BEAR ESSENTIALS The Newsletter of : -
IWA Warwickshire Branch Issue No. 42 – April 2015.
IWAlk for WRG.
We all walked for WRG.
Some of you may remember that nd Sunday February 22 was not the best of days weather-wise, but I’m sure that 5 of our branch members in particular will never forget it. As you will see to the right Colin, Jane, Pat, Nick and Alpha all undertook a sponsored 8 mile walk on that day, to help raise funds for WRG to purchase two new vans. The route took in the Grand Union and Stratford canal towpaths, and a series of lanes and footpaths around Lapworth, Rowington and Packwood. When planned, the hope was to raise at least £1,000 towards the £50,000 needed to purchase the two vans. On the day, and despite the weather, some 36 walkers including our National Chairman Les Etheridge and his wife Anne raised some £2,500. Of this total, our intrepid branch members contributed several hundred pounds, including an impressive £248 from Alpha – equating to £62 per paw! Thirteen branch members helped with the organisation – including the marshalling.
Photos by Richard Sanders
However, perhaps unsurprisingly, the largest group of participants came from the wrgies themselves. And most of them, as here on the right, were not just content to do one lap of the 8 mile course – but four! Yes, your maths is correct, that adds up to 32 miles in the day - but some of them had the audacity to ‘cheat’…..They jogged ! Who said “oh to be young again” ! Young or old(er), they all deserve all our thanks and appreciation.
For once, our front page is not dominated by hi-viz – but the mud and the smiles are still there. This has prompted me to wonder again what it is about walking or working alongside our waterways that seems to put these smiles on our faces. I’ve read my thesaurus from cover to cover and still can’t find the single word that sums up the good feelings that we all seem to get from these activities. Nevertheless, in what is the diametric opposite of a health warning, I urge you all to read on about our branch committee’s plans to keep these smiles on our faces with our summer programme of walk and work activities. However, in doing so, please note Richard’s metaphorical ‘health warning’ on page 2. Editor.
Ian Fletcher.
Photo by WRG
Branch Committee 2015-16. Following the election of members to the committee at the AGM, and the subsequent meeting of the committee to elect its officers; the Branch Committee now comprises:Chairman: Treasurer: Branch Secretary: Minutes Secretary: Committee Members:
Richard Sanders. Ian Jackson. Greta Russell. Muriel Richardson. Carole Nicholson. Anthony Davies.
If you would like more information about becoming a committee member, or to assist the Branch in a noncommittee role; e-mail: warwickshire@waterways.org.uk or phone the Branch Secretary on 02476 442701. Roles currently vacant are:- Programme Secretary, Walks Co-ordinator and Publicity Officer.
Our Spring/Summer Programme of Activities. Unless otherwise stated all evening events take place at:
Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Coventry, CV8 3FL All evening meetings start at 7:30 pm. Wednesday, April 8th 2015: Conserving Waterways Heritage. By Nigel Crowe, Heritage Manager at CRT. With more listed structures than miles of canal in its ownership, CRT is rd responsible for the 3 largest such estate in England and Wales [after the National Trust, and The Church of England]. Nigel will tell us about some of these ‘gems’ and the problems of balancing their conservation with present day use and future developments.
Saturday, April 11th 2015: Branch work party at Marlcliff on the Avon For details of what is planned, please see the article on page 3. For times & travel arrangements please e-mail: info.warwickshire@waterways.org.uk
Sunday, April 19th 2015: A walk in Golden Valley Thames & Severn. Meet at 10:00am at The Daneway Inn, GL7 6LN Grid Ref: SO:034939 – for a ‘car-shuffle’ prior to a one-way walk to Chalford. We will be joined on this walk by members of IWA Gloucester & Hereford Branch. After lunch at The New Red Lion Inn in Chalford, G&H Branch members invite us to join them to visit ‘Stage 1A’ lock restorations between Bowbridge and Ham Mill.
Wednesday, May 13th 2015:
Joeys, Joshers and James. A Birmingham Canals Miscellany
Please note this to our Notechange this change to programme! our programme
by Phillip Clayton
Phil is a Vice-President, and former Chairman of the BCNS, and has been editor of ‘Boundary Post’. His talk will cover the beginning, the growth and the decline of the BCN in its working years, and the work of the BCNS in its latter day revival.
Sunday, May 17th 2015: A walk around Chasewater. Meet at 10:30am at Chasewater Visitor Centre car park. Post Code: WS8 7NL Grid Ref: SK:037071, for an easy 1½ hour stroll around the reservoir.
