Towing Path Topics Newsletter of the Inland Waterways Association Lancashire & Cumbria Branch
September 2018
DISCLAIMER The views expressed in Towing Path Topics are not necessarily those of The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) or of its North West Region or of the Lancs and Cumbria Branch. They are, however, published as being of interest to our members and readers. Nothing printed may be construed as policy or an official announcement unless so stated. The Association accepts no liability for any matter in this newsletter. No reproduction is permitted without acknowledgment. Cover: Top lock, Barrowford — canal closed (page 15)
Photograph acknowledgements:
Pages 8 & 9 John Hewerdine Page 13 Friends of Haslam Park Pages16,17,18 & 19 Maralyn & Jim Nott All others by the editor The editor retains the right to edit any article or letter submitted for publication.
Editor and address for correspondence: David Faulkner 22 Moorland Road, Langho, Blackburn BB6 8EX Tel. 01254 249265 Email david.faulkner@waterways.org.uk
Copy date for next edition 12th December 2018
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Editor’s comment What a glorious late spring and early summer, but as our cover picture shows, there is a price to pay with water shortages and canals closed. Not only much of the Leeds and Liverpool but the Glasson Flight on the Lancaster Canal. Ironically it started raining shortly after they put on the padlocks on the Leeds and Liverpool — a bit like when they appointed the Minister for Drought in 1976. At least we expect our Lancashire canals will re-open but we cannot be so positive about the Lowland Canals in Scotland. The Forth & Clyde and Union canals were restored as a millennium project costing millions. Closures due to problems with bridges and a recent Asset Management Strategy suggesting that the lack of through traffic does not justify keeping open the whole of the coast to coast route are ominous signs. The IWA is campaigning to ensure that Scottish Canals fulfils its responsibilities. In this issue you will find the usual news about what branch members have been up to this summer. Good works such as balsam bashing and litter picking plus our sales stand has been to a number of events. It’s usually the same people helping on the stand, we could always do with some extra help, just an hour or two. It wasn’t all work of course. The Branch outing to The Ashton Canal was enjoyed by all who went. Although not directly an IWA venture I hope you enjoy seeing the installation of a quarter-mile post paid for by the Scarisbrick Bridge 27a Club as part of the L&L bi-centenary celebrations. I had no idea that the posts were so long (and heavy); I don’t think Jim Nott who did most of the work did either. Well done Alice Kay of CRT and Jim. We are now concentrating on the celebrations for the bi-centenary of the Lancaster Canal. Such anniversaries obviously don’t occur very often so it’s important to use them to get the maximum amount of publicity that we can. Don’t underestimate the ignorance of the general public about canals. Take every opportunity when on the towpath or elsewhere to chat to people and emphasise what an important asset they are to local communities and for all of us. Any comments, criticisms, photographs, articles gratefully received. David Faulkner 3
Chairman’s Report
Well here we are again another edition of Towing Path Topics and another summer soon to be over. I hope you have all had a good summer and are looking forward to the start of our new social season at the end of September. I hope to see some of you at our regular meetings. The summer has been a really hot one and most of us will have enjoyed the good weather although it hasn’t been all good news for boaters with closures caused by lack of water. It seems it is either too much water or not enough! Canal and River Trust have launched their new logo and everyone seems to have a view on that. There have also been changes in the way Canal and River Trust is managed and we wait to see what impact this will make on us. We have also started to use the new IWA logo and are the proud possessors of new badges which some of us received in time to use at our events. We also have new hi-vis vests complete with the new logo which did arrive in time for the litter pick and Balsam Bashes and caused a fair amount of comment. Your branch has had a busy summer, we had a lovely day out at Portland basin, all those who came to that had a great time on the Ashton Canal aboard Still Waters and a good look around the museum plus of course the chance to chat with like-minded people. We also had branch stands at Country Fest, Burscough and Scarisbrick Marina; we were blessed with good weather for those and had a really enjoyable, if tiring time. Then there were litter picks and Balsam Bashes. Thanks to all who came along to help at all those events. We should have been going to Canal Fest at Botany Bay but unfortunately that was cancelled by the organisers, we hope it will be held next year. As well as attending these events I have been attending various meetings including Lancaster Canal Trust and Lancaster Canal Regeneration Partnership meetings where I have represented the views of the branch and the IWA. I have also been involved in the planning for the 200th anniversary celebrations of the opening of the Lancaster Canal in particular the events from Wigan to Preston. More information about that will be available in the future. 4
