Editor, Peter Fellows has a plea for members to help the association operate effectively.

As 2019 fades into winter with deluges raising river levels across the country, NABO says farewell to Chair, Stella Ridgway and East Midlands Rep., Joan Jamieson, who we thank for all their work over the years. I have also said goodbye to NABO News proof-readers, John and Marion Pearse and Janice Steckerl, who I thank for all their help in correcting my wayward grammar. If you are able to spend a couple of hours, three times per year, proofreading an issue of the magazine in the comfort of your favourite armchair, please get in touch.

Reading Howard Anguish’s Rewind from 15 years ago, support for NABO Council by members was an issue then – and it still is. The Council needs more support for its work in 2020, outlined by Mark Tizard and Mike Rodd as they look at what is likely to arise next year, especially with CRT and the EA. As you will see from the new list of councillors on page 2, many have multiple roles and need help to share the workload. There are also four vacancies for regional reps., to keep an eye on what’s happening in a particular waterway area. The role involves attending local forums and letting the Council know when something important is happening. Again, please consider helping.

In this issue, David Fletcher asks for help with research into the causes of carbon monoxide ‘spikes’ inside boats and he reports on a visit to gather the latest news from Toddbrook Reservoir. There is also an article on taking care of your wood-burning stove and preventing it producing CO. I give my impressions of the River Wey after my first visit to a National Trust waterway and Helen Hutt describes what it was like to live on board when the River Avon flooded.

Helen is also standing as a candidate to be a boaters’ rep. on CRT Council and I hope that members will come out in force to support her in the January elections – she will be an excellent voice for boat owners.

Finally, I’ve been enjoying ‘Canal Boat Diaries’ on BBC4, in which Robbie Cumming is an enthusiastic and amiable video blogger, who, unlike some of the recent celebrity TV efforts, actually paints an accurate picture of the joys and tribulations of being afloat.

Enjoy your Christmas, whether you are on board or thinking about next year’s cruising.

Best wishes for the New Year.

Peter