Navvies 194

avvies N Volunteers restoring waterways No 194 August - September 2002

WISH YOU WERE HERE?

waterway recovery group

Contents Contributions... ...are always welcome, whether hand-written, typed, on 3½" disk (please include hard-copy) or by e-mail. Photos also welcome: slides or colour or b/w prints. Please state whether you want your prints back; I assume that you want slides returned. Computer scanned photos also acceptable, either on disk or as e-mail attachments, preferably JPG format. Send them to the editor Martin Ludgate, 35, Silvester Road, London SE22 9PB, or e-mail to editor@navvies.demon.co.uk. Press date for No 194: September 1st.

Subscriptions A year's subscription (6 issues) is available for a minimum of ÂŁ1.50 (please add a donation if possible) to Sue Watts, 15 Eleanor Road, Chorltoncum-Hardy, Manchester M21 9FZ. Cheques to "Waterway Recovery Group" please.

In this issue:

Editorial what are we restoring them for? 2-3 Chairman 4 Camp Reports Wilts & Berks, Grand Western,

Cotswolds, Wilts & Berks again and Cotswolds 5-14 again Logistics waiting for a trailer 15 Diary camps and working parties 16-18 Letters and WRG Boat Club News 19-22 Dredging how the professionals do it 23 Coming soon Autumn and Christmas camps 24-25 and major weekend work parties Progress in pictures 26-27 WRGFT the forestry team 28 Bits & Pieces including Logistics 30

Noticeboard Backfill

31 32

And next time... ...we hope to bring you reports from all the rest of the summer camps, and the latest info on the Bonfire Bash, London WRG / KESCRG Christmas Party dig and Christmas Camps.

Plus an article about a rather unusual and less well-known restoration project - the Somersetshire Coal Canal.

Visit our web site www.wrg.org.uk for all the latest news of WRG's activities

Editorial

Wish you were here?

So why the 'picture postcard' theme to the cover?

Well, firstly because I though it was appropriate at holiday time - and as I write this I've just got back from a week's 'holiday' helping to lead Camp 0209 on the Cotswold Canals. And hopefully a lot of you will also be spending a week on a similar holiday. (But rather than send me a traditional picture postcard, I'd really appreciate it if you sent me a Canal Camp Report instead!)

But the main reason is because I wanted to illustrate the fruits of our labours (not forgetting the labours of the canal societies we have worked alongside) of the past couple of decades, as several more restored canals or lengths of canal that we have worked on have been completed and reopened. And quite honestly there are so many canal openings happening at the moment that the '5-in-one' traditional postcard layout was the only way of showing them all on the cover at once!

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In the top left we have a photo by Harry Arnold of the Ribble Link - Britain's first brand-new navigation to be created for about a century. Our volunteers worked on it years ago when it seemed the unlikeliest of pipe-dreams - we had enough trouble convincing people that we were serious about restoring derelict waterways let alone building new ones - and now it's open!

In the top right corner is the Rochdale Canal photographed by Ian McCarthy There hasn't been any WRG involvement on the Rochdale for a long time - most of the work has been carried out by contractors - but I remember muck-shovelling in the rain in north Manchester in about 1982 when hardly anyone gave it much chance of ever reopening... which it did, on July 1st.

In the bottom left corner is a photo by me of one that we're rather more familiar with - Hanbury Locks on the Droitwich Canal, which were officially opened in May. And in the bottom right corner is another familiar canal, although WRG hasn't worked on this particular site - Brynderwen Lock on the Montgomery Canal was reopened to portable craft after complete restoration by SUCS volunteers, and Harry Arnold was on hand to record it.

Lastly in the centre (and also pictured by Harry) is the Falkirk Wheel which opened in May, relinking the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals - both of which saw WRG and other volunteer work in their earlier phases - completing the Millennium Link restoration of the Scottish Lowland canals.

The final reason for the 'picture postcard' idea is the slogan: "Wish you were here?"

Because all of us working on the canals must sometimes wish that we were there enjoying the restored canals as boaters, and what keeps us going is the thought that one day the ones we're working on will have their official openings featured on the cover of 'Navvies'. Isn't it?

Well, maybe. Or maybe not. Which conveniently leads me on to the next subject...

The Scope of Restoration This rather dry-sounding topic came up in an IWA discussion recently and I thought it was important enough to raise it in 'Navvies'. What it sortof translates to is 'why do we restore canals'.

Don't worry - it's not another 'why do we do it' discussion. I realise that volunteers all have their own reasons for working on canals - which might or might not involve boats, along with other reasons such as getting out into the countryside, meeting a great bunch of people, learning interesting skills, drinking interesting beer or whatever. No - what I'm talking about is the purpose of the restoration itself, rather than why individual volunteers get involved in it.

Up to now, that has usually revolved around eventually opening the canal to typical powered canal boats - with some debate about how much we welcome other users (anglers, walkers, cyclists, nature-lovers) alongside the boaters. And many of us have taken a pretty dim view of other interests (particularly nature conservationists) taking over restored canals for their own purposes when this means restricting the boats that we restored them for.

But what if the restrictions are less historical or geographical and more political. For example it is proposed that the River Stour - if restored - be restricted to unpowered craft only, to keep the nature conservationists and landowners happy.

Ditto the North Walsham & Dilham Canal. Meanwhile on the Pocklington we have no assurance of any boating at all once it's finished - unless we can prove that boats are actually good for the wildlife.

And when the Mont finally opens throughout, it looks like boat movements will be severely restricted on nature conservation grounds - to the extent that the predicted benefits that the restored canal will bring to the local economy in the form of new jobs has been reduced by a factor of 7.

Do we say "That's OK - even if we can't boat on them: if they're being restored, that's better than losing more of our heritage by letting them fall into worse dereliction.And we can always argue the politics again later and hope for a more boat-friendly outcome".

Or do we say "Sorry, we restore canals for (to quote part of the IWA's aims) 'fullest possible recreational use'. If the best practical hope for a fragment of historic tub-boat canal is as a static exhibit that's fine, but artificial restrictions on something that has the potential to be an excellent pleasureboating waterway is against our principles. We'll spend our time working elsewhere."

Or do we try to draw a line somewhere between these extremes. And if so, where?

And finally...

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this issue - especially those who successfully got their Canal Camp reports in promptly in response to my appeal last time.

Finding out afterwards that we can't boat on a restored canal is one thing; what happens when we are asked to support a canal that we already know we won't be able to chug along in our narrow boats once it's finished?

We have a variety of reports this time: an alphabetical one, another with a different author for each day (mostly written by the nominated author in the pub on the evening of that day - that's how to make sure you get it down while you can still remember it!) and one written in the style of TV's 'Big Brother'. (I shall never again castigate Lesley for her tastes in crap TV programmes - I'll just assume she's planning another Camp Report!) And although Rachael's reports are more conventional, she does score extra brownie points by getting two reports into one issue!

For example restoration work on several West Country canals (Bude, Grand Western, Somersetshire Coal) has until now been largely as static albeit important - pieces of industrial archaeology.

But we have been happy to support them despite geographical or historical limitations that may make them impractical as additions to the network.

Now it's over to the rest of you - I look forward to reading about your exploits on the Mont, Sleaford, Stowmarket, Grand Western, Mon & Brec, Huddersefield, Wey & Arun, Wilts & Berks and Basingstoke... preferably before the press date of 1st September!

Martin Ludgate

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Chairman Mike Can't tell us anything but manages to fill a page anyway...

Chairman's Comment OK so I know I said that the Spring issue of Navvies was the hardest one to write, but this one looks like being a bit tricky too.

Now this is not because things are going badly I have had fantastic fun on all the camps and weekends so far this year and really good work is being done.

Nor is it because very little is happening - I have spent 15 hours this week alone in meetings with people sorting out "things" for the future.

No, it’s tricky because I can’t tell you about any of these "things" because for all of them they are not confirmed because I’m waiting for a committee decision and someone or other is on holiday.

AAAAAARRRRRRRGGGH!!

So I can’t tell you about the fantastic training sessions we are setting up with British Waterways and The Waterways Trust to run through next Winter/Spring .

*

Neither can I tell you about the interesting developments that WoW (the new "get the kids involved" partnership) will bring to the waterways scene.

I really would like to tell you about the reopening of one of "our" canals that is due to be happening next year but until it’s official I have to keep silent.

Equally until the paperwork is signed I can’t tell you that we are now an official "access organisation" for the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.

So I shall have to spend my time talking about the great time I had leading a camp that was due to be at Droitwich but started in Devon and ended up in Wales! Well I would if my wonderful assistant hadn’t beaten me to it (see this issue?). [No, the next one actually. ...Ed] Anyway at the very least I can add my personal thanks to all those who coped with waking up and going to bed in different countries and worked so hard no matter where they were.

While in the personal mode I shall also thank "the Friends of Lockway", a boating group who found they had a few quid left over at the end of the year and so donated it to us. I know I keep going on about armchair supporters but it's things like this that really do enable us to do what we do. Thank you.

I should also apologise for looking such a sulky bugger on the front cover of Navvies 193. It did give the impression that both John W and myself were not at all impressed with with being able to go through the locks - nothing could be further from the truth. Again my thanks to all those who worked at Hanbury - it was a wonderful project.

It was also a pleasure to have a selection of the WRG happy abseilers call me on the mobile to sing "we’re going up and down in the Anderton Boat Lift" to me. Of course what really made it special was that I happened to be going round and round in the Falkirk Wheel at the time. Who would have thought that not only would an old lift be rebuilt but that they would also build a new one to rival it?

One final message of sincere thanks must go to Dan Evans our web master. Dan has been the person who has driven all our web presence recently as well as designing and running the actual website. This hard work was recently recognised when the website won a regional award for charity websites (more elsewhere in this issue). Well done Dan. So that’s it, hopefully Navvies 195 will contain lots more confirmations of all of the above.

Hugs and Kisses Mike Palmer

* Though admittedly I can tell you that the Training Weekend is confirmed for next May 10

th /11th . I’m pleased to say it will be back at Hatton with all those excellent facilities.This is the first time we have ever known the date this far in advance so hopefully with all that time to organise it it will be less of a "seat of the pants" event.

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Wilts & Berks Canal Trust Camp: 1st-9th June The camp started off well, with weather dry, and even some sun! We welcomed two new navvies, brothers Chris and John Barnes, who proved both good workers and good company.

On Saturday, we started strimming and mowing the towpath with our "new" ride-on lawnmower at Dauntsey, while Deb and Chris started surveying Lock 2 at Seven Locks with surveying equipment Deb had borrowed from Nottingham University. The following two days we finished concreting behind the off-side wall on Lock 3, and strimmed the towpath from the road to Lock 5. The surveying team continued their work around Lock 2, finally completing the survey on Tuesday, before the equipment had to be returned, and Deb had to get back to work for the rest of the week.

