Towpath Talk - December 2013 - FULL ISSUE

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104 PAGES CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE Starts

Issue 98, December 2013

Winter’s on its way

P54

TWO CHANCES TO WIN

A Fuel-Guard decontaminator and water separator worth £200 P14

A snowy scene at Fradley Junction, Staffordshire, where the Trent & Mersey and Coventry Canals meet. See winter boating feature on P95. PHOTO:WATERWAY IMAGES

DREDGING THE MIGHTY TRENT P6 HELPING BOATERS IN TIMES OF NEED P9

By Janet Richardson

FOUR months to the day after he took up the post of chief executive of the Canal & River Trust, Richard Parry announced his plans for the year ahead.

Speaking at a press briefing at the CRT’s Hatton office on November 8, he said he wanted to make sure the trust’s plans

PHOTO: CHESTERFIELD CANAL TRUST

Santa is coming to the cut

Canal & River Trust chief pledges to listen to boaters’ views

Festive cruises in What’s On

P58

Licence crackdown TWENTY-FOUR boats have been removed from the water in the last four months as the Canal & River Trust continues to crack down on those flouting the rules.

The latest includes two unlicensed boats removed from the Grand Union Canal near Leighton Buzzard. Denise Yelland, CRT head of enforcement said: “It’s just not fair for the majority of boaters that a minority try to get something for nothing.

“We don’t like having to take boats out of the water and it is a last resort, but we will take action on unlicensed vessels.”

505 BOATS FOR SALE Starts on

aligned with what its customers want.

Richard has been very visible at events up and down the network since taking office and Towpath Talk asked him if there was any one thing that had stood out during his chats with boaters.

“The range of interests is so broad, how many different roles people play and the expectation for us to give them

P15

Burglar jailed

A MAN wanted by Wiltshire police for a series of burglaries on narrowboats moored on the Kennet & Avon Canal has finally been jailed after more than 18 months on the run.

Allan Campbell was arrested by chance in Lincolnshire by police investigating an incident of disorder late one night. The 39-year-old, of no fixed abode, admitted five counts of burglary of narrowboats at Swindon Crown Court and asked for 15 more offences to be taken into account.

He was jailed for three-and-a-half years for the burglaries and for another year for breaking a suspended sentence he was already serving.

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

the opportunity to influence what we are doing,” he said.

“I cannot emphasise how much I have benefited from the rich knowledge of the whole of the boating community.

Out on the cut the people I have met are full of enthusiasm and passion for the waterways and enthusiasm for future engagement.

Norfolk Broads

“All our many users, especially boaters, are vital to the trust.

“I want to make sure we listen carefully to views from the cut and openly share our ideas and plans for the future so that we get input from those whose commitment to our waterways is greatest.”

Continued on page 3

Rescue thanks AN ELDERLY woman boater who fell off the stern while steering a narrowboat at Stourton Junction, Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal, was saved from drowning by passing boaters writes Bob Clarke.

The 80-year-old was rushed to Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley, where she made a full recovery.

She later issued a statement to the local media thanking her rescuers.

The woman and her husband, both from Plymouth, moor at Kinver and were on their way to the Stourbridge Navigation Trust’s annual Open Weekend in October when the accident happened.

2 NEWS

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WELCOME

THE Canal & River Trust’s new chief executive Richard Parry has become a familiar face around the network since he took office in July.

He gave his first ‘state of the nation’ address to members of the waterways press gathered at Hatton last week and pledged to meet boaters at a series of open meetings in 2014 as well as improving communications through regular meetings with national organisations, local user groups, a research panel and boat owners’ survey.

We await the results with interest and also look forward to bimonthly press briefings on CRT activities and future plans.

Another of the ‘good news’ messages to come from the briefing was the extra funding for major waterways projects.

I recently visited the dredging operations at Cromwell Lock on the River Trent, see my report on page 6, and more spot dredging will be taking place over the winter in response to feedback from boaters.

The winter stoppage programme is now under way and the opportunity to visit work in progress at various locations, check out our website at www.towpathtalk.co.uk for further details.

Volunteers have been out in force all over the network and especially in Greater Manchester where more than 100 people took part in Operation Starburst, Alison Smedley reports on page 10.

If you haven’t done it already, see River Canal Rescue’s tips for winterising your boat on page 95 and take time out to enjoy the festivities this month.

TOWPATH

TALK

Janet

Editor Janet Richardson jrichardson@mortons.co.uk Publisher Julie Brown Display advertising Richard Sinclair rsinclair@mortons.co.uk Nikita Leak nleak@mortons.co.uk Classified advertising Stuart Yule syule@mortons.co.uk Editorial design Tracey Barton Divisional ad manager Sandra Fisher Direct sales executive John Sharratt Group production editor Tim Hartley Production manager Craig Lamb Publishing director Dan Savage Commercial director Nigel Hole Managing director Brian Hill 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 19, 2013

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CRT charts rising number of continuous cruisers

By Polly Player

THE number of boaters making a continuous cruising declaration each month is on the rise, according to Canal & River Trust (CRT) figures.

Every month, a significant number of boats new to CRT waters are licensed with a continuous cruising declaration, and more existing boats transfer from having a declared home mooring to continuous cruising than vice versa.

The CRT has been mapping the pattern of change in continuous cruising figures for some time now, and from January 2013 to the present, an average of 67 boats new to CRT waters per month declare as continuous cruisers. Added to this, the net figure of existing boaters going from a declared home mooring to continuous cruising

averages 36 per month, as demonstrated in CRT’s statistics from June 2012 to September 2013.

As of September 2013, CRT figures state that nearly 5000 declared continuous cruisers are boating around the system, based on data collated during the previous six months.

Housing and finances

The CRT partially attributes the increase in continuous cruiser numbers to the burgeoning housing shortage and financial considerations, and there is no doubt that this is part of the reason for many continuous cruisers. The CRT’s head of boating Sally Ash said: “We suspect that the primary reason for growing CC numbers is housing shortage, though it’s not really possible for us to quantify

this as we don’t hold records of how people use their boats.”

For the majority, however, being a continuous cruiser is about much more than money. It is a lifestyle choice made out of the desire to live differently, see large parts of the canal network and explore Britain.

Many continuous cruisers would baulk at the idea of having a home mooring or remaining in one place for more than a short period of time; and the reasons behind why any particular person or family chooses to take up continuous cruising are complex and widely varied.

Added to which, once wear and tear on the boat and the cost of fuel is factored into the equation, continuously cruising is, in many cases, far from the cheapest method of living afloat.

Available moorings

Nevertheless, a lack of affordable moorings, or in some cases any available moorings at all in certain areas, also factors into the decision for some boaters. Particularly within areas of London and the South East, moorings are at a premium and there are not sufficient moorings to meet the demand.

Some continuous cruisers also feel that the available permanent moorings offered by the CRT are overpriced for the services (or lack thereof ) that accompany them, and that paying several thousand pounds per year for an online mooring with no facilities makes poor economic sense.

A significant number of continuous cruisers are working people and/or families with children of school age, and in many areas where permanent moorings are hard to come by, it is Continuous cruiser Graham Rhodes brings nb Willow into a lock. PHOTO: HILARY RHODES entirely possible to fulfil the terms of a

Gardener told to cut back his blooms READERS may remember a story in Towpath Talk two years ago about green-fingered boaters Keith Furzer and Jean Farmer and the floral display on their mooring on the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal.

So it came as quite a shock to Keith and Jean and their neighbours at Bathpool moorings when they received a letter in early October from the Canal & River Trust’s Gloucester office instructing them to move their plants in the next fortnight as they were causing an obstruction for the grass cutters.

“It really upset my weekend, I could not believe what I had read,” Keith told us. “In past years boaters have cut their own grass and I would make sure it was tidy round my boat.”

continuous cruising licence declaration while still remaining within an hour’s commute of workplaces, schools and land-based family.

Popular choice

Many continuous cruisers, on the other hand, simply have no need for a home mooring, which is often the case for retired people who live aboard and others who do not need to work and wish to travel extensively. Also, for boaters who are able to work for only part of the year, cruising widely during the summer season and then taking up a mooring during the winter and seeking local work for the duration is a popular choice. Some of these boaters will declare their winter mooring as their home mooring on their licence application, in place of making a continuous cruiser declaration.

While the CRT states there are around 5000 declared continuous cruisers currently navigating the waterways, the total number of boats that are actually continuously cruising without a home mooring at any given time is almost certainly higher. While boaters are obliged to notify the CRT of any change to their mooring status immediately; in reality, many boaters only notify a change at the time of their licence renewal. Added to this, a reasonable number of boaters continuously cruise for large parts of the year, only occasionally returning to their designated moorings.

Ultimately, the true number of continuous cruisers on the waterways at any given time is quite possibly significantly higher than 5000, and rising at a faster rate than CRT figures reflect.

Boaters win rebates after the CRT fails to update website

By Bob Clarke

Keith’s glorious display of dahlias. Neighbour Bryan Martyn, who took this photo, said they look beautiful in contrast to other parts of the site (inset).

His floral display includes solar lights and an engraved seat in memory of his parents Audrey and George who also enjoyed gardening and were involved with the canal more than 40 years ago before its restoration.

Since his plight was reported in a local newspaper, Keith has received many messages of support including his local garden centres.

A Canal & River Trust spokesman told us: “We don’t want to stifle his enthusiasm so all we are asking is that he prunes them back a bit. It is important that people can access the slipway and get on and off the moorings.”

ALTHOUGH the Canal & River Trust has stopped giving rebates on unused periods of a three-month cruising licence, two boaters have in fact been given rebates – because the trust forgot to update its website announcing the change.

The two boaters, Colin Wright and Steven Long, who moor at Shardlow, do not have to hold cruising licences while moored in the marina. So when they decided to have a twoweek autumn cruise they each bought a three-month licence.

But after their cruise they applied for a 10-week rebate but were refused on the grounds that rebates were not being given on three month licences – something that not even the trust’s local licensing agent was aware of.

Both immediately sent angry letters to the trust pointing out that they had not seen any publicity about the change and in any case, according to the trust’s web page, the discount offer was still in force.

And they added that the waterways media would be informed.

Within a few days both boaters had received rebates and apologies. The website was also updated.

But Mr Wright said he wondered how many other boaters have had rebate requests refused despite the website information being out of date?

NEWS 3

www.towpathtalk.co.uk Continued from page 1

Canal & River Trust chief pledges to listen to boaters’ views However he stressed that targeting boaters was not meant to squeeze out other users. The next chapter of the journey would be to try and create more sustained involvement from everybody involved, he said.

Towpath consultation

Marketing director Simon Salem said CRT was putting together a draft policy about how to manage the shared use of the towpath which would be the subject of a consultation exercise.

Referring to problems with speeding cyclists, he said investment could be made in measures such as chicanes to slow people down and in supplying guidelines regarding towpath use to local cycle shops. “There is a lot we can do and we need support to do it,” he added.

Richard also announced that – in line with the commitment given by the trust in 2012 – the cost of private boat licences would rise in April 2014 by 2.8% in line with inflation, and will be increased by no more than inflation for the following two years. For example a canals and rivers licence for a privately owned 15.5-16.49m (50-55ft) boat will

Richard Parry: “We have a lot to talk about.” cost £794.72 if paid promptly (£476.83 for rivers only).

When asked about the differentiation between community and hire boat licence fees, he replied that he would be making an announcement before Christmas.

More money for winter works programme Major projects DREDGING and offside vegetation clearance will be among major projects to be tackled by the Canal & River Trust this winter.

Thanks to an extra £2 million becoming available, this year’s spend will be more than £80 million. Over half a million pounds more will be spent on additional spot-dredging, tackling those specific locations where feedback has indicated that dredging is most urgently needed to improve navigation for boaters. The remainder will be spent on bridges, weirs, culverts and cuttings.

CRT operations director Vince Moran told members of the press at a briefing at Hatton that the overall financial performance had been better than expected at the start of the year.

“We have always kept £2 million aside but are not usually confident enough until January to release that money but because of our improved financial performance that money is now going straight into projects.”

He added: “We have still got the £2 million contingency up our sleeves and are planning to put that into 200km of

l Painting six bridges in London and the South East (£650,000) l Spot dredging according to priority list (£250,000) l Spot dredging between Rushall and Daw End in the West Midlands (£300,000) l Culvert outlet repair at Arley Weir on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal (£250,000) l Bridge wing and 8.5m of canal wash wall at Dicconson’s Bridge on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal (£250,000) l Repairs to Woodseaves Cutting on the Shropshire Union Canal and towpath (£250,000) l Removing tree roots and relining Culvert 88 on the Llangollen Canal (£100,000) offside vegetation clearance which we aim to start in December and finish in March before the bird nesting season.

When you put everything into the mix, the spending will be closer to £90 million.”

Measures announced by Richard Parry A series of open meetings planned for Richard to meet boaters and hear their views, starting in early 2014.

A large scale survey of boat owners’ views with the results to be published in the spring.

An ongoing boaters’ research panel.

Regular meetings with both the national boating organisations and local user groups to discuss the trust’s longer term priorities including proposals for its repair and maintenance work with discussion of

the work programme for 2014/15 and beyond.

Regular social media live chat sessions with Richard Parry to reach those who may not be able to come to meetings.

Bimonthly updates on the trust’s efforts to support better and fairer use of towpath moorings.

A review of traditional User Group meetings to ensure they meet the needs of boaters and other users and to encourage as many people as possible to attend.

More boats and equipment for sale online at Towpath Trader TOWPATH Talk’s recently launched dedicated boat and equipment sale website Towpath Trader continues to attract lots of interest.

Published by Mortons Media, the site is a welcome addition to Towpath Talk’s growing classified business offering a unique service to private buyers and sellers as well as those in the trade.

It’s easy to use and navigate and listing takes just a few minutes. Private sellers can advertise for free and for the trade, there are a number of packages to suit all needs including print and website combos which also include excellent loyalty discounts for series bookings.

Sellers can use photos, videos and featured listings to ensure they achieve the best visibility possible for their items for sale.

Visit www.towpathtrader.com to see what it’s all about or to list your items for sale. For more information about the site or to discuss trade adverts, contact Richard Sinclair on 01507 529459.

IN BRIEF

Museum campaign

SHOULD Birmingham have a canal museum? “It should because it is the centre of the UK canal system and canals have played an important and essential role in Birmingham’s growth and prosperity,” says waterways photographer and writer Jim Shead. He has set up a web page and survey to collect views. As well as enabling visitors to appreciate the canal’s historic significance, a Birmingham Canal Museum would add to the city’s canalside tourist attractions. The survey can be accessed at www.jimshead.com

Motors stolen BOATERS are advised to be on

their guard after three outboard motors were stolen from moorings during the night at a North Leicestershire boatyard. It is believed a boat was used by the thieves who cut cables and wires to remove the motors which had either no outboard security locks or a small padlock; a proper outboard lock can be bought for around £40. The three motors stolen included an 9.9hp Suzuki DF (black), a 15hp four-stroke Yamaha (met blue) and a 15hp Tohatsu Short Shaft/tiller controlled engine.

Broads narrowboat

Tree removal will form part of the work at Woodseaves Cutting on the Shropshire Union Canal. PHOTO:WATERWAY IMAGES

Marina offers visitor moorings at Upton

By Bob Clarke

THE SHORTAGE of visitor moorings on the River Severn at Upton-on-Severn has been eased thanks to Tingdene’s Upton Marina offering free 48-hour moorings for visitors.

This follows talks Upton Town Council had with the marina after the Canal & River Trust’s Severn & Wales waterways office arbitrarily closed some visitor moorings to make way for a commercial trip boat.

In the ensuing row, the council told

the trust it owned 50% of the visitor moorings. The trust promptly withdrew the trip boat moorings and apologised for non-consultation with the council.

Mooring passes for the marina are now available at several Upton locations including the local Tourist Information Centre, the Swan Hotel, Plough Inn, Kings Head, the Anchor and Sean News, High Street, Upton.

The council has now confirmed that it is leading a fundraising effort to provide more visitor moorings on the town banks of the Severn.

THE first narrowboat available for hire on the Norfolk Broads will be launched ready for the Easter 2014 holidays. The 40ft nb Whisper, which sleeps two to four people, is being refurbished during the winter and will be based at Chedgrave on the River Chet, 10 miles south of Norwich. The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads offer 125 miles of lock-free cruising, making it an ideal option for novices according to Waterways Holidays MD Nigel Richards. Hire prices will start at £420 for a fournight midweek break.

Soft play THE Canal & River Trust has

opened a new soft play area at the National Waterways Museum.

Unveiled by the Mayor of Ellesmere Port, Coun Bob Crompton, the water themed play area for young children and toddlers includes new soft play equipment and organised activities such as painting and modelling and will also available for hire by small groups and children’s parties.

4 NEWS

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Crowds cheer contenders in the Dirty Duck Race!

By Janet Richardson

IT WAS certainly the weather for ducks at Grantham Canal Society’s Discovery Day on Sunday, October 13.

But such is the level of support for the society, visitors braved the rain and helped to raise the grand sum of £1200 towards the continued improvement of the canal.

Society chairman Mike Stone was also presented with a cheque for £500 on behalf of the

Meridian Daylight Lodge of Freemasons in Grantham. This generous donation will enable training of boat skippers for both The Three Shires trip boat and working boats, allowing the society to be even more effective in the maintenance and restoration of the canal.

The Grantham Canal Heritage Initiative – a partnership between the Canal & River Trust and Grantham Canal Society – presented a £100 cheque to Scalford School which gave

valuable feedback about how schools and the local community could become involved with the canal.

By the time the ‘competitors’ in the Dirty Duck Race got under way after the start was delayed by a sudden drop in water levels along the bywash course, it had started to brighten up.

This also enabled the Maids of Clifton to treat an appreciative audience to their Lancaster style of clog dancing outside the 200 year-old carpenter’s shop at the society’s Woolsthorpe-byBelvoir depot.

Canal song

The duck race start was delayed by half an hour after an open sluice gate caused the bywash to run dry. But when the ducks did get under way, No 188 led them home.

The winning ducks are scooped from the water.

Rain fails to give jazz festival the blues A CANALSIDE village produced quite a show for jazz enthusiasts despite the rain, writes Geoff Wood.

More than 8000 visitors – including many narrowboat enthusiasts – flocked to dozens of venues around Marsden, West Yorkshire, as jazz bands staged performances.

The Marsden Jazz Festival is now rated as the biggest jazz festival in the north of England. The one element sounding a sour note, however, was the heavy rain.

But miserable weather in the village, on the banks of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, failed to dampen the fun even though many jazz-goers had to move around the village from one venue to another.

Organiser Barney Stephenson said: “It turned out to be a brilliant event despite the rain.”

Meanwhile inside the Melstrum Ukulele Orchestra provided musical entertainment and The Butty Boys duo, alias society volunteers Alan Turner and Terry Davies, performed their own premiere of the ‘Grantham Canal song’ which was specially written for the canal’s opening celebrations in 1797.

‘Ay Up Me Duck’ (Tony Jackson) and his team again devised a fun course for the everso-slightly whacky Dirty Duck Race. The ducks were a little over exuberant this year, with some escapees setting off along the canal towards Nottingham. Their dash for freedom was short-lived though, being brought back into the fold by a helpful canoeist from Pleasley Canoe Club.

The eventual winner was No 188, much to the delight of her young ‘owner’ Annika Johns who was presented with her prize of a £20 WHSmith gift voucher by Tony. Runner-up was No 70 Elizabeth Cooley and in third place No 63 Pat Taylor, who received £10 and £5 WHSmith vouchers respectively. There was a special prize for getting caught in the Ducking Stool won by No 157 Tim Williams.

Grantham Canal Society member Tony Kirkland demonstrates traditional canal art.

Successful weekend at Stourbridge

THE Stourbridge Navigation Trust’s annual Open Weekend at the Bonded Warehouse, Stourbridge, in October was one of the most successful in recent years with more than 100 boats attending and a public attendance of well over 10,000 over the two days, writes Bob Clarke.

In addition there was a large gathering of vintage cars and commercial vehicles plus several steam powered traction engines, a mobile crane, steam road roller and several fairground organs.

Also attending were Canal & River Trust chief executive Richard Parry, chairman Tony Hales, Dudley Council civic leaders and chief officers and the local Inland Waterways Association branch chairman, David Struckett.

Next year’s event has been scheduled for October 18-19.

Children also presented their creations for the ‘Junk Boat’ competition, the winning galleon being entered by six-year-old Macauley Rogers.

They also peered in at Lincolnshire Bat Group’s rescue bats, learned how to look after poorly hedgehogs and took part in the many ‘just for fun’ games.

A wide ranging array of stands in the marquee, including our own Towpath Talk stand, provided interest for all ages – with a particular focus this year on the importance of the wildlife and ecology of the canal corridor.

Visitors also managed to fit in narrowboat rides, with the more adventurous taking to the water in canoes.

The Butty Boys – Alan Turner and Terry Davies premiere the Grantham Canal song to the tune of the Bob Dylan hit, The Times They Are A-Changin’. PHOTOS: JANET RICHARDSON

The Maids of Clifton give one of their clog dancing displays.

Annika Johns collects her prize from ‘Ay Up Me Duck’ Tony Jackson.

● For more information about the Grantham Canal Society visit: www.granthamcanal.org

Crowds flock to Dudbridge Locks open days MORE than 1200 visitors took the opportunity to explore the Dudbridge Locks restoration site at Stroud on Friday and Saturday, October 11-12.

Of these 130 people also ventured down into the turbine chamber of the Dudbridge Hydro Electricity Generating Scheme.

Queues formed early on the wet morning on the first day and many family groups seized the chance to share memories of Dudbridge with younger relatives and event stewards alike.

One visitor explained that as a child he had actually ‘walked under the lock’. He was speaking of the culvert that once carried the waters of Ruscombe Brook below the line of the canal and into the River Frome.

Land & Water senior site manager Chris Spencer explained: “The position of the Ruscombe Brook culvert can be seen by the unusual arched shape in the brickwork of both walls of the lock.

Queues formed early on the wet morning on the first day.

PHOTOS: MIKE GALLAGHER, COTSWOLD CANALS TRUST

“These arches spread the load of the masonry above the culvert as a guard against collapse. Nowadays the stream runs into the canal and the old culvert has been pumped full of concrete to prevent the lock bottom subsiding.”

He added: “We received a lot

Visitors venture down into the turbine chamber of the Dudbridge Hydro Electricity Generating Scheme.

of help from the Cotswold Canals Trust volunteers too with the promotion and stewarding of the event.”

This was echoed by Dave Marshall of Stroud District Council who said: “It really has been a great success. The reaction of the visitors has demonstrated the strength of feeling the community has for the restoration.”

The Dudbridge Hydro Electricity Generating Turbine Chamber was stewarded by another group of CCT volunteers including Andy Berry, Rob Salvin, David McGovern, Keith Tibbitts and Derek Pitt. The team welcomed many enthusiastic locals and Black Country historian, author and broadcaster Graham Fisher who travelled down to Stroud specifically to view the installation.

He commented: “The Dudbridge Hydro scheme must rank as one of the most exciting developments on the inland waterways of the UK in decades.”

NEWS 5

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Anniversary gathering is the icing on the cake

By Harry Arnold

This wire-netting owl, made by L&HCRT member Jeanne Buck, keeps a beady eye on one of the signs for the society’s latest project – to waymark a walk along the canal route.

WHY not make it a two-day event and do it every year?

That has been the question asked by everyone attending previous Huddlesford Heritage Gatherings, held at the club’s Huddlesford headquarters at the Coventry and Lichfield canals.

The events are organised by the Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust (L&HCRT) and the Lichfield Cruising Club (LCC) Well, ‘every year’ remains an open question, but this year they did hold it over the two days of September 21-22 and what a roaring success it was, with around 5000 visitors and a profit of £10,000 towards restoration work by L&HCRT, plus seven new members signed up on the spot.

A cheque for £300 was presented to the L&HCRT by the chairman of the Lichfield Branch of the Inland Waterways Association.

LCC’s financial results have yet to be calculated, but commodore Ray Hartshorne told us that they were extremely pleased with the outcome. The weekend also brought two

CRT chief executive Richard Parry meets the L&HCRT barbecue team.

Even the chairman and vice-chairman donned their aprons for a hot session manning this society fundraiser.

associate members and three mooring members – the club now has a mooring waiting list.

This event is on the historic boat owners’ list, with 21 traditional narrowboats among the variety of craft attending, to complement those on the LCC moorings. More than matching the boats was a splendid classic car show, with a fascinating and well-organised display by the Austin 7 club, backed up by the Peugeot and MG clubs and even a huge US army recovery vehicle.

Diverse exhibits

Probably because it was a twoday show, it attracted more and a greater variety of trade, society and trust stands, including such diverse exhibits as birds of prey and one for the Cats Protection charity. One trader described Huddlesford as “the best site for this type of event in the country”.

The 25th Anniversary of L&HCRT was celebrated with the cutting of cake by Lichfield’s Bower Queen and deputy Bower Queen, assisted by Lichfield’s High Sheriff and his lady, L&HCRT president Eric Wood and a reincarnation of Lichfield literary giant Dr Samuel Johnson.

