COVER & THIS PAGE: Contractors for CRT abseil the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct to clear vegetation and clean the structure - Photo by Mike Poloway (courtesy of Canal & River Trust)
The Editor's cut... I’m sure that the weather experts will be lining up to tell us that the winter of 2014/15 was one of the mildest on record but it certainly didn’t feel like it for the weekend open days at Cholmondeston Lock in February. Our hardy volunteers braved sleet, hail and bitter wind to support CRT staff on site and help 250 visitors explore the drained lock, which happens to have, at 11ft 3in, the greatest rise on the Shroppie. The work party volunteers, who do so much to enrich the canal infrastructure in our area and make it the envy of visiting boaters, have also been busy in all weathers and, as we report on pages 11 and 24, you should notice some big improvements as this year’s cruising gets under way. But now, as we go to press, spring is bursting out all over and with it some significant events are on the horizon. The most notable of these, with the possible exception of the North West Region “Not An AGM” in Liverpool to which you are cordially invited (page 17), could well be the General Election on 7 May. This represents one of those infrequent occasions when IWA is well placed to move the waterways cause further up the political agenda, so we hope that as many of you as possible will feel moved to join IWA’s campaign and ask your parliamentary candidates to sign up to the “Five Point Partnership” in IWA’s 2015 Manifesto (page 23). 2015 is also significant as the branch’s 40th anniversary year. Our chairman and region chairman make mention of this in their respective articles and you will see that we burst into rare colour on our centre pages thanks to Denis Farmer’s recollections and photo library. We hope to commemorate 40 years of supporting the border counties’ and Welsh waterways in our other issues this year, so may I repeat my appeal for help if you can supply any photographs and narrative from 1975 to the present? Among other highlights for the boating season are our outing to the Anderton Boat Lift, for which a few places are still available, the introduction of a summer walk at Brewood on the southern flank of our area and, of course, our annual lock wind at Hurleston on 1-2 August. Last year the lock wind enjoyed the support of so many extra volunteers who dropped by to lend a hand and made the weekend really special, so do put the dates in your diary and come along, even if you can only spare a couple of hours. The full listing is on page 14. We hope to see you soon. Michael Haig Next copy date: June 15, 2015 Spring 2015
Printed by Downstream Ltd, Nantwich
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The Branch Committee President & Chairman
Michael Limbrey 01691 654081
michael.limbrey@waterways.org.uk
Treasurer & NW Region Chairman
Alan Platt
alan.platt@waterways.org.uk
Secretary & Membership Sec.
Dawn Aylwin 01691 830403
shrewsandnwales@waterways.org.uk
Heritage & Planning Officer
Peter Brown
peter.brown@waterways.org.uk
Webmaster
Alan Wilding
alan.wilding@waterways.org.uk
Newsletter Editor & NW Region Rep.
Michael Haig
michael.haig@waterways.org.uk
Social Secretary
Val Haig 01785 813550
val.haig@waterways.org.uk
Committee Members
Hugh Appleton
hugh.appleton@waterways.org.uk
David Aylwin
shrewsandnwales@waterways.org.uk
Denis Farmer
denis.farmer@waterways.org.uk
Janet Farmer
janet.farmer@waterways.org.uk
Gerallt Hughes
gerallt.hughes@waterways.org.uk
Susan Wilding
alan.wilding@waterways.org.uk
Branch Web pages
www.waterways.org.uk/shrewsbury www.facebook.com/pages/IWA-Shrewsbury-Branch/388651831206061
Shroppie Fly Paper Shroppie Fly Paper is the newsletter of the Shrewsbury District & North Wales Branch of The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) with a membership of about 330. Nationally IWA has about 16,000 members and campaigns for the conservation, use, maintenance, restoration and development of the inland waterways. For further information contact any committee member. Copy for Shroppie Fly Paper is welcome by email, on disk or in manuscript form. Photographs may be in any common computer format or as prints. Please supply a stamped addressed envelope if you require photographs to be returned. ‘Letters to the Editor’ intended for publication are invited, as are comments for the Editor’s private guidance. Copy and letters submitted for publication may be edited. The Inland Waterways Association may not agree with the opinions expressed in this branch newsletter but encourages publicity as a matter of interest. Nothing printed may be construed as official policy unless stated otherwise. The Association accepts no liability for any matter in this newsletter. Any reproduction must be acknowledged. The Inland Waterways Association is a non-profit distributing company limited by guarantee. Registered in England No 612245. Registered as a charity No 212342.
