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Issue 106, August 2014

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BRITANNIA RULES AT DUNSTABLE P12 The annual Braunston Rally provides one of the most scenic opportunities to see historic narrowboats in all their glory. Full report on P4. PHOTO: JANET RICHARDSON

TV Tony backs rescue bid for ‘lost’ canals

GETTING UP CLOSE TO THE KELPIES P14

BOAT REVIEW: TRUE BLUE

HISTORIAN Sir Tony Robinson is backing a campaign calling on people to rediscover, and bring back to life, thousands of miles of derelict historic canals that helped make Britain the world’s first industrial nation.

As part of the campaign the Canal & River Trust has published an online map which it hopes will inspire people to

Award for breach work

P62

THE response to the breach on the Trent & Mersey Canal at Dutton has received the Canal & River Trust’s inaugural Waterways Alive Award recognising best practice by trust employees and volunteers. It was presented to the winning team by chief executive Richard Parry at a recent ceremony at the Anderton Boat Lift. As well as the challenge of a major canal breach, the team turned adversity into a new engagement with the public to gather support which resulted in the canal being reopened live on BBC’s The One Show. Six finalists were shortlisted from 40 entries.

514 BOATS FOR SALE Starts on

unearth more of their local history and help save the canals that shaped where they live.

The map enables people to find their nearest lost canals, explore their history and get involved with local restoration groups.

Sir Tony, who is best known for presenting Time Team and his portrayal of Baldrick in the

P19

All party CRT inquiry

THE Inland Waterways Association (IWA) has welcomed plans announced by the All Party Parliamentary Waterways Group (APPWG), to hold an inquiry into Canal & River Trust (CRT), to evaluate the development, progress and future plans of the charity. Led by chairman and former Waterways Minister, Sir Tony Baldry MP, APPWG proposes to hold an evidence session which would produce a report of the inquiry’s findings, together with recommendations for government and other relevant bodies.

More locations, more choice Stourport Marina Tel 01299 827 082

Racecourse Marina, Windsor

Stourport on Severn

Tel 01753 851 717

River Thames, Windsor

Thames & Kennet Marina

Walton Marina

Tel 01932 221 689

Boat sales at seven Marinas with over 150 boats for sale

Visit:

www.tingdene.net

Upton Marina

Tel 01684 593 111 Upton upon Severn

Walton on Thames

Brundall Bay Marina

Tel 01189 477 770

River Thames, Caversham

Tel 01603 717 804

Pyrford Marina

Tel 01932 343 275 River Wey, Surrey

Norfolk Broads

Blackadder series, said: “The waterway network is part of the fabric of our nation but it’s easy to forget that not so very long ago some of our most popular canals were almost lost forever.

“The fact that we can still enjoy them now is thanks largely to the vision, dedication and sheer hard work of volunteers in the 60s and 70s.

These inspiring men and women just wouldn’t take no for an answer and worked on the basis that nothing was impossible. We need to recapture that same spirit within our communities to support today’s volunteers in bringing more of these once proud waterways back to life.”

• Continued on page 2

Marina hosts breakfast show

DROITWICH Spa Marina recently hosted BBC One’s National Breakfast Show with reporter John Maguire.

Marina director Nick Parkes was interviewed, together with Canal & River Trust operations director Vince Moran, Vaughan Welch of the Inland Waterways Association and several moorers. Canal renovation was the theme featuring the Droitwich Canal which was reopened to create the Mid Worcestershire Ring – the only 21-mile circular cruising route in Europe. Walkers will tackle the full distance or an 11-mile route for the St Richard’s Hospice Annual Waterways Walk, sponsored

by Droitwich Spa Marina, on Sunday, August 17.

2 NEWS

www.towpathtalk.co.uk

WELCOME

SUMMER so far has been a bit of a mixed bag with some events enjoying wall-to-wall sunshine while wellies and brollies have been the order of the day at others.

Braunston Historic Boat Rally at the end of June was a good example with persistent rain on the Saturday followed by some warm sunshine the following day. But whatever the weather, we Brits make the best of it and I thoroughly enjoyed my first visit to Braunston, see report and pictures on page 4.

I have also been north of the border to visit the legendary Kelpies at the new Helix Park at Falkirk, and while I was there enjoyed a trip up the Wheel, finding myself sat next to a couple from a neighbouring market town in Lincolnshire – it’s a small world. See our feature on pages 14 and 15.

Anniversaries have also been in the news – more from Stratford next month – and we report on the Dunstable & District Boat Club’s 50th celebrations on page 12.

Have you looked at the Canal & River Trust’s online map of lost canals yet? I found our local Horncastle Navigation, albeit with a photo of Boston’s Black Sluice lock, while the picture of our River Bain appears on the Fenland Waterways Link entry.

It’s good to see Sir Tony Robinson fronting the campaign to rescue these canals – let’s hope he has a cunning plan.

TOWPATH

TALK

Janet

Editor Janet Richardson jrichardson@mortons.co.uk Publisher Julie Brown Display advertising Nikita Leak nleak@mortons.co.uk Classified advertising Stuart Yule syule@mortons.co.uk Feature advertising Jason Carpenter jcarpenter@mortons.co.uk Editorial design Tracey Barton Divisional ad manager Sue Keily Direct sales executive John Sharratt Group production editor Tim Hartley Production manager Craig Lamb Publishing director Dan Savage Commercial director Nigel Hole Contact us General queries 01507 529529 help@classicmagazines.co.uk www.classicmagazines.co.uk News & editorial Tel: 01507 529466 Fax: 01507 529495 editorial@towpathtalk.co.uk Advertising Tel: 01507 524004 Fax: 01507 529499 Published by Mortons Media Group Ltd, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs, LN9 6JR Tel: 01507 523456 Fax: 01507 529301 Printed by Mortons Print Ltd. Tel. 01507 523456 Next Issue – August 28, 2014

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Customers are the key to the Canal & River Trust’s success

PUTTING customers first is one of the priorities for the Canal & River Trust, according to chief executive Richard Parry who presented his report to the annual public meeting in Birmingham a year to the day following his appointment.

He said it had been a huge learning curve and expressed his gratitude for the goodwill people in the boating community had shared with him.

“I have relished the opportunity to get out and meet the people who care for and enjoy the wonderful canals and rivers we’re responsible for,” Richard told the meeting, held in what he described as a ‘narrowboatshaped’ room at Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

“This year we have honed our longterm strategy, which includes building the broad support that is so important for the future of the waterways. We are also putting the customer at the centre of all the work we do, with a great emphasis on being open and involving others in our decision making.”

A new head of customer service will be recruited to take on the responsibility for leisure boating, licensing and enforcement as well as leading wider customer service changes. West Midlands waterway manager Dean Davies will initially cover the role on secondment.

CRT head of planning Heather Clarke will take on a new broader role as head of strategy and planning with a remit to continue to develop the trust’s strategy to fulfil its vision of living waterways that transform places and enrich lives.

Performance

Richard went on to say that in financial terms it had been a successful year, the CRT beating its target for income by more than £5 million and spending more on care of the canals as a result.

“It’s an exciting year ahead.

Continued good financial performance means that we will be able to spend more than planned. We

Annual meeting delegates wait to board a boat for a visit to Birmingham’s Icknield Port Loop where future development is planned.

PHOTO:WATERWAY IMAGES

have put aside funds for additional vegetation work this autumn, as well as further dredging and maintenance that will directly improve the experience for our customers.

“We’re doing more to stir interest in the next generation of enthusiasts, we have ambitious targets for volunteering and a series of summer open days over the coming weeks to showcase more of our work to the wider community.”

CRT chairman Tony Hales said that Richard had shown most extraordinary energy, stamina and openness in engaging directly with so many people up and down the country.

Thanking the whole team, he said the waterway partnerships and their members had been a powerful stimulus. “You have done really well in rising to new challenges, the trust has also become a more open and engaging organisation.”

Tony also spoke of the value of volunteers of all ages. “We rely on mature people to a large degree but we are also working to attract new young

volunteers and those of different ethnic backgrounds who in 20-30 years’ time will be the backbone of the trust.

“We want to encourage people out of their armchair or away from that flickering screen – teaching kids about their heritage and a culture for new audiences and places.”

He added that in the last 12 months the number of powered boats have increased, visitors to towpaths are up and canoeing is one of the fastest-growing sports with one million on our waters.

Petition

At the start of a question and answer session, Pamela Smith of the National Bargee Travellers Association presented a petition signed by more than 5000 people calling on the CRT not to evict vulnerable people.

Tony Hales stressed: “We have no desire to evict or upset anyone who is

disadvantaged or disabled and we are trying to use as many local support agencies as we possibly can.”

Referring to the proposed appointment of a welfare liaison officer, as reported in Towpath Talk last month, Richard Parry added that the trust is very mindful of its responsibilities under the Equality Act. In an update to the boaters’ meetings that have been taking place around the country, he announced that the next wave of meetings will start in September with a second live Twitter Q&A and continuing with face-to-face meetings from October 1.

So far, the meetings have been a mixture of weekend afternoon and weekday evening events but the CRT would like to hear customers’ views on what timing works best for them. Please email fran.read@canalrivertrust.org.uk with your preferences.

Stratford takes some licking

Highlights of the year

• More than £120 million invested in repairing and restoring the waterways, with the proportion of principal assets in the two worstcondition grades reduced to 14.7% • 142 lock gates replaced or refurbished and more than 68 miles of waterways dredged, with the removal of more than 90,000sq m of silt • Completion of the repair to the Trent & Mersey Canal following the breach at Dutton • Major repairs to the Monmouthshire & Brecon and Llangollen canals following the damage wreaked by the winter floods • 32,440 licensed boats (excluding boat licences of one month or less) as at March 31 – a 0.4% increase • 51,000 volunteer days • More than 50 community adoptions • Nearly 27,500 children discovered their local canal or river as part of the trust’s volunteer-led Canal & River Explorers programme • Around 10,000 people visited winter works open days • People’s Postcode Lottery’s ‘charity of the year’ donation of £50,000

• Continued from page 1

TV Tony backs rescue bid for ‘lost’ canals Independent publisher since 1885

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More than 200 miles of canals have been restored since the turn of the millennium and a new report by the University of Northampton highlights the economic and social benefits a restored canal brings to a community; boosting property prices and helping people to lead active, healthy lifestyles.

At the height of the Industrial Revolution there were more than 5000 miles of waterways transporting goods

across the country, but many canals disappeared and the CRT says it is hoping that some of them could be brought back to life with more restoration groups joining in.

The trust has set up a restoration team led by Jason Leach and is willing to advise new groups how to set up and even look for funding opoortunities.

The team is based at the trust’s offices at Fazeley.

Actors and Avon Navigation Trust patrons Prunella Scales and Timothy West take an ice cream break near the theatre at Stratford during the festivities to celebrate the restoration of the Southern Stratford-upon-Avon Canal and the Upper Avon Navigation, which were reopened 50 years ago and 40 years ago respectively. We hear they are discussing a second TV series of their canal travels. A full report and pictures of the Stratford event will appear in our next issue. PHOTO:WATERWAY IMAGES

NEWS 3

www.towpathtalk.co.uk

Prince takes trip on working narrowboat

IN BRIEF

Towpath encounter

By Harry Arnold

CANAL & River Trust patron, the Prince of Wales, travelled aboard a historic restored working narrowboat along the Trent & Mersey Canal during a recent visit to Stoke-on-Trent.

After being introduced by Staffordshire’s Lord Lieutenant and waterway supporter Ian Dudson to CRT chairman Tony Hales and chief executive Richard Parry, the prince first toured the Etruria Industrial Museum and met some of the volunteers involved in caring for the only operational steam-driven potter’s mill in the world. He then met CRT staff and schoolchildren who were taking part in an educational activity through the CRT’s ‘Explorers’ schools programme.

Leaving Etruria: The prince with CRT Central Shires Partnership chairman Charlotte Atkins and CRT enterprise officer Simon Papprill.

Historic narrowboat Lindsay carries the Prince of Wales through Stoke-on-Trent. PHOTOS: CRT/WATERWAY IMAGES) On the towpath he talked to a group of young volunteers who are participating in a personal development programme working with the CRT to improve the city’s canals; part of the Step Up To Serve national campaign launched by the prince to double the number of young people involved in social action by 2020.

After chatting to CRT staff and volunteers of the Etruria Boat Group who are working to restore and run the historic narrowboats Lindsay and Keppel, he was presented with a copy of the latest edition of Rolt’s Narrow Boat and an Eric Gaskell print by CRT chairman Tony Hales.

From Etruria, the prince boarded the Lindsay for a 30 -minute cruise on the Trent & Mersey Canal to

Protest over ‘appalling’ state of towpath

By Bob Clarke

THE Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal Society has written a strong protest to the Canal & River Trust’s West Midlands Waterways Office over the ‘appalling’ condition of the towpath.

The letter also refers to part of the adjoining Stourbridge Canal as well as the near dereliction of a rare and Grade II listed octagonal toll office – the interior of which has partly collapsed – at the CRT’s depot at Stewponey Wharf near Kinver.

Society official and past president Chris Dyche also enclosed a letter from a visiting boater who said the towpath was so overgrown there was a danger to boaters with visibility restricted particularly on bends, as well as being potentially dangerous to other towpath users such as walkers and cyclists.

It is now being suggested that the condition of the towpath and canal in July is as bad as it was 40 years ago and the boater added: “The canal is little more than a ditch surrounded by a canopy of vegetation. Having talked to CRT

staff I understand that the rationale is for community involvement. This is not going to happen while minimum standards are not happening.

“What is annoying users is that the wharf is operational. They say they are appalled at the lack of care being shown by staff to such an historic site.”

The waterway office has replied to Mr Dyche stating: “This is a problem that has been building up over recent weeks. The situation of grass cutting has been the cause of real frustration and embarrassment with numerous hours having been spent responding to complaints.

“The problem was down to contractors falling behind schedule, good growing conditions and changes to the specification.

Our contract managers are working hard to address these issues and have increased the number of the teams.

“We hope to see some of these issues resolved in the short term.

However, given the length of the grass and fringes, it may take some time to resolve totally.”

Middleport where he officially opened the Middleport Pottery following its £9-million regeneration. While on board, Tony Hales, Richard Parry and local officers and volunteers told him about Stoke’s waterways and how the city’s canals can play an important part in future regeneration plans.

Tony Hales said: “We were delighted to welcome the prince and to introduce him to the many people who are all, in their own way, getting involved with their local waterways. “Stoke-on-Trent is a great example of how waterways can really benefit communities and local industry and today was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate all the great work taking place on or beside the water here.”

Beware of bogus boat buyer BOATER Clive Hammond is warning people who are selling their boats online and through newspaper or magazine advertising using a mobile phone number to beware of a new internet scam.

He says it is believed tens of thousands of pounds have been lost to a fraudster who harvests the mobile numbers from sellers’ adverts. Clive told us: “A lot of people have already been caught out with this one.” He explained: “The seller will receive a nonreturnable text message expressing interest in buying the boat, requesting that further details be submitted via the supplied email address.

“A lot of hyped interest follows in an everincreasing flow of emails, culminating in the prospective buyer offering to buy unseen with no negotiation; the seller is requested to immediately withdraw all adverts. The buyer says that collection will be done by ‘his agent’ and that the entire funds plus the agent’s fee have been placed

in a PayPal account. Emails appearing to come direct from PayPal confirm that the funds are ready to transfer to the seller’s account. PayPal has been notified, but it is known that scores of new sellers are being contacted daily.”

Clive, who said he just wants to stop people losing money, continued: “So now comes the catch. For unexplained reasons, the buyer asks you to pay via Western Union his agent’s £1595 arrangement fee direct from the funds he has deposited with PayPal. Of course, you haven’t as yet received those funds and if you pay you will never hear from the buyer again.”

Warning signs to look out for are: buying unseen at the asking price (owing to the scammer living in Nigeria); the buyer is very reluctant to make voice contact (because of poor English) and PayPal cannot make payments to external banks (if in doubt contact PayPal directly and check the reference numbers given).

Barging around Britain ITV series FORMER BBC TV political correspondent John Sergeant is undertaking eight canal journeys for an ITV series Barging Around Britain which will be screened later this year, writes Bob Clarke.

He will be examining the history of the canal he travels on and will include canals in Somerset and the Crinan in Scotland.

A spokesman for the production company said the identity of the canals would not be disclosed until all filming had been completed.

Company controller Richard Klein said: “Britain’s canal network is a true national treasure, full of great characters and rich in history.”

A TOWPATH walker aims to complete his tour of the Birmingham Canal Navigations to coincide with a guided walk by canal historian Ray Shill on Thursday, August 7. Mike Andrews, who recently joined the BCNS and lives near Wolverhampton, hopes to meet up with Ray on the Perry Barr flight as he comes down from the Tame Valley Canal to complete his walk at Spaghetti Junction.

He started in March and has used public transport throughout his trip around the system during which he has taken 850 photographs recording every lock and bridge along the way. Mike, who has a boat share, formerly lived in Droitwich and helped in early canal restoration work there in the Seventies.

Dogged defence

A DOG walker was saved from a towpath robbery when her pet Labrador leapt to her defence and bit one of her attackers who then ran away, writes Bob Clarke.

The woman was walking her dog along the Birmingham New Main Line towpath at Tividale and was approaching the Britannia Bridge when two teenagers approached her and demanded money. One of the attackers then grabbed the 42-year-old woman but was bitten by the dog during the struggle.

Record deck

LIVEABOARD musician Luke Guilford recently left his London job to travel the canal network selling records from his narrowboat Tashtar, aka The Record Deck.

The guitarist and ukulele player has hand-picked hundreds of albums and singles, many of them rare, also books and instruments. Look out for Luke from July 26 in Oxfordshire as he makes his way to the Cropredy Festival on August 6-9 and then on to the Angel Canal Festival in Islington on September 7. Contact Luke on 07579 964138, therecorddeck@hotmail.com

Online vote IN OUR latest online poll at

www.towpathtalk.co.uk we asked readers whether they have tackled tidal waters in a narrowboat. Almost two-thirds of those who responded said they had while the remainder were split between those who hadn’t and those who plan to.

This month we are asking readers in which region they moor their boats.

4 NEWS

www.towpathtalk.co.uk

Historic rally follows tribute at village memorial A MOVING service outside the ‘Cathedral of the Canals’, All Saints’ Church, Braunston, preceded this year’s Braunston Historic Narrowboat Rally and Canal Festival at the end of June.

The centennial tribute to the fallen of Braunston, many with boating connections, during the First World War was conducted by the vicar, the Rev Sarah Brown, with readings by veteran actors Timothy West and Prunella Scales.

Many boaters had walked up to the service at the village war memorial, which was accompanied by the Daventry Brass Band. The local branches of the Royal British Legion and the Royal Air Forces Association displayed their standards and poppy wreaths were laid by local dignitaries

and Canal & River Trust chairman, Tony Hales. A collection during the weekend raised over £50 for church roof funds.

The rally itself was opened by former working boatmen Alice Lapworth and her brother-in-law Tom Lapworth who respectively helmed Braunston-based historic narrowboats Raymond and Nutfield in the parade. Both now in their seventies, they have memories of the canals in the Second World War, when as young children they travelled them with their parents. Tom has dramatic memories of air raids in London and Birmingham.

Dressed in traditional working boatmen and women’s costumes, Timothy West, Prunella Scales and Tony Hales also took part in the parade fanfared by Daventry Brass and a peal of bells.

Historic narrowboat William was voted best in show.

Commentator ‘extraordinaire’ Norman Mitchell, second from right, with the Buckby Can commemorating his 12th year. Also pictured from left: CRT chief executive Richard Parry, Tom Stewart who received the Nurser Award on behalf of the crew of William, Midlands Chandlers general manager Darren Cook and Tim Coghlan of Braunston Marina.

As forecast, it started to rain on the parade and many visitors took shelter in the marquees where there was a host of trade and craft stands as well as the canal artists’ exhibition where visitors could pay tribute to the late Michelle Field in a special book of remembrance.

There were also a number of outside exhibitors and canal societies present.

Society support

Dressed in traditional boatmen and women’s costumes, Prunella Scales and Timothy West read the names commemorated on Braunston’s war memorial at All Saints Church. PHOTOS: JANET RICHARDSON

At 80, Trevor Maggs is just one year older than his historic boat Corona with which he has attended all 12 Braunston rallies.

Canal & River Trust chief executive Richard Parry chats to the crew of Bootes from Sculptor during Sunday’s parade.

Prior to the parade, a cheque for £2000 was received on behalf of the Friends of Raymond by boatman Nick Scarcliffe from Tim Coghlan of Braunston Marina.

Andrew Barton of BCBM presented a further £1000 on behalf of BCBM, ABC Leisure, Carefree Cruising and Ownashare from the proceeds of the Boat Share Show they jointly run at Braunston Marina in April.

A cheque for £1000 was also presented

by Braunston Marina to the Friends of Stoke Bruerne Museum for the ongoing restoration of its narrowboat Sculptor; this was received by Friends volunteer Tom Stewart.

Further cheques for £200 each were presented on behalf of the marina by Tim Coghlan, accompanied by CRT

chief executive Richard Parry, who took part in the parade in much brighter weather on Sunday on board Sculptor.

Recipients were: Coventry Canal Society, Melton & Oakham Waterways Society, Buckingham Canal Society, Historic Narrow Boat Club, IWA Freight Group, Herefordshire & Gloucestershire Canal Trust, Cotswold Canals Trust, IWA Warwickshire, Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust and London Narrowboat Project Other presentations on Sunday included the Nurser Award, inaugurated last year to commemorate the family who built wooden narrowboats until 1952 at what is now the marina. Voted for by boaters, the award for the best historic narrowboat in the show was won by William with Southern Cross second. The award was sponsored for the first time by Midland Chandlers with general manager Darren Cook presenting gift vouchers of £500 and £200 respectively.

Unfortunately both boats had left, but the prizes which included the decorated Buckby can were received on the crews’ behalf by Tom Stewart. A specially commissioned Buckby can was also presented to Norman Mitchell in his 12th year as show commentator.

Tim and Bridget Carter told Towpath Talk afterwards that they were delighted to have won the award with William.

They will be using the vouchers towards further improvements to the Royalty class narrowboat built in 1931 at Yarwoods, Northwich, to carry goods on the Grand Union Canal.

It was bought recently by the Carters

Canal & River Trust chairman Tony Hales on board Raymond during the opening parade. with Sam and Liz Lucas to set up Inland Navigators in order to reintroduce the camping narrowboat and to make a historic vessel available for charter offering a traditional, back to basics, affordable, British holiday.

Original and best

Although at 63, the final boat tally was down on recent years, Tim Coghlan said: “With so many similar events now on the canals, I am pleased that we still attract a great deal more of the historic boats than at any of the other events.

The original and still the best!”

He also thanked the Canal & River Trust and Braunston Canal Society for their support both during the event and in the previous winter, when society volunteers helped with cutting back overgrown canalside vegetation which considerably widened the canal for the parades.

Other entertainments included morris dancers and the beer tent with music provided by a number of groups. There were also theatre performances by Mikron and DayStar.

The annual Braunston Historic Narrowboat Rally is sponsored by Braunston Marina and Towpath Talk and is supported by the Canal & River Trust. Braunston Marina will be hosting the event again next year on the same last weekend in June, 27-28. ● More photos from Braunston can be viewed online at www.towpathtalk.co.uk or on our Facebook page

Boaters relax during the rally.

Umbrellas were much in evidence during the opening parade.

Cheques totalling £3000 were received by Nick Scarcliffe, centre, on behalf of the Friends of Raymond. Also pictured, from left, are: Andrew Barton (BCBM), Prunella Scales, Timothy West, Tom Lapworth, Tim Coghlan and Alice Lapworth.

NEWS 5

www.towpathtalk.co.uk

Bridge opening launches Chesterfield event THE formal opening of Constitution Hill Bridge got the Chesterfield Canal Festival off to a flying start.

The ribbon was cut by Coun Joan Dixon on Seth Ellis, the first of three tripboats in the VIP flotilla which included the Mayor of Chesterfield and Natascha Engel MP. The banner on the bridge proclaimed ‘Working in Partnership’ because it was a combination of Derbyshire County Council, the Chesterfield Canal Trust and the Waterway Recovery Group which built and paid for the bridge.

Music and dance in the entertainment marquee was fairly traditional, but the outdoor performance area featured more unusual fare such as belly dancers, Black Pig Border Morris, birds of prey flying and a ukelele band.

The Waterway Recovery Group was teaching children how to drive a mini-digger, kindly supplied by Hewden. This was one of many activities and rides for children, while hundreds of people enjoyed boat rides.

Eckington School’s boat, Madeline, was on the water and dozens of people came to admire the superb work put in by staff and students to completely fit it out.

Late on Saturday afternoon, Canal & River Trust chief executive Richard Parry paid a visit and saw the Chesterfield Canal Trust work party laying bricks and blocks on the new lock that they are constructing.

Sunday saw the festival featured on BBC Radio Sheffield’s Clueless, with the intrepid reporter having a go on the zipwire.

Decorated boats fill the basin at Chester’s Tower Wharf. PHOTOS SUPPLIED

Campaign festival attracts the crowds

WITH more than 120 decorated craft and thousands of people enjoying the sunshine, the Inland Waterways Association’s (IWA) National Campaign Festival in Chester, was a spectacular success.

Never before had so many boats, from all over the country, been assembled in the basin at Tower Wharf to support IWA Chester and Merseyside Branch’s campaign to repair and reopen the river lock leading on to the River Dee and allow navigation above the weir to Farndon.

Many of the historic craft had travelled some distance to get there, including steam narrowboat President with the butty Kildare arriving from the Black Country Museum at Dudley.

Other historic craft were towed there by the traditional method, using a boat horse, so nb Gifford arrived from the National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port, towed by Bilbo and nb Saturn came via Christleton, towed by Cracker.

The festival featured live music, entertainment including pole dancing by local community dance group ApsaraDance, free boat trips – courtesy of the Canal & River Trust – and WOW children’s activities from the IWA’s Wild Over Waterways.

Visitors could also go on guided tours of the canal and river link as well as the historic Taylor’s Boat Yard, organised by volunteers from the Chester Canal Heritage Trust.

The ‘graving’ dock (or dry dock) was also open to view and one of the trainees from the Museum’s Heritage Boat Yard was demonstrating the old art of caulking the seams on a wooden narrowboat hull. This was very popular and there was a constant stream of people, including children, trying their hand.

With more than 50 traders offering handmade jewellery and tapestry pictures, signwriting courses, various kinds of food, ropework, a cheese

The VIP party included, from left: Canal & River Trust chief executive Richard Parry, Lord Mayor Coun Bob Rudd, IWA festival chairman Peter Bolt and Stephen Mosley MP. boat promoting Welsh specialities and many others, there was something for everyone.

On Saturday the Lyceum Brass Band featured First and Second World War music as part of a DDay 70th anniversary commemoration and an RAF Spitfire delighted crowds with five flypasts and the famous wing ‘wobble’.

Following a trip down the canal in the Mill Hotel’s L’eau-t Cuisine restaurant boat, the festival was opened by the Lord Mayor of Chester (and Admiral of the Dee) Coun Bob Rudd, who acknowledged that Chester had been left behind in making the most of its local waterways, and promised that the newly launched Chester Waterways Strategy would be acted upon.

Other VIPs included Richard Parry, chief executive of the Canal & River Trust, Stephen Mosley MP for Chester and Mike Jones, leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council.

Fun in the sun at Foxton Locks Festival THE Foxton Locks Festival took place under a sky of blazing sunshine, resulting in its highest attendance figures to date, writes Polly Player.

Hosted by the Foxton Inclined Plane Trust, it attracted over 12,000 visitors over the weekend, offering something for everyone to enjoy.

Viking re-enactors battle in the main arena. PHOTO SUPPLIED

Festival director Ann Bushby said: “Last year’s festival was the best attendance we had ever had. We wondered if we could ever do as well again but, thanks to the lovely weather, this year was even better!”

Historic narrowboats included the Friends of Raymond’s Nutfield and Raymond and many others. There were also traction engines from Welland Valley Traction Club, classic cars from the Leicestershire branch of the MG Owners’ Club and a menagerie of animals and birds including alpacas and owls.

A funfair, large trade and craft tent and beer tent made sure that everyone stayed entertained in between shows and reenactments in the main arena, which included a lively Viking battle! A Saxon living village providing a fun and educational experience.

Coun Joan Dixon cuts the ribbon to open the Constitution Hill Bridge. PHOTO: CHESTERFIELD CANAL TRUST

6 NEWS

IN BRIEF Festival success

BOAT trips along the canal were a major draw at the Stalybridge Carnival and Festival Weekend, writes Geoff Wood. The Huddersfield Narrow Canal runs through the top half of the north Cheshire town and organisers of the trips afloat are already planning a larger role for the narrowboats for next year. Peter Rawson of the Huddersfield Canal Society said: “A lot of people took the opportunity to view Stalybridge from an unusual angle, travelling down through the locks.” A carnival parade attracted hundreds of onlookers and organisers said this year’s annual event was the best for 10 years.

Bollington pride

NARROWBOATS from around the North West gathered in Bollington, Cheshire, for the 50th annual festival, writes Geoff Wood. The 160-year-old historic boat Maria from the Horse Boating Society in Mossley, Greater Manchester, was the first to arrive on the scene. On land there was a parade through the town, 100 events over 17 days, clog dancing, a bouncy castle and an archery demonstration. Jon Beck, festival chairman, said: “Seeing all those happy faces was amazing. It made me feel proud to be a member of the Bollington community.”

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How do you improve on a winning formula?

By Harry Arnold

WHAT can we do different next time? This was question that Geoff Pursglove, Ashby Canal Trust project officer, who heads up the team organising the annual Moira Canal Festival, put to me when we discussed the aftermath of this year’s event, held on May 17-18.

The hard work put into organising it is obvious but it is continually surprising how an event held on an isolated restored section of waterway, with just a few trailboats plus the resident passenger boat, not forgetting an active canoeing element, attracts such large crowds. The sunshine always brings out more visitors of course.

Sam Goodman takes a header in one of his attempts to unicycle across the canal.

