MUSEUM MATTERS November 2011
The Newsletter of The Friends of The Canal Museum, Stoke Bruerne
See you for Carols at the Museum 4.45pm Sat 10th December
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS... On Saturday 19th November the Friends hosted a social evening with wine and a finger buffet (prepared by volunteers) which was attended by some 60 Friends, Museum staff, volunteers and representatives from local organisations such as the Inland Waterways Association. The evening was primarily organised to thank them for their enormous contribution to the Canal Museum since the Friends were formed five years ago. After an initial welcome from Friends‟ Chairman David Blagrove, invited guest Neil Owen, the Regional Engineer for From right : Friends Chairman David Blagrove, BW Engineer Neil Owen and British Waterways, briefly outlined the IWA Northampton Branch Chairman Bernard Morton and other invited guests role that volunteers were likely to play within the framework of the forthcoming Canal & River The aim of the evening Trust. The Waterways Trust, the charity who operates was to thank both the Canal Museum, will merge with the new Trust members and non-members when it is formed next year. A new Museum & Attracwho have assisted the Friends tions Partnership will replace the current Museums with various activities over Management Board to oversee operations of the Canal recent times, thus helping to Museum along with the National Waterways Museum, stabilise the Museum‘s fi- Gloucester Waterways Museum, Anderton Boat Lift nances and to secure its future. and Standedge Tunnel. The Canal Museum was established by British Waterways in 1963. The WaterFriends Chairman ways Trust took responsibility for the museum upon its David Blagrove formation in 1999.
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Julian Tann (left) presents a donation to David Blagrove on behalf of The Navigation pub
Inside… Report on Village at War What’s new in the Museum — Curatorial
Update Sculptor — New Support Group Needed Waitrose Donation Message from Museum Manager Chairman’s Notes and Update Treasurer’s Report New Promotional Wear!
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The evening was also an opportunity for the manager of The Navigation pub, Julian Tann, to present £210 in cash to the Friends, the proceeds of their fundraising „Quadrophenia‟ event in September. Julian will be asking Marstons brewery to match the donation under their nominated charities scheme which will double its value. After the speeches and presentations, there was an opportunity for guests, many of whom hadn‟t been inside the Museum since the Friends were set up in 2005/6, to tour the upper floors of the Museum and to see the positive changes which the Curatorial Team have effected under the expert direction of volunteer Honorary Curators Mike & Sue Constable. Many of the changes, especially the installation of new display cabinets, have been funded by the Friends, and this was the ideal opportunity to see how some of the money they have helped raise has been applied to good effect. Each guest left with an information pack and was asked to return a questionnaire to the Museum. If you attended and still have this form we would be most grateful for its return. Contact Denis Atkinson on 01327 340297.
And our thanks also go to…
South Northants Homes (Grand Union Housing Group) for awarding us a grant of £500 for the Sculptor Appeal Historic Ships Register for a grant of £1,000 for the Sculptor Appeal Braunston Marina for a donation of £1,000 for Sculptor’s general fund
Stoke Bruerne and Shutlanger in the Nineteenth Century Part 8: by David Blagrove One of the last of the village shoemakers was William Gostick, who appears in no less than six consecutive censuses as being involved in the shoe trade, and who died aged 83 in January 1899. He was still working as a shoemaker at the age of 75. He lived close to the canal, in Chapel Lane, so quite possibly the trade from direct sales to boat people kept him going. At about the same time as machinery came into the shoe trade, lacemaking, another craft that had occupied village women and boosted income, was mechanised and manufacture tended to centralise on the Nottingham area. In 1851 Stoke Bruerne had 9 shoemakers and 84 lacemakers while Shutlanger had 2 shoemakers and 99 lacemakers. Fifty years later the numbers were 2 of each in Stoke and 1 and 3 respectively in Shutlanger. Many families from both villages moved to Northampton and other industrial towns, some took to the canal boats and some emigrated. There was even an assisted emigration scheme run by the WentworthVernons, which enabled some village families to emigrate to America.
