Knobsticks Summer 2016

KNOBSTICKS Summer 2016 IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire

“James Brindley” in The Leopard, Burslem exactly 251 years after he met Josiah Wedgwood there to discuss the Grand Trunk Canal.

Photo: Bob Luscombe

Editorial Before I forget, there was one event this Autumn that I wanted to mention but ran out of space elsewhere in the magazine.

Saturday 15th October will see our return to Stafford Boat Club for the inter-branch skittles match against Shrewsbury & North Wales and Lichfield branches. Put the date in your diaries - further details will follow in the next issue.

In Bob Luscombe’s “Chairman’s Report” you will read an appeal for more volunteers on the committee. The lack of volunteers, both on and off the committee, is really starting to impact on the activities of our branch. Even though we try to make sure that everything still gets done, we aren’t able to cover every job as well as we would like. Two recent examples come to mind.

Other future dates for your diaries can be found on page 6 (Bells for Brindley), page 10 (Balsam Bashing) page 12 (Talks) and page 20 (Sales and Information Stand). Oh, and don’t forget that the back cover has the usual list of work party dates.

Firstly, the April Cheshire Locks work party didn’t have enough volunteers present for us to do any painting work on Lock 43, even though this was the first time since October last year that the wood was dry enough for us to paint it. Luckily we had a good day this month and painted all the wood before it rained, but it is now over 7 months since we started work on this lock!

As always, I seem to get a rush of material just as I think I have finished putting the magazine together. Some of the pictures I have lovingly included have to be discarded, or at least moved to “my” page. At the bottom of this page are two photographs by Julie Arnold of Bridge 70 on the Uttoxeter Canal. The first was taken in October 2013 as work started clearing trees from around the bridge. The second was taken this April at lunch-break on the last day of a 2-week WRG canal camp. What a difference! See pages 18-19 for report and more pictures.

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Secondly, our Sales and Information stand won’t be at Middlewich FAB (formerly Folk and Boat) Festival this year because we couldn’t get enough volunteers to guarantee that we could man it throughout the weekend. This is always a very enjoyable, and profitable, weekend. But not this year for our branch.

Sad !

Roger Evans

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Chairman’s Report It is also good to report that our work party programme has been recognized by the fact that our extensive programme is one of the shortlisted entries for the CRT Living Waterways Awards. During June, the Assessors will be visiting to hear more about the various work parties we run.

Whether we win or not remains to be seen, but I believe that simply being shortlisted recognizes the great work our volunteers do, come rain or shine.

Hello again, It seems just yesterday, I was writing my Chairman’s report for the Spring edition of Knobsticks and yet, here we are again at the start of what will hopefully be a good Summer for boating and / or simply enjoying the canals around our area.

Certainly the various work parties that we currently run have made their impact.

Together with other work parties run by CRT and other volunteer groups it is noticeable how the canals in our area today are in a much better state than perhaps a few years ago.

I would like therefore to use this opportunity to thank all the volunteers who have supported our various work parties during the last year, whether as a regular attendee or just someone who can only attend occasionally. It all makes a positive difference. You can read more about our various work parties later in this edition and of course more volunteers are always welcome.

Summer 2016

I recently popped into one of our Cheshire Locks work party sessions being led by John Brighouse and it was good to both hear and see the progress they are making. Over the past month or so, whilst the weather has been less favourable for painting, they have been busy building new steps and helping to landscape the garden area near Red Bull.

Over the next months they will return to their regular ongoing task of painting the lock gates (and lock-side railings) on the Cheshire Locks Flight and it is great to see how much has been done since the day we started back at Rode Heath a few years ago, Of course the Branch is not only busy running work parties, but also has a packed Social Programme organized by Barbara Wells. Whilst this season’s Friday social evenings have now come to an end for the Summer, she has already planned a very interesting and full programme ready for the Autumn / Winter. Look out for details as they are published. (See page 12 - Ed) It would be good to see a few more members attending as Barbara has organized some high quality speakers. The ham and cheese rolls are especially welcome at the interval, as well as the chance to catch up with other members and perhaps recount stories of our various Summer adventures.

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Chairman’s Report Well, hopefully the deluge of rainfall we had during the Winter months is now a thing of the past. For those of your planning to set off cruising soon, I hope you have a great time wherever you finish up. I’m sure Roger Evans, our Knobsticks Editor, would be pleased to get short stories (and photos) of your adventures as it always makes interesting reading discovering the various places people have visited in their travels.

