Back on board, but…..
Chair, Mike Rodd is enjoying cruising again, despite the lack of maintenance and e-scooters. Boating at last! For many of us, it was a great joy to be able to get back boating again and for me also to resume being a Boatmaster for the K&A Canal Trust’s trip-boat, the ‘Rose of Hungerford’. Given that […]
In praise of the coal boats
Mark Tizard celebrates their essential service to boaters. As a boater with some 35 years’ experience, I have never known a situation where coal boats have been so essential. Whilst all around them movements ground to a halt and marinas closed as the pandemic tightened its grip, it’s the coal boats that kept the system […]
APPGW meeting
A meeting of the APPWG was held on 14th May using the Zoom videoconferencing facility. NABO attended as observers – the norm for such meetings. This well-attended meeting was chaired by the APPWG’s Chairman, Michael Fabricant, and very appropriately focused on the need for dedicated financial support for waterways businesses. The lead speaker was Paul […]
Hard times ahead?
Chair, Mike Rodd is concerned by what he sees in his crystal ball. In these strange times that we’re living in, our thoughts and prayers are with those tragically affected by Covid-19 and we feel for those who have lost a family member, friend or colleague, or whose livelihood or mental health has been seriously […]
Back cruising again this summer
Editor, Peter Fellows, reflects on the effects of the lockdown. As this issue of NABO News was being prepared, CRT and the EA announced the resumption of boating on July 4th in England and July 6th in Wales. No-one believes that everything will go back to ‘normal’, but it is too early to tell what […]
North East, Yorkshire & Humberside
Not a lot of positive news to report for obvious reasons, and all local waterways are very quiet. However, the local waterways are starting to attract walkers once more since the exercise rules were relaxed, but no boating, even if it was allowed, because of canal closures caused by low water levels. Pocklington Canal. Covid-19 […]
North West April 2020
I am at Appley Bridge, a suburb of Wigan on the east Lancashire border. There have been signs put up about the limited use of the canal towpath close to me. They have had little effect on towpath footfall as, in my estimation, there is a three- to four-fold increase in its use. A policeman […]
Wales and the South West April 2020
With many boaters safely self-isolating, there is little movement on the canals. It was reported that there were scores of dead fish spotted in the Kennet & Avon in Devizes. The EA said the coronavirus lockdown has resulted in a drop in traffic and activity on the canal, and this has created a series of […]
Meeting with CRT’s Head of Boating
Mike Rodd and Mark Tizard have a catch-up call with Matthew Symonds, CRT’s Head of Boating, joined by his deputy, Rachel Haywood. The main points to emerge were as follows:
Open Letter to Richard Parry
Dear Richard. Following NABO’s recent Council meeting, I have been asked to write to you to raise the following concerns: we appreciate the efforts that CRT is now making to limit the use of the towpath for exercise, specifically in areas where there are moored boats, but we feel more needs to be done. We […]
