November 2014

Endeavour 1 to attempt (eg the fulfilment of an obligation) by exertion of effort; 2 archaic to strive to achieve or reach ~ vi to make an effort to do something n a serious determined effort

Northampton Branch Newsletter - November 2014

PRAISE FOR THE NORTHAMPTON ARM Our efforts, allied to those of the Canal & River Trust, in maintaining and improving the Northampton Arm over the last year or so, have earned warm praise from at least one boater who has sent the following letter to the Trust.

Tom Bennett, of nb Lottie, wrote: “ We have just travelled back down the Northampton Arm to the River Nene after our summer cruise. We have never looked forward to this transit but it's not a matter of choice if you want to venture out onto the system when you are moored at Peterborough. We were therefore not looking forward to it to say the least.

“So imagine our surprise when we found that after years of neglect, and in the two months that we had been away, a transformation had taken place. Gone was all the weed (well nearly) and the rushes had been cut back. The water levels were up and a lot of the rubbish had been removed. This made the transit so much more pleasurable than we have ever known it to be in the past. The graffiti plague had been tackled, although in doing this a blank canvas has been left and it is already being used.

“So a big thank you to the Canal & River Trust and their workers/volunteers for giving the Arm some long overdue maintenance. The first 12 locks are a jewel in the crown of the system — and the view from the top is breathtaking. So please keep on top of this as it will open up the Glorious River Nene, the Mysterious Mid Levels and the Grand Great Ouse and its tributaries to all those who have been put off by this transit in the past.”

Wadenhoe Mill in the middle reaches of the River Nene

The IWA was founded in 1946 to campaign for the retention, restoration and development of Britain’s navigable waterways and for their fullest commercial and recreational use.

The IWA is a registered Charity (no. 212342) , whose work is supported by members’ subscriptions.

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EDITORIA L MUSINGS I’ve been chatting a lot over the past few months with river boaters from the Nene and points east and almost everyone sooner or later brings up the same topic – namely, the lack of adequate moorings. In fact one couple, continuous cruisers who had navigated all the way from Northampton to Bedford and back in a 70 footer, said they had never spent so much time tied up to bushes and had come across much frustration from others facing similar problems.

Which is all a great pity because, as is generally agreed, the Nene and the Fenland rivers offer splendid deep-water cruising.

There is no doubt in recent years the EA has done much to improve the situation on these rivers. I can only comment personally from a Nene point of view where the steady electrification of so many of the guillotine gates has been a lifesaver together with the better landing facilities at the head and tail of locks. I know the EA would like to do much more but is now hidebound by stringent financial constraints.

On the Great Ouse, GOBA – the Great Ouse Boating Association – has worked heroically for many, many years for enhanced facilities with one of their major achievements being the provision of designated mooring sites, but of course you have to know where they are, as indeed you need to know where the Nene moorings are. For example, going downstream from Wellingborough, always be aware that the next decent moorings will not be found until you reach Irthlingborough, a short distance beyond the low-arched bridge by the forlorn-looking football ground (and how we miss the comprehensive sanitary/rubbish facilities once offered there).

The obvious moral to all this is: prepare well and arm yourself with the relevant up-to-date guides. Reme mber, the longer your boat usually means the more tricky it is to find a suitable mooring - unless you’ re a 20 footer which, with a bit of luck, you can tuck into the most unlikely spots and make friends with the local flora and fauna.

This paucity of moorings might be viewed by some as introducing an element of adventure, as the situation increasingly applies on the canals as well. In the arguably good old days, a somewhat different sense of adventure existed, particularly on the canals. Then you could hammer in your stakes with impunity virtually anywhere you could reach, off as well as towpath side, and negotiate if necessary with a usually friendly farmer. You could leave your boat for weeks on end without the threat of incurring massive penalties.

However, times and situations change; we have to adapt. So what will be exercising us a decade ahead? Well, hopefully we shall still be enjoying the canals and rivers in our various ways, afloat and ashore, but I have a sneaking suspicion that among boaters mooring aggravations will continue to feature strongly.

IWA Northampton Branch now has a Facebook page. It’s at https:// www.facebook.com/IWANorthamptonBranch Members will find posts there about our talks, Task Party dates and much more, as well as being able to use it for discussion purposes. We’d like to hear your views. We also have a Twitter account @northamptoniwa where you can leave us a message or engage in discussion on what’s happening.

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DIARY DATES December 6th 5pm

Christmas Carols and Illuminated Boats at Stoke Bruerne by the Canal Museum (contact www.friendsofcanalmeseum.org.uk) 7th 10am Task Party on the Northampton Arm (see below for details) 9th 8pm IWA Northampton Branch Meeting at The Walnut Tree Inn, Blisworth. Christmas quiz with Mick and Catriona Butler 16th 10am Task Party on the Northampton Arm (see below for details)

January 13th 8pm IWA Northampton Branch Meeting at The Walnut Tree Inn, Blisworth. Speaker: Richard Thomas —The River Lee — Luton to Leyton

February 10th 8pm IWA Northampton Branch Meeting at The Walnut Tree Inn, Blisworth. Speaker: Peter Boyce — Restoration of Wooden Boats

March 10th 8pm IWA Northampton Branch Meeting at The Walnut Tree Inn, Blisworth. AGM followed by Speaker: Steve Morley — A Tale of Two Canals

Northampton Arm Task Party dates January 6th, 25th; February 10th, 22nd; March 3rd, 22nd; April 7th, 26th; May12th, 31st; June 9th, 28th.

For details co ntact geoff.woo d@wa terways .o rg .uk o r pho ne 016 04 4539 32 BUCKINGHAM CANAL SOCIETY WORK PARTY DATES December 4th,11th; January 1st,11th,15th,29th; February 8th, 12th, 26th.

