Endeavour May 2021

Endeavour Northampton Branch Newsletter — May 2021 Water problems on the Arm with paddles and gates left open Recently, on the Northampton Arm, there have been occasions where sel fish boaters have left paddles up and gates open in their haste to progress up or down the flight.

This has happened late in the evening or at night, resulting in several drained pounds the next morning.

Imagine setting off for a day’s boating to be met with empty pounds – huge frustration brought about by someone’s thoughtlessness! It takes a considerable amount of time to correct this, and the water ultimately comes from res ervoirs, depleting levels early in the season (see pictures on next page).

Please, please be a responsible and considerate boater by taking time to lower paddles and close gates when leaving locks. (See Chairman’s Jottings) Top Right: Pound between locks 13 & 14 Bottom Right: Pound between locks 3 & 4 Left : Flooded towpath between locks 14 & 15

waterways.org.uk/northampton Printed by Colour Image. Phone 07821 894521 email colourimage@aol.com

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Now lockdowns have been eas ed and we can go boating again but we still have to stay safe. I have noticed that since the April 12th the canals have got busier with boats moving about. It’s nice to see the hire boats back as this will help the economy for canal relat ed business including pubs and restaurants which will be open for normal inside eating and drinking again. Please support them if you can as they have been hit very hard during the last year, and we will need them again in the future.

As you will see on page 12 the Government has done a u-turn on red diesel and is keeping it for the moment thanks to IWA and other marine groups.

The solution IWA has identified, in tandem with other organisations and commercial operators, is to replace fossil fuel diesel (often referred to as dino-diesel) with a carbon-neutral alternative. Initially this was biodiesel produced by a process known as transesteri fi cation, using methanol and sodium hydroxide (or similar) as a catalyst.

But these two components mean that the fuel is, in fact, only about 87% carbon neutral. This product has become known as first generation biodiesel. For a number of reasons, it is generally considered totally unsuitable for marine use.

Fortunately, early this century the Finns starting developing a process for converting animal fats and waste vegetable oil into diesel fuel, employing hydrogen. Today this alternative, known as second generation biofuel, is becoming readily available and is already in regular commercial marine use. More than 90% carbon neutral, and with none of the shortcomings displayed by its first generation cousin, it looks like being the drop-in replacement fuel for those keen to run their existing diesel engines into a carbon -neutral future.

HVO perks for boaters Hydrotreat ed Vegetab le Oil (HVO) carries a wide range of endorsements from Vetus to Volvo, Kubota to Yanmar. It is completely stable when stored (up to ten years), remains free-flowing down to at least -25°C and is not hygroscopic (attracts water). In other words, unlike first generation biodiesel, it does not promote the development and growth of diesel bug. What’s more, it is 100% miscible, meaning that it happily mixes with all other diesel fuels.

Costs are the problem at the moment as its about 10p more expensive per litre.

IWA Northampton Branch has a Facebook page. It is at https://www.facebook.com/IWANorthamptonBranch Members will find posts there about our talks, Task Party dates and much more, as well as being able to use it for discussion purposes. We’d like to hear your views. We also have a Twitter account @northamptoniwa where you can leave us a message or engage in discussion on what’s happening.

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DIARY DATES JUNE

Mikron Theatre see page 12 for details and da tes

NORTHAMPTON ARM TASK PARTIES DATES June 6th , 15th. July 4th, 20th.

August 1st, 17th. September 5th, 21st.

Contact: geoff.wood@waterways.org.uk or phone 01604 453932 BUCKINGHAM CANAL SOCIETY WORK PARTY DATES Every Tuesday, Every Thursday and second and last Sunday in month Contact athinabec@aol.com or phone 01908 661217/07721 319404 STOKE BRUERNE CANAL PARTNERSHIP WORK PARTY DATES June 9th. July 14th. August 11th. September 8th.

Contact: stokebruernecanalpartnership.org.uk BRAUNSTON CANAL SOCIETY TASK PARTY DATES June 10th, 26th. July 8th, 31st.

August 12th,28th. September 9th, 25th.

