The
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Northern Navigation News
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Newsletter of the North Riding Branch of the Inland Waterways Association
“Navy Dancer” waits to pass through Bingley Five Rise Locks (see “Skipton to Ripon and back” inside)
Issue 10 - Autumn/ Winter 2013
The Inland Waterways Association Selby Boat Centre & Boroughbridge Marina are pr oud sponsors of Nor thern Na viga tion News proud Northern Naviga vigation
NORTHERN NAVIGATION NEWS WINTER 2013/14 BASIC BOATERS' FACILITIES IN YORK On Tuesday 22nd October 2013, the new Starr Inn restaurant/pub opened. As a boater you can access the waterpoint, which is against the wall by Lendal Bridge. It is now 10ft nearer the River Ouse. There is a small bin for rubbish, which has moved along by the Museum Gardens railings. The boaters' toilets are still being worked on, and are, if one of the restaurant's staff is to be believed, going to be at the back of the Georgian engine house, and tucked away behind the City walls, and are extremely small. There is a toilet and a sluice emptying facility, but no sign yet of a permanent rubbish emptying facility. The main entrance to the restaurant site is through an arch in Museum Street, opposite the gates to the Yorkboat headquarters. This is the entrance nearest the sluice. There is also a pair of wrought iron gates from Museum Gardens themselves, and it it is to be assumed that they will be open while Museum Gardens are open. The gardens close around dusk. At last, we have had a response from the City of York Council (CYC) to our queries about the new Boaters' facilities in York after about two months' of probing. We are still waiting, however, for a response from the other stakeholders. So, watch this space in NNN-11 Spring 2014 for an answer.
VOLUNTEERING Now that there is a plethora of organisations, both locally and nationally, that anyone keen on supporting the waterways in Britain can get involved with. From local canal societies, such as The Pocklington Canal Society, which celebrated its 40th Anniversary last year to the River Foss Society and the North Riding Branch of the IWA. Not to mention York Motor Yacht Club and Ripon Motorboat Club and the Northstar Club in Goole to various cruising clubs. And, of course, there is the national (in England and Wales) Canal and River Trust. One can volunteer at any level. One does not have to be a boat owner. So, three things strike me about the IWA National Festival at Watford (July 2013): firstly, the Cassiobury Park site was ideal with the Grand Union Canal running close to the festival site; secondly it was notable that the only presence that the CRT had throughout the weekend, was a banner in
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the NE Waterways tent. The National Trust had a large tent devoted to the River Wey, but, at least, they had a presence. Thirdly, though, it pains me to say that the usually reasonably thought through employment of volunteers by the IWA had a major flaw. Everyone, including the Volunteer Co-ordinator, Anne Mayall, had to pay the three days’ site access fee (£12.50 in advance) as well as buying the wrist bands for access to the after hours entertainment. I arrived late on the Friday afternoon, and was allowed to pay £12.50 for access to the festival site. Fortunately, I was given after hours wrist bands by the owner of the boat on which I was staying for the weekend. I have been told that the estimated £50,000 cost of running this year’s festival was spread more widely, whereas at the 60th Anniversary Festival at Beale Park on the Thames was largely offset by high boat mooring fees and wrist bands for site access of £25 each (from memory). Volunteering was thus covered. I know £12.50 does not sound a lot of money for even two and a bit days, but my contention, is that if you have volunteered to give up a weekend to help run a festival (some people are on site for both the setting up and taking down – around three weeks in total), plus the cost of getting to the site, and finding somewhere to stay should mean something? I have raised the matter of somewhere to stay with various people over the years, including the previous Chair Clive Henderson. If one volunteers early enough, then there should be a list of IWA members who have booked moorings at the Festival, and they should indicate whether they are willing to host any volunteers on their boat, with contact details. Obviously, it is then up to the volunteer to make contact in time. So, there is a vibrant market in volunteering for waterways activities. The IWA needs to up its game. See you, on the weekend of July 4th, 5th and 6th 2014 at Stratford on Avon?