There was a hold-up on the bridge deck for Foxham, which we’d been hoping would be delivered in time for us to erect on this camp, although it should be ready for our July camp. However, the road planings had arrived, and we spent two days spreading and compacting them with a vibrating roller, to provide ramps up to the eventual bridge. We also puddled behind the wing walls, covered with topsoil.

Unfortunately, the weather changed on Wednesday afternoon, when the rain came in, and continued on and off Thursday and Friday. We spent a very wet morning on Thursday clearing out an old shed and moving rubbish up to the tip, and in the afternoon Rachael went up with Blue to do some towpath repairs at Dauntsey. Luke and a small gang went to Foxham to finish the ramps, and mow the towpath. Unfortunately, the mower proved not up to the job, and packed up!

June Jubilee Camp at Seven Locks (mostly!)

Camp 0206 at Foxham (mostly!) report on p11-12 ûùþ øý

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...starting with the Wilts & Berks 'Jubilee Camp' in June...

Said lawnmower, incidentally, is such a new acquisition for us that it has not yet been given a name, unlike all the other bits of equipment (not to mention sheds and small buildings) at Dauntsey. ‘Tim’ is a small digger, the large cement mixer is - naturally - ‘Jumbo’, ‘Little Willy’ is a small dumper, ‘Olive’ is the oil store, ‘The Toybox’ is our workshop.

We have a workman’s hut on site at Seven Locks called ‘The Elephant’, and a portable store known as ‘The Wendy House’. George ‘Bungle’ Eycott has a name for the lawnmower at the back of his mind, arising from a car whose back axle broke, so he is trying hard to remember it.

On Friday, we strimmed the towpath higher up behind the pub at Dauntsey, and cut the re-growth of stumps ready for pulling, and we also brought back (in Little Willy) a load of logs from trees cut out of the hedge. Di and I then departed for a Song & Ale Festival in Devon, while the rest of the team went down to Wootton Bassett to help George and Jen set up for the Waterways Festival on Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday.

We had 10 navvies overall on the camp, although not all at the same time. We were unable to book the Foxham Reading Rooms for the whole week, as there were prior bookings for the Jubilee celebrations, so we all piled into my cottage, which was quite cosy at Wilts & Berks Canal: times. Di had to this year's Canal Camp sites turn everyone out of the kitchen ÿ ÿþýüûú ø when she was tryùýúú ûûýý ing to dish up ùùøû ÿûþýû ÿ meals, but otherüýùþ þ û wise it worked øþ ú ÿþýüûú úþúùø quite well. Dave ýý ø Rudland, through ùúùû choice, slept in a ùûûþ NWPG Camp 0207 at ýúú tent on the lawn...

Summit Lock report

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Camp reports

next time (we hope!)

Site for Xmas Camp at Dauntsey see p22 for details Where Camp 0208 would have been if it hadn't been cancelled due to nesting buzzards!

Thanks to Di for cooking, and we look forward to seeing some of the volunteers again on the July camp.

Rachael Banyard

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Camp reports Grand Western: Canal Camp report-writing by committee?

Camp 0202 Grand Western Canal 22nd – 29th June A slightly novel camp report, the idea being that a different volunteer each day writes an entry in the diary. However, due to the lack of volunteers volunteering to do this, you will have to put up with me filling the gaps! The first day working on site was Sunday...

Sunday – Nat Sunday morning started off with scrub-clearing and bonfires while Martin trained new recruits in the art of synchronised dumper-driving. At the northern end of the cutting, WRG’s own version of Time Team (more like "Is it time for tea?" team) started excavation of a 19th Century farm-crossing, thought to have been on the site of a former stop-plank narrows.

In the afternoon the newly-qualified dumper-drivers along with the excavators created a ramp over the canal using crushed roof-tile rubble over Terram sheeting over concrete pipes. All was well until Blue blew! Meanwhile, the "is it time for tea?" team had discovered one of the stop-plank groove stones and also a stone containing what appeared to be a lock-gate hinge.

With the completion of the dumper ramp, we all piled into the showers at Wellington Sports Centre and the evening’s entertainment consisted of stock-checking. [I think he means checking the level of the beer stocks at the pub. ...Ed] Monday – Sally A good sleep. Only 5.5 on the Richter scale!

Team 1: Towpath Finished the carefully considered, strategically placed ramp over the canal. An advance party set out to persuade trees out of the way with large sharp tools, while most people topped up their suntan and pretended to be frustrated.

‘Blue’, the digger, feeling happy and smart with a new Jubilee Clip, started to clear a dumper run along the towpath – a generous 50cm wider than a dumper. Smashing.

Blue’s day took a downturn as the guv swung the cab into a tree, mangled the door and broke the glass. Smashing. From then on, the towpath was just one long (long) party.

Team 2: Stop Gate Neolithic farmer’s roadway was carefully cleared with a fine brush and trowel to reveal 2 stop plank stones complete with grooves, and there was much rejoicing. Jen and the digger then uncovered the canal floor and a second unexpected sill and gate and there was much rejoicing. Two walls began to appear and headed off ominously into the mud towards the carefully considered, strategically placed ramp, and there was much rejoicing!

Then there was Angel Delight, Star Wars with unexpected crop tops and we all lived happily ever after and went home to bed.

Tuesday – Marian "Right Chaps", says A (Adrian), "We can crack on with the towpath now. Should have no trouble finishing it by the end of the day." "Great!" say the A-Team, all thinking it will be nice to take things at a steady pace.

The towpath begins to take shape. (Martin Ludgate)

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So the A-Team head off led by Mrs Tee (Tess) and are soon getting to grips with the situation (i.e. realising that they have not a cat in hell’s chance of finishing 200 metres of towpath in a single day. Their consciences not allowing them to leave Mrs Tee doing all the work, the A-Team plod on.

Every now and again, A comes along the not very long towpath, saying "splendid job chaps, not much further now." Sensing A’s deluded state of mind, (possibly due to feeling under pressure to meet the deadline for finishing the towpath), feeling sorry for him we make reassuring comments like "Of course we’ll make it."

So the dumping, digging, raking, dumping, digging, raking, dumping, digging, raking goes on and on and to cut a long and boring story short, the towpath is not finished. But, says A, "You have worked really, really hard. Not much further to go now. Finish by lunch time tomorrow."

"Yes" say the A-Team, all thinking "You surely do not think we are going to be that gullible again?"

However, there was some excitement during the day, a local TV crew turned up (one cameraman and a very unsuitably dressed women).They wanted to interview a couple of volunteers and to ensure this publicity opportunity was exploited to maximum effect, a T-shirt swapping session ensued, which the men quite enjoyed, but the ladies felt a little exposed during it.

Another exciting event was the evenings Mystery Tour. Lots of fascinating and very technical details about various industrial archaeological ‘things’. Then off to the pub. Brilliant.

Wednesday – Ernie

Camp reports "...dumping, digging, raking, dumping, digging, raking..."

Friday - Ian The last day of the camp and the weather continued to be sunny and hot. So not the best day to build a massive bonfire to get rid of all the chopped down trees, but that’s what we did. Vegetation was cleared from the cutting, ready for the dredging the following week.

A great week was finished off by a cryptic treasure hunt and a meal with some of the local canal trust members.

All in all it was a really top week in a beautiful part of the country. Thanks to Adrian for leading, Matt for being a brilliant cook as usual (and his sage balls!) Grand Western Canal Trust for looking after us, and to all the volunteers who made it such an enjoyable camp. Same time next year?

Ian Wingfield

Time to congratulate the musicians amongst us for last nights tune. The tenors, trebles and altos with volume variation were superb. It was all too much for me so before the encore started, I slipped on my ear-defenders. The deadening silence was blissful.

During the day we did more towpath stuff.

In the evening the local society entertained us to an excellent BBQ. We got stuffed.

More alcohol was consumed to aid the pass-out, but just in case this does not work, Above: excavation of the stop-plank narrows. (Ian Nicholson) my trusty ear-defenders are beside me... Below: Ernie escapes the snoring (John Hawkins) Thursday - Ian The towpath was finally finished, thanks to some serious excavation by Jen in the 8ton digger the day before. This enables the dumpers to travel along the canal and will be used to collect dredged material as the line of the canal is excavated and profiled.

In the evening it was non-stop action again as we took a boat trip down the Bridgewater & Taunton Canal, accompanied by a few tins of beer.

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Camp reports Saul Junction: an alphabetical Canal Camp report Camp 0204: Cotswold Canals 3rd-10th July Saul Junction Boat Gathering Here is all you will ever need (or want) to know about Camp 0204. For ease of reference in the future, it is presented in alphabetical order...

A A is for Accommodation, Anna and Alison, and AVH. Our accom changed more often than the Camp Leader’s wrg t-shirts. The closed-down school we were supposed to have had fell through at the last minute – see under ‘V’. Instead, we moved to Whitminster Cricket Pavilion, which was already the ‘shower venue’. But on the Saturday night even that was out of bounds, so we spent the night in the old folks’ day room in a community centre. Anna and Alison are PhD students in Edinburgh who travelled a very long way to be on the Camp. Both are as mad as fridge doors, and Alison is much better than me at hammering lamp irons in. AVH need no introduction, but our hired Transit dropsider did, as it was so new it had not yet received its livery.

B B is for Boat Gathering, Bridge, Bar-Building and Bungle. The Boat Gathering is the big annual fundraiser for the Cotswolds Canal Trust, which was why we were there doing site services.

The Bridge was a serious piece of kit, all-steel, made in a boatyard and craned-in over a small river in order to provide pedestrian access from the car park and campsite. We affixed a huge sodium lamp and various bits of orange fencing to it. Bar-building was one of our central tasks and seemed to take all weekend, as extra stillaging had to be built during open hours on Saturday lunchtime. We levelled off the main barrel stillages, making the entire marquee look decidedly wonky in comparison, and stapled some tasteful vinyl onto the counter.

Bungle is a useful piece of kit that comes with Sammy the generator. He will happily work nearly all night at the top of a scaffolding pole in the drizzle with a lamp in one hand and some cable ties in the other. The next day, he goes off to ogle big diesel engines. Bungle believes that I do not sing any jolly songs, only depressing ones about dead miners. This is patently untrue.

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C C is for Cath, Chinese takeaway, Cable ties, Car parking and Compound. Cath was Camp Cook, and served up delightful dinners every evening. Well, nearly. Because of the accommodation on Saturday having no kitchen, Cath went out and ordered an enormous Chinese takeaway, for which the CCT kindly paid because if the disruption! Cable ties are what hold events together, literally. In Bungle-world, they are a highly valuable currency. Car parking was of course on the site services menu. The weird thing is that the first-timers we sent out to do it seemed to like it. The unsurprising thing is that Cath immediately invited them to the 'National'.

