Wolds Waters April 2018

WOLDS WATERS The newsletter of the East Yorkshire Branch of the Inland Waterways Association

April 2018

Volunteers restoring Thornton Lock, Pocklington Canal

waterways.org.uk/east_yorkshire

INLAND WATERWAYS ASSOCIATION EAST YORKSHIRE BRANCH Chairman’s report for 2017 presented to the Branch AGM Friday 16th March 2018 Welcome to our 2018 AGM. This is the fifth anniversary of my role as Chairman.

With many branches struggling to maintain a committee, produce newsletters and hold social meetings I must again thank all our committee members and other volunteers who work hard in keeping this branch active and successful.

BRANCH COMMITTEE We meet at roughly six-week intervals and our meetings are well attended. We are still, with our committee members, able to represent our local waterways and therefore keep up to date with any ongoing matters.

Our Region Chairman, who is here tonight, holds two or three meetings per year. Currently these are held in York where representatives from the North Riding, West Riding and South Yorkshire & Dukeries branches can get together.

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EVENTS We continue to take our branch stall to local events to spread the word about the IWA and to support the activities on the local waterways.

Volunteers for helping on our stall would be most welcome. We have tended to move away from some of the raffles and games and now concentrate more on talking about what the IWA does and trying to increase awareness and hopefully recruit new members. Please talk to me or Chris if you are able to help.

FINANCE May I thank Jack Wootton, our treasurer for keeping the branch accounts up to date and providing head office with the quarterly reports. We were able to make two grants in 2017. One for the purchase of mooring bollards for use on the Driffield Navigation and one towards the cost of providing a lift on the Beverley Barge Preservation Society’s barge, Sun to give disabled people access.

MEMBERSHIP Our membership numbers continue to stay about the same. Now that IWA have simplified payment rates for new members (and existing members from next month) at a minimum of ÂŁ3 per month (more is welcome!) we hope this will encourage more people to join.

SOCIAL MEETINGS We have enjoyed an interesting range of speakers and topics over the past year and I offer my thanks to them. Many give their presentation at no cost to our branch which helps us towards making more grants in the future.

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I have received some suggestions for speakers but could always do with more ideas. We do have to remember of costs involved with inviting people from far afield. Please let me know if you have any ideas.

Details of forthcoming events can be found on the website at https://www.waterways.org.uk/east_yorkshire/east_yorkshire WOLDS WATERS My thanks again go to Barry Robins for publishing our branch newsletter. As a previous editor of another magazine, I know the hardest part is to find material which will interest our members. If you have a story, with or without pictures, please send it to Barry. His contact details are in the magazine. Our good wishes for a speedy recovery go to Barry who is recuperating after a recent spell in hospital.

For this edition, the Newsletter has been put together by Howard Anguish (so blame me rather than Barry for any errors or omissions!

– temp Ed) THE FUTURE In order to keep our branch active we must find the committee members and volunteers of tomorrow. We can either look to our existing members or find new ones. Probably the answer is a bit of both. We are a relatively small branch with only a few waterways in our area. Most of which are very lightly used. Please put your name forward if you can help. Consider joining our committee or helping on the stall.

Join us on the Beverley Beck for the annual litter pick or help us ‘Bash the Balsam’ on the Pocklington Canal. There are many ways to get involved Finally my thanks must go again to Peter Scott, our Region Chairman and tonight’s speaker. He continues to give enormous support to the IWA and ‘his’ north east branches in particular.

Roger Bromley, Branch Chairman 4

List of Officers and Committee Members At the AGM on Friday 16th March 2018 the following members expressed their willingness to retain their positions on the Branch Chairman: Roger Bromley, Phone: 01482 845099 Email: roger@roger.karoo.co.uk Deputy/Social Chairman: Paul Waddington, Phone: 01757 638027 Email: paul@gooleboathouse.co.uk Treasurer: Jack Wootton, Phone: 07840 984840 Email: jackwootton22@hotmail.com Secretary: Mrs Chris Stones, Phone: 01482 875894 Email: chris@stones45.karoo.co.uk Membership Secretary: Dave M Stones, Phone:01482 875894 Email: dave@stones45.karoo.co.uk Publicity Officer/Programmes: Roger Bromley (See Chairman’s Details) Planning Officer: Iain Campbell, Phone: Phone: 01482 871282 Email: iain@campbev.wanadoo.co.uk Web Manager: Alistair Anderson, Phone: 01482 801825 Email: aliastair.anderson@pcas.karoo.co.uk Newsletter Editor (Wolds Waters): Barry Robins, Phone; 01482 658254 Email: bandrrobins@gmail.com The other committee members are:David Hamilton, Phone: 01262 420271 Email: dhamil2829@aol.com Howard Anguish, Phone: 01482 669876 Email: hang@hang.karoo.co.uk

