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Calling all Photographers Can you take pictures like the ones on this page? Here's your chance to showcase the quality of your images in our renowned Waterways Calendar. For our 2018 calendar we're looking for one lovely image per month from the popular and photogenic canals in our area. Each month is sponsored by a local business to help us defray our printing costs and maximise the value of our calendar sales, and obviously all twelve of these businesses wish to be associated with top quality photography. Your photos should have been taken, preferably recently, on the Llangollen, Montgomery, SU Middlewich Branch, SU Main Line between Barbridge and Pendeford Bridge 3A (by Wolverhampton Boat Club), the Shrewsbury & Newport or the Shropshire Canal. We need a choice of quality photos from all seasons and of varying subject material - landscapes, canal structures and, of course, historic and modern boats - so please trawl your photo libraries and see what you can find. The monthly images should be high resolution, capable of being printed at A5 size in landscape format, while our cover image is A4 portrait orientation. Please send your selection as soon as possible to the editor, michael.haig@waterways.org.uk.
Cover image: Frankton Junction by Barry Witts
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The Editor's cut... Welcome to the first issue of this newsletter in 2017. I hope that it turns out to be a very successful year for IWA, its members and, of course, our canals and rivers. It’s certainly shaping up to be a very busy year that, all things being equal, will see lots of changes across our branch area, most of them for the better. We’re sorry, of course, that some of our regular volunteers are standing down, as reported in the Membership News on page 7. However, others are coming forward, though we will always welcome more. Shroppie Fly Paper has remarked before how lucky we are to have around 500 branch members from over 300 households. What could we do to entice more of you to think it worthwhile to help us, now that your committee is down to seven people? It’s a serious question – suggestions, please, to the branch chairman. We’re also sorry that, this year, our friends at SNCT have been unable to stage their fabulous festival at Norbury Junction over the Early May Bank Holiday. It will be missed not just by private boaters and floating traders, but equally by members of the public who each year flock to the Junction and give the event such a great atmosphere. It’s reassuring to hear that the car parking problems that caused the cancellation this year can be fixed for 2018. Despite that disappointment, this could still be a really big year for SNCT. As chairman Bernie Jones reports on page 8, HLF decision time is looming, and that could be a real game-changer, as we hope the HLF grant awarded to the Montgomery restoration will be. This edition of Shroppie Fly Paper is also a “Monty issue”. Michael Limbrey writes at length to bring us up to date on the financial, engineering and volunteering challenges faced by the restoration, while on pages 30-31 John Dodwell, former IWA Secretary General and now chairman of the Montgomery Canal Partnership, describes the new fundraising initiative which, with the help of an 'angel', should breathe more life into the efforts to reconnect Welshpool to the national network. But the branch is concerned with more than canal restorations, however energising they may be. On pages 14-15 we take a look at the impact of the latest HS2 proposals on the SU Middlewich Branch at Stanthorne, which IWA is vigorously opposing. We badly need your support in all these endeavours - please help us if you can.
Michael Haig Next copy date: Monday, June 19, 2017 Spring 2017
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The Branch Committee President & Chairman
Michael Limbrey 01691 654081
michael.limbrey@waterways.org.uk
Secretary & Membership Sec.
Dawn Aylwin 01691 830403
shrewsandnwales@waterways.org.uk
Vice Chairman & Newsletter Editor
Michael Haig 07801 415573
michael.haig@waterways.org.uk
Treasurer & Welsh Liaison Officer
Alan Platt
alan.platt@waterways.org.uk
Webmaster
Alan Wilding
alan.wilding@waterways.org.uk
Committee Members
David Aylwin
shrewsandnwales@waterways.org.uk
Susan Wilding
alan.wilding@waterways.org.uk
NW Region Chairman
Vacant
Branch Web pages
www.waterways.org.uk/shrewsbury www.facebook.com/pages/IWA-Shrewsbury-Branch/388651831206061
If you would prefer to communicate with the branch in the traditional way, please write to the Secretary at Wyndcliff, Pen y Garreg Lane, Pant, Oswestry SY10 8JS
Shroppie Fly Paper Shroppie Fly Paper is the newsletter of the Shrewsbury District & North Wales Branch of The Inland Waterways Association (IWA). IWA is a membership charity that works to protect and restore the country's 6,500 miles of canals and rivers. For further information contact any committee member. Copy for Shroppie Fly Paper is very welcome, preferably by email. 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 Registered Office: Island House, Moor Road, Chesham HP5 1WA Tel: 01494 783 453 Web: www.waterways.org.uk
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From The Steerer IWA has two core ambitions – the protection and restoration of our nation’s waterways. These were the aims that drove those pioneers who struggled to save our waterways when faced with indifference and obstruction seventy years ago. The Association protects our waterways through the work of the Navigation Committee, led by branch member Gren Messham, who attended our recent Annual General Meeting. It directs the campaigns on HS2 and the Environment Agency waterways, as well as dealing with CRT, on a range of issues including winding holes and boaters’ facilities, boat licensing and vegetation management. Restoration is, in the words of a recent IWA national press release "hugely important". Locally it is important because the branch area includes three significant restoration projects. It is also important to anyone who has boated the Caldon, Mon & Brec, K&A, Stratford, Droitwich, Rochdale or Huddersfield Narrow … What a list of successes! We know that restoration is for more than just boaters, providing an all-round benefit to the whole community. A restored canal brings visitors, boosts the economy, creates opportunities for business and employment, brings health and social benefits and of course is good for the environment and heritage. All this is spelled out in Water Adds Value, which I have mentioned before – there is a link to the document on IWA’s website: www.waterways.org.uk/waterways/ r e s t o r a t i o n / r e s t o r a t i o n _ r e s o u r c e s / p d f s / water_adds_value_benefits_of_waterways_restoration IWA is keen to step up the support it gives to restoration. I have been privileged to take part in discussions about this, joining experts from restoration projects across the country. (It seems there are around one hundred projects, some of which are gently described as ‘resting’, while others are just in the early stages of development.) We identified three things that IWA should engage in: supporting, enabling and championing restoration. With so much experience across so many schemes, there is a tremendous amount that any one project can draw from the others, and I am always impressed by events at which different organisations get together to share their experience, for mutual benefit. The latest of these – the Restoration Workshop on 1st April – is too late for a report in this issue.
