Navvies 255

volunteers restoring waterways

navvies waterway recovery group

Issue No 255 October-November 2012

Navvies Production Editor: Martin Ludgate, 35 Silvester Road, East Dulwich London SE22 9PB 020-8693 3266 martin.ludgate@wrg.org.uk Subscriptions: Sue Watts, 15 Eleanor Rd., Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester M21 9FZ

Navvies is published by Waterway Recovery Group, Island House, Moor Rd., Chesham HP5 1WA and is available to all interested in promoting the restoration and conservation of inland waterways by voluntary effort in Great Britain. Articles may be reproduced in allied magazines provided that the source is acknowledged. WRG may not agree with opinions expressed in this magazine, but encourages publication as a matter of interest. Nothing printed may be construed as policy or an official announcement unless so stated - otherwise WRG and IWA accept no liability for any matter in this magazine.

CUCT

Printing and assembly: John & Tess Hawkins, 4 Links Way, Croxley Green, Rickmansworth, Herts WD3 3RQ 01923 448559 john.hawkins@wrg.org.uk

Waterway Recovery Group is part of The Inland Waterways Association, (registered office: Island House, Moor Road, Chesham HP5 1WA). The Inland Waterways Association is a non-profit distributing company limited by guarantee, registered in England no 612245, and registered as a charity no 212342. VAT registration no 342 0715 89.

ISSN: 0953-6655 Š 2012 WRG

WRG BITM

Directors of WRG: Rick Barnes, John Baylis, Mick Beattie, James Butler, Spencer Collins, Christopher Davey, George Eycott, Helen Gardner, John Hawkins, Judith Palmer, Michael Palmer, Jonathan Smith, Harry Watts.

Visit our web site www.wrg.org.uk page 2

Contents Tim Lewis

In this issue...

Above: California Lock on the Uttoxeter Canal lurks somewhere in the undergrowth by the seldom-used southern end of the Churnet Valley Railway. Come and help us uncover it on the London WRG / KESCRG Christmas dig and the New Year Camp - see page 7.

Left: WRG BITM repointing on the Oxford Canal bridges project. Below: London WRG at Griffin Mill Lock, Cotswold Canals. Front Cover: Basingstoke Canal camp (by Alan Lines) Back Cover top left Chelmer camp (Chris Byrne) top right: Inglesham camp (Ed Walker) bottom left: WRGies get a boat ride at the opening of the new length of canal we helped build at Over (Martin Ludgate) bottom right: Chelmer - is this the best ever journey to worksite? (Chris Byrne)

Comment No more ‘us and them’, says our guest writer. Do you agree?

4-5 Chairman MKP in brief 6 Coming soon Bonfire Bash and Xmas fun 7 Camp reports Montgomery, Cotswold and Cromford canals 8-16 WRG BC Boat Club news and AGM 17-18 40 interviews former ‘WRG brat’ Kirsty Wallace gives a different perspective 19-23 Diary canal camps and weekend digs 24-26 Progress a roundup of news from restoration projects around the country 27-30 Camp reports The Chelmer & Blackwater (twice) and Cotswold (again) 31-41 Bricksaws our Toolbox Talk tells you how to use them safely 42-44 Ashtac 40 years on at Dukinfield 45 Noticeboard First canal camp of 2013 announced 46 Infill and the return of Deirdre 47

Contributions... ...are always welcome, whether handwritten, typed, on CD, DVD or by email.

Photos welcome: digital, slides, prints. Please say if you want prints back.

Digital pics are welcome as email attachments, preferably JPG, but if you have a lot of large files it’s best to send them on CD or DVD or to contact the editor first.

Contributions by post to the editor Martin Ludgate, 35, Silvester Road, London SE22 9PB, or by email to martin.ludgate@wrg.org.uk.

Press date for issue 256: 1 November.

Martin Ludgate

Subscriptions A year's subscription (6 issues) is available for a minimum of £3.00 to Sue Watts, 15 Eleanor Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester M21 9FZ. Cheques payable to "Waterway Recovery Group" please.

This is a minimum subscription, that everyone can afford. Please add a donation.

k for all the latest news of WRG's activities page 3

Comment No more ‘us’ and ‘them’?

“We are all on the same side now, and I’m not yet sure who the new enemy is, but there will be one!”

Comment The following contribution was sent as a ‘letter to the editor’. However we felt that it raised some sufficiently important points that it was worth giving some more prominence in the magazine. We are therefore running it as a ‘guest comment’ in place of the usual Chairman’s Comment page. We would really like to hear your views on Ian’s thoughts.

So what should we do now that the Canal & River Trust has arrived?

All the rules have just changed. For the whole of the history of Navvies there has been us and them - those in the restoration movement who volunteered on the waterways and those in British Waterways (and the other navigation authorities) who ran them. But under the new scheme of things, with British Waterways transformed into the new charity the Canal & River Trust (CRT), there should actually be just us. So how do we set about creating this situation?

CRT are employing lots of really helpful people to manage volunteers, and they are managing to find new volunteers who are actively prepared to leap into the mud and do things at a local level. Given that this is a good thing, how should WRG and Navvies be supporting these new full time coordinators and these new volunteers? We have the knowledge of working with and coordinating volunteers for over 50 years: we must be able to help. We have tools and safety gear; we have organisers and lots of other useful skills. Navvies should be looking at how to transform our old organisation into this new world of us “The waterways”.

CRT needs WRG and vice versa. It will enable CRT to prove that volunteers mean business, and can contribute to a better waterways system and thus raise more funding. This is no longer just about getting ‘lost’ and ‘remainder’ waterways restored, this is about all waterways being a better place. It’s about keeping those bits of history which would take too much time and cost, if done just professionally like keeping that rope roller on that bridge; it’s about having greased paddle gear; it’s about knowing what we have and making sure it’s kept. How many ‘start hooks’ are left, for example? [see picture] CRT are trying to find these things out but they need help.

This is also about rebuilding that broken-down wall at the side of your local One of us? CRT volunteer lockie at Stoke Bruerne

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Unappreciated heritage?: ‘Start hook’ on the Worcester & Birmingham; rope pulley on the Rochdale lock; this is about getting all that rubbish out of the cut at the end of your own road. It’s also about having nicely painted flights of locks in Walsall. We need the help of the full-time staff to coordinate our activities - Navvies needs to change to reflect this new era. Each regional partnership area (these replace the old BW regional waterways business units) now has a full time professional volunteer co-ordinator. Do you know who your local person is? Does Navvies tell you?

We are all on the same side now, and I’m not yet sure who the new enemy is, but there will be one!

We need to be able to present a common front to them when they appear. In lots of ways this is like going back to the early days of canal restoration, where it was all local in little pockets, but we know that having an overseeing body helped. When the volunteers of old had a big task, they were able to get extra troops on the ground. Navvies was about facilitating communication: we need to expand into the brave new world of ‘us’ and communicate. Navvies has never been about politics, it’s been about getting the job done. There are now lots of new people out there getting the job done and they don’t know about Navvies they should, now we are ‘us’. The flipside is also true: Navvies does not know about all these new helpful professional people out there and that also needs rectifying.

Let’s all start thinking about the Big New Picture and us and make us create a better canal system.

Ian Mcarthy Firstly I will confess that Ian Mac has got me bang to rights: I hadn’t even thought of putting the CRT volunteer co-ordinators in Navvies. I have corrected that omission in the list below right. On the wider subject, what do you reckon? Is Ian right? Are we all in it together now in the brave new world? Conversely, is CRT best treated as just BW in new clothes? Or is there a danger CRT volunteer coordinators that if we do treat it like that, Central Shires Tom Freeland tom.freeland@canalrivertrust.org.uk it will behave East Midlands Simon Gent simon.gent@canalrivertrust.org.uk like that and an Kennet & Avon Rob Labus rob.labus@canalrivertrust.org.uk opportunity will have been lost?

Manchester & Pennine Steve O’Sullivan steve.osullivan@canalrivertrust.org.uk Go on, what North East Lucy Dockray lucy.dockray@canalrivertrust.org.uk do you N Wales & Borders Paul Corner paul.corner@canalrivertrust.org.uk reckon?

North West Matt Taylor matt.taylor@canalrivertrust.org.uk Please write London Debbie Vidler deborah.vidler@canalrivertrust.org.uk to Navvies South East John Highmore john.highmore@canalrivertrust.org.uk with your S Wales & Severn Alan Sumnall alan.sumnall@canalrivertrust.org.uk views?

West Midlands Murray Woodward murray.woodward@canalrivertrust.org.uk The Editor

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Chairman ...on the GKP stone

Despite Ian Mac having taken over the Comment pages this time (and don’t forget to send the editor your thoughts on his piece!) there’s room for a few words from the Chairman

Chairman’s mini-Comment Hello again – I’m used to writing for the issue of Navvies at this time of year saying “what a great summer” but this one was a little different to the normal.

I’m afraid that I’m still doing a bit of tidying up from 2012 and also hurtling into the planning of 2013 summer camps so this isn’t going to be exactly an epic. However I do hope we can clear up a few things. Firstly, the long running saga of sorting out the Graham Palmer stone up on the Montgomery. [The original stone commemorating our founder has suffered from vandalism/weather damage and needs replacing/repairing/modifying so it won’t happen again ...Ed] I’ve been very slack about this but one of the problems is that nobody who can solve the problem will take us seriously and everybody else involved feels they have a better idea about what should be done. However, after a bit of frenetic discussion I feel that their now seems to be some consensus as to what needs doing – so now all we need is to find someone to take us seriously and we should be back in the game.

The last Navvies gave the sad news regarding the death of our good friend from Festivals David Howarth and I’m afraid I have to tell you that Bill Sinclair has also recently passed away. I could talk about many of their qualities but I think that the most significant was that no matter what the situation, there was always great fun to be had with both of them. With all the current turmoil and change in the waterways scene it’s important to remember that one of the great things about waterways, and a thing we should remember in both their memories, is that waterways are a great source of fun. Heritage, environment, recreation, tourism and lots of other things by all means - but it’s fun that we all share and remember.

On that note I’ll finish, as I am about to head back to Northamptonshire to continue the work on the bridges on the Oxford canal.

An interesting project and one we hope will, in time, make a big difference. Navvies will no doubt feature several articles, both political and practical, about this and what it means but as a taster to get the mental processes going I commend Ian Mac’s article in The memorial collection for David Howarth raised £1150 for WRG. Jude this issue.

Palmer and Heather Howarth are seen at Rowington with the cheque Mike Palmer

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Book now for the Bonfire Bash, or for a New Year camp where you might get to play trains!

Coming soon Bonfire Bash and festive camps...

WRG Reunion Bonfire Bash: November 10-11 This is the final call for volunteers for the annual WRG Reunion, otherwise known as the Bonfire Bash - and that’s appropriate because this year as usual we’ll be spending the weekend having a monster scrub-bash with lots of big bonfires. What’s different this time is that it’s on a brand new site on the Herefordshire & Gloucestershire Canal. If you were on the H&G Easter camps or read about them in Navvies you’ll know all about the new length of canal our volunteers built at Over; this new site at Withington is set for a similar but rather larger (about a mile long) job to recreate the canal channel in the future. But before we can start the muck-shifting we have to clear over a hundred years’ worth of trees and vegetation from the site - and that’s our job for the weekend on 10-11 November.

As we went to press several dozen volunteers had already booked on and it was heading for a good turnout with upwards of a hundred volunteers hoped for (and a good party on Saturday night!) but there was still room for plenty more. To book on (and receive full joining instructions including directions to the accommodation) just contact head office (01494 783453 or enquiries@wrg.org.uk) or book online via wrg.org.uk.

London WRG / KESCRG Christmas Party Dig 1-2 December Come to another brand-new worksite on the Uttoxeter Canal for the first of the Christmas working parties, the London WRG and KESCRG Christmas party dig. We’ll be working on a section of canal at Jacksons Wood between Froghall and Oakamoor where not only does the Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust plan to open up the canal, but the Churnet Valley Railway hopes to run steam trains one day on the adjacent (currently semi-moribund) length of railway line. And an early step towards both of these aims will be to open up a walking route along the route, a part of the Churnet Valley with little public access - by clearing trees and vegetation from the route. So come along and be a part of a really important partnership between railway and canal restoration - and have some fun with big bonfires! As usual there will be a fancy dress party and games on the Saturday evening - and because the site’s quite close to Alton Towers, we’ve decided that the theme will be ‘theme parks and fairground rides’ - make of that what you will! To book, send a cheque for £17.00 (pay Waterway Recovery Group) to Tim Lewis, 5 Herongate Road, Wanstead, London E12 5EJ. Any queries, contact Tim on 07802 518094 or email tim@timlewis.org.uk.

...and then New Year! ...which means New Year Canal Camps. That’s right, plural. There are two official WRG camps: one will also be on the Uttoxeter Canal - and not only do we get to have some big bonfires (don’t believe the rumours to the contrary!) but we even get to use a railway trolley to take our stuff to and from site so we can play at trains too! As with the Christmas dig mentioned above, the accommodation will be at Whiston Village Hall, and your leaders are Gary Summers and Nigel Lee. The other Christmas camp will be on the Cotswold Canals, clearing scrub from the canal bed eastwards from Rucks Bridge near Eisey, and Martin Thompson wil be the leader.

Book for these camps via Head Office: Tel: 01494 783453, email: enquiries@wrg.org.uk, online bookings at www.wrg.org.uk. Both camps run from 26 December to 1 January.

Finally, the group involved in the Dauntsey and Foxham restoration sites on the Wilts & Berks will be having their own New Year camp: contact Rachael Banyard on 01249-892289.

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Camp reports Montgomery Canal

Our selection of reports from the summer’s canal camps starts with one written in a rather unothodox style...

Camp 2012-16 on the Montgomery Canal: 28 July - 4 August or “Postcards to Ju” We were sad at our mate Ju (locked up in hospital – presumably not just for being dirty) missing out on Mont fun, so we sent it to her – on a postcard – everyday. Because the nasty newts had invaded our intended worksite, Bush and AJ came to the rescue (at the 11th hour) to get us some towpath work. Whilst waiting for that to get going we managed a day or two at Aston nature reserve, because... wait for it... it’s so overgrown it needed trimming. If you’ve not been to Aston for 20 years you must go and see the lush, almost rainforest-like environment.

So not necessarily our standard canal camp work (we don’t usually get watching proper boats go past site) but it was either that or cancel the camp. We had such a fab week we’re glad it didn’t come to that. A good camp, a chance for some more Canal & River Trust people to learn from us (and in fact we learnt quite a POST lot about wooden stakes CARD from them) and hopefully Saturday ADDRESS TH Dear Ju the locals will be pleased not IS SIDE All our volunteers have to get their feet wet on the arrived. Graham got to path this winter (the ones we th van hire place too late e encountered were pleased). and so far has spent 27 ho Anyway here are the To Ju ur on a train & is very, ve s postcards we sent. (nb all c/ o a hospital ry cross. We’re having ja spelling mistakes are so mewhere cket potatoes & salad shit original) for tea. We think we have enough kit – we’re the third circuit so we ha ve SW kit.

