teddington_lock
New member
Don't forget chaps ( and chapesses ) that Chertsey Lock closes today until the 16th March 2012.
Just a reminder
- Thread starter teddington_lock
- Start date
ChrisHanley
Member
closed today
Whilst many have stopped cruising for the year there are still a few hardy souls who venture out but will have had their cruising restricted by Chertsey and other locks closing. More significantly there are many businesses which have been affected directly by the lock closures. Companies running hire boats, trip boats and party boats have all been affected, some have had to turn business down because of the closure of Chertsey lock. Boat yards have also been impacted as customers are either unable to get to the yards or are unwilling to have their vessel trapped the wrong side of the lock for four months. As a result businesses struggling in these austere times have had their life made even more difficult.
Everyone knows that lock closures have to happen but one would like to think that the Environment Agency would keep those to a minimum, especially when such a long period with no navigation through a lock is planned.
However, although Chertsey lock has been “officially” closed from the 14th of November absolutely no work has been carried out until this morning (21st), one week after it was closed.
Barriers restricting access were erected on Tuesday/Wednesday last week but the lock was fully functional for seven days after the E.A. halted navigation. They even left on the power to the sluice and lock gates...
At its best this shows a complete lack of sensitivity towards the river users. At the other end of the scale is a “we don’t care” attitude from those in power.
It will be interesting to see if this work over-runs and what excuses will be offered.
CH
Whilst many have stopped cruising for the year there are still a few hardy souls who venture out but will have had their cruising restricted by Chertsey and other locks closing. More significantly there are many businesses which have been affected directly by the lock closures. Companies running hire boats, trip boats and party boats have all been affected, some have had to turn business down because of the closure of Chertsey lock. Boat yards have also been impacted as customers are either unable to get to the yards or are unwilling to have their vessel trapped the wrong side of the lock for four months. As a result businesses struggling in these austere times have had their life made even more difficult.
Everyone knows that lock closures have to happen but one would like to think that the Environment Agency would keep those to a minimum, especially when such a long period with no navigation through a lock is planned.
However, although Chertsey lock has been “officially” closed from the 14th of November absolutely no work has been carried out until this morning (21st), one week after it was closed.
Barriers restricting access were erected on Tuesday/Wednesday last week but the lock was fully functional for seven days after the E.A. halted navigation. They even left on the power to the sluice and lock gates...
At its best this shows a complete lack of sensitivity towards the river users. At the other end of the scale is a “we don’t care” attitude from those in power.
It will be interesting to see if this work over-runs and what excuses will be offered.
CH
Brayman
Active member
Does this qualify for a TMBA Problem Report?
TrueBlue
Well-known member
A bit of a tirade??
Maintenance "happens" every year and I'm sure that EA and it's workers - now mainly contractors, would rather do the work under warmer conditions.
So would you want the work done in the Spring / Summer?
Probably not.
Usually the weather turns in November and the few hardy souls who do venture out have ceased long since. This year the weather has been balmy of late and perhaps raised the issue of lock closures.
Down River, folks have been spoilt of late as much of the closures have bee further upstream in the hinterland where boaters cease to tread (to mix a metaphor). I've been locked in for the past three years, but have not complained, welcoming the new bells and whistles when the locks re-open in the Spring.
OK it may be galling to see the lock operational beyond its closing date, but remember that EA have to marshall a lot of equipment - more so for such a major work as Chertsey; perhaps there has been a "challenge" in this case.
I doubt whether any trip boats have been inconvenienced. The major players - even if not shut down still have enough room for the sort of trips that they operate. Anyway EA does consult and inform commercial users well in advance.
They may be a lot to criticise EA about - but IMHO this is decreasing as they have begun to listen to boaters. To my mind annual maintenance is not one of them.
Just you wait; EA is running out of cash and future maintenance may well be limited to emergency works only, then everyone may have legitimate cause for complaint.
Gone are the days when facilities were provided by some government body pro bono as it were without any explainable payback. That may be one of the reasons why the current government is trying to dump both the canals and river network, directly onto the users.
The problem is that the majority of users of the River pay not a penny piece for the facility (I'm excluding boaters, fishermen and the like).
Methinks you do protest too much..
TrueBlue
Well-known member
Another thought -
Chertsey is a major rebuild and I don't think people understand how much equipment is brought into play.
When Shiplake lock was repaired a couple of years ago some serious kit was used, yet there were very few photos: passed around.
Could some interested boater(s) take some photos over the following months to record the events?
Apart from being of interest it might make people aware of just how much work is done.
EA is bad at publicising the good things that they do.
Chertsey is a major rebuild and I don't think people understand how much equipment is brought into play.
When Shiplake lock was repaired a couple of years ago some serious kit was used, yet there were very few photos: passed around.
