Normal People

It isn’t the best time to approach a woman about money when she is pulling in a sixteen ton boat against a strong wind but the C&RT chugger on the Grand Union at Kensal Green was undeterred.  She stood next to me, rabbitting on merrily, telling me everything that I, and every boater, already know about C&RT.

‘Would you be prepared to contribute towards the charity?’ she asked

‘I already do.  £900 a year’

‘Oh, that’s generous is it a voluntary contribution?’

‘No it’s my licence fee for having a boat on a canal’

‘I don’t really know anything about how it works with boats on the canal’

‘Doesn’t your training include details of the boats and boaters and the licence fees they pay?’

‘No we’re only taught how to approach normal people’