Knobsticks - Spring 2023

North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch

KNOBSTICKS

Spring 2023

Huddlesford Bear pictured helping the Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust.

Photo: Christine Howles, LHCRT

Are these Cheshire Locks volunteers trying to stay anonymous?

Photo: Margaret English

No room for a full report on the Cheshire Locks work party this issue, but I can let you know that it is slowly progressing. In fact we are currently working on the last pair of locks that have never been repainted by us since we started in 2012!

regular date (3rd Thursday) is too close to Christmas, and then January was also cancelled by yet more bad weather. We had great hopes for this month, and indeed the weather stayed fine, but CRT couldn’t find any white metal paint for us (so the railings and ladders could only be scraped down but not painted). We also ran out of black wood paint with the gates half painted. Hopefully March will see good weather again AND there will be enough paint!

Other news

ve included a photo on page 5 of a bridge on the Macclesfield Canal that was recently damaged by a vehicle. I had hoped to have some news on a date for repairs, but have heard nothing yet.

Burslem Port seem to be getting a new lease of life with progress on several fronts, see the article on pages 6-7 for more information.

Our winter talks season is drawing to a close but we do have some more news on the speakers for our April talk. See the centre pages for full details of that talk, and also a reminder about our March AGM and talk.

We started work at lock 59 last August and had expected to be finished long before now. However October and November were cancelled because of bad weather. We take December off as our long term future for heritage assets, for instance by finding a viable use for buildings.

Heritage at Risk

IWA's Heritage Advisory Panel has initiated a project to identify aspects of waterways heritage at risk and volunteers are progressing this. The scope of heritage is very wide, from buildings and operational features to boats, people, traditions and skills.

The project involved identifying examples at risk in each branch area and researching their history and current custodianship and financing. Later stages will look at how we can ensure a

Volunteers are needed to carry out this interesting and vital work for our Branch. Please contact me if you are interested, experience in the subject is not essential as the HAP will provide full support and training as required. Ivor

ivor.caplan@waterways.org.uk

Dear Branch Members

Since I last wrote an update for branch members in Knobsticks, I have changed jobs! As most of you know, for the last nearly 11 years I’ve been employed by IWA, while continuing to volunteer with IWA North Staffordshire and South Cheshire Branch. My paid job was an ever-evolving role, initially as Branch Campaigns Officer (getting IWA branch work parties up and running around the country), then as Campaigns Officer working on navigation and other national campaigning issues, then taking on IWA’s parliamentary activities, and eventually becoming Campaigns & Public Affairs Manager three years ago.

However, it was time for a change (although I’ll be continuing in a couple of volunteering roles) and I left IWA’ s employment at the end of January to take up a new role working for UNESCO UK. I’ll be working on a National Lottery

Heritage Funded project about World Heritage Sites and some of the other UNESCO designations that we have in the UK, but which are much less well known – Global Geoparks and Biosphere Reserves. Several of these locations overlap with the inland waterways –such as Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Ironbridge, Saltaire and Blaenavon – all World Heritage Sites, as well as designations like the Black Country Global Geopark.

Incidentally, I realised recently that I have now been volunteering for IWA in one form or another for 30 years, since February 1993 when I went along to an IWA committee meeting for the first time and got co-opted as Secretary! (I was very young at the time - a young female liveaboard boater, in fact - a rare thing at the time!). This was with the then IWA Middlesex Section of the London Branch, which later became Middlesex Branch when London became an IWA Region.

Around the same time (16/17 January 1993) I went on my first London Waterway Recovery Group weekend dig. Through London WRG I met Rupert Smedley a few months later, and we got married in 1996.

When we moved to Staffordshire in 2000 I soon joined the IWA Stoke-onTrent Branch committee (as we were then!) and have been a committee member ever since.

But enough looking back that far. Much more recently, it was good to host two visits from CRT to the branch area (you will find more detailed write ups about them elsewhere in this issue), with both visits being useful in discussing and progressing some campaigns and projects.

Chair’s Report

We were disappointed to learn recently that the reopening of Bridge 37 at Hazelhurst on the Caldon Canal has been postponed by 2 weeks, with the canal now due to open just in time for the Easter weekend.

