Towing Path Topics, January 2015

Towing Path Topics The newsletter of the Lancashire and Cumbria Branch of the Inland Waterways Association

January 2015

DISCLAIMER The views expressed in Towing Path Topics are not necessarily those of The Inland Waterways Association or of its North West Region or of the Lancs and Cumbria Branch. They are, however, published as being of interest to our members and readers. Nothing printed may be construed as policy or an official announcement unless so stated. The Association accepts no liability for any matter in this newsletter.

No reproduction is permitted without acknowledgment.

Cover Illustration: 'Our Bridge' The bridge to which North Lancs & Cumbria Branch contributed spans the Ribble Link at its junction with the Lancaster Canal.

Line drawing by Celia Lockley from a photograph taken by David M. Smith.

The editor retains the right to edit any article or letter submitted for publication.

Editor:- Wendy Humphreys -Nether Greenlowe Farm, Duckshaw Road, Darwen, BB3 2UA 01254 703553 Email wendy.humphreys@waterways.org.uk

Copy date for next edition 5th April 2015

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Contents

Page 2

Disclaimer and acknowledgements

Page 3

Contents

Page 4

Welcome from the editor

Page 5

Notice of Annual General Meeting 2015

Page 6

Nomination form for Committee Members

Page 7

Minutes of the AGM 2014

Page 15

Welcome to new members

Page 17

Report from Region Chairman

Page 19

Future Branch meetings

Page 21

Committee list

Page 23

Job information

Page 24

Branch Activities in 2014

Page 26

Canal Society News—Lancaster Canal Trust

Page 27

Extract from Friends of Kennet Magazine November 2014

Page 30

Canal Society News—Manchester , Bolton, Bury Canal Society

Page 31

Final word from the editor

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Welcome to the January 2015 edition of Towing Path Topics, it has been some time since the last edition and on behalf of the branch I apologise for that. I hope it will not be so long until the next one. I am the branch treasurer but have taken on the role of Towing Path Topics editor because the branch recognises the need to keep in touch with members and I volunteered! So we will see how it goes. The magazine follows a traditional format of information about the branch and its activities and news of local canal societies, if anyone has any ideas for other things which could be included in future editions please let me know.

The magazine also includes the agenda for the branch AGM and nomination forms for new committee members, I hope you will be able to attend the AGM and even consider joining the committee, we have several vacancies and the more committee members we have the more we can do.

This last year has seen a decline in attendance at Branch Social Meetings which is a great shame and is a missed opportunity to participate in the working of the branch and meet fellow members, on behalf of the branch can I ask you to consider attending the meetings, you will be very welcome and hopefully you will have an interesting evening.

2015 sees an important event in our area which is the IWA Trailboat Festival, this is being hosted by the Lancaster Canal Trust on 30th and 31st May and 1st of June please make a note for your diaries, there is more information in this magazine and there will be more in the next edition. Speaking of the next edition I will be aiming to produce a further magazine in the early summer and if you have anything you want to include please let me have it by 5th April.

There has been some sad news in our committee, David Smith who has been battling bravely with illness for some time has become so ill that he has had to go into a Nursing Home. David has been a committee member for many years and latterly has held the role of Northern Reaches Representative, so there is another vacancy on the committee. We will miss David at our meetings and wish him and Audrey all the best.

As I write it is near Christmas but when you read this Christmas will be over so I hope you had a good Christmas and wish you all a Happy New Year.

Wendy Humphreys 4

INLAND WATERWAYS ASSOCIATION LANCASHIRE & CUMBRIA BRANCH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting of the Lancashire & Cumbria Branch of The Inland Waterways Association will be held at the Peter Birtwistle Community Centre, 14 Keighley Road, Colne, BB8 0JL on Thursday 26th February 2015 starting at 7.30pm.

AGENDA 1. Apologies for absence 2. Approval of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 27th February 2014 3. Matters arising from the minutes 4. Chairman’s Report 5. Treasurer’s Report and Presentation of the Accounts 6.

Election to Committee Under the three-year rule Alan Davies, Sharon Davies, Tony Dunning, Les Fragle, retire from the committee and are willing and eligible for re-election.

Under the three-year rule David Smith retires from the committee and is not seeking re-election.

Martyn Clapham was co-opted to the committee during the year and is willing and eligible for re-election.

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Nomination Form - Lancashire & Cumbria Branch Volunteer / Nominee ……………………………………………………

PLEASE PRINT

Signed. …………………………………

Date …………………………

Address. ………………………………………………………………………………….

…………………………………………………………………………………..

