Bridgewater

[Arthur Marshall]

Has anybody heard of anyone actually being charged £40 on the Bridgewater for returning before the 28 days limit? As opposed to someone just staying on there longer than a week at a time.

And if anyone has been charged, how does this work?  You wouldn't just hand over forty quid to a bloke with a badge and a peaked hat...

[mayalld]

6 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Has anybody heard of anyone actually being charged £40 on the Bridgewater for returning before the 28 days limit? As opposed to someone just staying on there longer than a week at a time.

And if anyone has been charged, how does this work?  You wouldn't just hand over forty quid to a bloke with a badge and a peaked hat...

That is apparently EXACTLY how Sonny likes to run the show.

[Liam]

It's advised to get a receipt and to inform the company that you've paid for a 3 or 7 day permit (£20 or £40 respectively).

[Arthur Marshall]

3 hours ago, Liam said:

It's advised to get a receipt and to inform the company that you've paid for a 3 or 7 day permit (£20 or £40 respectively).

Yes, but are we aware that anyone has actually been charged this?  Not for an extended stay, but for, say a couple of days transit one way and three weeks later a couple of days transit back again?

[b0atman]

Its deterred me from going to Wigan last year and this year .

I have heard that some businesses in Lymm have closed and the Bank has closed  this from a Lymm moorer.

I emailed Lymm council when it first came to our attention.

 

 

[Liam]

Yes, lots. People who have been charged upon their return and also people who decided not to take a chance and have pre-paid before their return journey.

 

You obviously have those that take the chance that breeze through and back again without being "caught" and charged. 

[Liam]

18 minutes ago, b0atman said:

Its deterred me from going to Wigan last year and this year .

I have heard that some businesses in Lymm have closed and the Bank has closed  this from a Lymm moorer.

I emailed Lymm council when it first came to our attention.

 

 

Yes businesses have closed, but some new businesses have also started. The last bank to close was Lloyds in the past month, after Natwest and Barelays shut previously. I don't think the whole blame can be passed to lack of boats for this, most people go either into Altrincham or into Warrington to do their shopping and banking etc. 

The Post Office / Stationers has also closed and the Lymm Library was threatened with closure, more likely again this would be due to the Council and Royal Mail than lack of boats.

As  Bridgewater boater, over the past couple of months since the reopening of the canal at Astley, I've seen more CRT boats on the canal than I have in the past 2 years, what that means, I don't know. 

[ditchcrawler]

I am sorry but I don't quite see what the problem is paying to use the Bridgewater, we pay for the Thames, Nene, Baisingshoke, Wey, Avon and Cam if we want to use them so why not the Bridgewater.  If they had always have charged maybe things would be a lot better now.

[b0atman]

2 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

I am sorry but I don't quite see what the problem is paying to use the Bridgewater, we pay for the Thames, Nene, Baisingshoke, Wey, Avon and Cam if we want to use them so why not the Bridgewater.  If they had always have charged maybe things would be a lot better now.

Because there was a reciprocal agreement for many years that without discussion with CRT Peel changed .Plus the so called manager with zero pr skills is not the nicest of people.

[ditchcrawler]

Just now, b0atman said:

Because there was a reciprocal agreement for many years that without discussion with CRT Peel changed .Plus the so called manager with zero pr skills is not the nicest of people.

I would go along with the so called manager, but maybe he was the type of person required to do the job considering some of the problems that existed there.  You still get several free weeks a year, just not all at once.

[pearley]

44 minutes ago, b0atman said:

Because there was a reciprocal agreement for many years that without discussion with CRT Peel changed .Plus the so called manager with zero pr skills is not the nicest of people.

Except all the piss takers ruined that for the rest of us.

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, pearley said:

Except all the piss takers ruined that for the rest of us.

Well I didn't want to put it that bluntly, but Sammy shifted them in days what took CRT months and lots of money.

[jonathanA]

I just don't get it if sonny came up and demanded £40 of me I'd be more than happy have him send me an invoice but no way would I give a penny ! And what exactly could he do ? 

CRT have been completely ineffectual in dealing with this matter IMO

[ditchcrawler]

4 minutes ago, jonathanA said:

I just don't get it if sonny came up and demanded £40 of me I'd be more than happy have him send me an invoice but no way would I give a penny ! And what exactly could he do ? 

CRT have been completely ineffectual in dealing with this matter IMO

I don't see what CRT can do, the Bridgwater is a private company . They could go Tit for Tat, but what help would that be, it would only penalise other boaters.  You can still boat the Bridgewater for 10 weeks a year. Why not pay Sonny, you pay a Thames lock keeper. If he gives you the correct paperwork what is the difference. I wouldn't just hand over £40 with no official invoice.

Edited June 23, 2017 by ditchcrawler

[b0atman]

13 hours ago, pearley said:

Except all the piss takers ruined that for the rest of us.

I have to agree with you on that and same is happening in other areas yet CRT seem to not bother so situation gets worse.

[ditchcrawler]

34 minutes ago, b0atman said:

I have to agree with you on that and same is happening in other areas yet CRT seem to not bother so situation gets worse.

And if CRT employed a load of Sonny's what would we the outcome. 

[b0atman]

19 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

And if CRT employed a load of Sonny's what would we the outcome. 

CMs & CDs would all become CCers or find moorings 

[Alan de Enfield]

57 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

And if CRT employed a load of Sonny's what would we the outcome. 

The difference being that the C&RT 'Sonnys' would have to comply with the 'British Waterways Acts of Parliament' which are not applicable to 'private waters'.

C&RT already has one rogue Enforcement Officer (Nottingham / River Trent area) that has created a lot of bad-feeling, and a number of court cases (some still ongoing)

 

Much stricter enforcement is needed, but 'aggressive, bouncer types' are probably not the best way forward.

[Jim Riley]

I went from Castlefield to Leigh and returned after a while last year. There was no signage at the ends of the Bridgewater informing me, no one took my boat number or requested payment. I'm not on the internet so don't know of any changes, sonny. ;o)

[ditchcrawler]

25 minutes ago, Jim Riley said:

I went from Castlefield to Leigh and returned after a while last year. There was no signage at the ends of the Bridgewater informing me, no one took my boat number or requested payment. I'm not on the internet so don't know of any changes, sonny. ;o)

There is now.

[Richard10002]

Seems fair enough!

[dmr]

6 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

There is now.

Where is this sign? We did Preston Brook to Manchester Castlefield yesterday, and then out through Leigh today, I did not notice the sign, though was not looking out for it. Also as far as I am aware nobody took our number unless it was very discretely done. Got flagged down by a Bridgewater workboat but they only wanted us to transport a laptop computer from one side of the canal to the other.

..............Dave

[ditchcrawler]

43 minutes ago, dmr said:

Where is this sign? We did Preston Brook to Manchester Castlefield yesterday, and then out through Leigh today, I did not notice the sign, though was not looking out for it. Also as far as I am aware nobody took our number unless it was very discretely done. Got flagged down by a Bridgewater workboat but they only wanted us to transport a laptop computer from one side of the canal to the other.

..............Dave

I put Preston Brook on the photo details so must have been just the Bridgewater side of the tunnel,If I remember correctly its on the left as you leave the tunnel

 

[Profzarkov]

Wouldn't call it exactly "fair"! It was meant to be a reciprocal agreement! If CRT was still a government agency they could compulsory purchase it all!

[b0atman]

what is peels profit from it ? they could keep the marina and let CRT have the navigation with maintenance for a peppercorn rent of say £1 per year set at 999 years..Think of the good publicity .