years I do not really need you to tell me what to consider or reflect upon. It is the reflection that I have done over the last 12 months that have formed my current opinion. Like many I love the lifestyle and will do everything I can to protect it.

Welcome to the club. Seems we all get there eventually. Start off supporting BW/Cart then realising it is a waste of effort

[5thHorseman]

Welcome to the club. Seems we all get there eventually. Start off supporting BW/Cart then realising it is a waste of effort

all?

[Laurence Hogg]

Welcome to the club. Seems we all get there eventually. Start off supporting BW/Cart then realising it is a waste of effort

Couldn't be better put! Today (4+ weeks on) the sunken boat which has leaked diesel into the Wyrley has been removed! How downright inefficient is that?

[Alf Roberts]

Laurance I do enjoy your posts nowadays I almost feel like saying welcome to the club. We have an organisation that I am afraid have completely lost their way. Some can see it and some prefer to keep their eyes closed. The waterways partnerships are like CRT not fit for purpose. Another secret society but do not think they have got to the stage yet of having people sign "Non Dissclosure Orders"

I do agree with this. I haven't always seen eye-to-eye with Laurence but his recent posts have been spot on the mark.

 

For someone who has given so much to BWB, BW and then CRT to be treated as he is is simply symptomatic of the absolute mess the organisation is in.

 

Even the apologists and sycophants can only trot out what is becoming a bit of a tired line; "most boaters won't notice". When this becomes the main plank of their argument you know something is seriously awry.

 

 

edit: text

Edited February 19, 2015 by Alf Roberts

[alan_fincher]

Alan not sure what point you are trying to make. I am not ashamed of the fact that I was a big supporter of CRT in the early days. Like many I was hopeful that at last we were going to get an organisation that were genuinely interested in the canal system. Unfortunately we have ended up with an organisation that think all they need to do is push out a lot of PR and all will be ok. I speak to a lot of boaters on a daily basis either in person or via social media who like myself feel boaters have been let down badly. Changes are made with no real thought, mooring times are changed on the basis of a few pints in a pub. Promises are made but never happen.

 

John,

 

I wasn't really trying to make any point, other than the one you have just clarified. I certainly don't blame you either for your initial optimism, or for your subsequent pessimism.

 

I don't actually think we sit very far apart on this, other than I'm a more natural pessimist, so didn't perhaps let my sights get set so high in the first place(!)

 

I think it is hard not to be pessimistic now, given where we now seem to be after all the high hopes. Face to face Richard Parry still seems to be very credible, but I must admit I winced when I saw his interview in that Hatton lock with Nick Wall of Canal Boat magazine, particularly where he was endorsing the new visitor mooring framework, and making all the right noises about only making "evidence based" changes, and doing things consistently. As you say that was hardly the way it worked when he got personally involved at one of the locations.

 

At the moment I don't feel very optimistic at all, and, am starting to wonder why I have just bought myself a project boat.

[alan_fincher]

Welcome to the club. Seems we all get there eventually. Start off supporting BW/Cart then realising it is a waste of effort

 

This I actually don't agree with Sue, because I still think things could be far worse if people don't get involved, and whilst we might not what happens a lot of the time, on other occasions people do achieve some good results by carrying on the fight.

 

I'm happy to put up the general tow path winter mooring permit that John in particular got heavily involved in. Clearly far more successful, (and sensible), than what it largely replaced, and clearly only happened because people outside CRT fought for it.

 

That is by no means the only case where things have been achieved, but to me it demonstrates we can sometimes influence in a positive way, even if we don't get even half of what we shoot for.

[b0atman]

As licence holders we have no say in what CRT do .

The system has been set up to fail by the government .

A national trust style of charity would have been better or even letting the National trust have the canals and all assets (most of which BW where frantically selling off)

Any one talking to MPs pre election must take the opportunity to raise the subject of CRT being answerable.