Meridi an Cuttin g s Issue No. 10
Spring 2015
The newsletter of the North & East and South London branches of The Inland Waterways Association
Leads campaigns to conserve, maintain and restore Britain’s network of canal and river waterways
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IWA Canalway Cavalcade Canals in Bloom
2nd - 4th May 2015 Little Venice, London W2 Fun for everyone; boats, parades and processions, music, kids’ activities, competitions, trade stalls, a real ale bar and a wide variety of snacks and food.
Contact Details
Admission is Free!
General enquiries: 07979 676461 email: canalway.cavalcade@waterways.org.uk
Press/media/advertising: 07774 890750 email: christine.smith@waterways.org.uk
Times
Trade Show: 07788 204442 email: exhibition@waterways.org.uk
Saturday - 10:00 – 18:00 Sunday - 10:00 – 18:00 (followed by music at 20:00 and a procession of illuminated boats at 20:30) Monday - 10:00 – 17:00
Waterspace and Boat entries: 07867 488161 email: mark.saxon@waterways.org.uk
waterways.org.uk/cavalcade
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facebook.com/events/999133723446797
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@canalcavalcade
Published by: The Inland Waterways Association. Registered Office: Island House, Moor Road, Chesham, HP5 1WA. Tel: 01494 783453. The Inland Waterways Association is a non-profit distributing company limited by guarantee. Registered in England no. 612245. Registered as a charity no. 212342 www.waterways.org.uk
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elcome to the Spring and 10th Edition of Meridian Cuttings. As the weather gets gradually warmer and the snowdrops give way to daffodils and tulips, Alan and I are getting ready for our trip down to Paddington and Canalway Cavalcade aboard Tickety Boo. We hope you’ll join us at this colourful festival - it’s a fun weekend for all the family - and we always need more volunteers to help.
Both Paul Strudwick and Roger Squires have alluded to the seemingly endless topic of ‘continuous moorers’ in the Chairmen’s messages, so I have reproduced C&RT’s latest stance for reference on page 20. Alan has booked some really interesting speakers between now and December (page 9) so we hope you’ll find time to join us at Croydon for these, a chat, a cuppa and some of Lesley’s lovely cake! We were sad to hear of David Wood’s death, he was a character known to many of us, and Libby’s moving tribute in on page 10. The Waterways Game and Branch stand is booked to attend several events this year, so if you fancy being entertained and helping out for an hour or so, see page 13. There’s another article in our Community Boats series, Angel II is on page 14. Brian Andrews has kindly written an interesting piece about the Newport Pagnell Branch of the Grand Union on page 16 and there’s an update on the River Crossings Consultation on page 18. More of South London Committee’s hair raising adventures aboard Libby’s boat Panacea can be found on page 22. If you’d like to see your own stories or adventures in print and share them with other members I’d love to receive them - deadline for copy for the Autumn Edition will be 24th July. Enjoy the spring and summer on our wonderful waterways!
Christine Smith, Editor
Contents
Page
Canalway Cavalcade 2 A View from the Chair:
London Region 4 North & East London 5 South London 6
Socials 7 London Region/North & East London 7 South London 9 Tribute to David Wood 10 IWA with London Walks
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Welcome new members
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South London Branch Stand & Waterways Game 13 Friends of Regent’s Canal 13 Community Boats: Angel II 14 Newport Pagnell Branch 16 River Crossing Consultation 18 C&RT London Boating Bulletin 20 The Royal Progress 22 Who’s Who on the Committees 23 How to get to the Branch Socials 24
Front cover photo: An unusual sight: The three Woolwich Ferries all moored on the south shore whilst the Link Spans were being refurbished in January this year.
Photo: Roger Squires
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A View from the Chair From London Region Chairperson, Paul Strudwick As you may know we have been actively raising concerns about the number of people who declared when applying for their licence that they would be continuously cruising (i.e. they don’t need a home mooring) but who are staying in a small area. Last year, Canal and River Trust (CRT) carried out a survey on the movement of boats without home moorings. The survey confirmed our belief that a majority of boats without a home mooring stayed within a small geographic area. In fact over half of boats moved less than 20 Kilometres in the year. On 13 February CRT issued a statement that clarifies the rules for boaters who have said they will cruise continuously, when applying for their licences and stating how the Trust intends to deal with those boaters who don’t comply. There will undoubtedly be legal challenges and it will take a long time before there is real progress in getting many of the stuck boats moving around the system. We need to be supportive of CRT in their endeavours but must recognise the real problems this will cause for some people who moved onto a boat during the time British Waterways removed enforcement and were led to believe they could remain moored near their work or school all the time. In addition to the new clarification of CRT’s Policy for boats without home moorings, I understand that they intend to issue revised boat licence conditions from May this year. We have written to CRT highlighting our concerns over some of the new clauses. Hopefully CRT will listen to our views. After an accident last year when a boater drove a spike into one of the Extra High Voltage cables that are under the towpath on the Regents Canal. National Grid, along with CRT, are putting in additional mooring rings adjacent to the cables. We have expressed our concern that this could lead to more boats causing a nuisance to local residents as has happened in the Kings Cross area where mooring rings, installed for the Olympics, very close to residential properties, have resulted in numerous complaints about smoke and noise. In the New Year, CRT launched three new bookable visitor moorings beside Rembrandt Gardens in Little Venice. Boaters are able to book a mooring up to one month in advance. The maximum stay time will be seven days, with no return within one calendar month and no more than 14 days use of the moorings each year. For all enquiries and bookings please contact RembrandtGardens@gmail.com Promotions & Communications Committee (PromCom), has planned a workshop to help branches recruit more members to the association. The Workshop on 28th March 2015 at Peterborough is open to anyone who would like to help, not just existing committee members. So, if you would like to understand more of the workings of IWA and what is needed to secure our place within the world of Inland Waterways, please contact your chairman. There is also more information on the IWA website at https://www.waterways.org.uk/iwa/calendar/event/ view?id=1633 I would also like to recruit at least one person within the region, who is willing and capable of training others in the art of recruitment and retention. If you think you are that person can you have a chat with me?
