Navvies 283

volunteers restoring waterways

navvies Concreting

Key points for getting your formwork right

waterway recovery group

Issue No 283 June-July 2017 page 1

Intro

Grantham camp

A selection of pictures from Camp 2017-04, which spent a week at Easter continuing rebuilding Lock 15 at Woolsthorpe - see report, pages 10-11.

Pics by John Hawkins

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Visit our web site www.wrg.org.uk or find Waterway Recovery Group on Facebook for all the latest news of WRG's activities 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 Printing and assembly: John Hawkins, 4 Links Way, Croxley Green, Rickmansworth, Herts WD3 3RQ 01923 448559 john.hawkins@wrg.org.uk 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.

Waterway Recovery Group is part of The Inland Waterways Association, (registered office: Island House, Moor Road, Chesham HP5 1WA), 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.

Directors of WRG: Rick Barnes, John Baylis, George Eycott, Helen Gardner, John Hawkins, Dave Hearnden, Jude Palmer, Mike Palmer, Jonathan Smith, Harry Watts.

ISSN: 0953-6655

© 2017 WRG

Contents In this issue...

From the Chairman: on going down the pub, and the tale of the extra bucket 4-5 Coming soon summer camps update 6-7 Clean Up BCN report 8-9 Camp reports Grantham and two weeks on the Cotswold Canals 10-17 KESCRG 40th birthday dig report 18-20 WRGBC Boat Club News 21 Diary WRG, IWA, CRT, canal societies 22-27 Wendover update 28-29 Progress Mont and Lichfield 30 Safety powered wheelbarrows 31 Concreting how to put up shuttering and formwork 32-35 Directory WRG and canal societies 36-39 Navvies News 40-41 Infill Deirdre’s back!

42 Cotswold camps in pictures 43

Contributions... ...are welcome, whether by post or 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 284: 1 July.

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. Please pay cheques to "The Inland Waterways Association".

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

Cover Picture: The KESCRG 40th anniversary dig at Inglesham on the Cotswold Canals (see report, pages 18-20, picture by Jenny Black) Back cover: Easter Cotswold end-of-camp pictures at Weymoor Bridge (top, by Chris Byrne) and Inglesham Lock (bottom, by David Evans) - see reports on pages 12-17.

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Chairman

MKP explains about the importance of a few pints down the pub and making sure buckets don’t end up in the wrong place...

The tale of the extra bucket...

These questions (and their answers) will soon evolve into a Toolbox Talk to help I’m afraid I must begin this Navvies with a everyone feel more reassured that they are humble apology to one of WRG’s stalwarts. actually allowed to do what we do, when we George ‘Bungle’ Eycott has taken me to task do it, how we do it. with a double whammy of a complaint at the Second stage to the weekend was a few last WRG Committee meeting followed by a pints down the pub that evening with the letter to Navvies. leaders who were staying on overnight. I In the first instance George was upset know to sounds daft to suggest that going that that my description of the state of Trailer down the pub constitutes an important part B in the last Navvies was particularly inaccuof the weekend, but it is genuinely one of rate. Apparently my summary of a “rusting WRG’s greatest strengths. All the guidance chassis and decaying electrics” was a crass from the Health and Safety Executive says oversimplification, as he explained to me at that organisations should allow informal length. I could explain it all here, but to do opportunities to discuss all aspects of the so would deprive you all of the many, many work, be it a particular task on site or a details and minutiae that somehow come whole way of working. It’s important to alive when Bungle tells the story. So please, create an environment where people feel if you would like a comprehensive report on comfortable to ask questions, and that is trailer B, then do ask George and he will give something we do particularly well. Someyou a fulsome account of the situation totimes it’s just requests for more info (“why gether with the thinking on why it should do we stack the bricks there and not there?”) really be considered suitable for replacement. but other times it’s stuff we haven’t thought As for his second complaint, I’ll settle of (“wouldn’t it be better if we did it this that further down the page with the tale of way?”). And it’s not just the sessions in the the extra bucket and hopefully this cheery pub – most construction companies would and timely message will be still rattling weep if they could hear the conversations we around everyone’s heads as they pack and have over lunch or the evening meal. unpack trailers and vans over this summer.

Next up was the Sunday morning with But before I do that – some other news a WRG committee meeting, with a healthy from around the patch. number of people attending which was most We’ve had quite a few busy weekends welcome. I’m never quite sure whether new recently: 13-14 May was a good example. I attendees are surprised that the WRG comspent pretty much all of it in Lapworth Vilmittee meeting is such a jovial affair. I’d like lage Hall. First off was our Leader Training to think that’s what they would expect, but Day, excellently led by Ed Walker. There is a one thing I am very aware of: whilst there is report on it somewhere else in this Navvies a lot of laughter, what we are discussing is [see Navvies News, pages 40-41] but, some often serious and important stuff and it is 15 years in, it really is an essential part of only through the hard work and dedication our organisation. In particular, it’s very much of everyone around the table that we are a two-way flow of information – for example able to feel confident we have these issues we had a session on ‘permissions to work’ under control and can enjoy the jokes. My led by George Rogers. And it really was thanks to everyone who contributes in some difficult to work out if it was George the way to this happy situation. committee member talking to camp leaders, Finally there was a one-off IWA public or George the camp leader talking to commeeting to explain our parent body the mittee members. In reality it was both, and Inland Waterways Association’s recent efforts George raised some interesting questions. to address issues around restoration. No

Chairman’s Comment

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need to go through this here as I gave everyone a sneak preview in the last Navvies.

However even in the four weeks since I wrote that preview there have been more developments, and it was good to see such a decent presentation on the subject so close to our hearts. Whilst I would never want each restoration project to become indistinguishable from each other (we like their idiosyncrasies) I really do think that the Restoration Hub will result in a lot more best practice being shared and a reduction in all those cries of “why does this project never get xxxxx right?”

So all in all, a busy little weekend! The next weekend was spent at our base in Northamptonshire starting to get all the kits ready for a summer of camps, which rather neatly brings me onto the tale of the extra bucket...

Several times a year a small group of us meet up in Northamptonshire and gingerly open up the trailers to see what joy we have been given. Now this should, of course, be quite simple – see what has been broken, worn out or lost, replace it, and Bob’s your uncle.

But it’s never that simple, and please bear with me while I explain why……

So firstly we had better get the obvious out of the way: it’s never any fun to be presented with a pile of manky gloves that have been festering in some bucket for a month.

Whilst I understand that it’s always a bit of a frantic rush packing up a camp, in what way do people think that we are better suited than they are to finding a bin, or that leaving the gloves to fester for a month will make them somehow less of a problem?

However, actually it’s not the gloves that are the actual issue. It’s the bucket they are in. Because it won’t be one of our buckets.

Now just to be clear, this is not a case of ‘control freakiness’ from the Logistics department. Yes, we do get twitchy about the kit we supply - but that is much more a case that years of testing mean we are quite sure that it is the right tool for the right job. And we like things to all be the same, because it makes it much easier and quicker for you to pack up - not because we like things to be pretty and matched.

No, the real issue is: where did that bucket come from? Maybe the last site the trailer visited, but it could just have come from a site four camps back. We can’t know.

Following on from this is the even trickier issue – of what about the extra bucket that

Pleas afte e look BUCKr this ET

someone put in four weeks ago and it got left on the next site because clearly it wasn’t one of ours. So that’s a bucket we don’t even know we have lost. But that doesn’t stop the locals from asking for it back!

Because if we take a bucket from the site then the locals get upset, and seeing as it will probably just be ejected on the next camp, there is very little chance of us ever being able to find it again when they ask us about it.

Because you can be sure that if it isn’t marked up as WRG then it will be ejected on the next site. Of course it’s even worse if we have bought the extra bucket specifically for that camp, because that means we will be charging the locals for the bucket when the accounts get back to head office. And they will want to know where it is when they get the bill.

Now all of the above is clearly just stupid – because we don’t really care about a bucket. But when it is Dave’s favourite trowel – the one his grandfather used to build his house / dig his escape tunnel / spank Christine Keeler with / etc. then things start to get a bit personal. Or perhaps the £85 super long spirit level for that tricky job. And much as we would like to help them when they ring us up, it’s really pretty impossible for us to track it down.

So there is my trailer whinge – please when you are packing our trailers, don’t put stuff in that isn’t our kit. Mainly for the reason that it probably won’t get back to us, but it definitely will leave that site. If you are not sure, then give us a call and we’ll advise you on the best thing to do with it.

That feels better actually – I hope you will remember that throughout the summer.

I wonder if I should try my tea-towels whinge? I think maybe I’ll save that for another day.

Hugs and Kisses Mike Palmer

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Coming soon...

Summer canal camps

Latest news on this summer’s canal camps including an extra site added to the list: the Shrewsbury & Newport

WRG Training Weekend, 24-25 June Cotswold Canals: final call With luck you might just get this issue in time to make a last-minute booking for the WRG Training Weekend, which this year will be based at Brimscombe Port, with overnight accommodation available. As we went to press we were planning to offer training in bricklaying, scaffolding, driving vans, small excavators, dumpers, operating site tools including bricksaws, pumps and CAT scanners, and First Aid. Contact Head Office on 01494 783453 or enquiries@wrg.org.uk.

Canal Camps: good news, bad news Then just a week or so later it’s the start of the main summer Canal Camps programme, and we’ve got some good news and some bad news. So let’s get the bad news out of the way first: unfortunately owing to problems with permissions and funding, it’s not been possible for this year’s Stover Canal camps to go ahead. But credit for the canal society for getting in touch early enough for us to make some alternative arrangements for those weeks.

Which means that the good news is that we’ve added an extra site to our list for this summer: Camp 2017-22 on 19-26 August (which would have been the first Stover camp) will now be on the Shrewsbury & Newport Canals. And the second planned Stover week, Camp 2017-25 on 26 August to 2 September, has been merged with Camp 2017-25 the same week which is led by NWPG on the Grantham Canal.

Book now to avoid disappointment...

Martin Ludgate

Meanwhile several of the camps in the early part of the programme, particularly the ones at Inglesham on the Cotswold Canals, are already fully booked. But as we go to press there are still a number with some places left.

Here are several later on in the programme which we expect will still have some space - but don’t delay, book today...

On the Lapal Canal on 29 July 5 August we’ll be carrying on with the work began last year in Selly Oak Park (near Birmingham), rebuilding the canal banks on a surviving length which runs through Help to bring boats back to this length of the Lapal Canal in Selly Oak Park the park. It’s impor-

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Martin Ludgate

Martin Ludgate

tant to get this length of canal restored, as there’s a major development scheme going on nearby which (we hope) is likely to enable this section of canal to be connected through to the Worcester & Birmingham Canal in the not too distant future - so our work could see its first boats within just a few years.

The Grantham Canal is one of our major projects for this year, with work on Lock 15 of the Woolsthorpe flight now well-advanced (despite the unexpectedly bad state of the lock which has led Join us rebuilding this huge spillweir on the North Walsham & Dilham to a rather more drastic demolition-and-rebuild job than we’d hoped). So this year we hope to finish it and make a start on Lock 14. So plenty of demolition and bricklaying work, and a chance to help make some real progress on a project which could see several more miles of canal reopened within the forthcoming years.

Up in Norfolk, things have been progressing in recent years on the county’s only canal, the North Walsham & Dilham. One lock (Bacton Wood) has been completely rebuilt and had new gates fitted, and WRG’s first camps on the canal (Camp 2017-20 on 12-19 August and 2017-23 on 19-26 August) will be spent working at the next lock downstream, Ebridge Lock. We’ll be rebuilding the huge overflow spillway structure, removing damaged brickwork and some badly cracked concrete patching and restoring it in traditional materials.

And now for something completely different: the River Waveney. A brand new project will see volunteers working on this Broadland river for the first time ever - taking down and rebuilding one of the chamber walls of Geldeston Lock, at the tidal limit of the waterway, as a mooring for preserved historic wherry (sailing barge) Albion. Oh, and just to really tempt you onto Camp 2017-17 on 5 to 12 Be in at the start: site for the first volunteer work on the Waveney August, the lock is pretty much in the garden of the Locks pub...

WRG North West seven-day dig at Pant, Montgomery Canal 12-19 July Voluteers wanted for the 15-16 July weekend and the days either side for WRG NW’s return to Pant to continue the important job of taking out an old railway embankment, one of only two major obstructions to reopening this length of the Mont. See the dig report in the last Navvies for more about the project, and contact Ju Davenport on 07808-182004 or email nw@wrg.org.uk if you can help. Digger and dumper drivers especially, but everyone welcome.

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Clean Up Reporting from the BCN

Plenty of tyres pulled out, as usual

After our evening meal, the hardier team members enjoyed an alfresco party hosted by the visiting working boat Swallow, this involved the tasting of as many different whiskies as you can plus other drinks, and then Alan Lines set up an alternative Port and Brie table which everyone sampled!

Several hangovers needed curing the next day (didn’t they, Karen?).

I would like to thank Moose and Maria for all their support, also George for the catering and lovely deserts. Thanks to Aileen for the coordinating in between at site, Thanks to Tony and his volunteers from the Canal and River Trust and the Friends of

Chris Morgan

This year we were working in the Wolverhampton and Wednesfield Area, which was a first for our annual ‘cut-dipping’ event. Unfortunately our area of work was reduced by a bridge closure in Wednesfield that stopped navigation by workboats.

