Towpath Talk September issue!

PrimeMinisterurgedtosafeguardwaterways

ALMOST40,000peoplehave alreadysignedapetitionin supportoftheFundBritain’s Waterwayscampaign.

Thepetitionatchange.org urgesPrimeMinisterRishi Sunaktoensurehisgovernment takesactiontohelpsafeguard Britain’scanalsandriversnow andforfuturegenerations.

Itcallsonhimtoacknowledge themanysocial,economicand environmentalbenefitsthat theinlandwaterwaysprovide

Younganglers

andgivehisassurancethatthe Governmentwillintervene, wherenecessary,toensure Britain’sriversandcanals remainfullyopen,navigable, safeandaccessibleforall.

StartedbyInlandWaterways AssociationchiefexecutiveProf SarahNiblock,thepetitionis aimedtosendaclearmessage totheheartofgovernment aboutwhatisatstake.Shesaid: “TheFundBritain’sWaterways petitionisnowLIVEandvisible

PROMISINGtobethebiggestanglingeventforyoung peopleinalmost20years,theNationalCelebration ofYoungPeopleandFishingwilltakeplaceonthe Staffordshire&ShropshireCanalovertheweekend ofSeptember16-17.Ithasalreadyattracted275 entrantsandisopentoanyoneagedfromsevento 20yearsold.Everyonewhoparticipateswilltake homeamedalortrophy,aGurugoodybaganda specialeventcertificatesignedbysixformerworld championanglers.

–pleaseaddyoursignatures andcirculatefarandwide.Let’s deliveraheftypileofpagesto 10DowningStreetthisautumn.

“Also,pleasedownload,print andproudlydisplayawindow sticker.Whetheryouareafloat orondryland,thesewillsend outastrikingmessage.”

Thesticker,acopyofwhich canbeseenonpage78,canbe downloadedatwww.waterways. org.ukwherethereisalsoalink tothepetition.

Rareplants

Explainingwhynowisthe timetoact,thepetitionrefers tothewaterways’recognised benefitstowell-being,projects helpingtoregeneratebothrural andurbanareasandboat-based tourismandleisureactivities contributing£2.5billiontothe economyeachyear.

TheCanal&RiverTrustrelies oncentralgovernmentgrant fundingtomakeupnearlya quarterofitsincometomaintain itsnetwork.ButifCRTloses40%

GaugingLock

RESEARCHisunderwayexaminingtwospeciesofrare plantsintheMontgomeryCanal.Typesofpondweed, theyarethelong-stalkedpotamogetonpraelongusand flat-stalkedpotamogetonfriesii,whichareapartofthe Potamogetonaceaefamily–agroupofaquaticplants comprisedofmorethanahundredspeciesworldwide. Theresearchwilllookatdevelopingdifferentwaysto naturallycultivatetheseplants,whichimprovewater quality,provideshelterforaquaticorganismsandact asaprimaryfoodsourceforwaterfowland fish.

ofitsgrantfundingfrom2027, thiswillimpactonmaintenance andriskcanalclosures.

TheEnvironmentAgency alsomaintainsmorethan600 milesofwaterwaysincluding theRiversThames,Medway andWyeaswellastheAnglian waterways.Itreceivedlessthan halfthefundingneededto supportitsmaintenanceplans forthisyear.ScottishCanalsalso hasmorethan£70millionof maintenanceworkoutstanding.

THEBrentfordTollHouseandGaugingLockon theGrandUnionCanalwillbeopentovisitover theweekendofSeptember9-10aspartoftheOpen HouseFestival.OneofLondon’ssmallestmuseums, itisbasedintheGradeII-listedTollHouseandthere willalsobethechancetomeetsomeofthevolunteer lockkeepers.OpenHouseFestivalisatwo-week celebrationofLondon’shomes,architectureand neighbourhoods.Formoreinformationvisitopencity.org.ukandclickonopen-house-festival-2023

WelfordWharf,attheendoftheLeicesterLine’sWelfordArm,wasoncebusyservingnearbylimekilns.Itisnowaruralhaven,greatforwalksand wildlife.Beyondisthehistoricpub,TheWharfInn.

PHOTO: ROBINJONES

WELCOME

EVERYmonthsees societynewslettersand magazinespopping throughtheletterboxor intomyinboxanditisalwaysagreat pleasurereadingtheseandcatching upwithallthenews.

Arecurringthemeisthechallenge ofattractingnewmembers,visitors toeventsandvolunteers–especially youngerpeople.

Thisisoneofthetopicsraisedby IWALichfieldbranchchairmanAdrian WedgewoodinthesummerLichfield Lines.Hewrites:“Peoplehavegot usedtonotgoingout,dependingon socialmediaandbeingisolated.”

Itotallyagreewiththesesentiments whichringtrueclosertohome.Ona personallevelourvisitstoourtown centrelocaltwoorthreeevenings aweekhaveneverreturnedpostpandemic,tobereplacedbyaweekly lunchatacountryhostelry.Our‘screen time’hasalsoincreasedexponentially!

ObjectivessuggestedbyAdrian includeanattractiveprogrammeof topicsandspeakers,broadeningthe appealofeventsanddemonstratingthe socialbenefitsofbranchmeetingswith afriendlywelcome.Iamsurethat,for manyofyou,thisisasimilarscenario.

IwasinterestedtoreadintheJuly editionoftheIWAEastMidlands regionnewsletterAegrethatformer MPturnedbroadcasterMichael PortillovisitedtheFossdykeCanal andBrayfordPoolinLincolnwherehe interviewedregionalchairmanDavid Pullenandhadatriponnarrowboat WigfordTug withIWAmembersMel andSueSowerby. That’sonetowatch outforbutprobablynottillnextyear.

Ourcontributorshavealsobeen gettingoutandabout:AndyGriffee spendsadaywithaCanal&River Trustlicensingranger,seepage6;Sally Cliffordcatchesupwithsomeunusual passengersonpage10andNicolaLisle visitstheHighPeakJunctionVisitor CentrenexttotheCromfordCanalon page17.AndLesHeathalsoreportson astorewarwithadifferenceonpage11. Here’shopingfora sunnySeptember.

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Independentlyproven pickup: 34,450copies

Paddlechallengealong theSwanseaCanal

PEOPLEarebeingchallengedtocanoe orkayakamileoftheSwanseaCanal aspartoftheyear-longcelebrationof thecanal's225thanniversary.

GlandwrCymru,theCanal&River TrustinWales,isencouragingthelocal communitytotaketothewaterand participateintheone-milepaddleover astretchofthecanalbetweenClydach andTrebanos.Todate,morethan250 peoplehavesuccessfullycompleted thechallenge,beatingtheinitial 225-miletarget.A£61,200National LotteryHeritageFundgrantishelping toruntheSwanseaCanal225project andeventsandactivitiestocelebrate theanniversary.

CarolineKendall,projectmanager atGlandwrCymru,explained:“We havebeenaskingpeopletoheaddown totheSwanseaCanalandpaddle amileofthecanalfromClydach

toTrebanostohelpusachieveour targetof225miles.Wearedelighted thatthetargethasbeenreached,with everyonewhohastakenparthaving receivedacertificatecelebratingtheir contributiontothechallenge.

“Nowwewantevenmorepeople toenjoythepaddlechallenge.It’sa fantasticwayforpeopletogetontothe water,improvetheirwell-beingand enjoythebeautyandtheheritagethat thecanalhastoofferaswecelebrate animportantmilestoneinitshistory thisyear,togetherwiththeSwansea CanalSociety.”

Thechallengeisoneofseveral eventstakingplacethroughoutthe yearinpartnershipwiththeSwansea CanalSociety.Anexhibitiontellingthe storyofthecanal’shistoryisonshow attheNationalWaterfrontMuseum SwanseauntilSeptember17.

Fournewmembers appointedtoCRT advisorygroups

SwanseaCanalSocietyhascanoe andkayakhireatCoedGwilymPark availableuntiltheendofSeptember sopeopleofallagescanenjoythe pleasureofbeingonthewaterall summer.Canoehireoperatesevery Sunday.Canadianopencanoesaswell assingleanddoublesit-onkayaksare available.Volunteerscanalsoraftup twocanoestoallowatleastsixpeople topaddletogether.

Moredetailsaboutcanoeand kayakhireontheSwansea Canalareavailableonthe SwanseaCanalSocietywebsite atswanseacanalsociety.com Pleasecheckbeforetravellingfor anylatechangestoavailabilityon theday.

THECanal&RiverTrusthasmade anewappointmenttoitsNavigation AdvisoryGroup(NAG)andthree appointmentstotheNAGsub-groups formooringsandlocks.

Eachappointmentisforaninitial three-yeartermandisanunpaid voluntaryrole.

Membersoftheadvisorygroups aredrawnfromthecommunities theyrepresent,andincludeboaters, boatingbusinessowners,angling coaches, fishexpertsandscientists.

JoiningtheNavigationAdvisory GroupisHannahSterrittwhohas beenboatingsince2018,whenshe firstwentonahireboatholiday.She andherpartnerhavelivedaboard their54ftnarrowboatsince2020, initiallyontheMonmouthshire& BreconCanaland,sinceearlierthis year,cruisingthemainnetwork.

Additionally,AlanMossand JamesLowehavejoinedtheNAG mooringssub-group,whileGraham PuddephathasjoinedtheNAGlocks sub-group.

MatthewSymonds,headof customerservicesupportatCanal &RiverTrust,said:“Ouradvisory groupsareplaceswherewecanwork throughideaswithpeoplewhocan sharetheir first-handknowledgeof thesubjects.

“Inthelastfewyears,our volunteersonourNavigation AdvisoryGrouphavereviewedthe trust’sproposedscheduleforwinter stoppages,advisedonnationaland localproposalsincludingaccessible moorings,theStrongStreamwarning system,andtowpathworks.”

Theyhavealsohelpedtodevelop thecustomerservicefacilitiesreview, boatlicenceconsultationand BoaterCensus.

Steamingintocanalsidestation

TheSwanseaCanalnearTrebanos.

PHOTO: GC

US2-8-0ClassS160-51917pullingintoConsallStationontheChurnetValleyRailwaypassingovertheCaldonCanal.MooredinfrontofBridge50is thephotographer’scanalboatwhichlooksverysmallbutstillimportanttothescene!

PHOTO:TOMBLANPAIN

Trustplans £89mworks programme

THECanal&RiverTrusthas announcedan£89millionprogramme ofengineeringwork,illustratingthe scaleoftheresourcerequiredto protectandpreservethenetwork.

Againstabackdropofthe Governmentannouncingsweeping cutstothefuturefundingofcanals, inthecurrent financialyearthetrust willcompletemorethan450separate engineeringprojectsincluding manufacturingandinstalling123 lockgates.Itwillalsocarryoutmore than1000reactiverepairsandwill continuethevitalprogrammeof workstoitscanal-feedingreservoirs.

Thecostofmaintainingthe networkyearonyearisincreasing duetoitsage,theeffectsofinflation andtheadditionalexpenseof respondingtomorefrequentand extremeweatherevents.

Repairscompletetodamagedculvert

NAVIGATIONwasduetoresume,as wewenttopress,betweenBridges31 and32ontheLeeds&LiverpoolCanal nearBurscoughinLancashirefollowing repairstoacollapsedwashwallwherea sinkholehadappeared.

Attemptsweremadetostopthewater flowingthroughontoadjacentfarmland

withaplastic fibresheetbutthisdidn’t stemtheflowandtwofibredams wereinstalledeithersideoftheleak, withpumpstokeepthewater flowing towardsLiverpool.

A five-metre-widestripusingaround 120tonsofclaywasinstalledoverthe centrelineoftheculvertacrossthe

widthofthecanalbed. Thisresultedin thesameamountofspoilhavingtobe excavatedandmovedaroundthebed duringtheworks. Thewashwallwasrebuiltonanew concretefooting. Thecanalwasduetoberefilledand thedamsremovedaswewenttopress.

IWAbranchannounces landmarkfestivalplans

THE2025Market

HarboroughFestivalof Boats&Artswillcelebrate the75thanniversaryof thefestival firstheldinthe town’scanalbasinin1950.

Thiswasthefirst suchInlandWaterways Associationeventandwas ahugesuccessforboththe

IWAandthetown,attracting animpressivenumberof boats,around120,and some50,000visitors.

“Themarkingofthe75th anniversaryhasforsome timebeenhighonthe agendaoftheLeicestershire branchoftheIWA,”said AndrewShephard,branch

chairman,“andIcan confirmthatwewillbe organisingwhatwehope willbeamajorIWAfestival during2025.

“Wearenowworking closelywithHarborough DistrictCouncil,seeking toidentifyanalternative venuefortheland-based

activities,astheterminus basinitselfisnotnowa feasiblelocation,beingfull ofpermanentmoorings.”

TheOldUnionCanals SocietyandtheCanal& RiverTrustEastMidlands Regionhavebothconfirmed theirenthusiastic commitmenttotheevent.

Centraltothe2023/24programme istheongoingworktohelpensure theresilienceofthewaterneeded tokeepcanalstoppedup,with continuedinvestmenttosafeguard thewatersupplyfromthetrust’s reservoirs–theoldestinthecountry. Theprogrammeincludes£26million earmarkedfor37ofthe71reservoirs.

Nineteenofthesewillbeonsite duringtheyearincludingongoing activityatToddbrook(PeakForest &Macclesfieldcanals),Harthill (ChesterfieldCanal),Barrowford (Leeds&LiverpoolCanal),March HaighandSwellands(both HuddersfieldNarrowCanal).

Afurther18reservoirprojectsare beingplannedforfutureyears.

A£6.5milliondredging programmeincludes11routine maintenanceprojects,threenational programmes,spotdredgingand

dredgingtocanalfeeders,with£1.8 millionbeingallocatedtodredging atGloucesterandSharpnessdocks totacklehighlevelsofsilt.

Inaddition,£2millionisplanned forstabilisationandleaksealingon fourembankments,£2millionfor improvementsto fivemechanicaland electricalstructures,£1.4millionfor therefurbishmentofsevenbridges and£1milliontorepairsixculverts.

Twoprogrammesfocusonreducing leaksincriticalareasandtwoonthe resilienceofriversluicessupporting watercontrolonrivernavigations. Externalfundingissupporting thecontinuedrestorationofthe MontgomeryCanalandaprogramme ofworkstotheiconicAndertonBoat Liftfollowingrecentrepairs.

RichardParry,chiefexecutive atCanal&RiverTrust,said:“With canalssopopularandservingsociety insomanyways,itismoreimportant thaneverthatwearerelentlessinour effortstokeepthemsafeandavailable.

“WhileourcampaigntoKeep CanalsAliveasksallthosewhouse andenjoythecanalstowritetotheir localMPtosecuretheirlong-term future,intheimmediatetermthe vitalmaintenancetokeepcanalssafe mustcontinue.

“Overthenextyearthat programmeofworkrangesfrom thelargest-scalerepairs,suchasat ourreservoirs,tothemoremodest maintenancethatmakessuchabig differencetoboaters’experiences, like fixingaleakinglockgateor ourrollingdredgingprogramme. Ourexpertteamsofcolleagues, contractorsandvolunteerswillbe workinghardallyearroundto fight forthefutureofourwaterways.”

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Spoilbeingexcavatedduringtherepairstothedamagedculvert.

PHOTO:COLINWAREING

Historic footbridge rebuilt by volunteers

A NEW footbridge over the River Gipping – Ipswich to Stowmarket Navigation – in Suffolk has recently been opened.

The culmination of three years ’ hard work, the footbridge, built entirely by River Gipping Trust volunteers, sits on restored 230-year-old brick abutments engineered by John Rennie It reopens 1km of footpath – the old towpath – alongside the river, last walked by the public around 100 years ago

Three years ago, the original brick bridge abutments were in a sorrowful state of repair with around 1000 bricks missing, a tree growing around one of them and another tree rooted into the bottom of the other Some bricks could be seen on the bottom of the riverbed and volunteers started to recover them

Around 500 whole bricks were recovered; all were heavily blackened after maybe as many as 100 years under water, but they quickly recovered their natural red and yellow colours and were reused in the restoration. All the bricks forming the bridge abutments are original 230-yearold bricks

The 1793 footbridge at Baylham was engineered by John Rennie in 1792 and was one of around 20 new bridges built along the Ipswich to Stowmarket Navigation The navigation was Rennie’s first completed canal project and it was completed in just 18 months after his initial survey on horseback

Impressed by this feat of engineering he quickly moved on to build many more canals and bridges across the UK including the Kennet & Avon Canal, the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation and London Bridge, now located in the USA Rennie was one of Britain’s greatest civil engineers of all time

Lock restored

Trust volunteers have also just completed the restoration of Pipps Ford Lock, one of the oldest locks engineered by John

Rennie remaining in Britain Seeking to reestablish navigation along this river, the trust now has four of Rennie’s 1793 locks fully restored, ready for lock gates

The first stretch to be made navigable will be between the popular Needham Market Lakes and Baylham Rare Breeds Farm, where the four locks are situated. Opened in 1793, the Ipswich to Stowmarket Navigation is 16 miles long with 15 locks, each 55ft long by 14ft wide

Fourteen lock structures remain with water flowing through them all, but none have lock gates yet

The missing lock at Claydon has recently been found, partially intact, buried adjacent to the A14 The trust is working with National Highways to restore it with much help and support from OnSite, who installed the two temporary dams, and Selwood Pumps, who provided a dry lock to enable the repairs to be carried out.

Innovation at lock gate workshops

THE Canal & River Trust’s lock gate workshops, at Bradley in the West Midlands and Stanley Ferry in Yorkshire, are bringing forward several small changes to lock gate production to increase speed and efficiency.

With more than 1500 locks across the trust’s canal network, and a working life of typically 25 years, there is a constant cycle of production and replacement of old lock gates This year the trust’s specialist team is producing 123 separate lock gate leaves for installation across the network

The small changes to production will save the team 25 working days each year, enough time to produce at least an additional two top end single lock gates or one set of bottom end mitre gates

CRT workshops manager Simon Turner said: “Anyone who knows the canals will understand the enduring appeal – and vital function – of the traditional lock gate While our specialist workshops still build these lock gates in-house, it’s more important than ever that we find ways to do this more efficiently Our historic canals are facing significant challenges from floods and droughts, driven by a changing climate, and from a cut in future funding from government”

A working group including workshop carpenters, heritage specialists, engineers and volunteer boaters on the trust’s Navigation Advisory Group has brought forward the changes

First designed 250 years ago, the traditional black and white lock gate is an iconic feature of the nation’s landscape, and it is important to preserve this heritage aspect

One change agreed by the group is to only paint lock gate steelwork that is above the waterline As the painting is purely decorative, this will retain the characteristic look while having no impact on the resilience of the gate

While each lock gate is unique in terms of its precise measurements, different waterways or lengths of waterway have unique gate designs

Establishing a design template for different canals or lengths means the workshops don’t have to reproduce any 20th century, non-heritage or functional anomalies which may currently exist on each canal

Standardised designs are now in

place for the Shropshire Union Canal, Birmingham Canal Navigations and Worcester & Birmingham Canal, with work ongoing for the Oxford, Stratford and Montgomery canals

Further location-specific changes, in some instances requiring consent from local authorities, will see an alteration to the design of the bottom end gates on the Grand Union Canal which will negate the need for a second horizontal layer of planking without compromising the performance of the gate

The group has looked at ways the trust can save money on materials. In conjunction with engineers from the Timber Research & Development Association it has refined the Lock Gate Calculation sheets These calculate the size of timber required to achieve the required strength of the lock gate The new sheet allows the teams to try different timber sizes and is likely to produce a saving of 5% on timber usage

Simon added: “The proposals for alterations to the designs and production process were brought forward by the teams who carry out the work, with valuable ideas and feedback shared by boaters on our Navigation Advisory Group Any new ideas must respect the important heritage of the canals, while balancing the needs we have, as a charity, to safeguard the future of the ageing network”

Time for a breather as volunteers celebrate the lock work completion.

Lock restoration work.

The original bridge in June 2019. OnSite’s Portadam.

Hats off as the new footbridge takes shape.

Volunteers working on the bridge in September 2021 as it starts to take shape.

The official opening of the new bridge. PHOTOS: IAN PETCHEY/RIVER GIPPING TRUST

Getting the 5 x 10m long x 500mm deep beams across in September 2021.

Lock gates being produced at CRT’s Stanley Ferry workshop.

PHOTO: JANET RICHARDSON

AFTERmorethansixyearsofplanning andfundraisingSchoolhouseBridge istakingshape.Contractorsrecently cranedthebridgesectionsintoplace andthereisoncemoreaBridge86over theMontgomeryCanal.

SchoolhouseBridgewasthelast highwayblockageontheShropshire sectionoftheMontgomeryCanal.Itis believedthatinthe1950sor1960sthe highwayauthoritydemolishedtheold bridge,replacingitwithanembankment ofearthandstone.

Asrestorationprogressedtowards Shropshire’sborderwiththeWelsh countyofPowys,volunteersofthethree localwaterwaycharitiesgottogetherto promotetheRestoretheMontgomery Canal!appeal.

Describingitasanexcitingday, chairmanofMontgomeryWaterway RestorationTrust,MichaelLimbrey, said:“Ourexperiencedvolunteersare atworktorewaterthenextsectionand wehavelaunchedanewappealtoraise fundstoprovidethemwithequipment andmaterials.

“Supporters,bothlocalandfurther afield,havegenerouslydonatedforthe bridgeandarenowsupportingthisnext phaseoftherestoration.”

AretiredengineerfromtheInland WaterwaysAssociationdesigneda bridgewhichcouldbebuiltwithmuch oftheworkcarriedoutbyvolunteers, butwithdelaysfromCovidandother difficultiesitwasultimatelynecessary

forcontractorstobebroughtinforthe mainprojectwork.

AfteraceremonyinAprilwhenCoun VinceHunt,chairmanofShropshire Council,turnedthe firstsod,contractors BeaverBridgesofShrewsburymade rapidprogress.

Installingthebridgearchesisthe mostsignificantpartoftheproject. The archeswereinsixsectionsproducedby Macrete,basedinCountryAntrim,and weredeliveredtothesitebyaconvoyof flatbedlorries.Eachsectionwasmade ofconnectedsegmentswhichformed anarchshapewhenliftedbya250-ton cranetobeloweredontocarefully positionedcillsonthereinforced concreteabutments.

Whileaspectacularprocess,the organiserswerenotabletopublicise thedatebeforehandasthesitecould notaccommodatealargenumberof viewers,ortheircars.Howeveranumber oflocalresidentsandsupportersandthe chairmanofthelocalparishcouncil wereabletowatchtheproceedings.

Thewholeprocesswascompleted inamatterofhours,withthesixarch sectionsandspandrelsinplaceby mid-afternoon.

Michaelcontinued:“Itissixyearssince weresolvedtoreconstructSchoolhouse Bridge.Ifwecoulddoit,itwouldbe asignificantcontributiontoopening upthecanaltotheWelshborderat Llanymynech.Nowwecanseeabridge forthe firsttimeformorethan60years.”

Michaelexplainedthattheproject ispartofalargerplantorevivethe MontgomeryCanal,bringingmany economic,socialandenvironmental benefitswhichotherrestoredwaterways havealreadyachieved.

RichardHinckley,salesdirectorof BeaverBridges,said:“Weareextremely proudtobeengagedwiththedesignand installationofthenewbridgeaspartof alargerplantorevivetheMontgomery Canalandplayingourpartinrebuilding historyandleavingalegacyonthecanal forfuturegenerationstoenjoy.Ivery muchlookforwardtoseeingthe first narrowboatgounderthebridge.”

Donationsarewelcomeat https://localgiving.org/appeal/ MontgomeryCanal

Restorationeventsuccessdespitemotorwaychaos

MOREthan100members ofthepublictoured theInlandWaterways Association(IWA)event onboardthesteamship DanielAdamson (the Danny)mooredatSutton WeaverontheRiver WeaverinlateJuly.

Theyweresuitably impressedbytheworkof volunteercanalrestorers.In totalninecanalorganisations fromaroundtheregionset upstallsandwerethere togiveexpertadviceand answerallquestions.

Thecanalorganisations fromasfarafieldas Shropshire,Manchesterand Runcornshowedthevalue ofrestoredwaterwaystothe environment,well-being andinparticulareconomic development.Theywere allabletoshowhowthey individuallybringbenefits totheirlocalcommunity especiallyattracting significantfunding, protectingjobsandhelping local firmssurvive.

Oneofthestandsrun bytheShropshireUnion CanalSocietyhadjust completeda£2.8million HeritageLotteryFund supportedschemetobring 1.5milesofcanalintothe nationalnetwork;ithas nowstartedworkonanew

schemecostingupwards of£1.5millionforanother halfmileandanewbridge. Whatwaspleasing wasthatsomeexhibitors recruitednewmembers andvolunteersandthe publicgavegenerouslyto thegoodcauses.

M56chaos

Whilethevisitornumbers begantohitreasonable numbersontheSaturday afternoon,boostedby apartyofyoungsea scouts,thevolunteers werehopefulofincreased numbersontheSunday; howeveramajorincident onthenearbyM56wasto dampentheirambitions.

JimForkin,chairman, IWAChesterand Merseyside,said:“Things werestartingtogo wellthensuddenlyat lunchtime,visitornumbers

fellawayandvolunteers couldonlysitandwatch astrafficonthenearby M56viaductcametoa completestandstilland nearbyA-roadsbecame logjammed.

“Amessagefromthe policeshowedthat,right throughourbusiestperiod until4pm,themotorway wouldremainblockedand ourcustomerswereeither stuckintheircarsorhad

chosennottosetoff.”

BobCannell,volunteer co-ordinatoronthe Danny said.“Wehadagreat turnoutofvolunteersready tohelptheeventorganisers andshownewvisitors aroundtheboatbutthisis whatcanhappenatevents thatyoucannotplanfor.” LesGreen,trusteeofthe Danny, added:“Thisisthe secondtimeIWAandthe Danny teamhaverunthis eventandevenifnumbers weredown,itgavethe publicthatgottherea goodunderstandingofthe restorationmovementand tomeetthepeopleinvolved.”

TheIWAhasnotbeen putoffbyeventsand planstorunanotherevent, possiblyin2025,ineither LiverpoolorAnderton Boatliftdependentonthe Danny cruisingitinerary.

Thebridgestartstotakeshape. PHOTOS:BEAVERBRIDGESLTD

Liftingoneofthesixarchedsectionsintoplace.

Visitorsheadingaboardthe Danny PHOTOSSUPPLIED

Visitorsenjoyingthepresentationsonboardthe promenadedeck.

Adayinthelifeofalicensingranger

Illegallymooredboats,boatswithoutlicences andevenaboatsinking–it’sallinaday’s workforoneoftheCanal&RiverTrust’s licensingrangers,asauthorAndyGriffee discoveredwhenhewentoutontowpath patrolwithoneofthem.

ONEofthe firstthingsInotice aboutSteveBroad’sranger uniformisthebody-camera strappedtohischest. TheCanal &RiverTrust’snationwideteam of27rangerswereissuedwith oneeachafterthemurderofone oftheircolleaguesontheGrand Uniontwoyearsago.

“IknewClivePorterquite well,”Stevetellsme.“Wejoined theCRTatthesametime13years agoandmetupoccasionallyat

conferences.” Thetwomenhad bothworkedforthepolice,Clive asaservingofficerandSteveasa specialconstableonthestreetsof Birmingham.

A50-year-oldPolishboater calledSylwesterKrajewskiwas convictedoftheranger’smurder. It’saveryrealreminderofthe potentialdangersfacedbythis smallgroupofpeoplewhopatrol thecanalnetworkfortheCRT.

Steveandjustoneother

colleagueareresponsiblefor patrolling150milesofvarious canalsintheWestMidlands andIjoinedhimatStourporton-Severnforthestartofhis

shift They have a set schedule ofplacestovisitonatwo-week cycleandlogthelicencenumber ofeveryboatintoanelectronic devicewhichalsorecordsthe exactlocation.

Wearesoonchatting tosomefriendlySwedish holidaymakersontheirhire boatwhenStevenotices somethingstrange.The numberpaintedontheboat doesn’tmatchthenumber onthepaperlicencestuck inthewindow.Hechecks moredetailsonhisdevice anddiscoversthepainted numberdoesn’tmatchthe boat’spaintedname.CRT’s businessboatmanagerwill beaskedtoinvestigatethe anomalyfurther.

Aswewalkfurther,Steve lamentstheGovernment’s 40%realtermscutinitsgrant totheCRT–beginningin2027. Heworriesaboutreductions inbasicmaintenanceand eventhepossibilitythatsome canalswillhavetoclose.One boatertellshimthe financial blackholemakeshisjobmore importantthanever.The rangers’workhelpstokeep boatlicencefeeevasionbelow 5%ofthe36,000boatsinscope –andit’sanimpressive3.5%in Steve’sownpatch.

Anhourlater,atKinver,we comeacrosstwoboatstied uponabusylockmooring. Heknowsaboutthe first, whichhasabrokengearbox andsoithasbeengivena limitedAES(Authorised ExtendedStay).However, thesecondmooredboatisn’t displayinganame,licence numberorlicence.Itappears tobeunoccupied,soSteve writesoutapatrolnoticeand usesacabletieto fixittothe boat’sroof.

Ifnooneislivingonthe boat,itcouldeventuallybe

takenoutofthewaterbyCRTand automaticallyscrappedifitisworth lessthan£3000.Ifsomeoneisliving ontheboat,theymayendupbeing takentocourt.Steve’smurdered colleaguehadbeenservingapatrol noticewhenhewaskilled.

Sinkingboat

Later,atStourbridge,another boatertellsusaboutaboat hesawsinkingtheprevious dayontheStaffordshire& WorcestershireCanalatavillage calledSwindon.Wemakeourway thereimmediatelyinSteve’sblue CRTvanwhichcanalsocarryhis bicyclesandasmalldinghy.As wego,Stevespeculatesonthe identityofthesinkingboatandits owner.Hesuspectsitissomeone hehasdealtwithbefore.

Sureenough,aftera20-minute hiketoHinksfordBridge,we discover44-year-oldStuart and Swallow,his floodedboat. Stuarthasalicencefortheboat butit’sinpoorconditionand thisisthe fifthtimeithassunk ineightyears.Asmallinflatable boomhasbeenputinplaceto preventdieselseepageanda petrol-operatedpumpisfailing tokeeppacewiththewater flowingoverthegunwale. The insideoftheboatis floodedup tothebottomofthewindowsand debrishasbeenscatteredalong thetowpath.

Itcouldbeatensesituation,but therangerisgreetedbyStuartlike anoldfriendandimmediatelyasks forCRT’shelp.Hehasnoinsurance topayforhisboat’srescuebecause ithasfailedasafetyinspection. ButifCRTisforcedtotakethe boatoutofthewaterduetodiesel leakage,itcouldcosthimupto £6000.Stevetakespicturesand beginsalertingothermembersof theCRTonhisdevice. Stuartreturnstodrinkingfrom abottleofwineasweleaveand tellsusafriendisnowcoming tohisaidwithamorepowerful pump.“It’sallinaday’swork,” saysSteveaswereturntohisvan. “Butitcanbestressfulattimes.” Beingarangerisn’tjustabout policinglicences.Steveoften comesacrosssinglemenon boatswhoarefailingtocope. Sometimesheputsthemin touchwiththecanalchaplaincy. Laterthatsameday,asafety alertmessageissentoutby CRT.Itsaysthe fireserviceand policehaveattendedthesiteof thesunkenboat.Colleaguesand volunteersarebeingadvisednot toapproachanindividualwhois being‘extremelyaggressive,under theinfluenceofalcohol’.Anearby hedgerowhasbeensetalight. Itjustshows,Stevetellsme, howquicklythingscanchange fortheworseonthetowpath.

