Towpath Talk December 2022 issue PREVIEW

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Issue 206, December 2022

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The long haul Shropshire Union Canal Society volunteers haul a Canal & River Trust dredger from Crickheath Basin where it and a barge were craned into the newly watered 600m stretch to Prices Bridge at the other end of the channel. The dredger was nicknamed Tightanic due to problems encountered during delivery along the very narrow access to the launch site. See reports on pages 3 and 8.

PHOTO: SU PUBLICITY/DAVID CARTER

New report values benefits of Canal & River Trust waterways TACKLING THE MIDDLE LEVEL’S LOWEST BRIDGE P70

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A HEADLINE report setting out the economic and social value of the inland waterway network was launched by the Canal & River Trust at the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Waterways.

Presenting the report to MPs, chief executive Richard Parry announced that the combined annual economic and social value of the waterways amounts to £6.1 billion.

This includes £1.5 billion annual economic value from water-based tourism and jobs, and annual social value of £4.6 billion, a �gure which includes a £1.1 billion cost saving to the NHS from active use of the waterways and the towpaths.

He said: “�is report and analysis captures how the trust’s work to protect and preserve the nation’s historic canal network delivers positive

outcomes for society. �ese include the value of the canal network in terms of supporting jobs, the visitor economy, and the unique welfare bene�ts delivered by providing access to nature and the outdoors in urban areas, often in society’s most deprived communities.

No other UK charity brings so much free blue and green space to the doorsteps of so many.

“However, the nation’s

250-year-old canal network is also old and fragile. Together with government, the trust bears a huge �nancial responsibility for the meticulous day-today care required to keep this precious network safe and navigable and, in turn, available for society to bene�t from and to protect the homes, businesses and critical national infrastructure that runs on or alongside it.”

Richard added: “�rough championing the bene�ts of the network for low carbon transport and tourism, sustainable drainage, water transfer and generation of low carbon energy, we can ensure that the next chapter in the history of the waterways sees them help society mitigate the e�ects of climate change.”

Continued on page 2

Lift work starts

More explorers

Art trail

THE Anderton Boat Lift should reopen to boats in spring after a £450,000 repair package this winter. �e Canal & River Trust aims to complete work by the end of March 2023. �e lift between the Trent & Mersey Canal and River Weaver has been out of action since August when the safety mechanism in one of the gates failed.

SUCH is the popularity of the Birmingham Canal Navigations Society May Explorer Cruise it is already fully booked for next year and a second cruise is being arranged. �is will take place from June 23-30 and will include the Wyrley & Essington, Rushall and Tame Valley canals but not Birmingham. �e itinerary is to be con�rmed. Visit http://bcnsociety. com/ for details.

A STRETCH of urban towpath on the Grand Union Canal has been transformed by a new canalside art trail created by the Canal & River Trust. �e project in Alperton, North London, builds on research showing that community street art discourages antisocial behaviour. It was made possible by support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, awarded through Postcode Earth Trust.

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2 WELCOME/NEWS

December 2022

WELCOME NORMALLY at this time of the year we would be heralding the arrival of the Christmas season but with the cost of living crisis and food shortages – eggs and poultry in particular – it makes one wonder just how festive it will be for many people.

One of the main talking points from a waterways perspective at the moment is the Defra grant to the Canal & River Trust which is described by NABO council member Peter Braybrook as ‘the elephant in the room’ in his column on page 70.

CRT chief executive Richard Parry took the opportunity to bang the trust’s drum about the bene�ts of its network to MPs at the recent All Party Parliamentary Group for Waterways as reported on the front and this page and the meeting is also covered by Helen Gazeley in �e Wet Web on page 68.

I am writing this on the morning before the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt makes his delayed autumn statement and in an interview with BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday he conceded that the UK economy was facing ‘very choppy waters’; we will have to wait and see how the country can ride these out.

We do have some good news stories for you to enjoy this month including a father and daughter’s coast-to-coast kayaking challenge to raise money for ME research, see page 8 and the Lapal Canal Trust’s boat trips for Ukrainian refugees on page 10.

Continuing on this theme, people in the Nottingham area designed and created a special bench to be used by stroke victims so they can enjoy time beside the Nottingham & Beeston Canal and down on the �ames the Rivertime Boat Trust recently held a special tea party to say thank you to the volunteers who help provide trips for disabled and disadvantaged passengers to enjoy a river trip between Oxford and Windsor. Both these stories are on page 11.

River Canal Rescue brings you more winterising tips on page 44; with the weather now starting to turn colder these are very timely.

Behind-the-scenes tours at winter open days SIX of the winter projects taking place across 48 Canal & River Trust waterways have been chosen to open up to the public with free tours.

Heritage works and repairs at a number of sites will also be �lmed to give online audiences a tour of the works programme.

In total, 172 winter projects will be taking place across Canal and River Trust’s 2000 miles of navigable canals and rivers.

CRT chief executive Richard Parry said: “We are running a series of free open days so people can see this working industrial heritage up close, hear from the teams involved and �nd out more about the essential work to keep this important part of the nation’s history �owing.”

Face-to-face open days started on the Hanwell Lock Flight on November 26-27 where the lock gates are being replaced at Lock 94 on the Grand Union Canal in London.

On December 3, CRT will be hosting tours at its lock gate workshop at Stanley Ferry in West Yorkshire where many of the 120

lock leaves being replaced across the network this winter have been hand crafted. �ere will also be a 30-minute guided walk from the workshop to Lock 3 on the Wake�eld Branch of the Aire & Calder Navigation where the 200-foot-long lock, one of the larger locks on the network, will have been drained for important maintenance works.

In the new year, open days showcasing locks drained for gate replacements will also take place at Gallows Inn Lock on the Erewash Canal (January 28-29), Greenham Lock on the Kennet & Avon Canal at Newbury (February 11), and the Rochdale Canal in Manchester (March 4).

Other open days still to be con�rmed for the new year include an event in Kidderminster on the Sta�ordshire & Worcestershire Canal. �e programme of online ‘behind the scenes’ tours will include �lming of works on the Grand Union Canal at Hanwell and the Grand Union Canal Leicester Line, Wolverley Lock on the

Tanat Feeder dredging under way

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Amphibian dredging on the Tanat Feeder. PHOTO: MARK WEATHERALL/CRT

By Phil Pickin

THE Tanat Feeder, an important source of water for the Montgomery Canal which brings in water from the River Tanat above the locks at Carreghofa, is undergoing some major dredging work. �is is being carried out as part of the Levelling Up Fund [LUF] works being undertaken on the Montgomery Canal.

The hope, expressed by John Dodwell, chairman of the Montgomery Partnership, is to see the Llanymynech to Carreghofa mile being dredged early in 2023 as a further part of these works. �e equally important Penarth

Feeder, which provides water from the River Severn close to the Freestone locks, was dredged earlier this year using money from the Welsh Government’s Nature Networks Fund.

Montgomery Canal Partnership was formed in 1999 and brings together various groups interested in completing the restoration of the canal. �ese groups include the Canal & River Trust, the county councils, statutory agencies involved with the built and natural heritage, wildlife trust and canal restoration groups. �e latter are leading the Restore the Montgomery Canal Funding Appeal, with the partnership taking the lead in progressing the restoration.

Sta�ordshire & Worcestershire Canal, Crofton on the Kennet & Avon Canal, the Rochdale Canal in Manchester, and at Stanley Ferry/Lock 3 on the Aire & Calder Navigation.

Richard Parry added: “We are calling on the public and

the Government to support the waterways so we can continue to protect and preserve this incredible network and keep the waterways navigable and available for people to benefit from for generations to come.”

The Stanley Ferry workshop will be hosting an open day on Saturday, December 3. PHOTO: JANET RICHARDSON

MP visits Caldon Canal project S TA F F O R D S H I R E Moorlands MP Karen Bradley has visited the £2 million project to rebuild the historic Grade II-listed Hazelhurst Bridge on the mainline of the Caldon Canal, near Endon.

Hosted by Stephen Higham, the Canal & River Trust’s partnerships & external relationships manager for the West Midlands, she met members of the project team to �nd out more about the project and the important social, economic and environmental bene�ts

canals are delivering in her constituency.

Karen said afterwards: “I was really pleased to see the work to reinstate the bridge at Longsdon. �e canals are a really important asset in the Moorlands and it is good to know that they are in safe hands.”

Stephen added: “Fourteen miles of waterway run through Ka re n B ra d l e y ’s constituency and she was particularly interested to hear about the work of the trust to support biodiversity, active

travel, and protecting and preserving our historic canals as a place for millions of people to connect with nature.”

Work began in August to rebuild Hazelhurst Bridge, and the project is expected to be completed in August next year. �e bridge, which was irreparably damaged in March 2020, is being rebuilt in the spirit of the former structure, matching its former location, form, scale and character, including using many of the original stone copings.

New report values benefits of Canal & River Trust waterways Continued from page 1 To quantify the bene�ts, the trust worked with social-value experts Simetrica-Jacobs, with all methodology aligning with 2022 HM Treasury Green Book valuation techniques.

Furthermore, the integrity of the canal network’s reservoir dams, embankments and thousands of other historic infrastructure assets also protects homes, businesses

and national infrastructure such as electricity sub-stations and utilities. Again, using HM Treasury Green Book methodology, this has a protection value of £42 billion.

Turn to pages 68 and 70 for reports on the meeting by Helen Gazeley and Peter Braybrook.

NEWS 3

www.towpathtalk.co.uk December 2022

First work boat on the Monty for decades SHROPSHIRE Union Canal volunteers saw the fruition of seven years of toil on arrival at the �rst work party in November.

