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Boosting visits to the ‘Sleeping Beauty’ canal
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Issue 110, December 2014
P48
Christmas Gift Guide Starts P54
(cromford 0028)
SUTTON WEAVER BRIDGE REOPENS TO RIVER TRAFFIC P4
Horse-drawn by Chelsea, the Friends of the Cromford Canal’s heritage narrowboat Birdswood between Cromford Wharf and Leawood Pump House during the recent Derwent Valley Mills Discovery Days. The boat has carried more than 5000 passengers in its first year of operation on the canal. More on P2. PHOTO:WATERWAY IMAGES
Waterways hero wins special award from Prime Minister
THERE BEFORE IN ’74 CALDON CELEBRATES P13
A WATERWAY Recovery Group camp leader has won a new volunteering award announced by Prime Minister David Cameron. George Rogers, 23, from Matlock, Derbyshire, has worked on over 500 miles of UK waterways restoration schemes and now leads canal ‘camps’ for people to help build their confidence and learn new skills. He is the latest recipient of a Point of Light award, which recognises outstanding individual volunteers, people who are making a change in
BURNLEY DRY DOCK BACK IN BUSINESS P14
WATERWAYS ON THE WESTERN FRONT P49
Licence fee rise revealed
PRIVATE boat licence fees will rise by 1.6% in April 2015, the Canal & River Trust has said. The increase, in line with inflation, will be followed by another in 2016. Dean Davies, interim head of customer services at Canal & River Trust, said: “By pegging the licence fee to inflation for three years to 2016, we are recognising the financial pressure that some boaters face, while the trust also grows revenue from other sources to support our care for the waterways.”
449 BOATS FOR SALE Starts on
their community and inspiring others. Each day, someone somewhere in the country is selected to receive the award to celebrate their remarkable achievements. Mr Cameron said: “Through his work, George is helping to safeguard the heritage and culture of Britain’s canals for future generations, which is of great importance. He truly deserves this Point of Light award.” After a summer canal camp helped George build his own confidence five years ago, he was inspired to join the
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OFTEN the cause of problems on railway lines, leaves were recently blamed for flooding on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, writes Geoff Wood. Water poured over the towpath and adjoining fields after autumn leaves blocked a weir at Linthwaite on the outskirts of Huddersfield. Engineers from the Canal & River Trust were called out and were able to clear the blockages so that the water which had backed up could drain away.
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George Rogers working on the construction of Staveley Lock on the Chesterfield Canal. PHOTO:WRG
Leaves cause flooding Study shows 880 liveaboards
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WRG to help others experience the same transformation. As part of George’s role as a volunteer at WRG he helps to plan canal camps, focusing mainly on construction projects such as a new bridge and a new lock on the Chesterfield Canal. The camps, which George runs during his annual leave, see him involved in all aspects of planning – such as working with the local restoration society to write risk assessments and strategies for restoration work. • Continued on page 2
A SNAPSHOT survey by the National Bargee Travellers Association revealed 880 liveaboard boats on London towpaths from Uxbridge to Brentford, Bulls Bridge to Limehouse and Limehouse to Enfield – a combined distance of 50 miles. NBTA was responding to a BBC You and Yours programme which stated there were 3000 boats cruising in the capital. The association acknowledged that while some specific areas are obviously busy there is more than enough space in London as a whole for everyone.
2 NEWS
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IT IS always heartwarming when one of the community’s ‘unsung heroes’ is recognised with an award; and George Rogers’ Point of Light accolade brings all the work done not only by the Waterway Recovery Group but also all the IWA branches and canal societies sharply into focus. We feature another individual – Maffi Oxford – ‘doing his bit’ on our Work Party and Volunteering section on page 10. He wrote: “It shows what one person can do in less than a day and may serve as encouragement to others.” We couldn’t agree more, and early next year Towpath Talk will be launching its own Volunteer of the Year award… watch this space. As I write, the news bulletins are full of images of the Armistice Day remembrance and, as mentioned last month, I visited the Waterways on the Western Front exhibition at the London Canal Museum, see my report on page 49. Another anniversary which hits the headlines in this edition is Caldon Canal’s 40th since it reopened following restoration. Harry Arnold was also there in 1974 and reports on the celebrations held on the day and on the exact site of the original. See page 13. The first of this year’s Stoppage Open Days has already taken place, reminding us that winter will soon be upon us, although we have been experiencing some unseasonably mild weather. And I don’t like to mention the ‘C’ word again but if you’re looking for that last-minute gift for the boater in your life, check out the second of our gift guides starting on page 54. Keep safe and snug
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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 – December 18, 2014
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Boat owners and would-be boaters are warned of the perils of illegal renting By Polly Player
FOLLOWING on from our article in November’s Towpath Talk highlighting the current high demand for privately rented narrowboats, both the Canal & River Trust, other boating organisations and individual boaters themselves have expressed concern over the safety and legality issues with private boat rentals. Making the decision to live aboard is becoming increasingly popular across a range of demographics, both out of a desire to live on the water for its own sake and, in some areas, as an attempt to counteract the ever increasing price of land-based housing. While many would-be boaters aspire to a life on the water, not everyone has the funds to finance the purchase of a boat outright; and, understandably, the question of boat rental as a compromise comes up time and time again. For the uninitiated, renting a boat to live on can seem as straightforward as renting a flat or a house, and many non-boaters assume that the process is the same as that for a land-based property. However, there is much more to renting a boat and staying above board than simply signing a tenancy agreement with the boat’s owner and sailing off into the sunset. The CRT’s regulations for boat rentals and also the legal and safety implications are rather more convoluted than many people expect. Landlords of both land-based and water-based properties have a duty of
care in law to their tenants, which encompasses a high level of responsibility to the occupants if something were to go wrong and the tenants were to become sick or injured as a result of their tenancy. Failing to go through the correct legal process to rent out a boat leads to legal liability for the boat’s owner, as well as potential criminal culpability if something goes wrong. Adding up the cost of all of the various requirements for private boat rentals soon becomes prohibitive. For a privately owned boat to be offered for rental legally, the end rental cost required to cover all of the bases is likely to come to as much as, if not more than, a flat or house. For this reason, many people who might otherwise consider renting out their boat to private tenants soon discard the idea as uneconomical and not worth pursuing. Into this void falls both the uninformed private boat owner who assumes that renting their boat out will be simple and profitable, as well as the unscrupulous would-be landlord seeking to make a quick buck, unconcerned about the legality of their rental or their responsibilities to their tenants. Many would-be boating tenants and even some landlords are either totally unaware that their rental agreement is illegal and possibly placing them at risk, or simply make the conscious decision to forego their rights and responsibilities in law in order to enable a rental. This is a particular problem in areas where land-based accommodation is at a premium, such as on the waterways of London, where a significant proportion of boats of all types are offered and sought for rent on a private basis.
Sheer demand
Aisha Mirza on her rented boat.