AndyGriffeeistheauthor oftheJohnson&Wilde crimemysterieswhichare setonthecanalsandrivers oftheUK.Thethirdbook intheseries,OxfordBlues, hasjustbeenbroughtout inpaperbackbyOrphans Publishing.Hehasalso writtenanovellacalled Devil’sDenwhichisset intheKinverareaandis availableasapaperback orebookfromAmazon.

StevechatstoaSwedishholidaymaker.

AndyGriffee,right,spendsthedaywithlicensingranger SteveBroad.

Canal&RiverTrustlicensingrangerSteveBroadwithhisvan.

Thesinkingboatwith theowner’sbelongings alongside. PHOTOS:ANDYGRIFFEE

Stevefastensapatrolnoticetotheroofofanarrowboat.

Thenotice.

THEShropshireUnionMainLinenear NorburyrecentlysawaShropshire Unionfly-boathauledbyahorse, perhapsthe firsttimetherefor100years. Thisrareandwonderfulsightwasthe well-known Saturn,hauledbyFlower, aneight-year-oldmare.

DavidRayofNorburyWharfLtdsaid: “Flowerdidreallywell.Sheisusually riddenbymydaughter,Elizabeth,and weusehertopullacart,butthisisthe firsttimewehaveusedhertopulla narrowboat.Weareallreallypleased withhowitwentandwehopetobeable todomore.”

JohnYatesofSaturnFly-Boatsaid:

“Thisislivingcanalheritageatitsvery best. Thecanalswerebuiltforhorse haulage,andsowasthe Saturn The horseisthealmostforgottenheroof canalhistory,untilyouseeoneinaction andthewholecanalsuddenlymakes sense.Horseboatingisquiet,quick andgreen. Themoreofitwecandowith Saturn,thehappierweshallbe.”

Morehorseboatingtrialswereheld afewdayslaterfromtheAnchorInn atHighOffleytoShebdonandbackto NorburyJunction.

Saturn waspreviouslyhauledonthe MontgomeryCanalbyCracker,whohas nowretired.

UndertheHighBridge(No39). PHOTOS:BOBJERVIS

Flowerhauling Saturn alongtheShroppie. SmilesasFlowertakesthejobinherstride.

FlowerheadsofffromtheAnchorInn.

FlowerisElizabeth’susualmount.

DavidRaydrivesFloweralongthe towpath.

Memorylaneboattrip forBob’s90thbirthday

ASPECIALbirthdaywishtogetback onthewaterwasachievedforaformer boatcraftsmanthankstothekindefforts ofhiscarehomeandChichesterShip CanalTrust.

BobHoskingwasabletocelebratehis 90thbirthdayintruestylewithacanal boattripfromthecanalbasin.Bobisa residentatDovecoteViewcarehome,in Westhampnett. Thehomehasawishing treewhereresidentscanaddtheir ideas,andstaff dotheirbesttomake themhappen.

Bobwasalong-standingformer volunteeratthecanalandhewasthrilled tobegrantedhiswishforacruisethere. Anextrabonuswasa fishandchip lunchdonatedbylocaleateryLaFish inhonourofthespecialoccasion.

KoralatDovecoteViewsaid:“We weredelightedthatthecanaltrustcould offerthistripforBobandafewfamily members,tocelebratehis90thbirthday.”

Yoddi,ownerofLAFish,said:“We hadheardwhataspecialeventitwas andasalocalcompanywelovetohelp incommunitysituations.”

Canaltrustee,DorothyCox,wason boardtoanswerquestionsaboutthe canalandtwovolunteersfromthecanal

Charitybookandmusicshop celebratesfirstyearoftrading

mediateamwereonhandtorecordthe event.

Bobhashadalongassociationwith ‘allthingstodowithsailingandboats’.He

spentmostofhisworkinglifeinvolved witheitherbuildingorsurveyingthem. Hegainedaninlandwaterwaysboat masterlicence,performedsafetysurveys oftraditionalsailingshipsandworkedat WatercraftinShorehamdevisingsafety equipmentforverticaldroplifeboats usedbyoilrigs.

Hewasakeensailorhimself,owning anumberofboatsanddesigningand buildinghisownracingdinghy.Linda Kelsall-Barnett,hisniece,said:“Uncle Bobinspiredmyloveofthewaterand sailing,andthistripissoappropriate forhim.”

Bob’swife,Janice,thankedeveryone whohadmadethedaysospecial.And Bobadded:“Ihaveveryfondmemories ofthecanal…10outof10fortheskipper whogaveusallasmoothridetoday!”

THECotswoldCanalsTrustcharity bookandmusicshopcelebratedits firstyearoftradinginStonehouse onAugust5.

LocatedinQueensRoad,the shopspreadsoverthreeunitsand islaidoutperfectlyforshoppersto findtheirperfectbook. There’sa children’ssectionandasofatosit andrelaxorsnuggleupwithyour littleonetoreadthemastory.

Theshopoffersawiderange thankstothemanygenerous donationsreceived.Booksrange fromanovelforyourholidayoran autobiographyonyourfavourite cricketertoareferencebookon howtogrowvegetables.Ifthereis asubjectareaderislookingfor,the shopislikelytohaveit.

It’snotallbooks;theshopalso sellsCDsandLPsfromallgenres, meaningyoumight findthatrareLP youoncelovedonsaleatabargain price.Pricesrangefrom50pupwards.

Sinceopening,thebookshophas raisedmorethanr£10,000,allof whichgoestowardstorestorationof theCotswoldCanals.

BookshopmanagerMikeRichter said:“The firstyearoftradinghas beenagreatsuccessandweareproud tobeabletoraisesomuchmoney towardsthecanalrestoration.We aregratefulforthegenerosityofour

MontgomeryCanalrestorationmovesonapace

WHILEtheMonty’s restorationwork continues,much progresshasbeenmade agreeingplansandfuture requirements.

Oneofthemain objectivesforthisyear’s pilotschemeistoinform thewaterproofing requirements.Two sectionsofthechannel, one50minlengthandthe other140minlength,have beenselectedasbeingthe mostinformative.

Thesiteswillbe preparedtoensurethey meettheminimum requireddepthand havestableprofilesfor thebanksbut,crucially, willnotincludeanynew waterproofingorlining.

Withdamsateach endthesewillbe filled withwaterandthewater retentionperformance monitored.Thetrial willtakeplaceinearly autumnandtheresults willcontributetothe overallspecificationfor theproject.

Thiscombinesecology, heritage,engineeringand

operationalrequirements. Theheritagerequirements applytothewharfwalland washwallrepairssouthof CrickheathBridgeand havealreadybeenagreed.

Workcontinueson theotheraspectswith particularattentionbeing paidtomaximisingthe ecologicalbenefitand improvement,notleastin thecontextofrecentnew legislation.

ProjectmanagerTom Fuldaexplained:“Atrial ofthelimemortarmix specifiedbytheCanal &RiverTrustproved successfulwiththeresults commendedbyCRT.

“Thisisusedforrepairs

tothewashwallsouth ofCrickheathBridge andwithgoodprogress intheJulyworkparty, thisjobisnowmore than50%completed. Similarly,workstorepair thetramwaywharfhave progressedrapidlywith acombinationofsociety volunteersandthosefrom theDryStoneWalling Associationcontributing theirexpertise.Afurther lengthofcopingswill bereplacedonthe repairedwallsoonand thegrantawardfromthe AssociationforIndustrial Archaeologywillhelpfund someofthenewcopings requiredtoreplacebroken andcrumblingonesfrom theoriginalwall.

“Thethirdand final ‘walljob’wastocomplete

donors,customersandvolunteers whomakeitallpossible.”

Theshopisvolunteer-ledwith morethan25volunteershelpingout onaweeklybasis.Moreareneeded andeveryoneiswelcometovisitand haveachatwiththevolunteersto findouthowtheycouldgetinvolved.

Itisstillsurprisinghowmany peopleintheFiveValleysdon’t knowaboutthishiddengemandit reallyiswellworthavisit.

TheshopisopeneverySaturday, WednesdayandFridaybetween 10amand4pmandmanycustomers enjoycomingineveryweektosee thefriendlyvolunteersandperuse thelatestbooksonsale.

Donationscannotbeaccepted attheStonehouseshopasthere isn’tenoughroomtostoreandkeep theshoptoppedupwithbooks, however,donationsarealways gratefullyreceivedatthetrust’sshop inBrimscombe.

4-6QueensRoad,Stonehouse GL102QA

Phone:01453791889 bookshop@cotswoldcanals.org www.cotswoldcanals.org/ support-us/the-bookshop/ Facebook:CCTCharityBook &MusicShop

Volunteerssought forsociety’splant andprojects

GRANTHAMCanalSocietyisseeking volunteerstojoinitsteamwhichkeeps itsboatsandplantinworkingorder.

Themaintenancedepartmentis strugglingtokeepthesociety’severincreasing fleetintiptopconditionandany plantoutofactionimpactsfundscomingin aswellasdelayingrestorationandrepairs.

thesouthernendofthe wharfwithanelegant cornerreturningthewall tothebank.Thiswas finishedonthelastdayof theJulyworkpartyinthe nickoftimebeforethe heavensopened.”

TheJulyworkparty alsosawthestartofsite preparationforthewater testswhichincludedtasks rangingfromsitestripto checkingthechannel bedmettheminimum requireddepth,some profilingofbankswhere thiswasrequiredand atrialoftheclaydam constructionusingclay salvagedfromthelast project.Comparedwith theovergrownstate 12monthsagothesite isalreadystartingto resembleacanal.

Volunteersarealsobeingsought asrestorationworkstartsonLock13. The firstphaseoftheprojectincludes constructingaccessroads,creatinga towpathdiversion,installingaboundary fenceandsitewelfarewellasremoving vegetationandclearingthesitebefore workcanstartonthelockitself.

Otherconstructionissuesinclude leakingculverts,banksandLock18, mostofwhichcanbesolvedin-house ifthesocietycan‘build’thesizeofits constructionteams.

Newmemberswithawillingnesstoget thecanalrestoredisthemostimportant skillrequired,butpeoplewithexisting building/constructionskillswould certainlyincreasethepaceatwhichsome oftheseissuescanberesolved.

Anappealalsorecentlywentoutfor usedequipmentforthenewwelfareunit inaconvertedcontainerincludingwashing andtoiletfacilitiesandkitchen fitments. Contacteithermembership@ granthamcanal.orgorspecialprojects@ granthamcanal.orgifyouwishtojoin.

Enjoyingasmoothcruisealong theChichesterShipCanal.

PHOTOS:CHICHESTERSHIPCANALTRUST

BobHoskingwithhisfamilyandmembersoftheChichesterShipCanalTrustatthecanalbasin.

Enjoyinghisfishandchiplunchon boardtripboat Kingfisher

Thechildren’ssectionandasofawhereyoucanreadthemastory.

PHOTO:CCT

Washwallrepointing.

CharactersoftheCut

GilesWilliams–yourhelmsman!

ByAliceGriffin

WHENGilesWilliamsfound himselfrecoveringfromillness inearly2016andlookingfor workthatwouldtakehiminto theopenair,hecouldnothave foreseenthataninitialjobas towpathrangerfortheCanal &RiverTrustwouldleadhim onthepathtosetuphisYour Helmsmanbusiness,moving boatsandtrainingpeoplehow tosteer.

Hesharedwithme:“While onthejobI’dmentionedmy manyyearsofexperienceasa holidayboaterandthisledto themaskingifIcouldhelpcrew someboatmovementsforthe trust. TheylikedwhatIdid,and Iwentthroughtheirinternal trainingtobecomeaskipperfor theminLondon.”

Therestishistory,asthey say,becauseitwasn’tlong beforeboatersinLondongot toknowGilesandbegantoask ifhecouldmovetheirboatsfor them.“Ilookedintothedetails oftheinsuranceandlicencesI’d needtodothatand,well,the first clientIhadpaidforallofthose!”

Thingsprogressedwhen,in September2019,agoodfriend askedGilesifhemightintroduce ayoungcouple–newtoboating –tolifeonthewaterwaysaboard theirownboat.

Hetoldme:“Iwasabitnervous aboutdoingso,butIgavethem adayonthewateraboardtheir newboatdemonstratingsimple manoeuvresandencouraging themtotrythingsoutfor themselvesandIfoundIenjoyed it!”Perhapsmoreimportantly, though,sodidhisclients,who foundthelearningexperience calmandreassuring.

Gilesnextdecidedtotake theRYAInlandWaterways HelmandCrewInstructor courseandnowteachesusing itsmethods,althoughashe’s notcurrentlyassociatedwitha trainingcentrehedoesn’toffer RYAcertification.“Iconcentrate

oncoachingpeopleontheir ownboats,withanemphasison buildingconfidenceandhowto safelynavigatesingle-handedly.”

Goldenhour

Heloveshisworkandisareal advocateforourwonderful waterways.“Ilovegettingup earlyandparticularlyenjoy beingafloatinthegoldenhour afterdawn,whenthewateris stillandreflectsthelightofa newday.”Icouldn’tagreemore, Giles!

AndIalsoagreewhenhe observeshowextraordinaryitis that“asystemdesignedandbuilt forheavyindustryinthepast300 yearshasbecomeatranquil, greenhaven,eveninthecentres ofthecitiesitcreated.”

Withhisobviousloveofthe canalsyoumightwonderifthere isalinkinhispastand,well,you wouldberight.Gilestoldme: “Mypaternalgrandfatherwas inthemerchantmarineandmy mother’ssidewasafamilyof cartersfromLondon’sEastEnd.”

Itseemsbothwaterandmoving thingsisindeedinGiles’sblood!

Despitethis,hiswork isnotwithoutoccasional apprehension:“WhenI’m offeredthetaskoflookingafter someone’sboat,especiallyifit’s aparticularlynewboat,there’sa greatdealofpressureinavoiding gettingeventhemostminor

scrapesandscratches.”However, twosummersspentskipperinga narrowboatforcocktailcruises incentralLondonhascertainly givenGilesahighlevelof confidence.

“Ilearnedhowtoensureevery contactbetweenaboatand anythingelse(whenmooringup, forexample)wasasgentleakiss asitcouldpossiblybe.”

Despitehavingtravelled muchofthecanalsystem,there arestillstretchesonhisbucket list.Heshared:“AlthoughI’ve holidayedthereinthepast, I’venotspentnearlyenough timeontheBirminghamCanal Network.It’ssuchanimportant partofthesystemIdon’tknow whymyperegrinationshave takenmearoundtheoutsideofit somuch!”

Andofeverywherehe’s explored,he’salwayshappy tobeontheStaffordshire &WorcestershireCanal betweenKidderminsterand Wolverhampton:“It’soneofthe prettiestcanalsinthecountry, I’veneverhadabaddaythere.”

Giles’spassionforthe waterwaysextendsbeyondjust enjoyingthenaturethough,as healsohelpsadministerthe LondonBoaterscampaigning Facebookgroup,strivingto improveconditionsforboaters onLondon’swaterways.

“Iwantourwaterwaysto thrive,andwhileIknowthe organisationsmanagingour waterwayswantthattoo,Ialso knowtheyareunder-resourced, under-funded,andsubject topolicies.I’m100%behind thenewInlandWaterways Associationcampaignto properlyfundBritain’s waterways.”

Itseemsthatdespiteillness beingtheunfortunatecatalystfor hislifeonthewater,everything hascomegoodasGileshelps othersontheirjourneytovaluing ourcanalsystemasmuchas hedoes!

Facebook&Instagram: @yourhelmsman Website:yourhelmsman.co.uk

AliceGriffinisanaturelovingwriterandyoga teacherwhohasspenta largepartofthepast15 yearslivingafloat.She runsonlineandin-person coursesthathelppeople inviteasenseofslowinto theirlives.Website:www. alicegriffin.co.ukYouTube: @wanderingalice

1475x665x4mm

PartnoSTPVF150Rrearconnectedpanels Highqualitysolarcell:Polly UKCAmarkedandCEmarked 150watt(+5%)

Withdurablenoneslipcoating Thisisaoneoffopportunitytobuythese panelsataTradePrice.

Individualprice

£225.00incvat

Bulkboxof5

£1060.00incvat

Regulatorsalsoinstock!

marketleadingVetusElineKits.

Ajobasatowpathrangerledontomovingboatsfor customers. PHOTOSSUPPLIED

Stillwaterreflectsthelightofanewdayforthisfamilyofducks.

GilesWilliams:Waterand movingthingsisinhisblood!

Ferryingflockforsonicfeast

SallyCliffordfindsouthow thecanal–withalittle helpfromsomefleecy friends–playedapartina uniquemusiccelebration inWestYorkshire.

TEXTILEShaveplayedanintegralpart inYorkshire’shistorysoitwas fittingfor somefabricated fleecyfriendstobepart ofauniquecelebration.

HERD,describedasa‘spectacular sonicfeastfortheeyesandears’,wasa collaborativeprojectinvolvingartists, musicians,singers–anda flockofmodel sheep–commemoratingKirkleesYear ofMusic2023.

HelenMarriage,CEOofarts productioncompany,Artichoke, explainedtheHERDprojecthadbeen aroundtwoyearsinthemaking.

Duringthattime,shesaid,they focusedonthehistoryoftheareaknown foritsrichtextileheritageandmillsto createasoundscapeincorporating musicreflectingthatlegacy.

Theground-breakingproject,devised bycomposerOrlandoGoughand producedbyArtichoke,involvedartists andlocalpeople.

Perhapsthemostunusualand eye-catchingfeatureofthecelebration wasthe flockofsingingsheepledbythe giantmothersheep(Aina)broadcasting hersoundscapeintothedistance.

Oversixdays,the23sheepsculptures, createdbyHuddersfieldartist,Dave Young,andeachnamedafterthe ancientsheep-countingsongYanTan Tethera,appearedthroughoutKirklees –includingthelocalcanal.

Textileheritage

Helenisanarrowboatownerwholives part-timeonher70ftlongvessel, The BlackCountryman,ontheOxfordCanal. Sheexplainedsomeofthe flockwouldbe afloat,allcreatedfromrecycledmaterials suchasdiscardedmetal,denimandrags, reflectingthearea’stextileheritage.

Thesoundscapeswerecommissioned fromlocalsoundartistsandmixed togetherbyOrlandoGoughandsound designersSebastianFrostandJohn

Del’Nerowithrecordedperformancesby thechoirs,bandsandsoloistsinvolved inHERD.

“Theyreallycapturewhattheplace looksandfeelslike,theearlyhistory ofruralYorkshirerightuptoitspostindustrialpresent,”saidHelen.

ShepleyBridgeMarinainMirfield, hometotheSafeAnchorTrustcharity, wasthedestinationfortwoofthe flock departures.

Establishedin1995,thecharity,run entirelybyvolunteers,providescanal boattripsforphysicallyandmentally disabledgroupsaswellasthesocially disadvantagedthroughageorsocial isolationordeprivation.

InsupportoftheCanal&RiverTrust, thecharityalsohelpstomaintainitslocal waterwaysandsurroundingenvironment.

KevinThorburn,avolunteerand trusteeoftheSafeAnchorTrust, explained:“Wewereaskedtoprovidea workingboattotransportmechanical sheep,completewithsoundsystems, alongtheCalder&HebbleNavigation andHuddersfieldBroadCanalfrom MirfieldtoHuddersfield.Itsoundedlike awonderfulandfuncommunityproject whichourvolunteerswereverykeento beinvolvedin.”

Soundsystem

DepartingfromthemarinawiththeSafe AnchorTrust’svolunteercrewon Lady Brenda –oneofthecharity’s five-strong fleet–a36ftnarrowbeamworkboatused forclearanceandenvironmentalwork–weresmallruralsheep,VedoroandWix.

Shapedonasteelframe,thesheep were filledoutwithlightermaterials, willowandbamboo. Theirheadswere modelledinclayandacastwastaken inpapiermacheorthermoplasticsheet. Additionalfabric/papertexturesand paintwereappliedafter.

Insideeachsheepwasasound systemplayingsoundsofindustry, manufacturing,musicandpeopleon thejourneytoHuddersfield.

Interestingly,Jeff Trigg,volunteerand trusteewiththeSafeAnchorTrust,isa memberofHuddersfieldChoralSociety –oneoftheorganisationscontributing tothesoundtracksfortheevent.

“Ithinkit’sgoodtobeinvolvedand tobepartofsomethingthatisKirklees wideandaprojectpromotingmusic throughoutKirklees.Alsothelinks withthehistoricalpastandthetextile industrieswithinHuddersfield,”saidJeff

“TheSafeAnchorTrustisacommunity projectanditisgoodtobepartofa communityprojectacrossKirklees.”

Kevinsaid:“Overtheyearswehave carriedsomeunusualitemsonourboat, fromshoppingtrolleystobikes,mostof whichwehavepulledoutofthecanalor riveraspartofourenvironmentalwork. Butmusic-playingmodelsheephastobe uptherewiththestrangestandwackiest cargowe’vehad!

“Itisbothaprivilegeandan opportunitytobeabletocontributeto othereventsgoingonwithinKirklees.”

Readyforthejourney:membersoftheSafeAnchorTrust’svolunteercrewwhotransportedVederoandWixto HuddersfieldfortheHERDKirkleesmusicevent.

Followingtheirtravels,theHERD, includingPethera,asmallruralsheep whichwastransportedonthefrontdeckof the32ftlongMarsdene-Shuttleoperated byHuddersfieldCanalSociety,arrived inStGeorge’sSquare,Huddersfield, onSunday,July16forthefreeevent finale–theperformanceof fivespecially commissionedfuturesongsforKirklees.

MikeMcHugh,trusteeandboat

supervisorwiththesociety,saiditwas greatfuntobeinvolvedintheevent.Helen added:“Itencapsulatesalltheelements thatmakeKirkleesasspecialasitis.”

HERDwassupportedbyKirklees Council;ArtsCouncilEngland;National LotteryHeritageFund;WestYorkshire CombinedAuthority;Canal&River Trust andOneCommunityFoundation. Visithttps://herd-kirklees.co.uk/

Watchthevideo

Visithttp://tinyurl.com/HERDVideo

TheSafeAnchorTrust’s Lady Brenda narrowbeamworkboat accompaniedbythecharity’s volunteercrewnavigatetheCalder &HebbleNavigationwithVedero andWix.VideobySallyClifford.

unusualcargoonthejourneytoHuddersfieldforHERD,

WorkstartsonCromfordCanalextensionatLangleyMill

THEmuch-anticipated startontheextensionof theCromfordCanalat Beggarlee,LangleyMill, hasbegunwithpreparatory worktopipetwogullies.

Oneofthesewillpass underneathandacross thenewcanalextension whichhasbeenoneofthe principalobjectivesofthe FriendsofCromfordCanal whichwasestablished in2002.

Connectingwiththe ErewashCanalandthe abandonedNottingham CanalatLangleyMill, GreatNorthernBasin, theextensionwilladd 1.25kmfromtheendofthe in-waterstretchwhichis themooringfortheLangley Millboatyard. Theoriginal lineoftheCromfordwascut bytheA610constructionin theearly1980s.

Thenewextensionwill haveadoublelockraising thelevelfromthein-water section. Theupperlevelwill thentravelnorthfor50m andthenturnsharpright andgothroughthecentre spanoftheoldWalker Barberrailwaylineunder theA610.

Thecanalwillthen turnimmediatelyleft (northwards)alongthe sideoftheA610for600m

toStoneyLane,where awindingholewillbe established. Thiswillbe theextentofthe firstphase oftheextension. Therewill beanewpublicfootpath establishedalongthecanal toStoneyLane.

Delayshavearisenwith theplanning,duetothe FCChavingtoworkwith multipleauthorities. The

countyboundarybetween Nottinghamshireand DerbyshireatBeggarleeis thelineoftheA610road, althoughoriginallyitwas theriverErewashwhich flowedalongsidethe Cromford’soriginalline, butwaschangedwhenthe A610wasbuilt.

Soitwasnecessaryto discussandagreeplanning consentwithtwocounty councilsandtwodistrict councils,alsoworking withtheCanal&River Trustandthetwowildlife trusts,Nottinghamshire andDerbyshire.

Thegroundworkhas requiredtheareaupto theA610bridgetobe completelyclearedof40 years’thickwoodland byFCCworkparties, supportedbytheErewash CanalPreservation& DevelopmentAssociation.

AnumberoftheFCC

volunteerswhohad trainingondumpertrucks anddiggersworkedwith theWaterwaysRecovery Grouponsiteinearly Julytoconstructthenew watercourse,whichwill gounderthenewcanal extension.

Theyhavedugoutgullies andsetinposition80mof pipingalthoughwereheld uponseveraloccasions bydebrisleftbehindand buriedwhentheA610was built.Oneofthebiggest pieceswasatyrefroma largevehicle.

Theamountofdirect volunteertimeincluding theWRGworkandallthe othervolunteeroperations isinexcessof2800hours.

Whenthepresentpipe layingis finished,therewill beapauseawaitingthe returnofWRGinSeptember tobuildasecondlarge manholechamber.

Shuttlingsheep:Petheraaboardthee-Shuttle.

PHOTO:ALANSTOPHER,CHAIROFHUDDERSFIELDCANALSOCIETY.

Assemblingthe manholeandfinishing thetoplidbrickwork.

TheA610roadbridgeandthecentrespanthroughwhichthecanal channelwillgo. PHOTOS: FRIENDSOFCROMFORDCANAL

Fleecyfriends:VederoandWix, thesmallruralsheepcreatedby Huddersfieldartist,DaveYoung,for theHERDKirkleesMusicevent.

Floatingfleeces:VederoandWixonboard LadyBrenda withJeffTrigg, trusteewiththeSafeAnchorTrust.

Ontheirway:TheSafeAnchorTrustcrewwiththeir

theKirkleesmusicevent. PHOTOS:SALLYCLIFFORDUNLESSINDICATED

TrainingtrainersontheDroitwichcanals

ByRalphBarber

ATTIMESitfeltlikelearning anewlanguage.Inshort,this organisationisacharitythat runsboatprojectsforthe benefitofthecommunity somewhereinthecountry.

Thisisthedefinitionof theNCBA,orshouldIsay theNationalCommunity BoatsAssociation.It’sbeen goingsince1985,whenit wentunderthenameofthe CommunityBoatAssociation.

Thenin2005itbecamethe NCBAaswellasregistering asacharitytoadvancethe educationofthegeneral publicinsafetyproceduresby: establishingandpreserving standardsofgoodpracticein boating;establishingascheme ofaccreditationforpersonsin chargeofcommunityboats anddevelopingacurriculum ofsafetyinstruction.

Thisishowanumberof usmetwithseniortrainers fromtheNCBAonacold dayinAprilforthreedays oftrainingtobecomeNCBA trainers.Wehadtwoskippers fromupnorthandacouple oflocalpeoplewhocrewthe communityboatthe Pamela May2 basedinDroitwich.

Afteravoidingthemud intheyardcausedbythe dredgingtakingplacealong theDroitwichcanals–plusa coupleofbikesand,ofcourse, someshoppingtrolleysthat

hadbeenrecoveredfrom thewaterandwereawaiting collection–westartedwith howtologintothewebsite, doingcourseupdatesandthen startedourteachingpractice.

Theorylessonsonseveral subjectstogetintotheroleof atrainerweredelivered.With amixtureofbackgrounds, theinteractionwasgoodas wepickedupfurtherstrange languageterms,forexample CCBM–thatisCertificate inCommunityBoat Management.Priortothatis theCCC(CommunityCrew Course)thatcanbefollowed bytheBoatHandlingcourse, ortheSingleHelmCourseand theLocksideAssistantCourse.

Onthewater

Thefollowingtwodayswewere outonthewaterin Pamela May2.Itwasanexperience forthevisitorsasthevesselis electricallydriven,soanew experiencethatwasusedasa lessonforpre-inspectionasno oilorfanbelttoworryabout.

Also,oneofthevisitorshad notbeenonanarrowboatas theyruncommunityboattrips ona12ftwidebeamwhichof coursegivesafooteachside togettheboatintoalock,not thecaseonanarrowboatgoing intoanarrowlock.

Wedidpracticallessons, turns,mooringandthen workingupthroughthe five lockstotheDroitwichmarina.

Thevisitorsdidnotlikethe M5tunnel,itwasatight fit andeventightercomingback thatrequiredabitoflocallock managementtoensuresafe passagebacktotheboat’s homemooring.

Furtherlessonsonreversing andthenanevacuationthat causedsomeinteresting discussionafterwards.One reminderfromthiswas,don’t forgettocalltheemergency servicestohelpputthe fireout.

Weallcompletedthe training,tolaterreceivein thepostourcertificatesand ourIDbadgesstatingweare NCBAtrainersforthenext five yearsaswehavetothenprove italloveragain.

The PamelaMay2 isrun bytheDroitwichWaterways (PamelaMay)Trust.Itwas launchedinApril2019andis fullyequippedfordisabled passengers.Bookingsare welcomedfromcare,residential andnursinghomes,daycentres andspecialinterestgroups.

Asit’sacommunityboat socialgroups,families andyouthgroupsarealso welcomed.Arrangements canalsobemadeforspecial occasionssuchasweddings andanniversaries. Theboat iscrewedandmaintainedby RYAqualifiedvolunteerswho overtheyearwillbeconverting totheCCBMqualification thankstoatraininggrant receivedfromAwardsforAll.

Asdaputsapriceonitstrolleys

SHOPPINGtrolleysinthecuthavealwaysbeen aproblemforboatersbutformembersofthe BirminghamCanalNavigationsSocietytheyhave becomeanadditionalheadache–especially thosefromAsda.

Membersofthesociety, whoseadmirableeffortsto clearthecanalsofrubbish arewellknown,wererecently upsetafterbeingaccusedof stealingthetrolleys.

Whilewaitingtohelptheir ExplorerCruiseboatsup RydersGreenlocks,BCNS volunteersdecidedtodosome grappling. Theirmainhaul, asusual,wasAsdashopping trolleys,someofwhichwere stilllinkedtogether.

Thehaulwasleftonthebank underthefootbridgebelowthe bottomlockforcollectionby thenearbyBCNSpick-uptruck.

MemberBobFox,whoisalso editorofthesociety’smagazine BoundaryPost,said:“Already

ladenedwithtrolleysboundforthescrapyard weaddedthesetothehaulandafterwe finished strappingthemdownwewereaccostedbytwo Asdaemployeeswhoaccusedusofstealing theircompanyproperty,eachapparentlyvalued at£400.”Mattersbecameworsewhenthetwo threatenedtocallthepoliceandevenwiththe BCNSlogoonthetruckthey tooksomeconvincingthatthe volunteers“weren’tbad’uns”.

Themembersagreedto returnthetrolleysthatwerein goodconditionandtookthem toadesignatedpoint. Therest wentforscrap.

However,theAsdaemployees saidthestoreshouldbenotified offuturegrapplingactivities.

