Captain Coochie
Active member
I wont waste my time googling . I have no time for rude people no matter who they are.
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RUG 8 Meeting Tuesday 1st November at Hampton Court
- Thread starter boatone
- Start date
Chris_d
Well-known member
I don't think so, a lot of people on the river feel the same it is not how I wish to be represented, brain before brawn please.
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captain tomas
Member
Unfortunatly I was laid low with some sort of bug, so cannot comment
on the meeting.
Whilst there is no excuss for rudeness, flustration must play a part, as every year the boater seems to be saddled with some action or other by the E.A.
Whilst one must look to the future, it would seem that E.A. managements in the past were more experienced, and less inventive in reducing services.
on the meeting.
Whilst there is no excuss for rudeness, flustration must play a part, as every year the boater seems to be saddled with some action or other by the E.A.
Whilst one must look to the future, it would seem that E.A. managements in the past were more experienced, and less inventive in reducing services.
Brayman
Active member
This Jankel fellow sounds a bit of a liability, we came across him volunteering at Caversham lock last month and SWMBO wasn't impressed with his encouragement to mow down some rowers doing time trials at Reading.
RUG and ATYC need to be careful who they call on to represent them.
RUG and ATYC need to be careful who they call on to represent them.
Captain Coochie
Active member
Ramage
Active member
Forumites may be interested to note that the Enviroment Agency's decision to rent out the vacant lock houses has appeared on page 38 of the October 28 2011 issue of Private Eye under the headline "Utterly wet".
boatone
Well-known member
Ah, that nice Mr Hislop. Nearly knocked him over when I was rushing for a taxi at Waterloo station early last month. Just think, if I had done that little snippet you've found might never have been published
Mind you, 'Utterly Wet' sounds a little mild for him - is he losing his touch?
Saw an early episode of HIGNFY on Dave tonight with Christine Hamilton guesting and Angus in the chair - that was satire at its very best !
oldgit
Well-known member
"Whilst one must look to the future, it would seem that E.A. managements in the past were more experienced, and less inventive in reducing services."
The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there. !(L P Hartley)
More time,more money,more staff,more boaters ?
The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there. !(L P Hartley)
More time,more money,more staff,more boaters ?
boatone
Well-known member
What a difference an extra comma after 'inventive' would make -
Whilst one must look to the future, it would seem that E.A. managements in the past were more experienced, and less inventive, in reducing services.
I would suggest that past EA managements were too easily persuaded, by their masters, to accept, and manage, cuts in government funding without fighting their (our) corner as vigorously as they should have done.
The current incumbents are now stuck with that legacy as well as the current governments resolve to reduce public expenditure at all levels.
At the RUG meeting it was suggested that they are stuck between a rock and a hard place - a view with which I have considerable sympathy.Money is running over the weirs faster than the water and, rather than worrying about flood risks we should be concentrating on the real issue .....funding.
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TrueBlue
Well-known member
boatone
Well-known member
At the RUG meeting it was claimed that the EA had failed to meet its Customer Charter commitments with regard to lock manning.
However, the TMBA POLL of user experience of lock services this year suggests, at least so far, that they have actually done a pretty good job of meeting user expectations.
However, the TMBA POLL of user experience of lock services this year suggests, at least so far, that they have actually done a pretty good job of meeting user expectations.
Brayman
Active member
statistic, statistics...and damn lies!
Just how is the EA's performance compared to target actually measured, surely not just by "feel"
Just how is the EA's performance compared to target actually measured, surely not just by "feel"
No Regrets
Active member
Well I have been satisfied almost wholly with the lock service.
I'm not at all interested in any other figures, opinions or statistics. My OWN experience is all that matters to me (I don't mean that selfishly, but the questionnaire was asking ME!)
I consider we have used the locks a lot this year, and things are as good as they have been in the last five years.
I have noticed only a handful of trips where the lockie has not been in attendance, but almost always lunchtimes, when decent boaters should be eating anyway...