A NEW SLUICE By the time that you read this, there should be a new automatic sluice installed next to Castle Mills Lock, York, by the Environment Agency. Installation day was Saturday 31st August. The flow of water in the River Foss should now be much more predictable. The sluice will be commissioned by the Environment Agency in early November 2013.
LOCAL HERO 4
Ian Barton is very well known to the local boating fraternity in York. With his 40ft narrowboat, Janine, which is moored at Fulford near York.
About six years ago I did a cruise with Ian from Selby to Wigan along the Leeds and Liverpool, and his was the second craft to go up the River Foss with the local IWA members operating Castle Mills Lock. He cruises on the canal system for about three months each year, and this year he took his wife, Jean for the very first time. They were navigating a lock in Birmingham, when Jean slipped and fell into the pound. Ian threw a life buoy towards Jean and then jumped into the water. He swam towards his wife and lifted her head out of the water. At that minute he heard a loud bang and a man had jumped onto the roof of the boat. The man pulled them both out of the water, and Jean woke up in hospital. Unfortunately, Ian suffered a minor heart attack.
WEAR A LIFE JACKET AT ALL TIMES Ian said that the lesson of this accident is clearly that you should wear a lifejacket at all times whilst on the boat and learn to do mouth to mouth resuscitation and CPR. Jean meanwhile is looking forward to their next boating holiday!
USER GROUP MEETING (UGM) – LEEDS OCTOBER 16th WEDNESDAY 2013. Michael Cadoux, Chair of North Riding Branch (IWA), attended the recent CRT NorthEast User Group Meeting in Fearns Wharf, Leeds on the evening of Wednesday 16th October 2013 - plenty to discuss, it didn't end until well after 10pm! Jon Horsfall started with an explanation of the CRT national budget for the next 5 years, the highlight for me being a tripling of expenditure on dredging.
NON-TOWPATH SIDE TREES There is a nationwide programme being rolled out for non-towpath side trees and vegetation. Locally, this is starting with Ripon, Boroughbridge and Pocklington.
NEW MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS Contracts manager Kevin Tyson explained that new contracts mean better quality control and wider specifications e.g. canalside maintenance will now include clearing the vertical wall, not just the horizontal bank. Charlotte Burnett-Wood has replaced Neil Harvey as chief engineer (and in fact both her assistants are female too), and spoke about how work is
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being prioritised. This is always being rescheduled by 'arisings' – there are 450 Priority One items for this year alone, and some have to slip down as we all know.
FLOODING Following two sinkings while moored in York, IWA NR contacted CRT, and their officer Stuart Mackenzie is co-ordinating publicity about Yorkshire river flooding. Fuller information on the CRT NorthEast Partnership Board was due from its chair Mark Penny and board member David Lowe at another meeting on Oct 22nd, but on 16th Mark mentioned skills training for volunteers, and David spoke about encouraging more boating activity on certain stretches, particularly within Leeds where extra moorings were planned.
APOLOGIES ALL ROUND People often complain about CRT/BW being unresponsive - but a good sign is that although an item raised by Garth Robinson (Association of Waterways Cruising Clubs) about Battyford Cut flooding and having to cut mooring lines received an initial fob-off that nothing untoward had occurred - Garth apologised for saying Saturday instead of Sunday - Jon Horsfall of CRT apologised in turn, saying that the respondent should have realised the mistake in the day and it was "unacceptable" to simply dismiss the problem whilst knowing that there had indeed been a surge of water on the Sunday. So I got the impression that someone in the office had had a good telling off.
LINTON LOCK Charlotte said that she had no immediate concerns, whereupon I retorted that I was glad that she hadn't, as everyone who actually looked at the lock regularly had grave concerns. She agreed to clarify whether the measurements of movement were for the top of the chamber wall, or further down where the bulge was bigger - I've reminded her since!
