Waterways - Winter 2022

WATERWAYS EDITOR:

Ffion Llwyd-Jones Tel: 01283 742962 E-mail: f.llwyd-jones@wwonline.co.uk

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Welcome

It was good that members could meet up in person at the AGM in Lichfield and see the very impressive progress made by the Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust. The focus of the AGM was very much about looking forward and the continuing importance of IWA in the 21st century.

I know some suggest that IWA has lost its campaigning roots and that it no longer has a purpose. Our ‘Only IWA’ message, which is well documented elsewhere in the magazine, clearly demonstrates that this is not the case. How you campaign and influence has changed. The public view today is that waterways are a valuable public resource that can promote and develop many good things. The problem is that they are not adequately funded and this reduces their abili to deliver all the available benefits and IWA needs to make this widely known.

Every boater will have a view on the current state of the waterways and, in general, I think it will be that things have got worse. If proper funding for the future is not secured I fear there is a real danger of waterways being lost again. For me, it would be totally unacceptable, and u erly ridiculous for the government to allow this to happen. If IWA’s funding campaign doesn’t succeed and the threat of long-term closures even starts to become apparent, then IWA will be at the fore ont of a very di erent campaign to prevent this.

Our Waterways for Today report, launched at the AGM, has been produced to help address this and other issues. I hope you have already had the opportuni to read it. If not, please do as it is available on the website.

Copies of the report have been widely distributed to national and local politicians but every member can help reinforce the message by writing to their MP and their local councillors, providing the website link and pointing out the benefits. Our members are IWA and the more we work together the stronger we are, so please do take the opportuni to contact politicians and other local people of influence to spread the message about the incredible value and benefits of our inland waterways.

IWA wants every navigation authori adequately funded. The discussions with the government on Canal & River Trust funding are particularly important simply because of the number of waterways under CRT’s control. It appears that the original plan to agree on funding in 2022 for the period a er 2027 has been pushed into the long grass so nothing meaningful will happen soon. My view is that it wasn’t crucial that funding was agreed now and, even if it had been, a future government could easily have changed the deal before it was implemented. The delay gives us a major opportuni to spread the messages om Waterways for Today and your help in achieving this will be greatly appreciated. The message needs to spread far and wide as quickly as possible. IWA has a real job to do and we need everyone’s help.

Les Etheridge

Foreword from Interim CEO

Jonathan Smith

By the time you read this, I will have been Interim CEO for about six months – in that time an awful lot has been going on in the association with campaigning, staff, members and volunteers. We now have a new Volunteer Manager (Jenny Hodson) and a new Communications & Marketing Officer (Georgia Howe). You can read more about them in this and upcoming magazine issues but, simply put, they are both experienced in their fields and aware of waterways. I’m sure both will be a great asset to the association, and will play key roles in reinvigorating IWA. We should also have appointed an Operations Manager by the time you are reading this, which means the staff team should be up to strength and functioning normally. This is both a great relief and also key to the continued success of IWA.

Without all the work our members and volunteers do, the association would not function. They are key to everything we do – and the ability for the office to work with them and publicise everything that is done is crucial to our success – Jenny and Georgia will play key roles.

The ‘Only IWA’ theme is core to our message about who we are, what we do and why we exist – as I wrote last time, only IWA can do all the things we do for waterways including: Waterway Recovery Group, Essex Waterways, Restoration Hub, Heritage Advisory Panel, Planning Advisory Panel, insurance for societies and restoration groups, Certificate of Boat Management, All Party Parliamentary Group for Waterways, Inland Waterways Freight Group, Sustainable Boating Group, Navigation Committee, the teams running Canalway Cavalcade and the Festival of Water, IWA’s shows team and, of course, the branches themselves and all the work they do on the ground.

However, we have to be honest with ourselves – we have not been the best at telling either our members or the world at large what we do, why we do it and what the waterways would be like if we didn’t do it! That needs to change and ‘Only IWA’ is the banner under which we can bring together all our good work. You will see this message developing and growing throughout everything we are doing over the coming months.

Those of you who are regular boaters on the waterways will all have their own views on the current state of them, but even allowing for an exceptional year with drought, the general trend of messages I am hearing is that the condition is worsening rather than improving. While the review of the Canal & River Trust grant has been ongoing, IWA deliberately kept a lower profile, preferring to point out that waterways are an underfunded asset – which is true. However, we continued to lobby behind the scenes at various levels and have had some successes: for example CRT is now using data on how many paddles are marked as faulty and how many of these are actually being fixed as a performance indicator, and has shared the data with IWA. Hopefully, paddles will now be fixed more quickly and reduce the number of stoppages resulting from paddle issues.

One of the other issues that has been taking a good deal of my time has been the association’s financial position. For IWA to continue, some hard decisions had to be taken – put simply, IWA has consistently spent more

than it has generated in regular income and has lived off profits from its investments and legacies. The legacies have continued to come in, however it will be no surprise to anyone that our investments have significantly fallen in value this year – this is nobody’s fault, it is a global issue with the pandemic and Ukraine. In fact, our investments have performed comparably well. However, the impact of a fall in investment value is critical to IWA – just as we have taken the benefit of the growth in these over the years (and spent the money on campaigning) we must also take the pain of the loss.

To mitigate the impact of these losses, we have found significant savings that include reduced staff costs, changes in our IT contracts and relocating the office (as our 15-year lease ends in March 2023). However, this alone is not sufficient, and our membership fee will, regrettably, have to increase. The membership fee has not changed for ten years (the switch to a single rate was income neutral) and simply not keeping pace with inflation has cost IWA over £400,000 in lost membership income. From January 2023 our membership fee will increase to £4.25 a month (or £51 per year), rates for corporate membership and lifetime membership will increase similarly. I realise that this is a very significant increase, and is coming during the worst economic crisis for 25 years or more, but it is necessary to the continued survival of IWA, and the continued survival of the IWA is critical to the waterways.

Ten years ago when CRT was formed, with IWA support, many people thought that perhaps IWA would become redundant – it is clear now that IWA is needed just as much as it ever has been because: n Only IWA can be the national voice for the waterways.

n Only IWA can campaign for improvement in all the current navigable waterways.

n Only IWA can support all the waterways that are being restored.

As our newly launched report Waterways for Today makes clear, there are 5,000 miles of navigable waterways across England, Scotland and Wales – 500 miles of derelict waterways have been restored since the 1960s and there are another 500 miles that can be restored, with all the benefits that inland waterways bring to the country and the general public. Only IWA can support all these miles!

AGM 2022

Our 63rd Annual General Meeting was held on Saturday 24th September at The Guildhall in Lichfield. Thank you to those who were able to a end the event either in-person or on Zoom. We had a good turn out and members were enthusiastic about the launch of the Waterways for Today report which was well received. Following a presentation about the report, the AGM commenced and members had the opportuni to take part in voting on key issues including the appointment (and re-appointment) of trustees. We also presented the National Awards to volunteers and groups who have made a significant impact through the work they do and their overall commitment to IWA. A special thank you to the Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust who did a short presentation a er the awards ceremony and also took members on a 2-hour guided walk a er lunch. We also thank the members of IWA Lichfield Branch and other volunteers who helped out at the event.

New Trustees

The new trustees appointed at the AGM are Rick Barnes, Charlie Norman and Mike Wills. They join the board of trustees led by our Chair, Les Etheridge whose co-option in May 2022 was confirmed and he was reappointed as a trustee for a further term of one year. Existing trustee Dave Chapman was also reappointed. Other trustees are Rt Hon Sir Robert Atkins, John Butler (Treasurer), Nick Dybeck (Depu Chair), Sue O’Hare (Depu Chair), Rebecca Hughes and Hannah Sterri .

Rick Barnes

Rick was introduced to the inland waterways as a young child, enjoying numerous family day trips out on the water and walking the towpaths. It was a boating holiday in the early 1980s around the BCN, Stratford and the River Avon that captured Rick’s interest in the unique diversi of the inland waterways, the industrial architecture, the people and the stunning scenery. Many waterways holidays later, Rick has now owned a share in a boat for 6 years.

Shortly a er universi , Rick started volunteering with the Waterway Recovery Group in 1998 and has worked on many projects around the country including Droitwich, the Ribble Link and Lancaster, Grantham, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, Monmouthshire and Brecon and the Cotswold canal restoration schemes. Rick has been a member of the association since 2001, a member of the former IWA Festivals Commi ee and the Finance Commi ee, and was a trustee and depu National Chairman until early 2022. Rick remains active in the restoration movement and is a member of the WRG board.

