Towpath Talk May 2025 issue **FREE** by Mortons Media Group Ltd

88PAGES

Flotillawill takecashmessage intotheheartofWestminster

TheFundBritain’sWaterwaysLondon-boundarmada get readytoleaveKeadbyin

join thecampaignen route tothe capital. PHOTO:DUNCANWRIGHT

ANARMADAofboats will arrive in London in Maywith asimple message to government–“put moneyintowaterways”.

FundBritain’sWaterways (FBW) is hoping more boatswilljointhe protestcruiseintothe capitaland drivehometheneed formoreinvestmentintheUK’sriversand canals.

HazelOwen, chair oftheAssociationofWaterways Cruising

Clubsand amemberofthe FBW steering groupwho willleadthe flotilla,said: “Theneed for greater investmentinour waterwayshas neverbeenclearer.

“This flotillaisnot just about boats; it representsthe voicesof everyonewho caresabout the future of ourcanalsand rivers.We must show parliamentthatweare seriousabout safeguardingthese

Kennet &Avon winter repairs complete

THE Canal & River Trust has finished winter repairsontheKennet&AvonCanal.Maintenance work is done year-round, with major repairs from November to March. Lock gates were replaced at Caen Hill Lock Flight and Wootton Rivers Additional repairs were made at Crofton, Copse Lock, Colthrop Lock and Sheffield Lock An open day at Caen Hill Locks attracted more than 400 visitors. In total, 159 repair sites were planned across England and Wales over the winter

precious resources.”

Theflotilla left Keadbyin LincolnshireonApril 1and progressed upstream, joinedby further boatsatWestStockwith and Gainsborough.

Campaignersare hopingother boatswill jointhe cruiseasit makesits waytothe Palace of Westminster, arrivingonMay 7. FBWsaysthe flotillawillbe

StroudwaterCanalonBBCCountryﬁle

ONEof thecountry’slargestcanal restoration projects hasfeaturedon BBCCountryﬁle. Viewers sawthepositiveimpacttheStroudwaterCanal projectanditsvolunteershad madeonlocal communities,wildlifeandheritagepreservation.Six milesofcanalhavebeenrestored,withanotherfour milesunderrestoration.Theaward-winningproject hastransformed localareas intowell-used bluegreencorridors.CotswoldCanalsConnectedProject Team helped BBCCountryﬁleplanthe episode.

carrying acrucial message:our canals and rivers arebothvaluableandvaluedbut need adequate funding.

Thisevent isthe first of many leadinguptothe main Campaign CruiseatWestminster. The FBW flotillawill continueits journey drawingattention to theongoing need forinvestmentand support forBritain’sinland waterways.

Recognition for canal volunteer

A Northamptonshire canal volunteer received recognition in the Heritage Heroes Awards for celebrating the UK’s canal heritage Kathryn Dodington, a volunteer with Canal & River Trust since 2014, was a runner up in the Lifetime Achievement category She has volunteered in various roles at Stoke Bruerne, home to the country’s first canal museum Kathryn has contributed to various activities and events related to the canals Full story and picture on page 5

Lincolnshire. The ﬂotilla of craft is expected to grow as moreboats

of TowpathTalk

As spring breathes new life into the towpaths,this month’s edition of TowpathTalk brings both celebration andconcern forour cherishedwaterways.

In Wales,the much-loved Monmouthshire&Brecon Canal hasbeenthrownintocrisis. Thelong-termfutureremains uncertain, and the call for sustainable government-backed solutions hasnever been louder.

Meanwhile,averyvisible protest ismakingits wayfromLincolnshire to London.TheFund Britain’s Waterwaysflotillaisheading to Westminster, rallyingsupport and demandingurgentinvestmentin theentireinlandnetwork.More than ademonstration of boats, it’s amovingsymbolofunity– a flotillacarryingthe hopes and voices of boaters, walkers, nature lovers and communities who rely on thesehistoricroutes.

Ourmessage this month is clear: ourwaterways matter. Theyneed care,investmentand long-term vision –beforetemporary fixes become permanentfailures

Despitethat, there’splenty to celebratethis month on our news and featurepages Enjoythe edition!

Editor Dan Clare

tteditorial@mortons.co.uk

Publisher Tim Hartley

Group advertising manager Sue Keily skeily@mortons.co.uk

Advertising sales

Emma Hansom –01507 529453

ehansom@mortons.co.uk

Editorial design Chris Abrams

Production editor Pauline Hawkins

Publishing director Dan Savage

Commercial director Nigel Hole

Customer services 01507 529529

Telephone lines areopen: MondayFriday 8.30am-5pm help@classicmagazines.co.uk www.classicmagazines.co.uk

News &editorial

Tel: 01507 529466/01507 529451

editorial@towpathtalk.co.uk

Published by

Kelsey Media Ltd, The Granary,Downs Court,Yalding Hill, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent ME18 6AL

Printed by Mortons Print Ltd Tel. 01507 523456

Next issue –Thursday,May 22

Mon& Brec could still run dry despite emergencymeasures

THECanal &River TrustinWales,Glandŵr Cymru, hassecured an emergencyshort-term supplyofwater from DŵrCymruWelsh Water (DCWW) for the Monmouthshire& Brecon Canal.

Butitsaystheremay notbeenough water to keep the canalopenfor boatersduringthe coming months.

In itswebsite Boaters’ Update,the canal charitysaid:“We’recallingonurgentsupport to help secure the futureofthe Mon&Brec, after legislationcame into force that severely restricts the supplyofwater that feedsthe canal.

“For 225 yearsthe principal feed of waterto the Mon&Brechas been from the nearby River Usk. Butthe changesinlegislation, broughtinto provide protection forthe environmentaround the Usk, nowplace strict limitations on the water that canbedrawn from it.This makesrealthe unthinkableprospectthatthe canalcould run drywhenriver levels fall.

“Clearly,ensuringthe canalhas enough waterisessential for boatersand also to sustain thenumerous boatingand other tourism jobs in SouthWalesthatrelyonit. The canalisan importantdestinationthat brings millionsof visitorsand millions of pounds into thelocal area.Theprospectofitrunning dryfor periods wheneverriver levels drop would alsobe disastrousfor its wildlife,which after 225 years formsanimportantecosystem in itsown right.”

The trusthas actedtostave off theprospectthat thecanal could rundry in thecomingdays, after restrictions to its historicwater supply from the RiverUsk came into force at theend of last year, exacerbatedbythe unseasonablydry startto2025.

The impact of the limited watersupplyon the canalisalready beingfelt with waterlevels alongits 35-mile length droppingdramatically in recentdaysand the prospect of this worsening considerably in the days ahead.

CRTsaid on its website: “Unbelievablyfor March, we have already hadtobegin limiting

thewater that we draw from theRiver Usk. We’re acutelyaware of the possibleimpact on boaters andbusinessesthatdepend on the canal.”

GlandŵrCymruhas been in urgent talksto secure atemporary solution to safeguardthe much-lovedcanal while asustainable longtermsolution is soughtwith the help of the WelshGovernment, NaturalResources Wales andDCWW.

As an emergencymeasure the canalcharity has diverted moneyawayfromplannedmaintenance andrepairstosecurea‘stop gap’ watersupply. If the canalweretodry out, theeffects on the historic structureand thrivingecology could be catastrophic,and jobs and tourism in south Wales irreparablyimpacted

Mark Evans,regionaldirectorofGlandŵr Cymru, said: “The emergencyshort-term supply of waterwe’ve securedisvital to ensure that the integrityofthe canalitself and all that it supports isn’tlost. Ourcharity is uncertainhow long thisstop-gap measurecan last –itdepends on rainfall andotherfactors –but it will help secure the canalfor the comingweeks.

“Buyingwater at commercial prices is not a sustainable solution to the situation created bythe newlegislation, nor is ourcharity in a

Northern Canals Association lookstoabusy year ahead

THENORTHERNCanalsAssociation looked to thefutureand the past at itsrecentmeeting

Theassociation heardabout variousrestoration projects ongoing andplannedinthe region, including anew bridge and trip boat

The meetingwas heldatLangley Mill,intheAmberValley,Derbyshire, where57members heardabout the history of the CromfordCanal from Dave Ratner,atrustee of the trip boat Birdswood, andthensaw various improvementsonthe RiverErewash.

KELSEYmedia

Conditions:Editorial

Mr Ratner spokeabout the restoration of the CromfordCanal. Openedin1794 and joiningwith the Erewash and Nottingham Canals at GreatNorthern Basin, LangleyMill, the14.5-mile-longcanal rose by 14 lockstothe summit at Ironville with afurther 2.25-mile branchto Pinxton, Notts. Beyond this and the 1.75-mile ButterleyTunnel, afurther 13.5level milestakes thecanal through the lovelyDerwent Valley into thesouthernPeakDistrictof Derbyshire.

Ahugecollapse of the Butterley Tunnel in 1900 effectivelysplit the canalintwo,leaving only the southern section open to through traffic. Despiteaminor revival in tradingfrom1939-45 the canalwas eventuallyabandonedin1969. Early restoration duringthe 1970s and 1980s wasfocused on the northern, scenic section from CromfordtoAmbergate

With the1938-built ex-butty Birdswood nowconverted to electric, runningbetween CromfordWharf, site of theWeighbridge Shop,and LeawoodPumphouse/HighPeak Junction,70,000 passengers have been carriedsince2013. Restoration and maintenance continues on both ‘halves’ofthe canalamounting to 3903 workingparty volunteer hours in2024.

Laterthe visitorsenjoyed aWalk Through Time with DavidMartin, pausingatthe variouslandmark restorations over thedecades,from the first lock to thelatestextension, awaitingpermission from CRTfor a bridge to theboatyard.

position to fund capital costs for additional infrastructure work.”

Findingfunds forthis watertobepumpedinto the canalwill have consequences for the charity’s programmeofmaintenance,introducingrisk acrossthe canalnetwork

RichardParry,Canal &River Trustchief executive,added:“It isn’tsustainable foracharity to shoulderthe full financial burden of this new legislativerequirement.TheMonmouthshire &BreconCanal hasnever before facedsuch restrictionstoits watersupplyorhad to payfor the wateritneedstostayopenfor the public to enjoy andfor the naturethat depends upon it to thrive. “While this ‘sticking plaster’ solution buys us some time it is unfortunately short-term only. The pressure remainstourgentlyfind a viable long-termsolution for the canal. We will continuetocall on theWelsh governmenttohelp secure amoresustainable futurefor thisbeautiful canalthatbringssomuchtothe area.Wealso welcome the prospect of an informeddebate in the Senedd, following the highly successful petition that hasquickly passed thethreshold of signatories needed,showing the strength of public supportfor the canaland want to thank everyone who hassignedit.”

Membersofthe NorthernCanals Association visit theBeggarlee on theErewash in Derbyshireextension during their March meeting. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Next,Chris Broome leda visit to theland drainageand flood storage compensation scheme currently nearingcompletion beyond the site of the proposed new staircase locks. Necessitatedbythe proximityofthe RiverErewash to thecanal andthe undesirabilityofyetmorefloodwater making its way, unimpeded, down to theErewash/Trent/SoarRiver confluence,sooften in the news for floodingalready,2000 cubic metres of waterneedtobeaccommodated here.Impressivemoundsofearth

and drainage outfalls currentlymark the spot butwill, in time,blend in with new surroundings.Fortunately foreveryone, thepromisedrain held off and conditions underfoot remainedlargely bearable Forthe NCAIvanCane announcedthatapplicationstohost the WildernessBoatClub AGMs up to 2028 hadbeenreceived,however, theWBOCwas more than happy to providecraft forsmallerevents whereboats would help to enhance an event.

Emergency measureshave been implemented to prevent the Monmouthshire& Brecon Canal runningdry. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Lancaster Canal reopens to boatsafter £1.6m breach

THE CANAL&River Trust hasreopenedthe Lancaster Canaltoboaters following a £1.6 million projecttorepair abreachatHollowforth Aqueduct

Thecanal at the Grade II-Listedaqueductat Woodplumpton breached in July last year,causing extensivedamagewhereparts of the embankment, towpath and sections of aqueduct wingwall washedaway.

Thetrust’s projectteam createdaplantorebuild the embankment, reinstate the canaltowpathandthefootpath underneaththe aqueduct,and sensitivelyrepair and restore theaqueduct,using original archivedrawingstoreplace all the masonryinits original position.

The complex repair works, whichcostthe charity£1.6 million, have includedseveral measures,suchasaland drain and bentoniteclayliner

on the canalbed,toprevent a breach in the future

Jon Horsfall, NorthWest director at Canal& River Trust, whichcares for2000 milesofhistoriccanals across England and Wales,said:

“We’ve been workinghard onsitesincelastsummer to repair thebreachand getthe canalbackopenfor boaters and towpathusers as quickly as possible.Hollowforth Aqueduct is apiece ofliving heritage,and we’vetaken care to protectits historicalaspects while repairingthe damage to make it safe forthe future.

“We’ve kept boatersat theforefront of ourthinking as we’vecarried outthese works, creatinganunusual three-sideddam to allow boaterstonavigateacross theaqueductbeforethe navigationwas closed for the repairstoget under way.

“Thankfully, all that hardworkhas paid off,the

complex repairshavebeen completed,new measures have been putinplace to preventabreachinthe future andnavigation hasnow reopenedfor boaters.”

Therepairhas been particularly challengingfor engineersasthe breach was locatedawayfromlocal roads

and requireda temporary tracktobebuilt to the aqueduct, andalongthe bed of thedrained canal, so that materials could be brought to site.Thetemporary access ramp,stone used for canal accessand 100 tonnes of wastematerial, alongwith twoporta dams,havenow

been removedand navigation hasreopenedtoboaters

Renowned civil engineer John Rennie designed Hollowforth Aqueduct,using an ingeniousengineering solutionofthree barrelshaped stone pipes,tocarry the LancasterCanal over New Mill Brookinthe 1790s.John

TV star aligns with Saturn at

ATVSTARwill be the celebrity auctioneer at aweekend waterway celebration at the National Waterways Museum over Easterweekend.

Simon O’Brien, award-winningTV presenterand former Brookside actor,

will do the auctioneeringonthe Sunday of thefour-dayfestival at EllesmerePortfromApril 18-21.

On display will be the horsedrawnboat Saturn,the last-surviving ShropshireUnion Flyboat, at

historicwaterway festival

the annual EasterHistoricBoat GatheringFestival over the bank holiday weekend

Hosted by the Canal&River Trust charity, the four-day festivaloffers visitors the opportunitytoget up closetofascinatingold workingboats as well as modern narrowboatsand enjoy afantastic rangeofwaterwaythemedactivitiesand music.

ChrisDone, visitorservices managerwith theCanal &River Trust, said: “The 2025 Easter Historic Boat Gatheringpromises to be afantastic celebration of our wonderful canalheritage.

“This year we’redelightedto welcomethe EllesmerePort MayorCounPaulDonovanand TV celebritySimon O’Brien to our specialannual gathering of boat enthusiasts. It’s wonderful that the mayorhas chosen the museum to be one of hischosen charities this year.We’re very grateful forhis support.

“The mare Flower, who towed the Saturn flyboat for the first time last year,was arealhit with the crowds and we arethrilledtowelcomeher back again to givevisitorsarare insightintothe lostworld of horsedrawncanal boating.

“For families,there is aspecial children’strail, activities andaboatthemedplayground.

“Wehopethis spectacular waterway festival will be thelaunch of afabuloussummer season for everyone.”

On Good Friday,CounPaul Donovanwillbeatthe museum from noon onwardstogreet the arrivalofthe traditional Easterboat convoy, cruisingfromChesterto EllesmerePortalongthe Shropshire Union Canal, featuringmorethan 40 historicboats,including Saturn pulledbynine-year-old Flower.

SimonO’Brienwillbethecelebrity auctioneer at aspecial auction of privately donated canalartefacts,

Rennie laterwentontodesign the iconic Lune Aqueduct, near Lancaster, andalso the Caen Hill Lock Flight on the Kennet &AvonCanal in Wiltshire, one of theseven wondersofthe waterways.

Mr Horsfall added: “The LancasterCanal, which is extremelypopular with boaters, walkersand cyclists, is morethan200 yearsold but, likesomuchofour historiccanal network,it hasendured centuriesof useand been battered by theelements,which have taken their toll on one of the country’sfew coastal canals The breach andcostlyrepairs demonstratethe scaleofthe challenge ourcharity faces in keepingcanalsalive.

“Wewould liketothank everyone,especiallyboaters andthe localcommunity,for their patience and support while thesecomplexworks have been carriedout.”

organised by the ShropshireUnion Fly-boatRestorationSociety at 2pm on EasterSundaytoraise moneyfor Saturn

Over the four-day festival, the National WaterwaysMuseum site,located at the junction of the ManchesterShip Canaland the ShropshireUnion Canal, will host awide rangeofspecial attractions, from craft workshops and children’s activities to lock demonstrations and steamengines workinginthe PowerHall.

From MaytoSeptember,visitors canenjoy arange of specialevents. The Canal&River Trustwould be delighted to hear from anyone interested in volunteering at the museum

Formoreinformation about visitingand to book discounted tickets,visit the museum websitewww.canalrivertrust. or g. uk/pl aces -t o- vi si t/ national-waterways-museum

Engineers workingonthe Lancaster Canal repairs after it wasbreached last year. The waterway hasnow reopened to boaters after the £1.6m works programme.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

The historic flyboat Saturn and the mare Flowerwill be at the EasterHistoric BoatGathering Festivalatthe National WaterwaysMuseum. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

School students tackleclimate change and flooding head on

Studentsfrom two East Midlands schools tackled climatechange andthe dramatic effect it can have on waterways head on during arecent journalismworkshop at the UniversityofLincoln. The group, from CleethorpesAcademy andJohn Spendluffe TechnologyCollege in Alford, Lincolnshire,created astorypackage on flooding which included avideo,podcast, digital storyand social media. Hereistheir story…

Floodingisoccurring so oftenin Lincoln that dedicated volunteers arenow needed to help with clean-ups,the Canal& River Trusthas said.

People arebeingsoughtto offer ahand with clearing debris, rubbish and silt each timethe city’sBrayfordPoolovertops

It comes after torrential rain in Januaryled to floodingthatsaw underpasses filledwithwater, walkways turnedintoriversand roads becomefords

St eph en Ha rd y, communications manager with the trust, said: “Weneed volunteers. When the flood waters subside,theyleave behind alot of debris, alot of rubbish, alot of silt on towpaths and that’s not safe for people to enjoy the waterway.”

He alsosaid that floodingacross the UK hadcostthe trust£10 million morethanithad budgeted for last year

The Brayforditself hasflooded fivetimes in just 12 yearswith some experts suggestinglarge swathes of lowerLincoln could

even be underwaterby2050.

Andrew Armstrong, atechnical specialistatthe universitywho livesona houseboat, said the floodinghad become worsein the three yearshehad lived on the water.

He said of January’sflood: “UnlessItookmysocks and shoes off androlledmytrousersup, I wouldn’t have been able to getto work

“The harbourmastercame with planks of wood andmadeabridge for me.”

Jack Mooney, vice-presidentof the University of Lincoln Rowing Club,said: “Water risesand gets inside the boat club.It’sa nightmare.”

He added: “Lastyeartwo to three months of trainingwas calledoffand trainingtime went outthe window.”

To read thestory,watch the videoand listentothe podcast, pleaseclickhere: www.lsjnews co.uk/calls-for-volunteers-aslincolns-flood-crisis-grows

Right: School students interviewing Stephen Hardy, communicationsmanager with the Canal &River Trust.The trust has called for morevolunteers to assist with cleaning up after flooding incidents.

Below: TheCanal &River Trust has called for morevolunteers to assist with cleaning up after flooding incidents.

Canalside project needs£5000 to restore Lincolnshire canal history

THE GRANTHAM Canal Societyisaskingfor the public’s helpasitbids to restorethe historic CanalWharf and Weigh HouseatMustonGorse, near Bottesford in Lincolnshire

The buildingisderelict and needsfull renovation So far,aCrowdfunder hasraised £735. The societyaims to restore thestructure,creatinga vibrantvisitor attraction for the community, history lovers and canal walkersalike.Thesociety plans to usevolunteers to do the work buthopes fundraisingwill provide the historic building materialsneeded.

In addition, the group plans to erecta sculpture depictingthe original wharfcrane

The Duke of Rutland’s Grantham CanalWharf, locatedatMustonGorse

near Bottesford, was historicallyconnected to Belvoir Castle viaone of England’s earliesthorsedrawnrailways, established in 1815 by the Butterley IronworksCompany

While coal wasaprimary commodity transported to thecastle,the tramway also carriedother essential supplies. The Grantham Canalplayeda significant role in regional trade, bringinginmaterials such as fertiliser (notablynight soil from Nottingham) andbuildingmaterials. Additionally,the canal facilitatedthe movement of agricultural products, includingground corn, rolled oats andmaltfor localbeerproduction.

At Muston Gorse Wharf, aweighbridge wasinstalledtomeasure theweightofgoods beingtransported.This infrastructure ensured

accurateaccountingfor variouscommodities, includingcoal, fertilisers, buildingmaterials and agricultural products

Theestablishmentof the Grantham Canaland itsassociatedtramway significantly enhancedthe efficiencyoftransporting goodstoBelvoir Castle, reducing costsand improvingaccessibility to essentialsupplies beyond coal. If you can help,pleasegoto: www. crowdfunder.co.uk/p/ gcsweigh-house

The Canal Wharf and Weigh House at Muston Gorse, near BottesfordinLincolnshire. The Grantham Canal Society is hoping to restore the historic building and has set a£5000 target. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

PHOTO: CALLUM EVANS

Lincoln’sBrayfordPool,which has sufferedflooding in recent years. PHOTO: CALLUM EVANS

School students interviewingJack Mooney, vice-president of the University of Lincoln Rowing Club, which has been unable to train because of flooding on the city’srivers in recent months. PHOTO: CALLUM EVANS

Rare‘puffer’ saved by £234,000 grant

ARARE Clydepuffer boat

whichison the National Historic Ships Fleet Registerhas been saved from ruin –but is still short of its cash target.

The Canal& RiverTrust is hopingthe publicwillhelp fund the remaining£20,000 needed to rescue and preserve the vessel at the trust’sNational Waterways Museum in EllesmerePort.

The66ft canalboat, whoseclassification as a ‘puffer’derives from the puffingsound made by her steamengine, wasbuilt in Glasgow in 1902. Named Basuto,the boat is on the National Historic Ships FleetRegister, of similar importance to the Cutty Sark,HMS Victory and SS GreatBritain. SteveBagley, manager of the trust’sNational Collections, said:“We are very grateful to National Heritage MemorialFund for making this grant, which will help preserve this important boat for the nation.

“Basuto is theoldest known survivinginland ‘puffer’and hashad a fascinatinglife,starting outonthe Forth& Clyde Canalcarryingpig iron, then movingtoIreland, back to Scotland,down to Liverpool, over to Widnes,then Manchester Docks, before travelling to EllesmerePortin1981.

“Originallybuilt to ensure canaltransport could compete with railways, Basuto hasbeenmodified severaltimes, served through twoworld wars and worked as avalued

cargovesselonmanyof Britain and Ireland’s larger inland waterwaysfor nearly 80 years. Shetakes hername fromBasutoland in Lesotho,alandlocked countryinSouth Africa, which wasonce part of theBritish Empire. Sheis uniqueand her personal historicaljourneygives us avaluable windowintoour nation’shistory –astory whichwewillbetelling the public as part of new interpretation displaysto accompanyher rescue.”

Basuto hasbeenmoored in oneofthe museum’s basins for morethan40years and the trusthas secured the granttoensurethatvital maintenance is undertaken to secure the rare boat for future generations.

The£254,000project involves carefullycraning the boat outofthe water on to themuseum slipway and her new, permanent home,restingonametal supportframe.The

exterior will be carefully cleaned, beforethe frame, deck,wheelhouseand hold covers arerepaired and repaintedtomake herwatertightagainstthe weather, as part of alongterm conservation plan.

The trustishopingto raisethe remaining£20,000 of projectcosts with a specialcrowdfunding appeal launchedinApril.

TheNational Heritage MemorialFund wasset up in 1980 andsupports the acquisition, preservation and maintenance of the UK’s most outstandingheritage

Simon Thurley, chair of the National Heritage MemorialFund, said: “As theoldestknown surviving inland ‘puffer’, Basuto’s story takes us on afascinating 80-year journeyonthe UK’s waterways. We aredelighted that it will find anew home on aslipwayatthe National WaterwaysMuseum “TheNational Heritage Memorial Fund exists

to save theUK’smost outstandingheritage and make it publicly accessible, in memoryofthose who have given their lives for the UK.Weare delighted to count Basuto as part of the growingand timeless collectionofUKheritage that belongs to allofus.”

The plan is to lift Basuto outofthe waterinlate spring and completethe repairs, preservation and conservation worksby the end of thisyear, in time for the boat to be the centrepiece of celebrations to mark the museum’s 50th anniversary in 2026.

Knownlocally as the Boat Museum,the National WaterwaysMuseumsite is locatedatthe junction of theManchesterShip Canaland theShropshire UnionCanal.Itdisplaysa fascinatingcollectionof historic boats, waterways artefacts and steam-driven machinery, as well as telling thestory of Britain’scanals.

Volunteer recognised for role in celebrating Northamptonshire’s canal heritage

ANORTHAMPTONSHIRE

canalvolunteer is celebrating afterreceiving recognitionin theHeritageHeroesAwards, organisedbythe Heritage Alliance

KathrynDodington, who has received recognition in the Heritage Heroes Awards, organised by the Heritage Alliance, for her workwith the canals over the last 11 years.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

KathrynDodington,who hasvolunteered with national charityCanal &River Trust since2014, hasbeenselected as arunner-up in theLifetime Achievementcategory of the awards,which recognisethe invaluablerole that volunteers play in protecting and celebratingthe UK’sheritage. Kathryn, whohas alongfamily history on the canals,has held severalvolunteerroles with thetrust basedaround thehistoric canalside villageofStoke Bruerne– home to thecountry’s first canalmuseum. Notonlyhas shevolunteeredwith historicboat Sculptor which is moored outside the museum,but Kathryn hasalsohelped to research and develop interpretation panels, delivered hundredsofhistoricwalksand talkswith groups,run ‘pop up museums’and familyactivities on the towpathand played aleadingrole on public events such as VillageatWar,craft and heritage days,floatingmarkets and illuminated boat parades. Speaking aboutthe award, Kathryn said: “Volunteeringhas been averyimportant part of my lifeand I’mverygratefultobe recognised in this way. The inland waterwayshavealwaysfired my imagination, especiallythe history of them,and Ihopeothers will be inspired to help protectthem for futuregenerations

“Two people whoare in the forefront of my memories,and whodid so much to teachmeabout the history of ourinland waterways, arethe late David Blagrove and my very good friend, LornaYork. Their wordsalwaysringinmyears: ‘You have to search down anumberofrabbit holes to getthe real andaccurate story.’How righttheywereand are.”

LinnyBeaumont, regional directorfor Canal&River Trust in theEastMidlands, said:“We’redelighted that Kathryn hasreceived this recognition, which is so richly deserved for theincrediblecontributionshe playsonthe nation’s historic waterways.

“Asa charityit’sour jobtokeepour historic canals aliveand Kathryn certainlydoesthat, helpingtocelebrate thecanals’ colourful historyand bringtheir stories to new audiences.It’s aprivilege to work with Kathryn andwe’dliketocongratulate herfor this recognition.”

