The worst of it is that people who pay for the canalside view then complain about the boats!
Later on - on the same holiday - we had moored up for the night at some quiet spot, only to have some idiot undo one of our mooring ropes. We woke to the sound of "IN! OUT! IN! OUT!" as a rowing boat came along the canal in the early morning mist. Our 40 foot steel narrow boat had swung right across the canal. The rowers took avoiding action, and went on their way.
I found that a catapult was a good deterrent! Probably frowned on today but I figured that even the most socially challenged could understand my drift, sauce for the goose etc.
Absolutely was shouted at once for making a noise when knocking in mooring pins!
The Severn Valley Railway has had similar problems with people buying houses by the line, and then compalining about the trains' smoke and whistle sounds.
Opposition to the reopening of the seven mile Stratford upon Avon to Honeybourne link ( victim of Dr Beechings cuts ) is vociferous. The link wold reinstate direct services towards Worcester and on. Now it's necessary to go to Birmingham to connect. The track is now a green way but all intact. One objection raised is that reopening would deprive dog walkers of a convenient exercise area for their dogs! A balanced argument?
If it hadn't been shut in the first place, would these possibly-to-be-deprived pet owners now be demanding its closure and turning into a places for 'walkies' for their labradoodles? I do not think so. I read: "The Shakespeare Line Promotion Group continues to pursue local authorities, key stakeholders, politicians and any other relevant organisation to get an independent and comprehensive Economic Impact Study completed into the reopening proposal. Only then can the scheme be determined as being viable or not." A good job HS2 is not going through the same route!
Yes, The Shakespeare Line Promotion Group is trying hard and I for one support them. Our local MP Nadhim Zawahi does NOT support reopening the line, however I understand that he DOES support opening the unspoiled length of the Avon to Warwick for pleasure boats, mostly diesel powered incidentally! One little benefit I did derive from the green way was that being surfaced with a white aggregate it was a useful navigational aid from Stratford to long Marston airfield my home airfield which was located next to the old railway. No flying from there any more as the developers are building houses there,I understand around 3500! The skylarks that lived there together with other wild life will have to " relocate "! Sad.
Mention of Long Marston reminds me of the Royal Engineers Stores Depot there in the 1950s and 1960s when I was stationed at Longmoor. On my Movement Control Clerk course, I filled out imaginary Consignment Notes for stores going to or being received from there. Typical MP! What were you flying into and out of LM, and when?
Interesting that you know of Long Marston, The depot was adjacent to the airfield as you know.
There are vociferous opposers to the canal restorations too. Usually on the grounds of it destroying wildlife. I had a heated debate with a wildlife-conservationist neighbour who opposes the work to extend the Montgomery canal. She said boats were unsuitable to be used on the canal. I said the canal wouldn't be there in the first place if it wasn't for boats. We agreed to differ!
Yes I think canal restoration is quite legitimate,I explored the derelict Buckingham arm in the 1950s, already abandoned illegally, also took a canoe down the Wendover arm. However I feel that rivers like the Upper Avon should be left as they are, it was never navigable to Warwick and is not truly a restoration. Regarding your conversation with your conservationist neighbour,
On 21 Feb 1989 I had a flight in a two-seater microlight from Popham. I recall trying to take pictures as we flew over the M3. It had a thruster propeller and, with no eye protection, my eyes were streaming from the effects of the wind! My very first flight was in an Auster from Yelverton airfield in the 1950s. Since then I've flown in a Handley Page Hermes IV, DC4s, a Hastings, Britannias, Cessnas, Bell Jetrangers, a Tri-Star, various Boeings and Airbuses, Dash 7s in the Caribbean, a hot air balloon, gliders in the UK and Australia, and an Airship 600 from Cardington. And a Beverley! What were you doing in the aircraft industry?
A bit naughty not providing you with a visor to protect your eyes! I was a design draughtsman working for various companies including Hunting Aircraft,De havilland, Napier, Handley Page, Field Aircraft ( On detachment From Huntings ).
No – it was my fault for rejecting the offer of goggles; I thought they would get in the way of picture taking. Mention of the Gyrodyne brought to my mind the exploded diagram of the Rotodyne in the centre pages of the Eagle boys comic one week in the 1950s.
Yes,it was the same group. Huntings took over Percival aircraft at Luton and produced the Prentice,Provost, Jet Provost and later had a part of the BAC 111 aircraft project. They also had a London office in Cavendish Square.
I recall the Provost and or the Jet Provost being used as an RAF trainer.
