East Yorkshire Branch
WOLDS WATERS The newsletter of the East Yorkshire Branch
April 2017
Riverhead, Driffield
From the editor Cover Picture Sorry for repeating a photograph of the Driffield Navigation but as this newsletter includes an article about the Navigation as an important anniversary approaches I felt it was appropriate. Details of events on the Pocklington Canal are also included as well as Beverley Beck for – Litter, litter everywhere and – who will pick it up? For some years the members of the East Yorkshire branch of IWA have joined forces with members of the Beverley Beck Boating Association to clear litter from the banks and the water of the beck (with BBBA providing the crews for the waterborne collection). Do join in the collection at 11.00am on Sunday, 23rd April. Litter bags provided! As always following the AGM details of the meeting and a list of committee members is included. It is good to have raised sufficient funds to be able to give financial support to two local waterway projects. Sadly one of our older members died recently. Sheila Nix was a member of the branch committee for many years and found speakers and subjects for our monthly social meetings. An appreciation of her work for IWA and PCAS (Pocklington Canal Amenity Association) is included, Following on from this. We have had some really interesting speakers over recent months and though attendance has been fairly good it would be pleasing to have 30+ attending (numbers not age!). Inviting speakers to travel to Cottingham from further away does need an ability to pay expenses and, over a full year, our social meetings must not be a drain on our funds available to support local waterways. Why not join us? 2
List of Officers and Committee Members After the Annual General Meeting on Friday March 17th 2017 the following members were still willing to retain their positions on the Branch Committee Chairman: Mr R Bromley, 40 The Dales, Castle Park, Cottingham HU16 5JS Phone: 01482 845099 E-mail: roger@roger.karoo.co.uk Deputy/Social Chairman: Mr P Waddington,Church House,Main Street, Hemingborough, Selby,North Yorkshire, YO8 6QE Phone: 01757 638027 Email: paul@gooleboathouse.co.uk Treasurer: Mr J Wootton, 1 Castle Row, Brayton, North Yorkshire YO8 9TB Phone: 07840984840 E-mail: jackwootton22@hotmail.com Secretary: Mrs C Stones, 41, Keswick Gardens, Inglemire Lane, Hull HU6 8TB Phone: 01482 875894 E-mail:chris@stones45.karoo.co.uk Membership Secretary: Mr D.M Stones, 41, Keswick Gardens, Inglemire Lane, Hull HU6 8TB Phone: 01482 875894 E-mail: dave@stones45.karoo.co.uk Publicity Officer/Programmes: Mr R Bromley (see Chairman’s address) Planning Officer: Mr I Campbell, 286 Hull Bridge Road,Tickton, Beverley, HU17 9RT Phone: 01482 871282 E-mail: iain@campbev.wanadoo.co.uk Web Manager: Mr A Anderson, 14 George Lane, Walkington, Beverley HU17 8XX, Phone: 01482 801825 E-mail: Alistair.Anderson@pcas.karoo.co.uk The other Committee Members are:Mr D Hamilton, Barn Garth, North Back Lane, Kilham, YO25 4SD Phone: 01262 420271 E-mail: dhamil2829@aol.com Mr. H. Anguish, 2, Broadley Croft, Brough, HU15 1TD, Phone: 01482 669876, E-mail: hang@hang.karoo.co.uk Mr B. Robins, 90 Carr Lane, Willerby, HU10 6JU Phone:01482 658254 E-mail: bandrrobins@gmail.com
3
From the Branch Annual General Meeting Chairman’s report for 2016 presented to the Branch AGM Friday 17th March 2017 It is with regret we announce the death of Sheila Nix MBE who died at the end of 2016. Sheila was a member of the IWA for 50 years and played a large part in this branch for much of that time. BRANCH COMMITTEE Our regular committee meetings continue to be well attended and my thanks go to our committee members. We have committee members who enable us to keep abreast with all the waterways in our region as they also represent in various capacities PCAS, BBPS and the Driffield Navigation. As well as our branch meetings, there are at least two Region meetings each year where we meet members from North Riding, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire & Dukeries branches. EVENTS We have again been out and about with our branch stall and have been present at Goole, the Pocklington Canal and Beverley Beck. This year we hope to repeat that and also get to Driffield. Much is happening now on our local waterways so please watch your newsletter or information. FINANCE Our treasurer reports a healthy balance sheet! Income is mainly from our stall outings, with our social meetings about breaking even. We are again in a position to make some small grants to local worthwhile waterway causes. MEMBERSHIP Membership levels remain much the same. More members would be welcome so if you know of anybody……..? 4
SOCIAL MEETINGS I’m sure I’ve asked before for suggestions for speakers and one or two of our members have made suggestions for which I am grateful. Attendance remains steady but we would always like more. Remember non-members are also welcomed. Details of forthcoming events can be found on the website at https://www.waterways.org.uk/east_yorkshire/east_yorkshire WOLDS WATERS Barry Robins continues to be our editor and present an excellent magazine. If you have any articles or news you may wish to contribute, please contact Barry (details in the magazine or on the website) VOLUNTEERS There are a few ways of volunteering for your branch. Help on the stall, litter pick at Beverley (April 23rd 11.00am this year) join us on a Balsam Bash at the Pocklington Canal or join our friendly committee. We need to look to the future to keep the branch running. Some branches are now beginning to struggle, help us make sure this is not one of them. Finally I would like to thank Peter Scott, our region chairman, who gives so much support throughout the year and for being our guest speaker once again tonight. Roger Bromley Branch Chairman -0-0-0-0-0-0-
