Towpath Talk February issue !!PREVIEW!!

BeatingBlue Monday

duringtheshort,darkdaysof winter.

eLabourpoliticianwas stabbedin2016inherBatley &Spenconstituencywhere shewasduetoholdaroutine surgery.HerLondonhomewas onahouseboatonthe ames inWapping.

CRTcommunicationsand campaignsmanagerAlex Patersonsaid:“JoCoxsaidinher maidenspeechtoParliament ‘wehavemoreincommon thanthatwhichdividesus’. Itwaslovelytoseesomany localpeoplefromdifferent

backgroundscometogether withthecanalasthefocalpoint.

“Eveninthedarkandcoldit’s clearthedi erencethatbeing byoronthewatercanmake topeople’swell-beingandwe certainlyblewawaytheJanuary blues–foradayatleast.”

Morethan40peopletook narrowboattripsthroughout theday,whilehavingacup ofteaandacosychatbythe wood-burningstove.

Participants,including EalingSouthallMPVirendra Sharma,alsoenjoyedspecially designedcupcakespromoting

thetrust’s£1millionSouthall WellbeingWayprojectwhich willtransforma6kmstretch ofthelocalcanalnetwork withupgradedtowpath,green spacesandopportunities forexerciseandcommunity activities.

Alexadded:“Wehavebeen workingwiththecommunity andpartnerstodevelop excitingplansfortheSouthall WellbeingWayandhopethat moreandmorepeoplelocally willbeabletovisitandenjoy thisfantasticassetontheir doorstep.”

Bluespaces

To ndoutmore abouttheSouthall WellbeingWayvisit https://canalrivertrust. org.uk/about-us/ where-we-work/ london-and-south-east/ southall-wellbeing-waycanalside-improvements or tinyurl.com/yea4muh3

Canal&RiverTrustengagementmanagerDianaFitzwilliamchatstoboattrippersaboutwhybeingbythewaterisgreatforwell-being.

WELCOME

IT’Sthattimeofyear whenwealllookfor signsofspringandstart planningoursummer programmewhetheronthewateror onland.

Ihaveseensnowdropsandaconites comingintobloomandafewofthe birdsarestartingtosingeventhough thismorning,asIwrite,everywhereis glisteningwithfrost.

Februaryseesthereturnofevents suchasBoatlifeLiveandtheNotts andLincsboatjumble–seeourwhat’s onguidestartingonpage20andTim Coghlanlooksforwardtoanewseason fortravellingtheatrecompanies MikronandAlarum,includingvisitsto Braunston,onpage23.

Ifyou’replanningasummer staycation,theDriftersconsortium ofindependenthireboatcompanies highlightssomeofthenewboatsjoining their eetsaswellasnewsofthisyear’s nationalopendayonSunday,April23 –StGeorge’sDay–inourholidays& leisuresectiononpages48-49.

Wewrapupsomeoftheeventswhich tookplacelatelastyearandoverthe festiveseasonand,lookingaheadto nextwinter’sstoppageseason,start anewserieswithalookathowthese areplannedandprioritised–seepage 10.Incidentally,werefertoplanned stoppageopendaysatGallowsInn LockontheErewashCanaloverthe lastweekendofJanuary.

Iheardaswewenttopressthatthese mayhavetobedelayedbyacoupleof weeksduetorisingwaterlevelscaused bytherecentspellofwetweather,so pleasechecktheeventspageonthe Canal&RiverTrustwebsiteatwww. canalrivertrust.org.ukbeforesettingout.

Ontheheritagefront,wehavea featurebySallyCli ordaboutaformer RAFseaplanetenderthatcanbeseenin WestYorkshire,Geo Courtneybrings usthelatestnewsfromtheauction housesandCicelyOliverfeaturesa rarecanalboatfoundina eldnear Inveruriewhichisnowondisplayat theGariochHeritageCentre,seepages 18-19.

Keepyourspiritsup.

BeatingBlueMonday y

LOCALpeopleintheSouthallarea

madethemostofaGreatWinterCanal GetTogetherheldbytheCanal&River TrustontheGrandUnionCanal. IttookplaceonJanuary16,dubbed BlueMondayasitissaidtobethemost depressingdayoftheyear.

Oneofhundredshappeningacross thecountryinmemoryofthemurdered MPJoCox,theeventaimedtotackle loneliness,isolationandpoormental andphysicalhealth.

Morethan40peopletooknarrowboat tripsthroughtheday,whilehavinga cupofteaandacosychatbythewoodburningstove.

Editor JanetRichardson jrichardson@mortons.co.uk

Publisher TimHartley Groupadvertisingmanager

SueKeily

Advertisingsalesteamleader TaniaShaw–01507529489 tshaw@mortons.co.uk

Editorialdesign ChrisAbrams

Productioneditor PaulineHawkins

Publishingdirector DanSavage

Commercialdirector NigelHole Contactus

Customerservices 01507529529

Telephonelinesareopen:MondayFriday8.30am-5pm. help@classicmagazines.co.uk www.classicmagazines.co.uk

News&editorial Tel:01507529466.Fax:01507529495 editorial@towpathtalk.co.uk

Publishedby MortonsMediaGroupLtd,Media Centre,MortonWay,Horncastle,Lincs, LN96JR Tel: 01507523456. Fax: 01507529301

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Nextissue –February23,2023

Energ y Bills Support Scheme – NBTA advice for concerned boa ters

AndertonBoatLift

address and bank details, with the address needing to both match the bank account and be cross-referenced against a Meter Po

( M PA N ) which

be for a house, not an itinerant household As a result, all applications by itinerants, including iti

oard

oaters, w ill automatically fail

the deputy director general at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), a workaround has been agreed Itinerant b oate r

re nt ly m o o re d i n t h e relevant pilot areas are encouraged to make the application, then take a screenshot of the fail notice

ere is a BEIS helpline for those who cannot get online or other wise have di culties lling in the online form – both this number and the gov uk application page were due to be made available in an update when the pilot scheme went live after this issue of Towpath Talk went to press Applicants must then send the f a i l n o t i c e s c re e n s h o t o n t o t h e pilot scheme local authority where the y are cur rently mo ore d as an application for the Housing Support Grant identifying themselves as an ‘itinerant boat dweller ’ Government guidance has been given to local au t h o r i t i e s nat i o n w i d e t hat t h e Housing Support Grant is to be paid to eligible EBSS-AF applicants who fail the current EBSS-AF application system

I n o r d e r t o e s t a b l i s h t h e workability of this proposed x , the NBTA encourag es b oaters in the pilot scheme areas to go through this process, seeking further advice from secretar iat@bargee-traveller org uk if required e NBTA also requests that applicants take both screenshots and notes of the whole

process (including applying to the lo cal author it y) and return thes e to the NBTA using the above email address

Itinerant boaters who use diesel, coal, bottled gas or wood for heating are also entitled to the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) – £200 in addition to the £400 from the EBSS-AF. Since the AFP payment is currently designed around an additional declaration on the EBSS-AF application, itinerant boater applicants in the pilot scheme a re a s a re e n c ou rag e d to re q u e st the AFP (if eligible) as a part of the Housing Support Grant, citing their use of relevant alternative fuels e NBTA is continuing to work with BEIS for a more direct solution to this ongoing problem, w ith the demand that changes be made to both the EBSS-AF and AFP by the time the system goes live nationwide It will share further information as and when it is established and will continue to ght to ensure that its r ightly concerned community are o ered the same support as those that live on land in the midst of this cost of living crisis

ASPECIALfreeopendaywilltake placeattheAndertonBoatLiftnear NorthwichonSaturday,February 18from10am-3pm.

Visitorswillbeabletohear specialisttalksfromCanal&River Trustengineersandecologists abouttheimportanceoftheboat liftandtheregion’scanalnetwork, aswellastakepartinarangeof freeactivities,includingangling tastersessions,canoeing,children’s engineeringsessionsandbuilding bughotelstosupportwildlife.Boat tripswillalsobeavailable.

Engineerswillshinealight onthechallengeofsecuringthe long-termfutureoftheAnderton BoatLift,whicheachyearcarries around3000boatsbetweenthe Trent&MerseyCanalandtheRiver Weaver. eywillgiveaninsight intotheemergency£450,000repair workwhichistakingplacethis winterattheVictorianScheduled Monument,aswellasproposals forafurthermajorprojecttosecure thelong-termfutureoftheliftand popularvisitorcentre.

Formoreinformationaboutthe work,whichitishopedwillenable thelifttoreopenintimeforEaster, turntopage6.

GoodNeighbourresidents’groupon theHavelockEstateinSouthalltakes thetillerduringoneofthetrips.

BoardingthenarrowboatforoneofthetripsalongtheGrandUnion CanalatSouthall.

Ealing

toalocal resident.

Prestigiousawards forcanalvolunteers

DELIGHTEDvolunteershavewontwo prestigiousawardsfortheirimpressive e ortstorestoreaformerwaterway.

Melksham,Chippenham&Calne branchoftheWilts&BerksCanalTrust receivedbothofthecharity’sannual TonyDavyAwards.

Crystalaccolades,namedafter thecharity’sformerchairman,are presentedtothebranchwhich submittedthemostvolunteerhours overtheprevious12monthsandthe branchwhichsawthebiggestincrease inhours.

TheMelksham,Chippenham& Calneteamrecorded12,286hours–morethandoublethepreviousyear –withanestimatedvalueofmore than£168,000whenapplyingfor ‘matchedfunding’.

Payingtributetothehardworkand commitmentoflocalvolunteers,branch chairmanDaveMaloneysaid:“It’sa tremendoushonourtoreceivethese awardsonbehalfofouramazingteams. We’vealwaysbeenaveryactivebranch, butwesawasurgeofinterestduringthe pandemicwhenpeoplewerelooking

fornewopportunitiestoenjoyfreshair andexercise.

“Ourworkpartieswereintheopenair inthecountryside,withplentyofroom forsocialdistancing,sobyfollowingthe rulesinplaceatthetimewewereable tocontinuetherestorationthroughout muchofthatdi cultperiod.

“ osenewvolunteershavestayed withusandgotmoreinvolved,and helpedtorecruitevenmoresupporters.”

Mostofthehourshavebeenfocused ontherewateredstretchbetween PewshamLocksandDoubleBridge wherethecharityisrebuildingawaiting wall,drydockandotherstructures,and atnearbyGreenLaneFarmwhereteams havebeenclearinganothersectionof recentlyuncoveredcanal.

