Lock Lintel 165

Lock Lintel RESTORING AND CONSERVING THE RIVER STOUR NAVIGATION

Issue No 165 Spring 2018

IN THIS ISSUE A long, hard summer at Stratford St Mary • Celebrations and Connections!

Sudbury Rowing Club Regatta Report • Weddings at Le Talbooth • Suffolk Walking Festival

THE RIVER STOUR TRUST Registered Office: The Granary • Quay Lane • Sudbury • Suffolk • CO10 2AN Administrative Office: Visitor Education Centre (VEC) Dove House Meadow • Great Cornard • Sudbury • Suffolk • CO10 0GF Tel: 01787 313199/313100 • email: administrator@riverstourtrust.org • www.riverstourtrust.org www.facebook.com/RiverStourTrust

@RiverStourTrust

RESTORING AND CONSERVING THE RIVER STOUR NAVIGATION Registered Charity No: 257806 A non-profit making distributing company limited by guarantee No: 938670 Vice Presidents: Mr Emrhys Barrell; Mr William Frecknall; Mr Peter Hesketh; Lord Andrew Phillips of Sudbury; Mr Griff Rhys Jones; Mr David Stevenson.

Company Secretary: Jane Rogers Council Members: Emrhys Barrell, Paul Brewerton, Roger Brown, Sue Brown, Bob Foster, Pam Johnson, Jim Lunn, John Morris, James Parkinson, Graham Simmons, Alan Thomas.

JOIN THE RIVER STOUR TRUST TODAY Your donation will help restore our beautiful river, and conserve it for tens of thousands of people to visit. Or you can join in as a volunteer at any level you like, from boat crews, tearoom team, or the restoration and maintenance teams.

MEMBERSHIP ANNUAL RATES Individual or Senior Citizen Couple

£15.00

Couple or Club

£20.00

Senior Citizen

£10.00

Corporate (up to 20 employees)

£40.00

Corporate (more than 21 employees)

£100.00

Please consider payment by Banker’s Order to remove the need for annual reminders and help us conserve funds.

You can pay online using a credit/debit card: visit www.riverstourtrust.org Please complete the Gift Aid form (if you are a tax payer) as we are able to reclaim up to 28p from every £1 that is paid at no cost or inconvenience to you.

For more details: membership@riverstourtrust.org

Front Cover: Stratford St Mary Lock Photo by: Catherine Burrows Back Cover: Crossing bow waves with Trusty near Flatford Photo by: Peter Evans Designer: Joanne Steward Production: J and P Graphic Design Suffolk Tel: 07778 281065 Printed by: The Lavenham Press Tel: 01787 247436

Contents 4 5 6 7 8 11 12 14 15 16 18 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE NEW MEMBERS - KINGFISHERS SUDBURY BOAT OPERATIONS REPORT 2017 VOLUNTEER PROFILE, GORDON DENNEY A LONG, HARD SUMMER AT STRATFORD ST MARY...

FILM CLUB AT THE GRANARY CELEBRATIONS AND CONNECTIONS! WEEDCUTTING IN THE STEPS OF ROGER DEAKIN SUDBURY ROWING CLUB REGATTA S2C 2017 DAVID NICOLL A BIG THANK YOU WEDDINGS AT LE TALBOOTH MYSTERY OF THE SEAPLANE - A QUESTION ANSWERED SRC SLIPWAY SUFFOLK WALKING FESTIVAL OBITUARY JOHN MOOGK - CONFLUENT RST BOOKS, DVDS AND CLOTHING FOR SALE 2018 DIARY DATES AND EVENTS

Editorial Team: Catherine Burrows and Sheila Morris.

Lock Lintel is published by The River Stour Trust. © River Stour Trust 2017 The views expressed in Lock Lintel are not necessarily shared by the Editor or the Council of the River Stour Trust.

Tel: 01787 313199 editor@riverstourtrust.org www.riverstourtrust.org Copy Deadlines: Summer Edition - 1st June 2018

Winter Edition - 1st November 2018

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Chairman’s Message The River Stour Trust is 50 this year! And what a lot we have to celebrate.

The River Stour Trust is 50 this year! And what a lot we have to celebrate. After years of effort from many volunteers the lock at Stratford St Mary is restored – see elsewhere in this magazine for more details.

And that completes the two principal reasons why the River Stour Trust was founded 50 years ago. To maintain the right of navigation, and to restore the three Constable Locks (at Stratford, Dedham, and Flatford). (Yes, I know the gates at Dedham need repair, again, but we hope to see that done soon.)

And we, the Trust, have done so much more – including the restoration of Flatford Barge Dock (in association with the National Trust), Gasworks Cut, the Quay Basin and The Granary at Sudbury, had a brand new lock built at Great Cornard (the first new lock for over 200 years!), built our Visitor Education Centre adjacent to the lock to enable visitors to learn about the history of the River Stour Navigation, its importance in Britain’s industrial and cultural heritage and the Trust’s own role in promoting use of this historic waterway. We rescued an original Stour Lighter which has been fully restored (under the Managing a Masterpiece scheme) and is now in use on the River Stour as one of our trip boats and a 'floating classroom' to be enjoyed by future generations. We took over the freehold of Cattawade Picnic site to ensure a vital river access point was retained. We have also acquired the equipment and training to

undertake weedcutting on the river to collect and remove weed that would otherwise restrict river users.

These are just some of our achievements BUT we cannot relax – we want the navigation to be there for the enjoyment of all for at least another 50 years.

So I challenge you – yes YOU! Can you help our largely volunteer effort? Could you recruit a new member to the Trust? Or could you give us a few hours or days of effort? Some of the volunteer effort is outside – we could do with another qualified chain saw operator for example.

But we also have needs that can be accomplished from home, or in the warm at the VEC or Granary. We need organisers, writers, and publicists, amongst other roles.

Please write to me, chairman@riverstourtrust.org or at the VEC, to offer your way of volunteering for the continued well-being of our glorious navigation. I look forward to hearing from you, and meeting many of you in this year of celebration.