Michael Cadoux (22.10.2013)
DIARY North Riding Branch (IWA) Committee Meeting This will be held on Saturday 30th November 2013 in the Ripon Motorboat Club, starting at 1.00pm. All welcome.
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The bar will be open and teas and coffees available. We will be discussing our plans for 2014. Annual General Meeting This is a reminder that there will be an AGM on Thursday 10th April 2014, starting at 7.30pm. At St Olave's Church Hall, Marygate Lane, York.There will be a tallk by Adrian Lovett on his experiences on a tall ship “Tenacious” in the Mediterranean Sea, and the work of the Jubilee Sailing Trust. Please phone 0724-806-4863 or e-mail tonymartin451@yahoo.co.uk for further information. Northern Navigation News will be sent to members with an e-mail address electronically, but you can opt back in to receiving a paper copy by contacting tonymartin451@yahoo.co.uk.
RIPON TO SKIPTON AND BACK When we set off on our journey on the Friday evening it had finally stopped raining and as we passed Ripon Motor Boat Club (RMBC), several of our friends asked where we were going. This happened again at Renton Bridge and at Oxclose Lock, as we have found most boaters are friendly and the boating world is a small one. We arrived at Boroughbridge that evening and spent the night there, leaving early on Saturday morning to arrive in York for lunch, where we met up with Keith Chapman of the IWA and he asked us to do this write up. We spent Saturday night in York, then in the morning we went to Naburn Lock ready to lock out in the afternoon. At 2.15pm with lifejackets on the lockie let us out; there were 6 narrow boats and 1 cruiser. We travelled with “Calm Waters”, as when going tidal it is best to travel at least in pairs so if there are any problems you have another boat to help you out. Lots of water skiers were out making the water a bit choppy and “Calm Waters” got something on his prop, but we cleared okay. At Selby Lock they can only let 2 narrow boats in at a time, so as we were the first 2 there, “Calm Waters” and ourselves went in together. We spent the night in Selby, and after stocking up with fresh food from local shop we went to a good pub very close to the basin called the Nelson. Next morning we left again early to get a good start, as we were not sure how long it would take us. Leaving Selby Canal via West Haddlesey Flood
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lock, our boat got blown right over to the other bank of the river Aire, then when John tried to bring it to the moorings it got blown past. Finally I managed to get back on board, but that was not the last of our problems on the Aire, as shortly after that and before Beal lock we were going round a corner when we ran onto a sand bar. After transferring everything that was heavy from the aft of the boat to the stern, we drained most of the fresh water tank and then with John manoeuvring with the tiller and me pushing with the boat hook we finally got off - it took us 2 hours. But we were lucky, as “Blue Rover Two” had previously done the same and blown his engine up. After that nothing held us up and once we arrived at Bulhome Lock, all the locks were mechanised and operated by a BW key and push buttons. We met Ibis from RMBC at Lemonroyd lock; they had been to Leeds and were on their way to Trent Falls. After ten and a half hours cruising we moored for the night outside Leeds at Knostrop Fall lock. Next day we set off again going through the centre of Leeds until we came to a bend in the river; the river continued down under the railway station through tunnels and there was a small shabby lock with a very small mooring. I jumped onto the mooring and ran up the steps to check which way to go; at the top was Granary Wharf. I then set the lock ready - this was the first time we had used handcuff keys and they were a little difficult to work out how to use. We were on the Leeds-Liverpool canal and here we teamed up for a while with a narrow boat called Amy Jane. When we went through our first double lock (Oddy 2 Lock), they left us to go back to their marina. We arrived at our first triple lock (Forge3 Lock) and here we met another narrow boat “R Thyme” travelling the same way as us so again we teamed up. Next we had another triple lock and then the swing