The Canal and River Trust had commissioned a dredger and barge which, after some very tight manoeuvres to get them on site, were eventually craned into the 600 metres of restored channel on the Montgomery Canal near Crickheath. �is is probably the �rst time for 80 years that a working boat has operated in this stretch which is now full of water and looks like a canal, rather than a construction site.

The volunteers christened the dredger Tightanic due to the problems encountered during delivery with the very narrow access to the launch site. �e vessels were hauled with ropes by the volunteers from the launch site at Crickheath Basin to Prices Bridge at the other end of the channel.

A small digger mounted on the dredger was used to remove the clay dam at Prices Bridge to expose all of the stop planks that had been holding back water from the national network.

Clay was then deposited into the accompanying barge which was then towed, on the return trip of 600 metres, back to Crickheath by the volunteers using ropes on either side of the channel. �is volume of clay was then removed from the barge by an onshore digger and stored for further use.

Having begun this progressive continuation project, which has been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, in 2015, then been laid o� for two years or so due to the removal of great crested newts from the site followed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the time frame is actually closer to �ve years to complete the section.

CRT acknowledges that this has been one of the most challenging situations to be tackled by a volunteer group, due to subsidence, related geological issues and ground conditions.

A simple ceremony was held by the volunteers at their last work party

in October to commemorate the completion of the work in the channel (see report on page 8), but the o�cial opening will take place around Easter next year, when navigation down as far as Crickheath Basin will commence.

Some preparatory site work was

also undertaken on the next section to be restored at Crickheath Wharf.

Main channel work there will begin in January 2023, to link with the new Schoolhouse Bridge, which hopefully will be reinstated by the Restore the Montgomery Group by next year.

Beside the Stoke Weir eel pass are, from left: Alan Leather (CRT), Paul Collins (EDF), Gary Polson (Uniper), Ross Thomson (EDF) and Nick Baggaley (CRT). PHOTO: CRT

Eels are given a helping hand up the River Trent WORK has been completed to enable endangered eels to make their way up the River Trent as part of an epic 3000mile journey from Bermuda. �e Canal & River Trust has teamed up with the Environment Agency, EDF and Uniper to build a special eel pass to help the eels navigate their way over Stoke Bardolph Weir.

European eels have an extraordinary lifecycle. �ey start as eggs in the Sargasso Sea on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean and they spend 18 months �oating on ocean currents towards the coasts of Europe and North Africa. �ey then enter rivers and lakes and spend anything from �ve to 20 years feeding and growing into adult eels before returning to complete the lifecycle. �eir amazing transatlantic journey is interrupted only when they come to obstructions, such as dams, weirs and lock gates. �ese barriers are part of the reason that the European eel, once thriving across Europe and the UK, is currently classi�ed as ‘critically endangered’.

Numbers of the eels, which have also been impacted by climate change, destruction of habitats and illegal �shing, have declined by around 90% over the past 40 years. �e new eel pass acts like a ladder, enabling the eels to make their way over the weir. It follows one installed at Hazelford Weir in 2018. It’s part of a huge programme of work under way across Europe to help restore eel populations by restoring wetlands and removing barriers to the eels’ migration routes.

Funding for the eel pass came

Craning in the vessels.

Excavated clay in the barge. PHOTOS: SU PUBLICITY AND DAVID CARTER

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from EDF, and in collaboration with Uniper, the two energy companies have worked together to deliver this project. �e project complies with Eel Regulations related to water abstraction, which takes place to support their business operations further down the River Trent.

Richard Bennett, CRT heritage & environment manager, said: “We’re so pleased to give the eels a helping hand as they make their incredible journey and enable them to extend their reach in our waterways right here in the East Midlands.

“Eels are such an important part of what makes our waterways so special. �ey feed on water bugs and dead and decaying animals – helping to recycle nutrients – and are also an important food source for some of our best-loved species such as otters and herons.

“The River Trent provides vital habitats for so many species and this project will make it even more important as we hopefully see many more eels making their way up the river.”

Matt Buck, �sheries specialist at the Environment Agency, said: “�e eel pass at Stoke Bardolph Weir will improve access for eels and enable them to reach habitats suitable for them to grow, which will increase their chances of returning to the sea to spawn in subsequent years. �e initiative will also bene�t local biodiversity and help to boost eel numbers.

“As well as reopening rivers to �sh migration and protecting ecologically important and sometimes endangered species like salmon, shad and eels, �sh passes are an amazing opportunity to engage people with the river and reconnect them with the life within it.”

4 NEWS

December 2022

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Braunston war memorial receives a welcome makeover

By Tim Coghlan

IN THE two weeks before this year’s Remembrance Sunday, Braunston village’s war memorial received a welcome makeover – thanks again to generous sponsorship from Braunston Marina.

Tim Coghlan, owner of the marina and co-author with Jenny Coy of the booklet Braunston’s Roll of Honour in World War 1, said: “We are proud to play our part in looking after Braunston’s war memorial and in so doing, honouring the men who gave their lives for the freedom we enjoy today.”

A major restoration in the summer of 2014 in the build-up to the centenary of the First World War was also sponsored by Braunston Marina. A special well-attended service was held just before the Braunston Historic Narrowboat Rally in June that year, presided over by the then Rev Sarah Brown, now Dean of Hereford Cathedral.

Accompanying her were actors and canal enthusiasts Prunella Scales and Timothy West, who performed various readings including a recital of the names of the war dead, including their ages and where they fell.

With the location of the memorial very

Master stonemason Steve Hancock putting the finishing touches to the makeover of Braunston’s war memorial.

close to the T-junction at the entrance to the village – where it su�ers from car engine fumes – and its prominent position facing the full blast of the west wind across the Midland Plain from Napton, the memorial was now beginning to look very grubby and had indeed re-entered the War Memorials Trust’s list of war memorials at risk.

This recent restoration was on a modest scale – largely a clean-up of the stonework by local stonemasonry specialists Boden & Ward of Flore, with judicious repointing from the company’s highly skilled stonemason Steve Hancock. �e icing on the cake was the repainting of the lead lettering to the memorial, now largely indecipherable on the south- and west-facing sides. �e modest war memorial was built in about 1922, to commemorate the 31 Braunston villagers who did not return from the First World War – a very high �gure and almost twice that of several other local villages of a similar size. And we now don’t know how many serving men returned to Braunston, severely wounded or mentally scarred by having seen the horrors of it. �e First World War a�ected Great Britain in a way that no war had done since the Norman Conquest of 1066. By the time it had ended in 1918, hardly any community – town, village or rural – had not been involved in it and su�ered the loss of some of its men.

In the case of the canal and farming village of Braunston, of the 31 men who

The Rev Sarah Brown presiding at a special service at Braunston’s war memorial in June 2014 to commemorate the 31 Braunston villagers who gave their lives in the First World War. Assisting her were actors and canal enthusiasts Prunella Scales and Timothy West who gave readings.

PHOTOS: TIM COGHLAN

died, we know that 19 of them did so as soldiers in France and Belgium. Two more died in Salonika, northern Greece, one in Syria and one in Mesopotamia, in what is today Iraq. Two died serving at sea with the Royal Navy. �ere were in addition six whom we have been unable to trace in terms of their service record.

So these men of Braunston served and died on many fronts. �e men were for the most part

simple country folk, who would have previously known nothing of war nor understood the cause for which they were now �ghting – farm labourers, a farrier, a domestic groom, a cowman and a postman, among others.

Nine of them were, or could well have been, boatmen, with little if any education, attracted no doubt by the prospect of adventure and the higher wages o�ered by the King’s Shilling.

Cromford Canal volunteers help repair historic bridge THE wall of original line of the Cromford Canal at Waterloo Farm, Sawmills, Ambergate, known originally as Brickyard Bridge No 26 had been in poor condition for a considerable time and it was causing the archivist of the Friends of Cromford Canal, Hugh Potter, considerable concern as to its immediate future.

At the beginning of August, the FCC was awarded a grant of £2000 to repair the wall and secured the services of stonemason Robert Shacklock to work on the repair, writes John Guyler.

A group of FCC work party volunteers, who in the summer of 2021 had quali�ed in lime mortaring, also worked on the rebuild, working to a rota so that Robert always had someone to assist with sourcing the missing stone, mixing the lime mortar and delivering to site. �ey gave 126 hours working with Robert. �ere were several piles of stone nearby which had been part of the canal structure in previous years. These piles turned out to be a valuable source of stone, particularly the coping stones, some of which had been lost from the wall. First, the old mortar was removed from both sides of the existing wall, then the insecure wall was stripped back to the base level. �e wall was rebuilt and lime mortared, all in �ve days. �e Friends were told that

the last time any work had been done on the wall was in 1941, so it’s survived very well.

Brickyard Bridge (26) in Derbyshire gets its name from the brickworks on the site that Lockwood’s Haulage now occupies. It was one of three brickworks in the area owned by the Ambergate Brickworks Company. On the other side of the bridge from Waterloo Farm, where the four-arch bridge now stands, was a stone sawmill which gave the area its name. �e stone came from Hopton Wood quarry at Middleton, down the Cromford and High Peak Railway to what we now call High Peak Junction to be transshipped into canal boats and taken to Sawmills to be cut and dressed. Technically, it was a white limestone, but polished to such a high �nish that it was known as Hopton Marble. �e Hopton Stone Company was

Completed in five days.

PHOTOS: FCC

Some of the coping stones had been lost from the wall. established sometime before 1846 and operated by the Wheatcroft family.

When the Pye Bridge branch of the Midland Railway was proposed in 1876, its route at Sawmills would have involved crossing the canal twice here at low level, necessitating two opening bridges. As the railway company owned the canal at this time, it simply diverted the canal’s route to avoid both crossings. So, Brickyard Bridge (26) and the original line of the canal were abandoned, the bridge was left in situ and part of the old canal line on both sides of the bridge remained in water for many years.