(Yes please - Ed) Over the past many editions of Knobsticks, I have regularly made reference to vacancies on our committee. Unfortunately my appeals have not been too successful as we still have a large number of vacancies for various roles. Suffice to say (without boring

you yet again on the subject) if anyone is interested in helping even if you feel you cannot offer much time, then please get in touch and we can discuss further.

Well, no doubt, you will want to read more than just my report, so I will finish my comments by wishing everyone a very happy and healthy Summer cruising season whether you are boating, cycling, canoeing, walking, fishing or simply enjoying the beauty of the canals that wind their way through the countryside and towns of our area and beyond. Let’s hope too that the weather plays its role over the next few months.

Kind regards

Bob

John Morin A few weeks ago, I had the sad duty of representing our Branch at John Morin’s funeral, just 6 weeks after I had stood in for him when he was unable to show his film of steam NB President representing Staffordshire at the Queen’s Royal River Pageant.

I have known John a long time and, when I was Branch Chairman, I had the pleasure of presenting him with the Victoria Cup. He

Roger presenting the Victoria Cup to John.

Photo: Brian Woolf Page 4

was the first recipient after the IWA West Midlands Region inherited the Cup from the Western Region. Each year it is awarded to a member who has made a significant contribution to the waterways. In 2009, the Cup was deservedly awarded to John Morin and I remember when I proposed him at the Regional Committee, it was clear that John had been supporting waterways – especially in printing publications – well beyond the branch area.

John was a long-standing member of Stokeon-Trent branch, and served on the committee for many years. Before that, when he worked in London as a gaffer at the BBC Television Centre, he made a backroom contribution to the iconic Dad’s Army programmes, amongst many others. He was active on the waterways down south too, particularly with the now defunct Grand Union Canal Society. At that time, he began to get interested in printing and for many KNOBSTICKS

John Morin years from the 1980s, he printed their magazine. In those days, the printing equipment was rather primitive compared to what John used in latter years.

Microsoft is legendary). He once sent me an email from mid-Atlantic, on his way to the Panama Canal, saying he hoped he would not have to wind the paddles…

When he moved to this area, he became an active member, both of the IWA Stoke-onTrent Branch, and of the Trent & Mersey Canal Society. He quickly volunteered to print our branch newsletter Knobsticks. At around the same time, he also began printing Grand Trunk, the magazine of the T&MCS. Both these magazines have gone from strength to strength, and John’s commitment to printing and distributing them at a very reasonable cost was crucial in keeping everyone informed, especially those whom we never see at meetings.

He also tried his hand as a Tour Organiser, and single-handedly organised a T&MCS trip to look at the Belgian Boatlifts. What a trip that was; what huge beasts are the StrépyThieu Lift and the Ronquières Inclined Plane.

The four Anderton-type lifts are double the size of Anderton, and the whole set-up is now a world heritage site. The trip was very well organised, not bad at all for a beginner then well into his seventies! The Belgian trip did much to enhance the reputation of the T&MCS, and attracted IWA members from many different places.

We all know that John’s other love was film and filming. He has entertained waterway groups all over the country with his collection of waterway films. He has also made several documentary films of events on or around the waterway, and shown these at various branch and T&MCS gatherings, as well as at Stoke Film Theatre.

In recent years these included the Osborn Bridge naming ceremony and several episodes of the Burslem Port story. He also edited a film of the WRG weekend at Churches Lock & Burslem Port, which he arranged for his cousin to film as he could not be there himself.

John’s contribution to the waterways movement was significant and sustained. I hope that ways will be found to keep his legacy of films available for us to enjoy in his memory.

Roger Savage

John was always ready to try something new and to help in a crisis, such as when Christine Thompson’s death left the Northern Section of the T&MCS without a chairman. He eventually became Vice Chairman of the Society.

John was a great traveller. He was also technologically up to date (and his hatred of Summer 2016

John waits for a lift bridge to open during his Belgium trip, May 2010. Photo: Roger Evans Page 5

250th Anniversary of “Cutting the First Sod” near Burslem

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250th Anniversary of “Cutting the First Sod” near Burslem

Ray Johnson as Josiah Wedgwood On March 8th “James Brindley” (actor Duncan Bourne - see photo on front cover) and “Josiah Wedgwood” met again in the same room at Burslem’s Leopard Hotel where they had first discussed the building of The Grand Trunk (now The Trent and Mersey Canal). Their grand vision was to connect Stoke-on-Trent to the sea in four directions, via Liverpool, Hull, Gloucester and London.