Tunnel where the iron-rich water was said to make the best cup of tea on the canal! Sewers were non-existent and the time-honoured method of spreading the contents of cesspits on the fields continued well into the twentieth century. Lighting was by candles or paraffin lamps and generally was to remain so until the fifth decade of the twentieth century, although “the Boat Inn” at least had its own generating set after the 1920s. Another early decision made by both councils was that a joint committee was set up to manage the several village charities, an important consideration in those pre -welfare state days, for poverty remained a problem and the monies received from the ancient charities helped both alleviate this and to reduce the amount required by the Poor Rate.
Since 1862 Stoke Bruerne had been on the line of a trunk telegraph system laid along the towpath of the canal. A link was taken into Amos‟s post office beside Top Lock, thus introducing the village to modern telecommunications. In 1898 both parish councils agreed to provide a guarantee so that the telegraph link could From 1894 both villages continue. The nineteenth cenLacemaker working at home had a parish council to oversee tury closed with the local econStoke Bruerne had 84 lacemakers in 1851 certain local matters, and one omy seemingly in relatively important improvement was carried out soon after by the good shape, but for those with eyes to see, portents of demain landowners and other residents. This was the provi- cline were becoming apparent. Shutlanger had remained sion of a piped water supply from a spring near the end of almost entirely agriculturally dependent while Stoke had to Blisworth Tunnel, owned by the Grand Junction Canal some extent diversified its economy. A local saying of the Company, to the village and another from springs above time underscored the essential differences between the two Mill Lane. Some of the larger houses were directly con- communities, "Shutlanger folk put their money in their belnected to this and public supplies were available from out- lies, and Stoke folk put it on their backs”. lets opposite the School and at the lower Green. This unIn 1879, a railway known as the Easton Neston Mindoubtedly improved the health of the village, which had eral, Towcester, Roade and Olney Junction Railway was escaped the worst of such nineteenth century scourges authorised, mainly to exploit the ironstone deposits which as cholera, a disease directly attributable to polluted water lay beneath the northern parts of the villages. Originally the supplies. Although neither village suffered a cholera epi- prospectus contained a branch to “Stoke Bruerne Wharf” , demic, such as struck Northampton and nearby Pidding- but this was dropped by the time the bill reached Parliaton in 1849, the disease was not unknown in either vil- ment. The new railway was supported by the Fermorlage, deaths from this cause being recorded in 1854, Heskeths of Easton Neston, but it was a poverty stricken which was the year of a bad outbreak in London and Tow- concern which took twelve years to construct its line, by cester. Village lore still current in the 1960s referred to an which time its cumbersome title had become the Stratfordoutbreak of smallpox some time in the mid-nineteenth upon-Avon, Towcester & Midland Junction Railway century, but this has yet to be confirmed. The water sup- (STMJR). Locals preferred the name "bread and scrape" or ply arrangement sufficed for nearly fifty years before "the Scratter". It was opened for goods in April 1891 and for mains water arrived in the village. Canal boat people were passengers in December 1892. A large station house was wont to fill their water cans from the side adits in Blisworth
built at Stoke Plain to serve the two villages and a locomotive and carriages were hired from the Midland Railway at Bedford. A passenger service to Olney and Towcester, connecting to St. Pancras and Stratford-upon-Avon was run for four months. The cost was £1,290 and revenue averaged £5. per week, so after this brief experiment the passenger service was withdrawn the following March. The Railway Company experienced various financial problems and was eventually incorporated in a company called the Stratford-on-Avon and Midland Junction Railway (SMJ) after 1909. Locally though the new railway provided a small amount of employment. The 1901 census reveals 3 Stoke men involved in railway work and 4 from Shutlanger (although this included Stoke Bruerne railway station). The Stoke men may have been employed by the London & North Western Railway, but the Shutlanger men were almost certainly all employed by the STMJR. Meanwhile the ironstone pits that it serviced employed a considerable number, including, in 1901, 6 men from Shutlanger. To sum up the story of the two villages in the 19th Century, we may see a story of a modest rise in fortunes as the Century progressed, with a corresponding loss of ancient rights. This was to continue until the sixth decade after which the population of both villages began a decline, which in the case of Stoke Bruerne was not halted for another century although the canal‟s presence softened the blow until after the 1914-18 war. Both communities saw the beginnings of social welfare during this time, but a villager of 1815 returning from Waterloo would have recognised very little of the villages that sent their men away to Mons and the Somme. Even though the canal remained a constant, as did the Church, both institutions underwent physical change, while the basic geography of both villages had greatly altered. Editors Note: This concludes David Blagrove’s historical article. We hope you have enjoyed reading it and many thanks to David for allowing us to print it here.