IWA Contact Details The IWA Website is: www.waterways.org.uk Contact details for the Branch can be found on our website at:waterways.org.uk/east_yorkshire Or you can contact Roger Bromley, details above

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A Chance meeting Many of us have memories of special teachers who have unconsciously made an enduring impression on us – I certainly have (thank you Mr Parry!) - and I recently came across someone who fell into this category through the dedication and enthusiasm of a local teacher and long standing member of the East Yorkshire Branch.

Thinking about a change of car, we were having a test drive recently, accompanied by the car salesman. Making small talk, he asked us what our interests were now that we had retired. Our response – the Inland Waterways – immediately sparked a reaction, and it was obvious that he was familiar with the canals, and it quickly became apparent that he had experienced holidays on the Midland Canals while at school at William Gee School in Hull. We mentioned that we knew someone in IWA who had taken children on holidays over a number of years and he said – ‘That isn’t Barry Robins by any chance?’

He was very surprised to hear that we knew Barry, and he enthusiastically told us a number of anecdotes about his adventures during a number of school trips. Not only how much he had enjoyed the experience but that his interest had persisted, and now that he is an adult he has taken both his own children, and also his father, on canal holidays. I am sure that Barry will be interested, and proud, to hear about how he has had such a positive and long-lasting effect on one local boy who might otherwise not have experienced the magic of the Canals for himself. There must be many other ex-pupils of Barry in the Hull area who have similar happy memories, so if you come across any why not tell them about our monthly meetings; who knows we may be able to recruit more members!

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DEAD BOD If you are one of those people who despise folk music as bearded men singing with a finger stuck in one ear or are deeply embarrassed that a piece of graffiti should play a major part in Hull City of Culture last year stop reading now!

The Hull Maritime Museum wanted some whaling songs to play in the background in the museum. Steve Gardham was approached, having sung in the Museum since Arthur Credland was Curator and he got together a group of four singers and musicians, himself, Mick McGarry, Bill Sowerby and Les Ward.

They combined well and in early 2014, calling themselves Spare Hands, they issued a CD “Where the Whalefish Blow” - this was a combination of Whaling Songs - although none survived from the Hull Whaling Fleet.

Their next venture was a CD called “Spare Hands” which was about the Hull Fishing Industry. It includes songs such as “Three Day Millionaire” and “Settling day”.

The group soon increased to 5 with Tom Gaynard joining them. Spare Hands, now recognized as the Leading Maritime Folk Group from Hull, issued their third CD, in 2017, “A Dead Bod, (songs of the Humber Waterways)”.

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The CD is not all about a Dead Bird; there are 13 other tracks. They vary from the very unlikely such as a visit from the Devil, to a tugboat looking for coal and the battle of Sykehouse lock, to a more factual account of a Tom Pudding tugman's day in a song called “The Trip”.

More poignant are those that celebrate vessels finishing their working lives, ”Final Whistle” a tribute to SS Rialto a steamship of the Wilson line; “Goodbye, old Humber Keel” which is self-explanatory, “Lincoln Castle” the demise of the Humber Ferries and “Billyboy” remembering the vessels which were once common on the Humber and North Sea. They were based on the Dutch Bijlander design. Sadly, unlike the Keels and Sloops, no Billyboys have been preserved.

Dead Bod was the large graffiti on the corrugated iron shed door on Alexandra Dock Jetty. The story of how it came to be is told in the first song on this album, written and sung by Steve Gardham. In 1960 the Captain of United Towing’s Englishman nursed an injured seagull back to health whilst the tug was in Falmouth Harbour waiting orders after a long haul.

