Towpath Telegraph May 2015

May 2015

TOWPATH TELEGRAPH IWA Milton Keynes Branch Journal

Goodbye to the Pavilion?

CRT top brass join Cleanup Two lengths re-watered Meet “Duke” and “Baron” the Kelpies WAT Grand Draw tickets inside Re-watering begins at Cosgrove

An animated scene in bright sunshine during the Spring Cleanup on 17-18 April. Ocean Princess (looking like a 30-footer in this telephoto shot) tows the hopper with the dredger following, accompanied by towpath litter-pickers. Photo: Vernon Draper.

IWA (registered charity no. 212342) is the leading membership charity that works to resurrect and protect the waterways as a vital leisure facility for everyone to enjoy, and campaigns for their sensitive development consistent with safeguarding their historic and natural environment. If you are not a member and would like to find out more: * contact any of the Branch Committee listed on Page 16; * contact IWA Head Office on 01494 783453, or visit the web site: https://waterways.org.uk

Welcome to May 2015 Towpath Telegraph With this edition we are experimenting with new typestyles - a move to evolve TPT towards closer conformity with the IWA house style, which is itself undergoing development.

Tell us what you think.

At present we are uncertain where Branch meetings will be held in future— please see Pages 3 and 9.

Would you please also study Pages 6-7, and consider whether you can offer help to the Branch?

We hope you enjoy this edition.

AGM news Thanks for everything—and thanks in advance!

Goodbye to the Pavilion?

Dinner raises funds for Branch and B-MKW Trust New Members Construction plant dealer takes to the waterways Wendover Arm re-watered to Bridge 4A WAT Grand Draw Situations Vacant Diary Bourton Meadow length in water once more CRT top brass muck in at Branch Cleanup Himalayan Balsam CanalFILE—part 2 John Dodwell tells it how it is Getting in touch with IWA Milton Keynes Branch

2 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 6-7 8-9 9 10-11 11 12-13 14-15 16

AGM news As most members now know, Peter Caswell stepped down as Branch Chairman at the Branch’s Annual General Meeting on 23 February for health reasons. In his report, Peter reviewed the Branch's activities over the year, including the renewal of the Fenny Lock Adoption Scheme, other work involving Canal & River Trust, a successful Lock Help weekend, two Canal Cleanups, and a varied programme of Branch meetings.

He thanked all those who had helped over the year with the running of the Branch, organising and taking part in activities and events, supporting these activities with sponsorship and expertise, and also the partners of active members for their support and forbearance.

Peter said that he was resigning with mixed feelings, but the time had come to put his health and family first. He wished the Committee well and hoped that members would continue to support its efforts.

Donations of £300 each to Bedford-Milton Keynes Waterway Trust, Buckingham Canal Society, WRG BITM and Wendover Arm Trust were approved. Cheques were presented to representatives of all except WRG BITM, whose cheque was sent to them afterwards.

Peter Caswell thanked the other retiring Committee members, Dave Roberts and David King, for their long-standing efforts for the Branch. Athina Beckett, Les Franklin, James Griffin and Philip Strangeway, standing down under the ‘three year rule’, were re-elected.

Jane Bidgood and Tim Armstrong, co-opted during the year, were elected.

After a break, John Dodwell, Trustee, Canal & River Trust, presented a survey of the Trust’s current position, covering new approaches to maintenance, the developing role of Trust volunteers, the Friends scheme, and continued efforts towards better moorings enforcement. See Page 14 for his answers to some of the written questions submitted to him before the meeting.

Page 2

THANKS FOR EVERYTHING— AND THANKS IN ADVANCE! On 27 February, just after the Branch AGM, Committee members met for our annual dinner at the Three Locks, Soulbury. This is held every year to thank retiring members and to welcome the newly elected ones.

Both Committee and Branch members had contributed toward gifts for retiring Chairman Peter Caswell and Treasurer Dave Roberts. Peter received a traditionally decorated water barrel painted by Terence Edgar. Dave received an IWA fleece body-warmer, log book, windlass loop and a bottle of wine. Their wives (Jane and Annie respectively) received flowers.

Our grateful thanks to all the retiring Committee members for their splendid work, to their wives for their support, and to all who contributed toward the gifts. Photo: Les Franklin.

See Situations Vacant, Pages 6-7.

Goodbye to the Pavilion?

As we go to press, Michael Schwartz has told us that after all he will not be continuing at Milton Keynes Village Pavilion, and that he will be vacating it shortly.

