Towpath Telegtaph May 2020

May 2020

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

Waterway interests in united front to Government Canals remain open for “essential use” Carrying Then . . . and Carrying Now News from B-MKWT, BCS and WAT IWA Webinars

Sculptor, the Canal Museum’s narrow boat, was called in to assist CRT engineers who needed to inspect Blisworth Tunnel when a suspected sinkhole was found near one of the construction shafts. Undertaken with due social distancing, the inspection found a small displacement in the concrete lining, but the tunnel was deemed safe.

Investigations will resume once current restrictions ease.

From Friends of Canal Museum press release, April 2020.

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.

Registered in England no. 612245. Registered as a charity no.212342.

f Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/iwamiltonkeynesbranch/

Welcome to May 2020 Towpath Telegraph This edition is being prepared under circumstances that would have been unimaginable just weeks ago. The situation changes daily, and as it takes quite a time to get TPT to publication, it is likely that announcements here will be overtaken by events. Please check web sites, and keep a lookout for Facebook posts or emails from IWA Head Office— we will do our best to keep you up-to-date.

Chairman’s Column TPT during the emergency GDPR and new members Canals remain open for “essential use” Joint appeal to Government to assist waterside firms Wyvern hopes for a return to normal times Wendover Arm: lining reaches Bridge 4 Carrying Then: Barges and Bread . . . . . . and Carrying Now: Jules Fuels Diary, including new IWA Webinars Scythia remembered Buckingham Canal Society news MK Community Boat fundraising continues Three words that can bring you together The Editor’s Page DEFRA seeks IWA views on COVID-19 impact The Red Lion helps out Tae a Virus Getting in touch with MK Branch

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

Chairman’s Column

Our February AGM has come and gone. As fore-mentioned in January’s edition, there has been a Committee reorganisation. Tim Armstrong has stepped down as Chair and becomes our Treasurer for the second time around.

Thanks are due to Tim for his custodianship of the Branch for the past two years. David Tucker has stepped down as Treasurer but continues as Social Secretary. Lastly, to introduce myself, my name is Chris Durham and I have, as some form of weird punishment, been elected as Branch Chair in addition to continuing to supervise our Facebook page. Other posts remain the same.

COVID-19 allowing, the Branch remains in good hands. Since joining the Committee in 2018 I have been amazed at the dedication and enthusiasm of my fellow members - but I know they would not refuse any additional willing hands. The same goes for all those Branch members who have stepped up to the plate and become actively involved in our activities. We must somehow ensure that the results of our hard work are maintained.

"May You Live In Interesting Times" is a Chinese curse, perhaps appropriate for the virus pandemic that originated in China and is now sweeping the world. My thoughts are that although our "times" might not go back to exactly the way they were, we will still have to protect and improve our waterways and the IWA will be as vital as ever, if not more so.

To date we have not been able to undertake our Spring Canal Clean-up. On the upside, excepting our Lock Help Weekend the Branch pretty much hibernates during the cruising season (because we usually want to go boating!) but we can take a leaf out of the Scouts handbook and "Be Prepared" for when we eventually emerge from our hibernation. In the meantime we will keep you posted on any developments.

At the time of writing (last week in March) the situation is dynamic, and my mobile phone Page 2

Chairman’s Column—continued. (and I believe everyone else’s) has just received a text message from our Government telling me to stay at home, so the country has just been put into lockdown. Additionally Richard Parry of CRT has put out a statement temporarily suspending the "14 day rule" and forbidding all non-essential boat movement.

How long this will last is not clear, and it will probably not be over by the time you are reading this. But end it will, and we will hopefully emerge blinking into the sunshine.

When this actually happens we will need to get out and about again. To this end the canal is probably the perfect environment to get some fresh air, scenery and exercise. Our 12-mile lock-free pound from Fenny Stratford to Cosgrove means that we can putter up and down whilst, if still a requirement, observing the "social Lock Help 2018. Will Lock Help 2020 be possible distancing" rule. Should we on a later this year? Photo: Les Franklin. longer trip choose to go through a lock or two with a buddy, we'll just make sure our respective crews stay on opposite sides of the lock. I and my other half Patricia hope to get out and about on our narrowboat Goldie if allowed. If you come across us, please do give us a wave and maybe introduce yourselves (from a distance of course).

