IWA Great Ouse Branch, Ouse News, Autumn 2012

The Inland Waterways Association

Ouse News - Autumn 2012 The Great Ouse Branch Newsletter covering the Great Ouse and tributaries

Contents: Branch Committee p3 Chairman’s Corner p4 Ely Riverside

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Cam Punting

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RSPB

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Cruising the Caley p9 Book Review

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Paralympic Flame p14 Branch News

The Caledonian Canal Photo: Carole Alderton

Campaigning for the conservation, use, maintenance, restoration and development of the Inland Waterways.

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Return of the Otter p19 Christmas Cards

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The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Inland Waterways Association or of the Great Ouse Branch. They are, however, published as being of interest to our members and readers.

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Branch Committee Chairman: Keith Alderton Holly Cottage, 57 Globe Street Methwold Thetford, IP26 4PQ Tel. 01366 727236 e-mail:keithalderton@sky.com Secretary: John Hodgson 9 Beaufort Way, Brickhill Bedford, MK41 7XQ Tel 01234 344884 e-mail: jhodgson@rivouse.fsnet.co.uk Treasurer: Enid Hodgson 9 Beaufort Way, Brickhill Bedford, MK41 7XQ Tel 01234 344884 e-mail: jhodgson@rivouse.fsnet.co.uk Ouse News Editor: Carole Alderton Holly Cottage, 57 Globe Street Methwold Thetford, IP26 4PQ Tel. 01366 727236 e-mail: carolealderton@sky.com Sales Officer: David Anderson 21 Cambridge Street St Neots PE19 1JL Tel 01480 477227 e-mail:david.anderson@uwclub.net

Membership Officer: Peter Webb 35 Norfolk Road Ely, CB6 3EJ Tel 01353 658581 e-mail: peter.c.webb@tesco.net Member: Stephen Foote 14 High Street, Chrishall Royston, SG8 8RP Tel 01763 838936 e-mail: g4foh@tambourine.org.uk Member: Derek Bradley 24 Witchford Road Ely, CB6 3DP Tel 01353 661601 e-mail: bradleyd@waitrose.com

Ouse News Page 4 Chairman’s Corner The summer of 2012 will certainly not go down as being one of the best on record, with many boaters having to be content with snatching a few days afloat during the brief periods of sunshine. Not to worry, all we can do is to hope for better luck next year!

One of the main issues being confronted by the IWA nationally at present is the balance between income from membership fees and the Per Capita grant paid out to branches. This is exacerbated by the decision to offer a 20% discount to members who opt for ‘electronic’ membership. Such members receive all communication by email, apart from Waterways magazine. We currently receive 77p per member for each issue of Ouse News, which together with the income from advertising barely covers the cost of printing and distribution to members; together with copies to hand out as publicity material at local events. It is now proposed that the Per Capita grant be reduced to 70p next year and by a further 10% each subsequent year, presumably until it disappears altogether. As a branch, we are committed to providing a quality newsletter to our members and, therefore, have grave reservations regarding these developments. Please do not hesitate to let us know your views regarding this situation.

Now that the initial euphoria over the successful launch of the Canal & River Trust is beginning to fade away, it is perhaps time to consider what the future role of the IWA should be. Historically, we have regarded ourselves to be the custodians of the inland waterways, creating awareness among the general public, campaigning to prevent canal closures and providing an army of volunteers to carry out restoration projects. It would seem to me that the CRT shares many of the same objectives and, if we are not careful, our influence will be diminished and our role will gradually become marginalised.

On a more positive note, we have come up with what we hope will be another varied and interesting programme of events for the coming months and look forward to meeting you and guests at Milton.

Keith Alderton

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Moorings News Ely Riverside

Following a successful application to the Land Registry, East Cambridgeshire District Council has been granted ownership of two key areas along Ely Riverside where ownership had previously been in doubt. The areas in question are the bend in the river from the Cutter to Annesdale and the triangle of land around the slipway by Quayside. The Council is seeking to include these two areas, together with the river frontage and parkland along Pegasus Walk in the zone covered by the existing Mooring Byelaw. All three areas would then be subject to the same 48-hour mooring restrictions that apply elsewhere along Ely Waterfront and would be policed accordingly. The Branch Committee fully endorse these proposals and have responded to the Council’s consultation document accordingly.

