Easterling vol 9 no 19 october 2017

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THE EASTERLING JOURNAL OF THE EAST ANGLIAN WATERWAYS ASSOCIATION VOLUME NINE NUMBER NINETEEN OCTOBER 2017 Edited by Alan H. Faulkner 43 Oaks Drive, Colchester, Essex CO3 3PS Phone 01206 767023 E-mail alan.faulkner22@btinternet.com

ANOTHER CAMPAIGN TRIP TO WELCHES DAM LOCK

On 16 July 2017 John Revell on his narrow boat Olive Emily, and accompanied by Richard Bramley and Eddy Edwards, made a second successful trip up the Old Bedford River to reach Welches Dam Lock. This time, John was also accompanied

by Roy and Lois Parker in their cruiser Marie II. Although the date for the trip had been fixed with the Environment Agency (Waterways) well in advance, a last minute change of mind had the Agency asking for the trip to be delayed until October. This was due to concerns by EA (Fisheries) that in one section of the river low dissolved oxygen from “wind blown accumulations of

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decaying algae” if stirred up by the two boats might give rise to a significant environmental incident harmful to fish. The Agency had known about these accumulations of decaying matter for some time but any attempts to improve the situation had proved largely unsuccessful.

After discussing the problem which appeared to be very localised around the village of Welney it was decided the cruise would go ahead and, as expected, as the two boats reached Welney a short stretch of foul smelling, floating rotting material was encountered. Two EA staff were in attendance and it was decided the narrow boat could proceed very slowly under close supervision along the middle of the channel.

The cruiser, however, was stuck and it had to be pulled through by ropes from the narrow boat, again under EA’s close watch. The boats then carried on passing the local eel catcher at work on the way.

Reaching Welches Dam lock was a bittersweet occasion. It is an attractive location with a fine lock-side cottage close to the extensive RSPB Ouse Washes nature reserve. The residents of the cottage were delighted to see the boats.

John Revell is to be congratulated for his truly pioneering work on the Old Bedford River. It remains essential, however, that as many boats use this isolated stretch of waterway as possible, thus maintaining pressure on the Environment Agency.

Waiting four months for the organisation to clear an obvious obstruction to navigation and a general environmental hazard is not in anyone’s interest, least of all the residents of Welney and those who walk, fish, collect eels and occasionally boat along the river.

THE ELY SELL OFF: in the summer, the Environment Agency put on the market for sale three sections of the river bank at Ely – a total length of 317 metres that were currently being used for the mooring of boats. Offers were to be made by sealed bids to the appointed agents by midday on 8 September. Lot 1 covered 95.45 metres downstream of the railway bridge and was once part of Appleyard Lincoln & Co’s workshops and is how operated as a boat maintenance business. Lot 2 covered 98.43 metres from the railway bridge to the cut into the small marina where the Bridge Boatyard hire feet is serviced. Lot 3 covered 123.97 metres of bankside between the Bridge Boatyard and Ely High Bridge. Guide prices are £60,000, £60,000 and £75,0000.

EAWA is concerned that putting these stretches of river bank onto the market is the equivalent to selling off the family silver and could have major adverse consequences.

The Association is querying the legality of the proposed sale given the provisions of the Anglian Water Authority Act 1977. We are also concerned about position of existing leaseholders and users in general owing to the failure to consult adequately.

And we would have expected the Environment Agency to meet its statutory obligation and duty to license holders to promote recreational boating on these waters.

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ENVIRONMENT AGENCY CHARGES REVIEW: In August we responded to a questionnaire from the Environment Agency, firstly asking if we supported the proposal for an increase in the Agency’s boat registration charge. We do not support the need for this increase except for an adjustment equal to the latest annual Consumer Price Index. Likewise we most certainly do not support the proposal to increase the Anglian navigation charge by 7.5%? This increase is more than the Thames and will further increase the unacceptable differential between the rivers. Thames boaters already pay considerably considerably less than those in the Anglian region but receive a far super service. All that we would support is a Cost of Living linked inflation increase – currently 2.6% for the Anglian, Upper Medway, Thames and unpowered boats. And finally we were asked that if we do not support the proposed increase, which aspects of the service would we be prepared to reduce or stop?

