Towpath Talk March 2023 issue - PREVIEW!

The UK’s Number ONE read for all waterways users

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TALK

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Issue 209, March 2023

For all your Training, Safety, Rescue, Access and Specialist Equipment needs.

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Spring is in the air

NEW CHAPTER FOR EX-COAL BARGE

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NARROWBOAT YOGI FILMS LIFE ON BOARD

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DAFFODILS are blooming and the buds are bursting open as a narrowboat travels along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal near Scarisbrick in West Lancashire. On the offside of the canal are the moorings alongside the Shaw Hall caravan park. PHOTO: COLIN WAREING

CRT warns government grant review could see funding fall in real terms

By Phil Pickin

REVIVING HARDY AT HISTORIC BOATYARD

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BOATS FOR SALE Starts on

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THE Canal & River Trust’s chief executive Richard Parry has given a stark warning about the potential future for the waterways due to funding concerns.

In a briefing to the waterways press, he said that the long-awaited financial statement, which is expected at Easter, will not include any provision for inflation. As a result the value of the grant, fixed at £52.6 million from 2021,

will be subject to a reduction of around 29% by 2027.

Mr Parry said that even more worrying was the Government’s indication that the grant is likely to reduce after 2027, something that will only exacerbate the

already difficult situation. He highlighted the fact that demands on the trust have never been greater, with planned and emergency work continuing and increasing numbers using the waterways.

Continued on page 2

Energy bill support

Fish pass visits

Festival line-up

IWA has joined a campaign led by the National Bargee Travellers Association to ensure boaters who live off-grid or without a home mooring are able to access the Government’s Energy Bill Support Scheme. It has worked with NBTA on a paper which was submitted to the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS). So far, the Government has offered a complicated way of applying for the energy grant with the expectation of being denied, which then allows people to apply for another grant. See story on page 70.

NATIONAL Lottery players are being invited to visit the renovated Victorian workshop at Diglis Lock Island and the new Diglis fish pass in Worcester from Tuesday, March 21 until Saturday, March 25. The free tours include a 10-15 minute walk along the riverside path to the fish pass where you can descend beneath the surface of the River Severn into an underwater viewing gallery. Visitors will need to show a lottery ticket, instant win game or scratchcard (physical or digital). For details of times and to book visit www. eventbrite.co.uk

FAIRPORT’S Cropredy Convention three-day openair music festival has some big names booked for this summer’s event at Cropredy beside the Oxford Canal near Banbury from Thursday to Saturday, August 10-12. Nile Rodgers and Chic will headline on the opening night.

Other highlights will include 10cc headlining on the Friday, Toyah and Robert Fripp, Kiki Dee and Carmelo Luggeri, Gilbert O’Sullivan, the UK farewell performance

by Strawbs and a three-hour headline set from host band Fairport Convention in an eclectic mix. Full ticket and booking information at www.fairportconvention.com/faqs

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2 WELCOME/NEWS

March 2023

WELCOME THE news continues to be dominated by the cost of living crisis although the latest inflation figures showed a slight drop to 10.1%.

Not that it will help those liveaboard boaters who had yet to receive the energy support grant at the time of going to press – see the campaign by boaters’ organisations including NBTA (National Bargee Travellers Association) and NABO (National Boat Owners Association) in Last Word on page 70.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will present his first spring budget on the ‘ides of March’ (the 15th); hopefully it will prove a better date for him than for Julius Caesar.

From a waterways perspective, the long-awaited announcement of the government grant review is continuing to cause concern at the Canal & River Trust as you will have seen on the front page. However there have been green shoots in the form of the Environmental Improvement Plan, see page 3 and the well-being benefits which volunteering can bring, page 7.

For the second in our series about planning for the next winter stoppage season – most of the current ones are due to be completed on March 17 – I had a chat with the Canal & River Trust’s head of direct services Dean Davies whose enthusiasm for his role shines through, see interview on page 4.

Sally Clifford meets the couple who have converted a former coal barge into a floating bookshop, see page 8 and Nicola Lisle has been busy on the heritage front visiting the West Berkshire Museum at Newbury and finding out more about the project to rescue historic wooden narrowboat Hardy at Tooley’s Boatyard in Banbury, see pages 16 and 17.

From this month we bring you both Scottish and Irish news in the same edition so that we can bring you more up-to-date news items about those waterway networks, see pages 64 and 65.

And don’t forget to put your clocks forward an hour on Sunday, March 26.

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Janet Editor Janet Richardson jrichardson@mortons.co.uk Publisher Tim Hartley Group advertising manager Sue Keily Advertising sales team leader Tania Shaw – 01507 529489 tshaw@mortons.co.uk Editorial design Lucy Carnell Production editor Pauline Hawkins Publishing director Dan Savage Commercial director Nigel Hole Contact us Customer services 01507 529529 Telephone lines are open: MondayFriday 8.30am-5pm. help@classicmagazines.co.uk www.classicmagazines.co.uk News & editorial Tel: 01507 529466. Fax: 01507 529495 editorial@towpathtalk.co.uk Published by Mortons Media Group Ltd, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs, LN9 6JR Tel: 01507 523456. Fax: 01507 529301 Printed by Mortons Print Ltd. Tel. 01507 523456 Next issue – March 23, 2023

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CRT warns government grant review could see funding fall in real terms Continued from page 1 As a result, the boating community may have to endure higher licence fees with rises above inflation possible.

Reduced services may also be on the horizon, with Richard Parry saying that the waterways could well end up as they were decades ago should the funding issue not be addressed.

CRT has enlisted the help of DJS Research, an independent company, to carry out a licence consultation into pricing over the next 10 years.

The consultation, which runs until April 6, asks all licence holders for their views.

Options include whether licences should be increased across the board or target certain boaters to reflect the way they use the waterways.

Other consultations being undertaken include one on customer service facilities. This project is aimed at putting in place a standard for key boater facilities and also reflects the pressure on budgets, with facilities potentially being reduced in some areas while being increased in others.

Facilities not identified as essential will not be included in the standard, according to the briefing notes.

In an effort to generate more income, CRT has appointed a new

fundraising director, Maggie Gardner, see story on page 7. It will fall to her to try to increase the level of private and charitable donations. In addition, CRT has also launched a drive to recruit more volunteers to help with the practical aspects of the work of the trust.

Stark message

The briefing went on to outline planned stoppages and priority projects over the coming winter, which include a number of major projects taking place at reservoirs, bridge repairs and dredging projects; however, it was the stark message at the outset, delivered by Richard Parry, that stood out.

He went on to say that he didn’t want to give the impression that things would be ‘all right’ in the future as, in all honesty, he couldn’t give that assurance.

All contingencies are being discussed, including the option of simply handing back responsibility for the waterways to the Government if a suitable financial agreement can’t be found.

It is worth noting that the issue has been discussed previously by British Marine members who are heavily invested in having a viable canal network. Their feeling is that a continued delay in securing a sustainable funding agreement only heightens the concerns and will erode longer-term confidence.

A widebeam in the ice on the Rufford Branch.

PHOTO: COLIN WAREING

Narrowboats moored on the Grand Union Canal at Stockton.

PHOTO: JANET RICHARDSON

Where did that word come from?

John Souter continues his series exploring the origins of commonly used boating terms.

MANY of you may be familiar with what a lot of the words that boaters use mean but have you ever stopped to wonder where the words we are all too familiar with actually originated from? Here are more examples of words whose origins may hopefully inform you, and in some cases, perhaps, even surprise you.

Beam

This can be used to refer to: · A horizontal structural member, usually transverse, i.e. a cross-beam, for supporting the decks and floors of a vessel. · The breadth or width of a vessel from one outermost point to another, i.e. at its widest part.

The word is thought to date from the early 13th century – and it’s from here that the slang expression or phrase ‘broad in the beam’ (wide-hipped) is believed to originate.

However the historic origin of the word is thought to go back to pre-900 from the Anglo-Saxon or Old English ‘beam’ meaning ‘tree’ (as well as ‘rafter, post, ship’s timber’). It could also derive from the Old Norse ‘baomr’ and Middle Dutch ‘boom’, both having similar meanings.

Bilge

The area at the bottom of a boat where water can collect and from there needs to

be pumped out, hence the terms bilgepump and bilge-water. In particular it is the space of free air inside a boat’s hull lying beneath the bilge line (water line), although the term is often used to refer to the whole area underneath the cabin floor.

The exact origin is unknown but possibly derives from the Old Norse French ‘boulge’ meaning ‘leather sack’, or Late Latin ‘bulga’ which has a similar meaning – in both cases the word is used in the sense of a swelling attributed to the collection/storage of liquid.

In 1513 there was the first known use of the word ‘bulge’ to mean ‘lowest internal part of a ship’, which then evolved into bilge and developed into the meaning of that specific area of the ‘ship’s hull’.

Old Norse ‘bato’ also meaning boat.

Bollard

The strong wooden or metal posts used for tying up boats with mooring lines at a wharf, quay, lock or mooring. A bollard can also be referred to as a strapping stump, a ‘strap’ being another name for a rope or line.

Bollards or strapping stumps are also placed to help in navigating a narrowboat at a difficult spot on a canal, e.g. where a line, rope or strap would be used with a bollard or stump

Mooring bollards along the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal.

PHOTO: JANET RICHARDSON

to help with moving round a tight turn.

The word is thought to relate to the word ‘bole’ meaning ‘tree trunk’ and ‘ard’ meaning ‘hardy’.

Alternatively it could be related to the Norman-French word ‘boulard’ which has a similar meaning.

Boat

This is any small vessel, as opposed to a ‘ship’ which can or does also carry boats.

This term can also sometimes be found to be used to refer to a vessel of less than 7ft beam or width.

The origin of this word is believed to date from pre-900 and has evolved from the Old English word ‘bat’ meaning ‘boat, ship, vessel’ and which then developed into the Middle English ‘boot’ before becoming boat. Interestingly the modern German word for boat is also ‘boot’, as in the film Das Boot.

An alternative derivation is from the

Painted bollards along the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation.

