HERE WE HAVE a situation where writers tell of having to let water down daily as it leaks down to Shadehouse Lock at Fradley.
One boater telling he chatted to volunteers who tell of letting water down every day and it seems that this practice has been going on for some weeks—as the pound leaks.
Others tell of being stuck in the low pound, as there is certainly a problem, with even a restriction of 10am to 3pm to save water being brought in.
And the explanation from CaRT of continuous low water—'This measure is necessary due to ongoing water losses resulting from paddles being left open after use'.
So us boaters are being blamed as we supposedly leave the paddles open on just one lock on the many Fradley locks for weeks on end.
Of course the trust would hardly want to admit that the restriction now brought in was solely due to a leak in the pound and lack of maintenance, so used the normal red herring of boaters leaving the paddles up—though they most obviously did not.
Someone at Canal & River Trust wants to learn to tell the truth, as such lies fool no one, but only make it look stupid.
More boaters stuck
To further the Fradley problem as being a leak, Helen Cripps tells us she was moored above that lock and felt the boat listing during the night, to find herself well and truly stuck. Then later water was obviously let down as with a bit of an effort it was free.
Another boater caught-out was John Lloyd who told us—Back in July we moored above the lock one evening only to find we were leaning next morning.
We did free ourselves and entered the lock. The level dropped as soon as we shut the top gate.
What about a rebate?
During covid lock-down the trust gave us all a months' rebate on our licences because we could not cruise.
But now, the lack of maintenance and climate change has the canals water-less so again cannot cruise.
Does this mean we get a rebate, as it is the same situation, not being allowed to move.
I doubt it, as CaRT makes its own rules, and will not want it known the mess it is in.
Something different
Something very different indeed—an Hedgehog Talk, to be held at Mercia Marina.
It's the Green Team who are delighted to be hosting a special evening all about hedgehogs on Saturday 20th September, it telling hedgehogs are one of Britain’s most loved wild creatures, yet sadly their numbers are in serious decline.
This talk will shine a light on the challenges they face and how we can all play our part in helping them survive and thrive in our gardens and green spaces.
Doors open at 7.00pm for a 7.30pm start with a £2 donation on the door—with £1 going towards the Community Fund and £1 donated directly to Stabbo & Sandiacre Spikey Rescue, a local charity caring for sick and injured hedgehogs. With free tea, coffee and soft drinks.
The picture is of our esteemed editor looking after the wild life, he living in the country and putting water out for his visiting hedgehog. And not forgetting the birds getting fed and watered and even Jan putting out a bucket of water for the deer in this dry weather.
Get those cameras up
Though CaRT thought about installing cameras at those mechanical bridges whose barriers were constantly being broken by vehicles, nothing was done.
Which means there was no knowledge of the vehicle licence plates, so the trust had to stand the cost of repairs.
On Friday it was the barriers on Wrenbury Bridge on the Llangollen Canal that were clobbered again with the navigation closed, as always left in the 'down' position stopping navigation. Yet with a 'clever' camera that only works when a vehicle passes through, showing the time, it would be easy to soon pinpoint a smashed barrier.
And save a deal of cash, as then the driver can be traced and he/she clobbered as well as the barrier! I suggested these a while ago, telling it was a good idea, but nothing has been done.
And a question—why does CaRT insist upon calling it a swing bridge, when it isn't? (Just put Wrenbury Swing Bridge in Google Images and see what you get!)
Let Severn Trent have it
Though Canal & River Trust blame climate change for the multitude of leaks on its canals, Roger B tells us a different story—I stumbled across this this evening and was completely taken aback by the apparent sacrifice of the water into the Caldon for the benefit of water consumers not boaters.
If you go down the page quite a way, [of the trust's Brag Rag] it’s all there. See what you think yourself, as there are words I would use myself that are too profound if I were to get writing. Here it is:
We are making an agreed amount of water available to Severn Trent from our Caldon Canal reservoirs. Although boating restrictions are in place on the Caldon Canal because of low water levels, the reservoir water in question currently cannot physically be fed into the canal this summer.
Working with us to channel otherwise unavailable water from Knypersley Reservoir into the Caldon Canal, Severn Trent will then benefit from an equivalent volume of water from Rudyard Lake. This solution increases the supply that the water company can make available from its Tittesworth Reservoir for homes and businesses in North Staffordshire.
So, bugger the boaters!
No cruise
Yes my friends, we are in the same situation as many of you—a cruise with nowhere to go! From Mercia we dare use the Trent fed waters up to Alrewas, but after that?
Especially as the 10am to 3pm restriction in Fradley that no doubt, as others, will soon be closed, so not worth risking.
It is 25 years ago that we started our May and September cruises, and only lately a few hiccups, but this one is definitely a non-starter, though of course we will start come Monday.
So then the site is closed and with no response to emails I'm afraid for over a fortnight, though I shall sneak my old, very, very slow laptop into the boat, so I can tell first hand of the situation. But alas, we can't go very far!
Victor Swift—telling tales for 25 years...