ButBobexplained:“We madethepointthatAsda shouldbelookingaftertheir valuablepropertymore effectivelyandpointedout thatsubmergedtrolleyscan stopboatsintheirtracksand causeextensivedamagetoa boat’ssterngear.We’llseewhat happensnexttime.”

The PamelaMay2 communityboathaselectricpropulsion. PHOTOSUPPLIED

ByLesHeath

HS2SelectCommittee reportacknowledges IWArouteconcerns

THEHS2(Crewe-Manchester)Bill SelectCommitteehaspublisheditsFirst SpecialReport(19/7/2023).

Itcoversresponsestoindividual petitioners,sometrafficanddesign issues,andamajorsectiononground conditionsinCheshire.

IWA’scorrespondenceonthe subsidencerisktoHS2andtheTrent& MerseyCanalisreferencedseveraltimes inthereport,andinitsconclusionsthe committeerequiresHS2to“provideus withresponsestothequestionsasked bytheInlandWaterwaysAssociation”.

IWA’swrittenevidencetothecommittee (EvidenceonRouteSelection&Subsidence RiskinCheshire,25/6/2023,published 11/7/2023)askedninequestionsabout subsidenceriskfromtheunstableground intheCheshirebrine field,onmattersthat werenotcoveredbyorwereinsufficiently explainedinresponsetootherpetitioners’ evidencetothecommittee.

ThesecovertherisksofHS2 constructionreactivatinghistoricareasof subsidence,andinparticularwherethe

routecrossesthecanalatBillingeFlash.

IWA’squestionschallenge assumptionsaboutearthworks, drainage,differentialsubsidenceand futurerepairs.IWAalsoproposedalocal routemodificationthatwouldavoid themajorsubsidencehazardaround BillingeFlash,removingtwoofthethree viaductcrossingsofthecanalbetween MiddlewichandBrokenCross.

Thiswouldalsoprovidesignificant costsavingsandgreatlyreducethevisual andnoiseimpactsofbothconstruction andoperationontheheritage,wildlife andrecreationalcorridoroftheTrent &MerseyCanalanditsusers. The final questionasksthatHS2fullyinvestigates andconsidersthebenefitsofthis proposedroutemodification.

IWAawaitswithinteresttheresponse fromHS2Ltdtothecriticalquestions andtheconstructivealternativeroute proposal,andtotheSelectCommittee’s furtherdeliberationswhenthis andmoreinformationonground investigationsispublished.

TacklingoneofIWA’sSilverPropellerchallenges

ITISraretohaveapassage enquirymorethan60days aheadrequestingaspecific dayandtime–ithas sometimesbeenlessthan 60hours, writesIWAand RiverFossSocietymember PeterHopwood

However,onMay17 skipperMikeWright confirmedhis57ftlong,6ft 10inwidenarrowboat, Uz Boat, wouldbearrivingat theYorkcitycentrelockat theagreedtimeof11amon May18.

Itdidandtherewas adequatewaterflowin theRiverFossbutan

unoccupiedcabincruiser anditsdinghywere illegallymooredadjacent to,andtiedto,thebottom lockgates,thusblocking thelockentrance.

Thefourlockkeeperson duty,RogerButton,Paul Wilson,AlistairGrayand AdrianLovett,managed tomovethecabincruiser anddinghytooneside, enabling UzBoat topass, necessitatingtheuseofonly onegateateachofthelocks.

SkipperMikeconfirmed theywereattempting tocompletetheInland WaterwaysAssociation’s

SilverPropellerChallengeto reachcertaindefinedpoints ontheinlandwaterways system,WormaldsCuton theRiverFossbeingone.

UzBoat achievedthe objectiveandMiketook therequestedphotograph showingtheoriginal LeethamsMillersWharf, nowofficesandresidential flats,atthejunctionwith WormaldsCut. UzBoat wassoonbackandonits wayheadingforRipon.

Mikewasverygrateful forthearrangementsmade andappreciativeofthe effortsofthelockkeepers.

LeethamsMillers Wharfatthejunction withWormaldsCut.

Shrewsburylocalcanalsexhibition

THEREwillbealocalcanals exhibitionattheAbbeyStationin ShrewsburySY26AH(oppositethe

Newguidetoelectricboatspublished

IWAispleasedtoannounce thepublicationofitsnew guideAnIntroductionto Electric-DriveNarrowboats. Itbelievesthatitisvital formembersoftheinland waterwayscommunityto maketheircontribution toamoresustainable environment.IWA’s SustainableBoatingGroup hasbeenlookingathow inlandwaterwaysleisure boatingcanbecomemore sustainablesince2019and publisheditsVisionPaperin

2020,coveringpropulsion, theexistingfleetand domesticenergyonboats.

IWAisdelightedtosee thatanincreasingnumberof newboatsarenowbeingbuilt withsomeformofelectric driveandmostboatbuilders arenowofferingelectricdrive options.Thetechnologies associatedwiththisform ofpropulsionarenotonly unfamiliartomostboaters butarerapidlychanging aselectricroadvehicle technologiesdevelop.

Thisnewguideisnot intendedtobea‘design andbuild’manualfor electricnarrowboatsbut hopefullywillhelpboaters whoarenotexpertsinthe technologiestounderstand theissuesinvolved andmakeappropriate decisionswhenspecifying theirneworconverted boat,inconsultationwith theirbuilder.

MalcolmBridge,the principalauthorofthe guideandamemberofthe

SustainableBoatingGroup, hasownedanelectric narrowboatforsomeyears. Theguidehasbeenwritten inconsultationwithother electricboatownersand membersofthegroup,who areallexperiencedboaters owningboatsrangingfrom historicex-workingboatsto modernleisurecraft. Findthispublication andothersonsustainable boatingathttps://waterways. org.uk/campaigns/ sustainable-boating

Getinvolved–workpartydates

PLEASEcontactthebranchtoregisteraninterestifyouwouldliketoattendoneof theseworkparties.Itisadvisabletowearstoutshoesandoldclothing,andtakea waterproof.Youmaywanttotakeapackedlunchandrefreshments.

NORTH

September16-17

IWAManchesterBranch: Workingwiththe ManchesterBolton&BuryCanalSociety atPrestoleeonSaturdayandSunday

September16-17attheirregularwork site,PrestoleeRoad,LittleLever,Bolton BL31AD.ContactBarryMcGuinness, b.mcguinness1@googlemail.com

EAST

September3and19

IWANorthamptonBranch: Work

partiesareusuallyheldoneweekday andoneSundayamonth,alongthe Arm,10am-2pm. Thetasksusually includevegetationclearance,weeding, litterpickingandpaintingatlocks. Contact:Geoff Woodatgeoff.wood@ waterways.org.ukfordetails.

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.

AbbeyChurch)onSaturday,September 23.ItwillbehostedbytheInland WaterwaysAssociationandwillinclude

threecanalgroups–Shropshire UnionCanalSociety,Shrewsbury andNewportCanalsTrustandthe FriendsoftheMontgomeryCanal.

Shrewsburyiswithin20miles ofmanycanaltownsandvillages, includingEllesmere,Whitchurch, MarketDrayton,Newport,Queens HeadandWelshpoolwithaccessto theLlangollen,ShropshireUnion, Montgomeryandtheunrestored Shrewsbury&NewportCanals. Mostofthesecanalsarein regularleisureuseand,recently, morenavigablemileshavebeen

addedtotheMontgomerywhilethe eastbasinatWappenshallonthe Shrewsbury&Newporthasbeen rewatered.

Theexhibitionwillprovidean opportunitytomeetpeoplewhoare currentlyenjoyingthesewaterways andtodiscoverhowtogetinvolved. It’sagreatchanceto findoutaboutthe manymilesalreadyinregularuseand what’sbeingdonetorestoremore. ThereisfreeentrytotheAbbeyStation whichhasbeenmadeavailableonce againbykindinvitationofShrewsbury RailwayHeritageTrustandtheevent willbeopenfrom10.30amuntil3.30pm. There’salargepubliccarparknextto thestation.

LichfieldBranchfundraiserturnsaprofit

THELichfieldBranch ofIWArecentlyhelda fundraising‘lockwind’ eventatBartonTurnLock

ontheTrent&Mersey Canal.Branchmembers assistedboatersthrough thelock,inorderto

raiseawarenessofthe organisation,andheld acakesale,raisingmore than£100forthebranch.

TheHS2routecrossesthecanalatBillingeFlash. PHOTOSUPPLIED

PHOTO:MIKEWRIGHT

Aviewof UzBoat takenfromCastleMillsBridge.

PHOTO:CHRISTINEGRAY

ComingbackunderthebridgeintoCastleMills Lock. PHOTO: PETERHOPWOOD

ThelockwindeventatBartonTurnontheTrent&MerseyCanal.

PHOTO:MBEARDSMORE

Marine Breakdown Assistance

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

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*£50excessperclaim.**Excludesconsumablessuchascables, filters,rubbercomponentsandthelikethatrequireroutinewear andtearreplacement.***Fulldetailsinyourmembershipbooklet.

TheDonAqueductisamajorpiece ofinfrastructureontheSSYNwhere theNewJunctionCanalcrossesthe riverclosetowaterlevel.

Ifitain’tbroke

JonathanMosse’smonthly lookatfreightdevelopments ontheinlandwaterways.

WITHimpendingfundingcutsthe dominantfeatureincurrentwaterways news,alookatageingcanalinfrastructure asapotentialimpedimenttogrowing inlandwaterwaysfreightcouldbe consideredsomewhatinappropriate.

AcoupleofmonthsbackInominated fivekeyareasforconsiderationiffreight wasevertoenjoyalastingrenaissance onourcanalsandrivers.Wehadalready examinedwharfageandtrainingbefore allowingRobertWynn&SonsLtdand thecompany’sversatilebarge Terra Marique toslipinandposecentrestage inlastmonth’sissueof TowpathTalk Backontrack,itisjustthat:whatto therailwayswouldbesleepersandrails are,byadoption,thebridgesandlocks alongourcommercialwaterways.Inuse

bothsufferwearandtearandtherefore requiremaintenance,repairanda programmeofmanagedreplacement.

Representingatotalof66miles,with thecapacitytoaccommodate600-tonne EuroclassIIbarges,thecombined waterwaysoftheSheffield&SouthYorkshire Navigations(SSYN)andtheAire&Calder Navigation(A&CN)are,undoubtedly, themostsignificantcommercialinland waterwaysoftheUK.Takentogetherthey formausefulcasestudy.

Aswithwaterwaystheworldover,these twonavigationshavebeenprogressively enlargedandupgradedtoincrease capacityeversincetheywereconceived intheearly18thcentury. The10lockson A&CNwouldhavebeenmechanisedin the1960sandhaveprobablyundergone upgradestotheirmechanicaland electrical(M&E)systemsinthe1980s.

Isay‘probably’asexactdatesarehard tocomeby.Notso,however,withthe identicalnumberof10locksontheSSYN,

asthiswaterwaywassubjectedtoafull upgrade,completedin1983andmuch trumpetedasanavigationaltriumph. Alas,ithasprovedtobeacaseoftoo little,toolateandthecombinedmixof RiverDonandartificialcutshasseenbut afractionoftheanticipatedtrade.

Ageingprocess

WhiletheA&CNhasprovedmuchmore successfulintermsoftonnagecarried intheintervening40-yearperiod,what thesetwowaterwaysclearlydosharein commonaretheeffectsofannodomini: theageingprocesscommontobothhomo sapiensandwaterwayinfrastructurealike! Few,ifany,problemsarecurrently showingupontheSSYN(probablythrough lackofuse)butthiscertainlycannotbe saidoftheA&CNwherelockfailuresare nowcommonplace.Commissionedby Canal&RiverTrust(CRT)in2014,MDS Transmodalproducedareportentitled TheCaseforInvestmentintheAireand

SUBSCRIBETODAY

Eastwood(orSirFrankPrice)Lock ontheoutskirtsofRotherhamand theplaquemarkingcompletionof theupgradeworks. EnteringBulholmeLock,Castlefield ontheA&CN:alocknowsubjectto regularbreakdowns.

CalderNavigationinwhichitidentified theimprovementstothewaterwaythat couldbejustifiedtoincreasefreighttraffic, whileminimisingthe financialrisktoCRT.

Amongotherthings,thereport identifiedtheinfrastructureworks requiredtoimprovethefreight-carrying capacityofthenavigation,byaddressing keybottlenecksinthelightofreviewed infrastructurestudies,andthrough interviewswithkeystakeholders.

Aswithmanypastinlandwaterways freightstudiesandreports,conducted andproducedoverthepastfewdecades, therehasbeenadearthofactivitywhenit comestoputtingtheirrecommendations intopractice. Thisstateofaffairsishardly likelytochangeinthefaceofthe financial pressurestheinlandwaterwaysnow find themselvesconfronting.Atleastnot underthepresentregime.

Ifwearetoseedevelopmentand investmentinthefreight-carrying potentialoftheUKinlandwaterways, thenlogicallyitneedstocomefromthe governmentdepartmentwiththeword ‘Transport’initstitle.

Thereisclearlyaneedforinvestment ifonlytomaintain‘steadystate’with asumofaround£800,000perlock estimatedforM&Eworks,focused primarilyaroundlockoperating mechanismrenewalontheA&CNalone. Unabletoresistfurthercoverageof the TerraMarique,here’savideoofthe vesseldemonstratingherversatility.Last

Get12issuesof

Talk deliveredtoyourdoor

CurrentlynoneofAMAStorage andDistribution’sstockarrives inRotherhambywater:alost opportunity!

month’sfeatureshowedherloadingand unloadingatwharfswhereherrisingand fallinghold floorwasemployedtomatch theheightofthequay.Shedemonstrates anothertrickat:www.youtube.com/ watch?v=r5F1ea97txc.

Afterseveralmonthsofengineering work,planningandpreparation,Allelys completedtheoffloadingandtransport ofa155-tonnetransformerfromTraeth yGraigDdu(BlackRockSands)Morfa BychaninNorthWales,totheNational GridsubstationatTrawsfynyddon behalfofEUNSAN.

WorkingwithRobertWynnandSons Ltd,thetidewasusedtobeachthe Terra Marique,allowingforswiftdischargeofthe transformerreadyforitsonwardjourney on Allelys’ 12-axle flat-toptrailer.

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BranfordBargeOwners’ HumberRenown enteringPollingtonLock,the firstlockencounteredontheA&CNafterleavingthetidewayatGoole.

PHOTOS:JONATHANMOSSE

Audiojourneys acrossthewater

AWATER-basedartinstallationbyLuke Jerram–Crossings–beganitsUKtour attheNationalWaterwaysMuseum, Gloucester.

Ninedecoratedrowingboatshouse speakersplayingtruestoriesfrom aroundtheworld–eachonetheaccount ofawatercrossing.So,aspeoplepropel theboats,theytakethemselvesonan audiojourney,thetellingofthestories blendingwiththeactionofrowing.

The10verydifferentstoriestochoose fromrangefromthepersonalexperience of13-year-oldKurdishrefugeeMana AzarishtoJoRoyle’saccountoflifeon board Plastiki –avesselshesailedacross thePacifictoraiseawarenessofplastic inouroceans.

BroadcasterAndyKershawshareshis adventuresontheNiger,accompanied byasingingboatmanandothermusical treats,andretiredbarberMrFantakes thewaterbornelistenerbacktohis1979 experienceasoneoftheVietnamese BoatPeople.

LukeJerramexplainedwhyhe broughtCrossingstoGloucester:“The dockshavemanytalestotellsoIcan thinkofnobetterplacetosharethe storiesonourrowingboats. Theycome frompeoplewhohavehadextraordinary boatingexperiences.

“Boatscanbeaformoftransport, avehicletoenablework,amethodof escape,atoolofemployment. Theyare awayofconnectingpeopleandplaces. Theycansimplybeanobjectofleisure.”

Canal&RiverTrustcommunity developmentandattractionsmanager AnnaFinnadded:“Eachstoryisa reminderofthecrucialrolewaterhas playedinsomanypeople’slivesacross theworld.”

Eachlastsaround20minutesand theboatscantakeamaximumoffour peopleforthehour-longexperience. Ticketscost£10perboatandcanbe bookedonEventbrite:https://bit.ly/ waterways-eventbrite

Entrytothemuseumisnotnecessary butthereis20%off itemsfromthe museumcafeforeveryonedecidingto visitthemuseumaspartoftheirtrip.

Crossingscanbeenjoyedat GloucesteruntilSeptember3afterwhich itwillmovetovenuesinWeston-superMareinSeptemberandearlyOctober. Visitwww.lukejerram.com/crossings

TheinstallationwascreatedbyLuke

JerramincollaborationwithBBCRadio 4producerJulianMay.Itissupported byArtsCouncilEnglandandGloucester CityCouncilandwasoriginally commissionedbyComptonVerneyArt Gallery&Park.

LukeJerram’smultidisciplinary practiceinvolvesthecreationof sculptures,installationsandlivearts projects.In2022alonehehad104 exhibitionsin25differentcountries, visitedbymorethantwomillionpeople.

TheNationalWaterwaysMuseum, GloucesterisopenfromTuesdayto Saturdayfrom10amto4pm.

Ticketstothemuseumgive unlimitedreturnvisitsfor12months andcost:adult(16+)£8.50;child (6-15)£5;child(fiveandunder)free; family£22;concession£7.50.

LukeJerramtakestothewateratthelaunch. PHOTOS:BARBARAEVRIPIDOURU/CANAL&RIVERTRUST

AnnaFinn,Canal&RiverTrust,withartistLukeJerram.

Thecolourfulrowingboats.

Enjoyinga‘crossing’inGloucesterDocks.

Agreatwaytoseethe waterwaysofBirmingham

Wordsandphotos:PhllPickin

YOUcanlearnalotfrombooksand, morerecently,theamountofinformation availableonlinehasincreased significantly.Butnothingbeatshaving someonewithaconsiderableamountof subjectknowledgewithyouwhenyou visitsomewherenew.

Soanyoneinterestedinlearningmore aboutthecanalsthat flowthroughthe centreofBirminghamwhiletheycruise inahistoricnarrowboatshouldconsider bookingatripwiththeHeritageWorking BoatsGroup.

TheHeritageWorkingBoatsGroupwas formedaroundtheyear2000witha£250k lotterygrantfromthepreviousFriendsof theWorkingBoatsgroupthatexistedprior tothatdate.Todaythegroupismadeup ofanumberofhard-workingandhighly knowledgeablevolunteerswhomaintain acollectionofworkingboatsonbehalfof theCanal&RiverTrust.

TheseboatsaremooredatCRT’s IcknieldPortintheshadowofthe EdgbastonReservoirembankment. Fromtheirbase,theboatsarecruisedthe shortdistancetotherecentlyrefurbished Roundhousefromwhereprebooked passengersboard,inourcase, Swift

Bookingsarearrangedviathe Roundhousereception,withwhomthe grouphasacommitmentofaround50 daysperyear.Groupnumbersarekept

to10,witheachpassengerprovidedwith awirelessreceivertoenableeveryoneto hearthecommentaryprovidedbyoneof thegroup’svolunteers.

Despitetheobviouspopularityof thetripswiththepublic,therehas unfortunatelybeenareductioninthe numberofschooltripsbookingthe boats.Skipperofourtrip,TerryBaylis, said:“Pre-Covidwehadtwo,threeorfour boatsattendingeventsinandaroundthe BlackCountryandWestMidlandswith occasionaltripsabitfurtherafield.

“Onaverage,Iwouldthinkwehad somethinggoingonformostofthespring, summerandearlypartofautumn. This wouldhaveincludeddaysorevenweeks atvariouslocationswhereschooltrips camealong,withoneofourboatsbeing partoftheactivitiesarranged.”

GroupmemberJoanBlackley,who

hasbeeninvolvedwiththegroupfor around20years,feelsthereductionin schoolpartiescouldwellbedowntoa lackoffunding;withschoolbudgetsbeing squeezedeverharder,‘tripsliketheseare nolongerapriority’.

Thetripsthatdotakeplaceare,inmany cases,runthroughtheCanal&RiverTrust educationteam,whoseExplorersproject wasestablishedtogiveanopportunity forschoolchildrentostepaboarda workingnarrowboat.

Overtheyears,theHeritageWorking BoatGrouphaswelcomedsomehighprofilevisitorstoitsboats,includingPudsey Bearonmorethanoneoccasion,members ofBlackSabbath,andevenKingCharlesIII whenhewasstillPrinceofWales.

Theboatshavebecomeafamiliarsight inBirmingham,wheretheynormallycarry outtwotripsperdaysothatduringa season,whichrunsfromEastertoOctober, theteamclocksuparound56days’work. Thisyearnumbershavebeenreduceddue totwoofthegroup’sfourboatsbeingout

HistoricStourportisthirdHeritageInlandPort

HERITAGEStourportwasformedthroughapartnership oforganisationsandindividualswhosawthebenefitof applyingforHeritageInlandPortstatus.

TheyincludedStourportForward,StourportCivicSociety, StourportYachtClub,S&WCanalSociety,InlandWaterways Association,severaltowncouncillorsandotherinterested localpeople.

Stourport-on-SeverninWorcestershirewillcelebrateits HeritageInlandPortstatus,alongsidecitiessuchasExeter andChester,onSaturday,September9.

Itishopedthatthisformalrecognitionwillfurther stimulatetourismaroundthecanalbasinsandwithinthe townitself,focusmoreattentionontheheritageofthetown fortouristsandlocalpeopleandunderlinetheimportanceof itsheritagewhenplanningdecisionsareconsidered.

HeritageHarboursisajointinitiativebetweenHistoric England,MaritimeHeritageTrustandNationalHistoric ShipsUK,tohelpsafeguardandconservehistoriclocations includingbuildings,quaysandshipyards.

Attheinlandports,includingChesterandShardlow,you canseetraditionalvesselsstillinoperationandthebuildings, facilitiesandpeoplethatmakethatpossible.

ThehistoricGeorgianCanalBasins,whichconnectthe Staffordshire&WorcestershireCanaltotheRiverSevern attheheartofStourport,haveshapedthehistoryand developmentofthetownsinceitsformationinthe1770s. Theyhaveplayedakeypartofthenationalstory.

Thiscanalwasthe firstcanaltobeopenedthatactually crossedthecountrylinkingeastandwestand,inasense, northandsouthduetolinkingtheriversSevernandTrent.

Celebrations

Therewillbeavarietyofentertainingactivitiesaroundthe loweranduppercanalbasinsonSaturday,September9from 9.30am-3.30pm. Theseincludeguidedwalksandtheopening ofStourportForward’sHeritageRoomswhichinclude The TontineStableand TheOldTicketOffice.

StourportForward’shistoricworkingnarrowboat, Bramble,andtwootherhistoricboatswillalsobeondisplay andvolunteerswillbepresenttoanswerquestionsandallow visitorstoviewthelivingquartersandcargoarea.

TheSevernbarge, RiverKing, willbeoperatingpublictrips. Inaddition, TheFetch TheatreCompanywillberunning familyscrunchpuppetmakingworkshopsthroughouttheday.

StourportYachtClubwillbehostingdisplaysaboutthe historyofthishistoricworkingportbythecivicsocietyand therewillbestallsbyIWAandS&WCS.

Therewillbeasmallfeeforthepuppetworkshops,but theotheractivitieswillbefreeofcharge. Thereisnoneedto book,justturnuponthedaybetweentheadvertisedtimes.

ofactionduetomaintenanceissues.

Visitorstothisyear’sGnosallfestival willhaveseen Swift,which flewthe flag forthegroupatC-Fest.Othercanalfocusedeventsattendedbythegroup haveincludedCoventry,Stratford, Birmingham,Stourport,Droitwich, WorcesterandFradley.Butaswithmany groups,thereisalwaysashortageof volunteers,andyoudon’thavetobeaboat ownertogetinvolved.TerryBaylishad nopreviousexperienceofnarrowboats beforeheretiredaround18yearsago.

Butonegroupmemberwhoisaboat owner,andwhowasaboardduringour trip,isJeff Steele.Alongwithbeingaguide andlookoutontheHeritageBoattrips,Jeff

Thefinalfewpassengerstake uptheirplaceforatriparounda sectionofthecanalsofBirmingham.

isalsoalockkeeperandhelpsoutwith vegetationmanagementalongthecanals. Regardlessoftheirbackgroundsand experience,allofthegroupmembersare committedtopreservingtheheritageofthe waterwaysandprovidingthepublicwithan hourandahalf’sglimpseintoabygoneage.

Interestedinbookingoneofthe HeritageWorkingBoattrips?Visit https://roundhousebirmingham. org.uk/product/heritage-workingboat-trip/Andifyouareinterested ingettinginvolvedwiththework ofthegroup,visithttps://www. heritageworkingboats.org.uk/hwbg/

Narrowboatsjoinhistoricregister

THEfollowinghistoric narrowboatsrecently joinedtheNational HistoricShipsUKregister:

Lion

Ironcompositemotor narrowboatwithafore deck, Lion wasbuilt in1913byFellows, MortonandClayton Ltd,Birminghamand transportedgeneral goodsbetweenthecity andLondon.

Between1949-1967 Lion wasoperatedby theBritishTransport Commission,Docks &InlandWaterways Executive,andfinally theWillowWrenCanal CarryingCompany, beforebeingconverted intoapleasureboat. Shewasboughtbyher currentownerin2014.

HartshillLady

AnopenJoeybuilt in1910byThomas Bantock&CoatBilston, Wolverhampton, HartshillLady was

originally71ft.Oneofthe builder’slaterboats,she workedtheBirmingham CanalNavigationsforthe GWR fleet. Shortenedto55ftin thelate1970s, Hartshill Lady’sironsidesand rubbingstrakewere shapedtoformatrad sternand fittedwitha steelcabinand‘famco’ buswindows.Sheis currentlyunderongoing restorationinOxford.

Whitley

Thebarge Whitley was builtin1948atHarker’s Yard,Knottingley,forthe Aire&CalderNavigation Company.Laterinthe ownershipofBritish Waterways, Whitley was usedbythecompany’s joinerswhocarriedout repairsand fittedlock gatesonthenavigation andhasbeeninprivate ownershipsince2010.

Anson

Builtin1958by Plimblott&Sons, Anson

wasoneoffourpairs ofboatsorderedbythe NorthWestdivisionof BritishWaterwaysand originallypairedwith thebutty Benbow Thevesselshadnew featuressuchasaraked fore-swim–tosenda cushionofwaterunder theboattothepropeller –steelhoopsoverthe holdanda6ft10inbeam toallowpassagethrough lockswithbulgingwalls. Anson remainedin serviceasapassenger tripboatwithBMCCCo until2023andisnow undernewownership. Lion takingpart intheparadeat BraunstonHistoric BoatRallyin 2018.

President’sprogress

WHILEsteamnarrowboat President hasbeenoutof thewaterawaitinganew boiler,otherworkshave beencarriedout.

WritingintheFriends ofPresident’sAugust 195newsletter,Black CountryLivingMuseum developmentmanager SophieHowellgavea progressreportonthe project.

“Wehavetakenthis opportunitytocarryout aconsiderableamount ofwoodworkrestoration inpartfundedbythe AssociationofIndustrial Archaeology,”shewrote.

“Thisincludedthe replacementof32ftof hullbottomboardsand keelsonusinghistorically accuratefittings, manufacturedspecifically

for President.” Thetendertobuildthe newboilerhasgoneout andatthetimeofwriting, submissionswerebeing consideredfromheritage boilermakerspriorto awardofthecontract. The FriendsofPresidenttook Kildare,thebuttyusually towedby President,tothe BraunstonHistoricBoat RallyinJune.

Severnbarge RiverKing willbeoperatingpublic tripsontheday. PHOTOSSUPPLIED

PHOTO: JANET RICHARDSON

AhistoricpictureofStourportin1775.

Stourportcanalbasins.

HeritageWorkingBoatgroup membersprepare Swift forthe firsttripofthedayoutsideThe RoundhouseinBirmingham.

Swift readyforpassengers.

JoanBlackleyandJeffSteelehelp thepassengersboard Swift before settingoffonthefirsttripoftheday.

Historymeetstranquillity atscenicvisitorcentre

NicolaLislecontinueshermuseumserieswitha lookatthisvisitorcentreononeoftheloveliest stretchesoftheCromfordCanalinDerbyshire.

CANALandrailwayheritage effortlesslyintertwineatHigh PeakJunction,anareathatisalso teemingwithwildlife,including manyprotectedspecies.

Onceabusyintersection forCromfordCanalandthe CromfordandHighPeak Railway,thisbeautiful,tranquil spotisnowaSiteofSpecial ScientificInterestaswellas beingpartoftheDerwentValley MillsWorldHeritageSite.

Thecanalowesitsexistence toSirRichardArkwright,whose cottonmanufacturingempire inCromfordhelpedkick-start theIndustrialRevolution. Needinganefficientmethod ofimportingandexportingraw materialsand finishedgoods, heenlistedthehelpofcanal engineerWilliamJessop,and soontheideaofacanalfrom LangleyMilltothemillsat Cromfordtookshape.

Despiterunninginto financialproblems,the first stageofthecanal,from CromfordtoButterleytunnel, openedinFebruary1792,and thecanalwasfullyoperational fromAugust1794.

Thecanalwaskeptbusy transportingcoal,limestone, ironandothergoods,andthe expansionofthecanalnetwork throughoutthelate18thand early19thcenturiesgave increasingaccesstotheindustrial heartlandsintheMidlands, LondonandtheNorth.

Asalways,itwastherailways thatsoundedthe deathknellforthe CromfordCanal.Loss oftrademadethecana increasinglyunviable anditwastakenover bytheMidlands RailwayCompanyin 1852.Thistakeover didlittletosolvethe canal’sproblems:trade continuedtodecline andthis,togetherwith anincreasingnumber ofstructuralproblems, forcedthecanal’s closurein1944after 150yearsofuse.

Thehistoryofboththecanal andtherailwayisbrought tolifeinaself-guidedaudio touravailablefromHighPeak JunctionVisitorCentre,fora smallcharge,soyoucanexplore theremnantsoftheirglorydays.

OneoftheseistheLeawood Pumphouse,whichwasbuilt in1849topumpwaterfrom theRiverDerwentintothe CromfordCanal.Ithasbeen keptinworkingcondition byateamofvolunteers,and isinsteamonvariousdates fromApriltoOctober(see ListingsinWhat’sOn).Both thepumphouseandthe nearbyLeawoodaqueductare scheduledmonuments.

Thereisalsotheoldwharf shed,wheregoodswereloaded betweenboatsandwagons, andvariousrailwaybuildings, sidingsandoldwagons.

Theformerrailway workshops,adjacenttothe visitorcentre,werebuiltfor theCromfordandHighPeak Railwayinthe1830sforbuilding andservicinglocomotives. The workshopsandforgewere restoredin1985,andthereare nowdisplaystellingthestoryof theoldrailwayline.

Therearealsoopportunities totryyourhandonthehistoric forgeondatesthroughout theyear.Thenextdateis December27,2023.(Notethat theworkshopsareclosedfrom SeptembertoDecember2023 foressentialroofrepairs.)

Refreshmentsareavailable fromthevisitorcentre,where thereisalsoaselectionof maps,walkleaflets,books andsouvenirs.

FromHighPeakJunction itisa30-minutewalkto CromfordWharf,theformer canalterminus,andyou canenjoytherichvarietyof wildlifealongtheway–look forducks,moorhens,little grebes,watervolesand,in thesummer,dragonflies anddamselflies.

