IWA National Campaign Festival Programme 2014

Inland Waterways Association’s National Campaign Festival Chester 2014: June 7th – 8th

Heritage Souvenir programme

Barges moored in Chester Basin c1890

Festival Highlights Look out for *Hawker Hurricane Flypast *Free Angling taster sessions *Try Pole Dancing with ApsaraDance *Free Boat Trips *Make a “working boat� model with WOW *Guided walks *Rhythm & Blues bands *Brilliant brass bands *Great food *Quality coffee !

FESTIVAL TEAM The Festival team would like to thank you for coming today. We are all volunteers and passionate about working for the benefit of the inland waterways.

Chairman

Peter Bolt, Chairman of IWA Chester & Merseyside Branch

Secretary

Lesley Taylor, IWA C & M Branch

Site Manager

Mike Sumner, IWA C & M Branch

Boat Entries & Volunteer Co-ord.

Mike Carter, IWA C & M Branch

Harbour Master

Geoff Gittus, IWA C & M Branch

Entertainments

Jim Mole, IWA C & M Branch

Publicity & WOW

Gillian Bolt, IWA C & M Branch, assisted by Jim Forkin

Treasurer

Ron Evans, IWA C & M Branch

Pet Show & Minutes Sec.

Margaret Pitney, IWA C & M Branch

Liaison with LA & local Info.

Gwynneth Buss, Chester Canal Heritage Trust

Assistance

Wendy Hill, Chester Canal Heritage Trust

We would like to thank our sponsors for their generous support - please see their logos on the back of this programme.

WELCOME TO THE FESTIVAL Dear Visitor, I am delighted to welcome you all to our IWA National Campaign Festival in Chester. This will be one of the largest gatherings of boats ever seen in this historic basin - some of which have travelled from all over the country to join us. They are here to support our campaign to highlight the benefits that an interlinked waterway system of the Shropshire Union Canal and River Dee would bring to Chester. Over the last two years the IWA, the Canal and River Trust, Cheshire West and Chester (CWAC) Council and the Chester Canal Heritage Trust (CCHT) have developed a Waterways Strategy as a key element of the Chester One City Plan.

Many local authorities have undertaken waterside and waterway regeneration schemes in recent years. Chester has lagged behind cities like Birmingham (Brindley Place), Liverpool (Canal link and Albert Dock), Manchester (Castlefield) and not forgetting Stratford upon Avon. These schemes have all promoted wider multi-use of their waterways (both boating and pedestrian), which in turn have been the catalyst for new businesses, economic growth and stronger regeneration.

The Chester Waterway Strategy, now complete and endorsed by CWAC, focuses on six key Character areas of the canal and river and realises their present shortcomings. Yet, with a little imagination, the waterspace and its surroundings could be the focus for major regeneration as seen elsewhere in both the UK and Europe. The focus of our campaign is to restore navigation of the Dee Branch and provide a safe passage of boats to the upper reaches by way of a lock in the old Mill race on the Handbridge side of the river.

Chester would attract more inland waterway and sea craft and the waterfront become more vibrant as a result.

The time is right to ‘make a difference’ by acting on the recommendations contained in the Waterways Strategy. Making Chester once more a boating destination, attracting more visitors and boosting tourism, as well as creating an active waterfront and vibrant visitor economy. CWAC Council should not miss this golden opportunity.

CCHT are organising walks down to the River Lock and along to the Chester weir where you can see the difficulties of the present navigation and the opportunities for enabling a safe passage – check out the programme for details.

I hope you enjoy your weekend with us.

Peter Bolt

Festival Chairman

PROGRAMME OF EVENTS Thursday 5 June

Visiting boats start arriving in the basin 2 pm

“Discover Chester” Walk A guided walk through Chester’s past with Marie Layng, a Chester Blue Badge Guide. (pre-booking required with Festival Secretary)

7 pm

‘Tales from the River Lock’ Talk by Ray Buss & Geoff Taylor with IWA video of our Dee adventure at Garden Lane Church

9 pm

Blues Jam with a ‘Shrewdness of Apes’ at Telford’s Warehouse

Friday 6 June The visiting boats assemble 7.30 am

Boater’s breakfasts at the Cake Fairy Café

11 am

Tour of Taylor’s Boatyard With Ray Buss, Chester Canal Heritage Trust (pre-booking required at CCHT stand)

