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Issue 35 Spring 2021 www.waterways.org.uk/lichfield
Lichfield Lines
Coventry Canal near Atherstone (see Walk page 3)
The newsletter of IWA Lichfield Branch
The Inland Waterways Association is a membership charity that works to protect and restore the country's 6,500 miles of canals and navigable rivers. The IWA may not agree with opinions expressed in this magazine but encourages publication as a matter of interest. Nothing printed may be construed as policy, or as an official pronouncement, unless specifically identified as such. 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 783453 Web: www.waterways.org.uk
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Branch Chairman’s Report - October 2020
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Chairman’s Report I hope the spring weather and easing covid restrictions have encouraged everybody to get out and about in our countryside and canals. Unfortunately the restrictions have not let us have any public meetings but the two Zoom meetings we have had have attracted a good audience. By the time you read this we will have had a third and there are several events planned for the summer when hopefully the restrictions are lifted (see Page 3). We are hoping to get back to our public meetings in Lichfield in September. It will be much better to see everybody in person rather than over Zoom although the online meetings allow many more people to see our talks from wherever they happen to be. The new website is growing all the time and there are now some self guided walks on there, two on the Ashby Canal and one taking in the Staffs & Worcs Canal and Shugborough. When you try these please let me know how you get on as this is a bit of an experiment. As of the 12th April the canal system has opened up and we are allowed to go boating. We are not due on our shared narrowboat until October so we have booked a hire boat on the Chesterfield Canal in June to fill in the gap. From what I read it could be a very busy summer on the canals so we picked the Chesterfield hoping it will be a bit Shugborough Hall—one of the self-guided walks quieter than the honeypot areas now on the website of the Midlands. Last year the Branch could not run the planned trip on “The Danny” on the River Weaver. They are planning to start operations again sometime in the summer although we don’t know when and no bookings are being taken as yet. It seems sensible to leave the second attempt at this trip until 2022. Watch this space! Our Branch AGM in March went smoothly. I was a bit nervous about it as I have never fronted one before but I received no complaints. Our two co-opted committee members, Sue Gurney and Adrian Wedgwood, were voted on to the committee and the three current committee members coming up for re-election, myself, Derek Beardsmore and Neil Barnett were re-elected. This leaves our Branch committee with six members, plus Helen Whitehouse, our Region Chairman, which is a couple short of our ideal number. If anybody would like to help out you would be most welcome. Recently all our committee meetings have been held over Zoom, although once the
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restrictions have been lifted we may revert to our more normal physical meetings. Pete Gurney 15th April 2021 Forthcoming Events Covid-19 Note: The current regulations do not allow us to have any public meetings but we hope to get back to these in September. Thursday 27th May 2020-Circular Walk around Brewood—10:15am start This circular 5 mile walk will start and end from Brewood village and take in farmland, footpaths, quiet country lanes and the Shropshire Union canal towpath. There are no stiles. Regulations permitting we may be able to finish the walk with a pub lunch. If you would like to come please register with Clive Walker at email clive.walker@waterways.org.uk (or on 07866 201873) giving contact details. Wednesday 16th June—Evening Walk from Atherstone—5:00pm start
This is our postponed traditional New Year’s Day walk. It is an easy 4-mile walk with no stiles along a disused railway line, quiet roads, country lanes and the canal towpath. Leaving The King’s Head pub car park, we first turn right and soon pass the entrance to the Merevale Estate. We then ascend the gentle incline of the “Paddy Line”, a disused colliery railway, from where we can see the Gothic turrets of Merevale Hall. We eventually join Waste Lane where there are fine views northwards towards Leicestershire. At Grendon we walk parallel to the A5 on a residential road, before crossing Watling Street opposite the entrance to Green Lane. This takes us across the railway and down to the Coventry Canal at Whittington Bridge 46. From there we follow the canal towpath up part of the Atherstone lock flight back to our starting point. If you would like to come please register with Clive Walker at email clive.walker@waterways.org.uk (or on 07866 201873) giving contact details. Sunday 1st August 2021– Lock Wind at Barton Turn Lock—10:00am start This was originally planned for July 2019 but continuous rain on the day made us decide to cancel the event. We are trying again this year and weather and restrictions permitting it should be a good day out. The plan is to help people through the lock and at the same time chatting to them about the IWA and it’s achievements and aims. We also sell cakes at the lockside which has turned out to be a good boost to the Branch funds. If you can make any cakes for the day please contact Helen Whitehouse on 01543 491161 or helen.whitehouse@waterways.org.uk. We also plan to finish the day with a barbecue at the conveniently placed Barton Turns pub. Please register your interest with Helen nearer the time.