PHOTO:AISHA MIRZA, BOATWITHNOENGINE. WORDPRESS.COM
Classified adverts here in Towpath Talk, the London Boaters’ Facebook group, Canal World Discussion Forum and virtually every other marketplace for boating-related adverts verify the sheer demand for private boat rentals, both in London and across the UK. Canal World Discussion Forum in particular receives enquiries from new would-be boaters and boat owners considering renting their boat out on such a regular basis that the moderation team has pinned and highlighted an advice thread outlining the potential
• Continued from page 1
Waterways hero wins special award from Prime Minister At weekends, in his canal restoration volunteer role, George helps with anything from clearing up greenery in the waterways to repairing a derelict lock chamber so that more people can enjoy the waterways and get outdoors. Thanks to him, over 100 volunteers also have the skills and experience to help them gain employment. A graduate civil engineer, George also joined the committee for his local organisation, the Friends of the Cromford Canal committee in April 2010 having seen its request for a new webmaster. He took over and rebuilt its entire website, which he now coordinates and continues to develop along with a team of three volunteers who now also work on the website. With his experience of working with the WRG, George also now acts as a local coordinator for canal camps and weekends taking place within his area. George is also one of 30 ambassadors for Volunteers Week, an annual event co-ordinated by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, which celebrates the contribution volunteers make across the country.
He said: “Restoring the canals has long been my passion, and it is somewhat humbling to be recognised for something that I enjoy so much. The short and long term benefits to the other volunteers and the wider community make it a truly rewarding experience. “This award also represents my firm belief that all volunteering is equally important – whether it be restoring the canals, building a school in Africa or mowing an elderly neighbour’s lawn, volunteering is the bedrock of society and I only wish I could do more.” <info box> George is the 149th winner of the new Points of Light award which has been developed in partnership with successful Points of Light programme in the USA. The Points of Light awards recognise outstanding individual volunteers, people who are making a change in their community and inspiring others. If people want to nominate a Point of Light they can do so by writing to the Prime Minister.
WhAT IS REquIREDTO RENTA pRIvATE BOAT OuT LEgALLY? In order for a boat to be rented out legally, a wide range of permits and permissions are required, which many private boat owners overlook when they begin to think of their unused boat as a potential stream of income. First of all, the CRT licence required for a rented boat is not the same as that required for a private boat; this licence is identified by the letters ‘RL’ on the licence paperwork. In order to attain this licence for rental to liveaboard tenants, the boat must also have a designated residential home mooring, which are often in short supply. The Boat Safety Scheme certificate for a rented boat is also different and covers a wider remit of potential risks than a privately used boat too. Due to added regulations on the number of exits and various other factors, many private boats would be unable to meet the necessary criteria to attain the correct certification. Standard private boat insurance too does not cover rental to third parties, and commercial insurance must be attained in order to offer a boat for rent. Finally, all residences, including boats of all kinds, fall within the scope of the residential Gas Safety and Use regulations (1998), which adds another layer of difficulty when achieving full legal compliance. problems and risks for both parties. The appeal of boat rentals in London in particular has made national headlines several times this year already. A recent article in The Guardian newspaper told the tale of a London couple who decided to buy a small boat in order to provide extra office space, justifying the additional cost with the statement that they could always hire it out privately when they were not using it via the Airbnb holiday rentals website. Journalist Sam Forbes, writing in The Guardian in February of this year, told the story of her experiences of renting a room in a houseboat slum on the Thames in West London, where, for around £400 per month, rooms were rented on two decrepit barges in the Richmond area. No toilet or shower facilities, no electric and one small solid fuel stove that constantly triggered the CO alarm was the accepted status quo in this illegal rental. While this particular ‘landlord’ has been prevented from luring any further clients into his abode, small, illegally privately rented boats are still very common on London’s waterways.
Aisha Mirza privately rented a small GRP-topped narrowboat in London for several months during the summer of 2013. Aisha literally woke up one morning and decided she’d like to give boat life a whirl, and within four days had found a boat offered for rent and moved in, demonstrating just how easy it is to find an illegal private boat rental in London. The boat that Aisha rented was 20ft long, had no engine or shower, and most of the facilities that she did have can fairly be described as sub-par. This is neatly demonstrated by Aisha’s account of attempting to turn on the kitchen tap to find a shower of dead bugs and other detritus raining out of it in place of the wished-for water. While Aisha was both thrilled to be living on the water and very much enjoyed the experience for the majority of the time that she resided on the boat, for the privilege of this illegal rental, she paid the landlord several hundred pounds per month. Aisha blogged about her experiences of boat rental in London (as well as many other topics of interest) at aboatwithnoengine.wordpress.com
BIRDSWOOD BOOST FOR LOCAL ECONOMY THE success of the Birdswood project in attracting visitors to the Cromford Canal was praised by the High Sheriff of Derbyshire, David Coleman, following a trip aboard the horse-drawn canal boat as part of the recent Derwent Valley Mills Discovery Days programme. He said more than 5000 passengers have enjoyed the experience in 2014 and that this new tourism is becoming an important asset for the World Heritage Site as well as helping to stimulate the local economy. Mr Coleman, who is one of canal restoration charity Friends of the Cromford Canal’s 800-plus members and who lives near the route of the canal, took a return trip from Cromford Wharf to Leawood Pump House on the 75-year-old heritage narrowboat pulled by 13-year-old Chelsea, a sturdy Dales x Shire mare. Returning to the busy Cromford wharfside where crowds were enjoying the fine weather and special family-friendly waterways-related events organised by the FCC, the High Sheriff remarked on the smoothness of the boat ride. He then presented a commemorative brass narrowboat and boat-horse to Lance and Corinne Rose of Alderwasley-based working horse specialists Arraslea Shires, to mark a successful first season of horse-drawn canal cruises run in partnership with the FCC. Mike Kelley, the FCC’s operations manager who has guided the Birdswood project since its launch in 2011, said: “Our hard-working volunteers and partners have made this project a success in its first year of business. We will now build on this to give Derbyshire tourism a real boost in future years and to enable many more people to enjoy the peace and quiet of a canal cruise through a beautiful part of the county; and maybe to share the special High Sheriff David Coleman presents experience being pulled along by a the brass narrowboat and boat-horse horse. After all, there are only five to Corinne and Lance Rose of Arraslea places in Britain where the public can Shires with boat horse Chelsea. PHOTO:WATERWAY IMAGES enjoy such a ride.”
