DIY Canal Maintenance…?
Well it’s got me thinking anyway, I noticed BW North has started following my various wittering & ramblings today, so I must know what I’m talking about? (Questionable I know), but in a noble attempt to promote something positive, something I’ve been pondering on since the Leeds Liverpool canal closure, I think perhaps we should begin to consider the idea of us working together as volunteers to help maintain our own local section of canal…
Will Chapman kindly sent me a link to Waterway Watch the other day, please read it & consider the possibility of taking some responsibility in these difficult times. We all criticise British Waterways for the gradual decline of the canal system coupled with bad management, which is justifiable, but let’s not forget the root of the problem is all about funding, costs, debt & a waterways system in crisis…
So is it time for us boat owners to forget the financial circumstances, forgive any past blunders & join a community of workers who are willing to help move on…?
Proper organisation of such schemes could potentially be difficult, what with red tape, & the dreaded health & safety issues, so local British Waterways officials would have to be on hand for advice & help in cutting thru the admin obstacles & permissions, eg; if the opposite side to the towpath is a bigger problem than the towpath side itself…
Then there’s the potentially deadly willow trees overhanging the canals, we’re supposed to report them to our local BW office but I’m afraid apathy has set in, again there’s too many of them & it would cost too much. Which raises the point that outside help from specialist volunteers might be needed, maybe British Waterways could be in charge of encouraging, coordinating & overseeing such matters. After all if we’re willing to make an effort & bring together working party’s free of charge then so should they…
I remember when we first bought the boat we heard stories of the gradual decline, & more or less turned a blind eye to it because we thought it couldn’t possibly happen, but unfortunately it has & the situation won’t improve till some kind of action is taken & perhaps we should take on some responsibility ourselves – sad but true…
We’ll leave the one about a decrease in the cost of licence fees (for now), but it could be used as leverage…!
Wish we could take a vote on just how viable this is…
via Takey Tezey: DIY Canal Maintenance…?.
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