The Magazine of the West Riding Branch
September 2005 1
Contents Page. 3. 4 9. 10 12 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.
Chairman’s Comment. Lavender Boat 2004. Events. Festival Photographs. Sales and Promotions 2005. Mikron in our area. Navigation Notes. Waterway Websites. Thank You Letter Jubilee’s Journey. A Warm Welcome. Committee Members. Social Events Calendar.
IWA Headquarters . Postal Address - PO Box 114, Rickmansworth, WD3 1ZY. Location of Building - 3, Norfolk Court, Rickmansworth, WD3 1LT. Telephone - 01923 711114. www.waterways.org.uk NOTE: The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of The Inland Waterways Association or of The West Riding Branch. They are, however, published as being of interest to our members and readers.
Cover Photograph. The West Riding Branch Stand at the IWA National Festival at Preston Brook.
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Chairman’ Comments I intended writing my report during the festival weekend but time rushed by so I am dictating to Liz as we drive home. It has been another enjoyable festival and lots of thanks are in order. A huge thank you to members of my committee – Jennifer, Elliott, Robert, Trish, Ian and my long suffering wife, Liz for planning organising and manning the West Riding Branch Stand. A special thank you to Ken, for again providing the stand and to Ken and David and their on site team for erecting and dismantling the stand. For the first time in many years we attended the festival by boat. There were 6 of us on board during the festival weekend so more thanks go to Elaine and the crew of the Lavender boat! Thanks also to any one who donated items for the Tombola, it went down well, we sold all the tickets and got rid of all the prizes. As usual the ‘big map’ and our display panels were of interest to a lot of people, so we were able to promote the West Riding waterways and help people with their enquiries about boating on them. Spring Bank Holiday weekend saw the Branch stand at Chesterfield. Again thanks to Jennifer and Elliott for organising this and Ian and Liz for helping them man it. It was a small, friendly festival, where we enjoyed talking to lots of people about all parts of the waterway system. Attending the festivals makes you aware of the tremendous amount of work the dedicated band of volunteers within IWA do. As a branch committee we are already thinking about the Trailboat Festival, Skipton and Beale Park next year! Do come and join us at the forthcoming social meetings, we have talks from our Region Chairman, John Reeve and knot tying member, Ken Nelson to look forward to. If you are a new member come and introduce yourself, we aim to make our meetings friendly and informal.
By Chris Pinder
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Lavender Boat 2004 Mid July It is assumed that I will be on the Lavender Boat (LB) as usual. I had assumed that as well, so no problem there. The suggestion was made that as the festival is only open for three days, the Lavender boat is only needed for three days. After some animated discussion I manage to persuade people that this will cause more trouble for Saturday so a Friday run is agreed. Day 0 (Thursday) I arrive in Burton at three o'clock. A nice man met on the train (advantage of travelling in a bonnet) shows me the best way to site. This takes me past the mooring for Copperkins II, my bed for the night - which hasn't yet arrived, so I go to Waterspace to ask about the LB. A pleasant surprise - they know where it is! I am directed to accommodation to get my wristband and discuss crew. There I meet Ed, who has been demoted from Lavender Crew (LC) to Assistant Camp Leader. He tells me I need to see Helen who has organisation of LC in hand. We wander round site alternating unanswered radio calls with face to face requests for Helen and at last meet her as she returns from accommodation where she has been sent to find us. We collect three bins for recycled materials (paper, glass and tins) and two funnels for pouring and set off down the towpath to Dallow lock where the LB is moored. Many friendly comments as we go along including one man who wants a picture, latter to appear in Trent Setter (the Festival Newsletter). We find the LB - a working boat with a tug at the other end to create a ‘push-me-pull-you’ - moored on the off side and are ferried across by a passing boat. A very good tank has been provided and, when the seal has been removed, the cone funnel worked well (thanks to the passing boater who lent us a screw driver for the demolition process). Unfortunately the top of the funnel was above my head, making pouring difficult. When this problem is explained to Paul, the friendly BW person manning the lock he assures us that they didn't have problems, only solutions, and 4