Keith Alderton

Boat painting with a difference Norfolk boat painter, Danny Hardiman, has a novel idea – which is to share his expertise with boaters whilst providing a month-long course, during which participants can work on their own boat.

At the moment he offers a blacking and full coach painting service. The new course, however, would provide guidance, use of a dry dock, equipment, consumables and materials, including paint.

This would surely suit someone with time on their hands, a willingness to learn, not afraid of hard work and insufficient money to pay for a ‘full paint job’.

Hopefully, this idea could prove beneficial to boaters in the future.

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Punting on the River Cam New registration procedures came into effect on 1st April 2012 for the owners of commercial punts. The conservators of the River Cam felt that the punting industry should be better regulated for the safety and enjoyment of all river users. Owners who hire out to members of the public must prove that they are operating from one of the six recognised punting stations when they apply for their annual registration. The industry has grown in recent years and these measures have been taken to maintain the quality of the visitor experience. The recognised punting stations are: Granta Mill Pond, the Mill Pit (east and west banks), Trinity College, Quayside and adjacent to Jesus Green and are all along the famous ‘College Backs’.

Ouse News Advertising • Do you want to contact boating enthusiasts?

• Circulation 350 within 30 miles of Cambridge • Adverts cost £30 (+ VAT) per half page for a year • Three editions a year • Contact The Editor (carolealderton @sky.com)

Google maps UK’s waterways Google has started mapping Britain’s rivers and canals in an attempt to get more people enjoying the country’s rivers and canals. They say that ‘canal towpaths offer green routes through our towns and cities, and by working with the Canal and River Trust they are encouraging people to discover their local waterways’.

Google Maps will be updated to allow users to plan trips which include locks, bridges and towpaths along the country’s 2,000 miles of waterways paths.

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A Season of Two Halves If you asked me to sum up my feelings about this year’s breeding season at RSPB Lakenheath Fen, I would probably say the following; “It’s a good job the reserve staff are so good at controlling the water!”

It’s easy to forget that we were in drought conditions back in March.

It was so dry in fact, that we needed some extra assistance. We have a license to pump up to a million cubic metres of the water from the river each winter. We haven’t had to use this for six years until this year, when we pumped 383,000 cubic metres out of the river. Without this, we would have had a dry reedbed, which would have been disastrous for many of our breeding birds.

Of course, as most of you will know the beginning of the breeding season coincided with an utter deluge of rain. April was so wet in fact, that we had 340% of the usual average rainfall. Despite this, due to the reserve staff’s intimate knowledge of how to control the water the reserve wasn’t too badly affected and the wildlife got on with it the best they could.

Although it has not been the best breeding season, it has not been without its successes. This is the first year that both resident pairs of cranes have fledged young in the same year. The two youngsters both took their first flights on July 11, which was fantastic to see.

Crane taking flight Photo by Dave Rogers

Ouse News Page 8 Sadly, our bitterns have not had quite such a good year. Initial signs were looking good with six booming males in the spring. However, despite reserve staff spending many hours looking for nests, only four were found (compared to seven last year.) To make matters worse, only one was thought to be successful. Although it is difficult to say for certain why they had such a bad year, the cold and wet weather certainly wouldn’t have made things easy for them.

The local marsh harriers also didn’t do as well last year, when there were 18 nests that produced 45 young. Although they broke another reserve record of 22 nests, only 11 were successful. A total of 34 young fledged. One mustn’t grumble, back in 1971 there was only one marsh harrier nest in Britain. If you told somebody that 41 years later, there would be 22 nests at one site alone; they definitely wouldn’t have believed you!

Although this has barely scratched the surface, I hope this has given you an impression of what the breeding season has been like here this year. It shows that even in a miserable and wet year, the local wildlife has adapted and made the best of it. Now, that is an encouraging thought for whatever next year brings us!

David White Information Officer RSPB Lakenheath Fen

News & Views Do you have an article, comment or photo you would like to share? We would be very pleased to receive it!

Please email the editor: carolealderton@sky.com

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Cruising the Caley The gods looked kindly on us this year when we managed to pick the one hot sunny week in May to cruise the Caledonian Canal.

The canal was built by Thomas Telford in the early 1800s to provide a safe passage between Inverness in the north east to Fort William in the south west, thus avoiding the long dangerous sea passage around Scotland’s northern coast.

