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Issue 31 www.waterways.org.uk/lichfield
Spring 2020
Lichfield Lines
John Stockland who has recently retired from the committee receiving the Richard Bird Medal in 2013(see page 11)
The newsletter of IWA Lichfield Branch
The Inland Waterways Association is a membership charity that works to protect and restore the country's 6,500 miles of canals and navigable rivers. The IWA may not agree with opinions expressed in this magazine but encourages publication as a matter of interest. Nothing printed may be construed as policy, or as an official pronouncement, unless specifically identified as such. The Inland Waterways Association is a non-profit distributing company limited by guarantee. Registered in England no. 612245. Registered as a charity no. 212342 Registered Office: Island House, Moor Road, Chesham HP5 1WA Tel: 01494 783453 Web: www.waterways.org.uk
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Branch Chairman’s Report - April 2020 The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted all our lives, and that of course incudes the waterways and IWA’s activities. We report here on our work party and public meeting in February, and a walk in March, but that turned out to be our last event as the situation worsened. We had already decided to postpone the AGM in March, and a few days later called off our April meeting, then the walk in May, and meanwhile the Daniel Adamson group had cancelled our boat trip booking in June. Within the space of just over a week we had all moved from a Keep Calm and Carry On approach to the Government-ordered lockdown. At the time of writing nobody knows when anything resembling normal life may resume, but we are still hopeful that the worst may be over by September, and our activities from then onwards remain on the Branch calendar. Although postponed, we include here the Chairman’s and Treasurer’s reports prepared for the AGM and, all being well, will run through the minimal formalities needed at the start of the September meeting. As it happened, there were no elections due this time so no voting was required, and the quiz we had planned for the AGM can be used at a later date. However, the AGM would have been an opportunity to thank John Stockland who had decided to retire then after many decades of service to Lichfield Branch and IWA Festivals. To mark this, John has contributed a brief summary of his involvement with waterways and IWA, but this can only hint at all that he has contributed over so many years. As for our waterways themselves, navigation remains open, although private boating by all but residential boaters for essential services is being discouraged, and hire boating has ceased. It seemed very strange how little boat movement there was in the fine weather over the weeks up to Easter, as this normally marks the start of a summer of waterway activity and festivals. For now, the towpaths remain open and are being well used for the permitted daily exercise, although their narrowness in many places means that ‘social distancing’ is difficult to maintain and special care is needed when passing other people. Amidst all the cancellations, IWA continues to function with our Head Office staff working mostly from home and our volunteers carrying on in various ways. However, mailing out printed copies of Lichfield Lines may not be possible and this issue may only be available electronically. Also available online are a series of ‘Webinars’ that
STAY HOME STAY WELL
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have been arranged to help fill the gap in Branch activities – see the website for details. These online presentations are followed by questions and answers and last for about an hour. Although they will never replace the companionship and interactivity of a physical meeting (and don’t provide you with tea and biscuits!) they cover a variety of interesting topics and are an opportunity to maintain our interest in the waterways until normality returns. I sincerely hope that you all remain well, or at least get only a mild dose of the coronavirus, and that it won’t be long before, to echo the words of the Queen, we will meet again. Phil Sharpe Forthcoming Events Due to the current Coronavirus situation and Government guidelines our forthcoming events list is rather thin. I have included events from September onwards in the hope that the situation has returned to somewhere near normal by then. The IWA nationally are producing some webinars on various subjects. Registration for these can be done on the IWA website. Webinar—Changing the face of the Ashton Canal Presented by Maarja Kaaristo, IWA Manchester Branch Tuesday 28th April – 7.30pm Webinar—Protecting our Waterways Heritage Presented by Amy Tillson, IWA Campaigns Officer Tuesday 5th May – 12.30pm Thursday 10th September 2020 - Curdworth and Birmingham & Fazeley Canal Walk. This is an easy 5½ mile walk across farmland, on footpaths, quiet country lanes and the towing path. There are no stiles. It is a re-run in its entirety of last November's walk, aborted due to bad weather, but with a new starting point. Meet at 10:15 for a 10:30 am start in the car park of The Cock Inn, Bulls Lane, Wishaw, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B76 9QL. Contact Clive Walker on 07866 201873 or clive.walker@waterways.org.uk
Wednesday 16th September 2020 – “Birmingham Lads and Friends”. A musical entertainment by Phil and Dot Clayton. A story of the beginnings, growth, trade, characters, decline and renaissance of the BCN told in narrative, songs and pictures. 7.15 for 7.30 pm at Martin Heath Hall, Christchurch Lane (off Walsall Road), Lichfield, WS13 8AY. Wednesday 21st October 2020 – “Canals and their Historic Conservation in the West Midlands”. An illustrated talk by Kate Langley of the Canal & River
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Trust. Kate explains that our historic waterways feature a unique collection of structures including lock-keepers’ cottages, aqueducts, bridges, sluices, culverts and reservoirs (to name a few). Many of these structures and bridges are statutorily protected through listing and scheduling and require precious conservation management. Kate, as heritage adviser to the Canal & River Trust, will speak about her work at the Trust and how they use historic maps, plans and images to help guide the conservation work at the Trust. Focusing on Birmingham and the Black Country area, a selection of historic deed plans will feature in the presentation along with many examples of recent conservation work undertaken by the Trust, including the restoration of the Roundhouse in Birmingham. 7.15 for 7.30 pm at Martin Heath Hall, Christchurch Lane (off Walsall Road), Lichfield, WS13 8AY. Wednesday 18th November 2020 – “Restoration of the Shrewsbury & Newport Canals”. An illustrated talk by Brian Nelson, a trustee of Shrewsbury & Newport Canals Restoration Trust, who will give us a brief history of these two connected canals and an update on recent progress with their restoration. 