Professionally, Rick is a programme manager and chartered engineer with over 25 years of experience in the delivery of complex engineering projects and strategic in astructure programmes across a range of sectors.

Charlie Norman

Charlie first lived on a wooden Norfolk Broads cruiser in Thames Di on in 2008 and has since owned two boats. The latest, a small narrowboat called Susie, is moored on a beautiful bend on the River Stort with time happily spent between the sleepy Stort and buzzing Hackney.

Tracing a love of anything riverrelated back to fond childhood memories of The Wind in the Willows, Charlie cares deeply about the health of our waterways, volunteers with Plastic Free Hackney and other local environmental initiatives, and became involved with IWA in 2013 a er receiving Waterways magazine. A er writing to the editor to find out how to become more involved, a stint at Cavalcade led to many years of volunteering with IWA. With a political and environmental communications background, Charlie currently works for a chari that uses the law to defend the human rights of LGBT people globally. Having previously worked at Friends of the Earth, the European Parliament, and the Campaign to Protect Rural England, Charlie brings a broad background to the role of trustee, not least the skills picked up as a bookseller for many years. Charlie holds degrees om Goldsmiths Universi of London and the Universi of Cambridge, and is a Fellow of the Royal Socie of Arts.

Mike Wills

Mike has been fascinated by the inland waterways since his teens. Studying economic history helped develop his passion, and his early experiences included digging out a disused lock and helping to raise a sunken wooden narrowboat that was converted into a houseboat. Regular towpath walks and dozens of narrowboat holidays helped him to introduce lots of his family and iends to the waterways. In 2019, he purchased part of a worsted mill and wharf on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal and subsequently restored it to create a four-storey house that reveals as much of its canalside history as possible. In truth, this is probably a lifetime project as work continues to be needed and the 200+ years-old building keeps revealing new secrets.

Mike is a chartered accountant and has worked as a senior civil servant, a tax partner in a medium-sized practice and, since his 45th birthday, as a non-executive director or consultant in various companies ranging om gold refining and electronicproduct recycling to pet food manufacture and insurance services. His most recent experience has been in se ing up, running and subsequently selling a specialised school and he is currently a Non-Executive Director and Trustee of a Housing Association. He has almost completed the maximum time that he is allowed to serve under the regulations applying to the Housing Association and will retire om this role in December 2022.

Mike previously spent some years as Chair of Governors of both a primary school and a secondary school. He retains a keen interest in education, in supporting and encouraging the younger generation to explore and develop their potential and maximise their interest in the world. He hopes to maybe also encourage them to take an interest in the inland waterways. His extensive business experience, along with his work with schools and charities, has provided a host of transferable skills that will benefit the role of IWA trustee. However, what Mike really o ers is enthusiasm.

National Awards

Richard Bird Medals

The Richard Bird Medals were presented to members whose efforts and support are considered to have brought significant benefit to the association over a sustained period. Join us in congratulating our 2022 award recipients.

David Carrington

David joined the Finance Committee in 2009 and became a member of the Investment Working Group, which he has chaired for the last 10 years. His financial advice and experience have been invaluable to IWA. David has also been a director of Essex Waterways since 2013.

Mike Elwell and Jane Elwell

Mike and Jane Elwell were part of the supplies team for the old National Festival for several years. They have been key members of the Festival of Water team since 2014, where Mike looked after finances until 2018. Jane has taken on various roles over the years including supplies director from 2014 and then Chair from 2017.

Sue Schwieso

Sue recently retired from the IWA Kent & East Sussex Branch committee. She joined the committee in 2005 and typically organised one event every two months from September to May. Sue has also been an active member of the Thames & Medway Canal Association with her husband.

John Hawkins

John has been director of WRG for over 30 years, during which time he organised printed materials with help from his wife Tess (who has now sadly passed away). This involved, until recently, physically printing and collating Navvies and all WRG’s leaflets from his garden shed. John has also worked on many WRG weekends and camps on restoration projects.

Mike Slade

Mike moved to Bridgwater around 2013, joined the IWA West Country Branch and became the volunteer co-ordinator. He manages almost 100 registered volunteers and runs weekly work parties on the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal. Mike and his volunteers have won several awards and accolades.

Christopher Power Award

This award is for a person, society or trust who has made the most significant contribution to the restoration of an inland waterway. This year, we presented the award to Terry Cavender from Buckingham Canal Society.

Terry regularly organises and attends work parties, chairs regular committee meetings and attends various events throughout the year to promote the canals. He also works to promote and apply for permissions to further the restoration of the Buckingham Canal. He is also a member of IWA’s Restoration Hub.

Branch Achievement Award

This award is for the IWA Branch that has made the greatest progress and achievement in promoting the Association’s aims and objectives during the past year. The Branch Achievement Award went to IWA Lichfield Branch this year, although there were many strong contenders including West Country, North Staffordshire and South Cheshire, Northampton and the newly invigorated West Riding Branch with their campaigning on Salterhebble Lock.

The IWA Lichfield Branch works in conjunction with CRT to cut back off-side vegetation in the winter months, and its planning officer responds to 200+ planning matters every year and is the IWA lead on HS2. Members man various national IWA sales and recruitment stands, have monthly meetings in winter, organise walks and publish the quarterly branch magazine.

Cyril Styring Trophy

This is the association’s premier award. It is presented to an IWA member who has, in the opinion of trustees, made an outstanding contribution in furthering the association’s campaigns. The recipient of the Cyril Styring Trophy this year is John Fevyer.

John joined IWA in 1970 and has worked tirelessly at IWA events every year since he attended Earls Court Boat show in 1972. We think it fair to say that, due to John’s efforts over a long time, IWA has been able to reliably promote its campaigns countrywide in a way that would not have been possible without his superhuman and consistently reliable efforts.

John Fevyer.

Pete Gurney, Chair of IWA Lichfield Branch.

Terry Cavender.

David Carrington and IWA National Chair Les Etheridge.

Mike and Jane Elwell.

Sue Schwieso and IWA National Chair Les Etheridge.

John Hawkins with IWA CEO Jonathan Smith.

Mike Slade and IWA National Chair Les Etheridge.

Crowds flock to Chester Canal's 250thyear celebration

The Chester & Merseyside branch was delighted to welcome over 1,000 visitors to this free event over the weekend of the 30th and 31st of July.

Blessed with improving weather and based around Tower Wharf close to the city centre, the opening ceremony featured Louise Gittins, leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council. The event had a waterways-education programme for children, trade boats, live music and the popular local Aspara dance troupe.

There were nine trading boats at the event and all were well patronised. The pizza and cake-stand trade boats sold out by Saturday evening and had to restock for the Sunday visitors. The Saturday evening commercial BBQ stall holder was also delighted to have only one burger and three sausages left at the close of the evening!

Experts took visitors on guided tours of the historic inland port and explained the role of the Chester Canal in the waterway network, especially the Shropshire Union canal system from its opening in 1772 to the present day.

Although primarily a celebration for Chester, three other waterway restoration societies (the Montgomery, Sankey and Manchester, and Stockport canals) had stalls.

The event, possibly coming so soon after Chester was named the first Historic Inland Port in the UK, attracted several senior people from the Canal & River Trust. Councillors, and the local MP Chris Matheson, were also in attendance.

Jim Forkin, Chair of the Chester & Merseyside branch said, “As so many towns across the nation seek ways of finding a new purpose for their town centres and envy those with a canal or who want their derelict canal restoring, Chester is incredibly fortunate having both a canal and a navigable river within the city centre. The problem is that they are not joined up, but with a relatively small amount of capital providing a lock within the weir and maintenance of the Dee branch, boats could once again navigate out onto the Dee and up the river almost to the Welsh border with the economic benefits that would bring.”

Volunteers worked tirelessly at the event, safely mooring some 30-plus narrowboats on Friday afternoon and from 7.30 am Saturday erecting gazebos, banners and marquees. Unfortunately, several narrowboats failed to arrive as the route they were taking via the Anderton Boat Lift, River Weaver and Manchester Ship Canal to Ellesmere Port became impassable due to the closure of the Boat Lift on the day they were expecting to be lowered onto the River Weaver.

Sun shines on the Fenny Stratford Canal Festival

More than 10 trading boats and 14 land-based stalls, and the Milton Keynes Community Boat Electra, drew the crowds to the Grand Union canal towpath south of Watling Street, where the Fenny Stratford Canal Festival took place on 6th7th August. The event was organised chiefly by IWA Milton Keynes Branch for the second year running and has become an important fund-raiser for the branch.

