Winter 2022 / 2023
Disclaimer:
The IWA may not agree with opinions expressed in this Newsletter but encourages publication as a matter of interest. Nothing printed herein may be construed as policy or official announcement unless stated otherwise. The IWA accepts no liability for any matter in the Newsletter
Content
From The Editor Page 2 Rugby to Wales Page 11
From The Vice Chairman Page 2 Social Diary Page 14
From The Regional Chairman Page 3 Braunston Page 17
Debate Page 5 Looking Back Page 19
Canal Cruise Page 6 Just For Fun Page 20
Essex Waterways Update Page 10 Branch Committee Page 20
From The Editor
Hoping that all members and your families are well and enjoyed the Christmas and New Year festivities. Unfortunately the cold spell and Covid may have restricted your outings and visits to the waterway.
We still need you to dig out those photographs, write that article, document those waterway memories as we would still like to increase our contributors to the next Newsletter.
Last inputs for Spring Newsletter 21/03/2023.
For those on e-mail please send your input to chelmsford.news@waterways.org.uk Those without just give me a call. 07837 576464.
From The Vice Chairman
Hello everyone. I hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year.
It was good to see so many of you at our social meetings last year and I hope that you will continue to attend these meetings.
It is a few years since we sold our boat and I sometimes feel a little out of date with life on the water. I used to enjoy talking to other boaters and reading publications like Towpath Talk which I do less and less these days. Obviously, you can still get a copy delivered to your door but since the pandemic so many publications have gone online and so many items appear in your Facebook feed but not necessarily the items you want to see. Our Branch newsletter and the IWA Head Office National newsletter are still delivered to us which provide interesting articles and features but rely on people submitting content. With this in mind I thought I would draw your attention to an event happening soon, CanalCavalcade which is celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year on the May bank holiday April 29th to May 1st, 2023. At the heart of the London canal network, it provides a spectacle of decorated boats and a packed entertainment programme. The IWA South London branch and others put a lot of hard work into arranging the event each year so do try and go along to support it if you can.
I have also been looking at the content of some websites for Towpath Talk, the IWA website and more recently the Canal and River trust web site. The content on the Canal and River Trust site covers as you would expect all the documents related to the Trust, annual accounts, fundraising, governance etc etc but it also has a vast amount of other content including blogs and podcasts on nature, health and wellbeing, managing water, boats and boating, heritage collections, details of archive documents and
From The Vice Chairman (cont) films, details of specialist teams, interviews with volunteers, walking, fishing, paddle boarding etc etc.
I found of particular interest a programme of online ‘behind the scenes’ virtual open days. These are specially for people who are not local or prefer the virtual experience and provide an opportunity to see the breadth of works taking place. Find this under Enjoy the Waterways/Events/Open Days.
Future content will include filming of works on the Grand Union Canal at Hanwell and the Grand Union Canal Leicester Line, Wolverley Lock on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal, Crofton on the Kennet & Avon Canal, the Rochdale Canal in Manchester, and at Stanley Ferry/Lock 3 on the Aire & Calder Navigation.
They are also providing some In-person open days which should be interesting if you happen to be in the area. This started in November with the replacing of gates on the Hanwell Flight and will in future cover a trip to the Stanley Ferry Workshop where I believe most of the Lock gates are made and Greenham Lock on the Kennet and Avon in February 2023.
I must say I was left feeling a great deal of admiration for the person who has put this website together and found some interesting content which is very well presented and if you have access to the internet and the inclination its worth a visit to the website. Make sure you have a cupper to hand as you could be there some time! However, this was also tinged with a slight sadness for a paper publication that I could have a quick flick through and for those amongst us who have busy lives and / or have no internet and therefore miss the opportunity to enjoy this content. A sign of changing times but at least we are saving trees!
