Endeavour August 2022

Endeavour Northampton Branch Newsletter — August 2022

Branches share donation from Braunston Historic Boat Rally

Prunella Scales, Greta Russell IWA Warwickshire Branch, Geoff Wood IWA Northampton Branch Timothy West and Tim Coghlan Photo Andrew Denny Waterways World Continued on page 13

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

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On our recent cruise to the Wendover Canal Arm, we noticed that CRT want us to save water and are asking us to share locks ,close gates and paddles all to save water . But isn’t it time they did something about leaking gates and paddles? This is Seabrook Top Lock (36) and these gates have been leaking for over a year now. I had closed the paddles on the far side crossed over the gates then couldn't open them as the water was coming in faster Heron ignoring Linda than going out of one gate paddles.

Are herons getting tamer?

As we entered Grove Lock (28) there was a heron standing by the top gates looking into the lock. When Linda went and opened the paddles it didn’t move and she was standing less than 6feet away. It eventually moved when the gate was opened towards it, but only to the other side of the lock.

While moored up at the Wendover Arm The Waterway Recovery Group were busy working on the next section of the canal. One of the workers was from Head Office.

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DIARY DATES D

October 11th 2.30pm IWA Northampton Branch meeting at The Boat Inn, Stoke Bruerne.

Speaker - Mike Constable —The Boatwomen Trainees November 8th 7.30 IWA Branch Meeting at The Boat Inn, Stoke Bruerne Entertainers: Phil & Denise Underwood — Songs of the Waterways 12th 7pm IWA Branch Annual Dinner at The Boat Inn, Stoke Bruerne. Speaker — Athina Beckett — Progress on the Buckingham Arm See page 10 for details December 13th 7.30pm IWA Northampton Branch Christmas Quiz at The Boat Inn, Stoke Bruerne with John Pomfret. Prize for Best Dressed Table

Task Party Dates are on page 12 IWA Northampton Branch web site www.waterways.org.uk/northampton Please visit it regularly to see any updates 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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Branch Chairman’s Jottings

by Bernard Morton As I sit down at my computer to write my Jottings, I find myself stuck on the Kennet and Avon Canal near Aldermaston due to a very large fallen oak tree which came down a couple of hours before our arrival. It completely blocked the canal and towpath and we have already been here for 24 hours. After a morning’s chainsaw activity by contractors, which opened up the towpath but not the canal, it seems we shall be here for a while yet. The irony is that we were just rejoicing that two lift bridges ahead of us, both damaged by car crashes, had been reopened when we came under a bridge and saw a man waving frantically at us from the towpath to tell us we could go no further!

This is our second visit to the K & A again with our good friends Linda and Ian Bekusch – the first was four years ago and we enjoyed it so much we thought we would come again. BIG mistake! The K & A of today bears little resemblance to that of four years ago. It has an air of neglect about it now with towpaths, lock landings and locksides all overgrown with vegetation, often waist high, which makes it awkward, sometimes dangerous, leaving the boat to operate locks. This, coupled with the fact that many locks have at least one paddle out of action (usually at the deepest locks), has often made progress a struggle. Water levels have generally been adequate although time restrictions for the use of certain flights of locks have been implemented to achieve this.

Our worst nightmare, on our way back from Bristol, was hearing that the Caen Hill flight of locks was closed due to a broken pumping system. Fortunately, we heard this news moored outside a lovely pub and stayed there an extra night (with the landlord’s permission of course). We were then told that the closure would be for a week to allow replacement parts to be sourced. At this point, we decided to move into Caen Hill Marina where we had access to water, electricity, loo emptying facilities etc. – an expensive move but necessary, especially as the temperatures were over 30 degrees C. To access essential supplies, we decided to walk up the flight to Devizes – also a big mistake in the heat! Needless to say we got a taxi back – and used taxis for future trips!

I do hope this doesn’t sound like one long moan. Despite all the problems we have encountered, we have enjoyed ourselves greatly – being out in the beautiful English countryside in lovely weather, sightseeing on stopovers, meeting up with friends and family, frequenting the occasional pub (!) and so on. One thing we have learned is not to say “Nothing else can go wrong” – because something surely will.

And now onto other matters …

BRANCH SOCIAL MEETINGS. As you will be awar e, the Committee have been concerned about the lack of attendees at these meetings for some time and the fact that the room hire and speaker expenses have made them run at a financial loss.

