IT WAS WINTER 1962/63 that was the virtual end of freight on the canals.
I can just remember that the snow blizzard to end all snow blizzards happened on the Boxing Day 1962, with records of many feet of snow that brought the whole country to a standstill and that did not clear until the start of March 1963.
Trains, buses and everything stopped with the canals, and even some rivers, frozen over with waterway freight completely halted.
As roads and railways were cleared, the then reduced freight on the waterways was moved from the canals to the modern means of quicker transport, it being the virtual end for the waterways, with most then being closed and many disappearing after nothing moved for over two months.
Now it is the lack of rain that is causing problems with most of the waterways closed one after another, and should there still be no rainfall come September, will it be another 1962/63?
At least there are now the marinas catering for their many boaters, always providing they have water, which should not be such a problem...
Our cruise
One thing is for sure, should there be no rain in the near future, and if there is. most of it will go into the dry ground before it reaches the reservoirs, so what about out usual September cruise?
Perhaps we should be okay up to Alrewas where the Trent feeds the Trent & Mersey Canal, but after that will be somewhat tricky unless we get some year's torrental rain (or tank rain, as they call it is Bermuda).
What about all those poor boaters who are on closed navigations and so have nowhere to go? Unless occasionally on a pound with two winding holes?
But what of the future—is this going to be the usual summer trend? If so the trust could be well advised to have a clear-out of its non-navigational roles and have a winter of real maintenance, repairing canal leaks and badly leaking gates, it giving us more of a chance come the summer.
How?
What I have never understood is, when a river overflows it is always told that it has burst its banks.
But a river is always at the lowest ground level and doesn't have banks, except when built to prevent flooding. So how can it burst it banks. What it really does is overflows...
Getting on with it
I notice that Mercia Marina is getting on with its new 'Promenade' that will include three new retail units, an additional restaurant and 15 apartments—many already reserved.
It's now the time for the concrete, with Mary's photograph showing the modern method of doing it with a specialised crane that is able to put it exactly where needed, as against the usual lorry loads just dumping it.
When this is all completed the marina will certainly live up its new title of Mercia Marina Village & Park.
I don't like it
I guess like many, many other boaters I too am worried about the recent closure of many service facilities, with five closing their doors within the last few weeks.
How the continuous cruisers manage, especially those with Elson's that require emptying, I can hardly imagine.
But what I find particularly worrying is that with these closures comes the notice—'The facilities are out of use and will remain closed subject to review in accordance with the Customer Service Facilities Policy'.
I have had a look at this facilities policy, and it sure is worrying...
You must have had enough
No, no, I'm not going to tell about the many waterways closures this time, for I'm sure you have had enough!
Only perhaps, that a certain maintenance policy has certainly come home to roost!
Victor Swift—telling tales for 25 years