A new stand was provided by the Canal & River Trust (CRT) Central Shires Waterways Partnership, attending just the third event in its first year of being formed. Waterway users were probably quite surprised to see CRT chief executive Richard Parry on the stand and touring the event on the Saturday afternoon. They shouldn’t be as he is really getting around, familiarising himself with the network and meeting the users.

Dog agility in the arena provided probably the most

energetic show for the public.

There was also music and dancing – from shanties to folk, ukuleles to saxophones, and clog to Morris – to keep the visitors continuously entertained.

Also seen for the first time around the site were examples of L&HCRT signs, with which the group is going to waymark a walking route along the line of the canal.

The main catering – which has become something to look forward to in itself – was again provided by the L&HCRT

Boats – including many historic narrowboats – lining the main Coventry Canal. PHOTOS:WATERWAY IMAGES

barbecue team and the tea and cake making skills of the LCC ladies.

There was a special cake produced to celebrate the 25th anniversary of L&HCRT. It was ceremonially cut by Lichfield’s Bower Queen and Deputy Bower Queen, assisted by Lichfield’s High Sheriff and his lady – literally, the icing on the cake to mark two-and-a-half decades of initiative, hard physical work and fundraising towards the goal of two fully reopened waterways.

6 NEWS

IN BRIEF

Lottery boost

VISITORS to Stoke Bruerne in Northamptonshire will benefit from new interpretation boards and interactive family activity packs following a £67,000 injection from the Heritage Lottery Fund. It will also help with the cost of training volunteers to give guided tours and work with local groups and schools on a film and photography project to record local people’s memories of the waterways.

Online vote

IN OUR latest online poll at www.towpathtalk.co.uk we asked readers about their most recent visit to a canal or river. Of those who responded, 65% were on their own boat, 21% on foot, 6% on a hired, hotel or trip boat, 5% on a bicycle and 3% on other means of transport. This month we are asking how you intend to do your Christmas shopping this year.

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Dredging the mighty Trent: £1m project clears the way Words and photography: Janet RichaRdson

THE first major dredging campaign on the River Trent for more than 10 years has seen 50,000 tonnes of sand, gravel and silt removed from a 44 mile stretch of the river between Holme Lock south of Nottingham and Marton near Gainsborough.

The Canal & River Trust and specialist contractor Land & Water Services have been carrying out the £1 million project since July to make it easier for boats to cruise on the river. Spots targeted have included Gunthorpe, Hazelford, Torksey, Newark and Cromwell.

I met Paul Fox, project manager for CRT and Avi Verber, site manager for Land & Water Services at Cromwell Lock where 10,000 tonnes of sediment was being put into the Lafarge Tarmac gravel pits alongside the river, saving considerable costs.

Paul explained that, using a floating digger, they were engaged in dredging the river to a depth of 2.1m below summer levels identified by surveys showing the dredging profile trigger depth as well as feedback from boaters.

“If it gets shallower than that we consider dredging,” he said.

Canal plan

ENTHUSIASTS hoping to rewater a dry section of Norfolk’s only canal have submitted a plan to the Environment Agency. The North Walsham and Dilham Canal Trust and East Anglian Waterways Association say it would benefit farmers and wildlife as well as residents and visitors who could use it for leisure. The section is above Bacton Wood Lock.

The floating digger at work on the River Trent near Cromwell Lock.

A narrowboat passes by travelling downstream from Cromwell Lock.

Tug Robin Hood prepares to take a dredging pan full of sediment.

Avi Verber and Paul Fox survey the dredging from above the pontoon.

The material is loaded into dredging pans which are then taken by tug to the unloading point, about six to eight being filled each day, a total of about 150 tonnes in each.

Challenges

Describing the challenges of dredging in tidal conditions, Paul said it was not like canal dredging and there was a fairly narrow navigation channel in a wide river.

“At the start of this job, we were competing with gravel barges for the channel up to Besthorpe.

Those barges have been a casualty of the Lafarge/Tarmac merger for the time being but there has been some freight traffic to Nottingham for the Trent Basin development and to the power stations in recent years.”

As well as working with Lafarge Tarmac on its quarry land reinstatement, material has also been deposited to CRT’s own dredging tips at Marton (20,000 tonnes) and Hazelford.

“This has also really saved us on costs,” Paul continued.

“Disposal has not been an expensive part of this job.”

However he added it was a “crying shame” that the sediment, which is mainly clean sand and gravel was not going to the construction industry.

At the site office, Avi demonstrated how the use of GPS and internet technology enables him to watch the work taking place on a computer screen as well as the results of survey work.

The project has also included the removal of a sandbar which was causing problems for boaters near Cromwell Lock.

The dredged material has been spread on land near the river besides the road to the lock.

Filling a dumper truck which then transports the material about 500 yards to the quarry.

The tug and dredging pan arrive at the unloading site.

Sean McGinley, waterway manager for the East Midlands said: “The build-up of sediment is an entirely natural process but it’s our job to keep an eye on it and to take action when it’s needed. It’s not a glamorous job by any stretch of the imagination

but it’s important to the boaters visiting and the businesses that depend on the river.

“This is the biggest dredging project we’ve had in quite a while and we’re pleased that our efforts will make life on the water that bit easier.”

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.

Share the joy of boating

What would I learn on the RYA inland waterways instructor course?

The course is taught by one of the RYA’s small team of instructor trainers. They will cover elements on how students learn and how instructors can adapt their delivery to meet this. You will learn how to set up a training session and get plenty of practice at teaching throughout the two-day course. During the course you will become familiar with the two syllabi of the inland waterways scheme: the crew course and the helmsman’s course.

Before embarking on the course candidates should have a good level of

background knowledge and personal experience on the inland waterways; they also need to hold the RYA inland waterways helmsman’s certificate and an acceptable first aid certificate. The RYA runs regular instructor courses throughout the inland waterways network, details of which can be found on the website (www.rya.org.uk).

Scottish swim THE Caledonian Canal in Scotland

So who are the RYA’s inland waterways instructors?

Some of them live aboard or own and regularly cruise on a boat on the inland network. Often these instructors are considering setting themselves and their boat up as an RYA recognised training centre to teach the general public.

Others come from a community boat project background and want to help with succession planning to train more volunteers. Interestingly, quite a few of these organisations have taken up the new inland waterways crew course as they can see it being very beneficial to those volunteers who are on board for trips but are not in charge of the boat.

Recently, there has been a number of instructor course candidates who hail from hire companies scattered around the country. This comes as companies look at customer retention and getting good feedback on online travel pages.

The handover is of paramount importance so that customers not only

Hospice support

DONATIONS totalling £1600 collected during the Folk on the Water event on the Warwickshire Ring between Leamington and Rugby in the summer have been presented to Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice in Coventry by organiser Dutch Van Spall and Rebecca Howes of Kate Boats. The free concerts featured nine artists who lived on board nb Samuel James which has been provided free by Kate Boats since the first festival in 2009. Since then the event has raised more than £4000 for chosen charities. Next year’s festival will take place between June 20 and July 6, for more information visit www.folkonthewater.com

Have you ever considered becoming an RYA inland waterways instructor or setting up your own centre?

HAVING spent plenty of time afloat, you’ll have probably felt the draw to introduce friends and family to your passion.

The joy of boating comes through being part of the floating community and the often infectious friendliness of the strangers we encounter, be they boaters, lock keepers or others.

Wanting to share this with others is just a natural extension of our pastime.

This year the RYA has seen a rise in the number of people seeking instructor training, so if you feel this pull, you could channel this into some formal inland waterways instructor training and consider training the general public.

IN BRIEF

Learning how to share your experience with new boaters at an RYA training centre.

PHOTO: RYA

stay safe while on their holiday, but also follow the rules of the road, operate locks courteously and have fewer breakdowns.

Becoming an instructor can offer a completely different experience afloat. It is a transition from being the person who helms a boat with their friends and family to someone who passes on their knowledge and experience to new boaters. The personal benefits of being an instructor are many, but particularly knowing that you are helping to improve safety in inland boating while at the same

time encouraging and supporting less experienced boaters and watching their enjoyment as their confidence grows.

Setting up a training centre with the RYA is not difficult. You must have a boat that is suitable for training on, qualified instructors, a written operating procedures document and insurance.

You can find out more information about how to apply to become a recognised training centre by visiting www.rya.org.uk/training and reading the ‘Setting up a centre’ section.

was the link which enabled an aspiring Channel swimmer to gain valuable distance practice, writes Geoff Wood. The canal links four Scottish lochs which Rebecca Jarre, 44, of Oldham, Greater Manchester, swam in close succession. She said: “The weather was fantastic and the lochs were really calm. We had a really great time and so far the swim has raised more than £2000 for the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund.” Rebecca hopes to swim the English Channel next year.

Anderton award

THE Anderton Boat Lift team was successful at the 10th anniversary Cheshire Business Awards, receiving this year’s Trinity Mirror Customer Focus Award. The judges commented on how well staff and volunteers work together in a diverse team.

8 NETWORKING

SOCIETY NEWS

Boatmen’s dinner

THE Lancaster Canal Trust’s annual boatmen’s dinner, held recently at the Crooklands Hotel, near Kendal, attracted 35 diners from a wide area, many staying over the weekend.

The ‘boat people’, as they are known, run the narrowboat Waterwitch that sails from Crooklands landing stage from May to October, promoting restoration of the Lancaster Canal. Boat operations manager Alan Mather said it had been a good season with donations twice those of last year.

Chairman Richard Trevitt introduced guest speaker Keith Tassart who worked for many years for British Waterways and has taken on the job of work party supervisor.

Concrete gift

CHESTERFIELD Canal Trust is remaining upbeat about its restoration plans despite the HS2 blight on grant aid.

Progress continues apace on the Staveley Town Lock with £30,000 having been raised so far by the Donate A Brick appeal.

Supporters can now also sponsor a Cubic Metre of Concrete for £80 (worth £100 if Gift Aided) which CCT suggests could either be given in memory of a loved one or as a Christmas or birthday gift at www.chesterfieldcanal-trust.org.uk (The Cuckoo, Autumn 2013)

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French Brothers says thank you to Thames volunteers MORE than 40 volunteer assistant lock keepers and their partners boarded French Brothers’ new boat Queen of the Thames for a cruise up the river.

During the last three summers, the volunteers have been assisting the resident keepers operate the 45 locks along the Thames, also covering for them during their breaks and during their short periods away from the lock.

Chris French showed his appreciation by laying on this cruise to say thank you for assisting his crews to get their passenger boats more quickly and easily through the locks, enabling them to keep to their timetables and keep their passengers happy.

French Brothers runs a number of public trips out of Windsor, Maidenhead and Runnymede as well as

private charters for special occasions.

The volunteers’ trip departed Windsor Promenade and had excellent views of Windsor Castle and Eton College.

After passing Windsor racecourse, the boat went through Boveney Lock and past Sutherland Grange, The Willows and Bray Film Studios. It then headed towards Oakley Court, Queen’s Eyot and Monkey Island where the boat turned for the journey back to Windsor.

Environment Agency waterways operations manager Matt Carter said: “I am really pleased that French Brothers has been so generous in its appreciation of all the volunteers’ hard work carried out over the summer.

“I am sure that they enjoyed getting together and getting afloat on such an attractive stretch of the river, it really is

Canoe grant SWANSEA Canal Society has been

awarded a £20,000 grant from SPLASH, the Water Recreational Challenge Fund for Wales, to start a canoe hire business in 2014.

Volunteers are busy preparing the canal north of Coed Gwilym Park, Clydach, with the help of Swansea Council and the Canal & River Trust. All profits will go towards canal restoration.

Achievement award

AT THE recent IWA national AGM, the Chiltern Branch was presented with the Branch Achievement Award. This was based on its strong programme of meetings, presence at the National Festival, work parties at Marsworth and Aylesbury, a strong committee and support for local restoration projects, notably the Wendover Arm Trust. (Chiltern Branch October e-News)

a very generous and well deserved show of gratitude.”

Several members of the Environment Agency staff who administer the Volunteer Assistant Lock Keeper scheme also attended. The scheme, which first started in 2010, enables volunteers to work the lock for one or more days a week as well as carrying out other lock side maintenance tasks.

The volunteers all receive safety training before being instructed by the resident lock keeper in the operation of the lock. Once competent, the volunteer is then ‘signed off’ to operate the lock when the resident is away.

Anyone interested in the scheme for the 2014 season should contact thames.volunteers@environmentagency.gov.uk

First boat for Shrewsbury & Newport Canals Trust fleet

Explorer cruises

TWO explorer cruises will be run by Stuart & Marie Sherratt for the Birmingham Canals Navigation Society either side of its 2014 Summer Rally on May 17-18 at its Titford Pump House headquarters.

The first cruise will take place from Friday, May 9 – Friday, May 16 and the second from Sunday, May 18 – Monday, May 26. Entry forms are available from bcns.explorercruise@gmail.com

Volunteer lock keepers and their guests aboard Queen of the Thames. PHOTO SUPPLIED

Alan’s children, Heather, David and Paul, unveil the memorial seat.

Inset: The engraved tribute. PHOTOS COURTESY DAVID SMITH

Memorial bench tribute to canal campaigner

By Bob Clarke

A BENCH seat in memory of one of the best known canal enthusiasts and campaigners in the West Midlands has been installed on the towpath of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal near Hyde Lock, Kinver.

The bench is in memory of Alan Trevis Smith who died last May. He was well known for his exploits in his boat, a former FMC motorboat Laurel.

Mr Smith served for 24 years as a member of the former Inland

Waterways Amenity Advisory Council and was also a past president of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal Society and Dudley Canal Trust, also chairman of the Stourbridge Navigation Trust.

Over 40 boaters attended the event, many having travelled some distance by boat.

The society’s president, Chris Dyche, paid tribute to Mr Smith’s service to the inland waterways for 50 years and for which he was awarded a richly deserved MBE.

Shroppie flyboat photo wins national award AN ATMOSPHERIC picture of Shroppie flyboat Saturn horse drawn on the Llangollen Canal won photographer Bob Jervis the award for the historic vessels category in the National Historic Ships UK’s 2013 photographic competition.

Bob, who is treasurer of The Saturn Project (the Shropshire Union Flyboat Restoration Society), received his award from BBC Countryfile presenter

Bob Jervis receives his award from Julia Bradbury. PHOTO: NATIONAL HISTORIC SHIPS

The winning photograph by Bob Jervis.

Julia Bradbury at a prestigious ceremony on board HMS Belfast.

Overall winner was Ian Kippax from Ely in Cambridgeshire after his image ‘The Joys of Sailing’ was chosen from over 530 entries to scoop the £1000 prize to be spent directly on one of the vessels on the National Register of Historic Vessels of his choice.

The Llangollen Canal was also featured in Alan Kempster’s ‘Early Morning’ photo which won the maritime enthusiast classic boat favourite class.

THE Shrewsbury and Newport Canals Trust (SNCT) has purchased Bittern with the intention of using it to tow a replica ‘tub’ boat, suitably modified to take passengers, as an unusual tripboat. This will then be used to help raise funds for the restoration of its canals.

Tub boats are very unusual as they were only 6ft wide x 20ft long and they were the standard transport on the east Shropshire canals.

Bittern was expertly transported by Shebdon’s Crane Hire Ltd of Telford, a long standing supporter of the SNCT, to Shrewsbury College of Art and Technology (SCAT) on October 11.

Thanks to the foresight of Martyn Goodwin and the support of Ken McKerral, head of the Mechanical Engineering Department at SCAT, the boat now has a new temporary home, where it will be completely stripped,

Bittern will tow a replica ‘tub’ boat modified to take passengers. PHOTO SNCT checked and rebuilt using student power plus SNCT volunteers.

This will take a few months to complete, but it is hoped that Bittern will be launched on to part of the Shrewsbury canal in the late spring of 2014 in its new role.

Active club welcomes new members HILLINGDON Canal Club, based on the Grand Union Main Line in Uxbridge, was formed in 1989 from the Uxbridge Cruising Club.

The club was created by cruising club members who banded together to make the HCC into the club it is now – a voluntary run facility by members for members.

Cruises are arranged throughout the year and members are encouraged to attend local canal festivals and ad hoc cruises when the sun decides to shine.

The annual Icicle Cruise in January is a great (although somewhat chilly) outing to Rickmansworth.

Members look after the premises by joining regular club work parties which utilise their skills, from general maintenance and cleaning of the clubhouse and communal areas to plumbing and electrical work. Members who participate in these work parties

The Hillington Canal Club on the Grand Union Main Line at Uxbridge.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

find it a rewarding activity which brings them together as a team.

Moorings available

Hillingdon Canal Club currently has approximately 90 members, both full and associate. Full members benefit from a water point, chemical toilet disposal and refuse bins. There is secure onsite car parking too.

All members can use the fully licensed clubhouse which has plenty of seating and a new TV, free pool table and darts.

There is a sound system too. The clubhouse is currently open three nights a week and the bar is run by club volunteers.

Social nights are held for members and the clubhouse is affiliated to the IWA and AWCC; all associated members are also welcome.

Neighbours, the Uxbridge Boat Centre, has a chandlery and dry dock facility.

The club has both finger mooring and linear moorings within its facility and currently there are several linear moorings available for narrowboats.

These secure moorings are nonresidential and for leisure use only. All linear moorings have electric hook-up and access is restricted to moorers only by use of security keys. ● If you are interested in learning more about HCC or its mooring facilities, please contact the club secretary on hccsecretary@yahoo.com or write to Hillingdon Canal Club, Uxbridge Wharf, Waterloo Road, Uxbridge UB8 2QX.

NETWORKING 9

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Helping boaters in times of need

Les Heath meets one of the waterway chaplains who give their time to help boaters in need of pastoral care BRINGING a touch of festive comfort to the waterways is a group of volunteers whose sole aim is to help wherever help is needed.

Boating communities are well known for caring for one another in times of trouble. They have always looked out for each other and provided a helping hand if they know a boater is going through a difficult time.

Sometimes, however, extra assistance from outside is required – someone to listen and talk through any problems to try and find a way forward.

This is where the waterways chaplains step in – a group of volunteers who are already wellestablished in the Midlands and the South.

Following in the footsteps of such waterways legends as the Fieldings from the Salvation Army and Sister Mary from Stoke Bruerne, the chaplains aim to create the same trust and friendship with boaters as did their counterparts of yesteryear.

Spearheading this mission is senior waterways chaplain Jenny Dibsdall who, true to form, is herself a captain in the Salvation Army.

Pilot scheme

Although the chaplaincy began as a pilot scheme just over four years ago and has not yet spread northwards, Jenny will travel anywhere to see a boater in need.

I met her at the inaugural meeting of the Association of Continuous Cruisers in Birmingham where she explained that more and more liveaboards mean that the problems that exist on land are now prevalent on the canal system.

“The workload is increasing so rapidly it is now going through the roof,” she said. “Living afloat

does not prevent the circumstances of life from happening. Boaters become sick, are bereaved, experience family problems, marriage breakdown or loss of income.”

It’s at times like these that Jenny takes over, often at the request of a Canal & River Trust enforcement officer who has identified a problem.

As senior chaplain, Jenny’s workload is the greatest but her team of chaplains from the mainstream denominations – Anglican, Baptist, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Salvation Army and United Reform Church – provide the back-up for which there is now a desperate need.

“The chaplains, all volunteers, are commissioned in their own churches and they have a training day every year,” said Jenny. “They adopt an area or section of canal, walk it regularly and get to know the boaters so that they can trust them and talk about their problems.”

Drop-in centre

Jenny, who spends two and a half days a week with her congregation and the rest of the time with boaters, said: “It’s lovely to wake up in the morning and think ‘Oh it’s a boating day today’.”

Senior waterways chaplain, Capt Jenny Dibsdall. PHOTO: LES HEATH She has now started a drop- in centre twice a month at Cowley on the Grand Union near Uxbridge.

“Some of the problems people bring can be sorted out fairly quickly but with others we need to be there for them for months,” she said.

“We want to share in the boaters’ good times and bad while being supportive of all regardless of race, religion or no religion and orientation.”

The chaplaincy works closely with the CRT and its enforcement team and is willing to step in at any time to help resolve problems.

“We don’t have all the answers but we do our best,” added Jenny.

The Waterways Chaplaincy is now a regional partner with the Department of Work and Pensions in order to receive training and updates as changes are made to the welfare system. It also works closely with local authorities.

The chaplaincy currently operates on the Grand Union south from Braunston down to Uxbridge, on the rivers Lee and Stort, the Ouse in Bedford and out towards Cambridge, Birmingham and the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal.

More chaplains are needed as the workload increases and it is hoped to cover every CRT division with a chaplain as soon as possible. Anyone who feels they could play a part should contact Jenny on waterways@workplacematters.org.uk And anyone who requires help from the chaplaincy can rest assured that privacy and confidence will always be respected.

Friends gather for boater’s funeral THE funeral of waterway enthusiast and canalside resident David Lane took place recently in Alrewas, writes Harry Arnold.

His coffin was carried from his home near Bagnall Lock aboard his boat Tilly along the Trent & Mersey Canal to All Saints Church where a huge congregation celebrated his life.

The Rt Hon John Bercow MP cutting the ribbon to officially open the restored stretch of canal.

Pictured to his left is Athina Beckett (Buckingham Canal Society chairman). PHOTOS: RICHARD LEWIS,

BUCKINGHAM CANAL SOCIETY

Local history made as Buckingham Canal Society reopens Bourton Meadow Section BUCKINGHAM Canal Society (BCS) made history on October 26, when the Rt Hon John Bercow MP opened a restored section of the town’s 212-yearold canal watched by around 250 people.

Disused since 1944, the newly restored 400m length of the Buckingham Arm of the Grand Union Canal has been relined, re-watered and replanted at a cost of about £95,000.

The reopening ceremony started with a trip by a specially built canoe which was the first recorded craft to navigate this section of the canal since 1902. The canoe had been built by two local men and was previously used to raise money for the Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity. The canoe was carrying a pair of scissors that were handed to the John Bercow who used them to cut the ribbon.

Mr Bercow gave a rousing speech in which he thanked many of the local councillors who were in attendance. He also eloquently explained the importance and benefits of canal restoration and praised BCS for its work thus far. Following this, Society chairman Athina Beckett gave a brief history of the canal and thanked the volunteers who had worked on the site.

She also made special mention of Nick Hawes, the landowner, and his strong support of this project and the aims of BCS. The whole project would not have been possible without the support of the funders; WREN (Waste Recycling Environmental Limited), Aylesbury Vale Community Foundation and Buckinghamshire County Council Local Area Forum.

There was an informative display showing what the Buckingham Canal Society (BCS) has been working on recently and several new members

Kevan Ramanauckis and Matthew Dymott from Buckingham Table with an £800 cheque for Buckingham Canal Society. were signed up. Cake, tea and coffee was very popular and raised money for BCS. Hundreds of bottles of ‘Buckingham Canal Water’ were sold, a specially branded beer made by Buckingham Brewery in partnership with BCS to raise awareness and funds for the charity.

As an added bonus a cheque for £800 was presented to BCS on the canal boat after the ceremony. This was presented by Buckingham Table members Kevan Ramanauckis and Matthew Dymott who were part of the team who raised the money at their Midsummer FestivAle earlier this year.

David’s widow Susie would like to thank the many friends who came from all over the country to the service; also the many others who they have met on the waterways who knew David and with whom they both had such good times. Susie says she will carry on boating with their family.

Tilly leaving Susie and David Lane’s house by Bagnall Lock. PHOTO:WATERWAY IMAGES

The Rt Hon John Bercow MP with local town, district and county councillors including Coun Ruth Newell (Mayor of Buckingham) to his left and Coun Michael Rand (chairman of Aylesbury Vale District Council) over his left shoulder.

10 VOLUNTEERING

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WORK PARTY ROUNDUP WITH IWA’S ALISON SMEDLEY

Cleaning up the canals of Manchester MORE than 100 volunteers took part in Operation Starburst – a large multi-site canal clean up on the canals of Greater Manchester over the weekend of October 19-20.

The event was organised jointly by IWA Manchester Branch and the Canal & River Trust Manchester & Pennines volunteering team. Waterway Recovery Group North West supported the event by supplying a minibus and driver and in arranging accommodation for those people travelling from further afield for the weekend.

The event followed on from last year’s successful Ashtac Reunion event, when exactly 100 people turned out over two days. The name for this year’s event, Operation Starburst, was chosen to reflect the concept of working on different canals around a central meeting point, as well as continuing the theme from the even larger scale events that took place over 40 years ago.

Operation Ashton took place in 1968, and this was followed by Ashton Attack (‘Ashtac’) in 1972, which saw 1000 people working on the canals in this area. Those events contributed to the reopening of the Cheshire Ring in 1974.

The ‘Starburst’ effect was created through volunteers working in five different locations based on a central meeting point of Portland Basin, at Dukinfield Junction, the junction of the Lower Peak Forest and the Ashton Canals. Volunteers were ferried out from there to the five locations nearby.

Local volunteers were able to join in direct at the site they wished to work at.

The five locations were Hyde (on the Lower Peak Forest Canal), Stalybridge (on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal), Clayton on the Ashton Canal, and Newton Heath and Failsworth on the Rochdale Canal. As well as pulling rubbish out of the canal, other tasks were carried out at the various locations, including towpath repairs, vegetation clearance, painting and removing invasive plants.