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JOHN MORRIS Chairman of Trustees Council

Welcome to new members Mr Owen Hurley Mr & Mrs June Titterington Mr & Mrs Sean & Lisa Clare Mr & Ms John Cox & Shirley Wheeler Ms Kelly & Master Thomas Mitchell Mr Simon Leppich Mr John Daultrey Mr Keith Grinsted Mr Jonathan Kemp Mr & Mrs Francis & Diana McKenna Ms Catherine Flack & Ms Lynne Jordan Mr & Mrs Duncan & Katherine Becker Mr & Mrs Alan & Linda England Mr Paul Edwards Mr & Mrs Steve & Cherry Locke Mr Mike Hall Mr & Mrs James & Rosemary Main Mr & Mrs Patrick & Deborah Barrett Mr Tom Brown Mr Stuart Bowditch & Mrs Ruth Philo Mr James Ruse Mr & Mrs Simon Knightley Mr & Mrs Martin Gosling Ms Elizabeth Clapham Mr Nicholas Flook & Miss Rachel Price Mr Howard Hirst Mr Benjamin Turpin Mr Peter Chaplin Miss Tina O'Beirne Ms Sue Howting & Ms Sue Batchelor Mr Johann Tasker Mr & Mrs Robert & Tricia Drawbridge Mr Norman Ryan Mr & Mrs David & Mary Trouse

KINGFISHERS On my trip down to Henny with Steve Lee it was pretty wet at times.

As we were eating our lunch on Edwardian Lady with the rain coming down, we had all the covers on except the entrance doors.

Steve said “Brenda look a Kingfisher�He was sitting at the entrance looking in. of course, we were not quick enough to get a picture.

We saw him twice more and I think he might like the cut at the side of the jetty.

It certainly made our day.

BRENDA GRAHAM

If you have any wild life sightings to tell, please send them in for the next edition of Lock Lintel.

Just as we go to press we learnt with sorrow that John Morton has died.

John was much admired for all his valuable work as a volunteer, and will be greatly missed. There will be a longer appreciation in the next edition.

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Sudbury Boat Operations Report 2017 2017 was again a very busy season for the volunteer crews on the upper river.

As well as operating our regular weekend trips to the Henny Swan every Saturday and Sunday, and our short trips on Sundays, we operated around 40 midweek charters, mostly but not exclusively to the Henny Swan. We also had 7 days of school visits, including a couple of schools we had not seen before, and a number of wedding charters on summer Saturday evenings. Taken together with our training programme for new crews there weren’t many days when one or more of our boats wouldn’t be seen out on the river.

Our Tea Room at The Granary was also active every Sunday, and where charter crews had asked they also opened up to provide refreshments either before or after the cruise. Many thanks to Margaret and her team for all their hard work and the crews’ teas and coffees on Sundays!

Particularly busy days were our two children’s bank holiday specials, the Teddy Bears Picnic on May Bank Holiday and Pirates on the Stour on the August Bank Holiday. These are always popular and this year Cap’n Jim and his team were almost overwhelmed on Pirates Day!

Our regular Saturday and Sunday Lunch cruises have been very popular and customers are quickly learning that booking well in advance is advised as spaces are soon taken up. We have also had quite a few bookings for the Henny Swan short cruises from customers who could not get on the lunch cruise on their chosen day but still enjoyed a river trip either before or after their lunch.

Our midweek charters have come not only from private parties but also from a number of organisations such as WI, Probus, and Rotary groups. One charter arrived at the Granary on a vintage charabanc, and another church group entertained our crew with singing all the way to Henny and dancing on the lock side!

Thanks to Keith Grinsted we are now more active on social media, and amongst other posts Keith’s pictures and video of a kingfisher sighting attracted quite a few ‘hits’.

None of this could be managed without the wonderful team of volunteer skippers and crew who turn out in all weathers to provide our customers with enjoyment of the river we all love, and also raise much needed funds towards the aims of the trust. Thank you very much to each and every one of you.

PAUL BREWERTON Chairman, SBOC

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Volunteer Profile GORDON DENNEY I love everything to do with rivers, canals, estuaries, and the sea. I cannot think of anything better than being in a boat, on the water, enjoying the scenery, the diversity of wild life, flora and fauna that they support.

I am very passionate about everyone having access to our inland waterways and the benefits that they bring through education and relaxation. Therefore, I’m also very passionate about everyone having access to such a beautiful asset as the River Stour, and will defend that liberty to the best of my ability. I totally support the River Stour Trust’s mission statement which is being dedicated to the restoration and conservation of the River Stour Navigation for the benefit and enjoyment of the public.

I’m 65 years old, widowed, and have 2 children and grandchildren. I’ve been retired for 6 years after being a mechanical engineer all my working life. Current hobbies besides waterways and the River Stour Trust are, walking and kayaking.

Some of my past hobbies have been motorcycling, including touring on the continent, and free fall parachuting which included competition formation skydiving.

I’ve been a member of the Trust for 12 years and on council for 2 years. I was a skipper at Sudbury from 2005 until 2012, also being sweeper on S2C several times.

As a trustee, I regularly attend council meetings to help and assist with the smooth running of the Trust on a day to day basis and take on individual tasks when required.

I have been involved in Stratford St Mary Lock Restoration (hands on restoration, getting very muddy) at Stratford St Mary Lock from 2005 until present, and in the later years 2011/12 helping with Environment Agency Flood Risk permits.

The Environment Agency carried out some Habitat Works at Wiston, seriously inhibiting navigation of the river and which were in breach of the Anglian Water Authority Act 1977. With the help of others, I managed to get the EA to remove the works and restore the river back to its pre-works condition, thus making the river navigable again.

Gordon is moving to be near another River Stour. Council and those involved with Stratford St Mary lock restoration will greatly miss his valuable contributions and wish him well for the future.

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A long, hard summer at Stratford St Mary...

With grants from Cory Environmental and the IWA’s Tony Harrison Legacy in place, our chosen contractors, Hargreaves, were instructed to make new lock gates and install them in August.