By 1908 the old canal had been infilled immediately on the eastern side of the bridge. �e western side arch remains visible to this day and is in very good condition but is normally not accessible, being on private property. The wall is at the southern end of the four-arched bridge adjacent to Waterloo

Farm, which had previously been a public house. �e four- arched bridge was itself bypassed in the mid-1970s when a road alignment allowed long vehicles to access the site, which is now Lockwood’s Haulage.

Rebuilding the bridge.

Volunteers loading stones from one of the piles which turned out to be a valuable source.

The history for this article was provided by Hugh Potter, archivist for Friends of Cromford Canal.

The location of Waterloo Farm is all private, although a public footpath goes through the property and parking in the immediate area is a problem.

Retro on the water NEWS 5

www.towpathtalk.co.uk December 2022

GLOUCESTER dockside businesses and local volunteers have pulled together to produce a highly successful community event. �e aim was to extend the seven-yearold Gloucester Goes Retro, Saturday festival of around 500 classic vehicles through the centre of the city to the attractively restored 195-year-old docks.

In addition to the vehicles there was retro entertainment in the adjacent Mariners Square on the Saturday.

Retro cocktails and Captain Birdseye toasties were available for those seeking refreshments and Atlas Gaming o�ered children’s activities.

A selection of interesting and historic boats were assembled, including a 99ft Dutch barge, traditional working pair Banstead & Angel, a Norfolk Broads cruiser, a 93-year-old mahogany launch used by the Admiralty in the Second World War and the all-electric narrowboat Ampère that arrived as a result of an earlier item featured in Towpath Talk. Each invited boat received a plaque and other souvenirs.

Stalls from local waterways charities included Sea Cadets, Gloucester and District Model Boat Club, Seven Area Rescue Association and the Canal & River Trust. �e Cotswold Canals Trust stand was elsewhere in Retro, but linked by signage. Many people dressed up in vintage costume and the best-dressed pirate dog competition added to the great atmosphere. �e day began by ringing the historic Atlas bell, followed by Flotilla of Flowers, smaller boats doing circuits of the docks in tribute to the late Coun Colin Organ who instigated the Retro Festival and had particularly wanted it to extend to the docks. �e City Mayor, Sheri� and MP toured the event, admiring the decorated boats

The sailing race with 3ft-long replicas of Bristol Channel pilot cutters. PHOTOS SUPPLIED and cheering the sailing cutter race. �e two-day active timetable included SARA doing dramatic rescue scenarios, races by Gloucester Sea Cadets and the operating by Gloucester and District Model Boat Club members of some

of their intricate scale models on the water. Discover Paddling provided demonstrations and some of its customers then tried paddleboarding from the Barge Arm. The electricpowered self-drive boats from

Gloucester Hire Boats also operated from the Barge Arm, adding to the activities on the water. Boat trips were busy, with the Dunkirk little ship Queen Boadicea II, a 100-year-old launch from the RMS Mauritania and a 70-year-old clinker launch from Norfolk. �ere was a special opportunity for escorted tours over the Kathleen & May, the last remaining British-built wooden hull, three-masted top sail schooner, currently being restored in Nielson’s dry dock, even into the dramatic original dry dock itself. Tours included the chance to

Traditional working pair Banstead & Angel.

The 93-year-old mahogany launch used by the Admiralty in the Second World War.

STOPS OD

A tour in the original dry dock.

try ship’s biscuits and lime juice! �e sailing race with 3ft-long replicas of Bristol Channel pilot cutters built by dockside businesses and individuals was a very competitive event, cheered on by the makers and crowds. �e wind was so calm the boats were launched from the pontoon, but after a short while most turned and returned! Some were then more attracted by the current towards the lock, but eventually a brief breeze and there was a clear winner. Kits were from My Future My Choice using biodegradable materials and sold via the National Waterways Museum. �e event is to be repeated and enhanced next year on August 26 and 27. If you have an interesting boat and would like to take part, please contact Tony Aldridge (tony@matilda1102. co.uk) by March 31. Reserved mooring spaces for invited boats in the dock are limited, but for visitors there are moorings south of Llanthony bridge.

One of the small boats taking part in the Flotilla of Flowers.

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6 NEWS

December 2022

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Busy footbridge to close for £533k repair project WORK will start in January on a 10-week repair project at one of the busiest canal footbridges on the network. �e Grade II Listed Interchange Basin Towpath Bridge on the Regent’s Canal in Camden has more than one million walking and cycling visits per year.

Built in 1846, the historic bridge known locally as Dead Dog Bridge is an important local landmark carrying the Regent’s Canal towpath across the canal basin beneath the Camden Interchange Warehouse, nicknamed ‘Dead Dog Tunnel’. �e £533,000 project by the Canal & River Trust has been enabled by an award from Postcode Earth Trust thanks to funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

CRT London & South East regional

director Ros Daniels referred to the bridge as a key route: “Now more than 175 years old, the bridge’s striking wrought iron lattice parapets will be lovingly restored. With consent from the London Borough of Camden’s conservation team, our engineers will work with specialist contractors to carefully repair, clean and repaint the bridge’s historic parapets and repoint the abutments on site.”

Work is due to begin mid-January and to be completed by the end of March 2023 and will include: repairs to the bridge’s wrought iron lattice parapets; cleaning of the underlying cast iron beams; and cleaning and repointing the abutments and approach parapets. �e bridge will be closed throughout the project, and towpath diversion

routes will be in place. �e canal will remain open for boats to navigate.

Built by the London & North Western Railway (LNWR), the massive Grade II Listed red brick Interchange Warehouse in Camden was designed to bring together canal, rail and road transport in one covered building, with three layers of storage.

The entrance to the Interchange Dock became known as Dead Dog Tunnel because, historically, debris – including dead animals –accumulated here at the end of the 26-mile lockfree stretch of the canal �owing into central London. Dead Dog Tunnel has featured in a number of �lms, including the 2015 Bond �lm Spectre, where it was used as a double for Q’s top secret underground workshop.

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COLIN WAREING Lancashire in January 2019. PHOTO:

eams for 2019 k’s TTop TTeams T k’s Towpath Talk a s, we bid farewell awn AS A new decade dawn t th to 2019 with the results of our Towpath Top Team award which has been k Top Talk r r. running throughout the year.

With four teams shortlisted for the �nal with vote it was a veryy close-run contest t volunteers ty the Grantham Canal Society taking the title by a short head.

Such was the support also for from Crusader Community Boating �rst Blisworth that we are awarding our a rd – something Community Boat awa f the we had alreadyy been planning for r r. coming year. of Commended are the Friends the River Nene and the Waterways Buck.

Chaplaincy’s Martin and Fiona Award presentations to our �nalists

are revealed

r �e r. will take place in the new year. off a winning team receives the hire day boat carrying up to 10 people, generously sponsored by ABC Leisure Group Ltd. �e runner-up will receive a £100 voucher to spend at Midland four Chandlers at Braunston and all �nalists will receive a £100 donation towards their volunteering organisation the from Mortons Media Group Ltd,

alk.

Tal tth T publisher of Towpath Our thanks go to the readers who rose of to the challenge of �nding a group a gone that extra ave unsung heroes who have f their local stretch off towpath, mile for a association or ays canal or river, waterways a our judging ave community boat – and gave the of panel a di�cult job shortlisting four �nalists.

2 page on • Continued

found on a boat moored Ouse bodies t achievemen f nd 100-dayCommunity of two men were fou probe Action Network (UCAN) THE bodies Boats gunshot were called UPPERMILL Y k city centre. Emergency services after starting in Yor investigating damage to narrowboats POLICE are O�cers were after gunshots were �red in Cambridge. a December 5, at around 10.15pm, ay, called on �ursday, f m shots fro after nearbyy residents reported hearing near boats on the what was believed to be an air ri�e the window of one River Cam. Photographs off holes in a since been published. One resident ave of the boats have the Chesterton told reporters thatt shots, coming from moored at Browns side of the river, were �red at boats on for about �ve Field, Fen Ditton, and this went no injuries were minutes. Cambridgeshire Police said reported and enquiries were continuing.

achieved its 100-day volunteering milestone 2300 hours of out in 2015. �is included more than who, according voluntary work achieved by local people to, crafting to UCAN, “care about, and are committed environment”. and maintaining our beautiful local and for the positive �anks were given to all supporters, work parties will feedback from the community. �e next 8 and 20. �e usual be on January 4 and 23, and February on Moorgate bridge canal the at 10am meeting point is Killan on 01457 Street but this can change. Contact Peter l.com 878361 or peterkillan@hotmai

at around 8pm to Lendal Bridge on the River Ouse said o�cers on December 4. North Yorkshire Police f two men for attended “after concerns were raised with their touch in their 60s who had been out of bodies. Fire .” Upon arrival o�cers found the family.” �e deaths and ambulance services both attended. although did were being treated as ‘unexplained’ a post-mortem not appear to be suspicious and men had not �e examination was due to take place.

Talk went to press. tth Tal been identi�ed when Towpath

11/12/2019 10:17:16

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The Dead Dog Bridge carrying the Regent’s Canal towpath across the canal basin beneath the Camden Interchange Warehouse. PHOTO: CRT

Work starts to improve canal towpaths across Rowley Regis THE Canal & River Trust, working in partnership with Sandwell Council, has started improvements to the towpath and access points on several canals which will enable people in Rowley Regis to have easier year-round access.

Thanks to £2.3 million funding secured as part of the government-funded Towns Fund Programme, the Canal Network Connectivity Project will deliver fourand-a-half miles of towpath improvements along the Netherton Tunnel Branch, the Gower Branch, the Old Main Line and the Dudley No 2 canals in the West Midlands.

Work is expected to last until spring 2023 and will involve a combination of resurfacing and refurbishing sections of towpaths, including

widening narrow stretches where possible. �e project will enable boaters and the community to use their local towpath whatever the weather as part of their commute to work or school, their leisurely daily stroll or bike ride.

