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CHESTER & MERSEYSIDE BRANCH
October 2018 JANUARY 2018
We will be holding all our meetings at the Rolt Centre in Ellesmere Port Boat Museum . 7.30 pm for a 7.45 start on the second Tuesday of the month (October to April).
2 Chester & Merseyside Chairman’s Report Reflection on summer 2018 We’ve certainly been blessed with a proper summer this year with soaring temperatures and wall to wall sunshine for weeks on end. I hope that you have been able to get out and enjoy our wonderful waterways this year whether it be by boating, walking or taking advantage of the many waterside attractions that our area has to offer. Unfortunately, some influenced by the weather, our local northern waterways have suffered from a number of high profile stoppages. First was the Middlewich breach which effectively severed the route from the Shroppie to the Trent & Mersey and will not be fully repaired until the 2019 season. Another breach near Melling on the Leeds & Liverpool canal has rendered Liverpool as a destination that could no longer be reached unless a tidal crossing of the River Mersey was tackled which included a trip along the Manchester Ship Canal to Eastham Lock. This breach is reported to be repaired in time for the August Bank Holiday and we await further details. Getting onto the Manchester Ship Canal has also been restricted with new gates being required at Marsh Lock on the River Weaver due to a large vessel running into them. There is no timescale as to when these gates will be manufactured and fitted. With the Four Counties Ring being unavailable many people moved their attention to the Cheshire Ring as an alternative with Lock 15 of the Marple flight being repaired. This still remains closed however due to the wall movement on Lock 11. Also the Bosley flight is now on restricted opening due to water shortages. This water shortage also affects the Trent & Mersey, Leeds & Liverpool, Rochdale and Huddersfield canals so effectively it’s a matter of “Go South” (unless something happens to the Shroppie!). We were lucky that Helen & I cruised down to take part in the BCN Explorer Cruise at the end of May and had a Ascending Walsall Locks fabulous time in the company of very enthusiastic, knowledgeable BCN members and 20 anther boats on the week’s event. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is looking to explore Birmingham’s lesser cruised navigations with a fine mix of industrial landscapes and pleasant countryside to offer. We enjoyed ourselves so much we also attended the Titford Pools 50th Anniversary Rally over the Bank Holiday weekend and I ended up in the bar – behind it volunteering to pull pints!
Tour of the Bradley workshops
Walsall Basin
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 21234
3 While we were away though, the branch has not been idle with members of the committee stepping in to attend meetings and discussions throughout the summer months. We all got very excited when we heard about someone’s attempt to circumnavigate Wales would include a passage off the River Dee and up onto the Shroppie. This would not have been possible due to the “Temporary Flood Barrier” that had been put in place at the tail of the bottom lock by the EA. Our campaigning and with co-operation from Canal & River Trust heralded the removal of this barrier in time for the stated circumnavigation. However silting of the lock gates and the inoperable lift bridge prevented the cruise attempt and was diverted up the River Mersey and Manchester Ship Canal. Unfortunately, mainly due to the Middlewich breach and committee pressures we had to cancel our small boat gathering at Chester this year but will be looking for volunteers to help with future events. The social calendar recommences in October as well as a walks programme so I look forward to seeing some familiar faces, and new faces, when we return to the Rolt Centre of the Boat Museum. Jim Forkin Branch Chairman 16/08/18