As so much needed to be done before Hargreaves arrived, the volunteers made an early start in March to clean out the remaining mud from the chamber. They pumped out the water, donned waders and set to work with shovels to remove the sloppy mud into buckets that had to be lifted out by rope and pulley on a tripod – a hard and painfully slow job. An even

Digging mud from the main chamber and the tripod/pulley to lift it out

worse task was digging out the clay plug which, along with a thick steel plate weighing more than a ton, had been placed outside the top gates years ago to seal off the lock when the gates deteriorated. This sticky clay held the men’s feet fast, making digging and scraping each bite of clay off their spades into the digger bucket exhausting, forcing them to work in 15 min shifts.When it was at last done, Gordon summed up everyone’s feelings when he said “I didn’t think we would do it”.

Hargreaves removed the old gates and made new ones from Ekki (a sub-tropical hard wood, also known as the red ironwood tree) to the same pattern.

We believe the old gates had been made of Jarrah (an Australian timber), the bottoms of which, after more than 80 years under water, looked almost perfect.

The paddles moved between sliders apparently made from ebony. The quality of construction was remarkable, including caulked joints between the timbers and red lead applied to all steelwork joints.

They proved incredibly difficult to dismantle for disposal, with the gang resorting to jacking the timbers apart, and the chainsaw could only make 3 cuts before needing a new chain. Hargreaves retained from the bottoms of the gates the iron plates with semi-circular hollows called pintles, which fit onto raised iron hemispheres set in the chamber floor to

8 The River Stour Trust Restoring and Conserving the River Stour Navigation

Lifting old gates onto raft

“We believe the old gates had been made of Jarrah (an Australian timber), the bottoms of which, after more than 80 years under water, looked almost perfect.” form the pivots for the gates to swing on.

Our men re-formed the Versadock into 4 rafts ready for “New gate day” in August when Hargreaves lifted the old gates and the steel plate onto them in the chamber for us to pole them a mile downstream to their lorry by the A12 bridge. The men propelling the rafts discovered that Stratford Mill Pool was surprisingly deep when their scaffold pole quants couldn’t reach the bottom, forcing them to paddle them to shallower water! The lorry driver exchanged the old gates for the new ones, which we poled back upstream to the lock chamber for the contractors to fix in position on the original pintles.

Everyone slept very soundly that night!

Hargreaves men worked on the gates for the rest of the week, adjusting the mitre seal between the gates and fitting the walkways and metalwork, including the traditional Stour paddle gear saved from the old gates. We are no longer allowed to use these so operate the paddles by discrete modern gear.

A Bridge onto the island While the contractors completed the gates, our volunteers turned to the opposite end of the lock island where they built a bridge (again in Ekki) from the concrete footpath bridge, over a spillway, to give pedestrian www.riverstourtrust.org 9

The bridge construction

Towing gate down lock channel

“On 10th September S2C participants were delighted to be worked through the lock for the first time.” access to the island and lock. This is needed in case of emergency at the lock, and also provides an access point at Stratford St Mary for boat passengers.

On 10th September S2C participants were delighted to be worked through the lock for the first time. Because our use of the lock takes water from the river near Essex and Suffolk Water’s pumping station, it has been necessary to negotiate with them how often we can use it, and we have also had to obtain an abstraction licence from the EA at a cost of £1500. We thank Gordon for his many hours of work on this.

In November our volunteers finished landscaping the spoil from the lock chamber, built 2 landing stages for the boat crews to operate the lock, and have installed the first of the bollards made

by Mike Finch from the old gates. They are currently clearing the waterworks compound, with the caravan and container still to be removed. We are hugely indebted to E&SW for the use of their premises, without which the project could not have been completed.

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SUE BROWN

Film Club at the Granary filmclublectures.co.uk Sudbury Film Club is very happy to announce it is moving to the beautiful Granary Building run by the River Stour Trust. We would all like to thank the Trust for its very warm welcome and help in setting up the club’s new meeting place.

In January 2011 Simon Frampton film-maker and lecturer set up the Sudbury Film Club. The idea was to provide a series of lectures on the art and technique of films. Every month since then the club has met without fail to consider the merits of individual film actors, directors, genres such as film-noir and many other film related topics. It doesn't matter how much knowledge you have about film. The important thing is to bring likeminded people together to form a sociable group.

In the words of one of our long time members….”

If you like Cinema you will love Film Club” The club meets once a month on the second Friday of the month here is what you can expect from each meeting: An original lecture written each month covering the subject illustrated with many film clips. This is followed by a film which best reflects the month’s topic and a discussion group afterwards over coffee or tea. It is not mandatory to stay for all three parts of the day!

For new members we offer a one off trial of £12.00 for any one of our topics and then hope you will join our club which will give you a reduction to just £10 per talk and film.

Film Club meetings begin at 10.30am at the Granary Quay Lane, Sudbury CO10 2AN. Our topics for Spring 2018 January 12th February 9th March 9th April 13th

A light hearted look at British Films in the 1960’s Marlon Brando Simone Signoret Billy Wilder

IN DETAIL: A light hearted look at British Films in the 1960’s Let us start 2018 with something a little light hearted. A look back at some of our favourite British films which many of us enjoyed watching first time around in our local flea pit! For this talk I will be concentrating on the 1960’s with a few earlier clips thrown in. The emphasis is on fun and includes some wonderfully nostalgic cinema advertisements. So come along and enjoy a taste of British Cinema at its best.

Marlon Brando - Marlon Brando is widely considered one of the greatest film actors of all time.

He was widely credited with bringing realism to film acting. He helped to popularize the Stanislavski system of acting, studying with Stella Adler in the 1940s. Brando’s style of method acting has had a profound influence on all succeeding generations of actors. His milestone films include A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), On the Waterfront (1954), The Godfather (1972) amongst many other great performances.

Simone Signoret - Simone Signoret was the first French person to win an Academy Award, for her role in Room at the Top (1959). In France she worked with all the major directors including: Henri-Georges Clouzot, Luis Bunvel, Marcel Carne, Costa-Gavras and Rene Clement.

Signoret's wasn't conventionally beautiful but had a challenging allure, a confidence in her sexuality, which first became apparent in Dédé d'Anvers (1948) where she played a self-respecting Belgian prostitute. She was married to Yves Montand.

Billy Wilder - Samuel "Billy" Wilder is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Hollywood's golden age. Wilder became a screenwriter in the late 1920s while living in Berlin. After the rise of the Nazi Party, he left for Paris, where he made his directorial debut. He moved to Hollywood in 1933. An extraordinary body of work followed including: Double Indemnity(1944), The Lost Weekend (1945), Sunset Boulevard, and Some Like It Hot (1959).

