Ouse News - Summer 2017

The Inland Waterways Association

Keeping our waterways alive

Ouse News - Summer 2017 The Great Ouse Branch Newsletter covering the Great Ouse and tributaries Contents: Branch Committee

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Branch News

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Chairman’s Corner

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Dept for Useless Info p6

Site meeting at Welches Dam with local MEP Alex Mayer - see page 7

Campaigning for the conservation, use, maintenance, restoration and development of the Inland Waterways.

Anglian Finances

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Prickwillow Visit

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Old Bedford

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Book Review

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Crossing the Wash

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Volunteering

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BCNS Cruise

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River News

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The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Inland Waterways Association or of the Great Ouse Branch. They are, however, published as being of interest to our members and readers.

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Great Ouse Branch Committee: Committee members may be contacted by email: e.g. an.other@waterways.org.uk Chairman: Keith Alderton Tel : 01366 727236 Secretary: John Hodgson Tel : 01234 344884 Treasurer: Enid Hodgson Tel : 01234 344884 Ouse News Editor: Carole Alderton Tel : 01366 727236 Sales Officer: David Anderson Tel : 01480 477227

Membership Officer: Peter Webb Tel 01353 658581 Volunteer Co-ordinator: Gail Mead Tel 01359 232603 Member: Stephen Foote Tel 01763 838936 Member: Derek Bradley Tel 01353 661601 We are a small, friendly group and would welcome another committee member to help us organise meetings and events. Please contact the editor.

(Authorised to examine all private boats and in addition, residential boats provided they are fitted with a gas bubble tester) Additional contact : Ely Boat Chandlers 01353 663095

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Branch News Winter Meetings

are at 8 pm on Thursday evenings at the Cole’s Road Community Centre, Milton (North Cambridge) CB24 6BL. Members & Visitors welcome.

T HURSDAY 26 TH O CTOBER

2017

Talk by Nick and Gina Mead about life on their hotel boat ‘Lady Teal’.

T HURSDAY 23 RD N OVEMBER

2017

Ilustrated talk on the Littleport Riots

by Debbie Curtis from the Field Theatre Group entitled ‘Rebels & Rioters : The Butterfly Effect’. This is about the tumultuous events that tore a riverside town apart.

T HURSDAY 22 ND F EBRUARY

2018

Talk by Andrew Storar of Project Hereward on the renovation of Welches Dam and the Forty Foot River up to Horseway Lock.

T HURSDAY 22 ND M ARCH

2018

This will be our branch Annual General Meeting, together with an update from the Environment Agency.

We welcome the following new members to the branch.

We hope you will introduce yourselves to us when coming to an event or meeting: Darren & Amanda Oliver, Cambridge David Abrahams, Whittington, Kings Lynn Dawn & Master Garrett Hawkins, Cambridge Benjamin & Louise Jameson, Cambridge Diana Birley, Isleham, Ely Members who have moved to the branch: Ken & Tricia Jordan, Hornchurch Tim & Sara Millward, Stretham, Ely Nigel May, Long Eaton, Nottingham Brian & Charlee Phillips, Mercia Marina, Derby

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Chairman’s Corner We have certainly experienced a very busy few months prior to going away on this year’s summer boating expedition. In March we met local MEP Alex Mayer at Welches Dam to highlight the plight of the Anglian Waterways (see page 7). In April, we held our annual away-day when 20 members and friends visited the Prickwillow Drainage Museum, where we were able to see two of the massive diesel engines running and hear an interesting talk followed by a good lunch (see page 8).

Over the May Day weekend we attended the branch dinner at the Dykes End pub and manned our stand at Reach Fair where our model lock once again proved to be a hit with the kids. Later on in May we held our annual working party; this time at Jesus Lock on the River Cam where volunteers painted the lock balance beams, paddle gear, mooring bollards, swingbridge and maintenance hut. As usual it proved to be a hard day’s work, but the lock and its surroundings looked a great deal smarter in their new coat of paint by the time we finished. (Some of the volunteers also went home beautifully decorated with black and white paint!)

In July our stand at Ely Aquafest provided another opportunity to inform members of the public about local waterways and the work of the IWA. I would like to thank all of those who have given up their time to participate in these activities. Without their efforts we would not have an effective organisation. Needless to say our active members are few in number and we would welcome more support at future events. Any time that you can give would be much appreciated.