Telephone Numbers

E-mail

H ……………………………… M …………………………………

……………………………………………………………

Volunteers / Nominees must be an IWA member of this branch in good standing Please return form before Monday 23rd February 2015 to: Tony Dunning, 27 Bridge End, Egremont, Cumbria, CA22 2RE by email to lancsandcumbria@waterways.org.uk or else presented to him at the AGM Under the bye-laws volunteering / nominations can be accepted from the floor at the AGM

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Inland Waterways Association North Lancashire and Cumbria Branch

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held at 7-30 pm in St Andrew’s Church Hall, Tulketh Road, Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston,PR2 1ES on Thursday 27th February 2014 Branch Members Present: Martyn Clapham, Sharon Davies, Alan Davies, Stephen Fairbrother, Sally Fairbrother, Janet Dunning, Tony Dunning, Les Fragle, Carol Hannigan, Dave Hannigan, Wendy Humphreys, Derek Humphreys, Barry Horner, Jim Nott, Maralyn Nott, Peter Simmonds, David Currington, & John Allen.

A guest, Peter MacAlpine, was also present.

Apologies for Absence: Gordon Clapham, Pat Clapham, David Faulkner, G W Oxley, Gillian Smith, Penny Duttson, Martin Funnell, Alan Platt (Region Chairman), Robert Irvine (on behalf of Forth & Clyde Society)

Minutes of the 2012 AGM held on 27th February 2013 in St Andrew’s Church Hall, Preston

were before everyone present and acceptance was Proposed by

Dave Hannigan

and Seconded by

Alan Davies

and agreed without dissent.

Matters arising:

None.

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Chairman's Report (Alan Davies): My comments last year were one of fairly monumental change; change that happened during the previous year and the very real prospect of change still to come. That change is still happening. Canal and River Trust are still evolving from a government-centric department into a much more public facing body. Its new Chief Executive is holding regular meetings with boaters and indeed spending time out on the water. That initiative is being reflected at local level with senior staff from the Wigan office spending days out with boaters and seeing the network directly from the boater's perspective.

Late last year our regional manager, Chantelle Seaborn, came to speak to the branch at an open meeting in Colne. Numbers were fairly small so we were able to all sit together and have a very frank discussion in which Chantelle was able to outline her approach to maintenance and conservation. In that environment we were able to probe and ask questions that we would not have able to do in a more formal meeting. It is encouraging to know that our local waterways network is in the hands of someone who understands asset maintenance.

On the subject of our monthly meetings over the autumn to spring period I would encourage you all to try to attend more. We have had some fascinating talks ranging from a detailed story about the Titanic; the use of the larger waterways for commercial carrying; an enlightening account of the history and renovation of Leeds and Liverpool short boat Kennet, to, most recently, the development of the Wool Boat and trading on the canals in general.

The branch held a very successful clean up along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Brierfield. This was a very successful collaboration between IWA and CRT with the local council chipping in by supplying bins and disposing of the rubbish that was collected. B &Q allowed us the use of their car park and toilets. Almost 70 bags of rubbish were collected from the towpath and margins of the canal. A number of bike frames, trolleys and warehouse trucks were collected from the water 8

and margins of the canal. A number of bike frames, trolleys and warehouse trucks were collected from the water.

We also made appearances at two waterway festivals over the year with our sales and information tent. Skipton, over the May Bank Holiday, was a little cold but we still raised over a hundred pounds. Stephen Fairbrother got rather wet at the Burnley Canal Festival but was pleased with the response he got from those that braved the weather.

At last year's AGM I thanked Janet Dunning for thirteen years of magazine production. We started the search for someone to continue her sterling work but without success. To keep things going I produced a shortened Newsletter version early in the year hoping we would find a new editor before the next one was due. As time rolled on it became apparent that another magazine was needed. I produced one using Janet's template in attempt to get more familiar with 24 page publications. It is clearly not up to Janet's standards and I am still hoping we can find a volunteer before the next one is due. Any suggestions of someone to approach would be very welcome.

I reported last year on discussion about branch boundaries in the North West region; as you will have noticed we are now the Lancashire and Cumbria Branch which more accurately describes our area; though it does not acknowledge that we have most of the Scottish members within our branch. The waterways we now cover are the Carlisle Canal, the Lake District, the Lancaster Canal, the Carlisle Canal, the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, the River Lune, the River Ribble, the Ribble Link and the Ulverston Canal. The Scottish waterways we cover are the Caledonian Canal, the Crinan Canal, the Forth & Clyde Canal and the Union Canal.

John Burt has worked closely with Scottish Waterways, who remain an arm of the Scottish Government, and the SRYA to oversee matters north of the border, but his imminent move abroad means that we have yet another gap to fill in our ranks. If anyone knows of a Scottish resident with a particular interest in Scottish waterways to continue John's excellent work we would be delighted to hear from you.