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Paul
On behalf of the North & East London Chairman, by Roger Squires The Branch, together with the national IWA, welcomes the recent CRT clarification of their approach to those holders of a Continuous Cruising License who do not honour their licence terms. In case readers are unaware, there are nominally two forms of licence for pleasure craft: the Standard Cruising Licence, which requires the boat to have an approved mooring as its base; and a Continuous Cruising Licence, for those who undertake to make a continuous journey around the system. [Approved Winter Moorings are available for such craft]. The IWA supports the right of bona fide continuous cruisers to enjoy the freedom that their licence offers. However, it does not support those who abuse their licence terms by continuously ‘mooring’ on the towpath in a single locality. It was recently revealed that, during 2014, some 16 percent of holders of continuous cruising licenses cruised less than 5 miles. A huge 50 percent of such licence holders only managed to cruise under 20 miles in that year. These statistics identify the clear abuse of their licence commitments. They also identify the level of abuse that CRT have to tackle. As members will appreciate, the problem is especially marked in the London area where there currently are only 2300 authorised permanent moorings, yet there are 3700 craft on London’s waterways [i.e. 1400 holders of continuous cruising licences holders are moored along London’s towpaths – in some instances three abreast – many in breach of their licence terms.] In various places along the canalside, local residents have complained that such concentrations of craft are taking away their quality of life. Others are concerned that the amenity of the canals for other users: walkers, cyclists, nature lovers and wildlife conservationists, are also being put under severe pressure. The IWA, over two years ago, identified the growing pressures and circulated a report which identified places where new additional permanent moorings, mainly on the offside, could be created. Sadly, to date only two of these sites are being developed. There is an urgent need for more permanent moorings in London, but the canals should not be seen as a ‘cheap option’ for developing the waterways as an overspill housing estate! Another concern in our area is the way in which tall tower blocks are being developed all along the waterfront. City Road Basin is a case in point. In other places new housing estates are emerging, such as those along the upper reaches of Barking Creek, where the developers are pushing out longstanding moored craft on the grounds that the banks need to be improved. Nominally, the developers have indicated here that when their works are completed the craft can return. However, the real issue will be the cost of mooring. Undoubtedly the developers will look for a return on their investment. We are concerned that former longstanding moorers simply will not be able to afford the potentially higher new mooring fees. To end on a brighter note. The PLA recently reported that last year, on the fourth successive occasion, internal traffic on the Thames grew by 5.7% over the 2013 tonnage levels. This must be good news when one considers how many lorry loads this has removed from our already overcrowded roads. One must praise the PLA in their efforts to utilise this valuable transit artery. The Branch, and IWA generally, are working with CRT in increasing the number of volunteers who offer time and energy to improve the waterways. A most successful work party was held recently on the Regent’s Canal and much good work was done. We trust that Branch members will seriously consider what they might do in future to take part to make their waterways better for all. Roger -5-
From South London Chairman Libby Bradshaw This is the time to reflect on the past year and what the branch has been doing; also to say thank you to those who make it possible for us to do what we can for the Waterways we all love. It is now almost a year since I took on the role of chairman of the branch and during the year we have been busy with social meetings, taking the branch stand to events, looking at planning matters that affect waterways and keeping up with what is happening with the tidal Thames and the small waterways that come within our branch boundaries. Social Meetings My first thank you is to Alan Smith for organising our social meetings, to Christine Smith for the publicity she does for these and to Lesley Pryde and Shea Richardson for organising the refreshments. As ever Alan has organised an interesting programme of talks, some relating to the River Thames, one on the lost rivers of London and two overseas ones on Waterways of Southern France and Canals of Brittany. We also had a branch outing to the Chichester Canal in October and a branch dinner in January. We were again pleased to welcome our National Chairman, Les Etheridge, and his wife, Anne, at the dinner. Branch Stand and Events My next thank you goes to George and Sandy Goodwin who have very kindly allowed us to store the equipment and stock for the branch stand and waterways game at their home. Although for various reasons we were unable to take the stand out as much as usual in the last year we are planning several events in the next few months. These include the Rickmansworth Festival in May, local events in Streatham and Brixton in June and the Angel Festival in September. We also support Canalway Cavalcade at Little Venice in May where several branch members are involved in the organisation of the event, activities for children, running information stands and collecting donations. We would love to welcome some more people to join the team at all these events. Any offers are much appreciated even if you can only spare an hour or two – this may give someone else a much needed break. Currently those who help are all the committee members plus Dorothy Robbie, Eric Garland and Gerard Coales. Thank you to you all. Planning and Navigation We continue to monitor what is happening on the River Thames, Wandle and Deptford Creek. You will have read in previous editions of ‘Meridian Cuttings’ about some of the regional planning matters in which IWA is involved. More of these will be mentioned in the regional round-up meeting at Paddington on April 21st which we hope you will be able to attend. As well as monitoring on land we have been out on the canals and rivers on ‘Panacea’ seeing for ourselves. We took part in the inaugural cruise round the Olympic park last May, a trip to Gravesend Town Pier’s new moorings in June together with a notable trip up Dartford Creek as reported in the Autumn edition of Meridian Cuttings. In September we went round the Isle of Dogs and into Deptford Creek, back on the river and in at Limehouse. Finally, in January, we went through City Mill Lock and Three Mills lock, down Bow Creek to the Thames and down river to the Royal Docks for the first weekend of the boat show. We held our branch committee meeting in the docks area on the Monday followed by the return journey up river to Limehouse in the afternoon. Meridian Cuttings Our newsletter, Meridian Cuttings, is edited by Christine Smith, to whom we owe a huge debt of gratitude. This is not just for our branch but for North and East London Branch as well. She has the thankless task of chasing us all up for articles and I know she puts in many, -6-
many hours to produce the excellent newsletter we can all enjoy. If any of you would like to contribute articles I am sure she would be very grateful. Previous editions may be found at www.waterways.org.uk/southlondon/newsletter Committee Finally I would like to thank all the rest of the committee and others who have worked hard with me all year to keep things going: Lesley Pryde our secretary, Allan Scott who has taken on the role of Minutes Secretary, Peter Gregory who has been our Treasurer for the past two years, Dorothy Robbie our Membership Secretary and Shea Richardson, who joined us at last year’s AGM and is helping with events, especially children’s activities and WoW. Peter is standing down from the committee at this AGM and we thank him for the work he has done for us during these past two years. We continue to look for new committee and non-committee members to share the load and welcome any offers! Thank you, Libby NOTE FROM ED: STOP PRESS: At the AGM Libby was re-elected and Allan Scott was elected to the South London Committee after having been co-opted last year.
