Shrewsbury District & North Wales Branch Newsletter - Spring 2018
SHROPPIE FLY PAPER
Cover photo : “The Saucy Mrs Flobster” at Maesbury Wharf, Sept 2017 courtesy of Jamie Davies If you have a picture of the canals in our area which you would like to see on one of our front covers, email it to andrew.smith@waterways.org.uk
THE BRANCH COMMITTEE President
Michael Limbrey 01691 654081
michael.limbrey@waterways.org.uk
Chairman
Michael Haig 07801 415573
michael.haig@waterways.org.uk
Secretary & Membership Sec.
Dawn Aylwin 01691 830403
shrewsandnwales@waterways.org.uk
Treasurer & Welsh Liaison Officer
Alan Platt
alan.platt@waterways.org.uk
Webmaster
Alan Wilding
alan.wilding@waterways.org.uk
Committee Members
Susan Wilding
alan.wilding@waterways.org.uk
NW Region Chairman
Sir Robert Atkins robert.atkins@waterways.org.uk 01995 602225 or 07770 254444
Newsletter Editor
Andrew Smith
andrew.smith@waterways.org.uk
Branch Web pages www.waterways.org.uk/shrewsbury www.facebook.com/pages/IWA-Shrewsbury-Branch/388651831206061 If you would prefer to communicate with the branch in the traditional way, please write to the Secretary at Wyndcliff, Pen y Garreg Lane, Pant, Oswestry SY10 8JS Shroppie Fly Paper is the newsletter of the Shrewsbury District & North Wales Branch of The Inland Waterways Association (IWA). IWA is a membership charity that works to protect and restore the country's 6,500 miles of canals and rivers. For further information contact any committee member. Copy for Shroppie Fly Paper is very welcome, preferably by email. Photographs may be in any common computer format or as prints. Please supply a stamped addressed envelope if you require photographs to be returned. ‘Letters to the Editor’ intended for publication are invited, as are comments for the Editor’s private guidance. Copy and letters submitted for publication may be edited. The Inland Waterways Association may not agree with the opinions expressed in this branch newsletter but encourages publicity as a matter of interest. Nothing printed may be construed as official policy unless stated otherwise. The Association accepts no liability for any matter in this newsletter. Any reproduction must be acknowledged. 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 Road, Chesham HP5 1WA Tel: 01494 783 453 Web: www.waterways.org.uk
THE EDITOR'S CUT... Far from being a quiet time, this winter seems to have been very busy for our branch and for our various partner organisations. In addition to planned work, there have been additional challenges presented by the weather and the recent canal breach on the Middlewich Branch. I had been planning a cruise in the Easter holiday from Nantwich to Anderton. That would have taken me over the site of the Middlewich Branch breach so I was fortunate not to be caught on the opposite side of the hole. The Shropshire Union Middlewich Branch Adopters (SUMBA) are always busy but became even more so after the breach giving advice and help to boaters and local residents affected. They then worked with Canal and River Trust staff to clear rubbish from the canal while it was empty. After that they helped with the refloating and retrieval of the 14 boats that had been stranded. Great work by all concerned and we look forward to further news about the repair. My revised cruising plans took me up onto the Llangollen Canal to Whitchurch (familiar territory since we used to moor at Swanley Bridge marina). During the trip, I was able to see for myself the excellent work that the Small Task Team Volunteers (STTV) have been carrying out at Hurleston, Swanley and Baddiley locks and clearing off-side vegetation near Acton. Thanks folks! At Whitchurch, I was able to see the work carried out over the last few months by the Whitchurch Waterways Trust. The path from the end of the arm towards town has been greatly improved and there are new panels explaining the history of the Whitchurch Arm. Very nice to see this progress. The Grindley Brook Lock Open Day, part of Canal and River Trust’s winter works programme, was unfortunately cancelled due to snow. Our own AGM was postponed for the same reason but a good number were able to attend the rescheduled event including the IWA National Chairman Ivor Caplan. Despite the very wintry conditions, SUCS volunteers were hard at work on the Montgomery Canal restoration. I hope you enjoy reading about the various activities and will support those planned during the spring and summer. The next Shroppie Fly Paper will be the Summer 2018 issue. Please send your contributions to me at andrew.smith@waterways.org.uk. Andrew Smith
Next copy date: Friday, June 22, 2018 1
IWA SHREWSBURY DISTRICT & NORTH WALES BRANCH - DIARY 2017/18
All branch members are welcome to join us at our regular branch business meetings, which are preceded by an opportunity for supper and socialising. Meetings begin at 7.00pm, with supper from 6.00pm. To give our venues an idea of numbers please let the branch know if you would like to attend. shrewsandnwales@waterways.org.uk April 21, 2018
Dudley Tunnel Trip (See below)
May 5-7, 2018
Norbury Festival
May 19, 2018
Montgomery Triathlon
June 3, 2018
Shrewsbury River Festival
June 11, 2018
Branch Business Meeting, Narrowboat, Whittington
June 15-17, 2018
Middlewich FAB (Folk And Boat) Festival
June 23-24, 2018
‘Music for the Monty’ as part of Welshpool Transport Festival
July 2, 2018
Montgomery Canal Forum, 14:00 Welshpool Town Hall
July 7, 2018
Summer Walk—Granville Country Park
July 14-15, 2018
Northwich River Festival
August 10-11, 2018
Branch Lock Wind—Hurleston
August 21, 2018
Branch Business Meeting, location TBA
October 8, 2018
Branch Business Meeting, Narrowboat, Whittington
DUDLEY TUNNEL TRIP
SATURDAY 21 APRIL 2018
This is your last chance to join in with a spectacular tour of the limestone mines and caverns exploring 428 million years of history along 2,888 metres of the mighty Dudley Tunnel for £12.50 per person.