bridges started; with some you just needed handcuff key, others you needed BW key and the handcuff key, some you had to push, and others were automatic. At Apperly we broke down so we called RCR out and ended up staying there for the night. We walked back along the canal and up the road at the bridge to the shops and a good pub called the Dog and Gun. Next day the RCR repaired our boat (it turned out to be a loose wire on the fuel pump) and we got on our way again. After the bridge at Apperly there was another double lock, but at the top were BW facilities, water, shower and toilets so we made use of them. Two swing bridges later we arrived at Field 3 Lock and the lock-keeper was already bringing a boat down so we had to wait for about an hour, and so we had lunch in was a lovely spot with picnic tables. Going through one of the bridges there suddenly
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appeared a horse towing a narrow boat and all the crew had traditional dress on - it was a lovely surprise. At Duck Hill Swing Bridge we were held up again as the bridge was stuck on a rock; it took John and three cyclists to release it and get us going again. At Dock Swing Bridge there was a couple coming the other way that had been on our boat when Tommy owned her. We were lucky to meet them as this bridge was different to open - you had to put the barriers down with your BW key, then turn the gears with your windlass so many times to release the blocks. Then you move your windlass on to the other gears and turn it again for so many times to open the bridge and to close it again you do it all in reverse - it was the only bridge like this. Just past Saltaire we gave a little boy and his granddad a lift after they helped us with the lock. At 5pm, after going through the double lock at Dowley Gap we moored outside the Fisherman pub, as recommended by one of the lockies. It was a pretty mooring however the pub proved dear and it was not a good pint of lager so we walked into Bingley. We set off early next morning just behind a hired wide-beam. After 10 minutes of crawling behind him, he ran into some bushes and we asked if he needed help, but he said no so we overtook him. Got to Bingley Five Rise at 8.15am, but had to wait to see if another narrow boat was coming to share the lock with us. The wide-beam arrived and they went up by themselves; meanwhile, no other narrow boat turned up so they finally let us in at 10.15am and we left the top at 11.30am. Shortly after this we spotted the first kingfisher we had seen this year and 23 swing bridges later we arrived in Skipton. At one that was called Cowling, I nearly fell in the canal when the wind took the boat. We moored just near Gallows Bridge after John had turned the boat around. The weather was lovely, so we spent 3 nights in Skipton, exploring the woods, castle, pubs and market. But sadly on Sunday we set off back again and at Bradley Swing Bridge we had to wait for about 2 hours, as the bridge was broken. We then played leapfrog through the bridges with a narrow boat called Grace. We passed a cruiser from RMBC called Perfect Day, going the other way. “Grace� left us at Holden Swing Bridge and at Booth Swing Bridge we met up with a boat called Gellibean and travelled with them. But at Leache Swing Bridge it took 5 of us to close the bridge, then my BW key would not come out at Micklethwaite Swing Bridge so we had to wait 15 minutes for the River and Canal Trust to come out. There were no problems going down the 5 Rise, no waiting, then we stopped at Saltaire over night, walked down by the river and visited a couple of pubs.
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River Foss Society formed on 23 July 1973 to protect and promote enjoyment of the river from Pond Head (Oulston) to Blue Bridge in York where it joins the River Ouse. Please contact the Secretary for the 2014 Programme available soon. Usually one walk and at least one other event are organised each month from March to October. Secretary – Tel no 01904 760871, E mail: m.burton599@btinternet.com Membership – Tel no 01904 768071, E mail: chrisandpete@haxby147.fsnet.co.uk
www.riverfosssociety.co.uk Please note that all views expressed in “Northern Navigation News” are those of the authors and may not represent those of the Inland Waterways Association.
