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Issue 161, March 2019

PADDLING FROM COAST TO COAST P4

ENJOYING THE GOOD LIFE P9 AROUND THE REGIONS: PHIL MULLIGAN

P15 LOCK GATES FOR CHELSEA SHOW P17

Uplifting experience The sun shines over Anderton Boat Lift for the recent open weekend which gave around 3000 people the chance to experience areas of the lift they don’t normally have access to. Play equipment also proved popular with the younger visitors. More on page 2. PHOTO: COLIN WAREING

‘Millennials’ ditch bricks and mortar for a boat

By Sarah Spencer

BOAT REVIEW: INDUSTRIAL CHIC P64 LOOKING FOR A FRIENDLY MARINA?

Find your ideal location using the map in our monthly feature

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AN INCREASING number of ‘millennials’ would consider living on boats as a way of getting on the property ladder, according to new data.

Triathlon filling up

Figures revealed 51% of millennials surveyed would be willing to purchase an alternative dwelling, over a house or flat, with a third prepared to live on the water.

The study was commissioned by British Waterways Marinas Limited

ENTRIES are already flooding in for the Montgomery Canal Triathlon on Saturday, May 18. Organised by the Friends of the Montgomery Canal, it brings entrants from across the country to cycle, walk and canoe the 35 miles of canal from Newtown to Welsh Frankton. Nearly a quarter of the places have already been booked. Christine Palin, chairman of the group, said: “To make the event manageable we do have to limit the number of people who can join, so we encourage everyone to book early. We are asking entrants to get sponsorship to help with more progress on the restoration of this special canal.”

Book at www.montgomerycanal.me.uk/may2019. html and montcanaltriath@btinternet.com

(BWML), a leading UK residential and leisure mooring provider, who found most millennials (55%) were unable to save the deposit required to purchase a traditional property.

So, when asked if they would consider an alternative dwelling, 53% said they

Canal Camps opportunity

IWA’s Waterway Recovery Group has released its programme of week-long residential volunteer holidays. This year WRG is running 23 Canal Camps across 13 different waterways that all need the support of up to 20 volunteers. The largest projects that need the support of volunteers are based on the Grantham Canal in Nottinghamshire, the Lancaster Canal and the Wey & Arun Canal in Surrey and West Sussex.

Across all the projects WRG volunteers will have the chance to learn new skills, meet new people and get stuck into tasks such as restoring locks, relining canals, creating towpaths, removing vegetation and uncovering archaeological artefacts. More details on 01494 783453 ext 610, or email enquiries@wrg.org.uk

would temporarily live in a caravan, 33% a boat and 14% a trailer.

A boat however was the favourite longterm residence, with 27% saying they would happily raise a family on the water.

• Continued on page 2

UK responds on red diesel

A RESPONSE has been presented to the EU following its ruling last year on the UK’s failure to fulfil its obligations relating to red diesel. HMRC has responded to the Commission and is planning a consultation later this year. The EU argued the UK had failed to meet requirements for fiscal marking – showing that UK duty has been paid – of gas oils and kerosene. This could affect future use of red diesel for leisure boats, with implications for boat owners and boatyards. The UK’s response pointed out the length of the inland waterway network and the need for both types of fuel to be available, as well as the safety implications if boats were not able to access the correct fuels at all ports.

2 NEWS/COMMENT

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THE sun is shining as I write and the days are noticeably lengthening.

Daffodils are coming into bloom so spring must be on the way!

Coincidentally both my outings in the last month have been on beautiful days. I made the short journey to Newark to meet the Canal & River Trust’s new East Midlands regional director Phil Mulligan – see interview on page 15 – and a few days later I attended a CRT press briefing at Hatton Locks; although I didn’t see any boats on the move on either occasion.

And stand-up paddleboarder Jason Elliott reported only seeing three on his 162-mile coast-tocoast marathon to raise awareness of plastic pollution, see report on page 4.

This month we are sorry to say goodbye to Julie Webb, who is calling it a day after having contributed to our ‘characters of the cut’ and ‘river people’ series for the past three years. Read her interview with Jane Fanner at the Enchanted Tea Garden on page 9.

Following the demise of the London Boat Show, I was also very disappointed to hear of another event disappearing from our calendar. Described as ‘the most relaxed boat show’ around a lakeside setting beside the River Thames, The Beale Park Boat & Outdoor Show, which was due to open for three days of ‘simply messing about in boats’ on May 31, has been cancelled – see news item on page 6.

But looking on the bright side, there will be plenty to whet the appetite in the coming months. See our what’s on section starting on page 20 for some ideas for days out.

See page 14 or call 01507 529529

On top of the world at Anderton

THE opportunity to look behind – and on top of – the scenes at Anderton Boat Lift attracted 3000 people to the open weekend run by the Canal & River Trust on February 16-17.

Visitors ventured down into the dry well, the chamber under the boat lift, to experience the structure from a very different perspective.

Engineers gave tours and spoke to people about the skilled and important work they are carrying out on the lift and 280 people climbed to the top.

Local artist Bernice Tackley exhibited her canal-inspired paintings and people visited the control room to see the modern technology used to operate the lift. Two old working boats, one built especially for the lift, were moored on the River Weaver below.

Duty manager Graham Wood said: “What a fantastic weekend! It was a pleasure to have so many people at the boat lift learning about this incredible structure and our thanks to everyone who came along.

Starting to make their way down are some of the 280 visitors who took a ‘top of the world’ trip to the upper workings of the lift.

“We look forward to welcoming people back when the works are completed, and the lift reopens on Saturday, March 30.

We’ll be holding boat tours and afternoon tea on Mother’s Day, March 31 and an Easter egg hunt over Easter weekend – we hope to see many of you soon.”

The free public open weekend took place during some scheduled maintenance works on the boat lift near Northwich in Cheshire. Over the next few years, the lift will be getting some well-deserved attention to make sure it keeps running smoothly.

Works will include refurbishing the hydraulics, changing the ropes for the gates, moving the pumping system for the dry well and replacing the control system which operates the lift.

CRT’s principal engineer for the works Alex Parsons-Hulse said: “The weekend was a great opportunity to explain to people what the mechanical and electrical engineering team at the trust does, as often our work is unseen.

“We spoke to lots of people about how the lift operates and the work we do to keep it operating. The boat lift is a unique example of Victorian engineering and we relish the challenge of combining old technology with new to keep this incredible structure alive and well.”

The Anderton open weekend was one of 10 free public open days across the country over the winter. Chester Open Day will be on Saturday, March 2, from 10am to 4pm at Northgate Locks, just outside the city centre.

Enjoying the view from the top of the lift. PHOTOS: COLIN WAREING, WWW. COLINANDCAROLESCREATIONS.CO.UK

TOWPATH

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Two CRT work boats moored on the River Weaver below the lift, with CRT folk in attendance to explain the roles they play in keeping the lift in working order.

The narrowboat is Hercules, while the more modern widebeam was built especially for work on the lift.

• Continued from page 1 This alternative housing solution has become particularly popular in London, where property prices have been escalating since the 2000s, with the latest Canal & River Trust (CRT) figures showing the total number of boats in the capital to be 4098, compared to 2326 in 2012 (when the trust was formed). Of these, 638 were continuous cruisers in 2012, rising to 2050 last year.

For many young people and first-time buyers, living on a boat in a residential mooring has been the only way to get on to the property ladder and own their own place in London.

Nationally the total number of boat licences issued by the CRT has been steadily rising, up from 32,490 in 2012 to 34,207 last year – of which the number of continuous cruisers went from 4312 to 5629.

Continuous cruisers are so-called “roving” boats, where owners don’t buy a fixed mooring but can remain in almost any location for two weeks before they must move on.

A CRT spokeswoman said: “Continuous cruisers are at the heart

Artist Bernice Tackley exhibiting in the marquee at Anderton. She paints scenes from her home which overlooks the Trent & Mersey canal and many of her paintings have quite an industrial influence. More of her work can been seen at www.dianabernicetackley.com of the boating community and are intimately familiar with the everyday happenings on the waterways: with the need to move to a new spot every two weeks, it really is a way of life.

“While on the surface it may seem like a cheap option, as there’s no need to pay for a permanent mooring, we always urge people to think about whether they love the lifestyle as there’s a big cost in terms of time and effort.

“In some areas, especially where housing is expensive, rising boat numbers can cause localised pressure on moorings and facilities. However continuous cruising can be the start of a lifelong love affair with the waterways: these boaters are an important part of our future.”

But although the BWML survey found that for 48% affordability was the main perk of alternative living, a quarter were drawn to the associated health and well-being benefits, such as improved mental health.

Of the same group, 15% were attracted to the environmental advantages, while 10% would find it more convenient for travel.

Long-time boat resident, Julie Cox,

based in Milton Keynes, believes life afloat offers a better way of living. She said: “The lifestyle is more relaxed and you can move whenever you want.

“I have met and seen many people on the canal with all sorts of issues, depression being one of them. I think being on the canal helps them, mostly because they are rarely judged by others and have the option to start afresh if they choose.

“It offers a healthier lifestyle all round.”

Research by the CRT revealed GPs were even prescribing canal walks to combat depression, reduce stress and cure loneliness.

Kat Bird, travel blogger at Wandering Bird, believes millennials are simply looking for a different way of life: “People are willing to live a little smaller, in order to have more freedom to travel and enjoy the world.

