Volly Lockies—the rare bird on the waterways

Volunteer Lock Keepers—Volly Lockies—as they shall be known, are indeed a rare bird on the the waterways, writes Keith Gudgin.

We are told there are 73 locations with Volly Lockies on station to help boaters through the locks or is this just another piece of worthless CaRT propaganda?

We boaters know, don't we?

Have you spotted one?

I wonder if, like me, many boaters have actually seen a Volly Locky on some of the lock flights, let alone one that actually helps you?

The last time I was actually helped by one was on the Hatton Flight on the Grand Union in the middle of summer last year.

Actually in attendance

I have the map that CaRT put out at the beginning of last year but I have yet to see many of the places that show a Volly Locky on it actually having anyone in attendance let alone actually helping you through the locks.

As a single crewed continuous cruiser I tend to start out at about 8am in the morning in summer and I never seem to see any volunteers on the canals let alone on the locks until about 10am. I have been told that Volly Lockies only start at 10am and only then if they want to turn up. What use is that to us boaters?

Just picked up rubbish

Earlier this year I passed through a very popular flight of 15 locks with a Volly Locky actually on site. Did he help me? No, he just walked up and down picking up rubbish from the towpath.

This is the map that was issued by CaRT last year and advertised in their Jan 2013 Boaters Update. How many of the stated 73 locations shown on it can boaters actually say they have seen a regular Volly Locky helping boaters through the locks?

I've not seen a map for this year, would it be too embarrassing for CaRT to update it again one wonders?