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Recent Activities Wednesday 17th February 2021—New Lives from Old Boats Chris Leah of the Wooden Canal Boat Society gave us a fascinating talk on the work done to restore old wooden working boats and the benefits they can bring to the community in learning new skills and making new friends. Unfortunately the talk was marred by a very poor internet connection at Chris’s end which led to the sound quality being very variable. Wednesday 24th February 2021—IWA 75th Anniversary Quiz
The “Prize”
Two Lichfield Branch teams took part in a very enjoyable evening quiz organised by the West Midlands region plus an extra team from Shrewsbury & North Wales Branch. The quiz consisted of a series of pictures shown by Ian Fletcher with participants tasked with identifying the item or place. The other teams proved much more knowledgeable than us and between the two teams we “won” the wooden windlass. The real winner was North Staffs & South Cheshire whose prize was to get to organise next years quiz. Great fun!
Wednesday 17th March 2021—Branch AGM followed by talk The formalities of the AGM were soon over and promptly followed by a very interesting talk by Neil Barnett on his narrowboat trip on the Manchester Ship Canal. This was not only on the trip itself but also on the organisation and contacts necessary to plan the voyage. The talk attracted a wide audience from around the country some of whom had previously been on the ship canal and others who were planning a trip in the future. Look out for future talks by Neil as he continues his ventures this summer.
Barton Swing Bridge—Manchester Ship Canal
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Wednesday 21st April 2021—Burton’s 18th Century Trent Navigation and “Tipsy Romanovs” Our last talk of the season was by Branch member John Parry. John had great fun researching this talk, visiting archives, museums and talking to local historians. He was also out and about looking for the still existing traces of the navigation. The resulting talk was fascinating and attracted a large audience from all over the country. Volunteers at Work Most of us can remember the days before volunteer lock keepers came on the scene, and some can I'm sure even remember when full time lock keepers and lengthsmen were a common sight. Not every boater chooses to use the services of a volunteer, preferring instead to work the locks themselves, But I always like to have them around to help whenever we go through a flight of locks, and even if somebody chooses not to seek their help, at busy times they certainly help to keep the flow of boats moving, particularly if there are single-handers amongst them. Throughout the country there's a growing band of volunteers willing to freely give up some of their spare time to work the locks. We are fortunate in our area to have them helping us through both the Fradley and Atherstone flights for most days during the summer months Last year I got chatting to a few of the Fradley volunteers to ask them about their experiences and to find out a little about why they do it. The first person I caught up with was our very own branch member Alan Barton. Alan has been volunteering for over 8 years and is now lead volunteer in charge of a team of 30 based at Fradley depot. He volunteers for the Trust all year round and when he isn't operating the locks he helps with other duties such as general maintenance, moving workboats, and cutting back the offside vegetation. Volunteers getting ready for boats at Fradley
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Our waterways are obviously in Alan's blood because prior to moving up this way he was involved with the Gloucester Docks Museum. Alan said: “I come across a huge cross section of people and I enjoy educating those who are unfamiliar with our canals, how the locks work, and their history.” Alan continues: “During the school holidays we get families with children and at other times it’s mainly retired couples and ‘single handers’ who are particularly appreciative of the help from the volunteers. I’ve noticed a significant rise in the number of women single handers in recent years too”. I asked Alan if there had been any particularly memorable incidents, and he recalled an amusing incident last year where in a queue at Junction Lock, a boater on the Trent and Mersey Canal said he should have priority over a boat coming from the Coventry Canal because the latter was only a ‘side canal’ and wasn’t the main line”! Of particular concern is the occasional boat where children are running up and down on the roof. Most are sensible enough to stop their kids doing it when the dangers are pointed out to them said Alan, although it's hard to believe that their parents need to be told of the dangers in the first place. On one occasion a parent refused to stop them doing it, saying that they were his children and his responsibility not the lock keeper's. Alan rightly pointed out that he was responsible for the lock so the boat wouldn't be allowed through