Bite the bullet
ALTHOUGH I have written I'm ‘winding down' for Christmas, I've been given the right of reply to comment expressed in narrowboatworld by Canal & river Trust Trustee John Dodwell, writes Pam Pickett.
I have to begin by saying that John Dodwell's comments re CaRT's Chairman Tony Hales, its Chief Executive Robin Evans and its Operation Director Vince Moran putting their heads above the parapet for the Trust are an irrelevance.
The medium
To use John Dodwell's own word, I was merely the ‘conduit' i.e. the medium through which others, preferring not to stick their heads above the parapet, posed questions to the Trust.
The passage I intend to reply to however relates to the appalling letter (so swiftly amended) sent by the Trust to Ralph Freeman's marina manager, a letter that initially led that marina manager to suspect Ralph Freeman of wrongdoing. The ‘explanation' given by John Dodwell of why a letter such as this would have been sent can only suggest Ralph is suspected by the Trust of ‘breaking the rules'.
Damaging
That this letter is damaging is beyond question, even the more so I'd suggest to the Trust, than to Ralph Freeman. Now I have to ask how John Dodwell on behalf of the Trust can refer to Data Protection when mentioning this matter, when marina owners/managers are being told that section 35(2) of the Data Protection Act referred to in the letter ‘permits' disclosure?
On a somewhat less than seasonal note therefore I now suggest the Trust ‘comes clean' with the 'who', the ‘how' and the ‘why' of that appalling letter landing at Ralph Freeman's door, and given the concerns that letter has evoked, tells us all of whether any action has been taken in respect of the one that raised that letter as, until it does so, sadly I may not be the only one placing considerably more credibility in the arse of a duck, than in the ‘beak' of the Canal & River Trust.
Bite the bullet
It is time now for the Trust to ‘bite the bullet'' and as promised to me by John Dodwell, to come up with the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth to allow this matter to be finally ‘put to bed'.