Towpath Telegraph January 2020

January 2020

TOWPATH TELEGRAPH Journal of the Inland Waterways Association’s Milton Keynes Branch

AGM Notice Autumn Clean-up report News from BCS and B-MKWT Young navvies on the Wendover Arm On 7 December, fourteen illuminated boats, crewed by members of Lionhearts Cruising Club, Taverners Boat Club and IWA Milton Keynes Branch and cheered by hundreds of spectators, cruised from the Lionhearts' moorings to Campbell Wharf, where crews were served mulled wine and mince pies. Photos: Chris and Pat Durham.

Registered Office: Island House, Moor Road, Chesham, HP5 1WA Tel: 01494 783453 Web: www.waterways.org.uk A non-profit distributing company limited by guarantee.

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Welcome to January 2020 Towpath Telegraph Winter seems to have arrived early, with some heavy frosts in late November and early December. A portent of weather to come? We are trying to get this edition of TPT out early too, so that it is not delayed by the Christmas break unnecessarily. So we cannot include the usual report on the Christmas Social, but we hope you enjoy (enjoyed) the evening. We hope you enjoy this edition too.

Chairman’s Column GDPR and new members Volunteers clock up 581 hours at Autumn Clean-up B-MK Waterway: “important progress at strategic level” Your Committee needs you!

Diary IWA Milton Keynes Branch Annual General Meeting First vehicle on Bridge One for fifty years Destination MK—progress on signage and vegetation IWA MK well represented at Dave Leeson’s funeral Young navvies on the Wendover Arm The Editor’s Page They deserve a medal . . . . . . And so does she!

Getting in touch with MK Branch

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

Chairman’s Column

By the time you read this, the Branch should be settled into its new home at the Irish Centre in Fenny Stratford; the previous venue having lost favour with regular attendees. I would like to hope that more Branch members resident in the Leighton Buzzard area and down to Marsworth might be encouraged to attend our meetings, now that the need to navigate around Bletchley and MK is obviated.

Our new venue is very much easier to find, adjacent to Bletchley Rugby Club, opposite Dobbies Garden Centre. Our newsletter editor, Les Franklin, has appended one of his nifty little maps on the Diary Page, and this will also be available on the Branch web pages.

Our Autumn Clean-up (see Pages 4-5) was a success as usual thanks to everyone who volunteered and helped organise it. We are, however, depending increasingly on the support of outside organisations and businesses for volunteers. As ever, the support from Canal & River Trust and The Parks Trust was first-class. CRT’s Volunteering Leader, Laura Summerbell, even had a spell steering the pan tug (see picture).

Becoming imminent is the Branch’s Annual General Laura at the helm. Photo: Tim Armstrong.

Meeting (see Pages 7 and 9). As explained in the AGM Notice, I am standing down from the Committee after two years, to balance the retirement cycle and, although I will be seeking re-election, I have decided to relinquish the Chair. There is always much to be done, and your Committee would welcome anyone who feels able to commit to this vital part of Page 2

Chairman’s Column—continued. the Branch’s operation. That commitment is determined by the individual to a great extent - enthusiasm is a key element. Do please approach a Committee member if you are able and/or interested in assisting.

I am pleased to inform you all that our endeavours with CRT to improve the mooring facilities and signage generally along the GU Canal through MK are beginning to show some signs of success (see Page 11). Now identified are the locations which will benefit from revised mooring time limits, allied with proper signage and enforcement. By some strange coincidence the GU Canal has become a centre of focus for several new initiatives to enhance its standing: improvements to access and to the views from the water or towpath, are a couple of examples already implemented. Renewed interest from other local bodies is also stimulating plans to make the Canal more all-inclusive. A big part thereof is encouraging everybody to take a pride in the Canal and what it offers as a recreational facility.

My own boat is moored at Napton on the Hill – not winterised at all but ready to cast off.

