Museum Matters - January 2021 by Friends of the Canal Museum

MUSEUM MATTERS January 2021

Newsletter of The Friends of The Canal Museum, Stoke Bruerne

Chairman's Jottings Lynda Payton

Well, what a challenging year 2020 was. recordings of our meetings for minuting With constant rule changes to combat purposes has been a definite advantage, Covid 19 we have had to adapt, improvise especially as we've not had a Minutes and do our best to ensure our charity Secretary for some time! We even continued to be able to achieve our aims and support the Canal Museum as best we can. The commitment and level of enthusiasm of our Trustees and more active members never wavered ensuring we were able to respond positively to all the difficulties we faced, especially when the hard decision was taken to cancel our main fundraising event, Village at War. A not inconsiderable task undertaken by our organising team, many of them in selfisolation themselves due to being in at risk Lynda Payton, John Solomons and Alex De Leie on the 1st floor of the Museum after groups, in contacting all our artists, reremoving exhibits for storage (Photo: LS) enactors traders and partners. While it proved impossible for us to fundraise, Tim Coghlan came to our rescue with a mastered new skills to be able to completely unexpected donation - thank successfully hold our AGM and an Auction you Tim, you are a star! (See page 4). on-line. Even the most technically challenged of us managed to move online for Trustee Meetings and we wondered if this isn't a better way forward for the future, especially during the dark cold winter evenings when none of us are keen to venture out. Having

In this Issue Chairman's Jottings Sculptor update Braunston Marina generosity FoCM News Images around Stoke Bruerne

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The good news is, by the time you are reading this, the vaccination programme should be rolling out, work should already have started on the Museum revamp, the new Stage 1 interpretation plan should taking shape and a funding bid for Stage 2 development should be well underway. Hopefully, we can look forward to an exciting new start to 2021 with the Museum scheduled to re-open at the end of March. That is, if everything goes to plan. Something we have learnt not to rely on too much in these current times.

Cover picture: The 1st floor of the Museum after the cabinets had been removed, to facilitate building work, showing just how much space there is. (Photo LS) ÂŠ The Friends of The Canal Museum Registered Charity No 1121146

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Sculptor Update Kathryn Dodington There's very little to report on Sculptor sadly, the COVID-19 restrictions and the wet latter part of the autumn put paid to any plans we had for continuing the painting of the gunnels and cants. However we do keep and eye on her daily and with the cloths on and new cloth strings in place she has taken almost no water at all this winter. Keeping an eye on her has been hugley important as we have had water

Halloween Halloween, this year was obviously going to be a muted affair so The Friends Trustees decided to support an initiative in the village and carve some pumpkins for display outside the museum coupled with some internal decoration of the museum to form part of the village 'Pumpkin Trail'. We were helped by the Pumpkin carvers (of varying degrees of expertise) in the form of Stephanie Furniss, Terry Morley, Lynda Payton, Louise Stockwin, Helen Westlake and Kathryn Dodington.

It was a very pleasant, socially distanced (as is required these days) event in the museum. The photo doesn't include Steph who The high water level outside the cottages on the evening produced her masterpiece of 23rd December (Photo: KD) at home whilst looking after her daughters Eliza and levels up to towpath level and down Olivia, and Louise who took the photos. between Christmas and New Year by about 10 inches. The water level came up very quickly - probably over a period of 2 or 3 hours and equally went down quickly overnight as the water was let down the flight. Likewise the water level dropped quickly again between Christmas and New Year owing to a leak just south of the railway bridge in Blisworth. All of this required constant adjustment of Sculptor's mooring lines. ÂŠ The Friends of The Canal Museum Registered Charity No 1121146

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Braunston Marina generosity Kathryn Dodington Over the past 12 or so years Braunston Marina, in the guise of FoCM member and owner of the marina, Tim Coghlan, has kindly given £1,000 to The Friends, to be used for ongoing maintenance of Sculptor. With the cancellation of the Braunston Historic Weekend this year due to COVID-19 we fully expected not to receive this generous donation. However, we were delighted to receive an email from Tim in October to say he wished to continue with his support of The Friends and at the same time, The Narrow Boat Trust and The Friends of Raymond. With the Narrow Boat Trust motor Nuneaton under maintenance, Nutfield (FoR) and Brighton (NBT) undertook the annual coal delivery to the Thames and River Wey. This meant that one boat from each charity would be in Stoke Bruerne at the same time, so we were able to arrange for Tim to come and present his very generous donations to each of the charities in October and, at the same time, we were able to enjoy a pleasant lunch together in the Boat Inn.