Tug Englishman: Painting by George Wiseman

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The bird was in a cardboard box on the deck when a disgruntled bosun took a kick at the box, killing the seagull. Back in the Humber the Englishman was tied up at Alexandra Dock Jetty when after some libation at the pubs on Hedon Road, Len Rood - nickname “Pongo”, the second mate - painted the dead seagull on the warehouse. The graffiti became well known amongst the boats using the Humber and vessels would declare their position as “just passing Dead Bod”.

Kirk Martin gave a talk to one of our social meetings about the ferries that ran from Hull to New Holland before the Humber Bridge was built. In his book “Ferries across the Humber” he says: - “Not all crossings were routine, twenty-minute ones. As the tide receded we started making the longer crossings necessary to avoid the sandbanks. This could take up to forty minutes, and meant a journey downstream to ‘Dead Bod’. I wondered about these trips known as ‘Dead Bods’, until one day I was up on deck and a crewman pointed out some Graffiti on a riverside warehouse. It was a picture of an upside down bird with an arrow through its head!”

When Alexandra Dock was redeveloped for the Siemen’s Turbine Factory the jetties, along with Dead Bod, were due to disappear. A campaign to keep Dead Bod was eventually successful and the original corrugated iron “Canvas” can be seen in the Humber Gallery Café in Humber Street.

The singers and musicians of Spare Hands are Bill Sowerby, Tom Gaynard, Les Ward, Steve Gardham and Mick McGarry. Mick, who also performs with the Hillbilly Troupe, was once named as a living legend by the Hull Daily Mail.

Steve, having married into the Sherburn family, is very interested in Humber boating history and is a volunteer at the Waterways Museum at Goole. Bill Sowerby is the Group’s Musical Director and fiddle player.

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Tom Gaynard has a main interest in Celtic music, and Les Ward plays the Streb melodeon.

Several of the group can be found at meetings of the Hull and District Elderly Gentlemen’s Binge Drinking Club (folk section) which are held every Wednesday afternoon in the Black Boy Pub, High Street, Hull.

Details of the group and their CDs can be found on their web site http://www.sparehands.org.uk and copies can be purchased from the website and also the Maritime Museum in Hull.

Andrew Brett -O-O-O-O-O-

BOAT TRIPS FROM MELBOURNE ON NEW

HORIZONS Pocklington Canal Amenity Society (PCAS)

New Horizons at Melbourne

SHORT TRIPS lasting about 30 minutes run from Melbourne Arm on Sundays and Bank Holidays from the start of April until the end of October. Trips start at 12 noon and the last trip is around 4.15 pm.

No booking is required.

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The maximum number of passengers we are insured to carry is 12 at a time (including children), but we can run lots of short trips on a Sunday. There is no timetable.

Older children can take turns at steering the boat, under supervision of course. It's easy - just push the tiller to the left and the boat goes to the right! Adults can have a go too, but children take priority on short trips .

GROUP TRIPS (2 - 7 hours) can be arranged for parties of up to twelve passengers (including children). We will provide tea and coffee during the trip. These longer trips can be arranged for Saturdays, weekdays and early evenings during the summer months. The boat can not be booked for Sundays or Bank Holidays, when it is used for short trips.

Our most popular trip is to Gardham Lock, where you could have a picnic at Gardham Lock, either on or off the boat. PCAS volunteers have installed picnic tables at this lock. There are various other options, depending on how long you would like to spend on the canal. For example, your party could explore the full navigable length of the canal, from Melbourne Arm to East Cottingwith. We plan to extend the navigable length of the Pocklington Canal to Bielby in late July and to be able to offer boat trips on the newly restored length of canal.

Every year, we have groups celebrating birthdays with a trip on New Horizons and you are welcome to decorate the boat with balloons etc.

There are family events, office outings and many other reasons for booking a boat trip. Or you might be interested in having a meal at the Melbourne Arms (close to the trip boat) or one of the other local pubs at the end of your trip. Everyone is welcome to have a go at steering.

