Missing boat - Holly - NOW FOUND!

[Audi Fan]

to be honest if I see her i'll just follow along, and phone Leicestershire Police.

Excellent a narrowboat chase!

 

 

 

 

 

at 4mph!!

[Jon]

If the boat is seen DO NOT APPROACH THE BOAT YOURSELF!

 

If you see it, please do one of the following:

 

1) Call Middlewich Narrowboats on 01606 832460 and tell then your exact location/bridge number. They will then contact the Police (this is best probably if you find the boat moored and no-one with it)

2) Call Cheshire Police on 0845 458 0000 quoting incident 421 dated 24/03/2007 (again, if found and no danger of the boat/person going missing again)

3) If you think that the person on the boat is in danger, or likely to run off prior to Police arrival, then call the local Police on 999, and explain the circumstances to the operator.

 

I stress again - DO NOT APPROACH THE BOAT YOURSELF!

[Jon]

A further appeal, could the female who phoned a left a message on the answer phone of Middlwich Boats stating you had seen Holly on GUC Leicester Line nr Watford and did not leave any contact details please call them back so they can clarify a few details with you.

 

Many thanks,

 

Jon

[DHutch]

Just saw the news item.

- It wasnt that bad, treated it more like a "interesting story" than an appeal for help.

- However, cant do any harm, and it will still spread the word to anyone watching.

- They didnt have a great photo eather, a few of other middlewhich boats. But still, atlease there the right colour.

 

 

 

Daniel

[Paul & Andrea]

I've just seen the news clip on the internet.

Really amased that after all these sightings Holly is still not found?!

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/p...m=1&nbram=1

[Knotty]

I'm a day north of Foxton, so tomorrow i will go and make the supreme sacrifice of sitting in a canal side pub, watching waiting, and drinking.

If you need any assistance.. just ask!

 

 

on a more serious note...At least a confirmed sighting is good news in a way.. I cant get over how he has left his car there etc.. very bizarre

 

But a good ending would be both man and boat is found safely....

Edited April 12, 2007 by Knotty

[Moley]

I'm an 18 Hr cruise north of Foxton (thurmaston) this means if she was at husbands Bosworth yesterday, she will get here tomorrow.

 

anyone wanna 2nd guess me here?

 

Surely Foxton is manned?

 

Surely every boat is checked and logged??

 

Surely Holly could never be allowed to get down Foxton?!?!?

 

I think Fuzzy should watch from the pub, just in case, but surely she'll be found tomorrow?

 

 

 

 

 

Surely no a**hole's going to come back with a Shirley joke

[Barry]

?

Surely no a**hole's going to come back with a Shirley joke

 

Not now they aren't

[Chris M]

I moor just to the east of Braunston tunnel so I went for a trundel on my bike tonight just in case.

I can confirm that Holly isn't at this time between Braunston tunnel and cracks hill just north of Crick.

 

I spoke to Moleys cousin 'vole' near Norton junction and he'd come from Welford today and was at Foxton yesterday, he was 99% sure that he'd not seen Holly but he did go up the Welford arm so may have missed it.

 

If these sightings are THE Holly then it's surly just a matter of time

 

Chris

Edited April 12, 2007 by Chris M

[Liam]

It suprises me that a private boat such as Cragdale, which was left unattended for a while at a boatyard was found in a relatively short space of time, but a well known hireboat from a popular hire base up north painted in the fleets colours goes un-noticed "down south" where it is beleived to be at the moment.

 

Surely the boat would need it's deisel tanks replenishing and may also need a pump out now. With it being on the BBC etc I'm sure that nearly everyone knows about the missing boat but are we certain that every boat yard/chandlery/marina knows to keep a look out, including all lock keepers and maintenance gangs etc.

[Hairy-Neil]

Surely Foxton is manned?

 

Surely every boat is checked and logged??

 

 

As is Watford.....

[Jon]

Thanks for the link to the video, well worth watching.

 

Trish and the team have worked to inform lots of boat yards and hopefully by the now the message will have got around. It is inevitable that some will have been missed though.

 

Jon

[Supermalc]

Why is it that in this digital age of mass communication, many still seem to have problems actually doing it.

 

Especially on the waterway system, I would have thought it a fairly simple job to set up a database of telephone, email, and mobile numbers to let everyone know when important information such as this needs to be distributed.

 

I know many now suffer from 'information overload' and so may well miss reading it, but surely the relatively small amount of time to set it up, would more than compensate for the time lost, everytime something like this happens.

[carlt]

Why is it that in this digital age of mass communication, many still seem to have problems actually doing it.

 

Especially on the waterway system, I would have thought it a fairly simple job to set up a database of telephone, email, and mobile numbers to let everyone know when important information such as this needs to be distributed.

 

I know many now suffer from 'information overload' and so may well miss reading it, but surely the relatively small amount of time to set it up, would more than compensate for the time lost, everytime something like this happens.

When the couple died at Norbury recently, I was told who it was before it hit the media. The person who told me doesn't own a phone, a computer or even a tv. The towpath telegraph usually works faster than any modern form of communication, it just seems to be a bit slow this time.

[Jon]

I think the problem is that we did not have an area to focus on. Normally the towpath telegraph works well in local areas, but here we were (are?) talking about a nationwide search. The important thing is that sightings are being reported again now, so atleast the boat and hirer are likely to be safe.

[Tiny]

I think the problem is that we did not have an area to focus on. Normally the towpath telegraph works well in local areas, but here we were (are?) talking about a nationwide search. The important thing is that sightings are being reported again now, so atleast the boat and hirer are likely to be safe.

