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Is it time for a new National Waterways Festival


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Unfortunately,  those people are still there dictating the anti widebeam, anti livaboard anti everything that stops their pleasure cruises in August. 

They are so far removed from the initial IWA values and still seek to be CRT'S minder for future initiatives in ridding the waterways of scruffy boaters, wide boats, liveaboards, CC-ers who don't cover the entire system in 3 months etc

They are massively irrelevant and if just one of the local IWA groups declared indipendance, it would be a catalyst for change long overdue.  

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10 hours ago, stagedamager said:

We visited Ilkeston this year. As we run the Boatyard closest to the site it was a good opportunity to get out and talk to people. The stalls were good and the boats looked great. But. With the exception of Primrose Engineering who have a good stall, and the stove supplier, there was no other stands for boaters supplies. Not everyone who visited was obviously a boater but they were a large demographic who were.

I feel for a waterways festival there should have been more stalls for "bits and bobs" and basic chandlery.

Dan

Good point.  However the number of stalls is determined by the site and the occupants are those who apply.  I dont believe the absence of bits, bobs and basic chandlery sellers is the result of any policy, it's simply that they dont apply.  From personal observation there are fewer around these days, any that disappear aren't being replaced.

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1 minute ago, NBDensie said:

Good point.  However the number of stalls is determined by the site and the occupants are those who apply.  I dont believe the absence of bits, bobs and basic chandlery sellers is the result of any policy, it's simply that they dont apply.  From personal observation there are fewer around these days, any that disappear aren't being replaced.

Its a bit chicken and egg though. If there aren't enough potential customers then its not worth a trader's while to send staff to man a stand for a weekend.

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1 minute ago, David Mack said:

Its a bit chicken and egg though. If there aren't enough potential customers then its not worth a trader's while to send staff to man a stand for a weekend.

Boat Jumbles seem to attract huge crowds - we had to queue up for almost an hour to get thru the gates at Newark.

Run a 'Festival' alongside a Boat-Jumble and get plenty of footfall.

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4 minutes ago, NBDensie said:

Good point.  However the number of stalls is determined by the site and the occupants are those who apply.  I dont believe the absence of bits, bobs and basic chandlery sellers is the result of any policy, it's simply that they dont apply.  From personal observation there are fewer around these days, any that disappear aren't being replaced.

Even if we acknowledge that the Watford National perhaps kicked the IWA into a sark realisation that things needed to change, I would imagine it is going to take a lot to coax back into exhibiting anybody who paid a huge sum for a stall there and saw very few customers.

Obviously an organisation can change, and hence the product it offers, but I imagine some who formerly supported their events would want to leave it a while, maybe only visiting as normal attendees, to check out the waters, before deciding whether they wish to return to them as stallholders?

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On 01/10/2017 at 12:53, StephenA said:

The IWA Nationals also used to be held in places that didn't get a lot of boaters (Castlefields, Wigan, Windmill End) as a way of encouraging people to actually take their boats somewhere a bit different to their usual main "ring" cruising, and also as a way of showing the "locals" that their canal was more than a polluted ditch.   I know that at Wigan and Castlefields the National helped re-vitalise the area (although Wigan has slipped a long way back to decrepitude since). Wigan actually made money!!

That is very much the policy now - hence Northampton, Pelsall, Ilkeston and next year's St Neots.  The problem in the less favoured areas is finding a location with enough usable canal bank to moor 100+ boats and the space for an event attracting 1000's of people close enough to the transport/carparking/towns to ensure sufficient visitors.  Another important requirement is the support of councils and other local organisations.

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1 hour ago, Tonka said:

Shouldn't we be moving away from festivals and going back to campaigning rally's

The way its seems to be going at the moment, campaigning rally's may be the next step, or starting to do buy a brick donations like Chrshire Rose started for the Chesterfield so badly eroded locks can be repaired properly, rather than just the specific 127 bricks identified on the worksheet for replacement 9 months earlier.