Manyoftheformercanal buildingsatCromfordWharf havesurvived,includinga formerwarehousethatnow housesacafeandshop. Youcouldalsotakeatrip on Birdswood,ahistoric narrowboatbuiltjustbefore theSecondWorldWarand nowrunbytheFriendsof CromfordCanal.Checkwww. birdswood.orgforsailing dates;the finaldatethisyear isOctober8.

Fromhere,itisworththe shortwalkintothehistoric andppicturesqueCromford village,whereyoucan exploreArkwright’s formermills.

ReturningtoHigh PeakJunction,ifyouare feelingenergeticyou cancontinuefollowing theCromfordCanalto Ambergate(aboutfour m miles),orexplorethe HighPeakTrail,which followsthe17.5-mile routeoftheoldCromford andHighPeakrailwayto Dowlow,nearBuxton, andisnowatraffic-free trailforwalkers,cyclists andhorseriders.

HighPeakJunctionVisitorCentre LeaBridge,Cromford,DerbyshireDE45AA www.derbyshire.gov.uk/leisure/countryside/ countryside-sites/country-parks-and-visitorcentres/high-peak-junction-visitor-centre.aspx Opendaily10am-5pm,ApriltoOctober; weekendsonly10.30am-4pm,Novemberto March.

Freeadmission(smallchargeforaudiotour)

Gettingthere:parkingavailableatHighPeak JunctionandCromfordWharfcarparks,both signedfromtheA6.Regularbusservices.Trains toCromfordandWhatstandwellstations,both withinwalkingdistance.

providesachoiceofalloys,Aluminium, StainlessSteelorMildSteelwiththe confidenceofthehigheststandards.

The trip boat Birdswood operated b the

PHOTO:NICOLALISLE

ThecafeatCromfordWharf.

PHOTO:JANETRICHARDSON Leawood Pumphouse

PHOTO:JANETRICHARDSON

TheoldtransitshedatHighPeakJunction.

PHOTO:NICOLALISLE

TheCromfordCanalblue plaque.

PHOTO:NICOLALISLE

Celebratingcanal lifeatShardlow

THEShardlowInlandPort Festivalisacommunity-led weekendofeventsthatcelebrate Derbyshire’scanallifeand heritage,withthisyear’sfestival takingplaceonSaturdayand Sunday,September9-10. Thiseventaimstoraise awarenessofthehistorical importanceofShardlow inrelationto18thcentury tradeanditshistoricalroots. Itfeaturesa floatingmarket andadisplayofhistoricand

workingnarrowboatsgathered aroundthepicturesque LondonWharf.

Freetoenter,thereisalso aprogrammeoflivemusic, Morrisdancing,children’s entertainment,stallsand foodanddrinkthroughout thevillage.

TheShardlowHeritageCentre providesafascinatinginsight intothis18thcenturycanal transshipmentportwithall itsassociatedwharvesand warehouseswhichcanbe exploredbyvisitorsthroughout theyear.

ByOrderofRetainedClient ONLINEAUCTION

‘PETAGIN’VINTAGESTEAMCARVELLAUNCH

SaleClosing:19thSeptember2023at13.00UKLocalTime

CanalcomesaliveforTaptonLockFestival

NOWinits11thyear,thepopularTaptonLock FestivalreturnsonSaturdayandSunday, September9-10withahostofnewactivitiesand entertainmentforfamiliestoenjoy.

Thefreeannualeventtakesplacearoundthe TaptonLockVisitorCentreontheChesterfield Canalfrom11amuntil4pmeachday.Itis organisedbyJunctionArtsandDerbyshire CountyCouncil,withtheaimofbringingfamilies andfriendstogethertoenjoytheoutdoors, promotingbetterhealthandwell-being.

Duringtheweekendthecanalcomesalive withoutdoortheatre,musicanddance,artsand craftsworkshops,stalls,‘haveago’canoes,boat ridesandmuchmore.

Familyfavouritessuchasthebrilliant bubbleologist,circusskillsandclimbing wallwillreturnbutthere’llalsobesomenew entertainmentfor2023includingperformances andworkshopsfromBollywooddancers,African drummersandtheBabblingVagabondsMagical MarketStall!

Visitorswillalsobeabletotrytheirhandat Legoprintingandgreenwoodcraftsorgetgreenfingeredinaseedworkshop.

JunctionArtsco-ordinatorJaneWellssaid:

“TaptonLockFestivalbringstogethertheartsand theoutdoorstocreateaneventthatisinclusive andaccessibletoall.Itencouragescommunities tocometogetherandenjoythebeautifulcanal walkwaysthatareonourdoorstep.

“WorkingwithDerbyshireCountryside Services,eachyearweaimtobringbackthe popularactivitiesbutalsointroducesomething new.Thisyearwe’reexcitedtohavenew performersandactivitiesthatwillbringeven morecolourandvibrancytothefestival.

“AtJunctionArts,ouraimistobuildstronger communitiesthroughtheartsand TheTapton LockFestivalisagreatexampleofthis! The festivalraisesawarenessoftheareaalongthe ChesterfieldCanalandthenetworkoffootpaths andcycleways,encouragingpeopletospend moretimeinnaturewithfamilyandfriends, becominghealthierandhappier.”

AspartofthefestivalJunctionArtshas commissionedan‘artistinresidence’at ChesterfieldFootballClubtoworkwithasmall groupofyoungpeoplewhoattend Thr1ve,a socialprescribinggroupforyoungpeople,part oftheclub’sSpireitesTrust.

Formoreinformationvisitwww.junctionarts.org

BuiltbyW.R.KerrisonofOultonBroadin1933toLloydsStandards

Early1890’sMumfordcompoundcondensingengine SteamedbyaMerryweather‘B’boiler,oilfiredbyLuneValleytypeburner 26’longx6’3”beamand2’3”draft

18”x30”propeller

Paintedhullbuiltoflarchandpitchpineonoak

Alloriginalpolishedfittings

Windermerekettle

OwnedbyVendorforover50years

BSSRecentlyRenewed

Location:LongEaton,Nottingham ForfurtherinformationpleasecontactTomHutchinsonon+44(0)7774652425

World’slastsea-goingpaddlesteamer Waverley offers12-hourexcursion

THEIWAChilternbranchis holdingadayoutonwhatis believedtobetheworld’slast sea-goingpaddlesteamer

Waverley onTuesday,October 3.ItwilltravelfromTower BridgePiertoWhitstable withtimeashoreandreturn,

departing9.20amandreturning at9.30pm,£70.ContactColin Bird01932248178,ccbird@ tiscali.co.uk

EtruriaIndustrialMuseum

EtruriaJunctionStoke-on-Trent

Saturday9th&Sunday10thSeptember1100to1630 BothDays-Shirley’s1857Bone&FlintMill ‘InSteam’ Theonlyoperationalpotters’millintheworldrunningfrom1230 Saturday—VintageStationaryEngineRally Sunday—ClassicVehicleRally

BlacksmithDemonstrations:TeaRoom:Toilets EntrancetoMuseumandMillFreeinsupportofHeritageOpenDaysDonationswelcome ORguidedtourofthemill(subjecttoavailability)£5.00peradult.

Seeauctioncatalogueatwww.iaservices.co.uk

FreecarparkoffEtruriaValeRoad

Limitedaccesstothemillforthosewithmobilitydifficulties

EtruriaValeRoad,Etruria,Stoke-on-TrentST14RB info@etruriamuseum.org.ukwww.etruriamuseum.org.uk

EtruriaValeRoad,Etruria,Stoke-on-TrentST14RB info@etruriamuseum.org.ukwww.etruriamuseum.org.uk

Festivalvisitorsbrowsethefloatingmarket. PHOTOSUPPLIED

TheBabblingVagabondsMagicalMarketStall! PHOTOSUPPLIED

Yoursforgood.

Therearemorethan900churchesonHistoricEngland’sHeritage atRiskRegister.AcrosstheUK,churchesareclosingastheycannot fundtheurgentrepairstheyneedtoremainsafeandopen. Werisklosingthesebeautifulbuildingsforgood.

Just £40ayear–lessthan£3.50amonth –willhelpensure churchbuildingsremainattheheartofcommunitiesfor generationstocome.Pleasejoinustoday.

BybecomingaFriendoftheNationalChurchesTrust,yoursupportwillhelpussave thesewonderfulbuildings,keepingthemopen,inuseandingoodrepair.

Signuptodaybyvisiting:

nationalchurchestrust.org/friends and join for £40 per year by Direct Debit or send a cheque for £45 with the completed coupon below to National Churches Trust, 7 Tufton Street, London SW1P 3QB.

EverynewFriendgetsafreebook:

A copy of TheTreasuresofEnglishChurches (RRP £20). This delightful and luxuriously illustrated hardback book is a must for everyone who appreciates churches, art and heritage.

StMildred’s, Whippingham

Photo:BrianWoodruffe

Photo:Mypix[CCBY-SA4.0]

AfirstforNorfolkbasedcanaltrust

THENorthWalsham&Dilham CanalTrusthostsits firstcanal festivalonSaturdayandSunday, September9-10.

Afreeentryevent,itwillbe heldcanalsideatDilhamHall Retreatsbykindpermissionof LukePaterson;OakRoad,Dilham NR289PWorWhat3Words/// watches.releasing.riverbedand willbeopenbetween10am-4pm eachdaywithparkingavailable.

Thefestivalwillhaveawatery themewithtastersessionsof canoeingandpaddleboarding onsaleplustripsonawherry The Newun skipperedbyherowner andcreatorGrahamPressman.

FloatingmarketatShropshirefoodfestival

Eachafternoontherewillbe music–onSaturdaytheBlakeney OldWildRoversandlocalband TheHucklebucksonSunday.

Foodanddrinkvendors willbeavailableplusavariety ofexhibitors,hopefully includinglocalboatbuilders, todemonstrationsfromthe WorsteadWeaversplussmall, independententerprisesselling theirproduce.

OnSaturdayeveningaceilidh isbeingheldbytheNWDCTin Honingvillagehall.Ticketsare limited.Formoreinformation pleasecallBarryMobbson07749 707077.

FORthethirdtimeatMarketDrayton’s Ginger&SpiceFestival,theRovingCanal Traderswillbeexhibitingtheirwaresona floatingmarket.

ThiswilltakeplaceontheShropshire UnionCanalbetweenBridge63andBridge 64oppositeLadybirdMooringbetween 10amand5pmeachdayofthefestivalfrom September28untilOctober1.

OtherattractionsincludeaFodderand TippleTrailthroughthestreetsofMarket Draytonandoutintothecountryside–includingtheShropshireUnionCanal. This ticketedevent,whichtakesinthe floating market,willincludelocaltastingcourses andrefreshersatseveralstop-offsenroute. Theseventhannualfestivalwill besupportedbylocalnewschannel

WHAT’SONINSEPTEMBER

September2-3

CoombeswoodCanalTrust: OpenWeekendandBoat Gathering,HawneBasin, HerewardRise,Halesowen, WestMidlandsB628AW.After abreakofseveralyears,the eventwillfocusonboating

ShropshireLive,broadcasterRyan Kennedypresentingaseriesofinterviews showcasingthelocalartisantraders, businesses,sponsorsandartists.

EstateagencyJamesDuPaveyis headlinesponsoroftheJamesDuPavey FestivalFood Theatrelocatedunderthe stoneporticoButtercrossonCheshire Street,inthetowncentre.Itwillshowcase toplocalandregionalchefsbetween10am and4.30pmontheSaturday.

Festivalactivitiesalsoinclude: Thursday –ATasteofAutumn,guidedgardentour; Friday–ceilidhwiththeTernValley Tinkersfollowedbybuffetsupper;both theseeventsareticketed.

OnSaturdayvisitorscanenjoyafreespicy artisanstreetmarketonCheshireStreetand activitiesforchildrenincludinggingerbread decorating.Livestreetmusicianswillbe nearthefoodcourtthroughouttheday. Forfamiliestherewillbeaselfguidedheritagetrailandquizincluding visitingbuildingsandplacesofhistorical significance.Italsoincludesashop windowcompetitiontopickthebestdressedgingerbreadcharacter,decorated bythelocalbusinessesandcommunityto thethemeofbookcharacters.

IfyouwantyoureventlistedinourfreemonthlyWhat’sOnsectionemailyourentryto jrichardson@mortons.co.ukorusetheeventsformatwww.towpathtalk.co.uk/events Pleasecheckwithorganiserswhethertheeventisgoingaheadbeforesettingoutonyourjourney.

activitieswithboattrips,model boatdisplay,boathandling competition,traditionalskills demonstration,children’s activities,livemusic,realale andfood.Admissionfreewith freeparking.hawnebasin.org. uk/OpenWeekend2023.html

September2-3

Staffordshire& WorcestershireCanal Society: AutumnRally ofBoatsatBratchLocks. Entryfeeis£15inclusive ofcommemorativeplaque. ContactSteveBinghamon 07964151552,emailste. bingham1954@gmail.com

WhitchurchCanalFestival: OntheWhitchurchArmof theLlangollenCanalwith traders,stalls,towpathcafe, boattrips,amusementsand livemusic.OpenSaturday 11am-lateandSunday11am4pm.whitchurchwaterway. uk/canal-festival/

September3

OdihamRaftRace: Colt Hill,Odiham.

September7

IWALichfield: Guided walk,CarltonandtheAshby Canal.Aneasy4.5milewalk withoutstiles,following thetowpath,footpaths, grasstracksandpavement. Meetinthecarparkof The GateHangsWell,Barton Road,Carlton(nearMarket Bosworth)CV130DBat 10.30amfor10.45amstart. ContactCliveWalker,clive. walker@waterways.org.uk

September8-10

RovingCanalTraders Association: Floatingmarketat BlackCountryBoatingFestival.

September9

StourportForward: Celebrationstomark Stourport-on-Severn’s InlandHeritagePortstatus. Activitiesaroundthelower anduppercanalbasins,boat trips,guidedwalks,displays andpuppetworkshops. Historicbuildingswillalso

beopen.9.30am-3.30pm.

September9-10

SouthYorkshireBoatClub: Openweekendwithgames, stalls,artsandcrafts,bar andfood.SYBC,HeckLane, GreatHeck,GooleDN150BL from10am-4pmdaily.Visitor mooringavailable.

NorthWalsham&Dilham

CanalTrust: CanalFestival atDilhamHallRetreats,Oak Road,DilhamNR289PWor What3Words///watches. releasing.riverbed.Free entryfestival,open10am4pmeachday.Wherrytrips, canoeingandpaddleboarding, demonstrations,stalls,music andrefreshments.

TaptonLockFestival: TaptonLockVisitorCentre, ChesterfieldCanal,11am-4pm eachday.Outdoortheatre, musicanddance,artsand craftsworkshops,stalls,‘have ago’canoes,boatridesand more.Freeadmission.

LouthNavigationTrust: Folk onthewaterandHeritage OpenDaysfestival,Riverhead, Louth.Two-dayevent,12pm to5pmeachday,featuring paddlers,modelboats,live music,PimmsandBensley’sIce Cream.CanalhistorianStuart Sizerwillpresentaone-hour talkonSaturdayat12pmon ‘Theearlydays’andaWalk-nTalkon‘HistoryofRiverhead’ from12pm-1.15pmonSunday. Takeyourpaddleboardandjoin inthefun.

RovingCanalTraders

Association: Floatingmarkets atShardlowInlandPortCanal FestivalandAylesburyBasin.

September16

RiverWeyFestival: Dapdune Wharf,Guildford,11am-5pm.

FriendsofCromfordCanal: StaticdayatLeawoodPump, insteambutnotactually pumping,11am-4pm.

September17

FriendsofCromfordCanal: LeawoodPumpinsteam, 12pm-4.30pm.

ErewashPreservation& DevelopmentAssociation: Open dayatSandiacreLockCottages, Sandiacre,NottinghamNG105LA, 10.30am-3.30pm. www.ecpda.org.uk

September20

IWALichfieldBranch: WaterwaysRecoveryGroup 2023–‘Arewebacktonormal’ byMikePalmer,WRG.Martin HeathHall,ChristchurchLane, offWalsallRoad,Lichfield WS138AY,7.30for7.45pm.

September23

IWA: LocalCanalsExhibition alsoincludingShropshireUnion CanalSociety,Shrewsburyand NewportCanalsTrustandthe FriendsoftheMontgomery Canal.AbbeyStationin ShrewsburySY26AH(opposite theAbbeyChurch).Freeentry totheAbbeyStationbykind invitationofShrewsburyRailway HeritageTrustanditwillbeopen from10.30amuntil3.30pm.Large publiccarparknexttothestation.

September23-24

Lichfield&HathertonCanals RestorationTrust/Lichfield CruisingClub: Huddlesford HeritageGathering, HuddlesfordJunction.Biennial gatheringofhistoricboats, floatingtraders,privateboats andclassicvehiclesisback afterafewyears’absence. Displaysonthefieldplus music,entertainment,food andbarallday.Seeevents calendarat www.lhcrt.org.uk

September27

IWAChilternbranch: TheHuddersfieldNarrow CanalbyTrevorEllis.The HeritageEducationCentre, BatchworthLock,ChurchRoad, RickmansworthWD31JJ,7.45pm. ContactJohnBrice07740733241.

September28-October1

Ginger&SpiceFestival: MarketDrayton,Shropshire. Eventsinclude floatingmarket, spicyartisanstreetmarket, foodtheatre,towntrail,guided gardentour,craftingcourt andlivestreetmusic. www. gingerandspicefestival.co.uk

Enjoyatriponawherry.

PHOTO:NW&DCT

PromotingtheGinger&SpiceFestivalareShropshireLivepresenterRyan KennedyandfestivaldirectorJuliaRoberts. PHOTOSUPPLIED

Readytoroam:cafeownerseeks newlifeascontinuouscruiser

Wordsandphotos:LesHeath

AFTERbuildingupasuccessfulcafeboat andtripboatbusinessinLincolnover thelast20years,adventurousChristine Ellerbyisnowreadyforanewchapterin herlife–cruisingthewaterwayssystem asaliveaboard.

Christine’scafeboat Moonraker and tripboat Oliver havebecomeanintegral partofLincoln’stouristscenebutnow thetimehascomeforhertopursuewhat shecallsa‘newadventure’.

Asaresultbothbusinessesarenowon themarketforatotalof£90,000andshe hasboughtherownnarrowboathometo startanewchapterinherlife.

Boththecafeboatandtripboat aremooredinthecentreofthecity whichiscurrentlyundergoingamajor transformation.

“Asaresultofalltheregenerationin Lincolnthesebusinessesofmineare reallygoingtobenefitbigtimeandget reallybusy.ButIhavenowhadenough andwanttocruisethecanalsystem beforeIgetanyolder,”saidChristine, 52,whoclaimsthatbeingtiedtothe businesseswithonlyonedayaweek off ispreventingherfromrealising herdreams.

Havingalwayshadaninterestinboats

Christine firstdecidedtobuy Moonraker whichatthetimewasbasedonthe HuddersfieldCanalatSlaithwaite. The boat,whichdoesnothaveanengine, wasbuiltasacafeboatandcanseat between20and30people.

Itwastransportedbyroadto LincolnwhereChristinebeganallthe procedureswiththecitycouncil,health authorities,Canal&RiverTrustandthe EnvironmentAgency.

“Whoeverbuystheboatalsobuysthe licencewhichwouldneverbegranted again,”saidChristine,whotakesgreat prideinhavingestablishedaunique businessintheheartofthecitydespite

earlydifficulties.Sheexpandedthe businessevenmorebyobtaininga furtherlicencefortablesandseatingon thebankbesidethe floatingcafe.

In2015shebought20ftnarrowboat Oliver whichhadpreviouslyoperated asatripboatatHebdenBridgeonthe RochdaleCanalandwaslicensedfor 12passengers.

“ThiswasmyoriginalideabeforeI

Serving sweet treats in Skipton

Sally Clifford chats to the couple celebrating their 10th season on the Ice Cream Tug

IT HAS been an unseasonal British summer

July 2023 is understood to have been one of the wettest on record yet, come rain or shine, Catherine McGettigan and husband Nick, accompanied by their Jack Russell Roo, will be serving ice cream with smiles on board their Ice Cream Tug Boat, Fox, to the passing pedestrian traffic on the towpath

After days of constant downpours the sun was finally shining, enticing a steady stream of customers to the serving hatch for ice cream sourced from their supplier who produces it just a few miles away on their family farm

The row of benches lining the towpath proved a popular pitch for customers devouring their sweet treats before heading off to explore the sights of Skipton

The location of this quaint North Yorkshire market town, on the doorstep to the Yorkshire Dales, makes it a popular destination for visitors and tourists alike

Nick, who hails from Suffolk, estimates they have served thousands of customers over the years This year is their 10th season in the Ice Cream Tug which, he recalled, they purchased from a pal following

a conversation in the pub

The couple had dabbled with boating before having owned a 44ft narrowboat which was moored in Barnoldswick, and so began a refreshing career change – certainly a contrast to their previous professions as Catherine, who is originally from Bedfordshire, explained

“We moved around various places We have been in Hull for a long while, we worked abroad on an island in the South Atlantic It was small and I taught

in the primary school and Nick worked on the local newspaper ”

The couple, who met as English graduates at university, decided to relocate to Skipton as they felt it would provide good connectivity for their growing sons.

They were fulfilling other roles before taking on the Ice Cream Tug but its success, particularly through the summer months, has become a full-time profession

Its location, close to Belmont Bridge and Skipton canal basin, is a popular spot for pedestrians passing by on the towpath

Featured flavours

Bedecked with planters brimming with beautiful blooms, the ice cream cone mounted on the cabin is a welcome sign for those seeking a refreshment stop

According to Catherine, little is known about Fox’ s name or history She understands the 21ft

boughtthecafeboat,”saidChristine, whohasmanagedtorunboth businessesintandemforthelast eightyears.

“ButIneedmoretimetofollowmy dreamofcontinuouscruising.Iamnot gettinganyyoungerandnowisthetime todoit.”

Inanticipationofanewadventure Christineboughta58ftnarrowboat

Katie whichisnowherhome.Andshe cannotwaittosetoff onhertravelsas soonasthebusinessesaresold. Anyoneinterestedin findingoutmore aboutthebusinessesshouldcontact Christineon07551876758.

Inside the immaculately clean and spacious cabin, an addition to the boat during the renovations carried out by the previous owner, the kettle is perched on the stove ready for action

Featured ice cream flavours of bubblegum, to please their grandchildren, strawberry and vanilla, are served from the freezer in waffle or ordinary cones direct through the serving hatch Sauce, sprinkles and chocolate sticks are also part of the service

long boat may have previously worked at Wigan Pier

The two winches on the front give some indication of its previous use, as Catherine explained

“It is a push tug, there are two winches on the front and it is deep It was designed to lash butties to the front and push them into place”

Their season starts in April and usually ends in September

“We open at the beginning of April – we do Mother’s Day – and unless it is horrendous we open until the end of September, maybe a week or two into October depending on the weather,” said Catherine.

Summer is their busiest time of year and working from lunchtime until late afternoon

seven days a week limits the couple’s opportunity for a break

With boat maintenance an essential job for the winter it literally is all hands on deck!

“We try to open every day so in the winter we also catch up with our family and friends,”

Catherine continued

But the boat brings many benefits – whatever the weather The fold-up chair on the back provides an opportunity to sit, relax and savour the gentle lull of movement amid the tranquillity of this beautiful waterside setting where trip boats frequently pass

The unseasonal weather is challenging to businesses such as this but Catherine and Nick take it in their stride

“If it’s lousy weather you ’ ve got your burner, you make yourself a cup of coffee, get a book and if it’s lovely you can sit on the back There are swans and ducks – what’s not to like?” said Catherine “It is really relaxing”

Nick added: “It’s the easiest job in the world It is very peaceful and tranquil You feel better for coming here just being on the water”

Roo spends time in the belly of the boat when she accompanies her owners to work, although Catherine says visits are being restricted for the sake of the two-year-old terrier’s health

“She is the perfect scrounger She works the benches up and down She has got all the moves to extract as much from anybody sitting there!” smiled Catherine

Narrowboat Katie –Christine’snewhome.

ChristineEllerbyonhercafeboat. Moonraker and Oliver mooredoutsideLincoln’sWatersideshoppingcentre. .

Tripboat Oliver.

Chairs and tables on the bank

Catherine with Roo who can be unruly when it comes to scrounging treats! PHOTOS: SALLY CLIFFORD

Skipton’s Ice Cream Tug has been serving delicious ices to customers for more than a decade. Catherine and husband Nick.

Nick prepares iced treats for customers

Settle infor winter

You're probably not quite thinking about the dark nights and cold weather

You'reprobablynotquitethinkingaboutthedarknightsandcoldweather justyet(wegetthat)...butwe'rethinkingaheadtohelpguaranteea mooringspaceforyourboatthisWinter!Securityistopofourlistbut therearemanymorereasonstomoorwithusoverthewinter...aswell asfriendlyfacesasstandard.

•Regularboatchecks

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Tosecureyourwintermooringortojustfindoutabitmore, talktooneoftheteamatamarinaorvisit aquavista.com

*atselectmarinas

Amarinathatoffersyouachoice

ideallysituatedforgreatcruisingalbeitforashortbreak orlongholidays.Itiswithineasywalkingdistanceofthe SpaTownofDroitwich.

HAREFIELD MARINA HAREFIELDMARINA

Bridge180,GrandUnionCanal, HarefieldUB96PD

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muskmarine@hotmail.com www.harefieldmarina.co.uk

Facilitiesinclude:-

-Chandlery

-Slipway (upto65ft)

-Coveredwetdock

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-Pumpout

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-Engineinboard/ outboardrepairs

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200secure,nonresidentialruralmooringsin secludedcountrysidesetting5minsfromM25/M40. OnedayscruisingfromtheThames.

AwardwinningWhiteMillsMarinaisafamilyrunmarinaonthe RiverNeneinEarlsBarton.

WithexcellentroadandraillinkstoLondon(approx.1hour),plusexcellentfacilities andservicesalongwiththefabulous(alsoawardwinning)boathousecafé, \WhiteMillsistheperfectbasefordiscoveringthebeautifulNeneValley. Whynotcomeandseeforyourself?

KNOWLE MOORINGS

•Enjoyprivateaccesstoatraditional 200acrebeefandsheepfarm

• •Dogsrunfreeindesignatedareas.

• •Watchthechangingseasons,thewildlifeand theanimalsonthefarm

• •Enjoythecompletepeace,freedomand tranquillityofbeinginthecountryside

• •Accesssomegreatlockfreecruisingforday trips,weekendorlongervoyages

• •Easyaccesstothemotorwaynetwork

• •Onsitelaundry,HairdressersandDog Grooming Itgoeswithoutsaying....

• •Asecureplacetomooryourboat,andpark yourcar

• •Luxuriousshowers,communalareas,pump outandfueletc.

• •FreeunlimitedWIFI

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• •Extrawidepontoonsavailable

Mooringsintheheartofthecity

MooringinthecentreofBirminghamCity

WeareinauniquepositionontheBirminghamCanalNavigationsandhaveberthsavailable closetothecitycentreservingalltypesofboatersforovernight,shorttermandlongtermmoorings.

Boatengineservice £225.00

Singledayemptyandrefill £250.00

Vbottomboatextracharge(atthetimeofbookingyoumustinformusif yourBoatisV-Bottom £100.00

Extradaysinthedockifalreadybookedinforblackingorservicewillbe chargedat £70perday

Blackingconsistsofjetwashingthehulloftheboatdownandmakingsureareaisclean anddry,shouldwefindanythingofconcernwewillcontactyoutoinformyou.Wecan offervariousblackingproductspleasecallusandspeaktous.

Anodesare£150perpairand fitting/weldingis£60.00perpairifpurchasedfromus. Allotherworksarechargedat£60.00perhour

£295,000

ENJOYLIFEAFLOATWITHAHOMEONTHEWATER

NestledalongsidethemightyRiverSevernandjustastone’sthrowawayfromtheenchanting markettownofUpton-upon-Severn,WaterfrontLivingisapioneeringprojectthatsetsthe standardfor floatinghomes.Offeringtwobedroomluxuryhomeswithspaciousdeckingand moderninteriors,youcancontinuelifeafloatwithmorespacetolive,relaxandentertain.

GlampingWagons TouringPark

GooleMarinaislocatedinabasinconnectingtotheAireandCalderCanaland closetothecommercialportofGooleintheEastRidingofYorkshire.Themarinaprovides anidealbaseforcruisingthewaterwaysofYorkshireaswellasgivingeasyaccesstothe HumberEstuaryandtheNorthSea.

Wehaveamarinabasintoaccommodate150boatsofvariouslengths&widths. WecanaccommodatealltypesofcraftfromCruiserstoNarrowboatandBarges. Alltypesofmoorings,gardenmooringstofloatingpontoons,whichcanbeaccessed24hrsaday.

NorthamptonMarina

Calluson01604604344or07867580129

NestledalongsideBecket’sPark,NorthamptonMarinahasasecluded,countrysidefeelwhilst beingwithineasywalkingdistanceofthetrainstationandtowncentrewithitsmanyshops, bars,restaurantsandtheatres.

LocatedatthejunctionoftheRiverNeneandtheNorthamptonArmoftheGrandUnion Canal,itisideallyplacedforexploringbothAnglianWaterwaysandthewidercanalnetwork. Offeringboatersafriendlystaywithaccesstoagreatchoiceofcruisingroutes.

Ouraward-winningfacilitiesbuildingisopentoallmarinacustomers,including washrooms,laundry,pump-outandElsandisposalpoint.Allofourberthshaveaccessto waterandelectricity.Ourlandscapedgroundsprovidearelaxingrecreation areawithBBQsandpicnictables.

Weofferpermanent,visitorandwintermoorings.

YoucanalsopurchaseyourAnglianWaterwaysboatlicencesandnavigationkeysfromour fulltimeSiteOfficer.

WhynotmakeNorthamptonMarinathebaseforyournextboatingadventure?

BasedinNottingham,offeringqualityservices acrosstheMidlands

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Withover50yrsexperienceweprovidequalityworkmanshipatsensibleprices.

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•Pricesperjobnotperhour Tel07741650559

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Engines Electrics SolarPanels HybridPropulsion HARDSTANDING DIYFACILITIES STORAGE

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Dry dockservices:

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Over-plating,welding,repairs, maintenance&servicing

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lnChandleers.co.uk

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Leisureandresidentialmoorings

Boatlandstorage,boatrepairsandfitouts

Slipwayandboathoisttohandleupto60ton,70ftx14ft

BOATBUILDING,BOATPAINTING,REPAIRS,SALESANDCHANDLERY. REDHILLMARINAOPENDAY-AUGUSTBANKHOLIDAY

SATURDAY26THAUGUSTTOMONDAY28THAUGUST2023

INCLUDINGVINTAGE&COLLECTABLETRACTORDISPLAY

VARIOUSTYPESOFFLOATHOMESAVAILABLEAT REDHILLMARINAUPTO40FTLONGX14FTWIDE.

THESECANBEMOVEDBYROADTRANSPORT.

VARIOUSMOORINGSALSOAVAILABLEATREDHILLMARINALEISURE, RESIDENTIAL,OFFICESPACEMOORINGSAVAILABLE

ALSOPROJECTBOATSANDFLOATHOMESAVAILABLE.