REWARDED AGAIN BY WAITROSE
CURATORIAL UPDATE from Mike Constable The Curatorial Working Party have resumed their activities following the summer recess. Regretfully we have had to say goodbye to Denis Atkinson who had been a stalwart for the last couple of years and we would all like to wish him a rapid return to full speed. Already obvious in the Museum are the information panels that have been placed on Sunny Valley and the cases on the First Floor that had to be left unpainted because of the team having to concentrate all their efforts into installing Sunny Valley last winter. However, these cases have now been painted and the displays rearranged. Labels and information panels will follow shortly. Several more interpretation panels are being designed, one for the top floor relating to Gauging and others for the First Floor case displays. Work is about to start on cleaning/refurbishing the Foxton Model, provided the top can be removed for polishing! The electrical system will be checked over at the same time to see if the model can be returned to working order. With the archives being temporarily closed at both Gloucester and Ellesmere Port, what happens next will depend rather on what material can be sourced nearer home, and also on the weather. There are plans to alter the layout of the First Floor, but these will depend on whether the material being moved can be relocated to the Top Floor or not. Measurements and planning are at an early stage. Once the new management arrangements under C&RT are in place there are a number of major issues relating to the buildings which will have to be tackled before very much more conservation and refurbishment can be carried out. Watch this space!
Waitrose partner Lesley Connew presents David Blagrove with a cheque. photo: James Rudd Each month staff at local Towcester supermarket Waitrose nominate three charities to receive a share of £1,000 as part of their Community Matters Scheme. Shoppers at the store are given a green token at the checkout and invited to drop it in a box labelled with the name of the charity of their choice. A share of £1,000 is then split between the charities according to the voting and popularity rating of each one. In October it was the turn of the Friends for a second time and Chairman David Blagrove collected our cheque whilst popping in to Waitrose for a bit of shopping. David said: “We are very grateful for the support of Waitrose and their customers which will help support our continued work at the Museum - thank you!”
Editor’s Note:
Apologies to any of our members who may not have received hard copies of Museum Matters in August. Due to pressure of work I was unable to edit August’s MM and our Chairman stood in and produced a special mini-edition which was circulated electronically. Unfortunately due to a misunderstanding the hard copy versions were not mailed out. We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused. If you did not receive a copy and would like one, please let me know on 01604 861205. Lynda Payton
David Blagrove, Chairman of the Friends, writes…
As Young Mr Grace would have said, “I think you’ve all done very well!” My first comment on our latest Village at War event is nothing short of Wow! To paraphrase our wartime Premier: Never in the field of Friends’ Activities has so much been put on by so few to entertain so many! The organising committee (AKA “The War Cabinet”) under the premiership of David Henderson did an even more splendid job this year than previous ones and deserve all our thanks and congratulations for their hard work over many months, which this year was suitable rewarded with glorious weather. On the day (or rather days) every member of Council was out and about and working their socks off, with the notable exception of your Chairman, who managed to swan around as the Man from the Ministry and to look as if he was doing something. Other members, boaters and villagers all turned up, rolled up their sleeves and got on with the various tasks, while the Museum’s staff toiled loyally and long in the shop and café, hopefully ringing up record results for David Henderson and his team. From a financial point of view the greatest success for the Friends was Bill Mann’s fast food stall. Over two years ago now Bill suggested that our Trading Company invest in catering equipment suitable for such events and this has now earned its capital cost many times over as well as returning a steady trading profit at each event that we put on. This itself has come at the cost to Bill of many hours hard graft at the cooking face, along with an equally hard-working team. This year Bill’s hard work was amply rewarded, but a death in the family on the Sunday meant that for most of the event he was deprived of the support of his wife Liz and that he had to be called away during the day. However a team of substitutes was quickly recruited from among Julia Cook’s boating crew and we are most grateful to Richard and Ryan for stepping in at short notice, and to Julia for letting us deprive her of two hefties who would otherwise have been employed helping her deliver solid fuel. Peter Oates, Phil Kidd and Bill’s son-in-law also worked long and exceedingly hot hours supporting Bill.