Sally’s Socials (A review of the London Region/North & East London Socials) Christmas Quiz & Auction, 16th December The mulled wine vanished, the mince pies all but vanished, the Quiz questions were compiled by Libby Bradshaw and the ‘Red Team’ vanquished the rest of us. The Auction items ranged from books and bubble bath to tiller pins (was one a kingfisher or was that a kookaburra?). The Auction Master Eric Garland, with his ready wit, raised (conned) £61. Not bad with only 10 there and Sally didn’t throw wine all over the floor! A jolly end to the year. Around England Ring, 20th January ‘The English Ring’ Tim and Julie called it. Three months’ boating in 2 hours (or there-abouts)! A great evening with great pictures and a delicious birthday cake for Julie’s birthday the next day. They had lots of memories of the trip, from rolling hills to flood plains and the weather featured throughout, from waterproofs to sun brollles. They also gave the audience lots of reminders of their own cruises too. Boating in/around Venice, 17th February If you have ever attended a ‘Roger Squires’ talk, you will know the professional approach he takes. ‘Boating in/around Venice’ was no exception. From the outer Lagoons to St Mark’s Square on a spring tide was .... wet and, being boaters, we even saw a local pump-out boat. A final moonlit shot concluded the evening. Also, being Shrove Tuesday, drop pancakes were consumed by all. Sally
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London Region Socials
(combined with North & East London ) We started the 2015 socials with an evening entitled ‘The England Ring’, the three month trip Tim Lewis and Julie Clark had last summer around the waterways. Although this came about through the misfortune of Tim’s redundancy, there was no doubt that this had become a real opportunity and we were treated to an extensive journey around the system. The evening became a bit of a quiz night with members of the audience identifying locks and other places Tim and Julie couldn’t remember and also sharing their cruising exploits. In February we left England behind and went abroad with Dr Roger Squires ‘Boating in and around Venice’, an excellent exploration of the many waterways and islands in and around Venice. Having only been there for half a day some years ago I certainly want to go back and explore the area. By the time this reaches you we will have had our March meeting, including the North and East London Branch AGM, followed by some waterway films on restoring various historic boats. Dates for the next part of 2015 are as follows: April 21st
Regional Round-up – all branches in London Region will share news of what is happening in their area. This is also a chance to discuss ideas for future regional activities and events. There will be a preview of this year’s Canalway Cavalcade on 2nd - 4th May at Little Venice
May 19th
TBC
June 16th
Ferries across the Humber - Kirk Martin recalls his time working on the last coal-burning paddle steamers in regular service in the UK when he fired the Lincoln Castle in the 1970s We have a break in July and August but meet again in September with the following programme:
September 15th West African Waterways – something with a difference Dr David Hilling October 20th
Oxford to Cambridge by boat – Simon Judge
November 17th Restoration Round-up – restoration projects worked on during the year by London Waterway Recovery Group (WRG) – Tim Lewis December 15th Christmas Quiz and Auction with Mulled Wine and Mince Pies Time
!9.00 for 19.30
Venue
PaddingtonCentral Management suite. 1a Sheldon Square, W2 6PY
Contact
Libby Bradshaw Tel: 020 8874 2787 or 07956 655037 Email: libby.bradshaw@ursa.me.uk Libby
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, Buckinghamshire HP5 1WA Tel: 01494 783453 www.waterways.org.uk -8-
South London Socials 2015 got off to a good start with the annual dinner on 23rd January, which was attended by 17 members. The raffle made £44 and, thanks to a very good price from Caprini’s Restaurant, we also made a profit of £50 for the branch. Paulo gave us excellent service resulting in a very enjoyable evening. Our first speaker of the year was a familiar face – Dr. Roger Squires telling us about the waterways of Milan and Pavia. These have a long history, dating back centuries before Leonardo and his famous mitre-gated lock. There was good news and bad news – good news about restoring the Grand Canal back to Lakes Como and Maggiore (with Swiss money) and not such good news about the huge canal basin in Milan (a sad sight for many years) being partially filled-in for redevelopment. As always, this was well-researched talk. Apart from Venice, of course, Italian waterways are a subject which don’t get much coverage. The joint meeting with Kent & East Sussex Branch at Swanley on 3rd March was attended by eight South London Branch members. Richard Parry, Chief Executive, C&RT gave a comprehensive presentation of how his organisation works and what is planned for the future, including a lot of information which was probably new to many of us. A lively question and answer session followed at which the thorny subject of so-called continuous cruisers was inevitably raised and he explained how C&RT proposed to tackle it. The timescale for takeover of EA navigations, although still government policy, seems to be further in the future than has been admitted and will, of course, be subject to a suitable financial package. In general I think everybody was impressed by his approachability, his willingness to listen and consider the points raised, one of which related to a proposal for a licence that covers not only C&RT and EA waterways but could also be used on some of the other navigation authorities (of which there are around 40) , rather like a Travelcard. Our thanks to K&ES Branch for organising and hosting this meeting. Unless otherwise indicated, the following South London Branch Social Events will take place at 7.30 for 8.00 p.m. at: The Primary Room The United Reformed Church Hall Addiscombe Grove Croydon CR0 5LP There is good parking adjacent to the hall and excellent transport links via East Croydon train and tram stations All are welcome, IWA members or non members There is no admission charge for talks, film shows or presentations but we do ask that you donate a minimum of £2 per person to offset room hire charges and speakers’ expenses, thank you April 15th May 13th June 10th September 9th October 14th November 11th December 9th
Pete Smith, a London City Guide, “London’s River” A speaker from Crystal Palace Museum “The Crystal Palace Story” Kirk Martin “Memories of Humber Ferries” Tim Lewis “The Work of London Waterway Recovery Group” [WRG] John Gibson, Navigations Manager “The River Wey” Alan and Christine Smith “The South Pennine Ring” Xmas Social and members’ photos -9-
Alan
David Wood 1937 – 2015 It was with great sadness I learned that David Wood had collapsed and died at home on Friday 30th January. Many of you will have known David and Elizabeth on their boat ‘Anker’ and their very active involvement on the canals and River Thames. David was our IWA London Planning officer for many years. David AllisonBeer who was London branch secretary for some of that time has commented “David was a wonderful character. His legal mind was incredible and so good for dealing with planning matters”. David and Elizabeth’s home is in Twickenham and they were members of Middlesex branch. They were regular attendees of the socials that used to be held in Richmond but unable to get to those at Hillingdon boat club. As well as being very active in IWA and on the canals David was greatly involved in River Thames matters and only contacted me a couple of weeks before he died about a PLA meeting on 3rd February he was unable to attend. He hoped I could raise a matter of concern to him at that meeting.