The classic example of this is one of the Buckby locks, emergency protected and cavities  filled with sprayfoam and an iron sheet slung over the worst eroded areas.

The lock was closed(in a flight of 7) for 6 weeks. 

The work done by CRT contractors specifically repaired the zone protected and didn't extend anywhere else in the lock, even though many other areas SHOULD, and COULD have been attended to in the time of the locks stoppage.  The same lock will need major works soon.

This is evident all over the system now, unless navigation is stopped, nothing is fixed. If the South Oxford has a paddle broken on a lock, never mind, there is another, don't fix it unless both aren't working and then do a press release on swift repairs.

I move boats all year round and are seeing new leaks in locks, new sink holes in towpaths, new missing bricks in locks and other things that are frankly a simple fix at the early stage, and a massively expensive(although media friendly)fix when they finally collapse,breach,subside etc.

This isn't pro-active, this is reactive with a media slant - ignoring boaters needs - the only real paying customers they have.

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12 hours ago, Tonka said:

Shouldn't we be moving away from festivals and going back to campaigning rally's

Based on the way much of the Grand Union is becoming South of Tring Summit, maybe holding another one in Watford would be a campaigning rally.

OK, slightly tongue in cheek, but trying to get two historic boats to and from the Ricky festival this year, was often a major battle, as we tried to navigate pound with up to 20" of water missing from them.

Sadly I think Matty's assessment is fairly correct.  What seems to be going on now in terms of "maintenance" is knee jerk reactions to things that have suddenly become a major problem, when, had they been dealt with earlier, the major problem could have been avoided.

Certainly it is undeniable that the canal infrastructure I get to boat in most often is getting in a progressively worse state, and I increasingly see more and more of what Matty describes.

The problem, from my perception is that the IWA don't actually campaign that hard on such matters.  They seem more interested in making live-aboard boaters the scapegoat for many of the woes in these areas.  Personally I'd far rather see money spent on the infrastructure than on continually trying to chase what are seen as "scruffy boats" around the system, and keep them moving.  It will be the state of the infrastructure that finally kills of serious boating for us, not the number of boats attached to the tow-paths.

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I wonder if the "fire fighting" maintenance policy is actually a ploy to get the Government to eventually increase its contribution?

It is known that the amount spent on maintenance is not even enough to keep assets in a steady state, let alone improve them.

If enough people complain about unplanned stoppages, then CRT can use that as evidence of insufficient funds, and if it cannot be found from other sources by the end of the current 15 year agreement, the Government must either increase funding or accept responsibility for damaging the network. 

By involving more people (friends, walkers etc) CRT could be doing us all a favour by increasing the size of the potential pressure group.

 

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I never attended any of the nationals around the country, however have attended the show at crick which allowed me to be in the position I am now as a 1/12 owner of a boat.

  However I happen to live in St Neots the location of next years festival ( though ironically wont be going as it clashes with 2 weeks on the boat).

  If no one has ever been over to this part of the world I would encourage attendence by boat or car or train...  in the town we have to offer...

A large riverside park where the festival is to be held.

Good transport links by car, train or x5 bus from Oxford to Cambridge.

A very pleasant river system to explore...with some nice towns on the way.

But of course I would encourage as many visiting boats to make the trip down the nene, over the middle levels and up the great ouse, yes it is out on a limb but worth it.

The end of the river at Bedford is worth the journey to as well with the lovely embankment area.

And if the long talked about bedford to milton keynes link gets built then this are will be so much more accessible.

 

So thats the advertorial over.... 

Please come and enjoy the area..

Rob

Nb EOS

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The real big issue is that there are a lot of very senior people in CaRT who would be happy to see the end of boating (except perhaps for hire boating on a few canals). I am pretty sure Richard Parry is not one of these but he will move on at some stage. Its no use comforting ourselves that we pay a lot of money in, because we take out a lot more than we put in so in strict financial terms we are a liability. This is what the IWA, and all of us, should be campaigning about. The more big boaty events that raise the profile of boating the better.