7.15 for 7.30 pm at Martin Heath Hall, Christchurch Lane (off Walsall Road), Lichfield, WS13 8AY. Sunday 6th December 2020 – Branch Christmas Lunch at Mabel’s Restaurant, Curborough Countryside Centre, Watery Lane, Lichfield, WS13 8ES. At 12.30 for 1.00 pm. Save the date! Menu, price and booking details nearer the time. Cuppa Cheer for Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust Lichfield's canal trust is asking supporters to hold a virtual coffee morning to raise funds, after the annual Easter Gathering held by its president was cancelled because of the coronavirus lockdown. Eric and Doreen Wood have held a coffee morning and cream tea party at their home next to the Coventry Canal at Whittington every Easter Saturday for over 30 years to help raise funds for Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust. This year's event was cancelled because of the Covid19 pandemic, robbing the Trust of vital donations at a time when many other fund-raising opportunities have been called off. Now Eric and Doreen's daughter Lisa J Barker has set up a fundraiser on Facebook, asking people to have a virtual coffee or tea, add a picture on the Facebook page and make a donation to help the restoration. Eric was involved in forming the Trust more than 30 years ago, and, said Lisa, he and Doreen are devastated to not share their garden and time with you lovely people this year. To make a donation and post your picture, visit Lisa J Barker on Facebook.
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Recent Activities Volunteer Workparty Report - 4th February 2020 Most of our volunteering work over the winter has been our offside vegetation removal on the Coventry Canal, but our first general volunteering of the year was back at the Brindley Bank Aqueduct area of the Trent and Mersey Canal in Rugeley. Our volunteers had a good morning clearing the area of litter, overhanging and encroaching vegetation, leaves on the steps and strimming the site. Working together, we also dismantled a section of wooden fencing that was falling over and serves no useful purpose. We were supported in this by Canal and River Trust who provided all equipment and supervision - and one of their direct volunteers! The day before the work party Derek and I had a walk around the site and thought there wasn’t much litter. How wrong could we be? Whilst there wasn’t much obvious litter along the paths, further back there was plenty, with the remains of an encampment across the canal including a tent, mattress and chair, a hoard of bottles, and loads of metal that had been ‘magnet fished’ and then left lying around. Our best haul though was an intact small safe, which CRT later delivered to the police. We have a new CRT Volunteer Supervisor (Beth) who was both friendly, efficient and helpful. We haven’t had this CRT support for many months so hopefully we will be able to get our volunteering activities back on track as the year continues. Margaret Beardsmore Volunteer Coordinator, 05/02/2020 Meeting February 19th 2020—The Ribble Link and Lancaster Canal Branch member Neil Barnett gave us a interesting talk on his last summers’ trip up the Ribble link and the Lancaster Canal. Neil was a bit nervous at first as he had never done this sort of thing before but it turned out really well. A mix of his own photos plus some from the internet illustrated the challenging trip up the Link and a relaxing trip up to the far end of the navigable Lancaster Canal at Tewitfield where it is cut off
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from further boating by the M6 motorway. Further trips are planned to be able to give more talks in the future. Milford and the Staffs & Worcs Canal Walk - Thursday 12th March 2020 Sixteen walkers and a dog assembled in the car park of The Barley Mow in Milford at 09:45 am for an earlier start than usual, necessary because we had 6½ miles, 8 stiles and a site visit to the Stafford Riverway Link to cover before returning for a pub lunch. Leaving the car park we headed in the direction of Tixall, crossing first the river Sow on its fine arched bridge and then the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal at Tixall Bridge. Half a mile from our starting point we left the Tixall Road to negotiate the first stile on the Two Saints Way, a pilgrimage route and longdistance walk between Chester and Lichfield. The trail connects the shrines of St Chad at Lichfield and St Werburgh at Chester and is 92 miles long. The guidebook encourages you to finish the route in just four days – good luck with that! Heading in a westerly direction we crossed lush pasture land, much of it saturated following the very wet winter. We watched a hare scamper into A rather awkward stile! Aqueduct Covert and walked through Black Covert and alongside The Swimmings, everything was quiet apart from the noise of the railway on the opposite bank of the river. As we reached the fenced enclosure of Stafford sewage treatment works, the stiles came thick and fast, some of them were in a very poor state of repair. The Two Saints Way has been diverted round and above the South Staffs Water premises and it is a strange sensation to be looking down on the modern facilities. We played a game of “spot the worker”, there were none to be seen, and this was before the Covid-19 outbreak. We left the pilgrimage route, appropriately perhaps, at the remains of St. Thomas Priory on the outskirts of Stafford. The priory avoided dissolution in 1536 and several of the buildings have been sympathetically converted into housing. At this point a
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phone call was made to John Potter, the Work Party Organiser for Stafford Riverway Link, to say we were half an hour away. We arrived at the site on time after crossing the rivers Penk and Sow by means of the Two Waters Way footbridge, built in 2015 to provide modern day pilgrims with a safer route across the valley at the confluence of the rivers Penk and Sow. These rivers flood quite frequently and after a very wet month the meadows here looked more like a lake. We are grateful for John and his team who explained the layout of the site and their work in uncovering the foundations of the old lockhouse and reconstructing the walls of the former basin, with the long term aim of re-opening the river navigation back into the centre of Stafford. After half an hour on site we turned south-eastwards to follow the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal back towards our starting point along a pleasant section of towpath and under a succession of original Brindley bridges built in 1772. Hungry for food, and with an increasing chill in the air, the group had by now spread out along the towpath and some walkers missed the exit point at Walton Bridge, where the official route headed towards Berkswich before returning to the Barley Mow via the A513. The breakaway group found John Potter of Stafford Riverway Link describing their own way back, and by progress on restoring the former basin good fortune both groups arrived back at the pub within five minutes of each other. We then retired to the newly refurbished pub for refreshment. (Report by Clive Walker, photos by Clive Walker) The Winter Offside Veg Program This is the third year that our stalwart volunteers have spent the winter clearing vegetation, this time on the Coventry Canal. In early March Sarah Henshaw, Deputy Editor of Waterways World joined the group for a morning and subsequently wrote an article for the magazine. Permission was granted for IWA to use the article in full along with a selection of the many pictures taken during the day.