Should you have any questions regarding the Branch, please do contact me at chris.durham@waterways.org.uk Stay safe and healthy, folks!

Chris Durham, Branch Chair.

TPT during the emergency For the duration of the pandemic, we will almost certainly not be able to produce a printed edition of TPT. The online version will appear as normal, and we will try to ensure that all members are told how to view it online. The Editor will be grateful if members who are used to online viewing can assist any others they know of who need help to do so. Such assistance must, of course, be given by phone or email rather than in person as long as social distancing advice applies. If need be, the Editor can print individual copies on request.

Although some or all of our advertisers may be prevented from trading normally during the pandemic, we are inserting advertisements as usual in the hope that readers will keep them in mind for when normal times return. For advertisers who have paid in advance for insertions, we will carry advertisements free of charge until normal printing can resume, whereupon we will take account of their pre-payments as usual. We wish them well.

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

Canals remain open for “essential use” In late March, Canal & River Trust issued guidance asking leisure boaters to stop all non-essential travel. To help those who live aboard (and those who would need to travel to boats in order to move them) CRT is suspending the requirement to move every 14 days. The suspension was to be kept under review in line with Government guidance, applying initially until 14 April, but is likely to be extended.

Boaters are asked to be considerate and make sure that vital boater facilities and services are accessible to those that need them. CRT will continue to maintain boater facilities, and pump out cards are available from CRT's online shop. CRT is urgently reviewing the implications for face-to-face sale of pump out cards and facilities keys from their public offices.

Staff with critical roles in the safe management of the waterways, for example managing water levels, carrying out statutory inspections of canal structures and ensuring essential facilities for boaters are available, will continue their day-to-day work.

Detailed guidance for boaters is available at: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/safety-on-our-waterways/coronavirus Click the link to “FAQs for boaters”.

For towpath users, the advice is that whilst towpaths remain open, use of them should now be limited, and strictly local. Those who use the towpath for daily exercise or journeys to undertake essential work are asked to avoid any stretches with boats moored against the towpath, and to strictly observe social distancing at all times, following the latest advice from Government.

CRT news releases, March 2020.

Social distancing rules now apply on the towpath.

Joint appeal to Government to assist waterside firms On 23 March, a joint letter signed by Richard Parry, John Packman and Lesley Robinson, respectively Chief Executives of Canal & River Trust, the Broads Authority and British Marine, was sent to Rt Hon George Eustice, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, asking the Government to act quickly to help waterway businesses by providing grants to cover commercial boat licences and mooring fees for one year from 1 April, in addition to confirming measures already announced to assist small businesses.

The letter says that waterway businesses are vulnerable because they depend upon a short holiday season, they are often family concerns with little capital reserves, profit margins are narrow, and they often have few employees and hence the announced measures provide little assistance. It also says that navigation authorities' own liabilities in caring for the waterways are at risk as they depend on the income from waterside businesses to fund their work, some of which is critical to the safety of local communities.

CRT news release, March 2020.

See also the item on Page 14.—Ed. Page 4

Wyvern hopes for a return to normal times After Boris Johnson's message on 23 March and the country going into lockdown, all the Wyvern boats out on hire were recalled back to base along with all other hire boats. By 27 March, our boats had returned and are safely moored at the boat yard. The company is now in lockdown and all the staff are on furlough leave.

All bookings for April and May have been postponed. At first, we encouraged all overseas bookings to postpone till next year, but with the continued deterioration of the pandemic we are also encouraging UK customers to postpone till later on this year or next year, as no one can be sure when the country will be back to normal.

We may be in for a long haul and it is possible we may not operate at all this year.

This has come at a bad time for the hire boat industry. All winter expenses and maintenance has been done but, instead of the season starting, many of the holiday deposits have had to be returned, and with no income this produces cashflow problems.

Some of the Wyvern fleet at their pleasant home mooring. Photo: James Griffin.