PHOTO: JANET RICHARDSON

4 NEWS

March 2023

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How winter stoppages are planned In the second article about how the Canal & River Trust maintains its 200-year-old system, we chat to Dean Davies, head of direct services.

MANAGING a direct workforce of around 200 people in 14 construction teams means that Dean Davies is always busy, but it is a job that gives him a huge amount of satisfaction.

Dean said: “Two hundred and fifty years ago, great engineers and thousands of navvies started something truly spectacular. They achieved feats of industrial engineering never encountered before: taking water up hills, across valleys and powering the industrial age. My team is tasked with preserving this amazing heritage for today and for future generations, keeping the network safe and resilient for boaters and local communities.”

The Canal & River Trust’s historic canal network stretches from London to Lancaster, Brecon to Boston and Dean’s teams are spread across England and Wales, where they can build up important local knowledge and react quickly to any emergencies. Four of his teams are based in the West Midlands – with its large number of locks – where he has worked for nearly 20 years. “But I now get to see the whole of the system,” he said.

There are also four teams in the North West, two each in Yorkshire & the North East and London & the South East, and one each in the East Midlands and Wales & the South West.

They carry out the vast majority of the winter stoppage programme, including the construction of the lock gate leaves at the Canal & River Trust’s Stanley Ferry and Bradley workshops and all the lock gate replacements. Although there are some geographical limitations, the teams tend to go where the work is and the programme is adjusted to fit the available resources.

“Our teams can move around and cross over regional boundaries – for example West Midlands teams have worked on the River Severn at Gloucester and Bevere (Worcestershire) this year – depending on the workload. This flexibility allows us to meet both local and nationwide priorities.

“Although the lock gate replacements are carried out by the trust’s own teams, we do sometimes utilise sub-contractors to do other elements of our work based on the complexity and size of a job,” Dean explained. “These tend to be things like brickwork, repointing and lock ladder extensions.”

The total annual construction budget is about £24 million, which also covers work in the summer months, the programme starting on April 1 and finishing on March 31 to run with the financial year.

Dean explained they are trying to optimise the programme to bring in cost efficiencies, i.e. by changing top and bottom gates at the same time instead of a few years apart. “We are moving towards having a three-year programme, particularly around lock gates. We are looking at where savings can be made; especially if we are going back to the same flight in consecutive years. We’ll look at the programme and see how we

can juggle things around a bit to both reduce the impact on boaters and also save money.”

Seeking feedback

Discussions about the winter stoppage programme start with external stakeholders and the trust’s Navigation Advisory Group in April and May before going to full consultation on the trust website. The aim is to get feedback from boaters and other canal users before the programme is finally agreed ready for publication in August.

Most works start on the first week in November but depending on the nature of waterway there may be a bit of leeway, such as on the Chesterfield Canal where some works started in October last year. Dean explained that they always discuss these adjustments initially with the stoppage consultee group before consulting locally.

“Having a three-year plan gives us the chance to plan and discuss works a lot earlier – doing everything in one year can present a lot of challenges for us,” Dean continued. “We’re trying to identify, prioritise, plan and deliver 500-plus construction projects in a 12-month period. Most of the time things go well but a three-year plan would help us be more consistent and efficient, particularly when things change, or problems crop up.”

The duration of each stoppage depends on several factors: including location, accessibility, the amount of work needed, and resource availability.

“For instance, if you have got a single top end gate to replace and good access it’s going to take a few days to complete with stop plank installation, drain down etc.

If you have to change the cill or replace broad mitred-end bottom gates, then you are starting to increase the timescale, probably more towards a couple of weeks. Add in other lock repairs and you could be looking at six weeks-plus to complete the work.”

Taking into account the works information package, an estimate cost, and how many days or weeks the works will take, the job is then programmed into the plan for that year, where possible alongside other complementary works. “The cost of draining a lock and associated works increase quite significantly if we have to bring in a crane or undertake temporary works to facilitate the main tasks, so it is often more cost effective to do additional works while a lock or a flight is drained down,” he said.

The shorter jobs are usually programmed in the seven-week period up to Christmas with the larger and more complex projects planned for the first 11 weeks of the new year.

“We aim to have completed the works by mid-March – March 17 this year – although with the agreement of the Navigation Advisory Group some exceptions can run to the end of financial year,” Dean added.

Undertaking work to a 250-year-old canal system during the winter can also

Two spider cranes operating at Cape Top Lock 25 on the Grand Union Canal at Warwick.

Lifting a lock gate at Shireoaks on the Chesterfield Canal. PHOTOS: CANAL & RIVER TRUST

mean the teams are hit with problems and delays. “With my teams the delays occur where we’ve hit a problem such as flooding and bad weather – increasingly common with our changing climate – or where we have found that more work needs doing when we drain a lock down, such as extra brickwork repairs and repointing. We sometimes get lucky and it is not as bad as we expected so the job is quicker than forecast, but more often than not the damage is worse and the repairs bigger. We do whatever we can to minimise that effect on the stoppage dates, but sometimes we have to extend the duration of the works.”

Although there have been more supply chain issues since Covid-19, the main problems involve logistics, staff sickness and bringing in replacements.

During the cold snap after Christmas, frozen canals prevented some of the materials being brought in by boat.

Core business

The trust’s lock gate workshop teams are now planning next year’s delivery programme, as they build lock gates all year round. At the time of writing they still had a couple of sets to make for March stoppages before starting to build gates for next year’s programme.

The first ones built will be for locks where summer closures are acceptable, such as where there are double locks, a reasonable diversion and waterways with less navigational use.

Building the lock gates internally is a core business for the trust, which has nearly 5000 unique lock gate leaves across the 2000-mile network, requiring

ongoing maintenance and replacement on average every 25 years. “We get better economies of scale by doing it ourselves.”

Asked what happens to the old gates following replacement, Dean suggested we could run a competition inviting readers to submit ideas. “I would love to find a sustainable use for them but they contain a lot of steel so you can’t just put a chainsaw through them, it is really labour intensive to take the metal parts out. It’s simple to say but very hard to do because of the sheer size, transportation costs, and the labour involved taking them apart. Any bright ideas from readers would be very welcome.”

He explained that over the years they’ve tried a number of ideas including sending some to a timber merchant in Leicester which has stacks of old gates which will be taken apart when the merchant has time, some having been made into lintels and fireplaces. Other uses include retaining structures and road mats for the Glastonbury Festival, offering them to restoration groups, and dismantling by HM Prisons workshops.

Gearing can sometimes be recycled for future use.

Apart from the obvious lock gate replacements, other works carried out by the direct services teams include bridge repairs; waterway wall repairs; leak repairs; towpath surfacing; and relining/ rebuilding of culverts. Larger works are delivered by framework contractors Bentley and Kier.

Dean continued: “For me some of the bigger challenges we have had to think about are how we get people, plant and equipment to lock stoppage sites to do

Using a spider crane to lift a lock gate at Bingley on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.

the work. We have increasingly started to hire a type of crane – a spider crane – which can be put on a pontoon and then suspended over the lock to lift large lock gates into more remote locks. We have had two spider cranes operating at Cape Top Lock 25 on the Grand Union at Warwick where we have been replacing the top and bottom gates.

“Another challenge has been changing the bottom gate at Stenson Lock 6 on the Trent & Mersey – a broad lock which is one of deepest locks in the country where the access to site is subject to a weight limit. Abnormal load movements and temporary works to facilitate these can exceed the cost of doing the actual work.” The cost of the gates can represent a fraction of the cost of the job.

He added that one of the common misconceptions is that the teams don’t do any important work in the summer months. “We do different types of work but it is just as important, such as jobs like bank protection work and bridge parapet repairs which don’t require a stoppage. If we don’t do these jobs the problem gets bigger, and the costs to put them right increase significantly – we work all year round.

“Communication with the teams is a never-ending job in itself,” Dean concluded. “The teams are spread over the entire canal network, so getting to see them all takes time. I’m normally home based but can be anywhere in the country depending on where the work is and where I’m needed. But I am very lucky to do what I do – it’s a dream job looking after this wonderful network of canals, which quickly becomes a huge part of your life.

“We’re certainly facing some challenges at the moment. Although our 250-year-old canals are valued more than ever before, they remain fragile and vulnerable. A changing climate, rapidly rising costs and the passage of time are taking their toll. As a charity, we need to work harder than ever to ensure our canals are prevented from falling into disrepair and I’m proud to be leading the team keeping the waterways open for navigation.”

Works in progress on the Grand Union Canal. In this picture it’s easy to see how the spider crane gets its name!

NEWS 5

www.towpathtalk.co.uk March 2023

Homeward bound

LMS Black Five 4-6-0 45231 The Sherw rwood w Forester passes the frozen Oxford Canal near Ansty on January ry y 18 while returning to its home base of Crewe after undertaking railtours in and around London in the run up to Christmas. PHOTO: GRAHAM NUTTALL

Busy opening session at new compound ANOTHER spectacularly productive work party saw Shropshire Union Canal Society volunteers able to settle into and enjoy their new compound south of Crickheath Bridge on the Montgomery Canal.

A wide variety of preparatory tasks were completed ready for machine plant operations to start. Thanks to favourable weather conditions, vegetation clearance continued apace in the dry channel.

Bonfire work is always a popular activity in the colder months and by the end of the weekend the middle 200 metres had been fully cleared and is now ready for stump removal and site strip. Vegetation clearance work also took place at the south end of the site up to Schoolhouse Bridge, with detailed surveying of the channel dimensions

to be extended right up to the southern limit.

The wharf at the north end of the site, by Crickheath Bridge, has been previously cleared of most vegetation and, as is normal this time of year, had standing water in places due to raised ground water levels. However, this didn’t prevent a group of energetic volunteers working at ground level to the rear of the wharf.

During the summer a number of coping stones will be removed to allow repairs to the wall beneath. Holes were dug in the ground behind the copings in readiness for removal.

Another group of volunteers took the opportunity to complete a job required to make good works to the previous project, north of Crickheath Bridge.

More than 700 hedging whips of mixed

Planting hedging whips. PHOTOS: SU PUBLICITY

The channel cleared of saplings and vegetation. native species were planted on the offside bank along the field fence.