Access to the canal will also be improved, making it easier for mobility users to have access to this important green space in the town.

Coun Peter Hughes, Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and growth, said: “�is is the �rst Rowley Regis Town Deal scheme to commence following government approval in July and I would like to thank Canal & River Trust for delivering this project which will help promote active travel and improve connectivity within

and between communities. “�e Rowley Regis Town Deal investment of £19 million forms part of the £67.5 million Sandwell Towns Fund Programme. All Towns Fund projects are included in the £1.8 billion Regeneration Pipeline, where a number of transport and active travel improvements are planned to be delivered by 2027.”

James Dennison of CRT added: “To protect and preserve these special places and ensure they don’t fall back into the dark days of dereliction and decline that was the story of the early and mid-20th century, we need Government, partners, funders and the community to join us and raise the money and resources required to care for this amazing historic network.”

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One of the stretches of towpath which will be improved. PHOTOS: CRT

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www.towpathtalk.co.uk December 2022

Wendover trust welcomes TV vlogger Robbie as joint patron TV PERSONALITY and vlogger Robbie Cumming has become a patron of the Wendover Canal Trust (WCT) as the charity celebrates its 25th anniversary since restoration work began.

Robbie, who presents BBC Four’s Canal Boat Diaries, which records his experiences while cruising the canals on his boat Naughty Lass, joins current patron, actor Sir David Suchet of Poirot fame.

“I’m delighted to become a patron of the trust in its anniversary year,” said Robbie. “I can’t think of a better cause for a boater than supporting volunteers to restore a stretch of canal to make it navigable again. �e e�ort that has gone into this, to date, is extraordinary.”

After a modest start in 1997, work began on the restoration of the Wendover canal under the direction of the WCT with the support of more than 200 volunteers who have contributed more than 100,000 hours to date.

Most recently, in the year to mid-2022, an average of 720 volunteer hours per month were worked by 58 volunteers. �e canal, which is actually a rare chalk stream, starts in Wendover in Buckinghamshire, runs for nearly seven miles (11km) through Weston Turville, Halton, Aston Clinton, Buckland Wharf, Drayton Beauchamp and Little Tring, joining the Grand Union Canal at Bulbourne Junction near Tring. Critically, the Grand Union Canal at the Tring summit depends on the Wendover Canal to keep its locks supplied with water.

Apart from the fundamental goal of restoring the canal to a fully functioning waterway the WCT has two other aims; to create a major area for leisure,

relaxation, health and well-being for all, and to improve the environment and increase biodiversity.

WCT chairman Clive Johnson said: “�is is a story of passion, determination and dedication. It’s involved a whole range of skills and disciplines, drawing on the support of volunteers who share the vision of creating an environmentally friendly leisure area close to rapidly expanding urban developments. �ere’s still much to be done and we hope we can sustain the support and funding to complete this marathon project.”

Sir David Suchet said:“I am very much aware of all the hard work and time that has been given to this project by so many people. I wish the WCT every success for its future plans.”

Robbie Cumming, who is now on board as a patron of Wendover Canal Trust. PHOTO SUPPLIED

�e project has been divided into three phases: in the �rst, the Grand Union Canal from Bulbourne to Little Tring now has full navigation for narrowboats following restoration work and the complete rebuilding of the bridge at Little Tring. �e second phase, from Little Tring to Buckland Wharf, is currently under way. �e stretch used to be almost impassable and is now being transformed into a watertight navigable canal with extensive biodiversity. By the end of this phase the whole canal will be in water for the �rst time in more than 100 years.

Signi�cantly, the entire length of the canal’s towpath will be made continuous in this phase which will enable yearround use for walkers, runners, cyclists and those whose mobility is impaired. �e water level will also be raised between Buckland and Wendover, enabling use by smaller craft such as rowing boats, canoes, kayaks, paddleboards and trail boats.

In parallel with restoration of the canal, WCT also campaigns for funding for towpath upgrades, and the �rst major project of these will take place early next year, starting at Wendover.

As well as canal restoration, volunteers have also undertaken much landscaping and planting to provide a ‘pocket park’ for general community bene�t, including the planting of 1500 trees and 1000 da�odil bulbs and the sowing of wild�ower seeds.

In the third phase, when the canal is restored via dredging to su�cient navigable depth and three bridges have been raised, narrowboats will be able to reach Wendover.

Celebrating 25 years of restoration work WENDOVER Canal Trust (WCT) towpath were becoming a green has staged its biggest community corridor, he added, “accessible to engagement event to mark the us all to boost our well-being, with 25th anniversary of restoration increased biodiversity.” work starting.

Ros Daniels, Canal & River Trust With more than 100 guests from London & South East director, 85 different organisations, the proposed a celebratory toast. occasion also enabled the trust to Other distinguished guests provide an update on its activities, included Commodore Tim hold a dialogue with representatives Hennessey, Deputy Lieutenant of and thank its current supporters.

Hertfordshire; Wing Commander At the event, which was held Anna Toothill, Deputy Station in Your Cafe in the Park in Aston Commander, RAF Halton and Coun Clinton, WCT chairman Clive Christopher Townsend, Mayor Johnson said the canal was of Tring.

More than 30 Wendover trust almost impenetrable when the decision was taken to restore it volunteers liaised with the guests. �e event, held on November 1, and the �rst task was to clear the hawthorn scrub. was sponsored by FCC Environment, He said that volunteer Fairhive Homes, Independent Hire construction started in 1997, and Village Environmental Services. commenting: “Our wonderful volunteers have been doing heavy construction work for 25 years – and we are all unpaid.

“Our plan is that by the end of 2025 we will complete our lining of a section which has always leaked near Tring, then we will restore the water level all the way to Wendover for boats to Buckland and eventually Wendover. None of this would have been possible without the funders of the restoration and the WCT chai chairman Cli Clive J John h son with CRT towpath upgrade.” regional director Ros Daniels. PHOTO: WCT �e canal and its

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8 NEWS

December 2022

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Dad and daughter’s coast-tocoast kayak for ME research

A FATHER and daughter have completed a cross-country kayaking challenge to raise money for research into myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

Terry Smith’s wife Aimee – mum to eight-year-old Poppy – su�ers from this chronic disease which, she says, a�ects every part of her life and is highly debilitating.

Starting in June 2021, Terry and Poppy (then seven), of Upholland, Lancashire, began their epic adventure in Liverpool.

Since then they have kayaked the full length of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal (128 miles) before continuing another 34 miles along the River Aire and Aire & Calder Navigation to Goole – the furthest point east before the water becomes tidal. �ey completed their journey on October 8.

At points along the route they were joined by family and friends helping to both motivate and to deal with the complicated logistics of travel. �ey have passed through rural and urban areas, over aqueducts, under viaducts, through tunnels and even over the motorway and unfortunately have had to deal with multiple boat punctures which led to the purchase of a more reliable solid sit-on-top kayak to �nish.

Aimee told us that due to her condition she was unable to join them: “Being disabled in this way I am primarily housebound and unable to do many basic activities. Becoming ill devastated our family life and continues to hugely impact Terry and Poppy who are now a carer and young carer for

Poppy celebrates reaching the end of the journey. PHOTOS SUPPLIED me. �ey sacri�ce a lot, adapting and supporting to help reduce my fatigue and pain, enabling me to have a better quality of life.”

She explained that this chronic, fluctuating, neurological condition

Heading under a viaduct.

Aimee Smith with family and friends who supported the challenge. causes symptoms affecting many body systems. People with ME/ CFS experience debilitating fatigue, widespread pain, neurological issues, hypersensitivity to light and sound and many other symptoms. It a�ects an estimated 250,000 people in the UK and around 17 million across the world.

It often can be triggered by a viral infection, so with the inevitable dramatic increase caused by Covid and Long Covid it is even more important to invest in medical treatment to tackle this devastating disease.

Aimee continued: “Terry and Poppy started kayaking at the weekends to give me time to rest, then Terry had the idea to challenge themselves,

‘Monty’ volunteers strike gold

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AFTER seven years battling to restore another 600m of the Montgomery Canal the volunteers of the Shropshire Union Canal Society were �nally able to see all of their hard work reach a �tting conclusion.

During a brief ceremony in the restored channel at Crickheath Basin, a ‘golden block’ was the last piece of the lining jigsaw to be �tted into place.

Spectators had gathered on the newly restored towpath to hear project manager David Carter praise his team of volunteers for their stoic e�orts dealing with adverse weather and incredibly di�cult sections of subsidence over the duration of the project.

He also thanked the Canal & River

Trust for its total package of support, the National Lottery for an award of £2.59 million which funded operations, Arcadis the firm of consultants that produced the designs for the reconstruction and Lloyds Animal Feeds which provided accommodation for the working compound from the start.

Following the completion of the channel, the emphasis then moved back to the starting point at Prices Bridge where two of the stop boards retaining water in the channel leading down from Frankton Locks were opened slightly to allow water to begin �ooding this new section. �is rewatering is in readiness for the introduction of a small dredger to be used to carefully remove any remnants of the clay dams that have been in place at opposite ends of the 600m since 2015.

When this stretch of canal is o�cially opened in April next

year it will link the winding hole at Crickheath Basin, restored by CRT in 2018, to the national network, enabling boats to turn round there and allow visitors access to the local community.

All of the machines used and materials needed over the seven years have been mostly sourced from local suppliers, which has greatly bene�ted sections of the local community.

Advance planning is taking place for the next project beyond Crickheath Bridge. Main channel work will begin in January 2023 to link with the new Schoolhouse Bridge which hopefully will be reinstated by the Restore the Montgomery Group. �e group is always looking to encourage new volunteers and members. Visit www.shropshireunion. org.uk for details of dates, contacts, news and information.