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From The Steerer We're Splashing Out! Forty years ago a number of us were 'persuaded' to form a committee, now we have a thriving branch actively promoting IWA's vision of widely-appreciated and well-maintained inland waterways for all. So we're splashing out with colour pictures in your magazine to mark something of what we have been up to over those years. Look what's happened: the Llangollen Canal, always busy, now has its World Heritage Site – the Shrewsbury & Newport Canal, after a couple of false starts, has an energetic team promoting its revival – the Whitchurch Arm didn't exist forty years ago – and the revived Montgomery Canal is buzzing with activity. There is a new vigour in our canals with the Canal & River Trust getting into its stride. The branch cannot claim any particular credit for that development, but IWA as a whole certainly can. With forty years behind us, look at what's going on now. By the time you read this, our AGM in Shrewsbury will have heard an update on the progress with the Shrewsbury & Newport. The Trust needs support for its Wappenshall project, saving the unique warehouse complex at the junction to recreate one of those canalside communities that are such a feature of the system. The news in Whitchurch is less good, with its Trust not yet able to progress their ambition to establish a basin to bring boaters into the town. On the Montgomery Canal, last year saw another successful Triathlon, SUCS finishing the section to Price's Bridge and a busy and enjoyable Festival at Maesbury. This year sees more, and I have written about that separately. IWA has supported the Montgomery right from the start. In the early days national chairmen were actively involved in the campaign for the canal, and the original Aston Locks Nature Reserve – the biggest task undertaken by WRG then, and probably for some time since – was funded by IWA from a generous legacy from a secretary of this branch. CRT refers to the canal in its Ten-Year Strategic Plan as 'staggeringly beautiful', 'with very high-quality and rare built and natural heritage'. So it was no surprise that Spring 2015
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the Heritage Lottery Fund bid for the Montgomery was the first submitted by CRT. Now the second stage of the bid is being developed for submission this summer. The project plans restoration to Crickheath, and an additional Nature Reserve at Aston – protecting flora and fauna and releasing the canal from some of the current restrictions; there will be repairs to bridges and weirs, a review of boundary walls and hedges to help future protection of the canalscape, archaeological investigations in the Maesbury Marsh area, more dredging, and community and volunteer activities. There have, though, been problems in the Redwith area recently: newts, the leak, and recently solar panels. The discovery of newts, which Natural England did not deal with effectively, inevitably delayed the next stage of work by SUCS. I believe Natural England may have been surprised by the response from canal interests, though they shouldn't have been! The temptation to shout their tardiness from the rooftops was resisted but they were told – at the highest levels – what we thought of it. The situation is not yet resolved, and even if everything is now dealt with properly, SUCS volunteers will not be able to start on site until the summer. We hope they will bear with these frustrations in the meantime. The leak at Redwith was disappointing too, though perhaps not surprising given the time since the piling which started restoration there. There have been investigations and trials, and we hope it will be watertight soon. Finally, there is a proposal for solar panels by the canal. We believe the planning application is defective in a number of ways, but there are several issues here. We cannot and do not object to every development along the canal, and it must be expected that there will be more such applications. (Should there be, until every farm and roof is covered?). So do we accept the first few applications, but not later ones? This length is by a feed mill that is a prominent feature in the landscape: are there lengths of the canal that should be protected more than others? (My personal answer is 'yes': I am more concerned about pylons crossing the embankment in the Vyrnwy/Carreghofa area, which I regard as one of the highlights of the canal, than the other pylon crossing near Maesbury.) Forty years ago you couldn't see much of the Montgomery Canal: volunteers from WRG and SUCS had worked with local residents to restore navigation in the isolated section of the canal in Welshpool but other parts were impenetrable, even on foot. Today half the canal is open. Tomorrow …? Michael Limbrey – Branch Chairman
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Spring 2015
Region Chairman writes This year the branch celebrates its 40th birthday, and that is a matter for congratulation and naturally will give rise to looking back at the past, but at the same time we must look forward to the future. The same can apply to the IWA nationally, especially given the recent centenaries of the births of Tom Rolt and Robert Aickman, the two founding fathers of the IWA. In my opinion the IWA of today is, rightly, a vastly different organization to that founded nearly seventy years ago in the immediate aftermath of a world war, when there was an appetite and perhaps relevance for the romanticism of Rolt’s ‘Narrow Boat’, which now appears somewhat dated to this reader at least. Then the powers-that-be regarded the waterways as an embarrassing irrelevancy and there was a need for strong and insistent campaigning just to establish the right of navigation. Now there is a general acceptance that waterways provide a valuable leisure and social amenity, and if the commercial traffic has departed from all but the wider canals and rivers, it has been more than replaced by an army of leisure craft and a wide variety of users of the towpaths. I can remember my wife’s uncle buying a house bordering the Ashton canal near Manchester and planting a row of leylandii to hide the smelly ditch; that house now undoubtedly attracts a premium as being waterside and has probably been renamed ‘The Moorings’. So IWA now works with Canal and River Trust, to the chagrin of some who still think we should be tilting at windmills. That is not to say that we agree with everything CRT does but if we disagree we tend to do this at a positive meeting rather than by manning barricades. Working together persuaded HS2 to change its route near Fradley – an IWA initiative – and a joint approach to restoration is sharing expertise and resources. But of course CRT is only one part of the story. In much of the country, East Anglia for example, the navigation authority is not CRT but the Environment Agency, where the financial cutbacks that used to bedevil British Waterways still apply with potentially disastrous results, and IWA’s role is closer to the old campaigning one. There are still a lot of canals that fell into disuse or were closed down that remain to be restored. In our area we have the Montgomery and the Shrewsbury & Newport, and across the country there are numerous canal restorations where IWA Spring 2015
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plays a major role, especially with Waterways Recovery Group. Progress is slow as finance is still restricted and there are environmental considerations to be accommodated in this modern age, not to mention Great Crested newts. Nationally and locally we are the leaders in political campaigning, whether it is generally to increase awareness of the waterways amongst our MPs, AMs and councillors or to press for the transfer of Environment Agency waterways to CRT before funding cuts ruin them. With an election coming up, IWA has produced a ‘Waterways Manifesto’ and there is a separate item within the newsletter to tell you what you can do to get your local candidates to sign up to it. The change of ethos from British Waterways to CRT has not yet evolved into political activity, and anyway while they are still receiving government funding they are wary of biting the hand that feeds them. So I still believe that there is a place and a role for the IWA, and at its heart is the fact that IWA is a membership organisation, which CRT is not and does not claim to be. Yes, it has a “Friends” section, but that is not a true membership of CRT and the trustees and council of CRT are not answerable to them. By contrast within IWA, as your Region Chairman I am your local Trustee. I try to be as accessible as I can to members and welcome your views and opinions. I may not always agree with them, but I will listen and I will pass on to my fellow trustees your views and concerns. And finally, after a year’s immobility that prevented any boating, I am getting my boat ready for some serious cruising this year as the sun shines on the Clwydian Hills outside my window, so whether you boat, fish, walk or cycle the waterways, enjoy them, and I hope to see you at the Region get-together on April 25th if I haven’t at the branch AGM in March. Alan Platt - NW Region Chairman