David was very much a leader of the early London Ring Cruises which, with CB radios at the most, were interesting to coordinate – Elizabeth said to me that despite clear instructions on keeping to the right hand side some boaters still set off for the middle of the channel! No VHF then to call people up and no mobile phones either! David and Elizabeth were great friends with Mike and Jenny Adams, former members of London IWA. The following is an excerpt from the tribute Mike gave at David’s funeral: “David’s boating interests were very wide, with both inland navigations and sailing barges featuring strongly. He was hugely knowledgeable about both, and always ready to learn more and to share in detailed discussions, especially about obscure or abandoned craft or stretches of water. David and Elizabeth were very well-known and popular figures in the canal world, regularly attending national and local rallies in Detritus or Anker, and taking responsibility for the display stands of the IWA and other organisations. David put his legal training to good use as the IWA London Branch Planning Officer, meticulously scrutinising and reporting back on any planning applications likely to affect the Thames or other waterways. He also took a leading role in many campaign rallies and cruises, especially on lesser-known waterways such as the Bow Back Rivers. To David, just about every piece of water was a navigation, and with him, in assorted small boats, we explored the River Crane, St Patrick’s Stream, the Hogsmill, the Mole and various other inaccessible and shallow stretches of water. Even in larger boats, and where the water should have been deeper, David always took the intrepid approach. “Let’s just go round the back of this island”, for example, leading to the occasional day stuck on the mud and waiting for the tide to come back in. David was a proud founder member of the Odd Boats Society, an impromptu organisation – or possibly disorganisation – which came into being on one of his campaign cruises. The society’s aims are to navigate in odd boats, or in odd places, or in an odd manner, or preferably all three, so this was a natural home for David”. I was also a member of Odd Boats Society in Panacea as were Ron and Olive Bingham on Coal Boy. There were various odd bits of boating I did with David, such as going up the ‘non-navigable’ river Brent. One of his campaigns I remember was when we staged a - 10 -
protest across the North Circular aqueduct to prove it was used by boats and try to reduce the time for closure of the navigation during road widening. This was successful. Another was to protest about plans to fill in part of the river by Brentford Ait – we were due to go out on to the Thames one day and return the next but an unexpected closure of the Thames barrier thwarted our plans. In 1986 David organised for a traditional unpowered barge to be painted with the IWA logo. The plan was to come up river to Brentford for the IWA National Rally and I was invited by David to be on board, a privilege as there were only 6 or 7 on board altogether. These barges are operated by 3 x 20ft oars, known as ‘sweeps’ two to power the craft and one at the stern to steer. It was a memorable occasion as I gained firsthand experience of how the barges are operated and the effort involved. Thames Sailing Barges were an important part of David and Elizabeth’s life. They have been involved in the Thames Sailing Barge Trust (TSBT) for many years. David wrote a history of the club mentioned in the following link: http://www.bargetrust.org/historical. They were also involved in the Society for Sailing Barge Research of which Elizabeth is chairman. The following link is to the barge blog: https://sailingbarges.wordpress.com/tag/david-wood/ South London Branch members had several weekends on Sailing barge ‘Pudge’, a Dunkirk Little Ship, and one of the boats owned by the TSBT. Pudge could take 12 people at a time and the weekends were organised by the late Mike Stevens, also a member of TSBT. Although he didn’t join us on any of these trips David was delighted to see the interest in sailing barges spreading within IWA. David and Elizabeth were part of the Docklands History Group and I recall a London branch trip David organised with Chris Ellmers. This was to a warehouse full of artefacts ready to go into the Museum of Docklands which subsequently opened in 2003. Chris wrote the following for the Docklands History Group shortly after hearing of David’s death: “David Wood, who with his wife, Elizabeth, was a long term stalwart of the Docklands History Group, sadly collapsed and died at home last Friday [30 Jan 2015]. Although David became frail following an earlier stroke he continued to attend numerous society meetings and conferences. A solicitor by profession, David will perhaps be best remembered for his research work on Thames sailing barges and lighters. He worked very assiduously through all sorts of records, including those of the Watermen’s Company and Port of London Authority. At the time of his death, David was still working on his computerised database and planning further visits to the Museum of London Docklands Archive. David had been active in the Society for Sailing Barge Research (originally the Society for Spritsail Barge Research), the Thames Sailing Barge Trust, the Dolphin Yard Museum Trust, the London Canal Museum and the Greater London Archaeological Society. The London Canal Museum has some lovely models of sailing barges that he made. David was a long term supporter of the Museum in Docklands and was instrumental in numerous acquisitions of some important upriver boats. David was a great person, who was always more than pleased to share his researches and encyclopaedic knowledge. He will be greatly missed by those of us who knew him.” I am sure I speak for everyone in IWA who knew David in saying we will miss you and we thank you for your friendship, your insights and all you have shared and taught us. Our love and condolences to Elizabeth. - 11 -
Libby Bradshaw
IWA with London Walks Programme Start time for all walks is 2.30 p.m. Normal charge: £9 Concessionary and Student rate: £7 Contact: Roger Wilkinson: 020 3612 9624 / 07896 801930 No prior booking necessary - just turn up! roger.wilkinson@waterways.org.uk Date
Route
Start (Tube Stn.)
