Another three letters in The Times this morning – that’s five so far - all hard-hitting and very supportive of the need to retain a resident Lock Keeper at every Thames Lock.

 

Some of you will remember John Crosby and his wooden cruiser “Van Dyck”. John was a highly respected colourful Thames Character. In 1985 John suffered a severe heart attack whilst on his boat at Hurley Lock. Brian Webb instantly took charge of the situation, called an ambulance and meanwhile gave immediate First Aid. John remained eternally grateful for all that Brian did for him on that dreadful day, he said Brian saved his life … he died fifteen years later in his eighty-seventh year.

 

If EA management wonder why some of us get a bit emotional about our Lock Keepers, it has a lot to do with incidents like that – of which there have been so many.

 

John

(added 18/5/08)