The primary navigation service functions of the Environment Agency in the Anglian region are Statutory Functions defined by the Anglian Waterway Authority Act 1977 and other national legislation. These statutory functions include a duty to maintain the main navigation channels and navigation works and to ensure that a recreational waterway is put to the best use for the purposes of recreation and the occupation of leisure. This question, by nature, reveals an entirely negative approach and exposes the current unacceptable and commercially nonsensical thinking under the authority to its statutory duties.

The Environment Agency’s Anglian region needs to pay proper regards to its statutory duties to promote recreational navigation and then work to enhance income by encouraging more users of our waterways instead of making boating for many unaffordable. There are massive opportunities for savings in this region by properly harnessing the goodwill, and enthusiasm of volunteers as is done so successfully elsewhere on our national waterways. And there also needs to be a much more proactive approach to enforcement.

RIVER WELLAND and RIVER GLEN CRUISE. A shortened version of an article in the July 2017 issue of “Aegre 148”, journal of the East Midlands Region of the Inland Waterways Association.

The Old Bedford River is not the only waterway that needs to see more boats. The Welland that flows out into the Wash between the Witham and the Nene is equally underused and deserves to be better known. So it is good to be to report that an important cruise took place in May involving three narrow boats (API Wanderer, Electra, Earwig) and the cruiser Bouncin Brass.

23 May: The small flotilla locked out through Boston Grand Sluice on the falling tide and dropped anchor off the Boston Channel and near Tabbs Head to wait for the tide to turn. Once the early flood was delectable at around 12.00 the boats cast off and entered the Welland passing the junction with the river Glen at 15.20 and arriving at Fulney Lock at 16.15 where they met a team from the Environment Agency. Above the lock the boats encountered some weed problems and then had difficulty in mooring at The Moorings pub as intended. Instead the narrow boats moored together nearer the centre of the town whilst Bouncin Brass reached the town moorings.

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24 May: The narrow boats made a late start and cruised upstream to join Bouncin Brass. The water was still quite weedy until the Water Taxi mooring was reached.

Once clear of the town the river was wide enough to turn almost anywhere and the low banks gave views across the landscape. The plan was to stop for a lunchtime drink at the Olde Bridge pub near the Crowland mooring and it was 14.30 when they got there only to find the pub didn’t open until 16.00. They carried on up river for another hour until a point where the river became much narrower and looked to be considerably more weedy. They turned here and got back to the town moorings at 18.30 and were facing the right way for their departure.

25 May: Locking out of Fulney was scheduled for 16.30 so they left the town mooring at 15.00 expecting an easier return trip. This time – the 4th day of the heat wave – the floating weed had increased significantly and they passed the Moorings pub at 15.45 and just made it to the lock. They were concerned about pushing large “islands” of weed into the lock but the augmented Environment Agency team dealt with the situation very ably, albeit saying that it another week or so boats would not be able to get through. The boats were clear of the lock by 18.15 and made much easier progress then expected in punching the tide on their way to the Glen which they reached at 18.45 and moored to await instructions from the EA team. A level was made at 20.45 and the three narrow boats got through the bridge arch and the gate without problem but Bouncin Brass just failed to clear the bridge arch. The narrow boats cruised for about 15 minutes before finding a mooring in the gloom.

26 May: Another brilliant day weather-wise. Some 45 minutes upstream from the over-night mooring near Surfleet Seas End the boats reached Surfleet itself and the B1356 road bridge, the lowest on the Glen. ADI Wanderer had the greatest air-draft and only just got under it. The Glen is much narrower than the Welland and information about how far boats could get and where they could wind was impossible to find. Just beyond the B1356 bridge and adjacent to the Mermaid pub there is a wide-ish section of the river. Here ADI Wanderer (50feet) turned and breasted up with Electra (58feet) for a push-pull cruise as far as they could get. They cruised through Pinchbeck, past The Ship Inn, past the windmill to the A151 bridge at Pinchbeck West where there are some excellent new moorings where Earwig (35feet) moored and turned. Meanwhile the two breasted up boats carried further into unknown territory before coming to Guthrams Gowt where the reedy edges prevented mooring and expiration on foot.

They carried on for another hour to the end of the line at Bourne Eau. Here the boats were split and Electra nosed in to the reed covered Bourne Eau where she performed a 12-point turn to start the return journey. The freedom of separation and the lure of the pub on a very hot day meant the return to the Mermaid was made in 3 hours, shaving about an hour off the out-bound time. Earwig, having turned at West Pinchbeck, was back at the Mermaid’s pontoon long before the others and had met Karen, the new landlady, who wants to attract more boaters to her lovely, underutilised pontoon.