“Whether that’s living in a van or on a boat, there are several options and I think more people are becoming aware of those and taking the opportunities which come their way.”

While millennials try to save for a deposit, alternative homes may be a

Visitors and volunteers inspect the dry well at the bottom of the boat lift, in front of the two large black ceramic covered hydraulic rams holding the boat caissons up above their heads.

Julie Cox believes life afloat offers a better way of living. PHOTO SUPPLIED temporary or long-term solution for those looking for independence but want to avoid being snared by the rental trap or simply don’t want to give up flexibility and put down roots.

NEWS 3

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£320k boost to Swansea visitor project A HUGE funding boost of £320,000 has been confirmed to help regenerate the historic Swansea Canal into a major visitor destination.

Glandwr Cymru (the Canal & River Trust in Wales), with Swansea Canal Society, has secured Rural Community Development Funding (RCDF) with the support of the Rural Development Programme teams in Neath Port Talbot Council and Swansea Council.

Central to the project will be the dredging of almost a mile of the canal, between Coed Gwilym Park in Clydach and Trebanos, due to start in the autumn.

More than 6700 cubic metres of silt will be removed from the channel – the equivalent of more than 8300 bath tubs full of water – which will enable Swansea Canal Society to operate a trip boat, in addition to improving the canoeing sessions the society already offers.

The project will also deliver a programme of conservation repairs to be undertaken by Swansea Canal Society. Volunteers will renovate the historic structures along the waterway, reinforce banks and undertake other tasks including work to protect the biodiversity of the canal corridor.

The funding is the first part of a 10-year vision to establish the canal as a premier heritage, visitor and leisure destination.

It is estimated that the project could help generate up to £500,000 for the visitor economy each year across the region.

Richard Thomas, Glandwr Cymru director, said: “We’re delighted to have secured this funding. It’s exciting to see what impact further improving the Swansea Canal can have for the Swansea Valley and surrounding area.

“We have seen from other areas that when we can bring a canal back into use

PROJECT leaders have until Friday, March 22 to enter the Living Waterways Awards for 2019. The Canal & River Trust is looking for projects from across the UK that are helping to make lives better by water by creating vibrant and thriving living waterways. There are six categories: Art, Culture or Events; Built Environment ; Engaging Communities; Heritage & Conservation; Learning & Skills; and Natural Environment. Entry forms and further details can be found on the news and views pages at www.canalrivertrust.org.uk

Festival cancelled

The cash will mean a trip boat can operate along the beautiful Swansea Canal. PHOTO SUPPLIED then it can have huge benefits to local economies, as well as creating new opportunities for people to exercise and learn skills.

“It is a massive undertaking and requires expert engineering, ecology and heritage work, as well as a lot of hard graft.

He added: “A special thanks go to the partners on this project, particularly the

Fresh ‘bins by boat’ pilot in March ANOTHER London Mooring Strategy project aimed at improving boater facilities will go on test in March.

A longer trial of its pilot ‘bins by boat’ service will be rolled out by iRecycle – the contractor providing waste services by boat for Camden Market – to boaters on the Regent’s Canal and Paddington Arm. Having started its Camden Markets contract at the start of the year, iRecycle is now gearing up for a trial weekly collection for boaters, over a four-week period in March. Bins will be collected every Thursday from March 7, from boaters moored between Camden and Grand Junction Arms (Willesden).

Anyone wishing to take part in the trial should use clear refuse bags for dry mixed recycling, which will be taken to the Powerday depot on the Paddington

IN BRIEF Award deadline

Arm. No black bin bags will be accepted as any food waste inside cannot be identified and will be turned away by the recycling centre.

Food waste can be left in a compostable food waste bag, which will then be taken back to Camden on the return journey, where it will go off to ReFood, put through a process of anaerobic digestion and converted into energy to power homes.

Clear bins bags should be left on the towpath by 9am each Thursday for collection. Food bags should be left for collection on your boat’s roof, towpath side.

Visit the Canal & River Trust website for more information on collections and updates as the trial progresses, or contact sorwar.ahmed@canalrivertrust. org.uk with any feedback or thoughts about the project.

Swansea Canal Society who have done so much hard work to keep the canal open. We look forward to getting work under way.”

Gordon Walker, chairman of Swansea Canal Society, said: “It is excellent news that all the hard work by Swansea Canal Society volunteers has been recognised with this RCDF grant.”

He added: “This will directly benefit the community and the local economy.”

RCDF is funded through the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.

Graffiti daubed on historic bridge VANDALS have defaced a historic canal bridge with graffiti, writes Geoff Wood.

Division Bridge daubed with graffiti. PHOTO: GEOFF WOOD

And there are fears that further attacks could lead to one of the most scenic stretches of canal in the locality resembling inner city blight.

The Grade II listed Division Bridge No. 85 crosses the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, on the SaddleworthMossley border in Greater Manchester.

It was built at the end of the 18th century by Benjamin Outram, an engineer who worked on the Standedge Tunnel.

One resident said: “This was just mindless vandalism and spoils the look of the bridge itself.”

A Canal & River Trust spokesman said: “It is really disappointing that someone has damaged the bridge in this way. We urge people to think before they commit this act of senseless vandalism.”

THIS year’s moonraking festival at Slaithwaite, near Huddersfield, has been cancelled due to lack of funds, writes Geoff Wood. In December, organisers launched an appeal for £15,000 to fund a parade and other events in late February but despite donations being pledged, they were not enough to stage the 30-year-old festival. Traditionally held every two years, it celebrates the legend of smugglers trying to scoop up barrels of rum hidden under a bridge in the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. When challenged by soldiers, the smugglers insisted they were trying to scoop up the moon, which was reflected in the water.

Southall walks

THE community of Southall in west London can now make the most of healthy walks along the towpath following the completion of The Hedge at Havelock project.

Supported by Ealing Council and Catalyst Housing, the towpath and hedge improvement project has seen the hedge lowered to provide better sightlines and safety for people using the towpath and the launch of a new signage trail.

Canal stalwart

A FORMER newspaper editor who became a canal stalwart has died aged 75, writes Geoff Wood.

Jim Williams of Uppermill in Saddleworth , Greater Manchester, was an enthusiastic member of the team keeping his local stretch of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal spick and span. A former editor of the Oldham Evening Chronicle, he had revelled in the outdoor life since his retirement five years ago.

4 NEWS

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Journey’s end.

Not a moving boat in sight as Jason paddles his way along the canal.

Paddleboarder stands up to highlight plastic pollution in waterways

By Janet Richardson

Jason meets volunteers from Burnley FC in the Community cleaning up the canal.

Why paddleboard?

Stand-up paddleboarding is not only the world’s fastest growing watersport but THE fastest growing sport, Jason said.

It has become much more popular over the last five years and among the first people to practice it were surfing instructors in Hawaii so they could speak to more people on the water.

“The thing about paddleboarding is you can choose your level of intensity,” explained Jason. “There are many different shades of grey in between and you can do it on any body of water and at any degree of fitness.

“Part of the motivation for doing this trip at this time of year is to show people that not only is the

canal network open and usable but so is paddleboarding. A lot of people use the towpaths for walking their dogs and cycling but they are not using the water and if more young people could get on the water they would have more respect for that environment.”

Although more expensive than a kayak, which you can buy secondhand on eBay for around £30, a good stand-up paddleboard costing a couple of hundred pounds is still a low-cost way of getting afloat, Jason said.

“With canoes you have got to get in and out of the canoe and the water but with paddleboards it is easier as you are standing up.

I hope it is something I can keep doing into my 80s!”

WEST Yorkshire recycling company boss, Jason Elliott of Hebden Bridge, has paddled his way from Bootle to Goole to raise awareness of waterborne plastic waste.

He followed the Desmond Family Canoe Trail on his stand-up paddleboard, taking 10 days to complete the 162-mile journey along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, River Aire and Aire & Calder Navigation, finishing near the Yorkshire Waterways Museum on February 16.

Jason, 54, has also been raising money for marine conservation and campaigning charity Surfers Against Sewage, which aims to protect the UK coastlines and at the time of going to press, his Just Giving appeal had already exceeded his £2000 target.

There is still time to support his effort – see website address in the panel on the facing page.

A lifelong surfer, canoeist and paddleboarder, Jason is the managing director of British Recycled Plastic in Hebden Bridge, a company he started to be part of the solution to the problem of plastic waste.

He told Towpath Talk that Surfers Against Sewage was primarily involved in coastal campaigns but now realised that a lot of the problems are inland so are starting to get involved here too.

“The Canal & River Trust spends over £1 million every year removing litter f ro m towpaths and waterways and they do a great job… but the plastic problem is not going away. The biggest

difference we can make is by moving away from single use plastic packaging and disposing of our waste responsibly – something each and every one of us can do.”

Jason referred to the degree of rubbish he had encountered, particularly in the Blackburn area of East Lancashire. He commented on how clean it was when he entered West Yorkshire and it was not until he reached Leeds that there was any noticeable waste in the water.

“Councils have a duty to lead the fight against waste but they don’t whereas in my home part of Calderdale they tackle it head-on.

“What was di sapp ointing was the number of plastic coal sacks in the water where there were narrowboats moored. Please make a bit more of an effort to secure and dispose of them properly.”

“What was disappointing was the number of plastic coal sacks in the water where there were narrowboats moored. Please make a bit more of an effort to secure and dispose of them properly.”

Swan alert

A rare sight as a narrowboat comes into view.