2.30 pm

Exploring the Canal & River Link A guided walk with Chester Canal Heritage Trust (pre-booking required)

4 pm

Exploring the Canal & River Link A guided walk with Chester Canal Heritage Trust (pre-booking required)

8 - 10 pm

A choice of entertainment for boaters: Ceilidh with ‘Jigsmith’ or Boater’s Folk Night (pre-booking required with the Festival Secretary for both venues)

Evening Music at Telford’s Warehouse 9 pm

‘The Loving Cup‘ Americana Country Rock at Telford’s Warehouse This programme may be subject to change due to any circumstances beyond our control

Saturday 7 June

All day: trade stands, WOW children’s activities, boat trips, taster angling sessions Dry Dock tours at Taylor’s Yard throughout the weekend. Book in at CCHT

RAF Hawker Hurricane flypast (FS location = Festival stage)

from 7.30 am

Boater’s breakfasts at the Cake Fairy Café

10 am

Site opens

11 am

Tour of Taylor’s Boat Yard With Ray Buss, Chester Canal Heritage Trust (pre-booking required at the CCHT stand)

11 - 12 noon

ApsaraDance Your local dance group with their modern take on “keep fit”.

12 -12.45 pm

Lyceum Brass Band (FS) The band has been long established in Port Sunlight and is ideal entertainment for a Summer’s day

1 - 1.45 pm

‘The Prospects’ (FS) A local R&B band

1.55 pm

“Battle of Britain” RAF Hawker Hurricane flypast

2 pm

Opening Ceremony (FS) Performed by the Lord Mayor, Cllr Bob Rudd accompanied by Stephen Mosley, MP with a Welcome address by Peter Bolt, Chairman of IWA Chester & Merseyside Branch

2.30 pm & 4 pm “Exploring the Canal & River Link” Guided walks with Chester Canal Heritage Trust (pre-booking required on CCHT stand) 2.30 - 3.15 pm Lyceum Brass band (FS) 3.30 - 4.15 pm ‘The Prospects’ (FS) 4.30 - 6.0 pm 6 pm

‘Bobcat Billy’s Moonshine Mission’ (FS) red hot foot tappers Site closes

Evening music at Telford’s Warehouse 9 pm

‘Banda Bacana’ Latin reggae This programme may be subject to change due to any circumstances beyond our control

Sunday 8 June All day: trade stands, charity stalls, WOW children’s activities, boat trips Dry Dock tours at Taylor’s Yard throughout the weekend. Book in at CCHT (FS location = Festival stage) from 7.30 am

Boater’s breakfasts at the Cake Fairy Cafe

10 am

Site opens & judging of the Best Dressed Boat Competition begins

10.30 am

Church Service at the Garden Lane Church

11.30 12.30 pm

Pet Show - open to the general public (front FS) (Entry forms from IWA marquee)

12.30 - 1.15 pm Bostock Brass Band (FS) The 25 piece band entertains with your favourite tunes 1.30 - 2.15

‘Pastry Shoes’ (FS) A boisterous trio of hot brass & cool guitar

2 pm

‘Exploring the Canal & River Link’ A guided walk with Chester Canal Heritage Trust (pre-booking required)

2 - 3 pm

ApsaraDance Your local dance group with their modern take on “keep fit”.

2.15 - 3.00 pm Bostock Brass Band (FS) 3 pm

Grand Draw & Awards Presentation

3.30 - 4.15 pm ‘Pastry Shoes’ (FS) 4.30 pm

Site closes

Evening music at Telford’s Warehouse 8 pm onwards

Open mike

This programme may be subject to change due to any circumstances beyond our control

HISTORIC NARROW B OATS at the IWA National Campaign Festival in Chester From 7th- 8th June 2014 Chester Tower Wharf will host one of the largest gatherings of traditional canal boats which are arriving from all corners of the UK. The finest examples of historic inland waterways craft will grace Chester’s waterfront over the weekend. Many of them will be open for display with expert commentary from the crews.

The craft will cover the whole spectrum of restored historic narrow boats, motors, butties and vintage mahogany cruisers - some of which are returning home to the place they were built, Taylor’s Boatyard in Chester.