Sunday 5th April King’s Cross– Hitchcock’s Hackney King’s Cross(taxi rank) Sunday 19th April King’s Cross - Granary Square - Camden King’s Cross(taxi rank) Sunday 3rd May Regent’s Park & R.Tyburn – Lt Venice Baker St (Baker St north/Lords exit) Sunday 17th May Mile End – Limehouse Mile End Sunday 19April King’s Cross - Granary Square - Camden King’s Cross(taxi rank) Sunday 26 April The Olympics, Three Mills & Bow Back Rivers Bromley–by-Bow Sunday 3 May Regent’s Park & R.Tyburn – Little Venice Baker St (Baker St north/Lords exit) Sunday 17 May Mile End – Limehouse Mile End Sunday 7 June Islington – Mile End Angel Sunday 21 June Little Venice – Camden Warwick Avenue Sunday 5 July Paddington Basin, Paddington Arm, Little Venice Edgware Rd (Circle) Sunday 19 July The New River Manor House (Finsbury Park exit) Sunday 2 August Mile End – Limehouse Mile End Sunday 16 August The Olympics, Three Mills & Bow Back Rivers Bromley–by-Bow Roger Wilkinson
Welcome to all our new members! Mr B Ritchie Mr J D Crone Mr P Hayden Gp Capt T Behm & Family Mr D Pavitt Mr P Thompson London Narrow Boat Association Miss K Kennedy-Johnson Mrs A White Mr L Gervaso & Ms T V Luong Mr S Tupper Mr M A Ray Mr T Hemsley & Ms M Rumbelow Mr S P & Mrs L R M Davies - 12 -
North London Croydon Surrey Australia Romford Surrey North London Barnet West London North West London London Bromley London Italy
South London Branch Stand & Waterways Game Although for various reasons we were unable to take the stand out as much as usual in the last year, we are planning several events in the next few months. These include: Rickmansworth Festival
16th and 17th May Information at: http://www.rwt.org.uk/festival/
Streatham Common Kite Day
Sunday 21st June 11 am - 5 pm Information at: http://www.streathamkiteday.org.uk/
Brixton Windmill Parade & Festival Sunday 28th June 1 pm - 5 pm Information at: http://www.brixtonwindmill.org/ We would love to welcome some more people to join the team at all these events. Any offers are much appreciated - even if you can only spare an hour or two this may give someone else a much needed break. So please contact me if you are interested or would like some more information. Libby A Waterways Game winner at Rickmansworth 2010 Photo: Christine Smith
FRIENDS OF REGENT’S CANAL The Friends of Regent’s Canal are continuing to address and discuss the issues of overcrowding in Central London and are forever monitoring awkward developments. At our latest meeting on 11th March we heard about an action plan that is gradually evolving in Islington at both ends of the tunnel. Things have improved at the East portal in Noel Road where the rules of the visitor moorings are being reinforced, but things are still in a state of flux upstream of the West portal. The Friends are still being bombarded with complaints about floating litter, aggressive cyclists and wood smoke, but for the time being their top priorities are saving the industrial heritage of Holborn Studios and the Bethnal Green gas holders. Please visit our website - www.friendsofregentscanal.org and visit/follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/Fo_RegentsCanal and visit/join our Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/friendsofregentscanal - 13 -
Ian Shacklock
Community Boats The following is an article in our series about Community Boats
ANGEL II OF ISLINGTON The Angel Community Canalboat Trust (ACCT) began life in 1976 as the Islington Narrow Boat Association – a small organization founded by local resident Crystal Hale who -- with funding from the London Borough of Islington and the Inner London Education Authority – designed and built the first Angel of Islington. Based since its inception at Regents Canal City Road Lock, and now known as the Angel Community Canalboat Trust [ACCT] the original Angel made way in 2000 for the Angel II of Islington. Funded by a private family donation after the death of Crystal Hale, together with funds from the Cripplegate Foundation, Angel II is a purpose built 72’ steel narrowboat. Carefully designed with both day and residential trips in mind, the skippered boat boasts 12 berths, 2 loos, shower facilities and a full kitchen, with dining space for 12. The majority of the year, Angel II provides school and community groups with skippered and crewed local educational and recreational trips. Many of the school trips are in conjunction with the London Canal museum and Camley Street Nature Park, covering a range of educational subjects including history, engineering, science and biology (boosted by the perennially popular screaming opportunities afforded whilst travelling through the 878 mtr. Islington Tunnel). Other users (over 90% of Angel’s users are Islington residents) include charities that support elderly or vulnerable groups. However, every summer Angel II departs its London mooring and spends the school holidays on 5-day group residential trips – offering young people educational and recreational opportunities to develop social, practical and life skills, and adapting to working as a team. After many weeks of cruising, Angel’s annual end of summer return to City Road is the highlight – and was the original catalyst -- of the now-booming Angel Canal Festival, held at City Road Basin on the first Sunday in September. Funding for the charitable trust comes from a variety of grants (including Islington Council), donations from local businesses and the subsidised fees from user groups, and occasional private trips allow Angel II to top up its coffers – a wide range over the years that have included a marriage proposal cruise, a 1920’s themed ‘murder-who-done-it’ weekend, a number of corporate bonding trips and ferrying wedding parties to canalside receptions. In addition to main skipper John Checkley, Angel II has 3 trained relief skippers, and in 2012 Angel experienced a renaissance in volunteering. ACCT Chairman Brian Voakes, then a longtime trustee and ACCT Secretary, was a volunteer performer in the 2012 London Olympic Opening Ceremony. As part of the unforgettable “Pandemonium” Industrial Revolution segment, the long and frequent days of rehearsal spent with fellow performers (a group, officially labeled “F: Fife” for its position on the alphabetized “field of play” but known – still - 14 -
– amongst themselves as “Fifers”) was a chance to meet like-minded people keen to get involved in voluntary organizations. And once we (for I am a Fifer) had completed the creation of the Industrial Revolution – the chimneys, mills and factories (albeit temporary ones) – what better for our industrious bunch than to move our labours to London’s Victorian legacy. As a result, February 2013 saw a small Fifer army at the dry dock -- scraping and painting Angel II -- and this same group has continued on as crew, trainee skippers and fundraisers. And for Angel II the cherry on the cake arrived recently. The Queens’ 2014 Birthday Honours list in June singled out ACCT for a Queens’ Award for Voluntary Service – the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK -- and this winter, at a ceremony at Islington Town Hall, hosted by the Mayor of Islington, we were presented with our QAV certificate and crystal award. Now as we cruise toward our 40th anniversary, the Angel Community Canalboat Trust remains as relevant, essential and treasured now as in our embryonic beginnings in Crystal Hale’s imagination. John Project Manager and Skipper ACCT ACCT http://www.acct.org.uk/ London Canal Museum http://www.canalmuseum.org.uk Camley Street Nature Park http://www.wildlondon.org.uk/reserves/camley-street-natural-park Angel Canal Festival http://www.angelcanalfestival.org Queens Award for Voluntary Services https://www.gov.uk/queens-award-for-voluntary-service/
Angel II at the 2011 Angel Festival, City Road Basin - 15 -
Photo: Christine Smith
