MUSEUM MATTERS November 2012 The Newsletter of The Friends of The Canal Museum, Stoke Bruerne
ILKESTON DROPS OFF HISTORIC LETTER
Illuminated Boats Carols & Market See you Sat 8th December
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lkeston called in to Stoke Bruerne on 28th September, on its way back to Ellesmere Port, just as volunteers were busy getting ready for the weekend’s Village at War event. The purpose was to deliver a gift in the form of a 1916 letter from the Grand Junction Canal Company to David Blagrove and The Friends of the Canal Museum.
Martin Sach, Chairman of the London Canal Museum, which had acquired this archival item at auction, carried out the presentation of the document from the stern of Ilkeston moored outside the Museum. The David Blagrove [left] receives a letter from letter, sent from Blisworth by the Martin Sach [centre], Chairman of the LonGJCCo, chased up some unpaid rent don Canal Museum, accompanied by David Henderson [right] photo: London Canal Museum due to the company.
Inside… • Village at War—Full Report • The Museum Manager goes to Venice and rides on a Caorlini • Report from the CRT Annual Meeting & Curatorial Group • Jack James Serialisation continues • Illuminated Boats & Carols • Chairman & Treasurer’s Reports
Whilst moored, a number of visitors ventured inside Ilkeston’s restored cabin and members of the journey team were on hand to show them around. Ilkeston is now back moored alongside Ferret at the National Waterways Museum after a historic four month journey to London and back to Ellesmere Port following her full restoration. During the trip she was towed by Radiant, Sculptor, Roger, Buckden and Bantam IV, all eminent historic inland waterways craft.
FANTASTIC RESULT FOR VILLAGE AT WAR WEEKEND [left] The crowds flocked in to experience life in Britain during the 1940s
Photo: James Rudd [below] A US Military Policeman and a local “bobby” arrest the Spiv for flogging black market goods
Photo: James Rudd
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housands turned out for our Village at War Weekend (28-30th September) to watch or be part of the huge cast of 40s re-enactors at Stoke Bruerne’s 5th Village at War event, breaking all previous records for attendance and monies raised to help support The Canal Museum. Accounts aren’t finalised yet as some bills are still outstanding, but the total raised for the “Friends” is likely to be around £20-22,000 with a further £8,000 or so raised by other local not-for-profit organisations and charities, such as the School, Cricket Club, Church, Greyhound Rescue, RSPCA, etc. This year two Spitfires from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight buzzed the blue skies above the picturesque canal village while Home Guard platoons rubbed shoulders with Field Marshal Montgomery and Sir Winston Churchill to the nostalgic strains of Vera Lynn’s White Cliffs of Dover being played out over the tannoy. As well as the air display, there were countless re-enactors including the
Women’s Land Army, Spivs, Policemen, the 7th British Infantry, Airborne Forces, French Foreign Legion and many more with full supporting armoury in the form of tanks, military vehicles and, of course, colourful vintage boats on the canal.
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David Blagrove, our Chairman said: “One of the car parks was full by 11 o’clock, which hasn’t happened in the past.” He added: “As far as I’m aware the event is uniquely positioned. We don’t know of any other canal community in the country where such an event takes place.”
[Clockwise from top] Sean Neill on Laplander explains steam power George Formby (aka Paul Casper) entertains Watching boats Stoke Bruerne Primary School children sing songs from the 40s ‘Vintage family’ out for a stroll
All photos: James Rudd
Museum volunteers Lorna York and Brian Mayland get Sculptor into tip-top shape for Village at War goers Photo: Dave Rayment
Over the weekend of Village at War musical entertainment was provided by the glamorous Lola Lamour and George Formby (aka Paul Casper) while Ruzzit Buzzit conducted popular dance classes at the packed Village Hall as well as afternoon Tea Dances. The whole village really got involved. The Church hosted 1940s fashion shows on both days and schoolchildren at Stoke Bruerne Primary School ran a “nippy style” Tea Room, raising over £2,000. At the same time, the school children turned out in appropriate dress to sing well known songs from the wartime era to crowds in a fit to bursting marquee and, with help from teachers, re-enacted lessons in a typical 40s classroom.
The glamorous Lola Lamour Photo: James Rudd
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Michael Butler, Chairman of the Village at War sub-committee, said: “We are immensely grateful to the residents of Stoke Bruerne who not only let us take over their village for two days, but decorate their houses and even help us set up and run the event.”