£1,000 went, appropriately enough, towards Help the Heroes Elsewhere, the tea dance at the Village Hall, the “Nippy” tea room at the School and the fashion show in St Mary’s Church were superbly done. On Sunday the latter filled the Church more full than can be remembered in anyone’s lifetime. So popular was the event that extra car parks had to be opened to cater for the demand, although at first it looked as though ample space was available in the field in Green Lane so generously made available by Alison Jones. Alison also opened her field and paddock on the other side of the canal; she manned a stall for her Greyhound Charity at the entrance and the proceeds from this were substantial. Other contributions, totalling £1,000 went, appropriately enough, towards the Help for Heroes fund. We must also thank Jim Tarry for allowing us the use of his field at the corner of Green Lane and Bridge Road for use as a Black Market area, thus allowing us to bring in traders to a site closer to the centre of affairs than in previous years.
cracked ribs and severe bruising. Nevertheless, Grahame managed to drill and parade his men with great efficiency. Seamus LefroyBrookes and Jenny Copeland managed to turn out a fine array of other military personnel and equipment, along with many other civilians, far too numerous to mention in the small space available, but I would mention the military skirmishers, whose bangs and crumps advertised to everyone that something was going on during both days.
Of course the weather made it Of course the weather made it. In fact it made up for the awful weather that marred our June Gala event, but there were other factors, such as the wider publicity; the availability of the programmes nearly a month beforehand for which our thanks are due to Terry Richardson; the spread of word-of-mouth information among the re-enacting cognoscenti. We also had a record number of boats, particularly modern cruising ones, and this both added to the enjoyment and to the funds through the generous donations of many of these. As a final word I would pay tribute to my Harbourmastering team of David Daines, Mike Partridge and Grahame Scothern. David probably never stopped talking for the whole weekend, moored with “Cyprus” & “Cedar” in “Sculptor’s” place and so keeping visitors informed about the boats and other things canalwise, Mike not only operated “H.M.S. Charlie” with him and crew in appropriate naval rig but assisted before and after with arranging moorings and provided a vessel for the Official Party on Saturday at the opening; while Grahame was tireless in dealing with the moorings both above and below the top lock. As Young Mr Grace would have said, “I think you’ve all done very well!”
Village at War is not our only activity Nonetheless, Village at War is not our only activity as, against a background of unprecedented economic gloom, the late Indian Summer fades and we face another winter. Planning is about to begin for the June Gala weekend, which will follow the weekend of celebrations for HM the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee; work must still go on with Sculptor if we are to have her back in full commission next spring (more on this later); we continue our series of joint meetings with the Northampton Branch of IWA at the Walnut Tree, Blisworth; we shall once more hold our Christmas carol and illuminated boat event and in the New Year an exciting prospect arises of a Waterway Museums Conference. This last was announced at what will be the last British Waterways Annual Meeting held in Birmingham in mid-October. At present no date has been fixed, but it will be an important development since the present museum authority, The Waterways Trust will merge with the new Canal & River Trust when it is established in the spring of next year. The Canal Museum, along with the National Waterways Museum and Gloucester Waterways Museum will form a new Division within the new charity, and there will be scope for considerably more voluntary input to both the Canal & River Trust and this new Division. Meanwhile our force of dedicated Curatorial volunteers will be working under the supervision of the Honorary Curators inside the Museum each week preparing and modifying displays and carrying out essential maintenance (weather permitting: last winter’s snow and ice interfered seriously with the programme, but it was nevertheless completed on schedule). So it is going to be a busy season.