Newport Pagnell Branch Towards the end of last year, I found myself working in Milton Keynes and staying in accommodation in Newport Pagnell. Whilst I was there, I took the opportunity to visit the remains of the Newport Pagnell Branch of the Grand Union Canal, to see what can be found today. The Newport Pagnell Branch was authorised in 1814, using the original powers of the Grand Junction Canal, and it opened in 1817. It was 1.25 miles (2.0 km) long, and descended 50.75 feet (15.47 m) through seven locks to Newport Pagnell. The Grand Junction Canal (as the Grand Union Canal at this point was then known) was built for wide-beam boats, but the Branch locks were built to the same dimensions as those on the Northampton Branch, and were 72 by 7 feet (21.9 by 2.1 m). Although it joined the Grand Junction Canal at Linford Wharf, the Branch was built by private enterprise as the Grand Junction committee did not want to be involved. There was a plan to extend the Branch, via Olney, to join the River Great Ouse at either Bedford or St Neots, but this never happened. In 1862, the canal was sold to the Newport Pagnell Railway, despite opposition from the Grand Junction and Oxford Canals, and the collieries at Shipley on the Nutbrook Canal and Moira on the Ashby Canal, which both supplied coal to Shipley Wharf in Newport Pagnell at the end of the Branch canal. An Act of Parliament authorising the takeover was obtained in 1863 and the canal closed in August 1864. It was partially built over by the railway, including Locks 3 to 6, which disappeared. At Newport Pagnell, the railway reused several of the warehouses and most of Shipley Wharf (named after the suppliers of its coal from Derbyshire). The railway branch from Wolverton, which succeeded the Branch canal, was listed for closure in the Beeching Report of 1963. The residents of Newport Pagnell resisted the closure, and demanded an enquiry which took place on 7 June 1964. Despite many objections, it was decided that the line would close and the last passenger service from Newport Pagnell was on 5 September 1964. The line was finally closed to freight traffic in 1967, after which the tracks were lifted. Part of the trackbed is now used by the Milton Keynes Redway system, a network of cycle and pedestrian routes that serves the Milton Keynes urban area. Locks 1 and 2, lowering the Branch canal from Linford Wharf, were still shown on Ordnance Survey maps until 1968, but disappeared after that. The Wharf Inn at the entrance to the canal was popular among boatmen until it closed in the 1960s. A section of the Newport Pagnell basin wall was discovered during the redevelopment of the railway station site. So what remains today? At Linford Wharf in Great Linford, the winding hole is still there, together with the former lockkeeper’s house, which is now a private residence, but with a metal plaque affixed to the wall, to tell visitors about the former Branch canal. The entry to the Branch canal is bricked up and Lock 1 is now the garden of the house, containing a multitude of vegetables and flowers. The former pub is also still there, but is now also a private residence, called The Wharf. Local paths follow the route of the Branch canal, which can be determined as a depression across the gardens of several houses, before running right alongside the path. Some parts still contain water although very shallow and much overgrown. one of the new roads just beyond Lock 1 is named after Willow Wren. Lock 2 has been redeveloped as a playground, although it can still be seen that it was formerly a lock. The bed of the Branch canal continues beyond, past a recent housing development, to join a small lake, still in water, from which it went north to join the filled-in stretch which became first a railway, then a Milton Keynes Redway. As you travel towards Newport Pagnell, - 16 -
The Wharf, Great Linford Photo: geograph.org.uk - 1272705� by mick finn. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Wharf,_Great_Linford_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1272705. jpg#mediaviewer/File:The_Wharf,_Great_Linford_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1272705.jpg
Tickford Bridge Photo: Alan Simkins [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
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parts of the canal bed can still be determined in various places, even though the railway used its route, although there is no sign of Lock 7 or Shipley Wharf. Newport Pagnell railway station has been redeveloped as a small housing complex. If you travel back along the Redway, to where the path goes under the road which leads back to nearby Linford Wharf, the platform of the former station can be seen, although there is no trace of the station buildings – these are long gone.Although I once harboured dreams of a restored Newport Pagnell Branch canal, with perhaps a new connection to the River Great Ouse, I fear that this is now pie-in-thesky, although I do know that stranger things have happened elsewhere. In Newport Pagnell itself, you will find Tickford Bridge, which crosses the River Ouzel, a tributary of the River Great Ouse; this was built of iron in 1810 and is the oldest iron bridge in the world, still in constant use, that carries main road traffic. Near the bridge is a residential building that, from its appearance, may formerly have been a boathouse and the river here is certainly deep enough to have been navigable by small craft; however the River Great Ouse was not navigable above Bedford and the Newport Pagnell Branch canal was never joined to either the River Ouzel or the River Great Ouse itself, which is a shame, as Tickford Bridge deserves to be a feature of our waterways. Brian Andrews
River Crossing Consultation Report From Peter Bradley, Head of Consultation, Transport for London, 3rd March, 2015 Response to consultation on ‘East of Silvertown’ river crossings: From July to September 2014, we held a major public consultation on a proposal for a new program of river crossings in east London. We received over 7,000 responses online from members of the public, businesses and other stakeholders offering their views on the proposed river crossing options at Belvedere, Gallions Reach and Woolwich - over 98 per cent of respondents expressed support for new crossings. The responses show how strongly both residents and businesses feel about this issue and how much support there is for additional crossings. You can find out more about the results in the River Crossing Consultation report, alongside a Responses to Issues Raised document, both of which can be found here tfl.gov.uk/new-rivercrossings The majority of feedback supported the introduction of new fixed link crossings, rather than enhancement of existing or introduction of new ferry crossings. Having considered all of the issues raised in the consultation, we will now continue to develop the concepts of new bridges at Gallions Reach and Belvedere, and we will also consider whether tunnels would be more suitable by releasing greater land for development than would be possible with a bridge. These crossings are just one part of a package of planned works to improve connectivity and transport links in east London. We have already invested a great deal in cross-river public transport capacity, including the extension of the Jubilee line, DLR network, improvements to the East London Line and introduction of the Emirates Air Line. The first Crossrail trains will also enter service in late 2018. There will, however, always be a need for some journeys to be made by road, including by bus or for freight, which is why we are moving forward this proposed package of river crossings for east London. Over the coming months we will undertake further work to develop our proposals for the proposed crossings in greater detail. For example, we will: - 18 -
• • • • •
Improve and refine our understanding of the likely impacts these new crossings would have on traffic flow and the environment. Develop business cases for the new crossings as well as our proposals for user charging, to manage demand for the crossings and fund their construction and operation. Consider whether we might need to take additional traffic management or other mitigation steps to ensure the new crossings operate successfully and sustainably. Explore how we might best apply for the powers that would be necessary to build and operate the new crossings, since this would impact on our programme. Look at how we can make best advantage of the opportunities that new river crossings would give us to improve cross-river links for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport passengers.