We asked members for their thoughts on how we could improve our offering and have taken on board the comments we received. Several people thought afternoon meetings would be a better idea (as maybe turning out on dark winter evenings was

8 putting people off) citing organisations like U3A etc who do a lot of afternoon sessions. Whilst we thought this was a good idea, we didn’t want to make them all afternoon meetings and exclude our working members. Lynda Payton took over as Meetings Organiser a few months ago and has worked hard to compile some interesting talks/events with a mixed programme offering both (see page 11). She has found that afternoon meetings were welcomed by some of the speakers too.

The Walnut Tree couldn’t accommodate us for afternoons (and we had received numerous complaints about the room there being cold and the acoustics bad) so we searched around for an alternative. The Boat Inn offered us their small conference room that has projection equipment and heating/air conditioning free of charge. In the event of numbers increasing significantly, they are happy for us to use the upstairs restaurant. I guess they are hoping their tills will benefit from attendees buying drinks at the bar (I’ll do my best!) or tea/coffee, cakes, or even meals.

Please be aware that our afternoon sessions will start at 2.30pm and the evening sessions half an hour earlier than in the past at 7.30 pm (a suggestion from a member).

I do hope that these changes are welcomed by many of you, as they are in response to members comments, and that we see the numbers attending restored to previous levels.

ANNUAL BRANCH DINNER. I can’t believe that it is time to advertise our Branch Annual Dinner already, but the next issue of Endeavour will be too late to do so. We are once again returning to The Boat Inn at Stoke Bruerne which has easy access and moorings for anyone wishing to boat to the event. The Dinner will be held on Saturday 12th November at 7pm. Elsewhere in this issue you will find a booking form and, of course, there will be one on our website shortly. These events are popular and well attended and one of the few occasions where Branch members can gather socially. There is a limit of 50 places so do make sure to get your booking in as soon as possible.

IWA CAVALCADE 2022. Sandie and I decided to visit Cavalcade this year (though sadly not by boat) which was back up and running this year after Covid.

Previously, it always clashed with our Branch Boat Gatherings in Northampton. It was a lovely day out and the Little Venice venue was the perfect setting as was the weather. The crowds of people there had plenty to entertain them – what a well organised event it was which hopefully raised public awareness of IWA and its work.

CRICK BOAT SHOW. It was good to see the Cr ick Boat Show back this year although as it clashed with the Platinum Jubilee Weekend we couldn’t go. It would seem to have been well attended and hopefully will have attracted more people to water-based activities on our inland waterways.

BRAUNSTON HISTORIC BOAT RALLY. This r ally was another event that had to be cancelled due to Covid so I am sure Tim Coghlan was delighted that it was able to go ahead this June. Unfortunately, we were already off boating but the Branch had a stall there organised by Geoff Wood and raised £70 from the sale of books donated by John Russell’s family. We also received a generous donation of £100 from Tim Coghlan for taking part. Thank you Tim. TOWPATH TALK. If you haven’t already seen July’s edition of Towpath Talk do try to get hold of a copy as there is a short article about the work our volunteers do

9 on the Northampton Arm. There is also a lovely photo of our youngest volunteer, Lottie Clarke, posing beside a bug hotel recently installed at Lock 10. What good publicity for our hardworking volunteers and their indefatigable leaders Geoff Wood and Mick Butler.

Well, that’s all for now folks, I think. Enjoy the rest of your summer whatever you are planning. Stay safe. We have a bottle of something chilled and fizzy ready to celebrate when we exit the K & A onto the Thames!

CRT Garden at Kennett and Avon Lock—does this cut down on leaking gates?

When you go cruising again let me know about your trip so we can all share in your experiences. This is where you can suggest new places to visit or to avoid.

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. I am looking forward to receiving your reports.

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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Guest Speaker — Anthina Beckett— Progress on the Buckingham Arm The second draw of the 100 Club Numbers are limited to 50, so please book early to avoid disappointment.