Forallenquiries,pleasecontacttheMarinaofficeon:01509672770

CLEANING’SAPLEASUREWITHMIRACLELEISURE!

LADDER-MATE COMBINATIONRESCUELADDER/GANGPLANK

Haveyoufallenintothewaterandstruggledtogetout? Mostaccidentshappeninoraroundlocks. Gettingoutofthewaterishardwithwetheavyclothes. Thebanksidesarehighandnohandholdstogetout. Thisversatilelightweight(LADDER-MATE)storessecurely onyourroofwiththefreeladderlocksupplied. £125 +£30p&ptoanylocationonUKmainlandorfreecollection(Pleasecallus)

AFULLRANGEOF CLEANINGPRODUCTS

Brass-mate(Brasspolish)

MiracleWaxPolish(Boatpolish)

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PortHoleMask(Magnetic)

BROLLY-MATE

CottonStockinette(CleaningCloths)

CanopyKlean Bilge&HullCleaner Fullrangeof TillerPins

Over100tillerpinsinstockvisit www.tillerpins.co.uk www.miracleleisureproducts.co.uk e:sales@miracleleisureproducts.co.uk Telephone:01902686569 orDawn07909086868

Hands-freeattachmentthat slidesoverthetillerbar. Thisisanattachmentthatslidesover thetillerbarwhenitisrainingandyou canpopthebrollyinthetopofthe tubesecuredbyathumbscrew. Choiceofsizes. from £25 +p&p

PROP-MATE

Keepsyourweedhatchclear £22 +VATeach+p&p

Sharedownershiptheaffordableway

Ownasharemanagesafleetofnarrowboatswhichoperateonashared ownershipbasis.

Thismeansthatownersof1/12thsharescanenjoyatleast3–4weeks’holiday afloateachyear,schoolholidayweeksareavailableatasmallpremium.

Tel:07800902323formoredetails

www.ownasharecruising.co.uk

Halfcleaned mushroom

FULLYSERVICEDCRUISING ANDRESIDENTIALMOORINGS ANDFULLBOATYARDSERVICES

•Iver(SloughArm)andNortholt (Paddingtonarm)

•Securesiteswithprivateparking

•Deliveryofgas,solidfuelanddiesel directtoyourboat

•Electricity,water,elsanandpumpout

•Showersandlaundry

•Chandlery

•Mechanical,electrical,andcarpentry workundertaken

•Craning,gritblastingandblacking

•Twopartepoxyhulltreatment

•Fuelpolishingservice

sales@high-line.co.uk

01753651496

www.high-line.co.uk

THEBOATYARD MANSIONLANE,IVER, SL09RG

NARROWBOATSAND WIDEBEAMSFORSALEIN WESTLONDON

FORSELLERS

•Freemoorings

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•Open6days/week

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FORBUYERS

•Freeguidanceandadvice

•Comprehensivehandover

•Secureclientsbankaccount

•ABYAqualifiedbrokeragestaff

•Industrystandarddocumentation

PRIVATEBUYER’SSERVICE

•Ifyouarebuyingprivately,wecanoffer thefollowingservices:

•Adviceonallaspectsofpurchase

•Provisionofdocumentation

•SecureClientsbankaccount

•Bespokeservice–asmuchoraslittleas youwant,pricedaccordingly

kb@vcmarine.co.uk

01753652502/07860480079

www.vcmarine.co.uk

The Problem…

IhavejusthadtheMaxviewRoamsysteminstalledanditis brilliant!Inowgetdownloadspeedscomparabletobeing inahouse,andthat’sa500%increaseinspeed.Thedevice isdiscreteandexpertlyinstalledwithatestbeforeIbought toensurethedevicewasworthhaving.AllIcansayis,Iwish I’dknownaboutthisalongtimeago.Absolutelybrilliantand

Woodworks Boat Fitting

Bespokeboatstoanystageofcompletion•Repairandalterationservice

Wheelhousesanddogboxesmadetoorder

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PHOTOS-VIDEOS-INFORMATION

Unit72,RoadB,BoughtonInd.Est.NewOllerton,Notts.NG229LD 01623860553 email:info@boat-fitting.co.uk

Proprietor:AndrewC.HookeB.A.(Hons)

GOTO:-www.tankbusters.co.uk -forfull detailsofFuelCleaningServices andEquipment. Call 07974808277 or email: bruce@tankbusters.co.uk

WHAT'SINTHEBOTTOMOF YOURFUELTANK?

Tankbustersfilterfirstbymagnetremovinglarger particlesofrust!Fuel/othercontaminationis thenfilteredtoamicronfilterbag.Waterfilters removewaterto100partspermillion(ppm)using tankbustersownfiltrationequipment.

More&Morecustomersarefrequentlycomplaining theyhavehadtheretankcleanedbyacompetitor, onlytobreakdownagain.TheycallTankbusters whoattendandtakesamplesfromthetankand findthefuelstillhaswater/dieselbugandrust inthetank.ClearlyaCOWBOYJOB.Tankbusters filtertoOneMicron&Removeswaterto100ppm

CALLTANKBUSTERSFORMOREINFORMATION.

FORALLYOURBOATINGNEEDS

NB“ADREAMCOMETRUE”

Wearepleasedtoofferthisbeautiful200458’0”“READYTOGO”NarrowBoat. BuiltbyJLPinderwithcruisersternandexceptionalfitoutincludingBarrus40engine, solarpanels,oilfiredCH,washingmachine,spindryerandSatelliteTV. Oneownerfromnew,thisisanopportunitytoacquireamuchlovedboat.

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Wecanprovideexpertadvicegained fromyearsofhands-onpractical experience,manyofourstaffown boatsthemselvesandsomeevenlive aboard.

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WithMidlandChandlersyouhavethe benefitofdealingwithalongestablished companywithfourbricksandmortar shopsandalargecentraldistrbution centre.

companywiththreebricksandmortar shopsandalargecentraldistributioncentre.

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Green-fingeredKings crownedAquavista inBloomchampions

AQUAVISTAhasannouncedKings

Waterside&MarinaastheOutstanding OverallSitewinnerofitsAquavista inBloom2023awards,sponsoredby TowergateInsurance.

Thecompetitionwaslaunchedin Aprilwiththecompanyinvitingits29 inlandandcoastalmarinastoaccept thechallengeofcreatingsomestunning floraldisplaysaroundtheirmarina. The goal?Simplymaketheirmarinasbloom withburstsofcolourtoprovidelovely environmentsfortheircustomers,visitors andcrewtospendtimeinthissummer.

Therewerethreeawardcategories: OutstandingTubsandBorders, OutstandingHangingBasketsand OutstandingOverallSite.Awinnerwas chosenforeachofthecompany’sthree regions–North,MidlandsandSouth–makingninewinnersintotal,announced atAquavista’snationalmanagers’ meeting.Prizes,trophiesandcertificates wereawardedbyElisaHadland,head ofpartnershipsatTowergateInsurance.

Astheoverallwinner,KingsWaterside &Marinaalsowonapizzapartyforcrew andcustomerstocelebratetheirwin.

Suzukionboardasheadline sponsorforBoatLife2024

BOATLIFEhasannouncedthat Suzukiwillbetheheadlinesponsor fortheFebruary2024show.

Withitsgloballeadingmarine propulsiontechnology,Suzukihas alegacyofengineeringcuttingedgeoutboardmotorsthatprovide boaterswithsuperiorperformance, fuelefficiencyandreliability.

marinepropulsion,maintenance andeco-friendlyboatingpractices. Therewillalsobespecialshow offersonselectedproducts.

Themeddays

Aspecialextraprizewasalsoawarded toamoorerfromeachregionto recognisetheiroutstandingcontribution tothecompetition.

MarkWanless,operationsdirectorat Aquavista,said:“Ithasbeenfascinating towatchtheprogressofthiscampaign overthepastfewmonths.Ourcrewand customerstakeimmenseprideinthe aestheticsoftheirmarinas.

“Ourmarinaslookfullofcolour,and Ihavealsobeendelightedtohearand witnessourcommunitiescomingtogether tosupportthisinitiative–fromcommunity herbgardenstobuildingboat-shaped plantersusingrecycledmaterials.Icould notbeprouderofourcrewteamsandour brilliantcommunitieshereatAquavista.”

ElisafromTowergateInsuranceadded: “Towergatearereallyproudsponsorsof theAquavistainBloomcampaign.It hasbeengreattoseesomucheffortand creativityfromallthemarinasandtheir teams,includingupcyclingmaterialsto makeunique flowerdisplays. Thearray ofcoloursarebeautifulandcreatesuch acommunityfeel.”

Categorywinners:

North–OverallSite: Kings Waterside&Marina;borders andtubs:WhiteBearWaterside &Marina;hangingbaskets:Hull Waterside&Marina.

South–OverallSite: Bath Waterside&MarinaandCaravan Park;bordersandtubs:Poplar Waterside&Marina;hanging baskets:PortavonWaterside& Marina.

Midlands–OverallSite: WigramsTurnWaterside& Marina;bordersandtubs: BrinklowWaterside&Marina; hangingbaskets:KingsBromley Waterside&Marina.

Attractingboatingenthusiasts, industryprofessionalsandvisitors newtoboating,BoatLifeoffers aplatformforshowcasingthe latestadvancementsinmarine technology,boatingaccessories andon-waterrecreationalactivities acrosssectorsfrompowerboatsto inlandand fishing.

MarkBeeley,headofATV& MarineforSuzukiGB,said:“This eventalignsperfectlywithour visionofpromotinganactiveand enjoyableboatinglifestylewhile beingmindfuloftheadvancing prerequisitesforsustainability.”

Aswellasshowcasingitslatest marinetechnology,SuzukiMarine willexhibitarangeofoutboard motors.Itsteamofexperts willhostinformativesessions, providingvaluableinsightsinto

Theintroductionofthemeddays aimstoinfuseanewlevelofenergy andanimmersiveatmosphereto captivatevisitors. Thesewillbe:

Thursday:Innovation –Aplatformto showcasecutting-edgetechnologies andrevolutionaryproductsthat areshapingthefutureofboating.

Friday:Wellness –Explore thesynergybetweenhealth andboating,rangingfrom relaxationto fitnessonthewater.

Saturday:DiscoverBoating –Adedicateddaytointroduce newcomerstothesheerjoy ofboatingandwatersports.

Sunday:Sustainability –Spotlighting eco-friendlypractices,products andinitiativesthatcontributeto thesafeguardingofourprecious marineenvironment.

Formoreinformationvisit www.boatlifeevents.com

Emergencyequipmentpresentedtocanalsidepub

MINEhostsatcanalsidehostelry The LimeKilns,GaryandJillBuswell, wererecentlypresentedwithanAED (defibrillator)andEmergencyBleed KitbytheJowettCarClub.

Aspartoftheclub’scentenary celebrations,theMidlandSection donatedthisemergencyequipment inappreciationofthepub’shospitality formanyyears.

TheLimeKilnsissituatedonthe busyA5WatlingStreettrunkroadjust southofHinckley,Leicestershire,on thebankoftheAshbyCanal.

Thisemergencyequipment willprovidethelocalandwider communitywithapotentiallifesavingfacility.Manyleisureboaters usethecanalandmooratpubfor refreshmentsandthetowpathisused bymanywalkersthroughouttheyear.

TheMidlandSectionof TheJowettCar Clubhaspreviouslyraisedfundsforthe AirAmbulanceServicesandlastyear, fundswereraisedfor TheGuideDogs. Subsequentlythesectionisproudto haveadognamedJowett.

KingsWaterside&MarinamanagerPaulaHewitt(left)andElisaHadland, headofpartnershipsattheawards’mainsponsorTowergateInsurance.

PHOTOSSUPPLIED

OverallsitewinnerofAquavistainBloom,KingsWaterside&Marina. MoorerRobSuthernsispicturedwithmarinamanagerPaulaHewittand theawards.

CraigAinge,secretaryofthe JowettCarClubMidlandSection, presentingthedefibrillatortoGary BuswellofTheLimeKilns.

Lookhowfarwe’vecome

Wordsandphotos:PhilPickin

CHOOSINGanoriginalnameforaboat cansometimescausealotofheadscratchingastherearemanytriedand testednamesthatareregularlyseenon thesystem.

Kingfisher, Swan andpermutationsof thesearefamiliartomany,buttherecan’t bemany Moles onthewaterways. The smallanimalthatisthebaneofmanya gardenerisn’tthe firstnamethatcomes tomind,butthatwasthechoiceofDean andKeelyCrowtherwhentheyneeded tocomeupwithsomethingsuitable fortheirnew58ft6innarrowboatbuilt byKnightsNarrowboatsofNantwich, Cheshire.

Thecouple,whocurrentlylivein Yorkshire,haveanextensivehistoryboth ofhiringandofbeingsharedownersofa narrowboatforaroundeightyearsbefore optingtobuytheirown. Thedecision tohavetheirownboatwaspromoted byDean’searlyretirement,something he’shopingtoencouragehisteacher wifeKeelytoemulateinthenearfuture.

ItwasKeely’sloveoftheworkofartist, illustratorandauthorCharlieMackesy andhisstoryof TheBoy,theMole,the FoxandtheHorsethatprovidedthe unusualboatnameandtheinspiration fortheartworkontheboat. These designswereprovidedbythecouple’s daughterEmilyandbasedonthebook illustrations.Imagesfromthebookalso adorntheinterioroftheboat,asdoes thewell-knownquoteonthesternthat manywillrememberfromtheawardwinninganimatedadaptationscreened lastChristmas.

TheMole doesnotjusthavean unusualname,butthecolourscheme tooisunconventionalandeye-catching, resultinginaclean,smartandmodern lookcomplementedbytheblackwindow surrounds,theblackroofcontrastedby thechromemushroomventsandthe blacksterncanopy.

Thesquared-offstern,whichis currentlyprovingtobepopularon newbuilds,helpsprovideasignificant amountofusableadditionalspace, idealforthecouple’spairofminiature

dachshunds. Thelayoutofthisarea alsoprovidesspaceatthetopofthe stairstohelpthedogswithaccess,and theKnightsteamhavealsoaddedan additionalstepdownintotheboatto allowfor‘shortercaninelegs’.

Itwasnoted,beforegettingaboard, thatthelivingareawasalittlesmaller thanmightbeexpectedasthelayout hasbeenadaptedtomakeroomforthe largebathroom;moreonthislater.But ifthelivingareaissmaller,itdoesn’t feelcramped.

Thisimpressioncouldbeasaresult oftheomissionofthebackoftheseatat thedinetteontheloungesidetoprovide afeelingofmoreopenspace. Thedinette israisedtoprovidespaceforawinerack, andtheTVscreenintheloungeareahas beenmountedwithoutaTVunitwhich alsohelpswithafeelingofspace.

Thewalk-throughgalleyiswell equippedwithanintegratedfridgeand freezer.Ablackcompositesinkhasbeen fittedtoonesidewithasimilarlystyled three-burnerhob fittedtotheother.Both sideshaveHalifaxOakworktopsand splashbacks,andallofthehandlesetc

areabrushednickeleffect.Ahigh-level ovenwithamicrowaveabovecompletes thegalley,whichhasbeen fittedwitha goodrangeofcupboards,drawersand overheadstoragewhereverpossible.

Beyondthegalley,youenteravery impressivebathroomthatwouldnot lookoutofplaceinaconventional domesticsetting,andthiswasthe intention.AccordingtoDean,thecouple hadafewissueswithbeingabletokeep bathroomsinotherboatsthey’dused cleanandtidy,sothecoupleoptedfora largewetroomlayoutin TheMole Spaceinthebathroomwasalso neededforthewasher-dryer,whichis discreetlyhousedbehindacupboard doornexttotherectangularwashbasin. Theroomcomprisesalargerectangular showerareascreenedbyalargeglass panel.Onthe floorisacharcoalgrey showertray,oppositewhichisa ThetfordC223cassettetoilet.Somewill behesitantabouthavingawetroomon aboat,butDeanassuredmethathe’d usedtheshower,anditwas‘asgoodas theoneathome’.

Leavingthebathroom,youcome intothebedroomthathousesafullwidthbedwithinfilltobothsides. Readinglightshavebeen fittedabove

thebed,andfull-heightoakwardrobes arelocatedonbothsidesoftheroom, eithersideofthedoor.Asmalldressing tablehasbeenincluded.

Accesstothebowispossibleviaapair ofglazedfrontdoorstowhichablindhas been fitted.Hardwoodsurroundshave been fittedtobothportholewindowsin thebedroom,astheyhavetoallofthe windowsthroughouttheboat. These surroundscomplementthesolidoak trimusedthroughouttheboatandthe engineeredoak flooring.

Thistrimworkswellwiththe T&G-paintedcabinsidesandthe lacqueredoakpanellingbelowthe gunwales.Darkgreyradiatorsare fitted throughoutandpoweredbyaWebasto ThermotopEco5kWheatingboiler. Furtherheatingcanbeprovidedbya multi-fuelstoveintheloungeifrequired.

Glazedsteelsidedoorshavebeen fittedtobothsidesof TheMole,anda small,non-openingrooflighthasbeen fittedabovethegalley. These,together withthesizeablewindowsandthewhitepaintedceilingpanels,shouldensure thereisplentyofdaylightavailable.

Duringtheevenings,lightingis providedbyasignificantnumberof LEDdownlightersandbelow-gunwale lighting.Electricalpowerisprovided bya3000Winverterchargerpowering anumberof240vsockets,manywith USBchargingports. Thebatterybank, comprising4x125ampAGM/Gelleisure batteriesand1x110ampstarterbattery, ischargedbya175ampalternator,one ofapair fittedtotheengine.

Additionalpowerisprovidedbythe 640W flexiblesolarpanels fittedtothe roof. Thesepanelsareverydiscreet, matchingastheydotheblacktextured paintusedontheroofarea.Chrome mushroomventsandotherexternal fittingsworkwellwiththesmartcolour schemechosen.

Itisgoodto findoutthatprovision hasbeenmadetoenablechangestobe

madeinthefuturetoenable TheMole tobeahybridboat.Deanfeelsthatthe technologybehindhybridandelectricpoweredvehiclesisstillsomewhatinits infancy,andgiven‘anotherfewyears’, wewillseesignificantimprovements. Unfortunately,hisexperiencewitha hybridcarhasonlygonetoreinforce thatview,butprovisionhasbeenmadeto converttheirboatin fiveorsixyears’time.

MrandMrsCrowtheraredelighted withtheirboatandcan’tpraisethe KnightsNarrowboatsteamhighly enough,andlookingattheirnewboat, itiseasytoseewhy. TheMole iswellup toKnights’usualhighstandard,andit isobviousthatGlenandtheteamhave gonethatextramiletoaccommodateall ofthewishesoftheirclients.

TheMole willcallamooringinthe southMidlands‘home’andprovidevery comfortableaccommodationforthe couplewhentheyvisittheirson,who livesinthearea.

SPECSHEET

Length: 58ft6in

Beam: 6ft10in

Shell: 10/6/5/4

Style: squaredcruisersternwith extendedfrontcabin

Engine: Beta43hp(keel-cooled)

Power: twinalternators(45amp starter,175ampdomestic)

Transmission: PRM150hydraulic gearboxwithVetussterngearand three-bladeprop

Bowthruster: Vetus75

Builders:

KnightsNarrowboats,Units4-5 AqueductMarina,Nantwich, CheshireCW56DX

Tel: 07825817444

Email: knightsnarrowboats@gmail.com www.knightsnarrowboats.com

Thewell-equippedgalley.

Thefull-widthbedwithinfillto bothsides.

Thebathroomhasalargerectangularshowerareascreenedbyaglasspanel.

Justsomeoftheeye-catching graphics.

Afamiliarimage.

Usefulspaceonofferatthestern.

Thecomfortableloungearea.

Weathercontributestoaquiet summerandelectricalfaults

OVERthelastsevenmonths, RiverCanalRescue(RCR)has respondedtoaround28%fewer calloutsthanpreviousyears.

In2022,thebreakdownand emergencyassistancefirm respondedto130majorincidents (involvingsubmerged,partially sunkenorgroundedcraft,plus salvagework)and3411general callouts,suchaselectrical,fuel andengineissues, flatbatteries, overheatingandgearboxfailures. Managingdirector,Stephanie Horton,attributesthelow numberstotheeconomic downturn,itsimpacton finances andthedampweather,whichshe believesisalsobehindelectrical faultsbeingthetopreasonfor callouts.“It’sbeenanoddyear withaquietsummer,despite somepeakdays,”shecommented, “andtheweatherhasnothelped.”

Ingeneral,RCRreceivesaround 500callsamonthaskingforhelp andadvice,sobelowaretipson howtopreventapartfailureand whattodoifitdoes:

Electrical Faultsaremainlycausedbylackof attentiontoelectricalconnections. Wirescomingawayorcorroding isacommonfault,sovisually checkforlooseconnectionsor disconnectedwiresbeforeyour journey,anduseawater-resistant

sprayorpetroleumjellytostop dampgettingintoelectrical componentslikeisolatorsand blockconnectors.

Overheating Whenthecoolingsystemfails, yourengineoverheats,andifnot identifiedandremediedquickly, itcancauseextensiveengine damage.Overheatingiscaused byabuild-upofairinthemarine coolingsystemwhicheventually causesthecoolant flowtostop.To preventthis,periodicallybleed theairfromthesystem.

Ifyourengineoverheats,feel thetopandbottomofthewater tank;itshouldbehotatthetop andcoolatthebottom.Ifitisn’t, youhaveanairlock.Toreleasethe air,locateandloosenthebleed screwonyourskintank.

Ifyoudon’thaveone,oryou havearawwater-cooledsystem, runtheengineforuptoanhour withtheexpansiontankcapoff to allowtheairtoescapeasittravels thoughthecoolingsystem.Ifyou doattemptthis,keeptopping upthewaterastheaircreeps out,anddonotleavetheengine unattended.

Ifyoufindaleakonyour coolinghose,checkifthehose needsreplacingasitcanbecome hardordisfiguredovertime.Ifthe hoseissound,repairtheleakand

topupthecoolingsystem(bleed asabove).

Morsecontrolcables

There’srarelymuchwarning beforethispartfails,andwhenit doesitcantakeyoucompletely bysurprise,oftenresultingin collisionswithlocks,banksor othervessels.However,thereare afewactionsyoucantaketohelp preventafailure.

Inspectandensurethecables arenottouchinghotsurfaces, andareroutedsothereareno tightbendsorkinks.Oilorgrease thecableconnections,especially ifthecontroller’sexposedtothe weatherorleftforaperiodoftime. Ifthethrottlecontrollerbecomes stiff orsticking,itmaybeasign thatacablefailureisimminent.

Alwayscarryasparecable! Thegearandthrottlecablesare interchangeable,sobyhavingone onboardyou’llsaveyourselftime andmoney.Finallychangeyour cablesevery fiveyearsasthey don’tlastforever.

Batteryfailure

Themostcommontypesof batteriesontheinlandwaterways areleadacidbatteries.Withthese, youneedtoregularlycheck theiracidlevelsandtopupwith distilledwaterwhenrequired.

Toidentifyifabatteryis

deteriorating–whichmeansit needsservicingorchanging–look outforbulgingonthebatterywalls andawhitecrustontheterminals (thisindicatesthebatteriesare gassing).Youmightalsoneedto frequentlychargethem.

Alwaysreplacethebatterybank completely;it’safalseeconomy toreplaceonebatteryatatime asthiswillonlycompromisethe newbatterylife.Soreplacethe starterbank(usuallyonebattery), thedomesticbank(typically threeorfourbatteries)andthe bowthrusterbank(oneortwo batteries).

Whencheckingbatteries, alwaysremovethelidfromthe batteryboxtoallowanygasesto disperse,andensuretheydon’t comeintocontactwithanybare wires,metalzips,watchesetcas thesecancauseasparkandif gasesarepresent,canresultin anexplosion.

Toprotectagainstdampand corrosion,spraytheterminalsand electricalconnectionswithWD40 orasimilarproduct.

Alternatorbelts

Analternatordrivebelt(also knownasafanbelt)shouldbe checkedandreplacedregularly. Ithastwodistinctshapes.AV-belt hassmallridge-liketeethand usuallydrivesthestartingsystem,

alternatorandwaterpump;a flatbeltis flatwithanumberof groovesencompassingitand drivesthedomesticalternator.

Tocheckthebelt’stightness, pinchitbetweenyourfinger andthumb(aroundhalfwayup thelongestpointbetweenthe pulleys)andpushagainstit. There shouldbeabouthalfaninchof play.Adjustviathetensioner bracketifthere’stoomuchortoo littlemovement.

Tocheckitscondition,while beltremovalisn’tnecessary,itwill makethetaskeasier.Ifcheckingin situ,pinchthebeltbetween finger andthumbandtwist90degrees untilyoucanseetheinsidewall ofthebelt.Ifit’sshiny,crackedor hasagroove,it’sreadytoreplace.

Thebeltsizeisusuallyprinted onitstopsidewhereyoushould alsofinditsdimensions.A sequenceofnumberssuchas 10x1025,10x900,11.5x1000, 13x1200,1100A,950B,1350C, relatetowidthandlength.For example10x1025,10=widthin mmand1025=lengthinmm. The lettersA,BandCrelatetowidth, A=10mmB=11.5mmC=13mm.

Onceyou’vebeenshownhow, it’seasytoreplaceabelt.

Enginemounts

Enginemountsareeasyto maintainifyouknowhowto

lookafterthem.However,they cancausecatastrophicdamage ifthey’readjustedincorrectlyor notcheckedregularly. Theengine mountisarubbershockabsorber, andtheengineleg,ametalbracket.

Itbasicallycomprisesarubber basewithathreadedbarthrough thecentre,usuallywithtwoor threenutsforadjustment. The enginemounttypicallybolts totheenginebearer,withthe threadedbarextendingthrough aholeintotheengineleg.

It’scommonto findasingle nutundertheleg,andeitherone self-lockingnutortwonutsabove theleg. Thebottomnutisusedto settheadjustmentheight,and theone/twonutsabovelockthe mountintoplace,oncethecorrect adjustmenthasbeenset.

Oncethemountisfitted, maintenanceiseasy;checkoncea monthandensurethebottomnut istightupagainsttheunderside oftheleg.Ifitisn’t,tightenthe bottomnutuptotheleg.Never touchthetopboltasthiswill affecttheenginealignment.It’s alsoworthaskinganengineerto takealookinthewintertoseeif they’rewornorifyourengine’s outofalignment.

Asalways,RiverCanalRescue engineersareonhandtohelp24/7, forboatersrequiringassistance–visitwww.rivercanalrescue.co.uk

Takeawell-beingbreakafloat

PufferSteamboatHolidays

Tel:07780936407Visit:savethepuffer.co.uk

DayBoatHire

FoxNarrowboats

EnjoyabreakontheCambridgeshireWaterways

OurdayboathireletsyoumeanderalongtheFenlandWaterways.Theboatcanholdupto10people. Ithasagalleycompletewithhob,fridge,cutleryandcrockery,alongwithatoiletplusindoor&outdoor seatingareas.Collectionfrom9:30am,returningby6pm.

CambridgeshireNarrowboatHolidays

OnourNarrowboatholidays,youcanrelaxonboardinthecosylivingspaceanddiscoverthebeautiful Fenlandcountryside.VisitPeterborough,Ely,StIves,HuntingdonorCambridge. OurNarrowboatholidayscanbetakenasaweek,weekendormidweekbreak.Wecanalsosupply throughSpring,Summer&Autumn.

Moorings

letonadailyorlongtermbasis.Wecanaccommodateboatsupto70ft. Wealsoofferarangeofservicesfromslipway,withhoistandcradle

Email:holidays@foxboats.co.uk Web:www.foxnarrowboats.com

Wehave25acresofrollingCheshirecountryside, whynotcomeandgetawayfromitallbyspending timeinoneofourbeautifullyfurnishedbelltents, orcampingwithyourowntentorcampervan.

IT’Swellknownthatspendingtimeingreenspace connectingwithnatureisgoodforourmental healthandwell-being.

RecentresearchbytheCanal&RiverTrust confirmsthecombinationofgreenandbluespace withwildlifeexperiencedbyvisitorstotheinland waterwaysgivesanextrawell-beingboost.

Britain’s3000-milenetworkofinlandwaterways flowsthroughsomeofourmostbeautifuland unspoiltcountryside,includingNationalParks andAreasofOutstandingNaturalBeauty(AONBs).

Driftershaspublishedaguidetoitstopeight well-beingdestinationsforautumn2023:

NavigatethePeakForestCanaltoWhaley Bridge – onaweek’sholidayfromDrifters’baseat Stoke-on-Trent,hirerscantravelalongtheTrent &MerseyandMacclesfieldcanalstoconnectto

TheWilderfamily,whoowntheplace,haveanattitudetothecampsite thatbefitstheirsurname.Grazedbycowsinsomepartsandcutjustonce ortwiceayearforhay,themeadowsareotherwiseleftlongandwildin summer.Afewfootpathshavebeenconscientiouslymowninbetween pitchestohelpguideyouaroundthefieldsandovertoanotherlakeattached tothecanalthat’sawildlifehotspotandagoodplacetowatchforherons.

thePeakForestCanal,anditsterminusatWhaley Bridge. ThePeakForestCanalissaidtobeone ofBritain’smostscenicwaterways,running throughbeautifulcountrysideontheedgeof thePeakDistrictNationalPark. Thejourneyto WhaleyBridgetravels39miles,passesthrough theHarecastleTunneland13locks,andtakes around20cruisinghours.

ExploretheStaffordshirecountrysideand CannockChase –onashortbreakfromKings OrchardontheCoventryCanalinStaffordshire, holidaymakerscancruisetothebeautifulwaters atTixallWideandback,observingwildlifeand passingthroughtheCannockChaseAONBalong theway. Thejourneythereandbackcovers32 miles,passesthrough10locks(fiveeachway) andtakesaround16hours.

01606 833668

Middlewich, Cheshire

DriftthroughtheprehistoricValeofPewseyto Hungerford – ontheKennet&AvonCanalfrom theholidayhirebaseatDevizes.Onaweek’s break,boaterscancruisetothehistorictownof Hungerford,passingthroughthebeautifulValeof Pewsey,partoftheNorthWessexDownsAONB.

Thejourneythereandbacktakesaround40hours, travelling54milesthrough106locks(53eachway).

GlidearoundtheBreaconBeacons –isolated fromthemaincanalnetwork,theMonmouthshire &BreconCanalrunsthroughtheBreconBeacons NationalPark.Stretching35milesfromBreconto Cwmbran,thispeacefulwaterway,withveryfewlocks, offersincrediblemountainviews.FromDrifters’base atGoytreWharf,nearAbergavenny,holidaymakers cancruisetoBreconandbackonaweek’sbreak.

ThejourneytakesboatersthroughGeorgian Crickhowell,withitsfascinating13thcentury castle,andTalybont-on-Uskwithwonderful walkstothewaterfallsatBlaenyGlyn.

CruisetotheAylesburyVale –from GaytonMarinaontheGrandUnionCanalin Northamptonshire,boaterscantravelsouthto theAylesburyArmandintotheValeofAylesbury, partoftheChilternsAONB.

ThejourneytoAylesbury,whichpassesthrougha seriesofcanalsidetownsandvillages,includingStoke Bruernewithitscanalmuseum,andMarsworthnext toTringReservoirs,travels44miles,passesthrough 41locksandtakesaround22hours.