For details contact Athina Beckett on 01908 662127 BRAUNSTON CANAL SOCIETY See page 9 for more details or contact chris.burton7@btinternet.com or phone 01788 891546 STOKE BRUERNE CANAL PARTNERSHIP ADOP TION GROUP WORK PARTY DATES

December 12th; January 10th; February 11th; March 11th; stokebruernecanalpartnership.org.uk

IWA Northampton Branch web site www.waterways.org.uk/northampton Please visit it regularly to see any updates

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Branch Chairman’s Jottings

by Bernard Morton FESTIVAL OF WATER 2015. A full head of steam is being worked up in the preparations for the eagerly-awaited 2015 Festival of Water at Becket’s Park in Northampton from the 29th - 31st August. This Bank Holiday weekend festival is being billed as a national event by the IWA and marketed as the Association’s principal “ rally” in 2015 now that national rallies are no longer held.

The latest organising committee meeting was due to be held in Northampton on 21st November (just too late to be reported in this Endeavour) but updates are published on the Branch website www.waterways.org.uk/northampton and so please consult this to find out how things are moving forward.

One of the aims of this meeting was to get all the organising bodies together along with volunteers from a wide spectrum of appropriate skills in order that, as a group, plans could be firmed up and schedules agreed with specific tasks and responsibilities allotted. As previously reported, the Festival is being organised under the Chairmanship of John Pomfret, a former IWA Region Chairman and a member of the Northampton Branch Committee alongside John Butler, Chairman of IWA Events Committee, as Deputy Chairman. As well as the IWA, the other key organising bodies are Northampton Borough Council, the Environment Agency and the Canal & River Trust with the Borough Council responsible for the land-based attractions and activities in Becket’s Park and the Branch organising boaters’ activities centred on the Lock Island. Local publicity, led by the Borough Council, will be steadily builtup during the spring and summer and it is hoped the public will respond by coming along in their thousands. Publicity directed at the waterways world and boaters in particular will be largely in the hands of the IWA. A “flyer” has already been doing the rounds for several months and interest is mounting.

No matter how many volunteers have already come forward, more will always be needed, especially during the Festival period. If you are interested in volunteering I am your first port of call. Contact details on the inside back page of Endeavour. I visited the equivalent 2014 Festival at Saul Junction on the Gloucester and Sharpness Ship Canal in August. It was a very well organised event by John Butler and his team – overall, pretty impressive. Now it’s our turn. I reckon we can do better!

ANNUAL BRANCH DINNER. A rather disappointing turn-out at our Branch annual dinner in October prompts questions yet again – are we holding it at the right venue; would people be happy to pay more; is it being held at the right (and potentially most popular) time of the year? In recent previous years attendances have varied, fluctuating between 30 and 70. There is little consistency no matter where the event is held. This year, for a third successive year, we were at the Heart of England pub right alongside the canal at Weedon. Several members came by boat. However, the attendance level was not particularly heartening at just around the 30 mark. Most

8 of the regulars were there; notable by their absence were the “ variables” and newcomers. Once again, it was a good meal at an affordable price, the service spot on.

A jovial atmosphere prevailed even if one of the noisiest tables did resort to playing I -spy!

So what now? Another change of venue, where perhaps the cost is higher; a change of date? Do we want to invite a guest speaker, possibly from the waterways world?

Entertainment perhaps? Over the years all these alternatives have been addressed and carri ed through. Some of our veteran members can recall the days when our Branch dinner was a black-tie affai r.

Therefore, I need to know what you think so your committee can discuss and formulate a programme – from the status quo to the Savoy Grill, as it were!

VIP VISITS ARM. CRT trustee John Dodwell made a welcome visit to the Northampton Arm to see our Task Party in action in late October and from reports I believe he left well impressed. He chose a sunny and warm Tuesday for his visit and found nearly a dozen volunteers, led by Geoff Wood, hard at work painting the balance beams etc at Lock 6. Litter-pickers had already finished their work from the Top Lock to Lock 13 and so everything was looking neat and tidy.

Geoff writes elsewhere in Endeavour on our adoption activities on the Arm. I can only urge anyone with the time to spare to join these twice-a-month Task Parties (details on page 4). The work can be as easy or onerous as you choose with the benefit of always being sociable occasions and a very practical way in which to get involved in Branch activities.

CARRY ON CRUISING. True canal and river enthusiasts raise their hands in horror when others refer to the “ cruising season”. To them there is no such thing. Keep your boats in commission the year round, they say. Why hibernate just because it’s a little chilly – break the ice if necessary.

I agree, but realistically we have to recognise there is a totally new breed of boaters about today, some of whom appear to have bought boats (with all the attendant gizmos) instead of country cottages and are indeed fair weather sailors despite carrying all mod cons on board, including central heating systems which are probably more effici ent and effective than the ones they have at home. I’ve heard old hands refer to them as the namby-pamby brigade, rather as northerners like to scoff at soft southerners. But they have their place on the waterways and every right to be there as the recreational side of the waterways is increasingly acknowledged and promoted. It’s inevitable; it’s the way of the world.

As I write at the end of October the weather is still balmy which has enabled everyone to extend their “ season”. What I’ve noticed is there are more people out and about on the towpaths which points to the fact that canals, in particular, are not just the preserve of boaters. They are an amenity to be enjoyed by all age groups. On the River Nene, where I am based, winter floods may impede our activities but happily the canals don’t flood in the same ferocious way as rivers (those moored on the River Tove at Stoke Bruerne might well dispute this!), so this is one less excuse to winterise your boat and pack it in for the duration. Carry on cruising, I say. Meanwhile, season’s greetings to you all.

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Braunston Canal Society Annual Report The end of 2014 will see us complete three years as a group and our second year with an Adoption agreement with CRT. It is difficult to put in a few words what we have achieved in that time. I believe our most important contribution is continuing maintenance and improvement of areas we have previously worked on. We are building an on-going asset which many can enjoy — boaters, walkers, cyclists and fishermen, locals and visitors. The link between the canal and the village is being strengthened. The feedback from everyone is positive and very encouraging.

The Lock Flight - Lock painting continues as long as the weather is fit, general tidying along with this and attention to the other mooring areas is also a continuous cycle.