Volunteersalsorunpopulartripboats atbigoccasionssuchasChippenham FolkFestival,ChippenhamRiver FestivalandMelkshamFood&River Festival,aswellasonthePewsham stretchduringthesummer,whileothers arrangefundraisingeventsorgivetalks tolocalgroups.

Workalsocontinuesonthe

refurbishmentofthecharity’sown canalsidepub, ePeterboroughArms atDauntseyLock.

erearestillplentyofopportunities fornewvolunteers,withaparticular needforbricklayers,civilengineers, quantitysurveyorsandproject managers–althoughallo ersofhelp areappreciated.

Daveadded:“Wehaveworkparty volunteersagedfromtheir20sto their80s,includingdoctors,nurses, gardeners,taxidrivers,company directorsanduniversitylecturers.We’re sincerelygratefulforeveryhour,andare alwayskeentowelcomenewsupporters whowanttobringtheWilts&Berks backtolife.”

echarity’sultimateambitionisto restoretheentirewaterwayfromthe Kennet&AvonCanalnearMelksham tothe ames&SevernCanalnear CrickladeandtheRiver amesnear Abingdon,connectingChippenham, Calne,RoyalWoottonBassettand Swindon.

Visitwww.wbct.org.ukformore information.

this, for

years

the commercial eld He brings a broad range of skills, knowledge and exper ience to IWA , as w e l l a s b e i n g a b o at owner He is passionate a b o u t t h e w a t e r w ay s a n d e v e r y b o d y w h o uses them

t IWA

Newvolunteers soughtinthe NorthWest

THECanal&River Trusthaslaunched amajorappealfor newvolunteersfora rangeofrolesfrom traditionallockkeepers toleadingwalkson historicwaterways acrossCheshireand Merseyside. Manyoftheroles, liketowpathrangers, boatcrewandwildlife conservationists,are inthegreatoutdoors volunteeringalongthe nation’swaterways, interactingwithboaters andtowpathvisitors, andhelpingtotacklethe biodiversitycrisisinour

townsandcities. Speakinginadvance ofavolunteerwelcome sessionheldaswewent topressattheNational WaterwaysMuseum, EllesmerePort,North Westcommunity engagementmanager SteveBergquistsaid: “Wearehopingtorecruit volunteerstohelpout atouramazingvisitor attractions,theNational WaterwaysMuseum andAndertonBoatLift, becomelockkeepers, joinourmonthly towpathtaskforcesor evengointoschoolsto teachchildrenabout

ourwonderfulcanal heritageandstayingsafe bywater.

“Nomatterwhatyour skillsetorexperience, wehavesomething foreveryone.

“Whetheryouare lookingtoboostyour well-being,get tand active,orjustmakeanew year’sresolutiontogive somethingback,join thethousandsofpeople alreadybene tingfrom volunteeringbywater and#ActNowForCanals.” Fordetailsof forthcomingwelcome sessionsintheYorkshire area,turntopage21.

Jo nat ha n a d d e d t hat h e ha d b e e n a ma z e d a n d hu m b l e d by the support he had received from across the association

IWA’s new chief executive Dave Pearce

PHOTO: IWA

Inthedeepmidwinter

WHILEmanyboatersarelooking forwardtothearrivalofspringandthe chancetogetoutandaboutagainon thecut,othershavebeenenduringthe winterwithitsalternatespellsofbitterly coldandunseasonablymildweather. Wearegratefultoeveryonewhohas sharedphotosonoursocialmediapages onFacebookandTwitter@towpathtalk andInstagram@towpathtalko cialand bringyouaselectionhere.

AsnowyWalthamCommonLockontheLeeNavigation.

PHOTO:JOEDUNNEANDTAMARSAPHRA

AsnowysceneatBerkhamstedontheGrandUnion Canal. PHOTO: PHILLIPPAALLOM,THEFLOATINGWORKSHOP

Narrowboats

along theLee Navigationnear Cheshunt. PHOTO: JOE DUNNEAND TAMARSAPHRA

ArainyEnslowMarinaontheSouthOxfordCanal. PHOTO:TIFFANYGALE-HAYNES,KINGSGROUNDNARROWBOATS

PHOTO:PHILLPPAALLOM

Aviewfromwithin.

PHOTO:PHILLIPPAALLOM,THE FLOATINGWORKSHOP

PHOTO:

AnicystretchoftheGrandUnionCanal atBerkhamsted. PHOTO:PHILLIPPAALLOM

AllfrozenupatBraunstonMarina.

PHOTO:TIMCOGHLAN

SeagullsoniceatBerkhamstedontheGrandUnionCanal. PHOTO:PHILLIPPAALLOM

Swarkestonetowpath reopensafterfirstphase

ASECTIONofhistoriccanaltowpath inSwarkestonehasreopenedafterthe Canal&RiverTrustcompletedthe rst phaseofimprovements.

esewillmakeiteasierforpeople toaccessthecanalandtolinkthecanal pathtootherconnectingtrails.

Workinginpartnershipwith Sustrans,CRThasimproved2.5km oftheTrent&MerseyCanaltowpath atSwarkestoneinSouthDerbyshire. etowpathhasbeenwidenedandis backopenforpeopletouse,although afinalstonechiptopsurfacewill belaidinthespringasitrequires warmertemperaturestobondwiththe baselayer.

ecanalisstillusedandnavigated byboatshundredsofyearsafterit wasbuilt.Itstowpathalsoformsan importantpartofRoute6oftheNational CycleNetworkwhichconnectsLondon tothePeakDistrict.

Inaddition,thetowpathisapopular pathlocally,connectingtheroutenorth intoDerbyandsouthalongtheCloud TrailintoWorthington.

This£700,000projectispartof theCanal&RiverTrust’songoing worktoprotectandpreservethe canalforboatsandwildlife,andto makeiteasierforpeopletouseall yearround.Fundingfortheproject

hascomefromtheDepartmentfor TransportthroughSustrans’PathsFor Everyoneprogramme.

Withresearchshowingthattime spentbywatercanhelppeoplefeel happierandhealthier,andwithmore peoplelookingforalocalescapeontheir doorstep,theworksmakeiteasierand moreappealingforpeopletogetoutand explorethelocalcanalsandotherroutes ontheirdoorstep.

AlanLeather,partnershipsmanager fortheCanal&RiverTrust,said:“It’s greatthatwe’reabletoreopenthe towpathandmakeiteasierforpeople toenjoythisbeautifulstretchofcanal.

“ eworkshavegonewellandwe’ll bebackinthespringtoapplythe nal stonechiplayerwhichwillgivethepath amorenaturalfeel.Inthemeantime,we hopepeopleenjoygettingbackouton theirlocalcanal.

“We’reverygratefultoSustransfor makingtheseimprovementspossible. Asacharitythiskindofsupportisvital inourongoingworktoprotectand preserveourhistoricwaterwaysand avertthedeclinewesawlastcentury.”

To ndoutabouttheworkofthe Canal&RiverTrustandhowyoucan supportthecharity,eitherthrough volunteeringormakingadonation,visit www.canalrivertrust.org.uk

Canalside art trail tackles ta gging and antisocial beha viour

A STRETCH of urban towpath on the Grand Union Canal has been transformed by a canalside art trail created by the Canal & River Trust e project in Alperton, North L o n d o n , b u i l d s o n re s e a rc h showing that community street a r t d i s c o u r a g e s a n t i s o c i a l behaviour and tagging and was made possible by support from p l aye r s o f Pe o p l e ’ s Po s t c o d e L o t t e r y , a w a r d e d t h r o u g h Postcode Earth Trust

A group of local schoolchildren from Harlesden Primar y worked with street artists Manuela and Tara, and gra ti artist Gianpaolo Hank on designs for the murals

on the theme of nding their ‘ Hap py Pla ce By Wat er ’ i n a workshop run by the trust Ma r t h a M i c h e l s o n , C R T ’ s community roots co-ordinator for Brent, who led the project, said: “Working w ith the community here in Brent I know how proud lo cal people are of their local water way Removing gra ti gives the towpath a more welcoming atmosphere I’m delighted that we have been able to build on the success of the ‘living room ’ artwork to give people another reason to visit this stretch of the Grand Union Canal e children really responded to the theme and it was lovely to see their take on it ”

Th rou g h t h e p ro m o ti on o f street art CRT aims to encourage people to visit urban areas of the canal network and last year another area of towpath nearby w a s t u r n e d i nt o a n o u t d o o r ‘living room ’ by artists Gra ti and unsightly tagging can b e a p rob le m in hi d d en spots, particularly in urban areas such as along the Grand Union Canal in L ondon Jet washing o r p a i nt i n g ov e r t h e g ra f f i t i often simply results in a ‘blank ca nva s ’ f o r n e w g ra f f i t i , b u t research commissioned by the trust has shown that communitysupported art is more likely to be left clear of tags

ThecompletedstretchoftowpathalongtheTrent&MerseyCanalatSwarkestone. PHOTO:CRT

e of the canalside urals PHOTOS: CRT

On m

The Alperton art trail.

HeritageLotteryboostforAndertonproject

THECanal&RiverTrusthas beenawardeda£574,000grant fromtheNationalLottery HeritageFundtosupport thedevelopmentofamajor repairprojectandcommunity engagementplanatAnderton BoatLift.

isfunding,madepossible byNationalLotteryplayers,will enablethetrusttocarryout essentialrepairstotheVictorian boatliftatNorthwich,Cheshire, tosecureitslong-termfuture, prepareadetailedplantoupdate facilitiesandinterpretation atthepopularvisitorcentre andextendacommunity outreachprogramme.

TheScheduledHistoric

Monument,whicheachyear carriesaround3000boats betweentheTrent&Mersey CanalandtheRiverWeaver Navigation,needsamajor upgradetokeepitoperational. ewholeironstructurerequires blastcleaning,repairingand repainting,thetimbercontrol cabinreplacingandIToperating systemupdating.

Alsoincludedintheproposals areplanstoreplacethelarge marquee,whichisusedtohost schoolgroupsandevents,with analternative exiblebuilding, includingnewtoilets,plus updatestothevisitorcentre andgroundstoimprovethe visitorexperience,aswellasthe

developmentofnewlearning, skillsandoutreachprogrammes. iswillenablemorevisitors toenjoytheuniqueattraction anddelvedeeperintothesite’s fascinatinghistory.