Back in the compound, volunteers were able to relax at break times in their new surroundings. The welfare shelter has been extended, has a new tarpaulin

roof, half height walls constructed from repurposed newt fencing and, in case of inclement weather, removable window panels. The volunteers have been greatly encouraged by interest shown in the new project by local residents and the general public, possibly helped by the compound’s location next to the towpath and by the village. A number of new volunteers have also been welcomed this year

Volunteers enjoy the improved welfare shelter in all its glory. including two more young people, accompanied by their guardians.

Shropshire Union Canal Society is always looking to encourage new volunteers and members.

Anyone interested should visit https://shropshireunion.org.uk for details of dates and contacts, also for news and information.

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6 NEWS

March 2023

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Town Deal grant funding for Loughborough towpath project THE first phase in a project to improve a popular section of historic towpath in Loughborough, Leicestershire has been completed.

Working in partnership with Loughborough Town Deal, the Canal & River Trust is improving a 2km stretch of the River Soar towpath between Moor Lane Bridge and Belton Lane.

CRT partnerships manager Alan Leather said: “More than 200 years after it was built, this section of canal remains a really special place within the town and it’s great to see the progress being made on these vital improvements which will bring real benefits to so many people.

“This project will bring added life and colour to Loughborough’s waterways. It will encourage people to spend more time by the water and, with support from the Inland Waterways Association and members of Quorn Angling Society, we’re excited to create some new moorings that will enable boaters to visit the town centre facilities and attractions more easily.”

The improvements through Loughborough will shore up a stretch of the canal bank, create additional moorings for

visiting boats and ensure the towpath is available for boaters and the local community to use and enjoy.

This project has been made possible thanks to an £885,000 grant from Loughborough Town Deal. It will enable more people to boost their physical and mental health by spending time by the water and among nature.

Alan added: “It’s great to be working alongside Loughborough Town Deal on a project that we know will make a huge difference to people living and working in the town and we’re grateful for their continued support.”

laying a bitumen surface and then a stone chip layer to give the route a more natural feel. The project is also creating additional moorings for visiting boaters to stop and walk into town.

The canal improvement is one of 11 projects Loughborough Town Deal is supporting after securing £16.9 million of government funding.

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COLIN WAREING Lancashire in January 2019. PHOTO:

eams for 2019 are revealed k’s TTop TTeams T k’s Towpath Talk

By Janet Richardson

BOAT TREKKER AT FINAL FRONTIER

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 final 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 first 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.

Fiona and Chaplaincy’s Martin Award presentations to our finalists

r The 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. The runner-up will receive a £100 voucher to spend at Midland four Chandlers at Braunston and all finalists 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 finding 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 shortlisting the of job panel a difficult four finalists.

• Continued on page 2

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 Officers were after gunshots were fired in Cambridge. a December 5, at around 10.15pm, ay, called on Thursday, f m shots fro after nearbyy residents reported hearing near boats on the what was believed to be an air rifle 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 fired at boats on for about five Field, Fen Ditton, and this went no injuries were minutes. Cambridgeshire Police said reported and enquiries were continuing.

Chain Bridge, near Belton Lane, and work towards Moor Lane Bridge. The path will be closed in sections while the works are carried out with signage in place to advise those using the towpath. The first closure, between Chain Bridge on Canal Bank and Meadow Lane Bridge, was due to be in place from the middle of February.

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and for many years to come and that’s one of the aims of the Town Deal, to leave a lasting legacy.”

Co-chairman Dr Nik Kotecha added: “I am sure people will appreciate seeing the canal improvements already taking shape and we look forward to seeing the scheme completed later this year.”

The improvements will start at

Before the new towpath could be laid the trust recently completed works to reinforce a section of canal wall by installing 100m of steel piling between Moor Lane and Little Moor Lane to repair the bank and prevent any future erosion.

The trust is now starting works to lay a wider, all-weather towpath, making it suitable for use all year round, including by those with wheelchairs or buggies. Works will involve creating a wider path before

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In total, the projects are worth more than £40 million of investment for the town.

Coun Jonathan Morgan, co-chairman of Loughborough Town Deal, said: “It is really pleasing to see work on the canal under way and making such good progress. These improvements will benefit the people of Loughborough today

achieved its 100-day volunteering milestone 2300 hours of out in 2015. This 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 Thanks were given to all supporters, work parties will feedback from the community. The next 8 and 20. The usual be on January 4 and 23, and February on Moorgate bridge canal the at 10am is point meeting Killan on 01457 Street but this can change. Contact Peter l.com peterkillan@hotmai or 878361

at around 8pm to Lendal Bridge on the River Ouse said officers 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 officers found the family.”

The deaths and ambulance services both attended. although did ‘unexplained’ were being treated as a post-mortem not appear to be suspicious and men had not The place. take examination was due to alk went to press.

Tal tth T been identified when Towpath

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Alan Leather, partnerships manager for Canal & River Trust and Coun Jonathan Morgan, co-chair of Loughborough Town Deal. PHOTO: CRT

More help needed to meet steamer’s dry docking costs

By Hugh Dougherty

AN URGENT appeal has been launched to raise £180,000 to allow former LNER paddle steamer Waverley to be dry docked in time to start her 2023 season on May 19.

In the first week £97,000 – just over half the cost – had been raised but general manager Paul Semple is warning that time is still of the essence if the historic railway steamer is to sail in 2023.

He said: “Last season we carried 100,000 passengers in Scotland, on the English south coast and on the Thames, and in normal times the revenue generated would have allowed us to pay for the annual dry docking.

“However, we had to face a 64% rise in our fuel costs – in real terms, £300,000 – which has left us without the cash to pay for the docking and to meet the new season start-up costs, such as procuring catering foodstuffs and other essential items, so we have had to launch this appeal.”

Paul continued: “The response, even at a time of financial hardship and stretching for many people, has been wonderful, but we still have some way to go as we’re on a tight deadline for dry docking at the end of March.

Any donations, however large or small, would be most welcome to keep Waverley sailing.”

In the meantime, regular winter maintenance has been going on, with new wood for paddle floats delivered, deck repairs and boiler maintenance carried out. Paul added: “Our staff, volunteers and specialist contractors are doing great work, but it becomes harder and more expensive yearly to keep a vessel of this vintage operational,

Paul Semple with newly delivered wood for paddle wheel float replacement.

PHOTOS: HUGH DOUGHERTY

The two-year-old boilers are into their maintenance cycle. Controls have been stripped down for specialist servicing, with the furnaces being swept out. something that operators of heritage railways and other vintage transport preservationists will readily recognise.

“We had new boilers fitted, for example, two years ago, but these are now having to be serviced by specialist contractors, such as controls removed for service and the boiler furnaces swept out, and there are items throughout the ship which all need regularly servicing or replacement, all against a background of rising costs.”

Donations to the dry dock appeal can be made via www.waverleyexcursions. co.uk

NEWS 7

www.towpathtalk.co.uk March 2023

Trust launches biggest appeal for volunteers THOUSANDS of people are being encouraged to join the army of volunteers who work alongside the Canal & River Trust to protect and preserve the historic canal network across England and Wales.

With volunteering by water proven to come with added well-being benefits for those taking part, the trust is appealing for its biggest range yet of volunteer roles and activities – from the iconic lock keeper, through to numerous community, administrative and professional support, wildlife and heritage conservation opportunities that support the charity.

Over the coming months CRT will be hosting a series of volunteer welcome events across England and Wales where people can find out about the variety of flexible roles and activities they can get involved in, find out how they can make a real difference to local communities, make great friends, and have fun.

Chief executive Richard Parry said: “With the nation’s canals used and enjoyed by more people than ever before, together with the constant threat of climate change, these historic places need constant care to look after them.

We need the support of the community and conservation-minded people to help ensure that these precious places are handed on to future generations.”

Research in 2021 by the trust shows that volunteering by water is good for you. The research found that people who volunteer by water for the Canal & River Trust report being happier, feeling more

Journalist and presenter, Ranvir Singh, is supporting the trust’s appeal having joined volunteers on the Grand Union Canal in London with a project to improve the canal for wildlife. PHOTO: CRT worthwhile and feeling less anxious than other volunteers or those who don’t volunteer at all.

In a recent survey (2023) conducted on behalf of the trust, findings show that half of people surveyed said the reasons they get involved with volunteering are to give something back to their community (48%) and to meet new people and make new friends (31%). Mental well-being was another key reason volunteers said they get involved (30%).

Journalist and presenter, Ranvir Singh, is supporting the Canal & River Trust’s appeal having joined volunteers on the Grand Union Canal in London with a project to improve the canal for wildlife. She said: “It’s great to consider volunteering for the Canal & River Trust

for two reasons: firstly, for yourself, because working by water makes you feel happier and reduces anxiety; it’s social – an opportunity to meet new people; if you don’t have your own green space, it’s somewhere where you can enjoy nature and the environment for free.

“The other reason is for the environment – we might feel a bit helpless about what we can do to make a difference, but this is a fantastic way to do your bit, while also having a positive impact on your local area.”

To view the range of volunteering opportunities available as well as the series of volunteering welcome events which will take place across England and Wales, visit: www.canalrivertrust. org.uk/volunteer

New fundraising director Maggie joins trust team THE Canal & River Trust has announced the appointment of Maggie Gardner as its new fundraising director.

She has enjoyed a long career in fundraising, marketing and executive leadership, notably 15 years as director at global development charity Practical Action, and more recently working with the Freedom Fund, a global US-based charity, and in consultancy.

Maggie has also held a wide range of non-executive/trustee positions including at the New Economics Foundation and the University of Northampton.

CRT chief executive Richard Parry said: “As a charity we are facing ever-greater challenges to keep our 250-year-old waterways safe and available to all, with more frequent extreme weather events taking a toll and the costs of maintaining this precious network spiralling.

“Our navigable waterways provide so many benefits to the nation, supporting wildlife and bringing nature into cities, improving community well-being and tackling health inequalities, as well as supporting jobs and local economies. It’s more important than ever that we inspire people to support the trust so the waterways can keep this unique heritage alive and make life better for millions of people.”

