Knobsticks - Autumn 2023

North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch

KNOBSTICKS

Autumn 2023

Etruria Canals Festival + Editorial

The branch had a successful weekend at the Etruria Canals Festival, with a joint stand with Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust and Burslem Port Trust. A vibrant event, sunny weather and lots of constructive conversations took place.

Article & photos © Alison Smedley

As often happens, I seem to have almost run out of space for my editorial! I feel however that I must emphasise that my comment (in red on the next page) about the change.org website is purely a personal one and NOT branch policy. Please don’t let it stop you from signing the petition.

Finally let me point you at the centre pages (and page 11) to read all about our new season of talks.

Dear Branch Members

I hope you have all had a great summer, getting out and enjoying the waterways in all the various ways you can, despite the weather not having been all that great for much of the summer months!

It was great to spend the weekend volunteering on the branch stand at the Etruria Canal Festival, back in its usual slot of the first weekend of June. My thanks to all the branch members who helped out over the weekend. We had lots of constructive conversations about our projects and introduced many people to the delights of our local canals.

Rupert, Peter and I were lucky enough to be able to spend just over a month travelling around three countries in South East Asia – as a post-A level trip before Peter goes off to university in September. We travelled on various waterways in different kinds of boats,

including two days down the Mekong River in Thailand and Laos, by slow boat. Sarah has asked if I can do a presentation about it for one of our social evenings. See page 12 for the date – do come along to find out more about this fascinating part of the world and its inland waterways.

You will all be well aware of IWA’ s Protect Our Waterways campaign, and the wider Fund Britain’s Waterways collaboration of over 70 waterway organisations. I would encourage you all to sign the petition calling on government to better fund our waterways, which can be found at: www.change.org/ p/fund-britain-s-waterways (you can easily find the link via the IWA website). At the time of writing this there were 42,000 signatures but it would be great to get this to over 100,000.

[Ed I agree with Alison that signing the petition is a good idea, but please be careful when using change.org as it asked me for a donation after I signed the petition. It was only careful reading that made me realise that the donation would have gone to change.org NOT to IWA. Also it pestered me to sign other petitions until I unsubscribed from it.]

The rebuilding of Bridge 37 on the Caldon Canal has finally been completed and both the canal and towpath are fully open again, which prompted me to get my thoughts down in writing about the history of this bridge – see pages 14-17.

I look forward to seeing you all at our programme of talks over the autumn and winter, starting on 13th October.

Regards

Alison Smedley Branch Chair

Waterways for Today : Local Community Benefits

provides a sense of place and civic pride. This is particularly true since the Covid pandemic, where many people discovered their local waterways and began to realise what a positive environment it can be.

Waterways create active travel corridors that connect communities and provide free, inclusive and level routes for walking, jogging, cycling and more. Part Three in our series looking at IWA’ s Waterways for Today report, published last year, delves down into the section of the report that looks at local communities and the benefits they receive from, and contribute to, the inland waterways.

Connecting Communities

Due to their industrial past, the waterways often run through towns and cities, providing traffic-free passage for residents to get out into the countryside and vice-versa. Those in more rural areas can use the towpaths for easy access into towns and villages. Within cities, the waterways should be considered as sustainable transport networks, contributing towards zero carbon, economic recovery and changing behaviour patterns.

The regeneration of inland waterways can spur local communities into taking ownership of “their” river or canal, seeing it as a community asset that needs to be protected and improved. It

In our own branch area we have some good examples of investment that has been brought into the area to improve towpaths for everyone to use, most recently the Pedal Peak funding from the Department for Transport which has improved a good stretch of the Caldon Canal as part of a cycle route into the Peak District. Events like the annual Etruria Canal Festival, and occasional waterway community days organised by the Branch, raise awareness about the canals to the local community.

Education and Inspiration for Young People

The inland waterways offer real handson education opportunities particularly in science, technology and maths subjects but also humanities and the arts. Outdoor classrooms and visits to local waterways provide a unique opportunity for school-aged children to see the built and natural heritage of their waterway – at near zero cost to the education budget. The waterways can bring history to life for young people.

In our own branch area we have the charity boat Beatrice, which works in partnership with schools for children with additional (special) educational needs, taking school groups out on trips during term time. In the holidays it’ s available for skippered private hire and fundraising trips, for groups benefiting from its disabled facilities.

