A section of the Bridgwater Canal embankment near Dunham Massey in Greater Manchester collapsed on New Years Day after substantial rainfall in the north west, causing serious flooding of nearby fields and sewage works. This left several boats, including some liveaboards, high and dry.
The Bridgewater Canal is owned by Peel Group and not by Canal River Trust (CRT), It forms an important link not only between the Leeds & Liverpool Canal and the Trent & Mersey Canal but also part of east to west routes across the Pennines on the Rochdale and Huddersfield Narrow Canals. Action was taken swiftly to dam off the canal which has resulted in about 3km stretch being dewatered.
In many ways this major breach shows just how vulnerable the canal system is. IWA have pointed out that many parts of the system are 250 years old and are struggling with the effects of climate change and in particular increased rainfall which weather forecasters are saying will be the new “normal”. Their Fund Britain’s Waterways Campaign is fighting for adequate funding for all our navigable waterways. Why not join the campaign and lend your support?
It remains to be seen how long the repair work on the Bridgewater Canal will take and how much it will cost Peel Group. But in the meantime, navigating from the South and Midlands to the Northern canals is bound to be more tricky this summer.
In my Editorial in November’s issue, I highlighted flooding that caused the Grand Union Canal to be closed between Stoke Bruerne and Cosgrove on safety grounds due to flooding from the River Tove. How many more canals will have to be closed because of problems caused by excess water? Will we just have to get used to these problems?
March
11th IWA Northampton Branch Annual General Meeting at The Boat Inn Stoke Bruerne. Come along for our annual catch up of another year in the life of the Branch. Find out what we’ve been up to, followed by an opportunity to pit your wits in one of John Pomfret’s famous waterway quizzes
20th 7.45 IWA Milton Keynes Branch meeting at Bletchley Conservative Club 105 Queens Way MK2 2DN Speaker Kay Andrews Topic to be announced
April
9th 2.30 IWA Northampton Branch Meeting at The Boat Inn Stoke Bruerne. Drywood is Denise Dryburgh and Phil Underwood, multi instrumentalists and vocalists. They will be performing folk/roots music and canal songs.
18th 7.45 IWA Milton Keynes Branch meeting at Bletchley Conservative Club 105 Queens Way MK2 2DN Talk from Canal River Trust by Ros Daniels
May
13th 2.30 IWA Branch Meeting A Guided Tour of The Royal Ordnance Depot Weedon Built in 1802 for his Majesty’s Ordnance to store and repair small arms of cannon. Served by a branch of the Grand Union Canal. It was an important and secretive arms distribution point for the next 150 years. It now has a second life as a business centre with shops café and brewery. This fascinating site awaits your exploration and includes a small museum.
Paul SimpsonAwarded John FaulknerAward
Paul attended his first Task Party with us on Tuesday 28th October 2014 and has become one of our regular and most reliable volunteers having attended 223 Task Parties and accumulated 1061volunteer hours.
It soon became apparent that Paul has a very good eye for detail especially noticeable when you watch him do any grass edging. He soon became known as “Edging Paul” and at home must have the best edged garden in the road
Over the years Paul has also become the official Task Party photographer with his mix of action and nature photos of the canal. He has also helped with risk assessments during covid, lock cill marking, and graffiti removal work to name a few areas.
Most recently, he took on the task of liaising with Head Office regarding the organisation of the recent Restoration Conference at Northampton University. The amount of work he had to put in was far beyond our initial expectations but Paul stuck with the task and and made a significant contribution to a very successful Conference.
Not content with attending so many of our Branch Task Parties, Paul is also a regular volunteer with the Stoke Bruerne adoption group, where again he brings his attention to detail and edging skills.
Bernard Morton said it gave him great pleasure to present Paul with the John Faulkner Award for 2024. Well done Paul – and thank you to wife Jan for “lending” him to us so frequently!
As I write this, another severe storm with an unpronounceable name (Eowyn?) is battering Gayton with strong winds and plenty of rain such as we have seen far too many times this winter! Though I mustn’t complain as the news bulletins suggest that we have been let off lightly, unlike those people living in the west and north of the country.