that the BW chippy will provide a solution. The chippy duly arrives and after some discussion agrees to make some steps the next morning. Returning to site for dinner I discover my bed is not to arrive until tomorrow. Luckily Helen offers a bed on her boat. This is wonderful except for the incident of the body (alive as a newt) in the lock, full details of which were relayed to me as I lay in bed by the person from the boat moored outside us. Day 2 (Friday) After wonderful early breakfast the LC arrive on the boat by 8:15 with gloves and signs, raring to get started. The chippy is there but the wood has not arrived. Eventually it arrives and in hour and a half the ‘Stairway To Heaven’ (named by a passing boater) are complete. These are a very impressive set of steps just the right height and width for working on, well supported in the boat which provided an excellent platform. Well done BW chippy whose name I have forgotten (sorry). Having got the steps we set off up the canal to start at the western end of the moorings. Our BW steerer for Friday and Saturday, Mark, uses the boat engine to go west then the tug to go east. Due to the constrictions, small number of passing places, and the length of the LB this is a bit slow and we start collecting about three hours later than the optimistic 8:30 announced in the Trent Setter. Luckily Ann & Iain Street on Gamebird provide tea, coffee and biscuits to keep us going. This is the first ‘Lavender-Boat-on-Legs’. These hydraulic appliances can be lowered to provide a fixed platform from which to work (when cutting down trees with a chain saw for example). It also avoids the necessity for mooring. Unfortunately the action of lowering the legs causes the boat to rock violently – not a good idea when in full flow down the funnel . Until we train Mark to hoot before lowering the legs we have some rocky moments! We manage to finish unloading the rubbish by 4:30 - not too bad given the late start. Day 2 (Saturday) 8:00 finds the crew and boat ready to go. We have a good run up the moorings and started back down in good style. Gamebird is ready with 5
drinks when we get there despite us trying to confuse them by changing the number of teas and coffees. We reach Horninglow basin at 3:00 ready to unload the rubbish in good time for our steerer Mark to get back to Wychnor where he is due to start a holiday on his boat. The LB had touched the bottom several times during the run so as a precaution we decide to pump out the tank. The pump (kindly lent by Lee Sanitation)works beautifully but on looking down the discharge point (the chemical toilet disposal point at the Horninglow sanitary station) I notice we are filling but not emptying. Pump stopped, we look for nearest interception chamber. This is full to 6inches below the surface. Mark walks back to his van and returns with some rigid rods. After some prodding (the rods would not fit) we manage to lower the contents by 2 inches but it is clear that there is a major blockage. BW manager Wayne then takes charge and rings for a well known drain clearing firm to come and deal with the blockage. They promise to be about an hour so the majority of the lavender crew depart back to site leaving Mark, Wayne, Steve Morley and myself to wait. An hour later Wayne rings to discover that they still have no idea when we will get help. A second firm is contacted who promise 20 minutes (this actually became 40 minutes due to bad traffic problems in Burton). Mark and Steve take the BW van back to Dallow Lane, Wayne goes up onto the bridge to direct the drain cleaning van to the site and I am left in charge of a full tank and a full manhole. The drain cleaner arrives with appropriate flexible rods, jetting and cctv equipment. He and I have an interesting discussion of the problem (for those of you who don’t know I'm a sewer engineer in my other life). The sewer is jetted, cleared and cctv'ed, the blockage moved to the next chamber down stream (which was buried) and the man leaves. We are then able to pump out the tank and return to Dallow lock. It is now about 7:30 and we say goodbye to Mark who is wondering whether his wife will still be talking to him. Returning to Copperkins II for a rest we have 9 for supper. Day 3 (Sunday) A good start. We all turned up to meet our new BW steerer, Shane. He is the dredger driver in his other life so we can (& do) blame him for the 6
shallow spots. The run goes well, with the usual refreshment provided by Gamebird and by 4:00 I am washed and changed to go round site. As I arrive on site, I am co-opted to ringing handbells at the belfry (where I manage to break 2 chairs, but that’s another story) With only about an hour to look round site I still manage to spend some money, see a few stalls and meet a few friends. Back on Copperkins II there were 13 for dinner and 15 to watch the illuminated boats. Day 4 (Monday) Last run and off to a bad start. The crew are at Dallow lock on time but Shane and the boat (left below the lock to allow room for the parade of boats) is twenty minutes late as he had difficulty raising the legs. As he tried to leave the lock one of the legs drops again and there is a slight delay as he raises it again. Of we go and the collection went well. although progress is slowed by passing boats leaving early. This included Gamebird, who kindly bring us several bags of rubbish from departed boats but no tea or coffee today. Partly because we have had no drinks and also because lunch has arrived we decided to stop by Copperkins II and have lunch and a hot drink in comfort. As this coincides with a shower of rain, it was a good idea. The LB is parked, legs down, along side such that there is just room for a boat to squeeze past. Half an hour later there comes a boat too deep to get past so we leave to continue work. But the legs stick again. After several tries we manage to go forward, the other boat having to follow us. Never mind, we will let it past at the bridge….. ….Where there are already boats waiting in the passing place, so we have no option but to keep going. Just as we are passing President, at the narrowest point, the leg dropped again. Not the best place to get stuck with boats trying to pass in both directions, watched by queues of interested punters both on the bridge and waiting to visit the exhibition boats. Having got the legs up, and vowing not to use them again this trip, we manage to complete the run. The recycling bins and the domestic rubbish are piled up nicely – Steve is rapidly disappearing beneath the load. 7