The Junction Island - Maintenance of the island continues and we are now dealing with the overgrown verges on the towpath across the double bridges.

Stop House Garden – We have now had three years working on this area, and although there is still much to do, the general effect is now being appreciated and commented on by many people.

We continue to maintain (with help from the village) the footpath up to the village from Butchers Bridge. We litter pick an extended area at least twice a year and me mbers also cover our area on a regular basis.

Our work clearing overhanging vegetation was made possible not only with CRT`s assistance and advice but also by the efforts of Blisworth Canal P artnership and The Friends of Raymond who made those two weekends possible We are grateful for the financial help and on-going assistance and encouragement we have received locally — Midland Chandlers, Braunston Marina and Braunston P arish Council whilst the Northampton Branch of the IWA have continued to support our efforts since we started. CRT also do much to make our tasks easier; we very much appreciate the help and encouragement we receive from all their staff without exception.

There are many smaller but no less important tasks we undertake as and when they are required — stewarding for both the Braunston Marina and IWA events, helping with school visits, painting, vegetation clearance etc within our area and generally trying to keep our patch in the condition we would all like it to be.

Keep volunteering throughout the winter We endeavour to keep working through the winter. The weather is the major consideration but we have work that requires attention. The most important is off side vegetation clearance. Over the last two years the stretch from the Boathouse through to Butchers Bridge has been cut back to CRT specification. We should be able to revisit and clear this area this winter without the aid of chainsaws that were a necessity last time (we are grateful to Blisworth Canal P artnership for their assistance with this). P lans are in hand for CRT to loan us a workboat to undertake this work and will also provide the powered equipment we need. This work has to be completed before the end of March 2015. Details of our work parties are always available from Chris Burton – 01788 891546 / chris.burton7@btinternet.com.

Chris B urton

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NEW BRANCH MEMBERS ARE WELCOMED We extend a warm welcome to the following who have joined Northampton Branch since the last issue of Endeavour

NEW MEMBERS Mr I & Mrs S Stolber Daventry Mr M A Dale Kettering Mr T Hughes Towcester Mr M L & Mrs A J Witten Kettering Miss T Cole Northampton Mr C Neal & Family East Hunsbury Mr J Loasby Kettering MEMBERS WHO HAVE MOVED TO THE BRANCH Mr & Mrs R M Hall Ru sh d en Mr S & Mrs J Fordyce Yel v e r t of t

We look forward to meeting you all at Branch events

GO-AHEAD FOR NEW NENE MARINA Planners have given the go-ahead for a new 141-berth marina on the River Nene at White Mills Lock, Earls Barton. The development has been put forward by John and Debbie Skinner, of Pastures Farm at nearby Grendon.

A spokesman told the Northampton Chronicle and Echo: “ Once completed, White Mills Marina will provide moorers with unparalleled facilities including a modern, purpose-built facilities building with luxury toilets and showers and communal lounge and café for exclusive use by boaters. State-of-the-art security systems will ensure berths are secure and wi-fi internet will be available throughout the marina.”

Jackie lands our Treasurer Branch treasurer Alex Madisons was married to Jackie Clements on 10th October at the Mercurie Parkside Hotel, Milton Keynes. A bright start to married life with the sun shining on the happy couple. We all wish them well.

11 KEEPING SCULPTOR SHIPSHAPE Sculptor is the historic floating exhibit at the Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne.

IWA members are prominent among the membership of The Friends of The Canal Museum and over the years the Branch has donated towards the on-going restoration and maintenance costs incurred in keeping Sculptor shipshape. The following report from The Friends brings you up to date with the situation.

Sculptor has been out and about, been in dry dock, been on TV and reverted to her original work by carrying a heavy load of coal.

On the Friday of the Village at War weekend, Sculptor took an ITV crew through the tunnel to Blisworth, ITV Anglia broadcasting a news item about the tunnel on 22nd September. The footage may be accessed by going to Sculptor’s blog page.

At the Village at War event, Sculptor was towed from the top lock to the winding hole by Alan and Cath Fincher’s tug Sickle, which recreat ed a little bit of history as Sculptor was towed by Sickle to the north-west in 1948. On the Sunday, she followed Nutfield and Raymond down to the A508 and back.

Less than two weeks later Sculptor was off to Braunston to go into dry dock for inspection, blacking and repainting of the tunnel bands and fore-end. Steve Dean, Rob Westlake and Mike Gardner took her to Braunston. The same three plus Richard Cox, Phil Kidd and Kathryn Dodington worked on her over the three days she was in dry dock and Steve, Rob, Mike and Kathryn brought her home. She’s now looking a bit shiny but we are sure the water will do its best to make that fade in due course.

A week later Sculptor was partially loaded with coal in Stoke Bruerne to lighten the load on Julia Cook’s Bideford to enable Bideford to be taken out of the water at Dodford. Then she was off down to lock 19 to top up the load of coal to 15 tons — the first time we believe Sculptor has been loaded to this extent since at least 1988. Rob, Kathryn and Steve brought her back to Stoke Bruerne on a very wet Monday morning.

Not to be outdone by ITV, Sculptor was used by BBC Look East to enhance their report on CRT’s South East Waterways Partnership agm on 16th October.

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12 BRANCH COMMITTEE MEETINGS REVIEW September Treasurer’s Report Balance £6541.53 which includes £650 raised from the Boat Gathering and is ring-fenced for work on the Northampton Arm. A circular from Head Office informs us that VAT should be charged on advertisements. The committee agreed that discounts should continue.

Northampton Arm Adoption There had been a good turn out for the July Task Party, bolstered by a group of volunteers from Santander.

Branch Magazine/Website The website now includes the Braunston walk leaflet and the newly-amended Northampton Arm leaflet. There are also brief details about the Festival of Water 2015.