The Compound is a truly magical place, a few miles’ drive from Saul. You name it and if you need it, it’s in there – you just need to take a big lorry with you.

D D is for Dudley, Decapitation and Dave Lamen’s magical mystery tour. Just ask the girls (see 'A' and 'L') about Dudley, the CCT’s chief site services dude. He’s a really nice chap AND he can turn sturdy female wrgies into mush at 50 paces. Decapitation is a specialist subject of Anna and Alison, and it made me change the subject very quickly indeed. Dave’s tour took us to the Golden Valley and our minibus to the edge of its envelope. We visited Chalford Lock, where Dave had led a camp working on its restoration [Good grief, had he really? And there was me thinking that Ian and myself were the leaders on that Camp! Oh well, it just goes to show how little I know about canal camps. ...Ed], tested the echoes in Sapperton Tunnel and had a drink in the timewarp Daneway Inn, where the original edge of the canal can be found in the car park.

D, by the way, is NOT for "dooberry" because I say it too often.

E E is for Excellent weather. We had a bit of drizzle on the Friday night (most of which landed on Bungle and Dave) and a couple of hours of rain on the last day, and the rest was dry and often sunny. When I returned to Northamptonshire, my friends were slightly annoyed about this, as apparently it had hoyed it down for days.

F F is for Food. See also under 'C'. This came along in great quantity and often featured rather serious puddings. For the most memorable of these, see under 'M'.

G G is for Generator. Sammy is a useful piece of kit that comes with Bungle. He’s blue, based on a Bedford TK, has an intriguing past in the BBC or something, and as long as he’s fed with diesel daily, he generates all the electricity a site could need. Of course, if you have been to the National Festival camp, you will know this.

H H is for Holly and "Highest standards of safety”. Holly is a spaniel, and consequently, mad as three fridge doors. She is brown and white and wherever you really need to tread with your size 8 toe-tectors, you will find her, unless you’re in bed, in which case she’ll find you, and lick you until you get up and come to breakfast. Highest standards of safety, among other things, were what wrg were being credited with by a glowing, appreciative commentatator - whilst Bungle waggled around at the top of the slightly bent scaffolding pole we’d lashed with BT rope to a piece of less-than-straight, half-buried ironwork.

I I is for In the water. This is where Holly was found, having celebrated the end of the event by jumping into the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal.

J J is for Jumping into the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal. See under 'I'.

K K is for Keith. Keith was head honcho of the fundraising bar (at least £5,000 was generated by his beer-thirsty customers) and was so happy with our work that he bought us a round in one of his TWO pubs. The CCT outdid him by shouting us dinner.

L L is for Laura and Land Rover. Laura was doing her DofE Residential Dooberry (oops) and presented our camp leader with a strange form to complete to prove it. Laura somehow managed to avoid a barrage of Essex jokes despite being from Woodham Ferrers, is much better than me at hammering lamp irons in, and between bouts of heavy lifting, hammering and glass-washing, smiled sweetly at everybody, especially Dudley.

Nick’s battleship grey 1960s Land Rover was an important vehicular member of the camp given a complete lack of red Transits on camp. I can still hear its Rover V8 rumble even as I type this.

Camp reports "JisforJumpingintotheGloucester & Sharpness Canal..."

M M is for Mark, Mississippi Mud Pie and Mercedes Minibus. Mark is me, Mk2! I attempted some assistant camp leader impressions, until I realised that (a) Dave and Bungle - and occasionally Cath - were already doing it for real and (b) it’s not really necessary on a camp with only 4/5 volunteers.

Mississippi Mud Pie was Cath’s most memorable creation. It made real Mississippi mud look a bit runny in comparison, and the only bits that didn’t require a mattock to attack them were the marshmallows hidden in the chocolate sauce. No one could move for at least a quarter of an hour after finishing it, and I reckon all would have agreed that had the worst come to the worst for anyone, it would have been a damn fine chocolatey way to go. The rather upmarket hired Vito Minibus was another stylish, if not very authentic, replacement for a wrg Transit. It was white with black glass and aircon (!).

N N is for Nick C-S and Neil Ritchie. Nick Coolican-Smith was our camp leader and also gave the impression of being vaguely in charge of Holly, even though it was obvious that she had her own agenda. Nick and Anna, equipped with the AVH, some cable ties, and minor local knowledge, went out and did the road signage. This did not stop several members of the general public from ignoring all the signs and simply driving to Saul village, parking badly and then wondering where the event was.

Neil Ritchie could have told them, but he was zipping around, followed by his faithful collie, coordinating things, including our various accommodation venues. Thanks to Neil for finding us places to lay our li-los at short notice.

O O is for orange fencing. You simply cannot have an event without this wonderfully stretchy, high-vis stuff. Unless of course, you have no cable ties.

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P P is for Pavilion. Whitminster Cricket Pavilion, our main accom for the camp, had vandal-proof shutters over its rather chunky opening windows.

We opened them, and the windows. Cath arrived on the scene shortly after and had an argument with one window, resulting in a temporary loss of uprightness and a bruise to rival a rainbow.

Q Q is for Quedgeley, and QOTD. Quedgeley has two things of note: an excellent, modern community centre with everything except a shower, and a Chinese takewaway as recommended by your smooth-talking Adrian Fry. And, er, that’s probably it, but after taking a look at the wedding party opposite, I didn’t feel inclined to stay around and find out the rest.

QOTD is Quote of the Day. Awarded daily (noooo...), this coveted title was given to the most memorable thing anyone said. QOTD winners included: Cath: “No you CAN’T use the griddle – I’m using it as a storage unit” Cath’s verdict on the commentator: “I think it’s his ineptness that makes him sound patronising” Mark:“I’m off to get some double-sided tape for these ‘fire point’ signs” Dave: “Why?” Mark:“You can’t stick signs to aluminium marquee uprights with 6-inch nails” Dave: “Watch me…”

R

Snoring is what often happens when very tired wrgies go to sleep. I know this because I do not sleep well, and I often lie awake noting how the big snorers race each other to sleep, hoping not to be the one to remain awake, unable to sleep for the snoring. Speedwell is a rather handsome Severn tug, built in 1968. It has a huge 300+ horsepower turbocharged Ruston diesel, with compressed air start. Bungle was near-ecstatic when the British Waterways man said he could come back later and start it up. He did, and I have to say it sounded lovely (the engine, not the Bungle murmurings).

T T is for Tea, Thomas and The Trust. Not only did we have no Transit, but also a non-functioning Burco.

This problem was neatly sidestepped by barrowing huge flaggons of water to the CCT’s visitor centre, boiling their Burco, and then barrowing a huge pot of tea back to wherever we were working/eating.

U U and V are for ultraviolet rays. I caught a few and as a result have a spectacular and unrecoverable farmer’s tan.

V V is for Village politics. Local people don’t take kindly to their school being closed down, and surprisingly, making it a wrg accom three months later is even less popular. So on the ‘if we can’t have it, neither can they’ principle... you know the rest!

W

R is for Run out. This what happens to cable ties, just when you need three more.

W is for Whitminster. Try the Forge Inn if you’re ever there, but don’t take your dog indoors. Also, check out the outstandingly good taste of the locals - the village is full of Land Rovers.

S

X

S is for Saul Junction, Sheriff, Snoring, and Speedwell. Saul Junction is where the Stroudwater canal, which is under restoration, meets the still very active Gloucester & Sharpness canal. There used to be a kind of level crossing where the two waterways meet, which must have been interesting to watch in its day. Now all that’s left is a derelict lock on the western side. We celebrated its survival by surrounding it with steel fencing for health and safety reasons. The Sheriff wore big blue overalls with a star-like logo and looked very important. On event days, he turned into Clive the Commentator and said really nice things about wrg in between drawing lucky programme numbers.

X is for Xantia. I’m sure there were a few of those in the car park, probably with tow-hitches and bead-seats.

page 10

Y Y is for Yelp, which is what escaped from the daft clot from the marquee erectors who was working on site with no toecaps in his shoes. It was a big sledge hammer, so things could have been worse.

Z Z is for Zonked; see under S for Snoring.

Mark Antony "Mk2"

Camp 0206: Wilts and Berks Canal 6th-13th July Never has so much been achieved by so few in so short a time...

Seriously, I was delighted with the success of the camp, in that all the targets we had set ourselves were finally completed by the second Saturday – even if it take until that evening, and David James and Phill Cardy stayed on to help with the finish.

This particular target referred to the new lift (bascule) bridge installation at Foxham, where the groundwork and preparation had been the work of previous camps.

Camp reports Wilts & Berks: Installing the bascule bridge at Foxham The actual installation did throw up a few problems, but at least the deck was in place that day.

The finishing touches were done with Mick’s help

by Phill and Rob Brotherston, who were by then on another camp down the canal at Summit Lock.

Rob had also been on our camp. What devotion to duty – and I am very grateful.

We had been hoping that the bridge might have been ready for the June camp, but this couldn’t be, so we were determined not to disappoint the navvies hoping to participate in its installation on this camp.

The manufacture and testing of the bridge at the bridge builder’s workshop (Mick Gillman) were completed the previous week, and it was then dismantled ready for painting. Four of the campers started off on the Sunday morning with this job, all masked and gowned, and managed to finish the first coat by the end of the day. The plan was for the second coat to go on on Monday, and installation on Tuesday.

WRONG...

Above: Seven Locks:the last of the concrete backfill is laid. Below: It rained nearly all day on 'dressed to paint'. Photos by Jeremy Yearron.

Monday, and on Tuesday the morning was washed out, and we all poured into the minibus and headed for the Railway Museum in Swindon. Mick Gillman was working on a job somewhere in the Midlands Wednesday to Friday, but he transported the bridge parts down to Foxham anyway on Tuesday, so we could at least go ahead with painting later in the week if it cleared up. Fortunately, this was possible, and Mick turned up on site 10a.m.

Saturday to start the reassembly, with the help of Phill and David.

page 11

Camp reports "We never had to send Katy the dog to wake the oversleepers.."

There were actually 10 of us on the camp, including two new navvies, both narrowboaters, who fitted in very well, and worked extremely hard. Young Tom was shattered by the end of the week, but hopefully he and Jeremy will be back for more some time.

One of the biggest jobs on the camp was putting in 800 metres of 3-strand barbed wire fencing alongside the towpath hedge at the eastern end of the Dauntsey stretch. This also involved taking out the old wire, which had been stapled to the towpath trees (preventing Di from laying them next Autumn/ Winter), and cutting back all the thick overhanging branches and brambles.

The farmer, Philip Smith, made light work of putting the stakes in with his Matbro tractor.

It took a team two and a half days, but once again, the job was all finished. Philip Smith said it would have taken him at least three weeks doing it on his own, so he was very grateful.

We also poured approximately 12 cubic metres of concrete infill behind the offside lock wall on Lock Three at Seven Locks, this despite our large concrete mixer breaking a chain, and the smaller mixer having to come into use for the last cubic metre.