Nowintheir 15th year, theHeritage Heroes Awardsaim to celebratethe exceptional contributions of volunteers in the UK heritage sector. The awardsare run by the Heritage Alliance, thanks to the generous support of EcclesiasticalInsurance.

The Basuto,a rareGlasgow puffer boat, will be preserved thanks to a £234,000 grant. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Toxicleak: canalrecovery work cost hits £500,000

THE COST of essentialremedial work to the Walsall Canalafter it waspoisoned by 4000 litres of highlytoxic sodiumcyanide and zinc cyanide hasreached £500,000

The Canal&River Trustrevealed it hasdivertedfunds to manage theaftermath of theleakand addedtherewas no datefor the reopeningofthe canaltoboaters

Anochrome Ltdwas identified as thesourceofthe spillof4000 litres of sodium cyanide into the waternorth of OckerHill to the Wyrley and EssingtonCanal in August last year

Thecompany,which offers specialistsurface coatings anddescribes itself on its websiteasan“environmentally awareorganisation”,isunder investigation by theEnvironment Agency to establishthe causeof the spill.

An EnvironmentAgency spokesman said: “Weare undertakingathorough investigation into the serious chemical spill incidentin Walsall and ourenquiriesare proceeding. Pollution of this kind is unacceptableand theimpacton wildlife and the environment can be severe.

“Weare unable to provide further commen t in case it prejudicesany futurelegal proceedings.”

Meanwhile, the Canal& RiverTrust hasbegun re mo v i ng contaminated silt from the canalina majordredging operation. This is acrucial step in thecanal’s ec olo gic al re co ve ry , required by the Environment Agency, and a majorsteptowards reopening the waterway to boats.

This marksa significant milestone in therecoveryofthe canal. Around one mile of the canalinthe PleckareaofWalsall hashad to remain closed forboats for the last eightmonths.

Henriette Breukelaar, regional director, Canal& RiverTrust,said:

“We’re delightedthat dredgingof the WalsallCanal starts this week; this is amajor milestone in the canal’srecovery.

“The awful spillageofcyanide into the community’swonderful and historiccanal hasleft this sectionecologicallydevastated, wiping outwildlife,including themicroorganisms that form

Emergency repairs mean Britain’s longestcanal lock flight stays closed

URGENTrepairstothe longest canallockflight in Britain will keep thelocks closed until August

TheCanal &River Trustis undertakingurgentworks,costing £500,000, to Tardebigge TopLock on theWorcester &Birmingham Canalafter investigations revealed that the 200-year-old lock wall is in need of restoration. The work is vital to keep the flightopenand available for boats.

Engineersfromthe charityhad

hoped to carryout the heritage repairsalongsideother planned maintenance work on thelock flightthis winter.Unfortunately, thorough investigations show that the work can’twait, and an extensiveand costlyrepair is required immediately. The problem wasinitiallyhighlighted by boaters whowerehavingtrouble navigating the lock. This type of feedback playsavaluable part in supporting the trust’srollinginspection programme.

will undertake the necessary works to averyhighstandardand in line with the heritageconsiderations of this Grade II-listedsite. Please be assuredthat completing the works and reopeningthe canaland the towpathassoonaspossibleisour absolutepriority.

the foundationofthe canal’s ecosystem.

“Sofar,wehavespent around half amillionpoundsofcharitable funds,coveringcosts such as staff time,dam installation, materials, contractors, and labtesting.This is a huge resource that hasbeendiverted from other essentialactivitytokeep the region’s canals open and safe.”

structurewill be expertlyrebuilt reusingasmanybricksaspossible.

The navigation will remain closed untilthe repair work is completed

Thetrust will provide regular updatesonprogressonits website.

Amajor pollution incidentwas declared at the time and, while thetowpath hassince reopened, thecanal hasremained closed to boatsand devoid of wildlife

ACrowdfunder launched by CRTraised £25,000 andwill help with therecoveryofthe area

“Weare gratefulfor the support of ourpartnersand thegenerosity of the public,particularly thosewho contributed to the Crowdfunder. This will help ensurethe canalremains avital part of the localcommunityand, hopefullysoon, canfullyreopen,” said Henriette

“Weunderstand the closure hasbeenfrustratingfor boaters andthe localcommunity, andwe hope thedredgingwillmoveus closer to reopeningthe canal. We will continue to provide updates. Ourpriorityremains the safety andrestoration of this important waterway,and we appreciate everyone’s patiencewhile we carryout this critical work.”

The dredgingisexpectedto takeseveral weeks, after which the sedimentand waterwill be tested once again.Thetestresults will determine if further steps are needed andwhen the canalcan reopen.

volunteerstohelpthe charityclear weeds, reedsand overgrownbushes alongthe region’s towpaths and locks, making ahugedifference while learningmoreabout the canal. More information here: www. volunteer.canalrivertrust.org.uk

GUARANTEE

The trustis workingclosely with the Bromsgroveand Redditch Council conservation team to agreethe scopeofthe restoration work.Thetrust expects to invest more than £500,000 in these necessaryworks.

Henriette Breukelaar, West Midlands’regionaldirector at Canal& RiverTrust,said: “TardebiggeLocks is loved and much used by boaters and walkersalike. Iappreciate that many people will be very disappointedthatwehave hadtoclosethe site duringthe summer months.Our charity

“Thisillustrates some of the challengesweface in maintaining this amazingworking heritage: a2000-milenetwork of canals that areopentothe elements and vulnerable to achangingclimate. We’reout everyday workingto keep the canals open fornavigation andthe thousands of centuries-old locks, bridgesand tunnels safe andingood workingorder.All this comesata cost,and we welcome people’s support, through donating, volunteering,orspreading theword aboutour charity, to help us keep canals alivefor yearstocome.”

The charityisstabilising thebricklock wall. The lock is aheritage listed asset, and the workswillbedone with the utmostcare, dismantling theminimum number of historic bricks.Oncethe necessary Listed BuildingConsentisinplace,the

The exact timeline of the workswill not be known until the wall hasbeen dismantledand full investigations completed. Indicatively, thetrust expects the flighttoremain closed untilthe end of August.Ascending the flight, thelastwindinghole is aboveLock23: boatswillnot be able to turn around beyond this point.

The towpathwill alsobeclosed with adiversion in place usinglocal footpaths.

Tardebigge has30locks carrying narrowboats220ftuphilland downhill over two-and-a-quarter miles.Thetop lock is particularly deep becauseitwas the site of an experimental vertical boat lift before it wasreplacedwith aconventional lock.Openedin1815, the canal wasdug outbyhandfor the transportation of porcelainpotsand Cadbury’schocolate,and is now popularwithleisure boats, cutting into theheart of Birmingham at Gas Street Basin.

Localpeopleare also being invited to getinvolved with caring for the Worcester&Birmingham Canal, includingatTardebigge.

The trustislooking for conservator

Part of the emergency £500,000 Worcester canal repairs.

An engineer tests the water from the Walsall Canal as recovery efforts continue on the waterway. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

HRH The Princess Royal, patron of theLondon Canal Museum, with Martin Sach, chair of theLondon Canal Museum on the quay outside themuseum, standing next to the narrowboat Long Tom, which themuseum co-owns withthe Angel Community Canal Boat Trust and uses for trips along theRegent’sCanal.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

London CanalMuseum’s right royalrecipe forsuccess

HRH The PrincessRoyal visited the London Canal Museum whereshe saw firsthandthe work of volunteersand the exhibits on show.

Themuseum,located near King’s Cross, is devotedtothe history of London’scanals and PrincessAnne is its patron.

Marina hosts MP visit

WHITEMills Marina at Earls Barton wasdelightedtowelcome localMPStuartAndrewwho visitedthe familyrun business as part of aconstituencyfactfindingtour.

Of course,noofficialvisit would be completewithout aribbon-cuttingceremony, so WhiteMills arranged for Stuarttoofficiallymarkthe startofthe Marina’s Phase 3developmentbydoingthe honoursand cuttingaribbon Once complete, Phase3will seethe creation of adedicated boaters’ community hubthat will includenew showersand toilets as well as areception area overlookingthe marina where boaterscan socialise and relax.

Reflectingonhis weekend visittothe Northamptonshire marina,Stuartsaid: “Itwas a real pleasuretovisit WhiteMills and seehow busy the boathouse cafe waswith lots of people enjoyingthe sunshine.The improvements currentlybeing carriedout to the communal spaces at the marina will ensure it continuestobenefit visitors for yearstocome.”

Marina managerGeorgina Wickhamsaid: ”Itwas lovely of Stuarttocome andvisit.It wasclear he wasgenuinely interested in finding outmore aboutsmall,familyrun,rural businesseslikeWhiteMills Hopefullyhewill come and see us again once the extension is completed.”

Princess Anne asks a question at an ice cream making demonstration hostedbyLondonCanal Museum volunteer Mandy,inperioddress asMrs Agnes BMarshall, aVictorian celebrity chef and entrepreneur. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

During the visit,the princessmet frontof housevolunteersand other helperswho demonstrated Victoriancooking and ice creammaking.

Work continues apace on MontgomeryCanalrestoration

VOLUNTEERSfromthe Shropshire Union CanalSociety(SUCS)are inchingthe Crickheath section of theMontgomeryCanal closer to SchoolhouseBridge.

During arecentworkparty, volunteerslaid 3500 blockstoline the canal, completing135 metres towardsthe bridge

Their work wasapproved by Jason Leach, head of external programme deliveryatCanal &River Trust, who performedahealth and safety audit,declaredthe performance as“impressive”and commented favourably on volunteer engagement and site tidiness

SUCS restoration projectmanager TomFuldasaid: “This nextsection,

the final part of Phase1B, takesus afurther135 metres towardsthe SchoolhouseBridge. Once complete, the remainder of the workswill be undertaken from theSchoolhouse Bridge end of the site,and we shall relocate to acompound by the bridge laterinthe year

“Morethan3500 blocks were used,eachlaidbyhand.Blocks finish just belowwater leveland admittedlythe banksabove water levelstill requirecompletion, but neverthelessthis is aworkparty recordlength,certainlyfor the currentproject and possiblythe greatest of all time.”

Elsewhere,and after alongwait for suitableweather conditions,the

haul road alongside the re-watered section completed last year was removedand the site restored to its original condition. Although still bare, thesere-wateredsections no longerlooklikeabuilding site and

will greenuprapidlyoversummer

The bankswill be reseeded in the nextfew weekswith ablend of local native grassesand wildflowers.

The society’scurrent restoration programme,whichbegan in 2023,

aims to complete the Crickheath South section and bringa linking-up of the canalfromthe Llangollen CanaltoWelshpool.

TheSUCSisalwayslookingfornew volunteers andmembers.Anyone interested in becoming avolunteer should seeshropshireunion.org.uk/ work-party-schedulefor details of datesand contacts

Volunteers from the Shropshire UnionCanal Society hardat work laying blocks to line theMontgomery Canalnear Schoolhouse Bridge. The restoration is part of alongterm project to link up thecanal with Welshpool. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

shoulder holstersat£46 inc p&p. These are pump-action windlassesthatallow boaters

From left aremarina manager Georgina Wickham, Rt Hon Stuart Andrew and Ben Skinner (director).

BCNclean-up

THE annual BCNclean-uptook place around the OldMain Line CanalinTipton, West Midlands on March15-16. This wasthe first time this grouphad cleanedthis section of the canalfor decades

The groupwelcomedbackmany volunteerswho hadn’t attendedin afew years, uppingthe numbersof volunteerstomorethan55fromall over the UK.Theteams were ably assisted by the volunteersofthe Birmingham CanalNavigations Societywho suppliedthe vital workboatstoremove the debris once it hadbeenpulledout of thecanal.

Organiser ChrisMorgan, from CaerphillyinSouth Wales,was pleased with the twodays’ work and thanked everyone for their support.

“Over20tons of debris

wasremovedfromthe canal, includingsafes,bikes,mattresses, pushchairs, traffic safety equipment,rolls of barbed wire, many typesoftyre, one of which wasclaimedtobethe biggestthe volunteershad ever pulledout in 25 yearsofthisevent takingplace It is sadtosee the amountofplastic that comes outwith each pull.”

The teamwould liketothank theCanal &River Trustand its crewsontheir workboat for their valuable help andassistance with supplyingworkglovesand toolingfor thevolunteers.For the 10thyearin arow thevolunteers stayed overnightatthe Malthouse Stables ActivityCentreowned by Sandwell Council, whichhas alwayssupportedthisevent.

Sustainable Boating Awards

IWAand TowpathTalk arepleased to announce that their SustainableBoating Awards will be awarded again in 2025. Therewill againbetwo categories, Commercial andNon-commercial,and nominations should be submittedtoIWATTSustainable.Awards@ waterways.org.uk by the end of July.Lastyear’swinners, Mothership Marine in theCommercialcategory andKay andPaulSumpner in the Non-commercial, will not be eligible unlessnominated for adifferent, or significantly enhanced, achievement.

The winnerswill be announcedand awards presented

at theIWA AGM. The date andvenue forthis areyet to be announcedbut it is usuallythe last Saturday in September. Guidance to nominators: Last year’s nominations includedsomewhich were rejected by thejudgesas, althoughinteresting,wereideasratherthanachievements Otherswererejectedasbeing, in the opinion of the judges, exaggerated in their claims.Nominatorsare requested to avoidthese traits. Also, last year’s nominations hada heavytechnical/electrical bias so,given thenumberof diesel enginedboats likelytobearound formanyyears, nominations for promotingthe moreenvironmentally friendly useofsuchboats,including theuse of HVO, would be particularly welcome

Lichfield offside vegetation volunteers complete anotherseason

Volunteersfromthe Lichfield Branchhavejustcompleted their seventhconsecutivewinter dealing with the encroaching offside vegetation.BackinOctober 2017 theybegan the jointIWA/ CRToperation, and each winter theyworkfroma 45ft workboat,

coupledwith a60ft‘hopper’ boat accommodatingalarge wood chipper,and usingavarietyoftools andimplementsincludingthe long reachpolechainsawsand hedge trimmers.

The operation canonlyrun from Octoberuntil theend of February to minimisethe disruption to nesting wildlife. To covermoremileswithin this limited timeframe,their remit is to concentrateonany protruding vegetation that compromises navigation such as on bends; bridge approaches;narrowsections;and oppositepopular mooringspots

IWACanalway Cavalcade 2025

IWACanalway Cavalcade returnstoLondon’sLittle Venice on May3,2025 for thefull EarlyMay Bank Holidayweekend. Each year IWAcelebratesthe best of life on the waterwaysinLondon andits communityat IWACanalwayCavalcade

Boat bookings arenow full with awaitinglisttofill anycancellations.Pleasecontact Mike Mooreonmike. moore@waterways.org.uk or 07545 546865 for boat bookingenquiries

GUARANTEE DELIVERY

There’ssomethingfor everyone at IWACanalway Cavalcade,avibrantcanal festival in the heartof London’swaterways.Whether visitingbyboatoronfoot, it’s asplendid dayout for you and your family. Soak up the atmospheresurrounded by colourful craft of allshapesand sizes, alongsidea multitude of unique stalls,anonsitebar and delicious foodsfor allappetites. Eachyearwecelebratethe best of life on the waterways andits community with eclectic

livemusic around the site,special boatingactivities likethe legendaryilluminated procession and kids’ entertainment for allages. You’ll also find amazingart from localschools on display and plenty of opportunities to getinvolved at IWACanalway Cavalcade. IWAis currentlylooking for volunteersfor the event–could you be one?Contact cavalcade.volunteer@waterways org.uk for moreinformation.

Eventopeningtimes: Saturday and Sunday 10am until 6pm (plus illuminated boat procession from 9pm Sunday)and Monday 10am until 5pm

Savethe date: The popular Ware Boat Festival is set to returnonJuly 4-6. Last year had to be cancelled at thedue to unexpected maintenance work butthanks to IWALee andStort branch, planning is under way for aweekend of boating activityand funthisyear.The boat festival is an integral andimportant part of thewider Ware Festival running throughout July.Volunteers very welcome, contact mike.newman@waterways.org.uk

Work Parties

PLEASE contact the branch to register your interest if you would like to attend awork party.Itisadvisable to wear stoutshoes, old clothing, andto take waterproofs. Apacked lunchand refreshments are also advisable.

May 4, 11 and20

Northampton Branch

Work parties areusually heldoneweekdayandone Sunday amonth, along the Northampton Arm Thetasks usually include vegetation clearance, weeding,litterpickingand painting at locks. ContactGeoffWood:geoff. wood@waterways.org.uk

May2and 16 -10.30am to 2.30pm

Burslem Port Regular work partyonthe Burslem Arm of theTrent &Mersey Canal, run in partnership by IWANorth Staffordshire &South CheshireBranch &the Burslem Port Trust. Meet at Luke Street, Burslem.

Alltoolsandequipmentwill be provided.Volunteers areadvised to wear old clothes,stoutshoesandto bring waterproofs in case ofrainandapackedlunch if staying all day.

Please contact Dave Broomebefore attending: 07974966253 or dave broome45@gmail.com

May15

CheshireLocks

Monthlyworkpartyonthe CheshireLock flight of the Trent &MerseyCanal, between Kidsgrove and Wheelock. Meet at the Broughton Arms, Rode Heath, Stoke-on-Trent. We will meet as usual at 10am and work through until3pm.Ifyoucanstayall

day,pleasebringapacked lunchand adrink.Besure towearoldclothesthatyou don’tmindgettingdirtyand marked withpaint.Stout footwear is appropriate andtake awaterproofin theeventofrain. Contact Tony Walker: 07708 320470 or walker tony31@gmail.com

May17&18- 10am -4pm Manchester Bolton and Bury Canal IWAManchesterBranchwill beworkingwithManchester Bolton&BuryCanalSociety atPrestoleeattheirregular work site, NobEnd locks, near Prestolee Road, Little Lever,Bolton,BL31AD. ContactBarryMcGuinness: 07875 999825.

Morethan 55 volunteers from all over the UK helped out at the annual BCN clean-up, which took place around the Old Main Line Canal in Tipton, West Midlands in March. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Characters of the Cut

Christine Wood –Traditional Canalware

By Alice Elgie

IT SEEMS likeChristine Wood was blessedwith theright name forher trade,busyasshe is paintingnot only traditional canalwarebut also restoringinteresting, unusual and antique pieces of furniture.

Shesharedwith me: “WhenI was 14 Isaved my pocketmoneyand boughtawood turninglathe and eventuallywentontostudy fine craftsmanship and designinwood at Rycotewood College,Thame.My first jobwas workingfor atoymaker who alsospecialised in musical instrumentmakingand Ithen went on to restoreearly countryfurniture in Burford, beforesetting up my ownworkshop in Braunston.”

Narrowboatsinitiallycameinto play at averyearly ageasChristine remembers aschooltriponthe Kennet &Avonwhen she wasseven yearsold: “I loveditand bought my mother aplant potpaintedwith roses.”Fastforward to 1990and aged 23 Christine boughtherself anew narrowboat shell, fittingitout at weekends:“At the time Iwas living and workinginOxfordshirebut house prices were unattainable so Idecided on anarrowboatshell instead.”This projectignited the beginnings of her interest in canalart butwhenin 1996 Christine began workingfor Rex Wain at BrinklowBoatServicesand met well-respected boat painterand sign writer,Ron Hough,thatinterest increasedtenfold: “I would visit him in Braunstontocollect work he painted to sell in the shop at the boatyard and Ibecame fascinated with hiswork. When he retired Idecidedtoteach myself howtopaint.”

Startingout with the book Flowers Afloat,byTonyLewery, Christine practisedevery day: “I foundmyself drawntoFrank Nurser’s work.He taughtPercy Foster,Dennis Clark, RonHough,GeorgeCrawshaw and othersoverthe yearsand you can seehis influence in all thepainters that were apprenticedtohim.” This passingdownofpainting styles

through generations happened up anddownthe countrywith each boatyard having its own excellentsignwriters,painters and decorators. Christine’sworkis heavilyinfluencedbythe ‘Braunston style’ of painterswho worked at the Nurser Brothers’ Boatyard;however, with time and practice herown individual stylehas developed and she nowspecialises in traditional painteddecoration, restorationof paintedware, wood graining(also knownasscumbling) and back cabin decoration. Christine told me alittle more

turning, steam-bending. This experiencewith antiquestransfers effortlesslytopaintingcanalware:

aboutthis work:“The back cabins were made from whatever wood wastohand, which wasthen ‘scumbled’,a traditionaltechnique used to make apaintedsurface look like real wood.Aplain sheet of plywood canbescumbledtolookas though it were panelledand made from tongue and groove boards, so asimplyfitted back cabin made mostlyfromplywood canbemade to look as though it is constructed in atraditional wayand decorated to look very attractive.”

Having abackground in woodwork hascertainlyhelped broadenChristine’s skillset and in her ownfurniturerestoration workshop she uses many techniquessuchasmarquetry, re-veneering, re-polishing,

“Furniturerestoration requires the repairstobecolour matched and ‘antiquedin’ so that they arenot visible. Similartechniques Ihave developedworkwellwhenI restore old painteditems matchingcolour andfinish.Overthe yearspaintlifts and deteriorates especiallywhen appliedtogalvanised metal such as hand bowlsand watercans Thesewereitems used everyday so understandablythe paintwork wouldget damagedbut Ican colourmatch and copythe original painting then ‘antique in’ paintwork to match. The best restoration you do will not be seen.”

Keeping crafts like this alive andwellonthe canals is hugely importantand Christine is certainly abeaconfor doingso, as well as perhapsaninspiration to tryyour ownhandatartistry? Heradvice to anyone interested in learningto paintroses and castles would be to begin lookingintothe history of canalpainting,aswell as purchase acopyof FlowersAfloat:Folk Artists of the Canals Shealsohas some further tips:“Studyartwork at

museums such as StokeBruerne, Foxton,and GloucesterDocks Studythe layout,coloursand styles of rosesbyartists such as Frank Nurser,Ron Hough,Frank Jones, Isaiah Atkins,and go on acourse, preferably with awell-respected and influential canalboatpainter such as Phil Speight.”

Youcan catchupwithChristine for moreinspiration and buyher canalware; mostSaturdays you’ll find her on her stall outside Tradline Rope &FendersinBraunstonMarina. We bs it e: www. traditionalcanalware.co.uk Facebook: Christine Wood, Traditional Canalware Instagram: @traditionalcanalware -@thewoodrepairshop

Upcoming shows: Braunston Historic Boat Rally, June 28/29 (outside TradlineRope&Fendersstall).

Alice Elgie is awriter who splits time between anarrowboat on the waterways of England and acottageinFrance. She shares words about this life on her blog: slowintotheseasons. substack.com

Anderton BoatLift refurbishment delayeddue to rising costs

MAJOR refurbishments to theAndertonBoat Lift &Visitor Centre –which celebrates its 150thanniversarythis year –won’t beginuntil 2026 at theearliestdue to rising costs

Alottery grant awardedin2022 will now not be sufficienttofund therequiredworkand anew applicationfor existing fundingisdue to be made

TheCanal &

RiverTrust said the development grantfrom the National Lottery Heritage Fund now needsrevisitingdue to rising costs in the construction sector.It said the cost of the works required, primarilyto therefurbishmentofthe boat lift,haveincreased andthere have also been some necessary changestothe scopeof the project.

The trustiscurrently

in discussionswiththe Heritage Fund regarding the nextsteps.Thework that hasbeencompleted so farwillremain relevant,all statutory consents obtained will continue to be valid, and donationsreceived will supportongoing maintenance of the boat lift It is anticipated that therewill be a12to 18-month delaytothe startofthe main works,

subjecttoasuccessful grantapplication which will be submittedindue course.This will mean that the AndertonBoat Lift &Visitor Centre is scheduledtooperate as usualduringthe 2025 and 2026 visitor seasonswhichinclude the programmeof excitinganniversary events plannedoverthe comingmonthsasthe 150th anniversary of the boat lift is celebrated.

Christine, proudly displaying her wares. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

Asteady hand is amustfor thisjob.

The detailed paintwork is intricate andbeautiful.

Christine, happy in her work –agood eye for detail and asteady hand is required.

Another onebites the dust!

By AlisonAlderton

FURTHER demolition to the former Cottam PowerStation on the banksofthe River TrentinNottinghamshire has taken place

Cottam PowerStation wascommissionedin1968 and capable of generating enough electricityfor 3.7m homes.Itwas originally designedtobeoperational for 30 yearsbut hadits life extendedto2019, when it wasfinallyclosed for good –decommissioned by EDF Energy

On March20, the seventh explosion in aseries ofblasts undertaken in controlled conditions finally brought down themain chimney stackinwhathas been described as a‘high profile event’ requiringthe presence of thepolice

Other structures,including theiconic coolingtowers which, for many years, have been used as away-marker for boaterstravellingonthe tidal RiverTrent,willbe broughtdownbyexplosive demolition at alater date with completedemolition of the

site expectedinearly 2026.

TheTrent Valleyonce housed 13 of the 78 power stations in Englandand Wales,generatingaquarter of thepower needed for the twocountries as well as providinghundredsofjobs at both thepower stations and Yorkshirecollieries Love it or hateit, the so-calledMegawattValley –the powerhouse of Britain –isslowlybeing transformed before boaters’ eyes and,asit happens, changingthe face of this once mighty commercial rivervalleyforever

Scale Lane footbridge reopens

By Alison Alderton

THEScale Lane swinging footbridge over the RiverHull hasreopenedtopedestrians and cyclists following itsclosurelatelastyear.

The bridge wasclosed to thepublic in December2024 when essentialrepair works to itsswing mechanismwerescheduledto takeplace.However,aroutineinspection identifiedseveral bearings alsoneeded replacingtoensurethe long-termoperation of the structure.

As severalriver traffic movements were anticipatedfor the months following, and by law, vesselshavepriorityoverpedestrian traffic,Hull City Council made the decision to swingthe bridge and retain it in an open position until afull repair programme could be carriedout by aspecialistcontractor in the new year.Duringthis time people were directedtoalternativeroutesacrossthe RiverHull such as the Millenium Bridge

The work wasinitially expected to be completedbythe end of February butdue to thecomplexityofthe structurefour extradayswereaddedtothe timeframe.

The apostrophe-shapedswing bridge has arotatingmechanism whichenables it

to swingopenhorizontallytoallowlarge boatstopassand wasthe first bridge in the worldtoallowpedestrians to remain on the bridge while in motion. It is alsocantilevered, which allows it to curveupwards,tofacilitate passagefor smaller boats.

Designed by Renato Benedettiand opened in 2013ata cost of £7 million, thebridgespans theRiver Hull Harbourbetween Hull’s Old Town andanindustrialareaofthe city, and also formspartofthe Trans PennineTrail cyclelinktothe Hull ferryterminal. It has been awardedseveral accolades and was listedasone of the30mostimpressivebridges in the worldbyPopular Mechanicsmagazine Scale Lane footbridge is one of 13 opening bridgesonthe 16 miles of the navigable RiverHull –noother cityhas as many opening bridgesoversuchashortdistance of navigation and these area true spectacle to seeinoperation.

Thecouncil will nowconsiderthe contractor’s recommendations and plan amaintenance scheme for the Scale Lane footbridge to be implementedlater this year.A comprehensive plan to ensure the structure’slongevity and safetywill also be developed.

