Towpath Talk March 2023 issue - PREVIEW!

CRTwarnsgovernmentgrantreview couldseefundingfallinreal terms

ByPhilPickin THECanal&RiverTrust’schief executiveRichardParryhasgivenastark

Energybillsupport

Inabrie ngtothewaterwayspress, hesaidthatthelong-awaited nancial statement,whichisexpectedatEaster, willnotincludeanyprovisionfor in ation.Asaresultthevalueofthe grant, xedat£52.6millionfrom2021,

Fishpassvisits

IWAhasjoinedacampaignledbytheNationalBargee TravellersAssociationtoensureboaterswholive o -gridorwithoutahomemooringareabletoaccess theGovernment’sEnergyBillSupportScheme.Ithas workedwithNBTAonapaperwhichwassubmitted totheDepartmentforBusiness,Energy&Industrial Strategy(BEIS).Sofar,theGovernmenthaso ered acomplicatedwayofapplyingfortheenergygrant withtheexpectationofbeingdenied,whichthen allowspeopletoapplyforanothergrant.Seestory onpage70.

willbesubjecttoareductionofaround 29%by2027.

MrParrysaidthatevenmoreworrying wastheGovernment’sindicationthat thegrantislikelytoreduceafter2027, somethingthatwillonlyexacerbatethe

NATIONALLotteryplayersarebeinginvitedtovisit therenovatedVictorianworkshopatDiglisLock IslandandthenewDiglis shpassinWorcesterfrom Tuesday,March21untilSaturday,March25. efree toursincludea10-15minutewalkalongtheriverside pathtothe shpasswhereyoucandescendbeneath thesurfaceoftheRiverSevernintoanunderwater viewinggallery.Visitorswillneedtoshowalottery ticket,instantwingameorscratchcard(physicalor digital).Fordetailsoftimesandtobookvisitwww. eventbrite.co.uk

alreadydi cultsituation.Hehighlighted thefactthatdemandsonthetrust haveneverbeengreater,withplanned andemergencyworkcontinuingand increasingnumbersusingthewaterways.

Continuedonpage2

Festivalline-up

FAIRPORT’SCropredyConventionthree-dayopenairmusicfestivalhassomebignamesbookedforthis summer’seventatCropredybesidetheOxfordCanalnear Banburyfrom ursdaytoSaturday,August10-12.Nile RodgersandChicwillheadlineontheopeningnight. Otherhighlightswillinclude10ccheadliningonthe Friday,ToyahandRobertFripp,KikiDeeandCarmelo Luggeri,GilbertO’Sullivan,theUKfarewellperformance byStrawbsandathree-hourheadlinesetfromhostband FairportConventioninaneclecticmix.Fullticketand bookinginformationatwww.fairportconvention.com/faqs

DAFFODILSarebloomingandthebudsareburstingopenasanarrowboattravelsalongtheLeeds&LiverpoolCanalnearScarisbrickinWest Lancashire.OntheoffsideofthecanalarethemooringsalongsidetheShawHallcaravanpark.

PHOTO:COLINWAREING

warningaboutthepotentialfuturefor thewaterwaysduetofundingconcerns.

WELCOME

THEnewscontinuesto bedominatedbythecost oflivingcrisisalthough thelatestin ation gures showedaslightdropto10.1%.

Notthatitwillhelpthoseliveaboard boaterswhohadyettoreceivethe energysupportgrantatthetimeof goingtopress–seethecampaignby boaters’organisationsincludingNBTA (NationalBargeeTravellersAssociation) andNABO(NationalBoatOwners Association)inLastWordonpage70. ChancellorJeremyHuntwillpresent his rstspringbudgetonthe‘idesof March’(the15th);hopefullyitwill proveabetterdateforhimthanfor JuliusCaesar.

Fromawaterwaysperspective,the long-awaitedannouncementofthe governmentgrantreviewiscontinuing tocauseconcernattheCanal&River Trustasyouwillhaveseenonthefront page.Howevertherehavebeengreen shootsintheformoftheEnvironmental ImprovementPlan,seepage3andthe well-beingbene tswhichvolunteering canbring,page7.

Forthesecondinourseriesabout planningforthenextwinterstoppage season–mostofthecurrentonesare duetobecompletedonMarch17–I hadachatwiththeCanal&River Trust’sheadofdirectservicesDean Davieswhoseenthusiasmforhisrole shinesthrough,seeinterviewonpage4.

SallyCli ordmeetsthecouplewho haveconvertedaformercoalbarge intoa oatingbookshop,seepage 8andNicolaLislehasbeenbusyon theheritagefrontvisitingtheWest BerkshireMuseumatNewburyand ndingoutmoreabouttheprojectto rescuehistoricwoodennarrowboat Hardy atTooley’sBoatyardinBanbury, seepages16and17.

Fromthismonthwebringyouboth ScottishandIrishnewsinthesame editionsothatwecanbringyoumore up-to-datenewsitemsaboutthose waterwaynetworks,seepages64and65.

Anddon’tforgettoputyourclocks forwardanhouronSunday,March26.

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CRTwarnsgovernmentgrantreview couldseefundingfallinreal terms

Continuedfrompage1

Asaresult,theboatingcommunity mayhavetoendurehigherlicencefees withrisesabovein ationpossible. Reducedservicesmayalsobeonthe horizon,withRichardParrysayingthat thewaterwayscouldwellendupasthey weredecadesagoshouldthefunding issuenotbeaddressed.

CRThasenlistedthehelpofDJS Research,anindependentcompany, tocarryoutalicenceconsultationinto pricingoverthenext10years. econsultation,whichrunsuntil April6,asksalllicenceholdersfor theirviews.

Optionsincludewhetherlicences shouldbeincreasedacrosstheboard ortargetcertainboaterstore ectthe waytheyusethewaterways.

Otherconsultationsbeingundertaken includeoneoncustomerservice facilities. isprojectisaimedatputting inplaceastandardforkeyboater facilitiesandalsore ectsthepressure onbudgets,withfacilitiespotentially beingreducedinsomeareaswhilebeing increasedinothers.

Facilitiesnotidenti edasessential willnotbeincludedinthestandard, accordingtothebrie ngnotes. Inanefforttogeneratemore income,CRThasappointedanew

fundraisingdirector,MaggieGardner, seestoryonpage7.Itwillfalltoherto trytoincreasethelevelofprivateand charitabledonations.Inaddition,CRT hasalsolaunchedadrivetorecruitmore volunteerstohelpwiththepractical aspectsoftheworkofthetrust.

Starkmessage

ebrie ngwentontooutlineplanned stoppagesandpriorityprojectsover thecomingwinter,whichinclude anumberofmajorprojectstaking placeatreservoirs,bridgerepairsand dredgingprojects;however,itwasthe starkmessageattheoutset,deliveredby RichardParry,thatstoodout.

Hewentontosaythathedidn’t wanttogivetheimpressionthatthings wouldbe‘allright’inthefutureas,inall honesty,hecouldn’tgivethatassurance. Allcontingenciesarebeingdiscussed, includingtheoptionofsimplyhanding backresponsibilityforthewaterwaysto theGovernmentifasuitable nancial agreementcan’tbefound. Itisworthnotingthattheissuehas beendiscussedpreviouslybyBritish Marinememberswhoareheavily investedinhavingaviablecanal network. eirfeelingisthatacontinued delayinsecuringasustainablefunding agreementonlyheightenstheconcerns andwillerodelonger-termcon dence.

Wheredidthatword comefrom?

JohnSoutercontinueshisseriesexploringtheoriginsofcommonlyusedboatingterms.

MANYofyoumaybefamiliarwithwhat alotofthewordsthatboatersusemean buthaveyoueverstoppedtowonder wherethewordswearealltoofamiliar withactuallyoriginatedfrom?Hereare moreexamplesofwordswhoseorigins mayhopefullyinformyou,andinsome cases,perhaps,evensurpriseyou.

Beam iscanbeusedtoreferto: ·Ahorizontalstructuralmember, usuallytransverse,i.e.across-beam, forsupportingthedecksand oorsof avessel.

ebreadthorwidthofavesselfrom oneoutermostpointtoanother,i.e.at itswidestpart.

ewordisthoughttodatefromthe early13thcentury–andit’sfromhere thattheslangexpressionorphrase ‘broadinthebeam’(wide-hipped)is believedtooriginate.

Howeverthehistoricoriginofthe wordisthoughttogobacktopre-900 fromtheAnglo-SaxonorOldEnglish ‘beam’meaning‘tree’(aswellas ‘rafter,post,ship’stimber’).Itcould alsoderivefromtheOldNorse‘baomr’ andMiddleDutch‘boom’,bothhaving similarmeanings.

Bilge

eareaatthebottomofaboatwhere watercancollectandfromthereneedsto

bepumpedout,hencethetermsbilgepumpandbilge-water.Inparticularit isthespaceoffreeairinsideaboat’s hulllyingbeneaththebilgeline(water line),althoughthetermisoftenusedto refertothewholeareaunderneaththe cabin oor.

eexactoriginisunknownbut possiblyderivesfromtheOldNorse French‘boulge’meaning‘leathersack’, orLateLatin‘bulga’whichhasasimilar meaning–inbothcasesthewordisused inthesenseofaswellingattributedto thecollection/storageofliquid.

In1513therewasthe rstknown useoftheword‘bulge’tomean‘lowest internalpartofaship’,whichthen evolvedintobilgeanddevelopedinto themeaningofthatspeci careaofthe ‘ship’shull’.

Boat

isisanysmallvessel,asopposedtoa ‘ship’whichcanordoesalsocarryboats. istermcanalsosometimesbefound tobeusedtorefertoavesseloflessthan 7ftbeamorwidth.

eoriginofthiswordisbelieved todatefrompre-900andhasevolved fromtheOldEnglishword‘bat’meaning ‘boat,ship,vessel’andwhichthen developedintotheMiddleEnglish‘boot’ beforebecomingboat.Interestinglythe modernGermanwordforboatisalso ‘boot’,asinthe lmDasBoot.

Analternativederivationisfromthe

OldNorse‘bato’alsomeaningboat.

Bollard

estrongwoodenormetalpostsused fortyingupboatswithmooringlinesat awharf,quay,lockormooring.Abollard canalsobereferredtoasastrapping stump,a‘strap’beinganothernamefor aropeorline.

Bollardsorstrappingstumpsare alsoplacedtohelpinnavigatinga narrowboatatadi cultspotona canal,e.g.wherealine,ropeorstrap wouldbeusedwithabollardorstump

tohelpwithmovingroundatightturn. ewordisthoughttorelatetotheword ‘bole’meaning‘treetrunk’and‘ard’ meaning‘hardy’.

Alternativelyitcouldberelatedtothe Norman-Frenchword‘boulard’which hasasimilarmeaning.

PaintedbollardsalongtheChelmer&BlackwaterNavigation.