Wednesday, June 10th 2015: A Walk at Bascote Locks. Meet at 7:30pm at Welsh Road Lock parking area. Grid Ref: SP:385640. For a circular walk of no more than 2 hours.
Saturday & Sunday July 4th- 5th 2015: Stratford River Festival. Although not as high-profile as last year; the Branch’s presence at this year’s Festival will be bigger than in previous years. If you can spare time to help out, please email info.warwickshire@waterways.org.uk th
Wednesday, July 8 2015: Saltisford Canal Arm Tour and Barbecue. Meet at 7:30am at Saltisford Canal Trust Centre, Budbrooke Rd. Warwick. Post Code: CV34 5RJ. For our final monthly gathering of ‘the season’.
Sunday, July 12th 2015: Balsam Bash, Myton Fields, Warwick. Meet at 10:00am at Myton Fields, Myton Rd. Warwick (opposite Warwick School) for an interesting and worthwhile morning activity for all the family, It is part of an IWA national initiative - see page 4 for further information.
Additional Work Party info.* st
CRT-WM Towpath task-force. A) 1 Mon & Wed of each month - Hatton. rd B) 3 Thurs & Sat of each month - Lapworth. nd C) 2 Thurs & Fri of each month - Stratford. *Note: For the most up-to-date information on Branch work-parties (and all other Branch activities) see our Branch page on the IWA web-site. << www.waterways.org.uk/warwickshire >>
Bear in Mind: (Chairman’s Notes) For those who didn’t attend our recent AGM I will use this column to précis some of the items that I covered in my chairman’s report. We always knew that 2014 was going to be ‘a big one’ for IWA in general, but for our branch in particular – and so it was. As usual we held an interesting, varied, and well-attended series of talks, work-parties and social events throughout last year - the highlight of which in 2014 was the Stratford River Festival. However, because of its national importance last year we undertook extra work, peripheral to the festival itself including refurbishment of the Kingswood Junction finger-post and the Robert Aickman Memorial lock on the Avon at Harvington. Looking forward to this summer’s tasks, we will continue with our work on the offside path at Hatton, and with our support for CRTWM’s Lapworth and Hatton workparties. As you will read elsewhere in this edition we also intend to return to the Avon in April to repaint Marlcliff lock. As for the last several years we will again have a presence at the Stratford River Festival. Obviously our profile will not be as high there this year as last, but it will certainly be bigger than in other previous years, and a larger marquee will need more manning – so your help in this task will be even more necessary and appreciated. This brings me to my final point, and one of growing concern. We have produced many interesting, varied and well-attended events; we have a good reputation and profile, and we definitely ‘punch above our weight’. Look again at page one, and the size of our committee. We cannot continue to provide what you’ve come to expect from us with so few active members. In addition, I do not intend to serve as your chairman beyond March 2016. Frankly we need more committee members. As Lord Kitchener would have said “Your committee needs you!” Richard Sanders.
Bear-faced Lines: Leamington Clean-Up: st
On Sunday March 1 we carried out another clean-up on the G.U. in Leamington - between St. Mary’s Road and Tachbrook Road bridges. Our team of branch members was augmented by students from Warwick University, St Mary’s Road residents and ‘Love Leamington’ members. As usual, CRT provided invaluable support through its Volunteer Leader, Steve Lambert, and a work-boat with three of its recently formed boat-moving team. The Grand Union Restaurant also helped by supplying hot water for canal-side refreshments for the 60 strong party.
Random snippets from around our patch: Marlcliff Awaits: Some 18 months ago, members and friends undertook a Sunday walk by the River Avon from Bidford to Marlcliff lock and back.
Nick Nicholson, and fellow Kenilworth resident Richard Hobbs are seen here putting our new grappling hooks to the test – but note Richard’s ‘unusual’ garb.
As always the ‘haul’ was large and varied: bicycles, shopping trolleys, plus two van doors, a wheelie-bin, a water-butt, three motorcycles, and a sundry mixture of metals and plastics. In addition over thirty black sacks of litter were also collected from the adjacent towpath. It certainly impressed local MP Chris White.