Editors Musing’s Sept 2018 I hope you have all had a great summers cruising, the weather has certainly been lovely and hot although this has its downside with water restrictions in force. In May Derek and I have managed to attend Festivals at Moira, Erewash, as well as cruising the Trent from Trent Lock to Cromwell and back. We launched at Redhill Marina, which has a large slipway and plenty of turning space for the vehicle and trailer. Fortunately in May there was plenty of water around. In June we went to the Welshpool Transport Celebration weekend, which was an event held in the basin, by the car park. There were lots of stalls and a good selection of classic cars as well as having events in the town. A few interesting boats around including a small self-built tug with a miniature tender. We are now preparing the boat for the trip over to St Neots on the River Ouse and hoping that the warm weather lasts into September. This was to be the last Aug Bank Holiday festival for a couple of years, as the Events Committee are finding it difficult to locate sites that meet the IWA’s major objectives. However there has been a last minute reprieve as a successful case has been put forward for holding an event at Waltham Abbey in 2019. After the St Neots event we have also been asked over the first weekend in Sept to attend a planning conference on the River Welland, with a view to holding a trailboat festival there in the future. We did not have a trailboat rally as such this year, as no suitable site was found, but was a gathering of Wilderness boats was held on the Bridgwater Canal in Somerset over the early May Bank Holiday. Next year’s National Trailboat Festival will be on the upper reaches of the Lancaster canal at Crooklands over the first weekend in June. This is to be held in conjunction with the Westmorland Food Festival, which is well worth a visit. I hope that everyone will be pleased to learn that for the Autumn /Winter programme of talks we will be returning to the Rolt Centre at the Boat Museum, thanks to Jim Mole, who has managed to negotiate a good deal. The first meeting is on the 9th October when Derek & I will be talking about cruising on remote canals with our trailboat ‘Olive’. I look forward to seeing everyone again after the long hot summer. Jeanne Smith
The Sankey Canal Story. This new book is now available, copies by post from Mike Harrison 4 Darvel
Avenue, Garswood Ashton-in-Makerfield WN4 0UA £6.00 in p&p. Cheques payable to The Sankey Canal Restoration Society. Also on sale at Wardleworths (St Helens), The Curiosity Bookshop (Runcorn) and World of Glass (St Helens) all at £4.50
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Congratulations to Lynne & Roger Mellors They qualified for four awards at the Festival of Water at St Neots. However IWA rules state that they could only be presented with two awards so they were presented with the Robert Aikman Trophy for the most meritorious journey and the RCR Cruising Challenge for the most enterprising journey. Their journey included 889 lock miles, crossing the Wash and visiting four Silver Propeller locations.
OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE President.
Ron Evans
Branch Chairman Jim Forkin jim.forkin@team.water M. 07803 928929 Minute Secretary Ann Farrell annfarrell77@outlook.com
Lynne & Roger with their trophies
Waterways walks
We will be doing more waterways walks during the Autumn/ Winter Season. The first walk on Thursday 18th October. It will feature the Manchester Ship Canal and the Runcorn & Latchford canal.
Treasurer, Social Sec & Assist Planning Officer Jim Mole 16-elizabethan@tiscali.co.uk M. 07580 162355
Starting point is the village of Moore Red Lion Pub WA4 6UD. 10.00am for a 10.15 start.
Publicity Officer
Mid Cheshire Three Towns Rally 18th to 26th August
Jim Forkin
Editor Packet Boat Jeanne Smith jeanne.smith32@btinternet M. 07746 955931 Planning & Navigation Officer Geoff Gittus geoff.boatman@btinternet.com M. 07808 859751 Membership Secretary Lesley Taylor lesleytaylor22@btinternet.com Merseyside Liaison jeffround@icloud.com
Jeff Round
Scars Liaison Colin Greenall colingreenall@btinternet.com M 07944 101162 Chester Liaison John Herson hersonjohn@gmail.com Bridgewater Canal Liason veinarde1@btinternet.com
Ian & Vera Short
Committee Member Margaret Pitney margaret.pitney@talktalk.net
20 boats attended the extended cruise between the towns of Middlewich, Northwich & Winsford. A reception was held at the Kings Lock Middlewich with a weekend of band concerts. The boats then cruised along the T & M down the Anderton Boat Lift and on to the Weaver at Northwich. Barons Quay sponsored an afternoon’s entertainment then we went up the river to Winsford and the ‘Off Cut’ Festival. A further reception at the Red Lion and a boat parade finished the Rally. Public boat trips were available aboard the Wirral Community Narrow Boat.