The Packet Boat, May 2015

MAY 2015

ISSUE NO. 61

CHESTER & MERSEYSIDE BRANCH

Alan Platt presents the Kenwin Trophy to David Smith (accepted on his behalf by Audrey Smith) and the Tetlow Trophy to the Small Tasks Volunteer Team,

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OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE North West Region Chairman

Alan Platt, 01352 72064 ; alan.platt@waterways.org.uk

Branch Chairman

Peter Bolt, 0151 678 9300; peter.bolt@waterways.org.uk

Vice Chairman

Mike Carter, 0151 608 6113; mike.carter@waterways.org.uk

Secretary

Gillian Bolt, 0151 678 9300; gillian bolt@waterways.org.uk

Treasurer and Social Secretary

Jim Mole, 01606 40955; elizabethan.freeserve.co.uk

Webmaster, Region Committee Representative

Mike Carter, 0151 608 6113; mike.carter@wateUways.org.uk

Editor, Chester Packet

Margaret Pitney, 0151 608 6487; margaret.pitney@talktalk.net

Merseyside Liaison

Dave Smallshaw, 0151 924 2036; flatboat@aol.com

SCARS Liaison

Colin Greenall 01744 73174; colin.greenall@btopenworld.com

Minutes Secretary

Helen Forkin, 01270 650054; jimhelen@jimhelen.fsnet.co.uk

Publicity Officer

Jim Forkin, 01270 650054; jimhelen@jimhelen.fsnet.co.uk

Planning & Navigation

Geoff Gittus, 0151 605 1094; geoff.boatman@btinternet.com.co.uk

Festival Site Manager

Vacant

Sales Officer

Lesley Taylor, 0151 342 6651; lesley.taylor22@btinternet.com

Membership Secretary

Gaven Tilbee, 0161 491 1951; gaven1@btinternet.com

Asst Membership Secretary

Andrea Tilbee, 0161 491 1951; gaven1@btinternet.com

Committee Members

Ron Evans, 01928 788673; rajkingsley@outlook.com Brian Phillips, 01244 300025; brian.phillips@waterways.org.uk

REGION CHAIRMAN’S REPORT Occasionally I get asked ‘What is the IWA doing about this’ or ‘Why hasn’t the IWA done that’ and in many cases the answer is to turn the question back and ask ‘What are you doing about it?’ The IWA is not a remote organization with a massive Head Office.

The IWA is its members and it is due to the efforts of those who join in that we get anything done at all. The branch committees are all volunteers, some of many years’ standing and they need all the help they can get. Committees may not be your thing but there are other ways you can help out - at events, work parties or whatever suits your taste.

There has been some talk in the social media that the IWA is too close to Canal and River Trust and doesn’t have the relevance it did have. If you talk to members in the East of England they get cross at that as they have to deal, not with CRT but with the Environment Agency, which still suffers from the budget cuts and uncertainties that made life so difficult in the days of the old British Waterways. Here in the North West we also have to deal with the very different owners of the Bridgewater and Manchester Ship canals, Peel Holdings, so there is a lot more to it than CRT. However the IWA nationally and locally does work with CRT, as that is the best way of maintaining and improving the quality of their waterways, and together we can achieve more than each can separately. The change of mind as regards the route of HS2 at Fradley was initiated by the IWA, but our campaign was greatly helped by working with CRT, with their greater resources. Where we don’t like what they are doing , or plan to do, for example the plan to put railings on the offside wall of Marple Aqueduct, with implications for similar aqueducts such as Chirk, has been opposed loudly and clearly.

The IWA is still very relevant; CRT may be a charity but it is a very different type of charity to the IWA, not least in that we are a membership body, and the membership is where we get our volunteers and committees from and who elect us, from Branch Committees to Trustees and to whom we are answerable. I hope and trust that anyone who wants to communicate with me as your region representative on the Trustee Board feels he can. I don’t guarantee to agree with you, but I will listen and I will pass on your opinion even when I don’t agree with your point.

