MUSEUM MATTERS See you at
November 2013 The Newsletter of The Friends of The Canal Museum, Stoke Bruerne
Carols on the Canal Sat 7th December
CAROLS ON THE CANAL
Photo: James Rudd
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ur annual Carols on the Canal event with the children of Stoke Bruerne Primary School is on Saturday 7th December with illuminated boats on the water and a Christmas Market at The Navigation all weekend. There will also be a Festive Disco at 8pm in the Navigation on Saturday evening, a prize for the best Illuminated Boat, Santa Claus will be there and festive fare such as mulled wine, roast chestnuts, hot soup and turkey baps will be available to keep out the chill. The Museum will be open until 6.30pm and
Inside… Sculptor Update Village at War Feature Achievement Award Jack James serialisation Curatorial News Manager & Treasurer’s Reports
the Christmas Market until 9pm. It all starts on the Museum Green soon after 4.30pm and is the perfect start to your family Christmas celebrations. If you are a trader and would like a stall, booking forms are available for download on the website. Stalls are going fast so get your booking form in as soon as possible to be sure of securing one. For more information e-mail publicity@friendsofcanalmuseum.org.uk or telephone Lynda on 01604-861205.
Winter Opening Hours
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he Canal Museum will be closed over the winter for work on the installation of new lighting to the galleries and other building work to upgrade the building. A grant from the Arts Council with additional funding from the Friends of the Canal Museum and the Northampton Branch of the Inland Waterways Association has enabled the replacement of the gallery lighting with new state of the art energy efficient display lighting. However, the café and shop should be open as usual on Wednesdays to Sundays in the winter between 11-3pm.
Sculptor Update
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By David Blagrove
ince midsummer things have been rather quiet with the boat, but in late July we sent ther to the Leighton Buzzard Canal Festival under the care of Rick Thake and Bob Westlake. A very successful weekend ensued helped greatly by the nearby presence of Ken Nelson, who can be relied upon to draw the crowds with his rope work demonstrations.
lage at War event in the middle of the month. The top planks were set up and lashed ready for clothing later on. A work party was held in early October with five volunteers including a new one, Iain Dunkley, as well as the usual suspects. The panelling above the side bed had deteriorated owing to condensation getting underneath and removing this entailed undoing the bolts holding the porthole. Rob Westlake treated them with penetrating oil a few days before and they undid easily. The panelling was duly stripped out, as was some more by the cross bed and the bare steel work behind was treated with red oxide.
En-route to the Leighton Buzzard Festival in July Photo: Rob Westlake
During the school holiday period the boat lay on her moorings at Stoke. There was very little rain during this time so no bilge pumping was needed. Lorna York had been busy working on some of the portable cabin fittings at home. The drawers had suffered from damp during the time the boat lay at Stretton for re-bottoming and there was a considerable deposit of mould. Also the wood had swollen with the damp and so the drawers and table were very difficult to move in and out. Lorna dried out everything thoroughly and undercoated them. Once they were brought back they were refitted and provided with the necessary handles by Phil Kidd. September saw some heavy rain in the early part of the month, so the bilges were regularly pumped by volunteers prior to the Vil-
The ballast drums were emptied of water and moved from the back end of the hold, enabling us to remove the rotten shuts on which they were standing. Rob is now making replacements for them. The back end planks were removed and given a top coat of paint to match the cabin top, as was the forward engine hole bulkhead. A large amount of surplus rubbish, such as off-cuts and similar “come-inuseful-some-times�, was removed from the boat’s bottom. The new fenders were removed and given a dosage of preservative. Finally we placed an order for between 30 and 40 small hooks with eyes for top and side cloth strings with a blacksmith. The repacked stern gland was once more tightened and all leaking stopped. It is hoped to give the boat a few runs during the winter and we have been promised the loan of a butty and steerer so that crews can acquire some practice at this black art. Any members who are interested are welcome to come along on any work parties and, once dates have been decided, we shall put them on the website.
