Peter's Waterways Blog How THRIFTY are we being? This was first published in IWA West Riding's Milepost in September 2018, covering the quirks Canal and River Trust's water-saving messages.

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Do we walk into the supermarket thinking “I must be THRIFTY today”? However much we think of value-for-money, or restricting food-miles, I would be surprised if many members used the word THRIFT in any context in our daily lives. It just doesn't trip-off-the-tongue, even if it ever did. “I wish my car was more thrifty” ??

We all need to share the water available in a dry summer to best advantage, and it's Canal and River Trust (C&RT)'s campaign people who have written lots of signs based on the word THRIFT, and tried to make a mnemonic of it, with each letter standing for a different idea. It would normally be a harmless game, and maybe some navigators would remember some of the six messages on the notices stapled to lock beams across the country. If only it had an S in it! We could tell navigators to Share locks. Or a P for Paddles and G for Gates, which all need to be left closed. Having decided that THRIFT is the thing, these ideas have to be “Two in a Lock” and “Have you Shut Up?”. Or that's what they were in old notices, which all remain displayed for years. A newer, revised H says “Help Keep It In”. Someone thinks that's more memorable. “Report Leaks” is as good an anything and expressing Take Turns as “Invite Oncoming Boats Through” is no worse than the others if navigators remember the additional advice that this applies to a lock set t'other way, and an oncoming boat is able to use it.

My granny used to say that Fs always cause the trouble. And so it is here. The old signs said “Follow Advice” and “Think Ahead” with the expansion that it's a good idea to lockwheel through flights as well as checking boats in front and behind to maximise efficiency. This has now become “Find another favourite” which the website says means “Explore less busy parts of the network” and “Think ahead” which now means “Plan cruises to minimise use of locks” as well as saying “It doesn't matter if it's pouring down or gloriously sunny. It's always good boating practice to ...” Maybe, if we had the letters, Go Somewhere Else or Go Caravanning Instead. It's all so discouraging. The challenge is to have the water to make the network alive with moving boats. Working the locks is the privilege and the essence of navigation. Neither chore nor hardship, it's an essential part of why the network is so attractive. And to help C&RT appreciate and celebrate its assets, the challenge if you choose to accept it, is to design a new mnemonic based around a different word that encompasses what we can all do to use those resources to best advantage. Fame awaits your efforts on this blog. Peter Scott @peterjohnscott