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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2018 21:31:46 GMT
No sooner do C&RT put the embarrassment of Minworth behind them, than the next faux pas looms on the horizon. Marple flight which finally opened after 7 months, and a rebuild of lock 15, has a serious 'narrowing' issue at lock 11. Somehow nobody noticed! Remedial work to 'jack' the lock open is apparently scheduled for Tuesday, but in the meantime C&RT staff are on site to work boats through carefully. As someone else commented, not to worry......at least they have nice shiney new signs at the top of the flight  Rog |
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Post by naughtyfox on May 28, 2018 4:15:01 GMT
Who was responsible for the 'signing off' of the Marple Flight? It's this person who is the guilty party. Unless the work at Marple was only for the lock with the sagging walls, and not for the rest of the flight.
Still, you'd think that once you have taken all that equipment and man power to a site, you'd check the rest of the stuff before packing up and retreating. It's called efficiency.
But then I read that there was controversy when the Marple Flight was built, some said the locks were going to be too deep and a problem in the future. Here's the Future. And now here's the Problem.
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Post by patty on May 28, 2018 5:59:55 GMT
One wonders if CRT have somehow lost their way with their priorities. Perhaps the skilled professionals they require to facilitate effective lock repairs are not available... perhaps budget requirements do not allow for this type of maintenance. It seems so silly that sense and reason and proper evaluation of the problem does not appear to have been addressed .New logos/ rebranding/ new uniforms etc etc all cost. No resources infinite and priority may not be to keep canals open for boating.... though walkers/ cyclists/ tow path users do not provide income. It is a strange world.
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2018 8:27:02 GMT
One wonders if CRT have somehow lost their way with their priorities. Perhaps the skilled professionals they require to facilitate effective lock repairs are not available... perhaps budget requirements do not allow for this type of maintenance. It seems so silly that sense and reason and proper evaluation of the problem does not appear to have been addressed .New logos/ rebranding/ new uniforms etc etc all cost. No resources infinite and priority may not be to keep canals open for boating.... though walkers/ cyclists/ tow path users do not provide income. It is a strange world. Actually tax payers (walkers/cyclists/tow path users) do provide income. Some may also donate to CRT. Most boaters are also tax payers and some donors by the way, so we pay a lot more than just the tax. The problem is that CRT see them as the main customer over boaters. In fact boaters are seen a pain in the arse and wear out the infrastructure when they are cruising the network. What they forget about is the millions of people who get joy out of hiring boats and watching them every year. Look at the number of people who flock to canal side pubs and locks to watch boats go past. Of course those working at CRT wouldn’t have a job if all those boat/canal enthusiasts hadn’t restored the network years ago. It’s a pity the network can’t be maintained by volunteers and enthusiasts....how hard can it be? |
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2018 8:34:30 GMT
They have been pushing the healthy bit for over a year now, only now decide they need a new look to help push it further, if it hasn’t worked over the last year then how is a new going to help?? Flogging a dead horse springs to mind.
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Post by naughtyfox on May 28, 2018 11:15:09 GMT
One wonders if CRT have somehow lost their way with their priorities. Perhaps the skilled professionals they require to facilitate effective lock repairs are not available... perhaps budget requirements do not allow for this type of maintenance. It seems so silly that sense and reason and proper evaluation of the problem does not appear to have been addressed .New logos/ rebranding/ new uniforms etc etc all cost. No resources infinite and priority may not be to keep canals open for boating.... though walkers/ cyclists/ tow path users do not provide income. It is a strange world. ...how hard can it be? Very, very hard to give up a salary of £188,000/year + company car plus perks. |
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Post by kris on May 28, 2018 11:20:57 GMT
Very, very hard to give up a salary of £188,000/year + company car plus perks. Is that how much you get paid for driving a bus in Finland? |
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2018 12:30:12 GMT
I let you all into a little secret. Money is no good to us when we are dead. It corrupts our kids...or rather allows them to be corrupted. It will never beat quality time with people we love (which should cost nothing if you have the right friends and familly!).
The thing is, we all know this stuff yet carry on being slaves to the machine. How is that?