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Finally I want to acknowledge the vast amount of work and effort the IWA has received from Madeline Dean both on a local and a national basis. She has been major part of this branch's work for the past thirty -three years as well as serving on various national committees and attending and working at National Rallies during that time. Our grateful thanks go to Madeline along with a sinking realisation that we have yet another hole to fill.

It really is time for a new generation to pick up the baton. So come on you younger ones! That means anyone who is not collecting a pension or feels that they have the energy of someone who doesn't. Seriously, you must have an interest by being here tonight. Please put that interest to work in advancing the work of the IWA in general and the branch in particular.

Alan Davies.

Treasurer's Report (Wendy Humphreys): The Treasurer presented the accounts and reported on the details of the Income and Expenditure shown for the year ending 2012. An opportunity was given to those attending to put questions to the Treasurer.

The acceptance of the accounts was Proposed by

Alan Davies

and Seconded by

Tony Dunning

and agreed without dissent.

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The North Lancs and Cumbria Branch of The Inland Waterways Association

Balance Sheet as at 31st December 2012 2011 £7,286.37 £14.53

£7,300.90

General Accumulated Funds Balance as at 1st January 2011 surplus/(deficit) for the year

Balance as at 31st December 2010

2012 £7,300.90 -£171.46

£7,129.44

Represented by Fixed assets at cost less depreciation to date current assets stocks debtors and prepayments cheques received not yet paid in £7,300.90

bank accounts

£7,348.44

other funds held by branch cash in hand

total assets

£7,348.44

less current liabilities creditors

£7,300.90

cheques issued and not presented

£219.00

total liabilities

£219.00

total funds

£7,129.44

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Income and expenditure account for the year ended 31st December 2011 Income

£78.00

total subscription per capita received donations from IWA enterprises ltd (sales) donations from IWA enterprises ltd (other) collections at branch social meetings income from events and fund raising grants and donations from other IWA sources

£90.66

interest received

£46.64

donations received

£969.44

£146.20

£360.87

£263.00

2012

£1,030.26

£157.00 £548.20 £80.00 £84.30 £1,110.04

sale of donated goods profit from incidental trading - non IWA (Sales) goods other income as detailed below

£136.75

sale of plaques

£145.00

£1,954.81

total income

£3,291.55

£1,940.28

total expenditure

£3,463.01

£14.53

surplus/loss

-£171.46

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2011

Expenditure

£891.80 £318.60

£150.00

£30.00 £200.00

£63.00 £175.00 £111.88

£1,940.28

magazine printing and production costs postage less advertising income per capita paid to branches publicity expenses branch social meeting expenses working party costs annual subscriptions paid donations to other IWA destinations other donations made AGM Costs officers expenses travelling postage other

misc

sales costs L&L Plaques and postage Christmas Cards Purchase of Clothing Preston Guild Festival Total expenditure

Funds committed to Specific Causes £5,677.54 Northern Reaches Fund £1,623.36 £7,300.90 Funds held at H/O

£1,533.00

Branch Funds total

From Trail Boat Festival

2012 £740.40 £769.04

£150.00 £45.00 £30.00 £200.00

£41.08

£14.09 £224.06 £114.00 £325.34 £810.00 £3,463.01

£4,867.54 £2,261.90 £7,129.44

£1,533.00

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Statement of Committee Size: The Committee consists of a minimum of three elected members and the Region Chairman. There is no upper limit.

Election of Committee Members: John Burt and Wendy Humphreys retire under the 3-year rule.

They have indicated that they are willing to stand for re-election.

There were no other nominations.

These nominations were Proposed by

Alan Davies

and Seconded by

Tony Dunning

and agreed without dissent.

There being no further business of the Meeting, it closed at 8-30 p.m.

Following a refreshment break, David Currington gave an update of the Lancaster Canal Trust's work on the Northern Reaches of the Lancaster Canal.

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Welcome to new members

During the course of the year we have had many new members to the branch, (we have also lost some as well), on behalf of the branch we would like to welcome the following new members to our branch January Mr J Brennan & Family - Barrow-in-Furness Mrs J & Mr C Dixon - New Abbey, Dumfries Mr A Mackie – Burnley February Mr R Orrell - Ponsonby, Seascale Mr J Foster - Bonnyrigg, Midlothian March Mr R A Pursglove - Great Eccleston, Preston April Mrs M Awty-Jones – Barnoldswick Mr & Mrs G & A Cox – Natland Mr R Sewell & Family – Kendal May Mr D Ashdown – Over Kellet, Carnforth June Mr M & Mrs S Dixon - Stone haven, Kincardineshire Mr B & Mrs S Flint - Rawtenstall, Rossendale Mr J Hellon - Greenhead, Brampton Mr B J & Mrs C Macdonald - Milngavie, Glasgow Mr N & Mrs S Parslow – Colne Ms C Stanley – Blackpool Mr P Williams - Kintore, Inverurie July Mr F & Mrs C Embrey - Heath Charnock, Chorley Mr K Randall - Kirkby Lonsdale Mr A Winnington - Skelmorlie, Ayrshire