A3-bed house with small private garden and twobathrooms, a1-bed s/c flat(currently let to asingle gentleman) above athriving conveniencestorewith attachedsmall Chandlery storeand Post Office (the only one foraround a5mile radius).The site consists of asmall fuelstation including the sale of reddiesel (theonly reddiesel on the River Witham), white derv,petrol and Kerosene (Heating Oil). Situatedapproximately 5miles NW of Boston town along theRiver Witham and feeding alovely friendly community consistingoffive smaller villages/hamletsinthe immediate vicinity and is the only shop and garage in the area. The property is particularly suited to anyone with boating experienceasweserve diesel, carry out pump-outs, provide gas bottlesetc to boaters on theRiver Witham. This property is available as Freehold Price £475,000 plus stock.

Scale Lane footbridge, River Hull. PHOTO: BERNARD SHARP -CCBY-SA 2.0

Cottam PowerStation viewed from the River Trent. PHOTO: ALISON ALDERTON

Bins could save CRTmoney

Phil Pickin looksatanunexpected way to helpCRT save money while also helping the environment.

ANYONE connected with thewaterways will be awareofthe financial woes that CRTishavingtoendure. As aresult,the organisation is lookingatevery aspect of its operation in an efforttosavemoney that includes the bins! The situation hasn’t quite gottothe stageofrummagingthrough the bins to find somethingofvalue; it is morethe value of the processing of thewaste itself that canhelpthe charitysavesignificantamounts of moneyoverthe comingyears

From March31, new legislation came into effect that means mostbusinesseswill have to arrangeseparatecollections for different typesofwaste.Thebiggest change is that connected with food waste. This will now need to be separatedfromgeneral waste and other recyclables.Asaresultofthese changes, all of CRT’scustomer service points with wastefacilities will have to provide separate bins for dryrecyclables (things like paper, card,metaland plastics),glass bottle jars,etc,foodwaste and generalwaste.To help with this,CRT hasplacedlarge stickers on the bins to help usersknowwhat sort of wasteshould go in each one. The plan is to have all thesecollectionfacilities at collection points by this summer.

To facilitate this,CRT is embarkingon an improvementprogramme to upgrade a number of its sitesto enable them to comply with the new legislation, so it is expectedthat boaterswill be able to seesome of these

improvements over the comingweeks.Part of theseimprovements is the installationof as many as 500 new bins,but with businesses of all typeshavingtocomplywiththesenew rules,there is adelay in the deliveryofthe newbins.

The new Simpler Recyclinglegislation will, it is hoped,helpthe countryasawhole meet its commitments to reduce theamountof wastegoingintolandfill. Businessesthat fail to meet their obligations to the new legislationcan face financial penalties,and this is wherethe boatingcommunity comes in to help CRTsavemoney.Ifboatusers can make sure that theyfollowthe rules when it comes to thedisposalofwaste (and not dispose of rubbish in the wrongbin), CRTcan avoidpayingthe penalties when the waste is collected by the nominatedcontractor.If avisual inspectionbyacontractor shows that thewaste is ‘contaminated’ with the incorrect waste, CRTcan be chargedmore to deal with the waste, somethingthe charity is keen to avoid.

With the peak of the 2025 season still to come,itremains to be seen if all the bins will arrive and, when theydo, if people will usethemcorrectly. Letushopethatthese new facilities areusedasintendedand that penaltycharges arekept to aminimum. Formoreinformationonthe implication of Simpler Recyclingvisit CRT’swebsite: www.canalrivertrust.org.uk

Come and see us at the on Sat 24th to Mon 26th May Trade and Preview Day Fri23rdMay

CRICK BOAT SHOW

Boatﬁnder will be therewithour sister companies

Elton Moss Boatbuilders,Bickerstaffe Boat Company, Carefree Cruising and Kingslock Boat Yard

Shannonbridge –aport in transition

THEEUJustTransitionFundis

helpingtotransform Ireland’s hidden heartlands with work forging ahead over recent yearsonnumerous projects alongthe RiverShannon corridor. Shannonbridge, once in thecentreofthe peat harvesting area of the midlands and probably theareawhich took thegreatest bruntofthe effect of Bord na Móna disengaging frompeatproduction,is one of the latest River Shannon ports to undergo some major changes. Alongtime favouritedestination for boaters, Shannonbridge frequently struggles to accommodate visiting boatersbut with aproposed50% increase in berthingthis maychange thefortunes for this interestingportof call. It wasannouncedinMarch 2024 that WaterwaysIreland (WI) planned to extend the existingharbour area to create moreberths as part of its Shannon Masterplan. More recently, OffalyCountyCouncil hasgranted planningpermission for 108 metres of new floatingjetty on the eastern bank of the Shannon at Shannonbridge The newjetty will providesafe mooringfacilitiesfor cruisers and smallerboats whichcurrently, duringpeaktimes,find themselves havingtodouble up in order to visit Shannonbridge,whichisnot ideal on aflowingriver.Thenew jetty will alsoinclude asection to allow paddlerseasyaccessboth on and off

their canoes (new canoetrails in the area areexpectedtobedeveloped soon)while apotential berthfor a tour boat operator hasalsobeen noted in proposals

Awelcome increase in tourism is anticipated with theinstallation of the newjetty whichhas thrownup other concerns includingthe disposal of domestic wastefromboaters and the possible need for parkingfacilities for bicycles and cars.All of these issues will need to be addressed. It is good to know that Shannonbridgewill nowbe accessible to more boatersand that anew futureintourism awaits this once industrial setting. The heart of Shannonbridgeistypical of the region,linearinfashion with one main street housingshops and pubs on both sides.This leads down to thewaterfrontwhere it crosses thenever stillwatersofthe River Shannon on aspectacular16-arch stone bridge datingfrom1700. On theoppositeshore,a Napoleonic fortress looms over the riverhttps:// shannonbridgefort.ie/ nowhousing arestaurantand exhibition where visitors canlearn more aboutthe site and surroundingarea.

There is,and always hasbeen, plenty to do at Shannonbridgeand with thepromise of easier access forboaters it is settothriveand refashiona newfuturefor itself

Other sitesofinterestnearbyinclude themonasticsiteofClonmacnoise, accessible either by road or river, and while in theareaitwould be ashame to missout on the delightful River Suck offeringnavigation to thetown of Ballinasloe. An increasing number of greenwaysare also accessible, making Shannonbridgeideally suited as anew huboftourism in theShannon valley.

OffalyCountyCouncil haswarmly welcomedthe recent announcement made by DarraghO’Brien TD, Minister forthe Environment, Climateand Communications, outlining that €1 million in funding from theEUJustTransitionFund 2021-2027 hasbeenawarded for theupgradingofthe Dalton Centre in Shannonbridge

The Dalton Centre,onthe site adjacent to theWestOffaly Power

Station,was formallytransferredby the ESBtoOffaly County Council in May2024withthe chiefexecutive, AnnaMarie Delaney, advisingthat it will allowthe localauthoritytodeliver tangibleand meaningful benefitsto the localcommunities in West Offaly in responsetotheirneeds.

TheDaltonCentreisa large 1200 sq mindustrialbuildingon afour-hectaresiteand hasonly ever been used to housearchive material belongingtothe ESB. An Expression of Interest wasrun by OffalyCountyCouncilinSeptember 2024 so as to identify potentialuses forthe building, which wouldinturn provide amuch-needed boost to the localeconomy in Shannonbridge and the surrounding areas.

Ms Delaneyrecentlyreiterated Offaly County Council’s commitment to theformerpeatcommunities

in West Offaly whohavebeen most impacted by the cessationof commercialpeatharvestingand theclosure of peat-fired power stations in thecountyinrecent years. With the assistance of the EU Just TransitionFund, an upgraded building andsitewillnow be offered to partieswilling to enterintoa long-termlease.Interestedparties must be committedtoeconomic diversification or training which supports thedevelopment of skills that arenow required forthe new andemergingbusinesseswithin the lowcarboneconomy.

TheEUJustTransitionFund developments arecertainlyones to watchand with other Shannonports, such as Banagher,alsoheadingfor a ‘makeover’ the transformations will change the face of Ireland’shidden heartlands forever

Shannonbridge, one of the latest River Shannon ports to undergo some major changes. PHOTO: ALISON ALDERTON

Engine &Boat Maintenance Courses

Boost Your Engine MaintenanceSkills:

JoinOur Two-DayCourse, Suitablefor All Levels!

RYACertification Available for£15

Course Includes:

•Diesel Engine, theory and operation

•The Fuel System,operation, service and maintenance

• The Air System, requirementsand maintenance

•The CoolingSystem, types, operation and service

•The lubrication System, serviceand maintenance

•Basicelectrical system

•Drive-lines and sterngear,serviceand maintenance

CourseCompletion: youwill be able to:

•Service your engine

•Checkelectrical circuits

•Conduct basicrepairs

To bookyour place contact theoffice nowon: 01785785680 or email enquiries@rivercanalrescue.co.uk

£300 2Day Course PER PERSON

www. rivercanalrescue.co.uk

Route planning

RequestRCR advice orAssistance

Boxingclever

Jonathan Mosse’smonthlylook at freight development on the inland waterways.

ONE of the mostfascinatingnon-fictionbooks that I’ve read,inthe past couple ofyears,iscalled The Box: or Howthe ShippingContainerMadethe WorldSmaller

It recounts that,inApril 1956, arefitted oiltanker carried 58 shippingcontainersfromNewarkto Houston. From that modestbeginning,container shipping developed into ahugeindustrythatwent on to make theboominglobal trade possible So much for the bigpicture. Howmight this scale for the UK inland waterwaysfreight sector?Well, rightnow it doesn’t:not in realistically economical termsatleast.

If we take thosewaterways of theNorth East,the ones we often focusuponasthe currentbackbone of commercial waterwayscarrying, their most frustratingdimension is thetypical widthofthe craft navigatingthem.Theseare obviously built to the gauge of the locks– 200ft x20ft –and the reality is thereforeabeamof18ft,giveortake.

That ground-breaking April1956 shipment was of containersbearing littlerelationshiptotoday’s ‘Boxes’, being8ft wide and33ft long. Ultimately, the currentstandardof20ft and 40ft lengthwas arrivedat, presentinginland freightshippers in the

UK todaywith atantalisinglysmall misfit ‘twixt a 20ft boxloadedlengthwise…and the lock gauge. Shortofdevisingsome form of gigantic planing device forthe inland waterwaystoenjoy allthe benefits of containerisation –and ultimately compete on alevel playingfield with road transport – somethingmustgive. And, in recognitionofharsh economic reality, it won’t (certainly in theearly days)beincreasinglockwidthorincreasedbarge beam!

So,let’s takeatripbacktofirstprinciples and past waterway examples of the concept embodied in the developmentofcontainerisation: in essence, minimisingthe handling of goodsfromproduction to delivery. Which, from the off,mandates amultimodalmindset

TomPuddings

In 1863, compartmentboats calledTom Puddings –eachcarrying35tons of coal –appearedonthe Aire &Calder Navigation: an operation that wasto last until 1985. Theyweretowed full in trains of 19, could be transported emptybyrail into the heart of collieries setbackfromthe waterway and, upon arrivalattheir destination, lifted by hoistand tipped into awaitingships

Fast forward to September1974 andBritish Waterwaysintroducedthe BACAT system –standingfor BargeAboardCatamaran –ontothe NorthEastwaterways.Thesewere55ftx 15ftdumb

barges,able to carry140 tons and, as the name suggests,designedtobecarried across theNorth Seaaboardacatamaran mothershipfor onward transportinlandonthe European waterways’ system

Sadly, these were quicklyblacklistedbythe unions,who sawinthem aserious threattotheir continued dockside employment.

The concept of floatingcargo containers, in theformofLASH(LighterAboardShip) actually preceded BACATbysome 10 yearsand, although averysimilar idea, were on aconsiderablylarger scale, each unit measuring61ft6in x31ftwith a payloadof370 tons.Theseonlyprovedeconomic

under certain very specificconditions and, in turn, owed their origins to theUSA’s Second WorldWar Seabees, whicheffectivelypioneered the concept Nowwheredoesthisleave us today? Basically, with arichhistory representing amix of failures and successesinthe worldoffloatingmodular standardisedshapes… the latter far outweighing the former.Except nothingheretotallyticks today’s multi-modalbox!

Liquids and loosebulk arefine: theycan be pumped,grabbed or ‘conveyored’ betweenmodes butthatleavesanawfullot that languishes in the comparativecomfortofa 20ft or 40ft container.

Russian dolls

Let’s, formoment,think nestingRussian dolls We’veagreedthatwithoutsignificantinvestment the Boxisnot,atleast in economicterms,going to find aplace forthe timebeing in the hold of an inlandwaterways barge.

However, if its contents arealready containerised in smaller units –and the airlines’exampleof ULDs is astrongcontender –the breaking down of thecontentsofits 20ft or 40ft cousin is suddenly not tooonerous ademand, especiallyifupon disembarkation, onward transport is goingtobe aboard 10-ton electric deliverylorries,smallervans andlast-mile electric cargobikes.Thesefinaltwo examples following another deft ‘un-nesting’(or two) of the Russiandoll concept!

And what exactlyare ULDs?A Unit Load Device naturally: thinking outside the Boxisrapidly becominga prerequisiteofanapproachingnet zero existence!

Typical Unit Load Devices (ULDs) foraircraftloading. PHOTO: TENNEN-GAS. CC BY-SA 3.0

Thenesting Russian doll concept: containers within containers within containers… PHOTO:JONATHAN MOSSE

ULDs could easily replace quarry materials in atypical barge hold.

PHOTO: JONATHAN MOSSE

BACATS moored opposite the Tower of London –1975. PHOTO: MIKE CLARKE

That tantalising difference betweenlock gauge andthe 20ft TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit). PHOTO: JONATHAN MOSSE

Snap to it and winaprize!

THE ever-popular National Historic Ships UK PhotographyCompetition is back fora 16th year.Thecompetition themeisCraft &Crew this time and thereare some fantastic prizes to be won, as well as the chance to be featured in the 2026 calendar and accompanying exhibition at Historic Dockyard Chatham.

National Historic Ships UK (NHS-UK) is hoping forentries whichreflectthe wide varietyofhistoriccraft,big and small, afloat and ashore. Photographersmay alsointerpretthe themebycapturing the traditional techniques and skills essentialfor maintenance or highlightingthe people that

operateand care for thesewonderful vessels.

Visitthe events page at:www. nationalhistoricships.org.uk/eventsto discoversome of themanymaritime and inland waterwayseventsbeinghostedthis year.Inacountry threadedwith navigable waterways, where one is nevermorethan 70 miles from thecoast,thereare many opportunities to explorethis year’s theme and takeawinning photograph!

The competition is open from May1to August 31, 2025. Formoreinformation and to entervisit:www.nationalhistoricships.org. uk/photocomp

Explore UK Narrowboat Insurance

The2017 winner: butty boat Ilford breaks theSeptember dawn by Teresa Fuller. Overall runner-upin2021: Danny on the Weaver by John Eyres.

BraunstonHistoric Rally by Tracey Welch.

Geta quote

Darlings backfor May canal festival

THE MoiraCanal Festival is to be held over theweekend of May17-18, once again on the banksofthe Ashby Canal at Moira, north-westLeicestershire.

The grounds of the impressive MoiraFurnace act as backdrop to the event; the headline act this year will be the D-Day Darlings,finalists in Britain’sGot Talent, with their evocativemix of old wartime and traditional songs.

Geoff Pursglove, member of the organising committeesince the beginning, is pleased that the Darlings accepted the invitationtosingat Moira. “Theywereverypopular when theycame afew yearsago;and it was one of ourmostsuccessful events–the good weatherhelped as well!”

Aircraft from theBattleofBritain Memorial flighthavebeeninvited,

alongwithlocal band GunMoney, children’s entertainment, Morris dancers, stalls,displays, barand refreshments. Anddon’t forgetMother Duck and her Ashby CanalDuckRace!

The costis£6for adults and £3 for children, with profitfromthe eventgoingtowards maintaining the restored Ashby Canalbetween Moiraand Donisthorpe, as well as supportingthe long-termaim to restorethe Ashby Canalfrom Snarestone to Moira. Thiswillallow Measham,Oakthorpe, Donisthorpe and Moiratoonce againbeconnected to the nationalwaterways network

The Ashby Canalwas abandoned progressivelyoverthe yearsfrom the first closurein1944 at Moira to thelastclosureatSnarestone in 1966, due to theimpact of localcoal mining. With all the coal mines now shut,there arewell-advancedplans to restorethe canaltoMeasham,and ultimatelytoMoira,whereitwill have afine terminus at the MoiraFurnace and ConkersWaterside.For more info: www.moiracanalfestival.com

WHAT’S ON IN MAY

If you want your event listed in our free monthly What’s On section email your entry to editorial@towpathtalk.co.uk or usethe events form at www.towpathtalk.co.uk/events Please check with organisers whether the event is going ahead before settingout on yourjourney.

May -June

StaffordRiverwaylink artefacts exhibition: The Display of Artefacts unearthedbyStaffordRiverway Link Volunteersatthe BaswichSite is at BrewoodLibrary, Newport Street,Brewood,Staffordshire,ST19 9DT, from April29until June 21. RCR maintenancecourse: Two-day maintenance courses, runningatRCR StaffordHQon: April23/24,May 7/8and 21/22, and June 11/12 and 25/26. Course costs £300, plus£15 forRYA certificates. Tailored coursesare alsoonoffer to groups andclubs, with discounts for boat clubs. May3-5

IWACanalway Cavalcade: At London’sLittleVenice for MayBank Holidayweekend,tocelebrate the best of life on the waterwaysin London and its community. For boat bookingscontact Mike Moore on mike.moore@waterways.org. uk or 07545 546865 or for trader enquiries contact:cavalcade. trade@waterways.org.uk May4

IWATowpath WalksSociety: Regent’s Canal: RTyburn, Little Venice.Baker St (Baker St north/ Lordsexit) at 2.30pm.Prior booking recommended,contact London

Walks: 0207 624 3978 or email: london@walks.com

May 10

IWATowpath WalksSociety: The secrets of theNorthern Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.Meet: Stratford(Westfield/QEOP exit) by the Pret aMangersign) at 2.30pm Priorbooking recommended, contact London Walks: 0207 624 3978 or email: london@walks.com

StaffordRiverwayLink Work Party: Baswich, Stafford, (What3words:elbow.Inner.spoil) on site from 10am-4pm. Formore info contact John: 01785 226662emailthistlejohn@outlook.com

May 13

IWANorthampton branch social meeting: Unknown (Guide)Guidedwalk and visit:TheRoyal Ordnance Depot, Weedon. Meet at VisitorCentre, The Depot, Weedon, NN7 4PSat2.30pm

May 17-18

MoiraCanal Festival: Held on the banksofthe Ashby CanalatMoira, north-westLeicestershire.Aircraft invitedfromBattleofBritainMemorial flight, localband GunMoney, entertainment, Morris dancers, stalls, displays, bar, refreshments.Mother Duck andAshby CanalDuckRace! www.moiracanalfestival.com

May 18

IWATowpath WalksSociety: Four HundredYears of the NewRiver Meet Manor House(Finsbury Park exit:exit6)at2.30pm.Prior booking recommended, contact London Walks: 0207 624 3978 or email: london@walks.com

May 24-26

CrickBoatShow: Britain’sbiggest waterwaysevent.HeldatCrick Marina in Northamptonshireand is expectedtoattract morethan26,000 visitors. Formoreinformation and to book tickets,camping pitches and moorings,visit www. crickboatshow.com or call 01283 742970.

May 25

IWATowpath WalksSociety: Regent’s Canal: Little Venice, Camden. Meet WarwickAvenue at 2.30pm.Prior booking recommended, contact London Walks: 0207 624 3978 or email: london@walks.com

May 25/26

Stafford Riverway Link Open Weekend at the BaswichSite, Stafford, ST18 0YJ.Freeadmission and parking. www.staffordriverway-link.co.uk Formore infocontact John:01785 226662 -thistlejohn@outlook.com

The Moira Canal Festival returns this year.

MuseumFocus:atale packed with suspense

Nicola Lislevisits theClifton Suspension Bridge Museum to discover the fascinating story behindIsambard KingdomBrunel’siconic masterpiece.

OFFICIALLY OPENEDjustover160 years ago, on December8,1864, the Clifton Suspension Bridge wasone of Brunel’s final projects,completed fiveyears after his deathand standingasalastingtribute to his engineeringgenius

An instantscene-stealer,this elegant structurecommands theattentionas it sweeps majesticallyacrossthe Avon gorge, providingavital rivercrossingbetween Bristoland Somerset. In an ITVbroadcast in March1956, John Betjeman likenedthe bridge to a‘gigantic insect’ that stretched ‘delicatelyacrossthe sky’

Thestory of the Clifton Suspension Bridge is broughttolife at the museum atLeigh Woods, on the Somersetside of thebridge. The former visitor centrewas grantedaccredited museum status by the Arts Council in October2024, and features detailedinformation aboutthe bridge,from original conceptand design to construction and ongoingmaintenance,aswell as

interactivedisplays, old photographs,film footage and objects of interest

Although Brunel rightlygets the credit for the bridge,itwas actuallyBristol wine merchantWilliam Vick who first mooted the idea of abridgeacrossthe Avon at Clifton, the narrowestpartofthe gorge, in the mid-18th century. At thetime, therewereonlytwo ways of crossing the RiverAvoninBristol –Bristol Bridge in the citycentreand the Rownham FerryatHotwells spa. With both bridge and ferrystrugglingtocopewith increasing volumes of traffic, Vick’s proposed bridge would, he felt,be‘agreat publickutility’

When Vick died in 1754, he left £1000 in hiswill to theSocietyofMerchantVenturers, with instructionstoinvestthe moneyand useittobuild anew bridge once it reached £10,000. Inspired by thebuildingofaniron chainsuspensionbridgeatBerwick-uponTweed–the first vehicle bridge of its kind in Europe –a committee wasestablishedin 1829 to resurrectand develop Vick’s early plans,despitethe investmentatthe time onlystandingat£8000.

An application to Parliamenttoamend the termsofVick’swill from atoll-free stone bridge to an iron toll bridge wasapproved in May1830. Fundraisingfor the bridge began, with investorstobereimbursed from toll income.OnOctober 1, 1829, acompetition invited thesubmissiondesigns for ‘aniron suspension bridge at CliftonDown’,intended to be the longest and highest suspension bridge in the world.

Amongthe 22 entries received were four designsfroma23-year-oldIsambard Kingdom Brunel. Renowned engineer ThomasTelfordwas invitedtoadvisethe committeeonthe entries, and he dismissed Brunel’s designsasthey‘would certainly tumble down in ahighwind’.A second competition announcedinOctober 1830 sawBrunel prevail, and he wasappointed projectengineer

Work beganonthe new bridge in June 1831, with investor SirAbraham Eltonof Clevedon Courtdeclaring that it would be ‘the ornamentofBristol and thewonder of the age’ Just four months later, though,workceased

after an outbreak of riotinginthe town sawinvestors panicking and withdrawing funding. It wasfouryears beforework resumed, and even then theproject was constantly hampered by financialconstraints andstructuralproblems. The bridge was finally completed in 1864 –too late,sadly, for Brunel, who diedin1859 and neversaw thecompletion of what wasarguablyone of hisfinestachievements

The Brunel display is one of the highlights of themuseum,featuring amodel of the man himself as well as information abouthis early life,his trainingasanengineer, howhelearnt his trade and his many achievements.The museum alsooffersinclude heritagetours of thebridgeand toursofthe underground vaults.Walkingacrossthe bridge,ofcourse, is amust, both to experience thebridgeitself and to enjoythe spectacular views of the Avon gorgebelow.

Atwo-yearrefurbishmentproject is currentlyunder waytorestore the wroughtiron chains andmetalwork, applymodern protectivepaintand install amodern architecturallightingsystem. Youcan find outmorefromaninformation boardonthe bridge as well as on theofficialwebsite.

Visitor information: CliftonSuspension Bridge and Museum

Bridge Road, Leigh Woods, Bristol BS8 3PA

www.cliftonbridge.org.uk

Open: Daily,10am-5pm

Admission: Free

On site: Small gift shop

Gettingthere: No.8 bus from Temple Meads, or a40-minute walk from the city centre. Some pay and display parking in Clifton

CliftonSuspensionBridge Museum. ALLPHOTOS: NICOLALISLE

Brunel display in themuseum. Interactive display of the bridge in the museum.

Oneofthe bridge towers. Anotherviewofthe suspension bridge.

Information lecternnear the Bristol side of the bridge.

Braunston Marina

Weekend 28-29 June,2025

Rally to be opened by POIROT- actorand canal enthusiast and supporter David Suchet

‘Moor’than50years at Braunston Marina

Part 1: The purchaseofPamela’s prize

Theaverage boater will moor at the same marina for 10 years, although notnecessarily with the same boat. Braunston Marina’s longest staying moorers, Tony and PamHavard, have enjoyed its surroundings formore than half acentury. TimCoghlan tells their fascinating story…

THE Havardsarrived at BraunstonMarinain April1967, by an interestingroute and atale worthy of the telling. Theyare nowontheir thirdboat, their first narrowboat, The Honey Pot, whichtheyacquired waybackin1978 and is,giveortakeafew yards, moored in roughly the same spot.Inasense, their boatingalmost covers the whole of the history of leisure boatingonthe canals,includingall the owners of BraunstonMarina– Blue Line,Ladylineand my now37-plus yearshere.

Tony began life in the WelshValleys in asmall villagenearLlanelli. At theage of 15, he movedtoRugby to takeup an electrical engineeringapprenticeship with British Thompson Huson, then the largest engineeringfactoryinthe UK,with 20,000 employees,whoseworking dayendedtothe sound of ashrill steam-whistle –whichhad come off the famous RMS Mauretania,whenit wasbrokenupin1935 and the fittings sold. The factory’sexitwould create aspectacular sight as,intheir thousands,the workerspouredout into the surroundingnarrowterracedstreets on foot and bicycle,with thosegoingfurther afield jammingthe traffic in Newbold Road At the factory, Tony latermet Pam, whowas on adesignengineering apprenticeship and once both qualified–and with Tony now earning£12 10s perweek–theyweremarried in August 1958 in Newboldchurchwhich had once stood within yardsofthe OxfordCanal.

Their boatingdaysnow beganwiththeir honeymoonona Broads hire cruiser, called appropriately LuckyDays.They were back two yearslater with theirbabydaughter, Tonia–namedafter Donald Campbell’s wife –and they were hooked.Thewoodencruiser they hiredwas calledthe Naiad whichmeans awater nymph, aname that appealedto Pamelaand it is to appear againinthisstory.A favouritepastime of theirswas to cycleorbus over to the new BraunstonMarina, founded by the pioneeringMichael Streat in 1960 in what hadbeenthe old workingyardofthe Samuel Barlow Coal CarryingCompany and the adjoiningtwo canals’reservoirs. Here the

Havardswould picnic and watchthe canal cruiserscomingand goingand dreamof owning one

Winning by more than aWhiska LadyLuckwas to smileonthem in the mostunexpected way. Pamhad a thingabout doing competitions and in early1967 she enteredthe national Whiskasfor Cats:The GreatStore Robbery competition, winning first prizewithher completionofthe

slogan ‘I buyJellymeat Whiskasfor my cat because…’withthe answer ‘It’sPURRFECT!’

The prizewas ‘Halfanhourtotakeall you canfromyourgrocer’s (helpedbyone other person)! Keep all the groceries youtake(or theircashvalue)!’