One thing we traditionally do, and do effectively, is canvas support from MPs and prospective MPs. Like me , you may be already tiring of the election dominating the news, but now is the time when the politicians have to listen to us and we mustn’t waste it. We have produced a ‘Waterways Manifesto’ to get candidates to sign up to and full details are on https://www.waterways.org.uk/news_campaigns/iwa_manifesto/ iwa_manifesto Politicians pay attention to constituents much more than remote canvassers so please contact your local candidates.

Where I am sitting just after Easter, it suddenly looks like summer is just around the corner and already the waterways are busy so however you enjoy the waterways, by boat, bike or on foot, have a great summer.

Alan Platt April 2015

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CHAIRMAN’S NOTES Have you ever thought that it could be time to put something back into the IWA? Many people are contemplating retirement - some with a certain amount of dread. Some of us have already retired and feel that we are not quite on the scrap heap yet. Becoming more involved with IWA activities is something I would like you to seriously consider and I promise you it can be very rewarding. While we are looking for new committee members you don’t need to be on the committee to be a useful member of our team. We all have skills based on our various lifetime experiences and we would like to ask what you can offer? On the other hand, you may want to help but would like to do something completely different from your previous “day” job – again, please talk to us.

At the moment we have both a website manager and a magazine editor but as your chairman I would like to ensure that as and when people retire from these positions there are people to step in and take their place. With these jobs in particular you don’t need to be a committee member and a number of branches operate in this way quite successfully. At the April social meeting it was flagged up that both myself as Chairman and Gillian, our Secretary, will be stepping down from our respective positions and the committee in March 2016 after joining IWA over 25 years ago . So how about it, can you consider putting something back into the Association and become a volunteer with the Branch?

In the next year, we have some exciting projects planned and it’s imperative we have the right team in place to carry these forward. Chester & Merseyside Branch is currently very successful – hence being winners of the ‘Branch Achievement Award 2014’. So have a think about it. What skills do you have that could help your branch? For my own part, as an example, even though I will have stood down from the committee I will be still available to represent the Branch on the Chester Renaissance Waterways steering group to drive it forward and implement the proposals.

Now enough of my plea, now the warm weather is on the way, can I wish all of you - whether you are boating, walking, cycling or even lazing in that garden chair - a very enjoyable summer and we will touch base in the Autumn.

Peter Bolt

Chester & Merseyside - Branch Liaison, Navigation and Volunteering River Mersey Convoy

(Extracts from Report April 2015)

The 2015 event went ahead on 13th April from Ellesmere Port to Liverpool. Only two boats involved this year, due to an earlier HNBC sponsored crossing the previous week (7 boats)

Ringing the Ring

The "Ringing the Ring"project survey now completed. We will be presenting results later in the month and hopefully starting work in the Manchester area in June.

Weston Marsh Lock

Consultation on repair works continues – We are still planning to test Runcorn Weston docks route before any long term stoppage is proposed here.

Volunteers & Work-parties

April has been a busy time for us as we have now started to work with the CRT guys in Liverpool.

We had a very successful workparty at Liverpool on 22 April and will probably do another mid week workparty in Liverpool later in the year.

The next Chester workparty will be on Sat 30th May.

Leeds & Liverpool Canal 200yr Anniversary 2016

Awaiting report from Liverpool Culture Company on their visit to Canal Cavalcade in London.

Dee Lock Campaign

As you know we are interested in getting Dee lock working and IWA has raised funds to install a tidal gauge.

CRT have committed to remove the old river gates and lower the height of the river side cill plate.

So far we have surveyed the site and had a way point installed at the river end of the lock at 5.824 AOD. I'm also eager to get our volunteers involved in cleaning up the vegetation from the lock walls.

On 15th April, I met up with Dave Clarkson and a colleague of his who is involved with the Environment Agency Dee lock flood relief project.

The outcome was that it may be possible for a tidal gauge to be included as part of the specification for the EA works.

Following on from this, at the UGM, Peter had a chat with Sally Boddy (new CRT Engineering Manager) regarding the scope of the works and draft specification for a tidal gauge.