Lockage statistics 2014 Usage of the canals in the branch area in 2014 was up by an average of some 6% on 2013, but this still did not bring it back to the peak years half a decade previously. Cholmondeston Lock, now the busiest for which records were kept in the area, had 8,424 emptyings, overtaking New Marton Lock 2, which had 8,346 emptyings. (To convert emptyings into boat movements, it is necessary to add about a third.) The Montgomery Canal had about 1,800 movements, well short of the permitted maximum of 2,500. Peter Brown Shroppie Fly Paper
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Spring 2015
Membership Matters We are delighted to welcome the following new members who have joined the branch since the autumn edition of this magazine and look forward to meeting you all at one of our events. Mr Cowdry & Miss Owen from Harcourt, Mr Croker from Llanddulas, Mr Crouch from Holyhead, Dr Derry from Bucknell, Mr Drake from Hankelow, Mr Few from the Republic of Ireland near Longford on the Shannon, Mr Graham & Ms Hollinshead from Audlem, Mr & Mrs Jones & family from Llanfynydd, Mr Restall from Mold, Mr & Mrs Smith & family from Rhos-on-Sea, Mr Platt & Mrs Humphrey from Weston-Super-Mare, Mr Walker & Mrs Bohannan-Walker from Nantwich, Mr Valentine & family from Wistaston, Mr Walsh & family from Ashley Heath, Mr & Mrs Wickham from Willaston, and Mr Wixey & Ms Duerden from Welshpool. For those who joined in March, the date for filing copy for Shroppie Fly Paper arrived before I received the March list of new members. You too are very welcome and your names will appear in the summer issue. I am sad to report that Fiona Pearson resigned from the committee to care for her husband. Although she was only on the committee for a year, Fiona reinstated the role of navigation officer and has supported the branch at various events over the years and has promised to help out again whenever she can. Unfortunately her husband Ray, a very skilful artist and accomplished mountaineer who climbed various peaks in North Wales, New Zealand, the Himalayas and on the Continent, died earlier than expected in February. Our thoughts and condolences go to Fiona and her family. Finally, by the time you read this the new cruising season will have started and I hope to meet many of you either along the towpath or at one of the occasions in our summer programme. I hope to end the 2015 season after the Whitchurch boat rally with a cruise along the Rochdale Canal and through the Standedge Tunnel (water levels permitting), so if anyone else is planning a similar cruise in September please get in touch as it would be good to meet up for the odd pub meal or drink. Dawn Aylwin PLEASE MAKE A DONATION TO BRANCH FUNDS (amount at your choice) to obtain IWA blue sweatshirt medium (38-40"), new, full price ÂŁ12.50 IWA blue ladies' polo shirt labelled XL but measures 38" around bust line, as new, full price ÂŁ11.25 Contact Dawn - shrewsandnwales@waterways.org.uk
Spring 2015
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Anderton Lift and Weaver Boat Trip Those of you who read the Autumn/Winter 2014 edition will recall that I wrote about our planned outing to the Anderton Lift on Saturday May 16th this year. The trip consists of two parts. There is a Top of the World (TotW) tour which will take us along the aqueduct and into the control room and machine deck. This part of the tour takes us right to the top of the lift so is not suitable for anyone with a fear of heights and there are also quite a few steps to climb.
Anderton Boat Lift at Northwich
Photo: Michael Haig
The original allocation of places for TotW has been oversubscribed but I have managed to secure a further eight places on a later tour. Unfortunately the time of the later tour, at 1.45pm, will preclude combining it with the boat trip. However, if you would still like to reserve a place on this TotW tour you really need to do so as soon as possible, preferably by return.
The second part of our outing takes place after lunch from 2.15pm and will be aboard the fully accessible, glass covered trip boat which will take us from the Trent & Mersey Canal into the heart of the massive iron masterpiece of Victorian architecture that is the Anderton boat lift. A live commentary will inform us of the finer details and the engineering will be illuminated. We will stay on board the boat for a trip on the River Weaver. There is still some availability on the boat trip. There is a free museum and interactive exhibition on site. There is also a coffee shop for a light lunch or a snack or you could go for lunch at the Stanley Arms or indeed at The Moorings restaurant situated at the nearby marina. You will need to arrange your own transport to and from Northwich. The cost of the TotW tour is ÂŁ10 per person and boat trip costs ÂŁ9.75 per person. To reserve either please call Val Haig on 01785 813550. Val Haig Shroppie Fly Paper
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Spring 2015
Tyrley Tattle revived - Don’t waste water! In April 1840 Edward Turner was found guilty of wasting water in Tyrley Locks when he ‘drew the cloughs [paddles] of the upper gates of the said lock before the lower gates thereof were closed’. He was fined 9 shillings 6 pence, plus 10s 6d costs. The total amount exceeded the wages of a skilled craftsman at that time. If it was not paid immediately, Turner was to be imprisoned at Stafford Gaol for one month. The following month William Frampton appeared in court, the charge being that he ‘did draw the cloughs of the lower or fifth lock [of the Tyrley flight] before another boat then being in the next or fourth lock had passed down and through such fifth lock’. This offence, being considered more serious, resulted in him being fined 30 shillings plus 10 shillings costs, though the period of imprisonment if he did not pay immediately was again one month. In both cases half of the fine went to the canal company, the other half to the court. The magistrate imposing the fines was Thomas Twemlow of Peatswood, whose estate was adjacent to Tyrley Locks. Although that winter had been wet, the canal was suffering each summer from an acute shortage of water, hence the canal company’s concerns about the necessity to avoid waste.
Work at Tyrley Locks
Photo: Dek Owen
Back in the here and now, a joint Network Rail and Canal & River Trust volunteering event was held at Tyrley Locks in early March (2015). Led by CRT volunteer Dek Owen, Network Rail maintenance and engineering staff from Birmingham, supported by volunteers from Audlem, SUCS and the Norbury CRT team, achieved a huge amount over the two days. The complete set of five locks on the flight was painted; grass edges trimmed, locks oiled, weeds removed and foliage tidied, along with improvements to benches, stop plank huts and other canal infrastructure. The Network Rail volunteers also tried their hand at lock keeping, presumably with better results than Messrs. Turner and Frampton 175 years earlier! [Sources: Staffordshire Record Office, Q/SB/1840/T/12; Dek Owen, Network Rail and CRT Volunteer]
Peter Brown & Michael Haig Spring 2015
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Branch Calendar 2016 - An Appeal Over the past few years the calendar has been a great success: it has sold out well before the New Year and has made a good profit for the branch, and has been our best money raising project. So we are hoping to run the calendar again for 2016. But it is time for a change. We owe thanks to David and Dawn Aylwin who have been running the calendar, but they do a lot more besides and want to stand down this year. So, if we are going to have another successful calendar – and benefit from the funds and publicity we gain from it – we need someone to help organise it. Could this be you? The arrangements are in place: we have a collection of sponsors, arrangements for printing and distribution, and procedures for obtaining pictures. We even have an offer of help with the design.So you won't have to devise a new plan, although you're welcome to improve the old one! Would you like to help? I will be happy to have chat if you would like to know more – just email michael.limbrey@waterways.org.uk or give me a ring (01691 654081). This is a great opportunity to help the branch to generate funds and publicity for our canals.