Another disappointment recently was the announcement that the £17.1 million of money for Leek from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund doesn't include our and CUCT’s suggestion for the Leek canal basin to be incorporated into the regeneration bid, but will instead go to three projects that already exist (the indoor market, the Nicholson Institute and a new swimming pool).

It was lovely to see those of you who joined us for the annual branch dinner in January. It was good to support the still

fairly new pub at Crown Wharf in Stone, where the auction and raffle raised a useful contribution to branch funds. Our many thanks to Sarah Honeysett for organising the evening and to Jon Honeysett for being an excellent auctioneer.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the Branch AGM on Friday 10th March at Stoke-on-Trent Boat Club. The official AGM Notice was published in the previous (Winter 2022) edition of Knobsticks. Meet at the Boat Club from 7:45pm, with the actual AGM at 8:00 pm, followed by a talk on the Inland Waterways Association’ s “Waterways for Today” report.

Alison Smedley Branch Chair

Appeal for Branch Volunteers

Your committee needs you! We still have vacancies for:

Sales Officer – to help co-ordinate the sales stand’s presence at local event, as well as arranging the purchasing and monitoring of our sales stock. The main event that the branch stand will attend this year is the Etruria Canals Festival (3rd & 4th June) so if anyone is willing to just help for a couple of hours on the stand over the weekend that would be great too!

Secretary – to take minutes of branch committee meetings, only 4 times a year, along with occasional formal correspondence from the branch to external bodies.

Planning Officer – to respond on behalf of the branch to any planning applications adversely affecting the local waterways across several local planning

authorities (with support available from branch committee members and also from members of the Potteries Heritage Society)

Website and/or Social Media

person – to update the branch’ s pages on the IWA website (full training will be given) and to look after the branch’ s social media presence – we currently have a branch Facebook page – do check it out if you are on Facebook yourselvesand a little-used Instagram account, but potential formuch more!

We also need (non-committee roles !!)

Work party volunteers – check out the back page of this issue for details of our regular work parties on the Burslem Arm and Cheshire Locks and occasional work parties on the Uttoxeter and Caldon canals.

Alison Smedley

Bridge 87, Kent Green Bridge, on the Macclesfield Canal was damaged by a vehicle strike on 20th January. After examination, CRT reopened the canal and towpath later that day. No news yet of any bridge repairs.

Photo: Sandra Lawson

Technology to the Rescue!

In order to gain more knowledge of the make-up of the infill of our canal, we have engaged Moss, Naylor, Young (our consultants) to appoint and supervise a survey by the Brownfield Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC) of Wolverhampton. The first phase of this, a drone topographical survey, took place on January 5th 2023. The second phase, a lot more comprehensive than the first, took place on January 19th 2023. This comprised of a LIDAR survey of the wharf building and surrounds, which we are informed will create a three dimensional record to one tenth of a millimetre accuracy!! At the same time, numerous soil samples were taken down the length of the canal which we hope

will reveal more about the nature of its infill material. We now eagerly & nervously await the result of those surveys which BRIC hope to provide in late February / early March. Watch this space!

In the meantime we learn that the new footpath and interpretation boards have been very well received by the local community. See example board above.

Work Party News

Winter means looking out the thermals and keeping busy just to keep warm! Most folks wisely kept warm indoors celebrating Xmas + New Year, so little happened until recently when Beth and her CRT “Red Hand Gang” came along and collected a van full of rubbish.

Interpretation Board 3 of 5: The Burslem Bakery © Burslem Port Trust

This rubbish included two supermarket trolleys and a garden sofa + numerous rubbish-filled black refuse sacks!

Shame on you Stokies!

On the same day we cleared one kerb edging to the revised line of the canal and revealed for the first time the corresponding kerb on the other side. This gives us a boundary issue to now resolve. Nothing is simple!

Work Party Dates

March 3rd + 17th + 31st

April 14th + 28th

May 5th + 19th

June 2nd + 16th + 30th

Article (& photos:) Dave Broom

Waterways for Today report - Economic benefits

Waterways for Today, IWA’s new report, has now been published and is being widely distributed nationally and locally amongst politicians at all levels to demonstrate the importance of the UK’ s inland waterways. The report provides evidence that demonstrates why waterways should be receiving full support and funding from government. It is particularly important in the context of DEFRA’s review of Canal & River Trust’s grant funding, the outcome of which will directly affect the waterways in our branch area and across the country.