RICHARD PARRY. It has just been announced that Richard Parry, CRT’s Chief Executive is to stand down this summer, having served 12 years in post. Richard took over as CRT celebrated its first birthday and has had the difficult task of leading it through its formative period to become an established national charity. I am aware that opinions of his work will vary but he has always been very supportive of the work of our Branch, particularly in connection with the Northampton Arm. He visited the Arm on many occasions for the unveiling of our various art installations and to show his gratitude for our volunteer efforts. I wish him well in his future endeavours.
BOATING FEES INCREASING. Boating is becoming increasingly expensive with all major waterways putting up their licence fees. CRT’s is the lowest increase at 4% with the Environment Agency at 9% and the Broads Authority at 5.9%. What effect will such increases have on boat ownership and on the many businesses such as boat builders, marina operators, and hire boat companies? We all recognise that our inland waterways system is an ageing network and recent extreme weather phenomena have caused storm and flood damage which has to be repaired, over and above regular maintenance and repair programmes. All of this in the face of decreasing government funding. Maybe we’re lucky the increases aren’t greater!
TIMOTHY WEST CBE. It was very sad to learn of the passing of Timothy West in November at the age of 90. Not only was he a consummate actor, but he was also a very keen boater and supporter of our waterways. He and Pru were regular attendees at the Braunston Historic Boat Show, and they came to open the National Waterways Festival in 2015 when it was held at Becket’s Park, Northampton. Perhaps they were best known amongst the general public for the TV series Great Canal Journeys which covered many of our inland waterways as well as several overseas. Whatever we think of Tim’s boat handling skills as recorded in these programmes, he will be remembered fondly by many of us. RIP Tim.
WALLACE AND GROMIT. Did you watch the Wallace and Gromit film “Vengeance Most Fowl” shown at Christmas? If you did, I’m sure you would have enjoyed, like me, the footage of chasing canal boats and the balancing act on the aqueduct – which looked suspiciously like the Pontcysyllte! Good to see more exposure for boating from an unlikely source. I wonder how many children will be imploring their parents to take them boating this summer.
BRANCH WORK BOAT. In November’s issue, I wrote about how the Branch had become proud owners of an ex-CRT work boat called Watford. I am pleased to report that after doing sterling work at the Watford Flight it made its way down to the Arm and has been used for clearing offside vegetation, a job that has needed doing for quite a while. The recent repairs to Watford’s hydraulics have been well tested and held up admirably.
BRANCH TALKS. Do remember that our programme of talks will continue through to May. February’s talk will be on 11th February 2025 starting at 2.30pm with the popular Roger Butler who returns to enlighten us about the abandoned Newport Pagnell Canal. Then, on 11th March at 7.30pm will be our brief AGM followed by our annual Quiz organised by John Pomfret. Please don’t let the AGM put you off coming for the Quiz which will start at around 8pm once the formal business of AGM has been completed. No, we don’t really mind if you miss the AGM and just turn up in time for the Quiz!
Roll on Spring! So far, only our brave Snowdrops have appeared in the garden and the birds are making good use of the bird feeders. I’m sure we’re all desperate for some warm, bright sunshiny days to encourage us to get out and about around our waterways.
WINNERS 100 CLUB DRAW
TASK PARTY DATES
March 12th. April 9th. May 14th. June 16th. Contact: stokebruernecanalpartnership.org.uk
March 13th, 29th. April 10th, 26th. May 8th, 31st. June 12th, 28th. Contact Clive at braunstoncanalsocity@gmail.com or phone /text Clive on 07817435911
NOTICE OF AGM
IWANorthamptonBranch
NOTICE is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Northampton Branch of the Inland Waterways Association will be held on Tuesday, 11th March, 2025, at The Boat Inn Stoke Bruerne commencing at 7.30pm.
