Bear Essentials Issue 30

BEAR ESSENTIALS The Newsletter of : -

IWA Warwickshire Branch Issue No. 30 – April 2011.

Our Spring/Summer Programme The Sports Connexion Leisure Centre Leamington Road, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Coventry CV8 3FL

All meetings start at 7.30 pm April13th 2011 Waterways Recovery Group with Mike Palmer Mike Palmer, Chairman of the Waterways Recovery Group is to speak on the work carried out during the past year and their programme of Working Holidays or camps for 2011. Mike will be accompanied by Squidge, who has participated in camps which qualified her for the Residential Service part of the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award. If you know of young people who are planning their Gold Award or who would be interested in the activities of WRG then please bring them to this meeting.

May 11th 2011 The Smethwick Pumping Station by David Hulse Over 30 years David has researched and constructed models of the most important steam engines of the 18th century, This Boulton and Watt pumping engine, was built for the Birmingham Canal Navigation Company, in 1779. It is now preserved in the Think Tank Science Museum in Birmingham where it is regularly steamed. It is the oldest working steam engine in the world and was recently mentioned on BBC in “The Boat that Guy Built”

Walks Etc June 8th: An Oxford Canal Loop Meet 7.30 pm Nettle Hill Bridge(SP418826) Nettle Hill is half way between Brinklow and Ansty and although a dead end you can drive up and park near the high railway bridge. The walk should take approx.

1 1 /2 hours and afterwards we will adjourn to a pub in Brinklow.

July 13th Walk and Picnic Hatton Top Lock (SP240668) Meet 7.30 pm for a short walk or just bring a picnic to socialise. If you want a Barbecue please bring a disposable.

August 4th (Thursday morning) Meet 10.30 am The Folly Inn, Napton

Editorial I am pleased to report that attendance at all branch events goes from strength to strength. All this year’s talks have been well attended, in particular the February talk on Oxford loops, showing the interest you members have in local canals. The AGM in March had its best turnout in my memory and was followed by an excellent talk on lock repairs th

On March 10 20 members turned out for a very pleasant walk at Newbold inspecting the old and new tunnels and the Brownsover Arm which took slightly longer than anticipated.

On the subject of walks, following a very successful Branch organised visit to walk the Stroudwater Canal at Christmas, we are planning, as a sequel to our WRG th evening on 13 April, to organise a visit to Lechlade to see the WRG projects at Inglesham and Eisey locks, sites not normally accessible to the general public. This may well be on Easter Saturday. If the visit goes ahead it will be posted on our Website.

Peter Webb tells me he recently paid a very brief visit to Droitwich and reports that the work to dredge out the river Salwarpe is progressing rapidly. Already the junction canal now connects to the river which has been piled on a lot of one side and profiled on the other. As Droitwich is only 40 minutes from most of our patch more of you may wish to go and see the works, which should be finished in about a month.

Many thanks to those who signed up for the E-mail edition of Bear Essentials which now reaches a good majority of the members, enabling me to update you between editions on new events etc.

Sue Roy .

Stratford River Festival 2nd-3rd July The Branch is again helping in the organisation of this event and will be manning a stand for fund-raising. We hope to see you there by boat or foot and any offers of help would be greatly appreciated. Boat entry forms with great deals on Avon Licences can be downloaded from the website: www.stratfordriverfestival.co.uk

Bear in Mind:

Notes from the chairman.

After the appeal in the last edition of Bear Essentials, one or two members of our Branch have indicated a willingness to become involved in a Local Authority Planning Monitoring Team but we remain interested in further offers of help. On the subject of planning, so that our responses are truly democratic and reflect the view of you as members, the Committee would welcome feedback on three important planning issues: The proposed 600 berth Marina on the Oxford Canal between Braunston and Hillmorton at Onley.- is it just too big in terms of waiting times at flights of locks in the area during the peak season?; Proposals for wind turbines around Wormleighton and the HS2 Rail project at Welsh Road both have pros and cons particularly the threat to the tranquillity of the canals where they impact. th

Our recent March meeting witnessed the 36 AGM of the Branch when our National Chairman Clive Henderson stood in for Vaughan Welch to give the Region Address to the Meeting. I had previously asked Clive to have a word with those present regarding the National Appeal to support Waterway Recovery Group funding of the restoration of Inglesham Lock at the Thames entrance to the Thames and Severn Canal.

This resulted in a number of donations to the Appeal from those present at the meeting. I can now confirm that over £500 was collected. Can I Say well done to those at the meeting and request those of you who have not yet donated to be sure to make a donation.

There is a lot happening in the coming months and I urge members, who are able to volunteer to come forward. The Avon Navigation Trust are looking for help with Sunday Lock Keeper duties. Roger Clay, a branch member and a Trustee of ANT addressed our February on this and also opportunities to help staff the “William James” Information Centre Barge to be moored in Bancroft Basin, Stratford-on-Avon. Both activities are a great opportunity to raise public awareness of IWA and contribute to the Association’s well-being. Perhaps Roger did not make it entirely clear that help need be for as little as one day per year or more regular attendances.

In the case of Lock Duties a good way of getting involved might simply be to help one of the existing ANT volunteers. Diane Morgan on 01981-250443 is the ANT Lock Duty

Coordinator, so please give her a ring and find out more? The “William James” is scheduled to be in Bancroft Basin from early April so again why not pay a visit and find out more about what is involved?

A special event this year is the Saul to Lechlade Centennial Cruise to commemorate the passage in May 1911 of nb “Gem” the last recorded fully laden working boat to have travelled from Saul to Lechlade through the Cotswold Canals. Details are subject to final confirmation but 5 or more boats will enter the th Avon at Tewkesbury on 13 August, arriving at th Stratford on Avon on 18 August and Hatton Locks on nd 22 August.

The Cotswolds Canal Trust are organising the event but have asked IWA for help with lock working and publicity events. We need help from IWA members across the region to make this a success for both IWA and the CCT, bearing in mind both the major Heritage Lottery funded restoration now underway in the Stroud area AND the IWA Inglesham Lock Appeal.

Ian Jackson.

WORK PARTIES Some of you will have read in the Leamington Courier that the branch recently organised a highly successful clean-up in co-operation with British Waterways. A large number of supermarket trolleys, bikes and similar were grappled from the canal near Shires Park. Other litter was cleared from the towpath. th

On March 15 4 members plus Murray Woodward, BW's Midland volunteer man, had a very successful morning painting the Lock next to the main road at Lapworth. It is a time consuming job, as you need black and white paint for the woodwork, and Hammerite black and white for the metal work, and if you are not careful you get grey where they join.!!

BW intend to hold monthly volunteer events at Lapworth th - the first one being Saturday March 19 - painting or litter picking, Any member is welcome to join in. Details of all the Towpath Tidy events can be found on: www.waterscape.com/towpathtidy or by calling 01923 201120

The IWA may not agree with opinions expressed here in this newsletter, but encourages its publication as a matter of interest. Nothing herein may be construed as a matter of policy, or an official announcement, unless otherwise stated.

The Association accepts no liability for any material contained herein.

The IWA is a registered charity ( No. 212342 ), founded in 1946.

Supported by donations & members’ subscriptions, it campaigns for conservation, use, maintenance, restoration, development of the inland waterways of Great Britain for the benefit of all.

Registered & General Office: - Island House, Moor Road, Chesham, Herts. HP5 1WA. Phone: 01494 - 783 453

Editor : Sue Roy, 46 The Butts, Warwick, CV34 4ST Phone :- 01926 – 49 78 45.

E-mail : - roy154@btinternet.com