Proposed Grand Union Sculpture of Jack James he Stoke Bruerne Canal PartnerCanal Conservation ship is looking into the feasibility of a project to commemorate the Area Appraisal 50th Anniversary of the founding of the
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South Northamptonshire Council have engaged The Conservation Studio to prepare their Proposed Grand Union Canal Conservation Area Appraisal for Public Consultation. Copies can be read on-line at http:// www.southnorthants.gov.uk/4843.htm The public consultation on these proposals runs for six weeks from 11 November 2013 until 23 December 2013.
Stoke Bruerne Canal Partnership – Draft Development Plan The Stoke Bruerne Canal Partnership wants your views on whether their initial plans for the development and management of the canal corridor at Stoke Bruerne over the next ten years are the right way to go. Tell them what you think. Copies of the Draft Stoke Bruerne Canal Corridor – Management & Improvement Plan 2014-2024 will be available for consultation along with a feedback/ response form in the Canal Museum Café between 1st December until 31st January when the Museum is open, WednesdaySunday between 11am and 3pm. One free tea or coffee for every Stoke Bruerne resident handing in a filled-in feedback/ response form - an offer you can’t refuse! Bring a neighbour or friend with you. Proof of residency may be asked for. Copies of the Plan and response forms will also be available on-line at www.stokebruernecanalpartnership.org.uk from the 1st December and more information can be obtained by e-mailing Chairman, Helen Westlake at chairman@stokebruernecanalpartnership.org.uk
Canal Museum by commissioning a full size sculpture of Jack James, the former boatman and lock keeper who put his own collection of canal memorabilia on display and helped persuade the then British Transport Board to set up the first inland waterways museum at Stoke Bruerne in 1963. Pledges of donations towards the project have been received, including a promise of funding from the Friends assuming other funding materialises, but a lot more needs to be raised before the project can become a reality. If you would like more information or would like to support the project, please e-mail the Stoke Bruerne Canal Partnership Chairman Helen Westlake chairman @stokebruernecanalpartnership.org.uk
Treasurer’s Report November 2013 Trading account £28,981.99 Charity account £10,291.36 Reserve account £1,051.51 Cash account £178.86 TOTAL £40,503.72 Despite the inclement weather on the Sunday the Village at War weekend made a surplus of over £6,000. The exact figure cannot be calculated as there are a couple of advertising receipts to be received and an outstanding invoice which we have been expecting. After the refurbishment of the museum over the winter there may be a request for, possibly, two more display cabinets. We are building up funds to help with future developments in and around the museum which, hopefully, are not too far off. We have changed our accounting year to end on the 31st December as this period sees little or no activity. Previously the 31st March bridged the run up the the Gala weekend which meant some payments would be in the previous year’s accounts.
David Blagrove, Chairman of the Friends, writes…
“What happens to all the money raised by our successful events?” A question that, quite rightly, exercises the minds of Council members and doubtless other members of the Friends too, is “What happens to all the money raised by our successful events?” It is indeed frustrating when people have worked hard for weeks or months to put on a successful event seemingly to find that the results of their endeavours have vanished into the vaults of a bank apparently never to reappear. In reality there are two main directions in which these funds are channelled. The first is in direct support of the maintenance of the fabric of the Museum buildings and artefacts.
“Museum was in a parlous state” When we were first formed, the Museum was in a parlous state and needed considerable work done on the exhibits, the display arrangements and some of the fabric. One of our first tasks was to get the façade of the café painted and sign written and such work has gone on continuously over the last seven years. Since the formation of CRT and its offshoot organisation, the Museums and Attractions Partnership, there has been a more generous budget for such matters, but even so we are still called upon occasionally for contributions towards this sort of thing. More to the point though, and where much greater sums are going to be required, are future capital projects. We have been actively involved in creating and developing plans for the canal side environment and the Museum over the next ten years or so. There are a number of exciting and inter-
esting projects proposed but the final details of these take a good deal of time in the preparation. Take for instance the current project to provide interpretation panels along the canal side from the tunnel end to the locks. This has been under discussion for at least fifteen years if not longer, but has been seriously hindered by lack of funding. Eight years ago a plan was about to go forward, based on a partnership of local interests and the National Heritage Lottery, then the London Olympics were announced and all such projects were put on hold pending 2012. Last year such funds became again available but in the meantime costs had soared. We have always committed ourselves to a proportion of the funding but this was on the basis of the initial proposal.
