Boat movement and mooring enforcement on most inland waterways in England resumed yesterday 12th April 2021. On Canal & River Trust (CRT) waterways, boaters without a home mooring have 14 days from yesterday to move from the place where they were moored during the lockdown, meaning that they need to have moved by 26th April […]
March with NBTA tomorrow against the criminalisation of peaceful protest and nomadic ways of life
March with the NBTA banner in London tomorrow Saturday 3rd April in protest against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. Meet NBTA’s London branch at 12.15 at Marble Arch. Look for the blue and white NBTA banner. The march begins at 1pm at Speakers Corner in Hyde Park.
Please donate to crowdfunding appeal for challenge to CRT Boat Licence Terms and Conditions
The NBTA has joined with other concerned people and groups and is crowdfunding to start the process of a legal challenge to Canal & River Trust’s (CRT) proposals to change the Boat Licence Terms and Conditions. The changes CRT wants to make will have a far-reaching and adverse effect on all boaters, and especially those […]
All members invited to NBTA Committee meeting, 11th April
All members are invited to the NBTA Committee meeting by telephone and/or video conference on Sunday 11th April 2021 at 2pm to 4pm. Please send any agenda items to secretariat@bargee-traveller.org.uk by Saturday 10th April 2021.
Boat Safety Scheme survey
The Boat Safety Scheme is running a survey between 15th March and 9th April 2021. The survey seeks boaters’ views on certain safety installations such as smoke alarms and whether these should be required to pass the Boat Safety examination. You can complete the survey online here:
Recent Challenges and Threats to Roving Canal Traders
A number of NBTA members are also Roving Canal Traders. They have been facing problems with local authorities recently regarding their trading activities. Nevil Ingram of Justice for Roving Canal Traders writes:
There’s still time to do the Census!
The deadline for completing the 2021 Census is the end of April, and the Census telephone helpline has added a special line for people living on boats or in caravans, vans, tents or other transient accommodation. This follows the severe difficulties that some Bargee Travellers experienced trying to get a Unique Access Code to do […]
Notes on Geo-Location
Postcodes come as “areas” (eg RGx xxx), “districts” (eg RG1 xxx), “sectors” (eg RG1 2xx) and “full postcodes” (eg RG1 2ST). There are various ways to work out a full postcode from your location. 1 If you know the address of a house or business near-by, you can use the Royal Mail website https://www.royalmail.com/find-a-postcode to […]
Do the Census !!
The 2021 Census takes place this weekend. The NBTA has been involved in detailed discussions with Iain Bell, the Deputy National Statistician at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to iron out problems and get the process to work for itinerant boat dwellers. Members of the NBTA Committee made some “Secret Shopper” calls to the […]
New law proposes criminalising nomadic way of life
The Government has announced a new law that will criminalise trespass. The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill proposes making intentional trespass with intent to reside a criminal offence whether it is on private or public land or on the highway and regardless of how long the land is occupied.