The Mont x

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CARD POST E ADDRESS THIS SID Sunday Bush took us round the nature reserve which we got to on john and V’s boat.

Finally after lunch some of To Ju us did some clearing at Greetings c/o a hospital us of t res Aston whilst the somewhere from the at nes sto e som ved mo wharf. Just waiting for CRT Wish you before we really get stuck were here in with the work then we was recovering went to the aqueduct in the Graham thirty hour train evening. The bursh cutter is from his journey. Love The Mont x broken, and the burco.

POST Monday The showers are broken. Dr Liz turned up, only 2 days late. Graham finally forgave Bush for the 35 hour train journey. CRT turned up to give us details on the nature reserve job, and a great deal of detail about the towpath job. Nature reserve was given a haircut and towpath work started slowly. Builders’

POST CARD Tuesday Showers now fixed (ballc ADDRESS TH ock IS SIDE stuck) No towpath stone – To Ju crusher broken. Lots of wo rk at C AnaR D c/ o a hospital ture reserve including tree so mewhere felling and culvert repairs.

Tea supplied by John & Vee fro m Chips in the rain by canal their boat as bruco still br (locals oke. jet skiing in basin) Visited Lots of skin broken! (Hor seMike’s underpass. Alex ate flies, brambles, etc.) Start 200 ed do ughnuts. Strickly come towpath work with expert tuition dancing re-inacted by valer from CRT. Swimming in e and Laurence.

Welshpool followed by Fis h& Love The Mont x merchants were visited about 37 times. Graham in much better mood. Love The Mont x

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POST

CARD

Wednesday Dearest Ju Towpath work now going great guns.

Extra digger delivered, and roller swapped for 2 whacker plates, to cope with demand. Stone for towpath arrived (only 10 tons as 60 would’ve filled the canal. New digger dropped a track at the end of the day so had to be left in an uncompromising position on the nascent towpath.

DAMBUSTERS IN ACTION @ NATURE RESERVE. Work slowing there as “armaggeddon” lok is not far off.

Narrowboat used as gazebo – only 4 of us left there. Soup & hot rolls for lunch, and flapjacks J . 1 out of 3 strimmers not broken. No boats or

ADDRESS THIS SIDE

To Ju c/o a hospital somewhere waders to deal with 3 feet of silt – wish U were here!

Lou-bangers & choccy sponge cake for tea. Giving good custom to The Lime Kiln – again. Leaders found how to stop unsolicited love letters from Orange on the Mont Camp Phones. Still no credit on #1...

One more line of rubbish to fill the cost card up. Alex eats raw pasta for fun.

Love The Mont

CARTE POSTALE Friday A

Dear Julia Editor’s note: DDRESSE ICI Nous avons trouvé la yes, they really botte perdue d’Alex et le pinceau, m did write it on ais n’avons pas retrouvé le nous a beer mat!

A: Ju co Suisse. Finsished the wo uteau c/ o l’h opital rk in the natural reserve and so met 50% of the towpath. Em hing like ptied, cleaned and washed th e vans, sorted out and organised the tools, counted them and compared to the list.

Robert got badly sunb urned (beinvolved 4 bulbs of ga cause he didn’t put en rlic, 5 ough cream). lie s, 20 onions and a shed chilNice weather. load of Garam Masala. Oh, an Dr Liz and Bush did a d 25 baCurry-athlon nanas in a duo of pudd and a Bananalympics fo ings. Lots r tea. It of love from the Mont xxx CARD POST And finally...

E ADDRESS THIS SID Sat urd ay The editor is To Ju 12.15am Liz broke the chair pleased to c/o a hospital somewhere Stuff we’ve mended: Burco report that Ju (allegedly). Strimmer (fixed is now out of itself on the way back to toolthe g shin fini just hospital and path. We are st hire – started 1 time there) of ting sor & ing tidy & hopefully will g nin clea Showers (how many wrgies does the hall. Extra Dof E points for be back on a it take to change a ballcock?) s! van as l wel as s car ks’ coo canal someg washin Flat tyre on van (ok, got a bloke Hope you get fixed soon – wish it where getin to do that) Track back on the strimmer! ng fixi as y ting muddy eas as was excavator (likewise) oh, and xx nt Mo The s by now hug n e Lov about 3km (200m) of tow-

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...then we head south west for Inglesham... err... Eisey... err... Griffin Mill... err... let’s just call it the Cotswold Canals, shall we?

Camp reports Cotswold Canals

Cotswold Canal Camp 18 – 25 Aug also included a trip to Wallbridge Upper Lock, next to the CCT visitor centre in the (Griffin’s Mill Lock/Wallbridge middle of Stroud, as Jon had a little coping Upper Lock towpath)

stone readjustment job that needed a concerted effort as the tow path would need to be closed for a short a time as possible which logistically WRG could do in our week long camp. By sheer coincidence at the same time that we visited, CCT were hosting a visit by family and friends to the first commemorative bench produced and installed by CCT volunteers that was sited overlooking the new Stroud Brewery Bridge. This bench has been dedicated to Jonathan Taylor, (known as Tay), passionate about canal restoration and a WRG volunteer from Stroud who died of a heart attack on 13 Feb 2008, aged just 38. His mother Janet was able to meet several of our senior WRGies that Jonathan had dug with and it was a very poignant moment for all concerned.

So on with a bit of mix-and-matchfrom-Tasterella (aka Valerie) style draft report sent to help me on my way to completing a camp report!

Camp ‘Anti-Beckham (a result of an evening game ‘pet hates!’) at Brimscombe’ led by RAF Martin and assisted by T.C aka Teacher (Jack Dee) Chris began. Cook extraordinaire was the wonderful Maria

Pictures by John Hawkins

From now on any camp destined for any section of the Thames and Severn or Stroudwater Canals will become a Cotswold Canal Camp. That way wherever it ends up on the said canals it will not confuse anyone with any single identified site!

Due to a little lack of a permission to put in a temporary dam and to put in new stop planks, the main thrust of the three Inglesham camps was blunted. But to the rescue, our illustrious CCT volunteer coordinator Jon Pontefract was able to reassign us to Stroud and in particular the Griffins Mill Lock restoration site. Home for the two camps was to be the hugely enjoyable Unit 4 at Brimscombe Port, the accommodation that just keeps on giving.

The van shuffle from Ed’s Kempsford accommodation was interestingly interrupted by a phone call from one of our European compatriots who was stuck at a train station with a credit card that said “non” to paying for his train fare. It sounded like Salisbury, “not that far away to nip over and pick him up Mr Hawkins (the ever present most useful of useful persons)”, route checked on map, just let our man know we are on the way”, only to find from the station ticket office it is in fact Shrewsbury station! Mega miles away, (note to self; really must get the hearing tested!) Anyway came up with a plan to get our stranded compatriot and he duly arrive early evening at Stroud station almost the same time as his fellow countryman who had had an equally interesting UK travel experience with the cancelling of his intended train and a later arrival than intended. “Let the train create the strain” might just be an alternative strap line!

Preparing to rebuild the bywash weir chamber Our introductory site visit

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(never a hungry or unhappy camper) and ever present was the Indomitable Moose, the incomparable MUP with John (the trowel-hand) Hawkins as our usual guru.

TC became superseded by Steph (the not-quite-newbie) who became Ents Rep; and then Chris realized he was ‘assistant to the assistant to the DoE gal ‘ (Sara) by the week’s end. I quote. This was the revised and rescheduled ‘Inglesham’ project, and was to be at Griffin Mill Lock for the knocking out of dud bricks, the excavation of spill weir and partial reconstruction, the ‘coping stone inquiry’ and possible repositioning, the new towpath (or re-laid anyway) at Wallbridge, and the rescue of scaffold submerged at Gough’s Orchard lock.

Hosted by the Griffin’s Mill project manager Steve Hake, we did indeed remove dodgy bricks in the off-side gate recess (the “Hawkins hole”)with a little bit of reclaimed brick replacement taking place, More dodgy bricks came out on the lower wing wall after we erected some “borrowed” WRG scaffold from temporary storage at the Brimscombe CCT lock up. The latter wall repair patch preparaThe towpath wall takes shape at Wallbridge... tion was the pride and joy of Steph, Nick and Sara, “never in held in by soil rather than mortar meant a the field of WRG history has a patch been deeper wider intrusion into the brickwork by prepared by so few to such an awesome standard”. In part by the use of a new bit of Val, Iain, Karl, and Sara. Pointing up and brick filling followed on after the preparation kit made by Arbotech, as described by work. Work also proceeded on clearing the Taster: The ArboTech is a £1000 piece of kit. It lower part of the stone wall extension to the towpath wing wall ready for the follow on makes a right racket, but has incredible powers of brick shifting for when a brick wot camp to water-jet out the joints and put scaffolding up to clear the upper portion of you don’t want is in a wall and you want it the wall to expose some areas that needed out, like!! seriously re-building. Access to this was from Hopefully TC will provide a gadget the invert of the lock which required daily assessment of this bit of kit as it was quite impressive in cutting out bricks without over attention to pump out, clearing just a little cutting the joints (bed and perps) and going bit of silt & debris to make clean and safe access. Our local team helped by fixing a full half brick in depth.

Meanwhile the towpath lower wing wall chicken wire over the scaffold board to lessen the slip hazard risk. received a bit of router action to clean out In the early part of the week while all joints for re-pointing, more dodgy bricks

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the lock wall action was going on, the other intrepid campers under the watchful eye of Moose were settling to expose the walls of the spillweir which sadly involved a bit more dismantling due to failed mortar joints.

Mick, Dave, Chris C, Mathieu, Alexis, and initially Sara set to work. Bricks were cleaned and Val who just loves brick cleaning gleefully joined. An introduction to bricklaying briefing was given to the aspiring “trowel hands” who then had a go putting in the bricks that they had previously taken out.

“Mick the Mix” started his claim to mixer fame road by supplying mortar for the lock and spill weir.

While all this was going on TC took a band of helpers to go and find some specific bricks to be used in the repairs, none were found at the Brimscombe lockup but allegedly there were some at Alex Farm (the Eastern End CCT depot), the locals suggested. After two brickless visits to the farm, the locals declared that they were by the bridge (Ruck’s Bridge as we know it) as the locals consider anything in the vicinity of the farm to be Alex Farm; we had been looking in the wrong place. Tah! So with Steve the local in the van, Chris and his team of expectant brick shifters departed for a third time to the Eastern End only to return empty handed, the bricks were nowhere to be found TYS was on the tip of our tongues!.

Much phoning around resulted in a new delivery of bricks due to arrive on Friday sometime of our week. Steph, Nick and Sara were distraught at not being unable to fill their awesome hole, the “glory hunters” of the following week were to have that pleasure. Tuesday was a short site day as went off to visit the Capels Mill where there is a major civil engineering project to divert the canal as someone had inconveniently filled it in with a massive amount of waste material.

For the techno bods among us it was a very interesting civil engineering construction site and for others a reflection that canal restoration is not just limited to wellintentioned volunteers. Our thanks to Griffith’s for accommodating our visit and to Simon for his great informative tour, appreciated by all.

So without new bricks to lay, the whole camp was mobilized to Upper Wallbridge on Wednesday to tackle the late inject coping stone

realignment task. With towpath closed the crew carefully removed the fill behind the pushed-over copers and clearing out spoil from the front of the tow path wall. At the end of the day the whole section had been dug out, copers moved into position, broken wall stone cleared out and replacements found, and a new change of gradient partially prepared. A mega day took place in full view of the public as they passed over the bridge and as supped tea at the lock Café. Clive and the CCT Wallbridge visitor center volunteers were gracious and welcoming in their hospitality for the group while we worked nearby. The traditional cinema visit was our evening entertainment trip.

Having done so much the previous day, part of the group was able to be at Griffins Mill on Thursday while the remainder went to Wallbridge. Moose managed Wallbridge while a stone scavenging mission with CCP Paul went to the Brimscombe lockup to get more stones to complete the tow path level transition. Mick the Mix became the Mighty Mixer as he made loads of mortar for both Wallbridge and Griffin sites. The red van was fast becoming a regular vehicle shuttling between the sites. At Wallbridge the other van became a workhorse in collecting dumpy bags of ballast for the concrete production to secure the copers in place. A competitor for Mick the Mighty Mixer came from Dave aka DDC (Dave Does Concrete). By COB on Friday we had two elite mixers but you have to say for nuances of mortar mixing, Mick takes the title of Mix Master. Come back Dave and give mortar a go, you just might be the mix king next time! Considerable volumes of materials were shifted and placed chief wheel barrow shifters were Matthieu, Alexis,

...and the finished article

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and Steph. The stone laying stuff was ably performed by the Hawk, Nic, Iain, and Chris C assisted by Moose, Karl and Maria (escaping from the kitchen for some quality time on the towpath!).

The local paper reporter & photograph visited and the photogenic TC posed seductively against the paddle gear, Stroud News and Journal today, the world is his oyster! A rather nice WRG article duly appeared, endorsed with some kind words from Dave Marshall SDC canal partnership manager.

Friday saw more of the same with Type 1 material being fetched from the Brimscombe yard to level off the tow path after coarse stone had been gleaned from “local sources”. While the most of the team were at Wallbridge, Sara and Chris P volunteered to man the pumps at Goughs Orchard in a valiant effort to reduce the water level to one where we could get in to recover the WRG scaffold left in place after last year’s reassigned Ed Walker camp from Warwick.

My thanks to Paul, and the Hawk & Nigel for helping out on Saturday morning to get the scaffold out and safely transported away. The final words, almost, from Taster: By the final day we had moved over 20 coping stones at Wallbridge and I personally shifted umpteen bucket loads of stones and rocks to raise the level of the towpath, cleaned the copers, scraped bricks and chiselled out dud ones till my likeness to Mrs Scrubbit from The Woodentops was raised way beyond all previous ‘Look Alike’ competitions.

Paul Weller( not the one from The Jam) of CCT praised the work to the skies and Nick the Wall, Mick the mix and Dave the mixer can be justly proud of their part in the team work that was deemed ‘best quality ever’.

Memorable characters list: AndyChris aka Chris Colborne, the man who made the Falkands fleet in Lego.

Our two Gallic chums Matthieu and Alexis had some interesting facts to share, like: one of them ran naked in the snow and the other may or may not have pushed a birthday cake into his mate’s face.

Dave was descended from Nelson and AndyChris’s grandad had invented the custard cream, while Nick had raised cacti (hundreds of ‘em) as a teenager.

Karl was the Bristol museum volunteer who knew all about the engines, tugs and ships in his care.

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Iain was Southern BMX champion (or 3rd anyway) in 1983.

Mick knew all about medical matters, as did Dave. Dave also dances like the Hofmeister Bear.

