a vvies N Volunteers restoring waterways No 199 June - July 2003
Little Venice report More Aston Opening pictures Time to restore the Hollinwood Branch?
waterway recovery group
Contents Contrib utions ... Contributions utions... ...are always welcome, whether hand-written, typed, on 3½" floppy disk, CR-ROM or by email. 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. Digital / computer scanned photos also welcome, either on floppy / CD-ROM 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 martin.ludgate@wrg.org.uk. Press date for No 200: July 1st.
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In this issue:
Chairman MKP looks forward to summer 3 Appeal news The Right Tool for the Right Job4-5 Aston report from the reopening weekend 6-8 Rapid Recycling an unlikely tale from Warks. 9 Training weekend report 10-11 WRG NorthWest on the Mon & Brec 12-13 Cavalcade report from Little Venice 14-15 Diary camps and working parties 16-18 Letters more on American canals 19-20 Logistics Red Swarf! 21 Dolly building a new spoon-dredger 22-23 Dig Deep looking for new worksites 24-25 Holllinwood A future restoration project? 26-28 WRGBC WRG Boat Club news 29 Bits & Pieces and Bungle’s crane 30 Noticeboard who’s got married??? 31 Backfill splat the WRGie! 32
And ne xt time ... next time... ...the latest news on the Appeal including everything that we’re planning to do at the Beale Park National Waterways Festival. Plus more about the proposed Bradley Locks restoration. And hopefully - the first few camp reports from the summer Canal Camps... provided you all remember to write them and send them to me....
Visit our web site www.wrg.org.uk for all the latest news of WRG's activities Cover photo: London WRG and narrow boat ’Fulbourne’ doing their best to get the Appeal message across during the Pageant of Boats in Canalway Cavalcade at Little Venice over the May Day holiday weekend. (Tim Lewis) For more about Little Venice see pages 14-15. For more about the Appeal see pages 3-5. For more photos of Richard Worthington see pretty much any issue of ‘Navvies’ these days.... Below: Beyond that blocked-off entrance in the background lie several miles of interesting and sometimes very attractive waterway, just waiting to be restored. Where is it? See pages 26-28. (Bob Gough)
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Chairman’s Comment It is very sunny and I’m stuck at work! This would be unacceptable if it were not for the fact that this gives me even more time off in lieu later on this year. Why is this important? Because it is going to be a great summer! Why? Because WRGbrass recently reviewed the plans for the summer Canal Camps and we have great sites, great leaders, great work, lots of volunteers and clearly the weather is going to be fantastic! I have to admit I have a little extra inside information that keeps me confident: the recent success of our Training Weekend, when lots of volunteers were trained-up for the skills they may well use this year. As ever our huge thanks to Alison Bottomley for organising this weekend - a huge task that Al carries out superbly. This year the weekend was supported by The Waterways Trust and our thanks to them as well as our hosts at Hatton. In a new development we also ran a leader training day to give some of our leaders more confidence and ensure that they could provide the very best leadership on their Camps. This was very successful, enjoyable and fairly revealing: I think we may well repeat the course later on in the year.
Chairman
Looking to the medium term future I am pleased to say that, after a short time away from having volunteers on the ground, the Cotswold Canals are about to start up again. I recently attended the re-launch of the restoration (at Prince Charles’ country retreat at Highgrove no less!) and once they finalise a few remaining reports, funding applications, etc. it looks like volunteer work will start up again towards the end of the year. The Cotswolds Canal Partnership promise quite a major project so if anyone was under the impression that all these major restorations were going to be sorted out without any help from the volunteers well I wouldn’t put your boots away yet. And finally as I am sure you will all want to know how the Right Tool for the Right Job appeal is progressing, on the next page is an update from Dr Liz... Mike Palmer
We have also rewritten our Volunteers’ Health and Safety Guide (the little green book) to be more up-to-date and more informative about the way we run our sites. As with all our documentation we are making this freely available to anyone who may benefit from it on the website www.wrg.org.uk (if you can’t get access to the website then please contact WRG Head Office but please do remember they are busy bunnies!). And just to bring us into the 21st century the Health and Safety Video is now available on DVD! I do have one dark cloud in this bright blue sky and that is that the Canal Camp at Sleaford has had to be cancelled - it’s nobody’s fault really. The work was dependant on getting approval from the Environment Agency for the design of the overflow weir. This, of course, required a great deal of information to be collated about rainfall, maximum flows, etc. Quite simply not enough data was available in time for a design to be finalised. Seeing as there is no point in putting in a weir at the wrong level we are having to move the Camp. By the time you read this we will have found an alternative site and informed all the volunteers.
It wouldn’t be a proper ‘Navvies’ without a reopening photo these days. This is the Wey & Arun’s new aqueduct and bridge at Drungewick being officially opened on May 31st, extending the navigable Loxwood Link section southwards. (Adrian Fry)
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Appeal
We’ d of the w e’rre a thir third waay to raising £75,000....
The Right Tool for the Right Job As I write this the Appeal funds held at Head Office are in excess of £20,000 and I know of at least £3,000 more ‘in the post’ so by the time you read this we will be about a third of the way there. Seeing as we launched the Appeal only three months ago that seems pretty good but we can’t rest up yet. I was always expecting a wide variety of fund raising antics but you seem to be exceeding my expectations. Here are just a few examples: Firstly I have to thank you for the response to the Appeal leaflet enclosed in the last navvies. Individual donations ranged from £1 to £1,000 ! These ‘SplattheWRGie’gameatLittleVenice(MartinLudgate) really are a vitally important part of the total raised so far so if you haven’t made a donation then please consider doing so using the leaflet that is included in this issue. If you have made a donation then I‘m sure you know someone who hasn’t and who could do with a leaflet! Next we really must mention the Aston Opening race night - organised by Brian Bayston, and supported by over a hundred IWA and MWRT members, locals and WRG. This was fantastic fun and raised over £1800 on the night. However the Shrewsbury and Border Counties branch of the IWA held a raffle over the weekend, raised £250 then promptly matched it with another £250. This was followed up by contributions from Vodaphone (£500) and Barclays (£750). In both cases this was simply because one of their employees had helped in some way on the night. This brings the total for one night to over £3,500 - just for having fun! A superb example of everyone getting together. I am very pleased to say that many of the IWA branches have been extremely generous in their donations, which have come from their own As part of their contribution to the Appeal, London WRG have fundraising efforts. For example the bought a bricksaw, which they will have for their own use when it Northampton boat rally made isn’t needed on Canal Camps duty. Here it is seen being put enough profit for IWA Northants branch to donate £1000. through its paces at the Training weekend. (Alan Lines)
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And in a similar vein to the corporate donations, donations ‘in kind’ have proved very successful as well. One individual simply bought us a concrete mixer and gave it to us! Other companies such as Myark trees and ground care were able to give us a Tirfor winch. Perhaps a number of companies could get together to sponsor a van! We can only hope - and if anyone is interested in the idea (or can think of any other possible sources of ‘cash or kind’ then please contact me (liz.williamson@wrg.org.uk).
Appeal
...and w our help to wee need yyour raise the other tw o-thir ds! two-thir o-thirds!
As well as all the other folks who’ve been giving generously, we’ve also been doing a fair bit of our own fundraising. Both as individuals (as we went to press, WRGie Michael Hamlyn was planning to do a sponsored walk up the 15 highest Welsh peaks) and as groups - at the Little Venice Canalway Cavalcade festival, London WRG’s Tombola and ‘Splat the WRGie’ game raised over £400 for the Appeal. As I say, these are just a few examples and I apologise if you don’t see yourself anywhere here but please accept my thanks en masse here. What we have all achieved so far has been amazing, a lot of people really are putting in a lot of effort and while we still got a long way to go, if we keep coming up with ideas we will reach our goal of £75,000.
Bungle and Sally accept the kind donation of a Tirfor Winch by Simon Grindrod of Myark trees and ground care. (Martin Ludgate)
And finally don’t forget that at the ‘National’ at Beale Park in August we’ll be doing all kinds of fun things for the Appeal, culminating in the return of the WRG Panto, where Uncle Abanazer will be tempting Aladdin with ‘New Vans for Old!’ - please contact me if you want to help with it.
‘Dr Liz’ Williamson Postscript from the Chairman... We have actually started purchasing some of the items from our ‘shopping list’ in time for the summer Canal Camp season. These items, such as the concrete mixers, hard hats and personal protection kits will be in use from day one so hopefully we won’t be spending our time sitting around waiting for the local hire company to deliver the mixer. I wish we could say the same about the cement of course!