Membership There are currently 301 memberships equalling 480 members Northampton Festival of Water 2015 Bernard and Sandie Morton had visited Saul Pageant to recce what had been arranged there and met some of the IWA Events team. A press release had been issued about the Northampton Festival and both BBC Radio Northampton and the Chronicle and Echo had run items.

CRT It was noted that CRT had received extra income from its investments and therefore had more money to be distributed around the network.

Reports from Local Societies, Canal Partnerships etc Stoke Bruerne Canal Partnership – The Red Wheel ceremony had been very successful, with the trip through the tunnel on Charlie proving popular.

Friends of The Canal Museum (FOMC) -FOMC and the Parish Council are looking into purchasing a defibrillator for Stoke Bruerne with key-code access and training to be offered to local people. A site was being investigated but would probably be on the wall of the Museum. Another joint project with the Parish Council is to replace the picnic benches on the Museum Green. It was decided to donate £200 for each project providing the rest of the funding is found elsewhere.

Any Other Business There are now 14-day moorings at Gayton intermixed with the permanent ones. As the permanent moorings are vacated over time, this will result in a consolidation of 14-day moorings in this location.

13 October Treasurer’s Report Balance £6257.70. As previously advised, VAT charges are now to be applied to advertisements, with revised discount rates. Personal classified adverts can be accepted as donations and exempt from VAT. Northampton Festival of Water 2015 Northampton Borough Council have confirmed they will supply sites for the Festival, parking, camping at Delapre Abbey, power supplies, water, WCs, shower block (camping) and big screen for entertainment.

Northampton Marina is already fully booked. EA licences are likely to be confirmed as 2-for-1, eg two weeks for the price of one. CRT are expected to follow suit.

Nene Task Group/Regional Navigation Group It was reported that a new group, Friends of the River Nene, had been formed with 50+ members already and was active in establishing new mooring sites at Thrapston and Rushden with 3-4 others in the pipeline.

Reports from Local Societies, Canal Partnerships etc Stoke Bruerne Canal Partnership – A planning application for 12 interpretation panels and directional signs are being submitted. Speeding cyclists conflicting with pedestrians on the towpath are a problem. CRT cycling code is eagerly awaited. A “dismount” request for busy destinations, such as Stoke Bruerne, has been submitted.

Friends of Canal Museum (FOCM) — FOMC Events were the winners of the Recreation and Tourism Category of the Living Waterways Awards 2014.

Village at War has a provisional surplus of £10k. Carols on the Canal event on 6th December being attended by CRT’s Richard Parry and Neil Owen and local MP Andrea Leadsom.

November Matters Arising David Higgins confirmed that he was unable to continue on the committee since moving house. Steve Miles has resigned from the committee since moving to Oxford but has offered to help with the Boat Gathering.

Urgent Business A lengthy discussion took place about how the Branch should commemorate the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Northampton Arm on 1st May 1815. It was agreed that a celebratory gathering should be held

14 with invitations going to Branch members, Task Party workers, CRT, local and national dignitaries and local and waterways media etc. The gathering would centre around a barbecue to be held on Saturday 2nd May. The Gathering Sub Committee will discuss this at their planning meetings. It was thought some sort of commemorative plaque should be unveiled and the siting of this plaque was discussed. The Sanitary Station wall facing the junction at Gayton was considered at this stage to be appropriate .

Street furniture made of concrete and covered in mosaic was also suggested.

Treasurer’s Report Balance stood at £6056.55. The treasurer will notify advertisers that VAT will have to be charged from February 2015.

Northampton Arm Adoption Numbers attending Task Parties have been disappointing and three were cancelled due to weather and holidays. A recent Task Party attracted three new volunteers via the CRT website.

Northampton Festival of Water 2015 Booking forms for boaters, campers and traders were being finalised and would be available soon awaiting confirmation of special prices for short term EA licences. The next Events Committee meeting was to be held at the White Water Centre, Northampton, on 21st November. This was to be followed by an evening meeting for any volunteers/interested parties to find out more of what is planned.

CRT CRT Forum: Geoff Wood had attended (please his report on page 20).

Any Other Business Sam Line agreed to be co-opted onto the committee, proposed by Geoff Wood and seconded by Tony Clarke.

It was noted that Geoff Wood had been asked to become a lead volunteer for CRT. This reflects the high standard of organisation and leadership that Geoff has put into the Branch’s Task Parties, and he was warmly congratulated. Sam Line raised the issue of the Strong Stream notice on the river bank not being visible from Lock 17. Boaters have to exit the lock and go onto the river to see the notice, which could be very dangerous if strong stream conditions applied. It was agreed the Chairman should write to CRT’s Neil Owen about the possibility of erecting an EA Strong Stream sign close to Lock 17 to give boaters advance warning before leaving the lock.

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STOKE BRUERNE EVENTS WIN NATIONAL WATERWAYS AWARD The Friends of The Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne have scooped a national Living Waterways award recognising their annual Events Programme which, since 2006, has attracted thousands of visitors to the Museum, canal and village and raised more than £62,000 for the Museum and local community projects. The Living Waterways Awards, run by the Canal & River Trust and led by an independent panel of experts, recognise exceptional projects that are helping to care for canals and rivers across the UK, with the Museum Events Programme entered in the Recreation and Tourism category.

Tony Hales, Chairman of the Canal & River Trust, explains: “The Living Waterways Awards celebrate the individuals, communities and organisations that have done the most to make a difference to the nation’s historic canals and rivers - making them exciting places to live, learn and spend time. Our panel of independent experts has been tremendously impressed with the quality of projects submitted and we wish The Friends of The Canal Museum many congratulations on their tremendous success.”

Mick Butler, Chairman of the highly popular Village at War weekend at Stoke Bruerne, says: “ It’s gobsmacking to win and receive this award. Our events bring people to the canal and Stoke Bruerne and, through this, help keep the Canal Museum alive. The Friends Chairman, David Blagrove, was awarded an MBE this year and this award is the icing on the cake.”