A booking form is included in Endeavour and is also available on the Branch web site, www.waterways.org.uk/northampton MENU Home-made Spicy Parsnip Soup (v) Duck, Pork, Orange & Brandy Pate with Baguette Croutes Creamy Garlic Mushrooms on Ciabatta (v)

Prawn Salad with Lemon Mayonnaise ********************************************* Fillet of Loch Fyne Salmon with Leek & Lemon Sauce Grilled Rib-Eye Steak with Mushrooms & Tomato (£5 supplement) Supreme of Chicken with Mushroom and Brandy Sauce Roast Leg of Lamb with Redcurrant & Rosemary Gravy Mushroom & Tarragon Strudel (v) (All the above served with a selection of Fresh Vegetables & Potatoes)

**************************** French Apple Tart with Pouring Cream Chocolate Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream Home-made Bread Pudding with Toffee & Rum Sauce Fresh Fruit Salad with Cream Cheese and Biscuits (£2 supplement) Coffee or Tea and Mints MEAL PRICE (3 COURSES) IS £24.00 (includes coffee/tea & mints) (v) = Vegetarian

Any other dietary requirements, please contact Sandie

on 07917 163860 before booking.

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Speakers for 2022/2023 season

Second Tuesday in month at The Boat Inn Stoke Bruerne Please check the time October 11th 2.30 Mike Constable

The Canal Boatwomen Trainees

November 8th 7.30 Songs of the Waterways Phil and Denise Underwood December 13th 7.30 John Pomfret

Christmas Quiz –Prize for best for best dressed table

January 10th 2.30

Video Night Members to bring short clips of their adventures

February 14th 2.30 Roger Butler

A Romantic Canal Honeymoon 1962

March 14th 7.30 AGM Jane Hamilton

followed by Bedford to Milton Keynes Link

April 11th 2.30 TBA May 9th 7.30 Spot the Lock. Can you identify Peter Scott them - Quiz and Talk May also include The Sheffield Floods – “How we came to be 8 feet up” attending by boat

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

12 TASK PARY DATES NORTHAMPTON ARM TASK PARTIES DATES September 4th, 20th.October 2nd, 18th.

November 6th, 15th. December 4th, 20th.

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 September 14th. October 12th. November 9th.

December 14th.

Contact: stokebruernecanalpartnership.org.uk BRAUNSTON CANAL SOCIETY TASK PARTY DATES September 8th, 24th. October 13th, 29th.

November 10th, 26th. December 8th 31st 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 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 we 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 will, however, 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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SUNSHINE AND STARS BROUGHT OUT THE CROWDS FOR THE 18th BRAUNSTON HISTORIC NARROWBOAT RALLY Tim Coghlan writes: After an absence of two years due to COVID, and two failed attempts in those years to hold it, the Braunston Historic Narrowboat Rally finally went ahead again in its traditional slot over the last weekend in June. It was the 18th time it has been held since the event was started in 2003, and transpired to be one of only a few canal rallies to be held this summer as other events elsewhere were cancelled.

Perhaps because of this, the attendance by both historic narrowboats and visitors alike was well up on the last event held in 2019. A total of 81 historic narrowboats attended, versus 71 at the last one, coming from all corners of the waterways. And the numbers would have been much higher, but for mechanical problems, perhaps to be expected with these old canal leviathans. Now successfully revived, the annual Braunston rallies remain by far and away the largest rally of historic narrowboats anywhere on the inland waterways.

Most disappointingly for this year was the absence again of President, the last surviving steam narrowboat, where the problem of building a new steam boiler to modern

Waiting to parade: A whole armful. Historic narrowboats moored in the Old Oxford Arm at Braunston Marina. (Tim Coghlan)

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President with its butty Kildare were to have been the stars of the Rally, with music legend and steam enthusiast Pete Waterman at the helm.

But that has now been put on hold for next year.

However their loyal supporters, the Friends of President did take a stand in the exhibitors marquee, where they were able to inform people Actor and canal enthusiast Timothy West steering the about the state of pro- motor Nutfield into Braunston Marina to formally open gress. the Rally. His wife Prunella Scales co-opened it on the butty Raymond being towed behind. (Tim Coghlan) Fortunately our resident

marina celebs, Timothy West and Prunella Scales agreed to stand in for the opening on our resident pair of former working narrowboats, the Nutfield and Raymond, both of which had received a major winter makeover by the Friends of Raymond, and looked quite splendid. It was the fourth time that Tim & Pru had done the honours since they first did so on President and Kildare in 2013. For that first and then second time, agreed to don traditional boatman costume. In more recent times, they have refused this request, Tim saying they only wear costume when they are being paid!