Shropshire Union Fly Boat - Saturn At over 100 years old, ’Saturn’ is the last horse-drawn Shropshire Union Railway and Canal Carrying Co. fly-boat in the world. Originally built to travel non-stop, day and night, carrying perishable goods she was built for the Shropshire Union Canal Carrying Company in 1906 at the company’s dock at Tower Wharf, Chester. Built as a ‘cheese fly’ for the fast carriage of cheese from the producing towns of Cheshire and Shropshire to major markets such as Manchester she would have carried return loads of perishables.

Steamer - President ‘President’ was built in 1909 at a cost of £600 in Fellows, Morton and Clayton’s company dock at Saltley, Birmingham.

The specially developed compound steam engine and coke fired boiler took up much valuable cargo space. Steamers could carry only 18 tons compared to over 25 tons in a horse drawn boat, but were powerful enough to tow several unpowered boats (called butty boats). Steamers usually worked as “fly boats” (day and night), on the canals between London, Birmingham, Coventry, Derby, Leicester and Nottingham. Steamers usually took 54 hours between London and Birmingham, non stop, using about 1 ton of coke as fuel and drawing water directly from the canal.

Most cargoes were valuable ones such as spices, tea, wool, cheese, soap, sugar, wheat, barrels of beer and spirits, tinned goods and even bedsteads and bicycles.

Gifford ‘Gifford’ is a horse drawn, wooden tank boat, built in 1926 for Thomas Clayton (Oldbury) by Nursers of Braunston. She carried gas tar from the gasworks at Oxford to the Midland Tar Distillers works at Banbury and from Leamington gasworks to both Oldbury in the West Midlands and Banbury. The hold is decked over to make a watertight tank for the transport of liquid cargoes.

The cargo was loaded by pumping it through hatches on the deck. She has a fore-cabin allowing more living space than most working narrow boats. In the 1940s and 1950s ‘Gifford’ also carried fuel oil from the Shell refinery at Stanlow on the Manchester Ship Canal, through Ellesmere Port to the Shell depot at Langley Green in the Midlands. Gifford’ continued to work until 1963 carrying tar from the gas works in the Midlands to Oldbury, once more horse-drawn.

Although very small, her boatman’s cabin would have been home to the boatman and his wife and children. Here they lived all year round with no home on the land. In this tiny space they had to live, eat, cook, wash and sleep. It was often decorated with ribbon lace plates, shiny brasses and an oil lamp.

The doors to the cabin, the cupboards and utensils such as bowls and water-cans, were decorated with the distinctive and unique ‘castles and roses’ design for which the canal boats are justly famous.

‘Gifford’ was one of the first boats in the collection at the Boat Museum when it opened in 1976. She is owned, operated and cared for by the Boat Museum Society’s volunteers at the National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port.

Worcester Built in 1912 as an iron tunnel tug. She worked on the Tardebigge and Shortwood canal tunnels towing horse-drawn boats. ‘Worcester’s’ 1930 big Bolinder engine, will be running at regular intervals, serenading festival goers with that distinctive Bolinder beat.

Elizabeth Until 1928 she was a coke boat for FMC from Nechells Gas Works to Saltley to supply FMC steamers then between 1928-1934 she was a gravel boat on the Trent for Robert Teal Gravel Co. ‘Elizabeth’ was a horse boat until 1928, then towed on the Trent 1928-1935. Propulsion was by sail and engine from 1936. She has had an eclectic collection of engines during her life: Thorneycroft Handy Billy (paraffin) from 1936-38, Highlander (paraffin) 1938-68, Lister SR3 196876, FRZ 1978-88, Gardner 2LW from 1988 to present day.

Juliana and Marbeth II These ‘Taylor’s’ boats have now returned to the boatyard to undergo restoration. The clinker built hull of ‘Juliana’ was built in 1964 for Dean’s of Christleton where she was fitted out as part of their hire fleet. ‘Marbeth II’ is a classic Taylor’s mahogany cruiser built in 1959, she retains many of her original fixtures and fittings including the petrol Vedette engine. The fully restored Taylor’s boat ‘Amaryllis’ is an exhibit at the National Waterways Museum.

Bantam II (displayed on the dry-dock at Taylor’s Yard) ‘Bantam II’, an all-welded steel tug, built in 1951 at E C Jones Ltd., Brentford. She was built initially as a launch type tug, no. 20 in the Bantam series. She lay at Brentford for four years when she was inspected by Manchester Ship Canal Company (MSCCo) engineers and eventually modified to their requirements and delivered to Castlefields in 1956 at a cost of £2,929 16s 0d.