At this time of year, views are greatly enhanced with the trees largely leafless, there is little traffic and it can be truly magical to be afloat on a bright, crisp winter morning. I recall my first winter with my boat, acquired at the end of one October. I was out on Boxing Day enjoying the stretch from Gayton to Heyford in just such conditions. I have only had one misfortune that I put down to the weather and my determination to be able to go afloat at any time - the galley sink’s mixer tap contrived to freeze and blow itself apart! I like to think that I am lucky – milder winters, plastic pipework, not copper, and a watchful eye on the weather, alert to any really deep and/or prolonged cold snap.

And so another year has nearly passed; much achieved and yet so much still to work on and develop for the future of our local waterways. I wish you all the very best for the New Year.

Tim Armstrong, Branch Chairman.

The joys of winter boating: if you’re going to get iced in, you could do worse than the Globe Inn, Linslade, photographed in February 2012.

Photo: Les Franklin.

GDPR and new members

Under the GDPR legislation (May 2018), we no longer publish the names or localities of IWA members who have recently joined the Branch unless they have given consent. All new members should receive a welcome contact from our Membership Secretary Pete Bickers. We very much hope to see you at our Branch meetings and other activities. Please introduce yourselves to one of our Committee members (those wearing IWA badges).

Page 3

Volunteers clock up 581 hours at Autumn Clean-up The weather wasn't spring-like, but it turned out to be "spring -time" on 11-12 October when a pogo stick was found at our Autumn Clean-up from Fenny Stratford to Wolverton.

Other finds included a speed camera, massive speakers, a huge tyre, boat petrol tank, small motorbike, cycles and, as usual, a shopping trolley or two!

As usual the event was A canoeist retrieves a large plastic slab. supported by Canal & RivPhoto: Heather Zeale. er Trust, who provided safety equipment, workboats, a hopper tug and dredger with crews, and volunteers. Volunteers from The Parks Trust, Network Rail, Milton Keynes Police Cadets, Milton Keynes Canoe Club, Buckingham Canal Society and the public also took part. On the Friday, 59 volunteers worked 365 hours, and on the Saturday 46 volunteers worked 216 hours – that’s 581 hours in all. The haul of rubbish was less than on previous clean-ups, which is very encouraging.

This time, a CRT tug towed the hopper, whose crew grappled for submerged items, assisted by the dredger. Offside rubbish was collected by volunteers working from the pan, towed

by Jonathan Brown on Brown Trout. Canoeists from Milton Keynes Canoe Club retrieved other hardto-reach items. Andy and Diane Witts, aboard DIANDY, provided muchappreciated refreshments.

Laura Summerbell, Volunteering Leader, Canal & River Trust, London & South-East, said: “It’s always fantastic to see such a big turnout for these clean-ups, showing how important it is to them that the canals are kept clean and safe for everyone to enjoy. Canal & River Trust is so pleased to be Page 4

The pan at work. Photo: Pat Durham.

Autumn Clean-up—continued able to work with our local partners on this event, and our thanks go to everyone that made it possible again this autumn.”

Laura was present at the Clean-up, and was given the opportunity of steering for part of the time—see picture on Page 2.

David Butler, leader of the team from Network Rail, said: “It was really satisfying to know that we cleared up so much rubbish – it became a real challenge to pick every piece of rubbish we could see, even if it meant climbing under or into bushes.”

Thanks go to Canal & River Trust and The Parks Trust for their support, and to pubs, boatyards and others who displayed posters or publicized the event in other ways. Thanks also go to Branch members who spent many hours planning the event and, of course, a big thank-you to everyone who took part, leaving the canal through Milton Keynes safe and attractive for all.

The next Clean-up is scheduled to take place on 3-4 April 2020, subject to CRT approval.

Les Franklin.

The hopper and tug at Wolverton.

Photo: Alan Mynard.

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 5

B-MK Waterway: “important progress at strategic level” Bedford-Milton Keynes Waterway Partnership held its annual Partnership Conference in Milton Keynes on 31 October, with speakers Hilary Chipping, Chief Executive, South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) and Laura Kitson from the Environment Agency (EA), joined by Stuart Turner from the Academy of Urbanism for a Q&A session.