Please make your own way to Dudley and meet by 10.45 in the visitor car park where a coach will take you to the boat. After the two-hour boat trip you will return to the visitor centre which is located at 501 Birmingham New Road, Dudley DY1 4SB. By car its just 10 minutes from junction 2 of the M5 where brown signs will direct you to Dudley Canal Tunnel and Limestone mines. When planning your journey please be aware that there are major road works and delays between the M6 and M5 J2 - it goes down to one lane. At the moment there are just a few spaces left on the trip so please get in touch before Wednesday 11th April when final numbers have to be sent. My details are on the inside front cover of this magazine. Dawn Aylwin
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BRANCH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The AGM date had to be rescheduled due to snow (which nearly caught us out on the new date as well!). In the event, a good number of members gathered at Canal Centre for the meeting. We were also pleased to welcome IWA National Chairman Ivor Caplan. Chairman Michael Haig gave a comprehensive report of the year. See pages 4-6 for an edited version. After the meeting, we enjoyed a tasty lunch before going to view the SUCS resoration site. Some went on foot while others had a relaxing cruise on the horse drawn boat “Countess�. It was a chilly day so we had great respect for the SUCS members working hard on the restoration! Andrew Smith
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FROM THE STEERER
The branch has had a satisfactory year, achieving much of what we had hoped. But some challenges lie ahead, and we’re going to need our members’ help more than ever. We are fortunate to have three of the country’s most scenic waterways within our boundaries – the Llangollen, Montgomery and Shropshire Union Canals. This gives us around 120 miles and 70 locks in use, plus further miles and locks un-navigable, derelict or under restoration. For the first five years of Canal & River Trust – and before that under British Waterways – all the canals in our area have come under the responsibility of the North Wales & Borders Waterway. This consistency has enabled us to build generally very good relationships with our local waterways managers through CRT’s twice-yearly User Forums and IWA North West Region’s bilateral navigation liaison group with CRT. Unfortunately, with CRT’s latest reorganisation from 10 waterways into 6 regions that all looks about to change. At present our canals look as though they will be divided up between three of the new super-regions.
Staffordshire and Shropshire will be in the West Midlands Region, including Warwickshire, Coventry, Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent.
The Cheshire parts of the Shropshire Union Main Line, Middlewich Branch and the Llangollen will be in the North West region, running from Cumbria & Lancashire through Greater Manchester & Liverpool.
Welsh canals, including the Llangollen and Montgomery in Wales, seem set for inclusion in a Gloucester-based South West & Wales Region. Whatever the benefits to CRT of dividing itself on county council/local government lines, as a branch we seriously hope that operational common sense prevails in the case of the North Wales canals. The Llangollen, repeatedly dipping in and out of Wales, and the Montgomery, with a large proportion in Wales but heavily dependent on connection to the (English) national network, surely shouldn’t be operationally managed by a team that has absolutely no connection with the local area or its waterways.
Protecting our waterways
We submitted a pretty comprehensive report for IWA’s national Historic Structures at Risk survey. As well as an almost encyclopaedic piece of work on the Montgomery (thanks to Michael Limbrey) we managed to find space for structures on other waterways. It’s on the IWA website, so let me know if you can provide updated information or details of things we have missed. We have had input into the Local Plans prepared by Welshpool and Telford & Wrekin councils, and like to think we contributed to the decision by T&W to include protection for the line of the Shrewsbury & Newport. However these local plans have only a limited shelf-life, so we will need to be alert to restating our case in a few years’ time. We haven’t done quite so well on monitoring and responding to the slew of planning applications that might affect the canals
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and that appear across our wide area. We’re grateful to several members who have volunteered to keep an eye on planning applications in their local areas but urgently need someone to help co-ordinate our responses. I had the interesting experience in October of skippering an Anglo-Welsh day boat on the Middlewich Branch between Aqueduct Marina and Stanthorne Lock, enabling CRT to host a group of eight people from HS2 to take an on-the -water look at what their plans will mean for the canal and the rural countryside. Apart from mitigation against noise and light pollution, one of our major worries is the impact on marinas, hireboat companies and other canalside businesses all around the Four Counties Ring if the Middlewich Branch has to be closed during the construction phase. We’re getting a preview of what might happen due to the recent major breach of the Middlewich Branch. SUMBA volunteers were out at both ends of the canal to offer advice to boaters and although the breach is between Stanthorne and Wardle Locks near Middlewich, there was a temporary loss of water as far away as Aqueduct Marina at Church Minshull . Some CRT sources have described it as “as bad as the Dutton breach”. The Dutton breach closed that part of the T&M from September 2012 until May 2013 and cost around £2 million to fix, causing CRT to launch an appeal for voluntary donations. .
Restoration
And now some words on the restorations in our area. The most recent news is from SNCT, and unfortunately it’s not good – their second-time-around HLF application has been declined. That’s deeply disappointing, especially for SNCT and the people who worked so hard on the bid applications. However work is under way on a “Plan B” and we’ll look forward to hearing details of that. On a more positive note, it was great to see SNCT honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service – a much-deserved accolade! On the Montgomery, work is pushing on, though it’s a shame that repairs to fix the leaks on the latest re-watered section are proving problematic, with the proposed WRG Canal Camps now in doubt. The Restore The Montgomery Canal Appeal – centred around the rebuild of Schoolhouse Bridge – is making good progress. But it still only has enough money in the bank to build half a bridge, so there’s a long way and £160,000 still to go! It’s worth reminding ourselves that IWA is already heavily invested here with £70k from the Tony Harrison Legacy, so as I’ve said before we as a branch have every incentive to help in whatever way we can to make it happen. The efforts of Whitchurch Waterway Trust to improve and extend the Whitchurch Arm towards the town are on a smaller scale but no less deserving. There has been some progress during the last year and we hope they will be able to do more in the year ahead.
