From the Chair

As many of you will know, I haven’t been in the best of health since Boxing Day, but have kept in touch with most of the proceedings in connec on with our beloved canal. I par cularly thank all ac ve Trustees and Officers for carrying on with their du es so diligently, and Barry Mobbs for chairing the Trusts’ zoom mee ngs on my behalf. We have seen two major documents produced for considera on and approval. Firstly, the Strategy Plan 2022-2032, and, secondly, The Middle Canal Restora on Proposals produced by Graham Pressman with a way forward for the canal below Ebridge. The Strategy Document was approved at a mee ng in November, 2021, and I undertook the amendments on it, which are now at last complete. A revised version of the GP proposals has been presented, and will be considered at the next Zoom mee ng on April 25th 2022. Well done and thanks, Graham, for all your work on this. I am very pleased to hear of progress made with the bank and in-canal clearance upstream of Ebridge, and, of course, the mul -use of the water there. All these events really improve the outlook for the canal. Looking to the future, I have welcomed David Batley on board as our Funds Team Leader, and thank him for his planned involvement with the Trust. Such ac ons are the lifeblood of any organisa on. I wish David well in his post, and thank him for applying his exper se and experiences to the benefit of our Trust. His keenness is exemplified in his signing up for the IWA/ Hub Grants Workshop in Warwickshire in May. As you may have read elsewhere, The Trust is looking for more volunteers in all areas of our work, and especially for somebody to succeed me as Chair at the next AGM! You will all have no ced this great produc on named the Quagmire. It only gets to you through the dedicated work of Ivan Cane, who has been the editor for some years now. Good old Ivan is now moving on and we are seeking a new editor for the job. If you think this is for you, please give Ivan a call for further details and contacts. (qeditor@nwdct.org) NOW! Please do not all rush forward at once for these posts, but, when you have an interest in any of the available posts, please give me a call, (01603 738648) or contact Julie Kelleher for further details and informa on. Thank you! Again, my thanks go to all of you who support the aim of the Trust to return this historical canal to a useable facility, one set to benefit nature and the public alike. By this, I mean all those who do the physical work, push a pen, hit a keyboard or operate as a valued member. Best wishes to you all, David Revill ֎

Meet Norma and John Albinson of the Ebridge Model Boat Club

For several years now, the cra. of the Ebridge Model Boat Club meandering around the millpond has delighted the gongoozlers res ng on the benches. The Club was begun by John and Norma around seven years ago, and has gone from strength to strength. You were one of the first users of the NW&DC at Ebridge - what a"racted you to this site, and what made you decide to base a model boat club here?

Norma & John (NA)

The fleet busy on the millpond. MJ

One of its a%rac ons was the length of side, and the fact that the OCC would allow us to build a landing stage to launch and li. our boats. The large area for manoeuvring, and the depth - many of our boats have keels over 18 inches long - were all factors that made the millpond an ideal venue. Addi onally, there were several people in North Walsham itself who were interested in taking part. This was on their doorstep, although regular club members came from as far afield as King’s Lynn and Blakeney. How long have you been interested in model boa*ng? John: From the age of 16, I sailed model boats on the Macclesfield Canal, at the Hovis Mill sec on. I’ve always enjoyed the sailing boats, as there’s no noisy engines. I also used to go to a pond on Winslow Common, Manchester. It was an area similar to that of Ebridge, and enabled you to undertake Figure of Eight sailing. Norma: I’ve always been the helper, toing and froing and carrying. Then relaxing, watching from the side. Have you any preference for a model, John? I believe that you have a model wherry. I have two wherries, one 24” and one 36”, and enjoy sailing both of them. I also have a

Open Day display with wherry in foreground IC

Thames sailing barge, which is 50” long. I s ll prefer models that I can sail. A recent innova on is to have cameras on the yachts, which give a completely different perspec ve when sailing the cra.. Where Next? What plans have you for the future with your boats? There are plans to try submarines on the millpond. Norma says that John has built one to go underwater. They could try cameras on them, although John believes that the waters are perhaps too murky to be able to see far. How many members does the club have at the moment?

John to the rescue. MJ

COVID has not helped, leading to many members no longer being able to a%end the regular Sunday sessions. As such, numbers are lower now, from their previous roll of 26. Does the club hold any par*cular events, such as yacht racing? We have tried some yacht races, but that would require me for exclusive use of the millpond, so as to be successful. This is maybe something that the club could arrange in the future. We have had displays during the Trust’s Open Weekends, and these have interested many people, looking at the boats and having a go with the remote controls and sailing the club’s boats. The club has also set aside “volunteer” mes to construct and maintain the landing stage, the nearby bench, and ensure the diness of the lock island. The new swimmer’s step does mean that the club’s landing stage can now be used purely for model boa ng on Sundays. If people want to join the club, do they need a model boat, and who should they contact? We always welcome interested people to come and join us on Sundays. If they bring a boat, we suggest that they donate £5 to the Trust (via the dona on point). For further informa on, they can contact Neil Lawrence - who has taken over as “Chair” from John - via the club’s Facebook page, or by contac ng John and Norma on 01692 584223. Many thanks, Norma and John, for sharing your thoughts with me. We look forward to seeing your boats fliRng across the millpond, during the Summer months. ֎