The welcome address was given by Cllr Sam Crooks, Mayor of Milton Keynes, who paid tribute to those who have sustained the Waterway project since its inception, and affirmed that "the city is fully committed to the Waterway and wants to make it happen". He also expressed his support for the proposed Community Boat.

SEMLEP works to build a strong economy by tackling barriers to sustainable growth and supporting job creation for the future prosperity of the region. Hilary Chipping introduced the Local Industry Strategy that covers the Waterway route, concentrating on the environmental ambitions it contains. Milton Keynes itself serves as an example, having had its own parklands and flood alleviation scheme in place from the beginning. The Local Industry Strategy mentions the part that the Waterway Park can play in this context and, said Hilary, "we have managed to really put the Waterway into the minds of colleagues at DEFRA and the Environment Agency".

Laura Kitson, Strategic Flood Risk Planning Advisor at the EA, has the job of seeing how new development can improve flood management rather than making the problem worse.

She summarised the study being undertaken jointly by the Waterway Trust and the EA to determine how the Waterway Park can help manage flood risk in the Milton KeynesBedford area, and also ensure that the problem is not simply sent downstream.

During the Q&A session, Stuart Turner, architect at the Academy of Urbanism said that the Waterway Park has potential as an exemplar of the value of place-making in the entire Oxford-Cambridge corridor: "You have a real role here; don't underestimate that".

Jane Hamilton, commenting in BMK News, said that important progress had been made at the strategic level. With the support of SEMLEP and the EA, the Trust is beginning to have a real influence on developing the Oxford-Cambridge Arc, and environmental concerns are now much more to the fore. “Our sights are firmly set on being part of that vision.”

A Community Boat meeting. Photo: B-MKWT.

Meanwhile, the series of public meetings to develop plans for the proposed Milton Keynes Community Boat continues. Topics have included specifications for the proposed accessible electric boat, sources of funding (including crowdfunding), proposals for crew roles, competence and standards, and cruise trip planning.

The next Community Boat meeting takes place on Wednesday 22 January, 7-9pm, at The Parks Trust, 1300 Silbury Boulevard, MK9 4AD. B-MKWT announcements, and BMK News, November 2019.

Page 6

Your Committee needs you!

The Branch AGM Notice is on Page 9. As Tim Armstrong says in his column, he intends to remain on the Committee if he is re-elected, but has decided to stand down as Chairman. The Committee needs to ensure that it has enough members to fill the key roles (Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer) in accordance with the Association's Byelaws which, for example, do not allow the same person to serve as Chairman and Treasurer. We also wish to share out the general work as fairly as possible, and we are particularly keen to recruit for these roles: Education Officer: This role helps keep the Association’s aims in the eye of the public, hopefully boosting recruitment of new members. We are open to discussion as to what duties the role could cover. It could be tailored to the skills and interests of the postholder, but key aspects would be: * Organising the Branch's outreach work to children and adults at our outside events; * Assembling or preparing materials for children's activities, or supervising this work (resources and help are available both within the Branch and at IWA Head Office); * Recruiting volunteers for outside events, supervising activities, talking to the public; * Keeping abreast of IWA policies and campaigns as they affect this role.

Clean-up Supervisor: For recent Clean-ups, supervision has been divided amongst Committee members and others; this has been workable but not ideal. Main aspects of the Supervisor's role are: * Holding an advance meeting to plan each event in collaboration with CRT, The Parks Trust and third-party stakeholders, agreeing itinerary, provision of workboats and safety equipment and arrangements for disposal of rubbish; * Maintaining a Risk Assessment document, and assisting the Branch Publicity Officer and Webmaster in producing volunteer briefing material and pre-and post-event publicity; * Assisting in recruiting stewards, first-aiders and volunteers for each event from the Branch membership, other volunteer groups, youth groups and individuals; * Briefing volunteers on safety and event arrangements at the start of each day, assigning tasks, and ensuring volunteers are equipped with safety equipment and tools; * Ensuring that volunteers are signed in at commencement, and signed out at conclusion of each day. Ensuring collection of all loaned equipment and tools at conclusion of each day; * Holding a post-event de-briefing meeting.

