Archive for April, 2016

CRT Relationship Manager: liveaboards are “gits”

Saturday, April 30th, 2016

CRT’s Relationship, Policy and Strategy Manager Matthew Symonds, whose job includes maintaining relationships with boaters, recently described liveaboard boaters as “gits”.

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K&A boaters action group meeting, Horton, 9th May

Thursday, April 28th, 2016

The next meeting of the K&A boaters action group will be on Monday May 9th at 7.30pm in Horton near Devizes.

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CRT and BaNES plan mooring strategy for entire River Avon and beyond

Sunday, April 24th, 2016

Documents obtained by a Freedom of Information request to BaNES Council, and the response to a recent complaint about proposals to restrict mooring at Mead Lane, Saltford, show that BaNES and CRT are planning a mooring strategy for the River Avon and the K&A Canal between Hanham and Limpley Stoke.

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Spate of boat burglaries on K&A

Sunday, April 24th, 2016

In the week to 22nd April 2016 at least five boats on the K&A, at Pewsey and Hilperton, have been broken into. The modus operandi of the thief is very similar to that of Allan Campbell who was jailed in 2013 for a series of boat burglaries on the K&A and elsewhere.

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Battlelines drawn

Friday, April 22nd, 2016

Nick Brown of NBTA met with CRT yesterday. This is his summary of that meeting.

“Meeting with CRT in MK: Head of Legal (Jackie Lewis), another of the Legal Team (Tom Deards), Head of Boating (Mike Grimes) and Matthew Symonds.

We are still mulling over the conclusions but suffice to say the meeting didn’t go well they conceded very little (if anything).

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Boat Fire Safety talk, Saltford, 25th April

Wednesday, April 20th, 2016

Avon Fire and Rescue Service is giving a boat fire safety presentation (as seen on the canal) at The Jolly Sailor pub in Saltford on Monday 25th April at 7.30pm. This is part of Water Safety Awareness Week which runs from April 25th to May 1st.

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Boaters march to protect their homes

Wednesday, April 20th, 2016

On 16th April 2016, over 200 boat dwellers including a group from the K&A marched to Downing Street to hand in a petition against CRT’s policy that threatens boaters without a home mooring with restricted licences and ultimately eviction from CRT waterways.

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Travelling Community Support Service job vacancy

Monday, April 18th, 2016

There is a job vacancy for a Gypsy and Traveller Outreach and Engagement Worker with the Travelling Community Support Service at Julian House in Bath.

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Boaters meet with hire companies over ASB stag parties

Monday, April 18th, 2016

Last year over 150 people, mostly liveaboard boaters, signed a letter to Avon and Somerset and Wiltshire police forces about the concerns of liveaboard boaters, leisure boaters and residents along the western end of the K&A about the activities and behaviour of some hire boat groups, especially stag and hen parties.

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Off the Cut

Tuesday, April 12th, 2016

Off the Cut, Wendy Zakiewicz’s moving documentary about a Kennet and Avon boater’s struggle against being made homeless through the actions of CRT, provides a unique insight into a community of boaters living on the Kennet and Avon canal.

The film follows a family on their pedal powered boat as they embark on a journey in which their way of life, and that of the whole community, comes under threat.