You may recall that we had hoped to hold our next series of off-season meetings at North Lodge Pavilion in Milton. However we have encountered problems with access and security and so this will not now be possible. We, therefore, propose to continue using Coles Road Community Centre until we can find a more suitable venue.

Ouse News Page 5 Some good news! It has been agreed that the IWA Festival of Water will be held on our patch at St.Neots over the August Bank Holiday weekend next year. This will be the major IWA event of the year and will involve members at national, regional and branch level.

We hope that branch members will turn out in force to enjoy the festival and perhaps to also volunteer to help run the event and man our stall. We will keep members abreast of developments (and call for help) as the year progresses.

In June this year we joined fellow branch members Meg & Stephen Foote and Peter & Jean Webb on an organised tour of the Birmingham Canal Navigations (see report on page 19). We last visited the BCN in the early seventies when access off of the canal to the City was limited by high brick walls and derelict warehouses.

What a change! Birmingham now boasts one of the most impressive city centre canalscapes in the country. We have often wanted to explore the BCN but didn’t know quite where to start. However, friends recommended that we join one of the week-long tours organised by the BCN Society.

These guys know the BCN like the back of their hands and escort you around the system with talks, visits and social events along the way. All-inall a fascinating experience.

I hope you also have a great boating season and look forward to seeing you at the branch meeting in October.

Keith Alderton

Ouse News Page 6 Department for Useless Information Where almost anything off-beat, unusual or just downright weird may appear: The Chelmer and Blackwater navigation was promoted byActs in the 1790s.

The navigation is the river Blackwater from the sea to Maldon, and thence to Chelmsford by the river Chelmer. The Blackwater above Maldon is unnavigable – but once upon a time………

In the 1590s, Rev’d William Harrison, then Rector of Radwinter and Vicar of Wimbish in Essex wrote a treatise entitled ‘Description of Britaine’. Of the Wimbish area, he stated ‘There is a pretie water that beginneth neare unto Gwimbach, or Winbeche church……..this said brooke runneth directlie from thence unto Radwinter. By the waie also it is increased with sundrie pretie springs, of which Pantelle is the chief (whereof some think the whole brooke to be named Pant). Certes by the report of common fame, it hath been a pretie water and of such quantite that botes have come in time past from Bilie Abbeie beside Maldon unto the moores of Radwinter for corne.

I have heard also that an Anchor was found there neere to a Red willow, when the water courses by Act of Parliament were surveyed and reformed throughout England’.

The Rector described the course of the Pant, which around Bocking becomes the Blackwater ‘until it come to Maldon where it falleth into the salt arm of the sea which beateth upon the town’.

Not too much a flight of imagination to associate ‘Bilie Abbeie’ with Beeley locks on the Chelmer and Blackwater at Maldon. And interesting to find that the river was being used for transport so far inland more than 200 years before the navigation was promoted. Does any reader know if there was ever a scheme to canalise the Blackwater further upstream than Maldon?

And can anyone identify the ‘Act of Parliament’ for ‘surveying and reforming the water-courses’ to which the Rector refers?

Ouse News Page 7 Cont’d from previous page: Reference: ‘Wimbish Through the Centuries’ by Isabel Wiseman Published privately by the author in 1954 and printed by J.H.Clarke and Co. at the Tudor Press, Chelmsford.

Stephen Foote Anglian Waterways Finances As part of the IWA’s campaign to highlight the threat to our waterways resulting from the 50% cut in grant from Defra we, along with colleagues from Peterborough Branch held a site meeting at Welches Dam with local MEP Alex Mayer in April. Welches Dam was chosen because we wanted to highlight an example of a navigation that had been closed on a ‘temporary’ basis due to leakage and yet still remained inaccessible years later. It was pointed out that the Environment Agency had recently threatened to close any structures that became dangerous if they did not have adequate funds to affect a repair. This posed a very real threat to all navigations in the Anglian Region. We explained that the IWA was keen to see the navigations currently controlled by the Environment Agency taken over with adequate funding by the Canal and River Trust.

Alex showed considerable interest in the problem and promised to write to the appropriate government agencies highlighting our concerns. Alex proved to be as good as her word and has subsequently written letters on our behalf to Sir James Bevan, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency and to The Rt.Hon. Andrea Leadsom MP, then Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs.