Photographers - Show Off Your Skills! Our branch calendar sells far and wide across the UK and even overseas, so here's a chance to demonstrate to the world what a fine waterways photographer you are. We are now inviting entries for our 2016 calendar, which we hope to have on sale from July onwards. But you'll have to hurry - we need your entries by May 1. Here's what you should do: All photographs must be taken within the branch area, which is from Droveway Bridge, Pendeford, (near the southern end of the Shropshire Union) to Barbridge Junction, the Middlewich Branch, the Llangollen and Montgomery Canals, the Shrewsbury & Newport Canals and the River Severn north of Bewdley. We will try to choose a selection from all these waterways so don't restrict your entries to one area. But please, no more than 6 photographs per person. Images must be submitted in digital format at 300dpi minimum. We need 12 landscape format pictures for the month pages and one colourful portrait format picture for the front cover (a good bit of surround helps as the front cover also has to carry IWA’s logo and the calendar legend). The photos will not necessarily be chosen on their technical merit. We want to create another exciting and interesting calendar which will appeal to everyone, not just boaters. People who buy the calendar like to see places they have visited, particularly evocative scenes and wildlife. We need photographs showing waterways in all seasons and preferably at a location we have not used before. This year's calendar can be seen on the Branch website. Please send the following information with your photograph: Full name (which will appear on the calendar), address, email and telephone number Title of photograph Location of photograph Time of year the picture was taken (so it can be used for the appropriate month) Please send your photos to shrewsburycalendar@waterways.org.uk by May 1
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Spring 2015
Nantwich Aqueduct repairs deferred to help local businesses Planned repairs to Nantwich Aqueduct, which had been due to begin at the end of March, have been postponed until September to avoid disruption for local businesses during the summer months and to allow additional funds to be raised so that further repairs and restoration can be carried out. The Grade II* aqueduct, constructed in 1826 under the supervision of Thomas Telford, carries the Birmingham & Liverpool Junction Canal, now known as the Shropshire Union Main Line, over the Chester road, now the B5341. The repairs will necessitate the closure of the B5341, a busy route into the centre of Nantwich, for eight weeks. When the work takes place the towpath will be closed to walkers and cyclists but the navigation will remain open. Work will include removing several layers of old paint from the aqueduct’s cast iron trough, replacing a missing cast iron panel, repairing the stone and brickwork and then repainting.
Nantwich Aqueduct
Photo: Michael Haig
The £200,000 project is being funded by £135,000 of public donations and money from Cheshire East Council (£40,000), Nantwich Town Council (£20,000), Acton, Edleston & Henhull Parish Council (£3,000) and the Nantwich Partnership (£2,000). An additional £50,000 of funding is now being sought to cover the cost of additional repairs to the masonry.
Michael Haig
Get Shroppie Fly Paper direct to your Inbox Why not help us do our bit for the environment and reduce our costs by accepting Shroppie Fly Paper as a PDF email attachment* to be read offline at your leisure? Or we can email you an advice when the latest issue is available for reading online. Either way, you'll get the magazine at least a week earlier than the printed copies and - as an added bonus - in full colour throughout! To sign up for the e-Fly Paper simply email michael.haig@waterways.org.uk *typical attachment size less than 2Mb
Spring 2015
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IWA Shrewsbury District & North Wales Branch - Diary 2015 All branch members are welcome to join us at our regular branch business meetings, which are preceded by an opportunity for supper and socialising. Meetings begin at 7.00pm, with supper from 6.00pm. To give our venues an idea of numbers please let the branch know if you would like to attend. shrewsandnwales@waterways.org.uk
Mar 22-Apr 19
Canal Art Exhibition at Audlem Mill. The largest collection of canal and waterway paintings and other art works in Britain. All items for sale
April 13
Branch business meeting at Narrowboat Inn, Whittington SY11 4NU
April 25
North West Region Social Meeting at Eldonian Village, Liverpool. Unmissable - see page 17
May 2-4
Norbury Canal Festival. For boat bookings contact harbourmaster Ray Buss at ray.buss@virgin.net or 07981 334282
May 9
Montgomery Canal Triathlon - organised by the Friends of the Montgomery Canal with support from the branch. See page 15
May 16
Social outing to Anderton Lift, including a chance to experience the Top of the World Tour. Last few places available - see page 10
May 22-27
Audlem Music & Arts Festival - lots of free music and arts events in the three pubs and other village venues, including Audlem Mill
May 30-31
IWA National Trailboat Festival, Lane Farm, Crooklands, Cumbria www.westmorlandshow.co.uk
May 31
Audlem RNLI Festival at OverWater Marina
June 7
River Severn Festival, Quarry Park, Shrewsbury
June 8
Branch business meeting at Horse & Jockey, Whitchurch SY13 4QJ
June 13
Branch Summer Walk at Brewood. See page 16
June 19-21
Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival www.midfest.org.uk
July 4-5
Making Waves at Welshpool. See www.makingwaves2015.co.uk and page 26
Jul 11-Aug 2
Eric Gaskell Linocuts Exhibition at Audlem Mill
July 19
Church Minshull Aqueduct Marina Open Day
July 25-26
Audlem Gathering of Historic Narrowboats and Festival of Transport
August 1-2
Annual Branch lock wind at Hurleston Locks. Gifts of items to sell and help for part or all of the event most appreciated. Windlasses provided!
September 5-6
Whitchurch Gathering of Boats. See page 15
October 10
Inter-branch Skittles Challenge, Stafford Boat Club. Last year we nearly won back the trophy - but not quite. Put the date in your diary and help us try again this year. Full details in the next issue.
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Spring 2015
Memories of an ex-Treasurer Readers who have been members for a long time will recall that Janet and I joined the Branch Committee in 1991. Since then between us we have been Sales Officers, Social Secretary, Chairman and Treasurer. Photography has been our hobby: not clever photography but the kind that records where we have been, what we have done and the activities around us. Here is a selection from the 1990s.
One of our first rallies (above) was at Ellesmere. At that time it was organised by SUCS with the Branch’s help. John Dicken was harbourmaster and Ken Holmes liaised with (I think it was) the Ellesmere Chamber of Trade to put on the entertainment. By 1990 WRG had finished restoring Frankton Locks on the Montgomery Canal and were then working on Lockgate Bridge (left).