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Welfare officer to work with vulnerable boaters
THE Canal & River Trust has appointed its first welfare officer, Sean Williams, who will work with vulnerable boaters who may be finding it harder to cope with life afloat. Operating on a confidential basis, he will help them to find the right solutions for their issues and particular set of circumstances. This will be done in partnership with a network of external organisations whose remits include helping provide welfare assistance to those in society who most need it. Sean will also offer expert advice for staff, volunteers and stakeholders on matters involving vulnerable boaters,
and in particular with enforcement cases where the boat owner is discovered to have welfare needs. He said: “This is a great opportunity to make a real difference, both within the trust and outside it, to the lives of boaters who may need more support than they’re currently getting from the trust, local councils, housing associations or welfare charities. It’s an exciting role and one I’m really looking forward to taking on.” Sean worked in an award-winning housing association in Hertfordshire for five years, most recently in the role of tenancy sustainment officer. His job covered supporting vulnerable tenants and empowering them to
maintain their tenancy, welfare reform, estate management and issues around anti-social behavior. In his role he built good relationships with partner agencies. In his spare time he works with his partner on fundraising opportunities for School Club Zambia, which works with children in severe poverty. Dean Davies, interim head of customer service at the Canal & River Trust, said: “For some people living on a boat is a lifestyle choice but for others there may not be any other options. Sean’s experience in working with vulnerable tenants and coordinating relationships with partners sets him in great stead for the post and
Breakdown firm on the road to recovery following fire disaster RIVER Canal Rescue MD Stephanie Horton is seeking a canalside property to rent in the Staffordshire area after the company’s stores and offices were gutted in a fire at neighbouring SP Fireworks on Thursday, October 30. Since then RCR has been working from a temporary office. Emergency and general enquiry lines are operational but on divert to mobiles – the main switchboard number is 01785 785680. All mail is being redirected to the current location so correspondence can continue to be posted to RCR at 10 Tilcon Avenue, Baswich, Stafford ST18 0YJ or Freepost NAT 11249, Stafford, Staffordshire ST17 0BR. Stephanie is confident the breakdown and assistance firm will be up and running by spring – in time for the start of the boating season – but it will not return to its original location as the area is being bulldozed. She said: “The fire wiped out stock we’d built up since 2000 – refurbished items and pieces of equipment which are no longer produced. However, we’ve started ordering base levels of stock so we can tick over and once
IN BRIEF
Oxfam role for Ruth
Sean Williams: A great opportunity to make a real difference. PHOTO: CRT I think that he will bring a new perspective to the trust.” The role will also help establish the trust’s policies on vulnerable boaters and assist in its compliance with relevant legislation, for example the Equality Act.
Stag parties cause chaos on the K&A by Bob Naylor
The aftermath of the fire which gutted River Canal Rescue’s stores and offices. PHOTO: RCR we move into more permanent premises, we’ll be able to build upon these. We would welcome donations of any parts that need refurbishing to help us build the essential stocks needed to support our customers. “Thankfully, essential stock, such as fan belts, filters and general breakdown parts, was held in our eastern and southern stores and our engineers have a supply on their vans, so we can still supply these items very quickly. Certain replacement parts are likely to take two to
three days longer than usual as we are reliant on thirdparty suppliers, but we will endeavour to provide an uninterrupted service where we can.” Stephanie added: “Although these are difficult times, we have contingency plans in place and a fantastic team to ensure the business continues running. “This coupled with the goodwill of the boating community gives me confidence for the future and I thank everyone for their messages of support.”
THE hire boat season on the Kennet & Avon Canal ended as it began with the canal closed by a stag party on a hire boat getting their boat caught on the cill and sinking it on the Bath Flight. In March, an Alvechurch hire boat from Hilperton was sunk in Horseshoe Bridge (Lock 11) and the canal was closed for a week – and the latest at the beginning of November at Wash House Lock (Lock 10) was an Anglo Welsh Boat from Bradfordon-Avon, which at the time of going to press has caused the canal The sunken hire boat in Wash to be closed for 11 House Lock. PHOTO: BOB NAYLOR days. There is no forecast of when the canal will be re-opened. In both incidents alcohol is believed to have contributed to the sinking, and witnesses said the crews of both the sunken boats were standing on the lockside continuing to drink lager after they had sunk the boats. This season has had more complaints on the K&A about bad behaviour by stag parties than usual and in April the police were called to remove the hirers of two boats when they became abusive to Oxfordshire Narrowboats staff from Bradford-on-Avon who had responded to complaints about their excessive speed, abusive behaviour towards other canal users and deliberate hitting of other boats.
THE Canal & River Trust’s head of fundraising Ruth Ruderham has joined the board of Oxfam as a non-executive trustee. Her appointment comes as the international charity runs a crisis appeal to raise funds to prevent the spread of Ebola and will supplement her work at the CRT. She said: “It is a real honour for me to have the opportunity to use my fundraising and governance experience to support the work of a charity doing such vital work to help the world’s poorest people.”
Canal centre cash
A TWO-year project has been launched to boost the Fourteen Locks Canal Centre at Rogerstone, Newport, on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal with the help of a £83,900 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). Although the focus will be on continuing to be a community centre, it is planned to develop a core volunteer group as well as training opportunities. The windfall will also help to create jobs and increase visitor numbers.
Online vote
IN OUR latest online poll at www.towpathtalk.co.uk we asked readers what sort of toilet they have on their boats. Cassette toilets proved the most popular with those who responded, registering 64%, while 30% opted for pumpouts. Just 4% have composting toilets, but is this figure set to grow? This month we are asking readers where they plan to eat their Christmas dinner.
Concert tribute
A COMMEMORATIVE concert was held in Huddersfield recently to remember the life and times of former music teacher and boater Eileen Bass, writes Geoff Wood. She influenced thousands of young musicians over three decades at Huddersfield Technical College’s School of Music. But others will remember Eileen as the joint owner with her husband Rodney of a 40ft narrowboat which they took on extensive voyages throughout Britain starting at Brighouse.
Boat trip prize
GETTING afloat in a narrowboat proved a popular prize in a competition to devise the best walks in the Sefton and West Lancashire areas, writes Geoff Wood. The winner was Graham Unwin who picked up the first prize of a day’s hire of the Pride of Sefton canal boat with lunch provided.
14 HERITAGE
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Helping to put the beat back into Burnley’s canal heart By Janet Richardson
THE newly restored Bank Hall Dry Dock had a very special guest for its official opening on October 17 – Leeds & Liverpool short boat Kennet. Looking pristine, having been touched up and blacked above the water line, the historic boat took centre stage in the launch ceremony performed by the Mayor of Burnley, Coun Andy Tatchell. Kennet had arrived at the dry dock – which has been restored by Les and Angela White, Brian Denison and Jane Garnett, trading as Feathers & Gaskell – earlier in the week for the work to be carried out before heading for her winter quarters at Greenberfield. After cutting the ribbon to open the dry dock, Coun Tatchell described it as “really
At the launch ceremony are Burnley Borough Council leader Mark Townsend, Brian Denison, Les White, Mayor Andy Tatchell; front, Jane Garnett and Angela White. PHOTO: BURNLEY COUNCIL
magnificent” and referred to all the work which had gone into the project. He added: “The canal was a major part of Burnley’s past and is a major part of Burnley’s present.” Council leader Mark Townsend agreed the canal was the heartbeat of Burnley in the past and added his ‘massive congratulations’ to Brian and Les for putting back these facilities. “This is a prime example of what can be done; it is an absolutely wonderful achievement.” He added that Burnley Council, which owns the site and the Canal & River Trust had been involved in the project. Also known as ‘Birley’s Dock’, Bank Hall Dry Dock sits on the edge of the former Bank Hall Coal Pit and hadn’t been used in over 50 years. As previously reported, semi-retired couples Les and Angela White, and Brian
Burnley Mayor Andy Tatchell cuts the ribbon to open the Bank Hall Dry Dock with, from left, council leader Mark Townsend and Les White, Brian Denison, Jane Garnett and Angela White of Feather & Gaskell.
