The Packet Boat Newsletter February 2017

February 2017

President Ron Evans Hailed as one of the North’s greatest ever water parties, church bells rang, bands played and 12 mayors, school children and well-wishers came out in their thousands to greet the boat on its 127-mile journey – a replica of the original procession by Lancashire and Yorkshire merchants in 1816.

The Trust’s Explorers programme, engaging with children and young people, brought the wonders of the waterways to nearly 200 schools along the canal route.

And the Trust’s EveryMileCounts campaign, supported by a £36,600 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, has restored or replaced dozens of missing or damaged mileposts along the canal.

Over £5,000 has been donated by individuals and groups to support the project and more than 100 volunteers have donated their time and expertise to painting and repair work, including damaged half and quarter mile posts.

Volunteer groups have come from many different organisations including Cookson’s canal action team, Maghull in Bloom, Barnoldswick in Bloom, Scarisbrick Marina, Thwaites Brewery, the Bingley JAMES motor education group, Princes Trust Blackburn, U3A Aintree, volunteer lock keepers and towpath taskforce volunteers in Sefton, Wigan, Blackburn, Burnley and Skipton.

Chantelle Seaborn, local waterway manager for the Canal & River Trust, said: “The public response to the invitation to get involved in the bicentenary celebrations for this special canal was truly amazing. It proves that the Leeds & Liverpool is still valued as a living waterway for leisure activities, wildlife and heritage. There is a tremendous affection for the canal which was obvious in all the towns and villages along its route.

Chester & Merseyside Branch Chairman’s Report.

This is my first Chairman’s Report in the Packet Boat, and I trust that you all had a wonderful Christmas and wish you a Happy and Prosperous New Year. Looking forward to 2017, I hope that you will be 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.

You are probably aware that the Branch is presently in a state of flux as a number of committee members have stepped down after many years of industrious service. While we are still maintaining our social calendar with the monthly talks the present committee is very short of members and we are currently taking on multiple roles. Whilst our National Campaign Festival in June 2016 at Eldonian was awarded the CRT North West Partnership Chair’s Special Award this looks likely to be the pinnacle of our achievements as the committee feeling is that we don’t have enough members to enable us to organise future large scale events. This even includes our “traditional” bi-annual boating get together.

The Branch AGM will be in March and I am asking for members to come forward and join the present committee. We don’t bite and are quite friendly and I’m sure new committee members would enjoy the chance to see “behind the scenes”. Help is always available so don’t think you’ll be “dropped in at the deep end”. Issues that need addressing in 2017 are the closure of the Bridgewater Canal at Boothstown between February and June which effectively cuts off any planned cruises to Wigan, Liverpool or onto the Lancaster canal via the Ribble Link. This is a major disappointment as one of the Eldonian Festival’s aims was to increase boaters using the Liverpool canals. This matter needs pressure applying to Peel Holdings to modify their stance and allow boating passage during this stoppage.

Other pressure needs to be applied to the revised routing of HS2 which now moves the route in the Middlewich – Northwich area up to 800 metres westwards; this impacts the Trent and Mersey Canal where a single crossing now becomes 3 crossings on a 20 metre high embankment. These are just two major challenges that the Branch faces in 2017 so please pick up the cudgels and join the fight to protect and improve our waterways.

Kennet arriving at Eldonian Village BRIDGEWATER CANAL REPORT -

Kennet’s Crew celebrating their arrival 23 January 2017

Not a lot of news over the Christmas period as the closure on the Bridgewater Canal has taken over most conversations and left a lot of unhappy boaters. The last closure notice 03/2017 states the canal should be open 24 May 2017 and it would be great to see this happen but we all have our doubts!!!!!! The Federation of Bridgewater Cruising Clubs hold their annual rally every year on the late May Bank holiday and it would be good if all the boaters who wish to attend could, but some are moored other side of the closure.