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So does the branch share these ambitions to protect and restore our waterways? I hope you think we do: we have a regular dialogue with CRT over issues affecting our canals, trying also to align ourselves with IWA’s national campaigns where possible, and we have voiced our concerns for the Middlewich Branch to inform IWA's national response to HS2. If you think there is something we should be paying attention to, do let us know. As for restoration, well, I’ve already remarked that we have three major restorations in our area. That would be a challenge for any branch, but I hope that any branch – like us – would relish such a challenge and offer as much support as possible to projects which will benefit the area in all those ways I mentioned above. Our branch has been fortunate in the enthusiasm and commitment of members of its committee – that's why we currently hold the award for Branch Achievement. Sadly, over the last few months, a few have decided to move on, leaving gaps which may be hard to fill. Actually, I hope they won't be that hard to fill, because I am sure many members – like you! – have skills and experience which could help us. The great thing about our committee is that we can mould what we do to the help we are offered. That may mean that sometimes we have to change the focus of those activities we can undertake, but from your point of view, it means you can help us in a way that interests you – maybe by joining the committee, or maybe supporting us from home. Would you like to find out what that means? Chat to a member of the committee, send me an email (details on page 4) or sit in on one of our committee meetings. What can you do to help protect and restore our waterways?
Michael Limbrey
Membership News It's been a very cold and wet winter, so no getting out and about as we had planned. We have enjoyed a few muddy walks along the towpath, although we have been unable to do any cruising as our boat has been iced in on the Whitchurch Arm for several weeks. Other parts of the canal system still seem to be moving though, and on our walks we have met boaters and friends enjoying a winter cruise. Shroppie Fly Paper
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I suspect potential members have wisely stayed in the warmth of their own homes. Not only has the weather been against us but there have not been many waterways events to attract new members, so I am especially pleased to welcome the following people who have joined since the last edition of this magazine: Mr Butler from Edleston, Mr McCarthy & Ms Light from Telford, Ms Havell from Broseley, Mr Jones from Shrewsbury, Mr & Mrs Jones from Whixall, Mr Miles from Rhyl, Mr Pilgrim from the Ironbridge Coracle Trust. I hope that you will be able to join us at one of the events this year and look forward to meeting you. Why not follow the example of Ian Richardson and Bev Long who joined last year and have already offered to help the branch when they are able to? Many thanks to both of you. Did you do any Christmas shopping in Shrewsbury last year? If so did you visit the Christmas Card Shop? Organised by Alan and Susan Wilding, the branch has a stand to sell cards and calendars which provides much needed funds. Our thanks and appreciation go to Alan and Susan who have decided to retire from this activity. Fortunately, Roy Stokes has offered to take their place and we welcome Roy to our team of volunteers. Unfortunately, three of our other volunteers have decided to step down ... The first is Val Haig, who as social secretary has organised many interesting trips and talks; for me the highlights were the outing to the Anderton Boat Lift, especially the Top of the World tour, and the visit to Joule's Brewery. I have also enjoyed all the talks but the one that stands out has to be 'The Straight and The Narrow' by Sarah Henshaw - an inspired choice of speaker. Thank you, Val, your hard work and patience in getting the committee to agree times and venues was much appreciated. The second retiree is Helen Brockman who was the IWA representative on the Whitchurch Waterways Trust. She also helped out at various waterways events and our thanks and best wishes go to Helen. Please keep in touch. And finally, Gerallt Hughes has decided to resign from the committee because his other commitments frequently clash with branch activities, but he will continue to support events as and when he can. For several years Gerallt was IWA General Secretary on the Committee for Wales and his contacts and knowledge of the Welsh political and cultural scene have been invaluable. His help for the branch has been much appreciated, and we hope to see him again at future events.
Dawn Aylwin Spring 2017
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More HLF hurdles for SNCT Our Round 2 bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund went in by their deadline of 13 February, but, frustratingly, we have just learned that it will now not go before West Midlands HLF Committee until 6 June, instead of in March. This is especially frustrating because all the smaller match funding grantees, including IWA, were informed that we would know the HLF outcome by April, so there is now more admin work to do to bring everyone up to date. We are gearing up for HLF to make a visit to the Wappenshall site on 3 May. The SNCT Project Team has been asked to produce a presentation that covers the Development Phase of the project and details our plans for the Delivery Phase. They have also asked for a conducted tour of the wharf. This will be an important date for the project and we will pull out all the stops to impress the HLF team. As costs have risen during the Development Phase, we have asked HLF for a ÂŁ300,000 uplift to a total ÂŁ1.3m grant. Any further match funding that we can raise, before the project goes before committee for a decision in June, will reduce the size of this uplift and thereby provide a greater chance of success. This is, perhaps, one advantage of the further three-month delay and the SNCT Project Team is working flat out to close this funding gap. If this bid is successful, we will then go out to competitive tender to appoint a contractor to do the major part of the work. The contract should be let in September and the work is estimated to take 9 months until completion, thereby enabling us to open "Thomas Telford @ Wappenshall Wharf" in the summer of 2018. SNCT is also working hard to progress the restoration of the canal to navigation in Shrewsbury and there have been two weekend London WRG Camps during the winter that have helped greatly to move things forward. After many months working to ensure that the canal is incorporated into Shropshire Council's "Shrewsbury Vision" document (now known as "Shrewsbury's Big Plan"), we have engaged with their new Head of Economic Growth, Gemma Davies, and she is very excited about our plans. Gemma moved to Shrewsbury from Cheshire West & Chester Council, where she worked on the canal's restoration through Chester, so showing her the "Water Adds Value" video was pushing at an open door. We have great hopes of making significant progress with the Shrewsbury Canal's restoration into the north of the town as a result. With more activity in Newport and on the Trench Arm as well, 2017 is certainly going to be a busy year for SNCT. Bernie Jones Shroppie Fly Paper