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Jubilant volunteers at journey’s end. PHOTO: D CARTER/SU PUBLICITY

raise awareness, and fundraise for ME Research UK. So far, they have raised just over £3500 (including gift aid).

“I’m extremely proud and touched by the kayaking challenge that Terry and Poppy have completed, it’s a wonderful life experience and has taken a lot of work. It has been a marathon challenge but they have had fun, met lovely people along the way and raised awareness of ME/CFS which is a forgotten illness that gets very little funding.

“It means so much to me that hopefully other people will hear about this and know that someone cares.”

Poppy has received an award for her

Terry Smith and daughter Poppy on board their kayak. positive attitude, caring and fundraising achievement from Miles of Smiles Lancashire, a charity that recognises the achievements and struggles of young carers helping to make them smile. She was nominated by a representative from Lancashire Young Carers who visits Poppy at school monthly.

Any contributions will be gratefully received at: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ for-those-like-aimee

Water wins on the Grantham Canal GRANTHAM Canal Society has been chosen again as one of the causes supported by the Co-op Local Community Fund. “�is is fantastic news; we received £1841.97 for the year 2021/2022 and are delighted to have been selected again this year,” said Polly Browne, a member of the society’s fundraising team.

“It’s donations like this that enable us to continue with our work restoring the canal which is such an important amenity for people to relax and enjoy.

It has been proven that being by water promotes well-being and combats depression and it is so important for people to have access to a facility like this, free of charge, in the current climate.” �e society’s volunteers have recently repaired bankside leakages in the Kinoulton/Owthorpe area. “�e canal had run dry during the summer

months, causing fish to die and distressing the wildlife,” said Tony Osbond, general manager.

This major water retention problem had been brought to the attention of the Canal & River Trust (CRT) by a local action group GCWRG (Grantham Canal Water Regeneration Group) which had campaigned long and hard with CRT to get something done to alleviate the lack of water. �is repair of the banks will mean that water now stays in the canal rather

than disappearing into an adjoining culvert.

Sixty tonnes of puddle clay was used to repair the leaks; there are similar repairs required along the canal and these will be done once funds allow. �e overall aim of the volunteers is to eventually have the entire 33 miles of the canal fully restored from Nottingham to the centre of Grantham.

Polly added: “Every single Co-op member who chooses us makes a di�erence, so please join and support us.”

It’s fun to volunteer.

PHOTOS: GCS

The society also runs a trip boat during the summer from its depot at Woolsthorpe; for more information, to book a trip online, or to �nd out about volunteering, visit the society’s website at www.granthamcanal.org For every pound spent by Co-op Group members in their stores (those with frontages that have turquoise lettering on a grey background) on Co-op branded products using their membership card, 1p goes to the member’s nominated charity. To nominate the Grantham Canal Society as their chosen charity members should log on to the Grantham Canal Society page on the Co-op website at https://membership.coop.co.uk/causes/70006

CHARACTER 9

www.towpathtalk.co.uk December 2022

Michelle Martin, Art On Board

Painting pet portraits with love

By Alice Griffin

A CHANCE sighting of an ex-hire boat at Longport Wharf, Stoke-on-Trent, one day in 2004 was to change the course of artist and musician Michelle Martin’s life.

“I had been working at Moorcroft Pottery but had just received my redundancy papers. It was a sad day and I remember having my papers on the passenger seat as I drove home, I was crying and thinking ‘what am I going to do now?’”

What Michelle did was call at the wharf, view said boat and then beg her husband at the time to support her in investing some redundancy money so she could begin using it as a �oating studio and shop front for her business, Art On Board. �e plan took shape and initially Michelle would moor outside Etruria Industrial Museum and open her gallery to the public, along with o�ering art classes and paper-making demonstrations. �ere was no plan to live on the canal full-time at that point, but life had other ideas. “I loved being on my boat selling my art and in time my husband and I separated so in 2009 I chose to move on to the water full-time. Some people are water people, some people love crowds, some people want the countryside. I wanted the water, country, and contentment in what I loved doing best, which is painting.”

Michelle’s boat is now both home and studio and she works every day aboard.

“When I moor my boat I try to avoid trees as I need light. I particularly like how people can watch me working and see my advert in the window.” Many of Michelle’s customers are dog walkers and people passing by

Artist and musician Michelle Martin.

A horse’s head takes shape.

but back in the beginning she i mmortalised would also attend on canvas. o the Middlewich Michelle Folk & Boat iis mostly self Festival every year. ttaught. “As a Describing cchild I always her style as like painted and I p botanical painting, was fortunate w but still with very tto go to an art much her own class run by adults with my unique spin, she dad helping focuses on animal me to go portraits. “My like as yle scribes her sty inspiration when Michelle de every week. ing. paint ical When I left I paint animals is botan painting their personality. Just like us school I ended up working for the pottery humans, they have a soul and the eyes companies around Stoke-on-Trent so I show you their soul, which I try to capture never stopped painting.” �e skills gained with accuracy in watercolour. I want to from the potteries was invaluable but now paint every eyelash and sparkle that can Michelle believes continuing to develop be seen in the photographs I work from.” her style is all in the doing. “You end up Michelle’s creations are well received by making mistakes that are accidentally right her customers, who have been brought and learning through those mistakes.” to tears at the sight of their beloved pets Having now been a continuous cruiser

for 13 years, Michelle has well and truly carved out a lifestyle that suits her best.

“I like to move on, if I stay in the same place I get bored and it’s nice to have a new garden.” And like many of us boaters, she loves this simple way of living. “I think boaters are careful about not wasting too much. We don’t waste water, we don’t leave lights on, we do our own rubbish and loos.

We sustain a simple yet good life.”

I agree with Michelle, in particular when she talks about the slowness of the cut. “I love the feeling I get when I have been somewhere hectic and then I get back to the towpath and breathe a sigh of relief. I’m home.” Not only that, but living within the seasons is something she wouldn’t easily be able to give up now. “In a house you will look out of the window and hope you dressed for the weather, whereas on a boat you feel the weather.” �at unexpected Longport Wharf day changed Michelle’s life for good. ”I was guided that day. Call it what you will but I felt like someone or something saw my

Michelle specialises in pet portraits. PHOTOS SUPPLIED anguish and despair because I could have easily gone straight home without turning into that gate.” �ankfully for the canals and for her customers, she did turn in, because Michelle’s simple and authenticity-driven lifestyle, along with her incredible artwork, can now be an inspiration for many.

Website: www.ArtOnBoard.co.uk Etsy: artonboard.etsy.com Facebook: Willowmoorart Music: You can experience Michelle’s exquisitely haunting voice accompanied by her guitar here: michellemartin.bandcamp. com Alice Grif�n is a writer and yogi with a gypsy soul. She leads nature-inspired seasonal e-courses and yoga classes, all from her narrowboat, Melody.

Website: www.alicegrif�n.co.uk

NADOLIG LLAWEN LLAWEN NADOLIG Welsh Waters 11th Edition Out Now

SCAN ME

10 NEWS

December 2022

www.towpathtalk.co.uk

Ukrainian refugees enjoy trip on Birmingham canals THE Lapal Canal Trust recently arranged two three-hour canal trips on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal for 70 Ukrainian refugees, both adults and children, and their hosts living in the area.

They enjoyed the calming e�ect of canals and appreciated a glorious autumn day along the beautiful stretch of canal from

Gas Street Basin to the newly completed Whitehouse Wharf in Selly Oak. Particular thanks to Carolyn Holt who set up a WhatsApp site to manage the complex process of arranging for everyone to come.

Guests were from many Ukrainian cities and towns including Kyiv, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia which have

recently been in the news. �ey miss their families and look forward to going home so it was especially nice for them to get to enjoy and appreciate one of Birmingham’s hidden delights. �anks also go to John and Roxy Gale who delighted the visitors by arranging a very welcoming Ukrainian �ag in Selly Oak. The destination

was Whitehouse Wharf; this £400,000 development was recently completed as a �rst part of the restoration of the Dudley No 2 Canal from Selly Oak to Halesowen.

Funding for the trips was provided by the National Lottery Community Fund through a pilot scheme to provide boat trips for the elderly, people with disabilities, school children and minority groups that would benefit from the companionship, calmness and education of a canal experience. �e trust is about

Heading off from Gas Street Basin. halfway through the programme with more than 20 boat trips provided for the community.

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Turning into Whitehouse Wharf. PHOTOS: LAPAL CANAL TRUST

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NEWS 11

www.towpathtalk.co.uk December 2022

People power helps create new bench A SPECIAL bench designed by local people to raise awareness of and be accessible to the survivors of strokes and created by engineering students from Nottingham College has been installed alongside the Nottingham & Beeston Canal.

Commissioned by the Canal & River Trust to give local people the opportunity to stop and enjoy some relaxing time by the canal, it has been created through a collaboration with the Stroke Association, which saw local stroke survivors working together on the design, and Nottingham BID (Business Improvement District) which has provided sponsorship.

Scott Miller, from the Canal & River Trust, said: “�e new bench looks fantastic and it’s great to see it in position by the canal, ready to be used by people enjoying some relaxing time by the water. �e canal is for everyone and we’re so pleased to have worked with the local community, the Stroke Association and students from Nottingham College to install this bench which we hope will bring enjoyment to many.”

Representatives of the Stroke Association, Canal & River Trust and Nottingham BID with the new bench. �e design includes three seats and space for two wheelchairs, as well as information on the FAST* test which shows how to quickly spot the signs of a stroke. �e bench has been installed next to the Nottingham & Beeston Canal at Castle Wharf, enabling people to sit by the water and take in the sights and sounds of the canal. �e seat was commissioned through the work of the Nottingham Canal Improvement Partnership with a series of community consultation events being held

The new bench includes space for two wheelchairs.

to �nd out what improvements local people would like to see made to the canal. As part of the design process the stroke survivors worked on a number of prototypes before deciding on the �nal design.