“Resources are not bottomless” The current position is that Lynda Payton has been masterminding a bid for such funding, along with Helen Westlake, Chair of the Stoke Bruerne Canal Partnership. CRT have agreed to manage the project and the HLF has made an offer. Council has approved a match funding amount of £250 towards this project. More details of this are available on the Partnership’s w e b s i t e a t : h t t p : / / www.stokebruernecanalpartnership.org.uk . Hopefully this winter will see the project at last enter its final stage and we shall then consider exactly what our financial contribution is to be. There are other matters in hand, such as the ultimate refurbishment and presentation of the old lock
outside the “Boat Inn”, possible statuary commemorating historic figures in Stoke Bruerne connected with the canal and, of course, extension and re-equipping the Museum itself. These are at varying stages of development and are not going to be immediately apparent. Council has agreed to commit a substantial sum to the Arts Council Funding bid for improved lighting in the Museum. One thing though is certain, back in 1955 a conservative estimate from a firm of contractors for restoring the entire Kennet & Avon Canal from Reading to Bath was some £150,000; today such a sum would barely cover the cost of a new car park for the Museum. The sums raised through our endeavours may look large, but are only a small part of what will be required for future capital projects. Although the CRT has a more stable long-term financial pattern than did either BW or TWT before it, its resources are not bottomless and so, if extensions or major upgrading of exhibits are to take place, then such projects will have to be inaugurated through some sort of partnership with outside funding sources, and we shall be certainly called upon to assist with match funding.
“Handsome surplus” In spite of miserable weather once more, this time on the Sunday, the Village at War event succeeded in bringing in a handsome surplus. This year saw several innovations, notably the presence of HM King George VI and Lord Louis Mountbatten as well as the Rt Hon W.S. Churchill, PM and General Montgomery, the latter still apparently awaiting promotion to Field Marshal. On the Sunday morning many of the re-enactors attended a Church Parade which actually used St Mary’s Church. The Rector, Andrea Watkins, most sportingly pointed out that a woman would not have conducted such a service during the late WW2 and found a retired male cleric to officiate in her place,
although I am pleased to say the Reverend Andrea was both present and took part in the service. It was interesting that both the clergy present were not overawed by the presence of their Supreme Head and Governor in the congregation.
“A superb show” The Organising Committee, led by Mick Butler, deserves our thanks for once more putting on a superb show, and if you missed it then you most surely lost out! The next, and last major event of this year, will be what we have previously called “Illuminated Boats and Carols”, but which Council have decided to rename “Carols on the Canal”. This will be on Saturday 7 th December and will be accompanied by a Christmas Market, at “The Navigation”, following the success of last year’s experiment. We shall still welcome illuminated craft on the canal of course, but bitter experience has shown that it is not always either easy or possible for boats not based at Stoke Bruerne to attend. We have been promised a large Christmas tree for the Museum Green this year, so please put this date in your diaries.
“Date to remember” Another date to remember is the Thursday before “Carols on the Canal ”, that is 5th December, when we shall be holding our AGM. A formal notice is in this Newsletter. Our most efficient Social Secretary, Rose Granaghan, is arranging more monthly meetings for the New Year and all members are very welcome to come along. Yet another enterprise to which our funds have been directed is of course the Museum’s boat “Sculptor”. I am pleased to report that most of the work required is approaching completion. We had hoped to repaint and grain the cabin last winter, but investigations revealed a couple of areas where damp had got behind the panelling and caused serious rotting from the inside. This is now in hand, as is the final replace-
ment of broken or rotten shuts. Hopefully, during this winter we shall also be able to undertake some regular runs for training purposes, since next year the boat should be more active in visiting local events than hitherto. Members wishing to get involved in this aspect of volunteering are again more than welcome. As yet no formal programme of training or work parties has yet been arranged, but I can always give up-to-date information if you telephone me on 01604 862174. One possibility is working with a butty should members wish to become acquainted with this particular aspect of the black art of working boatmanship. David Blagrove Chairman October 2013
THE WEATHER DID NOTHING TO DAMPEN DOWN THE WARTIME SPIRIT
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isitors flocked in their thousands to our annual Village at War event at Stoke Bruerne on 14th-15th September and despite a weather threatened Sunday the weekend proved a great success raising a very welcome surplus of around £6,000. Mick Butler and his VAW team deserve our congratulations! The festivities started on Friday evening in the canal side Navigation Inn, continued through a very busy Saturday complete with Swing Dance in the evening and finished off on Sunday with a special church service attended by Royal British Legion, Veterans, Army Cadets and Military Re-enactors followed by firepower displays and bat-
tle re-enactments throughout the afternoon. Sadly Sunday's planned Spitfire fly -past from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight had to be cancelled due to the weather, but not just at Stoke Bruerne— all of its scheduled displays that day. Musical entertainment and 40’s glamour was provided by George Formby (aka Paul Casper), Lola Lamour and the Market Harborough Ukele Band performing underneath the dry arch of the canal bridge where a dance floor had also been erected. Winston Churchill (aka Peter Austwick) and Field Marshal Montgomery (aka Alan Oliver) were very much in evidence inspecting the troops as usual. And…for the first time, King George VI and his
well and truly on the map.” He continued: “Jenny and Denis have helped to raise considerable sums for the Museum and are to be congratulated on all the hard work they have put in.”
