Knobsticks - Summer 2024

The late Chris Skelhorne at IWA 2019 AGM. Photo:Waterway Images

Progress on the Cheshire Locks has been painfully slow over Winter with several work parties cancelled by bad weather. In fact, we have been working on the same lock since last August (although admittedly it does have a lot of lock-side railings to paint as well as the lock itself). Just to prove that we are actually making progress, here is a picture from John Lawson of the part-painted Thurlwood Upper lock. Why not help us out by coming along to one of our monthly work parties. See Back Cover for details.

So, what articles do we have for you in this issue?

As you will have seen on the front cover, we recently sadly lost our long-serving President Chris Skelhorne. See pages 811 for Julie Arnold’s memories of him.

This year sees the 50th Anniversary of the reopening of the Caldon Canal, see pages 6-7 for details of 3 events celebrating this historic restoration.

Also looking back, we have 3 snippets on page 5 about our own early history and how you can help us to record it for the future.

Looking forward now, we have outline details of our 2024-25 season of social events on pages 12-13. Full details will be in the next edition of Knobsticks, but at least you can reserve the dates.

Dave Broome is also looking forward in his Burslem Port report on pages 14-15.

Enough from me. Hope you enjoy this issue.

Dear Branch Members

I hope that you are all enjoying our local waterways now that we’ve started to have some warmer and drier weather.

By the time you read this it will almost be time for the annual Etruria Canal Festival, where this year we will be supporting Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust with a photographic exhibition to mark the 50th anniversary of the reopening of the Caldon Canal after its restoration. The exhibition will include a “memories tent” where those who were involved in the restoration, or remember the reopening ceremony in 1974, are encouraged to come along and record your memories – this can be in the form of someone writing down notes from what you say, bringing along your own photos to share, or even being interviewed for an audio recording.

The branch will also have our usual sales

and information stand at Etruria, so do come along to say hello even if you are more recent to the local waterways. And if you have an hour or two to spare, we are always looking out for volunteers to do a stint on the stand – email me on alison.smedley@waterways.org.uk if you would like to get involved.

There will be two other occasions to catch the Caldon Canal Restoration 50th anniversary exhibition – at an evening event run by Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust at the Foxlowe Arts Centre in Leek on Monday 17th June, and again on Saturday 21st September at Stoke on Trent Boat Club’s event to celebrate the anniversary, at the boat club premises in Endon. Timings and addresses of all 3 events can be found on pages 6 –7.

We were saddened to hear that our very long-standing Branch President, Chris Skelhorne, passed away recently. I was honoured to represent the branch at his funeral, and at the wake afterwards I reminisced with other canal folk about his involvement in our local waterways. You can read more about Chris in the obituary on page 8-11. My own abiding memory of him has to be as auctioneer on the many occasions when he brought his professional skills to the fundraising aspect of the annual branch dinner with such great enthusiasm.

I continue to represent the branch on the informal group that has set itself up, led by veteran waterway campaigner, Margaret Clark, to investigate getting Rudyard Reservoir and its feeders into a better operational state. The group now calls itself the Rudyard Lake Local Interest Group. Following the catastrophic failure of one of the sluices on the feeder from the reservoir to the Leek Arm earlier in the year, the Group held a meeting to bring together local farmers

Chair’s Report

(who had been adversely affected by the flooding) and representatives from Canal & River Trust and Severn Trent Water.

A more recent site visit organised by Margaret, along with IWA Honorary Engineer, Howard Worth, saw CRT engineers and local farmers visiting the feeder to discuss what can be done. CRT are keen to get volunteers involved in cleaning out the feeder, so I’ll be helping to co-ordinate that. If anyone fancies a

Swing Bridge Conundrum

day getting wet and muddy doing a really important job for the local waterways, let me know and I’ll add you to the list of volunteers for the task!

And if you don’t fancy getting wet and muddy, do come along and say hello to branch members at one of the Caldon 50th events instead!

Alison Smedley Branch Chair

Travelling alone down a canal with swing bridges? Picture this. You arrive at a swing bridge and pull up at the designated place on the towpath side of the canal and secure the boat. There is nowhere to moor on the offside, and even if there is there's already a boat there (probably long term). Go to the bridge and undo the securing pin. Cross over bridge to operate it, and swing it open. So far so good, but now you're on the other side of the canal with no way to cross back to your boat to

take it through the bridge? You're on the wrong side of the canal. Has anyone thought about this, or are we always supposed to travel with crew?