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Citizenship shock for IWA members The annual quiz night at the Narrowboat Inn on 20th February attracted thirty-five participants, a record number. Martin Hill with his usual hospitality provided a meal beforehand to fortify us for the ordeal. The questions were set by last year’s winners, the Mandarin team, and were a good mixture, ranging from events in 2016 (surprisingly difficult to remember) to characters in literature, pictures of canalside towns and general knowledge. But the biggest shock came when Peter Brown produced a list of questions taken straight Record Quiz Night numbers at the Narrowboat Inn [Alan Wilding] out of the citizenship test for aspiring residents in Britain. To pass they have to get 75% correct. I regret to say that only two of the nine teams managed eight or more right answers. Will there now be a general deportation of IWA members? At the end the worthy winners by a creditable margin were the president’s team, the Sludge Busters, made up of Michael and Eileen Limbrey, with Chas and Cheri Warren. Fiona Pearson
Wanted! A new editor for Shroppie Fly Paper! Since taking over as editor of your branch newsletter in 2013 my IWA commitments seem to have expanded to fill the time available, and then some. So I think the time is right to start looking for a new editor who can bring a fresh perspective to the magazine and develop it further. To find out more, call Michael on 07801 415573 or email michael.haig@waterways.org.uk
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Socially speaking You will have seen elsewhere in this issue that I have decided to step down after three years as your social secretary. I hope I will be able to continue helping out on specific events in future but this will be my last column for Shroppie Fly Paper. I’m very pleased to say that, from all the accounts and kind words I’ve received, the branch has managed to continue its recent run of successful social events with our Spring Outing in March to Blists Hill Victorian Town, even though unfortunately I was not able to be present on the day. However, well over 30 people were there, which was a welcome turn-out. From the pictures on the branch’s Facebook page, courtesy of Alan Wilding, it’s good to see that we had virtually a full house in the Club Room at The New Inn. We are very grateful to the team at Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust for making us Speakers (l-r) Ian Gaston, Neil Clarke, John Freeman so welcome, and especially to [Michael Haig] their Trustee, John Freeman, who took over most of what would normally be my job: lining up speakers for us, negotiating with caterers and working diligently up until the last minute to make sure that everything ran smoothly. All I really had to do was sit back and watch the bookings come in! And what speakers they were, too. I realise this part gets a bit anecdotal, but I am reliably informed that first up was John himself, putting the Blists Hill museum into context and sharing with us some stories of its history and development, with only the tiniest bit of product placement for a well-known Telford plant hire company (also called Freeman) creeping in to some of his picture slides. Following the warm-up act, as John described himself, local historian Neil Clarke took over the controls of the projector to tell members about “Early transport networks of the East Shropshire Coalfield”, including the River Severn, early railways, canals and turnpike roads. We couldn’t have wished for a more knowledgeable person than Neil to guide us through these, and we thank him for sharing his learning. Shroppie Fly Paper
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There followed a pause to allow the audience a chance to regroup before settling down to enjoy the Branch AGM and, probably more so, our soup ’n’ sandwich lunch. Surprisingly, the logistics of ordering the lunch and getting it served all at the same time proved to be one of the more challenging exercises on the day, but I hope everybody ended up with what they were expecting. After lunch, and almost a false start down the gallops by a small group who were keen to sample the great outdoors, Ian Gaston of IWA's Waterway Recovery Group showed some slides of the Shropshire Canal on the Blists Hill site before and after the WRG work party over the winter. They’ve done a terrific job of tree felling and scrub clearance, really opening up and making visible the line of the canal as far as the Hay Inclined Plane, as members saw when they eventually did get outside for Ian’s guided walk on the canal. Apparently there are only 750 metres (820 yards in old money) of the canal on site and only the first section of that, nearest the Town, is in water. The work party concentrated its efforts on the dry bits, perhaps because, as Ian succinctly informed his audience, “WRGies don’t like water – full of Weil’s Disease and all sorts of nasty things!” So now you know why WRGies always seem to be seen on dry lengths of canal!
The unrestored canal line at Blists Hill [Michael Haig]
I’m told that Ian was great fun and a fine ambassador for WRG, IWA and Blists Hill. Finally, on behalf of the branch I have to say thanks to John Freeman one last time. In addition to everything else, his eponymous plant hire company sponsored entry into Blists Hill for all our visitors and secured the venue at The New Inn for our exclusive use for the day. The only way we could reward him adequately was to give him an IWA membership application form, so we hope to see him at other events that your committee and its helpers will be arranging in the future! Could you give something back to the canals and help out in arranging social events for the branch and its members? It’s good fun, you meet some very interesting people and it’s very rewarding, even if not financially. Please contact any member of the committee. Val Haig
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Restore the Montgomery Canal! Restoration involves money and engineering – and as we now try to trim costs, we have to add, 'plus volunteers'. Money: the magic money-tree still remains elusive, but we have a number of initiatives under way and the most important of these is the fund-raising appeal which John Dodwell writes about elsewhere. Engineering: we have qualified and experienced volunteers working on the engineering in the dry section and on the road crossings: highway authorities have been very constructive in discussions about these. Volunteers: the committed Shropshire Union Canal Society volunteers come from near and far for their monthly work parties. Waterway Recovery Group too have been helping, and we shall seek more help from them as projects develop; you will read elsewhere in SFP of their work on the old railway embankment.