Photo: Chronicle & Echo
Next year’s Village at War has been set for 13-14th September, so put it in your diaries now. Anyone wanting to get involved in helping to organise the event should contact Mick Butler on 01604 473756.
wife were out and about talking to their loyal subjects. This year the 40s themed weekend had lots of new attractions for visitors including a display of vintage wedding dresses, Women’s League of Health and Beauty fitness routines and a Wartime Produce & Craft Show. Make do and mend was the order of the day and the village defences were patrolled by the local Home Guard.
After six years on the VAW SubCommittee both Denis Atkinson and Jenny Copeland have announced they are standing down. Both have made an immeasurable contribution to the event over the years and Chairman Mick Butler paid tribute to Jenny in saying: “Jenny’s vision in initiating Village at War, and her enormous contribution in leading the event in its early days, as well as her continued efforts throughout the last 6 years has put the weekend
For more pictures and reports of the Village at War Weekend, including videos, go to the web page at: www.friendsofcanalmuseum/village-atwar-2013
JACK JAMES ...a serialised biography by David Blagrove
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PART 6
n the meantime a scandal had broken on the Oxford Canal which may now perhaps be revealed, since all the participants are long dead, as is the Oxford Canal Company that may have been implicated in the affair. Jack James knew of the matter but was always reluctant to say too much about it, but I did manage to glean some information from him. I suspect that his father may have had a part in it. In 1915 the War Department obtained land near the Oxfordshire village of Upper Heyford in order to build an airfield for the Royal Flying Corps. This became RAF Heyford in the Second World War and ultimately a US airfield during the Cold War. The airfield was conveniently near the Rugby Portland Cement company’s works at Bletchington but bricks and other materials for the infrastructure had to be obtained from further afield.
“So far, so good” The Chawley Brickworks on Cumnor Hill outside Oxford obtained a War Office contract for the supply of bricks for the new airfield. These were loaded onto two large road trolleys holding some ten or twelve tons apiece and brought down Cumnor Hill to Oxford Basin by the brickworks’ traction engine. Here the contents were transferred into a boat which was then worked up the canal to Heyford Wharf, now a leisure boat base, where they were taken by cart up the hill
to the airfield. So far, so good, but the story as related by Jack James was that, once one consignment of bricks had been unloaded onto the wharf and laboriously reloaded onto a small builders’ wagon, the boat returned to Oxford for another load. This was duly loaded and the traction engine returned to its base and the boat set off. The difference was that this time the boat was not unloaded at Heyford but winded and returned to Oxford under cover of darkness. Meanwhile another two loads of bricks arrived at the Basin and similarly remained aboard the trolleys, being sold elsewhere in Oxford.
“Resultant scandal” I am not sure for how long this “scam” went on, but the rumour was that one boatload of bricks was sold several times over to the War Office before the inevitable discovery. The resultant scandal, which could have meant criminal charges for the participants, was seemingly hushed up. Probably the Oxford Canal’s directorate had sufficient friends in high places to ensure this, and the brickworks belonged ultimately to the Earl of Abingdon, but one result was that the wharfinger of Oxford Basin, one Hubert Hawkins, was “encouraged” to volunteer his services to the Army.