Crafts uppermost

A CANAL visitor centre has been going up in the world – by using upper floors in the historic warehouse it now occupies, writes Geoff Wood. Craft markets have become at regular feature of the summer months at Standedge Visitor Centre beside the Huddersfield Narrow Canal at Marsden.

And while much concentration is placed on the three-mile tunnel outside, staff have found indoor accommodation for five craft markets held between March and November. Organisers report an average of 20 stalls displaying a range of goods.

For more details contact 01484 847091 or 07918 682878.

Canoeists and visiting trailboats provide the on-the-water interest. PHOTOS:WATERWAY IMAGES

But the answer is probably the sheer amount and variety of exhibits, entertainment and things to occupy all visitor ages, including the essential food and drink, all making for a colourful spectacle packed into a quite limited space around the water and the historic Furnace. Other festival organisers should take heed.

There is always something of a warlike nature – it has been Vikings and Saxons enthusiastically bashing each other about in the past – but this year, with public focus on the First World War, it was the Tommy Atkins’ Great War Drill display. Among the dance displays and music it was the big band jazz played by the youngsters of the Ashby school

brass band that got my foot tapping.

Sam Goodman – unicycle champion and juggler – was the star of the show. Apart from performing on terra firma he planned to be the first to unicycle along a rope across the Ashby Canal. The packed audience were torn between him succeeding in this and finishing up in the cut, which he did in no less than seven attempts on the Saturday. I gather he managed it on the 10th attempt on the Sunday. A very determined young man and great entertainment.

Another great event and promotion for the Ashby Canal restoration, which has just commenced another stage of reopening. Geoff – what are you going to follow Sam Goodman’s aquatic antics with next year?

A milestone in the Montgomery restoration

By Harry Arnold

FINAL results of the third Montgomery Canal Triathlon show that it was the biggest yet with twice as many people taking part and coming from as far afield as Cornwall, Norfolk and Suffolk, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, Kent and Lancashire.

The Triathlon is organised by Friends of the Montgomery Canal and the Shrewsbury, District & North Wales branch of the Inland Waterways Association and supports the Maesbury Canal Festival to be held on September 6-7.

Mayor of Newtown, Coun Rina Clarke, started the cyclists and the change from bicycles to canoes at Welshpool was supervised by the Welshpool Town Mayor, Coun John Meredith.

The girls keep smiling through a muddy canoe portage at Crowther Hall Lock.

Apart from the previously reported £2000-plus fundraising effort of Canal & River Trust (CRT) chief executive Richard Parry, who also retained enough strength to present the medallions at the end, some other notable achievements were by a team called the Liverbirds, who entered on a tandem, then used an inflatable canoe to collect over £800 for the Midland Air Ambulance.

Also tandem-mounted was blind veteran David Greenwood, from Llandudno, who cycled to Welshpool with a guide, then they then went on to Llanymynech in a two-man kayak. Jean Ashley of Malpas, Cheshire, clipped half an hour off the previous quickest time to finish in five hours 15 minutes and Moses Tumukende, of Newtown, ran all 35 miles to beat the triathletes in a time of four hours 48 minutes.

Following closely on the achievements of the triathlon, another milestone in the Montgomery restoration was marked on Monday, June 2 when CRT trustee John Dodwell and Shropshire Union Canal Society (SUCS) working part officer Mike Friend ceremonially lifted a stop plank at Redwith Bridge to re-water the section to Pryles Bridge which SUCS volunteers have been relining for a while.

Some boats were allowed in on the following Saturday for a society volunteers’ celebration of the completion of the work which made local TV. However, regular navigable access will not be possible until a further section – subject of the latest

CRT trustee John Dodwell and SUCS work party officer Mike Friend pull the plank to re-water the latest completed section of the Montgomery Canal.

PHOTOS:WATERWAY IMAGES

Heritage Lottery Fund grant and current design work – is completed and also a subsequent length to Crickheath Wharf where there will be a winding hole for boats to turn.

Work on this latest section was the subject of CRT project officer Alex Ball’s presentation to the exceptionally well-attended annual public Forum organised by the Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust in Oswestry which followed the re-watering ceremony. Other speakers told of the restoration work done over the years by volunteers of SUCS, the Waterway Recovery Group and others in bringing the canal back to life, with images of previous dereliction, volunteers at work, and the finished canal.

RYA SPOTLIGHT 7

www.towpathtalk.co.uk The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is the national body for all forms of boating, including dinghy and yacht racing, motor and sail cruising, RIBs and sports boats, powerboat racing, windsurfing, inland cruising and narrowboats and personal watercraft.

Staying safe on the water RYA chief instructor, motor cruising and power, Rachel Andrews explains what you should look out for.

WHETHER you’re an experienced inland waterways user or a canal first timer, extra traffic on the waterways at this time of year means safety and consideration to other users is crucial in ensuring everyone has the best time.

A lot of waterways safety is common sense, and the inland waterways community, in general, are a pretty friendly bunch, always willing to offer a helping hand.

But there are things on and around canals and rivers everyone should give that bit of extra attention to, especially with more boats on the water, to stay safe.

Think ahead – get your boat lined up for entering locks and passing under bridges well in advance and if you can share a lock safely, do. Is the lock set with or against you? If against, you’re

The lock cill will be well marked.

not on a tight schedule, and you can see another boat approaching, chill out for a while and wait for the other boat to come through in the opposite direction to conserve water.

Unnecessary emptying and filling of a lock can drain the system and lead to there not being enough water to keep everyone afloat. Also check there isn’t another boat ahead of you waiting to go in – a single-handed skipper will have to open the lock themselves, and won’t be pleased if they return to find you’ve gone in!

Every lock is different – locks can be manual, automatic or operated by a lockkeeper, while some will have two tiers, others ‘flighted’ or ‘staircase’ style with multiple levels. Lock styles also differ all over the country so take the time to look at every lock you go

Waiting to enter a lock.

through, and if there is information alongside read it. Still not confident?

Wait for another boat to go through, stand back and watch one complete rotation. It is much easier to understand by seeing it in action.

Cill sense – the last thing you want is getting snagged in a lock or someone getting injured by getting caught between the boat and the lock sides.

Staying well clear of the edge and also any other boat you are sharing a lock with is common sense. But never, ever lose sight of the cill on the top gate!

The cill will be well-marked, and if the back end of your boat is not kept well clear of this it can lead to the boat sinking or capsizing very quickly. This is not only extremely dangerous for those on board but it can shut down the lock for days to recover the boat, making for mass-inconvenience.

Be paddle aware – the basic filling and emptying principle of every lock is the same. When lock gates are closed, you open the paddles to let water in or out to move you up or down, depending on which direction you’re going. All paddles are operated by either hydraulic or manual rack and pinion mechanisms. When operating the paddles manually take extra care with the ‘windlass’ or winch handle.

If the windlass is not fitted properly on the spindle, or you let go of it, a flying handle can cause serious injury if fingers, hair or clothing get caught.

Filling or emptying locks should always be slow and controlled and you should have hand signals between the

IN BRIEF

Attitude tracker set up

THE Canal & River Trust has started a new survey of boaters, the Boat Owner Attitude Tracker (BOAT), to keep up-to-date with boaters’ views between the existing biennial survey. There will be three waves of research every year with the views of around 1000 randomly selected boaters being gathered each time. Independent research agency BDRC Continental is conducting the survey which will be sent to different boaters each time.

Lifejackets help to keep you afloat or upright. PHOTO: RYA crew and helm for communication above the noise of rapidly flowing water. Never let paddles just drop down – they will break.

Personal buoyancy – does everyone on board know the man overboard drill? In most cases, if someone does fall in they can stand up and get themselves to the side, while all boats should have a boat pole or hook to reach the person or a lifebuoy to throw to someone in the water. But this isn’t helpful in a full or filling lock.

Wear personal buoyancy, in the form of a lifejacket especially around locks. It keeps you afloat when you can’t touch the bottom and also upright if you suffer cold water shock or hit your head and are knocked unconscious.

There are many other safety factors you should take into account on your boat, not least potential carbon monoxide and fire hazards, while being respectful and considerate to other waterways users, like anglers for example, is expected. An inland trip should be an enjoyable, relaxing and fun experience, not one fraught with stress, so get briefed, and get boating!

● Still want to know more? Find your nearest RYA Inland Waterways Crew or Helmsman course at www.rya.org.uk/coursestraining/courses/inland

Safety reminder PUPILS from Merseyside primary

schools recently took part in a clean-up of the towpath on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, writes Geoff Wood. And there was a very important spin-off from the pupils’ environmental work. The schools invited the Canal & River Trust to teach them about staying safe near the canal which was a timely reminder, since most of the children live close to the canal. The deputy head of one school, Anita McDonnell, also arranged for Sefton Council’s barge, the Pride of Sefton, to pick up children along the way and take them on a short cruise.

Winding holes project

THE Inland Waterways Association and the Historic Narrow Boat Club have launched a joint project to gather information about winding holes.

Otherwise known as ‘swinging areas’ on rivers and commercial navigations, they are purpose built widenings in a waterway to allow boats to turn in order to change direction of travel. Boaters are being asked to report where winding holes have been lost or reduced as a result of siltation, overhanging vegetation, prohibiting notices or chains, or permanently moored boats. The survey, which closes on Friday, November 14, also asks for suggestions for new winding hole locations.

8 NETWORKING

SOCIETY NEWS

Trip success

DUDLEY Canal Trust is celebrating the award of a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for the second year running. It is given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveller reviews on the internet travel review site.

“Receiving this award is the icing on the cake for us,” said June Hodgetts, general manager of Dudley Canal Trust Trips Ltd. “We’ve had a fantastic year so far in terms of visitor figures, and this tells us that people are greatly enjoying their visits.”

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Young presenter to record radio show from narrowboat WILTSHIRE community radio presenter Christopher Steers loves to travel the inland waterways on his grandparents’ narrowboat, Time Please.

His next big adventure this summer will take him on a trip of a lifetime from

Tamworth to Salthouse Dock in Liverpool travelling through haunted tunnels, tackling lock flights and opening swing bridges as well as recording his radio show from the boat.

Chris said: “The reason why I love the

Slough progress

THE Friends of Slough Canal report that dredging of the canal – for which they have long been campaigning – is proceeding apace. Around the middle of June, work was taking place alongside Bloom Park, site of September’s annual Slough Canal Festival, and by the end of the month had progressed to a point near Wexham Road Bridge, the last bridge on the canal, about half a mile from the basin at Stoke Road.

Cotswold contracts

WORK recently started to restore a further length of the Cotswold Canals near Stroud. The council awarded a £390,000 contract to Alun Griffiths Ltd to dredge and widen 120m of the Thames & Severn canal above Wallbridge Lower Lock including a bypass channel to allow fish and eels to migrate upstream.

A £110,000 contact has also been awarded to Land & Water Services to dredge 4500 tonnes of material from below the lock.

Danny in dock

IF YOU’RE in Liverpool, take the opportunity to see the Daniel Adamson moored until September in the Albert Dock behind the Merseyside Maritime Museum. It is hoped to open the steam tug tender, which is undergoing restoration, to the public on certain days during the summer months.

The Daniel Adamson Preservation Society will hold its AGM at the museum on Saturday, September 6.

(The Tow Line, May 2014)

Chris will be travelling on his grandparents’ boat Time Please.

REPRESENTATIVES from the Melton Sailing Club recently donated a state-ofthe-art defibrillator to The Grantham Canal Society.

This generous gift was made following the disposal of the sailing club’s assets as a result of its closure in 2013. The well established sailing club had been based for many years at Frisby Water Park in Leicestershire but has closed due to the proposed redevelopment of the land surrounding the lake which is owned by the Cowman family.

The defibrillator will provide a much needed piece of safety equipment for use by GCS volunteers who actively participate in the restoration of the 33mile long canal.

Great War Weekend MIDDLEWICH Town Council is

organising a Great War Weekend over the weekend of October 4-5 and hopes to have working boats moored up around the canal terrace area. (HNBC Newsletter, 2014/2)

Former Melton Sailing Club commodore Mike Sharpe and secretary John Milner, right of centre present the defibrillator to events manager Rosemary Gibson and operations manager Ian Wakefield, executive members of Grantham Canal Society. PHOTO SUPPLIED

Young radio presenter Chris Steers in the studio. PHOTOS SUPPLIED If you have any connections with Liverpool, would like a request, or have any interesting stories to tell, please contact christopher.steers@castledown radio.info and he will make you part of the show. ● Castledown radio is a community radio station covering the Tidworth Community Area. The station is built and run entirely by volunteers and is setup as a not for profit organisation.

You can listen to Castledown Radio on 104.7FM in the Tidworth Community Area or the via Listen Live link on the website, www.castledownradio.info

Museum hosts Register rally

Canal society receives life-saving gift

Newbery across the Mersey. Some of the narrowboats which made the tidal crossing.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

THE Russell Newbery Register recently held its 17th annual rally hosted by the National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port.

Being the third time it has used the excellent facilities offered by the site, the long established programme of workshops, seminars and evening entertainment blended seamlessly with the museum’s exhibits. This included the 43 narrowboats that were berthed in the upper and lower basins, providing an extra visual experience for the general public.

Richard Parry accepted an invitation to join Register members on Sunday morning, viewing the boats and sitting in on the workshop and forum sessions before heading off to the Middlewich Festival.

After the rally, 23 of the attending boats made the tidal crossing to Liverpool via the Manchester Ship Canal and River Mersey under the auspices of a retired Mersey pilot.

The trip required careful planning and was only possible due to benign weather conditions.

Birthday surprise for boater Eddie

Tall ships cruise

THE St Pancras Cruising Club is gauging interest in a short Thames Tideway cruise on Saturday, September 6 to visit the tall ships moored at Greenwich. It will be followed in the evening by a run along the Regent’s Canal to Graham Street Gardens, moorings for the pre-Angel Canal Festival boaters’ barbecue that evening. For further information contact Andrew Phasey 07850 753633, www.theoldmainline.co.uk

waterways is because you can shut out the modern world completely and they are full of exciting wildlife, I am really looking forward to the trip and sharing my experience with my existing and new listeners of the radio.”

Along with regular features, such as towpath requests, a ‘Scouser’s’ saying of the day, interviews and the daily penance with Procrastinate the pirate, there will also be a few surprises along the way.

Chris will also be joined by two other boats called Rallentando and Pukeko.

You can follow Chris every step of the way as the show will be broadcast every weekday on Castledown Radio 104.7FM for the Tidworth area, from 11am-1pm between July 28 and the August 29.

Worldwide listeners can click on the listen live button at www.castledownradio.info Regular updates will be posted on both the canals of the UK and Castledown Radio Facebook and Twitter pages.

Eddie Edwards at the controls of his boat.

BOATER Eddie Edwards had a great surprise when he celebrated his 50th birthday recently – a cake in the shape of his cruiser Lady Merrin.

He inherited his love for boats from his parents who had their own glass fibre boat on the Bridgewater Canal and regales his family with funny stories and memories including diving in to clean people’s propellers for a 50p fee!

Daughter Michelle Taylor told us: “As dad has got older he wanted to relive this and bought his own boat, a Fairline cruiser, which he moored at Grappenhall just like his mum and dad did.

“He spent nearly two years doing it up and we had such a laugh on the first day of launching the boat. Dad was not expecting me to enjoy boating so much and after a few weeks decided he needed a bigger boat.”

Eddie now has a Freeman 22 Mk 2 on

The cake made by daughter Michelle and Eddie’s boat Lady Merrin which the family regularly enjoy days out and weekends away and are building themselves up for the Cheshire ring.

Michelle added: “Dad’s boat is his pride and joy so as his big 50 was coming up there was only one cake that I could possibly get. I thought I’d try to make one myself, considering I’ve never made a cake before. We made him hide while we lit the duck candles. His face was a picture and made all the hard work worth it.”

Thames boater rewarded for his service to the river community

By Elizabeth Rogers

OCTOGENARIAN Henry Butt’s contribution to the life of the river was recognised with an award from the River Thames Society which was presented recently at the River and Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thames.

He received the Durant Cup for his outstanding service on behalf of members and the wider community with his boat the Jolly Brit.

A member of the Teddington to Old Windsor branch of the society, Henry moors his boat close to his home near Staines. From there he provides transport whenever one of the local mayors or other official parties are making trips on the river.

He makes no secret of his age, which is 85, and says that he is proud to be able to continue to take part in so many activities.

The rescue of a deer from the river was just one of the good deeds mentioned during the presentation.

After the animal became agitated in its efforts to try to get back on to the bank, Henry and his neighbour took out a boat and by holding the deer’s antlers were able to steer it to safety. They then called the RSPCA whose staff took care of the deer while it recovered from its ordeal.

His boat the Jolly Brit has an interesting history. It was originally one of the Jolly boats of the Royal Yacht Britannia, but being made of timber was later replaced by boats of other materials. He discovered it in a yard, without an engine, and set about restoring it.

He says that in his journeys with the boat he enjoys being able to play a part in community life and raise the profile of the river, and make people aware of its importance.

Other winners who were presented with their awards at the society’s recent AGM included the National Trails Volunteers for their work in maintaining the Thames Path and Dartford Cambria Sea Scout group which received both the Thames Heritage Trust’s Award in recognition of volunteer youth activities benefiting the river community and the environment and a grant of £2500 towards the purchase of a new rowing boat.

In his speech, chairman of the River Thames Society Peter Finch referred to the effects of the flooding situations during the winter months and the need for planning to establish schemes for flood control and flood relief.

Dick Mayon-White, co-ordinator of the river wardens on the non-tidal section also spoke of the

Skipper Henry Butt and his crew on board Jolly Brit during the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant in 2012.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

impact of the winter floods, which had made walking on the Thames Path difficult for a long period. They had also resulted in severe erosion on sections of bank, and the loosening of tree roots.

There are at present 37 wardens, who include seven new recruits, with 42 stretches of water for the wardens to cover. More volunteers are needed for the river above Oxford.

NETWORKING 9

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Simon Carter cuts the tape across the lower gates. PHOTOS:WACT

Lock reopening is latest milestone in canal restoration THE Wey & Arun Canal Trust celebrated the restoration of Southland Lock near Loxwood with a ceremony to mark its reopening. It was attended by more than 150 people.

A flotilla of boats made their way up the canal from Drungewick before the ribbon was cut by local landowner Simon Carter accompanied by the Friary Guildford Brass Band.

More than £125,000 was cut from the £0.5 million cost of the scheme thanks to the volunteers led by project manager Eric Walker. They have been working on the project for three years using local bricks to make it look as it would have done before its demolition in the 1930s.

WACT chairman Sally Schupke said: “None of this would have been possible without the enthusiasm of the adjacent landowners. Their support made all the difference.”

Main contractor for the piling behind the new lock walls was Burras Piling and the lock gates were made and fitted by the Hargreaves Foundry in Halifax.

Restoration work will now move northwards where WACT is working on major restoration schemes near Bramley at the northern end of the canal and Dunsfold at the summit.

It is part of the long-term plans to restore the 23mile (37km) canal to link Littlehampton on the south coast with the River Thames. More than three miles are now navigable with six restored, new or rebuilt locks.

The official opening party’s boat Josias Jessop prepares to enter the lock.

The canal was built between 1813 and 1816 to link the two rivers Wey and Arun and initially provide an inland barge route between London and the south coast for the shipment of military supplies to the fleet in Portsmouth. After the Napoleonic Wars it mainly carried farm produce and goods including coal, chalk and lime before competition from the railways led to its abandonment in 1871.

Breakfast in the sun

Enjoying a canalside breakfast at Huddlesford Junction.

PHOTO:WATERWAY IMAGES

CREPES, croissants and coffee were on the menu when Lichfield Cruising Club recently served a Saturday members’ French breakfast alongside the Coventry Canal at its Huddlesford Junction headquarters, writes Harry Arnold.

Even the sun shone brilliantly and some might have claimed that the Staffordshire venue was a good as the south of France, although the friendly company definitely made it feel more at home and there was no ferry involved in travelling to the venue, unless crossing the canal counts.

Preparation and cooking was by a team of volunteer chefs drawn from the members, definitely Cordon Bleu in quality but without the qualifications.

RYA promote Joining Points THE Royal Yachting Association is encouraging RYA recognised clubs, training centres, and marinas around the country to sign up as RYA Joining Points.

Those signed up to the programme can earn commission for promoting RYA personal membership and recruiting members.

“It’s a win, win for everyone,” explained Conor Swift, RYA membership development manager.

Joining Point packs containing everything the

club or centre needs to promote RYA membership have been issued to the existing 180 RYA Joining Points.

“The packs provide Joining Points with all the tools they need to promote RYA membership to their members and customers, explaining the importance of supporting the RYA and all the work it does on behalf of the recreational boating public, and the numerous membership benefits, rewards and services available,” added Conor.

10 VOLUNTEERING

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WORK PARTY ROUNDUP WITH IWA’S STEFANIE PRESTON

Seasonal balsam bashing campaign gets under way

Santander volunteers lock painting with IWA Northampton Branch, Lock 2 Northampton Arm. PHOTO: STEFANIE PRESTON

Northampton Branch joins forces with Santander

THE IWA Northampton Branch has been lucky at both its recent work parties with warm, sunny days lending themselves to the completion of weather dependant tasks.

On June 17, volunteers set to clearing the vegetation from Lock 17 of the Northampton Arm of the Grand Union Canal. Those with strimming and mowing certificates from the Canal & River Trust tidied up the area to improve access to mooring bollards and the lock gates.

Meanwhile, a second group walked to Lock 15 litter picking the towpath.

A few weeks later on July 1, the branch was joined by employees

from Santander to undertake lock painting. The group split into four teams, three of which were assigned to Lock 2, 3 or 4 on the Northampton Arm of the Grand Union Canal, while the fourth team litter picked around the locks.

By mid-afternoon, the locks were looking significantly improved having received a fresh coat of paint and a general tidy-up in the surrounding area. This was largely possible due to the combined efforts of the Santander employees, IWA Northampton Branch volunteers and the CRT, who achieved a great deal by working together.

Working in partnership on the Macclesfield Canal LOCAL volunteers joined IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch on June 27 at the second Congleton work party on the Macclesfield Canal.

These work parties are to become a monthly event, organised as part of a new venture to improve the area around Congleton Station, working in partnership with a number of local organisations including Congleton Town Council and Congleton Sustainability Group as well as the CRT, Sustrans and Northern Rail.

On this occasion, the volunteers cleared litter and vegetation from the towpath as well as uncovering the cobbles on Snake Bridge 76. Future work parties will initially continue to

Macclesfield Canal Work Party at Congleton, IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch.

PHOTO: BOB LUSCOMBE

focus on the canal area around Congleton Station with plans to look at improving the whole area from Congleton Wharf through to Buglawton at a later date.

challenge of dodging participants of the Grand Union Challenge, who were walking, running and paddleboarding the 100km from Little Venice to Milton Keynes to raise

IWA Middlesex litter pickers on the Paddington Arm.

PHOTO: RAY GILL

MORE than 20 beavers, cubs and scouts joined members of IWA Lee & Stort Branch on the River Lee on Saturday, June 21, to help prepare for the Ware Boat Festival in early July.

Tasked with the job of clearing the towpath of overhanging vegetation and tackling an overgrown patch where stalls for the festival were to be positioned, the group eagerly began work, cutting, pulling, sweeping, raking and moving all the debris.

It was a hot day but with plenty of breaks and refreshments, the beavers, cubs and scouts, with the help of their leaders, local residents and branch members, returned the towpath to its original size and cleared the area designated for festival stalls.

Bob Abbott pulling Himalayan Balsam, IWA West Country Branch.

PHOTO: STEFANIE PRESTON

the Aylestone Meadows Appreciation Society turned out to pull and slash the Himalayan Balsam and completed the task before it became too hot to work.

Similarly, IWA West Country Branch volunteers took to the towpath and covered about a mile, checking for and pulling out Himalayan Balsam which was growing in large quantities at points on the bank.

Plants ranging from a few centimetres to nearly 2m in height and with a stem diameter of anything from 5mm to 8cm have been removed, and with the plants still growing it is likely that bigger examples will be found. The work parties have so far contributed 182 volunteer hours to tackling the invasive species and more IWA Himalayan Balsam pulls are planned.

Chiltern branch to look after Berkhamsted plinths AT THE request of the Canal and Riverside Partnership in Berkhamsted, volunteers from IWA Chiltern Branch have taken on the cleaning of five of the seven information plinths in Berkhamsted.

The other two are looked after by The Boat and The Rising Sun Adoption Groups, which tend the areas adjacent to the pubs.

One of the Berkhamsted information plinths.

PHOTO: JUDY CLEGG

FORTHCOMINGWORK PARTY EVENTS

Bags of rubbish collected by IWA Middlesex Branch IWA Middlesex Branch’s work party on June 28 was definitely a wet one but this did not deter the volunteers.

Well aware that the rain had set in for the day and with the added

ONCE again, it is the time of year when volunteers take to the waterways to clear Himalayan Balsam, and IWA’s campaign against the invasive species has got off to a good start.

To raise awareness of the damage it can do, the problems it can cause boaters and what organisations such as IWA are doing to tackle the plant, the association planned a number of work parties over June and July and two Himalayan Balsam focus weeks.

The first round of work parties tackling early Himalayan Balsam growth and, culminating in the first focus week, June 21-29, was a great success and really started on Wednesday, June 11, when IWA Birmingham, Black Country & Worcestershire Branch held a work party at Falling Sands Lock near Kidderminster on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal.

IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch has been out throughout June, holding three work parties along the Caldon Canal. The first area tackled was Cheddleton Locks where it took volunteers a day to remove the Himalayan Balsam. There was significantly less than in previous years showing how repeat annual visits over several years do make a difference. The second two work parties attracted volunteers ranging from two and a half to 60something years of age, proving that anyone can get involved with tackling Himalayan Balsam.

On June 24, two Himalayan Balsam work parties were taking place, one on the Leicester Section of the Grand Union Canal at Aylestone Meadows and the second at Bathpool on the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal.

Volunteers from IWA Leicestershire Branch, CRT and

Beavers, cubs and scouts help prepare for Ware Boat Festival

money for a number of good causes, the group set off from Ealing Road Bridge on its litter pick.

The group was certainly surprised how much mess can be found on the canal towpath, and several full bags each later stopped for a short lunch and cup of tea aboard the CRT workboat.

In the afternoon, the work party pushed on to the North Circular viaduct, which appears to be a popular stop to drink, eat and dump rubbish. By the end of the day and despite the persistent rain, an estimated 50-60 sacks of rubbish had been collected and the workboat was noticeably fuller. A good job done by all concerned.

Anyone intending to attend one of these events for the first time should contact the organisers beforehand and wear suitable clothing and footwear. If staying all day take a packed lunch unless other arrangement indicated.

Saturday, August 2

IWA Chester & Merseyside Branch: During the summer the monthly work parties will be working at various locations alongside the Shropshire Union Canal in Chester.

10am-4pm. Work will include painting and vegetation clearance. Contact Mike Carter 07795 617803 mike.carter@waterways.org.uk

Saturday, August 2, and every Wednesday

River Gipping Trust supported by IWA Ipswich Branch: Pipps Ford (Needham Market, Ipswich, Suffolk IP6 8LJ) or Baylham Mill Lock (Mill Lane, Ipswich, Suffolk IP6 8LG) River Gipping. Meet at 9am to continue clearing storm damage to Pipps Ford or carry out maintenance at Baylham Mill Lock, finish at 3.30-4pm. Martin Bird 01394 380765, restoration@rivergippingtrust.org.uk

Monday, August 4, and Wednesday, August 6

IWA Warwickshire Branch supporting Canal & River Trust Towpath Taskforce: Hatton, Grand Union Canal. Meet at the CRT maintenance yard, Hatton Locks, Birmingham Road, Warwick CV35 7JL. 10am to approx.

3pm. info.warwickshire@waterways.org.uk

Sunday, August 10

IWA Northampton Branch: Monthly work party on the Northampton Arm. Contact Geoff Wood by email Geoff.wood@waterways.org.uk

Wednesday, August 13

IWA Birmingham, Black Country & Worcestershire Branch: Monthly work party on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal. 10am to 3pm. Meeting place to be confirmed but will be in the Kidderminster area. David Struckett 07976 746225, david.struckett@waterways.org.uk

Thursday, August 14

IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch and the Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust: Monthly work party on the Caldon Canal at Cheddleton. 10am-3pm. Meet at Cheddleton Top Lock, off Cheadle Road, Cheddleton, Staffordshire ST13 7HL for painting and vegetation clearance ahead of the 40th anniversary of the reopening of the Caldon Canal event taking place on September 28. 10am to 3pm. Alison Smedley, 07779 090915, email alison.smedley@waterways.org.uk

Saturday, August 16, and Thursday. August 21

IWA Warwickshire Branch supporting Canal & River Trust Towpath Taskforce: Kingswood Junction, Lapworth.

Meet at the CRT maintenance yard, Brome Hall Lane, Lapworth, Solihull B94 5RB. 10am to approx 3pm. info.warwickshire@waterways.org.uk

Tuesday, August 19

IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch and Trent & Mersey Canal Society: Monthly work party on the Cheshire Locks, Trent & Mersey Canal. 10am to 4pm. Meeting point to be confirmed. Bob Luscombe 07710 054848, bob.luscombe@waterways.org.uk

Tuesday, August 19

IWA Northampton Branch: Monthly work party on the Northampton Arm. Contact Geoff Wood by email Geoff.wood@waterways.org.uk

Friday, August 22

IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch: Work party in Congleton as part of the Congleton Station project.

10am to approx 12.30pm. Meet at the Queen’s Head Pub, Park Lane, Congleton CW12 3DE. Work will include vegetation clearance and litter picking to help improve the environment around Congleton railway station, the Macclesfield Canal towpath and Hightown. Bob Luscombe 07710 054848, bob.luscombe@waterways.org.uk

For further information on any of these events contact: Alison Smedley, IWA branch campaign officer (07779 090915 or email alison.smedley@waterways.org.uk ) or Stefanie Preston, IWA branch campaign assistant (01494 783453 or email stefanie.preston@waterways.org.uk). Information can also be found on IWA’s website: www.waterways.org.uk

VOLUNTEERING 11

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Volunteers help spruce up local canal

The Banbury team at work. PHOTO SUPPLIED

A TEAM of volunteers from Banbury spent a day along the Oxford Canal near Kings Sutton in an effort to tidy up a small stretch of this 200-year-old waterway.