 

 

Yet even now the boat has been seen sightings are spasmodic - the last being a couple of days ago. Given the keepers at Foxton are now not full time it could be that they missed the boats passing - or maybe by the time she was reported at Kibworth etc., Holly was already passing through Foxton and is now north of there in an area with few bases and less boats than further south.

 

Of course, as the boat becomes more (in)famous there is always the danger that someone may meet the boat and attempt contact - which, as has been said might not be a good idea.

 

With all this in mind it might be an idea to emulate the boater who got on his bike and rode the section to near Crick. If something similar could be organised between Leicester and Crick (including all arms) - with those that do it just passing by if they saw Holly and reporting when out of sight - then at least we would know if the boat is in the area. If it is the police could take it from there.

[adam1uk]

It's now running on PA:

 

SEARCH FOR MISSING MAN AND NARROW BOAT

By Simon Baker, PA

Staff watching over Britain's 2,200-mile network of canals were today keeping

their eyes peeled for a holidaymaker who has gone missing with a 47ft narrow

boat.

David King, 52, failed to return the #40,000 boat called Holly on March 23

after renting it for a canal holiday from a company in Cheshire.

His family in Hertfordshire reported him missing the following day and canal

staff have been scouring the waterways, where boats move at only 4mph, ever

since.

A spokesman for British Waterways said: "We have only ever known one other

boat to go missing.

"The reason for that is that if a car went missing it could go anywhere but a

canal boat is confined to the waterways.

"Although there is a 2,200-mile network it is limited in the places it could

go.

"If you want to get away from it all you can certainly do that on the canals

but if you want to hide that is a different proposition altogether."

He said staff across the network were keeping an eye out for the boat and

reporting sightings to the hire company.

Adam Foskett, manager of hire firm Middlewich Narrowboats, said there had been

only one "concrete" sighting of Mr King, on March 19 in Market Drayton,

Shropshire.

Since then they have had various possible sightings, including one in Foxton,

Leicestershire, earlier this week.

He said: "People have been phoning up to say they have seen a green boat, or

a boat called Holly, but there are 27 boats across the system called Holly.

"Either he is continually moving or he is hidden on a branch of canal that is

not too busy."

Mr Foskett added that the fact Mr King had left his credit card details with

the company suggested he had not set out to steal it.

But he added: "It is not the value of the boat it is the loss of earnings

that is the problem."

Hertfordshire Police, who are leading the missing persons inquiry, said Mr

King is described as white, around six foot tall, with grey hair and of slim

build.

Detective Inspector Duncan Sales said: "We are keen to establish the

whereabouts of Mr King and would ask him to contact us or his family and,

obviously, to return the narrow boat as soon as feasible."

end

 

131628 APR 07

[fender.]

And it was in the London papers yesterday.

[tomsk]

And it was in the London papers yesterday.

 

Yesterdays Evening Standard p8, and todays Meto on the tube, pedants with beards will be aghast to learn that it was described as a barge.

[khaffra]

Apparently lockeepers at Watford record all the boat names and numbers now, so if Holly is on that section it will have been logged at Watford, I suspect this also means that boats are logged at Foxton as well so it should be easy to see where the boat is.

[fuzzyduck]

No sign of it here yet.

 

i had to come away from my lookout spot, i couldn't see straight.

[King Learie]

Hi all

 

Nothing seen here in Leicester as yet and BW, the Council Rangers, the Kings Lock Tea Rooms, and myself have been keeping our eyes peeled (along with others) for Holly (preferribly with the red berries on)

 

But nothing yet.

 

We've talked to passing boaters to alert them but most are already alerted so the guy, if he is heading this way, will have to travel quietly by night to miss being spotted.

 

Stiil it gives a certain frisson to walking the dog and riding the bike each day!

 

If he's mad - its sad. If he's a thief - it's bad. If he's having a laugh - he'll pay! Still, what fun- eh? - The Great Escape! etc. Make a good book subject - 'Narrow Boat to Leicester Nick'!

 

I'd buy it.....

 

King Learie

[fender.]

I'm beginning to get puzzled by this case - HOW can a narrowboat disappear? Is it possible Holly is somewhere on one of those numerous arms (or semi derelict arms) on the BCN?? She could have done a night trip back into that area from the North Stratford without anyone noticing. Maybe she's up on Titford Pools tied up under the M5 viaduct? OR even scuttled in the pools?

[Theo]

I'm beginning to get puzzled by this case - HOW can a narrowboat disappear? Is it possible Holly is somewhere on one of those numerous arms (or semi derelict arms) on the BCN?? She could have done a night trip back into that area from the North Stratford without anyone noticing. Maybe she's up on Titford Pools tied up under the M5 viaduct? OR even scuttled in the pools?

 

 

Ah...

 

You will have to have a look at the posts for the past couple of days, Fender. She been spotted up Leicester way. However, I too, find it a mystery that she got as far as that without being seen.

 

Nick

[DHutch]

I persoanly feel theres a great deal of chance that many of the sighting are misleading sighting of other simularly named boats, as we already know, there are about 30 registered "hollys" and the about another 30 boats with the name hollyanne or hollyblue, hollyb, etc. And a holli. Etc.

 

However, if they honestly do logg all the boats names and numbers passing watford/foxton, and lock the gates at night. Then has anyone contaced them about this?

- Ofcause, it would still be quite possable to 'clone' a narrowboat, be repainting holly, and stealing the name/number of a ligitamate boat.

 

 

 

Daniel