I hope to see you all in 2023
From The Regional Chairman Rebecca LoaderTo start with, I would like to wish you and your family all the best for the New Year. I hope it will be a happy and prosperous one. In the dark days of winter, it is often difficult to remember how much we enjoy the summers cruising the Inland Waterways, but spring is not far away and once again we will be able to get out on the water. This year Janine and I hope to be able to visit some of the places lack of water last year stopped us reaching.
By now, you would have heard about the increase in membership fees. This is the first increase in ten years and I hope you will still be able to continue supporting the Association and its work. If you haven’t already done so, have you considered paying monthly by Direct Debit to spread the cost over the year? Have a word with Chesham and they can set it up. Whilst on the subject of raising money to help pay for the Association’s work, if you purchase things, on line, from Amazon and many other shops, did you know they will donate a percentage of the money you spend to the Association?
From The Regional Chairman (cont)
Have a look at the Easyfundraising website https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk. Some shops give up to 15% of your spend to the IWA!
Whilst on the subject of the internet, I wonder if you have looked at the Inland Waterways Association’s Facebook page and have seen the series of posts celebrating our successes in 2022 that were posted after Christmas? If you didn’t, you might be interested in some of the benefits the Association was celebrating. The first one looked at the waterways-focused parliamentary debate which took place in November, following a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Waterways (APPGW) for which IWA provides the secretariat. MPs put in requests for an adjournment debate on the subject of waterway funding. The debate took place on 22nd November and was a major success as the support of MPs is critical to the long-term financial position of the Canal & River Trust (CRT). Other posts looked at how our work supports local communities, improves people’s health the environment and protect the waterway heritage. If you follow the Associations Facebook page, you will finda very informative source of information on what is going on in IWA.
Whilst on the subject of working to improve the environment and our historic canal network. West London branch is working with CRT to look at how the side pound of Lock 97 on the Hanwell flight of locks, in West London, can be restored. The poor condition of the side pounds on the flight has led to them being put on the at risk register by English Heritage. The initial idea is that there will be two elements; immediate work which could be carried out by work parties from IWA members and local volunteers on regular one-day a month basis during 2023, and a larger project to be carried out by Waterway Recovery Group in 2024 in a series of canal camps. Once we complete the restoration of Lock 97, we will move on and do the same on another of the Locks. I will keep you informed of progress in setting up this collaboration with CRT. To be really successful, we will need the support of all the members in the London Region.
London Region Vacancies. We have two vacancies on the London Region Committee and need volunteers to take on these roles. We need someone to arrange our six committee meetings a year, take notes at the meetings and distribute them to the committee members. The second role is the chair of the London Region Panning Conservation Group (LRPCG). With something like 25 local authorities responsible for planning decision that affect London’s waterways across the Region, the co-ordinating role of the LRPCG helps the branches have a consistent approach to planning applications across London. We need to fill this role to protect London’s waterways. If you could spend a few hours a week helping IWA, or know someone who could help us doing either role, I would love to hear from you.
Paul Strudwick London Region Chair Paul.strudwick@waterways.org.ukParliament Debate On The Future Of UK’s Canals and Waterways
IWA welcomed the parliamentary debate on Tuesday 22nd November, which saw more than a dozen MPs speak passionately and knowledgeably about the importance of public funding for inland waterways, but was disappointed by the response from the Waterway Minister. IWA considers that Government has missed an opportunity to reassure the public that 2000 miles of waterways in England and Wales will receive sufficient funding in the future to keep them safe for the people who live, work and spend time on or near them, and to protect this important infrastructure network for future generations.
The Westminster Hall debate was opened by Michael Fabricant, MP for Lichfield and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Waterways. Michael outlined the importance of waterways to local people, the environment and the economy. He noted that with waterways more popular than ever “we are seeing their benefits realised on a grand scale, re-purposed for leisure and recreation, for health and wellbeing, for homes – and still playing a vital economic role for freight and other commercial uses, attracting visitors from across the globe whilst also enriching the lives of so many local communities.” The 90-minute debate heard about waterway projects in constituencies across the country, with many MPs mentioning the importance of the Canal & River Trust’s 2000 miles of waterways. Waterways managed by other navigation authorities were also discussed, with MPs from Norfolk, Scotland and Northern Ireland also taking part.