Can you work out which canal this is? If so, you just might like to have a go at the latest round of the monthly Appeal Quiz on the WRG web-site, where it appears along with 39 other photos showing 40 different waterways we’ve worked on. There are clues to all the answers, so it isn’t too hard. And there’s a £25 prize! There’s no entry fee, but we do ask entrants to make a donation to the Appeal. See www.wrg.org.uk. (Martin Ludgate)
And finally on a sad note: I am sorry to have to report the recent death of my namesake Michael Palmer, who many of you will remember from Canal Camps a few years ago, or more recently from the WRG Works events that he attended. We would like to express our sympathy to his friends, family and colleagues and our gratitude for their generous donations to the Appeal in his memory. Mike Palmer
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Aston
Reopening of ‘our’ loc lockks on the Montg omery Canal Montgomery
Aston Locks Reopening, Montgomery Canal 3-6 April 2003 Thursday 3 April
Friday 4 April After breakfast, the hall turns into a hive of activity as we clear away our clutter and construct the rather cleverly designed ‘pack-away’ stage, and volunteers are dispatched to organise the car parking down at Queen’s Head. By 11am, we are all assembled at Lock 1, along with a large number of the general public, for the Grand Opening. The ceremony features speeches from MKP (with a ‘WRG power’theme), John Fletcher, chairman of the IWA and the all-important celebrity, John Craven. The red ribbon was cut, and the Vale of Llangollen trip boat, carrying the various dignitaries and WRG’s very own AJ and MKP enters the lock to the sound of the Welshpool High School jazz band. The tent erected by BW to protect the musicians from the elements attempts a break for freedom, so ‘some heavy wrgies’ are requested to hold onto the poles: with Harry, Bungle and Gav on the job, I don’t think it was going anywhere! Most of us follow the boat convoy as it makes it way down the three locks and along to Maesbury.
Lou was hoping to get enough bodies together for a final bit of work on the Maesbury storm water weir today, but since there ended up being just the two of us we decided instead to undertake the very important job of ensuring the canal is in a fit state to be presented to the public. So we check out the view from the Queen’s Head (very good, especially the ‘find the bread’ sandwiches!), Tory’s seat at Lock 3 (first clearing it of stray grass and twigs), and the various other benches strategically placed along the towpath. We were just on our way to Maesbury to clear accumulated debris out of the weir, when Helen ‘Bushbaby’, speaking on Mike’s behalf, rings me to speak to Lou. We about turn to meet them in West Felton with the hall keys, and unload the kit, the KESCRG cooker and the food. We then make another expedition out to collect a fridge, a generator and some photos (including the full range of ‘Jude looking fed up doing various jobs at Lock 3’). Eventually around 20 people sit down to dinner, after which we adjourn across the road to the new trendy Punchbowl. Fortunately, their attitude to us taking over one side of the bar doesn’t seem to have changed, as we are gradually joined by more bodies, once they’ve negotiated the road-works on the A5 (only white line painting we discover later), which appear to make West Felton inaccessible from both north and south. The postpub partying in the back room sets the weekend off to a flying What’s he saying? John Craven makes his official opening speech, as start. the tent in the background threatens to blow away. (Steve Davis)
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We then return to Lock 3 for a barbeque. However, MKP’s bright idea involving griddles and generator backfires, so Leo and Angus set off to buy some disposable barbeques. Some time, and much smoke, later, burgers are enjoyed by all, thanks to Dr Liz and Bushbaby, as we while away the afternoon helping the various boats back up through the lock. Back in West Felton, dinner is swiftly served and eaten, and the hall is transformed into a theatre for a performance by Daystar, while others of us again adjourn to the pub. On our return, there is a scrabble to find sufficient floor space for sleeping, upon, around and (almost) under the stage, while a fortunately small, given the plumbing arrangements, breakaway faction set up in the alternative accommodation, the Brownie Guide hut down the road.
Aston
“....Mik e’ “....Mike’ e’ss bright idea in invvolving griddles and ggener ener eneraator torss...”
Saturday 5 April A much appreciated slow start, except for those off to the BW Heritage Centre at Hatton for various training courses (including, in the words of MKP ‘excavators and twisted metal’ – hopefully the second isn’t as a result of the first!). There was very little to be done on site today, so people make their own entertainments: shopping in Chester, walking along the canal, a sightseeing visit to Ironbridge, and a trip through the locks on Fulbourne. Meanwhile, a small catering team apply themselves to creating an Italian banquet for 90+ and turning West Felton village hall into Cheltenham (with many thanks to the WRG NW ladies for the fantastic ‘[Right] Royal [Tool] Box’ and Al Moore for her posters). The second WRG Race Night is a huge success, with over £1900 raised for the Right Tool for the Right Job Appeal, which will hopefully be turned into over £3000 with matching funding from various people’s employers. Special thanks to Jude and Ellie for coordinating the catering marathon (especially the trifle!), and to everyone who helped with table laying, Abs and Nina for allowing themselves to be co-opted as waitresses at the last minute, Alan and Rosemary Whiffen and their various helpers for running the Tote and last, but by no means least, the evening’s M.C., Brian Bayston.
Above: a full house for the DayStar performance, with the WRG acoomodation at West Felton rapidly reconfigured into a theatre. (Martin Ludgate) Below: the official reopening boat passes the ‘Wendy House’ by Lock 3. (Alan Lines)
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Aston
“...the pride and sa tisf action aatt satisf tisfaction finally seeing their loc lockks open...”
Sunday 6 April Rather unfortunately for some of us, there was no chance of a lie-in this Sunday, since we needed to be up and about by 9am to provide marshals and minibus drivers for the Montgomery Canal Society’s annual Dinghy Dawdle, which had been arranged to coincide with the opening and was running along the newly opened stretch of the canal. The paddlers and walkers had reached the top of Aston by lunchtime, where we provided them with much needed, given the change in the weather, tea and coffee and managed to get rid of most of our ‘cake mountain’ in exchange for some further donations to the appeal. The afternoon was spent separating out and packing the various kits while people gradually made their way home. Thanks to everyone who did their bit towards making the weekend such a success. As a relative newcomer to the Mont, I can only imagine the pride and satisfaction that was felt by many at finally seeing their locks open and being used by boats. Harri Thomsett
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Above: the Dinghy Dawdle sets off. (Martin Ludgate) Below left: ‘Yes, but how much BEER will it hold?’ - Harry Watts wins the traditional water can painted by Graham Palmer in the final race at the Race Night. (Julie Arnold). Below: How long before we can boat all the way to Newtown? (Bill Beard)
Rapid Recycling When Clive Henderson – IWA West Midland Region’s new Chairman - arrived at the Leamington Canal Carnival, held around GU Bridge 40 over the Bank Holiday weekend 3rd to 5th May, he found that mooring was not quite as easy as he’d been led to believe. As an experienced, and therefore pessimistic, boater he made full use of his keb to locate and remove the cause of the problem...
Recycling!
“...c ting ishing and “...cyycling ling,, boa boating ting,, ffishing walk ing ar tib le ...” alking aree compa compatib tible le...”
On hearing that at the end of the Carnival BW would simply clear it away on their work boat and ‘skip’ it: Warwickshire IWA committee members, Rachel Lawson and Sue Roy, stood it by their impromptu sales stand and cheekily stuck a £10 tag on it.
Among the ironmongery removed was a kiddies bike, which - apart from being muddy - looked in reasonable condition. Although the chain was missing, the brakes and tyres looked as though they would have satisfied the harshest of MOT or BSS (bike safety scheme) examiners...
Within an hour - and after a short and not too serious ‘haggle’ - they sold it for £8 to a visitor walking along the towpath, and it therefore made a significant contribution to the £125 that they raised.
As the branch committee had promised to ‘match fund’ anything raised from the sale of items donated to their stall, and in turn to donate the total to WRG’s ‘Right Tool Appeal’; this little episode not only allowed Warwickshire branch to present Jude Moore of WRG with a cheque for £250 at their May meeting, but it also showed how cycling, boating, fishing, and towpath walking are compatible activities, which when combined in the right way can actually help with waterway recovery. Ian Fletcher
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Training
Repor ting fr om the WR G TTrrainporting from WRG ing w eek end week eekend
Training Weekend 2003 Don’t know about anyone else, but I had a great time! This was due mainly to the fact that everything seemed easier this year. No tractors in hedges, no hospital visits, no complaints (yet) and no mistakes or breakdowns on the trip down. Hurrah! About 40 people joined us over the course of the weekend. Plant sessions as always were very full but we also had the chance to train on bricklaying, heritage pointing and levels. This year we had new courses on Risk Assessment and Abrasive Wheels which were also well attended. The accommodation was particularly ‘cosy’ but did boast showers although most preferred time in the pub to time on personal hygiene! This was a plus as many ideas were generated for the WRG show to be performed at the Festival this year (although some are probably not clean enough to make it to the final script – should have had that shower.)
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None of this would have been possible without a number of people who selflessly gave up their time at very short notice and made things happen. Speaking to the instructors just 2 weeks before the event made me realise how incredible you all are. Where most would be miffed at the lack of advance warning, you simply replied, ‘no problem, I’ll be there, just tell me what you want me to do.’ Your time and support are truly appreciated – Thank you. Big thanks also to Mike who sorted out all the plant, the site and all the important stuff. Thanks to all the trainees for coming – you were obviously very good because many of the instructors commented on how ‘receptive’ and skilled you were, making the teaching very easy. Thanks to Dr. Liz and her catering team for keeping us so well fed and for teaching me how to cook something other than pasta!! Finally, thank you to BW for letting us invade your site and premises! I really liked the ‘office’ with the biggest desk in the world and a superb wheeley chair... little things...
Next year the girls will be running a new course on the ancient art of ‘how to dress and undress whilst retaining your modesty on a camp’ –a skill that some of you blokes clearly have not yet mastered, proved so beautifully by the Chairman on Sunday afternoon. Anyone got a photo of explanation?! I hope you enjoyed yourselves as much as I did and took away something useful from the weekend other than a nasty hangover. If you have any suggestions as to how we can improve the weekend or ideas for other courses then send me an e-mail and we will look into them for next year. Hope to see you over the camp season Ali ‘Womble’ Bottomley PS Fred, you are still the best ornament by far!
