'Longest Village in the World'—It certainly will be soon, writes Frank Auffret.
It’s beginning to look like all us boaters are becoming part of the 'Longest Village in the World' which currently seems to have very few open ‘roads’.
With so many stoppages, the percentage of boaters who are either stuck, changed plan or just giving up is increasing.
We set out on this year’s cruise from Yorkshire two weeks early as a contingency against being stuck. Just as well really for those who set out two weeks later are still there. Yorkshire is effectively closed unless boaters are prepared to risk a passage around Trent Falls. Even then they would only get as far a Torksey because Cromwell is closed through of lack of dredging.
So with the Huddersfield, Macclesfield, Rochdale and Leeds & Liverpool canals all closed Yorkshire based boaters have few options.
It’s been like that ‘oop north’ for a few years, but now the problems are creeping south affecting many through routes. Stoppages are coming in on a regular basis, many long term and those that should be fixed quickly are now taking contractors a lot longer than it did years ago and often finishing on a Friday afternoon. Easy to speculate why that is.
It’s 12 years since C&RT took control and during that time the system has steadily declined. 'Not their fault' say many, but it’s where the buck stops!
I do not envy the incoming CEO who will have to get a grip on this dire situation very quickly. Big changes are needed as is more money—from where you may ask? I absolutely applaud the ‘Fund Britain’s Waterways’ campaigners, those people deserve medals for their efforts. However I cannot see the government increasing funding and there doesn’t seem to be any evidence that the various protest cruises and publicity campaigns are making a jot of difference.
The only way to get more money into maintenance is for C&RT to revisit their contracting policy, increase the ground staff (who do an incredible job), reshape and slim down the administration (does C&RT really employ a poet laureate?) and unfortunately for us, increase licence fees quite significantly.
Would boaters be happy to pay more if there were significant improvements? Probably, apart from the floaters. Speaking of which, love them or hate them the National Bargee Travellers Association (NBTA) certainly know how recruit support and apply pressure.
Maybe it’s time to create the NTBA—National Travelling Bargees Association before it’s too late and we all end up sitting in floating caravans in the 'Longest Village in the World'.