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Weed Cutter by Roy Chandler
Campaigning for the conservation, use, maintenance, restoration and development of the Inland Waterways Disclaimer: The IWA may not agree with opinions expressed in this Newsletter but encourages publication as a matter of interest. Nothing printed herein may be construed as policy or official announcement unless stated otherwise. The IWA accepts no liability for any matter in the Newsletter
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Content From the Editor From the Chairman Readers Photos New Plant Arrives Tow Path Walk Mid Week Working Parties Early Days
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A Day on the C & B Social Events Boat Jumble Standing Up for the C & B Essex WRG Just for Fun Branch Committee
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From The Editor Your membership is very important. We need your continued support to the Chelmsford Branch and Inland Waterways Association but most importantly for the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation which is operated by the Inland Waterways Association’s subsidiary company, Essex Waterways Ltd. We would like to increase our contributors to this Newsletter. Please make time to look out your photos, articles and ideas and send them in for our next Newsletter: Last inputs for Summer Newsletter 21/08/2014. Tell us about your own waterway experiences, your holiday or send in Readers Photos. For those on e-mail please send your input to chelmsford.news@waterways.org.uk Those without just give me a call to arrange for collection. 07837 576464.
From The Chairman Once again we have cause to thank our Committee Youth Officer, Kirsten Smith, for another delightful harp concert in Maldon at the beginning of July. In the foyer, Mike Huggett set up a publicity display which included a screen with a lot of computerised Navigation and general waterways pictures, many supplied by Stephanie Mason and John Grieve. Leaflets and artifacts were there too and, of course, a collecting bowl for donations. As before, the venue was arranged by Eileen Cannom, who so admired the work of the Essex Waterways volunteers. Refreshments were sold before the concert and altogether £257.36 has been added to the coffers for volunteer equipment. Many thanks to Eileen, once more. As I write, the rain has been non-stop for many hours and it's difficult to think that summer should still have plenty of life in it yet. A few days ago, in glorious weather, I took a trip to Heybridge Basin to see the two new information boards that have been set up by the lock. One has been paid for by the family of a local resident, who obviously loved the area. I'm proud to say that the other has been paid for by the Branch and placed there by EWL, in memory of my late husband, Doug, who did a great deal to ensure that the waterway remained open and administered by IWA. The two boards, painted in the traditional blue of the company, look very smart. There were plenty of people around to see them; do go and look for yourself while the summer is still with us. It's a lovely place for a stroll or to sit and have a coffee or even a cream tea at the tea room on the sea wall, while you enjoy the sights and sounds of the estuary, even at low tide. I'm sorry to tell you that Sylvia Cox, who made a wonderful Christmas cake for us every year, died just after Easter, too late for notification in the last newsletter. Several of us attended her funeral and mourners donated £50 to Essex Air Ambulance in her memory. Sylvia had been the Branch Social Secretary for a number of years and her husband, Roy, is a former Chairman of the Branch; I'm glad to say that he is still with us. Looking forward to seeing you at the first meeting of the new season. Molly Beard
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Readers Photos Here is a selection of photographs of recent trips from Chris and Roy Chandler.
Cursing on the Rhine
Queen Elizabeth and Victoria in Southampton
Please send in yours to be included.
Early morning on Breydon Water, Norfolk Broads
Essex Waterways Update
During this time a team of volunteers led by Iain’s rapidly adapted an existing store shed to provide a new base for the machine.
New Plant Arrives It is nearly nine years since Essex Waterways Ltd took responsibility for maintaining and operating The Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation. In anticipation of EWL taking on this role, Chelmsford Branch had arranged with the Administrator of the Company to assist with re-plating and overhauling the Chelmer lighter Julie so that it could continue to be used as a maintenance barge on the Navigation. Thus when EWL commenced operations it had an excellent work barge, but most of the other inherited plant was already fairly ancient.
The wait was finally over in early June and the machine was delivered to the C&BN for demonstration and training of EWL staff. However, due to rapid weed growth on the Navigation at this time of year, EWL staff had to give priority to removing this, and the weed cutter boat was put into action rather than the new Avant. Last year saw considerable expenditure on replacing the cutting gear on the weed cutter and we were therefore expecting early success in clearing the weed. However, after a few days cutting, the boat failed once again, this time with a serious engine problem. It was decided straight away that further expenditure on the boat was not warranted and an immediate search commenced to borrow, hire or purchase a replacement cutter to deal with the weed problem.
