THE BREACH OF TODDBROOK Reservoir at Whaley Bridge certainly did one thing.
It clearly showed the cost of the lack of maintenance—£56.2 millions!
For though at the resulting inquest the trust told the reservoir was regularly inspected, the trees growing through the slabs clearly shows that it was not and the inquest did not accept it was regularly inspected.
And another
And of course there's the other £50 millions being spent on the repair to the breach on the Llangollen—and you can bet that too was not inspected.
And there are of course too many other instances of failures, such as lock gates, paddles and the like, their cost adding still further to that caused by lack of maintenance.
All adding to the £100 millions.
So the question—would it cost less bringing back those lengthsmen who regularly inspected their lengths, noting any signs of failure, then reporting them?
At £50 millions a throw I reckon it would.
Impressed
I was most impressed with Ralph Freeman's article In praise of the Muddy-Boots Engineers:
It really told it as it is—showing the common sense and knowledge of those who built our waterways and those who build today, relying on modern computer-modelled engineering.
Good example
Take our own town of Chesterfield, where it has had three courthouse buildings, two having to be demolished, with the second one lasting around 20 years, no doubt built the modern way. And the latest with its peculiar build more than likely going the same way.
Yet looking over them all is our Crooked Spire, built in the 14th century, and still standing tall.
That certainly proves something...
Maintenance definitely required
An example where maintenance is really required is on Sykehouse Lift Bridge on the New Junction Canal, it needing repairs time and time again.
What it needs is a good examination by someone who knows, and whatever is wrong, put right. Or is it 
a case of a nice little outings organised by contractors?
A function for volunteers?
Called to see the advertised open visitor centre at Standedge Tunnel on Friday, but all we could find was just a small room plastered with pamphlets, but with lots of the trust's volunteers milling about outside, with half of them taking off into the tunnel on two boats.
The picture showed just those that were left after the boats had disappeared into the tunnel.
So where are we?
All you readers will know that our last three boat trips have been somewhat fraught by the water shortage, and turned into our virtually getting nowhere, so for our September holiday we have discarded the navigations entirely.
And undertaken something entirely different for us after 30 years boating.
So here's a picture showing a café we went into for a drink and a snack. I should imagine about the best known café in the world, having been featured on television and in many languages and countries continually for nigh on 60 years since it all started...
So now you know...
Another Llangollen leak/breach?
As workers have been seen measuring the distance between the two sides of the canal by the new leak/breach to install stop planks in the groves provided on the Llangollen Canal, it is somewhat obvious that the waterway is being drained.
The new—whatever it is—is somewhat worrying for the boaters moored on that pound as they have been given the option to stay where they are or move to safer moorings elsewhere.
To me there's no option—I would be away, sharpish.
Victor Swift—telling tales for 26 years