Issues raised during the debate included the potential for more water transfer projects, the impact of climate change on historic infrastructure, waterway restoration projects and the hard work put in by volunteers, as well as the most important issue of continued support for the waterways funded by Government.
The outcome of the review by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) of its funding for Canal & River Trust’s waterways, originally due to conclude in July and then postponed until ‘the autumn’, will be critical for the Trust’s long-term financial position, with the current grant funding contract only in place until 2027.
Rebecca Pow MP, recently re-appointed as the Defra Minister with responsibility for waterways in England and Wales, responded to the debate, but was unable to confirm any timescale for the announcement of Defra’s review into Canal & River Trust’s funding, saying only that, “… the outcomes… will be announced forthwith.”
IWA is disappointed that the Minister was unable to give a more positive response to the debate, and in particular to the question of timing for the Defra announcement. As mentioned by many of the MPs during the debate, IWA considers that it is essential for Canal & River Trust to have the certainty of knowing that it will receive sufficient funding to meet the increasing challenges of climate change and inflation, so that it can plan for the proper maintenance of its waterways and associated historic structures. IWA
Press ReleaseCanal Cruise October 2022
Nearly a year had passed since we had sold The Maggie of Leigh, after 22 years of ownership, and the prospect of a week on the Kennet and Avon looked very exciting. Our party consisted of our old friends David and Stella plus their black Lab Lottie, my wife Maggie and myself. We hired a narrowboat from Wiltshire Narrowboats, a subsidiary company of Oxfordshire Narrowboats of Lower Heyford on the South Oxford Canal. Wiltshire Narrowboats are based at Bradford on Avon, just above Bradford Lock. The boat was conventional with a newish Canaline diesel, a cruiser stern and a reverse layout. Forward were two double cabins plus bathrooms, aft of which was a kitchen and living area. The boat was described as being 66 feet long, although this probably included bow and stern fenders etc. The fridge was larger than on the Maggie, but there was a distinct shortage of cupboard space. The boat is supposed to take up to eight people, so the lack of storage for clothes for a “full house” would have been even worse.
Monday 3rd October
We arrived at Bradford at about 2pm after a 4hour drive from Essex. The afternoon was mostly hazy sunshine and mild. Bradford is a beautiful town, with lots of very old buildings. David and Stella joined us half an hour later, and we loaded up the boat, including the wheelchair, and winded within the boatyard space, leaving about 3.30 heading eastward. It was slow going because of the number of moored boats along the cut. After a mile or so, we moored before Bridge 163, near Whaddon.
During the cruise, David spotted a kingfisher. The canal was quite shallow at our mooring, and the gangplank meant that getting Lottie on and off the boat was tricky. Our homemade lasagne was still frozen, but Stella was able to provide a lamb tagine, which was very tasty. Maggie and I crashed out at about 9pm. Some rain during the evening.
Canal Cruise October 2022 (cont)
Awoke at 7.30am after a rather uncomfortable night. The duvet supplied was inadequate for this late in the year. Maggie had had the foresight to bring a rug to spread on the bed, but she was still frozen. There was occasional drizzle during the morning but later there were sunny intervals. Almost all the boats on the move were either hire boats or time shares.
We had a sandwich lunch above the five Seend Locks, and moored next to the water point at Sells Green at 1.30pm. We noted several herons together with plenty of mallards and moorhens. David, Stella and Lottie walked all the way into Devizes and back. I was knackered despite David and Stella having done most of the locks and swing bridges, and Maggie and I had a rest for an hour or so, after which I topped up the water.
We were moored partly into the allotted space for the water point, and two people told us that we couldn’t moor there, but another pointed out that there was at least room for a full-sized narrowboat to berth at the water point, and so he suggested that we should stay put. I have to say that we felt that there was a lot of hire boat snobbery about, so even people on very run down liveaboards either looked away from us or shouted that we were going too fast. In fact, the boat had sweeter lines than The Maggie, and made much less wash.