Working with the Canal & River Trust, volunteers from the Banbury Canal Partnership and the Inland Waterway Association had already been busy helping to repair and repaint fences and lock gates as well as clearing litter and overgrown weeds from the towpath alongside Kings Sutton Lock.

The hardy team of volunteers returned to finish repairing the fence and giving it a fresh lick of paint so it looks as good as new.

Partnership patron Sir Tony Baldry MP said: “The Oxford Canal is a wonderful local resource and there are some great volunteering opportunities.”

● The Banbury Canal Partnership meets every third and fourth Tuesday as a group to carry out a new task along the Oxford Canal. The team can be contacted through the website www.banburycanalpartnership.org.uk or simply call Colin on 07833 190115 if you would like to help.

Council spends £30,000 to resurface Shrewsbury towpath OVER the last year the Shrewsbury & Newport Canals Trust (SNCT) has held regular work parties in Shrewsbury to clear the canal towpath into the town.

This length, from Factory Bridge (opposite Ditherington Flax Mill) to Shrewsbury town centre, has fallen into disrepair in recent years, the surface has deteriorated and it has become impassable in some areas in wet weather.

Before the work parties started to clear the line of the canal the verges had become very overgrown with dangerous briers, overhanging tree branches and a lot of litter.

Brambles have now been cleared right along the length and particularly in the St Michaels Gate area. A massive amount of rubbish has been removed, chiefly from the hot spot behind the Canal Tavern, where two skips were filled with litter and bottles.

The SNCT volunteers have received encouragement from local home owners, members of the public and passing cyclists and this has made it all

Volunteers prepare the towpath for resurfacing. PHOTOS: SNCT worthwhile. For the first time the trust was also allowed on to the Morris Lubricants site to clear back and clean up the area next to the towpath on its side of the fence.

Shropshire Council agreed to spend £30,000 to resurface the path along the whole route. The new surface and the fall to the edges of the towpath will ensure that rainwater runs off the path, making it usable throughout the year for everyone.

The SNCT volunteers have worked with Shropshire Council, Shrewsbury Town Council, St Michael’s Gate Management

The finished towpath.

Company, Cycle Shrewsbury and members of the local community to achieve this excellent result.

In November about 500 daffodil bulbs were also planted alongside the St Michael’s Gate section of the towpath and it is planned to add some roses later in the year.

Shropshire councillor Alan Mosley described it as a great outcome. He said: “It is a very useful route from the north of Shrewsbury, by the Flaxmill and into town via the canal towpath and then up by Dana. These works will make this important route much more attractive.”

Chesterfield Canal clean up gathering at Renishaw CHESTERFIELD Canal Trust volunteers and local residents recently got together to clean up the canal at Renishaw.

Last summer there were complaints about the state of this isolated stretch of canal. The water level was right down, it was full of rushes and there was lots of rubbish.

This short section was restored in 2009 after the old ironworks was demolished and a new housing estate was built. It is not connected to the rest of the restored canal and, at present, there is no supply of water to keep it topped up.

Derbyshire County Council, which owns this part of the canal, engaged a contractor to dig out the channel and clear the rushes. A few volunteers moved the frogspawn first. However, after the contractor had finished, there were still a few rushes left, plus lots of beer cans and other litter; hence the need for the work party.

On a lovely warm day, 10 volunteers turned up.

They were supported by Paul Bown from the Derbyshire Countryside Service, who brought lots of equipment, including waders.

Volunteers with two of the barrowloads of rhizomes.

PHOTO: CCT

Some daring souls climbed down into the canal bed to get at the rushes, digging out the really long roots, which are called rhizomes. Others went along the towpath collecting litter and the rhizomes that were being thrown up, out of the canal. These were collected in wheelbarrows and dumped.

Altogether there were about 20 barrowloads of rhizomes and a dozen bags of litter.

It is hoped that the canal will very soon be refilled from the River Rother. Derbyshire County Council has plans to extend the section and to let a local stream feed into it to keep the water level up.

Tunnel and horse path get some TLC

WHILE engineering volunteers are busy restoring the Lancaster Canal between Stainton Crossing and Sellet Hall Bridges, the Hincaster tunnel and horse path, both listed ancient monuments, have also been receiving some tender loving care.

Trevor Cotton and his arboreal team have been cutting away unwanted scrub and planting Trevor Cotton supervising Dave 400 bushes and shrubs along this Joyner on the horse path. PHOTO: LCT section..

Always a popular walk, the horse path is now attracting more attention, with walkers complimenting the volunteers on their endeavours.

This scheme also safeguards the line of Sweet Chestnuts planted along the canal at the western end of Hincaster Tunnel. They commemorate the soldiers killed during the First World War and a suitable plaque is being commissioned.

12 ANNIVERSARY

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Weekend of celebrations mark club’s golden jubilee One of the founding clubs in the Association of Waterways Cruising Clubs, the Dunstable and District Boat Club, celebrated its own 50th anniversary over the weekend of June 13-15.

BRITANNIA ruled the waterways, bringing five past commodores and Alec Holbrook – still boating at over 100 years of age – to Dunstable and District Boat Club for the official opening of its anniversary weekend on Saturday, June 14.

Celebrations had started in the clubhouse on the Friday evening with a meal provided for members and guests followed by live entertainment Where the Working Boats Went performed by Life and Times.

Entries for the ‘Anniversary Cake’ competition. The cakes were later served for afternoon tea.

Members line up for one of the races during an afternoon of fun.

The club’s history Dunstable and District Boat Club was founded in 1964 by three boat enthusiasts Peter Stanbridge, Reg Hayes, and Ivor Cave.

Initially there were only a handful of members and moorings were rented at Marsworth on the Grand Union Canal.

Fortunately a parcel of land behind the Duke of Wellington public house became available and was purchased by members.

The facilities were basic and the moorings were linear which necessitated additional moorings being rented to the north and the south until 1980 when with a grant from the Sports Council the bank was cut out for end on moorings with jetties.

The club house, originally a caravan, was later replaced by a recycled 1945 prefab which stood until 1984 when an improved building was erected providing a well equipped kitchen and bar along with toilet facilities.

About six years ago this was in turn also demolished and replaced by the current larger clubhouse which was officially opened by the then club President Richard ‘Sherry’ Sherwood in April 2008.

Following negotiation for new wayleave agreements, work was then undertaken to renew and reroute the electricity and water mains to the club.

Since 1984 the jetties have been extended to 26ft and the pathway and patio area constructed outside the clubhouse.

The club has a slipway, two tractors, workshop and crane jib for lifting out engines.

Water and electricity are available all along the moorings which are well lit at night and there is a disposal tank for chemical toilets, ample car parking is available and views from the club across the Buckinghamshire countryside are breathtaking.

The club offers a wealth of expertise across the membership on boating and wider matters.

DDBC actively promotes boating on the inland waterways and was a founder member of the Association of Waterways Cruising Clubs.

The AWCC can provide reciprocal short term moorings and other help to members away from their base, the AWCC also organise events and publish a handbook which lists all member clubs.

Dunstable and District boat club is affiliated to the Inland Waterways Association and has won the ‘Offley and Sack’ propeller award several times, for the best supported member attendance at National Rallies.

All members enjoy certain benefits not found at commercial marinas, but boats longer than 40ft and wider than 7ft cannot be accommodated except for short term prearranged visits.

It is the commitment and support the members give to the club maintenance that enables it to provide these wonderful facilities and socialising at low cost.

They provided a wonderful evening of boating stories and songs from the ‘old bargees’, with everyone joining in singing the choruses.

Saturday started with a breakfast before the 11.30am ceremony at the clubhouse entrance with announcements and the cutting of a ribbon, after which everyone adjourned inside for a top quality ploughman’s lunch, again provided by members.

The bar steward and his team, worked tirelessly to keep the beer and drinks flowing from Thursday evening until Sunday lunchtime, including champagne for the toasts and a bar set up at the field – a mammoth undertaking – and the club is very grateful to them.

Games and competitions took place on the Saturday afternoon including the ‘DDBC Gold Stakes’. There was also an ‘anniversary cake’ competition, lucky programme, best ‘Ascot’ hat, best decorated boat, marbles and pegs competitions.

One of these was the ‘fly by wire’ – an ingenious system of flying model aircraft and avoiding barrage balloons and then landing on to an ‘aircraft carrier’.

A commemorative plaque was presented to the club in memory of its late President Richard ‘Sherry’ Sherwood, for new outside furniture.

Afternoon tea was served with cake from the judged cake competition and there was a children’s ‘treasure hunt’ around the site.

Evening dinner, again provided by club members, was followed by music and dancing,

The ‘fly by wire’ competition – an ingenious system of flying model aircraft and avoiding barrage balloons and then landing on to an ‘aircraft carrier’.

Getting ready to cut the gold ribbon outside the club house. provided after dinner by an excellent ‘Buddy Holly’ tribute band. The entertainment was split between Buddy Holly and Kings of Rock and Roll, finishing off a wonderful day.

Sunday morning arrived rather quickly and members supplied a full English breakfast. This was followed by a ‘boat handling’ competition for club members and visitors, with table top sales and displays in the clubhouse.

The presentations to boat handling winners and closing of the weekend celebrations then took place in the clubhouse.

The weather was kind for the whole weekend with only one spell of rain while the opening ceremony was taking place. It soon stopped, and the rest of the weekend was excellent with fabulous celebrations for a really good boat club. ● Dunstable and District Boat Club is always willing to encourage new members to join.

The club has a website at www.dunstableanddistrictboatclub.info this can put you in touch with the club.

Many thanks to Graeme Lockhart Robert Jessup and members of Dunstable and District Boat Club for supplying words and photographs for this feature.

If you would like your club featured in Towpath Talk, contact editor Janet Richardson on 01507 529466 or email jrichardson@mortons.co.uk

Canal society goes the extra mile

Warm memories

MOST of us think of canals as avenues for boating and walking but one Huddersfield resident has nostalgic memories of his local Huddersfield Narrow Canal – as a swimming pool, writes Geoff Wood.

In the 1960s, Allen Jenkinson and his friends would make a beeline for a stretch of canal at Milnsbridge. He said: “There was a short section of the canal known as warmies.

“Factory owners Crowthers had their own steam driven electric generators, but instead of using cooling towers the water was cooled by the canal keeping the water at 70 or 80ºF all year round. It was great for swimming.”

Britannia brings the club commodore, five past commodores and Alec Holbrook to the club house for the grand opening. PHOTOS : ROBERT JESSUP

MBBCS chairman, Dr Paul Hindle with the two recovered milestones. PHOTO: MBBCS

A CANAL milestone that went missing in the 1960s has been recovered by members of the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal Society.

It had originally been found and kept in a garage in Bolton by a canal enthusiast.

The society is now interested in finding out the whereabouts of other missing milestones; 10 of which were in Salford, 10 in Bolton and eight in Bury.

Some are no doubt buried and others could be in the canal bed – it is known that at least two are – but others may have been

removed, two having ended up in Bolton. They had both come from near the start of the canal in Salford.

The Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal company installed quartermilestones soon after it was opened in the 1790s. The milestones have the letter M followed by the distance in miles from the start of the canal at the River Irwell in Salford.

There were originally over 60 of

them, and today 30 are still in place along the canal towpath.

They are large pieces of sandstone and when out of the ground the larger ones measure 20in (50cm) wide, 10in (20cm) deep and 44in (1.1m) tall. They weigh about 660lb (300kg) so are not easy to move.

If anyone can tell MBBCS about any other milestones, please contact chairman, Dr Paul Hindle, on 0161 723 1433.

● For more information on the society visit www.mbbcs.org.uk or look for Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal Society on Facebook.

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SUBSCRIPTIONS 13

14 NEWS FOCUS

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The horses at the heart of the Helix Janet Richardson visits Scotland’s newest visitor attraction

New canal

When I visited in May, this new visitor attraction had only been open about three weeks and there is still much to be done.

The new canal hub and link to the Firth of Forth at Grangemouth was fully operational although the man in charge of the project, Scottish Canals’ director of heritage, enterprise and sustainability, Richard Millar, told me there were a few more weeks’ work needed at the sea lock.

A £400,000 play park was taking shape and should be open for the summer holidays. Work was also about to start on a visitor centre which should be built

by November and fully open for next spring with a 100-seater cafe, shop, ticket sales, interpretation and toilet facilities. “We are hoping to open it with a big splash, it will give added value beyond what we officially set out to do. And people will continue to see regular changes over the next year and beyond.”

He continued: “We are already seeing significant numbers of visitors – on a sunny day there are between 2000-4000 people a day on site. It is doing exactly what we expected it to do and from the points of view on Trip Advisor, it is delivering for people.”

Richard believes a lot of that is due to

The adventure playground takes shape.

its waterside setting. “In each case you are approaching the Kelpies from a distance and getting up close to them.

A big investment has gone into the parkland and the canal and the Kelpies are the things which have captured people’s hearts and minds.”

He said that the construction of the new canal link is one of the most complex pieces of canal construction to be delivered in recent times involving the moving of motorways and swing bridges. Boaters previously faced four overhead obstructions to access the canal system but the new link means they can come in from the river and travel through the Forth & Clyde Canal.

“This improvement is critical to us and sea-to-sea navigation is back open again. We wanted to make sure we got it right and are very proud of what has been done. We are seeing more and more boats beginning to come through and the feedback from first few customers has been very positive. They also felt very special to be passing through big crowds of people.”

The canal system in the lowlands suffered from motorway development in the 1960s. Richard added. “Thirty years ago this was an abandoned canal, uncared for and unloved. Now we have the Forth & Clyde Canal, the Union Canal, Falkirk Wheel and the Kelpies.”

At the time of writing it was hoped to introduce a straight-through bus service between the Helix Park and the Falkirk Wheel instead of having to change at Falkirk Bus Station. A new towpath along the canal extension was opened in June by Scottish Transport Minister Keith Brown, as reported in our July edition, and walkers and cyclists can continue to the Falkirk Wheel – a distance of four miles.

“

Richard Millar: The Kelpies have captured people’s hearts and minds.

PHOTO: SCOTTISH CANALS

As you get closer the sheer size and scale of these fantastic sculptures takes your breath away.

PHOTOS: JANET RICHARDSON UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED

Millennium Link

The Helix project is the foundation for 40 years of growth and development and will grow year on year. “The way local people have responded has just been fantastic. Falkirk now has three icons: the steeple in the town centre; Falkirk Wheel and the Kelpies,” Richard continued.

“Fifteen years ago the Wheel was not built and the Kelpies were not even dreamed of so we are really changing people’s perception.”

The Helix finishes off the Millennium Link project which saw the reopening of the Union Canal and its connection

“

SCOTLAND is famed for its magnificent natural scenery but a new man-made landmark is adding another dimension, not only to the visitor experience but to the local economy.

The Central Lowlands area between Edinburgh and Glasgow already boasts the Falkirk Wheel, the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals but now the Kelpies are capturing the hearts and minds of all the people who have visited them.

They are at the heart of the Helix – a massive project involving the creation of a 45ha country park within 350ha of land between Falkirk and Grangemouth.

Nothing prepared me for the magnitude of the Kelpies as I walked across the new park from the bus stop near the Falkirk Stadium. At first you just glimpse them glinting in the sunshine – two horses heads like massive chess pieces waiting for their next move.

But as you get closer the sheer size and scale of these fantastic sculptures, created by Andy Scott to reflect the history of heavy horses and the local steel and ship building industries, takes your breath away.

“Thirty years ago this was an abandoned canal, uncared for and unloved. Now we have the Forth & Clyde Canal, the Union Canal, Falkirk Wheel and the Kelpies.”

By canal there are 15 locks between the two sites, the journey taking around two-and-a-half to three hours by boat.

Richard said they are hoping to develop alternative ways of travelling between the two locations, adding mysteriously: “We are hoping to develop a new and exciting form of transport.”

to the Forth & Clyde Canal via the Falkirk Wheel which was officially opened by the Queen in 2002.

With very few new parks having been built in the last 50 years, this is a muchneeded public resource. “It is a great park for the local area,” said Richard who has been involved with the project for eight years and has worked closely

The lagoon with its waterside cafe is set to be a hive of activity during the summer.

The Kelpies by numbers

300 tonnes each 30m high 1200 tonnes of steel-reinforced concrete foundations per head 990 unique stainless steel skin plates 130 days to build 150 lorry loads with Falkirk Council to enhance the Visit Falkirk brand.

“It was uncared-for scrubland, we have been able to create a wetland walk and used features already on the site. It is about people forming and developing their own green base to transform derelict green belt to community amenity.”

A 200m lagoon is fed by canal water and during the holidays there will be canoe training, outdoor swimming, guided walks and wildlife tours. Local model boat and sailing clubs are also expected to use the lake.

Bike hire and other activities will be developed along with a social enterprise development creating jobs.

“We believe the Helix will deliver over 60 full-time jobs in the local area and about £1.5 million per annum in tourism spend,” said Richard.

As part of the project, a further 27ha of park connects 16 local communities including the major conurbations of Falkirk, Grangemouth and Polmont with high quality paths.

“The green belt separated them but was very much under used,” he added.

Following its opening in late April when 12,000 people attended the launch with fantastic pyrotechnic shows over two evenings, the next event in late June was the arrival of the Queen’s Baton relay on the way to the Commonwealth Games.

Richard told me: “The Helix Project has already taken us to places where we would never have expected to go.”

The maquettes – one tenth scale models of the Kelpies – were recently on display in New York’s Bryant Park

Inside the head-down Kelpie – known as Duke. The head-up Kelpie is called Baron. having already been shown at an international exhibition in Chicago.

They have also toured Scotland and England.

They stand 3m high but a plinth raises them to 4.5m making an impressive piece of sculpture. “They have been crucial to us through the Living Landmarks project and the bid. We sat down with artist Andy Scott in 2006 and explained that we had this idea to build a new boat lift as part of the canal extension and looked at a design using horses’ heads to lift boats out of the river,” Richard explained.

“He built scale models and the way people responded to them has been incredible – we had to repair them on a regular basis because people patted them. Through quality public art we have been able to bring the profile of the Falkirk area as well as capturing people’s hearts and minds.”

The original models are on display at The Falkirk Wheel.

NEWS FOCUS 15

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Keeping the Wheel in motion Manager Findlay Withers talks about the challenges of running an iconic structure and his faith in its future

Findlay Withers: Looking forward to future development.

The Falkirk Wheel and visitor centre.

The original models on display at The Falkirk Wheel.

ONE of the wonders of the waterways, The Falkirk Wheel linking the Union and Forth & Clyde Canals has now been in operation for 12 years.

But time hasn’t stood still and the site has continued to evolve with the Kelpies and the Helix park providing new opportunities for further development.

I met Findlay Withers who has just completed his second year as manager. “It has gone so quickly,” he told me. “It has been a very challenging but exciting two years.”

Findlay comes from an operational background having worked for BP, Esso, Dobbies Garden Centres and for a visitor attraction in Fife.

“I was new to the inland waterways when I came here but I love ships. I spent a few years at sea when I left school and grew up where there was plenty of water and locks. One of my early memories is being in a rowing boat with my grandfather.”

Major player

A major player in the local economy, the Wheel attracts half a million visitors a year, 120,000 of them taking one of the boat trips. In addition to these about 1000 boats go back and forth through the Wheel in a year.

“We have sustained that figure for a number of years and hopefully it will grow with the Helix,” Findlay continued.

Phase 2 of a water park for children will start in September and will be ready for next season. “For the young and young-at-heart we are looking at activities in the basin such as a zipwire, canoe hire and electric bikes. This is part of the national cycling network and the John Muir Way passes right by the site. The Wheel is a clean, fun and safe

Trip boats Archimedes and Antonine. place to bring the children with wildlife all around,” Findlay continued.

“We will be developing the space round here which includes 55 acres of woodland and 120 acres of grounds and the Antonine Wall. A company called Real Roman Tours (based in Edinburgh) dress as centurions and take people up to the wall.

It helps to keep people here more often and for longer and give them more things to do.”

The Wheel itself is very ‘green’ only using the power equivalent of boiling eight kettles of water and everything in the cafe, which has a healthy living award, is freshly made with more than 40% of ingredients sourced locally.

During the season there is employment for 60 people and Scottish Canals also works in partnership with the Scottish Waterways Trust which has its office based at the Wheel and helps get people into employment through the Canal College at which 16-25 year olds who have been out of work can gain environmental and heritage or life skills.

Master plan The hire boat base on the Forth & Clyde Canal.

The Forth & Clyde Canal at Falkirk.

A five-year master plan will also see a new 100seater cafe with covered seating area which can be used for private functions as well as the expansion

A Seagull Trust boat emerges from the Wheel. of the visitor centre and its retail space with more room for as many local products as possible including tweed clothing and bespoke chocolate.

“We also want to focus on more events, evening functions and conferences, also increase the dwell time here. Heritage and history tourism is on the increase and we will be developing an interpretation centre.”

Findlay said that the Helix is bringing economic benefits to the whole of the Falkirk area. “We are very proud to be involved, it has been good for everybody and we want to capitalise on that success and move forward. We get a lot of visitors here who have come from the Helix and so would have benefited from that and vice versa.”

From a local perceptive there is a lot of repeat business with families bringing picnics and according to customer feedback, 25% of people have visited before. Coach operators also report that their guests enjoy the experience, particularly being on the boats and the rapport with their crews, learning about the canals and facts about the Wheel. “It is very positive, we will do bespoke trips for them and will open the visitor centre especially for them. It is a win-win situation for everyone.”

Visitors also come from overseas and two French students recently completed a six-week

secondment as part of their tourism studies.

Interpretation and fact sheets are printed in a number of languages.

With the Scottish school holidays starting earlier in July than south of the border, it helps to spread out the season and keeps the centre busy.

“We recently hosted a tourism open day for small businesses during which we gave them the experience of the Wheel. The feedback we got from 90 odd businesses and 160 people was all positive stuff.”

Iconic structure

The hire boat base is also doing well and has increased the fleet from 18 to 21 narrowboats. A good way of promoting the canal, they do approximately 600 hires a year varying from weekends to week and two-week trips.

Scottish Canals also has its own boats ranging from the trip boats to smaller self-drive craft so people can go on the canals themselves. The work horses are Archimedes, named after the principle on which the wheel works and Antonine after the wall. Known as the ‘A class’, they carry 96 passengers. Two smaller vessels, Millennium Link (24 passengers) and Campbell Christie (50) are used for events and are available for charter.

The season runs from March to October before the Wheel shuts during November for its annual ‘MoT’. A full maintenance programme and inspections are carried out over a four-week period, a lot of which is behind the scenes. The Wheel is driven by 10 motors which need cleaning and refurbishing – the full works – and the basin is drained so the pontoons can be checked. The aqueduct and lock are also drained for maintenance.

It reopens in December for the popular Santa trips which are always a sell-out.

Findlay concluded: “It is a great place here – for Scottish Canals and the whole area – I am very positive about the future. We are in a really good place. It is unique and I am looking forward to the future of the Falkirk Wheel and the investment to make the visitor experience so unique. We are here as an iconic structure and also to promote the canals and waterways and to educate people that it can be fun and safe to be on the water.”

16 NEWS FOCUS

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Horseboating Society chairman Sue Day demonstrates harnessing with boathorse Bilbo Baggins.

Stalls and boats line the towpath. PHOTOS: JANET RICHARDSON

Boats, bands, beer and roses

By Janet Richardson

FAB and free – that’s the 24th Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival which took place over the weekend of June 13-15.

A floating market and historic boats lined the Trent & Mersey Canal towpath along with an art exhibition and craft exhibits on the Town Wharf, stalls and children’s rides on the Salinae Field.

Rose queen Poppy Maskill and her attendants in the bow of nb Fjord Duchess.

Apart from the Friday night concert and Saturday ceilidh, all the entertainment on the main stage and at the FAB fringe events was free. Venues included Middlewich Narrowboats and pubs around the town.

The event also coincided with the Middlewich Rose Fete and a parade to officially open the festival was held through the town on the Saturday morning. The fete is a tradition dating back to the days when the town had a salt queen and involves more than 40 children from local schools and surrounding areas.

New this year was a royal boat sail with the rose queen Poppy Maskill with her retinue travelling in a decorated narrowboat courtesy of Andersen Boats.

The award for the best presented boat, judged by Greg Williams of Middlewich Narrowboats, went to Colin Bowles with nb Sweden. Runner-up was nb Kitty Little – the Spud Boat – Dave Williams and in third place was Saturn represented by Sue Cawson.

Colin was presented with a silver salver, awarded in memory of Maureen Shaw of Wardle Lock, by event organiser Dave Thompson of Middlewich

Colin Bowles won the award for the best presented boat with nb Sweden.

The town crier and civic party head the parade through the town.

Winners of the best presented boats with their awards following the presentation by event organiser Dave Thompson of Middlewich Town Council. From the left are: Katie Smith and Ash Walton of Morrisons, Dave Williams (Kitty Little), winner Colin Bowles (Sweden), Dave Thompson, Sue Cawson (Saturn) and judge Greg Williams.

Town Council and bag of groceries by Ash Walton and Katie Smith of Morrisons.

Historic Shroppie fly-boat Saturn had spent three days hosting visits from schools in the Middlewich area before the festival and were due to spend another three days in Lymm before the festival there at the end of June.

“We make sure every child goes into the cabin,” explained chairman of the Shropshire Union FlyBoat Restoration Society (SUFBRS), Sue Cawson, about its Saturn Project. “With a class of about

SUFBR chairman Sue Cawson and treasurer Bob Jervis on board Saturn.

This irreverent character caused much amusement.

22-30 children we break them down into small groups so they can learn about how people lived there.”

The groups also go into the hold to hear about the cargoes, their journeys, loading and unloading and there are also activities on the bank including horse harnessing with a smaller-sized model and art so the children have something to take back to school. Each visit takes up to two hours.

Saturn travelled to Middlewich from the IWA Campaign Festival at Chester and has also visited Anderton Boat Lift and events at the Church Minshull Aqueduct and Overwater marinas. www.saturnflyboat.org.uk Another historic boat was Britain’s oldest surviving wooden narrowboat Maria, horsedrawn to the festival by Bilbo Baggins with Horseboating Society chairman Sue Day who gave harnessing demonstrations throughout the weekend. She is seeking volunteers to crew for a day or longer; contact 07711 121056, sueday_horse@yahoo.co.uk Built in 1854 at James Jinks’ boatyard above Marple Top Lock, in her heyday Maria specialised in transporting limestone from Bugsworth Basin on the Peak Forest Canal to Guidebridge on the Ashton Canal.

The 70ft horse-drawn boat is heavily involved in heritage and education work and has been making a special trip around the 97 miles of the Cheshire Ring as part of her 160th anniversary celebrations. www.horseboating.org.uk

One of the troops of dancers in the parade.

NEWS EXTRA 17

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Walkingto make Emma’s DrEama reality CHORLEY grandma of three Julie O’Keefe is planning to walk all 127 miles of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal with her dog Kathy to raise money to buy a boat in memory of her late daughter.

She wants to buy a canal barge which could be used to provide a day’s break for teenagers suffering mental health problems or somewhere where they can relax.

Julie (52), who is hoping to raise £50,000, plans to call the boat

Emma’s Dream in memory of her daughter Emma Winstanley who took her own life in September 2010 at the age of 19. She had been suffering from depression and had been awaiting assessment for bipolar disorder.

If you would like to donate any funds or perhaps join Julie on part of her walk along the canal which is scheduled to start from the Leeds end on August 5, then contact her for more information on 0751 6306442.

Liam Hewlett’s historic boat Ariel winding at Braunston. PHOTO: IAN MULFORD

Boaters asked to survey winding holes

By Polly Player

THE Historic Narrow Boat Club (HNBC) and the Inland Waterways Association (IWA) have launched a project to collate information about winding holes on the inland waterways network, to assess the placement, suitability and maintenance of the winding holes dotted around the system.

Winding holes or ‘swinging areas’ are custom-built areas along the canals that offer a widened channel or cut-out to allow a boat to turn around at points of the system other than junctions or arm entrances.

Traditionally when the canals were used almost exclusively to carry commercial traffic, winding holes were naturally placed in the most practical locations, such as near to wharves, factories and spots where boats would regularly unload or load a cargo before turning around. Today, with the inland waterways being used primarily as a leisure resource, the volume of boats on the system and their movement patterns bear very little resemblance to the historical usage of the canals.

Ergo, the IWA and the HNBC are seeking to establish whether the current provision of winding holes is still fit for purpose.

The joint initiative has come about because of concerns from members of both organisations over the loss of some of the historical winding holes, and the possibility that some of the remaining ones have either become inaccessible after a

lack of maintenance, or have been closed off altogether.

The project is open to all boaters, and invites boaters to take part in a short survey on the winding holes in their local area, or ones that they have experience of using. The organisations hope to collate data and information on issues such as winding holes that have been chained off, marked with winding prohibition notices, or turned over to usage as moorings.

It is hoped to gather a picture of how usable the remaining winding holes actually are, in terms of the length and draft of boats that can use them, and whether overhanging foliage or excess siltation are posing a problem for boaters. The survey also intends to gather suggestions for potentially suitable locations to place new winding holes on the system in the future.

The two organisations plan to develop a clear and up-todate picture of the geographical spread of winding holes, and any problems in terms of a lack of winding hole provision or poor maintenance leading to difficulty in using the existing facilities. This will then allow both organisations to use the information provided to work with the CRT and lobby the relevant navigation authorities about localised issues.

The survey will close on November 14, 2014, and all boaters are invited to give their input by taking a few moments to fill out the questionnaire at www.waterways.org.uk/enquiry/

Calls for action over Oxford canalside ‘land grab’

By Elizabeth Rogers

BOATERS travelling through Oxford will have seen a notice which has been hung on a stretch of the bank of the Castle Mill Stream which runs alongside the Oxford Canal in the Jericho area of the city.

The notice states that a group of boaters, the Friends of Castle Mill Stream, has claimed the roped-off area, claiming the unregistered land for private use and has moored several boats along a 100-yard stretch.