Maggie Gardner said: “Canals

Maggie Gardner: new fundraising director. PHOTO: CRT hold a special place in the heart of the millions of people who live on and alongside them, visit for boating holidays or to stroll along the towpath, and enjoy them as places of recreation and tranquillity.

“Our mission to is protect and preserve them, both now and for future generations, but we need public support, alongside vital funding from government, to ensure their survival. I’m excited to be joining the trust and securing the future of these national treasures.”

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8 FEATURE

March 2023

www.towpathtalk.co.uk

New chapter in life of working boat A former coal barge is taking it easy in retirement. Sally Clifford finds out more….

TOWPATH

TALK

FLANKED by high rise apartments in a trendy waterside setting, you could say Marjorie R has got it made.

The once grimy and industrial cityscape through which she previously sailed, transporting 75 tonnes of coal each journey between Fall Ings, Wakefield and Thornhill Power Station, Dewsbury, is no longer tarnished by time with its sleek glass buildings and polished appearance.

Seeing her surrounded by such modernism in Leeds Dock, close to the River Aire, West Yorkshire, where students and professionals bring custom to the bars and cafes, it’s hard to comprehend how her working life has changed.

Built in 1946 at Harkers Boat Yard in Knottingley, West Yorkshire, Marjorie R – christened after Marjorie Reed, the wife of Reginald Reed, a coal board employee – is believed to be one of the first, if not the first, non-military boat completed in Knottingley after the war.

According to her owners, Victoria and Chris Bonner, the 57ft by 14ft vessel was built for Hargreaves for coal transportation.

It is understood her skipper, Norman, was described by a former colleague as ‘mollycoddling’ Marjorie R, which probably explains why, for her age, she is in such fine condition – and with plenty of practical input from Chris.

For almost a decade Marjorie R, whose history holds such significance as to be included in the register of ships of national importance, has been part of the family after the couple purchased her for a floating abode.

They were already seasoned to living afloat as Victoria, who was born and brought up in Leeds, explains.

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Chris Bonner uses his gardening knowledge to inject greenery into the cityscape with his quirky tyre planters on board Marjorie R.

Marjorie R is taking it easier in her retirement as a home for Hold Fast bookshop in Leeds Dock.

“We had a house in Wakefield and, like many people, struggling with our mortgage and both having to work more hours than we could manage with two children, it was a way of living in a nice part of town without having to buy a property.”

Natural move

When Marjorie R came along the restoration into a cosy houseboat began.

“We lived on her for four or five years but we wanted a way of keeping her so she can be looked after. It’s quite expensive to maintain these old boats.”

Book lover Victoria had worked as a librarian, so transforming Marjorie R into a floating bookshop was the natural move to make.

After securing planning permission for the boat alternations, musician Chris, who has worked as a gardener, removed the partitions separating their living spaces to create an open-plan cabin lined with reclaimed shelves fashioned mainly from scaffolding boards.

“Everything is out of a skip, we have done it on a budget and it took three years,” says Chris.

Marjorie’s original interior was repurposed to build the roof on their other boat, a former lifeboat, which is now their floating home.

Being hands-on is an essential element of boat ownership, as Chris explains.

“You can’t afford callout fees so you just get stuck in. You can’t just buy a kitchen from Ikea because it’s a weird shape so you get your saw out.

“I’ve become a practical person because I can’t afford not to be.”

Launched in November, Hold Fast Books – the name taken, as Victoria explains, from the nautical saying sailors would often tattoo across their knuckles as a reminder in stormy weather to use one hand to save the ship and one to steady themselves – carries a range of new and second-hand books and artwork.

Cosy cabin

On a cold December day, when I popped by, the log burner was bringing welcome warmth into the cosy cabin.

While below deck is a book lover’s emporium, upstairs Chris has created a mini plantarium in the wheelhouse.

The wheelhouse has been transformed into a plantarium.

Book lover Victoria Bonner, who along with husband Chris launched Hold Fast Bookshop.

The cosy cabin at Hold Fast bookshop at Leeds Dock. PHOTOS: SALLY CLIFFORD UNLESS INDICATED

The vision to inject greenery into the cityscape continues on deck with the clever use of cutting old tyres in half to provide quirky planters, ensuring Marjorie R remains a blooming lovely sight.

She certainly attracts attention, and even more so after featuring in a local newspaper. Victoria and Chris tell how the article led to Marjorie Reed’s son and two daughters coming to see the boat – one making the trip from France. Victoria says the family hadn’t seen Marjorie R since the 1970s.

Chris and Victoria were delighted to find out about the boat’s history – and are looking forward to the future.

“While she is still a commercial vessel, we hope bookselling will be a little gentler on her than the coal industry was. We want to mollycoddle her in her old age,” says Victoria.

“Leeds flourished as a result of trade that came in on boats. It really made Leeds the city it is and it is a nice nod to its heritage,” adds Chris.

Marjorie Reed, from whom Marjorie R takes her name, and her husband Reginald Reed.

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY HOLD FAST BOOKSHOP

Visit uk.bookshop.org/shop/ holdfastbookshop For more information visit https:// holdfastleeds.co.uk

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CHARACTER 9

www.towpathtalk.co.uk March 2023

Characters of the Cut Tiny Home Yoga with May – on top of the world!

By Alice Griffin

WHEN Meagan Anne Mansfield – known as May – found herself going stir crazy in the stillness of everyday life after a period of exploring the globe, she decided there was no choice but to seek out a similar sense of freedom right here in the UK. “Moving around is very much in my heart and brings a lot of joy to my life.

I lived abroad for five years, travelling through Nepal, India, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos before settling in Australia for a while. I then lived in New Zealand in a van for a year.

When I returned home to Leeds, and with the addition of Covid, it was as if the walls closed in.”

May and her ex-partner decided to come up with a plan to return to a way of living that cultivated a sense of selfreliance, that brought them back to a more immediate way of living. “We had many ideas like buying a yurt/ land but in the UK this is very difficult so when our friends bought a boat, we soon followed!”

It was a 1981 62ft traditional narrowboat that caught May’s eye, because of the space as well as there not being much to do internally. “She also had a lovely previous owner who was a liveaboard and gave me a great handover explaining the systems!” Perhaps most importantly, though, the roof space allows May to practise her beloved yoga, as well as providing the perfect backdrop to her popular YouTube yoga videos.

Having struggled with her mental health while abroad, May turned to yoga for healing. “Even though I loved where I was and the experiences, inside I felt lost, confused, anxious and I had no reason really. It was a vicious cycle of self-doubt!” Yoga became her catalyst for change and May attended classes daily while living in Melbourne and when on the road she was not averse to unrolling her mat in a scenic car park.

“In my opinion, stress is hugely linked to much of the disease we experience today and yoga is the natural healer of stress. I believe if you start with the foundations of yoga, the principles: breathing and connection to self, then other health benefits soon follow.”

So inspired was May by how yoga helped on her own personal journey, she decided to travel to India and complete her teacher training. Now she teaches locally in the UK as well as online, live from her narrowboat. “It was a mixture of people, travel and yoga that changed my mindset to one of abundance and positivity.” May now uses yoga

“It feels very human to be handling wood and starting fires.”

May at the tiller of her 62ft traditional narrowboat.

as a means to connect everybody to themselves. “My style is more about the mind-body connection rather than the exercises,” she said.

that is my own, redefining the person I am. Now I’m solo I feel more doors have opened up and I’m less afraid to put myself out there and be 100% me!”

May’s experiences on the water have

Small space challenges

Being a fellow narrowboat yogi, I understand the constraints of small space practice but May has approached these challenges with creativity.

“Practising in a small space has been tricky and I have had to adapt my practice and teaching to fit, but it further proves that yoga is a lifestyle. Being flexible in your thinking and approach to life gives you that ‘can do’ mindset that makes all the difference.”

This same mindset encouraged May to embrace the challenge of becoming a continuously cruising solo boater in the summer of 2022. “When I split with my partner I couldn’t bear the thought of losing both him and the boat so I gave him every penny I had to buy him out.”

May shares that while it was daunting to go solo, it was also the push she needed. “I’m making a life for myself

seen her enjoy a community that is always happy to help. “In my video ‘I need water,’ a lovely boater helped me with my engine. After multiple failed jump starts he actually gave me a starter battery!” There are plenty of other things about life on the water that suit May,

like being connected to nature and the challenge of no two days being the same.

She appreciates the rawness of having to work for basic needs, like warmth. “It feels very human to be handling wood and starting fires.”

Aged 30, May has a whole lot of life ahead and with her positive can-do attitude, I expect what unfolds will continue to be an inspiration for those following her journey.

YouTube: @tinyhomeyogawithmay TikTok: @tinyhomeyogawithmay Instagram: @tinyhomeyogawithmay For information about May’s online LIVE from the boat classes: Email: tinyhomeyoga@gmail.com

The roof space allows May to practise yoga, as well as providing the perfect backdrop to her popular YouTube yoga videos.

Alice Griffin is a writer with a gypsy soul. She leads nature-inspired journalling e-courses as she travels on her narrowboat, Melody. If you pass her on the water, please wave and share your story!

Website: www.alicegriffin.co.uk YouTube: @wanderingalice

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May watering her rooftop plants. PHOTOS SUPPLIED

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10 NEWS

March 2023

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Bridge Celebrating waterside Hazlehurst works on track for community at Rylands summer completion Heritage Weekend WORKS by Canal & River Trust to rebuild the historic Grade II Listed Hazlehurst Bridge are under way on the mainline of the Caldon Canal, near Endon in Staffordshire.

The canal has been temporarily closed to through navigation from the junction with the Leek Branch (Hazlehurst Junction), running south-east to Cheddleton Lock, but is due to reopen on Thursday, April 6 to allow boaters to use it over Easter. The £2 million construction project is due to be completed in August.

CRT project manager Ian Bogges explained: “Repairs to the canal wall on the southern side of the bridge have taken slightly longer than expected as they have been more complex than we had planned prior to the start of the physical construction works. However, they will be completed and the canal back open for boating in time for the Easter weekend.