Rodney Evans has asked the Pavilion’s owners to keep him informed of future arrangements there, but meanwhile he is seeking an alternative venue for the 2015-16 season. The Committee is most grateful to Rodney for this work.

As soon as we have fixed on the venue for meetings from September onwards, we will post details at www.waterways.org.uk/miltonkeynes/events_socials We will also email all members for whom we have email addresses, and of course the same details will appear in September’s Towpath Telegraph. Rodney may have to entirely re-cast the 2015-16 meetings programme according to the dates available at a new venue.

Boat Safety Certification Alan Stewart

Lloyds Academy Diploma in Small Craft Surveying Ex-Merchant Marine Engineer

Authorised Boat Safety Scheme Examiner Visit my website: http://www.boat-safetyexaminer.co.uk Contact me by phone on 01234 767156 or mobile 07976 900113 Alternatively e-mail me at: alan_breck_stewart@msn.com Page 3

Dinner raises funds for MK Branch and B-MKW Trust Around 28 people attended the Bedford MK Waterway Trust - IWA Milton Keynes Branch joint fundraising dinner at the Brasserie, Milton Keynes College, Bletchley on 23 April. Graham Mabbutt, Joint Chair of the Trust, welcomed guests who included Councillor Keith McLean, Deputy Mayor of Milton Keynes, and John Best, Chairman of the South East Waterway Partnership.

The bright and pleasant Brasserie is staffed by students at the College, who laid on a splendid Greek-style meal with a high standard of service. Guests were New Members invited to take part in a fundraising A warm welcome to the raffle. Prizes included a day-boat members below who have hire at MK Afloat (Milton Keynes recently joined the Branch. Marina), concert tickets (Milton We hope to see you at our Keynes City Orchestra), vouchers meetings. There’s a spe- for hair and beauty treatment (Anne cial invitation for 17 Sep- McGuigan hairdressers, Leighton tember to new members Buzzard), and cosmetics. At time of who haven’t attended publication, funds raised have yet to before—see Diary (page 8). Please introduce your- be counted. selves to a Committee member, and we’ll fix you up with a “minder” for the evening.

Mr P & Mrs C Carmichael, Bletchley, MK Mr S Dover & Family, Houghton Regis Mr J Edney, Milton Keynes Mr M Irwin, Stewkley Master J Jones, LB Boatbuilders, Leighton Buzzard Mr S Sumner, Hitchin Mr A Walton, Edlesborough

Over the meal, Cllr Keith McLean (an experienced boater) chats with Graham Mabbutt.

Thanks go to Graham Mabbutt for hosting the evening, to Laura Jones, Trust Project Officer, who did most of the organising, to the Brasserie Restaurant, to those who arranged or contributed raffle prizes, and to those who attended and took part in the raffle.

Text and picture: Les Franklin.

JOHN BUNYAN—The Trust’s Community boat has been fitted with new windows allowing better ventilation in summer. John Bunyan will carry its 10,000th passenger early in the 2015 season. Visit www.johnbunyanboat.org

Construction plant dealer takes to the waterways A team from a Bristol construction plant dealer, Molson Group, hopes to cruise the Grand Union Canal between Birmingham and London in just 56 hours, to mirror the trips made by 19th Century ‘fly-boats’ and raise money for Bristol hospital charity ‘Wallace and Gromit’s Grand Appeal’ and ‘Hire a Hero’, which helps support service leavers through the transition into civilian life.

The challenge is planned to take place between Wednesday 6 May and Saturday 9 May. The charity crew, captained by Molson Group director Robin Powell, will be navigating wide boat Ferrous and her butty Susan from Birmingham to London.

Robin and Molson Group already have connections with the waterways, often loaning a Mini Digger to Cotswold Canals Trust.

Donations can be made via Virgin Money Giving. Please visit:

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=molsonsgranduniontrip IWA Bulletin, April 2015.

Page 4

Wendover Arm re-watered to Bridge 4A On 11 April, Trust volunteers past and present joined Roger Leishman and Ray Orth to commence re-watering of 440 metres of restored waterway to Bridge 4A. This followed preparations during the February and March work parties when, with the weather better than expected, lining was completed through Bridge 4A and the bund with a Bentomat core was built in its narrows. This milestone will be celebrated more widely at the Trust's Open Days on 7 June and 6 September.

WAT GRAND DRAW TICKETS—Two books of tickets are enclosed with the printed edition of TPT. We hope that MK Branch members will again give the magnificent support you have for the past few years—the Draw provides an essential regular source of income for the Trust.

The top prize is a week’s boat hire from Wyvern Shipping, and many more prizes will be added. See the current list of prizes on the WAT web site.