The events hosted by the Museum include model boat displays, illuminated boats and carols, Christmas markets, guided walks, open gardens, auctions, special events for supporters, Blisworth Tunnel 25th anniversary, a 50th birthday party for the Museum, the Stoke Bruerne Family Festival as well as the Village at War weekend. All are well promoted via The Friends website, social media, leaflets, local businesses and other partners.

Helen Carey OBE DL, Chair of the Awards’ Assessment Panel, says: “These events clearly have a strong social impact, with a reach well beyond the canal community. The diverse events programme is helping to strengthen the reputation of Stoke Bruerne as a unique canalside destination, where the canal is seen as the high street.”

The winners of the 2014 Living Waterways Awards, which are sponsored by Keir, CPC Civils, Mick Butler (centre) flanked by Galliford Try and Hyder ConGeraint Jones, Hyder Consulting (left) and sulting, were announced on 24th Awards host Jim Hancock, receives September at a ceremony at The the award at the Leeds ceremony Royal Armouries in Leeds.

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Carols and Illuminated Boats at Stoke Bruerne The Friends of The Canal Museum’s Annual Carols, Illuminate d Boats and Christmas Market event will be ligh ng up the canal at Stoke Brue rne on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th Decembe r. On Saturday from 4.30pm onwards children from local prima ry schools will be lea ding ca rolle rs around a decorated Christmas Tree and a procession of illuminate d boa ts will be making its way along the canal led by trip boat Charlie which will the n ope rate special cruises to nea rby Blisworth Tunne l and back to view the lights. As well as seeing boats and joining in with the singing of ca rols, revellers will be able to visit the colourful canalside Chris tmas Market at The Naviga on pub togethe r with floa ng trade rs on the water — this will be running all weekend. As well as an opportunity to shop for seasonal gi0s, at the ca rols on Saturday there will be soup and hot chestnuts and visitors can expect to see cameo appearances from Santa Claus. The Boat Inn will also be ope ra ng special Santa boa t trips aboard Indian Chief through the tunnel and back all weekend with a gi0 for every child. More entertainment is planned on both days this year, so keep an eye on The Friends website at www.friendsofcanalmuseum.org.uk for full programme details nearer to the date.

The Friends invite local boaters to bring their decorated boats to the event and be part of the spectacle. A prize and cer ficate will be awarded to the best illuminated boat.

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Sonia Rolt and her love affair with the canals The following edited report is taken from CRT’s news and views website: We are sad to learn of the death on 22nd October of Sonia Rolt, aged 95, a truly amazing person who gave so much of her life to our waterways and has left a wonderful legacy.

Sonia is known for being the widow of Tom, or LTC Rolt, the writer and engineer whose book Narrow Boat is widely credited for saving the inland waterway network. She was also, however, a remarkable woman in her own right: a former Vice-President of the IWA, an author, campaigner and recipient of the OBE in 2010 for services to industrial archaeology and heritage.

Sonia Rolt was born Sonia South. Her early years brought her no contact with the canals but when World War 2 was declared, after a brief spell at the Hoover factory at Perivale in West London, working on the insides of Lancaster bombers, she became one of the now revered Idle Women.

The Idle Women (as they were unflatteringly labelled at the time) took on the backbreaking labour of transporting essential cargoes by canal, when the boatmen who usually did this work were conscripted. When Sonia joined the Idle Women she had no knowledge of the canals, but her new venture led to a life-long love affair with our inland waterways.

Sonia married a working boatman, George Smith, and stayed on the canals after the war.

She became increasingly politically active – campaigning for better conditions for the boat people – and eventually met Tom at a screening of Painted Boats in 1945.

Sonia and Tom spent much of their time campaigning for the future of the British canal system, and their efforts directly contributed to the formation of the Inland Waterways Association in 1946. They were actively involved with the IWA for many years, with Sonia going on to become a Vice President.

Sonia Rolt on a canal trip in 1987 aboard Ronaldsway

19 The couple married, had two children and moved to Tom’s childhood home at Stanley Pontlarge, near Winchcombe in Gloucestershire, where Sonia still lived until the end of her life. Her love of historic buildings led to her work as a furnisher and librarian for the Landmark Trust and later, the National Trust, and she has been an active member of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings for many years.

In recent years Sonia edited and wrote introductions to several of Tom’s books – and in 1997 she wrote A Canal People, The Photographs of Robert Longden.

Through the publication of Narrow Boat, Sonia’s second husband Tom deservedly became the oft-quoted saviour of the inland waterways. However, it is clear that our treasured canals and rivers are better places thanks to the tireless efforts and dedication of Sonia Rolt herself.

Sonia’s local connections Sonia was a valued supporter and an Honorary Member of The Friends of The Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne.

Tom Rolt, Sonia’s husband, bought Cressy from his uncle, Kyrle Willans, who lived at Milton Malsor, a couple of miles or so from Stoke Bruerne. Tom’s voyage with his first wife Angela on Cressy in 1939 - 40 was chronicled in his book Narrow Boat which captured the spirit of the fast-declining waterways and culminated in the formation of the IWA in 1946.

In the 1950s Tom surveyed and documented the construction of the M1 through Northamptonshire.

Now fully open

Local Crafts & Gifts

WHILTON MARINA CHANDLERY

THE CANAL SHOP at Stoke Bruerne

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Diesel ♦ Pump out Well stocked chandlery ♦ Groceries

Pay us a visit, just browse and see what we have to offer Open daily 9am –6pm ALL YEAR ROUND Te l 01327 844639 E-mail: marinachandlery@gmail.com

Now re-opened under the new management of Sue Austin, who warmly welcomes all visitors Crocheted lacework a speciality Special offer –10% off for boaters O pen Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11am - 3pm until the end of March Contact 07760 778638 You will ind The Canal Shop opposite the Museum at Stoke Bruerne

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Northampton Arm Task Party Update, November 2014 Geoff Wood writes: Since the start of July we have run five Task Parties but unfortunately had to cancel three others due to bad weather and holiday/work commitments. This still gave us 122 volunteer hours over this period. The numbers of people attending has fallen, but I think that is to be expected due to holidays.