PHOTOS: JANET RICHARDSON UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED
The water rushes into the dock so that Kennet can be floated out into the canal.
Denison and Jane Garnett approached the council with their ideas to bring the derelict site back to life as a working dry dock for canal boat painting and repair. Brian Denison said: “It has been hard work for the last 12 months or more. We have not done it on our own and our thanks go to everyone who has been involved.” The new sign for the dry dock was painted by Eddie Ralph from Gargrave who is providing signwriting services at the yard. Among the other guests present were Carl West, technical manager for the Canal & River Trust and members of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal Society, including its president and historian Mike Clarke, and the Friends of Kennet which look after and operate the boat for the society. LLCS committee member Ken Barnes showed me onboard Kennet which will head for the Yorkshire side of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in the spring, having operated in Lancashire this year. Built in 1947 for Canal Transport Ltd, which carried general cargo on the canal, the society bought the boat in 2011. With the help of three years of
Ken Barnes of Leeds & Liverpool Canal Society shows visitor Chris Myerscough the cabin onboard Kennet.
Visitors look at the exhibits onboard Kennet. Heritage Lottery funding, Kennet is used as a floating interactive museum and as an educational facility by visiting schools as well as attending events to promote the heritage of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. In 2016 it is planned for Kennet to make a journey along the entire length of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in celebration of its 200th anniversary.
● Bank Hall Dry Dock: Feather & Gaskell 01287 788686 Kennet: friendsofkennet@gmail.com www.llcs.org.uk
Protected from the elements by the dry dock’s new cover.
Museum boat goes back to work after 25 years THE Canal Museum’s former working narrowboat Sculptor based at Stoke Bruerne, which has lain idle since being accessioned as an exhibit in 1986, was recently loaded with coal at the bottom of the Stoke Bruerne lock flight. Sculptor last carried cargo of any significance when returning from the IWA Festival at Castlefield on the Bridgewater Canal in 1988. The opportunity to load Sculptor arose during the summer when Stoke Bruerne-
based canal trader Julia Cook of Jules Fuels, needed somewhere to put some excess coal while her butty, Bideford, was undergoing maintenance. The Canal & River Trust, owners of Sculptor and operators of the Canal Museum readily agreed. Sculptor has been lovingly restored and maintained by volunteers from The Friends of The Canal Museum ever since the group was formed in 2006. In 2012 ownership moved from British Waterways to the new
waterways charity, the Canal & River Trust, but Sculptor’s role has changed little except that while it used to attend a number of events and was loaded from time-to-time, of late it has remained unladen and mainly in Stoke Bruerne with occasional trips to festivals. Attendance at local and national festivals is now increasing as the volunteer team who look after Sculptor gain more experience. Julia Cook, a long term supporter of the Friends of The
Canal Museum said: “It’s a pleasure to see Sculptor back in use carrying cargo after all these years. It has just returned from docking at Braunston where volunteers have carried out ‘bottom blacking’ and other maintenance tasks and really looks a picture in the new paintwork.” After loading, Sculptor returned to moorings at The Canal Museum where it will remain on show to visitors loaded (and used for training) until the New Year.
Loading coal onto Sculptor at Stoke Bruerne. PHOTO: KATHRYN DODINGTON
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56 CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE
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Porthole covers come in a variety of colours and patterns.
Treat your boat to a new set of porthole covers PORTHOLE covers are a useful addition to your boat and come in a variety of colours and patterns. They are very easy to fix to the inside of your porthole and come supplied with everything you need to install them. The covers are made from durable 12mm thick High Density Polyethylene which is extremely robust and they are easily stored when not in use. Some customers have ordered additional fitting kits so they can mount their covers on the wall facing inwards when not covering the porthole. The team at Porthole Covers has a number of standard patterns; however most covers tend to be bespoke with individual designs supplied by customers. A spokesman said: “We have supplied covers with the pattern cut on both sides; the effect was that some light was able to pass through the cutout so the pattern appears to glow on the inside during daylight and glow on the outside from light inside
Covers can be mounted on the wall facing inwards when not covering the porthole. PHOTOS SUPPLIED the boat at night.” Key holders are also available in bespoke designs for your boat. Prices for porthole covers range from £36 inc VAT depending upon size and pattern.
● Visit www.portholecovers.co.uk for further information.
Ready painted or decorate it yourself – the choice is yours NOT sure what to buy that canal boater who has everything. Top Box has teamed up with stockist BWML Sawley Marina and Canal Art to offer two new Christmas products, available to paint yourself or you can commission a decorated piece. A timber planter for plants or herbs with a waterproof liner comes all primed and undercoated for you to gloss in a solid colour for under £20. Or a boatman’s cabin stool is primed and undercoated for you to paint in a solid gloss colour from £20. Both products are available from BWML
at Sawley Marina, contact 0115 907 7414. Seed boxes are also available direct from Canal Art, priced £30, or to commission a decorated piece, ring Melanie at Canal Art on 07747 621437.
The timber planter comes primed and undercoated with a waterproof liner ready for you to gloss or you can commission it ready decorated.
This decorated boatman’s cabin stool and seed box can also be bought ready for you to paint.
● For Top Box general enquiries ring 07791 992479.
CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE/PRODUCTS & REVIEWS 57
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Treat your boating buddy to a custom-made tiller pin
WHATS NEW
Books, DVDs and other items for possible review should be sent to:
Towpath Talk, PO Box 43, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ editorial@towpathtalk.co.uk
The one that got away Reviewer: Harry Arnold
LOOKING for a special something for your boating friend or partner this Christmas? Why not treat them to a custom-made tiller pin? Miracle Leisure Products has been hand picking various sizes, shapes and
designs of brass castings which have been found at curio and antique shops throughout the Midlands and making these into some great one-off tiller pins. On its website www.tillerpins.co.uk you will find over 80 various styles which
will cater for every taste – from animals, birds and teddy bears to boots and boats – and the great thing is when they are shown off around the canal you will know you are the only person to grace the waterways with your chosen design.
● Just some of the range can be seen in the photos, but all can be seen on the website at
www.tillerpins.co.uk
Give the gift of a narrowboat holiday CRUISE through the countryside, relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery and explore the numerous pubs and restaurants located along the Trent & Mersey Canal with Avante Classic Narrowboats. Avante has a fleet of boats moored at Mercia Marina. The
boats are four-, six- or eightberth, all are well-furnished and comfortable. The narrowboats feature ovens, hobs and a standard size fridge for ‘home’ cooked meals, if you really can resist the call of some outstanding pub and restaurant food, or a light lunch on the go.
For those colder nights, all the boats feature central heating, making a nice snug place to catch up on a bit of telly or that book you never get a chance to read. Avante will provide you with full tuition before you leave the marina and set you on your way for a wonderful holiday.