Wednesday 5th October
We left our mooring at 7.50am on an overcast morning with some sunny spells. We winded at Foxhanger, just before the start of the Devizes flight of 29 wide beam locks, and headed west. The wind gusted up to 35 knots from the southwest, and it began to drizzle. Just before Bridge 160, I noted the former junction of the Wilts & Berks Canal with the Kennet & Avon. I had often seen the other end of the Wilts & Berks at Abingdon on the Thames, and only now began to appreciate what a mammoth project the full restoration of that canal will be.
Passing by a wooden ex working boat, only afloat because of the tarpaulins underneath it, we continued to bridge 161, the last swing bridge of the day, and we stopped for lunch. During the afternoon it continued to blow hard, and there were occasional heavy showers. David and I both saw another kingfisher. Eddie from Wiltshire
Narrowboats phoned during the afternoon to warn us that the Devizes flight had been closed and would be out of action for a few days.
It was lucky that we hadn’t braved the locks as we would have been stuck above them for days. We arrived at Bradford at about 5pm, and Eddie had, by prior arrangement, shuffled up his moored day boats to give us an alongside mooring in front of the Barge Inn. David, Stella and Lottie went for a sightseeing walk, while Maggie and I went with the help of her wheelchair to the local Sainsburys for groceries. We had a very nice pub supper at the Barge and crashed out at about 9.30.
Thursday 6th October
It was sunny but quite chilly first thing. We had a very tasty, cooked breakfast, and after getting rid of the rubbish, we set off again heading west. The countryside we passed in the autumn sunshine was sublime, but we still had to steam slowly because of the moored boats. Many were in a poor state, and few appeared to be currently licenced. We passed the Avoncliff and Dundas Aqueducts and had lunch on the hoof.
We moored adjacent to Sydney Gardens, on the outskirts of Bath. Maggie and I had a wheelchair stroll across the gardens and back whilst the others went on a much longer walk. They returned a couple of hours later having had some bad news. Stella’s brother was critically ill in the Bristol Royal Infirmary. We had long discussions about the possible alternative plans for the next few days. It was decided to leave the decision until the next morning, when the position might be clearer. Thank goodness for mobile phones.
Friday 7th October
It was decided that little could be achieved by Stella leaving us and travelling to Bristol. We would therefore proceed slowly back to Bradford where our cars had been left. Accordingly, we left our mooring at 7.50am and winded just before the Bath top lock before heading east again. It had been chilly again at night and Maggie and I had been very cold in bed. It was however, a beautiful sunny day and the scenery was delightful.
Canal Cruise October 2022 (cont)
At the Dundas Aqueduct we stopped for water and lunch, but the gas oven suddenly made a peculiar noise, gave off a yellow flame and made sooty deposits inside (including on the rolls being heated for our lunch) and on the wall behind it. We called the emergency phone number, and Eddie was with us in less than 30 minutes. I took the opportunity to take some photos of the aqueduct and the start of the former Somerset Coal Canal, and the nearby Brassknocker Basin, a wonderful name.
With the cooker fixed, we set off again for Bradford, still in warm sunshine. I jumped ship as we navigated the Avoncliff Aqueduct to take a few shots, but stumbled as I got back on board, gashing my leg, but David expertly dressed my wound for me. The rain started as we approached Bradford Lock, but as on the previous day, there were CRT volunteers to help with the lock operation.
There was some confusion about where we could berth for the night, but it was decided we could stay on the hire company’s outer berth until the morning, when we would swap places with a returning boat. Ed provided a second duvet for our bed, but Maggie was still frozen that night.