PHOTO:JANETRICHARDSON

Narrowboatsmoored ontheGrandUnion CanalatStockton.

PHOTO:JANETRICHARDSON

Awidebeamintheice ontheRuffordBranch.

PHOTO:COLINWAREING

Mooringbollardsalongthe Monmouthshire&BreconCanal.

PHOTO:JANETRICHARDSON

Howwinterstoppagesare planned

InthesecondarticleabouthowtheCanal&RiverTrust maintainsits200-year-oldsystem,wechattoDean Davies,headofdirectservices.

MANAGINGadirectworkforceof around200peoplein14construction teamsmeansthatDeanDaviesisalways busy,butitisajobthatgiveshimahuge amountofsatisfaction.

Deansaid:“Twohundredand ftyyearsago,greatengineersand thousandsofnavviesstartedsomething trulyspectacular.Theyachieved featsofindustrialengineeringnever encounteredbefore:takingwaterup hills,acrossvalleysandpoweringthe industrialage.Myteamistaskedwith preservingthisamazingheritagefor todayandforfuturegenerations,keeping thenetworksafeandresilientforboaters andlocalcommunities.”

eCanal&RiverTrust’shistoric canalnetworkstretchesfromLondon toLancaster,BrecontoBostonand Dean’steamsarespreadacrossEngland andWales,wheretheycanbuildup importantlocalknowledgeandreact quicklytoanyemergencies.Fourofhis teamsarebasedintheWestMidlands–withitslargenumberoflocks–where hehasworkedfornearly20years.“But Inowgettoseethewholeofthesystem,” hesaid.

erearealsofourteamsintheNorth West,twoeachinYorkshire&theNorth EastandLondon&theSouthEast,and oneeachintheEastMidlandsandWales &theSouthWest.

eycarryoutthevastmajorityofthe winterstoppageprogramme,including theconstructionofthelockgateleaves attheCanal&RiverTrust’sStanleyFerry andBradleyworkshopsandallthelock gatereplacements.Althoughthereare somegeographicallimitations,the teamstendtogowheretheworkisand theprogrammeisadjustedto tthe availableresources.

“Ourteamscanmovearoundand crossoverregionalboundaries–for exampleWestMidlandsteamshave workedontheRiverSevernatGloucester andBevere(Worcestershire)thisyear –dependingontheworkload. is exibilityallowsustomeetbothlocal andnationwidepriorities.

“Althoughthelockgatereplacements arecarriedoutbythetrust’sownteams, wedosometimesutilisesub-contractors todootherelementsofourworkbased onthecomplexityandsizeofajob,” Deanexplained.“ esetendtobethings likebrickwork,repointingandlock ladderextensions.”

etotalannualconstructionbudget isabout£24million,whichalsocovers workinthesummermonths,the programmestartingonApril1and nishingonMarch31torunwiththe nancialyear.

Deanexplainedtheyaretryingto optimisetheprogrammetobringin coste ciencies,i.e.bychangingtopand bottomgatesatthesametimeinstead ofafewyearsapart.“Wearemoving towardshavingathree-yearprogramme, particularlyaroundlockgates.Weare lookingatwheresavingscanbemade; especiallyifwearegoingbacktothe same ightinconsecutiveyears.We’ll lookattheprogrammeandseehowwe

canjugglethingsaroundabittoboth reducetheimpactonboatersandalso savemoney.”

Seekingfeedback

Discussionsaboutthewinterstoppage programmestartwithexternal stakeholdersandthetrust’sNavigation AdvisoryGroupinAprilandMaybefore goingtofullconsultationonthetrust website. eaimistogetfeedbackfrom boatersandothercanalusersbeforethe programmeis nallyagreedreadyfor publicationinAugust.

Mostworksstartonthe rstweekin Novemberbutdependingonthenature ofwaterwaytheremaybeabitofleeway, suchasontheChester eldCanalwhere someworksstartedinOctoberlast year.Deanexplainedthattheyalways discusstheseadjustmentsinitiallywith thestoppageconsulteegroupbefore consultinglocally.

“Havingathree-yearplangivesus thechancetoplananddiscussworks alotearlier–doingeverythinginone yearcanpresentalotofchallenges forus,”Deancontinued.“We’retrying toidentify,prioritise,plananddeliver 500-plusconstructionprojectsina 12-monthperiod.Mostofthetimethings gowellbutathree-yearplanwouldhelp usbemoreconsistentande cient, particularlywhenthingschange,or problemscropup.”

Thedurationofeachstoppage dependsonseveralfactors:including location,accessibility,theamountof workneeded,andresourceavailability. “Forinstance,ifyouhavegotasingletop endgatetoreplaceandgoodaccessit’s goingtotakeafewdaystocompletewith stopplankinstallation,draindownetc. Ifyouhavetochangethecillorreplace broadmitred-endbottomgates,then youarestartingtoincreasethetimescale, probablymoretowardsacoupleof weeks.Addinotherlockrepairsand youcouldbelookingatsixweeks-plus tocompletethework.”

Takingintoaccounttheworks informationpackage,anestimatecost, andhowmanydaysorweekstheworks willtake,thejobisthenprogrammed intotheplanforthatyear,where possiblealongsideothercomplementary works.“ ecostofdrainingalock andassociatedworksincreasequite signi cantlyifwehavetobringina craneorundertaketemporaryworks tofacilitatethemaintasks,soitisoften morecoste ectivetodoadditional workswhilealockora ightisdrained down,”hesaid.

Theshorterjobsareusually programmedintheseven-weekperiod uptoChristmaswiththelargerandmore complexprojectsplannedforthe rst11 weeksofthenewyear.

“Weaimtohavecompletedthe worksbymid-March–March17this year–althoughwiththeagreementof theNavigationAdvisoryGroupsome exceptionscanruntotheendof nancial year,”Deanadded.

Undertakingworktoa250-year-old canalsystemduringthewintercanalso

meantheteamsarehitwithproblems anddelays.“Withmyteamsthedelays occurwherewe’vehitaproblemsuchas oodingandbadweather–increasingly commonwithourchangingclimate–or wherewehavefoundthatmorework needsdoingwhenwedrainalockdown, suchasextrabrickworkrepairsand repointing.Wesometimesgetluckyand itisnotasbadasweexpectedsothejob isquickerthanforecast,butmoreoften thannotthedamageisworseandthe repairsbigger.Wedowhateverwecan tominimisethate ectonthestoppage dates,butsometimeswehavetoextend thedurationoftheworks.”

Althoughtherehavebeenmore supplychainissuessinceCovid-19,the mainproblemsinvolvelogistics,sta sicknessandbringinginreplacements. DuringthecoldsnapafterChristmas, frozencanalspreventedsomeofthe materialsbeingbroughtinbyboat.

Corebusiness etrust’slockgateworkshopteams arenowplanningnextyear’sdelivery programme,astheybuildlockgates allyearround.Atthetimeofwriting theystillhadacoupleofsetstomake forMarchstoppagesbeforestartingto buildgatesfornextyear’sprogramme.

e rstonesbuiltwillbeforlocks wheresummerclosuresareacceptable, suchaswheretherearedoublelocks, areasonablediversionandwaterways withlessnavigationaluse.

Buildingthelockgatesinternallyis acorebusinessforthetrust,whichhas nearly5000uniquelockgateleaves acrossthe2000-milenetwork,requiring

ongoingmaintenanceandreplacement onaverageevery25years.“Wegetbetter economiesofscalebydoingitourselves.”

Askedwhathappenstotheoldgates followingreplacement,Deansuggested wecouldrunacompetitioninviting readerstosubmitideas.“Iwouldlove to ndasustainableuseforthembut theycontainalotofsteelsoyoucan’tjust putachainsawthroughthem,itisreally labourintensivetotakethemetalparts out.It’ssimpletosaybutveryhardtodo becauseofthesheersize,transportation costs,andthelabourinvolvedtaking themapart.Anybrightideasfrom readerswouldbeverywelcome.”

Heexplainedthatovertheyears they’vetriedanumberofideasincluding sendingsometoatimbermerchantin Leicesterwhichhasstacksofoldgates whichwillbetakenapartwhenthe merchanthastime,somehavingbeen madeintolintelsand replaces.Other usesincluderetainingstructuresand roadmatsfortheGlastonburyFestival, o eringthemtorestorationgroups,and dismantlingbyHMPrisonsworkshops. Gearingcansometimesberecycledfor futureuse.

Apartfromtheobviouslockgate replacements,otherworkscarriedoutby thedirectservicesteamsincludebridge repairs;waterwaywallrepairs;leak repairs;towpathsurfacing;andrelining/ rebuildingofculverts.Largerworksare deliveredbyframeworkcontractors BentleyandKier.

Deancontinued:“Formesomeofthe biggerchallengeswehavehadtothink aboutarehowwegetpeople,plantand equipmenttolockstoppagesitestodo

thework.Wehaveincreasinglystarted tohireatypeofcrane–aspidercrane –whichcanbeputonapontoonand thensuspendedoverthelocktoliftlarge lockgatesintomoreremotelocks.We havehadtwospidercranesoperatingat CapeTopLock25ontheGrandUnionat Warwickwherewehavebeenreplacing thetopandbottomgates.

“Anotherchallengehasbeenchanging thebottomgateatStensonLock6onthe Trent&Mersey–abroadlockwhich isoneofdeepestlocksinthecountry wheretheaccesstositeissubjecttoa weightlimit.Abnormalloadmovements andtemporaryworkstofacilitatethese canexceedthecostofdoingtheactual work.” ecostofthegatescanrepresent afractionofthecostofthejob.

Headdedthatoneofthecommon misconceptionsisthattheteamsdon’t doanyimportantworkinthesummer months.“Wedodi erenttypesofwork butitisjustasimportant,suchasjobs likebankprotectionworkandbridge parapetrepairswhichdon’trequirea stoppage.Ifwedon’tdothesejobsthe problemgetsbigger,andthecoststoput themrightincreasesigni cantly–we workallyearround.

“Communicationwiththeteams isanever-endingjobinitself,”Dean concluded.“ eteamsarespreadover theentirecanalnetwork,sogettingto seethemalltakestime.I’mnormally homebasedbutcanbeanywhereinthe countrydependingonwherethework isandwhereI’mneeded.ButIamvery luckytodowhatIdo–it’sadreamjob lookingafterthiswonderfulnetworkof canals,whichquicklybecomesahuge partofyourlife.

“We’recertainlyfacingsome challengesatthemoment.Although our250-year-oldcanalsarevaluedmore thaneverbefore,theyremainfragileand vulnerable.Achangingclimate,rapidly risingcostsandthepassageoftimeare takingtheirtoll.Asacharity,weneed toworkharderthanevertoensureour canalsarepreventedfromfallinginto disrepairandI’mproudtobeleading theteamkeepingthewaterwaysopen fornavigation.”

WorksinprogressontheGrandUnionCanal.Inthispictureit’s easytoseehowthespidercranegetsitsname!