Over the subsequent years some plant was disposed of whilst the more useful items were subject to regular repairs in order to keep them operational. These items included the mini-digger, the weed lifter boat and the weed cutter boat. It had also become evident that the equipment for mowing and maintaining the 13 miles of tow path needed to be improved. The regular cutting is very reliant upon volunteers using hand propelled mowing machines and by the time they have finished a cut of the whole length it is time to start again! A new mowing machine was required. After trialling tractor mounted flail mowers and much research, it was decided that an all wheel drive articulated Avant would be able to access most of the tow path due to its narrow width and it could be fitted with a flail mower which could be replaced with a flail arm when the hedges and banks need cutting. In addition, this was a multi-purpose machine which could be used with many different attachments such as a loading bucket, stump-grinder, winch and back-hoe excavator. It could also be road registered and tow a tipping trailer. Demonstrations confirmed its suitability and an order placed, but these machines have suddenly become very popular and delivery would be several months.
Weed cutter boats are very much in demand at this time of the year and as they tend to be built abroad they are usually built and imported to order. We were however fortunate to be offered a boat built for exhibition from one manufacturer or a demonstration boat used by their competitor. The later, a Conver C420 was purchased, delivered and demonstrated within a few days and immediately put to use on the Navigation. It comes with a front T bar cutter which can be exchanged for a weed lifter and it also has a rear trailing knife blade to deal with blanket weed. There have already been several comments about the new ‘toys’, but EWL is confident that these will considerably improve its maintenance operations along the Navigation.
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Tow Path Walk In early May Farleigh Hospice held their ‘Walk for Life 2014’ along the tow path of The Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation. The event was extremely successful with just under 1200 participants and it raised nearly £114,000 for Farleigh Hospice. Supporting Farleigh Hospice helps them to maintain their services and also to expand to meet the needs of the increasing number of people who are living for longer with illnesses for which there is no remedy. The money raised will go a long way to help fund the free services Farleigh Hospice provides to local people across Essex. These services include an inpatient unit, two Day Hospices, the HOP, along with what doctors, nurses and a multi-disciplinary team do with patients and their families in their own homes. Essex Waterways staff and volunteers support the event by ensuring the tow paths are cut for this annual event.
Mid-Week Working Parties Since the last ‘Newsletter’ our small team of four have continued working. We have planted many willows along the Navigation, we have recovered a lot of metal from the sunken boat we helped break up and did a scrap run with the results. We have helped remove fallen trees along the navigation and done some painting. But, as spring and summer arrived, most weeks we have been mowing around the locks and along the towpath, and this will now continue until October. John Gale.
Early Days In the last ‘Newsletter’ Roy Chandler recounted his early days boating. With me it started in the early 60s - I can’t remember which year. I got a phone call from an Aunt telling me I was helping to move a boat the next weekend (this was telling, not asking!). All I knew about boats was that they were pointed at one end and not at the other. Although, of course, I’ve subsequently discovered that that is not necessarily true. My Aunt, it seemed had started a hire boat business on the Stratford Canal. Anyhow, the weekend arrived and I and two Aunts were driven to Double Pennant’s yard on the Staffs and Worcester and were shown a (very small) plastic sixteen foot boat. It had two bunks in the cabin, and a fold out double in the cockpit under a hood. As this was the sixties the modern conveniences were not there. There was an Elsan (bucket and chuck it type). There was a two burner gas stove, and hot water came from the kettle. We started the outboard and after about half a mile we came to Aldersley Junction and a lock! This, I discovered was the start of the BCN, and it wasn’t one lock: it was the Wolverhampton twenty-one! By the time we got to the top of the flight I certainly knew how a lock worked, and cruising along the main line I got the hang of steering the boat. We spent the night in Gas Street Basin – a hidden world surrounded by fairly dilapidated buildings with a church built on a bridge overlooking the basin. There were a lot of Narrow Boats moored up and a green door that led out into central Birmingham. The next morning we set off again down the Worcester Birmingham Canal and left into the Stratford Canal, past a swing bridge, a tunnel and a draw bridge, we finally arrived at Hockley Heath – which was our destination. A fairly short journey, but it was enough to hook me for the next fifty years. John Gale
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A Day on the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation My days on the C&BN differ from those of most who may be boating, canoeing, paddle-boarding, walking or just visiting. This is because I am regularly looking at what’s happening along the waterway. On this day in June I started at Springfield Basin in Chelmsford where I visited the recently opened Indigo Wharf to check that the developer had connected the electricity supply to the new service bollards for the moorings. This had been completed. While there I was able to assist a delivery driver looking for the developer who no longer had a presence at the site.