Saturday 8th October
Another chilly night, but a beautiful sunny morning. Maggie and I had decided to jump ship and return home. The rest would stay on board and have a leisurely day sightseeing, before heading for Bristol on the Sunday. We loaded up the car with Maggie and my clothes and wheelchair, and then David and I carried out the berth swap as arranged. We hit the road at about 10am and were home just after 2pm. Overall, a very enjoyable cruise, marred mainly by the situation in Bristol. Maggie and I found the bed to be less comfortable than on The Maggie and we missed our old coal stove, but apart from the oven trouble, it was great to be on a boat where everything was working. Eddie of Wiltshire Narrowboats went out of his way to be helpful and to ensure that everything went smoothly for us. Maggie and I, however, should have brought more warm clothing etc. for canalling in October.
Tony WeberEssex Waterways Update
Essex Waterways had a very full programme of lock gate replacement for 2021 with work planned at three locks. The start of this was however delayed due to the late delivery of new timbers for the lock dams which required replacement to ensure their safety. The top gate replacement at Cuton Lock therefore did not commence until June when a two week closure also enabled the re-boarding of the bottom gates. This was followed by a one week closure of Barnes Lock for the replacement of the top gates there.
So as not to create a further closure on the Navigation during the summer months when there is greater use of the locks, the work at Little Baddow Lock was postponed until November. A four week closure was planned in order to replace both top and bottom gates and their cills. Unfortunately the weather at this time of the year can be unpredictable and sure enough it produced heavy rain which created flood flows on the river. These overtopped the dams on more than one occasion flooding out the lock and preventing work. Flood conditions can also un-bed the dams, requiring them to be lifted and re-installed. This can only be done when the water levels return to a suitable norm.
Our lock gates are made by the Green Oak Carpentry Company based in Hampshire and their team of carpenters come to site to fit them with our own team. The flooding of the lock during the fitting meant that the visiting carpenters had to go back to their base and return again when conditions had improved. Notwithstanding these problems our teams have to be congratulated to have completed the work within three weeks so that the lock could be reopened.
Roy ChandlerRugby to Wales
We planned to spend all of July on our boat, to cruise from Brinklow Marina, Rugby, to Llangollen, Wales. Many years ago, we cruised the Llangollen Canal on hire boats in Autumn 1995 and Spring 2000, this time it would be summer time and on our boat, and no time restrictions as such.
Our trip started a bit damp, so with John in his waterproofs we set off, later he told me he saw a kingfisher so close he could have touched it, and it didn't fly off as our boat passed, no camera of course.
Over the days the weather soon improved, we could appreciate the change in the hedgerows, now seeing Buddleia, Honeysuckle, Himalayan Balsam, Blackberry, Dog Daisy, Vetch, Cow Parsley, Deadly Nightshade, Ragworts pink pokers, and a wide assortment of yellow flowers.
Our trip took us up the Oxford Canal to Hawkesbury Junction, onto the Coventry Canal passing through Nuneaton, where water levels were lower than usual, down Atherstone Locks (11), through Polesworth, Tamworth, and meeting lots of fellow cruisers enjoying the improved weather. We seemed to follow the HS2 excavations for miles as we cruised, the heavy machinery busy moving earth, and metal framed structures being erected.
At Fradley Junction we turned right onto the Trent & Mersey Canal, ascending the locks we saw the cottage at Woodend Lock 20 was empty again, surrounded by high fencing, the private moorings above had gone and was also fenced off, all part of the HS2 route. It was here we saw a Dubenton Bat very close up, it was 4pm so still daytime (we have seen these bats before in the day time).
The trip continued, passing Armitage Shanks Factory and all those toilets!! Then Rugeley, later a stop at The Farm Shop Gt Haywood, which has a fabulous range of products. Onwards through Salt, Aston, Stone - one of our favourite spots to moor, Barlaston, then arriving at Stoke Locks (5), to queue while CRT let water down the locks, alongside is the Etruria Industrial Museum, also Shirley's 1857 Bone & Flint Mill, opened by Fred Dibnah April 1991 below the bottom lock. At the top we passed the arm on the right taking you onto the Caldon Canal, continuing straight on we avoided a sunken cruiser which straddled the canal near the Middleport Museum & Limekiln, we saw another Limekiln at Longport.