We will put our consideration of proposals for a new ferry at Woolwich and a ferry at Gallions Reach on hold, pending the outcome of this work. We will be taking the views expressed through this consultation into account as we continue to work on this important project.
Canning To w n
Dagenham Rainham
Beckton J
A
Deptford
Canary Wharf
B
C
I
Thamesmead Royal Docks
Belvedere
H D F
Wo o l w i c h
E G
Greenwich
Jubilee Line A Canada Water - Canary Wharf B Canary Wharf - North Greenwich C North Greenwich - Canning Town Crossrail (from 2018) D Custom House - Woolwich
DLR E F
Island Gardens - Cutty Sark King George V - Woolwich Arsenal
Pedestrian & cycle connections G Greenwich foot tunnel H Woolwich foot tunnel
London Overground J Wapping - Rotherhithe
I
Emirates Air Line
The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of The Inland Waterways Association or of the London Region or its branches. They are, however, published as being of interest to our members and readers. The IWA accepts no liability for any matter within this magazine, including adverts. Editor: Christine L Smith, 41 Jubilee Avenue, Twickenham, TW2 6JA. Tel: 020 8255 1581 or Mob: 07774 890 750. Email: christine.smith@waterways.org.uk Published by the IWA, N & E and South London Branches at: Island House, Moor Road, Chesham HP5 1WA Tel: 01494 783453 - 19 -
NEWS New moorings and facilities coming soon! Months of hard work developing new mooring proposals are now coming to fruition, with new long-term moorings about to be created in Haggerston and Hackney Wick.
On the Regent’s Canal, work will start at the end of March on a new long-term mooring on the off-side of the canal at Acton’s Lock. Known as Bluebell Moorings, the scheme in Haggerston will provide 10 leisure berths as well as a new water point, Elsan disposal and pump out which will be available for all boaters to use. Although the moorings will be on a new pontoon on the off-side, the construction works mean that towpath moorings between Acton’s Lock and Queensbridge Road will need to be suspended for around six weeks. However, we will be working with the contractors to ensure that boats can remain on site as long as possible and are only moved on when really necessary. There may also be occasional stoppages to the navigation for up to an hour at a time to allow heavy equipment to be moved. Works are due to commence on 23rd March and be completed by 1st May, after which the new boater facilities should be ready for use.
Acton’s Lock No. 7 Photo: From C&RT’s website
New boater facilities are also due to be opened in April on the Lee Navigation, once new leisure moorings are completed in Hackney Wick adjacent to the Here East development in the Olympic Park. The facilities will provide a new pump out and water facilities, available for the whole boating community to use. Policy on boats without a home mooring In February the Trust outlined its plans to provide greater clarity to those boaters who have stated that they will ‘continuously cruise’, but then don’t move their boat far enough or often enough to meet our published ‘Guidance for Boaters without a Home Mooring’ – our understanding of the requirements set out in the British Waterways Act 1995. We will extend the approach we have been applying to new continuous cruisers for the past year to all boats without a home mooring. This means looking at how far boats have moved over the course of their previous licence to see if it satisfies the requirement for continuous cruising. When this is introduced from 1 May this year, regular reminders will be sent to all those boaters whose limited movement is causing a concern. On the expiry of their licence, those that have consistently failed to move in accordance with our guidance will be refused a new licence unless they take a home mooring. Initially we will - 20 -
focus on those who, having declared they will continuously cruise, move the least, including a number of boats that barely move at all. For the first few months while boaters are becoming familiar with this policy, we propose to issue short duration licences to give those boaters concerned a further opportunity to establish an acceptable range of movement. Richard Parry, chief executive of the Canal & River Trust, comments: “The right for boaters to continuously cruise is enshrined in law, and I welcome this way of boating. Many such boaters make a fantastic contribution to the waterways, and it’s important that everyone who chooses this option understands and respects the rules. Our new approach does not change any rules, but it does seek to provide greater encouragement to everyone to comply with our guidance, and spells out the consequences if they consistently don’t. “Our message to boaters without a home mooring is that, if you are worried about your range of movement, or want to know more about what else you need to do to comply with our guidance, please speak to your local enforcement officer (or contact your local Trust office). In many cases, making some small adjustments to a cruising pattern is enough to meet our guidance, while in other cases taking up a home mooring may be more appropriate. Ultimately we are trying to help boaters understand our requirements and avoid running into trouble, for the benefit of all boaters.” We are writing to everyone with a boat registered as not having a home mooring to advise them of the process and will begin renewing licences on this basis from 1 May 2015. You can see a video by our chief executive Richard Parry explaining our policy here: https:// canalrivertrust.org.uk/news-and-views/news/policy-outlined-for-boaters-without-a-homemooring Please pay attention to the signs – a cautionary tale This week, staff at Little Venice were called upon to help a cyclist who’d been involved in a head-on collision with another cyclist on the towpath outside the Toll House. Although in good spirits, she had suffered quite a cut to the back of her head when she’d fallen off her bike, despite wearing a helmet. Luckily, St. Mary’s Hospital Paddington is a short walk away, so our front of house staff helped take her to A&E. Unfortunately, both cyclists had ignored the signs and were riding on a section of towpath where cycling is not permitted, due to the narrow width and conflicts with pedestrians and boaters using the visitor mooring. The Trust’s new Towpath Policy sets out how we will manage our towpaths to help avoid such conflicts in the future – based on our pioneering work in London with the ‘Share the Space’ campaign. When cycling on our towpaths, please pay attention to signs, give pedestrians priority and slow down past people and moored boats. It’s safer for yourself and others. The Trust’s new towpath policy - Better Towpaths for Everyone can be viewed here: https:// canalrivertrust.org.uk/news-and-views/news/new-policy-aims-to-give-better-towpaths-foreveryone