New members can join on the day. Further details on the website....filmclublectures.co.uk

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Celebrations and Connections!

The River Stour Festival will celebrate the river, its culture, surrounding landscape and people throughout 2018. It will provide an impetus to arts, nature, health, environment and businesses in the Stour Valley and beyond, and an ambition to connect both local people and visitors with the rich landscape on our doorstep.

The River Stour Festival was inspired by a walks and film project, The River Runs Through Us, by local artists Ruth Philo and Stuart Bowditch. Whilst working on this in early 2017 Ruth had the idea for a festival and found many people in the valley were keen to help develop this idea. The festival includes walks, a wild river swim, boat trips, exhibitions, music, poetry, painting, photography and wild writing. The event schedule for 2018 will be launched in December 2017, with details being available on www.riverstourfestival.com.

The Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and Stour Valley Project is very pleased to be supporting this inaugural festival with a grant from its Sustainable Development Fund.

The AONB and Stour Valley is the geographical basis of the festival, and with the wealth of local cultural, visitor related, conservation and heritage organisations based along the River Stour, there is an incredible variety of talent and heritage that will be showcased.

Councillor Nigel Chapman, Chair of the AONB Joint Advisory Committee and a member of the River Stour Festival steering group, says: “I am particularly pleased to be personally involved in what I think will be a tremendous celebration of the river, its landscape, its culture and its people!

A festival like this will draw people to

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A New Cultural Celebration of the River Stour for 2018

enjoy, exercise and relax in and around the AONB and wider valley. We welcome everyone into their own discovery of the Stour Valley and aim to enthuse and inspire them to build a long term love of this outstanding landscape”.

There are many ways that organisations can support the first River Stour Festival.

The steering group are currently looking for financial support to promotion the festival, especially its website and leaflet, and to help make the launch in December a great start to the celebrations. Please get in touch by email: admin@riverstourfestival.com.

Ruth Philo, artist and director of the River Stour Festival, adds: “It is a somewhat unusual festival, and instead of running for a particular week or so it will take place throughout the year at different points along the river,

rather like a caravanserai, with something happening somewhere in the Stour Valley each month. It is a chain reaction of people, events and places, all finding their link with the river”.

The festival will open in January 2018 with a screening of Ronald Blythe’s Akenfield at the Quay Theatre, Sudbury.

There will be a focus weekend when The River Runs Through Us film will launch at the Boat House Gallery, Flatford on Saturday 30 June, accompanied by a lecture in East Bergholt by Jules Pretty.

We welcome everyone to help support the River Stour Festival and make its first year a great success!

RUTH PHILO

www.riverstourfestival.com

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Weedcutting

There comes a time each year when weed in the river makes boating more problematic.

In the past, we have tried placing barley straw bales at intervals along either bank of the river in Gasworks Cut. The decomposition releases a non-toxic chemical reaction which inhibits the growth of algae.

This activity had varying degrees of success and the main removal of blanket weed removal is achieved by cutting and manual removal of the weed. This was once undertaken by the Environment Agency before their lack of resources meant the activity was not meeting the demand of river users. A new contractor, Green Blue Marine, stepped in until two years ago when the River Stour Trust took over this operation with full training and the equipment obtained from Green Blue Marine.

The discovery of Versadock (a modular docking solution/floating pontoon) has helped with a variety of RST activities.

From acting as a raft to transport the cut weed from the river to the bank and enabling transportation of equipment to the lock island during the Stratford St Mary lock restoration; as well as a

temporary landing stage for Sudbury to the Sea and our trip boat operations.

A team of able-bodied and determined volunteers are recruited each year to assist with the collection and removal of the weed from the river for its disposal. The summer months are the busiest, especially with the Sudbury Rowing Club Regatta taking place on the first weekend of August. We are currently restricted to the Sudbury stretch of the river due to transportation and weed disposal issues elsewhere.

Please do get in touch if you want to know more about how you can help.

WEED WRANGLING Contact James Parkinson Tel: 07896 687199 Email: james.dilligaf@hotmail.co.uk

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In the steps of Roger Deakin Roger Deakin, was a writer, environmentalist film-maker and broadcaster who lived in Mellis, Suffolk until he died in 2006. He changed the climate of opinion about access to the countryside, its rivers and waterways. He wrote the book ‘Waterlog, A Swimmer's Journey Through Britain’ which it describes his experiences of 'wild swimming' in Britain's rivers and lakes, including the River Stour.

Norbert Krass, a holidaymaker from Germany, made contact with the Trust following a holiday in East Anglia in May when, having read Deakin’s book, he came to swim in the River Stour at Nayland.

Norbert emailed ‘We have never been to East Anglia before and we enjoyed our stay very much! It is very different and special. The landscape is spectacular in a very special way.’

He added ‘Did you know that the German author W.G. Sebald taught literature in Norwich and wrote a very interesting book about his pilgrimage through East Anglia?

The book is called: The Rings of Saturn. I can recommend it!’

Above middle: On the trail of Roger Deakin at the Stour near Nayland in the English county of Suffolk Above: Once you have made the muddy entrance, the soft water of the Stour river surrounds you.

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Sudbury Rowing Club Regatta Saturday 5th August 2017 Despite a heavy downpour in the middle of the day Sudbury Rowing Club hosted an excellent day of exciting races on Friars Meadow on Saturday 5th August.

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hour. Racing started promptly at 8.30am in the morning and concluded at 8pm. We had a number of wins for Sudbury crews.

We had incredible support from local organisations and businesses as well as Sudbury Rowing Club members, friends & family. James Parkinson and the volunteers from the River Stour Trust did a fabulous job helping to clear the river of weeds over a number of weeks in the lead up to the regatta. On the day, our beautiful stretch of the River Stour along Friars Meadow looked absolutely stunning. The help of everyone preparing for the event and on the day was invaluable. We could not have succeeded without so much effort. Sudbury Rowing Club would like to extend heartfelt thanks for the generosity shown by all those involved.