In this and the next 3 issues of Knobsticks, Alison Smedley (our Branch Chair but also the author of the report while she was still IWA’s Public Affairs Manager) will be looking in detail at each of the 4 types of benefit (economic; natural & built environment; local communities; improving people’s lives).

In this article we are looking at the three key FINANCIAL benefits of the waterways.

These economic benefits include waterways contributing to the economic recovery of the country, with waterways projects regenerating both rural and urban areas and improving the lives of the millions of people who live close to them or visit them regularly.

Waterways also bring increased spend to local communities. Boat-based tourism and leisure activities contribute £2.5bn to the economy each year, with people on day trips, boating holidays and those taking part in water-based activities spending even more in local pubs, cafés, restaurants and shops.

The third economic benefit of the waterways is the savings to the NHS and

social care budgets. Waterways are well placed to improve the health, wellbeing and longevity of the many people living near them, through increased physical activity and social prescribing.

IWA Vice Presidents and well known supporters of our local restoration projects, Sir David and Lady Sheila Suchet (photo © David Suchet) are quoted in the report saying that they have seen “first-hand how waterway regeneration can act as a catalyst for the wider transformation of the whole community”.

The economic benefits are extremely wide ranging, from macro-scale benefits such as helping national government to deliver post-Brexit and Covid-19 recovery programmes to smaller scale benefits within individual local authority areas.

Some statistics in the report include:

• The leisure marine industry supports 133,000 FTE (full time equivalent) jobs across the inland waterways. Many of these jobs are in businesses which are IWA corporate members including a number in our branch area who support our branch in various ways. (see photo of local firm “Canal Cruising” © Rob Frost)

Waterways for Today report -

• Ten years after the reopening of the Rochdale Canal in 2002, a study found that between 3.5 and 4 million visitors were spending around £18m a year.

• The Huddersfield Narrow Canal reopened in 2001 and has been receiving between 2 and 2.5 million visitors each year, spending over £10m annually.

• 70% of the local authorities designated as Category 1 for the 2022 Levelling Up Fund are on the inland waterways. This includes 3 of the 6 local authorities covered by our branch area (Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire Moorlands and East Staffs).

• For every £1 invested in the canal towpath network, there is a return of £7 in health benefits. Our branch area has benefited from much investment in the local towpaths in recent years, with the Pedal Peak project on the Caldon Canal, the Cheddleton towpath improvements as part of the Churnet Valley Living Landscape Partnership, and (slightly longer ago) the EU funded project which improved the towpaths throughout the Stoke-on-Trent city area.

And some statistics away from our branch area, but interesting nonetheless in providing reasons why the Burslem Arm and the Uttoxeter Canal should be restored:

• Every £1 spent on creating a navigable route under the M4 for the Wilts & Berks Canal will produce £1.79 in economic benefit to the local communities in Swindon and Royal Wootton Bassett.

Our waterways are free to visit and easily accessible for all. By their very nature, they are often located right in the heart of urban areas, offering a small haven of peace and tranquillity to the many millions of people who live close the them. They are a huge draw for tourism, not only attracting people from the UK to visit, but also international visitors.

In the report, IWA highlights the importance of investing in the inland waterways and the need for ongoing public funding. Not only do the existing navigable waterways need investment, but the derelict waterways that could be restored in the future need protecting from inappropriate development. If we could restore 500 miles of derelict waterways, it would provide a greatly enhanced national waterways network offering unlimited opportunities for leisure, living and business to millions more people.

To read the full IWA Waterways for Today report or to read the case studies related to the Economic benefits of the waterways see www.waterways.org.uk/ waterwaysfortoday .

Come along to the Branch AGM on 10th March to find out more, or watch out for the next instalment about Environmental benefits in the next issue of “Knobsticks”.

Alison Smedley

On 19th December 2022, a date which had been re-arranged from the original September date, representatives of IWA and CUCT hosted two members of CRT’ s national team for a “day out on the patch”. The purpose of the meeting was to introduce Jon Horsfall, who at the time was acting as interim West Midlands Region Director on secondment from his usual job of Head of Customer Service Support, along with Matthew Symonds, National Boating Manager, to the Caldon Canal and some of its issues and potential projects.