If you think you could fill either of these roles, or can offer any other help to the Committee, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Page 7

Diary

Our thanks go to the Royal British Legion, which has been our meetings venue since September 2015. The Committee is pleased to welcome members to our new first-floor venue at the Irish Centre, Manor Fields, Fenny Stratford (see map). We hope that you will soon feel at home there! Our own events are in bold type; selected events organised by others are in regular type. Non-members are always welcome - why not bring a guest along?

The entrance to the Irish Centre is off Watling Street, opposite Dobbies, 500m from Fenny Stratford centre.

Grand Union Canal Fenny Stratford

Enter driveway (red and green signs) and cross bridge.

Follow drive through a left-hand, then a right-hand bend. The car park is on the right.

The Irish Centre is the centre building of three, with green front extension. Take stairs or lift to the first floor bar.

Dobbies Garden Centre

P Irish Centre Manor Fields Watling Street Fenny Stratford MK2 2HX

A5 Central MK

V10 Brickhill St

V4 Watling St

A5 Dunstable McDonald’s A4146 Leighton Buzzard

Thurs 16 January 7.45pm Irish Centre Manor Fields, MK2 2HX

IWA Milton Keynes Branch meeting: Grain Trade to Coxes Mill. Tam and Di Murrell operated a pair of narrowboats carrying lime products for Roses Marmalade. They then turned to transporting grain by barge from Tilbury to Coxes Mill on the Wey Navigation. Eventually they operated three coasters in and around the Thames estuary. Di will tell us of their exploits.

Wednesday 22 January 8pm Little Chalfont Village Hall, Cokes Lane, HP8 4UD

Chiltern Branch meeting: South of the River, London’s Cradle of Power, with Jeremy Batch.

London’s Royal Arsenal, Royal Observatory, Naval College, Military Academy, first high voltage power station, HQ of Trinity House, and a first steam railway were all found along the south bank of the Thames to say nothing of the Prime Meridian. A fascinating tour of the Greenwich, Woolwich and Deptford area - not to be missed.

Tuesday 11 February 8pm Walnut Tree, 21 Station Road, Blisworth, NN7 3DS

Northampton Branch meeting Story of the Panama Canal, with Richard Thomas.

The Panama Canal is one of the great water highways of the world, built on a huge scale after many misfortunes. Richard is an acclaimed speaker, and his presentations are always enthralling.

Thurs 20 February 7.45pm Irish Centre Manor Fields, MK2 2HX Page 8

IWA Milton Keynes Branch Annual General Meeting: (agenda opposite), followed by Athina Beckett with an update on the Buckingham Canal, where Bridge 1 is being restored.

Find out the latest on the project, now gathering pace.

Diary—continued Thursday 19 March 7.45pm Irish Centre, Manor Fields, MK2 2HX

Fri 3 - Sat 4 April

Thursday 16 April 7.45pm Irish Centre, Manor Fields, MK2 2HX

IWA Milton Keynes Branch meeting: The Suez Canal and its prehistory, with Roger Squires. Tracing the early attempts to create a canal linking the Red Sea with the Mediterranean, and how the modern Suez canal came about.

Roger's presentation will detail the works and also explain the background to the recently completed enlargement project.

IWA MK Branch Spring Clean-up Dates subject to CRT approval. Working north from Fenny Stratford to the Galleon, Old Wolverton, with overnight stop at Giffard Park. If you can help, please contact Pat Durham. Details to be announced at Branch meetings and at: https://www.waterways.org.uk/miltonkeynes/cleanups IWA Milton Keynes Branch meeting: Tim Armstrong will give a talk on his trip last summer along the Canal de Garonne, the westward extension of the Canal du Midi.

Beaucoup de soleil, beaucoup de vin!

IWA Milton Keynes Branch Annual General Meeting

Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Milton Keynes Branch of the Inland Waterways Association will take place at Milton Keynes Irish Centre, Manor Fields, Watling Street, Fenny Stratford, MK2 2HX, on Thursday 20 February 2020, at 7.45pm.