“Learned his letters” Following the Geddes reforms Hawkins was commissioned and sent to France where he took charge of traffic operations on the River Somme, and it was here that Jack James once more made his acquaintance. Jack spent the rest of the war working barges up to the front line carrying supplies in one direction and often wounded men downstream. He seems to have been caught up in the German offensive of March 1918, for he
was again wounded in an action near the Canal du Nord. At that time matters were sufficiently desperate for all troops who could fire a rifle or machine gun to be pressed into the line, but he seems to have returned to the river once the emergency was over. One bonus of his wartime career was that he had learned to read and write. He had learned his letters as a young lad by copying the large letters painted on the side of railway trucks and seemingly proved an apt pupil once he was able to attend regular classes offered in France by the Army, for inevitably many serving soldiers had only the basic rudiments of literacy. This ability was to serve Jack in good stead in later life for, like many boaters, he possessed an innate intelligence and ability that was greatly enhanced by the ability to read and write. He also learned a smattering of French, and for the rest of his life would astonish foreign visitors by addressing them in “soldiers’ French”, sometimes not altogether appropriately!
NEW SCRIPT FOR AUDIO TRAIL HANDSETS Over the summer months our Chairman and historian David Blagrove has re-written all the audio commentaries for the Museum’s audio handsets, and he and Emmerdale actor Tony Howes have been busy re-recording the transcripts. Now Volunteer and Council member Trevor Allum has the enormous task of uploading the new commentaries onto all the audio handsets in readiness for the spring.
THE FRIENDS OF THE CANAL MUSEUM
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING to be held on Thursday 5th December 2013 in the Learning Centre, Canal Museum commencing at 8pm
AGENDA 1. 2.
3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Apologies for absence Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting of The Friends of the Canal Museum held on Thursday, 18th October, 2012 at the Canal Museum, Stoke Bruerne Matters Arising Chairman’s Report Treasurer’s Report Subscriptions Election of Members of Council Presentation of Friends Achievement Award Any other business
At the time of publication of this notice, there are six vacancies on the Committee which also includes one ex-officio seat held by the Manager of The Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne. Under the terms of the Constitution David Blagrove, Lynda Payton, Bill Mann, John Alderson and Rick Thake retire by rotation and seek reelection. Other nominations for Council must be received by the Chairman, David Blagrove, Wharf Cottage, The Green, Bridge Road, Stoke Bruerne, NN12 7SE by 1st December 2013.
All those voting must be fully paid up members of The Friends of The Canal Museum at A large number of new handsets had previously Stoke Bruerne.
been purchased to replace ones which are be- {signed} David Blagrove, Chairman, The yond repair. Friends of The Canal Museum at Stoke BruFunding for the re-recording project and for the erne. purchase of replacement audio handsets has After the Annual General Meeting, there will be a social evening with refreshments been provided by the Friends. served.
Canal Adoption Group News
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lthough not strictly a Friends organisation (it runs under the aegis of the Stoke Bruerne Canal Partnership), it seems that most of the volunteers are from our members. Parties operate under the overall supervision of CRT’s volunteer co -ordinator, Miriam Tedder. Since setting the group up last Spring it has carried out several tidy-ups of the side lock, including carrying out an uphill battle against weeds. The arris rails round the side lock and footbridge approaches have been cleaned down and repainted and the gates and paddle gear of the top lock have been similarly dealt with.
ble from the footpath) and work steadily down the locks. Now that we are away from the busy Top Lock area we shall probably start holding work parties at weekends, but the next one is scheduled for Tuesday 2nd December. Start time 10am. Meet at Lock 15 (second lock down from the top). Future dates will be put on both our website and The Stoke Bruerne Canal Partnership website which is www.stokebruernecanalpartnership.org.uk
Our newly acquired resident member, Kathryn Dodington has been waging a one-woman campaign with BT over the flagpole at Top Lock, which has been unusable for several Volunteers on a task party earlier in the year years on account of badly-positioned overhead telephone wires. I am pleased to report that she has had some success and we hope that soon the wires will be repositioned and allow us to maintain this pole and restore it to use.
