Chinese mentality

I WAS pleased to read on your site that the the three closed canals are to be opened again, writes Helen Cripps.

I am no expert on reservoirs and their capacity so don't know if lack of water was the real reason or an excuse for closing them, for nowadays my opinion is that Canal & River Trust have a bit of Chinese mentality, in that it cannot tolerate to be seen to be either failing or in the wrong.

There were problems

But the fact of all those regular stoppage on the three canals before they were semi-permanently closed, tells me there were problems.  The many flights on the Leeds & Liverpool were plagued with restrictions whilst the Mac was forever leaking and having stoppages.

And learning from you that the Peak Forest had many reservoirs supplying it made the Toddbrook Reservoir disaster as a reason for closure something of an excuse.  But I expect the thing now when the three are eventually open in July (why do we have to wait so long?) is will they remain open?

Tackle the Leeds & Liverpool

We want to 'do' the length of the Leeds & Liverpool before we pack-up boating, having at last summoned-up enough courage to tackle the tidal Trent to get there and have arranged plenty of time, but I am worried that like so many others we are going to get stuck where we do not want to be.