Friday saw arrival at the ‘smart’ accommodation that is the Malthouse Stables Activity Centre at Tipton. The beer was tapped and volunteers went out for a fish and chip supper or to the local Mad O’Rourke’s Pie Factory pub.

On Saturday after a cooked breakfast, we did the safety talks and arranged work sites. The ‘Moose crew’ went straight to site at Wednesfield, as most now own their own grapples!

My group went off to the sign-on site at Minerva wharf, to sign on and walk to Broad Street in Wolverhampton to start pulling out rubbish above the top of the 21 locks.

The weather was kind to us and the event was very well attended by the public and BCN boat owners wanting to give a bit back, which was nice to see.

Although our total pull out for the weekend was half our normal haul, both teams were relatively busy and pulled out the usual items: tyres, trolleys, bikes, roadwork fencing etc.

Tim Lewis

BCN Clean up report 2017

BCNS workboat Phoenix plus work-flat with a full load of junk

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Martin Ludgate

Tim Lewis

Tipton Cut, for his organisation. SB skip hire are also deserved of a thank you as CRT’s own skip provider Biffa no longer want dirty mixed waste, we could not do this event without SB Skip Hire.

I would also like to thank the volunteer crews from BCN Society / Inland Waterways Association / Coombeswood Canal Trust and CRT, we couldn’t do it without you. Thanks to all the van drivers for your efforts before, during and after the event, you know who you all are.

Another grabful heads for the skips Three barrels of local ale were sold over the weekend, plus badges and tee shirts generating a profit of £175 to IWA funds, thank you to Viv Thorpe for bringing along his vintage beer engines to dispense the ale once again.

Special thanks to Jenny, Sarah, Alex and Toby at Head Office who work so hard doing things throughout the year.

Well done to head office for all the publicity this year, it worked very well, we had a good write up in The Tillergraph (even if it wasn’t totally correct!) We were also splashed out all over the press in the Black Country so again well done IWA publicity.

You may have seen Jenny’s press release: over 20 tonnes this year estimated by CRT, their Chief Executive Richard Parry attended at lunch time on Saturday to thank us all for our efforts. Also in attendance was a local politician in the race to be the new metropolitan Mayor of Wolverhampton so it was good to speak to him and educate him on our work. He was fascinated that so many people attend from all over the UK. He agreed that yes, we are, all mad.

Last thank you is to you all for attending, it really is a great event, and you friends put the great into it. Take care and see you all soon.

Chris Morgan Have the bikes started breeding with the trolleys?

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Camp Report Grantham Canal Grantham Canal: 15 - 22 April Leaders: Bex and first time assistant, Squidge (who was beyond ace) Easter weekend heralded the restart of the season at Grantham lock 15 with a small but refined team, many of whom were what now seem as WRG regulars from Grantham Camp, returning to see a lock moved on to coping stone level and well progressed by Grantham Canal Society (GCS). On Sunday it was just the WRG team onsite working, with the locals running an open day at their depot just up the road. The WRG team thus had many spectators walking along the towpath peeking at what was happening behind the barriers. The week saw a strange mix of external training, videoing for an external health and safety video, external organisations having parties booked in our accommodation block, just to add to the mix of normal ups and downs and changes required to run the everyday or normality of camp life (if anything WRGie can be termed ‘everyday’ or ‘normal’).

Setting up at the Cropwell Bishop Memorial Hall home of choice for the campers for the week saw a few ‘start of season’ hitches – a fridge that decided it didn’t wish to work due to arriving with the wrong connection lead, a boiler with a switch that said it was on high when off and when on number 2, was on full blast… small problems when you have regulars who can fix anything...

Monday was a training day for five WRG volunteers and three locals from GCS for their Lantra tower scaffolding qualification. A morning of theory around health and safety followed by shared demonstration on erection of scaffold, with the one and only Squidge as the volunteer to climb on the scaffold and put the structure together. During lunch two teams were formed and then all worked together to demolish the structure safely before team A went to do the written test whilst team B rebuilt the structure, teams then swopped with all of team B getting 100% in their test (not much conferring going on there or discussion on points of course – we wouldn’t, now, would we?) and also named as winning the structure competition!

Easter Monday morning also saw the team having to clear the hall and kitchen totally for what lovingly became termed the “locals’ Easter bonnet party day”. Even our fantastic cook Katy had to get off site; so early breakfast, kit bags packed, food fridges, Uncle Tom Cobbley and all, hidden in the back room. This also meant a late

Grantham Canal Fact File

Length: 33 miles Locks: 18 Date closed: 1936

The Canal Camp project: Rebuilding Lock 15 on the Woolsthorpe Flight Why? This is part of a major Heritage Lottery Fund backed project by Grantham Canal Society with support from the Canal & River Trust to restore locks 14 and 15 of the seven-lock Woolsthorpe flight.

Unfortunately it turned out to be in a much worse state than had been realised, so what had been expected to be a restoration has turned into more of a demolition and rebuild job.

The wider picture: You’ll see mention in some camp reports of CRT trainees: the work is being used as a heritage skills training exercise for the Society and CRT to help provide a pool of volunteers for the next To Newark Proposed diversion Nottingham Woolsthorpe stage, locks 12-13.

Trent to Restored Locks 12-18 In terms of progressing Shardlow Redmile length the restoration, it’s also a step towards Grantham Original route Cropwell creating a 10-mile restored length to obstructed The Long Redmile - an in the medium term, Canal Camp Pound completing the Long Pound to Cropwell.

Restored site: Lock 15 Get that open, and someone might just find the cash to length deal with the diversion needed to connect the canal back to the Trent.

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John Hawkins

arrival back at hall so a well organised cook had well prepared in advance to get us fed as soon as possible as the hall and kitchen were restored around her. So the high quality food we had already come to expect was turned out again within the limited time scale.

The usual night of fun and games was held after a mad panic of “where can we get 4 pairs of tights from – anyone wear them???” ...what, on a canal camp?… erm probably not!!

Even the local Co-op doesn’t sell them. Mysteriously though, four pairs were found and games night commenced with much fun and frivolity where even the early night brigade mainly stayed up to join in. New card games as always were shared and new friends’ jokes and frivolities over a pint developed.

“More Lime mortar please” became the call of the week in Womble Towers and the side structures around, so much so that the Heritage Apprentice from Canal and River Trust, Iona, had a visit most days to the suppliers to buy more and collect containers of fresh water from the depot.

Work was also undertaken by Santa (Mr Pete Bowers) and ably assisted by The Dam Busters, on the overflow weir that was constructed in the first few weeks of the camps last year, as it was found when the water was high, the side walls were not high enough, thus high waders and life jackets were slipped on to work down the steps to build half dams and block flow to one side to allow the walls to be lowered to enable raised height to be constructed.

‘Phil the Bitch’ donned his chainsaw attire on Wednesday, happily supported by Alex from Head Office who just happened to be passing (OK, not so much passing, he

Lock chamber, well on the way to completion

was there to help with the Health & Safety video), and Sam, and after the rather large lump of very old wood in the cill had been photographed and drawn by the archaeologist, they removed it (carefully), so the Pope (Peter Johnson), Xaver and Keith could crack on with setting and laying bricks filling in the gaps on the cill wall. Once the cill wall was done, Phil, Flash (Gordon) and Jake (CRT Heritage Trainee) could start work on the stop plank grooves. Luckily we had several people newly qualified in erecting scaffolding, so a tower was built in no time.

Lots of raking out and pointing was done, cleaning bricks and generally finishing those little jobs were done by Sam, Susan and David and others.

Throughout the week, Hawk (he flies, he swoops), Susan and Sarah worked with Womble on Womble towers (otherwise known as the quoin blocks), with the adjacent tower being built up by Pope, Xaver, David and Keith, and bricks cut to exact measurements by Phil the Bitch and Flash. We even erected them an all weather tent so work would continue when it rained and shone and they experienced high winds! We are nothing but committed to working in all weathers!

Volunteers from GCS cracked on with starting one of the last quadrants after laying a concrete foundation and carried on building up one of the wing walls.

Everyone had a turn or 5 at mixing, oh – and Squidge wouldn’t have been happy without being able to build and start a fire – happily supplied with things to burn by Adrian, who was also busy training people on dumpers (well done Jenny!), back filling, moving supplies and fixing things!

Our solitary D of E’er, Sarah, was a star in her work and effort, working closely with her mentor on Womble Towers and behaving like a longstanding member of the team in a very short time; joining in the fun and frivolities as if she was a regular. Sarah also won the prize for finding David’s hearing aid that was lost somewhere on the compound ground, and if you imagine the colour of a hearing aid and the colour of road stone – this was no easy find!

A thank you also goes to Mark Owen, CRT Site Supervisor for his help, support and infectious laugh, Katy our amazing cook who turned out fantastic meals, and every lovely volunteer for their fab hard work.

Jenny Hodson with additions from Bex Parr

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Camp report Cotswold Canals

Reporting from the first of two week of Easter camps on the Cotswold Canals, this one carrying on from last year’s work at Weymoor Bridge

somebody on a mobility scooter had fallen off into the road and was checked over and assisted back on their way.

Our camp started early on Saturday morning Sophie Smith had been busy cooking us with the leaders meeting up with Bungle, and a nice evening meal of jacket potatoes with Chris completing his van training with one of tuna mayo, beans, cheese, coleslaw, salad.

WRG’s new addition to the fleet.

For dessert we had apple pie with custard or ice cream.

The vans were then collected, Chris & Lucy collecting one from Newbury and John On Sunday morning we travelled to the bringing one up from London, which he work site at Weymoor Bridge (a brick arch bridge rebuilt from the remains of the abutwould then take with him at the end of our camp to the next week’s Grantham camp. ments by previous camps) where a site induction was given & we set up the welfare Our accommodation for the week was area. RAF Martin & John went and collected the well known Unit 1 in Brimscombe port, our other van & trailer from Bungle‘s place Stroud. nearby.

The camp introductions, Health & Alan Lines joined us on site for the day Safety talks & DVD were given, then we then and helped us collect a few more wheelbarhad a nice walk along the recently restored rows from Alex Farm, fuel for the generator section of canal from Bowbridge lock back towards the accommodation, showing some after a quick return to site, as I forgot to take of the previous work that WRG had commy wallet with us (luckily I remembered pleted on this canal. After dropping off the before we filled up the fuel cans!) and to the volunteers and taking the vans back, John & envy of some, a Subway sandwich for John Chris carried out a roadside rescue, where who forgot to bring his lunch!

Cotswold Canals 9-15 April Weymoor Bridge

Cotswold Canals Fact File

Length: 36 miles Locks: 56 Date closed: 1927-46

The Canal Camp projects: Weymoor Bridge; Inglesham Lock; work in the Stroud area Why? Weymoor Bridge had been demolished, and a new one is needed that can cope with today’s farm traffic. Inglesham Lock, the Cotswold Canals’ entrance from the Thames, is being restored thanks to an Inland Waterways Association appeal. And in the Stroud area, we are helping finish the 6-mile Lottery funded Phase 1a restoration from Stonehouse to just short of Brimscombe Port.

The wider picture: We need to complete the Phase 1a section before a second bid for the Phase 1b length is submitted. Restoring Inglesham will open a ‘second front’, allowing boats onto the canals’ east end. A legacy has been received specifically to restore Weymoor Bridge. And all three will help the long-term prospects of reopening the entire through route.

Canal Camp site: Weymoor Bridge

Phase 1b: Saul to Stonehouse Phase 1a: Stonehouse to Brimscombe

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Canal Camp site: Stroud

Phase 3: Brimscombe to Cerney

Canal Camp site: Inglesham Lock

Phase 2: Inglesham to Cerney

John Hawkins

RAF Martin led a small group with Rachel D & Mike using the hired breaker to start removing the Armco barrier posts. Work started the brick arch, by removing some of the woodwork that had stuck to the brickwork from the arch formers, cleaning the brick faces and raking out parts of the mortar joints that were defective, ready for a contractor to injector fill them after our Easter camps have finished here.

Several people started on tidying up the site by clearing up some old scrub, removing fallen rubble & bricks and filling in the two test pits that were dug on last years camp for the gabion walls. As the old saying goes ‘a tidy site is a safe site’!

Our meal for the evening was lamb balls, with pasta, tiger bread and salad, followed by peach pudding with custard/ice cream/cream.

On Monday work continued under the bridge arch, with other volunteers starting to sort through the stockpile of materials left over from when the bridge was excavated out a few years ago. Some of this material will be used to fill the gabion wall cages, which will support and strengthen the bank between the restored access road over the bridge and the nearby stream. Other material will be used around the site as backfill for levelling purposes.

Ashin, Edward, Josh, Lucy, Sam and Sophie were trained throughout the day on the use of the hydraulic breaker, where they had the challenge to breakup and clear through the large concrete slabs which were once part of the culvert that was put in place before the bridge was demolished by the Canadian army during the Second World War. Upon returning back to the accommodation, Sophie Smith had been very busy cooking the majority of our camp’s evening meals for the rest of the week, due to having to leave camp earlier than anticipated due to work commitments. As our evenings meal was about to be cooked, the gas bottles for the oven and hobs ran out. After searching through all the gas bottles in the accommodation, only to find out that they were all empty, John and myself had the challenge of

Pointing the brickwork under the arch

driving around Stroud in the early evening when most places had closed to try and buy some more. After visiting numerous places, to no avail, we managed to obtain some from another work site at Lower Wallbridge lock welfare unit, which would see us through until the local supplies are open again the next day.