On to Hoe Mill where volunteers Iain and Graham have been busy working on the sheds at the works area. Although not there today, another Ian, the residential caretaker, was busy painting the weatherboarding and volunteer Bob was busy working on a new electrical installation. I also met a new volunteer, a boater, who helps with tow path cutting and I am embarrassed to admit that as yet I do not know his name.
While at the Basin I also looked at the condition of the tow path and lock so any problems could be reported back to the Navigation Manager, just in case he was not aware. I then travelled to Sandford Lock to look at the progress on the construction of the foundations for the new facilities building for the moorings. The piling had been completed and left to harden before the installation of the raft which would commence in a few days time. Colin, part of the Essex Waterways caretaking team here, was busy cutting the bank by the lower moorings. After a chat, I then moved down to Paper Mill Lock.
Next stop was Freshwater Crescent in Heybridge, another hive of activity! This was the site of previous winter storm damage where a row of willow trees had been blown over. The trees had all been removed, but large overturned roots remained and had to be removed before damage to the road can be repaired. This work required the use of an 8 ton excavator and several skips and so our experienced volunteer digger drivers, Nigel and Bob were busy at work here. Also assisting as Banks men and grass cutters were volunteers John and Wendy.
At Paper Mill Lock, Graham, Navigation Manager and Hugh, Moorings Manager were both busy in their respective offices. What a delightful office location in the summer months! On the north bank volunteers Rob and Geoff were busy mowing grass, having recently completed the electrical installations for the new toilet facilities. These were now in use, although there are still a few ‘snagging’ items to be completed.
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Day on the C & B (cont) Whilst here, the EWL work barge Julie appeared under the control of assistant lengthsmen Eve and Sam, busy clearing a channel through the rapidly growing weed which has been encouraged by the warm weather. They were able to move a flotilla of branches to the bank where the excavator could remove these to the skip.
Social Events The committee have managed to gather some speakers for September. 11th September. Dennis C Padfield. History of the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation. 9th October. Denys Harrison. Heybridge Basin. (TBC) 13th November. Roger Squires. The Droitwich Ring. 11th December. Roy Cox. Historic Films and Christmas Gathering. We still need a Social Secretary
My final call was at Heybridge Basin where contractors had erected scaffolding at the Lock House so that the second roof hip could be reslated to cure leaks that had also occurred during the winter storms. Speaking to the contractor on the top of the scaffolding also revealed an outstanding panorama over Heybridge Basin, the tidal river and Navigation with Maldon in the distance. Something very few people see from this height! The contractor commented on the superb view and the fact that whenever he worked at Heybridge Basin, it was either really hot, as today, or bitterly cold!
Meetings are held at Moulsham Mill, Parkway, Chelmsford (between Tesco Homestore anf the Army & Navy roundabout). 7:45pm for an 8:00pm start. Plenty of parking and refreshments available.
Along the moorings Lock Keeper Martin and caretaker Dan had been busy on re-establishing the caretaker’s store that was severely damaged in the winter storms. I also chanced upon Dudley and Norma from Chelmer Canal Trust who were busy researching for the production of a Treasure Trail for Heybridge Basin. I was able to tell them that with the help of IWA, we would shortly be installing two new information boards at the lock. They thought these would be introduced into their Treasure Trail.
Boat Jumble Plas%c water tank Aquaflow 460 x 500 x 230mm Plas%c holding tank Unused 300 x 260 x 700mm Outboard Add a Rudder two available
As I walked back to my car, I couldn’t help thinking how much happens every week along the C&BN and to marvel at the help we receive from our many willing volunteers, so valuable is this that I ought to write about it!
Pair of metal car ramps Stainless steel deck stanchions 9no x 450mm high
A really sincere ‘Thank You’ to all our volunteers, without you we would not be able to achieve the continued maintenance and improvement of the C&BN. Roy Chandler
Any of the above available for a donaBon to IWA Contact Roy 01245 223732
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We would like to thank Essex Waterways Limited most heartily for their un-wavering support to us in the past months as we have worked tirelessly to set up our mobile SUP school, teaching beginners at Hoe Mill Lock and paddling up and down the waterway. People have been travelling from all over the county to learn to SUP with us and it is proving very popular with families and people of all ages and fitness levels. Even Maggie the dog likes to ride too!