And then of course there were the re-enactors and their supporters. Once again we welcomed the Pitsford Home Guard who provided Guards of Honour and who led the Sunday Church Parade as well as drilling for the benefit of visitors on a regular basis. Their Commanding Officer, Grahame Bandy (in real life a Regular Officer), made a particularly good effort since So far as Sculptor is concerned, the work now entails putthe weekend before he had been rather badly hurt in a fall at Pitsford & Brampton railway station and was still suffering from ting her back together again and more volunteers are needed for this. The engine room and the engine bearers need degreasing and
painting, the engine needs re-installation and connecting to its controls and stern gear; the inside of the hull similarly needs to be cleaned down and painted and the hull blacked. Other jobs such as refitting the shuts (false floors) and re-rigging the running gear and cabin will be required before the boat is in a fit state to return home, so please, if anyone feels that they can help in these respects, please let us know. Work is generally being done on Saturdays and might make a pleasant change from trekking round the supermarkets. Given a choice of brushing down a boat’s paintwork or mooching up and down aisles with an overloaded trolley, I know which I would prefer! Since there will not be another Museum Matters until after Christmas I will take this opportunity of wishing all of you the very best for the festive season and the New Year and hope to see you at the winter events.
Home Guard on manoeuvres
Photo: Anthony McCallum
TEMPERATURES SOAR AS STOKE BRUERNE GOES BACK 70 YEARS Thousands of visitors flocked to our annual Village at War weekend in record breaking temperatures in October to enjoy the popular 40‟s spectacle, writes Lynda Payton. The event, which is now in its 4th year and has won many awards and accolades, was better than ever and our dedicated organising team led by David Henderson and all of you who worked so hard alongside them both beforehand and over the weekend are to be congratulated!
Lindy-hopping at the Tea Dance Photo: Terry Richardson
Of course the weather made all the difference and our Treasurer reports that we achieved a surplus of around £8,000! This of course is in addition to the monies raised for Help for Heroes (£1,000), the Village School (£1,200), RSPCA (£400+), Greyhound Rescue (£1,350), the Cricket Club, not to mention what was raised by other not-for-profit groups and charities. We also hear that both pubs ran out of beer, so I think we can take it that all the businesses in the village did pretty well too! The Museum certainly did. Photo: Terry Richardson
Photos above and right: James Rudd
Village at War Weekend
SSG: Sculptor Support Group When Sculptor returns to Stoke Bruerne it would be good to have a small team to look after the boat, such as taking care of regular cleanng, maintenance, keeping an eye out for any problems etc. This team might also be involved in assisting Lorna with manning the boat to show to visitors and perhaps boat movements if the curators agree to Sculptor going out and about to promote the Museum. Maybe this same team might be willing to get involved now as we need volunteers to help with work currently being carried out at Brinklow during the week and/or at weekends. (The only restriction at weekends is no noisy tools after 12 noon Saturday or at all on Sunday). Rex Wain is available during the week to provide guidance but not usually at the weekend.
A magical celebration of Christmas on the canal Take a boat trip on the Grand Union Canal, listen to Christmas carols from the children of Stoke Bruerne Primary School. Join in the carol singing and watch a procession of illuminated boats. It‟s all happening on Saturday 10th December between 4.30pm and 6.30pm outside the Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne. There'll be hot food and beverages available to keep out the chill, and the Museum shop and other canalside gift shops will be open for a great choice of last minute Christmas presents. All in all, the perfect start to your family's Christmas celebrations.
