Solving the London problem

CONCERNING the moorings at Paddington Basin. First of all, for the last four or five years it's always been the case for us that there have been only one or two spaces left and sometimes one has to hang around up by the underground entrance and wait for a gap to appear. Very normal for London, writes Neil Trevithick.

Second, Canal & River Trust don't police it at all. The whole place is now owned by a property company and the gentlemen of the private security company control the moorings. My understanding is that the property company can do whatever it likes, let you stay, make you go.

Efficient and polite

Let it be said though that up to my last visit a year ago they seemed to be pretty efficient and polite, although of course your every move is followed by security cameras.

This is the (dystopian to some) future in which a charitable(?!) Trust allows the fabric of the canals to gently decline while levering capital out of selling our rights and sights. So wealthy individuals perpetually perplexed at boats constantly being outside their front doors (everywhere), quaysides that once bustled go silent, just as notices go up extolling the bustle of their past (Limehouse) and the very idea of what it means to be part of the canals is based on the authenticity of those who were there long ago.

Boaters are not wanted at Paddington! Only a few as part of a painting for people in suits to look at while incessantly smoking and eating pack lunches is what's required.

Something needs to be done

Something needs to be done sure, as your correspondent says. But complaining about there not being enough policing of berths, when there's more intrusive policing of movement, motive and activity of any kind by boaters than at any time in history is, to quote a favoured phrase from foc'sles of the past—pissing in the wind. There's room for another 50 berths by doubling up the St Mary's Hospital side of Paddington Basin and using the newly refurbished and dug out far end.

Solve the entire problem

There's room to solve London's entire canal boat liveaboard, continuously cruising, mooring, partying, studying, hard-working and trying-to-survive-as-best-they-can problem in the Bow back rivers. I wonder what happened to all that Olympic legacy stuff? No money to be made there. Yet securing the Back Rivers for canal users would have been more of a charitable trust type activity.