At this stage only provisional bookings for the future can be made. Many of our customers are happy for us to keep their deposits and transfer their holidays to a time when we are open and they can travel again. We are very grateful to these customers. The extra work in the office is unprecedented. On the plus side, if we get back to normal in July, things could be very busy with people taking UK holidays. Only time will tell.

In the meantime, stay safe, and thank you for all your support in these difficult times.

James Griffin, Managing Director, Wyvern Shipping Co Ltd.

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

d s an e k a e r t br kly hi r o e Sh we Page 5

Wendover Arm: lining reaches Bridge 4 In December, mud and water were in abundance, but the last concrete “sleeping policeman� was cast in place, west of Bridge 4, bringing the total to seven (see January's TPT). Work then began on excavating through Bridge 4’s abutments in preparation for laying concrete and block lining, taking care not to damage the bridge with the excavator. Forty more trees and 1,000 bulbs were planted.

At January's work party, ridding the work site of water once again was hindered when the petrol-powered pumps gave trouble. Work continued on profiling and lining through Bridge 4, with typical inclined blockwork beside each abutment, and a reinforced concrete base laid at the centre. At the same time, fresh Bentomat was laid on the next part of the bridge banks, and the formwork laid out ready for a quick start next month. A canalside fire cleared the large pile of hedge trimmings that had been generated by the Family Camp in October.

New concrete under Bridge 4, and (below) being extended eastwards. Photos: WAT.

For February's work party, the site was again pumped out regularly before work could start. When Storm Ciara arrived, operations became hazardous as the wind demolished fencing and picked up sand and ballast from loaded dumpers. The storm forced a stop to work for one day, followed by more pumping out. A little later, Storms Dennis and Jorge made their contributions to the work!

Work continued on the reinforced concrete bed laid through Bridge 4. At the same time, the sloping parts of the old swing bridge wing walls were demolished in accordance with the CRT approved drawings.

The main work planned for March was to cast the reinforced concrete slab that will eventually support the new stop plank channels and the rebuilt section of the old swing bridge walls. A first task was to make sense of a kit of supplied components for assembling into the steel reinforcement for this slab. After this, volunteers moved on to installing wooden shuttering.

One of the volunteers had suggested that a passing point should be dug out to allow two dumpers to pass, and ease the flow of dumpers when transferring pre-mixed concrete from delivery lorries at Little Tring; this has been done. Some knockabout comedy ensued when cramped site conditions caused several footprints to appear in newly-laid concrete; one of these was caused by the Operations Manager himself. Then a volunteer stumbled and produced a near-perfect "face-print"! Luckily he was not injured.

Work has been done in preparation for forming the stop plank channels and new swing bridge walls. A bund was reinstated just beyond the old swing bridge walls to keep some of the water out. At the time of preparing this summary, the April work party has been called off due to the coronavirus outbreak.

From WAT Operations Reports, December 2019 - March 2020.

Page 6

Carrying Then: Barges and Bread . . .

At our January Branch meeting, our guests were Tam and Di Murrell, well-known in waterway circles for their campaigning to prolong waterborne trading, and their own carrying exploits over many years. While Tam operated the slideshow, Di told us of these ventures, most notably their revival during the 1980s of grain traffic between Tilbury Grain Terminal and Coxes Mill on the Wey Navigation.

Di Murrell's book "Barges and Bread" traces the history of grain traffic on the Thames, and also draws together several threads in her life: her upbringing beside the Thames, the connection she felt with the then vigorous trading activity on the river, her sense of history, and her interest in food and cooking. Interspersed through the book are recipes for all kinds of bread from all ages, which alone make the book a worthwhile purchase.

Tam and Di Murrell.

Photo: Les Franklin.

"Barges and Bread", by Di Murrell, is published by Prospect Books at ÂŁ12.50. For more information, see https://prospectbooks.co.uk/products-page/current-titles/barges-bread/

. . . and Carrying Now: Jules Fuels Motor boat Towcester and butty Bideford are a familiar sight on the southern Grand Union. Jules Cook (right) and her partner Richard, alias Jules Fuels, supply gas, coal and diesel to a loyal clientele of boaters. At the end of March, as restrictions were tightened, Jules Cook vowed in a Facebook post to keep their customers supplied.