Work that needs doing at the moment includes degreasing, preparing and painting fuel tanks. Also, preparing and painting engine bearers ready for the re-fitting of the engine which has undergone a complete overhaul at Ellesmere Port. Other work that would be very sensible to do while the boat is being worked on and before the engine goes back in includes preparing and repainting the inside of the engine room. Also some degreasing and painting in the back cabin is required. If we cannot supply volunteers to do this fairly promptly, we will have to pay the boatyard to do it which will reduce the funds we have available to complete the work still needed to be carried out. If you are interested in becoming part of this group and/or helping with the work at Brinklow, please contact Laura Sturrock on 01327 341798/07812 190410
Treasurer’s Report November 2011 Current finances Currently the combined funds of the Friends charity and the Friends trading company amount to about £28,000, of which about £5,000 is earmarked for the working boat Sculptor. The Museum is planning several projects over the winter that the Friends will be able to support financially. Village at War Fantastic weather on both days of the Village at war resulted in an excellent surplus for the event of about £8,500. The Friends need to make a good surplus to build up reserves to cover the costs in the event of poor weather causing a loss at a future event. The surplus could have been greater if there had more volunteers to collect entry fees. Sculptor We have been successful in our grant application to South Northants Homes. They will fund £500 of the restoration work. The application to the Transport Trust was not successful. We are now approaching two more grant giving organisations to request funding. Most of the bottom planks have been replaced in Sculptor and the bottom is now being caulked. The next jobs are shoe-plating and remedial steel work to the hull sides, especially behind the knees. We still need to raise funds to complete the work and all donations are very welcome.
Tim and Roberta’s winning boat Inchy in 2010 Photo: James Rudd
The first boat trip on Charlie, which joins up with the illuminated boat procession at Blisworth Tunnel, leaves from outside the Museum at 4.45pm and returns with the illuminated boats at about 5.15-5.30pm when the children‟s procession leaves the school for the Museum Green via the Wharf, Boat Inn and lock footbridge ready for carol singing. Afterwards there will be a judging and the awarding of a prize for the best illuminated boat. If you have a boat and would like to be part of the spectacle, please be at the south tunnel portal between 44.30pm ready to join the procession. We look forward to seeing you there!
ENGINEERING STUDENTS GET DESIGNING About 80 engineering students at the University of Northampton have embarked on a project to design a concept narrow boat in connection with The Canal Museum and the Friends as part of a social enterprise scheme orchestrated by Friend and Museum volunteer Lorna York. The students will be presenting their ideas to a “Dragon’s Den” style panel of judges and it is hoped that their designs will form the basis of an exhibition, possibly linked in with the Museum’s upcoming 50th birthday. The students will be working in 10 teams of 8. Lorna works at the University and has been instrumental in forging links between the Museum and the University’s student volunteer programme.
Message from the Museum Manager David Henderson brings us up to date The Museum only achieved the set income target in August during the main season, mainly to achieving budget on shop sales. However, the Museum has performed well financially since April, being only 1% down on a challenging budget. Overall the Museum is 6% up on last year and income generation was helped by VAT being at 15% before being increased to 20% on Jan 1st 2011. The weather has helped this financial year in that there have not been long periods of sunshine (which attracts visitors to the seaside etc ) and we have not experienced heavy rain for long periods. In November last year it was snowing. The Museum has continued to perform well and should achieve income targets in both October and November.
Visitors Visitor numbers are slightly down on last year by 0.8% and 8.1% down on budget. However on income for admissions it has achieved budget and is 4% up on the previous year. The target of 50 schools for a calendar year was achieved on October 18th.
Shop Sales Shop sales have been declining over the last 3 years. It should be noted however that sales in August exceeded budget – this being the only month this financial year. Reasons for the decline can be attributed to VAT being increased to 20% and we have seen more trading boats on the towpath who sell similar products to the Museum.
Cafe The Waterfront Café has continued to perform well and is 6% up on the budget and 17% up on last year’s income. The cafe will be offering a winter menu to encourage extra sales. It is intended to redecorate and improve the ambience in the café area during the closure days in the winter to make it more inviting.
October - Village at War The Museum performed very well in October. The Village at War on the 1st and 2nd October gained over £6k over 2 days (the most income ever over a 2 day period). I was interviewed 3 times on BBC Radio Northampton prior to the Village at War. The PR received from this event is enormous. Next year’s event is already being planned for the last weekend in September in 2012. Mick Butler has stepped forward to Chair the next War committee (I have chaired the group in the absence of a volunteer for the last 2 years and will assist the new committee).