RugbyCo-Op waschosen for The Great StoreRobbery– theevent to be staged at 6pm on Saturday,April Fool’s Day, 1967, whenthe shop wouldhavebeenclosed for an hour. The game wassimple. At the entrance to the supermarket, Pamand Tony were each given alarge emptysupermarket trolleyand,on

the command ‘Go!’ , they were off to fill them and bringthem back to the checkout, whereupontheywere given another andso on until at the end of half an hour they were told to stop.The goodswould be rung up in thecheckouts and theycould either keep them or takethe cash value,provided theyhadn’t damaged them.They were not allowedtotouch drink,frozenfoodor medicines Once the ‘Robbery’ wasunder wayTony went mad, as did Pam, despiteher

Sixties frockand bunhairdo. The storymade frontpagenews in the RugbyAdvertiser,which described how‘thecouple amazed onlookers with their obviously plannedapproach,for they did notpickupgoodsone by one–they sweptthe shelvesatroughly50items at atime!’

An army of shop assistants,ofvarious ages,wereworking from the startofthe competition at allcheckouts.But theysimply could not copeand at the end of the half an hour’s Robberythe trolleys were stackedback halfwaydownthe shop,with Tony and Pam nowlying collapsed on the floor.Tonywas

Forty years on at Braunston Marina: Afreedry-docking, blacking and engine service for owners (right) Tony and Pam Havard’sthirdboat the Honey Pot in 2007. Marina yard handJulian Mander –who had worked at the marina since 1990 –stands by his handiwork. PHOTO:TIM COGHLAN

Broads cruiser Naiad: The boat on which theHavards holidayed in the summer of 1960 with theirdaughter Tonia. Theywerelatertorenametheir second canalcruiser Naiad afterit, which means awater nymph. PHOTO: HAVARD COLLECTION

TheGreat StoreRobbery in progress: Tony trolleys the cans, while staffand directors look on. PHOTO:RUGBY ADVERTISER

Beating the clock by aWHISKA: Time called and£1364 19s 1d richer.Tony wasbruised from headtofoot by falling cansand Pam’sﬁngernailswereripped offand bleeding, but they had done it. PHOTO: RUGBY ADVERTISER

bruised from head to foot from the falling cans andPam’s fingernails were ripped off and bleeding. Buttheyhad doneit!

Then thestore managerfinallyannounced that the ‘bill’was £1260– morethana year’s wages for Tony as acar worker.Infact,itwas to be still moretocome.Aweeklater Pam received aletterfromthe advertisingagency Hobson Batestellingher that,‘Youwill be delightedtohearthat under stress of the Robberyone of the machines failedtogive thecorrect final total, so thechequeI have enclosed is for £1364.19.1d.’Itwas timeto buy that ‘dreamboat’!

BraunstonMarina - Pamela’sPrize

Havingwon thecompetition,but before doing the actual Robbery, Pamand Tony hadgone on areconnaissance visit to BraunstonMarina to seewhat boat theymight buy.

The following Saturday,theywereoffto BraunstonMarina, wheretheyhad nowmade an appointmentwith legendaryBlue Line salesman PeterHarris, whohad areputation for fallingintothe marina,socarried away did he getwith his enthusiastic sales patter when standinguponthoseverytender little boats. He wassousedto gettingsoakedthat he didn’t even bother to change,and just carriedon. “Hewas alwayssmart –woreatweed jacket and that sort of thing– butheneedn’t have been becausehewas alwayswet.Hewas such asmashingbloke.Heusedtolaugh whenhe fell in, as if to say, ‘OhGod,I’vedone it again.’“ Harris sold them thereand then what Pam and Tony hadalready settheir hearts on years agoastheir ‘dreamboat’. It wasasecond-hand 19ft Dolphin for the princelysum of £495. “We wanted aboatthatlookednice,” recalls Pam. “Ithad awonderful bigchromebow rail and

lookedverysmart.But we then hadayearofbanging ourheads.Havingnot had aboatbefore we didn’t realiseyou couldn’t stand up properly.”

e galley and enclos

The boat wasdescribed as four-berth,but in fact therewereonlytwo inside thecabin,bothinthe bow, with asmall and primitivegalleyand enclosed toilet with slidingdoors either side of the hatchway. The remainingtwo berths were outside on the largecockpit under the canopy whichcould encloseitcompletely. It was called Marden, butoncetheyhad boughtit, theyimmediatelyrenamedit Pamela’sPrize Theyalsobecame moorersatBraunston Marina,whichwas wheretheyhad wanted to keep their boat. The mooringchargewas the then-modestsum of 10s 6d perweek. On Sunday,April 23, 1967, Pamand Tony were readytogoand made their maidenvoyage– a day’soutingtoNaptonand back

Once afloatthe Harvards soon discovered the Napton Reservoirsabove CalcuttTop Lock, which wasthen open countryside.Leisure boatingwas still in itsinfancy, and therewere no linear moorings,whichnow runalmosthard from Wigrams Turn to the lock.Themarina belowdid not exist, and thetop lock shop was nowabandonedand starting to falldown. Themooring abovethe toplockwas then a popularspotwithboaters for picnicking and barbecuesand making communal bonfires to sitround in theevenings.“Ourcrowd from the marina used to go there, and we became greatfriends –especiallywith Jean and Ray Pennycuickwho hadaDawncraft called Gay

Cruising on t the Oxford C Canal: The ﬁrst c canal guide theHavards ever bought, and still in their possession. It w was produced by British Waterways after the Oxford Canal had been reprieved and BW wasanxious to encourage its leisureuse.

Hat D , when

dy We used to have Daft HatDay,when we would all wear sillyhats. Raywas always varnishing.You neversaw himwithout a paintbrush in his hand. He made ahat likea tinofvarnish with apaintbrush sticking outof it.Itwas that sort of silliness, butitwas great, wasn’t it?” There were alsothe cleanwatersof reservoirstogoswimmingin–absolutely taboo today– and boatingonthem forthe children in blow-uprubber dinghies.And Pamand Tony found away of cookingwithout bangingtheir heads.Thestove and gasbottlewerejusttaken outand reassembledonthe bank

Learning the ways of the Cut

From fellowboaters theysoonbegan to learn some of the ways of the Cut. The first wasthat as therewerethen no BW sanitary stations and none at the marina,Tonyrecalled: “Before that last runinfor home,and preferably after dark,wewould moor up somewhere in the countryand emptythe contentsofthe chemical toilet over the towpathhedge.The hedges on the waytoNaptongreweverso well. There were many good jokesabout this “Weusedtotakeour home-madewine,we always made ourown home-madewine then. Clover wasthe nicest, butalsoelderberries and sloes–all sortsofstuff– whichwepickedoff

the canal-side hedges and all over the place We didn’t have alot of moneyand we couldn’t affordtomooroutside theRose& Castle in Braunston(nowthe Mill House) and go in with theother boaters. Insteadweusedtomoor outsideand drink ourown wine.Cheekythat!” Theyventuredfurther afield down the Oxford to Cropredy, whichwas stillvery much acountry village. Wherethe canalside bungalowsnow sprawl to the north wasjust fields and grassy bankswhere theywould sit and picnic.Pam recalls:“It wassodifferent. People todayraveabout Cropredy, butwe don’t likeitnow.” Buttheywererestrictedas to wheretogo. “Wedidn’t go that far actually becauseTonycouldn’t have alot of time off work.” (Hewas nowemployedasa temporary landscapegardener and the jobwould notsee himthrough the winter.) “Weusedtotry to go outonaFridaynight andbebackSunday,but you just couldn’t go that far as youonlyhad aday outand aday in. Andreallywejustso enjoyed it by Napton Reservoir.”

BraunstonMarinaworetwo hats.While beingthe first marina on thecanals, it was also the base for what wastobecome the last workingcarryingfleetonthe canals.Tonyand Pamgot to knowthe remainingworking boat families quitewell, chattingtothem when they both happened to be in theyard. “We used to getonwellwith them.”Percy Collins paintedabottle for them, which Pammade into alampshade and theystill have on their currentboat, and Arthur Bray took them on a tour of his back cabinonthe Raymond. The marina wasone for allseasons.“In the winter it used to be nice becauseeverybody gottheir boatsout andhad them in the car park becauseitwas allcruisersthen. People used to come and paintthe bottoms and all that sort of thing. No onehad work done by the yard apartfromprobablyengine work “Whenwefirststartedcanal boating, people away from the boatyard thoughtweweremad “Whatdoyou want to go on the muckyol’ cut for? Youdon’t want to have anything to do with them boaties!’ Butweloved it.”

Pamela’sPrize: In the summer of 1967Tony (left) stands holding the boathook, with dog and friends. Four adults, t two children and adog would somehow manage to canalcruise aboardthis little 19ftboat. PHOTO:THE HAVARD COLLECTION

St PancrasBasin,London

Athriving areaweaving together history, community and alove and respect for canalheritage.

By Alice Elgie

OPENED in stages from 1816onward, TheRegent’sCanal wasbuiltto link the Grand JunctionCanal’s Paddington Armwith the Thames at Limehouseand for 140 yearsthe canal transported coal, goodsand building materials from the majorindustrial citiesofthe Northtothe capital.

Nowadays this history is hidden beneathagreen oasisofcalm amidstabusycity, andyet it is still remembered and celebrated. One place wherethis is particularly so is St Pancras Basin, whichisperhaps whyin2024 it wasdeemedaperfect location to filmanepisodeofSky’s Landscape Artistofthe Year!

Built by the Midland Railway Companyin1869,the basin(formerly known as Midland Railway Basin) wasusedasa location to load coal minedinthe Midlands coalfields, from railway wagons to waiting barges,fromwhereitisbelievedto have been distributed throughout London. It eventuallyfell into disuse butin1958 wasgiven anew leaseof life and reopenedfor pleasurecraft Professing to be a‘friendlycanal communityinthe heartofLondon’ it certainlylives up to this expectation, home as it is to many long-standing andcommitted members.

Honvice-president, SashaKeir, joined St Pancras Cruising Club (SPCC) in 1983 when her mother, DeniseKeir,boughtaflatin Camden. Sashasharedwith me: “A friend sold us his wooden cruiser, whichwas moored at St Pancras. The boat wascalled Rackwick and wasverydilapidated buthaving just setupatheatre costume businessinClerkenwell, joining the club seemedagood waytomake friends that weren’twork-related.” Sashahas been aloyal member from that dayonand,since 1996, hasalsoplayedanactiverolein neighbouringAngel’s yearly canal festival, originallyalongside Beryl Windsor who hassince died.

Thisevent wasfirstlaunched in 1986 by localresident, Crystal Hale,asaway to save City Road Basinfrombeinginfilledand built over.She startedthe festival as a partyinher back garden and it

endedupfundingthe creation of Islington Boat Club and the Angel CommunityCanalboatClub.Sasha told mehow this hasgrown:“It is a true communityparty celebrating the canalenvironment and the valuesofneighbourhood.It’slike an urbanvillagefete; very family oriented and free to attend. There’s aregatta with lots of have-a-go boatingactivities,Punchand Judy, juggling, live musicand Morris dancing. It is always on thefirst Sunday of Septemberand thisyear is goingtobeheld on the 7th.”

Thisenthusiasm formaintaining andcelebrating ourcanalsis strong andoffers aclear example forpotential future membersof SPCC.Relativelynew member and vice commodoreofthe club,David Leppard, discoveredthe club when he retiredfromfull-time work:“Iwas lookingfor voluntarypositions and foundanopportunity to be alock keeper at St Pancras. The training Iundertook wasadministered by Andrew Phasey whowas vicecommodore at SPCC at thetime, so onething ledtoanother.”

When Davidcommissionedand launched hisown narrowboat in 2020 he automaticallybecamea full member of this diverseand vibrantcommunity:“Members come from allwalks of life,from London cabbies to artists, retired professionalstocarpenters, TV producerstomusicians.” No doubt it’s David’s naturalcuriosityfor the industrialheritage of this location, as well as his knowledge of thearea gained throughhis professional work pre-retirement as acommercial

property consultant, whichhas led to himalsobecominga guidewho gives talksand presentations to the public on thehistoricWaterpoint, relocatedtoStPancras Basinin2001. Builttosupplywater to steamtrains visitingthe station, it wasdesigned by the office of architectSir George GilbertScott. Scottwas behind the magnificent MidlandGrand Hotel that forms the frontispieceofSt Pancras and the Waterpoint’sornate brickworkand elaboratedetailing indicativeofthis stylewas deemed tooprecious to be lostwhen, in 1997 it wasthreatenedwith demolitiondue to thedevelopment of the Channel TunnelRail Link.EnglishHeritage intervened and an elaborateplan washatched that sawthe building separatedintosections andmoved 700 metres by road on atransporter to its new home overlookingthe basin.

Davidtoldme: “Nowadayswehold

alease on theWaterpointwhich requiresustoopenthe buildingto the public on aminimum of sixdays ayear.”Visitorstotheseopendays areinfor atreat as they gettostep back in timeand findout moreabout this uniquepiece of architectural and engineeringhistory

In addition to open days and regularclubeventsall held in the new clubhouseopenedinApril 2024, built and paid forbymemberships, SPCC hasalsogaineda reputation for their yearly Thames cruises. Sasha Keir told me more:“SPCC began theirThames cruises in the late 1980s with the first usingthe old ship lock at Limehousebeforeitclosed.That eventsaw 42 boatsinthe lock at the same time!” Since then therehave been at leasttwo goodopportunities each year to cruise theTideway from LimehousetoBrentfordand as the club became more experienced

AliceElgie is awriter with a passionfor ourwaterways, both past and present. She lives forpart of the year on anarrowboat whereshe relishes the natureand communityfound on the canals: slowintotheseasons. substack.com

theyfelt confidentininvitingother boatstojointhem. “Our Tideway programmes arepublishedwellin advancetoother clubsand have become regularevents. The cruise is always preceded by afull briefing, usually at theCruisingAssociation clubhouseatLimehouse, so that the eventisassafeaspossible.”With a 100% safety record Iwould certainly be happytohop aboard myself! It seems that St PancrasBasin is as thrivingin2025 as it wasin 1869, albeit for different reasons. Withoutadoubt it is thecommitted members, with their love and respectfor the waterways–both past and present–that have kept this landmarkfirmly on the waterwaysmap

SpecialthankstoTonyHay,hon secretaryofSPCC, forhis time Furtherinfo: www.stpancrascc.co.uk

Above: St Pancras Waterpoint relocation. PHOTOS: SUPPLIEDBYSPCC

Left: SPCC volunteers at the Angel festival control point with the Mayor of Islington, 2023.

St Pancras lock as it is today.

L Lock keeper,FFred Plant,JJune 1963 –the last lock keeper at St Pancras lock. The basin as it is today.

Spirit of Endeavour

SallyClifford meets the charity spreading community spirit with enjoyable boattrips throughapicturesque part of Yorkshire.

KNOWING the benefits a tranquil boat trip alongthe canalcan bringtothose who wouldn’t otherwise getthe opportunityisa positive reminderoftheir purpose. Positivefeedback is alwaysappreciated, butone particular piece of correspondencehad a profound impact on this voluntary‘workforce.’ Forlifelongboater

AndyHayford, skipper andvolunteerwith the community boatingcharity, Spirit of Endeavour, theletter received from the familyof oneofits previous passengers evokes emotionashepauses brieflyrecallingits contents. Writtenbya passenger’s daughterwho had accompaniedher mum’s care home grouponthe boat trip,she spokeofher mum’s enjoymentofbeingbackon the wateragain. “Her mum and dadhad aboatfor most of their life –itwas their joy. Shesaidhow hermum hadn’t stopped talkingabout the trip.She said: ‘You gave my mumthe best dayofher life,’” Andyrecalls

Care homeand community groups areamongthe regular passengers takingtrips alongthe 10-mile stretch of theLeeds&Liverpool Canalthrough the picture postcard settingofSkipton whereSpirit of Endeavouris based. The charity’scustombuilt 53ft widebeam boat hasthe capacitytocarry 12 passengers,includingfour wheelchairs, to destinations includingGargraveand Kildwick, with aspecial fish and chip trip to Bradley stoppingbyBizzie Lizzie’s fish and chip shop in Skipton town centre. Trips runfrom ApriltoOctober.

Thevessel, Endeavour, wasoriginally purchased

andoperatedbySCAD–Skipton and Craven Action for Disability. It relaunched as acommunity boat charity in 2021 thankstothe foresight of one of its late founders, RichardClarke. Following Richard’sdeath in 2023, the boat –whichcarried his coffin alongpartofthe waterway he lovedthrough Bingleyfor his funeral –was renamed Richard’sEndeavour It wasanemotional but fittingoccasion as Sally Goodman, the charity’sfirst and onlyfemale skipper, recalls.“They took him through his favouritestretch of woodland. It wasa very fitting send-off for him and they decorated theboatinall his favouriteflowers,”saysSally.

“Richard waspassionate andweare allpassionate aboutenabling people to getout on thecanal who wouldn’t normallybeable to getout.Our core markets arenursing homes andcare homes,special needsgroups, communitygroupsand families.”

Sallyhas first-hand experience of the benefits the trips bring, having accompaniedher husband whoisina care homewith dementia.

Shesaysthe trips are particularly stimulatingfor thosespending time within

the same four walls,orwho haven’t been on aboat before. “Theyget to seethis lovely sceneryand it is anice breakfor the carers too. It’s a tonic,” says Sally.

Lastyearthe charity transported around 1000 passengers butitisalways lookingtoexpand those numbers–along with volunteers,skippersand helms.Currently thereare around 36 speciallytrained volunteers,ranging in ages, whooperate on aflexible basis to deliver trips sevendaysa week duringthe season Fellowskipper Cameron Wilson, who hasspent his life around boats, volunteers with thecharity with hiswife Estelle.They alsorun kayaking and sailingactivities with BingleySea Scouts,and seethe many benefits volunteering brings.“There will be asense of accomplishment. Theyhave good quality trainingand they become skilful crew members. Theyget somethingout of the fact they arevolunteering,” says Cameron.

Richard’sEndeavour is alsoavailable for hire– the dayIvisited the boat was beautifully decoratedto welcome abridalparty for the post ceremonyreception, acelebratorytwo-and-a-halfhour boat trip to Bradley. It is

the first weddingthe charity hashostedinits current form–volunteer David Berry’sdaughterBeth held her weddingreception on theboatwhenitwas under the auspices of SCAD four yearsago

Chattinginthe spacious confines of the cabin, with its compact kitchenwhere passengers canbring and preparetheir ownfood andrefreshments,David talks of the charity’splans to eventuallyreplacethe 23-year-old boat. Despite chargingfor trips,the charityremains anon-profit organisationsolelyrelianton volunteers.

All funds raised coverthe boat’s maintenance and mooringcosts which is why the charityisactivelyseeking fundingtopurchaseanew custom-built craft.“It is hard becauseweare tryingtokeep the price very affordable Everyone’s budgets aretight so we charge theminimum we canafford to keep the charityrunning. It is a difficult balance,” says Sally. Butfor passengers and the volunteers,itisworth it.“It is an escape from four walls –agetaway from themonotony of day-to-daylife,” adds Sally. Formoreinformation, or to getinvolved,visit www. spiritofendeavour.org.uk

Spreading community spirit: SpiritofEndeavour volunteers Sally Goodman, Andy Hayford, CameronWilson and David Berry PHOTO: SALLYCLIFFORD

Flying theflag: The memory of one of thecharity’slate founders, Richard Clarke, lives on. PHOTO: SALLYCLIFFORD

At the helm: Sally Goodman, the charity’sfirst and only female helmsman. PHOTO: SALLYCLIFFORD

Scenery: Richard’sEndeavour sails through picturesque scenery at Niffany, Skipton. PHOTO: SALLY CLIFFORD

Finaljourney: Richard’sEndeavour carrying the charity’s founder,Richard Clarke, on his final journey. PHOTO:SALLY GOODMAN

Electrical reconciliation

IWASustainable BoatingGroup memberJonathan Mosse continues his off-grid boating series.

NOWisasgoodatime as anyfor awee bitof reconciliation. Idon’t mean making up with allthose people on my moorings that I’ve recentlyfallen outwith!No, simply taking the opportunitytoset my electrical demands over the winter,againstwhat I’ve actually generated over the same period from the sun. Lastyear, giveortake, everythingbalanced outnicely. Around theshortestday,when things appeared somewhat electrically sketchy, having 30kW of (largely unused)battery storagecapacitysaved theday and demand wasnicelybalancedbysupplyoverthe most challengingmonths of December and January. Notsothis year wherethe same twomonths clockedupnearlya 50kW deficit betweenthem and Ihad to go outona leccyscroungetomy fellowmoorers!

Whythe difference? Severalfactors really which, when takentogether, explainthe deficit.Dominantwas generallylesssun than during the identical period last year,and that in combinationwitha change in mooring site,where therewas noticeable shadingat the beginningand end of the short period of sunlightthesetwo months will only provide, no matterwhereyou are.

Asupply anddemand snapshot on atotally sunless day in mid-March.

As for actual numbers: at theend of October 2024 the batteries were brimfull whichmeant that,with only15kW producedinNovember, Iwas able to make up forthe shortfallinthe 37kW Iuse on an averagemonthlybasis. Consequently,I wasstill in credit at the beginningofDecember(during whichmy panels producedapositivelymiserly 10kW) to the tune of fiveorsousable kilowatts, leaving me to borrow 32kW!

Januaryprovedtobenotquitesosad,providing 16kW (and the need to borrow afurther 21kW) while in FebruaryIalmost brokeevenat32kW: just 5kW adrift of my requirements!

With aMarch totalalready at 50kW,and still aweektogountil the month’send, Ican

‘Green fuel’ship leaves traditional vessels in itswake

THE WORLD’Sfirstdualfuelledammonia-powered ship arrivedatthe Canal &River Trust’sWestIndia Dockslastmonth,marking an importantstepforward in maritime decarbonisation. Fortescue’sSingaporeflaggedvessel Green Pioneer arrivedinthe UK to demonstrate the viabilityof ammoniaasa sustainable marine fuel.Thevesselis the first of its kind, powered by four-strokeengines, two of whichare capable of beingfuelledbyammonia and diesel. The Canal& RiverTrust

wasdelighted to hostthis trailblazing vessel inthe heartof London whereit showcased howthe maritime industryis adaptingto achievedecarbonisation andnet zero goals. The visit demonstrates the international reputation of Canal& RiverTrust’s West IndiaDocks and its ability to handle high-profile shipping. Jamie Jackson, Canal& RiverTrust harbourmaster for West IndiaDocks,said: “Itwas my pleasureto welcomeFortescue Green Pioneer to London. Iam

proudofthe work ourteam is doingatWestIndia Docks to enhance itsreputation as aleadingLondon port for a wide rangeofcustomers, from superyachtsand warships to innovative vessels like GreenPioneer.” Ammonia,azero-carbon fuel, hasthe potential to substantiallyreduce greenhousegas emissions when used forshipping An ammonia-powered vessel exemplifies how shippingcan become more sustainable,anambitious butessential mission fully backed by UK Government.

of sustainable energy. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

This is actually an interestingconcept worthy,Ifeel, of further exploration. With the possible option to plug into alandline, for thetwo to threeelectricallybarrenmonths of ayear, usuallygoesthe need to paya daily standingcharge: anotherreasontodevelop a borrowing/repaymentstrategy.

From dayone of my move to beingoff-grid, Iwired afused outlet into my boat’s electrics so Ican nowstart feedingleccy back to my kindlyneighbour,evenmeteringitaswego to determinethe pointofequity! Thereisno doubt that by late spring,she will have been paid back with interest …

Iwill also splurge with the load dumpIhave installed, whichallows me to heat copious quantities of hot waterinmycalorifier with thesurplus power. Butthe overall concept is intriguing: that of sharingenergy,not just with thegridbut alsobetween other boatsona mooring.

Beyond this very ‘local’approach is the possibilityofimportingpower,not onlyfrom the obviousdirectboat-connected sources of sunand wind,but alsofromanelectric vehicle (EV)and adomestic dwelling, whichmight in its ownright be enjoyingrenewable electricity from roof-mountedsolar panels

confidentlypredict that Iwill nowbemotoring again, through to November.Sothat’sadeficit of 57kW I’ve clockedupintotal over the past winter. It alsomeans that Icould ceasetorelyon my HVO-fired stovefor cooking, heating andhot water… well,certainly theformer! However, having grownrather‘nesh’inmy old age– in combinationwith Scotland’s somewhat cooler climate– the stovestays lit for another month and Ican think about repayingsome of that borrowed electricity.

Forthis formofpower synergy to become reality, thereisjustone,asyet unmentioned, ingredient required:Vehicle to Load (V2L) functionalityinstalledinthe boater’s EV.Now becomingcommon on EVs, V2Lcan be viewed as providingauseful ‘electrical wheelbarrow’ forcarting leccyfromone applicationto another, whether it be grid-generated or fullfatorganic from wind or solar!

While we’rebecomingusedtopluggingour EVsintoahomeorpubliccharger,the concept of usingthe batterycapacityofthe EV in its ownright –todothings otherthanjustgetting from AtoB –isstill very new. However, pretty much overnight, it allows us to maximisethe useofour renewable generationand storage capacity across multiple uses and, potentially, locations

For six monthsofthe year therecan be an average daily surplus of 3kW which could go towards atypical 9kW daily propulsion requirement.

Green Pioneer, which was berthed at theCanal &River Trust’sWest India Docks lastmonth,showcasing itsuse

PHOTO: JONATHAN MOSSE

BOATING DIRECTORY

ADVERTISERS INDEX

ONEOFLEICESTERSHIRES HIDDEN GEMS ANDAHAVEN FORPEACE ANDQUIET www.leicestermarina.co.uk

Berthing available for leisuremoorers Please enquirefor prices: 0116 2606166 or oﬃce@raynswayproperties.co.uk

Themarina oﬀersyou: •Diesel •Gas •Coal

•Pump

•Laundrette

•Shower/Toilet

•Paint

Blisworth Marina

Leicester Marina, Pinfold Road, Thurmaston LE4 8AS

Northampton Marina

You ’reinvitedtoour

Crick Boat Show:23rd- 26thMay

Visitour stand, tour ourboats (includingabrand newwidebeam built in partnershipwithKingsground -winner of last year’s “Favourite Boat in Show”),meetthe LakelandLeisure team and ﬁnd your dreamboat.

Barton Marina Open Day: 21stJune

Experience livemusic,food anddrink, meet thefriendlyteamand boating industry experts, explore ourtop of therangefacilities, viewour residential andleisure moorings, visit ourneighbouring businessesaround themarina, andcheck outthe boats and ﬂoating lodges forsale! bartonmarina.co.uk

Roydon Marina VillageOpenDay:19thJuly

After theresounding successoflast yearsevent,joinusagain to enjoylivemusic,stalls, varied food anddrink options, viewour available moorings, meet theknowledgeable team, industry experts, andbrowsethe newand used boats andlodgesfor sale! roydonmarinavillage.co.uk

Image: Tattenhall Marina,Chester

SherborneStreet,Birmingham B168DE 0121 4556163 /0121 4545367

www.sherbornewharf.co.uk or email@sherbornewharf.co.uk

Moorings available,special ratesfor

Prime mooring’sinthe centre of Birmingham’Canal system.Securesite, withall servicesavailable,and easy access to thelively cityofBirmingham Justa 2minuetwalk, to the fantastic night lifeofRestaurants,clubs and bars, Places of interest, theInternational Convention Centre,alsoknown as the ICC, off the famous boardstreet, in Birmingham, thenew library, theCresenttheatre,The Ikon galleryfor art, all just ashortwalk away,3-4minutes,

Allpublic servicesare availablefromthe streetsoutside and youcan jump on thetram fromBoardstreet. Wolverhampton, or to newstreet. Thechoiceisyours.