You will gather from the above that we had a right ripping time when playing ‘Which one is a lie?’ a game led by an uncanny Mastermind-ish inquisitor in the shape of Steph.

Also introduced with the aid of modern technology (wireless connection to lyrics site playing the respective songs) was a most engaging competition guessing which person was the source for a best & most hated song from a secrete nomination slip.

We also laughed when discovering which of us hated ‘Bohemian Rhapsody!’ Go on wrgies, have a guess.

Memorable moments: Moose in his arabesque over the Wallbridge mud, and his hammer throwing event a few days later.

Meetings with Joe Public included one OAP who argued that he should be allowed onto our work site at Wallbridge as ‘’You’re Walking on it!!’’

One of us earned the title Mini Moose.. !

We played rounders in the huge hangar like expanse of Brimscombe and disco’ed the night away after a scrumdelish BBQ. In the words of RAF Martin: “I’ve never laughed so much on a camp before...”

Finally, WRG camps never cease to provide a great bunch of folks, the older brigade and the newbies, I am so lucky to spend my time with top people. To Teacher Chris, you are the man, no better assistant, camp life is never dull when you’re around, Maria cook and sustenance boss supreme, my MUPS Moose and the Hawk who were priceless in supporting the camp on and off the site, a new assistant leader in the making and our own “games maker” Steph and then of equal admiration and thanks to the rest of the camp for making this a memorable camp. It was also made memorable for the right reasons by the support and enthusiasm of our locals, Jon, Paul, Steve, Dave, Clive and others too numerous to mention, many thanks, it was pleasure to be there and when do you want us back!

Hands up for the alternate WRG post Xmas camp on the Cotswolds? Inglesham lock restoration camps next year; watch this space for more details!

‘RAF Martin’ Thompson

Meanwhile on the Cromford Canal they’re starting work on demolishing and rebuilding a spillweir A bridge too far or “Just what traffic will be crossing the spillweir?”

The first week of the Cromford Camps was led by Becky and ably assisted by Tom (Squeezy) and Kath doing the cooking.

My part started early saturday morning by driving from home to the Scout Hut in Crich, Derbyshire, which was to be the accommodation for the Camps. I was then driven to Derby station to catch the train to Birmingham New Street and then on to Telford where I was to meet with a van and trailer that had been driven down from the Lancaster Camps.

Meanwhile Becks had caught a train across country to meet with the second vanex the Lancaster Camps, which she then drove down to Crich. I eventually arrived late afternoon.

As usual all kit was checked and introductions made, including the viewing of the Safety DVD. The task for the two weeks of Camps was to demolish an existing spillweir and part of a stone wall, and rebuild to drawings supplied by Derbyshire Council.

The main difference between the old and new was that the spill was to be longer in order to cope with excess run off of water from the hills. This water then goes over the weir and runs down into the River Derwent.

After breakfast tools were sorted and then the drive to site well, not quite!!

The vans were parked under the barn that is part of the Cromford & High Peak Railway.

Because the main work site was nearly a mile walk along the canal arrangements had been made with Derbyshire Council (who own that part of the canal) for them to provide a small tractor and trailer

Camp reports Cromford Canal to carry everything to site. Tractor and driver eventually arrived very late - not a good omen. All equipment was transported to the work area and the area was scrub bashed for our encampment. A scaffold should have been erected across the back of a stone wall - but this hadn’t been put in. The small excavator was due to be delivered on Monday and so some folks started to dig out the old spillweir with picks and shovels. Meanwhile others started to fill the sandbags that were to be used to form a dam around the old spillweir as it was dug out.

It being the first Sunday of the month the Lea Wood beam pumping engine was in steam, pumping water from the river up into the canal, so several people visited it during the day.

Next day a team started to construct the formwork that was to be used later in the week. The sandbag team was still busy filling and laying the bags into the canal. The excavator arrived, complete with the pecker attachment; this was immediately put to use digging out the old spillweir’s footings. Tractor and trailer arrived, late again - but with a different driver. This was to follow a similar pattern for the week, with the added prob-

Building the sandbag dam

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lem that the tractor and its driver would disappear shortly after 4pm. The opportunity was taken to start to move the ballast and cement down to site in readiness for the forthcoming concrete mixing.

Tuesday arrived, as did the scaffold, which then took until mid afternoon for the guys to erect. And so work could now also start on demolishing the stone wall, this proving more of a problem then originally thought. It was all held together with a very strong cement mix.

The formwork team continued their task. The steelwork was also delivered, all of the reinforcing bar and several different lengths of flat-bottomed railway track. The railway track was to form the deck of the spill weir to support the towpath. This part is so over-engineered that one wonders if much thought was given as to how the rail was to be moved down to site.

Wednesday saw the final removal of the old concrete apron and a start made on digging out a trench for the first beam to be cast. Towards the end of the day the ‘blinding’ concrete was laid in place in readiness for the formwork and re-bar to be positioned. The formwork gang, who had set up their working area under the barn next to the vans, were still busy cutting and fixing etc. A few folks had an ‘away day’ to see some of the old local industrial sites - well, I think that was the idea!!

As the day went on the re-bar was being assembled and all joints wired together-thanks goodness for the wire spinners. Because we had dug a large hole in the towpath, a stoppage had been set up and suitable Heras fencing put in place to stop people walking through the site… just how wrong could things be; several people attempted to get past the site or even walked up to see what we were doing.

Thursday the wall gang continued their demolishing, and the formwork was lowered into the trench and bolted together. All levels were checked and set as needed. The next task was to install all of the re-bar, and thus all was ready for a concrete pour the next day. Meanwhile the formwork gang had started on the next sets of boards in readiness for the next pour.

During the week more ballast and cement had been brought down to the work site, as well as several containers of clean water. The work site was getting quite congested and great care had to taken in placing

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the two mixers and the generator etc. All of the levels were checked and found to be OK. And so the mixing began, by first putting the cement, ballast etc into the rubble tubs to measure it, in order to get a good consistency of the mix, as requested by the Council.

Because there was a lot of equipment at the work site a lot of thought had to be given as to when we could return items to the vans. This task was not helped by the fact that the tractor driver always left site long before we were really ready to go. The remaining items were pushed along the towpath in a two-wheeled barrow. Having loaded the vans we set off back to Scout Hut for the ‘end of camp’ kit check, before a quick dash to the showers. The evening was looking to be good because a BBQ had been arranged in George’s garden - with many thanks to his Mum and Dad. Saturday was the final sort of kit and to give the hall a good clean in readiness for the following weeks Campers.

Many thanks to all who came on the Camp; and we hope that you enjoyed the experience of a Canal Camp and may be we’ll see some people again, not forgetting the Bonfire Bash in November.

Special thanks to Becks, Squeeze and Kath for a very good week in spite of all the setbacks, over which we had no control.

John Hawkins ...and now over to Squeezy and Gemma for the second week?

Putting the scaffold in place

The latest news from our own boat club, including AGM notes, the latest recipient of the Roger Jeffries Award, and the possible revival of the bring-a-boat dig

Boat Club WRG BC News

condolences to Heather and her family on behalf of herself and all club members. David The WRG Boat Club AGM was held on Satur- is sadly missed. day 1st September at Maesbury Marsh. It While attending one of the parties, was a somewhat ‘intimate’ gathering as celebrating the transfer of the Waterways to unfortunately many members were unable to CRT, Lynne was asked to cut a cake along with one of the trustees, John Dodwell. He is attend. On the plus side, the smaller numbers made it much easier to find a suitable a boat owner, very approachable and they time and venue! (After the festival closed for chatted about volunteering and WRG. We are also very proud that club memthe day and round a large table in the corner of the bar) ber Nick Grundy attended the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Pageant in his boat Beaty. UnfortuHere is a brief summary of the minutes: nately the TV coverage was too poor for any one present to have spotted him! Canals and (1) A number of members, who were rivers were well represented on the route unable to attend for a variety of reasons, taken by the Olympic Torch this year. sent their Apologies.

The commodore welcomed Mike Chessher, who has been co-opted as a club (2) The Minutes of the last AGM were officer and all members new this year. discussed and questions asked.

Despite the weather this year doing its best to hamper things, there being closures (3) One Matter Arising was that we were because of droughts followed by closures able to raise enough for the agreed donabecause of floods, all making boating untions to be made (more details in treasurer’s pleasant, a lot has been achieved. report).

Lynne also reminded members that Subs are Now Due! (4a) The Commode Door Reported, after welcoming all to the AGM, she explained that (4b) The Secretary Reported that despite we had decided on this time and venue some ‘comings and goings’ membership has because: remained constant at 41.

We have recieved a letter of thanks for our support and donations to the MontThere was no ‘National’ this year.

Maesbury Festival was supporting the gomery Canal restoration. We have also restoration of the Montgomery Canal recieved a certificate for our donations for It was being held near to the end of the Inglesham Lock appeal.

August.

Other correspondence has been for AWCC membership and handbooks, memWe are proud that a number of members bership cards, the purchase of new burgees. stood for election to Council as private boatAWCC hand books have been sent to ing representatives for the Canal & River those requesting one and to all new memTrust. We must have created a record, fieldbers. New 2011/2012 membership cards ing so many candidates from such a small have gone to all paid up members also a club. Congratulations to Vaughan on his specially designed Jolly(?) Boat Club Christelection, now he has even more meetings to mas card. attend. (more from Vaughan later) It has been necessary to contact memWe had very very sad news this year bers via email when a some news needed to when we learned of the death of Club Officer be imparted urgently before the next issue of David Howarth. The commodore offered Navvies would reach them. Please ensure

WRG BC NEWS

. . .

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Boat Club

“When checking requests from members wishing to be Boat Club officers, altogether we had been flooded with a total of... none!”

WRG BC News that the Secretary has a current address for you. (Best way is to email secretary at address given below).

A supply of new burgees has been purchased.

(8) The WRG Bowl Award (aka The Roger Jeffries Trophy) Last years recipient, Vaughan Welch came along during the day but was unable to stay for the meeting.

Despite his busy schedule he gave me a written report that I read out at the meeting and (4c) The Treasurer Reported that we are will forward copy to all members that I have still solvent even though expeniture exceeded email addresses for (hint!) The Droitwich income this year. With all bills and donations canals have proved very popular (have YOU paid we ended the year with £69.13 in the visited yet?) And won many accolades. Max bank.

Sinclair has been nominated for the English Since it was formed the club has doHeritage Angel Awards. Please look at nated altogether the sum of£3800. Somewww.english-heritage.org.uk/caring/heritthing to be proud of. age-at-risk/English-Heritage-Angel-Awards/ vote2012 for information and to vote.

(4d) The AWCC Rep reported that both she Vaughan also gave useful information and Sadie had attended their meetings and, re the Dudley No 2 (Lapal) canal. Plans for as ever, Erica our regional chairman sends restoration for the canal from the Selly Oak lots of emails keeping us up to date. Don’t end are in the pipeline. This could turn out the forget you can access ALERT on line. ideal location for a Bring a Boat gathering.

A toast was then drunk to - David (5) The Election of Officers When check- Howarth, Roger Jeffries, Peter Richards, Martin Grundy and all ‘Absent Friends’ ing requests from members wishing to be officers altogether we had been flooded with Lynne then talked of the great contribua total of None!! Sadie proposed that Mike tions made by a couple who had been volunChessher be elected formally. Lynne secteering in so many ways for about 30 years onded this and all agreed. For the rest the and amid applause and cheers (and thanks present officers, having done such a marvel- for the thousands of meals Liz had supplied lous job so far, were re-elected. to hungry Navvies) she handed ‘The Bowl’ to this year’s recipients Liz and Jim Lamen. It is (6) Future Plans were discussed along well and truly deserved for their joint efforts. with the possible venue for 2013 AGM. There was much support for us to hold a (9) Amoungst the Any Other Business ‘Bring a Boat’ weekend again. To do this we was a request that Sadie tries to find a supneed to join with a group working by a plier for embroidered or printed club badges navigable bit of canal. The boat you bring that can be stitched on to shirts or fleeces, does not have to be large or a narrow boat, toy or home made ones, (preferable made Whew! There are lots of other interesting from cake) would be most welcome. Whatthings to tell of but I’d hate to fill the whole ever is decided it MUST be relevant to resto- magazine with WRG BC news. So finally... ration.

I hope you have paid your subs (7) Allocation of funds/donations. please make sure I have your email address After discussion it was decided that we would like to donate money for materials burgees and stickers are still available and/or equipment to be used for further xxx Sadie Heritage 07748186867 restoration on the Montgomery Canal. Sadie to find out how best to do this. sadiedean@msn.com

. . .

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And now for something completely different: what was it like growing up as a “Nat Brat” with WRG at the IWA National Festivals in the 1990s? Kirsty knows!

WRG at 40

Forty views for forty years

40 Views for 40 Years Number 26 in a series of interviews to celebrate WRG’s 40th birthday (apparently people can’t keep track of where I’m up to - well, the 40th was a while ago now) was over to the edge of the Pennines to see Kirsty Wallace - a true child of the National Festivals. ‘Nat Brat’, they call it, apparently...

Q: How and when did you first get involved with canal resto-

All pictures by Martin Ludgate

ration?

A:Well – my mum was very involved with the National Waterways Festival. My first [canal restoration] memory was Moira Furnace. When I was a kid, growing up, that was the village next to us - we could walk there, and before it was just a complete quagmire; it was just full of mud. I looked at it and thought they’re never going to restore this – ever. I was about 13 at the time and apparently BITM were working on Moira Furnace and I remember I put my WRG t-shirt on (because I’ve had one since I was how old?) and Mum took us down and met people that she knew – I didn’t know them very well but she knew a lot of people. They had a journalist with a camera there from the local paper and they got me to help dig the trench that is in the middle of the canal for the drain. No hard hat, no nothing – just me and a shovel, a WRG t-shirt, 13 years old. The journalist asked me how I got involved and I told him I live up the road, my mum’s into all this, I love restoring canals. I had my picture in the local paper. That was my first memory of a dig.

Canals – my mum was involved in festivals so I was always going to festivals with my brother. When my dad was away at sea, obviously my mum was bringing me and my brother up throughout the summer.

Festivals was her thing – she was one of the directors then. She used to take Alastair and I along and dump us with WRG – “you’ll be fine”. Being a mother, leave them with responsible adults. Little did I know. The two wrgies that really took me to their hearts was Mitch and Gav Gav. They had the patience with me, they let me hang around with them. I was just in awe of those two. They were always really friendly and treated me as a person. My mum told me the other day that she always used to have Alastair and I sat around a table eating ice-cream out of a bowl with a spoon – as you do. When you have chips you have them at the table. Whereas Mitch and Gav Gav were the first people that bought me some chips in a tray and ice-cream in a cone and were walking around the festival site. I was just completely in awe. I loved them, I loved them more than anything, especially Mitch because she was just such a brilliant person - she still is.

Q: Can you remember any of the Nationals ?