Membership Please remember to renew your membership for 2020 if you haven't already done so. You will make all the difference to our work. as a charity. Memberships are due in April-2021.

MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTIONS Individuals

£15

Joint members/families £20 Joint members (over 60) £15 Family membership £20 Concessionary rate * £10 Paper copy of Newsletter £9 Life membership £250 Corporate Membership £50 * Students and those over 60 You can pay your subscription by way of BACS. The information you need is: PAYEE A/C NO. 76021629 SORT CODE: 55 70 06 Please use reference SUBS:Your Name Nutfield, Brighton and Sculptor outside the Museum for the cheque presentation. L to R - Nick Lake (FoR), Kirk Martin and Alison Cannon (NBT), Rob Westlake (Sculptor Team), Tim Coghlan (Braunston Marina), Roger Goulder (FoR), Lynda Payton (FoCM), Louise Stockwin (Canal Museum) and Steve Bagley (Canal & River Trust) (Photo: KD)

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FoCM News Finance

FoCM Volunteer Award

There has been very little change to our finances of late, however you will be aware that Paul Lynam has resigned as a Trustee. We are delighted to say that Laura Sturrock will look after our finances once the trading company, which we no longer require, has been disolved. Meanwhile Paul Lynam has kindly agreed to carry on until the handover to Laura is complete

In the recent past The Friends have presented a volunteer of the Year award but it fell into abeyence for various reasons. We were delighted to reinstigate it recently and present member Tim Coghlan with the award for his unstinting and hugely generous support for Sculptor over many years.

AGM 2020 Our AGM went ahead as expected but on line. It was very successful and an on-line auction raised ÂŁ255 for The Friends. The trustees are listed on page 8 but, as always, we would welcome new blood to help us run the charity. Please contact Lynda Payton, in the first instance, if you could step forward and help us.

Museum Update The Museum is now closed and looking a bit forlorn inside in preparation for the works which we understand will start on Monday 18th January, hopefully to b completed in time for an Easter reopening. This is phase 1 with phase 2 yet to be approved and HLF funding explored.

Lynda Payton presenting Tim Coghlan with The Friends 'Volunteer of the year' award in the Boat Inn (Photo: LS)

The new top cloth strings for Sculptor which the team made themselves from 100m of line (Photo: KD) ÂŠ The Friends of The Canal Museum Registered Charity No 1121146

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Images from around Stoke Bruerne

Adrian Honeybill and Steve Wright clothing up Sculptor prior to the winter (Photo: KD)

The Historic Narrow Boat Club Hemelryk Award for best restored narrow boat to the owner of Canis Major was presented, in the Museum, in August. L to R Dave Linney, John Harmon (previous owner of Canis Major and FoCM member), Dawn Tigwell (owner of Canis Major), David Daines (HNBC Awards Officer and FoCM Member) and Louise Stockwin (Canal Museum) (Photo: KD) ÂŠ The Friends of The Canal Museum Registered Charity No 1121146

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Images from around Stoke Bruerne

The 'Team Museum' pumpkins ready for Halloween (Photo: LS)

The 103-year-old barge Louise in Stoke Bruerne Top Lock after having helped with the 1st repair to the Boathorse Road (Photo: KD) ÂŠ The Friends of The Canal Museum Registered Charity No 1121146

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FoCM Council Chairman - Lynda Payton (chairman@friendsofcanalmuseum.org.uk) Vice-Chairman - Lorna York Treasurer - Paul Lynam (treasurer@friendsofcanalmuseum.org.uk) (Paul is no longer a Trustee) Membership Secretary Chris Durham (membership@friendsofcanalmuseum.org.uk) Publicity, Grant Funding & Awards - Lynda Payton Website - Trevor Allum Minutes Secretary - Vacant Newsletter - Kathryn Dodington(editor@friendsofcanalmuseum.org.uk) Governance - Laura Sturrock Other - Museum Manager (ex-officio seat)

Photographic Credits KD Kathryn Dodington FoCM LS Louise Stockwin CRT

Water rushing off the Boathorse Road after a cloudburst on 23rd December only days after similar damage had been repaired by CRT and the Adoption Group (Photo: KD) ÂŠ The Friends of The Canal Museum Registered Charity No 1121146