Pulteney Weir protestor Charlie Dancey has let the Virtual Museum know that he is back on the weir and busy arranging what he hopes will be quite a gathering of boated supporters next week – Thursday and Friday, June 20th and 21st.
Charlie – who has moored his Dutch barge in front of Pulteney Bridge in protest at what he says is the neglect and dereliction of the old Newark Works further down river – told me: ‘The “Flotilla” is an invitation to boats of all types (live-aboards, hire boats, gin palaces and punts) to lash together into a sort of island next to Parade Gardens and spend 24 hours together, having barbies, playing monopoly in each other’s cabins and playing music etc. That’s it, because we can and because it will be fun.
I’m seeing Don Foster MP for Bath on 19th July and he has already taken both sides of the argument in his statement to the Press, so I fully expect that, by then, some sort of dialogue will become possible.’
Meanwhile Bath and North East Somerset Council insist the Grade 2 listed works are part of their development plans for the riverside.