Contact Clive at braunstoncanalsociety@gmail.com or phone/text Clive on 07817 435911.

Due to Covid19 please check before attending that the task/work parties have not been cancelled

IWA Northampton Branch web site www.waterways.org.uk/northampton Please visit it regularly to see any updates

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GRAND JUNCTION BOAT COMPANY GAYTON JUNCTION BLISWORTH ARM NORTHAMPTON NN7 3EF

01604 858043 www.narrowboat-repairsnorthampton.co.uk Email: info@boatrepairs.uk.com ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

MARINE ENGINEERS ELECTRICAL MECHANICAL PLUMBING & HEATING CRANE OUT HULL BLACKING & SPRAYING IF PREFERRED DIY SLOTS AVAILABLE HULL GRIT BLASTING WITH QUILL MACHINE OVERPLATING & STEEL WORK STERN GEAR BARRUS SHIRE AGENTS BETA AGENTS WEBASTO AGENTS CHANDLERY

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Branch Chairman’s Jottings

by Bernard Morton BRANCH AGM. Since my last Jottings, the Branch has held its AGM via Zoom which was a rather di fferent exp erience from the norm but sadly attracted no more attendees than normal. My thanks to those members who made the effort to join in.

Mick Butler, Sandie Morton and I retired by rotation and put ourselves forward for re -election. All three of us were duly re-elect ed with no new members coming forward, sadly.

At our first Committee meeting after the AGM, the Committee’s first task is the election of offi cers. I have to report that I was re-elected as Chairman and everyone remains in their former roles. So, here I am, on a warm sunny April day, writing yet another Chairman’s Jottings.

END OF LOCKDOWNS? With Covid vaccinations proceeding apace, we are gradually emerging from governm ent restrictions at what would seem to be a sensible rate.

How nice has it been to be able to sit outside at pubs and restaurants, in small socially distanced groups, and to enjoy being served with food and drink you haven’t had to prepare! Fortunately, the weather has been rather kind to us, with lots of sunshine, making outdoor hospitality all the more enjoyable. Fingers crossed all goes well for a further li fting of restrictions on 17th May allowing us all greater freedom and do try to support our waterside hospitality businesses if you can.

BOATING PLANS. Sandie and I have been planning a longish boating expedition for this summer with our good friends Linda and Ian Bekusch. We will be heading up North again hoping to make it to Liverpool, closures and water supply permitting. So far this Spring we have seen little rainfall and warning bells are already sounding. We boaters can do a lot to save water whilst cruising. Most locks now have CRT notices about closing all paddles and shutting lock gates. These are there for a very good reason … to save water.

WEBINARS. Unable to hold our regular Branch meetings at The Walnut Tree due to Covid restrictions, we have organised a number of virtual talks which have covered a variety of topics and have been very well attended. Our last one for the 2020-2021 season will be on 11th May and will feature Paul Rodgers, IWA Chairman, talking about the way ahead for IWA. There will then be a break until October 12th when we hope to be able to resume our meetings at The Walnut Tree. Catriona Butler, our meetings organiser, is hard at work coming up with an interesting and varied programme for our 2021-2022 season.

I look forward to seeing lots of you face-to-face in October.

Well, that’s all from me except to wish you all an enjoyable, safe summer particul arly if you are out and about on or around our inland waterways. Please think of others as you do so – boaters be considerat e of other boat ers and close paddles and gates, cyclists be wary of pedestrians and fishermen and sound a warning as you approach, and of course adhere to whatever Covid restrictions remain in place to spare us from any further lockdowns!

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Good News - Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum is open.

It has been particularly busy at Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum, with the progress of the Canal & River T rusts planned transformation.

Our local waterways heritage is now being displayed across all three floors of the building giving a sense of place as soon as you walk through the door.

