narrowboatworld

How long will it be until we see an army of 'chuggers' for Canal & River Trust alongside all those already in existence for Air Ambulances and local hospices outside our supermarkets? These people will take hefty commissions from the amount well meaning people give in good faith.

This is what the 'Big Society' will foster.

Waterways interests will once again revert to the militancy of the 60's, and maintenance and restoration will depend on the civil disobedience we saw around the BCN and other threatened waterways 40 -50 years ago.

You only have to look at the accounts of charities like Oxfam or the National Trust to see how much is paid in salary and how many company BMW's are taken out of the receipts. Perhaps it won't seem too bad if we could see how much is paid in similar expenses to British Waterways directors and staff over and above their generous salaries.

Martin Howes, Nb Ashted