27 May: Having kept an eye on the weather and with the prospect of the hot spell coming to an end we were not looking forward to today’s journey. We left at 8.00 for our 9.00 rendezvous with the EA team at the sluice and got under the B1356 bridge without any problem. All was going well until the temperature gauge on API Wanderer

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rose rapidly and steam started to appear around the deck-board. Tides wait for no men and so the boat was towed to the rendezvous and after passing through the gate a vacant dolphin provided a temporary mooring where repairs were carried out. The boats then pulled out into the ebbing Welland at about 10.30 but as they were approaching the A17 at Fosdyke at about 11.00 the problem recurred. Fortunately Electra came alongside and breasted up and with the prospect of worsening weather some judicious seamanship saw the boats back to the Tabs Head beacon at 13.05 before turning into the relatively calm waters of The Haven where they anchored.

Casting off at 15.00 it took some 2 hours to reach the Hobhole outfall and they arrived back at the Grand Sluice at 18.12 at the end of a hearable journey.

HERE AND THERE FENS WATERWAYS LINK: Progress here waits on the outcome of the Boston Barrier Public Inquiry that closed of 31 May with the Inspector’s report being due any time now. The main points in contention are the safety of navigation through the barrier during high river flows, both during construction and when the barrier is complete, the lack of a navigation lock, the lack of holding pontoons when there is high flow and a lot of river and Port of Boston traffic, the location of the barrier which is on a fairly tight bend, and the lack of a navigation management plan setting out procedures and responsibilities.

Meanwhile the Black Sluice Drain is classified by the Environment Agency as a main river and where there is mutual agreement schemes are being looked at to transferring the management of these rivers to Internal Drainage Boards. The Black Sluice is one of these and work is already in hand to increase its flood water storage capacity by dredging the final seven miles towards the river Glen and to raising the banks as known low spots. Such work can only benefit the Fens Waterways Link particularly at its southern end to the Black Hole Drove Pumping Station.

Another idea is for Anglian Water to use the Black Sluice as part of a route taking water from the river Witham south to Rutland Water Reservoir and onwards to south eastern counties.

THE BADEN POWELL: Volunteers have spent more than 10 years rebuilding this double-ended wooden cockler that was built at Walter Worfolk’s boatyard in Kings Lynn just over a century ago. Hence it was a proud day when she sailed up the Ouse in the middle of August. After retiring from fishing in the 1980s she was left high and dry to the ravages of the weather at Lynn’s Boal Quay. A trust to restore her was formed in 2006 when she was moved to a barn at Terrington. The trust raised more than £100,000 from donations and secured a £67,000 lottery grant. The boat was on public display at the Heritage Open Day in Lynn on Sunday 10 September.

OUSE WASHES: The Environment Agency is in the process of raising the Middle Level Barrier Bank together with a section of the South Level Barrier Bank of the Ouse Washes reservoir. Clay is being imported from local quarries to raise the crest level of the MLBB between Welcome Lake Sluice and Earith and the low section of the SLBB between Sutton Gault and Chain Corner. The works are being carried out during the summer months (July – October) to avoid disturbing over wintering and ground

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nesting birds on the Washes. Construction will take place over three years. Year 1: Welmore Lake Sluice to Welney and Sutton Gault to Haddenham Pumping Station.

Year 2: Welches Dam to Mepal and Haddenham Pumping Station to Chain Corner.

Year 3: Welches Dam to Welney and Mepal to Earith.

JacksonHyder, the contractors, has employed local earthworks contractor Mick George Ltd to supply and place the material. Construction started on the MLBB between Welmore Lake Sluice and Welney on 2 August and in the first two weeks 654 lorries delivered 11,120 tons of clay – 10% of the total for this year. Footpaths are having to be diverted - details 77470803 - OusewashesProjectEA@gmail.com The work involves stripping the top soil, placing the clay to build up the bank, and replacing the top soil. .this is said done in 200 metre sections with four working faces active at any one time.

BEDFORD: For the past 11 years the Bedford Sub Aqua Club at Bedford has been pulling all sorts of rubbish from the river through the town. This year they were joined by the Bedford Scuba Divers, the Viking Kayak Club, the crew of the John Bunyan, the Environment Agency and a number of community volunteers. Between them they removed an assortment of rubbish from the water. This included a dozen bicycles, shopping trolleys, a pushchair, a wheelbarrow, a folding chair, a computer printer, a Road Closed sign, fishing lines and fishing weights together with several large tree branches. In all 70 bags of litter were collected by the volunteers and filled a large skip provided by Bedford Borough Council.