Pumping out the tank went well, but cleaning it out with buckets of water rather than a water jet, proves sufficiently difficult that after three or four goes we tell WRG2 that we have given up and other arrangements are made for cleaning. We get back to site just after the close of the festival having had our usual good time meeting old friends and making new ones. It was however rather more full of incident than usual. The LC would like to thank all those who donated either cash (£60 to the RTRJ) or alcohol and especially Ann & Iain Street on Gamebird without whom we might not have had the strength to complete the job. Day 5 (Tuesday) No run today. Passing the LB still moored above Dallow: Stairway To Heaven now moved along the hold. “You know you couldn’t wash the tank properly” “Yes” “Would that valve that was hidden under the stairs have helped?” “Aaaaaaagh” Elaine Scott
Lavender Boat Crew 2004. 8
EVENTS This listing only covers events that we were aware of when it was compiled. If further information is required on the events below please contact the following people:For Leeds & Liverpool Canal Society walks contact Mike Hustler on 01282 816476. Website http://townsleyb.members.beeb.net/llcs/ For Rochdale Canal Society walks contact Secretary Brian Holden on 01706 646132. Website www.derekparsons.com/society.html The Barnsley, Dearne & Dove Canals Trust hold open meetings on the first Monday of each month (7.45pm for 8.00pm) at the Market Hotel, Wentworth Road, Elsecar near Barnsley. Chairman Derek Housley is on 01226 790341 (evenings) or email chairman@bddct.org.uk. Website www.bddct.org.uk Monday 3rd October. Barnsley, Dearne & Dove Canals Trust open meeting. Talk by Martin Clark of Pennine Waterways. 7.45pm for 8.00pm Market Hotel, Wentworth Road, Elsecar near Barnsley. Fri 14th October. Barnsley, Dearne & Dove Canals Trust. 7.15pm for 7.45pm Charity Ceilidh (Barn Dance) featuring Roger the Badger, at The Fleets, Smithies Lane, Barnsley. 7.15pm for 7.45pm. Dancing until 11.30pm, tickets ÂŁ5 (adults), ÂŁ2.50 (children). Bar meals (& chips) available. For tickets and further details, contact Derek Housley. Saturday 29th October. Leeds & Liverpool Canal Society. Pre-AGM walk. Meet at 10.30 am at top of Greenberfield Locks for a 2 to 3 mile walk along the canal. Monday 7th November. Barnsley, Dearne & Dove Canals Trust open meeting. Illustrated presentation by Mike Silk, on the Barnsley and Dearne & Dove canals. 7.45pm for 8.00pm Market Hotel, Wentworth Road, Elsecar near Barnsley. Sunday 13th November. Rochdale Canal Society. Walk from Sowerby Bridge to Hebden Bridge (5 miles). Meet at Lock 1, Sowerby Bridge at 1.30 pm. Friday 30th December. Leeds & Liverpool Canal Society. Post-Christmas stroll. Meet at 1.00 pm at top of Anchor Lock, Gargrave for a 3 to 4 mile walk along the canal to Holme Bridge.
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The West Riding Branch Stand
The West Riding Branch Committee.
We had lots of displays about our local waterways. 10
at Preston Brook National Festival.
The tombola stall was very successful.
Not exactly an inland waterway craft! Nevertheless this model of ‘Victory’ was used to raise funds for the branch. 11
Sales and Promotional Activities 2005. Our first event of 2005 was the Skipton Festival over the May Day Bank Holiday weekend, as reported in a previous magazine. On 7th May we spent a day with the South Pennine Boat Club at their open day. We had an enjoyable day but it was strenuous work hanging on to the gazebo. The wind was so strong we thought we might end up in the cut. However we survived and although it wasn’t a financial success it was a worthwhile visit – meeting old and new friends and as usual promoting the I.W.A. At Spring Bank Holiday we spent three interesting days at the trail boat rally at Chesterfield. This was a most rewarding event. We met lots of people and hopefully created a lot of interest in I.W.A. We were the only I.W.A. branch at this event although the National Stand was next to ours – manned by I.W.A. members. After the rally we explored other sections of the Chesterfield Canal including Shireoaks, Retford and Stockwith Junction where it joins the River Trent. On Thursday 25th August we travelled by car to Preston Brook. The car was ladened with posters, Christmas cards and three cases and more of tombola prizes. (Thank you for your generosity.) The stand was already erected thanks to Ken, David and other helpers. By Friday afternoon we had arranged our displays etc. Liz and Trish had organised interesting games and activities for children and now we were ready for Saturday morning’s opening. The weather was very good and we all looked smart (well we thought so!) in our new T-shirts. (See photo on page 12.) Sunday was another fine day and business was reasonable.