Water flows into the newly restored section as the next bund west is breached. Photos: Wendover Arm Trust.

The February working party was visited by members of Project Hereward, the group intent on restoring the Horseways Channel in the Fens. The group had heard about the Trust's expertise in lining a leaking canal, and visited in order to learn all about what they are faced with.

From WAT Restoration Newsletter, February 2015, and WAT web site.

For more tickets, please call me on 01727 860137.

Please return your counterfoils and payment by 22 August (cheques payable to Wendover Arm Trust, and your address on the back, please). The draw takes place at the Restoration Open Day on 6 September. Good Luck!

Michael Wright, Promoter, WAT.

Draw

Excellent Boats on a Beautiful Canal Our base at Linslade is within weekend reach of the Waterways Museum at Stoke Bruerne, or the Chiltern Hills and Aylesbury. Choice of exciting one- or two-week cruises including the Thames. 35 luxury boats, 2 to 8 berth.

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d s an e k a re ir rt b eekly h o h S w Page 5

Situations Vacant . . .

Three seasoned Milton Keynes Branch Committee members (Peter Caswell, David King and Dave Roberts) have stood down in recent months, and a fourth (Rodney Evans) intends at the 2016 AGM to step down from his several roles after twenty years' service to the Branch. Wendy Evans (non-Committee) also wishes to hand over the job of organising the Christmas Social. The Committee extends its grateful thanks to all of them for their efforts for the Branch. We are now looking to fill the roles vacated by them, and also some potential new posts.

It’s not all desk work! Photo: Les Franklin.

For roles in the main text, it is essential to be an IWA member and to join the Branch Committee. For roles in the two side panels, it is not essential to join the Branch Committee, or even be an IWA member.

Branch Chairman IWA Trustees have been keeping a watching brief on the Branch since Peter Caswell resigned as Chairman, and the Committee is keen that a successor be appointed soon so as to exclude any question of the Branch being wound up. Les Franklin has offered to take on the Chairmanship for the time being, subject to agreement Social Media Expert— on several points. This will be discussed at the Committee The Committee wonders if meeting on 11 May. social media such as Facebook might be a good way of contacting members about current topics – problems with a paddle, a meal deal at a pub, changes to events – not instead of the Branch newsletter and web pages, but alongside them. If you have expertise in this area, or know of anyone who might help with this, please talk to us.

Volunteers at Leighton Lock—Wyvern Shipping has sponsored volunteer work at Leighton Lock carried out by Leighton Buzzard Canal Society on tasks similar to those at Fenny Lock, but the Society now has few members fit enough for these tasks. James Griffin Page 6

If we could recruit a Vice-Chairman too, that would be ideal . . .

Cleanup Organiser Role: We wish to recruit a successor to David King, who planned and organised the twice-yearly Branch Cleanups for many years. For the short term, Philip Strangeway is fulfilling this role, and will provide a full job description in due course, which will be posted on the Branch and national IWA web pages. It would be essential to attend at least the Branch Committee meetings held before and after each Cleanup.

Fenny Stratford Lock Adoption Co-ordinator Role: Organising the Canal & River Trust (CRT) adoption work between Bridges 94 and 96 with the Lock and environs (Pump House, Sanitary Station, Fencing, Lock Bridge) the principal focus. This would involve: 1. Liaison with CRT volunteer manager regarding work planning and materials/equipment supply and storage.

2. Registered holder of Pump House and Container storage.

3. Recruiting and briefing volunteers.

4. Organising work parties, scheduling and managing work, providing milk and biscuits for tea/coffee breaks.

Situations Vacant—continued.

5. Completing CRT time sheets, and reporting to CRT, Branch Committee and volunteers on work done and future tasks.

6. Maintaining and filling the Branch Information Box at the Lock.

Publicity/Press Officer Role: Creating and disseminating Branch press releases and other publicity for the Branch, including: 1. Press releases for Canal Cleanups, Lock Help weekends and other notable Branch activities/achievements, prepared in accordance with IWA format and approval, and sent to the waterways and local press, IWA and Canal & River Trust as appropriate.

2. Working with the organiser of the specific Branch event as the source of information for developing the publicity copy and its production.

3. Providing or arranging content for the Branch information boxes.

4. Determining locations for display of Branch information (e.g. Social Programme), such as local libraries, literature stands and websites.

5. Devising or identifying new opportunities for Branch publicity.

Social Secretary Role: Organising execution of the Social Meetings programme, which runs from September to April. This involves: 1. Confirming or finding a meeting venue, negotiating cost and booking meeting dates.

