Soundings
The RBOA Newsletter, Soundings, is sent free to members six times a year.
It is also available to non-members for £1 (+ 76p P &P).
From the Tiller
By Rex Walden - Chairman
As I write this, we are a week away from the general election. When you read it, we will know the result - or at least I hope we will! Whatever the outcome, whoever is in power, whatever the political mix, we can be pretty sure times are going to be “challenging” for the waterways.
You will find reference in this edition of Soundings to a suggestion that the waterways of England should be brought into the control of one organisation, combining the navigations controlled by British Waterways and the Environment Agency, plus many smaller navigation authorities, into a single National Waterways Conservancy. This clearly has merit, in that it would mean a single “head office”, therefore less senior management and therefore some savings. But as ever, the devil will be in the detail and we need to be sure that any change will deliver meaningful benefits for residential boaters. This is a matter we will be considering over the next few weeks, so that when a new Waterways Minister is appointed and settled in post, we are in a position to give a considered opinion.
What we can be sure about is that our costs will continue to rise. It seems to me that inflation as it affects residential boaters might well be in advance of that for the shore based community. Certainly
we know of many boaters who are moving ashore; and many other people who have been planning to live afloat but who have, sadly, reluctantly abandoned their plans. Both groups are telling us that living on a boat is no longer an “affordable dream”. This is something you could help us with. I would be very interested to hear from you details of any cost increases you can identify that are specific to those of us who live on our boats.
We can also be sure that the amount of money funding the waterways will be under greater pressure than at any time since 1997 and probably for a considerable period before. We are, I suspect, going
to have to accept some very painful compromises and fight to prevent a real decline in the state of the waterways. One partial remedy will be, I have no doubt, a very considerable increase in the amount of
basic work undertaken by volunteers. You can expect to hear more of this in the coming months.
I have mentioned before the need for all waterways’ users to engage with the wider community. This is going to become even more important - important for the RBOA and the wider waterways’ community. Please start to consider how and who you can engage with to widen the public perception of the waterways. We need to steer away from the view that it is a playground for well heeled retired folk, or a paradise for dropouts. You know the truth. Please make sure with whom you come into contact with knows it as well!
The RBOA will be at the Crick show on the last weekend in May. If you come to the show, please do come along to the RBOA stand and say hello; and if you have not already done so, please consider giving a couple of hours to help staff our stand. Val will be very pleased to hear from you. Drop her an e mail or ring her - as soon as you see this would be ideal, as the sooner she knows, the better!
Winifred is still marina bound - held hostage by a nesting duck on the roof. Don’t ask! More of that and, with luck, some photos in the next Soundings. Till then’ very happy boating.