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.
Melton & Oakham Waterway Society Annual General Meeting: The date of the AGM will be Saturday 14 November 2009. It will be held at Sysonby Knoll Hotel, Asfordby Road, Melton Mowbray, commencing at 10:30am. The guest speaker will be IWA’s Beryl McDowall. The topic of her slide presentation will be “The River Soar - Past, Present and Future”. Tea and coffee will be provided and for those who wish to stay after the meeting, there will be light refreshments.
SOCIAL CALENDAR The Committee decided that this Winter all our Social Meetings will be held on the second Thursday of the month, at the Wheatsheaf pub in Thurcaston. At our first meeting, in October, Wendy Freer, a well-known local historian, who has studied various aspects of our waterways, gave an illustrated talk on “Canal Boat People," showing a number of previously unseen photos of everyday life in the early days of the waterways.
All welcome – please feel free to bring along family / friends who may be interested in our society.
Forthcoming Social Events: For further information on any of the following, please contact Social secretary Beryl McDowall on 07710 029247 or email beryl@nbwasp.co.uk.
Forthcoming Work Parties: The following dates are planned for work in and around the Melton ring. Volunteers to meet at The Leicester Road Sports ground at 10:00am.
All events will be held in Room/Skittle Alley at The Wheatsheaf pub, Leicester Road, Thurcaston, LE7 7JN. There is plenty of parking at the pub.
• • •
Sunday 25 October Sunday 22 November Sunday 27 December
Meetings start at 7.30 p.m.
Thursday, 12th November, 2009: Beryl McDowall will give an illustrated talk entitled “The River Soar - Past, Present, and Future?” This will include images of the time when Beryl worked on commercial boats on the Soar in the 1970s and 80s, and recent changes. Thursday, 10th December, 2009: Our Christmas Meal has proved very popular over recent years. You will find full details of this year's event on the enclosed sheet; pre-booking is essential to guarantee a place., and will be taken on a first come, first served basis. We can accommodate up to 40 people Please keep the first page of the Meal Information Sheet for reference, and return the second page (Booking Form), together with a cheque for £20 for each person coming to the meal. The cost of each meal includes a strip of 5 raffle tickets. Thursday, 14th January, 2010: Mary Matts will give an illustrated talk entitled “Wild Flowers and Waterways.” Although she is based at Foxton, Mary’s talk will include flowers from a wider area, as well as local specimens.
Come and work off your Christmas dinner!! Hard hats and some tools are provided but please ensure you wear sturdy footwear and gloves. Further information can be found on our website nearer the dates concerned. News: A new work boat, “Badger”, joins “Ratty” and “Mole” in Melton. The boat was obtained from Bugsworth Basin and stationed on the grass adjacent the slipway in Melton where members fettled the craft and applied fresh bitumen prior to her launch and installation of electric motor and weedcutter. She will be used around the ring on forthcoming work parties. Mick Clowes
Leicestershire Branch Committee John Evans: Branch Chairman ( Acting ) 01509 416 647 David Hastie: Branch Secretary 0116 260 8027
Cash Award for Green Lifeboat The ‘Green Lifeboat’ is the workboat that is used by Leicester City Council’s Riverside Rangers and for taking groups of volunteers on to the river to help remove rubbish and control vegetation etc. The project has just been awarded £46,500 from the “Community Cashback” scheme whereby funds that have been amassed from criminal activities are confiscated from the perpetrators and distributed to worthy community causes. In the words of the awards panel the money will be used. . . . “ . . . to expand their existing project to clear up the river and canals of Leicester, removing rubbish and tackling the anti-social behaviour which leads to it through education and awareness raising. This successful scheme has already been running for 15 years but has lacked the funding to undertake widespread awareness raising and to tackle
David Stevenson:Membership Secretary 01530 458 257 Beryl McDowall: Social Secretary 07710 029 247 David Brewer: Treasurer 0116 230 3144
New Committee Members The Committee still urgently needs new members, so if you think you might be interested, please do contact one of the committee to get more information, or have a chat at one of the socials. We just need you for a couple of hours every two months, usually on Monday evenings
Strategy Complete ! The much debated River Soar and Grand Union Canal Strategy has been finalised. The proposals are currently being examined and (hopefully) endorsed by the relevant Local Authorities and other Partners and the document is due to be officially launched on November 24 th. After that date the final version can be viewed at www.thewaterwaystrust.org.uk Meanwhile it is hoped to have a preview available at our social meeting on 12th November.
some sections of the river and canals which are worst affected and most difficult to clean.” Kate Carty, Leicestershire’s Chief Crown Prosecutor and new Chair of the Leicestershire and Rutland Criminal Justice Board said: “The public response to Community Cashback in Leicestershire and Rutland has been huge and we thank everyone that took the time to either nominate projects or ‘have their say’ on which project they feel would benefit from the funding in our area. Home Secretary Alan Johnson said: “It is only right that criminals are made to payback for their crimes. The Community Cashback fund ensures some of their ill gotten gains are ploughed back into local communities. “Seizing assets deprives criminals of money, reduces the incentive for crime and promotes fairness and confidence in the criminal justice system. I’m glad so many people have got involved either by putting forward plans to improve their neighbourhoods or voting for their favourite project.”
Winding Ways Winding Ways is the newsletter of the Leicester Branch of the Inland Waterways. The next issue will be out February 2009. All contributions are welcome. Please send to: Andrew Shephard, 41 Roman Road, Birstall, Leicester, LE4 4BB or email to: andrewshephard@madasafish.com Opinions expressed in Winding Ways are not necessarily those of the Association, and the Editor reserves the right to edit or refuse to publish material submitted for inclusion.