Twospidercranesoperatingat CapeTopLock25ontheGrand UnionCanalatWarwick.

LiftingalockgateatShireoaksontheChesterfieldCanal. PHOTOS:CANAL& RIVERTRUST

Usingaspidercranetoliftalockgateat BingleyontheLeeds&LiverpoolCanal.

Busy opening session a t new compound

ANOTHER spectacularly productive w o rk p a r t y s aw Sh ro p s h i re Un i o n Canal Society volunteers able to settle into and enjoy their new compound s outh of Cr ickheath Br idg e on the Montgomer y Canal

A wide variety of preparator y tasks were completed ready for machine p l a nt o p e rat i o n s t o s t a r t T ha n k s t o f av o u rab l e w e at h e r c o n d i t i o n s, vegetation clearance continued apace in the dr y channel

Bon re work is always a popular activity in the colder months and by the end of the weekend the middle 200 metres had been fully cleared and is now ready for stump removal and site strip Vegetation clearance work also took place at the south end of the site up to Schoolhouse Bridge, with detailed sur veying of the channel dimensions

t o b e e x t e n d e d r i g h t u p t o t h e southern limit e wharf at the north end of the site, by Crickheath Bridge, has been previously cleared of most vegetation and, as is nor mal this time of year, had standing water in places due to raised ground water levels However, this didn’t prevent a group of energetic volunteers working at ground level to the rear of the wharf

Dur ing the summer a number of coping stones will be removed to allow repairs to the wall beneath Holes were dug in the ground behind the copings in readiness for removal

Another group of volunteers took the opportunity to complete a job required to make good works to the previous project, north of Crickheath Bridge More than 700 hedging whips of mixed

The channel cleared of saplings and vegetation

native species were planted on the o side bank along the eld fence

Back in the compound, volunteers were able to relax at break times in their new surroundings e welfare shelter has been extended, has a new tarpaulin

ro of, half height walls constr ucte d from repurposed newt fencing and, in case of inclement weather, removable window panels e volunteers have been greatly encouraged by interest show n in the new proje ct by local re s i d e nt s a n d t h e g e n e ra l p u b l i c , possibly helped by the compound’s location next to the towpath and by the village A number of new volunteers have also been welcomed this year

including tw o more young pe ople, accompanied by their guardians ShropshireUnionCanalSociety isalwayslookingtoencourage newvolunteersandmembers. Anyoneinterestedshouldvisit https://shropshireunion.org.ukfor detailsofdatesandcontacts,also fornewsandinformation.

LMS Black Five 4-6-0 45231 The Sherwood Forester passes the frozen Oxford Canal near Ansty on January 18 while retur ning to its home base of Crewe after undertaking railtours in and around London in the run up to Christmas

PHOTO: GRAHAM NUTTALL

Planting hedging whips PHOTOS: SU PUBLICITY

Volunteers enjoy the improved welfare shelter in all its glory

TownDealgrantfundingfor Loughboroughtowpathproject

THEfirstphaseinaproject toimproveapopularsection ofhistorictowpathin Loughborough,Leicestershire hasbeencompleted.

Workinginpartnershipwith LoughboroughTownDeal,the Canal&RiverTrustisimproving a2kmstretchoftheRiverSoar towpathbetweenMoorLane BridgeandBeltonLane.

CRTpartnershipsmanager

AlanLeathersaid:“Morethan 200yearsafteritwasbuilt,this sectionofcanalremainsareally specialplacewithinthetown andit’sgreattoseetheprogress beingmadeonthesevital improvementswhichwillbring realbene tstosomanypeople.

“ isprojectwillbringadded lifeandcolourtoLoughborough’s waterways.Itwillencourage peopletospendmoretimebythe waterand,withsupportfromthe InlandWaterwaysAssociation andmembersofQuornAngling Society,we’reexcitedtocreate somenewmooringsthatwill enableboaterstovisitthetown centrefacilitiesandattractions moreeasily.”

eimprovementsthrough Loughboroughwillshoreup astretchofthecanalbank, createadditionalmooringsfor

visitingboatsandensurethe towpathisavailableforboaters andthelocalcommunitytouse andenjoy.

isprojecthasbeenmade possiblethankstoan£885,000 grantfromLoughboroughTown Deal.Itwillenablemorepeople toboosttheirphysicaland mentalhealthbyspendingtime bythewaterandamongnature.

Alanadded:“It’sgreat tobeworkingalongside LoughboroughTownDealona projectthatweknowwillmake ahugedifferencetopeople livingandworkinginthetown andwe’regratefulfortheir continuedsupport.”

All-weathersurface

Beforethenewtowpathcouldbe laidthetrustrecentlycompleted workstoreinforceasectionof canalwallbyinstalling100m ofsteelpilingbetweenMoor LaneandLittleMoorLaneto repairthebankandpreventany futureerosion.

Thetrustisnowstarting workstolayawider,all-weather towpath,makingitsuitablefor useallyearround,including bythosewithwheelchairsor buggies.Workswillinvolve creatingawiderpathbefore

layingabitumensurfaceand thenastonechiplayertogive therouteamorenaturalfeel. e projectisalsocreatingadditional mooringsforvisitingboatersto stopandwalkintotown.

ecanalimprovementisone of11projectsLoughborough TownDealissupportingafter securing£16.9millionof governmentfunding.

Intotal,theprojectsare worthmorethan£40millionof investmentforthetown.

CounJonathanMorgan, co-chairmanofLoughborough TownDeal,said:“Itisreally pleasingtoseeworkonthe canalunderwayandmaking suchgoodprogress.These improvementswillbene tthe peopleofLoughboroughtoday

andformanyyearstocomeand that’soneoftheaimsoftheTown Deal,toleavealastinglegacy.”

Co-chairmanDrNikKotecha added:“Iamsurepeoplewill appreciateseeingthecanal improvementsalreadytaking shapeandwelookforwardto seeingtheschemecompleted laterthisyear.”

Morehelpneededto meetsteamer’sdry dockingcosts

ByHughDougherty

ANURGENTappealhasbeenlaunchedto raise£180,000toallowformerLNERpaddle steamer Waverley tobedrydockedintimeto starther2023seasononMay19.

Inthe rstweek£97,000–justoverhalfthe cost–hadbeenraisedbutgeneralmanager PaulSempleiswarningthattimeisstillofthe essenceifthehistoricrailwaysteameristo sailin2023.

Hesaid:“Lastseasonwecarried100,000 passengersinScotland,ontheEnglishsouth coastandonthe ames,andinnormaltimes therevenuegeneratedwouldhaveallowedus topayfortheannualdrydocking.

“However,wehadtofacea64%riseinour fuelcosts–inrealterms,£300,000–which hasleftuswithoutthecashtopayforthe dockingandtomeetthenewseasonstart-up costs,suchasprocuringcateringfoodstu s andotheressentialitems,sowehavehadto launchthisappeal.”

Paulcontinued:“ eresponse,evenata timeof nancialhardshipandstretchingfor manypeople,hasbeenwonderful,butwe stillhavesomewaytogoaswe’reonatight deadlinefordrydockingattheendofMarch. Anydonations,howeverlargeorsmall,would bemostwelcometokeep Waverley sailing.”

Inthemeantime,regularwinter maintenancehasbeengoingon,withnew woodforpaddle oatsdelivered,deckrepairs andboilermaintenancecarriedout.Paul added:“Oursta ,volunteersandspecialist contractorsaredoinggreatwork,butit becomesharderandmoreexpensiveyearly tokeepavesselofthisvintageoperational,

ChainBridge,nearBeltonLane, andworktowardsMoorLane Bridge. epathwillbeclosed insectionswhiletheworks arecarriedoutwithsignage inplacetoadvisethoseusing thetowpath. e rstclosure, betweenChainBridgeonCanal BankandMeadowLaneBridge, wasduetobeinplacefromthe middleofFebruary.

AlanLeather,partnerships managerforCanal&RiverTrust andCounJonathanMorgan, co-chairofLoughborough TownDeal.

PaulSemplewithnewlydeliveredwood forpaddlewheelfloatreplacement. PHOTOS:HUGHDOUGHERTY

Thetwo-year-oldboilersareintotheir maintenancecycle.Controlshave beenstrippeddownforspecialist servicing,withthefurnacesbeing sweptout.

somethingthatoperatorsofheritagerailways andothervintagetransportpreservationists willreadilyrecognise.

“Wehadnewboilers tted,forexample, twoyearsago,butthesearenowhavingto beservicedbyspecialistcontractors,such ascontrolsremovedforserviceandthe boilerfurnacessweptout,andthereare itemsthroughouttheshipwhichallneed regularlyservicingorreplacement,allagainst abackgroundofrisingcosts.”

Donationstothedrydockappealcan bemadeviawww.waverleyexcursions. co.uk

PHOTO:CRT

Trustlaunchesbiggest appealforvolunteers

THOUSANDSofpeoplearebeing encouragedtojointhearmyof volunteerswhoworkalongsidethe Canal&RiverTrusttoprotectand preservethehistoriccanalnetwork acrossEnglandandWales.

Withvolunteeringbywaterproven tocomewithaddedwell-being bene tsforthosetakingpart,thetrust isappealingforitsbiggestrangeyetof volunteerrolesandactivities–from theiconiclockkeeper,throughto numerouscommunity,administrative andprofessionalsupport,wildlifeand heritageconservationopportunitiesthat supportthecharity.

OverthecomingmonthsCRTwillbe hostingaseriesofvolunteerwelcome eventsacrossEnglandandWaleswhere peoplecan ndoutaboutthevarietyof exiblerolesandactivitiestheycanget involvedin, ndouthowtheycanmake arealdi erencetolocalcommunities, makegreatfriends,andhavefun.

ChiefexecutiveRichardParrysaid: “Withthenation’scanalsusedand enjoyedbymorepeoplethanever before,togetherwiththeconstantthreat ofclimatechange,thesehistoricplaces needconstantcaretolookafterthem. Weneedthesupportofthecommunity andconservation-mindedpeopleto helpensurethatthesepreciousplaces arehandedontofuturegenerations.”

Researchin2021bythetrustshows thatvolunteeringbywaterisgoodfor you. eresearchfoundthatpeoplewho volunteerbywaterfortheCanal&River Trustreportbeinghappier,feelingmore

worthwhileandfeelinglessanxiousthan othervolunteersorthosewhodon’t volunteeratall.

Inarecentsurvey(2023)conducted onbehalfofthetrust, ndingsshowthat halfofpeoplesurveyedsaidthereasons theygetinvolvedwithvolunteeringareto givesomethingbacktotheircommunity (48%)andtomeetnewpeopleandmake newfriends(31%).Mentalwell-being wasanotherkeyreasonvolunteerssaid theygetinvolved(30%).