Julie Arnold, Rupert Smedley and Alison Smedley met up with Jon and Matthew at Barnfields Industrial Estate in Leek, by the scrapyard, and walked along the

footpath to the aqueduct and then along the towpath for some distance. While we walked we explained IWA and CUCT’ s aspirations for improvements at the end of the Leek Arm, and told them about the proposed housing development which will potentially include a mooring basin although the developers are no longer obliged to deliver it (but £815k has been allocated towards its delivery in the future as part of the planning permission’s Section 106 Agreement).

We then drove to Cheddleton to look at the Straddle Warehouse, which is in CRT’s ownership and is now in an even more sorry state than it was when CUCT applied (and failed) to get it listed in 2010. We included the owners of Bridge

The poor state of Cheddleton Straddle Warehouse

CRT national representatives visit the Caldon Cottage, which adjoins the warehouse, in the discussion, and Jon and Matthew said they would follow this up if Alison would send them the documentation around the application for listed status, which she subsequently did. We then walked down the locks in Cheddleton.

The last stop of the day was Froghall, where we walked along the canal to the tunnel and over to the other side, to discuss the potential for a study of the tunnel to establish where the low bits are and to identify whether anything can be done to create a greater headroom to allow more boats to fit through the tunnel. This is a project for which CUCT has a pot of money ring-fenced, most of

which was donated by IWA NSSC specifically for such a study.

We then adjourned to Hetty’s Tea Shop where conversation continued over lunch, covering a wide range of other campaigning and navigation issues in the North Staffordshire area, including the crack in Cherry Eye Bridge, a fallen tree across the path around the basin at Froghall, and water leaking out of the stonework downstream of the gates at Lock 14 in Cheddleton.

Alison Smedley

Photos: Rupert Smedley

Water pouring out of Lock 14 through the Wall

North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch

Since my last report for Knobsticks, we have held two social gatherings at the Boat Club and our annual dinner at the Crown Wharf in Stone, with encouraging numbers attending on each occasion. In fact, I was concerned that I may have accepted more bookings for the annual dinner than the room would accommodate, but we all fitted in and enjoyed excellent catering. Thank you to everyone for your patience regarding the late changes to the menu and the noise levels in this very popular venue - especially after the singer in the main bar began to perform! A very big thank you as well to everyone who helped on the night with the quiz, raffle and auction (both donors and bidders), and who helped to make the evening a success.

Before Christmas, at our December social, we enjoyed a presentation from Bob Williams and Christine Howells from Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust, looking at the Trust’s impressive progress, particularly with the restoration of the Lichfield Canal. You can see photographs of some of this work in Sonning Bear’ s article for this edition, which is all about Huddlesford’s work experience as a LHCRT mascot. Several sites along the route are now visitor attractions, walks and country parks, so do take a look at their website and pay a visit if you are in the area.

Our first social of 2023 at Stoke-on-Trent Boat Club took place on February 10th when we welcomed Bernard Lovatt from the Etruria Industrial Museum, delivering his presentation “Benson, Brindley and Watt”. This was a very enjoyable look at three key characters in the development of the Stoke-on-Trent pottery industry. While James Brindley and James Watt are well-known, poor Thomas Benson (or possibly Edward Bedson - details of his life are somewhat sketchy!) is largely unknown, yet his design for pans and paddles to grind flint in water, rather than crush it dry, may have saved many thousands of pottery workers from deadly industrial disease. Inventions and innovations by Benson, Brindley and Watt can still be seen in operation at the Etruria Industrial Museum; we may have the opportunity for a private visit when the mill is in steam later this year, so watch this space for further news.

Remember that our AGM is coming up on March 10th, when we’ll be reviewing our branch’s activities and achievements in 2022, and looking ahead. We are always

looking for members willing to become more active in the branch but there is no pressure to join the committee at the AGM, so don’t be put off attending for fear of having responsibilities foisted upon you!

Friday 10th March 2023, 7:45 for 8 Annual General Meeting

followed by Alison Smedley on the Inland Waterways Association’ s “Waterways for Today” report. This report demonstrates how inland waterways can contribute to the country’s economic recovery and outlines the 12 most significant benefits that the inland waterways can bring to our economy, environment, local communities and lives.