2. Finding speakers, negotiating their fees and expenses, and briefing them regarding the venue and running time; establishing their travel arrangements and audio-visual equipment requirements; offering a pre-talk meal to long distance speakers; welcoming, introducing and thanking speaker (plus follow-up written thankyou); and maintaining speaker and historic programme records. would like to hear from 3. Organising a Christmas Social – arranging catering, price, Branch members in the Leighton Buzzard area printing and sale of tickets, and organising entertainment.

4. Audio-visual equipment (Branch-owned) – organising care, who would be interested in helping at Leighton Lock. housing and erection of required equipment for each meeting, Tasks include painting, and assisting speakers with their own equipment. tidying, litter-picking, minor 5. Preparing a press release of forward season’s programme for repairs etc. If you would distribution to newsletter editor, waterways press, adjacent like to help, please get in touch with James.

Branches and designated IWA staff.

Guided Walks—Walking is a great way of introducing newcomers to the waterways. If you are a keen walker and know the local waterways, would you be interested in either leading the occasional guided walk, or putting material together If you might be interested in one of these roles, please talk to for a self-guided walk our Branch Secretary, Philip Strangeway or the person named leaflet? Support would be available both in assisting in the text. On the principle that people like to be asked, we on guided walks or in might just come and talk to you before you come to us—if we professional help with do, we hope you won’t mind. And don’t worry; you won’t be design of leaflets. If this is shoved into any Committee job unless we think you’re ready, your bag, talk to Jane Bidgood or Les Franklin. willing and able!

Note: These roles are not set in stone: for example the Social Secretary and Publicity/Press Officer roles can be combined (as Rodney Evans has done), if this suits the volunteer. Also, roles can be divided up: for example, task 3 under Social Secretary (Christmas Social) can be a separate job undertaken by a nonCommittee member (as done up to now by Wendy Evans), if this job alone appeals to a particular volunteer.

Page 7

Diary We hope to see you during the summer (let’s hope it’s a good one), on the cut or at our outdoor events—please consider helping at these if you can. Here is a list of our own events (bold type) and selected events organised by others. As explained on Page 3, we are uncertain of the venue and dates for the 2015-16 season of Branch meetings.

Saturday 2 May Parks Trust May Day Festival, Campbell Park, MK 12 noon - 5pm Family fun, with May Pole dancing, Morris Dancers, children's entertainment, stalls and fair rides. http://www.theparkstrust.com/whats-on/event-details/1032 9 - 10 May Canal Art Painting Workshop, Canal Museum, Stoke Bruerne.

10am - 4pm Learn to paint in the traditional style. Booking essential. Phone 01604 862229 or email: stokebruerne@canalrivertrust.org.uk

22 - 24 May MK Branch Lock Help Weekend, Three Locks.

(also 25 May if Sat evening (weather permitting): Bring-your-own barbecue. enough volunteers) Our major fundraising event for waterway causes. Coincides this year with Three Locks “Rock the Locks” Beer Festival—17 beers and ciders to try! If you can help over this weekend, please contact Philip Strangeway or Les Franklin.

Sunday 7 June Wendover Arm Trust Restoration Open Day. Guided tours of 12.30pm - 4pm the restoration site, teas, cakes, ice cream, sideshows. Parking at St Mary's Church, Drayton Beauchamp, HP22 5LS Info: www.wendoverarmtrust.co.uk 13 - 14 June Stoke Bruerne Family Festival. Theatre and dancing, craft 10am - 5pm shows, live music, children's activities, real ale, historic and model boats, market. £5 parking; free entry. www.friendsofcanalmuseum.org.uk/ 11 – 12 July BCS Canal Festival and Cosgrove Village Feast, Cosgrove Saturday 10am – 6pm Lock, Cosgrove, MK19 7JR Sunday 10am – 4pm Craft Fair: Cosgrove Village Hall, Cosgrove, MK19 7JA Info: events@buckinghamcanal.org.uk

Saturday 25 July Branch stall at Linslade Canal Festival 2014

Tiddenfoot Waterside Park, Linslade, Leighton Buzzard. Help us fly the flag at this busy event. If you can help, please contact Jane Bidgood, Les Franklin or Philip Strangeway.

8 - 9 August Blisworth Canal Festival. Boat trips to Gayton Junction and 11am - 5pm Blisworth Tunnel. Vintage caravans, tractors, children's fairground, dog show, food, pony rides, art, crafts.