Fund-raising
Historically – and still today – the Branch’s help for these restoration projects has been mainly financial, as over the years we have been tolerably good at fundraising, even if we are out-gunned by others when it comes to physical work parties. Our Branch Calendar – which we have been producing since 2008 – raised almost £1,000, while our other big fundraiser – the annual lock
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wind – brought in over £500. Both of these rely on branch volunteers to make them successful. Support for the lock wind is the easier “sell” for us as it’s a good fun social weekend, despite the inevitable occasional drenching! We had 15 volunteers last year, and we will be at Hurleston the weekend of the 10 th August this year, so do come along and join the fun. You can also help by donating some homemade produce to sell at the Branch Stall. It’s enjoyed by passing boaters and walkers and really helps to boost our funds. After 10 years the calendar needs some fresh eyes on it so if anyone has a fondness for and skill with photography, graphic design, print & production or marketing & sales, please speak to us as soon as possible.
Other Events
As well as the lock wind, the Branch Stand travelled to Welshpool, Whitchurch and Shrewsbury last year, and the few of us on our small committee were also at half a dozen other waterways events, including our opening of the canal warehouse at Rednal as part of the national Heritage Open Days in September. Our social programme included 2 walks – one summer and one winter – our Autumn Dinner & Talk at the Joule’s Brewery in Drayton with Pete & Jane Marshall of Day-Star Theatre and the popular Quiz Night at Whittington in February. Thank you to the volunteers who worked on all these events. In the next year coming up we have an active programme of events, including a trip to the Dudley Tunnels next month. Do come and join us. In fact, “Do Come and Join Us” must be our theme for 2018 and beyond. As a committee, we want to maintain our ability as an active IWA branch to support our local restorations. But if our members agree with that view we need them to step forward and help the branch. We have over 300 household memberships affiliated to this branch, but our committee is about to drop to just six people after this AGM as David Aylwin has decided to step down after many years of supporting the Branch, including a spell as our chairman. Thank you, David, for all your efforts. I hope and believe that members appreciate what the branch has done over the years, what it is doing now and what it can do in the future. But in order to maintain a viable branch we must have more people step up, otherwise we face an uncertain future. So I appeal to all of you to come forward and please help the branch if you can.
And finally...
On a much happier note, I’m delighted to tell you that the branch can count six members who have been almost lifelong supporters of IWA, having been members for more than 50 years. One of them who lives relatively locally had hoped to be at our AGM but sadly the rearranged date did not allow this so Ivor Caplan and I went to Malpas after the meeting to present Robin with a commemorative plaque to mark IWA’s appreciation. The other five longstanding members will be receiving their plaque by post. Michael Haig
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REGION CHAIRMAN WRITES
Much has been happening over the last few weeks, largely relating to the “rebranding” of the IWA. Inevitably, some complaints about “unnecessary change” and the cost thereof but generally the thinking behind the operation has been welcomed. And I like the colours in the new logo! Earlier this month, I was invited to the Annual Parliamentary Dinner of the All Party Group on the Waterways at the House of Commons. Present were a dozen or so MPs and Peers, either with a direct connection with a constituency-based canal or just out of a real interest in our affairs. The Parliamentarians welcomed the new approach to improve the profile and influence of the IWA and were delighted that Wendy Morton, MP for Aldridge Brownhills and a boat-owner, was declared the “Waterways Parliamentarian of the Year”. I am now a member of the IWA Navigation Committee and attended my first meeting last month. Again, a long trek to Warwick and very lengthy discussions about various issues, but nothing specific about the North West. If you have any particular concerns, please pass them on and I will raise them at the next meeting. As you know by now, I am pressing for conference call meetings to obviate these environmentally and financially unsound journeys and I am told that the next meeting will be via that method. I do hope so. Indeed, there was just such a meeting of Regional Chairmen early in March. The two hours allocated ran over but, otherwise, the system worked quite well. We dealt with a number of issues, chief amongst which was data protection. We had an hour-long briefing from IWA HQ about the implications of severer legislation and our individual and collective responsibilities in protecting such data as we use. There will be more information on this to come but the watchword is “Don’t panic!” - it is mostly common sense. We touched on CRT reorganisation and were advised to tread water for a week or two until it all settles down. Watch this space! Someone raised the point about the dual role of Regional Chairmen and IWA Trusteeship since the decision taken in January last to divide them, largely on the apparent advice of the Charity Commission. This advice turns out to be wrong. The consensus was that the duality works well, in that division of the roles would reduce influence and communication both ways and would delay decision-making. No one seems inclined to opt for one or the other at present since there appears to be very little to gain by so doing. We have also had a plea for comments on the quality - or otherwise - of communications between the IWA and its members. Views please! Spring is almost here after the late snowy flurry and “RATTY” is calling. We shall be on the cut just as soon as the diary allows and I hope you too will be enjoying the delights of our many waterways. Sir Robert Atkins Chairman, North West Region
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MEMBERSHIP NEWS
We are delighted to welcome the following members who have either transferred to the branch or joined as a new member since the Autumn edition and hope to meet you all at one of the events advertised in this magazine:
Mr Bryant from Church Stoke Mr Dean from Malpas Mr & Mrs Doughty from Wolverhampton Miss Harper from Harborne, Birmingham Mr Heather from Whixall Mr & Mrs Jefferson from Audlem Miss Richards & Miss Fennell from Much Wenlock
By the time you read this I hope the warmer weather will have arrived and you are looking forward to the summer. However it's been a very long, cold, wet winter made even more depressing by the number of members who have resigned from the Association because they are 'no longer boating'. So when I received the following letter my belief that you don't have to be a boater to enjoy and support the waterways was vindicated:
Robin Dean receiving his golden membership award from IWA National Chairman Ivor Caplan
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'Dear Dawn Aylwin So very nice to receive your welcoming letter to the Shrewsbury District & North Wales branch of the IWA. Sadly for me I am in the above Care Home being disabled attached to my wheel chair. However I have been involved with IWA for over fifty years and I was a party to the South Wales Branch when it was first set up and for a number of years I was Chairman. My family have been connected to the Shropshire Union Canal as our family business was Edward Dean & Sons of Chester and as a small boy I do remember being shown a pair of working boats at Barbridge with our name on by courtesy of the LMS. Their boats would take grain from Ellesmere Port which was milled at Chester then taken on to the Birmingham Wolverhampton area to be distributed. The return loads would be cheeses to Ellesmere Port onwards to Manchester. I have boated and walked most of the Welsh arm of the Shropshire Union and my last venture before I became disabled was to explore what's left of the unfinished branch to Shrewsbury which ended up at Weston Lullingfield where I found a most delightful inland port. One of the owners of a house, known as the Ship Inn, backing on to the wharf has started to restore the basin uncovering the set of old lime kilns and cobbles. I don't know if you are aware of this. Thank you again for your letter Robin Dean'
Robin is one of our 'golden' members and received recognition at the branch AGM in March. Robin is not alone, there are five other quinquagenarians who have been supporting us for more than 50 years:
Mr R L Few from the Isle of Wight; Mr Andrew Hudson (who used to edit the Shroppie Fly Paper) from Ballymena; Mr R Miles from Rhyl, Dr Noakes from Mold Mr Peter Stockdale from Nantwich.
