kimhollamby
Active member
I grew up near the Thames, enjoyed many happy hours on it in my childhood and subsequently equally enjoyed bringing my boat up for a month each year for several years in the 1990s (the visitor rules meant that we couldn't stay longer as we were coastal based for the rest of the year).
When I recently bought a boat again an attraction was we could strip everything down to limbo under the bridges and revisit old haunts, say hi to friends and give sea-nervous members of the extended family a day or two to remember. However, must confess I'm increasingly disinclined now, sadly.
From our South Coast base it is an equal distance to head for Netherlands (or for that matter to go for the Essex rivers) if we want to head inland. There's nothing quite like the Thames but even the cost of a month's licence would certainly make it a special treat now -- no longer a casual decision. Also not up to speed on BSS rules for visitors which might be a further factor.
I was asked to speak at an EA conference years back when the theme was trying to get more people afloat and arrest falling traffic levels. Seems that any efforts in that regard are now firmly out of the window?
Or am I missing something?
When I recently bought a boat again an attraction was we could strip everything down to limbo under the bridges and revisit old haunts, say hi to friends and give sea-nervous members of the extended family a day or two to remember. However, must confess I'm increasingly disinclined now, sadly.
From our South Coast base it is an equal distance to head for Netherlands (or for that matter to go for the Essex rivers) if we want to head inland. There's nothing quite like the Thames but even the cost of a month's licence would certainly make it a special treat now -- no longer a casual decision. Also not up to speed on BSS rules for visitors which might be a further factor.
I was asked to speak at an EA conference years back when the theme was trying to get more people afloat and arrest falling traffic levels. Seems that any efforts in that regard are now firmly out of the window?
Or am I missing something?