Info: blisworthcanalpartnership@hotmail.co.uk 29 - 31 August Northampton Festival of Water 2015, Becket’s Park Northampton. Celebrating the 200th Anniversary of the opening of the Northampton Arm in 1815. Info: 07811 253 242.

Page 8

Diary—continued.

Sunday 6 September

Wendover Arm Trust Restoration Open Day. See 7 June.

12 - 13 September Stoke Bruerne Village at War weekend 2015. Stoke Bruerne goes back in time to World War 2 once again. Details awaited, but you can expect all the usual favourites, including celebrity look-alikes, re-enactors, military vehicles, period food and dancing, etc. Info: www.friendsofcanalmuseum.org.uk/

September As explained on Page 3, we are unable to confirm Branch meeting arrangements for the September and following Branch meetings until we have decided the venue.

As soon as we have made arrangements, details will be posted at www.waterways.org.uk/miltonkeynes/events_socials We will also email all members for whom we have email addresses, and of course details will appear in September TPT.

Bourton Meadow length in water once more

At Bourton Meadow, our contractors Waterline Solutions have re-lined the bed, as there were problems with the original liner. On 7 April, re-watering began, and this section is now in water again. On 9 April, volunteers installed a new gate by the lock cottage, and also started planting 4,000 aquatic plug plants along the bank. This work will take quite a while, so any extra help would be much appreciated. The towpath was expected to re-open to the public on 13 April.

New bench seats. Photo: Athina Beckett.

We were lucky to receive a grant from Buckingham County Council Local Area Forum, and this has been put towards installing several signpost finger boards - some in Buckingham, others at various points on the Ouse Valley Walk, pointing walkers in the direction of the canal. The rest of the grant was spent on wood which our volunteers have turned into five new bench seats at our Nature reserve site.

We were helped by a group of volunteers from a company called Driver Hire who joined us for a Community Day on 29 January. A sixth seat will be erected at our Bourton Meadow site.

At Cosgrove we have decided to re-water the section from Bridge No 1 to the first bund, but only to a depth of 0.5 metre. Over this height the water is seeping through part of the bank because of a slippage. We are working with CRT to get permission to bring an excavator on site to repair the bank but, until this happens, we feel it is better for the wildlife and for the appearance of the canal to keep a certain amount of water in the canal.

Our Cosgrove Festival takes place on 11-12 July - a week earlier than usual. The reason is that we are running a combined festival with Cosgrove village, who are re-introducing the Cosgrove Feast, an event which used to be based around the potato harvest. For the second year running, we have booked Cosgrove Village Hall for a Craft Fair. Cream teas will also be served in the village hall. All IWA members are invited with or without their boats. Boat and stall bookings can be made at: events@buckinghamcanal.org.uk Athina Beckett, Buckingham Canal Society.

Page 9

CRT TOP BRASS MUCK IN AT BRANCH CLEANUP Where there’s muck, there’s brass, they say. In this case it was top brass, as Canal & River Trust Chief Executive Richard Parry and Trustee John Dodwell joined IWA MK Branch and other volunteers on our Spring Cleanup on 17-18 April. Their presence was very much appreciated.

A total of 43 volunteers turned out on two days of bright sunshine to remove sever- Richard Parry (centre) beside Ocean Princess and the hopper, with Tim Armstrong and Dave al tons of rubbish, working from Fenny Roberts. Photo: James Griffin.

Stratford to Wolverton. The haul of bicycles and shopping trolleys was smaller than in previous years, but there was an increase in material clearly left from boat re-fits. Scores of bags were filled with litter. Other finds included motorbikes, mattresses, assorted furniture, and a complete Z-drive from a boat.

We are grateful once again for sponsorship from Wyvern Shipping Co. James Griffin on Ocean Princess towed the hopper from which items in the centre channel were retrieved.

As well as fielding their top brass, Canal & River Trust supported the event with their dredger manned by Lee Thompson and Paul Swaby as banksman/supervisor. Other CRT personnel present at various times were Miriam Tedder, Sarah Brown and Wayne Moore. Graham Newman, lead volunteer for CRT from Braunston, came both days.

We were joined for the first time by members of Milton Keynes Sub-Aqua Club, who resisted the allure of the canal waters and put great energy into hauling out rubbish.

Volunteers also came from Buckingham Canal Society and the Parks Trust, as well as some who had responded to CRT publicity. Stefanie Preston, At the V6 Aqueduct, the hopper crew clear the spill weir (above, right) and the CRT dredger assists with a heavy submerged item (right).

Photos: James Griffin.

Page 10

Himalayan Balsam

CRT TOP BRASS MUCK IN—continued.