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

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2 hours ago, dmr said:

The real big issue is that there are a lot of very senior people in CaRT who would be happy to see the end of boating (except perhaps for hire boating on a few canals). I am pretty sure Richard Parry is not one of these but he will move on at some stage. Its no use comforting ourselves that we pay a lot of money in, because we take out a lot more than we put in so in strict financial terms we are a liability. This is what the IWA, and all of us, should be campaigning about. The more big boaty events that raise the profile of boating the better.

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

I have just returned from the World Canals Conference in Syracuse, NY. I shared a platform with a lady from Poland and  guy from Texas, the Texan was slightly embarrassed that his canals were irrigation canals and boating was not possible, however the canals of Pheonix* have nevertheless got a lot to offer by way of amenity, especially considering they are in the desert. It was an inspiring talk

*Pheonix Arizona - there is also one in Texas but that wasn't the one the Texan was talking about

Scottish Canals were also there, and made no mention of boats even though their canals are navigable. 

Okay the theme was actually "reimagining waterfronts" not "lets go boating" but Saulte St Marie managed to get boats in, as did the polish lady with me, proudly showing off visitor moorings, charging points for electric boats etc, Ireland got  some boaters in too, as come to think of it did the people talking about the Erie Canal, even when they were talking about the Erie Canal Trail...

I hope CRT senior  managers aren't planning a visit to Arizona

(For the avoidance of doubt - the canals of Arizona are a very good example of what can be done when boating isn't an option, but they are not justification for excluding boats)

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I am not at all surprised that Scottish Canals made no mention or boats at the conference. If they had their wish there would only be residential boats in little communes with jolly little huts provided to store their bits and pieces. The boats would never move and thus there would be no need to maintain a navigable canal

SC seem to see boaters and their boats as a nuisance and there is virtually no communication now 

It is all very sad for those who worked so hard with BW Scotland to get the canals reopened 

Haggis 

 

 

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On 06/10/2017 at 20:58, Tonka said:

Shouldn't we be moving away from festivals and going back to campaigning rally's

Absolutely. IWA has lost its way with these events. I used to attend the 'rallys' from the mid 60's when they meant something but I am certain the events these days are far removed from boating .

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10 hours ago, jam said:

Absolutely. IWA has lost its way with these events. I used to attend the 'rallys' from the mid 60's when they meant something but I am certain the events these days are far removed from boating .

Have you been in the last 3 years, I have only managed one but talking to people they seem to be heading back

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There appear to be a lot of negative waves regarding the IWA

(1) It has been suggested that there is favoritism, i believe, in the allocation of mooring places.

(2) The IWA's organisation skills in planning the events had effectually ceased to have any reference to skill and more an inability to deliver.

(3) The lack of finding a cross section of sales stands for the boaters and public needs

(4) A non provision in general to attract a suitable attendance to finance costs.

 

The IWA has had its ups and downs and in one of those many troughs they had they made the ill advised decision to expel both Charles Hadfield and Tom Rolt.

At the moment they may well be in another trough and need more support. Yet if is the case there needs to be a change in policies. Failure to change may well result in the establishment of a rival organisation or at least the rise in importance of existing Operators organisation 

 

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On 10/10/2017 at 11:12, ditchcrawler said:

Have you been in the last 3 years, I have only managed one but talking to people they seem to be heading back

Last one I went to was Ilkeston on BH Monday. Arrived there soon after it opened for the day in glorious weather.Wandered round for a few hours and spoke to many acquaintances including a few I had not seen for some years. My view is that it was poorly attended, not a brilliant selection of stalls and just a jolly for the regulars. It was noticeable by boaters leaving on the Monday morning, not a good sign for visitors seeing gaps in the moorings, especially where you are hoping to see the couple of historic boats present. If it was a campaigning event, no real prominence was made to this.

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