Our appreciation and thanks go to all of you. Dawn Aylwin
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CALLING ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS
Can you take pictures like the ones on this page? Here's your chance to showcase the quality of your images in our renowned Waterways Calendar. For our 2018 calendar we're looking for one lovely image per month from the popular and photogenic canals in our area. Each month is sponsored by a local business to help us defray our printing costs and maximise the value of our calendar sales, and obviously all twelve of these businesses wish to be associated with top quality photography.
Your photos should have been taken, preferably recently, on the Llangollen, Montgomery, SU Middlewich Branch, SU Main Line between Barbridge and Pendeford Bridge 3A (by Wolverhampton Boat Club), the Shrewsbury & Newport or the Shropshire Canal. We need a choice of quality photos from all seasons and of varying subject material landscapes, canal structures and, of course, historic and modern boats - so please trawl your photo libraries and see what you can find. The monthly images should be high resolution, capable of being printed at A5 size in landscape format, while our cover image is A4 portrait orientation. Please send your selection as soon as possible to the Branch Chairman, michael.haig@waterways.org.uk.
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CAN YOU LEND A HAND?
YES your branch really does need your support so please join us. No we don't expect you to fill someone's shoes! You will be free to bring your own and help with things that interest you. However there are a few posts available; if you think one of them is something you can do then please, please get in touch.
Branch Secretary
I transferred to the branch at the beginning of the century and became branch Secretary a year later. “It’s just for 3 years�! The three years stretched to 13 and then some. But with eyesight and hearing fading it's time to hand over to somebody with more energy. I've enjoyed meeting new people, going to festivals and working with WOW children's activities; however these are things I have opted to do and are not part of the post. In fact there are few rules or regulations associated with being branch Secretary - you just need to send out agendas a week before the meeting and circulate the minutes within a reasonable time after.
Social Secretary
Traditionally the branch has organised several winter social activities eg the quiz, a winter walk, and an after dinner talk as well as one outing during the warmer months. But it doesn't have to be thus. You will be free to organise branch social activities to suit you.
Planning Co-ordinator
Several of our members let us know when planning applications in their area affect the canal. So we are looking for someone to co-ordinate all the applications and respond to the relevant authority. An armchair post and you don't necessarily have to be a committee member just send us a report of the applications about 6 times a year.
Committee Members
The branch committee meets every other month and would welcome new members to join us. Dawn Aylwin
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WINTER WALK REPORT
The first Saturday of the New Year is hardly ever going to be an ideal day to forsake the comfort of central heating and venture out along the towpath of one of our canals. But, since goodness knows when, that’s exactly what this Branch has been organising and then, after setting it up, we can only wait and wonder if anyone will actually turn up!
This year we arranged to explore the Shrewsbury Canal and when Susan and I arrived at the car park rendezvous (early, we thought) we were more than reassured to find a couple already waiting and they’d made the long journey from Warrington. More and more arrived until there were about three dozen hardy souls in all. After we’d processed the pub lunch orders our guest leader Alistair Price, of the Shrewsbury & Newport Canals Trust, got us underway and off the solid tarmac onto squelchy mud and grass to reach the line of the old Shrewsbury Canal (1797 – 1944), high on the slopes above the loop of the River Severn behind Sundorne Road. The former towpath is now a popular cycleway and, thanks to many hours of voluntary clearance work, the channel now resembles a canal again and parts even have some water. The Shrewsbury was originally built to bring coal to the county town from east Shropshire and later extended to link with the national system at Norbury Junction on the Shropshire Union. Alistair’s destination for our morning stroll was away from the town to the old canal and river village of Uffington where the site of a former forge and river ford were visited, through someone’s garden! Alistair then led us around the village to more of the canal route in the shadow of Haughmond Hill where the group paused for a photo before returning to Shrewsbury and the welcome refreshments at the Coracle Inn. Alan Wilding
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SUMMER WALK — GRANVILLE — 7 JULY 2018 Led by Alistair Price The Walk.
The walk will follow various footpaths and bridleways through Granville Country Park, starting at the car park off Granville Road. We will walk sections of the Donnington Wood Tub Boat canal, one of the earliest canals built in this country. We will explore some of the industrial history of the North East of Telford, discuss the legacy of Granville Leverson Gower and, time permitting, look at the ruins of mines, a canal basin, early furnaces, pumping house and winding house for Muxton coal mine. Paths are well used with some gentle gradients but can be a little muddy after rain. We will walk at a gentle pace with frequent stops and chances to explore the ruins.
The Start.