Rugby to Wales (cont)
Arriving at the south portal of the Harecastle Tunnel where we planned to moor and transit the following morning, we were lucky to be offered to go straight through by the tunnel keeper, two boats had not turned up for their booked slots. Safety talk and prep done, we entered, we had forgotten how cold it was inside, and the noise from the fans, as the door clangs shut behind us. With the dogs safely inside, we observed the profile of the tunnel change, getting smaller till we were crouching, then getting higher, before becoming lower again, you have to keep alert for your safety. Seeing the water dripping down making multicoloured mineral deposits suspended above us, then coming out of the gloom at the north portal in Kidsgrove, to bright orange canal water from the iron ore.
At Hardings Wood Junction we continued straight on, down twenty-six locks, known as Heartbreak Hill, the majority being duplicated, includes Red Bull, Lawton, and Wheelock locks. During this decent we passed through Thurlwood Locks 53 & 54, which is a very pretty area. At Hassal Green and in lock 58 you exit the lock and cruise under the busy M6 motorway, the area here is very different now as the post office, shop and pub (The Romping Donkey) have all gone.
Enjoying a short respite from locks until the approach to Middlewich, where we passed the Salt Factory with large mounds of salt looking like snow piles. Soon descending Kings Lock 71 next to the pub, we turned left for Wardle Lock and onto the Shropshire Union Canal Middlewich Branch, a lovely route with small bridges, moored boats, and willow trees. While moored for the night at Church Minshull, John saw several bats flying around our boat in the dusk.
Continuing our journey, we took a detour at Barbridge Junction by turning right onto the SUC to go to the Calveley Mill Shop, they have some lovely gifts, a range of foods and a cafe. Being a short boat, we were able to wind and return to our planned route, soon taking a right turn into Hurleston Flight (4) Locks, an onto the LLangollen Canal. With narrowboats heading down we made good time to the top.
Ascending Swanley Locks (2) then Baddiley Locks (3), through the manual lift bridge at Wrenbury, to moor straight away in the last small gap, a very popular mooring area, and boats were nose to tail all the way to the electric lift bridge, so we had made the right decision to moor where we had.
Pausing our July journal here, we will continue our trip memories in the next newsletter.
Stephanie Mason & John Greive
Social Diary
Please come and join us for our social evenings.
All Social Meetings
Start time: 7.45pm for 8.00pm
Refreshments including homemade cake Raffle
Donation for entry and refreshments
VENUE
Galleywood Heritage Centre, J16 off the A12 The Common (Off Margaretting Road)
Chelmsford
Essex CM2 8TR
Contact details
Rebecca Loader
Vice Chair and Social Secretary
rebecca.loader@waterways.org.uk 07817866392 (text preferred)
Recent social meetings before Christmas
In November John Frankland came to talk to us about the South Woodham Ferrers New Town Project.
John was part of a team from Essex County Council who developed the new town as a ‘New Riverside Country Town’. South Woodham Ferrers (population 17,500) was a pioneering planning initiative, dating from the mid-1970s.
The talk examined the project’s origins, the process of development during the town’s 20-year growth and the distinctive ‘Essex’ character that resulted.
This was a thought-provoking social history talk. What I found particularly interesting was the work that Essex County Council put in to set up the infrastructure before the housing development started. This included a large school, leisure centre and Town Centre shopping area. We did see glimpses of the River in John’s talk, but it is some way from the housing developments to allow for flood defences. On my bucket list is a visit and a walk along the river.
In December we had our usual Christmas social with buffet provided by the attendees. What an excellent buffet it was too with hardly two items the same, lots of variety. Thank you to everyone who contributed. We had mulled wine and non-mulled wine and the star of the show was as always the beautiful Christmas cake made by Stephanie Mason. I personally think it was her best yet which is why I ate two pieces, well someone had to!! My husband Bob Loader provided a quiz and some terrible jokes but bless him he is doing his best. It was a good evening, meeting with friends and having fun.