AGENDA:
1: Apologies for absence
2: Minutes of previous AGM held on 12th March, 2024
3: Matters arising
4: Chairman’s Report
5: Treasurer’s Report
6: Statement of Committee size
7: Election of Committee members
8: AOB
Under the IWABranch bylaws effective from 16th May 2009, last amended 11th June 2011, there is no restriction on the maximum size of the committee. Geoff Wood and Catriona Butler retire by rotation and seek re-election. Maria Hobbs was co-opted during 2024 and now seeks election. It is no longer necessary for those who wish to stand for election to be nominated and seconded but all who wish to stand must agree to do so. Written consents from Branch members wishing to stand for election should be deposited with Branch Secretary Sandie Morton before the commencement of theAGM business via sandie.morton@waterways.org.uk
{signed) Bernard Morton, IWA Northampton Branch Chairman
TIMOTHY WEST IS SILENT
By Tim Coghlan
I came to the canal-world in October, 1988, when on leaving my erstwhile stockbroking career, my wife and I bought the somewhat derelict Braunston Marina, then in receivership. From doing my researches - reading the canal press and more - I became aware of Tim and Pru’s involvement with them. In particular they were great supporters of many canal causes, especially the restoration of the K&A, now nearing completion. It was formally re-opened by the Queen in 1990, with Tim and Pu’s boat being the first to navigated the whole of the restored canal.
I heard rumours that Tim and Pru moored their narrowboat not far away from Braunston Marina, and had once used the marina’s facilities to refuel it with diesel. But I never actually met them until I was invited by the Herefordshire & Gloucestershire Canal Trust as a guest to attend the Opening Ceremony of the Over Basin in September, 2000, following the donations the Braunston Boat Shows have given the H&G over the years. After the reopening there was a reception for major supporters, and we were introduced - not quite in a receiving line – to Tim and Pru. I told Pru that she had made my life hell, as my two younger daughters, when both aged under ten, were given the tapes for Christmas of ‘Fawlty Towers,’ by a grandmother. These they insisted on being played on the school runs and other car journeys – time and again to the point when I knew them backwards. Pru was then still her brilliant old self – the onset of her dementia was some two years away - and with a touch of royalty, she said ‘Your daughters probably knew my lines far better than I ever did!’
Thereafter I met Tim and Pru at other canal events, like the IWA National Rally of 2007 at St Ives, which they opened, and where there was what was termed a VIP Reception for major exhibitors and supporters. But, at best, we had what my father would call ‘a nodding acquaintance’.
However all of this was about to change in 2010. Besides running Braunston Marina, I had been something of a ‘hobby-writer’, contributing on average about one article a month to various canal and marine-trade publications, following up on things that had caught my interest.
One theme I picked up on was the Idle Women, a group of some thirty middle class girls who volunteered to work as canal boatmen during WWII, and had survived the course. Now only a handful were still alive, and I have got to know three of them personally. They included Sonia Rolt, who went on to marry the great canal and railways preservationist and prolific author, Tom Rolt, whose birth centenary it was that year. Rolt also saved a number of other things including the Cheltenham Literary Festival in 1962, and it was therefore appropriate that he should be commemorated at this year’s event, as part of the many centenary celebrations.
To my astonishment I was rung in the spring of 2010 by the 91 year old Sonia, and asked if I would like to make a joint presentation with her friend, the great actor, and canal and railways enthusiast Timothy West, whom I had occasionally met on the canals. My reaction was to tell her that there were many others more qualified than myself to make the presentation, some of whom had known Rolt personally, as he had died some fourteen years before I had ever come near the canals. But Sonia was insistent that I should do it: ‘I know you’ll do a much better job of it!’ How could I now refuse the lady? To make matters worse, when arrangements were finally in place, we were billed for the very opening session of the Festival, as Timothy West needed to be back in London that night, where aged now 75, he was still treading the boards. And all 240 tickets had already been sold.
In the months leading up to this awesome event, I felt as if I were now back at university, rereading or reading for the first time, as many of Rolt’s thirty plus books as I could get my
hands on. Then I finally had to put my thoughts together on paper, like writing a mini dissertation, as presenting a paper was what I had agreed to do for the organisers. This amazingly I submitted in good time and had it approved
Then three days before we were due to go on, I was rung by a lady, whose name I half remembered. It transpired that she used to be a glamorous and prominent ITN news broadcaster, who told me she would be chairing the session. She didn’t want paper-presentations, but would use them as a theme for her asking us questions, and then bringing in the audience. It all sounded dreadful – like a daytime television chat show - and I could see myself making a dog’s dinner of it. I then rang Tim, who tried to calm my stage-nerves: He didn’t like the idea either and he was going to do just what he had originally intended, and that was to give some readings, making comments on them as he went along, and then take questions. And that was that, and I should do the same. I replanned accordingly.
