Camp report Burslem Port

First WRG Canal Camp at Burslem Port: a three-day mini-camp creating a towpath on this restoration project in the Staffordshire Potteries

Burslem Port Mini-Canal Camp

in one corner poking a box on the wall with an umbrella and explained that it was the As described in the last issue of Navvies, the switch for the outside lights. She wasn’t sure plan was that the camp would be laying a if one or two taps were required to turn the towpath along the line of the Burslem Arm of outside lights ‘on’, ‘off’, or ‘on timed’ and we the Severn Trent Canal as part of the Foot- wouldn’t find out until 10pm. If the lights print project funded by Stoke city council. were still on they were on, but if they went

Ask yourself the question “Does Murphy’s Law apply to canal camps?” The answer is a definite YES.

Mikk went to Tom’s to collect the van and trailer then travel to Stoke-onTrent where he had arranged to meet Roger (the local contact from Burslem Port Trust) between 4pm and 5pm. The trouble started when he didn’t get to Tom’s until 3pm and Roger was asking where he was. Then after transferring food and personal kit, including his bike, from car to van, struggling with the wheel clamp on the trailer and getting it stowed away and hitching the trailer to the van... would believe it? The van had a flat battery! Phone calls and texts followed, then car movements, finding the hidden battery on the van and connecting the jump leads, the van was started. During this process he had a phone call about a bulk waste collection at home that was dealt with. The van eventually rolled away from Tom’s at 4pm. Roger had been informed. Camp volunteers were due to arrive at the accommodation at 6pm, estimated time of arrival of van and trailer was 6.30pm.

Van and trailer were manoeuvred into (and position in the car park ready for unloading, Uttoxeter while Mikk and Roger went to meet the hall one day) steward. The hall was a church community hub; on arrival in the hall, the Reverend was

fact file Burslem Port Length: 1/2 mile Locks: none Date closed: 1963 The Canal Camp project: Creating a section of towpath along the Trent & Mersey Canal’s Burslem Arm. Why? As part of a plan to open up a path along the route, in advance of rebuilding and reopening the canal. The wider picture: Since the Arm was closed in the early 1960s as a result of a breach, much of the industry on the banks of the canal and in the surrounding part of the Staffordshire Potteries conurbation has closed down, buildings have been demolished, and the whole area is in need of regeneration. The Burslem Port Project was conceived 20 years ago as a vision of how that could be achieved with a restored canal arm as a centrepiece. With regeneration work getting under way in recent years, now is the time to push for the canal to be restored. Re-creating the towpath opens up the route and helps make the case for it. To find out more about the Burslem Port project see our feature in issue 309

off at 10pm they were timed...

Catering kit was unloaded while the tour of the hall was being conducted, then Roger gave the volunteers a talk about the history of the Burslem Arm. After that the still frozen curry was heated up and a wellearned ‘beer o’clock’ was announced.

After the curry dinner, David got to grips with the industrial dishwasher in the kitchen and mastered the controls which were only partly covered by the instructions. Then came more bad news: last orders at the pub next door was 10pm. Mikk and Sam ventured out to get some supplies and were just in time. The health and safety briefing followed their return and eventually lights were put out at 11.35pm.

The arrival of the van and trailer on site the next day was greeted by Roger, Nick and Joe (Naturescaping contractors) and Jenny Morris from our Head Office. The site inspection included further historical notes from Roger before kit was unloaded and work could begin. The new version of ‘Alex from Head Office’, Jonathan Green, arrived late after getting caught up in traffic. The contractor had been on site all week and had stripped the topsoil off the route for the path, and that was when the first problem occurred: the line of the path on one section was wrong, and would need to be adjusted and agreed.

Meanwhile the volunteers were split into two groups to start working on the towpath from each end. It became apparent that the mini digger would be needed to ‘smooth out’ a high point and Paul and Sam

Raking out the ground ready to start building the path went off for the digger and power wheelbarrow to sort that out. A calamity arose, when it was realised that with only one key in and out of the accommodation, Mike and Jude Palmer were stuck outside at Newchapel, and wouldn’t be able to prep the week’s food! It was also apparent that vital supplies of tea and coffee were missing from the brew kit. Luckily Jonathan was sent with the key from site, and to pick up the supplies, two birds one stone, and no going hungry later in the evening. Lunchtime was an opportunity for Jonathan to get to know the rest of the group and a ‘round robin’ of “what’s your name and give me an interesting fact about yourself” followed. This was easier for some than others. Nick was in a band called Oasis, Malcolm had spent 15 years on a motorcycle and Callum is studying archaeology, but couldn’t remember finding anything... During the excavation Sam managed to page 17

throw a track off the excavator, so a lot of time was spent getting that sorted out. Meanwhile all volunteers were working on the same section trimming the path edges and getting the edging timbers fixed in place, completing 32 metres of path by the end of the day.