Health and Safety There have been no accidents or incidents reported.
Curatorial / Friends Our honorary curators Mike & Sue Constable and the volunteer curatorial team are back on site and planning the work schedule for the winter. The Museum will be closed to the public Mondays and Tuesdays to allow the team to change exhibitions and repaint areas. The new Learning Centre has become very popular with school visits and families at weekends. It is intended to fence off the area and make better use of the two rooms. The curatorial group have agreed to produce a new exhibition on the past/present Stoke Bruerne to create a special interest for the local schools and community. I attended a Volunteer Fair on Thurs 13th October at the University of Northampton. The response was very encouraging and 13 stu-
dents showed an interest in helping at the Museum, including persons studying journalism, computers, business and history. I continue to be a member of an ancestral tourism working party (chaired by Northampton Enterprise Partnership). A training course is planned for Wed 7th Dec to encourage more sites and hotels to form partnerships to attract more visitors into Northamptonshire. Lorna York has agreed to run a family history workshop in 2012 linked to the ancestral tourism group.
Link with an Italian museum (Museo Navigazione Fluviale) The curatorial team has been in contact with the Museum of River Navigation, Battaglia Terme. They needed our support to try and gain funding in Italy. The museum is located close to Padova and Venice. We intend to support the Italian museum by linking their website to ours, a small display in the Museum and handing out their brochures/leaflets. We have both agreed that any staff, Friends and volunteers linked to either museum will gain free entrance if they visit Italy or England. It is intended to arrange a long weekend trip to Padova/Venice in 2012 to visit our colleagues in Italy.
AND FINALLY... It has been a long hard season and one of our most successful. My thanks must go to all the staff team who have worked exceptionally hard, especially during Easter, the August Bank Holidays and the Village at War weekend. Without the support of the Friends and volunteers, the Museum would struggle to move forward. Special thanks to David Blagrove as Chair of the Friends, David Phelps for his maintenance work, Sam Lefroy-Brooks for her excellent cakes and improving our café products and all the VAW committee. Special mention must go to Seamus LefroyBrooks who was inspirational to me during the 9 months of planning the VAW event (we were the only two to attend every meeting) and over the 2 days of the VAW event Seamus took the most income from visitors entering the military vehicle display area. Seamus also single-handedly built the excellent Alhambra stage for Lola to perform on. I have to admit that I found Chairing this group stressful (but it was very rewarding – especially after a successful weekend) but I am pleased to be standing down to allow Mick and his team the opportunity to improve the VAW event in 2012. I wish them every success. Louise and I and the Museum team will continue to support all the events planned by the Friends.
THE FUTURE I am informed that the transfer of the Museum Management Board into a Museums Partnership within the new Canal and River Trust is making good progress. Anderton Boat Lift and Standedge Visitor Centre will join the Museums to form a Museums and Attractions Group. Roger Hanbury is to retain overall responsibility for the Museums in the new Trust. Louise and I view the merger as an opportunity for the Canal Museum rather than a threat. The Canal Museum is performing financially better than the other two Museums and we are hopeful with the Friends’ support to seek and gain more funding opportunities in the future to enable the exhibition space to become bigger, may be by making better use of the Learning Centre and Meeting Room. I am looking forward to 2012 with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee on the Thames and don’t forget it is the Museum’s 50th birthday in 2013. We intend to offer special events (boating and musical) throughout the year to celebrate our birthday. Watch this space! Thank you all for your support. David
COUNCIL 2011/12 Chairman David Blagrove 01604-862174 also member of the Curatorial Group
www.friendsofcanalmuseum.org.uk
DIARY DATES
Lorna York
Talks take place through the winter held jointly with IWA Northampton Branch at the Walnut Tree public house, Blisworth on the second Tuesday of the month. More details are published on our website and in future newsletters. A donation is appreciated to help cover expenses.