I have scheduled a follow up meeting for Thur 14 or Fri 15 May.

Mike Carter

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The Campaign Continues

It's interesting to look back at the IWA Bulletins from the 1960s and see just how successful our campaign has been in the last 50 years. There is no doubt that this thoroughly successful campaign has driven long term benefits to our canals and rivers and I have taken the opportunity to do a bit of research and look back at the big changes that a small group of dedicated waterways enthusiasts have brought about.

Robert Aikman, looking back at the first IWA council meeting in 1946.

“In the beginning there were two friends of Tom Rolt's, two friends of mine and a stranger who rang the bell.... I was put in charge of the Kennet & Avon campaign.... the clairvoyant stranger in charge of the Suffolk & Essex Stour campaign, in which capacity he soon received an official letter informing him that the River Stour Commissioners had 'powers but no duties'... (I think RA was referring to himself here as the clairvoyant stranger). As it went on with the Kennet & Avon, so, of course, it has since continued through the whole system, though perhaps not always in so many words. (The Stour letter went on to notify our Council member that the Commissioners were now extinct, as they had omitted to replace themselves, but there was still a clerk, who presumably wrote the letter himself ).

IWA Chairman Lionel Munk’s words in January 1965. “ we must make contact with the new Labour administration … we must make sure that the waterways are included in the new Labour plan for an integrated transport system.” “ whilst we work towards a national waterways (conservancy) scheme, in the meantime much can be done by way of local schemes, and specific waterways can be saved by action between local waterway societies, BWB and other authorities..”

The Waterways conservancy scheme was a constant subject in the journals of the 1960s.

So here we are in 2015 with the Canal & River Trust, a new government,

and over 2000 miles of waterways restored mostly by the local waterway societies.

I think the original campaign still has a resonance today. As although it's now an established fact that waterways enhance lives, for many organisations and governments, we must campaign to bring these enhancements into focus and urge the authorities to take the best option and maintain and improve the system whilst conserving our heritage.

So what can our members do to carry the campaign forwards into the 21 st century? I suggest three primary aims with actions.

1. Maintain what we have - By recognising and appreciating the existing wa-

terway facilities that currently exist and campaigning strongly to resist any tendency for the the authorities to allow such services to decay. In simple words if you see or hear of any waterways services that are being allowed to degrade., write, email or phone the Authority and tell them that the service is important.

If you don't tell them that a water point is in a poor state or that there is excessive overhanging trees or that the winding hole needs dredging, then they will not consider this and other similar problems to be of importance.

2. Take more ownership. - Join a work party, volunteer to bash balsam or paint lock beams. If you can't commit personally then just be seen at the waters edge supporting our volunteers who are taking care of our heritage which is now being conserved for our future generations.

3. Spread the word. - Tell your friends, share your passion with others, bring in new members. Encourage youngsters to ask questions and get them to talk about their local waterways (not the canal that runs past my street.. but my canal running past my street) In closing here are a few quotes from the 1968 (Liverpool) National Rally Newsletter.

“Sergeant Major Alec Holmes and his party have come from Germany by canoe, including 55 sea miles. They seem to have chanced expectantly on the rally but have decided to stay...”

“We are grateful to those boat crews who have donated their unused Cavern Club Subscriptions to Rally funds.”...

Yer, Yer, Yer,..... Such generosity cannot be surpassed.

Mike Carter.

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SMALL TASKS TEAM PRESENTATION At our Branch AGM on 10 March we were delighted to donate funds towards a team that is making a real difference to our local waterways. The Small Tasks Team - started by Paul Mills - works on specific projects, using the engineering skills of his team of volunteers. One excellent example is the work done by the team at the water points above Hurleston Locks. As many users will know, to fill up with water inevitably meant standing in deep muddy puddles, some of which invariably ended up back on the boat! A generally quite unpleasant experience. However, the Small Tasks Team recognised the need and have totally transformed the area, putting in proper drainage and sets around the water points. They will also be relaying the towpath in the area in the near future. The team also did extra moorings in Northwich for our Rally there in 2012, have improved the amenities at Barbridge Junction and undertaken many other tasks.