FloatthroughtheDeeValleyinNorthWales –fromChirkontheLlangollenCanal,onashort breakboaterscan floatthroughtheDeeValley AONBtotheprettyEisteddfodtownofLlangollen, passingovertheUNESCOWorldHeritageStatus PontcysyllteAqueductalongtheway.

ThejourneytoLlangollenandbacktakesaround eighthours,travelling14miles,withnolocks.

TakeaThamesboatingholidaytotheedgeof theCotswolds –onafour-nightbreakfromthe narrowboatrentalbaseontheRiver Thamesat Oxford,holidaymakerscantravelwestalongthe River ThamestotheprettymarkettownofLechlade, situatedinanAONBontheedgeoftheCotswolds.

Theroutepassesthrough22milesofOxfordshire andGloucestershirecountryside,pastKelmscott Manor,oncetheCotswoldretreatofWilliam Morris,andthrough14locks(seveneachway). Ittakesaround17hourstocruisethereandback.

TravelthroughtheYorkshireDalestoSkipton – onashortbreakfromBarnoldswick,boaters canheadnorth-eastalongtheLeeds&Liverpool CanaltoSkiptonandback. Thisbreathtakingroute includesextensiveviewsoftheYorkshireDales.

ThejourneytoSkiptontravels13milesthrough theYorkshireDales,passesthrough15locks andtakesaround10hours.Oncethere,boaters canmoorinthecentreoftown,visitshops andrestaurantsandexplorethe900-year-old SkiptonCastle.

DriftersWaterwayHolidaysoffersmorethan 550boatsforhirefrom45locationsacross England,ScotlandandWales.

Hirepricesfor2023startat£590forashort break(threeorfournights)onaboatforfour, £815foraweek.TuitionisincludedinallDrifters’ holidayprices.

FormoreinformationaboutDriftersboating holidayscall03449840322orvisitwww.drifters. co.uk

Choosefrom9stunningstarting locationsacrossEngland,Scotland andWalesandawidechoiceofmodern boats,sleepingfrom2to10guests. Enjoyashortbreakorlongerholiday, noexperienceisnecessary, fullcoachingisprovided.

Findoutmore black-prince.com

01527575115

TheLeighArms

The Leigh Arms

• MooratBridge 208ontheTrent& MerseyCanal

• RealAlesserved

• Children’s playarea

TraditionalBritish andAuthentic EuropeanDishes

TheLeighArms,WarringtonRoad,LittleLeigh, Northwich,CheshireCW84QT.Tel01606853327

www.leigharms.co.uk

TheTudorArms SituatedadjacenttoPatch BridgeontheGloucester/ SharpnessCanal

ServingRealAlesandHomeCookedfoodallday

14GuestRoomssuitableforonenightormoreandidealfor visitingfriendsandrelatives

01453890306enquiries@thetudorarms.co.uk www.thetudorarms.co.uk

SAVE 10%* WITHDISCOUNT CODE TT2024

*Save10%onanyshort breakorlongerholiday takenanypointduringthe 2024season.Thisofferis validonallclassesofboat andallbases,subjectto availability.Thisoffercan beappliedontopofany existingdiscounts.Bookby 30thSeptember2023.

CruisetothehistorictownofHungerford.

DriftthroughthebeautifulValeofPewsey.

Keepingyourwatertankclean

RiverCanalRescue advisesondomesticwater tankmaintenance.

LEISUREmarinedomesticwatertanks aretypicallyconstructedofthreetypesof material;plastic,stainlesssteelormild steel,eachwithdifferingmaintenance requirementsandassociatedrisks.

Thehighestriskmaterialismildsteel –itreactswithoxygentoproducerust whichdrasticallydepreciatesthewater qualityandcreatesanenvironmentfor bacteriatodevelop.

Whilethebacteriaisnotknowntobe dangerous,ifabacterialinfectiontakes hold,itcangivethewaterafoulsmell andtaste.Wheninspectingthetank,the bacterialinfectionwilltaketheformof slimeattachedtothesides.

Plastictanksoffergreaterprotection frombacterialinfectionhowever, dependentonmaterialandage,they willstarttoreleasetoxinsintothewater whentheybegintobreakdownsoit’s importanttoreplaceplastictanksin accordancewiththeirshelflife.

They’realsomorelikelytoabsorb orholdanychemicalsaddedtopurify thewater.Forexample,thechemical inpurifyingtabletsusedto flushthe systemmayremaininthewaterfora yearorsoandwhilethesetoxinsarenot dangerous,achemicalsmellandtaste willpersist.

Thelowestriskmaterialisstainless steel–thisoffersprotectionfromrusting andbacterialinfectionandasitdoesn’t retaintoxins,itavoidspersistentfoul smellsandtastes.

Domesticwatertankmaintenance

differsbymaterial.Stainlesssteeltanks requireapurificationcycleofatleast onceayear.Todothis,addapurifying tablettoaFULLwatertankandleave toactivatefortheadvisedtimeperiod.

Oncepurificationhasoccurred,turn allthetapsonanddrainthesystem asmuchaspossible. Thiswillensure purification flowsthroughthesystem. Next,refilland flushthetanktwice moretoevacuateanyresidualchemical withinthesystem(withthetapsonand arunninghosepipeinthetank).

Isitabargain?

Wordsandphotos:BenSutcliffe-Davies

Mildsteeltanksrequirethesame purificationcycleasastainlesssteeltank buttheyalsoneeddeepcleaningevery threeto fiveyears. Thisentailsremoving theinspectioncoverandpowerwashing theinside.Donotsanddownorrubthe rustoff –rustisnotdangerousandthe powerwasherwillremoveanyloose rustanddebrisbuild-up.Donotpaint theinsideofthetank(unlessspecialist paintisused)asthiswillleachtoxins intothewater.

Plastictanksalsorequireayearly purificationcycle,butinsteadofusing chemicals,theyshouldbecleanedout manuallyusinghotwater.Ifthetank isinaccessibleahotwater flushwill suffice.

Ifachemicalistheonlymethod available,regularly flushthesystem withfreshwater.Furthermore,donot allowwatertostandinthetankforlong periodsoftimeasthiswillincreasethe build-upoftoxinsinthewater.

Finally,filtrationisadvisablefor anydomesticwatertank.Afilter willremoveanydebrisorsediment, drasticallyimprovingthewaterquality andconsistency,andtherearealso filtersthatcanremovetoxins.Filtration however,doesnotreplacetheneed fortankmaintenanceandifthisis neglected,waterwillbefoulsmelling/ tastingevenif filtersareinstalled.

Batterysuppliertolaunchnewcatalogueatshow

ECOBATBatterywillbeusing theSouthamptonBoatShow (standJ337)fromSeptember 15-24tolaunchitslatest andmostcomprehensive productcatalogue.

Thiswillfeaturesome entirelynewbrands andemergingbattery technologies,aswellas additionstothecompany’s existingranges,andalso includesanenhanced technicalsection,to completethepackage.

NewtotheEcobatBattery portfolioisEcoFlow,a portablepowerstorage(PPS) specialist,thathasawide rangeofproductsthatoffer analternativepowerstorage solutiontothetraditional 12-voltbattery.AnEcoFlow vanwillbedemonstratingthe Delta2,River2,Powerhub,

WaveandGlacier,allkey productsintheEcoFlow range.Thereis,however, stillaroleforthetraditional 12-voltbatteryandamong thebrandsintheEcobat BatteryportfolioisRolls Battery,thenamebehinda rangeofdeepcycleleadacid batteriesthathavebeenthe choiceofseriousboatersfor

morethan60years. ItsAGM-SSeriesVRLA batteriesofferdeepcycle performance,increased capacityandextendedcycle lifeinarugged,sealed,shockandvibration-resistantABS casedesignedforadded durability,andareideal foruseinawiderangeof marineapplications.

EcobatBatterywillalso beexhibitingseveralother marinerangesfeaturing batteriesthataresuitablefor startingrequirements,dual purposeandequipment demandsetc,thatare availableinanumberof technologies,fromstandard leadacidtoEFB,AGM andlithium.

Thebrandsfeaturedwill includeLucas,Exide,Numax, EcobatLithium,Pylontech andOptima,andtheEcobat Batteryteamwillbeonhand toguidevisitorsthrough theoptionsandhelpthem identifytherightbatteryfor theirrequirements.

Forinformationvisit: www.ecobat.comor www.ecobatbattery.com

EVERYsooftenIgetapproached byahopefulpotentialbuyerwho islookingforabitofabargain. Iregularlydealwithinsurance claimsandoccasionallygetasked todisposeofaburnt-outvessel.

Takingonanyinsurancewrite-off isnotforthefaint-hearted;overthe yearsI’veseenagoodmixtureof firedamagedcraftfrombasicgalley fires tomulti-fuelstovesreallysetting fire toanarrowboatalongwithinverters, vesselbatterybanks,amixtureof lithiumbatteriesforbatterybanks likescootersandbikesplusthe obviousgasbottlesallgoingbang! Oftentheinsurancecompanies willthenregularlywriteoff craft foramixtureofreasonsthatare predominantlydowntothecostof rebuilding/repairing.Sometimesit isobviousthatnomatterhowmuch isspentonrepairthevesselwon’t besafe;that’sanimportantpoint toremember.

SoafewthingsI’dsuggestifyou aretheslightestbittempted; firstly, TAKEOFFTHEROSE-TINTED

GLASSES!Othertipsinclude:

Obtainasmuchbackgroundas possibletowhathashappened: Tryand findoutwhatthecrafthas experiencedandiftherewasany inspectionbyasurveyorforthe insurance.Oftenaskingforsome informationonanystructural issuesmayhelpbuildabetter understandingofwhat’sentailed torebuildorrefitthecraft.

Withfiredamagebothsteel narrowboatsandGRPriver craftcanbeseriouslyweakened

fromheat;steelbucklesquite spectacularlyandinGRPboatsthe resinburnsveryquicklyandwhat’s leftwillgobrittle.Beawarethat heatina firewithinacabingoes upwardssoitemslikedecksand superstructuresmaynotexternally haveanyobviousstructuraldamage butfromtheundersidecouldbe seriouslyweakened.

Thinkcarefullyaboutwhatisan affordablebudget: Whenlookingat arebuildingproject,workingoutan affordableandrealisticbudgetand alsoconsideringaproperaffordable budgetbyrealisticcostingsforthe potentialworst-casescenariosis reallyimportant.Considerpotential costsofanenginereplacement, fullrewiringorfullstripoutand rebuild.Oftenthestrippingout canbemorecostlythaninitially envisagedtoo.Likewiseonthe flipsidealsoconsidertheend-game marketpriceasfrequentlyIseethe bargainsattheendoftherebuild costmorethancomparativecraft onthemarketplacewithouta written-off history.Afterallit’s whyinsurancecompaniesregularly decidetowritevesselsoff

Isitsafe?: Beforeinvesting whatcouldbethousandsmake surewhateveryouinvestisviable andgoingtomakeasafeboatat theendofyourprojectrebuild. Donothesitateingettingproper advicefromamarinesurveyorand seeiftheyareinterestedinbeing involvedinperiodicinspectionsand documentingtherepairsforhelping getinsuranceetc.Andifthesurveyor saysdon’t…dotakehisadvice.

BenSutcliffe-Daviescelebrated40yearsinthemarineindustryin September2018.Hestartedboatbuildingwithhisfatheranduncle andinitiallybuiltwoodencraft;overtimehehasalsobuiltcraftin GRP,steelandaluminium.Hehasbeenamarinesurveyorformore than20yearsandisnowafellowandfullmemberoftheYacht DesignersandSurveyorsAssociation(YDSA)aswellasofBritish MarineandtheInlandBoatBuildingAssociation.

Steeltanksneedanannualpurificationcycle. PHOTOS:FITOUTPONTOON

Usehotwatertoflushoutaplastictank.

Firecausedbyaninverterthathadbeenleftonforfouryears.

Sometimestheinsidecanbeaseriousprojecttorefit!

AlsoFullyElectricSailawayswithmarketleadingtechnology managedandwarrantedsystemsforpeaceofmind

Narrow,WidebeamandDutchBargeavailable

Wehavesecurewidebeammooringswithparkinginthe HEARTOFSHEFFIELDCITY,5minswalkto Sheffieldtrainstation&citycentre

57’Jonathanwilsonhulltraditionalbowandstern toinclude,1setofsidedoors,frontandreardoors, Slidinghatch,sterntube,4anodes,2kepoxy primer.

Allhullvariationsandextrasavailableonrequest.

Basic

•Vetus40HPengineorequivalentwithstarter battery

•PrimedwithJotunEpoxy2Kprimer

•5chromemushroomvents

•5Caldwellsingleglazewindowswith4Portholes

Total=£42,737plusVAT

BasicPlus–includesallabove

•Fullybattened

•30mlofsprayfoam

•3tonofballast

•25mlhardwoodinsulatedfloor

Total=£47,307plusVAT

SavvySailor–includesallabove

•Sidesandrooflinedwithaccentsof Americanwhiteoakorequivalent

•Frontandrearbulkheads

•Bathroomandbedroomwallsto customerspec

•Solidoakdoors

•Portholeandwindowsolidoakreveals

Total=£60,307PlusVAT

CaptainSuite–includesallabove •FullelectrictoincludeVictroninverter orequivalent,waterpumps,downlights, undergunnellights,USBports,double socket frontsandlightswitches

•12vand240vdistributionpanel

•4x110aleisurebatteries

•300WsolarpanelsystemwithasmartVictron MPPTcontroller(2panels)

•Fullplumbingsystemtoinclude,4radiators.

•5kwdieselheater

•55Ltwincoilcolarifierwith240vimmersion heater

•600Lstainlesssteelwatertank

Total=£75,957PlusVAT

OPTIONALEXTRAS

•2ksprayappliedpaintwork,1colour£6,000plus VAT2colour£8,000plusVAT3colour£10,000plus VAT

•Semitraditionalstern£2,000plusVAT

•Squareback£2,598plusVAT

•Bowthruster£2,750plusVAT

•Cruiserstern£1,298plusVAT

JD NARROWBOATS LTD

 Weunderstandthisisalifechangingdecision, sowewelcomeyoutovisitourworkingboatyardto seewhatwecanofferyoupriortolookingelsewhere.  Topqualitymaterialsused,fromtheshelltothe fitout

 Weworkwiththecustomerthroughouteach stagewithintheboatbuildandhappilydiscuss theprocessstepbystep

 Only20minsfromWillington,5minsfrom SawleyMarina.

Establishedin1974,Colecrafthavegainedtheexperience andexpertisetoensurethattheboatwebuildforyouwill lastforyearstocome.

Allourboatsarecustomdesignedandbuiltto individualrequirements. Boatsarebuilttoordertoanystageofcompletion–froma barehullorsuperstructuretoluxuriouslyfittedandfinished. Webuildnarrowbeamandwidebeamboatsforprivateand tradecustomersandarepossiblythelargestsupplierof steelshellstootherboatbuilders/fitters. OurlatesttripboatsincludeCrusaderComunity(Widebeam withHybridpropulsion-fullMCAcertification), Electra(Narrowbeamwithelectricpropulsion-12passengers) andKingfisherMark(Widebeamwithelectricpropulsion12passengers). OurweldersarecodedtomeetMCArequirements.

FORSALE

REDUCED

FORSALE FORSALE

FORSALE

THEREAREMANYGOODREASONSWHYYOUSHOULD SERIOUSLYCONSIDERLETTINGUSSELLYOURBOAT.....

Herearejusttwo:

Wehaveaprovenrecordforhighandquickturnoverofboatsalesfoundedonourfamousandprominentlocation

Anexcellentandefficientpurchasingprocedureforourbuyersbackedupbyourcomprehensiveboatyardfacilitiesandservices,and attentive,caringstaff

59 September2023

OTTER| EX-DAYHIREBOAT|£29,995

DiscoverBeatrice,abeautifullyhand-crafted58ft cruisersternnarrowboatbyKingsground, offeringluxuriouscontemporaryaccommodation.Featuringdouble-glazedthermalbreak windowsthatframestunningscenicviews,Beatriceboastsacaptivatingreverselayout, elegantkitchen,cosydinette,andawarmloungeareawithamulti-fuelstove.Rest peacefullyinthe fixeddoublebedandenjoymodernconvenienceinthewalk-through bathroom.WithareliableBetaMarine43hpengine,Beatricepromisesbothsophistication andcomfortforyourwaterwayadventures.ForsaleatRoydonMarina,Essex. CallSoniaon07534655702forviewingsormoredetails.

DiscovertheOtter31ft CruiserSternNarrowboat-aversatileex-dayhireboatwith boundlesspotential.Whetheryouseekadelightfuldayboatforunforgettableadventures oranexcitingrenovationproject,thisvesselhasyoucovered.Itsopenplanlayoutoffers endlesspossibilities,completewith2xgasburnerhob,sink,anddrainer,aswellasample seatingfor10.Don’twait-seizethisopportunityandsetsailtowardsyourdreamstoday! Soldasseen,OtteriscurrentlyatSaulJunctionMarina,Gloucestershire. CallJulieformoreinformationortobookaviewingon07748036638.

Barton Marina

BLUEDRAGON| 55’CRUISERSTERN|£39,995

CurrentlyforsaleatournewpartnermarinaCaenHillMarina,inDevizes,Wiltshire. CallSteveon07354902085formoreinformationonthisvessel,ortoarrangeaviewing.

Great Haywood Marina MADHATTER| 31’10”SEAOTTER|£59,995

NEW-LOUISJOSHUA|

ThisBrandNewLouisJoshua58ft NarrowboatisastunningvesselwithaBarrusengine, reverselayout,open-plangalleyandlounge,L-shapeddinette, fixeddoublebed,andabrand newwalk-throughbathroomwithshowerandcassettetoilet.Accommodates2+2witha pull-outbed,andallthebellsandwhistlesyouneedforyouradventures.

Marina

Roydon Marina

COLLINGWOODLINEDSAILAWAY| 60’|£95,950 Shakespeare

IntroducingBlueDragon,a55ft cruisersternnarrowboatwithadistinctivereverselayout. Thisisaone-of-a-kindvesselbuiltbyBrunelBoatsBristol.BlueDragonstartedasa45ft boatbutwasextendedbyanadditional10’ft toprovideextraspace,makingitperfectfor thoseseekingspaciousonboardliving.

SHAKESPEARE:07354902085|CAENHILL:07354902084|DEGANWY(COASTALBOATS):07935010167 9

BOATSALES OFFICES

COLLINGWOODHOXTON70'X12'03" Pricefrom£189,950|thamesboatsales@tingdene.net

WIDEBEAMS

VIKINGCANALBOATSWIDEBEAM NEWBOATTOORDER thamesboatsales@tingdene.net

£198,950

BARGEJOHNHARKERHUMBERKEEL 'SidneyBillbrough' uptonboatsales@tingdene.net

£199,950

£89,950

NARROWBOATS

COLLINGWOODMETROFLOAT60'X12' 'Allegria’ thamesboatsales@tingdene.net £139,950

WIDEBEAMNARROWBOAT57' X10' 'Midnight' stourportboatsales@tingdene.net £130,000

NEWLYLISTEDWIDEBEAMS AVAILABLEFROM£100,000

OPEN7DAYSAWEEK

SEAOTTER46'NARROWBOAT ‘WeyOtter’ pyrfordboatsales@tingdene.net

£71,950

SAGARMARINEMINI-LUXE 'LadyMacbeth' thamesboatsales@tingdene.net

£199,950

NARROWBOAT58'CANALCRAFT ‘WindlassGirl' pyrfordboatsales@tingdene.net

£51,950

NEWANDUSEDBOATSAVAILABLE FROM10 UKLOCATIONS

BARGEBRANSONTHOMASDESIGN 'SecondWind' thamesboatsales@tingdene.net

£189,950

NARROWBOAT45' ‘Calliope' pyrfordboatsales@tingdene.net

£29,950

SPECIALISTWIDEBEAMAND NARROWBOATSALESOFFICES

WaltonMarina| 01932221689

HartfordMarina| 01480274707

PyrfordMarina| 01932343275

UptonMarina| 01684593111

StourportMarina| 01299827082

ThamesandKennetMarina| 01189477770

COLLINGWOOD64'X10' ‘Andantino' pyrfordboatsales@tingdene.net

£129,950

NOTTINGHAMBOATCO70'X12' 'TheJupiter’ thamesboatsales@tingdene.net

£199,950

SEAOTTER21'NARROWBOAT ‘Tranq'ille' pyrfordboatsales@tingdene.net

£32,950

Tel:01933551622 boatsales@tingdene.net www.tingdeneboating.com

QualityRiverandCanalMotor

Cruisersareavailabletoviewby appointmentatourLeicestershire indoorshowroom.Over20years experienceand2,500boatssold.

VIKING23 £18,995

Length23ft,Beam6ft10ins,Built1991,4Berths, cooker,shower,toilet,hotandcoldwater system,12and240voltselectrics,CREAM LEATHERETTECUSHIONCOVERSWITH BLUEPIPING,NEWFLOORCARPETS,NEW HEADLINING,poweredbyaHonda15Hp4 strokeoutboardengine,Bsc2027,alloriginal gelcoat(notpainted),hullpolishedandnew antifouling,includesnewmooringropes,clean fenders,etc,FREEDELIVERYwithin250miles orlocalmooringavailable

VIKING22 £28,995 Length22ft,Beam7ft8ins,Built2007,4 Berths,cooker,fridge,shower,cassette toilet,warmairheating,fridge,12and240 voltselectrics,NEWCANOPY,poweredby aHonda30Hp4strokeoutboardengine, Bsc2027,alloriginalgelcoat(notpainted), hullpolishedandnewantifouling,includes newmooringropes,cleanfenders,etc, FREEDELIVERYwithin250milesorlocal mooringavailable,

AstheVikingMotorCruisersPremierAgentwearedelighted toannouncethearrivaloftheNEWVIKING26WIDEBEAM GOLDENCROWNEDITIONtocelebrate50yearsofViking MotorCruisers.Withneweasyaccessliftoutcockpitsides, newopenplancabinlayout,2tonecockpitupholsteryand warmairheatingasstandard,alongwiththeusualfittings includingcookerwithhob,grill&oven,fridge,hotand coldwatersystem,shower,cassettetoilet,12&240volts electrics,6berths,anda30Hp4strokeoutboardengine.

Pricedat£64,995.

Bookyourviewingnowon07721382619.

VIKING20 £22,995

Length 20ft, Beam 7ft4ins, Built 2003, 4Berths,cooker,fridge,cassettetoilet, shower,hotandcoldwatersystem,12and 240voltselectrics,recentnewcanopy, poweredbyaTohatsu15Hp4stroke outboardengine,Bsc2027,alloriginal gelcoat(notpainted),hullpolishedandnew antifouling,includesnewmooringropes, cleanfenders,etc,FREEDELIVERYwithin 250milesorlocalmooringavailable,

ModernInlandWaterways Cruisers,Viking,Atlanta, Shetland,Mayland,Dolphin, Norman,etc, mustbeinoriginalcondition. Cashwaitingforrightboats. PleasecallDavidon

SPONDON

GRANDECULO

£57,995

Length57ft,Beam6ft10ins,Built2007byColecraftand fittedoutbyStreethayWharf,CruiserStern,powered byaNanni50HpDieselenginewithhydraulicdriveand hydraulicbowthruster,1ownerfromnew,reverselayout, withgalleyatstern,pullmandinette,largeshowerroom, ReflexdieselstoveandWebastodieselheatingwith radiatorsthroughouttheboat,Victron2500inverter charger,12and240voltselectrics,washingmachine, dishwasher,etc,Bsc2027.

£179,995

60ftby12ftDutchBargestyleWideBeam,Built2018bySoarValleyBoatsandfitted outbyAndrewTaylor,ClassedascatC,poweredbyaBetaMarine115hpDieselengine (only670hrsfromnew),BowThruster,over800wofsolarpanels,5Berthswith3 bedrooms.Spacious,lightandairylivingaccommodation,alongwiththebenefitof alargecollapsiblewheelhousewhichgivesasuperbadditionaldiningarea.Multifuel stoveandDieselcentralheating,BscFeb2024.Thisboatwouldprovideasuperb homeonthewater.Lyingawayfromoursalesoffices,soviewingbyappointment

LITTLETINKER £51,995

Length57ft,Beam6ft10ins,Built2008byEltonMoss,Trad Stern,poweredbyaBetaMarine38Hpdieselengine,Standard layout,openplanlivingareawithfreestandingfurniture,solid fuelstovewithbackboiler,galleywithstainlesssteelsinkand drainer,fridge,fullgascooker,microwave,bulkheadmounted cabinetsandamplestorage,sidehatchforadditionallightand ventilation,theboathasacrossbathroomwithshowerover cornerbath,cassettetoilet,andvanityunit,bedroomwith 2singleberths,builtinwardrobesanddrawerunits,central heatingradiators,12and240voltselectrics,BscJune2025,

AlvecoteMarina

NarrowcraftBoatSales–DryDock-Repairs

TheNo.1choiceforhullblacking-Takingfullboatpaintingbookingsfor2024

•SpecialistsinHistoricenginesandcraft

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•Surveys

BOATOFTHEMONTH

ENGLAND’SGLORY £65,500

70ft,1989,MikeHaywood.Abeautiful5+2berthboat,thatwill appealtothetraditionalist.ListerFR3inownengineroom,Back Cabin,Lotsofbuiltinextras.

MERCURY £39,950

71.5ftby7ft1926HorseBoat/buttybuiltbyW.J.Yarwoodsand Sons.Ararecraftthatwillmakeafantastichomeoracomfortable, enjoyablecruisingboat.New8mmsteelbottomandfootings2018. Hull2packcoatedJune2018.BSCuntilJune2026.

SHUGLEY £54,950

57ft,1991,NorthWestNarrowboats.Areluctantsaleofavery wellcaredforcraft,oneownerfromnew.Mitsubishiengine,solar panels,centralheating,recenthullsurvey.10/6/4steelspec.

RUFUS3 £49,950

JUSTARRIVED. 57ft,1992.Alovelytraditionalstylednarrowboat builtbythehighlysoughtafterbuilderJonathonWilson.Traditional engineroomwithBetaBD3Tugengine.

LOCKDOWN £64,950

Newjustarrived,65ftsemi-trad,2007builtbyLiverpoolBoats, immaculateinternalwithnewbathroomandkitchen,Isuzu42 engine,lastblacked2020.BSCMarch2024.

BEATTY £45,000

ALICEMAY £27,000

MARINEENGINES

BMCSpecialists

Specialistsinservicing,rebuildingand sparepartsforBMC.Ourrespectedquality re-manufacturedBMC1.5andand1.8s marinisedforkeepcoolingfrom £2820 Ifit’sBMCwehavewhatyou needCallusnow!

GEARBOXES

• PRM125D2 • PRM150D2 • PRM280D2 Arangeofhighquality re-builtgearboxesarealso available.

Peaceful Canal Boat Moorings in the Heart of the Country

Facilitiesinclude:Waterpoints,electricaloutlets, pump-out,sewagedisposal,perimeterlighting, floodlitcarpark,24hrsecurity,picnic/barbecuearea, uploadingatyourboat,fuel,repairs,chandlery.

200449ft10-LiverpoolBoatshullandfitout.PoweredbyanBarrisshire3Cylinderwitha PRM150Gearbox.BoatSafetyUntilNovember2023

199150ft-R&DFabricationshullandfitout.PoweredbyaBeta43withaPRM150Gearbox.Beattyis nicelyfittedoutboatwithplentyofbedspace.Ithasgascookingandwaterheatinginawellspaced galley.TheBeta43wasfittedbyCowroastMarineinMayof2018BoatSafetyUntilAugust2026

AliceMay-198451ft-ArkwrightHullandownerfitout.PoweredbyaBMC1.5withaPRM160VR2 Gearbox.BoatSafetyUntilApril2023

200445ft-M+PSteelcrafthullwithfirstownerfitout.BoatSafetyUntilAugust2026.

Sinenomine201652ftS.M.Hudson/WharfHouseNarrowboatsLtdthisTugstyleboat wasoneofthelastS.M.HudsonBuiltandwasunfinishedathisdeaththefitoutwas subsequentlycompletedbyWharfHouseNarrowboats.PoweredbyaBeta43enginewitha PRM150Gearbox.

ASHBOATSLTD CANALBROKERAGE INCHESHIRE.

ForallenquiriespleaseringStephenHarral07771510154.www.ashboats.co.uksteve@ashboats.co.uk

NANETTE £99,500 60x10ftbyJazzymaid Boatbuilders2017cruiserstern. Aftgalley,spaciouslivingarea, bathroom,forwardbedroom. Massesofstoragecupboards/ drawersetc.Bowthruster, washingmachine,aftcanopyetc.

MANRIQUE £98,000 58x10ftsailawaybyOrchard Marina2019withtradsternand highqualityownerfit-out.Good spec,withplentyofstorageand bedroomaft,showerroom,galley withbreakfastbar,sidedoorsetc openingtothespaciousforward livingarea.

Ref1496

Ref1498

DAWNRUN £52,500

50fttrad1996byEvansand Sonwithalovelyvarnished woodinterior,welldesigned tomakethebestuseofspace. Aftbedroom,forwardliving. Exceptionalconditionthroughout.

Ref1480

Ref1492

CARMEN £26,500

Ref1497

Delightful38ftcruiserstyle narrowboat,unusualinthatithas hadoneownerformnewin1975.Full maintenance/cruisinglogwithoriginal invoices.SolidSabbdieselengine, aftcabinwithconvertibleseating/ berth,centralgalleyandshowerroom, forwardcabinwithfurtherseating/ berth.BSCand goodconditionfor year.

WATERLILY £29,500

47ftcruiserstyle,early1980sby HarboroughMarine.Fullinterior makeoverrecentlycompletedplus fullexteriorrepaint.Aftgalley, forwardliving.Lightandairy interior,idealforshortbreaks.

Ref1495

QUEENIE £59,950 50ftnarrowbeam,cruiserstyle withlovelycedarT&Glined interior.Aftgalleyandforward bedroom,bathroomwithcassette wc.Wellequipped(Canaline42) andverygoodcondition.Well builtbyNickThorpe,2014

BRITANNIA £15,500 28ftCreightoncentrecockpit cruiser.Completerefitfroman emptyshellrecentlycompleted andnowofferedinimmaculate condition.Agreatexampleofthis popularclassiccanal/rivercruiser. 3cylVolvoPentadieselinboard, surveyavailable,newBSC

BERYLOFBRIDGEWATER£39,500 50ftcruiserstylenarrowbeam. VictoryBoatbuilders,floorand ballastin,windowsandportholes, reverselayoutplanned.Yanmar Shire45.Lotsofadditional equipmentincludingsolidfuel stoveandsolarpanels

Ref1494

NEWCONCEPTPREM57£139,500 NEWBUILD.Dueforcompletion Sept’23.57ftcruiserstyle,reverse layout,veryhighqualityfit-out, highspecandbeautifulpaint finish.Somebuyerinputwelcome.

BETTYBLUE £45,000 70ftBraidbartradfrom2001. Beta43hp(only200hoursuse), 2-packepoxyonhullin2014, 3.0kwVictroninverter,Heritage rangecooker(diesel),4xnew batteries,openplanlivingspace. Poorpaintwork

Ref1490

L’EAU-T-CUISINE£90,000 71x12’6”Restaurantboat.“Highly advantageousFinancepackage offeredtopurchaser.”Licensedfor 60dinersor70nondiners.Well equippedandwellmaintained.