Once settled on the podium, and the lights dimmed on the large audience, Tim was asked an inane opening question like, ‘Tom Rolt’s books were nearly all written over fifty years ago. Why are they still relevant today?’ ‘A very good question’, replied West, ‘which is best illustrated by a few readings I have brought along with me.’ And he was off for twenty minutes, giving a stentorian performance, for he is one of our greatest readers. Then he seemed to suddenly stop and turn to me and said, ‘Tim, what do you think?’ Here was the great actor helping the terrified understudy to find his lines.
So I said, ‘I have also brought along a few favourite readings from Tom Rolt, which I would now like to present’. Before our Chair could interrupt, I likewise was off for twenty minutes. I had already made a Plan B of them – all from Rolt’s wonderfully written Irish inland voyage in 1946, his Green & Silver. This voyage my wife and I and a pair of South African moorers at Braunston Marina, had followed in part, some 50 years later in 1997. I could therefore add comments from firsthand knowledge, which raised a good few laughs. I had also typed out various quotes from other Rolt works, which I thought I might be able to use. They proved invaluable in the discussion period, especially with personal reminiscence that followed, this largely proved to be the case.
By chance, I was given last word. I concluded my contribution by saying that the true test of any author is the test of time: and in Rolt’s case, the fact that several of his books were still in print and that we were here today discussing him, was proof enough. Then I ended with a fine flourish of a finale, with a favourite epigram from Hillaire Belloc:
Of me when I’m dead, let it be said: ‘His sins were scarlet, but his prose was read!’
At this our Chair brought proceedings to a close. There was loud and enthusiastic applause, and everyone seemed happy.
My fifteen minutes of fame did not end there, as waiting to interview Tim and myself immediately after our joint performance was Julian May from BBC Radio 4, who was making a programme on Rolt to be broadcast on 8th November. It also involved a number of others, including of course Sonia, but I still felt honoured to included. Julian made a very good programme, which, with interviews with people who had known Rolt personally, I suspect will become part of the Rolt legend. Then in no time Tim was on the train to London for his evening’s performance at the Donmar Warehouse theatre. We didn’t even have a celebratory drink.
As if all of this were not enough, Timothy West was invited towards the end of October to appear at the Bath Literature Festival in March 2011, talking about his recent autobiography A Moment Towards The End Of The Play. Bath would have been a fitting place for him to talk about his stage life, what with his frequent appearance at its Theatre Royal, and the nearby Bristol Old Vic, and his education at the Bristol Grammar School, from which, as he relates in his book, he was expelled for truancy.
However, Tim asked if he could do his Rolt presentation instead with his ‘friend Tim’, as he had so enjoyed it. The producer rang me and asked me if I would come – there would be a performance fee and free overnight accommodation at the Royal Hotel in Bath for me and my wife. ‘A laugh in Bath – literally’ was my spontaneous response. Of course I would be honoured to come And then, ‘Who knows, we could become the greatest literature double-act since Jekyll & Hyde’!
On the back of Tim’s name, the event was sold out well in advance and I had to beg for three tickets for Sonia Rolt and her two sons, who had only decided to come at the last minute – they having already seen the performance at Cheltenham.
But our ‘middle-March’ performance nearly became a mini-Titanic disaster. The problem was that 2011 was the four hundredth anniversary of the King James Bible. To commemorate this great literary work, it was read in its entirety – all 400,000 words of it – during the festival in Bath Town Hall by a succession of actors and literary celebs. Topping the bill was Tim, who at his request, had signed up to read the final chapter, the Book of Revelations, in its entirety. This is a lengthy and troublesome piece, concerned with the end of the world and the Day of Judgment. Heaven is only for the righteous few, with the jaws of Hell wide-open and waiting for us lesser-mortals. Tim was scheduled to read the chapter on the Saturday afternoon before he joined me for our performance at 6.15pm. Our venue was at the Mission Theatre, a converted chapel appropriately down by the former Bath Wharf. – it could once have been a boatmen’s chapel.
That day’s Bible readings had somehow got out of hand and Tim was now running late, which I was told when I arrived dutifully at 5.30pm for a final check through. Our young session host, who is a writer living on her narrowboat in Bath, said that I might well have to start without the great man, and to rehearse Plan B in my mind accordingly. Then followed more frantic telephone calls, the news just got worse. Could I do the whole thing without him? I started seeing the gallows trap-door falling beneath my feet, at which point my wife piped up reassuringly to the session-host saying that she had never known me to be lost for words.