Mooring in sherborne wharf, is quiet and peaceful,with long term residents, whohave establisheda lifehereinthe Marine.Weare an established Company, who have been hereinBirminghamfor over 30yrs,friendlyneighbours who get together and enjoy summer evenings on the towpathsocialising,sharing theevening sunand adrink, responsibly, Service’sare basedonthe main line outside the round house and DistilleryPub,witha smallchandlery, coal,diesel,Gas and pumpout availabe on adaily basis,pleasenote pump outs arenot allowedafter 11.30am, the facilitiesare small but can supply you with what youneed

We have no onsite parking,however parkingcan be found,torentwith in theaccess to thesiteand around the Marina privately Boat services,wehaveadry dock that can be hired,for blacking,surveys,ormechanicalworkrequired.Wehavethe contactfor boatsurveys’gas inspections and repairsshouldthey be required.

SHAKESPEARE

MARINA MARI

•Flood proofmoorings

•250 berths located on river Avon

•10mins walkfrom Stratford-upon-Avon

•Waters &elec hook ups to eachberth

• Free wi-fi •Laundry •Showers

•Fuel sales •Pump out

•Lakeland Leisureboatbrokerage T: 07967 461057

E: shakespeare@land-water.co.uk

CAEN HILL MARINA

• 248 berths located on Kennet &Avon canal

• Near to Devizes Wiltshire T: 01380 827062

E: caenhill@land-water.co.uk

NORTHWICH

CH QUAY

• 50 berthslocated on riverWeaver

• CentreofNorthwich, Cheshire T: 07967 461038

E: northwich@land-water.co.uk

Situated in the rolling countryside of Northamptonshire on the 23 mile lock freesummit of the Grand Union Leicester section -Yelvertoft Marina is set in beautifultranquil countryside, within 5minutes of the M1 J18, yet without noiseorinconvenience of major traffic.

Hill Farm Marina

South StratfordCanal

The View Restaurantis now fully open

• •Enjoyprivate access to atraditional 200 acre beef and sheep farm

• •Dogsrun free in designated areas.

• •Watch thechanging seasons,the wildlife and theanimalsonthe farm

• •Enjoythe completepeace,freedom and tranquillity of beinginthe countryside

• •Accesssome greatlock free cruising forday trips,weekend or longer voyages

• •Easyaccess to motorway network, busesand trains

• •Onsitelaundry,Hairdressers

• •Members benefitwith adiscountatour popular Restaurant

It goes without saying....

• •A secureplace to moor your boat,and park your car

• •Luxurious showers,communalareas,pump out andfuel etc.

• •FreeunlimitedWIFI

• •Electricityand water connections

• •Pump-out,fuel,coal,wood and gas available

Please watch the

email info@hillfarmmarina.co.ukorcall

THE BATTERYINDUSTRY

Predator Batteries areproud to introduceanextensiverange of specially selectedLeadAcidand Lithium batteries,designed for the Marine market. TheLeadAcidrange starts with thepopular ﬂooded Leisure battery, upgrades to the 'AGM Predator DPX' and concludes with theultimateCarbon Gel Technology - 'Quasar' from EternityTechnologies.InLithium choose from the standard 'value formoney'range,orupgrade with theultimateinLithium power-the fully waterproof IP67-rated 'Predator XBH/67' forcompletesafetyand extended life.

Visit ourwebsite to review your options: www.predator-batteries.co.uk

The Predator DPX rangefeatures advanced AGMbatteries with Carbon and Tinadditives, enhancingEnginestartingand BowThruster powerand deep cyclecapability, hencetheir dual-purpose designation. They provide excellent value formoney with extended life.

The Quasar rangefromEternityTechnologies offers theultimateLeadAcid battery. Carbon Nano Tube technology(CNT), extradeep cycle, fast recharge, starting ability, andthe very bestfor long distance cruisingboats and Live-on-Boards (oftennot connectedtoshore power)

Predator XBH/67 –the ultimateinLithium technology Fully waterproof up to adepth of 1metre,Bluetooth, Cold ClimateHeating, CANbus andRS485battery monitoringintegration.Available in 12,24, 36 and48V options.

•Iver (Slough Arm) and Northolt (Paddington arm)

•Secure sites with private parking

•Delivery of gas,solid fuel and diesel direct to your boat

•Electricity,water,elsan and pumpout

•Showers and laundry

•Chandlery

•Mechanical, electrical, and carpentry work undertaken

•Craning, gritblasting and blacking

•Two partepoxy hull treatment

•Fuel polishing service

sales@high-line.co.uk 01753 651496 www.high-line.co.uk

FOR SELLERS

•Free moorings

•Sales location with established footfall

•Open 6days /week

•Trade Plates for unlicensed craft

•Pre sales preparation and repairs

FOR BUYERS

•Free guidance and advice

•Comprehensive handover

•Secure clients bank account

•ABYAqualiﬁed brokerage staff

•Industry standarddocumentation

PRIVATE BUYER’S SERVICE

•Ifyou are buying privately,wecan offer thefollowing services:

•Advice on allaspectsofpurchase

•Provision of documentation

•Secure Clients bank account

•Bespoke service –asmuch or as little as you want, priced accordingly

kb@vcmarine.co.uk 01753 652502/07860 480079 www.vcmarine.co.uk

TRADLINE ROPE

We arethe onlymembershipassociationset up,in1963, to protect the interestsoflive-aboard boaters. We need your supporttobeableto continueour work.Sojoinus, in promotion, development, representation andprotectionofour chosen lifestyle.Interested?

Seemoreinformation on our website www.rboa.org.uk. or telephone 0330 0577180 to find out howtojoinand getinvolvedinthe safeguarding of thefuture freedomoflivingafloat.

Annual membership from only £30.00. TheResidentialBoat Owners’AssociationStudio2 WatersideCourt ThirdAvenue Burton onTrent DE14 2WQ Sponsored byAllWills andTrusts.co.uk

CLEAR BIO TOILET FLUID

Breaks

Lubricates

100% biodegradable, non -hazardous to people, pets &the planet. Eco-refills available

hazardousava

ane ilable

motorhome &narrowboats

Forcaravans, motorhomes, boats &narrowboats. Cassettewaste/flush tanks.

Cassette waste/flush tan s, ks

Boats

Product Launches

•5starGoogle reviews

•Fullpaymentoncompletion only

•Minimal deposit required to secure order

•Wedon’t charge an extramilage fee

•5yearmaterialguarantee

•Offersfor associated marinas andboatbuilders

•Exceptional Customercare

• Full vehicle ﬂeet so warranty work is quicklyaddressed

•Our ownrange of after-market covercare

•Customerpayment plans

Come and chatwith us at our stand on the Quayside at theCrickBoatShow (Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon)

Book into our Masterclassinthe Crick marquee-Saturday11.50am -12.20pm, wherewewill explain choosing the right boat cover, material anddesigns. Plus aftercare and repair including our exciting newproductlaunch details. Boatcoverand cleaning tips talk at The Aquavista, Tiller andTankards stand -Sunday11.15am (Quayside)

Basedat Mercia Marina -Willington, Derbyshire

Farndon - Newark, Nottinghamshire

Nautical Training runRYA and non-RYAcoursesfor:

•Inlandwaterways, Narrowboat Cruiser

•Powerboat

•Classroom coursesincluding Diesel engine,VHF ﬁrst aidand navigation

• Online coursesincluding CEVNIand ICC

• Assisted passages anddeliveriesaswell as ownboattuition andbespoke courses

us formoreinformation: Email: courses@nautical.training www.nautical.training

REDHILLMARINA

Boat Maintenance&Repair Work Undertaken

Fully qualified, experiencedand conscientious staff, providing quality work at afair price.

Boatpainting, hull blacking, surveys, engine servicing, repairs, gassafety check,boatsafety certification, batteries, pump out, diesel andgas

Trevor Basin, Llangollen Canal, Denbighshire, LL20 7TT -01978 821749

Whixall Marina, Llangollen Canal, Shropshire, SY13 2QS– 01948 880996

Great Haywood,Trent &Mersey Canal, Staffordshire, ST18 0RJ –01889 881711

Bunbury,ShropshireUnion Canal, Cheshire, CW6 9QB -01829 260957

Wootton Wawen, StratfordCanal, Warwickshire, B956BZ -01564 793427

BradfordonAvonMarina, Kennet & Avon Canal, Wiltshire, BA15 1UD–01225 864923

Hands-freeattachmentthat

Pillings Lock Marina

BOTTOM OF YOUR FUELTANK?

STOP PAYING TWICETOGET YOUR TANK CLEANEDBYUSING COWBOYSTODO THE JOB, COME STRAIGHT TO TANKBUSTERS,FUELCLEANING SERVICES! WEFILTERTOONE MICRON ANDREMOVEWATER TO 100 PARTSPER MILLION(PPM) AND BETTER THAN REFINERIES. THAT’S FUEL CLEANING AT ITSBEST. FORMORE INFORMATION 07974808277 bruce@tankbusters.co.ukwww.tankbusters.co.uk

LISTER-PETTER DIESELENGINES AND SPARE PARTSSPECIALIST

UK’s Largeststock of Lister-Petterengines andgearboxes. Unrivalledknowledge,experience andaftersales support

Having your tired old engine or gearboxrepaired? In thelongrun ouroptions arelikelymorecost effective: Reconditioned serviceexchangeor recondition yourexistingunit; Factorylow hours and good used units also supplied.

Allengines andgearboxes aresuppliedfully tested and with warranty. If yours is past it’s best,calloremail us to find outmore.

+44(0)121 377 6029 mail@realdiesels.co.ukwww.realdiesels.co.uk

UNITTOLET

Thiswinter, our 2,000 mile network of 250-year-old canals facesaperfect stormof extreme weather, rising repair costsand shrinking government support. Last winter alone,eight storms in three months cost £10million in emergencyrepairs. Ourteams arestretchedtothe limitasmorestormshit this season.

We urgentlyneedyour donationnow,sothatwecan be readytoreact whenthe next emergencyhappens.Withyoursupport, we cancarry outvital repairs, as well as restore canals andmakethemmoreresilient to extremeweather in future.

End of an eraaspopular River Trent marina goes on the market

By AlisonAlderton

FARNDON Marina on the River Trentistobesold. Ownedand developed for morethan50years by the Ainsworthfamily, it the first time the marina hasbeenonthe open market

Setinthe Nottinghamshire villageofFarndon, the marina site spans 25 acres and hasberthingfor morethan300 boats. Surrounded by woodlands and agricultural land, whichoffer agoodrange of walkingtrails, it is ahaven forboth floraand fauna. In the springtime the marina grounds areawash with colour from the blossomofthe maturecherry treessurrounding the site,makingitadelighttovisit even if youare not aboater.

Within the grounds thereisa modern office buildinghousing achandleryand successful boat sales centre, workshops,boat lift,arampallowing thelaunch andrecoveryofcraft by trailer, hardstandingand more.

From Farndon Marina boaters canexplorethe RiverTrent

upstreamtowards Nottingham and beyond orheaddownstream passingthrough Newark-onTrenttojoin thetidal waters whichprovide access to many of the north-eastern waterwaysand beyond the NorthSea

Speaking to TowpathTalk,a long-termberth holder at Farndon Marina said:“It is theend of an era. The Ainsworthfamilyhave looked after my boat for more than 20 yearsand providedme with ahome from home.Itisa

Silver service as LA Marineturns 25

LA Marine,aspecialist marine and shipping lawdivision of Lester Aldridge,iscelebrating its25th anniversary with asignificantleadership transition and arenewed vision for the future.The team started25years ago, ledbyRussell Kelly, and hasgrown into the south coast’spre-eminent dedicated marine lawfirm Nowled by partnersLinda Jacques,PhilippaLangton and NickyNelson, LA Marine is settinganew benchmarkfor inclusivity while upholdingthe exceptional legalexpertise that hasdefinedthe firm for decades.

As one of the first dedicated marine law teams on the south coast, LA Marine has builta strong presence in Southampton and Bournemouth,with additional reachin London and acrossthe world. Recognised by Legal500 and Chambers for its excellence in shipping and leisure marine law, the firmis

knownfor delivering London-level expertiseat competitiveregional rates.

LindaJacques, an experiencedpartner at LA Marine with morethan 20 yearsatthe firmsaid: “Our history is builton deep industryknowledge and acommitment to supportingour clients with practical, commercially focusedadvice. Thisnext chapterseesuscontinuing to grow in responsetoa fast-changingmaritime landscape.”

AlongsideLinda is

Philippa, br in gi ng extensiveexperience from London shipping firms and senior in-house roles,includingtime in Shanghai. Nicky, the newest partner, hasabackground in commercial shipping, previously workingwith renowned organisations such as the RNLI. Their combined expertise enhances LA Marine’s abilitytodeliver strategic, pragmaticlegal solutions With an exceptional

breadth of experience acrossall practice areas, somewhat of ararityinthe industry, theyare further strengthening service standards from aclients’ perspective.

“Weare ateam th valuesbespoke, acticaladvice over unnecessary complexity,”said Philippa. “Clients appreciate our abilitytocut through legal jargon and provide solutions that work in real world.”

As the industry faces unprecedented challenges, including substantialenvironmental re gu la ti on s, geopoliticalpressures andtechnological advancements such as AI and autonomous vessels, LA Marine is actively helpingclients negotiate their waythrough these changes. Formoreinformation aboutLAMarine visit: www.lesteraldridge.com/ sectors/marine

sadoccasionbut after all the hard work they have putintomaking this placethe successitistoday theydeserve some qualitytimeto enjoytheir ownpastimes.I wish themthe very best.”

Farndon Marina is beingsold through Christie &Co; for more details visit:www.christie.com

Businessasusual

Meanwhile it is verymuch business as usual for Farndon Marina, where an upgrade to the existing pontoonsiscurrently under way along withessential tree maintenance and the planning for the annual open weekend event on May 17 and 18. The event promises awiderange of both water and landbased activities forvisitors including hands-on boat demonstrations. There is also an opportunity to support the RNLI by entering aprize draw to wina Rebel Raider 330 RIB package. Discover more at:www.farndonmarina. co.uk

Three more for CruiseMoor

CRUISE Moor is delighted to announce threemore independentfamilyrun marinas have joined itsuniquemooring scheme.

Lechlade,Sheppertonand FoxNarrowboats arethe latest trio of marinastosignuptothe scheme,bringingthe grand total of participatingmarinas to Cruise Moor to nine

Officially launched in 2024 at Boatlife in Birmingham by Aqueduct (Middlewich Branch of the ShropshireUnion), DunchurchPools (North Oxford Canal), Droitwich Spa(Droitwich Junction Canal),Overwater (ShropshireUnion Canal) and WhiteMills (River Nene), the scheme whichoffersboaters one free week’s mooringateach participatingmarinahas been set up to encouragemoreboaters to getout and aboutand explore the waterwaysnetwork.Fenny Marina on thesouthern armof the OxfordCanal became the sixthmarinatojoin late last year.

Ianand JulesLindsay spent four yearslooking for theirown marina before buying100-berth Lechlade Marina in 2018. With itslarge slipwayitisa popular launch pointfor Wilderness, Sea Otters andother trailable boats wantingtocruisethe Thames.

Iansaid:“To join ascheme which activelypromotes independent familyrun marinasisbrilliant for us.Weall care deeplyand

valueour customers, so by joining CruiseMooritisanother way of showingour customers how much we appreciate them.”

Ian’ssentimentsare echoed by PaulaSyedwho,with her sister Traceyand daughterEmily, operates their200-berth marina FoxNarrowboats on the Middle Levels which wasfoundedby their father in 1980. Paulaisa firmadvocateofindependentand familyrun businesses.“Everyone should be encouragingall boaters to usethe entirewaterways network. HopefullyCruiseMoor will helpdoexactlythatespecially as moremarinas sign up.We areveryhappy to be part of this excitingnew initiativeand look forward to welcomingboaters to ourpartofthe waterwaysnetwork.”

The thirdfamilyrun marina to join the scheme is the 400-berth SheppertonMarinalocated on the RiverThames between Shepperton and Sunburylocks. Marina managerLisaHarris added: “Weweredrawn to join CruiseMoorbecause of its strong commitmenttosupporting boatersand independentmarinas alike. Theinitiativenot only promotes responsible mooring practices butalsoprovideswellmaintained mooringspots.By partneringwith independent marinas, CruiseMoorhelpsboost independent businesses while making it easier for boatersto explorebeautiful waterways.”

Main reception building at Farndon Marina. PHOTO: ALISON ALDERTON

Farndon Marina. PHOTO: ALISON ALDERTON

Philippa, Linda and Nicky at LA Marine. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Six of the bestbank holiday boating ruralretreats

CANAL FEVER

BRITAIN’S beautiful 3000-mile network of inland waterwaystakes canalboat holidaymakers through some of ourbestlovedcountryside.Thereare places to moor up in quiet backwaters for the perfectrural retreatawayfromitall andthe chance to visit historiccountry pubs and farmshops alongthe way.

Drifters(www.drifters.co.uk)offers the choice of 500 boatsfrom40locations acrossEngland, Scotland and Wales.All Driftersoperators providehirerswith boat steering tuition and canalboatholidays

arepet friendly. To celebratethe forthcomingMay bank holidays, Drifters haspublishedaguide to its topsix bank holiday weekendrural retreats

Cruise throughthe Staffordshire countryside to Shebdon

From Drifters’ boat hirebaseatBrewood on the Shropshire UnionCanal in Staffordshire, it takesjustoverfive hourstoreach the small villageofShebdon,surroundedbybeautiful countryside.ThejourneytoShebdon takes canalboatholidaymakers through 13 miles of scenic countrysideand woodland.Thecanal passes through aseriesofsmall villagesand hamlets,includingWheaton Astonwith its HartleyInn, Gnosall with itsBoatInn and the Junction InnatNorbury Wharf. Canal features encounteredalong the wayinclude Stretton Aqueduct,a lock at WheatonAston, Cowley Tunnel, ShelmoreEmbankmentand Grub Street Cutting. The journeythere and back takesaround 11 hours.

stocking up on localproduce.Theshop sells avariety of food sourcedfromlocal farms, includinghome-made sausages made using free-range pork,fruit,vegetables,free-range eggs andbaked products.Thejourneyto Fradleyand back is 25 miles,through 10 locks (fiveeachway)and takes around 12 hours.

CruisethroughtheBreconBeaconstoLlangynidr Isolated from themaincanal network, the beautiful Monmouth &Brecon Canalruns through theBreconBeacons NationalPark andoffers an escape to thecountry with incrediblemountain views. On aweekend breakfromGoytreWharf,nearAbergavenny, boaterscan cruiselock-free to Llangynidrand back.Theroute goes through aseriesofsmall villages with historicpubs,includingthe Lion InnatGovilon, deep in the Welsh countryside.

Boat throughthe Leicestershirecountryside to StokeGolding

(Withapologies to John Masefield)

Imustgobacktothe cutagain

To thelocks andthe open

What better waytoexperience andexplore thevariedlandscape of the inland waterwaysthanbytakingafullycrewedand cateredcruiseinthe comfortofour traditional pair of canalboats, Kerala andKarnataka? rosie@bywaterhotelboats.co.uk Tel: 07380941042

Boat through theWarwickshire countryside to Napton From Drifters’ canalboathirebaseat Stockton on theGrand UnionCanal in Warwickshire,ittakes just over twohours to cruise to the village of Napton-on-theHill. Here,alongside theOxfordCanal,a herdofwater buffalo canoften be seen grazing. In 1999,the Buffalo Farm at Chapel Greenstarted milking20water buffalo,and it’s nowhometo140 cows and 100 youngbuffalo. Napton VillageStores sells the farm’s buffalo burgers, sausages, meatballs,steaksand ice cream. It also sells other localproduce in its bakery and delicatessen, including vegboxes,homemade meals,cider andhome-made cakes.

Navigate throughCannockChase to Fradley Drifters’baseonthe Trent& Mersey CanalatGreat Haywoodisdeepinthe Staffordshire countryside.Onaweekend break, boaterscan cruisetoFradley Junction and back,passing through Cannock ChaseAreaofOutstanding NaturalBeauty. The journeytakes just half an hour.Beforeheadingout,the Canalside Farm Shop at GreatHaywood is perfectfor

From Driftersbaseonthe Coventry Canalat Springwood Haven, it takes around five-anda-half hourstocruisetothe historicvillageof StokeGolding. The routetakes boatersthrough theLeicestershirecountryside alongthe lockfree Ashby Canal. StokeGoldinghas one of themostbeautiful churches in England and there’sa choice of pubs including the White Swan. Before heading out, boaterscan stockup on localproduce at PoplarsFarmshopand cafe near Nuneaton, sellingfruit,vegetables,honey, localcheese, eggs,poultryand jams

Cruisethroughthe Shropshirecountryside to Chirk

On aweekend breakfromBlackwaterMeadow on the LlangollenCanal, boaterscan cruise throughthe Shropshirecountryside to Chirk. The journeythere andbacktakes around 11 hoursand there areonlytwo locks to pass through each way. Boaterswill travel across thestunningChirkAqueduct,crossing the border from England to Wales.Then through ChirkTunnel to ChirkMarina, where boaterscan moor up to visitthe National Trust’sChirkCastleuponthe hill. There’sa cafe at the castle,and achoiceofcanalside pubs,includingTheBridgeatChirkBank Formoreinformation aboutDriftersboating holidayscall 0344 984 0322 or visitwww. drifters.co.uk

Cruise through the Staffordshire countryside to Shebdon on the beautiful Trent and Mersey Canal, Great Haywood. PHOTO: DADEROT- CC0 1.0

Black Country boaters have talent!

By Lucy Wood

Visitors to this year’sBlack CountryBoating Festival are being invitedtohone their specialand unique skillstotakepart inthe event’sfirst ever talent show.

THE festival takes place in September, so there’splenty of time forwould-beparticipants to rehearse for this new addition to the event programme,whichpromises to bringanextra sparktoanalready vibrantand entertaining weekend of canalside fun.

Open to performersofall ages,the show invites singers, dancers, comedians,

musicians,magicians and more to take to the stageand showcasetheirskills.

Festival organiser Ross Harrison said: “The BlackCountry Boating Festival hasalwaysbeena celebration of community, heritageand great entertainment. Thisyearwewantedto givevisitorsthe chancetoget involved and shine on stage.

“Whether you’reaseasonedperformer,a buddingsuperstar or just want to have alaugh, ourFun TalentShowisall aboutenjoyment and bringingpeople together.This is your chance to be part of something special.”

Taking placeinBumble Hole Nature Reserve, Netherton, the talentshowwill be a highlightofthe festival’s final day, ensuring the weekend ends on ahighnote. Prizes and specialrecognition will be given to standout acts,but aboveall, the emphasis is on fun and participation.

Nowinits 39thyear, the festival– taking place this year on September12-14 –isone of theregion’smostpopular annual events, attractingthousands of visitorsfor aweekend of livemusic,historicnarrowboats,craft stalls, food and family-friendlyactivities

Explorehistory,natureand canal restoration with guidedtours andboat trips

COTSWOLD Canals Trusthas launched its 2025 season forbothguidedwalking tours and boat trips

Visitors andlocalsalikecan take part in a varietyofexciting, volunteer-ledexperiences that showcase therichhistory,wildlifeand ongoingrestoration of the Cotswold Canals Allproceedsfromthe tripsand toursgo directly towardssupporting therestoration efforts of the canals,makingtheseactivities an idealway to explorethe stunning landscape while contributingtothe ongoing environmental work.

Guided walking tours

Cotswold Canals Trustwilloffer aseries of guidedwalkingtours from Mayto September on Saturdaysand some Wednesdays,starting at 10.30am.Eachtourisled by passionate volunteers whowill sharefascinatinginsights aboutthe canal’shistory,its restoration processand its importance to thelocal communityand wildlife.

Tour options:

• Walk 1: OurIndustrialHeritage

Route: Wallbridge to Ebley, Stroud Du ra ti on :9 0m in ut es (+ 30 minutesreturn)

Highlights:Thelastoperational mill in theStroudValleys,the Dudbridge hydroelectricity scheme,the iconic

EbleyMill and stories from canalbarge workers.

• Walk 2: The Challenge of Restoration Route: StonehousetoWestfield Bridge Du ra ti on :9 0m in ut es (+ 30 minutesreturn)

Highlights:TheOcean railwaybridge, embankment andbridgereplacement at BondsMill, therestoration of Eastington locks, andthe challengeof crossing theM5.

• Walk 3: Natu re an d Environmental Preser vation

Route: Fromebridge to Saul Junction

Duration:90minutes(+30minutesreturn)

Highlights:Fromebridge wetlandnature reserve, restoration of Occupation Bridge,the mergingofthe canalwith theRiver Frome,and theGloucesterand Sharpness canal.

• Walk 4: Mills andLocks

Route: Wallbridge to Stroud Brewery

Duration:90minutes(+30minutesreturn)

Highlights:ThehistoricStroudwater Navigation, restored locksand former mill sites, endingwith arefreshingvisit toStroudBrewery

Boat trips

In addition to thewalkingtours,the Cotswold Canals Trustisalsoofferingits popularboat trips for the 2025 season. Thesevolunteer-led

tripsoffera unique opportunity to explore thecanals from the water, with severalroutes available from ApriltoSeptember.

Boattripoptions: AdventureatSaulJunction

• Dates: Wednesdays in June andJuly

June 11, 18 and25

July 2, 9, 23 and30

Times:Departingat2pm–two-hourtrips

Accessibility: Fullyaccessible Walk-ins:Welcome on most trips, prebooking is advised

PrivateCharters: Available by request, £60 perhour(twohourminimum), max 12 passengers.Requiresatleast 14 days’ advance booking

• Perseverance at Wallbridge Lock

Dates: Saturdays,April -September

Departing: 10am,10.45am, 11.30am, 12.45pm,1.30pm,2.15pm,3pm,3.45pm

Walk-ins:Welcome on most trips (except3.45pm, pre-bookingrequired)

• Inglesham at Lechlade (p ri va te ch ar te rs )

Dates: May- September

Duration: £60 perhour, ma x1 2p as se ng er s

Booking: Requires at least14days’ advance booking

• EndeavouratEbley(privatecharters)

Dates: May-October

Duration: £60 perhour(twohour minimum),max 10 passengers

Booking: Requires at least14days’ advance booking

Booking and more information

Formoredetails,includingbooking information, dates, times and prices for both thewalking toursand boat trips,visit the Cotswold Canals Trustwebsite at www. cotswoldcanals.orgorfor privatecharter boat trips,contact trip.boats@cotswoldcanals.org Whether you prefer to explore the canals on foot or by boat,these experiences offer awonderful waytoconnect with the environment, learnabout thearea’srich heritageand supportthe Cotswold Canals Trustinits importantwork.

Perseverance out in action with public boat trips along the

About Cotswold Canals Trust

The Cotswold Canals Trustisacharity dedicated to the restoration of the Stroudwaterand Thames&SevernCanals, workingtoreinstate avital link in the national canalnetwork.Thetrust is committedto preservingthe heritage,biodiversity and naturalbeautyofthe canals while providing recreational opportunities for the community and visitorsalike.

Visitors flocked to the 38th annual Black Country Boating Festival in 2024. PHOTO: ALEX FLASHWOOD

Stroudwater Canals. PHOTO: MIKE GALLAGHER

Enjoya leisurely, informative, volunteer-led walk alongthe beautiful canals. Discoverthe history,wildlife and ongoingrestoration efforts that are bringing these waterways back tolife.