The IWA stall included sales of IWA merchandise, a raffle, and our usual publicity and information point. The big waterway map forming the back of the gazebo was a useful talking point, sparking many comments and reminiscences from passersby. Alongside us, the Buckingham Canal Society offered their ‘retro recycling centre’, society merchandise and beautiful rag rugs. Other stalls and traders had, it seemed, every conceivable item on offer, including clothing, jewellery, fancy goods, food and drink. Each day, Electra provided 50-minute trips to Water Eaton and back: three trips on Saturday and five on Sunday. All places were sold out on both days. On Sunday, another electric boat arrived – James Griffin’s radio-controlled model narrowboat, complete with authentic engine noise. A tug-of-war between it and Electra was suggested but James was afraid that Electra’s wash might sink it! Also on Sunday, we were pleased to have a visit from Jonathan Smith, IWA’s interim Chief Executive Officer, who congratulated the branch upon a successful event.

Accommodating the trading boats was hindered somewhat because some stretches of the towpath are eroded behind the piling or overgrown in front of it, meaning uncertain footing at the water’s edge. Thank you to Diane Witts and all branch members who took part in organising the event or turned up to help on the day, and to the traders who attended. Special thanks are due to Lorraine Andrews and Penny Holloway for much behind-the-scenes work liaising with the traders. We are grateful also to Bletchley & Fenny Stratford Town Council for a grant for essential expenses. An early calculation of the profit from the event gives a figure of over £900.

Two volunteer awards for the South West Branch

The volunteers of the West Country Branch were recently presented with two awards, which together amount to a significant endorsement of the work they have undertaken on the local waterways over many years.

The first award was presented by the Chair of Sedgemoor District Council at a ‘Keep Sedgemoor Tidy’ event on 1st July at the Canal Centre, adjacent to the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal on the outskirts of Bridgwater. The event recognised the achievements of several volunteer groups throughout Sedgemoor and included ‘Rage against Rubbish’, a volunteer group that organises a monthly work party on the waterways using kayaks.

The second award was from Canal & River Trust and was presented by Steve Manzi, CRT Volunteer Development Coordinator for Wales and the South West, at a ceremony on 20th July held at the Victoria Park Community Centre in Bridgwater. This recognised the completion of 25,000 hours of volunteer activity on the Bridgwater & Taunton canal under the two 5-mile adoption agreements between IWA and CRT and illustrates the great support being given by IWA volunteers to CRT. The ceremony was attended by several volunteers and CRT staff.

Congratulations go to all the volunteers, past and present, on these great achievements.

IN MEMORIAM

Tony Hirst

In memory of Tony Hirst, IWA Vice President since 2000 and director of what was then known as The Boat Museum at Ellesmere Port from 1981 until his retirement in September 1999. Tony sadly passed away at the beginning of July.

He was also chairman of the Association of Independent Museums between 1990 and 1994 and held posts in many other waterways organisations. Tony was awarded the OBE in 1995 for Services to Museums. He was honoured but he never pushed or promoted the fact and never used the letters after his name. He always said the award belonged to every single volunteer as much as him.

Tony retired as Director of the Boat Museum at Ellesmere Port at the end of 1999.

During his retirement, Tony continued as a great supporter of many waterways organisations, including being a member of the government’s Inland Waterways Amenity Advisory Council and IWA’s Awards Panel. He was also a founding chairman of The Daniel Adamson Preservation Society until 2009 and then became its life president. Tony had a significant impact on the community and will be missed by many at IWA and other waterways organisations. Please visit our website to read Tony’s full obituary: waterways.org.uk/about-us/thecharity/in-appreciation/tony-hirst

IN MEMORIAM

John Baylis

WRG canal camp on BBC You And Yours

A Waterway Recovery Group canal camp on the Herefordshire & Gloucestershire Canal was featured on the radio during an episode of the You and Yours show on BBC Radio 4. Reporter Bob Walker went to meet a group of volunteers restoring a 600-metre channel of the canal in Gloucestershire, where he spoke to Camp Leader Stephen Rice. The episode was broadcast on Monday 25th July. However, you can still listen to it by searching for the episode name: ‘App Happy, Car Subscriptions and Hydrogen Boilers’ on the BBC Sounds website and skipping to 26m 25s into the recording.

Correction to the obituary for

Brian

Saunders

We want to make you aware of an error that appeared in the memorial notice for Brian Saunders in the Winter 2021 edition of Waterways magazine. We stated that Brian had passed away due to cancer. However, this is not the case. He did not have cancer at the time of his death and nor was he in remission. Brian sadly passed away after a very short illness that was not Covid-related either. We are sorry for this inaccuracy and send our apologies to Brian’s family who remain in our thoughts following his death last year.

Join us in remembering John Baylis, who died on 7th July 2022, just a few days short of his 82nd birthday. John was possibly the most influential character in the East Midlands waterways over a period spanning nearly half a century. He was an IWA trustee for 30 years, a deputy national chairman, and one of the most hard-working committee chairmen in IWA’s history during his 11-year stint as chairman of IWA’s Navigation, Technical & Amenity Committee. The hand of John Baylis was behind the early days of virtually every waterway restoration scheme in the East Midlands. He was one of Graham Palmer’s trusted friends from the early days of WRG. He served as a director on WRG’s board for 40 years and was WRG deputy chairman for most of that period.

John was a recipient of IWA’s most prestigious award, the Cyril Styring Trophy, he was awarded IWA Honorary Life Membership in 2010 and awarded a British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee honours list in 2012. He will be missed by many at IWA, especially those in the East Midlands area where John had such an incredible impact on our waterways. Please visit our website to read John’s full obituary: waterways.org.uk/about-us/the-charity/inappreciation/john-baylis

Successful return of favourite festival

The Festival of Water delighted crowds at Shobnall Fields in Burton upon Trent during the August Bank Holiday weekend.

In the arena, children (and adults) showed o their Giant Jenga skills, tried to kick footballs past the goalie, learned how to throw a rope correctly and were taught how to drive a digger.

The superb food choices ranged om delicious chunks of meat at the carvery, sausages and bacon rolls, Vietnamese street food, pancakes and ice cream to agrant Indian vegetarian bhajis, pakoras and spring rolls, while numerous stalls o ered everything om promoting charities to selling wooden toys.

The bar did a brisk trade with a great choice of beers, ciders, Pimms and Prosecco and there was a continuous programme of entertainment in the marquee featuring local artistes and festival favourites, including the acclaimed Lucy Ward, Miles & Margaret and Burton Folk Group.

Nearly 100 boats, om traditional working boats to modern narrowboats, decked with bunting, flags and flowers, were moored along the towpath and a racted a constant stream of admirers. The static display of illuminated boats was very popular.

Councillor Philip Hudson, Mayor of East Sta ordshire, who opened the festival on Saturday, said he was delighted to welcome IWA back to the Trent & Mersey Canal, one of the earliest to be built, with strong links to Burton. He hoped visitors would also visit some of the many easily accessible a ractions.

John Butler, IWA National Treasurer, thanked Councillor Hudson for the council’s support and all the volunteers who make the event possible.

Thank you to everyone who a ended the Festival of Water 2022.

The Awards Ceremony

Four awards were presented during the festival.

• Best picture coloured by a child age 4-8 years was awarded to Charlo e Green, age 6, while in the 9-13 years category it was awarded to Bella Whiting, age 9.

• The Ray Dunford Trophy for the best illuminated/decorated boat was awarded to Jonathan Brown for his narrowboat Brown Trout, with commendations going to Peppertree, Alice and Bezzitoo

• The Offley and Slack Propeller Trophy, for the highest number of boats a ending the festival, was awarded to Sta ord Boat Club, with 9 boats.

• The Festival of Water Harbourmasters introduced its special prize this year, to recognise the support of the local communi , some of whom decorated their back gardens to complement the boats. Two bo﬙les of wine were presented to Cyril Du﬙on for his beautiful display of flags.

IWA response to CRT licence fee changes

IWA understands the extraordinary economic climate a ecting the Canal & River Trust and appreciates the reasoning for a second increase (of 4%) within one year. We welcome confirmation that the trust will support boaters who may be struggling to pay their licence fees on a case-by-case basis.

However, IWA regrets that this second increase has been carried out without any consultation with users, noting that CRT has only now decided to focus spending on only navigation and legal requirements.

IWA is well aware of the pressures and costs of running a navigation as we operate the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation (through Essex Waterways Ltd) and make extensive use of volunteers for ongoing maintenance and repairs. Through the Waterway Recovery Group, we are experienced in repairs to, and maintenance of, waterway heritage in astructure. IWA believes CRT could make be er use of volunteers across its whole network to carry out preventative maintenance and repair work.

