Meeting after many years
IT WAS great to meet you Tom in the queue at Cow Shit Lock [Colwich Lock] after corresponding so many years, writes John Smedley.
And you were right when you told me the lock would not last much longer, as I see it finally gave way yesterday with the canal closed.
Nowadays, in that time boating is very much a hit and miss affair, never knowing just how far you can get! In our case however it does not matter too much as we are liveaboards, so a short stoppage is no matter as it is easy to get a taxi from anywhere, though I understand you had problems in Market Drayton!
Stopped three times
It is those on what is now a very expensive holiday on the canals that I feel sorry for and have met many who have been stuck behind a stoppage. One I met had a fortnight on a hire boat and could not even do half of the Leeds & Liverpool owing to being stopped three times through various reasons and eventually had to abandon the boat to get back home, leaving it to the hire company, like one Victor mentioned, to be eventually fetched back to base.
As you publish. there is now over a stoppage a day, and I agree with you that it most certainly will keep the boaters away, as many have had enough of not being able to get to where they require, being stuck out in some God forsaken place miles from anywhere, as yet another structure has broken down.
I had better stop, as this is becoming a bit of a hobby-horse as I am sure it is with many. I just wonder how many are stuck behind Colwich Lock, to give it its proper name, this time?
So until we possibly meet again!