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August Mr D C Brunt & Family - Great Harwood, Blackburn Mr A Elliott - Scremerston, Berwick-upon-Tweed Mr S & Mrs A Freear - Braemar, Aberdeenshire Mr M & Mrs A Melnyk - Auchtermuchty, Fife Mrs G Taylor & Family - Penrith September Mr A Bulling & Family - New Pitsligo, Fraserburgh Mr D & Mrs K Howe – Carlisle Mr R Smith - Barrow-in-Furness Mr K Watson - Barnoldswick, Lancashire Mr P A & Mrs L A Wilson - Lytham St Annes October Mr R Irvine – Cumbernauld Ms C Mitchell - Armathwaite, Carlisle If you are new to the branch and you joined after October your name will be included in the next magazine.

We hope to see you at branch meetings.

Les Fragle Membership Officer

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Report from our Region Chairman Alan Platt

2014 seems to have been a year of anniversaries; in IWA terms the most significant is the centenary Robert Aickman’s birth, and there are plans to try and get a Blue Plaque erected outside his home in Gower St, London, also the first Head Office of the IWA. This followed on from the Tom Rolt’s centenary last year, and we were all sorry to hear of the passing of his widow Sonia Rolt last month. I am reminded of how committed and eccentric these key figures in the history of the Association were. We live in different times and your current trustees are less colourful. Perhaps that is just as well or maybe we live in a different age, ruled by risk assessments and KPI analyses; a duller style certainly than our founders showed but I hope we still have their enthusiasm and spirit, and certainly we share their love of and commitment to the waterways.

While it is fine to look back, the IWA must look forward to the future, of working with, but independent of, the Canal & River Trust, and we are still campaigning for the transfer of Environment Agency navigations into CRT, where they will get priority as navigations. Working with CRT we have achieved a major success in getting HS2 to realign their route to avoid a picturesque stretch of the Trent & Mersey near Fradley. This demonstrates one aspect of our campaigning spirit which is at the heart of the IWA, and its continued relevance.

Locally your branch is looking to enter into a partnership with a local business to jointly adopt a section of the Leeds & Liverpool. This demonstrates an awareness that in a very real sense the waterways now belong to us, and it is up to us to make sure they are valued. That comes down to all of us and I know that your committee would very much value more members taking an active role in the branch.

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Locally your branch is looking to enter into a partnership with a local business to jointly adopt a section of the Leeds & Liverpool. This demonstrates an awareness that in a very real sense the waterways now belong to us, and it is up to us to make sure they are valued. That comes down to all of us and I know that your committee would very much value more members taking an active role in the branch.

Early in 2015 we get into the season of AGMs and I very much regret that a prior and long standing engagement prevents me from attending yours in February; however I hope to make your January social meeting in Preston and look forward to meeting some of you there. Another date for your diary is Saturday April 25th when we shall be holding a Region Social at the Eldonian village on the Liverpool Link from about 11am until about 4pm which promises to be a good opportunity for different branches to get together.

I hope you had a Happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year and hope that the weather enables us to still enjoy the waterways.

Alan Platt

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Future Branch meetings January 29th 2015

Preston

Graham Holland – CRT's National Asset Strategy Manager – Assets and Dredging

February 26th 2015

Colne

Annual General Meeting, followed by Martyn Clapham – Updates to Edmund Barstow Photographic Slides

March 26th 2015

Preston

Ivor Caplan – RBOA and Living Aboard with the Current Challenges

April 30th 2015

Colne

Peter Scott – Sir Peter Scott, CH CBE DSC* FRS FZS – Artist, Conservationist, Olympian Yachtsman, Wild-fowler, …

Future Branch Meetings—What do members want?

Branch meetings are a way of keeping in touch, meeting fellow members and guests in a social environment, having opportunities to learn more about the waterways which all love and sharing information about what is happening in the branch and region. Please take advantage of this by attending the meetings if you possibly can, you will be made welcome and we will be pleased to see you. It is very disheartening for the committee to put so much effort into these meetings and then find only a few of our members attend. On 4th December there was an excellent lecture, one of the best some of us have attended, about some of the wonderful engineering involved with our canals entitled Canal Infrastructure – The Marvels of Canal Engineering. It was given by George Ballinger, a very enthusiastic senior engineer with the CRT. However there was very poor attendance, just six members (plus a guest), of which 3 were involved in putting the lecture on. A lecture of such interest deserves a much better attendance so we have to ask why there were not more members there.

