Lots to do for me and you

I hope you survived last night’s storm OK.  It was pretty scary round the back of our house, the noise was terrifying. We have a big tree which would crush half our upper floor if it fell. In the end we had a small fence panel blow out and that was it.  I really fear for the canals though.  I suspect that once the flood waters recede that there will be some collapses of towpath, landslips in cuttings and on embankments, not to mention damaged locks.  CRT think so to so they have launched a national flood appeal for donations (something not legally possible in the old BW days.) If you can spare a few quid then click on the link and donate.

In only three weeks time we’re supposed to be leaving our Slough Arm mooring and cruising back up to Crick.  Ooo er, it might not be that easy I reckon. Of course there are two routes we could take – up the GU, or up the Thames.  No prizes for guessing which one we are planning on.  Even then, I don’t think we can guarantee that the GU will be passable. I keep thinking of the northern end of Braunston tunnel where they had landslips last time.

Coming back to CRT, Another thing you can do to help, if you are a boater who ever visits Paddington, is to read their new proposals on visitor mooring changes in the area.  After consulting boaters meetings and I suppose listening to people like me voicing concerns and opinions direct, they have come up with some new ideas.  Follow this link to go and read their document and complete the survey if you have an opinion.  I won’t influence you with my opinions except to say that they have come up with some interesting ideas.

One opinion I will share with you is that I always thought it would be a good thing for BW to move to CRT and my current feeling is that it is a better setup.  Richard Parry gets closer to boaters than Robin Evans ever did and he does seem to be generating a culture of listening to people’s views.

Now you’ll have to excuse me, I have a fence panel to reinstate.