Finance At the AGM our treasurer, Jack Wootton, was able to report a healthy balance of over £2400 and mentioned that there had been requests from some local waterway groups for grants. At the meeting of the Branch committee on 21st March it was agreed that a grant of £500 be given to Beverley Barge Preservation Society towards the cost of having a lift installed on ‘Sun’ and £500 to DNAA towards the cost of providing 60 mooring points. 5
Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on Friday 17th March 2017 At Cottingham Methodist Church, 8p.m. Present: Roger Bromley (Chairman), Jack Wootton (Treasurer), plus 17 members including Peter Scott (Regional Chairman) and Elaine Scott. Apologies: Chris & Dave Stones, Jenny Burns Minutes of previous meeting (Friday 18th March 2016): These had been circulated before the meeting and were accepted as a true record. Report of the Chairman: The report was accepted unanimously. Report of the Secretary: The report was accepted unanimously Report of the Treasurer and presentation of the accounts for 2016. Jack Wootton went through the 2016 accounts which had been circulated to all attendees. A surplus for 2016 of £396.29 was shown making the current balance at the year end, £2411.62. The Treasurer took the opportunity of absorbing the pre-payment of the meeting hall into the 2016 accounts, making for a clearer statement of the accounts. The report was accepted by all. Election of Committee Members. Jack Wootton, Howard Anguish and Dave Stones were all due to retire and had offered themselves for re- election. No other members had put their name forward for the committee and all three retiring members were re elected en bloc. A.O.B: None. Date of Next Meeting: Friday March 16th 2018 The Chairman closed the meeting at 8.18p.m. Address of Region Chairman: Peter Scott gave a short talk about IWA matters after the closure of the AGM. --0-0-0-0-0-
GREAT NEWS It has just been announced by IWA that PCAS are to be awarded £106,400 from the Tony Harrison bequest. ‘ The Pocklington Canal Amenity Society receive £106,400 of the total as part of their Bicentenary appeal marking 200 years since the canal was opened. The project will restore two locks and carry out dredging to extend the navigable canal by 2 miles by 2018. ‘
6
Canal enthusiasts are pushing the boat out to celebrate the 250th anniversary of an East Yorkshire waterway. A two-day waterways festival will mark the momentous occasion for the 11-mile Driffield Canal on Saturday and Sunday, July 1 and 2. It is one of the oldest navigations in the country, dating from the first Act of Parliament in 1767, and opened to boat traffic in 1770. The canal was built to establish important trade links between the market town of Driffield and Hull, and the wider network of Humber waterways. The celebration is being organised by Driffield Navigation Trust, which manages the canal, and Driffield Navigation Amenities Association, which raises funds and does voluntary work. It will be centred around the canal basin at Riverhead, in the town, and include a gala dinner dance for 250 people in a marquee on the Saturday evening. There will be a full programme of events, food, and a bar throughout the weekend. David Hamilton, trust chairman, said: “We couldn't let such an important landmark in the history of the canal pass without celebrating it in some way. “Members of both organisations have been very enthusiastic about holding an event at Riverhead, and plans are now in place for an excellent weekend. “We very much hope that residents of Driffield and the wider East Yorkshire area, and the boating community, will support the event. “Driffield Town Council has given a £5,000 grant towards the cost of putting on the festival, and we will also have use of the historic Mortimer's canal-side warehouse.” The organisers are keen to have as many boats as possible moored in the canal basin for the weekend, including their own trip boats which will operate between Riverhead and Town Lock. Smaller boats on trailers, dinghies and canoes, can be launched at Riverhead, and a crane will be provided to lift in bigger boats, by prior arrangement. People coming by larger river craft can sail as far as Wansford, but no further due to the low fixed road bridge. They can tie-up for the weekend at moorings outside The Trout Inn, in the village. 7
Mr Hamilton said: “We will be able to provide transport to the festival for those who are moored at Wansford. It is only about two miles away, and there is a canal-side walk into Driffield. “The whole event is a celebration of the 250 years of the canal, and we are appealing for anyone who has any old artefacts to loan them for an exhibition in the warehouse. “It will be the first time it has been open to the public, and the trust has long-term plans for it as part of the regeneration of Riverhead, thanks to the generosity of the owners.” Driffield Canal is growing in popularity among leisure boaters and enthusiasts believe making it fully navigable again will boost the local and East Yorkshire economy. Most locks and bridges have been fully restored, but the main sticking point is the road bridge at Wansford. The DNAA has launched a fund for the replacement of the bridge with an opening structure. For more information contact Mr Hamilton on 01262 420271 or 07721913401. For dinner dance tickets and boat lifting contact DNT vice-chairman John Scholey on 07753817957.