How much does it cost? PCAS is a charity and we welcome donations towards our work and running of the boat, but we have no fixed charges. Our Bookings Manager will give you an indication of how much we have received from other groups for a similar trip.

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Contact our Bookings Manager, Bob Ellis, if you would like more information or to make a booking. Please book early because it takes time to arrange a crew for your trip.Ring 07514 978645 or contact by email: book.newhorizons@gmail.com (please don’t text as they are not monitored and will not be responded to.)

OPEN TRIPS These 'open trips' to Gardham Lock are for individuals and small groups. These trips take approximately 3 hours and are on Saturdays to help accommodate those who are working during the week. The provisional dates of the open trips in 2018 will be: Saturday 23 June at 3pm to Gardham Lock Saturday 11 August at 11am to Walbut Lock/Bielby Saturday 22 September at 11 am to Walbut Lock/Bielby Please book early and remember that we cannot carry more than 12 passengers.

Congratulations to the Muspratts!

As you may have seen in Waterways, the IWA is to present plaques to long standing members. We are pleased to see that Joan and Gordon Muspratt who are members of our branch, will receive one. They have been members since June 1967 and for many years actively supported the branch by serving on the committee and fund raising by giving talks and taking a stall to many events.

Our thanks and congratulations go them.

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WATERSTART BOAT TRIPS Following our successful Branch trip last year, we have arranged for two trips this summer on the Yorkshire Waterways Boat, “Waterstart”.

Each trip costs £20 per person and departs from the Waterways Museum at Goole at 10.00am. Car parking is available in the Waterways Museum Car Park You will be taken on a minibus to where the trip starts, picked up at the end and returned to Goole at around 4.30 pm There are toilets on board and tea/coffee is available all day. Bring your own packed lunch.

Spaces are extremely limited so early booking is essential.

Either email me roger.bromley@waterways.org.uk or ring me on 01482 845099 The trips are: Friday 15th June Thorne to Doncaster and Friday 22nd June Thorne to Goole

Waterstart

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PROGRESS AT POCKLINGTON Bicentenary Project I am sure most readers will know that 2018 is the bicentenary of the opening of the Pocklington Canal. For the last three years, the Pocklington Canal Amenity Society has been working on a major project to mark this milestone in the canal’s history. Our Bicentenary Project, for which £250,000 has successfully been raised, is to extend the navigable length of the canal by two miles from Melbourne to near Bielby. This has involved repairs to the brickwork of the chambers, and the provision of new lock gates at both Thornton and Walbut Locks. The new gates at Thornton were manufactured and fitted by CRT, and those at Walbut Lock by Hargreaves Lock Gates Ltd. The works to the lock chambers have been undertaken by the society’s own volunteers. Whilst working at Walbut Lock, the opportunity has been taken to install an additional lock ladder. The project also includes the installation of landing stages and some dredging. These works are nearing completion.

Bicentenary Celebrations The newly restored length of the canal will be officially reopened by Richard Parry, Chief Executive Officer of the Canal & River Trust, at a ceremony alongside Thornton Lock on Wednesday 25th July, 200 years almost to the day after the original opening of the canal. Over the following weekend (28th and 29th July), there will be a boat rally and a summer fete including a barn dance and a barbeque, centred around the Melbourne Arm. Everyone is welcome to these events.

We know of several visiting boats intending to come to the rally, and expect more to book in in the next few weeks. These boats will have the opportunity to be among the first to navigate the newly opened length in 86 years. Boats and crews can be booked into the rally by downloading an application form from the society’s website: www.pocklingtoncanalsociety.org

Heritage Lottery Fund Meanwhile, the HLF funded scheme, led by the Canal & River Trust, continues. A quantity of new signage and interpretative materials are being sited along the length of the canal. Also, several events of a cultural nature will

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be taking place on the canal throughout the summer. Although CRT will be organising most of these, the society will be participating in many of them. A full list can be found on the PCAS website, but readers may be particularly interested in the following: Sunday 22nd April Archaeology Workshop at Canal Head.

Sunday 20th May Spring Fete and Heritage Event at Melbourne.

Tues 19th June Exhibition at Pocklington Arts Centre until 1st August.

Sunday 24th June Nature Open Day, Melbourne Arm. day.