The walk will start from the car park off Granville Road. To reach this car park from the M54 leave at Junction 4 and head north along the A4640 to Red Hill. At Red Hill continue over the first island (A5) and travel downhill over the second island to Granville Island. (This is the island with an Asda Supermarket). Take the third exit, a right turn. About ½ mile along Granville Road, look for the car park on the left where we will meet. Postcode for the Park & adjacent Golf Club is TF2 8PQ. Start time: 10:00. Duration: 2 - 2½ hours including stops. There are no toilets at Granville – early coffee and toilets are available at Asda. After the walk we plan to go to The Clocktower Pub (Brewers Fayre). To get there, return to Granville island, turn right onto Donnington Wood Way and continue to the Clock Tower island. The pub is on the left just before the junction. Postcode TF2 8LE. Telephone Susan Wilding on 01743 359650 to book or for more information
MONTGOMERY CANAL TRIATHLON
If you fancy something more energetic, there are still places on the Triathlon, but the organisers expect it to be fully booked: so hurry! Entry form available at:
http://www.montgomerycanal.me.uk/Triathleaflet2018.pdf
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NORBURY CANAL FESTIVAL
Norbury Junction, Staffs, ST20 0PN May Bank Holiday Weekend 5-7 May 2018 After a break last year the popular Norbury Canal Festival is returning early May Bank Holiday weekend. The parking problem has been solved and excellent new car parking provision is in place. This year’s Festival aims to repeat the success that we have now come to expect. The event will be on both sides of the canal, so as well as the traditional craft and food stalls and refreshments in the garden of the Norbury Junction Inn, there will be more stalls and activities spread along the canalside, around Norbury Wharf and in the Canal & River Trust yard. “Like Nanna Made” will be supplying cakes, teas and light bites and Windmill Radio from Stafford will be reporting live from the event. Norbury Junction Inn will be holding a Cider Festival in the main marquee all three days. And there will be lots of children’s events every day! On the water the rally moorings are now fully booked. There will be many boat traders, including the very popular Cheese Boat, and they will be joined by a gathering of other narrow boats, with an award for the Best Looking Boat. A narrowboat will be open for the public to look over so that they can see the sort of hire boats that are available from Norbury Wharf. The Shrewsbury & Newport Canals Trust will again be operating boat trips along the canal to give people the experience of seeing it from the water In the large marquee, alongside the Cider Festival, there will be a Bands night on Saturday night, featuring Savannah and Bon Accord. On Sunday there will be a top class Comedy Night, based on the popular Edinburgh Fringe “This is your Trial.” See thisisyourtrial.com for further details. The traditional Sunday canalside church service is at 15.00 this year on Norbury Wharf quayside Parking will be just a short walk from the canal and organised by the Air Cadets once again. For further information contact: John Myers
Tel
01785 255263
Mobile 07711 858986
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TELFORD AND WREKIN LOCAL PLAN 2011-2031
Last issue we reported that the latest draft of the Powys County Council Local Development Plan has a whole separate section about the Montgomery canal. It is pleasing to be able to report that the Inspectors report on the Telford and Wrekin Local Plan published in November states that “the Local Plan should contain an explicit safeguard in respect of the Shrewsbury & Newport Canal.� The Council will safeguard the alignment of the Shrewsbury and Newport Canal (as shown on the Policies Plan) with a view to its longterm re-establishment as navigable waterways by: i.
Not supporting development likely to destroy the canalalignment or its associated structures
ii.
Ensuring that when the canal is affected by development the alignment is protected or an alternative alignment provided.
Full details at http://www.telford.gov.uk/localplan Congratulations to the Shrewsbury & Newport Canal Trust!
BRANCH LOCK WIND
Friday 10th & Saturday 11th August 2018 Yes we've changed two things this year. Due to family commitments of the organiser, the annual Branch Lock Wind has been changed from the first weekend in August to the second and from a Saturday/Sunday to a Friday/ Saturday event. Although if enough members volunteer to help we might increase the event to three days and work the locks on Sunday as well. It all depends on you. Unfortunately the changes mean we will lose a few of our regular lock-winders who come each year not just to help raise much needed funds but because they enjoy meeting the boaters, walkers and cyclists who pass through. Yes lock-winding can be fun. So please get in touch with me if you are able to help on any of the three days. Or if you are able to supply much needed produce to sell - homemade cakes, biscuits, jams, marmalade and pickles are very popular. Full details in the next edition of this magazine but it would be great if you could let me know as soon as possible if you are able to join us either by car or boat. Contact details are on the inside cover.
Dawn Aylwin
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MIDDLEWICH ARM BREACH
Late on the evening of Thursday 15th March, a breach occurred in the Shropshire Union Middlewich Branch near Middlewich at the aqueduct between bridges 27 and 28. As this dramatic aerial photo shows, the damage is extensive and means that this popular link between the Shropshire Union at Barbridge Junction and the Trent and Mersey Canal at Middlewich is going to be closed for some time.
Photo from John Bancroft & Middlewich Guardian.
EMERGENCY APPEAL
The Canal and River Trust has a dedicated web page with updates and information on how to donate to the emergency appeal https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/our-regions/north-wales-and-borders -waterways/middlewich-branch-breach If you do not have internet access, there are other ways to donate: Text: LEAK515 to 70070 to give £5 (you'll be charged £5 + one message at your standard network rate) Donate by post: FREEPOST RSXX-XSGE-KKUE, FAO: Shropshire Union Appeal, Canal & River Trust, Station House, 500 Elder Gate, Milton Keynes, MK9 1BB
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This Springer had a very narrow escape!
Pictures by Roger Evans of the T&M Canal Society (via Twitter)
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FROM OUR ROVING REPORTER...
We are grateful to Peter Mitchell who was on “Jenny Wren” near Wardle Lock at the time of the breach for this eye-witness account! “Jenny Wren is the boat in the forground of the picture below. “I got up at around 23.20 to make a drink before heading to bed. This is when I noticed that the boat was listing to one side. Having slackened the ropes I met some other puzzled looking boaters on the towpath. We assumed that the canal had emptied through Wardle Lock. Several of us made our way to the lock but upon inspection found that all was normal. We returned back up the towpath and then noticed that the water was running the wrong way along the canal.