Journalistandpresenter,Ranvir Singh,issupportingtheCanal&River Trust’sappealhavingjoinedvolunteers ontheGrandUnionCanalinLondon withaprojecttoimprovethecanalfor wildlife.Shesaid:“It’sgreattoconsider volunteeringfortheCanal&RiverTrust

Newfundraisingdirector Maggiejoinstrustteam

THECanal&RiverTrusthas announcedtheappointment ofMaggieGardnerasitsnew fundraisingdirector. Shehasenjoyedalongcareer infundraising,marketingand executiveleadership,notably 15yearsasdirectoratglobal developmentcharityPractical Action,andmorerecently workingwiththeFreedomFund, aglobalUS-basedcharity,and inconsultancy.

Maggiehasalsoheldawiderange ofnon-executive/trusteepositions includingattheNewEconomics FoundationandtheUniversity ofNorthampton.

fortworeasons: rstly,foryourself, becauseworkingbywatermakesyoufeel happierandreducesanxiety;it’ssocial –anopportunitytomeetnewpeople;if youdon’thaveyourowngreenspace,it’s somewherewhereyoucanenjoynature andtheenvironmentforfree.

“Theotherreasonisforthe environment–wemightfeelabit helplessaboutwhatwecandotomake adi erence,butthisisafantasticwayto doyourbit,whilealsohavingapositive impactonyourlocalarea.”

Toviewtherangeofvolunteering opportunitiesavailableaswellasthe seriesofvolunteeringwelcomeevents whichwilltakeplaceacrossEngland andWales,visit:www.canalrivertrust. org.uk/volunteer

CRTchiefexecutiveRichardParry said:“Asacharitywearefacing ever-greaterchallengestokeepour 250-year-oldwaterwayssafeand availabletoall,withmorefrequent extremeweathereventstakingatoll andthecostsofmaintainingthis preciousnetworkspiralling.

“Ournavigablewaterways providesomanybenefitsto thenation,supportingwildlife andbringingnatureintocities, improvingcommunitywell-being andtacklinghealthinequalities,as wellassupportingjobsandlocal economies.It’smoreimportant thaneverthatweinspirepeopleto supportthetrustsothewaterways cankeepthisuniqueheritagealive andmakelifebetterformillions ofpeople.”

MaggieGardnersaid:“Canals

holdaspecialplaceintheheart ofthemillionsofpeoplewholive onandalongsidethem,visitfor boatingholidaysortostrollalong thetowpath,andenjoythemas placesofrecreationandtranquillity.

“Ourmissiontoisprotectand preservethem,bothnowandfor futuregenerations,butweneed publicsupport,alongsidevital fundingfromgovernment,toensure theirsurvival.I’mexcitedtobe joiningthetrustandsecuringthe futureofthesenationaltreasures.”

Journalistandpresenter,RanvirSingh,issupportingthetrust’sappeal havingjoinedvolunteersontheGrandUnionCanalinLondonwitha projecttoimprovethecanalforwildlife.

PHOTO: CRT

MaggieGardner:new fundraisingdirector. PHOTO:CRT

Newchapterinlifeofworkingboat

Aformercoalbargeis takingiteasyin retirement.SallyClifford findsoutmore….

FLANKEDbyhighriseapartmentsina trendywatersidesetting,youcouldsay MarjorieR hasgotitmade.

eoncegrimyandindustrialcityscape throughwhichshepreviouslysailed, transporting75tonnesofcoaleach journeybetweenFallIngs,Wake eldand ornhillPowerStation,Dewsbury,isno longertarnishedbytimewithitssleek glassbuildingsandpolishedappearance. Seeinghersurroundedbysuch modernisminLeedsDock,closetothe RiverAire,WestYorkshire,wherestudents andprofessionalsbringcustomtothebars andcafes,it’shardtocomprehendhowher workinglifehaschanged.

Builtin1946atHarkersBoatYardin Knottingley,WestYorkshire, MarjorieR –christenedafterMarjorieReed,thewife ofReginaldReed,acoalboardemployee –isbelievedtobeoneofthe rst,ifnot the rst,non-militaryboatcompletedin Knottingleyafterthewar.

Accordingtoherowners,Victoriaand ChrisBonner,the57ftby14ftvesselwas builtforHargreavesforcoaltransportation. Itisunderstoodherskipper,Norman, wasdescribedbyaformercolleague as‘mollycoddling’ MarjorieR, which probablyexplainswhy,forherage,sheis insuch necondition–andwithplentyof practicalinputfromChris.

Foralmostadecade MarjorieR,whose historyholdssuchsigni canceasto beincludedintheregisterofshipsof nationalimportance,hasbeenpartofthe familyafterthecouplepurchasedherfor a oatingabode.

eywerealreadyseasonedtoliving a oatasVictoria,whowasbornand broughtupinLeeds,explains.

“WehadahouseinWake eldand,like manypeople,strugglingwithourmortgage andbothhavingtoworkmorehoursthan wecouldmanagewithtwochildren,it wasawayoflivinginanicepartoftown withouthavingtobuyaproperty.”

Naturalmove

When MarjorieR camealongthe restorationintoacosyhouseboatbegan.

“Welivedonherforfouror veyears butwewantedawayofkeepinghersoshe canbelookedafter.It’squiteexpensiveto maintaintheseoldboats.”

BookloverVictoriahadworkedasa librarian,sotransforming MarjorieR into a oatingbookshopwasthenaturalmove tomake.

Aftersecuringplanningpermission fortheboatalternations,musicianChris, whohasworkedasagardener,removed thepartitionsseparatingtheirlivingspaces tocreateanopen-plancabinlinedwith reclaimedshelvesfashionedmainlyfrom sca oldingboards.

“Everythingisoutofaskip,wehave doneitonabudgetandittookthreeyears,” saysChris.

Marjorie ’soriginalinteriorwas repurposedtobuildtheroofontheirother boat,aformerlifeboat,whichisnowtheir oatinghome.

Beinghands-onisanessentialelement ofboatownership,asChrisexplains.

“Youcan’ta ordcalloutfeessoyoujust getstuckin.Youcan’tjustbuyakitchen fromIkeabecauseit’saweirdshapesoyou getyoursawout.

“I’vebecomeapracticalpersonbecause Ican’ta ordnottobe.”

LaunchedinNovember,HoldFast Books–thenametaken,asVictoria explains,fromthenauticalsayingsailors wouldoftentattooacrosstheirknucklesas areminderinstormyweathertouseone handtosavetheshipandonetosteady themselves–carriesarangeofnewand second-handbooksandartwork.

Cosycabin

OnacoldDecemberday,whenIpopped by,thelogburnerwasbringingwelcome warmthintothecosycabin.

Whilebelowdeckisabooklover’s emporium,upstairsChrishascreateda miniplantariuminthewheelhouse.

evisiontoinjectgreeneryintothe cityscapecontinuesondeckwiththe cleveruseofcuttingoldtyresinhalfto providequirkyplanters,ensuring Marjorie R remainsabloominglovelysight.

Shecertainlyattractsattention,and evenmoresoafterfeaturinginalocal newspaper.VictoriaandChristellhow thearticleledtoMarjorieReed’ssonand twodaughterscomingtoseetheboat–one makingthetripfromFrance.Victoriasays thefamilyhadn’tseen MarjorieR since the1970s.

ChrisandVictoriaweredelightedto ndoutabouttheboat’shistory–andare lookingforwardtothefuture.

“Whilesheisstillacommercialvessel, wehopebooksellingwillbealittlegentler onherthanthecoalindustrywas.We wanttomollycoddleherinheroldage,” saysVictoria.

“Leeds ourishedasaresultoftrade thatcameinonboats.Itreallymade Leedsthecityitisanditisanicenodto itsheritage,”addsChris.

MarjorieReed,fromwhom MarjorieR takeshername,and herhusbandReginaldReed. PHOTOSUPPLIEDBYHOLDFASTBOOKSHOP

Visituk.bookshop.org/shop/ holdfastbookshop

Formoreinformationvisithttps:// holdfastleeds.co.uk

MarjorieR istakingiteasierinherretirementasahomeforHoldFast bookshopinLeedsDock.

ChrisBonneruseshisgardening knowledgetoinjectgreeneryinto thecityscapewithhisquirkytyre plantersonboard MarjorieR

Thewheelhousehasbeen transformedintoaplantarium.

ThecosycabinatHoldFast bookshopatLeedsDock. PHOTOS: SALLYCLIFFORDUNLESSINDICATED

BookloverVictoriaBonner, whoalongwithhusbandChris launchedHoldFastBookshop.

CharactersoftheCut

TinyHomeYogawithMay–ontopoftheworld!

ByAliceGriffin

WHENMeaganAnneMansfield–knownasMay–foundherselfgoing stircrazyinthestillnessofeverydaylife afteraperiodofexploringtheglobe,she decidedtherewasnochoicebuttoseek outasimilarsenseoffreedomrighthere intheUK.

“Movingaroundisverymuchinmy heartandbringsalotofjoytomylife. Ilivedabroadfor veyears,travelling throughNepal,India,thePhilippines, Vietnam, ailandandLaosbefore settlinginAustraliaforawhile.Ithen livedinNewZealandinavanforayear. WhenIreturnedhometoLeeds,and withtheadditionofCovid,itwasasif thewallsclosedin.”

Mayandherex-partnerdecidedto comeupwithaplantoreturntoaway oflivingthatcultivatedasenseofselfreliance,thatbroughtthembackto amoreimmediatewayofliving.“We hadmanyideaslikebuyingayurt/ landbutintheUKthisisverydi cult sowhenourfriendsboughtaboat,we soonfollowed!”

Itwasa198162fttraditional narrowboatthatcaughtMay’seye, becauseofthespaceaswellastherenot beingmuchtodointernally.“Shealso hadalovelypreviousownerwhowasa liveaboardandgavemeagreathandover explainingthesystems!”Perhapsmost importantly,though,theroofspace allowsMaytopractiseherbelovedyoga, aswellasprovidingtheperfectbackdrop toherpopularYouTubeyogavideos. Havingstruggledwithhermental healthwhileabroad,Mayturnedto yogaforhealing.“EventhoughIloved whereIwasandtheexperiences,inside Ifeltlost,confused,anxiousandIhad noreasonreally.Itwasaviciouscycleof self-doubt!”Yogabecamehercatalystfor changeandMayattendedclassesdaily whilelivinginMelbourneandwhenon theroadshewasnotaversetounrolling hermatinasceniccarpark.

“Inmyopinion,stressishugelylinked tomuchofthediseaseweexperience todayandyogaisthenaturalhealer ofstress.Ibelieveifyoustartwiththe foundationsofyoga,theprinciples: breathingandconnectiontoself,then otherhealthbene tssoonfollow.”

SoinspiredwasMaybyhowyoga helpedonherownpersonaljourney,she decidedtotraveltoIndiaandcomplete herteachertraining.Nowsheteaches locallyintheUKaswellasonline,live fromhernarrowboat.“Itwasamixture ofpeople,travelandyogathatchanged mymindsettooneofabundance andpositivity.”Maynowusesyoga

“Itfeelsveryhumantobe handlingwoodandstartingfires.”

asameanstoconnecteverybodyto themselves.“Mystyleismoreaboutthe mind-bodyconnectionratherthanthe exercises,”shesaid.

