I RECKON WE DID CRICK SHOW a favour by publishing all its admission rates for visitors and trade.
But is would seem that its method is not so popular according to the number of complaints from our readers, who found out that before any booking could be made it first had to agree to allowing consent to using personal data to allow—and I quote—'Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development. Store and/or access information on a device'.
And your personal data is for 122, 76, 104 or 172 vendors.
Having a look I discovered that there was a method to alter what is known as 'cookies', but some you have to accept, so get all their bumf—want it or not.
I should think the organisers would be better just sticking to flogging its tickets, for surely that's what it's all about and not having its customers possibly bombarded with crap.
Three would-be visitors, Julia, Thomas and Stuart all told us they were not standing for it and would instead pay at the door, with I was told, the advantage that if there is yet another storm over that weekend they just would not bother! That's how it was in 2007 as our picture shows!
Realised!
For a while now Canal & River Trust had those 'cookies' when logged on to its site, but has obviously realised that more and more readers will just not tolerate them, and their subsequent rubbish.
So when I tried its site a moment ago, there was just a chance to enter a prize draw, that could be bypassed—and not a 'cookie' in sight!
It obviously realised their use is a put-off...
'Winter Works' are no more!
We now have a new description from the trust for its annual Winter Works.
For when describing the problem of ongoing storms and persistently high water levels in the area of Heales Lock 93 at Midgham on the Kennet & Avon, the trust's team has been unable to access the lock to carry out the planned gate replacement.
Then tells As the Intensive Maintenance period is now coming to an end, there is no longer sufficient time to complete these works, so as a result, the gate replacement will be deferred from this year’s programme.
So there it is, instead of Winter Works it is now Intensive Maintenance.
That I must admit is much more descriptive.
It will save millions
I accept that I have been flogging the use of automatic cameras at those bridges that get bashed by vehicles, time and time again, and pointed out that they really will save millions.
I don't mean all the bridges but those that are certainly more susceptible to vehicle strikes, whether those old stone ones on blind corners or bridge barriers that get broken time and time again.
Our recent article pointed out that one bridge cost half a million to repair over the past couple of years and those barriers on the swing bridge on such as the Macclesfield are getting smashed on virtually a monthly occurrence.
Cameras would have recorded the incidents and number plates—so hey presto! Here comes the cash from their insurers.
Strange
We had a report from our Keith that there was to be an overnight closure of Commercial Road Lock 12 on the Regents Canal.
Then the trust went on to tell the lock will be closed for the foreseeable due to damage sustained from a boat strike.
Then it adds it was caused through vandalism.
What's that all about?
A worry
At the moment the country is blighted by illegal waste tipping, with vast areas covered, so it is a worry to learn that the waterways are now being used to get rid of waste.
There has been a load of rubble tipped behind a lock gate on the Walsall Flight. So much in fact that the people sent to remove it just could not, with the trust telling the volume of rubble exceeds what its local team can safely remove.
So the flight is closed until it can be safely removed.
This is a worry indeed if fly tippers realise that the waterways can be used to get rid of their waste, for they are obviously looking for more and more sites, as this saves having to pay to get rid of their waste legally.
There was a problem with this though as it was first stated it occurred on Wolverhampton Flight, but it was not—it was the Walsall Flight, that was corrected, as Keith reported.
Victor Swift—telling tales for 25 years