Plastic waste apart, Jason’s worst moments on his journey were when he was set upon by aggressive swans. “I had just gone through Foulridge Tunnel – one of the first paddleboarders to do so since it was opened to paddle craft – when a swan saw me and made a beeline for me.

“It took about an hour to shake it off and I lost my sunglasses when another swan went for me near Skipton. However I developed a strategy after finding that swans were less likely to attack if I stood up straight on my board.”

On the plus side were the sightings of other birds including kingfishers – “I saw about a dozen along the way which was a real treat” – and herons.

NEWS 5

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Football fans stepping out for men’s cancer charity

The number of plastic coal sacks near moorings was a disappointment, Jason said.

Plastic epidemic

Eight million pieces of plastic pollution end up in the oceans every day, equating to eight million tons of plastic every year.

Every minute two million single use plastic bags and one million plastic bottles are sold, creating a worldwide plastic epidemic.

He was surprised not to see more boating traffic. “It was still relatively empty and until I got to the River Aire I had only seen three other moving vessels – one kayak and two narrowboats.”

Jason’s daughter Georgia drove their motorhome to provide day-today support and filming, but this was quite a challenge as some of the roads to the canal were very narrow, with height barriers blocking the way to the car parks.

He added: “I am also grateful for the support of the team at the Canal & River Trust for their help in organising this, the wonderful people at Bluefin for their incredible Sprint Touring iSUP and carbon fibre paddle and the team at British Canoeing for helping to get the word out.”

Danny Matley, programme manager at Canal & River Trust, commented: “Through our Desmond Family Canoe Trail project and regular community volunteering sessions we work really hard to look after our canals and rivers to ensure they remain great places for people and wildlife.

“We’re really glad that Jason has undertaken this challenge to help raise awareness of the problem of plastic pollution, and we hope his efforts will remind people to always bin or recycle their rubbish and encourage them to get involved in helping to care for their local canal.”

Plastic bottles among the rubbish in the canal.

Jason with daughter Georgia.

Jason’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ jasonpaddleboard/ Jason’s Just Giving page: www. justgiving.com/jason-paddleboard Surfers Against Sewage: h t t p s : / / w w w. s a s . o rg . u k / our-work/plastic-pollution/ plastic-pollution-facts-figures/ Canal & River Trust, Desmond Family Canoe Trail: https:// canalrivertrust.org.uk/specialistteams/youth-engagement/ the-desmond-family-canoe-trail British Recycled Plastic: www. britishrecycledplastic.co.uk Information on paddleboarding: https://www.britishcanoeing.org. uk/stand-up-paddleboarding-sup Bluefin: https://bluefinsupboards. com

TWO rival football fans are set to put their differences aside and come together to walk 92 miles to raise money for charity.

Derby County fan Tony Haslam and his friend Dave Bradbury, who supports Nottingham Forest, will embark on the trek along the Trent & Mersey Canal in March.

The pair will start at Preston Brook and finish in Shardlow and they are aiming to complete the walk in seven days, raising money for Prostate Cancer UK. Tony, who lives in a boat at Mercia Marina, in Willington, and Dave met through local walking group Footloose, which Tony has been a member of for around six years.

Tony said: “Last year, me and my partner did a 20-mile walk around Blenheim Palace for breast cancer research and between six of us we raised over £2000.

“This year I thought it was the men’s turn so decided to raise money in aid of prostate cancer. I also know someone who has just been diagnosed with prostate cancer.”

He continued: “I have been training and last week I walked 50 miles and that was over five days just on local routes. I’m finding it okay and I can do 14 miles in a day without stopping now, no problem.

“I’m looking forward to it, it will be a challenge and we will do it whatever the weather, other than floods.”

Tony, who attends every Derby County match, both home and away, is now well on the way to reaching

Derby County supporter Tony Haslam and Nottingham Forest fan Dave Bradbury are putting aside their club rivalry to raise money for Prostate Cancer research. PHOTO SUPPLIED his fundraising goal. He said: “I really want to get to £1000 if I can. I’m already thinking about what I can do next.

“I’m a football fan and I was thinking to tie in with 92 miles, there are 92 clubs in the football league so it would be great to get one footballer from each club to do something for charity.

“That would obviously take a lot of work though. Dave’s a Forest fan so I’ve threatened to throw him in the river when we get to Shardlow!

“We are doing this walk to bring clubs and fans together and raise money to fight this illness which is now killing more men than breast cancer is killing women. This year more than 11,000

men will die of prostate cancer, that’s more than fans going to see Wigan, Brentford and Rotherham each week.”

He added: “So don’t be frightened – if you think you have a problem go and see your doctor, and live to see the next game.”

A spokesperson for Derby County said: “On behalf of DCFC we’d like to wish them the best of luck for the walk.

Come on you Rams!”

At the time of going to press, Tony’s Just Giving page had raised a total of £738 – 77% of its £950 target. To donate, you can visit Tony’s Men United VS Prostate Cancer page at www. justgiving.com

Volunteer sought for Montgomery survey THE chairman of an organisation supporting the restoration of the Montgomery Canal is appealing for volunteers to come forward to help with surveying and engineering works.

Mi chael L imbrey, Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust chairman, is urgently trying to find a surveyor to survey a half-mile section of driedout canal through to the Welsh border.

“We want to restore the dry section of canal towards Pant but first we need a detailed assessment of what has to be done,” he said. “We already have the equipment and volunteers who will help but we need a surveyor to take the lead

and check ground levels. If anybody is interested, we would be happy to show them the section.

“Over years of dereliction, the canal has degraded and we don’t know whether the channel is the right depth or if the towpath is at the right height and how much soil needs to be moved.”

Mr Limbrey said the surveying job would be ideal for a retired surveyor who wished to join the growing band of specialist volunteers working on the canal restoration project, which is gathering momentum.

The surveying work will lead to Schoolhouse Bridge at Pant, the last road blockage in Shropshire, which represents a major

Volunteers working between Pryces Bridge and Crickheath near Pant. PHOTO SUPPLIED engineering task for the canal restorers. A £300,000 appeal for the replacement of the bridge is steadily climbing towards its target thanks to generous support from fundraisers.

Mr Limbrey said the trust would also like to recruit volunteer engineers and

architects who could create a vision for the canal in Llanymynech, Welshpool and Newtown.

Anybody interested in supporting the canal restoration is asked to contact Mr Limbrey on 01691 654081 or email: chairman@ montgomerywrtrust.uk

6 NEWS

IN BRIEF Top of the locks

HILLMORTON Locks 2 and 3 on the Oxford Canal are the busiest locks on the Canal & River Trust network for the second successive year. There were 8621 lockages in 2018. Next came New Marton Lock 2 on the Llangollen Canal with 7866 and Colwich Lock 21 on the Trent & Mersey Canal with 7729. Presenting the annual lockage report covering 150 locations, CRT’s national hydrology manager Adam Comerford said that decreases in the North West were likely to be affected by water resource-related closures and restrictions.

Show scuppered THE cancellation of the 2019 Beale Park Boat & Outdoor Show has been announced by organisers See It For Real Productions which has been running the event in early June since 2015. In a press statement, the show team described the decision as a great disappointment but it had been unable to achieve satisfactory commercial arrangements and there are no plans for any further shows at this stage.

Saving water VOLUNTEER lock keepers contributed just under 140,000 hours at 111 sites on Canal & River Trust waterways in 2018. A survey indicated that around 3410 locks full of water are saved with their help on an average week.

Winter moorings ALMOST £300,000 income has been generated for the Canal & River Trust from its winter moorings scheme this season. Of the 135 available, 103 have been taken.

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Boats could return to Grantham Canal stretch

A PROJECT to dredge part of the Grantham Canal could bring boats back to this stretch for the first time in 90 years.

The works between Locks 15 and 16 are taking place in a partnership between the Canal & River Trust and Grantham Canal Society, with funding made possible thanks to players of the People’s Postcode Lottery.

The project complements a separate scheme, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, to restore two locks on the canal.

Works on Lock 15 were completed last year with volunteers taking it apart, piece by piece, after its 200-year-old walls deteriorated. New lock gates were fitted in June and work has now started to completely rebuild Lock 14.

Much of the material removed from the canal as part of the dredging project is set to be reused in the landscaping around Lock 15.

The canal was opened in 1797 as a cheap way of transporting coal from Nottingham to Grantham. It proved

prosperous until the opening of the Grantham to Nottingham railway in 1850. Unable to compete with the railway, the canal eventually closed to boats in 1929 and over time the locks fell into dereliction.

Since the 1970s volunteers have been working, from the Grantham end, to reverse the decline and around four miles of the canal is navigable to boats between Woolsthorpe and the A1.

CRT project manager Karen Rice said: “It’s great to see this dredging taking place and it will be wonderful to see boats finally using this stretch of canal for the first time in 90 years.

“It’s an incredibly exciting period in the canal’s long history; with the restoration of the two locks and this dredging, there’s a real sense of momentum. If people want to get involved and play their part in the restoration of this fantastic canal, we’d love to hear from them.”

David Lyneham-Brown, chief executive officer of the Grantham Canal

The stretch to be dredged between Locks 15 and 16 of the Grantham Canal. PHOTO: JANET RICHARDSON Society, added: “When this section is fully dredged it will add two locks and over half a mile to the navigable eastern end of the canal – another major step in the restoration process. We have just started the Lock 14 rebuild and it would be fantastic to see more people join us in this latest endeavour.”

