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So what's going on here?


StephenA

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6 minutes ago, junior said:

It's been there 3 years. The lady owner has MH issues, so perhaps the forum could take that into account before becoming judge, jury and executioner. 

In any event, CaRT have few reasons to be involved (on the face of the evidence m'lud) other than via the hard pressed welfare officer or via the Waterways Chaplains. As Nigel M is keen to point out (on another thread) there are only three conditions (other than the T&C's!) for intervention just so long as the boat has the authority to be moored there longer term. (Tho whether some have BSS and insurance might be an interesting question but some seem to obtain these under quite extraordinary conditions!)

Some of us (and I easily slip into such thoughts) are offended by boats (this is not a comment on the pictured boat necessarily) that are worse than the slums that were knocked down in the 1950's. What really brings me up sharp is when I then see that a family with children are living there. The housing situation, especially in the South East, is beyond any kind of moral compass - in my view. [Besides which, it is creating a scarcity of non-residential moorings anywhere near London . . .]

You have a choice: either pass by with the thought that you are glad that you are not like them or you can ponder sympathetically on what life circumstances brought them to this context. Not all of us have the luxury of choice in these matters.

Our new, shiny boat is no longer as shiny (below the gunnels) as it was three months ago and I fully expect a call from the tidiness police any day soon telling me that I need to apply more paint to cover the evidence that we actually use our boat - in real locks and mooring places, as well. And as for the way in which we fail to coil the mooring/handling ropes on the roof, well my dear it makes me weep.

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7 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

 

Some of us (and I easily slip into such thoughts) are offended by boats (this is not a comment on the pictured boat necessarily) that are worse than the slums that were knocked down in the 1950's.

I think that more people are interested than offended - hence the O.P. photographing this one. A ramshackle air makes a boat stand out and suggests that it has some history and has worked hard for its living.

Actually my first thought on seeing the pix was that it was a good old Springer (it's the original pre-1983 type). I like Springers, whether they come newly and brightly repainted or with a patina of rust and muck. This one actually appears to be still in reasonable nick, if a bit rusty. I've seen them in far more advanced stages of decrepitude and still floating.

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1 hour ago, Hudds Lad said:

That's on the Shroppie isn't it?

was like that in Feb when we first passed it with no sign of life, but when we went by in June there was someone aboard moving stuff onto the towpath from inside (just saw arms) but when we came back a week later all the stuff was piled back on and again no sign of life.

Some on on last time we passed. When it was first there it looked like new mooring pins . Its just outside Nantwich,its hard to tell if there is an enforcement notice on it.

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Just now, ditchcrawler said:

,its hard to tell if there is an enforcement notice on it.

If CRT are involved, which is likely, it won't necessarily be in the enforcement process

Richard

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4 hours ago, junior said:

It's been there 3 years. The lady owner has MH issues, so perhaps the forum could take that into account before becoming judge, jury and executioner. 

I agree.

It is unsightly but once you've passed it you forget all about it. Looks like she has had a clear out since we passed through Nantwich a few months ago. Allegedly the old lady gets the bus into the local big town which name escapes me,and she busks with an accordion. She's probably loaded then.

Martyn

CHESTER! 

Edited by Nightwatch
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29 minutes ago, billS said:

I'm a bit perturbed by the lack of respect for this persons privacy, given that they are not actually doing anything wrong. We have pictures of their boat posted, the location specified and speculation about their mental health etc.

I would be pretty annoyed it this was my boat and I found that my circumstances being discussed on this forum.

I think that this is what happens when you put yourself in the public domain (on a canal, or for that matter on a public road). In a similar fashion, a few years ago, a gent was living in his car around the Teignmouth area where I worked. The car itself was jam packed with 'stuff' to the degree that locals weren't sure how he found the space to sleep in it and, as is happening on this forum, they commented on the situation. What a lot of the locals didn't know was that the gent concerned owned a bungalow in the town that was so jam packed with 'stuff' that it wasn't possible to actually enter the property (I know, because I was dispatched to try to contact the gent).

I could agree with your privacy argument if the boat was in a private location somewhere, but it isn't. If I want privacy on the canals I'll draw the curtains but that is about where my right to privacy ends. I live in the public domain and have to expect my privacy to be compromised by doing so.

There's nowt as queer as folk, and you will always find people will comment upon it.

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It's a tragedy for all concerned, both for those to have to look at it and the individual concerned I passed it today on the shroppie.

a sad indictment of user pays uk.

having just retired from 35 years as a mental health practitioner I can imagine the issues surrounding her circumstance. I'm currently fighting the system to get my 88 year old mother into hospital for assessment. Mania, self neglect ,debt ,refusal to take life enabling medication , or get help for injuries ,mvulnerability, loss of care home, threats with weapons, disorganised behaviour. They don't constitute a mental health crisis apparently.

back home in Australia I'd have admitted her immediately and fought the semantics later, here? Won't happen until the police get involved... Again.

If this lady has no advocates it's not surprising what's happening , the problem is ultimately she will loose what little she has, her problem on the surface is only 'home is an eyesore' is minor, but I suspect it's a bit like an iceberg.