This action has raised concerns among local people and following a series of complaints Susanne Pressel, Jericho and Osney ward councillor on Oxford City Council, has referred the matter to the Unlawfully Moored Boats Enforcement Group and the Canal & River Trust.

She told Towpath Talk: “Quite a lot of people have contacted me to complain about this ‘land grab’, because what used to be public space has been roped off, supposedly for private use.”

She said that she hoped that action

would soon be taken by the trust. “The longer these people stay, the more difficult it will be to move them,” she commented.

Canal & River Trust spokeswoman Sarah Rudy said that no action had been taken because the issue of ownership of the land has not yet been established.

“Our lawyers are looking into the issues,” she told Towpath Talk. “Things may change, but as far as we know we do not own the land. We are still looking into it. No action is being taken at present. It will be up to whoever is the owner of the land to do so.”

Old maps

Coun Pressel claims that archive records indicate that the trust is the owner. “The Canal & River Trust says that it does not own the land, but in fact it does,” she said. “People here in Oxford have studied archives and old maps.”

The matter has been taken up by retired archaeologist Tom Hassall, a former secretary of the Royal Commission on Historic Monuments of England, who himself lives by the

Oxford Canal and has a boat moored there.

He said that his researches have shown that ownership of the land by the Oxford Canal Company, now part of the Canal & River Trust, is confirmed by the record of land valuations of 1912 made by the Commissioner of Inland Revenue, and that he supplied a dossier of information to the trust several months ago.

Mr Hassall explained that the reason the land is unregistered is that when the Oxford Canal Company bought it from the Revd Peter Wellington Furse on January 24, 1790, the Land Registry did not exist.

Coun Pressel added that irrespective of the present matters, the city council is keen to create more moorings and this is established in council policy.

“We will want to allocate these fairly,” she said. “We are not expecting people to decide for themselves where on the canal they should be allowed to moor.”

“We will want the new moorings to be set up in the right way, not by people giving rights to themselves.”

The proposed ‘Being Brunel’ experience will be alongside the SS Great Britain in Bristol’s floating harbour.

Bristol bids for Brunel centre

By Harry Arnold

IN A bid to develop a major new visitor experience ‘Being Brunel’, alongside the SS Great Britain in Bristol’s floating harbour the SS Great Britain Trust (SSGBT) has been awarded an initial support and a development grant of £176,000 by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

The total cost of the project is estimated at £7m and the SSGBT has approached HLF for a main grant of £4.7 million. This initial grant will enable it to develop the project proposal and submit a Round Two application which, if successful, will give the go-ahead with an aim to open in 2016.

‘Being Brunel’ will bring together the heritage of the life and works of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, making amazing collections – many not displayed before, publicly accessible for the first time.

It will be housed in major

redevelopment of derelict buildings that overlook the floating harbour towards Hotwell Road and allow visitors to explore the life and world of Brunel and step back in time inside his original drawing office.

The new development will also form the hub of a new National Brunel Network of people, places, institutions and heritage resources around the UK. SSGBT chief executive Matthew Tanner MBE said: “Visitors will be able to explore Brunel’s life and works and then compare their own skills with his, relating his achievements to the modern world. We feel there’s no better centre than Bristol for this to happen.”

A centre devoted to the achievements of Brunel – voted one of the greatest of great Britons – is needed but perhaps space may be devoted to some of his mistakes. Some historians claim that he cost shareholders in some of his projects more money than any engineer of his era.

Plea for waterways craft people ORGANISERS of the Grantham Canal Society’s Discovery Day, are keen to expand the heritage side of their event this year. They are appealing for waterway’s crafts people who enjoy demonstrating their skills to an interested public.

Events team leader, Rosemary Gibson said: “Discovery Day is now well established and we are keen to encompass the whole spectrum of the inland waterways, both past and present. My particular passion is the heritage of our canals, the people who toiled along them in their daily lives, and of course, their skills.

“We would be interested to hear from anyone, be their involvement in anything from boat horses, bonnets and crochet to knot tying and rag rugs.”

Discovery Day is the conclusion of a busy year for the events team, and the coming together of all sectors of the society, to put on this fun, family-oriented day. There is no charge for admission, and many of the children’s activities are either free or cost only a few pence to take part. This year’s challenge is to see who can build the longest, strongest bridge – out of newspaper. Bring your engineering miracle along, or have a go at making one on the day.

This year’s event is on Sunday, October 12 and is at the Carpenter’s Shop Canal Depot, Woolsthorpe by Belvoir NG32 1NY.

Tony Kirkland demonstrating roses and castles painting at last year’s Discovery Day.

PHOTO: JANET RICHARDSON

● If you’re a crafter and wish to find out more about the event, email anthonykjackson@btopenworld.co m Tel: 01476 567477 For more information about Discovery Day and the Grantham Canal visit www.granthamcanal.org

18 COMMUNITY BOATING

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DART and Bruce Trust join forces to provide the best accessible holidays afloat

Each month, National Community Boats Association chairman Derek Stansfield hopes to feature one of its projects and the first one is DART. THE only community boat charity that offers residential holidays to individuals with disabilities, Gloucestershire Disabled Afloat Riverboats Trust (DART), is to work more closely with the Bruce Trust based at Great Bedwyn on the Kennet & Avon Canal.

For many years now DART has hired boats from the Bruce Trust but with a succession crisis looming, the trustees have now appointed David and Rebecca Bruce to join them. Steps have

already been taken to transfer DART operations to Great Bedwyn and this will continue over the coming months.

DART was started in 1990 and built a boat that operated successfully on the Rivers Severn and Avon in Gloucestershire until 2004. At that time the boat was found to need major work which was beyond the reach of a small charity so the focus was changed to using boats hired from other operators and creating a means of access to boating for individuals who needed a

holiday with a ‘family’ feel to it. The need for this quickly became apparent as the trust’s provision expanded by 600% between 2004 and 2010. DART’s holidays are affordable while providing full board and the opportunity to be as active as the holiday-maker would like.

Activities on offer include helping with operating the boat and locks, shopping and visiting places of interest.

Passengers are also encouraged to help with planning the details of each trip; for example, the balance between boating and other activities.

Because the aim is accessibility for individuals, DART makes provision for those with or without carers. A risk assessment system allows passengers, carers and care home staff to assess the suitability of potential passengers for one of the holidays. This is done carefully and ensures that everyone on the trip benefits as much as possible.

DART uses trained volunteers to crew and cater on the trips; this includes full DBS checks. Each trip is run by an experienced trip manager whose job is to ensure that everyone on board benefits as much as possible from the experience and solve any problems that may arise.

With the new management arrangements in place, DART is looking forward to continuing to provide accessible holidays for individuals into the future.

Joystick steering in action. PHOTOS SUPPLIED

Meet the NCBA Trustee Board EACH edition we will feature a short biography of one of the NCBA trustees in order to give both the NCBA members and the public information on who is representing them. The first person to undergo this process is Bob Ratcliffe one of the longest serving and most experienced members of the NCBA. Bob also carries out the post of NBA administrator.

Bob has been an Instructor of Outdoor Education for over 25 years with 15 years on narrowboats. In addition to his NCBA qualifications he is also a Boatmaster licence holder with the MCA. Situated in the Midlands region he runs two narrowboats for use in community boating and also MCA regulation activities. He is actively involved in the social arm of his activities which his commercial operation helps to subsidise in order to allow diversity and inclusion to boating in all of its forms.

Because of the diverse nature of his operations he has a wealth of

NCBA senior trainer and moderator Bob Ratcliffe. experience in all areas of boating and the people who wish to access it, including clients from youth offending, family day outs, group trips, educational courses to A level standard, skippered holidays in addition to training of crew, boat management and the new Trainers Certificate for the NCBA. He is a Midland regional moderator for the NCBA and is always available for advice and assistance to NCBA projects.

Young carers on a DART trip.

NCBA TRAINERS COURSES 2014 All NCBA courses must be delivered or overseen by a qualified NCBA trainer.

The following courses leading to the award of the NCBA Trainers Certificate have been arranged: September 5-7: ABA, Basingstoke October 10-12: SCAD/Serious Fun, Skipton October 17-19: SCAD/Serious Fun, Skipton October 31-November 2: The Wharf, Midlands Further details and application forms can be obtained from Derek Stansfield on 07450 191561, derek@derekstansfield.com. Application forms must be submitted via an accredited training centre.

Venture out for a flexible adventure among friends on board the Sobriety

Top Lane Lift Bridge at the southern end of New Junction Canal.

The Bruce Trust Fleet.

FOR the past two years, The Sobriety Project, a charity, has been offering the exciting opportunity to private individuals and social groups to enjoy day trips on the Humber Estuary on board its historic exHumber Keel Sobriety.

The trips, departing from and returning to the project’s Yorkshire Waterways Museum in Goole, have become popular, unusual and adventurous excursions. With their timing determined by the extreme tidal regime of the river, all the ventures are, come rain or shine, a full day giving a unique view of the Humber region.

This spring the project decided to promote similar ventures along the Aire & Calder Navigation into West and South Yorkshire for those either less able or willing to face the vicissitudes of exposed tidal waters.

Tailored to the needs of the chartering party, different groups have opted for variations on the canal experience: shorter

An evening meal at Crofton.

days, one way trips or round voyages. One particular party happily spent their day cruising to Sprotbrough, near Doncaster, while a different group made use of the opportunity the following day to take the return passage.

The project’s minibus was pressed into service to ensure that owners and their vehicles were reunited at the day’s end.

“It was a fantastic day,” commented one passenger, “a great way to celebrate and enjoy time with family and friends, I would recommend it to anyone.”

Carrying up to 12 passengers on both day and residential trips, Sobriety is available for private/corporate charter as well as community and educational use. The Sobriety Project is a charity which uses the inland waterways, its environment and heritage to promote wellbeing and social cohesion, and any income earned from visitors to its museum, passengers on board its vessels or other users all supports the charity’s aims.

Sobriety in the Humber Estuary. PHOTOS SUPPLIED ● For information contact Julie Frost on 01405 768730, or email julie@waterwaysmuseum.org.uk Write to: The Sobriety Project The Yorkshire Waterways Museum Dutch River Side, Goole, East Yorkshire DN14 5TB www.waterwaysmuseum.org.uk

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See results of million pound investment in Whixall Marina

MORE than £1 million has been invested in making significant improvements at Whixall Marina since British Waterways Marinas Ltd (BWML) acquired it in 2007, and still more development is to come.

Situated on the picturesque Llangollen Canal, the enhanced facilities have been warmly welcomed by BWML’s customers.

Now everyone can go along and see what the marina has to offer at an open weekend on Saturday and Sunday, September 6-7, with a free mooring on the Saturday evening.

Improvements to date include new moorings, new electricity bollards, escape ladders, new pump out and sewerage system, self-service diesel and new tanks, building and customer facilities improvements, including disabled access, new car parks and disabled car parking.

With no restrictions on the marina, up to 148 residential berths are available.

Throughout an extensive investment programme, landscaping works to waterside lawns with picnic benches,

Ducks raise over £2500 for Cheshire hospice AQUEDUCT Marina recently hosted a successful duck race in aid of St Luke’s (Cheshire) Hospice. Nearly 1000 ducks were sold at £2.50 each and the total was boosted by extra donations to reach £2500.

After the ducks were tipped into the canal, they gently drifted eastwards with boats going past at 4mph! The finish line was about 100 yards further along and 30 minutes later there was almost a sprint finish.

The huge crowd of duck sponsors cheered their ducks towards the line, but just as the finish line was in sight, Maurice Ward on nb Emelia Romagna, returning from a weekend out on his boat, met the ducks headon. He was both cheered and booed in equal measure.

The overall winner on the day was St Luke’s. The first placed duck was No. 781 sponsored by Michelle Hallett.

Marina director Robert Parton said: “Thank you to St Luke’s for organising everything, to the people who bought ducks and the many people who turned up to watch on what was a beautifully hot sunny day.”

As well as ducks, swans have been much in evidence at the marina near Church Minshull. A pair of swans hatched six cygnets at the end of May but by the end of the following months there were seven! It has been suggested that the additional cygnet had been adopted from another clutch.

Robert added: “Swans have nested here at the marina every year since we opened in 2009, sometimes more successfully than others.”

Observers confirmed that the swan-in-charge is the same one, as he has a damaged beak, indicating that the seven cygnets are not a different brood to the original six.

A swan with seven cygnets.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

as well as installing a pond and a fountain, meant that the marina provided a parks and gardens space for customers to enjoy.

Moorer Mr T Clarke said: “I’ve lived here now for eight years as a residential moorer. For anyone who is looking for a peaceful countryside mooring, there is, in my opinion, nowhere to compare with it.

“The real gem here is the attitude of the staff, their helpfulness and friendliness. As a disabled moorer, I am sure I put more demands on them than most, but their cheerfulness and willingness is second to none.”

Marina manager Julie Cutts said: “It seems that other boaters are getting the message and, despite difficult economic times, during this new financial year Whixall Marina has attracted 11 new berth holders – a mixture of residential and leisure – which has been encouraging. We look forward to welcoming more boaters to Whixall to enjoy the benefits of our continued investment in the marina.”

Open day launch at Upton Marina THE second annual open day was held recently at Upton Marina in Worcestershire, with plenty of entertainment such as live music, displays, attractions and stalls, as well as the (planned) appearance of members of the emergency and rescue services.

The new Boat Watch scheme from West Mercia Police was launched on the day. Similar to Neighbourhood Watch, this initiative has been designed to deal with crime on our inland waterways.

Boat owners at Stourport Marina and Upton Marina also recently took part in the inaugural ‘crossover cruise’ on the River Severn in Worcestershire.

A small fleet of boats left Upton while at the same time another fleet left Stourport – their destinations being each other’s marina berths. Boats passed each other between Diglis and Bevere locks, before finding welcome visitor berths at

Mal Sargent of Tingdene Marinas helps Pc Paul Lambon launch the Boat Watch scheme. PHOTOS SUPPLIED each other’s marinas, followed by more socialising in the clubhouses.

Also at Stourport Marina, the boat jumble attracted many traders as well as boat owners, with bargains to be had by all, from boat hardware to clothing to safety gear.

Overwater Marina receives High Sheriff’s award

Janet Maughan receives the High Sheriff’s award on behalf of Overwater Marina. PHOTO SUPPLIED

THE team at Overwater Marina has been recognised with a High Sheriff’s Award for Enterprise for corporate responsibility.

Presented in partnership with the University of Chester, the award recognises the way the marina organises and integrates corporate social responsibility in its business practice, support for the local community and development of sustainable systems in the care of the environment.

Support of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and the Audlem Lass Boat Service were key factors in winning this prestigious award.

Boom in boat sales at Norbury Wharf BOATERS and would-be boaters seem to be more optimistic than for several years and although there are still lots of boats up for sale, there seem to be more buyers entering the market.

Following “phenomenal sales” during the last few weeks, Norbury Wharf’s manager David Ray reports they have almost sold out of boats.

He added: “Although there are still many existing boaters who have decided to sell, we are now seeing more people who are trading up to a better boat and a lot more new families deciding that they want to own a boat. There is also an increase in the numbers buying a boat in order to live on it.”

David believes the boom may also be linked to Norbury’s policy of advising sellers on how best to present their boats before they are seen by the buying public.

“It is important that there is as much history of the boat as possible which will allow the broker to do a

comprehensive write-up,” he said.

“The boat should have all personal possessions removed and have a full inventory. It helps to have the boat clean, beds made up and feeling homely, with cushions on sofas, stove blacked, windows clean. The outside should be clean too with only the essential equipment left on the roof.

It helps to have the cabin paintwork clean and maybe polished. If the boat has been docked and blacked it provides evidence that the boat has been well cared for.

“It is basic advice really but you would be surprised how many scruffy, dirty and clearly unloved boats you can find at brokerages and even on sale privately.”

Once an offer has been accepted, expect the purchaser to commission an independent marine surveyor to carry out at least a non-destructive hull survey and if any items are picked up on, the purchasers will probably come back with a reduced offer.

Norbury is still in search of boats to sell.

Mercia Marina’s Boardwalk development nears completion. PHOTO SUPPLIED

New businesses to be ‘floated’ at Mercia Marina MERCIA Marina’s new £1.7 million Boardwalk development will now include six floating businesses operating from moored canal boats at the 74 acre Derbyshire beauty spot.

South Derbyshire District Council has approved plans to create pontoon space in front of the forthcoming Boardwalk development to accommodate up to six commercial moorings.

These floating traders will be in addition to the six retail units, waterside pub-restaurant and four offices that are already nearing completion within The Boardwalk building itself.

The waterfront development, which is likely to start trading in September following interior fit-outs, will be complemented by an outdoor events space, a sensory garden, new nature trails and free parking areas.

Robert Neff, general manager at Mercia Marina, said: “Building work on The Boardwalk is almost complete and so it’s a perfect opportunity for potential retailers to get a true picture of what a magnificent place this could be to run a business.”

Mr Neff said that interest in the remaining shop and office units at The Boardwalk had increased in the last few weeks as the building neared completion, but he would welcome new approaches from any other interested parties.

“The moorings are ideal for smaller businesses – such as those making or selling local crafts – due to the lower rental costs. They will help to further increase the vibrancy and character of the marina when The Boardwalk opens, creating additional attractions for our existing boaters, lodge owners and new visitors.”

A floating estate agent is already in the

process of agreeing terms with Mercia Marina for one of its newly approved commercial mooring spots.

The Boardwalk, which was devised primarily as a service for the marina’s boaters and holiday lodge owners, will contain a high quality pub-restaurant over two floors, with both indoor and outdoor seating, as well as six ground floor shop units and four office suites on the upper floor.

Retailers will include a flagship farm shop, a fashion and accessories retailer and a beautician.

Mercia Marina is planning a public Grand Opening celebration on October 11-12, including street performers, live music, activities for children, boat trips and fireworks. Details will be announced closer to the date.

Mr Neff said: “We’re delighted to have finally been able to deliver this project; something we had planned since the marina opened six years ago.

“We think the boaters, lodge owners, their guests and other visitors will be over the moon with the pub-restaurant, farm shop and other retailers. We’d like to thank everyone for their patience and look forward to them joining us for the opening celebrations in October.” ● Businesses interested in snapping up the remaining units or new commercial mooring spaces are invited to contact Mr Neff on 01283 703332 or email info@merciamarina.co.uk Alternatively, they can contact commercial agent Paul Rushton, of Rushton Hickman Ltd, on 01283 528002 or Chris Taylor, of Salloway Property Consultants, on 01332 298000.

New pontoon for a safer landing AN ACCIDENT to a boater who stepped onto a wooden lock landing stage at Fairies Hill on the Aire & Calder Navigation while it was covered in silt from a flood four years ago has culminated in a totally new purpose built floating pontoon.

The old landing stage was short and narrow, made of wooden planks at a fixed height and rises in water levels always left it covered in slippery river silt and a hazard if the water level was just covering it.

Its replacement has a fixed platform at the top of the lock wall with a hinged

The new landing pontoon at Fairies Hill Marina.

sloping platform leading to a full length, wide floating platform fitted with glass fibre composite mesh which is anti-slip.

As it rises and falls with the river level it is always visible and at the correct height for safe entry/exit from boats coming alongside to use the lock; so making the lock operation a lot safer.

In times of flood it should also afford a safe anchorage point for any boats caught out on the river, though it is hoped it never needs to be used for that purpose.

It took four years in design and finding the funding and two weeks to assemble on site. A marina spokesman praised the Canal & River Trust for responding positively to a danger which had already caused an injury and cannot fault the effort and design of the newly installed landing stage.

Help was also given by neighbours Lafarge Tarmac in allowing the huge segmented platform and hiab to be assembled in the company’s yard and placed in the water for the work to take place – a slightly different load to the gravel which they used to unload from the commercial freight barges.

The contractors did a superb job and also took the time to use the tug in rescuing an elderly Australian couple on a Shire Cruisers hire boat when they got stuck on the infamous sand bar nearby.

58 HOLIDAYS

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HO LIDAYS BOATING

Puffed-up paddler

Canal breaks and river cruising in the UK, Ireland and Europe

Approaching Brograve Mill on Waxham New Cut. PHOTOS: CLIVE TULLY

Clive Tully explores the Norfolk Broads in an inflatable canoe.

I’M PADDLING downstream on the River Bure, heading for Ranworth, when all of a sudden a familiar white launch with a blue light on top appears from behind me, and a voice calls out asking for evidence that I’m licensed to paddle a canoe within the Broads Authority area.

Even before he appears from the wheelhouse I’m wondering whether it might be Andy Ellson, the Broads Authority navigation ranger with whom I spent an afternoon on the very same boat a few years ago (Towpath Talk December 2009).

I guess it took a bit more for him to recognise me in a Tilley hat and dark glasses, but it all comes back, and having established my canoeing credentials, we have a short chat. It’s the first weekend in April with really decent weather, and the sun has brought out plenty of boaters for Andy to keep his eye on.

Of course, it’s no secret that canoeing gets you to places in the Broads that motorboats don’t, and it’s easy enough to rent a canoe from one of the Broads canoe hire centres or TheCanoeMan. I wanted to be able to pick and choose when I went paddling, but the constraint has always been that I live in a second-floor flat, and I drive a tiddly two-seater Smart Fortwo car. Brilliant for short errands, and even long trips, but a bit of a drawback if you hanker after a 17ft Canadian canoe!

Then last September I had one

Tiddly two-seater

It’s a first for me too inasmuch as it’s my first trip on the Bure with a fair bit of traffic to contend with. Having spent all of last autumn and winter paddling, I’d become rather used to the wonderful sight of the Broads rivers totally deserted.

At the entrance to Surlingham Broad.

of those lightbulb in the head moments. Wandering around an outdoors trade show, I noticed that the camping supplier Coleman had a large rack stacked up with Sevylor inflatable canoes. It was going to be easy, after all! A Sevylor Colorado Premium inflates in about five minutes, but rolled up fits comfortably in the luggage space of the Smart, with plenty of room for paddles, PFDs (Personal Flotation Devices), and other bits and pieces, and it’s all light enough to cart up two flights of stairs.

HOLIDAYS 59

www.towpathtalk.co.uk My first few trips out last autumn were pretty amazing.

With virtually no traffic, the water was quite often like a mirror, and with the sunlight picking out beautiful autumn colours, the reflections were incredible. Carrying on into winter, I’d sometimes have to compromise a bit on the weather. Just after Christmas, I set off in spitting rain from New Mills, the head of navigation on the River Wensum in the middle of Norwich with my paddling companion Amy Woodyatt. With several days’ worth of rain coming through the sluices, the water was moving pretty quickly – in fact I discovered afterwards from my Satmap Active 10 GPS receiver that in our first 100 yards after casting off, we’d clocked 6.6mph. So we’d actually broken the 4mph speed limit.

Wherry wrecks

While most of our trips have proved pleasant and uneventful, we did manage one adventure.

Setting out from Rockland St Mary, we’d crossed a line of artificial islands in Rockland Broad called The Slaughters’.

The small outcrops of trees are what managed to take hold on a line of wherry wrecks, sunk in the broad during the Second World War. I’d chosen to cross in what I thought was clear water between the shore and the most northerly island, when the canoe was shaken by a great thump and scraping underneath. This is the kind of thing to have you somewhat concerned when you’re in a relatively vulnerable inflatable, but fortunately there was no sound of escaping air, and so we carried on.

Paddling upstream along the Yare against both current and tide, we arrived at Surlingham Broad. The main body of water here is a tree-fringed broad called Bargate, and during the

Close encounter of the wildlife kind. summer, you’ll quite often see Broads cruisers at anchor using mud weights – it’s a lovely place with a real feeling of isolation.

On one side of the broad is a chained-off area within which is another sunken wherry, parts of which can be seen protruding from the water at low tide.

Beyond the wreck is a very narrow and overgrown channel leading to Surlingham Inner Broad, accessible only to adventurous canoeists. I’ve been under the chain fence here twice, but on each occasion I couldn’t get far along the channel because it was too overgrown. Probably okay for plastic or glass fibre kayaks to force a way through, but not so sensible for an inflatable.

So Amy and I paddled westwards into what’s known as The Shallows. It’s actually more like one of those cornfield mazes you get in the summer, except here it’s a narrow channel of water winding through a reed-lined swamp.

I’ve heard tales of people getting lost in here, so the GPS does at least ensure you can find the way out again. On this particular occasion, an unforecast wind sprung up while in the shelter of The Shallows, and as we came out once more onto the river, we could see it was blowing against the tide and current, whipping the water up into nasty little

waves which pounded into our bow. So from what I’d originally thought would be almost a freewheel journey back to Rockland, we ended up with an epic battle for over an hour.

Every so often, it seemed as though I simply couldn’t control the canoe any more, and we’d slew round until we were travelling stern-first. It was only after we hauled the canoe out of the water that we discovered that the skeg – a clip-on fin which fits underneath to keep the canoe tracking properly – had been knocked off in the collision on Rockland Broad. I found out subsequently that we’d passed over the wreck of a wherry called Star of Hope.

Somewhat ironic to be nearly sunk by a boat with such an inspirational name.

Even when everything is functioning properly, you do need to be mindful that paddling an inflatable canoe isn’t the same as a big plastic or aluminium Canadian. With the latter, you can build up a certain amount of momentum, so that when you stop paddling, it’ll still keep gliding forwards in a straight line. With a lot less weight in the inflatable, the moment you stop paddling, you’ll lose forward speed almost immediately and start to drift round sideways if you’re in a current. And once the wind gets up you’ll find there’s a point when it starts to get rather difficult. So yes, there are compromises, but worth it for the fact that I can roll it up at the end of a trip and stick it in the back of my Smart.

Passing places

Everything you need to go canoeing, all packed into a Smart Fortwo.

When co-paddler Amy isn’t available, I have the option of turning single-blade Canadian paddles with T-bar handles into a double-bladed kayak paddle, and setting off on my own.

Without a full spraydeck, the drawback here is that you tend to ship a certain amount of water, which can be a mite nippy in the winter months.

But I’ve had some spectacular days out on my own, including the time I set off from Repps

Inflating the canoe at Rockland Staithe.

The kit

Canoe: Sevylor Colorado Premium www.sevylor-europe.com Personal Flotation Device: Palm Taupo www.palmequipmenteurope.com Satnav: Satmap Active 10 plus Broads 1:25,000 scale map www.satmap.co.uk Accessories: Riber throw line (used with karabiner for mooring), dry bag, PFD www.riberproducts.com Other accessories and lots of useful advice: Norfolk Canoes www.norfolk-canoes.co.uk

with Bastwick, on the River Thurne downstream from Potter Heigham.

I started paddling upstream, passing underneath the beautiful medieval bridge at Potter Heigham, carrying on as far as the turn towards Heigham Sound. I hadn’t thought I’d actually get much farther than the southern end of Heigham Sound, but with beautiful sunshine and the temperature in double figures, I kept pushing myself to go ‘just that little bit further’. I ended up in Hickling Broad, marvelling at a pair of marsh harriers wheeling over the reed beds, and completely amazed that I had one of the top wetland nature reserves in Europe all to myself!

On another occasion I launched from Horsey Mill.

There’s a walk you can do from here which takes you around the northern edge of Horsey Mere, and along Waxham New Cut to Brograve Drainage Mill. It’s in an advanced state of decay, and I always stop here just to marvel at the crazy lean of its brick tower, according to legend the result of the devil trying to blow it over. Paddling there proved pretty special, too. Waxham New Cut is only around 10ft wide, and with very few passing places before its dead end, you don’t see that many boats up here. The cut is pretty straight, so once on it, I could see the mill from a fair distance. Close up, it seemed all the more atmospheric seeing it from the water for the first time.

With the summer season upon

Other info:

Paddling a canoe in the Broads Authority www.broadsauthority.gov.uk area requires you to have a licence, currently £29.75 annually for a canoe or kayak.

Alternatively, membership of the British Canoe Union www.bcu.org.uk is acceptable, and while at £39.75 it’s more expensive, it does also licence you to paddle elsewhere on British waterways, and provides you with third party liability insurance up to £10 million.

Norfolk Canoes manager Steve Maloney has written a guide book to paddling a canoe on the Broads, providing lots of useful information including those all-important details of places where you can launch. Endorsed by the Broads Authority, it will be published at the end of this year.

Tied up at Horsey Mill. us, I’ll look at quieter routes away from the cruising holiday traffic – on the non-navigable parts of the River Waveney along the Norfolk/Suffolk border, and up the North Walsham and Dilham Canal (a good place, so I’m told, to spot otters). But just by being more flexible with timings means I can still enjoy parts of the Broads which some canoeists might regard as

suicidal during daylight hours in the summer. I can either make an early start, appreciating the peace of the water before the holidaymakers have had their breakfasts, or with the use of a navigation light, I can do a few sunset cruises, when the hire craft have to be tied up.

Watching the sun go down while you’re on the water – can there be anything more magical?

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62 BOAT REVIEW

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True Blue The slightly unusual Birmingham square bow.

SPEC SHEET Model: Westminster Length: 58ft Style: Semi-trad.

Berths: 6 Hull/steel: 10/6/5/4 Water tank: Stainless steel Engine: Canaline 42hp Transmission: PRM150 hydraulic gearbox connected to 18 x 12 prop.

Power: 175 amp + 50 amp alternators. 5 x domestic batteries. 3kw inverter/45 amp battery charger.

Bowthruster: Vetus 55kgf electric.

Toilet: Tecma macerator pump out Galley: Technistone worktops. Shoreline fridge, Spinflo hob, Thetford oven.

Seating: ‘L’ shape dinette (Pullman style available).

Heating: Via skirting radiators.

Price: From £79,995 (NB Ellie £93,000)

Ellie catches the eye of reviewer Phil Pickin.

‘THAT’S bright’ has to be the first impression to have when you see Ellie, or NB Ellie to give her her proper title. Ellie is Elton Moss’s boat No 57 and is built by Northwich Boats.

She’s the latest from the Cheshire-based builder whose manufacturing facility is in the Czech Republic. The company has been producing high quality boats for some time with many coming from its eastern European factory. A factory with a workforce specialising in the production of high quality woodwork and cabinet making.