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Next day we set off again on our own, and there were no problem - we just stopped at Rodney for some diesel. We cracked on as the locks between Newlay and Kirkstall are locked up between5pm and 8am. All the locks from Spring Garden Lock to St. Annsing Lock did not have handcuff keys on when we arrived, but as we left we put them on as the lock-keepers had been complaining about kids emptying the canal. At Oddy 2 Lock there were two lads jumping into the lower lock from the top lock. We thought they may have give us problems, but I went up and said “sorry I am going to spoil your fun lads, as I need to empty the locks to get the boat through” They were okay about it and even helped us through all the locks into Leeds. We moored in Granary Wharf for two nights which cost us £6, right next to cafés, bars and hotels and there are security cameras everywhere and a patrol going round. We explored Leeds and went round the Armoury, which was free. Then on Wednesday we set off again, after we left the Leeds Liverpool Canal the locks again were automatic and we had a good run and arrived at Selby for 5.15pm. Moored there for the night to lock out in the morning. We left Selby at 9.30am, and we were the last narrow boat out with only a cruiser behind us, which managed to over take us before Naburn. There was a lot of rubbish in the river and fast water, and when we got to Naburn the lock-keeper was just locking down as he was full, so we had to wait out on the river. We spent a lovely quiet night in Naburn and left next day. As we went through York at about 10am on Friday, the moorings were already full. We slowed down as a few of our friends were moored there and the narrow boats which had left Selby with us and they were all waving and shouting to us. When we were going through Linton Lock Dave from RMBC was there and helped us through the lock. We stopped the night at Linton Lock as we never stayed there before, and had a nice meal and a cheap pint in the bar at the lock. We helped our friends from “Lady D” through the lock on their way to York, and later on at about 10pm I was woken by a cruiser arriving. We set off next day for Ripon, and saw about 16 kingfishers between the where the Swale and the Ure meet and Milby Lock. We passed several boats we knew at Boroughbridge and Langthorpe, so we felt we were in home waters. We saw more friends at Oxclose Lock and we had to stop at RMBC to update friends where we had been, but we were not glad to be back as it had been too short a trip.
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A WEEK ON KEW UNPRESSED VOLIUNTEER CREW MEMBER I had previously stayed on Kew at both the Beale Park and Wolverhampton IWA National Festivals, but had not had the thrill of crewing on her, as had Keith Chapman, who took her through the centre of London on the Regents Canal, and moored for several days in Little Venice. A trip that I really wanted to do, as I used to live near Camden Lock in the mid-eighties. Unfortunately, I was ill at the time. However, when David Litchfield indicated that he wanted help with crewing Kew back up North from the site of the Watford Festival, I jumped at the chance. BOATERS' CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP (BCF) David and Mary Litchfield are founder members of the BCF, which was founded about 16 years' ago. It currently has over 500 members, and has published a guide to local churches across both England and Wales and a membership directory which is second to none. David is the Treasurer and used to lead the Mission. Kew still cruises the network for many months during the Spring, and Summer, visiting all the key boating festivals on the waterways with a medium sized tent and also holds Sunday services. We met, at least, six other members during our trip along the Grand Union Canal. HISTORY OF KEW Firstly, a brief history of Kew, which was built at EC Jones yard in Brentford in 1959, as a butty with a small cabin on the stern, which was big enough for a mother, father and three children. There was no engine, but a cargo of 30 tons of loose coal. David bought Kew from British Waterways in 1964, and is celebrating 50 years’ of ownership in 2014. He put the superstructure on her, and had her towed up to Rugby to have a three cylinder Lister diesel engine installed. She sleeps six people in comfort. She is 71 feet long and 7 feet wide, being the maximum length for the Grand Union Canal, and is heavy to handle. Mary Litchfield cycled between locks, and I walked between the closest ones, and paired up with other craft when we could. David had booked passage through Iron Bridge Lock at 2.00pm on Monday 22nd July. There were CRT volunteers helping boats through the locks either side of the Festival site, which helped considerably. We met further CRT volunteers during the cruise, and three officers with a patrol boat about half way through the trip. The volunteers were very helpful, but
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the officers were mostly concerned about getting through a lock as soon as possible, and were not happy at waiting their turn. We stopped the first night it Apsley, which had been a major paper producing centre, and had a meal in the Paper Mill pub/restaurant. Shopping in Tescos on the way back to the boat rather late. DURHAM LASS What I like about boating on the waterways is that you meet people a long way from where you first met them. I live in York, which is not easy to reach by the waterways network, being on the River Ouse, which is tidal, and accessible through both Selby and Goole, both which access the River Ouse below Naburn on the tidal section. Many boaters say that they do not want to risk the tidal section. However, those that do, have a few days boating on the Rivers Ouse, and Ure, plus the Ripon Canal. One can also turn eastwards and try the Derwent and short section of the Pocklington Canal. If you are really feeling brave, then there is the Trent Falls.