“The overall project to restore Hazlehurst Bridge

The Hensons’ narrowboat George & Dragon.

BEESTON Rylands is a small community just outside the town of Beeston in Nottinghamshire.

Locally known simply as The Rylands, it was originally farmland but with the creation of Nottingham Canal and Beeston railway station it rapidly grew into a small thriving community.

Many Rylanders are descendants of the original families and there is a wealth of history in the area along the banks of the River Trent and Nottingham Canal.

The canalside heritage centre has a lottery-funded cafe in the original lockhouse buildings and there is also Beeston Marina with

The lifeboat rescued from the River Trent and lovingly restored.

moorings, a chandlery, bar and The Boathouse Cafe which is run by Tony Gayle, a keen local historian and quite a character.

He has been saving photos throughout his 16 years in Beeston Rylands and with local liveaboard boaters Jackie and Martin Henson on board the George & Dragon and their friends Neil and Debbie, landlords of local pub The Boat and Horses, has arranged the Rylands Heritage Weekend which runs over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend (April 7-10).

The idea is to celebrate all things Rylands – its diverse community and rich history – and they are asking local residents for memories, photos and stories which will be displayed at various venues across the Rylands.

Good Friday (April 7) will focus on Nottingham Canal history and Beeston Marina with displays at the marina, the Boathouse Cafe and The Boat and Horses.

Saturday, April 8 will celebrate local Rylands businesses past and present and engage with

is still on track to be completed this summer. The towpath will remain closed from the junction with the Leek Branch (Hazlehurst Junction), running south east to Hazlehurst Aqueduct until mid-July. The public right of way on the access pathway towards the bridge from Leek Old Road will also be closed for the duration of the works. Footpath and towpath diversion signs are in place.”

Hazlehurst Bridge is an accommodation bridge that provides access across the Caldon Canal for farmers, residents and liveaboard boaters. It also provides access for the trust to carry out maintenance work.

The bridge was irreparably damaged in March 2020 following the draining of the canal upstream for repairs to Hazlehurst Bottom Lock.

The Canal & River Trust is rebuilding the structure, matching its former location, form, scale and character, including using many of the original stone copings.

The Boat and Horses will host a Forces Breakfast on Easter Monday. PHOTOS SUPPLIED

The Second World War Army landing craft which is one of only five left out of 55,000 made. Beeston Marina uses this for cruises along the River Trent. community partners. Easter Sunday (April 9) will focus on the wide range of community activities in the area and sports activities in the marina and also on the River Trent and the canal.

The Easter Monday bank holiday will honour Rylands and Beeston Forces veterans with a

Forces Breakfast at The Boat and Horses pub.

Further stories regarding the boats pictured will be found over the Rylands Heritage Weekend which the organisers hope will launch an ongoing project and lead to many more interesting ventures.

Canal & River Trust West Midlands partnerships and external relations manager Stephen Higham with project manager Ian Bogges and local MP Karen Bradley during a recent visit to the Hazlehurst Bridge site. PHOTO: CRT

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March 2023 NEWS 11

www.towpathtalk.co.uk

PART OF MIDDLEWICH CANAL CENTRE

D OL S AT BO

Alun Morgan’s winning photo of an icy stretch of the Wendover Canal.

TV boater picks winning Wendover canal photos THE three winners of the Wendover Canal Trust’s photography competition have been picked

by TV personality, vlogger and trust patron Robbie Cumming.

The competition was launched to entice people to the canal during the autumn and winter. Entrants were invited to submit pictures capturing different scenes, whether of wildlife, the landscapes or people using the canal and towpath. Robbie said: “It was difficult to single out winners but I liked the one I chose first because it captures the canal from a slightly unfamiliar angle

which makes it stand out. It’s also crisply edited to enhance the detail in the icy scene.

“Well done to all, though. There were some excellent submissions.”

The winner of the competition with a £100 prize is Alun Morgan from Princes Risborough; second is Charlotte Borrill, from Linslade, who wins £50, and third place with a £25 prize goes to Stephen Smith of Watford. Pictures submitted for the competition may well be included in WCT publications and the trust is most grateful to the nearly 40 photographers who entered.

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Stephen Smith’s reflective image of a tree-lined stretch was in third place.

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Middlewich Canal Centre is home to the following family of companies In second place – Charlotte Borrill’s photo of Little Tring Bridge.

‘Dead Dog Bridge’ repairs continue in Camden WORK should be completed by the end of March on the £533,000 project to repair the Grade II Listed Interchange Basin Towpath Bridge on the Regent’s Canal in Camden.

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 (‘Dead Dog Tunnel’) and is the busiest canal footbridge in the country with more than one million walking and cycling visits per year.

Work includes 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.

The bridge is closed throughout the project with towpath diversion routes in place. The canal remains open for boats to navigate.

Awash with info: canal society’s new laundrette list DO YOU have a washing machine on board?

If not, then read on.

With the pandemic and rising fuel costs, many laundrettes have closed their doors so now is the time to buy the latest edition of the ACS Laundrette List.

The 2023 edition is available from IWA Sales at https://waterways.org.uk or from IWA Sales, Island House, Moor Road, Chesham, HP5 1WA (01494 783453) for £6 (payable to ‘IWA Sales’) including post paid to UK addressees.

If you are not aware of this publication, it has been produced by the Aylesbury Canal Society for almost 40 years. It lists laundrettes within walking distance of the canal system with directions and other useful information such as local shops and is said by some to be an essential piece of boating equipment.

You can find all of our companies at Kings Lock Boatyard, Middlewich. CW10 0JJ

WWW.CANALCENTRE.COM

12 IWA ROUND-UP

March 2023

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AROUND THE COUNTRY WITH IWA’S AMY TILLSON

IWA supports Cotswold Canals Trust’s water transfer campaign

The Preston tram bridge which will be replaced with levelling-up money from the Government. PHOTO: IWA

Preston tram bridge to be replaced using levelling-up funding

A HISTORIC bridge in Lancashire is to be replaced after a successful campaign to secure money from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund.

Community pressure group Friends of Tram Bridge campaigned for the bridge to be replaced and persuaded Preston City Council to include the project in its levelling-up funding bid last year.

IWA member Nigel Hardacre, from the

Lancashire and Cumbria Branch, helped the group by joining the committee and organising/leading several heritage walks around the closed bridge and the route of what was once the Lancaster Canal’s horse-drawn tram road (‘plateway’), that ran from 1803 until its closure in 1862. It connected both ends of the Lancaster Canal and was only designed to be temporary until enough funds

IWA is supporting the Cotswold Canals Trust in campaigning for a scheme which would provide desperately needed additional water supplies to London and the South East. It could enable the restoration of the whole 36 miles of the ThamesSevern link.

IWA will be submitting responses to this and the other Water Resource Management Plans currently out for consultation, but this is one where additional voices would really make a difference.

The consultation considers a wide range of issues affecting water resources but the biggest impact on canal restoration is how to transfer water from the Severn to the Thames.

Both a pipeline and open water transfer via restored canals are being considered.

A key omission in the consultation when comparing the canal vs pipeline is the presentation of a wellconsidered analysis of the financial value of the restored canal to society and the local economy. This seems to have been largely ignored but the Cotswold Canals Trust has used the recent IWA Waterways for Today Report to calculate the additional financial value of restoring the canal.

This could run to about £800 million over the next 80 years (the basis on which the costs and best value calculations are based). That additional benefit more than offsets the difference in cost between the pipeline and canal options. It also justifies pressing for the full restoration of the canal rather than the minimum necessary to enable the transfer of water alone.

could be raised to build five miles of canal to connect both ends.

The railway age quickly followed and the canal link was never built, but it remains an important part of the area’s waterways heritage.

The council secured £20 million from the fund, with the bridge project being part of a package of proposals focusing on parks, transport and public spaces.

New IWA report says waterways will play a vital role in Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan WHILE welcoming the announcement by the Government about its Environmental Improvement Plan 2023, the Inland Waterways Association would like to see more emphasis on the role our waterways can play.

IWA’s Waterways for Today report highlightstheimportanceofwaterways for protecting the environment and providing access to nature for those living in urban areas. Our canals and rivers are blue-green corridors that allow opportunities for reconnecting disparate habitats, biodiversity net gain and improvements for wildlife.

Canals and rivers offer homes

for wildlife to flourish, while at the same time providing opportunities for people to see plants, insects and birds that they wouldn’t normally experience in an urban environment.

Our local communities benefit from improved health and well-being. They bring economic benefits, providing jobs and attracting people to the area which contributes to people using local businesses when accessing the waterways.

With the impact of climate change, canals are providing the water transfer highways to ensure London and other areas being severely affected by reduced rainfall have sufficient

supplies to meet growing demand.

Enhancing and restoring our waterways is vital to achieving the Government’s target of having everyone living within 15 minutes’ walk of a blue or green space.

But this ageing infrastructure will require an ongoing financial commitment to survive the increasing threat of climate change and rising costs, says the IWA. It is calling on the Government to recognise the value of our waterways in achieving the environmental targets set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan, and to invest in them for the future.

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.

EAST March 5 and 21 IWA Northampton Branch: Work parties

are usually held one weekday and one Sunday a month, along the Arm, 10am-2pm. The tasks usually include vegetation clearance, weeding, litter picking and painting at locks. Contact: Geoff Wood at geoff.wood@waterways. org.uk

Tuesdays IWA Milton Keynes Branch: Regular

work party at Fenny Lock on the Grand Union Canal. 9.30am-1.30pm. Work can include 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

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

Somerset area, 10am-1pm. Contact: Mike Slade at mike.slade@waterways. org.uk; 07977 263840.

The haul usually includes lots of shopping trolleys. PHOTO: ALAN LINES

BCN’s Clean-up weekend returns EVER wondered what’s lurking beneath the waters of the Birmingham Canal Navigations? The BCN Clean-up weekend is a great opportunity to have fun and meet new people while clearing shopping trolleys, tyres, bicycles and even more exciting treasures from the canal!