Vehicles damage northern bridges TWO historic bridges over the Northern Reaches of the Lancaster Canal have again been damaged by vehicles.

Crooklands Bridge No 166 was hit by a lorry on January 18 and has since been closed to traffic.

Seven Milestone Bridge No 163 on the A65 has also been damaged.

It is situated near Junction 36 of the M6 and it was suggested at a local parish council meeting that when the motorway is blocked, vehicles are diverted via Kendal but take the Milnthorpe route to get on to the A6.

The damaged north parapet of Crooklands Bridge. PHOTOS: FRANK SANDERSON

Seven Milestone Bridge on the A65.

For more information on the Grantham Canal go to www. granthamcanal.org or for more details on how to get involved in the restoration contact volunteer@granthamcanal.org

ASK THE TRUST 7

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ASK THE TRUST

Towpath project improves off-road route

What does the trust spend our boat licence fee on?

In this new regular column, a team of experts from the Canal & River Trust will be answering some of the most common questions from boaters, whether that’s via the Boaters’ Update, enquiries received by the Customer Services team or the contents of the Towpath Talk mailbag.

Matthew Symonds, CRT relationship, policy and strategy manager, says: This is a question we hear a lot from boaters. You pay to keep your boat on the waterways and it’s understandable that you want to see where your money goes.

As a result, we’ve just published a Boaters’ Report which sets out both how we raise funds and how we use the money to keep the canals open for boaters and others. The report is available on our website and is being sent out as a PDF with every licence renewal and new boat licence application. We’ve also produced some printed copies for those boaters without email.

I hope you’ll take the time to read through the report but in the meantime here are some of the headlines.

First and foremost, we couldn’t do it without you! In 2017/18, leisure licences contributed £20.4 million, around 10% of our total income and, once the money from moorings and boating businesses is included, we received £38.1 million directly from boating activities.

We need to raise money from other sources as well – for every £1 we get from

boating, we get about £4 from elsewhere.

Looking after 2000 miles of historic inland waterways, and the wide variety of locks, bridges, tunnels, aqueducts (and the rest!) that are integral to them, many of which are more than 200 years old, is a costly task.

In 2017/18 we spent 153 million on our charitable activities, of which £132 million was spent on waterways operation, maintenance and repairs.

This is split roughly equally between the cost of heavy maintenance, repairs and other asset improvement projects; and the day-to-day running of the network (including, for example, our contracts for managing vegetation and collecting waste) as well as our own teams that manage the network 24:7 throughout the year.

In addition, third parties (from outside the trust) funded a further £17 million of works to improve the network, with the largest category being towpath resurfacing in and around some of the cities that the waterways run through.

Our teams, contractors and volunteers (who gave more than 600,000 hours of

Matthew Symonds: “We couldn’t do it without you.” PHOTO: J ANET RICHARDSON

their time in 2017/18) carry out a whole host of jobs that benefit boaters. Every year we carry out thousands of jobs, from multi-million pound projects on reservoirs and embankments, to the smaller everyday tasks that keep our canals and river navigations open.

Dredging, lock gate replacements, grouting, cutting back grass and overgrowing foliage, emptying bins, cleaning toilets and showers, repairing breaches, responding to incidents, helping boaters, keeping water supplies at the right levels – the list goes on!

Do have a look at the report – it contains various stats and facts that illustrate exactly how many tasks we carry out (28,000 toilet, Elsan and pump out clean-ups for example), and how much some common maintenance jobs cost, so you can really see how your licence fee helps us carry out the work that is important to boaters.

We’re going to be refreshing the report every year so we’d love to hear your feedback on what you find most useful and if there’s any other aspects of our work that you’d like to see more of in future.

WALKERS and cyclists can enjoy an improved off-road route along the Aire & Calder Navigation following a £175,000 towpath improvement project led by Wakefield Council in collaboration with the Canal & River Trust.

The scheme, funded by Wakefield Council and part of the five-mile Pontefract Knottingley Connect route, has enhanced 1.4 miles of the towpath from Forge Hill Lane to Marsh Lane.

CRT enterprise manager Jane Thomson said: “We hope it will encourage more local people to get out by the water and enjoy the benefits of fresh air, watching the wildlife, and taking time to relax and also benefit boaters using the waterway.”

Work began last September, with the council’s highways team using

carefully selected recycled and graded materials to produce a finished surface in keeping with the surrounding environment, and taking care to retain the visual appearance of features such as Cow Lane Bridge steps, while improving accessibility.

The team also worked with volunteers who care for ‘Freda’s Garden’ – a stretch of towpath between Cow Lane Bridge and Shepherds Bridge which was originally planted by local resident, the late Freda Turner.

She lived in a small house by the canal and treated the towpath as her garden, planting roses and wild flowers to create a blaze of colour that everyone could enjoy. Freda’s Garden is now a local landmark and is well known and loved by everyone who uses the canal.

The improved towpath at Knottingley. PHOTO: CANAL & RIVER TRUST

8 NETWORKING

IN BRIEF New Gnosall festival THE first Gnosall Canal Festival will take place from July 19-21. It is to be known as C-fest to tie in with the village’s popular G-fest. There will be a special focus on history and historic narrowboats will be particularly welcome to attend. If readers have any pre-1990s photos (the older the better) the C-fest organisers would like to hear from them. To contact the organisers about photos, getting involved, or to receive updates about the festival, the email address is cfest. gnosall@gmail.com. Gnosall was the Best Kept Village in Staffordshire in 2016 and 2017.

Help sought

MORE volunteers are wanted to help spruce up the canal towpath at Greenfield in Saddleworth – a village with good public transport links across the Manchester area, writes Geoff Wood. Volunteers currently clear debris, cut back vegetation and resurface areas with stone as well as painting lock gates along the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. Equipment is provided but volunteers are asked to wear suitable clothing and bring a drink and a snack.

For more information call Gill McCully on 01457 870364.

Latest laundrettes

THE latest edition of Aylesbury Canal Society’s Laundrette List is now available. The 2019 listing shows towns and villages with laundrettes, which are listed alphabetically with directions from the canal and extra useful information. Canals and rivers are also listed alphabetically showing the towns and villages on those navigations where laundrettes exist.

The listing has been compiled with information supplied by canal and laundrette users. It is on sale at the IWA online store at the slightly higher cost of £5, which is the first price increase in about 10 years.

Successful year

EVENTS and talks organised by Grantham Canal Society brought in more than £8500 and reached an estimated 3000-plus people last year. Membership and boat booking also increased thanks to the hard work and dedication of the team of volunteers. (Bridge, November 2018)

Retford heritage

CHESTERFIELD Canal Trust welcomes historic boats to the Retford Heritage Day on Saturday, September 14. Contact Rod Auton at publicity@chesterfield-canaltrust.org.uk

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Paddle power weapon in war on plastic A RIVER-mad Midlands paddle boarding club has teamed up with Avon Navigation Trust (ANT) to help keep its stretch clear of plastic and other litter.

Members of the Bonkers Activities club have already hauled out a heap of carelessly discarded rubbish, including plastic bottles, cans and a bike.

The club, based at the Pershore Riverside Centre, will continue the year-round litter pick from the town’s lock up to the weir at Wyre Piddle, where ANT is based.

“We’re delighted to welcome the club on board to help us to protect our river and the environment,” said the charity’s chief executive Clive Matthews.

“The ANT team clears litter as it maintains the river, but it’s easier for paddle boarders to access harder-to-reach areas, such as shallows, where rubbish can get trapped.”

The club was inspired to join the front line in the war against waste by a Canal & River Trust initiative to sign up paddle boarding clubs, and other community groups, to formally adopt parts of the waterways it looks after.

The Vale paddle boarders, who meet every Sunday throughout the year, were eager to get stuck in.

“We love being on the river, and we want to make sure everyone else can enjoy it too,” says Bonkers owner Kim Bonk.

“The River Avon is beautiful but, even on one of the cleanest rivers in the UK, it is surprising how much we pick up on our regular litter picks.”

A cast away success: members of Bonkers Activities Paddle Boarding Club with the results of their first clear-up. Pictured are leader Kim Bonk with Adam Schwarzenegger, Adam Welland, Jo Richardson, Katie Foulkes, Rebecca Ricketts, Angela Dakin, Dotty Reacord, Chloe Finlan, Phil Finlan, Cassie Finlan and Daniel Finlan. PHOTO SUPPLIED

Cash boost for Cotswolds after show success COTSWOLD Canals Trust (CCT) was a main beneficiary of cash raised at last year’s Gloucestershire Vintage and Country Extravaganza.

The trust received a cheque for £1000 when organisers Stroud Vintage Transport and Engine Club (SVTEC) gave £25,000 to 38 national and regional charities and preservation projects.

Cotswold Canals Trust aims to protect and restore the Stroudwater Navigation and the Thames and Severn Canal and is also restoring the 36-mile navigable route from the Stroudwater Navigation’s junction with the Gloucester-Sharpness Canal at Saul Junction to the River Thames at Lechlade.

The money will go towards a new day trip boat.

SVTEC hosted a special celebration evening and invited representatives from 38 charities to attend a presentation.

Martyn Slater, chairman of SVTEC, said: “Last year nearly 20,000 visitors flocked through the gates of the Gloucestershire Vintage and Country Extravaganza during the hottest weekend of the year.

“It was one of the best attended shows in the event’s 44-year history, which meant that we are able to invest in the sustainability of our future shows, but also support many worthwhile charities.