Keith Alderton

Ouse News Page 8 Spring Away-Day to Prickwillow Museum On Saturday April 22nd, 20 members and supporters of IWA’s Great Ouse Branch met at the Prickwillow Drainage Museum, on the banks of the River Lark.

Here we were met

by Les Walton, a Trustee of the museum who welcomed us and introduced us to the museum. Les then gave us a talk on the history of fenland drainage. He outlined the efforts made from the 1600s to effect a permanent draining of the area, and how the forces of nature conspired to thwart the efforts of the drainage men at every turn. Les has an encyclopaedic knowledge of this subject and his audience were suitably enthralled.

Following the (relatively unsuccessful) introduction of windmills to help pump water from the flooded land, the development of the steam engine really began to make a difference. These engines, however, were eventually superseded by mighty diesel engines.

The Drainage Museum has a magnificent collection of these engines, and following his introductory talk, Les escorted us on a guided tour of the museum and its collection of engines and artifacts.

A description of all the engines can be found on the museum’s web-site.

However for our visit the engine men started up two of their restored engines for us to see and marvel at (for the boys of the party, the highlight of the tour!).

Ouse News Page 9 The first was the Allen S360 4-stroke diesel engine. This engine was originally installed at the pumping station at Ten Mile Bank. It was saved from the scrapheap and lovingly restored by the enthusiasts who run the museum. Second was the Allen T47 pressure-charged 2-stroke diesel engine.

This engine too was originally in operation at Ten Mile Bank but was saved from the scrapheap and painstakingly restored. Both engines ran smoothly and much more quietly than we had expected. A real treat to see and hear.

At the end of the tour, we were treated to a first-class home-made lunch of Cottage Pie followed by Apple Pie and cream. Delightful! After lunch we were left to wander around the museum again; the gentlemen re-visited the engines and other exhibits and the ladies browsed the huge collection of second-hand books the museum has acquired to sell to raise further funds.

In the car-park we found an exhibition of rural life in the ‘war-time forties’ which was a surprise bonus and enjoyed by all.

Our grateful thanks to Les and his team of volunteers for a most memorable day out.

Stephen Foote

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Navigating the Old Bedford River Following much criticism regarding the difficulties encountered when attempting to navigate the Old Bedford River the Environment Agency held a seminar for interested parties on the 23rd May. Staff that hold responsibility for the various aspects of the Agency’s duties outlined the many factors that could affect navigation on the river: Welney Sluice. This has to be closed when they are pumping out water from the Ouse Washes but is left open in normal conditions.  Weed growth. This generally peaks in June and July and the weed cutting boats are deployed in October and November.  Oxygen levels. Low flows and high temperatures can cause oxygen levels in the water to drop to a dangerous level and lead to fish kills.

It was stated that in these conditions the passage of boats can make the situation worse.

Ouse News Page 11  Silting. Water flow rates and tidal conditions can cause excessive silt build-up, particularly at Old Bedford Sluice where the river joins the Great Ouse.  Tides. The number of days in the year when tidal conditions are suitable for navigation is limited.  Flood control.

At present, boaters wishing to navigate the river have no way of knowing if any of these factors are in play. It is therefore intended that EA staff responsible for monitoring each of the above will keep the Lock Keeper at Salters Lode informed of the latest situation. The Lock Keeper will become the point of contact for boaters seeking such information and will also be able to provide navigation licences for visiting boats. It was also agreed that the EA would publish guidance notes for potential boaters, together with a list of dates when tidal conditions are likely to be suitable for navigation.

I got the impression that the seminar was a very genuine attempt by local EA management to consult with users and to discharge their legal responsibilities under the 1977 Anglian Water Act in a responsible manner.

Keith Alderton

Successful navigation of the Old Bedford

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Book Review and a Puzzle

by Stephen Foote

‘The Ouse’ by Rev. A.J.Foster M.A. This curious old volume was acquired by our Madam Editor. She passed it to me and asked me to review it, and when Mm. Editor speaks – we obey!

The title is a bit misleading. The author was the Vicar of Wootton in Bedfordshire and used the river as a guide to explore the histories of the towns and villages along its route from source to sea. The river itself receives scant attention.