Curatorial Update by Mike Constable
Now that the Top lock area is tidier and smartened up we are gradually moving down the flight. The side ponds by Lock 15 were becoming almost invisible through vegetation and our September work party removed huge quantities of this. Not only that, they also uncovered the old ash box put there over a century ago for the receipt of ashes from steamers and cabin ranges. This was then used to spread over paths and lock sides in frosty weather and for racking up lock gates. The arris rails had completely rotted away under the vegetation and will be renewed at the next working party. For the winter season we shall be concentrating on vegetation clearance along the Long Pound (in places the canal is invisi-
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utumn is the quiet period for the Curatorial Team as they gear up for their concentrated time either side of Christmas. Some work on new interpretation has been taking place and some sourcing of new display material, but there is little to see in the actual Museum. Plans for the winter have been put on hold pending the outcome of the work being planned to fit the new lighting. Hopefully this will all become clear in time for full details to appear in this edition of Museum Matters. Whilst in Liverpool I did meet up with the Director of the National Museum of Wales in Swansea who will be looking after the Weighing Machine once it has been re-
stored by the team there. They are currently making new sections to replace the parts that had been damaged through long exposure to the elements and the site where it will be erected for the fourth (or is it fifth?) time is under preparation although pouring the new concrete base is likely to be delayed until the weather improves after Christmas to avoid frost damage in the curing stage.
FRIENDS ACHIEVEMENT AWARD At its November meeting Council decided to establish a new Award to be presented to any member or Council member who, during the year, or over a sustained period, has in the opinion of Council made an outstanding contribution to the work of the Friends and brought significant benefit to the Canal Museum by so doing. The Award will be presented at the Annual General Meeting each year.
RESEARCHING SISTER MARY Dr Della Sadler-Moore tells us how it all began PART 2—continued Email to David: I hope you remember me. I was the lady who came to last year’s canal festival with Sagitta, the Dudley Canal Trust GUCCC historic narrowboat and we opened to the public. I also met you at Crick Boat Show when you were promoting Stoke Bruerne as attraction of the year.
Email from David: Hello Della. Yes, I recall you on Sagitta. It is not quite correct to say that I hold the Sister Mary archives, but I do have custody of her case books from 1942 to 1961, and very interesting they are. What needs doing is for them to be analysed by someone with more medical knowledge than I and maybe extracting some statistics about boaters’ health, diet and so forth. The information is still, I would think, of a confidential nature since some of her patients are still around. However they give a remarkable insight into how she went about things and you would be welcome to come and see them at any time.
My usual job is as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Wolverhampton and I have been awarded a one year fellowship to conduct research on canal boaters’ health and wellbeing in the Black Country on the BCN. At the Waterways Craft Guild AGM I enquired if Stoke Bruerne museum held the Sister Mary archives and was informed you are the custodian. Let me know when you would like to As part of the research fellowship project visit. I am also researching the historical as- Best regards, David. pects of ‘Care on the Cut’. Would it be After quelling my excitement by trying possible to read Sister Mary’s docu- not to appear too eager I responded to ments as part of my research journey? David’s email a week later. By the end of I can come to Stoke Bruerne at your November I had made my first visit to convenience and have approval from the Stoke Bruerne by car, armed with a ‘grid’ university to stay overnight. of what I had found out about Sister Best wishes, Della
Mary and a list of publications from which these facts had been extracted. I viewed the Case Books on David’s kitchen table and we discussed the ‘facts’ about Sister Mary. I took copious notes, and on leaving Wharf Cottage I agreed to order from the British Library copies of the original articles and to piece together from these a more comprehensive account of what is reported about Sister Mary.