Smallspacechallenges

Beingafellownarrowboatyogi,I understandtheconstraintsofsmall spacepracticebutMayhasapproached thesechallengeswithcreativity. “Practisinginasmallspacehasbeen trickyandIhavehadtoadaptmy practiceandteachingto t,butitfurther provesthatyogaisalifestyle.Being exibleinyourthinkingandapproach tolifegivesyouthat‘cando’mindsetthat makesallthedi erence.”

issamemindsetencouragedMay toembracethechallengeofbecoming acontinuouslycruisingsoloboaterin thesummerof2022.“WhenIsplitwith mypartnerIcouldn’tbearthethought oflosingbothhimandtheboatsoIgave himeverypennyIhadtobuyhimout.”

Maysharesthatwhileitwasdaunting togosolo,itwasalsothepushshe needed.“I’mmakingalifeformyself

Mayatthetillerofher62ft traditionalnarrowboat.

thatismyown,rede ningtheperson Iam.NowI’msoloIfeelmoredoors haveopenedupandI’mlessafraidto putmyselfoutthereandbe100%me!”

May’sexperiencesonthewaterhave

seenherenjoyacommunitythatis alwayshappytohelp.“Inmyvideo‘I needwater,’alovelyboaterhelpedme withmyengine.Aftermultiplefailed jumpstartsheactuallygavemeastarter battery!” ereareplentyofotherthings aboutlifeonthewaterthatsuitMay,

likebeingconnectedtonatureandthe challengeofnotwodaysbeingthesame. Sheappreciatestherawnessofhaving toworkforbasicneeds,likewarmth.“It feelsveryhumantobehandlingwood andstarting res.”

Aged30,Mayhasawholelotoflife aheadandwithherpositivecan-do attitude,Iexpectwhatunfoldswill continuetobeaninspirationforthose followingherjourney.

YouTube: @tinyhomeyogawithmay

TikTok: @tinyhomeyogawithmay Instagram: @tinyhomeyogawithmay ForinformationaboutMay’sonline

LIVEfromtheboatclasses: Email: tinyhomeyoga@gmail.com

AliceGrif nisawriterwithagypsy

soul.Sheleadsnature-inspired journallinge-coursesasshetravels onhernarrowboat, Melody.Ifyou passheronthewater,pleasewave andshareyourstory!

Website: www.alicegrif n.co.uk

TheroofspaceallowsMaytopractiseyoga,aswellasprovidingthe perfectbackdroptoherpopularYouTubeyogavideos.

YouTube: @wanderingalice

Maywateringherrooftopplants. PHOTOSSUPPLIED

Celebratingwaterside communityatRylands HeritageWeekend

HazlehurstBridge worksontrackfor summercompletion

WORKSbyCanal&River Trusttorebuildthehistoric GradeIIListedHazlehurst Bridgeareunderwayonthe mainlineoftheCaldonCanal, nearEndoninSta ordshire.

Thecanalhasbeen temporarilyclosedto throughnavigationfrom thejunctionwiththeLeek Branch(HazlehurstJunction), runningsouth-eastto CheddletonLock,butisdue toreopenon ursday,April 6toallowboaterstouseit overEaster. e£2million constructionprojectisdueto becompletedinAugust.

isstillontracktobe completedthissummer. e towpathwillremainclosed fromthejunctionwiththe LeekBranch(Hazlehurst Junction),runningsoutheast toHazlehurstAqueductuntil mid-July. epublicrightof wayontheaccesspathway towardsthebridgefrom LeekOldRoadwillalsobe closedforthedurationofthe works.Footpathandtowpath diversionsignsareinplace.”

BEESTONRylandsisasmall communityjustoutsidethetown ofBeestoninNottinghamshire. Locallyknownsimplyas e Rylands,itwasoriginally farmlandbutwiththecreationof NottinghamCanalandBeeston railwaystationitrapidlygrew intoasmallthrivingcommunity.

ManyRylandersare descendantsoftheoriginal familiesandthereisawealth ofhistoryintheareaalongthe banksoftheRiverTrentand NottinghamCanal. ecanalsideheritagecentre hasalottery-fundedcafeinthe originallockhousebuildingsand thereisalsoBeestonMarinawith

moorings,achandlery,barand eBoathouseCafewhichis runbyTonyGayle,akeenlocal historianandquiteacharacter.

Hehasbeensavingphotos throughouthis16yearsin BeestonRylandsandwith localliveaboardboatersJackie andMartinHensononboard the George&Dragon and theirfriendsNeilandDebbie, landlordsoflocalpub eBoat andHorses,hasarrangedthe RylandsHeritageWeekend whichrunsovertheEasterBank Holidayweekend(April7-10).

eideaistocelebrateall thingsRylands–itsdiverse communityandrichhistory –andtheyareaskinglocal residentsformemories,photos andstorieswhichwillbe displayedatvariousvenues acrosstheRylands.

GoodFriday(April7)will focusonNottinghamCanal historyandBeestonMarina withdisplaysatthemarina,the BoathouseCafeand eBoat andHorses.

Saturday,April8willcelebrate localRylandsbusinessespast andpresentandengagewith

communitypartners.Easter Sunday(April9)willfocuson thewiderangeofcommunity activitiesintheareaandsports activitiesinthemarinaandalso ontheRiverTrentandthecanal. TheEasterMondaybank holidaywillhonourRylandsand BeestonForcesveteranswitha

ForcesBreakfastat eBoatand Horsespub. Furtherstoriesregardingthe boatspicturedwillbefound overtheRylandsHeritage Weekendwhichtheorganisers hopewilllaunchanongoing projectandleadtomanymore interestingventures.

CRTprojectmanagerIan Boggesexplained:“Repairs tothecanalwallonthe southernsideofthebridge havetakenslightlylonger thanexpectedastheyhave beenmorecomplexthanwe hadplannedpriortothestart ofthephysicalconstruction works.However,theywillbe completedandthecanalback openforboatingintimefor theEasterweekend.

“Theoverallprojectto restoreHazlehurstBridge

HazlehurstBridgeisan accommodationbridgethat providesaccessacrossthe CaldonCanalforfarmers, residentsandliveaboard boaters.Italsoprovides accessforthetrusttocarry outmaintenancework. ebridgewasirreparably damagedinMarch2020 followingthedrainingofthe canalupstreamforrepairs toHazlehurstBottomLock. eCanal&RiverTrustis rebuildingthestructure, matchingitsformerlocation, form,scaleandcharacter, includingusingmanyofthe originalstonecopings.

Canal&RiverTrustWestMidlandspartnershipsand externalrelationsmanagerStephenHighamwith projectmanagerIanBoggesandlocalMPKaren BradleyduringarecentvisittotheHazlehurstBridge site. PHOTO: CRT

TheBoatandHorseswillhostaForcesBreakfastonEaster Monday. PHOTOSSUPPLIED

TheSecondWorldWarArmylandingcraftwhichisoneof onlyfiveleftoutof55,000made.BeestonMarinausesthis forcruisesalongtheRiverTrent.

Thelifeboatrescuedfrom theRiverTrentandlovingly restored.

TheHensons’narrowboat George&Dragon.

TVboaterpickswinning Wendovercanalphotos

THEthreewinnersoftheWendoverCanalTrust’s photographycompetitionhavebeenpicked byTVpersonality,vloggerandtrustpatron RobbieCumming.

Thecompetitionwaslaunchedtoentice peopletothecanalduringtheautumnand winter.Entrantswereinvitedtosubmitpictures capturingdi erentscenes,whetherofwildlife, thelandscapesorpeopleusingthecanaland towpath.Robbiesaid:“Itwasdi culttosingleout winnersbutIlikedtheoneIchose rstbecauseit capturesthecanalfromaslightlyunfamiliarangle

‘DeadDogBridge’ repairscontinue inCamden

WORKshouldbecompletedbytheendofMarch onthe£533,000projecttorepairtheGradeII ListedInterchangeBasinTowpathBridgeon theRegent’sCanalinCamden.

Builtin1846,thehistoricbridge–known locallyas‘DeadDogBridge’–isanimportant locallandmarkcarryingtheRegent’sCanal towpathacrossthecanalbasinbeneaththe CamdenInterchangeWarehouse(‘DeadDog Tunnel’)andisthebusiestcanalfootbridgein thecountrywithmorethanonemillionwalking andcyclingvisitsperyear.

Workincludesrepairstothebridge’swrought ironlatticeparapets;cleaningoftheunderlying castironbeams;andcleaningandrepointing theabutmentsandapproachparapets.

ebridgeisclosedthroughouttheproject withtowpathdiversionroutesinplace. e canalremainsopenforboatstonavigate.

whichmakesitstandout.It’salsocrisplyedited toenhancethedetailintheicyscene.

“Welldonetoall,though. ereweresome excellentsubmissions.”

ewinnerofthecompetitionwitha£100 prizeisAlunMorganfromPrincesRisborough; secondisCharlotteBorrill,fromLinslade,who wins£50,andthirdplacewitha£25prizegoes toStephenSmithofWatford.Picturessubmitted forthecompetitionmaywellbeincludedinWCT publicationsandthetrustismostgratefultothe nearly40photographerswhoentered.

DOYOUhaveawashingmachineonboard?

Ifnot,thenreadon.

Withthepandemicandrisingfuelcosts, manylaundretteshaveclosedtheirdoorsso nowisthetimetobuythelatesteditionof theACSLaundretteList.

e2023editionisavailablefromIWA Salesathttps://waterways.org.ukorfrom IWASales,IslandHouse,MoorRoad, Chesham,HP51WA(01494783453)for£6 (payableto‘IWASales’)includingpostpaid toUKaddressees.

Ifyouarenotawareofthispublication,it hasbeenproducedbytheAylesburyCanal Societyforalmost40years.Itlistslaundrettes withinwalkingdistanceofthecanalsystem withdirectionsandotherusefulinformation suchaslocalshopsandissaidbysometobe anessentialpieceofboatingequipment.

StephenSmith’sreflectiveimage ofatree-linedstretchwasin thirdplace.

AlunMorgan’swinningphotoofanicystretchoftheWendoverCanal.

Insecondplace–CharlotteBorrill’sphotoofLittle TringBridge.

Prestontrambridge tobereplacedusing levelling-upfunding

AHISTORICbridgeinLancashireisto bereplacedafterasuccessfulcampaign tosecuremoneyfromtheGovernment’s LevellingUpFund.

CommunitypressuregroupFriendsof TramBridgecampaignedforthebridge tobereplacedandpersuadedPreston CityCounciltoincludetheprojectinits levelling-upfundingbidlastyear.