Much of it is, unfortunately, pretty tedious. The author is interested in the titles and lives of the noblemen and landed gentry who held sway in the settlements of the Ouse valley down the years – and whilst he is clearly very knowledgeable, it doesn’t make for easy reading. There is the occasional little gem of the ‘not many people know that’ variety - such as the clergyman who saved a very young Oliver Cromwell from drowning in the Ouse at Huntingdon, and on meeting Cromwell again some years later was said to remark ‘By God Sir, I wish I’d left you there’. Generally though, unless you are passionately interested in the life and lineage of Sir Everard Digby of Gayhurst (to name one of many) you are unlikely to find much of interest here.

That said, the book presents some puzzles. The author notes that at Maids Morton in Buckinghamshire the Great Ouse ‘becomes a canal for several hundred yards’. The Buckingham Canal Society’s history of this canal notes that the Buckingham end was supplied with water by a feeder from the Great Ouse. Rev. Foster seems to say that the feeder was navigable and actually part of the main line of the canal.

Ouse News Page 13 Later on, he states that beyond Littleport, the river divides – one arm branching off to the northwest to the Bedford rivers and the Nene; the other continuing north to Denver and Kings Lynn. Er – no branch here as far as I know. Several similar examples lead me to wonder whether the author knew much about the river at all. He may have followed an old and inaccurate map and just pretended he was familiar with the river.

That said, he gives a wonderfully detailed description of how boatmen steered and handled gangs of lighters. It may be worth reproducing in ‘Ouse News’ in the future!

The book was published ‘Under the Direction of the Committee of General Literature and Education of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge’ (of Northumberland Avenue, Charing Cross, WC and 15 Victoria Street, EC – with branches in Brighton and New York) – but there is no mention of the publication date anywhere. The text occasionally offers clues - the Grand Union canal is referred to as the Grand Junction; the Ivel Navigation said to be ‘ a thing of the past’, commercial traffic on the Ouse to be non-existent above St.Neots and the locks to be mostly inoperable but ‘becoming of importance once more’ below St Ives with ‘gangs of lighters mostly pulled by horses but occasionally by black-painted steam tugs’. The Old West river is ‘recently cleaned out and fit for navigation again’.

These and other notes from such sources as Dorothy Summers and L.A.Edwards suggest publication around 1910 – but this is based on the flimsiest of evidence. If any reader can pinpoint the publication date of this weird little book the Editor would love to hear from you!

Ouse News Page 14 Crossing The Wash – in a narrow boat At our branch meeting on 23 February, we were treated to a presentation of an (on the face of it) unusual type of adventure. Crossing the Wash is, in itself, not unusual but in a narrow boat it doesn’t happen every day. Yet that’s what Simon Judge and his family did in their 57 foot vessel Scholar Gypsy commencing in May 2015.

It was somewhat more than that, however, as it began in Cambridge, some way from Kings Lynn and the Wash, continued down the Cam, up to Reach and eventually finding the way down the Ely Ouse through Ely to Denver.

Passing through the lock to the Relief Chanel to Downham Market and a full maintenance check with particular interest in fuel filters! Back to Denver and a 5am passage through the Sluice and onwards to Kings Lynn. This was one hour before high tide as there was no time to waste – narrow boats don’t travel quickly! The insurance company had insisted on a rigorous maintenance regime and an almost impossible list of requirements including sensibly fitting washboards across the side doors to keep out the sea water in less favourable conditions and the possession of up-to-date charts for the Wash as the sand is ever shifting. A qualified pilot was also employed for the sea passage. On narrow boats compasses are notoriously unreliable because of all that nearby steel so a “Sun Compass” was developed which had just one drawback........it needed sunshine! At Kings Lynn, departure was an hour after high tide so there was no danger of meeting ships coming in on the tide.

In the Wash the sandbanks were an amazing sight giving haven to hundreds of seals and sea birds. The passage was not as calm as would have been liked and there was a little sea-sickness amongst the crew but no breakages in the cabins. To avoid the wind a roundabout route was taken which unfortunately added some time. A maximum heel of 12 degrees was encountered under the conditions met, which is severe for a narrow boat.

The route passed close to the Roaring Middle lightship. Approaching Boston the sea changed because of a drop in the wind which was convenient as they needed to wait about 30 minutes to enter Boston.