As well as the usual training on excavators, dumpers, vans, trailers and surveying (opposite page) we had Bungle training people to drive tractors (and eat Mars bars) above, BW training on heritage mortar and pointing right and abrasive disks below. Meanwhile Womble masterminded the whole thing from her bunker in the BW Hatton offices below right. All photos by Martin Ludgate.
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Dig report
WR G Nor th W est on the ‘Mon & WRG North West Br ec’ Cr umlin br anc h Brec’ Crumlin branc anch
North West Head South In defiance of everything we know to be true about South Wales, I put my shorts on to head to site on Saturday morning. Everything else had gone so well that I didn’t believe that the weather would dare let us down. The hall was the Methodist church hall in Cross Keys – a veritable palace in comparison to our last accommodation at Ironbridge; breakfast was marvellous (thanks Liz!); the sun was shining and I had recovered from a very real fear of being blown off the Severn Bridge on the way over on Friday night. Even the pub was only 20 yards away (OK OK it was a particularly poor pub which offended us ‘real ale heads’ but it did give Malcolm something which he has been waiting for for a very long time: the opportunity to try Worcestershire Sauce flavour crisps...) The 14 locks were looking particularly lovely when we got there – the top lock now with added gates! Although it didn’t take long for the rain to find us, it wasn’t too bad until late afternoon and didn’t dissuade John Foley, resident arsonist, from starting his fire with the aid of a Meccano box bellows. Brecon
I spent much of the weekend clearing out an overspill weir at the tail of one of the locks (don’t ask me to count which one...) which I had discovered when I had stumbled into it whilst wielding a slasher at the brambles lining the edge of the pound. We had a bit of a tug-of-war trying to liberate a mooring bollard from the bottom of the lock where the trickiest bit was strategically positioning the be-wellied people in relation to the wetter parts of suction mud. On Sunday evening we went for a bit of a nature ramble to the bottom of the locks. Some of us having been distracted firstly by the ‘passing place lock’ (is that really what it is?) then by the bottom pound (aka Bungle’s swimming pool) we met the others coming back from under the motorway bridge which marks the bottom of the flight. “What’s through there?“ we asked. “Just some smelly old bit of canal“ muttered Bob Dewey - and this from the man who had driven the length of Wales to see it?! Scraping together my last bits of energy, I decided to walk back to the accommodation – a distance of about 4 miles we reckoned. Given that it took me about 1 ¾ hours, either I was more tired than I thought or it was top side of 6 miles as the canal clung to the side of the valley following the lines of the hillside. The first couple of miles were quite heartening – it looked as though all that was needed was a spot of heavy duty pruning to the over hanging trees and for the bed to be dredged.
‘Mon & Brec’ Brecon & Abergavenny Canal
The ‘Mon & Brec’ Abergavenny consists of the navigable Brecon & Abergavenny Canal from Brecon to Pontypool, the Monmouthshire Canal Pontypool main line (currently navigable only from Pontypool to Cwmbran Crumlin Cwmbran) and the 5 Crumlin Branch Monmouth7 10 (unnavigable). shire Canal Cwmcarn main line 10 Cross Keys 14 Monmouthshire Newport 5 Canal Crumlin ‘Fourteen Arm Locks’
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WRG NW in action at 14 Locks. (John Hawkins)
The next mile or so had already been dredged, the towpath relaid and new benches installed – the main disappointment being that the beginning and end of this stretch was marked by road bridges which had been built through the canal rather than over it. Over the length I counted 6 blockages – 4 of which were roads crossing through the canal, one section where an aqueduct is needed to cross over a road and one section of approx 200 yds where the canal has given way to a spot of landscaping to allow for a chicane-ridden access road. Having walked the length of the canal from the accommodation to Cwmcarn on Saturday night, where some boats and a dredger are already moored, I can say that I’ve seen all of the stretch to be restored and now understand where the £32million price tag comes from to complete the work. Restoring all the way to Crumlin – the historical terminal of this branch, is now a bit of a nogo as the canal has since been used as the foundations for the Cwmcarn bypass. Shopping List (to the untrained observer): 4 road crossings, 2 aqueducts, 1 motorway invert, 30something lockgates, a spot of structural investigation into the locks and a few weeks of heavy duty gardening and dredging.
This is however, one of the busiest and well maintained canal towpaths I have seen for walkers, picnickers, cyclists, runners and fishermen. Plenty of scope here, not only for fundraising, but also for recruiting volunteers to help with the months of work which stretch ahead of us on this picturskew branch arm (I promise it really is nice if you can catch it between the downpours.) Corinne Watson
Above: sometimes it’s even dry enough for picnics in South Wales! (John Hawkins). Below: ‘Passing-place lock (is that really what it is)’ - your guess is as good as ours... please send any suggestions as to why it was built this shape to the editor. (Martin Ludgate)
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Little Venice Eddie Jones rreepor ts fr om ports from Canal way Ca Canalw Cavvalcade
LV 2003 – ramblings of that bloke with the big ginger beard Now then, I have always enjoyed the annual Little Venice Canalway Cavalcade which is why I turn up every year and pester various other souls to give me a hand with running site services. One of those coerced into helping, in fact organising the volunteers during the weekend for the last few years has been Helen ‘Bush Baby’ Gardner. I thought she enjoyed the gig and so it was with some dismay I discovered she had arranged to be up a seriously high mountain in Nepal during the event this year. If she wanted a different role she only had to ask! Seriously though, the lack of Bush Baby was making me a rather concerned till I ran into Viv at the 25th reopening of the Mont earlier this year. Amazing what people will agree to after spending
all eve in the front bar of the ‘Punch Bowl’. With the old Skool team in place (Bush picked up Viv’s role when Viv went ‘oop north’), I felt much happier. In fact the arrangements were going swimmingly, right up to the Friday the week before the event, before Mr Sod’s Law got in on the action... Had a call Friday eve while in a very noisy bar from one of narrow boat Tarporley’s steerers to say she was rather unwell. (‘she’ being ‘Tarporley’ rather than the steerer!) In fact she was at a yard somewhere the other side of Tring, out of the water and waiting for some leaks to be patched. Did I really need her! For those who have stayed over at LV over the last few years will know how much we rely on ‘Tarps’ for accommodation, its kitchen, a site for the radio base etc etc. I confirmed I would be metaphorically up Bow Creek on an outgoing tide with a bust prop-shaft without her and so yes, she had to be with us. Not sure who let who down, but I must thank the team who run ‘Tarporley’ for their non stop boating efforts to get her to us by Friday morning, although I could have done without the phone calls up to Monday eve explaining she was still out of the water! Once the fun of updating risk assessments, volunteer handbooks etc. had been sorted and I had filled the back of my Land Rover Discovery with cables from ‘Sammy’ the generator truck in Reading, it was off to site Wednesday morning to meet Paul and Lynn Ayres on NB ‘Algate’. For the last few years we have boated up to Springfield on the Lea to collect the marquees, table, chairs and fencing etc that are needed to make a festival work. Last year the job went elsewhere which ended in a near disaster, so this year we were back on. This took us to the second meeting with Mr Sod.
’We got to Springfield at 2:30pm to find the lads from Hackney Festival Part of what gives Canalway Cavalcade its own special atmosphere: the Support parked about 1/2 Pool at Little Venice absolutely packed full of boats. (Mike Palmer) mile away from the wharf.
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Upon enquiry we found some considerate people had parked their cars such that they couldn’t get the trucks past. After a good few hours kicking our heels and no sign of the owners we turned our backs and suddenly the cars bounced out the way. ‘A miracle!’ is all I can say. Eventually we were loaded and running hard back down the Lee by early evening. By the time we had collecting the rest of the gear from the Pirate Club in Camden, it was a very cold and stiff crew who hit the ‘Warwick Castle’ about 10:30pm that eve. Must say the growing number of canal-digging boat-owning types is a great benefit as I had a berth down the arm on NB ‘Speedwell’, Cath and Nick’s boat. Very much appreciated Wed eve! Thurs saw me on the run to deepest Essex to collect the big power cables and back on site late afternoon. Harry and Steve turned up shortly afterwards and along with Lew C with whose help meant by the time we hit the ‘Warwick’ the mains distribution was out along with the start of the signage. I was a very happy bunny as we were 24hrs further on than last year when I don’t think even the marquees were all up let alone powered. Obviously this couldn’t last, and sure enough Mr Sod turned up to play his trump card Friday afternoon. Just as the traders starting to appear to unload, a bloke from Westminster Council pooped up and informed us if anyone drove onto the main trade (Grass) site we would be given our marching orders. Oh good – NOT! It would appear there is no formal agreement for car access, the fact we have had been driving down there for all the years I have been involved was simply tolerated with the council turning a blind eye. This year, however, for various reasons they couldn’t - sorry. Despite this rather ooh-err-nasty thrown at us last minute, the team worked flat out to get the traders to site by wheeling their gear on 4 wheel trolleys one at a time (no parking!) from the main road. A fantastic effort we all should be proud of.