Students from Nottingham College, along with sta� from the engineering department, then made a start on bringing the design to life, producing 3D printed concepts before getting started on fabricating the bench in their workshop.

Velma Hamilton, stroke engagement officer for the Midlands at the Stroke Association, said: “It’s been fantastic working with the Canal & River Trust and Nottingham College to help stroke survivors lend their voices and art talents to this bench project. We want to thank everyone involved for their work and for promoting the FAST message. *The FAST test can help to recognise the most common signs of a stroke: Facial weakness: Can the person smile?

Has their mouth or eye drooped?

Arm weakness: Can the person raise both arms?

Speech problems: Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?

Time to call 999: if you see any of these signs.

PHOTO: CRT

Tea party thanks to Rivertime volunteers RIVERTIME Boat Trust recently held a special tea party aboard �e New Orleans to thank its volunteers for their continued support of the charity and their e�orts over the past two years.

The trust and its team of more than 50 volunteers provide opportunities for disabled and disadvantaged children and adults to enjoy the stretch of the River �ames from Oxford to Windsor.

After being unable to run trips in 2020, the charity began o�ering limited trips in 2021 and started its season late in 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. �e tea party on the River Thames was a way of thanking and honouring its dedicated volunteers for their continued service during a challenging time.

Trustees chairman Chris Barrett said: “�is event was a way

Rivertime Boat Trust skipper Lucy Herbert is pictured with Alan Gapes, one of the recently retired volunteer skippers to receive a certificate of thanks. PHOTO: RBT to thank them for their commitment, enthusiasm, and professionalism in delivering an experience unlike any other to disabled and disadvantaged adults, children and

young people. We have completed over 162 outings this year with care home residents, charities, community groups, SEN schools, and families, which wouldn’t be possible without our volunteers.”

Hobbs of Henley provided The New Orleans free of charge to Rivertime Boat Trust for the four-hour event, which included entertainment from band Ukes of Hazard and an afternoon buffet provided by Time for Tea Vintage.

On the trip, Simon Davis, president of Rivertime Boat Trust, presented recently retired volunteers with certi�cates as a �nal thank you. Skippers Alan Gapes, Derek Bayley, Tim Lodge, Ian Tritton, plus crew members Liz Atlay and Nigel Webb, had all volunteered for the charity since its early days. Collectively, they have taken out more than 550 groups on the River �ames prior to their retirement.

About Rivertime Boat Trust The Rivertime Boat Trust is a charity registered with the Charity Commission to provide and maintain a specially constructed boat and other facilities for the disabled and disadvantaged. https://rivertimeboattrust.org.uk/

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12 IWA ROUND-UP

December 2022

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AROUND THE COUNTRY WITH IWA’S AMY TILLSON

Successful campaign to protect Caldon Canal heritage IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch opposed a Canal & River Trust planning application for Listed Building Consent for alterations at Hazelhurst Top Lock (Lock 10).

It objected strongly on heritage and health and safety grounds to one aspect which was the proposal for a fabricated ‘restrictor’ on the end of the balance beams.

Despite what the Heritage Design and Access Statement says, IWA was concerned that this would have had a detrimental impact on the heritage setting of the Listed lock (which is also part of a conservation area).

IWA felt it would have introduced a new unexpected hazard to boaters operating the lock, who would no longer be able to pass around the end of the balance beam in an emergency, for example if the gate was swinging closed of its own accord. �e problem at this lock is that the balance beams are too long for the original stonework of the lock. IWA suggested that this could be recti�ed by reducing the length of the balance beams and creating additional weight underneath (if the balance of the gate is a�ected), as has been done in many

The bottom gates at Hazelhurst Top Lock. PHOTO: ALISON SMEDLEY other locations around CRT’s network of waterways. �is view has been endorsed by IWA’s national Navigation Committee. Objections were also submitted by the Caldon and Uttoxeter Canals Trust and the Historic Narrow Boat Club for the same reasons. �ese objections have been taken on

Anniversary celebration at Canalway Cavalcade 2023 I WA Canalway Cavalcade returns to London’s Little Venice for a 40th anniversary event on Saturday, April 29, 2023, for the full early May Bank Holiday weekend. Each year the event celebrates the best of life on the waterways in London and its community.

There’s something for everyone at IWA Canalway Cavalcade, a vibrant canal festival in the heart of London’s waterways. Whether visiting by boat or on foot, it’s a splendid day out for you and your family. Soak up the atmosphere surrounded by colourful craft of all shapes and sizes,

alongside a multitude of unique stalls, a real ale bar and delicious foods for all appetites. �ere’ll be eclectic live music around the site, special boating activities like the legendary illuminated procession and kids’ entertainment for all ages. You’ll also �nd amazing art from local

schools on display and plenty of opportunities to get involved.

Get in touch if you’d like to volunteer at this well-loved event at canalway.cavalcade@ team.waterways.org.uk Booking for boats is now open – see waterways.org.uk/ cavalcade for details.

The colourful Canalway Cavalcade at Little Venice. PHOTO: IWA

board, as CRT has removed the part of the application referring to the balance beam ‘restrictors’. �e charity is now planning simply to move the handles on the end of the balance beams to align with the quadrant below, as well as investigate the possibility of shortening the beam.

Towpath upgrade at Wootton Brook IWA Northampton branch adopted the Northampton Arm of the Grand Union Canal in 2013. �ere are 24 regular work parties each year, and in recent years it has been partnered on the weekdays by sta� from Cummins Power Systems in Daventry.

Over the years there have been a number of housing developments to the west of the town through which the arm runs. Over the last 10 years various council initiatives have used developer contributions to fund vast improvements to the towpath between lock 17 (Northampton town centre) to beyond lock 14 where the housing area now extends. Cummins helped fund and lay a small extension to the path in 2019.

The recent lockdowns have contributed to a vast increase in foot and cycle tra�c along the towpath; many of these walkers and cyclists now use the towpath regularly. A stretch of towpath remained which was still in its original state and turned very muddy in wet weather, often passable only by the brave. �e Northampton Branch team resolved to improve it. �e parish

An upgraded stretch of footpath along the Northampton Arm. PHOTO: IWA

council was very supportive, Canal & River Trust was on board and local business Cummins was keen to o�er support by paying for the materials and providing sta� to help.

In May 2022, during very hot weather, a 70m stretch of path was dug out and levelled, 35 tonnes of gravel barrowed along from the nearest access point and 30 ice lollies consumed! After a summer of further re�ning the plans, in September a further 70m stretch was dug and levelled, 35 tonnes of gravel shifted, laid and compacted, countless cups of co�ee drunk and some new faces were seen among the IWA volunteers. �e last full day of work brought heavy rain showers, a visit from CRT’s Richard Parry and some thoughts on the missing 140 or so metres to lock 13 which they hope to complete in 2023.

West Country Branch hosts waterways forum THE West Country Branch hosted a Waterways Forum for waterway groups in the South West peninsula on Saturday, October 8. As previously, this took place in the Canal Room of �e Globe Inn, Sampford Peverell, Devon, which is adjacent to the Grand Western Canal. �e forum provided an opportunity for the local waterway groups to meet up, exchange information and ideas and to hear about current and proposed developments – of which there are many – on some of the local waterways.

It was attended by more than 30 waterways enthusiasts, representing the Bude Canal Trust, Bude Canal & Harbour Society, Rolle Canal Society, Stover Canal Trust, Friends of Exeter Ship Canal, Friends of

More than 30 waterways enthusiasts attended the forum at The Globe Inn. PHOTO: IWA Grand Western Canal, Somerset Navigators Boat Club, Cocklemoor Community Trust and IWA. Special guests were Nicola Dyer of Greenwood Projects and Brian Smedley of Bridgwater Town Council.

�e waterways represented covered operational waterways, restored waterways, those undergoing restoration and others in need of regeneration. �e presentations made it clear that they all face issues and problems and that while good progress is being made in dealing with these, there is always more to do.

Guest speaker Nicola Dyer spoke about her project at Underhill Yard in Bristol and was well received.

Overall feedback was that the forum went well. It was particularly pleasing to see the local waterway groups networking with each other and having an opportunity to see the progress made by the groups that made presentations.

Get involved – work party dates

Please contact the branch to register an interest if you would like to attend one of these work parties. It is advisable to wear stout shoes and old clothing, and take a waterproof. You may want to take a packed lunch and refreshments.

MIDLANDS Friday, December 9 IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch and Burslem Port Trust: Work party on the Burslem

Arm of the Trent & Mersey Canal, Stoke-on-Trent. Meet at Luke Street, Burslem 10.30am-2.30pm. Contact: Dave Broome on 07974 966253; dave. broome45@gmail.com EAST Sunday, December 4 and Tuesday, December 20

IWA Northampton Branch: Work parties are usually held one weekday and one Sunday a month, along the Arm, 10am-2pm. �e tasks usually include vegetation clearance, weeding, litter picking and painting at locks. Contact: Geo� Wood at geo�.wood@waterways.org.uk

vegetation clearance, gardening, litter picking and painting. Work parties are dependent on weather being agreeable. Contact: Pat Durham on 07510 195918; email pat. durham@waterways.org.uk

Branch:

WEST Tuesdays & Saturdays IWA West Country Branch (Taunton & Bridgwater): Work parties in

Regular work party at Fenny Lock on the Grand Union Canal.

9.30am-1.30pm. Work can include

the Somerset area, 10am-1pm.

Contact: Mike Slade at mike.slade@ waterways.org.uk; 07977 263840.