One meeting which I will not have to physically attend is the next IWA region meeting as Sir Robert Atkins, our Region Chair has persuaded us all to try a “virtual” meeting! I look forward to that. There is also the IWA National AGM which is to be held this year in Gloucestershire on the 29th of September; I will be attending that and hope to see some of you there. The planning for the National Trailboat Festival is going well; we have a small but talented/experienced committee! We could always do with more help though; get in touch if you can help. Entry forms for boats and camping are now available on the IWA website. I like to take this opportunity to thank fellow members of our committee, Sir Robert for attending our meetings when he can and for giving us advice and support. Janet Dunning, who has taken over as membership officer and is doing a really good job. Tony Dunning who acts as vice chair and offers me lots of support. David Faulkner who does an excellent job as treasurer and multi tasks as editor, I am sure you will agree he does an excellent job of that. Then there is Audrey Smith who works so hard for the IWA both locally and nationally. Our relatively new members to the committee, Jim and Maralyn Nott are also proving to be a great asset. Jim has been looking at planning applications for the branch and as they both have a really good knowledge of the canals from their boating this is proving to be really useful. Jim and Maralyn ran the branch stand at Scarisbrick Marina and are also promoting the IWA when they are on their boat, thanks to them both for that. Of course we still need new committee members, having two new members proves what more we can achieve with new members and we still don’t have a secretary or a sales officer, don’t worry your committee is rallying round and doing its best to fill those roles but imagine how much more we could do with more people. Can I also make another plea for you to let Head Office know your email addresses if you want to be kept up to date with all the latest information, this magazine is only published 3 times a year and sometimes things happen that can’t wait for the magazine, the cancellation of the Botany Bay Festival was an example of this. I was able to let all the people who have given their email addresses know about this so they didn’t go to Botany Bay expecting there to be a festival. 5
To end on a high note we have at last heard that that work on Stainton Aqueduct has started, there were lots of problems and unforeseen delays but we are pleased that work is now underway. Canal and River Trust expect the work to take around 9 months and there is more information about the project on their website. I hope you all enjoy reading the magazine and hope to see some of you at our future social events. Wendy Humphreys Litter Pick Thirteen of us met on 30th June to pick litter along the Lancaster Canal towpath adjoining Haslam Park, Preston. We came from this branch, Lancaster Canal Trust, Friends of Haslam Park plus a couple who had seen it advertised.
Despite the temptation Jim Nott isn’t picking litter out of the canal because he’s not wearing a life jacket
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We collected 13 large bin bags of assorted rubbish.
We had to leave the chemical toilet we found in the bushes, it was still full. We reported that to CRT.
The Winning Ticket! Many of you will have bought tickets for IWA’s annual Restoration Raffle, well I thought you would like to know that our local branch has benefitted from the raffle this year thanks to the generosity of one of our members. Bill Knox was pleased to win a prize of tickets for the boat show at Crick but soon realised he had other commitments that meant he couldn’t attend. Bill very generously offered the tickets to our branch so that someone else could use them, all with permission from Waterways World who had donated the prize and IWA head office who held the raffle. After a lot of emails and negotiation by Tony Dunning our vice chair who as well as being in IWA is also a member of the Electric Boat Association, the offer of the ticket was taken up by Peter Szczesiak who is a member of the Electric Boat Association. Peter says he had a very good time at Crick and was very pleased with the tickets. As a thankyou Peter has made a very generous donation of £50 to the branch. Our thanks to Bill and to Peter for what turned out to be a happy outcome. 7
Portland Basin Trip
On 28 June 18 of us went on a Branch trip to Portland Basin Museum and a ride along part of the Ashton Canal on the trip boat operated by Tameside Canal Trust ‘Still Waters’.