IWA's annual Himalayan Balsam Campaign begins with an Awareness Week from 16-24 May, ahead of its main growing season, when the public will be asked to join a “Himalayan Balsam Pull” to root out this deceptively pretty but invasive plant.

It can cause damage to river and canal banks, biodiversity and waterway habitats.

Looking as if they are on an idyllic afternoon’s fishing trip, Brown Trout and the pan crew recover off-side rubbish. Photo: Vernon Draper.

IWA volunteers gave over 900 hours to the campaign last year and cleared over ten miles of waterway from the plant. Keep an eye on IWA’s website for more information about these events that will run mainly between late May and the end of July.

IWA Branch Campaign Assistant, had a day out from Head Office to join in. As usual the pan, used to collect offside rubbish, was in the care of Jonathan Brown and Athina Beckett aboard Brown Trout. All volunteers were Secretary Philip grateful to Andy and Diane Witt for providing the tea boat. Branch Strangeway says "We get Afterwards, Richard Parry said: “The IWA volunteers do a brilliant job helping us to look after the canal. I had a great time helping with the Cleanup. It’s a real shame that some people think it’s ok to dump rubbish in our waterways. Thanks to everyone’s efforts, a large amount of rubbish was removed from the canal, and it is once again at its best for everyone to enjoy.”

Well done to everyone who turned out to help. The next Cleanup will be held in the autumn.

From press release by Philip Strangeway and information from James Griffin.

THE THREE LOCKS TEL: 01525 270214

a lot in the side ponds at Soulbury Locks, so I’d be surprised if we couldn’t find it elsewhere. It has been well established on the Ousel in MK for years, though I’ve seen some evidence of attempts to control it near Walton Lake.

At its next meeting, the Branch Committee will discuss possible participation in the campaign.

A very traditional canalside pub . . .

Dating from the early 1900s, the Three Locks is full of character, with the added appeal of wide country views, and of course the passing boats.

The Three Locks is now family-run by Michael and Susan Schwartz. Our focus is on customer service, with high standards in our beers, wines and soft drinks, and in the quality of our food - locally sourced and freshly prepared. We are open daily from 12 noon, and our friendly and efficient staff look forward to welcoming you.

Web: www.thethreelocks.co.uk

Email: info@thethreelocks.co.uk

10% discount on food for IWA members - please show your membership card.

Page 11

CanalFILE . . . . . . . . . .

Welcome to CanalFILE! This is the second of a series about our canals and rivers, written specially for young waterway fans. We’re still talking about CANAL HORSES –and in this edition you can find out a bit more about what the canal horses did when they weren’t pulling the boats, where they lived and what they ate.

WHERE DID THE HORSES LIVE? When they weren’t working, the horses rested in stables. A tired horse needed to be kept warm. To cater for all the horses that were working up and down the canals lots of stables had to be built beside the canals.

Many of the stables were located where the boats would have to slow down or stop, such as near warehouses, tunnels and canal junctions. This meant that the boats lost the least amount of time changing horses.

Some of the stables were demolished when they were no longer needed, but many of them still survive. This stable has been converted into a garage. It is located in Great Linford near the junction where a canal (now filled in) used to join the main line.

Former stable at Great

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WHAT DID THE HORSES EAT? The feeding bucket contained crushed corn, oats and chopped hay. This provided the horse with lots of energy as it worked. When they were resting they also ate foods such as carrots and apples. The horses had to be well fed and properly rested so that they were ready to work again the next day.

AMAZING FACTS The oats are high in carbohydrates which provide slow-release * A working horse needed energy. For a quicker burst of energy, the corn provides twice high energy food to keep it going, and fed for up to 18 as much energy as the oats, but it is crushed first to make it hours a day, so when it easily digestible for the horse. The hay provides a good source was on the move it was of fibre and some protein to repair tired muscles. The carrots fitted with a decorated add moisture. feeding bucket (or nose HORSE FOOD FOR HUMANS Have a go at making your own meal to keep you going like a working horse. Serves 2.

Ingredients: 175g spaghetti, broken (this looks just like hay) 295g tin chopped tomatoes 150ml water 50g sweetcorn

1 medium carrot, grated One tablespoon of herbs, such as chopped basil 25g grated cheese Salad leaves

Method: 1. In one saucepan, bring some water to the boil. Add the broken spaghetti to the boiling water, and simmer as per the packet instructions.

2. Next, put the tomatoes and the water in another saucepan, and bring to a simmer.

3. While the pans are simmering, peel and grate the carrot.

4. 5 minutes before the spaghetti is ready, add the sweetcorn and herbs to the tomatoes. Stir well and continue to simmer.