There are options, of course Wait for a passing walker, wait for another boater, swim, but these are not very useful options in the winter.

Mary Smith

Help us remember our own history

Why is our magazine called Knobsticks?

As I understand it, the term Knobsticks refers to three different aspects relating to the Anderton Canal Company. Apparently the term came about originally because of the Anderton Company man who would travel up and down the towpath with a stick topped with a silver knob, looking for boat crews that were slacking, to encourage them to speed up!

In later years Anderton Company Boats become known as Knobsticks – one remaining example is narrow boat "Sweden". It also then gave its name to a particular style of canal roses, painted by the Anderton Canal Company painter. The Anderton Canal Company was based in Middleport and built their own boats, so its very much a local name and one that was given to our branch newsletter from the very beginning of the branch (so far as I know) in 1974.

Alison Smedley

Let’s celebrate the Anniversary we almost forgot!

With all the excitement and planning for the Caldon Canal Restoration's 50th Anniversary, and a similar celebration for the Trent and Mersey Canal Society, we were in danger of overlooking another 50th until Alan Chetwyn, our Treasurer, reminded us that this IWA branch is also 50 years old in 2024!

To celebrate this milestone, branch members and supporters are welcome to join us from about 6pm on Friday 11th October 2024, just before the first regular meeting of the 2024/5 season, for a meal at the Plough Inn in Endon. This is a Toby Carvery and members of

the committee often dine there ahead of our evening socials. At the time of writing, the main meal price is just under £10 per head.

We will ask people to confirm attendance closer to the date, probably when we send the email reminder, though if you are not on email and would like to attend, please let me know at your earliest convenience.

Please come along to Etruria Canals Festival with any memories or photos you have dating from around when the branch was formed in 1974: the Caldon Canal restoration and reopening; events around the Harecastle Tunnel campaign after its closure in ’73 - and its reopening after repairs, plus the T&M Bicentenary, in 1977. Indeed any images of branch members such as Chris Skelhorne, or your own family or friends, that record the changing scenes around our waterways over the years. If you can’t get to Etruria then contact the Editor instead. Many thanks.

Sarah Honeysett

Bring your memories to Etruria

Julie Arnold

50th Anniversary of Caldon Canal Restoration

“Caldon Coleter” was the first boat through Cheddleton Top Lock at the reopening ceremony 28th September 1974.

Three events will mark the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the Caldon Canal.

Etruria Canals Festival

1st & 2nd June 2024 10am to 5pm each day.

Etruria Canal Junction, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 7AF

Annual canal festival in Stoke-on-Trent which this year will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the Caldon Canal. As well as the usual branch stand, IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch is also supporting an exhibition of photos and memories of the work carried out by volunteers leading up to the 1974 restoration of the canal. If you were involved back then there will be an opportunity to add your own memories.

Photo: Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust

Caldon Canal lock under restoration

Photo: Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust

50th Anniversary of Caldon Canal Restoration

Presentation by the Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust

Monday 17th June, 7.30pm start.

Foxlowe Arts Centre, Church Street, Leek, ST13 6AD

A Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust event supported by IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch. As well as a presentation about the current and future work of volunteers, there will be an exhibition with photos and memories of the work carried out by volunteers leading up to the 1974 restoration of the Caldon Canal.

Caldon Canal 50th anniversary event at Stoke on Trent Boat Club

Saturday 21st September.

Stoke on Trent Boat Club, Post Lane, Endon, ST9 9DU

IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch is supporting an exhibition of photos and memories of the work carried out by volunteers leading up to the 1974 restoration of the canal. Come along for your chance of winning a prize on the branch’s vintage canal and railway themed treasure hunt. If you were involved back then there will be an opportunity to add your own memories.

Alison Smedley

Narrow Boat “Beatrice” emerges from Top Lock (no. 13) at Cheddleton on Sunday 28th September 2014 (40 years to the day after the Caldon Canal was re-opened to navigation). Photo: Waterway Images

Chris Skelhorne

Our Branch President Chris Skelhorne who died recently at the age of 85 was presented with the Association prestigious Richard Bird Medal in 2014, when IWA’s Annual General Meeting took place in Leek as we celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the Caldon Canal reopening. IWA’s annual awards recognise contributions made to the Association and inland waterways with the medal Chris, Roger and others have received recognising “the benefit these members have brought to the Association over a sustained period of time”.

