Mike wrote: > I believe they still do need publicising. The only way we're going to get > long-lasting proper funding for the waterways is by building up a much > bigger body of public support, which is what soem of us have been working at > for twenty years (in my case). We'll only get Government to see things our > way if we can convince them that there are votes in it for them.
I don't disagree with your point about publicity but I do question whether a National is the best way to do it in order to influence the Government. I dare bet that we have achieved more Government influence and exposure with the SOW campaign than several Nationals put together. > > It seems to me that > > there is an element getting on to the system who have chosen to spend > > their excess capital on a boat because it seems such a 'jolly good > > thing' to do so. > > Still? I thought that was in the 1980s. Yes, I believe that that type of customer is alive and well. There are naturally wealthy people and those who have chosen to release equity in their properties and both have cash burning a hole in their pocket. I cannot see otherwise because how else do you explain the ever rising cost of boats and the constant upgrading of internal specs. Granite work surfaces in the galley now seem de rigeur and yet it wasn't so long ago that this would have been very up-market in a house never mind a boat. > Unfortunately that's what the public comes for. what we should hope for is > that the boating element can be a learning experience for people wh have > come for quite other reasons. I think that the National could do a lot to > make that much more explicit. Unfortunately its managers donlt seem to want > to. Some years ago I was sacked from the PA ccommentary team for trying to > do exactly that. Yes I agree that there is little effort to link the arena events with boating in any way, but surely the general public don't come to a boating-centred event just to see mock jousting? > That doesn't chime with my experience. Walking around the site I meet lots > of people I know - that's apart fro those who come and seek me out in my > office. Because you are very well known in waterways circles and your circle of friends and contacts within the hobby is greater than most I believe. > > We were all situated a > > huge distance from the show-ground, despite an early block booking. > > I think that might be a problem with block bookings. It should be first come, first served, block or single booking IMO. > > > (and the organisers had wanted to isolate us further at one stage by > > leaving the swing bridge open all day, leaving the southern moorers a > > huge hike around the perimeter of the site to get into the show). > > I wish I'd known that at the time - it would have made a good cartoon for > the newsletter. They nearly had a revolt when it became general knowledge on the southern moorings. It was a cause of much muttering and threatening as we queued waiting for the swing bridge to open each time the trip boat went out. It was a groundswell revolt that caused them to reverse the earlier decision and man the bridge ontinuously.............I'm amazed that that didn't get back to the inner sanctum people such as yourself. > > >One > > boater we met, who had booked well after us and yet was situated > > right by the entrance, openly boasted to us as we lock-shared with > > him that it was because he knew someone within the senior ranks of > > the IWA that he got his preferential mooring. This sort of nepotism > > degrades the whole organisation IMO. > > I take that with a big pinch of salt and suspect he was shooting a line, > mainly because the senior ranks of the IWA have very little to do with the > Festival. Also I know who was moored right by the entrance, and he was > there because of the job he was doing at the event. AFAIAA the guy that I met was nothing to do with the event at all, I certainly never saw him working ever and, yes, his boat was moored in a very favourable position. As I said he openly boasted about how he had got the spot through his contacts. > > Actually there is a good way of ensuring one gets a good mooring at the > National - volunteer for a biggish job there that involves you arriving on > site at least a week in advance. Then you'll be given one of the workers' > moorings, which are very well placed, not least because we all arrive well > in advance and need to be grouped together for security, and near where > we'll be working. Last year the workers' moorings were in the lake. You were very welcome to the lake moorings IMO ;-)) It looked more like punishment for the workers to me ;-))) > I've never felt the least inclination to visit Crick. I thank that many > years working on the IWA stand at the London Boat Show (and this year at the > Birmingham one) have convinced me that commercial boat shows aren't for me. I think that you're missing something but it's right that you choose what you attend of course. Roger
