It was a beautiful day on Sunday and I went for a walk down Tardebigge locks (all 58). I was doing a rekey as I have to tackle them in a few weeks’ time. There were lots of people walking dogs. I was saying good morning in pasting with very few acknowledgements. 

An old boy was going down the locks single handed and I helped him through a couple, although he didn’t seem to appreciate help from a gorgonzola.

He said he was knackered and was going to moor up for the day and have a rest.

As I carried on I heard a motor bike coming up from behind and stepped off the path to let him pass. It was a quad bike which was just wide enough for the path which passed at speed without so much as a thank you, splattering me with mud as he went.

I was most surprise to see CRT Inspector on the back of his high viz jacket!

I was taking photos from a bridge later when the quad bike passed going back.

Later I was walking back when I saw the old chap reversing back through the lock he had earlier come down.

I was curious and asked was there a problem. After deciphering the tirade of abuse that followed I understood that the CRT inspector didn’t like where he had moored and made him go back up to the previous pound.

I thought I was getting away from traffic wardens, I do hope that this was an exception and not the future.

I was telling my 11year old that it’s a shame that nobody can be bothered to say good morning anymore.

He replied. “I think it might be that you look like a serial killer dad!”

Thanks son

Actually the CRT base their advice on the decision of one county court judge (that in my professional view was wrongly decided -I read the judgement!) and they treat it as if it was binding on all other judges. Unfortunately it is not! It is only “persuasive” on other courts and I suspect will not be followed at some point and probably distinguished on any Appeal.  In any event  the Judge expressly said that he was NOT fully endorsing their guidance and he could envisage circumstances where a boat would qualify under the law even though it fell short of their interpretation of a CC. The point was Davies was literally moving down the bank 100 yards (as well as not filling in forms or paying his fee and generally being an a***!) which no doubt the Judge took into consideration. There were also various other points and caselaw not argued which may have modified the judges approach. Granted as a lawyer I can argue snow is hot and magma cold! However, I genuinely think the court was wrong this time!

Not everyone can afford to retire and spend their life in a leisured cruise from one end of he cut to another but, need to work at least part of the time. So as long as they actually move (as opposed to claiming to be a cc’er and squatting on the bank without moving) and do not monopolise visitor moorings (most of my friends prefer to be out the way) then where is the harm? 

They may not spend huge amounts of time outside their home areas (however that maybe defined) but I cannot see the problem other than perhaps their use of the cut means that the shortcomings of CRT’s maintenance gets shown up regularly as they are there to report it! (Elsan points overflowing and broken for weeks, water points not working, etc!)

Likewise, the areas where there ARE overcrowding issues may need special rules. I know of one area where the demand exceeds supply but that mooring owners actually moor upstream as it is a nicer spot but no one else can use their “permanent” mooring.

However, having been looking at this matter for some time I think a lot of it is jealousy (“We have to pay mooring fees. So why not them?”) or snobbishness (“We have a pretty holiday boat with nice decorated cans but those cc’ers have all sorts of ugly logs and coal on their roofs”, Granted there are some boats that water rats would refuse to squat in) or simply an intolerance of those with an alternative lifestyle. Again I have met some (I regularly walk a rather busy stretch of canal) who stretch even my tolerance but, basically each to their own.  

(I suspect that when CRT completes the BW sell off of the family silver (it inherited a much reduced -BW could not sell it ALL off before the crash- but still tasty property portfolio) it will then start raising the fees to raise money so that will drive a lot off and they can then close the entire cut down November to March every year and only have to deal with pretty summer holiday boaters. I DARE someone to tell me that is not the plan! Go on!)

Oh, and Pearly & Richardhua…, it took me 4.5 HOURS to navigate by boat a 5 mile stretch on the cut that I can WALK in an hour and 20mins!  So that was a good days cruise through 4 locks and at least 4 separate geographical, legal and administrative “places”. Yet I could travel the next 5miles in half the time and cross three more places, two counties and a regional boundary! So I am afraid that there IS a need for some sort of guidance.

Whatever they do will not please everyone but, the current dogs breakfast is not working at all!