Canal & River Trust curatorial volunteers have led in the production and installation of the new design for interpretation in the Canal Museum as part of the first phase. The new interpretation archive material along with the images and artefacts were selected by the Trusts national collections manager and a small team of volunteers. They have written and designed the graphic panels and interpretative features, using their local knowledge and records plus, the national waterways archives. Now with the initial displays in place on the ground and first floors, this dedicated team of volunteers continue to work together, bringing to life the story of the Grand Union Canal and Stoke Bruerne on the second floor, in readiness for the galleries opening with free admission in June. T he Friends of the Canal Museum enabled this reinterpretation with funding.

From Wednesday 9 th May the café and gift shop are open. Come and enjoy the panoramic canal views though the fabulous new windows, admire the exhibits, ponder the bookshelves, enjoy a locally made delicious cream tea, all while immersed in this historic canal side setting.

The canal museum with the new panoramic windows giving views of the canal

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TILLERS TO MANUAL Book review by Tim Coghlan ‘Canal Boat Steering – How to Move Your Boat – by Janul The canal seems to produce great characters – maybe something in the water – and in their time they play many parts. But few can equal Janul – (Jan Knox) . In addition to being a qualified RYA boat instructor and running her own training school, Canal Experience - based on which she has written, illustrated and published this excellent pocket manual on boat handling – she is also an authoress on the wider canal world.

Her books encompass the exp eriences of forty years on the canals, including many seasons steering the London trip boat ‘Jason’s trip’ and working coal boats, and a pump out boat in the greater London areas. Add to this she is a poet, song writer, performing singer and guitarist.

Turning to that manual, at just under eighty pages, it is very user fri endly – not just for the first time boaters, but a good book for the boater with years of Book cover experience to look through again at the start a new season. I intend to revisit the page on engine checks every time before I go boating, as I cannot always remember all of them. The page even has a moment of un peu risqué humour: ‘Find the dipstick and remove it from the hole, usually low down on the engine. Make sure you remember where this is located – many people have misplaced the hole!’

There are nine pages devoted to that thorny problem of steering backwards, which begins with an Obama-esque ‘Yes, you CAN steer backwards!’ Having carefully studied and taken onboard what is there to learn, all you then need to do is, ‘find a clear stret ch of water, ideally with a little bend in the distance behind you’, and backwards you go – just like that.

Janul is also encouraging to her readers: ‘There will always be those who steer better than you. I learn a lot on a daily basis and I expect I always will.’ But reading this much-needed booklet is a good way to start steering better. £8.99 Signed copies inc. p&p £10. 00 www.janul.com or Braunston Marina

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IWA’s lobbying successful as government announces red diesel will still be used for both private and commercial boats Keeping the use of red diesel for both private and commercial boats is fantastic news for the inland waterways. IWA has lobbied government about this issue for many years and it will be very much welcomed by boat owners, freight operators, boatyards and waterway-based fuel suppliers.

This is a success ful outcome of our camp aigning for many years around the use of red diesel and taxation. The only disappointment is that the Chancellor has not so far recognised the signifi cance of alternative fuels with any form of tax break.

Hydrotreated Veget able Oil (HVO) – identified by the IWA Sustainable Propulsion Group as a drop-in replacement for mineral diesel – is currently sold at around a £0.10 premium over its fossil fuel equivalent. At over 90% carbon neutral, its use can reposition inland boating close to the target carbon neutral goal.

The announcement in the Chancellor’s Budget of 3rd March coincided with the publication of the conclusion of last year’s Treasury consultation into the use of red diesel. It confirms that the current arrangement for private boat owners will continue.

This means they can use red diesel and pay their fuel supplier the difference between the red diesel and white diesel rates on the proportion they intend to use for propulsion.

The document also confirms that all commercial boat operating industries will be able to continue to use red diesel. This is great news for inland waterways freight and getting more traffi c off the roads.

The decision overturns the announcement from HMRC last July, which stated that privately owned pleasure craft would not be able to use red diesel from April 2022.

Boat owners will welcome this change of plan, along with boatyards and boat-based fuel suppliers who would have had to invest in new equipment.

More details can be found in the government’s response document 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 aWith all the rain that w e have had n official announcement unless so stated, otherwise the Association accepts no liability for any matter in the magazine.

