AT THE moment Canal & River Trust is spending our money on flogging the advantages of water.
Its series of Google adverts even appearing on narrowboatworld, as obviously regarded by the company as a leading contender for waterway advertising.
Notwithstanding CaRT's much pronounced claim of its lack of cash, causing so many winter works to be cancelled, it is spending possibly thousands on its claimed value of the canals in bringing 'well being' to the public, the advert even including the now statuary 'coloured'.
Alas, I wonder whether it realises that—as according to a report by the Royal Life Saving Society—there are over eight million people who are afraid of water, suffering from aquaphobia? Our Thomas was once a sufferer and we couldn't get him near clear water!
Which makes me wonder if those two in one of the advertisements (pictured) so suffer, as they are looking away from the canal, and certainly not towards it!
We have no choice
As to the Google adverts that appear on this site, they are completely random, though occasionally relate to what people are searching.
Google states a particular advert can be prevented, but the way this has to be undertaken is so confusing that it is just not worth the effort.
One such series of adverts by the company Motex, sticking metal objects into power sockets to reduce electricity costs seem downright dangerous, and should surely be halted.
Gone up
If you are marina-bound during these off-season months and plugged into the power supply it would be wise to check your usage as the cost has risen sharply.
We spent 24 hours on our boat last week plugged into the supply and made a point of checking, to discover we had used £8 worth of electricity, which meant it was around a 100% increase, and we even used the Mikuni diesel heater some of the time.
So those many residents, many with even larger boats, at this rate would then be spending around £240 a month in these winter months. or most likely even more.
Make sense of this
Though Oxclose Lock on the Ripon Canal is still closed, preventing access to or from the marina, it seems there is a possibility of some access or other, though the CaRT stoppage notice explaining this takes some understanding, it telling:
'Please may 48 hours notice be given for the passage options to be discussed with a member of a team to ensure that we are able to fulfill the passage requests on 03030 404040'.
The other information is that it is 'designing a repair' to the hole under one of the lower balance beams, that most likely will be repaired the same as was the hole last summer.
Why it was not repaired at the same time, as it was reported there were two holes, is still a mystery.
Victor Swift