PHOTO: MIKE GALLAGHER

Adventureboat trips aresetting sail fromSaul Junction! Enjoy apeaceful cruise alongthe historic canal, soakin the stunningscenery,and learnhow our canals will hopefully be reconnected once again. PHOTO: MIKE GALLAGHER

Wina place on a RiverCanal Rescue maintenance e coursse

TOCELEBRATERiverCanal

Rescue’s 25th anniversary in 2025, managingdirector Stephanie Horton is giving away prizes everymonth throughout the year.This month, TowpathTalk readerscan winaplace on one of RCR’sboatand engine maintenance coursesworth £315.

Thetwo-day course covers howtomaintain diesel engines and the systems within a narrowboat,suchas propulsion, cooling, engine servicingand fault finding, and is ledbyRCR’s KerryHortonand Dave Bull. You’ll alsoreceivea certificateand aNarrow Boat Engine Maintenance and Repair book.

RunatRCR’s Stafford HQ,the course runs twicea month,with datesavailable throughout the year

Foryourchance to win year-longcruisingpeace of mind, simply answer the question relatingto the image: What does this part operate? Email your

entryto: TTcompetitioon@ rivercanalrescue.co.uk

Entries close at 23:59 on 31/5/25 and the winner will be drawn 1/6/25.The winner will be notified within 14 days of the close of entries. The draw is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Entryisfree and open to residents of theUKaged over 18. Only one entrypermitted per person, there is no cash alternative and the prize is not transferable. By entering you agree to be bound by all the rules and agree that your name and county may be released if you win.

Loo with aview… and

THEsun hasstarted to shine at longlastand you’reno doubt startingtoplanyour next narrowboat adventure. Wessex Boat Storehas everythingyou need to get your boat shipshapefor the season,includingits Blue Bio Cleartoilet fluid.

Aclear version of its populareco-friendlyBlue Bio toiletfluid, Blue BioClear is the perfectcompanion for days outand holidaystokeep your boat fresh andclean Blue BioClear hasbeen

made so that it canbeusedinthe wasteand flush tank,holdingtank andgreywater tank,meaningyou save moneyand storagespace with this one bottle of multi-purpose fluid. It’s also safe to useinseptic tanks.

afresh scent too!

Blue BioClear is not onlyeffectivebut also easy to use. Simply add the recommendedamountto the sewage system,and let the natural bacteria work theirmagic.Thisuserfriendlyapproach makesit apopular choice forboth residentialand commercial applications

Blue BioClear is agamechangerinthe worldof sewage treatment. Its innovativeformula,whichis free from harmful chemicals, makesita safe andeffective solution forbreakingdown sewage and reducing environmental impact

Blue BioClear is effective at cleaningthe flush tank and keepingit mouldand limescale free, and the new clearversion of theformula meansthere is no risk of staining. Oh,and it smells reallynice too… in case you were wondering! As it is formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde and biocidefree,Blue BioClear stands outasanenvironmentally friendly solution.By harnessing the power of naturalbacteria,this innovativeproduct effectively breaks down sewage, significantlyreducingits impact on the environment. Unliketraditional chemical toiletfluids that contain harmful substances,Blue Bio Clearisnon-hazardous and 100% biodegradable,making it the friendlychemical toilet fluidthatworks andasafe and sustainablechoicefor waste management. Oneofthe key advantages of Blue BioClear is its reliance on naturalprocesses to treatsewage. Insteadofrelyingonharsh chemicals that canharm ecosystems,thisproduct worksinharmonywith naturebyutilisingbeneficial bacteria to breakdown organic matter.

Waterwaysfirm makes asplash with marinaimprovements

AWATERWAYS businesshas made asplash by making improvements at aStaffordshiremarinawhichit boughtlastyear.

The Rothen Group–owned by husbandand wife Ianand Charlotte Rothen –acquired FazeleyMarina, near Tamworth,inAugust.

The company’s main business is carryingout maintenance work across thecanal networkand,since acquiringthe marina,ithas been busy carryingout extensiveworks to improveit. Workshaveincludedbolstering

facilitiesfor the useofthose mooringtheir boatsthere, as well as improvements on thewaterway itself.

Charlotte said: “Wealready ownedMancetterMarinanear Atherstone,where thecompany is based, and were lookingtoadd asecond marina in astrategic locationtoour portfolio

“FazeleyMarinaisonthe junction of the Birmingham and Fazeley canals,sowas ideal. We invested alot in MancetterMarina, and ourplan wasalwaystodothe same at Fazeley.”

TheRothen Group’scanal maintenance work acrossthe canalnetwork includestasks such as piling, dredgingthe waterways and maintainingcanal banks, towpaths,steps,bridges and more.

The company held the contract to maintain FazeleyMarina when it belonged to its previous owners, so it waswell positioned to continue making the necessary improvements afteracquiringit.

Charlotte said: “Fazeley Marina has70berths,goodcar parking and services such as toilets and showers,and we’veadded washingand dryingfacilities to theservices provided. Boat ownerseither usethe marina to storetheirboats,ready to take them out, or to liveonthem for shortperiods,sogoodfacilities areimportant.

“Weworkedonthe jetties to make them good as aquickfix, as theywerefallingapart,and we’ve made variousimprovements on the waterway itself.Our aim will be to undertake full jetty replacementoverthe summer months to give along-lasting solution.”

The RothenGroup worked with Leamington Spa-based Blythe

Liggins Solicitorstosecurethe deal to acquireFazeleyMarina.

Charlotte said: “Wehavealongstandingrelationship with Blythe Liggins,and thecompany has worked with us as we have grown.

“NickWatts from Blythe Liggins worked with us to secure ourfirst marina,soitwas greattohave him on boardtohelpwith the acquisition of oursecond.” Formoreinformation about TheRothen Group, visit www. therothengroup.co.uk andtofind out more aboutBlythe Liggins Solicitors, visit www.blytheliggins.co.uk

The new‘convenience sized’ 500ml Blue Bio Clear PHOTO: SUPPLIED

The 3.25 litre sized Blue Bio Clear– clean flush, clear conscience. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Anaerial view of FazeleyMarina, whichwas acquired by The Rothen Group last year. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Charlotte Rothen of The Rothen Group with Nick Watts from Blythe Liggins Solicitors, who worked together on the acquisition of Fazeley Marina. They arepictured at Mancetter Marina, whereThe Rothen Group is based. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Afabulous weekendof fun for thewhole family!

The 2025Crick Boat Show presentsanexceptional opportunity for afamily outing by thewaterfront.

CRICK Boat Show will be held across the late Maybank holiday weekend(May 24-26) at CrickMarina, near Daventry in Northamptonshire, with an exclusiveTrade &Preview DayonFriday, May23.

The event, sponsored by HavenKnoxJohnston,isthe UK’s largestinlandwaterways festival. Organised annuallybyWaterways Worldinassociation with theCanal &River Trustand CrickWaterside and Marina,itis expectedtoattract morethan26,000 visitors. Apartfrombeing themostsignificant marketplace for canalenthusiastswith more than 200 exhibitorsondisplay,the show offersa fantastic dayout with more than 30 new boatstoview. Thereare alsousedboats, free boat trips,freeadviceseminarsonboat ownership and technical masterclasses. Other attractions include free boat rides,livemusic performances,children’sactivities such as games and crafts sessions and abeerfestival alongside food stalls offeringanextensive rangeofrefreshments

PeterJohns,publisher of WaterwaysWorld and showdirector, says:“We’relooking forward to welcomingpeople to our2025 CrickBoatShow, to be held over theSpring Bank Holiday weekend. CrickBoatShowis firmlyestablished as the topdestination for waterwaysenthusiastslooking to buyanew boat, upgrade or improvetheir existingboat, for newcomerswantingtoget afloatfor the first time and for thoseseeking aday outby the water.

“Now in its 26th year, theshowhosts the largestdisplay of new inland boats, both narrowboatsand widebeams,and for three days it becomes Britain’slargest chandlery when morethan200 exhibitorsbring together

thecompleterange of equipmentand materials for inland boating.”

Matthew Symonds,national boating managerfor the Canal&River Trust, added:

“Every year CrickBoatShow, the UK’sbiggest inland waterwaysfestival, celebrates Britain’s fantastic network of canals and rivers We look forward to welcomingthousands of visitors to Crickfor afantastic dayout by the Grand UnionCanal LeicesterLineinthe Northamptonshire countryside.”

Adult tickets are£19 on thegatefrom Saturday to Monday,or£17.10 if purchased in advance; entryfor children aged 16 and under is free.Three-day adult tickets are£43 on the gate,or£38.70 in advance

Tickets for the Trade &Preview Dayon Friday 23 areonlyavailable in advance andare

pricedat£27.50 each.Preview Dayvisitorswill have accesstoanexclusive onlinebookings system forboatviewingsthatday andwillalso receiveagift bagand afreehot drink

Formoreinformation and to book tickets, campingpitches and moorings,visit www. crickboatshow.com or call 01283 742970, Monday to Friday (9amto3pm).

Crick Boat Show facts &figures

• Morethan 26,000 visitors expected to attend

•Morethan 200 exhibitors

•32,000m2exhibition space

•Dozens of food stalls and areal ale marquee with live music

•15bands and entertainers

• Trip boats offering free boattrips for morethan 1000 people

• 30 boats exhibiting, including historic working boats

• 15 hoursoffreeseminars on boating

•Morethan 350 camping pitches

• Mooringsfor up to 100 visitor boats on the Grand Union Canal

• Located at Crick Marina, West Haddon Road, Crick, Northants, NN6 7SQ

•Freecar parking for all visitors

• Directionsbyroad:FromM1 Junction 18,takethe A428 towards West Haddon, bypassing the centreofCrick village.

Happy customers aboardthe trip boat at Crick. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Dozens of luxury boats will be on show. PHOTO: JANET RICHARDSON

A chance to enjoy some retail therapy at Crick. PHOTO: JANETRICHARDSON

Withmorethan200 exhibitors at theCrick Boat Show, there’ssomething for everyone. PHOTO: JANET RICHARDSON

Is your boat looking tired? Doesitneed re-paintingorre-blacking? Does it have pitting to the hullthat needs over-plating? Doesyourwater tank need treatment? At Bluewater

hull. If left untreated it will causepitting and willeventually result in over-plating. Click on this QR Code to learnmore. Your steel water tank probably resembles a mixtureofrust flakes and paintdebrisand will be rotting from the inside out, which resultsin pitting both sidesofthe hullwhich makes this a vulnerable area.

Special Offer on Narrowboats!!

Bluewater Boats offers acomprehensive solution for rejuvenating your water tank by shot blasting the interior to remove harmful contaminants whichputs the water pump and filter under strain. After this thorough cleaning we apply a durabletwo pack watertank paint. Restoring your tank to asafe drinking water standard whilst significantly enhancing thelongevity,ensuring it is maintenancefreefor years to come.

Formation Plastics

Dedicated team

FP Technologies

Focusesonbuildingbespoke HDPE canal boats

H NOW IN THE WATER H

The size is 40`x10` and built using20mm for the base of the boat 15mm for the sides and 12mm for the upper sections.

The process they use is called extrusionwelding which is typically done on thermoplastics due to their response to heating. Unlike other types of plastics whichburnwhen heat is applied, thermoplastics liquefy and harden again upon cooling.

World’s first HDPEcanal boat exclusively at the Crick BoatShow2025.

Extrusion welding is typically used to join components such as tanks and pipes. In trenchless construction, sections of thermoplastic (most often polyethylene) can be extrusion welded together to formamonolithic pipe structuretobeinserted into the host pipe for rehabilitation.

In other applications, extrusion welding is ideal for applications that requirelengthy weldstobemade in asingle run. Although mostcommonly done on HDPE sheets, extrusion welding can be performed on other thermoplastics such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). This canal boat is ready to be asail away,atpresent theinteriors arenot all complete, for futureprojects formation plastic have the help and expertiseofa multi award-winning yacht and naval architect

We will be exhibiting at Crick BoatShow2025.

To avoid disappointment, please call nowtobook an appointment

Foraselect few special introductory offer to get your slotbooked for 2025 Speak to us today to reserve yourslotatthisspecialintroductoryoffer price.

Pioneering the futureofcanal boating, one boatata time Formoreinformation,pleasetel: 01274299055 www.formationplastics.co.uk

Marine Breakdown Assistance

Thinking of buying or sellinga boat?

Come andsee us at CrickBoatShow– forexpert advice anda friendly chat.With30years of professional serviceinthe industry,ABNBishere to guideyou everystepofthe way.

Your Boat •Our Expertise

• Our selling a and see Crick Boat Show – for expert and a chat. With 30 years service in the industry, ABNB is here guide you every step of the

KINGSLOCK Marine DistributionMarineDistribut

We arethe UK’s biggestVetus distributor in sales but moreimportantlysupport.Ifwesell it we have morethanlikelyﬁtted the item at some point.

Wesupply to the biggestand the bestboatbuilders.

• Bowthrusters

•Bow and sternthrusters

•Bow prokits(brushlessmotors)

•Stern gearkits

•Toilet kits

•Engine ﬁtting kits

•Hydraulic steering kits

•Complete E-Line propulstion kits (Hybrid kit)

Top10things to do at Crick Boat Show

THE 2025 CrickBoatShowisthe UK’s biggestinland waterwaysfestival and offers afantastic dayout for boat owners, aspiring boat ownersand all who love beingonor by the water.

The annual eventisexpectedto attract morethan26,000 visitors. As well as being the canalworld’s biggestmarketplace, showcasingthe inland waterwaysindustry with morethan200 exhibitors, CrickBoat Show offersvisitorsdozens ofboats to view, free boat trips,livemusic,children’s activities,arealale barand awide varietyof food and drink stalls.

Here are the top 10 things todoatthis year’sshow:

Celebrate25years of Crick Boat Show at the Crick Awards

To mark the show’s25th anniversary, on the eveningofFriday, May23, thefirst CrickAwardsCeremonywilltakeplace in the MasterclassTheatre. The awards will celebratethe exhibitors, visitors, volunteers, CrickShowteamand the inland waterwaysindustryasa whole,witheight awardcategories,including Best New Product and LongestServing Volunteer Tickets must be purchasedinadvance

Getexpert advice on boating

Theshow’sfreeBoatOwnership Seminar programme features advice from Waterways World’stechnical editor Mark Langley for both new andexperiencedboaters.Seminarsinclude advice on buyinganew or second-hand boat, livingafloat, boat maintenance and greener boating.

View thelatestnew boats from theUK’stop builders of canalboats

More newboats (narrowboats and widebeams) will be on displayinone place than at anyother time anywhere in the country, showcasingall the latest lifestyle extras,space-savingideas and green technology.Fromking-sizedbeds, mood lightingand solidoak kitchens,tounderfloor heating, electric engines andsolar panels.

Vote for your favouriteboat

Visitorstothe show canvotefor their favouritenarrowboatand widebeam boat at theHaven-KnoxJohnstonmarqueeonthe quayside.Everyone who votesisentered into aprize draw to wina £100 Marks&Spencer voucher and voters canalsoenter adrawto wina year’s free boat insurancefromHavenKnox Johnston. The result will be announced mid-afternoon on Monday,May 26.

Enjoya free trip on an electric boat

Visitors to Crickcan takea free boat trip along theGrand UnionCanal aboard ABCBoatHire’s electricallypowered dayboat DayBreak.The half-hour trips runevery 10 minutes from 10.10am each dayofthe show. Visitors can book their free trip at thetripboats marquee on thequayside when they arrive at theshow.

Take aboathandling lesson

Two-hourboathandling trainingsessions with RYAaccredited trainersfromWatercraftand theNarrowboatSkillsCentrewill be taking placeatthe show(May24-26).Lessons will coverthe basics of castingoff, mooringup, boat etiquette,ropehandling, boat jargon andlock navigation.Sessionsare chargedat£45 per person. Placesare limited so advance booking is essentialvia www.crickboatshow.com

Listen to live music

Fifteenlivebands will be performing throughoutthe show in theCrick Tavern forthe show’smusic festivalsponsored by Aquavista ABBA Revival will headline on the Saturday evening(May24), and Dann Budd as Robbie Williams will headline on the Sunday night (May 25). Eveningentertainmentisincluded in theprice of the same daytickettothe show

Sample real aleand cider

Choose from more than 50 cask ales,20 cidersand perries, and20ginsatthe Real Ale &Cider Festival in the CrickTavern marquee, sponsoredbyLee Sanitation.

Step back in time

Thanks to sponsorshipfromNorton Canes, the Historic Narrow Boat Club (HNBC) will be displayingsome historic workingboats at the show, including the CanalMuseum at StokeBruerne’s cargo carrying Sculptor and the tug/icebreaker Sandbach.

Find outwhatittakes to keep canals alive National waterwayscharity Canal&River Trustishosting aseries of afternoon Spotlight Talksinthe Canal& RiverTrust marquee wherevisitorscan findout more aboutthe amazing2000-mile network of canals and rivers in thecharity’s care.Topicswillinclude howlocks arekept topped up with waterand volunteering with thetrust The charitywill alsobehostingaBoater’sForum on Saturday, May24, andDisabledBoaters Forumon Sunday,May 25, wherepeople canask the boatingteamquestions and find outmore aboutits Better BoatingPlan.

Aday of boats and fun at Crick -somethingfor all thefamily PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Oneofthe many historic boats on display at Crick Boat Show. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

CRT volunteers in Wolverhampton. Visitors to the show can find out moreabout what it takes to keep canals alive in their series of afternoon Spotlight Talks. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

The CrickAwardswillcelebratethe exhibitors, visitors, volunteers, Crick Show team and the entireinland waterways industry. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

ABBA Revivaltoheadline entertainment at Crick Boat Show

Tributeband ABBA Revival will take to the stage at CrickBoatShowonSaturday,May 24, part of the event’sCrick MusicFestival,sponsored by Aquavista.

DANCING queens,dig outyourdisco dresses! If you want to know thenameof the game,readon…

ABBA Revival,recentlyvoted the UK’s Official No.1 ABBA tribute act by the Agents Association of GreatBritain, will performon Saturday, May24atCrick Boat Show

And there’smorestar-studdedsinging andshowmanship as Dann Budd will performasRobbie Williams on Sunday, May25, with his band of musicians The Eleventh Hour

PeterJohns,publisher of WaterwaysWorld and showdirector, says:“We’relooking forwardto welcomingpeople to the 25th CrickBoatShow, nowthe UK’slargest inland waterwaysfestival.

“Livemusic is an importantpartofthe show’s atmosphere, and we’vegot some fantastic headliningacts booked for this year’s CrickMusic Festival, sponsored by Aquavista.ABBARevival will bring pop-tastic disco to thestage and dance floor on the Saturday nightand on the Sunday nightDann Budd as RobbieWilliams will entertain you!”

Across the four showdays, Crick Boat Show will hostatotal of 15 acts,performingawide selection of musicliveinthe Real AleBar

from 1pm each day. Eveningentertainment will runfrom7.30pmto11.30pmonFriday 23,Saturday24and Sunday 25. The showwill open from 10am until6pm

on Saturday 24 andSunday25, anduntil 5pm on Monday 26. On Trade&Preview Day(Friday 23),the showwill be open from 10amuntil 6pm.

Save with Crick Boat Show advance tickets

ADVANCE tickets areonsale for the 2025 CrickBoatShow, saving10% on the entry price

As well as beingthe canalworld’sbiggest marketplace,showcasingthe inland waterwaysindustrywithmorethan200 exhibitors, CrickBoatShowoffersafantastic dayout with more than 30 newboats to view PeterJohns,publisher ofWaterways World and showdirector, said: “Crick Boat Show is firmlyestablished as the topdestination for waterwaysenthusiastslooking to buya new boat, upgrade or improvetheir existingboat, for newcomerswanting to getafloat for the first time and for thoseseeking aday outby the water.

“Now in its 25th year,the showhosts the largestdisplay of new inland boats, both narrowboatsand widebeams,and for three days it becomes Britain’s largestchandlery when morethan200 exhibitorsbring together the completerange of equipment and materials for inland boating.

“Our Trade &Preview Dayisexclusively designedfor thosewho want to speakwith boatingrelated exhibitors– from boat builderstoequipmentsuppliers. Friday,May 23 offersamaximum of 1000 pre-booked visitorsthe opportunityto talk in-depth with thesecompanies and to seethe boatsbefore everyone else.”

Matthew Symonds,nationalboating managerfor the Canal&River Trust, added: “Welookforward to welcomingthousands of

visitorstoCrick for afantastic dayout by the GrandUnion CanalLeicesterLine. Visitors to the Canal&River Trustmarquee can discover more aboutthe boating, recreation andwell-beingopportunities ourwaterways offer today, as well as the work of ournational waterwayscharity to maintain 2000 miles of canals and rivers in Englandand Wales.”

ForSaturday24, Sunday 25 andMonday 26, adulttickets are£19 on thegate, or £17.10 if bought in advance.Entry for children aged 16 and under is free on Saturday 24, Sunday 25 andMonday26. Three-day adulttickets are£43 on the gate,or£38.70 in advance

Tickets forthe Trade& PreviewDay on Friday 23 areonlyavailable in advance and cost£27.50 each

All advance tickets will be sent outinMay anddeliveryisfreeofcharge. Advance tickets canbeordered online or by phoneuntil noon on May16.

Campingpitch prices startat£45 for one nightfor a6mx 6m pitch for atentand car.

Mooringcosts startat£1.35 perfoot.

Formoreinformation andtobooktickets, campingpitches and moorings,visit www. crickboatshow.com or call 01283 742970, Monday to Friday 9am to 3pm.

Preview Day visitors will have access to an exclusiveonlinebookings system for boat viewings on Friday, May 23 andwill also receive agiftbag and afreehot drink. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

ABBA Revival, recently voted as the UK’sOfficial No.1 ABBA tribute act by the Agents Association of Great Britain, will perform on Saturday,May 24.

Dann Budd will perform as Robbie Williams on Sunday,May 25,with his band of musiciansThe Eleventh Hour.

Trustus. did. Lisa

"The wholeexperience wasmadeeasier by Aquavista. I felt liketheyrepresentedmybestinterests at all times."

Selling your boat?We’re hereto be your trustedguide andrepresent your best interests in the sale of your boat.Being proactivein finding youthe rightbuyer,explainingthe whole processclearly and keeping youuptodatealong the wayiswhatyou canexpect.

We’repart of the UK’s largestmarinaoperator–soyou cantrust that we know the market and howtoget thebestdealfor you.

Trustustosell your boat.Call 01159077 406 or email us at boatsales@aquavista.com aquavista.com/boat-sales/sell-my-boat

Let’sgo

REF 10580 -Perfick 56 foot cruiserstern narrowboat. £26,950.00.

REF 10587–Muddy Waters.

foot traditional stern narrow boat. £64,950.00.

REF 10584 –Ocker.

foot

stern narrow boat.£49,950.00.

REF10588 -Uncle Albert.

-Alice.

REF10590 -Percy II.

-Hummingbird.

REF10592 -T4the Tillerman.

REF 10593 –Woodsey

REF 10573 -Daisy.

10572–Lilybel.

Barton-under-Needwood, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire DE13 8DZ| 07513708099 barton@lakelandleisureboatsales.co.uk

sales.co.uk |07354 902086

Roydon Marina Village, Roydon,EssexCM195EJ roydon@lakelandleisureboatsales.co.uk 07801 962636

GUARANTEE

Your Boat •Our Expertise

Ourlongestablished team arehighlyskilledatselling individually inspected, well presentedboats from your ownmooring anywhere in theUK, or from our base at NorthKilworth Marina,LE176HY

Our long established are highly skilled at selling presented boats from own mooring the UK, North Kilworth Marina, LE17 6HY

NOTTINGHAM LANE, OLD DALBY, LEICESTERSHIRE, LE14 3LX T: 07721382619E:davidmawbyboats@gmail.comW:www.davidmawbyboats.co.uk

Quality Riverand Canal Motor

Cruisersare available to viewby appointment at our Leicestershire indoorshowroom. Over 20 years experienceand 2,500 boats sold.

NewViking Cruisers

ShowBoats NowAvailable to viewatour indoor showroom. Prices From £32,995. IncludingOutboard Engine PLEASE

FORIMMEDIATE DELIVERY, 6Berths in 2cabins, HiLine Spec with folding windscreen, cooker withhob grill and oven, fridge,shower, cassettetoilet,hot andcoldwater system, warm airheating,12and 240volts electrics, battery charger,poweredby a20Hp 4strokeoutboardengine

Length 45ft,Beam 6ft10ins, Built 1989by Colecraft with aTradStern,powered by a ListerPetterDieselengine,Bsc 2027,Fixed double, etc NARROWESCAPE £53,000

Length 57ft, Beam 6ft10ins,Built 2006 by Taurus Narrowboats with aTradStern poweredbyaVetus42Hp Diesel engine, standardlayout, 4Berths with ﬁxed double and pullman dinette, Bsc 2027.RecentNew Paintwork, open planliving area, Central Heating.

APHRODITE

£25,000

Length50ft, Beam 6ft10ins, Built 1980with aBoatman’sstern,poweredbyaYanmar inboardDieselengine,traditional layout with ﬁxed double to rear of boat, solid fuel stove, etc, currentBsc

JUDYB

£62,000

Length 57ft, Beam 6ft10ins, Built 2009 by Tyler Wilson with aSemiTradStern poweredbya Vetus 42HpDiesel engine, 2 Bedrooms,standardlayout, solid fuel stove anddiesel heating, 12 and240 volts electics, currentBsc, etc

Over 25 years experience on the inlandwaterways MarineSurveys &BSS Examinations For aCompetitive Quote &PromptService

Tel07918 677782

Covering all Areas Based Bridge 69 Trent& Mersey Canal dave.freeman@boatsafety schemeexaminations.co.uk

Dip.S.C.Sur BSS Examiner

Covering areas 2, 3, 5, 6, 7

Tel07748 861795

rhys_k1@yahoo.co.uk

www.boatserve.co.uk

BOATYARD SERVICES

•Engine andHeating Servicing

•Breakdown Callout and Repairs

•Gas,Electrical and Plumbing Specialists

•BSC’s &SafetyExamination Work

•Engine Salesand Installation

•Traditional boatpainting

•Specialists in Historic enginesand craft

•BoatBrokerage

•Diesel Tank Scrubbing and BugRemoval. MOORINGS

•Marina Moorings

•Long and shortterm Moorings

•Coal,Gas,Diesel &Pumpouts

DRYDOCK

•Hull Blacking

•Base Plate Blacking

•2 Pack Epoxy Coating

•Microbiological Hull Treatments

•Anode Replacement

•Cabin Painting

•Welding

•Surveys

BUILTTOLAST

BOAT BUILDER

BOAT PAINTERS

BOATS

SITUATIONS VACANT

SITUATIONSVACANT

SURVEYORS

TRANSPORTBYROAD

TRANSPORT BY WATER

WINDOWS

SPARE PARTS

TRANSPORTBYROAD

Granite wall clean-up brightensriverside

DUBLIN CityCouncil hasundertaken amajor cleaningprogramme of the LiffeyQuaywalls.More than 6kmofgranite quay walls betweenTheCustom Houseand Heuston Station were cleanedas part of awider driveto enhance the riverside.

Dublin’squaywalls are an impressive legacy of the 18th and 19th centuries and areconstructed of Leinstergranite, while the riverside is further dominated by aseries of beautiful bridges. However, the quays are alsobusytraffic routes andthe impactsoftraffic fumes and general wear andtearhad diminished the appearance of the walls in many places Stephen Coyne from

Dublin City Council said, “Some sections of thequays closer to the city centre arecleaned regularly. However, this is the first time in along whilethatwehavetackled thefull lengthofthe city quays.”