Friday 27th July Barn Dance at Melbourne Village Hall.

Wednesday 25th Sept Mikron Theatre, either at Canal Head or Melbourne Village Hall.

The HLF Scheme has also funded some repointing of Church Bridge, and refurbishment of one of the swingbridges to make it look more like the originals. The works at Church Bridge have been completed, and those at No 7 Swingbridge will be starting shortly.

Dredging The HLF scheme has provided most of the funding for the dredging, weed removal and tree management works that has been carried out on the canal in recent months. The length between Top Lock and Silburn Lock, which was particularly badly weeded, and part of the two mile length to be reopened in July have been dredged. In other parts, the vegetation growing in the central channel of the canal have been pulled up by the roots. Some tree management has also been done to increase the amount of light reaching the canal, and thereby allowing a greater diversity of wildlife to prosper in and beside the water. Although these works has primarily be done for the benefit of wildlife, they have also benefited navigation by creating deeper and clearer channel, and by removing low hanging branches.

Recent Events As has been our custom for several years, the society held its pre-Christmas lunch at the Oaks Golf Course on the last Sunday of November. Not only was this an enjoyable event, but the opportunity was taken to hold our Grand Draw of 2017. Next year’s lunch is already booked for the same venue on 26th November. Our Pie and Peas Supper on 16th February was a great success, with all tickets sold out well in advance of the event. The speaker, Bob Gwynn of the National Railway Museum in York, gave an excellent presentation on the Flying Scotsman. With the aid of a raffle, the event raised nearly £1,000.

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Future Plans PCAS is now planning the next phase of the restoration. This will be the rebuilding of Sandhill Lock, for which an appeal for £150,000 has been launched. It is proposed that work will start in the autumn of this year, with the provision of a temporary bywash to divert the water flow around the lock.

It is envisaged that the major part of the works will take place during 2019, when we hope to have the assistance of a WRG work camp. However, progress will depend upon the speed at which we are able to raise money. The appeal currently stands at about £11,000, so there is a long way to go. The Society would welcome suggestions for fund raising activities to boost this appeal.

New Horizons One of the society’s regular sources of funds is its trip boat, New Horizons.

This operates short trips on Sunday afternoons and bank holidays from Easter to the end of October. No booking is required for these, although it is possible to charter the boat for longer trips on other days.

A Word about Our Supporters The society has a healthy membership of over 300, and amongst them some who devote much of their spare time to the Pocklington Canal. There are those who serve on the committee, but we have others who help with fund raising, publicity and the manning of the information centre at Canal Head. A large number of people help with crewing the trip boat and there has been a big increase in the number of volunteers who take part in the working parties.

It is due to all the combined efforts of these people that the restoration project is able to make progress.

Paul Waddington Chairman, PCAS

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News from Driffield Grant to Driffield Navigation Thanks to the generous grant of £500 from the East Yorkshire Branch of IWA, the Driffield Navigation volunteers have purchased 40 cast iron bollards to be installed at the locks during the spring and summer of 2018.

Town Lock, Driffield The grant has been matched by equal contributions from the DNT and the DNAA, the bollards were purchased from Hargreaves Foundry at a total cost of £1000. The first nine bollards are now in place at Town Lock with the remainder to be installed at Wansford, Whin Hill and others in the coming months.

David Hamilton -O-O-O-O-O-

A Brief History of Brigham Sailing Club “A few years ago, three or four men who sailed boats in the Upper Hull started a small club at Brigham for the purpose of arranging races at the weekend. The project has grown considerably and there were at Brigham during the summer of 1933 a fleet of 13 boats, 3 sharpies, 4 open boats, 2 International 14s and 4 canoe-yawls.” (Humber Yawl Club Yearbook, 1933)

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Sailing was a popular pastime for middle and upper classes in the late Victorian and Edwardian period. The River Hull provided good sailing in an attractive landscape. Brigham was a popular mooring place. Local artist Fred Elwell R.A. regularly sailed up to Wansford and painted his houseboat "Spowder" moored near Brigham in 1908. Photographs published in the Humber Yawl Club (HYC) year book for 1898 show that their members were sailing up the River Hull to Brigham again in sailing houseboats. One HYC member was Thomas Holtby, a member of a well-known East Riding family and half-cousin of the writer Winifred Holtby, who went on to become a founding father of BSC. As a child he lived at Corps Landing near Brigham but later lived in Driffield. It is possible he was also a member of Driffield Sailing Club but no records of this club are known to survive.