This annual effort on the BCN helps keep the less well-used parts of the BCN and Black Country network from getting choked up with rubbish and becoming impassable for boats! This year WRG volunteers will be working on the Walsall Canal from the basin to Ryders Green locks on the weekend of March 25-26.

WRG volunteers are supported each year by volunteers from Birmingham Canal Navigations Society, Dudley Canal Trust, Coombeswood Canal Trust, Canal & River Trust, Friends of Tipton Cut and local residents. Using grappling hooks, volunteers will patrol the Walsall Canal

and fish out the many treasures hidden below the surface.

Lots of interesting ‘treasures’ have been pulled out of the canal in the past including bikes, an electric guitar, a gas barbecue, a mountain of tyres… and of course lots and lots of shopping trolleys!

There is the option of litter picking as well as grappling hooks. Equipment and gloves will be provided.

Why is it important? In 2019 more than 60 volunteers spent two days removing an estimated almost 30 tonnes of rubbish between Gosty Hill and Blowers Green on the Dudley No2 canal in the Black Country. In some years this total has been closer to 50-60 tonnes!

For more details and to book: h t t p s : / / w a t e r w a y s . o rg . u k / support/ways-to-get-involved/ events/bcn_cleanup_2023

13

www.towpathtalk.co.uk March 2023

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24/7 across the UK Inland Waterways.

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP

• NO callout or hourly charges.

• NO restrictions on age, make or size of your boat.

• Home start • Crew relay • Breakdown assistance • Boat recovery

Join now Prices increasing in March

FROM

ONLY

£65

er ent Parts Cov *Replacem ing lud inc rts ge of specified pa

Covers a huge ran couplings, starters, gearbox & drive plate, more.** alternators and many

River canal rescue (rcr) provides its members with year round 24/7 national breakdown and recovery assistance.

After you’ve broken down, we can pick up the repair bill with our replacement parts cover (rpc).

Application Form

MEMBERSHIP INCLUDES: (dependent on membership level) • Breakdown assistance and recovery.

• Home-start assistance.

• Yearly inspection of engine and electrical system.

• Relay of crew to home base.

• Crisis coordination and message relay service.

• Provision pick-up service.

• Practical and technical telephone assistance.

• Water Nav App • Replacement parts & labour for specified items.

ABOUT YOU. (please use block capitals)

• National breakdown & recovery. Home start £280 and crew relay. Cover for any vessel or any user. Annual engine and electrical Inspection of registered boat.

• Unlimited callouts.

INCLUDES REPLACEMENT PARTS COVER (RPC).

• Member = Vessel, covered for all users • Member = Registered user, covered on any boat

Email:

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SILVER

£210

• National breakdown & recovery. Home start and crew relay.

• Maximum 7 callouts.

• Member = Registered user and vessel.

INCLUDES REPLACEMENT PARTS COVER (RPC).

• National Breakdown & Recovery.

BRONZE £175 • Maximum 4 callouts.

• Member = Registered User and Vessel.

INCLUDES REPLACEMENT PARTS COVER (RPC).

RETAINER • Registers the member - provides the same £65 priority and access to services but pay on use. *Breakdown and assistance charged at a flat rate of £50 per breakdown.

• Member = Vessel NO REPLACEMENT PARTS COVER (RPC).

Add Replacement Parts Cover inc (RPC) for £60.

PLEASE SELECT A LEVEL OF MEMBERSHIP. (Tick Box)

Title: Mr

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Miss

Ms

PAYMENT DETAILS. Other

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ABOUT YOUR VESSEL.

I understand that this application form is subject to terms and conditions and that my membership will become active once I have received a copy of these in my membership package.

Name of Craft:

Signature:

Reg No. of Craft: Type of Craft: Cruiser, Narrow Boat, etc: Length: Width: Hull: Wood

Fiberglass

Steel

ENGINE DETAILS. Type: Inboard

Outboard

Under Warrantee: Yes Make:

No

Engine: (cc/HP)

Electrical System: 12 Volt

24 Volt

Fuel: Petrol

Two stroke

Diesel

Other: Registered Moorings: (if any)

Date:

I’m happy to receive information about other services from RCR. We will never share your details with outside sources REPLACEMENT PARTS COVER. Now after you ‘ve broken down, we can pick up the repair bill.

• Pays up to a maximum of £1,000 per repair.* • Covers a huge range of specified parts** including the gearbox and drive plate, couplings, alternators, starters, and many more.*** • You can make up to 4 claims per year.

• No restrictions on the age of the engine. *£50 excess per claim. **Excludes consumables such as cables, filters, rubber components and the like that require routine wear and tear replacement. ***Full details in your membership booklet.

Please return form and cheque (if applicable) in an envelope addressed to: Freepost, River Canal Rescue

01785 785 680 | www.rivercanalrescue.co.uk

14 FREIGHT

March 2023

Blowing in the wind

www.towpathtalk.co.uk

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

AS A raw, inexperienced teenager sailing with the Ocean Youth club, from the UK to France and Holland, I didn’t have a clue just how significant a position the Bristol Pilot Cutter held within the hierarchy of historic craft.

At 50-plus feet, carvel planked in larch, with sleek lines and a gaff rig Theodora, like her sister ships, was capable of being sailed comfortably by one man and a boy, having originally been built to race similar boats down the Severn Estuary to put pilots aboard inbound ships: this being a contract that worked very much on the basis of first come, first served!

These vessels inspired confidence in all sea conditions as witnessed by the fact that, in their sail-training guise, they regularly set sail from different parts of the UK coastline (under all weather conditions) crewed by a dozen totally inexperienced teenagers, under the supervision of a skipper and a mate, with responsibility for a four-hour watch apiece.

To my (still somewhat restricted) knowledge, only the Thames barge can match this sort of specification with, however, the proviso that these boats represented the pinnacle of coastal cargo-carrying design, rather than as doyens of sheer speed and manoeuvrability. Although what they did share in common was the ability to be handled, empty or loaded, by just one man and a boy.

Skipper Richard Titchener at the helm. PHOTO: PORT OF LONDON AUTHORITY

The hold – for cargo or crew.

Blue Mermaid moored at Cooks Barge Yard, Maldon.

PHOTOS: JONATHAN MOSSE UNLESS INDICATED

Fast forward to the present day and, recently launched in 2019, old meets new in the form of Blue Mermaid, commissioned at a price of £¾ million by the Sea-Change Sailing Trust. Specifying a craft of this value, to be funded totally by charitable giving, requires a great deal of courage, vision and conviction that the objectives are both worthy and capable of being met.

Richard Titchener and Hilary Halajko, as founders of the trust, carry all three of these ingredients in spades and their faith in the project is already being vindicated in a myriad of different ways.

Blue Mermaid was built to carry cargo under sail just like the hundreds of Thames sailing barges that used to deliver goods around the British Isles in the past. She can carry 110 tons of palleted goods in her watertight hold, giving small groups of trainees some valuable work-related skills on

their voyage and helping to broaden thinking around sustainable local transport networks.

Training voyages

For those interested in a career in the marine industry, the trust offers the opportunity to develop skills on its maritime heritage training voyages. The trust is particularly keen to offer training that leads to the Sailing Bargemaster ticket, a qualification that shares many common ingredients with the motorised version.

While the trust’s primary work is with groups of young people who live aboard Blue Mermaid for up to a week, it also sails with groups of adults with learning difficulties, physical disabilities and those with dementia and their supporters.

The trust works with groups of people aged from 10 upwards, among people

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

Blue Mermaid, right, moored alongside companion Thames barges on the River Chelmer. that are experiencing disruption and disadvantage in their lives, as well as offering voyages to those who are not in employment, education or training.

These may include young offenders or those in danger of offending, those experiencing social exclusion, having special needs or who are challenged by traditional educational settings.

In 2021 Blue Mermaid took a small token amount of Caribbean produce up the Thames and saw it taken away on electric bikes, some going to Limehouse Basin and a few miles up the Grand Union Canal. Now with a loadline

certificate, the barge is able to carry up to 110 tons, ideally in bags or on pallets which would need cranage for loading and discharging.

Essex Cement at Brightlingsea is keen to load them, and is seeking customers who can take delivery. It is not an idea that frequently comes across their desk and is not without its challenges.

The company produces cement in 1.5 tonne or 25kg bags and this is just one of a growing number of possibilities, all with the enthusiastic backing of the PLA. The trust sails the coastal waters of the Thames Estuary, usually from its base in Maldon, Essex. The nature of working on water is one of variety, whether the result of the daily changing tidal pattern, the weather or the destination.

What makes the experience unique is that Blue Mermaid has no engine. The trust utilises solar power for most of its onboard electrical needs and pays to offset what little carbon it produces.

For those who would like to find out more about the Sea-Change Sailing Trust, visit https:// seachangesailingtrust.org.uk

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Did you know?

GJW Direct Narrowboat insurance includes River Canal Rescue (RCR) membership.

Get a quote today www.gjwdirect.com 0151 473 8000

*Applies to annual policy premiums over £100 subject to status.

GJW Direct is a trading name of Munich Re Specialty Insurance (UK) Limited, registered in England: 01262636, Union, 2-10 Albert Square, Manchester, M2 6LW. !"#$%&'()* +,* &)-".+#)* /0 #$) 1',+,2'+. 3%,*"2# !"#$%&'#0 4156 789:7;< +,* +2=,as a managing general agent on behalf of certain insurers.

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16 MUSEUM FOCUS

March 2023

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West Berkshire Museum and Newbury Wharf Nicola Lisle explores what’s on offer in the Berkshire town of Newbury in the latest in her museum series.

THE ancient market town of Newbury was once one of the UK’s busiest inland ports, enjoying trade links to London, Reading, Bath and Bristol.

Newbury Wharf, now a peaceful oasis a stone’s throw from the town centre, was a bustling hive of industry, with warehouses, offices, workshops and stables clustered around the canal basin.

Today, one of those warehouses, the 18th century granary, forms part of the West Berkshire Museum, together with the adjacent 17th century Cloth Hall, a relic of the cloth trade that thrived here during the Middle Ages.