The work wasconfined

to the road-facing side of the walls and was undertaken in phases andatnight to minimise disturbance.Afurther phaseofwork, scheduled for laterinspring, will see the impressive granite and cast-iron balustradeat Inns Quay,infront of the

Four Courts,refurbished. In 2023, the council commissionedrepainting of the balustrades of three nearby bridgeswithan historicallyappropriate colour; this will be continuedinInns Quay, with its impressive 220m sweepofbalustrade.

(from left): BangorRNLI crew member Christine Bell; Bangor RNLI helmGarethWhan;GarethMorrison, RNLI headofwater safety: Bangor RNLI crew member Katherine Lindsay; ClaireFlowers, Girlguiding UlsterCEO and Felicity Atwell, GirlguidingUlster deputychief commissioner. Front (fromleft): Faye Charington, 1stComberGuides; Evie Bell, 1st Comber CBrownies; andCharlotte Maidment, 14thBangor Rainbows. PHOTO: LEWIS MCCLAY/THE HYPEFACTORY

Guiding girls to stay safearound water

THERNLIand Girlguiding Ulster have announceda new partnership that aimstoteach and empoweryoung girlstostay safe in, on and around thewater Thepartnership,which was recentlylaunchedtocoincide with International Women’sDay, will seethe rollout of an engaging watersafetyeducation resource Aptlytitled‘Mayday’toreflect the emergencyprocedure used internationallyasadistresssignal at sea, the new resource focuses on four keysafetymessagesand hasbeendeveloped so that all age sections of Girlguidingcan useit (Rainbows4-7,Brownies 7-10, Guides 10-14 and Rangers14-18).

It is hoped that thousands of girls acrossNorthern Ireland will nowtakeonthe challenge in theirGirlguiding units and in doingsohavefun while learninglifesavingmessages.

All members whocompletethe challenge will be awardedanew Mayday badge.

To mark thestart of thispartnership,agroup ofRainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangersvisited Bangor RNLIwheretheymet volunteers, gota tour of the station andlearnedmoreabout howthe lifeboat crew respond when their pagers go off and there is an emergencyatsea.

Killian O’Kelly, RNLI water safetyeducationmanager, said:“We know that educating youngpeopleabout watersafety is fundamental to savinglives and is acorepartofthe RNLI’s prevention work.Reaching moreyoung people with our watersafetymessagesmeans we arecollaboratively working to save morelives nowand in the future.”

EglintonCanal wins nationalaward

GALWAY’SEglintonCanal haswon the Best Trail/WaterwayinIreland Awardatthe All-Ireland Communityand Council Awards 2025. The Galway CityCouncil’s project– The Eglinton CanalActive Travel Scheme –involved therejuvenation of the canal’shistoric towpath, the construction of newcrossings and the addition of traffic calmingmeasurestoprioritisepedestrians and cyclists.Theworks have resulted in apleasantcar-freecitycentretrail with seamless connections to some of Galway city’s majorattractions includingthe Galway Cathedral,the University of Galway,the city centre and the famous SpanishArch.

Galway CityCouncil took home the awardatthe All-Ireland Communityand CouncilAwards2025 national ceremonywhichwas held at the Rochestown Park HotelinCorkearlier this year.Now in its 19th year,and consideredthe Oscars of the localgovernmentsector, the awardscheme, hostedbyLocal AuthorityMembers Association (LAMA) and IPBInsurance,recognises and celebrates communities and the country’s31local authorities workingtogether.

Originally constructed to link Lough Corrib to thesea at Galway, the EglintonCanal is nownolongernavigable for motorised craft but is used for kayaking and by anglers.

Parade of boats

THIS year marksthe halfway pointofthe 2020s BigCruise (2020s BC)project hosted by the Inland Waterways AssociationofIreland (IWAI) whichaims to promotethe canals of Ireland throughout the decade TheKildarebranch of the IWAI organised a parade of boatsalong the Grand CanalnearSallins

on Saturday, April12when membersofthe association took to the waterina varietyofcraft signifying the startofthe 2025 boatingseason. In doing so theydemonstrated the importance of Ireland’s canals andhow having boatsmovingalong them brings them to life.

Meanwhile the Dublin

Go foritand Rowfor It!

WATERWAYSIreland (WI) and Rowing Ireland (RI) have formed astrategic partnership to grow on-water recreational participation in Ireland and Northern Ireland Beginningwith supportingour young people,the partnersare developing plans to increase engagementwith women in sport, older people and people with accessibilitychallenges. The first initiativetobeundertaken as part of the partnershipisthe WI’s Rowfor It League whichinvolves around 2400 young people from clubs acrossthe island, participating in arowingleagueoverthe next sixmonths.This is an exciting opportunity for theseteenagers to compete againstteams from across the countryinfive league events –held in Limerick, Castleconnell, Carlow andAthlone –beforeculminatingin thefinalevent in Carrick-on-Shannon in August 2025.

John McDonagh,chief executiveof WI, said:“Rowing,organisedthrough the huge number of clubs acrossthe waterwaysprovidessignificantlocal,

branch, with supportfrom theRoyal Canalbranch, will be embarkingon the Green&Silver route, Ireland’s onlycircular inland routewhich takes in the RoyalCanal, the Liffey, the GrandCanal, the RiverShannon and the CamlinRiver.Participants will starttheir journeyfrom RichmondHarbour,atthe Shannon end of the Royal Canal, in Apriland slowly

make their wayalong the canal, pausingenroute to promotethe association and useofthe canals at varioustowns,withthe aim of reachingthe capital city to partakeinthe main IWAI Dublinrally.

To join anyofthese flotillas or rallies, boaters must be amemberofthe association. To find out moreortojoin the IWAI visit:https://www.iwai.ie

easy accesstoleisure and competitive sportwith social, health and well-being advantagesfor all theparticipants.”

RI chief executiveMichelle Carpentersaid: “The Rowfor It League not onlystrengthensthe bond betweenour clubs butalsoencourages moreyoung people to experience

thejoy of rowing in astructuredand competitiveenvironment.”

FollowRowingIreland and WaterwaysIreland on Facebookand Instagramtoview the league events and other opportunities to participate in rowing activityonIreland’s inland waterways.

Liffey Quay walls undergo major cleaning programme. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Galway’sEglinton Canal. PHOTO: OLLIEBAILIE -CCBY-SA 4.0

The Waterways Ireland Row for It League was launched by WI chief executive John McDonagh and Rowing Ireland chief executive Michelle Carpenter at the bi-annual Erne Head of the River event, hosted by Enniskillen Royal Boat Club. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Pictured

Awalk along the Stourbridge Canal

By LeeSenior

THE StourbridgeCanal is aBlack Countrygem.At5.8 miles (9km) long, this diminutivecanal makes up for its lack of size with its rich history and contrastingscenery

The DNAofthe Stourbridge area is its glass-making heritage spanningmorethan400 years. Today, the towpathstill provides fascinatingexamples of glass making and other industries such as brick, coal andiron. It is aquirky factthatthe town of Stourbridgeisn’t directlysituated on the canalwhich takes its name! However, all is not lost as thetown is accessed by theStourbridge Town Arm(1.2 miles long) branch at Wordsley Junction. Ourwalk alongthe Stourbridge Canalbegins at BlackDelphBridge on Delph Road, Brierley Hill, DY5 2TZ. Adjacent is DudleyCanal No 1. Alongthe towpath, Leys Junction (connectingthe Fens Branch) is three-and-a-thirdmiles away. We head outalonga wellsurfacedtowpath and soon reach former brickyard basinbridges 2 and 1. Relativelymodern housingis neverfar away from this section of the canal. Soon after thereisashort walk to asupermarket for supplies, at SevenDwellings Bridge.With one mile completed,we go under the Silver Endrailway bridge which carries the StourbridgeJunctionDudleyrailwayline over the canal. Inevitablythe canaltakeson an industrial feel formuchofthe next 2m (3.2km) to Leys Junction. Thereare anumberoftower blocks visible near Silver Endand more housingadjacenttothe towpath. Happily, at the watersidethere is plenty of greenerytoenjoy with birchtrees and ivy making frequentappearances.Wepass moreindustrialunits that lead us to Leys Junction wherethe short Fens Branchbears off to theright We bear left,soonreachingLock 1(toplock) ofthe Stourbridge Lock Flight comprising16locks that joyouslylie in wait for us.We continue,gentlywalkingdownhill

as we negotiatethe flight. Nearby the Buckpool Nature reserveis adjacenttothe towpathwith an easy link to it forthose whowant to explore further

The nextmile or so to Wordsley Junction is asheer delightand my favouriteofthe walk so far.Aswe progress throughthe flight, wellkept grassy areasabound andthere aremagnoliaand othershrubs and trees to enjoy.Thereisalsoa gradual change of emphasis with fewerindustrialbuildings and moregreen spaces.Bythe time Locks 8and 9are reachedthe remarkable RedHouse GlassCone comes into view.

Lock 12 adjacenttoDadfords Bridge is namedafter Thomas DadfordJunior,the engineer who supervised the buildingofthe canalin1779.

Quarteristhe StourbridgeGlass Museum.

Lock 16 (Stourbridge bottom lock)isreached and this almost immediatelyleads to the very pleasantWordsleyJunction. Here alovelywhitefingerposttempts us with theStourbridge Town Arm. The branch(which leads to the town centre) departs to the left as we stay straight ahead for Stourton. Upon leavingWordsleyJunction wegooverthe Wordsley Aqueduct, abovethe RiverStour.The StourbridgeCanal is increasingly ruralnow,almostunrecognisable from when we left BlackDelph Thereare lots of greenfields and grasslands andlonger-range vistastoenjoy,suchare thejoysof towpathwalking!

Getout for thecount!

LEADING wildlifecharity,Butterfly Conservation, has revealed the dates of thisyear’shighly anticipatedBig Butterfly Count, whichwill take place from July18to August 10.

Theannual citizen science programme,which is nowinits 16th year, attracts tens of thousands of people out into their gardens, local greenspaces, canaltowpaths or thegeneral countrysidetospend 15 minutes countingbutterflies and helping to tracktrends and inform conservation action.

After decliningnumbers of butterflies resulted in the charity declaringanationwide butterfly emergencylastyear, it’s more importantthaneverthat people take part in 2025.

Lastsummer’s BigButterflyCount results were alarming. Overall, participants spottedjustseven butterfliesonaverage per15-minute countin2024, areductionofalmost 50% on 2023’saverage of 12, and the lowest in the history of the Big Butterfly Count.

Butterfliesare indicatorsofa healthynatural environment, andwithhalf of Britain’sbutterfly

speciesalready threatenedornear threatenedwith extinction, it’s never been moreimportanttounderstand howour insects arerespondingto the changing landscape,climate and pollution,and to takeaction to protectthem.

Dr RichardFox,headofscience at ButterflyConservation, said: “Butterflies areakey indicator species;when theyare in trouble, we knowthatthe wider environment is in trouble too. Lastyear, nature soundedthe alarmcall, and we were able to respond, securing a completeban from theGovernment on particularly toxicneonicotinoid pesticides on crops in 2025. Nowwe arecallingonpeople acrossthe UK to getinvolved once again,toenjoy 15 minutes outspottingand counting butterflies,and helpingustosee how butterfliesare faringthis year.”

Formoreinformation visit:www. bigbutterflycount.orgordownload the free BigButterflyCount app.

Betweenlocks 12 and 13 is the historic Stourbridge GlassQuarter. Here the 100ft high RedHouse GlassCone, aGrade II listed structure, hasanamazingconicalshape whichisarguablythe standout featureofthe canal.

RedHouse wasone of anumberofglassworks built alongside the canal, strategicallypositionedtouse the waterfor transportation.

TodayRed Houseisa visitor attraction and it hasacoffee housetoo (check opening times). Alsointhe Glass

The end of thecanal comes at Stourton Junction as we join the Staffordshire&Worcestershire Canal. Beforethatcomesa series of four attractivelocks.StourtonLock 1isthe toplockand Stourton Lock 4isthe bottom lock.Thejunction (bridge33) denotes theend of ourmemorable walk alongthe Stourbridgecanal

Pleasing features of the towpath arethe smartbridgenamesthat adorn thebridges in aconsistent and attractivestyle throughout The towpathsurface is generally good and distances aremodest, allofwhich makeswalkingthe StourbridgeCanal aworthwhile activitytodoatany timeofthe year.

Butterfly Conservation’sBig Butterfly Count returns in July and August this year

Walk routeshown in orange. PHOTO: OPENSTREETMAP UNDER THE OPEN DATABASE LICENSE

The remarkable Red House Glass Cone. PHOTO: ANDY WEBB

Forth &Clyde Canal reopening recognisedinparliament

EUAN Stainbank, Labour MP for Falkirk, tabled amotioninparliament to mark the Millennium Linkand the forthcoming 25th anniversaryofthe Forth &Clyde Canal.

THE canalwas fullyopened betweenthe east and west coasts in 1790 as a commercial routebetween theForth andthe Clyde. Canaltraffic significantly declinedafter the Second WorldWar,reduced to pleasureboating, fishing boatsand tankerscarrying oil products between Grangemouth andthe west The canalwas remaindered, navigation rights removed, and the canalofficially closed in 1963. After campaigningand funding from theNationalLottery and other organisations,the Millennium Link project sawthe Forth&Clyde and Union Canals restored Both canals officially

reopenedin 2001, with the FalkirkWheel reconnecting thetwo canals,reinstating the canallinkbetween Glasgow and Edinburgh in 2002.

Euan Stainbank, MP for Falkirk (centre) presents aframed copy of an EarlyDay Motion he tabled to parliamentcelebrating theMillenium Link. He is picturedwith Maureen Campbell, chair of Scottish Canals Board, and John Paterson, CEO of Scottish Canals. PHOTO: SCOTTISH CANALS

Theparliamentary motionread: “Thatthis Housecongratulates Scottish Canals on the 25th anniversary of the reopeningofthe Forth &Clyde Canalin2001 as part of the Millennium Link project; notes that this £83.4 million project wasone of thelargest canalrestoration efforts in Britain, reconnectingthe Forth& Clydeand Union Canals;recognises the significantculturaland economic benefits brought by the construction of the FalkirkWheel,the world’s first rotatingboatlift, and The Kelpies, the world’s largestequine sculptures; furtheracknowledges the revitalisation of local communities and the creationofamarinehub; and commends Scottish Canals fortheir ongoing commitmenttopreserving Scotland’s waterwaysand heritage.”

Historic Tall Ship undergoes restoration

THE first phaseofrestorationhas taken place on Glasgow’s Tall Ship Glenlee hasbeenpartofayear-long£1.8m project funded by the National Heritage Memorial Fund

This grand old ship startedlife as acargo vessel before movingtoItaly, followedby47years as asail-trainingvessel for the Spanish Navy, circumnavigatingthe globeseveral times duringher 128 yearsinservice.Then called Galatea,the ship wassaved from scrapbythe ClydeMaritime Trust, returned to the Clydein1993 and wasre-registeredunder heroriginal name of Glenlee.She’s asteel-hulled, three-masted barque and one of the many Clyde-builtships –the only steelsquare-rigged cargovesselremaininginthe UK –and oneofonlyfive such Clyde-built vessels in the world. The ship is nowamuseum celebratingGlasgow’s merchant, maritime andshipbuilding traditions Glenlee is basedalongside Glasgow’s Riverside Museum on theClyde.Find outabout visitingatthetallship com/glenlee

In other tall ship news, the Tall Ships Races areheadingfor Aberdeen on July 19-22 this year.The race starts fromLeHavre in France on July 4and winds its wayfromFrance to Scotland andNorwaybeforefinishinginDenmark.VisitorstoAberdeen will be able to enjoy four days of celebrations andfreeevents. Visitwww.tallshipsaberdeen.com forinformation

Get ready for Edinburgh’s Canal Festival

PLANNING is in full swingfor the annual Edinburgh CanalFestival, beingheld on June 21. The annual festival celebrates canalside groups and activities,when residents and visitorsare invited to explorethe Union Canal betweenLochrin Basinand Harrison Park with lots of free activities andentertainment.

The eventisorganised by Fountainbridge CanalsideCommunity Trust(FCCT), which is currentlylooking for volunteerstohelp operateits canalboats –anopportunityto learn new skills,meetnew friends and make a real impact on localheritage. Re-Union Canal Boats, part of the FCCT,currently operates privatehireand tripsonits threeboats, LochrinBelle, Waterwitch and Kingfisher. All profits go to supporting localcommunity activities.Visit edinburghcanalfestival.org.uk

Disappointment forGovan Graving Docks campaigners

ALONG-STANDING campaign to achieve imaginative developmentonGlasgow’s A-listed GovanGraving Docks site hasbeenthwartedbya GlasgowCity Councildecision to grantplanningconsentfor morethan300 flats

Campaignerswanttoprotect the futureofthe docksand bring much-anticipated heritage, tourism and ship repair jobs to the historicsite.

The ClydeDocks Preservation Initiative (CDPI), whichhas been campaigningfor more than adecade,isencouraged to note that morethan60 conditions have been attached to the planning consent, while thedevelopershavepromised to sensitivelyrespect theunique heritage status of thesite. Positive developmentsinclude

arecentlyapproved public park and theupcomingrestoration of number 1dry dock as a shiprepair facility. The CDPI still hasconcerns andraised severalpoints whereitbelieves planningpolicymay nothave been fully applied, as well as issues with theEnvironment Impact Assessment. Astatement from theCDPIconcludes: “Our campaign hasbeenlong runningand we wouldlike to express ourgratitude to everyone who hassupported us over the yearsinwhateverway However, thereismuchstill to be done to protectthe futureof the docks. We’velostthe battle today, butweassureyou that the warisfar from over.” The dockswerebuilt between 1869 and 1898 when drydocks numbers1and 3werethe deepestinBritain. This was at atime whenthousands of largeocean-goingvessels were usingthe port of Glasgow and beingbuilt andrefitted on the Clyde, with Glasgow known as the shipbuildingcapital of the world.

FalkirkFive route launched

ANEW 5kmactivetravelroute hasbeenlaunchedinFalkirk. Visitors canwalk,run or cycle the circular FalkirkFiveroute whichloops from the Falkirk Wheelvia the Union Canal, Lock 16 in Falkirkand the Forth&Clyde Canal.

The routefeaturessix tiled benchesand bike racksto allowvisitorstorestand enjoy views alongthe canals.As reported in February’sedition, thebenches were tiledbyMake It Glasgow,acommunity

interest company aimingat buildingcommunityaround Scotland’s clay heritage.Make It Glasgowran workshops with localschools and groups and producedthe tiles whichwere transported from Glasgowto Falkirkalong the canal. Artist LouiseNolan from Make It Glasgow said: “Wehopethese benches, made by many hands with an abundance of stories and memories,wildlife and rich historybring morepeople outtoenjoy thecanal network.”

Lockgate replacement and maintenance continues

IN Falkirk, the first phaseof theFalkirk Lock 16 bypass worksiswell under way, with the waterlevels lowered and fishrescues undertaken Newlockgates will be installedatLock16once the bywash worksare complete. Thisworkispartofthe larger projecttoupgrade the locksalong the Falkirkflight of theForth &Clyde Canal. Whilethe upper gateswill be manufactured from steel, otherreplacement gates will be made of ekki (a toughhardwood) andmanufacturedinthe

Netherlands.Lock16isthe first of the11locks that will undergo gate replacement andrefurbishment during 2025–26. ScottishCanals are alsoinstalling alockbywash at Lock 20 at Wyndford on theForth &Clyde, where work wasdue to be completedinApril.

OntheCaledonianCanal, lock gates at Corpachhave been cleanedand 600bolts replaced.AtFortAugustus, upgradingofthe lock gate cills on locks1-5 wasdue to be completed in time for the plannedreopening

to boat trafficthrough the canalatthe end of March.

Alsoonthe Caledonian, maintenanceatGairlochy swingbridgehas seen theold hydraulic system (which supports thebridge deck)replacedwith an electrical system to improve reliabilityand, in theevent of afault,reduce the time to bringthe bridge back into operation. There arealso environmental benefits as Scottish Canals will no longerneedtomonitor for oil leaksordispose of oil from the hydraulics.

Work on theFort August lock gate cills,showing thescale of thelocks. The Caledonian Canal wasengineered by Thomas Telfordand first opened in 1822, taking 12 years to build.

PHOTO: SCOTTISH CANALS

The 128-year-old Glenlee at home on the RiverClyde. PHOTO:JONATHAN MOSSE

Govan Graving Docks. PHOTO: IAIN MCGILLIVRAY/DUNMAGLAS PHOTOGRAPHY

Days Out-Ripon

Our series is dedicated to showcasing unique days out near special canals. Whether you’re into gongoozling (watchingboatingactivities), leisurely towpath walks, wildlife spotting, boattrips or even retail therapy,our canal systemhas something for everyone. This month, we’reshining thespotlight on Ripon, withclose links tothe waterways and acitythathas plenty to offer visitors.

By SallyClifford

THE sightofthe bellman arriving in Ripon marketplace is one of many traditions still acknowledgedinthisNorth Yorkshire cathedral city.

EveryThursday at 11am theceremonial bell ringingannounces the opening of the market wheretraderspitch up with their stalls sellingeverythingfromfresh vegand fish to fashionand household goods.The tradition began in the 1300s and is one of many ceremonial roles keeping thebellman busy all year round, from civic occasions to

starting the Bell-RingerHandicapatthe famous RiponRacecourse,renowned as Yorkshire’s Garden Racecourse and afixture in Ripon’shistory formorethan300 years.

Another observation of this medievalcity’s traditions is the RiponHornblower. Dating back morethan1000years,thistradition isobservedbythe blowingofthe horn at 9pm from allfourcornersofthe obelisk in the market square. Thisancientcrime prevention role wasoriginallycarried out by thewakeman,who would blowthe horn to setthe ‘watch.’

In 1604 the hornblowertookoverthe

dutywhich, to this day, continues under the auspices of ateamofhornblowers who have apparently nevermissedthe nightlyritualin morethan1000 years.

Ripon’smarketplace bearsmanyhallmarks of its rich heritage. Onestructuresureto fascinatevisitorswho have an interest in bygone transportation is the cabman’sshelter.

Datingbackto1911, andofEdwardian design,the wheeled shelter’sGrade II listed status symbolisesits importance as ararity in preservationand as areminder of its time as ashelter fordrivers to have abrewand a rest in betweennavigatingjourneyswiththeir horse-drawncabs.

Immersed in history,manytraditions form part of the fabric of this beautiful citywhose 7th century cathedral, consecratedbySt Wilfrid in 672AD,remains the focalhub of the community.

RiponCathedral hashad apresenceinthe city for morethan1350 years. It is understood to be the oldest structureofany cathedral in England stillinuse today.

Throughout the year thecathedral hosts abusyprogramme of events including annual fairs, the Spring Fair in late March and ChristmasFair in late November,along with musicconcerts

Open daily, admission is free and pre-arranged toursare available.Itwas the cathedral that ledtoRipon’s citystatus, yetits quaintstreets and compact layout is perhaps moresuited to that of atown.

Ripon’slandmarks and locations educate visitors in afascinatingstory of its past

Relive life in VictorianEngland at the city’s three museums.Explorethe inner workings and learn aboutwhatlife waslikefor workers in The WorkhouseMuseum.Experience the Victorianversion of Law& Orderatthe Prison and Police Museum and seehow justice was served at the CourthouseMuseum

Thecity’sbeautiful SpaGardens are areminder of Ripon’sshort-lived spa town legacy.Interestingly, Ripon’sspa is understood to be the very last of the English spas to open.

Other industriescontributingtoRipon’s economyinthoseearly yearsweresawmills, tanning and cornmilling

RiponCanal, linkingthe citytothe Rivers Ureand Ouse,providedanimportant thoroughfare alongwiththe Leedsand Thirsk Railway. Interestingly, although abandoned in 1956, RiponCanal wasrestoredthrough

Ripon Cathedral is afocal hub of the city and thecommunity

PHOTO: SALLYCLIFFORD

The obelisk in Ripon marketplace. PHOTO: SALLYCLIFFORD

Learnabout how justice was served in the Courthouse Museum. PHOTO: SALLYCLIFFORD

The magnificentMarkenfield Hall which has been relatively untouched by time. PHOTO: MARKENFIELDHALL

FACT FILE:

Things todonearby

Newby Hall &Gardens: www.newbyhall.com

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden: www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Ripley Castle: www.ripleycastle.co.uk

Thirsk BirdsofPreyCentre: www.falconrycentre.co.uk

Lightwater Valley Family Adventure and Theme Park: www.lightwatervalley.co.uk

Brimham Rocks: www.nationaltrust.org.uk

How Stean Gorge: www.howstean.co.uk

Stump Cross Caverns: www.stumpcrosscaverns.co.uk

Thorp Perrow Arboretum: www.thorpperrow.com

MarkenfieldHall: www.markenfieldhall.com

Ripon Spa Gardens: www.northyorks.gov.uk

localsupportand, subsequently,provides arenewed importance as apleasureroute bringingboaters into the city.

This2.3 mile stretchofwater travelsfromits junction with the RiverUre at OxcloseLockto the RiponCanal Basin. The basinisflanked by some historicbuildings and is alsothe base for RiponScenic Cruises wherevisitors cantakeanarrowboatcruiseto explore this tranquil stretchofRipon’sbeautiful waterway.Water is fedintothe basinbythe RiverSkell. RiponCanal connects to the River Ureand RiverOusenavigations and then on to the canalnetwork

The city’slocation makesitperfectly placed to access andexplorethe beautiful landscape beyond.

Walkingalongthe towpath’sgreen corridor or cyclingcan expandyourexplorations of the many locations closeby. The stunning UNESCOWorld Heritage Site of Fountains Abbeyand StudleyRoyal WaterParkisonly ashortdrive away.Markenfield Hall, the magnificentmedievalmoated family home, is another stunninglocation and hosts talks, toursand teas for shortperiods of time throughout the year.Check outthe website to find outmoreabout opening times

With so much to seeand do,Ripon provides the perfectlocation for aday or a longerstay…

The Towpath Anggler

Our monthly look at the angling scene

By DavidKent

AS Iwrote the Aprilarticle fiveyears ago, we were all fearingthe worst… as the countrybegan effectively ‘shuttingdown’ due to the dreaded Covidvirus!Irememberexpressing greatconcern that it could be the proverbial longhauland, in many ways,ithas been. Over time,there werenumerous‘strains’oftheCovid virus,often affectingsome victims of theprevious strains.Indeed, many people arestill sufferinga varietyofsymptomscollectively called‘longCovid’which,itseems, the medicalprofession is finding difficulttoresolve.

Thankfully, due to the case brilliantlyput to the Government by AnglingTrust,wewereback on thebank by August of that year.Wewereable to showvery clearlythatanglingwas the perfectway by whichpeople could spend time outdoors,withall the benefitsthat this activitybrings. Of course,the rules relating to hand sanitisation and social distancing rightlyremainedinplace butwith appropriate rule changesand careful management,fisheries and clubs were able to recommence activities.Itisafactthough,exactly as it is in the worldgenerally, that some changeshad to stay although Idonot detect that this hasimpeded people’s abilityto enjoy beingonthe bank.

Coincidentally, Iwenttofish amatch last week and while waitingtodrawmypeg Ichatted to an angler of similarage to myself whohad hadCovid twice in the spaceofa few months back in 2022. It seems he is all clearnow although it haslefthim lessable to walk far. He vindicated what I said in March: that many people arefishingtoday whowould not otherwise be,without having accesstocommercialvenues whereconvenientangler parking is seen as essential. Something, I believe,all fisheryownersshould giveserious thoughtto.