‘The Grid’ This mapping of Sister Mary’s life has become known as ‘The Grid’ between David, Lorna and myself, and the first grid was completed in December, in preparation for a two day visit to Stoke Bruerne in January. By now I realised I was deviating from the ‘Care on the Cut’ fellowship I had been approved to conduct. To proceed I submitted a revised research plan and this was approved. In January I made a two day visit to Stoke Bruerne. The first afternoon David and I discussed lots of issues and I did a preliminary review of the Sister Mary Ledgers/Case Books of which there are three. One dedicated to Willow Wren the other two for GUCCC entries. Before I departed that first afternoon David gave me his ‘Waterway’s of Northamptonshire’ book because contained in appendix I are pictures of Sister Mary and details of the delegates at the This is Your Life event. I was staying in Roade that evening at a Friend of Stoke Bruerne Museum’s B&B. Lucky for me Bill and his wife were so knowledgeable and sharing of information regarding the area, and that Bill helped me find the IWA meeting venue in Blisworth that evening because David was giving a talk on the Blisworth/Braunston tunnel, based on David’s book ‘Two Centuries of Service’. I was impressed at the IWA turnout, I sat at the back and was fortunate to chat to a number of liveaboard boaters, who showed interest in
my ‘Care on the Cut’ research. Not to forget to mention how riveted I was at David’s talk.
‘Geography is not my best subject’ I left after the talk and was now worried if I could come up to David’s expectations in terms of researching Sister Mary. As usual I got lost between Blisworth and Roade, but as Lorna will tell you ‘geography is not my best subject’, having kept her waiting at Northampton Archive due to ending up in Leighton Buzzard. Back at the B&B I began to realise how much information I had accumulated that first day, and on reviewing the copious amount of notes I’d made I found them to be somewhat erratically documented. So whilst the facts were relatively fresh in my mind, alongside having David’s book on loan, I spent a long night sorting these out ready for my next day with David.
‘Like a jigsaw puzzle’ Next day I left the B&B and was able to find Sister Mary’s resting place at what was once Roade Baptist Church, I took pictures, and I arrived at Stoke Bruerne before 9am so walked the towpath to the tunnel. After last night’s talk by David the scenery began to fall into place; like a jigsaw puzzle the pieces were coming together. Today my mentor for the ‘Care on the Cut’ fellowship (Professor Laura Serrant-Green) was joining me at Stoke Bruerne to meet with David to agree the way forward, and for Laura to double check my pilot analysis of 12 entries made by Sister Mary in one of the case books (which I had completed the day before). Laura met David when we agreed the best way forward was to continue as planned and that a set of display boards would be the best option to report the findings locally. Continued over page...
Message from the Museum Manager David Henderson brings us up to date
As you can see from the charts The Canal Museum is part of the Museums & Attractions (part of the Marketing Directorate within the Canal & River Trust). All sites have been trading reasonably well in this financial year. In expenditure all sites are within budget and Stoke Bruerne and Standedge have achieved budget for income.
Museum & Attractions—KPIs September 2013
Museum & Attractions New Structure (Nov 2013 ) As 14 persons were reporting directly to Debbie Lumb (Head of Department) it has been decided that James Dean, will become Support, Mentor and lead operations colleague at Standedge Visitor Centre, Spend per Visitor (free and paid) Total Income YTD (ÂŁs)
Catering Retail Boat Trips
ANDERTON
GLOUCESTER
NWM (inc HBY)
STANDEDGE
STOKE BRUERNE
77457.86
16008.30
57813.68
47272.94
40527.56
73442.15
16896.11
25665.08
3825.57
41627.20
121086.57
84153.73
7900.90
23761.75
0.00
Gloucester Waterways Museum & Canal Museum, Stoke Bruerne. Tim from Anderton will lead NWM and Trevor Basin (Wales).
Both the Gala and Village at War were a great success and there is money available to improve the Museum as we restore the artefacts and exhibitions after There was a blockage with Debbie Lumb the refurbishment. being so busy and finding it difficult to support 14 persons. Support and authority to action should be more dynamic under the new structure. Museum Closure in December and the New Year The Museum will be closing this winter for: Re-wiring throughout Museum New lighting New ceiling New floors Café branding - ‘selling the other sites with images’ It is the first time in my 7 years as Manager that major works will be taking place. Being part of CRT has allowed us to receive CRT funding as well as funding secured by Lynda Payton for a new lighting project. Most artefacts will be stored in the learning centre (removal starts 9th Dec to be completed Fri 20th Dec). The contractor will be on site early January and it is intended we re-open the Museum to the public just before Easter (hopefully April 1st). The Shop and Café will remain open during our winter hours operation eg. between Wed – Fri 11am to 3pm and weekends 11am to 4pm. We are looking for more volunteers in April to support the operation. This includes lunchtime cover for shop and café (noon to 2pm). If you are able to offer 2 days a week please contact me in the New Year. Full training will be provided and no experience necessary. Good communication skills are important. Thanks to all the Friends volunteers who have helped the Museum this season.