Also in our branch area, we hosted three WRG family camps, bringing young

Etruria Canal Festival helps raise awareness about the canals to the local community. Photo: Alison Smedley

Waterways for Today : Local Community Benefits

people into the Staffordshire Moorlands to discover and be inspired by our waterways heritage and wildlife.

Creating Jobs, Training and Apprenticeships

It's not just school-aged children that benefit from visiting the inland waterways, the learning can be intergenerational and they can provide opportunities for employment, training and apprenticeships. These include jobs in tourism and leisure or the hospitality sector. Restoration projects also offer training and work experience opportunities. Often run by volunteers, restoration sites must comply with all construction, environmental, heritage, health and safety legislation and processes. They have proved valuable for people looking to retrain before seeking employment in the construction industry, civil engineering and other fields including boat design.

other waterside businesses that benefit from the canal being there, and the trade that arrives by boat or along the towpath. Don’t forget to support them when you are next walking or boating along a canal!

Some statistics in the report include:

• Of the 76 places designated as cities in England, Scotland and Wales, 41 are on a navigable waterway.

• Canalside paths in Birmingham saw a 128% increase in use by cyclists between 2012 and 2016.

• Research by the Blagrave Trust found that almost all outdoor learning interventions have a positive effect.

• A study carried out 10 years after the Millennium-funded restoration of the Huddersfield Narrow and Rochdale canals found that around 500 jobs had been created.

To read the full IWA Waterways for Today report or to read case studies

Young people learning about wildlife and heritage on a WRG Family Camp on the Uttoxeter Canal.

Photo: Huckleberry Films

Treading Water!

Not so much news this time I’m afraid and what little there is isn’t so good. The interpretation panel you see above is one of the three survivors of a vandal attack in June. Two of the panels (Nos 3 + 4) were maliciously ripped off their mountings and disposed of somewhere. If I catch them they might end up in the Burslem Canal! Beware!

Remaining Uncertainties

Those outstanding before still remain outstanding I’m afraid, as no progress has been made in respect of ownerships or soil investigation.

Archives

Much time has been spent by the “ group of three” going through the archives. Being a paper person, I can report that

all the paper files up to about 2013 have been recorded. The last 10 years are in the process of being catalogued in the computer filing system.

Wharf Warehouse connections

At our last two festival appearances, in Stoke and Gnosall, we have made stronger connections with our canal builders, namely the Shropshire Union Railway and Canal Company in the form of Jan and Sue of the Shropshire Union Canal Society. Also in respect of the warehouse, I took Dr Chris Wakeling (a well-known architectural historian) on a visit to the building to assess its architectural value. I’m please to report that he was impressed. I hope the planners can see the building and its potential in the same way.

Interpretation Board 5 of 5: What was the Burslem Branch Canal ? © BPT

Work Party News

Slow but steady progress has enabled the few of us to trim back the undergrowth along the western boundary fence from the Trent and Mersey Canal to the currently boarded up “Two Saints Way”. As we had hoped you can now get a view down the revised line of the infilled canal looking towards Burslem. Ed – See the “before” and “after” pictures above.

Whilst concentrating our efforts at one end of the canal, nature had decided to take control of the path at the other end! You just can’t win! So we are starting back at the footbridge and clearing either side of the path. But we need help! With only three of us this is an uphill task. Any help would therefore be most appreciated. Ed See the picture below left of the re-cleared area.

Future work party dates

September 1st + 15th + 29th

October 13th + 27th

November 10th + 24th

December 8th + 22nd + mince pies for the lucky ones!

My good Autumn wishes to you all.

(Article & Photos:) Dave Broome

Cheshire Locks

Cheshire Locks Works Parties have progressed through the Summer, taking advantage of good weather on our scheduled days.

15th JUNE

Work continued at Lock 54 (Lower Thurlwood). Four volunteers worked in the heat of the day ably assisted by Canal and River Trust colleagues Grace and Andrew to complete the paintwork on the towpath side lock, warning sign posts, bridge rails and strapping posts. Numbers painted on the top and tail gates towpath side. Bollards were also painted.

applied. Tailgate bridge rails and metal bridge edging - painting completed.

20th JULY

Excellent weather and a good turnout of six volunteers to continue work at Lock 54. Preparation of the paddle gear and gates on the offside lock and gates. Paint

17th AUGUST

Yet another fine day. An excellent turnout of seven volunteers. We divided into two groups to complete Lock 54 and commence work at the single Lock 53 (Thurlwood Top Lock).