Powered by a Lister JP3M 30hp engine, she represents a significant changeover in the 1950s from pre-war steam craft to the first of the more mass-produced diesel engine craft. Bantam II was assigned to the Chief Engineer’s Department and was used. as a run-about and for towing work boats.

The Bantam tugs were only used for a short while until the power barges arrived. At that time, it was common to see the small Bantam tug towing three 80 - 82 ton grain barges at a time along the Bridgewater Canal to Kelloggs’ factory at Trafford Park.

‘Bantam II’ was purchased by the Boat Museum in 1983 for £500.

Box Boat 337 She is an open narrowboat that carried cargo in boxes that fitted into the hold. The boxes would be filled with coal on the colliery wharf and then lifted into the boats. Upon arrival at the factory, they would be lifted out of the boat by crane on the factory wharf. The doors on the underside of the box were hinged and would then be opened to release the coal.

The original box boat came into being in the 1760s and was designed by James Brindley.

It evolved from the smaller mine boats (the ‘starvationers’) at Worsley, whose boxed cargoes were transferred at Worsley Basin to craft of similar shape but of larger dimensions for the journey to Manchester. (The forerunner to containerisation!)

The name of the colliery and the number was cut in the top plank at the stern. The stern was fitted with a ‘standing board’ from which the boat would be steered. The boat was open to the elements and because of the lack of a cabin, it was called a ‘starver’, ‘starved’ meaning cold in Lancashire. The only protection from the bitter winters was to wrap up and use a horse blanket as a shawl.

Swallow, Stork and Swan Three of eight boats built at W.J. Yarwoods & Sons in Northwich for WH Cowburn & Cowpar Ltd, Manchester. All boats are named after birds beginning with ‘S’ ( Swallow, Skylark, Stork, Swan, Seagull, Snipe, Starling and Swift).

These boats were built 70ft 6in in length, with wooden cabins and originally fitted with a Gardner 1 cyl. 4VT 12hp engines. The first two boats built in 1933 (Swan and Swift) had steel composite hulls, (wooden bottom and steel sides) with a beam of 7ft 1in and draught of 4ft 2in.

Thea Built at Yarwoods of Northwich for the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company in 1936. Originally a ‘butty’ (unpowered boat), a ‘middle Northwich’, star class butty originally intended to be paired with motor boat, ‘Theophilus’ (previously known as ‘Matilda’ and owned by John Knill in the 50s’).

‘Thea’ worked the London to Midlands routes carrying general cargoes. After that she was shortened and converted to a motor boat by installing a Lister JP2 in the 1960s. Her middle Northwich counter was restored in 1993, by Dave Linney, under her current owner, Sue Cawson.

“The best thing about living on Beetle Juice – better than the rocking at night, better than the splish! splash! of water on its sides – is Snowy.”

“Snowy” (an award winning children’s book) is about Rachel who isn’t allowed to take her canal boat horse into school when the teacher invites the children to take in their pets. As a result she gets teased by her classmates. That is, until they meet Snowy on a surprise school trip to the canal. That brings her the admiration of all her classmates.

Berlie Doherty wrote the picture book (illustrated by Keith Bowen) after she had spent a week of mornings on a barge (or narrow boat, as it is more properly called) with children from schools in North Cheshire. The barge was called Betelgeuse and a little girl called Rachel did own it with her mum and dad — and their barge-horse was called Snowy. Rachel’s mum told Berlie how Rachel wanted to take Snowy to school one day, and that’s how she came to write the story. Berlie Doherty will be joining us at the Festival on Sunday and you can meet her on the Chester Canal Heritage Trust stand.

“Snowy”, the book, will be available at a special Festival discount for visitors.

These are just some of the great entertainers you can see this weekend !

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Bos

Band The Th he ne new ew “K ““Keep Kee eepp Fi Fit” it” t Pole Dancing with ApsaraDance

ith Jigsm

Bobca Moons t Billy’s hine M ission

Lyceum

Brass Band

RAF RA AF Ha Hawk H Hawker awk ker er H Hurricane urriicaane anee

The P rospe cts

s Shoe y r t Pas