WHAT happened to the Derby Canal up to and after its official abandonment in 1974 is an object lesson in what not to do with a closed canal. The Derby local authority bought much of the line from the private canal company at what appeared a bargain price and it has since cost ratepayers millions of pounds. John Wain’s, Saving the Derby Canal is dubbed ‘Mk.1’ as there is a current campaign by the Derby and Sandiacre Canal Trust and its support society to reopen this waterway link between the Erewash and Trent & Mersey Canals. It records the activities of the Derby Canal Restoration Committee – formed in February 1961 – and part of the then Midlands Branch Committee of the Inland Waterways Association; a group I joined when I moved into the area but when this campaign was virtually lost. But I was lucky enough to work with and become friends with those involved – including one who actually bought a piece of the Derby Canal – and to appreciate the campaign they mounted; also to see the aftermath. John, as an early Trent & Mersey boater and secretary of the Swarkestone Boat Club – from which much support came – from 1956 to 1970 was a key player in their efforts. Unfortunately it was a campaign before its time; before that for the successful reopening of the Southern Stratford Canal and – apart from these small bands of visionary enthusiasts – the
public, authorities and others couldn’t see the tourist and economic value of a waterway, linking with the River Derwent, and passing through the centre of a major city. John Wain has recorded the story of this lost campaign in almost report format using a timeline of important and relevant committee minutes, maps, newspaper cuttings and correspondence; some letters being from national waterway personalities such as Tom Rolt and Robert Aickman. It rightly gives due credit by also recording the names of those heavily involved, led by Alwyn Davies, committee secretary, whose letter first inspired the campaign, and Branch IWA Midland’s chairman Roy Torrington. Unfortunately only a few are alive today. As it is economically privately published, the reproduction of some illustrations, particularly photographs, perhaps leaves a little to be desired. However, John has done a brilliant job in bringing to the attention of today’s readers an almost forgotten (although not by some of us) canal campaign. It is indeed essential reading by anyone interested in early waterway campaigning and in particular those involved in present day restoration schemes. Let us hope that in picking up the baton from these pioneers that the current trust is successful in reopening the Derby Canal. Saving The Derby Canal Mk.1 (The One That Got Away) by J L Wain is published by the author in A4 size softback format, priced £5.50. It is available direct from 23 Woodminton Drive, Chellaston, Derby DE 6RZ. Tel: 01332 702423 at £7 including postage.
A must for cat lovers and anyone who likes human interest stories One of the Avante fleet of classic narrowboats at Mercia Marina.
Avante narrowboat Cymbeline.
Make your own fender for that individual touch
A knotty solution to those Christmas gift problems
FOR a practical gift that boaters will not only enjoy making but will also bring an individual touch to their boat, the fender-making kit fromGet Knotted ticks all the boxes. The kit (RRP £25 plus P&P) comprises a book which provides Colin Jones’ step-bystep guide through the process and a supply of rope enabling the reader to make their first side fender. The book also has instructions for other fenders and knots. Sure to please friends and family, this gift will help them use traditional handcrafting methods to produce a unique piece of equipment for their boat.
Get Knotted is a family run business with more than 20 years of experience in producing rope goods and fenders, plus supplying decking and banister ropes. Get Knotted is based by the side of the Grand Union Canal at Warwick Top Lock. Accredited as a master craftsmen by the Waterways Craft Guild, owner Alan Ewins is also amember of the Guild of Knot Tyers. With a rapidly expanding product and knowledge base, a range of ropes and fenders can be supplied by Get Knotted. They can be produced using either hitched or crowned methods of knotting with either natural fibre or synthetic core. A range of mooring lines and nautical giftware is also available. A knotty solution to those Christmas gift problems. Distinctive fenders by Get Knotted. Left: Distinctive fenders by Get Knotted. ● For further information
call 01926 410588 or visit www.getknotted.co.uk
BETWEEN 2004 and 2006, David Thomas experienced a series of disasters, culminating in being told that he only had a short time left to live. Rather than sinking into despair, he decided to fulfil his lifelong dream of living on a canal boat. Naturally, he had to take the love of his life with him – a white cat called Cookie. Would it work out? David didn’t know, but as he put it: “I wasn’t going anywhere without my beloved Cookie.” Travels with Cookie, is an account of the time David spent on the water, cruising extensively to London, along the Thames, up to Wales, then tackling the wild and often desolate rivers of the North West. David learned about boating the hard way, mainly by having numerous – and often hair-raising – adventures. So did Cookie, who contrived to get lost, fall in the water, and generally use up most of her nine lives.
Finally David met Helen, a helicopter instructor, writer, and – most importantly – cat lover. They fell in love, and David’s life began to change yet again, leading to the eventual sale of LadyRiverMouse and the new life that followed. David knows about boating, has an eye for detail, and is an astute observer of people. This book will interest boaters, travellers, or simply those who enjoy reading about others’ adventures. But this is more than just another travel book. It is a tale of bereavement and divorce, of terminal illness and despair, and finally of romance, a seemingly miraculous cure, and a new life. It will appeal to anyone who likes human interest stories. And of course – as Cookie would say – it is a must for cat lovers! Travels With Cookie by David Thomas and Helen Krasner is obtainable from Amazon at £7.99 (paperback) or £3.60 (ebook).
Protection for your mobile phone
Reviewer: Jason Carpenter
IT GOES without saying that one of the most expensive things you carry around with you on a daily basis is your mobile phone. Covers and screen protectors are available everywhere to fit all types of handsets but what has always frustrated me is the applying of screen protectors. You know the type, flimsy pieces of plastic that no matter how careful you try to apply, you always end up with at least one bubble smiling back at you. The Booq Glass + Case is a protector made from tempered glass and is a dream to apply. Once on the phone you don’t have any loss of image clarity, so much so that you don’t even realise it is there and being made of glass it doesn’t peel, lasting longer than other screen protectors. Combined with the plastic cover (included) which protects the back and sides, you can feel safe that your phone will be protected. Priced from £18; available from www.booq.co.uk
96 SAFETY/ON SCOTTISH WATERS with Hugh Dougherty
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Staying safe on your boat
At the time of year when everyone is trying to keep warm, Clive Penny of the Association of Boat Safety Examiners advises on fire safety. WHAT can be done to minimise the risks to yourself and your crew? The Boat Safety Scheme has the following advice. While fire is unlikely on a boat that is well maintained to minimum safety standards, it is a grave concern to boaters who can be caught unawares or in a situation where escape is difficult. Fire prevention is always your primary protection from fire on boats, but a smoke alarm can be your next line of defence, particularly if you sleep aboard. Smoke from a boat fire will affect your ability to breathe, a sensation similar to drowning. With two to three breaths of toxic smoke you could be unconscious. A working smoke alarm of the right type can warn you very quickly of the danger and buy you precious seconds to escape. Boats present a challenging environment for alarms particularly with high humidity, temperature extremes, the potential for jolts and the regular vibration from some boat engines. So to give you the most confidence in its reliability, choose an alarm meeting BS EN 14604:2005. Check for a British Standard ‘Kitemark’ or a LPCB ‘Horseshoe’ mark showing that the claim of meeting a standard has been independently certified.
How many smoke alarms do you need? The more suitable and routinely tested alarms you have installed the more confident you can be about the early detection of a developing fire and about hearing an alarm when this happens. If you have more than one alarm, consider linking alarms. No areas of the boat to be protected should be further than 5m from an alarm. In the case of large vessels, such as some narrowboats, the dimensions of the vessel may mean a slower reaction time for a single alarm and so you may need to install multiple units for maximum protection.
