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Saturday 29 August 2015

Motorways.

When Helen left Hull to return to the boat here in Birmingham there was a ten coach train on the platform heading for London. They needed the carriages down there to bring all the Rugby League fans of Hull Kingston Rovers who were playing Leeds Rhinos at Wembley in the Cup Final. The last time Rovers were there was for the famous final when Rovers were playing the other Hull team Hull FC. Back then in 1980 the city was empty and on the day Rovers won 10-5. I'm afraid I wouldn't really want to be on the train back to Hull as they have been beaten by Rhinos 50-0! I much prefer rugby union anyway.

Today has been a cleaning day as I make the boat habitable for Helen coming back. If it was untidy or mucky I have a fear that she may take one look and get back on the train. It is a good excuse to go right through anyway. When there are two of you aboard you tend to get in each others way too.

I have been reading Canal and River Trust's up date and was reading about where the money has been spent. There is a lot of work going on on the towpaths and I think a lot of it is funded by third parties. There is a lot of chatter about cyclists not been responsible enough on the tow paths speeding along and not being aware of other users. My point of view is that in cities and urban areas there may be a case to get cyclists off the roads so upgrading the tow path is a good thing. Of course cyclists should not use it as a race track and realise that pedestrians have the right of way. I am less happy about less urban tow paths been converted for bike use. The majority of the bikes you see going up and down are not racers but off road hybrids and they should be well able to take a normal grass towpath. I am very aware of boaters calls to cut all the tow paths like a Wimbledon court, chop all the trees back so that there is unimpeded passage and dredge the canals so that they can make good headway. I for one really don't want this to happen too much as the canals would become more like a motorway and lose loads of character. When I see photographs of the old working days of canals I see that there are no hedges and trees by the canals despite the fact that they have been in place for well over a hundred years. I assume they were kept clear so that it was an unimpeded passage for working boats and to keep maintenance costs low.

Trent and Mersey Aston by Stone in 1916

Who would guess that this is the Grand Union at Berkhamsted.

Having said that I would like the occasional longer view rather than being kept in a tunnel of hedges and trees. trimming them wont achieve this though. When ever I pass trees that stick out or down I break a small branch off that would be in the way. If everybody did that it would be fine. (okay not the hawthorns or black thorns but they don't normally encroach. I do like it to be like swimming in a river rather than lanes in a pool.

As far as the bank side of the towpath goes I assume that in places they have to leave some areas uncut to fore fill their environmental criteria. There is nothing to stop you mooring and cutting a swath for your selves to get on and off and use a plank if required. I'm not sure who 'owns' the hedges on the off or towpath sides. If your neighbours trees overhang your garden you are entitled to cut them back to the border as I understand it but not chop them down. I had read somebody with an idea that C&RT use their potential timber as a resource and sell it to all those with log burners, on land and canal. It may be an idea for a subcontractor to tended for the work and look after a stretch. That way they could pollard certain trees and so obtain a crop regularly whilst maintaining the fencing properties etc. But then again it would make the cut a bit barren of bird life etc. Oh well there is no real answer to it. We will just have to enjoy the variety of towpaths and trees and live and let live with other users I suppose.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Hard to believe that it was 35 years since HKR beat Hull at Wembley! Unfortunately today's match was not so exciting for a Rovers fan :(