The weekend itself ran extremely smoothly with very few hassles. Bungle broke the outboard on the loan plastic tub dingy being used as a tender (I think this was down to him performing doughnuts with it in the pool to the delight of the moored boaters); the pontoon stage used for the band BW had rammed hard into the silt by the island deciding to make a break for freedom Monday morning: not sure if someone had bashed it with a boat or the level came up but it was most definitely trying to float away! My favourite moment was Nick’s description of the bloke’s face from the bog suppliers when I disappeared armed with the nozzle to the pump out into the porta loos, and Nick confirmed yes - I was really going to do that for him despite it being very early in the morning and yes, we were all volunteers. I think the sign of a weekend enjoyed by all was the number of people still around late Monday eve after the break down enjoying a glass or two and chomping on a BBQ. A huge ‘thank you’ to all who helped, especially those who arrived early and/or stayed on till Tuesday, the catering team for the thankless task of working from a narrow boat with knackered house batteries, the parking attendant who gave me a ticket while I was collecting my dispensation pass and finally the crew who run ‘Sammy’ the generator. A fantastic team effort by all involved ensuring the event runs so smoothly. As I repeatedly explain, the monies donated as a result of our efforts go a long way towards paying KESCRG’s annual insurance bill and the overall success of the group. Cheers Eddie Jones PS please forgive any grammar horrors as this was written last minute due to a confusion who was actually going to do so. No change there then!
London WRG’s award-winning entry in the Pageant of Boats consisted of a display of everything we hope to buy with the Appeal. (The white things on the cabin are fridge-freezers!) (Margaret Fletcher)
page 15
Canal Camps cost £35 per week unless otherwise Bookings for WRG Canal Camps (those identified camp number e.g. 'Camp 0313') should go to WRG Camps, PO Box 114, Rickmansworth WD3 1ZY. Tel: 01923 711114. Email: enquiries@wrg.org.
Diary Jun 14/15
NWPG
Thames & Severn Canal: Stroud
Jun 15 Sun
IWPS
Bugsworth Basin
Jun 21/22
wrgBITM
Sleaford Navigation: Constructing a roadway for access to Haverholme Lock
Jun 21 Sat
wrgNW
‘Paper Chase’ waste paper collection
Jun 28-Jul 5
Camp 0303
Sleaford Canal Camp moved: contact Head Office or see Web SIte for details o
Jun 29 Sun
EAWA
North Walsham & Dilham Canal
Jul 1 Tue
Navvies
Press date for issue 200: including Canal Societies directory
Jul 2-9
Camp 0304
Saul Boat Gathering: Site Services for the Canal Festival
Jul 5/6
KESCRG
Wey & Arun Canal: Sidney Wood, continuing construction of new spill weir, raising dropped sections of bank etc in preparation for NWPG camp.
Jul 5/6
wrgNW
Nottingham: Mooring rings in embankment. Accom at Sandiacre - limited to 6-is
Jul 5/6
Essex WRG
Wilts & Berks Canal: Joint dig with London WRG at Pewsham
Jul 5/6
London WRG
Wilts & Berks Canal: Lock clearance & removal of damaged brickwork at Pewsh Joint dig with Essex WRG.
Jul 5-12
Camp 0305
Grand Western Canal
Jul 6 Sun
IWPS
Bugsworth Basin
Jul 12-19
Camp 0307
Canal Camp, Wey & Arun: Sidney Wood project. Organised by NWPG for Dig D
Jul 12-19
Camp 0306
Grand Western Canal
Jul 13 Sun
IWPS
Bugsworth Basin
Jul 19/20
wrgBITM
Basingstoke Canal: Dig Deep: Backpumping scheme at St Johns
Jul 19-26
Camp 0308
Mon & Brec Canal
Jul 19-26
Camp 0309
Lancaster Canal: Northern Reaches
Jul 20 Sun
wrg
Committee & Board Meetings
Jul 26 Sat
wrgNW
‘Paper Chase’ waste paper collection
Jul 26-Aug 2 Camp 0310
Mon & Brec Canal: The KESCRG camp. Leaders: Ian Williamson & Garry Alder
Jul 26-Aug 2 W&BCCo & BITMWilts & Berks - Dauntsey Camp: Camp leader Graham Hotham, Site leader Ra Dredging and various construction work near the Peterborough Arms. Jul 27 Sun
IWPS
Bugsworth Basin
Jul 27 Sun
EAWA
North Walsham & Dilham Canal
Aug 2/3
wrgNW
To be arranged
Aug 2/3
Essex WRG
To be arranged
Aug 2/3
London WRG
Wilts & Berks Canal: Dig Deep project at Chaddington Lock. Pointing of lower lo
Aug 2-9
Camp 0311
Wilts & Berks Canal: Cricklade
Aug 2-9
Camp 0312
Wey & Arun Canal: Organised by the Wey & Arun Canal Trust
Aug 9/10
wrgBITM
Wilts & Berks Canal: Pewsham Locks. Chamber clearance?
Aug 9-16
Camp 0313
Basingstoke Canal: St Johns backpumping project
Aug 9-16
Camp 0314
Caldon Canal: First lock on the Uttoxeter Canal
Aug 10 Sun
IWPS
Bugsworth Basin
page 16
e stated. d 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 Graham Hawkes
0118-941-0586
Ian Edgar
01663-732493
Dave Wedd
01252-874437
David McCarthy
0161-740-2179
of replacement site.
grahamhawkes@btinternet.com bookings@wrgBITM.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk
Kevin Baker
01362-699855
Martin Ludgate
020-8693-3266
martin.ludgate@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk
sh.
ham bottom lock.
Answerphone
01622-858329
Kescrg@btinternet.com
David McCarthy
0161-740-2179
malcolm.bridge@btclick.com
John Gale
01277-654683
essex@wrg.org.uk
Tim Lewis
020-8367-6227
london@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk
Deep.
Ian Edgar
01663-732493
Graham Hawkes
0118-941-0586
grahamhawkes@btinternet.com enquiries@wrg.org.uk
Ian Edgar
01663-732493
Dave Wedd
01252-874437
bookings@wrgBITM.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk
David McCarthy
0161-740-2179
rman, catering by Dr Liz.
enquiries@wrg.org.uk
chael Banyard.
enquiries@wrg.org.uk
ock walls.
Ian Edgar
01663-732493
Kevin Baker
01362-699855
David McCarthy
0161-740-2179
malcolm.bridge@btclick.com
John Gale
01277-654683
essex@wrg.org.uk
Tim Lewis
020-8367-6227
london@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk
Dave Wedd
01252-874437
bookings@wrgBITM.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk
Ian Edgar
01663-732493
page 17
Diary
Canal society rreegular wor ties orkking par 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 tim@timlewis.org.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 01543-373284 2nd Sunday & following Wed. BCS Cosgrove Athina Beckett 01908-661217 Anytime inc. weekdays BCT Aqueduct section Gerald Fry 01288-353273 Every Sunday ChCT Various sites Mick Hodgetts 01246-620695 Mon & Wed mornings CCT Cotswolds Dudley Greenslade 01453 825515 Every weekend (Sat OR Sun) CCT Cotswolds Neil Ritchie 01452-854057 1st Sunday of month CCT Cotswolds: summit Mark Welton 01453-872405 Wednesday evenings CCT Cotswolds: East end Keith Harding 01451-860181 Every Saturday DCT Droitwich Canal Jon Axe 0121-608 0296 Last Sunday of month EAWA N Walsham & Dilham Kevin Baker 01362-699855 4th Sunday of month ECPDA Langley Mill Michael Golds 0115-932-8042 Second Sun of month FIPT Foxton Inclined Plane Mike Beech 0116-279-2657 1st & 3rd Sundays GCRS Grantham Canal Colin Bryan 0115-989-2248 2nd Sat of month GWCT Nynehead Lift Denis Dodd 01823-661653 Tuesdays H&GCT Oxenhall Brian Fox 01432-358628 Wednesdays H&GCT Over Ted Beagles 01452-522648 Saturdays H&GCT Over Maggie Jones 01452-618010 Overwharfhousefitout Nigel Bailey 01452-533835 Occasional Sundays H&GCT Every Sunday if required IWPS Bugsworth Basin Ian Edgar 01663-732493 1st Saturday & 3rd Wed. IWA Ipswich Stowmarket Navigtn. Colin Turner 01473-730586 01691-670826/49 2nd weekend of month IWA SBC Maesbury, Mont. Barry Tuffin 2nd weekend of month K&ACT John Rolls 01189-666316 1st Sunday of month LHCRT Lichfield Peter Matthews 01543-318933 3rd Sunday of month LHCRT Hatherton Denis Cooper 01543-374370 2nd & last Sundays PCAS Paul Waddington 01757-638027 2nd Sunday of month SCARS Sankey Canal Colin Greenall 01744-731746 1st Sunday of month SCCS Combe Hay Locks Bob Parnell 01225-428055 Most weekends SHCS Basingstoke Peter Redway 01483-721710 Last Sunday of month SNT Haverholme Lock Dave Pullen 01673-862278 3rd Sunday of month TMCA David Rouse 01474-362861 Approx 15th of month WACT Mid-Week group Colin Gibbs 020-82417736 Every Sunday & Thursday WACT Devils Hole Lock Eric Walker 023-9246-3025 Thursdays fortnightly WACT Maintenance Unit Peter Wilding 01483-422519 or for general information on Wey & Arun contact their office on 01403-752403 1st weekend of month WAT Little Tring Roger Leishman 01442-874536 Every weekend WBCT Wilts & Berks Canal Peter Smith 01793-852883 Every Sunday W&BCC Dauntsey / Foxham Rachael Banyard 01249-892289 Please send any amendments, additions and deletions to Dave Wedd (address on previous page)
Abbreviations used in Diary BCNS BCS BCT ChCT CCT DCT EAWA ECPDA FIPT D&SCS GCRS GWCT H&GCT IWA SBC
page 18
Birmingham Canal Navigations Soc. Buckingham Canal Society Bude Canal Trust Chesterfield Canal Trust Cotswolds Canals Trust Droitwich Canals Trust East Anglian Waterways Association Erewash Canal Pres. & Devt. Assoc. 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 NWPG PCAS SCARS SCCS SHCS SNT 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 Newbury Working Party Group Pocklington Canal Amenity Society Sankey Canal Restoration Society Somersetshire Coal Canal Society Surrey & Hants Canal Society Sleaford Navigation Trust Thames & Medway Canal Association Wilts & Berks Canal Trust Wilts & Berks Canal Company Wey & Arun Canal Trust Wendover Arm Trust
