Ramsey missing out on boaters opportunity

HAVING spent four years on the Medway on our narrowboat, I thought it was time to bring it back to the Middle Level. We secured home moorings and arranged for transport by road to a boatyard.

It was decided to cruise round the system. So we went toward Whittlessey, turning on to the Old Nene toward Benwick and finally Ramsey. At Benwick a coalition of parish council and Middle Level and Peterborough Branch of the IWA have installed a really nice 48hr mooring. We didn’t use this time but will in the future. We cruised on to the lovely town of Ramsey.

Arriving late afternoon we found all the old moorings have been ripped up with no effort to replace them. Turning was tight as a live-aboard boat was moored in the turning circle. There is only one place to moor at night and this could obstruct turning of boats. If March puts out a great welcome to the boating fraternity, then Ramsey might as well put up big signs saying ‘boaters not welcome’. A pity for the town is nice with two supermarkets, another mini-market in town itself with a very good fish and chip shop, teashop, baker, hardware shop that sells almost anything, and various other shops. A real missed chanced for the town and district councils. At Ramsey there is also a marina, Bill Fens, about halfway down the cut that has a chanler’s shop and somewhere to stop for repairs. So come on Ramsey let’s see some improvement at the river front.

DAVE BIGGS

Vicarage Lane

Hoo

Kent