Victor tells it's now 'inconsiderate boating' that gets the blame!

SO INCONSIDERATE in fact that it's practically impossible!

CaRT will have us believe—in its latest excuse—it is 'due to inconsiderate boating', the pound between Lock 23 and Lock 22 is drained and the pound between Lock 22 and Lock 21 is very low on the Rochdale.  (This has been amended!)

It now blaming inconsiderate boating. It really seems it will use anything to try and show us boaters in a bad light. Who is it kidding? Certainly not me!

Just another excuse to blame boaters, and not a very good one either, but rather the normal standard of those who churn out so many silly stoppage notices...

Our Keith tells me that if they want to blame boaters then they need to explain how it occurred in detail! But of course they can't as it's no more than a figment of someone's imagination.

What CaRT should do is deal with the obvious leak—for that's what is obviously is.

Bank washed away

Keith adds—Remember the time when boaters were blamed for leaving the gates open on the Shroppie Middlewich Branch resulting in the bank being washed away? 

Ever since then I have been very suspicious of CaRT's bad boater claims. It seems as if boaters are used as scapegoats when they haven't got a clue who to blame or it's down to some problem of their own making.

Yes, Keith, I well remember being moored near there in 2018 taking the dog for his walk on one of our many trips on the Middlewich towpath and noticing the condition of the bank that had dropped where a culvert had obviously given way and water leaking down into the Weaver, I even remarking on it at the time.

But nothing was done until eventually it gave way taking the bank with it and closing the waterway for months.

The first picture shows where the bank gave way and the further picture giving some idea how long the work took.

So whose fault was that?

Getting bored?

I'm sorry if my Mercia ramblings are getting a bit boring, but I have still found another restaurant, making three I have tried so far. Yet this is not the lot!

This is the Beetroot Tree, that has been revamped with a brand new look and it seems a different fare that I can only describe as weird and wonderful. Strange fare with strange names and certainly no meat and two veg here or even fish and chips, but strange indeed.

Afraid you will have to partake yourself, as not attempting to describe as certainly different, but tasty enough for one of us, but alas, not for me, as I hadn't a clue what it was I was eating with the only thing I recognised being pomegranate seeds. But really quick service, and as the picture shows—well attended.

Winter cometh

Winter cometh indeed with the temperature dropping to near freezing and we definitely giving the boat a miss, our Thomas being somewhat nesh and too used to our old mooring at Sawley where you can switch the heating on a couple of hours before you are due to arrive at the boat using a mobile. And no charge either.

And thus have a lovely warm boat waiting for you.

No such service here at Mercia, as I have moaned about previously, but perhaps asking for too much.

I reckon those boaters at Sawley not knowing when they will be back to their boats from work found it very handy to be able to use their mobiles to switch on their heating exactly when they want. I know we found the service very handy, especially in this present kind of weather! Rolling-up to a nice warm boat.

So it looks like being a miss this week—too bloody cold!

Stuff Calor!

Stuff Calor indeed, as so many marinas and outlets rely on what is becoming poor service from the company with it stopping so many of its bottle sizes and it being difficult to obtain the normal boat size.

With NABO now complaining of its poor service and difficulty in obtaining supplies.

People seem to believe that Calor is the only supplier, but it certainly is not, for we have never had its gas in the 20 odd years and have never had difficulty in obtaining supplies of Flow Gas, obtaining four bottles last week—not stored on the boat I might add!

They not only deliver but providing you have a diesel powered car you can collect from its many depots.

You can even collect with your boat if on the Leicester Section as its headquarters are at Waterside Business Park at Birstall.

Get the leak fixed

CaRT should really attempt to get the leak fixed between Sandiacre Lock (63) and Gallows Inn Lock (67) on the Erewash Canal.

Since the 4th September—12 weeks ago—when it would have us believe it was 'experiencing low water levels owing to 'vandalism with the paddles' the navigation has either been closed or with restricted access.

Every month CaRT told either the navigation between the locks was—slightly improved—had significant improvement—low water—water remains low—started to improve—fallen again overnight—keep this section clear. With  'access continues to be restricted' told a number of months.

And each month using the  'vandalism' reason/excuse. 12 months of it? Really?

Victor Swift—telling tales for 23 years