5. Turn on the grill.

6. A few minutes before the spaghetti is ready, add the carrot to it and warm.

7. Strain the spaghetti, and arrange like hay in the bottom of a heat-proof dish. Pile the tomato mixture on top. Sprinkle with cheese, and grill until golden.

8. Serve in warmed pasta bowls with lots of salad leaves.

can) which hung by a leather strap. This allowed the horse to eat as it walked along. * Most boat horses drank canal water, but the canals around Birmingham were so polluted that they were given stale beer instead! * The fastest boats that carried express cargoes (called “fly-boats”) had a change of horses about every four hours. If a boat was on the move for 16 hours a day, and took three days to travel the 144 miles from Birmingham to London, can you work out how many horses it would need to pull it all the way? What was the average speed?

SEE BOAT HORSES IN ACTION!

The recipe above works for you in much the same way as the horses’ diet. The spaghetti is high in carbohydrates which give you the slow-release energy. The sweetcorn provides the quick -release energy. Because we chew our food, it doesn’t need to be crushed first. The cheese provides protein to keep our muscles healthy. The carrot and tomatoes provide moisture to the dish. Finally the salad leaves provide plenty of fibre.

If you happen to be in the north-west of England during August, visit the National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port on 16 August, when working horses will be giving a unique demonstration of horse-drawn boating. Info at: www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/ national-waterways-museum/ events/

See you in the next issue!

Text and picture: Jane Bidgood.

Jane

Page 13

John Dodwell tells it how it is Written questions were submitted in advance to our guest at the Branch AGM, John Dodwell, Trustee, Canal & River Trust. He did not have time to cover many of them during the meeting and he kindly sent written answers afterwards. Here is a selection of these questions, with John's answers.

Q: I would like to ask about policy on towpath surfaces. We have a superb towpath from Galleon bridge to Cosgrove aqueduct done by Alan Holmes, and from there to the lock a dust bowl done by CRT. A: Nationally, we do have a guide to towpath surfaces – e.g. we don’t wish to see tarmac in rural areas. Not every towpath will necessarily be suitable for disabled people. I asked about this and was told as follows.

The section south of the Aqueduct was done by the local council some years ago with a concrete edge, not timber edge boards. I wonder if they’d now have the money to do it to that standard. Turning to the north side, the Aqueduct was repainted in 2013, but there was no money for the towpath. The County Council was persuaded – even in those austere times - to pay for some improvements, getting rid of some large puddles. I would make two points: I suspect the questioner would not be happy if we diverted money from other more pressing works. SecJohn Dodwell at the Branch ondly, this kind of work is very suitable for volunteers . . . so please form an orderly queue behind me. Generally we don’t spend shedloads AGM. Photo: Les Franklin. of CRT money on towpath surfaces. Sometimes we have to decide between accepting funding for a modest improvement or none at all – not a desirable place to be.

Q: Does CRT support the idea of a fair licence system for boats, charging by length and breadth as does the EA? Why should narrow boats subsidise wide beam boats as with the present CRT system?

A: Yes, I’ve heard this view before. It’s being looked at by the Navigation Advisory Committee dealing with moorings and licensing. Let’s see what they conclude – no point in my pre-judging the issue.

Q: What is CRT doing to cut the costs of canal maintenance? £800k to rebuild one lock wall on the Aylesbury Arm last year does not seem good value.

A: I’m not sure the questioner really wants us to spend less on maintenance. In my speech, I gave examples of greater efficiencies and we are all in favour of better value for money. As to that Aylesbury Arm Lock, it is an unfortunate fact that we too often have to negotiate with landowners to get access. Not all farmers yet appreciate we are a charity! Paying to gain access and build a road can be a large part of the cost. It’s frustrating to see such a proportion not being spent actually on the canal, but I can’t do much about it. We do try and learn from experience. Around the same time as the Aylesbury problem, a wall on the Wolverhampton flight gave way. We found – and I think this was the case at Aylesbury as well - that repairs of about 100 years ago hadn’t been tied into the wall and so there was a course of bricks just sticking up by themselves. So now we are looking more closely at lock walls as it’s obviously cheaper to repair them before they fall down.