CRTNorthWestdirector DanielGreenhalghsaid: “Theessentialrepairand upgradeworkiscritically importanttomaintainingthe liftasanoperationalstructure. Constructedin1875,itholdsa uniqueplaceinwaterwayhistory astheworld’s rstcommercially operatedboatliftandour missionistoensurethatit continuestodelightandengage futuregenerations.”

Overthenext14months,

thetrustwillbedeveloping acomprehensiveplanfor ‘EngineeringtheFuture’,withthe intentionofapplyingforafurther grantfromtheNationalLottery HeritageFundtowardstheentire £13.4millionproject.Ifthebid issuccessful,theplanwillbeto startan18-monthprogramme ofworksattheendofthe2024 boatingseason.

Asaforetasteoftheurgent necessityformajorrepairwork, thelifthasbeenclosedsince earlyAugustduetothefailure ofasafetymechanisminone oftheliftgates.Anemergency £450,000repairworkpackageis nowoncoursetobecompleted thiswintertoensureAnderton

BoatLiftreopenstoboaters andthetrust’s EdwinClark publictripboatintimefor Easter2023.

eworkfeaturestwokey projects.Twogianthydraulic ramcylinders,whicheach

TheofficialreopeningbythethenPrinceofWalesin2003 afterthemillenniumrestorationproject. PHOTOS:CRT

propelacaissontransporting boatsupanddown,arebeing givenamuch-neededoverhaul.

elargemetaltankcaissons willbedetachedfromtherams andproppedupabouttwo metresabovegroundlevelto allowthe20-year-oldcylinder sealstobereplaced,theceramic ramsrepolishedandreset,and 12,000litresofhydraulicoilto bechanged.

Eachofthelift’s10setsofgates willalsohavetwonew‘falland arrest’safetysystemsinstalled, whichactlikeagiantseatbeltin anemergency.

Followingtheidenti cation ofthesafetyissueinthe summer,newdesignshavebeen engineered,approvedbyHistoric

Englandandmanufactured. Oncetherepairshavebeen carriedout,theliftwillhavea shortrecommissioningperiodof abouttwotofourweeksbefore itisonceagainavailableto carryboats.

TheAndertonBoatLift VisitorCentrewillcontinue towelcomevisitors throughoutthewinterat weekends–Saturdaysand Sundays,9.30am-4.30pm. Formoreinformation, checkouttheplaces tovisitsectionatwww. canalrivertrust.org.ukor call01606786777.

The EdwinClark tripboatenteringthelift.

Ahydraulicramsupporting oneofthecaissons.

WinterworkstoprotecttheMon&Brec

GLANDWRCymru,theCanal&River TrustinWales,hasstartedafourmonthprogrammeofimprovements toprotectandpreservethepicturesque Monmouthshire&BreconCanal.

eworksonthe35-milecanal, whichhasahistorydatingbackmore than220years,willbecompletedin Marchandwillseethetrust’steamof sta andvolunteerscarryoutrepairs onbridges,lockwallsandcanalbanks.

HannahBooth,areaoperations managerfortheMonmouthshire&Brecon Canal,said:“Ourskilledteamofsta and volunteersareworkingthroughoutthe wintertocarryouttheimportantongoing maintenance,repairandconservation workthatwillensurewecankeepthe Monmouthshire&BreconCanalopen, safeandaccessibleforvisitorsandboaters.

“Weareworkingtorepairlockwalls

andbridges, xleaksandrepairtheclay liningonculverts,andareundertaking otherinspectionworkaspartofour managementofthecanal. isisavital partoftheworkwedotomaintainthis specialwaterwaythatcarvesthrough theheartoftheUskValleyandBrecon BeaconsNationalPark,bringingtogether bene tsforpeople,natureandheritage.”

Fortheimprovementstobemade, sectionsofthecanalhavebeendrained following shrescuestosafelymovethe shtoothersectionsofthecanal. etrustisinvesting£350,000inthe canalthiswinteraspartofawider£57 millionessentialinvestmenttomaintain thecanalnetworkacrossEnglandand

Towpathworksstart inLoughborough

APROJECThasstartedtorevamp asectionofcanaltowpathin Loughborough,Leicestershire.

eCanal&RiverTrustisworking inpartnershipwithLoughborough TownDealtoimprovea2kmstretch oftheRiverSoartowpathbetween MoorLaneBridgeandBeltonLane.

CRTEastMidlandsregional directorLinnyBeaumontsaid: “Localsupport,likethefunding fromLoughboroughTownDeal, iscrucialinhelpingusinour ongoingworktoprotectwaterways andensurethattheycancontinue tobeenjoyedbothnowandfor futuregenerations.Itisgreatthat LoughboroughTownDealBoard hasrecognisedtheimportanceof Loughborough’swaterwaysforthose livingandworkinginthetown.”

Theprojectwilltransformthe stretchoftowpathandmakeit suitableforuseallyearroundby peopleonfootorbikeaswellasthose withwheelchairsorbuggiesand thoseaccessingthewaterforboating. Itwillbringsigni cantbene tsto peopleinthesouthofLoughborough, enablingthemtotravelintotownon atra c-freeroute.

Aspartoftheworksthe towpathwillbewidenedanda newall-weathersurfacelaid. is involveslayingabitumensurface andthenastonechiplayertogive itamorenaturalfeelsympathetic tothecanalsurroundings.

Aswellasimprovingthe towpathsurfacetheworkswill

alsoseebarriersremoved,signage, wayfindingandaccesspoints improvedandprovisionforboat mooringsincreased,enabling visitingboaterstovisittowncentre facilitiesandattractionsmoreeasily.

Researchshowsthattimespentby watercanhelppeoplefeelhappier andhealthierandthatthetrust’s waterwaysbring£6.1billionof welfarebene tsannuallybyhelping peoplekeephealthy.Withmore peoplelookingforalocalescape ontheirdoorstep,theseworkswill makeiteasierandmoreappealing forpeopletogetouttoexploreand enjoythecanalinLoughborough.

WorksstartedinJanuaryand aredueto nishinmid-May. e towpathwillbeclosedforthe durationoftheworks.

eprojecthasbeenmadepossible thankstoan£885,000grantfrom LoughboroughTownDeal.Itisone of11projectsLoughboroughTown Dealissupportingaftersecuring £16.9millionofgovernmentfunding. Intotal,theprojectsareworthmore than£40mofinvestmentforthetown.

Repointingoneofthewalls.

Thestretchoftowpathtobe improvedinLoughborough. PHOTO:CRT

Pavingthewayfornext phaseofMontyproject

SHROPSHIREUnionCanalvolunteers devotedtheirworkpartyinDecember topreparinganewcompoundsite southofCrickheathBridgeforthenew MontgomeryCanalrestorationproject in2023.

Anelectricalsupplylinewas ttedto enableasumppumptobe ttednextto CrickheathBridgetoremoveresidual waterenteringthechannel.

ecopingstonesanddrystonewall oftheoldwharfweregivenadetailed assessmentofworkneededtobe donethere.

Treeswereremovedfromfurther downthechannelandaconsiderable amountofbrashwasburnedtoclearthe pathfortheimpendingwork.

Finalitemsofequipmentincluding pipesandbagsofsandweretransported fromtheoldsitebygrablorryand installedonthenewcompound.

ehospitalityshelterwasdismantled andstored,readytobetransportedwhen thethreesteelequipmentcontainers andthecementmixerareremoved andreinstalledatCrickheath.Some seriousremedialweldingtookplace toreplacesectionsoftheroofofthe welfarecontainer.

Ceremonymarksofficialopeningofupgradedtowpath

Suction dredging a t Gloucester Docks

THE Canal & River Trust has

biggest

Gloucester

dredging

e f o u

o nt h d re dg i ng p ro g ra m m e will remove 15,000 cubic metres of silt using a powerful suction dredger is excess silt entered the docks from the R iver S e vern dur ing the exceptionally dr y summer while the tr ust ensured the vital daily water supply for residents and businesses in Bristol

Th e c o mp l e t i o n o f t h e £ 7 5 0 , 0 0 0 dredging project will once again allow boats, including tall ships, to freely navigate and moor in Gloucester Docks Rob Eaton, CRT regional operations manager, explained: “Water from the River Severn supplies up to half of the daily water supply for Bristol It is pumped from the river into the docks at Gloucester, and then along the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal where Bristol Water treats it before supplying it to homes and businesses

“Last summer Bristol Water took around 175 million litres of water per day from the canal and, exacerbated by the drought, it has meant that the water coming into Gloucester ’ s docks from the River Severn has been far siltier than usual.”

He continued: “ is led to a rapid build-up of silt which has reduced depth of water in the docks from our target of around 3 5 metres to one

metre or less in some areas at ’ s enough for a narrowboat but little else and is currently preventing deeperd ra f t e d b o at s s u c h a s p a s s e n g e r craft, and the tall ships who visit in May and June, from using par t of the docks

“I am delighted to get the winter programme of dredging under way s o that w e can ensure the do cks, which are such a key feature of the city, continue to be used by boats as they have been for hundreds of years ” Silt in Gloucester Docks is made up of a mixture of sand and sediment carried and deposited by the river

Over the next few months it will be ‘sucked up ’ by the dredger, increasing water levels in the docks once more Normally the trust can monitor the level of silt in the r iver water and only allow water into the docks when levels are low How ever, last year, intensi ed by the drought and the need to meet the water demands at Bristol, more water was required than usual regardless of silt levels e dredging programme in winter avoids impacting coarse sh such as roach, perch and pike who spaw n in the spring and summer months Similarly, works to the River Severn are complete d in w i nter to avo id i mpa c t i ng m ig rat o r y s h su ch a s sea lamprey, twaite shad, allis shad, salmon, sea trout and eels

madein2015,andresultingina4.1km stretchofcontinuoushigh-quality

towpaththroughLeightonBuzzardand surroundingareas.

Theride-throughattheopeningoftheupgradedtowpathat LeightonBuzzard.