Hive of activity

At Hyde, one of the main tasks for the weekend had been identified just a week earlier, when it was realised that the weed clogging up the channel was in fact floating pennywort. Two large patches of this invasive weed were removed from the canal south of Bridge 6 although further work will be required to contain the spread of this weed.

Rubbish removed at this site included numerous bicycles, tyres, mangled shopping trolleys, a crutch, road signs, fence panels and road signs.

The roving bridge which takes the towpath from one side of the canal to the other was cleared of vegetation, weeds and much litter, and towpath repairs were also carried out south of Bridge 6.

At Failsworth the activity was centred on Lock 65, where vegetation was cleared, litter picked, rubbish pulled out of the canal and balance beams and lock furniture was painted.

Meanwhile just further down the Rochdale Canal at Newton Heath, a small team gathered on the Saturday morning and before long had cleared all the lock-side litter, vegetation and litter from the steps, and had pulled out one complete trolley and several bits of trolley from the canal at Lock 69.

Stalybridge town centre was a hive of activity, with 30 volunteers taking part over the weekend. At Lock 6W the balance beams, lock furniture and lock tail bridge were painted and the tunnel taking the towpath under the road had a new coat of white paint (which covered up the graffiti).

Meanwhile at Lock 7W, the base of the historic crane was given a coat of black paint, a bench completely buried in the undergrowth was revealed, balance beams were painted, and vegetation was cut back on the towpath and access paths.

On the Sunday grappling was carried out and in excess of 30 shopping trolleys were removed from the channel, along with six bicycles, numerous road cones and fencing panels, scaffold poles and a motorbike (it had been reported as stolen and police came to take it away).

At Clayton on the Ashton flight of 18 locks, the work was centred on Yew Tree Swing Bridge, where vegetation was cleared and litter picked, as well as a substantial amount of towpath repairs being carried out in both directions from the swing bridge.

While many of the volunteers were local (including several who were new to volunteering on the canals), others came from all over the country, with the farthest journeys being from Brighton and Bognor Regis on the south coast.

The total number of black bags filled with rubbish from the five sites was 69, which along with two work boats full of rubbish demonstrate the amazing amount of activity which had taken place over the weekend.

Volunteers painting the iconic cast iron bridge at Hazelhurst Junction Bridge.

PHOTO:ALISON SMEDLEY

Balance beam painting at Failsworth.

PHOTO:ALISON SMEDLEY

ON A warm September day, a group of seven volunteers formed a work party at Hazlehurst Junction on the Caldon Canal to paint the historic cast iron bridge.

The bridge had not received attention for some years and so the paintwork was in a poor state. They spent most of the day rubbing down the old paintwork and clearing

vegetation on and around the bridge in order to start restoring it.

After a lot of hard work, the team started late in the day painting the top rails. The painting will be continued on future work parties. The volunteers were members and friends of IWA’s North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch and the Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust.

Clock change signals Sheffield & Tinsley Canal clean up Floating pennywort removal and litter picking at Hyde. PHOTO:ALISON SMEDLEY

THE dates of the clocks going forwards and back herald the biannual canal clean up on the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal, organised by IWA South Yorkshire & Dukeries Branch.

Again on October 27 they had the invaluable help of the Abbeydale Rotary Club and Adsetts Canal Project.

As in past years they worked in two directions, with one group heading down the Tinsley Lock flight and the other heading towards Sheffield. In

total 22 people, one baby and a dog took part!

From the lock flight they worked on the towpath and offside of the canal.

There were several places where people had picnics and fires and unfortunately at most of these sites people had left their rubbish behind.

Approximately 45 bags of rubbish was collected. Other items included canvas chairs, yards of fishing line, a television, a fridge and a fishing rod.

FORTHCOMINGWORK PARTY EVENTS Monday, December 2 and Wednesday December 4

A shopping trolley out of the canal at Newton Heath. PHOTO: RHYS WYNNE

IWA Warwickshire Branch supporting Canal & River Trust Towpath Taskforce: Hatton, Grand Union Canal. 10am to approx 3pm. Tasks include lock painting, litter picking, veg clearance and path work. Meet at CRT maintenance yard, Hatton Locks, Birmingham Road, Warwick CV35 7JL. Further information from info.warwickshire@waterways.org.uk

Saturday December 7

IWA Chester & Merseyside Branch: Monthly work party on the Dee Branch in Chester, 10am to 4pm. Meet at Telfords Warehouse car park, Chester CH1 4EZ. Work will include painting, weeding, litter-picking. Contact Mike Carter on 07795 617803, mike.carter@waterways.org.uk

Saturday and Sunday December 7-8

Towpath repairs at Clayton.

PHOTO:ALISON SMEDLEY

Painting stops for lunch at Stalybridge.

PHOTO:ALISON SMEDLEY

West Riding benefits from successful work parties

WEST Riding Branch held a successful series of five work parties concentrating on two different locations in the branch’s area – the first mile of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in Leeds City Centre and Salterhebble Locks on the Calder & Hebble Navigation.

At Salterhebble they chose two

Painting the Hazelhurst Junction Bridge

Saturdays, hoping to attract passers by, and in Leeds, Friday evenings with a hope to attract some who normally attend branch social meetings.

After a first very wet Saturday at Salterhebble, the second work party towards the end of July saw much better weather and most of the day was spent

An evening work party in Leeds. PHOTO: PETER SCOTT

attacking Himalayan balsam, which was greatly enjoyed by the younger participants, as well as more cobble clearing. Shire Cruisers’ NB Oxford was again on hand to provide tea and coffee.

The first wettish evening in Leeds was followed by two dry ones in July and August. There was more litter picking, cobble clearing, garden weeding, and painting a fence, half a rudder, and a mile’s worth of mileposts, which on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal includes quarter and half mile posts.

Volunteers started at Office Lock and spread out towards River Lock and Oddy Lock. The work attracted many positive comments from passers-by and some of the volunteers were attracted from the nearby residential and office accommodation.

Thank you to all the volunteers who came along, and thanks also to Claire, Lucy, Matt and Katie of CRT for their assistance and for providing the equipment needed.

IWA Chelmsford Branch: Work party on the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation in conjunction with Essex WRG, 9.15am to 4pm both days. The work will be along the towpath of the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation below Wave Bridge, Heybridge (opposite the large former Bentall’s warehouse). Work will include removing rubbish and dead wood and grading the area beyond the towpath ready for seeding and tree planting. Accommodation will be available on the Haybay barge at Heybridge Basin for Friday and Saturday night.

Please inform John Gale (01376 334896) or Roy Chandler (01245 223732), roy.chandler@waterways.org.uk) if able to attend.

Sunday December 8

IWA Northampton Branch: Monthly work party on the Northampton Arm. Please wear stout shoes and old clothes and bring waterproofs and a packed lunch if staying all day. For more details contact david1.higgins1@btinternet.com IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch and the Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust: Monthly work party on the Caldon Canal, 10am to 3pm.

Hedge planting at Willow Cottage, near Cheddleton. Please wear stout shoes and old clothes and bring waterproofs and a packed lunch if staying all day.

Contact Bob Luscombe on 07710 054848, bob.luscombe@waterways.org.uk

Tuesday December 17

IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch and Trent & Mersey Canal Society: Monthly work party on the Cheshire Locks, Trent & Mersey Canal, 10am to 4pm. Painting and vegetation clearance, location to be confirmed.

Please wear stout shoes and old clothes and bring waterproofs and a packed lunch if staying all day. Contact Bob Luscombe on 07710 054848, bob.luscombe@waterways.org.uk

Thursday December 19 and Saturday December 21

IWA Warwickshire Branch: Kingswood Junction, Lapworth, 10am to approx.

3pm. Tasks include lock painting, litter picking, veg clearance and path work.

Meet at Canal & River Trust maintenance yard, Brome Hall Lane, Lapworth, Solihull B94 5RB. Further information from info.warwickshire@waterways.org.uk For further information on any of these events, please contact Alison Smedley, IWA Branch Campaign Officer, Telephone: 01538 385388/07779 090915 or email alison.smedley@waterways.org.uk or Stefanie Preston, IWA Branch Campaign Assistant, Telephone 01494 783453 or email stefanie.preston@waterways.org.uk Information can also be found on IWA’s website: www.waterways.org.uk

VOLUNTEERING / NEWS 11

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Progress made on path at Rugeley THERE were two main priorities for IWA Lichfield Branch’s October 18 work party – to make progress re-laying the path at the bottom of the ‘Bloody Steps’ and to begin work rebuilding the canal wall by the Heritage Tramway. In addition, the usual strimming and mowing took place.

Steady progress was made all day with the path laying. The re-building of the canal wall was a journey into the unknown, but Tom Woodcock, Canal & River Trust’s heritage adviser, was there to train and supervise the volunteers in the use of lime mortar and heritage bricks.

The task was slow and painstaking, made difficult because the canal bank had to be built up by sandbags at one end. Work will continue on both these tasks over the winter.

IWA Lichfield Branch volunteers at Brindley Bank, Rugeley.

PHOTO: MARGARET BEARDSMORE

Dee Branch dredged before October work party AT LONG last, and after a long campaign, the Dee branch was dredged the week before the second of IWA Chester & Merseyside’s monthly work parties in the area.

Four members turned out in brilliant October sunshine to paint the lock gates on the Graving Lock. Meanwhile, five Towpath Taskforce volunteers carried out some vegetation clearance on the main line towpath.

Activity in the area is increasing with Chester University volunteers having completed a litter pick the previous week, as well as the IWA Chester & Merseyside’s monthly work parties which will be taking place in the lead up to the IWA National Campaign Rally, due to be held over the weekend of June 6-8, 2014.

Hatton offside towpath clearance A GLORIOUS October day saw 19 volunteers comprising members and friends of IWA Warwickshire Branch turn out at Hatton.

With many boats transiting the locks members were able to explain the IWA’s commitment to clearing the offside of the flight. Over the summer the vegetation had grown so it was again encroaching on the offside path.

Using hedge trimmers and strimmers supplied by the Canal & River Trust, the volunteers restored the vegetation line to that obtained earlier in the year. On subsequent working parties they hope to extend the clearance further down the flight.

A bollard found in the vegetation, will be used to replace one which has been ‘enclosed’ by a tree on the lower lock landing of lock 31.

Volunteers painting the milepost which had been hidden among the foliage at Consall on the Caldon Canal.

PHOTO:ALISON SMEDLEY

VOLUNTEERS of the Waterway Recovery Group have returned to the Montgomery Canal to tackle another obstruction.

The canal was closed in 1936 and formally abandoned by Act of Parliament in 1944. Many obstructions have been removed in the years of restoration and now half the canal is open for boating.

At Pant, the railway bridge was replaced by an embankment which will have to be removed if boats are to reach Llanymynech again.

The team from Waterway Recovery Group spent the weekend investigating the embankment, clearing vegetation and discovering the remains of the old bridge.

Michael Limbrey, chairman of the Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust said WRG volunteers had been involved in the canal restoration for over 40 years.

“This latest visit brought volunteers from as far afield as Chesterfield, Manchester and Watford, who have all worked on the canal before. One thing we do not know is when the railway bridge was replaced by the embankment, and we would be interested to hear from anyone who knows anything of the story of the canal in Pant.

He added: “We have recently had the good news that the Heritage Lottery Fund is supporting a project which includes reopening the canal to Crickheath, the next point at which boats can turn.

“If we are successful in funding that project, there will only be a couple of miles to restore, including this railway embankment, to finish the restoration in England by reaching Llanymynech which will be a real destination for the many people who already visit the Montgomery Canal.”

Ready for action: the offside vegetation clearance team. PHOTO: GRETA RUSSELL

Volunteers turn out despite terrible forecast

Milepost painting on the Caldon Canal FOLLOWING on from work parties earlier in the year, volunteers have been continuing to paint the mileposts on the Caldon Canal. The work is being carried out ahead of next year’s celebrations to commemorate 40 years since the reopening of the Caldon Canal in 1974.

Some of the mileposts are the original Trent & Mersey Canal Company (original proprietors of the Caldon Canal) mileposts, while others are the replacement replicas which were installed in the 1980s by the then Caldon Canal Society.

Earlier in the year, volunteers from IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch and Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust painted all the mileposts between Etruria Junction and Hazelhurst Junction.

Between July and early September, two of the volunteers, a couple from Uttoxeter, took on the challenge of painting the rest of the mileposts along the Caldon Canal, from Denford to Froghall. They carried out the painting over five separate days, and travelled by bicycle from one milepost to the next.

The last milepost to be painted was the one on the offside of the canal at Consall, which had been difficult to locate due to the immense foliage that was hiding it. It now looks resplendent in black and white, along with all the other mileposts, ready for next year’s celebrations.

The Graving Lock painting team.

PHOTO: MIKE CARTER

Waterway Recovery Group volunteers return to Montgomery Canal

The work party in action at St Augustine’s Field, Rugeley.

PHOTO: MARGARET BEARDSMORE

EIGHT resolute people turned out for IWA Lichfield Branch’s second October work party with the worst weather forecast for a long time!

As it happened, the only rain was when the volunteers stopped for tea and cake, so they managed to complete most of what they set out to do.

Terry Drake from Canal & River Trust not only did the strimmer handling assessment for two of the volunteers, but also gave them some valuable extra instructions on more complicated strimmer techniques.

The main job was to clear the decking area again, which had become badly overgrown during the summer, and to start clearing the canal bank. This is only the beginning of what is quite a complicated project. The next stage will be to replace part of the decking which is rotten, and begin to sandbag the canal bank.

Autumn clean-up gathers assortment of rubbish

Work boats and volunteers approaching Bridge 68 at Old Wolverton during the Milton Keynes clean up. PHOTO:VERNON DRAPER IWA’s Milton Keynes branch, working in partnership with Canal & River Trust and sponsored by Wyvern Shipping Co Ltd, carried out its autumn canal clean up of 10 miles of the Grand Union Canal through Milton Keynes over an October weekend.

Some 10 tons of rubbish dredged from the canal included a telephone answering machine, a wheel clamp, golf bag, an épée (anyone for fencing?), a fridge freezer, two baby buggies and some chocolate bars, not to mention car parts, road furniture, assorted metal and plastic objects and 24 bicycles (mainly dumped in the Wolverton area).

Many black bags were filled with litter collected along the towpath. On a more optimistic note only five supermarket trolleys were recovered this time, the lowest number that anyone can remember.

The clean up was organised by IWA Milton Keynes branch committee member David Stuart-King. As is customary on these twice yearly canal clean ups, IWA members’ boats towed the 70ft hopper and a 40ft pan: the workboats into which the rubbish was

placed, supplied by CRT. `The dredged rubbish was obtained by operating eight strong grapple hooks from the hopper; the pan was worked along the offside bank.

Other members in their boats disembarked to dredge from the bank and litter pick along the whole length of the towpath.

A total of 35 IWA volunteers were involved over the weekend contributing 298 volunteer person hours. Six CRT staff gave additional valuable support.

All those involved in the clean up again were generously provided with a hot lunch by Lionhearts Cruising Club in their clubhouse on the Saturday. Julia and Richard Cook of the J & M Canal Carrying Co also again supported the clean up with a donation in thanks for easing the passage of their fuel boat Towcester through Milton Keynes where rubbish dumped in the canal can cause serious problems.

This year the Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundations London Luton Airport Operation Fund awarded a donation to the IWA Milton Keynes Branch to defray its costs of their biannual canal clean up.

Volunteers from the Waterway Recovery Group clear an obstruction on the Montgomery Canal. PHOTO: MONTGOMERY WATERWAY RESTORATION TRUST

Towpath users enjoy new section of national network

WALKERS and cyclists can enjoy a newly restored section of towpath which forms part of a national network through scenic Staffordshire countryside.

The project has seen the path between Meaford and Barlaston on the Trent & Mersey canal completely resurfaced, enabling easy access to walkers, cyclists and wheelchair users on what was previously a difficult muddy stretch. It has been a joint scheme between Staffordshire County Council, Stafford Borough Council and the Canal & River Trust.

The two-mile section of path forms part of National Cycle Network Route 5, which runs from Reading to Holyhead and carries on to Stoke-on-Trent. The £500,000 project was carried out by the county council on behalf of the partnership.

Charlotte Atkins, who chairs the Canal & River Trust’s Central Shires waterway partnership, said: “I look forward to seeing lots more people getting out on to the towpath and enjoying all that our local waterways have to offer.”

Future improvements are planned for the path as it continues from Meaford to Aston.

On the newly restored towpath at Meaford are, from left: Staffordshire County Council’s deputy leader Ian Parry, chairman of the Canal & River Trust Central Shires waterway partnership Charlotte Atkins and local borough councillors Lynne Bakker-Collier and Gareth Jones.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

12 NEWS FOCUS

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Boats, beers and bands

West Stockwith Rally 2013

Dave Everatt, webmaster of the Humber Keel & Sloop Preservation Society and Spider T crew member, reports on a memorable weekend at the revival of this once popular event.

IT STARTED with a 4.30am alarm call on Friday, September 20.

It was pitch black on arrival at Keadby Lock.

Mal Nicholson, owner and captain of the Humber Super Sloop Spider T, had already completed his pre-trip checks, and was awaiting the arrival of crew and passengers.

The lock keeper was ready at 6am and we prepared to cast off. As the bridge swung and we headed towards the lock he called to inform us we were at level water with the River Trent and could go straight through.

For Mal and the crew, final preparations for this event started on the previous Wednesday with the releasing of the mainsail from the mast hoops, removal of the boom and gaff and lowering of mast to accommodate the bridges on the way up river. The first of these, Keadby Bridge, was met within minutes of leaving the lock, timed to be travelling under well before high tide to give good clearance, which proved to be only 3ft (1m). About 20 minutes later we reached the M180 flyover and clearance here was about 6ft (2m).

At the helm for our trip up river was Frank Major, 82, who, at the age of 10, was a mate to his dad and later a skipper himself, running barges around the

estuary and all its tributaries. It was obvious that he was in his element and enjoyed every minute.

Also aboard was Ken Collier, chairman of West Stockwith Yacht Club and organiser of the event, John Steggles, and my wife Lesley, who would be holding a small exhibition of paintings and prints on board.

With a full moon to our starboard side, we passed East Ferry and at about 7am, as the sun rose on our port side, you suddenly realise why you volunteer for these events – what a beautiful morning for a trip up the River Trent!

Our aim was to let the spring tide carry us to West Stockwith with minimal revs on the engine for steerage; arriving at the top of the tide we hung off the jetty until the tide turned and slipped into the lock about 9.30am.

Mooring up in prime location across from The Waterfront Inn, we set about getting the mast up, the boom and gaff back in position, running rigging in place and sails hoisted. However, later in the evening, airing on the cautious side, Mal and I dropped all the sails and lashed them down, just in case a breeze got up in the night.

Then it was off to the yacht club to sample a few of those special brews brought in for the beer festival.

Arriving at West Stockwith.

Mal Nicholson and Frank Major in the wheelhouse. PHOTOS: DAVE EVERATT Around teatime, we lowered the sails, bagged the topsail, foresail and jib, removed the gaff, boom and mainsail and lowered the mast in readiness for the return journey. In between this we had to break off several times to give more visitors a tour of the ship – not only did we match Saturday’s total, but increased it by half as much again!

Monday

The Marnham water skiers in action.

Saturday

Opening for public viewing was not until late morning, so it was a leisurely start with a hearty cooked breakfast on board Spider T. In the middle of hoisting the sails, Mal and his wife Val were called on to attend the official opening of the event outside the Chesterfield Canal Trust tent with Canal & River Trust representatives, followed by the official naming ceremony of a little canal tug.

The opening ceremony, introduced by Ken Collier, chairman of West Stockwith Yacht Club, was shared between Danny Brennan, East Midlands chairman of the Canal & River Trust, and Robin Stonebridge, chairman of the Chesterfield Canal Trust, who explained their visions for the future of the waterways.

Then moving down to the waterfront, Katie Jackson of the Canal & River Trust explained how they are introducing the waterways to schoolchildren, with canalside nature trails and a boat naming competition.

Year 5 and 6 of Misterton Primary

School came up with 10 names and East Midlands Waterways voted for the winning name. Pupil Molly presented the winning name Blue Cuckoo on behalf of Misterton Primary School to the crew of the tug.

With the official proceedings completed, it was back to Spider T to hoist the mainsail and, with light winds forecast, the topsail too.

With the full sails set we opened up to visitors – literally hundreds and hundreds of visitors. All day long they filed aboard, some gushing with questions, others quietly looking around, but all were ‘wowed’ by what they saw.

Finally, at about 6pm, we were forced to put a barrier across to stop the flow and enable us to tidy up the ship, lower the sails and hoist the string of colourchanging LED lights to show her off during the evening’s events – the beer festival at the WSYC and live bands, including The Torn, in the grounds of The Waterfront Inn.

Morning mist and heavy dew soon turned into another warm, bright sunny day at West Stockwith.

With passengers and crew on board, we headed for the lock at about 11am and out onto the river as the tide ebbed.

The clear blue sky had filled in with clouds, but it was warm with light winds.

Frank was at the helm once again and when asked if he was okay, with a big grin he replied: “Aye lad, I’m ’ome again.”

We reached Keadby Lock right on time at 2pm.

Personally, what I expected to be a rather mediocre weekend turned out to be exceptional. In spite of the work involved in getting Spider T to this event, the warm welcome, friendly locals and many, many interested visitors really did make it rather special… bring on next year!

Sunday

Another leisurely start, as we weren’t open to the public until about 10.30am.

We hoisted the sails once more and prepared for the visitors. Surely we would not be as busy as yesterday?

Late morning we had a look around the stalls, walked along the canalside for a while and watched the water-skiing display by Marnham Boat Club members. Then it was back to Spider T to give conducted tours and answer questions for the remainder of the day.

The sun continued to shine and the visitors came in their droves from near and far.

Spider T in full sail.

Misterton Primary School pupil Molly presents the winning name ‘Blue Cuckoo’ to the crew of the tug.

Returning home under Keadby Bridge.

The official opening of the rally outside the Chesterfield Canal Trust stand.

● “West Stockwith Yacht Club would like to thank the Canal & River Trust and the Chesterfield Canal Trust for all their efforts as joint organisers of the rally. Special thanks must go to Mal Nicholson and the crew of Spider T. Having helped with the preparation and journey of Spider T to and from Stockwith, I now fully appreciate the amount of time, planning and effort involved in what they have done for us.” Ken Collier, WSYC chairman

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Getting Afloat P50 Bits & Bobs/Reviews P51

A 60-tree orchard grows from the germ of an idea

A WORKING party of moorers helped plant a new orchard at Grove Lock Marina on Saturday, October 19.

One of the three marinas operated

by Pridewater Estates Ltd, Grove Lock is situated on the Grand Union Canal on the Bedfordshire/Buckinghamshire border.

Caretaker Paul Catling had long harboured the desire to plant an orchard and when he mentioned it to his bosses they saw it as an ideal project to be included in their ongoing improvement scheme and gave him their full support.

With the help and expertise of

Bernwode Fruit Tree Nursery, a selection of 60 assorted fruit trees were chosen specifically for the site. These included some well-known varieties such as Bramley apple and Victoria plum but also some older and more endangered varieties such as the wonderfully named Rosemary Russet apple, the Dotenne du Comice pear and a plum by the name of Eirwyn Bwlas.

Work started bright and early on the Saturday morning. Everybody got stuck in and had a great time rounding the day off with food and drinks around a roaring log fire in the marina’s communal area.

Busy planting 60 fruit trees to form a new orchard at Grove Lock Marina. PHOTO SUPPLIED

Thoughts have now turned to fruit pies, jams and cider presses.

The Bedfordshire Beekeepers Association has accepted an invitation to place a number of beehives on site, aiding pollination and helping our endangered bee population.

Bob Hutton, joint owner of Grove Lock Marina, said: “When our caretaker, Paul Catling, told me that he and several of our customers who berth their boats at our marina wanted to make their mark by creating an orchard on our land I was delighted.

“We take pride in landscaping and planting many hundreds of trees and shrubs at our marinas and other properties, but have never created an orchard before.”

He continued: “I know that Paul is a keen gardener so was confident that if we supplied him with the trees he specifically requested he would, helped by many of our boat owners, create a beautiful orchard that will be enjoyed for years to come.

“I would like to thank our staff and customers for their hard work in laying out and planting the trees exactly as they wanted in the spot they chose.

Their involvement from the germ of an idea to a mature 60 tree orchard will ensure that it will always be tended with the greatest care.” ● Grove Lock Marina, Grove, Leighton Buzzard LU7 0QU Tel: 01525 377444 www.canalmarinas.co.uk

A successful first season for the Wessex Rose

AS THEIR first season draws to a close, David and Karen Binney from the luxury Wessex Rose hotel boat celebrated the award of a prestigious five-star rating by Visit England and a TV appearance.

The boat, which is based on the Kennet & Avon Canal, was launched in May having been designed, built and fitted out by bespoke builders and craftsmen. Its build and launch were featured recently on the Channel 4 series George Clark’s Amazing Spaces.

“Achieving five-star status with Visit England had always been one of our main goals,” said David. “Achieving it at the end of only our first season was beyond our dreams but does make all the preparation, the hard work and the commitment to our quality standards worthwhile.”

Wessex Rose boasts three luxury en suite guest cabins, underfloor heating, TV and DVD in each room, a large comfortable saloon and a ‘rooftop’ sun/starlight deck. It offers a range of all inclusive cruises from three to seven nights on the Kennet & Avon Canal, with all cruises starting and finishing at railway stations.