Visit their web site at http://julesfuels.co.uk/ or contact them at julesfuels@hotmail.co.uk or on 07740 487222. A video of Jules Fuels delivering locally, south of Leighton Buzzard, can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_OZDFML7gY

THE THREE LOCKS

Stoke Hammond, Leighton Buzzard

STAY SAFE - SEE YOU SOON 10% DISCOUNT ON FOOD FOR IWA MEMBERS T: 01525 270214 E: info@threelocks.co.uk www.threelocksstokehammond.co.uk www.facebook.com/threelocksstokehammond Page 7

Diary

Compiling a summer Diary under the current circumstances is a very uncertain task. The best we can do is tell you which regular events have definitely been cancelled, and list those that are still billed as going ahead as we go to publish - but we advise that you check at the web address given as the date approaches. Information is believed to be correct as at early April 2020. Please also see Panel, Page 9, for details of IWA’s new Webinars for members and supporters.

Canal & River Trust All CRT public events suspended until the end of June. See https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/events See also Page 4.

Mikron Theatre Company: 2020 tour CANCELLED; see https://mikron.org.uk/support-us/coronavirus There are links to pages where you can become a Friend of Mikron, make a one-off donation or buy merchandise.

Tuesday 7 April 7:30pm Tuesday 14 April 7.30pm

IWA Webinar - see panel One Arm . . . many heads - transforming the Northampton Arm. Geoff Wood and Mick Butler, IWA Northampton Branch work party organisers.

Tuesday 21 April 7.30pm

IWA Webinar - see panel Bringing waterways to the attention of government.

Alison Smedley, IWA Campaigns & Public Affairs Manager.

Tuesday 28 April 7.30pm

IWA Webinar - see panel Changing the face of the Ashton Canal.

Maarja Kaaristo, IWA Manchester Branch.

2 - 3 May

Tuesday 5 May 12.30pm (please note time)

Canalway Cavalcade, Little Venice: CANCELLED. Re-scheduled for 1-3 May 2021. https://www.waterways.org.uk/events_festivals/canalway_cavalcade/ IWA Webinar - see panel Protecting our Waterways Heritage.

Amy Tillson, IWA Campaigns Officer.

16 - 17 May

Rickmansworth Festival: CANCELLED; see http://www.rwt.org.uk/news/35/festival-2020-cancelled

22 - 25 May

IWA Milton Keynes Branch Lock Help Weekend, Three Locks, Stoke Hammond: postponed.

It seems unlikely that this can take place this year, but if things change, we'll let you know.

23 - 25 May

Trailboat Festival, Wey & Arun Canal: CANCELLED.

Sunday 7 June

Page 8

IWA Webinar - see panel IWA - more relevant than ever.

Paul Rodgers, IWA National Chairman.

Wendover Arm Trust Restoration Open Day: CANCELLED. April 3-9 work party and April 10 Tidy Friday: CANCELLED. Subsequent events and work parties under review; see http://wendoverarmtrust.co.uk/

Diary—continued Tuesday 9 June

18-19 July

Saturday 25 July

Bedford-Milton Keynes Waterway Trust AGM, Box End Park, Box End Road, Bedford MK43 8RN. March newsletter bills this as going ahead, but Trust members will no doubt receive information nearer the date. Enquiries: see http://www.b-mkwaterway.org.uk/contact-us/general-contacts/ (web mail), or telephone 01908 351870 (answerphone).

Buckingham Canal Society Festival, Cosgrove: under review; see https://www.buckinghamcanal.org.uk/category/events/ All work parties CANCELLED until further notice.

Linslade Festival, Tiddenfoot Park, Linslade: under review.