Of course we have many members in Scotland and some in North Cumbria so it is too far for them to travel but where were all the other members? We the committee need to know what the members want out of YOUR branch so feel free to tell us, now is your chance,. Please let us know what sort of things you would like the committee to arrange, what subjects, meeting locations and venues or anything else. We will do our best.

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Public Meetings of the Branch All meetings are last Thursday of the month at 7-00 pm for 7-30 pm start.

Refreshments available before the start and at the interval.

Venues Preston St Andrew's Church Hall, Tulketh Road, Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston, PR2 1ES, (off Blackpool Road).

Bus services from Preston Bus Station: - 68 (Stagecoach) to Tulketh Road, St Andrew's School (drops you opposite); 31 or 61 (Preston Bus) to Newton Road off Blackpool Road (walk on to next road [100 yards], turn left, hall on left) N.B. There are no bus services between the Railway Station and the Bus Station, a distance of about 1222 yards (0.6 miles).

Getting there by road: From M6 Junction 32, turn onto A6 south towards Preston, take next left onto B6241 Eastway, turn next left to pass under A6, then turn right to continue on B6241 Eastway / Lightfoot Lane / Tom Benson Way. At next roundabout take second exit (of five) B5411 Tag Lane / Woodplumpton Road to next mini-roundabout. Take second exit (of two) B5411 Woodplumpton Road until traffic lights are reached, then turn right onto A5085 Blackpool Road. At traffic lights turn left onto A5072 Tulketh Road; the Church Hall is the first entrance on the left. There is reasonable off-road parking for up to 20 vehicles.

Colne Peter Birtwistle Community Centre, 14 Keighley Road, Colne, BB8 0JL Please note, the meeting room is upstairs, and there is no lift. Parking roadside is very limited in the vicinity but there is off-street parking in the centre of Colne.

From the roundabout at the end of the M65 in Colne turn left onto the A6068 (Vivary Way) towards Skipton and Keighley. Go through the first roundabout (N Valley Road) and traffic lights (Windsor Street) until the second roundabout, turn right onto the A56 (Skipton Road, Town Centre) away from Skipton, and at traffic lights turn left into the B6250 (Keighley Road). The Community Centre is on the right within 200 yards, beside the junction for Peter Birtwistle Close.

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L&C Branch Committee 2014 Chairman

Vice Chairman

Alan Davies

And Wild over Water

M 07785 232985

Sharon Davies

H 01282 867469

H 01282 867469

alandavies@cix.co.uk Secretary

Treasurer

And Social Secretary

And Leeds Liverpool Canal Society

Tony Dunning

Wendy Humphreys

27 Bridge End

Nether Green Lowe Farm

Egremont

Duckshaw Road

CA22 2RE

Darwen

M 07730 113894

BB3 2UA

H 01946 820875

M 07763 561572

oldgrumpyman@btinternet.com

H 01254 703553 delwendwhm@btinternet.com

Membership Secretary

Northern Reaches Representative

Les Fragle

David Smith

Brock Cottage

Brewery Wharf

6 Thistleton Road

15 Dark Lane

Thistleton

Whittle-le-Woods

Preston

Chorley

PR4 3XA

PR6 8AE

M 07946 702274

H 01257 274440

H 01995 672230

david@familysmith.co.uk

les.fragle@gmail.com

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Sales Vacant

Publicity

Vacant

Region Chairman (ex officio)

Web Master

Alan Platt

Martyn Clapham

Argoed

5 Cobden Street

Pen Y Cefn Road

Nelson

Caerwys

BB9 0AH

Mold

5 Cobden Street

CH7 5BH

Nelson

M 07860 250152

BB9 0AH

H 01352 720649

M 07710 468303

Alan.Platt@waterways.org.uk

wrgmac@pendlesider.me.uk

Without portfolio

Lancaster Canal Trust

Stephen Fairbrother

Helen Thomas

623 Livesey Branch Road

7 Bay View

Blackburn

Over Kellet

BB2 5DQ

Carnforth

M 07745 560097

7 Bay View

H 01254 201841

Over Kellet

feniscowl@aol.com

Carnforth

LA6 1DR thomas@thepikes.co.uk Without Portfolio

Scottish Representative

Vacant

Vacant

As you can see there are plenty of vacancies so now is your chance to join us on the committee! Old members are welcome as well, the stronger team we have the more we can achieve.

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Job information

Sales Officer The sales officer will provide income for the branch but is much more than that.

The sales officer will provide a focus of interest at branch meetings, a service to members and provide a welcome for newcomers.