The Welshpool Canal Adoption Group is looking to boost its volunteer numbers. Here volunteer David Seymour steers restored workboat Mantis. [Vic Smith]
As well as these work parties, we must not forget other volunteers on the canal: the lock-keepers at Frankton, the Llimeys at Llanymynech Heritage Area, the team at Llanymynech Wharf, Heulwen Trust's volunteer crew, Shropshire Paddlesport at Queen's Head, the Thursday (Welshpool – TRAMPS) and Friday (Montgomery Canal and Llangollen Canal Volunteer) adoption groups, the Newtown group at Freestone Lock …
So what's happening with that money, engineering and volunteering? In the first place of course, we are still excited by the Heritage Lottery Fund grant, which makes possible a five-year £4.2million programme of activity on the canal. The branch has made a match-funding contribution to this programme from funds garnered over the last few years for just such a purpose. Under the programme: • David Hennessey and Sylvia Edwards will continue to deal with the project, as Project Manager and Community Development Officer respectively. A Volunteer Leader and an ecologist – also funded through the programme –
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should be in post shortly. • SUCS have started preparations to profile and line the first section on the way to Crickheath. First, they had to install newt fencing, now three months of newt-hunting are under way with the construction of new newt-homes (shallow ponds) on the bank. • Towpath works will start soon between Burgedin and Arddleen, to be undertaken by Community Payback not-quite-volunteers. (We believe that for the future there should be other ways of getting unpaid help too, through Skills Training for example; would businesses help, as they have elsewhere?) • Summer will see a start on the third Aston Reserve, assisted by matchfunding gained by Shropshire Wildlife Trust as the biggest element in a larger bid to the European Regional Development Fund. • Later stages of the project will include some dredging on the southern section of the canal and repairs to bridges and other structures in Wales. • All through the programme there will be a range of community engagement events managed by CRT working alongside IWA and other Montgomery organisations. But the lottery project is not all! • The decision on the bid to IWA for a grant towards restoring Schoolhouse Bridge, an early objective of the new Appeal – see John Dodwell's report elsewhere in SFP – is due to be announced at the Restoration Conference on 1st April. Tony Harrison, whose legacy fund IWA is administering, played a valuable rôle in the discussions leading to the Conservation Management Strategy, the 2005 blueprint for restoration. • A planning application has been submitted for removal of the railway embankment at Pant – there had been something of a question whether this was necessary. It is hoped that WRG will return in the summer to carry out the work. • An end-of-year grant from the Welsh Government is funding towpath improvements between Maerdy and Four Crosses, under way when you read this report. • The initiative by Welshpool Town Council, reported previously, continues actively with discussions with the Welsh Government. An analysis has been prepared of sections of the canal south of Llanymynech to identify the different works needed. • Newtown Town Council recently initiated a project for the last two derelict
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locks at Freestone and Dolfor, with an annual commitment of funds. We are delighted with the support shown by Newtown and Welshpool Councils. • A recent initiative by the Council for the Protection of Rural Wales could see local organisations bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a Landscape Partnership, including the canal south of Berriew. This should embrace a range of rural issues and could include the story of wool, from the sheep's back to the finished textiles carried away by boat. With the momentum of the lottery project and everything else that is going on, we are working with colleagues from the Friends of the Montgomery Canal and SUCS with the new appeal Restore the Montgomery Canal!, stepping up from what we have been doing in the past with financial support for the restoration. This is a major drive, as John Dodwell explains, and we hope that IWA members will help us to carry on beyond Crickheath. Is there an event you could suggest we should attend? Or one you could help at? Is there something you could do at home to help? Please keep an eye on www.RestoreTheMontgomeryCanal.uk (not co.uk) for news of the appeal. Last year's Strategy produced by the Montgomery Canal Partnership said that subject to funding, a phased restoration to Crickheath, then to Llanymynech, and finally through to Welshpool would be achievable in ten years. With all this activity for money, engineering and volunteering, we have every intention of achieving that. (You can find the Strategy at https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/refresh/media/ thumbnail/28659-the-montgomery-canal-restoration-strategy.pdf) It may take longer than previous forecasts but don't let anyone tell you that the Montgomery Canal restoration isn't going anywhere! Michael Limbrey
HS2 and the Middlewich Branch The Inland Waterways Association has responded to HS2’s consultation on design refinements to the Secretary of State for Transport’s preferred route for the HS2 Phase 2b. One of the locations that is causing particularly serious concern is on the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union, an area that includes some popular moorings. Here there is a proposed change to the previous (2013) route, in particular a proposal to relocate a rolling stock depot (RSD) from Golborne, Shroppie Fly Paper
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between St Helens and Leigh, to a green-field site between the canal and the A530 Nantwich-Middlewich road, the route of which will apparently require realignment. IWA has objected to this proposal. The proposed HS2 twin track crosses the Middlewich Branch between Bridges 25 and 26, between Yew Tree Farm to the north of the canal and Park Farm to the south. The two connections from the RSD also cross to the west of the HS2 main line but between these farms, apparently creating 3 separate crossings each over 14m wide and 7m above the water. The crossing is shown on plans as embankment, which is clearly not correct. IWA has commented that the crossing runs over the Middlewich Branch at the site of current boat moorings off land owned by Park Farm. There are also visitor moorings immediately south of Norman’s Bridge 26 (Coalpit Lane).
Middlewich Branch in early June [Mark Welton]
No detail is provided of the RSD other than the rail layout. However it lies within an average of 600m of the Middlewich Branch for a stretch of 1 km, its 24 hour operation will impact on mooring in this area and mitigation will be needed. There are more visitor moorings between Wimboldsley Bridge 21 and Lea Hall Bridge 22 overlooking the River Weaver and Top Flash, which are well used despite the close passing of the existing railway. To preserve the moorings, additional noise and visual mitigation will be required along the West Coast Main Line to prevent nuisance from the RSD. IWA’s full response to the consultations, which closed on 9th March 2017, is at: www.waterways.org.uk/news_campaigns/campaigns/consultation_responses/ consultation_responses IWA has worked with Canal & River Trust in developing and aligning its response to these proposals. It will continue to develop solutions to existing and new problems with them and with HS2 Ltd as the scheme moves ahead. Michael Haig
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IWA Shrewsbury District & North Wales Branch - Diary 2017 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
April 10
Branch business meeting at The Leopard, 33 London Road, Nantwich CW5 6LJ.
April 26
Launch of Restore the Montgomery Canal! Appeal. Open session 4.00pm-7.00pm at Navigation Inn, Maesbury SY10 8JB. Come and learn more about the appeal and the restoration.
May 6
Montgomery Canal Triathlon. The Triathlon is only a success because so many supporters come to help entrants across roads and past locks. We would be very pleased if members could help: montcanaltriath@aol.com See page 26.
May 20
SUCS concert in aid of restoration - Halfway House Male Voice Choir, Llanymynech Village Hall at 7.30pm. £8 entry.
June 4
Shrewsbury River Festival.
June 12
Branch business meeting at Narrowboat Inn, Whittington SY11 4NU.
June 16-18
Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival. www.midfest.org.uk
June 26
Montgomery Canal Forum, 2.30pm at Oswestry Golf Club, Aston Park, Oswestry, SY11 4JJ (on the A5, a quarter of a mile from Queen's Head). All welcome to this public meeting: come and learn more about the restoration and the appeal.
July 9
Summer walk at Llanymynech led by Welshpool Ramblers. 10.00am start. See page 19.
July 22
Welshpool Canal & Food Festival. The Branch will be raising funds for the Montgomery Canal Appeal. Please could you come and help us?
July 23
Church Minshull Aqueduct Marina Open Day.
July 29-30
Gathering of historic narrowboats at Audlem. Free to visit - look out for signs to field parking close to the event.
July 30
Audlem Festival of Transport. Historic vehicles join the historic boats!
August 5-6
Branch lock wind at Hurleston Bottom Lock. See page 22.
September 2-3
Whitchurch Boat Rally. See opposite page.