Dear Martin: I was very intrigued by the article in Navies 198 about the Ohio and Erie Canal in Ohio. After reading the article, I looked at some of the web sites that the article was based on and observed some of the missing data that gives the viewer a less than clear picture. While I am not an authority on this canal, I am writing to fill in some of the missing information. In its 309 mile length, the canal has two summits. Proceeding south from Cleveland on Lake Erie, the canal rises up the valley of the Cuyahoga River through 44 locks to a summit at Akron. The waterpower of the canal flow to the north of the summit is the reason that Akron was located where it is. From Akron, the canal leaves the Great Lakes Watershed and passes through the Portage Lakes to enter the Ohio River Watershed. From the Portage Lakes, it descends through thirty locks to Dresden, which is on the Muskingum River, a tributary of the Ohio. A side cut with three locks connected the canal to the river at Dresden. The Muskingum River was canalized for steamboats by the state from Dresden to its outlet on the Ohio River at Marietta. The navigation was later federalized, but has more recently been returned to state control. There were eleven locks and dams on the Muskingum. Lock and Dam 1 was made unnecessary by improvements on the Ohio. Locks and Dams 2 through 10 are being gradually rebuilt by the State of Ohio and are open for navigation on summer weekends except when being rebuilt. Lock and Dam 11 is reportedly closed. This rebuilding is about the only rebuilding of a historic navigation for recreational purposes going on in the US. From Dresden, the Ohio and Erie Canal climbed through nineteen locks in a southwest direction to the Licking Summit. After crossing the fourteen-mile summit, the canal descended through 55 locks to the Ohio River at Portsmouth. Along its route, the Ohio and Erie Canal had several feeders and branch canals including a twelve-mile, two-lock branch to Columbus, the state capital. One confusing factor about the canal is that the locks are numbered downhill from both ends of the two summits. Thus, there are four ‘Lock 1’s’, etc. The photo you printed is not of Lock 3 in Akron, but of another Lock 3 north of Clinton, Ohio, which is on the descent towards Dresden. [Sorry! ...Ed] The Ohio & Erie Canal is one of five canals that once provided water connection between tributaries of the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes. Of these, only the Illinois River route at Chicago survives. Via Chicago and the Erie Canal in New York, it is possible to circumnavigate the eastern United States.
Letters
Mor Moree on the Ohio and Erie Canal in the USA
From a restoration standpoint, the Ohio & Erie is very interesting. The Muskingum River Navigation parallels the southern half of the canal reaching the side-cut at Dresden. Dresden itself is a tourist destination being the home of Longaberger baskets. That company’s multi-story, home office building looks like a huge picnic basket complete with handles. The 151 miles between the river at Dresden and the lake at Cleveland includes watered canal at Canal Fulton and watered canal between the Portage Lakes and downtown Akron. North of the summit, Locks 1, 2, and 3 are intact. A parking garage that had been built over Lock 3 was recently removed. Water still flows down the Cascade Locks, numbers 10 through 15, which lack only their gates. Locks 4 through 9 have been adversely impacted by the urban environment and highways. North to Cleveland, the canal is protected by the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the towpath is used as a biking / hiking trail. Much of the towpath outside the National Park is also open for hiking and biking. At the northern end, water flows in the canal north of Pinery Dam to a steel mill at Cleveland and Lock 38 has been restored as a working exhibit. While the extreme northern end of the canal has been filled in, the adjacent Cuyahoga River is navigable for a considerable distance south of Lake Erie. The river itself has been cleaned up from the day it once caught fire and has innumerable private boats on it. Using British standards, north of Dresden this canal would be under active restoration. In the US, on this and similar canals we fight to maintain the route and open the towpath. I truly believe that restoration to navigation is the best way to preserve such canals. But the fight has only just begun. Sincerely, David G. Barber President, American Canal Society We are always pleased to receive articles for ‘Navvies’ about waterways anywhere in the world, especially ones where restoration work is in progress. Please keep sending them in. ...Ed
page 19
Letters
Bar ges on the TThames hames Barg hames,, Ber Berkks & Ando Andovver Canal?
Dear Martin As a Canal boat enthusiast I have to put on my pedant’s (Or should that be Peasant’s ?), hat here - one minor thing wrong with the article by Sally Nutt (BCN Clean up), in the last edition of ‘Navvies’:
‘Barges’? Sorry, but these were never used on the BCN. I think you’ll find that BW had a few ‘Mud Hoppers’ (Or ‘Mud skippers’), and a few Joey boats. Barges would be far too wide - Sorry! Just one of those things that really annoy me - A bit like a Brummie whinging on about the BCN Clean up, after he bottled out of it... Ooh, damn it - rumbled! Cheers, Ken (I-didn’t-get-my-nose-broke-in-three-places until I wrote to Navvies) Whapples I’m afraid this one is actually a bit of a can-of-worms. I personally would tend to agree with Ken that (despite a tendency among the non-canal-literate to label all inland waterways craft as ‘barges’) the customary use of the word ‘barge’ in an inland waterways context is to denote a working boat of a width typical of river craft and therefore significantly broader than the 7ft-beam narrow boat (and the BCN Joey and mud-hopper of the same narrow dimensions). And I would cite various historic references in ‘Bradshaws’ and in canal history books by Charles Hadfield to support this. On the other hand there are those who would point out that (a) Bradshaws isn’t infallible, (b) the references in Hadfield’s books to ‘barges’ and ‘narrow boats’ are mainly the author’s words rather than quotes, which means that one cannot be sure that they were not the author’s own choice of terminology rather than anything with any historic usage and (c) apparently the Oxford Dictionary, etc. simply say that a barge is a flat-bottomed cargo craft, and don’t specify how wide it should be. However, I note that in my Chambers dictionary the boat-related definitions of ‘lock’ and ‘lift’ are sufficiently similar that if a narrow boat is a barge, then the Anderton Lift is a lock and Aston Locks are lifts, so I’m inclined not to take too much notice of dictionary definitions of something as specialised as this. Speaking of ‘inclined’, I don’t think much of the dictionary definition of ‘Inclined Plane’ either! ...Ed Dear Martin Navvies has often made mention of the ‘Thames Berks andAndover’or the ‘Thames Basingstoke andAndover’. It may interest you to know that there is a possibility of such a canal being created in the future to connect the Western end of the Basingstoke Canal to the K & A (thus also providing muchneeded additional water supplies, as well as a further useful connection to the national network) and subsequently to connect it to a restored Andover Canal via Basingstoke, thus providing access to the South Coast and Southampton. I understand, from talking to Peter Redway of the SHCS that this idea was discussed at their AGM in April and the go-ahead given to start investigating the feasibility of such a link. Watch this space, eh? Regards
Thames Berks & Andover Canals? To Oxford
Kennet & Avon Canal Reading
To Bristol
page 20
To London
Basingstoke Canal
PROPOSED NEW CONNECTIONS Basingstoke Andover Andover Canal Salisbury
R Rother Salisbury R Itchen & Southampton SouthamptonChichester Canal Canal
Brian Andrews I’ve just received the latest SHCS ‘Basingstoke Canal News’ and they are indeed considering a link to the K&A, if not yet to the Andover. Time to think of a new ‘joke’ restoration project for ‘TBA’ to stand for! ...Ed
R. Thames
Isle of Wight
R Wey Wey & Arun Canal
R Arun
After something Bungle said … [Roll title sequence …] [Opens with a close-up of a large ‘S’, gradually pans out to reveal that it is the end of the word “Wheelbarrows” and shows a wrgie painting it in red paint with a mop (don’t try this at home … or on camps!), inside a kit trailer. The continuous panning out moves outside the trailer to show the exterior, circling once around it and finishing with a rear shot of it being driven away.]
Logistical Parallels
Logistics there are brand new tools in another… C: Does that mean when we have tools that are kept clean and shiny, and free from concrete and smeg, somewhere else will have ones that take an industrial angle grinder to bring them back to life?
[The head of ‘Jolly’ (the offline computer) appears on screen]
J: Exactly.