Friday 14th April 2023, 7:45 for 8

Challenges to our waterways of climate change and Ash die-back tree disease

Simon Martin (CRT Area Operations Manager, North Staffs and Harecastle Tunnel)

+ Jenny Spelling (CRT West Midlands Regional Ecologist ecologist)

Our social season ends in April, but we are planning a presence at several summer events and again, support from members is always very welcome. We would like to thank Stoke-on-Trent Boat Club for welcoming us again this season; we plan to be back there in October with a new programme of talks, so hopefully we will see you there.

Admission to AGM/talks is FREE Donations to waterway causes welcome! Refreshments available.

Non-IWA members are very welcome

Venue (unless otherwise stated): Stoke on Trent Boat Club Endon Wharf, Post Lane, Endon STOKE-ON-TRENT, ST9 9DU

For further information contact: Sarah Honeysett (01782 772295)

socialsec.nssc@waterways.org.uk or visit the branch webpages at: www.waterways.org.uk

Dane Feeder Project

As mentioned in my Chair report last issue, I have been representing the branch on an informal group that has been set up to investigate the possibility of reinstating the Dane Feeder to supplying water to Rudyard Reservoir, in the context of drought, climate change and other issues that have led to the reservoir not having been filled to capacity in recent years. This was very apparent last summer with the lengthy closures of the Caldon Canal (and even the Trent & Mersey summit), but follows on from closures of the Caldon in 3 of the previous 5 summers due to water shortages, after 20 or so years when no closures were necessary.

Historically, the Dane Feeder was built to supply water from the River Dane into the top end of Rudyard Reservoir when

the Dane is in flood, except it hasn’t worked for over 20 years now. The footpath alongside the feeder is very overgrown with vegetation and trees, despite being a public footpath (and a good section of it being part of both the Gritstone Trail and the Dane Valley Way long distance paths).

An informal meeting of the interested parties, brought together by Margaret Clark, a retired hydrologist and historic boat owner who has been campaigning about waterway issues for many decades, took place in September. As well as Margaret this involved Howard Worth (IWA Honorary Engineer), Sarah Edgson representing Historic Narrow Boat Club and Rupert Smedley and myself representing CUCT and IWA NSSC. Following that meeting I agreed

to raise questions about the reservoir and its feeders, with CRT via the West Midlands User Forum which was held in Tipton a couple of weeks later. Having raised the subject, we had a chat with CRT Regional Engineer, Sally Boddy, after the meeting, and she agreed to visit the feeder for an inspection and walk.

This was duly organised for 24th November, which saw Rupert and I, along with Margaret Clark and Howard Worth, meeting up with Sally Boddy, and CRT area engineers Rob Malpass and Colin Lowndes.

Dane Feeder Project

around some historic photos. We then discussed the key issues and concerns which included the capacity of the reservoir, the height (and condition) of the spillweir, concerns about the delivery feeder to the Leek Arm, the Dane feeder itself and the potential for volunteer involvement.

Sally Boddy talked through the various constraints they have with the reservoir and the two feeders and gave us the excellent news that CRT have allocated £100,000 next year for some investigations into Rudyard Reservoir and how to improve its capacity. This project will look at the dam hydraulics, flood risks, the weir, spillway and what happens further downstream if they were to reinstate the previous weir crest level. We are assured that the study would also look at the Dane Feeder. The outcome of the project will then determine what works would be carried out, which would then be scheduled for 2026.

The day started with a site visit along a section of the feeder path through Rushton Spencer. We discovered that the path was very overgrown in places (and we carried out a small amount of pruning while we were there!). After walking some way along the feeder path, and admiring several of the diminutive bridges, we drove round to Rudyard Activity Centre where a meeting room with a buffet lunch had been arranged.

Margaret gave us all some information about the background and history of the feeder and the reservoir, and passed

Since that very constructive meeting, we have been assisting CRT in identifying the exact locations of specific issues along both the feeders using “What 3 Words” locations. I have also been in contact with Waterway Recovery Group and CRT’s volunteer co-ordinator about the possibility of getting WRG involved in clearing vegetation and carrying out path repairs along the Dane Feeder path.