Where to fit smoke alarms
The ideal place is along the centreline of the boat in the same cabin space where a heater or cooker is in use, but not too close to any appliance.
It also needs to be mounted on a wellinsulated part of the ceiling avoiding cold spots. If you can, try to avoid putting it any closer than 300mm to any vertical surface. If headroom is a problem and you really have no choice, mount it on a wall between 150-300mm below the ceiling height, but not directly above a ventilator or opening window. Make sure it is easy to reach so you can test it routinely and so that you can press the hush button with ease. Always put smoke alarms where you will be able to hear them, particularly when you’re asleep or when doors are closed. Try testing the alarm in place before you fix it in position.
Where not to put a smoke alarm
Don’t fix a smoke alarm: ● in the galley or bathroom, where it could be accidentally triggered by cooking fumes or steam; or, ● where you can’t hear it while you’re asleep; or, ● too close to a cooker or heater where the alarm will produce false alerts; or, ● flush to the ceiling and try to avoid positioning the alarm close to any roof ventilator. Don’t forget! You must look after your smoke alarms. On average, 90 of the 460 people killed in fires in homes each year had a smoke alarm that didn’t work – usually because the battery was flat or missing. Press the test button on each alarm as part of your boarding routine, it only takes a couples of seconds. If you live aboard or stay on board, test all alarms every week. If the alarm ever starts to ‘beep’ regularly, check out the reason as soon as possible. Do not ignore any ‘replace by’ date. The cost of a new alarm has to be considered against the cost of anyone on board not being woken soon enough in the event of a fire. Twice a year, and after any redecoration or other work that has produced a dusty environment, open the case and gently vacuum the inside to remove dust from the sensor. If the case does not open, vacuum through the holes. If at a regular check, the battery terminals show signs of damage and ‘furring up’, it is best to replace your smoke alarm with a whole new unit.
Remember
The burned out remains of a boat.
PHOTO:WATERWAY IMAGES
Don’t drown in toxic smoke, fit a smoke alarm if you stay aboard your boat. Test the alarm routinely – when you return to the boat after a period away and weekly when you are staying aboard. Push the button, not your luck. Keep your escape routes and exits clear, make sure exits are not locked on the outside (a particular problem with rear doors on traditional narrowboats). Know what to do should fire break out, have a plan and make sure that everyone aboard also knows what to do. Know where your fire extinguishers are and how to use them. But only use them if you feel it is safe to do so. Remember the old fire service advice: “Get out, stay out, and call the fire brigade out” and of course know where you are. ● This article is just an overview of some of the advice available on the boat safety scheme website: www.boatsafetyscheme.org All of the articles from this series can be found on my website: www.canalelectrics.com Your local member of the Association of Boat Safety Examiners can 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.
All shipshape with the hull, boiler and engine mountings well restored. PHOTOS: HUGH DOUGHERTY
Just back at Summerlee from MacKay’s specialist boatyard in Arbroath.
Firequeen return to Summerlee after restoration BACK in the workshops at Coatbridge’s Summerlee Museum of Industrial life is steam launch Firequeen, which has returned home after extensive restoration of its wooden hull, at MacKay’s specialist boatyard in Arbroath. The single-cylinder open launch was built in 1955 by Walkers Marine of
Ramsgate and was acquired from private ownership by Summerlee in 1989 where it operated on the Monkland Canal section within the museum as well as taking part of steam boat rallies on the Forth & Clyde Canal. Work is now under way on the engine and boiler. Summerlee staff member
and volunteer, Stan Sutherland, said: “We are very pleased to have the superbly restored hull, complete with engine and boiler mountings, back with us, and we will work throughout the winter to overhaul the boiler and engine with a view to a return to steam and sailing in time for summer 2015, when Firequeen will mark its 60th anniversary.”
‘Neigh’ bother as Horsebox Cafe and gift shop opens for business VISITORS to The Kelpies are donning their nosebags and showing that they’ve ‘neigh bother’ when it comes to getting a real flavour of the iconic horse head sculptures that rear skywards above Scotland’s newest canal. Visitors have been galloping to the Horsebox Cafe and Gift Shop, saddled up by Scottish Canals, as the first retail outlet at the Helix project, a £43-million project that has transformed 350 hectares of underused canalside land between Falkirk and Grangemouth. Offering homemade soups, sandwiches, cakes and artisan ice cream from Falkirk’s Milk Barn, the Horsebox has tickled the palate of visitors since it opened in early October. Cara Baillie, Scottish Canals products and services chief, said: “With the launch of the Horsebox Cafe and Gift Shop, we’re helping to enhance the visitor experience at The Kelpies by offering freshly made, healthy, locally sourced and natural products.”
The Kelpies have it licked! The horses enjoy the taste of a Milk Barn ice from the Horsebox Cafe. PHOTO: SCOTTISH CANALS
HELIX SCOOPS SALTIRE SOCIETY’S 2014 ENGINEERINGAWARD THE Helix, the 350-acre redevelopment project of formerly derelict, post-industrial land beside the Firth & Clyde Canal at Falkirk, has scooped the prestigious Saltire Society Scotland 2014 Engineering Award, which the society presents, in partnership with the Institution of Civil Engineers (Scotland). Judges had no hesitation in choosing the ambitious project, which includes the landmark Kelpie horse head sculptures, a new, 1km section of the Firth & Clyde Canal, featuring one inland and one sea lock as well as lifting and fixed bridges, all within a public leisure area, provided with walking, riding and cycling paths. Jim Tough, the Saltire Society chief executive, said: “The judging panel had no hesitation in choosing
Inside the award-winning Helix Park. PHOTO: JANET RICHARDSON The Helix for our top award. It beat off stiff opposition from other highquality nominations from across Scotland. The project, which was delivered by a variety of partners working effectively and cooperatively, has shown practical and bold engineering allied with making a real difference to the life of
the communities of which it is a vital part.” The Helix is now regarded as one of Scotland’s ‘must-see’ tourist attractions, with more than 500,000 visitors making their way to the site since it opened in April 2014. Further developments, including the opening of a visitor centre are planned for 2015.
Broxburn’s brilliant bikes and boots boost TOWPATH users on bikes and in boots are enjoying an improved 1.1km length of path alongside the Union Canal at Broxburn, West Lothian, thanks to a £117,000 cash boost from Scottish Canals, Sustrans, the LandTrust and West Lothian Council. Depute provost of West Lothian Council, Dave King, joined pupils from Broxburn Primary School to test out the new surface and declared himself delighted with the revamped towpath. He said: “This is a real boost for Broxburn and for all canal users. I’m delighted that the council and all the partners involved have pulled together to improve the towpath for the local community and for all enjoying the canal.” Richard Millar, Scottish Canals commercial director said: “This length is part of our £1.3 million Scotland-wide programme of towpath improvements which have resulted in a 300% rise in towpath usage by all types of users.” Further towpath improvements are planned along the Union, Forth & Clyde, Crinan and Caledonian Canals over the winter to further the number of walkers, runners, anglers and cyclists enjoying the canalside environment.