The problem was that we were only slotted in for one hour, after which the theatre would be needed for the setting up the next session, a new exciting play performed by a Fringe Group to run at 8. 00pm. The play’s original and imaginative story line was the thoughts of the past year that flash back as you complete your self-assessment income tax return. I never thought that such a chore could be so exciting.
The death-knell moment of 6.15pm arrived. Then just as the young lady and I were about to mount the scaffold, an exhausted Timothy West arrived leaping out of a taxi, and clutching only his Bible reading printout. At Cheltenham he had brought along a veritable pile of Rolt’s books with carefully placed coloured bookmarks, and then read from them in his great way, which took up a good chunk of our performance to the delight of our audience. Now he had nothing.
Once settled on the podium, he responded to the host’s opening question with a bit of adlibbing, and then handed over to me after what seemed a mere few minutes. I didn’t want to be seen to upstage the great man, the man our full audience had paid to come and see. But what else could I do, but go through the all material I had brought - including favourite bits from Narrow Boat?
What saved the show was a recently discovered home movie made in 1947 by an IWA enthusiast, of Sonia Rolt and her then husband George Smith taking a load from Limehouse Basin to Tyseley in Birmingham. The man’s granddaughter had found it in his attic after his death, had it put on DVD, and brought it to my attention. So with her permission I had the honour of showing it for the first time in public and seeing Sonia and her sons’ reactions. That did it.
So, as they say on the stage, it all came right on the night, with a warm reception from the audience, despite Tim’s unexpected cameo performance. It was indeed a narrow escape!
VOLUNTEERS WANTED
Crusader Community Boating is a volunteer run registered charity providing fully accessible boat trips for all, regardless of age, physical or mental ability, enabling them to experience the fun and beauty of our waterways in Northamptonshire.
We are now looking to fill a number of volunteering roles ahead of the 2025 season.
Boating Crew
Experienced Steerers
Holders of a current MCA Boatmasters Licence (Tier 2, Level1) or interested in training Health and Safety personnel Admin Personnel to be involved in taking bookings, crew allocations, marketing, and fund raising.
If any of these positions are of interest to you, or to have an informal chat with one of our crew, please email volunteering@crusadercommunityboating.org.uk or call Jill on 07729 183 232. Also please see our website for more information about the charity
VISIT STOWE HILL WHARF FOR ALL
Proprietor Robert Gudgeon
• Full Repaints
• Hull Blacking/Stern Gear
• Inspection and Repairs
• Engine Repairs and Maintenance
• Complete Fit-Out and WoodworkAlterations
• 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 theA5 at Stowe Hill towards Nether Heyford. By boat close to Bridge 26
ALL WORK UNDERTAKEN, FROM SIMPLE TASKS TO COMPLETE FIT-OUTS
YOUR ESSENTIAL BOATING SERVICES
Northampton Arm
up-date on task parties and maintenance by Paul Lynam For over 10 years our volunteers have been maintaining our adopted stretch of canal – the Northampton Arm. There are 15 by-wash channels on the locks – to take excess water around the locks. They vary in design with one in a tunnel, and one partly in a tunnel, the others are completely open. Maintaining these is a key element of our winter works programme, we can now maintain 2 or 3 of these in a day’s work; we have fairly new battery powered strimmer/brush cutters and with both of these in action, the work is fairly straightforward. By the end of December we only had locks 14 and 16 left to do.
The third week in November saw very heavy rain in the Nene catchment; I walked down to Duston Mill, and the water in the flood defence reservoir was the highest I had ever seen it; effectively full. I bumped into neighbours later who said that it is at this point that the water then flows over the spillway at the far end, back into the full river and the area between the river and canal. We had organised our next task party at lock 17 to keep it tidy over the winter. Checking the day before, it seemed that the river had flowed across the canal and the receded later leaving a layer of silt on the block paved towpath. We brought plenty of scrapers, and 6 of us spent two hours shifting about a ton of silt off the towpath. The lunch break after was well deserved!