September 7-10 Heritage Open Days; last year’s opening of Rednal Warehouse, near Queen’s Head, was a great success. We would like to open for two of the four Heritage Open Days this year, but we can only do that if a few members can help. Please contact Michael Limbrey (details page 4). September 10
Audlem RNLI Festival at Overwater Marina.
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Whitchurch News We have been very fortunate in obtaining European funding of £60,000 for making a picnic area next to the proposed new mooring basin, improved footpath works and two new interpretation boards: one canal-themed and the other Whitchurchthemed. Unfortunately at a very late stage Shropshire Council and the Environment Agency required soil samples to be taken, which has held up the work. The soil samples have just been drilled and we are hoping that work will be starting in the near future. The cost of these extra samples are not covered by the grant. World Wide Whitchurch is being held in Shropshire this year on 3rd, 4th & 5th of June. As part of the event a trip boat will be running from Whitchurch to Grindley Brook and back. The Whitchurch Waterway Trust is holding a Grand Bric-a-Brac Sale at Chemistry Farm on the Saturday and Sunday and their cafe will be open for refreshment. Any contributions of bric-a-brac for the sale would be very welcome.
Vet Steve Leonard with dog show entrants at the 2016 rally [Lindsay Green]
The trust is holding its annual boat rally on the 2-3 September on the Whitchurch Arm. The cost of boat entry is £12.50 which includes a brass plaque. The boater's social evening held at Chemistry Farm consists of a two course meal costing £7.00 a head, great company, and a fun quiz. The theme for the decorated boat competition this year is 'The Owl and the Pussycat'. The dog show will be held on Sunday 3 September and we are again including the agility class which was such a great success last year. Rally booking forms can be downloaded from the Trust's website www.whitchurchwaterway.uk or e-mail rally@whitchurchwaterway.uk or phone 01948 662779 for more details. The Trust is hosting a coffee morning at Whitchurch Civic Centre on Friday 13 October. Entry is £1.00. There will be a raffle along with cake and book stalls, and maybe some bric-a-brac if there is any left. Please come and pay us a visit at any of these events.
Lindsay Green - WWT Spring 2017
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Tripping in boats No, not some sort of hallucinogenic throwback to the 1960s but a reminder that with Spring being pretty well sprung, trip boats across our area are gearing up for the new season. The new season begins for the Audlem Lass Boat Service on Friday 14 April at 10.30am from Overwater Marina, along the Shropshire Union Canal to Lock 15 at Audlem. It will be running every day over the Easter weekend with the last sailing on Easter Monday at 4.15pm from the Lock 15 pick up point back to Overwater Marina. The service will then operate every Saturday, Sunday and Bank holiday until late October 2017. This will be the seventh year of operation and the boat has now carried more than 25,000 passengers and 2,000 dogs.
Audlem Lass - also available for charter [Overwater Marina]
The Audlem Lass Boat Service is always looking for more volunteers, young and old, to join the friendly team, both for crewing the boat and for working behind the scenes to keep the service running.
George Watson Buck, the trip boat named after the early 19th Century Montgomeryshire Canal engineer, that works out of Llanymynech Wharf, will be operating on Easter Sunday and Monday from 1.30 to 4.30pm and on Sunday afternoons throughout the summer. The Heulwen Trust boats will also be resuming their public trips at Easter. They are always pleased to receive booked parties, so long as that does not clash with a trip for a disabled group – which after all is what they are there for. April will also see the start of horse-drawn trips at Maesbury with Countess and boat horse Cracker (from 1 April). Meanwhile, for a very different experience, Shrewsbury’s trip boat Sabrina has already started her 2017 season, offering a popular 45-minute cruise departing from Victoria Quay near the Welsh Bridge, gently sailing to the English Bridge and returning back. The service operates seven days a week until 31st October. Compiled by Michael Haig Shroppie Fly Paper
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Summer Walk around Llanymynech Sunday, July 9, 2017 10.00am start Following our appeals for help in previous issues, the Ramblers Welshpool Group, led by Vic and Sandra Smith, have kindly offered to lead a summer walk to include IWA members and friends. We hope the weather will be kind and that lots of readers will enjoy this walk through beautiful Borders countryside. Here are all the details you need, courtesy of Vic Smith. From/meet at: Llanymynech Wharf Visitor Centre, (the canal side – not the main Heritage Centre near the Hoffmann Kiln). OS ref: SJ 266.211 Parking: The Heritage Centre car park, opposite the CRT depot, or public car park behind The Dolphin public house. (First right turn off the B4398 on the opposite side of the A483 to the Wharf.) Please note that the spaces nearer the road are for pub patrons and are clearly marked as such. Total distance of walk: approximately 7 miles. Though not necessarily the intention, the route can be taken as two quite separate sections of approximately equal length. The ‘mid-point’ will be back at the Heritage Centre where the lunch stop will be made using the picnic facilities there. Participants not wishing to undertake the full walk may leave at this stage. Aims: to provide what will hopefully be interesting and relevant information relating to the places visited on the walk. First section: A more demanding route than the second section. Includes a steep ascent using one of the mineral rail inclines; otherwise variable tracks and paths, returning ‘on the level’ on towpath. Points of interest: Canal wharves, lime kilns and associated structures including tramways, close viewing of quarry faces concluding with a visit to the Hoffmann Kiln. The spectacular (weather permitting!) Border View is likely to serve as a coffee stop following the previously mentioned ascent. Walking boots are strongly recommended. Second Section: After the lunch stop, a gentler route will include a towpath walk towards Carreghofa Locks, a diversion to view the Tanat Canal Feeder and weir (this area is also rich in flora ), returning to the Canal to view the Vyrnwy Aqueduct, after which, field footpaths will be followed back to Llanymynech. Dogs: It is the policy of the Ramblers Welshpool Group not to allow dogs on any walks. It is requested that this be respected. Contact: (Ramblers) the leaders, Vic or Sandra Smith on 07790 423302 or (IWA) Michael Limbrey on 01691 654081.
