Chair’s Report + Appeal for Volunteers

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 Officers

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 other branch committee members and also from members of the Potteries Heritage Society).

Work party volunteers/leader

Please check out the back page of this issue for details of our regular work parties on the Burslem Arm and Cheshire Locks. Work parties on the Uttoxeter Canal need a new leader in order for them to take place on any more than an ad hoc basis.

Alison Smedley

Thank you for looking at the list of roles needed. We really do need help to make our committee more effective, so please consider at least talking to another committee member about how you can help Ed

While attending the Historic Boat Gathering at Ellesmere Port at Easter, visitors had the opportunity to visit Canal & River Trust’s Rossfield Road shed, a couple of miles away. This is where a good number of boats previously in the water at the museum, or from other museums or from around CRT’ s network, are being stored. As well as about 20 boats in varying states of decay (including 3 or so that were outside) there was also some racking with artefacts on.

I expected the visit to be a negative experience, with little hope that any of the boats will ever be fully restored, but actually the two CRT staff who showed us around were really enthusiastic, and described it as a “library of boats”, preserving boats and artefacts for future researchers and historians. The main reason I wanted to go was to see

“Beeston”, sister boat to my LMS tug “Sandbach”, which had been moved there from Northwich in recent years. There are also a number of other significant boats there, preserved for the time being at least for future research. CRT are intending to open up the store on other occasions, such as for Heritage Open Days events, so I’d encourage anyone interested in old boats to keep an eye open for opportunities to visit.

Progress ???

In my last report I announced our nervous anticipation of the results of the BRIC survey arranged by our consultants MNY along the full length of our infilled canal.

First the Good News

We now have some great aerial photos of our site, and a LIDAR survey of the wharf building.

We also have a 3D mesh model of the whole site which may be useful for any future modelling of a new canal route within the existing landscape. We are, of course, aware that the existing canal edging is somewhat lower than that of the Trent & Mersey (to which we wish to join) so that any new proposal may involve raising our new canal.

Remaining Uncertainties

The soil investigation carried out, being taken at the surface, will give only a flavour of what may lie beneath. Deeper investigations required I fear.

The Land Ownerships I believe are still to be ascertained and company contacts established. More work required here.

Challenges Ahead

Too many to contemplate!! But for the moment we are looking backwards to help our progress forwards by delving deep into our recently acquired mountainous paper archives together with a memory stick left by our forebears with all the wealth of knowledge therein. We hope this will give us a good platform from which to move forward.

Work Party News

Up until recently my recall of this year has been one of rain, rain rain! But in between the showers our small but willing band of volunteers have battled hard against the invading brambles and I'm pleased to report that we are at last winning!

The major achievement has again been made by Beth and her CRT 'Red Hand Gang' when they exposed, for possibly the first time, a row of stone setts that followed the kerb line along the west side of the revised narrow section of the infilled canal.

This discovery has encouraged the BPT volunteer army to start clearing the brambles right back from the Trent & Mersey to the point of the stone setts. Despite the enemy fighting back and inflicting many scratches we believe we are just one session away from reaching out target. When complete this should give a clear view down the whole length of the revised line of the infilled canal looking towards Burslem.

Future Work Party Dates

June 9th + 23rd, July 7th + 21st, August 4th + 18th, September 1st + 15th + 29th.

Cheers.

At the beginning of March the Uttoxeter Canal had a visit from the WRG North West regional group. It was the first time that CUCT had hosted a WRG visit since pre-Covid, and we were pleased to be able to return to using the excellent Greatwood Hall community centre in Tean for the accommodation. On site, lots of useful vegetation clearance was carried out by a small band of keen and enthusiastic volunteers who had travelled from across the country for the weekend.

On the Saturday the volunteers worked around Carringtons Lock – completely clearing all the brambles that had grown up around the lock and the pumping station core stones, and removing a number of the very large tree stumps that had been left after WRG Forestry did the tree clearance around the lock a good number of years ago now.

The wooden posts between the lock and the roadway were given a further coat of paint (by our very own Knobsticks editor, Roger, and proof-reader, Margaret, no less!). We were fortunate enough to have a WRG Forestry chain saw operator with us for the weekend, Paul, who usefully tidied up a number of fallen trees over the weekend.

wrg/nw visit the Uttoxeter Canal

On the Sunday work moved to around Bridge 70, which was cleared of weeds on and around the bridge, some fallen trees were removed from the line of the canal above the bridge, and some vegetation removed from along the line of the footpath.

Our thanks to all the WRG North West volunteers, who seem keen to return so we hope that this will be the first of a regular visit from them once or twice a year.

Cheshire Locks

March 16th

Work-party cancelled due to forecast heavy rain.

April 20th

Dry weather at long last and work resumed on Lock 59. 6 volunteers.

We continued preparation and then painting of railings and paddle-gear. Lock Numbers completed. Some work remained on the balance beams and gate tops due to shortage of Sadolin paint.

Cheshire Locks

tion of paint to the top and bottom gate beams and bridge rails. Mooring posts top and bottom of the locks also painted.

returned to Lock 59 with Sadolin paint to complete all remaining work (at last! ).

North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch

This will be a short report because the planning for the 2023/24 social calendar is yet to be done! However, I have asked the Stoke-on-Trent Boat Club to book us in for our usual meeting on the second Friday evening of the month from October to December, and February to April, at 7.45pm for an 8pm start.

This coming season I will endeavour to mix the topics up a little more, rather than end up with a cluster of restoration project reports over successive months!

We’re hoping to hold our January Annual Dinner at the Rose & Crown in Stanley, quite a central location for our branch and highly recommended following the Boat Club’s successful annual dinner there.

I plan to steal an idea from the Trent and Mersey Canal Society and have a quiz night at one of our socials – probably the December meeting, which can be tricky for speakers at the mercy of wintery weather. And we may well take up Bernard Lovatt’s offer of a private visit to the Etruria Industrial Museum when preparing for a steaming day, with a buffet, as this seemed to be well-received – dates and prices to be confirmed. If you use Social Media, follow our Facebook page for all the branch news between Knobsticks editions.

Thank you for all your support in 2022/23 and I will aim to ensure there will be something for all to enjoy this coming season. Also, thanks to Alison for managing the last-minute issues regarding one speaker's ill-health in my absence at the April social.

Sarah Honeysett

Dates for your Diary

Friday 13th October – 7:45 for 8pm Talk

Friday 10th November – 7:45 for 8pm Talk

Friday 8th December – 7:45 for 8pm Probable Quiz

Friday ??? January – 7:30 for 8pm Branch Annual Dinner at The Rose & Crown in Stanley (provisionally)

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

Friday 8th March 2024 – 7:45 for 8pm Talk

Friday 12th April 2024 – 7:45 for 8pm Talk

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