Victor tells it's not going to happen

IT WOULD SEEM that most publications in the country have latched onto the story of the possible opening of the Bradford Canal.

But it isn't going to happen, that's for sure.

Way back in 2004 a committee was formed to investigate the benefits of restoring the three and half miles waterway, but it must have been the ten locks that were required, as nothing came of it.

Then four years later came a competition for a scheme to restore the waterway that joined the Leeds & Liverpool into Bradford. But nothing came of that either.

The only way it will ever be achieved is by getting one of those regeneration outfits, whatever they are called, to finance it, but it is not likely.

In the dark

There is one other event that the media had certainly not latched onto, and that is a flotilla of boats to the tidal Thames to Parliament.

It was only our Keith mentioning it to me that it was realised it was in progress and by then it was well under way.

Though I have to admit I saw something about boats on the Trent, from the Inland Waterways Association, but no intimation what it was for.  And alas, I still don't know what it was for!

Whatsoever, this must have taken a lot of effort by the boaters and a great pity it was not widely advertised, as surely it should have been. 

Even we were not told about it.  The picture is of a former flotilla that was very well advertised!

The reason why

There is a reason why there is all too often shortage of water on the Grand Union summit pound, even though the reservoirs serving it have plenty of the wet stuff. As is shown on the picture below taken last week of a full Marsworth Reservoir from Our Man at the Summit, Howard Clarke, he telling:

"There certainly is a problem on the Marsworth flight lock gates! They are worn out, leak badly and the beams rotten.

"That is my guess as to why the flight is closed. Lack of water only in the sense that the locks can't hold water.

"CaRT lock volunteers no longer present now of course, no boat movement north off the summit. Many boats moored up at Bulbourne, as the Wendover Arm from Little Tring to summit so shallow it is impassible."

And here's one of the culprits.                 Victor Swift—telling tales for 25 years...