As at early April, Leighton-Linslade Town Council web site says: "We hope that this event will be able to take place as scheduled on Saturday 25 July 2020". See https://www.leightonlinslade-tc.gov.uk/lltc_events/linslade-canal-festival/

29 - 31 August 12-13 September

IWA Festival of Water, Perdiswell Park, Worcester: under review; see https://www.waterways.org.uk/events_festivals/festival_water/ Village at War Weekend, Stoke Bruerne: under review; see http://www.friendsofcanalmuseum.org.uk/home/4593803878 Stoke Bruerne Museum is closed until further notice. All volunteer activities have been suspended for the time being.

2020-2021 Milton Keynes Branch meetings: Following cancellation of the March and April meetings, we hope to rebook the speakers for those meetings: Roger Squires (The Suez Canal) and Tim Armstrong (The Canal du Midi). Our first meeting of the season is due to take place — Government guidelines permitting — on Thursday 17 September at the Irish Centre, Fenny Stratford, topic to be announced.

NEW! IWA Webinars IWA is committed to continue a programme of activities for members as much as possible in these challenging times. Join us “live” for our new 1-hour online waterway webinars (web-based seminars). A regular programme of speakers will cover topics including our campaign successes, waterways heritage, our canal adoption schemes and more. More talks will be announced. It's easy to join using a desktop computer, tablet or smart phone. * Go to https://www.waterways.org.uk/events_festivals/online_talks The talks are listed in date order; each has a "Register now . . ." link. * Click the link for the talk you are interested in, fill in the online form that appears, and click the "Register" button. You can do this well in advance of the start time. * The ID number of the webinar and a very long web address then appear. It's best to save these into a Word document or text file so that they are available to you when you join the webinar. You may also receive an email with a “Click here to join” link. * Just before the webinar is due to begin, copy the saved web address into your browser to join in, or use the link in the email. Depending on your computer's capabilities, you may be able to type questions into a chat-box, or ask questions using your microphone if the speaker offers that option to participants.

Page 9

Scythia remembered Our first boat, Alchera (meaning dreamtime to the Aboriginals), was a 42-ft trad Tim Tyler, that we had built in 1996 shortly before we retired. When we replaced Alchera, we achieved a dream with Scythia (our 57-ft full traditional narrow boat with boatman’s cabin and engine room), built for us by S M Hudson in 2000.

Hudsons are strong boats, and boats are feminine, so we naturally thought of Amazon for a name. But there are other Amazon boats. Wendy found that the Amazon women came from Scythia, so that was it!

We found sleeping in the cross bed in Scythia’s boatman’s cabin was the best thing ever. We revelled in adding our personal extras and were proud, primarily for Steve Hudson, to win the Marion Munk Rose Bowl for the best narrow beam boat at the IWA National in Huddersfield in 2002. Steve gave us pole position at his Open Weekend for every year thereafter.

We have cruised extensively in both our boats covering all the Grand Union, Trent & Mersey, Lee and Stort, the Thames from the Barrier to above Lechlade, the Wey and Basingstoke, Huddersfield Narrow and Broad, the Rochdale, Leeds & Liverpool, Macclesfield and Peak Forest, Shroppie, the Oxford and Coventry, Staffs & Worcester, and on down the Severn to Gloucester and Sharpness; Llangollen, Kennet & Avon to Bristol, Bridgewater, the Trent, and a reasonable chunk of the BCN. Our greatest drama occurred in the bottom lock of the Huddersfield Broad, where Scythia had to lie diagonally to fit. The green BW lock operator snagged us up at the bow on the lock-side and broke the paddle gear. The lock continued to empty and we finished up at 30 degrees. Yours truly was at the helm, ankle deep in water (that had flooded into the back cabin and engine room), shouting instructions to said BW operator how to release us.

Luckily Wendy had jumped off ashore at the bow as the drama started to unfold. BW brought a pump that proved pretty useless, but Bill Joyce did sterling hand bailing (I had cracked ribs) and subsequently towed us to a dry dock for straightening the rudder head that had been bent by the impact with the lock side. Our strong Scythia was otherwise unscathed. Wendy was not too keen to be aboard in locks from then on, but was and is a great lock-wheeler!

We’re selling our boat!

I can’t believe it’s true.

She’s like a member of the family a friend to me and you.

