Victor: Another 'wellbeing' study

Published: Sunday, 14 April 2019

WE NOW have an American study led by a Dr Mary Carol Hunter joining the throng and confirming that nature makes you feel better.

She tells us that her new study found that taking at least 20 minutes out of your day to stroll or sit in a place that makes you feel in contact with nature will significantly lower your stress hormone levels.

Her study—we are not alas told how this was achieved or how many people took part—states:

That for the greatest payoff, in terms of efficiently lowering levels of the stress hormone cortisol, you should spend 20 to 30 minutes sitting or walking in a place that provides you with a sense of nature.

So now you know.

But what's new?

Personally I have always thought it common sense that to be in the countryside, in open fields, woods—and yes—besides water, always lowers any stress and give a feeling of peace, as compared to a busy thoroughfare or built-up area.

It's obvious really, and hardly worthy of all this 'wellbeing' crap now being thrust upon us.

Dragging it out

It will of course be no surprise to you to learn that the work on the locks on the Leicester Section will not be finished today, and thus opened tomorrow as promised, but towards the end of the week.

These are the three locks that had similar work undertaken just two years ago, and of which I told was taking 10 days instead of the five as before, but has now been dragged out for yet another week!

And needless to say, not mentioned in the official stoppage notices...

I find it all rather 'worrying'—for want of a better word...

He has a point

There is little doubt that our regular contributor, James Henry, has a point when stating the canals are reaching their 'use by' date.

200 years old, and often built in a hurry, with it being found also often on poor foundations, the fabric can certainly now be expected to have reached the end of its life.

So perhaps it is time for the government to step in to perhaps leave CaRT to continue with its many other activities and pass the really important work of making sure the canals are properly maintained to another more capable organisation, completely apart from Canal & River Trust and its so obvious incapability.

Victor Swift