This is an SOS distress call from the moaning shop Red Swarf (aka Logistics!). The tools are dead, killed by an arduous week (not to mention the good many years of service!). The only survivors were Dave Blister (a griddle), who was in suspended fromkitimation during the ‘disaster’ and some lively cheese that was safely sealed in the fridge. Revived 214 days later, Blister’s only companions are a life form evolved from THAT cheese and Bernard Clobber (formerly a bolster chisel), a hologram simulation of one of the dead tools.
J: Yes. But that would mean being able to break the speed of reality whenever you needed to and the chances of that happening are … well, let’s just say it’s about as likely as getting a full set of correctly marked kit lists back from the year’s camp leaders.
B: What? You mean when we’ve been searching for those smegging kit lists from last year’s camps we could have found them in another place.
[Interruptedly…] J: PURPLE ALERT! PURPLE ALERT!
MESSAGE ENDS.
C: Why purple?
ADDITIONAL: Supplies are dwindling. We have enough mugs, plates and bowls to last the year but we have already run out of lemon bon-bons.
J: It’s sort of not as bad as red alert but a bit worse than blue. Kind of like a lilac alert, … Kit C is in serious need of attention despite the amount of time it spends in stasis.
J: Emergency, Emergency… There’s an emergency going on. Abandon shop, this is not a Shake-and-Vac commercial. [said in that mundane and unimportant way only Jolly can] B: What’s happened? J: Well, somehow, don’t ask me how, we’ve jumped into a parallel universe – we’ve entered the fifth dimension. The brick kits are alive and well here. B: But how can that be? J: Your basic principle of the fifth dimension means that for every cock-up that’s made, the alternative to it exists in another reality. So the decision not to buy new tools in one reality means that
B: So how can we find out why this anomaly happened? J: Just look in the Black Box - it’s the In-shed plight recorder… [Cue Red Swarf theme tune to play out] “It’s hot outside, some log-istics atmosphere, I’m all alone, more or less. Tools to go far away from here. Paint, paint, paint, in the heat, heat, heat. I want to try to paint kits before they go, Hoping camps won’t abuse. Lime green glows, dripping on my toes. Paint Kit B in the shade-ee-hee, Painting’s done in the sun, sun, sun.” Jolly provides subtitles for those who are hard of understanding!
RED SWARF
[Any Red Dwarfites out there - apologies, but I hope the corners of your mouths turned up and not down!] …And just a few more things. I’d like to thank The Theakers, and Tom and Rachel Jeffries for their continued support by storing our two trailers (one at each farm). Thanks also to Gav for checking Kit A, pre-season for me – absence of it from South Yorkshire hasn’t made my heart grow fonder! Griddle me a strawberry, I’ll be back for teatime… Just Jen logistics@wrg.org.uk page 21
‘Dolly’
A pr oject to bbuild uild a ne w project new dr edg er ffor or the Stour dredg edger
The Construction of ‘Dolly’ We started talking about acquiring a workboat for the River Stour Trust in December 1999, and after Susan found some pictures in old canal books, I proposed a ‘spoon-dredger’ in January 2000. In principle this consists of a large long-handled shovel or ‘spoon’ worked either completely or partly by hand over the side of a punt-like workboat. I realised the hard work could be removed from the early operation by using a powered winch to do the lifting, and managed to obtain two old scaffold winches, one electric and one petrol-engined. The electric one was not suited to working on water, being 240 volt, and the old Villiers engine refused to give any spark. The dredger project was really kicked-off last autumn when an anonymous benefactor watched us struggling to hand-dredge weed from the Granary Cut using the three ex-Boathouse GRP dinghies lashed together. When told of my previous offer to the Trust, he agreed to donate £800 in two parts to fund the basic workboat, to be built as a private venture. The size of the boat, to be made of welded steel sheet in the form of a large punt, was dictated by the need for stability when lifting about 100 kgs (2 cwt) of sludge over the side. The thickness of the steel was dictated by the need for the boat to be easily transportable, possibly on the trailer already used for the electric tripboat ‘Rosette’. The chosen dimensions were 7m long by 2m wide with sides 0.5m deep. If constructed in 3mm thick steel, arc-welded with 50mm by 6mm flat bar stiffeners and gunwales, the finished weight would be under 0.75 tonnes - (15 cwt) The dredging equipment would consist of the winch and a fixed crane made from scaffolding, all to be added after launching the basic boat.
page 22
Fabrication started in October under the guidance of a retired friend who had lectured in welding in evening classes. My previous welding experience was in hard-facing the augers used in my drilling and piling business. It was disconcerting to find this steel sheet bending so much when being arc-welded - always in the wrong direction. My small work force was regularly called in to help in handling the 2m by 1m steel sheets, which had to be turned over to weld both sides of each seam. The size of sheet to be turned eventually grew to 5m by 2m, at which stage the sides were assembled and welded into position. The sloping endsheets, gunwales and walkway supports were then added. All seams were finally continuously welded from both sides. This involved pushing the boat out of the barn and tipping it by forklift onto each side in turn. Of course it rained heavily during this operation! Before lowering the boat back onto its wheels, the underside was given two coats of paint. The pulley system for the lowering operation was not thought out very carefully and Les and Susan nearly got catapulted through the back of the barn as Dolly (named about this time) crashed down onto the 4" diameter rubber wheels. One of the temporary internal braces sheared through its 10mm fixing bolt, and the rubber wheel under this point was hopelessly split by the impact. Dolly had been pushed out of the barn, but had to be winched back in because the rubber wheels were becoming badly distorted under the load. The four centre wheels were replaced with fabricated resin-filled steel ones. The walkways were decked with non-slip glass fibre grids as used by the Environment Agency for canoe portages. Although expensive, this material has a gritty surface and hopefully a very long life with no painting required. A simple method of anchoring the boat while working was chosen at an early stage. An 18 inch length of 2 inch steel pipe was now bolted vertically on the outside of each corner. Two 10 foot lengths of scaffold tube are dropped through any two of these to ‘nail’ the boat into the river bed. They are pegged in the raised position when travelling. Dolly was tested for leaks by filling with 4 inches depth of water, as I had guessed that she would float unladen with a draft of 3.5 inches. Two weeping welds were found, so these and several other poor-looking seams were ground out and rewelded.
The finished boat was given 3 coats of ‘green oxide’ - rumoured to be red oxide with green dye added! Sand was sprinkled on the gunwales and sloping ends. The Villiers engine was replaced by a slightly newer 10hp Briggs & Stratton, which gave satisfactory performance on tick-over after several oil changes, cleaned magneto points and a carburettor kit.
‘Dolly’
“T he spoon w as ffaabrica ted “The was bricated fr om 4 metr es of steel...” from metres
The spoon was fabricated from a 4m length of thin-wall steel tubing, and after assembly the scaffolding crane and winch were load-tested to 125 kg. A 2hp outboard engine was mounted on the stern, and a hand operated bilge pump is provided, although in practice its quicker to use a bailer and bucket! Dolly was launched on 14th March and the dredging attachment tested satisfactorily on the 15th. She carried 1.5 tonnes of sawn green oak downstream to Cornard Lock, and was used as a work platform and wheelbarrow bridge for maintenance work on the lock in April. My total time to make Dolly was just over 400 hours. Roger Brown Thanks to: Les, Laurie, Phill, Ralph, Susan, Dick, Chard, Clive, Sandy, Frank, Hugh, Judith and Bob.
Spoon-dredger ‘Dolly’ in action on the River Stour. (Andrew Sheldon)
page 23
Dig Deep
Has yyour our canal society ggot ot a rrestor estor oject ffor or us? estoraation pr project
Dig Deep report: May 2003 The Dig Deep Initiative involves five mobile working party groups (London WRG, KESCRG, Essex WRG, NWPG and WRG BITM) committing themselves to carrying out a certain amount of volunteer work (whether in the form of Canal Camps or weekend working parties) on certain restoration projects in southern England that have been adopted as ‘Dig Deep Projects’. And thereby hopefully enabling the local canal societies that we are supporting on these projects to be able to commit funds and materials to them in the knowledge that there will be the labour to complete them.
In 10 years the Dig Deep groups have re-built or repaired five lock chambers, two half lock chambers, restored two bridges, built 4 spill weirs, two footbridges, installed the infrastructure for four back-pumping schemes and re-surfaced many metres of canal towpath. Our group skills include bricklaying, carpentry, concreting, pipelaying, plant operations, piling and stonework. Dig Deep works most successfully when a discrete and self-contained project is devised separate from work that would have been carried out anyway by local volunteers. However, we have worked very successfully with local society working parties as was recently the case at Chaddington (Summit) Lock on the Wilts & Berks Canal. A local contact/organiser is an imperative for a successful scheme.
Dig Deep has been operating for over 10 years now and for the first time in that period we are struggling to find challenging, interesting and worthwhile projects on which to work. So no apologies that the rest of this article will be concentrating on promoting the benefits of Dig Deep to prospective participants. But first, a reminder about what Dig Deep is all about: Simply, it’s about local canal societies and visiting groups (LWRG, KESCRG etc) working together for their mutual benefit. The groups get interesting work and the society work done that wouldn’t otherwise be Dig Deep on the Basingstoke: another load of pipes for the St Johns Backdone. pumping scheme, on course for completion this year. (Martin Ludgate)
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So, what makes a suitable Dig Deep project? 1.
Projects should be self-contained and preferably involve construction/restoration.
2.
The project should be part of a clear restoration strategy or should be a showpiece scheme which will attract others to the benefits of restoration.