One afternoon we visited Valley Lock on the Thames and Severn to collect some large coping stones which were not needed there, so we could use them on the wing walls of Lock 3.

We had a couple of shower runs and swims during the week, plus a visit to the cinema, where we split up between 'Spiderman', and Tom Cruse’s latest film, the latter being so weird that I can’t remember the title. I defy anyone, of whatever age, not to have found it decidedly weird!

Di kept us well fed as usual, with plenty of sticky cakes lunchtime.

I can’t remember a camp like this one where everyone crawled out of their sleeping bags by the ‘crack of sparrows’, and we never once had to send Katy the dog round to wake the oversleepers. Breakfast was over and done with soon after 8 o’clock, and we were often on site by 8:30.

Thanks again to Phill, Luke, David, Rob, Tom, Jeremy, Brian, Bernd and Di from both myself and our local workparty.

Rachael Banyard

The 'Oxford Canal style' bascule bridge at Foxham, complete and being load-tested by the ubiquitous Land Rover. (Luke Walker)

page 12

Big Bother on the Cotswold Canals...

A live account from the "Camp 0209 House" (and lock, and bridge...)

Saturday night. The new arrivals are entering the Camp 0209 House (aka Selsley Scout hut) for the first time. As they settle down to watch the WRG Health & Safety video they are noticeably apprehensive... As there is no cook, all the inmates will have to share kitchen duties... Popularity ratings could well depend on having watched 'The Naked Chef'...

There are 25 contestants, 13 of them first-timers.

Of the whole 25, only three are female - Amy, Jade and Lesley.

The accommodation is spartan for most, but Martin, Ian, Ernie, Lesley and Max have occupied a smaller room in the 'Rich Side' of the Camp 0209 House. (on the other hand, it's right next to the gents)

Camp reports From the Cotswolds (which aren't in East Angular...)

Sunday. Tunji has mysteriously been evicted at 6am, before actually making it on site. The rest of the contestants view their first task at Ham Mill Lock. They have to remove a fence, cut down trees and dig down to expose and rebuild a buried spill-weir. The first part is going OK but it is soon obvious that water is running through the weir chamber from the lock and leaking out through a hole in the brickwork, which makes for sticky going in the clay bed. As more earth is removed the spoil-heap builds up, and a rough terrace is constructed on the bank above the river from felled trees and pegged with stakes.

Another group is scraping down an iron-framed wooden-decked footbridge for repainting and dismantling the stonework of one of the wingwalls for rebuilding, while a small team helps 'Sparky' with tree-clearing and log-chipping.

A slight cultural clash sees one group discussing Rio Ferdinand's transfer fee and whether Jade will last the week (that's the one on TV not on Camp 0209!), while the others get stuck into a discussion of the Galilean Heresy and the opening moves in Chess.

Everything takes longer than we think. By the time we've got back to the House, showered and eaten shepherd's pie and Jade's cake it's almost bedtime.

Monday. In line with the cultural divide, James buys 'The Express' and 'The Daily Mirror'. The contestants are learning the new game of 'Get in the van' which has to be played at least twice a day all week.

Back on site the tasks go on, although the teams are pacing themselves better as the funnelshaped 'weir pan' slope down to the bywash culvert is completely uncovered, primer starts going on the bridge and a pyramid of removed stones sits unsteadily beside a large hole where the bridge wing wall used to be.

Before (1): the Ham Mill Lock bywash before the start of work on Camp 0209. (Martin Ludgate)

An attempt is made to pump out the 'slime tub' i.e. the short length of canal between the stop-planks and a concrete dam above the gate recesses - this is where the water is leaking into the bywash from.

page 13

Camp reports Who's that in the (canal) bed with Neil? Don'tmissthenextinstalment!

Adrian turns up with a very shiny brand-new 2" pump and successfully fools us all into believing that he has just nipped into Pumps-R-Us and bought it with his own money, rather than fetching it from the CCT compound.

Meanwhile 'Sparky' awaits the arrival of a new part. (for his chainsaw) In a surprise move, Sleepy Dave is evicted just after dinner (Sweet & sour chicken followed by fruit flan) on Monday evening, following which there is a trip to see the site of Series 1 of Big Bother last year at Valley Lock, and the Tunnel House pub.

Tuesday. Day three in the Camp 0209 House.

The cultural gap has widened as James makes his early morning trip for the 'Independent' and the 'Sun'.

On site, clearance of vegetation from the offside lock chamber wall begins. The 2" pump is supplemented by a hired in 3" and the 'Slime Tub' is pumped-out again and some more Acrow props inserted to support the stop-planks better.

Steve D pre-empts his expected eviction by making a late-night flit over the rooftops while the rest of us go ten-pin bowling - where Adrian wins his game convincingly, with Ian in second place. This is rather strange as in fact they are both still on-site till 10pm trying (unsuccessfully) to block up the paddle-hole to stop the water from flowing through the weir chamber. The mystery is explained by the fact that both of their places have in fact been taken by Tunji who has returned to replace the escapee Steve.

Navvy instincts are developing among the new contestants: on returning to the accommodation there is a late-night rush for the six-slot toaster, a quick heap of toast then a flash and a bang and all the lights go out...

That's all for this episode but if you can't wait for 'Navvies' 195 and the second episode you can continue following the events in the Camp 0209 House on Channel WRG DIgital... (or whatever they say at the end of a Big Brother episode I've never actually got to the end of one without turning the telly off...)

'Davina' McFadyen

Before (2): the Jubilee Bridge wing wall before demolition and rebuilding started. See the next 'Navvies' for the second half of the report and the 'after' photos. (Martin Ludgate)

page 14

Attack of Traileritus Since the last issue of Navvies (surely – don’t call me that! – only a month ago?!) things have been incredibly busy. So what’s new?! And it’s not going to let up for a wee while yet...

Is this article going to be in the style of anything?

Well, yes it is, but it’s going to be in Just Jen style as hectivity dictates! I really haven’t got time to do anything else justice (some would argue whether I ever do!!) so you’ll have to put up with my usual banter!

Typical, isn’t it? Shed-loads to do and we’re still shed-less, not to mention one down (still!) in the trailer department.

Needless to say, a shed really wouldn’t be of much use for the amount of miles one has had to cover in order to sort stuff due to the lack of a trailer for Kit A. This should (fingers, toes, legs, T’s, everything crossed!) change soon due to said trailer allegedly being ready for collection. I shan’t be holding my breath mind until I have seen it with my own two eyes [Note to self – Remember to pack own two eyes before setting off for Marple.] judging by their previous attempts!!!!

Whilst on the subject of the new trailer I wish to sincerely thank wrg North West for their very generous donation of fifty percent of the trailer cost. Which half would you all like? Front or back, or we could split it top or bottom if you wish?

Seriously though, thank you very much – there may just be a few teaspoons in it for you!

I would also like to thank Neil Ritchie of Cotswold Canals Trust, for the kind offer of use of their small box trailer if we should need it! Much appreciated!

So much for the summer being my quiet period!

Moving swiftly on from trailers... Aargh! If anyone mentions that word again there’ll be what for, I can tell you! ...

Before the camp season started you may have found yourself idly flicking through the pages of Navvies 193, and may also have come across a somewhat bijou logistical reportette towards the rear. It appears that I left out the crucial words 'if you don’t' under the sub-title 'The Usual Gripe!' after 'the end of the week'! You should’ve been able to work that one out though ...

The camp season is well under way by now, with many camps having already been. Just a few points to note thus far:

Logistics "Some people STILL aren't filling in their kit lists..."

Some people STILL aren’t filling in their kit lists, let alone correctly (and you wonder why the kit turns up with useful things missing at times!). How many times do I have to ask you to do this? It’s not difficult!!!!!!

Somebody somewhere has been eating cool packs – a very peculiar diet if you ask me, but then that’s the only explanation for the disappearance of every single one of them before the summer! I can’t understand how you lose them ... oh, silly me! If you can manage to lose a roasting tray, a cool pack is easy peasy!

And whilst I’m on about eating, beware the evil wheelbarrow-eating dumpers!! Last spotted in Devon but they’re lurking in every town, so please take care. And remember, wheelbarrows aren’t as cheap as you think they may be to replace!

My last point of note is that when you fill in the vehicle reports, if you find that any of the tyre pressures are low, or there’s a problem of some kind, can you please get it sorted as the vans do lots of miles during a camp, particularly if it’s a Droitwich one!!! If it’s something ‘big’, could you please ring Roger first just to check and also to let him know what’s going on with his vans.

Well, that appears to be it for now... no doubt some gem of enlightenment or crucial need-toknow item will pop into my head shortly after sending this to Martin but I’m sure it will wait! It’ll have to!

All that does remain though is to say a HUGE "thank you" to Womble for sorting out yet another year’s successful Training Weekend! No small feat (but small and perfectly formed feet I think you’ll find she has!)! And Alan Lines took some smashing photos too (pointy, pointy!)!

Safe and Happy Digging to you all! [And where are all my postcards and dirty photos then?]

Incompetence – riddled with more logistics than ever!

Just Jen logistics@wrg.org.uk

page 15

Diary

Canal Camps cost £35 per week unless otherwise Bookings for WRG Canal Camps (those identified camp number e.g. 'Camp 0228') should go to WRG Camps, PO Box 114, Rickmansworth WD3 1ZY. Tel: 01923 711114. Email: enquiries@wrg.org.u

Aug 19-29 Camp 0218 Aug 23-26 wrgNW Aug 31/Sep 1 London WRG Sep 1 Sun Navvies Sep 6/7 Essex WRG Sep 7/8 KESCRG Sep 7/8 wrgNW Sep 7/8 SUCS Sep 7-14 Camp 0219 Sep 14/15 NWPG Sep 15 Sun WRG Sep 21/22 wrgBITM Sep 21/22 London WRG Sep 22 Sun D&SCSG Sep 28 Sat wrgNW Oct 5/6 KESCRG Oct 5/6 wrgNW Oct 12/13 NWPG Oct 12/13 London WRG Oct 12/13 SUCS Oct 19/20 wrgBITM Oct 22 or 23 Navvies Oct 26-Nov 1 Camp 0220 Nov 1 Fri Navvies Nov 2/3 WRG

IWA National Waterways Festival - Huddersfield: Canal Camp setting-up and ta The ‘National’ (Huddersfield): Sales Stand Ipswich & Stowmarket Navigation: Creeting Lock.

Press date for issue 195 To be arranged Lichfield Canal Castlefield Carnival: Sales Stand (provisional) Montgomery Canal Grantham Canal Camp: Chamber clearances on Cropwell Bishop flight.