Sophie then left our camp after being given a lovely bunch of flowers and a thank you card for all of her hard work cooking the whole weeks food in such a short space of time, also with leaving such excellent cooking instructions for each meal! Thank you Sophie!

For the evening meal... (which was slightly later than planned, but at least it was cooked!) we enjoyed chicken curry, with rice, naan bread, peas, broccoli and chick peas.

Followed by trifle & ice cream.

On Tuesday morning, John Pontefract (Stroud District Council / Cotswold Canals Trust) arrived to collect some of the empty gas bottles & returned later on in the day with some full ones for us to use. Thank you for your help John.

On site, work continued again under the bridge arch. A couple of people were trained in the use of the Arbotech saw. Josh was in his element chopping up some old logs on the stockpile heap, so much so, he managed to break the hatchet handle in half!

It was decided that the third Armco post near the roadway will need to be re-

page 13

the quiz, which put a smile on everyones face after a couple of hard working days on site. Thank you Lucy for creating such a good quiz. The evening activities continued back at the accommodation for some people, with puzzles being made and several games of ‘spoons’ & ‘cheat’ played (card games).

On Wednesday work continued once again under the bridge arch... notice a theme here? David, Adam, Sam & myself continued with and finally removed the 3rd Armco post, which turned out to be around 2.5 metres long, three times the length of the other two removed earlier in the week!

Work progressed digging out the bank around the towpath area, exposing some more coping stones and brickwork. A local volunteer, John Maxstead (CCT), arrived on site with their chainsaw to cut up an old tree stump that was left on the stock pile, which cleared a large area of space and due to it not being suitable for logging material, it was quickly disposed of on the bonfire.

In the afternoon, David and Adam used the hydraulic breaker on the stockpile working through the rubble piles.

Rachel D and myself left site a little bit earlier today to take back the arbotech saw to the hire shop, now that we know where they are located. Then we ventured back to the accommodation to start cooking our evening meals, which were spaghetti and meatballs with salad followed by the very lovely raspberry ripple & toffee ripple ice cream for pudding from the local Winston’s ice cream shop.

Our activity for the evening was ten-pin bowling in Stroud with the top score over all by Sophie with 135 points.

Josh showed us his unusual way of bowling by managing to slip over onto the floor several times!

On Thursday work was progressing very well under the brick arch, with the majority of cleaning and raking out being Exposing the towpath wall copings and brickwork completed. Other Chris Byrne

moved for work in the future, therefore a couple of us took on this small challenge and spent all day attempting to remove it! This was in very deep, over double the length of the other two posts and kept on going down deeper, we nearly had it out by the end of the day... or so we thought!

Digging & grading the banks on the towpath on the river side of the bridge started, exposing some of the wall’s coping stones and brickwork. Work also continued on the stockpile, breaking up and sorting through all the materials.

A couple of us left site a little bit earlier, so we could take the Arbotec saw back to the hire company, and had a slight sightseeing tour around Stroud, as per John’s instructions of where they were located, only to find that they had moved premises since he last went, so ran out of time before they closed.

Several people decided to have a game of chess whilst the food was being cooked by Edward & myself, only to find out that everybody got beaten hands down by David Miller.

Our food for the evening was shepherd’s pie / vegetarian version, broccoli, cabbage and sweetcorn, followed by bread & butter pudding with cream.

We then went over the road to The Ship Inn pub, where Lucy had organised a quiz evening for us. People picked their own teams out of a hat, of which turned out to be quite equal for most of us, apart from one team, who only consisted of 3 DofE volunteers, I will let you work out yourselves who was in fourth place! There were some wonderful actions & answers made throughout

page 14

Chris Byrne

works continued on the stock pile heaps and exposing the lower brickwork on the other side of the bridge.

Ashin, Edward, Lucy, Rachel D, Sam & Sophie were trained to use our bricksaw adding another valuable skill learnt during their week’s camp. Josh was in his element again continuing logging and building the bonfire where during one of our breaks, marshmalThe recalcitrant Armco post is finally extracted from the ground lows were roasted on the camp fire using the pitch forks (don’t worry, they were sterireturning all of our equipment back to the lised before use!). We also had a couple of accommodation. This is where we made all games of kicking the football about to keep of the kit checks, of which we were missing a us warm and keep morale up, which become hard hat & high vis, several people checked challenging for some whilst wearing steel the whole accomodation a couple of times toe-capped boots! and couldn’t find it, then suddenly it turned The local Canal Trust’s generator, power up as someone forgot to hand it in. leads & wheelbarrows were taken back to Our evening meal was a BBQ made by Alex Farm, with the power lead being reRAF Martin, and yes, as soon as he started turned to site still in the van so a return cooking, we had the first bit of rain this journey back had to be made. week, therefore we ate the BBQ inside.

Sophie and myself took the hydraulic In the snug room, we set up a projecbreaker back to the hire company, before tor slide show of various photos from cooking our evening meal of chicken cassethroughout the week, showing everyone how role / veggie homemade pie, with green much we had achieved and what good fun beans, garden peas & salad potatoes, lots to we had. eat so extra bowls were needed for the vegThank you speeches were made and etable & potatoes. For our pudding we had a our DofE volunteers arranged a surprise mixed fruit lattice pie with Winston’s vanilla thank you card & flowers given to Lucy & ice cream... there were no seconds left, it myself. Mine arrived in a very imaginative was that nice! vase....a four pack of diet coke!

Alan Lines joined us for our evening On Saturday morning we had our last meal & was stopping over for the weekend meal for our camp, followed by cleaning the (no cous cous allowed, because that’s just accommodation and remaining kit ready for common sense!) the following weeks camp. Packing up all of The puzzles were continued & comour personal items and saying farewell to pleted, several people played Monopoly until people leaving. RAF Martin managed to nearly midnight. arrange an ‘digger experience’ near to the There was a late evening shopping trip accommodation, where some people stayed made for the BBQ items needed for tomoron learning and experiencing using an excarow nights meal by Lucy, Josh & myself, and vator. A great way to end the week. now a new member to our camp...a Big Thank you everyone for making it such Fluffy Easter Bunny! an enjoyable and memorable camp and hope On Friday, this was our last day on site, to see you all in the near future. finishing off some jobs and a general tidy up Chris Byrne

page 15

Camp report

Reporting back from Inglesham, Weymoor and Brimscombe on the Cotswold canal camp that did an impression of a bus ride...

Cotswold Canals

to the coping stone rest area.

Cotswold Canals 15 - 22 April With the under-arch remedials comWeymoor Bridge / Inglesham Lock

pleted, digging out the silt to reveal the wing walls continued at full pace; as fast as you can without a digger and dumper. (Lots of interesting bottles were found and a complete ages-old push lawn mower!) The remaining abandoned coping stones were rolled away. It seemed like the not-so-faraway-held Cheese Rolling Championships but their cheeses go downhill, whereas our stones had to go uphill!

Late afternoon we moved everything (including the Kit Trailer) to Inglesham as we were done at Weymoor and things needed doing at Inglesham to help set up the big summer effort there. The trailer had to be moved now as our trailer pullers were leaving camp and the trailer had to be left there at the end of the camp.

This Easter camp felt a bit like a bus at times with volunteers regularly boarding and leaving the charabanc during our journeys between the terminus at Brimscombe and stops at Weymoor Bridge and Inglesham Lock!

The site visit to Weymoor had suggested that there was unlikely to be sufficient work for two consecutive camps and this was confirmed following the excellent work done by the previous week’s camp led by Lucy and Chris. So, it was two working days at Weymoor and four at Inglesham for us.

On the bus at the start of the ride at Brimscombe Terminus were RAF Martin, Alan ‘Useful’ Lines and David Miller, experienced WRGies all, who had forgotten to get off at the end of the previous week! The other eleven were Maggie Eaton (my assistant), Derek (Mr Maggie and our cook), Rob Brotherston, Martin Ingram, Dan Rolt, Andy Catling, Bev Williams, three DofEers – Matt Swain, Adam Wild and Paul Hardy – and yours truly.

David, Alan and RAF Martin got off after two days just as Ted boarded. Matt, Adam and Paul hopped off late on Wednesday followed by Ted early on Thursday. Rob swapped seats with Alex from HQ on Friday morning. Any more fares please?!

The average age of the passengers (none were!) started at 51 and ended at 61.

Inglesham Lock: Tuesday - Friday We started by heaving Mick Lilliman’s longago-built formwork out of the container and carefully placing it over the paddle hole so

After breakfast, which included Easter eggs, we cracked on with the under-arch remedials (raking out loose pointing) that the previous week has just about finished. Others continued digging out the silt between the bridge’s wing walls, and some of us rolled away previously dumped coping stones. Matt, Adam and Paul did some spoil heap sifting as part of their familiarisation with an excavator under the care of RAF Martin. In the afternoon RAF Martin used his deft skills with the digger to move many of the rolled stones

page 16

Pictures by David Evans

Weymoor Bridge: Sunday-Monday

Rolling stones at Weymoor (no, not Jagger & Co!)

that Rob and Ted could do the bricking of the arch. More brickies brought the wall in the gate recess up to height while long-ago-abandoned, unmarked coping stones in the long grass were inspected and many moved (more stone rolling) to where they could later be measured and arranged in the order they would be replaced back on the lock wall. The rest of the team started clearing spoil and vegetation from the top bywash culvert area prior to dismantling its head walls.

A bulk bag of sharp sand was collected from Travis Perkins in VMP and tirfored out of the van as we had neither excavator nor forklift and didn’t want to abuse the DofEers by making them do it by hand.

On Wednesday the bricking of the paddle hole arch and adjacent wall was completed and we started dismantling the bywash culvert stone walls. The formwork for casting a Cotswold stone at the end of the gate recess was constructed, positioned and used to make the stone – a first for Adam, Paul and Matt so they signed the top!

(A coping stone will eventually cover up their initials, in case anyone is worrying….)

Thursday started off distressing… the newly cast stone was distressed to make it look even older than the camp leader – not easy! A concrete blinding was laid to the side of the new paddle hole arch prior to more bricklaying. Jobs and materials were starting to run out so we had a bonfire and returned borrowed stuff to Alex Farm. Then went back again with the correct wheelbarrows!

On Friday Alex from HQ joined us on site and learned how to repair a wheelbarrow inner tube puncture. Well, if he didn’t need to learn, he watched Mandolin Martin do it.

Bricklaying to the side of the paddle hole arch was started, together with more digging out of the bypass culvert side walls. After lunch we did general site clearance / tidying; counted, cleaned and stacked the kit in the trailer; Alex took the obligatory final site team photo – somewhat depleted numerically; and, we waved goodbye to Inglesham.

During the last evening party that Jen in HQ told us to have (we just wanted to go to bed – honestly!!), conversation between Dan (the Cellist) and Martin (the Violinist) mentioned the mandolin, not the fingershortening veg-slicer thingy, the musical instrument. Martin disappeared and returned

Building the paddle hole arch at Inglesham

with one as Mandolin Martin! Who knew any music for mandolins? Well, yours truly’s iPod had Mandolin Wind by Rod Stewart. Then, bizarrely, Loudon Wainwright’s Dead Skunk came on for Martin to strum along to, followed by Joey Ramone’s version of What a Wonderful World – not sure there’s a mandolin in there but still a mighty song. When Dominic the Italian Christmas Donkey came on it was time to switch off the iPod!!

Brimscombe: Saturday An efficient clear up was conducted at the terminus and we all disappeared in different directions.

My thanks to everyone on the bus ride for their patience, sterling efforts and good humour, thereby making it an enjoyable excursion (for me, anyway). This includes the mechanics and timetable setters behind the scenes: John Allan from CCT, Rick Barnes, Inglesham Nic, Bungle, Jen and Alex, who all assisted me in important, if unseen, ways.

Special thanks to Maggie and Derek for keeping the bus wheels turning through their organisation and culinary skills while I did whatever I did. Derek produced an amazing variety of tasty and plentiful meals with much of the veg and fruit having come from his allotment. The Terminus Café had become a restaurant! Not only did he do lots of cooking, he did many tasks around the terminus, making the bus station ever more functional. Now, I need to find the bus to the Chelmer and Blackwater…

David Evans

page 17

Dig report KESCRG’s Birthday Dig

Mobile working party group KESCRG celebrated its 40th anniversary with a big three-day birthday dig at Inglesham on the Cotswold Canals.

Stephen Davis reports...

Kescrg 40th Birthday weekend in 40 Shades of Brunswick Green…

For those wishing to recreate this cracking anniversary celebration 4-day long weekend (in 40 years’ time maybe), here is Eli’s famous recipe for guaranteed Inglescombe satisfaction:

Recipe You will need: . A part-derelict lock in the Cotswolds . 18 pallets of blocks . 12 pallets of bricks . 20 tons sharp and soft sand . 20 bags of lime . Some mixers . A Tonka-toy telehandler . 2 excavators . 1 dumper . 1 brick crusher . 1 overheating pump . Much scaffolding . 4 vans and 2 kit trailers . An extra site in Stroud . A part-derelict accommodation the other side of the Cotswolds

. .