The resulting 60 mile navigation effectively cuts Scotland in two, following the natural fault line of the Great Glen and consists of four short lengths of manmade channel (22 miles in total) and four lochs (38 miles in total). The waterway was thoroughly modernised in the 1960s and is now kept in excellent working order by British Waterways Scotland. The rocky nature of the terrain dictates that mooring is mainly restricted to floating pontoons, many of which are equipped with shower and toilet facilities, electrical hook-up and water points, all of which are provided free of charge.

Fifteen friends from the Stort Boat Club (plus one dog) variously travelled by road, rail and air to meet up at a B&B in Inverness on a bitterly cold, wet night prior to picking up 5 assorted boats from Caley Cruisers the next day. Fortunately, the weather improved dramatically as the week progressed with the temperature rising steadily from 4 to 28 degrees centigrade, until the Great Glen eventually became the hottest place in the UK, hotter even than Morocco!

As we were all seasoned ‘sardine tin’ owners, we were a little wary of becoming ‘Tupperware’ sailors, but were pleasantly surprised at the high standard of equipment and accommodation provided on our powerful GRP cruisers. Before being allowed out on our own we were given a very professional briefing, including an excellent safety video (described as being a cross between Braveheart and Titanic), followed by practical boat handling tuition.

After a late set-off (due to the previous hirer missing the timed opening of the local swing bridge the previous night) we were shepherded in convoy along the first short section of canal, before mooring for the night above Dochgarroch lock where we enjoyed a convivial meal at the Oakwood Restaurant.

Ouse News Page 10 The next morning we were let loose on our own, crossing the diminutive Loch Dochfour before entering the vast waters of Loch Ness. For us ‘ditch crawlers’ this was a daunting prospect as the loch is 22 miles long, 2 miles wide and up to 1000 feet deep! The prevailing wind blows straight down the loch and can whip up some serious waves at times and so it was comforting to know that our 39 foot cruiser had a 150 horsepower engine tucked away under the floor. You couldn’t help but remember the advice to let off an orange distress flare and wait to be rescued by helicopter if you got into serious trouble in the middle of the loch! However, all was well on the day and our flotilla made stately progress, line-abreast along the loch. Mind you, some of us could not resist doing a high speed twiddly or two so see how the boat performed at full power. It is amazing how the wash from passing boats leaves a series of seemingly black short waves long after the boat has receded into the distance and you can readily understand how, after a few wee drams you could be forgiven for thinking that you had seen the monster.

Needless to say, the scenery is magnificent, with snow covered mountains always visible in the distance and a constantly changing shoreline covered in ancient oak woodlands, pine forests and thickets of bright yellow broom.

Finding the seemingly tiny entrance to the next canal section at the far end of the loch was not easy, but we followed the instructions to head for the tower of Fort Augustus Abbey and the entrance suddenly became apparent.

Ouse News Page 11 Fort Augustus is a pleasant small town that straddles the staircase of 5 locks and is the only stopping place along the canal that is adequately served with shops and restaurants. The staircase locks here raise the canal by 40 feet and, like all of the others on the navigation, are 150 feet in length, 35 feet wide and with an air draught of 110 feet! The ample height is essential as ocean-going yachts use the canal as a shortcut between coasts and we shared locks with many such craft from all over Europe during our trip. Fortunately, all of the 12 locks and 6 swing bridges between Inverness and Fort William are operated by cheery BW staff. However you do have to manually bowhaul your boat through the staircase as there is a strict ‘engines must be turned off’ rule. Loch Ness and Loch Oich are connected by another short length of artificial channel with two isolated locks set in open countryside overlooked by the ever present mountains.

Loch Oich is the shallowest of the four along the route and was created by raising the water level to form the summit pound, joining up two smaller lochs as a cost-effective alternative to blasting a passage through solid rock. Boats are restricted to a very narrow buoyed channel in order to avoid underwater obstructions caused by the remains of drowned villages. We spent a very pleasant night with the boats clustered around the floating pontoon moorings at the Great Glen Water Park, set in the surrounding forest at the far end of the loch.

Ouse News Page 12 The attractive 3-mile section of tree-lined canal called Laggan Avenue takes you on to Loch Lochy, which at 11 miles long and 500 feet deep is the second largest on the navigation. It is also, in my opinion, the most scenic of all, with the mountains on the western side rising to over 3000 feet. On our outward leg there was still a plentiful covering of snow on the peaks, but it had receded considerably by the time we made our return trip.