Basingstoke Canal: Dig Deep project at St Johns. NOTE DATE CHANGED fro Committee & Board Meetings Basingstoke Canal: Bring-a-Boat weekend. Dig Deep project at St Johns. Lead Wey & Arun Canal Dorset & Somerset Canal: Clearance of Fussells Balance Lock trial site near M ‘Paper Chase’ waste paper collection Basingstoke Canal: Dig Deep project at St Johns. KESCRG's 25th birthday!

Aston (Montgomery Canal): ‘Bring-a-Boat’ weekend, including wrgBC AGM Wey & Arun Canal Thames & Severn Canal Montgomery Canal Wendover Arm: Leader: Mark Gribble.

Issue 195 Assembly: London Canal Museum 7pm onwards.

Lichfield Canal Camp: Leaders: Dave ‘Moose’ Hearndon & Leonie Greenhalgh Press date for issue 196 including Canal Societies directory 'Bonfire Bash' - Mon & Brec Canal (see booking form enclosed with this issue)

Nov 2/3 Nov 2/3 Nov 9 Sat Nov 9/10 Nov 16/17 Nov 17 Sun Nov 30/Dec 1 Nov 30/Dec 1 Dec 7/8 Dec 14/15 Dec 14 Sat Dec 17 or 18 Dec 26-Jan 1 Dec 26-Jan 1

London WRG wrgNW wrgNW SUCS wrgBITM WRG London WRG KESCRG wrgNW wrgBITM wrgNW Navvies Camp 0221 WBCT

Jan 1 Wed

Navvies

Mon & Brec Canal: WRG 'Bonfire Bash' Reunion weekend Mon & Brec Canal: WRG 'Bonfire Bash' Reunion weekend ‘Paper Chase’ waste paper collection Montgomery Canal Sleaford Navigation: Jungle bashing. Leader: Tony Hinsley Committee & Board Meetings Christmas Party with KESCRG: (venue TBA) Christmas Party with London WRG (venue TBA) Aston (Montgomery Canal) Wilts & Berks Canal: Christmas Working Party Dig. Accom at Brinkworth Villag ‘Paper Chase’ waste paper collection Issue 196 Assembly: London Canal Museum 7pm onwards.

Basingstoke Canal: New Year Canal Camp: Leader: Dave Worthington. Cutting Wilts & Berks Canal: Chrisrtmas Canal Camp: Leader: Rachael Banyard, accomm Scrub clearance and hedgelaying near Dauntsey Press date for issue 197

page 16

e stated. by a G Canal

Please send updates to Diary compiler: Dave Wedd, 7 Ringwood Rd, Blackwater, Camberley, Surrey GU17 0EY. Tel 01252 874437. e-mail: dave.wedd@wrg.org.uk.

uk

aking-down the event. Leaders: Mick Beattie & Ali Bottomley.

David McCarthy 0161-740-2179 Tim Lewis 020-8367-6227 Martin Ludgate 020-8693-3266 John Gale 01277-654683 Answerphone 01622-858329 David McCarthy 0161-740-2179 Geoff Munro 0121-561-5747

malcolm.bridge@btclick.com london@wrg.org.uk martin.ludgate@wrg.org.uk essex@wrg.org.uk Kescrg@btinternet.com malcolm.bridge@btclick.com jenser@telco4u.net

m 7/8

0118-941-0586

grahamhawkes@btinternet.com

der: Graham Hotham. Dave Wedd Tim Lewis Mells, Somerset.

Derrick Hunt David McCarthy (see p25) Answerphone David McCarthy Graham Hawkes Tim Lewis Geoff Munro Dave Wedd John Hawkins . Towpath work and bricklaying.

Martin Ludgate ) Adrian Fry or Spencer Collins Tim Lewis David McCarthy David McCarthy Geoff Munro Dave Wedd

01252-874437 020-8367-6227 01225-863066 0161-740-2179 01622-858329 0161-740-2179 0118-941-0586 020-8367-6227 0121-561-5747 01252-874437 01923-448559

bookings@wrgBITM.org.uk london@wrg.org.uk derrick@carlingcott7.freeserve.co.uk

020-8693-3266 07976-640962 07976-084055 020-8367-6227 0161-740-2179 0161-740-2179 0121-561-5747 01252-874437

martin.ludgate@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk

Tim Lewis Answerphone David McCarthy e Hall Dave Wedd David McCarthy John Hawkins g back overhanging vegetation (and burning it!) modation at Foxham.

Rahael Banyard

020-8367-6227 01622-858329 0161-740-2179 01252-874437 0161-740-2179 01923-448559

london@wrg.org.uk Kescrg@btinternet.com malcolm.bridge@btclick.com bookings@wrgBITM.org.uk

Graham Hawkes

Martin Ludgate

Kescrg@btinternet.com malcolm.bridge@btclick.com grahamhawkes@btinternet.com london@wrg.org.uk jenser@telco4u.net bookings@wrgBITM.org.uk hawkins@jote.fsnet.co.uk

london@wrg.org.uk malcolm.bridge@btclick.com jenser@telco4u.net bookings@wrgBITM.org.uk

hawkins@jote.fsnet.co.uk

01249 892289 020-8693-3266

martin.ludgate@wrg.org.uk

page 17

Diary Canal society regular working parties

Mobile groups' social evenings (please phone to confirm before turning up) London WRG: 7:30pm on Tues 11 days before each dig. 'Jugged Hare', Vauxhall Bridge Rd, London, Tim Lewis 020-8367 6227 or e-mail wrgtim@netscapeonline.co.uk.

NWPG: 9:00pm on 3rd Tue of month at the 'Hope Tap', West end of Friar St. Reading.

Graham Hawkes 0118 941 0586

Regular monthly or weekly working parties: 3rd Sunday of month BCNS Jeff Barley 2nd Sunday & following Wed. BCS Cosgrove Athina Beckett Anytime inc. weekdays BCT Aqueduct section Gerald Fry Every Sunday ChCT Various sites Mick Hodgetts Mon & Wed mornings CCT Cotswolds Dudley Greenslade Every weekend (Sat OR Sun)CCT Cotswolds Neil Ritchie 1st Sunday of month CCT Cotswolds: summit Mark Welton Wednesday evenings CCT Cotswolds: East end Keith Harding 4th Mon of month, 6pm CMT London Canal Mus. Martin Sach Every Saturday DCT Droitwich Canal Jon Axe Second Sun of month FIPT Foxton Inclined Plane Mike Beech 1st & 3rd Sundays GCRS Grantham Canal Colin Bryan 2nd Sat of month GWCT Nynehead Lift Denis Dodd Tuesdays H&GCT Oxenhall Brian Fox Wednesdays H&GCT Over Ted Beagles Saturdays H&GCT Over Maggie Jones Occasional Sundays H&GCT Over wharf house fitoutNigel Bailey Every Sunday if required IWPS Bugsworth Basin Ian Edgar 1st Saturday & 3rd Wed. IWA Ipswich Stowmarket Navigtn. Colin Turner 2nd weekend of month IWA SBC Maesbury, Mont.

Barry Tuffin 2nd weekend of month K&ACT John Rolls 1st Sunday of month LHCRT Lichfield John Horton 3rd Sunday of month LHCRT Hatherton Denis Cooper 2nd & last Sundays PCAS Paul Waddington 2nd Sunday of month SCARS Sankey Canal Colin Greenall 1st Sunday of month SCCS Combe Hay Locks Bob Parnell Most weekends SHCS Basingstoke Peter Redway 3rd Sunday of month TMCA David Rouse Approx 15th of month WACT Mid-Week group Colin Gibbs Every Sunday & Thursday WACT Devils Hole Lock Eric Walker Thursdays fortnightly WACT Maintenance Unit Peter Wilding or for general information on Wey & Arun contact their office on 01403-752403 1st weekend of month WAT Little Tring Roger Leishman Every weekend WBCT Wilts & Berks Canal Peter Smith Every Sunday W&BCC Dauntsey / Foxham Rachael Banyard

01543-373284 01908-661217 01288-353273 01246-620695 01453 825515 01452-854057 01453-872405 01451-860181 020-7625-7376 0121-608 0296 0116-279-2657 0115-989-2248 01823-661653 01432-358628 01452-522648 01452-618010 01452-533835 01663-732493 01473-730586 01691-670826/49 01189-666316 01543 262466 01543-374370 01757-638027 01744-731746 01225-428055 01483-721710 01474-362861 020-82417736 023-9246-3025 01483-422519 01442-874536 01793-852883 01249-892289

Please send any amendments, additions and deletions to Dave Wedd (address on previous page)

Abbreviations used in Diary BCG BCNS BCS BCT ChCT CCT CMT DCT FIPT D&SCS GCRS GWCT H&GCT IWA SBC

page 18

Barnsley Canal Group Birmingham Canal Navigations Soc. Buckingham Canal Society Bude Canal Trust Chesterfield Canal Trust Cotswolds Canals Trust Canal Museum Trust (London) Droitwich Canals Trust Foxton Inclined Plane Trust Derby & Sandiacre Canal Society Grantham Canal Restoration Society Grand Western Canal Trust Hereford & Gloucester Canal Trust IWA Shrewsbury & Border Counties

IWPS K&ACT KESCRG LHCRT LWRG NWPG PCAS SCARS SCCS SHCS TMCA WBCT W&BCC WACT WAT

Inland Waterways Protection Society Kennet & Avon Canal Trust Kent & E Sussex Canal Rest. Group Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Rest'n Trust London Waterway Recovery Group Newbury Working Party Group Pocklington Canal Amenity Society Sankey Canal Restoration Society Somersetshire Coal Canal Society Surrey & Hants Canal Society Thames & Medway Canal Association Wilts & Berks Canal Trust Wilts & Berks Canal Company Wey & Arun Canal Trust Wendover Arm Trust

Dear Editor I note Noel Christopher’s letter in Navvies 193 and I must mention, before numbers of people armed with oil cans invade the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, that Huddersfield Canal Society have oiled and greased the gearing and gate collars since the start of the cruising season. This was not intended to embarrass BW, but to contribute towards overcoming some of the difficulties from last season. A second run is planned before the ‘National’.

Letters Is there no escaping from WRG?

Much of the work that BW have carried out is hidden from view - a large number of paddles and guides have been replaced and leaks repaired in an attempt to improve the water situation and work has been done in Standedge Tunnel to avoid problems of damage to boats. Some progress is also being made on the lack of facilities along the canal, though planning is a slow process.

BW are currently heavily-committed on the Rochdale, again working to a tight deadline for reopening. Because they must focus on the major projects, I think it is inevitable that some of the problems that boaters experienced in the first year of the Huddersfield will resurface there - anyone expecting silky-smooth paddle gear, well-practiced water management and sanitary stations every couple of miles would be well-advised to think carefully. On the other hand, if you want to pioneer a historic waterway with spectacular scenery.....