Ellie is a Westminster class, semi-trad narrowboat with a slightly unusual Birmingham square bow and an even more unusual bright blue exterior colour. Having said that, the colour isn’t unpleasant and has been matched up with some equally eye-catching graphics in contrasting colours.

Inside the boat is light and bright with loads of pale colours and light headlining to reflect the natural light. Throughout the boat all non-painted metalwork is chrome or stainless thus avoiding the owner the task of having to repeatedly clean exterior brass work.

The bow, which is a good and usable size and is equipped with the usual lockers to both sides, has an additional locker in the floor. This provides access to the bow thruster, a handy addition on any boat (the thruster that is, not just the locker). Oak is used extensively throughout the boat and this includes on the inset panels on the insides of the forward doors. As you enter the main living space, passing storage cupboards to both sides, you notice the stove, or more likely the odd shaped ‘thing’ located behind it. This is not some item of modern art but a clever idea to provide a detachable hearth for use with the stove. This enables the stove to conform to legislation while remaining in a more useful position in the room.

As you move further into the room you pass a TV cabinet and associated storage cupboards and, when visited, a folding table. Along the starboard side of the boat is the seating which, for a pleasant

The bright blue has been matched up with some equally eye-catching graphics in contrasting colours. change, isn’t two cushions at 90º to each other. The lower cushion has a 5º fall toward the back and the back cushion has a 7º fall on it thus providing you with a more normal seating positions. These ideas may stem from the workforce’s background in furniture making. Both of these seating areas convert into beds if required.

Sparkly worktop

Moving forward you come into, or should that be through the walk-through galley. The lines of the units are not regimented and make maximum use of the space. As a result, the worktop on the starboard side of the galley is positively huge, even with a four-burner hob inset into it. The tops are made from Technistone, a material made from crushed granite, mirror and glass all bonded together with resin and polished. It’s said to be as hard as granite but better suited to the flexing that

A control binnacle houses the helm controls.

takes place on boats. As to whether or not you like a sparkly worktop is a matter of personal choice.

Below the worktops are the usual array of draws and cupboards all with oak frames and oak faced laminate, no MDF I’m told. The finish on all of these units is very good with no rough edges and tight joints with no filler. The galley is fitted with a Shoreline fridge and Thetford oven and, as with all of the boat, is lit with a good selection of LED lights and spot lights.

Moving forward you enter another walk-through, this time the washroom. This area has a tiled floor and is equipped with a wash basin that uses the same worktop material as used in the galley. A Tecma macerator toilet is fitter opposite a shower cubicle with sliding doors. Plenty of storage is provided both beside the shower and within the wash basin unit. The room, as with most washrooms, is heated by a chrome towel rail.

The final room to enter is the stern, fixed double berth. This is fitted with a 4ft bed which extends to a 4ft 6in if required. As you would expect there are overhead lockers and both wardrobe and cupboard space towards the exit out to the rear deck. Additional storage is provided below the exit steps and many of the boats services and gauges are located adjacent to the exit steps.

Up top there is a good sized area which is protected from the worst of the weather and which has integral benches under which are lockers. A control binnacle houses helm controls and the deck boards in the floor provide access to the Canaline engine.

Bespoke range

The odd shaped ‘thing’ behind the stove is a detachable hearth.

PHOTOS: PHIL PICKIN

Both of these seating areas convert into beds if required.

The walk-through galley makes maximum use of the space.

The wash basin is set in the same worktop material as used in the galley.

NB Ellie is part of the Elton Moss range which is the higher cost, bespoke range produced by the company. It also produces the Northwich Boat range which was described as the ‘M&S equivalent’ where some changes can be made to the basic spec but they could not be looked upon

Light headlining reflects the natural light.

Oak is used on the inset panels on the doors.

as bespoke. Whereas the Elton Moss range is fully bespoke but carries a price tag to reflect this.

Many people could dismiss boats built in eastern Europe because they are made in factories and not in the UK in an almost cottage industry, but that would be to overlook some very good workmanship. I’ve seen British-built boats in this price range that have not been finished as well as this example.

The gauge of the wood used is substantial and the overall finish is as good as you would find almost anywhere. It didn’t creak and groan when you walked around it. The doors fitted tightly and there is an obvious attention to detail that many others could embrace. I’m assured that the builders’ commitment and interest in the boat lasts well after the warranty expires, so it would seem that to ignore a boat just because of its eastern origins would be to overlook something you might just like. ●

Builder

The Northwich Boat Company is a trading name of Elton Moss Boatbuilders Limited Elton Moss Canal Wharf, Moss Lane, Sandbach, Cheshire CW11 3PW Tel: 01270 760160 www.thenorthwichboat.com

PRODUCTS/REVIEWS 63

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Two speakers you can take anywhere Reviewer: Jason Carpenter

AS AN avid fan of anything musical and all things gadgetty, when I was given the opportunity to test and write a review of the next two speakers I jumped at the chance.

Libratone is a company on a mission. Founded in 2009, they are one of the first audio companies to not only think about the sound quality, but the design of the speaker as well. Whereas most speakers are confined to being in one place for their audio life, normally hidden in a corner of a room owing to their size and mass of wires that accompany them, the Zipp completely breaks that mould. This is a speaker that is as comfortable in a living room, in the garden on a lovely sunny day, or even the narrow space of a galley. If you are looking to take your music with you wherever you go, you can’t really argue with what Libratone is doing here.

Setting it up is a breeze. It runs on batteries for when you are out and about on the cut (or in the garden in my case) or you can plug it into the mains for when you are cruising the canals. The Zipp has its own Wi-Fi signal built in so you don’t need to plug your smartphone or tablet directly into it; following the simple 10-step instructions provided had me connected and listening to music in no time.

Being only one speaker, you would expect the sound to be quite mono but the design means you get a full 360º stereo experience; it more than fills a room. The sound quality is just beautiful with deep bass sounds and crisp treble which really surprised me for a speaker of its size. The organic wool case surrounding the speaker isn’t only for design, it actually refines the sound as it passes through it, giving it a warmer tone.

Rubber company expands catalogue range SEALS + Direct Ltd, a leading UK supplier of replacement rubber and PVC seals and trims, has just launched its new catalogue listing more than 640 products.

Free of charge, it includes more than 120 new sections, with clear actual-size images of every profile.

Seals + Direct Ltd can supply hundreds of different products for marine, industrial, caravan, automotive and domestic applications.

The catalogue, which shows the range of products available from stock, can either be downloaded directly from sealsdirect.co.uk or a printed copy can be requested. ● Seals + Direct Ltd can be contacted quickly for help, assistance, technical advice and to request a catalogue or samples on 01425 617722 or at www.sealsplusdirect.co.uk

Clearing the condensation from boat windows THE days of mopping up condensation from your boat windows could be limited thanks to a new product launched at the Crick Boat show.

Having listened to its boating customers, Caldwells Windows Ltd of Wigan, Lancashire, has been developing its Thermal Break over the past two years.

Available on the clip-in window range, it provides a barrier between the warmth of the boat interior and the outside cold – a cause of condensation.

“People have been asking for thermal breaks to try to alleviate condensation in their boats,” Reg Caldwell explained.

This type of product has been available for house windows for some time and thanks to the new

rubber barrier which will withstand powder coating or anodising, it is now suitable for boat windows.

The system received a great response when trialled by boaters, one of whom described it as ‘absolutely fantastic’.

At the moment the Thermal Break is only available on mitred windows but delivery of a new machine within the next few weeks will enable Caldwells to expand its range.

These covers also come in a range of colours so there will be a colour to suit everybody. I tested a few different genres of music and the Zipp handled each one brilliantly.

If music is a big influence on you and you want to be able to take your music wherever you go and not have to worry about lack of space and unsightly wires then you can’t go far wrong with the Libratone Zipp. www.libratone.com RRP £329.99

Voombox Travel

Next up is the Voombox Travel by Divoom.

Available in a indigo blue, army green, vermillion red and smart black, this is a speaker that is designed with the outdoors in mind. The Voombox connects to any device that has Bluetooth. It is simply a case of turning it on and connecting to your smartphone or tablet via the Bluetooth connection.

It has a good feel to the speaker, not too heavy but with a weight that when held you know it is a premium product. Normally with small speakers you can hear the higher end of music fine but when it comes to bass they generally lack.

There is no such problem with the Voombox Travel, the bass was clearly audible and there was deepness to it that I didn’t think was possible with such a compact speaker. The speaker offers a six-

BOOKS,DVDS AND DOWNLOADS

● For sales and advice visit www.seddondirect.co.uk or call 08452 305684, Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm.

Towpath Talk, PO Box 43, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ editorial@towpathtalk.co.uk

WELL-known and much respected canal artist and printmaker Eric Gaskell has combined more than 200 of his drawings with his previous book Canal Linocuts – along the English and Welsh canal system into one iBook volume.

Sure to go down well with canals enthusiasts and art lovers, the ibook Canal Drawings & Linocuts is a fascinating record of Gaskell’s artistic quest along the canals with black and white as well as colour linocuts and the drawings that helped to create them.

Gaskell’s lino cuts show a real empathy for the waterways as well as incredible attention to detail to create such lively and evocative prints.

Images display a dynamism, rhythm and energy that will have you marvelling at the skill of this craftsman, who wields his lino-cutting tools with the finesse of a sculptor.

The book is available for download with iBooks on your Mac or iPad, and with iTunes on your computer.

Eric Gaskell is a member of the Society of Graphic Fine Art. His studio is always open to visitors who would like to look through all the work, talk about drawing and painting and maybe, just maybe, buy an original. But first please email Eric through his website or telephone on 01788 521182.

Canals, Canines and Curries Reviewer: Gay Armstrong

AMONG the many books written on life on the inland waterways comes this one from new boater Michael Rolfe.

It is a mix of practical boating information written in easy to follow layman’s terms and a humorous look at life on board for the couple, their friends and family and their massive Akita dog after which the narrowboat is named.

In an informal and readable style, this tale of derring-do should appeal to anyone with a sense of adventure and love of life afloat.

Canals, Canines and Curries is published by Accent Press in softback, priced £9.99.

ISBN: 9781783755967.

● For more information contact Reg or Linda Caldwell on 01942 826406, sales@caldwellswindows.co.uk

EnviroPad collects drips and spills arising from leaking generators and refuelling activities.

Unlike other products on the market, the EnviroPad incorporates a smart membrane with unique polymer technology contained within to capture and retain hydrocarbons such as oil, diesel and petrol. It offers huge advantages in that it retains and ‘locks in’ hydrocarbons into the polymer, solidifying and immobilising hazardous fluids into a dry, solid mass within minutes.

Water pollution legislation governs that it is an offence to allow any polluting material to enter the waterways and offenders can incur heavy fines and even imprisonment. When hydrocarbons get into the waterways, they poison water life and any animals that drink from them.

Generators and other items of plant can be easily placed on to the EnviroPad. It is available in three sizes, lightweight and can be repeatedly used until it is completely solidified, at which point it can be safely disposed of. When not in use, the EnviroPad can be easily rolled and stored away.

Books, DVDs and other items for possible review should be sent to:

Two books into one download

Help avoid water pollution with new drip tray SEDDONS (Plant & Engineers) Ltd has launched a revolutionary form of drip tray which enables waterway users to safely store generators, fuel containers and small plant while significantly reducing the risk of pollution entering the waterways.

Designed to be placed directly underneath generators and other plant items, the Green Rhino

hour battery life once fully charged and is thankfully rechargeable so you won’t be spending the rest of your life buying batteries.

Being designed specifically for the outdoors it is very rugged and is also splash resistant. As it is connected via Bluetooth, it also means you can make and receive calls from your phone, hands free. This could come in handy if you are worried about having your phone anywhere outside of your boat.

It’s a cracking little speaker and I most certainly shall not be forgetting to pack it when I go travelling. Happy listening. http://divoom.com RRP £49.99

An at-a-glance view of your boat

Reviewer: Simon Morton

THE My Boat app offers a comprehensive platform from which to manage your boat with a range of options to help ensure that every aspect of your boat is organised and in control.

It has clearly been designed by people who know their boats, which instantly makes you feel that you could use the app to manage your own trips.

The app content feels as though no stone has been left unturned and it is extremely helpful to have everything collated in one place. Unfortunately this can at times make the presentation feel cluttered, with the icons on the sidebar being difficult to select quickly.

However, the set-up of the app is smooth and fast, with another highlight being alert pop-ups acting as reminders regarding your boat. This feature is one that will be useful time and time again.

Once the navigation of the app has been mastered the experience is an impressive all-in-one tool that will greatly assist in the planning of trips, and also the wider context of your boat.

The app will help you to save time; some of the check lists have been pre-loaded to get you started and the ‘what’s on my boat’ section can also save you money if you need to find a spare part or carry out maintenance.

Designed for iPad, the My Boat app costs £11.99 and can be downloaded at itunes.apple.com

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WHAT’S ON

Compiled by Janet Richardson

Email details of your event to: jrichardson@mortons.co.uk or send details to: What’s on, Towpath Talk, PO Box 43, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ

Horse-drawn boats and traditional crafts at the Maesbury Festival THE fourth Maesbury Canal Festival, which takes place over the weekend of September 6-7, is now fully booked with 30 visiting boats set to assemble around Canal Central, Maesbury Marsh, near the present navigable limit of the Montgomery Canal.

Among them is the restored 108-year-old Shropshire Union fly-boat Saturn, always a popular attraction at waterways events, historic working boats and a number of trading boats offering cheeses, confectionery, jewellery and canal art.

Leader of Shropshire Council, Keith Barrow, and his wife, Coun Joyce Barrow, will open the event, which will see visitors entertained by artists and demonstrators including a blacksmith’s mobile forge, canal ware decoration, rag rugging, rope fender making and much more.

The festival will also give visitors a unique opportunity to travel by horse-drawn boat down the length recently completed by Shropshire Union Canal Society volunteers.

The trip boat Duchess of Maesbury, pulled by Cracker, courtesy of Stephen Rees-Jones, will run excursions throughout the weekend, providing a taste of the canal’s attractions that await leisure boaters when the restoration work parties reach Crickheath, the next available winding hole.

The Maesbury Canal Festival is an art and craft community event held in alternate years to raise awareness of the restoration work needed to extend the navigable Montgomery Canal to Llanymynech on the Welsh border and, potentially, all the way to Welshpool. Organised jointly by the Friends of the Montgomery Canal and the IWA’s Shrewsbury & North Wales branch, daytime entry to the festival is free, though the Saturday evening supper and entertainment is by £12.50 ticket available from Canal Central (01695 652168).

IN BRIEF

On the Water

TRINITY Marinas is hosting an ‘On the Water’ event to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital in conjunction with the Premier Inn and Brewers Fayre which are on the Leicestershire site.

The event will take place from 10-4pm on Saturday, August 9 at the marina on the Ashby Canal at Wharf Farm, Coventry road, Hinckley LE10 0NF. Attractions include canoeing and kayaking, arts and crafts stalls, Orbital Kaos Band, fairground, boats available to view and more. www.trinitymarinas.co.uk

Crick Tunnel

CRICK History Society and The Moorings will be taking part in the Old Grand Union Canal bicentennial celebrations with an event centred on the tunnel and wharf on Saturday, August 9.

Activities will include boat trips through the tunnel, vintage bus rides, boat pony demonstrations, children’s activities, canal craft demonstrations, displays, talks and entertainment.

There will also be street food and a hog roast on Saturday evening.

Boats at Maesbury Festival. PHOTO COURTESY DENIS FARMER

Saul showcase will also celebrate canal restoration project

Musicians raise money for historic narrowboat charity

THE diversity of the inland waterways will be showcased at the Saul Waterways Pageant over the August Bank Holiday weekend, August 23-25 at the junction of the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal and Stroudwater Navigation.

It will focus on waterway activities with a programme of competitions including boat handling, canoeing, tug of war, Best Boat in Bloom, illuminated boat display and best-kept engine room.

As well as the water-based competitions, activities will include walking, fishing, cycling and Geocaching.

Holding the event on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal will also allow inland waterways access for sailing ships and other much larger vessels to attend and take part.

The pageant will celebrate the restoration work taking place on the Cotswold Canals, and promote the forthcoming Heritage Lottery bid the Cotswold Canals Trust is making. During the event the Waterway Recovery Group (WRG) will be working with the trust to restore the canal at Ham Mill and Bowbridge Lock near Stroud.

A GROUP of local folk and acoustic musicians have banded together to organise a tour by narrowboat to raise funds for the historic waterways charity Friends of Raymond.

They will be travelling by canal from Linslade to Watford over a week and stopping at canalside pubs and local music venues to perform acoustic gigs.

The tour will begin on Monday, July 28 at

the Red Lion, Marsworth, with an open acoustic session and finish at Watford Museum on Friday, August 1 where a full night of music, featuring local artists will round off the tour.

The touring line-up will consist of acclaimed local musicans Minnie Birch, Robert Sunday, Chylde Owlet, Daria Kulesh, Skopje, Stiffie Partridge and will also feature guest musicians.

● More information and dates can be found on the facebook page: www.facebook.com/shipoffoolstour or on twitter where the shipmates will be live tweeting their location and progress @shipoffoolstour

Blisworth Festival 2014 is shaping up to have the wow factor LAST year’s Blisworth Canal Festival attracted more than 25,000 visitors and the most popular word used to describe it was ‘awesome’.

Come and see for yourself why it is considered one of the best with something for all ages and interests with no charge for parking, entry or mooring.

The waterfront has that ‘wow’ factor; stroll past a long line of trade and workboats and soak up the atmosphere. Take a boat trip to Gayton Junction and back, or to the famous Blisworth Tunnel entrance.

Visit the wharf with its bar, food, live music and great stalls or cross the canal bridge to the large canalside festival field which will be jampacked with so many things to see and do including vintage caravans, tractors, children’s fairground, trampolines, companion dog show, Second World War re-enactors, food arena, traders and more.

The Royal Oak pub and other village venues close to the canal will also be crammed with stalls, traders and attractions including pony rides, a rare breed farmyard, rural craft demonstrations, a have-a-go bell tower, art gallery, traction engine and vintage vehicles. There will also be antiques, parrots, owls, coffee house with food and, on the Sunday only, open gardens to which an entry fee applies.

The busy waterfront at the Blisworth Canal Festival. PHOTO SUPPLIED

● The festival is organised by Blisworth Canal Partnership.

This is a non-profit making organisation. All of the proceeds from the festival go directly into projects to enhance the local canal environment.

For further information ring the festival hotline on 07597 053062, email blisworthcanalpartnership@hotmail.co.uk www.blisworthcanalfestival.co.uk www.blisworthcanalpartnership.org

Cheese afloat

CATCH up with the Borders Cheese Carrying Company boat during August at the Birmingham Summer Market on the Digbeth branch (2-3); Shugborough by the Lockhouse Tearooms at Great Haywood Lock on the Trent & Mersey (9-10); The Olde Barbridge Inn on the Shropshire Union at Barbridge (16-17) and on the Llangollen at the Poachers Pocket pub at Gledrid, Chirk (23-25) and Ellesmere (30-31).

Open day

THERE will be another chance to see volunteers at work at the Wendover Arm Trust’s restoration open day on Sunday, September 7.

Open from 12.30-4pm, there will be tours of the restoration site as well as teas and cakes for sale. The Mayor of Tring will pick the winning tickets for the 2014 Grand Draw. Admission is free and there is car parking at St Mary’s Church, Drayton Beauchamp HP22 5LS. Donations will be very welcome. Information: 07547 181857 www.wen doverarmtrust.co.uk

Rally of boats

STRAWBERRY Island Boat Club at Doncaster welcomes visiting boaters to its annual rally over the weekend of September 12-14. There will be live entertainment in the clubhouse from Rainbow Connection on Friday and Robin Good on Saturday nights. Daytime attractions include classic cars, a duck race, real ale and food.

For rally moorings contact John Foster on 07776 205250 or email web master@strawberry islandboatclub.co.uk

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New canal festival to bring boats, beer and music to Brighouse BUILDING on the success of a recent 1940s weekend, which attracted 100,000 visitors, the Brighouse Business Initiative is launching a new event this summer.

Over the weekend of August 30 and 31 the canalside in Brighouse will be filled with boats and the whole town will be filled with music.

Organised by a volunteer organisation, the Brighouse Canal, Beer and Music Festival is a great free family day out.

Brighouse in West Yorkshire is the gateway to Calderdale, the southernmost dale of the Yorkshire Dales and is in the heart of Bronte country.

The main purpose of the festival is to attract people to the waterway and basin which will be the focal point with boat trips, display stands and craft stalls. The Calder Navigation Society is co-ordinating all the moorings and boat movements. Other groups involved include the Canal & River Trust, the South Pennine Boat Club and the Association of Waterways Cruising Clubs.

The organising committee, from left: Steven Lord (BBI), Chris Etwell, who will be harbour master for the event (CNS), Garth Robinson (AWCC), Mike Fretwell (CNS), Peter Davies (CNS), Claire MacDonald (C&RT), Alan Mapplebeck (CNS), Heather & Ken Bearpark (SPBC), John Buxton (BBI), Lesley Adams (BBI).

PHOTOS SUPPLIED

See the historic Calder and Hebble Navigation filled with a large variety of boats, take a boat trip and wander down the scenic towpath. After your stroll, walk into the town centre to do some shopping in the independent shops and then browse the many stalls at the huge local produce and craft market which takes over the streets in the town centre. The roads are closed to traffic and filled with not only the market but also buskers, dancers and displays. Canal organisations will be promoting their groups and charities and there will be demonstrations of rope making and canal crafts. Classic cars and buses will also be on display. A funfair, donkey rides and steam train rides will keep the children entertained.

Live music will be performed all day on two outdoor stages with a large line-up of acts including musicians and dancers.

Local singer and songwriter Roger Davies, who is headlining, will be performing a set ahead of his evening concert at the civic hall. Roger is famous for his song, Brighouse On A Saturday Night, and many others. Tickets are available from http://brighousecanalfestival.co.uk.

Real ale from local producers will also be available at the festival which opens from 10am to 9pm on Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday.

Brighouse is a great location with the canal towpath running alongside the town centre and level roads making for easy movement around the town and great road and rail connections. Use junction 25 on the M62 if you’re coming by car and there are regular bus and train connections to all major cities.

There’ll be a warm welcome in Brighouse for its first canal beer and music festival.

WHAT’S ON INAUGUST

THERE is less than a month to go to the new Redhill Boat Show over the August Bank Holiday week which will be preceded by a music festival on August 15-16.

Redhill Rocks will feature live music including tribute acts, with food and beer tents to keep festival goers fed and watered. There will also be a donation to the Nottinghamshire & Lincolnshire Air Ambulance .

Entry is £25 per ticket which includes free camping. Visitors are being encouraged to stay for the week to take in the new show aimed at promoting inland waterways boats and products at Redhill Marina, Ratcliffe-on-Soar.

Standard Narrowboats will unveil its newest Jupiter-class widebeam and other boat builders and associated companies exhibiting at the Nottinghamshire boatyard will include Tristar Boats, Avante Boat Sales, Soar Valley Steel Boats, Tuggyland Boat Trips, Kings Lock

Leawood Pumping Station: In steam at High Peak Junction, Cromford DE4 5HN. Information: 01629 823204.

August 3

IWA Towpath Walks Society, London: First World War, Three Mills, Bow Back River, the Olympics. Starts Bromleyby-Bow tube station at 2.30pm. Costs £9, £7 student/concs. Contact Roger Wilkinson 02084 589476.

August 4

River Foss Society: Foss Walk 6, Haxby Landing to Blue Bridge, about six miles. Meet 9.30am at the entrance to Landing Lane. Return by No 1 bus from theatre or railway station. Contact Bob Jowett 01904 764702, bobjowett1@btopenworld.com

August 5

Worcester, Birmingham & Droitwich Canals Society: Society walk. More information: www.wbdcs.org.uk

THE Linlithgow Union Canal Society hosts its annual fun day on Sunday, August 17 when the basin will be a hive of activity.

Always popular with the crowds is the cardboard boat race with a maximum of six people in each team.

There will also be marquees, stands and a ferry service.

The basin on the Union Canal besides the historic town of Linlithgow – its ruined palace was the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots – is the headquarters of LUCS which celebrates its 40th anniversary next year.

During a recent visit to Scotland, vice-chairman and secretary Duncan McIntyre showed Towpath Talk round the former working basin which won a Trip Advisor award last year for its review ratings as well as a tourism award for increasing its number of visitors and the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2012. “We take our image and community involvement quite seriously,” he said.

This includes school visits in the week to the Heritage Lottery funded

August 7

IWA Avon & Wiltshire: An unusual and interesting two-anda-half hour boat trip aboard Bristol Ferry Boats’ Matilda starting in Bristol’s Floating Harbour and including the tidal River Avon, the gorge beneath the suspension bridge and the rarely navigated New Cut to Netham Weir and return.

Depart at 1.40pm sharp from the Great Britain pontoon (car park adjacent). Booking essential, tickets £19. Bar, tea and coffee available on board. Bookings and queries to Geoff Harman on 01179 623812, harman@lampeter99.plus.com Birmingham Canals Navigations Society: Walk with Ray Shill down to Salford Junction and up part of the Aston flight.

Meet at the Lock House at Lock 12 on the Perry Barr flight at the end of Deykin Avenue, 7pm. Walkers can catch a train back to Witton or walk back. boundarypost@gmail.com IWA Chiltern: Marsworth Lock Wind. Contact John Brice 01494 873298/07740 733241, john.brice@waterways.org.uk

River Canal Rescue: Boat and engine maintenance course.

Alvechurch Marina near Birmingham. For bookings and information visit www.rivercanalrescue.co.uk call 01785 785680 or email enquiries@rivercanalrescue.co.uk

August 17

Portsmouth Boat Jumble: Fort Purbrook, Portsdown Hill Road, Cosham, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO6 1BJ. Open to buyers 10am. Adults £3.50, children/parking free. Chaddock & Fox Promotions boatjumbles@yahoo.com 02392 381405/07887 771451, www.boat-jumbles.co.uk IWA Towpath Walks Society, London: First World War, Enfield Lock, River Lee, Ponder’s End. Starts Enfield Lock railway station at 2.30pm. Costs £9, £7 student/concs.

Contact Roger Wilkinson 02084 589476.

August 20

River Foss Society: River Humber visit and talk about Humber keel comrade and sloop Amy Howson. Lunch and visit to Waters’ Edge Country Park and Visitor Centre at Barton-on-Humber, optional walk from South Ferriby to Barton, 4.5 miles on the South Humber Heritage Trail viewing Humber Bridge and effects of flooding. Maximum 20 people. Contact Peter Hopwood 01904 768071 or chrisandpete@haxby147.fsnet.co.uk

The museum in a converted stable.

August 23-25

IWA: Saul Waterways Pageant on the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal at Saul Junction GL2 7LA.

August 24-25

Leawood Pumping Station: In steam at High Peak Junction, Cromford DE4 5HN. Information: 01629 823204.

August 31

Essex Boat Jumble: Battlesbridge Antiques Centre, Battlesbridge, Essex SS11 7RF. Open to buyers 10am.

Adults £3.50, children/parking free. Chaddock & Fox Promotions boatjumbles@yahoo.com 02392 381405 or 07887 771451, www.boat-jumbles.co.uk

Chandlery, Vetus, MCS Boat Products, The New & Used Boat Company, Aintree Boat Company, Canal Transport Services, Castle Marinas, and Channel Glaze.

The show will start at 10am each day and will also feature live entertainment and music, food stands, real ales, boat jumble and classic vehicles. Admission is £2 per person or £5 for the family, parking is free.

On the River Soar near to Trent Lock, it is at the heart of the East Midlands waterway network and close to the M1 and East Midlands Parkway station.

Caravan and camping pitches will be available. ● For further information or to book a stand contact 01509 672770, enquiries@redhill-marina.co.uk www.redhill-marina.co.uk www.redhillrocks.co.uk

Historic basin to host annual fun day

If you want your event listed in our free monthly What’s On section email your entry to jrichardson@mortons.co.uk or use the events form at www.towpathtalk.co.uk/events. As always please check with organisers on the details of the event before setting out on your journey.

August 2-3

August 16-17

● If you would like more details or are interested in taking part in the festival or bringing your boat please see www.brighousecanalfestival.co.uk for more details or ring 01484 722462 during office hours.

Getting ready to rock at Redhill

Linlithgow Basin.

The steam boat replica Victoria.

PHOTOS: JANET RICHARDSON

education centre where the children learn about the history of the canals.

Other talks include advice about water safety from a local community police officer.

There is a small museum and shop in a converted stable and the cafetearoom in a listed building which originally housed two families and a stable. The society owns the former manager’s house and the remainder of the site belongs to Scottish Canals.

Of its 500-strong membership, 100 are active volunteers but Duncan said that they are always looking for younger members as many are now in their mid-sixties.

LUCS has three boats: Steam boat replica Victoria is the flagship.

Carrying 12 passengers it usually does the half-hour town trips and is famed for having been the first boat down the Falkirk Wheel when the Queen opened it in 2002.

The 40-seater St Magdalene, named after a local distillery does two and a half hour trips across the Avon Aqueduct and there is also a self-drive hire boat Leamington.

Other forthcoming events include a trip to the Falkirk Wheel on Sunday, August 31 for which booking is essential, the Linlithgow Folk Festival over the weekend of September 12-14 and the Santa trips over two weekends in December. ● For more information and bookings visit www.lucs.org.uk or email bookings@lucs.org.uk

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Two cafes open at Ebley Wharf

D O O F Canalside pubs & restaurants

& DRINK

to satisfy all tastes...

Owners Chris and Wendy Barton sample pastries made in the cafe’s kitchen.

From farm to canalside cafe

By Harry Arnold

GREAT Haywood – the well-known historic junction between the Trent & Mersey and Staffordshire & Worcestershire canals – has a new attraction: a purpose built, architect designed cafe.

An addition to the popular shop facilities at Canalside Farm, the new Canalside Cafe opened to the public on July 14.

Situated between T&M Bridge 74 and Great Haywood Marina, it is convenient for both canal and road visitors and seats 72 customers inside, plus an additional 35 people outside on a balcony overlooking the waterway.