Treasurer
Please put the following dates in your diaries:
Laura Sturrock
Tuesday 8th December at 8pm Joint Meeting/Talk with IWA at The Walnut Tree, Blisworth Speaker: Richard Thomas with “A day in the life of a Thames Tug”
Vice-Chairman
Secretary Denis Atkinson
Membership Secretary Sandie Morton membership@friendsofcanalmuseum.org.uk
Publicity, Newsletter & Website Lynda Payton 01604-861205 publicity@friendsofcanalmuseum.org.uk
Volunteer Co-ordinator: Vacant Other David Henderson (ex-officio seat), Jenny Copeland, Bill Mann, John Alderson and Mick Butler
Events Sub-Committees Dennis Atkinson, David Blagrove, Bill Mann, David Henderson, Barbara Everest, Jennifer Chybalski, Lynda Payton (occasional), John Alderson, Rick Thake, Roy Sears, Tim Carter (occasional), Laura Sturrock, Jenny Copeland and Michael Butler, Seamus Lefroy Brookes, Trevor Allum, Helen Westlake, Mike Partridge, David Daines (occasional), Terry Richardson (occasional), Roger Hasdell (corresponding), Graeme Scothern (corresponding).
Non-Committee Posts Roy Sears - Museums Management Board Representative Roger Hasdell - Joint Newsletter Editor Terry Richardson - Assistant Publicity Officer
Saturday 10th December at 4.45-6.30pm Christmas Carols & Illuminated Boat Parade with the children of Stoke Bruerne CofE Primary School, hot food and beverages to keep out the chill, gift shops will be open and boat trips. All illuminated boats welcome—meet at the south tunnel portal Tuesday 10th January at 8pm Joint Meeting/Talk with IWA at The Walnut Tree, Blisworth Speaker: John Pomfret with “The Waterways of Bohemia & Central Germany” Tuesday 14th February at 8pm Joint Meeting/Talk with IWA at The Walnut Tree, Blisworth Speaker: To be announced (check the website) Tuesday 13th March at 8pm Joint Meeting with IWA at The Walnut Tree, Blisworth IWA AGM followed by Quiz with Mick & Catriona Butler Thursday 7th June Mikron Theatre at The Canal Museum (check the website for more details as they become known) Friday to Sunday 8th-10th June Celebrating our Waterways Heritage—Stoke Bruerne Gala Weekend 2012 (check the website for more details as they become known) Friday to Sunday 30th September—2nd October Village at War Weekend
Canal & River Trust Council
PROMOTIONAL WEAR Why not purchase one or more items from our stunning range of clothing embellished with an attractive embroidered logo designed by Friends member and renowned local waterways artist Brian Collings?
A Council is being set up to protect the values and responsibilities of the Canal & River Trust. The council will consist of 35 members from a wide range of backgrounds who will have a say in guiding the work of the Trust when it takes over the responsibilities of British Waterways next April. The C&RT Transition Appointments Committee is now inviting candidates to stand for election for 7 places on Council:
You will not only be helping to support the Friends financially, but promoting our organisation at the same time. If you wish, you can have your clothing item personalised for a small extra charge — ask for a quote when you order! Add your boat name if you have one. Available in a wide range of colours and sizes for men and women — except for black which is reserved for Council members on official duties. To order, just telephone Sandie Morton on 01604 858294 or e-mail her at membership@friendsofcanalmuseum.org.uk
Boat licence holders(4), Boating businesses(2) and a Staff representative(1)
Polo Shirt (right) £ 14 + P&P Zipped Fleece (left) £ 21 + P&P Sweatshirt (not pictured) £ 17 + P&P Free collection
Nomination forms can be downloaded from: www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/ councilnomination from 12 December 2012. Voting will take place between 8 February and 9 March 2012. Full details including role and eligibility criteria can be found at this web address.
The Friends of The Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne may not agree with opinions expressed in this newsletter, but encourages pub lication as a matter of interest. Nothing printed may be construed as policy or an official statement unless so stated. The Friends of The Canal Museum accept no liability for any matter, errors or omissions contained within this newsletter. We will, however, gladly publish corrections if notified. The editors reserve the right to shorten or modify articles published in the interests of clarity or space.