A: I remember them all from Dudley when I was 8 – 1991. That was where I did my rice crispy cakes with (God bless her soul) Josie. I think mum was busy and I was hovering around the compound. I’ll always call anything a compound – it’s always a compound – for me, it isn’t natural to call it an accommodation.

Josie asked me what I wanted to do and I wanted to help - I wanted to make everyone like me. I knew I was an irritating, annoying little so-and-so who constantly got in the way and I wanted to help. They said why don’t you make some chocolate rice crispies for people. “That’s a brilliant idea, I’ll do that”. I made these cakes and they were on a tray. I thought it was wonderful because all these adults were coming in and they were eating my rice crispy cakes. At the end of the festival, it was when everybody had those ‘Team Sparks’ or ‘Team Chippy’ t-shirts. They got me one and it said ‘Team Cook’ on the back. I think I’ve still got it. That was my first memory of a national.

I can remember when Mummy cool was on the cover of a knitting pattern!

At the 1996 festival, Dudley I remember watching a CCTV camera in a porta cabin for Black Prince

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security (I got a t-shirt for helping) with an instruction of ‘if you see anything dodgy, tell him’; a quick play on the joystick, zoom and soon enough there was a local youth acting suspiciously near a bridge so I carried out my brief and told Ken’s son. He then radioed to the nearest security guard to check it out, which he did and I watched it all on a television screen, fabulous! I felt very important.

I remember doing the cash run at about 14! Back in the days before security companies arrived at the turnstiles in stab vests!! People had to wear a rucksack with all the money tins taken from the gates at festivals and casually walk, through the festival site amongst all the public to a safe and secure area for it to be counted and banked! I did this as a small 14 year old walking with Spencer Collins next to me, arm round my shoulders, Bex Parr and Lou Kellet a few yards in front and behind, also a number of security staff dotted round with radios following the undercover procession walking through the festival site!! I was honoured.

I remember waterways for youth, not WoW! I remember driving an orange Bradshaw (they will always be the most fun) totally illegally of course along the towpath at Dudley 1996 with two very scared 17-year-old Duke of Edinburgh volunteers.

I remember having a WRGie at the front of the dinner queue punching holes in your meal ticket at festivals with a fancy hole punch with different patterns for every meal.

I remember posting chips in the holes of Gavin Moor’s jeans at Dudley 1991 as I sat on the tow path with him and Mitch.

I remember meeting Rosie & Jim at Henley 1998 then seeing Duck in the beer tent later on that evening, he had been stolen from the roof of Duck sneaks off from Ragdoll for a beer and a fag with WRG NB Ragdoll.

I remember Alan Thorpe’s yellow bellys and his sweetshop in the horse box at Chester 1997 I remember WRG’s rendition of the Full Monty in the illuminated boats parade and all the shows they used to perform.

I remember Brian Saunders and his saggy banners. Wheeling them all around site, putting them up, travelling miles, for him to say “yes they are OK” then an hour later telling us to re do them all because they have sagged!!

And I remember getting shouted at at Wakefield in 1992 for getting in the way on my bike! Yes, a bicycle at the Wakefield National was a bit optimistic but I persevered!!

Q: For anyone who remembers [Kirsty’s brother] Alastair in 1993 what’s he doing now?

A: Well now he’s passed his PCGE and he’s got a job at a school in Birmingham as an RE teacher.

Hopefully he’ll do well.

Q: I also remember a t-shirt made for when you could first go on a canal camp?

A: My WRGlette 2000 t-shirt. My real mum bought me that t-shirt when I was young and I loved that. I let Becky’s [Parr] nephew wear it on our canal holiday. I still wore it (when I was thinner) everywhere, every canal camp I went to.

Q: Can you remember the first national when you were ‘legal’ and able to go on the camp as a proper WRGie?

A: Before, you could go on nationals at 17 – this is years ago. Worcester was technically was my first legal one. I actually found a twenty pound note when I was litter picking. Mum told me to take it to the

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police station. I looked at her and said ‘really?’. I couldn’t believe it.

Who’s going to go to a police station and ask because they’ve lost a twenty pound note? She was always trying to keep me morally correct even though I was terrible.

Q: Did you take it to the police station?

A: I don’t think I did...

Worcester was when we did WRG TV – if you look on Youtube and put ‘WRG TV’ in you’ll see it.

The ‘Full Montgomery’ at the Salford WRG Panto There’s clips of WRG – it’s brilliant. I was with Timmy Cool – the Wee Beastie – we were Brindley and Brindley on Changing Boats, prancing around on stage. They were the days when we had the time and energy for doing a production for the boaters, I really miss that - I really enjoyed them.

Henley – 1997 – I got a certificate from Mitch and Gav for unimaginative use of a tubigrip because I was running and I tripped over a tent post or a marquee post and I snapped my ankle. I was presented with a certificate which I’ve still got upstairs.

All of this was me trying to be more grown up. When I was a small child, I don’t know what I was like but I’ve heard horrendous stories about how I was and I can’t believe it. I look at myself and say why, why did you have to be so irritating? Cath Coolican Smith, when I asked her “why does nobody like me?” turned around and said “because you don’t do anything”. From then on I grabbed a litter picker and a bin liner and spent hours litter picking because I wanted people to like me.

Being a child within the WRG environment was fantastic, it really was a blessing and I’m dead thankful because I saw both sides of it. My mum was in the blue [IWA] side of it and when I went to see my mum they all knew me because I was my mum’s daughter and when I went to WRG they all knew me because I was the little girl hanging around Mitch. I think WRG has helped me grow up a lot and become the person I am. Being around WRG and WRGies and the different characters that are involved has really been a help.

Q: Did you have a nickname at all?

A: Only [on] the one I recently led with Mitch. Through growing up I always wanted to lead a National Festival camp; I always said to everybody “I want to lead a National at some point”. Then the opportunity arrived and I got asked. They said what about you and Mitch? The only person I’d want to lead a national with was Mitch because she’s known me since such a young age and she knows how to handle me. That National, I’ve got to say, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’ve had people say to me “you’ve brought the fun back into the Nationals” – it was fun.

The only issue about that National is that I’ve now got this nickname ‘Skirty’ and everybody, even though they don’t know me (new WRG people that come along) will always know me as ‘Skirty’. On the National we did at Beale Park Mitch and I decided we were going to do a ‘kangaroo court’ every evening - I think we had Moose as the chair person, Mitch and I were sort of the judge and jury. We decided to set out giving people fines if they were caught doing something wrong. Not horrendously wrong but as a joke.

Unfortunately we decided to do something wrong ourselves – I can’t remember what Mitch did but she had to wear my pink hat with big sticky out eyes and I had to wear a skirt for the day. Mitch hated my hat so she had to wear that which I thought was quite tame really – because then Al Moore decided to scrabble around her kit and find this skirt, and knowing full well that I just do not wear skirts (I can’t stand them I feel so self conscious), they showed it to me and said you’ve got to wear this for 24 hours – I nearly cried. Mitch turned round to me and said “you’re really panicking aren’t you?” “Yeah”. I was mortified but I did it. That was the worst time to wear a skirt when you had to go and rescue Tom Rolt’s widow from one end of site to the other – I was there in this frigging skirt.

Q: Have you done the National every year?

A: I’ve had breaks. I was out of WRG for a while during my early twenties and then I realised that was

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who I was and I wanted to come back to where I was happiest.

Q: When did you start doing proper canal restoration?

A: My first one (and I think everybody has done a stint) was on the Droitwich – I can’t think what lock it was. I was 18 and I could drive there because I had my car. All I did was clean bricks. Mike Palmer turned up and I said “I don’t want to clean bricks any more – I want to do something more exciting”. He said “OK – we’re doing some concreting – hold this”. It was the vibrator. I said “I can’t hold a vibrator Mike – people’ll start talking”. He said “shut up and get on with it”. I remember being in the sunshine, holding this massive vibrator, full of concrete.

Then I had a bit of a break for a while and then back in 2004 I started digging with south-west and did a few down there, working on the Grand Western - all canal camps.

When I was working at PGL there was a camp going on on the Lord Rolle Canal and it was on our cycle hire route – our mountain biking route. I knew this - I was walking round Bideford and I clocked this volunteers thing “what’s happening in the Festival camp leaders: Kirsty in the skirt, Mitch in the hat area?” I looked at it and thought “that’s WRG” - it was really exciting. I couldn’t get the time off but I knew they were on our little route. Every time we took kids and teachers down the Tarka trail I used to tell them “we’re going to stop here – can you hear that noise? – what is it?” I explained to the kids what it was - those people there are volunteers and the kids were interested. Then I’d say “now we’re going to say hello”. After 3, teachers, kids, the lot – we just shouted “Good morning Waterway Recovery Group”. We did that every single day, eventually we started to get a reply back. The rest of the day the kids loved it “we were shouting at the hedge and it shouted back”.

Q: What do you enjoy about canal camps?

A: A few people have mentioned the same thing. The best thing about it is that you can grab a handful of people from all across the country, of all different experiences, of all different ages and you can cram them into a village hall and they will get on – most of the time! The majority of people are just incredible – they’re so friendly. People come back – sometimes people are a one off but you also get people – they’ve really thoroughly enjoyed it and you’ve made that for them, they’ll always remember their week in the village hall with WRG and they’ve got the t-shirt to prove it - you might see them back again. I just think it’s brilliant.

Q: Where does your mum’s interest come from – are you a boating family?

A: I’ve no idea where my mum’s interest comes from, all I know is that when I was two weeks old I was on a canal boat. I’ve been on the canals since I was two weeks old, every holiday all my friends were going off to Spain and Portugal and all that and I was always on a canal boat. Every holiday. My mum and dad had a boat when I was a baby - they sold that and then we had a 12th share in a boat. Before we got the share we used to hire boats, I remember I was 9 and I remember going into a staircase lock. There was this horrendous family that didn’t have a clue – I, being the naive 9 year old tried to explain to this middle aged lady what to do. She wasn’t listening to me, I was getting really irate, this woman was just looking at me like I was well...[crazy]. Mum didn’t get involved, she just let me get on with it. When she did flood the lock I just looked at her and smiled (as you do as a kid) – when we went past them Mum said “you should have listened to her”. Mum taught me a lot about the canals from a young age, it’s just been this thing that I’ve always known about.

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Q: What are you most proud of?

A: The festival camp that I led. It’s just got to be that. I knew from a young age that was what I wanted to do and actually achieving that – I will always remember it. Yes it was an ‘assisting’ but it was a successful festival.

Q: Who has inspired you?

A: My mum obviously, has inspired me, she’d kill me if I didn’t mention her in this. Her and my dad brought me up on the canals – if it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t have known about WRG. Then there’s Mitch Gozna – she was like my adopted mum. My real mum could throw me off at Mitch and Mitch would look after me and ever since then she’s been known as m adopted mum. There’s a load of new WRGies who knew me as Mitch’s adopted child and were quite surprised when I said she wasn’t my adopted mum at all.

Other people: Cath, Jude and Mike. Cath for saying you need to do stuff. I can’t mention about Cath getting pissed and me having to take her home can I? [Helen: “You’ve read Mick’s interview presumably?”] 13 years old at Dudley, 1996. Cath said to my mum “Don’t worry Edwina, I will look after Kirsty I will make sure she gets back all right”. Famous last words. We went to the beer tent and gradually Cath got more pissed and I had to take her back to wherever she was staying.

Q: Do you have any classic do you remember the time when stories?

A: When they cable-tied my brother to a fence. I think it Dudley ’96 and he was being a sh*t. They grabbed him, cable-tied him to a fence by his neck, I think, or by his arms. There was a storm coming and they left him and f**ked off back inside. He was just on a metal fence with a storm coming.

Q: What’s your most useful skill and who taught it to you?

A: My most useful skill - it’s not like a driving thing or anything like that – it’s understanding how volunteers work. When I was leading at the National I started being quite militant and expecting everything to get done straight away - not really understanding they’re all volunteers, they need to have a break – you don’t want to piss them off too much. It was Mitch that helped me do that.

Q: What would you say WRG’s greatest achievement was?

A: Just being around for 40 years and being a successful organisation with everything that’s been happening. Structurally, things like Droitwich, Over – projects that have been going on for what seems like years and that have been successful and completed – that’s the engineering side and that’s been successful. The fact that WRG is still drawing kids (as in 18 year olds) in from such vast and broad environments and it’s still going. That to me is the most successful that WRG’s been.

Q: What’s WRG not quite so good at?

A: I’ve got no idea. My problem is that I see WRG as this fantastic environment that I’ve been brought up in – I can only see the good things about WRG. WRG to me was the pinnacle of everything: there were older people, doing canals and digging and having fun and drinking beer in a beer tent and having a laugh and I always had to be in my caravan with my mum. At 14 I wasn’t allowed to socialise because I wasn’t old enough – I just thought “wow – I want to be someone involved in that”.

Interview by Helen Gardner

Achievement: boats cruising the restored Droitwich canals

page 23

Navvies diary Your guide to all the forthcoming work parties Oct 20/21 London WRG Oct 20-27 WRG Forestry Oct 27-Nov 3 Camp 201226 Nov 3 Sat wrgNW Nov 10/11 WRG Nov 10/11 London WRG Nov 10/11 KESCRG Nov 10/11 NWPG Nov 10/11 Essex WRG Nov 10/11 wrgNW Nov 10 Sat WRG Nov 17/18 wrgBITM Dec 1/2 London WRG Dec 1/2 KESCRG Dec 1/2 Essex WRG Dec 8/9 wrgBITM Dec 8/9 wrgNW Dec 15 Sat wrgNW Dec 26-Jan 1 Camp 201227 Dec 26-Jan 1 WRG camp Dec 26-Jan 1 WBCCo

Somersetshire Coal Canal Uttoxeter Canal Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation ‘Paper Chase’ waste paper collection: and NCCC Container Day on Sund Bonfire Bash (WRG Reunion): Hereford & Gloucestershire Canal WRG Reunion: Hereford & Gloucestershire Canal WRG Reunion: Hereford & Gloucestershire Canal Basingstoke Canal: Bank clearance Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation Grantham Canal Committee & Board Meetings: Bonfire Bash Location TBC Somersetshire Coal Canal Uttoxeter Canal: Xmas party joint dig with KESCRG Uttoxeter Canal: Xmas Party joint dig with London WRG Foxton: Date could be 1/2 or 8/9 Ashby Canal: Christmas Work Party at Measham Lancaster Canal: NOTE DATE CHANGED from Dec 1/2 ‘Paper Chase’ waste paper collection Uttoxeter Canal: Scrub bashing. Leader: Gary Summers Alternative New Year Camp on the Cotswold Canals, leader Martin Tho Wilts & Berks Canal: Offside clearance at Dauntsey using workboat, stump pulling at Seven Locks. Accom at Foxham.