Tuesdays IWA Milton

Keynes

Shrewsbury District and North Wales Branch calendar is now on sale; you can buy it electronically by PayPal via the branch chair, Michael Haig on 07801 415573, or by the traditional method of sending a cheque – payable to The Inland Waterways Association – to 7 Barnton Edge, Stone ST15 8ZR. Please don’t forget to include your name and address.

Also available from canalside sales outlets in the area.

13

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December 2022

Yeoman Bridge inbound from Glensanda Quarry, near Fort William, carrying a variety of granite aggregates.

Riverside housing development replacing local wharfage.

Missing a trick Jonathan Mosse’s monthly look at freight developments on the inland waterways.

the tidal River Clyde from Tail O’�e Bank (Greenock) through to Glasgow Green and the lifting tidal weir that parts salt water from fresh. Except, that is, that the former heaves with river tra�c in myriad shapes and sizes, while the latter… well… doesn’t!

Apart, that is, from regular deepsea shipping bound for the Clydebank oil terminal or King George V Dock and associated wharfs, which handle general cargo, close to the city centre. If you discount the occasional Multi-Cat workboat there is absolutely no local tra�c, be it bulk, waste, passenger or ‘last mile’.

Running pretty much west–east, from Glasgow city centre to Greenock, the tidal river is paralleled on its south bank by the M8 motorway and on the north bank by the A82, much of it busy dual carriageway.

To be precise, the M8 actually crosses from the north bank to the south just downriver from the city centre, on the multi-lane Kingston Bridge which, in

I DOUBT my mother had so much as a millilitre of Scottish blood coursing through her veins but she brought me up to believe that Scotland did things a little better than the remainder of the United Kingdom!

Having lived north of the border now for something like 15 years I think she was right, certainly in the areas of health care and education that she was most fond of citing. However, unlike her son, she had little interest in the inland waterways in general, or their freight-carrying potential in particular. If she had, then she would almost certainly have had cause to modify her perceptions.

Essentially, there is little fundamental di�erence between the tidal �ames – from its estuary up to Teddington – and

PHOTOS: JONATHAN MOSSE

Glasgow Tidal Weir, on the River Clyde, separating salt from freshwater. common with most of the motorway system in that area, becomes gridlocked during morning and evening peaks.

Close to this crossing, the relatively newly constructed M74 joins the M8 having shadowed a large chunk of the non-tidal Clyde through what remains of Glasgow’s industrial heartland. �e only boats you’ll �nd here are propelled by oars and the occasional paddle!

To complete the picture, a quick look at the aforementioned tidal weir is required. Separating salt from fresh, it can be opened when the water on each side makes a level, to allow navigation.

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How long this window of opportunity is available depends on the tide, be it spring or neap, and it currently represents a signi�cant constraint to using the full navigable length of the river above the city.

Interestingly enough, in more enlightened times, there was a lock here constructed in 1852 and removed when the earlier, �xed weir – seen as responsible for severe erosion downstream – was replaced in 1879.

So today with the River Clyde, viewed as a clean sheet of paper in local navigational terms, there is everything to play for in transforming the area’s carbonheavy transport system into something more aligned with the sort of blueprint envisioned at last year’s COP26 which, somewhat ironically, was hosted on the very banks of this criminally underused, climate-friendly, freight asset.

Over the past �ve years, a signi�cant percentage of the �ames bulk river traffic has revolved around spoil removed (with return loads of concrete lining rings) from the Tideway Tunnel, pivotal in remodelling Bazalgette’s ageing Victorian sewage system: both ground-breaking projects of their time.

New to the Clyde, and already at the

enabling works stage, is the construction of a swing bridge, designed to accommodate sea-going vessels navigating to the nearby King George V Dock, one of its regular visitors being Yeoman Bridge. This massive, self-unloading vessel carrying granite products from Glensanda Quarry is a regular visitor: one that will probably be transporting a signi�cant tonnage of the materials required to complete the Renfrew Bridge.

One can only speculate as to whether Transport Scotland included any stipulations within the procurement process around moving what will be a considerable amount of aggregates the short distance between dock and work site by barge, rather than by lorry along the M8 with its attendant negative, environmental impact.

Comparisons may well, in many walks of life, be seen as odious but the alternative, in terms of our climate emergency, is potentially terminal.

Transferring goods – whether that be bulk aggregates, waste or ‘last mile’ parcels tra�c – on to water is the low-hanging fruit of a move towards a carbon neutral existence. If it works for England, it can work for Scotland… and my mother can rest easy in her grave!

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December 2022

HERITAGE/PETS 15

Heritage under the hammer St Marry’s y Chu urch, Petworth.

Petworth House.

PHOTOS: ALISON ALDERTON UNLESS INDICATED

Petworth – worth a visit with yyour pet!

Barge Beagle – sniffing out good finds for crews with canines

By Alison Alderton

PETWORTH House and Deer Park, West Sussex, was once the home of George Wyndham, third Earll of Egremont (175 511837), a canal enthusiast usiast responsible for many local waterways including the Rother Navigation and Petworth Canal.

Egremont was also a patron of the arts and a friend of JMW Turner who frequently stayed at Petworth. He was inspired to paint several views of the grounds and of the nearby canals, some of which are on display within Petworth House.

Walking in the extensive 700-acre park, considered one of the finest surviving examples of an English landscape designed by Lancelot Capability Brown, in the footsteps of one of our canal pioneers, is a magical experience. Spaniels were Egremont’s favourite breed of dog, one is even

Barge Beagle takes in the view.

featured in the Earl’s ground littered with portrait and it is easy t uffets, bordering the p at hways, to imagine a his beloved dogss accompanying o ffered plenty of him m as he rode out entertainment and on horseback each o great fun to frolic in day to inspect d and around – plenty the grounds of of exercise to be had his estate. evven on-lead.

No doubt there Autumn and winter were just as many w arre a great time to visit. en nticing scents back When the deer are then n to keep dog noses ru utting, the clattering twitching as there are twitch off antlers echoes now. Barge Beagle was acc ross the gently certainly kept busy – he rolling landscape and Ge eorge O’B Brien hardly lifted his nose ornamental lakes. �e Wyndham (1751–1837), from the ground until trees are spectacular third Earl of Egremont, and include oak, he reached one of the in the North Gallery, highest points when beech and aspen, Petworth by Thomas he stopped to lift his some of which are Phillips (1770-1845). head and take in the almost 1000 years old.

PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS wonderful views across Sweet chestnut trees the lakes and on to the are plentiful – a word rolling South Downs beyond. of warning though, guide your dog The grassy walkways (or rides) away from spikey cases of fallen fruit meandering through the deer park are as these are not paw friendly. pleasant and provide a variety of di�erent While the deer park is free to routes. While dogs are permitted explore, there is a charge for car o�-lead, they must be kept under close parking. From Petworth House walk supervision and not permitted to disturb through the cattle tunnel to visit the deer. Barge Beagle found the rough the town with its cobbled streets, plentiful antiques shops, St Mary’s Church (containing a sculpture of Useful information Egremont) and good choice of cafes and pubs.

Petworth House is a National Trust property.

The grounds of the deer park are free to explore.

NI members (and their dogs) can also explore, free of charge, the pleasure grounds at Petworth Park which contain formal planting, along with a rotunda and Doric temple.

Discover more at: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ petworth-house Walking in the deer park.

This month’s canalia auction reports by Geoff Courtney include a builder’s plate from a named locomotive that operated on the Manchester Ship Canal’s railway system a century ago, and another from a Trinity House pilots’ vessel which went under the hammer for four figures.

A BUILDER’s cast iron sign plate from a steam warning of a locomotive that bridge weight operated on the restriction fetched £120. �is Manchester Ship company was Canal’s railway established in system for more 1846 to manage a than half a century The Shropshire Union Railway sold for £340 at number of canals, a Great Central and was leased and Canal Company bridge to the London & weight sign that sold for £120.

Railwayana auction on North Western PHOTO: GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAYANA September 3.

Railway the The standard gauge railway following year and bought outright comprised temporary track used by by the rail company in 1857. a large �eet of locomotives, trucks �e Shropshire Union Canal, which and wagons supplying materials is navigable and is described by the for the construction of the 36-mile Canal & River Trust as a “charmingly canal from 1887 to 1893. Such was rural and isolated waterway for much the railway’s importance to the work of its length,” runs for 66½ miles and is that at its peak it had a �eet of 180 part of the circular and rural holiday locomotives and more than 6000 route called the Four Counties Ring. trucks and wagons supplying an A sale held on October 15 by astonishing 10,000 tons of coal and Talisman Railwayana, another leading 8000 tons of cement every month. specialist auction house, also featured Rather than dismantling the railway a builder’s plate, from Trinity House when the canal opened, the canal pilots’ vessel Brook. �is coal-�red company left much of it in place steam cutter was built in 1932 by and converted it to commercial shipbuilders and engineers Cammell use, initially with freight trains in Laird & Co at Birkenhead for the Isle of February 1893 and three months later Wight Pilotage District, withdrawn in with public passenger services. �e the late 1960s and cut up in Belgium. locomotive whose builder’s plate was �e large 18x12in brass plate sold sold at the auction was from an 0-6-0T for £1700. delivered to the canal company by �e prices quoted at both auctions Hudswell Clarke of Leeds in 1912. It exclude buyer’s premium of 15% (+ VAT). was numbered 54 and named Odessa and ran on the railway until being withdrawn in 1966.

The railway, which had a link with the main line railway system, remained in private hands after Nationalisation in 1948, ceased running passenger services in 1964 but operated freight trains until closure in 1978. �e canal, which links Manchester with the Irish Sea, is now owned by Peel Holdings and currently This builder’s plate from Trinity handles 8000 containers a year.