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THE OFFSIDE RULE (Reproduced by kind permission of Waterways World and Sarah Henshaw.) Sarah Henshaw tries to understand the appeal of winter volunteering with a work-boat and wood-chipper The Danish have ‘hygge’ – a well-being concept focused around feeling snug and relaxed indoors when the weather worsens. IWA Lichfield has an altogether antithetical approach to withstanding winter – the Offside Vegetation Cutting Work Party. Out are the chunky-knit jumpers and mugs of cocoa by the fire; in is PPE workwear and a couple of pole saws on the Coventry Canal. If hygge is all about cosy and comfortable conviviality, OV is largely benumbed fingers brandishing loppers over the side of a CRT work-boat for six hours straight, with rain showers and bramble splinters and a mob of power tools thrown in for good measure. But it’s also about banter (ear-defenders allowing) and 70-something-year-old Heather’s heavenly chocolate-and-cream cake for elevenses. More broadly, it’s about bolstering Canal & River Trust’s limited resources over its 2,000-mile maintenance remit to ensure that, as the boating season begins again in earnest this month, we can Sarah all kitted out with PPE cruise without obstruction. And I’m a surprise convert. Humble beginnings IWA Lichfield branch has been fielding an offside vegetation team on its local waterways since January 2018. The work parties began at Fradley Junction, heading steadily up the Trent & Mersey to reach Rugeley by March, when cutting has to stop in the interests of nesting wildlife. What started as an experiment between CRT and IWA proved so successful that the venture ran again the following year, this time beyond Rugeley to Great Haywood. The model was also rolled out on other parts of the system, with CRT taking full advantage of a trained volunteer workforce to help stay on top of an already gargantuan winter works programme and keep associated costs (as much as £1.7m a year) down.
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Neil Barnett, who heads up the Lichfield unit for IWA, says he was compelled to volunteer for the job because, like many boaters, “I found it frustrating that not enough appeared to be getting done about the overgrowth, even though I can appreciate that the backlog is partly caused by what CRT inherited from British Waterways back in 2012.” Difficulties tackling it are compounded, he explains, by access issues (reaching vegetation on the other side of the canal usually requires the use of a boat), getting the necessary equipment to the worksite, finding the manpower to carry out the work, and the fact that the task invariably takes longer than if working from the land. His work party usually consists of between five and eight volunteers, who devote two days a week to the task under the supervision of a CRT employee. CRT itself also has a band of local volunteers who spend another day per week progressing the work further. Regulars have received training to operate a woodchipper machine, and been given a thorough grounding in health and safety aspects. Some are also qualified to use a pole saw. Anyone in possession of a valid helmsperson’s certificate is welcome to take the tiller of the work-boat (jocularly known as “taking a breather”), while a Pole saw in action veritable selection box of handsaws, hedge trimmers and heavy-duty pruning tools ensures that even the layman has something to lop away happily with. All-weather activity It wasn’t until early March that I had an opportunity to join the team aboard workboat Fazeley, not far from the eponymous junction, for their penultimate week. A mild morning blessed with brilliant sunshine made for atypical conditions, but I certainly wasn’t going to complain. It’s testament to the determination of the group that, despite the atrocious conditions of late, not one of their winter excursions has been cancelled, only curtailed slightly. In fact, says Neil, it’s not the driving rain or cold that causes most problems (sensible clothing and working up a sweat doing physical labour help), but the wind, which can play havoc when trying to hold a boat in position while chainsaw blades whir.