Pictures NA - Norma Albinson, MJ - Melvyn Johnson

Press Date for the August 2022 edi on of Quagmire is Monday 18th July. Please keep those ar cles and photos coming in (qeditor@nwdct.org)

Published 1st May 2022. Opinions expressed in this Newsle*er do not necessarily reflect the views of the Trust ֎

Work Parties News

Over the past few months, and during COVID, the work par es have been restricted largely to maintenance tasks, such as bushing along the Ebridge reach, bramble clearing at Royston Bridge, and even uncovering part of the original wing walls.

However, looking forward, the various work party groups will need to be re-formed to their preCOVID sizes, structures and more. The maintenance work was principally undertaken during the Thursday work par es. The Green Teams tended the banks, with others based at car parking areas, Purdy’s Marsh and soke clearances. Much of this work followed the M&C Maintenance plan (see p16) on the Ebridge Reach, or took place elsewhere, for example on the Top Canal beyond Swafield Bridge, the Honing Staithe Path and Cut, Honing and Briggate Locks, and the Pigney’s Wood sec on. Thursday WP leaders are needed to help co-ordinate this work, as well as the par cipants themselves. Alongside these groups, the aqua c weed management teams need volunteers for the weedcuRng and li.ing, and keeping the channel clear for the many and varied community users now found along the Ebridge Reach. The second arm of the work party volunteers are the Muddy Team. They work on the various projects aimed at future restora on of the canal itself. In the past, spillways have been rebuilt at Royston and Ebridge - with support given to Laurie’s efforts rebuilding Bacton Wood lock - and the rebuilding and ga ng of the top of Ebridge Lock. Projects lined up here include the stop plank provision for BW lower gates, landing stages for canoeists and trip boat, plus the challenge of Ebridge Lock bo%om gates. The Muddy Team has worked hard clearing Ebridge lock chamber and repairing the walls, but the next significant challenge is to clear under the bridge itself. To do this, the lock has to be safe and dry. To be dry, a bund needs to be constructed to keep the downstream water out. These days, scaffold and tarp bunds are the normal prac ce; however, when this

Where Next?

Wing wall discovery. AB Bramble clearance Royston Bridge Apr 22 AB Royson Spillway 2017 IC

Paddle gear maintenance Feb 22 AB

was tried under the bridge, it would not seal at the bo%om. Nobody realised that when the old bridge was demolished, much was le. in the water, and this disjointed pile of bricks prevented the bund seal from doing its job. As such, the task will now be to reposi on the bund to below the bridge itself, and, a.er that, piping the water from the culvert outlet through the bund, allowing the chamber to be pumped out and bridge hole clearances to start. For this to go ahead, the Trust needs a Project Manager who is keen to work and design not only the bunds but also gates that will need to be operated without the normal beams. We’d also welcome any other brickies, carpenters, labourers or engineers who would like to come along and work on or lead the projects. The Trust Project’s works, although o.en Sunday-based, usually end up with an enthusias c core that func ons on all or some days of the week. For those who prefer the cleaner “Suited Team” work, the permissions, BNG considera ons, planning and scoping for work at Honing and Briggate as well as Ebridge offers several year’s of challenges for them as well. ֎

BW Lock top stop planks 2019 RG Nigel & Terry working on chamber brickwork. July 2019 JK

Clearing Ebridge Chamber Mar 2020 IC

Ebridge Culvert outfall. Whose flow needs diverting through a new bund. March 2020 IC

For the latest work party news go to h*ps://nwdct.org/work-party-informa on-page/ If you can help with any or all of the tasks above, please contact the Trust via secretary@nwdct.org ֎

Wild Swimmers Fun Day

On Easter Sunday, the Norfolk & Norwich Wild Swimmers held a fund raising event: “A fun swim to raise money for the Old Canal Company and the NW&DCT”. Caz Proctor writes that “Many of you use the canal at Ebridge, so already know what a delightful place it is. The canal is privately owned, and access to this beautiful place is generously given by the OCC. Recently, the OCC provided steps at Ebridge Mill, making entry/exit so much easier. The steps were installed by the NW&DCT volunteers”.

Participants were encouraged to bring inflatables, to add to the fun, and fancy dress. Photographs here, taken by Caz P and Glenis Dillon, show what a funday it was. Contributions were accepted online or in buckets around the millpond on the day. When we went to press, some £340.04 had been

raised. Both the OCC and Trust would like to thank everyone for the fabulous turnout, the funds raised towards the maintenance and further restoration of the canal, and especially to all who braved the waters that

day. ֎