Q: Now that CRT is a charity, IWA has more trouble than ever dispelling confusion between us among the public. We are also competing for members. Should we remain (confusingly) as one charity monitoring the work of another as a “critical friend”? In your experience, are CRT’s own subscribing Friends as “critical” as the IWA is? Rather than remaining separate, should we be aiming for an eventual merger, with the IWA machinery serving as the membership arm of CRT? A: CRT is not a membership organisation, it doesn’t have branches, it doesn’t provide for those who want to know a lot more. Indeed, if a CRT Friend asked me how he could learn more about the waterways, I would say join the local IWA Branch or canal society and enjoy the camaraderie on offer. CRT doesn’t generally try and organise festivals and rallies – the existing volunteers do that so well. A Page 14

John Dodwell tells it how it is—continued.

CRT Friend can express a “critical” point of view, but there is no mechanism for a collective voice such as CRT hears from IWA and other groups. It’s healthy to have another point of view expressed, and CRT staff are good at accepting that. In the years ahead, CRT will have to re-negotiate the Government contract. Public support will be crucial, and IWA – with its Parliamentary support independent of CRT - will be able to play a crucial part in that. As to any possible merger, time will tell, but I can’t see any pressure from CRT on this. Rather, I look at how the National Trust works with the Campaign to Protect Rural England and with the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings.

Q: Where there is Armco piling to tie to, more casual moorings could be made available by local dredging to ensure sufficient depth. If a marking, such as a green line, were to be painted on piling to indicate depth suitable for mooring, this would avoid trying to moor where the depth is insufficient and thus reduce churning up silt which finishes up in the channel. In one’s local area one gets to know where one can and cannot moor casually, but not on unfamiliar waters. A marking applied to one of the recessed parts of the horizontal tie/cap would be protected and have a reasonably long life.

A: Well, that’s an intriguing idea! This is maybe something which IWA branches could take up in their areas and discuss with waterway managers. I wonder what other users would think. Be careful not to dredge too deep, or the piling support may be affected. Remember that some canals were not built so you could moor anywhere. On the Macclesfield, for example, Telford built straight edges where there were wharves but saw no point in doing so out in the country where there were no wharves.

These questions and answers have been edited for space reasons, but you can see John’s entire address, with his photographs, together with all the questions and answers at the following address (apologies for its length!): https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/media/library/8683-john-dodwells-speech-to-milton-keynes-branchmarsworth-to-cosgrove-of-the-inland-waterways-association-230215.pdf

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Getting in touch with IWA Milton Keynes Branch Here is the up-to-date list of Committee contacts.

We are very much below strength following the recent resignations (see Pages 6 and 7), and if you feel you could help us run the Branch, we would be delighted to hear from you.

CHAIRMAN: VACANT VICE-CHAIRMAN: VACANT SECRETARY: PHILIP STRANGEWAY Email: philip.strangeway@waterways.org.uk MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY: PETE BICKERS Email: pete.bickers@waterways.org.uk TREASURER: TIM ARMSTRONG Email: tim.armstrong@waterways.org.uk EDUCATION OFFICER: JANE BIDGOOD Email: education.mkbranch@waterways.org.uk

E FOR COPY DATTPT NEXT

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SOCIAL/PUBLICITY, B-MKWT REPORTER AND FENNY LOCK CO-ORDINATOR: RODNEY EVANS Email: rodney.evans@waterways.org.uk BUCKINGHAM CS REPRESENTATIVE: ATHINA BECKETT Email: chairman@buckinghamcanal.org.uk

AUG

TRADE REPRESENTATIVE: JAMES GRIFFIN Email: james@canalholidays.co.uk MARIE DRAPER Email: marie.draper@waterways.org.uk

ADVERTISEMENTS are welcomed to assist Branch funds.

Charges are as below and are subject to VAT. Payment must be made before copy date to ensure insertion. Please contact the Editor for further details.

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Get the latest waterway news at these web sites. Addresses change frequently, but these were correct on 4 April 2015.

DAVE PORTER Email: david.porter@waterways.org.uk EDITOR: LES FRANKLIN Email: les.franklin@waterways.org.uk PLANNING (non-C’tee): TONY BIRCH Contact via Les Franklin.

WEBMASTER (non-C’tee): VERNON DRAPER Email: vernon.draper@waterways.org.uk IWA homepage: https://waterways.org.uk MK Branch pages: at above address, under “IWA Local”, select “Milton Keynes”.

Canal and River Trust: www.canalrivertrust.org.uk Bedford-Milton Keynes Waterway Trust: www.b-mkwaterway.org.uk Buckingham Canal Society: www.buckinghamcanal.org.uk Wendover Arm Trust: www.wendoverarmtrust.co.uk Friends of the Canal Museum: www.friendsofcanalmuseum.org.uk

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of The Inland Waterways Association or of the Milton Keynes Branch. They are however published as being of interest to members and readers.

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