Archive for May, 2017

This week is Boat Fire Safety Week

Tuesday, May 30th, 2017

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.

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Boaters invited to K&A Canal East meeting, 1st June, Wootton Rivers

Tuesday, May 30th, 2017

Liveaboard boaters are invited to the Kennet & Avon Canal East Meeting on 1st June 2017 at 6pm for 6.30pm at Wootton Rivers Village Hall. These twice-yearly meetings were set up by Pewsey Community Area Partnership in 2014 to discuss and resolve issues regarding the K&A Canal that affected boaters and local residents in the villages along the canal.

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Register to vote – last day

Sunday, May 21st, 2017

Tomorrow is the last day to register to vote. Here’s how

Make a difference.

CRT seize another boat from K&A

Wednesday, May 17th, 2017

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.

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Six days left to make a difference

Tuesday, May 16th, 2017

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.

Why should you vote?

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.

  • It took until 1928 for women to be given the right to vote in the UK after a long and bitter Suffragette battle.
  • In the US it took until 1965 to remove racial discrimination from voting rights allowing all US citizens the right to vote.
  • In Saudi Arabia women still do NOT have the right to vote.

If you think your vote won’t make a difference check out these statistics.

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.

But I’m a continuous cruiser, can I still vote?

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!

Do not delay, get free beer NOW!

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

Local Electoral Services offices

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

Voter registration forms available at Devizes Wharf, register by 22nd May

Friday, May 12th, 2017

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.

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Karting tyres going free (or is it wheeee….?)

Thursday, May 11th, 2017

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 seek liveaboard boaters to join new Independent Advisory Group in East Wiltshire

Friday, May 5th, 2017

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.

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Draft BaNES Water Space Study published – the Council invites you to comment by 22nd May

Wednesday, May 3rd, 2017

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.

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