NABANA £34,500 55ftcruiserstyle,soundhulland engine(CBMarine1.8)butboat needsplentyofTLC.Aftbedroom, forwardliving.DieselReflexstove forheating,NewBSConsale.A worthwhileproject

Ref1481

Ref1493

Ref1491

Ref1458

Over28yearsofexperiencesellingindividually inspected,wellpresentedboatsfromyourown mooringanywhereintheUK,orfromourbaseat NorthKilworthMarina,LE176HY

REF10530-Fergus. 40footcruisersternnarrowboat.£39,950.00

REF10534-Conway. 53foottugstylenarrowboat.£35,950.00

REF10532-JohnHenry 50foottraditionalsternnarrowboat.£39,950.00.

Dave Freeman

Over25yearsexperienceonthe inlandwaterways

MarineSurveys&BSS Examinations

ForaCompetitiveQuote &PromptService

Tel07918677782

CoveringallAreas

BasedBridge69Trent& MerseyCanal dave.freeman@boatsafety schemeexaminations.co.uk

AlanBuckle

BoatSafetyScheme Examiner

Independentfriendlyservice CoveringtheMidlandsand surroundingareas. 07856686363

bsswithalan@gmail.com

RobDickinson

BSSExaminer &GasEngineer

Leisure-LiveonBoard&CommercialCraft GasInstallation,Service &Repairs

Tel.01270812086

Mob.07831449236

email.menderman@live.com

Areas-2,4, 5,8,9,10

Services

isanindependentcompanyproviding professionalandcomprehensivesupport servicestoNarrowboatsandInland

Waterwaysvessels. BasedinNorthamptonshireweare ideallyplacedtoofferourservices.

Ourservicesinclude:

•Hullcondition,Pre-purchase,Insuranceand Valuationsurveys.

(AccreditedYDSAmember)

•Marineconsultancy. Northamptonshireandsurroundingareas. AREACOVERED:5,6,8,9,10,14

07903945196 boats@jgmarine.co.uk www.jgmarine.co.uk

Narrowboat Surveyor

&BoatSafetyExaminer

MichaelClarke

Dip.S.C.SurAMIMarEST

Areascovered:8,9,10,11,12,14

•AFriendlyandProfessionalService

•FullyQualified&Insured

•UltrasonicPre-purchase& HullConditionSurveys

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

M

MABSSE

BoatSafety SchemeExaminer

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

Tel07970384047

Areascovered:2,4,5

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PhoneChrisHolmes 07860254369 01784464899 surveyors@cetec.co.uk www.cetecmarine.co.uk

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READERADVERTS

ForSale

Battletotackleaquaticweeds

WARMER,wettersummersbrought aboutbyclimatechangearemaking the fighttostopwaterwaysfrom becomingchokedbyinvasiveweeds morechallenging,accordingtothe Canal&RiverTrust.

42FTSTEELNARROWBOAT

TugstylewithGardner4LK engine,PRM160gearboxwith twinprop,7HPBowThruster Sleipner,traditionalboatman’s cabin,toilet,shower,handbasin, 3berth,recentsurvey,location BridgewaterCanal,Leigh, Lancashire£28,500Tel.07860

166810.

50FTNARROWBOAT with traditionalstern,needssome attention,engineisingood workingorder,canbeviewedby appointment,£30,000Tel.Wilf 07542280581.

ALBIN 25motorcruiser,1970s Swedishdesign,moderatelygood condition,needssomeworkto finishrestoration(electrics,stove andsomeupholsteryetc).Out ofwatersurvey2019(andhull anti-foulpainted).BoatSafety CertificateNov2021.Licensed withCRT,insured.Situated Stourport-on-Severn.Engine: Perkins4108, fittedinrecentyears. UsedonRiverSevern,G&SCanal andatsea.Length:25ft,Beam:8ft 6in,Draft:2ft.Airdraft:6ft+small mast=8ft6in.Accommodation: Two vee berths in forward cabin, plusboardstomakedouble bed.Twosmallsingleberths inaftcabin.Cockpit:twoseats atconsole,plusbenchseating aroundsidesandremovabletable. Anchor,withchainandwinch(with handle),readyforaction.Ropes andfendersincluded.12vand 240velectrics.Twobatteries.No gasinstalledatpresent.Aspirit stoveisavailableforinstallation ifrequired,oradviceavailableif wantingtorefitgas.(Placefor2 burnerstoveifrequired),£6500 onoTel.07976746225.Email. dstruckett@aol.com

EXLIBRARYBOOK: ’The CanalsofYorkshireandNorth EastEngland,Volume2’Part 2,1790-1845(continued).Part 31845-1972.Appendices:1 SummaryFactsaboutcanals andnavigationsofYorkshire andtheNorthEast.2.Principal engineeringworks,£2plus postageTel.01132693672. PJRice88@hotmail.co.uk

PartsForSale

ANCHOR 12.5kgandchain, unused,£50phoneforphoto. Twolifejackets,£25eachTel. 07391026244.

LUCAS brassheadlamp10india; makesuperbtraditionaltunnel lamp,ringformoreinfoTel.07737 147284.NorthYorkshire.

METALMOORING stakesfor cabincruiserontheriver,secure yourboat,threeintotal15.5”x21 x25”.Titanwetanddryvacuum cleanermains,£30.Wantedman andvanandtrailer,min20ft totakecruiserfromCambsto NorthamptonNBCTel.07791 034695.

WINDLASS foruseonriver,new lockssteel,£15.Threesteelused mooringstakes,£30.Wet&dry mainsvacuumcleaner,£30.6litre fueltankpermeable,green,£10 Tel.07791034695.Cambs.

Itsannualsummerprogramme hasseenvolunteers,staffand contractorsworkingtoremovethe weedbeforeitclogsupcanalsand destroysnativewildlife.

CRTchiefoperatingofficer JulieSharmansaid:“Thechanging climate,withhottersummers becomingmorecommon,ismaking thisnaturalphenomenonevenmore ofachallenge.

“ArecentdecisionbyGovernment tocutfuturefundingforthenation’s canalnetworkisgoingtomake winningourbattleagainstaquatic weedevenharder.Werunregular

Anarrowboatcarvesapaththrough theweed. PHOTO:ALISONALDERTON

volunteerpartieswherepeoplecan getinvolvedinallsortsoftaskstocare fortheirlocalwaterway,including removingweed,andwe’dwelcome anyhelpinkeepingourcanalsalive.”

Aquaticweedslikeduckweed, floatingpennywortandazollagrow extremelyquickly.Azollacandouble insizeeverythreedays,whilesomeof thefastest-growingweedscandouble insizewithinamatterofhours.

Leftunchecked,theweedcauses problemsforboats,rowersand

anglers.Itstarveswaterplantsof light,sucksuptheoxygen fishneed tobreatheand,inturn,isdamaging tomuch-lovedspeciessuchas kingfishersandotters.

Warmersummersareincreasing thegrowingmonthsforinvasive aquaticweeds,causingcanals,rivers, pondsandpoolstoturnavibrant shadeofgreen.

Formingamatacrossthesurface ofthewater,theweedaccumulates unsightlylitterand,whilenotdirectly harmful,people,dogsandother animalshavebeenknowntomistake itforgrassandendedupinthewater.

Hotterweatherand fiercerstorms aremakingtheproblemworse.

Weedlikeshightemperatures, alongwithplentyofrainthatwashes nutrientfromthesurroundingarea intothewaterways.

Artstudentsdesigncanalsidemural

THECanal&RiverTrust andstudentsfromStokeon-TrentCollegehave createdamuralalong theTrent&MerseyCanal tohighlighttheissueof plasticpollutioninthe nation’swaterways.

NARROWBOAT 28ftindividually designedcruiserstylenarrowboat, comfortably fittedoutforcruising, fullyequippedandreadytocruise, wellmaintainedandserviced, BSCtill2024,blackedinMayand ingoodcondition,£28,000ono Email.paulcrooks60@yahoo.com

50FTNARROWBOAT thisboat hasbeenrenovated,thereisstill asmallamounttodo,everything neededisonthere,ithasafull safetycertificate,manufacturer NeilHudson,Liverpool£45,000 Tel.07724894387.

NARROWBOAT 1/12thshare forsaleinnarrowboat Serenade, £1000,managedbyBCBM SharedOwnershipBoating, contactforfurtherdetailsTel. 01773775153.

SHELTON: shareforsalein Shelton,£2400and£150per month,turnarounddayFriday, forwardopenplansaloonwithfree standingarmchairs,wallmounted TVandsoldfuelstove,galley middinette,dinetteconvertsto doublebed,bedroom1master rearcabinwithlengthwisedouble bed,wardrobe,toiletensuiteand washbasinTel.01270811500. Email.info@bcbm.co.uk

Wanted

45FTNARROWBOAT with pump-outtoilet,withnowork tobedoneTel.07946133980. Hertfordshire.

Miscellaneous

FISHINGBOOKS: Salmon,Trout, Fly,Know-How,11hardbacks, goodreadablecondition,notears ormissingpages,tightlines, bargain,£20Tel.07946664749.

GRPSTORAGEBOX with sideopeningdoors(lockable), originallyforcarbutwouldmake excellentboatroofstoragebox, length4ft6in,width3ft3in,depth 1ft2in,capacityof12cu.ft.colour cream,£50Tel.07738177509.

PERSONALNUMBERPLATE: FL04TSXusedtohavethereg onworkvanbutreducingnumber ofvehiclessoregnowsurplus. Wehavetheretentiondocuments readytotransfer.Alsohavefor sale:FL04TSU;UB04TER; HB04TER,£900Tel.07715 377789.

Designedby finalyear art,designandgraphics students,theaimofthe artworkistohighlightthe trust’s#PlasticsChallenge campaigntoremove plasticandlitterfromthe canalandtowpathand preventitendingupinour seasandoceans.

Eachyear,anestimated 14millionpiecesofplastic rubbishendupinand aroundthenation’scanals andrivers,witharound 500,000piecesflowing outintoouroceans.

The#PlasticsChallenge

campaign,supported byplayersofPeople’s PostcodeLottery, encourageslocalpeople andboaterstopickup anylittertheyseewhile exploringtheirlocalcanal.

The finalmuraldesign conceptswerecreated bystudentXavierMordi andwerebroughttolife byGregaGreavesfrom CreativeArtsNorthStaffs. Theartworkcanbeseen alongtheTrent&Mersey CanalatCliffVale,an

areaofthecanalnear totheCauldoncampus anddepictsacanalscene withamermaidcharacter beingsurroundedby piecesofplastic.

JulianneJoyce,from Canal&RiverTrust,said: “Themuralislooking greatnexttoourcanal andreallyaddsapopof colour. Thewallusedfor themuralusedtoget graffitied,sotheartwork hasfurtherenhancedthe canalenvironment.

“Iwasreallyimpressed athowhardthestudents workedoncomingup withdesignstohighlight our#PlasticsChallenge campaign.Asacharity, wewanttoworkwithlocal peopleandcommunity groupstohelpusimproveour canals.Projectssuchasthis onereallymakeadifference tothethousandsofpeople whovisitandspendtimeon ourcanalseveryyear.”

Collegeprincipal andCEOLisaCapper commented:“Thecanal networkisahugely significantpartofStoke-onTrent’scelebratedindustrial heritagewhichiswhyweare thrilledourstudentshave helpedtobrightenupthe areaalongthetowpathfor boaters,leisureseekersand otherusersofthenetwork.”

ThemuralcreatedbesidetheTrent&Mersey CanalatStoke-on-Trent.

PHOTO:CRT

SellingyourboatisFREEforprivatereadersof TowpathTalk

NothingboringaboutBoora

LOUGHBoorasitsintheopen windsweptlandscapeoftheCoOffaly peatlandswhichborderthebanksofthe GrandCanal.

Foryearsbetweenthe1950sand thelate1970sthislandwasindustrially harvestedbyBord-na-Mónaafterthey drainedtheoriginalloughhere. The blackpeatylandscapewascrisscrossed bytinynarrowgaugebog-traintracks wheresnakingtrainsofpeatclattered acrossthemoonscapetransportingthe blackgoldtolocalpowerstations.

Jumpforwardafewyearsand withpeatharvestingnowended,the importanceoftheseenvironmentshas cometotheforefrontofthe fightto preserveourplanet.LoughBooraandits surroundings,nowknownastheLough BooraDiscoveryPark,haveawealthof sculptureserectedbyartistsfromallover theworld.

Drawinginspirationfromthelocal sitewhereartmeetsnatureandutilising materialssuchasdefunctindustrial items,bothnaturalandworkedstoneas wellaswoodenstructures,theopen-air sculptureparkhaswalksthroughraised bogwith fineviewsoftheSlieveBloom Mountainstothesouthandisagreat placetovisitatalltimesoftheyear.

Oneofthelarge-scalesculpturesisthe SkyTrain,arustyoldindustrialengine withatrainofopencreel-typewagons, sitedonamoundofearth,celebrating themachineryandpeoplewhoonce workedhere.Anotherindustrial

sculpturefeaturesarepurposedtubular tipplerthatformsabridgeacrossa narrowwaterway.

Overtime,theweatheringeffectsof naturehavesoftenedthesculptures, addinganoxidisedpatinawith

Cruisers fulfil promise to revisit River Suck

FREEMAN Cruisers Ireland have revisited the River Suck and Ballinasloe Harbour for a second year running

Assisted along the river navigation and through Pollboy Lock by Waterways Ireland staff, they were met by members of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland (IWAI) River Suck branch on reaching Ballinasloe Harbour, the terminus for navigation

The group went on to spend a fun-filled weekend of events which included a competition for the best dressed boat, a pub quiz, barbecue and more All participants received a medal embossed with the Freeman Cruisers logo – a new addition to this year ’ s event

Freeman Cruisers Ireland, which began on Whatsapp and developed into a Facebook group, held its inaugural gathering of the fleet on the River Suck in 2022 and vowed at the time to return

That promise has now been fulfilled and is greatly appreciated by the local community who are focusing on promoting the lesser-known River Suck navigation, the Suck Valley and all the area has to offer to the wider public with events such as this

If you are interested in joining Freeman Cruisers Ireland please contact Robbie Corrigan by calling or texting on: +353 (0) 857 031 932

colonisingplantsblendingtheminto thelandscape.Astonepyramidrises incongruouslyfromtheearthwith fernsgrowingfromitscrevicesamid surroundingsteeltreesconstructedfrom oldbog-traintracks.

There’savarietyofthingstoseeand doatLoughBooraDiscoveryPark.Itisa family-friendlyenvironmentwithahost offreeactivitiesforallages.Withpicnic, playareasandafairytrail,allaccessiblefor buggiesandwheelchairusers,themyriad ofoff-roadtrailscanbeenjoyedbyall.

LoughBooraisahavenfornatureand aprimelocationforvisitorstospendas muchtimeastheywishwithwalksranging

from20minutestofourhours.Several lakesintheparkareavailablefor anglingwithtench,perchandpike

beingthetargetspecies.Justtothenorth oftheparkliesLochClochanwhichisa putandtaketrout fisherywith fishmainly takenonnymphsandmuddlers.

EncountersomeofIreland’s threatenedwildlifespecies,including thenativegreypartridgeandimpressive numbersofmigrantbirdswhomake theirhomeinthepark. Thereisabird hideintheformofacrannogdwelling, reachedbyaraisedwalkway.

Frogscanbeheardsoundingtheir croaksandsplashesthroughoutthe wetlandsalongwiththe fleetinghumand buzzofinsectsastheybusilyexplorethe richmixtureof flora. Theparkcontains nationallyandinternationallyimportant mammals,includingthecommonIrish hare,whichcanbeseeninlargenumbers. Nocturnalbadgersandbatsrarelyleave evidenceoftheiractivity,whilethetimid deerandherdsofwildgoatkeeptothe grasslandsandconiferforests.

In1977,aprehistoricsitewas discoveredatLoughBoora.Excavations

revealedatemporarysettlementdated totheMesolithic(middleStoneAge) erawhichcontainedaseriesof firesites litteredwithdiscardedstonetoolsleft behindbyforaginggroupsofhuman hunter-gatherers.Thesestonetools includedstoneaxeheads,arrowheads andbladesandhavebeendatedto between6800and6000BC.

Thislandscapewillalwaysbe intrinsicallylinkedtotheGrandCanal andtheheritagebargeswhichonceplied thewaterstransportingpeatbutitnow attractsnewvisitorsandisarealdraw tothosewhoarekeentogainabetter understandingofourenvironment. Whatwasonceconsideredbymanyas aboring, flat,black,lunarlandscapeis farfromthat,indeedthereisnothing boringaboutBoora!

Usefulinformation FindoutmoreabouttheLoughBoora DiscoveryParkat: www.loughboora.com

Riversidetownsprovetobewinners

IRELAND’sBestKeptTownsis anall-islandcompetitionwhich theDepartmentofRuraland CommunityDevelopmentandthe NorthernIrelandAmenityCouncil initiatedin1995.

Ithelpstoraisetheprofileof boththeSuperValuTidyTowns andNorthernIreland’s‘BestKept’ competitions,andthereforehelps improvethestandardoftownsand villagesacrosstheislandofIreland.

Riversidetownsfaredwellthis yearwiththeoveralltitleofBest KeptTownbeingawardedto Carrick-on-Shannon,CoLeitrim, ROI,whichalsoscoopedtheBest KeptSmallTowncategory.

The town of Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, NI, was named as Ireland’s Best Kept Large Town

All entrants were marked against strict adjudication criteria that included cleanliness, the outward appearance of buildings, the presentation of roads and public facilities and the natural environment

PollaghanditschurchontheGrandCanal.

PHOTOS:ALISONALDERTON

Lookingupthrougharail-builttreesculpture. TheSkyTrain. Crannog-likebirdhide.

Thestonepyramid.

Tipplerbridge.

Rail-builttreesculptures.

OffalyPeatlands.

Freeman Cruisers Ireland in Ballinasloe Harbour, River Suck.

PHOTO: GRAHAM BARTLETT/IWA

Freegreenspaceon thedoorstepofmillions

MORECanal&RiverTrustwaterways areamongthelatestrecipientsofGreen FlagsawardedbyKeepBritainTidyin theUK.

Withafurther53.5miles,around600 milesnowholdtheinternationalquality markforparksandgreenspaces.

CRTchiefexecutiveRichardParry said:“TheseGreenFlagsshowcasethe breadthofwhatthewaterwayshaveto offer–free,accessiblegreenspaceonthe doorstepofmillions.Ourhistoriccanals areplacesinourtownsandcitieswhere peoplecanrelax,getclosetonatureand feelthehealthbenefitsofspendingtime bywater.

“ThisimpressivenumberofGreen Flagsisatestamenttoeveryonewho worksorvolunteerswiththetrust, includingthoseinthecommunitywho playsuchavitalpartinhelpingtolook aftertheirlocalcanal.”

Theentire46-mileStaffordshire& WorcestershireCanalhasbeenawarded aGreenFlagforthe firsttime,alongwith theStourbridgeCanalandTownArm, alsointheWestMidlands.

Theseareaddedtothetrust’sexisting GreenFlagstretches,whichrange fromonceunlovedstretchesofurban canalthathavebeentransformed intopleasant,wildlife-richplaces inthecentreoftownsandcitieslike Manchester,SheffieldandWalsall, tomorerurallocationssuchasthe Kennet&AvonandMonmouthshire& Breconcanals.

ThespreadofGreenFlagsreflects boththeincreasingimportanceofthe waterwaysasvibrantgreenspaces inthenation’stownsandcitiesand theirlong-standingvalueinproviding popular,accessiblebeautyspotsacross thecountry.

However,thenation’scanalsarefacing

adualcrisis,withclimatechangetaking acostlytollonthehistoricnetworkinthe formofmorefrequentextremeweather, andwiththeGovernmentrecently(July

10)announcingdeepcutsinfunding forcanalsinthefuture. Thetrustis callingonpeopletosupporttheirlocal waterwayandhelp#KeepCanalsAlive.

GreenFlagsspellgoodnews forwaterwaysvolunteers

TWOpopular destinations–GloucesterDocksand HollingwoodHub–areamongthelatest recipientsofGreen FlagsawardedbyKeep BritainTidyintheUK. Theawardhasbeen describedasacredit tothehardworkof theGloucesterDocks volunteersthatithas beenawardedforurban docksratherthanthe usualparkoropen space.Italsolinkswith theinvolvementwith YoungGloucestershire andstudentsfrom GloucestershireCollege. Thisistheseventh yearinarowthat

Coronationgardensforfoodandnature

ANEWinitiativewaslaunchedrecently whichpaystributetoHisMajesty, KingCharlesIII’slong-standing commitmenttothenaturalworldand theenvironment–CoronationGardens forFoodandNature.

Organisedby TheWildlifeTrusts inpartnershipwithIncredible Edible,GardenOrganicandthe NFWI(NationalFederationof Women’sInstitutes),thescheme aimstoencouragepeopleand communitiesacrosstheUKtolive sustainablyandhelpwildliferecover bygrowingfoodandcreatingspace fornatureingardens,onbalconies andinsharedgreenspaces.

Encouragingpeopletolive sustainablybygrowingfood.

Natureisathree-yearprogramme whichhopestoenthusemillions ofpeopletogrowtheirownfood

CoronationGardensforFoodand inwildlife-friendlygardens byprovidingadviceandan opportunitytopledgetheir gardenonamap.Itslegacy isexpectedtolastfarinto thefuture. Theinitiativehas beenkick-startedbyagrantof £247,834from TheNational LotteryHeritageFund.

TEL:01507529529 QUOTING:TPT04

Gardenscanplayabigrole ingivingnatureaboostwhile alsoenablingpeopletoenjoy seeingwildlifeandgrow theirownfood.Coronation GardensforFoodandNature aimstoencouragepeopleto useexistinggardens,rooftops andsharedgreenspace,as wellastocreatenewones. Evidencehighlightsthe

hugehealthandwell-beingbenefits topeoplefromregularcontactwith nature.Itshowsthatpeopleare concernedabouttheenvironmentand wanttotakeactiontohelp.Coronation GardensforFoodandNaturehopes toempowerandinspirepeopleand communitiestosharethejoyof gardeningacrosstheBritishIsles. Peoplecan findideas,adviceand pledgetheirgardenonamapatwww. mycoronationgarden.org

HollingwoodHub hasreceivedthis prestigiousaward.

ChesterfieldCanal TrustsecretaryRod

Autonsaid:“Weare absolutelydelighted tohavereceivedthis awardoncemore. Wearesoluckyto haveagroupofhardworkingandreliable volunteerswholook afterthegardensat HollingwoodHub throughouttheyear.

“Weknowtheirwork ismuchadmiredbyour thousandsofvisitors, boththeregularsand thosewhohappen uponthisbeautiful placebyaccident.I

havelostcountofthe numberofpeopleI haveseentakingselfies byour flowerboat.”

Headded:“Weare alsoverygratefulto thevolunteerswho runourboattrips, ourpaddlesportshire andwhoworkinour informationcentreand shop,notforgettingthe staffofthefabulous Katey’sCoffeeShop. “Wehavebeen verypleasedwiththe numberofcompanies thathavecometo helprecentlyaspart oftheirCorporate SocialResponsibility schemes.Wewould welcomefurtheroffers.”

Avolunteerworkingonthe gardenwherevisitorstake selfiesofthemselvesinfront oftheflowerboatbesidethe ChesterfieldCanal.

Plantsalongthetowpath–September

OurgardeningcorrespondentLee

Seniorconcludeshisbi-monthly seriesforthisseason.

THEREisanincreasingchillinthe eveningairasnaturecontinuesits unstoppableandinevitablemarch towardsautumnandwinter. There isplentytolookforwardtooutdoors despitetheshorteningdays.

Inwildhedgerowsacrossthe land,berriesareformingonsuch venerablefavouritesascrabapple (malus),damsons,hawthornandsloes (blackthorn).Overthepastfewweeks, we’vebeenenjoyingearlyblackberries andelderberries.Onpeatyscrubland andmoorlandthelowgrowingbilberry providesdarkblue,purplyberries, similartoblueberrieswhichtheyare

closelyrelatedto.

Ourowngardens arenottobe outdonewiththe likesofcotoneaster, dogwood(cornus), honeysuckle, hypericum(StJohn’s wort)andpyracantha producingan abundantnumber ofmulti-coloured berries.

Thehorsechestnut treeproducesthe unmistakableconker (horsechestnut seed)insidethose familiarpricklyouter capsules. Theinedibleandtoxicconker canbeusedtoplaythefamiliargame

Multi-coloured berriesinclude hypericumotherwise knownasStJohn’s wort. PHOTO: LEESENIOR

ofconkersofcourse.Manyof ushavewonderfulchildhood memoriesplayingthissimple game.Aconkeristiedto apieceofstringandeach playerhopestheiropponent’s conkerbreaks firstaftertaking itinturnstostrikeeachother’s conker!Timelessfun. Forearlyautumn flowering delight,inthewildandour owngardens,thehumble buddleiacomesintoitsown. Itisnicknamedthebutterfly bushwithgoodreasonasthe attractive flowersofferoneof thebestlatesummernectar sourcesforbutterfliesandother insects. Theperennialautumn sedumisanotherreliablelatesummer floweringfavourite.

MorewaterwayshaveachievedGreenFlagstatus.

PHOTOS:CANAL&RIVERTRUST

ThequintessentiallyBritishsightofanarrowboatontheStaffordshire& WorcestershireCanal.

ThepopularHollingwoodHub withKatey’sCoffeeShopand theChesterfieldCanalTrust informationcentreandshop.

PHOTO:CHESTERFIELDCANALTRUST

SomeoftheregularWednesdayvolunteersinvolved,from18to 80,aroundtheflagpoleatGloucesterDocks. PHOTOSUPPLIED

PHOTO:CHESTERFIELDCANALTRUST

PHOTO:ALANPRICE

WinterworksontheCrinan

FOLLOWINGfeedbackfrom boatersandotherstakeholders, theCrinanCanalwillstayopen untilOctoberthisyearbefore closingforwinterworks. Lasttransitentrytothecanalwill beonOctober21,withthecanal closedtotransitboattrafficfrom 5pmonOctober25. Theplanned reopeningismid-May2024. Workwillfocusonthe

installationofnewgatesat Crinansealock(Lock15)with Locks15,14andCrinanBasin drainedandpossiblelowering ofthewaterlevelinthepound betweenLocks13and14.

Whilethecanalwillbeclosed tothroughnavigation,itwill remainopenforboatmovement betweenArdrishaigandLock13 atDunardry.

Previouslockreplacement duringwinterworksonthe CrinanCanal. PHOTO:SCOTTISH CANALS

EmergencyrepairstoHillheadBridge

SCOTTISHCanalshasundertakenessential repairstoHillheadBridgeontheForth&Clyde CanalinKirkintilloch,temporarilyclosingthe bridgetoboaters. Theworkwascompletedearlierthanexpected,

ScottishCanals rebrandwith newwebsite

ANEW,easiertonavigatewebsite hasbeenlaunchedtoenhance andimproveScottishCanals’ marketing,sales,customer engagementandoperational efficiency.

Ithasanewlogowhichhas beendesignedin-houseand rebrandingwillbegradually rolledoutacrossthenetwork, withsignageupdatedoverthe next fiveyears. Visitthenew-lookwebsiteat scottishcanals.co.uk

withthebridgereopeningtonavigationin earlyAugust.

Investigationrevealedcorrosiontothecontrol cabin,makingitunsafetooperatefollowing damagetotheroadbarriers.

Nicholsonpublishing teamtakestothewater

THECollinspublishingteamresponsibleforthebestselling CollinsNicholsoncanalguidestookinspirationfromthe canalsfortheirsummersocial,withaboattriponboardthe Forth&ClydeCanalSociety’s(FCCS) Voyager

TheyboardedatCadderWharf,notfarfromtheirofficesin Bishopbriggs,fora11/2-hourcruisealongthecanalandinto Glasgow,disembarkingneartheClayPitsforawalkintothe city’sWestEndandacelebratorymeal.

TheFCCSwasoriginallyformedtocampaignfor restorationofthecanal.Itcontinuestosupport,promote andusethecanal,withthreevesselsavailableforcharter. Boattripsareenjoyedbymanydifferentgroupsfromschools, charities,youthandcommunitygroups,tofamilyparties and,ofcourse,publishers.

Bookaboattripor findoutaboutmembershipofthe societyatforthandclyde.org.uk

Swappinglifeonthe oceanwaveforthecanals

ROYALNavypatrol boats HMSBlazer and Charger recently visitedthenorthern

canalsaspartoftheir summerdeployments.

HMSCharger transited theCrinanwhile HMS

Blazer travelledthe Caledonian. Charger is oneofthenavy’ssmallest vesselsandthecrew’s skillsweretestedwith justafootsparesideways andfourinchesbeneath thekeelatthecanal’s narrowestpoints.

ARoyalNavy

spokespersonsaid: “PartoftheP2000s’ (fastpatrolboats)role astrainingshipsfor Phase2trainees,Royal Navyreservistsand UniversityRoyalNaval Unitstudentsinvolves transitingthroughthese canalstoprovidean opportunityforvaluable traininginlinehandling,

Community-designedtilesbeingaddedtothebaseofthebridge’sspire. PHOTO:SCOTTISHCANALS

DoorsOpenDayoffersatourofbridgeartworks

APARToftheannual DoorsOpenDay,MakeIt Glasgowisofferingaguided tourofthecommunity artworkscommissioned forStockingfieldBridge, includingthecentrepiece, theBeithir. InScottishmythology,the

Beithirisaserpentandone ofthefamilyofmonstersthat includestheKelpies(already stationedattheeasternend ofthecanal).Jointhetour andyou’llalsohavethe opportunityofdecoratinga tilefortheBeithir’sbody.

LambhillStableswillbe

runningboattripsalongto thebridgeandalocalwalking historytourfromitsbaseon theForth&Clyde. Theeventtakesplaceon September15and16.Goto glasgowdoorsopendays.org. ukformoredetailsandto makeabooking.

AwardsontheLowlandcanals

STOCKINGFIELDBridge,ontheForth&Clyde Canal,haswonProjectoftheYear,under £20millioncategory,atthe2023Construction NewsAwards.

Thejudgescommented:“Thisprojectismore thanjustabridge–it’sagenerousandambitious projectthatimprovespeople’slives.”

ScottishCanals’openingceremonyforthe bridgeisshortlistedfortheBestEventcategory oftheCharteredInstituteofPublicRelations regionalPRideAwards2023,thewinnerstobe announcedinNovember.

BowlineViaduct

AlexHyne,managingdirectorofScotland’s Railway,recentlypresentedaNationalRailway HeritageAwardplaquetoScottishCanalsforthe

restorationoftheBowlineViaductatBowling.

Hesaid:“Therestorationisawonderful waytorepurposeandpreserveanimportant railwaystructure.”

Openedin2021,thedisusedrailwayswing bridgeatthewesternendoftheForth&Clyde Canalhasbeentransformedintoalinearparkand walking/cyclingroute,connectingthetowpath withtheNationalCycleNetworkandonwardto LochLomond&TrossachsNationalPark.

Travellers’Choice

TheFalkirkWheelhasearneda2023Tripadvisor Travellers’Choiceaward. Theawardsaregivento attractions,accommodationandrestaurantswhich consistentlyearngreatreviewsandarerankedinthe top10%oflistingsonthereviewswebsite.

navigation,safetyand communication.

