BEAR ESSENTIALS The Newsletter of : -
IWA Warwickshire Branch Issue No. 52 – August 2018.
Improvements are a’coming:
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As we approach the season of ‘mists and mellow fruitfulness’, the first signs that CRT’s reorganisation in our part of the world is ‘bearing fruit’ have started to appear on the Stockton flight. Since this part of the northern GU - between Napton and Radford Semele - was ‘stolen’ from BW-West Midlands by BW-South East some nine years ago, the paint-brush has become an endangered species around here – the result of which can be seen in the foreground of the above photo. But look beyond - and into the future. In July, a CRT Towpath Taskforce work-party, led by Team Leader Tom Pierce, generously travelled from Stratford to ‘pump-prime’ the refurbishment of the whole flight by repainting lock 11, the bottom lock – as seen below. In addition to the painting, the opportunity was also taken to lay a non-slip surface on the top of the balance beams – a significant, and much appreciated, safety improvement. These work-parties will now continue on the last Friday of each month.
As we approach the end of a long, hot, dry summer, I’m sure that many of us will compare it with 1976; and in boating terms – at least here in Warwickshire we can look back and say how fortunate we’ve been this year, compared with then. OK this summer was preceded by a wetter winter and spring than 75/76 – so, in general, the reservoirs went into the summer ‘better equipped’ this time. On the other hand there are more boats on the system now, and being generally longer, most are unable to share in narrow locks - as they were then. This summer my cruising took me to the North-West, where, mainly due to water shortage, I was unable to cruise down the Glasson Branch of the Lancaster Canal - disappointingly one of the few parts of the system that I’ve not been able to visit by boat. However, my Leeds & Liverpool experience was fortunately not affected by the closure of some 50 miles over the summit of that canal. Talking of summits, the one that could affect us most is the Oxford summit. At time of writing (late July) we’re heading for some (not unreasonable) overnight closures. How different from ’76 - when this canal was closed for several weeks! Most of our other waterways – generally fed from the BCN - are ‘ok’ (?), but care must still be taken, and THRIFT is not just a word – but a series of actions. Our thanks must go to CRT’s Adam Comerford, and his Hydrology team, for in general - maintaining feed-supply in temperatures that can evaporate up to an inch of water from the surface of a canal pound each day ! Editor: Ian Fletcher.
Most work-parties to-date, be they ours or CRT’s, have taken place in the middle or west of ‘our patch’. Hopefully this action will start to rectify the ‘balance’ and encourage members who live on our eastern fringe, and some as yet uncommitted local residents, to help continue this long-overdue task - the first small step in what is already being appreciated by passing boaters, as seen here on the right.