If it wasn’t the hottest day of the year it certainly felt like it.. Portland basin is near Ashton-under-Lyne at the junction of the Ashton, Peak Forest and Huddersfield Narrow Canals. We sailed to Fairfield Junction at Droylsden and back. Much of the industry that lined the canal, including the Robertson’s jam factory, has disappeared some of it replaced with apartments and housing. 8
At Fairfield we got off the boat to look at the locks descending towards Manchester. They start with a double lock, the second was added to reduce queues. The original one is no longer in use. Opposite is a short length of the Hollinwood Branch.
Our thanks to Martin Clark of the Canal Trust (pictured) who gave us commentary during the voyage.
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Not many of us had travelled in a boat with a tug so it was interesting to see the tug change ends when we got to Fairfield. On the return leg it meant that we had a window at the front, no longer obscured by the tug.
The double lock, the LH original lock no longer used. After the trip we were able to buy refreshments in the museum café and have a look round the museum which gives some of the industrial and social history of the area. If you couldn’t make the trip but would like to see what we saw, you can go to the website www.penninewaterways.co.uk and click on ‘Ashton Canal’ then select ‘virtual cruise’. It’s a fascinating and comprehensive website with details of 24 northern canals. Thanks to Wendy for organising a very enjoyable day out. 11
Balsam Bash 2018 On Saturday 21st July our branch joined in with a Balsam Bash at Haslam Park in Preston, the event was held in partnership with Friends of Haslam Park, Lancaster Canal Trust, Lancaster Wildlife Trust and of course our branch. The weather was good for Balsam Bashing; dry and not too hot and we started at 10 am, there was a break for lunch and we carried on after that. We were greeted warmly by Friends of Haslam Park who were very pleased to have our help and told us that all the work over the last few years is definitely making a difference to the Balsam. We can’t claim all of the credit of course as the Friends do have a lot of Balsam Bashes, but it is good to know that some of the areas we have been working on are starting to be clear of Balsam. There is still a lot left though so we will be there again next year!
There were members of our branch there and also members of Lancaster Canal Trust and it was good to work with them. It was particularly good to see one of our members who is also a Friend and who we haven’t seen for a while. We had a good day, pulled lots of Balsam and had lots of opportunities for chatting.
Beryl from LCT, your ed and 2 Friends of Haslam Park 12
Haslam Park is really beautiful, especially on a sunny day, we have held events there in the past and haven’t always been so lucky with the weather, remember Preston Guild year!
As most of you know the park is bordered on one side by the canal and Savick Brook flows through the park. The Millennium, the entry to the Ribble Link is also in the park hence our interest in controlling the Balsam. There were lots of people there who commented on what we were doing and IWA members were wearing our new hi vis vests with the new IWA logo so I hope that got noticed. Friends of Haslam Park have thanked us for our efforts and hope that we will be able to have more events next year which will of course be the bi centenary of the opening of the canal. Keep an eye open for dates in future editions of the magazine. Wendy
Wendy,Maralyn & Jim in the thick of it
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Canal & River Trust boundary changes From June 4th, the following sections of waterway currently in the Manchester and Pennine, North Wales and Borders and the North West waterways will form part of the new North West Region: Trent and Mersey from Redbull to Preston Brook Tunnel Macclesfield Canal Peak Forest Canal Huddersfield Canal West side Manchester Bury and Bolton Canal Ashton Canal Rochdale Canal North to the Summit River Weaver Navigation Shropshire Union Canal from Ellesmere Port to Audlem, Bridge 74 Middlewich Branch, Shropshire Union Canal Llangollen Canal from Hurleston Locks to Poveys Lock Leeds and Liverpool Canal (L&L) to Greenberfield L&L Rufford Branch L&L Leigh Branch Ribble Link Lancaster Canal Glasson Branch The Regional Director of the North West Region will be Daniel Greenhalgh. The Volunteer Development Coordinators are: Andy Whitehouse (on secondment for Steve O’Sullivan) will be covering the following: Trent and Mersey from Redbull to Lock 71 Middlewich, Macclesfield Canal, Peak Forest, Huddersfield Canal West, Manchester Bury and Bolton canal, Ashton and Rochdale to the summit. Your task managers and team leaders will be: Supervisor Tracey Jackson with volunteer team leaders Ashleigh Carden and Phil Smith, for Trent and Mersey to Lock 71 Middlewich, Peak forest and Macclesfield Canals. Supervisor Matt Taylor with Team Leaders Jim Wyn and Terry Evans, For Huddersfield section West, Manchester Bury and Bolton, Ashton and Rochdale section.