As part of the event, they gave a short version of actor and historian Ray Johnson's one-man play Canals, Chalk and Cheese about Brindley. It tells the story from the view of Wedgwood, researched from his original documents and letters. The title arose because not only were Brindley and Wedgwood like 'chalk and cheese' in their personalities, but Brindley was known for sketching his plans on the floor in chalk, and he made his aqueduct model from cheese.

On 23rd July we will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of the “cutting the first sod” ceremony (which originally happened about a mile away “below Brownhills”) at Middleport Pottery. A mobile bell tower will Summer 2016

Photo: Terry Woolliscroft be present, with bells also being rung all along the canal to celebrate the anniversary.

Duncan and Ray will portray Brindley and Wedgwood again re-creating the ceremony using Wedgwood’s own words. Later they will perform part of Ray’s play. There will also be stalls and children’s activities, as well as the usual Middleport Pottery attractions.

To quote from Ray’s play “On July 16th 1766 every pottery closed for the day. Local gentry, pottery masters, workmen and their families – dressed in their best – came to Brownhills near Tunstall. Mr Brindley and I searched for a suitable spot to cut the first sod of our enterprise. Mr Brindley looked like a plain working man as he pushed his barrow. With his hands he tested the ground for a soft spot to pick and signalled when he was satisfied – he seemed concerned that, in this historic moment, the ground should not be too hard to bend my silver bladed spade. I dug the first sod. And Mr Brindley wheeled it away in a barrow like a common workman. Speeches were made.

Toasts were drunk. Burslem’s inns laid on veritable feasts. Bonfires were lit...”

Editor Page 7

Burslem Port Work Party

Volunteers collecting rubbish near Burslem Junction during the Clean for the Queen event New website A completely updated website was launched in March. This one is mobile friendly, very important as people now access the Internet with phones and tablets at least as much as they do with laptops and PCs. There is a new section showing the history of the canal and the project description pages have been updated. We hope you find it interesting. More pages will be added over the coming weeks, and anything significant will be mentioned in future reports.

Clean for the Queen Thanks to everyone who came out on our hugely successful event in association with Middleport Matters on 5th March. Canal & Page 8

River Trust supplied a small boat and trained volunteers who used it to remove floating rubbish along the Trent & Mersey Canal whilst Burslem Port volunteers picked litter along the line of the Branch Canal. A group of young people from the YMCA were dispatched along the towpath and the local Boys Brigade worked outwards from Middleport Park.

A total of 53 volunteers collected around 70 bags of rubbish in a very busy and successful day. Good publicity was generated for Burslem Port and Middleport Matters with the clean-up prominently featured in local media, including a live Radio Stoke interview at the start of the day.

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Burslem Port Work Party Work Parties Our advertised work parties in April were boosted by a couple of extra Saturday events. The weather was (mostly!) kind so these was arranged at short notice. Activity has taken place at both ends of the site, with vegetation cut back next to the Trent & Mersey Canal and in the narrows section, as well as in the last section of our canal beyond the footbridge. It looks like our main task on our next few work parties will be to carry on litter picking and tidying the area next to the Trent & Mersey Canal where we worked during the Clean for the Queen event. We hope that this area will be improved as a walking route between Burslem Port and Festival Park, and are talking to the City Council, who are the landowners, about this project. We hope to have news in the next few months.

Volunteer work parties are a key part of our activities. Not only do they keep the site clean and tidy, but they also show the community that we are still here and keen to make progress. We regularly take potential partners to the site so it is very helpful to be able to demonstrate the support of our local community.

Work parties run from 10am to 3pm.

Volunteers are welcome for a couple of hours or all day. Meet at Luke St, Middleport, Stoke on Trent, ST6 3LY. All tools and equipment will be provided. Volunteers are advised to wear old clothes, stout shoes and to bring waterproofs in case of rain and a packed lunch if staying all day.

For further information contact me on 07976 805858 or by email (steve@burslemport.org.uk). Any changes are advertised via our Facebook and Twitter pages, as that is the quickest way to reach Summer 2016

people. Please let me know if you are planning to attend and I will make sure that you are aware if any event has to be altered or postponed.