Jan 5/6 wrgNW Cromford Canal: (plus Christmas/New Year meal) Jan 5/6 Essex WRG Chelmer & Blackwater (to be confirmed: Date could be 5/6 or 12/13) Jan 12/13 London WRG To be arranged Jan 19/20 wrgBITM To be arranged Jan 19 Sat wrgNW ‘Paper Chase’ waste paper collection Jan 20 Sun WRG Committee & Board Meetings: Rowington (provisional) Feb 2/3 London WRG To be arranged Feb 9/10 wrgNW Hollinwood Canal: (Date is provisional) Feb 16-23 Camp 2013-01 Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation Feb 23/24 London WRG To be arranged Feb 23 Sat wrgNW ‘Paper Chase’ waste paper collection Mar 2/3 wrgNW Caldon Canal Mar 10 Sun WRG Committee & Board Meetings: Rowington (provisional) Mar 16/17 London WRG To be arranged Apr 6 Sat wrgNW ‘Paper Chase’ waste paper collection Apr 13/14 London WRG BCN Cleanup

For details of diary dates beyond the end of this list ple

page 24

day 4th.

Canal Camps cost ÂŁ56 per week unless otherwise stated. Bookings for WRG Camps identified by a camp number e.g. 'Camp 201220' should go to WRG Canal Camps, Island House, Moor Road, Chesham HP5 1WA. Tel: 01494 783453, enquiries@wrg.org.uk. Diary compiled

by Dave Wedd. Tel: 01252 874437, dave.wedd@wrgbitm.org.uk Tim Lewis Clive Alderman David McCarthy Tim Lewis Bobby Silverwood Bill Nicholson Frank Wallder David McCarthy Mike Palmer Dave Wedd Tim Lewis Bobby Silverwood Frank Wallder Dave Wedd David McCarthy David McCarthy

ompson Rachael Banyard David McCarthy Frank Wallder Tim Lewis Dave Wedd David McCarthy Mike Palmer Tim Lewis David McCarthy Tim Lewis David McCarthy David McCarthy Mike Palmer Tim Lewis David McCarthy Tim Lewis

07802-518094 01494-783453 0161-740-2179 07802-518094 07971-814986 01844-343369 01992-636164 0161-740-2179 01564-785293 01252-874437 07802-518094 07971-814986 01992-636164 01252-874437 0161-740-2179 0161-740-2179 01494-783453 01494-783453 01249-892289 0161-740-2179 01992-636164 07802-518094 01252-874437 0161-740-2179 01564-785293 07802-518094 0161-740-2179 01494-783453 07802-518094 0161-740-2179 0161-740-2179 01564-785293 07802-518094 0161-740-2179 07802-518094

london@wrg.org.uk wrgforestry@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk

london@wrg.org.uk bobby@kescrg.org.uk bill@nwpg.org.uk essex@wrg.org.uk nw@wrg.org.uk mike.palmer@wrg.org.uk bookings@wrgBITM.org.uk london@wrg.org.uk bobby@kescrg.org.uk essex@wrg.org.uk bookings@wrgBITM.org.uk nw@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk rachael.banyard@wbct.org.uk nw@wrg.org.uk essex@wrg.org.uk london@wrg.org.uk bookings@wrgBITM.org.uk mike.palmer@wrg.org.uk london@wrg.org.uk nw@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk london@wrg.org.uk nw@wrg.org.uk mike.palmer@wrg.org.uk london@wrg.org.uk london@wrg.org.uk

ease contact diary compiler Dave Wedd: see top of page

page 25

Navvies diary

Canal societies’ regular working parties

Mobile groups' socials: phone to confirm London WRG: 7:30pm on Tues 11 days before dig. 'Star Tavern' Belgrave Mews West, London. Tim Lewis 07802-518094 NWPG: 7:30pm on 3rd Tue of month at the 'Hope Tap', West end of Friar St. Reading. Phil Dray 07956 185305

Every Tuesday BCA Basingstoke Canal Chris Healy 01252-370073 Once per month: pls check BCNS BCN waterways Mike Rolfe 07763-171735 2nd Sunday & alternate Thurs BCS Buckingham area Athina Beckett 01908-661217 Anytime inc. weekdays BCT Aqueduct section Gerald Fry 01288-353273 Every Mon and Wed CCT Cotswold (W depot) Ron Kerby 01453-836018 Every mon am Thu pm CCT Cotswold (E end) John Maxted 01285-861011 Various dates CCT Cotswold Phase 1a Jon Pontefract 07986-351412 Every Sunday ChCT Various sites Mick Hodgetts 01246-620695 Every Tuesday CSCT Chichester Canal Carley Sitwell 01243 773002 Every Tue & Wed C&BN Chelmer & Blackwater John Gale 01376-334896 4th Sunday of month ECPDA Langley Mill Michael Golds 0115-932-8042 Second Sun of month FIPT Foxton Inclined Plane Mike Beech 0116-279-2657 2nd weekend of month GCRS Grantham Canal Ian Wakefield 0115-989-2128 2nd Sat of month GWCT Nynehead Lift Denis Dodd 01823-661653 Tuesdays H&GCT Oxenhall Brian Fox 01432 358628 Weekends H&GCT Over Wharf House Maggie Jones 01452 618010 Wednesdays H&GCT Over Wharf House Wilf Jones 01452 413888 Weekends H&GCT Hereford Aylestone Martin Danks 01432 344488 Every Sunday if required IWPS Bugsworth Basin Ian Edgar 0161-427 7402 Every day KACT Bradford-on-Avon Derrick Hunt 01225-863066 2nd Sunday of month LCT Lancaster N. Reaches Paul Shaw 01524-35685 1st, 2nd, 4th Sun + 3rd Sat LHCRT Lichfield Sue Williams 01543-671427 3rd Sunday of month LHCRT Hatherton Denis Cooper 01543-374370 Last weekend of month MBBCS Creams Paper Mill Steve Dent 07802-973228 Two Sundays per month NWDCT N Walsham Canal David Revill 01603-738648 2nd & last Sundays PCAS Pocklington Canal Paul Waddington 01757-638027 Every Wed and 1st Sat RGT Stowmarket Navigtn.

Martin Bird 01394-380765 2nd Sunday of month SCARS Sankey Canal Colin Greenall 01744-731746 1st Sunday of month SCCS Combe Hay Locks Derrick Hunt 01225-863066 Two weekends per month SHCS Basingstoke Canal Duncan Paine 01252-614125 Last weekend of month SCS Stover Canal George Whitehead 01626-775498 2nd Sunday of month SNT Sleaford Navigation Mel Sowerby 01522-856810 Thu and Tue April-September SORT Sussex Ouse Ted Lintott 01444-414413 1st weekend of month SUCS Newhouse Lock Mike Friend 01948-880723 Every Tuesday morning TMCA Thames & Medway C Brian Macnish 01732-823725 Every Sunday & Thurs WACT varied construction Eric Walker 023-9246-3025 Mondays (2 per month) WACT tidying road crossings John Empringham 01483-562657 Wednesdays WACT Tickner's Heath Depot John Smith 01903-235790 Wednesdays WACT maintenance work Peter Jackman 01483-772132 Sundays mainly WACT Loxwood Link Kev Baker 02380-861074 Thursdays WACT Winston Harwood Grp Tony Clear 01903-774301 Various dates WACT Hedgelaying (Oct-Mar) Keith Nichols 01403-753882 last w/e (Fri-Thu) WAT Drayton Beauchamp Roger Leishman 01442-874536 Please send any additions corrections or deletions to diary compiler Dave Wedd (see previous page)

Abbreviations used in Diary: BCA BCNS BCS BCT ChCT CBN CSCT CCT ECPDA FIPT GCRS GWCT H&GCT IWPS KACT KESCRG

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Basingstoke Canal Authority Birmingham Canal Navigations Soc. Buckingham Canal Society Bude Canal Trust Chesterfield Canal Trust Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation Chichester Ship Canal Trust Cotswolds Canals Trust Erewash Canal Pres. & Devt. Assoc.

Foxton Inclined Plane Trust Grantham Canal Restoration Society Grand Western Canal Trust Hereford & Gloucester Canal Trust Inland Waterways Protection Society Kennet & Avon Canal Trust Kent & E Sussex Canal Rest. Group

LCT LHCRT MBBCS NWPG NWDCT PCAS RGT SCARS SCCS SHCS SCS SNT SORT SUCS TMCA WACT WAT WBCT

Lancaster Canal Trust Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Rest'n Trust Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal Society Newbury Working Party Group North Walsham & Dilham Canal Trust Pocklington Canal Amenity Society River Gipping Trust Sankey Canal Restoration Society Somersetshire Coal Canal Society Surrey & Hants Canal Society Stover Canal Society Sleaford Navigation Trust Sussex Ouse Restoration Trust Shropshire Union Canal Society Thames & Medway Canal Association Wey & Arun Canal Trust Wendover Arm Trust Wilts & Berks Canal Trust

Our regular roundup of restoration progress around the system begins with a significant step forward for the Shrewsbury & Newport canals Shrewsbury & Newport

Shrewsbury & Newport to remove all 17 stones, take the tree root out and then replace and re-mortar them with lime mortar The Trust’s regular monthly Newport workparty met on the 7th July at the Black Hut, a former canal warehouse at Newport Wharf.

A group of volunteers, including Kevin Taylor and Paul Boston from the Norbury to Newport Canal Restoration CIC group, were despatched to the Moss Pool Bridge. There, led by Steve Evans with his JCB and Fred Cooper, the SNCT’s expert mason, they set about the task of taking the bridge wall apart, removing the tree roots and then rebuilding it.

It was heavy work but, with great enthusiasm and lots of elbow grease, the group managed the complete job within the day.

Rain at the very end just precluded re-pointing the external faces of the stones, which was done at a later date For further information contact John Myers,Tel: 01785 255263, Mobile: 07711 858986,email: jma2@onetel.com

SNCT

From small beginnings... The Shrewsbury & Newport Canals Trust (SNCT) was formed some ten years ago with the objective of reopening the canal route from Shrewsbury to Norbury Junction. After a long wait in July this year we saw the first actual restoration along the line of the canals.

In June this year a group of prisoners form Stoke Heath Prison did some preparatory work for the Trust at Moss Pool Bridge, close to the A41 near Newport, Shropshire.

They removed all the ivy and undergrowth from the bridge and recovered the bridge’s capping stones from the bottom of the canal bed where they had been pushed by vandals some years ago.

In the process of removing the undergrowth they discovered that a tree root had managed to penetrate the stonework, three courses down, and had cracked the mortar and lifted all the stones above. The original plan to replace the capping stones had to be abandoned until a way could be worked out

Progress

Working on Moss Pool Bridge, near Newport

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Progress

Next we head for the deep south where a newly restored length of the Wey & Arun has seen its first boat for well over a century...

Wey & Arun Wey & Arun Canal

cause of the constraints imposed by the licence from English Nature, but the chamber brickwork is complete and the copings coming along rapidly, which means it’s time for the gates to be ordered. They are due on site in September. Project manager Eric is already eyeing up the next lock - Gennets - which will be another step closer to linking the now two operational sections.

Not bad for a scheme that was written off as a ‘no hoper’ a few years ago.

Bill Thomson

WACT

The Wey & Arun Canal now has two operational lengths with public trip boats operating. A length of the summit, near the Three Compasses pub, and close to the famous Dunsfold airfield, has seen quite a bit of action over the past year or so, thanks to the efforts of Wey & Arun Canal Trust’s own work parties and various visiting groups. All the effort paid off over the weekend of 1-2 September, when the refurbished 12-seater trip boat John Smallpeice (now that’s a name to conjure with he was in fact the company secretary to the original canal company) took the first paying members of the public down that length of canal, believed to be the first boat at Dunsfold since 1871.

Elsewhere, maintenance and jungle-fighting work continues. Nowhere has this been more in evidence than at the extreme northern end of the canal, where work is underway to improve the area around the original canal course and the Bramley stream. WRG Forestry has attacked this area with a vengeance, leaving plenty of clearing-up for WACT’s own work parties. Whatever option is eventually chosen for re-joining the canal with the River Wey, this area will be key to the restoration It really deserves to be improved as a green corridor for the general public’s benefit, as it includes the site of Surrey’s only aqueduct, a roving bridge and will eventually include a rerouted canal and new lock.

Talking of new locks, Southland Lock is looking much closer to completion. Work has The first boat on the canal at Dunsfold for 141 years taken longer than usual, be-

page 28

...while on the Grand Union Wendover Arm, the Trust and supporters continue to make progress despite the worst that the weather can throw at them

Progress Wendover Arm last two days of the working party. Many thanks RAF Halton.

During the week lengths of Bentomat were cut and on the last two days the RAF, as well as loading blocks at Little Tring for the lining, cut a further supply of Bentomat such that we now have enough cut to complete Stage 2.

Roger Leishman Restoration Director

Wendover Arm

Pictures by WAT

July working party: The worst weather conditions we have met over our years of restoration continued unrelenting. By dint of spending much time pumping, about half of the canal bed lining up to the Stage 2 mooring wall was completed – when the aim had been to complete it all by the end of the working party.

KESCRG Camp: We welcomed KESCRG in July for a week of reconstruction work on the wharf wall and settling tank at Whitehouses. The weather was not at its best but the wharf wall was completed apart from replacing the coping stones which will be done when the brickwork has cured to full strength. Work was well advanced on the settling tank and it is hoped that KESCRG will continue the good work next year. We were very impressed by the organisation and workmanship at the camp – many thanks.

August working party: This started off by pumping out water and then lining the bed that was completed up to 10 metres before the Stage 2 mooring wall (the work we had hoped Above: laying concrete blocks on the offside bank to complete in July). The weather did Below: the RAF roll up cut lengths of Bentomat change for the better and the offside bank opposite the mooring wall was profiled and lined with Bentomat (waterproof bentonite matting) and the concrete blocks laid on top of it with coir rolls above. We certainly would not have completed this work if it was not for the superb assistance of recruits from RAF Halton, led by their NCOs Richie Pellew and Allie Ross, on the

page 29

Progress Lichfield and Hatherton Lichfield and Hatherton canals

...while the Lichfield& Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust digs a hole in a park and prepares to fight off the travellers... land. We are also reviewing our property portfolio in the area.

On the Hatherton Canal we are continuing to research the ownership of the canal track south of A5. We are talking to known landowners and the Cannock Chase District

Pictures by Adrian Sturgess

Work in Darnford Park, on the edge of Lichfield (where a new route is to be created for a diverted length of the Lichfield Canal) has now started and is well-advanced. We have employed contractors to re-route a foul water sewer which was significantly in the way of excavation of the two staircase locks we will install between A51 and A38 road crossings.

By the beginning of September the work was largely complete and considerable progress made in establishing the lock basin. With the help of an impressive number of volunteers an significant area of trees has been cleared and the brash chipped. The larger timber has been used as the basis of noise bunds and wild life sanctuary. Local residents have been surprisingly supportive of this major disruption.