Owners Chris and Wendy Barton have been growing their own produce on the farm for over 25 years and have established a farm shop with an enviable reputation which now employs 12 staff.

They are now looking for a new apprentice in their butchery department which has recently seen a 46% increase in sales.

The Canalside Cafe development has been planned for several years with the vision that, wherever possible, the food is served straight from the farm to the plate. Fourteen new staff have been employed to run it.

The cafe viewed from the car park.

Great Haywood’s Canalside Cafe seen from the Trent & Mersey Canal. PHOTOS:WATERWAY IMAGES Locally grown or sourced food is the feature of the menu, with items such as farm strawberries and asparagus, as well as meat from the butchery counter, such as their own sausages, minted lamb burgers and gammon steaks, with plenty of homecured bacon for full English breakfasts.

Customers can look forward to sampling dishes such as Asparagus & Goat’s Cheese Quiche, Chicken Fillet Stuffed with Fresh Asparagus and Blue Cheese, as well as afternoon teas with the farm’s home-made strawberry jam.

Chris Barton told us that their aim for both the shop and now the cafe has always been to source local food and drink from farms and producers

within a 30 mile radius and to produce their own fruit, vegetables and bedding plants on the farm.

“Now we hope that people will come here not only to shop but also to relax and unwind in our Canalside Cafe.”

We have always liked Great Haywood, but we particularly liked the location, airy design and atmosphere of the new cafe – and the food of course; a great place to watch the boats going by. Naturally we were tempted to spend money in the shop! ● More information on www.canalsidefarm.co.uk

TWO cafes recently opened on the Stroudwater Navigation waterside at Ebley Wharf.

Kitsch Coffee moved from the town centre and Buttercup Buttery has also opened on the wharf.

Kitsch Coffee proprietor Kerri Vernon said: “We are proudly independent and know about quality coffee. We purchase the very best ‘high end’ coffee beans and use organic milk from Woefuldane Organic Dairy in Minchinhampton.

“This area is up and coming and being here is like being on holiday.”

Kerri and her staff welcome people looking for a place for business meetings and will open in the evenings for private party occasions.

The Buttercup Buttery kiosk is just a few paces away from the Ebley Mill pedestrian swing bridge. Proprietor Nigel Foster explained: “We are here to serve busy people who have to grab something and go. We are already serving the staff from the offices in Ebley Mill.

“We are impressed by the number of people using the towpath too. To cater for walkers and cyclists we can do picnic boxes to enjoy further along the canal.”

In addition to the popular Marshfield Farm ice cream, Nigel can provide picnics for the parties who charter the Cotswold Canals Trust Trip Boat Endeavour which operates from the nearby Cloth Mills Bridge.

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BITS & BOBS GREETINGS! Our August column is dedicated to harvesting. As summer ends we head for the ‘pick your own’ strawberry facility at the canalside shop near Great Haywood junction. It is kind of like foraging although there is a charge. After several hours of picking we’re ready for a simple supper when we return to the boat. I learned years ago to be ready to use our strawberries within two days of harvesting. They do not like to hang around unappreciated for long.

We use half of our ‘harvest’ in a salad on the day of the picking and reserve the rest. All of those strawberries are not for just the two of us; tomorrow we have plans to get together with our friends who dock in the Great Haywood marina and we’re bringing along Phill’s strawberry shortcake (see recipe below).

by Rexx & Phill

August top tip We have a special weakness for stone fruit because it says ‘summer’ to us and is so seasonal. We are always on the lookout for farmers’ markets and roadside stands and we always buy too much. In the warmer temperatures of summer, the fruit doesn’t survive long. Not to worry. We have designed a way to use up any fruit that looks marginal but still has a lot of flavour – SMOOTHIES! The base is always two tablespoons of yoghurt, a banana and/or a diced apple, and a bit of honey.

Beyond that we chop and add any variety of fresh and/or over-ripe fruit. We keep a variety of bottled juices to fill up blender until it reaches a third from the top and give the mixture a whiz. For variety we can always add a tin of fruit cocktail or any other tinned fruit (whatever is on offer) along with the juice. Our smoothies never come out the same way twice but they are always good and a great way to build up the old vitamin C.

Rexx’s Strawberry Salad Prep time 15 minutes, serves 2-4

Salad: ● One bag of mixed salad greens ● Handful of strawberries ● Sprinkles of Balsamic vinegar ● Handful of cherry tomatoes ● Handful of sugared walnuts ● Handful of crumbled Feta cheese ● Handful of cooked, shredded chicken or pork (optl.)

Sugared walnuts: ● 240ml (8fl oz) water ● 225g (8oz) sugar ● Handful of walnuts Dressing: ● 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar ● 6 tbsp vegetable oil ● 1 tbsp sugar ● 1 tbsp honey ● Salt and pepper to taste Or instead of above use ● ½ bottle Balsamic vinegar dressing Side: ● Heated Chelsea buns slathered in butter make a nice side for this Whisk together all of the salad dressing ingredients; set aside to chill. Prepare the walnuts by bringing the water and sugar to a boil and simmering/stirring to

Lee Senior’s topical tips for growing your own fruit and veg in the month of August

OUTDOOR grown tomatoes need all their leading shoots nipping out this month, to prevent new growth. Any newly developed fruit now is unlikely to ripen, before autumn.

Runner beans need picking almost daily now, to ensure a continued supply of new beans. The more you pick, the larger the crop as long as these thirsty plants are given copious amounts of water.

Our maincrop summer potatoes often succumb to the destructive blight during late summer. Cut down haulms to soil level where early signs of the disease are present. This will prevent infection of the tubers.

In a sheltered and sunny spot plant a few fast maturing ‘early’ variety of potatoes in large pots.

They will need protecting from frost from September but they should provide a small crop of ‘new potatoes’ for Christmas dinner.

Towards the end of the month, sow hardy winter lettuce, in a shady, cool spot outdoors, to transplant and grow on over the winter months.

Fast maturing mini turnips will result from a quick sowing now in pots or containers.

Germination will be in a matter of days and the crop will be ready before the first frosts.

Runner beans need picking almost daily now. PHOTO: LEE SENIOR

Swans mount concerted attacks on cross-country canoeist combine. When the mixture has thickened, add the walnuts and stir to coat. Lay the coated nuts on a sheet of baking paper to set. Top, tail, and slice the strawberries. Sprinkle them with a few drops of balsamic vinegar. Halve the cherry tomatoes and add to the bowl. Drizzle a bit of the dressing in the bottom of a large salad bowl; tip in rinsed, mixed greens. Tip in the strawberries and tomatoes; with your hands, lift and fold into the greens. Drizzle with the salad dressing. Crumble in the Feta. Sprinkle in the walnuts.

The trick is to add enough dressing to coat the lettuce leaves but not to drown them. The other trick is not to prepare the salad until almost ready to serve. If preparing it early, wait to add the salad dressing.

Shredded chicken or pork can make this a main course. Either way this is a great way to celebrate summer. Note: For a brunch we’ve served toasted Chelsea buns as a side and gotten rave reviews.

Phill’s Strawberry Shortcake

Prep time 5 minutes, bake time 25 minutes, serves 4-6

We’ve moved into that important part of the year, summer’s end when the strawberries stand up and demand notice for being at their plumpest and juiciest. Strawberry shortcake time. This is the leg of our trip where we stop and visit our friends at the Great Haywood marina. It is so simple for us boat people. We just give a jingle on our mobile phone and set up a get-together. Jen and Dave have been friends since we met them on the cut years ago; they brought us (total strangers) jugs of desperately needed water when we were broken down near, but not quite near enough to King’s Bromley (engine problems) on our first boat, Flutterby; (she was a bit of a clunker but we loved her). We can’t drop in empty handed, so a strawberry shortcake is in order for a teatime visit with our friends.

Sponge cake: ● 225g (8oz) softened butter ● 225g (8oz) caster sugar ● 4 large eggs ● 225g (8oz) self-rising flour ● 1 tbsp baking powder

WHEN canoeist Alex Grant decided to cross England from his home to the North Sea at Boston little did he expect to face three prolonged attacks by irate swans, writes Les Heath.

Alex began the 10-day trip by wheeling his Canadian canoe from his home in Ellesmere to the nearby Llangollen Canal and it was not long before he was subjected to the frightening attacks.

“Normally I can out paddle a swan but one just kept flying in front and continued to attack the boat over and over again for more than half an hour,” he said. “It was quite frightening.”

As the swan concentrated its attacks on the canoe and the paddle Alex remained unscathed but was quite shaken by the incident.

“There was no sign of a nest or a mate – it just didn’t like my boat,” said Alex who is a member of the Shropshire Wildlife Trust.

Starting on a Sunday and finishing on Tuesday of the following week Alex covered around 24 miles a day, carrying all his equipment and camping gear in the canoe.

On day one he camped just short of Hurleston flight before joining the Shropshire Union Canal the next day and continuing as far as Norbury Junction.

“That was a long, hot day with a strenuous portage up Audlem flight,” he said.

Pleasant surprise

The next day took him to Autherley Junction and on to the Staffs and Worcs Canal as far as Gailey where he spent the night.

The fourth day took him through Penkridge and all the way to the Trent & Mersey

Filling: ● 4 tbsp strawberry jam ● 2 cups strawberries (1 cup macerated and one cup sliced) ● 1 pint whipping cream ● 1 capful of vanilla ● 1 tbsp caster sugar Preheat oven to 180oC (350oF) Mark 4. Grease two 20cm (8in) sandwich tins, then line their bases with baking parchment. In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs. Tip the flour and baking powder into a strainer and sieve it into the creamed mixture. This combines the dry ingredients and removes any lumps in the flour. Mix together with the wet ingredients to blend. Divide the batter among the two tins. Bake (25 min).

Remove from the oven; tip out onto a wire rack to cool. Remove the parchment. While the cakes are cooling, pour the whipping cream into a bowl and whisk until it starts to form peaks. Tip in the vanilla and, in two stages, fold in the sugar. Refrigerate in a portable container. Also refrigerate the sliced strawberries. Slather one cake with jam, spoon over

Gardening afloat

the macerated strawberries, top with the second cake. Pack the layered cake up and bring along the whipped cream and strawberries to finish the topping on site. After cheerful hellos and a bit of a chin wag, our hosts put the kettle on; while it is warming up, I bring out the shortcake (pause for applause), slather the top with the whipping cream and sprinkle it with the sliced strawberries. Tea is poured, the cake is plated, and promises are made to do it all again next year. Fare well, good friends.

Canal at Great Haywood junction.

Fradley Junction was the next stop followed by what he described as ‘a bad fifth day’. “It was cold and wet with head winds and the constant noise of traffic on the adjacent A38 – it drove me up the wall.”

Close to Stenson Lock – the deepest on the Trent & Mersey – was where Alex experienced the worst of the three swan attacks. “It crashed into the boat many times.

It was quite scary,” he said.

Weston Lock was the next place for him to pitch his tent. His sixth day – ‘a gem of a day’ – saw him entering the River Trent and passing through Nottingham to camp near Burton Joyce.

What came as a pleasant surprise to Alex, a retired environmental consultant, was the fact that the Trent locks were manned and he was able to pass through to avoid portaging. A keen canoeist since the 1980s he has always concentrated on coastal trips off Scotland and Ireland and this was his first experience of a long canoeing trip on inland waters.

After a night at Cromwell Lock, Alex faced the tidal Trent and had another pleasant surprise after being informed by the lock keeper that the huge gravel barges, which he was dreading, ceased trading several months ago.

Continuing through Torksey Lock and on to the Fossdyke Alex spent a night at Saxilby before passing through Lincoln and on to the River Witham.

Kirkstead Bridge, near Woodhall Spa, was his final night under canvas before arriving in Boston – only 10 days after leaving Ellesmere.

Canoeist Alex Grant braved swan attacks on his journey across the country. PHOTO SUPPLIED

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ELECTRICIAN

COURSES ENGINES

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Online Boat Painting Quotes www.oxonboatpainting.co.uk Tel 07977 504766

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BOOKS CANAL BOOKS, GUIDES AND MAPS. Probably the best selection. www.canalbookshop.co.uk or visit Audlem Mill on the Shropshire Canal. Tel: 01270 811059 AU471593L AU519638L

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EQUIPMENT

GRAPHICS

JOINERY

GENERATORS edgetechnology.co.uk Call : 01270 509 296

Petrol

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Quote: ‘Towpath’ when ordering for a free Service kit

HEATING

INSURANCE

FENDERS

DIESEL FIRED HEATING ENGINEER Eberspacher, Webasto, Mikuni & Diesel Stove Installation, Service and Repair • Quality work at competitive rates • MIDLANDS AND NORTH WEST

Ed Shiers 07922 163072 www.fc-marine.co.uk ed@fc-marine.co.uk

LEGAL SERVICES

FUEL POLISHING

GIFTS

CANAL CARGO BOOKSHOP www.canalcargo.co.uk Buy on Line

UK and Continental Maps and Guide Books Boating and Canal books including History, Boat Maintenance, Canal Crafts, Fiction Videos and DVDs • Gifts and CD roms Bert and Betty Books Model boats, Chandlery and Canal Magazines.

Mail and telephone orders welcome

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020 8399 0486

GEARBOXES

INSULATION FOAM SPRAYING AND INJECTING. UK's number one spray foam company. 30 years experience. Call Brian on 08007 313497/07971 200559. Email Brian@cosyhomeuk.co.uk CO509471L

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INSURANCE

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INSURANCE

MOORINGS

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MOORINGS

SERVICES

VERSATILE

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SERVICES ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS FOR TRADITIONAL PROBLEMS-restoration and marinising, casting, machining and fabrication of one off parts to order. Gardner factory approved. Over 60 years of combined experience. Tel 01788 899123 www.vintagediesels.co.uk VI519730L

BRONTE BOAT REPAIR SERVICES

From a wiring fault to a full engine/gearbox recondition we have a fully qualified engineer in the respective field.

• Heating systems • Generators • Bow thrusters • Gearboxes (hydraulic/mechanical) • Outboard motors • Wiring faults (including inverters) • Engines (modern/traditional) • Mobile welding services We are based in Hebden Bridge & Todmorden and provide our services around Lancashire Yorkshire and Greater Manchester areas.

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STORAGE

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SITUATIONS VACANT

TRANSPORT BY ROAD

WINDOWS

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Boats for sale

CRUISER STERN 40ft, month’s license, bottom blacked last year, good cond, new boiler, ideal starter, boat lined, water tank Cole craft shell, 1500cc Thornycroft engine, also serviced last year, cratch cover to bow, illness forces reluctant sale, ready to cruise. Tel. 07968 795347.

Staffs.

AQUAHOLIC SEMI TRAD 50ft, 2002, sleeps 4, Isuzi engine, inverter, diesel heating, cooker, fridge, shower cassette toilet, recently repainted and blacked, new anodes, exc condition, many extras inc, much loved boat but we are upsizing, photos on request, £42,500.

Tel. 07990 651896. Cheshire.

BIRCHWOOD 33 Centre cockpit sleeps 6 in two cabins, aft cabin with ensuite, wheel house with usual equipment, forward cabin sleeps four, small galley with fridge cooker and sink, shower room with sea toilet, new 4 year certificate, twin Perkins diesel engines, 11ft 6in beam, ready to go, £15,000. Tel. 07920 232833. Notts.

CAGGY HISTORIC BCN TUG Lister JP3 shot-blasted in and out, painted 2 pack hardwood fit-out, bottle stove, open to sensible offers. S/C 2018. Tel. 07710 343773. W Mids.

CANAL BOAT 57ft, BSC til Jun 17, licensed until Oct 2014, engine serviced March 2014, sand blasted and sprayed with 2k paint July 2013, looks really nice inside and out, unusual kitchen cassette toilet and shower, 2 to 4 berth, large living room, lots of storage, ideal live aboard, £33,995. Tel. 07955 442552. Bucks.

CANAL BOAT 70ft, ex disabled cratch covers, for sale due to CRT not allowing me to relicence boat because of medical conditions, best offer around £30,000. Tel. 07765 545852. Staffs.

CORACLE This is the more elongated shape traditionally used by wild fowlers, has undergone some repairs and has been previously used and loved, however, it is fully functional, £250. Tel. Ade on 07852 999601. Staffs.

BOAT Refurbished 40’, new kitchen, floor, repaint etc. BSS 5/17, Lister SR2, £24,500. Tel. Ade 07852 999601. Staffs.

BRYMAR 24 GRP CRUISER built 1978, with open plan with 4 option, 5 berth, full cooker, blown air heating, Engel fridge, has Honda diesel engine and 40 gals fuel, will have new BSS Cert, lying avon near Pershore, possible mooring available, £7500 ono Tel. 07896 329825.

Avon.

BURLAND 26ft, new CoC, new licence, 4-berth, 1.5 BMC diesel, 12v TV, 1000w inverter, d/g cabin door, high quality boat, well worth a look, owner retiring from boating, moored at NCCC Club, Stockport, £5000. Tel. 01663 764838.

Cheshire.

CORONET 32 Ocean Farer, 6berth, 2x Volvo petrol, 160hp, BSC Mar 2017, new shelter, navigation equipment, inveter, shower, fridge, moored Sharpness, ill health sale, work in progress, hence price £9500.

Tel. 01980 652908. Wilts.

CRUISER STERN NARROWBOAT 2010, 55ft, blacked June 2014, BSS until 2018, well equipped 6 berth, Bow Thruster, c/h, shower, light ash modern interior, Isuzu 35hp with only 615 hours, professionally fitted out, lying Frouds Bridge Marina on Kennet & Avon. Tel. 08445 850704.

Berks.

FREEMAN 22 Mk 1, 7ft 6" beam, blown air heating, anti fouled, 4 berth, solar panel, TV & DVD player, BSC Jul 17, licence till Sept 14, £5500. Tel. 07599 283706. S Yorks.

CRUISER STYLE 55ft, fully equipped for - Summer/Winter short or extended cruising or ‘live aboard’, sleeps 2+2, full size double bed, domestic oven, hob and washing machine, multi-fuel stove, microwave, fridge, 240v Pure Sine wave inverter, shower, cassette toilet. £38,000. Tel. 01780 470599. dave.fortytwo@ tiscali.co.uk Northants.

FAIRLINE MIRAGE 29ft, centre cockpit, 6 berth with single diesel engine, Volvo Penta 21B. Tel. 07780 722983. Glos.

FREEMAN 22 Mk 2, excellent condition, BSC Certificate to 2017, anti-fouled, ready to go, on hard standing, at Retford Marina, Nottinghamshire £5500. Tel. Geoff on 07957 204105. Lincs.

FREEMAN 22 Mk 2 narrow beam canal/river cruiser, 1970, BSC 2018, original woodwork/gel coat, 3 berth, recently serviced, Watermota petrol inboard, s/s tanks, gas hob, blue velour interior and light blue vinyl external cushions, wc fenders, warps, boat hook, £5500. Tel. 01676 534874.

Warks.

HERON 2003, 57ft x 10ft 6” wide beam canal boat including residential mooring Driffield Navigation, East Yorkshire. 4 berth (2 cabins) 2.2L Isuzu engine, Shore mains and water, gas central heating and log burner, fully equipped, immaculate condition, many extras, too much to list. £69,000. Tel. 07817 771690. E Yorks.

KASHMIR 1992, ideal hideaway, beautiful traditional 50ft narrowboat, tug style deck, port holes, vintage Ruston 2YWA engine, bathroom, galley, lounge, s/f stove, furniture, d/bed, BSC (2012), moored BD23 3NT, £43,500 or £5000 as part of 1/10 share syndicate Tel. 07795 504072. W Yorks.

LADY AVON 32ft wooden cruiser built by J H Taylor, Chester 1960. Extensive refit 2009, original BMC Vedette petrol engine, sleeps 4, galley with sink, stove, fridge, auto bilge pump, side canopies, overall cover, Thames Licence 2014, BSC 2017. Located Thames, Henley. £28,000. Tel. 0779 9090567. Berks.

NORMAN 20 Original gel coat, recent anti-fouling Honda, 15hp outboard, recent service, new rear seat covers, porta potty, anchor, spare battery, view St Ives, Cambs. £3000.

Tel. 077910 34695. Cambs.

NORMAN 23 Engine and canopy need attention hence low price, new Morse Nov 13, solar panels charging battery for interior lights and sockets, voyager cooker with auto gin, double skinned with original Norman fit-out, £750 ono Tel. 0770 8055070. Cheshire.

REPLICA DUTCH BARGE built 2009, new Boat Safety Certificate to purchaser, professional fit out in white oak & ash, ideal live aboard with possible mooring, West Midlands, near motorways and Birmingham airport. Please no dreamers or time wasters. Sensible Offers around £130,000. Tel. 07974 808277 for further details. Email: brucehewitt22@ yahoo.co.uk W Mids.

SEAMASTER Perkins diesel engine, Safety Certificate 2018, toilet compartment, new canopy, upholstery, cooker and sink, moored Hest Bank, Lancaster canal, £6500. Tel. 07906 473253. Lancs.

SEAMASTER 23 4-berth, PA108 heating cooker, portapotti anti-fouled Z-drive, overhauled Mar 14, new BSC, large inventory, M50/M5 jct, ready to cruise, River Avon mooring available. £7250. Tel. 01432 351948. Hereford.

SEMI-TRAD NARROWBOAT 45ft, professional built by Bourne BoatBuilders in Cheshire, beautifully maintained, 2009, only 500 hours on the clock, Vetus 35 engine, £43,000. Tel. 07979 102927. W Yorks.

SEMI-TRAD NARROWBOAT 2 beth, BMC, 1800cc engine, BSC to Sept 2017, fully equipped and canopies, private build, ready to cruise, Staffs/Cheshire border, ill health reason for sale. £17,000.

Tel. 01782 720828. Staffs.

SPRINGER NARROWBOAT 32ft, diesel, inboard engine, 3 berths, cooker, toilet, shower, water heater, fridge, s/f stove, blacked annually, BSC 2017, beautiful boat, £12,500. Tel. 01733 232595. Cambs.

STOKE-ON-TRENT 60ft trad, Joshua bow and recessed panels, fitted out in ash wood, sophisticated electrics, full specification on application, price has been greatly reduced! £86,000. Tel. Roger 07855 255389. Devon.

TRAD STYLE NARROWBOAT 55ft, 4 years old, Isuzu diesel engine, 4 berth, fitted out in oak, full size shower, Thetford cassette flush toilet, 12v fridge with freezer compartment, multi fuel fire, c/h, excellent condition, reason for sale not been used. Moorings at Lower Park Marina, Barnolswick, W Yorks. £54,850 ono Tel. 01706 825006; 07941 429229. W Yorks.

TRADITIONAL NARROWBOAT 70ft, luxury live aboard, 4-berth, professionally fitted out in Iroko and American oak, Perkins 3HD, 46hp engine/ PRM gearbox, Aquaflex coupling, Dakar Combi 12/2500w, inverter/charger, Morse and reflex stoves/black boiler, 5 radiators and hot water, elec immersion heater, Waeco 240/12v fridge, washer/dryer, s/s water tank and filtered water, loads of storage. Tel. 07971 694114. Cambs.

VIKING 20 fully equipped and ready to drive away, loads of storage space, cooker, porta potti, new curtains and many extras, Honda 15hp outboard, 4 to 5 berth, good condition with hard top, very clean and tidy, £4750 ono Tel. 0752 3069286. Lincs.

VIKING 20 20 length 20ft, beam 7ft 4in, built in 1985, 4 berth, cooker, hob, sink, cold water system porter-potty toilet, all original gel-coat not painted, recent hood, marina 15hp, 4 stroke engine. Moored on Paddington Arm, Grand Union Canal, £3960. Tel. 0208 8669581. London.

WIDE BEAM 40ft x 10ft, 1.84 diesel engine, BSC May 2014, being sold fully furnished with all usual kitchen appliances, large open plan saloon with bed settee, solid stove, front doors lead on to front deck area, one bedroom with wardrobe, bathroom with bath, over bath shower, sink and porta-potti, water supplied by calorifier, wheelhouse with space for large single or small double bed, laying on Grand Union. £48,000. Tel. 07831 274399. Yorkshire.

WIDE BEAM AMBER ‘Lily The Pink’, prof fit-out, 5 years-old live aboard, 2 berth, beautiful, solid ash interior - fully fitted galley with granite work surfaces, large bathroom, Quadrant shower, separate corner bath, double bathroom, with ample storage, wood floor throughout, wood burner in large open plan sitting room, c/h, pump-out toilet, bow thruster, 65hp Barrasshire engine, new BSC Apr 14, rural residential mooring available, 4m outside Bath - 6m Bristol, reluctant sale, £99,500. Tel. Carolyn 07792 450289. Bath.

WIDE BEAM BOTTOM BARGE 48ft x 9ft, 4 berth, bedroom with double bed, bathroom with shower, kitchen area with gas cooker and 12v fridge/freezer, gas heating, stainless steel water tank, Lister engine, Bridgwater docks, Somerset. Quick sale required. £49,950 ono. Tel. 01278 685087. Somerset.

AMBER DALE 2010, 57ft, all steel doors, fore and aft, 2 sides, port holes, barrus 45 inverter, diesel c/heating, cassette, shower, £39,000. Tel. 01452 699828. Glos.

CRUISER STERN, 46ft steel hull, Isuzu engine, survey and work done, BSC 2018, hull blacked 2014, fitted double bed, fitted kitchen, 240v & 12v boat on hard standing at North Kilworth Wharf, Tel. Rachael 01858 881723. Leics.

NAUTICUS 27ft, beautiful condition, refurbished, cockpit, all reupholstered, new curtains/ washroom toilet/BSC 2018 navigation licence/ready for cruising. Mooring Warwickshire. £7500. ono Tel. 01564 793818.

Warks.

NAUTICUS 27 1970, twin trailer, BSC 2017, refitted hull/ Shore power/new wiring/ shower room/new cassette toilet, new upholstery, hot water, new Leisure batteries x2, water, heating, ready to go, £12,995.

Tel. 07703 294485. Lincs.

NORMAN 20 Yamaha 9.9 4stroke, new seats, cushions, new canopy, little used, good condition inside and outside, cooker lights etc, could deliver. £2750. Tel. 077130 39947. W Mids.

NORMAN CONQUEST 20ft, 1977, 9.9 mariner outboard, recent survey, BSC Aug 16, transferable mooring on River Wey, Surrey. £2775. Tel. Dave 01444 239366. W Sussex.

WOLF GENERATOR Wolf 850 watt, 240 vac petrol generator, little used, £99. Tel. 079220 96686. Cheshire.

PartsWanted ARDIC CABIN HEATER diesel, 12v Diesel pump wanted, Toyoset diesel cabin heater, remote control wanted and other spares. Tel. 07990 785288. S Yorks.

WANTED: 12V FRIDGE to suit 23ft GRP cruiser, must be in good working order, based in Tamworth, can collect within reasonable distance (30-40 miles), sensibly priced. Tel. 01827 767485; 07946 664749.

Staffs.

Canalia

CAST BRASS NAME PLATES water, diesel, pump out etc, curved type, £1.50 each; rectangular type, £2 each; also self adhesive etched brass type, £2 each. Tel. 07811 314112. Leics.

KABOLA Old English stove, c/w chimney, flue, collar and manual, £150; brown leather, two-seater reclining sofa, good condition, £150. Cannot deliver.

Tel. 07576 268080. S Yorks.

WOOD BURNER Little Wencock refurbished multi-fuel grate, ready to install, £275. Tel. 07760 115966. Derbys.

Engines BRIT MARINE 2 cylinder petrol engine, good condition, not run for a few years, will require recommissioning, ideal for classic/vintage boat, £220. Tel. Peter 0117 9867518. Bristol, Avon.

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NationalNarrow boats W anted For C ash

0800 3895325 KELVIN K3 fully restored, diesel, can be seen running by appointment, full photo restoration, £7500 ono. Tel. 07708 316065 for more details.

Staffs.

PETTER PH2W ENGINE and Newage gearbox, both reconditioned and run in, electric or hand start. Can be seen running. £3300 ono Tel. 07879 076309. Leics.

YANMAR MARINE DIESEL ENGINE YSM 12g, single cylinder 850cc, raw water cooled 12hp with unit construction 3-1 reduction gearbox complete, £450. Tel. Alan 07861 394538 or text will call you back. Beds.

HONDA 7.5 outboard engine, standard, spares or repairs, sold as seen! £65. Tel. 07707 155419. Cheshire.

YAMAHA ENGINE 4-stroke, 4hp, longshaft outboard motor, FNR gears, very little use, can be seen running, £375. Tel. 01902 743828. Wolvs.

Wanted 2-BERTH BOAT wanted, we are two people, with 2 cats, looking for a 2 berth boat to have for a long let in West Yorkshire? Tel. 01484 643089. W Yorks.

CANAL CRUISER 25-27ft wanted for first time buyer, must be in good condition, 4-6 berth with shower, cheap as possible and near Merseyside please.

Tel. Syd 0151 2844995; 07707 701327. Merseyside.

CEILLEN CRAFT .17 wanted front and top, plastic windows for Cullen Craft 17, also stern platform, in good condition to attract to outside boat! Tel. 07707 155419. Cheshire.

GARDNER ENGINE WANTED ex-used, 4LK boat engine, anything considered, leave message. 079511 83106. Chester.

LOOKING FOR a boat suitable for two people to liveaboard with an option of rent to buy. We currently live close to the Shropshire Union, near Nantwich but anything considered anywhere. Tel. 07779 112207.

LOOKING FOR a liveaboard narrowboat, must be built after 1995, be at least 40ft long and have a headroom of 6ft 3”, a 1500W inverter and a pump-out toilet would be appreciated, ultimate treat: a washing machine, £23,000 max. Tel. 07934 840885. London.

LOOKING TO HIRE a boat for a trial as considering a liveaboard soon. Don't mind paying a fee, which will help you out! 2 Yorkies coming along, well behaved. Tel. 07809 241531. S Yorks.

NARROWBOAT WANTED will consider a boat needing work, tlc etc. Tel. 0790 6019299. Norfolk.

SEA OTTER 41 wanted. Tel. 07948 389008. Cheshire.