A CLUMP of rare native black poplar trees has been planted along the River Weaver Navigation n e a r N o r t h w i c h i n C h e s h i r e i n a j o i n t res cue mission by the Canal & River Trust and Chester Zoo to preser ve the species

B l a c k p o p l a r t re e s would once have been a f a m i l i a r s i g h t o n r i v e r s i d e w o o d l a n d s a n d f l o o d p l a i n s, b u t now they are one of the ra re s t t re e s p e c i e s i n t he c ount r y C ha ng es i n l a n d ma nag e m e nt, w i t h m o r e d r a i n a g e f o r ag r i c u l t u re a n d a reduction in the ne e d fo r t rad i ti onal t imb er, have meant fewer have been planted

Only around 370 true black poplar trees have been recorded growing in Cheshire since 1990 a n d t h e y a re m o s t l y mature trees which are g r a d u a l l y b e i n g l o s t t h rou g h o l d ag e Th e t h re at o f t h e s p e c i e s b e i n g h y b r i d i s e d b y o t h er p o p lar va r i e t ie s

o r d i s a p p e a r i n g c o m p l e t e l y i n s p i r e d Chester Zoo to initiate a special conser vation project to propagate true Cheshire black poplar cuttings to ensure the native tree’s sur vival

T h e t r u s t r e c e n t l y p l a nt e d ha l f a d oz e n male and female trees from the project by the River Weaver in Hartford t o e n c o u r a g e f u t u r e propagation.

C RT e c o l o g i s t Sa ra Kirk e x p la i n e d : “ T r ue black poplars need ver y sp e c i c c o n d i t io n s t o

r e p r o d u c e n a t u r a l l y eir s e e ds are shor tl i v e d , a n d m a l e a n d female trees need to be sited close to each other, w i t h f e r t i l i s e d s e e d s falling on damp ground “ e Weaver valle y, w i t h i t s m o s a i c o f woodland and wetland habitats beside the river, is an ideal site to kickstart the regeneration of these wonderful native trees. ey are great for biodiversity and provide a fantastic natural home for moths, b ees, birds and butter ies ”

Clearingthechannel.

The suction dredger at work in Gloucester Docks. PHOTO: CRT

Ecologist Sara Kirk joins Mike Mitchell, Jack Hall and Oliver Bagnall in planting rare black poplar trees along the River Weaver Navigation. In the background is boat helmsman Brian Pimlott

PHOTO: CRT

CharactersoftheCut

JoinDaveThompson ashesavoursthe tranquillityofthetowpath

ByAliceGriffin

IN2012whenDave ompsonlost hiswifeof25years,Sue,tocancer hewasleftnotjustbroken-hearted, butalsobroke.

“WehadbeenlivinginTenerife forthelastyearofSue’slifeandafter shediedIfoundmyselfstrugglingto surviveasabarentertainer,”Dave tellsme.“AfteralotofthoughtI madethedecisiontoreturnto theUKwithnothingmorethana suitcase,kayakandbicycle.”

However,lifebackintheUKalso proveddi cultandDavesoonfound himselfcouchsur ng,livingfromone daytothenextwithlittlepurpose, untilheeventuallywokeupinhospital havingtakenanoverdose.

Despitereachingthisextremelow, Davewasabletorecogniseitashis wake-upcallandpropelledhimself towardsnewopportunities.“IknewI hadtoliftmyselfupandatthistime ajobcamealongwithCanal&River Trust. eywantedafundraiseranda friendpersuadedmetogoforit.”

HavingpreviouslybeenaButlins RedCoat,Davehadtheabilitytotalka goodtalk(!)andsixyearsagohetook onthepositionofsigningpeopleup tothe‘Friends’programme.“Iloved it,particularlythetranquillityofthe towpath.Ihadalwayslovednatureand hadaninterestincamerassoafterwork Istarted lming.”

Davemetlotsofboatersduring histimeexploringthetowpathand mostspokeofhowmuchtheyloved thelifestyle.“Ididn’trealisestraight away,buttheanswerwasrightinfront ofme.” eanswerbeing,thatwitha loantobuyaboat,hecouldembarkon

asimpleandquietwaytoliveamidst nature,thatwouldhelphim ndhis waybacktoenjoyinglife.

Findinghisboat, eIsness –a2005 57ftLiverpoolsemi-trad–wasdestiny initself.“AfterworkIwouldsometimes kayakalongthecanalfilming king shersbutittookmeseveral daysofexploringthesameareatoget closer.”OnthisdailyoutingDavewould alwaysturnhiskayakatthepermanent mooringofaspeci cboat,which turnedouttobeonehehadbeenin contactwithsomeoneaboutonline.“I feltlikeIhadmanifestedit!”Davetells meanddespiteitonlybeingthesecond boathelookedat,itfeltimmediately likehomeandthedealwasdone.

etransitionfrom lmingforfun tovlogginginamoreprofessional manner,tookplaceduringlockdown. “MyjobendedbecauseofCovidand Ineededsomethingtofocuson.I

hadseensomeblogsonlineand thought,whydon’tIdoavlog. IrealisedwhenIwasdoingthe fundraisinghowbeautifulitwas onthecanalsandIwantedto capturethatspirit.”

Davepurposelysteersaway fromsomeofthemorepractical areasofboating,insteadfocusing o oncapturingthepositivemindset thatcanbeachievedwhenfully a absorbingthetranquillityofthe waterways. ismakesforagentle, thought-provokingchannel.

ebreathtakinglandscapeof theMaccles eldandUpperPeak ForestcanalswhereDavelivesasa continuouscruiserprovideample opportunitytocapturethebeautyof thisplanet,whileremindingusthatwe donotneedtotravelfarforinspiration. “I ndthatwhenI’mconnectingwith natureI’mlivinginthepresent,tuning intoallmysenses.Forinstance,Ican watchleavesdancingontheiceandbe utterlymesmerised.”

Highlightingthescenesothersdonot havetimetostopandnoticeisapastime thathasnotonlyslowedDavedown, butisalsoprovingtobeameditation forpeopleallovertheworld;people drawntothesenseofcalmo eredby lifeonthewater.Dave’sscenicvideos havetheaddedbonusofcalmingmusic, too,ashisfriend,PaoloC,composesthe sereneaccompaniments.“Peopletell meithelpsthemrelaxandsleep,andit

YouTube:@Narrowboatisness Facebook:@boatisness Instagram:@boat_isness

AliceGrif nisawriterandyogi withagypsysoul.Sheleads yogaclassesandnature-inspired journallinge-coursesallfromher narrowboat, Melody Website:www.alicegriffin.co.uk YouTube:@wanderingalice

bringshometothemaboutlife.” Thereisnodoubtthatthese collaborationssendoutarippleofcalm intotheworldandit’ssoupliftingand inspirationalknowingthebackground toDave’sstory.Fromfallingtoan incrediblelowhehasbeenabletolift

himselfbackupandintheprocesslift others,too.“Comingbacktonatureyou comebacktoyourinstinctsandstart trustingthateverythingwillworkout.” ItseemsDaveisrightwhereheneeds tobeandwhatagifttotheworldhis lmsare.

Canalway Cavalcade

IWA’sCanalwayCavalcadewill returntoLondon’sLittleVenice fora40thanniversarycelebration betweenApril29andMay1,2023. eeventisheldannuallyover thethreedaysoftheearlyMay DayBankHolidayandisavibrant waterwayscelebration. London’sLittleVenicewill betransformedwithhundreds ofcolourfulboats,livemusic, refreshmentstands,craftstallsand familyactivities!

Boatbookingsarenowopenfor thisuniquefestivalandyoucan downloadanapplicationformfrom theIWAwebsite. ecommitteethat organisestheeventisalsoseeking newmembersandvolunteersso pleasedoconsiderjoiningthe fantasticteambehindoneofthemost

successfulandbestattendedinland waterwayseventsinthecountry.

Currentvacanciesinclude: marketingandsocialmedia assistant;secretary;siteandservices assistantandtreasurer.

Allrolesaboverequireattendance ataroundeightcommitteemeetings peryear,andtheneedforgeneral availabilityduringtheweektotake ondutiesattributedtotherole.You willofcoursealsoberequiredto attendtheevent.

Formoreinformation,orto registeryourinterest,pleasecontact ChristineSmith–christine.smith@ waterways.org.uk

Canalcamps

THE2023programmewillbe availableinearlyspringandtheIWA willalsoberecruitingvolunteersfor keyrolesincluding:

Canalcampleader–yourmain roleistomakesurethecanalcamp isafun,wellplannedandsafe experienceforall. Assistantcanalcampleader–you willsupporttheleaderinmaking surethecanalcamprunssmoothly andsafely.

Canalcampcook–yourmain roleistofeed12-18canalcamp volunteers.Canalrestorationis hungryworkafterall!

Canalcampvolunteersarebeing soughtforkeyroles. PHOTO:IWA

Dave’snarrowboatonawinter’sday.

Having breakfast on the welldeck.

Howwinterstoppagesareplanned

TtheCanal&RiverTrust’swinterworksare nearingcompletionbutwitha200-yearoldsystemtomaintain,planningfornext season’sprogrammeisalreadyunderway. Chiefinfrastructureandprogrammesofficer MalcolmHorneexplains.

THECanal&RiverTrust’sageing infrastructureneedssigni cant careandinvestmenttokeepit safeandavailableforboatersto enjoytodayandforgenerations tocome.Withthousandsof assets,includingover1500locks, arigorousinspectionprogramme

andcarefulplanningisanecessity. Ourassetsareinspected regularlyandprioritisedfor investmentdependingonvarious criteria,liketheircondition.

Lockgatesusuallyhavea25-year averagelifespan. econditionof thelockgateswheninspectedis

determinedbyusingagrading systemfromA-E;alockgatein conditionAmeansthatthegates are‘likenew’whileconditionD meansthattheyaregettingclose toneedingreplacing.Condition Emeansthatthegatesneed replacementstraightawayand thereforearehighestpriority.

Ourdedicatedlockgate inspectorsandengineeringteams collaboratewithouroperational teamsaroundthecountrywho operateandinteractwiththe gatesregularlybecausethereare sometimesotherlockgatesthat needworkingonthatarecausing issuesforboatersorwherethere arewaterlossissuesetc.Gates

areoftengivenasecondcheckto ensurethattheconditionofthe gatehasbeenrecordedaccurately.

Wherecapacityallows,our teamswilltrytopairtogether topandbottomlockgate replacementswherepossible,if theothergateneedsdoinginthe nextfewyears.Oftenotherworks, suchasbrickwork,cills,fender andotherrepairs,arecarried outwhilegatereplacements aretakingplace.Ourgatesare madeatourin-houseworkshops atBradleyandStanleyFerry. e workshopteamsworkclosely withtheengineerstotimethe productionofthegatesreadyfor theproposedinstallationdate.