ISLIP: A long standing hazard to navigation involving a footbridge with a head room between 1.5 to 2.2 metres at Islip lock on the Nene has at long last been removed.

On 26 June the old footbridge was craned up and removed enabling new foundations to be prepared in readiness for the replacement bridge to be installed. This then happened on 1 September, the new structure giving 3-metre clearance.

ELY SOUTHERN BYPASS: Work on the Ely Southern Bypass (upstream of Ely) has involved the construction of two cofferdams that extend out from both sides of the river bank. The clear distance between the dams to allow boaters to pass is 26 metres but boaters are asked to keep as clear of the dams as possible. The contractors have marked the site and will ensure it is lit at night with warning signs both upstream and downstream of the site. This warning has been effective from 2 May and runs until further notice.

WEED: Whilst the warm summer weather is always good to see it can cause problems in that it boosts weed growth. This was particularly so in Halesworth’s New Reach where the problem was made worse by relatively high levels of agricultural run-off. Little could be done until the bird nesting season was over but then sessions were held to scoop up some of the blanket weed on the surface without disturbing the wildlife. This weed thrives in warm water and then blocks light to oxygenating plants below the surface. Duckweed has a similar negative impact and summer has also seen the return of Himalayan balsam whist is very invasive and can easily crowd out all other growth. Fortunately it can be easily pulled up and strimming has helped keep it down. Pretty it may be, but potentially pernicious – please pull it up.

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BROADS NOTES AND NEWS BROADS PLAN 2017–2022. Earlier this year and after an extensive consultation period, the Broads Authority published its proposals for the area for the next five years.

1: Improve water capture and efficient water use across the Broadland Rivers Catchment, and develop a longer- term integrated flood risk management strategy for the Broads and related coastal frontage.

2: Protect, conserve and enhance water quality and land and habitat condition to benefit priority species, recognising natural environmental change and retaining a thriving and sustainable agricultural industry.

3: Apply a catchment-scale approach to reduce sediment input and the sediment backlog, and sustainably reuse or dispose of dredged material.

4: Maintain a safe, open navigation and reduce pressures on busy or vulnerable areas.

5: Improve understanding, protection, conservation and enhancement of the Broads landscape character and distinctive built, cultural, archaeological and geographical assets.

6: Provide opportunities for distinctive recreational experiences in harmony with the special qualities of the area.

7: Strengthen and promote key messages and tourism in keeping with the area’s status, special qualities, history and traditions.

8: Support development growth within and adjacent to the Broads, while avoiding adverse impacts on the area’s special qualities.

9: Strengthen connections between a wide audience, particularly local communities and young people, and the Broads environment.

10: Build the awareness and adaptive capacity of local communities to the challenge of climate change and sea level rise.

The plan has been presented in an attractive and well-illustrated format with navigation issues forming an important part. One objective is to continue to remove 50,000 cubic metres of sediment from the Broads each year, this being twice the estimated sediment input. Currently dredging the waterways and disposing of the dredged material is the largest navigation cost to the Authority. Additional resources are to be sought to try and improve on the dredging and disposal processes.

An important objective is to try to encourage increased commercial transport on the river Yare. Then it conjunction with Network Rail, there are plans to refurbish or replace Somerleyton and Reedham swing bridges. An audit of existing and potential new navigation water space is to be carried out whilst another scheme is to enhance water space access. And there are plans to implement and promote measures to maintain and improve the safety and security for the navigation and for boats.

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DONATIONS: We are delighted to be able to report that we have received donations of £3,000 from our member Charlie Helliwell and £2,000 from her partner David Wadham. Charlie has long-standing connections with us, firstly through her solicitor father who used to navigate the North Walsham & Dilham Canal, and subsequently through her mother and we are extremely grateful for this magnificent gesture.

WHERRY MAUD: The 118-year old sailing vessel was recently taken out of the water to enable her hull to be inspected with a view to drawing up plans for three-yearly maintenance work at Goodchild Marine. This revealed that some 30 feet of planking in her hull needs to be replaced although it had been feared that much more work might have been necessary. As it stands some £12.600 will be needed this year to carry out this necessary work and much of this will be provided by voluntary labour.