David and Karen are now looking forward to their special cruises for Christmas, New Year and Valentine’s before starting their full 2014 schedule in April.

The building of hotel boat Wessex Rose recently featured in a Channel 4 documentary. PHOTO SUPPLIED ● The Wessex Rose Hotel Boat Co Ltd 07881 287320; email enquiries@wessexrose.co.uk www.wessexrose.co.uk

Canal Company stalwart dies aged 94

By Harry Arnold

ANOTHER link with the pioneering days of the canal holiday industry, the early days of the waterway campaign and the history of the Inland Waterways Association (IWA) has been broken with the death of Mino Wyatt of the Canal Cruising Company.

Mino died in Stone on Friday, November 1, at the age of 94.

The Canal Cruising Company is the oldest continuously family owned firm on the canals, currently celebrating its 65th year in business. Founder Rendel Wyatt obtained a lease on

its base – the original Trent & Mersey Canal Company’s docks in Stone – just before the nationalisation of the waterways His son David – who died seven years ago – and David’s wife Mino took over the running of the company in 1955. They were friends with early campaigners such as IWA founder Tom Rolt. Rolt’s famous boat Cressy was left and subsequently broken up on the company’s wharf. The company was also one of the trade exhibitors at the first IWA National Rally, the Market Harborough Festival of Boats & Arts in 1950.

At the recent IWA AGM the association’s prestigious Richard Bird Medal was awarded to Mino, Karen and Peter Wyatt and The Canal Cruising Company, Stone, ‘For their long-term (65 years) commitment to, promotion of the inland waterways and support for the Inland Waterways Association’.

Mino’s involvement, skills and determination are no better illustrated than by the fact that she was still doing the company accounts up to a month before her death.

Our sympathy and best wishes go out to Karen and The late Mino Wyatt.

Peter and all the Wyatt family. PHOTO:WYATT FAMILY

Christmas Gift Guide P54 What’s on P58

Oyez! Ownashare Cruising’s new boat is launched THE launch ceremony for Ownashare Cruising Ltd’s brand new narrowboat, Heartsease, took place on Saturday, October 26, at Fradley Junction.

Ken Knowles, the Lichfield town crier, announced the launch in great style, which was enjoyed immensely

by Ownashare staff and visitors alike.

This was duly followed by the popping of the cork for the official launch.

The managing director of Ownashare, Phil Capp, said: “We were delighted to see so many visitors who came along to view Heartsease, resulting in a number of shares being sold – everyone was very impressed by the workmanship of Drayton Boat Services Ltd, who did the fit-out, and the sheer value for money that Heartsease offers.”

The galley and living area beyond.

The boat is offered in one-twelfth shares at £6950 giving four weeks’ holiday per year, of which at least two are guaranteed in the AprilSeptember period. Management fees and running costs for 2014 are less than £73 per month.

Lichfield town crier Ken Knowles rings for the launch. PHOTOS SUPPLIED ● For further information, please visit www.ownasharecruising.co.uk

Boaters invited to test the water at refurbished marina

SINCE its relaunch in the spring, the Fish & Duck Marina at Pope’s Corner near Ely in Cambridgeshire has gone from strength to strength!

Having filled nearly 50% of its available moorings in under six months, the owners and manager are thrilled with the positive response they have received.

“We have welcomed and taken enquiries from boaters from across the entire UK river network who are looking for a well-managed, family owned and friendly marina in the right location,” said marina manager John Aldous. “By mooring with us, our customers are benefiting from no obligation mooring terms, competitive pricing, security, brand new facilities and safe, accessible moorings.”

The Fish & Duck’s position, on the junction of three rivers, the Great Ouse, Cam and Old West, gives access to at least two hours of lock-free cruising, multiple navigation options and consistent water levels.

“All of this means more time for our customers to really relax and enjoy their boats,” John added.

The team was pleased to welcome numerous ‘temporary moorers’ who ventured down from the central canals, as well as from further up the Great Ouse during the summer. “This is why we are currently inviting

Manager John Aldous at the Fish & Duck Marina. Inset: The new Fish & Duck Boat Club flag. PHOTOS SUPPLIED boaters to moor up at the marina, test the water and stay for however long they wish; all without the obligation of long term contracts.”

He also announced the relaunch of the Fish & Duck Boat Club, which has been reignited by two customers of the refurbished marina.

Run completely by its members, who are all moorers at the marina, it will exist as a separate entity to the marina business and will have its own distinct branding, but will use the marina’s name. It has already recruited a number of members and is keen to hold its first function.

The Fish & Duck team hopes to hold an open day for local boat clubs and associations, boaters and marine industries together with launch party for the F&D boat club in the spring.

Riverside moorings with views of Ely Cathedral. ● Fish & Duck Marina, contact 07445 832354, email davina@fishandduck.co.uk www.fishandduck.co.uk

50 GETTING AFLOAT

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A place your boat can call its own

In the 10th article of his series looking at what turns ordinary people into boaters, Peter Underwood looks at the different mooring options available once you have got your boat.

ONCE you have bought your boat you need somewhere to keep it when you are not cruising – and that’s more to do with your lifestyle than anything else.

What do you want from your boat and how much time can you give to it? For some people it is simple, the boat is a sort of floating holiday home, somewhere they can escape to for a bit of relaxation and they may not even want to travel very far on the boat. For them a pretty, relaxed rural location for a marina or linear mooring, is ideal. A pub or a restaurant close to hand would be a bonus and some nice short weekend journeys if the sun is shining and they are feeling adventurous.

Having facilities like electricity and water to hand is an added bonus to any holiday home and especially useful if you have plans to tinker with the boat and need to operate power tools etc.

Our first ever boat was moored at Boroughbridge on the Yorkshire Ouse.

There were some nice restaurants in the town and York was an easy weekend run. We even seriously looked at riverside moorings just south of York on the basis they were close to a good Chinese restaurant.

If you have the waterways bug you may want to explore as much of the system as possible and our solution to this was to moor in a series of locations – marinas and bankside – about a twohour journey from home. That way you could escape on a Friday and even be on the boat in the summer in time to travel a few miles before dark.

Location rather than facilities became the priority, so we were willing to accept basic marinas if they were situated on or near a junction with plenty of different routes to take.

For some people security is of prime importance and they will probably become marina or boatyard customers, especially if they are not inclined to DIY maintenance and repairs and the establishment has experts on hand.

If you are a traveller and you take your boat out of the marina as soon as you arrive, and only return it when you are setting off back to your home, then it doesn’t matter that you are cheek by jowl with other boats and the only view out of the windows is the vessel next door.

If you want to stay in one place with your new acquisition then you will be looking for a view, preferably a bit of countryside, and that probably means a rural mooring.

I would just say don’t rule out the urban option completely. A mooring in the heart of a great city like Birmingham, Manchester or Leeds, even London if you can afford the fees, gives you city breaks all year round for little or nothing.

What are the options?

The Canal and River Trust constantly tells us that it is looking after 2000 miles of navigable waterways. It also reckons there are 35,000 boats on the system, so that’s 17.5 boats for every mile of water, which perhaps explains why some boaters are always moaning about having to slow down to pass moored vessels.

Of course, it is not as simple as that, as one development of the leisure age on the canals is the creation of marinas – inland versions of the yachting marinas of the coast, although often not as glamorous.

Surprisingly, although the trust and British Waterways before it, have to

Visitor moorings, like these at Fradley, are free if you stick by the time limits. But continuously cruising may get increasingly difficult if you are a holiday boater.

Club moorings like these, run by the Coombeswood Canal Trust at Hawne Basin on the Dudley Canal can be fully booked, you need to get to know the club and get involved.

Farm moorings, like these on the Shropshire Union, are popular with boaters wanting peace and quiet. licence marinas to connect to the system, and have a whole business unit dedicated to helping outside companies establish new marinas, CRT says it doesn’t keep a record of marina berth capacity or levels of occupation.

Simple observation shows that the number of marinas has increased substantially in recent years – certainly to the point in the Midlands that owners of existing marinas have been complaining vociferously about over capacity.

Just two or three years ago I would have been warning any boat buyer to sort out a mooring first as they were in short supply. That is no longer the case and although large, established marinas in popular spots are still attempting to bring in more than £2500 a year for a 60ft boat, and closer to £4000 a year near London. It is also the case that there are more special offers to be seen and some marinas are breaking ranks and selling a 60ft berth for around £1000 in order to ensure all their berths are occupied.

CRT moorings like these at Hockley Port on the BCN are sold through an auction system that is disliked by many boaters and produces inconsistent results.

The Bridgewater Canal is almost completely boat club moorings and turnover tends to be slow.

A much increased number of marinas also offer winter-only berths at reduced rates, a sure sign of under-occupancy.

CRT also sells online moorings, usually on the non-towpath side of canals but sometimes on the towpath, through its auction system. These longterm moorings have a variable level of facilities and are often simply a place to tie the boat when not in use – with variable levels of security.

The auction system – apparently put in place to ensure that such moorings fetched a market price and did not compete unfairly with marinas or other private mooring suppliers – has been unpopular with boaters from its inception and has consistently produced anomalous results.

My observations – completely unscientific and subjective – as I have travelled the waterways this year seem to show a growing number of these CRT moorings no longer occupied. That may be linked to the increased number of vacancies which do not attract any bids and are withdrawn to be re-advertised later. The refusal or inability of boat owners to bid for those vacancies may well be linked in turn to the curious decision of CRT to increase the reserve prices so that they are now just 10% lower than the guide prices, rather than the much larger gap initially used.

That not only makes the moorings potentially more expensive, it also distorts any attempt to find a true market value.

The new boat owner tempted by the generally lower price of online CRT moorings needs to be aware that some auctions can be fiercely fought and the price can escalate out of all recognition.

It happened recently in Birmingham – a mooring went for more than twice the guide price, yet another one in the same spot put up for auction a few weeks later failed to attract a single bid.

The third option for a mooring is the linear moorings offered by some boatyards and many farmers in rural areas. Prices tend to hover just above the price of CRT online moorings and may be a little higher if electricity and water is on offer. These moorings are rarely empty and you may need to join a waiting list.

Tucked away on old wharves, in disused canal basins and sometimes on a stretch of offside moorings, are many canal clubs and societies which operate their own moorings, often at very reasonable prices and sometimes even selling cheap diesel, coal and chandlery, as well as offering a social life, often with a clubhouse or bar.

Don’t dismiss city centre moorings like these at Sherborne Wharf in the heart of Birmingham.

These are difficult for the new boat owner to get to know, unless they live nearby, as they tend to be run by local enthusiasts and you only come across them as you explore the system. However, if you have selected an area where you want to moor your boat it is worth checking to see if there is a local boat club.

Go and visit them, take a look at what they offer and what they seek in return.

Most will be fully booked but they will have a waiting list and some give priority to people who demonstrate a willingness to join working parties, man (or woman) the bar and be an active participant in club life. Those linked to canal restoration schemes are especially interesting.

In theory of course, even as a holiday boater, you can declare yourself a continuous cruiser, volunteering to move your boat every 14 days and be ‘on a journey’. Discussions about the length of that journey are constantly debated but meeting with CRT guidelines is certainly more onerous if you have to keep travelling to your boat every two weeks, even in winter. There is also the option of a winter mooring of course, in marinas or under the somewhat confusing CRT system.

Make your mind up?

Perhaps you don’t have to decide finally and irrevocably where to tie your boat.

Most marinas only look for a one year contract and will accept something shorter, even the CRT auction system allows you to bail out after six months of the initial three-year deal.

Find somewhere you think will serve your needs best – at the best price – for a year or so and keep your eye open for something different or better. Moorings are not in short supply if you are flexible about location and don’t insist on the latest in luxury. Even if you do want the best spot in the country with plug-in plumbing and high-speed internet it is probably available as most boaters just can’t afford it these days.

Over the first eight years of our boating life we tied up in almost as many mooring places and it became part of the fun, getting to know new people, new areas of the waterways and new places on the land.

A mooring doesn’t really tie you to any particular spot – and that’s the point really. ● Next month: How can you get the best out of boat ownership?

51

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BITS & BOBS

by Rexx & Phill

SEASONED greetings! When Santa comes down our chimney on Christmas Eve, he drops off a bulging package of good ol’ pot roast and sack of winter veg to help us celebrate the bounties of the winter solstice. We chop up some of the veg as a braising base for the brisket and along with some apples, bake the rest in the oven.

for the holidays (we actually have a doily of red and green poinsettia petals). Huzzah!

Plus, by buying these wonderful items, we feel we have done a bit to help the charities and shops along the way and, come to think of it, we are all about bits and bobs.

Rexx’s brisket braised

Prep time 20 minutes, bake time total 4 hours, serves 4 plus leftovers Marinade ● ¼ cup vegetable oil ● 275g HP sauce ● 1 tbsp Chinese 5-spice ● Juice of one lemon ● 1 tin stout ● 2 tbsp ketchup ● 1 tsp each salt and pepper ● Gravy ● 2 tbsp margarine ● 2 tbsp flour ● 1 cup processed pan veg ● 1½ cups milk Brisket ● 1.5-2kg (3-4lb) rolled beef shoulder roast ● Aromatics (pot veg base) ● 2 tbsp vegetable oil ● 4 rashers streaky bacon, diced ● 2 red onions, diced ● 2 cloves garlic, minced ● 4 carrots, diced ● 2 ribs celery, diced ● 1 tin chopped tomatoes ● 1 packet beef gel or 1 cube ● ½ bottle red wine ● Marinade To bake on the bottom shelf during the last hour or two of roasting 4 apples (cored and stuffed with brown sugar and raisins), 4 potatoes, 4 sweet potatoes, 4 beetroot, to bake on lower shelf.

Day before: Untie the roast and spread out flat, marinate overnight.

CANALS and waterways have served many purposes over the years – one of the more unusual and dangerous was when they provided a risky escape route for allied airmen and refugees from occupied France during the Second World War. A gripping novel from Hilary Green follows the fortunes of two teenagers who take refuge on a canal barge as they try to escape to England and find themselves immersed in the complex Operation Kingfisher.

As the author herself explains on her website: “Operation Kingfisher is not just an exciting story of encounters with the enemy and narrow escapes. It is a touching coming of age tale in which two young people have their courage tested and their hearts broken and have to grow up very quickly.”

Operation Kingfisher is published by Robert Hale Ltd in hardback, priced £19.99.

ISBN: 978-0-7198-1051-0

Reviewer: Elizabeth Rogers

Day of: Preheat oven to 160ºC (325ºF) Mark 3.

In a Dutch oven (thick walled cooking pot with lid), heat the oil to sizzle temperature. Remove roast from the marinade (reserve the liquid), pat dry and brown (5 min per side). Remove to a tray. Add the bacon to the residual oil along with the pot base vegetables (aromatics) and sauté until the vegetables are caramelised. Top with the roast, pour over the marinade, cover, and roast (4 hours). During the last hour pack the baking apples and vegetables onto a roasting tray and place on the bottom shelf.

Remove roast, cover, and let rest. Remove the aromatics (veg in the bottom of the Dutch oven) to a blender. Add a knob of butter to the Dutch oven and blend with flour. Add back the pureed aromatics, stir, add the milk, stir again to thicken (10 min). Remove the vegetables from the oven, reserve potatoes and beets for Red Flannel Hash later in the week. Turn off the oven and leave the apples in to stay warm. Split open the sweet potatoes and plate with the beef.

Smother the lot in that luscious gravy. For a delicious finish, fetch the apples from the oven and serve each with a scoop of ice cream.

Phill’s Red Flannel Hash

We’ve invited Santa to a supper of roast beef a number of times and busy as he is, he always sends his regrets but more than once has shown up for Red Flannel Hash a few days later when things have calmed down. If you look closely at pictures of him, you might see a bit of ketchup caught in his beard.

THE saying that you can’t tell a book by its cover is certainly not true in the case of Stuart Fisher’s Canals of Britain, a Comprehensive Guide, for it genuinely lives up to its name. Sixty-five canals, from the Tiverton Basin on the Grand Western Canal to the Beauly Firth at the end of the Caledonian Canal, are most comprehensively described and imaginatively illustrated.

As well as having photographs showing the geographical locality, each chapter is illustrated with pictures of points of special interest, from the historic – such as the old lime-kilns at Froghall on the Caldon Canal and the roundhouse at Gothersley on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, where the balance-beam has become the seat at what is now a picnic site – to the unusual.

These oddities include a sign ‘Caution, Elderly Ducks Crossing’ near Yardley Gobion, on the way to Stoke Bruerne on the Grand Union Canal, and an intriguingly twisted trunk of a hawthorn tree beside the River Brede near where it joins the Royal Military Canal at Rye, in Kent.

Adding to the variety of the illustrations are the covers of books whose authors once lived in the area of the canal; among these are Watership Down, written by Richard Adams who was born at Newbury, on the Kennet & Avon Canal, and the Rainbow, the work of D H Lawrence in which he refers to the effects of canal construction. He is commemorated by a plaque at Eastwood Lock on the Erewash Canal, having been born in New Eastwood.

Another form of illustration is postage stamps: Mary Queen of Scots, shown on an 81p stamp, was born at the royal palace at Linlithgow, close to the Union Canal, and Richard Arkwright, whose water-powered cotton-spinning mill stands near the Cromford Canal, is depicted on a 50p stamp.

Stuart Fisher travelled each of the canals himself, sometimes by kayak to reach less-accessible destinations, and from these journeys he has produced this extremely useful updated version of his guide.

Canals of Britain, A Comprehensive Guide is published by Adlard Coles Nautical, price £25.

ISBN 978-14081-8195-9

Stuart’s winning waterways combination Reviewer: Gay Armstrong

A COMPREHENSIVE and practical guide to Britain’s waterways with stunning photography and useful maps is a winning combination.

British River Navigations is from the editor of Canoeist magazine Stuart Fisher, who has written monthly guides for many years, always researched from the water.

Following on from his previous books Rivers of Britain and Canals of Britain, this exploration includes hidden backwaters and abandoned or isolated navigations as well as world famous rivers like the Thames and the Severn.

Featuring history and folklore, engineering and architecture, riverbank art and waterside pubs and the diverse wildlife, this is a book for everyone interested in the waterways from boaters to walkers and holidaymakers to historians.

British River Navigations by Stuart Fisher is published by Adlard Coles Nautical in softback, priced £25.

ISBN: 978-1-4729-0084-5

Two friends up sticks and follow a narrowboat dream

● 2 tbsp vegetable oil ● ½ red onion minced ● 4 slices cooked roast beef, shredded ● 4 cold cooked potatoes,

peeled and chopped

Brush the bottom of a cast-iron skillet with vegetable oil and bring it up to sizzle temperature; add the minced onion and beetroot. Combine the chopped roast beef and diced, cooked potatoes. Fold in 1 cup of leftover gravy. Press the mixture into the bottom of the skillet to make a pancake.

Teens escape occupied France via the canals

A guide that genuinely lives up to its name

Prep time 10 minutes, cook time 15 minutes, serves 4

● 4 beetroot diced ● ½ cup ketchup ● 1 egg per person ● Salt to taste ● Pepper to taste

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

Reviewer: Gay Armstrong

December top tip During our chugging months, Rexx likes to stop off at the charity shops along the way to search for bits of fabric, needlework, crochet, and antimacassars to collect. They are easy to store, cheer up our space during the winter months and make great prezzies

REVIEWS

Brown on one side, slide out onto a plate, flip and slip back onto the pan to brown on the opposite side. Salt and pepper to taste. Break up, mix in ketchup and keep on a low temperature. Add 2 tbsp oil to a frying pan and heat to sizzle temp. One by one, break the eggs onto a plate and slip into the frying pan. Fry to desired consistency and divide into portions.

Plate the hash and serve with one egg on top.

Drizzle over a bit more ketchup and salt and pepper to taste. Farewell!

HAVEN’T we all, at one time or another, thought of upping sticks and following a dream. Most of us won’t do it... but we can enjoy reading about someone else taking the plunge.

Cast Adrift is the story of two friends who stumble upon a run-down narrowboat on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal. They buy it and head north and this book follows their adventures along the way.

Written in a down-to-earth tone with flashes of great humour and many twists and turns along the way, this is a book for anyone enjoying a good tale but particularly for those who love the waterways.

The authors are Carol Knight and Kathryn Newton who themselves have joined forces in a new venture (writing this book) just like the heroines in their story.

Cast Adrift is available as an ebook on Amazon Kindle for £2.97 where it has some excellent reviews and the authors hope it will soon be in print.

Invaluable First Mate Guides are now available online WHATEVER happened to First Mate Guides? Simple answer, they are now online.

Author Carole Sampson explained: “Not everyone knew, but they were all handmade by me and for a host of reasons I can’t do them any more. So, rather than abandoning all the work, we have set up a new website where you can download them for free – well, almost. We would appreciate donations, if only to pay the site fees.

“Not only free, but tablet friendly, so you can slip one into your bag and take it with you, or print off and take just the page you want.”

For more details visit www.firstmateguides.co.uk

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54 CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

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Start your Christmas shopping here Treat your boating buddy to a stylish custom-made tiller pin

LOOKING for a special something for your boating friend or partner this Christmas?

Why not treat them to a custommade 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 the website www.tillerpins.co.uk you will find over 80 various styles

which will cater for every taste, from animals including dogs, swans to teddy bears, miners, boots and boats – and the great thing is when they are shown off around the waterways – you will know that you are the only person to grace the waterways with your chosen design.

Just part of the range can be seen in the photos, but all can be seen on the website or call Dawn or Terry Tinsley to see if they have something suitable for you on 07909 086868.

High definition television gear for people on the move FOR people who watch TV on the move, whether on board a boat, motorhome or caravan, one of the specialist units from acdctv would make a fantastic present.

The Cello Traveller (available in 19, 22, and 24in sizes) has outstanding LED backlight

The USB speakers can be bought for only £29.99.

technology, high definition picture quality, inbuilt freeview and built in DVB-S2 tuner allowing you to enjoy HD satellite TV without an extra receiver.

It also incorporates a DVD player, all important HDMI input and SCART inputs, computer monitor in (VGA), audio and RF in, CI compatible slot and USB media centre with media player – allowing playback of your multimedia files.

Power consumption is very important when deciding what electrical equipment to use in a boat and these sets use less than 25W for TV and DVD on 12v DC when playing a DVD, this means extra life for your leisure battery. acdctv is a specialist in 12v TVs and 24v DC caravan, boat and motorhome televisions and satellite systems.

It prides itself on supplying high quality products and giving its many customers an unrivalled degree of service.

“We have been supplying 12v DC televisions, portable satellite systems and other 12v electrical equipment, such as leisure batteries and generators for many years and have built a solid reputation in the leisure industry. We use the very latest HD technology in all our mobile televisions,” a spokesman told us.

“At acdctv we pride ourselves on combining the best in modern technology with the finest traditional customer service.

“All our products are tested rigorously before we add them to the site. With superb viewing angles and robust construction you can be sure of the build and picture quality.

All our leisure and marine 12v systems come with a full manufacturer’s warranty, including collection by our couriers, so no expensive postage costs for you should a problem arise. Delivery is free, guaranteed next working day by Interlink couriers if payment for your order is received by 2pm.

Made for taking out and about – the Cello Traveller TV. ● Towpath Talk customers always receive 10% off any TV by phoning 01594 888007 and quoting the code TPT13

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE 55

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Mapping the way for a great Christmas gift WATERWAY Routes’ latest map releases expand its already extensive coverage into the Yorkshire Waterways.

The Aire & Calder Navigations, Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigations, River Ouse, Ripon Canal, River Derwent and Pocklington Canal are all covered now, with more releases planned for the winter and spring. The existing maps

haven’t been forgotten, with updates including the latest Ordnance Survey background maps together with many changes along the waterways from new winding points to moved water points.

Maps are available in two versions, including Acrobat (pdf ) format which is ideal for printing and viewing on screen.

The Memory-Map (qct) format

provides the same up-to-date mapping joined into one seamless map so you can scroll freely along the whole route without page turning.

You can use them on your computer or laptop with the free Memory-Map software. Best of all, the maps work on Android and iPhones/iPads with realtime tracking on GPS enabled devices, using the Memory-Map App, as used for OS maps.

Maps covering restoration projects are free to download.

The Droitwich Canals maps are still free, even though they are now open, and make an ideal test so you can see how clear the maps are and check they work on your devices without spending any money.

When you are ready, the maps are priced from just £3 – with the top of the range England & Wales Maps available at £49 in Acrobat (pdf ) format and £79 in Memory-Map (qct) format (including a free copy of the Acrobat pdf version too). You can start with the route(s) you need now, then upgrade to a larger area later.

They all come with a year of updates, and a small fee ensures ongoing updates.

The maps are available for download from the website for instant access – or on CD in a presentation box which makes them ideal for wrapping as a Christmas present.

The Waterway Routes range of Popular, Bowcam and Combined DVDs also make great gifts for Christmas. ● Full details at www.waterwayroutes.co.uk

Help make light work of stiff lock paddles IT MIGHT be a bit big to fit in the average stocking, but a LockMaster windlass is a perfect gift for keen boaters this Christmas.

The LockMaster makes easy work of stiff lock paddles that can turn a trip down a canal into an exhausting and stressful affair. LockMaster works by combining a ratchet and an extended handle.