We had our usual Saturday planning and inspection walk in December, followed by refreshments in Billy’s Diner. This year we took a look at the stretch between Gayton Junction and Lock 1. This is a stretch that normally gets little attention, but we are planning to bring our newly acquired and refurbished workboat to the Arm to work on the offside vegetation, and wanted to plan our works. I had a discussion with the manager at Gayton Marina, and she kindly offered us a temporary mooring in return for having a good go at the Vegetation in the stretch between the Marina and the turning point above Lock 1. We were planning to work along the whole Arm so we were happy to plan on this basis. We managed to get the boat through Buckby locks and down onto the Arm just before the water froze on the canal, making us defer our planned works by a week.
On 20th January a small crew took the boat for its first day of work on the Arm, cutting back vegetation on the offside near the marina. On 21 January the work party split in two, again the boat was used above lock 1 with staff from Cummins Power Systems assisting in clearing the trees along the towpath. The remaining members worked around lock 14. We plan to use the boat at least weekly for the next 8 weeks.
WHILTON MARINA CHANDLERY
Pay us a visit, just browse and see what we have to offer Open daily 9am –6pm ALL
ROUND Tel 01327 844639 E-mail: marinachandlery@gmail.com
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
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.
OUR LONGEST BOATING TRIP
Llangollen, Anderton Boat Lift, River Weaver and Caldon Canal Part 2 by
Tony Clarke
After going over the Chirk Aqueduct we were following a trip boat who announced that they were going to be turning at the junction. They also warned us that it was a tight turn to continue up the Llangollen Canal. There is an arm to Trevor Basin, a base for Anglo Welsh hire company (there are seven hire bases on this canal as it is so popular).
From the turn the canal is very shallow here accentuating the flow downstream from the River Dee. The amount of water that flows down the canal from the river to Hurlston Reservoir is about 12 million gallons a day. It is also very narrow in places (one boat width) and you need to send somebody ahead to check if its clear to proceed.
We moored in the Basin which wasn’t quiet because there was the annual International Music Festival Eisteddfod just over the other side of the canal. There was a horse drawn trip boat going from the visitor centre to the Horseshoe Falls which was lovely to watch.
This is near Bridge 58 the inscription reads: Narrowboats loaded with tons of limestone coal milk and cheese Duchess Countless Jupitor move slowly on the way to Whitchurch
On Friday night, we went by bus to The Sun at Trevor to meet with Mark and Debbie’s friends who had parked their motorhome in the car park.
On Sunday, we started our return journey but it was a dull, misty and drizzling, and it made such a difference from going over the aqueduct with the sun shining as on on the way up. We moored opposite Chirk Marina. While there, two Police officers came down and asked if we were moving on. They were glad we weren’t. Later, two more came down and stopped a boat from continuing on.
The following day we continued on to Ellesmere and was able to moor at the end of the arm near Tesco. We then heard that the police had found someone's possessions, and they had been looking for a body! We went shopping and had a good look round the town. It is a nice small town with a butchers, bakery (the cakes were irresistible) and a launderette. I didn’t expect to see a sign mentioning Lands End and John O’Groats in the town!
On the Thursday, we left for Whitchurch where our friends were meeting us with my replacement shower. I changed it quickly so now didn’t have to keep turning the water pump off! On Friday, it was raining hard so we stopped early and watched Wimbledon. We got to Middlewich and had a lovely meal in The Big Lock. We moored just before the Anderton Boat Lift and decided that we hadn’t got time to go to Liverpool. There were problems on the Bridgewater Canal, so we went down the Anderton Boat Lift onto the River Weaver and moored at Northwich, another small town but with a lot of empty shops! We got the provisions we needed and went on to Hunts Lock No2, the locks on the river are manned as they are big and took three narrowboats at a time! We were told that we would have to moor before the Vale Royal Locks as they closed at 4.30. There was a handy floating pontoon just before the lock.
A flower pot man sun bathing in the Trent and Mersey Canal!
The following day we went down to Winsford Marina and, as it was a sunny day, we had a BBQ to make the most of the weather. We left the following day with the river getting busy. We got to Vale Royal Lock and had to wait as three boats were coming up. Mark went in first and, as I went to go in, my boat wouldn’t go forwards only backwards. The poor lock keeper was trying his hardest to pull me in so I had to stop the engine to allow him to pull me in. Mark went out first then towed me and got me onto the pontoon where I found the gear cable had broken. Mark and Debbie went on to Northwich with our shopping list and we planned meet them the following day. I contacted RCR and they got somebody out to me by 5pm and it was changed by 6, but as the next lock had closed I stayed there until morning..