The boat should be back in the water before the end of September. As it stands two 40 feet lengths of planking will need to be replaced in 2020 and a further two lengths in 2023, meaning that all the original 1899 planking will then have been replaced.

MORE WEEDS: Improved water quality and fine early summer weather has led to a big increase in plant growth on some of the Broads and, in turn, this has seen engine filters on boats getting clogged up leading to the engines overheating heating and to break downs. This seems to have been particularly on the Bure and on the upper reaches of the Thurne. The Broads Authority is hoping that the reduction on daylight hours will slow down the plant growth which has been causing problems for several boat operators.

FERRY BOAT, HORNING: At the beginning of August a new ferry service began operations across the river Bure from the Ferry Inn at Horning to Woodbastwick. It operates a regular service seven days a week during the summer season and can accommodate 12 passengers, children, dogs and bicycles, cutting out a long trek of up to 14 miles via Wroxham Bridge and Salhouse.

GELDESTON LOCK: Between the 5th & the 12th August a 14-strong team of volunteers from the Waterways Recovery Group were welcomed by the River Waveney Trust before starting work on measures towards salvaging the remains of the lock over a three-year period. The volunteers began the first part of the project by replacing brickwork to restore one of the lock chambers walls. They stayed at Bungay throughout their week and enjoyed some of the local sights between shifts at the lock.

Geoff Doggett from the Trust was in overall charge of the project for which fundraising began in February.

This is not to only improvement planned for the Waveney. Canoeists using the River Waveney Canoe Trail have complained about the lack of action in constructing a portage point below Ellingham weir. Plans for the construction of the portage point were agreed in September 2016, the land needed was given by the landowner and the site of the portage point was cleared by volunteers. Since then nothing seems to have happened. The Broads Authority has responded to say that to deliver the facility within budget an alternative to the modular pontoon systems is to be discussed with the Environment Agency on site following which an additional planning application will be required.

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HOMERSFIELD: The ancient tradition of harvesting bulrushes continues on the banks of the river Waveney at Hormersfield. The plants will provide the weavers of Waveney Rush with natural materials for their matting, baskets and other household items while at the same time the harvesting process keeps the river clear for wildlife and boaters.

LOWESTOFT: Since the scheme for the third bridge was given Government approval in March 2016 work has focussed on its design and its potential to become a new emblem for the town. The bridge must be able to open so as to maintain the Port of Lowestoft’s operations and give 12 metres of headroom above high tide and this has led to plans for an impressive structure. To open the bridge, hydraulic pistons will lift the bridge deck, rolling back on the vertical part of the structure that contains a counterweight, holding the bridge at a specific angle to allow vessels to pass safely.

Public consultations about the proposed design started on 4 September.

A WEEK ON THE BROADS: Four Victorian gents set sail on a Norfolk gaffer in 1889

by S. K. Baker. This is the title of a new book that was published on 10 August by Michael Goffe and costs £10. It is based on the diaries of a man who spent time with three friends sailing and camping on the Broads and is being promoted as the East Anglian version of the well known Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome. In the book Mr Baker and three university friends in stripy blazers and boaters spent a week sailing on the Broads. He recorded their adventures in watercolours in two small leather bound books.

WILDLIFE CENSUS: Conservation efforts have so far failed to improve pollution levels on the river Wensum according to an updated survey of riverflies – a key indicator of river health. The fisheries charity Salmon and Trout Conservation has just completed the second year of its three year Riverfly Census; this aims to assess the health of twelve protected rivers by measuring invertebrates which are a vital part of the aquatic food chain. The report shows that the Wensum’s water quality is under severe pressure from sedimentation and phosphate. Some of this could be attributed to a range of sources such as agricultural and roads run-off, poorly treated sewage, septic tanks and new developments. Last year the Upper Wensum Cluster Farm Group was formed in a bid to reduce the impact of agriculture on river habitats and wildlife, bringing together 17 farmers and landowners to co-ordinate conservation efforts across 6,000 hectares of land.