Despite the inclement weather we received lots of positive feedback from competing teams and visitors who we hope to see again next year. We are looking forward to hosting next year’s Sudbury Regatta on Saturday 4th August 2018 on Friars Meadow and we hope you will all join us for a great day in the Sudbury sporting calendar.

As in previous years there was lots of interest from competing rowing clubs across East Anglia, London, Kent and beyond and the event was once again oversubscribed.

The marquees were all crammed with competitors and spectators when torrential rain stalled competition at lunchtime.

Luckily everything resumed after just an www.riverstourtrust.org 17

S2C 2017

S2C paddlers in restored Stratford Lock 18 The River Stour Trust Restoring and Conserving the River Stour Navigation

It really doesn’t seem like a year since I wrote about S2C 2016 and now I’m reporting on S2C 2017! Did I really say I would mastermind the 2017 event? I must have, because early one September Saturday morning, I found myself at the Registration Desk again!

and roof-racks bearing canoes arriving to put craft into the Scout Hall and its compound. Must make sure we have more people covering this in 2018 – the car park was very lonely at 9.30 pm.

But my b and b was lovely and welcoming when I finally arrived!

Well, really the tale starts back in the early Spring with letters to the various riparian owners through whose property we pass, to alert them to the fact that 300 boats are coming to visit. Then, it’s check the paperwork and update everything to make sure it all says 2017 in the right places, and to make any changes from things we learned last year.

The registration team boobed on Saturday morning – by the time we thought about ordering our bacon butties (cooked courtesy of the Daniel and Alan masterchefs) they had run out! After suffering the tortures of smelling those butties too!!

Oh – don’t forget talking to our brilliant team of volunteers, without whom the event would not happen. Who still wants to play? Do they want the same tasks as before or do they want a different role?

Big sighs of relief – most of them are willing and able! Can they find others to fill the gaps and increase their teams?

By 10.30 all the craft had left the cut, and the master lists were being checked.

The bun-butterers (volunteers from our tea room crew) had done their work and the buns were loaded into vehicles be taken to the campsite for later. The team manning the lock at Cornard may not forgive me for failing to remember how many times they operated the lock – I know it was a lot!

Bookings opened in July, and 70 places went in the first twelve hours! By midAugust we were fully booked, with a waiting list. Some of these people got lucky and were able to take part – disappointing though, that we had no-shows on the day but that’s life!

Back on the trail, following the course, as closely as is possible by road, the emergency phone was reassuringly quiet – yes I did have it switched on and charged this year! The Grim Sweepers were obviously doing a great task (thank you Rhona, Nicky, James and James). Bures came and went – the Scouts did a great job with their barbecue and drinks stall as always. Then on to Rushbanks only to find it was quicker by water as the first boats had checked in already. Mike and Jim, with others, were busy dispensing hot drinks and the aforementioned buns.

Everyone arrived in a timely fashion and settled into to camp or escaped to their homes or local b and bs. (I went home!)

So back to where I started – actually on the Friday evening, with lots of trailers

Sadly, we had problems overnight – some happy campers continued to party into

Next it’s time to talk to the EA (Environment Agency to the outside world) about river maintenance – they did a great job this year repairing jetties and portage points and clearing fallen trees so the river was user-friendly for the big weekend. They also supplied volunteers to man two check points – hoorah for Matt and Steve Yallop, and Mervyn Day!!

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the wee small hours, in spite of being asked to desist by the Camp Site Wardens and the Site Owner, more than once! The Camp Site has rules about curfew, for the benefit of everyone on site, and we run S2C as a family event, where bad language and excessive drinking are not welcome. The site rules allow the Warden to ask campers to leave at any point (even in the middle of the night), if the rules are not obeyed, and we would back them in this. If such happenings should occur again, those offending will not be invited to take part in S2C again.

Sorry – rant over!

On to Sunday – most people got away in good time and before the departure deadline. Some of those who didn’t had already told us they were not continuing, but it was challenging trying to identify the remaining boats and owners. We like to make things simple for our sweepers…

It was great to know, though, that the Coracle Queen, Wendy, having paddled her way to Rushbanks on Saturday – getting rather wet on the way – made her

way back on Sunday to take her brother, David, a veteran S2C-er, out for a short trip in the coracle.

Lunch at the Swan at Stratford St Mary – a yummy pulled pork roll, and a chocolate brownie to die for – must get that recipe – and the checkers-in were doing a grand job, even though one of their team had called in sick. But the highlight of that stop was the operation of Stratford St Mary Lock seven times to allow boats to go through and on towards Dedham. Thanks to the funds you help us raise, we were able to seed-fund the purchase and installation of new lock gates this August – another tick box in the Trust’s long-term plan!

The lock-keepers of the day received a round of applause in acknowledgement of all the hard work which they had helped with, in order to clear the lock channel and to dig out who knows how many tons of mud and sludge from the bottom of the lock chamber before the gates went in!

Onward again – to Flatford Lock – where the crew operated the gates to the point

20 The River Stour Trust Restoring and Conserving the River Stour Navigation

of exhaustion and beyond! A big thank you to them too.

The end in sight – having the use of Anglian Adventures site as a car park was great – thanks Ian and the ‘parking wardens’. More hot drinks and buns on offer at Cattawade Picnic Site, thanks to Mike and Jim again, certificates to collect from Carol and Ed, canoes to clean off, in Support of Stop the Spread, then load and away (or if you were really hardy) a portage round the barrier, and a paddle home to Harwich (well done Nick and crew!).

Then we were awaiting the last few, and the weather changed! Strong winds blowing upriver, and rain beginning to fall.

Gordon from Outdoor Hire offered to pick up the last few from Flatford, but those hardy souls decided to carry on regardless, and made it to the finish line successfully.

What happened to the last bus? We’re still not sure, but it wasn’t where it was supposed to be, and two families were left at Cattawade with no transport. So thanks to Boris for sheltering them in his Camper van, while I chauffeured their drivers to Sudbury and Rushbanks to retrieve their cars.

Again, I met some lovely people – some newbies, and some who had done S2C since its inception! Lots of lovely smiles and tales of obstacles overcome, some very tired arms and sore shoulders, and lots of ‘See you next year’! How many ‘show and tell’ moments on Monday in schools and workplaces – tell us about your experience!