Duringthewinterstoppage season,otherstoppages outsideofgatereplacements areincludedintheprogramme andweundertakebrickwork repairs,piling,grouting,bridge repairsandmanymore.Our winterworkiscarriedoutby ourownin-houseconstruction teamsandourapprovedsupply chaincontractors.Wealsohave stoppagesinplaceforthird partiessuchaslocalcouncils, HS2andNetworkRail,where oftentheyneedaccessoverthe canaltocarryoutrepairstothe railwaybridges.

Manyfactorsgointo planningastoppage.We identifywhichassetsarethe highestprioritybasedon theircondition,thelengthof timerequiredtocarryoutthe works,howmuchresourceis required,planninghowthe workwillbecarriedoutand ifanyspecialistcomponents arerequired,suchascomplex cranelifts.Often,wealsoneed approvalfromenvironmental andheritagebodiesbefore

WorkatKingRoadLockon theWakefieldBranchofthe Aire&CalderNavigation wascompletedjustbefore Christmas.

theworkcancommence.

Whenplanningwinter stoppages,weusesomething calleda‘through-routeprotocol’. isprotocolworksbydividing thenavigationsintopre-and post-Christmasperiods,where worksareplannedbasedon whetherthesectionofcanal fallsintoeitherthepre-orpostChristmasperiod.Usingthis protocolhelpsustokeepthrough routesavailableforboatersso theycantravelnorthtosouthand easttowest.Ourpre-Christmas periodusuallystartsinearly Novemberandrunsforaboutsix orsevenweeksuptoChristmas.

epost-Christmasperiodruns fromearlyJanuarytomid-March andisarounda12-weekperiod. Thereareinstanceswherea stoppageshouldbeplannedin thepre-Christmasperiod,butthe scopeofworksrequiredmean thatalargertimeframeisneeded.

Therefore,occasionallysome stoppageshavetobeplanned inagainsttheprotocol,butwe consultthoroughlyonthesewith ourNationalAdvisoryGroupand ExternalConsulteeGroup(each madeupofrepresentativesfrom privateandbusinessboaterswho arewellplacedtoadviseusand representviewsofotherboaters). Ourwinterprogrammeis publishedonourwebsitefor publicconsultationinearlyMay forfourweeksandagaininJuly forafurtherfourweeks. isgives ourcustomerstheopportunity tologcommentsonaparticular stoppageorraiseanyquestions orconcerns.Inmid-August,the winterprogrammeispublished andifanychangesarerequired afterthis,wefollowachangecontrolprocess. ismeansthat anychangestoawinterstoppage areconsultedwithviaourExternal ConsulteeGroupandourinternal regionalandbusinessboating teams.Allchangesmustbe approvedbyourchiefoperating o cer,JulieSharman,andmyself.

Whenthewinterstoppage seasonisinfullswingwehold severalopendaysacrossthe countrytogivepeoplechanceto haveacloserlookatourassets andtheworksbeingcarriedout. Sometimesitisevenpossible forpeopletogodownintoan emptylockandseesomeofthe issuesthatariseunderthewater’s surface.Wewouldrecommend attendingastoppageopendayif youhaveonelocaltoyouasthey arearareopportunitytoseeparts ofthecanalmostpeopledon’tget tosee,andto ndoutmorefrom ourexpertsabouttheirhistoryand theworkthatgoesintoprotecting andpreservingthem.

February11Kennet&

AvonCanal: Greenham LockCottage,AmpereRoad, Newbury,Berkshire.

March4Rochdale

Canal: Lock85,inthetunnel betweenPiccadillyandDale Street,Manchester.

Forfurtherinformationvisit www.canalrivertrust.org.uk

PHOTO:JANETRICHARDSON

CromfordCanalFriendsmourn lossofpopularboathorse

IAMverysadtoreportthatourdear,delightful, docileboathorseChelsea,haspassedontothat greatstableinthesky, writesHughPotter,archivist andeditorfortheFriendsofCromfordCanal

Sheenthusiasticallypulled Birdswood for manyyearsandfrettedsomuchwhenherowners ArrasleaShirestriedtoretireher,thattheyhad tobringherbacktothecanalfor‘lightduties’to keepherhappy.

Chelseawaslovedbyeveryonewhomether–youngandold–andsherelishedtheirattention andthatofthephotographersforwhomshe willinglyposed.Shewasknownforhercalm nature,butshedidnotliketheroutineofpulling Birdswood beingaltered.

Shewasonceobservedatthewindingholeat LeawoodPump,HighPeakJunction,goingtoher

regularstandingpositionwhile Birdswood was turned,onlyto ndanemptypushchairhadbeen placedwhereshenormallystood.Shestoodon thetowpathaboutsixoreightfeetbackandwas snortingandstampingoneofherfronthooves untiltheproblemwasremoved;shethenvery calmlymovedintoherpositiontoawaithernext trip.Fondmemories.

Covidbroughtanendtotheimmensely popularhorse-drawntripsandArrasleaisnow concentratingonotheraspectsofitsbusiness, soifanyoneknowsofanywillinghorses(with willingowners)whomighthelpusreinstatethis historicmodeoftravel,pleasecontacttheFriends ofCromfordCanal.WhenoperatingwithChelsea, Birdswood wasoneoffewerthanhalfadozen horse-drawntripboatsinthecountry.

BuildingsocietygrantforIronvillegarden

THElockkeeper’sgardenat Lock4,Ironville,whichthe FriendsofCromfordCanal workpartiesdeveloped fromscrubandagenerally overgrownareaonthetopof thelockchamber,hasbeen awardedagrantof£500from theMans eldBuildingSociety.

Itistobespentonawater storagecontainer,anewcold frameandtoolsforShirleyand

Carole,twooftheworkparty regularvolunteerswhotend thegarden. eCanal&River Trust,fromwhomtheFCChas adoptedthissection,isgoingto provideaninformationboard.

Forseveralyearsnow,all producefromthegardenhas beengiventothelocalfood bankandAgeConcerntohelp familiesinneedofextrahelp.

eFCCworkpartiescleared

thesiteovertwowinters(2015 and2016)andputa50m fenceinalongtheedgeofthe chamber.Fromthereitwas developedintoanimpressive andproductivegarden.

elocalschoolregularly usesthegardenforlessons andtohelpyoungpeople learnabouttheimportance offood,itsproductionand theenvironment.

PopularboathorseChelseahaulingtripboat Birdswood ontheCromfordCanal.

Left:Workparty volunteersclearing thesite.

PHOTOSSUPPLIED

Above:Thelock keeper’sgardenat Ironville,Derbyshire.

FromthefamilyalbumisGrace, granddaughterofJohnGuylerof theFriendsofCromfordCanal, withChelsea. PHOTOSSUPPLIED

Watertransferschemesofferpossibilities forwaterwayrestorationandnavigation

THEEnvironmentAgency’sNational FrameworkforWaterResources consistsoffiveregionalgroups, bringingtogetherthewatercompanies thatoperateineachofEngland’s regionswithkeywaterusersandother stakeholders.

Allofthese veregionsarecurrently consultingontheirDraftRegional WaterResourcesPlans.Manyofthe watertransferschemes(tomove wateraroundthecountryandshare resourcesmoreeffectively)have implicationsfornavigationandfor restorationprojects.

Openwatertransferhasthe potentialtobecheaper,improve biodiversityandwildlifecorridors, aswellasprovideamenityvalue intheformofboatinglinks,and enhancedwalkingandcyclingaccess tothecountrysidewithassociated healthbene ts.

Italsoopensupthepossibilityofusingwaterborne freighttodelivermaterialsandremovespoilfromthese largeinfrastructureprojects.

Severaloftheregionalwaterresourcenetworksare exploringoptionswhichcouldbene tnavigation.

WaterResourcesEast(WRE)isplanningtwonew reservoirsaspartofitsWaterResourcesPlan. eproposed FenlandReservoirwouldbebuiltnearthetownofChatteris inCambridgeshire.IfAnglianWateroptsforopenwater supplytothis,itcouldprovidealinktotheMiddleLevel

fromtheGreatOuse.

ehistoricallyimportantWelchesDamLock,currently closedtonavigation,couldbereopened(oranewlockbuilt paralleltoit).IWAhasbeencampaigningforthereopening ofthislocksinceitclosed.

Notonlywouldthetidalcrossingbemadeunnecessary, butanewcruisingringcreated.

esecondproposedreservoirwouldbeinSouth

RestorationHubConference

THE2023WaterwayRestorationConference,run byIWAandtheCanal&RiverTrust,willbeheldin Chester eldinMarch.

Thiseventwillfocusonthesustainabilityof waterwaysrestorationandexploreyourjourneyto operationwithkeynotespeakersfromDerbyshire CountyCouncilandChester eldCanalTrust.IWA willalsoberunningtechnicalbreakoutsessions,selfguidedtoursaswellasplentyoftimefornetworking!

TheconferencewilltakeplaceonSaturday, March18from10am-5pmattheWinding WheelTheatre,ChesterfieldS417SA.More detailsandhowtobookathttps://waterways. org.uk/support/ways-to-get-involved/events/ waterway-restoration-conference-2023 AlsopleasenotethattheRestorationHubpageson theIWAwebsitearenowfullypubliclyaccessiblefor alltoexplore,withoutneedingtoregister,athttps:// waterways.org.uk/restoration_hub/overview eycontainawealthofinformation,adviceand resourcesforanyoneinvolvedinwaterwaysprojects.

LincolnshireandWREisworkingwiththe StamfordCanalSocietytounderstandthe feasibilityofrestoringtheStamfordCanal tohelptransferwateraspartoftheBoston toPeterboroughwetlandcorridor.

AdditionallyWREisworkingwiththe EnvironmentAgencyandtheBedfordand MiltonKeynesWaterwayParktoexplore thewaterand oodriskbene tsoflinking theGrandUnionCanalandtheRiver GreatOuse.

WaterResourcesWestandWater ResourcesSouthEastarealsodeveloping plansforwatertransfersthatwoulduse existingassetssuchascanalstomove waterwithinandbeyondregions.

Intheirconsultations,theyfoundthese wereparticularlyfavouredastheyare sustainableandrequirelessinvestment.

eGrandUnionCanaltransferwould usetheexistingcanalinfrastructure totransferwaterfromtheMidlandsto areaslikelytoexperiencewatershortagesintheSouthEast.

eschemeplanstouseatreatedwastewaterdischargeat Minworthastheresilientsourceofwatertosupplythiscanal transferviaapipeline.

eproposedSevern- amesTransferwouldconvey rawwaterfromtheRiverSevernintotheRiver amesviaa pipelineorviathedisused,derelictCotswoldCanals.

