narrowboatworld

I CAME came to Gloucester Quays on a lovely sunny winters day expecting to find a shopping centre with many empty shops and a dock area surrounded by derelict buildings, writes Alan Tilbury.

This being the impression that I had observed from local newspaper reports over the last few years. I must admit many of the reports I personally had submitted to narrowboatworld had added to this image.

How wrong I was and how I must apologise for the impression that I had so readily passed on.

Alive with shoppers

The Quays shopping centre was alive with hundreds of shoppers (that's my 100s, not British Waterways!). With all the Christmas decorations, it was a delightful picture for all to see and being mostly factory outlet shops there were bargains galore. There is even a Cadbury's factory shop selling presumably miss-shapes at rock bottom prices, I wasn't tempted of course thinking of my expanding figure.

Now to the dock area, where except for one corner there wasn't a derelict building in sight, all the old warehouses having been converted to commercial or residential use, looking spick and span. Dotted around the harbour were different pieces of equipment from a bygone age. A variety of cranes, winches and trucks etc.

Easy to explore

Bearing in mind I had never been to Gloucester before I found it so easy to explore, finger signposts are everywhere and they haven't been turned to face the wrong directions by yobs, as has happened where I live in Thanet.

I next visited the Waterways Museum where I was greeted by an extremely friendly volunteer doing his one day a week on the desk, and this is before Canal & River Trust.

On showing him my narrowboatworld calling card he ushered me in without charge. The museum is on three floors plus two boats you can go on outside.

Visitors

There were a number of visitors going round, some couples and some family groups.

It has been completely rearranged quite recently with a large area on one floor dedicated to children either individually or on school visits. Children are encouraged to dress up in the clothes of the boating people and the manageress was there dressed accordingly to show children around. There are also several 'hands-on' exhibits for children to try out. There is even a 'lock' with it's only gate keeping out the basin water, surprisingly it didn't leak but I noticed back-up pumps and hoses in place just in case.

Showing a profit

The gentleman on the desk said it is the only British Waterways museum showing a profit, and that was not a vast amount. Three years ago it nearly closed, it was doing so badly, hence the major effort of rearranging with more publicity put into place which to an extent is working, though again I was informed if it wasn't for the two trip boats all would not be well.

They were taking bookings as I watched for the Father Christmas trips starting from the 4th December and subsequent Sundays till Christmas, some trips were already fully booked.

Volunteers

One of the floating exhibits is a steam bucket dredger, maintained and run by volunteers. Now this was an insight to what used to happen when it was in use.

The whole of the dock area was dredged to an 18ft depth enabling some of the largest boats to enter. Now it is not dredged at all and in many parts there is now only 4ft of clear water. As reported in narrowboatworld many owners of bigger boats will not attempt to enter any more.

The owners of the two dry docks report the difficulty of accessing the docks because of the build up of silt. Apparently the issue is dealt with by a boat passing through the docks at speed, which is supposed to disperse the silt leaving a workable channel. This I was told only lasts for days as it soon returns to how it was.