until the kids were under control. Another volunteer, Brian, finds that the attitude of the vast majority of people is very positive and they appreciate the help he gives. "New and inexperienced boaters are particularly appreciative,” said Brian. He continues: “Flights of locks can be daunting to those who have never encountered them before, so we help them through, which gives them the knowledge and confidence to tackle other locks when on their own later on.” He also pointed out that because the volunteers are operating the same set of locks regularly, they know the foibles of each lock. We local boaters know how forcefully Middle Lock and Shadehouse Lock pull the boat forward when ascending, and I've often seen boaters open the paddles fully and are caught unawares as their bow crashes into the lock gate. I've been surprised to discover how many lock volunteers I meet around the country aren't boaters, many of whom have never even been on a narrowboat. Take Neville for example, he has been a volunteer at Fradley for seven years and finds it quite amusing that being a novice and having never boated himself, he is explaining to others all about the canal, how the locks work and their history. When he retired after working 35 years at Burton Hospital he was looking for an activity to pursue. He lives locally and used to go to Fradley Junction to watch the
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boats with his kids, and latterly his grandchildren. So when he saw an advert asking for volunteers in the local newspaper he thought this would be ideal. He absolutely loves it. “By and large the boaters who come through are very friendly and appreciate a little help,” he says. “I enjoy chatting to the non-boaters too even though some of the questions can be quite bizarre. Many of them are amazed that the canals and locks were constructed over 200 years ago and that something so simple and easy are still working today, by and large the same way as they always have.” Neville once had to ‘referee’ an incident of ‘canal rage’. When, after filling Junction Lock he opened the gate for a waiting boat, a lady on a boat came out of the Coventry Canal and went straight in. “Suddenly a bloke came charging angrily down the towpath saying that she had pinched his lock. The lock landing being just outside the Swan pub, she said she thought he was in the pub,” said Neville. Another volunteer, Steve, lives locally and has been a lock volunteer for six years. “I have never owned or hired a boat, but sometimes I crew for a friend,” he says. “I began six years ago as part of the Towpath Taskforce for one or two days each week and wanted to do more so I decided to also do the lock work.” During his working life Steve worked in IT and retail management so he finds the outdoor life of being a lock volunteer a nice contrast to what he had been used to for all those years. It is clear that they get just as much out of volunteering as the Trust benefits from their time and efforts. Volunteering in whatever form has now become an integral part of the canal operational network and continues to increase year on year. Long may it continue I say. Neil Barnett NEWS FROM THE TRUMAN ENTERPRISE NARROWBOAT TRUST Like many other community boat trusts, the Truman Enterprise Narrowboat Trust did not run any boat trips in 2020 due to Covid. This was the first year in their 52 year history there has been no boating activity after their busiest year ever in 2019. Volunteers have tried to spend the time constructively, painting their 70 foot narrowboat ‘Enterprise’, working hard to improve governance and making plans for a new website. They have also made progress with exciting plans for a new electric boat in the future by undertaking a big consultation exercise. Now they are hopeful of being able to start their day trips again, possibly after 21st June if all goes well. The
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‘Enterprise’ is an accessible narrowboat, now 42 years old and with an interesting history. An enthusiastic team of volunteers operate day trips on the Staffordshire & Worcester canal, starting from their base in Hatherton Marina. Community groups and families with elderly, disabled or unwell members will once again be able to enjoy relaxing days out in the fresh air, in beautiful surroundings and in good company. How can you help? If you would like to join in this venture and make a valuable contribution to the work of the Truman Enterprise Narrowboat Trust, they are looking for two new Trustees. They are looking for people with enthusiasm, drive, ideas and passion for what they do. Team players are needed who will work to make decisions to sustain the trust well into the future. Trustees usually meet 3-4 times a year and take an ongoing interest in the overall work of the trust. You do not need to have boating experience to be a valuable Trustee. Of course, any other skills and experience (e.g. leadership, management, fund-raising, etc) you can bring with you to benefit the Trust will be gratefully received.
