Vandals

[loribear]

hi all , ive just read the towpath paper & apparantly vandals have been destroying locks on the 21 lock flight just down from wolverhampton to the staffordshire canal, & it's going to about £80,000 to repair it, so they've had to shut the 21 flight lock til about 12th august, right at the peak time for people holidaying ,i just don't know what these vandals get out of it, they must have a warped sence of humour, i just don't know what they gain from doing this kind of vandalism, lori

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[Hylander]

What is the matter with people these days in this country.      You have just given an example of the depths that some people have sunk to.   What in gods name do they glean from destroying locks?     

 

Yesterday on the news it was said that years ago they used to post the announcement of a Royal birth on the railings at Buck House.   They don't do that now because it would be stolen.    Well words fail me.

[Guest]

 i just don't know what they gain from doing this kind of vandalism, 

 

Vandals get satisfaction from causing distress to other people, simple as that.

 

The more damaging the effect their actions have on others, the greater their sense of achievement and standing with their peers.

 

 

It's exactly the same as Spammers, they feed off the very criticism of their actions.

 

 

 

Best to give them as little publicity as possible.

 

 

(It's unfortunately too late now to have humanely gassed them at birth)   

[ranworthbreeze]

Hello Lori,

 

It is such a shame that any damage is done to any locks on the canal system.

 

A number of the locks around the Birmingham navigations do already have handcuff style locks on the locks to make sure that the paddles are not lifted and more importantly not dropped.

As in all things there is a tiny percentage of society that spoils everything for the majority.

 

Regards

Alan

[Hockham Admiral]

Stow, Hi

 

Why ever humanely?    

[Guest]

Stow, Hi

 

Why ever humanely?    

 

Well you have to show some compassion.......

[Hylander]

Oh dear that is shame.

 

M

[teadaemon]

Just found this, although AFAIK the Wolverhampton 21 are still closed.

 

The problem is actually that one of the locks (number 20 IIRC) has had significant movement (collapse) of the side wall. CaRT have said that vandals messing around with the water levels may have had something to do with it collapsing now, but most of the damage is simply deterioration over the lifetime of the lock (around 200 years for this particular one).

 

Like any other structure, canal locks don't last forever, especially if maintenance is put off until they fall apart (which unfortunately is often how things are done on our canal network).

[MauriceMynah]

Have some pity for the poor little vandal, he's at an awkward age...

Too old to be called "still born" but too young for euthanasia .

[ranworthbreeze]

Hello Teadaemon,

Very true in some cases re the maintenance.

The trouble with locks and the way they were constructed as you say 200 years ago, that there is leakage from the bye washes (not on all locks) and from the paddle holes and around the stone and brickwork that the gates open into.

English Heritage and local authorities when involved with any work on canals insist that any pointing is done with lime based mortar, which helps against bricks and stones being blown apart with frost and ice.

It is a pity that there is hardly any lockkeepers left that live on the pounds that they have to maintain, where this is still the case usually the locks and their surrounding grounds are in very good condition.

Regards

Alan

[teadaemon]

There have actually been a few similar problems on various lock flights of the BCN and associated canals this year. On top of the need for maintenance, I wonder if the weather, alternating between very hot and (certainly in the Midlands) torrential rain has accelerated things by causing the ground to move more than usual.

 

I don't think the Wolverhampton 21, or the locks at Smethwick (where there's a closure at the moment due to the collapse of a side wall) have had lock keepers on site at any point since the canals started to be used for leisure, as they're both in the middle of cities. Also, while undoubtedly on-site lock keepers are justifiably proud of their locks and keep them looking their best, even a team of keepers isn't going to prevent problems like this, where the required maintenance involves draining down the locks, excavating the collapsed part and pretty much rebuilding them.

 

I do have a bit of a soft spot for the BCN, I grew up near to the old and new main lines (in fact I had to cross them every day going to and from school on the bus), and walking the towpaths around Birmingham used to provide me with my boat 'fix' in between annual Broads holidays.

[ranworthbreeze]

Hello Teadaemon,

We did part of the BCN in 2011.

We started at a marina in Worchester and when onto he River Seven up to Stourport and then up to Birmingham.

The center of Birmingham is a pleasure to visit, the Gas Street Basin has bridges across the canal so you can get to the canal side bistro's and bars, there are several of well known restaurants that overlook the canal that are all well attended.

Well done Birmingham!

Down the Worchester & Birmingham Canal down to the Cadbury factory at Bournville, we did not stop but the smell was enough to get our fix.

Through the Tardebigge Tunell and down the flight of locks (30) which we managed in two hours, not bad for 3 women and 3 men aged between 55 and 67 at the time of the trip.

Back onto Worchester and the end of holiday.

I have fond memories of this canal.

Regards

Alan

[jeffbroadslover]

It seems to me that the attitude of these no-brainers is " if somebody finds this useful or helpful then I'll wreck it because it's there"