IWA’s Chair, Les Etheridge, said, “These are extraordinary times and, understandably, the CRT needs to take every action possible to support its waterways. Regre ably, planned maintenance will be deferred by CRT. IWA and the Waterway Recovery Group have already demonstrated to CRT that volunteers can carry out serious repairs and maintenance, and believe CRT has not taken full advantage of volunteers to support navigation.”

Councillor Philip Hudson, Mayor of East Staffordshire with a happy festival group.

Skye with Uncle Mark.

Lucy Ward entertains the crowds in the marquee.

The Trent & Mersey Canal near Shobnall Fields.

Her Majesty the Queen

We were deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Her Majesty the Queen in September. Her unwavering service and commitment over the past 70 years to our country and the Commonwealth will be long remembered.

Many in the waterways community will have fond memories of her unveiling the Kelpies in Scotland as recently as 2017. During the official opening, she also unveiled the Forth & Clyde Extension – the Queen Elizabeth II Canal – which is a new section linking the existing navigation to the Firth of Forth.

This wasn’t the Queen’s first involvement with the waterways however, as she attended many other events including:

1977 Silver Jubilee celebrations with a pageant on the River Thames in London

1979 Visit to the Boat Museum at Ellesmere Port to unveil a plaque

1986 The opening of the Stoke-on-Trent Garden Festival on board narrowboat Cactus

1990 The opening of the restored Kennet & Avon Canal

2002 The opening of the Falkirk Wheel linking the Forth & Clyde Canal to the Edinburgh & Glasgow Union Canal

2012 The Queen took part in the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant for her Diamond Jubilee

2017 Unveiling the Kelpies in Scotland where Her Majesty also opened the Queen Elizabeth II Canal, a new section which links the Forth & Clyde Canal and the Firth of Forth

Her Majesty the Queen unveiling a plaque at the museum, Ellesmere Port in 1979. Cllr. F. Price, Mayor of Ellesmere Port & Neston, on right.

Her Majesty the Queen opens the Falkirk Wheel.

Her Majesty the Queen with Dr David Owen, and local Sea Cadets.

Her Majesty the Queen with the Chester Packet Co. horse.

Her Majesty the Queen with Lynette Milward.

CAMPAIGNING WITH YOU

Here are some recent issues we’ve been campaigning on with your help

Response to DfT’s Future of Freight plan

IWA, and other campaign groups working to get more freight off roads and onto waterways, want the Government to take a closer look at how waterways can contribute to the freight sector, with waterborne traffic taking the load off long-haul road journeys, helping to decarbonise the sector.

In June, the Department for Transport published its Future of Freight plan. IWA joined campaigners, including the Commercial Boat Operators Association and freight operator GPS Marine, to say that the inclusion of water freight, for what is believed to be the first time, is an important step but it doesn’t go far enough.

We support the vision of former Transport Minister Trudy Harrison for a ‘world-class, seamless flow of freight across our roads, railways, seas, skies and waterways’ and say the strategy is a welcome attempt to deliver a long-term strategy for freight. But, if the government does not commit to waterways, including funding for navigation authorities, then the benefits for people across skills, jobs, health, and the environment will not be delivered. We called on the government to invest in improving freight waterways so they could take larger cargoes, in the same way that Government improved major roads for lorries. We added that a revival of the Freight Facilities Grant system for capital equipment was also needed.

Les Etheridge, IWA National Chair, said, “IWA welcomes the inclusion of inland waterways freight in this report but we feel that more detail and commitment is needed to effect real change. On many inland waterways, maximising the potential for freight will require investment from navigation authorities to increase the capacity so it is vitally important that the waterways receive adequate funding from government. We also feel that planning guidance needs to be stronger, to protect wharves from the pressure of development.”

Obstacles to achieving fuller integration for barge and coastal maritime operators across the different freight channels include the closure of wharves, delays in planning permission to allow new riverside loading and unloading facilities and a lack of understanding of how river traffic can increase safety and reduce harmful emissions, compared with lorry transport.

Successful campaign protects boaters’ facilities

Thanks to campaigning from IWA, Fox Boats and The Middle Level Commissioners, Fenland District Council has reversed its decision to remove the important boaters’ facilities block on March Riverside.

When IWA first learned about the March Future High Street Fund, we were delighted that it recognised the potential of the waterway passing through the town and sought to improve visitor moorings and facilities. However, we then discovered that the proposed moorings had been cut and the vital boaters’ services ditched.

IWA wrote to Fenland District Council in April 2022, to make the case for the retention of these services, emphasising that if March is to attract visiting boaters to stop and contribute to the local economy, they need these facilities provided and that they also benefit local river users. We argued that there was a proven need for water, refuse disposal and pump-out services, as the only other facilities in the area, at Fox’s Marina, may not be able to provide these services to the anticipated rises in boater numbers. We encouraged the District Council to commit to waterside regeneration for all the benefits it brings to the area. Recently, we had confirmation that Fenland District Council will be retaining the boaters’ facilities and investing in a new pump-out in the coming months.

March facilities block.

Freight barge on the Aire &Calder Navigation.

Petition against the HS2 (Crewe – Manchester) Bill

The HS2 (Crewe – Manchester) Bill received a second reading on 20th June and was referred to an HS2 Select Committee to hear petitions from those directly and specially affected.

The HS2 (Crewe – Manchester) Bill for Phase 2b West affects the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal, the Trent & Mersey Canal, and the Ashton and Rochdale canals in Manchester.

IWA’s main objection to the plans is the absence of adequate noise mitigation measures for canal users.

The plans include (i) the Crewe North Rolling Stock depot and three adjacent viaduct crossings of the Middlewich Branch, (ii) three separate viaduct crossings of the Trent & Mersey Canal north of Middlewich, and (iii) a main construction compound in Manchester. At each of these interfaces, the canals would be subject to excessive noise unless better mitigation is provided.

IWA has responded to several previous consultations, including the National Infrastructure Commission and the Transport Select Committee, criticising the choice of route through an area prone to brine subsidence, and its adverse effects on the canals’ landscape, environment and heritage.

This petition concentrates on the major impacts of noise on canal users and is closely based on our response to the Environmental Statement consultation. (See: HS2 Bill threatens tranquillity of waterways around Middlewich and Lymm.) We are particularly concerned that the residential use of boats is not adequately assessed, and the noise mitigation measures proposed are, therefore, inadequate where HS2 crosses or runs near each of the affected canals.

Noise mitigation

Our canals are major heritage assets, wildlife sites and recreational corridors, valued for their tranquillity, and each HS2-affected location is used by tens of thousands of people each year.

Noise levels close to HS2 bridges will be extremely high without acoustic barriers and the noise of passing trains will propagate over a wide area. Although this is intermittent, it is the peak noise levels that cause a maximum disturbance, and any form of averaging noise levels is misleading.

HS2 automatically includes noise barriers, earthworks or fencing, to protect residential properties but continues to

misrepresent all canal users as ‘transitory’ and thus not worthy of consideration. A few canal crossings benefit from the proximity of inhabited buildings, but most crossings in rural areas are given no protection and will be subject to intolerable levels of noise.

Our petition explains in detail the wide variety of ways in which people use and reside on the waterways, and the vulnerability of moored boat occupants to external noise. Canal boats are residences, and whilst not always permanently occupied, and capable of moving, wherever more than a few boats are moored, permanently or intermittently, it is likely that people will be living there for significant periods, so their acoustic environment should be protected.

Parliament failed to address this issue for Phase 1 and Phase 2a, but that is no reason why the same mistakes should be repeated with Phase 2b.

Canal interfaces

IWA’s petition details the usage of the canals around each HS2 interface. On the Middlewich Branch, permanent moorings at Park Farm and visitor moorings at Yew Tree Farm are affected. On the Trent & Mersey Canal, visitor moorings at Bramble Cuttings, popular temporary moorings at Billinge Green Flash and permanent moorings at Oakwood Marina would be particularly affected.

At each canal-crossing location, there should be 4-metrehigh noise barrier fencing across the viaducts and on adjacent embankments. In Manchester, the construction compound should have substantial noise fencing.

First additional provision

The Bill, as deposited, would also affect the Bridgewater Canal and the Manchester Ship Canal, although the Government’s last-minute decision to remove the Golborne Link through an Additional Provision (AP1) removes the threat to moorings on the Bridgewater Canal, for now at least.