Agenda (please bring this Notice with you): 1: Apologies for absence; 2: Approval of minutes of meeting held on 21 February 2019; 3: Matters arising; 4: Chairman’s report; 5: Secretary’s report; 6: Treasurer’s report, and presentation

7: 8:

to members of accounts for year ending 31 December 2019; Members’ resolutions (any resolutions should be sent to the Chairman six weeks prior to the AGM; Election of Committee members.

After the formal business, there will be an opportunity for members’ questions on IWA issues—topics at the discretion of the Chairman.

Under the IWA Branch Byelaws effective from 16 May 2009, last amended 11 June 2011, there is no restriction on the maximum size of the Committee, and new members would be welcome. Marie Draper retires by rotation; her decision as to whether to seek re-election will be announced at the meeting. Although not due to retire by rotation until 2021, Tim Armstrong also retires and seeks re-election, in order to spread the occurrence of retirements somewhat. Any corrections to the above will be announced at the meeting.

Candidates for election or re-election must be members of the Association. It is no longer necessary for those who wish to be elected to be nominated and seconded, but all who wish to stand must agree to do so.

After an interval for refreshments, Athina Beckett will give an update on the restoration of the Buckingham Arm. (Signed:) Diane Witts, Branch Secretary.

Page 9

First vehicle on Bridge One for fifty years Most of the work over the last few months has been at Cosgrove working on the restoration of Bridge One. After several concrete pours, the deck structure is now in place and we have a bridge!

We were able to pose a BCS vehicle on the bridge for the first time in fifty years.

The next stage gives our bricklayers a chance, as most of the bridge needs to be faced with bricks so there’s still plenty of work to do. After this Bridge over waters to come. Photo: BCS. work is completed we hope to open up the original towpath route under the bridge to the public. When the bridge arch was knocked down the site was filled in, and people have had to walk over the top rather than under the bridge ever since.

Because of the volunteer effort needed on the bridge, two of our other sites had become rather overgrown. So in June, Santander helped clear the re-growth at our Hyde Lane Nature Reserve site, and in September and October Santander and Network Rail helped with hedge and reed trimming at Bourton Meadow. Both sites are now much improved.

Some of our volunteers have been on various training courses whilst waiting for our new work boat (with a crane) to arrive at Cosgrove. This should happen shortly, and once our volunteers are qualified they plan to undertake a whole host of different tasks on the canal.

All IWA members would be very welcome to come and see the progress being made at Bridge One, Cosgrove and at our other sites.

Finally, a reminder that the Buckingham Canal Society's AGM and Cheese & Wine social evening takes place at 7pm on Saturday 21 March, at Buckingham Community Centre, Cornwalls Meadow, Buckingham, MK18 1RP. All are welcome.

Athina Beckett, Buckingham Canal Society Late news: The Society has now acquired the workboat mentioned above, which should prove extremely useful for future restoration work. WB Louise should have arrived at Cosgrove by the time you read this. She has an outboard engine. a winch, and a hydraulic crane that comes with attachments such as a grab bucket and timber grab. Two Society volunteers have taken a course equipping them to use the crane. CRT has agreed to waive the licence fee, and Louise has been offered a mooring at Cosgrove Marina. Immediate plans for the boat are to assist with pruning work, then to dredge the canal from Cosgrove Lock to Bridge One. Page 10

Destination MK—progress on signage and vegetation Following the inspection cruise through Milton Keynes in June (see September TPT, Page 6), discussions have been taking place with a view to enhancing the appeal to locals and visitors of the city's stretch of the Grand Union.

The inspection cruise identified the need for clearly marked and enforced Visitor moorings at pubs and other places where visiting boats wish to stop, for signage to lead locals and landbased visitors to the canal, for wide-beam boats to be encouraged to moor considerately, and for better management of canalside vegetation to open up views through the hedges and to cut back vegetation hindering navigation at blind spots.