Sunday morning Drumhead Service in the main marquee with members of Roade Royal British Legion and the Salvation Army Photo: James Rudd
THE BEST CONFERENCE...EVER
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David Henderson reports from Venice
have attended many conferences in my 30 year career in leisure and tourism, including some universitybased conferences in Portsmouth, Sheffield and Cardiff, which were very good, but we slept in student accommodation and the food was of student quality too. The closing ceremonies of these took place on HMS Warrior, at the Magna Centre and the Millennium Stadium respectively. So, after we twinned with the River Navigation Museum at Battaglia Terme last year, I was very excited to be invited to address a conference to be held in both Battaglia and Venice. The conference was being organised by UNESCO entitled “Memory, Identity and Responsible Tourism along the European Waterways” e.g. sustainable practices on historic waterways, by using ecological means of transport (traditional wooden boats, or small boats with solar/low energy power motors, canoes and also paths and routes to be enjoyed by foot, bicycle or riding a horse. Also covered was the role of local and typical food specialities and the restoration of traditional rural accommodation for tourism.
I arrived in Italy on Wed 10th October and was met at the railway station by Myra Robinson, our English twinning contact with the Battaglia Museum. After checking in at the conference hotel, The Terme Euganee, famous for its mud applications, thermal ozone baths, massage and inhalation treatments (read Myra’s book), I was driven to a beautiful restaurant, the Antico Molino, originally an old watermill. The cuisine, service and wines were excellent, four courses with wines cost only 30 Euros, representing great value for such high quality
food. The following morning, Myra and her partner met me at 10am and we drove into the Euganean hills where we visited a beautiful village, Arqua Petrarca in wine country and also the hills where the stones were dug up to be transported by boat to build Venice. Francesco Petrarch, father of the Italian Renaissance, lived here and met Chaucer who went on to translate his sonnets. Petrarch was crowned Poet Laureate in Rome in 1341. At lunchtime I was taken to a quaint restaurant also mentioned in Myra’s book. This is the place firemen regularly take lunch between 12-3pm and it is said that if you have a fire between these hours the firemen are unlikely to attend until they finish their food. There is no rush in Italy, the conference title translated from the Italian was “Slow tourism linked to slow food”. In the afternoon we met Andrew Stumpf, of the Canal & River Trust and normally based in Wales, at the railway station. Andrew was presenting a paper representing the Trust whereas mine was representing Museums. We walked to the River Navigation Museum and on our return journey met Professor Cesare Poppi, an anthropologist and university lecturer, so we all stopped for a coffee and a chat which lasted two hours. By chance Myra’s partner walked past and joined us. In the evening all the conference delegates from Netherlands, Spain, France, Serbia, Italy and England met at the Museum for a reception where the Museum volunteers were out in force to ‘show off’ their wonderful Museum, previously an old slaughterhouse.
We were then transferred to a restaurant, the Fermanti un Momento, which means stop here a while. What a time we had...so much food! Five courses and wine, all of good quality. I did sleep well that night when I finally retired around midnight.
The conference itself lasted about three hours as it is very rude to interrupt lunch. Again very good quality. I was unable to drink much wine, not being used to so much food at lunchtime and still suffering the effects of the night before.
The next morning after breakfast we met at Castel Catijo at 8.45am, but this being Italy, we didn’t commence until 9.30am. The introductions took ages, a welcome from the castle, a welcome from the Mayor and wel-
After lunch we were offered a boat trip back into Battaglia on boats known as caorlini, large gondolas for carrying goods. We were looked after by three men per boat from the Battaglia Rowing Club. It was really hot that after-
Returning from the conference on a Caorlini
comes from lots of dignitaries. What a venue though, it felt a bit like being in Warwick Castle. We were told horses could walk all the way into the main building and the servants would return the horses to the stables after the lords had dismounted.