At Lock 53, our group were assisted by CRT Volunteer Lock Keepers from Red Bull and CRT staff who brought along a petrol strimmer with which they cut back grass alongside and surrounding the lock which tidied up the appearance of the site. Our team prepared the paddle gear (only one ground paddle here), lock ladders and strapping posts and gate beam ends. Paint was applied to all prepared surfaces.

[Ed Also see front cover photograph]

At Lock 54, all remaining painting was completed.

Cheshire Locks

on the top and tail gates of Lock 53

October when we will continue at Lock 53. Plenty of metal railings to be prepared and painted and woodwork on the lock gates.

Article & Photos: John Lawson

William (“Bill”) Walker, a long serving and devoted, retired employee of British Waterways was given a most fitting send off when he made his last waterborne journey aboard the Phoenix narrowboat on Friday 21st July 2023.

William’s coffin was transported from Whaley Bridge, in traditional style, to Bugsworth Basin, one of his favourite places on the Peak Forest Canal where he was foreman for many years. The boat was captained by his good friend Ian Braine.

Bugsworth Canal Basin, the head of navigation of the canal, was one of the largest and busiest inland ports on

Britain’s narrow canal system and the only one to survive intact. William was fascinated by its restoration and complete transformation with an abundance of wildlife, true escapism and tranquillity.

William resided at Wharf Cottage in High Lane for over 40 years and was a highly valued member of the adjacent North Cheshire Cruising Club, where he would regularly be seen presenting local history talks, quizzes and film nights.

He had recently been made a director and was looking after the archives as well as a special event to commemorate the club’s 80th Anniversary, which will still be going ahead as a tribute to William in September.

An extremely passionate local historian, William cared so much about educating people of all ages, about lost crafts and traditions and the important history and heritage of canals, mills and working life during and after the war.

Press Release

Bill's wishes were that his extensive book collection went to IWA/WRG, as he had purchased many of the waterways books at IWA events (much of it from the WRG NW book stand). Our branch helped to facilitate getting the book collection to WRG NW for onward sale with the proceeds going to waterway/WRG projects.

Members may remember that Bill gave a talk about horse-boating to the branch a few years ago and even after he retired was regularly seen at events in the branch area such as the Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival and the Etruria Canal Festival.

Alison Smedley

Bill Walker

Canal Stalwart and Local Historian Bill Walker. Photo © Heather Rowley)

It’s time to launch our 2023/24 Socials Programme, and I am delighted to report that we are going to be back at the Stoke-on-Trent Boat Club in Endon from Friday 13th October and also on the second Friday evening of November, December, February, March and April.

As in previous years, we are holding our Annual Dinner in January, at a safe distance from Christmas, on the evening of Friday 26th January at the Rose and Crown, Stanley Moor, not too far from the Boat Club and recommended as the venue for their 2022 Christmas Lunch. They have a function room that can hold up to about 50 people, so we have room for more of our members if you would like to join us. Menus and order forms will be available in the next edition of Knobsticks.

After a somewhat restoration-focused programme of speakers last season, I am aiming for more variety this one, inviting some new and some familiar faces as speakers. We will be looking forward with a talk - and hopefully a discussionon sustainable boating in October, admiring some archive photographs of our local canals in November, taking a cruise along the Mekong in February and exploring the history and geography of the Birmingham Canal Navigations in April. Our March meeting is also our AGM and we hope Alan Chetwyn will be able to share another of his films after the formal business is complete.

Our first talk is from Bowman Bradley, Chair of the Inland Waterways Association Sustainable Boating Group. Bowman will talk about the work of the group and their vision of how inland waterways boating might be made sustainable in the future, looking at how that vision has developed over the last three years and the intended work of the

Social Scene

group going forward. Bowman is a retired mechanical engineer and a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. He has been a ‘canaller’ since the mid 1970’s and a narrowboat owner since 2005. We hope there will be a good discussion to enable Bowman to gather opinions and ideas from as many members as possible, whether your interest in canals is as a boater, from historical interest, an environmental perspective or any other.