To find out more about the role, please email chairman@truman-enterprise.org.uk or telephone 07763 214524 and speak to Chris Rogers. AGM Reports Branch Chairman’s Report The calendar year 2020 was a strange year for all of us. The year started normally for the branch when we had public meetings in January and February and also our traditional New Year’s Day walk and a work party in January. However, in March all our activities came to a stop when a national lockdown was enforced. Unfortunately, we had no further physical public meetings for the rest of the year. Lockdowns came and went throughout the year and when permitted the branch organised another walk plus four shorter strolls. A new idea for an event was planned in August when a branch picnic was organised for the 19th. Although this was permitted under the lockdown regulations the weather intervened and the venue had to be transferred to the café at Wolseley Bridge Garden Centre. This proved to be an enjoyable event with Helen Whitehouse, our West Midlands Region chair, presenting the Victoria Cup
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to branch member Neil Barnett for his sterling efforts organising the Offside Veg Clearance work parties. The Offside Veg program had started as usual in January but had to stop in March. Restarted again in October but had to stop again when another lockdown was announced. The succession of lockdowns also forced us to cancel our proposed Christmas Lunch, the trip on the River Weaver on “The Danny” and also all of the proposed Festivals that the branch would normally participate in. Fortunately, our printer kept working for most of the year so we were still able to produce and distribute our usual four issues of Lichfield Lines, although one edition had to be printed in black and white at Chesham. However, the branch has embraced zoom technology and in October Kate Langley of Canal and River Trust giving a fascinating presentation on West Midlands canal heritage and conservation. These will continue in 2021. There were some major changes in the Committee in October with our long-standing Chairman, Phil Sharpe, stepping down from his roles as Chairman, Acting Secretary and Website Editor although thankfully he is continuing in the role of Planning Officer. Also, Margaret Beardsmore and Lynn Evans both decided to step down from the Committee. Margaret has done a great job for many years organising our Branch Work Parties and although Lynn was a fairly recent addition to the Committee, she had also done a great job in organising our speakers and in partnership with Margaret, setting up and leading the strolls. At this point, having been on the committee for some time as Treasurer and Newsletter Editor, I volunteered to take over as Chairman/Acting Secretary and Website Editor but as the rules do not allow the Chairman and Treasurer to be the same person we needed to find a new Treasurer. Fortunately, my wife Sue has stepped into that role, and as a professional bookkeeper the branch finances will be in capable hands. Towards the end of the year, we had a new volunteer in Adrian Wedgwood who has stepped forward to take on the role of Minutes Secretary. My thanks go to all the Committee members, past, present and future, for all the work they have done in the past year: Phil Sharpe, Margaret and Derek Beardsmore, Neil Barnett, Sue Gurney, Lynn Evans, Adrian Wedgwood and our West Midlands Chair, Helen Whitehouse have kept the branch going and helped me with the transition to Chairman. My thanks must also go to Clive Walker for researching and organising our walks and Sheila Cook for providing the catering at our public meetings and everyone else who has provided their time during the year. Although 2021 has not started brilliantly with yet another lockdown we will hopefully be out of these by the summer and will all be able to get back to meeting one another again in person and to enjoying our wonderful canals. Pete Gurney, Chairman
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Treasurer’s Report The IWA Lichfield Branch activities were severely curtailed in 2020 due to the Covid19 situation however, we were still able to make a few donations totalling £325 to waterways projects as follows: •
• •
£175 to Daniel Adamson Steam Ship. Unfortunately, a Branch trip to cruise the River Weaver on “The Danny” in June couldn’t go ahead as they had to suspend operations. Although they offered a refund, the Branch decided to waive this and chose to give it as a donation. £100 to Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust. £50 to Friends of Raymond. This donation was made at the January Branch meeting following an interesting talk entitled “Raymond and Nutfield” about the history, restoration and travels of these historic working narrowboats.