Appeal for volunteers As much as it is great to have your support for our work parties, that is not the only kind of volunteer we are looking for. Over the next few months we will be undertaking an interpretation project so will need people who can help with this. The project will involve looking for historic information, sorting photographs and other materials, scanning of printed materials, planning and writing the trail, adding pages to our website, and a range of other tasks. Please get in touch if you think you can assist with any of this. We are also looking to build a digital model of the project area, so we are particularly interested in hearing from anyone who has worked with 3D modelling software. Please get in touch by emailing me, or by using the contact form on the website (www.burslemport.org.uk).

Burslem Port in the press Patron Joan Walley has recently written a "Personally Speaking" article about the project for the Sentinel newspaper which can be read online via our website.

Staffordshire Day Thanks to everyone who turned up to see our display in the Wedgwood Institute as part of the Staffordshire Day celebrations.

Thanks also to volunteers Dave and Wojciech for arranging to install and man our display over the two days of the event.

If you did not get a chance to see the displays they will next get an outing at the Etruria Canals Festival at the start of June.

(Article & Photo:) Steve Wood Work Party Organiser and Website Manager Page 9

IWA/CUCT Himalayan Balsam Work in Churnet Valley Thursday 9th June 10am to 3pm: Bridge 70, Denstone, Uttoxeter Canal Rob Frost, 07743 628091 robert.frost@waterways.org.uk No parking available at site so meet at 9.30am at Denstone Village Hall, College Rd, Denstone, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire ST14 5HR for a lift. Alternatively meet on site at Bridge 70 at 10am having made your own way there on foot.

Monday 27th June 6.30pm to 9pm EVENING: Denford to Cheddleton and return Alison Smedley, 07779 090915 alison.smedley@waterways.org.uk Meet 6.30pm outside the Holly Bush PH, Denford ST13 7JT. Thursday 30th June 10am to 3pm: Consall Station downstream to Flint Mill Lock Rob Frost, 07743 628091 robert.frost@waterways.org.uk Working in partnership with Churnet Valley Railway volunteers. Meet at Consall Station car park (parking available) to work between canal and railway heading downstream.

Tuesday 5th July 10am to 3pm: Consall upstream towards Oakmeadowford Lock Rob Frost, 07743 628091 robert.frost@waterways.org.uk Meet at Consall Lime Kilns to work upstream towards Oakmeadowford Lock. Nearest parking is at Consall Visitor Centre, Consall Nature Park, Consall, ST9 0AF. From there continue down the road on foot and turn left for Consall Lime Kilns.

Thursday 7th July 6.30pm to 9pm EVENING: Leek Arm in Longsdon Rob Frost, 07743 628091 robert.frost@waterways.org.uk Meet 6.30pm outside the Holly Bush PH, Denford ST13 7JT, or 7pm at the top of Hazelhurst Locks, to work along the Leek Arm to Bridge 7 and back.

Thursday 14th July 10am to 3pm: Bridge 70, Denstone, Uttoxeter Canal Rob Frost, 07743 628091 robert.frost@waterways.org.uk No parking available at site so meet at 9.30am at Denstone Village Hall, College Rd, Denstone, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire ST14 5HR for a lift. Alternatively meet on site at Bridge 70 at 10am having made your own way there on foot.

Saturday 16th July 10am to 3pm: Endon New site for this year Alison Smedley, 07779 090915 alison.smedley@waterways.org.uk Meet at Stockton Brook Top Lock to work towards Endon and back.

Sunday 17th July 2pm to 5pm: As part of Waterway Community Day at Froghall Alison Smedley, 07779 090915 alison.smedley@waterways.org.uk Meet 2pm at Froghall by the lock at Froghall Basin to walk along the Caldon Canal towards Cherry Eye Bridge and beyond, pulling up Himalayan Balsam as we go. Don’t forget to allow time to have a look around the waterway event going on at Froghall beforehand.

Thursday 11th August 10am to 3pm: Bridge 70, Denstone, Uttoxeter Canal Rob Frost, 07743 628091 robert.frost@waterways.org.uk No parking available at site so meet at 9.30am at Denstone Village Hall, College Rd, Denstone, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire ST14 5HR for a lift. Alternatively meet on site at Bridge 70 at 10am having made your own way there on foot.