For possibly 15 years the Branch stand was taken to the Shrewsbury Flower Show (right). Here our caravan is encased behind the display. The quiet early mornings before the public were allowed in more than compensated for the effort. Gill Buxbaum, dressed as a boatwoman, demonstrated the art of canal ware painting.
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By 1991 the Perry aqueduct on the Montgomery Canal had been replaced with a footbridge and there was an air of despondency following Peter Walker’s decision to withdraw funding for the full restoration of the canal.
But within four years Derelict Land Grant had been obtained, contracts let and the first phase of the restoration to Queens Head completed. Here we are at the Formal Opening/Head of Navigation rally in June 1995 at the Weston Arm enjoying a somewhat cold evening entertainment.
At the same time the work had also commenced on the Whitchurch Arm of the Llangollen Canal. The first phase was opened in October 1993. The racehorse Red Rum was the celebrity guest. The first rally of boats was held in May 1994 and John Dicken of the Branch Committee was harbourmaster. Richard Drake, Region Chairman, is handing an award to June Dicken at one of the early rallies.
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Spring 2015
Elections in May 1997 gave us the opportunity to show the newly elected MPs the progress on the Montgomery Canal. Invitations were sent to all newly elected local MPs. Here we have Owen Paterson and Christopher Gill with me on nb Leo.
A year later Owen Paterson was back again at the Head of Navigation Rally which by then had moved on to Queens Head. He has continued to support the Canal ever since. Beside myself, Michael Limbrey is the other person on the boat with a press man in the foreground.
By the late 1990s profit from the sales stand, which had for nearly 15 years yielded about ÂŁ1,000 pa, was diminishing as the novelty of canal ware wore off. The sand sieving game, which Janet adapted for the waterways, made good the deficit.
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The Head of Navigation rallies were arranged to coincide with the everpopular dinghy dawdle introduced by Mary and Derrick Awcock as a joint SUCS and IWA event. They really brought the canal to public attention. Richard Drake, our Region Chairman, started this one in 1997, organised by Colin Venus of SUCS.
Notes in Shroppie Fly Paper in 1992 say "The Right Honourable Gwyneth Dunwoody MP of Crewe & Nantwich officially opened the road across the (new electric lift) bridge. A vintage car was the first to cross". Nb Rag Doll of Rosie and Jim fame was the first boat through.
A picture record of the canal scene in the 1990s would not be complete without WRG. They played a major part in restoring the Montgomery Canal. Here they are at an open day at the Aston Nature Reserve, which runs alongside the locks and took a superhuman effort to complete. Denis Farmer
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Spring 2015
Montgomery Canal Triathlon Saturday, May 9, 2015
After three very successful triathlons along the whole length of the Montgomery Canal, this year's event will have a few changes to take advantage of the improvements made to the towpath and the rewatering of the newly restored section from Pryce's Bridge to Redwith. Cyclists will set off from Newtown as before but this year will finish at Crowther Hall Lock at Pool Quay, a distance of 17 miles. From the lock, walkers will continue the trek for 10½ miles to Pryces Bridge at Morton when walking shoes will be swapped for canoes. Finally participants will be able to paddle a mere 7½ miles down the newly restored section all the way to the Weston Arm, where a well earned reception and medal will be waiting for them. Once again your branch of the IWA will be supporting the event, the purpose of which is to attract as wide an audience as possible to appreciate the canal and keep the need for further restoration in the public eye.
WANTED : 16 VOLUNTEER MARSHALS There are four road crossings in the walking section and more for the cyclists; health and safety requirements stipulate that we have four people at each one. So if you have any free time on Saturday May 9 please volunteer. With over 500 members the branch must surely have at least 16 willing helpers. If you don't fancy the road crossings there are other jobs and some where you will be able to sit down. Please email (shrewsandnwales@waterways.org.uk) or phone me today (01691 830403) to offer your help as time is short and I will be away and out of contact from mid-April. Also the organisers need to know there are enough helpers well before the event to assure CRT that all safety issues are covered. If you are unable to contact me before I leave please phone Judy Richards on 01691 831455. Dawn Aylwin
Whitchurch Gathering of Boats September 5-6, 2015
We would like to welcome you all to the Whitchurch Boat Gathering, being held two weeks earlier than in the past few years, on the Whitchurch Arm of the Llangollen Canal at Chemistry. If you would like to come with your boat the entry fee is £12.50. If you trade from your boat there is an additional fee of £12.50. A social evening for boaters to include a meal is £6.50 per person and starts at 6.30pm. We supply everything except chairs, drinks and glasses. Stall holders are very welcome also. The fee for commercial stalls is £20.00 and for charities and societies the fee is £10.00. If you just want to come along to see the decorated boats and stalls it won't cost you a penny and car parking is free in the nearby carpark. Details are available at www.whitchurchwaterway.org.uk where booking forms can be downloaded. Booking forms can also be obtained by contacting Lindsay Green, Chemistry Farm, Whitchurch. SY13 1BZ or telephone 01948 662779/07968 339335 or e-mail wwt@mybtinternet.com
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Canal Heritage – A Journey John Yates was the guest speaker at our autumn social evening and talk, held in early November at Shrewsbury’s Brooklands Hotel, where an audience of almost forty enjoyed an excellent fish-and-chip supper and an informative and thoughtprovoking presentation in convivial surroundings. In a wide-ranging talk, John took us initially on an autobiographical cruise chronicling his early adult life and burgeoning interest in, first, steam railways and subsequently, after gaining his university degree, boats and canals. Having acquired his first live-aboard boat (Antares, GUCCC No 7), John described canal living “on the front line” in London’s Kings Cross in the 1970s, and in the same decade boating the BCN, which at that time seemed to be run, as he put it, “as a branch of a semi-derelict railway”. From the autobiographical past, we moved to the conservation challenges of the present day, where John is now an inspector with English Heritage as well as serving on CRT’s Council and its Heritage Advisory Group. Highlighting that not only do we want and need to conserve canal structures, such as the 1797 Ditherington Flax Mill and the Shrewsbury & Newport Canals, but also fast-disappearing traditional skills, John discussed some of the differing and sometimes conflicting approaches to conservation. He argued that conservationfriendly development needs to consider both the structures themselves and also a sense of place and purpose – a sentiment that hopefully will be upheld at Ellesmere, where both English Heritage and IWA have expressed considerable reservations over the proposed planned development alongside the canal. Michael Haig
Summer Walk at Brewood - Saturday, June 13 Following our popular, if damp, winter walk at Chirk, we're moving to the southern end of our branch's canal network for an additional summer walk at Brewood. Branch member Barry Witts has kindly agreed to be our guide for the walk, which will be a circuit of just under six miles starting and ending at The Bridge Inn, Brewood ST19 8BD, departing from outside the pub at 10.00am. We are still investigating parking options and will email anybody who expresses an interest. Peter Brown will provide his customary notes on things and places of interest. As well as the towpath, the route crosses farm fields and goes through woods so please make sure you have appropriate clothing and footwear. Shroppie Fly Paper
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North West Region Social - "Not an AGM" Saturday, April 25, 2015 Eldonian Village Hall, Liverpool L3 6LG
This is an open social event for all IWA members and friends to enjoy. Come along and see what's going on in the North West Region, share your experiences and views in a convivial atmosphere. Eldonian Village - a great insight into the challenges and solutions involved with urban canal developments along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in Liverpool. An opportunity to see Stanley Locks and get an early view of the new dockside developments proposed in the area.