“The show, which takes place at South Cerney Airfield, is the biggest event of

Gloucestershire Vintage and Country Extravaganza founding member Mike Smith presenting a cheque for £1000 to Keith Jones from the Cotswold Canals Trust.

PHOTO: JOHN ROGERS

£20k boost to wharf project

Top award for Thames barge firm

SHREWSBURY & Newport Canals Trust (SNCT) has received a major grant from the Wolfson Foundation.

The £20,000 grant will go towards its Thomas Telford @ Wappenshall Wharf project.

The money will be used to help the SNCT redevelop Wappenshall Wharf as a heritage site and tourist attraction, to protect the architectural and heritage importance of the buildings, to engage the whole community, especially young people, in education, training and the arts, and to provide the best level of public and community access and use of the site and buildings.

Chairman Bernie Jones said: “This is a major step forward for this key project in our trust’s history. I am very grateful to the Wolfson Foundation, as raising the money in the present economic climate has been a real challenge.

THE Commercial Boat Operators’ Association has congratulated leading barge firm GPS Marine Contractors Ltd on winning a prestigious logistics award.

The Freight Transport Association’s Sea Freight Operator of the Year 2018 award was presented to GPS managing director John Spencer at a gala dinner attended by people from across the logistics industry. The citation read: “Thames barge freight was once described as the ultimate sunset industry – not any longer.

“GPS Marine has responded to a massive increase in demand triggered by major central London infrastructure developments and associated concerns, by investing £4.8 million in a fleet of 10 leading-edge hopper barges.

“This went hand-in-hand with a shift in health and safety culture and working practices.”

The judges’ comment was: “An efficient, safe way to move huge volumes of aggregate through a crowded city.”

David Lowe, chairman of the CBOA, which promotes the commercial use of inland waterways for freight traffic, said: “I’m delighted that the Freight Transport Association – which speaks for firms which send and receive goods – has recognised the value of the inland waterways freight industry.

“GPS are one of the leading barge firms on the Thames and Medway. Their tugs and barges can be seen delivering aggregates to the Hanson Wharf at Wandsworth and other wharves on the River.

“With this grant we will certainly be able to complete Phase 1 now.”

The Wolfson Foundation is an independent charity that supports and promotes excellence in the fields of science, health, education and the arts and humanities.

Re-roofing of the small warehouse nears completion. PHOTO SUPPLIED

Speakers bring the history of Wey & Arun to life DID you know that Zachariah Keppel, a builder from Alfold, went bankrupt trying to construct the Wey & Arun Canal in 1813? Or that the canal was in part built by French prisoners of war?

Local groups and organisations can find out more fascinating facts about the Wey & Arun Canal, its history and present journey back to life, by booking a talk from the knowledgeable team at the Wey & Arun Canal Trust.

Trust speakers can provide presentations on every aspect of the

its kind run entirely by volunteers and without them it simply couldn’t run.

“I am immensely proud of our team of 65 volunteers. As a way to reward them for all their hard work and commitment to the event, each section leader nominates a charity to be a beneficiary from the profits raised.”

The 45th annual Gloucestershire Vintage & Country Extravaganza returns to Cirencester from August 2-4.

The show is known as one of the biggest and best steam, vintage and countryside events in the UK. For further information regarding the show, visit www.glosvintage extravaganza.co.uk

canal, covering all interests and age groups. Previous bookings have ranged from gardening clubs and wine groups to scouts and cubs.

John Dodwell, volunteer speakers organiser, said: “Our speakers are experts in the history of the waterway that runs from Shalford in Surrey to Pallingham in West Sussex. We bring to life the story of how the canal came to be; the characters behind its construction and those who pioneered its restoration.

“The story continues today and we

can give an insight into the current restoration. Back in 1813 navvies came from all over the country to build the canal and navvies still volunteer today to bring the canal back to its former glory.”

There are still spaces left on this year’s programme. There is no fixed charge for a speaker, but a £60 donation is asked for to support the trust’s restoration work.

Anyone interested in booking a talk should email talks@weyandarun. co.uk or go to https://weyarun.org.uk/ content/request-speaker

“They have often worked into Docklands with aggregates for construction at Canary Wharf and also brought up the river concrete segments needed for the Crossrail Tunnel.”

John Spencer of GPS receives the Sea Freight Operator of the Year award. PHOTO SUBMITTED

NETWORKING 9

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Characters of the cut In her final article for this series, Julie Webb meets the Cornish family who found the good life on the canals.

JANE Fanner and her partner Vyvyan have been familiar faces to folk on the southern Oxford for 30-plus years, but they’re actually natives of Cornwall, lured east in the mid-80s by an interesting-looking butty in Exchange and Mart.

“I’d never seen a narrowboat, except on TV, until we came to Oxford,” Jane told me. “It was like stepping into a different world, off the frantic traffic of Hythe Bridge Street on to the arm. The first thing I saw was a kingfisher.

“We wanted to live somewhere we could afford, so we could do the jobs and craftwork we wished to do – you can either do that in your spare time and live conventionally, or find a way round it.”

Vyvyan was originally a wheelwright and Jane a hospital dietician whose hobby was horse and carriage driving – it was that which (as in the song) brought them together.

The boat they came to see was FMC butty Ipswich, built in 1898.

“She’d been converted by Malcolm Braine for his own use.

The inside was stunning, with rosewood matchboarding and a full-size Rayburn for central heating,” said Jane. “We fell deeply in love with her, even though she was tired, leaky and desperately needed painting!”

Within two days of moving on to the boat with their three children, Alicia, Verity and David (a fourth, Tom, was born in Oxfordshire), they found a workshop for Vyvyan and grazing for the ponies.

“They were called Willing and Able, but Willing wasn’t very able and Able wasn’t very willing! I did carriage hire for 25 years but I’ve given it up – it’s too demanding because it’s mostly weddings, which take up weekends.”

Painting for pleasure

They found life afloat delightful.

“The thing that woke us on our first morning was ducks pecking weed along the hull.

And Ipswich had sidehatches, so people were always popping their heads in to chat.

“Our philosophy is to do everything ourselves, so we started by taking her into Castle

Jane Fanner and partner Vyvyan with their dog Mellow.

PHOTO: JULIE WEBB

Mill Boatyard to paint. We wanted traditional colours – red, yellow and green – and we wanted her back cabin to be as a back cabin should be. I feel strongly about the roses and castles thing, because we’ve got hardly any British folk art. I’d always done painting and drawing but my first attempts at them were pretty awful! Like any craft, you’ve got to put in the miles.”

Her success led to invitations to teach and demonstrate.

“Now I just do it for my own pleasure. I love to see it kept alive on older boats but it’s rarer and rarer, though people do paint items like coal buckets.”

An important element of the life they planned when they moved on to Ipswich was self-sufficiency, guided by the book of that name

by John Seymour, which they still refer to. They bought some land – where they now live – next to the canal at Kirtlington, and developed it into a smallholding.

“The land had been used by BW for dredging and was totally bare.

Vyvyan bought a 1954 grey Fergie tractor, got it working – it still works – and turned over the ground. We put in an orchard first, with apples, pears, damsons and plums – also rhubarb and soft fruit. That’s been remarkably successful. It keeps us going all year.

“Crops that grow downwards are not so easy because it’s very stony clay. You have to work it – that’s where the cow comes in: the cow is the ‘mother of the farm’ because she gives you milk, meat and the muck that nourishes the soil.”

They also have chickens and numerous other birds, including pet swans Darcey and Bussell, and Cressy the canary.

‘We were on Ipswich for 10 years, moored here for the last one. Eventually we just couldn’t keep her afloat any longer – we sat and wept! We replaced her with a modern boat, Flower, which we knew well because she belonged to friends. We’ve seen a lot of the system with them – including the beautiful northern canals.”

Flower is a 57ft Colecraft, built in 1990. She’s fitted out in the Victorian style that is also a feature of their house, converted

by Vyvyan from a stable block: the sitting-room has the cosiness of a back cabin combined with a 19th century parlour, complete with stove, Morris wallpaper and chiming clock.

Tea garden

In recent years Jane’s become famous for her Enchanted Tea Garden, open monthly in summer andservingscrumptiouscakesand scones at romantically decorated tables among the willows.

She has qualifications in baking and patisserie but it was her mother who first inspired her.

“As a child in the 1950s you’d come back from school to home-made cake or scones. You absorbed the skills.”

The Tea Garden weekends – often catering for 400 visitors – are hard work.

“There’s the gardening; and the baking itself is phenomenal: 60 to 70 hours.”

Although they’re land-based now, Jane and Vyvyan relish the time they spend aboard Flower.

“We still absolutely love cruising and that connection with the outside – hearing rain on the cabin, and the sound of water, and birdsong. There’s nothing finer.”

www.janes-cream-teas.moonfruit.com

Jane Fanner with her painted watercans on board nb Flower. PHOTO: JULIE WEBB

The enchanted tea garden beside the South Oxford Canal. PHOTO SUPPLIED

10 COMMUNITY

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Baldwin Trust in urgent plea for crew members

By Les Heath

AFTER a successful campaign to fund a new community narrowboat, members of the Leicestershire-based Baldwin Trust have hit a major, unexpected problem – they do not have enough volunteers to run their expanding fleet.

The trust launched the campaign more than a year ago (Towpath Talk, March 2018) to build the £130,000 boat and it is hoped that it will be in service this summer, providing they can find volunteer skippers and crew to run it along with their other two boats.