At outside events a sales officer will have a sales stand which will attract interest, provide information and potential new members, they will also have the rewarding experience of participating in events.

They will provide an educational opportunity by having maps, guides and information about the waterways.

Work Party Organiser You may have seen that other IWA branches have adopted a length of a canal in their area and hold regular work parties to make sure that the length is attractive to visitors. We plan to adopt a length of the Leeds Liverpool Canal but if we are going to do so we need a work part organiser.

The canal clean ups we have done have shown that branch members will support such practical sessions whatever the weather and members of the local community have welcomed our involvement.

If you would like to know more about what is involved contact our branch secretary or chairman.

Publicity Officer If we don’t tell anyone what we are doing nobody will know! We need someone to take on the task of advertising our presence. A poster in a local library or a shop or a listing in the “What’s on” pages of the waterways magazines and local newspapers has the potential to attract a bigger audience for our speakers or increase the workforce at our work parties.

What about our successes? Shouldn’t we tell someone about them?

Could you be the one to spread the word about us? The branch chairman or secretary will be pleased to hear from you.

Scottish Representative The branch has a lot of members in Scotland but it is difficult to know their wishes and represent their views from South of Border! A Scottish Representative would liaise with the committee about the needs of members in Scotland and about issues local to the Scottish area.

Attendance at committee meetings and membership of the committee There is no requirement for the Sales Officer or the Publicity Officer or the Work Party Organiser to be a member of the branch committee although they need to work alongside the committee and keep in touch.

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Branch Activities in 2014

On the social side the year started with the January meeting in Colne, when Colin and Carole Waring between them gave a talk with illustrations on the Woolly Wanderings on the Waterways with their boat Emma Maye, as they expanded their trading on the canals. There was a much greater attendance this time compared with the last meeting of the previous year when only seven attended; although the speaker, Chantelle Seaborn CRT's Region Manager, was able to benefit from a more intimate questioning of those that were there on their opinions with regard to her “Patch”.

The February meeting, of course, had the AGM, and the March meeting would have had Ivor Caplan, of RBOA talking about Living Aboard with the Current Challenges, but he had to pull out at the last minute due to an infection creating breathing problems, but the standby of Stephen Fairbrothers’ videos rescued the day. We should get Ivor coming in March 2015.

During the summer, outdoor activities involved Balsam Bashing at Haslam Park, Preston, scene of the 2012 Campaign Festival, when 20 Dumpy Bags were filled with pulled Himalayan Balsam in less than four hours by four IWA members and four Friends of Haslam Park, together with two Park Rangers who had other jobs to do as well as shifting the bags when full to dump the foliage on a heap to rot down, all in drizzly weather.

The new season of talks started in October at Colne, with Nick Mead (and his wife) of Lady Teal talking about Hotel Boating – Past and Present, and of their experiences. The November meeting in Preston was actually in December, when we had George Ballinger of CRT talk about Canal Infrastructure – the Marvels of Canal Engineering, which was a highly intriguing illustrated talk.

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During 2014 we also held our bi monthly committee meetings preceded by lunch and a chance to catch up on news.

We endorsed the Lancaster Canal Trusts application to hold the 2015 Trail Boat Festival in our area.

We commented on various planning applications relevant to the canals in our area.

We gave advice and support to members about issues affecting them relating to the Inland Waterways.

We attended many Canal and River Trust meetings to gain information and put forward the views of our members.

We received a new member to our committee, Martyn Clapham who will look after our website.

Our Sales Officer resigned from his post due to family commitments but we are pleased to say he still remains on the committee.

Our Scottish representative resigned due to moving to Crete, a bit too far away even for us!

Sadly we lost the opportunity of another potential new member when John Allen drowned in a tragic incident at Ravenglass.

We assisted Friends of Kennet at Burscough Heritage weekend.

We donated ÂŁ500 to the Waterways Recovery Group Big Digger appeal.

We purchased a new Branch banner.

We continued to administer the Leeds Liverpool Plaques for those travelling the Canal from end to end.

For 2015 We have the Trail Boat Festival.

We have been approached by a major building company in Pendle to join with them in adopting a length of the Leeds and Liverpool from the southern portal of Foulridge Tunnel to the point where the M65 crosses the canal. A little over a mile and four locks.

Canal and River Trust are celebrating the bicentenary of the Leeds Liverpool Canal and we hope to be involved.

Stop press we received ÂŁ20 form IWA head office as a reward for recruiting new members, can we make it more in 2015!