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Although the group would ideally tackle every instance of overgrown vegetation on their patch, this late in the season it becomes imperative to prioritise particularly bad sections, especially those posing a navigational hazard. This can include shrubs and trees either side of bridges, on bends, opposite moorings, as well as some narrower stretches. A case in point is the very morning I join them, where a routine trim is shelved, and we instead chug further along the Coventry Canal to deal with reports of a fallen tree part-blocking the channel. Camaraderie Our cruise to the offending trunk is a good chance to try and understand what compels any retiree (as most OV volunteers are) in their right mind to foresake their duvets and brave the dark mornings for the sort of do-gooding that rarely gets a direct thank you. With so few boats moving at this time of year, their work is almost always unnoticed. In fact, it’s only when a rogue sapling wallops the contents of your roof into the water that you’re likely to remark on the offside flora at all while out boating. Neil says that while he enjoys the organisational aspects, it’s the actual site work he finds the most gratifying. “It gets me out in the fresh air and allows me to spend the day boating. What more could anyone want? And I enjoy the camaraderie, banter, sense of achievement, and getting out from under my wife’s feet for a day. Also, I have a vested interest in the cutting this year because our boat’s just had an expensive repaint and I don’t want to get the cabin scratched!” Happy marriages Almost every regular member of the group is a serial volunteer (not restricted to waterways causes either) and pre-existing boater, although a smattering of canal newbies also show their faces periodically. Gordon and Heather (her of the exquisite baking) are John & Gordon enjoying a laugh at Fazeley unusual in that they volunteer as a husband-and-wife team, but most of the others joke, like Neil, that a day away from their other halves has a certain attraction – no doubt for both sides of the conjugal party.
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They all expound benefits to mental and physical well-being too – the latter of which I witness first hand as Heather, hanging perilously over the side of the work-boat, bails half-metre logs out of the water and onto the deck with the graceful ease of an Italian dolloping gelato into a cone. When I try to lend a hand, I struggle even to get a purchase on the timber so that the whole splashy effort feels like unhappy apple bobbing, and is frankly embarrassing. Normally the group relies on a secondary craft alongside to carry the enormous wood -chipper, and so make short work of the cut branches. The machine can handle wood up to 12cm thick, shooting the chippings out of a funnel at the other end and onto the offside bank. This not only minimises the spoil, especially if it is spread out, but also helps it to biodegrade faster and, as such, is good for the environment. Time consuming Because we’re off schedule, however, we’re also temporarily without the support craft and so the wood is sawn by hand into more manageable lengths, some of which is left on the bank, while the rest is saved for boaters’ stoves. It’s necessarily more time consuming, and it’s late morning before the channel is finally clear and there’s time for that cuppa and cake. Then it’s immediately back to hard graft, this time cutting back the overhanging branches of a willow which might otherwise root in the canal bed, and more routine shearing of bankside shrubs, especially pesky bramble. I left the work party at midday and spent a good five minutes reanimating my frozen fingers in front of the car heater, before heading back to the office. But the warm glow of having achieved something worthwhile with my morning, in lively company, fresh air and with an impromptu cruise tacked on, lasts far longer. And is it my imagination or is that flush on my cheeks actually... sunburn? You can keep your hygge; OV is a cut above.
Chipper doing it’s job
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Volunteer here Offside vegetation work parties only take place between October and March, leaving summers free to enjoy the boating season. No experience is necessary and you can go along for a ‘taster’ session, or simply to observe for an hour or so, before deciding whether you want to commit further (minimum requirement is to attend approximately 50% of all work parties). Physically, you can exert yourself as much or as little as you wish. The onus is on working within your limits, not overdoing it! Anyone interested should contact their local IWA branch or CRT office. John Stockland John, most recently Membership Secretary of the Branch, retired from the committee as at our recent “non” AGM. Our Chairman Phil Sharpe writes— Lichfield Branch was formed in 1985 and John Stockland joined the committee in 1987, taking on various roles including Social Secretary, Publicity Officer, Branch Secretary, Speakers Secretary and Membership Secretary until his well-earned retirement this year. John was already a committee member when I joined the Branch and his involvement spans 33 years, with only a short break around 2017. In all that time John has been a steadying influence and a great friend to us all, and on behalf of Lichfield Branch I want to sincerely thank John for all that he has done for us over all those years. John has also contributed hugely to Festivals and to other parts of IWA nationally over many years. So, to mark his lifetime of volunteering for IWA and as a long-time friend to so many of us, I asked John for a brief summary of his waterways activities and this is what he recalled: “I don’t know how far to go back so I shall start at the very beginning. I was running a busy NHS dental practice, I was secretary of the Local Dental Committee, a serving officer in the Territorial Army and I played hockey and cricket on Saturdays. I had three children of whom I wished to see much more. We looked at cottages in Wales but didn’t find any we liked or could afford. A friend had a boat on the
John’s Dawncraft “Rojane”
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Severn which made me think boats. I started reading the magazines and finally bought a Dawncraft. In those days, fibreglass boats were by far in the ascendancy on the waterways. I must have been mad. I knew nothing about boats and a similar amount about canals. We took our first long trip in the early 1970s. Despite various mishaps we all enjoyed it but realised that a 25ft cruiser is in no way adequate for two adults, three children and two large dogs. I bought a 45ft steel narrowboat with fibreglass top and a cruiser stern. I joined IWA in 1982. The local branch was then Birmingham Branch which met on Mondays way over in Quinton. I didn’t go to any meetings. Some time later a meeting was called with a view to forming a Lichfield Branch. Eric Wood was elected Chairman of the new branch and Helen Whitehouse the Meeting Secretary which office she soon passed on to me. Subsequently I served as secretary, publicity and membership. By now I had sold the uncomfortable 45 footer and bought a 55 footer which for the most part I fitted out myself. Where did I find the time?