Photo: David Henderson
noon and I was not wearing a hat. Next was a coach trip to meet another boat and an opportunity to experience going through locks on our transfer to Venice. As time keeping is not too good in Italy, we did not arrive in Venice till after 8pm ready to wander
through the tiny streets to the next restaurant. We counted the bridges we crossed and after eight we lost interest. It had been a long day and despite a great lunch we were hungry. We were taken to one of the best fish restaurants in Venice. I chose a beer rather than wine as I was thirsty and did not trust the strength of the wines. Our first course was octopus, second course was squid, third course was mussels, fourth course octopus again and finally a fish course with pasta. We declined the dessert as it was approaching 11.30pm. It was a short walk to the Hotel Da Bruno and we had to register. Thankfully they took our passports and allowed us to retire without too much inconvenience. The hotel was well positioned, only 5 mins from the Rialto Bridge and 10 mins from St Mark’s Square. We walked only 10 mins to the UNESCO offices on the Saturday morning where we were split into two groups. Progress and action points were much easier with less people contributing to the discussions. The Museum Group agreed to produce a Charter to link invited international canal museums to join and seek to gain funding for generic marketing of the museums. After a coffee break the Italian press were invited to the Conference to report on the Action Points. At the same time Riccardo Cappellozza, the last bargeman, was presented with a certificate and presents for his significant work in starting the Museum at Battaglia. He is the equivalent of Jack James at Stoke Bruerne. Riccardo supplied the
nouns for the tools and equipment, the verbs for the movement of the cargo and business of sailing, and the stories about life on the barges, or burci as they are known in Italy. From that small beginning, he began to collect the abandoned materials of his trade from whole boats to tiny hooks and so the Museum was created. The final lunch lasted from 1.30 to 4pm when there was a huge downpour of rain so the networking continued over coffee and liquors. On my next visit I must remember to take a hat, an umbrella and maybe wellington boots. I had decided to stay two extra nights in Venice as I had never visited before. My visit to the Doges Palace early on Sunday morning was a great experience especially as it was before the coach trips, or should I say boat trips. Coaches have to park a distance from the main lagoon. When I left the Doges Palace about 11.30am, I noticed everyone laughing and walking on platforms. The main square of St. Mark’s was flooded. Police wearing waders were moving visitors on quickly so as not to block the platform. On the Monday morning I was told the biggest flooding of the season was expected at 11am. I caught the boat at Ali Laguna at 10.30am for the one hour trip to the airport. A fantastic trip. I highly recommend a visit to both Venice and rural Battaglia Terme to enjoy the Museum. There is a huge difference in costs. A room at the hotel in Battaglia Terme is 38 Euros and the one in Venice 120 Euros, not including a contribution of an extra 3 Euros a night, asked of all hotel visitors, to fund the restoration of Venice and prevent flooding.
A phoenix rises from the ashes Mike and Sue Constable report from the Canal & River Trust’s First Annual Meeting in Birmingham
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t seems fitting that CRT’s first Annual Meeting should take place in a building which had risen, phoenix like, from the twisted wreckage of a bomb damaged canal basin and warehouse. Stoke Bruerne represented the Museums and Attractions Partnership at that meeting with a
display of objects from the reserve collection, and along with colleagues from the other CRT sites Mike and Sue spent the afternoon explaining their significance to the assembled group. A number of The Friends were spotted amongst the attendees on the 27th September and the weather was kind to all of us there.
Mike and Sue Constable on hand with displayed objects at the Bond Warehouse, Birmingham Photo:
‘The Bond’ as it is now known was formerly the Fazeley Street depot of well known carriers Fellows, Morton and Clayton (see photo above) and it suffered a direct hit during the November 1940 bombing of the city. After the site was cleared, the basin was shortened and the building used for all the spoken parts of the Annual Meeting was erected. A week later Mike and Sue again represented the
Museums and Attractions Partnership at a potential Sponsors/Funders meeting held at the Museum of Docklands in London, with many of the same objects from the Stoke Bruerne Museum Collection. During this meeting, CRT Chairman Tony Hales announced the appointment of Canal Laureate, Jo Bell. Jo is an archaeologist who worked for British Waterways several years ago and at one time was responsible for the Heritage Boat fleet based in Birmingham. She has now moved her boat off the Nene onto the Kennet and Avon. Simon Salem, the CRT Marketing Director, who is now responsible for the Museums and Attractions Partnership, supported us at both events and our involvement was due to the invitation of Debbie Lumb, our Manager in the Museums and Attractions Partnership.
Autumn News from the Curatorial Group By the time you read this, the new Collections Manager, Dale Copley, will have held her first meeting with the Honorary Curators and the rest of the Curatorial Working Party. Dale has already visited the Museum but not on a Working Party day.
Rodney Hardwick at work
new position and the floor where they were has been cleaned. The new case which has been specially made for us now has to be painted before further removal can take place.
Two new cases will hopefully soon be ordered to allow further removals from the top floor and the current tramway display will be opened out to give a larger area for children’s activities, such as dressing up, to take place. Several new interpretation panels are Work resumed on the display at the be- being prepared on ‘Stoke Bruerne Perginning of November, unusually not start- sonalities’ to replace the rather tired ing by giving the Museum a good clean. examples on the first floor. This has deliberately been left until later in Work is also continuing on the Object the session as some of the planned tasks Catalogue and Condition Reports so will create high levels of dust which could that when CRT finally manage to link easily have led to having to do the job Stoke Bruerne to the Collections Mantwice. Although it is still very early into the agement Database, our Museum will session, work on the top floor to prepare be able to lead the way and set an for the move of the Tramway material example for all the others to aspire to. from the lower floor into the new case is well advanced. The Mileposts and Mike Constable Boundary Marker have been moved to a
David Blagrove, Chairman of the Friends, writes…
“A year of steady financial gains and remarkable accomplishments ” In place of the normal Chairman’s jottings, I am submitting my report to the AGM for those who were unable to attend. Although our financial year ends on the 31st March, I feel that it is important that I should deliver a more up-to-date statement to members than one ending six months ago.