We then travelled the final 6-mile canal section, called Western Reach, greatly enjoying magnificent views of the 4400 foot high Ben Nevis range. The furthest point of our journey was reached at the head of the famous Neptune’s Staircase locks at Banavie on the outskirts of Fort William. This flight of 8 locks drops the navigation by 64 feet to join the tidal Loch Linnhe a mile or so on. Regrettably, hire boats are not allowed to descend these locks and so we stopped for the night on the extensive pontoon moorings and had to be contented with a leisurely exploration by foot.

Our return journey provided the opportunity to relish the views from a different perspective; stopping once again at Fort Augustus where we enjoyed a first class communal fish and chip supper on the back decks. This time we stopped off half way along Loch Ness at Urquhart Bay Harbour, overlooked by the much photographed Urquhart Castle. Once again the entrance to the tiny harbour was very hard to spot from the open water of the loch, leading to a degree of ‘discussion’ amongst the crew.

When peace was restored, we braved the heat to walk up the hill to the Loch Ness Exhibition at Drumnadrochit. This is worth a visit as it provides much, well-presented, information about the origins of the loch and of course the legendary monster. By some strange coincidence, one of the earliest sightings of the monster, that subsequently brought thousands of visitors to the area, happened to be made by the former lady owner of the local hotel which now houses the exhibition!

And so we reluctantly made our way back to base for our last night, with me proving that I had forgotten all I had been taught about how to handle a powerful single screw boat, ignoring all advice and making half a dozen aborted attempts before I managed to reverse it in to the wharf.

Ouse News Page 13 Our journey along the Caledonian Canal proved to be an unforgettable experience and I would thoroughly recommend the trip to anybody who enjoys quiet boating amongst fabulous, but remote, mountain scenery.

Keith Alderton The Ups and Downs of a Lock-keeper by Jake Kavanagh Book Review by Stephen Foote Whilst there aren’t as many lock-keepers around these days as there used to be (hands up anyone who remembers the days of lock-keepers at Brownshill Staunch and St.Ives lock) they are still to be found in many places: on the Thames, on the canal system at the more difficult spots such as staircase locks and at various locations elsewhere. Jake Kavanagh, the author and illustrator of this hilarious little book was a lock-keeper on the Thames in the Windsor area for several years. His book is a somewhat tongue-in-cheek collection of anecdotes and recollections, which will strike a familiar (and sometimes embarrassing) chord with all of us who boat.

The content is arranged roughly by season, from spring, through summer and autumn to winter – but interspersed with recollections not related to seasons – including chapters titled ‘Falling In’, ‘Wier’d Happenings’, ‘Things that go ‘bump’ in a lock’ and most ominously the chapter simply headed ‘The Boaters’.

Not only is the written content highly amusing, but I especially liked the cartoons that are liberally dispersed throughout the book. Some of the situations the characters find themselves in and the expressions on their faces had me laughing out loud. ‘The Ups and Downs of a Lock-keeper’ is a real tonic. And does contain lessons we can learn!

It is a tribute to the enduring quality of Jake Kavanagh’s book that though originally published in 1991 it has been reprinted many times. One effect of this is that there have been several different front covers for the book depending on when it was reissued, and several different ISBN numbers.

My copy is a fairly early one, but the latest reprint was in 2009. Copies can be purchased from the IWA bookshop for £7.99 (catalogue no. AC31), Ely Boat Chandlers, and examples of earlier editions can be found on e-bay.

Publisher: Adlard Coles Nautical - Latest ISBN: 978-1408114414

Ouse News Page 14 Why not come along to our next meeting on Thursday 25th October? We have an illustrated talk by Ivan Cane on: The North Walsham & Dilham Canal 1825-2025 This will be a look at the history of Norfolk’s only locked canal, from its construction at the end of the canal era, through its trading and sleeping years to today. Finally - the prospects of restoration.

Details of more meetings are on Page 15 and the map below should help you to find the exact location in Milton! (If you have a problem finding us please phone Stephen Foote on 07774 613557) A14 West A10 to Ely A10 to Cambridge

Tesco To Milton

A14 East Tennis Courts Entrance Community Centre

The Paralympic Flame arrives in Ely On 25th August 2012 the Paralympic Flame was brought along the River Great Ouse amid a flotilla of boats and watched by hundreds of people.