The discussions have resulted in a start being made on planOne of the new “windows” in the towpath hedge. ning for the required signage, Photo: The Parks Trust. and the Parks Trust has made good progress in creating "windows" in the towpath hedge and trimming or felling overhanging trees on offside land that it owns.

At a meeting on 24 October, at which IWA (both Head Office and Milton Keynes Branch), Canal & River Trust, The Parks Trust and Milton Keynes Council were represented, further steps were agreed for progressing the signage. Sowar Ahmed, CRT London and South East Boating Liaison Manager, reviewed progress on the recent moorings consultation in London, and hoped that the signage in Milton Keynes would be in place by 1 March 2020. The Parks Trust was commended for the work done so far on the canalside vegetation. This work will continue, and will entail a budget of about £15,000.

Another inspection cruise is planned for June 2020, to view progress.

From draft minutes of the 24 October meeting.

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.

Boat Builders - Repairs - Dry dock - Blacking - Repaints Waterside holiday cottage

The WYVERN SHIPPING Co Ltd

Rothschild Road, Linslade, Leighton Buzzard, Beds, LU7 2TF Tel: 01525 372355 Fax: 01525 852308 http://www.canalholidays.co.uk james@canalholidays.co.uk Members of IWA, APCO, BMF, B&MK Waterway Trust, Wendover Arm Trust, Buckingham Canal Society, Aylesbury Canal Society

nd ks a re a e r i rt b eekly h o h S w Page 11

IWA MK well represented at Dave Leeson’s funeral In September's TPT, we reported the death of Branch member Dave Leeson on 31 July, but the news came too late to be covered fully in that edition. Dave's funeral at Crownhill Crematorium on 28 August was well attended by Branch members.

Dave was born in 1940, and began a carpentry apprenticeship at age 15.

He remained in the building trade all his working life. Having married Jo in 1960, he bought a plot of land at Cranfield, and built his own house, which was finished in 1964. A devoted family man, Dave encouraged Photo by kind permission of Jo Leeson. his children in skills such as swimming and canoeing. He built several boats, including his narrowboat which he built from welding the steelwork to fitting-out. Known as "Slab" to his intimates (from a story about a slab of chocolate), Dave sometimes held strong opinions, and it was said that he "never didn't know the answer".

With Jo, Dave was a founder member of the Branch, serving on the Committee until 2000.

His practical skills were often in demand at outdoor events, including the National Rally in 1985, boat rides at the Linford festival, and canal clean-ups. He also served as Harbourmaster at the Wendover Arm Trust's Festival. He will be much missed.

Les Franklin.

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10 & 15 year Leasehold moorings available at discounts

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Onsite facilities include Chandlery & full services Workshop, slipway

Secure car parking Laundry

Boat Brokerage Widebeam facilities

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Pub with carvery restaurant Indian & Chinese takeaway

For Moorings Availability and Prices, visit http://www.mkmarina.co.uk Page 12

Young navvies on the Wendover Arm

On 25-27 October, a Family Camp, led by Alex Melsom (Volunteer Co-ordinator, Waterway Recovery Group) and sponsored by IWA, was held on the Wendover Arm. Thirteen children, each with parent or guardian, arrived at Green Park "base camp" on the Friday evening, and a first fun task was to make some clay safety toppers for bamboo canes.

Next morning, despite poor weather, a start was made on planting 2,000 snowdrop bulbs at the new parkland alongside the Whitehouses installation, and a bonfire was lit to dispose of prunings left by a recent adult working party. That afternoon, back at Green Park, bird and bug boxes were made. On Sunday, in better weather, the rest of the snowdrop bulbs were planted, and the bird and bug boxes were nailed up. In the afternoon, vegetation beside the towpath was cut back.

Marshmallows Photo by kind permission of WAT and children’s parents. were toasted on the bonfire!

Meanwhile, steady progress was made by the adult working parties. In September, the offside area extending from Whitehouses to the mooring bay near Bridge 4 was levelled, topsoiled, raked and seeded. Once that was done and machine work finished, the soil ramp at the west end of the mooring wall, leading up to this area from the canal bed, was removed. This area was later profiled, preparatory to forming the waterproof joint between the wall and the adjacent bank.