However, AP1 includes some new works on the Middlewich Branch at Clive Green Lane Bridge that, whilst providing improved cycle access, would worsen pedestrian access. IWA’s second petition, therefore, asks for the retention of the access steps and towpath hedge.

I A n S.

The Trent & Mersey at Whatcroft – this area would be affected by HS2.

Highlighting the benefits Waterways for Today

Alison Smedley provides details of two of

12 benefits highlighted in the Inland Waterways Association’s new report

Waterways for Today, IWA’s new report, has now been published and is being widely distributed among politicians at all levels to demonstrate the importance of the UK’s inland waterways. The report provides evidence that demonstrates why waterways should be receiving full support and funding om government.

This is the first of a series of articles for Waterways that will each spotlight two of the 12 benefits covered in the report. In this issue, we look at two very topical subjects – mitigating climate change and the country’s economic recovery – and how waterways can help both of these national problems.

Benefit 1

Contributing to

the country's

economic recovery

From the ‘Economic Benefits’ section of the report, the first benefit we are going to look at in detail is how the waterways can contribute to the country’s economic recovery. As the report explains, transformational waterway projects will help national and devolved governments deliver their post-Brexit and Covid-19 recovery programmes. Incorporating waterway improvement projects into wider regeneration bids will also help local authorities improve rural and urban areas and the lives of millions of people.

With canals having their origins in the Industrial Revolution, it is no surprise that some 75% of local authori districts with the highest proportion of deprived neighbourhoods are located on the inland waterways network. Of the 124 local authorities designated as Category 1 for the 2022

The report highlights Broad Street Bridge in Birmingham as a before-andafter example of what canalside regeneration can do.

STEPHEN DESMOND

GRAHAM AND MARILYN SPEECHLEY

Levelling Up Fund (the highest level of identified need), 87 (70%) are on the inland waterways. These facts demonstrate the huge potential for waterways to contribute to many aspects of the country’s economic recovery.

Waterway restoration and regeneration projects can deliver on many of the UK Government’s aspirations in their ‘Levelling Up’ proposals: to create employment opportunities and high-quality skills training, improve transport connectivity in the form of active travel corridors, narrow the gap in healthy life expectancy, improve wellbeing and create more pride in the places where people live.

A report commissioned by the National Trust shows unequal access to nature in many urban neighbourhoods, towns and cities. Improved access to regenerated waterways can be part of the solution to this.

Facts & Stats

Among the statistics included in the report is that the leisure marine industry supports 133,000 FTE (full-time equivalent) jobs across the inland waterways. This is from a recent report from British Marine and Canal & River Trust: The Economic, Social & Wellbeing Value of Boating (2022).

The report also includes some facts demonstrating the impact of canalside regeneration on the local economy:

n The Falkirk Wheel, the innovative engineering solution connecting the Forth & Clyde and Union canals, and one of Scotland’s most visited tourist attractions, created over 60 direct and indirect jobs, with the economic impact valued at over £3m a year (MVA Consulting 2013).

n Every £1 spent on a project to create a navigable route under the M4 for the Wilts & Berks Canal will produce £1.79 in economic benefit to the local communities in Swindon and Royal Wootton Bassett (Wilts & Berks Canal Trust 2022).

n Sustainable development on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal in Caerphilly and Torfaen local authority areas is forecasted to create 2,129 net additional jobs from canalside development, £93m net additional GVA, 3,590 new houses and 213,000 square metres of nonresidential development (Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal Regeneration Partnership 2015).

Case Study: Montgomery Canal

The awarding, in October 2021, of £13.9m from the Levelling Up Fund, as part of a wider £15.4m bid by Powys County Council, will see the restoration of 4 miles of the Montgomery Canal within Wales.

The funding will help remove some of the obstructions between Llanymynech and Maerdy and restore the length to full navigation, making a significant contribution to the final aim of connecting the Montgomery Canal to the national canal network.

Craig Williams, MP for Montgomeryshire, said, “The restoration of the canal will bring real investment, real growth and real jobs to Montgomeryshire’s communities.”

This is estimated to be worth £62m over 10 years, including £23m from additional visitor spend. Work will include the creation of three waterbased nature reserves, the rebuilding of two road bridges, dredging and bank protection and the development of a community cultural hub utilising historic canalside buildings.

“During our many years enjoying Britain’s waterways, we have seen first-hand how waterway regeneration can act as a catalyst for the wider transformation of a whole community. Once run-down and neglected, there are places on the canals today that have a vibrancy to rival many of the country’s top tourist destinations yet are freely accessible to everyone.”

The bid, supported by the Canal & River Trust along with the Montgomery Canal Partnership and Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust (who have been working and campaigning on the project for decades), should also provide 40 new jobs in the visitor and tourism sector, along with 85 jobs during the restoration works.

Sir David and Lady Sheila Suchet, well-known waterway supporters (and IWA Vice Presidents) provided a quote to underpin this benefit:

Canoes leave Queens Head Montgomery Canal Triathlon in 2019.

Sir David and Lady Sheila Suchet have been boating together since 1974.

D A v ID Su C het

Benefit 6: Sustainability

Planning for resilience and climate change

Turning now to the subject of climate change and sustainability, which features in the ‘Natural and Built Environment’ section of the report. Our inland waterways face unprecedented challenges from damage caused by weather extremes, but waterways can also be part of the solution by mitigating as well as adapting to the impacts of climate change.

The report outlines many ways in which waterways have the potential to address many impacts of climate change, such as mitigating flooding and droughts, transferring drinking water supplies and generating hydropower. They can also provide active travel and low-carbon transport routes, and more freight on commercial waterways will reduce lorry movements on the roads.

Waterways will also need to adapt to meet zero-emissions targets – sustainable fuels, electric charging points and other associated infrastructure is required. Innovative solutions, such as using canal water to reduce urban temperatures as well as heating and cooling buildings, are being implemented.

Moving goods by water is intrinsically more energy efficient than road or rail but more incentives are required in the form of grants, capital funding or subsidies to achieve the economic, social and environmental benefits. The existing Modal Shift Revenue Support grant should give more weight to the environmental benefits of waterborne transport, and this is something that IWA is campaigning on, along with greater protection through the planning system for existing wharves.

The report argues that the increasing need to transfer water to areas of drought can be better handled through open waterways rather than more costly pipeline schemes. Other benefits of open channels for water transfer include preserving heritage, positive impacts on the water environment, biodiversity and ecology, social and amenity value through recreational use, and the potential for reduced carbon impact through re-purposing existing infrastructure, low-carbon heating and cooling opportunities.

The Department for Transport’s Clean Maritime Plan outlines specific measures to tackle air pollutant emissions from the UK’s maritime and inland waterways sectors, with a long-term transition to low and, eventually, zero emissions. Investment in infrastructure and the availability of affordable biofuels is needed for this to happen and this is another area where IWA is campaigning.

Sir Tim Smit, the founder of the Eden Project in Cornwall, provided a quote for this part of the report. He is also a founder and supporter of Down to Earth Derby, which is supporting waterway regeneration in the city.

“Rivers and canals are the perfect metaphor for imagining connection and responsibility –sustainability thinking. Derby is blessed that rivers and canals are part of its heartbeat; the city and the countryside will be reimagined through the lens of nature as a new generation reimagines its future with everything to play for.”

Al IS on Smedley

Auchinstarry on the Forth & Clyde Canal, restored with millennium funding.

Facts & Stats

The report includes a wide range of statistics from across the sustainability sector, including:

n One 500-tonne capacity barge can replace 25 lorries each carrying 20 tonnes. A barge uses 1.3 litres of diesel per tonne-km compared to 1.7 for a train and 4.1 for a lorry. CO2 emissions by transport mode are equally impressive, with a ratio of 1:1.4:4.9 for barge, train and lorry respectively (Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research).

n 41.8m tonnes of freight were moved on UK inland waterways in 2020, representing 1.3 billion tonne kilometres (Department for Transport 2021).

n A recent study looking at modal shift of light freight from road to river in London identified capacity for up to 20 million parcels to be carried on the river each year, creating 833 jobs, increasing GVA by £53.7m and providing £7m of environmental benefits (Thames Estuary Growth Board and Port of London Authority, 2022).

n Heat-transfer technology can enable canal water to heat homes in winter and cool cities in summer, without any adverse impact on biodiversity. Up to 350,000 homes could benefit on Canal & River Trust waterways alone, saving more than 1 million tonnes of CO2 each year.

n There are already several hydropower schemes on the inland waterways network contributing to renewable energy targets, with the potential for many more. On CRT waterways alone, 20 million kWh is generated, equating to power for around 6,200 homes and saving 9,500 tonnes of CO2.

n Research by the University of Manchester for the trust shows that the presence of canal water in urban areas can cool Britain’s overheating cities by up to 1.60C during a heatwave, along a 100m-wide corridor.