Trust representative Alasdair Macintyre said: “We had 45 volunteers when we started the appeal but some were quite elderly and have decided not to continue.

“We have recruited 15 volunteers in the last six months but we need at least another 15 before we can operate.”

The trust already has two narrowboats, the Dandelion and St Clare, but unless more volunteers are recruited their new 68ft flagship will remain on its mooring.

What could be considered as part of the problem is the amazing success of the services provided by the Baldwin Trust, with around 2000 members of the local community taking advantage of their boat trips during 2018.

An artist’s impression of the new boat. PHOTOS SUPPLIED

In demand

“The demand for boat trips from disadvantaged people of all ages has been incredible,” said Alasdair.

“Now we need volunteers to be able to provide the service expected of us.”

The trust’s boats are extremely user friendly and are fitted with ramps and lifts for those in wheelchairs or with mobility issues.

Trips are also arranged for family groups, community groups, church groups and special occasions, apart from those specially for the disadvantaged.

Pub stops along the way are an added bonus.

When the new boat becomes operational the trust is planning

to build a similar craft, bringing the fleet up to four.

“We certainly will need a huge team of volunteers by then,” said Alasdair, who added that the vessels would be based at Pillings Lock Marina, near Loughborough, and Leicester Marina, Thurmaston.

“Anyone who is interested in using their spare time to help others less able and at the same time enjoy the tranquil River Soar please get in touch, whether or not you have boating experience.”

To find out more visit the trust’s website www.baldwintrust.co.uk where there is an application form.

Alternatively write to The Secretary, 52 Johnson Road, Birstall, Leicester LE4 3AS.

Dandelion and St Clare share a lock.

Crickheath goal moves closer

THE work of Shropshire Union Canal Society volunteers on the Montgomery Canal has moved on to phase two – 290m – which will link up with the Canal & River Trust winding hole project at Crickheath.

Most recent work on the first stage of the operation consisted of removing trees and vegetation from both sides of this section and the bed of the canal.

The next stage will be to have a newt fence erected around the perimeter of the section so that the colony of great crested newts, an endangered species, can be removed.

Volunteers carry out clearance at a work party in January.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

Once ecologists declare the area free of the newts, work can begin in earnest later in the year.

The previous section is being gradually filled with water to test it.

COMMUNITY 11

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The Overwater Wheelybus. PHOTOS: OVERWATER MARINA

New Audlem ‘bus’ wheely improves waterway access

MORE than 100 people gathered to celebrate the launch of a new service that aims to help people with mobility issues enjoy the waterways around Audlem.

ThenewOverwaterWheelybus provides wheelchair transport so that those in need can take advantage of the Wheelyboat and the Audlem Lass, while also meeting some needs for transport identified by Audlem Medical Practice.

The event marked another success for the team led by Rodney Cottrell, chairman of Overwater Wheelyboat Services, and wife Christine, who have in the last eight years created and operated the Audlem Lass, the Overwater Wheelyboat and now the Overwater Wheelybus.

A welcome to the ceremony was presented by Janet Maughan, president of Overwater Wheelyboat Services and co-owner of Overwater Marina, Audlem, who said: “This is a tremendously proud moment for both Overwater and Rodney and his team of volunteers.

“The work and effort which has gone into raising funds for the Wheelybus is second to none and I am very excited about the future of the Overwater Wheelyboat Services.”

Rodney gave the audience a history of the projects, which began with the creation of the Audlem Lass Boat Service.

The Audlem Lass provides boat trips from Overwater Marina to the bottom of the Audlem flight of locks every weekend from Easter to the

end of October and is crewed by volunteers in aid of the RNLI. More than 37,000 people have travelled on the Audlem Lass boat, raising around £16,000 for the RNLI. The Overwater Wheelyboat provides for passengers with disabilities and was launched with the support of the Wheelyboat Trust as well as many other sponsors, such as Comic Relief, Cheshire Community Action, Ableworld and individual contributions from people in Audlem.

Since its launch the Wheelyboat has provided trips around the marina to Lock 15 and along the Shropshire Union Canal as far as Hack Green for about 1500 people.

In early 2017 the team identified a need for a means to transport people from their homes or care homes to the boat and the Overwater Wheelybus project was born.

Rodney and his team set

about raising more than £35,000 to purchase a minibus suitable for carrying wheelchairs and less able passengers.

With the help of Cheshire LEADER, the Big Lottery (Awards for All), the High Sheriff of Cheshire’s Charity Fund, Car Transplants, Cheshire County Foundation and many others, this was achieved over the last two years.

The Wheelybus was launched and blessed in the ceremony attended by, among others, Antoinette Sandbach, MP for Eddisbury, Coun Rachel Bailey, leader of Cheshire East Council, Andy Beadsley, director of the Wheelyboat Trust, Alexis Redmond, the High Sheriff of Cheshire, Lesley Smethen, Mayor of Cheshire East and the Rev Helen Chantry.

Overwater Marina is a 230-berth inland waterways marina in beautiful and rural South Cheshire, just outside the village of Audlem.

Coun Rachel Bailey speaks at the Wheelybus launch.

Join dozens of Daves and man the locks

A NEW campaign called Join the Daves has been started by the Canal & River Trust in a bid to attract more volunteers to take on the role of lock keeper.

Dave is the most common name among the trust’s thousands of volunteers and the charity is appealing for men and women from all backgrounds to join the army of Daves performing this important task on the nation’s waterways.

Last year more than 1000 people volunteered to be lock keepers, a task which involves helping boaters on their journeys and providing information and advice to people on the towpath.

Of the many people volunteering for the charity in a range of roles, 130 Daves give up their time to carry out tasks such as helping boats through locks, clearing vegetation, maintaining towpaths and teaching children

via the charity’s education programme. Hot on their heels were the Johns, with Barbaras and Karens leading the way among female volunteers.

Whatever your first name is, the trust needs volunteer lock keepers at nearly 80 sites across England and Wales, including iconic historic flights like Bingley Five Rise in West Yorkshire, Caen Hill in Wiltshire and Hanwell in London.

12 IWA ROUND-UP

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Exeter in Silver Propeller spotlight

Peaceful, beautiful, but where are the boats? The Friends of Exeter Ship Canal hope the Silver Propeller Challenge will encourage more boats along the canal. PHOTO: PETER NICKOL

IWA BRANCH DIARY FOR MARCH 2019 Anyone intending to attend one of these events for the first time should contact the organisers beforehand and wear suitable clothing and footwear. If staying all day take a packed lunch unless other arrangements are indicated.

EAST

Saturday March 16

IWA Lincolnshire Branch supporting Sleaford Navigation Trust: Work party to maintain the

alongside the Shropshire Union Canal. 10am4pm. Work will include painting and vegetation clearance. Contact Jason Watts: jason.watts@ canalrivertrust.org.uk

Sunday March 10

navigable section of the Sleaford Navigation.

Contact Mel Sowerby: 01522 856810 or workparty@sleafordnavigation.co.uk

Wednesday March 13 and 27

IWA Peterborough Branch: Clearing vegetation on

Horseways Channel and carrying out maintenance of Horseways Lock. 10am-3pm. Contact Roger Mungham: 01945 773002 or roger.mungham@ waterways.org.uk

MIDLANDS Every Friday

IWA Lichfield Branch and CRT joint Work Party: Work

party on the Trent & Mersey Canal to help clear offside vegetation. Prior training on equipment may be needed. 9.30am-3.30pm. Contact Neil Barnett: neil.barnett@waterways.org.uk

Sunday March 3 and Tuesday March 19

IWA Northampton Branch: Work party on the

Northampton Arm. 10am-2pm. Work usually includes a variety of tasks such as painting, vegetation clearance and litter picking. Contact Geoff Wood: geoff.wood@waterways.org.uk

Tuesday March 12

IWA Birmingham, Black Country & Worcestershire Branch: Work party in Kidderminster. Meet 10am

at Limekiln Bridge. Work will focus on clearing plastics. Contact David Struckett: david.struckett@ waterways.org.uk

Sunday March 24

IWA Warwickshire Branch: Work party 10am-2pm.

Work usually includes a variety of tasks such as painting, vegetation clearance and litter picking.

Contact: info.warwickshire@waterways.org.uk

NORTH

Thursday March 14

IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch and Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust: Work party on the

Uttoxeter Canal. 10am to 3pm. Contact Steve Wood: 07976 805858 or steve.wood@waterways.org.uk

IWA Chester & Merseyside Branch: Work party

IWA Manchester Branch:

Work party in Greater Manchester. 10am-4pm.

Tasks will include vegetation clearance, litter picking, painting and pulling rubbish out of the canal. Contact: 07710 554602 or secretary@manchester-iwa.co.uk

Thursday March 21

IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch and Trent & Mersey Canal Society: Work party on the

Cheshire Locks, Trent & Mersey Canal. 10am-3pm.

Contact John Lawson: 07940 878923 or John. lawson@waterways.org.uk

Tuesday March 26

IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch supporting Burslem Port Trust: Work party on the

Burslem Arm, Stoke-on-Trent. 10am-3pm. Contact Steve Wood: 07976 805858 or steve.wood@ waterways.org.uk

SOUTH Tuesdays March 19 and 26

THE Exeter Ship Canal has been included as a location in the IWA’s Silver Propeller Challenge.

The Friends of Exeter Ship Canal have successfully lobbied to be included on the list of nationwide locations as part of the challenge, which opened in January last year.