2018 is a special year for the Trust – it’s our fiftieth birthday, and we plan to celebrate! S2C will be part of the programme, and we’d like to make it the best yet, but to do this we need your help. Can you give us your time to help steward, work a portage, or help at a check-in? Could you be a Grim Sweeper or help brew the tea at Rushbanks or Cattawade. Watch our website for further information. Maybe you are a supporter rather than a paddler – why not join the team while you wait for your crew to come in?

My thanks to everyone who helped as part of the team this year – I hope you will all want to play in 2018!

JANE ROGERS

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David Nicoll I believe my husband David Nicoll may have been instrumental in re-introducing coracling with the S2C events and was later joined by his sister Wendy Gee. Unfortunately, my husband now has Alzheimer's and does not feel able to complete the two-day stints which he did enjoy. This year his sister completed the first day but did not partake in the second day.

Instead she persuaded him to go out for an hour with her on the Sunday at Rushbanks campsite and he thoroughly enjoyed the experience, with support from her. There may well have been other coraclers around on the river but I think many club members will remember my husband in particular from the early years.

Wendy took a few pictures of his latest venture on the water, she took them to remind him that, yes, he can still paddle but not the distances he used to enjoy.

(He is now 79 years old!).

After a little walk by the river I asked if perhaps David would like a little paddle.

He hummed and hawed a bit so I said I'd got his coracle in the car and he said yes.

We paddled upstream and enjoyed just over two hours with some sails using the umbrellas out on the water. We saw a kingfisher, cormorant and a woodpecker so had a really great time. I even took a photo of him in the water when we got back as he will probably have forgotten by today. And most importantly he enjoyed it at the time so I know how to do it next year if we're both fit and still able.

I found just doing the one day was great and look forward to next year if I can make it. All the entrants and helpers are such a friendly lot it makes it a super paddle.

Best wishes and thanks to everyone again.

WENDY GEE

SYLVIA NICOLL

TripAdvisor Comment 2017

LADIES THAT LUNCHED

12TH SEPTEMBER 2017

We had a wonderful day out with the River Stour Trust. Parking was easy. The awful weather did not matter. The boat was covered. We were cosy and protected from driving rain. Don't worry if the weather forecast is bad, you will still have a great time. Bob, David and one other, whose name I did not get (sorry), were a wonderful crew. They assured our safety and were very knowledgeable about the river and surrounding area. Lunch at Henny Swan was scrumptious. We will definitely do this again and highly recommend it.

22 The River Stour Trust Restoring and Conserving the River Stour Navigation

A BIG thank you The Dedham Vale Boating group have continued to successfully run regular trips and charters at the lower end of the river.

Trusty has maintained the Saturdays water-bus service between Dedham and Flatford throughout the season, as well as the half-hour trips from Flatford on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The summer holiday weather was not kind to us, and takings are slightly down.

Kathleen continues to operate on the river at Stratford St Mary, with good business for wedding charters and Sunday lunch customers at Le Talbooth.

Many thanks to all those who have helped this year. We understand just how much time people freely give to help keep the navigation open. Whether it is being a bank-sider, skipper, crew, organiser – they all vital to our successful boat operations and are much appreciated. We also thank the owners of Le Talbooth and The Boathouse restaurants, and Carol Lawrence, for allowing us to have our boats at their premises. Without them we could not offer the trips that we do.

At Stratford St Mary new lock gates were installed this summer, and the first trip through by Kathleen on 12th August

carried a fare-paying charter party.

We think this is probably the first boat through the lock since the 1930s. It was also open in time for this year’s S2C event, and was warmly welcomed by those canoeists who passed through.

ITN Anglia news broadcast a long piece about the area and the lock restoration; this was excellent publicity for the Trust.

The new stretch of the river available above the lock is about 1½ miles long, and we hope to make lots of visits there in the coming years. We also built a bridge to the lock island to make access to the lock easier; many thanks to Bob Foster for all his efforts in organising this.

We would like to welcome several new skippers who have qualified this year, but there is always room for more. We said goodbye to Jax Horswill this autumn, as she is moving to the West Country. Many thanks to her for all her organising efforts and patience over the years, and we wish her every happiness in her new life.

We are also saying good-bye to the tilting gate which sits in the middle of Flatford lock, as the Environment Agency has decided to retire it because it is no longer cost-effective. It will shortly be removed.

MIKE FINCH

Did you know that there is more than one River Stour in Great Britain?

They are: River Stour, Dorset, River Stour, Kent, which includes the River East Stour, River Great Stour & River Little Stour River Stour, Suffolk, River Stour, Warwickshire, Could be confusing!

River Stour, Worcestershire. www.riverstourtrust.org 23

Above: Kathleen sitting at the landing stage in Carol’s garden.

Weddings at Le Talbooth We have been kept quite busy this year with our Wedding Service at Le Talbooth, where we use Kathleen to transport bridal parties to their receptions.

We generally pick up the Bride and Groom from a landing stage at the bottom of a garden in Stratford St. Mary. The owner, Carol Lawrence, has kindly continued to allow us access through her lovely garden to a floating pontoon on the riverbank.

We transport the bridal party at a leisurely pace along the river to the small landing stage near the marquee in the grounds of Le Talbooth where all their guests are waiting. It is particularly fun when the guests chatting on the lawn do not know the transport arrangements as they are always very surprised to see Kathleen arriving with the stars of the show!

Generally the skippers have spent ages cleaning the boat, stowing the ropes neatly and attaching artificial flowers to the roof supports. However, on one occasion a florist arrived with a large fresh floral decoration. Although beautiful, it was very difficult to attach artistically but we did our best and took the photograph accompanying this article.

We have mostly been lucky with the weather so have been able to also offer trips for the wedding guests, which often upsets the photographer as people go missing from their family group shots.

24 The River Stour Trust Restoring and Conserving the River Stour Navigation

Occasionally the photographers have travelled with us which has an interesting effect on the balance of the boat as they keep moving about to get into position thus causing some unwanted movement! On one occasion the weather managed to stay dry just until the bridal party were safely ashore and then the heavens opened. None of the guests were interested in “enjoying” a trip in the heavy rain that day.