54 volunteers 300 pints of finest Real Ales & cider

...and most importantly, some of the finest cooks available on the circuit

page 18

Instructions:

Pictures by Jenny Black

Take several brick and block pallets and deposit them delicately into every van and trailer orifice you can manage using your toy telehandler. Don’t worry if your mixture splits, this can be rectified by vigorous whisking and the application of many metres of pallet wrap.

Meander your laden vans and trailer down the track to site, avoiding walkers, joggers, boaters, children, dogs and most importantly potholes - too much shaking at this point could be catastrophic.

Once on site, carefully deposit your brick and block payload in the designated areas, lovingly prepared with the finest black rubber carpeting. Remember, if struggling to smoothly insert your forks into the pack, just adjust your position by lowering the arse and raising your tips.

Repeat many, many… many, many times until all the blocks are bricks are on site.

Meanwhile, check and adjust your scaffolding to suit the requirements of your bricklayers until they are entirely satisfied. This may take some time.

With one, or preferably 2 mixers, prepare copious quantities of lime mortar over and over again… All weekend…

Add to the lime mortar 250 blocks and well over 1000 bricks and pour out carefully into a wall shaped object. Dominatrices in the group will be keen to ensure that the bricks are straightish and in some kind of regular English bondage pattern.

If any bricks are found to be too old or rotten for wall consumption, sieve all 50 tons of them into your Red Rhino 5000 remote controlled crusher. This will prove useful for whacking in behind your completed wall for that perfect crispy landscaped finish. Just remember to use your horn before moving off.

If bored at any point, take a moment to admire Digger and Pete working in perfect harmony demolishing the rest of the offside wall down to water level in little under a dayand-a-half of tantric machine handling pleasure.

When your workforce is toasted to a golden brown colour, remove from site (some parts may stick slightly, but a gentle tap on the bottom should allow for a clean extraction) and leave to cool for an hour or two in Brimscombe Port.

When clean and cool feed them the finest food you could imagine and tempt them to beers and ciders associated with restoration projects from around the country. You could maybe try Tom Long (Stroud Brewery); Rusty Lane (Kennet and Avon Brewery); Elmos (Moles Brewery, Melksham – Wilts & Berks); King John (Andwells Brewery, Basingstoke Ca“Tantric machine-handling pleasure” nal); HPA (Wye

page 19

Valley brewery) & Cider (Hereford & Gloucester); Heritage XX (Firebird Brewery, Nr Loxwood, Wey and Arun); Side Pocket and Dropbar (Tring Brewery, Wendover Arm) or Colchester #1 (Colchester Brewery, Chelmer & Blackwater) for example.

Throw in a bespoke Mole designed T-Shirt and tankard, and sit back and be astonished by just how much a group of skilled motivated volunteers can achieve in a weekend.

So, to the Kescrg folk who went before us, those who tarry with us now and to those yet to come‌ and also for those who just wanted to spend a long weekend dicking around at Inglesham and drinking beer- we thank you.

In all seriousness, a massive thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make this celebration weekend happen - planning, cooking, bringing & taking kit and beer – Eli, Jude, Anne, Sophie, Digs, Jen, Rick, Harri, John, Pete, RAF Martin, Mick, Bobby, Adrian, Ian, and of course Nic & Rome for being so welcoming and hard-working and letting us destroy their peace for a bank-holiday weekend.

Stephen Davis

Who said brickies are never happy?

Excellent progress on rebuilding the chamber wall

page 20

Come along and help celebrate 20 years of WRG’s own boat club at the WRG BC AGM at the IWA Festival of Water at Ilkeston in August WRG Boat Club News I hope that by the time this comes to you we will be experiencing some decent boating weather. We had one glorious weekend in April – it lured me into believing that spring had come, so the dog had a spring hair cut poor little fellow, as the temperature has been decidedly chilly ever since! I did visit Straw Bear, my boat, and a very cool experience it was too.

I’m still awaiting some action from solicitors regarding my intended house move so am in a state of limbo. Just to ‘cheer myself up’, (you can do the same), I looked up the Marine Accident Investigation Branch reports at www.gov.uk/maib-reports They really are cautionary tales, but treated as such should make one attend to details and not be put off boating for life! To summarise, the main causes of accidental deaths are:

. . . .

Fumes from Petrol Engines Alcohol induced forgetfulness Not having a carbon monoxide alarm Not putting engine in neutral when doing something other than travelling along The most significant cause of the incidents was the volume of CO generated by petrol engines and the speed at which it can reach fatal or injurious levels. Not having a petrol engine, I had to get rid of my petrol generator as I’m too feeble to start it now, the important thing to be aware of is that things DO happen on boats, and when you least expect it, my best advice is ‘Never stand the wrong side of the tiller.’

A record number of incidents linked to solid fuel stoves have been recorded this year. There is a fair chance that changes to the BSS concerning Carbon Monoxide problems and the installation of alarms will be forthcoming.

Other news, well some of it, is that there are still arguments, no of course I mean discussions and negotiations, going on about licensing and the Bridgewater Ca-

WRG BC Boat Club report nal. They have kindly said that should you be stuck the wrong side of a closure, they won’t charge you a licence fee!

Edgbaston Tunnel - well what can I say – ‘they’ want to widen the towpath, we say it will be narrowing the canal. It will narrow it to the extent that boats will no longer be able to pass in the tunnel so single passage only will be possible with, obviously, accompanying tailbacks of craft waiting passage during busy periods. If you have ever tried to walk along that stretch of towpath you will know of the dangers from speeding cyclists. Now they want to widen the towpath to encourage this and so cyclists won’t need to dismount while going through the tunnel. Not that they ever did, just charging through and ignoring the blind corners. I always thought that canals were built for boats, old fashioned as I am!

Another ‘problem’ is boats rushing about because they are ‘doing a ring’ and don’t have enough hours in the day to fit in queues at locks or time to explore local areas they pass through. Such a shame, the concept that you get more from canals the number of miles you can cover, shows a complete misunderstanding of the joys of boating. The sticker that says ‘Britain’s Canals – the fastest way to slow down’ sums it up for me.

Have you ever found that you can’t see the towpath for the weeds? Sometimes you can’t see the bridge ’ole for the trees? Please take time to report any vegetation problems.

CRT only received FIVE complaints last year.

As there are no more lengthsmen, if we don’t let them know of problems then they assume they don’t exist!

I have booked my place at IWA’s Ilkeston Festival of Water (and our AGM) on the August Bank Holday weekend; please join us there. Twenty Years of WRG BC need celebrating. We need you to be there to join in!

Finally, if you have changed either your email or home address please let me know.

Happy Boating xxx Sadie Heritage sadiedean@msn.com, text to 07748186867

page 21

Navvies diary WRG and mobile groups Your guide to all forthcoming work parties Jun 24/25 TW2017 Jun 30-Jul 6 WAT Jul 1-8 CC201705 Jul 2,16,30 NWDCT Jul 8/9 KESCRG Jul 8/9 London WRG Jul 8/9 NWPG Jul 8-15 CC201706 Jul 8-15 CC201707 Jul 12-19 wrgNW Jul 15/16 wrgBITM Jul 15-22 CC201708 Jul 15-22 CC201709 Jul 21-23 FWC2017 Jul 22 Sat wrgNW Jul 22-29 CC201710 Jul 22-29 CC201711 Jul 29-Aug 5 CC201712 Jul 29-Aug 5 CC201713 Jul 29-Aug 5 CC201714 Aug 4-10 WAT Aug 5/6 London WRG Aug 5-12 CC201715 Aug 5-12 CC201716 Aug 5-12 CC201717 Aug 12-19 CC201718 Aug 12-19 CC201719 Aug 12-19 CC201720 Aug 13,27 NWDCT Aug 19-26 CC201721 Aug 19-26 CC201722 Aug 19-26 CC201723 Aug 26-Sep 2CC201724 Aug 26-Sep 2CC201725 Sep 1-7 WAT Sep 2/3 Essex WRG Sep 2/3 London WRG Sep 2/3 wrgNW

WRG Training Weekend: Brimscombe Port, Cotswolds Wendover Arm: Profiling & lining Fri-Thu Cotswold Canals camp: Inglesham Lock North Walsham & Dilham Canal To be arranged: Joint dig with London WRG Wey & Arun Canal: To be confirmed Cotswold Canals: Western End. Dock Lock?

Swansea Canal camp at Trebanos Locks Cotswold Canals camp: Inglesham Lock Montgomery Canal: Pant Embankment removal (Wed-Wed) Tool maintenance Monmouthshire Canal camp at Ty-Coch Cotswold Canals camp: Inglesham Lock Uttoxeter Canal: Family Weekend Camp (Fri-Sun) ‘Paper Chase’ waste paper collection Monmouthshire Canal camp at Ty-Coch Cotswold Canals camp: Pike Lock and Dock Lock Lapal Canal camp at Selly Oak Park Cotswold Canals camp: Inglesham Lock Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation camp Wendover Arm: Profiling & lining Fri-Thu Cotswold Canals: To be confirmed Grantham Canal Camp: Woolsthorpe Locks Cotswold Canals Camp: Inglesham Lock (KESCRG camp) River Waveney camp at Geldeston Lock Grantham Canal Camp: Woolsthorpe Locks Cotswold Canals Camp: Inglesham Lock North Walsham & Dilham Canal camp: Ebridge Lock spillway rebuild North Walsham & Dilham Canal Grantham Canal: Woolsthorpe Locks Shrewsbury & Newport Canals: (To be confirmed - moved from Stover North Walsham & Dilham Canal camp: Ebridge Lock spillway rebuild Grantham Canal camp: Woolsthorpe Locks (Merged with NWPG camp) Grantham Canal camp: Woolsthorpe Locks (NWPG camp, moved from Wendover Arm: Profiling & lining Fri-Thu Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation Chesterfield Canal: Joint dig with WRG North West Chesterfield Canal: Joint dig with London WRG

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

page 22

Canal Camps cost ÂŁ70 per week unless otherwise stated. Bookings for WRG Camps identified by a camp number e.g. 'Camp 201705' 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 Roger Leishman David Revill Bobby Silverwood Tim Lewis Bill Nicholson

Ju Davenport Dave Wedd

Alex Melson Barry McGuinness

Roger Leishman Tim Lewis

David Revill

r)

Stover) Roger Leishman John Gale Tim Lewis Ju Davenport

01494-783453 01442-874536 01494-783453 01603-738648 07971-814986 07802-518094 01844-343369 01494-783453 01494-783453 07808-182004 07816-175454 01494-783453 01494-783453 01494-783453 0161-681-7237 01494-783453 01494-783453 01494-783453 01494-783453 01494-783453 01442-874536 07802-518094 01494-783453 01494-783453 01494-783453 01494-783453 01494-783453 01494-783453 01603-738648 01494-783453 01494-783453 01494-783453 01494-783453 01494-783453 01442-874536 01376-334896 07802-518094 07808-182004

enquiries@wrg.org.uk rwleishman@gmail.com enquiries@wrg.org.uk davgis@live.co.uk bobby@kescrg.org.uk london@wrg.org.uk bill@nwpg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk nw@wrg.org.uk bookings@wrgbitm.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk alex.melson@waterways.org.uk b.mcguinness1@gmail.com enquiries@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk rwleishman@gmail.com london@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk davgis@live.co.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk rwleishman@gmail.com essex@wrg.org.uk london@wrg.org.uk nw@wrg.org.uk

ease contact diary compiler Dave Wedd: see top of page

page 23

Navvies diary

canal society regulars

Canal societies’ regular working parties Every Sunday if required Every Tuesday

BBHT BCA

Bugsworth Basin Basingstoke Canal

Ian Edgar Chris Healy

0161-427 7402 01252-370073

Once per month: pls check BCNS 2nd & 4th w/e of month BCS

BCN waterways Basingstoke Canal

Mike Rolfe Duncan Paine

07763-171735 01252-614125

Thursdays Sep-Apr 2nd Sun & alternate Thu

BCT BuCS

Aqueduct section Buckingham area

Tim Dingle Athina Beckett

01288-361356 01908-661217

Every Mon and Wed Every mon am Thu pm

CCT CCT

Cotswold (W depot) Reg Gregory Cotswold (E end) John Maxted

01452-614362 01285-861011

Various dates Every Sunday

CCT ChCT

Cotswold Phase 1a Chesterfield Canal

07986-351412 01246-620695

Every Tue and Thu Every Tue & Wed

CSCT C&BN

Chichester Canal Malcolm Maddison 01243-775201 Chelmer & Blackwater John Gale 01376-334896