That aside we have carried out the following:The painting of the hut at Lock 1 has been completed.

Lock 6 and the associated bollards have been painted.

The Sanitation Station area weeded and a large kitchen worktop cut up and disposed of.

Litter picked from Lock 1 to the M1 motorway bridge.

If the weather stays ok, we will continue with lock painting. If not we will revert to the Lock 17 area and litter pick up to Briar Hill.

As I have said before, if you have not tried one of our Task Parties, please come along and give it a go. You will be made very welcome.

CRT Wate rways Forum, Autumn 2014 Representing the Branch, I attended the above meeting held at Braunston on Tuesday, 21st October.

The Branch submitted two questions, the first being:On a recent trip (end August/early September) which included the Leicester Line south of Welford, the state of overgrown vegetation on both the towpath side and offside of the canal between Welford and Crick was appalling. In several places the already narrow canal has been reduced to single file, and in others the vegetation is severely restricting visibility, especially round bends. With the inevitable increase in usage of this section of canal due to the relatively new marina at Yelvertoft (together with its proposed extension), and another under construction at North Kilworth, when do CRT intend to rectify the situation?

The response was:Offside vegetation is undertaken on a cyclical basis. We had originally envisaged that the programme would take three years to cover the entire waterway based upon the fact that the works can only be undertaken from the water and, for environmental reasons, only be undertaken between November and February. The original cycle took five years and this has now been completed. We are now starting the repeat works and currently have five boats planned to undertake offside works as follows:South Oxford Canal, commencing at Duke’s Cut working north.

Grand Union Leicester Section, commencing at Norton Junction which will address the section raised.

Market Harborough, working towards Foxton and then north.

21 Aylesbury Arm, Wendover Arm, Tring Summit and south at Apsley.

Northampton Arm, commencing January 2015 following the stoppage works, then south on the Grand Union to address issues at Blisworth Tunnel.

The second question was:Could CRT outline the work programed for the Northampton Arm during the forthcoming stoppage season after the navigation feedback that was given by boaters during the summer and the trip up and down the Arm in July by working n/b Aldgate with a CRT engineer in attendance.

The response was:The Northampton works include reed cutting, offside cutting and in some locations towpath cutting. The plan is still being compiled as these works are not due to start until after Christmas, but will include all areas identified on the trip in July.

From CRT’s winter stoppage programme, it is planned to carry out the following:Replacement of top gate at Northampton Arm Lock 2. Replacement of top and bottom gates at Northampton Arm Lock 13. Repairs to lock gates to stop leaks and repairs to lock structures.

The stoppage is from 24th November to 19th December 2014 and I along with other committee members will make regular visits to see how the work is progressing.

This will be a good opportunity to get the Arm in some sort of shape ready for the Festival in August 2015.

Friends of The River Nene group is set up Af ter much deliberation and consideration, a small group of local boaters based at various points on the River Nene decided to lobby like-minded people to gauge whether a new organisation could be formed with the aim of improving the f acilities available for river users.

An open meeting, held at the Woodf ord Sports and Social Club on September 26 th, confirmed that there was a need for an active, progressive group‌ and the Friends of The River Nene was born. On the night a committee was formed to steer the new organisation through its formation and management, and 29 of the attendees became members.

The committee, since this f irst meeting, has secured f ive new 48-hour mooring sites for use by its members, these being at Islip, Ditchford, Woodford (two sites) and Thrapston.

Additional mooring sites are currently being negotiated towards both the Northampton and Peterborough ends of the river.

Our Facebook page (f riends of the river nene) now has in excess of 125 followers, our web site is currently under construction and our f irst newsletter is being compiled since we believe that communication is f undamental to maintain the support of members.

Membership of FOTRN is open to anyone. More inf ormation on our current activities, along with a membership form, is available on our Facebook page.

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TRANSPORT TRUST PRESENTS A RED WHEEL TO BLISWORTH TU NNEL In the early 1980s, Blisworth Tunnel was forced to shut because it was perilously close to collapsing. This near catastrophe severed an historically important trade route between London and Birmingham which, during the 19th century, had helped to fuel the nation’s Industrial Revolution.

It is the longest navigable wide canal tunnel in the country and its reopening in 1984, after several years of closure, was a key moment in the renaissance of the nation’s canal network. Now, 30 years on, the tunnel has been presented with a Red Wheel plaque by the Transport Trust in recognition of the historical importance of this amazing engineering success.

The nationwide Red Wheel scheme, commemorating transport sites of historical interest, was launched in 2009, and is similar to the English Heritage Blue Plaques.

James Clifton, Enterprise Manager for the Canal & River Trust, said: “Today is a double celebration and we are absolutely delighted that the Transport Trust has chosen to award Blisworth Tunnel with this Red Wheel plaque 30 years after the tunnel was reopened.

“This award recognises the efforts of the many workers who dug the tunnel virtually by hand which, once opened, connected London and the Midlands by canal.”

Stuart Wilkinson, Chairman of the Transport Trust, said: “We are delighted to be making this award today. Our 200-year old canal network is an outstanding example of Britain's transport The Red Wheel is fixed to the forge building at the Stoke Bruerne entrance heritage and, to Blisworth Tunnel. Pictured after its unveiling are, from left, within it, CRT’s James Clifton, David Laing (Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire), Blisworth the Hon Sir William McAlpine Bt (President of the Transport Trust) Tunnel was and Dr Nigel Crowe (CRT Head of Heritage) the final link in the London to Birmingham Grand Junction Canal the M1 of its day. It deserves to be better known.”

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Branch Annual Dinner The Branch annual dinner, held at The Heart of England at Weedon, proved to be the usual convivial affair although the attendance was lower than in previous years. The highlight of the evening was the raffl e which raised £73 for the Buckingham Canal Society.

See Chairman’s Jottings on page 7 for more comment.