The opening took the now well established format of the chosen pair of boats entering the marina from the canal under the famous Horseley Ironworks bridge to a peel of bells from Braunston Church – ‘the Cathedral of the Canals.’ And serenading the pageant was fine music from Daventry Brass.

Tim was at the helm of the Nutfield, assisted by Nick Lake. Pru was in regal form on a chair on a specially built temporary platform at the rear of Raymond’s hold, from where she could wave to the crowds of her adoring fans. ‘I know, ‘I know!’ Two days before the Rally, Pru had turned 90, and this milestone needed to be acknowlFormal joint presentation to the Friends of Rayedged. Appropriately Daventmond by Timothy West and Prunella Scales of a ry Brass played Happy Birthcheque for £1,000 from Braunston Marina. The day, to which all joined in.

Friends of Raymond and the Narrowboat Trust both In the hold of the Raymond received that amount as joint main beneficiaries of the Rally. (Simon Ainley) were a number of celebrity

15 guests including Richard Parry, CEO of the Canal & River Trust, and Tony Hales OBE, retired Chairman of the Canal & River Trust. Tony still continues his passion for the waterways and has attended every Rally since 2009.

The winning historic narrowboat for this year’s ‘Nurser Award Buckby Can for the Best in Show as voted by the historic narrowboat owners’, was to Pete Harrison, owner of the magnificently restored Otley, which was one of ten historic narrowboats making their first appearances at our rallies – an encouraging sign that restoration projects continue. As well as that Buckby can, Pete also received £250 in Midland Chandlers vouchers, generously sponsored by them.

The Rally seeks to be both a rally of historic narrowboats, and a waterways festival, with a variety of entertainments reflecting this theme. The Guild of Waterways Artists were again provided with their own marquee, sponsored by the Rally, and ten of its members had their works on display, including the great canal artist Dusty Miller, who was also signing his new book on his life as a waterways artist. There was also a trade marquee shared with the number of canal societies. Canal societies were also outside, as were a number of good causes like the RNLI, who were given free space.

The Rally is also billed as a canal festival – in the fine tradition of the first IWA Rally held at Market Harborough in 1950, inspired by its co-founder Robert Aickman.

Entertainments included the canal-travelling Alarum Theatre, with their new play, ‘I Dig Canals’ about female volunteers who were involved in the heroic restoration projects in the ‘fifties and ‘sixties. Our music-impresario for some years now, Janul, produced the amazing musicians she finds each year for the beer tent – a miniGlastonbury, without the mud. Children were entertained by Professor Diamond’s Punch & Judy Show. There was a new villain for this year - Boris Johnson - who because of his wickedness, is eaten by the crocodile and disgorged as ETON MESS. On the Sunday evening, to close the event, the Rally sponsored a candle-lit choral concert by Fiori Musicali of Spanish seventeenth century music – their equivalent of our Elizabethan music - across the meadows at the ancient church of Wolfamcote. This was to raise awareness of this redundant church and funds for its preservation.

Happy birthday Pru - seen enjoying her 90th birthday card from the Friends of Raymond. (Tim Coghlan)

The Braunston Historic Narrowboat Rally is sponsored by Braunston Marina and Towpath Talk, and is supported by the Canal & River Trust. Braunston Marina will be hosting the event again next year on the same last weekend in June, 2023.

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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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Northamptonshire RESTAURANT º BARS º TRIP BOAT DINE IN STYLE IN WOODWARD’S CANALSIDE RESTAURANT 01604 862428 www.boatinn.co.uk

The Branch is collecting old printer, toner and/or inkjet cartridges for recycling.

I would be most willing to take them off your hands.

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

Please bring them to the Branch meetings or please email me on sandie.morton@waterways.org.uk

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WHILTON MARINA CHANDLERY Well Stocked Chandlery, Diesel, Pump out, Groceries Pay us a visit, just browse and see what we have to offer Open daily 9am –6pm ALL YEAR ROUND

Tel 01327 844639 E-mail: marinachandlery@gmail.com

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STOP ROCKING THE BOAT: PRINCESS ANNE NOT AMUSED! A saying of the 18th century lit-wit Dr Samuel Johnson, and much quoted by Churchill, was ‘“Depend upon it, sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.”