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Canal Society News

Lancaster Canal Trust HLF Catalyst Grant Lancaster Canal Trust (LCT) applied for and received a ‘catalyst’ grant of nearly £7,000 from Heritage Lottery Fund. This was to help them increase their membership, particularly with younger people. They employed a Development Consultant who devised surveys for people visiting the canal both around Lancaster and on the Northern Reaches. Schools and Nurseries were also approached to complete different surveys. These surveys are being analysed. Training was given to members of LCT on Facebook and Twitter as these will be useful means for contacting more potential members. ( If anyone reading this is an ardent Twitter user and interested in helping LCT, we would be delighted to hear from you).

Waterways Recovery Group activities on Lancaster Canal LCT have been continuing their activities to extend the canal past Stainton, where the water ends at the moment. They have been ably helped by members of the Waterway Recovery Group who had a fortnight camp during the summer when they profiled the extension of the canal named the ‘First Furlong’ between bridges 172 and 173. Hopefully, this section will be in water by next summer. This will be the first section of the canal to be restored.

Lancaster Canal Regeneration Partnership After some time, South Lakeland District Council and Kendal Town Council are making more hopeful noises about a project manager possibly being financed.

IWA National Trailboat Festival on Northern Reaches LCT has applied for and received the next annual IWA National Trailboat Festival. It will be held at Crooklands on the Northern Reaches of the Lancaster Canal at the same time as Westmorland Agricultural Society run their annual ‘Countryfest’ on their showground – May 30th and 31st though the trailboat festival will continue for the 1st June. The usual events will take place and a more detailed programme will be in the next ‘Towing Path Topics’.

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Extract from the Friends of Kennet Newsletter November 2014

2014 Season This has been the third and final year of our Lottery Funding. This has seen Kennet mainly on the west side of the country, taking in Runcorn, and the furthest south we have taken her to date. On her journey Kennet attended 8 events and hosted 8 school visits, with some 3900 visitors.The season started with Kennet taking part in the ELWY Boat Club Easter Rally at East Marton. Over the weekend the club members visited Kennet and had a “reception” with slide show.This was followed by Kennet’s traditional visit back to the Skipton Waterways Festival where Leeds & Liverpool Canal Society took her in 2008 after BW agreed to the loan of Kennet. Once again it was a very successful weekend.

Kennet then started her travels westward, stopping at Hyndburn for the first 2 school visits of the season and the first for Hyndburn. On the Saturday Kennet was also open for the Hyndburn Heritage Day. A short trip to West End to host a visit of the local primary school, where two of our Captains Harry Belshaw & Ken Barnes, attended in their “younger days”. Harry & Ken enjoyed reminiscing about their early involvement with the working boats like Kennet.

Kennet then continued to Burscough for 2 school visits and the Burscough Heritage Weekend. Ambush and Victoria (Heritage Long Boats) were also there to add to the interest. Severn (a sister boat of Kennet) passed between Kennet & Victoria on her way to Liverpool – a rare opportunity to see the area as it would have been in its “hey-day”. The School’s visits saw the first use of our new large floor map of the canal which illustrates the development of the canal and cargo movements. Also used was “The Mary Lawson Story”, an illustrated book which tells the story of Mary Lawson’s life on the canal in her own words.

Kennet’s next port of call was Litherland Wharf to join with the Pride of Sefton for the CRT Sefton Explorers School Visits. Another first for us all to have school visits from Sefton. A hugely successful two days despite our Yorkshire volunteers having some difficulty with the “local dialect”. Our thanks to Katie Jackson, CRT Education Co-ordinator (North) for her in-

put and organisation.

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At the end of the second day at Sefton Kennet started her journey to the Bridgewater Motor Boat Club, Runcorn, where she arrived on the Saturday ready for Dry Docking on the Sunday. This enabled the hull to be pressure washed for our regular Insurance Survey and then re-blacked. At the same time our BSS was revalidated. We are very grateful to the volunteers from the BMBC for carrying out the work. While at the boat club Kennet was viewed by the club members and on the next day by the public on the towpath side. In late August she was opened at the end of the arm as part of the Unlock Runcorn Fun Day. This was organised by the Runcorn Locks Restoration Society to raise the profile of the “Unlock Runcorn” campaign.

September saw Kennet at the Crooke Boat, Beer and Folk Festival over the weekend 20th-21st. Another successful weekend with many very interested visitors, some of which volunteered to help Kennet “fly” up the Wigan Flight on the Monday on her journey to Reedley Marina. Many thanks to one and all.

Whilst at Reedley Marina, Kennet was used as a venue for a meeting with Andrew Stephenson MP, a member of the Parliamentary All Party Waterways Group and the local MP. This was followed later in the week by a reception for invited guests on Kennet at Burnley Wharf to promote Kennet in the area and to build up connections for the future. We were honoured to have the Mayor and Mayoress of Burnley attend..

As part of our week in the superbly restored Bank Hall Dry Dock with a new roof, to have the topside paintwork refreshed, Kennet featured in their official opening by the Mayor of Burnley.