Society Chairman Athina Beckett gratefully accepting the donation (in hard cash) from Bernard Morton

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CANAL VILLAGE GOES BACK OVER 70 YEARS IN TIME Stoke Bruerne plays host to WW2 re-enactors Thousands of visitors flocked to Stoke Bruerne’s annual Village at War weekend in September to enjoy the popular 40s spectacle organised by The Friends of The Canal Museum and villagers. This WW2 vintage event, which is now in its 7 th year and Photo: James Rudd has won many awards and accolades, featured two aerial displays, one each day, with a Dakota and Hurricane from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight buzzing the skies over the village.

Living history groups and individual re-enactors such as policemen, spivs, Air Raid Wardens, American GI’s, the Free French and Land Army girls came from all over the country to entertain and show visitors some idea of what life was like in wartime Britain. The glamorous singer Lola Lamour and George Formby (aka Paul Casper) performed to packed audiences on the Alhambra Stage (under the arches of the canal bridge) and in the NAAFI tent. Wartime fare like spam sandwiches and bread and dripping were available and Monty, King George VI and Churchill were on hand to carry out troop inspections. Tanks and The Dakota flying over Stoke Bruerne all kinds of military vehicles were on disP hoto: Kathryn Dodington play, the local Northampton Home

25 Guard were on parade and regular air raids sent visitors running for cover.

The fashion parade at the church was a big WOW with visitors, many of whom went on to learn how to dance the hokey-cokey at the Village Hall Tea Dance before sipping a well earned cuppa at the Nippy Tea Rooms (aka Village Photo: Ly nda Pay ton School). And, of course, there were the colourful vintage canal boats packing the towpath, many of which played important roles carrying vital supplies for the war effort.

New additions this year included a ‘M ake Do and Mend’ cabaret with Marjorie Cartright-Jones in the NAAFI and energetic jive dance lessons from the Swingsters at the Village Hall, not to forget the opportunity to see new WW1 and WW2 displays in the Canal Museum about the role of canals.

All in all, the weekend was action packed with plenty to see and do for all the family. A financial surplus of around £10,000 was achieved.

David Blagrove, Chairman of The Friends said: ”This year we have once again been blessed with wonderful weather which has ensured a huge turnout and everyone has enjoyed themselves immensely. I am immensely grateful for all Photo: Ly nda Pay ton the volunteer effort which has gone into making Village at War such an enormous success, raising funds to help support our Museum as well as other local and waterway charities and I look forward to doing it all again next year.”

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Ol d Stager reveals...

WHAT THE LORD BROUGHT UPON NOAH IN 1982 I am going back to 1982 for the following article. Entitled “Conscience and the Flood”, it was written by former IWA Northampton Branch committee me mber Harvey Cooke and appeared originally in the January issue of the Branch newsletter that year. As far as I can trace, no-one seems to have kept copies of our newsletters from so far back and therefore I am indebted to Rodney Hardwick who has a collection of old “Union” journals recording the activities of the Old Union Canals Society and who found in his archives the July 1982 issue which reproduced this article. It is prefaced by a comment from “Union” editor David Goodwin, thus: “It is quite simply the funniest thing I have read in ages, and I wish I had written something half as good...”

It was Mid-Summer night, hot and humid, the clouds raced across the full moon, a thunderstorm was brewing. The Section Inspector slept fitfully - the stoppage was behind schedule, the boats were waiting, the Minister for Stoppages had visited the site, there was much aggravation.

The clouds cast a shadowy bearded effigy on the bedroom wall resembling the Chief Engineer as a holy man reminiscent of the Lord himself. The Section Inspector sat bolt upright, his eyes staring and seeing himself resembling Noah in conversation thus: The Lord said unto Noah, ‘Why is this stoppage not yet completed, work which I had commanded you to do by last Friday?’

And Noah said unto the Lord, ‘Verily, I have three bricklayers off ill. The new workboat hath not yet arrived yea, even though its main advantage is that it hath used much of my budget, and Lord, the cheaper bricks hath not arrived, in spite of placing the order many moons ago.’

And the Lord said unto Noah, ‘I charge you to complete this stoppage even after another 7 days and 7 nights.’

And Noah said, ‘It will be so.’

And it was not so.

And the Lord said, ‘What seemeth to be the trouble this time?’

27 And Noah said unto the Lord, ‘M ine piledriver hath broken a sprocket and mine dredger is stuck fast in the bridge ‘o le Lord, and the pump will not pump in spite of paying the monthly invoice. The tar which you commandest me to put on the balance beams is too thick and the white paint will not dry. Mine foreman hath gone on strike in the tea hut on the old workflat, Lord. Shem, my brother who helpeth me on the sub- contract side of the work hath formed a pop group with his brothers Ham and Japheth; Lord, I am undone.’

And the Lord grew angry saying, ‘And what about the paddle gear and the gates both top and bottom?’

And Noah wrung his hands and wept saying, ‘L ord, paddle racks are a discontinued line - thou canst not get them for love nor money. And it hath just been told unto me that lock gates are now available only in threes - to suit the Northampton Arm. Lord, Thou knowest how it is.’

And the Lord in his wisdom pondered and seth, ‘Noah my son, I know - why dost thou think I have caused a flood to descend upon the earth?’

Whereupon the clouds totally obscured the moon, a flash of lightning crossed the sky and the rains came.

SAVE THE BR ANC H MON EY! Stop receiving Endeavour by post and instead get it electronically.

You will be notified by email when it’s published on-line. This will save in postage and printing costs. The printed version will be available at Branch meetings. Contact Geoff Wood at geoff.wood@waterways.org.uk and he will organise it.

Editor

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Buckingham Canal Society Athina Beckett writes : Our annual festival was held over the weekend of 19th-20th July and again proved to be a very successful event. This time we had Cosgrove Village Hall booked for a Craft Fair as well. An unsettled weather forecast was predicted for the weekend but the rain held off allowing us to hold our fish and chip supper outside this year.