“Dedicated work and application by Friends causes me wonder” This year has been one of steady financial gains and some remarkable accomplishments by our membership, whose dedication and application to the work of the Friends never ceases to cause me wonder. One long-term matter that has come to a satisfactory conclusion is the refurbishment of the Museum’s boat Sculptor. Last year we were greatly dismayed by the sudden cancellation of a grant from the PRISM fund, which we were expecting to cover the costs of repairs with our volunteer and financial input amounting to 50% of the total, estimated at about £23,000. We were now faced with either bearing the rest of the costs ourselves or seeing the boat sink outside the Museum, which was unthinkable. We bit the bullet and commenced work in the spring of 2010 using volunteers. At last the
major refurbishment is now complete although some minor work needs doing during the ensuing winter. The hull has now been completely rebottomed, the engine completely overhauled and the main fabric surveyed and pronounced fit for purpose. The boat was returned to Stoke Bruerne in April, towed by Ryan Dimmock from Stretton and by mid-June (just a little too late for the Gala weekend) a team of volunteers had re-installed the engine and tanks, replaced bulkheads and pipework and the boat was thus able to proceed to the Braunston Historic Boat Gathering at the end of June entirely under its own power. Whilst doing this, a longterm fault with the stern gear and drive shaft was rectified and the boat runs extremely smoothly now. It took part in the parade of craft on both days and, by way of returning the many favours done to us during the restoration by the Boat Museum Society and the Heritage Boatyard of Ellesmere Port, assisted with the moving of the Boat Museum’s recently restored boat Ilkeston to the London Canal Museum. Our part in this was to move the boat from Braunston to Cowroast lock near Tring and this was duly accomplished in early July. It is now hoped that a training programme can be instituted for membership volunteers to gain “hands on” experience of op-
erating the boat during the ensuing winter. The work done has been entirely financed by donations and funds raised by the Friends, and with considerable help and advice from the Heritage Boatyard and Boat Museum Society at Ellesmere Port, who reconditioned the engine for us entirely free of charge.
Two substantial donations Since the summer the Sculptor fund has received two substantial donations, for which we are most grateful. One came from Roade Garage through the “Making a Difference Locally” (MADL) scheme, being donations from customers over the year, and was inspired by Rick Thake. This amounted to £730. The other came from Tony Hales, exChairman BW and now Chairman of C&RT. He visited our Village at War event and was most impressed, sufficiently so to present me with a personal cheque for £1,500.
“The volunteers were the lions, I merely supplied the roar” Our Sculptor team included Bill Mann, Rick Thake, Phil Kidd, Bob Westlake, Lorna York and Richard Cox with welcome outside assistance from Martin O’Callaghan. I merely told people what to do. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, “the volunteers were the lions, I merely supplied the roar”. Although we have paid off all creditors who have submitted invoices to date, our general fund has been out of pocket, so at a recent Council meeting it was agreed that the bal-
ance of monies outstanding should be transferred to a Sculptor loan account and gradually repaid from income over the next five years. I am happy to say that with the recent donations this sum has greatly reduced and should now be paid off sooner.
Slickly put-together piece of organisation Once again The Friends’ social year essentially commenced with our Summer Event, held in mid-June. This time we were blessed with decent weather and the organisation of the event proceeded smoothly under the chairmanship of Lynda Payton. A reasonable profit of around £3,700 was made. Whilst it may seem that this event is now a slickly put-together piece of organisation, it only appears so because the sub-committee team have been working since before Christmas on putting it all together and by the time the event happens will have put many hours of unpaid time into it. The same applies, with possibly even greater force, to the Village at War event. This year it took place in the last days of September, allowing us to have the services of the Battle of Britain Flight of Spitfires. Their insurance expired on 30th September, so this was fortuitous. The weather this time was chillier than last year, but the crowds were, if anything, greater still. It is too early to give the exact total raised, but it is safe to say that it will be around £22,000 or so. Mick Butler and his team exceeded all expectations this time and thoroughly deserve our grateful
thanks. They are taking a wellearned rest from organisation at the moment, but it will soon be time to start organising the 2013 event, which is to take place at the somewhat earlier date of 13th-15th September. Once again I would wish to acknowledge the great assistance given by Mrs Alison Jones in allowing the use of her land adjoining the canal bridge and in Green Lane for our events.