Ouse News Page 15 The “main” part of the outward journey completed they headed to Lincoln through the “Glory Hole.” Travelling along the River Trent and the Chesterfield Canal through to the River Ivel – no, not ours! Onto Retford and Worksop with no problems seeing many of the historical features the area is renowned for and accompanied by a seal. Onto the River Witham locking down to the navigable drains and back to Boston.

By now it was August and time for the return transit of the Wash, out of Boston at 5.45am – tides are no respecters of sleeping patterns. Due to a very short window to get out, they went with two other boats. This time The Wash was fortunately flat calm making the return more comfortable.

They beached on a sand bank waiting to enter the River Nene estuary and then continuing to Wisbech where the pilot disembarked. Needing to be at the Dog in a Doublet Sluice by 7.30 am it meant yet another early departure from Wisbech at 4.50 am. There was a shortage of water in this area so the lock keeper at the sluice helpfully sent some extra water down with them to aid passage over the sand banks. The trip up to Peterborough was relatively uneventful after several trials along the way! The trip concluded round to Denver and onwards but this was not covered in this presentation.

John Hodgson

Scholar Gypsy on her travels

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Advertising in Ouse News  Do you want to contact boating enthusiasts?  Advertisements cost £30 (+VAT) per half page or £60 (+VAT) for a whole page for a year.

 Three editions a year.  Circulation = 300 within 30 miles of Cambridge.

 Contact the Editor on 01366 727236 or (carole.alderton@waterways.org.uk)

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Ouse News Page 19 BCNS Explorer Cruise – Peter Webb’s Diary We have been through Birmingham many times in our little NB Arachne. It is one city where we feel safe mooring. But we have not been adventurous, sticking to either the New or Old Main line canals. The stories of weed, rubbish and vandalism had put us off the northern canals of the BCN. Last year friends of ours did the Birmingham Canal Navigation Society (BCNS) Explorer Cruise and recommended it. Stuart & Marie Sherratt have run these cruises twice a year (May and June) for the past 14 years. The early emails we received showed that of the 20 boats booked in we knew 2 from the Great Ouse (GO) Branch (Keith & Carole, Stephen & Meg). Also we knew 2 boats from our IWA Festival days, 2 boats of close friends and 4 other boats also Sea Otters in our owners club.

Wolverhampton near the top lock was the meeting point where we moored with other “explorers” two and three abreast. We had a group meeting with Stuart & Marie and some BCNS members who told us what to expect over the next few days. Then most of us walked to Great Western pub for a pint or two.

First full day - We turned up the Wyrley & Essington (Curly Wyrley) Canal. Generally a nice canal but with weed, and rubbish in places. By the end of the day most boats had also cleared their props, some several times.

Items collected included - a duvet, used roofing felt compete with nails, plastic sacks and bags. Amongst the plastic bottles and car tyres there were at least 3 wooden doors, one of which we failed to spot and our bow rose sharply up before sliding off sideways. Very quiet canal- we only saw 3 other boats on the move. Lots of new estates and plenty of green countryside. Lovely evening mooring at Pelsall Common but rain stopped the bank side socialising by 6pm. A few hardy souls did make it to the pub.

Ouse News Page 20 Second day - Another boat weeded up on starting, but apart from one boat getting grounded a couple of times ( no names Stephen!) a trouble free cruise. Fun at Brownhills, with most boats wanting the water point.

Then onwards to Anglesey Basin. Time for leisure walks, and train rides for other GO members, at Chasewater Country Park. Sun was making appearances, but still some black clouds and very windy. A few brave souls got their chairs out about 6pm and were soon joined by others for enjoyable drinks and nibbles until the rain started.

Third day - Not many miles today so boats had leisurely start. Jean & I had a brisk 3.5 mile walk around Chasewater Reservoir. Today’s cruise was along the Daw End Branch to Longwood Boat Club. We had a great welcome with tea and cakes waiting for us. Later we gathered in the clubhouse for fish & chips and real ale followed by a superb presentation about the local canals complete with musical accompaniment.

Fourth day - All 20 boats were moored next to the top lock, so it took a long time before all boats started. The BCNS provided volunteers to help with the flight of 9 locks which was a great help. We continued along the Rushall Canal, Tame Valley Canal to the Walsall Canal and moored at Moorcroft Junction (in sunshine!) just in time for afternoon tea and chat. After most had BBQs - at 7pm all boaters gathered for a raffle to raise funds for the BCN. Our chairman was very lucky to win 3 prizes— a pack of batteries, a shower hose AND an ancient TV aerial!