Provost Dave King joins representatives of the funding bodies and pupils from Broxburn Primary School to declare the revamped towpath open. PHOTO: SCOTTISH CANALS
ON SCOTTISH WATERS with Hugh Dougherty 97
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If it moves or shifts Steve knows about it Hugh Dougherty meets Scottish Canals’ principal engineer.
MEET Steve Berry, principal engineer, mechanical and electrical, with Scottish Canals. If it moves, lifts or needs controlling, anywhere on the Scottish network, then Steve, who’s been in the post for four years, knows it inside out. When I catch up with him, he’s hard at work supervising the lifting and repair of a swing bridge on the Forth & Clyde, just down from the Falkirk Wheel. It’s the sort of job that Steve and his two staff relish, with their knowledge, expertise and attention to detail, allowing the engineering teams to get the job done as quickly as possible, with as little disruption to canal users as possible, too, safely and on time. “I love this job,” says Steve, who works all over Scotland from his office at Scottish Canals Glasgow HQ. “I’m the man responsible for everything from swing and lift bridges to locks, human power, hydraulic and computer and electronically controlled. I cover everything from the Falkirk Wheel, where I’m in charge of its annual refit, to the most remote lock, and I ensure that everything we do complies with national standards as well as our own requirements. There’s never a dull moment.” Steve is acutely aware of the fact that everything he does is for canal users. “I came to this job from the post of ports engineer at Forth Ports and was Dundee Port engineer for 10 years before that,” says the 49-year-old Edinburgh Napier University engineering graduate. “In the
THE Falkirk Wheel closed from November 3 until Friday, November 28 to allow Scottish Canals’ staff and contractors to give the rotating boat lift its annual MoT. During the drain-down, lubrication and parts replacement work, the Falkirk Wheel visitors’ centre, cafe and gift shop remained open from Wednesday to Sunday, between 11am and 4pm. Steve Berry, principal mechanical and electrical engineer, said: “The Falkirk Wheel is an incredible and unique feat of engineering as well as one of Scotland’s top tourist attractions. “We’re working hard to ensure it’s in tip-top condition to welcome another 500,000 visitors next year. Many of the parts that make up the wheel are custom-built and maintenance isn’t always straightforward. There’s more to it than an oil change.” The wheel will re-open in time for its transformation into its annual appearance as Santa’s Floating Grotto which runs from Saturday 13 to Wednesday, December 24, when a special barge will take children and their parents to Santa’s grotto.
It has moved! Steve Berry at the site of the swing bridge, which was lifted, as work goes on in the background. PHOTO: HUGH DOUGHERTY ports, I worked in enclosed sites, but, on the canals, we work in full view of the public and it’s important to keep everyone, boat users, walkers, cyclists, runners and anglers fully informed. When we were working on the Falkirk Wheel, using specialist engineers at heights, we set up information boards to keep the public both reassured and informed. That’s an important part of the job.” One of the past year’s big projects has been refurbishing and modernising the busy, main-road carrying Muirtown Bridge on the Caledonian Canal. “That means liaising with the council, Transport Scotland, neighbours and canal users as we try to keep disruption to a minimum. We also have two rail swing bridges at either end of the Cally,
at Banavie on the West Highland Line and at Clachnaharry on the Far North Line, so we liaise with Network Rail to keep everything running on rail and on water,” says Steve. The principal engineer M&E, as the title’s known on the canals, is also aware that each one of Scotland’s canals is a listed monument in its own right, and that Historic Scotland has to be consulted when alterations are being made. “I have enormous admiration for the engineers who built our canals,” smiles Steve. “They were real engineers and they inspire me to keep testing, improving and maintaining our locks, lifts, pumps and everything that keeps our canals working and safe. I owe both them, and our present-day users, nothing less.”
The wheel undergoing its annual maintenance programme. PHOTO: SCOTTISH CANALS
Plain sailing for museum’s traditional boat-building course
French connection: Charlene Grislain hard at work.
NINE trainees are halfway through a 12month, traditional boat building skills course at the Scottish Maritime Museum’s Irvine workshops, and museum bosses plan to have the course accredited by City & Guilds. Museum director David Mann said that the course, which includes the long-forgotten skills of ‘lofting’ used by traditional boatyards and ship builders to draw out vessels on the floor of the drawing office loft before making parts, is unique in Scotland, offers the trainees a career, and ensures that traditional woodworking skills will not be lost. David said: “Trainees have currently completed a skiff, which they’ve rowed successfully on the River Irvine. They’re working on a second skiff and they will also be restoring wooden yacht Vagrant, built in 1884 by William Fife at the Marquess of Ailsa’s Culzean ship yard, while the completion of a RYHA diesel engine certificate is an integral part of the course.”
Industry dialogue on Scotland’s marine tourism strategy SCOTLAND’S marine tourism is a significant contributor to the Scottish economy but with little previous strategic input it is still one of Scotland’s sleeping giants, producing £101 million from sailing tourism alone. Therefore BMF Scotland, a group association of the British Marine Federation, has come together with other industry experts, user groups, public agencies and enterprise bodies to develop the Marine Tourism Strategy. By 2020 they want Scotland to be distinguished as, “A marine tourism destination of first choice for high quality, value for money and memorable customer experience delivered by skilled and passionate people.” The draft strategy was launched at Scotland’s Boat Show in October and the consultation process will run until January 2015. To have your say on ‘Awakening the Giant: A Strategic Plan for Scotland’s Marine Tourism Sector’ respond online at: www.surveymonkey.com/s/marinetourismstrat
The workshop with trainees and volunteers at work on a skiff.
PHOTOS: HUGH DOUGHERTY
Course leader Stevie Freil, said: “We plan to take on two trainees as apprentices to train further at the museum at the end of the course and to have a new trainee intake every year. Our trainees are learning the basic, traditional woodworking skills needed for restoration and maintenance of historic vessels, both seagoing and for inland waterways and canals, and there is a great potential commercially and in the heritage, museum and preservation
Feel the quality: museum director David Mann inspects the first boat to be built by the trainees.
work for their skills. “We may look at establishing a base at Bowling, where the Forth & Clyde Canals meet the River Clyde, to provide a service for canal boat owners and restorers once we have our C&G accreditation.” Unusual among the trainees, who are mostly male, is 27-year-old Charlene Grislain from Lille, who is funded through the European Union’s Leonardo da Vinci programme. “I want
to learn how to build boats in the traditional way,” said Charlene. “I am learning a great deal here.” A unique aspect of the programme is that trainees are learning alongside museum volunteers, several of whom have traditional woodworking and engineering expertise as a way of passing on skills as well as helping the museum to become a centre of excellence in teaching and preserving traditional boat building skills.
Students get chopping at historic stables project CANAL College trainees have got chopping at Craigmarloch Stables, near Kilsyth on the Forth & Clyde Canal, to strip away years of vegetation at the historic building. It once housed the horses that pulled barges along the towpath from Glasgow to Edinburgh. Coun Jean Jones, North Lanarkshire Council depute provost, joined the trainees, Chris O’Connell, Scottish Canal heritage officer, John Malcolm, Historic Scotland’s senior heritage management officer, Alan Forrester Left: Hi ho! It’s off to work they go! Depute provost Jean Jones and the trainees with the tools of the trade inside the stable building.