Photo © Tony Dunmore
Keen to investigate further a group of us started walking up the canal towpath away from Wardle Lock. We passed a number of other boats on the way, their owners looking equally puzzled. Eventually we found a 40ft section of the embankment near the aqueduct over the river Wardle had fallen away leaving a deep hole in the canal. Every few seconds another foot of canal bed would slip away down the bank eroded by the torrent of water. There was still a large amount of water coming away from Stanthorne lock, I borrowed a windlass and a torch from another boater and accompanied the police to Stanthorne Lock to see what was going on. We arrived and noticed that this pound was about 18 inches down. At the lock the reason for the lack of water became obvious. Both the gate and ground paddles were up, thus allowing the water to simply flow through the lock. Having closed the paddles we continued down the canal to the other side of the breach. Just before reaching it we met another boater who was on his own. His boat (a springer) lay in the canal at an angle due to the ‘v’ shape of it’s hull. We helped him get some belongings off the boat as it was clear that it was unsafe for him to remain on it. I learned from him that at some point that evening another boat had cruised past him at speed causing one of his mooring pins to come away from the bank. He was tied to the bank by just one pin at the time the bank collapsed! It was appreciated by everyone just how lucky this boater had been.” Peter Mitchell More photos of the breach by Tony Dunmore at:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/FOzrHRPX29y4U2zv2
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A temporary dam is now in place which enabled the empty pound to be refilled and allowed the beached boats to be removed into the Trent & Mersey. Graham Russell
OPEN FOR BUSINESS!
While the Middlewich end of the branch is blocked and is likely to remain so for some time, access from the Shropshire Union at Barbridge Junction is unaffected. The canal is open for about 6 miles from Barbridge Junction to the winding hole just north-east of Bridge 16 (Hollingshead Bridge). This gives access to a very attractive stretch of canal and a range of businesses located there such as Midway Boats; Venetian Marina, Aqueduct Marina and the Badger Inn at Church Minshull.
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SUMBA
Shropshire Union Middlewich Branch Adopters Our 150th work party
November was a very busy month for the group as we managed to squeeze in four very successful work parties—and in so doing our volunteers have visited all 5 1/2 miles of our Adoption length. On Monday November 13th 2017 we passed another major milestone the hedge laying session was our 150th work party!! It was only thirteen months ago on October 27th 2016 that we celebrated our 100th.
Middlewich Arm Breach
SUMBA reacted to the breach immediately I was contacted at 8:00am on Friday 16th March - it occurred overnight. From 9:00am to 5:00pm we had volunteers at Middlewich & Barbridge junctions, advising boaters of the issue and the the navigation restrictions that were in place. (No through route via Wardle Lock and last winding hole at bridge 16 if entering the branch at Barbridge). On Saturday 17th March in freezing conditions SUMBA's volunteers delivered 'information & advice' leaflets to all offside properties with canalside gardens. We also patrolled the towpath between Wardle Lock & A530 Aqueduct answering the public's enquiries and helping with security & wash wall / canal edge safety issues etc. On Tuesday 20th March our volunteers spent the day helping CRT's Customer Service Team remove a massive amount of rubbish from the dewatered canal. Bicycles, wheels, enough tyres to run a GP, radios, wok, supermarket trolleys, kettles (no lids), traffic cones galore, ironwork, spikes etc etc. Didn't we do well!! One disappointment - we never found the Easter Eggs that CRT had hidden in the mud...
Graham Russell
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SUMBA receives IWA trophy
On Saturday 7th April, at the IWA North West Region Social at Fidlers Ferry, SUMBA received the Tetlow Trophy. The award is presented to a non-IWA invididual or organisation for their outstanding contribution to the waterways. SUMBA was felt to be a worthy recipient both for their ongoing work on the Middlewich Branch and for their speedy assistance to CRT during the recent breach
Graham Russell from SUMBA receives the Tetlow Trophy from Sir Robert Atkins, IWA North West Region Chairman
New interpretation board installed by SUMBA at Sykes Hollow in October 2017 includes information about an earlier canal breach at Church Minshull!
ONCE MORE UNTO THE BREACH! The SUMBA website has information about an earlier breach on the Middlewich branch. On 10th October 1958, there was a breach between Bridges 12 & 13 which drained a 4 mile stretch. The similarity between this picture and those of the current breach is striking.
The 1958 breach was repaired by 16th November! The current breach is expected to take a bit longer to repair! More details on SUMBA’s website at
http://www.sumbavolunteers.org/history.html
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WHITCHURCH WATERWAY TRUST
Stage One of Canal Extension & Basin Project Completed The Whitchurch Waterway Trust have been working since 2013 on planning a canal extension and new basin to bring the canal a bit nearer to the town. Planning Permission (requiring plans and reports to be commissioned at significant expense, and further stipulating many conditions to be met before work could start) was granted in Nov 2013, and was due to expire in 2016. Having so far failed to find funding for the whole project, we were successful in getting a grant of just over ÂŁ60,000 from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) for tourism, which has enabled a start to be made, thus preventing Planning Permission from expiring, while improving the site for local residents, people walking the Sandstone Trail and other visitors. In particular, boaters walk through this area on their way into town from the canal. The work done involved moving a significant quantity of soil to make the land levels closer to the levels which will be needed for the basin, improving existing paths and creation of a new path to connect the area to Chemistry. The existing paths have been improved to make them wider and more level, with a smoother surface so that they are to accessible standard now, and a picnic area with benches was created. A part of the path which was prone to flooding in the winter has been raised so that walkers no longer have to wade through floods and mud. Since there is a population of the rare water vole in a brook adjacent to the site, a fence was erected to protect their habitat by keeping dogs away from the brook. 2 bat boxes have been installed and 2 interpretation boards erected, one at the junction depicting the history of Whitchurch, and one at the picnic area showing where the old canal into Whitchurch used to go. So we haven't built the basin yet, but we have: Helen Brockman Secretary i) improved the "meantime" amenity of the area for The Whitchurch the public and established a presence there Waterway Trust ii) improved the path from the Whitchurch Arm into town iii) ensured that Planning Permission did not expire iv) moved a large quantity of soil which will not have to be moved again in constructing the basin v) created a new path from Chemistry which defines the eastern edge of the eventual basin.