Every Friday Second Sun of month

ECPDA FIPT

Langley Mill John Baylis Foxton Inclined Plane Mike Beech

01623-621208 0116-279-2657

Thu and last Sat of month GCS Tuesdays H&GCT Weekends H&GCT

Grantham Canal Oxenhall Over Wharf House

Ian Wakefield Brian Fox Maggie Jones

0115-989-2128 01432 358628 01452 618010

Wednesdays Thursdays

H&GCT H&GCT

Over / Vineyard Hill Herefordshire

Ted Beagles Wilf Jones

01452 522648 01452 413888

Every weekday 2nd Sunday of month

KACT/CRT LCT

Bradford on Avon Derrick Hunt Lancaster N. Reaches Robin Yates

01225-863066 01539-733252

Every Wed/Thu/Sat/Sun 3rd Sunday of month

LHCRT LHCRT

Lichfield Hatherton

Hugh Millington Denis Cooper

01543-251747 01543-374370

Last weekend of month Two Sundays per month

MBBCS NWDCT

Creams Paper Mill N Walsham Canal

Steve Dent David Revill

07802-973228 01603-738648

Weekly Every Wed and 1st Sat

PCAS RGT

Pocklington Canal Richard Harker Stowmarket Navigtn. Martin Bird

07702-741211 01394-380765

2nd Sunday of month 1st Sunday of month

SCARS SCCS

Sankey Canal Combe Hay Locks

John Hughes Derrick Hunt

01744-600656 01225-863066

Last weekend of month 2nd Sunday of month

SCS SNT

Stover Canal Sleaford Navigation

George Whitehead 01626-775498 Mel Sowerby 01522-856810

Every Thu and Sat 1st weekend of month

SORT SUCS

Sussex Ouse Montgomery Canal

Ted Lintott David Carter

Jon Pontefract Mick Hodgetts

01444-414413 01244-661440

Every Tuesday morning TMCA Most days, please contact WACT

Thames & Medway C Les Schwieso Wey & Arun Canal Northern office

01634-847118 01483-505566

1st w/e of month (Fri-Thu) WAT

Little Tring

01442-874536

Roger Leishman

If you have any additions / corrections / deletions to this list, please send them to Navvies diary compiler Dave Wedd (see previous page)

page 24

CRT towpath taskforce

Navvies diary

Canal & River Trust ‘Towpath Taskforce’ maintenance working parties 1st Wednesday of month 2nd Saturday of month 2nd Saturday of month Every Tuesday Alternate Thursdays 1st Thursday of month 1st Sunday of month 3rd Thursday of month Last Saturday of month 3rd Thursday of month 1st Saturday of month 4th Thursday of month Every Wednesday 1st Wed & Fri of month Last Sunday of month 1st Saturday of month 2nd Friday of month Every Wednesday 1st Thursday of month 3rd Wednesday of month 3rd Thu & Sat of month 3rd Friday of month Alternate Tuesdays 1st & 3rd Sat of month 3rd Thursday of month 3rd Tuesday of month Last Tuesday of month Every Tuesday Every Thursday 2nd Thursday of month Alternate Tuesdays Alternate Thursdays 3rd Saturday of month 2nd Wednesday of month Every Friday 3rd Saturday of month 2nd Wednesday of month Every Tuesday Alternate Fridays 2nd Thu & Fri of month Alternate Wednesdays 4th Saturday of month 2nd Tuesday of month Every Tuesday Every Thursday

Anderton Weaver Audlem Shropshire Union Aylesbury Aylesbury Arm Bath Kennet & Avon Blackburn Leeds & Liverpool B&T Bridgwater & Taunton Burnley Leeds & Liverpool Cheshire Locks Trent & Mersey Chester Shropshire Union Devizes Kennet & Avon Fradley Coventry/ T&M Gailey Staffs & Worcs Gloucester Glos & Sharpness Hatton Grand Union Hawkesbury Coventry/Oxford Hemel Hemp. Grand Union Huddersfield Huddersfield Broad Icknield Port BCN Mainline Knottingley Aire & Calder Lancaster Lancaster Canal Lapworth Stratford Canal Leeds Leeds & Liverpool Leicester Soar/Grand Union London Cent. Regents/Docklands London East Lee & Stort London West Paddington/ GU Mirfield Calder & Hebble Mon & Brec Monmouth & Brecon Newark River Trent Newbury Kennet & Avon North Staffs Caldon/T&M North Warks Coventry/Ashby Oxford Oxford Preston Lancaster Canal Sefton Leeds & Liverpool Selby Selby Canal Skipton Leeds & Liverpool Sneyd Wyrley & Essington South Derbys Trent & Mersey Stratford Stratford Canal Tamworth Coventry/ Fazeley Tipton BCN Mainline Weaver River Weaver Wigan Leeds & Liverpool Worcester Worcester & B’ham

Abbreviations used in Diary: BCA BCNS BuCS BCS BCT ChCT CBN CCT ECPDA FIPT GCS H&GCT KACT KESCRG LCT

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

Foxton Inclined Plane Trust Grantham Canal Society Hereford & Gloucester Canal Trust Kennet & Avon Canal Trust Kent & E Sussex Canal Rest. Group Lancaster Canal Trust

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

Jason Watts Jason Watts Sonny King Steve Manzi Alice Kay Steve Manzi Alice Kay Liam Cooper Jason Watts Steve Manzi Sue Blocksidge Sue Blocksidge Caroline Kendall Sue Blocksidge Sue Blocksidge Sonny King Becca Dent Sue Blocksidge Becca Dent Alice Kay Sue Blocksidge Becca Dent Wayne Ball David Ireland David Ireland David Ireland Becca Dent Caroline Kendall Wayne Ball Steve Manzi Liam Cooper Sue Blocksidge Sonny King Alice Kay Alice Kay Becca Dent Alice Kay Sue Blocksidge Wayne Ball Sue Blocksidge Sue Blocksidge Sue Blocksidge Jason Watts Alice Kay Caroline Kendall

07824 356556 07824 356556 07876 217059 07710175278 07825 196 365 07710175278 07825 196 365 01782 779903 07824 356556 07710175278 07917 585838 07917 585838 01452 318028 07917 585838 07917 585838 07876 217059 0113 2816811 07917 585838 0113 2816811 07825 196 365 07917 585838 0113 2816811 01636 675704 020 7517 5556 020 7517 5556 020 7517 5556 0113 2816811 01452 318028 01636 675704 07710175278 01782 779903 07917 585838 07876 217059 07825 196 365 07825 196 365 0113 2816811 07825 196 365 07917 585838 01636 675704 07917 585838 07917 585838 07917 585838 07824 356556 07825 196 365 01452 318028

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 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

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Navvies diary

IWA branches...

Inland Waterways Association and other one-day working parties Jun 24 Sat Jun 27 Tue Jun 27 Tue Jul 1 Sat Jul 2 Sun Every Wed Jul 8 Sat Jul 9 Sun Jul 9 Sun Jul 13 The Jul 15 Sat Jul 18 Tue Jul 18 Tue Jul 20 Thu Jul 25 Tue Jul 25 Tue Jul 29 Sat Aug 5 Sat Aug 6 Sun Aug 10 Thu Aug 12 Sat Aug 13 Sun Aug 15 Tue Aug 15 Tue Aug 17 Thu Aug 19 Sat Aug 22 Tue Aug 22 Tue Aug 26 Sat

IWA Chester Shropshire Union Canal: Chester area, painting & veg clearance. 10amBCP/IWA Oxford Oxford Canal: Banbury Canal Partnership, 9am-1pm IWA NSSC/BPT Burslem Arm: Luke St, Middleport, Stoke on Trent. 10am-3pm IWA NSSC/BPT Burslem Arm: Luke St, Middleport, Stoke on Trent. 10am-3pm IWA Northants Northampton Arm: Painting, veg clearance & litter picking RGT/IWA Ipswich River Gipping: Pipps Ford, or Baylham Mill Lock 9am-4pm RGT/IWA Ipswich River Gipping: Pipps Ford, or Baylham Mill Lock 9am-4pm IWA Lincs/SNT Sleaford Navigation: Various work on navigable section IWA Warks River Avon: Himalayan Balsam Bash, Myton Fields 10am-1pm IWA NSSC/CUCT Uttoxeter Canal: Work party at Bridge 70, Crumpwood. 10am-3pm IWA Manchester Venue T.B.C.: Greater Manchester area. Veg clearance, etc. 10amBCP/IWA Oxford Oxford Canal: Banbury Canal Partnership, 9am-1pm IWA Northants Northampton Arm: Painting, veg clearance & litter picking IWA NSSC/TMCS Trent & Mersey Canal: Cheshire Locks. Work TBA BCP/IWA Oxford Oxford Canal: Banbury Canal Partnership, 9am-1pm IWA NSSC/BPT Burslem Arm: Luke St, Middleport, Stoke on Trent. 10am-3pm IWA Chester Shropshire Union Canal: Chester area, painting & veg clearance. 10amIWA NSSC/BPT Burslem Arm: Luke St, Middleport, Stoke on Trent. 10am-3pm IWA Northants Northampton Arm: Painting, veg clearance & litter picking IWA NSSC/CUCT Uttoxeter Canal: Work party at Bridge 70, Crumpwood. 10am-3pm RGT/IWA Ipswich River Gipping: Pipps Ford, or Baylham Mill Lock 9am-4pm IWA Lincs/SNT Sleaford Navigation: Various work on navigable section BCP/IWA Oxford Oxford Canal: Banbury Canal Partnership, 9am-1pm IWA Northants Northampton Arm: Painting, veg clearance & litter picking IWA NSSC/TMCS Trent & Mersey Canal: Cheshire Locks. Work TBA IWA Manchester Venue T.B.C.: Greater Manchester area. Veg clearance, etc. 10amBCP/IWA Oxford Oxford Canal: Banbury Canal Partnership, 9am-1pm IWA NSSC/BPT Burslem Arm: Luke St, Middleport, Stoke on Trent. 10am-3pm IWA Chester Shropshire Union Canal: Chester area, painting & veg clearance. 10am-

IWA branch abbreviations BBCW = Birmingham, Black Country & Worcestershire; Other abbreviations: BPT = Burslem Port trust; CUCT = Caldon & Uttoxeter Canal Society; CRT = Canal & River Trust

Mobile groups' socials:

The following groups hold regular social gatherings

London WRG: 7:30pm on Tues 11 days before dig at the 'Rose & Crown' Colombo Street, London NWPG: 7:30pm on 3rd Tue of month at the 'Hope Tap', West end of Friar St. Reading.

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...and other one-day work

Navvies diary

For WRG canal camps and working parties see pages 20-21 4pm

Christine Fraser Colin Garnham-Edge Steve Wood Steve Wood Geoff Wood Martin Bird Martin Bird Chris or Steve Hayes Steve Wood

4pm

4pm

Colin Garnham-Edge Geoff Wood John Brighouse Colin Garnham-Edge Steve Wood Christine Fraser Steve Wood Geoff Wood Steve Wood Martin Bird Chris or Steve Hayes Colin Garnham-Edge Geoff Wood John Brighouse

4pm

4pm

Colin Garnham-Edge Steve Wood Christine Fraser

07976-805858 07976-805858 01394-380765 01394-380765 01522-689460 07976-805858 07710-554602

07808-878317 07976-805858 07976-805858 07976-805858 01394-380765 01522-689460

07808-878317 07710-554602 07976-805858

christine.fraser@waterways.org.uk bcpontheoxford@gmail.com steve.wood@waterways.org.uk steve.wood@waterways.org.uk geoff.wood@waterways.org.uk restoration@rivergippingtrust.org.uk restoration@rivergippingtrust.org.uk workparties@sleafordnavigation.co.uk info.warwickshire@waterways.org.uk steve.wood@waterways.org.uk secretary@manchester-iwa.co.uk bcpontheoxford@gmail.com geoff.wood@waterways.org.uk john.brighouse@waterways.org.uk bcpontheoxford@gmail.com steve.wood@waterways.org.uk christine.fraser@waterways.org.uk steve.wood@waterways.org.uk geoff.wood@waterways.org.uk steve.wood@waterways.org.uk restoration@rivergippingtrust.org.uk workparties@sleafordnavigation.co.uk bcpontheoxford@gmail.com geoff.wood@waterways.org.uk john.brighouse@waterways.org.uk secretary@manchester-iwa.co.uk bcpontheoxford@gmail.com steve.wood@waterways.org.uk christine.fraser@waterways.org.uk

MK = Milton Keynes; Mcr= Manchester; NSSC = North Staffs & South Cheshire RGT= River Gipping Trust; SNT = Sleaford Navigation Trust; TMCS = Trent & Mersey Canal Society;

in pubs.

Please phone to confirm dates and times

SE1 8DP.

Contact Tim Lewis 07802-518094 Contact Phil Dray 07956-185305

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Progress Wendover Arm

Shake this issue of Navvies gently and some Wendover Arm Trust raffle tickets will fall out. Our extended report from the Wendover will fill you in on what you’re being asked to contribute to...

Wendover Arm Trust – Progress and Grand Draw 2017 We in WRG are supporting the Wendover Arm Trust by including tickets for their Grand Draw in this issue for you to buy or sell to your friends. So here’s Michael Wright from the Trust to bring us up to date with what’s happening on the Wendover and it needs our help...

Pictures by WAT

Hello to all the Waterway Recovery Group recipients. The plan is to enclose one book of Grand Draw tickets (10) with your magazine so that you can take this opportunity, not only to win some of the prizes, but also, most importantly, support the Wendover Arm Trust in our continuing efforts in restoring the Wendover Arm canal. The Wendover Arm Trust Grand Draw 2017 this year aims again to raise further funds for the continuing restoration of the canal, being carried out by a dedicated team of volunteers (many of whom are also members of WRG’s parent body the Inland Waterways Association). They meet for seven days each month to continue restoring the route of the canal, now working from Drayton Beauchamp towards Little Tring.