Scottish Waterways Trust volunteer co-ordinator and Carol Bell, the trust’s Canal College project coordinator, on Monday, October 6, to start taming the undergrowth. The trainees will also help repair parts of the structure of the building and, thanks to Archaeology Scotland, start a programme of archaeological recording and scaled plans drawing, to help with future restoration. Craigmarloch Stables are set back from the canal towpath, because the original building sank into a marsh beside the canal within a few years of the waterway opening. The replacement structure dates from around 1820.
100 WET WEB/NEWS
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The Wet Web Helen Gazeley goes online shopping for those who prefer practical presents. THERE are those who find functional Christmas presents something of an insult – as in, “Don’t I do enough work around here without you giving me a (blank left for your own particular bugbear).” However, while my husband considers the gift of, say, socks to be the ultimate insult (I won’t do that again), I’d welcome them with open arms, as it would release me from the horror of shopping for them. I feel the same about kitchen and house equipment too. So, offered with some trepidation, here’s a round-up of practical equipment for the more pragmatic recipient.
With limited cupboard space in mind, Stellar offers a fivepiece baking set: roaster, sheet, tray, 12-bun muffin pan and cooling tray. They nest together, inside the roaster, designed so that the non-stick cooking surfaces don’t get scratched. They have a lifetime guarantee and a five-year non-stick guarantee. Also part of the Stellar Eazistore range are its nesting sets of saucepans, frying pans, and cooking pots. The Stellar website gives details of stockists www.stellarcookware. co.uk. Still deep in the kitchen cupboard, Beka offers a different space-saving approach with its
Beka Connect pans make storage easier.
Above: Stellar’s Eazistore saucepans nest within each other. Below: The Tefal Ingenio range doubles as baking tins.
Above: Stellar Eazistore range includes bakeware that fits within a roasting tin.
The Art of Conversation – the game for people who don’t like them.
The Gtech Multi has a full range of accessories for vacuuming.
Connect range of lightweight, non-stick frying and sauté pans with detachable handles. They can be found online at Cooks Paraphernalia www.cooks paraphernalia.co.uk. Detachable handles also feature in the colourful Ceramica four-piece nesting pans and Tefal’s Ingenio Range of three nesting non-stick pans. With both, the handles are used only to move them and not while cooking, opening up a bit of space on the hob and making them easily transferable to the fridge. The Ingenio range also doubles as cake tins and has lids that are bought separately. Both are available from Lakeland www.lakeland.co.uk. Off to a different cupboard now, for the Multi, the recently released sibling to Gtech’s AirRAM cordless vacuumcleaner (mentioned here in October 2012). The Multi www.gtechonline.co.uk supplies all the attachments you’d want
for upholstery, nooks and crannies; uses rechargeable technology, so saving battery use; and some might feel it’s all you needed in a small space, depending on your flooring. It certainly requires little storage space itself. Of course, cupboards can harbour things other than useful equipment and, though hardly glamorous, Insect Clean Spider Free www.spidercontrol.eu could be ideal for the arachnophobe of the family. Containing lavandin oil, it’s a pleasant-smelling spray suitable for most surfaces (not coated steel, to which it doesn’t bind) to repel spiders (but not kill them), lasting three to six months before requiring a respray. If such useful presents require an injection of conviviality, then Wadworth offers five-litre mini-casks (that’s 8.8 pints to proper beer-drinkers) delivered straight to you, in five of its best-selling ales, including 6X and Swordfish. Order online at http://shop.wadworth.co.uk And if the amber nectar hasn’t loosened tongues, here’s an unusual game to get a party
The Ceramica milk pan is one of the four pieces with detachable handles. going. In any group there’s always someone with a horror of competition, so lure them in with The Art of Conversation. There are no right or wrong answers. Using a range of questions, pitched at three levels from children to adult, this award-winning game garners good reviews on Amazon www.amazon.co.uk and could be just the thing to get conversation flowing between generations and disparate members of a festive gathering.
Wadworth delivers its aluminium five-litre casks direct to your door.
➔ Formoreinformation Do you have a favourite website? Email Helen at helengazeley@aol.com
A pathetic waste of money GOODNESS me! Poor Stillwater really got worked up regarding overstaying at ‘visitor moorings’ and the Canal & River Trust’s apparent reluctance to do something about this scourge (Issue 106, August). First he quotes the NABO survey in which 91% of respondents were unhappy with the overstaying situation, as if this reinforces the factual position. No, Stillwater, if this figure is true and I have not seen the report, the figure simply represents the opinion of those respondents and not the facts. How can anyone cruising the canals continuously have any accurate idea of the true situation over the network. Likewise a weekend cruiser out of a marina would be just as ill-informed. My guess is that an assumption is made by boaters wishing to stop at a particular busy spot that some of the boaters there must have overstayed their welcome and need to be sorted out by the diligent CRT man on the towpath. As a permanent cruiser, we do come short on occasion when no mooring is free just where we would like one. That does not send us howling for action from a team of CRT enforcers. By the way, could Stillwater please define the term ‘visitor mooring’ as opposed to any other
mooring on the towpath and also confirm that the complaint is limited to such visitor moorings. Another practical aspect. How would Stillwater like to set the mooring times, from the half hour I have seen at Stone to the general 14 days on open moorings, considering that the load on all moorings is a function of seasons, holidays and specific events. Does Stillwater really want a patrol officer to fine a boat overstaying a 48-hour restriction when there are no other boats in sight and when the reason behind time restrictions is to afford other boats a place to pull in? I have already bent Richard Parry’s ear on a number of aspects that do need more attention, but let’s be fair, there is an evident endeavour by the CRT to improve things within the financial constraints imposed. So to use one of Stillwater’s own words in the issue raised, I do not want to see the pathetic waste of my money on an army of enforcers employed by the CRT to prowl the towpaths for the odd boater who overstays his welcome, especially based on illdefined and unscientific restrictions. Brian Broad Nb Intibane
A friendly ‘can do’ attitude from the feet on the ground I SPENT a very enjoyable week cruising down to Sharpness from Worcester and back. I must say that the lock and bridge keepers on the Severn and the Gloucester & Sharpness do a fantastic job. These guys (and gal) go out of their way to provide a top service ensuring smooth passage, keeping boaters informed and generally being pleasant and helpful. It is particularly nice to experience this friendly ‘can-do’ attitude from the feet on the ground, which is in contrast to a lot of the feeling toward the Canal & River Trust from certain sections of the boating community (and rightly so on some counts). I had a conversation with one particular CRT worker operating Llanthony Bridge in Gloucester
and he was telling me of the work that they do besides opening and closing bridges and locks; ‘policing’ holiday boaters among other things. It struck me that we could use a few more dedicated lock keepers on certain parts of the system to advise first timers during the busy season and maintain smooth operation on busy stretches. No doubt this would also improve relations between the liveaboard community and the holiday-makers. My thanks to the lock and bridge keepers and keep up the top work – you really are saving CRT’s reputation at present (at least in my view).
Name supplied nb October