Programme 10:30 Arrival and Coffee 11.00 Welcome, review of the year and general discussion 12:00 Region Awards for significant achievements 12:30 Buffet Lunch 13:30 Short presentation on the history and progress of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal including Liverpool Link, Stanley Locks and the northern dockland developments 14:00 Guided walk around the area Cost ÂŁ10 (pay on the day) - please book in advance with Alan Platt: alan.platt@waterways.org.uk Tel 01352 720649 Eldonian Village Hall, Burlington St. (off Vauxhall Rd.), Liverpool L3 6LG Directions on website - www.waterways.org.uk/branches_regions/north_west/north_west car parking available on site
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Winter Walk at Chirk Don't we all know the canal round Chirk well enough? Well, clearly the answer is 'no', because in this year's Winter Walk, Peter Brown took us on a journey of discovery on that first Saturday of the New Year. The weather wasn't very encouraging: the snow had cleared and it was raining, but thankfully not too heavily. Despite this, a couple of dozen explorers turned up at The Poachers, Gledrid, and we were delighted that there were many new faces among them, some of whom had come a distance to join us.
All in it together at Chirk Aqueduct
Photo: Derek Jones
Starting south along the towpath, away from Chirk, we could soon see the wharf of the Glyn Valley Tramway, originally a horse-drawn railway bringing slates from Glyn Ceiriog: deserting the horses and the canal, it later used steam engines to haul its trains to sidings at Chirk Station. There are moves to revive the tramway, which could join the railways at Llangollen, Oswestry and Welshpool.
We left the towpath at Rhosweil and made our way across fields, crossing the tramway route and passing between the sites of a former colliery and claypit, emerging at Chirk Bank. Here we crossed the canal bridge down to the Holyhead Road and Telford's 1793 bridge (later rebuilt) across the River Ceiriog. We did not walk up the pavement, but followed instead a footpath along the line of the road as it was before Telford improved it. Reaching Chirk, we crossed the main road to walk back to the canal where it emerges from the tunnel, crossing the aqueduct – and the Welsh border – and returning along the towpath. All the way, Peter's notes told us of the history of this area of the last 222 years from construction to designation as a World Heritage Site. And for what seemed a rural walk, there were many reminders of the industrial revolution and the contemporary development of transport – turnpike, canal and railway. A truly fascinating walk, rounded off by a warming meal together in the Poachers. Michael Limbrey Shroppie Fly Paper
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Sad news from Whitchurch It is with great sadness that I report that Mike Johnson died on December 21, aged 73. He was a great support to us at Whitchurch by being on our maintenance committee, helping with supplies and work parties. He and Yvonne, along with dogs Roamer and Paddy, attended our boat rallies with his precious tug Luckiemucklebackit. He was latterly our harbour master, because who was going to argue with Mike? He was also a great supporter of the Shropshire Union Canal Society where he and Yvonne attended many working parties and boat rallies. After a career in the merchant navy and then driving for P&O Ferrymasters, Mike worked for British Waterways for a number of years, being especially remembered as lockkeeper at Grindley Brook. His was a full and varied life with interests ranging from tandem tricycle cycling, Gardner engines, Riley cars and canals and boats generally. When Mike knew he was ill he was determined to make a new mooring and picnic area at Tilstock. He obtained permission from Canal & River Trust and arranged for them to do some remedial work. He bought all the supplies, arranged the workers, and when he was ready, completed the task. CRT erected a plaque acknowledging Mike's work just before he died and Wendy Capelle and Howard Griffiths visited Mike and showed him the photographs. He was such a big man in all sorts of ways and leaves a huge hole in many lives. Another sad loss for Whitchurch, so soon after Mike Johnson, was that of David Reade who died on Christmas Eve, aged 72. David was very involved with Saturn, and was the husband of Val Reade, who is the Membership Secretary. Both David and Val were very supportive of Whitchurch Waterway Trust, always accompanying Saturn to our boat rally. David gave us his gazebo to use at the rally on the understanding that he could borrow it back whenever he needed it for his outdoor catering business, where he could often be found outside the Civic Centre catering when the town put on events. David had worked in hotel catering and management in London and Canada before arriving in Whitchurch and marrying Val. David's funeral was very well attended at St Alkmund's in Whitchurch with very moving contributions from family and a good friend. His was a friendly face to meet on a Friday morning in town and I miss it. Lindsay Green Spring 2015
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Policing the Sargeant - Barging around the Llangollen Canal The April issue of 'Waterways World' carries a letter from Peter Brown complaining about the errors in John Sargeant's recent programme. Regrettably it missed out the section concerning the most blatant error of all... John Sargeant said "This section of the canal ... was completed in 1798. At that time Ellesmere marked the end of the canal. But then the legendary Thomas Telford ... set about extending the canal all the way on to Llangollen." This was supported by a map showing the canal having arrived at Ellesmere from the east, then being extended on into Wales. In fact the canal arrived in Ellesmere from the west. The first part of the canal built was a cross centred on Frankton Junction, with arms to Ellesmere (and then extended towards Whitchurch and Prees), Weston Lullingfields, Llanymynech and Froncysyllte. Only when it was realised that the planned route between Trevor and Chester would never be built was it decided to build the Grindley Brook to Hurleston section. The Trevor to Llangollen section was also a late decision, made because the canal needed a new source of water.