Let me update you all a bit, if you are not familiar... This year the latest section of the canal has been profiled up to Bridge 4. The mechanical plant has moved operations past Whitehouses, where CRT and their contractors have carried out works on the pipework and sluice to direct the ‘excess’ water (at some time following further re-watering) to the reservoir. The volunteers have laid reinforced concrete pipe capping in the Wet winter working conditions in early 2017 canal bed: this is never seen again, but is essential to protect the underground 18" salt-glazed pipe which has been there for over 100 years, maintaining the canal’s water supply function while it was closed to navigationm but is now nearing the end of its lifespan.

The capping is up to bridge 4, but once it’s completed there is still the shifting of vast amounts of spoil for the profiling of the canal.

The Canal & River Trust, together with WAT, have obtained approval for the first stage of the application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a grant. The result of the application has been that the CRT have been very busy with the plans for a contractor to prepare and submit a quotation for restoration, but there will be more paperwork for the second phase of the application. It is long process as many of you will know. There are meetings which look at the details of the restoration and beyond. Swing bridges; vegetation; ecology; all are included in the big plan. Meanwhile, the volunteers regularly continue with the invaluable work. At Whitehouses, an archaeological investigation has been going on, prompted by CRT. For the technical minded an open day for the Tringford Pumping station is planned for Sunday 23 July. However, access is rather limited – six to a party. (Plan ahead!)

See opposite for more about recent progress on the canal, but as to the Draw: the prizes this year include the first prize of one week’s boating holiday, sponsored by Wyvern Shipping of Leighton Buzzard; a second prize of a day boat hire, sponsored by Narrowboatdayhire.com; a third prize of a Virgin Experience Day - a visit to the Shard and lunch (x2); a fourth prize of £100 cash. There are many other valuable prizes to be

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won. These are shown on the Trust’s website – www.wendoverarmtrust.co.uk , along with the latest information regarding restoration. A mine of information!

The Trust hopes you will sell these tickets, returning the counterfoils and a cheque to the Promoter. If you can sell more tickets to your friends or at your workplace, call Michael Wright on 01727-860137 or email draw@wendoverarmtrust.co.uk. Your enquiry would be most welcome. The Trust is extremely grateful to all the sponsors, but your support is essential.

The Draw will take place on Sunday 3rd September 2017, during the 2nd Restoration Open Day, when it is possible to see the restoration volunteers in action and the progress that is being made. Visit www.wendoverarmtrust.co.uk for full details of progress and more pictures, including aerial shots.

Thank you in anticipation of your essential support.

Michael Wright – Promoter

Wendover progress update: March and April Working Parties: The weather has now improved and progress was made with Stage 3 bank and bed lining but the picture [opposite page] shows the difficult working conditions due to the wet weather.

The second picture [this page, top] show how much more useful the Morooka dumper was for work such as transporting concrete blocks. It has a rectangular body with a flat deck whereas the more expensive dumper [centre] we now have to hire has a hopper shaped body. This makes it more difficult to unload ready-mix concrete with an excavator when concrete cannot be directly discharged to where it is wanted.

Whitehouses We await details from CRT for their proposal for a pseudo weir and wing walls to the wharf wall at Whitehouses.

Once this is to hand it is hoped that the Trust will be able to complete the higher level pipe capping in front of the wharf wall.

You can see from the final picture [below] how the brick base to the wharf wall and settling tank projects into the canal and requires special attention because of the shallow depth: well above normal bed level.

Roger Leishman, Restoration Director rwleishman@gmail.com

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sites. The main tasks over the three days were disposal of brash, construction of two more newt ponds at Redwith and further enhancement work at Frankton Junction.

The volunteers working on the ‘home’ site near Crickheath had the hardest task.

The last of the winter work parties had cut down about a hundred metres of hedge and trees on the towpath starting at a point about 400m from Pryces Bridge. A ‘hundred metres Lichfield Canal of hedge’ is an enormous volume of material There has been some remarkable progress at and, as no bonfires could be made in the the Lichfield & Hatherton Canal Restoration channel because of the presence of newts, it Trust’s Tamworth Road Locks worksite near all had to be carted all the way back to the Lichfield, mostly in Pound 25. clay bund. This was achieved using a power Progress on the canal below the locks barrow and a fleet of wheelbarrows during has been blighted by water in the base which Friday and Saturday. Very hard work but the refuses to dry up. Fortunately the brickies resulting bonfire was a sight to behold! have been able to continue with their work.

Half a dozen or so volunteers, aided The top rows of bricks are marching steadily and abetted by an 8-tonne excavator and a toward the finishing line. Back filling between dumper, constructed newt ponds number 3 these and the towpath has begun and we can and 4 at Redwith. The construction process now see what it will look like as a finished job. was familiar but so were the problems. The This area is now on the back burner underlying stratum on the site is gravel whilst we forge ahead in pound 25, where a which is easy to dig but has no water retainlarge area of the base of the canal has been ing properties at all. The two excavations concreted over. With the completion of our absorbed four large lorry loads of puddle working on the towpath, the soil access ramp clay which were first placed using the mawas no longer needed. Our friends at WCL chine and then finished by volunteers armed Quarries at Summerhill have a grab hire lorry with rammers and good old fashioned boots. and they agreed to move this soil, at a price, to But trial flooding revealed that both leaked to the Summerhill worksite by the M6 Toll aquedifferent degrees. Cue pumping out and the duct where it was much needed - they must recruitment of some of the erstwhile brash have moved at least ten lorry loads. burners for another mass puddling session.

In preparation for the removal of the Whether this was a respite from pushing big pipe (a stormwater drain laid in the canal barrows up and down the towpath they were bed), it is necessary to provide an alternative too exhausted to say! A second filling of the route for the steady stream of water flowing ponds suggested that they held water, but through it into lock 25. We have retrieved the only time will tell. temporary pipe we used at Pound 26 from From SUCS website store, and laid it in a trench alongside the big pipe; the water will be diverted into this, and this length of the big pipe can come out.

Concreting can then continue unimpeded.

Much work will then be needed in lock 25 to restore it to working condition, including rebuilding the cill (badly damaged when the big pipe was laid), and reinstating the hinge area for the single top gate.

Extract from Hugh Millington’s LHCRT report

Progress

Lichfield and Mont

The April Shropshire Union Canal Society work party attracted near record numbers of volunteers who got through prodigious amounts of work spread on three separate

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LHCRT

Montgomery Canal

Work in progress on Lichfield Pound 25

Motorised barrows can be handy pieces of kit, saving effort and improving productivity. But they need handling with care...

Safety Powered wheelbarrows

Powered Wheelbarrows

IWA

Powered wheelbarrows are starting to get more use on some of our sites and they seem like an ideal tool for moving more material with less effort but they do come with their own hazards to watch out for. One of the main hazards is that they can weigh more than 100kg empty and will weigh more than half a tonne when loaded – not something you want to have to right by hand if it tips! They are primarily designed for use on small, flat building sites where access is a problem and as such are not really designed for the more uneven nature of your typical canal restoration site.

The wheelbarrows usually sit on four wheels and this makes them far less manoeuvrable than a “normal” wheelbarrow and they require a significantly wider barrow run.

They should not be used on side slopes or near to drop-offs, ditches and embankments as they can suddenly turn over if the ground collapses under a wheel. Significantly, WRG had an incident last year where a powered wheelbarrow suddenly tipped forward and spilt its load when going downhill so care with the layout of your route is required.

Most, if not all of these barrows are petrol powered so you have the usual safety

considerations with handling and storing petrol At this time, powered wheelbarrows are not included in the driver authorisation scheme but as ever it is particularly important that any operators are well briefed in how to operate the particular machine in use and what task is required.

Overall, these can be a useful tool for some jobs but as ever there may be better and safer tool for the particular job you are doing – this may be a dumper or a normal wheelbarrow instead.

Ed Walker

Most powered barrows are on four wheels...

...but tracked ones are also available

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Tech tips Formwork for concrete

One of the key factors in successful concreting is sound formwork or shuttering.

Pete Fleming provides some tips on getting it right...

Concrete formwork or shuttering Over the past few summers WRG have been involved in a number of projects which have involved relatively large volumes of concrete. This article focuses on one particular important aspect of concrete works, the formwork or shuttering which is what holds it in place and gives it its shape. This article identifies some things to consider when undertaking this task and is intended to be a guide of key points based on my knowledge and experience rather than a set of detailed instructions on how to do things.

Successful concreting depends on a number of factors including the materials, weather, method of placing and what it is placed in to retain it until set, as concrete in a ‘fresh’ or wet state is normally unable to support itself. Generally the concreting completed on canal restoration projects by volunteers tends to be buried or unseen; however this should not be a reason for lowering the quality of workmanship as this can have a detrimental effect on the durability and longevity of the construction, and can also make following activities more difficult than they need to be. Concrete is expensive and can be harmful to the environment when freshly mixed, so sound formwork is fundamental to a successful outcome.

For foundations, formwork does not tend to be required as the sides of the excavation normally provide the support to the fresh concrete; however care must be taken to ensure that the surface is at the correct level and required finish. Consideration does need to be given to the ground conditions as some soils will be unable to provide sufficient support, especially if there are a number of trenches and excavations within close proximity. The correct level can be set in a number of ways including the setting of wooden pegs or steel pins at regular intervals along the bottom of the foundation, and/or use of a dumpy or laser level to undertake regular checks as tamping and finishing takes place. Due regard must be given to the safety of those involved in the operation and the risk of the side collapsing must be considered.

For slabs (poured in situ rather than paving) which normally have maximum thicknesses of between 150mm and 200mm, shutters can normally be constructed from timber boards which can be secured in position with timber pegs or steel pins. Steel road forms can also be used, these are steel lengths in a ‘C’ section shape with brackets to the rear which allow securing pins to be installed into the ground. The aim is to provide a line and level to which the concrete surface can be finished.

For concrete pours greater than 200mm thick and not retained within a trench, formwork will require careful planning and additional care during construction. Formwork can be split into two basic types – permanent (left in place after the concrete has cured) and temporary (removed after the concrete has set) with numerous types of construction within each category which are discussed further below.

Permanent formwork The most common type of permanent shuttering used on canal restoration sites is masonry walls in either brick or block work. Here, brick or blocks are laid to form the outer edges of the planned concrete, and once the wall has cured to a suitable strength (normally at least 7 days) the fresh concrete is poured in to fill the gap or void between. Staveley Town Lock (Chesterfield) was constructed using this method. This allows a traditional looking wall to be constructed far more quickly and efficiently than using brick/block work alone. However there are several things that need to be taken into account when using this method: Do you have volunteers who are suitably skilled in brick/block work who can build the

.

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walls to a suitable standard?

The height of concrete you wish to pour. Masonry walls have a relatively low resistance to shear (sideways) force as can be seen when knocking a row of bricks off a wall. As such, if too great a height of concrete is poured in one go, a failure of the wall is likely to occur where the masonry cracks along a horizontal joint. Structural engineering calculations for the projects I have worked on have tended to give a pour height of up to 1m depending on the thickness of the masonry.

Additional support measures such as propping and shoring or tie bars can be given Blockwork wall used as permanent shuttering at Staveley Town Lock to the masonry in order to pour greater heights if this is required, but engineering calculations must be undertaken by a competent person.

How do you plan to place the concrete into the void? Remember concreting is normally a messy task and you don’t want it spilt down the nice visible front face of your brickwork, although you could consider covering the front face with polythene. The volume you need to pour and the available access and plant will have some influence on the method used. For instance, if only a small volume of concrete is required, pouring from wheelbarrows or buckets is achievable (depending on numbers of volunteers). For larger quantities where access is possible for either the mixer wagon or plant, the process can become a lot less labour intensive; however care must be taken not to ‘shock load’ the formwork with rapid tipping as this can cause damage or displacement to the formwork.

Precast concrete units (normally L or U shaped) can be used as permanent shutters.

These tend to be designed for specific situations and guidance on installation method and allowable pour depths should be given by the designer, supplier or manufacturer.

Permanent steel formwork tends not to be used widely on restoration projects and volunteers are more likely to see this technique in the demolition phase of a project where a piece of ‘tin sheet’ or ‘corrugated iron’ has been used to cover a hole (such as a paddle culvert) and concrete cast over the top to form a slab. This type of formwork is quite specialist and normally designed for a specific task; hence it is outside of the scope of this article, but guidance should again be given by the designer or manufacturer on the installation methods if required.

Other types of steel formwork include rail and girder decks where steel beams (often old railway rail) are laid side by side with other shutters at the edges and concrete poured over the top. This technique can be used to create a very strong bridge for spans of 2 to 3m, relatively simply and with limited volunteer skills.

CCT

.

.

Temporary Formwork The most common type of temporary shutters are constructed from lengths of timber and plywood however there are a number of ‘system shutters’ available which can prove to be efficient and effective depending on the works being completed. Timber shutters are most commonly used owing to being cost effective to construct and offering the flexibility to construct various different shapes and lengths as required on site which is particularly useful for working with existing structures.

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Martin Ludgate

When fabricating timber shutters consideration should be given to whether the shutter can be made in a single piece or if a number of pieces will be required.

