I'd like to comment on some of the recent narrowboatworld reports, relates John Dodwell, a volunteer Trustee of the Canal & River Trust.
And someone who attended his first protest rally in 1962 (Woking on the Basingstoke), who helped restore the Stourbridge, Kennet & Avon, Upper Avon, Peak Forest and Ashton and who now owns an old BCN tug drawing 3 ft.
Trent & Mersey breach and appeal
The suggestion of an Appeal came from a member of one of the local Waterway Partnerships—what did people expect the Trust to do? Reject the idea? But that's not what charities do. Charities do launch appeals—the National Trust website shows they have 10 running at present. As Jo James stated (narrowboatworld 1st October), whether people chose to contribute is a personal affair—just the same as whether they become a Friend.
As Belinda Davenport wrote (narrowboatworld 3rd October) the Appeal—and the same is true of the Friends scheme—is aimed not just at boaters but at others users. Feedback I get shows far more boaters support the idea of the Appeal than dislike it. Boaters often say they'd like other users to pay. Now, here's a way to achieve that. But then do I detect a feeling that some people think this is wrong too? Tricky! Anyway, many thanks to the Trent & Mersey Canal Society who've donated £1,000 and the Birkenhead Young Mens' Christian Association for their £250.
Announced
The breach was announced when it occurred on 26 September. Ralph Freeman's announcement (narrowboatworld 3rd October) refers to heavy rainfall in the Stone area around the same time, causing water levels to rise by seven inches overnight—now that's quite some rainfall!
Whilst we don't yet know the reasons for the Dutton breach, saturation of the embankment could be one (remember, it's been raining heavily a lot this year). As the under soil there is sandy, once the bank gave way, the damage was worse than it might have been with a firmer base. Now, that's no criticism of the original builders—it's just how they did it in those days. After all, they'd be amazed to know that nearly 250 years later the canal is still in use!
Monitored electronically
As many boaters know, water levels nowadays are monitored electronically and in this case the system is also able to operate a sluice at Anderton. One boater has said this means there's no need for men to rush out in the night lifting flood paddles as we like to think used to happen. Embankments such as these get inspected each month by guys who know the patch—more frequently, if there's reason to be worried. The Trust knows that leaks had not been recorded at Dutton before the deluge. And, at Croxton, the problem isn't a breach—the river has undermined about 50m of the embankment but it hasn't given way.
Repair costs? Initial estimate is £1.5m. Finger in the air estimate is that 1,000 tonnes of material have washed away at Dutton. Comparisons with the Caldon breach aren't valid. A large part of the costs relate to getting access to the site and that varies from case to case. And the cost estimates here relate to two sites, not one as with the Caldon.
Please report
I see David Hymers (narrowboatworld 1st October) passed Croxton—not Dutton—about a month before where he saw water trickling across the towpath but didn't report it. Please, please will boaters report matters like that to the waterways manager? The manager may well know of the matter but please don't assume so. You guys can, if you wish, be an extra pair of eyes and ears for the waterways you love by letting the Trust know.
Peter Ponting (narrowboatworld 3rd October) suggested that there were enough redundant maintenance boats which could be sold for scrap to produce £1.5m. Well, I haven't counted them up but I rather doubt that. But Peter should be pleased to hear that the new Trust is reviewing the future need for and use of these boats. As with so many things in life, it's a question of balance—no maintenance boats and how do you maintain? The Trust aims to work out where boats should be kept so they are used when needed.
Contingency
Peter Ponting is not right to suggest the Trust is 'desperately' seeking funds for the breach. Each year starts with a £2m contingency in the budget. In the early autumn there's a review to see if it will be needed or has been allocated already. If not, we plan how to use it: last year we were able to use it largely for a blitz on tree cutting. This year we had already allocated £1m for extra bank protection on the Mon & Brec.
We were about to allocate the other £1m for additional winter works; then the Trent & Mersey breached and the Croxton embankment was damaged. So that's the contingency used up plus a bit more. The repairs will be done quickly and we have to work out whether we defer some of the other jobs we had planned for the winter, or continue with those jobs and overspend a bit this year with less money available next year. That's part of business planning.
Top pay
There's been a lot said—and in the end it's a matter of personal opinion. But please credit the Trustees with some sense! We assessed what was needed if we had to recruit new staff and then adjusted—downwards by 12% for Robin Evans—pay levels. Comparisons with Macmillan or Barnados are not valid, as the charities are so different. Interesting that NABO News judges the National Trust to be a valid comparison; it says the new pay levels are broadly in line with the National Trust.
Trust Council and new Navigation Advisory Group
Well, we Trustees don't see the independence of Council members affected by what other organisations they belong to; indeed, those who are also IWA members tend to be the more vocal at Council meetings! The new Trust hasn't got Memorandums of Understanding with only the IWA. One with the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust is imminent and there are also ones in the pipeline with other canal societies.
NABO's chairman is on the new Navigation Advisory Group but he's still independent. Better to be on the inside being listened to—or shouting on the outside? And readers should be pleased to know that the Navigation Group at its first meeting began looking at a new 10 year dredging strategy—something which is possible now we are out of a 'Government cuts' regime. I guess your readers will be interested to hear about the £250k dredging this month around Hanwell; between Bunbury and Wharton Locks; and around Fradley. In November £300k of spot dredging starts on the Tame Valley. In 2013 £250k is scheduled to spot dredge the BCN Main Line and £300k on the Daw End and Rushall.
2014 should see a further £250k on the Main Line. The Chester/Ellesmere Port section is scheduled for 2014. I could go on! Some of this work reflects comments from boaters as well as what the engineers reckon—so do keep letting the waterway managers know of problem areas as it is all noted down and influences decisions.
Poetry
I'm pleased that Jo Bell, the new Canal Poet Laureate, has been living on her boat for the last 12 years. I gather this year she's moved between Manchester and the Kennet & Avon. I heard she read Tom Rolt's Narrow Boat as a 'call to arms'. This summer saw the Rochdale Canal Festival being promoted by 91 poems, one for each of the canal's locks—adding up to a 33 miles poetry trail through this waterway's most spectacular, and varied, scenery. Those of us getting on a bit remember that many of the IWA's founders came from an arts background and used the arts to attract the public to the waterways. And there's the John Betjeman poem at Stratford about the Upper Avon Re-opening.
Ask me
Times move on and the days when navigation authorities and users had great differences on the fundamental future of the waterways are gone—with the users being successful! (I remember the old days—I was General Secretary of the Inland Waterways Association in the 1970s—who'd have then expected I'd end up as a Trustee?). Now discussion is more about how to implement strategy. I'm not surprised if there are differences of view about the order of priorities when the Trust does not have unlimited resources—that shows the passion people have for the waterways.
But your readers can see the new Trust is receptive to ideas from others—e.g. setting up the Navigation Advisory Group and other advisory groups as well as our regional waterways partnerships. Little of that existed in the British Waterways days. Although change will be evolutionary rather than revolutionary, your readers can see some changes already.
Now I must go. Helen is at Preston Brook, the wrong side of the breach so I'm going around via Marple - some 10 hour days for me, I fear.