Rudolph Hooker -- Provisional IWA

As the average age of the IWA membership grew higher and higher, it was inevitable that the membership numbers would start to dwindle. The natural course of events was hastened by the fact that for years the IWA was seen as cosying up first to BW, now to AV(2010)PLC.

The younger breed of boater (under 60 ? .... Matt) felt a more pro-active organisation was required to represent them. Thus the Provisional IWA was born. The title started as a joke. The result of a midwinter drinking session in the Shroppie Fly, legend has it.
The beauty of this organisation is it only exists on the web. It is a "virtual" organisation with, apparently, no members.

However, various protests have taken place from time to time, (mainly because many boaters feel their is no other way of expressing their views), and the Pro IWA has claimed responsibility. Whether they organised the events no one knows. Because of it's "virtual" nature the police seem to ignore it. They have enough trouble with child porn on the net to be bothered with militant boaters.
Militant boaters? 5 years ago that would have been considered an oxymoron.