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KNOBSTICKS

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Social Programme

PROGRAMME OF TALKS 2016 – 2017 ADVANCE NOTICE (Full details next issue) Friday 14th October Steve Wood: Caldon Film Show Part II Friday 11th November John Lower: The Chesterfield Canal Friday 9th December Mike Kelley: Cromford Canal - The Sleeping Beauty 2017 Friday 13th January NO MEETING Friday 10th February Branch AGM followed by Chris Madge & Doug Flack: Derby Canal History & Restoration Friday 10th March - TBA Friday 21st April (as Friday 14th is Good Friday) Margaret Rowley: The History & Restoration of the Droitwich Canal Friday 12th May Phil Clayton: The Caledonian Canal Admission to 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: Barbara Wells (01782 911400 or 07710 418908) Email bwwells@talktalk.net or visit the branch webpages at:

www.waterways.org.uk Page 12

KNOBSTICKS

C.J. Skelhorne

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Summer 2016

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Cheshire Locks Work Party Thursday 18th February

Seven willing volunteers contributed 40 hours of work. The day started cold but bright so the team spent the morning continuing to develop the memorial garden at Red Bull; preparing the ground for seeding later in the year.

black metalwork on the lock and the curved lock-ladder-top rails.

Thursday 21st April Several of the regular team were away, so it was a smaller work party than normal, which meant that we didn't have enough people to continue with the painting at lock 43 as well the 2 activities supported by CRT staff. We are always looking out for extra hands! Even so 7 volunteers contributed a total of 39 hours work. It was also agreed, after discussions between ourselves and CRT that, in the future, lock painting would take precedence over other jobs.

By afternoon the sun had dried some of the metalwork at Lock 43 so part of the team resumed painting the railings there. It was the first time since October that the weather had allowed painting! Over the last month CRT have provided a storage cabin at Red Bull for volunteers' tools and equipment which will be a real help.

Thursday 17th March Another dry (but cold) day meant that we made good progress on both the garden and Lock 43. At the garden, a short flight of steps up from the car park to the garden was created, and the garden edged with posts and old stop-planks. At the lock more towpath railings were painted, as well as the Page 14

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Cheshire Locks Work Party

One team was taught how to build steps to the CRT standard in the garden area including some useful joinery tips for future reference. The other team planted whips along a 100m length of canal by the locks filling in gaps in the hedgerow. This was a specific project requested by the CRT ecologist; a job that needs to be done in Spring just before the growing season.

Summer 2016

Thursday 19th May A welcome upturn in numbers saw 11 people attend, contributing 66 hours of work. Fortunately the rain held off until the very end of the day so we were able to concentrate on painting at lock 43 (outside Red Bull pub). There are extensive metal railings around this lock so most of the team concentrated on preparing and painting these. Painting also continued on the woodwork of the lock gates themselves, as well as some work on the garden by Red Bull offices. Good progress was made and hopefully Lock 43 can be completed in June before moving along the canal to Lock 42.

(Article & Photos:) John Brighouse

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Uttoxeter Canal Work Party

February During February we held two work parties on the Uttoxeter Canal. The first was on Thursday 11th, followed just over two weeks later with the second on Saturday 27th. For both of these work parties we concentrated our efforts, doing preparatory works on Bridge 70 in readiness for Waterway Recovery Group’s canal camp on the Uttoxeter Canal in April. WRG are going to be putting a waterproof membrane on the bridge to protect the arch from the damage caused by water penetration. Then over the membrane they will be laying a traditional stone sett surface. To help WRG we removed the excess soil and vegetation from the bridge deck. For both work parties we benefitted from unseasonably mild weather.

Thursday 10 March Although it was dry on the day of the work party, the previous days had seen a lot of Page 16

rain making the ground around Bridge 70 very slippery. This highlighted that the work to resurface the bridge would be of great benefit to visitors to this part of the Churnet Valley. During the morning the volunteers finished doing the preparations at Bridge 70 ready for Waterway Recovery Group’s visit next month.

Bridge 70 work in the mud.

Photo: Steve Wood KNOBSTICKS

Uttoxeter Canal Work Party

Spot the lock! Carrington’s Lock is amongst the trees, the now cleared towpath runs to the rightPhoto: Steve Wood hand side. Unfortunately the track has been built over the canal.

After lunch everyone moved on to our next project which is to expose Carrington’s Lock. Situated between Bridge 70 and Crumpwood Weir, the lock and adjacent towpath are densely overgrown and barely visible. The afternoon was spent in clearing brambles and self-set saplings from the area around the lock, especially the towpath side.

Thursday 14 April As we met at Denstone Village Hall it was drizzling and we all thought we might be putting on the waterproofs but we needn’t have worried as, once on site, the sun soon appeared and stayed for the rest of the day.