IWAmemberNigelHardacre,fromthe

LancashireandCumbriaBranch,helped thegroupbyjoiningthecommitteeand organising/leadingseveralheritage walksaroundtheclosedbridgeandthe routeofwhatwasoncetheLancaster Canal’shorse-drawntramroad(‘plateway’),thatranfrom1803untilitsclosure in1862.Itconnectedbothendsofthe LancasterCanalandwasonlydesigned tobetemporaryuntilenoughfunds

couldberaisedtobuild vemilesof canaltoconnectbothends. erailwayagequicklyfollowedand thecanallinkwasneverbuilt,butit remainsanimportantpartofthearea’s waterwaysheritage. ecouncilsecured£20millionfrom thefund,withthebridgeprojectbeing partofapackageofproposalsfocusing onparks,transportandpublicspaces.

New IWA report says wa terways will play a vital role in Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan

WHILE welcoming the announcement b y t h e G o v e r n m e n t a b o u t i t s E n v i r o n m e n t a l I m p r o v e m e n t Pl a n 2 0 2 3 , t h e In l a n d Wat e r way s Association would like to see more emphasis on the role our water ways can play

IWA’s Water ways for Today report highlights the importance of waterways for protecting the environment and providing access to nature for those living in urban areas Our canals and rivers are blue-green corridors that allow opportunities for reconnecting disparate habitats, biodiversity net gain and improvements for wildlife

Ca na l s a n d r i v e r s o f f e r h o m e s

IWA supports Cots wold Canals Trust’s wa ter transfer campaign

for wildlife to ourish, while at the same time providing opportunities for people to see plants, insects and birds that the y w ouldn’t nor mally experience in an urban environment

Our local communities bene t from improved health and well-being ey bring economic bene ts, providing jobs and attracting people to the area which contr ibutes to pe ople using l o c a l b u s i n e s s e s w h e n a c c e s s i n g the water ways

With the impact of climate change, canals are providing the water transfer h i g hw ay s t o e n s u re L o n d o n a n d other areas being severely a ected by reduced rainfall have su cient

supplies to meet growing demand

E n h a n c i n g a n d r e s t o r i n g o u r water ways is vital to achieving the G o v e r n m e n t ’ s t a r g e t o f h a v i n g ever yone living w ithin 15 minutes’ walk of a blue or green space

B u t t h i s a g e i n g i n f r a s t r u c t u re w i l l re q u i re a n o ng o i ng f i na n c i a l commitment to sur vive the increasing threat of climate change and rising costs, says the IWA It is calling on the Government to recognise the value of our water ways i n a c h i e v i n g t h e e n v i ro n m e n t a l targets set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan, and to invest in them for the future

Getinvolved–workpartydates

PLEASEcontactthebranchtoregisteraninterestifyouwouldliketoattendoneof theseworkparties.Itisadvisabletowearstoutshoesandoldclothing,andtakea waterproof.Youmaywanttotakeapackedlunchandrefreshments.

EAST

March5and21

IWANorthamptonBranch: Workparties areusuallyheldoneweekdayand oneSundayamonth,alongtheArm, 10am-2pm. etasksusuallyinclude vegetationclearance,weeding,litter pickingandpaintingatlocks.Contact: Geo Woodatgeo .wood@waterways. org.uk

Tuesdays

IWAMiltonKeynesBranch: Regular workpartyatFennyLockontheGrand UnionCanal.9.30am-1.30pm.Work canincludevegetationclearance, gardening,litterpickingandpainting. Workpartiesaredependenton weatherbeingagreeable.Contact:Pat Durhamon07510195918;emailpat. durham@waterways.org.uk

WEST Tuesdays&Saturdays

IWAWestCountryBranch(Taunton &Bridgwater): Workpartiesinthe Somersetarea,10am-1pm.Contact: MikeSladeatmike.slade@waterways. org.uk;07977263840.

IWA

be submitting responses to this and the other Water Resource Management Plans currently out for consultation, but this is one where additional voices would really make a di erence T h e c o n

A key omission in the consultation w h e n c o m p a r i n g t h e c a n a l v s pipeline is the presentation of a wellconsidered analysis of the nancial value of the restored canal to society and the local economy is seems to have been largely ignored but the Cotswold Canals Trust has used the re c e nt I WA Wat e r way s f o r To day Repor t to calculate the additional nancial value of restoring the canal T h i s c o u l d r u n t o a b o u t £ 8 0 0 million over the next 80 years (the basis on which the costs and best value calculations are based) at additional bene t more than o sets t h e d i f f e re n c e i n c o s t b e t w e e n the pipeline and canal options It als o justi es pressing for the full restoration of the canal rather than the minimum necessar y to enable the transfer of water alone

BCN’sClean-up weekendreturns

EVERwonderedwhat’slurkingbeneath thewatersoftheBirminghamCanal Navigations?TheBCNClean-up weekendisagreatopportunitytohave funandmeetnewpeoplewhileclearing shoppingtrolleys,tyres,bicyclesand evenmoreexcitingtreasuresfrom thecanal!

isannuale ortontheBCNhelps keepthelesswell-usedpartsofthe BCNandBlackCountrynetworkfrom gettingchokedupwithrubbishand becomingimpassableforboats! is yearWRGvolunteerswillbeworking ontheWalsallCanalfromthebasinto RydersGreenlocksontheweekendof March25-26.

WRGvolunteersaresupportedeach yearbyvolunteersfromBirmingham CanalNavigationsSociety,DudleyCanal Trust,CoombeswoodCanalTrust,Canal &RiverTrust,FriendsofTiptonCutand localresidents.Usinggrapplinghooks, volunteerswillpatroltheWalsallCanal

and shoutthemanytreasureshidden belowthesurface.

Lotsofinteresting‘treasures’have beenpulledoutofthecanalinthepast includingbikes,anelectricguitar,agas barbecue,amountainoftyres…andof courselotsandlotsofshoppingtrolleys! ereistheoptionoflitterpickingas wellasgrapplinghooks.Equipmentand gloveswillbeprovided.

Whyisitimportant?In2019more than60volunteersspenttwodays removinganestimatedalmost30tonnes ofrubbishbetweenGostyHilland BlowersGreenontheDudleyNo2canal intheBlackCountry.Insomeyearsthis totalhasbeencloserto50-60tonnes!

Formoredetailsandtobook: https://waterways.org.uk/ support/ways-to-get-involved/ events/bcn_cleanup_2023

Thehaulusuallyincludeslotsofshoppingtrolleys.

PHOTO:ALANLINES

ThePrestontrambridgewhichwillbereplacedwithlevelling-upmoneyfromtheGovernment.

PHOTO:IWA

Marine Breakdown Assistance

Rivercanalrescue(rcr)providesitsmemberswithyear round24/7nationalbreakdownandrecoveryassistance. Afteryou’vebrokendown,wecanpickuptherepairbillwith ourreplacementpartscover(rpc).

MEMBERSHIPINCLUDES:

(dependentonmembershiplevel)

•Breakdownassistanceandrecovery.

•Home-startassistance.

•Yearlyinspectionofengineandelectricalsystem.

•Relayofcrewtohomebase.

•Crisiscoordinationandmessagerelayservice.

•Provisionpick-upservice.

•Practicalandtechnicaltelephoneassistance.

•WaterNavApp

•Replacementparts&labourforspecifieditems.

GOLD £280

•Nationalbreakdown&recovery.Homestart andcrewrelay.Coverforanyvesselorany user.AnnualengineandelectricalInspectionof registeredboat.

•Unlimitedcallouts.

INCLUDESREPLACEMENTPARTSCOVER(RPC)

•Member=Vessel,coveredforallusers

•Member=Registereduser,coveredonanyboat

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Blowinginthewind

JonathanMosse’smonthly lookatfreightdevelopments ontheinlandwaterways.

ASAraw,inexperiencedteenagersailing withtheOceanYouthclub,fromtheUK toFranceandHolland,Ididn’thavea cluejusthowsigni cantaposition theBristolPilotCutterheldwithinthe hierarchyofhistoriccraft.

At50-plusfeet,carvelplankedinlarch, withsleeklinesandaga rig eodora, likehersisterships,wascapableofbeing sailedcomfortablybyonemananda boy,havingoriginallybeenbuilttorace similarboatsdowntheSevernEstuary toputpilotsaboardinboundships:this beingacontractthatworkedverymuch onthebasisof rstcome, rstserved!

esevesselsinspiredcon dencein allseaconditionsaswitnessedbythe factthat,intheirsail-trainingguise,they regularlysetsailfromdi erentpartsof theUKcoastline(underallweather conditions)crewedbyadozentotally inexperiencedteenagers,underthe supervisionofaskipperandamate, withresponsibilityforafour-hour watchapiece.

Tomy(stillsomewhatrestricted) knowledge,onlytheThamesbarge canmatchthissortofspeci cation with,however,theprovisothatthese boatsrepresentedthepinnacleof coastalcargo-carryingdesign,rather thanasdoyensofsheerspeedand manoeuvrability.Althoughwhatthey didshareincommonwastheabilityto behandled,emptyorloaded,byjustone manandaboy.

Fastforwardtothepresentdayand, recentlylaunchedin2019,oldmeets newintheformof BlueMermaid , commissionedatapriceof£¾ millionby theSea-ChangeSailingTrust.Specifying acraftofthisvalue,tobefundedtotally bycharitablegiving,requiresagreat dealofcourage,visionandconviction thattheobjectivesarebothworthyand capableofbeingmet.

RichardTitchenerandHilaryHalajko, asfoundersofthetrust,carryallthree oftheseingredientsinspadesandtheir faithintheprojectisalreadybeing vindicatedinamyriadofdi erentways.

BlueMermaid wasbuilttocarry cargoundersailjustlikethehundreds of amessailingbargesthatusedto delivergoodsaroundtheBritishIsles inthepast.Shecancarry110tons ofpalletedgoodsinherwatertight hold,givingsmallgroupsoftrainees somevaluablework-relatedskillson

theirvoyageandhelpingtobroaden thinkingaroundsustainablelocal transportnetworks.

Trainingvoyages

Forthoseinterestedinacareerinthe marineindustry,thetrusto ersthe opportunitytodevelopskillsonits maritimeheritagetrainingvoyages. e trustisparticularlykeentoo ertraining thatleadstotheSailingBargemaster ticket,aqualificationthatshares manycommoningredientswiththe motorisedversion.

Whilethetrust’sprimaryworkis withgroupsofyoungpeoplewho liveaboard BlueMermaid foruptoa week,italsosailswithgroupsofadults withlearningdifficulties,physical disabilitiesandthosewithdementiaand theirsupporters.

etrustworkswithgroupsofpeople agedfrom10upwards,amongpeople

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In2021 BlueMermaid tookasmall tokenamountofCaribbeanproduceup the amesandsawittakenawayon electricbikes,somegoingtoLimehouse BasinandafewmilesuptheGrand UnionCanal.Nowwithaloadline

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Whatmakestheexperienceuniqueis that BlueMermaid hasnoengine. e trustutilisessolarpowerformostofits onboardelectricalneedsandpaysto o setwhatlittlecarbonitproduces.

