Winding Ways A Newsletter from the Leicester Branch
Issue 55 Autumn 2009
SOS … MAYDAY … SOS At the official opening of the National Festival at Redhill, our National Chairman, Clive Henderson, launched a new campaign against yet more cuts to waterway funding by the government. The campaign, under the banner ‘Save Our System’ (SOS) 2010, calls on members to do anything (legal, decent and honest!) in their power to draw attention to the value of waterways in their area, and to identify actual and potential problems that will be created by lack of maintenance.
See http://www.waterways.org.uk/SOS2010 for the latest recruits and news. As part of the campaign, a national day of action and awareness has been called for 01 May 2010 ( hence MayDay call ) when all branches are requested to stage an event that will draw attention to the current situation. Leicestershire Branch has yet to make specific plans, but as the date coincides with the Loughborough Boat and Canal Festival, it is likely that we will make our presence known at that event. Make a note in your diary.
(ACTING) CHAIRMAN’S BIT
LNU 200.
As I write, the lovely ‘Indian Autumn’ seems to have given way to climatic conditions which are more conducive to catching up with a pile of paperwork! Those who took a few days boating to and from the LNU celebrations (reported elsewhere in this issue) were indeed blessed with wonderful weather.
The Official 200th Anniversary of the opening of the Leicester & Northampton Union Canal was on 13th October 2009, but as this was in mid-week, the Old Union Canals Society decided to celebrate on the previous Saturday – and what a joyous occasion it was!
But I’m anxious to dispel the myth that IWA is some sort of boat club. The Association has always encouraged and promoted ALL uses of our waterways and that includes angling, walking, nature study, archaeology, photography etc. etc. as well as boating. I believe that a little more than half of members are boat owners and a further 25% are ‘part time boaters’ so I sometimes feel that boating interests get more than their fair share of attention in the Associations publications and events etc. It must be the case that many of those who contribute the most time and effort to waterway restoration projects are not regular boaters . . . . . . . . . . there just aint the time! So to non-boating members I would say “You’re very welcome . . . . your contribution to the Association is much appreciated and we would welcome your comments and suggestions as to future activities and publications of our Branch”.I can hardly bring myself to mention Christmas (it only seems a couple of months since the last one!) but this will be the last communication of 2009. I hope to see you at our Dinner on 10th December but take this opportunity of wishing you an enjoyable and relaxing Festive Season. John Evans, Chairman ( Acting )
BRANCH SECRETARY NEEDED!! David Hastie, the Branch Secretary, will soon be leaving for several months to visit his family ‘down under’. So, we urgently need an ‘Acting Secretary’. The job is not onerous – taking minutes at committee meetings, writing a few letters, and keeping in touch with IWA Head Office. If you are able to help, we would be delighted to hear from you.
Like many waterborne events, it had its hiccups and the first occurred at Foxton at the start of the cruise to Market Harborough, when ‘Bilbo Baggins’, who was to pull The Horse-Boat Society’s ‘Vixen‘, was un-nerved by the hiss of a waiting steamer. ‘Vagabond’, carrying a party of VIPs was to lead the flotilla of boats along the Arm followed by ‘Vixen’ and about sixteen other sundry craft. After a minor delay and with Bilbo Baggins considerably calmer, the boat procession eventually started. Progress was steady but further time was lost passing ‘Vixen’s’ tow rope over moored boats, but eventually
BW Matters One of the results of British Waterways recent reorganisation is the changes to their region boundaries. The whole of the River Soar and the Leicester Line as far south as Kilby Bridge is now managed by Mid Shires Region which is based at Fazeley. The southern part of the navigation within the county remains within the South East Region. It is understood that regions will be less autonomous than before and will share equipment, personnel and expertise etc. BW plan to make greater use of volunteers as part of ‘The Third Sector’ as they call it, and it is hoped that it will be easier to arrange voluntary working parties than it has in the recent past. Efforts to reduce licence evasion in the region have resulted in such abuse being reduced to 2.8% of all craft and several unlicensed boats are currently being seized and sold or destroyed. Be warned ! There are no major works planned on the Leicester Line in the immediate future, apart from some long overdue dredging between Belgrave Lock and North Lock.
Harborough Basin was reached, where a sizeable crowd, about 400, was waiting. The flotilla filled the Basin, flags were flown and, with the sun shining brightly, it was a fine sight to behold. Whilst in 1809, it is recorded that the navvies and others ‘marched’ down to the Angel Hotel, I have to report that, in these laid-back days, there was little attempt to emulate them in 2009, most, dressed in suitable period costume, preferring a gentle stroll. However, the management at the Angel played the game by producing an excellent feast of local trout, venison casserole and bread and butter pudding, in the very same room and much as the builders of the canal would have consumed at the Opening, 200 years ago. Let us look forward to a similarly splendid occasion, when the Inclined Plane is restored to full working order ( 2016 perhaps? ) David Stevenson, Membership Secretary
Hopefully, this will resolve the problems that deeper draughted boats experience below Lime Kiln Lock but we are still agitating for improvements and maintenance of the silt trap at the mouth of the brook that discharges storm water and all it carries into this pound.
STOPPAGE NOTICE Please note that the imminent stoppage at Sawley Flood Lock will now take place, a week later than planned, during the period 16th to 27th November ‘09
Christmas Dinner Thursday 10 December ‘09 The Wheatsheaf Leicester road Thurcaston, LE7 7JN Tickets £20.00 pp. (including 5 raffle tickets!) Maximum 40 persons, first come first served, so contact Beryl McDowall to guarantee your place.