SMALL OUTBOARD WANTED max hp 2-2.5 to power inflatable dinghy, must be good runner and good condition. Tel. 01785 254358. Staffs.

REVERSE LAYOUT 55ft to 59ft contemporary styled semi-trad narrowboat required, bow thrusters, diesel c/h and raised dinette preferred, up to £60k cash. Tel. 07801 019888; email stuart.fennell@amco.gb.com WANTED BOAT PLANS by Percy W Blandford, I want to make scale models of all the boats he has designed, can you help? The list I want Pete, Gremlin, Corrib, Siren, Foamcrest, Goblin, Curlew, Tarpon, Wensum, Cresta, SB9, Dory, Punt, Wood Nymph, Weaver, Venturer, Nomad, Woodwysk, Commodore, Lysander, also the range of canoes. Tel. 07990 778420. Staffs.

Parts and spares BELFAST SINKS 2 x 1 with plug kit and overflow, £40; 1 without, £20; 1x Propshaft, unused, 1 1⁄2", 2ft long, £50; air filter housing to fit 2" inlet, £20; steel half coupling to fit 1 1⁄2" shaft, £20. 07989 222685. Derbys.

Selling your boat is

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BABY BLAKE CLASSIC TOILET original porcelain bowl, good clean condition, c/w spares kit and outlet hose with valve, £200.

Tel. 0113 2827449. W Yorks.

CONTRA FLEX EXPANSION BOTTLE 8 ltr, like new, hardly used. Tel. 0754 6016971. W Yorks.

DIESEL FUEL TANK refurbished, 1070 x 610 x 395 mm, I can resize, weld, or put on any fitting you want, as it is £50.

Tel. 07890 604121. Bucks.

NARROWBOAT WINDOWS X5 one 96cm x 73cm; one 96cm x 73cm (missing hopper glass); one 98cm x 73cm missing hopper glass); one x 79cm x 73cmone x 91cm x 73cm; £45 ono. Tel. 07702 853910.

Notts.

DORMAN 4DSM Classic and rare, 1:1 gearbox, suit engine room installation, due to be removed from 60ft narrowboat, good sounding engine requiring little attention, many spares including heads, cranks, pistons etc, can be seen running, £3500 to include all spares Tel. 0121 7454266. W Mids.

Make

SHURFLO WATER PUMP 12v, 30psi, 2.8gpm, used but serviced and tested, can be seen operating correctly, £25.

Tel. 07811 314112. Leics.

CJR PROPELLER never used, r/h, 20" x 15", 11⁄2" shaft but c/w adapter sleeve for 11⁄4" shaft, £250. Tel. 07973 763987. Oxon.

WHALE PUMP for sink, Mk IV, unused, £20; Rule binge pump 360, used, £12; 3kg anchor and chain, £10; metal windlass, £10; mini dehumidifier, £20. Tel. 077910 34695. Cambs.

CLAXON lovely, brass and copper, 12v, £195. Tel. 07717 500755. Cornwall.

ELECTROLUX CAMPING FRIDGE Uses 240v, 12v or gas, good working order, £60.

Tel. 01625 871928. Gtr Man. FIRE ENGINE SEARCHLIGHT 12v and mount, spare bulbs, adjustable beam, £250.

Tel. 07971 694114. Cambs.

FRIDGE/FREEZER 12v Inlander RIR407W by Whirlpool, perfect working order, W495 X D580 X H845, in Tamworth/ Nuneaton area, pick-up only, new. Best offer takes it! Call after 1pm only please. £408 new. Tel. 07936 412611. W Mids.

RUTLAND 913 turbine inc. regulator, mast & straps, good condition, £225 ovno; domestic porcelain toilet base for pump out, l/h flush will not fit my tank top, hence unused, £85 ono.

Tel. Jim 07873 269671. Shrops.

SEVEN BOAT WINDOWS secondhand, dull brass, hopper style, six, 32" x 21"; one, 21" x 18", £130 ono; Provence clueless gas stove, 6 months old, £200 ono. Tel. 07938 780347.

Notts.

SPLIT SCREEN four part fits narrow boat/cruiser, heavy duty perspex rubber sealed aluminium trimmed with clip studs for weather cover, (not supplied), good condition, £175.

Tel. Alan 07861 394538. Beds.

Model

SEALAND MANSFIELD pump-out spring cartridge, unwanted part from ball/shaft kit, £20 inc postage. Tel. 07702 348828. Northants.

WEBASTO diesel central heating boiler with all fittings, reservoir, pipes, electrics, never used - tested only, £600 ono.

Tel. 07445 913547. Cambs.

BRASS FURNITURE KNOBS not plated, hollow cast, 30mm diameter, set of 20 off, £15. Tel. 07811 314112. Leics.

Equipment

LABGEAR satellite finder meter, find the best elevation settings for satellite dish installation, with variable audio signal and analogue meter, £5.

Tel. 07712 370306. Oxon.

FRANCIS SEARCHLIGHT 9”, in brass, been fully restored, sold my narrowboat, £900 Offers Tel. 07958 207675. W Mids.

KOZEE SLEEP MATTRESS back care supreme, 6.6 -3.3, hardly used so in very good condition, £65; two inshore blue 150N life jackets, new, still in bags, £45 each Tel. 07855 501048. Northants.

TWO CAPTAINS SWIVEL/ TILT CHAIRS black, some wear, one needing attention, £30. Tel. 0121 3556475. Staffs.

EX TRAVEL SAT Complete with dish, magnetic base, slx satellite finder, compass, all cables inc spares, used one season only plus new sky boxand remote, £199. Tel. 01666 503992; 07881 505396. Glos.

Miscellaneous

2 SINGLE ARMCHAIR/BEDS excellent condition, £200 each.

Collect from NN6 area. £200 each Tel. 07771 911892 for more details. Northants.

Price

2 TRENT CHAIR BEDS pale blue/grey, vgc, from pet free and non smokers boat at Maghull near Southport, 33” wide x 34” high, 34” deep, £175 each or both for £300.

Tel. 07789 766485.

MATTRESS FOR SALE brand new, never used, pocket sprung, 64" wide x 71" long x 8" high, with fold at 24" head to foot, (north south), cost new £650, good quality mattress, £500. ono Tel. 07890 956750 or 07506 736944. Herts.

Personal ACTIVE BI GUY boat owner, late 60s, GSOH, seeks congenial (preferably younger) companion(s) between July and October, cruising west and north from Braunston. Tel. 07853 345677.

RETIRED NATURE LOVING gentleman,Own canal cruiser, would like to meet a hippy style lady, nationality and age unimportant. Tel Tony 07717 257867.

Lincs.

Choose a section ■ For sale ■ Wanted ■ Miscellaneous

for private readers

MEMORY FOAM MATTRESSES 3" thick, with removable covers for single beds, little used, cost approx £215, very good condition, accept £99. Tel. 01327 341866. Northants.

ORIGINAL WATER CAN Roses and daises also barbers' pole mop, £160. Tel. 01803 731013. Devon.

SOLAR PANELS 2 x 95 and 1 x 180 watts, used on boat, £75. each ono Tel. 07445 987887.

Leics.

THETFORD C250 toilet cassette, still in box, unused cost £90, sell for £65; Ross HD digital receiver in carry case, with manual etc, cost £60, sell for £30; navigation lights, one green, one red, unused, £5 each; blue bilge pump, float switch, 12v/24v/32v, unused, £4.50; immersion heater 1.2kw, unused, c/w spanner and approx 5m 1.5mm, heat resistant cable, £28; 50 round, 12v, LED red dot rocker switch, unused, £18; 2x 5 ltr cans black Bitumen, unopened, £10 each; 1x 5 ltr Paintmaster dark grey gloss RAL7021, unopened, £25; pick up preferred, near Northampton or can meet on Grand Union Canal in Stoke Bruerne area. Can be posted or couriered at extra cost. Tel. 07842 261407. Northampton.

FUTON SOFA BED 4ft long, wooden framed, red mattress, cost £120 6 months ago, £85. ono Tel. 01704 507842.

Cheshire, Staffs.

LAB GEAR Satellite finder, £5; digital satellite receiver, £10; Beko 15" LCD TV and stand, in silver, £10. Tel. 07712 370306.

Oxon.

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The Black and White

After all the excitement of the Ribble Crossing, the Lancaster Canal is a complete contrast with the wide waters of the estuary – just over 40 miles long, no locks on the main line and little of the potential for navigational disaster offered by a tidal estuary. Peter Underwood’s waterways adventure continues.

Blackberry Way moored in Lancaster. PHOTOS: PETER UNDERWOOD

Hest Bank where the Lancaster almost touches the sea and you can see the Lake District beyond.

Blackberry Way crosses the magnificent Lune Aqueduct.

THE Lancaster is a semi-detached canal, thanks to the limited numbers of visiting boats allowed by the seasonal and tidal link across the Ribble estuary, and you notice the difference almost immediately.

There is none of the low-level stress of some other parts of the system, perhaps because most visiting boats are here for a few weeks or even months, and have plenty of time to explore and perhaps because the resident boats tend to pop out from their marinas for a few days and seem happy to be in holiday mode.

Deep mooring spots are limited and it would add considerably to the charms of the canal if a few more edges were deepened to cater for deeperdraughted boats, but the lack of officious notices limiting mooring to unenforceably short periods of 24 or 48 hours makes the whole canal seem more welcoming and must benefit towns and villages along the canal as visiting boaters explore more of their shops and attractions.

There are lots of places where you want to linger as the views both of the sweep of Morecambe Bay and the Lake District hills beyond, and inland to the Forest of Bowland, are spectacular and, if you can get close enough to the bank to get a gangplank ashore you find many spots where there are no signs and the few you do see are usually seven, nine and 10-day moorings.

It all helps to quickly relax into the slow – even by canal standards – pace of this delightful coastal canal.

Our first night’s stop near Salwick Hall was idyllic – it could have been a mini Tixall Wide – and the large boards on the approach warning us to stay in the boat and close the windows if the alarms sounded at the nearby Springfield plant, which has been making nuclear fuel since the 1940s and has now been sold off to American nuclear fuel producers Westinghouse, did little to disturb our enjoyment – although I must admit the Simpsons opening credits kept running through my head.

These southern stretches of the canal twist and turn through an agricultural landscape with a handful of small, one- or two-boat, hire companies and marinas largely populated by GRP vessels until you sidle up alongside the A6 at Bilsborrow where the ever-expanding Guy’s Thatched Hamlet seems to have created a sort of canalside resort. There is a pub, restaurant, pizzeria, dozens of thatched buildings housing en-suite rooms and even a cricket ground and bowling green. It’s always busy and we are told special events held there, like the annual oyster festival, can get very boisterous.

Lancashire hospitality

Here we had our first example of Lancashire friendliness and hospitality when a kind but anonymous Towpath Talk reader left a copy of the invaluable Complete Guide to the Lancaster Canal, produced by the Lancaster Canal Society, on our back deck with an inscription saying they hoped we enjoyed our visit. Thank you, it is a great guide.

Round the corner is one of the newest marinas on the canal at Barton Grange garden centre, but you part company with the A6 for a while as the Bowland Fells shimmer in the East and you are back travelling through fields, although the railway is never far away.

By this time you realise this is a canal with character. It was built as a shallow dish shape and there is a shelf, most noticeable on the towpath side which extends out at around a foot deep for three to eight feet in places. Cut a corner and the boat is suddenly listing alarmingly.

It is also very shallow and our 2ft 6in draught meant we simply couldn’t stop in many desirable spots and needed a long gangplank. In other places we were gliding on mud in the centre of the canal and local boaters tell me the canal hasn’t been dredged in more than 25 years – an estimate described by Stephen Bergquist, CRT maintenance manager for the NW as ‘about right’.

He says CRT is consulting with local boaters about spots that need dredging, although there’s nothing in his budget this year or next.

For most people the market town of Garstang is the next stop. The moorings, just after the magnificent single-arch John Rennie aqueduct over the River Wyre, are great and this is an ideal place to top up the fridge and store cupboards with some good local butchers, bakers and greengrocers as well as good bus services south to Preston, north to Lancaster and west to the seaside delights of Blackpool – told you this was a coastal canal.

It is also one of the few places you can buy diesel on this canal – albeit by taking your cans to the local fuel depot a few hundred yards from the canal.

Glasson Arm

So far, no further – Blackberry Way occupies the last few metres of the navigable Lancaster Canal.

The Bowland Fells rise to the east of the canal.

Carnforth moorings, from where you can visit the Brief Encounter station.

Beyond Garstang the countryside takes over again with rolling fields, housing dairy herds that provide the milk for the thriving specialist cheese industry in this part of Lancashire, I can recommend the Garstang Blue.

As the canal rejoins the A6 at Galgate there’s the opportunity to explore the Glasson Arm, down six locks to Glasson Basin where a lock links the canal with the River Lune and the sea. This allowed ships that couldn’t reach Lancaster up the increasingly silted River Lune, to transfer cargoes on to canal vessels. With its smokehouse and nautical atmosphere, it’s well worth a visit.

Soon after Galgate is Lancaster itself, a fascinating city with a long and sometimes bloody history. Here is where the Pendle Witches were tried and executed and there are museums, parks and theatres as well as some upmarket shops.

Mooring is limited, especially after two offside basins were lost to boaters.

CRT’s Stephen Bergquist thinks the answer to limited mooring space is to limit visiting boats. He told me: “We will be decreasing stay periods at the ‘hot spot’ sites to 48 hours. In addition, we hope to increase the length of visitor moorings on the most desirable sites, space permitting.”

I can’t help thinking restrictions like that would change the relaxed nature of this canal and I hope they think again – especially as they seem to have neither the money nor the people to enforce such a short stopping time in this lovely city.

The answer is certainly more moorings to allow more people to stay as long as they need, especially those spending a slow summer exploring the Lancaster.

As you leave Lancaster you pass across the canal’s pride and joy, the rejuvenated Lune Aqueduct which is a very impressive way to sail across this wide and substantial river.

Within a few miles you are at Hest Bank – the spot where the canal comes closest to the sea. Walk down the slope, across the busy road and the railway line and you are on the edge of Morecambe Bay. The sea itself may be several miles away as this shallow bay only fills twice a day with the tides and from here you can take a guided walk across the sands to Grange over Sands in the South Lakes.

Romantic classic

The views of the bay and the jagged hills of the Lake District provide the backdrop to some great sunsets as you travel north to Carnforth.

Whether the place means anything to you probably depends on your age but it was here that the film Brief Encounter was shot and the station is dedicated to exploiting that link with a restored tea room, just like it was when David Lean filmed his romantic classic starring Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard.

Ever northwards, you pass under the M6, around a couple of bends and you are at Tewitfield. Push on for a few more yards and, with the M6 howling in your ears the canal ends by a high bank carrying a road over the motorway.

This is it. Until the short-sighted motorway builders bulldozed their way over it in the late 1960s the canal carried on, up eight locks and into Kendal, one of the key towns of the Lake District.

Walk around the corner and you can see those locks, still running with water, but no boat shall pass.

We turned and we plan to continue our exploration of the 42 miles that are available to us but there is an inevitable disappointment that the 14 miles beyond that blockage are not open yet.

There is hope – and that’s what I shall be exploring with the Lancaster Canal Trust in next month’s Towpath Talk.

Oh – and why is the Lancaster called the Black and White? It dates from the days when the black coal travelled north to Lancaster and Kendal and the white Limestone travelled south to Preston and beyond. Poetic lot those old canal people.

Mooring in these large offside basins in Lancaster is no longer allowed but CRT says it is considering providing more mooring space. ● If you would like to see some handheld film of the Lancaster Canal, then check out Towpath Talk’s website: www.towpathtalk.co.uk for videos and updates.

112 SAFETY/TECHNICAL TIPS/ON SCOTTISH WATERS with Hugh Dougherty

Staying safe on your boat

Last month Towpath Talk asked BSS manager, Graham Watts: “How does the Boat Safety Scheme work?” Clive Penny of the Association of Boat Safety Examiners looks at what the BSS expects from its authorised and registered examiners.

EXAMINERS are expected, by the BSS, to carry out examinations methodically, in accordance with the procedures, instructions and guidance given to them by the BSS. Examiners are expected to use some form of checklist to ensure that no items are missed out. Navigation Authorities rely on the fact that boats are checked against procedures and certified appropriately.

It is also expected that examiners will approach each examination with resolve and determination.

And that some physical effort or even discomfort may be required to achieve some of the checks, but not of course, to such an extent that may result in damage to their health, the boat or boat’s system components.

The examiner may need to search for items that they are required to see, such as portable fire extinguishers or LPG line joints. The examiner will also need to look for items that should not be stowed inappropriately, such as spare LPG cylinders or self-contained LPG appliances or spare petrol containers. The examiner will need to make every effort to look in any lockers or cupboards where such items are likely to be stored including cockpit and galley cupboards and engine spaces.

Not forgetting that it is the examiner’s duty to apply the checking procedures diligently.

Electrical installations

Examiners have responsibility for their own personal health and safety while carrying out examinations.

If upon arrival it is apparent the boat is in a dangerous condition, or if the examiner identifies something dangerous during the examination, the examiner will leave the boat safe, but will not proceed with the examination.

Examiners will be cautious of electrical installations. The examiner will not presume the absence of live supply and will not disconnect shore-power, battery charging, or other AC power source leads. The examiner may ask you to disconnect any mains electrical supply if it is safe to do so.

The examiner may need to ask you to remove any item that prevents the examiner from

Canal and steam welcome for Queen’s Commonwealth baton THE Monkland Canal within Summerlee Heritage Museum in Coatbridge hosted a very special visitor when the Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton, which had already travelled several thousand miles round the world on its way to the opening of the games in Glasgow on July 23, passed along the towpath.

Bearers carried the baton down to the canal basin on an open top tram on the museum’s heritage tramway, where steam launch SL

Grayling, crewed by Chris Hunt and Allister Mackie, sailing alongside the baton bearer, echoing the cheers of the crowds with the vessel’s whistle. There was then a brief stop at the museum’s replica canal barge, Vulcan, before the baton left the museum.

Linlithgow-based Chris Hunt said: “We were honoured to bring and sail our launch to mark this historic event and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience.”

completing any checks. For example, the removal of an LPG cylinder so that the condition of a locker bottom can be assessed.

Preparing your boat

You will also need to prepare the boat for the examination. You may need to organise supporting documents where required as evidence of compliance and make sure there is sufficient supply of fuel and/or power as needed. Also, arrange full access to any system or feature that requires inspection.

Two of the terms used within the checking procedures sometimes cause confusion. They are: ‘Readily Accessible’: Capable of being reached for operation, inspection or maintenance without removal of any craft structure or use of any tools or removal of any item of portable equipment stowed in places intended for storage of portable equipment such as lockers, drawers or shelves.

‘Accessible’: Made available for inspection, and capable of being seen and reached. This second one may mean that you have to remove access panels, to allow the examiner to see and reach joints in LPG pipework, for example.

A full description of all the terms used can be seen on the BSS website.

And finally… this is also a good time, perhaps, to remember that it is you, the boat owner, who has a responsibility to maintain compliance with the BSS requirements at all times the boat is on the water. This is usually, also, a condition of your navigation authority licence, mooring or registration. ● More Information about preparing your boat for the examination can be found on both the ABSE and BSS websites.

You can also check my own website www.canalelectrics.com or you can email me directly: clivepenny@canal electrics.com Your local member of the Association of Boat Safety Examiners can also be found at www.ABSE.org.uk and will be happy to answer any questions you may have and assist in any way they can.

Technical tips to keep your boat ticking along AT Towpath Talk we’re always keen to help our readers in whatever way we can, so in response to requests for more technical information and maintenance tips, we’ve teamed up with breakdown and assistance firm River Canal Rescue.

Every month we’ll publish advisory pieces which we hope will help reduce the likelihood of a malfunction and keep your boats ticking along nicely. And if there’s a particular topic you’d like to see published, let us know and we’ll ensure it’s covered.

Testing a battery. PHOTO: RCR

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Battery care

A common problem at this time of year is battery failure. The most common types of batteries on the inland waterways are lead acid batteries; they need their acid levels regularly checking and topping up with distilled water when required.

There are checks you can undertake to identify if a battery is deteriorating: ● Look for bulging of the battery walls ● Look for a white crust on the terminals (an indication the batteries are gassing) ● Is there a need to frequently charge them?

All of these indicate deterioration so think about changing or servicing the batteries.

Always replace the battery bank completely; it’s false economy to replace one battery at a time, as it results in the new battery life being compromised. So replace the starter bank (usually one battery), the domestic bank (typically three or four batteries) and the bow thruster bank (one or two batteries).

When checking batteries, always remove the lid from the battery box to allow any gases to disperse, and ensure the battery doesn’t come into contact with any bare wires, metal zips, watches etc as these can cause a spark and if gases are present, result in an explosion.

A steam salute for the baton bearer on the towpath. PHOTO: HUGH DOUGHERTY

Time to paddle ‘yer ain canoe’ from Glasgow to Edinburgh!

SCOTTISH Canals has issued a new challenge to paddle sports fans to ‘paddle their ain canoe’ – a local expression meaning to do things for yourself – all the way from Glasgow to Edinburgh on the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals.

The new £130,000 Glasgow to Edinburgh Canoe Trial was launched in style at the Falkirk Wheel when public health minister, Michael Matheson, joined Scottish Canals chair, Andrew Thin, to welcome the first group of canoe fans to make the journey.

The 92km route includes 30 dedicated access points provided along the canals to allow paddlers to stop off at tourist attractions and the journey is expected to take between two and four days. Scottish Canals, Sportscotland, the Central Scotland Green Network, Scottish

Natural Heritage and councils along the canal towpaths have funded the scheme which is seen as an important Commonwealth Games legacy project.

Public health minister Michael Matheson, who presented the canoeists with a plaque and copy of the route’s users’ guide, said: “The Glasgow to Edinburgh Canoe Trail will support economic growth and allow people to be active in the great outdoors. Taking to Scotland’s waterways is an excellent way of getting exercise and exploring areas that are off the beaten track.”

And a users’ information video will shortly be hosted on the Scottish Canals website to help people paddling their ain canoe to navigate lock gates and tunnels along the route.

Living on Water moorings grow on Scottish canals

SEVENTY-three new Living on Water moorings are being rolled out by Scottish Canals, following the success of its original residential berth scheme which was launched in September 2012.

The new moorings are up for auction at the Living on Water eBay shop and start at £2000 per year. The new sites are at Bowling, Linlithgow, Causewayend, Southbank, Cadder, Appelcross Street, Grangemouth and Ratho and come on line immediately and up until September 19.

Scottish Canals director of estates, Katie Hughes, said: “Living on Water offers an alternative to traditional accommodation. It encourages residents to live a greener, more relaxed and individual way of life. It can also be significantly cheaper when compared to living on land – something which, in the current economic climate, has real appeal.

“We want to create houseboat communities around the canal network and encourage more people to live, work and play on and along the waterways.”

And the Scottish Canals team worked hard with PR firm, The Big Partnership, to provide a

Mark Smith relaxes on his ‘living on water’ pontoon. PHOTO: HUGH DOUGHERTY special set of images to get the message across, with canals staff member Mark Smith, being persuaded to get aboard a pontoon and float along the Forth & Clyde Canal at Bowling.

Said Mark: “I had to float along in an armchair with a standard lamp beside me as the snappers got busy. And I had to read a magazine with my feet up as passers-by stopped to stare. We had to assure them that it wasn’t a new, cheaper method of travel on the canal.”

Full details of Living on Water are at www.Scottishcanals.co.uk

ON SCOTTISH WATERS with Hugh Dougherty 113

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Rediscovering Scotland’s forgotten canal

Range grows for summer gift ideas

Hugh Dougherty seeks out the remains of a canal which, in its heyday, boasted the country’s only inclined plane boat lift.

Almost lost underneath Glasgow’s Townhead motorway interchange is this section of the Monkland Canal. PHOTOS: HUGH DOUGHERTY

Iron age barge: the replica of Vulcan, awaits restoration by the canal at Summerlee.

ASK any canal fan to list the canals of Scotland and, usually, the Monkland won’t get a mention. For this 19.5 mile-long canal, opened in 1794 to carry coals from Lanarkshire to Glasgow, has all but disappeared and, unlike all others operated

by Canals Scotland, isn’t navigable along its length.

But it’s worth seeking out the sections that remain, starting with the last part to survive in Glasgow, a section almost lost beneath the motorway interchange at Townhead.

There, you’ll find the towpath and drained waterway, and best of all, two special stones, inserted in the end walls, which were worn into grooves by ropes attached to horses drawing barges round a bend at the location.

Sadly, most of the canal has been covered by the eastern section of the M8 motorway, but its water is still piped to Port Dundas, where it feeds the Forth & Clyde Canal.

And, a long stretch, complete with towpath and a basin, can be walked or cycled within Drumpellier Country Park where the canal bustles with wild and bird life in a tranquil setting close to the railway which did for the canal as early as the 1860s.

It’s worth exploring, as is the section in Summerlee Industrial Museum in

The restored section of the canal at Summerlee Industrial Museum.

Grooves worn by time; the markings on the corner stones made by ropes linking barges and horses.

Coatbridge, where recent restoration by Scottish Canals and North Lanarkshire Council, have restored the canal to prime condition, and craft, including steam yachts, sail this stretch on museum high days and holidays.

Not only can the Monkland Canal claim to be the only Scottish canal currently crossed by a working tramway, as Summerlee’s heritage trams bridge it. But it is also home to a replica of Vulcan, the first iron-built barge in Scotland, which sailed on the canal and carried passengers on the Forth & Clyde. There are plans to fully restored the replica and sail her on the Summerlee section of the canal as an added attraction.

In its heyday, the Monkland Canal also boasted Scotland’s only inclined plane boat lift which was opened in the 1850s to speed barges as a response to increasing railway competition, but it and the whole canal was derelict by the 1940s, and abandoned in the 1960s.

Today, the remaining sections of Scotland’s often forgotten, fifth canal, are becoming higher profile again, thanks to the work of Scottish Canals, the Scottish Waterways Trust, Glasgow City and North Lanarkshire Councils, all of whom regard the remaining sections as valuable leisure, educational, heritage and environmental resources in their own right.

So, if you’re up in Scotland, seek out the Monkland Canal. You may not be able to sail along it, but you can certainly take a trip back through time which won’t disappoint. For, like so many of our canals, this one, built to serve the demands of the industrial revolution, has survived, in part, against all the odds, to play a new role in the 21st century, a role that its 18th century builders could never have envisaged. Don’t miss it.

New broadbaNd MaKeS SUrFING Far beTTer oNwaTerwaYS NeTworK VISITORS can surf the web everywhere from the locks of Neptune’s Staircase to in the shadow of the Kelpies after the installation of superfast wi-fi throughout Scotland’s canal network.

Internet firm Highland Wi-Fi has brought the historic canals of Scotland hurtling into the 21st century with the roll-out of its award-winning service at 18 Scottish Canals’ sites on the Caledonian, Crinan, Forth & Clyde and Union canals, with boaters, cyclists and paddlers now able to access the UK’s fastest public wi-fi network.

Ailsa Andrews, customer relations manager at Scottish Canals, said: “The new fast and reliable

internet service will make a real difference to the customer experience on the canals.

“Whether you’re travelling by boot, boat or bike, Scotland’s canals have an incredible amount to offer.

Now, no matter if you’ve just finished a hard day’s paddle on the Great Glen Canoe Trail or have moored up after a trip on the world’s only rotating boat lift, you can log in and surf the web amid the spectacular scenery of Scotland’s canals.”

The new sites complement Highland Wi-Fi’s existing hotspots throughout Scotland and offer speeds of up to 100mb per second. Access is available via a range of payment options, with

SCOTTISH Canals is offering new gifts both online and at outlets such as the Falkirk Wheel for the summer season.

Commercial and product chief, Cara Baillie, has grown an existing range, launched last year, with an attractive silk, flora and fauna scarf, showing wild and plant life found along the banks of the canals.

And an exclusive Scottish Canals deerstalker, in the body’s unique tweed, is bound to go to the head of visitors keen to protect themselves from the Scottish weather and midges in a stylish way.

“We’re keen for visitors to take quality gifts away with them to remind them of their visit to Scottish Canals and to Scotland,” Cara. “Our gifts are, as far as possible, designed, and made and sources in Scotland and we’ve been delighted with the response so far.”

Cara and fellow staff member Mark Smith model the new lines for exclusively for Towpath Talk, and the stylish duo are sure that fashionconscious readers will be encouraged to visit the growing range at www.scottishcanals.big cartel.com

visitors able to pay for their internet fix by the hour, weekly or even yearly.

Highland Wi-Fi will also be installing broadband at the new Helix parkland and at the Kelpies. Visitors will be able to take advantage of the superfast connection at the majestic monuments to horsepowered heritage from this summer. ● Full details of the sites covered by Highland Wi-Fi’s service, as well as details of how to access the network can be found at www.highlandwifi.com/

Height of fashion on Scottish Canals this summer as Cara Baillie and Mark Smith model the new lines.

PHOTO: HUGH DOUGHERTY

Riot of colour on the ‘Cally’

THE Caledonian Canal is set for a riot of colour thanks to a community wildflower seed planting project launched in June by the Scottish Waterways Trust.

Green-fingered pupils from Muirtown primary school joined Stephen Wiseman, the trust’s environmental and heritage officer, before the start of their summer holidays. And, along with expert hands – and feet – from the Inverness Men’ Shed project, the youngsters performed the ‘seed planting conga’ at Muirtown Basin to make sure that the canalside booms come up in spring.

The blooming good drive, dubbed Grow Wild on the Canal, has been funded by Scottish Natural Heritage, Inverness Common Good Fund, The Robertson Trust and Scottish Canals.

Stephen Wiseman said: “This is a fantastic project as it encourages people to go outdoors for some fresh air and exercise and it’s also a rewarding conservation project on the canal itself.”

And the Scottish Waterways Trust also says that the project will boost towpath wildlife, with goldfinches feasting on teasel and butterflies and bees enjoying a varied menu, including Greater Knapweed and Cranesbill.

114 TOWPATH TREASURES

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Words: PHILLIPPA GREENWOOD Images: MARTINE O’CALLAGHAN

Holiday hireboat

Colours of the canals

A Claymoore hireboat on the Macclesfield Canal.