When using plywood or other sheet materials it is essential to ensure that adequate stiffening and strengthening is provided – normally timber battens 50mm by 100mm or larger. These should be attached to the sheet material at regular intervals of between 300mm and 400mm with suitable screws or nails. These stiffeners can be normally be referred to as one of two types – longitudinal which run horizontally along the length of the shutter and lateral which run vertically up and down the shutter. Longitudinal stiffeners are generally spaced every 400mm to 600mm hence a shutter 1200mm high would have 3 or 4 stiffeners running along the length – one at the top, one at the bottom and one or two spaced between. Lateral stiffeners do not need to be as closely spaced and can be provided at up to 1200mm centers. You are effectively creating a frame on the back of the plywood to prevent it twisting. If a number of shutters are to be joined together to construct a long wall for instance it is good practice to overlap the lateral stiffener at one end by half its width and at the other end lap the sheet over the end of the stiffener by the same amount. This aids connection between the shutters, helping to prevent minor displacement which will be visible in the final concrete face.

Shutters can be connected together in a number of ways, preferably through the stiffeners on the back of the sheet material with means such as nails, screws or bolts. A little tip is not to fully drive home nails but rather leave the head exposed by 5mm or 10mm as this will allow much easier and quicker removal when it comes to striking (the term for removing) the shutters. Fixings should not be done through from the front face unless absolutely necessary (and then done so with nails) as this can cause problems for striking the shutters - and remember you won’t be able to access them as the concrete will be in the way! Joints between shutters should be braced with an additional length of timber down the two end stiffeners, this again helps prevent displacement between the shutters but also gives a good position to prop from. This is shown in the details below.

Propping is normally required on shutters as the forces exerted by fresh concrete mean that shutters need some means to prevent them sliding or overturning. Propping at high level prevents overturning, whereas low level propping prevents sliding. The underlying material and site features around the shutters can affect the method used for propping, so it is not a simple ‘one size fits all’ solution. If the shutters are placed on and surrounded by natural ground, timber pegs or posts (or scaffold tubes, but don’t let the scaffolders find out!) can be driven into the ground to provide a resistance for the forces to act on. However if the ground is soft this may not provide adequate restraint and additional means of spreading the load such as through timber boards may be required. If concrete or other hard surface forms the founding substrate then steel pins (300mm long pieces of reinforcing bar work well) may be able to be drilled into this surface and propped against. Walls, kerb runs or other similar features can be used providing they are likely to offer The author installs temporary shuttering at Lichfield suitable restraint.

page 34

When erecting shutters, consideration should always be given to how they will be struck after the concrete has cured, especially if you wish to reuse the shutters, as the forces created by wet concrete tend to push shutters hard against the restraints. If pins or pegs are used at low level to prevent shutters from sliding they should be offset by around 25mm and the gap packed with a timber wedge. This allows fine adjustment in the line of the shutters and also a gap to be easily created between the restraint and the shutter once the concrete has cured as the wedge can be knocked backwards and removed. Note this method can also be utilised for high level props which cannot be adjusted inwards or released by other means.

Props preferably should be angled at up to 45degrees from horizontal with 60degrees being better as this allows the horizontal force applied to the shutters to be efficiently transferred to the ground. Lesser angles normally result in long props which can be subject to other issues such as buckling when loaded.

There are many different types of props which can be used for the purpose of supporting shutters. These range from simple lengths of timber cut to length and fixed in position, through ‘Acrow’ or similar general use props to specialist heavy propping systems. In some cases a variety of different types of prop can be used for reasons of cost or availability which is fine – it is far better to have a variety than not enough! Spacing of props should be around 1.2m to 2m depending on the height of the shutter and size of pour.

Key points to remember

. . . . . . . . .

Your finished concrete product will always end up the same shape as the mould (formwork) that you put it in, take time to get it right.

Make sure shutters are secured together well, take time and effort to construct good strong shutters and this will bring benefits.

Make sure shutters are well propped and prevented from moving.

Think about how you will strip the shutters.

Don’t ‘shock load’ shutters when pouring the concrete and keep a good watch on the shutters for early signs of movement.

Have spare materials available to make repairs if this becomes necessary BUT only attempt this from a place of safety as the shutter could suddenly fail!

Never underestimate the forces imposed on shutters from wet concrete – always over engineer shutters, it’s far easier and cheaper than having one fail!

If unsure or uncertain – ask advice, there is plenty of experience available and people willing to offer support.

Finally, check and double check that everything is secure before commencing concreting Pete Fleming

page 35

Canal Society and WRG contacts

DERBY & SANDIACRE CS Doug Flack 23 Thoresby Cres, Draycott Derby DE72 3PH 07752 283730 douglas.flack@btopenworld.com www.derbycanal.org.uk

ASHBY CANAL ASSOC Cyril Blackford 48 The Ridgeway, Burbage Hinckley LE10 2NR info@ashbycanal.org.uk www.ashbycanal.org.uk

DIG DEEP INITIATIVE Alan Cavender 53 Derwent Drive, Maidenhead SL6 6LE 01628 629033 alan.cavender@lineone.net www.dig-deep.org.uk

Directory BARNSLEY, DEARNE & DOVE CANALS TRUST Jon Charlton (Company Sec) 22 Cyprus Ave, Wakefield West Yorkshire, WF1 2RT 01924 373866 enquiries@bddct.org.uk www.bddct.org.uk BASINGSTOKE CANAL SOC 07768 410920 enquiries@basingstokecanal.org.uk www.basingstoke-canal.org.uk BCN SOCIETY Jeff Barley, 17 Sunnyside Walsall Wood, W Midlands 01543 373284 boundarypost@gmail.com www.bcnsociety.co.uk

CALDON & UTTOXETER CANALS TRUST Alison Smedley Hazelhurst Cottage Denford Leek ST13 7JT 01538-385388 alison@hazelhurstcottage.co.uk www.cuct.org.uk CHESTERFIELD CT Robin Stonebridge (Chair) 109 Nursery Road North Anston, Sheffield S25 4BT chair@chesterfield-canaltrust.org.uk 07977 23 73 02 contact@chesterfield-canaltrust.org.uk www.chesterfield-canaltrust.org.uk CHICHESTER SHIP CT Canal Basin Canal Wharf Chichester PO19 8DT 01243 771363 www.chichestercanal.co.uk

BUCKINGHAM CANAL SOCIETY Athina Beckett 2 Staters Pound, Pennyland Milton Keynes MK1 5AX 0300 323 1350 athina.beckett@ buckinghamcanal.org.uk www.buckinghamcanal.org.uk

COTSWOLD CT Judith Lindley & Justine Hopkins Bell House, Wallbridge Lock Stroud GL5 3JS 01453 752568 mail@cotswoldcanals.com www.cotswoldcanals.com

BUGSWORTH BASIN HERITAGE TRUST Ian Edgar Top Lock House, Lime Kiln Lane, Marple SK6 6BX. 0161 427 7402 ian@bugsworthbasin.org www.brocross.com/iwps

FRIENDS OF THE CROMFORD CANAL George Rogers 28 Drury Avenue Spondon DE21 7FZ web@cromfordcanal.org.uk www.cromfordcanal.org.uk

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DORSET & SOMERSET CANAL SOCIETY Derrick Hunt,, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1BL 01225 863066 Derrickjohnhunt@btinternet.com www.dorandsomcanal.org EAST ANGLIAN WATERWAYS ASSOC David Revill 43 Kings Road Coltishall, Norfolk NR12 7DX 01603 738648 david_gisela@hotmail.com webmaster@eawa.co.uk www.eawa.co.uk/ EREWASH CANAL P&DA Head Office 130 Derby Road Langley Mill Nottinghamshire NG16 3AA 0115 8544155 info@ecpda.com www.erewashcanalpreservation anddevelopmentassoc.org.uk ESSEX WATERWAYS LTD David Smart Paper Mill Lock North Hill Little Baddow Essex CM3 4BT 07966 375351 david.smart@waterways.org.uk www.waterways.org.uk

FOXTON INCLINED PLANE TRUST The BoilerHouse, Middle Lock Gumley Rd, Foxton LE16 7RA 0116 279 2657 www.fipt.org.uk RIVER GIPPING TRUST The Secretary, River Gipping Trust Ltd Church Cottage Capel St Mary Ipswich IP9 2EL 033 033 08531 www.rivergippingtrust.org GRAND WESTERN CT Hugh Dalzell, 1 Town Hill Culmstock, Cullompton Devon EX15 3JQ info@grandwesterncanaltrust. org.uk www.grandwesterncanaltrust. org.uk GRANTHAM CANAL SOC Ian Wakefield 0115 989 2128 ian.wakefield@ granthamcanal.com www.granthamcanal.com HEREFS & GLOUCS CT The Wharf House Highnam Gloucester GL2 8DB 01452 332900 information@h-g-canal.org.uk www.h-g-canal.org.uk KENNET & AVON CT Couch Lane, Devizes Wiltshire SN10 1EB 01380 721279 office.manager@katrust.org.uk http://katrust.org.uk/ KESCRG Eddie Jones ‘Little Orchard’ Berryfields, Fillongley Coventry CV7 8EX 01676 541 123 eddie@kescrg.org.uk www.kescrg.org.uk

LANCASTER CANAL TRUST c/o Lancaster District CVS The Cornerstone, Sulyard St Lancaster LA1 1PX info@lancastercanaltrust.org.uk www.lctrust.co.uk LAPAL CANAL TRUST 26 Loynells Road, Rednal Birmingham B45 9NP 01785 713862 Hugh Humphreys 07970 765554 www.lapal.org LICHFIELD & HATHERTON CANALS REST’N TRUST Godfrey Eland 18 Furnival Cresent Lichfield WS13 6DD Secretary@lhcrt.org.uk www.lhcrt.org.uk Hatherton: Dennis Cooper 01543 374370 NEATH & TENNANT CS Ian Milne, 16 Gower Road, Sketty, Swansea SA2 9BY 01792 547902 MANCHESTER BOLTON & BURY CANAL SOCIETY Paul Hindle Meadowbank, Ringley Road, Radcliffe, Manchester,M26 1FW 0161 723 1433 PaulHindle@talktalk.net www.mbbcs.org.uk MONMOUTHSHIRE BRECON & ABERGAVENNY CT Phil Hughes Fourteen Locks Canal Centre Cwm Lane, Rogerstone Newport NP10 9GN 01633 892167 mail@fourteenlocks.co.uk www.mbact.org.uk NWPG Bill Nicholson, 17 Clifford Rd Princes Risborough HP27 0DU 01844 343369 / 0779 1097773 bill@nwpg.org.uk www.nwpg.org.uk

POCKLINGTON C.A.S Paul Waddington Church House, Main St. Hemingborough YO8 7QE 01757 638027 Paul@gooleboathouse.co.uk www.pocklingtoncanalsociety.org ROLLE CANAL AND NTH DEVON WATERWAYS SOC Adrian & Hilary Wills Vale Cottage, 7 Annery Kiln Weare Giffard, Bideford EX39 5JE 01237 477705 adrian@thewills.eclipse.co.uk www.therollecanal.co.uk SALTISFORD CANAL TRUST Budbrooke Road Warwick CV34 5RJ 01926 490 006 saltisfordarm@btconnect.com www.saltisfordcanal.co.uk SANKEY CANAL RESTORATION SOCIETY Colin Greenall 16 Bleak Hill Road, Eccleston, St. Helens WA10 4RW 01744 732031 colin.greenall@btinternet.com www.scars.org.uk SHREWSBURY & NEWPORT CANALS TRUST Bernie Jones 01743 709601 07971 016322 berniecjones@hotmail.com www.sncanal.org.uk SHROPSHIRE UNION CS David Carter, 41 Cheshire St Market Drayton TF9 1PH 01244 661440 dcartersucs@gmail.com www.shropshireunion.org.uk SLEAFORD NAV TRUST Steve Hayes 10 Chelmer Close, N Hykeham, Lincs , LN8 8TH 01522-689460 secretary@ sleafordnavigation.co.uk www.sleafordnavigation.co.uk

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SOMERSETSHIRE COAL CANAL SOCIETY Derrick Hunt 43 Greenland Mills Bradford on Avon BA15 1BL 01225-863066 derrickjohnhunt@gmail.com www.coalcanal.org RIVER STOUR TRUST The Granary Quay Lane, Sudbury Suffolk, CO10 2AN 01787 313199 administrator@ riverstourtrust.org www.riverstourtrust.org STOVER CANAL SOCIETY George Whitehead 26 Northumberland Place, Teignmouth TQ14 8BU. Tel: 01626 775498 Georgewhitehead1@tiscali.co.uk www.stovercanal.co.uk STRATFORD ON AVON CANAL SOCIETY Clive Henderson The Bridge House Church Lane, Lapworth Solihull B94 5NU 01564 783672 clive.henderson@ waterways.org.uk www.stratfordcanalsociety.org.uk SUSSEX OUSE RESTORATION TRUST Ted Lintott 4 Farm Cottages Parkfield Way Haywards Heath RH16 4TB 01444 414413 tedl@talktalk.net www.sxouse.org.uk SWANSEA CANAL SOC Clive Reed 17 Smithfield Road, Pontardawe Swansea SA8 4LA 0844 209 4548 info@swanseacanalsociety.com www.swanseacanalsociety.com