The citation for Chris reflected the enthusiastic and skilled entrepreneur and craftsman, volunteer and businessman who became a great waterways “mate” of my father, the late Harry Arnold MBE, in the 1970s. Since then the lives of the Skelhorne and Arnold families inter-twined around waterway

Roger Savage and Chris with their Richard Bird Medals, presented in 2014 by IWA National Chairman Les Etheridge.

Chris during a 1970’s lock restoration. (This lock is believed to be on the Montgomery Canal).

Chris, in auctioneer mode, at our 30th anniversary dinner in 2004.

IWA Western Region AGM, Rudyard, 2009 – Chris chaired the AGM as Region Vice President, while Alison Smedley was the Region Chair at the time. Chris presented the Region's two awards - the Victoria Cup to branch and region volunteer Julie Arnold, while Harry Arnold received the Titania Salver on behalf of Tony Lewery who was unable to be present.

events, boating together, laughing over a glass of Chris’ fine wine from a French expedition, celebrating my marriage to Gary in 2018* and most recently sharing photographs and memories - not least of being child IWA raffle ticket sellers!

Chris was the first Secretary of the Stoke -on-Trent Branch when it was formed in 1974. (Prior to then our area of canals was part of the much larger North West Branch; summer ‘74 saw the formation of more local branches and the addition of Regions into the structure.) Annual “North West Dinners” is where Chris and Sylvia's elder daughter Caroline and I – aged junior-into-secondary school years - partied too; charming our elders into buying raffle tickets as our parents discussed the next Montgomery Canal work party, waterway politics and future fund-raising schemes with countless friends as then hundreds gathered, wined, dined and danced into the night at such events.

Chris, in auctioneer mode again, at our 2011 dinner.

In 1977 Chris became Chairman of Stoke Branch. That year was also the Bicentenary of the Trent and Mersey Canal and Chris was very involved as Joint Celebration Director of the very successful commemorative event organised by the Trent & Mersey Canal Society in co-operation with Josiah Wedgwood & Sons Limited at Barlaston. His IWA message in the event brochure notes how Stoke District Council had begun to recognise the importance of waterways, signing an agreement with the British Waterways Board to open the towpaths as a public right of way. Chris went on to lead a series of projects improving the waterways area around Stoke-on-Trent.

Born on 29 July 1938 Christopher John Skelhorne was a citizen of Stoke and family man through and through. When he married Sylvia in 1962 their home became Trentham, beside the T&M Canal. Chris had started in the jewellery trade in 1954 with well-known and

respected family jewellers Henry Pidduck and Sons of Hanley. In 1982 C J Skelhorne Jewellers began, moving in 1984 to their elegant family shop at 14 Piccadilly Arcade, Hanley, where they continue to provide the great craftsmanship and customer service that Chris instilled from the heart. His care is evident from the stories of many customers and friends who trusted him and from the different organisations he worked with; indeed, he handled the complicated engraving and production of the IWA Awards, at a very advantageous price to the Association.

Over many years Chris committed a tremendous amount in time, skills and effort to the Inland Waterways Association. Most recently we shall remember him as our President – supporting, celebrating and especially as ‘Auctioneer Extraordinaire’ at Branch annual dinners, outrageously raising funds selling anything from extra-special eggs to elegant watches.

*On reflection, I realise just how little I was aware of my husband Gary Summers’ plan to secretly propose whilst how MUCH Chris must have been in cahoots as the Skelhornes worked to deliver THE ring in advance of our engagement in February 2018! (Gary had of course also asked Dad “for my hand” in advance too.) The collusions of Chris and Harry stretched back to 1977 and before. My father wrote to our schools: time-off was needed for the T&M Bicentenary, it being educational and only happening every 200 years –something the Skelhorne and the Arnold kids celebrated as we raced around the Wedgwood rally site on our assigned tasks!

Canals - a foundation for family life and future careers, sprinkled with fun and laughter that will never be forgotten. I was delighted to hear that Chris’s family

Chris Skelhorne

enjoyed a grand day out last year aboard a Canal Cruising Co narrowboat; whilst his girls took the helm Chris remained ‘in command’, muffled against the inclement weather and his illness, surveying his beloved T&M and grandchildren plus great grandson from the cruiser-stern deck.

Chris is survived by Sylvia and daughters Caroline and Sarah who will ensure the great skills and care of Skelhorne Jewellers live on. Our condolences and best wishes go out to them and to all of Chris’ family, from all of us who knew him around our waterways.

Julie Arnold IWA NSSC Committee Member and past Chair

Photos: Waterway Images

Julie with Chris at the naming of Osborn Bridge in 2008.