A number of sites throughout Cambridgeshire received parts of the flame in a new concept for the Paralympic Torch Relay, when Four Flames were lit and shared throughout the nation.

During the afternoon free sport sessions, live music and dance performances took place in Jubilee Gardens and at 4.30 pm the flotilla of boats spanning the ages passed along Ely’s riverside. The flotilla then escorted the flame to Jubilee Gardens where it was carried by nominated local residents before receiving an Official Welcome by the Mayor of Ely, Councillor Will Burton, and departing to Ely Museum where it was on public display until 8.00 pm.

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Branch News Winter Meetings

are at 8 pm on Thursday evenings at the Cole’s Road Community Centre, Milton (North Cambridge) CB24 6BL.

Members & Visitors welcome.

Our October meeting will be an illustrated talk by Ivan Cane, on the ‘North Walsham & Dilham Canal 1825-2025’ and will be held on:

T HURSDAY 25 TH O CTOBER 2012 Our November meeting will be an illustrated talk by Ian West, Chairman of the IWA Festivals Committee and will be held on:

T HURSDAY 22 ND N OVEMBER 2012 Our February meeting will be an illustrated talk by Mike Petty, C a m b r i d g e s h i r e R e s e a r c h e r, Lecturer & Historian on ‘The Great Flood of 1947’ and will be held on:

T HURSDAY 28 TH F EBRUARY 2013 We are a small, friendly group and would welcome another committee member to help us organise meetings and events. Please contact the editor.

We welcome the following new members to the branch.

We hope you will introduce yourselves to us when coming to an event or meeting: Jacqueline Hunt, Kempston, Bedford Richard & Leonora Paden, Balsham, Cambridge Jeremy Young, Cambridge Terence Collingwood, Blunham, Bedford Gerald & Rosslyn Rager, Ingoldisthorpe, King’s Lynn David & Margaret Finnigan, Gamlingay, Bedfordshire Michael Morgan, Downing Street, Cambridge A Tingey, Sutton, Ely

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(Non-residential boats only)

Special Deal for boats within 20 mile radius of Ely:Inboard Engine with gas or heating £125 Inboard engine with no gas or heating £110 Small boat with outboard only from £95 Return visit in all cases £20

Additional contact no: Ely Boat Chandlers - 01353 663095

Our newsletter is printed by:

Phone 01638-613102 www.burwellprint.co.uk Registered Charity No. 1053026

Due to the ever increasing cost of producing and posting our newsletter, we would like to encourage more members to receive their copies of Ouse News electronically. If you are willing to do this for us, please contact tracy.higgin@waterways.org.uk who will be pleased to arrange it for you.

We had a good response from our previous edition - can you help now?

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Return of the Otter This baby otter was spotted by a family last summer on the Great Ouse, near Bedford.

Photo by Liz & Fred Ray and family Otter numbers in England and Wales declined dramatically from the mid 1950s to the late 1970s.

The return of the otter to most of England is one of the major conservation success stories of the last 30 years. The main reason for this increase has been the reduction in levels of toxic pesticides, but the improvements in water quality and consequent increase in fish stocks have probably played a significant part.

Otters are inquisitive, mainly nocturnal, playful and intelligent, often appearing to take childlike enjoyment in sliding around on muddy banks or in snow.

They are semi-aquatic mammals and live in holts around water edges. They are fast, agile swimmers. Bubbles of air trapped in their fur give them a silvery appearance underwater.

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IWA Christmas Cards Christmas is coming - oh not yet, I hear you say! But ...

You can now buy your IWA Christmas cards direct from the branch at discounted prices! A selection of attractive cards, some new this year and some from previous years, will be available for sale at branch meetings in October and November. If you pick up your cards at one of these meetings, you will not only make a saving on the advertised price, but also avoid paying the normal ÂŁ2.50 OR ÂŁ4.50 postage and packing charge from head office.

All proceeds go to support the running of the branch and to fund national IWA campaigns.

The Inland Waterways Association is a non-profit distributing company limited by guarantee. Registered in England no 612245 Registered as a charity no 212342 Registered Office: Island House, Moor Rd, Chesham, HP5 1WA. Phone 01494 783453