John receiving the Richard Bird medal in I attended a few IWA Annual General 2013 Meetings, the last one in 2013 when I received a Richard Bird Medal. I was almost as proud of this as when I got my Territorial Decoration or was presented with a Queens Jubilee Medal (for outstanding service to the TA). The first National Festival that I attended was at Hawkesbury in 1987 where I found myself assistant to harbour master Eric Wood, When the second Windmill End Festival came along in 1996, having had some experience of publicity, I volunteered to join stalwarts, Rob Davies, Harry Arnold and Edwina Wallace in the festival publicity office. I was staggered by the amount of money spent on advertising. For the following year I was asked to become the Waterspace Manager. I thought this would be ok as I knew a bit about boats by this time. However, I was not prepared for negotiating with local landowners and laying out moorings for over seventy boats. Up
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to this time Pete Cardy had been my mentor but when he decided to relinquish the title, I started a period of ten years as director. Assigning moorings provided problems of all sorts; elderly boaters, rheumatic dogs and the owner of a 25ft boat who wanted to moor alongside his friend whose boat was 70ft so that they could pass cups of tea to one another. Best of all was the one who wanted a mooring just like the one he had had at Worcester the previous year. On that occasion he was opposite to a house where each evening an attractive young lady undressed without drawing the curtains. In later years the burden was eased by Pat Barton joining the team who not only provided the bread pudding but also managed the office. It had always been my custom to walk the moorings every day to make sure that everyone was happy. By the time I reached seventy this was getting to be hard and so I decided that the time had come to retire. I enjoyed festivals, working with so many really nice people, many of them becoming good friends. Sadly, many of them no longer with us. During this period, I also managed a few other commitments including helping to form a new swimming club, I am a nationally qualified poolside official. I am also a member of my local Probus Club which I have served as secretary, vice president and president. They say that when you retire there is a risk of loneliness. I have been retired from practice for twenty-eight years. No problem so far. John Stockland
THE HARGREAVES NARROWBOAT TRUST The Trust is an all-volunteer registered charity (No 1037467), founded over 25 years ago which aims “to improve the quality of life for people, who by virtue of age, infirmity, physical disability, mental disorder or social factors, are disadvantaged or deprived�, and to provide them with an experience outside of their normal environment. The trustees and crew are all unpaid and give their time to support this important community service. Based in Nuneaton, we achieve this by providing full day trips for up to 12 passengers, 7 days a week from April to October each year, on a wheelchair friendly 70 foot narrowboat. The boat has excellent access via external ramps either side, as well as a further ramp to the interior, making it most suitable for wheelchair and limited mobility people. We have until present been entirely funded by voluntary donations, without any grants or funding. Demand for our service has always outstripped availability and in 2019 we completed over 200 trips, carrying 2000+ passengers. To date, 2020, the boat is 99% booked, 7 days a week (as in the past 4 years). The Trust has 30 volunteers with all
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captains trained to Royal Yachting Association standards. Our passengers include older people, people with physical disabilities, and those with mental health issues, as well as young people. The majority are from care homes and elderly person groups. It is now well recognised that social meetings, activities and trips, help people feel better and give them something to look forward to. As part of the cross-government “Valuing People Now” (2019 )strategy, we also help people with additional educational/special needs: To feel connected, with each other and those who care for them and with society; To enjoy and learn from boating activity; To develop confidence for those who have become house-bound and solitary, by simply being in a social group; To appreciate our local beautiful countryside and canal-side We talk to our passengers, to discuss new ideas for their days out on the local canals and offer feedback forms. A recent example of response to feedback, is the plastic litter recovery group we now operate by our volunteers, whilst travelling the canals. There are no other activities within the local area that can provide trips on the local canals for these communities. We wish to commission a new custom built, reliable and maintainable, all electric narrowboat, having zero emissions of CO2 and pollutants to the local atmosphere and meeting the latest standards of disability access and facilities. Given the existing narrowboat’s history, usage and build quality, a new-build boat rather than total refurbishment, is the only practical and economical option. This is a single capital expenditure project with an estimated spend of £150k to £160k. The Hargreaves Narrowboat Trust has accumulated funds from trip donations over the past 25 years, with the objective of a commissioning a replacement narrowboat in the near future. Whilst the trust has managed to accumulate almost half of the cost, we are struggling to find the rest of the anticipated project spend. We would be very happy to discuss or provide any further details . You may contact The Hargreaves