At the October work party, a first task was to pump out rainwater in the canal bed beside the mooring bay wall. At the same time, Bentomat lengths were cut, and vegetation was cleared from the bank towards Little Tring. Where the access ramp had been, Bentomat, blockwork and concrete were laid to form the joint as above.

To meet the possibility of the underwater blockwork under the mooring wall moving away from it, several reinforced concrete beams, or "policemen", are being cast in the canal bed, to brace it against the blockwork on the opposite (towpath) side. The concrete is deaerated using a vibrating poker, to ensure that the concrete achieves maximum strength and to prolong the life of the reinforcement bars.

For the November work party it was again necessary to pump out. Six of the seven "policemen" were completed, and various tidying jobs were done in readiness for forming the joints between the finished canal bed and banks and the abutments of Bridge 4.

The Trust now has a set of approved drawings for the remaining work at Whitehouses, and materials for this work are due to be ordered soon.

From WAT Operations Reports, September—November 2019.

Page 13

The Editor’s Page The canalside face of Milton Keynes continues to change, as evidenced by the Campbell Wharf development. It may also be that the attitude of locals towards their canal is changing too, with an extremely light haul at the last Clean-up. The recent work by The Parks Trust to enhance the appearance of the MK stretch (see Page 11), together with the moves towards signage to direct waterborne visitors to local attractions and locals to the canal, and to spell out the mooring provisions, seem to indicate a willingness to both make more of the city's canal and to control its use for the benefit of all users.

I must admit to misgivings when new canalside signage is proposed, because it can easily get out of hand. Excessive reliance on signage at historic waterway Meccas such as Stoke Bruerne or Braunston is surely to be discouraged. But we must recognise that the Milton Keynes stretch of the Grand Union, formerly a totally rural stretch, is now part of a modern urban scene with modern pressures on its use and enjoyment. It is to be hoped that the new direction and enforcement signage will be designed and placed sensitively, perhaps with recognition that mobile apps, with QR codes to access them, can play an increasing part in informing, stimulating and guiding waterway users.

What a joy it is to read stories of young people having fun doing practical things on our local waterways (see Pages 13 and 15)! It does not matter whether the initiative comes from the young person him/herself, as in Lottie’s case, or whether a parent signs him/her up without their necessarily knowing what they are in for. The initial exposure is the key to future interest and involvement!

Les Franklin, Editor.

Willowbridge Marina http://www.willowbridgemarina.co.uk Willowbridge Marina is a working boatyard specialising in lifting boats in and out of the water, as well as on and off transport. We are a family-run business, working hard to provide services to canal boat owners and users in the Milton Keynes area.

We offer the following services: - Well-stocked chandlery, including stainless steel fastenings and Calor Gas fittings; - Red diesel; - All boat services, including coal, LPG and pump-out; - All mooring services, including limited linear moorings, wireless internet and power, toilets, showers, laundry and extensive storage ashore.

We offer a 10% discount on chandlery purchases and services in the yard to IWA members.

Page 14

01908 643242 office@willowbridgemarina.co.uk

They deserve a Medal . . .

Congratulations to Mick Butler and Geoff Wood of Northampton Branch upon being announced as Richard Bird Medal winners at the Association’s Annual General Meeting in September.

Since 2013, Mick and Geoff have been joint Co-ordinators for the Branch’s Adoption Scheme on the Northampton Arm, bringing unique talents to the role and involving them in hundreds of hours of planning work. Both fulfil other roles within the Branch as well— Mick as Chairman of the Events Committee, and Geoff as Vice-Chairman and Membership Secretary. The Richard Bird Medals are awarded to “members of the Association whose efforts and support are considered to have brought significant benefit to the Association over an extended period”.

Their work on the Adoption Scheme led Canal & River Trust to award the team selfsupervising status in recognition of the high standard of work and adherence to Health & Safety standards.