Whilst our predicament at Braunston Marina was not that bad, in June this year, and despite our best endeavours, we still had little more than that fortnight to go to our Historic Narrowboat Rally to resolve the problem we had being trying to deal with for some years. It was that the large lump of rock that lay only a couple of feet beneath the surface of what we call the Old Oxford Arm. During COVID times it had got much worse. That lump would be in the very heart of where the visiting historic narrowboats would be mooring when not parading, unless we somehow sorted it.

At the last rally we held in 2019, the rock had caught a number of these canal leviathans, requiring much muscle and sweat to get them off. One of the boats that got stuck on that rock - in a dramatic style reminiscent of an unsuccessful attempt at the water jump at Badminton Horse Trials - was the ‘Princess Anne’. The boat had only recently completed a magnificent restoration by its new owner Sarah Malcolm - and was now the winner of the Best Historic Narrowboat in Show as voted by the boat owners. In true Princess Anne style, Sarah was not amused. (The boat was built by Harland & Wolff in Woolwich in 1935, and first named the Plato. With the

Raising the rock by the dock

23 birth of Princess Anne in 1950, it was renamed in her honour and has kept the name ever since.)

The offending rock seemed to be the last remaining part of the old wharf wall that had collapsed through neglect in the 1980s, during the period of gross neglect that marina had suffered from in the twilight of years of its previous owners Ladyline. In the mid 1990s, after I had acquired the marina, we rebuilt that wall, through the use of a coffer dam. In so doing we removed all of that old collapsed wall, bar one section that defied all efforts on our part. It just wouldn’t move, and as it was located immediately above the culvert that drained our dry docks, and ran under the Arm, we took the view that it was best left alone, as we could live with it.

However, in recent times we noticed that the rock seemed to have got closer to the surface, making the draft even less. Maybe it was rotating, and with that presumably it was moving, and therefore not fixed to the culvert brickwork. The clearance now was a problem even for modern shallow drafted narrowboats, and impossible for the deep drafted historic ones. It was time to throw everything at it, including the wonders of modern technology.

We commissioned an underwater camera survey of the rock, which revealed to our astonishment that it was some 2.5 metres long – we thought it was just a metre or so.

Then we employed the service of Midlands waterways specialists Ambion Contractors, with their team headed by David Saunders. A lot of work had to go into the waterside site preparations before they had their first go at a lift out. Using a conventional JCB, the plan was to break up the rock underwater first, before lifting it out.

But this Rock of Ages would not break beyond a few token pieces round the edges.

It was time for Ambion Contractors to call in their canal cavalry – a 16 tonne tracked excavator, delivered by low loader. The skilled operator soon proved that the rock could move, which he gingerly showed by dragging it to a position where its sausage shape could be more centrally located in the scoop bucket.

Then to the astonishment of the bystanders looking on, this Jaws-monster of Braunston Marina was at last gingerly lifted clear of the water, the excavator straining itself to hold it in position in the bucket. Much careful manoeuvring was then needed to reverse the excavator and its estimated five tonne load well clear of the waterside, where the stone could be unloaded in the car park.

Even now, the rock would not break up, and Ambion Contractors had to rush in a special JCB with a breaker to reduce the rock to small lumps, after which it could then be taken away for disposal.

But before that, there was something of a mortar post-mortem as to why that rock had proved so hard. On close inspection, it proved not to have been a solid rock or large lump of concrete, but in fact nothing more than the remains of a wall built of rough hewn limestone bonded in burnt lime cement - both probably from the ancient quarry on nearby Barby Hill - for the canal builders sourced materials locally wherever possible. By the time the wharf wall was constructed in the mid to late 1780s, the canal was probably already built, so the wall would have set underwater – the

24 best way for the cement to set extra-hard.

Today, more and more ancient newspapers are going onto the Net, providing fascinating new information. Diana Monaghan – a retired school teacher and co-owner the historic Narrowboat ‘Madeley,’ a converted Fellow, Morton & Clayton butty which regularly attends our rallies - had found an astonishing advertisement in a 1788 copy of the Northampton Mercury. It offered coal for sale at the wharf at Braunston, where the new canal crossed underneath the turnpike road from London to Birmingham. The coal came by the newly opened canal from the Warwickshire coalfields. So the coal wharf was in place then, with the connection opened further south to the Thames at Oxford still two years away on 1st January, 1790. That rock must have made around 1788.