Jason Watts will be covering the following: Weaver Navigation, Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal, Trent & Mersey Canal from Lock 71, Kings Lock to Preston 14
Brook Tunnel, Shropshire Union Canal from Ellesmere Port to Bridge 74, Audlem and Llangollen Canal from Hurleston Locks to Poveys Lock. Your task managers and team leaders will be: Customer Operations Supervisor, Stephen Maguire and Volunteer Team Leader, Angela Barnett - Shropshire Union Canal from Ellesmere Port to Audlem Bridge 74 and Llangollen Canal from Hurleston Locks to Poveys Lock. Customer Operations Supervisor, Stephen Maguire and Volunteer Team Leader, TBC - Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal, Weaver Navigation, Trent & Mersey Canal from Lock 71 to Preston Brook Tunnel. Alice Kay will be covering the following: Leeds and Liverpool Canal up to Greenberfield, Lancaster Canal, Sankey, Leigh Branch and Glasson Arm. Your task managers and team leaders will be: Supervisor Mark Ferris & Volunteer Team Leader Gary Wilkinson from Greenberfield to Springs Bridge, Wigan. Supervisor Anthony McGovern and Volunteer Team Leader Sara Ponting from Wigan to Liverpool. Supervisor Roy Gibbons and volunteer team leader Anna Barlow for the Lancaster Canal and Emma Fielding. The above details cover a much larger area than our branch and I am not sure how useful it is to most of our members but at least you can work out what people’s roles are if you come across their names. (Ed) Leeds and Liverpool Canal temporary closure “Due to the continued drawdown of the reservoirs, the prolonged low rainfall and with the forecast for further dry weather, the Trust will be implementing temporary closures to navigation between Wigan Flight and Gargrave commencing on Monday 30 July. The lock flights at Wigan, Johnsons Hillock, Blackburn, Barrowford, Greenberfield, Bank Newton and Gargrave will be padlocked closed and the gates ashed up to reduce leakage. To prevent unauthorised use, measures will be taken to make the locks inoperable.
It’s not clear how long the closure will last for but it’s likely to be throughout August and potentially beyond if there is no significant sustained rainfall.” from CRT website 15
Scarisbrick Marina Festival 2018 Held on July 7th & 8th the festival was attended by our IWA branch and as well as promoting the IWA we managed to raise over ÂŁ40 for branch funds from donations and selling books and donated items.
The festival was well attended despite it clashing with football World Cup, F1 and the Southport air show. Many people showed interest and appreciated the displays on the history of the canal. Several also showed keen interest in volunteering with WRG. Maralyn & Jim Nott
In 2016 Bridge 27a Boaters Club raised money during the Scarisbrick Marina Festival to purchase and install a quarter mile signpost to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Leeds Liverpool Canal.
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See overleaf for Jim’s description of how to install a quarter mile post (they are rather bigger than I had realised Ed).
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The milepost was delivered on the 7th
of September – a very hot day- and it was extremely heavy!!! First task was to measure the precise distance from the last mile post and then dig a very deep hole, place a small paving slab at the
bottom. The ground was very hard and stony and the sun was blazing down.