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Monday – the rains came down and the ground became very soggy – umbrellas and waterproofs were a necessity. Business was slow – who was going to bother to turn out in this weather? However by lunchtime the sun came out and it was a scorcher! Business became more brisk – we cleared the tombola late afternoon and so the car was much lighter on the way home! On all three days demonstrations in the art of fender making by Chris and Bob attracted people to our stand and of course Ian, our mine of information, was always on hand to answer the questions of anyone wishing to know more about our waterways. We would like to thank everyone who helped in any way – by spending, giving of their time and the many tombola prizes we received. Ours was the best tombola at the show according to some of our customers. The result of all our members’ efforts and generosity made this a very profitable year for our branch at the National Festival.
Jennifer and Elliott Moseley.
******************** Mikron Theatre Company. Mikron are at present touring with a new production, ‘Wheel of Fortune’. This marks a return to a waterways theme and it charts the changing fortunes of the Forth and Cyde and Union Canals. They are performing this play at several venues in our area during October. Tues 4th - Nosh, 95 Northgate, Almondbury, near Huddersfield. Wed 12th - Horbury Library, Westfield Road, Horbury. Fri 14th - Craven Cattle Mart. Skipton. Sat 15th - Bingley Little Theatre, Main Street, Bingley. Sun 16th - Square Chapel Centre for the Arts , Halifax. Wed 19th - Golcar Lily, Slades Road, Golcar. 13
NAVIGATION NOTES Calder & Hebble Navigation British Waterways has demolished the last coal chute on the Calder & Hebble Navigation after receiving planning permission from Wakefield Council earlier this year. The site at Fall Ing basin is to have an interpretation board erected. Huddersfield Broad Canal The former Midland Railway viaduct that crosses the canal and the Colne valley is to soon become part of the Calder Valley Greenway. Work on this section of the Greenway should be completed by April 2006. Huddersfield Narrow Canal The Standedge Tunnel Visitor Centre and CafĂŠ has reopened in Tunnel End Cottages and is now free, visitors only pay for the short boat trips into the tunnel. It is open at weekends and bank holidays from Easter to the end of September apart from the summer school holidays when it is open daily. But the boat trips are only available at weekends and bank holidays. Pre-booked towed passages for boats passing through the tunnel are available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Leeds & Liverpool Canal Due to reservoir levels, there is a water shortage over the summit of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal and restricted hours were introduced. At the time of writing, British Waterways were closing the canal to boats between Greenberfield and Holme Lock, Gargrave. Below here there was sufficient water due to the feed from Eller Beck. The old swing bridge from Bar Lane, Keighley has been reinstalled over the Wey and Arun Canal at Haybarn, near Wisborough Green. It was a gift from British Waterways and was installed in Sussex by volunteers from the Wey & Arun Canal Trust. Rochdale Canal No completion date has yet been announced for the repair of the major breach to the canal embankment near Middleton, close to the River Irk Aqueduct, which occurred on the 25th of April 2005. IWA Historic Structures Survey Thank you very much to IWA member Peter Bolton for putting the BW listed structures into IWA survey spreadsheets. This means we now have a spreadsheet for each waterway. 14
However the information is not up to date and is incomplete. There are the non-BW listed structures which do not appear on the list. And there are all the unlisted buildings and features that which add so much to the character of our waterways. At the moment this project is sitting on the back burner as there is no one to take it forward. We still need someone to co-ordinate it and we need volunteers on the ground to add to the lists. More information on the Historic Structures Review is available on the IWA's website (www.waterways.org.uk) as a briefing note in the library section. British Waterways North West Jonathan Griffiths took over as General Manager for BW’s North West Waterways Unit on 1st August following Adrian Sains’ departure for Australia.