Could some interested boater(s) take some photos over the following months to record the events?
Apart from being of interest it might make people aware of just how much work is done.
EA is bad at publicising the good things that they do.
ChrisHanley
Member
what equipment?
True Blue, I do not wish this to be an on-going tirade, but I will reply very briefly to two of your points.
I have no doubt that there will be some serious kit in the future, but at the moment there is no heavy equipment on site. This morning there were two men working, one with an electric drill, and the other with a broom and the only plant on site was a small (1Kw?) petrol generator.
Secondly the EA did not inform or consult any of the local business on the river that I have spoken to. I would be very interested if anyone can tell me otherwise.
CH
True Blue, I do not wish this to be an on-going tirade, but I will reply very briefly to two of your points.
I have no doubt that there will be some serious kit in the future, but at the moment there is no heavy equipment on site. This morning there were two men working, one with an electric drill, and the other with a broom and the only plant on site was a small (1Kw?) petrol generator.
Secondly the EA did not inform or consult any of the local business on the river that I have spoken to. I would be very interested if anyone can tell me otherwise.
CH
boatone
Well-known member
I reported the original EA notice re winter works back in mid August HERE
It was also announced on the VisitThames website HERE and in mid-September we drew attention to it on the TMBA website HERE
I think its fair to say there was plenty of advance notice about the programme itself. Whether or not there was any specific consultation I don't know but will try and find out.
Jaysay
Member
Lock Maintenance Programme
I have been literally locked in for several months every Winter and Spring for the last three years as the SAME locks are repaired each time either side of my mooring at Abingdon. As a professional engineer I fully recognise the need for regular maintenance (you should see the state of some canal locks!), and I accept the inconvenience associated with it; but I question whether the EA is getting good value for money with the repairs they undertake if the work has to be re-visited only a year later. I am talking here of lengthy outage that often runs well into the Spring.
So, much as I acknowledge the need for tolerance of the maintenance programme, I feel Chris has a raised an important point in principle
I have been literally locked in for several months every Winter and Spring for the last three years as the SAME locks are repaired each time either side of my mooring at Abingdon. As a professional engineer I fully recognise the need for regular maintenance (you should see the state of some canal locks!), and I accept the inconvenience associated with it; but I question whether the EA is getting good value for money with the repairs they undertake if the work has to be re-visited only a year later. I am talking here of lengthy outage that often runs well into the Spring.
So, much as I acknowledge the need for tolerance of the maintenance programme, I feel Chris has a raised an important point in principle
oldgit
Well-known member
Rebuilding a lock, a major undertaking.
The rest of the story here
http://www.allingtonlock.co.uk/hampstead.php
CJL
Member
Why should they consult?? Everywhere else the procedure is to issue an NTM and expect you to go and read it.
CJL
Beyondhelp
Member
Rebuilding a lock, a major undertaking.
The rest of the story here
http://www.allingtonlock.co.uk/hampstead.php
That's pretty impressive stuff. Some serious engineering going on there.
oldgit
Well-known member
If you look at the link the project was delayed by flooding,losing a week or two,but they did finish not that far off the proposed completion date.
We have had a lot of money spent on the Medway recently after years of neglect,virtually everything apart from one lock,which is due shortly,has been refurbished and/or given a nice new landing stage.
We have had a lot of money spent on the Medway recently after years of neglect,virtually everything apart from one lock,which is due shortly,has been refurbished and/or given a nice new landing stage.
teddington_lock
New member
Rebuilding Teddington 1950's style .....
oldgit
Well-known member
Rebuilding Teddington 1950's style .....
Think their must be something wrong with my computor screen that picture appears to have "lost" all its colour.
Brayman
Active member
Noting wrong with your screen, it's your eyes!
oldgit
Well-known member
am going to pour some ink into the little slots on top of screen will this help ?
Everything I know about computors is courtesy of B1 and he only charged me £2.500 cash for the entire course.
Everything I know about computors is courtesy of B1 and he only charged me £2.500 cash for the entire course.
Brayman
Active member
One of his shorter courses then?
Ramage
Active member
No, its OK. Teddington was in black and white until 1960.
I know it was in colour from March 1960 onwards because I grew up in Teddington.
However, by the time Howard and Richard showed up most of the population were wearing flares and had mullet haircuts!
I know it was in colour from March 1960 onwards because I grew up in Teddington.
However, by the time Howard and Richard showed up most of the population were wearing flares and had mullet haircuts!
Richard Shead
Slipped Anchor
What in 1974! sounds about right but Howard did not get his mullet until 92....
teddington_lock
New member
Nothing wrong with mullets !!
I've got a bit of one on the go at the moment as it happens ....
I've got a bit of one on the go at the moment as it happens ....