The museum tells the story of Newbury, from ancient times to the present day, highlighting the people, industries and recreational activities that helped shape the town and its surrounding area. Included in this is a display focusing on Newbury’s river and canal. Although it is only a small part of the museum, it is definitely worth a visit.

Here you can find out how the opening of the Kennet Navigation in 1723 linked NewburytotheThamesatReading,opening up trading routes not only to Reading but also to London and neighbouring parts of Berkshire and Wiltshire. This helped to restore some much-needed prosperity to

the town following the decline of its famous cloth industry in the late 16th century.

Barges could now travel easily along the Kennet Navigation carrying cargoes of locally produced corn, flour and cheese, while incoming barges from London offloaded coal, timber, groceries and construction materials.

Trade was further boosted in 1810 with the completion of the Kennet & Avon Canal, which linked Newbury with Bath and Bristol. Sadly, of course, the canal’s heyday was short-lived, and in 1852 it was sold to the Great Western Railway, precipitating a gradual decline that wasn’t halted until the latter half of the 20th century. On display in the museum is a model of a working barge, together with a list of the kind of jobs associated with the canal trade – engineers, boat builders, blacksmiths, toll clerks, wharfingers and lock keepers, to name a few – and a ledger from Greenham Mill, Newbury, recording cloth orders for London.

There is also a pair of skates, which were attached to everyday shoes for skating when the canal froze over and a selection of items decorated with traditional canal art. Nearby is an old cast iron block used for tethering barge horses, and a rypeck used to tether a punt while fishing on the canal.

The grounds of the Teashop by the Canal. PHOTOS: NICOLA LISLE PHOTOS: NICOLA LISLE

The old granary – now part of the museum. PHOTOS: NICOLA LISLE

You can also find out more about how canal engineer John Rennie and canal surveyors planned the canal and how the canal was built. A sector similar to the one used by Rennie is displayed, together with a bronze medal commemorating Rennie’s death in 1821.

Another information board tells us how the Great Western Railway sounded the death knell for the canals but gave local trade another boost as rail links enabled quick and efficient export of goods all over the country.

Also of interest is a model of the lifeboat designed in 1816 by local ironworks founder Willian Plenty. The boat was launched on the canal at West Mills, and it was so successful it became the prototype for the modern lifeboat.

The rest of the museum is worth exploring, as it gives a good idea of the history and character of the town whose fortunes have been shaped by river, canal and rail.

A visit to Newbury Wharf is also a must. Much of the old canal basin has long gone, but there is a strong sense of history as you stroll along the towpath.

A 19th century crane, brought from Newbury railway goods yard, has replaced the original crane that once stood here, a poignant reminder of the canal’s industrial heyday.

Information boards by the Canal & River Trust and the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust help bring that history to life and you can find out more about how John Gould and other local traders fought to save the Kennet and Avon Canal.

Don’t miss the Teashop by the Canal, run by the Newbury branch of the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust. Upstairs is an information centre with display boards telling the canal’s history as well as other useful visitor information.

The trust also runs boat trips during the summer and organises the Newbury Waterways Festival every July.

The West Berkshire Museum.

The Kennet & Avon Canal at Newbury Wharf. Across the water is the crane brought from Newbury railway goods yard. PHOTOS: NICOLA LISLE

West Berkshire Museum

www.westberkshireheritage.org/ west-berkshire-museum

Kennet and Avon Canal Trust, Newbury Branch

https://katrust.org.uk/ newbury-branch

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HERITAGE 17

March 2023

Bringing Hardy back to life Nicola Lisle discovers a project to restore a historic wooden narrowboat in Banbury.

The cabin doors of Hardy in 1961 – the decorative work of George Crowshaw.

PHOTOS COURTESY TOOLEY'S BOATYARD TRUST

Hardy in its days carrying for the Samuel Barlow Coal Company. PHOTOS COURTESY TOOLEY’S BOATYARD TRUST ANYONE walking along the canal towpath in Banbury cannot fail to notice a derelict wooden narrowboat moored up alongside Tooley’s historic boatyard.

It may look like it’s only fit for firewood, but Hardy – a 1940s vessel that worked the canals around Oxford, Banbury and the Midlands for more than two decades – was saved from the scrapyard back in 2018 and carefully preserved throughout the pandemic.

Now Tooley’s hopes to restore the 72ft narrowboat as a local amenity, to celebrate both the boat’s history and Banbury’s canal heritage – and there has already been considerable interest in the project from members of the public.

Hardy was the last narrowboat to be built by Nurser Bros of Braunston, Northamptonshire, in September 1940 before the business was sold to the Samuel Barlow Coal Company. For the next 22 years Hardy carried coal from Banbury to the Midlands, first for Samuel Barlow and later for Blue Line.

During the early 1960s the boat belonged to the Measham and District Angling Club and was briefly renamed Alf, but within a few years the name Hardy was restored. The boat then passed through several private hands before finishing up at Braunston and falling into disrepair.

Rescue mission

In May 2018, a team from Tooley’s Boatyard set out on a rescue mission

to Braunston, by which time Hardy was decaying on the canal bed, seemingly beyond hope.

“We brought it up and we got pumps on it, and we bailed for about four hours,” recalls boatyard manager Matthew Armitage.

“As the boat lifts up you can see the holes where the water’s coming out, so we were plugging them with oakum.

Eventually it started to float, and we had to keep plugging the holes until no more water was coming out. We also had to fit plates on the inside of the really bad holes, because some of them were massive, but we managed to get it stable.”

The team had taken one of its own boats up from Banbury so that Hardy could be towed to its new home.

“We tied a rope on to the bow of the boat and towed it all the way back, hoping the front wouldn’t fall off!” laughs Matt. “It was all a bit precarious, but eventually we made it here.”

Since then, Hardy has proved a somewhat temperamental new resident.

“It sinks every six months or so,” Matt says. “We always say it’s like Hardy’s having a strop – if we haven’t done something it decides to sink. Just before Christmas the ice got to it and damaged it, and the back-up pump failed, so it sank. So we brought it back up and then it sank again! It’s a sign that we need to do a bit of work on the boat, but she’s floating at the moment so that’s good.”

Ideal fit

From a historical point of view, Matt is delighted to have Hardy at Tooley’s.

The boatyard, which dates from 1778 and has one of the oldest dry docks in the country, was built for horse-drawn wooden narrowboats, so Hardy is an ideal fit.

“I just think the boatyard should be used,” Matt says. “If you have a wooden narrowboat, then this is a facility that was built for them.

“About five or six years ago our future was a bit uncertain, and we were re-evaluating the site and thought then it would be good for us to have a wooden boat we could work on and talk about.”

Now Matt and the Tooley’s Boatyard Trust need to decide on Hardy’s future – and they are keen to ensure their plans meet with the approval of the local and wider community. Initial ideas include using the boat to show how canal people used to live and work, teach local schoolchildren about Banbury’s history, teach traditional boatbuilding skills and generally enhance the area around the canal.

Positive response

With the aid of a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, trustees began assessing the viability of restoring Hardy by engaging with the public and getting feedback on what people thought about the boat and how they saw its future.

The annual Canal Weekend and

an inaugural working party last autumn, together with an online survey, generated an enthusiastic and constructive response.

“We had 500 visitors over Canal Weekend, and we gathered 222 responses over the weekend plus 36 online,” says Kate Saffin, one of the trustees. “Of those, 96% were in favour of restoring the boat.

“The thing that really stood out was that people wanted to see work going on. So we’re going to start working on it in an incremental way, and alongside that starting looking at applying for some more funding to rebuild the cabin, because that’s what everybody really wants to see.”

So, how far will the restoration go?

Will Hardy eventually be restored to its 1940s original? The Tooley’s team is still mulling over the various options.

“It won’t be a perfect restoration,” says Kate, “but my argument for that is pretty much any boatbuilding wasn’t perfect.

“If we start getting into the purer, very beautiful restorations, then it all gets terribly complicated in terms of what constitutes rebuilding or restoration, and needing to come up with evidence of how the boat’s going to be used and the value to the community.”

Matt agrees: “We’ll probably never get to the point where it’s fully restored, because it will always need something doing to it,” he says.

“From our point of view that’s brilliant, because people can see the work being done on it all the time. So parts of it will be an exhibit that people can see work happening to, and it will also be a museum piece.

“There will be a fully restored cabin

Visitors taking a closer look at the Canal Weekend. PHOTOS COURTESY TOOLEY’S BOATYARD TRUST

There has already been considerable interest in the project from members of the public.

PHOTOS COURTESY TOOLEY’S BOATYARD TRUST

at the back. Inside will be a classroom, so we’ll involve the schools. We have schools coming to the boatyard anyway for boat trips, but with the new trust we’ll definitely be getting schools more involved in the actual boatyard itself.”

Kate adds: “It will be an evolving thing. The key is keeping the shape and nature of the boat so that we can use it to show people what it was like.”

Now Kate and Matt are looking ahead to the spring, when they hope to reawaken interest in the boat with some more public events.

Hopefully 2023 will see Hardy gradually emerge from its derelict state to look once more like the proud working narrowboat it used to be.

To find out more about Hardy, and keep up with the latest developments, visit https:// tooleysboatyardtrust.org.uk/news/

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18

March 2023

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WHAT’S ON 19

www.towpathtalk.co.uk March 2023

Free anniversary rally marks two milestones THE Erewash Canal Preservation & Development Association will be hosting an anniversary rally over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend (May 27-29) at the Great Northern Basin, Langley Mill.

As well as celebrating 55 years since the association’s formation, the rally will also mark 50 years since the restoration of the Derbyshire basin, lock and surrounding area.

Following its formation in 1968 the association is still going strong and now owns Sandiacre Lock Cottages and the cottage at Langley Mill, which is its headquarters. It has an ex-British Waterways work boat, Pentland, which members have restored to carry out work along the canal. This includes lock repairs plus vegetation and litter clearance.

ECP&DA is currently involved in restoration work at Langley Mill with the Friends of Cromford Canal on the Beggarlee extension. This will take the Cromford canal under the A610 via two locks.

The free-to-enter rally will include a mixture of trade, historic and private narrowboats plus trade

The lock, pictured more than 50 years ago in 1972, before restoration work started.