Neither the editor nor IWA can accept responsibility for any errors or omissions in the magazine, and opinions stated are those of individual contributors. We w ill, how ever, gladly publish corrections if notified. The editor reserves the right to shorten or modify articles published in the interests of clarity or space.

The Inland Waterways Association is registered as a charity (No. 212342)

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BRAUNSTON CANAL SOCIETY The restrictions over the last 12 months has seen volunteer groups adapt and modify their working practices. Protection of themselves and the public became the number one priority. BCS was no exception and, with the support of the Canal & River Trust, we managed to continue volunteering when possible. A total of 1004 volunteering hours were accrued which equated to 57% of the previous year.

Being sanctioned by CRT to undertake essential maintenance during lockdown contributed significantly to this total. Lock maintenance, totem sign post replacement, towpath repair and the annual chipping of arisings allowed us to get out and onto the canal. As the chipper is only hired by CRT once a year this allowed us to commence work on our project to restore the twin bridges at Braunston Junction. The initial stage was to remove vegetation from around the brickwork. This produced a considerable amount of arisings from a neglected hedge that was over topping the bridge abutment. This was chipped along with other arisings that had been generated over the year.

Now we are hopefully seeing the light at the end of the COVID tunnel, we are looking forward to continuing our endeavours to improve our adopted section of canal at Braunston. The mild spring weather has allowed us a head start with this years lock painting schedule. Luckily, the volunteers do not seem to have lost any of their enthusiasm.

You can find out more about us by visiting our website at www.br aunston. or g.uk/BCS emai ling us at br aunstonc analsociety @gmail.com or contacting Clive on 07817 435911

Pub Review—The Maybush Newbridge. (Upper Thames) I thought it was worth letting you know about the Maybush. Last time we went by boat, 5 years or so ago it was closed and not showing much signs of life.

Im glad to report that its now open again, with new owners who have revamped and extended the outdoor areas. We visited on two lunchtimes in April 2021 and it was very busy outside (no bookings outside).

The menu at lunch had plenty of options including gluten free options for Ciabattas etc.

Moorings are £5 a night by the adjacent meadow. Itt opens at 9am for coffee and bacon sandwiches; the owners are quite happy for you to park in the carpark and walk before lunch. The Thames path is a nice walk in either direction.

Paul Lynam

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Mikron Theatre Company The company’s tour was cancelled in 2020but is hoping to do a reduced tour this year. They are doing two brand new shows for 2021 A Dog’s Tail. Exp lore the extraordinary world of heroic hounds, p amp ered p edigrees and naughty nobblers through the halls of Crufts.

Atlanta Forever Game on! It’s 1920and in-post war Britain womens football is big news.

June All shows start at 7pm 17th A Dogs Tale Wharf Inn Welford 23rd A Dogs Tale Admiral Nelson Braunston 24th Atlanta Forever Admiral Nelson 25th The Canal Museum Stoke Bruerne Every ticket in 2021 must be booked in advanced. You can do this on the web site Mikron.org.uk where you will find other dates and more information

Winners One Hundred Club March Draw Due to Covid 19 the AGM had to be on line on Zoom so the draw took place at the Task Party and was done by Laura Clarke with volunteers to witness 1st prize £100 Bernard and Sandie Morton 2nd prize £40 Jane and Roger O’Dea 3rd Prize £25 Geoff Wood Laura Clarke doing the draw with Paul Lynam,

SUPPORT FOR OUR ADVERTISERS Last year we gave all our advertisers a free advert as a show of support for their businesses during the Covid restrictions to trade.

Now that we are in lockdown again, the committee has decided that we should grant another free advert in the February issue as a “thank you” for their support of the Branch over the years. We have decided to extend the free advert to this issue as well.

Now, this lockdown is slowly opening and hopefully will be over soon. Now we are allowed out and about on our waterways we will need their goods and services to help them survived these difficult times.

When using the businesses that advertise in Endeavour please let them know where you saw their advert.

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Now that the restrictions have been lifted and we are able to go cruising again let me know about your trip so we can all share in your experiences.