A site walk along the whole length of the Dane Feeder (approx. 4 miles one way) is to be arranged to help with progressing all of this. If anyone is interested in joining us for the walk, or getting involved with this project more generally, do please contact me.

Article (+ main photo): Alison Smedley (alison.smedley@waterways.org.uk)

Site visit to the Dane Feeder at Rushton Spencer with engineers from Canal & River Trust. Photo: Rupert Smedley

The Boating Adventures of Sonning Bear

Huddlesford’s Mission

You might remember reading about our friend Huddlesford Bear, who we found in 2021 at Huddlesford Junction, where the Lichfield Canal used to join the Coventry Canal. Huddles was intrigued to discover that a group of dedicated humans from the Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust are busy restoring the Lichfield Canal, and even more excited when he found out that bears and pets could join their society.

Huddlesford promised that he would be a very careful and sensible bear, so it was arranged that he would start his mission at the Brownhills Canal Festival in August. Hanley Bear and I insisted on going with him, to approve his temporary human guardian, Christine Howles from the LHCRT.

He saved up some of his pocket money and asked Polar and Grizzly if they would join too, and soon he had a smart certificate with his name on. Better than that, he also had an invitation to become a mascot for the Trust and to spend the summer and autumn with them, so he could see the work taking place and meet some of the volunteers. “I’m going to recruit lots of other Small Bears to help them,” said Huddlesford. “That’ s my mission!” “That’s bear-illiant,” I said. “I’m sure Polar will make you some overalls and a hi-vis coat to wear when you ’re out on site, so you can help out without getting lost or accidently stepped on or run over.”

We all got quite worried about the accidents that might befall him, but

We were delighted to find a whole boatful of other bears at the festival and, when we met Mrs Christine, we all agreed she was nice and could be trusted to take care of our pal. We all had a fantastic day at the festival before giving Huddles lots of hugs and wishing him luck.

After we left Huddlesford, Mrs Christine took him to have snacks at the cake boat and the marmalade boat, which is the best way to make a small bear feel welcome, then took him home him to

read about all the work the Trust were doing in their Cuts Both Ways magazine.

The Boating Adventures of Sonning Bear walks and wildlife parks to explore.

Huddlesford was soon having great adventures with the Trust.

And he says there are plenty of nice benches for them to sit on, to rest and eat their sandwiches.

Sometimes he was supervising the volunteers and contractors building and excavating,

There are even milestones to help people know how far they have travelled, with his name on them! [See Front Cover]

Huddlesford always remembered to wear his bright orange jacket on site, especially when there were big machines about. One day, when they were checking out the work at Darnford Moors, Huddlesford wandered quite a long way from Mrs Christine, as he wanted to see what a big tractor was doing. Then he realised it was coming straight towards him!

and sometimes he was helping to plant trees and hedging plants. At the end of the day, everyone got a hug from him for working so hard.

Although there are no boats on the canal at the moment, because most of it isn’t in water, Huddles says there are plenty of things for people to see and do if they visit, because the Trust have made canal

The Boating Adventures of Sonning Bear

Huddles jumped about and waved so that the tractor driver could see him, as he had promised us all he would not to get run over. The tractor driver stopped and picked him up, put him safely up in the cab and even let Huddles have a go at driving the tractor. Huddles learned that one very important job with canals that need restoring is to keep vegetation clear of the parts you need to work on.

He was still busy thinking about a career in civil engineering when he heard Mrs Christine calling him and realised it was time for afternoon tea

Huddlesford thought driving the tractor was really cool, but not as cool as the big concrete culvert sections, ready to go under Darnford Lane. “I wonder if they’ll let me work the crane to hoist the rest of these into position?” he wondered.

so he ran as fast as he could back to her, as he could smell scones and jam.

Mrs Christine said to Huddlesford that, if he was going to be a civil engineer, he ought to have a proper hard hat, so she found a Small Bear sized one for him (possibly for a smaller bear!).

The Boating Adventures of Sonning Bear

Huddlesford helped with office-based jobs too, like sending the annual reminders for subscription renewals, selling tickets and drawing the raffle.

Huddlesford’s proudest moment came when he found he was on the Trust’ s Christmas cards for 2022. [See photo on next page] Of course, we had to buy several packs so we could send them to all our Small Bear friends!

