So much for the 'important' vegetation

WELL, almost on cue, the towpath maintenance gang have arrived to 'decimate' the canalside vegetation, less than one month since they were last here, writes John Hall.

It doesn't exactly chime with the government's statement on the 6th of June this year referring to roadside verges being the last resort for wild flowers.

Producing flowers

What really gets my goat is that the plants along the towpath as with other areas are producing flowers that we can all enjoy, and would soon have been setting seed to continue the cycle. That has once again 'gone for a burton' thanks to CaRT's dogmatic behaviour.

Like so many self assured institutions even when someone points out the error of their ways they refuse to change their policy. As I said in my previous email on this topic, this practice does nothing for the boaters, most of whom prefer to see the towpaths left alone far more, because this environment is not a public park, or bowling green.

The only benefactors are walkers, and those with dogs rarely clean up after them, cyclists and fishermen—the latter only one of the three who make any contribution. Whereas we boaters pay the most and our complaints are dismissed out of hand.