Ouse News Page 21 Fifth day - We had a conducted walk up the derelict Bradley Branch to the Bradley Workshop where they make the CRT lock gates. It was good to see the skill and effort that the workers took to construct them. On our return to the boats we had a very slow journey on the Walsall Canal to Walsall Basin. The amount of rubbish in the canal was the worst we have seen. Tractor tyres, glass bottles galore, although these could have come from wheelie bins that were also in the canal. The basin in the centre of town had many pubs and eateries alongside, but we had a surprisingly quiet night.

Sixth day - As we had been last in we were the first up the flight of locks.

The following boats were not so lucky as one lock gate caught a tyre behind it and would not open fully, so there was a delay of almost an hour.

This part of the Walsall Canal seemed “clean” compared with yesterday’s section then we returned to the Curly Wyrley again. Mooring for the night was Wednesfield Junction.

Seventh day - We had an enthusiastic local councillor who came to give us a talk. He had just had the Curley Wyrley designated as a 28 mile linear wildlife corridor; which he also pointed out included boats, cyclists and fishermen. The councillor was a Canadian, where the tradition in Montreal was that the first boat into harbour after the winter received a silver topped cane, BUT as Wednesfield could not afford that, the first boat into the mooring (our boat) received a book about the town. Then we all moved on to Tipton via the BCN Main Line. This section was very weedy, so most boaters had to go into their weed hatch during the journey again! At Tipton we were moored at the Neptune Centre, a nice mooring provided by “Friends of Tipton Cut”. No set agenda for tonight but most people opted to visit a famous pub, Mad O’Rourkes Pie Factory, renowned for its 4lb Desperate Dan Cow Pie.

Ouse News Page 22 Eighth day - Summer had arrived — now about 24C by 10am. We walked to Tipton Library where we had a historical talk about the Black Country.

Then the Old Main Line to Oldbury 6 locks, again assisted by the BCNS lockwheelers, to our final destination - Titford Pumphouse. The final evening was a Chinese takeaway with another presentation and a quiz.

What a fabulous time we had. Cruised canals we had not attempted before, made new friends, been entertained by talks, visits, raffles, walks, pubs and spent more time down our weed hatch than any other year! Our cruise started off cold and windy, with couple of rain showers, then ended with temperatures in the upper 20s. The canals were extremely rural. The few old industrial buildings were being taken over by nature and the one section of modern productive industry kept itself a good distance from the canal.Many sections had new housing which embraced the canal in contrast to older houses which had canalside sheds and fences, over which rubbish and building materials had been tossed.

The Cruise was about 59 miles and 23 locks. Thanks to Stuart & Marie of BCNS who are so helpful and who make it so entertaining. Also thanks to the BCNS volunteer lockwheelers. We can certainly recommend it.

Great Ouse members present

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Ouse News Page 24 River News from the Environment Agency - Paul Separovic During the winter of 2016/17 a number of capital works were undertaken on the River Great Ouse navigation, those of note included improvements to the Denver Slipway and Elsan / Pump-out facility where we removed an old beyond end of life section of staging and provided additional access to the pump-out pontoon with the introduction of additional staging beside the slipway with anti-slip GRP mesh topping. We also rearranged the pump-out configuration and renewed the pump so that this facility will be more reliable in the future and less prone to breakdowns. Eventually the pump-out will become token operated but is still freely available at present and until the end of this boating season. We also plan to make some improvements to the Elsan facility at Denver and the maintenance of this.

At Bottisham Lock (below) the chains became kinked. Usually a sharp tap of the chains during regular maintenance will free the links in the chain but on this occasion the chains could not be freed so a complete replacement set was ordered and fitted.

Ouse News Page 25 We took the opportunity over winter to repaint several of our guillotine gate structures at Hemingford, Godmanchester and Cardington locks. This is a major undertaking where the gates are completely encapsulated, shot blasted and stripped down and then in a heated environment, re-painted. These works will prolong the life of the gates and follow recommendations picked up in our regular ongoing maintenance checks of the gates.

We undertook a number of gearbox repairs and carried out a full drain down inspection of Brownshill Lock on the River Great Ouse and several other locks on the River Nene.