Trevor Ellis Also on the subject of the Huddersfield, I'm pleased to see that BW have now stopped claiming that it would be impossibly expensive to rebuild the sections of the Huddersfield that were restored to a size that is narrower than the original 7ft-ish, and are now committed to gradually dealing with the 'pinch points' so that evenually the canal will be able to take traditional working narrow boats as well as pleasure craft built to the modern 6ft 10in standard. ...Ed Dear Editor, I have finally come to realise, that it is impossible to go anywhere within the UK without coming across something to do with WRG, or WRG itself.

It is ‘normal’ while driving the motorways to see a WRG van, or WRGie going to a camp/weekend.

However, we spent a week on the canals over Easter and and while trying to find a good mooring place (good area, nice and quiet) due to the quickly fading light, came across the tones of a certain Palmerette, as we found the hall acting as host to the Droitwich camp (not so quiet!).

To finish things off, I thought I would relax and watch some television - and guess what? Yes within 2 minutes of the beginning of the programme starting, Tom & Rachel and Brian Carr (who looked as if he had spent numerous hours beforehand getting his make-up and hair just right!) appeared on screen, while doing the 24hr BCN Challenge, followed by Helen and Chris Davey having a discussion. The programme changed issues, and stupidly I thought that was that! No, not such luck! to top it all Dave Penny appeared (clearly had been to the same make-up caravan as Brian) while on a week camp on the H&G. Once again good reference was made to WRG, including the showing of more ‘famous’ WRG faces, not forgetting your own.

It is good to see that the publicity and hence awareness of WRG continues. I do however look forward to receiving the next issue of ‘Navvies’, so that I can try to ensure the impossible and get away from anything to do with WRG for at least one month!!

(For those that want to know - the programme was ‘Water World’ on the Home & Leisure Discovery Channel).

Regards Mark Scoble

page 19

Dear Martin, While I totally agree with your sentiment for the caption on page 30 of issue 193 ("...exactly what Little Venice is all about" - the Pool full of boats.) If one looks closely only half the Pool appears to be full of boats...

Now I remember a time when it really WAS full of boats (early morning mist swirls around, and in the background the sounds of Navvy songs swell up; my hair changes back from grey to brown and gets ten times longer). We’re now back in 1980!

I had the dubious privilege and pleasure of being the berthing master at the 1980 'National'. Oh I forget the exact numbers, too much ale swilling, but let’s settle for around 650 boats. Anyway, word was out that after the 'National' we were going to have a Rally, an impromptu gathering. So much more fun than spending a year and half having meetings, telephone calls, (no email back then!). It was simply "here’s the place, see you there." The place was the end of the Lea (or should that be Lee ) Navigation in Hertford. We packed the basin and all I can recall was everyone sitting on the top of their boats with beer in their hands having a right old time. Sometime during the proceedings, John Thorneycroft (Was that his name? Help me someone!) who along with Sue(?) ran the cinema boat on Duke, was running around the place looking for some sheets (he must have been cold that night). Anyway, don’t recall who had some, but the next thing we knew, the sheets were hanging down over a bridge parapet and John had yanked his projector out of the cabin and on top of the roof. We all sat there in the evening with friends, family and beer watching a film (forget the name) al fresco.

Apologies about the rambling preamble but the "success" of this event caused Jim McDonald to call me up several nights later and ask me if I was interested in organizing another Rally - this one for C.A.N.A.L. - the Campaign for Action on Navigations And Locks. For you younger folk, this was a time when WRG and BW were not exactly best buddies. We had causes back then, because.... oh, who can remember why?

Jim said, could I "fill the basin?" Er, I guess so, I’ll get the word out but I can’t promise anything after the 'National' whether I’ll get one boat or a hundred. Jim said he would be handling the press and TV side of things. Well come the day, we really did fill the basin. People came from everywhere to show their Members of Parliament (and anyone else who would listen) just how we felt about the way the waterways were (not) being treated! We were jam-bloody-packed, nowhere to swing a tiller. There were boats tied up outside the Pool at all three entrances. Somehow the trip boats made it through - we couldn’t stop waterway traffic could we?! We had a field day with the radio and TV (got it on video somewhere at home).

So thanks Martin, for helping an old hand relive some great times.

Still supporting you all from Northern California Jeremy Frankel (ex London WRG) Dear Martin, You mention a flashback on the Monty: here’s one from the LMSR days...

Two friends of mine were taking a canoeing holiday along the Severn (above Newtown) and the Monty in May 1941. They reached the Aston flight. The lock keeper issued them a ticket for their canoe. One of them noticed that the date of the last entry in the lock keeper’s book was 1936, and remarked that he hoped this wasn’t a full-time job...

Yours Roger Wilkinson Was that the last official passage through Aston locks? When will the next one be? Probably next May. ...Ed Dear Martin Navvies Production and ‘other thoughts’.

Following on from Martin’s Editorial in the last edition of Navvies the ‘Production Team’ would like to re-iterate several of the points raised by him, particularly regarding getting all articles in before the press-date, and not just hanging on until the end. This can cause further delays, if certain aspects need to be clarified, or if any of the machines break down.

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These press dates are set well in advance in order to assist anybody who may wish to F.A.R.T. (see page 3 edition 193); I am also getting short of leave, and we would much rather be out on a Canal Camp or on other activities that we may be involved with: it can all be fitted in provided that the dates are all adhered to; or be prepared for Martin to leave out your article, no matter how important you think it may be.

A few years ago, when the assembly took place in Finchley, and also during the early times at the Canal Museum the complete magazine was collated, folded, stapled and put into envelopes and stamped (the horrid old ‘licky’ kind) during the evening. But then we managed to buy a second hand collating machine; which greatly cut down the time and boredom in producing Navvies, and also moved onto self-seal envelopes. During this time we would usually give about 2 weeks notice to the people who attend the assembly and I would have completed at least the majority of the printing.

But now I find that I am confirming the assembly date with the Canal Museum and carrying out the ‘phone around’ before the artwork has reached the platemakers which gives us about ten days, with any luck; to get it completed. And also since we purchased a small booklet stapling and folding machine the bulk of the production is completed. Although we now have the machinery we still need the original lead times in order to ensure the set dates.

Yes, I would agree that the assembly evening is far less demanding then it used to be, but none the less it still very important. The more observant may have noticed that we have now moved away from stamps and are now franking the envelopes prior to us delivering them to I.W.A. Head Office in Rickmansworth.

One final point re WRGPrint is that, like everybody within WRG we are all volunteers and are not employed by I.W.A. nor anybody else.

On a more personal note I would like to add that I generally agree with the majority of the points made in the letters by Steev Stamford - sorry about the colour of the renewals, but at least you noticed it; and Mike Rennolds regarding ‘armchair supporters’ and ‘ages’, etc. Yes, give it a go. So where have you booked for this year Mike?

And finally, referring back to Martin’s Editorial in issue No. 193 (sorry Martin, mine is not as good as yours): if your Navvies Is Completed Early then you must Fart A Report Today.

John Hawkins Dear Editor, We were delighted to read your Chairman’s Comments (Navvies No.192) regarding BW’s new, smiling attitude to restoration groups.

However, this change of heart is not so recent and we are surprised that BW is still occasionally misunderstood.

During the years of Mr. Fletcher’s management BW has become a carefully structured business enterprise, efficiently run on sound commercial principles. Like any properly orientated company, this involves the usual two fold business plan. Viz:

..

Increase revenue Decrease costs.

A cursory glance at the boating press soon reveals that boaters have been aware of the first part of this plan for some three years. Once certain minor obstacles had been removed, like the Waterways Ombudsman, BW were able to exercise their monopoly position to introduce a more realistic licence charging scheme. This scheme, known as ‘Rip Off Boaters By Escalating Rates Yearly’ (or ROBBERY for short) has proved highly successful and is now also to be applied to mooring fees. Here at the Office of Fair Fees for Canal Users and Transporters (or OFFCUT for short) we receive a variety of comments on these charging systems; some of them complimentary.

BW’s attitude to restoration groups falls on the other side of the quoin. Carried out by BW, restoration work would be a costly exercise which the boaters could probably not afford; however if the work were undertaken by unpaid volunteers, which in turn could even attract external funding, then clearly the option becomes more viable.

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Letters ...and the WRG Boat Club news...

‘Dig All You Like, It Generates Higher Turnover’. bigger the revenue base.

No forward thinking company should miss the opportunity to expand its business at someone else’s cost. BW may have been a little slow to grasp this principle since no policy statement has yet been issued, but we understand an internal memo, due to be leaked later this month, encourages employees to adopt a helpful attitude to volunteer groups.

This directive has been christened ‘the DAYLIGHT memo’, perhaps because it radiates the sunshine which MKP experienced at their show but more probably because its content is summarised as Or, in business terms, the bigger the System, the

Under this integrated DAYLIGHT ROBBERY policy, BW is rapidly turning to profitability, a situation which must benefit the waterways. Amongst other things, as charges increase and the whole system goes up-market, we expect to see a better class of people on the water: no more hippy communes on the bank, no more retired old gentlemen pottering around and getting in the way, no more live-aboard old ladies with their dogs, no more smelly old wooden boats puffing smoke and steam; just immaculately painted all-steel and glass, electrically driven corporate narrow boats, Tupperware cruisers dripping chrome and flags, and smart hotel boats with those cargoes of dazed expressions.

Canals for all! (Well, all who can afford it.) Andrew Arthurson’s, the ex-auditors, estimate that BW will be sufficiently profitable to go public by 2008, by which time they will have acquired EA, moved their headquarters to Golden Square, introduced the only (by then) employee pension scheme tied to final salary and may, possibly, have dredged the moorings at Gayton Junction.

Is it any wonder they smile?

Yours truly, Baillie Bridges OFFCUT

Waterway Recovery Group Boat Club wrg bbc news First and very important the working weekend on the Basingstoke. This is on 21/22 September. At the time of writing this we are in a ‘Chicken and Egg’ situation as it is hoped that we can negotiate favourable rates for River Wey and Basingstoke licences. This is very difficult as we have no idea how many members are planning to bring their boats there, and some members wont decide until they know the cost!

For those not able to make it to the Basingstoke there will be another fun packed weekend of work for you to attend by boat. This one is organised by wrg NW on the Mont and is on the first weekend in October.

Members that I have spoken to had a good (tiring) time on the BCN challenge. Unfortunately I missed out on that again this year. If I can’t get my boat there for next year’s challenge (the river Nene can be moody) will some kind soul take me on as crew please?

I also had to miss Middlewich this year, oh woe, woe and thrice woe. I gather that it went very well, as usual. Quite a few members were there and WRG NW had their stand.

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Here is an opening for members, to write about any of the many openings that are taking place this year, that they get their boats to or through.

We all want to know about using these bits of waterway that noble folk spend so much time, skill and energy restoring. I have been by boat (not mine) on The Falkirk Wheel, which was excellent, but no way can that be described as restoration!