We hope the lucky buyers look after her with care.

The mooring on our garden will be sadly very bare.

For over twenty years we have boated with a will.

We must find a new pastime with all the days to fill.

We’ve learnt a lot from boating.

We’ve made a lot of friends.

We must keep optimistic until our journey’s end.

Story and picture by Rodney Evans. The poem, by Wendy Evans, was recited by her at the Branch Christmas social last December.

Page 10

Buckingham Canal Society news The BCS AGM was held with a limited number of people attending in person at Buckingham Community Centre on 21 March, whilst most members used a proxy vote. We also had to cancel our speaker and his talk on Hayes Boats of Stony Stratford but Neil Loudon has promised to give the talk at a future date.

At present we haven't cancelled the Cosgrove Festival and Craft Fair planned for 18-19 July but it looks unlikely that it will go ahead. At present we are fully booked for trade boats but could take a few more private boats. There is space in Cosgrove Village Hall for craft stalls.

Otherwise, work was continuing to go well on Bridge One at Cosgrove, with bricklayers working to complete the brick facing there. We were receiving several requests from outside companies who wish to join us on our work parties for community and team-building days. These included three new outside companies, Volkswagen being one of them.

As anticipated in the last edition, BCS has acquired its own work boat, Louise, which will be used by volunteers along the Buckingham Arm, and we also plan to carry out some tasks for Canal & River Trust which could include cutting back branches and trees overhanging the non-towpath side of the Grand Union Canal. Some of our volunteers have already attended training courses run by CRT. After the Government announcement on 23 March, all BCS work parties are postponed. The only work to be carried out by volunteers will be some necessary safety work connected with Bridge One I'm writing this report at the end of March so it is impossible to say what will happen over the next few months at our sites. Like everybody else we will just have to wait and see. So the message to all IWA members is to just keep safe.

Athina Beckett, Buckingham Canal Society.

Louise receiving a new coat of paint.

Photo: BCS.

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 11

MK Community Boat fundraising continues Fund-raising is continuing for the £135,000 cost of building the Milton Keynes Community Boat. By February the project had secured £80,000, leaving £55,000 to raise. Donations under £100 (Gift Aided if you wish) can be made online at https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/12061 For Founding Funders able to donate £100 or more and/or provide an interest-free loan of £1,000 or more, the Trust is running a separate fundraising campaign. For more details, please contact Jane Wolfson at jane.wolfson@mkcommunityboat.org The Bedford-Milton Keynes Waterway Trust and its partners are continuing the work of strengthening the case for the Waterway Park by exploring its potential to help manage flood risk in the region. The Environment Agency is funding the next stage of this work, which should lead to firm design guidelines. The local authorities along the route will the be asked to incorporate these guidelines in their Planning policies. A new Consortium partner, Water Resources East (WRE), is assisting in this work and, in a reciprocal move, the Trust has joined WRE's strategic consultative group so that it can be directly involved in their work on water resource planning.

The Trust's Eastern Projects Group (EPG) continues work on delivering a number of elements of the Waterway that could be constructed as soon as funding becomes available.

Although these may initially be disconnected sections, this approach can potentially attract further funding to allow the sections to be joined together to form the Waterway. Among these projects are: Landing stage at Kempston Mill—Initial boreholes taken at the landing stage site did not provide enough information for the design for the piling to be developed. A further borehole was drilled to 8m depth, shortly before the end of 2019. The results from this have been analysed and will be used for the landing stage piling design. The Trust will be working with the contractor and his designer to “value engineer” the works to meet the budget.

Waterway at Covanta site—In December 2019, EPG members attended a presentation by Covanta on their Rookery South Energy Recovery Facility, in course of construction at Stewartby. This provided an opportunity for EPG members to establish contact with Covanta, and resulted in a visit to the site to see the current rapid construction progress of the Energy Recovery Facility, and the opportunity to discuss the interface of the Covanta works with the Waterway. Under Artist’s impression of Covanta plant.