Alice Kay of CRT and Jim Nott did a fine job. The quarter mile posts originally assisted in the calculation of tolls and charges. 18
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The branch stand out and about
↑ Burscough heritage weekend ↓ Country Fest (yes, we really do need IWA to be more prominent)
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The Flower Bowl Our branch chairman thinks I am obsessed with the new facility that has finally opened at Barton Grange garden centre and marina on the Lancaster Canal, but I do think it is a significant addition to facilities along the canal, whether or not you are likely to use its curling rinks, bowling alley, cinema, restaurants etc.
(Chairman, at least there is a boat in this photo )
And we now know how they will stop the sheep falling off the roof; although what was growing on there was not very appetising when I visited so the poor things may attempt a running jump. 21
ISBN 9781526704344 RRP £25.00 Hardback 168 pages Use reference LC200 to buy at £18.75; proceeds go to LCT 22
To mark next year’s bi-centenary Gordon Biddle has written a comprehensive history of the canal. Gordon was an early member of the Lancaster Canal Trust in 1963.
You can order a copy from Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, S Yorks S70 2AS Tel: 01226 734222 Or order online at www.pen-and-sword.co.uk Postage and packing £4, free delivery on orders over £30 If you quote the reference LC200 you get 25% discount and proceeds go to LCT. NB I’m buying 2 copies to save the postage and will sell you the other one for £18.75 at one of our social meetings Ed
2019 IWA National Trail Boat Festival June 1st to 3rd Plans are now well underway for the 2019 National Trailboat Festival which as you will know will be held in conjunction with Country Fest at Westmorland Show ground. The organising committee has met and the members are busy planning the festival and IWA Head Office have confirmed that they are happy to give a grant to assist with the funding. We still need more people on the organising committee so if you are interested please get in touch and if you don’t like committees but are happy to help at the event please also get in touch as we are building up a list of volunteers/helpers. There will be a campsite at the event and entry forms for campers and for boaters are now available on the IWA website. Any traders or Canal Societies wanting to be part of the Trailboat Festival must submit an entry via the Westmorland Showground but please let them know that you are part of the Trailboat Festival and let us know you have entered. The dates for Country Fest are the 1st and 2nd of June but trailboaters will be welcomed on the Friday before and there will be activities for the Trailboat Festival on Monday the 3rd of June. I hope you have all got these dates in your diary. 23
Lancaster Canal Regeneration Partnership Work can now start on repairs to Stainton Aqueduct. LCRP continue to work with Sport England to determine which section of the Towpath Trail is most suitable for their funding stream. The Sport England survey results have confirmed what we already know, plenty of people value the route and would like to see improvements. LCRP together with Canal and River Trust have applied to Fells and Dales LEADER for £50,000 to create a Towpath Trail brand and install new signage along the route which highlights nearby attractions. An ‘Expression of Interest’ to install a boardwalk through Hincaster Tunnel has been submitted to the RDPE growth programme (Rural Development Programme for England). Work is now under way to secure landowner permissions to utilise South Lakeland District Council's £140,000 grant to upgrade the Kendal to Natland section of the Towpath Trail. Lancaster Canal Trust LCT have been busy with their monthly work parties. The Brick appeal is doing well with about £5,000 donated so far. For information on this and how to donate see the LCT website. The AGM was a success with 30 members attending, Paul Shaw from WRG spoke after the meeting. The filming for Great Canal Journeys took place in May and is expected to be shown on the TV in October. Plans are going ahead for the celebration of the bi-centenary. There is an idea to recreate a journey from Wigan to Kendal by boat and walking; milestones will be replaced and there will be lots of celebrations during the year including the Trail Boat Festival in June.
Malcolm Tranter will give a talk entitled "Locks, Lifts and Inclined Planes” at Longlands Hotel on Monday 15th October 2018 at 7.30pm. Everyone including non members is (are?) welcome. 24
Farleton and Hutton Roof, Meet the Villages Festival 14-17th September 2018 LCT have been asked by the Landscape Trust to let their members know about the Meet the Villages Festival 2018. The festival is a series of free events held around the Barton and Hutton area. Events include; walks, lectures, exhibitions, workshops and family friendly events held over the 4 days of the festival and some of the events are specifically related to the Lancaster Canal.
