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It seems that the lock keepers have had such a rough time from their employers for the last couple of years their morale is the lowest that it has ever been. Loosing their uniforms, being told not to waste time tending their gardens, being told not to keep dogs and finally loosing their homes. Is it any wonder that sickness leave is increasing? Agreed, there was a time that they would snatch a bite of their lunch from the hut every time they passed it whilst working the lock.

I can only suggest that when we do see them we give them our utmost support.

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The difficulty is if we complain - in an effort to get EA to extract its corporate digit, and to "wise up" to reality, it will be the lockies who get a bollocking and not the management.

Bit of a catch 22 situation.

That said it's not normally until the end of May that the system gets into gear, as the weather and traffic is a bit iffy until then.

If EA want to keep us happy (do they??) could they be persuaded to tune up the manual hydraulics on the remaining clockwork locks so that they are not such a pig (pigs) to wind?

Either a matter of tweaking the manual pumps / valve gear, or pouring a ton of goose grease (would also solve the Canadian goose problem ) down the gate pintles.

Marlow head and Shiplake tail gates are a case in point.

Marsh both ends used to be an expletive, but is now resolved as a result of being "electrisified"