It can be used in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction or can be locked to give full control when lowering a paddle.

Manufactured entirely in England, the tool requires no maintenance and is made from a

Inventor Mel Errington: “I saw a problem and wanted to solve it.” PHOTOS SUPPLIED

Too big for the average stocking, but it makes a great gift for Christmas. combination of nickel plated ferrous metal, stainless steel and aluminium so that it can be recovered from the canal with a magnet, if necessary. It is a simple, beautifully engineered device, weighty enough to cope with its rugged task without breaking or buckling.

It was invented by retired businessman Mel Errington after his wife Julie was tired of struggling to open locks on the Grand Union Canal. Now in its sixth year, it has become clear that Lockmaster helps to make the canals accessible and enjoyable for a variety of people.

“I get emails from customers telling me they were on the verge of giving up boating, they were so fed up with battling with locks, but now they are able to continue with a hobby they love, season after season,” Mel said. “That’s hugely satisfying for me, I saw a problem and wanted to solve it, so I sat down and designed something strong, easy to use and durable.”

Every component in the tool is quality checked before being assembled. Guaranteed next-day delivery is included in the price. “I’ve had last minute orders from people buying them as birthday or anniversary presents for family. I’ve even sent them to marinas for customers to pick up when they arrive at their boat having decided, at the eleventh hour, that they can’t face another holiday without one,” added Mel. “ I love the fact that LockMaster has become essential kit!” ● LockMaster is priced at £154 inclusive of VAT, packaging and delivery. For more information or to order a LockMaster call Mel Errington on 01962 733766 or email jumel@tiscali.co.uk

W arw ick Top Lock , Low erCape, W arw ick CV34 5D P

Tel: 01 926 4 1 0588

Em ail: alan@ getk notted .co.u k

W eb : w w w .getk notted .co.u k

N o thing T o o B ig o rSm all Ro p e do o r sto p s, av ailable sm all, m edium and large fro m £19 .0 0

Fenderkit, inc luding bo o k £2 5

An ideal bo ating gift c o ntaining C o lin Jo nes’ guide to m aking fenders and all the ro p e yo u need to m ake yo urfirstside fender.

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Enjoy a walk along the Learn more about towpath without leaving the your boat engine comfort of your armchair

FOR those of you who like to give a practical gift, River Canal Rescue has a programme of courses designed for boat owners and potential boat owners who would like to learn about basic boat engine maintenance and the electrical systems on their vessels.

The two-day course is ideal for all backgrounds, and will suit DIYers, and those wishing to develop their knowledge and skills. Four engines are available to work on which ensures all attendees get hands-on experience.

Intended for owners or potential owners of narrowboats, cruisers and yachts, these courses involve theory and some practical demonstration with participation. The topic areas covered include: diesel engines, transmissions, boat plumbing, electrics, lay-up and refit procedures.

Run over a weekend, at a cost of £100 per person, the courses all take place in the heart of the country at Alvechurch Marina on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal south of Birmingham.

Dates for 2014 are: January 18-19; February 15-16; March 22-23; April 12-13; May 17-18; July 12-13; August 16-17; September 13-14 and October 25-26.

Other courses will be arranged to meet extra demand.

These courses can also be run at your boat club with substantial discounts. Contact RCR for further details.

FOR anyone who has either enjoyed or missed watching Julia Bradbury’s Canal Walks series, the Canal Walks DVD will make a great present to be enjoyed on a winter’s evening.

The four walks featured in two hours of viewing follow a hidden network of locks, bridges, aqueducts and tunnels, perfect for exploring on foot.

With sorties into the Scottish Highlands following the Caledonian Canal, the Llangollen Canal in Wales, the Kennet & Avon Canal and the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, they also offer an insight into Britain’s industrial heritage, cutting a sedate path through some of the country’s finest scenery.

Special features include a biography of Julia Bradbury, a regular BBC Countryfile presenter and supporter of the inland waterways, as well as picture galleries.

Canal walker Julia Bradbury pictured at this year’s Crick Boat Show.

Becksdvds is a family run business selling specialist DVDs operating from a dairy farm on the Cheshire and north Wales border.

Having started from humble beginnings in 2000, as trade rapidly grew this became the basis for a full farm diversification project, and has developed into a thriving business alongside the farming enterprise.

The DVD range, which includes 80 canal titles, is intended to provide a wide and varied range of interesting and informative titles and every order is despatched within 24 hours.

The Canal Walks DVD set is priced at £9.99 with free UK postage and packing. To order call 01948 770665 or visit www.becksdvds.co.uk

Learning about basic engine maintenance on the two-day course.

Four different engines are provided.

All course participants get hands-on experience working on an engine. PHOTOS: RCR

● To arrange attendance contact River Canal Rescue on 01785 785680; email enquiries@rivercanalrescue.co.uk www.rivercanalrescue.co.uk

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Keeping your boat safe and sound with high-tech alarm system FOR a practical present for the boat owner, GSM Secure offers a range of products to suit every need for using the GSM networks for control and monitoring.

GSM stands for Global Systems for Mobiles, and these boat/marine alarms are a stand-alone system that offers the advantage of protection when neither mains power nor a landline are available making it an ideal system for boats and other marine craft are either moored or stored. When required the alarm system will inform the owner via text messaging of any problems which may be occurring with the boat.

The systems are designed to be simple to set up, in fact all you need to do is to connect the unit to the onboard 12v battery system or the included 240v AC adaptor. If you are not confident in doing this yourself,

then a marine electrician could help with the fitting.

With the facility of up to two wired inputs, the alarm informs by SMS text of activation of each wired sensor. For example, one of the features of the system is that it can be configured to inform if the bilge level is too high and the text will read ‘bilge high level’.

As the system allows for two sensors, it will inform you when any of the sensors are activated. For example, the system can be configured to inform if the carpets are wet and a text sent to you would read ‘water leak detected’.

Other applications that can be wired into the system include: window and door alarms, a PIR system (looking for movement on boat), smoke sensor, LPG gas sensor, bilge sensor and you can add additional products like an

external siren and strobe light.

The intruder alarm, has an 110db siren which can deter burglars from staying around or if switched off gives the opportunity to catch intruders in the act by acting as a silent alert.

As the system uses GSM technology, this has the added advantage of being able to track your boat if stolen.

There are also two outputs to allow control of heating, lighting and more via relays. Imagine arriving to your boat with the heating on and not having to wait for it to warm up. Just make a call before you arrive and switch the heating on using your mobile phone. ● For more information contact GSM Secure on 0161 402 3095 or visit www.gsm-secure.co.uk

Cruising down the Llangollen Canal

TWICE as long as the original and completely remade, The Llangollen Canal DVD takes its audience through the stunning Cheshire countryside and two spectacular aqueducts across gorges created by the Welsh mountain rivers, one of which is now a World Heritage Site.

A great Christmas gift in full wide screen format, this DVD culminates with a visit to the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

Among other fascinating features, this programme shows a period re-enactment of the historic cheese trade in Whitchurch, loading and carrying cheese in the horse-drawn Shroppie fly boat Saturn.

The Llangollen Canal presented by Chris Smith, running time 68 minutes approx, price £12.99, from Videoactive can be ordered for £12.99 from www.canal-dvds.com, email toni@videoactive.co.uk tel 01948 780114 or by post from VideoActive Ltd, Mill House Studios Higher Wych, Malpas, Cheshire SY14 7JR. Or if you want to push the boat out a bit further, VideoActive Ltd has put together value packs containing two DVDs for £18.98 and Super Saver packs containing three DVDs for £24.97. These are a great gift idea for boaty friends and relatives. See full details at www.canal-dvds.com

Text messages & phone calls to marina security or your mobile phone can avoid all these problems. Remote control to switch heating and lights prior to arrival.

Wireless Alarm

£45

GSM Wireless Alarm

£159

Improved Internet connection onboard with our range of antennas and accessories.

Please see web site or call for full details.

Text Message Smoke Alarm

£89

GSM networks for control and monitoring.

Great Gift ideas

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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

Santa will start early at Swindon DUE to popular demand, the Wiltshire & Berkshire Canal Trust brought forward its Santa cruises on trip boat Dragonfly to start on Sunday, November 24. Run by the Swindon branch and now in their third year, the cruises will continue every Saturday and Sunday for the weekends of November 30-December 1, December 7-8, 14-15, 21-22, finishing on Monday, December 23. Midweek Santa charters are available on request.

Boarding takes place at the landing stage near Kingshill, with passengers told to keep an eye out for Santa, who boards the vessel at Beavans Bridge bearing gifts. The boat then makes for New Bridge, near Wichelstowe,

before turning back to Kingshill.

Proceeds from the cruises help the trust as well as create awareness of its campaign to restore the entire length of the canal. Cost is £6 per adult (which includes mince pies and mulled wine/orange) and £8.50 for children, which includes a present.

All places must be booked in advance and payment made at the time of booking.

Booking forms, giving details of the child, must also be completed in advance.

Visit www.wbct.org.uk/santa-trips, email santa@wbct.org.uk, or contact the W&BC Trust Shop in Theatre Square, Swindon. Tel: 01793 827678.

Baking day aboard super sloop Spider T Santa with his young visitors on the John Varley tripboat. PHOTO: CHESTERFIELD CANAL TRUST

Santa cruises on the Chesterfield Canal

WHEN Santa sailed into Tapton Lock to launch this year’s special cruises on the Chesterfield Canal, he was greeted by a host of civic leaders, along with their children and grandchildren.

After a brief photo opportunity, they set off up the cut with Santa, his little elf helper, lots of sweets and presents for the children and mince pies and a drink for the adults. The dignitaries included: Coun Alexis Diouf and Mrs VickyAnn Diouf, deputy Mayor and Mayoress of Chesterfield; Robin Stonebridge, chairman of the Chesterfield Canal Trust; Natascha Engel MP; Coun Janet Hill, vice-chairman of Derbyshire County Council and Mr David

Hill; Toby Perkins MP; Coun Ken Savidge, chairman of North East Derbyshire District Council and Mrs Jo Savidge.

The Chesterfield Canal Trust will be running Santa Special Cruises in no less than four different venues this year – Chesterfield, Staveley, Worksop and Retford. Tripboat John Varley will be carrying out Santa Special trips every Saturday and Sunday from November 23December 22, starting at Tapton Lock in Chesterfield on the A61 at the Tesco roundabout.

There will be more trips from Hollingwood Hub, in Staveley, on Monday and Tuesday, December 23-24. To book, ring

Floating grotto at Falkirk THE Falkirk Wheel will hopefully be reopening on Friday, November 29, following its closure throughout the month for annual maintenance. And the wheel will be welcoming Santa to his floating grotto from December

14-24. Families will be able to embark on a special boat journey to the grotto. The visitor centre, cafe and gift shop remain open WednesdaySunday (11am to 4pm) throughout the works. www.thefalkirkwheel.co.uk

Festive family cruises at the National Waterways Museum

THE National Waterways Museum will be holding its popular Santa cruises for families at Ellesmere Port during December.

There will be three trips a day on December 7-8, 14-15 and from 21-24 at 11am, 12.45pm and 2.30pm.

Visitors can take a boat trip on the canal with Santa before visiting him in his workshop for a story and present. The event rounds off with refreshments.

For information go to: www.nwm.org.uk or call 0151 373 4373.

01246 551035. Over in Retford, the Seth Ellis will be doing Santa Special trips every Saturday and Sunday from November 30December 22 and on Monday and Tuesday, December 23-24, from the Hop Pole pub on Welham Road. To book, ring 07925 851569. Meanwhile, in Worksop, the Hugh Henshall will also be on Santa Specials duty on Saturday and Sunday, December 21-22, starting from the Lock Keeper pub, off the Sainsbury’s roundabout on the ring road. To book, ring 01246 477569. On all these trips, Santa will have a present for every child and a mince pie and a drink for every adult. The cost is £6 per person.

A date for your new year diary THE annual Montgomery Canal Triathlon will take place on Saturday, May 10, 2014.

The theme will be Bikes, Boats ’n’ Boots, with the event using the 35-mile length of the canal.

Now in its third year, this very popular event is noncompetitive and lots of fun for adults and children. Entrants can opt to take part in one, two or all sections.

Canoes are usually available to borrow for the 11-mile Welshpool-Llanymynech section.

Please see http://www.mont gomerycanal.co.uk/ for further details and entry form or contact Peter and Judith Richards of the Friends of the Montgomery Canal on 01691 831455.

Market dates for The Pod GLASSWARE designer and artist Kate Webley of The Pod will be exhibiting at a number of festive markets in the West Midlands in the run-up to Christmas.

Her glass creations include wall hangings, bowls, platters and candle holders, while new for 2013 are glass sculpture and larger wall panels. Dates are as follows: Saturday, December 7: Upton on

Severn WR8 0JD 9am-5pm; Sundays, December 8/15/22: Leamington Spa Sunday craft market CV32 4BT 10am-5pm; Friday, December 13: Colmore Row, Birmingham Cathedral, Christmas Arts Market 9am5.30pm; Friday and Saturday, December 20-21: Sutton Coldfield B72 1PD 9am-5.30.

Visit www.pod4art.com

IF the Great British Bake Off inspired you to get busy in the kitchen, Saturday baking days in the galley of Humber super sloop Spider T, on the Stainforth & Keadby Canal at Keadby, could be a real treat for you and your friends.

Cooks can use the traditional coal-fired cooking range, with groups of up to six people catered for.

Spider T owner and skipper Mal Nicholson is also looking at film and photography nights on a Wednesday evening,

where the small on-board cinema and visual and audio display can be used for enthusiasts in warm and comfortable surroundings.

As a tribute to the late Chris Horan, Mal has put together a Christmas special comprising Chris’ book Humber Sail and History and a DVD featuring some incredible photos taken

by Chris on what was to be his final voyage on Spider T, up the East Coast for the 200th anniversary of the Bell Rock Lighthouse in 2011.

WHAT’S ON IN DECEmbEr

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.

Throughout the month

Art exhibition by Michele Field: County Hall, Oxford OX1 1ND. Open Monday to Thursday 8.30am-5pm, Friday 8.30am-4pm, closed weekends. www.saa.co.uk/art/michele

November 30-December 1

Waterways Craft Guild: Beginners’ roses and castles course at Black Country Living Museum, Dudley, with Dave Moore. Members £90, non-members £97.50. Contact training co-ordinator Julie Tonkin on 01384 569198, julie@canal-art-by-julie.co.uk

December 1

IWA Towpath Walks Society, London: Regent’s Canal, Mile End to Limehouse. Starts Mile End tube station at 2.30pm. Costs £9, £7 student/concs. Contact Roger Wilkinson 0208 458 9476.

December 6

National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port: Christmas Concert by the Wirral Singers and Ringers in the museum’s Waterside Cafe, 7.30pm. Coffee/tea and mince pies included in the price, tickets £7.

December 8

IWA Towpath Walks Society, London: Regent’s Canal, Little Venice to Camden. Starts Warwick Avenue tube station at 2.30pm. Costs £9, £7 student/concs. Contact Roger Wilkinson 0208 458 9476.

National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port: Waterways Craft Group meets on the first floor of the Island Warehouse to demonstrate traditional crafts of the inland waterways.

December 9

Ashby Canal Association: Archive waterway films presented by Rob Foxon with authentic reel-to-reel sound projection. Join the ACA for a fascinating evening, starting at 7.30pm at the Navigation Inn, Spring Cottage, near Overseal DE12 6ND. Free admission. www.ashbycanal.org.uk

December 10

Kate Webley of The Pod.

IWA Chester and Merseyside: ‘From Boat Museum to National Waterways Museum’ by Di Skilbeck, president of the Boat Museum Society. Seasonal refreshments and raffle. Tom Rolt Conference Centre, National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port CH65 4FW. 7.45pm.

Bar and coffee-making facilities available.

Compiled by Dave Everatt, it is priced £25 (inc UK delivery).

Contact 01724 783506 or email m.nicholson@sky.com to reserve a copy of this limited offer.

Other Spider T special gifts range from polo shirts to recent commemorative drinking glasses, artwork by Lesley Everatt and much more, including the latest DVD on this year’s adventures on Spider T’s voyage to Whitby from the River Trent, priced at £12 (inc UK delivery).

December 11

IWA Warwickshire: Quiz and social evening.

The Sports Connexion Leisure Centre, Ryton-on-Dunsmore CV8 3FL. 7.30pm.

South London IWA: Christmas cheer with mince pies and members’ photos. The Primary Room, The United Reformed Church Hall, Addiscombe Grove, Croydon CR0 5LP. 7.30 for 8pm, all welcome. Contact Alan Smith 0208 255 1581, 07774 890750 or email alan.smith@waterways.org.uk

December 13

IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire: ‘The Trent & Mersey Canal from the Archives’, illustrated talk by Harry Arnold from the Waterway Images archives. Stoke-on-Trent Boat Club, Endon Wharf, Post Lane, Endon, Stoke-on-Trent ST6 9DT, 7.45 for 8pm. Contact Barbara Wells 01782 533856 or Sarah Honeysett 01782 772295.

IWA West Riding: Christmas social and members’ slides. South Pennine Boat Club, Wood Lane, Mirfield WF14 0ED. 8pm. Contact 0113 393 4517 or kandal@btinternet.com

December 16

IWA Birmingham, Black Country & Worcester: Christmas buffet and photos.

Coombeswood Canal Trust, Hawne Basin, Hereward Rise, Halesowen, West Midlands B62 8AW, 7.15 for 7.30pm. Contact Chris Osborn 01299 832593, jcosborn@btinternet.com

December 20

IWA Notts & Derby: ‘The Panama Canal’ mini presentation by John Wilkinson, followed by seasonal refreshments. Rushcliffe Arena, Rugby Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 7HY. 7.45pm.

Contact nottsandderbys@waterways.org

December 21-22

National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port: ‘A Christmas Carol’, the Boaty Theatre Company’s take on the traditional Dickens classic. Tickets £5 adults, £2.50 accompanied children under 16, £14 families (two adults up to three children).

December 31

St Pancras Cruising Club: Icicle Cruise – morning cruise to Little Venice, BBQ lunch, return to SPCC for New Year’s Eve. Contact cruise co-ordinator Caroline Stanger on 07956 231456, carolinestanger@hotmail.com

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BOAT SALES

OWPATH

To book your advertising call Richard on 01507 529549

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Dream Narrowboats Distinctive bespoke live-aboard specialist

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s Vetus 4.17 engine with 3.5kw travel power s Victron 3000 inverter/charger s Vetus flush toilet with 215l waste tank s Vetus accumulator tank/ water pump s Morso Squirrel multi fuel stove s Full size washer/dryer s 12v fridge and 12v freezer s Full size shower s Solid ash (20mm) above gunnels & ceiling s Solid oak (18mm) floor throughout

Please contact us for a viewing, brochure or any query you may have tel Pauline on 01270 501047/07817 935639 email: dream_narrowboats@hotmail.co.uk Based in Middlewich Please call for directions

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READERADVERTS

Selling your boat is FREE for private readers of Towpath talk

See coupon on page 87 for details

VIKING 20ft, new mariner 10hp outboard, cooker, hob, grill, portal, ready to go, £4200 ono. Tel. 07775 827755. Huddersfield.

Boats for sale

50FT NARROW BOAT 6ft 10” wide, built 2004 by Grovner & Marsh of Brierly Hill, Perkins diesel engine 45hp, C of E till 2016, ideal live aboard, layout, good d/bed, lounge, kit, bath. £29,000. Tel. 07759 789719.

60FT BOAT Has a very high technical spec inc, HD satellite TV, full c/h, 2kw Pure Sine wave inverter, 5kva 230v engine driven alternator and battery management system, £50,000 Tel. 07903 418840.

BIRCHWOOD 25 1986, 4 berth, full cooker, toilet compartment and 1800cc inboard diesel. Great first boat, £5500 ono. Tel. 07947 563889. Lancs.

CELTIC NARROWBOAT 40ft, 3-berth, diesel, Mitsubishi engine, 3 cyl Alde gas c/h, built 1989, 4yr BSC, pump-out shower, needs painting, new cooker, moored Mon & Brec canal, gwo, £15,000 ono. Tel. 01982 552217.

Powys, Wales.

CRUISER STERN 48ft 1990. Full survey and blacked with new anodes Mar13. BSC Oct 14, solar panel, inverter, charge controller, BMC 1.8, 4 berth, well appointed throughout, viewings welcome, first to see will buy £28,995 ono.

Tel. 07891 201111. Glos.

32FT STEEL NARROWBOAT cruiser style, BMC 1.5, 12v fridge, inverter, s/f stove, £6000. Tel. 01745 855492. lying N Shroppie, N Wales.

CRUISER STERN NARROWBOAT 57ft, 2007, 4 berth, built for long term cruising or live aboard, rev layout, last blacked, new anodes fitted Jan 13, Beta 43 engine, f&r covers, Mercia marina, £49,950. Tel. Phil 0778 6004540. Derbys.

CRUISER STERN NARROWBOAT 57ft, 1985, 6 berth, partly refitted in white ash boarding and LED lighting, partly original fitting, also nice, many new parts inc sterling battery charger, Morso Squirrel wood burner, Italian cooker, memory foam mattress etc, spent £110,000, all licences up to date. Tel. 07970 697023.

Warks.

CRUISER STYLE NARROWBOAT 1984, 40ft, 4 berth, 1500 BMC engine, recent total refit to interior including hot air c/h, elec flush toilet, gas fire fitted, regularly maintained, £21,000. Tel. 01922 478384. Wolvs.

CRUISER STERN NARROWBOAT 52ft single width canal boat, built by JJC in 1979, unfinished project, requires little work to become a lovely live aboard or a leisure boat, £25,000 Tel. 0778 9007364.

HIGHBRIDGE CRUSADER 32ft cruiser, full BSC 2017, licensed til Dec, two 13kg gas bottles, two batteries, solar panel, Paloma w/heater and multi stove, 12v and 240v fridge, sleeps 6. Tel. 07854 781335. Glos.

42FT SPRINGER 1989, cruiser stern, my live aboard home for 22 yrs, well maintained, BSC 2015, hull replated 2009, repainted 2013, moored Cheshire, sale due to health reasons, £19,950.

Tel. 0777 9602838.

Cheshire.

LIVERPOOL TRAD NARROWBOAT Pick up the keys and move in, 2005, 50ft Liverpool trad narrowboat, Izuzu 35 engine, 2 inverters, 2 solar panels, s/f stove/back boiler. Tel. 07594 612804. Cheshire.

LIVERPOOL BUILT NARROWBOAT beautifully presented, rev layout, new kitchen, s/s oven and hob, instant hot water from Morco boiler, deep bath and shower, small d/bed with wardrobe and desk, £42,000. Tel. 074460 42878.

LIVERPOOL BUILT NARROWBOAT ‘Ruby’, 58ft, a great cruising narrowboat, nice clean example, very secure fitted only with port holes, fitted with solar panel, Heritage Range kitchen fitted out with granite worktop, shower and toilet, loads of hot water, nice warm fire in winter, £50,000. Tel. 07956 146404.

MARINER 520 Retro offers luxury/ space, many extras, folding canopy, rope fenders etc, with 15hp outboard, takes 8 board river/6 sea boarders, reduced due to ill health, £6500. Tel. Dave 07768 187923. Leics.

NARROWBOAT 23ft, steel, 3-berth, BSS June 2016, Nanni diesel cassette wc, gas cooker, fridge, water space heaters, Thames, £12,650. Tel. 01367 250258.

Glos.

ATLANTA 24 with Yamaha 20 BEP electric tilt and trim engine, 4 berth with toilet, shower, fridge. Moored at Torksey lock. Reduced to £9500. Tel. 01427 612453.

Lincs.

NARROWBOAT 1984, 32ft beam, 6ft 10 steel hull, diesel, new shower room, nice kitchen with boiler, pot bellied stove,up and running and a very good sailor, must be seen, £9500. Tel. 01509 646479. Leics.

NUTSHELL 70ft, G&T, 2000 shell, new fit-out, 3.5kw generator, inverter, washer, CofC 2016, 6 berth, wood burner, Webasto heating system with 5 radiators, perfect live aboard, £45,950 Tel. Ann or Dennis on 0161 4296925; 07866 962228.

Stockport.

RED & GOLD 57ft 10” traditional/ semi-traditional narrowboat, first reg 2000, built and fitted by Midland Canal Centre, 4 + 2 berth, Beta BV1903S cocooned diesel engine, vgc, throughout, suitable for use as a live aboard, must be seen. Tel. 07427 187749. Northants.

REEVES HULL/KINGSGROUND Fit-out (1996), BSS 2016, 60ft narrowboat, s/f stove/Webasco c/h, Beta 1903 (2009), 3.5kw generator/2.5kw inverter, fixed double, gas cooker and fridge. Tel. 07771 804826.

B’ham.

SEA OTTER 41 SE Cruiser style narrowboat 2007, exc cond, 780 hours only on the clock, extras fitted inc bow thruster, Webasto diesel c/h, new rear cover, 5 yr warranty, £55,000 early viewing suggested Tel. 01744 635275 for more details.

Lancs.

HISTORIC BOAT fully restored, full length, in working trim but suitable for conversion, £30,000. for a no-nonsense sale. Tel. 07913 761871. Oxon.