Much-needed security The continuing success of these events has raised the financial standing of the Friends and has gone far towards giving the Museum a much-needed security of tenure compared with the position seven years ago when the first steps towards our formation were being taken. Much of the money raised has since been reinvested in the Museum in the shape of improved displays, more modern equipment and similar infrastructural projects. During last winter our Honorary Curators and their assistant volunteers continued their regular refurbishment work each week and only missed two days because of inclement weather. The other great thing about such events is that not only does the Museum benefit, but other village organisations and enterprises also gain as a spin-off.
Social success During November 2011 we held a Soiree in the Museum CafĂŠ which proved to be a great social success. We invited persons who had assisted our work, volunteers and villagers, many of whom had said that
they would be prepared to assist us in future. The event was organised by our Council Member and Minutes Secretary, Denis Atkinson and I would hope that we can organise a similar event in the not-so-distant future. In December we had what has now become another annual event: the procession of lighted boats and carol singing on the Museum Green by the children of our Primary School. This time we avoided the freeze of the previous year and several boats came to join in the procession. Andrew Woodward from The Boat Inn recruited Lincoln Noel as an instrumentalist on keyboard as well as leading the carol singing for the adults.
Much more viable Last year I reported that we were going to hold joint monthly meetings with the Northampton Branch of the Inland Waterways Association at the Walnut Tree at Blisworth. It has to be said that this experiment proved more popular with IWA than with our members, and so we are reviving our monthly meetings in the Schoolroom at the Museum this ensuing winter. Rose Granaghan has taken on the task of organising these, for which we are most grateful. The removal of the mock-up of Sunny Valley’s cabin to the main building has made this room much more viable for such meetings. Our involvement with the Stoke Bruerne Canal Partnership continues apace. We continue to be actively involved with proposals for the future of the old lock outside
The Boat Inn and also with the preparation of a two short but informative guides to the canalside from the Tunnel to Bottom Lock, which will shortly be available. These will in turn form the basis of a series of planned information panels along the canalside, for which a bid for funding is in course of preparation. We have great hopes that the boat weighing machine and its attendant boat and cast iron lock gates and paddle gear, none of which are relevant to Stoke Bruerne or the Grand Union Canal, will soon find homes where they can be properly cherished and be appreciated. Along with the Partnership we are actively involved in preparing a scheme that will enhance the area of and around the side lock for the greater benefit of locals and visitors alike.
Looking to the future Looking to the future, 2013 will see the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Museum, and we shall be actively concerned with the promotion of this during the next twelve months. Even more importantly, this will be the last report to be made for a period under the regime of British Waterways as owners of the Museum’s freehold and The Waterways Trust as the lessees. As from July last British Waterways ceased to exist and was replaced by the Canal & River Trust, while since then the governance of the Museum has come under a new partnership known as the Museums and Attractions. This is effectively a division of C&RT. A funding package has been agreed with the Government and we are promised a more democratic and responsive regime for the operation of the waterway system.
Initially the scheme seems to be working well and the new appointees to Trusteeships and memberships of local Canal Partnerships, as the divisions of C&RT are known, are beginning to make inroads into the previous “dead hands” of bureaucracy that tended to stultify so much of BW’s work. We are fortunate in that Lynda Payton and John Alderson are among those appointees, while our honorary curators Mike and Sue Constable also have a major input to the Museums and Attractions Partnership. I have great hopes that this will reflect the ideals of The Big Society, but only time will tell.
Call for members to assist One final matter must be reported. Ever since we became a Trust in 2006 we have legally managed our business through three trustees, who are also directors of our subsidiary Trading Company. These three are myself, Lorna York and Laura Sturrock. The time is now coming when we need to increase the number of these Trustees. Laura, whose professional advice has been of the utmost assistance ever since we began, and for which we are most grateful, has now decided to relinquish her post as Treasurer. Council has asked Rick Thake to take this on and he has agreed, but since none of us are growing younger we certainly require more persons to act as Trustees. Laura has indicated her willingness to remain as one and both Lorna and I are also happy to carry on, but I would like to call for members to assist by volunteering
their services as individual Trustees in addition to us three. Laura has suggested to me that perhaps a further three should be appointed and if people would care to put their names forward in the near future the position may be ratified by Council at a subsequent meeting. In conclusion I would like to pay tribute to the work of our Council. We are most fortunate in that we have a team of extremely talented men and women running our Association, all
of whom devote an immense amount of time and effort into making it work. Every Council member has some sort of responsibility and it acts less as a Committee and more as a General Staff. I am grateful for their support. It merely remains for me to thank all of you for your continuing support and to wish you all a prosperous and successful ensuing twelve months. David Blagrove, Chairman FOCM
Message from the Museum Manager David Henderson brings us up to date at who their visitors are and where they come from, market research, etc. I also attended a meeting with lecturers from the University of Northampton to discuss creative projects students could undertake. We discussed ideas for the 50th anniversary e.g. lock game, a futuristic boat for 2063. The Museum will also be hosting four Visitors university students in January who will Visitor numbers in August were 2006, be undertaking historical and tourism September 2197 (included 870 VAW visiprojects. tors) and in October 1181. Finance The rain since April and poor weather throughout the summer and autumn has badly affected income opportunities this season resulting in the worst and quietest summer since 1996. A combination of the Olympics and the recession means people are staying at home and the new Topiary Café and competition from trading boats has reduced visitor spend in the Museum.
