Email: Boat snooping

I AM pleased I allowed my name to be published as being snooped upon like Ralph Freeman, but it was only by doing a 'search' of the site [narrowboatworld] I realised just how much I had contributed, and realised I could have upset those in high places.

I will tell you what happened.  I had gone to the supermarket at Rugeley, which is a favourite stopping place, and had been moored no longer than an hour, and was resting on the bridge parapet with my bags when I saw a fellow pushing a bike towards the bridge past the moored boats, then he obviously went under passing two more boats to reach mine.

It was then he took out a camera and photographed the front window part that contained my licence, at which I shouted, but then he leaped on his bike and was away.

Altogether he had passed five boats showing no interest, and mine was the last one moored upstream of the bridge.  It was then I realised whilst moored further on the canal some weeks back there was someone taking pictures, but it did not register then, and it was only after reading about Ralph's similar experience and he being your writer too, that I put two and two together.

Boat spotter

I read John Dodwell's description that it might be a boat spotter, but this will not wash, as such a person would have a notepad, and certainly not run away.  Please give us boaters the sense to know the difference between a boat spotter and someone spying.

I don't think that anyone at CaRT has a reason to complain about what we boaters write in narrowboatworld, we are only creating a balance with the hype it creates in the magazines (*I won't mention names) and certain websites.

Charles Henry

[*Charles Henry was once banned from writing in narrowboatworld for his repeated attacks on Waterways World—Editor]