SHETLAND FAMILY FOUR Built 1979, 17ft, new 15hp Mercury outboard engine fitted Apr 13, BSC valid until Aug 17, nice clean boat inside and out, sink, space for portaloo, upholstery vgc, £3995. Tel. 07914 816557.

Essex.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Full metal jacket is a rare 28ft narrow beam 6 ton metal cruiser, powered by Perkins 4108 engine, 55bhp, shot blasted back to metal 4 yrs ago, painted with 2 pack. Tel. 07833 767161.

Staffs.

WILDERNESS TRAIL BOAT 1977, 18’ 6” fibreglass, excellent condition, BSS to 1917, licence to end Oct 14. £10,500 ono Tel. 07788 430111. Leics.

WOODEN HULL AND TOP BOAT with full Safety Certificate, inc fitted kitchen seats table really well maintained inside, under seat storage, toilet cubicle, seating at the rear of the boat, £9000. Tel. 01283 735489.

CARA CRUISER 4 berth, 9.9 Honda outboard, cooker, cubicle for shower, just been serviced, 11 inch draft, heavy duty trailer, £2500. ono Tel. Derek Lewis on 01278 451641. Bridgewater.

HARBOROUGH MARINE 30ft cruiser stern narrowboat, 1984, Buhk engine, complete prof joiner refit: 2 single beds/ sofas, Waeco fridge, hob, Paloma water SUKY NARROW BOAT heater, wash room, basin, 57ft cruiser stern, 2005, built shower tray, Thetford casby Liverpool Boat Co, en- sette toilet, LED spotlights, gine hours 410, she has had boatmans stove in tiled very little use, new batteries, hearth, back and front covIsuzu 35hp, bottom done in ers, BSC till 2015, moored 2012. £36,999. Tel. Rick Trent & Mersey, new water 07730 571682 for details. tank, laminate saloon floor, Cambs. new curtains inc plant, pole etc, exc cond, £14,500. Tel. 01773 744538. Derbys.

PINDER & SON 2001, Cruiser 55ft, used as live aboard, solar power Sat TV, marine charger, travel power shower over bath, fixed bedroom, utility room, TWIN THORNYCROFT cooker, fridge, BSC 2015, 38ft liveaboard or seagoing. Barras shire, 3 cyl engine, 6 cyl diesel, 5 berth, BSC regularly serviced, £29,500 2016, 3 KVA genny, fly- 07803 304690. Cheshire. bridge, large wheelhouse, SPA & REEVES 60ft narsunroof, calorifier, batt rowboat, boat is self concharger, inv, Osmosis war- tained with 240v on board ranty, £29,000. Tel. 0113 power, fixed double, bath2827449. W Yorks. room with shower/wc, vanity unit all in white, washer, drier, fridge, gas full cooker, diesel c/h, s/fuel wood burner, Beta 50hp engine, interior is cream/white, exterior is traditionally painted, as new condition, viewing a must. £68,000. Tel. Mick or Gena VOYAGER 60ft cruiser style 01638 717276; 07881 narrowboat, built circa 1989, 554751. Suffolk. excellent live aboard ac- SPRINGER NARROWcomm, large forward lounge BOAT 36ft, 1982, BMC 1500 with solid fuel stove, lami- engine, fixed double, toilet, nate flooring, fitted galley multi-fuel Squirrel stove, c/w full size gas cooker and pumped water, sink unit, 3 12v Shoreline fridge, bed burner cooker, licensed till with fixed d/bed, wardrobe 2014, BSC 2017, good little and under bed storage, runner.Tel. 07984 165788. S £28,950. Tel. 07816 204587. Yorks.

TEDDESLEY NARROWBOAT 37ft, steel, cruiser BIG NORTHWICH MOTOR stern, BMC 1.5, recon gear178 Tadworth, unconverted box overplated throughout, and with rare original riveted hull survey 2 yrs ago, canal back cabin, requires re-bot- licensed, unfinished, easy toming (steel), £26,000. Tel. project, £10,500 ono. Tel. 07890 604121. Herts.

07570 149019. Warks.

Parts and spares

ALLAN AUTO SYTHE Villiers 4 st engine, 36” blade, with snow plough attachment, good condition, working, ideal long grass, moorings, towpath, some spares, £235. Tel. 01844 339558. Bucks.

CRATCH COVER Brand new, 5ft, blue, never fitted, cost £500, looking for £250 ovno; also 5ltr expansion tank, £30. Tel. 07973 630066. Notts.

COMPLETE VACUFLUSH 5000 series cassette toilet system with spare cassette and lots of other spares, can be installed complete or used for spares. £200 Tel. 07908 722230.

HAND START KIT believed to be for Lister SR2 or ST2, includes handle, chain and shaft cog with clutch and pulley. Needs clean but sound, £75 Tel. 07811 314112. Warks.

NEW HOSPITAL SILENCER 12” x 32”, 2” BSP fittings, 40kg, £150. Tel. 07974 808277. W Mids.

NORDIKA 3200 as new, used twice, 230v - 400v welder, vgc, c/w headshield, hammer, steel brush, £120 Tel. 07974 808277. W Mids.

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0800 3895325 OMNISAT VUQUBE Remote controlled portable satellite system with Grundig freesat box if required, £350. Tel. 07766 590383. Gtr Man.

SIX HOPPER WINDOWS black surround, measurement 431⁄4” by 211⁄4” to fit 42” by 20”, good cond, £250; also spares parts for JP2.

Tel. 07563 188944. Lichfield.

TWO-STROKE LISTER Freedom Blackstone gearbox, 2-1 reduction, £3500 ono. Tel. 07563 188944.

Lichfield.

HURTH 100 GEARBOX 2:1 reduction, reconditioned but unused, bought as a spare but never needed.

Sent from my iPad, £425.

Tel. 01942 741432. Cheshire.

JABSCO CIRCULATING PUMP 12v, used only once, Jabs I part no 59510-0012, £45 ono. Tel. 01283 740389.

W Mids.

JABASCO COVENTRY Victor, 9900 Volvo Penty 200C, £60; engine and gearbox plus exhaust, offers around £400. Tel. 07789 483241.

Derbys.

CASAPPA GEAR PUMP for hydraulic drive boat, £95; Shurflo diaphragm pump 2.8 GPM, £20; Square D pressure switch, £10; three solar powered 12v 1.5w battery trickle chargers, £10. Tel. 01270 811702. Cheshire.

POLAR HEAT EXCHANGER MANIFOLD for BMC 1.5/1.8 with core and rubber caps, used good condition, £60; also another without core, £50. Milton Keynes or Ican courier. Tel. 07890 604121. Bucks.

PRO COMBI INVERTER CHARGER 3000w, new in original packaging, purchased for project, £900 never used sell for £600. Tel. 07894 856275. Derbys.

PROP SHAFT 1" dia, 303 s/steel, 36" long, 1:12 taper, brand new, c/w key and lock nuts, £60. Tel. 07854 448327. Warks.

Engines TWO WHEELED TRAILER. 16ft long, new suspension, new wheel, new mud guards, £350. Tel. 01509 646479. Leics.

14" WHEEL from Hyundai Lantra with new never used tyre 175 65 R14 Nexen CP661, £20. Tel. 07724 840003. S Yorks.

BETA MARINE 35hp Redline engine and gearbox, may be seen running.

Offers. Tel. 01793 852607.

Worcs.

YAMAHA 4HP 4-stroke, longshaft outboard motor, used as tender/auxiliary, can be seen running, £375.

Tel. 01902 743828. W Mids.

w w w .nationalnarrow boatsforcash.co.uk

THORNICROFT 1.8 FORD 3,449 hrs, good running order, PRM Delta gearbox, engine mounts, propeller, Control panel, Wyvern Shipping, £450. Tel. 01525 372355. (T).

PERKINS 4108 DIESEL ENGINE fully marinised, PRM Delta 2:1 ratio hydraulic g/box with oil cooler, c/w workshop manuals; also wiring loom and control panel, oil pressure was low so new oil pump and oil filter fitted. Sump was modified to suit new pump, engine has been run for only 2 hrs since work completed, gearbox had only done 10 hrs since orig refurb, gearbox worth around £1000; no sensible offer refused, can deliver N West. Tel. 01706 852212.

Lancs.

BMC 1800 engine and gearbox, £60 ono. Tel. 07542 282364. Kent.

YANMAR DIESEL ENGINE YSM 12G, 3-1 reduction gear box, £450. Tel. 07861 394538. Beds.

Equipment BUCKBY CAN 3 gall, fully decorated, £80; Thetford cassette C200, £30; jerry cans, 3 for £20; top box, £50; dump through toilet ceramic bowl, £20. Tel. 07795 964375. N Notts.

BUCKBY CANS Two unpainted, 1 x 12” base (large) 1 x 10.5” base (medium), £50 pair or will split Tel. 07950 832060. B’ham.

DICKINSON DIESEL ADRIATIC cooker/stove c/w flue apart from through deck fitting, good condition, new 2005, buyer to collect, £350 ono. Tel. 07948 222488. W Mids.

KIPOR IG2000 petrol generator, rated output 2kw, exc cond, hardly used, £350 ovno. Tel. 07590 842275.

Cheshire.

FOLDING BIKE £80; Cannon 4-in-1 printer, £25 both like new. Tel. 07976 485623.

Notts.

SUPER CHARGER 50 amp, little used, bought at Crick show for £464, bargain at £250.Tel. 0789 5065648. W Yorks.

HONDA 2000 GENERATOR 240v-110v-12v, approx 3 years old, buyer collects, £225 ono; electric folding bicycle inc front basket, rear panniers, £260 ono; buyer collects. 07873 269671.

Shrops.

MORSO SQUIRREL used parts, front door glass, £20; ash pan door, £15; round grate, £8; outer grate, £15; 4 legs, £8; buyer collects. Tel. 07745 479294. Surrey.

POWERFIELD DIGITAL GENERATOR Trade-Masterpeg 2000 invertor, just serviced, vgc, £250 ono; Anchor weight, 15kg, £45; XM Quickfit 150 Newton life jacket auto or manual, still in bag, not used, weight up to 35kg, £40, all items vgc. Tel. 01909 530634. Notts.

ADULT QUICKFIT 150N manual lifejacket, worn once, child's Seago 150N automatic life jacket, worn once, both as new, can post, £15 each. Tel. 075800 96651; 01594 541320. Glos.

CANAL RELATED BOOKS four, £2 each; four narrowboat framed prints, 6 x 4, £2 each; small brass old saucepan, £5; roses painted enamel coffee pot, £5; dark green enamel coffee pot, £4; old pine wall cupboard, small, £8; terracotta bread/ veg crock, £4. Tel. 01773 744538. Derbys.

KABOLA old dutch diesel stove, chimney and flue and new spare Mica window inc, £125 ono. Tel. 07726 941191. Merseyside.

MULTICEL 3000W inverter with remote plus battery cable, gwo, £100 ono.

Tel. 07575 308672. Worcs.

RESIDENTIAL MOORINGS on small 3 boat mooring site, water, hook up, Elsan & pump out, car park, garden. Bridge 77 Trent & Mersey, £1750. per year inc CRT charges Tel. 07901 617200.

SHORELINE MARINE SOFA We bought this sofa FRIDGE Model RT92 Acc to go on our narrowboat a 12/24v DC, 3 years old, year ago but changed our good condition, freezer and seating arrangement on the fridge compartment, only boat so it was only used for used in our log cabin, 4 yrs 6 months, measurements: old, £200 ovno. 07834 Length 5ft 5” depth, 2ft 8” 819491. Wilts. height (without extended STOLEN: SEAGULL SILhead rest), 2ft 10” (approx VER CENTURY 100 Have overall size inc arms etc), you been offered a short £500 Tel. 01986 895544. shaft with clutch, engine no WSPC 350BB3. Police are BRASS FIRE TRIVET aware.

David 07762 wood handle, £5; green 073100. N Notts. lace effect jug, £4; green TWO FOLDING BICYenamel casserole pot, ideal CLES, good running order, on top of fire, £3. Tel. 01773 £15 each. Tel. 07553 744538. Derbys.

346469. E Staffs.

BRASS MUSHROOM WATERWAYS WORLD VENTS 5, used, £50. ono MAGS Years 2011-2012, the lot; buyer collects. Tel. complete, free for collection.

07748 453496. S B'ham.

Tel. 07745 479294. Surrey.

Miscellaneous

ECO FAN 3 bladed gold, superb, little occasional use on oil stove, cosy cabin, £80. 07582 688469. Derbys.

Wanted LOOKING FOR an old forecourt petrol pump to restore, anything considered - cash waiting; also petrol pump globes in glass or plastic. Tel. Carl 07980 360216 eves. W Mids.

I AM A STUDENT I am looking to buy a live aboard, I have a healthy deposit but looking to fund the remainder through private finance or buy to let, I can fund through student loans and I have a small bushiness set up partly by the uni, between £10 -30,000 Tel. Graham 07588 964404. W Mids.

MIDDLE-AGED BOATING COUPLE relocating to the UK are seeking a furnished flat/house to rent from private from October 2013 until we have found our dreamboat to move onto. All areas considered. Please email us at: mcummins@web.de W Mids.

PROPERTY WANTED Towpath side of canal, anything considered, cash waiting, good project. Tel. 0790 3010642. Lincs.

SMALL DINGHY WANTED unsinkable with small outboard, 2/3 man, not inflatable, price up to £200. Tel. Kev 07929 320843. Oxfordshire.

TRAVEL POWER 3.5KW alternator and support brackets wanted for Beta Marine 43, any condition considered.

Tel. 07545 299729. Leics.

WANTED NARROWBOAT 40-50ft in length don't mind a boat needing work or finishing off etc willing to travel most areas to view, I do have funds in place ready. Tel. 0790 6019299. Norfolk.

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BOAT PAINTERS

Try the narrowboat painting specialists on the North Oxford Canal

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94 NEWS EXTRA

IN BRIEF Chesterfield calendar

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Thames Tideway traffic figures at highest level since the 1960s

By Harry Arnold

THE Chesterfield Canal Trust is selling its 2014 Calendar featuring 27 images, all taken by members.

The price is £5 plus £1.30 for post and packaging and it is available over the counter at Nona’s Coffee Shop at Hollingwood Hub, at Laura’s Coffee Shop at Shireoaks and at Tapton Lock Visitor Centre.

It can also be ordered direct from the Chesterfield Canal Trust website at www.chesterfield-canaltrust.org.uk John Varley cruise vouchers are available from Tapton Lock Visitor Centre and can be exchanged as part or full payment for cruises on board the John Varley tripboat. They are available in units of £10 and may be exchanged throughout 2014.

Detector winners

CONGRATULATIONS to all the winners of a water leak detector from River Canal Rescue in our October competition.

They are: John Windeback, Stevenage, Hertfordshire; Simon Sims, Wollescote, West Midlands; Sue Rutherford, Stratford-uponAvon, Warwickshire; Garry Webster, Shepshed, Leicestershire; Lyndsey Beckford, Wibsey, West Yorkshire; Sharon Ormerod, Nantwich, Cheshire; Andy Smith, Warmley, Bristol; Michael Hodgson, Gloucester; Tracey Belcher, Romney Marsh, Kent; Andrew Kenneth, Blackpool, Lancashire; Michael Reynolds, Corfe Mullen, Dorset; Peter Clist, Colyton, Devon; Suzy Moran, Norwich, Norfolk; Byron John, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire; Darren Andrews, Knutsford, Cheshire; Cathy James, Grays, Essex; Ray Watkins, Maids Moreton, Buckinghamshire; Robert Tanzer, Coalville, Leicestershire; Kristian Snooks, Exeter, Devon; Helen Battle, Boston, Lincolnshire; Roger Allsopp, Tamworth, Staffordshire; Steve Swider, Dudley, West Midlands; Jodie Harvey, Rugeley, Staffordshire; Donna Kent, Orsett, Essex; Philip Page, Westhoughton, Lancashire; Ryan Insley, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire; Mark Rewhorn, Longford, West Midlands; Edward Harding, Cherry Hinton, Cambridgeshire; Stuart Whittam, Accrington, Lancashire; Mr G Hibberd, Leicester; Emma Steigmann, Sittingbourne, Kent; Simon Creed, Ruislip, London; Stuart Dunlop, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire; Duncan Brown, Southend, Essex; Rachel Savery, West Midlands; Adrian Shrimpton, Portsmouth, Hampshire; Paula Hewett, Poole, Dorset; Julie Picton, Hilsea, Hampshire; Karen Rigby-Harris, Frongoch, Carmarthenshire; Elaine Mitchell, Great Stambridge, Essex; Susan Mackenzie, Edinburgh; Bridget Mansell, Tipton, West Midlands; K Renshaw, Sheffield, South Yorkshire; Thomas Barkley, Stockport, Greater Manchester; John Homer, Bronwydd, Carmarthenshire; Camille Sainsbury, York; Gillian Grady, Halifax, West Yorkshire; Mr J Jones, Guildford, Surrey; Mrs CA Bailey of Bewdley, Worcestershire and Etleva Gashi of London.

FIGURES issued this year by the Port of London Authority (PLA) indicate that in 2012 commercial barge traffic on the River Thames Tideway and its tributaries had increased to 3.3 million tonnes; a level last seen in the 1960s.

Much of the increase is due to the removal of large tonnages of excavated material from tunnels being built by Thames Water and the Crossrail eastwest rail link across London. Work on the Canary Wharf station section has resulted in over 100,000 tonnes of material being moved by barge.

One of the basic regular traffics through the centre of London is still the removal of a large proportion of the city’s rubbish down river to disposal sites.

If the proposal for the new supersewer, The Thames Tideway Tunnel –

running mostly under the bed of the Thames for 25km across London – is approved, new opportunities for water transport will be utilised. Eleven of the 24 construction sites will be waterside with the possibility of 4.8 million tonnes of material being moved by water.

The PLA, MCA and a number of River Thames boat operators have worked together to produce a Thames Freight Standard which will apply to freight vessels – including construction craft and dredgers – and operators on the tidal Thames.

It creates a standard which will improve existing vessels and ensures that new vessels adhere to acknowledged national and international standards. The most significant change is that the standard calls for all vessel operators to develop and adopt a PLA accredited Thames Safety Management System.

Rubbish barges and tug on the tidal Thames in central London. PHOTO:WATERWAY IMAGES

Thames Ironworks Heritage Trust plans lifeboat restoration project

By Elizabeth Rogers

Tragedy befell the William and Emma, pictured in her finished state at the factory in 1904, when she capsized in rough seas off Salcombe in Devon in 1907 with the loss of 13 lifeboatmen. PHOTO COURTESY THAMES IRONWORK HERITAGE TRUST

A FUTURE restoration project for historic lifeboats could result in some examples being seen on London waterways, providing tours on the water around the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and on the wider canal and river network.

A small group of enthusiasts is in the final processes of setting up a charity, the Thames Ironworks Heritage Trust, with the further objective of bringing back long-lost skills in shipwrighting in this area of east London.

They include supporters of West Ham United Football Club, which is moving into the Olympic Stadium from its original home at the Boleyn Ground, Upton Park, in 2016.

The club was originally the Thames Ironworks FC, and the nicknames of The Hammers and The Irons come from this period of its history, rather than The Hammers relating to its geographical location. Its base was at the ironworks.

The Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding and Engineering Company was incorporated in 1857, taking over the operations of C J Mare and Company. The ironworks was situated on both sides of the River Lea as it enters the River Thames at Teamouth.

It built warships for the British Admiralty and for the navies of other nations, until the turn of the 20th century when, in the face of increasing competition in this field, it moved into lifeboat building as an increasingly large source of its revenue.

It had produced more than 250 boats for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution before it closed in 1912, and about 30 are thought still to be in existence, some only as wrecks but others restored.

Once charity status is achieved grantsourcing can begin, including to the Heritage Lottery Fund, and it is hoped that a mooring close to the Olympic Stadium and to the original ironworks can be secured.

End of an era on River Trent

By Les Heath

AS 2013 draws to a close it is sobering to reflect that this was the year that regular commercial traffic on the River Trent ended after 2000 years.

Ever since the Romans brought cargo up the river to the transhipment station at Torksey, commercial vessels have been an integral part in the life of the Trent.

Although sea going vessels still venture into the lower reaches at Gunness the gravel barges, which once struck fear into the hearts of many narrowboaters, are now a thing of the past.

The conveyor loading point at Besthorpe, the last of many gravel wharves on the Trent, is now silent along with the wharves at the once-busy inland ports of Gainsborough, Newark and Nottingham.

This year also saw the disappearance of the huge former British Waterways warehouses in Nottingham. Built in the 1930s their demolition has changed the face of this part of the city, leaving only the old dock as a reminder of the past.

The nearby oil terminal wharf at Colwick is now rusted and overgrown along with every other wharf on what was once a mighty commercial waterway.

End of an era: Farndale H arrives at Pollington lock on the Aire & Calder Navigation with its last delivery of aggregate to Whitwood. PHOTO: MALCOLM SLATER

Only the empty dock remains following the demolition this year of the former BW warehouses at Nottingham.

PHOTO: LES HEATH

Besthorpe gravel wharf conveyor – the last on the Trent to fall silent. PHOTO: LES HEATH

The overgrown remains of the former oil depot wharf at Colwick. PHOTO: LES HEATH

● Barge movements in the Humber area have been recorded by Malcolm Slater in Humberside Working Barges 2012-13. Priced £6.50 plus £2.70 recorded first class post, it can be obtained from Malcolm Slater, 75 Broome Close, Huntington, York YO32 9RH ISBN: 978-1-871392-05-0

WINTER BOATING 95

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In the bleak midwinter In the second of three articles on winter boating, Elizabeth Abbott enjoys the snow and some festive porridge.

THERE used to be an old fashioned sled in Currawong’s engine room, made of polished wooden planks on black metal runners. One winter I was away for a while, and when I came back I was given to understand, by a motley collection of shame-faced boaters, that my sled had suffered a mishap and would be duly repaired.

I must have had only either foreign or serious grown-up sort of winters for a while, since it is not until I wake to the pearly light of morning through a snowcovered skylight that I realise quite a number of years have passed, and I no longer know the whereabouts of the broken sled nor (as collective

responsibility had been taken on the matter) quite who to blame for this.

This winter is not a serious grown-up winter at all, and now that our valley is shining white, Pip and I consider what else might work in place of a sled. I once found a group of local children whizzing down the hill on a car seat they had removed from their uncle’s van; they let me have a go and the speed the extra weight resulted in was terrifyingly brilliant. Then they had to stop to try and put it back before their uncle found out. Being a proper working-class Yorkshire lad, Pip remembers quickly that a coal sack will be just right.

However, as readers might recall, for the sake of the planet we have this year given up coal for wood, and the front deck is coal sack-free for the first winter in a long time. Hmmm. Finally I dive under my bed and find the answer – my prison ‘stuff you can’t have back till we let you out’ bag. Perfect! Larger than a coal sack, tougher than ordinary plastic – printed with a cheerful ‘HMP Prisons’ motif – one of the many benefits of being part of the Newbury Bypass protest so many years ago.

Leaving the canal, we follow the sounds of screeching children, and find a slippery stretch of hill that is suddenly all ours, as they are being dragged home for their tea. I have an Australian childhood to make up for, so I am a bit rubbish at sledding (I keep grinding to a halt halfway down, or accidentally going backwards) and Pip continues my education by teaching me to make snow angels. But the very best thing of all, we discover, is finding thickly covered tops of walls and sticking our faces into iciness, leaving behind inverse moulds of our noses and chins, and emerging pink and tingling.

Keeping cosy

We love winter. I love it because of the lack of it in the previously mentioned Australian childhood, and Pip loves it because he is a bit odd.

Fortified with an ancient stone hot water bottle each, two kettles on the Rayburn so a cuppa is always mere seconds away, and the paraffin lamp reinstated from the back of the cupboard to take up some of the slack from the seasonally affected solar panel, we are experts at being cosy. The cat is nostalgic for the former days of coal use, as her home is no longer unnecessarily toasty at 3am, but she has discovered that the answer is to creep under the duvet with us, until morning brings rekindling of the fire.

In the bleak midwinter on the Rochdale Canal. PHOTOS: P RIVERS Today, morning also brings with it a strange sense of immobility. We don’t generally notice the continual gentle rocking of our home, but we do notice when it suddenly stops. Peering out of the window, we see the neighbourhood ducks sliding about on a frozen surface.

We have planned ahead by filling our water tank, making judicious use of anti-freeze for the pipes, and picking a convenient location to be stuck in, so all is well.

Pip cautiously joins the ducks to walk on water, which I don’t like the look of at all. In 17 years on boats, I have fallen

in twice (once while boating through Manchester’s gay village, providing me with a very large audience) and twice I’ve had to climb in to extract evil conglomerates of plastic bags and rope from the propeller. By contrast, in five years of living afloat, Pip has never once been immersed. I point out that mathematical probability is clearly lying in wait for him, and I will not be coming to the rescue. When I wave the whisky bottle at him, decadence wins out and he returns with the cream off the front deck, coaxed to safety by the lure of festive porridge.

radiators connected to the boiler). This point is repeated because it’s the single most important thing to do, whether your narrowboat is being used over the winter period or not.

stress on the hull from a large surface area of ice is huge and at a minimum will cause damage to the blacking.