Lancaster Canal Trust is a partner organisation to the Landscape Trust and the organiser attended the Lancaster Trust AGM to give out information about the festival and to extend an invitation to Lancaster Canal Trust and IWA members. There is lots of information about the festival and the Landscape Trust on arnsidesilverdaleaonb.org.uk - look under Landscape Trust Events 2018. Ulverston Canal Regeneration Group Congratulations on being awarded the Heart Of Ulverston Environmental Volunteer Award and for raising over ÂŁ2,000 at the Summer Gala. Forthcoming events: Anchor Festival Sat Oct 13 - Sun Oct 28 All day Decorate an anchor to be placed along the towpath! Brolly Parade Friday, Dec 7; 5:00 - 7:00pm Meet at 5pm to promenade down the towpath. Carols, Christmas songs and band around the Christmas Tree at Canal Foot. Seldom Seen Walks New (free) app called Seldom Seen. It is a walking audio tour which explores the hidden assets, stories, histories and nature of the wider area of Morecambe Bay. The walks cover Ulverston Canal Foot, Backbarrow, Hincaster and Heversham, Fort Walney and Sunderland Point. You can download it from the Apple Store or Google Play. There are also beautiful paper maps you can buy. More information can be found at Art Gene.
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OLD JOSHERS QUAY. The Norsemen had Valhalla, the Authurian Knights had Avallon. The Buccaneers had Tom Tiddlers Ground, & Deep Sea Fishermen, according to the Houghton Weavers had Fiddlers Green. HENCE OLD JOSHERS QUAY. Old Joshers Quay is a place boaters tell, Where canal people go if they don’t go to hell. There’s real ale & Good Grub Pubs & horse boats & Brum tugs And good moorings aplenty At Old Josher’s Quay. When you slip with your tiller & windlass No more on the cut to be free We’ll tell your number one mates He’s got a fly run mates A clear road to the stop gates At Old Joshers Quay. Old Joshers Quay so canal people tell, Has blue skies & deep water as clear as a bell So to all number one mates when you make that last run, mates We’ll all meet at the lock gates At Old Joshers Quay. Thanks to Brian Capps
Keith Tassart (11/8/40 - 12/6/18) We record with sadness the death of Keith Tassart, someone who was an enthusiastic supporter of the restoration of the Lancaster Canal Northern Reaches. He put in many hours of work on the canal with the Lancaster Canal Trust and latterly with Owd Lanky Boaters.
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Welcome to new members A warm welcome to those people who have joined our branch this year. At the time of writing we have had 14 new members and one person who transferred from another branch. Currently our branch has 451 members out of 1,880 in the NorthWest Region and 12,761 nationally. We used to welcome you by name but since the new GDPR rules came into force we have been advised not to publish names unless you give us permission. If you would like a mention in a future edition then please get in touch and maybe tell us a bit about yourself and why you have joined the IWA. We would be particularly interested in hearing from those new members who live in Scotland Bits & Pieces At the Burscough Heritage Weekend we met Mike Nye who is an author of books which use the inland waterways as a backdrop. His first was ‘Mayfly’ and he tells us that he is about to publish ‘The Ballard of Maisie and Linda’. You can find out all about him and how to obtain his books at www.michaelnyewriter.com If you could not go on the Branch outing on the Ashton Canal you can still have a trip on ‘Still Waters’. The Tameside Canal Trust run 40-minute public trips from the Portland Basin Museum. The address of the museum is Portland Basin, Canal Wharf, Ashton under Lyne OL7 0QA. Phone 07482 188026 www.tcbt.org.uk On our trip we saw the start of the Hollinwood Branch of The Droylsden and Hollinwood Canal which ran from Droylsden through Daisy Nook Country Park to Hollinwood near Oldham. Like any selfrespecting canal it has its own society, The Hollinwood Canal Society which aims to restore the canals within Daisy Nook Country Park; the re-connection of Daisy Nook with the Ashton Canal and the creation of a new canal link through to the Rochdale Canal. www.hollinwoodcanal.co.uk
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Whilst taking shots of the chained lock gates at Barrowford for the cover photo I had a look at the reservoir which was a sorry sight although not quite as bad as it had been previously as there had been some rain.