Peter Bolt welcomed Paul Mills to the branch meeting and was delighted to present him with a cheque for ÂŁ200 which will be used towards much needed equipment. An indication of how popular the team has become was shown when Paul told the meeting that 24 volunteers had signed up for the next project!! A real achievement.

Branch Chairman, Peter Bolt, congratulates Paul Mills, leader of the Small Tasks Team

NORTH WALES AND BORDERS WATERWAY SPRING USER FORUM HELD ON 16 APRIL Below are some of the questions asked at the Forum pertaining to Chester & Merseyside Branch.

Q. A.

Q. A.

Q. A.

Now that Baron’s Quay mooring space on the River Weaver is fenced off what will be done to provide an equal amount of alternative mooring place?

We are looking to establish if there are any temporary moorings we can put in place during the Flood Defence project. There is provision for a visitor mooring to be created as part of the Baron’s Quay development which will take the form of a floating pontoon system just downstream from the steps leading on to Weaver Way. What can be done to re-instate the bank on the visitor moorings by the Anderton Lift?

CWAC is responsible for the maintenance of the bank and they are not in a position where they can invest large sums of money into riverside bank protection.We have suggested the installation of a floating pontoon system. This would have to be funded from perhaps a funding bid we would have to develop from other third parties.

What plans are there to deal with the control of pennywort on the Weaver and the Trent & Mersey canal?

We have allocated additional funding for additional spray applications using both contract staff and direct labour.

This will hopefully reduce the amount of growth.

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WINSFORD SALT REGATTA 18-20 September 2015 Coming for a second great year with Mikron Theatre Group For booking details contact Bob Osborne: tel: 01606 553 433 bob.osborne@hotmail.co.uk

Last September the very first Winsford Salt Regatta was held on the newly refurbished moorings at Winsford. This was such a huge success it was decided to repeat the event in September 2015, but be quick with your entry as numbers are restricted.

All the trimmings for a second successful event are there - traders, entertainment, competitions etc. plus the delights of the lovely River Weaver.

So come along—enjoyment guaranteed!!

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REGION GET-TOGETHER - 25 APRIL 2015 A Report from our Secretary. Gillian Bolt The 2015 Get-together with other branches in the North West Region was an ideal opportunity to check out Eldonian Village on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal as we hope to hold our Chester & Merseyside Rally there next year. The morning was a very informal affair – with Mike Carter showing some pictures of events that had taken place around the region during 2014. He then skilfully introduced some “controversial” topics like Canal Services, Towpath sharing and Continuous Cruisers and asked for people’s views! In most cases they were quite polite thankfully .... but there is clearly real concern about the money Sustrans is spending on creating amazing towpaths – for cycling – and the conflict this is causing in certain areas.

This session led onto the Region Awards with the Kenwin Trophy being presented to David Smith, accepted by Audrey Smith on his behalf. David and Audrey joined IWA in 1970 and he promptly became involved with the Derwent campaign at that time. From then he has worked tirelessly on behalf of the waterways, around the country and for the Lancaster canal in particular. A very worthy recipient.

The Tetlow trophy was given to the Small Tasks Team Volunteer group, led by Paul Mills and Maurice Ward. (See front cover). They have built up a dedicated team over the last couple of years which has done wonderful improvement works across our Region.

Following Chester & Merseyside Branch’s donation to the group, Mike Haig, Vice Chairman of Shrewsbury & North Wales Branch, presented a further donation to the group, expressing the branch’s thanks for all their hard work.

Following an excellent lunch, provided by the catering team at the Eldonian, we were given a short presentation on the history of the Liverpool section of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal by Dave Smallshaw. The main cargoes were grain, tobacco, sugar to Tate & Lyle and coal for the townsfolk of course.