Above: excavation begins in Darnford Park On the negative side, Trust Below: the sizeable hole where the locks will be funds have been significantly reduced and this has been aggravated by the failure to obtain grants which had originally seemed likely.

Despite somewhat negative reports in the waterways press [Not me, guv! ...Ed] the Trust is hopeful that the possible traveller site by Lock 8 can be managed successfully. The application will go to appeal with the Trust continuing to be an objector.

We are also talking to the applicants with a view to establishing control of the land needed to restore the canal.

Meanwhile, we are talking to the new owner of “The Long Pound� (uphill from Barracks Lane) in the hope that we can work constructively with him to safeguard the lock structures on Council who probably own some of the rest. his property.

The major project for the near future Elsewhere we continue to monitor the must be the raising of significant funding HS2 railway proposals (the line as planned which is a major challenge in this difficult will cross the canal near its east end) as financial climate. consultants are requesting access to Trust Brian Kingshott

page 30

An unusual canal camp: on a working waterway with boats, where the accommodation floats (at high tide), and the volunteers go to the worksite by boat

Camp reports Chelmer & Blackwater

scaffolders carrying out some white water scaffold erection on the weir. (Now that would be a good Olympic sport!)

We received two reports from this camp, so Whilst the scaffold was being erected we’ve interleaved parts of both of them. The we set about scrub clearance of the area. bits in italic are by camp leader Bob Crow; By late morning the scaffold was comthose in bold are by new volunteer Thor plete and instruction on the wearing of safety Gustafsson harnesses and the methods to be employed in clipping on and snatch testing the lanyards Saturday morning meant an early start to was given to all volunteers. meet my assistant Alan Wiffen at Heybridge The group then split into two with one Basin where John Gale ( Essex wrg & EWL group working on the face of the weir and weekday volunteer) was meeting us to ferry the other clearing scrub. us to the Basingstoke camp to collect the The initial task on the weir was to clean vans and kit trailer. away the algae growth to expose the eroded Back at Heybridge basin we had time brickwork and then set about removal of for some lunch aboard the Haybay, our damaged areas. floating (well at high tide) hotel accommodaThe bricks were all laid as headers tion for the week, before arrival of the volun- bedded on another layer of headers. teers.

Teams were rotated to enable volunMet up with Bob, John G, Alan and the teers to take part in all the tasks on site. other volunteers just after 2pm so it was great Little can be learnt about the ‘Essex’ to get familiar with the Leading team and young- accent today as our cohesion as a team unit by sters 18-30 who’d be helping to rebuild the weir, the weir, quiet satisfaction, camaraderie and in the week ahead. appreciation at dinner sees one goal of construcUnloading the food delivery, there were tive accomplishment, that can only be managed smiles all round as we ferried our provisions, in by the invaluable volunteers and team at the wheelbarrows, to the boat ‘Hay bay’, with a Waterway Recovery Group. cheerful atmosphere on this Saturday afternoon.

Bringing beer to the WRG week is great; On completion of our first briefing and Spitfire, Hobgoblin, Badger and Sharps, are all Health & Safety talk we ate heartily and as I flavours cherished following a days bush/scrub was first to get served, I wasn’t shy either to clearance and weed hacking. Old Bob fits the make sure I was first to taste the delicious bill as golden ale refreshes the parts other Bobs Tiramisu, made by our lovely host chef Kay. can’t reach.

Sunday morning saw us carrying out Monday started with a bright blue sky, the trailer kit check at Hoe Mill Lock car park. and everyone’s skin soon slopped with sunSome perplexed looks as the volunteers saw screen, slipped on shirts (Yep, WRGies shirts) the kit coming out of the trailer and being and I suppose it says there’s some significant counted. sun protection in slapping on a hard hat. Softly, Now for something different from most softly, we started on the weir, removing any camps. The worksite was at Rushes lock moss, eels, brushing the brickwork and bailing which is not readily accessible by road so we the holes. The teams, split into 2, Alan, Olly, travelled to site each day in two Dory type John G, Rachel, Ashley and Bryony continued raiders along with the required tools. with scrub clearance, whilst myself, Ricey, The workbarge Julie, which also Brucey, Katrina and John B, took to hammers housed our Portaloo for the week, had preand chisels. ceded us with the scaffold and erectors.

After Bob dropped the water level by We reached Rushes lock to find the opening the gate paddles, we took turns to

Camp 2012-12: 28 July - 4 August Chelmer & Blackwater

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Today we ferried bricks from the 1st pallet up to the weir from the large barge Julie. Simon, cheerful as ever, brought Alan, who noticed the weir was disappearing, wheelbarrows of 31 bricks at a time.

Instruction was also given in infill bricklaying to replace the damaged bricks we had removed. The brickies were’ wetting up’ the dry mix in quantities they required so as to obviate wastage due to rapid hardening. As we were replacing handmade Imperial bricks with machine made metric bricks a considerable amount of brick cutting was required.

Katrina joined the human chain to help bring bricks ashore as she was obviously keen to use the 2-stroke diamond-disc cutter.

After instruction Katrina soon established herself as Queen of the bricksaw and even with the dust suppressor water system in operation her Essex fake tan from the red brick dust was something to be witnessed.( She was wearing a dust mask.)

Bruce later mentioned to Katrina with his skilful identification of holes that, “Dover is done”, “and so is East Anglia and up to Hadrian’s wall’(back to the map again) went slightly over my head, but sounded great, and that there was progress on the weir that resembled famous landmarks!

We had a swift journey back, and despite a few snags with the outboard, everybody remained positive.

Wednesday breakfast went too quickly and everybody was ready by 8:15am by the vans.

By Wednesday the work pattern was well established and as soon as we arrived at the worksite the gate paddles were raised to stop the water flow on the weir, boats unloaded, gazebo up, Burco on and work underway.

Bob the builder is keen to get on with the weir, if necessary, split teams, share responsibilities and put in extra time. After kit is loaded across from the big barge ‘Julie’, we beeline to the weir and are soon ready to chip away our flat surfaces for their 1st even 2nd layers of mortar.

Materials go down and Johnny B’s replaced water for mortar, for buttering up new bricks, like how I do toast in the morning. Alan bashes on, leading ahead with the tow path clearance, which involves plans for the use of ‘Gabions’ on the opposite bank.

Uncannily as soon as we Pictures by Bob Crow

guess when the flow would start again giving us time to remove eroded bricks.

The weir water level was a balancing act trying to adjust the paddles to keep the level at the brink of the top of the weir and not drain the upper pound level too much to upset the boats moored at Paper Mill Lock upstream – inevitably with boat movements through the lock at times water did overflow the centre of the weir so to add interest I decided to ‘run a book’ on the timings of these overflows.

Roy turned up a little later to praise the team who had worked on the weir and even named parts of it ‘England’, ‘Wales’, ‘Scotland’! (the removed areas of bricks resembled a map of various parts of the UK) Later on we played cards and Baptiste, our resident cards expert, told us that after playing enjoyable games of Uno; quote in French accent - “I found it boring”, “Zo, I thought it would be good to teach new rules!!!”

Tuesday: after a massive breakfast, we’re on our way, and it is a lovely morning for cruising up the canal. We look forward to sharing experiences and are still making the most of the sunshine despite the predicted rain.

Tuesday morning saw the delivery of materials for the rebuild and some gabion cages for protection work on the towpath side of Rushes lock. Those on the weir were given instruction in cement mixing. We were dry-mixing using part rapid set cement due to the fact that after we left each day the weir had water flowing down and therefore we needed the mortar to have hardened before the flow commenced.

Work in progress on the weir

page 32

stopped for lunch rain fell on more than one day. The solution I offered of not stopping for lunch was rejected.

Weary folk finish up the day and John G makes a neat job of packing away the gear onboard our battleship. I like my harmonica, but this evening there’s great conversation between Ashley, Bruce, John G and Bryony at the helm as we contemplate our environment, and the beauty of water up to Hoe Mill lock.

Beef and Irish stew tonight, delicious!

Thursday: a visit from EWL this morning means there are probably some good vibes coming from this camp, and great breakfasts too! “This is the only camp where you get two breakfasts!!!” said Bob, as we sped over the humpback bridge. Forecasts for the rain diminished as the sun broke out on the way to Hoe Mill Lock.

When we arrive at Hoe Mill lock teams were split, I travelled up to Rushes lock with Baptiste, Simon and Colin on the large Barge ‘Julie’ stopping en route to pick up some stakes and Willow faggots in readiness for some work in an area of eroded bank.

Katrina was enthusiastic as ever to operate the 130cc diamond-disc cutter, and Ashley, Bryony, John B, Olly, Becca and Brucey worked hard on the weir and didn’t stop till the other group were on their second break for lunch.

Alan demonstrated how careful reinforcement of gabions could be used to make a long lasting structure on levelled ground, and also impressed us with his ability to even up an oddshaped and very heavy concrete slab, used as a footpath bridge.

Friday: Busy Day!!! More bush clearance, more brick clearance, more hole-digging.

Headed out again on the large barge Julie, and two raiders Henrietta and Maureen.(Unofficial raider names selected by Thor) Teams include Ashley, Baptiste, Simon, led by John G who motivated us with his technique on drawing out weeds from the bank.

Sweating it out on this hot sunny day meant now over 300m of tow path is now clear by Rushes lock.

Bob’s team, as usual, continued through the lunch hour (He does ensure everyone gets 2 breakfasts) and parts of Hadrian’s Wall as well as the lateral soldier line were getting bricks to fit the increment of slope on the partially dried out weir.

As the week progressed skill levels and speed increased noticeably and just as everyone was in full swing the week came to a close.

This week’s work was concluded with our final evening meal with a visit from EWL Chairman (Roy),Manager (Colin) and Lenghtsman (Michael) and a fitting presentation by the volunteers of some bottles of ‘Old Bob’ to our leader and ‘Old Peculiar’ to the assistant leader Some flowers and wine were presented and a round of applause given to our 100% adorable and talented Chef Kay. My thanks go to all the volunteers who worked hard all week and had a lot of fun too. They can be proud of the work they carried out.

My special thanks go to Kay who cooked delicious meals for us, to her husband Mike for babysitting their son, William, to enable Kay to cook the evening meals, to Alan for ably acting as my assistant, to Colin and Michael from EWL for their help during the week, to John Gale for his help in getting us to the Basingstoke camp to collect the vans and kit trailer.

And lastly to the volunteer who taught me I need to be more specific when making requests – when ashore and waiting to moor up the raider I asked him to throw me the bow rope. Next time I will remember to ask him to throw me one end of the bow rope but leave the other end attached to the boat!

Bob Crow Thor Gustafsson

“A considerable amount of brick cutting was needed”

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Camp reports Chelmer & Blackwater Camp 2012-15: 4-11 August Chelmer & Blackwater

Tales from the Chelmer & Blackwater of flooding, mechanical failure and fire breaking out - and that’s just on the ten pin bowling evening! hour boat trip to and from site each day, which meant that we had to load the boats with all the equipment needed.

After arriving at Rushes weir and setting up camp, we did a site tour and saw the progress achieved by the last week’s WRG camp.

An introduction on how to use the harnesses, the rapid setting mortar mixes to be used (due to the water being put back over weir in the evenings) and how to safely work on the weir were shown to everyone.

The Julie barge, which contained our toilet and the materials needed on the weir, then arrived with a couple of the local workers. We split into two teams, with myself leading work on the weir and Sarah’s team scrub-bashing along the towpath.

We were able to control the water level on the weir by operating the paddle gates on the adjacent lock, so we were able to carry out the work safely.

One boat then went back to Hoe Mill lock to collect Paul and our lunch, which was greatly appreciated when they arrived back.

During lunch, Paul decided to walk back to the van along the tow path, of which, then the heavens opened with lots of rain, thunder & lightning, causing him to be soaked right through by the time he reached the

PIctures by Chris Byrne

Saturday: After arriving at the train station and being collected our lovely leader, Sarah Ashman, we headed to Heybridge Basin, were we located the Haybay barge, which would be our luxury floating accommodation for the week, (with actual beds and showers on board!) After a brief tour, we met Bob Crow (the leader from the previous week’s camp) who would be our MUP (Most Useful Person) for a couple of days, & Paul Ireson, who would be our cook for a couple of days.

After checking in all of the catering equipment we visited the local café for lunch & a quick meeting.

Back at the Haybay, our volunteers for the week arrived (after one arrived at the pub, only to be informed that the pub name was correct, but in the wrong town, and another who couldn’t see the bright red van in the train station car park!)

Everybody settled in and chose their rooms, then we had a talk on what we were going to be doing for the week, our health & safety speech & introductions.

After the talks, we enjoyed our lovely dinner cooked by Elaine and Paul, whilst everyone was getting used to the Essex way and humour!

Our entertainment for the evening was socialising & getting to know each other more down the local pub. We then settled under the moonlight over Heybridge Basin on the Haybay before going to sleep.

Sunday: We all woke up to a lovely sunrise & beautiful scenery around the basin. After breakfast, we all got ready and then departed in the vans to Hoe Mill lock. Upon arriving, we unloaded the trailer, checked in all the kit and supplied people with their PPE for the week.

Due to not having sufficient road access to the worksite, Rushes Loading up the boats ready to head to site Weir, we were lucky to enjoy a half

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van! Everyone else squeezed under the gazebo until the rain stopped just after lunch.

When we were leaving the site in the afternoon, due to the weather improving, several teenagers arrived with inflatables and started swimming in the water and the lock.

After showering and enjoying our lovely evening meal, we all settled down to a card / game themed evening relaxing after our hard day’s work.

Monday: One of our Duke of Edinburgh Award volunteers, Sarah P, left us in the morning before breakfast so she could join the rest of her family attending the Olympics. One of our cooks, Paul, also left us this morning due to only being able to help out for the first couple of days.

On the way to site, we had to tie both boats together due to one of the engines having a fault with the outboard engine’s cooling system. On the journey to site, a couple of people used this chance to catch up on some well-earned sleep after their first hard day’s work yesterday.

Upon arriving at Rushes Weir, we noticed that the kids from last night thought it would be funny to remove one of the scaffolding poles and a couple of clips, making the structure unsafe, therefore we had to do some repairs to make it safe again before work could commence back on the weir.

We swapped the teams around to give the other volunteers the chance to work on the weir, whilst the other’s worked on creating a gabion wall on the towpath, strengthening it to prevent flooding in the future.

Hamon arrived in the morning back at the Haybay and helped Elaine shopping and cooking our evening meal.

After another good day’s work we headed back on the boats to the vans, when it started raining, so we got a bit wet!

After our dinner, our entertainment was a Ten Pin Bowling evening which we all enjoyed, maybe for other reasons though, due to two of our four lanes getting their balls stuck several times and then caused the ball return machine to catch fire and pouring smoke everywhere. We were then relocated to different lanes to finish off our games.