Vera and Ian Short Bridgewater Canal Liaison

Programme of Social meetings to be held at the Holiday Inn Ellesmere Port 7.45pm 11th April 2017 Middlewich- its canal frontage& heritage and future plans - Kerry Fletcher

9th May 2017 The Titanic tragedy-correcting the myths - Ken Pye

On a brighter note our legacy from the Chester Festival, the Dee tidal gauge, has been promised to be fitted by CRT this year, probably by Easter so please keep an eye out for this on your 2017 travels around our waterways.

Jim Forkin, Branch Chairman

Revised Social Date Our next social meeting will now be on Tuesday the 7th February 7.45pm at the Holiday Inn Ellesmere Port CH65 2AL A Talk by Paul Hindle about the Restoration of the Manchester Bury and Bolton Canal

Notice of Annual General Meeting 7.45pm on Tuesday 14th March at the Holiday Inn Ellesmere Port CH65 2AL followed by a talk from Peter Scott on Lock dramas and flooding at Sheffield

News from the Sankey Canal Events:During the past twelve months the Sankey Canal Restoration Society (SCARS) has been very busy promoting the canal at various shows and rallies around the North West. Of course the big one was the IWA Chester & Merseyside Branch Campaign Festival at the Eldonian Village which was a wonderful event attracting hundreds of people and getting them thinking about our wonderful canal system. It was also a great opportunity for SCARS to promote the history of the Sankey Canal and how it helped in the development of Liverpool.

Towpath Improvements:Work has continued throughout the year on upgrading the towpath/cycleway on the St.Helens section of the canal. In the early part of the year the section from Waggon Lane to Blackbrook Road was completed and as part of the scheme Engine Lock was uncovered after lying underwater for many years

Engine Lock with the new towpath Cycleway on the right SCARS sales and exhibition Marque at the Campaign Rally

Volunteer work party

Other events we attended included the Lymm Transport Day at the end of June, Newton Town Show in August and the Vintage Vehicle Rally, Widnes in September.

Work Parties:Our volunteer work parties have been very active at various locations, at the beginning of the year it was the New Double Locks in St.Helens that benefited from the clearance of unwanted vegetation.

Later in the year we turned our attention to the swing bridge at Bradley were we had a very successful corporate volunteer day with members of RSM (UK) Accountancy who put in some sterling work clearing the area around the base of the bridge, this was followed up by our own volunteer painting party.

At Spike Island, Riverside College have been busy doing various tasks as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme with students working alongside SCARS members to help improve the area around the locks and wet dock.

Mersey Gateway Crossing:Work on the new bridge across the Mersey is progressing and is on schedule for completion in the autumn of this year. When work first began on the bridge, Merseylink the contractors, filled in a section of the canal to allow for the construction of the haulage road out across the river from which the main bridge would be built. It also happened that one of the pillars for the viaduct would be in the canal thus reducing the width but still allowing enough room for navigation, work to reinstate the canal as commenced with piling of the off side bank complete with copings.

LEEDS & LIVERPOOL CANAL BICENTENARY LASTING LEGACY

Richard Parry and helpers installing a mile post

Bradley swing bridge

New Fiddler’s Ferry bridge

New Bridge at Fiddlers Ferry:Mid June saw the complete of the new lift bridge at Marsh house Lane, this bridge replace the temporary bridge that in turn had replaced the one that the lorry fell through some time ago. It was paid for with at grant from the Coastal Communities Fund which also funded the creation of apprenticeships for local businesses in the area.

New section of piling with copings

Foundry workers casting the new posts

The Leeds & Liverpool Canal bicentenary celebrations last year have been hailed a great success by the Canal & River Trust and the Leeds & Liverpool Canal Society.

Thousands of people got involved in dozens of festivals, special events and projects to mark the 200th anniversary of England’s longest man-made waterway. The main focus for the year was in October when the Kennet heritage education boat, run by the Canal Society, performed an epic nine-day ceremonial voyage from Leeds to Liverpool.

It should be noted that the views 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