On the news this morning is a further example of DEFRA's incompetence leading to a potentially disastrous impact on our heritage and environment.  The swinging cuts that they have had to impose on the organisations that they sponsor as a result of their rural payments fiasco has led to a crisis at British Waterways who look after our canal system.  A budget cut of 15% will almost certainly lead to job losses which I have no doubt will impact tangentially if not directly on the thousands of course fishermen who line the canal banks every weekend.  The canal infrastructure is fragile and requires constant maintenance to keep it functioning.  Any cutback in its day to day care will undo years of investment (much of it from volunteer groups) that has brought the system out of terminal decline.  I am not hopeful that Natural England will get off to the nurtured start that it so badly needs if it is to continue the sterling efforts of English Nature.

The best way to describe conditions here this morning is "Autumnal".  It's grey, cold, damp and we have a strong and blustery south easterly blowing the leaves off the trees.  Not an ideal day for the river bank.

I will try to find out today how the grant application is progressing and search out alternative sources just in case YDMT can't stump up the necessary cash.  One possibility is the £4m that the Lottery have set aside for establishing wildlife refuges and which is being promoted by the BBC..  It's worth exploring, perhaps to improve the habitat within the existing fenced reaches of the river.

Ian