Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service will be doing some fire safety advice drop-in sessions during Boat Fire Safety Week between 29th May and 3rd June 2017. Firefighters will also be visiting boaters along the Kennet & Avon Canal to offer free safety advice. FREE smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors will be available to people who live or work on the water.
Tomorrow is the last day to register to vote. Here’s how
Make a difference.
Yesterday (16th May 2017) CRT seized a boat from Bishops Cannings and craned it out at the Black Horse in Devizes. The fibreglass cruiser, appeared to be unoccupied when six bailiffs started push-towing it with a dark green dory at around 10am to the Black Horse, where an A. B. Tuckey’s crane and flatbed truck were waiting.
A lot can happen in a week, hopefully one of those is that you will register to have your say. Here boater Sally tells you how and why;
For anyone that’s missed it, there’s a General Election coming up on 8th June.
Why bother? You may think your vote won’t make any difference, believe me this time it will.
Apart from this being the most important election of our generation, why aren’t you voting? You may want to consider how lucky you are to have the opportunity.
Just look around at what’s happening in this country. The Tories are bleeding public services dry. This Conservative government has borrowed more in the last 7 years than ALL Labour governments combined yet we’re still under the yoke of austerity. Under a Conservative led government homelessness has doubled. Over 2000 deaths have been linked to welfare sanctions. We’ve seen cuts to the NHS, welfare, education, housing, the police, the military, the justice system, everywhere you look. The rise of food banks and children in poverty are a direct result of the Tory Austerity programme.
This election there is an alternative to all of this. It’s time for everyone to have their chance to say ‘no more’. Whoever you chose to vote for make sure you make June the end of May.
Yes. It’s pretty easy. We once voted as ‘the boat in the harbour’ in Sheffield! Go to https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/501398/Register_to_vote__no_fixed_or_permanent_address__living_in_England_and_Wales.pdf … print the form, fill it out and send it to your local electoral services office. Your ‘local connection’ address can be the election office if you’ve no other address.
Can’t print it? Pop in to the electoral services office and ask for a local connection form. Your local library can help too.
Need a national insurance number – phone here 0300 200 3500
If you need any support to do this let us know and we’ll find someone to help.
You have only got until Monday 22nd May to get the form in. That’s six days!
If you’re happy with the status quo do nothing. If not, your country and your community need your help. Oh and you can get free beer… votethisyeargetfreebeer.co.uk
Bristol – B Bond, Smeaton Road, Bristol BS1 6XN
Keynsham & Bath – Guildhall, High Street, Bath BA1 5AW
BOA, Trowbridge, Melksham, Devizes and the Long Pound – County Hall, Bythesea Road, Trowbridge BA14 8JN
Don’t lose your vote in the election! Voter registration forms for people without a fixed address are available from The Wharf Tea Rooms, Devizes Wharf, Couch Lane, Devizes SN10 1EB. The tea rooms are open every day from 10am to 4pm. Liveaboard boaters are also distributing them along the canal to neighbouring boats. You need to register by 22nd May to vote in the 2017 General Election.
We’ve just had an email from Jack Wood-Pearce in Malmesbury offering a load of go-kart tyres for free.
He’s got about 40 and they’re in Malmesbury, he wants to offload them all at once he says he’ll drop them off if someone can take delivery and give them out?
If you’re interested, contact Jack on 01666 825 600
Wiltshire Police has approached the liveaboard boating community seeking people to participate in its new Independent Advisory Group (IAG) in East Wiltshire. The police are particularly looking for members of minority groups, or representatives of organisations that work with minorities or vulnerable people.
On 13th April 2017, BaNES Council published the draft Water Space Study, relating mainly to the River Avon but also to the K&A Canal. Last year, liveaboard boaters were among the groups who took part in surveys, meetings and focus groups to inform the study. The Council wants your comments. You can fill in an online survey here
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/9LB8D9N
You can also send comments to riveravon@bathnes.gov.uk The Project Coordinator is Cleo Newcombe-Jones, email cleo_newcombe-jones@bathnes.gov.uk, tel 01225 477617.