Note from Ed: This is an extract from the February edition of London Boating Bulletin which you can view in full at: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/boating-in-london/london-boating-bulletin - 21 -
The Royal Progress On 12th January, the South London Branch Committee met at a hotel overlooking Victoria Dock, after which our Chairman invited us aboard her narrow boat ‘Panacea’ for a cruise through the Royal Docks and up the Thames to Limehouse. This was the return leg of the St. Pancras Cruising Club’s annual “showing the flag” cruise to the London Boat Show at ExCel where inland waterways these days are represented almost exclusively by the IWA stand. Even more surprising is that none of the craft on display are in the dock or even come by water! It was a very windy day and early indications were that the cruise would have to be postponed. Eventually it was decided to proceed and, much later than planned, we headed through Victoria Dock and into Albert Dock, keeping on the north side away from London City Airport on the south side. We turned into King George V Dock as this has the only lock giving access to the river. (Each dock used to have its own lock.) A large ship passed on the river and we had to wait until that had berthed at Tate & Lyle’s jetty at Silvertown before we were allowed out and even then only after a representative from each boat had looked at the conditions on the river and agreed it was safe to proceed. The wind had abated and it was not nearly as rough as I had expected, although the rain was horizontal. No sooner had we entered the river than we met an ocean-going tug going at the proverbial rate of knots with a wash that swamped those on the bows. Passing through the Thames Barrier we just managed to leave the Tideway and head up Bow Creek as dusk gave way to darkness. Cruising the vast empty spaces of the Royal Docks was a new experience for me as was the night-time transit of Bow Creek and the Limehouse Cut and our thanks go to Libby and the St. Pancras Cruising Club for yet another of their enterprising cruises. Postscript: A few weeks later while staying in Devon, Christine and I visited the Maltsters’ Arms at Tuckenhay which has a quay on the tidal section of the Harbourne River, a tributary of the River Dart. The name of this tidal waterway is Bow Creek! Alan Smith
A plane, one of many, about to land at London City Airport, as viewed by the crew of NB Panacea Photo: Alan Smith
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Committee Members
Role North & East London
Chairman Deputy/Acting Chairman
Secretary
Minutes Secretary
Tim Lewis 5 Herongate Road Wanstead, London E12 5EJ Tel: 020 8530 0425 / 07802 518094 Email: tim.lewis@waterways.org.uk
South London Libby Bradshaw Ground Floor Flat, 61 West Side, Wandsworth Common, London SW18 2ED Tel: 020 8874 2787 Email: libby.bradshaw@waterways.org.uk
Vacancy
Vacancy
Roger Squires 46 Elephant Lane Rotherhithe, London SE16 4JD Tel: 020 7232 0987 Email: roger.squires@waterways.org.uk
Lesley Pryde 2 Hepworth Road Streatham, London SW16 5DQ Tel: 020 8679 9866 / 07787 372408 Email: southlondon@waterways.org.uk Allan Scott 4 Thorncroft Road, Sutton SM1 1RL Tel: 020 8642 8104 / 07985 728844 Email: allan.scott@waterways.org.uk
Vacancy
Treasurer
Ian Israel 32 Walfield Avenue, London N20 9PR Tel: 020 8446 1823 Email: ian.israel@waterways.org.uk
Peter Gregory 20 Ashley Gardens, Orpington BR6 9NH Tel: 07932 149959 Email: peter.gregory@waterways.org.uk
Social Secretary
Sally Naylor 21 Pitchford Street, Stratford, E15 4RZ Tel: 020 8519 7481 Email: snaylor@ymail.com
Alan Smith 41 Jubilee Avenue, Twickenham TW2 6JA Tel: 020 8255 1581 Email: alan.smith@waterways.org.uk
Publicity Officer & Newsletter Editor
Membership Secretary
Christine Smith 41 Jubilee Avenue, Twickenham TW2 6JA Tel: 020 8255 1581 / 07774 890 750; Email: christine.smith@waterways.org.uk Sally Naylor 21 Pitchford Street, Stratford, E15 4RZ Tel: 020 8519 7481 Email: snaylor@ymail.com
Dorothy Robbie 23 Porcupine Close, Mottingham, London SE9 3AE Tel: 020 8857 6367 Email: dorothy.robbie@waterways.org.uk
Sales Officer
Vacancy
Events Officer
Vacancy
Planning Officer
Rod Gray 1 Elgin Road, London N22 7UE Email: rodgray125@aol.com
Work Party Officer
Vacancy
Committee Members
Roger Wilkinson - London Walks Rep. 3 Lyons Villas, Hampton Road, Stanmore, HA7Â 3GF. Tel: 020 3612 9624 / 07896 801930 Email: roger.wilkinson@waterways.org.uk
Ex-Officio as Region Chairman South London Representatives
Shea Richardson, 7 Barrow Road, Streatham, London SW16 5PE. Tel: 020 8677 0196 / 07803 904 803 Email: shea.richardson@homecall.co.uk
Paul Strudwick 40 Fifth Avenue, Chelmsford CM1 4HD Tel: 01245 358342 / 07885 240291; Email: paul.strudwick@waterways.org.uk Planning & Navigation Committee: Wandle Valley developments: Deptford Creek developments:
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Eric Garland Libby Bradshaw Eric Garland
How to get to the London Region (combined with North & East London) Social Meetings:
How to get to South London’s Social Meetings:
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