In November, we welcome Steve Wood back to the Boat Club to share photographs of the Trent and Mersey and Caldon Canals through the ages. Some of you will have seen some of these during our Covid-19 lockdown Zoom meetings, but many members could not attend these and the pictures really do warrant a wider audience, and a better opportunity to share anecdotes and memories.

I still plan to hold a quiz at our December social, with a range of questions (not just waterway related) and seasonal prizes. You would be very welcome to bring a small amount of Christmas fayre to enjoy and share with their friends and colleagues. As the meeting falls fairly early in the month, there will still be time to buy IWA Christmas cards and presents from our sales stall.

Remember that all our meetings are open to members and non-members alike, so please share the details (which you will find on our Facebook page in advance of each meeting) and look out for email confirmations and reminders too.

See you soon!

Sarah Honeysett

North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch

Friday 13th October – 7:45 for 8pm

Bowman Bradley

The Sustainable Boating Group

Bowman will talk about the work of the group and their vision of how inland waterways boating might be made sustainable in the future. We hope there will be a good discussion to enable Bowman to gather opinions and ideas from as many members as possible

Friday 10th November – 7:45 for 8pm

Steve Wood

Archive Photos of our Local Canals

Steve will be showing photographs of the Trent and Mersey Canal and the Caldon Canal through the ages.

Friday 8th December – 7:45 for 8pm

Sarah Honeysett

Christmas Quiz

There will be a range of questions (not just waterway related) and seasonal prizes. You would be very welcome to bring a small amount of Christmas fayre to enjoy and share with friends and colleagues.

Friday 26th January 2024 – 7 for 7:30pm Branch Annual Dinner at The Rose & Crown in Stanley

Friday 9th February 2024 – 7:45 for 8pm Alison Smedley

Adventures along the Mekong

Friday 8th March 2024 – 7:45 for 8pm Branch AGM followed by Alan Chetwyn’s Home Movies

Friday 12th April 2024 – 7:45 for 8pm Phil Clayton The Birmingham Canal Navigations

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

When Bridge 37 at the bottom of Hazelhurst Locks on the Caldon Canal became unsafe and had to be demolished in March 2020, just at the outset of the first Covid Lockdown, I realised that I had taken that bridge for granted. It was just part of the overall Hazelhurst Lock flight and the Caldon Canal Conservation Area, and probably no-one really took much notice of it. But suddenly, it was no more. The bridge was Grade 2 Listed, and so Canal & River Trust needed to obtain retrospective Listed Building Consent (LBC) for the demolition of the bridge. From the heritage perspective we in the Branch wanted to see the bridge rebuilt as likefor-like as possible, while at the same time acknowledging the financial limitations on Canal & River Trust as a cash-strapped navigation authority.

In looking at the LBC planning permission on the Staffordshire Moorlands

District Council planning portal, I was struck by an anomaly. The heritage statement from the CRT heritage adviser said that it was a John Rennie Bridge and dated from the 1800s. But this surely could not be right, as John Rennie was the engineer for the Leek Arm, while the (current) New Hazelhurst Locks date from 1840/41, long after John Rennie died in 1821. So the logical assumption then would be that the bridge dates from 1840/41 when Hazelhurst New Locks were built (actually at a place called Hollinhurst, half a mile away from the original Hazelhurst staircase of 3 nearer Denford).

But it turns out that isn’t right either. Having been delving into the local history during the ensuing Covid lockdown, I am 99% certain that Bridge 37 actually dated from the 1770s original building of the Caldon Canal, and here’ s why…..

This photo shows the rebuilt Bridge 37 following its recent completion and the canal fully re-opening to unrestricted navigation after the best part of a year.

Photo © Alison Smedley

Bridge 37 Hazelhurst – Its History and an Anomaly

The current arrangement of the 3 locks known as Hazelhurst, and the Leek Arm crossing over the main line below the locks (one of only six places in the country where one navigable canal crosses another – but that’s another article – maybe next issue!) is the third iteration of the canals in the vicinity of Denford/Hazelhurst.

The original 1778 line of the canal, as designed by James Brindley and built after his death, left the then short summit pound at Park Lane near Endon, with 3 separate locks taking it down to Denford where it went past the mill that later became the Holly Bush pub on the same line as it is on today.