Brigham Sailing Club (BSC) was founded in 1928 by an amalgamation of members of the Driffield and Hull Bridge sailing clubs. Apparently, these clubs had, prior to that year, an annual get-together and race at a convenient half way meeting point (Brigham), and subsequently decided to form one club there. It is not clear whether either of the two clubs carried on at their previous venues, or whether it was a complete merger, but the fact that one of our trophies is inscribed D.S.C. would suggest the latter. Thomas Holtby became BSC's first Commodore, an office he held until his death in 1947. His efforts in seeing the club through the immediate post-war period were invaluable.

The location for the new club at Brigham was convenient, having a good stretch of water from Brigham Bridge to Hempholme Bridge, unfettered by locks or tides and ideal for racing. A narrower tributary up to Frodingham was, and still is, also used for cruising. Using Hempholme Lock, it was possible, (with difficulty) to sail right down the River Hull and out into the open sea. One senior member recalls, as a boy in the late 1940's, the annual cruise and picnic down through Hempholme Lock, when, with reasonable wind and water conditions, boats could get most of the way to Beverley. Sadly as the canal fell into disrepair when commercial traffic ceased, this event ended around 1950.

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The “Brigham Scow” evolved over a number of years. The HYC yearbook for 1902 has line drawings of the "Hornsea Mere One Design' which is almost identical to our current design and based on a LARK scow designed at the end of the 19th century. There were seven of these boats sailing on Hornsea Mere in 1905 but their numbers declined rapidly and none are listed in the HYC membership lists of 1912. A photograph postcard dated c.1910 shows a Scow shaped boat at Wansford Lock, a couple of miles upstream from Brigham. Did one or more of the Hornsea boats move to Driffield? What seems difficult to understand is that it took so long before this design was accepted as the most efficient for sailing at Brigham. The first “scow” known to be built at Brigham was “Rip” designed and built by Bill Turner and John Foreman in 1935. Club records show Rip winning the Knock-Out Cup in 1936.

Scows are now the predominant shape of hull. Another design of boat sailed at Brigham in the past was the "Sharpie": a derivative of the Yawl, basically it was pointed at both ends and similar to the Norfolk Punt. Two original "Sharpies" are still in existence today. "Vison” was winning races in 1933, and after being lost from the club returned restored to win another race in 1989. "Amaryllis" the other Sharpie was sailing at Brigham by 1933. She was built by Walter Silverwood, a founder member, probably in the late 1920's. Walter always kept "Amaryllis" in immaculate condition. Walter died many years ago and after passing through several owners “Amaryllis” was fully restored in 2003/4 and is owned by a club member.

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The Brigham Scow has evolved to become the boat of choice on the waterway. The 16’ broad beamed flat bottomed hull is capable of carrying a large balanced lug sail of 180 – 200 square feet. The boats are highly manoeuvrable and fast, capable of sailing close to the wind and tacking in the narrow waterway.

No history of BSC would be complete without a mention of the BSC "Lighthouse" built in 1953. The idea to build a starters hut in the design of a lighthouse was inspired. What could have been an unattractive blot on the landscape became an attractive and amusing landmark. Sadly after nearly 50 years of withstanding the elements it gave up the fight and blew down during a strong wind in the spring of 2002.

Sara Donaldson 2003, David Hamilton 2018 Sources Clark, E. Brigham Sailing Club "Sixty Years of Ditchcrawling" in HYC Year Book 1989.HYC YB 1898, 1902.

Hull and East Yorks Times 20.12.1947.p4.

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River Hull and Beverley Beck Beverley Barge Preservation Society.

Along with other boaters the Society is looking forward to the new boating season with preparation and enhancement of its vessels. Works to Syntan have largely been general maintenance following her dry docking at this time last year, but Sun has been subject to a number of enhancements to make her more comfortable and accessible to users.