There was much discussion about moving the cargoes of “night soil” out to the council owned farms in Lathom!! (Millions of tons of it) Not a job that many would want to do. Dave also showed pictures of the damage inflicted by enemy bombing during the war when gallons of water poured from the breached canal onto the railway marshalling yard below the embankment.

After falling into dereliction and being fenced off, the canal has enjoyed a tremendous rebirth in recent years with the building of the Eldonian Village

(which has won international awards), and then the opening in 2009 of the amazing Liverpool Link, enabling canal boats to move once again down into the docks.

After the talk Dave led a walk down Stanley Docks and along the Dock road, pointing out Salthouse Dock (the world’s first enclosed dock) and other points of interest.

Although the lovely weather had deserted us the day was a really interesting get-together and well worth attending.

Gillian Bolt

THE UNVEILING OF THE ‘FRIENDSHIP’ TAPESTRY

This truly fabulous tapestry was crocheted by 33 ladies of the Boat Museum Society Coffee and Crochet group, designed by Ann Gardner, inspired by narrowboat Friendship’s paint work carried out by Tony Lewery, and is on display at the Museum

Left to right—Ann Gardner, Tony Lewery and Jacqueline Stanway Photo by Chris Bacon

January 2013

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CHESTER & MERSEYSIDE BRANCH WELCOMES THE FOLLOWING NEW MEMBERS J Grindrod & family Mr & Mrs J Jones Mr M Barrow & family Mr M & Mrs D Stokes Mr K Graham & family Mr B Haines Mrs J Jukes & Mr B Measures Mr P Pilnick & family

Northwich Northwich Warrington St Helens Liverpool St Helens Chester Liverpool

FRIENDS OF THE FERRIES DOCK AND RIVER CRUISE including ROYAL SEAFORTH DOCK AND EASTHAM CHANNEL On SATURDAY 20 JUNE 2015 Departs SEACOMBE 12.00 LIVERPOOL 12.10 WOODSIDE 12.25 FARE: ADULT £25; CHILD £13.00 Tickets on sale at all 3 ferry terminals or from Membership Secretary, 7 Foxcovers Rd. Merseyside CH63 3EQ 0151 334 2685 OR 0151 639 1435

CHESTER CANAL HERITAGE TRUST WINTER PROGRAMME 2015-2016 Talks start at 8.00 pm in the Clubhouse at Chester Boughton Hall Cricket Club Boughton Hall Avenue, Boughton, Chester,CH3 5EL Free to members of CCHT, IWA & SUCS.

Non-members £2.50

Wednesday 4th November 2015

The Neston Collieries – Birthplace of Wirral’s Industrial Revolution

Anthony Annakin-Smith tells the story of the early collieries at

Neston, including underground canals, the area’s first steam engines and tales of sabotage!

Wednesday 2nd December 2015

Water Engineering for British Waterways

A talk by Derek Jones on his work as a Water Engineer for BW, with responsibility for a large area including Scotland and the Falkirk Wheel..

Wednesday 3rd February 2016

The Stover Canal - then and now

Bill deLeie on the history of the Stover Canal in South Devon and the work that is being done to preserve it for future generations.

The Chester Canal Heritage Trust is an organisation set up to advance the public education by engendering and fostering an awareness of the Chester Canal, its activities, heritage and environs, in local people and visitors Registered in England and Wales as a private company limited by guarantee (company number 04360134) Registered in England and Wales as a charity (registration number 1094394)

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UNLOCK RUNCORN!

This campaign was launched by Runcorn Locks Restoration Society in April 2014 to raise the public profile of the project. It was attended by members of the Society - Derek Twigg MP, Rob Polhill, Leader of Halton Council and various other key people and followed by a ‘Big Dig’ fun day which was attended by over 100 people. Graham Wallace, the Society’s Chairman, led three guided walks down the flight of locks which brought to life the reality of the project for the hundred or so people who did a walk.

Over the last year the campaign has moved forward, due in large part to the Mersey Gateway impetus to our cause as the possibility of restoring the locks has become more of a reality. We need many more people to give up a little of their time so we can take advantage of the opportunities currently out there to further the campaign, like the promise of support of the Council and the support of all the key politicians who can help us.