8
Pocklington Canal News PCAS restoration project Volunteers have completed repairs to the brickwork and the original bywash for the lock and the main task remaining is to finish lowering the bywash inlet on the upper wing wall. This should reduce the risk of flooding of surrounding land under storm conditions.
New gates for Thornton Lock The gates for the lock are being built at the Stanley Ferry workshops of the Canal & River Trust, at Wakefield. At the end of March a group of PCAS committee members and working party volunteers visited the workshops to see our gates being built from English Oak and metal fabrication work being carried out at this site. We are very grateful to CRT for the opportunity. The upper and lower gates are nearing completion and CRT will install both sets of gates and new cills at Thornton Lock after Easter. Traditional wheel-operated paddle gear is being reinstated at restored locks on the Pocklington Canal. This is being manufactured by Hargreaves Lock Gates at Sowerby Bridge.
9
Fundraising It was not possible to take the New Horizons trip boat to Goole for winter maintenance because of the extended closure of Barmby Lock for refurbishment, which had been held over from the previous year. Minor work was carried out and boat trips resumed on the first Sunday in April. As before, short trips will be available each Sunday and Bank Holiday and children are welcome to steer the boat under supervision. Longer trips can be booked at other times. The PCAS Information Centre has been refurbished and is now focusing on selling the growing range of PCAS merchandise, recruiting new members and volunteers, and providing information about the canal. Canal & River Trust’s Lottery-funded project Lizzie Dealey has put together a varied programme of events and opportunities for volunteering at the canal during the summer months. Events include archaeological digs, a variety of wildlife events and angling. Some events will be held jointly with PCAS and those that come to the PCAS Spring Fete can have a go at weaving a willow basket. Most of these events require prior booking and links can be found on the PCAS website. Extensive dredging of part of the non-navigable canal has been carried out to improve habitats. This included part of the length currently being restored for navigation by PCAS. Alistair Anderson 10
Sheila Nix MBE 1921 – 2016 I first met Sheila in the early 1970s while walking a group of junior youth club members along the towpath of the Pocklington Canal one early summer Saturday afternoon. We noticed all this activity in a field alongside the canal and this lady walked across to greet us from one of the PCAS fund-raising events. The walk was a follow up from a talk about canals given by the late George Parkes and between them they got me hooked. I wonder what would have happened if Sheila had not come to talk to us? It would not have been Sheila to ignore us. I have much to thank her for, her enthusiasm was infectious. Over the years Sheila gave so much of her time and energy to the waterways, particularly her beloved Pocklington Canal. She also served for many years on the North Humberside, soon to become East Yorkshire, Inland Waterways Association branch where for some years she organised the speakers for our social meetings, and also on the North East region committee. I always admire those involved in canal restoration for their patience, perseverance and ability to overcome setbacks of which there seem to be more than enough. Sheila was one of those stalwarts and richly deserved the recognition that the award of an MBE demonstrated. Perhaps our response, as part of her legacy, is to support PCAS as much as we are able. Barry Robins. There is a fuller appreciation of Sheila’s life and a wonderful photograph of her in the PCAS magazine which can be viewed on the website.
11
PROGRAMME April to October 2017 Branch social meetings and other local events Venue (unless stated otherwise) Cottingham Methodist Church Hall, Hallgate, Cottingham HU16 4BD 8.00-10.00 pm. Use entrance down side of church. 2nd April
Canal trips from Melbourne on Sundays and Bank Holidays
21st April
North East Waterways by John Pomfret
23rd April
11.00am Litter Pick on Beverley Beck (with BBBA)
19th May
Coast and Water Courses in Western Australia- Andrew Brett
21st May
PCAS Spring Fete, Melbourne
23rd June
Day Outing on ‘Waterstart’ Starting from Goole at 10.00am Booking through Roger Bromley essential
1st / 2nd July
Gala Weekend Riverhead, Driffield
29th/30th July
Folksail Weekend at Goole
For more information about the Inland Waterways Association use the website www.waterways.org.uk or contact Barry Robins on 01482 658254 or 07885941983. For more information on the above meetings contact Roger Bromley on 01482 845099. The Branch email address is roger.bromley@waterways.org.uk This newsletter is edited by Barry Robins, 90 Carr Lane, Willerby, Hull HU10 6JU. bandrrobins@gmail.com Note: The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the Association and should not be construed as such unless so stated.
12