I also attended a ‘Sustainable Tourism’ seminar in Battaglia Terme and Venice (see a report elsewhere in MM). An article mentioning the Museum written by Myra Robinson, who visited us earlier this year and known as ‘The Queen of the Waterways‘, has been printed in the magazine Italy Today. We now inSeminars, Forums, Talks & Training tend to welcome our visitors in several I attended an audience participation European languages and produce leafgroup organised by MLA (Museums & lets in other languages. The European Libraries Association). The group looks Museum Group are seeking to intro-
VAQAS The Museum had a VAQAS (The Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme) in September. The comments of the assessor were very useful and we hope to action the recommendations in the winter. The Museum retained its accreditation.
duce a charter linked to a website/ Facebook page to create more interest in waterways and possible European funding. We are attempting to broker a partnership with Northampton University and Padua University (which is the nearest university to Battaglia Terme). I gave a talk in November to a Rotary Club in Northampton about the trip to Venice and the links between Stoke Bruerne and Battaglia Terme. Louise and I also attended a Northamptonshire Tourism Forum in October. The topic was “Working Together as a County”. We met the manager of Canons Ashby (National Trust) and the manager of a Daventry hotel. We are seeking to produce a 4 star offer – one night stay and half day visit to Stoke Bruerne and Canons Ashby at a cost for two adults of £65, or a family for £85. New Partnership The Museum now has a partnership with Cosgrove Boats (based near the Iron Trunk Aqueduct). Richard will hand out vouchers to visitors on his cruise boat or boat hirers to receive a £1 discount on admission to the Museum. Activities We hosted Go Wild at Stoke Bruerne as part of our half term holiday activities organised by Canal & River Explorers (formerly WOW) and The Royal Society for Protection of Birds. This entailed a walk, pond dipping, a treasure hunt and DIY trail along the towpath. Ambassador Club We are inviting local Stoke Bruerne residents to join our Ambassador Club which will provide them with a membership card enabling them to visit the Museum and the opportunity to bring friends and guests. In return we expect them to support and be proud of their Museum and assist us in promoting the Museum to the wider community.
Village at War The Village at War Weekend in September was a huge success. Plans are already in hand for the event to continue in 2013 as part of the 50th Anniversary celebrations Media As published in Towpath Talk, Nb Ilkeston returned from London and spent a day with us on the 28th September (see story on Front Page). I was also interviewed extensively by BBC Radio Northampton about my trip to the Responsible Tourism Conference and again about Village at War. Curatorial Volunteer Trevor Allum has now installed video presentations on the River Navigation Museum (Battaglia Terme), Foxton Locks, Rosie & Jim and images taken by local photographer Jim Payler in the museum and cafe.
Treasurer’s Report November 2012 By Rick Thake Currently the combined funds of the Friends Charity and the Friends Trading Company come to about £44,000. The bulk of the funds, £32,000 are in the Trading account with the balance in the Charity account. Village At War Weekend The weather was perfect giving us a record breaking twelve and a half thousand pounds entry on the Saturday with another nine thousand on the Sunday. Bill’s Burger Bar took over two and a half thousand pounds. Programme sales were over thirteen hundred pounds and total income was thirty two and a half thousand pounds with overheads of twelve thousand pounds. Overall a good weekend for the Museum with thanks to all those who supported the event, especially all the volunteers.