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The Severn trows and ‘Spry’ Since the 1400s, vessels known as trows have been used to transport goods up and down the River Severn. Trows were built for maximum cargo capacity, and their name comes from the word "trough" which describes the large open hold. Early trows were designed to suit the sheltered waters of the higher reaches of the Severn and only travelled as far south as Gloucester. However, with the coming of the railways in the 1850s, trade below Gloucester became more profitable for barge owners, so trows were adapted for this lower Severn navigation. These trows were bigger and had different sails, such as the fore and aft rig, which performed better under the challenging wind and tidal conditions of the estuary. Some craft were even built with seagoing journeys in mind. Trows travelled downstream with the current using sails when possible, but going upstream they relied largely on human bow hauliers. These hardy men worked in gangs of six or eight and dragged trows against the current using a rope attached to the mast, which could be lowered to allow the boat to travel under bridges. Before the arrival of mainline railways in the mid 1800s goods were transported mainly by water. Industries which depended on river transport included coal and ironstone mining at Blists Hill, brick and tile production at Jackfield, porcelain manufacture at Coalport and iron making at Coalbrookdale. Trade on the river from these industries created many jobs and in A trow, possibly Spry, being built at Chepstow in 1894 the 1750s there were about 400 [John Freeman collection] river workers in the Severn Gorge. When, in May 1756, an exact list was made of all barges and trows from Welshpool to Gloucester, it totalled 376 vessels of which 139 were registered in the Ironbridge Gorge! Jackfield at this time was the largest inland port in the country and as late as 1836, the writer Charles Hulbert stood on Coalport Bridge and counted 72 boats loading and unloading. Coal, though, was the major cargo on the Severn. For some 300 years the river carried Shropshire coal downstream to Gloucestershire and upstream to mid Wales. The river was also the principal means of communication between many ironworks. The growth of iron production in Shropshire in the 1750s boosted river Shroppie Fly Paper
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trade in new cargoes such as limestone and tar. By 1756 there were more vessels around what is now Ironbridge than any other port along the Severn. By 1758 100,000 tons of coal a year was shipped from Madeley and Broseley to local towns and the surrounding area. As river navigation died out due to competition from canals and railways, trows were often converted into 'dumb barges' without a sail or motor, hauled along by tugs. The last trow known to have travelled down river from the Ironbridge Gorge was in 1895 with a load of bricks; unfortunately it hit Bridgnorth bridge and sank, bringing this form of river trade finally to an end. Spry herself was one of the last trows to be built and is believed to be the only surviving example of a Severn trow, though she was actually constructed in 1894 at Chepstow on the Wye, for the stone merchant William Davies. With a gross tonnage of 41.4 tons, she mainly carried stone and coal along the estuary. In 1913 it is thought Spry was converted to a ketch (a two-masted rig) and used to carry sand for a Spry returns to Blists Hill in 1998 [John Freeman] glass bottle factory in Bristol. In the 1930s she became a 'dumb barge', and in the 1950s she was towed into Diglis Basin at Worcester, where she was used as a workshop. Re-discovered in the mud in the 1970s, enthusiasts campaigned to return Spry to her former glory. Several trusts formed to raise money for Spry's conservation and in 1983 she was moved by road to Blists Hill where she was completely rebuilt. Alan Williams, a Master Shipwright, was appointed to undertake the work. Due to Spry's poor condition, by the time work was completed in 1989 many of her original timbers had had to be replaced. In 1996 Spry was re-launched from Avonmouth Dock, Bristol. After display at the National Waterways Museum, in 1998 she returned to Blists Hill. Now, resplendent in a purpose- built building opened in June 2015, she stands as a testament to the importance of river-borne trade on the Severn for hundreds of years. John Freeman
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Daniel Adamson auction – postal bids please A member of Shropshire Union Canal Society has very generously donated a limited edition framed print (70/150) of the painting ‘The Director’s Dock Inspection’ by Edgar Hodges. The print is offered for sale by sealed postal bid and proceeds are for the restoration of School House Bridge on the Montgomery Canal. A photograph is shown below. The painting depicts a typical scene in No 9 dock in Salford Docks, an important part of the Port of Manchester. It shows ‘The Danny’, originally built in 1903 as a steampowered tug-tender for the Shropshire Union Railways & Canal Company. Following withdrawal from service in 1984 it fell into disrepair whilst in the Boat Museum as no money was available for restoration. A Heritage Lottery Grant following a campaign by preservationists has returned it to working order. More information on the history of the vessel and the restoration work that has been carried out can be found online on thedanny.co.uk Bids for the print should be sent to Gill Robertson, Tan-Y-Graig, Sunbank, Llangollen, LL20 8EG. Please mark the back of your envelope ‘The Danny’. Bids should be received by 31st May 2017 and will remain sealed until Sunday 4th June when they will be opened by the Society Chairman, Rich Hamp. We will notify the successful bidder and make arrangements regarding receiving payment and delivering the print (UK only). Gill Robertson
Lock wind - Appeal for produce Our annual lock wind will take place this year on 5-6 August, once more at Hurleston Bottom Lock. We would be very grateful for any donations of items that we can sell to raise money for our local waterways. There is strong demand throughout the weekend from passing boaters, walkers and cyclists for home-made jams and chutneys, cakes, biscuits and fresh garden produce. As always, the more we have to sell the more money we can raise, so please start thinking about this in good time and contact any member of the committee if you can help. Thank you very much.
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Mike Carter, North West Region Chairman Mark Carter died in February at the age of 64, and it is a measure of the regard in which he was held that it was standing room only at his funeral and the reception afterwards had to be moved to a larger venue than originally planned. I first met him when he became active with Chester & Merseyside branch when I was Region Chairman and he was planning a cruise to Liverpool. That was typical of Mike; not for him the easy way round to Liverpool via the Bridgewater and the Link, he’d rather go direct and hard down to Ellesmere Port and across the Mersey. He was about to take early retirement from Barclays Bank where he worked in IT at Knutsford and he was also involved in athletic training for young people. He had climbed Kilimanjaro and run marathons as well as acted as soundman and roadie for a local group in his younger days.
Mike Carter [IWA Archive]
When persuaded to get involved in our Region, he became our representative on Navigation Committee before he took over from me as Chairman. By that time he had already established the extremely valuable regular meetings on navigation matters between the four IWA branches and the three CRT area managers which continue today.