The previous manual pump w.c., the source of some concern and bewilderment to passengers has now been replaced with a simple push button w.c. but the major change has been the installation of a passenger lift which should allow wheelchair users to comfortably access the vessel for the first time. This facility, which was partly 20

funded by a grant from the local branch of the IWA, is still undergoing final commissioning at the time of writing.

Sun is also the proud recipient of a new hardwood wheelhouse top. This has been built by Members over the winter and looks truly superb.

The major change to Syntan has been the completion of an enlarged stage to the vessel. Syntan is a useful facility either at events organised by the Society or when attending external events as she can act as a venue for musical or other acts.

Her recent visits to the Hull Folk Festival at the Hull Marina has seen her use her externally mounted stage as a venue for the singers but its size was a little limiting for the larger acts. This has been alleviated by the construction of a new stage, approximately doubling the size of the performance area. Hopefully this will allow more people to enjoy both Syntan and the performances for years into the future. The first event to try out the new facility will be the New Paths festival in Beverley in April and featuring a special day focusing on Beverley Beck on 7th April when alongside musical performances on Syntan the Society will be running 21

boat trips on its smaller boat Mermaid. We can only hope for good weather.

The weather in the year so far has been the major problem to the completion of the painting of the vessels. Hopefully the weather will allow us to complete the painting works before the start of the scheduled events from the start of April.

Litter Pick Sunday 22nd April at 10 a.m.

Every year the Boat Owners Association, in conjunction with the Inland Waterways Association, organise a litter pick on Beverley at the start of the season. This year’s event is scheduled for Sunday 22nd June. Litter pickers travel down each bank with usually a boat carrying out removal of any waterborne rubbish. The Boat Owners Association provides refreshments to participants at their clubhouse in the boatyard at the end of the event.

River Hull Tickton Viaduct Works and flood works to the lower River Hull Throughout the season it is expected that works to repair the Tickton Viaduct at Hull Bridge will be underway. East Riding Council have assured us that the works are unlikely to affect passage under the bridge. Also in the first half of the season, works will be in full swing improving the flood defences on the River between The Deep and Ennerdale Bridge. The Harbourmaster is not aware of any restrictions but there may be times when there are obstructions or limitations to travel on the River, and so a call to the Harbourmaster when planning a trip is advised as well as the usual notifications on the day prior to making any journey.

Beverley Beck Users Group. East Riding Council holds a consultative meeting with Beck users at the start and end of each season. Arising out of the autumn meeting the Council advised that 22

they had commissioned a survey of the Beck structure taking on board comments about the stability of the ladder on the River side of the lock and the ladders in the lock projecting beyond the lock side. This is due to report back to the Spring Meeting of the User’s group just before Easter but we understand that works to alleviate the ladder issues have already been agreed.

River Hull wreck removal.

As part of the flooding alleviation plans East Riding Council have removed a number of wrecks from the section of the River between the lock and Hull Bridge.

This work was carried out in September last year, and it is noticeable that the moorings emptied were quickly replaced with new vessels, some of which appear little better than the ones removed.

The current high water levels have been the first test but it remains to be seen whether this exercise has improved the flow of waters on the River in times of high levels.

Iain Campbell, Chairman BBPS

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Programme April & May 2018 Branch Social Meetings & Local Events Beverley Beck Litter Pick The annual litter pick will take place this year on Sunday 22nd April in conjunction with BBPS, BBBA & IWA East Yorkshire Branch. Meet at the Town end of the Beck at 1000. Tea and Biscuits will be provided by BBBA . All are welcome – let’s make it our best turn out ever!

East Yorkshire Branch Social Meetings Starting at 8-00 pm at the Methodist Church Hall Cottingham HU16 4BD

***Please note that we have been asked to enter the Church Hall via the front doors from now on*** Friday April 20th The History of the Hull & Barnsley Railway. Presented by Brian Crowther Friday May 18th A Cuckoo in the Curriculum. A talk by Bob Watson Forthcoming meeting dates Friday September 21st Friday October 19th Friday November 16th For further information contact Roger Bromley 01482 845099 roger.bromley@waterways.org.uk

Note: The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the Association & should not be construed as such unless otherwise stated.

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