Lock Self Service record.

[Teddy]

We came down from Bray to Penton Hook on Wednesday and 4 out of 5 locks were self service. Only Bell Weir was manned!! This is an all time record for us.
Over the last 2 weeks on our trip up to Abingdon we found on average 2 locks would be self service each day. This to us is a woeful performance of manning for this time of year. Is it not high season?
We normally find Boulters to be unmanned, which should never be allowed because it can be dangerous.
On the way down, Romney had a lock keeper present, but he was too busy blowing leaves away. There were no other boats around, so surely he could have done his gardening in between?
At Old Windsor there was a very small boat which had been waiting some time for a bigger boat (us) to work the lock for him. Clearly it would have been unsafe for him to do so on his own.
At Penton, the lock keeper eventually took over after returning from the weirs.

The so called "double manning" is sometimes cited as being in force, but doesn't that mean that time is lost between locks, therefore it is less effective?

Who do we complain to express our dissatisfaction in this appalling situation?

?

 

[Parabordi]

What ever it is, its sure as hell aint double manning i refuse to use their terms. Its half manning.

 

[thamesinsider]

Its very simple. The EA (mis)management allow lock keepers to take their annual holiday whenever they wish. In winter their hours are 0915 - 1600, whilst in peak summer season, daily hours are 0900 -1830. However a days holiday is a days holiday, so why would they choose to take their holiday allowance during the winter.
So the majority of lock keepers holidays are taken during the summer season. That leaves the 'temporary', summer reliefs who are employed via a temp agency (many of whom have been temporary for several years and work year round) left to spend their long days double manning (which is of course half manning) the locks. Actually its not really half manning, as with no direction or supervision from the EA (mis)management regarding how long they spend at each double manned lock lock they tend to spend most of their time at their preferred lock of their two, merely visiting the other for as little as a few minutes in order to fill in the daily paperwork. Oh and of course with a sometimes lengthy drive between locks ( often via a detour to pick up coffee/visit garage/do some shopping etc) in actual fact both locks will be unmanned for periods of time......

 

[Meps1983]

My boat is moored in Windsor, this seem to be the normal along that stretch now. It can get crazy on warm days with hire boats etc in the self service locks. Particularly either side of Windsor. As Teddy says boulters is a dangerous and quite daunting for anybody lacking experience. I've said on here before it makes you wonder where the river license fees go!

 

[Mushroom2]

Just to add a couple of points to Thamesinsider’s excellent and entirely accurate post.

Lock keepers can take their leave as single days, so with some judicious manipulation of their shift pattern they can get quite long periods off with very few leave days used.

The EA go to great lengths to train and equip volunteers, but they are only allowed to work for 1 hour unsupervised. (A restriction insisted upon by the lock keepers’ union). Which is not much use when there is a volunteer available at a double half manned lock and the lock keeper or relief is at the other lock!

 

[penfold]

Oh and of course with a sometimes lengthy drive between locks ( often via a detour to pick up coffee/visit garage/do some shopping etc) in actual fact both locks will be unmanned for periods of time......

If only there were a convenient track that ran between the locks which could be travelled upon by wheeled conveyance? Bicycles, or E-bikes for the terminally lazy, along the towpath should be the only acceptable transport while on the clock.

 

[Time Out]

If only there were a convenient track that ran between the locks which could be travelled upon by wheeled conveyance? Bicycles, or E-bikes for the terminally lazy, along the towpath should be the only acceptable transport while on the clock.

Like In France where one lock keeper can run two locks with the aid of a bike. Admittedly they were reasonably close together!

 

[Outinthedinghy]

The best arrangement would be for lock keepers to have a small launch and if half manning they could travel between locks by boat thus enabling them to keep an eye on their reach.

 

[oldgit]

1965. Average wage £850.00 PA.
14 day pass £3. 0s 0d
7 day pass £2 0s 0d
PAYG 3/6d

2023 Average wage £33.800.
7 day pass ( 10m x 3 m) boat £74.00.
14 day pass. " £148.00

Back to the future. ?

 

[Pump-Out]

What ever it is, its sure as hell aint double manning i refuse to use their terms. Its half manning.

Agreed, one of my irritations for years. But I prefer Split Manning. Half manning suggests that 50% of the keepers time is spent at each location. Evidently travelling between the two consumes time, So the time is split, not halved.

The best arrangement would be for lock keepers to have a small launch and if half manning they could travel between locks by boat thus enabling them to keep an eye on their reach.

Fair one, which I have thought of before.

However an even better solution would be to appoint some casual staff. Zero hours contracts that allow casual staff to declare availability and be sent to a lock that is over burdened with traffic or has no paid staff available, for whatever reason.

Of course the issue with that is that The EA have got themselves chasing their tails over training and H&S, with each site and each tool/task requiring a whole host of qualifications and record keeping. Meanwhile you and I can rock up at any lock of our choice and press the buttons/wind the slices/move the beams.

 

[oldgit]

..... " The best arrangement would be for lock keepers to have a small launch and if half manning they could travel between locks by boat thus enabling them to keep an eye on their reach. "

These should do nicely, with a basic 4 stroke ouboard cost around £10k not sure where you will safely moor on lock site when no one around and of course not sure where the ongoing servicing or maintainace budget is going to come from.
About half a dozen should do nicely for a start ?
Whaley 500.

 

[Chris_d]

The EA would never allow any employee to use a boat alone, far too many Health and Safety issues.

 

[oldgit]

The EA would never allow any employee to use a boat alone, far too many Health and Safety issues.

there always remains the other suggested option ie. walking , perhaps these might help....................

 

[SkylarkX]

As you have discovered providing assistance to boaters is not a lock keepers 1st priority.

I am currently heading up river and have also found a few locks on self service mainly on weekdays.
I couple of the lock keepers have said they are double manning a couple of locks one was looking after three locks as someone had gone sick.

Waterwaysthames@environment-ageny.gov.uk
was the email address I was given and was told to put the lock name or persons name in the subject line and was told I should get a reply within the charter time whatever that is.

Also www.riverusergroup.com was given to me as they have regular meetings with the EA.

How effective these are I don’t know

 

[Little Dipper]

We came down from Bray to Penton Hook on Wednesday and 4 out of 5 locks were self service. Only Bell Weir was manned!! This is an all time record for us.
Over the last 2 weeks on our trip up to Abingdon we found on average 2 locks would be self service each day. This to us is a woeful performance of manning for this time of year. Is it not high season?
We normally find Boulters to be unmanned, which should never be allowed because it can be dangerous.
On the way down, Romney had a lock keeper present, but he was too busy blowing leaves away. There were no other boats around, so surely he could have done his gardening in between?
At Old Windsor there was a very small boat which had been waiting some time for a bigger boat (us) to work the lock for him. Clearly it would have been unsafe for him to do so on his own.
At Penton, the lock keeper eventually took over after returning from the weirs.

The so called "double manning" is sometimes cited as being in force, but doesn't that mean that time is lost between locks, therefore it is less effective?

Who do we complain to express our dissatisfaction in this appalling situation?

?

This is why I removed my boat, among other things, from the Thames, never to return. Its a shame really as it is a wonderful river. As an elderly single hander who used to think nothing of working a lock single handed I no longer have the strength to do it. After having a nasty fall in a slimy lock staircase with slimy handrails I decided "this is enough, I'm off" and I have never been back. The other things are the liveaboards who do not play by the rules and bung up all the visitor moorings and have caused many land owners to clamp down on wild moorings. Please note that I have nothing against liveaboards who play by the rules and keep moving and not leaving rubbish on the river bank.