Upon leaving the premises, several large buckets were being brought out from the store room, due to a burst pipe in the ceiling leaking water everywhere, I presume that this was their sprinkler system for the fire earlier!!!

Putting in oak posts at Heybridge Basin Tuesday: Bob (who we re-named Papa Smurf) left our camp with a good sendoff after breakfast after helping us out greatly over the last few days.

When we arrived at Hoe Mill, we had to wait a little while to get access to the garage which contained the fuel tanks for the boats.

Hamon joined us on site today, so was given a site tour and brought up-to-date with the jobs that are happing. When looking at the water on the weir which was not stopping after opening the lock paddles, we were informed that due to the large amount of rain we had in the evening, the locals had had to open up one of the flood gates further upstream to prevent any flooding, which meant that due to the large volume of water travelling downstream, we wouldn’t be able to work on the weir today.

A quick Plan B was made, and today’s weir team packed the majority of our tools back onto the boats ready to depart leaving the now ‘Bonking’ team to bonk their posts in the weir bank and play with their willow faggots backfilling it, which was eroded from previous flooding.

The ‘Wet N Wild’ (weir) team, got back to Hoe Mill lock and collected one of the vans to return to Heybridge Basin, where we enjoyed our picnic lunch on the grass next to Heybridge Lock in the Sunshine, before

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Cleaning out the holes in the weir ready commencing work installing some lovely oak posts along the newly restored car park mooring wall.

Peter Foord arrived and met Elaine back on the Haybay, where he would be helping her cook for the rest of the week. After both teams arriving back at the accommodation, we all settled down to a treat of Fish & Chips followed by jelly and ice cream. In the evening, we had several card games and relaxed ready for tomorrows challenge.

Wednesday: Returning to Hoe Mill in the morning, several people stayed behind to load up the Julie Barge with stone, ready to be used on site in the gabion walls.

Due to the water levels falling, we were able to control the water levels on the weir so we were able to continue are works on it, with the other team continuing on the gabion wall bank protection.

After lunch time, the Julie barge returned back to Hoe Mill lock to have the toilet pumped out, with Lynne joining the local to help, who was supposed to return back to site after it was completed. After a short while we became concerned and tried to contact her, only to find that she had left her mobile phone with her belonging with us on site. We managed to track her down by contacting the local person she was with, only to be told that he “had kidnapped” her, and was doing some other jobs & will return her back to Heybridge Basin afterwards! Sigh of relief!!!

Upon returning back to the accommodation, we were informed that there had been a small fire in the afternoon, this was due to a cleaning cloth falling onto the hob

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rings, which were cooking our meal, then catching fire sending out toxic fumes. This was quickly extinguished and the boat evacuated until the smoke disappeared, good job Lynne did go back to the Haybay, as her day job is a Paramedic, so she made sure that everyone was all right!

Everyone had a slight rush to get changed, have their dinner before going to the local cinema for the evening. The leaders were going to do the washing up that evening, due to not going for filling to the cinema, of which, Laura who had stayed behind due to having a headache, decided to do it all by herself, giving us a chance to catch up on some paperwork & relax a bit. A big thank you Laura.

Sarah, myself, Bryan & Lynne all went down to the local pub for the evening whilst the others we at the cinema before meeting everyone back at the Haybay after their evening’s entertainment.

Thursday 09/08/12 Before leaving the accommodation in the morning, we took our camp’s photograph on the front of the Haybay, then sadly had to say goodbye to Lynne, who had to return back to work, by giving her our traditional send off by everyone waving them off the boat!

Work continued back on the weir, whilst others we split up into smaller groups by helping one of the locals do some willow rubbing, strimming along the towpath and two people cleaning the ‘Julie’ Barge, of which the locals said that they have never seen it so clean Today was a hot sunny day, so we made sure everyone was well topped up with liquids as working in the heat was quite tiring.

Hamon went back in the boat to Hoe Mill lock to collect the Divers and more importantly… our lunch! At lunch time when the Divers arrived, we were able to watch them enter the water and work on the top offside paddle gate, which hadn’t been working for a while, whilst eating our lunch.

We stayed on site a bit later than normal, so we could continue working on the weir to catch up on missing a day’s work due

to the water levels.

Due to staying later on site, we didn’t have much time left for the evening’s entertainment, which was going to be swimming, so we all just had a relaxing evening with some people going to the local pub.

Friday 10/08/12.

After leaving the accommodation, we said our good farewells to Hamon in our traditional way and thanking him for his hard work during the week.

Work continued rapidly on the weir with the holes filling up quickly, with others finishing off the work on the gabion wall bank protection.

Due to working so quickly on the weir, we were running out of materials fast, so one of the locals went away and returned with more bricks and sand for us to continue throughout the day.

After a hard day’s work on the weir, we filled up all the holes apart from a small hole which we didn’t have time to finish off due to not being able to work on there one day.

This was completed by some of the locals after our camp left.

Whilst we were finishing on the weir, all of our equipment was cleaned ready for next week’s camp. As a treat, after the hottest day of the week, several people went for a quick swim to cool off, with Sarah P forgetting to bring some spare clothes, so had to wait to return to Heybridge Basin to get changed.

Arriving back at Hoe Mill lock, all of our equipment was checked and the trailer loaded up ready to leave in the morning.

Our last meal was a lovely roast dinner followed by cheese & biscuits, of which we were joined by one of the local workers, Roy & his Wife, who thanked us for all of our hard work over the week.

During our meal, we said a big thank you to everybody, and handed out awards to everybody. In the evening, several people went up on the roof of the Haybay to have a party, which the last people went to bed around 6am!

Saturday: Our last breakfast was served, catering equipment all cleaned & checked, and our accommodation cleaned top to bottom.

Dave Dobbin kindly arrived to help us pack up the camp.

The vans were loaded with all of the equipment, and a van full went to the train station for some to depart. Ed Walker arrived to collect the vans & trailer to take them to his next camp on the Cotswold Canal, after collecting the trailer from Hoe Mill Lock. The last checks were carried out on the Haybay before locking the door & heading to the train station to go back home.

A huge thank you goes to everyone that made this camp successful.

Awards Given Out On Friday Evening: Edward: Working hard on every task and trying new experiences.

James: Putting up with Chris getting up early in the morning and going to bed very late at night.

Sarah P: Forgetting to take a change of clothes when swimming & working hard on the weir.

Liam: Being our chief mortar mixer & a Special award, due to falling in love with the dust masks, one given as an extra present!

Guillaume Being so hungry on the weir, he ate all of our bricks!

Emeline: Camp quote of the week “Have you not had menopause?” to Lynne, first time she was speechless & for being the most excited at Ten Pin Bowling.

Laura: Washing up by herself after everyone else went to the cinema, which helped out the leaders who were going to do the washing up to catch up on their paper work.

Vikrant: ‘The Mole’ & being chief boat cleaner on his ‘me Julie’ barge.

Weir re-bricking in progress

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out was amazing to see.

To look back on the last day to look over the weir (whilst others swam to wash away the weeks dirt) was a sight that struck me the most - that we as a team achieved the utmost to finish that weir (we only left a small hole) to be finished later and for someone else to enjoy the same satisfaction and achievement as what we got on our completion. Being my first time as a leader - I couldn’t have asked for a much better team then you guys.

My personal thanks also go out to the people working behind the scenes:

A spot of bother with the engine...

Antoine: Falling in love with the forestry helmets & wearing them all week.

Laurence: learning new skills, especially if it had an engine, and mutilating anything that was green.

Bryan: Being the fastest bricklayer on the weir.

Lynne: staying on longer than expected & being the captain of the boat.

Paul: cooking for us and being the wettest person on camp.

Peter: Travelling the longest to camp to be our cook.

Bob: Being our MUP, Van & boat driver & his big balls setting fire to the bowling ally Elaine: 1st timer with Paul, Hamon & Peter plus cooking single handed for the first time on camp.

Hamon: Being our MUP, van & boat Driver & helping Elaine cooking Chris: Stepping up to become our assistant leader / helping Sarah out all week running the camp & giving Elaine the chance to come and cook on our camp Sarah: Stepping up to become our leader for the first time, otherwise our successful camp wouldn’t have taken place

. . . . .

. .

To Paul Ireson - who gave up his weekend to cook for us.

To Peter Foord who travelled a long distance to cook a wonderful spread of food each day!!

To Elaine Beesley who cooked all week and become the Queen of key Lime Pie who slaved all night making the pie to perfection - thank you to you all!!

To Hamon Stewart who was our MUP for the week - who did a fantastic job in keeping everyone in line and safe and being a rock to lean on for support. Thank you To Papa Smurf (Bob Crow) who had a role that has not yet been established in WRG!! - for staying on after his weeks camps - supporting me and my team throughout the day and night - I cannot express how much your support meant to me personally!!- Thank you To Dave Dobbin - for helping us out on the Saturday to pack up the vans for the next camp!! - Thank you And of course not forgetting my fantastic Assistant Leader Chris Byrne who went beyond his role, staying up late and getting up very early to ensure everyone was happy, fed, organised and ready to take on the wet ‘n’ wild challenge!!- thank you

And from Sarah Ashman: I would just like to say to you all: thank you so much for all your hard work over the week’s camp at the Chelmer and Blackwater 4-11th August.

Over the week, for me personally to see Once again - a very much well deserved how much effort and dedication was put into thank you to you all, hope to see you all very completing the weir, to see you all working soon. together as a team and helping one another Sarah Ashman

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Camp reports

...and at Inglesham we have the unusual phenomenon of an Ed camp that doesn’t get moved to another canal...

Cotswold Canals

Inglesham Camp Report Astonishing camp fact: This was an Ed Walker summer camp that actually went ahead at the original proposed (single) site.

Saturday: Our home for the week was Kempsford village hall and shortly after volunteers started arriving, as did the vans and kit trailer with Ed and Tony (Tony dutifully advises all other campers to be wary of accepting tea from camp leaders). After setting up of the hall and tea provided by Harri a trip to the pub (The George) was in order. Our arrival in the village coincided with a 21st (rave-esque) marquee party where many of the guests had drinks resembling something more suitable for under the bonnet of a car, perhaps an ‘ale rave’ could be an interesting future suggestion for WRG camp activities? Some interesting fashion choices were also spotted with apparent upcoming autumn/winter 12 season trends resembling Christmas trees.

Sunday: For day one we were on site very swiftly, after a hearty breakfast provided by Harri, with work started by around 9.20am. A large chunk of the initial work was site reestablishment; vegetation and Himalayan balsam clearance and the delicate removal of a willow stump in the base of the spill weir- often referred to as the bastard stump during its excavation (this role initially being assigned to Alyssa as the resident archaeologist).

Another starter job was a brick swap - removing unsuitable bricks from site and replacing them with newer and less blue bricks from Alex Farm - requiring a substantial amount of humping and dumping and kidney-bashing thanks

to driving back and forth along the yet-to-beinfilled-pothole-laden-trackway (another job). As well as replacing old brickwork, demolition of last year’s bricklaying was also necessary due to unsuitable blue bricks used.

By the end of the first day the willow stump seemed to have grown significantly, resulting in Bryan, Richard and Alyssa all looking more worried by it than vice versa.

The Himalayan balsam however was beginning to quake in its roots, with a large amount of it having been cleared around the burco and lock side by Gary, Nigel and Huw. After a day of demolition by Rob, Andrew, David M and RAF Martin, the lock is prepped for start of brick laying, coinciding very nicely with the Alex Farm brick swap having only one trailer load left to do by the end of the Sunday. Due to the lack of showers at the accommodation shower trips were made daily straight from site at Highworth Leisure centre. The evening was a quiet one with some choosing for a less rowdy drink in the pub while others stayed in the hall.

The start of rebuilding work on the gate recess wall

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David attacks the ‘Bastard Stump’ with the digger and then in more traditional manner Monday: Making another swift departure from the accommodation on Monday morning, an interesting discovery was made by Mk2 while searching in the flight case; he was not the one left feeling like a fool however. Monday’s approach to the willow stump was a little tougher - assigning Bryan and Gary the task of removing it, however even with hefty amounts of mattocking, shovelling, and hacking away at the numerous monster roots the stump would not be budged, even when set up with the Tirfor winch. Further mattocking and axing was employed along with the small excavator driven by David M to help clear the surrounding soil, readying the stump for more winching. Having cleared a large chunk of the Himalayan balsam burning began with one of the willow roots being ceremoniously thrown onto the fire. With most of the demolition largely completed inside the lock chamber, Robert and Andrew began rebuilding the cleared sections - astonishing everyone when no complaints were made regarding the consistency of the mortar (contact Tracy for the recipe to happy brickies). By the end of the day, the majority of the south side was rebuilt. A start was also made by Mk2, David M, Richard and Huw on the trackway; infilling the numerous potholes allowing for a reversed ‘before & after’ view of the smoothened trackway.

Evening activities were skittles at the

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Plough Inn with teams divided into Team Ed and Team Alyssa- the scores remained fairly even throughout, with Team Ed clinching the win at the final throws. This was followed by a tense game of Killer which was eventually won by David A. Man of the match would have to be awarded to Tony however, who actually managed to score!

Tuesday saw the continuation of burning Himalayan balsam with little encouragement needed in restarting the fire from the previous day. The willow stump however was less forgiving; Tirfor winching remained unsuccessful. The afternoon largely consisted of further winching, mattocking, axing, swearing and despairing. Nic made good use of his Tonka toy (unimog) in the afternoon shifting the larger tree stumps onto the bonfire area.

Another quiet day was had by all, as there were again no complaints about mortar from the brickies(!!) and good progress was made in the rebuild sections. The trackway was nearly completed with less than 100m to finish, the access track back from site now in a better condition than the road back from the showers.

For the evenings activities Jon Pontefract gave us a walking tour of the rest of the canal: those unfamiliar with canals realised that they actually usually contain water. A requisite trip to The George was also made.

Wednesday: CCT sent someone with a chainsaw to cut the willow stump into 4 pieces, still without movement using the Tirfor winch, the excavator was subsequently placed in the hole to attempt to tear away sections of the visible roots. The stumps brought onto the bonfire were slowly burnt away, with plenty of Himalayan balsam going with it. One side of the brickwork was today brought to the highest level and good progress was made on all other sections despite the rain showers and a lack of tarpaulin.

Richard was today on brick-cutting duty and claimed himself the ‘Bricksaw Artistry’ Award at the end of camp awards. The trackway was, as expected, finished by tea break allowing a further Alex Farm run for more bricks, water and diesel.

Straight after lunch as the prospect of further work was on the horizon, we were faced with a torrential downpour- debate of whether to sit it out or call it quits ended in us leaving site early as most people were walking as though having had a toilet accident (trousers were that drenched). Of course as we walked out from the showers the sun was again shining and no more rain was seen that day.

For half of the volunteers cinema was the choice activity of the evening with the other half opting for the pub. Ted and The Bourne Legacy were the two film choices with no one disappointed by either.