Annual Quiz Evening The rain, wind and cold weather didn't stop people turning out for the quiz at Whittington in February; in fact we had to move into the main bar of the pub to accommodate everyone. Fortunately there was a blazing log fire to keep us all warm. It was especially good to welcome teams from the Shropshire Union Canal Society (Sucers), the Friends of the Montgomery Canal (In Betweeners) and from the Shrewsbury & Newport Canals Trust (Coffers) who all came to pit their wits against teams comprising various branch members and their friends (Turkey Trotters, Lace Plates, Not a Clue, and the Great Crested Newts). Don't ask where the names came from! Well into the second half it was beginning to look like a tie and concerns were growing that we hadn't bothered to prepare tie-breaker questions. However we needn't have worried as the last two sets sorted out the teams with the Turkey Trotters winning with 74 points, the Lace Plates runners-up with 72 and the Great Crested Newts romping in third with 70½ points. We would like to record our thanks to the staff at The Narrowboat Inn who once again looked after us so well. Dawn Aylwin Shroppie Fly Paper
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St. David's Day Cruise St. David’s Day 2015 brought March in like a lion. The roar of gusty gales and heavy showers alternating with spells of bright spring sunshine added drama to the spirit of adventure evident amongst our dozen-strong group of passengers from the Rotary Club of Shrewsbury as we embarked on Heulwen III (nb Silver Lady) at Gungrog Wharf, Welshpool for a special cruise south to Brithdir. The beautiful section south of Welshpool has been operational since 1996 but recent years have seen very little boating. So when I heard that the Heulwen Trust intended to run extra trips this summer, as part of the Making Waves events programme, I asked how we could support their initiative. Pat Ward from the Trust offered a preview trip, saying it would help establish the new routine with the additional skippers they had recruited to cover the extra weekend trips. Our crew of three gave us a very friendly welcome as they got us on board and underway by 10.25 am. Appropriately for the day, daffodils stood on each table. Hot coffee and central heating made us very comfortable in the fully glazed and spacious cabin. Our passengers knew little about canals and many were incredulous as we passed through the ‘tunnel’ at Heulwen III entering Belan bottom lock on the return Gallowstree Bank, which has no journey Photo: Alan Wilding towpath, and learned the term ‘legging’. The 6ft rise through Town Lock added more interest but then our crew had a real battle with the gusty winds to get lined up for the right angled turn at Whitehouse Bridge. Powis Castle was glimpsed through the trees before the picture postcard cottages below Belan Locks got all the cameras clicking. Some took the chance to get off at the bottom lock and walk to the next to admire the unique ground paddle gear designed by canal engineer G W Buck - a great shame that it’s currently locked out of use. With us all back on board and leaving the top lock, Sunday walkers on the towpath seemed surprised and delighted to see our boat and gave us enthusiastic waves. Heavy rain made conditions bleak but spirits within the cabin were high as we chose our lunch and phoned through our order to the Horseshoes Inn at Brithdir, where a quickly served and excellent Sunday roast set us up for the voyage back. Spring 2015
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At one bridge our boat came to an unexpected standstill due to something beneath the water and only full throttle and four pairs of hands pulling on the stonework got us moving again. Such are the navigational difficulties encountered on this little used canal but our passengers thought these well worth the efforts involved and all said they’d really enjoyed the many delights of their day’s trip. Congratulations to the Heulwen Trust for making public trips possible this summer. They start on April 4, and are bookable at Welshpool Visitor Centre, 01938 552 043. Alan Wilding
Shrewsbury & Newport Canals need your help You may very well have heard already about the difficulties being faced by Shrewsbury & Newport Canals Trust as it tries to raise substantial match funding of £500,000, which would allow it to receive a £1million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to restore Wappenshall Wharf, just north of Telford. The problems have been widely reported in the national waterways press and in IWA's Bulletin newsletter, but we make no apologies for also giving space in Shroppie Fly Paper to SNCT's Wappenshall Wharf appeal. This is an ambitious project to to create a visitor centre and a community “hub” as a means of funding the restoration and maintenance of two very fine Grade II listed 19th century canal warehouses. It will also create a source of future income for the trust to enable it to maintain this attraction and to provide further funding to restore the canals. Your branch has committed to support the appeal. If you would like to as well, please either download the pledge form at the bottom of the article about the crisis on the front page of SNCT's website at http://cms.snct.co.uk/ or call SNCT chairman Bernie Jones on 01743 709601 or 07971 016322. Thank you. Michael Haig
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General Election 2015 – the IWA Manifesto With Election Day on May 7 approaching, we have a once-in-five-years opportunity to engage with the parliamentary candidates in our local constituencies and seek their support for the things that matter to us. And, as members of IWA, it’s very likely that one of the things that matter to you is our waterways. IWA has produced a Manifesto for our future MPs, to demonstrate the importance of our waterways heritage and encourage them to work with us to protect it. Now is the time to write to prospective MPs in your area, or attend their public meetings (they would love to see you!) and encourage them to pledge their support for the waterways by signing up to the Five Point Partnership in IWA's Manifesto. To find your current MP's contact details type his or her name into a search engine. For candidates type in the name of the constituency and party (for example Birmingham Edgbaston Conservative Candidate) and the details will appear. The full IWA Manifesto briefing document is available at waterways.org.uk/ manifesto and you will also find a link from there to an example email and letter you might send to a sitting MP or prospective candidate. IWA plans to publish the names of MPs and candidates who sign up to the Five Point Partnership. If you receive a pledge from a candidate please make sure you let us know so that we can keep a record by forwarding email correspondence to alison.smedley@waterways.org.uk or send your signed copies to: Branch Campaign Team, The Inland Waterways Association, Island House, Moor Road, Chesham HP5 1WA. If you need advice please contact Alison Smedley by email or on 01538 385388. Michael Haig