At the lock, also known as IWA lock, we saw the plaque recording both the financial donation from IWA, and the efforts of the Royal Engineers, men from Gloucester Gaol and other volunteers, who built this lock under the most difficult of conditions. Indeed, the Royal Engineers from Belfast used explosives to create a channel and lock chamber - after more conventional methods had failed. The lock was originally fitted with gates from the demolished Runcorn flight of the Bridgewater Canal, but these were replaced in 1980 with today’s steel gates. These gates, the footbridge, and the railings and bollards are now in need of some ‘TLC’. The Branch now th therefore plans to start work on this on Saturday 11 April. Loose paint will be removed and the metalwork repainted, using ANT’s new ‘corporate’ colour-scheme, as seen at Harvington lock - which branch members repainted last summer. If you would like to help with this work please email: info.warwickshire@waterways.org.uk Obviously, preparation and painting will take more than one day so if you can help us anytime over the following few weeks then we’d like to know. Please see page 2 for th details of our initial April 11 work-party.
Man of The Match: It is planned to continue the clean up of the canal, and newly laid towpath in Leamington in the autumn - with a further event concentrating on the section east from St. Mary’s Road towards Radford Semele. If you would like to help, or would like details of other similar events please email info.warwickshire@waterways.org.uk.
Waterways Manifesto: IWA is asking all candidates in May’s election to sign up to a five-point ‘partnership’. These are: 1. To Protect our Heritage, 2. To build local relationships with waterway groups, 3. To join the All-Party Parliamentary Waterway Group, 4. To Support the EA waterways transfer to CRT, 5. To support affordable offline moorings. Download from www.waterways.org/manifesto or e-mail info.warwickshire@waterways.org.uk for more info.
This edition’s ‘motm’ award was the most difficult yet to determine. The two shortlisted contenders were Alpha Nicholson and Richard Hobbs. However, after due consideration, the award has been made to newcomer Richard Hobbs:– ‘For determination, innovation and devotion to duty under the most difficult circumstances’. The citation continues to read:- “While grappling with an underwater obstruction, he suddenly became aware that the strength of the ‘entre-jambe’ seam in his trousers did not match the strength of his determination to remove the offending object from the canal. Undeterred he quickly adapted a black polythene bin-liner into a rather fetching, above-the-knee black skirt [Grayson Perry beware!], and continued with his much appreciated work.
Stop Press !
Do not feed bread to ducks!
Bear with us:
Regional Round-up.
‘Balsam Bash’ 2015:
Friends and Neighbours. WRGie walk – part II:
When, last year, we mentioned IWA’s campaign to help remove this invasive species from the banks of our waterways, we commented that, in Warwickshire – unlike in some of our neighbouring branch areas we were not significantly affected by this ‘blight’.
Photos by WRG
However, this year the local situation has started to change, and we will therefore be holding our first ‘bash’ on 12th July – starting at 10:00 am on Myton Fields, in St Nicholas Park, Warwick. Meet by the Kingfisher pools, at the east end of Myton Fields, on the south side of the River Avon. The car park entrance is on Myton Road - opposite Warwick School (charges apply). If arriving by bike, use the cycle track that crosses the river and passes by the pools. Wear stout shoes - and dress as for gardening. If you don’t have gloves they will be provided. The work consists of pulling-up and disposing of the plant - which is an invasive species. This is an activity for all the family - but of course children remain the responsibility of their accompanying adults. Most of the plants are a safe distance from the river, but those that are near the water’s edge will be tackled by adults wearing lifejackets.
Which way to the front page?
If this plant establishes a bank-side foot-hold, its seeds will rapidly spread downstream. So nipping this early outbreak ‘in the bud’ will benefit both the ecology and the user enjoyment on the River Avon downstream from Warwick for many years to come. For more information about this growing threat to our national inland waterways environment, visit the IWA website and search for Himalayan Balsam.
The IWA may not agree with opinions expressed here in this newsletter, but encourages its publication as a matter of interest. Nothing herein may be construed as a matter of policy, or an official announcement, unless otherwise stated. The Association accepts no liability for any of the material contained herein. The IWA is a registered charity (No. 212342), founded in 1946. Supported by donations & members’ subscriptions, it campaigns for conservation, use, maintenance, restoration, & development of the inland waterways of England and Wales - for the benefit of all. Registered & General Office: - Island House, Moor Road, Chesham, Herts. HP5 1WA. Phone: 01494 - 783 453.
Website :-
www.waterways.org.uk.
Editor: Ian Fletcher, 4 Village Hall Cottages, CV47 9QH Phone :01926 – 815 413. E-mail : - newsletter.warwickshire@waterways.org.uk For local contact on all other Branch activities please e-mail: < info.warwickshire@waterways.org.uk > For up to date info. between BE editions visit our web page: < www.waterways.org.uk/warwickshire > Please inform Head Office of your e-mail address changes.