How to winterise your narrowboat WITH winters getting colder and subzero temperatures becoming more common, River Canal Rescue has put together some tips on how to ‘winterise’ your narrowboat and so avoid costly repair bills.

Cooling systems

Just like vehicles, any ‘closed loop’ cooling system needs to have antifreeze added and replaced (per manufacturer’s guidelines). Not only will this minimise the risk of splits or fractures associated with freezing water, it will improve the engine’s cooling efficiency and minimise corrosion risk to the engine.

Where raw water (drawn from the river) cooling systems are in place, drain down by briefly running the engine when out of the water to ensure the system is empty. If afloat, the quickest and simplest solution is to ‘shut off’ the inlet valve (seacock) and drain as much water from the system as possible.

Where no drain plug is available, disconnect a hose, drain the water from the system and leave disconnected.

Although this will not empty the system completely, it will allow for expansion should the water freeze and reduce the risk of ruptured pipes. It’s also worth insulating any accessible tight bends as this is where fluid will collect even after draining. Once you’re ready to start cruising again, reconnect

any pipes, refill the system and open the seacock. If the engine is winterised or seacock is closed, clearly mark the engine and its controls; it should prevent accidental operation.

General checks

Check lockers, cockpit and other areas to ensure all drain holes and plugs are clear of debris, leaves, dirt etc.

These areas block easily and in heavy or prolonged rain, can cause a vessel to take on water causing corrosion where the water’s left sitting or, even worse, sinking.

Always test the bilge pump and battery charge levels before leaving the boat and when you return or before a long journey. Heavy rainfall, leaking stern glands and issues with weed hatches can result in water ingress that quickly fills the boat and causes it to sink. If batteries go flat at a critical point it can be devastating.

Grease the stern tube before leaving the boat, this will prevent water ingress.

Although most stern glands leak once the propeller turns, the grease acts like a seal while not in use.

Water in a boat will cause it to be lower in the water, resulting in outlets such as those for a shower, sink or air vent, being nearer to the water level (leading to catastrophic results!).

Ensure mooring ropes are secure, yet loose enough to deal with the normal

The sort of conditions your boat should be prepared for. PHOTO: DAVID SCOWCROFT

rise or fall of water levels. In extreme weather or prolonged rainfall, visit the boat regularly to adjust mooring ropes and check bilge pumps and batteries are coping with the situation.

It’s also a good idea to run the engine for an hour every time you visit as this pushes oil around the engine and prevents rusting, plus it tops up the battery if left running long enough (beware of doing this if you’ve drained the cooling system).

Spray terminals with a silicone-free lubricant and grease all available grease points on the engine and drive, plus electrical connectors. Also lubricate linkages and gear/throttle slides, this will prevent rusting/corrosion and give these components a longer life.

Generators

If not in use, store in a gas-tight locker – the same regulations as liquid petroleum gas (LPG) apply.

Water and heating

Freezing temperatures can cause split or fractured pipes which, if left over a gradual period, can lead to complete or partial flooding.

Drain down the water system (including drinking water and cistern) and leave taps in the open position.

Most water heaters have a screw plug at their base and can accommodate an oldfashioned cycle pump which makes the emptying of water that much quicker.

Taps should be left open because if any water is left in the system and it freezes, the pressure on the pipes will be less due to air coming out of the taps.

An unnoticed pipe split and flooding will almost certainly lead to sinking which may not be covered by insurers (not all cover frost damage and a gradual incursion of water may not be classed as accidental). If covered, insurance policies normally insist “machinery is winterised according to manufacturers’ recommendations”. If not available, the advice of a qualified engineer should be sought. Taking no precautions is asking for trouble.

Lag your hot and cold pipes and top up anti-freeze in keel cooling and other sealed heating systems (such as

Protecting possessions

Remove or put out of sight any alcohol, valuable and electrical items. If you have a secure mooring this might not be such an issue, but if in doubt, take it out.

Invest in decent locks, your insurance policy requires this and it’s more likely to deter thieves. Ensure all windows and access points are firmly closed and locked before leaving the vessel and visit regularly. Prevent the theft of external items, such as mushroom vents, solar panels and chimneys, by fixing with extra-strength sealant and invest in security shear nuts. Ask neighbouring boats to call if they have any concerns.

Diesel treatment

Excessive water in the tank can lead to water feeding through the fuel system (RCR regularly removes large quantities of water from fuel tanks in the early cruising season). To prevent this: Regularly check your filler cap seal and replace if worn, cracked or damaged. The cap sits lower than the deck so if it’s been raining wipe away excess water before opening the cap.

Either leave the tank empty during winterisation and remove any water on your return or leave the tank full and treated*. *Fuel treatments remove water and deal with contamination such as diesel bug – where enzymes, bacteria etc. live off the water in diesel and affect the diesel properties. Inactive boats are more at risk of growth developing in the fuel tanks so treat with Marine 16 Diesel Fuel Complete.

Freezing weather

If the boat’s encased in ice and you’re worried about the effects on the hull take care… breaking the ice can result in more damage than simply leaving it.

The only time the ice should be broken is if you need to move, and this should be only undertaken with caution. The

Don’t forget to de-winterise

Having gone through the winterisation process, it’s important to do the reverse when the warmer weather arrives. This means closing the taps, replacing the plug in the water heater and switching the water pump on.

Prior to cruising, run your engines up to ‘running’ temperature (if a gauge is available onboard) or for approximately half an hour. Check every inch of the cooling system for leaks or escaping steam and if something is found, immediately callout a qualified engineer.

For domestic water supplies; once the water pump is back on, open and run water through each tap. Start with those closest to the pump and work through to the one furthest away – this’ll push any air locks through the system. Drain any water in the tank out and refill with fresh drinking water.

Remember servicing, including the engine, LPG and electrical systems, plus fire extinguishers and escape hatches.

Everything should pass Boat Safety Scheme scrutiny.

Although no action is needed for gas pipes at the start of the winter, it’s a good idea to paint connections with 50% soap liquid and 50% water using a small artist’s brush – this will show up any minor gas leaks at the joints.

Before you run the engine, check water trap filters and remove any excess water. If water is present or there are signs of diesel bug (black dust or jelly), dip the tank to identify the severity of the issue and then treat with a fuel treatment or have the fuel polished accordingly.

The easiest way to check for water in the tank is to use a clear plastic hose.

Drop it into the tank (being careful not to disturb the fuel) and when you feel the bottom, place your thumb over the end to seal it and withdraw the hose.

This should provide you with a sample of the tank (plus an indication of any diesel bug contamination) and show the amount of water present.

● River Canal Rescue runs boat and engine maintenance courses throughout the year, to find out more visit www.rivercanalrescue.co.uk email enquiries@rivercanalrescue.co.uk or call 01785 785680.

96 BOAT SAFETY/ON SCOTTISH WATERS with Hugh Dougherty

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Staying safe on your boat This month Clive Penny of the Association of Boat Safety Examiners looks at fire safety and what can be done to minimise the risks to yourself and your crew.

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 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.

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.

Safety tips to remember

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.

MINI crane hire specialists GGR Group recently helped with some heavy lifting work at The Helix project near Falkirk.

The group’s Blantyre-based Scottish division sent a three-tonne UNIC mini spider crane to work around the waterway’s impressive new landmark – The Kelpies.

Currently under construction, The Kelpies sculptures stand next to The Helix’s redeveloped canal lock and basin at the mouth of the Forth & Clyde canal. GGR’s compact UNIC URW-506 mini crane was chosen by Scottish Canals to install lock gates, walkways and hand rails on this busy site. It installed four lock gates at The Kelpies Hub, the largest gate weighing 2.5 tonnes and measuring 3.5m wide.

The Helix project is a £43 million partnership between Scottish Canals and Falkirk Council to create a new public park, wetland, lagoon, event space and one kilometer of canal extension out of 350 hectares of disused ground between Falkirk and Grangemouth. It also involves building a new lock system to generate greater use of the canal.

The Kelpies are two towering horse head sculptures created by internationally acclaimed artist Andy Scott, which stand at 30m high and weigh 300 tonnes each. GGR Group

The towering horse head sculptures take shape. has previously helped to install another of Andy Scott’s horse sculptures using a mini crane, Equus Altus in Trinity Leeds shopping centre.

UNIC mini cranes also helped complete essential maintenance work on the Falkirk Wheel during its annual shut-down period in 2012.

Thomas Rae, regional manager of GGR’s Scottish branch, said: “It’s fantastic to be working on such fascinating examples of functional engineering and dramatic design as the The Helix and the Falkirk Wheel.” ● More information about GGR’s range of mini spider cranes and specialist lifting equipment can be found at www.ggrgroup.com.

● 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 and will be happy to answer any questions you may have and assist in any way they can.

A UNIC mini crane at work on the Helix site. PHOTOS SUPPLIED

Kelpies caught on film THE Kelpies are being caught on film, and in slow motion.

Time delay film expert Walid Salhab of Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, has been engaged to make a time-lapse record showing how the massive, 90-foot high statues, the work of accomplished sculptor Andy Scott, are put together on site from a giant kit of parts.

Walid will film for 42 days and the Kelpies will be in focus in a time-delay film lasting just three minutes. The film will be shown at the Kelpies Information Centre being built at the site and is expected to wow audiences young and old. It will also go online to help market the Helix worldwide.

The man behind the camera said: “I’m excited about the enormity of the opportunity and the chance to create a totally new piece of visual work which will be internationally accessible.”

Meanwhile The Helix has announced that Barker Langham and Spiral Productions has been appointed to develop a full visitor interpretation experience, including digital and interactive displays, at the Kelpies Visitor Centre, due to open in April 2014 alongside the iconic structures.

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.

Heavy lifting at The Helix site

RYA Scotland gives the Kelpies the thumbs-up Passenger DUKW Wacker Quacker 2 in Salthouse Dock, Liverpool, where its sister vessel sank. PHOTO: WATERWAY IMAGES

Amphibious vehicle trips suspended

by Harry Arnold

THE Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has formally suspended the passenger carrying operation of the DUKW amphibious vehicles following two recent incidents.

Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents, Captain Steve Clinch said: “The sinking of Wacker Quacker 1 in Salthouse Dock, Liverpool (June 15) and the fire on board Cleopatra on the River Thames (September 29) London were serious marine accidents involving Second World War DUKW amphibious vehicles that had been modified for use as sightseeing tour vehicles.

“Both accidents resulted in the rapid abandonment into the water of passengers, including small children, and crew. It was extremely fortunate

that, on both occasions, there were no serious injuries or loss of life.”

The link between both events was the foam used to provide buoyancy. In the case of the Liverpool sinking, insufficient foam had been inserted; the Thames fire was caused by foam being packed too tightly around machinery, resulting in friction and overheating.

Capt Clinch recommended that the DUKWs should not be permitted to operate until the required standards of buoyancy and stability can be achieved without adversely impacting on their safe operation. ● The notice was published in MAIB Safety Bulletin 3/2013 which is available on the MAIB website at www.maib.gov.uk

THE Royal Yachting Association Scotland has given the Kelpies, the massive towpath sculptures representing the animals which pulled barges on the Forth & Clyde Canal, a resounding thumbs-up.

RYAS chief executive James Stuart enjoyed a Helix site preview of the statues and accompanying canal and landscaping works at the start of the new canal section linking the Forth Estuary and River Carron with the Forth & Clyde Canal, due to open in April 2014 at the conclusion of the £43 million scheme at Falkirk.

The new sea lock will widen access to the existing canal and yachts will no longer have to demast to enter the Lowland canal system. Water sports and visitor centres, paths and trails will add to the attraction and the Helix is expected to attract 350,000 visitors per year.

James Stuart said: “The lessons and knowledge gained from creating the Falkirk Wheel are clearly being drawn into this project and the experience of journeying up from the sea lock to the Kelpies and beyond is going to be

Head-to-head with the Kelpies at the Helix, RYAS chief James Stuart and Scottish Canals head of enterprise Richard Millar enjoy a preview.

PHOTO: HUGH DOUGHERTY

incredible. The Helix lagoon offers a perfect venue to introduce more people to sailing and I’m confident it will entice a lot more people to get out on the water.”

Richard Millar, Scottish Canals head of enterprise, who accompanied James on his visit, said: “The Helix is set to be one of Scotland’s most exciting and innovative visitor attractions and will open up the inland waterways to marine traffic from across Europe. I look forward to welcoming James and RYAS to the Helix opening next spring.”

ON SCOTTISH WATERS with Hugh Dougherty 97

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All part of the Scottish Canals’ family

Hugh Dougherty meets Linton McBurnie, the volunteer co-ordinator for Scottish Canals, and someone who’s worked, man and boy, on the canals for the last 34 years.

WITH seven Scottish canals to cover, volunteer co-ordinator Linton McBurnie is as likely to be working with volunteers in Inverness on the Caledonian Canal as with a group on the Monklands Canal.

“I joined the canals at 16,” said Linton, “and worked on maintenance, supervision and health and safety. I was delighted when I became volunteer co-ordinator four years ago. Now, with Canals Scotland established, volunteering is really going places and I detect an enthusiastic managerial attitude towards it.

”We have volunteers from schoolchildren to people in their eighties from all walks of life,” he continued. “We also have corporate organisations such as banks and telecoms companies who donate staff hours to us, while I also look after community service offenders and recovering drug addicts on work experience. All these individuals and groups make a valuable contribution to the maintenance and life of our canals.”

To prove the point, I met Linton at Maryhill Locks on the Forth & Clyde Canal’s Glasgow Branch on a cold, spring day. Volunteers were hard at work painting lock gate end posts and cutting back shrubbery from the towpath to keep it clear for walkers, boaters and cyclists.

Retired university lecturer Dr Peter Hawkins had come from his home in Edinburgh by bus and bike to help prune the bushes. “I’ve been volunteering on the canals longer than I care to remember,” smiled Peter. “But, as a cyclist who uses the towpath, I like to put something back into what is a first class facility and keep it clear for other canal users.”

That sentiment was shared by retired teacher Jim Hall, hard at work with his paintbrush, while on his first day as a volunteer was Thomas Wotton, painting part of a lock gate mechanism. “I decided to get involved as I love the canal,” said Thomas. “It’s great to be outdoors and to help keep the canal looking good.”

Every one of the volunteers spoke very highly of Linton, and that’s because, as he says: “They’re all part of the Scottish Canals’ family. It’s not just a matter of doing a method statement and risk assessment. I get to know all the volunteers. Today, for example, we look after them as though they were staff. They’re outside in the cold, and I’ve brought along hot soup and sandwiches for us all. It shows we appreciate what they do.”

And appreciate the volunteers Linton certainly does. “Scottish Canals works hard to keep the waterways operational,” he said. “What the volunteers allow us to do is go the extra mile by keeping towpaths and the surrounds well and doing painting jobs, including obliterating graffiti which might otherwise stay put.”

With that, Linton was off to get that allessential food for his team before they all set to again with enthusiasm.

Volunteers hard at work at Maryhill locks.

Linton checks on how Dr Peter Hawkins is doing pruning the towpath shrubbery to keep the path clear.

Putting something back

First day volunteer Thomas Wotton shows he’s handy with a paintbrush.

No swansong. LInton says that even the canal wildlife volunteers for him!

LInton McBurnie at Maryhill Locks.

PHOTOS: HUGH DOUGHERTY

East meets West at the Falkirk Wheel A DELEGATION from the China Communications Construction Company and the Shanghai Tongsheng Investment Group recently met their opposite numbers from Scottish Canals and experienced a trip on the world’s only rotating boat lift.

Soaring high over the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals was just part of a factfinding trip by the Chinese companies which maintain the historic canals and ship locks around Shanghai as well as expanding a network of new island waterways in the area.

The delegation also visited the new canal works at The Helix project and the Scottish Canals Glasgow headquarters as part of their visit designed to see how Scottish Canals is developing canals as well as protecting heritage.

Now the three organisations hope to forge permanent links, with Scottish Canals helping to advise its Chinese partners on upgrading the world’s busiest container base, Shanghai’s Yangshan Deep Water Port.

Richard Millar, Scottish Canals’ head of enterprise, said: “Our Chinese visitors saw at first hand how we’re working to safeguard the heritage of canals and build towards ensuring their future, and our approach is one they’re keen to emulate.

We look forward to developing this link between East and West.”

East meets West at the Falkirk Wheel. Richard Millar, Scottish Canals enterprise chief, fourth from right, with the Chinese delegation. PHOTO: SCOTTISH CANALS

The Falkirk Wheel – yours for just £19!

IT COST £17 million to build, stands 24m high and weighs more than 1000 tonnes. But the Falkirk Wheel can be yours for just £19.

That’s thanks to Cara Baillie, Scottish Canals’ new products and services manager, who commissioned the cardboard and wooden dowel kit from Glasgow model makers Finch & Fouracre.

The accurate, scale model is first in a new range of souvenirs of Scottish canals, all sourced in Scotland from canal-connected artists and companies and designed to send

Canal College’s first trainees complete their heritage skills course THE first heritage skills trainees on the Scottish Waterways Trust’s ground-breaking Canal College have graduated in heritage skills and have been congratulated by Falkirk Council Provost Pat Reid on their success.

The youngsters, aged from 16 to 25, attended the college over 14 weeks to learn heritage conservations skills on the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals around the Falkirk Wheel to help then find full-time employment or go into further study after leaving the course.

Provost Reid said: “Canal College is another great and welcome initiative from the Scottish Waterways Trust and Scottish Canals. It links well with the current ‘green’ initiatives throughout the Falkirk area and will help to teach our young people not just about the past and present of the canals but also show them their potential role in helping preserve them for the future.

“I’m confident that Canal College will also begin to play a significant role in equipping our young people with some excellent skills for future employment. Altogether, I am looking forward to seeing the positive outcomes of this bold and exciting initiative.”

Scottish Waterways Trust chief executive Karen Moore said: “We’re also delighted to have had such great support from our

Cara Baillie with a made-up Falkirk Wheel kit – the £17 million wheel can be yours for just £19!

PHOTO: HUGH DOUGHERTY

Scottish Canals seek new chairman ‘Water’ success! The first Canal College graduates and their mentors are congratulated by Falkirk Council Provost Pat Reid.

PHOTO COURTESY SCOTTISH WATERWAYS TRUST

volunteer mentors who have been such an asset to the programme and our students.

“Canal College is a fantastic volunteering opportunity for anyone over 25 years of age who wants to help others and pick up some new skills for themselves along the way.”

Canalside des res scheme for Kirkie

Work in progress at Kirkintilloch. PHOTO: HUGH DOUGHERTY

canals visitors homewards with souvenirs which will remind them of their visit and make them want to come back again.

“The wheel model, which you can make in an evening, is the first of a range of products we’ll be offering at outlets such as the Falkirk Wheel itself and through our new online shop.

“We’ve also launched a range of vintage canal maps and plans from our extensive archive thanks to teaming up with book and paper conservation specialist, Falkirk-based Riley, Dunn & Wilson, which has allowed us to start to unlock our archive. The first historic maps and plans, which are still used by our engineers today, are available for framing, from £15 to £35, and we’re sure they’ll catch the public’s imagination as well as being very popular with industrial heritage and canal fans,” said Cara.

A further range of items is in the pipeline and indications are that plenty of Falkirk Wheels at £19 rather than £17 million are going to good homes across the world via the online shop at www.scottishcanals.co.uk

THE south towpath alongside the Forth & Clyde Canal near Kirkintilloch Marine has been closed for 18 months to allow Ogilvie Homes to build canalside homes above the towpath itself.

Work includes landscaping and towpath improvements and will provide canal lovers with the next

best thing to actually living on the water itself.

The development is part of an East Dunbartonshire Council drive to improve the central area of Kirkintilloch, with the enhancement of the canal towpath and banks as a key feature of the development drive.

APPLICATIONS are being invited for chairman of the Board at Scottish Canals, the public organisation which operates and manages Scotland’s inland waterways.

Scottish Canals – the operating name for the British Waterways Board – is the standalone public body responsible for the statutory maintenance and future development of Scotland’s canals. It has an executive management team and support staff based at its headquarters in Port Dundas, Glasgow, with operational teams and managers located throughout its 137-mile network.

Underneath the banner ‘Safeguarding our heritage, building our future’, Scottish Canals aims to create a brighter future for the people who live, work and do business along the Forth & Clyde, Monkland and Union Canals in the Lowlands and Caledonian and Crinan Canals in the Highlands.

Steve Dunlop, chief executive of Scottish Canals, said: “This is an incredibly exciting time for Scotland’s canals and the role of chairman is vital to ensuring we deliver our new vision.

“Since we became a wholly Scottish public body last year, we have had to create an entirely new business, with processes and systems to match.

We now have clear ambitions to grow the organisation in a way that benefits Scotland, and strong board leadership is an important part of this.”

The board comprises five non-executive members, including the chairman, and one executive director, the chief executive. The chairman is required to spend up to 42 days per year on Scottish Canals’ business.

This is a three year appointment starting on April 1, 2014.

98 TOWPATH TREASURES

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Bingley Five-Rise The steepest staircase Words: PHILLIPPA GREENWOOD Photography: MARTINE O’CALLAGHAN

BINGLEY is a factory town, famous for thermal underwear; yet more spectacularly, sitting on the edge of town, it hides a howling treasure of Britain’s canals that plays with the fears of the water traveller. This is Yorkshire, and a tough spirit is needed to conquer this 60ft canal climb: Bingley Five-Rise is the steepest lock staircase in Britain.

It is the horrible, thrilling, perfect boat ride for the adrenalin junkie – keeping the richest rewards for those who dare.

The staircase locks were built in 1774, and worn, cobbled brickwork snuggles, without fuss, into a beefy canal scene that is heavy with heritage. Boats tackle the staircase gingerly today, but the working boats of the past had tight delivery schedules to meet and couldn’t pander to fears for safety.

Boaters have to face a chilling ride, with all the locks joined together in a staircase (rather than having the more usual space in between). Each lock opens straight into the next one, creating a precipitous climb with deathly gallons of water looming behind the gates above every lock the boat clambers up through. Heading downhill, vertigo takes over with the daunting feeling of a

Boats at the top of the staircase. cliff edge. Mid-flight, the thunder of water tells you there’s no turning back.

There’s no room for errors in the precision exercise of filling and emptying the chambers to carry boats up or down the flight. This is canal drama at its best, with a guaranteed mix of feisty engineering, boat handling skills, extreme gongoozling and the genuine smiles of a shared experience.

The old stables at the top of the staircase locks have been converted into a teashop, serving refreshments to boaters in need of Dutch courage, and to towpath visitors just to add to the fun of it all.

By boat and by towpath, Bingley FiveRise Locks is awesome. It’s said that more than 30,000 people turned up to

celebrate its opening in 1774, and in 2012 it didn’t even need water to attract visitors. More than 7000 people turned up and queued to see the locks on a cold weekend in January 2012, when they had been drained to allow engineers to replace the old gates. With the terror of the water harnessed, visitors were allowed to clamber down scaffolded steps to get a different view of the locks.

From the canal bed the monster gates made mice out of men and filled everyone with respect for canal engineers past and present. The gates were replaced at a cost of £200,000 and in 25 years the job will be repeated again. The dedication and colossal cost of keeping this treasure open for navigation is testament to its worth.

TOWPATH TREASURES/ANGLING 99

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The Towpath Angler

David Kent

Our monthly look at the angling scene A boater’s view from the top.

A view down the towpath.

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

The old stables at the top.

FACT FILE Bingley Five-Rise The locks remain virtually unaltered since they were first built in 1774 by local stonemasons to a design by John Longbotham. There’s a view from the top over Bingley’s mills and the hills beyond, and a well-placed

cafe (the former stables) at the top.

A few hundred yards further along the canal below the Five-Rise Locks are Bingley’s Three-Rise Locks, a less dramatic version of the five.

Five Rise Locks Cafe 01274 569664 www.fiveriselockscafe.co.uk Bingley Five-Rise Locks are one of the greatest engineering feats of the canal age. The steepest lock staircase in Britain, it is Grade I listed, and was awarded a Transport Trust Red Wheel Plaque (the first one in Yorkshire) in 2010. www.transporttrust.com www.transportheritage.com Location Bingley OS Grid ref: OS SE107399 Canal: Leeds & Liverpool How to get there By train Nearest train station is Bingley National Rail Enquiries 08457 484950 By bus Traveline 0871 2002233

By car Street parking nearby On foot The Aire Valley Towpath (part of Sustrans National Cycle Network Routes 66 & 69) follows the Leeds & Liverpool Canal from Leeds to Bingley and is an easy route to cycle and walk.

By boat Nearest boat hire: Silsden Boats, Silsden.

Holiday boat hire. 01535 653675 www.silsdenboats.co.uk Moorings There are plenty of visitor moorings available along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.

Local Tourist info Welcome to Yorkshire www. yorkshire.com Visit Bradford www.visitbradford.com Canal & River Trust Use the Canal & River Trust website to find specific local information. www.canalrivertrust.org.uk

IT IS good to report that the relationship between the Canal & River Trust and Angling Trust continues to develop. The CEOs of the two organisations have met recently and discussed a number of ways in which this relationship can continue to flourish.

As I have said previously angling will bring much to the CRT table be it assistance with environmental and fisheries issues to commercial opportunities. The collaboration on the Angling Strategy will not only increase ‘footfall’ on the towpaths but also help to generate a much greater interest in our waterways among the younger generations. Prestigious competitions help with a canal’s profile.