Kennet is now back on her home moorings at Greenberfield awaiting updates to her hold area in the New Year before next season.

The success of this year is in no small part due to the 32 volunteers who spent more than 2750 hours and travelled over 7500 miles by car and public transport. The year hasn’t been without its problems as in previous years, mainly Kennet being slowed up or stopped due to the “bottom of the canal being near the top” and lock gates not fully opening.

Many thanks to everybody who have given their time and effort to ensure Kennet continues to be a success and move forward each season with her development.

By kind permission of Friends of Kennet

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Would you like to Donate or Sponsor Kennet?

Please send a donation or contact Friends of Kennet Address: c/o 2 Cross Lane Mill, Bradley, Keighley, BD20 9QB.

Email:

friendsofkennet@gmail.com

Winter Period We are now in the process of completing our “paperwork” to claim the last of our HLF grant. This will be followed early in the New Year with a meeting of the Working Group to organise the winter programme of working parties and 2015’s season.

Life for our volunteers would be so much better with more volunteers to spread the load.

There are always plenty of opportunities to help both moving and staffing Kennet along with helping the “backroom volunteers” – if you are interested in helping then please contact us:Email: friendsofkennet@gmail.com Tel: Harold Bond on 01535 630597

Join us in helping to promote Kennet by spreading the word To keep abreast of our activities don’t forget our online calendar at - http://www.llcs.org.uk/html/ kennet_project.html#calendar 29

Progress on the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal

The MBBC was authorised by Act of Parliament 1791, and built under the leadership of local coal-owner Matthew Fletcher. It was opened by 1797 and connected to the River Irwell in Salford 1808; despite its name it does not go to Manchester! It is just over 15 miles long and has 17 broad locks raising it 187 feet. It was originally designed as a narrow canal but widened during construction to be able to link with the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Red Moss, but this and two other extensions to Haslingden and Sladen were proposed but not built. It has three arms (to Bolton, Bury and Salford) which meet at Nob End in Little Lever. Its major features include two substantial aqueducts, the six locks at Nob End and our iconic steam crane at Mount Sion. Parts became disused from 1924, and a major breach at Nob End severed the Bury arm in 1936. It was formally closed in 1961; but a short length remained in use in Bury until 1966.

The Canal Society was formed in 1987 to protect the line of the canal and to campaign to promote its restoration. The Society works with the Canal & River Trust and the three local authorities to co-ordinate action. Preliminary survey and design work is complete. The first length was re-opened at Middlewood in Salford in 2008. The Society organises regular working parties to keep the canal and its towpath clear. Plans exist for a further length to be restored in Salford, for the restoration of Bury Wharves and for significant work at the central junction of the three canal arms at Nob End. The canal is a key route along the Irwell and Croal valleys, connecting many urban areas via a largely rural route, and the restored canal will provide new jobs, bring in private investment, and bring large areas of land back into use for housing and commercial development. The restored canal will link together existing country parks and recreational areas. We aim to have a new visitor centre plus heritage and interpretation facilities, safe routes for walking and cycling, trip boats, improved fisheries, and direct links between town and country. It will also improve local environments and bio-diversity, bring new educational, cultural and heritage initiatives, and encourage volunteering.

The most important recent event was the construction of the now famous and unique ‘Meccano Bridge’ at Nob End. It was designed by local artist Liam Curtin, and uses exact replicas of Meccano pieces, but scaled up ten times. The Society was the principal contractor for Bolton Council, and the bridge and its abutments were built entirely by volunteers, both Society members and local residents. It has 330 Meccano pieces, 720 nuts and bolts, weighs 5½ tons, and was built in 4 days!

The whole canal is fully described in the Towpath Guide, available from the Society at £6 plus £1.20 p&p.

Meadowbank, Ringley Road, Radcliffe, Manchester, M26 1FW. 30

Final Word Well I hope you enjoyed reading the magazine and that you all have a happy new year, hopefully we will see you at some of our meetings or maybe at the Trailboat Festival or other canal events, maybe some of you will even join us on the committee!

And remember we have a lot to look forward to in 2015.

We have the Trail Boat Festival with lots of volunteering opportunities, please get in touch if you are interested..

We have been approached by a major building company in Pendle to join with them in adopting a length of the Leeds and Liverpool from the southern portal of Foulridge Tunnel to the point where the M65 crosses the canal. A little over a mile and four locks.

Canal and River Trust are celebrating the bicentenary of the Leeds Liverpool Canal and we hope to be involved.

Don’t forget if you want to contribute to the next edition please let me have your articles, comments, pictures etc. by 5th April 2015.

The editor Wendy Humphreys

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