Today October 22nd the BCU English Access committee has issued a press
release about Access and the cancellation of the Dee tour.

Please go to the BCU Web site bcu.org.uk for details.

Apologies for not posting it here but I don't know how to do it when it is
an attachment.

Chris.

"Chris. Hawkesworth" wrote in message
...
Today October 22nd the BCU English Access committee has issued a press
release about Access and the cancellation of the Dee tour.

Please go to the BCU Web site bcu.org.uk for details.

Apologies for not posting it here but I don't know how to do it when it is
an attachment.

try....

http://www.bcu.org.uk/access/accessbulletins.html

half way down page.

--
Add "bypass" to subject line to email this address. All others rejected.

Here is the Press release as cut and pasted from the BCU site to save you
going there.

(Chris - You just cut and paste into Notepad, then cut and paste again into
the Contents of your message!)

*********************************************
Press release from the BCU English Access Committee
22 October 2003.

Action on Access

The British Canoe Union (Canoe England Division) is well aware of the
current concern and anger amongst canoeists over the withdrawal of
permission for this years' Dee tours. This has generated a call for more
action on access. The BCU shares the frustration of all canoeists.
The BCU has made sure that those in the corridors of power are fully
informed of both the current problems and the feeling amongst canoeists.
The BCU is planning for action to start in the new year to make the public
and MPs aware of the current unacceptable situation. Some of you will be
asked to help with this at a local level.
We are waiting for the report of the Government funded 'access demonstration
project' before either the BCU or its many supporting organizations or
Government Ministers can take any further action. This report is due to go
to the Minister in February 2004. Further details concerning this work are
available on the on this web site.
We all wish to 'do something now' but action must be at the right time to
help our case, indeed we are concerned that premature action could prejudice
our ability to take effective action in the future.
If the report proves to be unhelpful in increasing access then we are ready
to launch a major campaign for new legislation. This will need the support
of every canoeist. We hope that on this occasion you will all get behind the
English Access Committee. If you are prepared to assist or have any ideas to
help promote the case then please write to the Chairman of the English
Access Committee c/o the BCU Office.
David Gent, the Chair of the BCU English Council said "That the BCU is
committed fully to supporting this most important 'Action on Access'
campaign at this critical time and will be ensuring it does all it can to
make it a success."
For further information please contact:-
Colin Kempson - Chair . BCU English Access Committee 01234 711833.
or
Chris. Hawkesworth. Planning and Facilities Manager.
01423-711563 or Mobile 07802 352815 or
************************************************** ***********

"Chris. Hawkesworth" wrote in message
...
Today October 22nd the BCU English Access committee has issued a press
release about Access and the cancellation of the Dee tour.

Please go to the BCU Web site bcu.org.uk for details.

Apologies for not posting it here but I don't know how to do it when it is
an attachment.

Chris.

My thoughts on this. For our anger to be felt we should make sure that
no paddlers paddle the Dee this winter. (Maybe even to the extent of
boycotting the Nomad site).

The majority of the population of Llangollen is on our side and the
chamber of commerce is involved. But a total boycott would emphasize the
benefit we bring to the town

What we would really like, I think, is to have access to the river
throughout the closed fishing season. What Llangollen would like is this
as well. The Tours are fine but I more than anyone else am aware that
they bring big problems for the town - parking traffic congestion are
the obvious ones. But we also cause the pubs and restaurants and shops
problems. 1000 paddlers arriving for a weekend means they needing extra
staff but only for only two or three weekends a winter. This is hard -
you have your extra bar staff that you use for the summer tourist season
but you can't always call on them in the off season they may well be on
holiday or on the dole. Llangollen is a small town and signing on the
next week if you have done a shift behind a bar might be embarrassing
shall we say. If the numbers were fewer and roughly the same every
weekend then staffing could be organised better. But paddlers are not
the only visitors in town at the weekends and when the monthly Bridge
tournament coincides with a tour weekend it does stretch the resources
of the town to the limit.

Llangollen does depend on the paddlers - they are the Xmas bonus for
many businesses. Burnetts the Chip shot selects his holiday dates by
when the paddling weekends are not happening! At the height of the
Mike Jones Rally, the pubs were taking more money than they did during
the Eistedfod but the paddlers have to realise that they also cause
annoyance and problems and though the pubs and restaurants benefit there
are many other residents who don't and are inconvenienced and annoyed by
the invasion of wet legs as we are locally known


--
Dave Manby
Details of the Coruh river and my book "Many Rivers To Run" at
http://www.dmanby.demon.co.uk

Dave Manby wrote in message ...
The majority of the population of Llangollen is on our side and the
chamber of commerce is involved. But a total boycott would emphasize the
benefit we bring to the town

What about some kind of small but noticable poster or window sticker
along the lines of "we miss the paddlers". Businesses (and homes) in
the town could display these in support of access to the river. This
show of solidarity from locals, if widely taken up, would be a real
coup.

Another idea would be a non paddling rally. Mass in the town one
Saturday; drink the beer, use the shops, eact the chips but most
importantly show strength of numbers. This is the of thing the media
will pick up. Walk the length of the river carrying your boats. A
similar stunt at Stanley (Tay, Scotland) was a success.

Obviously it could backfire if we create the sort of problems that we
know a large group of paddlers can create, but if it can be managed it
should make quite a statement.

What we would really like, I think, is to have access to the river
throughout the closed fishing season.

What, I think, you would really, really like is access 365 days a
year. Responsible access, free access. One day!

What we would really like, I think, is to have access to the river
throughout the closed fishing season.

What, I think, you would really, really like is access 365 days a
year. Responsible access, free access. One day!

I think that the arrangement in France is pretty good - no paddling
early in the morning or in the evening. Most paddlers are not too good
at getting up early and the fishing gets worse as the sun gets higher -
this might not affect Wales quite so much!

--
Dave Manby
Details of the Coruh river and my book "Many Rivers To Run" at
http://www.dmanby.demon.co.uk

Dave Manby wrote in message ...
What, I think, you would really, really like is access 365 days a
year. Responsible access, free access. One day!

I think that the arrangement in France is pretty good

The question is how is it going to be achieved? Thirty plus years of
negotiation would appear to me, from the distance and relative sanity
of Scotland I admit, to have achieved little more that to slow down
the erosion of access in England and Wales, despite the hard work and
committment of those involved.

Is it time for another CRACK at it? Confrontation will certainly not
improve the relationship between paddlers and land owners, but with
even with the land owners and paddlers on the best of terms can the
latter ever expect more that restricted access or a few token
weekends.

So long as the access issue remains a dialogue between paddlers and
land owners I cannot see what progress will be made, the land owners
hold all the cards, along with all the land, and currently have no
reason to change their attitudes.

If there is a plus side to confrontation, it is that will raise the
profile of the dispute, it will become visible to a wider audience who
will, hopefully, realise that it does, or might, effect them. Only
once the general public, the media and the politicians are involved
with there be any reason for the landowners to take notice of the
paddlers.