Cruising the Kennet & Avon Canal.

Boats for hire in Skipton Basin.

A Wyvern Shipping hireboat by Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum.

UNTYING the ropes and drifting away in a narrowboat is the dream holiday to leave the stress of daily life behind. The appeal is the tranquillity of waking with the ducks and unhurried travel with the journey in mind rather than a destination; then taking charge of a tiller and handling the ropes is a rugged enough challenge to spice the peace of it all. Holiday hireboat centres are based all around the navigable waterways, providing a leisure service without which canals would be a lesser place.

Canals weren’t built for pleasure boats; 200 years ago they were the domain of the brutish business of haulage. The first canal boats to carry people rather than goods were packet boats on the Bridgewater Canal, but their purpose was not leisure, it was as a transport service that preceded the railways. When railways eventually arrived, they stole the Victorian heart and in a bid to keep business, some canal companies tried offering a special speedy boat passenger service on boats called swifts. Galloping teams of horse-pulled boats provided what must have been a dynamic, if not frightening, experience. Needless to say,

the railways had their way and the passenger transport business abandoned the canals along with commercial trade.

Canals were trapped with their image of being the filthy, and then unwanted, trade routes of the Industrial Revolution. Nobody thought of a holiday on the canals, even though the concept of messing about in boats on the river was becoming increasingly popular.

The British Waterways Board (later to become British Waterways, and now the Canal & River Trust) saw the need to attract new traffic to the canals if they were to stay alive, and a new mood was sweeping the waterways. Tom Rolt set off on a journey around the networks in his narrowboat called Cressy. He recorded the journey in his famous book Narrow Boat (a 70th anniversary edition of the book has been published this year) and a pioneering movement of canal enthusiasm was building momentum in the post-Second World War years. Leisure boats were demanding their right to roam and there was passionate outcry with every canal that was threatened with closure.

TOWPATH TREASURES/ANGLING 115

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The Towpath Angler

Our monthly look at the angling scene

ABC Hireboats lined up at Alvechurch Marina.

Adapted extract from Britain’s Canals, A National Treasure in 100 Must-See Objects by Phillippa Greenwood and Martine O’Callaghan – published by Coolcanals July 2012.

www.coolcanals.com

Shire Cruises base at Sowerby Bridge.

Struggling canal companies realised there might be a market for leisure craft now that the working boats had retired.

Some companies adapted their fleets and canal tourism was dipping its toes into a new era. Small family-run hireboat companies launched, such as the Canal Cruising Company in Stone near Stoke-on-Trent. The hippy 1970s flew by and by the 1980s many of the hireboat companies that the canals know now were established. They took their narrowboats to canals that reached into forgotten water roads rambling the Pennines, the Peak

District, Welsh mountains, the Heart of England; and now, thanks to the magnificent restoration and regeneration of canals over recent years, there’s scarcely anywhere out of bounds for the adventurous holiday traveller.

The narrowboat for holiday hire has everything and nothing in common with the traditional working boat of 200 years ago. A working boat family would have crammed into a small cabin at the stern while the cargo they carried filled the main space. The modern narrowboat looks deliciously similar on the outside, but inside is a ‘Tardis’ of luxury with

every mod con a happy tourist expects: shower, TV, cushions and plug-in convenience. Some companies, such as Moonraker, specialise with high-end boats, even offering the full fuss and frills, and unapologetic decadence, of an onboard whirlpool bath.

Each company has its own colours that cruise far and wide. Holiday hireboats have become the big colours of the canals and people come from all across the world to go on the holiday of a lifetime on a canal boat. Hireboat companies are part of the success story of Britain’s canals.

David Kent

WHILE there have been few meetings for me to report, a great deal has, nonetheless, been going on. Indeed, both my telephones and email have been glowing at times. It still makes me wonder how we all coped in the ‘good old days’. Issues of all shapes and sizes keep cropping up and, although often seeming small at the outset, they frequently prove to be very time consuming once you get started.

Clearly my comments last month that a lack of confidence in how the Canal & River Trust views angling and fisheries again seems to have attracted considerable support. I really believe this has seriously impacted on interest in angling on our waterways.

I do know there are quite a number of good people out there, including my colleagues on the Angling Advisory Group, who genuinely want to help to improve things. Let us try and capture this enthusiasm and help create a better all-round future for angling and, very importantly, increase revenue for CRT. Is this not the true ethos of the Trust ?

One of the areas where confidence seems to have deteriorated involves vegetation management. It is one of those topics where differing views can be really extreme. For example, removal of overhanging trees etc, may seem the right thing to do for navigation, but it is not always the right thing for the natural habitat and, indeed, angling. Like so many things, though, a meeting of all parties with the full facts in front of them is usually the best way to a solution. Full consultation from the outset invariably leads to the right outcome. At the formation of CRT, I saw this as a significant plus over and above its predecessor, as it appeared to be right at the heart of the organisation.

Let us hope it does not change.

In June, I talked about the pilot canal championship to be held in September, run by CRT in conjunction with Angling Trust, on the Shropshire Union, near Market Drayton.

Application for tickets opened in early July, with interest already very encouraging, and I honestly feel it will be a sell-out. Alongside this there will be a competition for young anglers between the ages of 12 and 17. Again, early signs suggest that this will be a great event.

I am confident that it will be rolled out to involve all waterways from 2015.

Who knows, it may even attract a good sponsor. It will certainly help raise the profile of many of our canals.

fishing without permits and/or a rod licence to using illegal equipment.

Every meeting I attend sees this raised and yet we still seem to be a very long way from a solution. Fish are expensive enough and often hard enough to come by for them to be stolen, particularly when the law should protect the owners, but seemingly rarely does. Worse still, I feel the time is rapidly approaching when someone, perhaps a bailiff, will get seriously injured, at the very least, trying to prevent this type of theft.

Since my June article the Environment Agency has released many more fry into the Erewash Canal. Recently, I have heard reports of anglers catching a few roach and small bream along the canal. Although there is no consistency in catches there does seem to be a few encouraging signs just beginning to appear. We are several years away yet from a recovery, but it would really be something if, in two or three years, it was used as a qualifier in the championship I mentioned earlier.

Elsewhere, I understand the Grand Union continues to do well. Also, I was informed of an excellent result from the Keadby Canal, where average weights were close on double figures.

However, the Trent & Mersey has lost a bit of form. A match held between Burton and Derby only produced about four pounds of fish in total. Still, that’s fishing as they say!

Personally, it looks as though I must have dropped back into holiday mode.

My results of late have been disastrous. That said this poor run has convinced me to ‘think outside the box’ a bit more, so I have been experimenting each time I have been out. While the results are not there yet I have been encouraged by what I have Illegal fishing found so far. Who knows, a win may be The issue of illegal fishing does not go just around the corner. away. This can be in many forms, from Good luck.

StillwaterChampionshipline-upstartstotakeshape A Black Prince hireboat travelling on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.

An Anglo Welsh hireboat working through the Caen Hill flight.

FACT FILE Location On canals throughout Britain The canals are open all day every day – just find your local canal.

How to get there By train National Rail Enquiries 08457 484950 By bus Traveline 0871 2002233 On foot Canal towpaths are now easy routes to cycle and walk, many being part of Sustrans National Cycle Network or long-distance walking trails. www.sustrans.org.uk www.ldwa.org.uk

By boat Hireboat companies: Drifters is a consortium of hireboat companies offering holiday and day boat hire. 0844 9840322 www.drifters.co.uk ABC Boat Hire. Holiday and day boat hire. 0330 3330 590 www.abcboathire.com Anglo Welsh Waterway Holidays.

Holiday and day boat hire. 0117 3041122 www.anglowelsh.co.uk Black Prince Narrowboat Holidays.

Holiday boat hire. 01527 575115 www.black-prince.com Rose Narrowboats. Holiday and day boat hire. 01788 832449 www.rose-narrowboats.co.uk

Shire Cruisers. Holiday boat hire.

01422 832712 www.shirecruisers.co.uk Full listings of all canal holiday hireboat companies in Britain can be found in our online directory. www.coolcanals.com Moorings There are plenty of visitor moorings available along Britain’s canals Local Tourist info Canal & River Trust/Glandwr Cymru Use the Canal & River Trust website to find specific local information. www.canalrivertrust.org.uk

EIGHT more anglers made it through to the Angling Trust and Canal & River Trust Stillwater Championship at qualifiers during June.

Top rod on the day at Earlswood Lakes, Solihull, was Chris Hill, from Erdington, who took around 20 carp to 8kg for a total of 95.5kg. He goes forward to the grand final at Blythe waters on September 20 with Ian Fisk, Maurice Williams and Terry Winstone.

Weights at Clattercote Reservoir, near Banbury, were respectable, but nothing compared to what the venue can produce.

Top rod on the day, by a narrow margin, was Charles Simpson, from Sheffield, with a weight of 29.980kg. He is joined in the final by Paul Knapman and Jamie Hughes.

Further qualifiers were due to take place in July.

Partly restored canal providing some good sport A PARTLY restored canal in Greater Manchester is currently providing some excellent fishing according to waterway enthusiasts, writes Geoff Wood.

The undisturbed waters around Bury and Bolton are proving some of the best spots, with an abundance of good carp, tench and pike. However, the

Manchester Bolton and Bury Canal Society stress that there is much more available at this hidden gem canal, with many good walks to choose from.

Industrial heritage is also worth looking out for and features include a Grade II mostly intact listed steam hammer and many other aspects of a busy industrial past.

116 WET WEB

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The Wet Web

This month Helen Gazeley finds an opportunity to buy a website and follows a couple of bloggers in Europe.

Jean and Graham Beven’s Maid of the Mist, a 60ft cruiser-stern narrowboat, will be sold on brokerage at Norbury Wharf. She has a large integral water tank, Vacuflush toilet, and a 400 litre fuel tank.

THE idea of a small regular income is always tempting. Being able to make one without actually leaving the water is even more so. That’s the opportunity that’s arisen with the departure of Jean and Graham Beven from the cut. They’re not just leaving their boat, Maid of the Mist; their website is also up for sale.

Many readers will be familiar with Canalcuttings.co.uk It started as a cruising blog nine years ago, but the Bevens soon saw greater potential as they passed canalside properties on the market and realised that no dedicated site existed to advertise them. The Canalside Property section is now stuffed with des-res that make great property porn, even if you’re not looking to move. Many of the properties have moorings and some even a boat included. This section, along with the Holiday Exchange page, AdSense advertising and affiliate marketing, creates the income for the site and, with a sale price of £2000, Jean reckons a buyer would gain a return on their investment within a year.

The site also contains lots of news items, and includes information on canals and navigable rivers, the boating life and canal societies. “We receive email content and info from many different sources,” says Jean, “and we have enjoyed running it, as we like to disseminate useful knowledge to the boating fraternity.” The buyer would need some knowledge of HTML code but, if you have that, it’s a chance to take over an established site and keep your finger on the pulse of the boating community.

“We hope that whoever buys it,” adds Jean, “has as much fun and enjoyment out of it as we have.”

Health problems are, unfortunately, sending Jean and Graham landside, and this means that the enjoyable rants of Waterways Willy, Graham’s politically opinionated alter ego, will be heard no more (see www.waterwayswilly.com). However, as they settle down to a new life in Shropshire, Jean and Graham will be continuing to run JeGraNet, their internet business which builds and manages small to medium size websites.

Graham climbing the lock ladder at Charleville-Meziers to remedy the situation.

A typical lock on the River Meuse, in the Ardennes.

Embarking on a completely different adventure are Jill and Graham on board nb Matilda Rose (http://contentedsouls.com). Two significant birthdays and a 25th wedding anniversary made them decide, says Jill: “to ship MR out to Europe rather than do the party thing.” Matilda Rose was lifted out of the Bridgewater Basin, Watford, in April and shipped over to Nieuwpoort, Belgium, and at the time of writing they were on the Meuse in France, laudably giving themselves daily French lessons. Graham says: “We are determined not to be ex-prats.” And it must be coming in useful at moments such as when Graham had to contact the eclusiers (lock-keepers) at Charleville-Meziers when the automatic lock system broke down.

Their blog is a mine of information on what’s needed to navigate European canals, including certificates required, registering your narrowboat and, now that they’re there, the frustrations of wifi. It’s all balanced, though, by gorgeous scenery and delicious food and it might just get you thinking of venturing further afield. “We’re having a ball,” says Jill.

For more European travel visit wbavalon.blogspot.co.uk where Kevin and Debbie, computer problems permitting, are recounting their own experiences on Continental canals.

➔

For more information Do you have a favourite website?

Email Helen at helengazeley@aol.com

Jill at the helm of Matilda Rose, leaving Montherme.

Wild moored at Laifour as a peniche passes.

Tour de France boat gathering on the Rochdale Canal

ABOUT a mile of the Rochdale Canal between Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd was alongside part of the Yorkshire route for Le Tour de France cycle race on Sunday, July 6. Many more miles of the towpath formed a walking and cycling route into the area when numerous roads were closed.

From April onwards, the Rochdale Canal Linear Park Group with the volunteer OWLS (Observers of Waterways Length) worked with the Canal & River Trust and trainees in preparing the canal for all the visitors coming by boat, cycle and on foot.

The legacy from Le Tour includes repaired wash walls, towpath improvements, painted locks and mileposts, tree pruning, sapling removal, spot dredging, wild flower planting and several trained voluntary lock keepers (VLKs). The latter could be available for future visitors to the Rochdale Canal in Calderdale.

The IWA West Riding Branch agreed to help local people organise a boat gathering; 33 boats came providing accommodation for about 100 visitors from as far afield as Cardiff, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Worcestershire, and Staffordshire. Each boat received a ‘welcome’ pack with information and items from businesses, the local council and the visitor centre.

Those boats that had booked in early were able to have a plaque. Richard Bostock, artist, designer and general all-round narrowboat enthusiast, came by boat and kindly offered to provide the design which was then transfer printed onto brushed aluminium.

Some of the boats were decorated with bunting and they provided a pleasant backdrop to the towpath used by many people on the day of Le Tour.

Interest was also generated by the Horseboating Society’s display, the Crafty Snail, the Fudge Boat, the Home Brew Boat, and Antiques Afloat.

Canal & River Trust staff used hire boats from Shire Cruisers and Bronte Boats to provide their base for the day itself.

To avoid putting a strain on the canal’s water supply, and to encourage the visitors to spend more time in the local area, the boats were encouraged to

Visiting boats line the Rochdale Canal with (inset) the plaque designed by Richard Bostock showing Black Pit Lock in Hebden Bridge with cyclists on the towpath. PHOTO: DIANA MONAHAN arrive well before the event and to linger afterwards. This strategy worked well, with only about one third of the boats coming just before the 6th and leaving the next day.

Although the moorings were restricted for the boat gathering for about a fortnight, the mooring organiser ensured that boats passing through were able to stop for up to 24 hours. The crewmembers of every boat attending the gathering were full of compliments about the area and the welcome they received and it is hoped that they will spread the word that the Rochdale Canal is well worth a visit despite the high density of locks.

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TALKBACK

Your chance to write to us on any Towpath topic:

Towpath Talk, PO Box 43, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ editorial@towpathtalk.co.uk

Who threw the stolen cash boxes into the drink?

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Personal responsibility is a big part of boating I AM sorry but I have to take issue with Brian Holt over his comments about cill markers (Talkback, Issue 105, July). Firstly, signs mounted on the bottom gate, as BH suggests, would have to be huge to be read at 80ft! A lot of people have trouble reading a number plate at 60ft.

Secondly, the person on the tiller is responsible for the craft. He/she should be acutely aware of the boat’s relative position in the lock at ALL times. It is part of boating, it is called boatmanship. Sitting in a lock oblivious to what is happening in the lock is tantamount to criminal negligence.

Cilling a boat is caused by neglecting one’s responsibility to the boat and the passengers. Sinking a cilled boat is caused by the crew not paying attention to the task they have, namely getting the boat through the lock and doing it safely.

We all have moments of inattention, it’s human nature, but

to expect others to waste money erecting signs that will be ignored by inattentive boaters is beyond the pale. It’s not like you need to be told you are in a lock.

However many signs there are, boaters will still continue to cill boats because they are simply too busy to see the danger.

Too many people today come to boating expecting others to take care of their safety. Personal responsibility is a big part of boating. Boating is not about dumping one’s responsibility on to others. One boating lady recently told me she was not interested in learning the boating ‘craft’; that’s a bit like buying a car and not wanting to learn how to drive properly. The sooner boaters have to take a two-part test before they are allowed to take control of a craft the better.

Maffi nb Milly M

Foul conditions on the Manchester Nine I RECENTLY had the displeasure of entering Manchester via the Rochdale Canal and the locks known as the Manchester Nine. I can honestly and vigorously say that it was the worst boating experience in my 10 years travelling round the canal system.

From Rochdale to Castlefields, I experienced ill-maintained locks, lack of mooring, overgrown vegetation, shortage of water (yet water cascades over the bottom lock at Castlefields), refuse and pollution. I saw drugs deals being concluded, was approached by ‘druggies’ and ‘alchies’, saw the rag bedding of dossers, human excrement and smelt urine. I met with boaters travelling eastwards, managing only through the patience, skill and effort of the towpath men trying to keep boats moving against these foul conditions.

The suggestion of interested people along the ‘cut’ was that no one with authority is willing to accept responsibility for these conditions and so take remedial action.

It may be that the Canal & River Trust has the prime responsibility for the canal, but can local MPs ignore this filth running through our ‘second city’?

Can the nearby museum boasting of Manchester’s past achievements in science and technology fail to recognise that without the canal and 19th century technology, the city could not have become the major industrial complex it was and is?

Can the tourist centre sincerely market a city in which the evening recreation occurs less than 20ft above and in sight of squalor? Can the city council be as proud of this waterway cutting its way through the heart of the city as it is of the football teams, contemporary commercial success, arts and the care of its citizens.

Should Towpath Talk put out a warning to all boaters so that they can arrange help (possibly by appointment with the CRT and the towpath men) through this section, for it will not match anything they will experience on the rest of the system?

It may well be that the citizens of Manchester choose to ignore the canal that runs through the heart of their city and so the disrepute that attaches to it.

However, I do not believe that people who take pride in being Mancunians are uncaring. It is time for those in authority to take responsibility for the Manchester Nine and create a heart to be proud of.

Susan Mimmack By email

Editor’s note: The unpleasant experience of cruising through Manchester was echoed by boater Janet Bowring in a phone conversation with Towpath Talk. She also referred to the state of the Ashton Canal to Dukinfield during a recent journey around the Cheshire Ring, contrasting with the Peak Forest Canal and other rural stretches.

WITH reference to the feature – Stolen cash box recovered during spring cleanup (Work party roundup, Issue 104, June) – may I highlight an incident with regard to stolen bullion.

Four summers ago upon my arrival at the newly open Yelvertoft Marina after heading south from my canalside bungalow at Galgate on the Lancaster Canal, I set off alone heading towards the Welford Arm. Around noon I spotted an ‘A’ board advertising real ale and pub grub up the lane in the pub at South Kilworth. I cycled up the lane and ordered a pint. A local man came in and collected his wages for cutting the pub grass. He explained that he had been down the lane to fish in the Stanford-on-Avon water catchment reservoir which fed the GU Leicester section, but due to drought conditions the water levels were very low.

He informed the landlord that he had

looked over the bridge from the road and observed that the feeder had dried up so much that it had exposed three bank cash bullion boxes in the reeds on thick mud. I asked if it would be wise to inform the police but they didn’t want to get involved.

I cycled back to the boat and looked over the bridge. I retrieved one box and gave it a rinse and found serial numbers on it. I placed it on the boat roof and rang Jennie, our brilliant and efficient marina manager. I asked her if she could telephone the local beat bobby who could in turn pick up the box from the marina office upon my return. Jenny had given my mobile telephone number to the police and within 15 minutes I was cruising along chatting to a PC requesting directions to the bridge.

Another 10 minutes elapsed and she said: “I can see the remaining two boxes but how tall are you?” I informed

her that I was 6ft 2in and had jumped down into the reeds. I was nearing Yelvertoft by then and she rang back in desperation informing me that she had radioed in requesting a six foot-plus colleague plus wellies to attend the crime scene!

The final conversation took place when I informed her that the box I had retrieved was in a black bin liner in the marina office guarded by Jennie. The PC then informed me that I had taken the box outside her geographic patch and the control room for Northampton division was based in Stamford on the A1. The box was never collected and after about a month Jennie threw it in the skip. If the boxes had been further south on the GU canal near Leighton Buzzard, Ronnie Biggs could well have been suspected of casting them into the drink.

Ken Walsh Nb Pumpkin

Monopoly at Market Harborough wharf

Not trying to buck the system

I RECENTLY moored overnight at Union Wharf, Market Harborough. The next morning I was approached by a person who worked for one of the hire companies that operate from there; she asked me for £10 for staying for the night.

I did not pay it, I contacted the Canal & River Trust and was informed that there was a sign on the way in to say there was a charge for staying and that the hire boat companies levied this in return for the upkeep of the

I WOULD like to reassure Alan Smith (Talkback, Issue 105, July) that as a liveaboard boater without a home mooring I am not, as he claims, attempting to ‘buck the system’ but am acting within the law.

There is no requirement for boaters to have a mooring and it saddens me that within our supposed tolerant society there’s a lurking suspicion that certain individuals are trying to get something for nothing. I am a taxpayer in full-time employment and when my cruising pattern takes me the furthest distance from work I can often be seen waiting for infrequent rural buses at 6.30am on winter mornings to enable me to work and contribute to society.

As any liveaboard boater will attest, access to local services, from schools to GPs, can be difficult but we are a robust bunch who often pay more in boat licence fees than we would for council tax if living in houses; and speaking personally I ask only to be allowed the rights of any UK citizen i.e to live unhindered and unjudged within the law.

facilities there.

When I was there I had the choice of mooring up in one of three spaces, all the others being taken up by hire boats. It seems that the site is pretty much given over to these hire boat companies.

CRT licence payers must use the towpath on the way in. The companies make enough money hiring out boats and should not be allowed what is in effect a monopoly of Union Wharf.

Andrew Sanders By email

‘Draconian’ rule left dog out of lift site Boaters Graeme and Sue Chandler share the following letter which they sent to the Canal & River Trust following a visit to the Anderton Lift.

WE HAVE just returned from a two-month trip which included Chester, Manchester, the Rochdale Canal, Leeds, the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, the Liverpool Link, Liverpool Docks and back to our home marina at Barton Turns, via the Shropshire Union and finally the Trent and Mersey Canal.

We stopped at the Anderton Boat Lift and with our crew (two friends and the ship’s dog) we went to view the ‘Cathedral of the Canals’. But what a disappointment, no dogs allowed in!

We could not take her into the grounds, the staff stated that “It was the rule”.

This was a contrast to the friendly attitude of the staff at the museum at Ellesmere Port; there

we were allowed throughout the whole area, except for the cafe which was understandable. We are always prepared to clean up after her, even if there were no bins; we would have taken the offending bag to the nearest bin or back to the boat.

So is there a rule that states ‘No Dogs’ and if so, where were the notices to that effect? You guessed it… we saw none.

Well CRT, there seems to be a discrepancy in your museum rules; please sort it out, remembering all the trusted canine crew members who because of draconian rules have been turned away or left behind on boats.

Graeme and Sue Chandler NB The Doreen Marjorie

Philippa Michaelson By email

Warning over Bridgewater mooring WE’VE just left Runcorn at the very end of the Bridgewater Canal and want to warn other users to avoid mooring under the Brinsli art gallery. We did to our cost; there were rings, good lighting and a camera but we were attacked not once but twice.

Firstly, at 9.30am on a Sunday, our boat was kicked and we were threatened and sworn at; we did of course call the police who actually came and promised to patrol the area that night as I had to see a doctor in Widnes on Monday.

Our boat was attacked again at midnght, stones were thrown and we had to pull away at 1am.

The only safe place to moor is the cruising club on the opposite bank that allows two nights; they are friendly and helpful, so unless you can be assured of a berth there, I recommend you avoid the place day and night.

Trish Price By email

The joys of social media?

FOR years our boat has carried a collection of plastic ducks – because they make people smile and little kids love them.

On May 1, the Chester Chronicle published a letter from ‘A Dedicated Chester Duck Carer’ about alleged theft of ducklings, including a reference to an unnamed boat ‘seen leaving Chester with a crate of ducklings presumably for selling’.

On arriving in Chester on May 6, we were immediately accosted by a RSPCA inspector, investigating allegations on social media that our boat was involved in the theft of ducklings!

Having inspected the boat inside and out, he agreed that the allegations were either troublemaking or a poor joke. We could not find anything on Twitter when we looked and the inspector is unwilling to show us his messages due to ‘confidentiality’ (but he did say he’d inform his contacts that we were okay).

We’re left in limbo... the misinformation is clearly out there and might develop a life of its own in the wired world, as other myths have – so there’s a small but real possibility that intemperate animal rights activists might later target us and nothing, apparently, that we can do about it.

Funny old business isn’t it? On a happier note, we think we’re actually seeing far more young birds on our travels this year than we did last after winter proved not to have a sting in its tail this time. nb Henry (Name and address supplied)

The collection of plastic ducks on board nb Henry. PHOTO SUPPLIED

118 THE LAST WORD

CRT must sort its mooring issues sooner rather than later I AM not surprised that the National Association of Boat Owners (NABO) is getting fed-up with the faffing around by the Canal & River Trust on tackling the thorny problem of overstaying on visitor moorings and the accompanying problem of enforcement of regulations.

Neither was I surprised by the high number of responses by members to a survey on the mooring problem.

I hope the main findings of the survey will be taken on board by the CRT and that chief executive Richard Parry will insist on the trust taking positive steps to meet the many valid points thrown up by it.

Of the points made the most outstanding one was that 91% of respondents said there were not enough patrol officers out on the bank. And among what few there are, are some that just simply do not appear to be committed.

The survey was a direct result of a national meeting of user groups called by CRT to discuss

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mooring strategies and, in particular, enforcement.

The speed and number of respondents not only surprised NABO but made a forceful point which the CRT will ignore at its peril – that the whole issue of moorings, overstaying and regulation enforcement must be sorted out permanently and quickly and not left to fester as it has been for years under the truly pathetic overview of the old BW regime which still lingers in some corners of the trust.

Well-deserved honour – and not before time!

After a working lifetime, much of it dedicated to the inland waterways as an enthusiast, volunteer and professional working boat owner and skipper, David Blagrove has been awarded the MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list.

The citation for the award was brief: ‘For services to the restoration of the UK waterways’ – and certainly does no justice to a truly committed individual.

Being a resident of the Grand Union canalside village of Stoke Bruerne, for years he immersed himself in the life of the community as well as being a leading light with the CRT canal museum there – being chairman of the museum’s ‘friends’ voluntary group.

Being involved in canal carrying for decades he’s played a major role in promoting waterborne transport in spite of less than enthusiastic support from the BW dinosaurs of not that long ago on the broad and narrow canals.

He also played a major part in the early days of the Kennet & Avon restoration by running a boat in the Reading area. The Inland Waterways Association acknowledged his exemplary service by appointing him a national vice-president.

It’s a good informative read

This year’s annual report from the CRT trustees is light years away from the turgid offerings inflicted on readers by the old British Waterways’ annual report and accounts. It is a document which

anyone with a keen interest in the future of the inland waterways should read.

I was particularly impressed with the easy-toread explanation as to how the trust operates both nationally and regionally involving the various waterway partnerships and advisory groups.

Equally impressive are the easy to understand pie charts listing resources expended, where the financial resources came from and the trust’s investment property values.

The individual sections depicting the four seasons give clearest explanation I have yet seen of the many and widely varied activities that take place throughout the year.

Whoever put this report together deserves the highest praise. It is very well written and it is quite evident that its new style is far removed from the Whitehall-style of previous reports.

Do you agree or disagree with Stillwater’s comments? Send your views to Talkback (see previous page)

ToWpaTh TITTER CONTINUING our light-hearted look at life on the cut with another contribution from Eddie Barford of Mersey Motor Boat Club.

RIGHT: This canine canoeist pawses on the bow-wow.

If you have a suitable photo or anecdote we can share with our readers, please send it to Towpath Talk, PO Box 43, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR or email: editorial@towpathtalk.co.uk

This regular visitor to Limekiln Chandlers in Stourport on Severn decided that Towpath Talk is good enough to sleep on!

Thanks to Carol Elwell of Limekiln Ltd for the photo.

And don’t forget you can also follow us on Twitter @towpathtalk and on Facebook

Exclusive Towpath Talk reader offer!

Try a FREE berth with Castle Marinas Ltd.

Castle Marinas Ltd is offering Towpath Talk readers the chance of saving some boating costs at any one of four inland marinas, Buckden, Kings Bromley, Ventnor and Wigrams Turn.

Visit www.towpathtalk.co.uk and register for your free two-night stay at a Castle Marina.

(Please note the offer does not apply to Nottingham Castle Marina).

If you are planning a trip on your boat near a Castle Marina why not bring your boat in to try our marina and services?

Castle’s inland marinas are situated as follows: Buckden Marina – next to the River Great Ouse near Cambridge Kings Bromley Marina – on the Trent and Mersey Canal at Lichfield Nottingham Castle Marina – In the heart of Nottingham city (this offer does not apply to Nottingham) Ventnor Farm Marina – on the Grand Union Canal near Rugby in Warwickshire Wigrams Turn Marina – At the junction of the Grand Union and Oxford Canals in Southam, Warwickshire Whether it’s an annual berth for your boat, a visitor berth or simply fantastic marina facilities in beautiful locations, Castle Marinas can help. Big enough to offer excellent group standards as well as reciprocal berthing deals, but small enough to give you and your boat the personal touch.

To find out more about Castle Marinas, visit www.castlemarinas.co.uk or email info@castlemarinas.co.uk Terms and conditions apply. Only one free stay can be claimed per boat.

This is a one-off offer and does not apply to future repeat visits.

The offer expires December 31, 2014. There are no cash alternatives available.

Your details will be passed on to Castle Marinas so that they can acknowledge your registration for a free stay. To claim this offer you MUST register on the Towpath Talk website first.

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