All B***dy talk and no action!!

Hasn't it been just the worst day weather-wise? Not to bad when we left Hopwas but rapidly deteriorated throughout the morning. And soooo cold what with the wind chill and all. There was only one other boat on the move, another mad idiot like us braving the elements. He looked as wet cold and miserable as us! With the rain getting heavier and heavier we didn't make our planned destination of Alrewas choosing to stop in Fradley instead. T'was a good job mooring was available (in fact, not a single boat was moored below Junction Lock) because the rapidly deteriorating weather rapidly deteriorated even more.

Fradley Junction ahead

Swing bridge to open before the junction

We now join the T&M

Junction lock

Look no boats!

With the weather so bad I didn't take as many photos as usual but I felt I had to take this one because of the broken promise made by C&RT back in Sept 2017. First, if you want to see why we wrote to C&RT CLICK HERE but a long story short, it was about a lost chimney and the reason was the offside vegetation.

Our letter to C&RT
  
Sir
Today (27/09/2017) at approximately 12.10 while travelling southward from Fradley Junction towards Fazeley, between bridges 87 & 86 adjacent to the A38, I had to stop my boat in the offside vegetation to allow northbound vessels to pass. (they had clear passage forward where mine was obstructed).  This action was necessitated by the fact that the offside vegetation at this point is so excessive that it impedes normal navigation of the water. Ie 2 boats cannot pass unhindered.  During this pause in my journey, my double skin stainless steel chimney, lying flat on the roof, was swept off into the water by the overhanging branches.  The following is a photograph of the section of water concerned which shows how intrusive the offside growth is and how little room there is for a boat to pass on the towpath side.  This photo was taken once all 7 oncoming boats had struggled to pass us.

Taken Sept 2017 when we were tucked as far over as possible

 This was the reply from Ian Lane, Waterways manager for the West Midlands. (I have enclosed the relevant part)

Dear Mr Jameison, Thank you for the below email and please accept my apologies for the issue you have faced. I am aware that the trees in this stretch do require action and the proposed plan to manage them has already been brought forward to be undertaken prior to this year dredging project on the Coventry canal.

Unfortunately, as you are no doubt aware, tree management is something we try hard to manage but as you can appreciate it is a costly and never ending project. Whilst we aspire to keep on top of it, it’s not always possible and this is an unfortunate result. Therefore as a gesture of goodwill I will ask Yvonne to issue cheque in full and final settlement of your claim.

And this the photo was taken today,

Heading South and the view those oncoming boats would have had.

Looking back and almost the same photo as 2017 but now we are mid-channel looking toward the bridge. And this is still as difficult for two boats to pass.

 Okay, we did get the cost of the new chimney back but to say this vegetation would be cut down later in that year and then not do, well you can see why this made me angry! For boats travelling South, scratched paintwork would be their only reward!