Write a report about your cruise, let others know the good and not so good places to moor, eat, drink, places of interest worth visiting and anything else that might help others to enjoy that area. Let us know of any mishaps or interesting things that happened on your journey. Include pictures of your cruise, unusual things scenery and anything else that you want to add.

Now how about sharing yours? Or maybe you could tell us about the boats you’ve hired or owned. Email your articles to me, tony.clarke@waterways.org.uk

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VISIT STOWE HILL WHARF FOR ALL Y

Proprietor Robert Gudgeon welcomes you to Stowe Hill Workshop

Full Repaints Hull Blacking/Stern Gear Inspection and Repairs Engine Repairs and Maintenance Complete Fit-Out and Woodwork Alterations Plumbing Installations and Repairs Electrical Installations and Repairs NEW — Fuel Polishing Service Stockists of Morris Oils and Grease Full range of Batteries always available (please let us know your requirements) By road we are easily found, a few yards off the A5 at Stowe Hill towards Nether Heyford. By boat close to Bridge 26 • • • • • • • • • •

ALL WORK UNDERTAKEN, FROM SIMPLE TASKS TO COMPLETE FIT-OUTS

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YOUR ESSENTIAL BOATING SERVICES

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BRAUNSTON From Old Union Canal S ociety November 1987

by David Goodwin All the occasions I had been to Braunston, I had never walked the path between the village’s two halves.

This skirts the marina basins and crosses the old No.1 bridge. The climb, up a tarmac path, between new fencing was a stiff one and I was ‘blowing’ a little by the time I caught the old gent up. A comment about the climb broke the ice – he was puffing too! It turned out he was an ex-FM C Boatman! His ‘runs’ had been from London to Brum – two round trips each week carrying foodstuffs for the Co-op mainly, a heavy schedule. His comments on modern pleasure boating are best not repeated. He had a heart-felt plea on safety grounds to keep windlasses out of young children’s hands - he was amazed that there were not a great many more injuries sustained in that direction.

He ‘kept his hand in’ when occasionally asked to ferry boats about for the local boatyard, and recollections of a recent trip (from Crick back to Braunston) made the point nicely about the old way of doing things vs modern life. To begin with, his young ‘helper’ may have been able to drive a car but he seemingly had little sense of direction. When, after several false starts they finally found the summit (!), once on the boat his partner’s impression was that Braunston lay RIGHT out of the marina not LEFT! I had visions of the lad negotiating Hus. Bos tunnel for Crick, Foxton Flight for Watford, Saddington for Braunston and being 2 or 3 days from base before the truth dawned!

My informant’s scorn as he described the ensuing argument had to be seen to be believed! They finally set off in the correct direction. ‘My’ Boatman had evidently been a hard man in the old days, where differences were usually settled – be it with lock-keepers or other Boatmen, by one or other ‘testing the water’. He must have been in a good mood that day or he might have asked his companion if he could swim! Having been caught out before, he took a charged battery (in the event the boat had none), and his own windlass. As it was the boat had been

17 practically stripped, he even had to buy diesel to start it – then when they got to the tunnel, the spotlight didn’t work!

Luckily a boat had just passed before they set out, and so he went about catching them up, to have the benefit of their light. He was equally fortunate at Braunston, and all his old instincts came to the fore about catching another boat to share the job of locking down the flight. In fact this business of catching boats in tunnels prompted an anecdote about how to keep rivals at bay – precisely the opposite situation – if YOU happened to be the leading craft. In his day, the FMC Steamers used (fairly) clean-burning coke as their fuel. But, in a handy sack our hero kept a dozen tarred blocks which were to be had from the Birmingham Tram Depot. These were formerly used to form the road-surface between the track, but it seems they had a very different role for their final fling, as some sort of ultimate weapon.

If a rival (perhaps with a lighter load, running single) looked like catching him up in the tunnels – into the boiler went a couple of the blocks and the trailing boat soon dropped back! In the race for Buckby Top Lock, once out of the tunnel, at least he had given himself enough of an ‘edge’ to be first through the gauging stop and away to London.