North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch

Thank you to everybody who supported our social programme during the past season. I hope you enjoyed the variety of talks and events we brought you in 2023/4. It seems that no sooner is one season of social meetings at an end, than it’s time to start planning for the next. I’ m pleased to report that the Stoke-on-Trent Boat Club are happy to host us again, on our regular second Friday of the month from October to April (excluding January), with our annual dinner in January. I will be looking for a venue towards the north of our branch area this year.

Before we get to our autumn meetings, we have some summer events to look forward to. This year’s Etruria Festival takes place on Saturday 1st June and Sunday 2nd, and the theme is the 50th Anniversary of the restoration of the Caldon Canal. Our branch will have a stall at the event. It would be good to see some of our members there - please let a member of the committee know if you are able to spare some time to help staff this. If we have sufficient volunteers, we hope we will also share a stall with the Trent and Mersey Canal Society at the Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival a fortnight later.

Look out for a couple more events to make the 50th anniversary of the Caldon Canal’s reopening – there is a talk at the Foxlowe Arts Centre in Monday 17th June organised by the Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust, and an event at the Stoke on Trent Boat Club over the weekend of 21st & 22nd September.

I am now organising speakers for the coming season, hopefully starting with a presentation from some of our branch members on the restoration of the Caldon Canal. I plan to run another Christmas quiz

(no Latin names of waterways wildlife this year!) and, with a little help from his human guardians, Sonning will be sharing some photos and stories of his recent adventures on the Rhone, Rhine and waterways of the Low Countries. All being well, there will be full details by the time we get to the next edition of Knobsticks, but here is the list so far for your diaries:

Sarah Honeysett

Friday 11th October 2024 Caldon Canal 50th Anniversary

Friday 8th November 2024 Talk, speaker to be confirmed

Friday 13th December 2024 Christmas Quiz

Friday 24th January 2025 Annual Dinner (The location will be at northern end of branch area)

Friday 14th February 2025 “Bears Abroad” Sonning’s adventures on European Waterways

Friday 14th March 2025 AGM

Friday 11th April 2025 Talk, speaker to be confirmed

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

I can’t believe I’m writing this for the “Summer” edition of Knobsticks when it’s only the second day I’ve had the top down on my beautiful old Alfa “Spider”.

So at last, maybe, some lovely cruising weather for all you boaters. Let’s just hope we have a decent Summer for you all.

But what about the likes of me that isn’t a boater. Well I’ve decided to take the cover off my trusty old drawing board, dust down my protractor, and look out my drawing pens because I want to show you all just what happens to old buildings sat over a coal mining area.

The results can be quite alarming and quite expensive!

Off to the side of the Burslem Arm there was a short section to serve as a wharf to the Shropshire Union warehouse which I’ve mentioned before. But now we have to get down to detail as to how we can bring this building back to life alongside a working canal.

My first illustration (above) shows how I imagine the relationship between canal and warehouse was way back in the 1850s when we believe it was built. Its purpose was to house pottery brought down from Burslem on a smooth tramway designed to avoid breakages. I imagine the water level to be just below that of the ground floor with two cranes for loading. I’ve not found any material yet to say how wide this docking arm was, as I’ve not yet found any detail maps/surveys of the time. Help!

We now move to the possible future some 175 years on, and the position is very different. Our restored warehouse is approximately 1 metre below any canal side. Clearly therefore it cannot be adjacent to the building. Subject to dimensions changing slightly I show how water at a much higher level could sit next to the old warehouse in its new life as a community centre for Burslem. I welcome your thoughts.

Trolley Nuisance

Our problems with the Supermarket trollies persist as, to our disbelief, there are more unfortunate folks actually living in various places along the length of our canal. A very sad reflection of our times.

Work Party News

Sadly we did not receive a grant for a possible wild flower meadow. But the good news is that we may be getting a corporate volunteer work day from a company in Stone. It’s typical these days that so many folks work from home that staff comradery struggles. What better way to meet your work colleagues than thrashing around at brambles!

Future Work Party dates

June 14th + 28th

July 12th + 26th

August 9th + 23rd

September 6th + 20th

Email dave.broome@burslemport.org.uk

Phone: 07974 966253

The Boating Adventures of Sonning Bear

In my last post, I wrote about the marvellous time we Bears had at the Cavalcade Festival at Little Venice, near Paddington.

Now I am going to tell you about the adventure we had after the festival, when Polar and Grizzly took our boat, Uplander II, ("Uppie") along the Regents Canal through London and out to the Lee Navigation.