REAL WORK HAS ACTUALLY STARTED -

It has been decided to dig out a showcase lock so that the public can see what the flight will look like when completed.

Exploratory work discovered Japanese knotweed which needed to be removed. The sandstone blocks have been moved from Ditton Island to a safe location on Wigg Island.

So you can see the need for as much extra help as possible. If you are able to offer this, contact the Chairman, Graham Wallace http://www.unlockruncorn.org

____________________________________ A WORD OF WARNING FROM CRT Boaters using damp wood and logs in their stoves could be risking a triple whammy including increased costs, stove damage and carbon monoxide poisoning says the Boat Safety Scheme.

It is crucial that wood fuel is kept in a dry, well-ventilated area.

If not, the damp fuel will cause the stove to run at a lower temperature as the heat of the fire will be producing steam and so the stove needs much more fuel to keep the boat warm.

Even worse, the steam dissolves-out flammable, acidic tars which will cling to and block up, as well as inevitably damage, the stove and its chimney.

Damaged stove installations are more likely to leak combustion gases into the cabin space and because of incomplete combustion as the fuel is damp, those gases are more likely to contain carbon monoxide (CO) - giving the vicious cycle that could see a highly toxic atmosphere in the boat. Stove flues lined with tar could also lead to a chimney fire.

More information is on www.boatsafetyscheme.org/CO— Don’t let CO ruin your life.

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May 28th 2015. Carr Mill and the Sankey Canal

INDUSTRIAL ORNITHOLOGY – A walk on the wild side!

This month’s walk crosses the Mersey to combine an interesting stroll with the chance to explore England’s oldest canal and forgotten industry and transportation with the bonus of stunning waterside views in an area teeming with wildlife.

Carr Mill, north of St Helens, is Merseyside’s largest inland water lake was one of the prime feeders of the Sankey Canal and provided a source of power to many early ventures of the industrial estate. Linked with Stanley bank, an area of special scientific importance, the walk is about 4.3 miles in length and is mainly on good paths and mostly even terrain. A good pair of walking boots would be necessary as a few places sometimes hold surface water (depending on the weather).

The full walk takes about 2 hours but has the advantage of being in an near figure-of eight course so it is possible to do only half and wait in the pub for the more intrepid to return! Wildlife followers remember your field glasses and cameras.

Meet at 10.15 at the Waterside Inn, It is just off the A580 north of St Helens, 12 miles from the Wallasey Tunnel exit Liverpool and only three miles westerly from Junction 23 on the M6.

The address is: East Lancashire Road, St. Helens, WA11 7LX: There is plenty of car parking and the entrance to the site is via the Premier Inn on Carr Mill Road on the north (Wigan) side of the East Lancs Road.

The site can be accessed easily by public transport. From Lime Street get a train to St Helens Central ( on the Wigan, Preston & Blackpool Line). Go straight out of the station to the bus stops 100 yards up Bickerstaffe St and board the 352 (Wigan) service to Carr Mill. The buses are every 15 minutes and the whole travel is in the Merseytravel area.

NEWS FROM THE SANKEY CANAL RESTORATION SOCIETY

by Colin Greenall Progress continues on the Sankey Canal.

ST.HELENS A New Footbridge over the Old Double Locks at Blackbrook was installed by contractors working for St.Helens MBC during week commencing 23rd March and looks really impressive in its black and white colour scheme. The new bridge is wider and has higher rails and in the future will be part of a new bridle way as well as providing better access to the newly finished footpaths in the area.

The new footbridge over the Old Double Locks at Blackbrook The Storage Container at Blackbrook; St.Helens MBC have kindly provided SCARS with a 20’x8’x8’ storage container, this has now been fully insulated and partitioned for the storage of SCARS sales stock and equipment and for the storage of some of our work party tools etc., we will also be providing space for IWA Manchester Branch to store some their work party equipment.