I'm not at all interested in any other figures, opinions or statistics. My OWN experience is all that matters to me (I don't mean that selfishly, but the questionnaire was asking ME!)
I consider we have used the locks a lot this year, and things are as good as they have been in the last five years.
I have noticed only a handful of trips where the lockie has not been in attendance, but almost always lunchtimes, when decent boaters should be eating anyway...
oldgit
Well-known member
Surely not !
On my visits this year to the Thames ,both on own boat and as guest on others,offered nothing but courtesy and patience and in one case good humoured vigilence,when a certain Bray boater skillfully managed to get his splendid gin palace "hung up" in a lock.
A quick and prompt reaction by the lockie sorted everything without drama,by the speed of his reaction suspect you lot up there have been doing this to him a few times.
On my visits this year to the Thames ,both on own boat and as guest on others,offered nothing but courtesy and patience and in one case good humoured vigilence,when a certain Bray boater skillfully managed to get his splendid gin palace "hung up" in a lock.
A quick and prompt reaction by the lockie sorted everything without drama,by the speed of his reaction suspect you lot up there have been doing this to him a few times.
teddington_lock
New member
We are all pretty vigilant for that sort of thing. First sign of an untoward lean ( ie. not just lots of fatties on one side ) and we'll drop the sluices and start to flood it from the other end if practical.
Otherwise , if it gets too far , the first reaction of the boater tends to be to go and fetch a bread knife and then there is an almighty bang . Much better to keep your beadies peeled and nip it in the bud.
Otherwise , if it gets too far , the first reaction of the boater tends to be to go and fetch a bread knife and then there is an almighty bang . Much better to keep your beadies peeled and nip it in the bud.
ianc1200
Well-known member
"We are all pretty vigilant for that sort of thing. First sign of an untoward lean ( ie. not just lots of fatties on one side ) and we'll drop the sluices and start to flood it from the other end if practical."
The professional staff maybe, but not all the volunteers.
The professional staff maybe, but not all the volunteers.
TrueBlue
Well-known member
Volunteers have got to start somewhere. "Management" in any organisation tend to equate "training" with "fully trained and experienced".
From the outside lock operation may seem to be simple, but it isn't. The particular difficulty on this River is that there's a huge difference of experience and competence between boaters. Not only that, but each lock is different to add to the complication.
That's why the locks need staffing.
One of the throwaway comments made by EA was that they intended to build on those volunteers who had indicated that they would be interested in 2012 and also looking at other tasks for new volunteers.
oldgit
Well-known member
"first reaction of the boater tends to be to go and fetch a bread knife and then there is an almighty bang . Much better to keep your beadies "
The owner/captain and at the time helmsman of this particular gin palace was far more imaginative,he managed to somehow get his rubber rubbing band neatly parked on top the wood running round top of lock chamber.
Ps,He did take the trouble to explain later at some length it was all the crews fault !
The owner/captain and at the time helmsman of this particular gin palace was far more imaginative,he managed to somehow get his rubber rubbing band neatly parked on top the wood running round top of lock chamber.
Ps,He did take the trouble to explain later at some length it was all the crews fault
!
ianc1200
Well-known member
"Volunteers have got to start somewhere."
I suppose I'm a bit over protective of my boat (we've had it since 1956), but when a volunteer was about to do it serious damage & I had to shout at him to lower the sluices (he was lost in conversation with the support people for the comedian doing the river swim & was profusely apologetic afterwards) I'd rather they either use professional EA staff or have it on public operation.
I suppose I'm a bit over protective of my boat (we've had it since 1956), but when a volunteer was about to do it serious damage & I had to shout at him to lower the sluices (he was lost in conversation with the support people for the comedian doing the river swim & was profusely apologetic afterwards) I'd rather they either use professional EA staff or have it on public operation.
TrueBlue
Well-known member
That's fine if it's you doing the public operation, but what if it's ANO - could be even more of a lottery than a volunteer who has had some training.
It's quite a vexed subject as with declining staff numbers there are likely to be more occasions when locks are DIY.
In practice everyone has to be more proactive?