WATERWAY WEBSITES For those of you who have access to the internet, there is lots of information available. There is of course the IWA website at www.waterways.org.uk , with links to other websites. All the IWA branches now have their own e-mail addresses. Ours is westriding@waterways.org.uk For British Waterways there is
www.britishwaterways.co.uk and
www.waterscape.com www.penninewaterways.co.uk has lots of information on the canals of the south Pennines. I've also come across an online magazine www.narrowboatworld.com For descriptions and pictures of listed structures in England there is
www.imagesofengland.org.uk Many canal societies have their own websites. For the Barnsley, Dearne & Dove Canals Trust see www.bddct.org.uk For the Huddersfield Canal Society see www.hcanals.demon.co.uk For the Leeds & Liverpool Canal Society see
http://townsleyb.members.beeb.net/llcs/ 15
To All Members of The IWA West Riding Branch From Barnsley Dearne & Dove Canals Trust
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The Milepost. Is there anyone out there who could help the branch by writing something for inclusion in the Milepost. Have you been on an interesting boating trip? Tell us about it. Is there something waterways related you feel strongly about? Write us a letter about it. Any amusing stories? Tell us all! E-mail us at boblaing@blueyonder.co.uk , hand it to one of us, or post it to any committee member before the beginning of December. We look forward to hearing from you.
************* Jubilee’s Journey IWA’s boat Jubilee will be travelling around the waterway system during the coming year. The provisional itinerary has Jubilee travelling along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal between Gargrave and Leeds during January 2006 Help may be needed to move Jubilee or man Jubilee during a stopover, if you are interested or able to do either please get in touch with Chris Pinder and give him contact details and we’ll get back to you nearer the time.
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‘A Warm Welcome!’ The West Riding Branch extends a warm welcome to these members who have joined us since the last Mile Post. We hope to meet you at some of our social meetings. June 05: Mr B Wagner Bingley Mr C Briden York Mr and Mrs Lord Hebden Bridge Mr and Mrs Phillips Cleckheaton July 05: Mr and Mrs Lees Leeds Mr and Mrs Standring York Mr Varley Leeds August 05 Mr and Mrs Briggs Harrogate Mr Hudson and Mrs Budd Guiseley Mr and Mrs Parkinson Bingley Miss Walker Selby Mr Teal Tadcaster
Your Branch Needs You! As you may have noticed on page 19, your committee still desperately needs new members. We are now at an all time low of only eight committee members We only meet around six or seven times a year, usually in each other’s houses. Please consider joining us. Why not come along to a meeting to see what goes on. We may even try to bribe you with coffee and biscuits. Speak to any committee member to find out when and where the next meeting will be held. We look forward to seeing you!! 18
Committee Members 2005 / 2006 Chairman Membership Secretary Chris Pinder 152 High Street Yeadon Leeds LS19 7AB Home 01132 509371 Secretary Ian Moore 2 Eric Street, Bramley Leeds. LS13 1ET Mobile 07989 112581 Treasurer Elliott Mosley 23 Glenholm Road Baildon Shipley BD17 5QB Home 01274 581413 Sales Officer Jennifer Mosley 23 Glenholm Road Baildon Shipley BD18 5QB Home 01274 581 413 Minutes Secretary Liz Pinder 152 High Street Yeadon Leeds LS19 7AB Home 01132 509371 Mile Post Compiler Bob Laing 25 Bankfield Road Shipley BD18 4AJ Home 01274 581800 E-mail boblaing@blueyonder.co.uk
Mile Post Compiler Tricia Laing 25 Bankfield Road Shipley BD18 4AJ Home 01274 581800
Committee member David Jessup
Committee member Vacant
Committee member Vacant
Committee member Vacant
Committee member Vacant
Regional Chairman John Reeve 10 Perth Grove Stockton-on-Tees Cleveland TS18 5BF Home 01642 580350
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Programme of Events for 2005 - 2006. All meetings take place at 8.00pm on the second Friday of the month, in the top floor Social Club, Centenary House, North Street, Leeds, LS2 8AY.
14th October 05
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The Rochdale Canal John Reeve.
11th November 05 -
Not More Knots! - Ken Nelson.
9th December 05
Christmas Social and member’s slides.
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13th January 06
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Design Study for Bradford CanalMike Osbourne.
10th February 06
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To be arranged.
10th March 06
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A.G.M.
7th April 06
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To be arranged.
All the social meetings organised by the West Riding Branch are open and everyone is invited. Any member of the general public is allowed to attend and members are invited to bring friends. The Inland Waterways Association campaigns for the Conservation, Use, Maintenance, Restoration and Development of the Inland Waterways, which are part of our heritage, and are there for the benefit of everyone. For further information please contact 01274-581413 20