WE ARE now informed that time by Canal & River Trust water saves the NHS over a billion pounds a year!
This, CaRT would have us believe, is from research, though no details—of course—where or how such research was obtained.
It would have us believe—Research shows that time spent by water can help people feel happier and healthier and that the 2,000 miles of waterways in England and Wales looked after by the Canal & River Trust charity brings a £1.1 billion cost saving to the NHS, as a result of people being active along its waterways and towpaths.
So there you have it. Believe it? I certainly don't.
But I wonder if all those drownings, such as in one case three ambulances two fire engines and a waterborne vessel attending at one instance came into the equation?
And all the other medical people, ambulances and substantial hospital treatment in so many cases of people either falling into the canals or committing suicide. Were they calculated?
What about all those pedestrians injured or upset by speeding cyclists and so many worried about themselves, their dogs and even their children from the self-same cyclists.
Or concerned about children hiding in the undergrowth, allowed to grow water side, falling into the water.
None are ever mentioned by CaRT as it would rather upset its 'wellbeing' campaign, as certainly not much 'wellbeing ' there. eh?
'Pie in the sky' doesn't cover it. It's plain silly.
Pulling the wool...
Let's take our own marina, Sawley, or Sawley Waterside Marina as it is now renamed, that too is not above piling it on a bit.
It would have us believe on its website:
Its jetties have a non-slip surface. They most certainly do not. Here's a photo taken during the week showing our main pier with its dozens of jetties, and ner a non-slip surface in sight, and never have been in the 25 years we have been there on any jetty. They simply had a bin containing sand or something to spread by us boaters
It has safe moorer car parking. Not for us it hasn't, as residents' boxes are now piled-up on the moorers car parking against our gate (pictured) forcing us into the public car park and the risk of damage to our vehicles.
It is the largest inland marina in the UK. No it isn't. Mercia Marina is the largest and a massive open park where its moorers dogs are allowed to run free.
Chandlery. Hardly, as we could not even obtain fenders or a replacement bulb that we required. Though we managed tea and some cakes, as more of a 'corner shop' for the residents than a chandlery.
Sawley is peaceful. It is exactly the opposite—making this the most exaggerated claim of the lot.
1. It has the Long Eaton to M1/A50 feeder road just six yards from its 'exclusive' mooring basin.
2. It has a freight rail line ½ mile from its moorings.
3. It has the main Sheffield to St Pancras railway ½ mile further on.
4. It has the four lane M1 Motorway just 200 yards from the West end of the main residents mooring.
5. And what is even worse, to top it all, the marina is under the flightpath of the International East Midlands Airport just three miles away!
So I ask? Would you think it peaceful? With little chance of leaving a window or door open for fresh air for a peaceful night's sleep this weather!
If you are wondering why we put up with it, it's because it is so easy to get to using junction to junction on the M1, and we get out of the marina with the boat whenever we can!
Still more
But that is not all, my friends. For adding to the agony of noise at Sawley Marina, there's the off-road motorbikes arriving in trailers to the old tips just over the road from the main residents moorings with their noisy machines. Often joined by the itinerants on their bikes living nearby.
But worse is the loud screeching of the bike and car races just over the A50 on the race track at the famous Donnington Park. With it is told, the world's best superbikes heading their way in July—to look forward to! And I must not forget the many practice sessions of the noisy things.
'Peaceful' it ain't. In fact it's obviously the most noisiest inland marina in the country! Can't see us standing it much longer. as getting too old for all this.
Little chance
CaRT is now asking boaters to wait at Derwent Mouth Lock on the Trent & Mersey, to share it to save water, but there's little chance!
Some of the six locks are so difficult that many boaters will not use them, particularly Weston and Swarkestone that are near impossible with gates so poorly balanced and paddles so stiff that only the very fit and fairly young have much chance of making headway.
We sometimes moor above Derwent Mouth, that itself is just possible. though made worse by having a walkway attached to the top gates, having very, very few boats passing.
So you could be in for a long wait!
Victor Swift—telling tales for 23 years