It aims to encourage more of the hundreds of thousands who enjoy inland boating each year to cruise the waterways that are not visited as often as others.

See other new destinations in the IWA roundup (below).

If they visit 20 different sites from the list and take a photograph of themselves with their mode of transport (boat, canoe or paddleboard) they will be awarded the IWA’s prestigious Silver Propeller Challenge plaque to attach to their vessel.

The Friends suggested last November that the Exeter Ship Canal, which is owned and operated by Exeter City Council, should be considered for inclusion in the challenge. They were confident of what is to be discovered by boaters in terms of interest, scenic

variety, heritage and the attractive end-destination of Exeter itself and the historic quayside and basin area, one of the city’s top two visitor attractions.

John Monks, chair of the Friends, said: “It is great news for the canal, which is underused by boats at present.

“The challenge makes it even more important for the new slipway, suggested by the Friends, to be constructed to accommodate visiting trail boaters who want to navigate the canal.

“There is a growing market for boating on inland waterways. Publicity for the challenge will encourage boaters and others to recognise that Exeter Ship Canal, the UK’s first pound-lock canal, has a heritage unique among British canals and, more importantly, that today the waterway is complete and navigable, with two fine lockside pubs and a handsome, working basin.”

He added: “We hope it will also encourage boaters on the Exe Estuary to make the most of the estuary as a navigable waterway all the way into the heart of Exeter.”

AROUND THE BRANCHES WITH IWA’S GEMMA BOLTON

New places to visit in the Silver Propeller Challenge EIGHT new locations have been added to IWA’s Silver Propeller Challenge.

Participants now have more opportunities to visit 20 waterway places that aren’t reached as often as others by powered boat, paddling, or booking on a trip boat as part of the challenge, which was launched early in 2018.

Additional urban and rural destinations that would benefit from visiting craft were suggested by IWA’s branches and supporters.

The complete list of locations to choose from now amounts to more than 50, including the following new places: Lee & Stort (Bow Back Rivers) – Carpenters Road Lock, Queen Elizabeth Park Sleaford Navigation – Cobblers Lock Grand Union Canal, Slough Arm – Slough Basin BCN, Wednesbury Oak Loop – Bradley Eastern River Rother – Bodiam Castle River Ancholme – Harlem Hill Lock Exeter Ship Canal – Exeter City Basin Wey & Arun Canal – Southland Lock See www.waterways.org.uk/silverpropeller for more information and to sign up.

years to make sure these historical assets are preserved.

Many traditional winding holes have become silted up, overgrown with vegetation or blocked by boat moorings, preventing boats from turning.

As well as having historical significance, ensuring these areas remain usable shortens boat journeys around the inland waterways and decreases water usage and the use of other resources.

IWA is working with navigation authorities to improve information about winding holes, standard of signage, dredging and vegetation clearance.

You can support IWA’s campaign by reporting restricted winding holes and suggested places for new ones at www. waterways.org.uk/windingholes

IWA Oxfordshire Branch supporting Banbury Canal Partnership: Work party on the Oxford Canal near

Banbury. 9am-1pm. Contact Colin Garnham-Edge: bcpontheoxford@gmail.com

WEST

Every Saturday in March

IWA West Country Branch (Taunton): Work parties in

Winding holes were built to enable working boats to turn.

the Taunton area. 10am-1.30pm. Please let us know if you are intending to join us by 6pm the day before.

Contact Steve: 07855 794256 or stevebulgin@ icloud.com

Every Tuesday & Saturday in March

IWA West Country Branch (Bridgwater): Work parties in the Bridgwater area. 10am-1.30pm. Please let us know if you are intending to join us by 6pm the day before. Contact 07977 263840 or Mike Slade: mdslade8@gmail.com

For further information on any of these events please contact Gemma Bolton on 01494 783453 or email gemma.bolton@waterways.org.uk Details can also be found on IWA’s website at www.waterways.org.uk

Clearance on the Trent & Mersey

The Exeter Canal Basin is one of eight new locations. PHOTOS: IWA

Gaptracker – turning it around

TRADITIONAL winding holes were built to support commercial carrying on the canals for working boats to turn.

As part of IWA’s commitment to protecting waterways heritage, the charity has been campaigning for a number of

VOLUNTEERS from IWA North Staffs & South Cheshire alongside the Trent & Mersey Canal Society gathered in January for the first work party of the year.

Eight volunteers met at Hassall Green on the Trent & Mersey Canal to complete restoration work on Locks 55 and 56 and give them a spring clean.

Clocking up 48 hours, they finished painting lock gate furniture, cutting back a large hawthorn hedge and clearing vegetation and weeds. Their efforts resulted in all rubbish and plastics being removed.

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13

14 PETS & ASTRONOMY

Pets on the cut Booze cruise Alison Wilkerson meets the terrier who enjoys roving the canals on a trading boat.

HAVING moored up alongside many a canalside public house and within walking distance to other drinking and eating establishments over the years, we were delighted to stumble upon what could only be described in management terms as a win-win situation. In other words, a ‘beer boat’ or, to be precise, a narrowboat off-licence.

The Beer Boat, as it is officially referred to, carries real ale, wine and cider, plus soft drinks, which is rather handy for those who do not partake in alcoholic beverages. The boat’s proprietors also sell ‘proper’ crisps! They also search and sell the best locally produced products, which is wonderful for smaller breweries and vineyards.

What more could you wish for while on the cut?

The proprietors of The Beer Boat Co (see website www.thebeerboat.co.uk and Facebook), which has been in business since 2016, are John and Helen O’Dea. They live on their 2014, 67ft, Steve Hudson narrowboat complete with Russell Newbery engine for nine months of the year, along with their lovely little 11-year-old Jack Russell (with possibly a bit of Parson), terrier called Molly, whom they have owned since she was a tiny 12-week-old puppy.

The boat is named Miss Ellie No. 2 and was commissioned in 2013 and is the second from last that was built by Steve Hudson, as he sadly passed away before completion, so it had to be towed some distance to be finished by John and friends as the company unfortunately went into administration. The finished product is a credit to them and it is a wonderful boat to behold.

You should be able to spot this rather patriotic boat easily at many canal events, festivals etc., as it is adorned with Union Jack bunting and cruises on the Grand Union Canal, between London and Foxton in Leicestershire.

Molly has travelled hundreds of miles on The Beer Boat. PHOTO: ALISON WILKERSON

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Canes Venatici

Hunting dogs of the northern sky

By Brian Jones

AT THIS time of year the Plough is very conspicuous and can be seen almost overhead during spring evenings. The stars forming the Plough (actually part of the much larger constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear) are visible high in the sky during March and the group is quite unmistakable.

As we have seen in previous Towpath Astronomer articles, the Plough is a useful pointer to many other constellations. These include the tiny pattern of stars known as Canes Venatici, or the Hunting Dogs. Known to the astronomers of ancient China by

the somewhat unromantic name of Chang Chen, a Seat, and to later Arabic astronomers as Al Karb al Ibl, or the Camel’s Burden, the tiny constellation of Canes Venatici, the Hunting Dogs, is visible as a pair of stars a little to the south of the ‘handle’ of the Plough as shown here.

Canes Venatici is one of only three constellations that depict dogs, the other two being Canis Major (the Great Dog) and Canis Minor (the Little Dog), both of which are prominent winter groups. The brightest star in Canes Venatici bears the name Cor Caroli, meaning Charles’ Heart, and which was given to the star by the famous astronomer Edmund Halley in memory of Charles I. If you have a small telescope, and the sky is clear and free of

moonlight, you might like to take a closer look at Cor Caroli which is in fact a double star. Both of the stars in the Cor Caroli system are white and similar in size and brightness to our own Sun. The pair shines from a distance of around 110 light years, which means that the light we see from Cor Caroli actually set off on its journey towards us during the reign of Edward VII! Located a little to the northwest of Cor Caroli is Chara, a faint star which lies at a distance of around 28 light years. The name Chara was once used as an alternative name for Cor Caroli, although this is no longer the case. Many ancient star charts depict Cor Caroli and Chara as representing two dogs held on a leash by Boötes, the Herdsman. Boötes is represented by a much larger constellation a little way to the east (and which featured in the June 2018 Towpath Astronomer).

Arcturus, which can be seen on the accompanying chart, is the leading star in Boötes who, with the help of his faithful dogs, is eternally pursuing the Ursa Major (the Great Bear) around the northern sky.

Now the evenings are getting slightly warmer, why not venture on to the towpath and try seeking out the celestial hunting dogs?

Happy stargazing!

Molly loves being on the boat but unfortunately is not keen on the sound of the engine, so tends to hide under the sofa when cruising along and going through locks. She is not at all keen on dogs either, which could be as a result of having been attacked by two large dogs as a puppy, poor little love. For safety, she is always kept on a lead when out and about. Bike and pram wheels are also a pet hate, so be aware. I was on foot when I met her.

So far this spirited little dog has travelled hundreds of miles on The Beer Boat since it has been in business and thousands of miles on other boats, including Miss Ellie No. 1, her owners’ first boat, which they bought more than eight years ago. She loves cooked chicken and treats (don’t we all?) as well as soft toys, which she shreds with absolute delight. She also loves her rubber ring which she would not let out of her sight, as well as baby soothers and, despite her bark, is incredibly gentle when receiving doggie treats and also with John and Helen’s grandchildren and kids in general, which is wonderful.