The showers were at Port Vale Football Club. Separate ladies’ and men’s. Only two people at a time could use the showers. Jen and Charlotte were fine, but 10 men would take a while. Once everybody was clean we headed back to the hall where Mike and Jude had been preparing the evening meal and the food for the rest of the camp. After an excellent dinner Mike gave a welcoming speech and pointed out that Roger had been to see him and let him know that seeing the work being done had made an old man very happy. The caterers were presented with a bunch of flowers and bottle of wine in thanks for their effort.

Day One ended with a trip for some to the pub (Nick didn’t fancy the Sticky Toffee beer that Jen had brought back from the supermarket). At the end of the evening Mikk persuaded the landlady to save beer bottle tops for his floor and she promised to post them to him regularly. A good day all round.

Thursday saw Mikk being given some trailer training and reversing down Luke Street in a very sinuous fashion due partly to his skill (or lack of it), and partly to the fact that instructor Paul didn’t know his left from right.

Having rumblings around the group of potentially problematic weather leading toward the weekend, there was a sense of desire to have as productive of a day as possible on Thursday, and what a Day Two it turned out to be. All the focus was put on getting the section of path leading to the bridge in a good state, and able to potentially take the worst of the coming weather. For the first hours of the day, the team was split between extending the path edging at one end, so that we’d roughly covered 50m or so, and the other end raking, clearing and levelling so that the first stages of Terram could be rolled out. By the first tea break, and a much needed brew, it became clear just how much we’d done in a short space of time.

What came next however, was a taste of what much of the day would encompass; Wheelbarrow mania. Going back and forth up and down the short muddy slope and crude ramp, from the digger and pile of sand, to the end of the intended path, many many times. Particular credit goes to Jen, Charlotte and Ross, if there was a competition for most barrows shifted, they were certainly winning it! Working equally hard to keep the system going like a conveyor belt, Malcolm and Nick were flattening out the deposited sand, and Callum and Martin were keeping the work on the path edging going, so that we were almost up to the first in-

cline, around 15m or so short from where the path meets the edge of the old concrete Canal edge. Paul and David took turns operating the digger, and Sam operated the Powered Wheelbarrow, every load a welcome sight, as it could do the work of at least eight Wheelbarrows trips.

By Lunch we’d made amazing progress, and Callum had eaten as many custard creams as possible, but we were greeted by a look of bemusement from Nick, Joe and Paul, because of a spanner in the works. The aggregate we’d received for packing the top of the path wasn’t the ideal type (that’s putting it mildly…), and while eventually it was arranged that we’d receive the correct type, we still had to shift and find a home for material. Everyone worked their socks off, and put in a tremendous afternoon shift. By the end of the day, we’d covered 30-40m of track in sand, finished even more of the edging and had accomplished an enormous amount that would give Friday the best chance of success, even if the rain hit hard. By the end of the evening we’d said goodbye to Jen who’d put in a massive shift, so that she could be home on Friday. We’d also lost Mikk at Lunch time, who would be back on Saturday, so we were two team members down. That evening, everyone enjoyed Mike & Jude’s cooking, a massive Cottage Pie; not a trace of it was left over. Everyone was absolutely knackered so spent the evening in, swapping stories and what felt like having a cross-table competition to finish several crosswords.

Friday morning, and despite torrential rain overnight, there were only slight wisps of showers left behind, and the site was not too waterlogged. It likely wouldn’t stay that way though, so Paul made the call that it would be best to try and finish the section entirely that we’d been working on mostly so far, so that it could take any potential downpours. And much to Paul’s delight, the right aggregate had arrived. And so commenced a long day in wellies and boots shifting enormous amounts of stone down onto the path below, all while having one eye on the clouds above. Despite a few short bursts, we were very lucky to remain largely dry all day, and by the end of the day, with a hell of lot of good teamwork and effort, the entire section from the bridge to the old canal edge, roughly 80+ metres was completed, covered with stone and packed down. A tremendous effort for just three days. Saturday arrived and so did the rain, in torrents. So the kit and surplus food was packed into van and trailer and various private vehicles. The happy volunteers parted ways at the end of the camp, having completed the first section of the Burslem Port towpath to the delight of Roger. The remaining towpath will be done by Naturescaping’s Nick and Joe. Mikk Bradley Jonathan GreenStarting to look like a path