Mike was also involved in the Small Task Team Volunteers and set up Chester branch’s work parties, where he worked on rescuing the Dee branch and installing mooring rings at Anderton. The last time I worked with Mike was during the 2016 National Campaign Rally at Eldonian Village. Mike was already ill, but it was typical of him that he timed his chemotherapy so that he would have a ‘good’ week during the event. He was indefatigable during the rally, and whether he was shifting the moored boats round, or clearing weed off the trip boat’s prop he seemed to be everywhere, totally ignoring pleas to take it easy. The great success of that event owed a lot to him. With Mike’s death, I have lost a good friend and the waterways have lost a great champion, but that is nothing to the loss suffered by his wife Chris and their daughters and to them we offer our real sympathy. Alan Platt
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The gig economy A phrase I hadn’t heard until the last year is ‘the gig economy’. This sounds so dynamic and exciting, much more fun than “I’ve no holiday pay, no pension provision, and if I’m ill no earnings”. The ‘Uber’ issue is a current controversy: are the drivers employees or self-employed? But this is not new. During the second half of the 19th century the Shropshire Union had several hundred boats in its Carrying Department. The company owned the boat and paid the steerer for each trip according to the weight carried and distance travelled. In turn, the steerer found the crew – often his wife and children – and provided the horse, meeting all the expenses such as fodder, stabling and shoeing. The company regarded steerers as self-employed and accepted no responsibility for them. Unlike staff employed on the bank such as lock-keepers, there was no pension after (very) long service, no sick pay and no possibility of compensation in the event of an accident. About the only recognition of hardship was the granting of loans when boats were frozen in – but the loans had to be repaid. Although the boatmen could not be closely supervised, there was little freedom. The loads were found by the company, which dictated when and where they were to be picked up and delivered. Time was critical, especially where the goods were to be exported from Ellesmere Port or Liverpool on a particular ship. General employment legislation had a greater influence than any humanitarian concerns. The Truck Act 1896 clarified what deductions could be made from pay. In particular, no deduction could be made for bad work or injury to the employer’s property unless (amongst other provisions) the deduction did not exceed the amount of the loss. The SU altered its practices so that in cases where a penalty was deemed necessary, the employee was suspended from work. When later legislation was passed – the Workmen’s Compensation Acts in 1897 and 1906 and the National Insurance Act in 1911 – the company’s solicitor advised that steerers were employees of the company but hands were employees of the steerers themselves. In 1887 all employees were given a day off on the occasion of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, but steerers were not included. The same happened for the Diamond Jubilee (1897) and Edward VII’s coronation (1902). But when George V was crowned in 1911, steerers were given the day off and three shillings in compensation for the loss of earnings. They were being properly recognised as employees, at last. Peter Brown Shroppie Fly Paper
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Crossword Compiled by John Butler
Clues Across 1 6 7 9 12 13 14 15 18 19 20. 21 23 24 27 28 29 30 32 33 34.
Precursor to the railways? Drama set in Japan, initially north of Hiroshima.. This is said not to matter unless you’re a cheese. Or maybe a wine. Provider of hot water at the races? Presumably this is something not likely to be found on a sunken ship. Fruit coming after May blossom. An alternative to the Kalashnikov from Heckler & Koch. (1.1.1.) Where a boater gets right to the bottom of things? The airport code for Paris Orly. Messrs Sayer and Tolstoy, several popes and a lion. Cast off? An indicator of obesity? (1.1.1) A type of scout or urchin. A sport invented in Switzerland. This is plural. Useful for interfering, and also as a means of propulsion. Clay, after conversion. Go in for a variety of treen? One of a pair – a possible alternative for 24 across? North instead of south in a mixed up 32 for members of the family? What Cosgrove and Chirk have in common
Spring 2017
Clues Down 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 10 11 16 17 22 23 25 26 30 31
North Yorkshire town has STD code 01947 and shares parliamentary constituency with Scarborough. A kind of party, most famously in Boston. Surrendered again, summarized? Social insect and TV presenter. Christian name of Barlow the coal carrier. Are these unsuitable for the Broads? A voyage of discovery, or what the Palestine Liberation Organisation used to eat? Initially a second-hand engine, now a female. Ernest at Blackberry Farm, or Hedwig in Harry Potter. Potentially explosive, but disappointing when damp. French racing driver whose only F1 win was in Montreal in 1995. Spain and Portugal. Mortal enemies of the Jets. Male offspring. Before the palindrome. A flightless bird – responsible for the Euro? A mythical bird – from the Republic of China?
And an extra question – which two consecutive answers sound like Prince Charles?
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Montgomery Canal Triathlon Saturday 6th May 2017 Entries for this year’s Triathlon (the sixth) are coming in at a steady rate and at the time of writing well over half the target numbers have entered. Organised by the Friends of the Montgomery Canal, this year’s Triathlon is under new management and funds raised will go towards the restoration of the Montgomery Canal. The formula remains the same and entrants will set off at Newtown from 8.30am to cycle 17 miles along the cycleway-standard towpath to Crowther Hall Lock in Pool Quay. After a brief ‘comfort’ stop they will set off for the 11 mile walk or run along the towpath to Morton Farm. There is then a seven-mile paddle by canoe or kayak to the finish at the Weston Arm, Lower Frankton. Entrants can choose to complete all or any of these sections. Last year most chose to try the whole course and the majority of this year’s entrants are attempting the same. A number of canoes and kayaks are available for hire by entrants but demand for these is very high. So, if you would like to enter and would like to hire a canoe, don’t delay (and the closing date for entries is 22nd April). Entry forms can be found on the Friends of the Montgomery Canal website: www.montgomerycanal.me.uk/fmcevents2017.html Alternatively email Montcanaltriath@aol.com for information. The Triathlon is not a race and is a great day out for families as well as experienced triathletes. And as ever, the Triathlon could not be the success it has become without the help of many volunteers. If you can help in any way, please contact Chris Palin on 01938 590039 or email christinepalin@btinternet.com. Maggie Ellis
Crossword solution (from previous page) Did you like this feature? If so, please let the editor know and we will try to run another one.
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Waterway Recovery Group North West at Pant Seventeen volunteers, plus a small 360o machine, three chainsaws and a strimmer, descended on Pant on 4 February to prepare the railway embankment site for its complete removal. It’s not true to say that trees and brambles disappeared “just like that” but they, and a large tree on the other side of the embankment remaining after WRG’s last visit, had all gone after two days of steady work. By early Saturday afternoon clearance had advanced to the point where the machine could get to the embankment and cut a track to the top.
