After too many years as your Chair, and with an excellent Council team in place, I felt this was the time not to stand for re-election as your chair, although – if approved – I am happy to continue as  a Council member, especially given the situation with EA and my role on the Boat […]

As we highlighted in the last edition of Nabo News, a major part of our Council’s work is currently dedicated to supporting the vital and ongoing “Fund Britain’s Waterways” campaign. At NABO’s instigation, and with over 70 organisations now on board, this initiative is being led by a small steering group with membership from NABO, […]

What a time to be involved with NABO! Your Council has always been very careful only to take on activities that will have a direct impact on our boaters – who, of course, are the very reason we exist. But when we DO take on a new mission, it needs to be something where – […]

In the Chair March 2023 By the time you read this, we hope that there might just be some clarity about the future funding of both CRT and the Waterways part of the EA – I say “we hope” as it has all been so delayed, and the opinion being expressed in both organisations is […]

I must start by welcoming our new NABO News Editor, John Sadler, who has bravely stepped forward to take over from Peter Fellows, who is leaving the waterways and decamping to live in Ireland! And what a hard act he will be to follow – each year, Peter has somehow managed to develop NABO News […]

Annual Report 2022 A busy year for the Association and an uncertain future for the waterways. Mike Rodd addresses the AGM. There is a vital role for NABO in these times, when the continuing state funding of both CRT and the EA is coming up for review – right in the midst of a totally […]

A critical time for the canals Mike Rodd is concerned about the very existence of some of our waterways. This is THE most critical time – not only for the future of the present canal operators, the Canal and River Trust – but indeed for the whole future of our amazing waterways. I was shaken […]

Mike Rodd contemplates future CRT funding, BSS examinations and ‘composite’ lock-gates during an extended cruise. How good it was to have another real meeting at Alvechurch, even if a few folk couldn’t make it – damn nuisance this boating! Good to see the pub flourishing and many boats moving. But strangely on the K&A we are […]

In the Chair Effects of ‘bonfire of the quangos’ start to hit home Mike Rodd analyses how DEFRA policy is driving the change in emphasis by CRT and the EA away from boating. We’ve seen many intriguing responses to our appeal for members to write to their MPs asking for support for CRT to continue […]

Crunch-time soon? Mike Rodd peers into a very uncertain future for the waterways. The coming months are going to be absolutely critical for all of us who boat on our inland waterways, as it is clear that reports into the futures of both CRT and the EA – as I have mentioned in my previous […]