Next year we will continue with our wedding trips for Le Talbooth, it is the major income stream for this part of the river. We also provide trips for Sunday lunch guests using Kathleen but business tends to be very slow. Private charters are also booked via Le Talbooth but the loading capacity for Kathleen is restrictive on passenger numbers. Now we have opened Stratford St. Mary lock we are hoping to offer trips up river to increase our income.

Kathleen at Le Talbooth with the florist’s arrangement on the bow.

Mystery of the Seaplane a question answered I am sending the following information on behalf of Mr. Derek Webb, who is a member of the River Stour Trust, in reply to your request in the recent issue of Lock Lintel for details on the seaplane that crashed at Ballingdon Grove in 1940.

The aircraft was one of nine that escaped from Holland in May 1940.

The aircraft were Fokker T.VIII and were operated by No.320 (Dutch) Squadron.

At 3.35pm on 28th November 1940 the West Suffolk Police reported to No.18 Group, Royal Observer Corps at Colchester that a Fokker aircraft had crashed at Hicks Farm, Middleton, 1 mile south-west of Sudbury on a flight from Pembroke Dock to Felixstowe and that the aircraft was a total wreck.

Castle Hedingham Police reported a Fokker seaplane had crashed at Ballingdon Lodge and that one crew member was injured. The pilot is reported as being Sergeant De Borst by an unknown source with an unnamed observer and that the aircraft was coded AV 958.

PENNY ROWE

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SRC Slipway Sudbury rowing club has recently undertaken the refurbishment of their boating slipway.

BEFORE

AFTER

After more than 50 years, the old slipway had become cracked, dangerous and no longer fit for purpose. The repair has made the boating area safer for all members and also gave the club the opportunity to make access to the water for rowers with disabilities easier, particularly for athletes in wheelchairs.

Work was carried out by Gunite Solutions Ltd who are concrete specialists and Sudbury Rowing Club Facilities Manager, Hannah Lodge, oversaw the project.

The new slipway was used in 2017 by participants in the annual Sudbury to the Sea event who boated their canoes, kayaks and paddle boards.

of club facilities. Angela Colclough, Fundraising Officer, has worked hard during this year to secure grants from various sources to assist the funding and which has subsequently allowed the club to carry out the repair work. Special thanks go to Awards for All Big Lottery Fund, Babergh District Council, Ganzoni Charitable Fund and Geoffrey Burton Charitable Trust. There was also funding from two Suffolk County Councillors (Richard Kemp and Colin Spence) who kindly donated money from their Locality Budget. The club is very grateful to the above mentioned for all their support and without their generous funding the project could not have been completed.

A large amount of money came from club funds which had been saved over the past few years to help pay for the maintenance 26 The River Stour Trust Restoring and Conserving the River Stour Navigation

HANNAH LODGE

Suffolk Walking Festival On Sunday 21 May 2017, we were delighted to team up with the ‘Beat The Street’ initiative to offer a unique boat/walk combo as part of the 10th Suffolk Walking Festival. This was well received and we shall join the 2018 Suffolk Walking Festival again but this time oversee both the boating and walking aspect ourselves.

In 2018, we are offering a couple of Walk ‘n’ Water experiences as part of the Festival: 2018 Walk ‘n’ Water Sudbury/Cornard Sunday 20 May & Sunday 3 June A boat trip from Sudbury to Great Cornard aboard the restored John Constable Lighter, disembarking for a guided walk back to The Granary for a free coffee or tea.

Hopefully walkers can finally enjoy a riverside footpath link established between Cornard and Sudbury!

John Constable Lighter-Friars Meadow, Sudbury.

2018 Walk ‘n’ Water Sudbury/Henny Thursday 17 May & Thursday 31 May A guided walk from Sudbury to Great Henny followed by a boat trip passing through Great Cornard Lock and disembarking at The Granary for a free coffee or tea.

Elizabethan Lady in Cornard Lock

CREDIT: RIVER STOUR TRUST

JOIN THE WALKING TEAM? We are looking for volunteers to act as walk guides/back markers for the two aforementioned events and some more walk ‘n’ water events throughout the year.

You’ll enjoy a boat trip too! The pace will be moderate and you should be able to manage the 1-2 mile walk from Cornard to Sudbury and/or the 3½ mile walk from Sudbury to Henny (includes traversing a couple of stiles!). Please contact the RST office if you would like to find out more about how you can be involved.

www.riverstourtrust.org 27

Obituary

John Moogk

A skipper of Trusty and Trusty II, John had always enjoyed boats and sailing; he found volunteering on weekends for the River Stour Trust very enjoyable.

Originally from Canada, John had spent his family life in England and then in later years settled in Dedham with wife, Janet.

A member of Little Ship Club in London and locally of Probus, John had arranged lectures and outings including a tour of Trinity House, Harwich, again along the lines of seafaring interests.

John is sadly missed by friends and relatives both here and overseas.

CONFLUENT Do you have a story to tell about the River Stour and your connection to it? What does the river mean to you? Is there an important piece of history about the valley that you feel needs recording? If so, would you spend a while chatting to someone about it? What do you think needs celebrating as part of the River Stour Trust’s 50th anniversary in 2018?

Stuart Bowditch is a sound recordist, artist and musician whose work is centred around people and place. He recently completed a year long commission for the Essex Record Office Sound and Video Archive to record the sounds of Essex past

and present and is currently working on The River Runs Through Us, a project with the people and communities in the Stour Valley. Visit www.theriverrunsthroughus.uk Stuart is developing a new project in the valley called Confluent which will record conversations with people connected to the Stour and present them as river of words. This will include an audio document of life on the river spoken by the people of the valley (possibly you?) and a visual installation at the River Stour Trust Visitor and Education Centre in Great Cornard.

If you would like to chat with Stuart to tell him your story and contribute to the project then drop him a line on stuart@stuartbowditch.co.uk

TripAdvisor Comment 2017

RELAXING TRIP

8TH OCTOBER 2017

This trip was organised by a friend. We were on Rosette and there were four of us on this boat. A very nice relaxing trip on the river. The boats have covers so if it should be raining you will not get wet!! In the cooler months it is best to wrap up warm. We did the Henny Swan lunch cruise, which was great. Crew were helpful and knowledgeable.