IWA’sNavigationCommitteewillbeengagingwiththese consultations,emphasisingthebene tsofusingcanal restorations,new,navigablechannelsandexistingwaterways foropenwatertransferinsteadofpipelines.

Grant a warded to the Grand Western Canal

THE IWA Panel that manages the South West Inland Water ways Regeneration Fund (SWIWRF) has approved an application by the Grand Western Countr y Park (aka Devon County Council) for a grant of £8340 to purchase two new notice boards and produce updated information sheets for the entire canal, many of which are now 20 years old and contain out-of-date information Work to install the new notice boards and to replace the information sheets is now in hand and visitors to the Grand Western Canal should notice them appearing in the months to come. SWIWRF was established as a separate restricted fund within IWA in March 2021 and eligible corporate members within the branch are able to apply for grants, with deadlines for making applications of June 30 and December 31 each year Donations received to date, including gift aid, total £55,000 and grants made to date total £27,000

Na tional Trailboa t Festivals set to return by 2025

DUE to cancellations during the Covid19 pandemic, there are no National Trailboat Festivals planned until 2025 e IWA w ould therefore like to encourage water way restoration trusts, societies or councils that are engaged in restoring a water way to apply to host a trailboat festival in 2024/25 Trailboat festivals are ver y useful for drawing attention locally and nationally to restoration or improvement projects In addition to a greater awareness of the project, thes e events can draw local political attention to successful restorations and also provide a source of additional income

When people see others gathering a n d t h e t r a n q u i l m ov e m e n t o f pleasure boats – illuminated at night a n d d e c o rat e d w i t h bu nt i ng a n d ags – on even a small part of their previously disused canal, it gives a lot of pleasure It adds considerably to the quality and tone of the locality – urban or r ural. It leaves p e ople wanting to see further improvement and attracts more supporters for the restoration project ere is no set design for a trailboat festival as its ver y nature will depend upon the water way being promoted ese events depend in part on the availability of volunteers, nancial resources, and the extent of support f r o m l o c a l p o l i t i c i a n s a n d t h e community We have members and supporters in all parts of the countr y, and can certainly ask those who are local to you if they are willing to help with preparation

A Water way Recover y Group (WRG) team could be available if requested, depending on availability, to provide

manual assistance in constructing, r u n n i ng a n d d i s ma nt l i ng a s t h e y have people who have been putting on events for many years and may be available to give advice in person, over the phone or by email We may also be able to free loan a two-ton trailer full of the sort of gear necessar y to stage an event, although a 4×4 vehicle with a towbar is required to collect it

Some marketing for the event can be car r ied out centrally as par t of our programme of events which is advertised each year, and our website can also be used You can apply to our nance committee for help with your early organising costs

e format for applications is to submit a written request but the rst step is to check that you have the basic facilities available Please email the trailboat o cer for a list of required facilities As each event tends to be unique to its water way and to its organising committee, all we need at the outset is an outline proposal of your trailboat festival plan We will send you advice on what this should cover and an example for guidance

To s e c u r e t h e a p p r o v a l a n d support of IWA , it is necessar y for us to feel sure the event is likely to take place and that the event is planned properly We are continuously looking for applicants for trailboat festivals up to four- ve years in advance to allow plenty of advertising time

Organisers will need to plan several ye a r s a h e a d a n d have a su i t ab l e budget in place For assistance with a n s w e r i n g t h e q u e s t i o n s i n t h e application, just email iwa trailboat festivals@gmail com

RevisedManchesterShip Canalguidereleased

THEManchester ShipCanalisa waterwaywhich linksManchester withthecoastand providesaccessto thecityforlarge ocean-goingvessels. Thecanalismore than37mileslong andhas velocks intotal,butitisnot consideredaleisure waterwayandthe incompatibility oflargeshipsand smallboatsmeans thathiredvesselsarenot usuallypermitted.

org.uk;07977263840.

PHOTO:WATERWAYIMAGES

Boatownersmust seekpermissionto usethecanalfrom theManchesterShip CanalCompany,

provingthattheirboat isseaworthy,insured andhastherequired safetyequipmenton board.Aguideforsmall craftplanningtouse thecanalwasoriginally

preparedforIWAby JohnFletcherand publishedbyIWA NorthWestRegion.

e38-pageroute sectionoftheguide hasrecentlybeen completelyreworked byJohnFletcher (formernational chairman)andthe precedingnotes revisedwithinput fromIWAChester andMerseyside Branch.Alinkto theguidewillbe includedinneweditions ofNicholson’sNo4and No5–however,itisalso availabletodownload fromtheIWAwebsite: waterways.org.uk/ manchester-ship-canal

WelchesDamLock,currentlyclosed tonavigation. PHOTO:MIKEDAINES

The National Trailboat Festival held at Moira pre-pandemic PHOTO: PHIL SHARPE

The Grand Western Canal in Devon

PHOTO: AMY T LLSON

TheManchesterShipCanalat SalfordQuays.

Whatgoesaroundcomesaround

JonathanMosse’s monthlylookatfreight developmentsonthe inlandwaterways.

APARTfromsheereconomics,the elementarydriversbehindfreightby inlandwaterwayscanbeprettymuch boileddowntodramaticallylowered emissionsandreducedroadcongestion, insomecasescombinedwithproviding accesstopoorlyservedrurallocations.

If,forthemoment,weoverlookthe criminallyunderusedRiverClydethen thepotentialinScotland,forthemost part,largelyembracesaccess…orrather alackofit.Arelativelysmallpopulation (muchofitcentredonafewlargetowns andcities)meansthatwholeswathes ofcountrysidearecomparatively inaccessible,asthereislittleneedto buildatrunkroadnetworkconnectinga diversityofsmall,far- ungcommunities.

atdoesn’t,however,necessarily meanthatthesevast,remotetracts ofmoorandmountainaretotally

unproductiveandmanyahillsidecan beregardedasanoutdoorlaboratory, devotedtoexperimentsinthe productionofsawlogs.

Followingtheendofhostilitiesin1918, thenewlycreatedForestryCommission (asitwasthenknown)wasassignedthe taskofestablishingthedi erentspecies ofmillingtimberthatcouldbegrownin adiverserangeoflocations.And,also, todelveintothe nerpointsofhowone mightgoaboutthejob.

Littlethoughtwasgivenatthetimeto harvestingandextractionofthe nished product,adetailthataround100years downthelinehasbecomesomewhat pertinent!So,whatisnowclearly apparentisthatthesuitabilityofthe Scottishclimatetoproducinggoodtimber isindirectproportiontotheunsuitability ofthemajorityofthecountry’sroadsin supportingitsremovaltomarket!

EnterJSTServices(Scotland)Ltd:a companyskilledinallaspectsoftimber extractionandonethatleansheavilyon watertransport,shippingsawlogsboth locallyandabroad.BasedinAyrshire,

thecompanyhasanextensiveoperation throughouttheWestCoastforests andalsocoversextractionfromthe considerableacreageoftimberplanted acrosstheneighbouringislands.

Eachoperationpresentsitsown challengesbutcommontoallisthepoor communicationprovidedbythelocal roadinfrastructure,alongsidewhatis alsooftenafragilenaturalenvironment.

Atapoliticallevel,JSThasworkedclosely withgovernment,whileonthegroundthe companyhasdevisedingeniouspractical solutions,oftenfundedbytheStrategic TimberTransportSchemewhich nances projectsfacilitatingthesustainable transportoftimberinruralareas. e fundtypicallycontributes50-70%ofthe costsofsuccessfulapplications,withthe remaindercomingfromlocalauthorityor forestrysectorpartners.

ekeyweaponinthecompany’s armouryisthe oatingpiersystemithas

developed.Amobilepiercanbesetup ina12-hourshiftallowingdeep-water accessforsea-goingvesselsofupto3000 tonscarrying-capacity,enablingthemto beloadeddirectlyfromtimberlorries.

erearecurrentlyexamplesonthe MorvernPeninsular,atArdcastlenear AdrishaigandontheIsleofMull,outside Pennyghael.

Thesepiersopenuppreviously uneconomicforests,providingameans ofcombatingdiminishingreturnsand reducedviabilityduetotheirremoteness. JSTmakesthevalidpointthattheconcept couldeasilybeappliedtoothermaterials, suchasaggregatesandinotherlocations (ontheClydeforinstance)whereitis importanttoeliminateroadmiles.

Onpage72ofthismonth’s Towpath Talk you’ll ndcoverage,intheScottish News,ofthe rstbargeloadforthe proposedCoireGlaspumpedhydro storagescheme,situatedalongsidethe CaledonianCanal.Boththis rstcargo ofplantand,indeed,theinitialstagesof theprojectitself,arerepresentingatrial.

Beforeadegreeofexploratoryworkis undertakenit’simpossibletodetermine whethertheproject–agrandformof renewableenergystorage,onanepic scale,totidethegridoverthosetimes whenrenewablesareunavailable–is, infact,viable.

Whatisn’tindoubt,however,isthat thelocalroadsareinnowaycapable ofcarryingtherelativelylightplant requiredfortheinvestigativework,let alonetheheavy-dutyequipmentand materialseventuallyrequiredshould theprojectgetthegreenlight.

JSTmakesthepointthatits oatingpier systemhasmanypotentialapplications, presentingendlessopportunitiestoget freighto theroadsandontothewater, notnecessarilylimitedtotheremote HighlandsofScotland.

Somaybeif–andwhen–theCoire Glasschemecomestofruition,we willseeanarmadaofthesestructures sailingtowardsFortWilliamandthen upNeptune’sStaircase,ontotheupper reachesoftheCaledonianCanal!

LoadingtimberatArdcastle. PHOTO:CREELMARITIMELTD

Atrialloadofplantheadingup Neptune’sStaircaseontheCaledonian CanalboundforCoireGlas.

PHOTO:SCOTTISHCANALS

Exploringyourcanalancestry:goingtoschool

NicolaLislecontinuesher familyhistoryserieswitha lookateducationrecords andwhattheycantellyou aboutyourancestors.

DUEtotheperipateticnatureofcanal boatfamilies’lives,children’seducation waslargelynon-existentformuchofthe 19thandearly20thcenturies.

Aswellastheobviouslogistical di cultiesinattendingschoolona regularbasis,parentssawlittleneedfor educationandpreferredtohavetheir childrenhelpingoutontheboats.Itwas notunusualforchildrentobeworking ontheboatsfromasyoungassevenor eight,carryingoutessentialtaskssuch assteeringtheboat,openinglocksor leadingthehorse.