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Volunteering News Volunteers have been out in force across the branch area already this year. Elsewhere in Shroppie Fly Paper we reported on the Audlem volunteers and their joint work party at Tyrley with Network Rail, while further north both the Small Tasks Team Volunteers (STTV) and Shropshire Union Middlewich Branch Adopters (SUMBA) have been busy. Boaters pausing at Barbridge will see real improvements thanks to STTV who, in January and February in some dreadful weather, managed to install a set of steps from the towpath at one end of a visitor mooring to the road above. Moorers, who have previously had to scramble up a steep muddy bank and pass through the hedge to access the local hostelries, can now enjoy steps leading to gated access to the road – a much safer and more convenient arrangement. For its April work party, STTV is evaluating the construction of a new towpath at Hurleston to complement the works it recently undertook there to replace the water points and provide block paved standing areas around them. Improved access to pubs! What more could we want? Photo: STTV
This would need three days work, provisionally planned for 29/30 April and 1 May. STTV is seeking an EXPRESSION OF INTEREST from volunteers interested in joining up for some or all of the task. Contact details on page 26 if you can help. On the Middlewich Branch, despite freezing weather and a frozen canal, SUMBA volunteers completely cleared the Sykes Hollow winding hole of all obstructions and overhanging vegetation. Some 50ft either side of the winding hole has also been cleared of vegetation, now making it far easier to see the turning area. SUMBA has successfully applied for £2,385 from Cheshire East Council's Community Grant Fund, together with a £400 grant from Church Minshull Parish Council. These sums will enable the installation of a further six picnic tables, ten BBQ stands and a bench at mooring sites on the Middlewich Branch and the next three work parties on April 25, May 9 and May 16 involve the building of concrete bases at three locations. If you can help complete this essential ground preparation work please contact Graham (details on page 26). Shroppie Fly Paper
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Making Waves We have been talking about Making Waves on the Montgomery Canal, and it's not just us! The Mayor of Welshpool, Cllr Malcolm Douglass, has been energetic in promoting the canal. In January he led a meeting in Welshpool Town Hall, with the local Assembly Member Russell George, attended by Glyn Davies MP, representatives of Shropshire and Powys County Councils, CRT and many supporters of the Montgomery Canal. One CRT representative was John Dodwell, once General Secretary of IWA, who has known the canal since the first days of restoration: he now chairs the Montgomery Canal Partnership and is there pressing us all ensure that more happens on the canal. The enthusiasm of the meeting was palpable: there can be no looking back with support like that! An example of this enthusiasm was the subsequent inspection of the dry section from Crickheath by an IWA engineer and representatives of WRG, SUCS and CRT. A number of problems on this length were identified for further investigation. There will be calls for volunteers to tackle this length: are you ready? Looking ahead too is a project by Liverpool University, commissioned by CRT to develop a vision for the future of a number of places in our branch including Welshpool and Llanymynech. (The others are at Pontcysyllte and Llangollen and the Ellesmere area.) The students' preparation included presentations from Peter Brown and me (among others) and site visits. I accompanied the trip to Llanymynech and Welshpool and it was interesting to look at these places with the project in mind. We were all very pleased with the high attendance at the following consultation in Welshpool, again including the Mayor, AM and MP. The project runs to May, and the University has been asked to outline its conclusions at the Montgomery Canal Forum in Welshpool on 6 July. The Forum is the last of the Making Waves events. The programme for Making Waves has grown far beyond what I for one was expecting. It started with a walk on 1 March organised by the Friends of the Montgomery Canal, and there will be more walks, boat trips, and many other events to go to and join: • The Triathlon on 9 May is well-booked as I write, and places will be limited. This highly regarded event – plugged heavily at the recent Annual Meeting of Glandŵr Cymru at the Senedd in Cardiff -- is a real advertisement for the canal, bringing entrants from far and wide. The event needs a lot of support, helping at locks and road crossings – can you help? • If you have never been on the canal in Wales, Making Waves with Canoes on Spring 2015
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17 May will be an opportunity to try canoeing on the canal in Welshpool, or at weekends there will be public trips on boats of the Heulwen Trust, with longer trips to Brithdir on selected dates (why not try lunch at the adjoining Horseshoe Inn?). • On 8 June there will be a showing of the canal comedy classic The Bargee at Welshpool Town Hall. I suspect that there will be members of the branch who like me can remember the names of Harry H Corbett, Eric Sykes, Derek Nimmo, Ronnie Barker … • 27 June sees Making Waves with Coracles with demonstrations including a newly-constructed Welshpool Coracle. Teams are wanted for relay races across the canal – in coracles – in aid of Macmillan Nurses. I am told that the organisers want to ensure that no one can practise beforehand! • The culmination of the programme is Making Waves in Welshpool, the Welsh Waterways Festival, on 4/5 July. There will be as many trailable boats as we can squeeze in, powered in as many ways as you can think of! Based at the Wharf, near the centre of town, there will be model boats and stalls and demonstrations, all showing what the canal is about in Welshpool. The branch stand will be there and there will be WoW activities for children. A highlight will be Saturday's evening procession of decorated boats. This will be one of the most significant events on the canal in Welshpool. Unfortunately your editor has had to resist requests to publish the full Making Waves programme in Shroppie Fly Paper due to restricted space. However, I hope I have given you a taster of what you can expect and you can find the complete programme at www.MakingWaves2015.co.uk. If you are in the 'Twittersphere' you will be able to keep up to date on developments @MakingWaves2015. These events will be a brilliant advertisement to showcase the revival of the canal and what it can mean to the Welshpool and the area. They can encourage the support we need for the HLF project and for reconnecting the canal in Wales to the national network. They will work best with lots of help: it should be fun – can you help? Michael Limbrey VOLUNTEERING You will find reports of various volunteer activities that have been taking place in our branch area throughout this issue . If you would like to get involved in future activities please contact: STTV: Paul Mills, 0151 336 1049 / 07947 887909, exelbee@sky.com or Maurice Ward, 01942 260459 / 07791 350207, drmdward@hotmail.com SUMBA: Graham Russell, 01270 522731 / 07853 275222, ggtr@btinternet.com
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Images from Wales
St. David's Day walkers launch the Making Waves 2015 programme Boats in Welshpool at the 2009 Big Dig commemoration
(photos from Michael Limbrey)
Men at Work - Tyrley 2015
Network Rail and CRT volunteers tidy Tyrley Locks
Photos from Dek Owen