Last week sawthe spring meeting of CRT’sFisheries &Angling Advisory Group. As usualitwas aheftyagendawhichgenerated some excellentdiscussion among the members.One topic which pretty much appearsevery time is Invasive Non-NativeSpecies and, in particular,zander. While the groupremains unanimous in its condemnation of illegaltransfers, it recognises howvitally importantit is for clearand correct messagingto help innocentanglersnot to make mistakes.Ifeelsurethatthis issue will continue to do therounds for some time especiallywhen not all the relevant agencies,including the regulators,are on thesame page.

Let’sFishand thefutureroleof CRTincoachingand management of anglingdevelopment again hadalot of meetingtime.Itwill be interestingtosee just how it pans outinthe coming three yearsorso. As Ihavedone

previously,I expressedmygreat concern that the keyorganisations involved in this crucial elementof developmenteffectively remain in competition with each other rather than workingtogetherfor the greatergoodofanglersand the sportgenerally

Theweirdweather patterns continue to impact on oursport Thisprolonged period of very high pressure which hasbrought15 degreesinthe daytime and zero overnighthas played havoc. Fish arenormally‘waking up’atthis time butevenasrecentlyaslast weekend Iheard of multiple ‘blanks’ from everywhereasanglers simply failedtoattract even one bite. Two matcheswereheld on my local canalduringMarch where one tenchwon thefirstand twotench wonthe second. On talkingwith my long-time friend who lives in South Yorkshire,wherehespends much of his time on the bigcanals up there, it seemsmuchthe same Unfortunately, Ihavenot heard anything from the usuallyreliable Shroppiethismonth.Theforecast forthis week again showsreallygood daytime temperatures with slightly higher valuesovernightbut untilthis cyclechanges,Iamstrugglingtosee toomuchimprovement. Indeed,we arenot toofar away from the time of year whenthe fishshould begin spawning butwithaverage water temperatures strugglingtoexceed eightdegrees it could be alate season this time

Havingjustcompleted avery busy period dealing with club stuff Ihavebegun to geta bitmoretime to fish myself.Ihavefishedacouple of localopenmatches recently, finishingfourthinone and sixthin the second. Ilearnedafew things on both occasions whichIcan hopefully puttogood use. Ibegan both events very defensivelyand whilecatchinganearly fisheach time Ithen waited severalhours to putanythingelseintothe net.The change Imadewas to adopt amore positive approach particularly with feedingand it didseemtopay dividends.Myclub programmes begin this monthwhichmeans I should be outmostweekends so I will tell you nexttime whether my strategy hasworked.

The clocks have gone forward andthe eveningsare nowlonger so this could be agood time to try and grab acouple of hours. Ithink cautious feedingmay still be the wayfor awhile yetbut it will be a case of trialand error. Tightlines.

The beautifully preserved cabman’sshelter in Ripon marketplace. PHOTO: SALLYCLIFFORD

They’reoff!Place yourbets at Ripon Racecourse. PHOTO: RIPON RACECOURSE

Ripon’sbeautifulcanal basin. PHOTO:ALEX SENIOR

All aboard! Visitors can enjoy narrowboat cruises along Ripon Canal. PHOTO:SALLYCLIFFORD

Explore the peace and tranquillity of Ripon’scanal. PHOTO: SALLYCLIFFORD

TheWet Web

By HelenGazeley

THERE’Snogetting away from the fact that,loveitor hateit, the Canal&River Trust comesinfor afair amountof criticism. Last year’s Boaters’ Survey revealedthat their satisfaction with thecharity hadfallen again, this time from 54% to 46%.There’salso no doubt that CRTishaving to copewith asteep reduction in funding. Could it make better useofits resources? Well, movesare afoot

EnterAndyGlyde, projectlead, operations and maintenance,who is headingupthe application of Lean, initiallyfocusing on the operational teams and staff lookingafter CRT infrastructure. “Theseare the areastowhichthe vast majority of ourfunds arecommitted,” says Andy, “and have the largestnumberofpersonnel.”

Forthosewhohaven’tcome

acrossLean, it’s abusiness efficiencysystem, most famously employedbyToyota in Japan. Firstdeveloped for the carproduction line,its application hasgrown over the decades to encompass all aspects of allbusinesses.

ForAndy, Lean seems like anatural progression. “I’vealwaysworkedineither internal or external audit, whereeverythingthat we do is an attempttofind areasthat couldbeimprovedwithina business.” When SteveDainty joined as finance director and startedbriefing theleadership team on the Lean principles used at his previous place of employment,Andy’sinterest waspiqued

Oneofthe coreelements of Lean involves analysingthe so-calledEight Wastes.For the original Toyota production line,thesewereunnecessarily

transportingmaterials;excess inventory; unnecessary worker movement; waiting–for information or materials needed to continue work;overproduction; overprocessing, whereatask takes longerthanitshould becauseofunnecessary stepsorexcessquality;and defects,whereworkhas to be scrapped or redone.An eighth wastewas addedlater –the non-useofemployees’ skills andknowledge

“Ofthe work we’vedone so far,” says Andy, “one of the keywastesthatwe’re trying to eliminateisthe waste associated with not fully engaging ourcolleagues andusing their skills andknowledge to make improvements.” To combat this, Andyand histeamhave worked with managers to help them engage morewith

Sustainable Boating Awards2025

TheInlandWaterways Associationand Towpath Talk arepleased to announce that the Sustainable Boating Awardswill be awarded again in 2025.

IN Aworld of climatechange and energy crisis,there is acommonconsensus that new and pioneering ideas,strategies,projects, technology and infrastructure must be investigated, explored andimplemented We all have adutyofcareto the planet.This is whythe Sustainable BoatingAwards scheme waslaunchedin 2024: to encouragereaders, contributorsand advertisers aliketoget their thinkingcaps on and make nominations for the awards –the brightest and best contributions to sustainable boatingshould be recognised,however large

or smalltheymay be.It’snot the size of theproject that matters; it’s the intention and results behindit. With the aboveinmind, entries or nominationsare nowbeingsoughtinrespectof individuals and organisations or businesseswho are deemed to have made the mostvaluable contribution duringthe previous calendar year.Therewill again be two categories,Commercial and Non-commercial, and nominations should be submittedbythe end of July.

Nominations and entries

Thereare twocategories for

theawards:

Gr ou po ne : Non-commercial –This category is for individuals or groups representing charityorcommunity organisations.

Grouptwo: Commercial –This category is forwaterway relatedbusinesses In termsofcriteria, the awardwill be made to the category winnerswhich, in the opinion of the judging panel, have made the greatest contributionto making inland waterways boatingmoresustainable in the previous calendaryear (2024).

AndyGlyde, project lead, operations and maintenance at the Canal &River Trust, is headingupthe implementationofLean working practices.

PHOTO: CRT

theirstafftosolveproblems as ateam. “This develops all ourcolleagues,” adds Andy, “and alsohopefully gets quickercountermeasures in place,whichwill addbetter value for boaters.”

Standardisingworkisalso aLeanfeature.“Thismay

The Sustainable Boating Group is asmall group of IWAmembers, experienced boaters, owninga wide range of leisurecraft,who are passionate about ensuring that leisureboatingis

Submissions

In the first instance, send your writtennomination(not exceeding750 words– and up to three photographs may be included) viaemail to: IWATTsustainable.awards@ waterways.org.uk

Guidance to nominators

Last year’s nominations includedsomewhichwere rejected by the judges as,althoughinteresting, were ideas rather than achievements.Others were rejected as being, in

seem counterintuitive across the canalnetwork because thereare so many elements that aredifferentfromcanal to canalorlocktolock,”says Andy,“butour challenge is to breakthe work down into manageable elements and standardisewhere possible, so that best practice canbe appliedacrossthe network.”

Perhapsone of thebestknownelementsofLeanis theemphasisonfindingsmall stepsthatmakedaily work more efficient– continuous improvements that save time, effortormaterials.“We’ll be encouragingeverybody to identify areasfor continuous improvement, to make thoseimprovementswhere they can, andtoinvolve widerteams wherethis is necessary,” says Andy “Throughsmall steps we will make abig difference,and by improvinghow we shareand celebrategood ideasacross differentsectors of the trust, it will encouragepeople to step forward with their ownideas.”

Early indicationsofthe

Lean effect so far,says Andy, have been more efficientmeetings,more time for productive work and an enthusiasm for more coaching. “Thekey is that people thinkabout theirown area,and the improvements they canmakethemselves,to their dailywork,”saysAndy. “That’s really powerful stuff.” Of course,the bigquestion is whether aLeansystemwill make anoticeabledifference to boaters. Andy feels results will be felt gradually, more as an evolution, ratherthan arevolution. “We’re looking at all elements of the work we do andhow it impacts on ourcustomers,and we’rebuildingthe thinking into,for example,the work on theBetterBoating Plan.”And, as the CRT increasingly uses Lean to analyseworkpractices and the harnessingofresources, “canal userswillhopefully seethatweare better able to addressconcerns and make improvements morequickly and with less disruption”

sustainableintothe future. It publishedits Vision Paper in November 2020 andIWA’s Green Boating Guide in 2022 as well as a range of articles for inland waterways publications and presentations at Crick Boat Show and to other interested parties. For further information and to download IWA’s Guide to Greener Boating visit www.waterways. or g.uk/campaigns/ sustainable-boating

theopinion of thejudges, exaggerated in their claims. Nominatorsare requested to avoid thesetraits.Also, last year’s nominations had aheavy technical/electrical bias so,given thenumberof diesel-enginedboats likely to be around for many years, nominations forpromoting the moreenvironmentally friendlyuse of such boats, includingthe useofHVO, would be particularly welcome

Theclosing date for en tr ies/ no mi na tions

will be July 31,2025. The winners will be announced and awards presented at the IWAAGM. The date and venuefor this areyet to be announced butitisusuallythe last Saturday in September. Lastyear’swinners, Mothership Marine in the Commercial category and Kayand Paul Sumpner in theNon-commercial, will notbeeligibleunless nominatedfor adifferent, or significantly enhanced, achievement.

Apassage in time

There’smore to tunnels than meets theeye on our canal network.John Soutercontinues his new series, exploringthe wonders of ourextensive range of canal tunnels.

TO FACILITATEthe efficient workingof the canalnetwork, approximately42miles of tunnels were constructed in England &Wales,of whichabout half arestill open. This is more than the combined lengthofall other canaltunnels in the worldand doesn’t include the extraapproximately 47miles ofunderground canalatWorsley as part of the BridgewaterCanal. As well as 583 locks, 2963

GRAND UNION CANAL

Blisworth tunnel –3056yd/2795m, no towpath.

WORK startedin1793, ending in failurejustthree yearslater due to quicksand, flooding and collapsesbecause of poor materials. During the construction 14 workerswere killedinjustone collapse and in total50lives were lost

After this failureWilliam Jessop suggestedthe alternativeofbuilding 29 lockstotakethe canal over BlisworthHill buthis proposal wasn’t acceptable As theoriginaltunnel sitingprovedtobe wrong, engineersRennie, Barnes and Whitworthproposeda new tunnel on adifferent route.

Construction beganagain butasaconsequence of the previous problems anddue to ashortageofmoney the work wasdelayed,withthe canalfinallyopeningin1800; although not the tunnel where work didn’t restartuntil 1802. Thissecondattempt wassuccessfuland the nowshorter tunnel opened in March1805.Thisnew, straighter tunnel wasplanned

to branchawayfromthe old oneata pointwhich is now known as ‘Buttermilk Hall’.

It’s awide bore tunnel and 19shafts were sunk from the hilltop in itsconstruction resulting, includingwith theend portals, in 40 differentfaces beingworked simultaneously.The result wasatunnel 16ft 6in wide,11ft 3in from waterlevel to centre height, and 5ft 9in deep

It’s the thirdlongest tunnel in the UK and, perhaps somewhatsurprisingly, the ninth longest canaltunnel in theworld!Italsohas the distinction of beingthe longest freely navigable tunnel in the EU and the longestinthe worldwhere boatsofupto7ft width can pass at all points inside Duetothe failureofthe first excavation attemptatoll road wasbuilt over BlisworthHill, butwhenthiscouldn’tcope with thevolume of traffica double-tracktramway was built linking the termini at either end by horse-drawn wagons. This became the first ‘railway’ to be built in Northamptonshire. Goods were unloadedfromwaiting boatsontothe tramway wagons whichwerethen drawnoverthe hilltobe

bridgesand 337 aqueducts thereare also55tunnels, ranginginlength from just 25 yardstooverthree miles, alongthe 2000+ milesofour inlandwaterways.Let’s takealookatthis month’s offering

reloadedontoboats on theother side for the onward journey.

When thetunnel finallyopenedin1805 thetramway waslargely removedwith thetram rails beingreused as a railway to Northampton untilthe branchcanal –theRothersthorpeflight –was opened.

The tunnel wasclosed in 1980 forextensive repairs, costing£4m andtakingfouryears to complete.Thismajor rebuildinvolvedthe lining of thetunnel with pre-cast concreterings used as a test for similar ringswhich were subsequentlygoing to be used in thebuilding of the Channel Tunnel. One of theserings canstill be seen on thegroundnear to the tunnelsouth portal.

The Midlands to South East canalnetwork connection wasclosed duringthe whole of this period until the tunnel reopenedinAugust1984.

Boatswereoriginally poled throughthe tunnel butthis wassoonreplacedbylegging.

Professional registered leggersweregiven brass armbands to wear to show theirofficial status and they

TALKBACK

Your chance to write to us on anytowpath topic: Towpath Talk,POBox 99, Horncastle, LincsLN9 6LZ or email editorial@towpathtalk.co.uk

Time fora national licensing review?

Dear TowpathTalk, As along-time liveaboard boater,Ijustwantedtoadd my voicetothe ongoing discussion aboutCRT licence feeincreases andhow they’rebeing implemented. WhileIcompletely understand the massive financial pressuresthat arefacingthe trust, many of us also feel the current system is startingtocreate atwo-tier network –especiallyfor continuous cruisersand thosewithout ahomemooring.Therecent changestodifferential pricingfeellikeabig step away from inclusivityand furthertowarda more commercialised modelof waterway use.

I, like many,would love to seea more balanced conversation abouthow we fund ourcanals fairly,

were housed in huts next to the Boat InnatStoke Bruerne and at BlisworthMill, thus enabling either end working.

In 1869 theprofessional leggerswerereplacedbya steam-driven enginewhich hauled boatsthrough on a continuous wire hawser.This engine wasthen replacedin 1871 with steamtugs which survived until 1936, and in thosesmokysteam-boatdays acurvedbrush installedon aseparateboatwas used to regularly sweepthe archway of the tunnel.

withoutpushingoutthevery people who live on them andcarefor them each day. Couldthere be anational review of some kind that includes ALLstakeholders –boaters,traders, leisure usersand the CRT–tofind asustainable path forward that protects both access and heritage?

Thanksfor giving spacetotheseimportant conversations –Towpath Talk is agreat read!

Kind regards, LauraMcKenzie

Long live the waterways

Dear TowpathTalk, Just aquick notetosay howmuchIenjoy each issueofthe paperevery month. Whetherit’s news from thenetwork, historical snippets or tips from fellowboaters, there’salwayssomething that brightensthe dayand

During August 1928, in just oneweek, 169 boatswere hauled through by thetug between5am and 6.30pm,a journey time of one hour for atow of sixboats,and it was not uncommon for atrain of up to 20 boatstobehauled through at atime

Havingbeenmade redundant, the leggerswere either found alternative work or pensionedoff. One 75-year-old legger who had spent44years leggingon his back in thedarkness wasgiven the princelysum of fiveshillings aweekin pension, the equivalent todayof25p!

Some of the ventswere initiallyclosed off after construction butwere subsequentlyopenedup when, in 1861, twomen were suffocatedbyfumesafter the introduction of the steampoweredtugs.Thesteamboat Wasp enteredthe Blisworth side just after 6am and when it emergedtwo of the men on boardweredeadand all the others hadcollapsedfromthe fumes. During thejourney thewind in thetunnel was from behind so thecrewwere in the smokethe whole time. Of the twowho died, one wasonboard and theother,the steersman, became unconscious and fell overboard. Hisbody wasn’t founduntil midnight laterthatday.Two other

sparks conversation on the towpath.

I’ve been involved with the canals in one wayor another for many years now–cruising, mooring, volunteering hereand there–and I’mconstantly remindedofhow special thesewaterways are. They offer aunique wayoflife and asenseofcommunity you don’toften find elsewhere.

Of course,thereare alwaysplentyofchallenges that come alongwith lifeonthe waterway –maintenance,funding, access–but it’s all ‘part andparcel’and Itruly believethatwith care and collaboration, the network will continue to thrivefor generations to come Keep up the goodwork, and thank youfor giving boatersavoice

Warm regards, AThompson

mencollapsedand fell on to the boiler andalthough theysurvived theywereboth severely burned. Oneother fell overboardafter being overcome butmanaged to swim to the tiller and haul himself back on board. It wasonlyonemerging from thetunnel that theboatran to astandstill amongthe reeds whereitwas subsequently spotted.

Afterthe accidenta new ventilation shaft wassunk knownasthe Buttermilk Hall air shaft.Eerilythere have been some reportsthat boaterspassing through the tunnel have experienced asenseofsuffocation and heardthe wailingand splashingofthe dyingcrew members, or even seen a candlelit forkinthe tunnel, the navvies havingdug the tunnel by candlelight. As youpassthrough the tunnelit’spossibletosee metal plates setintothe wall sideswhichmarkthe distancetravelledasyou work your waythrough the tunnel.

In 2005,aspartofa bicentenary celebration, therewas the leggingofthe Fellows, Morton &Clayton boat SunnyValley through the tunnel whilea‘boat horse’was ledoverthe topof the tunnelhill by enthusiasts dressedinappropriate costumes.

Tourist narrowboat reversing out of the Blisworth Tunnel. PHOTO: LES HULL- CC BY-SA 2.0

‘Calder Cleaner’Lee tacklesriver pollution

Sally Clifford meets the angler who is raising awareness of river rubbish and forming an army of people to help keep the waterways clean.

LeeMurrell is aman on amission. The ‘CalderCleaner’ is helpingtoclean up his localriver network and encourageothers to followhis lead

Sittingonthe riverbank as a seven-year-old with his grandfather, who introducedhim to fishing, Leehas witnessedchanges within the waterway and the natural environmentaround him –and in many ways it isn’t for the better. AlthoughLee hasn’t fished as frequentlyasheusedtodo, he describeshimself as abarbeland chub fisherman–hehas noticed a difference in his catches whichhe believes is down to thechanges in the riverquality.

“The barbel in the RiverCalder are bigand that,for me,confirmswhat Ithink, that they aren’t spawning efficientlyevery year or,iftheyare, theyare over predated,” says Lee.

Hisdistraction from fishing is tacklingthe issues whichneed addressing to enable the fish and surroundinghabitats to thrive.The starkrealityofthe rubbish finding itsway into the RiverCaldercan be

found in the waterand treeslining the riverbed and it isn’t apretty sight, as Leeexplains

“One ofthe things Ifind, no matterwhere Iset foot on the River Calder,issanitarytowels.”

Leeexplains howsanitary products findtheir wayintothe watercoursethrough the combined sewage outlet when the riverfloods.

Sediment, which Leeexplains is chokingthe cleangravel, is another problem impacting on fish stocks

“Mostspecies of fish require cleangraveltospawn efficiently butsanitaryproducts andsediment aremakingitsotheycan’t spawn efficiently,” says Lee.

Seeingsuchsightsswitchedthe father-of-two’s attentiontoraising awareness to help preventpollution and protectthe rivernetwork,and the species living there, for the sake of the nextgeneration. With hismindset on educatingpeople, and to think beforetheyflush,Lee spent18months developinghis vision into realityand, in December, officiallylaunchedThe Calder Conservation GroupCIC with two voluntarydirectors. Since thenhe hashostedcollaborativeclean-ups with FriendsofWellholme Park in Brighouseand the Wandering Wombles in Halifax.

ABoxingDay litterpickheld at Hebble Trail,inHalifax,was supportedby24like-minded people who,likeLee,are keen to make a

difference to theircommunity

“Theinterestinthe environment is outthereand the willingnessto getinvolved is outthere,”saysLee.

The Hebble Trail eventled to the removalof50bagsoflitteralong with loosewaste andaluminium cans.Another productive clean-up in Sands Lane,Dewsbury,saw the removaloftwo-and-a-half ton bags’worth of plastics,six bags of aluminium cans,two trolleys and around 40kgofnitrous oxide cans

“Single useplastics arenot going away anytimesoon, so if we can change wheretheyend up that will make amassive impact,” says Lee.

Tyresand carparts areamong the moreunusual items Leehas discoveredduringhis clean-ups

“Itsickens me to seeour waterwayslikethat,”saysLee

He expresses his appreciation to the many businesses that are supporting him on his clean-up missions includingAvocet Hardware,Brighouse,who allow campaignerstouse their yard as acollection point; AVAWaste in Halifax; CalderValley Skip Hire; AtlasDistributions,Brighouse; SynBar,Brighouse, the Shears Inn, Halifaxand Calderdale Council.

Leealsohopes to runriver days andlitterpicks with youngpeople providingopportunities for habitat surveys; kick samplingaswell as focusing on the historyofthe river andthe importantpartitplays

“I rememberwhen Iwas at school we did kick sampling andfound riverfliesand spokeabout them We have some stretches of waterin mindtotalktothe kids aboutwhat the natural substrateshould be on the river, sand and gravel.One of the stretches hasa weir whichleads you into its industrialpastand whyweirs were putin,”saysLee He enjoys beingonthe waterand oftenuseshis canoetoassistwith

DoesCRT have a‘wait till it breaks’policy?

NABO general secretary Peter Braybrook comments on some more topicalissues.

WELL, for once the weather report is very sunnyand we areall wonderingwhy we arenot outinour boat! Hopefully, we will be able to getawaylater in the year When you read this,wewill be outand aboutand looking forward to agood summer cruising. However, as Iwrite, that will certainlybedifficult forsomepeople, as thereare nowfourcanals closed by infrastructure failure. There is thehugebreach

on theBridgewater Canal near Lymm that will take at least18monthstofix.

There is thelockwalland embankmentfailureonthe Huddersfield Narrow Canal that will alsotakealongtime to fix although designsand approvalsare progressing alongwithspecifications andtendering processes goingahead.Atpresent programme unknown.

Tardebigge TopLockwall collapse/bulge requires a rebuild and its heritage status at Grade II listedrequires red tape approvals of the designs forrebuilding. The lock flight will notbereopenedthis summer. Anda collapsed culvertonthe Macclesfield canalhas drainedasection andwill require considerable attention. Boatingonthe Cheshire Ring,FourCounties ring andWorcestershirering, all populartourist rings, are obviouslyout forthisyear. Three of thefailuresare on Canal& RiverTrust’s waters andtwo have been reported to thetrust by boaterswell aheadofthe final failure. Is therea‘wait till it breaks’ policy?

NABO hashad meetings

with senior customer service officersinthe trustand a seriousattention to Planned PreventativeMaintenance hasbeendiscussed.Thetrust is puttingtogether proposals to bringPPM forwardas aprioritywithin its Better Boatingprogramme.Weare lookingout forthe promised ‘dashboard’ on whichthe trustwill post details of its progress in the variousareas of leastcustomer satisfaction andhavepromiseda boater’s apponwhich boaterscan monitor stoppages and report issues

Iamnot an expertonlock wall inspection. However, Ihave, in the past,let CRT have photosofbrickwork fallingintothe lock and largeholesinthe inner brickworkskinoflockwalls As far as Ican seetheyonly getworse.Inthe futureIwill be able to do thisonanapp Will that getaction better,I wonder?Whirlpoolsonthe Macclesfield were, according to social media, reported nearly 10 yearsago.How far aheaddoesthe trustneedto knowofa defect beforePPM is implemented? NABO still believes that thereisa ‘wait

till it breaks’attitude within thetrust anditisthisthat needstochange. Thissummerweare going to cruisethe Birmingham CanalNavigations again. As last year we will be in company.None of us are gettingany youngerbut as we getolder we aregradually slowingdownand looking for ways to enjoyour boating in agentler way. Ourcruising dayisgettingshorter, we are lookingtoworkfewer locks andthe BCNisa greatplace to do both.Getting there andbackwilltakeinatleast one flighteachway and we hopethatwewillhavecrew andget help on these. But in general thesingle locks of the BCNare ‘easy’.Except that we arewarned that some lock beams arevery dodgy, particularly on the Brades lockswherephotos of thebeams make them look as if they have hadsevere attacksbywoodpeckers.We will avoid them.PPM should alreadybeinits way.

Anotherissue of great concern is to do with the sustainability of boatinga longtime into thefuture. This week the government

his clean-ups which, he says,give him asenseoffulfilment

“I would liketosee afuturein the rivers formylittle ladand generations likehim.Themorewe caneducate the nextgeneration, that is wherethe futureis,”saysLee “Wewanttoeducatecommunity memberstobeinvolved and empowerthe nextgeneration.”

To getinvolvedwiththe groupyou canfind themonFacebook.

issued itsMaritime Decarbonisation Strategy with a‘call for evidence’ for the costofensuring decarbonisationofvessels below400 tons such as inshorefishingvessels, yachts andinlandwaterways craft. Yes, that is something boat ownersshould be concernedabout.The intentionistodecarbonise the inland fleet by 2050. Iam unlikelytobearound then butI fear for the younger generation of boaters, especiallythosewith agreen agendawho have opted for an ‘offgrid’ lifestyle on the canals.Theplanistoovertly outlaw diesel engines,solid fuel stoves,diesel-fuelled boilers, propanecooking andheating, dieselor petrol generatorsetc.The reasoningisthatsustainable alternatives areavailable Boatscan accommodate batteries,boats canhave solarpanelsonthe roof, boatsdonot cruisefor long voyagessocan stop to recharge.Myboatis40 yearsold andits engine is 60 yearsold. Both the hull and the enginehave recentlybeenfullyexamined

and pronounced to be in excellenthealth.Thereis nota single pitonthe hull andthe only problem on the engine wasanoil leak from an outdated oil filter housing. So whyshould I spend£15k-£20k on fitting ahybridpower trainwith the associated floor and ballastrefit to accommodate the batteries? Isay hybrid becauseIcannot imagine that the cash-strapped trustisgoingtospend huge sums installing charging infrastructure that canoffer the facilitytocruisingboats everyfourtosix hours. ButwhatIcan do is continue to usehydrotreated vegetable oil(HVO). This reducesCO2 emissions from my BMC1500 engine by up to 80%. Ihavebeen usingitnow for twoboating yearsand have hadno problems with it.However, this‘green’ alternativehas not apparently gotacross the civil servicedesks of the DepartmentofEnvironment and RuralAffairsorthe Inland Revenue. In my opinion it is the ideal alternative, not just for boat usebut for road useaswell.

Manonamission: Lee Murrell with some of the rubbish found during the clean-up at Red Beck, known locally as Brighouse Beach. PHOTO: SALLYCLIFFORD

Chos a secia boa morig wit u,

we kno you ’l lv our comuitybuzz.

And wh you wan to take a crus,

We ’v gt te pefec spo for your lvlboa,

tee ae lt ofmaia you can cos. Find more than justa mooring, find freedom, together with Aquavista. aquavista.com/find-freedom

and we ’r prty sur it wil ge your voe.