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Narrowboat Trust either by telephone on 02476 374674 or email mike@hargreavesnarrowboat.co.uk (Subsequent to this article being written the Trust has had to cancel all trips for the foreseeable future but the better news is that it has been awarded a National Lottery Grant and has ordered a new custom built all electric boat from a local boat builder) Ashby Canal Trail Award We are pleased to announce that the Ashby Canal Trust, after a detailed submission by project advisor, Geoff Pursglove, has been awarded an IWA Waterways in Progress grant of £10,000 to establish a footpath on the line of the proposed Ashby Canal restoration between Snarestone and Measham – see also Waterways Issue 267/ Spring 2020 and http://www.ashbycanaltrust.co.uk/news.html. This footpath will be a precursor to the main restoration project and will help raise the profile of the ACA /ACT efforts to further raise the necessary funding for the full restoration, especially with the residents of the area. The footpath will be a joint venture between the ACT and ACA and will involve a great deal of volunteer time from our work party team. The major groundwork clearance and preparation, and installation of the necessary pedestrian gates will be carried out by contractors. The work will be commenced in earnest during the autumn of 2020, but some preparation work is likely to take place before then. The existing Ashby Canal towpath will form the first 1/3 mile of the route. Crossing Gilwiskaw Brook, where the route will enter a Special Area of Conservation, the length will follow the original line of the canal to Ilott Wharf and then pursue the Transport & Works Act Order route to Measham, passing the old preserved Measham Midland Railway station, now Measham museum. Postponed AGM Reports Branch Chairman’s Report The calendar year 2019 was another successful year for Lichfield Branch during which our activities included 7 public meetings, 6 canal based walks and 25 work parties. The speakers at our meetings covered our local restoration schemes at Lichfield and Stafford, the South Staffordshire Railway’s canal connections, the Chesterfield and
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Cromford canal restorations, navigating the River Trent, and further afield the Göta Canal in Sweden. The walks took in parts of the Trent & Mersey, Staffordshire & Worcestershire, Coventry, and Birmingham & Fazeley canals. The work parties included one at Rugeley and 24 days of Offside Vegetation Clearance work parties; from January to March finishing off clearance of the Trent & Mersey Canal between Fradley and Rugeley, and from October to December starting on the Coventry Canal from Fradley to Huddlesford. We also took stands to the Brownhills Canal Festival and the Huddlesford Heritage Gathering, and finally we enjoyed a well-deserved Christmas Lunch together. None of this happens without a lot of behind-the-scenes work organising things, and I would like to thank all those involved; Clive Walker for researching and leading all the walks, Margaret and Derek Beardsmore for the Rugeley work party, and Neil Barnett for co-ordinating a great team of 9 volunteers on the Offside Veg work. Sadly, Pat Barton is no longer with us to thank for arranging our speakers last year, but Lynn Evans has since taken on this task and widened it out as our Social Secretary. John Stockland was our Membership Secretary in 2019, although he has now retired from the committee after over 30 years’ service, and a lifetime commitment to the waterways. Still very much with us is Pete Gurney who as our newsletter Editor has again published 4 issues of Lichfield Lines to keep all our members informed and entertained. Pete’s other role is Treasurer, with thanks also to Sue Gurney for her help with the accounts, not to mention the raffle at meetings. This, and the catering which Sheila Cook kindly provides, attract generous donations at our meetings, but our main source of income is the sales stand which Helen Whitehouse still finds time to run despite her higher responsibilities as Region Chair and a national Trustee. This enables us to keep supporting various restoration projects with donations, as Pete will be reporting. Finally, I have continued to look after planning matters and the website as well as having the privilege of chairing such a great group of volunteers. Of course, we can do more if we have more assistance and we would welcome anyone who could spare some time to help promote the use, heritage and improvement of the waterways in our Branch area, either on the committee or in other ways. We ended 2019 in good heart and although 2020 has been disrupted by Coronavirus we look forward to resuming normal service later in the year. Philip Sharpe, Chairman Branch Treasurer’s Report 2019 was another good year and we were able to donate £2,200 to canal funds as follows:£1000 to the Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust (Peter Chandler bequest)
Lichfield Branch £500 £200 £100 £100 £100 £100 £50 £50
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to the Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust to the Stafford Riverway Link to the Chesterfield Canal Trust (In lieu of speaker expenses) to the Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust to the Stafford Riverway Link to the Friends of the Cromford Canal (In lieu of speaker expenses) to the Chesterfield Canal Trust (In lieu of speaker expenses) to the Truman Enterprise Narrowboat Trust
We made an apparent loss on the year of £1,189.65, however the Peter Chandler bequest (£1,000) was paid out of this year but was received into the branch accounts last year. At the end of the year we had £2,054.21 in our bank accounts, £322.35 of which is allocated to work on our Rugeley project in 2020/2021. I would like to thank you all for your contributions to the raffle and refreshments. These amounted to £591.23 which more than covered the £199.50 cost of the room hire for the monthly meetings. (Note-all speakers waived their expenses and instead were given a donation to the organisation they represented in lieu of these). The only planned fundraising event of the year (Lock Wind on 28th July) had to be cancelled at the last moment due to the appalling weather. We look forward to better weather on the next attempt.
Donations received totalled £203.26 made up from the following £178.26 From walks and general donations £25.00 Donation at talk by Helen Whitehouse Other items of income were £1042.05 income (profit of £734.28) on Branch Sales – thanks to Helen. We still had £1,067.29 stock at retail value at year end. £60.00 from advertising in Lichfield Lines Barclays were giving us interest on our accounts and last year we received the grand sum of £4.11. The remaining income of £637.20 relates to the 2019 Christmas Dinner income
Summarising the expenses for the year we paid out £2,200.00 in donations £199.50 hire of hall for meetings £199.60 expenses for work parties £636.40 expenses for the 2019 Christmas Dinner. This event was fully funded by the attendees. £307.77 cost of Branch Sales £65.20 on the Rugeley Project £100.00 for hire of the committee room
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catering at the 2019 AGM
So, in all a successful year and hopefully we can make 2020 an even better year. Pete Gurney Treasurer Planning Matters This report covers the main highlights of about 50 planning matters dealt with from mid-January to mid-April 2020. They are all summarised in monthly notes on the Planning page of the website.
The Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal between Gailey and Calf Heath remains under threat from the West Midlands Interchange proposals for a massive warehousing development. The Inspector submitted his recommendations in November and the deadline for the decision was 27 February, but the Planning Inspectorate website in April still said “the Development Consent Order remains with the Secretary of State for consideration”. The delay may be a result of the Secretary of State requesting further information and comments in January, following a letter from the applicant, but there has been no confirmation of this or when the decision is now expected. We only have two short sections of river navigation in our Branch, on the Trent at Alrewas and the River Sow Navigation, now being restored as the Stafford Riverway Link, but the Environment Agency’s obsession with removing ‘redundant’ weirs threatens potential river restoration projects across the country. I have contributed to an IWA national response to the EA’s Baswich Basin restoration on the Stafford Riverway Link River Basin Planning: Challenges and Choices consultation, reminding them of the damage this can do to heritage, navigation, drainage and ecology, and that fish migration can be improved by the non-destructive installation of fish passes. On the Trent & Mersey Canal at Fradley Junction the “Laughing Duck“, or Canal Side Café, wants to build an extension on the car park side of the building, but the conservatory type design would not respect the building’s architectural heritage and would obscure windows in the adjacent main workshop range which is a Listed Building.
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The Coventry Canal at Fradley is threatened with more canalside development along Hay End Lane after the recently refused Pig Farm site was included in the Local Plan Review Preferred Options as a housing site. North of Nuneaton at Springwood Haven the new owners of the marina have applied for a Certificate of Lawful Use to legalise the residential moorings there which have long since breached the original planning conditions, both on numbers and permanent occupancy. On the Ashby Canal at Market Bosworth a proposed residential Springwood Haven Marina development on the offside extending south of Bosworth Wharf to near Jackson’s Bridge 41, which was approved in 2012 but never built, has been revived but with more houses and building closer to the canal, so we have asked for them to be set further back. At Bosworth Marina, where the first floor café was damaged by fire and replaced by offices a year or so ago, a new café was proposed in a separate building away from the canal, but has since been refused. On the former route of the canal at Oakthorpe a development that would have intruded on the historic canal line has been reduced from 4 to 3 houses following our intervention to provide more space for its restoration. At Measham, alterations to the Reserved Matters plans for the Measham Waterside housing site, which we had supported, have removed the towpath from much of the canal arm into the village, which is impractical and unacceptable. There also needs to be a connection between the towpaths on the wharf arm and what will become the main line with ramps up to the new road bridge. Alongside the Cannock Extension Canal at Grove Colliery, two old colliery buildings, which are architecturally interesting but were threatened with demolition, may now survive as the proposed gypsy traveller site was refused due to their heritage value. By the Daw End Branch of the Wyrley & Essington Canal at Brownhills, the refusal of permission for a very intrusive replacement telecommunications mast has been upheld on Appeal, due in part to harm to the character and appearance of the canal. The Lichfield Canal restoration project is affected by three large housing sites and the unhelpful attitude of Taylor Wimpey over the Deanslade Park site continues. Their plans show retaining walls rather than graded slopes down to the canal and a
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drainage basin that would be a threat to the canal’s stability and safety. Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust’s relations with Persimmon are better and the Outline plans for the Cricket Lane site recognise the need to accommodate the lowered canal channel and a bridge, although they continue to deny responsibility to fund it despite a clear requirement in the current Local Plan. On Tamworth Road, between locks 25 and 26, amended plans slightly reducing the bulk of the very large house proposed have now been approved, even though this involves demolition of the heritage asset of the original lock-keeper’s cottage, and issues over access still need resolution. Phil Sharpe, Planning Officer HS2 High Speed Rail Update – April 2020 The Oakervee Report was finally published in February and recommended proceeding with the full network, although subject to various conditions in its 63 Conclusions, including publication of an updated business case, which has yet to appear *, a reduced design speed and service frequency, and improved management. The Government Review On the same day the Prime Minister told Parliament that HS2 would proceed, apparently whatever it may cost. However, there were a number of caveats that mean in practice only Phases 1 and 2a from London via Birmingham and Fradley to Crewe are proceeding at this stage. Phase 2b is subject to a further review with responsibility to be moved from HS2 Ltd to a new body dubbed High Speed North. Responsibility for Euston Station is also to be removed from HS2 Ltd, which is not exactly a vote of confidence in the competence of their management. It is also not entirely clear if Phase 1 will include the Handsacre Link. The Oakervee Review recommends removing this connection to the West Coast Mainline which would be costly to build and of limited use, but in a verbal reply to an MP the PM appeared to say he supported it. However, there has so far been no documentary confirmation of the decision, HS2’s press office has been uncharacteristically quiet about such major decisions, and the Notice to Proceed for Phase 1 has not yet been issued *. It seems that, despite the positive spin from the PM, all is far from well with the HS2 project and the company and that major changes may yet be forthcoming. Also in February Andrew Stephenson MP was appointed Minister for HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail and the Government published Terms of Reference for an Integrated Rail Plan for the Midlands and the North: High Speed North. This is based on Oakervee’s conclusions that Phase 2b needs to be integrated with other railway projects, and the opportunity to challenge design and costs on Phase 2b including standards, running speed and responsibility for delivery. The Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) is to review lessons from Phases 1 and