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So it was a real pleasure to reach the winding point at the end of the Wendover Arm, only to find the Durham Lass moored there. The owner said that he belonged to the local preservation society and had been present when water was first let into the arm. David nudged Kew along the arm slowly, with Mary in the bow with a long pole. We had passed the large flour mill, which loomed impressively out of the surrounding fields, only to come to a halt with a chain wrapped round the propeller. David had to stand up to his waist in the muddy arm to remove it. The workers at the flour mill watched us in great amusement during their lunch break, when we came back. The trip back was a lot easier as the water level was a little higher, than with the outward journey. It was due to be raised the following morning. The flour mill? It made flour for Chinese restaurants. Turning Kew back onto the main Grand Union Canal was difficult as it was a very tight T junction. LEIGHTON BUZZARD We stopped for lunch in Leighton Buzzard, on the Friday afternoon, where they were getting ready for a day’s boat festival on the Saturday. We would have stayed, but David and Mary were heading back to Fazeley Junction, where their daughter and grandchildren would be joining Kew on Sunday evening. I left at Braunston Marina on Saturday evening, and took a train to Birmingham from Rugby. Followed by a very slow train to York. We also visited the launderette and did some shopping. David filled up with diesel at Wyvern Shipping just outside Leighton Buzzard. In imperial measures, Kew uses a litre every hour, and David fills up weekly. Including VAT about £100 worth. The fill-up was 87.5 litres. Heading south along the canal to the Leighton Buzzard Festival, were various work boats carrying gas canisters, barrels of cooking oil and a variety of goods. MILTON KEYNES The following day, the trip across the middle of Milton Keynes was interesting, with the canal going along a wooded corridor with footpaths. Not a concrete cow in sight. We met the Rotary funded ‘Playboat’, which was a pink, sixty foot narrowboat. An inspiration for York, someone?
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BLISWORTH TUNNEL, A BOTTLE OF WINE AND A STAG PARTY We had a wet passage through the Blisworth, having to pull right across when a boat entered towing another one. They were rather surprised to be confronted by a boat as large as Kew coming the other way. On emerging out into bright sunlight, we were confronted by two narrowboats trying to turn round. They had found themselves headed the wrong way towards Blisworth tunnel. The furthest boat managed to turn around but the one nearest us was experiencing trouble. Altogether there were thirteen young men on two fifty foot narrowboats, heading for a stag party. David organised that the narrowboat be tied firmly alongside Kew and we doubled up, taking them along the canal to a wider part where they could turn around easily. Just as we were parting company a hand came out of a side door with a welcome bottle of white wine! Having moored up later that evening, we found a very good small hotel, The Walnut Tree. The meal was excellent, and we were relaxing afterwards, when some familiar faces appeared. The stag night was at The Walnut Tree Hotel. We were invited to join them, but politely declined, as the following day was an early start.. ONE MORE LOCK, TONY! When I was a child, I enjoyed a short story about a boy rescuing a couple of cows at the insistence of a loud wood pigeon: ‘Take two coos Davy’ it advised. By the end of a day’s lock opening, it sounded more like ‘One more lock, Tony!’ Especially on the Saturday afternoon, when we exited the Braunston Tunnel, which was older, higher and far drier than the Blisworth Tunnel, there were five more locks towards Braunston. I had counted them up, only for Mary to tell me that there was one more! They came in pairs, apparently. I did catch the 5.17pm bus into Rugby from the marina. Many thanks to my hosts, David and Mary Litchfield for a very enjoyable trip. Tony Martin
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