28 The River Stour Trust Restoring and Conserving the River Stour Navigation

SALES TABLE

BOOKS & DVD

STATIONERY

The Essex & Suffolk Stour; A History - £12.99

by Sean O’Dell This book details the beginnings, life and trading decline of the Stour Navigation and includes archive and contemporary images.

Jotter Pads - £2.00 Suitable for telephone messages, lists, etc.

Full Colour Postcard of “The Lock” by John Constable - 30p Assorted Postcard Pack - £1.00 Selection of 11 postcards with a selection of river scenes and riverside locations.

MISCELLANEOUS Tea Towels - £4.50 Good quality cotton, exclusively designed for the Trust.

River Stour Trust Key Rings - £1.00 Plastic key ring with historic image of a pair of Stour Lighters on one side and RST Lintel logo and contact details on the other side.

Coin Key Rings - £1.00 Always have ‘£1’ to hand-suitable for use in supermarket trolleys and gym lockers.

CLOTHING Baseball Cap - £6.50 Navy Blue, One Size with River Stour Trust Logo.

Polo Shirt (with RST Logo on Chest) - £17.50 Navy Blue, Reinforced shoulder seams, Cuffed sleeves, Two matching button pockets, Twin needle stitching, 65% polyester/ 35% ringspun cotton, 215gsm.

Sweatshirt (with RST Logo on Chest) - £21.00 Navy Blue, Taped back neck, 1x1 rib trim to hem and cuffs, Twin needle stitch detail, SpotShield™ stain resistant coating, 50% polyester/50% combed ringspun cotton, 295gsm.

Apron - £7.50 Exclusively designed for the Trust with images of river scenes (matches perfectly with RST tea towel). Adult size. Side and neck ties.

The Essex & Suffolk River Stour Navigation -£12.99 by the late John Marriage This photographic volume traces the story of the river, through its years of decline and to the ongoing activities to restore the Stour to a fully navigable waterway.

Stour Secrets - £10.00

By Ken Rickwood An exploration of the estuary between Essex and Suffolk.

Stour Odyssey - £10.00

By Ken Rickwood Exploration of the river from salt to source.

Our River Poems - £5.00

by Edith Freeman, Photographs by Harry Godfrey This book details the beginnings, life & trading decline of the Stour Navigation.

Sudbury’s Ancient Common Lands - £4.99

by Adrian Walters Beautifully illustrated. Details the history of Sudbury’s Common Lands.

Sudbury’s Unique Riverside - £4.99

by Adrian Walters Beautifully illustrated. Looks at the past and present land use & the wildlife.

DVD: A Journey Through Constable Country...

And Around (2015) - £14.99 This film takes you to the towns and villages John Constable would have known and loved. See the places which inspired the artist to create some of England's most treasured paintings; from the Dedham Vale to the Stour Estuary and from Roman Colchester to medieval Lavenham.

Any other items - please speak to volunteers on duty P&P Charges Total Spend: £5.00 or less - £1.00 Total Spend: £30.00 or less - £6.00 TO ORDER

Total Spend: £15.00 or less - £3.00 Total Spend: over £30.00 - Free

Please contact RST or visit www.riverstourtrust.org Please allow up to 28 days for delivery. www.riverstourtrust.org 29

2018 DIARY DATES & EVENTS Boat Operations 2018 – March until end of October - weather permitting Private Charters & Scheduled Boat Trips at Sudbury, Flatford & Dedham Granary Tea Room – Easter Sunday 1 April until Sunday 28 October Open on Sundays & Bank Holiday Mondays (other days by special arrangement) Light lunches, homemade cake, riverside views and boat trips

2018 SPECIAL EVENTS Saturday 12 May – Formal Lock Opening Ceremony [invited guests only] The formal opening of the third ‘Constable Lock’ at Stratford St Mary.

Attendance by invitation.

Thursday 17 May – Walk ‘n’ Water Sudbury-Henny Our guided walk and boat trip between Sudbury and Henny as part of the Suffolk Walking Festival.

More information & booking: www.suffolkwalkingfestival.co.uk Saturday 19th May – Members Event At VEC with water taxis from Granary, possible jazz band, buffet, garden games, ticketed event.

Sunday 20 May – Walk ‘n’ Water Sudbury-Cornard Our guided walk and boat trip between Sudbury and Cornard as part of the Suffolk Walking Festival. More information & booking: www.suffolkwalkingfestival.co.uk Thursday 31 May – Walk ‘n’ Water Sudbury-Henny (refer to Thursday 17 May walk event for details).

30 The River Stour Trust Restoring and Conserving the River Stour Navigation

Bank Holiday Monday 29 May – Teddy Bear Boat Rides at The Granary Free boat trips for children (under 12 years old) with their teddy, accompanied by fare paying adult.

Sunday 3 June – Walk ‘n’ Water Sudbury-Cornard (refer to Sunday 20 May walk event for details).

Saturday 28 June – Electric Boat Gathering at Bures It is hoped that electric boat owners and members of the public can enjoy this section of the River Stour, usually prohibited for powered craft, subject to permission being granted!

Saturday 14 July – Water Frolics Water based activities near the river at Flatford and Dedham.

Saturday 4 August – Coracle Regatta at Bures Recreation Ground Organised by RST members and coracle owners to offer everyone an opportunity to try to handle one of these unusual craft. More information: coracles@riverstourtrust.org Friday 10 August – Sunday 12 August – Trail Boat Festival Enjoy a weekend of cruising and activities along the River Stour between Sudbury, Great Cornard, and Great Henny.

Bank Holiday Monday 28 August – Pirates on the Stour at The Granary Free boat trips for pirates (under 12 years old) when accompanied by fare paying adult.

Saturday 15 & Sunday 16 September – S2C, Sudbury to the Sea Weekend canoeing event, limited to 300 craft so pre-registration in July 2018 is vital!

Further details and even additional events are yet to be confirmed! If you would like to offer help or for more information about any of our events and activities then please check the website, call or email. www.riverstourtrust.org

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t: 01787 313199

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e: administrator@riverstourtrust.org

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