Getting to know you Stella Ridgway looks back over five years of engagement with CRT. As the CRT Annual General Meeting is coming up, I thought I would reflect on the last year and, indeed, the five years since I started attending these AGMs. The Trust started out with Richard Parry going to boaters’ forums, […]

If only the trust would listen Stella Ridgeway responds to the letter to boaters from Richard Parry Why is it boaters feel so disenfranchised by CRT? Why is it that CRT staff, who are paid to enrol people on the towpath as Friends, now don’t bother to approach boaters? The constant PR push over the […]

Can you hear us? Stella Ridgway is looking forward to meaningful discussions with CRT, rather than just being fed information. CRT was in its infancy when we moved onto our boat. You may remember Richard Parry held road-shows and regular meetings with boating organisations, and seemed to genuinely want to listen to boater’s views. Admittedly, […]

In the Chair Beasts and Breaches Well winter seems like it is really cross, it keeps storming out and then storming back in shouting “and another thing”. We have six inches of snow again, although we are not iced in this time. Last week was fun going for water, with frozen snow on top of […]

Stella Ridgway gets ready for winter As another year ends and Christmas approaches, the summer boaters are busy winterising their boats, liveaboards are eyeing places to get free wood and ensuring that they have organised a coal delivery from their local coal-boat. We are lucky to have fortnightly coal-boat runs; please support your coal-boats – […]

Getting to know you Stella Ridgway is concerned about the disconnect between boaters and local communities. In the July issue, I expressed a desire that the sun we had in June would be extended, but we have had one of the worst Augusts on record for cloud, rain and cold weather. We have had our […]

In the Chair Stella Ridgway is enjoying the summer   I hope you have all been enjoying the lovely weather; we got some painting done, although the disadvantage was that the paint was drying as we put it on. I do hope that wasn’t all of our summer ‒ we so deserve a decent summer […]

In the Chair Don’t rush – explore the places where you moor NABO Chair, Stella Ridgway says make the most of your overnight stays This is a shortened column this month and I have not been able to attend many meetings, so others have stepped into my place. We are still well-represented within CRT and […]

‘Bring Out Another Thousand’ NABO Chair Stella Ridgway gets ready for some springtime maintenance Spring has finally sprung here in the Peak District: the birds are busy building nests; the wild garlic is sprouting; lambs are being born and the ducks and geese are mating loudly. My daffodils opened this week, the sun shone, and […]

Home comforts NABO Chair Stella Ridgway offers some tips for liveaboards I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas. We certainly did, as my eldest daughter surprised me by arriving from New Zealand for an extended visit on Christmas Eve. As you can imagine when you are surprised like that, there were many tears, hugs and […]