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THE NEW SWING BRIDGE AT LITHERLAND The new swing bridge is finally completed at Litherland

on the approach to Liverpool The area around the bridge is being improved with the removal of the footway ramp and demolition of the old footbridge planned.

According to local residents who welcomed the new development the new bridge has opened the two parts of the township again after it was bisected by road improvements which led to the demolition of the unique lift bridge.

Dave Smallshaw

BRANCH WALKS

As most of you know, our series of walks has had to be suspended until, hopefully, someone will volunteer to take over from Ron and Margaret. Both have had to give up walking due to health problems. This is very sad after over 10 years of Branch walks, but, ever optimistic, we both hope that special person(s) will come forward. We have been very lucky so far. Marie Layng lead a most successful walk in January from Daresbury and in February Jeanne and Derek Smith came forward with a walk round Upton-by-Chester.

We are so grateful to people who volunteer to do this. It keeps things going until, hopefully, we can get a permanent walks organiser to take over. When a venture has been as successful as this, it is a pity to see it die. Are there any offers? You will get all the help you need including details of the walks we have done over the last 10 years.

We have one more walk for this season planned for Thursday, 28 May. Dave Smallshaw, former Chairman of Merseyside Branch, has offered to put on a 4mile walk in the Merseyside area. I would ask walkers who live on this side of the Mersey to try to attend. It is easy to get over there, either by car or public transport, and we must give some consideration to our Merseyside members.

Full directions are given on the previous page .

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Open days at Blackbrook; These are now proving popular with both society members and the general public who pop in to have a look at what the society has to offer. The first two Open Days of the year were marred by poor weather but didn’t prevent people turning out. In March the day was well attended with over thirty visitors, mainly due to a group of ramblers from Nantwich who came in to look at what was going on and went away much the wiser about the Sankey Canal.

Work Parties, since the beginning of the year volunteers have been busy clearing vegetation from the area around Blackbrook Road Bridge and the off side of the canal benefited from some litter picking. They have also cleared vegetation for the site of Callens Swing Bridge, this bridge disappeared many years ago and the area had become overgrown with brambles and trees, but now the remains of the turning recess have been exposed making an interesting feature for walkers to look at.

The site of Callens Swing Bridge The Local Sustainable Transport Cycleway/ Footpath scheme is coming to an end with a lot of work going on down at Havanah Flash and near the Warrington St.Helens Boundary at Newton Brook. The section at Havanah Flash was badly in need of upgrading due to mining subsidence causing the footpaths to sink and flood in wet weather, the path in this area has been raised and a suitable drainage system installed. At Newton Brook the towpath walls have been strengthen to allow the construction of the footpath/ cycleway to be completed. The whole scheme is to provide cross boundary access to employment using environmentally friendly routes to employment.

SATURN - CELEBRATING THE 10TH YEAR SINCE HER REFURBISHMENT On Easter Saturday, following the AGM of Saturn at the Boat Museum, a celebration was held to commemorate 10 years since Saturn was relaunched in her wonderful new livery. It was a delightful gathering with a splendid buffet and to crown it all a wonderful cake made by Sue Yates which was a perfect replica of Saturn herself (soon demolished by the guests). Richard Parry and Tony Hales were in attendance.

Sue’s wonderful cake Photo Bob Jervis

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CHESTER & DISTRICT BRANCH PROGRAMME OCTOBER — MAY 2015

Branch meetings are held at 7.45 pm on the second Tuesday of the month in the Tom Rolt Conference Centre at the Ellesmere Port Boat Museum 13 October 2015 ‘Mersey Ferries’ Ken Pye FRSA, Managing Director, Discover Liverpool 10 November 2015 ‘My Life in HM Royal Navy’ Tony Rowe, RN (Retired) 8 December 2015 To be arranged

28 May 2015 Branch Walk — See pages 18/19 18/19 September Winsford Regatta — See pages 10/11 The programme from December 2015 to May 2016 will be published in your December newsletter and on your membership card It should be noted that the views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the IWA. They are published as being of interest to our members and readers. The IWA is a registered charity No. 212342