Eventhepassingofvariousfactory, educationandcanalboatactsduring the19thcenturyhadlittleeffect. Occasionally,ifaboatwasmooredup inoneplaceforseveraldayschildren mightbrie yattendalocalschool, butotherwiseboatingfamiliesmostly slippedundertheauthorities’radar.

Whatlittleeducationthechildrenhad camefromboatmen’smissions,chapels andinstitutes,whichemergedduring theearly19thcenturyandprovideda rudimentaryeducationaswellasfacilities forChristianworshipandhealthcare.

Oneoftheearliestofthesewasthe Boatmen’sInstituteatPaddingtonBasin, whichwasbuiltin1827tocaterforthe childrenofboatingfamiliesworking theGrandUnionCanal.Amuchlater exampleistheBoatmen’sInstituteat Brentford,GreaterLondon,whichwas

builtin1904bytheLondonCityMission andtaughtbasicliteracyandnumeracy aswellasreligiousinstruction.

Meanwhile, oatingchapelsprovided placesofworshipforboatingfamilies aswellaseducationforthechildren.

A oatingchapelatJerichoinOxford, fundedbylocalcoalmerchantHenry Ward,servedasbothchapeland schoolroomfornearly30yearsbefore itsankin1868.

Someboatingcommunitiesremained staticenoughforchildrentohavea moresettledexistenceandthereforea propereducation.UpperFisherRowin Oxford,forexample,wasonceathriving communityofbargemenand shermen, dominatedbytheBeesleyandBossom families,andchildrenwouldhavebeen

abletoattendlocalschools.Forthe majorityofboatingfamilies,though, educationremainedverylowonthelist ofpriorities.

ingsbegantochangeintheearly 20thcenturywiththepassingofvarious actsthatsoughttoensureallchildren, includingthoselivingonboats,received apropereducation. erewasalso growingconcernabouttheuseofchild labouronthecanalsfromtradeunions andcharitiessuchastheNSPCC.

Bythe1960stheproblemhadmore orlessresolveditself;withthedeclineof commercialactivityonthecanals,many boatingfamilieshadfoundalternative employmentandahomeontheland, enablingtheirchildrentobene tfrom aregulareducation.

Findingschoolrecords

Findingrecordsforcanalboatchildrenis obviouslysomewhattricky,andyoumay wellhavetoconsultseveralsources.If youknowwhichcanal(s)yourancestors worked,andwhichplacestheyregularly stoppedat,youmightbeableto ndschool registers,reports,correspondenceand othermaterialattherelevantlocalrecord o ceortherelevantschool,ifknown.

Ifyouareluckyenoughto nda registermentioningyourcanalancestor, youcanexpectto ndtheirdateofbirth, thedatethey rstattendedtheschool, theirboatorlocationofboat,anddatesof attendance.Oftenthedatesofattendance atoneschoolwillbeasfewastwoorthree days,anditislikelythattheywillhave attendedseveralschools.Notethatsome recordswillberestricted,sometimesup to75or100years,dependingonthe policyofeachindividualarchive.

Somerecordo cesalsoholdreports andcorrespondenceaboutcanalboat children’seducation.

eNationalArchivesatKewhasa wealthofpotentiallyusefulmaterial, includingschoolregistersandlogbooks

for1870-1914(via ndmypast.com), inspectionreportsfromthe19thcentury, schoolhistoriesandmore.Additionally, youcansearchforrecordsavailableonly atKew,includingelementary(referred toas‘primary’from1944)school recordsfor1854-1984andsecondary schoolrecordsfor1818-1946. elink www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/helpwith-your-research/research-guides/ schools/isagoodstartingpoint.

Alsousefulistheguidetorecordsheld byotherarchives(www.nationalarchives. gov.uk/help-with-your-research/ research-guides/education-historyrecords-held-by-other-archives/). is includesmajorcollections,suchasthose heldbytheBodleianLibraryinOxford andtheInstituteofEducationatthe UniversityofLondon,aswellasschools andcollegesholdingtheirownrecords andotherusefulresources.

UpperFisherRowinOxfordwasonceathrivingcommunityofboat people. PHOTO:NICOLALISLE

TheformerBoatmen’sInstituteinBrentford. PHOTO:WIKIMEDIACOMMONS

Furtherreading WendyFreer&GillFoster–Canal Boatmen’sMissions(2004)

AraresightontheCalder &HebbleNavigation

BrianBestisproudtobeacustodianofa pieceofthepast,asSallyCliffordfoundout.

THERAF agripplesproudlyin thebreeze.Attractingattention towhatliesbeneath,itsparks thecuriosityofpedestrianson thecanaltowpath–particularly thoseofacertaingeneration.

Adecommissionedseaplane tender,mooredintranquillity–comparedtothechoppywatersit facedpickinguppilotsshotdown duringitsmilitarycareer,thisis surelyararesight?

Accordingtoitsproudowner, BrianBest,manywillstopand chatto ndoutthestoryofhow aformerRAFsearchandrescue boatcametobemooredonthe Calder&HebbleNavigationin WestYorkshire.

OccupyingtheGradeII-listed lockkeeper’scottageatMir eld’s picturesqueShepleyBridge Locks,Brianisonhandtotend totheboat’sneeds–althoughthe applicationofonetonneofglass breinrecentyearsmeansitisn’t ashighmaintenancethesedays toprotectitfromrot.

Asyouwouldexpect,fora serviceboatofthiskind,the superiorityofthematerials usedatthetime,thedouble diagonalplankingframework ofmahoganyandoak,havealso contributedtoitspreservation–thisyearitwillbe80yearsold.

Itspasthasalwaysfascinated Brian,whohasgatheredplenty ofinformationaboutitoverthe yearsinhisresearch.Lea ng throughpaperworkinthecosy stonecottagealongsidewhich canalboatshavepassedsincethe waterwayopenedforbusiness andlatterlytravelledforpleasure, Brianexplaineddetailsofthe boat’sserviceislimitedasitsRAF historycardisunavailable.

Believedtobeoneofonly threeinitspresentconditionin existence,Brianexplainsthe ST 1623 was41.5ftwhenitlaunched. Itisunderstoodtohavebeen oneofmanybuiltbytheBritish PowerBoatCompanyatHythe.

“Ofthattypeabout75were madeandonlyahandfulareleft –onlythreeareinthiscondition,” saidBrian. ST1623 wastakenon chargebytheRAFonOctober 23,1943.InApril1944shewas transferredtoRoyalNavycontrol andbasedatBrightlingseawhere shewasallocatedonloantothe RoyalNavyforsearchandrescue (SAR)duties.

Referringtoitsrolepickingup pilotswhohadbeenshotdown, heexplainedtheboatwouldhave beenlaidoutwithastretcheron oneside.“It’samatterofgetting themoutofthewaterandtaking thembacktobase.”

WhentheSARservicewas nolongerrequired, ST1623 was transferredtoHarwichin1945to carryoutTrotBoatServiceand laterlistedbytheAdmirality fordisposal.

Affinitywithwater

Brianexplainedslight adjustmentsweremadetoits shapewiththeadditionofafront andrearberthbeforecoming intohisownership.Foraboatof itsage,itssurvivalistestimonyto thecareandmaintenanceithas receivedovertheyears.

Heboughtitin1989afterhe spotteditforsaleinanewspaper. “Iwaslookingforaboatatthat timeandassoonasIsawitIfell inlovewithit.”

Frombeingayoungboy growingupinKeighley,Brian enjoyedbeingbythecanal.“I havealwayslovedboats.I’ve hadcanoesanddinghies.Ihave alwayshadana nitywithwater andIwasalwaysonthecanalas akid.”

OriginallyBrianmoored theboatatSowerbyBridge. HemovedittoShepleyBridge Marinain1994.Nowretired, Briancontinuestoliveinthelock keeper’scottagethereandhis expertknowledgeoftencomes inhandyforthosenavigating thelocks.

Butit’skeeping 1623 a oatfor theforeseeablethathasbecome apleasurablepastime.

Travellingataspeedof around24knots(about30mph),

thefurthestBrianandhiswife, Jackie,havetakentheboatis e Wash. eyalsoenjoyedholidays inLincolnandYorkbeforeCovid.

Althoughit’scurrentlyused forstorage,Brian’sambition fortheboatistocruisearound

theScottishislands–ifhegets chance!“Iwanttospendsome timeonitbeforeOctoberwhen itis80andgetitallpaintedup.”

Onethingisforsure,whenit comestocelebratingtheboat’s birthday,thebuntingwillbeout

asitistocommemorateVEDay andD-Day.“It’sthehistoryofit and,likepeoplesayaboutthings likethat,youneverreallyownit, youarejustlookingafteritfor thenextgeneration–you’rethe custodian,”addedBrianproudly.

Medway Queen project news

MEDWAY Queen Preser vation Society’s major project in recent weeks has been rebuilding the Medway Queen’ s starboard paddle box fascia, which was su ering from the e ects of weather Ti m b e r f o r t h e r e c o n s t r u c t i o n w a s p u rc h a s e d a n d p re s e r v a t i o n s o c i e t y volunteers produced a ‘lofted’ full-siz drawing of the fascia in the workshop and create d the ne cessar y par ts to produce the ‘fan’ around the central crest, which has also been re c re a t e d Te m p l a t e s a n d jigs were then prepared for individual components which w ere then cut and shap e d as required

A revised assembly method ha s b e e n d e v i s e d to a l l ow replacement of components i n t h e f u t u re i n s t e a d o f always having to rebuild the complete assembly A proper shop counter has also been built for the for ward saloon, allowing volunteers to move the souvenir and book shop on board With an ambition to us e

the ship as an event venue to raise money towards further restoration work, the provision of onboard toilet facilities is long overdue and is the main project for 2023 e project has been planned in great detail by one of the volunteers and costed at £38,000 including contingenc y allowance

Two substantial grants have been promis e d towards this and other work, but MQPS still has to nd the rest and is appealing to members and the public to help address the shortfall All donations, no matter how large or small, will be gratefully received towards work on Medway Queen P S M e d w a y Q u e e n i s berthed on Gillingham Pier (ME7 1RX) and will be open to visitors in 2023, on Saturdays f ro m Ja n u a r y 2 9 G u i d e d ship tours are available at a reasonable cost from 11am to 4pm with last admission at 3pm ere may be additional special events etc from time to time, announced on www medwayqueen co uk

Brianoutsidethelock keeper’scottageatShepley Bridge,Mirfield,wherehe liveswithhiswifeJackie.

