Victor: The bash

WITH the combined forces of our Thomas and Allan Richards at last Friday's Canal & River Trust (CaRT) Press bash, it was fairly certain that it was going to be interesting.

As you all must by now be aware it was the occasion of the new boss-man Richard Parry acquainting himself with the Press, spelling out his policies and intentions, with our esteemed editor first of the two off the mark when question time came around.

Thomas explained to Richard that he was aware of his many outings on the waterways, and told he had a simple question—what did he think of their condition?

Bewildered Thomas

Perhaps poor Thomas expected a simple answer to such a simple question you know the thing—'okay, but could be better' or 'they want a bit of work', which would have well sufficed. But alas, Richard was soon in full flow, leaving a bewildered Thomas struggling to keep up.

To those of you not in the know, at these sort of occasions there is the main man fielding the questions, then a 'minder' at each side, so when the going gets tough the minder steps in and attempt to diffuse the situation. Here it was Operations Director Vince Director on one side and Marketing & Fundraising Director our old friend Simon Salem on the other.

Good maintenance theme

So as Thomas was not having any, Richard passed the buck to Vince Moran who brought in the usual 'good maintenance we are doing' theme, to which our lad brought in the rusty paddle complaints, but Vince would have none of it—no rusty paddles anywhere, everyone is greased. Well here is a picture of one that is certainly not, and more winging your way.

So keeping on the pressure our Political Journalist asked his question, backing it by reading out an actual statement of one Nigel Johnson who had given it as court evidence. This concerned the contradicting statements of £130m as against £105m for maintenance. Our Allan was making it a bit hairy by this time, so in came minder Simon Salem to take off the pressure, who reckoned it didn't matter.

But Allen will no doubt have a word or two.

Missing

What was surprising with the exception of another old friend, Andrew Denny, who looks after the internet section of Waterways World, I did not recognise a single waterways magazine editor.  Obviously it really is the age of the internet, when people expect their information more quickly.

The reason no doubt we lost one magazine, though they obviously still have their place.

Looking brighter

So what do I think about it all? Notwithstanding our little hiccups, we have at last a good man at the helm, to my mind strong enough to cope, and somehow or other things now look brighter.

Let's only hope he does not now lose what few good people he has by his predecessor's mistake of swapping all the waterway offices and areas around, and not once but twice. We wish him well.

Victor Swift