Forthosewhowouldliketo nd outmoreabouttheSea-Change SailingTrust,visithttps:// seachangesailingtrust.org.uk

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SkipperRichardTitcheneratthe helm. PHOTO:PORTOFLONDONAUTHORITY

BlueMermaid mooredatCooksBargeYard,Maldon. PHOTOS:JONATHANMOSSEUNLESSINDICATED

Thehold–forcargoorcrew.

BlueMermaid,right,moored alongsidecompanionThames bargesontheRiverChelmer.

WestBerkshireMuseum andNewburyWharf

NicolaLisle exploreswhat’sonofferintheBerkshire townofNewburyinthelatestinhermuseumseries.

THEancientmarkettownofNewbury wasonceoneoftheUK’sbusiestinland ports,enjoyingtradelinkstoLondon, Reading,BathandBristol.

NewburyWharf,nowapeacefuloasis astone’sthrowfromthetowncentre, wasabustlinghiveofindustry,with warehouses,o ces,workshopsand stablesclusteredaroundthecanalbasin.

Today,oneofthosewarehouses,the 18thcenturygranary,formspartofthe WestBerkshireMuseum,togetherwith theadjacent17thcenturyClothHall,a relicoftheclothtradethatthrivedhere duringtheMiddleAges.

Themuseumtellsthestoryof Newbury,fromancienttimestothe presentday,highlightingthepeople, industriesandrecreationalactivities thathelpedshapethetownandits surroundingarea.Includedinthisisa displayfocusingonNewbury’sriverand canal.Althoughitisonlyasmallpartof themuseum,itisde nitelyworthavisit.

Hereyoucan ndouthowtheopening oftheKennetNavigationin1723linked Newburytothe amesatReading,opening uptradingroutesnotonlytoReadingbut alsotoLondonandneighbouringparts ofBerkshireandWiltshire. ishelpedto restoresomemuch-neededprosperityto

thetownfollowingthedeclineofitsfamous clothindustryinthelate16thcentury. Bargescouldnowtraveleasilyalongthe KennetNavigationcarryingcargoesof locallyproducedcorn, ourandcheese, whileincomingbargesfromLondon offloadedcoal,timber,groceriesand constructionmaterials.

Tradewasfurtherboostedin1810with thecompletionoftheKennet&Avon Canal,whichlinkedNewburywithBath andBristol.Sadly,ofcourse,thecanal’s heydaywasshort-lived,andin1852it wassoldtotheGreatWesternRailway, precipitatingagradualdeclinethatwasn’t halteduntilthelatterhalfofthe20th century.Ondisplayinthemuseumisa modelofaworkingbarge,togetherwith alistofthekindofjobsassociatedwith thecanaltrade–engineers,boatbuilders, blacksmiths,tollclerks,whar ngersand lockkeepers,tonameafew–andaledger fromGreenhamMill,Newbury,recording clothordersforLondon.

ereisalsoapairofskates,whichwere attachedtoeverydayshoesforskating whenthecanalfrozeoverandaselection ofitemsdecoratedwithtraditionalcanal art.Nearbyisanoldcastironblockusedfor tetheringbargehorses,andarypeckused totetherapuntwhile shingonthecanal.

Youcanalso ndoutmoreabouthow canalengineerJohnRennieandcanal surveyorsplannedthecanalandhowthe canalwasbuilt.Asectorsimilartothe oneusedbyRennieisdisplayed,together withabronzemedalcommemorating Rennie’sdeathin1821.

Anotherinformationboardtellsushow theGreatWesternRailwaysoundedthe deathknellforthecanalsbutgavelocal tradeanotherboostasraillinksenabled quickande cientexportofgoodsallover thecountry.

Alsoofinterestisamodelofthe lifeboatdesignedin1816bylocal ironworksfounderWillianPlenty. e boatwaslaunchedonthecanalatWest Mills,anditwassosuccessfulitbecame theprototypeforthemodernlifeboat. erestofthemuseumisworth exploring,asitgivesagoodideaofthe historyandcharacterofthetownwhose fortuneshavebeenshapedbyriver,canal andrail.

AvisittoNewburyWharfisalsoa must.Muchoftheoldcanalbasinhas longgone,butthereisastrongsenseof historyasyoustrollalongthetowpath.

A19thcenturycrane,broughtfrom Newburyrailwaygoodsyard,hasreplaced theoriginalcranethatoncestoodhere, apoignantreminderofthecanal’s industrialheyday.

InformationboardsbytheCanal& RiverTrustandtheKennet&AvonCanal Trusthelpbringthathistorytolifeand youcan ndoutmoreabouthowJohn Gouldandotherlocaltradersfoughtto savetheKennetandAvonCanal.

Don’tmisstheTeashopbytheCanal, runbytheNewburybranchoftheKennet &AvonCanalTrust.Upstairsisan informationcentrewithdisplayboards tellingthecanal’shistoryaswellasother usefulvisitorinformation.

etrustalsorunsboattripsduring thesummerandorganisestheNewbury WaterwaysFestivaleveryJuly.

WestBerkshire Museum

www.westberkshireheritage.org/ west-berkshire-museum

KennetandAvonCanal Trust,NewburyBranch https://katrust.org.uk/ newbury-branch

TheWestBerkshireMuseum. PHOTOS:NICOLALISLE

Theoldgranary–nowpartofthe museum. PHOTOS: NICOLALISLE

ThegroundsoftheTeashopbythe Canal. PHOTOS:NICOLALISLE

TheKennet&AvonCanalat NewburyWharf.Acrossthewater isthecranebroughtfromNewbury railwaygoodsyard. PHOTOS:NICOLALISLE

Bringing Hardy backtolife

ANYONEwalkingalongthecanal towpathinBanburycannotfailtonotice aderelictwoodennarrowboatmoored upalongsideTooley’shistoricboatyard.

Itmaylooklikeit’sonly tfor rewood, but Hardy –a1940svesselthatworked thecanalsaroundOxford,Banburyand theMidlandsformorethantwodecades –wassavedfromthescrapyardbackin 2018andcarefullypreservedthroughout thepandemic.

NowTooley’shopestorestorethe 72ftnarrowboatasalocalamenity,to celebrateboththeboat’shistoryand Banbury’scanalheritage–andtherehas alreadybeenconsiderableinterestinthe projectfrommembersofthepublic.

Hardy wasthelastnarrowboatto bebuiltbyNurserBrosofBraunston, Northamptonshire,inSeptember1940 beforethebusinesswassoldtothe SamuelBarlowCoalCompany.For thenext22years Hardy carriedcoal fromBanburytotheMidlands, rstfor SamuelBarlowandlaterforBlueLine.

Duringtheearly1960stheboat belongedtotheMeashamandDistrict AnglingClubandwasbrie yrenamed Alf,butwithinafewyearsthename Hardy wasrestored. eboatthen passedthroughseveralprivatehands before nishingupatBraunstonand fallingintodisrepair.

Rescuemission

InMay2018,ateamfromTooley’s Boatyardsetoutonarescuemission

toBraunston,bywhichtime Hardy was decayingonthecanalbed,seemingly beyondhope.

“Webroughtitupandwegot pumpsonit,andwebailedforabout fourhours,”recallsboatyardmanager MatthewArmitage.

“Astheboatliftsupyoucanseethe holeswherethewater’scomingout,so wewerepluggingthemwithoakum. Eventuallyitstartedto oat,andwe hadtokeeppluggingtheholesuntilno morewaterwascomingout.Wealso hadto tplatesontheinsideofthe reallybadholes,becausesomeofthem weremassive,butwemanagedtoget itstable.”

eteamhadtakenoneofitsown boatsupfromBanburysothat Hardy couldbetowedtoitsnewhome.

“Wetiedaropeontothebowofthe boatandtoweditallthewayback, hopingthefrontwouldn’tfallo !” laughsMatt.“Itwasallabitprecarious, buteventuallywemadeithere.”

Sincethen, Hardy hasproveda somewhattemperamentalnewresident.

“Itsinkseverysixmonthsorso,”Matt says.“Wealwayssayit’slike Hardy’s havingastrop–ifwehaven’tdone somethingitdecidestosink.Justbefore Christmastheicegottoitanddamaged it,andtheback-uppumpfailed,soit sank.Sowebroughtitbackupandthen itsankagain!It’sasignthatweneedto doabitofworkontheboat,butshe’s oatingatthemomentsothat’sgood.”

Idealfit

Fromahistoricalpointofview,Matt isdelightedtohave Hardy atTooley’s. eboatyard,whichdatesfrom1778 andhasoneoftheoldestdrydocksin thecountry,wasbuiltforhorse-drawn woodennarrowboats,so Hardy isan ideal t.

“Ijustthinktheboatyardshouldbe used,”Mattsays.“Ifyouhaveawooden narrowboat,thenthisisafacilitythat wasbuiltforthem.

“Aboutfiveorsixyearsagoour futurewasabituncertain,andwewere re-evaluatingthesiteandthoughtthen itwouldbegoodforustohaveawooden boatwecouldworkonandtalkabout.”

NowMattandtheTooley’sBoatyard Trustneedtodecideon Hardy’sfuture –andtheyarekeentoensuretheirplans meetwiththeapprovalofthelocaland widercommunity.Initialideasinclude usingtheboattoshowhowcanal peopleusedtoliveandwork,teachlocal schoolchildrenaboutBanbury’shistory, teachtraditionalboatbuildingskills andgenerallyenhancetheareaaround thecanal.

Positiveresponse

WiththeaidofagrantfromtheNational LotteryHeritageFund,trusteesbegan assessingtheviabilityofrestoring Hardy byengagingwiththepublicandgetting feedbackonwhatpeoplethoughtabout theboatandhowtheysawitsfuture.

TheannualCanalWeekendand

aninauguralworkingpartylast autumn,togetherwithanonline survey,generatedanenthusiasticand constructiveresponse.

“Wehad500visitorsoverCanal Weekend,andwegathered222 responsesovertheweekendplus36 online,”saysKateSa n,oneofthe trustees.“Ofthose,96%wereinfavour ofrestoringtheboat.

“ ethingthatreallystoodoutwas thatpeoplewantedtoseeworkgoing on.Sowe’regoingtostartworkingon itinanincrementalway,andalongside thatstartinglookingatapplyingfor somemorefundingtorebuildthecabin, becausethat’swhateverybodyreally wantstosee.”

So,howfarwilltherestorationgo? Will Hardy eventuallyberestoredtoits 1940soriginal? eTooley’steamisstill mullingoverthevariousoptions.

“Itwon’tbeaperfectrestoration,”says Kate,“butmyargumentforthatispretty muchanyboatbuildingwasn’tperfect.