I noticed 2 guys fishing (just visible near the spillway above). I asked them whether fishing was easier with less water and they said it was. They did not want me to take their pictures although they assured me that they had all the necessary permissions (not sure from whom as they also said that nobody owned the reservoir). Hmm!
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Just then one of them caught a large pike and like all fisherman he wanted me to take a photograph of his catch, but not with him in the picture of course. He put it back straight after I took the photo.
Faciities survey IWA is concerned about the standards of boaters facilities along canals and rivers. It has launched Gap Tracker which is on the IWA website (waterways.org.uk/gaptracker) to give you the opportunity to comment on the state of existing facilities or their absence on certain stretches. Items to consider are water, WC, elsan, pump-out, shower, waste disposal, recycling. Tony Dunning has created a spreadsheet you can use and return to him. You can email him at oldgrumpyman@btinternet.com for a copy. Whilst you are out and about look for good boat names, I recently saw ‘The Jolly Bodger’ which I like. Ed. 29
Branch Committee Chairman
Wendy Humphreys Darwen
07763 561572 01254 703553
Vice-chairman Treasurer
Tony Dunning Egremont
07730 113894 01946 820875
Secretary
Vacant
Treasurer & Newsletter editor
David Faulkner Langho
07912 249265 01254 249265
Membership secretary
Janet Dunning Egremont
01946 820875
Environment & Planning
Jim Nott Kirkham
Publicity
Audrey Smith Wheelton
Sales
Vacant
Social secretary
See chairman
Lancaster Canal Regeneration P’ship
Audrey Smith & Wendy Humphreys
Leeds and Liverpool Canal
Audrey Smith
Lancaster Canal Trust
Peter Jones
Wild over Water & Web Master
Janet Dunning
Region Chairman (ex officio)
Sir Robert Atkins
Without portfolio
Maralyn Nott
01257 274440
Email addresses are firstname.surname@waterways.org.uk We no longer publish addresses. If you want to write to us please use the editor’s address (p2) 30
Venue for branch meetings We meet on the last Thursday of the month from September to April at St Chad’s parish centre which has a very pleasant meeting room and a bar. You are welcome from 7.00pm for a drink and a chat, the meetings start at 7.30pm St Chad’s Parish Centre, 235 Town Lane, Whittle-le-Woods, Chorley PR6 8AJ. It is behind the former Red Cat pub, easily accessible from Junction 8 of the M61 (take the first left turn for Wheelton off the A674 then first left); junction 3 of the M65 (take 2 nd right turn for Wheelton off the A674 then first left) or take Town Lane from Whittle-le-Woods (From A6 turn onto Shaw Brow or School Brow, a few yards along Chorley Old Road turn right onto Town Lane, St Chad’s is about a mile on the left). (My satnav finds it without problem, Ed) There is ample parking in the car park Where is it? The horse-drawn barge weathervane pictured in the May edition is at the end of the Walton Summit Arm by Johnson’s Hillock locks.
But do you know where these canalside signals are? Answer next time
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Branch social programme 2018/19
Date
Speaker
Topic
27 Sept 2018
Brian Crawley Secretary Carnforth Coke Ovens
Coke Ovens on the Lancaster Canal
25 Oct
Ivor Caplan IWA National Chairman
What is happening with IWA, what progress have we made with our objectives?
29 Nov
Tony Hirst
Early days at the Boat Museum, Ellesmere Port
13 Dec
Christmas Meal
31 Jan 2019
Stuart Wood Les Green and Bob Cannell
The Daniel Adamson Trust The ‘Daniel Adamson’ is a unique steam-powered canal tug
28 Feb
Audrey Smith OBE
AGM and nostalgia evening
28 March
Tony Dunning, Malcolm and Barbara Bridge
Electric boats
25 April
Tony Entwistle
Celebrating the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Lancaster Canal. An update on what is happening from the Canal & River Trust
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