On the restoration side, most of our work parties have been carried out at Cosgrove and those of you who attended our festival may have walked down the Buckingham Arm to see the progress that has been made. Two bunds have now been completed and a third one started. The credit for this work must go to our volunteers and the outside companies which have joined us this year. A record number of outside groups have been involved on corporate days, with several new companies working with us for the first time.

The siphon system which brings water from the section in water to the once dry section, installed earlier in the year, is working well and the water is flowing from bund one into bund two. This is being monitored and checked on a regular basis with water readings being taken by several of our volunteers. Before the festival the area around the siphon was strimmed allowing visitors a much clearer view of the canal in water. Having water in the canal at Cosgrove has been a long time coming but walkers and others can now see its potential when they walk along the canal whereas before there was only a dry canal bed to look at!

In the meantime our regular work parties have returned to the Hyde Lane nature reserve site to carry out some maintenance work there. A small group, led by equipment manager Jonathan Brown, has been keeping the vegetation under control but more work is now required to keep this site looking its best to the public enjoying the Ouse Valley Walk.

Rotten fence posts have been replaced, the grass strimmed, the hedges trimmed back and a considerable amount of weeding has taken place. Reeds were removed from the canal bed last year but these have regrown, so once again we have a very muddy task for some of our volunteers who enjoy this type of work.

Having spent most of the year at Cosgrove working on the bunds, activities at the nature res erve site give our volunteers a chance to try their hands at different tasks at a different site, with more variety of work, especially for new volunteers.

The weekend of 13th-14th September proved to be a very busy time for the Society.

As well as our regul ar Sunday work party, we took part in the Village at War weekend at Stoke Bruerne, raising over ÂŁ200 for the Society. And as part of the Heritage Weekend on Sunday 14th September, I led a walk along the Buckingham Arm with 14 people in attendance.

Meanwhile, our present treasurer is standing down, so if anyone could help with this very important role, or knows of anyone who would be interested, would they please contact me, Athina Beckett, on 01908 662127

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SUPPLIES We are a fa mily run, customer friendly business based adjacent to Bridge 32 at Nether Heyford. Our service point is clear of moored boats making your stop quick and easy. We offer the following services:

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CHARNWOOD STOVES – all sizes of multi-fuel stoves with or without boilers MORRIS OILS – popular grades of engine oil plus water resistant grease FUEL SET FUEL CONDITIONER

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Open: 8.00am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 1.00pm on Saturdays

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01604 862428 www.boatinn.co.uk

RECYCLING REMINDER The Branch recycles ink jet cartridges and mobile phones to raise cash to help local projects.

Please bring them along to Branch meetings or ring 01604 248582 to arrange collection.

Please no Epson ink tanks.

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RICHARD GILL BSc, MABSE BOAT SAFE TY TESTIN G

BW A ND E A A PPR OVE D

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For further details, either visit or ring O1604 859726 / 07761 833049 The IWA may not agree with opinions expressed in this magazine, but encourages publication as a matter of interest. Nothing printed may be construed as policy or an official announcement unless so stated, otherwise the Association accepts no liability for any matter in the magazine.

Neither the editor nor IWA can accept responsibility for any errors or omissions in the magazine, and opinions stated are those of individual contributors. We will, however, gladly publish corrections if notified. The editor reserves the right to shorten or modify articles published in the interests of clarity or space.

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ADVERTISING All advertisements must comply with the requirements of the Trades Descriptions Act and avoid misrepresentation of goods offered for sale. The Business Advertisements (Disclosure) Order 1977 requires that businesses seeking to sell goods must clearly indicate this in an advertisement.

CO MMERCIAL RATES

CLASSIFIEDS

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(suggested donations) £1.50 for 22 words, 15p each additional word £3.50 for box around classified advertisement (nb. telephone numbers count as one word) £3.50 for photographs

10% discount for 4 issues paid yearly in advance 5% discount for 4 issues paid quarterly

BRANCH SOCIAL MEETINGS Regular Branch Social Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month from September to May inclusive at

THE WALNUT TREE INN, BLISWORTH, at 8pm All members and non-members welcome.

Food and drink available

NEXT MEETINGS Tuesday, 9th December Mick and Catriona Butler — Christmas Quiz

Tuesday, 13th January Speaker: Richard Thomas — The River Lee, Luton to Leyton

Tuesday, 10th February Speaker Peter Boyce — Restoration of Wooden Boats

Tuesday, 10th March AGM followed by Steve Morley — A Tale of Two Canal Camps The next edition of Endeavour will be published February 2015

35

WHO’S WHO IN NORTHAMPTON BRANCH 2014/2015 Branch Chairman Bernard Morton 07785 375787 E-mail: bernard.morton @waterway s.org.uk

Branch Meetings Graham Treagus E-mail: graham.treagus @waterway s.org.uk

Branch Secre tary Sandie Morton E-mail: sandie.morton @waterway s.org.uk

Treasurer

Boat Gathering Chairman Michael Butler E-mail: michael.butler @waterway s.org.uk

Alex Madisons E-mail: alex.madisons @waterway s.org.uk

Newsletter & Joint Website Editor

Planning Officer Helen Westlake E-mail: helen.westlake @waterway s.org.uk

Tony Clarke 07939 977859 E-mail: tony .clarke @waterway s.org.uk

Publicity Officer & Joint Website Editor

Committee Member John Pomfret E-mail: john.pomfret @waterway s.org.uk

Lynda Payton

Committee Member

E-mail:ly nda.pay ton @waterway s.org.uk

Sam Line E-mail: sam.line @waterway s.org.uk

Membership Secretary Geoff Wood E-mail: geoff.wood @waterway s.org.uk

Boat Gathering Sub-Committee members

Non-Committee posts Sales: Catriona Butler 01604 473756 Endeavour Assistant Editor/ Advertising & Distribution, Archivist Roger Hasdell 01604 248582

Michael Butler (Chairman), Catriona Butler, Linda Clarke, Tony Clarke, Alex Madisons, Steve Miles, Bernard Morton, Sandie Morton, John Pomfret and Eric Young.