The club AGM will be at Huddersfield. I need ideas as to what award we should enter for and, of course, win!

XXX Sadie Dean sadiedean@vizzavi.net Stop Press: the latest on the Basingstoke is that licence rates have been negotiated. Those taking boats on the canal just for the weekend of the dig can have a free trip. Those that wish to leave their boat on the Basingstoke the weekend before the dig and take it away the weekend afterwards can have a licence to do that for five pounds. There is also a licence required for the river Wey. I have been told that a transit licence will cost four pounds one way, eight for a return. For a boat over 41ft 3 days will cost £22: 7 days £43: 21 days £65.

There is a 10% discount for National Trust members.

Rochdale Restoration – dredging.

Better known to WRGies as a regular Canal Camps leader and the former Logistics supremo, here Mick Beattie describes what he does in his daytime job, which is also concerned with canal restoration and maintenance...

The contractor Land & Water have done the majority of the dredging on the Rochdale Canal. You may recognise the name from work undertaken by the company around the canal network or because of the very large long reach excavators the company is known for or because Land & Water are the main sponsor of the 2002 Canal Camps brochure.

Dredging - the removal of material from a watercourse to achieve a pre-determined depth - can be approached in different ways. Traditionally dredging is done with floating equipment - dredgers - but can also be done bankside or with an excavator in the canal bed. All three of these methods have been used on the Rochdale Canal.

Above: JCB JS130 long-reach excavator with raised turret, tracking along the offside bank under the watchful eye of a banksman. Below: dredgings disposed of behind geotextile barrier on offside. Photos by Mick Beattie.

Dredging Clearing silt from the Rochdale Canal Land & Water have used four of the company’s six split pontoon "dredgers" on the project. The pontoon part of the dredger is in two sections, which lock together with slide couplings. Once together a small (6 to 7.5 tonne) excavator is tracked or lifted on and the track motors disconnected and the hydraulic services used to power the "spud" legs of the pontoon. The pontoons of Land & Water, like most boats, are named. An unusual event occurred during the restoration in which, due to an unplanned change of drivers, the pontoon 'Thistle' was driven by a man from Scotland, 'Leek' by a Welshman and there was an Irish driver on the pontoon 'Shamrock'!

Bankside dredging was done with a JCB JZ70 long reach excavator that has an out reach of over 9m, the excavator was tracked along the towpath and loaded mud hoppers which are moved by a tug to the unloading area. On one section a JCB JS130 (13 tonne excavator) which was fitted with a raised turret was tracked into the canal bed. The raised turret kept the working part of the machine and the driver out of the water.

Most of the dredged material from the restoration was taken off site in sealed wagons to go to tip, however on some sections a geotextile barrier was installed on the offside of the canal and dredgings were disposed of behind. This barrier helps protect the canal side and will grow over with reeds and grasses as well as providing a disposal area without the added cost of road haulage and tip costs.

Mick Beattie

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Coming soon

Camp 0218 - the National Waterways Festival 19th-29th August

By the time you read this the main summer Canal Camps season will be coming to an end, and Camp 0218 at Huddersfield will be just beginning. As usual there will be plenty to do to support the world's biggest inland waterways event, and I'm sure Mick Beattie and Ali Bottomley will welcome any last-minute bookings, even if you can only help for a couple of days - especially just before or during the actual festival weekend. And the almost-end-of-camp party on the Tuesday evening will have a 'Wild West' theme this year (it's in West Yorkshire, you see!) so it's time to dustdown your spurs and ten-gallon (37.8541 litre) hats or your feather head-dresses and moccasins, saddle-up your horse and load your six-shooters!

Details of this year's final five Canal Camps...

Camp 0219 - Grantham Canal: 7th-14th September Then in September it's the first Canal Camp for several years on the Grantham Canal, working on a new site: a flight of three locks at Cropwell Bishop. Initial weekend workparties including a visit by BITM in July have revealed more about the state of the locks and the clearance and demolition of unsound walls will continue during the September camp.

Camp 0220 - Lichfield 26th October - 1st November

Canal:

Our October camp is scheduled for the Lichfield Canal, doing some more towpath building on the Tamworth Road section of the canal, and the leaders are Dave 'Moose' Hearndon and Leonie Greenhalgh. Note Cropwell Bishop Locks, site for the Grantham Camp, rethat this camp finishes on the Friday so you ceiving attention from WRG BITM in July. Photo by GNA. (and the vans, trailer and kit!) have got time to get to the Bonfire Bash (see opposite page) that weekend.

Camp 0221 - Basingstoke Canal: 26th December - 1st January Once again we head for the deep south for New Year, spending another week cutting down and burning some more of Pete Redway's seemingly-inexhaustable supply of overhanging vegetation from the banks of the Basingstoke Canal. This time it looks like we'll be working on the offside bank in the St Johns area, and we'll get a chance to play with some tugs and barges as that's the easiest way of accessing the bank there. Dave 'Daddy Cool' Worthington is this year's Camp Leader and the accommodation will probably be at All Saints Church Hall, Woodham, the same as last time.

Dauntsey Christmas Camp - Wilts & Berks Canal: 26th December - 1st January Also taking place over New Year is the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust's Canal Camp at Dauntsey. The work will be scrub-bashing and hedge-laying on the section of canal east of Dauntsey Lock, the accommodation will be at the Reading Rooms, Foxham, and the leader is Rachael Banyard.

Bookings Bookings for all the above Canal Camps except the WIlts & Berks Christmas Camp should go to Head Office using the usual Canal Camps booking form (available from head office or on the web site www.wrg.org.uk), and any enquiries should go to Head Office by phone on 01923 711114 or e-mail enquiries@wrg.org.uk.

For the Wilts & Berks camp, enquiries and bookings should go to Rachael Banyard on 01249 892289.

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But there's a lot more happening over the next few months besides Canal Camps...

BITM Bring-a-boat weekend - Basingstoke Canal 21st-22nd September

Coming soon

The annual working party organised by WRG BITM and aimed at those WRGies with boats (even if they're only gravy-boats!) takes place on the Basingstoke Canal this year - contact Dave Wedd on 01252874437 or e-mail bookings@wrgBITM.org.uk for more details. And see the WRG Boat Club news on page 22 for information about special arrangements (i.e. cheap licences!) for boaters visiting the Basingstoke to take part in this work party.

...plus some weekend events that you might be interested in...

KESCRG Siver Jubilee dig - Basingstoke Canal: 5th-6th October Our friends in KESCRG - if we've got any left (only joking, Ken!) - will be celebrating 25 years in the canal restoration business this autumn, and are heading back to where it all started as an offshoot from Kent & East Sussex IWA back in the late 1970s when restoration of the Basingstoke Canal was getting into full swing. All volunteers are welcome whether or not they are regular KESCRG volunteers, but they would especially like to see some of the people who were involved in the early years of the group. Contact Eddie Jones on 07850 889249 or e-mail eddie@jazzfm.com for more details.

And it looks likely that a week's extra camp will take place in the run-up to that weekend, to complete the bywash construction work at Deepcut top lock that was left over after the summer camp due to the job proving much more complex and difficult than anticipated. (Don't they always!) This will be organised by Eddie Jones and Pete Redway as a Surrey & Hants Canal Society operation, but as usual anyone is welcome to take part in any or all of it, especially people with construction knowledge and/or experience. Contact Eddie if you're interested.

WRG 'Bonfire Bash' - Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal: 2nd-3rd November This year's annual November get-together and work-party for everyone - whether canal campers new or old, people involved with WRG and other regional groups, canal society volunteers or 'none of the above' - takes place on the spectacular Fourteen Locks flight at Rogerstone, on the Crumlin Arm of the Monmouthshire Canal near Newport in South Wales. Adrian Fry and Spencer Collins are the organisers and have set a typically ambitious target of scrub-clearance around and in all 14 locks plus some possible rebuilding work on the top lock.

We will have a bonfire and fireworks 'do' on Saturday night but please don't bring your own fireworks as for insurance etc. reasons the organisers are supplying all the fireworks this year and have included this in the cost of the weekend which is still exceptionally good value at ÂŁ10. Contact Adrian on 07976-640962 or Spencer on 07976-084055 for more information, and use the enclosed booking form to book in.

There are 14 of them, mostly in staircase pairs, and we've got a weekend to clear them all out! (John Hawkins)

KESCRG / London WRG Christmas Party dig: 30th November - 1st December As this issue goes to press we don't actually have a venue for this annual end-of-year shindig and major work-party, but we're looking at various options and hoping to try somewhere new. By the next issue of Navvies we should be able to bring you details of the site chosen. (In fact if your canal society fancies hosting a big-ish weekend dig (50-plus volunteers) that weekend and has suitable work and accommodation, why not get in touch with Eddie Jones on the above phone number?)

What we do have already is a theme for the Saturday night party... 'Star Trek'! So set your phasers on 'stun', and get ready to boldly go where no navvy has gone before!

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Progress ...in pictures.

The St Johns backpumping scheme on the Basingstoke is progressing, and should have made further progress by the time you read it thanks to the KESCRG camp. On a London WRG and KESCRG joint weekend in June, the ground around the outfall weir is being landscaped (above left, photo by Martin Ludgate) and the pipeline is being extended down towards Lock 10 (above right, Martin Ludgate). On the Wey & Arun construction of the new Loxwood Aqueduct by contractors is under way (below, WACT).

On the Somerset Coal Canal, Midford Aqueduct has been under restoration (opposite top, Adrian Tuddenham) and there will be a report and more photos next time. Restoration is about boats too (opposite middle, WCBS): the Wooden Canal Boat Society is appealing for volunteers to 'boat sit' their historic boats - which include 'Forget me not' and 'Lilith' seen here on a recycling run on the Ashton Canal - i.e. to stay on the boats in the evening or overnight and show people round them at the weekend.

If you are in the Manchester area and can help, please ring them on 0161 339 8721. Lastly, down on the Wilts & Berks, progress continues at Summit Lock, with the lock tail seen after the last London WRG ./ KESCRG weekend in July (opposite bottom left, Martin Ludgate) and ready for the main concrete pour for the new lock tail bridge during the NWPG camp (opposite bottom right, NWPG)

page 26

page 27

Work is being closely monitored by BW, English Nature and English Heritage and will adhere to a pretty comprehensive risk assessment. All sawand machinery-operators must be in possession of updated NPTC qualifications to be forwarded to BW and the Forestry Commission for licensing purposes before the event. Pretty strict, but pretty safe. If this type of planned work doesn't appeal to you, I'm sorry but that's the way it has to be.

Plans are being drawn up for the Autumn / Winter season...

Work on the Foxton Inclined Plane is being finalised with British Waterways as we speak, possibly running a camp in late September / early October. Contact Tenko or Sparky (details on the Noticeboard page if your Ed remembers!) Foxton Inclined Plane Trust contact is Craig Greenaway, phone no 01858 565844 (home).