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Post by naughtyfox on May 28, 2018 13:10:28 GMT
Very, very hard to give up a salary of £188,000/year + company car plus perks. Is that how much you get paid for driving a bus in Finland? I meant why would CRT management want to relinquish their posts and power and let volunteers run the canals for free? Where's the fun in that? |
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Post by kris on May 28, 2018 13:23:20 GMT
Is that how much you get paid for driving a bus in Finland? I meant why would CRT management want to relinquish their posts and power and let volunteers run the canals for free? Where's the fun in that? Oh, I was thinking no wonder he doesn't mind giving the iwa £38 if he earns that much. |
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Post by naughtyfox on May 28, 2018 13:24:24 GMT
I let you all into a little secret. Money is no good to us when we are dead. It corrupts our kids...or rather allows them to be corrupted. It will never beat quality time with people we love (which should cost nothing if you have the right friends and familly!). The thing is, we all know this stuff yet carry on being slaves to the machine. How is that? When you are alive, money pays for your CRT licence so you can enjoy boating, which is usually (always?) a LUXURY LEISURE PURSUIT. Also, we don't get very far at all with anything without money. No food, no clothes, no dental treatment, and no means of paying for our phone/computer/broadband connection. Sign in pub: please do not ask for credit, as a punch in the face often offends. |
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2018 13:41:47 GMT
I let you all into a little secret. Money is no good to us when we are dead. It corrupts our kids...or rather allows them to be corrupted. It will never beat quality time with people we love (which should cost nothing if you have the right friends and familly!). The thing is, we all know this stuff yet carry on being slaves to the machine. How is that? When you are alive, money pays for your CRT licence so you can enjoy boating, which is usually (always?) a LUXURY LEISURE PURSUIT. Also, we don't get very far at all with anything without money. No food, no clothes, no dental treatment, and no means of paying for our phone/computer/broadband connection. Sign in pub: please do not ask for credit, as a punch in the face often offends. I was actually ‘that close’ to the lifestyle when I was in my late teens. I bought a clinker built cabin cruiser near Ricky and realised I could live the dream then... Unfortunately I met a very attractive intelligent blond! To be fair I don’t regret anything. It was a good lesson and I had great kids. It did lead to a very early retirement from ‘the system’ though. So tell me Foxy. How much money are you being paid to maintain the Status Quo? |
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Post by IainS on May 28, 2018 15:00:56 GMT
Who was responsible for the 'signing off' of the Marple Flight? It's this person who is the guilty party. Unless the work at Marple was only for the lock with the sagging walls, and not for the rest of the flight. Still, you'd think that once you have taken all that equipment and man power to a site, you'd check the rest of the stuff before packing up and retreating. It's called efficiency. But then I read that there was controversy when the Marple Flight was built, some said the locks were going to be too deep and a problem in the future. Here's the Future. And now here's the Problem. With the flight having been drained for the works, it's quite likely that the walls of lock 11 moved inwards under ground pressure, which wouldn't be resisted by water pressure in the lock. Probably difficult to spot without doing a full survey of all the locks when the works were complete. An inch or two can make all the difference. (So the wife tells me, anyway) |
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2018 15:20:36 GMT
I let you all into a little secret. Money is no good to us when we are dead. It corrupts our kids...or rather allows them to be corrupted. It will never beat quality time with people we love (which should cost nothing if you have the right friends and familly!). The thing is, we all know this stuff yet carry on being slaves to the machine. How is that? 🍻👍🎸🔊 |
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Post by naughtyfox on May 28, 2018 15:24:51 GMT
As it happens, all my payslips from 2018 and 2017 are inside my bus right now (just got home) as I have other work papers in that attache case, such as certificates for my next 'professional competency' licence - I thought I might need them today, but am going to Kokkola tomorrow with the bus to make the application for the next licence (every 5 years renewal). Also to renew my digital tachograph card at the same time (every 5 years for that too). So I can't tell you accurately what my wages have been up to this point. Roughly I get 870 Euros every two weeks (10 days), after tax. That's £762. £76/day. This is for a 40-hour week. Because this is over the norm of 7:36 hours working day, with this Union agreement compensation is given for that extra 24 minutes every day + 50% on top and this works out for me as 18 paid days/year - ie. I can take 18 days off and shorten my work time. I don't take these days as free time so they get paid as money, because that's fine with me (extra cash) and I am a conscientious worker and the fact is that there aren't really any other drivers to do what I do. Only I know the route/job (which kiddies from where - and remember, in the dark you need this knowledge), and the nearest other drivers might have to drive 40 miles to get to Kannus. Then there's 2.5 days/month holiday, so I'm due, after 10 months (Aug-May) to get 25 days soon, which is 5 weeks (weekends not counted). Holiday pay is basic pay + 50%. When there are no official school days I'm technically unemployed so get unemployment benefit from a 'private' organisation (but I bet the State is behind it), and that's 50 Euros/day after tax. You can work out my annual income from that In theory I should be able to save perhaps 500 Euros/month (?). When we bought our boat we knew that it would be an expensive (for us) 'luxury' and that morning after morning waking up at 0530 in the dark and driving to work in minus 25 Centigrade and through snowstorms, roughly a quarter of my income would be getting pumped into this venture. After having spent many hours of hard labour getting the boat up to scratch, and paying a lot for it too, we are finally on the tipping point where we are riding on what we have invested into it, should be a relatively problem-free 5 to 10 years in front of us. I calculated once, if it'd be cheaper to have holidays in England with a rental car and Bed & Breakfast accommodation, or to have this boat. Remember with the boat we save a lot on fuel, and accommodation is free and you don't have to hunt for it! It actually turns out that boating, with the CRT-licence, insurance, blacking, BSS and mooring fees, is perhaps 25% more expensive than rental car + B&Bs. However, it is an experience that is hard to match! The Witch likes it as it is gentle-going and the towpath is near in case the boat sinks, so she can just jump to safety. And that's good for me as I know she enjoys it. It's also fun for me to see her see England from a perspective tourists rarely experience, such as popping into other peoples' boats (did I mention we sat drinking wine with Pru and Timmy inside their boat just outside Banbury?). Before buying this boat we had made a 5-year holiday plan which included driving round the NW USA, cycling through Japan, driving round New Zealand, Interrailing round Europe, and so on - but we shoved that plan to one side and plunged into the world of Very Strange People. No regrets. Bit gutted about being thrown off Canalworld though (joking!). |
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