Covanta's Section 106 agree- Picture: Covanta news release. ment with Bedford Borough Council, Covanta will provide the funding for construction of a section of the Waterway at Green Lane, when the facility begins operation. Information about the Covanta project is available at https://www.rookerysouth.co.uk/

From BMK News, February 2020.

Page 12

Three words that can bring you together No, not "I love you" (although these are very important words!), but this is a new way of talking about location. It's more accurate than a postcode, and handier than a Grid Reference. All kinds of public bodies are beginning to use it.

Every inhabited 3-metre square on the Earth's surface has been assigned a unique reference consisting of three English words separated by fullstops. Using these references is easy - both to specify a place to someone else, or to find a place when you have been given a reference.

There is a phone app (very clunky on my old phone), or you can access it on a PC via your browser. It may be easier to use a PC first, if possible, to get to know how it works.

Go to https://what3words.com/. When the page opens, you see a map of part of London.

A red panel says something like "///daring.lion.race" (screenshot above). Zoom in a little, and you will see the 3-metre grid superimposed on the map, with the square for this reference highlighted. Pan the map with the hand icon, and the reference changes to something else, highlighting a different square. By zooming and panning, you can zero in on any location. For example, from the location above, pan across to Piccadilly Circus Station (roundel symbol), and you get "///fault.fingernail.device". If you wanted someone to meet you there, you could send them this reference by phone, text or email.

You have the choice of map or satellite view. The latter is useful when you are zeroing in on a location you know - your own house, for example. Usually you will find that you have a choice of several 3-metre squares, and you can choose one whose words are especially memorable to you. For something like a car park, you'll have a huge choice of squares.

Now for when you're given a reference by someone else who might want to tell you exactly where to meet. He's a bit vague, and says "Meet me at the new bridge in Milton Keynes".

But he also gives you the reference: "///cling.plums.envelope". Now there's no doubt - just enter that in the "Search" box at the top of the page, and the map moves to show that location - the new three-way bridge at Campbell Wharf.

Here are the references (some are quite appropriate) to some points on MK Branch's patch: Ship Bridge. Marsworth: ///revived.scorching.myths Leighton Bridge 114: ///nags.tugging.doghouse Wyvern Shipping: ///daytime.limitless.coats Leighton Lock: ///piles.catch.whites Globe Inn: ///pancakes.settled.joints Three Locks, bottom lock: ///fees.promise.tint Irish Centre entrance: ///thanks.mouth.boat Fenny Lock: ///deeply.pump.bids Peartree Bridge: ///slime.ruins.horns Three way bridge (Campbell): ///cling.plums.envelope Lionhearts moorings: ///scariest.wobbling.state Grafton Street Aqueduct: ///breached.clipped.bind Wolverton Mural north end: ///refuses.quite.vandalism Galleon pub: ///hence.liquids.lavished Iron Trunk Aqueduct: ///toggle.helm.vacancies

Screenshot at Campbell Wharf.

Page 13

The Editor’s Page

I’m afraid that a good deal of this edition is none too cheerful, but there are some positives. We learn of acts of kindness, such as the Red Lion at Fenny stepping in to look after the Pumphouse planting (see Page 15). The IWA’s online webinars (see Pages 8-9) are a good way of involving members and supporters. Head Office is also encouraging Branches to hold their own meetings in the same way, and the technology also enables “virtual” Committee meetings to be held.

It is gratifying to see that the waterway interests have presented a very united front to Government in the face of the emergency—see below, and bottom of Page 4. Clearly, though, the waterway case must be one of very many piling into civil servants’ In-trays, and not all can get what they want or even deserve.

It has been said that there is not yet a clear “exit strategy” to the pandemic, but hopefully the way ahead will become clearer with the passage of time. The waterways are bound to be well used once restrictions are lifted. All of us look forward to when we can take full advantage of them again.

As always, my thanks to all my contributors for this edition.

Lionhearts Cruising Club Great Linford, Milton Keynes

Les Franklin, Editor.

DEFRA seeks IWA views on COVID-19 impact At a meeting held in March by video link, DEFRA's Navigation Team was keen to hear IWA's input on the likely impact of COVID-19 on waterways across the country.