The short summit and lack of water led to John Rennie coming along 20 years later and producing designs for Rudyard Reservoir and a navigable feeder from Leek, to join an extended summit level which would cross the valley at Denford on a new embankment. A staircase of 3 locks on the edge of Hazelhurst Wood took the canal back down to its original route. The old line of canal lay abandoned. 40 years later the staircase flight had become a bottleneck and was replaced by a flight of 3 new locks at Hollinhurst. Part of the original 1778 line of the canal was re-used and a new aqueduct pieced through the 40 year old Denford Embankment.

This is all very complicated and incidentally even canal historian Charles Hadfield didn’t get it right on his first attempt – the 1st edition of Canals of the West Midlands is wrong, you need to look at a 2nd edition for the correct version!

It is my theory that the bridge that was demolished 3 years ago, and has recently been rebuilt, was actually part of the

original 1778 route of the canal, rather than having been built as part of the new Hazelhurst lock flight.

The 1816 Trent & Mersey Canal Company plan would appear to confirm this. It shows the 1801 John Rennie arrangement, with the original 1778 line shown as “old canal”. Annotated in pencil someone has subsequently added “Bridge 37”, which to me suggests that the current (or rather, up until 2020, bridge) is the bridge that was there originally, with the line of the canal below the bottom of the 3 new locks taking up the original line of the canal.

Something else backs this up. A lock tail bridge that was also a farmer’ s accommodation bridge would be built immediately below a lock. This would reduce the amount of structural work required in building both a bridge and a lock, as the narrows of the bottom of the lock would also form the narrows of the bridge. For some reason, Bridge 37 was some distance from the bottom of Lock 12. Having often over the last 20+ years brought a 70 ft historic working boat down the locks, I can also note that the bridge narrows do not line up with the lock chamber, again suggesting that the bridge was there before the lock was built.

It is my contention that, perhaps, this misalignment of lock and bridge, with 180 years of the lock emptying, could even have contributed to the damage which eventually caused the bridge to become unsafe and needing to be demolished in March 2020.

There were obviously other factors at play here, and in this article I do not intend to speculate as to other causes of the bridge’s failure, or why it has taken Canal & River Trust 3 years, a 1 year

An excerpt from the 1816 Trent & Mersey Canal Company Plans - previously at the archive in Northwich - which shows the second layout of the canals around Denford (fascinating in itself for showing the staircase of 3 locks). This is before the current New Hazelhurst Locks were built but clearly shows a bridge on the old line of the canal, with a hand annotation added later "Hazelhurst Bottom Lock Bridge No 37" - suggesting very strongly that the bridge was there before the original line was abandoned.

stoppage and £2.4 million to replace, as that really is another story/article!

But to go back to the error on the CRT Heritage Statement for the planning applications relating to the bridge… Initially I had intended to include research and theory in the IWA branch response to the LBC Planning Application, but on doing further investigation it turns out that CRT have simply taken their historic information from the Historic England (previously English Heritage) Listed Structures schedule, where it also suggests that it is a John Rennie bridge from circa 1800. So my task now is to work out how I go about getting a Listing corrected…. Further initial investigation suggests that several

of the other listings from the same period may also be wrong, so it would appear to be quite a can of worms that need correcting. A desk-based project for the winter, I think!

Alison Smedley

Incidentally – a note about Hazelhurst versus Hazlehurst – which as the owners of Hazelhurst Cottage we have always wondered about. The 1769 Yates map of Staffordshire shows “Hazelhurst Wood” while the 1816 Trent & Mersey Canal Company map shows the then “Hazlehurst Locks”. So we will continue on the basis that either spelling is fine!

To London and Beyond - Part 2

Having rushed down through Staffordshire and Worcestershire, to meet their friends at Braunston the weather was so windy and wet on our first day there that we did no boating at all. Our humans did some jobs inside the boat and we bears gathered round, while Hanley read a book that Grizzly had been given for his birthday to us.

The next morning was bright, if still a bit breezy, so we had our porridge, before the boats set off up the Braunston locks together, because the Grand Union Canal has double locks that two boats can share. When you are used to narrow locks, like the ones we have on the Trent and Mersey Canal, these locks can seem rather scary, but we would see even bigger locks later on our journey.

The Boating Adventures of Sonning Bear

At the top of the Braunston flight of six locks is a long tunnel, which is supposed to be wide enough for two boats to pass, although we were quite glad not to meet any boats coming the other way as it would have been a tight fit. Soon afterwards, we reached Norton Junction where the canal forks and one route goes to Leicester, which was the way I travelled home in 2017.