“Ifwestartgettingintothepurer,very beautifulrestorations,thenitallgets terriblycomplicatedintermsofwhat constitutesrebuildingorrestoration, andneedingtocomeupwithevidence ofhowtheboat’sgoingtobeusedand thevaluetothecommunity.”

Mattagrees:“We’llprobablynever gettothepointwhereit’sfullyrestored, becauseitwillalwaysneedsomething doingtoit,”hesays.

“Fromourpointofviewthat’s brilliant,becausepeoplecanseethe workbeingdoneonitallthetime.So partsofitwillbeanexhibitthatpeople canseeworkhappeningto,anditwill alsobeamuseumpiece.

“ erewillbeafullyrestoredcabin

Therehasalreadybeen considerableinterestintheproject frommembersofthepublic.

PHOTOSCOURTESYTOOLEY’SBOATYARDTRUST attheback.Insidewillbeaclassroom, sowe’llinvolvetheschools.Wehave schoolscomingtotheboatyardanyway forboattrips,butwiththenewtrust we’llde nitelybegettingschoolsmore involvedintheactualboatyarditself.”

Kateadds:“Itwillbeanevolving thing. ekeyiskeepingtheshapeand natureoftheboatsothatwecanuseit toshowpeoplewhatitwaslike.”

NowKateandMattarelooking aheadtothespring,whentheyhopeto reawakeninterestintheboatwithsome morepublicevents.

Hopefully2023willsee Hardy graduallyemergefromitsderelictstate tolookoncemoreliketheproudworking narrowboatitusedtobe.

To ndoutmoreabout Hardy , andkeepupwiththelatest developments,visithttps:// tooleysboatyardtrust.org.uk/news/

NicolaLisle discoversaprojecttorestoreahistoricwoodennarrowboatinBanbury.

Thecabindoorsof Hardy in1961 –thedecorativeworkofGeorge Crowshaw. PHOTOSCOURTESYTOOLEY'SBOATYARDTRUST

Hardy initsdayscarryingfortheSamuelBarlowCoalCompany.

PHOTOSCOURTESYTOOLEY’SBOATYARDTRUST

Visitorstakingacloserlookatthe CanalWeekend. PHOTOSCOURTESY TOOLEY’SBOATYARDTRUST

Newhulldesignaffordslow-energypropulsioneitheras fullsolar-poweredelectricorserialhybridenjoy luxuryoff-gridindependence.

Freeanniversaryrally markstwomilestones

THEErewashCanalPreservation&Development Associationwillbehostingananniversaryrally overtheSpringBankHolidayweekend(May27-29) attheGreatNorthernBasin,LangleyMill.

Aswellascelebrating55yearssincethe association’sformation,therallywillalsomark50 yearssincetherestorationoftheDerbyshirebasin, lockandsurroundingarea.

Followingitsformationin1968theassociation isstillgoingstrongandnowownsSandiacreLock CottagesandthecottageatLangleyMill,whichis itsheadquarters.Ithasanex-BritishWaterways workboat, Pentland,whichmembershaverestored tocarryoutworkalongthecanal. isincludeslock repairsplusvegetationandlitterclearance. ECP&DAiscurrentlyinvolvedinrestoration workatLangleyMillwiththeFriendsofCromford CanalontheBeggarleeextension. iswilltake theCromfordcanalundertheA610viatwolocks. efree-to-enterrallywillincludeamixtureof trade,historicandprivatenarrowboatsplustrade

stallsanddisplaystandsfromothercanalgroups.

erallywillbeginwithhistoricnarrowboats

Bath and Meteor settingo fromAnchorBridgeat 10.30amcarryingtheLongEatonSilverBandtothe openingceremonybythelockat11am.

Otherattractionsare:foodanddrink,including arealaletent;musicalentertainment,abuskers’ cornerandaBattleofBritainMemorialFlight ypast,subjecttoavailability.Boatandbutty Oak and Ash canbeviewedinLangleyMillBoatyard drydockandtheboatyardwillalsohaveadisplay ofenginesandthosethatareticketedareforsale.

eVictorianpumphousewillbeopenwith opportunitiestolearnaboutitspurposeandhow itworks.Takeaninformativeguidedwalkalongthe restoredstretchoftheCromfordCanalandlearn aboutongoingplansforthefuture.

WHAT’SONIN MARCH

March2

IWALichfield: PenkridgeandtheSta ordshire andWorcestershireCanal–aneasy5½ mile walkwith vestiles,onthetowpath,across parkland,andalongquietcountryroads.Meet at10.15fora10.30amstartinthecarpark of eBoatInn,CannockRoad,Penkridge, Sta ordshireST195DT.ContactCliveWalker: clive.walker@waterways.org.uk

March4

IWAShrewsburyDistrict&NorthWales: Lunch andpubquiz.NarrowboatInn,Whittington, 12pm.Contactdawn.aylwin@waterways.org. ukfordetails.

March10

IWANorthStaffordshire&SouthCheshire: AGMfollowedbyAlisonSmedleyonthe IWA’sWaterwaysforTodayreport.Stoke-onTrentBoatClub,EndonWharf,PostLane, Endon,Stoke-on-TrentST99DU,7.45for8pm. Admissionfree,donationstowaterwaycauses welcomed,refreshmentsavailable.Non-IWA memberswelcome.Contactsocialsec.nssc@ waterways.org.uk

March12

Worcester-Birmingham&DroitwichCanal Society: Annuallunch,BromsgroveGolfCentre, 12for12.30pm.Prices£18adult,£12child, non-memberswelcome.Tobookticketscontact DavidWheeler07970711038.

Thelock,picturedmorethan50yearsago in1972,beforerestorationworkstarted.

The Blue Pool of Questions, on wa ter

A NEW production for all ages fusing puppetr y, stor ytelling and live music, e Blue Pool of Questions opens at the Puppet eatre Barge in London on Saturday, March 11

e performance combines Arabic and English stor ytelling with humour and imagination to tell the tale of a man who asks too many questions

Performed using table top puppetr y and the rarely seen black light theatre technique, it is inspired by two Palestinian short stories by Maya Abu Al-Hayat and Yara Bamieh

e show was created for the Puppet eatre Barge by Osama Al Azza and Stan Middleton

It is suitable for ages three-plus and lasts for 45 minutes with no inter val ere will be a relaxed performance on Saturday, March 25 at 11am

Live shows take place from March 11 until May 7 on Saturdays and Sundays at 11am and 2pm, plus 7 30pm on Saturdays April 18 and 25 ere are 2pm performances on Tuesday, April 4, Friday 7, Monday 10, Wednesday 12, ursday 13 and Friday 14 plus 11am on Wednesday, April

Ifplanningtobringyourboatpleasebookin. Furtherinformationandformsareavailableat https://www.ecpda.org.uk

March14

IWANorthampton: AGMandBedfordtoMilton KeyneswaterwayupdatebyJaneHamilton. e BoatInn,StokeBruerne.7.30pm.

IWAChester&Merseyside: AGM,speakerto bearranged. eCafe,EllesmerePortBoat MuseumCH654FW,7.45pm.Funra e,sales

IfyouwantyoureventlistedinourfreemonthlyWhat’sOn sectionemailyourentrytojrichardson@mortons.co.ukor usetheeventsformatwww.towpathtalk.co.uk/events Pleasecheckwithorganiserswhethertheeventisgoing aheadbeforesettingoutonyourjourney.

andshopavailableforChristmascardsand publications.

March15

IWALichfield: BranchAGMthentwoshort talksbyNeilBarnettaboutnarrowboatinginto CambridgeandcruisingtheCaledonianCanal. Publicmeetingat7.15pmfor7.30pmstartat MartinHeathHall,ChristchurchLane,o WalsallRoad,Lich eldWS138AY.

March16

IWAMiltonKeynes: SteveAshleygivesan updateontheBedford&MiltonKeynes Waterway.BletchleyConservativeClub,105-111 QueenswayMK22DN,startingat7.45pm.

March19

ErewashPreservation&Development Association: OpendayatSandiacreLock Cottages,Sandiacre,NottinghamNG105LA, 10.30am-3.30pm.www.ecpda.org.uk

March20

FriendsofCromfordCanal: eLifeandTimesof Birdswood–RichardHandleyandMikeKelley. IronvilleChurchHall,CassonStreetNG165NN (carparkingatrear),7.30pm.Bar,tea/co ee, ra eandFCCsalestable,admission£2.50.

March22

IWAChilternBranch: AGM.RWTHeritage Centre,BatchworthLock,RickmansworthWD3 1JJ,7pm.Admission:IWAmembers£3;guests £5,refreshmentsincluded.Contactjohn.brice@ waterways.org.ukforfullprogramme.

March25

IWAShrewsburyDistrict&NorthWales: Branch AGM.AudlemPublicHall,12CheshireStreet, AudlemCW30AH,11am.

5 and ursday 6 Tickets cost £13 adults ; £9 children; concessions £10

Described as one of London’s more elusive treasures, the Puppet eatre Barge is a unique 50-seat marionette theatre on a converted barge moored in Little Venice from October until July and on the ames in Richmond during the summer months

To book tickets visit https ://www tickettailor com/events/artofthepuppetltd/814384

Rovingtraders’association celebrates10yearsafloat

THERovingCanalTradersAssociation(RCTA) isanon-pro t-makingorganisationruntohelp supportandpromotethediversearrayofexisting andpotentialCanal&RiverTrust(CRT)registered rovingtradersonourwaterways.

Ithasbeeninexistencesince2013,organising marketsatvariouscanalsidevenuesandaspartof organisedcanalfestivals,andcurrentlyhasmore than130members.

Manytradersliveontheirboatsfulltimeand maketheirlivingsellingawidevarietyofunique craftsandgoodscreatedbythemselvesaboard theirboats.Othertraderssellcheese,pizzas,cakes, beersandsomeboatsareevencafes!

Don’tforgetyoucanalso ndandsupportthe rovingtradersatsomecanalfestivals.

ForalistofRCTA’splannedmarketsfor2023visit https://www.rcta.org.uk/events

LangleyBridgeLocktoday. PHOTOS:ECP&DA

A puppet character from The Blue Pool of Questions. PHOTO SUPPLIED

Rovingtradersatafloatingmarket.

PHOTO:RCTA

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•NotravellingCharges-Allareas coveredNorthamptonbased 01604858868 07944856351 info@northernstarmarine.co.uk www.northernstarmarine.co.uk

RHYSKILLIN

Dip.S.C.Sur BSSExaminer

BSSExamination from£160

Covering areas

7 Tel07748861795 rhys_k1@yahoo.co.uk www.rhyskillin.co.uk

Allclassesofvessels examined Landlords’GasSafety Certificates Caravans,RV’sand domesticproperties

Tel07970384047

Areascovered:2,4,5

RobDickinson

BSSExaminer &GasEngineer

Leisure-LiveonBoard&CommercialCraft

GasInstallation,Service &Repairs

Tel.01270812086