What’s next ??
Well as your social secretary I am doing my best but as I think I have mentioned before finding speakers that might interest you is difficult and there are some challenges.
Social Diary (cont)
The problems I face are
• Our geographic location. The major canal networks are midlands based and therefore speakers are often North of Watford Gap (Grand Union) and are not always willing to travel to Chelmsford.
• Post pandemic some prolific speakers have retired and no longer offer talks
• Some speakers offer ZOOM talks only this might be an option for us but I need to figure out the technology issues and make sure it is robust enough to provide a good social evening.
• We have a narrow brief - talks about Inland Waterways which can include coastal themes, boats, restoration projects, social history etc. If I was social secretary for the WI for example it could be a worthwhile charity one month, millinery the next and a trip to Japan the following month !. Much easer to fill the programme.
• Zoom talks completely on-line where members log in at home are hugely beneficial and allow other branches to join us but these often require a payment and then we have nothing to offset the cost i.e. donations and raffle. It also does not suit those who do not use the internet and does not provide a social evening which we all enjoy. When we hosted these talks during lockdowns it was good to be in touch with others across the IWA network but very few Chelmsford members attended.
• Speaker fees / expenses have gone up inflation petrol etc. We are a small branch, and we have to balance the books our income is Donations on the door, raffle, refreshment donations. Our expenses are Hall fees, speaker fees. I should at this stage say that Chris Chandler provides most of the raffle prizes and the other committee members provide raffle prizes too and seldom claim expenses. Thank you to Chris and the other committee members. Please if you have any unwanted gifts bring them to the next social meeting so we can use these for future raffles. Thank you.
• We would often have a branch member prepared to do a talk about their holidays. Paul Chapman gave a talk about Beeleigh Mill. Roy Chandler and Navigation Managers have provided talks several times about the C&BN. Many of you will remember Richard Thomas, Tim Whitelock, Tim Lewis and others doing several talks but sadly we have exhausted their catalogue. Steve Morley gave talks about WRG camps. Dennis Padfield (sadly deceased) provided many talks and many many others over the years. These talks were usually provided for free with a small donation of a bottle of wine / some expenses and allowed us to finance more expensive speakers on other months.
• Data Protection - it’s now so much harder to find a speaker’s details. I am often asked by other social secretaries to give them speakers information which I do after seeking permission from the speakers. However few others reciprocate this favour including other IWA branches which is disappointing to say the least.
• Many of our members never attend social meetings so we need more attendees to offset the costs. Please encourage others to come and bring your friends.
Social Diary (cont)
Am I defeated. NO but can you help? YOUR SOCIAL SECRETARY NEEDS YOU!!
I am thinking of running a members evening in October 2023 when several of you share a few photographs these can be
• A canal holiday recent or just one you enjoyed
• Canoeing, paddle boarding, wild water swimming, fishing, walking tow paths or any other waterbased activity that you enjoy or have enjoyed.
• Pictures of your boat before or after any work or just pictures of your boat past or present.
• Volunteering on the waterways, crewing the trip boats, collecting litter, helping with tow path maintenance whatever.
• Anything else you want to share.
If you can let me have these with a few notes, we can set up a presentation. If you would like to talk through your slides yourself that would be great. If you don’t feel comfortable with this, I can do the talking for you but remember you are amongst friends and it’s about sharing your memories not about being a professional speaker.
Ideally, I would like 4 to 6 people to participate with this. Please email me if you can help
Rebecca Loader Vice Chair and Social Secretary IWA Chelmsford Branchrebecca.loader@waterways.org.uk
Social Diary (cont)
The rest of this year
Thursday 9th February 2023
Adrian Wright
Why do Rivers Flood?' with English examples including Lynmouth in 1952
Thursday 9th March 2023
AGM followed by Anglian Water – Water quality, environmental management and water recycling to be confirmed.