None of us had been that way before. We went through a short tunnel at Maida Vale passed some very fancy houses and right through London Zoo, before coming to three big locks at Camden. There was an awkward breeze across these and Polar found it very difficult to get the bottom gates closed ready to fill the lock for our boat, so she drafted in passers-by to help.

We carried on through to St Pancras, where there was another tricky lock, but that was all we had to do that day, as Polar had booked us a mooring at the London Canal Museum that night. We bears wanted to go in to explore, especially as we could see some small bears inside waving to us, but we were too late as it was closed for the day.

In the morning we set off again before the museum opened, heading east into the Islington Tunnel, which is not quite wide enough for two boats to pass, so you have to make sure there is no other boat coming your way when you go in. As we came out, another boat pulled away a little in front of us. The only crew member was a young woman. She was very nimble and would probably have managed the next few locks more quickly

The Boating Adventures of Sonning Bear

on her own than with our "help", but she did not mind us sharing with her.

Her name was Milly and she gave Polar some helpful tips about boating on the Lee, including that the locks were bigger than on the canals and often rather hard work, plus some hints about where we might manage to moor. She was heading the same way, so we worked the three locks on the Hertford Union Canal together as well.

The last lock let us out onto the wide and busy Lee Navigation, which leads down to the Thames at Limehouse, passing the site of the 2012 Olympic Games. But we turned upstream, towards Tottenham. All was going well until we reached the first lock and found that someone had moored a big wide-beam boat on the lock moorings, but luckily there was a

man on a fuel boat approaching as well, who was less nervous than Polar about jumping off the roof of his boat to get ashore, and helped us through with him. We bears decided that we liked London boating people, as they were kind and co -operative!

After another big lock we moored where Milly had suggested, at Tottenham Marshes, and our humans had a very

The Boating Adventures of Sonning Bear

good night's sleep after such a busy day. Carrying on up the Navigation, we passed through more locks, including one at Enfield. They were all differentsome were fully manual, some had electrically operated gates and some had a mixture of the two.

The land around us was quite open and flat at first, with lots of electricity pylons, but gradually became more like proper countryside. After working through another lock, we reached the junction with the River Stort and found a place to stop for the night, near a boat whose owner was growing pretty tulips on the roof to sell in local markets.

Polar and Grizzly made us bears a big bowl of porridge before we set off the next morning. Our journey up the Stort was a proper river cruise, winding

through the pretty countryside towards Royston and on to Sawbridgeworth. It looked like there were super moorings here, in front of some new flats, as there were neat mooring bollards all along the riverside. But there were also big signs that said "No Mooring"!

The Boating Adventures of Sonning Bear

How very annoying! Instead of using the nice bollards, our poor humans had to make the best job they could mooring with pins in the steep grassy bank on the other side, so we could go ashore for dinner and some beer.

We found there were some overgrown moorings a little further up the river in the morning, but they wouldn't have been much better than where we stopped.

We completed our journey along the Stort on the same day that King Charles was being crowned so, while other people were having street parties –despite the drizzle - and watching the TV, we were right out in the country cruising along a beautiful, tranquil river.

We wondered if the King wished he was having a nice, quiet day like us!

The Boating Adventures of Sonning Bear

We were pleased to find some good moorings at Bishops Stortford with plenty of space for Uppie, so Polar and Grizzly took us exploring.

everything - except the one thing we were looking for, which was a new pair of braces for Grizzly's trousers.

We met a friend of Polar's for lunch the following day, which rounded off a very nice time in Bishop’s Stortford. And we even found some braces for Grizzly in a charity shop!

I will tell you about some of the adventures we had coming home in Knobsticks next time.

We liked the park and the mound where the castle used to be, but our favourite place was a big shop called "Cooper's of Stortford" which sold just about

Article: Sonning Bear 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: WWW.CANALCRUISING.CO.UK

North Staffordshire & South Cheshire contacts

If any of the roles shown as vacant interest you, please contact Alison Smedley for further information.

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

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

Heritage Officer

Sarah Jones sarah.jones@waterways.org.uk

Burslem Port Work Party

Dave Broome 07974 966253 dave.broome@burslemport.org.uk

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 member:

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

Join Us on a Canal Work Party

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)

Fridays: June 14th + 28th, July 12th + 26th

August 9th + 23rd, September 6th + 20th

Contact: Dave Broome before attending Phone: 07974 966253

Email: dave.broome@burslemport.org.uk

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).