PHOTOS:SALLYCLIFFORD

BrianBest.

Thesternof ST1623

BrianwithhisformerRAFSeaplaneTender ST1623 mooredinthebackgroundatShepley BridgeMarina,Mirfield.

PS Medway Queen at Gillingham Pier.

PHOTO: MARTIN GOODHEW

Rarecanalboatgoesondisplay

ByCicelyOliver

THEremnantsofarareAberdeenshire Canalboatfoundin2021inundergrowth atPortElphinstone,Inverurie,havenow goneondisplay.

eseskeletalironremainswere originallythoughttobeofaninspection vesselwhichhadlainundisturbedfor manyyears.Toosmalltohavebeen usedforcargo,industrialheritage professionalsnowbelievethatthe nd isthelikelyuniquerelicofanicebreaker, usedtocleariceaheadofcommercial andpassengerboatsandkeepthecanal operationalbetweenAberdeenandPort Elphinstoneduringwintermonths.

Menwouldhavestoodalongthe centreoftheboat,holdingontoasturdy frame,rockingittoandfro,thereby creatingachannelthroughtheice.

Agenerousbequestengagedthe

professionalconsultancyservicesofJim Mitchell,aleadingspecialistinindustrial heritageandconservationengineering, togetherwitheightmonthsofcareful conservationworkbyheritageand conservationexperts,JPSRestoration inAlloa.

eboatwasinstalledintheGarioch HeritageCentre,Inverurie,lastsummer.

ecentreisintherenovatedCarriage andWaggonWorkshopoftheformer InverurieLocomotiveWorksandtells thestoryoflifeintheGariocharea.

einstallationitselfwasachallenge. At5mlongandweighinginat200kg,the boatwaspainstakinglymovedintothe heritagecentreandthenhoistedupon tothe rst- oorgallerybyhandviaa speciallyconstructedsca oldingand blockandtackle.

Whyaretheseremainsimportant?

ecanal,whileoperationalforjust over50yearsandnevera nancial successdid,however,bringimmense bene ttolocalcommunitiesandwas instrumentalinopeninguptransport andcommerce,includingquarrying, whiskyproductionandpapermaking, allsigni cantoperationsinthearea.

eboatformsanimportantpartof anexhibitiontellingthestoryofthis industrialexpansion,startingwiththe canalandendingwiththeLocomotive Worksthemselves,constructedatthe startofthe20thcenturynexttothe GreatNorthofScotlandRailway(GNSR) whichwassubsequentlybuiltontheline ofthewaterway.JoanBruce,project co-ordinator,said:“Pullingittogether wasoneofthemostdemanding,most interestingandmostrewardingprojects thatIhaveeverbeeninvolvedin,and it’sallowedmetomakeasmallpersonal markonourlocalheritage.”

Heritageunderthehammer

GeoffCourtney’sfirstauctionscolumnof2023looks ataselectionofcanaliathatsoldforupto£1400at threesalesduringtheclosingmonthsof2022.

THEstarofthe show,atleastin financialterms, wasManchester ShipCanalRailway locomotive nameplate Montreal, whichwentfor£1400 ataGWRailwayana liveonlineauction onNovember12.

is0-6-0wasbuilt byHunsletEngine CoofLeedsin1898, whenQueenVictoria was61yearsintoher longreign,entered servicewiththe railwayasNo.13 andwaswithdrawn in1957.

Atitspeakthe canal’sstandard gaugerailway hada eetof180 locomotives,and duringthe36-mile canal’sconstruction from1887to1893itsupplied10,000tons ofcoaland8000tonsofcementevery month. erailwaysurviveduntilthe latterhalfofthe20thcentury,carrying commercialfreighttra cuntil1978.

Theauctionalsoincludedan ‘enchantingRiverDart’posterissued jointlybytheWesternRegionofBRand theRiverDartSteamboatCoin1961. ItwastheworkofCecilKing,andsold for£280.Bothpricesexcludebuyer’s

premiumof15% (+VAT).

Twootheroriginal postersthatattracted interestwentunder thehammerinan Onslow’sauction onNovember25.

eyadvertisedthe annualcarandboat exhibitionsheldin London,thefirst fromOctober17-26, 1935,atOlympiaand thesecondatEarls CourtfromOctober 14-23,1937,with admissiontoeach costing2s6d(12½p).

Theolderofthe twofeaturedartwork byillustratorand politicalcartoonist FKenwoodGiles (1900-72)andsold for£150,whilethat promotingthe1937 exhibitionfetched £100.Bothpricesexcludebuyer’s premiumof25%(incVAT).

Transportcollectablesauctionhouse Paperchaseofteno erscanaliaitemsin itsquarterlyemailandpostalsales,and thatheldfromOctober14toNovember 1wasnoexception.

Therewerethreesuchitemsin the800lotsono er,andasusualthe realisationswereatthe‘bargain’endof thescale.

Twosoldfor£11each,comprising 96-pageParliamentaryActsfor makingandkeepingnavigablethe riversAireandCalderinYorkshire, andthebuildingofacanal–now theStourbridgeCanal–from StourbridgetotheSta ordshire& WorcesterCanalatStourton.

eformerActisdated1768and thelatter1774,bothduringthe reignofKingGeorgeIIIandeacha fascinatingpieceofriverandcanal documentaryhistory.

Inthesameauction,abidofjust £5secureda1925GWR300-page leather-boundpublicationtitled HauntsandHintsforAnglers–FreshWaterAngling,River,Lake, Mere&Canal.

esethreePaperchaseprices excludebuyer’spremiumof12.5%.

Aboutthecanal

TheAberdeenshireCanalwas openedin1805,twoyearsafter theconstructionoftheCaledonian CanalwasauthorisedbyActof Parliamentand17yearsahead oftheCaleyactuallyopening tonavigation.JohnRenniewas consultingengineer,whowasalso theengineerresponsibleforthe CrinanCanalwhichopenedin1801.

Thenavigationranforjustover 18milesnorth-westfromAberdeen toPortElphinstonenearInverurie, abovethebanksoftheRiverDon.A sealockbetweenthewaterwayand AberdeenHarbourwasconstructed in1834toaidthetransferofgoods. Thecanalcompanywasperennially shortoffundsandfacedlocal opposition–atonepointarewardof £5wasofferedtoanyonesupplying informationleadingtotheconviction ofpeoplethrowingrubbishand stonesintothenavigation,an offencewhichcarriedthethreatof transportationforsevenyears.

Seventeenlocks, veaqueducts andmanyroadbridgesandculverts werebuiltalongthecanal’slength. However,shortlyafteropening,14 locksfailed,withtheirreconstruction overseenbyThomasTelford.

Passengers,livestock,granite, slate,coalandwhiskycomprised someofthetraf ccarriedonthe waterway.Passengerjourneyson boardhorse-drawn yboatstook aroundtwo-and-a-halfhours, costingtwoshillingsforthefull journeyor2dpermileforshorter trips.Thecanal’sdemisefollowed thefamiliarstory.Itclosedin1852 followingitspurchasebytheGreat NorthofScotlandRailway,which laidthetracksfortheAberdeen–Invernessrailwaylinealongmuch ofthelengthofthenavigation.

Althoughthereisnotmuch physicalevidenceofthecanal today,therearestillsomeremnants inAberdeenandasectionofwater knownastheOldCanalrunning alongsidetheRiverDonatPort Elphinstone–althoughit’snot knownwhetherthiswaterwasin factpartoftheoriginalwaterway, constructedafteritsclosure,ora lade(watercourse)dugtoservea localmill.Youcan ndoutmore abouttheGariochHeritageCentre atgariochheritage.co.uk/

Ifyou’reinterestedinJohn Rennie’sprodigiousengineering output,muchofitcanal-related, visitrbt.org.uk/john-rennie

Theremainsoftheicebreaker,asoriginallydiscovered.

Theboatsuccessfullyinsitu.Thebackgroundphotoisofwhereitwas found. PHOTOS:JOANBRUCE

Liftingtheboatfromwhereit hadlainintheundergrowthfor around30yearsfortransporttoa newhomeinOctober2021.

Liftingitintotheuppergallerywas atrickyoperationmanagedbythe conservationteam.

Easingtheconservedboatinto GariochHeritageCentreinJuly 2022.

TheOldCanalatPortElphinstone. PHOTO:TINAGORDON/WIKIMEDIACOMMONS

TheremainsofanAberdeenshireCanalbridgeatStationRoad, WoodsideinAberdeen. PHOTO: WATTY62/WIKIMEDIACOMMONS

ThecolourfulRiverDartposter thatsoldatauctionfor£280.

PHOTO:GWRAILWAYANA

PHOTO:PAPERCHASE

Midlandscanalsinspiretextilehangings

CAPTUREDin read isthetitleofthenew exhibitionatthe MuseumofCannock ChasebyEclectica TextileArtists,which includesfivestriking wallhangingsmadeby BerniceHopper.

Overthepastfew years,Berniceandher husbandhavebeen walkingthetowpaths ofthecanalsinthe Midlands. eiraimis towalkthefulldistance ofeachofthemany canals,afewmilesat atime.

Oneofthesemanywalksstartedat Chasewater. eywalkedalongthe Wyrley&EssingtonCanaltoPelsall Junction.Heretheyturnedontothe CannockExtensionCanalwhich originallywenttoHednesfordto

servethecollieriesin thearea.Duringthese walksBernicetakes numerousphotographs andtheseandthe memoriesofthewalks formtheinspiration forsketchbooks,mixed mediaworkandthe fabrichangingsyou seeintheexhibition inthemuseum inHednesford.

Eclecticaisagroup ofninetextileartists workingindependently intheMidlands tocreateoriginal contemporaryart,using aneclecticmixofscale,technique, materialsandinspiration.

eexhibitionisatthemuseumin ValleyRoad,Hednesford,Cannock WS121TDandisopenuntilFebruary 25,TuesdaytoSaturday,11amto4pm.

Pickupabargainatboatjumble

ONEofthe rstboatjumblesoftheyearwill takeplaceattheLincolnshireShowground LN22NAonSunday,February5.

eNotts&LincsBoatJumblehasa goodmixoftradestandsandcarbooters sellingahugevarietyofboatsand equipmentfromsmallcrafttofenders,

ThreeofBernice’scanal-inspiredwallhangings. PHOTOSSUPPLIED

Hangingssuspended frombobbins.