We met at Northwich the next day and carried on pass the lift and moored up in the sun on a quiet stretch and relaxed.
The next day we went back up the lift and carried on to Middlewich. We still had locks at Heartbreak Hill to do. On Tuesday we finished these locks, went through Harecastle Tunnel and moored at Westport Lake. Jimmy and Alice, Mark and Debbie’s friends came to meet us, as they live locally.
Somebody was living on this boat on the Trent and Mersey Canal
The next day we went up the Caldon Canal, a nice rural canal but shallow in places. As we were approaching Bridge 16a a boat came through fairly fast and didn’t want to stop causing us to get right into the side which resulted in us getting a car tyre on the propeller. Mark turned his boat and came back to help. It took us almost 3 hours to get it off! I then towed Mark backwards to the winding hole and we got moored up as soon as we could.
The next day was another sunny day and we got to the Hollybush Inn at Froghall where we met up with Jimmy and Alice, and stayed there two nights then made our way back. We left the Caldon and went through Stoke on Trent and moored at Barlaston, near the Plume of Feathers which is owned by Neil Morrissey - a lovely friendly, busy pub, meeting up again with Jimmy and Alice for another tasty meal.
We then continued our return journey back to Taverners Boat Club, with no more problems. I was glad that we went with another boat as we both had problems and could help each other. Nevertheless, it was a very enjoyable cruise.
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.
Send your articles and stories to tony.clarke@waterways.org.uk
Please
BUCKINGHAM CANAL SOCIETY
Last year we received a lot of extra help from visits by Corporate groups - in fact the largest number of groups since we started having them join us! Overall, we had thirty-three Corporate groups join at both Cosgrove and Bourton Meadow. Nineteen of them working at Cosgrove and fourteen of them at our Bourton Meadow site near Buckingham. There were seven visits from Santander and Network Rail who joined us on three separate occasions.
There were several groups joining us for the first time and these include GTC who made two visits to Bourton Meadow in June and July and another new group WD40 joined us at Cosgrove in July and paid a second visit on the 19th December to Bourton Meadow where a can of WD40 provided by them helped with our wheelbarrows.
In the past Corporate groups usually start visiting from about May onwards then usually stop by beginning of November but last year bookings started in March and continued until the 19th December so almost up to Christmas and at the time of writing we already have bookings February, March, April and July in 2025 and a special thanks must go to JNP who as well as providing us with some brilliant photos of their visit also made a generous donation to the BCS of £250.
Bourton Meadow
With very little access to our Hyde Lane site in 2024, the Conservation volunteers spent most of their time working at Bourton Meadow and were helped by the visit of fourteen Corporate groups who worked there from May to December. We have continued the work throughout the year of keeping excellent access to this site and making it look attractive and therefore attracting more visitors to walk the canal and then possibly want to support us by becoming a member or a volunteer or both. As well as making the site look attractive, we have been maintaining the environmental and wildlife aspects of this site which is important as well. We have been helped in this list task by Michael Hunt who after each visit to site sends us a very detailed list of the wildlife seen by him there.
Hedges were trimmed, towpath strimmed several times over the summer months and four of the bench seats were repainted. Also a new interpretation board and leaflet box were installed. The main problem over the summer months was the amount of weed taking over the canal bed which also had to be removed. From past experiences, the best way to carry out this task has been for volunteers to don waders and work in the canal bed itself. This always proved a very popular task for both our volunteers and visiting groups in the summer months and, because of the very mild winter weather, we were able to continue working in this way right up till December.
As said at top of this article, most of the practical tasks led by me were at Bourton Meadow but, for the first few months at the beginning of 2024, I led several
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tasks at Cosgrove where I worked with children and their parents taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, something I have done in the past and would love to continue doing.
Hopefully, 2025 will be as successful as 2024 where we continue the work at Bourton Meadow and I look forward to seeing all the Spring flowers starting to grow there. Happy to be to being part of it again this year! Athina Beckett
Branch Chairman
Bernard Morton
07785 375787/ 01604 858294
E-mail: bernard.morton @waterways.org.uk
Vice Chairman, Joint Task Party Organiser & Membership Secretary