With a lot of running around, the quayside where that rock had been lifted out, was made shipshape in the remaining two weeks before the Rally. But old habits die hard, and I noticed the historic-boaters, who had attended our rallies in the past, seemed to give a wide berth to where the rock had been. As to the Princess Anne, she attended the Rally, but chose to moor safely out on the Grand Union Canal. It would seem that the good lady would now not touch that Old Oxford Arm with a barge pole!

Princess Anne on the dock side

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26 A busy spring for volunteers on the IWA’s Northampton Arm Northampton Branch volunteers have been busy as usual this spring. They have made much progress in keeping the canal tidy and making it a better place, including building a bug hotel.

They repaired potholes in the towpath and access track, made fencing repairs and with CRT supervision and chipper dealt with loads of vegetation that needed cutting back.

A major, deep litter pick was carried out around Lock 17 and the lock island and the Westbridge Arm of the River Nene. Where the canal passes the St James retail park it also got a lot of much-needed attention; 23 trolleys and 100 bags of rubbish were collected.

Lottie Clarke with the bug hotel

(From Towpath Talk)

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BUCKINGHAM CANAL SOCIETY The BCS are continuing to run practical task work parties at three sites along the Buckingham Canal, Bourton Meadow, Hyde Lane Nature Reserve and Cosgrove.

At Cosgrove we have been helped by students from Milton Keynes College who have been working at our Heritage Landing Stage site which is being restored. This was a landing stage used by a local Millar to transfer his grain to waiting narrowboats and eighty-five percent of this project has now been completed.

We have also had help for several corporate groups including Santander, HSBC, BT, Audi, Arriva and several groups from Network Rail.

Other projects include two of our volunteers attending a CRT chain saw course and Becky Hall, our Community Engagement Officer, organising an 'Art on the Canal' session at our Bourton Meadow site on Friday 29th July.

Our main focus for July has been a return of our Annual Canal Festival held at Cosgrove lock with a Craft Fair in Cosgrove village hall over the weekend of 23rd - 24th July. Our first since Covid. With good weather on both days the festival proved to be a great success with over five hundred people joining us each day and about twenty boats trading along the Grand Union Canal.

Richard Parry was expected to pay us a visit but unfortunately had to withdraw because of Covid but Julie Sharman ( Chief Operating Officer CRT) did attend the festival and was shown round the festival site and the work being carried out on the Buckingham Arm. All Northants IWA members are welcome to visit and see the work being carried along the canal or help with the volunteering Athina Beckett Buckingham Canal Society A boat selling bug hotels of a variety of sizes and shapes

Crowds of visitors along the towpath

29 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.

COMMERCIAL RATES

CLASSIFIEDS

1/4 Page (box) £12.00 +VAT 1/2 Page (box) £25.00 +VAT Full Page £40.00 +VAT Other sizes by arrangement

(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

10% discount for 4 issues paid yearly in advance 5% discount for 4 issues paid quarterly

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

The Boat Inn Stoke Bruerne Food and drink available

11th October 2.30

Mike Constable –The Canal Boatwomen Trainees

8th November 7.30

Phil & Denise Underwood –Songs of the Waterways

13th December 7.30

Christmas Quiz Prize for best dressed table

Please check the new times The next edition of Endeavour will be published in November 2022

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Branch Chairman Bernard Morton

07785 375787/ 01604 858294 E-mail: bernard.morton @waterways.org.uk

Vice Chairman, Joint Task Party Organiser & Membership Secretary Geoff Wood

E-mail: geoff.wood @waterways.org.uk

Branch Secretary Sandie Morton 01604 858294

E-mail: sandie.morton @waterways.org.uk

Joint Task Party Organiser Michael Butler E-mail: michael.butler @waterways.org.uk

Planning Officer Helen Westlake

E-mail: helen.westlake @waterways.org.uk

Branch Meetings

Lynda Payton E-mail: lynda.payton @waterways.org.uk

Treasurer

Paul Lynam

E-mail: paul.lynam @waterways.org.uk

Newsletter & Archivist Tony Clarke

07305 893924

E-mail: tony.clarke @waterways.org.uk

Committee Member John Pomfret

E-mail: john.pomfret @waterways.org.uk

Non-Committee posts Website and Media Officers

Gail Anscombe Email: gail.anscombe@waterways.org.uk Lynda Payton Email: Lynda.payton@waterways.org.uk

Vacancies Publicity Officer and Grants Officer

The Inland Waterways Association is a membership charity that works to protect and restore the country's 6,500 miles of canals and rivers.

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