The Angling Advisory Group met on October 29. It was a beefy agenda covering a wide spectrum of issues. In addition to the normal volunteer members and CRT staff we were privileged to have two senior CRT officers present. Main item on the agenda was a presentation by Becca Dent, the new angling development manager. Becca gave a detailed update on the progress with the strategy.

Clearly in the short time since being appointed she has achieved a great deal, not least being the securing of a number of small funding sources which will ensure that certain local projects can get under way. She has met with some canal-based clubs with a view to increasing the opportunities for angling including taster sessions, family days and competitions. Also part of the strategy is the development of community clubs. There are a few examples of this type of club already successfully operating very often using sections of urban canals previously unwanted and almost derelict. Becca also confirmed that CRT has already begun appointing angling ‘champions’ in each waterway unit.

The meeting went on to discuss the Government’s recently announced £10 million funding pot for upgrading canal towpaths etc to better facilitate cycling. Some of the target areas are around Birmingham.

It will be interesting to see whether the recommendations from the BW Towpath Group made just prior to the birth of CRT will be followed. Cycling on towpaths is a very emotive topic.

Most people accept that it is here to stay but speed and the lack of controls seem to be at the core of all concerns.

The meeting strongly made the point

that consultation with all users from the outset is critical to the success of this project. Visitor and winter moorings policy was again discussed and, doubtless, will remain on the agenda for some time to come.

Focus groups

The Local Partnerships are producing some excellent initiatives and certainly generating considerable interest in their respective waterway communities. I have spoken with a number of partnership chairs with a view to creating local angling focus groups which can feed in ideas to the partnership boards. There seems to be considerable support for this.

Staying on a local level I have to say the recovery of the Erewash Canal seems, for a variety of reasons, to have stalled a little. As a result anglers and clubs have become restless. While the aftermath of a pollution incident is far from straightforward most people would have expected something to have been resolved by now.

Interestingly the lower sections of the canal have been choked with duckweed in recent weeks, something we have not seen for over 20 years. Is this a result of the pollution? In addition sections of the canal are beginning to look neglected. Some angling club bailiffs continue to carry out litter-picks etc. but because none of the litter comes from anglers they are becoming disillusioned.

Elsewhere the sport on our canals is, generally, pretty good. Most winter leagues got under way in October and where canal venues are used reports suggest that the fish, especially skimmers and bream, are really having a go. It sounds as though maggot and pinkie fished at dead depth in combination with just a little groundbait is doing the trick.

Personally I have not done too well in the past month. I am consistently putting fish in the net but not enough to get me into ‘the frame’. Must try harder!

Tight lines

River anglers click on new website THE Environment Agency’s new internet tool for anglers who fish along parts of the River Thames, Wey and Kennet has attracted more than 1500 users.

‘Angling Data View’ can be accessed via the Environment Agency website (www.environment-agency.gov.uk) and has already exceeded expectations in the number of visitors since being launched in July.

The simple one page website displays ‘live’ data from the Environment Agency’s network of river data recorders on the river Thames, Wey and Kennet. The network recorders are located at Reading (Caversham), Windsor, and Staines (Penton Hook) on The Thames, Reading (Fobney) on The Kennet, and Shalford on The Wey. Keen anglers can click through to the website, which is available as a link from the Environment Agency’s website.

David Harvey, chairman of the Thames Anglers Conservancy said: “Since we moved into the cooler months, being able to watch how the river temperature changes has been invaluable. Now with the first real taste of cold I will be watching ADV and am expecting some big movements.

“Over many years we have trudged down to the river and manually taken a reading, now having accurate real time data available online is a definite edge.”

The project is the result of a collaborative project between the Environment Agency’s fisheries team, its national instrumentation team, and the Meteor Data Centre in consultation with anglers from the Thames Valley Angling Association and Thames Anglers Conservancy.

100 WET WEB

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The Wet Web Helen Gazeley comes up with some unusual Christmas gifts.

DECEMBER can be a strange combination of hot panic and chilling out. If you’re still panicking about presents, then a look at Gone Crabbing www.gonecrabbing.co.uk should calm you down with a giggle over the gifts for anyone who likes to maintain a watery theme aboard. The collection includes Mussel Man soap, a Gone Skinny Dipping towel and T-shirts and hoodies for adults and children featuring Colin the Crab and Steve the Seagull.

Chilling out, meanwhile, is ideally provided by Wentworth’s wooden jigsaws. Pieces (laser-cut on 3mm board) are a pleasure to hold and include whimsies – special shapes often relevant to the picture. There are several canal scenes to choose among the enormous range www.jigsaws.co.uk Of course, you’ve probably found, like me, that games tend to occupy a hideous amount of shelf space once the seasonal fun is over. Coiled Spring comes to the rescue with a fascinating range, many of which demand little space to play or store. Among them the tiny Baffler, a jigsaw with only 66 pieces, will provide a post-prandial challenge; Swish focuses on perception, is played with transparent cards and packs down into its own travelling bag; and Quarto Mini is an award-winning game of strategy played on a base around 6in square. The website has lots more ideas and lists sites where you can buy online www.coiledspring.co.uk Children tend not to sit down for long, though, so

Don’t let the Gone Skinny Dipping towel from Gone Crabbing lead you astray.

when the weather is too bad to race around outside, Socker Boppers – inflatable boxing gloves – will help tire them out indoors, well away from the china. Also in the range by Wicked Vision www.wickedvision.co.uk is the Bop Buddy. Fill his base with water and he rebounds when you hit him, I suspect a few adults would enjoy that one.

Speaking of chilling, winter has driven more than one narrowboater ashore. A luxury suggestion for anyone who finds the cold difficult is the new YuYu bottle www.yuyubottle.com, an unusually long, rubber hot-water bottle encased in cashmere/wool.

It takes only a kettle to fill, but can be wrapped around aches and pains or snuggled up to in bed to warm more of the body and, despite its shape, is said to stay hot as long as a conventionally rectangular bottle. Prices start at £69 at www.notonthehighstreet.com Finally, if you’re puzzling over how to hang up the Christmas decorations so that they don’t suddenly land on your head or leave marks on the walls when taken down, Command www.commandstrips.co.uk offers tiny, transparent decorating hooks that adhere strongly but can be removed without damage (though they’re not recommended for wallpaper). They’re part of a range that includes hooks for the bathroom and for weights up to 2kg, which attach by adhesive clear strips that leave a transparent tab free when pressed on to a surface. Hooks are removed by pulling down hard on the tab.

It takes practice not to catapult the hook on to your fingers, but they’re an unobtrusive alternative to Blu-tack, and can be reused with new clear strips. They’re also one of those things that once you’ve got them you’ll want to use more and more, and you’re sure to go on finding places for them well after the decorations are back in the box.

Wentworth Wooden Puzzles includes whimsical shapes and many varied pieces.

Kathleen May, one of several canal scenes from Wentworth Wooden Puzzles.

Sammy the Seagull demands a chip on a hoodie from Gone Crabbing.

Gone Crabbing’s soap for men.

more information ➔ For Do you have a favourite website?

Email Helen at helengazeley@aol.com

Swish is a spatial perception game from Coiled Spring.

Quarto Mini is a game of strategy that is a combination of chess and Connect Four.

The luxury Yuyu Bottle comes with a soft knitted cover in merino wool and cashmere.

One of the Baffler puzzles from Coiled Spring.

Command Hooks hold up to 2kg and can be removed without damage, creating ways to clear work surfaces and hang decorations.

101

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Bridgewater Canal: private boaters’ belligerence takes the biscuit

★ Silky Star Letter ★ TOWPATH TALK has joined forces with Silky Marine Products to celebrate the great letters and pictures we receive from our readers with a star prize each month The lucky winner will receive a tub of Silky Cream Cleaner, Silky Deep Cleaner Ready to Use and Silky RX Enzyme Toilet Odour and Waste Reducer, worth a total value of more than £25 from the new range of Silky Marine Care and Maintenance products launched earlier this year.

Silky Marine Products are specifically formulated to work in sequence to remove dirt and residue specific to the boating environment, and include the widely regarded classic Silky Cream Cleaner.

When a boat’s surfaces have been cleaned to a high standard using the Silky cleaning range, the valet and polish products bring out the shine which is then sealed for the season with the unique polymer technology of Silky Protect.

Available to the public through www.silkyproducts.com and selected retail outlets, Silky Products have been manufactured in Slaithwaite near Huddersfield for more than 40 years.

What a shame - vandalism on the Erewash AFTER all the years of hard work by hundreds of canal enthusiasts, the Erewash Canal is fast heading towards being a disused vandalised trench, just like so many canals in the past. How could this happen to a recovered canal?

As part of my ongoing summer tours of the canal and river system, I headed up the Erewash canal in August this year (2013) looking forward to seeing the industrial architecture of the canal heyday.

To my dismay and alarm, we found vandal locks on every lock we came to. Due to the design of the hasp and the wear on the paddle stops, the spindle was invariably jammed and immovable without a set of tools. My wife was unable to operate any of them except the one Watermate keyoperated pop out shaft type. As my wife is not able to manage my cruiser, I was now effectively single-handed.

At the Trent Lock section of the canal we saw a thriving community of liveaboards; after the Long Eaton straight we saw very few other boats and after the Gallows Inn lock we did not see a single moving boat, and this was at the pinnacle of the boating season. With the obvious level of vandal activity on the canal, I was getting quite desperate to find a safe place to spend the night. I am trying to get my wife interested in cruising; I don’t want her put off for good by a moron with a spray can – or worse.

I enquired of someone in a garden where I could safely moor for the night. I was told such places were few and far between but I could moor at the end of his garden.

After a thankfully peaceful night we carried on fighting the terrible weed; I didn’t mention that yet did I. My cruiser has an outboard motor; this dealt well with the weed on other canals in the previous months but on the Erewash it was like driving a ride-on lawnmower through a jungle.

By the time we reached the top of Ilkeston we realised we were not on a navigation but a weed infested ditch. This was the last straw, we gave up and fought our way back to Trent Lock.

This is a sad situation for what could be a popular navigation.

The full weight of the paddle is jamming the windlass spindle in the hasp. Tools and mechanical experience required to safely operate the paddle.

It is well known that the presence of people stops vandalism. The Canal & River Trust should actively encourage liveaboards and continuous cruisers as a fundamental part of the boating community; without them we would have more Erewash canals. Provide long term mooring sites (perhaps free for two years?) and 14 day moorings at regular intervals and the Erewash will thrive. Some (sadly lacking) water and service points would help to ensure success.

This is supposed to be a navigation, not a Scottish salmon river; this canal (and many other waterways) needs to have low visibility water to reduce light penetration, no light equals no weed. Lots of boat movements stir up the silt; the two boats a day at peak season going through the Erewash is not enough. I’m talking about low visibility, not contaminated water; the fish won’t mind, they can find the maggots by smell.

If we must have vandal locks let’s have them properly engineered with wellbalanced gates and smooth operating paddles. For some unfathomable reason, poor maintenance and bodging has become the boaters’ expected norm on the canal system.

Okay, so the local boaters who told me not to bother with the Erewash were right, what a shame!

R Webber By email

THERE have been several letters recently in various waterways publications referring to hire boaters receiving abuse, foul language, accusations of speeding and snide comments such as “they don’t know what they’re doing”, which I thought were exaggerations. After my family’s recent holiday, part of which was spent on the Bridgewater Canal, I now know that they are all true.

My family does not actually own our own boat as we like to visit different parts of the country, but we do have 27 years’ experience of hiring boats. Over the years we have hired from the Kennet & Avon Canal in the south to the Lancaster Canal in the north and all parts in between, but we have never been subjected to the torrent of abuse, foul language and aggression we recently received from numerous private boaters while travelling on the Bridgewater Canal.

We only spent three days of our holiday on the Bridgewater Canal but in that time we were sworn at six

times, accused of speeding three times, nearly rammed from behind twice and had our mooring pins ripped out by speeding private boaters twice. Three times private boaters rapidly approaching from behind sounded their horns and waved us out of the way as apparently we were going too slow.

One of these private boats then continued at the same speed past a long line of moored boats without comment from the people on board but when we passed the same boats moments later on tickover we were shouted at to slow down. Obviously one rule for the private boater and another rule for the hire boater.

Before leaving the Bridgewater Canal we were moored up a few hundred yards from the Preston Brook Tunnel and this time we had cause to ask another private boater to slow down; however, his only response was to look at his watch as he was rushing to make the timed entrance to the tunnel.

Over the 27 years we have been

● Due to a high volume of letters in the postbag this month, some have been held and will appear in the next available issue

Disgusted of Retford NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED

The way to enjoy boat holidays

A solution to the mooring problems?

I READ, with personal interest, Harry Arnold’s comments (News, Issue 95, September) on the fact that all three remaining pairs of hotel boats are for sale; and the reply, from Hanna Rees-Jones (Talkback, Issue 96, October), giving an operator’s point of view. She explains fully why the three pairs are for sale and that it is not because of lack of bookings. In fact the opposite applies and because of this I book for the following season to get on the cruise I want as soon as the cruising schedule comes out.

I have had over 40 holidays on pairs of hotel boats and have already three booked for 2014. Having also had three cruises on one of the new luxury wide beam boats, which I enjoyed, I feel ‘qualified’ to write on the two types of holiday which give an entirely different type of experience.

On a pair of boats the main enjoyment of the holiday is being involved with helping the boats through the locks and seeing the skill of the crew in towing and bow hauling the butty through the network.

This can never be replicated on a single boat. Like Hanna, I feel passionate about being on a traditional pair of boats and just hope new people will come forward to pick up the mantle. I know they will receive the full support from the many people who, like myself, feel this is the way to enjoy hotel boat holidaying.

THE liveaboard mooring problem between Devizes and Bath is because nothing was done when needed by British Waterways. One boater has been there for about 50 years. Thus the Canal & River Trust inherited a responsibility to these people and their boats.

I suggested a mooring solution to a previous BW manager who said such would discourage commercial marinas. Bilge!

That site would involve extending Summerham Brook Aqueduct culvert to the railway culvert, puddling between embankments, flooding there, removing the towpath, providing a new towpath and providing bank protection to the disused railway embankment.

Assuming boats would moor end on like sardines, there’d be space for about 350 72ft narrowboats.

Car parking etc. has to be agreed with the council which then must grant liveaboard planning permission as per new government guidelines or the CRT goes to appeal.

However, every dubious mooring made vacant has boats wanting it, especially at Bath, so all must be designated and administered as 24 and 48 hour visitor moorings, plus seven and 14 day absentee temporary moorings.

Ivor Nicholson Cottingham, East Yorkshire.

Alan Moody Surrey

Some cyclists think they have divine right to race along the towpath WE HAVE just returned from an extended cruise from Wolverhampton to the Leeds & Liverpool Canal on which we did the whole length and included a quick excursion up to Manchester’s Castlefield Basin.

With the amount of unlicensed liveaboard boats, and supposedly continuous cruisers, residing on the towpath that were there on our way out and still there six weeks later, it was difficult sometimes to find a boat showing a current licence. As we have a mooring we have to have a licence, but who is the fool here.

I also have to agree with the correspondent (Talkback, Issue 94,

August) with regard to the majority of cyclists on the towpaths. Some Lycra clad speed freaks really believe they have a divine right to race along with no respect for any other user.

I heard an article on the radio of a young girl seriously hurt on a seaside promenade by a speeding cyclist, who didn’t bother to stop, and there is more room on most promenades than on towpaths. Some cyclists seem not to have bothered to read the rules to riding the towpath; they never dismount through moorings and ride over your hosepipe when you’re filling up water – and yes, give a stream of abuse at any request to dismount or perhaps slowdown.

Thanks to friendly boaters

Vandal evidence: a common sight along the Erewash. PHOTOS: R WEBBER

hiring we have met thousands of wonderful people on the canals but the belligerence of the private boaters on the Bridgewater Canal takes the biscuit. They seem to think the canal is their own personal racetrack and heaven help anybody who happens to get in their way.

The canals are a wonderful asset to the country and hirers provide valuable revenue for their upkeep; but if this abuse of hirers continues unabated they will simply spend their money elsewhere which can only have a detrimental effect on the canals.

We will continue hiring but it seems to me that a small number of private boaters are only interested in themselves. They should stop and think for a moment that some of the hirers they are abusing have actually got considerably more experience than themselves and that even the beginners may become the owners of tomorrow.

DURING the week of October 11-18, I walked all 100 miles of the Warwickshire Ring to raise money for the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire air ambulance, in some very wet weather. So I would like to say thank you to all those boaters who gave me a friendly wave and said hello; it brightened my day up a lot as by the end I had sore feet.

I would also like to say thank you to Bywater Boats and the crew for my accommodation and superb meals.

The walk raised £1500, with some money still coming in. Proceeds from a pie and pint evening with brewery tour on October 31 took the total so far to £1872.

For any donations please go to: justgiving LorraineClark 100 mile challenge Many thanks to everybody Lorraine Clark By email

While waiting to descend the Bingley flight, there was a Canal & River Trust promotion stand; not one cyclist – and there were a few – bothered to get off and look and maybe think about giving any donation, and yet the CRT seems to be making it a priority to improve towpaths to encourage cyclists to travel faster than ever.

But as boaters are already aware, any comments like this fall on deaf ears; we are just the moaning, whingeing lot, who actually pay a great deal of money to cruise the waterways.

M Morgan By email

Challenge to flush out the dirtiest disposal points in the country IS THIS not the most unsuitable and dirty, unhygienic chemical toilet disposal point, even if it is a temporary fix on a marina that destroyed the original block.

This backs on to a cafe and is constantly flooded; these conditions were checked out over several days.

Could we have a competition, is this the worst in the country?

John Riley By email

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Farewell the National

Old Bilge Pump What role will the Inland Waterways Association have in the years to come?

THE Inland Waterways Association (IWA) wears the laurels proclaiming the inland waterways are still navigable and in good shape for the 21st century. Let me repeat that sentiment for this article may anger some members of the IWA. Without the IWA and its workers including those magnificent girls and boys in the Waterways Recovery Group we would not have the waterways to cruise our boats.

However I and many others have thought over the last 10 to 20 years that the IWA has lost its way, become too close to the old British Waterways and failed to be the campaigning organisation it once was. I wrote several years ago that the snarling lion that protected boaters from the ravages of BW was now a lion skin rug on the floor for the chief executive of British Waterways.

With the advent of the Canal & River Trust and its drive to recruit volunteers

and ‘Friends’ one wonders, and worries, what future role the IWA has in the years to come. We now learn that there will be no more ‘Nationals’.

A press release from the IWA states: “In the light of the poor financial outturn of the 2013 National Festival at Watford, the association has decided against planning festivals of this type for the foreseeable future, as the financial risks for the association are too great.

“IWA will, instead, put its efforts into rallies with clear campaign objectives, and proven annual gatherings such as Canalway Cavalcade, as well as supporting other major events such as Stratford River Festival and Crick Boat Show, where IWA hopes to have an enhanced presence.

“IWA’s commitment to such events will produce more benefit for the association, and for the waterways in general, at less risk.”

IWA national chairman Les Etheridge added: “The old formula for IWA’s National Festival clearly no longer works and a new style is needed.” Well some of us could have told Les that several years ago, but the decision still causes me to believe that the loss of the ‘National’ is a crying pity. It was unique in being the flag-bearer of all water festivals and the vehicle that brought many boat owners to the inland waterways.

From its formation in 1946 the IWA worked to encourage the use of the inland waterways and to fight against the deterioration and abandonment of the various stretches of navigable water. In my experience all boaters are different from the normal citizen of the UK; the boater tends to be independently minded and wants little regulation or regimentation of his life.

Having a boat on the inland

waterways is ‘different’ and unusual.

Living on a narrowboat is considered by many to be eccentric and even mad.

It is therefore not surprising that whenever two boaters are gathered together there are at least three opinions on most issues.

And so it was with the founders of the IWA who fell-out with each other and parted company. Many have found the IWA to be an awkward cuss ever since and thank goodness it was; for it fought the powers that be at every lock and weir; restoring canal and navigation against threat of legal action and worse.

There is a long creditable list of those who devoted their lives to waterways restoration a few who fought these battles are still with us. Famously, British Waterways attempted to rewrite history by claiming credit for the various restorations but we know that it was in the teeth of violent opposition from the authorities that the IWA saved the canals.

Matter of principle

Without the IWA and the Waterways Recovery Group we would not have the waterways. PHOTO: DAVID SCOWCROFT

Not a very big return considering profits

I CANNOT say I’m impressed with the business performance of British Waterways Marinas Ltd (BWML) which has reported a profit for 2012/13 of £1 million.

That may seem a large sum but when you consider that profit comes from 3323 berths in 20 marinas with occupancy rate having fallen to 74% – the second successive fall. That equates to a profit of only £300 per boat.

And when you compare that with a privately owned marina returning a profit of £1500 per boat there seems to be something not quite right.

Could this suspect outturn be the result of over staffing and overpaid executives and managers or just plain bad management? As long as the operation remains in profit at least us boaters will not be subsidising it.

Broads authority under fire from Mps

Five MPs representing Norfolk and Suffolk constituencies covering part of the Broads are not impressed with the management style of the Broads Authority. And at a meeting where they met senior members of the authority together with members of the Navigation Committee, the MPs expressed concern about the authority’s governance, consultation processes and toll levels.

This issue has been rumbling round for some considerable time. A major concern is the lack of representation of navigation interests with only two of the 21 committee members representing such interests. That is a truly crazy situation given the huge boating activity on the Broads.

However, some good news may eventually come out of this as it is now being proposed that the authority should appoint a director to liaise directly with the Navigation Committee.

Visitor moorings – stop faffing around!

While the Canal & River Trust at Gloucester continues to faff around the problem of the shortage of visitor moorings at Upton-on-Severn, the local town council is already actively pursuing potential funding sources to increase the moorings in this highly popular small and historic riverside town.

You will remember the council blew the Gloucester CRT out of the water for commandeering some visitor moorings to make way for a commercial trip boat, forcing the CRT to back down and free up the commandeered moorings. The CRT really looked prize clots when it transpired that the council owned 50% of the moorings anyway – something which BW (and now the trust) had forgotten about.

The Environment Agency has also moved the rocks placed on the river bank outside the Swan Hotel to

I came into all this 15 years ago knowing nothing of the history, never having been on a narrowboat and relying on my boat builder to create me a home.

We attended a couple of National Festivals both as customers and as participants helping to sell narrowboats for our boat builder, Kevin Wadsworth.

We joined the IWA as a matter of principle and as credit to it for its saving of the canals. However we became a little disillusioned.

We were liveaboards cruising the canals in the manner of what is now called ‘continuous cruisers’. This term was invented by BW but it failed to define it or produce sensible workable rules for this way of life; a failure which is still causing problems today.

We gained the impression, perhaps wrongly that the IWA was not interested in people living on boats and that they considered the lifestyle inappropriate for the canals. This attitude was fostered and encouraged by BW, which certainly gave the impression that it did not want families living permanently on narrowboats.

We began to feel that the IWA was no longer in a battle for the soul of the waterways with BW but had become too

support the river wall while flood defences were being erected. The stones have been placed elsewhere to strengthen the river back.

The Swan Hotel can now benefit from visiting boats mooring close by. I gather more moorings will be announced hopefully early next season.

what’s wrong with a collecting bucket?

CRT’s head of fundraising Ruth Ruderham has been waxing lyrical about the three new specially designed collecting boxes that have been trialled at the Anderton Lift’s visitor centre. Apparently the box that attracts most money will be put into production and distributed throughout the network.

What a waste of money in producing something that is nothing more than a gimmick. I’ve seen the trial boxes and they have very little affinity with the canals and rivers. For Ms Ruderham to refer to the ‘soulless bucket’ is plain daft. I’ve seen many ‘soulless buckets’ that have been highly decorated and in fact three of us used such a bucket to raise nearly £200 at a retail park for the Royal British Legion. ● Do you agree or disagree with Stillwater’s comments? Send your views to Talkback (see previous page).

close to power. Around this time we attended, with our boat, the Huddersfield Festival. Our boat mooring point was so far from the showground that we had to get the bus each morning: the festival, where we moored, was a distant rumour. We joined the three-week build-up party at the Runcorn Festival and immediately felt like outcasts. The established work party had piped-water and electric hook-ups. We, despite having booked in advance to the working party, were left to fend for ourselves.

One lady told us that they did not want new volunteers since all the jobs had been allocated years ago. We felt the entire organisation was filled with dedicated, hard-working individuals who had formed a clique and did not welcome newcomers.

In the passing years we have watched the ‘National’ become fossilised and stuck in repetition with few new ideas or events. The ‘National’ and the IWA appeared to be isolated from everyday boating with little or no relevance to the liveaboard boater. It has obviously continued to do good work producing consultation documents working with BW but not fighting tooth and nail for your everyday boater.

What now for the historically glorious IWA – to become merely a ‘Friend’ of the Canal & River Trust?

TowpaTh TiTTer CONTINUING our light-hearted look at life on the cut with a contribution from Harry Arnold of Waterway Images and spotted at the recent Huddlesford Heritage Gathering.

How is one dog expected to compete with a whole ukulele orchestra?

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 And don’t forget you can also follow us on Twitter @towpathtalk and on Facebook

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