JACK JAMES ...a serialised biography by David Blagrove
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PART 2
n Christmas Eve 1874 a very bad train crash occurred at Shipton-onCherwell just where the railway crosses the Oxford Canal. A down express was derailed on the bridge and nine coaches fell down the bank, some of them onto the canal, which was frozen at the time. Thirty four passengers were killed and sixty five badly injured. Many of the bodies were laid out on the ice and, although George James would have been a mere babe in arms at the time, he recounted the tale to his son as if he had been there. Possibly his father’s boats may have been at nearby Thrupp. My ancient Aunt was not born at the time, but she recalled the disaster being talked about in her youth as if it had happened quite recently. It was probably the most dramatic occurrence ever to have taken place in the Kidlington area and a whole generation of locals were doubtless suitably impressed.
in July 1968, under the title “Eynsham Wharf, Oxfordshire”. The tapes will be found to tally closely with more formally recorded sources. George worked as a boy with a boatman called Samuel Hathaway who worked for a coal merchant at Witney called Marriott. Marriott brought coal from the Leicestershire collieries at Moira up the Thames to Newbridge for distribution. This was unloaded on the Oxfordshire bank. The Berkshire bank, adjoining the Maybush pub was mainly used for roadstone and timber. Eventually the arrival of the railway at Eynsham and Witney brought such competiton that Hathaway ceased working for Marriott and recom-
Coal from the Leicestershire collieries Before he died George James indulged in some reminiscences with his son, which his grandson, Noel, recorded. These can be taken in conjunction with a paper produced by Kingsley Belsten and Hugh Compton, printed in the Journal of the Railway & Canal Historical Society
Jack James outside his cottage adjoining the Museum From an early Canal Museum booklet
mended young George to John Juggins of Eynsham Wharf.
Absconded with the money The wharf at Eynsham lay some half mile distant from the mainstream of the Thames and was approached by means of a winding stream, which was shallow in the upper part. A single gate could be swung across the stream downstream of the shallows so as to allow loaded boats access over the shallows to Eynsham Wharf. This had been acquired by the Oxford Canal Company sometime about 1789 and the wharfinger at Eynsham was an employee of that Company. In 1892 this was John Juggins, who also kept the nearby Talbot inn and who operated a pair of canal boats from this wharf. It was about this time George went to work for Juggins and became a boat captain on his own account. Apparently Juggins’ previous captain had absconded with the money that should have been used to pay his tolls and crew, leaving young George James and his mate to work the boats back from Hartshill on the Coventry Canal on their own and penniless.
Carrying stone from the “wide ‘ole” In 1895, soon after George’s marriage to Fanny, the manager of the Hartshill Quarry Company, William Tippetts, set George on working a single horse boat carrying stone from the “wide ‘ole” at Hartshill on the Coventry Canal. George worked for Tippetts for fourteen years. Some of this work was local short haul, not even requiring the passage of a lock, such as delivering granite to Coventry City Corporation wharves between Longford and
Bishops Street Basin in the city centre. The basin would be locked after midday on a Saturday until early Monday morning, with a chain drawn across the canal entrance. As many as fourteen boats might arrive during this time, waiting for Monday when they could go into the basin and unload. Unloading the stone was by shovel and barrow, and at one wharf known as “the puddle pits” the canal was so shallow that boats had to lie out in the middle of the cut and put out twenty foot long planks to the towpath so that the stone could be barrowed ashore and tipped. The boatmen were paid 7s (35p) for unloading. Narrow boats’ cargo holds are divided into sections known as “rooms” and payment was made by the room: 2s 6d (12.5p) each for the “stern” and “middle” rooms and 2s (10p) for the “fore-end”. This money was divided between two or sometimes three men, depending upon who the captain could find. Whilst it seems a mere pittance today, it has to be borne in mind that in the first decade of the twentieth century it was not uncommon for young unskilled farm workers to be paid 6d (2.5p) per day, and a serving private soldier received 1s (5p) per day. Seven shillings (35p) was indeed a week’s money for a private soldier and a gang of three could earn this in about ten hours. When the stone trade was quiet the boat would be employed on coal delivery, frequently to factories in Coventry, such as the City power station, the tramways depot and Mulliners gun works. This coal mainly came from pits adjacent to the canal in the North Warwickshire coalfield. Over-
Between Glascote, near Tamworth, and Hawkesbury Junction where the Oxford Canal joins the Coventry Canal, there were then eleven working collieries. At other times the work would take George and his wife further afield, notably to destinations along the Oxford Canal and Upper Thames.
Delivering it “up west” Eventually, as the family grew, George and Fanny graduated to two boats pulled by two ponies. When the boats needed docking after a few years Tippetts declined to do so and George bought them from the Hartshill Company for £80 the pair. He paid this off at the rate of 10s (50p) per week, boat hire, being expected to work for the Hartshill Company until the purchase price was cleared.