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THAMES & MEDWAY CANAL ASSOCIATION David Rouse 60 Sun Lane Gravesend DA12 5HL 01474 362861 info@thamesmedway.co.uk www.thamesmedway.co.uk WELL CREEK TRUST Mrs C Mansell, 1 Tramways Outwell PE14 8PZ carole1910@hotmail.com WENDOVER ARM TRUST Roger Leishman 7 Hall Park Berkhamsted HP4 2NU 01442 874536 rwleishman@gmail.com www.wendoverarmtrust.co.uk WEY & ARUN CT The Granary Flitchfold Farm Loxwood, Billingshurst West Sussex RH14 ORH 01403 752403 office@weyandarun.co.uk www.weyandarun.co.uk WILTS & BERKS CT George Eycott Knowle House 1 Ham Road Wanborough Wiltshire SN4 0DF 07771 775745 bungle@wrg.org.uk www.wbct.org.uk WOODEN CANAL BOAT SOCIETY 173 Stamford St Central Ashton under Lyne OL6 7PS 0161-330-8422 wcbs@care2.com www.wcbs.org.uk WORCESTER, B’HAM & DROITWICH CANALS SOC David Wheeler 01527 833359 volunteers@wbdcs.org.uk

WRG CONTACTS WRG ENQUIRIES, BOOKINGS, DRIVER AUTHORISATION, Jenny Morris, IWA Island House, Moor Road Chesham HP5 1WA 01494 783453 enquiries@wrg.org.uk www.wrg.org.uk WRG NORTH WEST Malcolm Bridge 89 Rishworth Mill, Rishworth Sowerby Bridge HX6 4RZ 01422-820693 nw@wrg.org.uk www.wrgnw.org.uk WRG NW: PAPERCHASES Barry McGuinness b.mcguinness1@googlemail.com 0161 681 7237 www.wrgnw.org.uk WRG BITM & ‘NAVVIES’ DIARY David Wedd, 7 Ringwood Rd Blackwater, Camberley Surrey GU17 0EY 01252 874437 dave.wedd@wrg.org.uk www.wrgbitm.org.uk LONDON WRG Tim Lewis, 5 Herongate Road, Wanstead, London E12 5EJ 07802 518094 tim@timlewis.org.uk www.wrg.org.uk WRG EAST MIDLANDS John Baylis 215 Clipstone Rd. West Forest Town, Mansfield Notts NG19 0HJ 01623 633895 john.baylis@waterways.org.uk ESSEX WRG John Gale, 24 Longleaf Drive, Braintree, Essex CM17 1XS 01376-334896 wrg@glenp.org.uk www.wrg.org.uk

Canal & River Trust volunteer coordinators East Midlands Kennet & Avon Manchester & Pennine North East N Wales & Borders North West London South East S Wales & Severn West Midlands

Wayne Ball Steve Manzi Liam Cooper Becca Dent Jason Watts Alice Kay David Ireland Sonny King Caroline Kendall Sue Blocksidge

wayne.ball@canalrivertrust.org.uk steve.manzi@canalrivertrust.org.uk liam.cooper@canalrivertrust.org.uk becca.dent@canalrivertrust.org.uk jason.watts@canalrivertrust.org.uk alice.kay@canalrivertrust.org.uk david.ireland@canalrivertrust.org.uk sonny.king@canalrivertrust.org.uk caroline.kendall@canalrivertrust.org.uk sue.blocksidge@canalrivertrust.org.uk

WRG FORESTRY Clive Alderman 30 Primley Lane Sheering Bishops Stortford CM22 7NJ 07973 877380 clive_jo.alderman@yahoo.co.uk

WRG DIRECTORS

IWA/WRG STAMP BANK Steve & Mandy Morley 33 Hambleton Grove Emerson valley Milton Keynes MK4 2JS 01908 520090 mail@morleytowers.org.uk

WRG PLANT George Eycott, Knowle House 1 Ham Road, Wanborough Wiltshire SN4 0DF 07771 775745 bungle@wrg.org.uk

‘NAVVIES’ EDITOR Martin Ludgate 35 Silvester Rd. London SE22 9PB 020 8693 3266 0777 947 8629 (mobile) martin.ludgate@wrg.org.uk ‘WRGWEAR’ CLOTHING Alex Melson, IWA Island House, Moor Road Chesham HP5 1WA 01494 783453 wrgwear@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk www.wrg.org.uk WRG BOAT CLUB Sadie Heritage 236 Station Rd. Whittlesey Peterborough PE7 2HA 01733 204505 07748 186867 (mobile) sadiedean@msn.com

CHAIRMAN Mike Palmer 3 Finwood Road Rowington Warwickshire CV35 7DH 01564 785293 mike.palmer@wrg.org.uk

TRANSPORT MANAGER Jonathan Smith 23 Hardings Chalgrove Oxford OX44 7TJ 01865 891 370 jonathan.smith@wrg.org.uk OTHER DIRECTORS Rick Barnes, 11 Lawns Park North Woodchester Stroud GL5 5PP 07976 748345 rick.barnes@wrg.org.uk John Baylis (see above)

PUBLICITY Judith Palmer 3 Finwood Rd, Rowington Warwickshire CV35 7DH 01564 785293 jude.palmer1@btinternet.com

Harry Watts 82 Mill Street Kidlington OX5 2EF 07889 237834 harry.watts@wrg.org.uk

WRGPRINT John Hawkins 4 Links Way, Croxley Grn Rickmansworth WD3 3RQ 01923 448559 john.hawkins@wrg.org.uk

Helen Gardner 27 Broadacre Comberbach Cheshire CW9 6QD 07989 425346 helen_gardner@hotmail.com

IWA CHAIRMAN Les Etheridge c/o IWA, Island House Moor Road, Chesham HP5 1WA les.etheridge@ waterways.org.uk

Dave Hearnden 32b Mornington Road Chingford London E4 7DS 07961 922153 moose@wrg.org.uk

Please help keep this directory up to date If you spot any errors or omissions or know of any changes please pass them on to the editor. Thank you for your assistance.

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then please send in to Head Office, Island House, Moor Road, Chesham, HP5 1WA, anonymously if you prefer. If you have the padlock for the key please send that in too, or pass it on at an event.

Navvies News Leaders Training Day 2017

Pump needing a good home

Many thanks to everyone involved in this year’s Leaders Training Day – over 40 people took part and we had a number of productive discussions about a wide range of topics.

Particular thanks to Jude and the catering team for keeping us fed all day and to all the people who volunteered to present.

One of the main points that came out of the day was that good communication is key. This includes elements from letting your volunteers know what the plan is that day to staying in touch with the local society during the planning phase. It does seem to be the one thing that helps a camp run well and keeps your volunteers happy and coming back.

Permissions to work also led to a lot of useful discussion; they always seem to take much longer to get than you think and the late arrival of permissions has led to a number of camp cancellations over the years.

If you missed the day and would like any further information or a copy of the slides then please let Head Office know. If you’re interested in becoming a leader or are just curious about what it involves there will be another leaders training day next year.

Have a great summer’s camps!

Ed Walker

Another in the ongoing series of shifting some of the older WRG plant to good retirement homes. Sykes Univac 4" pump FREE to a good home.

This was originally on a ‘fast tow’ chassis, though before being towed on the road again it would need some serious work (including a new axle).

The engine (a Lister HA2) was stripped and partially rebuilt around 10 - 15 years ago. It had reconditioned bores, rings, big end shells etc. All the parts are present to finish the re-assembly of the engine.

The pump is a self priming unit and looks to be complete, though the aluminium threads into which the steel studs screw need some attention.

All this is currently situated in a small village just north of Chippenham, Wiltshire.

We may be able to arrange transport depending on where and when you want it.

For more details, please contact bungle@wrg.org.uk.

This is for all you people who may have a WRG padlock key and will have almost no chance of ever needing to use it again.

We know there are hundreds of them out there, as every year for many years, more keys were cut and given out, but almost none returned at the end of the event that they were used at. Most of these keys were given out at festivals to both WRG and IWA people.

We are asking for those keys to be returned to save any more ever needing to be cut in the future. As the numbers of people that now attend an event, at which WRG padlocks are used has diminished, so has the number of people that have a use for the keys.

So, if you have a WRG padlock key that you know you will never have real need for,

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Bungle

Key amnesty

Free to a good home - see above

Fudging the accounts...

BITM’s new leader

The WRG fudge stand has had another successful year at Canalway Cavalcade in Little Venice, raising nearly £1,800 over the course of the three day festival.

Despite the cold weather, the crowds came out for this ever popular festival – the fudge stall even had a number repeat customers from previous years, who now make an annual trip to get their fudge fix!

For those of you who couldn’t make it to London, we still have some fudge to sell so look out for it on WRG stands at other festivals later in the year…

All the funds raised will go towards WRG activities in 2017 – thank you once again to Carolyn Smith for the generous donation and to all the volunteers who helped pack up, promote and sell and helped us raise such a great amount!

Alex Melson

Mobile group WRG BITM has appointed Nigel Webley as it new chairman, taking over from Mark Gribble who has stood down. Our best wishes to both of them.

More ‘tech tips’ articles?

This issue includes another in the ‘tech tips’ series of articles giving technical advice on aspects of canal restoration work. Are there any other subjects that you would particuarly like to see covered? Alternatively, might you be prepared to contribute one yourself? If the answer to either of these questions is ‘yes’, please tell the editor.

...and Canal Camp reports?

As a result of our fleet of four van/minibuses being replaced thanks to the Appeal, we have one of the old vehicles for sale.

KX07FEH is a nine-seater Transit with load space behind the seating area, has done just under 87,000 miles, has had one (careful) owner from new, the next MOT is due 15/03/2018, and it has a full service history.

Yours for £6,500. Contact Head Office.

By the time you receive this issue, the start of the main summer Canal Camps programme will be just a couple of weeks away.

As usual, we’d like to include some camp reports from the early part of the summer in the next issue - rather than try to cram them all into the autumn editions.

So to all you leaders, assistants, MUPs and anyone else inspired to put their canal camp experiences down in writing: please make your editor happy (ish) by not waiting for him to start hassling you for a camp report - get writing it and sending it in as soon as you get home!

Do we need the Navvies Directory?

Congratulations

Van for sale

Elsewhere in this issue you will see the Navvies Directory of WRG and canal society contact details, making a reappearance after a fairly long absence as a result of us not being able to find space for it. My thanks to Alex Melson for going through all the entries in it and doing his best to bring the out of date ones up to date.

But this led to us thinking: does anyone actually use it any more? Did anyone even notice that what was once a vital part of the magazine (it appeared in issue 1 and every issue for many years after that) hasn’t appeared since last August? Or do you all just look on the Internet and/or have everyone’s number stored on your phones these days?

If you still find it useful, please tell the editor and we’ll go back to putting it in every third issue. If not, we’ll drop it. And in the meantime, keep sending us any updates. Thanks.

...and best wishes to Paul Rogers and Amanda Faul on their wedding.

An unusual request WRG volunteer Sarah Price got in touch to say she’d found a nice nameplate which appears to have fallen off a boat called Tinkers Tug in the middle of the road in Hove and would love to reunite it with its owner but has asked around locally without success. If anyone has any ideas, please email the editor.

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Infill ...and the return of Deirdre Dear Deirdre I’d really love to volunteer with your organisation but I have some concerns surrounding food. Unfortunately I’m unable to eat mushrooms, tomatoes or mustard, most spices, and I’m gluten and lactose intolerant. My doctor’s advised me to stick to a diet that’s low in salt and to avoid refined sugar. I also can’t eat tree-nuts (peanuts are fine though). Would I still be okay to come on a camp?

- MJ, St Petersburg on Avon

Deirdre replies You’re very welcome to come along to WRG, even with this long list of food intolerances. In fact, most cooks probably wouldn’t even consider you to be the most difficult volunteer they’ve had to cook for.

Dear Deirdre I enjoyed my recent camp but I wish to make a complaint about the cook, whose sour attitude and grumpiness really ruined the experience for me. Just as I was queuing for food on the first night I suddenly remembered that I don’t like lasagne. Luckily I managed to tell her before she put any on my plate. She was a bit curt about it but offered to make me an omelette. The next night I was queuing again when I remembered that curry gives me indigestion.

She tut-tutted a bit but at least agreed to make me another omelette. Then on the last night, when I remembered that I’ve never really cared for shepherd’s pie, she immediately went back into the kitchen and slammed the door behind her. About half an hour later she gave me a jam sandwich with a very sour look on her face. I think really she could have been more civil.

- LS, Upper Thrupp

Deirdre replies Thanks for the feedback. You weren’t planning to come again, were you?

Do you have a question for Deirdre? Email it to her at deirdre@wrg.org.uk

Letters to the editor (1) Sir

Letters to the editor (2) Dear Editor

On reading the chairmans pages, I noted his With KESCRG having a 40th birthday this intention to perform a whinge about trailers year, do you think my KESCRG 30th birthday towards the end of the article. Encouraged mugs [below] are now valuable antiques? by this, I read through the entire section only David Mack to find that Mr Palmer had been working under false pretences and no such whinge took place! I trust this serious omission will be rectified in this edition?

Yours etc George Eycott See MKP’s Chairman’s Comment for the answer to this question ...Ed

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I wouldn’t trouble Fiona Bruce about it just yet. ...Ed

Outro

Cotswold camps A selection of pictures from Camps 2017-02 and 03, which spent two weeks around Easter working on Weymoor Bridge and Inglesham Lock - see reports, pages 12-17.

Chris Byrne

David Evans Chris Byrne

John Hawkins John Hawkins

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