"Triumphant, like Hilary on Everest" [John Hawkins]
Alan Jervis and Michael Limbrey, Chairman of the Restoration Trust, joined us for our evening meal after which eight of us went down to Llanymynech for a meeting with the SUCS group who were staying there while working near Redwith Bridge.The meeting was very cordial and should certainly strengthen the working relationship between the two groups. Let’s raise a glass (of the excellent Black Sheep at the Bradford Arms) to that. Thanks to Michael Limbrey for suggesting this meeting. The remaining trees were soon felled on Sunday morning before the foresters moved on to the large, leaning tree on the north side of the embankment. The machine, WRG in action at Pant [John Hawkins] meanwhile, uncovered some of the buried parts of the abutments, all of which proved to be where they should have been, largely allaying fears that the western one (transport yard side) might be unstable and have moved. Overall our most successful dig for a long time. Now for the embankment itself. This is an edited version of a report that appeared in WRG (North West News)
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To the point… Volunteering news We’re taking a break from our usual round-up of volunteer group news for this issue, but not because they haven’t been busy over the winter. Gnosall Towpath Restoration, Small Tasks Team Volunteers and SUMBA, as well as the Montgomery Canal groups mentioned on page 12, have all been active and you will see the results of their labours as you boat, walk or cycle our canals. We also wanted to mention that STTV’s Paul Mills is one of four nominees for Towpath Talk newspaper’s Volunteer of the Year Award, which last year was won by Audlem Towpath Taskforce’s Dek Owen. Voting is due to close while this newsletter is at the printers, so we wish Paul well and hope he can make it 2-0 for Shroppie volunteering. Green Flag for Shropshire Union? Should you be heading north on the Shroppie to this year’s Middlewich FAB festival in June – headline act on the Friday night: Lightning Seeds, we understand – we hope you will be pleased with the improved condition of the canalscape. That’s because the whole length from Audlem to Middlewich, an impressive distance of 17 miles, has now been entered by CRT for the Green Flag Award mentioned in the editorial column of the Autumn/Winter 2016 issue. We are told that a judgement by Keep Britain Tidy is expected in May or June, so fingers crossed! Well done to all the volunteer teams that have worked hard to support this application. SUMBA's Sykes Hollow project approved It's good to hear that SUMBA's application to Cheshire East Council for funding for their Skyes Hollow Project was successful and work will begin in June. As part of their final exams, the 3rd year construction students from Reaseheath College in Nantwich will be repairing the claypit manager's hut, an interpretation board will be installed and a disabled friendly jetty and pathways constructed. Men in Sheds in Crewe will be making a disabled friendly picnic table - from recycled oak. The Canal Warehouse, Ellesmere Members who have visited Ellesmere in recent times will have been saddened by the increasingly derelict state of the Shropshire Union Railways & Canal Company warehouse at the Town Wharf end of the short arm from the Llangollen Canal. Your branch shares those concerns for the Grade II listed building, and is in contact with a number of the stakeholder organisations of the site to encourage remedial action, hopefully leading to a longer-term solution.
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All we need is the money! Restoring the Montgomery Canal may seem a long drawn out matter – but things are on the move. After a long gestation period, the Heritage Lottery Fund made a £2.5m grant towards a £4m programme of works which will get the canal back to Crickheath Basin, thus enabling boats to use the two-mile section between Gronwen and Crickheath. Much of the cost relates to building extra nature reserves. Showing willingness to help, the Shropshire Wildlife Trust have helped raise £150,000 as part of a wider Shropshire wildlife fund raising. What next? No one wants to wait years for any further HLF funding. So a Funding Raising Group (FRG) has started raising money from the public; it comprises members from IWA, Shropshire Union Canal Society and Friends of the Montgomery Canal, all working together. Why this surge of activity? Put simply, the Montgomery is one of the easier restoration projects around. It is in single ownership SUCS work party at Redwith [John Dodwell] (apart from the Newtown end). It has an assured water supply. All the locks have already been restored – by volunteers – apart from at Newtown end. There are no dodgy tunnels or long high embankments. Yes, there are lowered bridges but engineers have long ago provided technical solutions. And the planners support restoration. What’s not to like? What we need is money – “Just add money”, you might say. And that’s where you come in. In addition to planning appeals to private donors of substance, the FRG is aiming this summer to raise money at canal events, marina Open Days, at places like Grindley Brook and Hurleston Locks. We need help in manning these events – we need your time... please! And, of course, we also need your money! I know that’s blunt but there’s no two ways about it. After all, if we can’t persuade IWA members to donate, what chance do we have with other people? The FRG is launching its Appeal in public on April 26 – and already has £37k in the bag. Part of this is from a fantastic anonymous donor who’s offered £12,000 Shroppie Fly Paper
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a year unconditionally for 5 years – and has also offered another £12,000 a year for five years if the FRG raises a matching £12,000 a year (from "non-government” sources). Not surprisingly, the FRG is calling this donor “Angel”! The FRG is asking the public to help to collect two miles of coins – two miles as that’s the length of the dry section from Crickheath to Llanymynech, the final dry section. If they are all £2 coins, that will raise about £250,000. While not enough, it’ll be a decent chunk – and will help to encourage others. The immediate target is to raise £200,000 to rebuild Schoolhouse Bridge – the last of the lowered Shropshire ones. An IWA member who is a retired bridges engineer has produced some designs and is discussing them with CRT engineers before they are submitted to Shropshire Council. There will be a substantial volunteer input in the works. An application for £60,000 has been made to the IWA’s Tony Harrison £200,000 Legacy Fund. All other things being equal, the plan is to carry out the works in summer 2018.
Schoolhouse Bridge from the south [John Dodwell]
Consider this question. How does £100 become worth £250 – 150% more? Answer: a £100 donation (more or less, as you fancy) can with Gift Aid tax relief be worth £125. And with the matched funding from Angel, that’s worth £250 (up to the £12,000 limit a year). Maybe you’ll want to match Angel’s five years and give £100 a year for five years? Or how about copying Tony Harrison and leaving money in your will to the waterways – but in this case, make clear it’s for the Montgomery? Offers of help at events should go to Michael Limbrey at michael.limbrey@waterways.org.uk or tel 01691 654081, and donations should go to “Restore the Montgomery Canal”, bank account number 32001128 at HSBC Oswestry (sort code 40-35-32) or you can send cheques by post to “Restore the Montgomery Canal!”, Crowther Hall, Pool Quay, Welshpool, Powys SY21 9JU. John Dodwell – Chair – Montgomery Canal Partnership
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