The debt had not been cleared when George left the Hartshill work, so the date that he acquired the two boats must have been about 1906. Whilst working on his own account he carried stone to Slough, Lichfield (for the Cathedral) and Stenson on the Trent & Mersey Canal as well as delivering it “up west” (i.e. the Thames above Kings Weir), probably as far as Buckland Wharf at Tadpole Bridge. This entailed “blocking” through the flash weirs, which meant hauling the boats up, one at a time, with the aid of a block and tackle, a process that dated back on the Thames at least to Anglo-Saxon times. It was while delivering stone to Eynsham Wharf that his oldest child, John (always known as “Jack”) was born the April after the wedding.
To be continued
LIGHTING UP THE CANAL FOR CHRISTMAS Join us on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th December for a colourful outdoor Christmas Market with 20 stalls and floating traders, including The Cheese Boat, at The Navigation pub at Stoke Bruerne. The market will run all day and into the evening and licensees Julian and Sarah Tann have pushed the boat out, laying on mulled wine and turkey and cranberry baps as well as a seasonal Christmas Fayre Menu. The pub will also be rocking to a special Christmas Disco on Saturday night and Julian and Sarah have even arranged for a couple of Santa’s reindeer to be on hand. Even Santa himself might put in an appearance after he’s finished delivering presents to children taking Santa Cruises on board trip boat Indian Chief. And, the good news is, that all monies raised from the Christmas Market will be in aid of The Friends of The Canal Museum. On Saturday starting around 5pm, children from Stoke Bruerne, Tiffield and Whittlebury Primary Schools will be singing carols on the nearby Museum Green to the accompaniment of Lincoln Noel on the electric piano and then from around 5.30pm everyone can join in the carols, led as usual by Andrew Woodward from The Boat Inn. Hot soup and roast chestnuts will be laid on by the Friends, there will be a procession of illuminated boats along the canal between the tunnel and the top lock and all the gift shops and the Museum shop will be open for those Christmas gifts. You can even take a boat trip on Charlie to the tunnel and back to see the illuminated boats. All in all a magical start to your family’s Christmas.
COUNCIL 2012/13 Chairman David Blagrove 01604-862174 also member of the Curatorial Group
Vice-Chairman Lorna York
Treasurer Rick Thake treasurer@friendsofcanalmuseum.org.uk
Minutes Secretary Denis Atkinson
Membership Secretary Sandie Morton membership@friendsofcanalmuseum.org.uk
Publicity, Newsletter & Website Lynda Payton 01604-861205 publicity@friendsofcanalmuseum.org.uk
Museums & Attractions Partnership John Alderson Other David Henderson (ex-officio seat), Jenny Copeland, Bill Mann, Trevor Allum and Michael Butler
Events Sub-Committees Dennis Atkinson, David Blagrove, Bill Mann, David Henderson, Lynda Payton (Gala SubCommittee Chairman), Rick Thake, Tim Carter (occasional), Laura Sturrock, Jenny Copeland and Michael Butler (Village at War SubCommittee Chairman), Trevor Allum, Helen Westlake, Mike Partridge, David Daines (corresponding), Terry Richardson, Roger Hasdell (corresponding), Graeme Scothern (corresponding) and Victoria Powell.
Non-Committee Posts Roger Hasdell - Joint Newsletter Editor Terry Richardson - Assistant Publicity Officer Brian Collings - Curatorial Group Rose Granaghan - Winter Talks Organiser
www.friendsofcanalmuseum.org.uk
DIARY DATES
Talks will be given through the winter in the Schoolroom at the Canal Museum on the third Thursday of the month from September through to March inclusive. Details of speakers will be available on our website and in future newsletters. A donation is appreciated to help cover expenses.
Please put the following dates in your diaries: Saturday 8th December 4.30 onwards Illuminated Boats & Carols, Canalside on the Museum Green with boat trips Saturday & Sunday 8-9th December Christmas Market at The Navigation pub (in aid of Friends of the Canal Museum) Thursday 17th January at 8pm Talk - Tim Coghlan with "Braunston Historic Narrowboat Rally—The First Ten Years" Thursday 21st February at 8pm Talk - Andy Newbery with "Growing Up in a Village with a Railway Heritage - Memories of a Blisworth Childhood" Thursday 21st March at 8pm Talk - Steve Miles with "Raymond's Progress"
FUNDING NEWS We are very grateful to the customers of Roade Garage who donated £730 to us through MADL (Make a Difference Locally Scheme) and wish to pass our sincere thanks on to Tony Hales, Chairman of CRT who made a personal donation of £1,500 after visiting Stoke Bruerne in September. Both donations were put towards the Sculptor Appeal. An application for funding for new Museum Lighting to the Arts Council Strategic Renaissance Fund is pending.
The Friends of The Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne may not agree with opinions expressed in this newsletter, but encourages publication 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.