Case Study: Glasgow's 'Smart Canal' Repurposing canals as ready-made solutions

An award-winning drainage system in Glasgow combines modern technology with an 18th-century canal to unlock regeneration across Scotland’s central belt.

The North Glasgow Integrated Water Management System uses pioneering sustainable drainage principles to provide flood-risk reduction, water-quality management and habitat improvement for local communities. Believed to be the first ‘smart canal’ in Europe, it unlocks 110 hectares of land for investment, regeneration and development. It also paves the way for more than 3,000 new homes to be built, while avoiding over 30,000 tonnes of operational CO2.

With north Glasgow’s sewer systems reaching capacity, new solutions for surface water management were needed. Engineering firm AECOM developed the £17m ‘smart canal’ concept on behalf of Scottish Canals, Glasgow City Council and Scottish Water within the Metropolitan Glasgow Strategic Drainage Partnership to tackle this challenge. Funding for the scheme was provided by the Glasgow City Region City Deal and two ERDF programmes (Green Infrastructure Fund & Scotland’s 8th City – the Smart City).

Meteorological forecasting data and sensors give advanced warning of heavy rainfall and automatically trigger a lowering of the water in the Forth & Clyde Canal. By enabling real-time operational management, the canal will become an intelligent water-management system, proactively providing surface water storage when required.

Ways to Get Involved in the Waterways for Today Campaign

Waterways Champions

To celebrate the launch of the Waterways for Today report, we are inviting members and waterways supporters to get involved with the campaign. We have, therefore, launched the search for ‘Waterways Champions’, which is a new initiative that will result in the selection of one champion from each branch of IWA. These volunteers will help promote the benefits of the waterways in their local communities and raise awareness about the challenges facing the network. Regional branches will be actively involved in the selection of their Waterways Champion so please get in touch with your local branch if you would like to be considered for the role.

Time Capsule

While the Waterways for Today report focuses on waterways in the present day, we very much hope that it will also become a benchmark for the waterways of the future. The Time Capsule project will help achieve this by creating a snapshot of today’s waterways that can be revisited in many years to come. The time capsule will include a copy of the Waterways for Today report, case studies, and photographs of our canals and rivers. Look out for more details of the time-capsule project in the next bulletin newsletter and on our social media accounts.

The Glasgow Arm of the Forth & Clyde Canal, March 2019.

Al IS on Smedley

Greener Boating

Reducing plastics and other pollutants on the waterways

If every time we visit a waterway we each pick up an item of plastic li er, there would be no plastic li er at all within a year.

This call to action om the Canal & River Trust in their ‘Plastics Challenge’ is just one example of how small actions by many people can make a big di erence. We really can contribute to significantly reducing both plastics and the other pollutants damaging our waterways.

The evidence is stark; on plastic pollution alone Greenpeace sampled 13 UK rivers in 2019 and found all contained microplastics (pieces of plastic less than 5mm long). It reported that “During this campaign we witnessed voles eating plastic, swans using it to build their nests, and caddisfly larvae using it to make their protective casings”.

Moreover, worldwide, some 12 million tonnes of plastic reach the ocean each year, around 80% originating on land while 20% is om sources like fishing gear. The consequences are dramatic as a 2019 study of UK marine mammals found. Every animal

Jan Hall, a member of IWA’s Sustainable Boating Group, provides this report on sustainable boating

Rubbish in the canal, Paddington Arm. ALISON SMEDLEY

Bollington Wharf.

JASON GALLOP

studied had ingested plastics with 84% being fibres from sources like clothes, fishing nets, and toothbrushes. The other 16% were fragments from food packaging and plastic bottles.

UK inland waterways are affected both by plastic and other pollutants. Only 14% of UK rivers rate as ‘good’ ecologically, while only 5% of our canals have clean and uncontaminated water. The immediate future suggests little or no sign of improvement.

However, the good news is that we CAN effect change by acting individually and together – there are some suggestions described below. Many will be things you’re doing already; others may be new to you and most are no or low cost.

• We can start by becoming much more conscious about the effects of, for example, wastewater from our sinks and showers. Since it’s untreated, we must become our own water-treatment plant. The pollutants draining down the plughole, or running off the boat after cleaning or maintenance affect not only our immediate locality, but the rivers, estuaries and seas into which our waterways flow.

• We can also become more ‘plastics aware’. So, just thinking about doing the washing up, try swapping the plastic washing-up brush for a wooden one, the plastic sponge for a loofah, the pan scrubber for one made of coir and the washcloth for a reusable cellulose one.

• Of course, some major sources of pollution aren’t directly attributable to boating and you might like to join with others and support groups like River Action or The Rivers Trust which campaign to reduce sewage discharges into rivers and the effects of agricultural runoff.

Engine related

Diesel, oil and grease

All are toxic to aquatic life and take years to biodegrade. In 2019, River Canal Rescue (RCR) estimated that over 120,000 litres of fuel and oil enter the inland waterways each year. That’s an average of 2 litres per boat per year.

It’s essential to avoid spills and crucial to maintain the engine bay in such a way as to avoid contaminated water entering the waterway. RCR estimates that some 40-50% of boats it repairs have contaminated water in the main engine bay (i.e. outside the supposed oil-tight compartment).

Key actions (mostly no or low cost):

• Avoid overfilling the diesel tank. Allow room for fuel inside to expand and check the tank vent isn’t blocked or leaking fuel.

• Remember there must be an oil-tight compartment below the engine and gearbox capable of containing the oil from both.

• Dispose of fuel- and oil-soaked rags safely – they are hazardous waste.

• Regularly check your fuel lines and seals for leaks. If you notice fuel or oil in the engine bay, find the source.

• Use an absorbent sock and/or liner to catch oil and fuel in the engine bilge.

• Grease and adjust the stern gland correctly and keep a small tray under to catch drips.

• Keep coamings and drains free running to avoid rainwater getting into the engine room.

• Don’t use detergents to deal with spills, it causes more damage to the environment.

• Use www.oilbankline.org.uk to find your nearest waste disposal point.

To consider:

• Fit an in-line bilge filter like BilgeAway which removes fuel and oil from bilge water and claims to convert this into a harmless residue (note that pending approvals this is classified as hazardous waste and should be disposed of at marina or local authority facilities).

What we can do

Drawing on the excellent 2017 leaflet by The Green Blue ‘The Green Guide to Inland Boating’ we look at some of the pollutants resulting from boating and list some ideas and suggestions about what we can do to improve the situation whether we’re liveaboard, leisure boaters or hire operators.

IWA Sustainable Boating Group will be doing further work in the future to help boaters to make their cruising more environmentally sustainable. We define ‘sustainable’ as the long-term maintenance and enhancement of human well-being within finite planetary resources.

IWA campaigns to raise awareness about these and other issues affecting inland waterways. We hope that you will support this and other vital work by joining us.

“During this campaign we witnessed voles eating plastic, swans using it to build their nests, and caddisfly larvae using it to make their protective casings”

Street Hay Wharf on the Coventry Canal.

Engine related

Antifreeze

The antifreeze used in land vehicles contains ethylene glycol, which is toxic to animal and plant life. The marine equivalent is propylene glycol, which is less toxic and degrades more quickly.

Key action:

• Ask your chandlery for antifreeze containing propylene glycol.

Plastics

When washing clothing made of synthetics, shedding of microfibres will happen whether you hand or machine wash – however, research shows that the way you wash can considerably reduce shedding (see below under Cleaning – Laundry).

Key Actions (no or low cost):

• Look for plastic-free utensils and tools.

• Take part in the Plastics Challenge – see the CRT website for information.

To consider:

• Buy preloved, especially clothing – new clothes shed more microfibres.

• Look for environmentally friendly clothing, for example, made from hemp or linen.

dIY and maintenance

Paint, filler, sealant, metal and other dust all introduce particles into the waterway environment which are potentially harmful.

Key Actions (no and low cost):

• Particles and debris should be swept and/or vacuumed up and disposed of safely

• Avoid paint spills into water or onto land.

• Keep hazardous waste like used paint tins and used rags separate and dispose of safely.

• Don’t wash brushes out into the waterway.

• Use products efficiently to minimise wastage, for example, consider sharing with other boaters.

To consider:

• Use environmentally friendly products as far as possible.

