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Hello again one and all and welcome to the September edition.
I have realised, when writing the last few newsletters, that I began the naming of these very poorly since they're sent out at the end of the month they're designated as (ie this one is labelled September but is sent out at the end of that month).
This makes sense from a "what happened" perspective but less so from a "what's coming up" and more forward-looking standpoint.
Hence from the next edition, I will label the newsletters with the month that's about to begin but fear not, you will not have missed an edition!
With that cleared up, let's get the canal news roundup underway.
Cheers
David |
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News from the canal world.
*** Press releases or other news snippets can be sent to me at newsletter@cruisingthecut.co.uk ***
Look at the state of that
The Canal & River Trust has published its annual report and accounts.
Repair works included almost 450 planned engineering projects costing around £70 million but improving reservoirs took up a large chunk of the budget at over £27 million. The report states that winter storms caused significant damage costing £9 million in emergency fixes.
High inflation has been an issue significantly increasing many costs. Coupled with a frozen grant from Government and an impending cut to that grant from 2027, the CRT will continue to face problems maintaining the 2,000 mile network.
The total number of boats with a home mooring decreased by 3.7% while the total number of continuously cruising boats increased by 4.9%. Overall boat numbers dipped by 1.4% to 32,602.
The report and accounts can be seen at https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/annual-report-and-accounts. The CRT's Annual Public Meeting will be held online at 1pm on 6 November.
Money, money, money
The campaigning group "Fund Britain's Waterways" which is a collective of organsations with an interest in anything to do with the inland waterways of the UK, has submitted a formal document to the Government in advance of the impending annual Budget statement.
HM Treasury had sent out a request for such representations following the election and FBW seized the chance to reinforce the benefits our inland waterways provide, to explain the need for increased funding and to request a review of said funding.
The prior Government had announced a cut to the Canal & River Trust's annual grant due to pressures on spending but it's hoped that a fresh appeal to the new incumbents might reverse or mitigate that decision.
See https://waterways.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Media-Release-Representation-to-Autumn-2024-Budget.pdf
Another pub closure
Hot on the heels of news this week that 50 pubs are closing each month across the country, an announcement that a popular canal pub is joining those ranks.
Owners of the Olde Barbridge Inn posted a note to their Facebook page saying that "It is with humble gratitude and a heavy heart that we announce the closing of The Olde Barbridge Inn", adding that "We are so grateful for the support and loyalty you have shown to us over the past 13 years. It’s been an honour and an incredible journey"
The pub, which is on the Shropshire Union Canal, dates back to the English Civil War when it was known as The Kings Arms, after King Charles I.
The business is being sold on a 10-year lease if you're interested in buying! See https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/149503505#/
Their Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/theoldebarbridgeinn
An 'Ell of a Boost
A historic working dockyard on the Llangollen canal has been awarded almost £410,000 by the Heritage Lottery Fund to help make tourism at the yard a reality.
The Ellesmere Canal Company opened the site in 1806 as their offices and workshops and it's now used by the Canal & River Trust but investment was needed for the old buildings.
The funds will be used to carry out a feasibility study and draw up plans which should put the site on track to become a tourist destination as well as maintaining its working uses. It's hoped it could also offer space for independent arts or crafts folk to work from.
See https://tinyurl.com/CRTEllesmereFunds
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My recent videos
Contrary to what YouTube might suggest (or indeed, not suggest, which seems to be the issue), I am still turning out regular videos, at the rate of three a month. Since YT often fails to alert even subscribers to these uploads, here's a reminder of what's been posted over the last 30 days or so.
Most recently you can watch an update on a boat refurbishment that's chugging along at a much greater pace than my own, featuring the adorably enthusiastic Gabs Heneghan and her dog Fiadh; before that, I profiled two rather unusual aluminium canal boats with a very distinctive style; and at the start of the month I visited the Stafford Riverway Link project which aims to cut a hole in a canal (!) in order to join it to a river into the town of Stafford.
Click the links below to watch.
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Book your perfect canal boat holiday! |
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I've teamed up with Roam & Roost Canal Boat Holidays, a group of independent canal boat hire companies. Book through my link for great rates and a range of locations (and I get a small commission too)
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** Bookings now being taken for 2025! **
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What am I up to?
A day or so after this newsletter gets emailed out, I will be uploading a video filmed last week of me (ambitiously and with misplaced confidence) attempting to cut the back off my cabin cruiser with the aim of replacing rotten wood in the transom. It did not go to plan and the project continues.
More happily, having just returned from an utterly joyous week-long cruise to the Norwegian fjords, the video after that is scheduled to be a review of sorts, maybe more a warm look back at my holiday aboard P&O Cruises' gigantic ship Iona. And no, I have no plans to make Cruising the Cut a cruise ship channel!
A day before writing this update, I spent an absolutely delightful day on the gorgeous Peak Forest Canal aboard a classic 23-foot 'Ensign' cruiser, at the kind invitation of one of my viewers. This will also be an upcoming video.
Plus (since if I don't get it done soon it will be winter and too cold for the resin to set) I must spend another couple of days at the boatyard trying to sort Twiggy's transom. Of course, this will all be filmed.
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Into the dusty archive...
The annual Southampton Boat Show was just getting underway when I travelled down south to join my recent cruise and although I didn't have time to attend this year, I did in 2023 so if you're curious what the biggest British boat show is like (and note, this is mainly for coastal and seagoing boats rather than canal craft), take a look at my vlog 311, "The Show Must Go On". It's at https://cruisingthecut.co.uk/2023/09/20/vlog-311-the-show-must-go-on/
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My YouTube top pick of the month
If you have an interest in large ships then the YouTube channel "Casual Navigation" is definitely going to be for you. To be fair, he's already got nearly 600,000 subscribers so you've possibly heard of it already but if not, this is a channel that uses simple animations and clear voice-over to explain all manner of things you might never have considered about ships and shipping.
Topics have included "Why don't tugs turn ships?", "Why do ships have rope ladders?" and, quite recently, "why can't ships reverse around corners" which is equally relevant to narrowboats!
It's good stuff and worth a watch at https://www.youtube.com/@CasualNavigation |
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A social recommendation
I'm not sure whether Soundcloud.com counts as social media (and who defines what is and what isn't anyway?) but that's where I'm taking you this month.
Viewer of the channel, Andrew Clayton, has recorded an excellent narrowboat-themed version of the Queen song "Fat Bottomed Girls", transforming it to "Flat Bottomed Hulls"!
Have a listen at https://soundcloud.com/notejuste/flat-bottomed-hulls-16-09-2024-1028 |
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Meanwhile, you can connect with me on social media by clicking on the buttons below:- |
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Final Thoughts
Ego is a most terrible thing, of course, yet it's so hard to keep in check. Thus it is I find myself staring at my YouTube channel console urging and willing the Subscriber count to hit 260,000 (it's only a few hundred off at the time of writing).
If you are a viewer who is not Subscribed, may I press you to click that Subscribe button on YouTube? There's no cost attached (the word "Subscribe" is a poor one, I think, it's really just telling YouTube you want to follow my channel and know when I post new videos).
And if you know anyone, anywhere in the world, who might find the videos of interest, perhaps you could send them a link as well? It's https://www.youtube.com/@CruisingTheCut
Cheerio,
David |
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