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WHITCHURCH BOAT RALLY - 1-2 SEPT 2018 The Whitchurch Waterway Trust is holding its annual boat rally on the first weekend in September (1st & 2nd). The usual, and some unusual, stalls will be supporting the trust and already we have nearly an Arm full of boats; so if you want to bring your boat don't leave it too long or we might be full up. Booking forms for boat entry and a stall can be downloaded from the website whitchurchwaterway.uk. Boat entry is ÂŁ12.50 and the social evening meal on Saturday 1st is ÂŁ7.00 per person. The theme for the Best Decorated Boat is 'British Weather' which we are certainly having a lot of this year. Get the brain boxes working for the evening quiz which Iain and Clair do so wonderfully. There is also the dog show on Sunday afternoon. We hope to see some of you at the rally and do come along and support your hardworking team on the IWA stall.
SMALL TASKS TEAM VOLUNTEERS
STTV have been busy at their monthly work parties at various locations on the Llangollen and Shropshire Union Canals. Swanley and Baddiley locks got some care and attention in September / October. January saw the access steps rebuilt at Bridge 90 (Marsh Lane, Nantwich). February was a twosite operation with new signage at Hurleston and vegetation clearing at Acton. Ann Bannister
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QUIZZICAL
Over thirty members and friends packed the Narrowboat Inn on 5 th February for the Annual Branch Quiz. As usual, a challenge had been sent to other canal groups in the branch area and several were represented: the Shrewsbury & Newport Canals Trust even fielded two teams. Questions were set by last year’s winners, Chas and Sheri Warren – who unfortunately were not able to join us – and me. We covered canals and wildlife, collective nouns and chocolate, Shropshire poets and composers, and that famous musical piece entitled 4 minutes and 33 seconds (you can watch it on YouTube). Quizzers also had to know their historic English counties, details of the Welsh settlement in Patagonia and countries which drive on the left, and learned why the EU does not allow Indian whisky to be called whisky. We finished with a set of pictures featuring Thomas Telford, the 3 rd Duke of Bridgwater, James Brindley, Peter Scott and Tom Rolt (with a minor part played by Alan Platt).
I hope everyone who came left a little wiser! or at least furnished with the sort of useless knowledge that will help in another pub quiz! The winning team, ‘Mandarins’, Peter and Quita Brown, Fiona Pearson and Anne Pilsbury – who, be warned, will be setting next year’s questions – scored 69%. They were followed by ‘Tricycle’ and ‘Shroppie Flyers’, with 57½% and 56%. Most teams scored over half the points available. A number of people were kind enough to say afterwards that they had enjoyed the evening. I like to hope they were not just being polite. See you next year! Michael Limbrey
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BRAIN OF MONTY QUIZ 2018
Yes you still have time to enter this exciting quiz and for just £1 you could get crowned Brain of Monty 2018 plus you could win £25. Last day for entry is 30th June when answers will be posted on the www.restorethemontgomerycanal.uk website. We still need volunteers to sell copies - the target is five quizzes sold for every branch member - to do this we need your help so please buy 5 copies and sell to friends, Romans and countrymen - or even neighbours, relations and your local hairdressers (mine is very successful) so please send £5 and a SAE (A5 16 x 23cm) to: Brain of Monty, Wyndcliff, Pen-y-Garreg Lane, Pant SY10 8JS. Cheques made payable to Restore the Montgomery Canal.
Many thanks to everyone who has already supported the Brain of Monty Quiz. Dawn Aylwin
MOMENTUM : MONTGOMERY CANAL
I don’t know how you manage, but at home we find ourselves planning our diary round dates we don’t want to miss: birthdays or other family events, classical recitals in Oswestry or a week of chamber music in Whittington ( – British composers this year) and of course many canal activities for me – from the annual IWA/CRT Restoration Conference in Wolverhampton to Welshpool Transport Festival and the Music for the Monty concert in the evening. That’s when the problem crops up, because there are also plans for the Restore the Montgomery Canal! appeal at the Gathering of Historic Boats at Braunston on the same weekend. I have never been to the Braunston event, and it promises to be a really good opportunity to promote the Appeal. So I hope other members will support Welshpool: it promises to be bigger and better than the last two Festivals, which themselves followed Making Waves, in which the branch played a part. Canal attractions at the Transport Festival will include coracles, paddleboards and canoes, boat trips and displays and there will be other activities on the steam railway and steam and antique road vehicles, horses, and a fair around the town. Quite a way to celebrate our transport heritage and a valuable opportunity to promote the Appeal! There is a real need to promote Restore the Montgomery Canal! We have already raised over £160,000 – a stunning result, even when you take into account the £70,000 from IWA’s Tony Harrison legacy fund. However, rebuilding Schoolhouse Bridge could cost £300,000: in other words, we only have enough for half a bridge, which gets us nowhere! Could we see the bridge project under way next year? The plans involve a substantial contribution from volunteers, with contractors installing a novel form of prefabricated arch and surfacing the road. There’s a lot to do and you will see below that we are looking for someone to make it happen.
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Not only Schoolhouse Bridge, but there is serious planning around the four Welsh crossings with discussions with the council about Walls and Williams bridges. More technical planning is needed for Maerdy and Arddleen and we have a volunteer engineer working on them too. Volunteers have contributed so much to the Montgomery Canal from the very start of restoration: many commemorated in the mileposts, mainly on the restored stretches of the canal, and of course below Frankton Locks is the lock named after Graham Palmer who was a leader at the first work party in Welshpool. WRG spent years restoring Frankton and Aston locks and created the first Aston nature reserve, funded by a valuable legacy from the Will of a member of the branch committee. The Shropshire Union Canal Society volunteers for their part restored most of the locks on the Welsh section and are now continuing the Lottery-supported project to get water to Crickheath, where later this year contractors will work on the basin itself. Another HLF project is the last nature reserve at Aston Locks. Contractors have finished and the reserve will be planted and watered this season. Though much more substantial than in the original agreement with the nature conservationists, the terms of the Conservation Management Strategy are that when the reserves are established boating restrictions at Frankton can be eased. Finally, the HLF programme includes more community activities, following last year’s walks and photographic workshop and displays – details will be on the Montgomery pages of the CRT website: www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/ montgomery. With very positive discussions with Shropshire and Powys Councils and action by the Town Councils at the principal towns on the canal, Welshpool and Newtown, there is a great deal of momentum to the Montgomery restoration. That would not exist without continued support from members of IWA and the other Montgomery organisations, and particularly the contribution of navvies from WRG and SUCS and the local adoption groups now active along the canal. This momentum makes the Montgomery Appeal more important. It is a major volunteer-led fund-raising effort, supported by IWA, Friends of the Montgomery Canal and SUCS, and has already raised more than any other voluntary fund-raising for the canal. If – if – we can achieve more than we need for Schoolhouse Bridge then the surplus will help with the last two miles of dry canal to the Welsh border. It’s worth remembering what makes the Montgomery Canal special: apart from the Newtown end, it is all owned by CRT and has water supplies; the collection of historic structures exceeds many other canals and the canal is famous for its flora and fauna; the towpath is open throughout – indeed the borders route from Newtown to Llangollen must be one of the best in the country; half the canal is already open, getting to Llanymynech is completely achievable and we see no reason why we cannot get to Welshpool and beyond.