Each January, a survey of the Arm is conducted, to identify problems observed and work needed. From this, a plan of works needed for the year is drawn up.

Volunteers from the Branch are regularly out and about on the Arm, tidying up, removing rubbish, clearing vegetation, planting bulbs, maintaining planters at the locks, filling in potholes and much more. Over the course of 2019, the Branch has recorded a staggering 11,000 volunteer hours–that’s the equivalent of 1,500 working days or nearly 7 people working full-time.

From IWA Northampton Branch newsletter Endeavour, November 2019, and IWA Bulletin, November 2019.

. . . And so does she!

Eight year old Lottie Clarke, who lives near Lock 14 on the Northampton Arm of the Grand Union Canal, has won a prestigious volunteer award to recognise her contribution in helping to clean up the canal. Lottie has been turning up in all weathers and completing more than 50 hours working with a volunteer team from IWA Northampton Branch.

Lottie was honoured to receive the John Faulkner Award, created by the Branch to recognise someone who has made an important contribution to its work, at its annual dinner recently. The award was named after a long-standing Branch member who left a substantial legacy in 2016. She is the third recipient of the award.

Lottie spotted volunteers in hi-viz jackets working on the canal arm and asked her mother, Laura, what they were doing. They got chatting to the volunteers and signed up to join the group on the spot. Since then Lottie and her mother have helped with clearing out weir channels, painting locks, cutting back vegetation, and—Lottie's favourite task—litter picking. She even does litter picking outside of regular work parties when walking the dog along the towpath.

Lottie and Laura were instrumental in getting her school, Rothersthorpe Primary, to join in with painting a mural under the M1 bridge on the canal arm this summer, and helped spread the word about the Mosaic Nature Trail, two projects recently conceived and installed by the Branch to help rejuvenate the Northampton Arm.

From IWA Bulletin, November 2019.

Page 15

Getting in touch with MK Branch The contact list is valid until the Branch’s AGM in February (see Notice on Page 9). As always, the AGM is your chance to offer your help in running the Branch—all offers will be most gratefully received.

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Get the latest waterway news at these web sites. Addresses change frequently, but these were correct on 4 November 2019.

Chairman:

TIM ARMSTRONG tim.armstrong@waterways.org.uk

Vice-Chairman

VACANT

Secretary:

DIANE WITTS diane.witts@waterways.org.uk

Membership:

PETE BICKERS pete.bickers@waterways.org.uk

Treasurer / Social Secretary:

DAVID TUCKER david.tucker@waterways.org.uk

Social Media / Data Holder:

CHRIS DURHAM chris.durham@waterways.org.uk

Buckingham Canal ATHINA BECKETT Soc. Representative: athina.beckett@buckinghamcanal.org.uk B-MK Waterway Trust Reporter:

MARIE DRAPER marie.draper@waterways.org.uk

Trade Representative:

JAMES GRIFFIN james@canalholidays.co.uk

Fenny Lock Adoption Scheme / Volunteer Contact:

PAT DURHAM pat.durham@waterways.org.uk

Clean-up Supervisor:

VACANT

Education Officer:

VACANT

Editor and Publicity:

LES FRANKLIN (non-Committee) les.franklin@waterways.org.uk

Webmaster:

VERNON DRAPER (non-Committee) vernon.draper@waterways.org.uk

Planning:

TONY BIRCH (non-Committee) Contact via Les Franklin.

IWA homepage: https://www.waterways.org.uk MK Branch pages: at above address, under “IWA Local”, select “Milton Keynes”.

MK Branch Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/iwamiltonkeynesbranch/ Canal and River Trust: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk Bedford-Milton Keynes Waterway Trust: http://www.b-mkwaterway.org.uk Buckingham Canal Society: https://www.buckinghamcanal.org.uk Wendover Arm Trust: http://www.wendoverarmtrust.co.uk Friends of the Canal Museum: http://www.friendsofcanalmuseum.org.uk Leighton Buzzard Canal Society: https://www.facebook.com/LeightonBuzzardCanalSociety/

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.