Finally, at the beginning of December, it was time for Huddles to pack his things and come home. Mrs Christine and Mr Bob from LHCRT were coming to talk to our IWA branch and were bringing Huddles back to us at the same time.

And he kept posting about his adventures on social media, to encourage more of his bear friends to join.

But his favourite thing was going out with Mrs Christine to visit places along the route of the canal, meeting the volunteers and giving them hugs.

We were all thrilled to see him again and to hear about his adventures and we hope to visit some of the places he saw when we are on our canal journeys this year, and maybe go to the Brownhills Festival again this summer, or even the Huddlesford Gathering in September.

The Boating Adventures of Sonning Bear

Huddlesford says to remember that fellow Small Bears and pets can still join the LHCRT for just £5, which is very good value. We think the IWA should do something similar, as there are lots of boating bears and pets.

Meanwhile, there is a new apprentice civil engineering bear helping out at the LHCRT – we think his name might be Ogley Bear!

Article: Sonning Bear

Photos: Christine Howles, LHCRT

North Staffordshire & South Cheshire contacts

President: Chris Skelhorne

Vice President Roger Savage roger.st21@gmail.com

Chair Alison Smedley MBE 01538 385388 alison.smedley@waterways.org.uk

Treasurer

Alan Chetwyn 01782 279277

(No Email)

Secretary

VACANT

Contact Alison Smedley

Sales Officer

VACANT Contact Alison Smedley

Social Secretary

Sarah Honeysett 01782 772295 socialsec.nssc@waterways.org.uk

Publicity Officer

Sarah Honeysett 01782 772295 publicity.nssc@waterways.org.uk

Web and Social Media Officer:

VACANT

Contact Alison Smedley

Newsletter Editor

Roger Evans 01606 834471 newsletter.nssc@waterways.org.uk 10 Long Lane, Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 0BL

Planning VACANT Contact Alison Smedley

Membership Officer Mary Smith membership.nssc@waterways.org.uk

Navigation Officer

Jon Honeysett 01782 772295 navigation.nssc@waterways.org.uk

Burslem Port Work Party

Dave Broome 07974 966253 dave.broome45@gmail.com

Caldon + Uttoxeter Work Parties

Alison Smedley 01538 385388 alison.smedley@waterways.org.uk

Cheshire Locks Work Party

John Lawson 07940 878923 john.lawson@waterways.org.uk

Other committee members: Julie Arnold

West Midlands Region Chairman

Helen Whitehouse 01543 491161 westmidlands@waterways.org.uk

The Branch committee meets at 7:30 p.m. on the 2nd Tuesday of March, June, September & December at Stoke Boat Club, Endon Wharf, Post Lane, Endon, Stoke-on-Trent, ST9 9DU. All Branch members are invited to attend.

The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Inland Waterways Association, the West Midlands Region, or our Branch. They are, however, published as being of interest to our members and readers. © The Inland Waterways Association - Registered as acharity no. 212342 www.waterways.org.uk/staffscheshire

Spring 2023 Page 23

Our Branch runs 3 work parties each month, helping to maintain and restore our local canals :-

• Cheshire Locks (Trent & Mersey Canal, Kidsgrove to Wheelock)

(jointly organised with the Trent and Mersey Canal Society)

3rd Thursday of each month (except December), 10am to 3pm.

Contact: John Lawson Phone: 07940 878923

Email: john.lawson@waterways.org.uk

• Uttoxeter Canal (Bridge 70, near Denstone or near Alton)

(working in partnership with Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust)

usually 3rd Monday of each month (except August & December)

Contact: Alison Smedley Phone: 01538 385388

Email: alison.smedley@waterways.org.uk

• Burslem Port, Stoke-on-Trent (working in partnership with Burslem Port Project)

Alternate Fridays: March 3rd + 17th + 31st, April 14th + 28th Then (one week later) May 5th + 19th, June 2nd + 16th + 30th

Contact: Dave Broome before attending Phone: 07974 966253

Email: dave.broome45@gmail.com

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See the IWA website www.waterways.org.uk under “Events” for dates. Volunteers are advised to wear stout shoes and old clothes, and to bring waterproofs (and a packed lunch and drink if staying all day).