RESEARCHING SISTER MARY
Dr Della Sadler-Moore tells us how it all began ...the story continues I went to The Boat for lunch and again found myself sorting out my notes and thoughts ready for the final afternoon with David before I left for home. I arrived back at David’s and he had a visitor, Lorna York, who he had mentioned in a previous email. We were introduced and we hit it off immediately. We chatted away and I remember the feelings of uncertainty as to the way forward disappeared. That afternoon we all raised questions and chipped in ideas, and as the afternoon progressed the discussions became more analytical and critical. Armed with my notepad and Lorna’s pen (I’d mislaid three over 2 days so far) I hastily tried to keep up with the note taking. The IPad then came out and Lorna introduces me to genealogy web sites. The journey of discovery now took another turn. In the next article Della and Lorna reveal the journey of data collection from January to June 2013, when Della handed over the Display Boards to David and Lorna at the canal festival. In the final article in the series Lorna, David and Della explain the content of the display boards and the unexplained areas of Sister Mary’s life.
COUNCIL 2013/14 Chairman David Blagrove 01604-862174 also member of the Curatorial Group & Trustee
Vice-Chairman Lorna York Also Trustee
Treasurer Rick Thake treasurer@friendsofcanalmuseum.org.uk
Minutes Secretary Denis Atkinson
Membership Secretary Vacant membership@friendsofcanalmuseum.org.uk
Publicity, Newsletter & Website, Grant Funding & Awards Lynda Payton 01604-861205 publicity@friendsofcanalmuseum.org.uk
Museums & Attractions Partnership John Alderson Volunteer Co-ordinator Trevor Allum Other David Henderson (ex-officio seat), Jenny Copeland (Trustee), Bill Mann and Michael Butler
Events Sub-Committees Dennis Atkinson, Bill Mann, David Henderson, Lynda Payton (Gala Sub-Committee Chairman), Rick Thake, Tim Carter (occasional), Laura Sturrock, Jenny Copeland and Michael Butler (Village at War Sub-Committee Chairman), Trevor Allum, Helen Westlake, Mike Partridge, David Daines (corresponding), Terry Richardson, Roger Hasdell (corresponding), Graeme Scothern (corresponding) and Victoria Powell.
Non-Council Posts Roger Hasdell - Joint Newsletter Editor Terry Richardson - Assistant Publicity Officer Brian Collings - Curatorial Group Rose Granaghan - Winter Talks Organiser Laura Sturrock - Trustee
www.friendsofcanalmuseum.org.uk
DIARY DATES Talks will be given through the winter on the third Thursday of the month from September to April inclusive. See below for venue information. A donation is appreciated to help cover expenses.
Please put the following dates in your diaries: Thursday 21st November Talk at Canal Museum Learning Centre 8pm George Dickinson - an ex. policeman's life on the Canal Thursday 5th December AGM & Social Evening 8pm in The Learning Centre, Canal Museum Saturday 7th - Sunday 8th December Christmas Market at The Navigation Inn (in aid of The Friends of The Canal Museum) Saturday 7th December Carols by the Canal and Illuminated Boats from 5pm on Museum Green Wednesday 1st January Morris Dancers at The Boat Inn at 12 noon Thursday 16th January Talk, Venue TBC at 8pm Kathryn Dodington—The Jubilee, River Thames
Queen’s
Thursday 20th February Talk, Venue TBC at 8pm John Toy—1st Year with Digital Camera Thursday 2oth March Talk, Venue TBC at 8pm Malcolm Ranieri—Chasing the Steam Railway Thursday 17th April Talk, Venue TBC at 8pm Steve Morley—Tale of Two Canals Sunday 20th April Easter Egg Hunt - all Easter Wednesday 23rd April St George’s Day - Morris Dancers at The Boat Inn at 7pm