March 2 IWA Lichfield: Penkridge and the Staffordshire

and shop available for Christmas cards and publications.

March 4 IWA Shrewsbury District & North Wales: Lunch

and pub quiz. Narrowboat Inn, Whittington, 12pm. Contact dawn.aylwin@waterways.org. uk for details.

Langley Bridge Lock today. PHOTOS: ECP&DA stalls and display stands from other canal groups.

The rally will begin with historic narrowboats Bath and Meteor setting off from Anchor Bridge at 10.30am carrying the Long Eaton Silver Band to the opening ceremony by the lock at 11am.

Other attractions are: food and drink, including a real ale tent; musical entertainment, a buskers’ corner and a Battle of Britain Memorial Flight flypast, subject to availability. Boat and butty Oak and Ash can be viewed in Langley Mill Boatyard dry dock and the boatyard will also have a display of engines and those that are ticketed are for sale.

The Victorian pump house will be open with opportunities to learn about its purpose and how it works. Take an informative guided walk along the restored stretch of the Cromford Canal and learn about ongoing plans for the future.

If planning to bring your boat please book in.

Further information and forms are available at https://www.ecpda.org.uk

March 10 IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire:

AGM followed by Alison Smedley on the IWA’s Waterways for Today report. Stoke-onTrent Boat Club, Endon Wharf, Post Lane, Endon, Stoke-on-Trent ST9 9DU, 7.45 for 8pm.

Admission free, donations to waterway causes welcomed, refreshments available. Non-IWA members welcome. Contact socialsec.nssc@ waterways.org.uk March 12 Worcester-Birmingham & Droitwich Canal Society: Annual lunch, Bromsgrove Golf Centre,

12 for 12.30pm. Prices £18 adult, £12 child, non-members welcome. To book tickets contact David Wheeler 07970 711038.

March 14 IWA Northampton: AGM and Bedford to Milton

Keynes waterway update by Jane Hamilton. The Boat Inn, Stoke Bruerne. 7.30pm.

IWA Chester & Merseyside: AGM, speaker to be arranged. The Cafe, Ellesmere Port Boat Museum CH65 4FW, 7.45pm. Fun raffle, sales

March 15 IWA Lichfield: Branch AGM then two short

talks by Neil Barnett about narrowboating into Cambridge and cruising the Caledonian Canal.

Public meeting at 7.15pm for 7.30pm start at Martin Heath Hall, Christchurch Lane, off Walsall Road, Lichfield WS13 8AY. March 16 IWA Milton Keynes: Steve Ashley gives an

update on the Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway. Bletchley Conservative Club, 105-111 Queensway MK2 2DN, starting at 7.45pm.

March 19 Erewash Preservation & Development Association: Open day at Sandiacre Lock

Cottages, Sandiacre, Nottingham NG10 5LA, 10.30am-3.30pm. www.ecpda.org.uk March 20 Friends of Cromford Canal: The Life and Times of

Birdswood – Richard Handley and Mike Kelley.

Ironville Church Hall, Casson Street NG16 5NN (car parking at rear), 7.30pm. Bar, tea/coffee, raffle and FCC sales table, admission £2.50.

March 22 IWA Chiltern Branch: AGM. RWT Heritage

Centre, Batchworth Lock, Rickmansworth WD3 1JJ, 7pm. Admission: IWA members £3; guests £5, refreshments included. Contact john.brice@ waterways.org.uk for full programme.

March 25 IWA Shrewsbury District & North Wales: Branch

AGM. Audlem Public Hall, 12 Cheshire Street, Audlem CW3 0AH, 11am.

BOAT JUMBLES A puppet character from The Blue Pool of Questions. PHOTO SUPPLIED 5 and Thursday 6. Tickets cost £13 adults; £9 children; concessions £10.

Described as one of London’s more elusive treasures, the Puppet Theatre Barge is a unique 50-seat marionette theatre on a converted barge moored in Little Venice from October until July and on the Thames in Richmond during the summer months.

To book tickets visit https://www.tickettailor. com/events/artofthepuppetltd/814384

Roving traders’ association celebrates 10 years afloat THE Roving Canal Traders Association (RCTA) is a non-profit-making organisation run to help support and promote the diverse array of existing and potential Canal & River Trust (CRT) registered roving traders on our waterways.

It has been in existence since 2013, organising markets at various canalside venues and as part of organised canal festivals, and currently has more than 130 members.

Many traders live on their boats full time and make their living selling a wide variety of unique crafts and goods created by themselves aboard their boats. Other traders sell cheese, pizzas, cakes, beers and some boats are even cafes!

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

and Worcestershire Canal – an easy 5½ mile walk with five stiles, on the towpath, across parkland, and along quiet country roads. Meet at 10.15 for a 10.30am start in the car park of The Boat Inn, Cannock Road, Penkridge, Staffordshire ST19 5DT. Contact Clive Walker: clive.walker@waterways.org.uk

The Blue Pool of Questions, on water A NEW production for all ages fusing puppetry, storytelling and live music, The Blue Pool of Questions opens at the Puppet Theatre Barge in London on Saturday, March 11.

The performance combines Arabic and English storytelling with humour and imagination to tell the tale of a man who asks too many questions.

Performed using table top puppetry and the rarely seen black light theatre technique, it is inspired by two Palestinian short stories by Maya Abu Al-Hayat and Yara Bamieh.

The show was created for the Puppet Theatre Barge by Osama Al Azza and Stan Middleton.

It is suitable for ages three-plus and lasts for 45 minutes with no interval. There will be a relaxed performance on Saturday, March 25 at 11am.

Live shows take place from March 11 until May 7 on Saturdays and Sundays at 11am and 2pm, plus 7.30pm on Saturdays April 18 and 25.

There are 2pm performances on Tuesday, April 4, Friday 7, Monday 10, Wednesday 12, Thursday 13 and Friday 14 plus 11am on Wednesday, April

WHAT’S ON IN MARCH

SUFFOLK BOAT JUMBLE SUNDAY 5TH MARCH

Trinity Park, Suffolk Showground, Felixstowe Road, Ipswich, IP3 8UH

KENT BOAT JUMBLE

SUNDAY 26TH MARCH Hop Farm, Paddock Wood, Tonbridge, TN12 6PY

NORFOLK BOAT JUMBLE SUNDAY 2ND APRIL

Norfolk Showground, Dereham Road, Norwich, NR5 0TT Roving traders at a floating market. PHOTO: RCTA Don’t forget you can also find and support the roving traders at some canal festivals.

For a list of RCTA’s planned markets for 2023 visit https://www.rcta.org.uk/events

Bookings: www.rotaevents.co.uk 0208 469 4090 / 07780 800 257

20

March 2023 www.towpathtalk.co.uk

Need a Survey or Boat Safety Examiner?

NIGEL CARTON BSS

Completely independent.

Good rates and a friendly service.

Areas covered:

2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10 Call: 07989 388109 Email:

Dave Freeman

Over 25 years experience on the inland waterways

Marine Surveys & BSS Examinations For a Competitive Quote & Prompt Service

Tel 07918 677782

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

Services is an independent company providing professional and comprehensive support services to Narrowboats and Inland Waterways vessels.

Based in Northamptonshire we are ideally placed to offer our services.

Our services include: • Hull condition, Pre-purchase, Insurance and Valuation surveys.

(Accredited YDSA member) • Marine consultancy.

Northamptonshire and surrounding areas.

AREA COVERED: 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 14

07903 945196 boats@jgmarine.co.uk www.jgmarine.co.uk

nigel.carton@btinternet.com

MARK

Narrowboat Surveyor

EDWARDS

& Boat Safety Examiner

MABSSE

Michael Clarke

Boat Safety Scheme Examiner

Dip.S.C. Sur AMIMarEST Areas covered: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14

All classes of vessels examined Landlords’ Gas Safety Certificates Caravans, RV’s and domestic properties

• A Friendly and Professional Service • Fully Qualified & Insured • Ultrasonic Pre-purchase & Hull Condition Surveys • No travelling Charges - All areas covered Northampton based

01604 858 868 07944 856 351

Tel 07970 384047

info@northernstarmarine.co.uk www.northernstarmarine.co.uk

Areas covered: 2, 4, 5

RHYS KILLIN

Alan Buckle Boat Safety Scheme

Dip.S.C.Sur

BSS Examiner

Rob Dickinson BSS Examiner & Gas Engineer

Examiner

BSS Examination from £160

Leisure -Live on Board & Commercial Craft Gas Installation, Service & Repairs

Covering areas 2, 3, 5, 6, 7

Independent friendly service Covering the Midlands and surrounding areas.

Tel 07748 861795

07856 686363

rhys_k1@yahoo.co.uk www.rhyskillin.co.uk

Tel. 01270 812086 Mob. 07831449236 email. menderman@live.com Areas - 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10

bsswithalan@gmail.com DELTA MARINE SERVICES

Marine Surveying

♦ Pre-Purchase Condition Survey ♦ Valluation ♦ Insurance Condition Survey ♦ New Builld/Conversion Project Supervision & Consulltancy ♦ Damage Assessment ♦ Litigation Advice & Cllaim Assessment ♦ Recreationall Craft Directive 2003/44/EC Complliance ♦ Areas covered 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 & 14 Nelson Wharf, Nelson Lane, Warwick CV34 5JB Mob. 07831 355543 Tel. 01926 499337 www.delta-marineservices.co.uk

TO ADVERTISE HERE CALL TANIA ON 01507 529489

BSS Examiner, Marine Surveyor & Marine Technical Consultant

• Boat Safety Examinations inc. commercial craft • All gas repairs & fittings Offering over 30 years experience WITHIN A 30 MILE RADIUS OF BIRMINGHAM

Thomas Tighe 07973 321997 tomtighe@hotmail.com

BOB HURST For

BSS Examinations Contact

Charles King Leicestershire based

info@monarchmarine.co.uk 07836 210 656 www.monarchmarine.co.uk

Your Local BSS Examiner

based at South Kilworth

Phone: 07720 424396 Email: robert.hurst.bss@ btinternet.com Areas Covered 9 & 10