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2a, including engineering specifications and speed, and recommend “sensible” deviations from specifications, with a view to reducing costs. Simultaneaously, the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) is to consider how to integrate Phase 2b with wider transport plans for the midlands and north, assess options for scoping, phasing and sequencing delivery of Phase 2b, Northern Powerhouse Rail, Midlands Rail Hub and other rail investments, and how best to deliver rail connectivity with Scotland. These two reviews will then inform an “Integrated Rail Plan” to be produced by the Government which will recommend a way forward for a mix of high speed lines and upgrades, changes to Phase 2b scope and design, connectivity with Scotland, and options for “new delivery vehicles”, to be published by the end of the year. Phase 1 (London to West Midlands) Phase 1 enabling works had been continuing with road works, building demolitions, services diversions, archaeology, hedge and tree felling (including controversially in Ancient Woodlands), establishment of site compounds, etc., indeed anything other than actual railway construction which is not permitted until the Government issue a “Notice to Proceed”. This was originally planned for June 2019 but delayed by the Oakervee Review, then the General Election, then by uncertainty about what the Prime Minister’s announcement of the go-ahead to Parliament in February actually encompassed, as there has been no follow-up documentation, and finally by the coronavirus situation, with many construction sites being progressively closed down. Phase 2a (West Midlands to Crewe) Phase 2a had reached the stage of House of Lords Select Committee hearings before the election, but the Bill then had to be reintroduced and the committee reappointed. The Select Committee had a site visit and sat for a few days in midMarch to hear opening statements etc. from HS2 Ltd. but no petitioners have yet been heard and the proceedings are now ‘paused’ due to Covid-19. Phase 2b (Crewe to Manchester and West Midlands to Leeds) Despite the Prime Minister’s speech appearing to sanction Phase 2b, the Government has in fact stopped all work on it, stripped HS2 Ltd of their responsibility for delivering it and initiated two fundamental reviews, as detailed above. The NIC has now issued a “Call for Evidence” with a deadline of 29 May 2020 to which IWA will be responding, pointing out the many fundamental flaws in the current Phase 2b plans and highlighting its damaging effects on numerous waterways and restoration projects. * Note: The updated Phase 1 Business Case and the Notice to Proceed were issued on 15 April. Phil Sharpe, Planning Officer
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Editorial Notice Lichfield Lines is the newsletter of IWA Lichfield Branch, it is produced 4 times a year to keep members informed about our forthcoming public meetings, walks, work parties and other activities, to provide reports on recent meetings and events, and to include articles of general interest to our members. The editor, Peter Gurney, welcomes articles, letters or photographs of waterway activities in our Branch area which can be emailed to pete.gurney@waterways.org.uk (Please note there is a 10MB limit for emails with attachments sent via this address). The copy date for the next newsletter will be 15th July 2020, for publication in August. Advertising Lichfield Lines is posted (usually) or emailed to about 400 Branch members. It can also be read and downloaded by anyone from the Branch website pages. If you would like to publicise your waterway related business to our members, and others that read the newsletter online, we can offer advertising space at the following rates: Full Page - £20 per issue
Half Page - £10 per issue
Please contact the editor to discuss artwork and layout. By advertising you will help to sponsor IWA's charitable activities and reach potential customers who are all committed to the waterways. The IWA has a range of corporate members some of whom offer discounts to members. The discount details can be found on the IWA website at www.waterways.org.uk/support_us/corporates. Corporate members in our area are— Lichfield Cruising Club Stafford Boat Club Ltd Truman Enterprise Narrowboat Trust Ashby Canal Trust Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust Canal Transport Services Ltd Waterways World Ltd Fingerpost pub Pelsall Clifford Arms Great Haywood Hargreaves Narrowboat Trust
Longwood Boat Club Ashby Canal Association Tamworth Cruising Club Ash Tree Boat Club Countywide Cruisers (Brewood) Ltd Elite Furnishings Birmingham and Midland Marine Services River Canal Rescue Ltd Midland Chandlers Glascote Basin Boatyard (Norton Canes Boatbuilders)
Please mention the IWA when contacting any of these Corporate Members.
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Your Committee Chairman and Acting Secretary Tel: 01889 583330 Email: phil.sharpe@waterways.org.uk
Philip Sharpe
Treasurer Tel: 01785 255101 Email: pete.gurney@waterways.org.uk
Pete Gurney
Planning & Website Tel: 01889 583330 Email: phil.sharpe@waterways.org.uk
Philip Sharpe
Newsletter Editor Tel: 01785 255101 Email: pete.gurney@waterways.org.uk
Pete Gurney
Volunteer Coordinator Tel: 07581 794111 Email: margaret.beardsmore@waterways.org.uk
Margaret Beardsmore
Social Secretary Tel: 07933 236785 Email: lynn.evans@waterways.org.uk
Lynn Evans
Navigation Officer Tel: 07847 470112 Email: derek.beardsmore@waterways.org.uk
Derek Beardsmore
Membership Secretary Tel: 07808 846434 Email: neil.barnett@waterways.org.uk
Neil Barnett
Publicity—Press & Magazines Tel: 07808 846434 Email: neil.barnett@waterways.org.uk
Neil Barnett
Minutes Secretary
Vacant
Ex Officio: Region Chairman Branch Sales and External Talks (non-committee posts) Email: helen.whitehouse@waterways.org.uk
Helen Whitehouse
Walks Coordinator (non-committee post) Tel: 07866 201873 Email: clive.walker@waterways.org.uk
Clive Walker
Branch Contact Address Email: lichfield@waterways.org.uk
IWA Lichfield Branch 34 Old Eaton Road Rugeley, Staffs WS15 2EZ
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