Income in 2020 was £692 made up of: • £48 donations from walks and talks, including a zoom presentation given by Helen Whitehouse to Longdon Women’s Institute. • £198 raffle and refreshment donations at the January and February meetings. Thanks to everyone present for their support. • £75 social activities – deposits received for the cancelled Danny trip. The Branch offered refunds of these deposits, but these were declined and instead offered as donations to be made to the Daniel Adamson charity. • £90 advertising in Lichfield Lines. This comes from a one-page advert in each of the four quarterly magazines and one half page advert in the Autumn edition. • £281 Branch Sales (the net profit is £193). With limited external events this was mainly calendars and Christmas cards. Expenditure in 2020 was £615 which included: • £325 donations (as detailed above). • £73 equipment and hire of hall for public meetings. • £68 work party expenses, including repair to shed used for storage of work party equipment. • £88 purchase of merchandise for Branch Sales (Cost value of stock in hand is £419). • £61 Rugeley Project expenses, including equipment and refreshments for volunteers. A surplus of £77 for 2020 brought our balance at the end of the year to £2,131 held in the IWA Lichfield Branch bank account. All of this is available for general expenditure as the Rugeley Project has been concluded in this year with the remaining funds being transferred to the general fund.
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Here's hoping that lockdown easing goes well and that we’ll soon be able to resume our face-to-face activities including our monthly meetings, walks and fundraising events. Sue Gurney Treasurer Planning Matters
This report summarises the more significant of about 50 planning matters dealt with between mid-January and mid-April 2021. If anyone wishes to see more details of any of the responses I will be happy to oblige. Near to the Trent & Mersey Canal, opposite Kings Bromley Marina, the former Bromley Hayes Garden Centre closed some years ago. The site and buildings are well screened from the canal and we have supported an application for a Change of Use for construction plant storage and a national office for Land & Water, the CRT dredging and engineering contractors and marina construction group. At Burton-on-Trent, as part of the so-called Branston Locks development (there is only one Branston Lock !) Outline consent was given in 2012 for commercial buildings between the canal and the A38. The 3 industrial warehouse units with integral offices now proposed as Phase 1 are of acceptable design and set back behind a ‘canalside park’. However, the park is not included in this application and the indicated layout of further phases has roads, parking and a building right up to the canal edge which is not acceptable. On the Coventry Canal at Amington, consent was previously given for a house extension with a blank end wall close to the canal, without consulting either IWA or CRT. Amended plans include ‘blind windows’ but are even closer to the canal to which we have objected. On the Ashby Canal at Bosworth Marina, following refusal a year ago for a new café, plans for a slightly smaller building overlooking the pond within the site have been supported. Nearby, revised plans for the offside residential development south of Bosworth Wharf are an improvement with the nearest houses set further back and retention of more of the canal bank trees. Proposed HS2 Cappers Lane Canal Bridge
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The Lichfield Canal restoration at Cricket Lane needs a bridge over a lowered section of channel and both were promised in the Local Plan to be provided by the developers of the Cricket Lane site. But in early March the Council planners recommended the planning committee approve the Outline application without any provision for the canal, and failed to inform Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust of the meeting. Both IWA and LHCRT submitted detailed criticisms and objections to the officer’s report and the decision was deferred whilst the Trust take legal advice and seek more discussions. Meanwhile, in a further betrayal, the Council approved the final Submission version of the Local Plan Review for consultation without including the previous policy safeguarding the Lichfield Canal restoration route. In contrast, restoration of the Hatherton Canal remains supported in the Preferred Options version of the Cannock Chase Local Plan, with a Hatherton Canal Restoration Corridor