(multitasking), the Unimog and two Tirfor winches. The tree stumps and balsam was dutifully burnt by Anne, Ed and Alyssa.

Today an exploratory look at the by-wash was continued by Huw and David A, after the work completed by Gary on Wednesday with all of the vegetation cleared and the walls becoming much more visible.

Thursday evening was planned as a boat trip but which was unfortunately cancelled, so chippy tea (with curry sauce! Much to the amazement of Alyssa) went ahead as planned with a late night George trip.

Friday was a gentle day with the work onsite starting to decrease as jobs got finished. The stump was further encouraged out but to no avail, the stump was wedged up with another log and left on the side of the spill weir. More of the site was strimmed clear by David M, allowing safety fencing to be put up at a safe distance from the edge of the lock chamber. The brickwork was largely completed today with fewer puddles to contend with and the remaining tree stumps were burnt away.

At the end of the day, the kit trailer was counted and packed away on site and driven back to the accommodation. A provisions run was made before a BBQ in the park outside of the hall, this was followed by camp awards and a late night ‘pick up sticks’ tournament between Mk2 and Alyssa.

Thank you to all volunteers for coming Thursday: Back on site on Thursday and along and working so hard through the week, the previous day’s weather was obvious as to all the locals, to Tony and Ed for driving the scuba diving kit was nearly necessary for vans & kit to the camp, to Harri for all the bricklaying. Rob, Andrew, David M and Chris fantastic food throughout the week- personal all persevered however with Tracy, again, on highlights being pear and chocolate betty, mortar deconstructed eton mess mixing and curry. Further thanks duty. to Ed for running yet The another brilliant camp. I day was thoroughly enjoyed nonetheless being an assistant leader more fruitand despite having little ful, with technical knowledge or half of the experience (this was willow only my third WRG stump camp), it was a lot less (finally!) complicated than I had being reexpected- if you are moved by thinking or contemplatBryan Gary, ing being an assistant or Richard, leader next year- do it!

Checking the brickwork or measuring the water depth?

Nic, Tracy Alyssa

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Toolbox Talk

It’s one of the commonest and most useful bits of machinery on restoraiton sites. But do you know how to use it safely? Ed explains...

How to use brick saws safely Brick saws and how to use them safely A brick saw (also known as a Stihl Saw / cut off saw / ‘that noisy bit of kit over there’...) is an extremely useful tool on a restoration site, enabling you to cut reinforcing bar to size or to quickly cut bricks with minimal wastage – but in inexperienced hands they can be dangerous. Unsurprisingly, there is a brief section on brick saws in the Practical Restoration Handbook:

· · · · · ·

Saws should only be used by experienced personnel who have been trained in their use and in the changing of discs.

Make sure that the correct disc is fitted for the job: stone and steel discs have different properties.

Goggles are mandatory for the user; a full face visor is preferable.

When cutting stone, concrete or brick, a dust mask must be worn.

Keep other workers and the public out of range of flying debris and dust.

Take special care not to drop portable

· ·

grinding tools as the wheel could be damaged and break when in use.

Never force a grinding machine against the work, as dangerous flat spots could develop on the wheel.

Grinding wheels may only be fitted by competent persons.

The Health & Safety Executive has also written a guide to safe use of brick saws which goes into greater detail about the dangers of brick dust: see www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ misc830.pdf The above points represent only a brief introduction to the safe use of this equipment and further details will be given here.

Types of machine On most restoration sites you will come across the ‘all-in-one’ petrol powered brick saw. These have some advantages (run anywhere ability; 12 inch disc for deep cutting) but also some disadvantages (the saw is heavier and more complex). It is worth spending a few minutes when planning work to decide whether an electric powered angle grinder (110V for site use, 4.5in or 9in blade sizes are available) may be a better option.

They do have the obvious disadvantage that you are tied to a generator, but the saws themselves are significantly lighter which can make some jobs much easier.

Blades Following on from the choice of machine is the type of work and the blade type to be used. Two types of blade are available: a black abrasive blade and a diamond edged blade for cutting stone/brick/concrete. Wood is not to be cut with a brick saw: use a chainsaw or a proper wood saw. There are specific safety points to be followed for each type of blade and a few general points: In general the blade must be the right size for the saw, have a speed rating higher than the saw, and the fixing hole must be the

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right size to snugly fit the drive spindle. For example the Canal Camps kit Stihl saw blades must be at most 300mm in diameter with a 20mm bore and rated to at least 4,950 rpm (usually 5,100 rpm), but it is worth closely checking machines owned by local canal societies or hired-in, as some machines have a higher blade speed – and the camps kit blades may explode in this case.

Always run the saw up to full speed before taking the blade to the workpiece: this minimises the possibility of breaking or damaging the blade, and cuts down the gyroscopic action of the blade spinning up.

Do not twist or angle the blade in your cut, rubbing of the sides of the cut against the blade can cause it to get damaged or break.

Diamond Blade This blade is made out of metal and has a diamond dust abrasive welded to the edge.

The blade is direction-sensitive and must be fitted to the saw the right way round (following the arrows on the saw and blade). This is by far the safest blade to use and will quickly and cleanly cut bricks, reinforced concrete and other similar materials. Some blades require the use of water spray to keep the cutting temperature down, if a ‘lava-like’ material builds up in the cut and progress seems to be slow then this is probably a water-cooled blade. Water spray should always be used when cutting brick and stone as it will significantly keep the dust down.

The camp kit Stihl saws come with a self contained water spray kit, or you can use a hose: the machines have a standard quickconnect hose fitting for this purpose.

Abrasive Blade This blade is made out of abrasive material held in a black matrix – there are two types of blade (check the labels!): one for cutting metal and one for stone/brick. As you cut, the blade is abraded away and so the blade will need changing at regular intervals depending on the job. Abrasive blades can be fitted to the saw either way around (they are not direction-sensitive) but they are far more dangerous to use, as the blade can crack or break if they get caught while cutting and the resultant spray of high speed fragments can cause injury. Carefully inspect the blade before use for cracks or flat spots, and if in any doubt, dispose of it and fit a new one.

Stone-cutting abrasive discs are less seen now as diamond blades have almost completely replaced them, mostly due to safety and cost reasons. (Diamond discs may be more expensive but they last far longer – I have completely used up a stone-cutting disc cutting just two bricks before now!)

Water spray can be used with the abrasive stone-cutting discs to keep the dust down (but not the metal-cutting discs!) but in this case the blade will need to be disposed of at the end of each day.

Site set up

Always check with the site leader before starting work to confirm what you are doing.

It is also worth conferring with the bricklayers if necessary as to what they want cutting and how they are going to mark-up the bricks.

In general you will want to set up the brick saw somewhere out of the way, to avoid annoying the other people Bore size on site. Particularly when cutting metal (as you generate a 3 metre long stream of sparks) you should be aware Direction arrow Type of pedestrian routes and piles of flammable materials. It is Speed rating worth spending some time getting your cutting area Abrasive blade for metal (left) and diamond blade cutting disc (right) organised and

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sorting out a way of holding your workpiece still (a few bricks stacked round it works well, standing on it is less than ideal). A fuelling point separate to the work area should also be found.

Obviously if what you are working on is attached to the ground (for example piling or a lock chamber wall) you are less flexible about your position, but you can still screen off the area from passing people to minimise the effects.

A brick saw will quite happily run in any orientation, but the easiest way to use it is with the weight of the machine passing through the blade to the workpiece – this is what it is designed for and causes the minimum amount of strain on the operator. Do not push down on the saw to try and make it cut faster: you risk fracturing the blade. If it is absolutely necessary to ‘free hand cut’ (where you have to take the complete weight of the saw and apply force on the blade, for example using the saw horizontally), be extremely careful of the exhaust, blade and dust/spark ejection line – and take regular breaks.

case is steel toe caps, full length trousers, long sleeves, gloves (heatproof – welding gauntlets work well), ear defenders and visor/goggles. Respiratory protection is not required but care should be taken so as to not spray yourself with sparks.

Maintenance

Fuelling: brick saws generally use a twostroke petrol engine; the main point to remember is that the fuel needs to have oil in it. Precisely mix the fuel and oil to the oil manufacturer’s instructions and make sure it is well mixed before use (Stihl oil comes in handy measured sachets – for the usual 1:50 mix, that’s one sachet per 5 litres of petrol).

Petrol vapour is explosive so make sure the machine is cool before refuelling, and refuel away from where you are cutting to avoid igniting any spillage.

Some level of maintenance is expected from every brick saw operator. The saw should be cleaned after use (particularly a problem after cutting bricks) and the air filters should be cleaned out regularly. In the case of the camp kit Stihl saw the machine has two air filters, the first is a foam one just Personal Protection inside the black cover on the end of the machine: this should be banged out each day In general: adjust the blade guard (it will to remove excess dust and can be washed move round with some force!) so that the out with water and thoroughly dried if necessection of blade you are using is exposed sary. The second filter is held in the body of and the nearest section to yourself is covthe saw by four screws - this can be blown ered. Remember to watch out for your foot out (preferably with an air line). If necessary or leg as you bring the saw towards you! there are spare filters in Cutting bricks: the blade box – do not minimum Personal Prothrow the old filters tection Equipment (PPE) away as they can usually for cutting bricks and be cleaned and reused. concrete is steel toe The water spray kit caps, gloves, ear defenders, visor/goggles and a is prone to losing pressure: this is usually due dust mask rated to FFP3 to grit in the screwthread – despite using water spray some dust is still closure at the top – washing it out with fresh generated so a dust water will usually clear it. mask is still required.

Water spray should If there are any other maintenance probalways be used when lems or malfunctions cutting brick etc. as it then stop using the saw cuts down on the nuiimmediately and contact sance dust for everyone a competent repairer else on site and means (eg. a Stihl stockist) or you can see what you myself are doing more clearly. (ed.walker@wrg.org.uk).

Cutting metal: Water spray kit Ed Walker minimum PPE in this

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Ashtac ...revisited Left: as it was in 1972: Harry Arnold’s photo from Ashtac shows volunteers working at Walk Mill Bridge just west of Dukinfield Junction.

Below left: the same view during the 2012 cleanup. Bottom left: a photocall of volunteers who were present both at Ashtac and at the anniversary event. Bottom: WRG North West volunteers sling their hooks in the Peak Forest Canal under the railway bridge just south of Dukinfield Junction.

Martin Ludgate

Martin Ludgate

Martin Ludgate

Harry Arnold

The 1972 Ashtac big dig launched the work to reopen the lower Peak Forest and Ashton canals and thus the Cheshire Ring. Four decades on, a cleanup led the by local IWA with some of the volunteers who were there in 1972 marked the anniversary

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Congratulations to Jonathan Todd and Angela Pitman on their marriage also to Mike Chase and Liz Wright on their marriage

Stamps wanted

Send used stamps, petrol coupons, phone cards, empty computer printer ink cartridges to IWA/WRG Stamp Bank, 33 Hambleton Grove, Milton Keynes MK4 2JS. All proceeds to canal restoration.

Apologies... ...if anything you sent didn’t appear in this issue. A couple of items were held over, but the editor’s had a few email issues. If in doubt, contact him.

Thanks to Chris Griffiths of Stroudprint for continued assistance with Navvies printing

And now for 2013...

Josie Fisher R.I.P. We’re sorry to have to bring you the news that former WRGie Josie Fisher has died.

Active around the 1990s and chiefly remembered for her huge (in all ways) contribution to WRG catering, she was the Josie of the ‘Josie and Sue’s Hard Hat Cafe’ t-shirts which are still often to be seen worn by longer-serving WRG volunteers.

My own personal memories particularly involve Josie cooking on some of London WRG’s digs, especially the ones where we stayed at All Saints Hall, walked through the woods to the Bleak House pub afterwards, and tried our hardest to down more than one pint in an evening after her extra-large helpings. Finally we’d think “I could just fancy another beer now!” at which point they’d ring ‘last orders’...

Our sympathies to everyone who knew Josie.

The Editor

DIRECTORY UPDATE The Navvies directory in the last issue included an out-ofdate phone number for the Cotswold Canals Trust.

The correct number is 01453 752568 The next full directory will appear in issue 257, published in February 2013. Please send any additions, deletions, updates or corrections to the editor.

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By the time this issue is published we’ll be well into planning the 2013 canal camps programme. A provisional dates list should emerge from the meeting at the Bonfire Bash, but in the meantime we can confirm that the first camp will be on the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation on 16-23 February, working on scrub-bashing and towpath improvement.

Contacting the chairman: Mike Palmer, 3 Finwood Rd, Rowington Warwickshire CV35 7DH

Tel: 01564 785293 email: mike.palmer@wrg.org.uk

Dial-a-camp To contact any WRG Canal Camp: 07850 422156 (Kit ‘A’ camps) 07850 422157 (Kit ‘B’ camps)

Infill Dear Deirdre As a single lady in my 20s I’ve recently been trying online dating in the hope of finding love with a guy who can come on digs with me. I specified in my advert that I’m looking for a man with good stamina who enjoys dirty and exhausting activities, preferably someone with experience using specialist equipment. The responses I’ve received have been frankly quite alarming. Is the internet Not only did Ian Mac usurp the Chairman’s full of perverts, or do you think it’s Comment page this time, he added insult to injury by sending in the above pic of a youthful worth persevering?

- Sandra, Solihull MKP (centre) among WRG NorthWest folks at Deirdre writes Sorry to hear about your Uppermill on the Huddersfield about 30 years experiences Sandra, but I think you are ago. He sent another similar pic, which I will retain for blackmail purposes in case I’m chas- being narrow minded. Although these men may have very specific tastes, there’s absoing MIke for the Chaiman’s Page in future... lutely no reason to believe they can’t also have a passion for more healthy activities, such as restoring heritage stonework. Moreover, all the digging might wear them out so you’ll have less bother from them at night. I think you could at least try meeting up for a coffee.

Dear Deirdre I’m cooking on a camp this year but the list of food allergies is massive; I’m getting nervous about serving anything in case I kill someone. Any suggestions?

- Bill, Husbands Bassett Deirdre writes I think it’s important to differentiate between ‘allergies’ and ‘fussy eaters’.

You’d be amazed the number of grown men who claim to be allergic to broccoli, muesli and brown bread. Whenever I cook on a camp I insist on doing skin patch tests on the first night: anyone who doesn’t have a reaction has to clear their plate before they’re allowed any pudding. That soon sorts the men from the boys.

Do you have a question for Deirdre? You can email it to deirdre@wrg.org.uk

And finally...

Have you ever wished you’d taken more notice of how a lock chamber or bridge wall went together before you started knocking it down to rebuild it?

There are, of course, plenty of jigsaw puzzle fans in WRG who enjoy such a challenge, but for the rest of us it’s a good idea to make a diagram of the stonework before you start dismantling it, so you can put it back together again later.

Pictured right is a splendid example of just such a diagram, photogrpahed by the editor at Jubilee Bridge on the Cotswold. I’m sure it helped enormously.

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