First we went to Bridge 70 to see the amazing work WRG were doing with the resurfacing; a huge thank you to them all for their hard work! (See pages 18-19)

Crumpwood Weir. In doing this we uncovered what appeared to be a number of large stones (see photo below). In fact these are the cores resulting from when the bore-holes were drilled for the nearby water pumping works. They are reputed to be laid out in the order they came out of the ground, therefore illustrating the underlying strata. It is our intention to clean them and include some interpretation.

(Article & un-credited Photos:) Robert Frost

Our task for the day was to continue clearing the towpath of scrub from Carrington’s Lock downstream towards Summer 2016

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Waterway Recovery Group at Bridge 70, Uttoxeter Canal

Volunteers from IWA’s Waterway Recovery Group (WRG) spent two weeks in April restoring Bridge 70 of the Uttoxeter Canal near to Crumpwood Weir, between Alton and Denstone in North Staffordshire. Volunteers with a variety of construction skills, including two qualified engineers, travelled from across the UK to carry out the work. Some booked for one week, some came for the weekends as the day-job permitted, and some enjoyed the first week so much that they stayed for a second week’s working holiday too!

The volunteers carefully excavated the top of the rough, stone bridge surface and then re-laid it incorporating drainage, then a waterproof membrane, and more accessible, horse-friendly steps formed from locally sourced stone. They also laid more new path alongside the canal, connecting up Bridge 70 to the extensive public footpath improvement works done by previous WRG groups - path building on the line of the old towpath and woodland management Page 18

to allow access to the bridge structure, improve the environment for wildlife and open up views of the disused canal.

Steve Wood, Caldon & Uttoxeter Canal Trust (CUCT)’s Project Manager explained the importance of how the volunteer groups worked together: “The work needed to protect the bridge from further water ingress and erosion was agreed with IWA’s Honorary Consultant Engineer Howard Worth and WRG. It was estimated to take at least two weeks, and it was critical to complete in this time because we also had

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Waterway Recovery Group at Bridge 70, Uttoxeter Canal

to apply for the public footpath across the bridge to be closed. CUCT are very grateful to the WRG canal camp leaders who put in place plans to give continuity, plus engineering and catering expertise across the two weeks, and we want to thank all the volunteers for all their hard work, commitment and great humour.”

CUCT Trustee Alison Smedley agreed, “The bridge looks fantastic, and the

Summer 2016

feedback from passing walkers has been excellent. It was no small feat to plan the logistics for the fortnight of work, and then to complete it all and more besides a day early. It demonstrates the immense value of IWA and WRG working in partnership with local canal societies - and how waterway volunteers working together make a huge difference to local communities.”

(Article & Photos:) Julie Arnold Volunteer & WRG Canal Camp Cook (week 2)

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Annual Branch Dinner

We held our Annual Branch Dinner at Middleport Pottery, Burslem on March 11th.

29 Members sat down and tucked into a delicious meal in excellent surroundings and company. The service was also excellent.

Both the raffle and auction realised a good amount for branch funds. We look forward to next year. Watch this space.

(Article & Photos:) Barbara Wells IWA NSSC Branch Social Secretary

After dinner our Chairman Dr Robert Luscombe conducted the raffle. A goodly number of prizes had been donated by members. Then, after a brief respite, Bob proceeded to conduct the auction. Once again, items had been donated by members.

Finally he presented the Ladies and Gentlemen who had served us so well during dinner with a token of our esteem.

Future Stand Outings The branch sales and information stand is already booked into 3 events this Summer.

If you have an hour or two to spare why not join us on the stand, helping to sell items to raise funds for canal projects, or doing a stint in charge of our infamous "nail game" fundraising activity. Contact Alison Smedley if you would like further details.

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The three events are :Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th June Etruria Canals Festival.

Sunday 17th July Froghall Churnet Valley Living Landscape.

Saturday 23rd July Bells for Brindley at Middleport Pottery.

Alison Smedley KNOBSTICKS

Harecastle Tunnel - Telephone System Testing

Peter Lau and his colleague, Neil Bedford, waiting with Jon Honeysett before the test.