3.
Projects should be capable of employing at least 15 volunteers over a weekend
4.
They should have the necessary landowner/ planning permissions
5.
They should have funding either in place or promised.
6.
Projects should have a nominated ‘project officer’ who will co-ordinate and plan the work.
In return the Dig Deep groups will offer a minimum commitment of labour to see the project through to completion. This might be one year for small projects or up to three for the larger ones such as a lock re-build. Typically you could expect to be offered 8 weekend working parties plus a one week canal camp per year. Dig Deep groups will provide both skilled and unskilled volunteers, small tools and plant, catering etc. We are pretty self-contained! Other things that make for a successful project include a good quality village hall (or scout hut or similar) with a pub within easy walking distance. Access to the local society tool/plant store is useful.
After each section of the St Johns pipeline is laid, the towpath needs to be reinstated. (Martin Ludgate)
So, are you and your organisation interested in finding out more as to whether Dig Deep could help your project? At the time of writing we only have one firm project for 2004 and need at least one other. For more details please phone the Dig Deep Co-ordinator, Alan Cavender on 01628 629033 or email alan.cavender@lineone.net. Bill Nicholson Dig Deep now has its own web site. See www.dig-deep.org.uk for details of current projects and forthcoming work-party dates.
Dig Deep on the Wey & Arun: London WRG installing a pipe culvert under a forestry road to allow access to the canal in preparation for this summer’s work building an overflow weir in Sidney Wood. (Martin Ludgate)
Dig Deep on the Wilts & Berks: Chaddington (or Summit) Lock during last year’s NWPG camp. This lock is now nearly completed and we are looking for new work-sites. Have you got one for us? (Bill Nicholson)
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Hollinwood
Could the Ashton Canal’ Canal’ss nor thern br anc h be rrestor estor ed? northern branc anch estored?
This article appeared in ‘Pennine Link’ and appears with permission of Ed Mortimer, the author, and Bob Gough, who took the photographs. Is there a future for the abandoned Hollinwood Branch of the Ashton Canal?
Now it is 2003 and I live in a house right next to the canal in Stalybridge. The canal has been rebuilt and the town transformed. There is a new town square and I walk the towpath to do my weekly shopping. Recently I walked the route of the Hollinwood Branch. I’d walked it before. Derelict and forgotten. Bits built over. It reminded me of my walk along the HNC 28 years ago. When I got back home, I looked again at the maps. I could see that a short link had been proposed in 1791 between the Hollinwood Branch and the Rochdale Canal. If this was built, could Hollinwood and Droylsden experience the same regeneration as Stalybridge. Should anything be done? Let’s go to Hollinwood
Walking the Past
My walk to Hollinwood started at Fairfield Junction, (the start of the Hollinwood Branch), above the 18 locks that drop the Ashton Canal down to Manchester. Now the junction is just a wide winding-hole. The start of the Branch is filled in. Almost immediately on the left there was a short The Hollinwood Branch arm (also filled in) with a towpath 4 miles long. 4 locks at Daisy Nook; 4 from bridge over it, the remains of which BradleyBentBridgetoHollinwoodTopWharf. are clearly visible. The towpath is New connection: first 4 miles & 4 locks plus on the left-hand side and remains new 1/2 mile 2-lock link to Rochdale Canal. so all the way to Hollinwood.
In 1975 I walked from Portland Basin up the Huddersfield Narrow Canal to Stalybridge. Most of the canalwasbuiltover,andIknewnothingcould be done: the canal through Stalybridge was lost forever. 4mles
Much of the route of the canalcanbeexploredon foot. It is easily followed on Ordnance Survey maps or the ManchesterA-Z. Theareaaround WaterhousesJunctionin DaisyNookisespecially worth visiting. Some parts in Droylsden and Hollinwood are not accessible.
This first section of the Branch is currently the subject of redevelopment proposals. The proposals do not include the provision of the canal route through to the first bridge. The bridge still exists, carrying the present day A662. I had the feeling of being at a ‘canal zoo’ peering through the safety railings at the time-locked exhibit below! (see picture) Beyond the bridge is Tesco’s Superstore and a gap by the side of it where the canal once ran. Trying to restore the canal looks impossible and so I decided I would turn back on my expedition. Then I remembered that same feeling in Stalybridge 28 years ago. This time I must continue! A short distance further is Greenside Lane Bridge, which still exists. Maybe things are not so bad after all! The canal cannot be followed until Cliffords Bridge (now Sunnyside Road). This was originally a swing bridge (and a footbridge). Beyond here the canal route can be more easily spotted. The route is infilled and is a grassy, public footpath.
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A little further, past some playing fields and a rather forlorn running track, the canal skirted Lumb Clough and crossed the railway on an aqueduct. Now there is only a modern footbridge. Shortly after crossing the railway, the footpath follows the line of the towpath through the Medlock Valley all the way to Daisy Nook Country Park. Quite a lot of this stretch of the canal is weeded up, and partly in water. Some of it shows the effects of mining subsidence (the Manchester Road Bridge, Droylsden, still survives and carries the A662 main road. towpath wall has been raised up). When I last walked along the Branch, the M60 had not been built. Now this motorway slices across the canal, and only a footpath bridge was constructed. There is no canal, and getting the Branch restored here looks expensive! Once again I wanted to turn back. But just a short distance further is the ‘fairy-tale’ location at Daisy Nook: aqueducts, a junction, four locks (two as a staircase pair), all forming an amazing sight. The locks are capped and some of the stonework has been taken down, but many details are still to be seen (such as the brackets, or so-called ‘A’ frames, that used to hold the lock gates.) Above the fourth lock (Lock No. 22 - the numbering continues in sequence from the 18 locks on Beyond Sunnyside Road the canal route is filled the Ashton Canal) is Waterhouses Junction. Turning right takes you along the Fairbottom Branch to in but unobstructed, and is a public path. Bardsley; about a mile in length. The canal is in water at the junction, and it is easy to imagine that a boat could appear any minute! Keeping on the Hollinwood Branch, beyond the junction is Crime Lake. This was a lake created by flooding a small valley. The lake was never planned, but during the construction of the canal embankment, the stream culvert underneath it became blocked and was never cleared. Instead, the valley was allowed to slowly fill up and only the towpath bank of the embankment was completed so forming a dam across the valley. The area is popular now for walking and fishing. But it used to be popular for pleasure boating as well: up until the 1930s, rowing boats could be hired out. And for one year, around 1897, a steam launch even operated on the lake, as part of a timetabled service from Hollinwood to Bardsley Bridge. Beyond Crime Lake, and the infilled canal at Bank Bridge, the route enters an overgrown cutting. This cutting is now itself crossed by the M60, also in a cutting. From here to the Roxy Cinema at Hollinwood the line of the canal is mostly difficult to follow, though there are remains to be spotted if you look carefully. ImpressiveaqueductovertheMedlockatDaisyNook
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Hollinwood
Toof ar etc hed? TTha ha tthe oofar ar-f-f-fetc etched? hatt’swha swhatthe ttheyy said aabout bout the Hudder sf ield... Huddersf sfield...
The Hollinwood Branch is crossed by the M60 motorway (again!) and then there were originally four more locks to Hollinwood Wharf. A new link to the Rochdale could leave the Hollinwood Branch before the final four locks, to follow a similar line to the proposed route of 1791. I do not know how this link could now be built, but the actual distance is not very great (about 800 metres). There is no easy route on foot either, but Staircase locks at Daisy Nook looking across the A62 from behind the Roxy Cinema, I could orientate on some prominent stacks of blue pallets on land acquired by Manchester Cabins. Following the road under the railway line and then left by the transporter car park for the Mirror Group printing works, I could see the pallets again, on the horizon, from a vantage point on extensive waste ground adjacent to the car park. I scrambled on through the trees, and there it was, the Rochdale Canal! A Link Too Far? Too far fetched - a link from the Huddersfield Narrow / Ashton to the Rochdale Canal? Is there a danger of thinking that every disused canal must be restored? Or should we be looking now into the huge potential benefits that a route back to Hollinwood and the Rochdale could bring? All those years ago I did not believe that Stalybridge would ever have a canal again, or that it could cause such a positive transformation. I was proved wrong. Would anyone else like to look at going to Hollinwood? If so, please contact me on 0161 303 7635 or write to me at 68 Knowl Street, Stalybridge, SK15 3AJ. Ed Mortimer This looks like another canal that needs a new canal society setting up to campaign for its restoration. If you want to help to do something about the Hollinwood Branch before it’s too late, contact Ed at the above address or email me at martin.ludgate@wrg.org.uk and I’ll pass your details on Crime Lake, formed when a small valley flooded. All photos by Bob Gough to him. ...the Editor
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WRG Boat Club News The first thing I want to say, to all those that worked so hard making a success of the Aston Locks opening celebrations, is - A BIG THANK YOU from members of WRGBC attending. Although the number of boats able to attend was limited there were a good number of club members, the most number of club boats we have had at a ‘do’ other than at The National! And a good time was had by all. I spent the first part of the weekend feeling rather guilty as we had been told to moor on the lock moorings. There have been times when I have cursed folk for doing just that! It did mean that we were alongside, and able to move out when other boats were loading their guests. We had been asked to take some local councillors as passengers for the first trips through the locks. Well, we said we couldn’t have passengers but could take them as cargo (it sounded better than as ‘movable ballast’) as we could offer no ‘facilities’ for them on the trip. As the crowds began to gather I was able to offer a little ‘divertissement’ by means of playing some 78s (oh ask your Granny) on my HMV phonograph which is resplendent with a large brass horn. Li’l dog has not got the ‘head-on-one-side-listening’ pose quite right yet. The celebrations began and the official band took over the music. The crowds were well behaved, the speeches OK. Well done our chairman for his speech (doesn’t he scrub up well?) Then the journeys through the locks began. The guests on ‘Lynx’ had to climb down into the hold, ladder provided, and dodge the bunting (borrowed from WRGNW) which was flapping madly in the wind. It was an interesting trip, the locks all worked well, I’ve never had such an easy time - there were so many willing hands. We only got stuck on the bottom at one shallow spot. We had a close encounter of the bridge ‘ole kind, somebody didn’t know that the boat nearest the bridge goes first always, and it is not wise to contest this, especially when the nearer boat is a deep, heavy and not easy to stop working boat! As it was so windy, and not blowing the right way, we had fun at the turning area but got round OK and were soon heading back. Our ‘cargo’ preferred to do the return journey by road. I think that this was mainly due to the fact that, although chairs were provided, if they sat down they couldn’t see over the side of the boat and if they remained standing it was very windy, also there were no facilities for them to use! They all thanked us and said that they had enjoyed their trip. We did too.