These are carried out in a rolling priority order but due to funding and lower priority this also, unfortunately, meant that drain down inspections planned at Denver and Upware locks were postponed to later dates to be rearranged.

Whilst at lock sites we also undertook repairs to the ancillary infrastructure such as landing stages where we replaced damaged fendering and even renewed sections of some landing stages such as at Hemingford. We have replaced some of the decks of the lock foot bridges and at Great Barford had to remove and make safe the historical lock mechanical mechanisms as they had started to tilt due to the timber they were resting on becoming rotten.

Overall we also undertook shoal removal works at various locations on the Rivers Nene and Great Ouse including Offord, and Hemingford on the Great Ouse Navigation. Further works at Twenty Pence on the Old West River were unable to be completed by the end of the financial year so have been carried over into this year to be undertaken.

We also have plans to embark on replacing the Relief Channel visitor mooring and landing stage sections that were listing due to possible water ingress into the floatation units on these stages.

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Anglian Waterways Volunteer Scheme Your opportunity to help the Environment Agency look after the region’s waterways

About this Scheme What does a Waterways Volunteer do?

We are currently looking for volunteers at Northampton Marina and at Denver Complex, near Downham Market. Representing the Environment Agency Anglian Waterways team you will be an important source of information for boaters using our waterways and will help with many aspects of our work, so the tasks will always be varied. You do not need any boating experience but you must be confident to be around water.

Who is running this scheme?

Cambridgeshire ACRE is working in partnership with the Environment Agency to manage this scheme. As a Waterways Volunteer you will be volunteering on behalf of the Environment Agency and will wear an Environment Agency Volunteer uniform. Cambridgeshire ACRE will recruit you as a volunteer, organise your training/networking events and generally support your volunteering activities with the Environment Agency.

How do I find out more?

If you want to meet new people and make a difference locally, or gain new skills and experience please phone or email scheme coordinator Rachael Brown.Phone: 01353 865037 Email: rachael.brown@cambsacre.org.uk

Ouse News Page 27 River Advice for Boaters (RAB) We updated our system that issues River Advice for Boaters (RAB), the new system ‘FWS’ went live on Monday 10th April 2017, replacing the previous flood warning system Floodline Warnings Direct (FWD). Existing customers have been automatically transferred to the new system and the flood warning service is now fully functional. If you are not already signed up to receive the River Advice for Boaters (RAB) then please consider doing so, you can either e-mail WaterwaysSSAAnglian@environmentagency.gov.uk or telephone 03708 506 506 and ask to speak with a member of our team. In addition, we also offer a shared TeamUp calendar that you can view at any time or choose to receive notifications from in relation to the current RAB status of the river at any point in time. There is also a TeamUp app that can be downloaded from Google Play on Android or the Apple App store for i-phones. This will give you RAB information at your fingertips when you need it and provided there’s signal or WiFi whilst you’re out and about. You can link to our TeamUp calendars via our Northampton Marina web site: https://www.northamptonmarina.co.uk/navigation-workscalendar Or the RAB calendar key code to use in the TeamUp app is: ks95856e13ff0fd3b1 For the River Great Ouse Navigation the Bedford Ouse, from the head of navigation at Kempston near Bedford down to Hermitage Lock at Earith, is the only section of navigation currently covered under RAB. This section has been subdivided into two reaches from Kempston near Bedford and the Head of Navigation down to St Ives Town and from St Ives Lock down to Hermitage Lock near Earith for the purpose of being better able to issue timely and relevant RAB messages for certain reaches of the Bedford Ouse River. Previously messages have been phased and interlinked to the previous message issued, but reflected on TeamUp and within the new FWS system going forwards both of these reaches will be treated totally separately; although the three status levels (Normal Conditions, Caution Phase and Strong Stream Advice) will remain unchanged, you may receive a few additional messages during a RAB incident moving forwards. Please note you have to sign up to both reaches and you will automatically be set up on the system to receive messages for both reaches and you are unable to opt out of one or only sign up for one.

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The Inland Waterways Association is a non-profit distributing company limited by guarantee.

Registered in England No 612245.

Registered as a charity No 212342. Registered Office: Island House, Moor Rd, Chesham, HP5 1WA. Phone No 01494 783453.