policy protecting the route “from development that would prevent the future implementation of the canal restoration project”. Construction work on Phase 1 of the HS2 High Speed Rail project continues, and through further online liaison meetings with the contractors for the northern section, Balfour Beatty Vinci, I have reminded them of the legal ‘Assurance’ given to IWA that additional noise mitigation will be considered for the Trent & Mersey Canal crossing at Fradley. The HS2 viaduct at Cappers Lane Proposed HS2 Viaduct and Canal Diversion at Cappers will include 3m high noise barriers and detailed design work continues for this, the replacement Cappers Lane canal bridge, and the diverted canal channel, with construction due to start in 2022. Phase 2a, from Fradley to Crewe, received Royal Assent on 11 February so site investigations and other preliminary construction works are expected to start shortly. The review of Phase 2b as part of an Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands had been due to be published by the end of last year but has now been delayed until after the local elections in May. Phil Sharpe, Planning Officer
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Editorial Notice Lichfield Lines is the newsletter of IWA Lichfield Branch, it is produced 4 times a year to keep members informed about our forthcoming public meetings, walks, work parties and other activities, to provide reports on recent meetings and events, and to include articles of general interest to our members. The editor, Peter Gurney, welcomes articles, letters or photographs of waterway activities in our Branch area which can be emailed to pete.gurney@waterways.org.uk (Please note there is a 35MB limit for emails with attachments sent via this address). The copy date for the next newsletter will be 15th July 2021, for publication in August. Advertising Lichfield Lines is posted or emailed to about 400 Branch members. It can also be read and downloaded by anyone from the Branch website pages. If you would like to publicise your waterway related business to our members, and others that read the newsletter online, we can offer advertising space at the following rates: Full Page - £20 per issue
Half Page - £10 per issue
Please contact the editor to discuss artwork and layout. By advertising you will help to sponsor IWA's charitable activities and reach potential customers who are all committed to the waterways. The IWA has a range of corporate members some of whom offer discounts to members. The discount details can be found on the IWA website at www.waterways.org.uk/support_us/corporates. Corporate members in our area are— Lichfield Cruising Club Longwood Boat Club Stafford Boat Club Ltd Ashby Canal Association Truman Enterprise Narrowboat Trust Tamworth Cruising Club Ashby Canal Trust Ash Tree Boat Club Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Countywide Cruisers (Brewood) Ltd Restoration Trust Elite Furnishings Canal Transport Services Ltd Birmingham and Midland Marine Services Waterways World Ltd River Canal Rescue Ltd Midland Chandlers Hargreaves Narrowboat Trust Glascote Basin Boatyard (Norton Canes Boatbuilders) Please mention the IWA when contacting any of these Corporate Members.
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Your Committee Chairman and Acting Secretary Tel: 01785 255101 Email: pete.gurney@waterways.org.uk
Pete Gurney
Treasurer Tel: 01785 255101 Email: sue.gurney@waterways.org.uk
Sue Gurney
Planning Tel: 01889 583330 Email: phil.sharpe@waterways.org.uk
Phil Sharpe
Newsletter and Website Editor Tel: 01785 255101 Email: pete.gurney@waterways.org.uk
Pete Gurney
Volunteer Coordinator & Membership Tel: 07808 846434 Email: neil.barnett@waterways.org.uk
Neil Barnett
Navigation Officer Tel: 07847 470112 Email: derek.beardsmore@waterways.org.uk
Derek Beardsmore
Publicity—Press & Magazines Tel: 07808 846434 Email: neil.barnett@waterways.org.uk
Neil Barnett
Social Secretary
Position vacant
Minutes Secretary Tel: 01283 713125 Email: adrian.wedgwood@waterways.org.uk
Adrian Wedgwood
Ex Officio: Region Chairman also Branch Sales and External Talks (noncommittee posts) Email: helen.whitehouse@waterways.org.uk
Helen Whitehouse
Non-committee posts Walks Coordinator Tel: 07866 201873 Email: clive.walker@waterways.org.uk
Clive Walker
Strolls & Facebook
Margaret Beardsmore
Branch Contact Address Email: lichfield@waterways.org.uk
IWA Lichfield Branch 5 Bracken Close Stafford ST16 1SG
Tel: 07581 794111 Email: margaret.beardsmore@waterways.org.uk
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