Repairs are for visitors

Published: Wednesday, 02 October 2019

I WAS not at all surprised to read of the choice of locks to be repaired on the Leicester Section writes James Henry.

Or that St Mary's Mill Lock, the most difficult as Victor found out in Leicester, was again missed off the list, for it is all too obvious.

No one visits

The three locks that are to be repaired are all where there are visitors, with St Mary's being tucked away where no one visits.

The policy nowadays seems to be all visitor based with the needs of us boaters way down the list, surely shown by these latest repairs, with the worst lock, that causes boaters the most trouble, again neglected.

All gate paddles open

It was last August when we went through St. Mary's, and 'getting on a bit' (as are many boaters) as with Victor, it needed all the top gate paddles open before we could get the water in the lock high enough to open a gate to get our boat into the lock, and even then it was a struggle.

It is not good enough leaving this lock unrepaired yet again just to pander to those what gets the visitors. The thinking is all wrong.