The advent of the Bolinder engine put a stop to this particular ploy, but I am sure there were others, equally horrendous which replaced it.

As it was, it was dinner-time, and we had both caught our collective breaths and bade each other farewell. On my way back through the tunnel I looked at the soot-stained brickwork with a fresh eye!

We extend a warm welcome to the following who have joined Northampton Branch since the last issue of Endeavour

NEW MEMBERS Mr S & Mrs E Parker Mr M Gunn Braunston Canal S ociety

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The Anglian Pass Explained …

The Anglian waterways comprise 3 Navigation authorities: The Environ‐ ment Agency, The Middle Level Commission and the Cam Conservators.

Any boat travelling on the either the Environment Agency or the Cam Conservators navigations has always been required to register with the relevant authority.

However, since 1st April 2021, you now are required to register your boat to travel on the Middle Level navigations.

To make this easier for annual registration holders, there is a new Angli‐ an Pass which, once purchased, covers your craft from 1st April until 31st March, the same as your annual EA registration.

If your boat has an annual registration for any of the 3 navigation au‐ thorities (including a CRT Gold Licence but not the standard CRT River and Canal licence) you will need to purchase the Anglian Pass which will then enable you to cruise all three navigations.

If, however, you are visiting the Anglian waterways and have purchased an EA visitor licence (a short‐term registration) as opposed to an annual registration, you will still need to purchase a Middle Level visitor regis‐ tration to access the Middle Level navigations.

Anglian Pass charges for this season are: Vessel up to 5 meters in length

£25.00

Vessel over 5 meters to 10 meters (inclusive) in length

£50.00

Vessel over 10 meters to 15 meters (inclusive) in length

£75.00

Vessel over 15 meters in length

£100.00

For further information and the Anglian Pass application form please visit the website Visitanglianwaterways.org

John Line Manager, Northampton Marina Environment Agency

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SUPPLIES We are a fa mily run, customer friendly business based adjacent to Bridge 32 at Nether Heyford. Our service point is clear of moored boats making your stop quick and easy. We offer the following services:

• • • • • • • • •

DIESEL – always competively priced PUMP OUT – no meter clock here B LUE TOILET FLUID ODORLOS – organic waste tank treatment CALOR GAS – all sizes of bottled gas including Camping Gaz. SOLID FUELS – all types of smokeless fuel or coal. P lus firelighters, sticks and logs.

CHARNWOOD STOVES – all sizes of multi-fuel stoves with or without boilers MORRIS OILS – popular grades of engine oil plus water resistant grease FUEL SET FUEL CONDITIONER

Most Major Credit Cards Accepted.

Open: 8.00am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 1.00pm on Saturdays

Fred Tarry Bridge Cottage Furnace Lane Nether Heyford Northampton, NN7 3JY

Telephone/Fax: 01327-341202 Email : rhigginbottom@btconnect.com

Northamptonshire RESTAURANT º BARS º TRIP BOAT DINE IN STYLE IN WOODWARD’S CANALSIDE RESTAURANT 01604 862428 www.boatinn.co.uk SAVE THE BRANCH MONEY! Stop re ce iving Endeavour by post and instead ge t it e le ctronically. You will be notified by email when it’s published on-line. This will save in postage and printing costs. The printed ve rsion will be available at Branch mee tings. Contact Geoff Wood at geoff.wood@wate rways.org.uk and he will organise it.

Editor

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Now fully open

WHILTON MARINA CHANDLERY ♦

Diesel ♦

♦

Pump out

Well stocked chandlery ♦ Groceries

Pay us a visit, just browse and see what we have to offer Open daily 9am –6pm ALL YEAR ROUND Te l 01327 844639 E-mail: marinachandlery@gmail.com

The Branch is collecting old printer, toner and/or inkjet cartridges for recycling. I would be most willing to take them off your hands.

Also, we can get money for old mobile phones through the same company.

This form of recycling may not generate large amounts of funds but, as they say, every little helps.