On 17th March 2016, Alison Smedley was asked by CRT whether a narrow-boat local to Kidsgrove, might be available to assist communications project manager, Peter Lau, with the project to equip Harecastle Tunnel with a modern system of Incident Advice and Response, utilising narrow-boat crews’ mobile 'phones. This project is based on the need for immediate and effective procedures, highlighted by the tragic fatality inside the tunnel in 2014.

tunnel by Nb. ISIS and tested the equipment recently installed by CRT's contractor, Vodaphone. On arrival at the South Portal I 'winded' our boat while Peter and Neil consulted with the Vodaphone engineers, then setting off again Northbound, the equipment was again tested at various lengths inside the tunnel.

Before the system can be 'signed off' with Safety Validation, more work needs to be carried out on the transmission frequencies, To ensure that our IWA Branch is able to and reliable reception. So for boat crews liaise with CRT on safety issues, Sarah and I traversing Harecastle Tunnel the existing volunteered the use of UPLANDER II, since it Safety Briefing procedure, carried out by is moored at Kinnersley Wharf (Smithsons) CRT staff at both tunnel portals, will just 300 yards from the North Portal. continue for the immediate future. I was Following contact with Peter, I duly took pleased to be of use in the project, and look our boat to the tunnel wharf on Tuesday forward to its successful completion.

(Article & Photo:) Jon Honeysett 5th April. We were followed through the Summer 2016

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Serving 10 Real Ales & Scrumpy Cider Bar Snacks available Page 22

Beer Garden KNOBSTICKS

North Staffordshire & South Cheshire contacts President: Chris Skelhorne Vice President Roger Savage roger.st21@gmail.com Chairman Bob Luscombe 07710 054848 bob.luscombe@waterways.org.uk Deputy Chairman Steve Wood 07976 805858 steve.wood@waterways.org.uk Treasurer Alan Chetwyn (No Email) 01782 279277 Secretary VACANT (Contact bob.luscombe@waterways.org.uk) Sales Officer VACANT (Contact bob.luscombe@waterways.org.uk) Social Secretary Barbara Wells 01782 911004 socialsec.nssc@waterways.org.uk Publicity Officer Sarah Honeysett 01782 772295 s.honeysett@btinternet.com Newsletter Editor Roger Evans 01606 834471 newsletter.nssc@waterways.org.uk 10 Long Lane, Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 0BL Web-site Liaison + Minutes Secretary Alison Smedley 01538 385388 webmaster.nssc@waterways.org.uk

Planning VACANT (Contact bob.luscombe@waterways.org.uk) Membership Officer VACANT (Contact bob.luscombe@waterways.org.uk) Stoke-on-Trent Boat Club Rep. VACANT (Contact secretary.nssc@waterways.org.uk) Navigation Officer VACANT (Contact bob.luscombe@waterways.org.uk) Burslem Port Work Party Steve Wood 07976 805858 steve.wood@waterways.org.uk Caldon Work Party + Uttoxeter W.P. Robert Frost 07743 628091 robert.frost@waterways.org.uk Cheshire Locks Work Party John Brighouse 07808 878317 john.brighouse@waterways.org.uk Congleton Work Party Bob Luscombe 07710 054848 bob.luscombe@waterways.org.uk Other committee member: Julie Arnold 01538 361138 Maria Frost West Midlands Region Chairman Helen Whitehouse westmidlands@waterways.org.uk

The Branch committee meets at 7:30 p.m. on the 2 nd Tuesday of odd-numbered months 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 North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch.

They are, however, published as being of interest to our members and readers. Š The Inland Waterways Association - Registered as a charity no. 212342 Summer 2016

www.waterways.org.uk/staffscheshire

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Join Us on a Canal Work Party

 Cheshire Locks (Trent & Mersey Canal, Kidsgrove to Wheelock) 3rd Thursday of each month (except December), 10am to 3pm.

Contact: John Brighouse Phone: 07808-878317 Email: john.brighouse@waterways.org.uk  Uttoxeter Canal (Bridge 70, near Denstone) 2nd Thursday of each month, 10am to 3pm. also occasional Saturdays: check IWA website shortly before Contact: Robert Frost Phone: 07743 628091 Email: robert.frost@waterways.org.uk  Burslem Port, Stoke-on-Trent 4th Tuesday of each month, 10am to 3pm. also 1st Saturday of each month, 10am to 3pm.

Contact: Steve Wood Phone: 07976-805858 Email: steve.wood@waterways.org.uk  Congleton, Macclesfield Canal 4th Thursday of each month, 10am to 12:30pm.

Contact: Bob Luscombe Phone: 07710-054848 Email: bob.luscombe@waterways.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) Page 24

KNOBSTICKS