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NEWS FOCUS 15

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It is planned to develop a welcome station in the old lockside facilities building.

Newark’s historic castle, a jewel in the East Midlands Region crown, overlooks the River Trent.

Around the regions As it entered its sixth year of operation, the Canal & River Trust restructured its waterway regions from 10 to six. In this series, we talk to the new regional directors about their roles and plans for the future.

By Janet Richardson

HE MAY be new to the inland waterways but East Midlands regional director Phil Mulligan is no stranger to the charitable sector and the environmental campaign trail.

In the 1990s he was a crew member on board the Rainbow Warrior with Greenpeace, going on to work for the Raleigh International Voluntary Service Overseas, Environmental Protection UK (formerly the Clean Air Society) and the United Nations Association UK. Latterly he was chief executive of the Landscape Institute.

Phil is also on the council of the National Trust and has been involved as a volunteer for more than 20 years with a keen interest in heritage.

“One reason the Canal & River Trust appeals to me is that it is responsible for the third largest number of listed structures in the UK after the National Trust and the Church of England.

Industrial heritage has had an impact on more people’s lives and our network is very accessible – it is there for people on their doorstep and free to access.”

The newly created East Midlands region stretches from Gainsborough in the north to Cosgrove and includes the conurbations at Nottingham and Leicester as well as Lincoln, Northampton and Newark, where Phil is based.

Its 475km of waterways are made up

in virtually equal measures of river and canal. They represent 14% of the CRT network but only 9% of its assets. “There are a lot of stretches of canal and river between things,” Phil explained.

But it’s a case of quality rather than quantity with such iconic landmarks as the Fossdyke Canal – England’s oldest canal built to connect Lincoln with the River Trent in around AD50 – the Foxton Locks and the canal village of Stoke Bruerne with its woodland walks on the Grand Union Canal.

Hidden gem

Other canals include the Nottinghamshire & Beeston, Erewash, Cromford, Trent & Mersey, Ashby and the rivers Soar, Witham and the mighty Trent, where boaters have the reassurance of professional lock keepers at the tidal sites such as Cromwell Lock.

Phil said: “We want more boaters on the Trent and want to do things to attract them, including a mini guide to boating similar to one introduced on the Severn. The river is underused, there is no commercial shipping now and the opportunity is there to look for new potential cruising rings. There is also great heritage with the castles at Newark, Lincoln and Nottingham.

“We are also really keen to get people to explore some of the quieter waterways. The Erewash is an amazing example which will be applying for

Green Flag status this year but it is a hidden gem that not many boats use.”

He continued: “750,000 people live within 1km of our waterways although 20% of these are very are rural, which is quite unique for us. We want to have as much impact as we can; 60% of these householders live in areas of deprivation in the urban areas with 21% from black, ethnic or minority communities, this figure rising to 46% in Leicester.

“We have the opportunity to bring well-being and health benefits to people who come down to the waterways. The longer you spend on the water, the more the benefit is and there are plenty of ways people can get involved.”

There is a wide range of volunteering roles such as lock keeping – last year 93% of lock keeping on the Trent was undertaken by volunteers, freeing up paid staff to keep the navigation open. Projects in the week mainly attract retired people or shift workers and it is hoped to develop micro-volunteering opportunities at lunchtimes, evenings or weekends.

“Something for young people to put on their CV or for young families,” added Phil. “We hope to provide volunteering activities for the whole family.”

One of the trust’s high profile projects is the restoration of Locks 14 and 15 on the Grantham Canal and further towards Nottingham, volunteers clearing brambles discovered an original lengthsman’s hut which has been restored in one of the workshops and is due to be reinstated.

Community ‘allockments’

Using industrial heritage to create a lockside garden at Newark.

It is hoped to create a community base with a garden at the old warehouse at Trent Lock at the junction of the Soar and Trent; also to create community ‘allockments’ growing fruit and vegetables on the lock sides and islands. There are also plans for a major hedgelaying programme.

Volunteer gardeners will be needed for these projects, as are meeters and greeters for the additional welcome stations which are planned in addition to the one at the Braunston Stop House. “We want to develop one at Newark Town Lock in a former facilities building, also at Trent Lock and Foxton Locks and hope to recruit more welcoming ambassadors.

East Midlands regional director Phil Mulligan at Newark Town Lock.

On the cold Monday morning of my visit to the lock, fundraiser Sally Grogan was full of enthusiasm as she told Phil that she had already recruited two new ‘friends’ and was still busy talking to visitors as we made our way back.

The trust’s historic narrowboat Sculptor is currently undergoing a major refit and it is hoped that it will be ready to attend the Open Lock weekend on March 9-10 on the Northampton Arm where the lock gates are being re-mitred.

There will also be canoeing and fishing taster sessions.

May will see the return of the Loughborough Canal Festival which is being reinstated by the Boat Inn over the early May bank holiday weekend (May 3-5) and a rally will be held on the Welford Arm near Leicester on May 18-19 to mark the 50th anniversary of a restoration project there. The Crick Boat Show will celebrate its 20th anniversary over the May 24-27 bank holiday weekend where it is planned to highlight some of the restorations over the years with lots of before and after pictures.

Other developments are planned at Sculptor’s home base of Stoke Bruerne.

“We want to get more families along. It is an incredible site with about 300,000 people visiting it each year and we plan to revitalise the cafe and shop.” The Friends of Stoke Bruerne will also host their annual Village at War Festival over the weekend of September 7-8.

Waterway experiences

The trust also hopes to introduce more programmes of activities on and off the water, including walks and talks as well as canoe and paddleboard taster days and the successful Let’s Fish campaign.

Phil added. “This is the key – people want experiences.”

He referred to the Nottingham Narrowboat Project which takes disadvantaged children and adults on residential trips and an exciting project, the Leicester Young Ecological Explorers run with a Somali Parents Association

to give children and young people experience on the waterways.

Describing it as a green version of Duke of Edinburgh awards, Phil said that many of the young people live just a few metres from the waterways but never visit. “Seeing how much the young people got from this project was really fantastic and we are hoping to build on it.”

He spoke of the need to increase moorings in Leicester and to complete the Memory Lane development near Limekiln Lock. A lot of boaters avoid Leicester and, working with the local IWA branch, the trust hopes to increase its capacity in some of these areas with new community engagement teams including volunteers who go into schools and talk about water safety etc.

“We have many opportunities and our ambition is high but we have got to keep our eye on the day job of keeping canals safe and open – 80% of our people, time and money goes to keeping navigation open and running for boaters. There are about 100 towpath users to every boater so we also have to provide first class visitor experiences for them, many of whom want to see boats on the water.”

Phil paid tribute to the colleagues who have been managing water levels on Grand Union Canal and Leicester Line, working seven days a week pumping water, opening paddles etc. “The last thing we want is a boater calling us on a Sunday afternoon because they are stuck. We have had a really good success rate and kept the waterways open last year despite the dry weather.”

The boat customer support team has helped to achieve the lowest evasion rate in the country and Newark has been one of the venues for meetings with disabled boaters.

“In the East Midlands we have stunning countryside, beautiful views and historic castles,” Phil concluded.

“The rivers are so peaceful and beautiful and the Grand Union was the M1 of its day with Stoke Bruerne and Braunston at the heart of our canal heritage.”

16 EVENTS ROUND-UP

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Descending into Lock 92 below the spider crane.

Winter open day at the Duke’s Lock

By Colin Wareing

AS PART of the winter maintenance programme, the Canal & River Trust has been working on relining the gates on Lock 92 of the Rochdale Canal in the centre of Manchester.

Over the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, February 9-10, open days were held at the lock to allow visitors the chance to experience being in an empty lock chamber without the need for a boat.

Lock 92 is the final lock of the Rochdale Nine locks before the canal connects with the Bridgewater Canal and is named the Duke’s Lock after the Duke of Bridgewater, who built the Bridgewater Canal to carry coal from his mines at Worsley into Manchester.

CRT chief executive Richard Parry meets Ollie the Otter.

The lock is quite unusual as the bottom part of it was carved out of the local bedrock, thus avoiding the need to build brick walls. It had been dammed off and drained to allow refurbishment of the lock gates and the removal of about 42 tons of accumulated silt and rubbish from the lock chamber.

Because of the restricted access to the work site, a ‘spider’ crane was installed over the lock chamber to help with the work and was still in place for the open day with the steps down into the chamber passing under the crane.

As there are no bywashes on the Rochdale Canal locks through Manchester city centre, four powerful pumps had to be set up to move the water around the lock.

The site is in the regenerated area of Castlefield, attracting tourists and locals alike to visit bars and pubs.

This weekend was the Chinese New Year, hence the lanterns on the safety fencing; it gave plenty of opportunity for CRT volunteers to invite people down into the lock who wouldn’t have been regular canal or industrial heritage enthusiasts.

The event was well covered by local media, with the TV and newspapers reporting from the site on a different tourist attraction with CRT chief executive Richard Parry visiting to be greeted by Ollie the Otter.

Despite the cool weather it was another successful inner city event, signing up friends to CRT and introducing people to the canals that they may not have been aware of.

Lock 92 is set up for the weekend with scaffolding, a spider crane and a gazebo installed in the bottom of the lock. PHOTOS: COLIN WAREING, WWW.COLINANDCAROLESCREATIONS.CO.UK

The Canal & River Trust ready to sign up friends in the bottom of the lock.

Visitors using the stairs to view Lock 92.