To report a pollution incident

In EnglAnd And In WAlEs

If it’s a major pollution incident (for example, something causing fish or other wildlife distress), call either the Environment Agency for England on 0800 807060 or Natural Resources Wales on 0300 065 3000 Canal and River Trust 0303 040 4040 (office hours) or 0800 4799947 (outside office hours) Broads Authority 01603 756 056 (office hours)

In scoTlAnd

Call Scottish Environment Protection Agency on 0800 807060 (24 hours) or Scottish Canals 0800 0729900 (outside office hours) or 01413 326 936 (office hours)

In norThErn IrElAnd

Call Northern Ireland Environment Agency on 0800 807060 (24 hours)

More information

The Green Blue is an environmental programme sponsored jointly by the Royal Yachting Association and British Marine. It provides information tailored to boaters about greener options and good practice and launched the ‘Sustainable Boating Pledge’ at this year’s Boat Show.

Treehugger is a mine of information about all aspects of sustainable living, with over 2 million monthly users.

If you have suggestions and experience of how to be ‘greener’ on the waterways, we’d like to hear from you. You can email Waterways magazine at campaigns@waterways.org.uk

Note: Products mentioned in the article, or in online resources such as blogs, have not, to our knowledge, been subjected to scientific testing. Their inclusion should, therefore, not be taken as a recommendation by the Sustainable Boating Group and people should come to their own conclusions regarding efficacy.

“Only 14% of UK rivers rate as ‘good’ ecologically, while only 5% of our canals have clean and uncontaminated water. The immediate future suggests little or no sign of improvement”

Cleaning

Boat

Cleaning products may contain any or all of detergents, surfactants, phosphates, SLS (sodium lauryl sulphate) and polymers. Other commonly used products, like Brasso, are labelled toxic to aquatic life.

Key Actions (no and low cost):

• Only use the amount the job needs.

• Educate yourself about alternatives that don’t harm the environment.

• Consider mixing your own cleaning products. Information on safe and effective recipes is available online.

• Avoid products containing phosphate, chlorine and bleach in particular.

• Choose alternatives to plastics whenever possible, for example for cleaning cloths.

• Avoid any product which is labelled hazardous to aquatic life.

Laundry

Detergents, surfactants, phosphates, SLS and bleach are also in many laundry products and may be harmful to the environment. For example, detergents can destroy the external mucus layers that protect the fish from bacteria and parasites, cause severe damage to the gills and kill fish eggs. Surfactants may decrease breeding ability. Detergents also add another problem for aquatic life by lowering the surface tension of the water, leading to pollutants like pesticides being much more easily absorbed.

As boaters, our grey water goes directly into the waterways, so it’s particularly important to have regard to reducing negative impacts.

Key Actions (no and low cost):

• Experiment with using less laundry product per wash.

• Wash at cooler temperatures and less often. Sometimes clothes can be spot cleaned and aired.

• Line and air dry, rather than use a tumble dryer.

• Quick washes shed fewer fibres.

• Fill the washing machine around three-quarters full – this reduces friction, therefore shedding.

To consider:

• A laundry aid like EcoEgg, which contains minimal product will last for many washes and can be used for handwashing. A separate stain remover like Ecozone can be used beforehand if needed. A ‘Guppyfriend’ (or similar closely woven) washing bag designed to catch microfibres.

• Join Ethical Consumer, which monitors and rates laundry products (and many others) according to stringent environmental criteria.

Personal and cosmetics

Issues here are the same as with the laundry, with the addition of products like cosmetics. Looking for eco-friendly versions is a veritable minefield and manufacturers’ claims aren’t necessarily reliable. Before buying, you could look at whether products have been evaluated by Which? and by Ethical Consumer.

To consider:

• Subscribe to a blog like Moral Fibres, written by a sustainability expert and with lots of helpful suggestions on eco-friendly cleaning, cosmetics, travel and clothing. Much would translate to boaters’ lifestyles.

Walk with IWA

Discover new ways to enjoy the waterways with our self-guided walks. Follow the step-by-step instructions in this guide or online using your smartphone, and find out about history and heritage features along the way. More walks are available at waterways.org.uk/walks. We are still adding to this area and would love to hear from anyone who has a waterway walk to contribute. Please get in touch with us at walks@waterways.org.uk.

A Winter Walk along the Stort Navigation

This walk joins two railway stations so can easily be carried out from either one, but we begin at Sawbridgeworth station, which is very close to the Stort Navigation. Turn right out of the station car park, along Station Road, to where the road crosses the river, passing several attractively converted malthouses, once supplied by barges. Turn right again down a gently sloping path to join the towpath, and continue northwest along the river.

Very soon, you will come to Sawbridgeworth Lock and Mill. Unusually, the locks on the Stort Navigation are all 13ft wide. The river was canalised in 1769 when there were no standard lock sizes and these locks would have been perfectly adequate for the barges

A. T I ll S o N

Stort Navigation near Hallingbury.

Paddle gear at Sawbridgeworth Lock.

Spellbrook Lock –Wallbury is behind the trees on the right.

that worked the tra c on the river, carrying rye, wheat, barley, oats, coal, lime and, particularly, malt om the important malting industry in Bishop’s Stortford. When the locks of the Lee Navigation were widened and modernised during and a er the First World War, the Stort was not carrying enough tra c to justi a similar widening programme. The Stort was nearly lost as a navigation but, between 1913 and 1924, it was saved by the actions of the Lee Conservancy Board, which maintained the river at a loss until 1948 when it was nationalised.

Above Sawbridgeworth, the river meanders past the Sawbridgeworth Marshes, a nature reserve that consists of ten acres of waterlogged marsh, normally under an inch or two of water for most of the year; six acres of pea meadow and a lowlying willow plantation to the south. It is home to water voles and many rare plants.

Next, you reach Tednambury lock, above which a footbridge carries the towpath over a small arm, home to Hallingbury Marina.

Above Spellbrook Lock, you will pass Wallbury, an Iron Age hill fort. Unfortunately, it is thickly overgrown and there is no public access to the mound, but it would once have dominated the valley, and the sparse vegetation of winter gives the best chance of seeing it.

A small footbridge crosses the river just North of Wallbury, giving access to Thorley Wash Nature Reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest that was formerly a flood pound for the Stort Navigation, decommissioned in 2004 and converted to a more natural state.

The next footbridge is known as Matchstick Bridge because the bridge deck used to be extremely thin, barely a shoe’s width (although it did have handrails!).

Two more locks, Twyford and South Mill, are both on the outskirts of the town of Bishop’s Stortford. Either leave the river at London Road Bridge 50 to access the railway station or continue to the head of navigation at Causeway Bridge. Bishop’s Stortford o ers plen of hostelries in which to warm up. Plans were suggested in the first half of the 19th century for the construction of a canal to extend the line of the Stort Navigation beyond its terminus and connect with the River Cam near Cambridge, but trade never matched aspirations and the new canal was never begun.

TILLSON

Tednambury Lock.

A.

TILLSON

JAMES TIDY

Barge on the Stort Navigation.

Matchstick Bridge, Stort Navigation.

The view across fields towards Little Hallingbury.

A. TILLSON

Capturing the light

With an abundance of fine photographs to choose from, the judges at this year’s photography competition were hard pressed to select the winners. But they persisted, and we are pleased to share the winning results

We were delighted to receive over 300 entries to this year’s photography competition. Amateur and professional photographers alike took part, and we received some fantastic photographs featuring Britain’s canals and rivers. Some were taken using digital cameras whereas others were from mobile phones. Significant advancements in technology have made photography a lot more accessible, allowing people from all walks of life to participate in competitions such as ours.

The four categories were British Waterscapes, Old Meets New, Living Waterways and Heritage Details.

Judges Panel

The competition was judged by four exceptional waterways photographers: Kevin Maslin, Margaret Beardsmore, Derek Pratt and Alan Stopher.

Derek is the author of several books and articles on canal and river photography and has a library of over 80,000 photos taken over a period of 45 years. kevIn offers photography walks along the canal and his work has featured in BBC Wildlife and Waterways World magazines, as well as in the popular Geo Projects maps.

MArgAret is a Staffordshire-based photographer and canal enthusiast. She has volunteered with IWA for over 25 years, being both a committee member and a leader of local work parties. Margaret is a Licentiate with the Royal Photographic Society and enjoys capturing landscapes, nature and people. She also held a waterways webinar on the art of waterways photography in 2020.

AlAn won last year’s competition with his photograph of boaters waving at a train crossing the River Ouse in York. He is a member of his local photography society in Huddersfield.