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1 hour ago, roland elsdon said:

It's a tragedy for all concerned, both for those to have to look at it and the individual concerned I passed it today on the shroppie.

a sad indictment of user pays uk.

having just retired from 35 years as a mental health practitioner I can imagine the issues surrounding her circumstance. I'm currently fighting the system to get my 88 year old mother into hospital for assessment. Mania, self neglect ,debt ,refusal to take life enabling medication , or get help for injuries ,mvulnerability, loss of care home, threats with weapons, disorganised behaviour. They don't constitute a mental health crisis apparently.

back home in Australia I'd have admitted her immediately and fought the semantics later, here? Won't happen until the police get involved... Again.

If this lady has no advocates it's not surprising what's happening , the problem is ultimately she will loose what little she has, her problem on the surface is only 'home is an eyesore' is minor, but I suspect it's a bit like an iceberg.

Unfortunately this is indicative of the care services of today. Like a couple of other comments made on this thread my first thought was mental health, needs issues, not what an eyesore, though it is. Many people struggle to cope, quite a few have found themselves barely surviving and existing on the waterways. Unless they pose a significant risk of harm to themselves or others no one will deal with it due to a lack of resources and staff on the ground. 

Perhaps some kind soul who knows the area and boat concerned could advise the Waterways Chaplaincy who may be able to engage with the boat owner?  

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4 hours ago, billS said:

I'm a bit perturbed by the lack of respect for this persons privacy, given that they are not actually doing anything wrong. We have pictures of their boat posted, the location specified and speculation about their mental health etc.

I would be pretty annoyed it this was my boat and I found that my circumstances being discussed on this forum.

Too flaming right!

Her crap is on her boat, not obstructing anyone else's way. Nobody owes the rest of us a pretty view...

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11 minutes ago, Starcoaster said:

Too flaming right!

Her crap is on her boat, not obstructing anyone else's way. Nobody owes the rest of us a pretty view...

Yes they do. Unless their circumstances do not allow them to do so, as clearly in this case. I argue the norm is to look after the stuff we share to the extent that we can or we end up in a ***** heap.

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20 minutes ago, Starcoaster said:

Too flaming right!

Her crap is on her boat, not obstructing anyone else's way. Nobody owes the rest of us a pretty view...

I absolutely agree, and going on from my point was that rather than criticise, it would be better to check if everything is OK.  

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24 minutes ago, system 4-50 said:

Yes they do. Unless their circumstances do not allow them to do so, as clearly in this case. I argue the norm is to look after the stuff we share to the extent that we can or we end up in a ***** heap.

You do not share her boat.

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47 minutes ago, Starcoaster said:

Too flaming right!

Her crap is on her boat, not obstructing anyone else's way. Nobody owes the rest of us a pretty view...

Spot on Starcoaster - she is causing no problems for anyone else. 

And the really great thing about boating is if your the type of person who gets offended by they way someone else's boat looks you should simply pull your pins and move on!

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2 minutes ago, Starcoaster said:

 

It is simply unreasonable to expect others to live their lives in a way specifically designed to please your gaze. 

I suspect that if we spent a number of hours getting the expression of what we each believe absolutely precisely defined despite the inherent deficiencies of the English language then we would be in agreement. I base this in part on my perception that you are a kind, caring and intelligent person. I think we can both find better things to do with those hours so I'll leave it there.

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11 hours ago, junior said:

It's been there 3 years. The lady owner has MH issues, so perhaps the forum could take that into account before becoming judge, jury and executioner. 

Getting help for MH issues from the NHS is a nightmare. I feel for the lady. She needs all the support we can give her.

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1 hour ago, Starcoaster said:

Too flaming right!

Her crap is on her boat, not obstructing anyone else's way. Nobody owes the rest of us a pretty view...

1 hour ago, Starcoaster said:

 

It is simply unreasonable to expect others to live their lives in a way specifically designed to please your gaze. 

 

24 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

Getting help for MH issues from the NHS is a nightmare. I feel for the lady. She needs all the support we can give her.

 

Can't fault the above. I have the utmost sympathy with any who suffers mental health issues.

Daniel

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12 hours ago, Meanderingviking said:

Perhaps some kind soul who knows the area and boat concerned could advise the Waterways Chaplaincy who may be able to engage with the boat owner?  

I had assumed it was abandoned and was being used as a dump, people passing by on the towpath seemed rather bemused by it too.  If there is someone actually living on it then I'd hope that someone was at least checking on them on a regular basis.  We've just had a case here where someone was dead in a hospital toilet cubicle for 3 days.. ..

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3 minutes ago, StephenA said:

I had assumed it was abandoned and was being used as a dump, people passing by on the towpath seemed rather bemused by it too.  If there is someone actually living on it then I'd hope that someone was at least checking on them on a regular basis.  We've just had a case here where someone was dead in a hospital toilet cubicle for 3 days.. ..

I think there's quite a few people locally who check on it and the owner. I pass almost weekly and do notice that sometimes the lady's outdoor possesions have been rearranged. 

I think it does come unpinned regularly as quite often the pins are in different places and sometimes the pins are new, presumably because they drop in the cut.

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