WRGBC
WR G Boa ting WRG Boatt Club rreepor porting fr om the Aston Opening from
Our Club Commode-door did her official trip through the locks and along the reopened section on the Sunday but unfortunately we have no photographs of her resplendent in the official regalia. The excellent meal and the race night were very enjoyable. Those of you that were unable to attend will be pleased to know that club members were very aware of the responsibility of representing you all and behaved with suitable decorum and propriety throughout the evening. Please note that they didn’t spend any of the club funds (just plenty of their own) on the horses! I wont go on any more about how good the whole weekend was and how much all of us there enjoyed it, because it was a shame that more members couldn’t be there, and because I don’t want you kicking me in the shins when next we meet. Now for some praise in recognition of achievements by club embers... Congratulations to Tony and Pauline Greenwood who are joint winners of the John Heap Salver, the IWA’s major fund raising award. Many thanks to David and Heather Howarth for their photograph of the club burgee flying ‘down under’. ‘Now how did they do that?’ ‘Down under what?’ I hear you ask. They were in, or off the coast of, New Zealand. They sent me a lovely photograph of our burgee flying alongside the NZ ensign. It seems that other boaters studied it closely, perhaps thinking it was from a boat club in Wellington! Any other photos of the club burgee flying in unusual or interesting places will be a most welcome addition to our collection. Of course you have to own one to fly one! £10 to WRG boat club and one can be yours! I need to know if you are intending to be at ‘The National’. I also need lots of small loaf tins - anyone got a supply or any ideas as to here I can obtain some? I hope that you all are managing a lot of enjoyable boating and please keep in touch with your latest news. XXX Sadie Dean
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Bits & pieces
Great Dorset Steam Fair
Ian and Dr Liz Williamson would like to point out that a number of WRGies and KESCRGies (is there such a word?) are heading for the Great Dorset Steam Fair for Thurs/Fri/Sat 28/29/30th August (that’s a week after the ‘National’) and if lots more of you would like to join them then you will be very welcome - but you’ll need to bring your own tents! Easy bookings can be made via the web at www.steam-fair.co.uk. Book soon: last year they ran out of pre-paid camping space about the end of June.
Tired of moaning... ... about the Waterways Scene - want to do something about it? Tired of everyone else moaning about the Waterways Scene - want to do something about them? Then think about standing for IWA Council - details on the IWA website (www.waterways.org.uk). Mike Palmer
New on the WRG web site: Downloadable PDF of the new Health & Safety Guide. Photos of the Training Weekend. A new Appeal Quiz. And soon... lots of pictures of this summer’s first Canal Camps - provided you take the pictures and send them in first... please!
Canal Camps latest news Sleaford:As mentioned in Mike’s ‘Chairman’s Comment’ we’ve unfortunately had to cancel the Sleaford Camp (No 0303, planned for 28th June - 5th July. However we are very hopeful of finding an alternative site for this Camp - phone head office on 01923 711114 or see the web site www.wrg.org.uk for more information. Leaders: We now have a leader for Camp 0311 at Cricklade on the Wilts & Berks (North Wilts) Canal - Harry Watts, assisted by Corinne Watson. That’s right - it’s a ‘Watts ‘n’ Watson’ Camp! Full Up: Camps 0305 and 0306 on the Grand Western, Camp 0314 on the Uttoxeter (Caldon) Canal and Camp 0316 on the Wilts & Berks Canal were already fully booked and not taking any more bookings by the time ‘Navvies’ went to press. Several more were getting close to full. Book now to avoid disappointment!
Bungle and the KL15 crane... Only a short report this time. Basically since the last report we have achieved DBA status. No, not Diploma in Business Administration, nor DataBase Administrator, but Done Bugger All. This is because we have been busy at Claverton Pumping Station getting ready for the open season. In the meantime our crane has been joined in the carpark by another... I don’t know - you wait ages for an old crane then two arrive at once! George ‘Bungle’ Eycott
The KL15 crane (left) gains a new and rather larger companion. (George Eycott)
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Contacting the chairman: Mike Palmer, 3 Finwood Rd, Rowington, Warwickshire CV35 7DH Tel: 01564 785293 e-mail: mike.palmer@wrg.org.uk
Noticeboard Congratulations!
Movinghouse... Leo and Angus Mackenzie have moved to:
...to Mick Beattie and Sue on their wedding
Glen House, Main Street, Kelfield, York YO19 6RG
...to ‘Tenko’ and Alison on their wedding
Tel: 01757 248698
...and to Mark and Annette on their engagement
They say “Anyone passing by in a car on the A1: please drop in. Anyone passing on a narrowboat on the River Ouse: you’ll probably be going too fast on the tidal river to be able to stop...” Alison Livesey would like it to be known that she is now Mrs Alison Johnson (see right!)
Free to a good home
Best wishes from ‘Navvies’ to all of you.
Directory updates The next issue of ‘Navvies’ will contain the full WRG and Canal Societies Directory. Please send any updates to the editor by July 1st. Thank you.
Stamps wanted
Ride-on mower VILLA 808E by STIGA, rarely used, probably needs service. FREE to any restoration group who can make good use of it. To arrange collection, phone 01342824453 (Forest Row, East Sussex)
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 Printing and assembly: the source is acknowlJohn & Tess Hawkins edged. WRG may not 4 Links Way, Croxley Grn agree with opinions exRickmansworth, Herts pressed in this magazine, WD3 3RQ 01923 448559 but encourages publication john.palmer@wrg.org.uk as a matter of interest. Editor : Martin Ludgate 35 Silvester Road East Dulwich London SE22 9PB 020-8693 3266
The WRG Canal Camps mobile phones: 07850 422156 (A) and 07850 422157 (B)
Nothing printed may be construed as policy or an official announcement unless so stated - otherwise WRG and IWAaccept 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, Neil Edwards, John Fletcher, 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 © 2003 WRG Tel : 01923 711114 Registered no 4305322 ISSN 0953-6655
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Backfill
Well done British Waterways! Congratulations to BW for this Waterways Renaissance Award, proudly displayed at Hatton:
Splat the WRGie! Following the success of the ‘Splat the WRGie’ fund-raising game at the Canalway Cavalcade festival at Little Venice, we’re thinking of something a bit bigger for the National Waterways Festival at Beale Park... Instead of a rag-doll we’ll have a real WRGie, instead of a cardboard tube we’ll use one of those giant-size building-site rubbish chutes attached to the top of the abseiling tower, and instead of a bundle of rolled-up newspaper to hit the WRGie with, we’ll use a 14-pound sledge-hammer. (Or maybe an excavator bucket?) All we need now is some volunteer WRGies to be ‘splatted’...
Look closely and you will see that they got it for ‘resorting and conversing the characteristig elements of inland waterways’. So whether or not BW actually do anything to save the canals or improve them, at least we can rely on them to go and talk about them... [Not that I’ve ever made any typing mistakes!]
Luxury Canal Camp accommodation?
It is to be hoped that the ‘Canal Camp’ sign spotted propped up outside a slightly decrepit-looking shed at the Wey & Arun Canal Trust depot at Tickners Heath had simply been left lying there.
Fortunately it looks like Marcus Jones has volunteered, which should make the event very popular with the punters.
Otherwise it looks like the accommodation for the summer Wey & Arun Camp will live up to the traditional Camps booklet description of ‘Best described as basic’.
So I reckon if we can increase the price in proportion, from 20p to maybe £5 a go, we ought to be able to make a fair wodge of cash for the Appeal, as well as paying Marcus’s hospital bills...
And finally: Brian Bayston’s challenge... Brian ran the highly successful Race Night at Aston - highly successful in terms of fund-raising for the Appeal, but also highly successful if you happened to be Liz Dewey. She backed two horses in each of the eight eight-horse races and won every time. She also had two goes at the ‘Tricast’, where you predict the winning three horses in the correct order in the final race - and won. And she bought a horse in the final race - and it won! Brian says ‘What are the odds against that?’ - answers to the Editor please.
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