“Landscape photography is all about capturing the light, and this wonderful image portrays that in spades. Nicola Turner was the early bird who caught the worm and her superb morning study of the Peak Forest Canal ticks all the right boxes. The diagonal composition leads the viewer’s eye into the picture and the low winter sun filtering through the skeletal trees and picking out the details of the moored boats adds that touch of magic. The fact that this shot was taken on a camera phone reinforces my belief that it’s the photographer’s skill and not the equipment which makes a successful photograph.”

Kevin Maslin

Congratulations to each of the category winners who will all receive £25 to spend in our online shop, plus IWA goodies. Please also join us in congratulating the overall competition winner, Nicola Turner, who will receive a print of their photo.

British Waterscapes & Overall competition winner Marple Peak Forest Canal nicola turner

Old Meets New winner

River Severn at Upton upon Severn

Teresa Fuller

“This is an excellent image, well composed and with good exposure. The a ractive boats in the foreground give interest and colour. The curve of the modern bridge provides the ‘new’ part of the brief, while there are several references to the ‘old’ element.

The couple standing on the bridge looking down at the river encourage us to look into the distance to see the traditional boat heavily laden with aggregate coming towards us. But the piece de resistance is the modern lorry on the bridge carrying old steam engines. A very a ractive image, well seen and well executed. Congratulations to Teresa.”

Margaret Beardsmore LRPS

Living Waterways winner Roger

Agnew

“Digital photography has made everyone a photographer regardless of whether you’re using a digital camera or a mobile phone. This was particularly true for the Living Waterways category where the quali of photographs submi ed was so great that I found it di cult to choose the best one. This photo of a boat crossing an aqueduct fits the bill as Roger has used diagonals to lead the eye to a focal point, which is the boat.”

Derek Pra

Heritage Details winner

Gillie Rhodes

“Gillie’s image fully satisfies the requirement for portraying a heritage detail but in doing so gets so many other things right. The lighting is good in that it avoids harsh shadows, the viewer can see the texture of all the stone om which it is fashioned as well as that of the wall which gives context to the scene. I loved the way that the milestone was shown o -centre and balanced by the grasses to make an e ective composition and the colour pale e is easy on the eye. Well done!”

Alan Stopher

A massive thank you to our judges and to everyone who entered. We hope you will enjoy seeing your photographs if they are used in our marketing materials, and that you are looking forward to our 2023 photography competition.

Rochdale Canal milepost at the entrance to Bottomley lock S is for Sowerby Bridge.

Feeling listened to and understood

“I

’ve worked with young people nearly all my working life, and those experiences relate directly to my role at IWA,” says Jenny Hodson, IWA Volunteer Manager.

For the past 15 years, Jenny has provided support to volunteer organisations on politics, procedures and recruiting young volunteers, along with specifically encouraging 16-25 year-olds to volunteer in their own social-action projects. She understands the importance of cross-generational cooperation and wants to help the younger generation to realise they can have a future within the waterways.

As she says, “If we don’t involve the younger generation and get them talking to the long-standing IWA members, then we risk losing so much knowledge about

the canals, their history and heritage, and the old skills. We also need them on board to help us understand how we can make it more appealing to younger people.

“At IWA, the age group of volunteers is typically a bit older,” Jenny continues. “We need the older volunteers, but we also need to bring younger people into the association so that they can learn from the experience, skills and knowledge of the older generation. But I think the long-standing volunteers and members also need support to understand and to consider the new ideas of younger people, especially the new technologies and ways of doing things that have developed in recent years.”

Jenny’s own career has developed over time. After leaving school, Jenny initially thought she wanted to be a primary school teacher, but the practical

Jenny Hodson brings her personal brand of enthusiasm to her all-encompassing new role at IWA

Chatting with volunteers.

Jenny in her role as IWA representative.

Jenny volunteering at a WRG camp.

experience led to the realisation that she would rather work with older children.

“I started volunteering with youths –mostly as a way to get a bit of personal time away from a busy family life,” she laughs. “But then I discovered that I like working with the teenagers, despite all their issues and problems. And it was great for me too, as I found so many different activities and interests to get engaged in – I’m a person who can never stay still – and working with them changed me as a person and released something in me that now always wants to try something new and take on new challenges.”

“I took some young people canoeing and found out I also enjoyed it. The same thing with rock climbing. I found so many adventures and activities I’d never tried. And if you work with volunteers and get them to try different things, they discover new things that they like, and that experience moves them on and grows them as a person.”

For example, she says, if a young person volunteers in a charity shop, they grow with the new people they meet and the new challenges. She adds that the same thing happens to her when she works at the Waterway Recovery Group Canal Camps: “You just meet so many different people from so many different backgrounds and different ages and see how they get on and mix so well together. And the new things you learn and the activities you do, it’s just something that you become passionate about without realising.”

She adds that trying new roles also helps her to understand what kind of person might be best suited to various IWA volunteer roles. She cites an occasion when she helped out as a camp cook at a recent waterways event: “It was a new challenge because I’ve never cooked on a Canal Camp. It helped me see things from a cook’s perspective and understand the different sides of a camp that a cook sees. We need a lot more camp cooks, and that experience gave me some insight that it’s a different type of person you need for that role in comparison to the type of person you need out and about with other people.

“It’s harder to feel part of the team as a cook because you’re on your own for so much of the day. You see everybody, you cook breakfast for them all (and it’s a bit of a rush to get them all ready and organised, and get them out of the building. And then you don’t see them again until they get back ready for their shower and the evening meal. You might get to socialise with them in the evening, but a lot of the talk is about the activity at camp while you

weren’t there. It’s a different perspective because you don’t get the chance to build yourself as part of the team to the same extent as the others.”

In addition to working across generations, and with volunteers and members, Jenny also hopes to contribute to a wider understanding of the association’s role.

“I feel we’re not always successful in getting the communication from head office through the levels to the local volunteers so they can really understand what IWA is all about and the links between all the different parts,” she explains. “I want to ensure that we try to communicate more and better with our volunteers – without whom we would be nothing.

She admits that the percentage of paid staff to the larger number of volunteers can make continuous communication a challenge, but adds that “you’ve just got to do your best and try to find new ways of getting the message across. It will eventually make a difference.”

It’s that personal brand of enthusiasm that Jenny hopes to bring to her new role with IWA. She wants to grow the membership and addresses the challenge in sometimes-novel ways, such as during a recent waterways event. “They had standup paddleboarding on offer,” she explains. “So I asked if anyone could have a go, and they said, ‘Yes, take your shoes off and get on’. I handed my phone to someone who then took photos of me on the paddleboard. They missed me actually falling in, but they got shots of me getting out and back on…”

“I chatted with some of the paddle borders who wouldn’t necessarily think of being an IWA member or volunteer.

But when I was talking to them about that patch of the canal and how, if they wanted to use it, maybe they could help the local society with some of the weed clearance and then it would help them, too. “

Jenny believes that helping such users of the waterways to understand what the local IWA volunteers are doing and what’s needed to help maintain that facility so it can be used may help them understand what they can gain from becoming members or volunteering with local work parties.

Through her involvement in various waterways projects, Jenny also hopes to get grants from large companies to help with funding various local canal restoration works or IWA/WRG camps.

“My interest just developed over time,” she explains. “I like mixing the two different roles of volunteering and raising funds. My role with IWA makes wonderful use of all that I’ve learned through jobs, volunteering opportunities and accomplishments in my personal life,” explains Jenny. “Combined with a lifelong enjoyment of being on the canal, on the water, on boats.”

She admits her new role is a big one, and it’s still in the initial stages: “Right now, I’m doing my research, talking to as many different people from as many different levels of volunteering and membership and everything else that I can. So, I’m spending a few months just getting information to understand how the association needs to move forward.

“We need to make sure our priorities come from both the volunteer and membership sides so that we can ensure they all feel listened to and understood. No one is going to get everything they want, but if I can work with them together, then perhaps I can help them get a little bit of what each of them wants. In the short term, we need to make sure that things are seen to be happening because that will help to keep people on board for the longer term to support volunteers and help us move forward. And make sure that all fits in with IWA principles and priorities.”

Jenny doesn’t really know what drives her but knows that every time she tries something new, there’s just something inside her that wants to try doing as many different things with her life as she can.

“This role with IWA is a new opportunity, and I was ready for something like that to come into my life. I just want to make it succeed, moving the association forward, involving all its various aspects, not just the canals but also the leisure and working side of the waterways. It is a challenge, but I’m up for it!”

“The new things you learn and the activities you do, it’s just something that you become passionate about without realising”

Discussing restoration projects with the team.