Due to Covid 19 and no meetings at the moment please email me on sandie.morton@waterways.org.uk

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BUCKINGHAM CANAL SOCIETY Canal and River Trust have given us permission to continue running work parties at Cosgrove in two areas. Bridge One is now built, stop planks have been inserted under the bridge, the old piling which had been in place since the 1940's has been removed.

The temporary farm crossing put in place to allow access for the local farmer whilst the bridge was being rebuilt has now been removed. Improvement to the towpath will be carri ed out over the next few months. Work had been done on the towpath from Cosgrove Lock to Bridge One but now this work is being extended in the direction of the A5 Louise our work boat is still continue with the dredging where the cows graze at the start of the Buckingham Canal. The cows have broken down the bank and volunteers working in small groups have been installing Nico span netting which has been supplied by CRT. Our work parties at our two sites near Buckingham, Bourton Meadow and Hyde Lane have started up again. Bourton Meadow still has a 'reed problem' with the reeds in some areas blocking the canal comLeft: This is shows how Bourton pletely. We Meadow will look like when the found the Marsh Marigolds are in flower. best way Above: This is how it looks at the forward is to moment with the reeds blocking remove these reeds the canal by donning waders and with kebs, long handled forks bent over at one end, volunteers have been working in the canal bed.

The plan at present is to spend a month at Bourton Meadow and the following month at our Hyde Lane nature res erve site. The work at this site includes installing a wooden bridge over a stream running though this site. The first job here will be to clear the area around the stream and install piling and finally the bridge.

Hedge laying was carried out at this site about five years ago, but stakes and binders erected then now need replacing. But we are lucky as two of our volunteers have completed a hedge laying course so this should be an easy task for them.

Athina Beckett, Buckingham Canal Society

25 All advertisements must comply with the requirements of the Trades Descriptions Act and avoid misrepresentation of goods offered for sale. The Business Advertisements (Disclosure) Order 1977 requires that businesses seeking to sell goods must clearly indicate this in an advertisement.

CO MMERCIAL RATES 1/4 Page (box) £12.00 +VAT 1/2 Page (box) £25.00 +VAT Full Page £40.00 +VAT Other sizes by arrangement 10% discount for 4 issues paid yearly in advance 5% discount for 4 issues paid quarterly

CLASSIFIEDS (suggested donations) £1.50 for 22 words, 15p each additional word £3.50 for box around classified advertisement (nb. telephone numbers count as one word) £3.50 for photographs

Regular Branch Social Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month from October to May inclusive

WE ARE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO HOLD OUR BRANCH MEETINGS BACK AT THE WALNUT TREE IN OCTOBER Details will be on our website and Facebook (See page 4 for details)

The next edition of Endeavour will be published in August 2021

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Branch Chairman Bernard Morton 07785 375787/ 01604 858294 E-mail: bernard.morton @waterway s.org.uk

Joint Task Party Organise r Michael Butler E-mail: michael.butler @waterway s.org.uk

Vice Chairman, Joint Task Party Organise r & Membe rship Se cre tary Geoff Wood E-mail: geoff.wood @waterway s.org.uk

Branch Secre tary Sandie Morton 01604 858294 E-mail: sandie.morton @waterway s.org.uk

Planning Office r Helen Westlake E-mail: helen.westlake @waterway s.org.uk

Branch Meetings Catriona Butler E-mail: catriona butler @waterways.org.uk

Tre asure r Paul Lynam E-mail: paul.ly nam @waterway s.org.uk

Ne wsle tte r & Archivist Tony Clarke 07305 893924 E-mail: tony .clarke @waterway s.org.uk

Committee Membe r John Pomfret E-mail: john.pomfret @waterway s.org.uk

Non-Committee posts We bsite and Me dia Officers Gail Anscombe Email: gail.anscombe@wat erways.org.uk Lynda Payton Email: Lynda.payton@waterways.org.uk

Vacancies Publicity Officer and Grants Officer

The Inland Waterways A ssociation is a me mbership cha rity that works to protect and restore the country's 6,500 miles of canals and rivers.

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