What a load of drivel! And how interesting that the authors of what must be one of the most inappropriately titled books I've ever heard of sold their boat and moved ashore two years ago!
I wonder why? Could it have had something to do with the ever increasing costs of boat ownership perhaps? As for the young coming to the canals - Glen and I were pretty much the youngest canal enthusiasts we knew of when we started boating some 20 odd years ago. Nearly a quarter of a century later ... we still are! No way could my kids, the eldest of whom is getting on for the same age as I was then, even contemplate boat ownership. They couldn't even afford to hire a boat for a week - and why should they when they can take a family of four for fortnight in Marbella for half the cost or less The canals definitely boomed ... about a decade ago. As far as I'm concerned it's been downhill all the way since then. With all due respect to those who can afford it, I look around today and I just don't see the affordable boats around anymore. After hiring for a week, we promptly went out and bought a small, elderly but serviceable plastic margarine tub. We fairly promptly swapped it for a slightly bigger and better plastic boat. We had as much fun with that boat over the next ten years as any other (although Badger came close - but then she was pretty cheap anyway!) I can't remember the last time I saw a plastic cruiser on the cut (although to be fair, I hardly ever get down to the water these days - the only boat I clapped eyes on at the bl**dy National was a barge and that was a static exhibit on the bank and I only saw *that* from a distance! I understand there *were* boats there but I never got to see 'em!!!) It's all gone a bit up-market and WAY too expensive for my tastes. Sour grapes? Perhaps! If I won the lottery it might be different! Bru > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > On Behalf Of Captain Beeky > Sent: 05 September 2009 11:16 > To: [email protected] > Subject: [canals-list] In the Saturday Telegraph travel section - more > canal dreamery > > Nestling near the weekly report on the price of the average British > gnome, see . . . . > > http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/outdoors/6128480/Cool-canal-authors- > take-the-slow-boat.html > bijou snippette >> > > The National Waterways Museums, split between three different > locations, celebrate the enterprise, ingenuity and sheer elbow grease > that made British canals the envy of the world. They may seem idyllic, > meandering through green fields, but they connect us to a working > world, industrial rather than pastoral. > > To say that British canals are booming would be an exaggeration, the > kind of hype that is completely alien to canal folk, who are a gentle, > soft-spoken tribe. But they are certainly enjoying a modest > renaissance. After years when their decline seemed a historic > inevitability, they appear to have regained their niche in public > affection. > > It used to be mainly middle-aged men you saw at the helm of > narrowboats: Horatio Nelson manqués, barking instructions at > bedraggled wives called Hester or Gloria. But the young are also > discovering the joys of canals. Little by little, it has become a more > inclusive world, where all are welcome and nobody looks down on anyone > else. > > << end > > Read the whole thing and contrast with the lock queues & financial > realities - OK there are some references to tight funding in the piece. > > I don't know who else has seen the graphic liveries on the latest BW > vans imploring everybody to enjoy the leisure facilities provided by > the local waterways. I have so far resisted the temptation to > graffitize with " Don't worry it's free - a boater will pay" > > Beeky > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > ------------------------------------ > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > >
