narrowboatworld

I continue to be dismayed when reading details about that Chesterfield Canal emergency and the CaRT 'emergency' number!

Regarding Robert Hawkins' email, by the looks of it, did not read my comment thoroughly.

I read with interest the comment that the IWA should relinquish the seats of its members who were elected to the [CaRT] council.

Not wanting to be depressing—but it's not only the CaRT's Trent & Mersey, Huddersfield Narrow canals and Aylesbury Arm that are closed due to breaches and lock collapse at the moment. (Oh no it isn't.)

In his piece about the craning of boats by CaRT at Buckland Lock, Victor says a golden opportunity for good publicity has been lost.

Mr Moran provides several paragraphs of detail on the various call routings, staffing arrangements and work-flows associated with the [emergency telephone] number, and berates members of the public for not having been aware of them.

Although we need to keep from being too panicky about boat safety and lock walls as I have just read on the site—I do think that Canal & River Trust should indeed be worried.

Ross Lydall's story (Evening Standard, 15 April—page 26), about an architect's nutty proposal for an elevated bike path along part of the Regent's Canal, surely should have been published on April Fool's Day.

I accept that some experiences of hire boats leave others less than impressed but we are currently on the southern Oxford, just below Banbury.