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Is there something you could do to help Restore the Montgomery Canal? Could you help at an event, or even put on a fund-raiser of your own? Do you have a skill which the Appeal – or the branch – could use? (Skills? We are getting a fantastic amount of help from volunteer engineers at the bridges I mentioned.) We would value some help online or with social media. Is there another way you could help so we do get the other half of that bridge, opening the way for channel restoration to Llanymynech? www.RestoreTheMontgomeryCanal.uk Michael Limbrey
CANAL & RIVER TRUST BOOST FOR RARE AQUATIC PLANTS ON MONTGOMERY CANAL
Floating water plantain and other rare aquatic plants should soon be thriving again on a Montgomery Canal arm near Welshpool. Over the winter, volunteers and contractors have worked alongside Trust ecologists to clear away unwanted vegetation and silt from the Guilsfield Arm, which runs for two and a quarter miles (3.6km) from Burgedin towards the village of Guilsfield in Powys. The Guilsfield Arm is now cut off from the canal mainline by a bridge but is being developed as a special place for nature, providing a safe, undisturbed home for some of the many aquatic plants which flourish on the Montgomery Canal. This project is one of ten key nature sites across the country which has received extra help thanks to the support of players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
Sara Hill, Canal & River Trust ecologist, said: “The volunteers and contractors have done an amazing job on the Guilsfield Arm. They had to contend with some horrendous weather just before Christmas, but they really got stuck in, dug out the canal channel and cut back overgrown trees from the bank. “This has had the beneficial effect of reducing shading and improving water quality, which then in turn allows aquatic plants and animals, like water voles and shrews, to flourish. The project is all about encouraging biodiversity and creating healthy waterways.”
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MUSIC FOR THE MONTY —23-24 JUNE 2018 CERDDORIAETH I'R MONTY Music for the Monty will see musicians busking at a number of venues around the town during the Welshpool Transport Festival (including down on the wharf where the coracle races will be entertaining visitors) with the aim of drawing attention to and raising funds for the 'Restore the Montgomery Canal!' campaign. To date over a dozen musicians and bands have volunteered to take part and busk during the weekend for Music for the Monty. Now all we need is the same number of volunteers to be there to help the buskers raise as much money as possible and look after the donation buckets. Please get in touch if you are willing to help. There is also a concert on Saturday evening 23rd June at 7.30pm in the Town Hall Assembly room. Artists include the 'Kytes' a Welshpool band who play popular covers; 'I Am Sam Acoustic' Folk/Indie duo from Oswestry who perform original material; and the 'Shropshire Boatmen'. Buy your ticket today at the special discount price of £8. Tickets will also be available at the door at £10 each but space is very limited so book now to avoid disappointment. Boats cruising down to Welshpool will be a great tourist attraction - so please support the event and buy your tickets for the Saturday evening concert and send a Stamped Addressed Envelope and £8 per ticket to: Music for the Mont, Wyndcliff, Pen-y-Garreg Lane, Pant SY10 8JS Please pay cheques to 'Restore the Montgomery Canal'. Visit www.musicforthemonty.co.uk for the latest details. Or to volunteer your help over the weekend contact Dawn 01691 830403 or Jenny 01691 830683 or email shrewsandnwales@waterways.org.uk
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WANTED—PROJECT MANAGER
Montgomery Canal—School House Bridge A Project Manager is needed to organise the planned rebuilding of School House Bridge in north Shropshire, the last lowered bridge needing to be rebuilt in the county. The construction process will involve building a concrete arch by use of a tried and tested prefabricated segmented arch system designed and made by Macrete. We shall also be making extensive use of suitably skilled volunteers to reduce costs to a level where the bridge works could be funded. The construction works are planned to take about six months, probably during the summer of 2019. There will be a lead in time of say, 12 months, including submitting a planning application (to which the planning authority is sympathetic). This assignment would suit someone retired or in the process of winding down their working life. A small remuneration might be available. Applicants will have to show their experience in
project managing civil engineering related projects such as by having an HND or similar qualification in project management;
working with a work force varied in skills and abilities. The work is planned as a volunteer led project (with suitable skills) in conjunction with sub-contractors for building the bridge arch and finishing the road surface (previous experience in working with volunteers is not essential, but direct supervision and direct involvement with construction work teams would be an advantage);
successfully managing multiple low complexity projects. The applicant would work with teams from the Canal & River Trust to obtain planning permission; procure materials and plant hire; working with the Trust’s full time manager of volunteers and co-ordinating the efforts of the volunteers;
using project management systems.
The successful applicant would work together with a retired civil engineer volunteer who specialised in bridge design/construction and who has already carried out a lot of basic design work. The applicant will need to work with external consultants to confirm design stability etc to the satisfaction of the highways and canal authorities. If you feel this exciting opportunity is for you, then please contact John Dodwell, Chair, Montgomery Canal Partnership john.dodwell@rolandon.com or 07802-961485