We had to work down through six big locks at Long Buckby, where the canal runs close to the West Coast Main Line and the M1 motorway. I remembered sharing these with another boat on our journey up them in 2017, as the crew included a very little human cub being carried in a sling on the dad's chest while he was steering!

Because it was still breezy, we bears stayed in the cratch all day, watching the humans working the locks and waving to Cameo and Tilly, the two doggies who live on the boat we were travelling with. Although we were now onto a part of the Grand Union Canal I had travelled in the opposite direction, it looks quite different going south.

look like it in the picture, it is also wide enough for two narrowboats to pass each other and much higher than the Harecastle Tunnel, so Polar did some of the steering without any risk of bumping her head.

Again, we were lucky and didn't meet any boats coming the other way.

The next day, we reached another big tunnel at Blisworth, which I could remember going through with Polar and Grizzly in 2017. Although it might not

South of Blisworth Tunnel is Stoke Bruerne. The National Waterways Museum is here (we didn’t have time to visit on the way down, but did on the way back), and also another flight of big locks.

The Boating Adventures of Sonning Bear

Fortunately, there are nice moorings just below the first lock, so our humans stopped there for the night, and Hanley and Huddlesford went with them to have dinner and to test Grizzly's beer in the pub.

The following day, we set off towards Cosgrove and Milton Keynes, though some more lovely countryside. We had heard there might be delays due to a fallen tree, which would not have been surprising as it was still rather windy, but that had been cleared enough for boats to pass by the time we reached it and we had another good day afloat before we picked a nice spot for the doggies to have their walk and both boats to moor for the night.

The next day, the weather was calm enough for bears on the roof at last, so Hanley and I put on our life jackets and sat out in the sunshine.

We went over a very high aqueduct and along a big embankment at Cosgrove, and saw a marvellous mural beside the railway at Wolverton, before reaching Milton Keynes. There were some very nice parks here, but there was no time to explore them on the way down to London. We bears were pleased to see that there were lots of people using the towpath for walking, jogging and cycling in Milton Keynes, and there were plenty of other boats about too. We waved to them all, especially the smallest human cubs, and lots of them waved back.

We had travelled quite a long way with no locks, until we reached Fenny Stratford, where there is a fairly shallow lock with a swing bridge over the top, which you have to move before you can use the lock.

The Boating Adventures of Sonning Bear

The following day was sunny and calm too, so all four of us went up on the roof! It was a bit of a squeeze in our roof basket, but we were good bears and didn't fidget.

"Wicked" about the witches from the Wizard of Oz story. There were photographers with very long lenses watching from the towpath, probably hoping to catch a shot of film stars.

There were several more locks to work through that day, as we had started climbing towards the summit at Tring, and at one of them we had a big surprise. Just across the canal from a lock with a pretty cottage and a blossom tree, a huge building was being constructed. Security people on the bridge were stopping people getting too close, because it was all part of a film set!

We had a better view than them from the roof of the boat, but of course we didn't have such complicated camera equipment to take our photos, and we didn't see anyone famous as far as we could tell. We would have loved to explore the strange little town in the field but will have to wait until the film is released for a closer look.

Just a little further down the canal we could see more strange buildings and huge lights on cranes. Some ladies walking along the towpath said they had heard the film is of a musical called

We had much further still to go to get to Little Venice and the Cavalcade Festival, but I will you tell you more about the next stage of our journey in my next report for Knobsticks.

Photos: Sarah Honeysett

VisitEngland graded 2-8 berth quality narrowboats. Weekly hire and short breaks available. Wide choice of excellent routes; E.g. Four Counties Ring, Caldon, Cheshire Ring. Beginners and experienced crews welcome; Full tuition given. Please ring for a brochure or visit:

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

Newsletter Editor

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

Planning VACANT Contact Alison Smedley

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

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 a charity no. 212342 www.waterways.org.uk/staffscheshire

Autumn 2023

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 work parties (held in partnership with Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust) are unfortunately no longer running due to lack of a work party organiser. If you are interested in getting involved (full training and support are provided) please 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: September 15th + 29th, October 13th + 27th, November 10th + 24th, December 8th + 22nd

Contact: Dave Broome before attending Phone: 07974 966253

Email: dave.broome45@gmail.com

——————————–————-—————————-—————

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).