“Morethanthat, thecanalsprovidea uniqueopportunityto engagewiththepublic. Bothshipsinvited membersofthepublic aboardfortours,asand whentheprogramme allowed,providingthe opportunitytoanswer questionsabout theCoastalForces SquadronandtheRoyal Navyingeneral.”

HMSBlazer hasnow returnedtoPortsmouth havingvisited30ports inFranceandaround theUKandcovered 2480nauticalmiles.

AlexHyne,managingdirector, Scotland’sRailwaypresentsthe NRHAplaquetoTriciaHill,headof placemaking,ScottishCanals.

WatersafetyeventinFalkirk

FOLLOWINGlastyear’s inauguralevent,aWaterSafety OpenDaywasheldatthe KelpiesandHelixParkinJuly.

Theaccidentaldrowning rateinScotlandisdouble theUKaverage,andJulythe monthwithmostfatalities.

Organisationsincluding

WaterSafetyScotland,the ScottishFireandRescue Service,PoliceScotlandand ScottishCanalsjoinedtoraise awarenessofwatersafety, increaseunderstanding ofthepotentialdangers aroundwaterandwhatto doinanemergency,while

encouragingpeopletotake partinwater-relatedactivities inasafeandenjoyableway. Inanemergencydonot enterthewatertotryandhelp –lookforathrowlineorlife ringandcall999or112.Visit watersafetyscotland.org.ukfor safetyadvice.

Demonstrationsincluded dogrescuesbythe ScottishNewfoundland RescueDogClub.

StockingfieldBridgeandtheviewingplatform.

PHOTO:SCOTTISHCANALS

PHOTO:NETWORKRAIL

JohnPaterson,Scottish CanalsCEO,launchesthe newlogo,withabackdrop oftheKelpies,the30m-tall horseheadsculptures locatedinHelixPark, alongsidetheForth&Clyde Canal.

PHOTO:SCOTTISHCANALS

Voyager awaitingtheCollinsteamatCadderWharf.

PHOTO:AMYTOWNSEND-KENNEDY

Funandgamesontheday. PHOTOS:PAULWATTPHOTOGRAPHY

This series picks locations for great days out near some very special canal highlights – anything from the perfect spot for gongoozling (watching boating activities) to an idyllic towpath stroll past extraordinary waterways heritage sightseeing, or perhaps a short boat trip and even a bit of souvenir shopping. The canals are full of heritage and engineering wonders, and are also a calm haven for a wide diversity of wildlife and birds You’ll also see boats on the move and breathe the balm of water in rustling green surroundings.

LITTLE Venice is the quiet pool of water in the heart of London, where the Regent’s Canal meets the Grand Union Canal Paddington Arm

The Regent’s Canal sets off from this residential oasis, with tree-lined roads bordering the gentle water Named after the Prince Regent (later King George

Days Out –London Little Venice

IV), when it opened in 1820, it was the world’s gateway to more than 2000 miles of inland waterways across Britain.

Built to connect the Midlands, London’s Docks and the seas, it runs from Little Venice to Limehouse Basin and the River Thames Grain stores, coal yards, gas holders, steam engines and ingeniously repurposed buildings sit all along the canal Former industrial warehouses have become homes for artistry and modern skyscrapers sit alongside Victorian warehouses, historic boats alongside contemporary narrowboat homes

Today, the towpath curves with the pool and gives London its laziest tea break with a view Boat trips run from here, a boat cafe is moored at one end and there’s even a Puppet Theatre Barge

Just under a Grade II-listed bridge, the former tollhouse is now home to Canal & River Trust offices and a stroll along the towpath passes moored narrowboats.

Stucco-clad Regency housing creates the mood and architectural calm order gives this urban canal perfect grace Little Venice is the city’s secret oasis, where the rush hour is a distant concept, water and boats slow the pace and nature does its own thing

Words and images: Coolcanals, Phillippa Greenwood and Martine O’Callaghan

One of the trip boats.

The Canal & River Trust office at Little Venice.

The Waterside Cafe and bridge.

FACTFILE

RobertBrowning

ThepoetRobertBrowning,whoused toliveinahouseoverlookingthe Regent’sCanal,isthoughttobethe firsttogiveLittleVeniceitsnameashe comparedhisLondonviewtoVenice. Inturn,thesmallislandinthemiddle ofthePoolofLittleVeniceiscalled Browning’sIslandafterhim.

Trade TradeisthekeywordinLondon, growingonthestrengthofitsposition inglobaltrade,linkedbytheRiver Thamestotheseaandtheworld beyond. The Thamesplayeditspartin thefortunesoftheBritishEmpire–but fortradetoworkefficientlyacrossthe country,Britainhadtobuildanetwork oftraderoutes.Amanmadewaterroad wasBritain’sanswer.London’scanals, includingtheGrandUnionCanal andRegent’sCanal,werebuilttolink

TheTowpathAngler

Ourmonthlylookattheanglingscene

TOWARDStheendofJulyIspenta weekawaywithfamilycelebrating twomilestonebirthdays(notmine!). Sincegettingbackitseemsthingshave changedverylittlesincelastwriting insofarastheamountofworkIseemto beputtinginatclublevelisconcerned.

LastFriday,forexample,Ispent almost13hoursatmydesk.WhileI appeartobegettingontopagainIstill feelasifIaminaonestepforward,two stepsbackzoneatthemoment.Still, Isupposeitkeepsmeoutofmischief.

Mid-Julysawthesummermeeting oftheCanal&RiverTrust’sFisheries andAnglingAdvisoryGroup. These alwayshaveaveryfullagendaandthe oneforthismeetingincludedacouple ofthingsofparticularinteresttome. UnfortunatelySod’sLawruledand commitmentsathomemeantIcould onlyjoinonaTeamslink.Nonetheless itwasamostproductivemeetingwith someveryinterestingdiscussions.

AsIsuggestedlastmonththe currentandfuturepositionoftheLet’s Fishinitiative figuredmassivelyinthe debate.Anumberofpossibleoptions wereconsideredand,whilethereisstill noabsolutelyclearsolution,Ibelieve thewayforwardismaybestarting todevelop.

Avarietyoftowpathissueswerealso raisedprovidingevenmorematerialfor theupcominginauguralmeetingofthe TowpathAdvisoryGroup.Icancertainly guaranteethattheagendasforitsearly meetingswillbeburstingattheseams.

OncethegroupisestablishedIplan toconsultwithasmanyofthetrust’s anglingclubcustomersasIcanto ensureIremainfullyuptodatewith things.Iguesstheotherrepresentatives willdomuchthesame.

Championships

David Kent

mostlyattheCheshireendofthe Shroppie.Ofcoursethisisamore conventionalcanalandwillseetotally differentmethodstotheGloucester. AsitisanewvenueIamreally lookingforwardtoseeinghowit performs.Iknowthelocalclubswill doagreatjobashosts.

Theongoingunsettledweatheris doingnothingforthesport.Having beenawayIhavenotreceivedmuch informationaboutresults,tacticsandthe like.OnethingIpickedupjustbeforethe holidayandagainsincegettinghomeis thatwormseemstobethebaitscoring wellonawideselectionofvenues.

Itisabitunusualatthistimeof yearbuttheevidencespeaksfor itself.Catchesofbreamacrossthe boardaswellascarponsomeofthe commercialsarealldowntoworm. ClearlyImightneedtoputsomein mybaitbaggoingforward.Itisabait IrarelyusesoIhonestlydonothave confidenceinputtingitonthehook butitseemsImayhavetoovercome myapprehensionandgiveitago.

Talkingofmyoutings,Ihada coupleofdecentresultsjustbeforethe holidayandthenlastSundayI finished fourthonavenueIhadnot fishedfor almostayearwhich,whileitdidnot generateabrownenvelope,gaveme considerablesatisfaction.

London’sdockstothenewindustrial Midlands.

CanalwayCavalcade

EveryMayBankHoliday,LittleVenice goesmad,withhordesturningup forthefamousCanalCavalcade, organisedbytheInlandWaterways Association.Boatscramsidebyside, stallslinethewaterside,aspecial watersidefestivalfeelinggripsthe crowds,andthisnormallycalmand tranquiloasisbecomesahiveofboats andbunting.www.waterways.org.uk

Location

LittleVenice,London

OSGridref:TQ262818

Canal:GrandUnionCanalPaddington

ArmandRegent’sCanal

Howtogetthere

Bytrain NearestLondonUndergroundand mainlinestationsareWarwickAvenue andLondonPaddington

TransportforLondonwww.tfl.gov.uk

Bybus

Traveline08712002233/London Buseswww.tfl.gov.uk

Bycar

BesttousepublictransportinLondon

Onfoot

ThetowpathsinandaroundLittle Venicearealwaysbusywithwalkers andcyclists

Boattrips

Jason’sTripBoat,LittleVenicewww. jasons.co.uk

LondonWaterbusCompany,Little Venicewww.londonwaterbus.com

Moorings

Therearevisitormooringsinand aroundLittleVenice

LocalTouristinfo

LondonTouristInfo www.visitlondon.com

Canal&RiverTrust

UsetheCanal&RiverTrustwebsiteto findspecificlocalinformation www.canalrivertrust.org.uk

Augustsawthe firstoftheAnglingTrust DivisionalNationalChampionshipstaking place–Division1–ontheGloucester &SharpnessCanalwhichhashosted numeroussimilareventsovertheyears. Having fisheditmyselfmorethan onceIknowitcanbeverygood, particularlyifyouhappentodrawon oneofitsfamousbreamshoals,but equallyitcanbearealheartbreaker. Therewillbealmost50teamstaking part,mostofwhomwillhaveinvested countlesshoursofpracticewiththe intentionofdeterminingtacticsthat mightjustgivethemtheedgeover theiropponents. Thatsaid,assooften happens,ateamwhichgoeswiththe approachof fishingeachpegasthey finditmaywell finishintopspot. Thecanalswillseeplentyofactivity thisyearastheyarealsobeingused forthequalifyingeventsfortheWorld ClubandFeederChampionships. Division2issetforlateSeptember

Theearlypartofthematchwas especiallyhardandnoneofmyusual methodsshowedanysignsofworking. HoweverIhavebeenexperimenting oflatewithamethodquiteforeignto meandonSundayI fisheditseriously inmatchconditionsand,forthemost part,itworked.Iwasreallychuffed.

ClearlyIwillperseverewiththis method,makingrefinements,inthe hopeIcanconfidentlyuseitagain whenconditionsdemandit.

DespitethefunnyweatherIreckon the fisharetheretocatchrightnow sosuggestyoulookattheforecast andplanasessiontosuit.Keepyour approachsimpleandonlyfeedin accordancewiththenumberof fish youestimateareinyourchosenswim. Itdoesseemthatwhilethenecessity tofeedlittleandoftentogetbites isclearlythere,sometimesamore aggressiveapproachwillbebest. Tightlines.

Newappointments toadvisorygroup

THECanal&River Trusthasmadetwo newappointmentsto itsFisheries&Angling AdvisoryGroup(FAAG) whichhelpswithadvice on fisheriesissues.

PaulEdwardsisa keenanglerandcurrent secretaryofShropshirebasedHodnetAngling Clubandamember ofBayMaltonAngling Club.Hehasa commercialbackground

insalesandmarketing andhasdriventhe implementationof variousmodernsystems forHodnetAC.

RichardGibbsisa

Level1anglingcoach andhasheldnumerous administrativepositions withinfisheriesand anglingorganisations, includingbeing appointedthefirst secretaryoftheGrand UnionCanalAnglers

Consultativeandbeing the fisheryofficerfor theTringAnglersfor manyyears. Aretiredpoliceofficer, hebringsexperience ofthechallenges ofenforcement oflegislationand environmentalcrime moregenerally. Eachappointmentis foraninitialthree-year termandisanunpaid voluntaryrole.

NarrowboatslinedupforthefamousCanalwayCavalcade.

WildlifeatLittleVenice.

TheWetWeb

ByHelenGazeley

NOWthoroughlyestablished asthemonthforHeritageOpen Days,Septembermeanshistory. Launchedwitharound700 eventsin1991,thefestivalnow hostsmorethan5000.Everywhere inthecountry,itseems,has somethingtocontributeand, whereveryoucurrentlyare,it’s certainlyworthcheckinglocal canalsocietiesforspecialevents.

BuckinghamCanalSocietyhas aheritage-themedtreasurehunt andahedgerowrecipewalk.You mightalsojusthavetimetoenter thesociety’sphotoandwriting competitions. Theclosingdateis August31. There’llbeanonline galleryofentriesthroughoutthe festival.Findmoreinformation intheSummer2023newsletter (www.buckinghamcanal.org.uk/ events-and-news).

HuddersfieldNarrowCanal hascollaboratedwithDiscover Huddersfieldonatowpathwalk fromMarsdentotheStandedge Tunnel,thehighest,longestand deepestinBritain.Ontheway you’lllearnthehistoryofthe canalandrailway. There’salso thepossibilityofmakingthe returnjourneybyshuttleboat, whichrunsbetweenMarsden Station(Lock42)andStandedge TunnelVisitorCentreevery weekendtotheendofOctober.

TheWorcester,Birmingham &DroitwichCanalsSociety isrunningitsannualguided walksaroundthetoplock sectionoftheTardebigge flight.Visitorsaretakentothe

currentwharfandsitesofpast quays,quarries,railtracks,lime kilns,aswellasthesiteofthe ExperimentalPerpendicular boatlift,nowreplacedwitha double-depthlock. TheCanal&RiverTrustisalso doingitsbit.DiglisIslandinthe SevernatWorcesterwillopen forvisitorstoseetherenovated Victorianworkshopwhere lockgateswereoncemade and findoutabouttherecently completed fishpass.Andin Coventry,theGradeIIlisted weighbridgeofficewillopen tovisitors,withguidedwalks aroundCoventryCanalBasin. FormoreCRTevents,search ‘heritagedays’onthecharity’s website(canalrivertrust.org.uk).

Thereareahostofother eventsinthecity.Findthem

UpthefishpassonDiglisIslandintheRiverSevernatWorcester.

listedonCoventryCityCouncil’s website(www.coventry.gov.uk/ heritage-open-days/heritageopen-days-2023-coventry).

Richpickings

Chester,likeCoventry,isanother citytoofferrichpickingsfora busydayout.Plentyoftours andexhibitionsarescheduled overthemonth.Ifyoucan’tjoin canalandindustryhistorian StewartShuttleworthonawalk alongthecanalonSeptember12, thenperhapsyoucouldexplore KingCharles’Tower,takinga rareopportunitytooverlook

Inspirationalindividuals onScotland’scanals

coast-to-coastbetween MorecambeandWhitby andfromLand’sEndto JohnO’Groats.Youcan find outmoreofBash’sstoryon YouTube(searchfortheGreen MileMan)oratjustgiving. com/page/bash-quest

Coastalkayak

thecanalonthespotwherethe kingwatchedhisdefeatedarmy returnfromRowtonMoor.

Climbanothertower–attachedtoStPeter’sGradeI listedchurchinStourbridge –onSeptember16andyou’ll beinvitednotonlytocontinue upthesteepspiralstaircaseto admirethepanoramicviews atthetop,buttohaveagoat bellringing.

Andifyou’dlikeabitofheat and flamewithyourheritage, theoriginalblacksmith’sforge nexttoDobson’sstaircase locks(Lock42)ontheLeeds &LiverpoolCanalwillbe fired up,givingdemonstrationsin surroundingshungwithcanal paraphernalia.

Withsomuchonoffer, there’slikelytobesomethingto appeal.Butifaheritagevisitis off thecards,fromSeptember9 HeatherfieldHeritageintends toshowavideoorlivestream onlineeveryday,exploring variousaspectsofcanalboaters’ livesinBonnetstoBoats:the ArtsoftheInlandWaterways (www.heritageopendays. org.uk/visiting/event/

BashWright:theGreen MileMan. PHOTOCOURTESY

BASHWRIGHT

BASHWright,akatheGreen MileMan,isonaCaledonian Quest–achallengetoprove todisabledpeoplethat anythingispossible.

Toraisefundsfortwo charities,theSSAFA(the ArmedForcescharity)and Talking2Minds,double amputeeBashwillcanoe theScottishcanalsaspartof hisjourneyofalmost1000 unassistedmiles,starting inEdinburghand finishing inInverness.

Bashhasalreadypushed himself,withoutassistance,

NickRayhasbeenonayearlongkayakaroundScotland’s coast,usingtheLowland canalstocutacrosscentral Scotland.

Heisanadvocatefor mentalhealthandsuicide awareness.Manythousands havefollowedhislatest adventuresonsocialmedia, enjoyinghiscommentaries andphotosashe’sexplored thecoastandcandidlyshared hisexperiences.

Nick’scurrentjourney hascoincidedwithhis60th birthdayinAugustthisyear: the28thofthemonthbeing hisstartdatein2022and, in2023,the finish.Youcan followNick’sjourneyvia lifeafloat.co.uk

New section of canal bought by Wey & Arun Canal Trust

THEWey&ArunCanal Trust has acquired the Gennets Farm section near Loxwood in West Sussex and south of Gennets Bridge Lock which it restored in 2018

After the purchase

of the Bonfire Hanger section of the canal in May this year a continuous length of about 1 5km/one mile is now in trust ownership This is in addition to the length of about 5km/three

miles in the centre of Loxwood, where the trust runs its public trip boats and has a canal centre, which is leased on a long-term basis

of the trust’s teams, especially the Eric Walker Group which has transformed the Gennets Farm section in recent years and continues to open up more restoration opportunities

PHOTO: WACT

TheeducationspaceatDiglisIslandwillbeopenoverthe HeritageOpenDays. PHOTOS:RICHARDJOYCE

Yourchancetowritetousonanytowpathtopic: TowpathTalk,POBox99,Horncastle,LincsLN96LZoremaileditorial@towpathtalk.co.uk

Maketowpathusers awareoflackoffunding

ASArecentcanalvolunteerIspend90%of thetimemaintainingfootwaysandpicnic areaswhicharemostlyusedbynon-paying membersofthepublictowalkorcycleon.

Iwouldliketosuggestthatifthereis afundingcutthenalotoftheseareas andfootwaysarenotmaintained,with

Takebackwhatisstillanationaltreasure

noticespostedastothereasonwhy.

Maybethenthegeneralpublicwho usetheseareaswillprotesttothe Governmentastowhythisvaluable amenityassetisnotbeingfunded.

PeterGilbert EastMarkham,Nottinghamshire

Calltocreatea‘dad’sarmy’oflengthsmen

WHILEcruisingthe ShropshireUnion fromHighOffleyto BrewoodIwasstruck bytheprolificgrowthof vegetationonthecanal sideofthetowpath.

Thereisa proliferationofash saplings,manyashigh as15feet.

Thecanalwas designedtobekept freeofvegetationon thetowpathbankto facilitatetheropes fromboats.Itshouldbe keptthiswaynotonly becauseoftradition butbecauseofsafety andmaintenance.

Thesetreesmeanthat boaterscannotmooror alightsafelyandmost importantlytheydamage thesidesofthecanal.

Leftuncuttheywill createmuchmorework andexpensewhenthey eventuallyneedtobe removed. Theymayalso

attractobjectionsto beingremovedbywellmeaningrewilders.

Iproposethatthe Canal&RiverTrust appointsa‘dad’sarmy’ ofvolunteerlengthsmen todealwiththisand otherproblems.

Anappointed volunteerlengthsman wouldberesponsible formaybeamileoftheir localcanal.

Dutiescouldinclude pruningthecanalside vegetation,reporting structuralproblemsand dangerousholes,clearing litterandmonitoringdog mess. Theycouldalsoact asobserversforproblem boatersandcanal obstructions,pollution etc.

Theamountoftime andeffortwouldbe rewardedbya%discount ontheirboatlicence.

Ibelievethatthis wouldbeawayfor

boaterstotakeapride intheirlocalstretchof canalandpreventthe needforcostlyfuture maintenanceandrepairs.

Iknowthatthereare schemestoreopenlost canalsandmanyworthy volunteersinvestmuch timeandeffort.

Thetruthis,however, thatweare findingit difficulttomaintainthe canalswealreadyhave. Unlesswecreatewaysof usingvolunteerlabour tohelpmaintainwhat wehavewewillcreate moremaintenance headachesbyopening newstretchesofcanal.

Ilookforwardto beingappointeda volunteerlengthsman atHighOffley.

DuncanDavis

Byemail

Editor’snote: A‘mum’s army’oflengthswomen too!

Youonlydrownonce!

IWASpleasedtoseeyourarticle in TowpathTalk (News,Issue211, May2023)mentioningtheneedfor lifepreservers.

Ihaveboatedforanumberofyears insmallboatsandmorerecentlyon narrowboats.Despitelocknoticeson the Thamesitisstillraretoseepeople onboatsonriversandcanalswearing lifejackets/lifepreservers.Youonly drownonce!

Atthreeralliesrecently, Rickmansworth,BraunstonandHenley, alongwithahandfulofothers,wewere

verymuchtheoddgroupout.BeforeI amtoldthatcanalsareshallow,theyare notwhenalockisfullorevensometimes whenitisempty,tosaynothingof muddycanalbottoms.

Perhapsadultsarehappytorisk theirlivesbuttheyshouldnotputtheir childrenatrisk.Iwearalifejacket. There aremanydifferenttypes. Theyarenot restrictiveandareperfectlycomfortable. Pleasecanweseeabitmorewatersafety sensebypeoplewhoenjoyboating.

ElizabethPamplin Byemail

ITISnow11yearssincetheCanal &RiverTrusttookoverfrom BritishWaterways.AndIdon’t thinkit’sanunderstatement tosayit’safailedexperiment. Overthelast11yearswehave experiencedthelossofaskilledand knowledgableworkforcereplaced withsubcontractors,manywith noknowledgeofnavigationor thewaterwaysinfrastructure,and thetotalabdicationofcontrolof vegetationtoassistboatmovement.

Therehasalsobeenavastincrease instoppagesthroughouttheyear oftenby‘boatdamage’or‘vandalism’ wheninmostcasesit’slackofongoing replacementormaintenance.

Weseeanorganisationthathas grownitsfancytitledmanagement

andreduceditshands-onworkforce. Andrebrandedwithallthose,inmost casesunnecessary,bluesigns! Nowtheyneedourhelp.Whywould weeverwanttothrowmoremoney theirway?Morenewvehicles,more

newmanagement andmajortowpath surfacingplusofcourse morebluesigns.

Takeitbackto Governmentwhileit isstill,what’sleftofit, atreasure.

BrianDJarrett NbAutarky

Howlongwillitbebeforemore ofourcanalsandriversendup lookinglikethis?

Everypictureisworthathousand words–whatcanyousayabout this?Alloverthesystemwe areseeingthis‘butchery’ofthe canalinfrastructure.Thiswas takenatthetopoftheGlascote locksontheCoventryCanalnear Tamworth. PHOTOS:BRIANJARRETT

Familyphotographsrecallbygonedays

BOATERandwildlifephotographer GrantHebblewhite,whofeatured recentlyin TowpathTalk (Character, Issue212,June2023)writes:

“Ifoundtheselovelyoldphotos ofmyNanandGrandpatakeninthe 50s,IexpectatStokeBruerne. The buttyisstillaroundapparently.

“Itusedtocarrythetwodifferent names Northolt and Northwich,one eithersideoftheforecabinandthe othereithersideofthesterncabin.”

Thephotographsbrought backtimelymemoriesofGrant’s

Outofbounds toboaters

FURTHERtotheletterfrom PaulHandley(Talkback,Issue 214,August2023)aboutthe windingholeatTyrleyonthe ShropshireUnionCanal,the Canal&RiverTrusthasnow issuedthefollowingnotice:

ThewindingholeatTyrley Wharf,whichisaprivatemooring sitenotbelongingtothetrust,is nolongeravailableforpublicuse. Pleasedonotattempttowind atthislocation,whichweare removingfromourmaps.

Alternativewindingholesare availabletothenorthatMarket Drayton(southofBridge64)or southatGoldstoneWharf(north ofBridge55).GoldstoneWharf canbereachedfromTyrley withoutpassingthroughanylocks.

grandparents,hisgrandmotherhaving beenbornonJuly28,1910.Sheliked narrowboatsandhadabluepainted footstoolwiththenameJupiteronit, nowinGrant’spossession.

BuiltfortheFellowsMorton&Clayton fleetin1898, Northwich isnowondry landattheNationalWaterwaysMuseum, Gloucester,awaitingrestoration. Grant,wholivesonboard nbEver After,mentionsthephotosinhislatest videoinwhichhehadalongchatwith TerryCavenderoftheBuckingham CanalSocietyaboutitsrestorationplans. Seehttps://youtu.be/ZXy5K8kkqPc

?Pleaselet usknowattheaddressabove.

Northwich awaitingrestorationattheNationalWaterwaysMuseum, Gloucester. PHOTO:TONYALDRIDGE

Grant’sNanandGrandpaholding Northwich’stiller.

naame e Jupitter. PHOOTOO:GGRANTHEBBLEWHITE

Where did that word come from?

John

Souter continues his series exploring the origins of commonly used boating terms.

MANY of you may be familiar with a lot of the terms that boaters use But have you ever stopped to wonder where the words we are all too familiar with actually originated from? Here are more examples of words whose origins may hopefully inform you, and in some cases perhaps, even surprise you

Fore (or fore-end) draft (also draught, air draft, water draft)

IN THE simplest sense this is the distance between a lowest-most point and a highest-most point When used in the context of air it is measured in height as in above the waterline, and in the context of water the measurement is referred as depth below the waterline

Air draft: The height of a boat as measured from the waterline to the highest fixed point on the boat A useful measure to know to avoid hitting low bridges etc!

Water draft: The amount of the hull that is under the water, usually measured at the aft at the skeg (lower rudder housing) A useful measure to know when water levels are lower than normal and there is danger of grounding

It’s thought the word comes from the 1the century Old Norse ‘drahtr’ which in itself is thought to have evolved from Germanic origin.

Dredging

The excavation or removal of silt, mud etc, usually at least in part under water, invariably to keep waterways open and navigable A dredger is any device or machine which is used to do such excavation from water If a crane or

other equipment to be used is mounted on a vessel then the whole vessel is normally referred to as a dredger

The word dates from the late 15th century Old English ‘drecq(e)’ which developed into Middle English via the Scots ‘dreg-boat’ , or ‘boat for dredging’

It could also come from the Old Norse word ‘draga’ meaning ‘to drag on the ground’

Fender

A protective pad or buffer, usually soft but solid, used to protect a boat from external damage e g when mooring up or going through locks Fenders were traditionally made of rope but are now also widely made from rubber or plastic

The word is thought to have been first used with reference to boats circa 1300 and is a shortening of the word ‘defender’ coming from the Old French ‘defendeor’ which meant ‘ one who protects from injury’

Flight (of locks)

A series of locks raising or lowering passage from one river or canal level to another in a way similar to climbing stairs to get from one floor to another, hence also the term staircase locks The use of the word as it is attributed to ‘ a series or set of stairs between one landing and another’ is believed to originate from the 1730s

The derivation of the word could come from the Old English word ‘flyht’ meaning ‘flying’ , as in birds ascending or descending in flight, although the more recent spelling is attributed to an alteration being made in the late 14th century to the Middle English word ‘fliht’

Getting the message across

NABO

general

secretary Peter Braybrook comments on some more topical issues.

Boat clubs, cruising clubs, yacht clubs, canal societies, user groups are all affiliating to this campaign

The list is possibly up to about 50 now and encompasses many thousands of people interested in preserving the waterways of Britain The first Campaign Cruise to Birmingham has been held and made a lot of noise in the centre of Birmingham for a few hours

But that is just the start A petition has been launched and we are busy circulating that to as many people as possible to take our voice directly into Downing Street Another Campaign Cruise, this time to Westminster, is planned for the autumn.

to be closed We do need to keep getting this message out to our colleagues to add their voice and signatures This withdrawal of central government from its obligations to keep the canals open for commercial and cruising traffic as envisioned by the government of the day in the 1968 Transport Act is so plainly short-sighted

IN APRIL I wrote at the very end of my piece: “Let us make our opinions known Let anyone and everyone know that we will not let our canals go without more than a whimper!”

The campaign has started FundBritain’sWaterways was formed earlier in the year at a meeting of NABO, AWCC, IWA, RYA and about 30 other boating and canal organisations and the list is growing almost daily

It has been noted that there are not usually many MPs and Lords sunning themselves on the terrace of the Palace of Westminster in November but we hope that we can show that concerned boaters are out there whatever the weather and get it in the papers and on the TV

I have been talking with boaters and volunteers about the funding situation There are so many who still have not heard of the Government's announcement and the news that by 2042 the Government will have ceased funding the Canal & River Trust completely.

In the years running up to that the trust has indicated some canals will need

Asonecannotdelegatearesponsibility without giving the authority to exercise it one cannot delegate a duty without the funding to fulfil it Taking the benefits of the canals and rivers in welfare and health without contributing to them amounts to having your cake and eating it The proverb says this does not happen. You cannot have it both ways

Swingeing cuts

Alongside the FundBritain’sWaterways campaigns which concern all Britain’s waterways, CRT has launched its own Keep Canals Alive campaign Many of its customers and supporters will be putting their weight behind that too Environment Agency and Scottish Canals have also had swingeing cuts to funding for navigation.

Apart from the long-term issue of financial provision we are also interested in the immediate problems of the waterways We have noticed many stoppages caused by lock failures Most of them have been sorted out within a

week without undue inconvenience to boat owners but each of these failures does have an effect on the local economy and the experience of hire boaters and others who may have to amend their holiday plans because of an unexpected navigation closure

CRT has embarked on a review of its maintenance and operational methods and would love the opinions of boaters to help them improve NABO believes that we should continue to report all problems that we find as we cruise The more information that we can provide the better If you go aground unexpectedly, let them know If a gate will not open or the lock will not fill let them know.

We have also heard that more savings will be made by more use of volunteers

We have seen an appeal for volunteer structure surveyors to inspect locks and

bridges I wonder whether anyone else is worried by this development I am a retired mechanical engineer who had almost 30 years ’ experience in the construction and maintenance of power stations Could I turn my hand to checking out a few 200-year-old piles of bricks, cast iron troughs and some old oak frames? I don’t think so We have heard that some mowing contracts will not be renewed and volunteers used instead. It has been also suggested that boaters will be encouraged to carry tools to help out when they can.

The do-it-yourself approach to mooring bank vegetation clearance is not to be discouraged but I don’t really want to carry a long-handled shovel to clear away enough silt to get my boat to the bank I am against do-it-yourself dredging

I am also unlikely to have a set of screwed poles and different rake and tool heads to fit on them on board to clear the bywash culverts and lock gate cills where debris is gathering to prevent efficient operation I still expect the navigation authority to provide these necessary items and the skilled operative to use them.

What happened to the ‘lengthsman’? The ratio of employees to volunteers is now about one to three What would we do without you?

Thank you all for your hard work and enthusiasm in helping bring sunshine to our summer

The Foxton staircase flight of locks on the Leicester Line.

PHOTO: JANET RICHARDSON

The campaign has started.

Dredging Gloucester Docks PHOTO: CANAL & RIVER TRUST

Fenders protecting the stern of this historic narrowboat.

PHOTO: JANET RICHARDSON