HAIR BLEACH SAVIOUR: Breakthrough research has revealed that millions of fish deaths caused by toxic algal blooms could be prevented by a household chemical best known for bleaching hair. The discovery follows on from an investigation led by a team of scientists at Norwich’s John Innes Centre and the University of East Anglia aimed at finding a cost-effective solution to a persistent problem that threatens the £100 million angling economy of the Broads. Trials have been carried out in the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads National Park have shown that at controlled concentrations, hydrogen peroxide is deadly to Prymnesium parvum, the golden algae. This algal bloom has been responsible for killing thousands of fish on the Broads but similar incidents could be a thing of the past following successful trials at Whispering Reeds Boatyard on Hickling Broad went about 230,000 fish had to be rescued and relocated from a corner of Hickling Broad following a Prymnesium algal bloom in 2015

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FRANGIPANI SUP One of the recent developments on the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation has been the appearance and growth of stand-up paddle boards under the promotional name of Frangipani. Recently representatives from this local paddle board group talked to the Chelmer Canal Trust about their sport.

After explaining that their group was named after a tropical flower which they had encountered on a trip to Hawaii the speakers outlined the different sizes, shapes and types of paddle board that are available and the unique benefits of each for different types of paddling. Although the boards appear to resemble a cross between a surfboard and a canoe the stand-up paddlers have their own distinct culture and a whole world of diverse activities. These include racing and cruising, paddling on inland waterways and off the coast where suitable boards can be used for surfing in the right conditions. Some of the more adventurous paddlers also tacked white water, while for those of a quieter disposition there was yoga and keep-fit exercises to be done on flat water.

As there were broad similarities of these craft to canoes it made sense for Frangipani to form a loose alliance with the Essex Canoeing Association with a project to test the Blackwater Canoe Trails that runs from Kelvedon to Langford.

There a huge range of boards available ranging from “Hard” to “Inflatable”. The former present more challenges in terms of storage and transport whilst the inflatable take up less space in their deflated state. Long hard boards glade more easily through the water in a straight line but are more difficult to turn and portage. Very lightweight single skinned inflatable boards can roll down and even fit into your luggage but they are quite fragile to require more care in their use.

For the individual serious paddler the most important and precious piece of equipment is the paddle. It can some in various types for various situations but the very best carbon-fibre racing paddles are tailored to suit their owner and a significant financial commitment. All boards have a small fin at the back to help maintain directional stability. Hence again there are different sorts for different circumstances. It came as no surprise that for the river Chelmer a “weed fit” is the usual recommendation Clothing is probably the most tricky thing for the paddler to get right. On hot summer days it is important to be protected from cold water shock in the event of a sudden plunge into the cold water but this is at odds with the need to keep cool. Buoyancy aids are also essential safety equipment. Chunky ones provided for beginners can make it more difficult to get back on board but this is a small price to pay for remaining above water.

Frangipani Stand Up Paddle School ,Maldon, England is an approved school with five instructors. It teaches at TriFarm Swimming Lake, Boreman, at Hadleigh Park, Benfleet and at Hoe Mill Lock, Woodham Walter.

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MAJOR PROGRESS ON THE NORTH WALSHAM & DILHAM In two sessions (Saturday 12th-19th August & Saturday 19th-26th August) volunteers from the Waterway Recovery Group carried out an impressive amount of work on the major refurbishment of the Ebridge Spillway. This followed several sessions by the North Walsham & Dilham Canal Trust volunteers in preparing the site.

Despite their best efforts it came as no surprise that the WRG team was unable to complete their brick laying task. However, they made impressive progress and the heaviest part of the work has been completed - the foundations have been levelled as has the crest of the spillway and a large number of the bricks have been laid.

The task facing the NW&DC volunteers on Sunday 27 August was to start filling in the remaining areas with bricks. The work is nowhere near as strenuous as that at the Royston spillway due to the fact that the slope is a lot easier.

EAWA has contributed to the work in tour ways. Firstly we have paid £1,500 to the North Walsham & Dilham Canal Trust to help cover half the costs of housing the Waterway Recovery Group’s work force during their two weeks stay in East Anglia.

And we have handed over to the NW&DCT £2,000 that we have been holding for several years towards the restoration work on the Ebridge pound. This money came from the balance of the £5,000 donation made to us some time ago from the North Norfolk District Council for work on repairs and improvements to the Ebridge pound.

Our picture on this page shows that a major part of the foundations of the spillway has now been completed and this reflects great credit on David Revill and Chris Black, work party leaders and their teams. To assist in all this Dennis Williams has been appointed as a new Deputy Work Party Leader.

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Progress at Ebridge. Top: Members of the Waterway Recovery Group hard at work laying bricks on the spillway. Bottom: Members of the North Walsham & Dilham Canal Trust continue the good work started by the Waterways Recovery Group.