Standing Up for the Chelmer and Backwater Navigation Hello! We are a family run mobile Stand Up Paddle (SUP) school based on the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation. Stand Up Paddle (SUP) board riding is one of the fastest growing water sports in the UK. You stand on a specially designed board, put on a lightweight, easily detachable velcro ankle or calf leash and you hold a single paddle in both hands. You change the paddle from one side of the board to the other as you paddle and steer your board through the water and most people can master the basic stokes in just an hour or two.
We joined IWA as a corporate member at the end of last year and we have been warmly welcomed by local branch members. Thank you to all our new friends! You may have seen us paddling on the Navigation (we wear turquoise blue tops) or even paddling on the carpet at Moulsham Mill! (In May we made a presentation to branch members about SUP and demonstrated it using an inflatable SUP board in the conference room!)
As a qualified and approved British Stand Up Paddle Association (BSUPA) school we strive to teach people to be safe and considerate water users plus we truly value the beauty and heritage of the wonderful Navigation. Anni, Mike, Luke and Guy Frangipani SUP Tel; 07597 094233
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Essex WRG Working Party
left tidy. The gutters and drain pipes were left for the staff to do during the week.
The weekend of 7th and 8th June saw Essex WRG gathering at Hoe Mill Lock on the Chelmer. There are some sheds half way down the moorings. The problem is that all the water from the roof of them goes straight on to the strip of land behind them, which, as it is clay, quickly becomes a sodden mess. Our job was to try and sort this out. We had a demonstration of this as we had a ten minute downpour of rain, although, luckily, the sun then came out and slowly dried the ground again.
Other jobs completed over the weekend were painting the shed with a timber preservative, and clearing a lot of scrap timber and vegetation and taking it to the bonfire heap.
The longer of the two sheds needed a gutter and drain pipe; the other shed already had these – three drain pipes in fact – but they just emptied on this strip of ground. The solution was to put in a soakaway. To do this we had use of Essex Waterways’ new tractor. This is a multi-purpose machine which will normally be used for mowing the towpath. But, cleverly, it has inter-changeable attachments. The mower attachment can be removed and it can be fitted with a stump grinder, or a winch, or the one we were to use – a back-hoe. Although unlike the normal JCB type tractor, this one fits on the front.
The next Essex WRG working party is on the weekend of 7th and 8th September which will be somewhere on the Chelmer and Blackwater – although, at this stage, we don’t know exactly where or what our work will be. We hope that members of the Branch can join us. Please make a note in your diaries now. There will be a barbeque on the Saturday evening at my home in Braintree for participants and partners. We will need you to let me know in advance if you intend to come (so we know how much food to get it) and, unfortunately, we will have to charge to cover the cost of the food. Hope to see you there!
Bob Crow, as our most experienced digger driver got the job of driving it. He proceeded to dig a hole six foot wide by about fifteen foot long and good seven or eight foot deep. Bob also dug trenches to install hoppers at the site of the drain pipes with connecting pipes to the soakaway. While this was going on the rest of us were filling the rather large hole with broken bricks. This was followed by a fabric sheet before a layer of soil was replaced, followed by another sheet and topped of with some ‘type one’ aggreate, which was raked level and this firmed into place with the ‘Wacker’ plate. And the site was then
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John Gale
Just For Fun SUDOKU Fill in the grid so that each row, column and 3 x 3 block contains the numbers one to nine (1 - 9) 3
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Branch Committee If you have any topics or subject that you wish to bring to the committees attention please use the contact details below Molly Beard:
Chairman
molly.beard@waterways.org.uk
John Gale:
Vice Chairman & Treasurer.
24 Longleaf Drive, Braintree CM7 1XS
Paul Strudwick:
London Region Chairman.
Paul.strudwick@waterways.org.uk
Chris Chandler:
Secretary.
Chris.chandler@waterways.org.uk
Roy Chandler:
Planning and Conservation.
Roy.chandler@waterways.org.uk
John Carlaw:
Newsletter and Membership.
Chelmsford.news@waterways.org.uk John.carlaw@waterways.org.uk
Mike Huggett:
Publicity.
Mike.huggett@waterways.org.uk
Stephanie Mason:
Refreshments.
None
Kirsten Smith:
Youth.
None
Adam Wyllie:
Branch Web Editor.
Adam.wyllie@waterways.org.uk
IWA Chelmsford Web Address
http://www.waterways.org.uk/chelmsford
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