MOORINGS AVAILABLE

Secure moorings · Car Parking · Paint Dock Slipway · Clubhouse · Work Parties Friendly · Cruises · Socials · Wi-Fi Beautiful Grounds and People!

We provide excellent facilities and moorings for boats up to 38 feet. In return we do expect strong participation by our members at work parties, in running the club and in social activity. No Residential Boats accepted.

To find out more, including details of membership and fees, please visit our website at www.lionheartscruisingclub.co.uk CORONAVIRUS: The Club is closed during the emergency. Please submit any enquiries via the Contact page at the web address above.

Page 14

IWA’s key concerns include boaters' health and access to facilities, difficulty paying mooring and licence fees, navigation authorities' ability to deal with emergency repairs, and the impact on many waterway businesses, including hire boat companies through having to close down their operations. IWA is concerned that the restrictions will badly affect the navigation authorities whose waterways sustained damage in the recent storms.

The video meeting covered other ongoing issues such as funding for the publicly owned waterways, the importance of navigation authorities providing sufficient basic facilities, and other issues relating to the heritage and restoration of the waterways. IWA will continue to assist DEFRA in identifying the wider issues.

From IWA Head Office Bulletin, March 2020.

The Red Lion helps out

Work parties at Fenny Lock are suspended for the time being, but the planting there has not been neglected.

Staff at the Red Lion have been tending the planting, and kindly took these pictures for us in late March. Our warm thanks go to Karen and her staff, who have been most helpful towards the Adoption Scheme.

Tae a Virus (With apologies to Robert Burns) Twa months ago, we didna ken yer name or ocht aboot ye, But lots of things have changed since then, I really must salute ye.

Canary Isles, no for a while Nae need for suntan cream.

And a' because o' this wee bug We ken tae be . . . 19.

Yer spreadin' rate is quite intense ye're feedin' like a gannet.

Disruption caused is so immense, ye’ve shaken oor wee planet.

The boredom surely will set in, But have a read, or doodle.

Or plan yer menu for the month Wae ninety-five pot noodles.

Corona used tae be a beer they garnished it wae limes.

But noo it’s filled us a' wae fear These days are scary times.

When these run oot, just look aboot A change, it would be nice.

We’ve beans and pasta by the ton and twenty stane o' rice.

Nae shakin' hawns*, or peckin' lips, it’s whit they a' advise.

But scrub them weel, richt tae the tips that’s how we’ll a' survive.

So dinny think ye'll wipe us oot Aye true, a few have died.

Bubonic, bird flu, and TB They came, they left, they tried.

Just stay inside the hoose, ye bide Nae sneakin' oot for strolls.

Just check the lavvy every hoor And stock-take yer loo rolls.

Ye might be gallus*** noo, ma freen As ye jump frae cup tae cup.

But when we get oor vaccine made Yer number will be up.

Our holidays have been pit aff Noo that’s the Jet2 patter.

Pit oan yer thermals, have a laugh And paddle "doon the waater" **.

Willie Sinclair. * hands ** down the Firth of Clyde (traditionally on a paddle-steamer) *** bold, cheeky

Page 15

Getting in touch with MK Branch After the AGM in February, the Committee carried out a minor “Cabinet Reshuffle”, and the contact list has been updated accordingly. As always, they welcome your news, views and comments.

E FOR COPY DATTPT NEXT

1

AUG 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.

Whole page Half page Qutr page

Per edition £32.50 £20.00 £12.50

3 editions £65.00 £40.00 £25.00

Get the latest waterway news at these web sites. Addresses change frequently, but these were correct on 23 March 2020.

Chairman/Social CHRIS DURHAM Media/Data Holder: chris.durham@waterways.org.uk Vice-Chairman

VACANT

Secretary:

DIANE WITTS diane.witts@waterways.org.uk

Treasurer:

TIM ARMSTRONG tim.armstrong@waterways.org.uk

Membership:

PETE BICKERS pete.bickers@waterways.org.uk

Social Secretary:

DAVID TUCKER david.tucker@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: https://www.waterways.org.uk/miltonkeynes/ 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.