If this is not possible a short talk by Rebecca Loader on a recently visited derelict waterway with an inspiring history.
Thursday 13th April 2023 and Thursday 11th May 2023
I am currently finalising arrangements with two speakers
Neil Frost and William Marriage - The work of the Chelmer Canal Trust – Work parties, volunteers, keeping pennywort under control etc.
And the second is Colin Trowles who is the owner of the Sir William Arnold Lifeboat which served at St Peter Port Guernsey. Now moored at Heybridge Basin Colin will tell us more about the lifeboat.
One talk will be April and the other in May.
Braunston June 2022
Rebecca Loader Social SecretaryIt was good to be back at Braunston Marina for their 18th Historic Narrowboat Rally & Canal Festival. We travelled there from Brinklow where we had spent the night on our boat. The festival is free but there is a charge for the car park which is to raise funds in aid of canal and local charities. John had our puppy Cleo on a lead, and I had our elderly dog Ant in his trolley (we do get him out for short walks), and we headed down through the marina to the canal boat cafe for a coffee and bacon bap.
Then it was time for a wander around the stalls and canal society stands in the marina areas, making some purchases, and resisting anymore paintings which was hard as there were some amazing pictures, including canal scenes and animals, but we have no more spare walls at home! I couldn't resist a narrowboat planter though, made of wood, and painted the same colour as our boat, it even had some begonias in it, say no more.
We headed back to the canal side, for the start of the boat parade at eleven. The first boat was Narrowboat Nutfield leading the opening of the show with Timothy West on board with the crew alongside, following was Narrowboat Raymond with Prunella Scales seated in the open hold with her companions, and waving at the crowds of onlookers as she passed.
We lost count of the many historic narrowboats which passed in the parade, and the fun they had with the congestion from the comings, goings and moored boats along the cut.
It was great to see all these lovely boats again, and the care and dedication owners take in keeping this history alive. It is hard to choose a favourite boat, they are all individual, we just admire them all. We did spot Pete Waterman on Steamboat Adamant in the convoy of boats. The morning parade took so long it was almost time to start the afternoon run. We did have a giggle when we saw the busy volunteers Hi-Vis jackets, the wording on their backs read 'SAFTEY STEWARD' someone obviously made a typo!
After a late lunch, we looked at some of the stalls we had missed, and then headed back to Brinklow and another night on our boat.
It had been a good day, and great to see the crowds returning to see the fabulous boats here.
Stephanie Mason & John GrieveLooking Back
An early IWA Chelmsford Branch work party on the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation at Springfield Lock.
The work was to re-cover the exposed brick arch deck on the bridge to protect it from frost and erosion. Volunteers from left to right:
Molly Beard, Chris Coppin, Jeff Osler, Paul Strudwick, Charlie Stock and Roy Chandler. Was this our first work party? What was the date? Does anyone know?
Just For Fun
Fill in the grid so that each row, column and 3 x 3 block contains the numbers one to nine (1 - 9)
Branch Committee
If you have any topics or subject that you wish to bring to the committees attention please use the contact details below
Molly Beard: Chairman molly.beard@waterways.org.uk
Rebecca Loader Vice Chair & Social Secretary rebecca.loader@waterways.org.uk
Philip Cervini Treasurer. philip.cervini@waterways.org.uk.
Paul Strudwick: London Region Chairman. paul.strudwick@waterways.org.uk
Chris Chandler: Secretary. chris.chandler@waterways.org.uk
Roy Chandler: Planning and Conservation. roy.chandler@waterways.org.uk
John Carlaw: Newsletter and Membership. chelmsford.news@waterways.org.uk john.carlaw@waterways.org.uk
Stephanie Mason: Refreshments. None
Kirsten Smith: Youth. None
Adam Wyllie: Branch Web Editor. Adam.wyllie@waterways.org.uk
IWA Chelmsford Web Address http://www.waterways.org.uk/chelmsford