We are hoping to have the services of a horsesnigger: you surely all know what makes a horse snigger?!?

WRG Forestry engineering have plans in hand to erect a hand-operated aerial skyline (consisting of a Tirfor winch, polyprop rope, pulleys, winches, two conflake packets, 18 fairy liquid bottles and half a dozen sheets of stickybacked plastic...) to aid in extracting timber up the 1-in-4 slope to the storage point.

In November (busy month - so what's new?) a trip to the Wey & Arun is planned, with more dead-limbing on the Loxwood Link Extenstion project and possibly more charcoal-burning. (it's going like.... well.... like hot charoal!)

And a visit to Welsh Wales on the Mon & Brec Bonfire Bash - that reminds me I must ring Spencer to see how his Welsh Language is coming along... boyo!

In December it's back to the Cotswold Canals to finish off jobs that I'm sure will be left over from the summer camp - having Neil Ritchie's schedule close by as I write. New Year on the Basingstoke and a work-schedule from Pete Redway that resembles the Cotswold one - are these two comparing notes?

Next time - a look at legislation: trees and the law. Bet you can't wait. Well, you're going to.

That's it - there is no more.

Graham 'Sparky' Robinson

More on alien invasive plants...

Having taken part in an Environment Agency workshop on aquatic alien invasive weeds I was interested in the article in Navvies 193 from the Forestry Team on two of the better known aliens, Giant Hogweed and Japanese Knotweed.

Another species that is taking over the banks of rivers, streams lakes, garden ponds and of course canals is Himalayan Balsam, (impatiens glandulifera Royle or impatiens roylei Walp try getting your tongue round that after a few jars!)

Workers on canal camps can help control these weeds by knowing what they look like and the best way of disposing of them.

To this end the EA have produced a booklet containing all the info plus colour pics. Copies of these booklets are freely available from most EA offices.

Other invasive weeds are aquatic and are taking over watercourses. These species are Water Fern (azolla fillculoides) ,Parrot’s Feather (myriophyllum aquaticum), Floating Pennywort (hydrocotyle ranunculoides) and Australian Swamp Stonecrop (crassula helmsii).

Another leaflet containing colour photos and giving the best method of destroying these is available from BW, English Nature or the EA Dave Carnell

page 28

Pardon my French?

Apologies to Rachel Parr for getting her name wrong in the last issue. She is of course still called that, and French is only the surname of her husband Danny. Is that OK Rachel? Now will you send me a Camp Report from your Mont camp?

And another apology...

The Map of the Caldon Canal last time I inadvertently labelled Planet Lock as 'Engine Lock' and Engine Lock as 'Planet Lock'.

That's right - the editor is on a different Planet from the rest of you...

PUWER rules PUWER is the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and it's another piece of Health & Safety type legislation that affects us and all those other canal restoration groups using equipment such as dumpers and forrklifts.

All new equipment has had to comply with PUWER since 5 December 1998. Older equipment was given a four year transitional period which expires later this year.

PUWER requires dutyholders to take action to prevent risks of injury by, for example, the retrofitting of roll-over protective structures, falling object protective structures, seat restraints such as seat belts and driver visibility aids like mirrors.

Bits & pieces 'Safe use of work equipment - Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998: Approved code of practice and guidance' (HSE Ref. L22), ISBN 071761626 6, is available for ÂŁ8.00. Or contact our head office for more information.

And more on rules...

Just a reminder, now that there are more and more volunteers with post-1997 driving licences: these licences do not cover you for towing any trailer if the maximum allowable gross weight of the trailer and the towing vehicle adds up to iver 3599Kg. As the WRG Transits are 3500Kg maximum on their own, that means towing any trailer at all takes you over the limit. If your licence is post1997 you will have to take an additional driving test if you want to tow WRG kit trailers with WRG vans.

WRG kit trailers?

Yes. Trailers. Plural. We now have two. I've just heard from Jen that she's finally taken delivery of the replacement for the kit 'A' trailer that was stolen last year.

Dan Evans accepting the regional award for charity web sites and a cheque for ÂŁ2000 in the ecommerce awards for the WRG web site. Photo by Paul Starr

page 29

Bits & pieces Want to host a Canal Camp in '03?

We're already starting to plan for next year's Canal Camps programme. So if your involved in a canal society and are interested in having a WRG camp in 2003, you need to make contact with us soon. And if your society is going to the National Waterways Festival in Huddersfield, the best way of making contact with us is to turn up at the WRG publicity stand (in the IWA marquee) and ask to speak to Jude Moore.

Also coming next year...

We've decided that since the Race Night at Lichfield was such a success, we're going to have another one. See future editions of 'Navvies' for more information.

The Grantham Canal in September... ...is not just the site for a Canal Camp, but also the venue for an evening fund-raising entertainment called 'Pop goes the century' in Colston Bassett village hall in which 'The Bakelite Boys' will attempt to perform 100 songs in 100 minutes celebrating musical landmarks of the last 100 years.

Tickets (ÂŁ7:50 each) are available from: Phil Johns, 19 Colston Road, Cropwell Bishop, Nottingham NG12 3BJ. Cheques to 'Grantham Canal Joint Membership'. Or turn up on the Camp - the event is at 7:30pm on 12th September, the Thursday of the Camp.

Another new work site? ...or actually rather an old one. Some of us remember working in the 1980s on the length of preserved Shropshire tub-boat canal in the Blists Hill museum. Well it could do with some more work doing on it. If you're involved in one of the regional groups and looking for weekend worksites, contact Pete Stoddart on 01952 583003 (daytime) or email petestoddart@aol.com.

Congratulations...

(1) to Steve Beckett and Helen Davies of London WRG on getting married recently.

(2) to John Fletcher on becoming the new national chairman of the IWA who is due to take over from Richard Drake this autumn. Or maybe it should be congratulations to Richard on finding somebody to get rid of the job to?

Sits. Vac. Helen and Chris Davey have announced that this year's BCN Marathon Challenge Cruise was the last one that they would organise. Any volunteers to take over? Email Chris & Helen on chris@c-h-davey.demon.co.uk.

The Anderton Abseilers receiving their Gold Sponsor plaque for raising over ÂŁ10,000 between them towards restoration of the Lift, and about to have a ride on the lift on John & Jan Horton's boat 'Minnow' (Harry Arnold)

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Contacting the chairman: Mike Palmer, 3 Finwood Rd, Rowington, Warwickshire CV35 7DH Tel: 01564 785293

Noticeboard

e-mail: mike.palmer@bbc.co.uk

Moving house...

Directory

update

Afraid there were a few errors and omissions in the Directory last time...

The contact details for WRG Forestry Team are: Graham 'Sparky' Robinson, Springwell, Spark Bridge, Ulverston, Cumbria LA12 7ST Tel: 01229 861317; also Dave 'Tenko' Johnson Tel: 0161 2787663.

The new contact for the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust (note also the name change formerly the Wilts & Berks Canal Amenity Group) is George 'Bungle' Eycott, 36 Grange Court, Boundary Road, Newbury, Berks RG14 7PH Tel: 01635 569449 , mobile 07771 775745 email bungle@wrg.org.uk.

The Barnsley Dearne & Dove Canals Trust has a web site: www.barnsleydearnedovecanals.org.uk The contact for WRG Boat Club is Sadie Dean 236 Station Road Whittlesey Peterborough PE7 2HA Tel: 01733 204505 Mobile: 07748186867 email: sadiedean@vizzavi.net Next full directory in issue 196 - updates to the Editor by 1st November please.

THANK YOU

That's a 'big thank you' from Womble to all the instructors at the Training Weekend!

Navvies Production

Navvies is published by Waterway Recovery Group, PO Box 114, Rickmansworth WD3 1ZY and is available to all interested in promoting the restoration and conSubscriptions / circulation servation of inland waterSue Watts ways by voluntary effort in 15 Eleanor Road Great Britain. Articles may Chorlton-cum-Hardy be reproduced in allied Manchester M21 9FZ magazines provided that the Printing and assembly: source is acknowledged.

John & Tess Hawkins WRG may not agree with 4 Links Way, Croxley Grn opinions expressed in this Rickmansworth, Herts magazine, but encourages WD3 3RQ 01923 448559 publication as a matter of inhawkins@jote.fsnet.co.uk terest. Nothing printed may Editor : Martin Ludgate 35 Silvester Road East Dulwich London SE22 9PB 020-8693 3266

Viv West has moved to: 16 Water View Park, Leigh, Lancs WN7 4JS Tel: 01942 680414 (Viv says that despite the name of the street, she can't see the canal - but she can see the tops of the boats passing... and can anyone who knows her and happens to be passing by boat please give her a call and keep in touch.)

Ali 'Womble' Bottomley has moved to: 53, Redgrave Close, St. James Village, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear NE8 3JD. Sorry no phone yet.

Sue Burchett's mobile phone number is: 07973 771196 and her email is sue@wrgbitm.org.uk And Chris & Helen Davey are in Hebden, not Hebden Bridge. It's the other side ofYorkshire. Sorry!

Stamps wanted The WRG Canal Camps mobile phones: 07850 422156 (A) and 07850 422157 (B)

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 a division of Inland Waterways Enterprises Ltd., a subsidiary of the Inland Waterways Association (a registered charity).

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

Directors of WRG: John Baylis, Mick Beattie, Malcolm Bridge, Roger Burchett, Spencer Collins, Christopher Davey, Helen Davey, Roger Day, Richard Drake, Neil Edwards, Adrian Fry, John Hawkins, Jennifer Leigh, Judith Moore, Michael Palmer, Jonathan Smith.

Inland Waterways Enterprises Registered office: Secretary: Neil Edwards 3 Norfolk Court, Norfolk Rd. Rickmansworth WD3 1LT VAT reg. no : 788 9425 54 Š 2002 WRG Tel : 01923 711114 Registered no 4305322 ISSN 0953-6655

page 31

Backfill Seen at the BW Ribble Link offices:

From the Insurance Claims dept: In this, the wedding season, let the following extract from a claims form submitted to AXA be a warning: "I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law, and headed over the embankment straight into the canal."

Seen by the new Ribble Link locks:

It seems like BW have taken Mr Baillie Bridge's thoughts (see letter p21-22) to heart and are maximising their revenue by renting-out parking space for wheelbarrows. Thanks to John Hawkins for the photo.

Meanwhile on the Caldon... ...I gather that the locals are having to think carefully about the wording of any publicity material for their plans to reopen the final stretch of the Leek Arm, to avoid any possible confusion...

"No, you misunderstood me, I said 'our first priority is to get the canal to Leek'..."

"

"No, no you idiot, I said I wanted some big wooden bollards by the lockside!"

Thank you to Harry Arnold for the photo.

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