House pilots’ vessel Brook At the same auction a Shropshire sold for £1700 at auction. PHOTO: Union Railway and Canal Company TALISMAN RAILWAYANA

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16 FAMILY HISTORY

December 2022

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Exploring your canal ancestry: war heroes In the latest in her family history series, Nicola Lisle looks at how canal workers contributed to the war effort and how to trace their records.

CLOSE to the Canal & River Trust o�ce in Birmingham there is a plaque commemorating the hard work and heroics of boating men, women and children during the two world wars.

It is a simple but touching tribute and a reminder that the people who worked on our inland waterways were a vital cog in the war machine, from boat builders supplying boats for the armed forces – including many of the Little Ships that sailed to Dunkirk – to those who kept vital supplies, such as coal, food and munitions, moving along the canals. �ere was a mass exodus from the canals during both wars as boatmen enlisted with the armed forces – many, sadly, never to return – and women had to shoulder more of the responsibility for operating the boats. At the beginning of the Second World War, the Ministry of War Transport supplemented its depleted numbers by recruiting a volunteer force of around 50 women, who became known as the ‘Idle Women’ due to the ‘IW’ initials on their badges.

For anyone with ancestors who served in the world wars, there are millions of records available giving a wealth of information. It is useful to know which service your ancestor was in, together with rank and approximate dates of service, as this will help to narrow down your search.

The National Archives (www. nationalarchives.gov.uk) is a good place to start. From the home page, select ‘Help with your research’, then choose ‘First World War’ or ‘Second World War’.

Both give detailed information and links to their own records and those held elsewhere.

Use these links to track down service and pension records, prisoner of war records, casualty lists, campaign and service medals, gallantry medals, lists of o�cers and other ranks, discharge papers, operational histories and much more. Many of these records are available to view online, some free of charge and some for which a fee is payable, while others can only be viewed in person at the National Archives.

For First World War service and pension records the National Archives redirects you to www.�ndmypast.co.uk, and for British Army Second World War casualty lists to www.ancestry.co.uk. �ese are both subscription sites, but you might �nd your local library o�ers free access.

Museums are also invaluable resources. �e National Army Museum (www.nam.ac.uk), the National Museum of the Royal Navy (www.royalnavy.mod. uk) and the Royal Air Force Museum (www.rafmuseum.org.uk) all have extensive archives as well as displays that will give you an idea of what life was like for your ancestor in the forces. �eir websites also give links to other relevant archives.

The library at the Imperial War Museum (www.iwm.org.uk) has more than 150,000 books and periodicals, which can be viewed by request. �e museum website is also worth a look for its detailed guidance on tracing

The Imperial War Museum, London: a major resource for researching military family history. PHOTOS: NICOLA LISLE your military ancestors, with plenty of useful links. You can also track down any memorials associated with your ancestor through the IWM Memorials Register, which contains details of around 90,000 memorials in the UK. War memorials include not only freestanding memorials but also memorial plaques, tablets, windows and rolls of honour.

Search the register by location or name at www.iwm.org.uk/memorials. �e register gives a description of each memorial together with its location, type of memorial, inscription and a list

of names, each of which can be clicked on for further information.

Another essential website is that of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (www.cwgc.org), which has the largest database of graves and memorials relating to the two world wars. Search by name or cemetery. Each entry includes a personal record with full name, regiment and unit/ship, date of death, age at death, location of grave and/or memorial, awards, personal inscription, citation and any other information. You can also download an o�cial CWGC certi�cate.

It is worth searching The London Gazette website (www.thegazette.co.uk), which has notices of service appointments, promotions, awards and deaths.

Don’t forget your ancestors on the home front as well. Search relevant local record o�ces for information about evacuees, civil defence organisations, conscription, conscientious objectors, wartime committees and fundraising e�orts.

Finally, the 1939 Register, established to gather information for issuing identity cards and ration books, among other things, contains details of more than 40 million people in England and Wales in June 1939, including full name, address, gender, date of birth, marital status and occupation. Go to www.�ndmypast. co.uk where the register is searchable.

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18 FEATURE

December 2022

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Creative Christmas: Brenda’s s crafty Christmas card creation.

Right: Cruising along in a creative card countryside. This canal boat card is one of Brenda’s many beautiful offerings.

A card for every occasion Brenda Scowcroft’s floating home is crammed with her crafty creations, as Sally Clifford finds out.

VIRTUAL cards have added a new dimension to the way we exchange greetings – but where there is a mantelpiece there will always be a place for tradition.

Of all the occasions we celebrate throughout the year, Christmas is deeprooted in customs from the carols sung, the trees adorned with decorations and the presents wrapped and delivered by Father Christmas. �e festive season is also one of Brenda Scowcroft’s busiest times of the year.

Brenda’s card making began over 60 years ago as a pleasant pastime which, nearly 20 years ago, she was able to turn into a profession aboard the �oating home she shares with her husband David.

Incidentally, and in keeping with the many celebratory occasions Brenda’s cards cater for, the couple are due to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary this month (December).

Social media played a part in the progression of Brenda’s enterprise – �e Floating Card Shop – which has a presence on platforms such as Facebook and Pinterest.

Retirement from their previous government positions gave Brenda and David the opportunity to build their own boat.

“We knew nothing about boating and, fortunately, had a great boat builder’s and, of course, a RYA Boat Handlers course,” explained Brenda. �eir ambition to travel around the country hit a few pitfalls as any novice would expect. Life on the water is not, after all, plain sailing.

Brenda recalls the �rst stumbling block was scratching the top of their boat at the �rst tunnel only miles from the boatyard and climbing the Marple Locks in a Biblical storm. “�at is when I started making cards seriously,” she said.

Interestingly, the �rst cards Brenda made were Christmas cards created from dried ivy leaves picked from hedgerows

A pop-up pirate card.

during their �rst summer.

“When a commercial mooring became available in Gas Street Basin, in the centre of Birmingham, we started our business with the covering name of Mr David Enterprises (Mr David being the name of the boat!),” explained Brenda.

“We were now able to sell cards while out cruising and from a table at the mooring in winter.”

B re n d a b e ga n blogging (narrowboatmrdavid/blogspot.com) to catalogue their travels. She also added a card each day.

One of their most memorable journeys was joining the �eet of boats, among them cruisers, Dunkirk ‘little ships’, rowing and sailing boats, travelling along the River �ames in London for Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond jubilee celebrations in 2012.

“It was very special and a crowd of people were cheering you on,” said Brenda, recalling their participation in the momentous Jubilee Boat Parade.

Last year, 75-year-old David and Brenda, 74, decided locking was too much so they ‘retired’ from boating and became ‘�oaters’ – living aboard but not sailing.

Brenda continues to create her cards using every inch of surface she can �nd in their 57ft long narrowboat.

“I have a 2ft square kitchen worktop that I use to make the cards and a bit more space if I cover the hob and cutting board,” said Brenda, who has to clear her workspace to make way for mealtimes! �e intricacy of her cards is apparent in

One of Brenda’s intricately detailed and personalised cards.

A beautiful pop-up jungle card from Brenda Scowcroft’s collection. PHOTOS: BRENDA SCOWCROFT the stylish toppers she chooses to adorn them, such as a tiny knitted jumper on needles celebrating a new arrival. �ere are sentiments for every season and, of course, a nod to the waterways and boating life too. Perhaps the most complicated and complex of all Brenda’s card creations are the pop-up boxed greetings, the canal boat sailing along and the scroll and mortarboard celebrating graduation success.

“Some of them are easy and some are more complicated,” said Brenda, who can spend hours creating, depending on the intricacy of each card.

One of the most memorable, and probably one of her more timeconsuming creations, was the safari-themed card she created for her

Celebrating success: Brenda creates cards for every occasion. grandson featuring pop-up animals.

“I have two grandsons, nine and seven, and they usually get something a bit di�erent for their birthdays,” said Brenda.

While many �nd crafting therapeutic, Brenda simply �nds her pleasure in creating something that o�ers a more personal touch in an increasingly virtual world. “I’m very much a glass half full. I don’t do it to calm down, I do it because I love doing it. And,” she added, “it’s much more personal and thoughtful.”

To see Brenda’s card creations visit www.pinterest.co.uk/tillergirl or her shop https://mademe.co.uk/shop/ the-�oating-card-shop

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20 MARINAS & MOORINGS

December 2022

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www.goolemarina.co.uk Email: info@goolemarina.co.uk Tel: 01405 763985 Goole Marina, The Timber Pond, Dutch Riverside, Goole, DN14 5TB

S v ces: Fac

ies:

•Water/ Electricity •Bottled Calor Gas supplier •Pump out •Laundry room •Heated toilets, Shower room with under floor heating •Licensed bar with outside seating area •Postal address for live aboards •Chandlery •Diesel

•Dry Dock •Slipway •Welding •Blacking •Shot Blasting •Engine Servicing •Solar Panel •LPG Gas Safe work •Joinery Services •New Boats •Boat Brokerage •Electrical Work •Painting

Goole Marina is located in a basin connecting to the Aire and Calder Canal and close to the commercial port of Goole in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The marina provides an ideal base for cruising the waterways of Yorkshire as well as giving easy access to the Humber Estuary and the North Sea. We have a marina basin to accommodate 150 boats of various lengths & widths.

We can accommodate all types of craft from Cruisers to Narrowboat and Barges.

All types of moorings, garden moorings to floating pontoons, which can be accessed 24hrs a day.

Fenny Marina Finding peace away from home

www.thefennymarina.co.uk

moorings@fennymarina.co.uk | Fenny Marina Ltd Station Fields Southam CV47 2XD

Tel 01295 770461 A Wi-Fi A Electric & Water A Shower & Toilet A Totally Secure A CCTV A Elsan & 24-hr Pump-out A Diesel, Gas, Coal, Logs, & Kindling A Rural Location A Rubbish & Recycling A Courtesy Lighting A Chandlery A 15 Min drive from M40