Aegre July 2013

A Journal from the East Midlands Region, celebrating Volunteers in Summer 2013

Aegre 136 - Summer 2013 Page 1

Aegre is published Š 2013 by the East Midlands Region Committee of the Inland Waterways Association for members of Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Branches.

Chairman

John Pomfret, db Drijfhuis, Braunston Boats Ltd, Bottom Lock, Dark Lane, Braunston, Daventry NN11 7HJ Tel 01788 891027

Vice-Chairman

Dave Carnell, Conifer Cottage, North End, Goxhill DN19 7JX Tel: 01469 530138

Leicestershire Branch Chairman

Ian McDonald, 68 Leicester Road, Thurcaston, Leicester LE7 7JG Mobile: 07950 003383

Lincolnshire Branch Chairman

Dave Carnell (as above)

Notts. & Derbys Branch Chairman

Vacant. Contact Mike Snaith, below.

Region Planning Officer & Notts & Derbys Branch

Mike Snaith, Hawthorne Cottage, 70 Main St, Gunthorpe, Nottingham NG14 7EU

Secretary & WRG

John Baylis, 215 Clipstone Rd West, Forest Town, Mansfield NG19 0HJ Tel: 01623 621208

Editor for Aegre: Peter Hill, 7 Lock Keeper’s Way, Louth, Lincolnshire LN11 0GQ Tel: 01507 602713; e-mail: aegre@waterways.org.uk Printing: This is the web version, with low definition pictures.

Picture credits: Front cover: Various IWA sources. Other picture credits page 6.

Inland Waterways Association: Registered Office; Island House, Moor Road, Chesham HP5 1WA. Registered as a Charity No: 212342.

Tel: 0845 4501146 Website: http://www.waterways.org.uk The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Inland Waterways Association or of the East Midlands Region. They are published as being of interest to our members and other readers.

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AEGRE Summer 2013 No. 136 Contents Canal Societies and Trusts in the EM Region.............................4 The Editor’s Flotsam and Jetsam.................................................5 Picture Credits..............................................................................6 News from Leicestershire.............................................................7 Cromford Canal Meetings............................................................8 Lincolnshire Happenings..............................................................9 Aegre, Aegir, Eagre, Haygir... 2013...........................................12 British Inland Waterways on the air............................................13 News from Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.............................15 Meetings in West Bridgford........................................................20 Lock Keeping at Fradley............................................................21 Journals Received......................................................................22 Heritage in the Marshes.............................................................23 Chesterfield Canal Trust Events................................................27

Next issue probably to be published in November 2013. Contributions to the editor by the end of September 2013 please.

The space on the right is for local contact information.

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Canal Societies and Trusts in the EM Region Derby & Sandiacre Canal Society Erewash Canal P & D Association

Chris Madge, c/o 62 Broadway, Duffield, Derby DE56 4BU Tel: 07827 946444 www.derbycanal.org.uk

Howard Smith, 1 Millfield, Kimberley, Nottingham NG16 2LJ Tel: 0115 9384129 www.erewashcanalpreservationanddevelopmentassoc.org.uk

Foxton Inclined Plane Trust

Foxton Canal Museum, Middle Lock, Gumley Road, Market Harborough LE16 7RA Tel: 0116 2792657 www.fipt.org.uk

Friends of the Cromford Canal

Mike Kelley, 50 Beech Avenue, Alfreton, Derbyshire, DE55 7EW www.cromfordcanal.org.uk

Grantham Canal Society

Mike Stone, 7, Crow Park Drive, Burton Joyce, Nottingham NG14 5AS; Tel: 0115 931 3375 www.granthamcanal.com

Louth Navigation Trust

John Stanbridge, Navigation Warehouse, Riverhead, Louth LN11 0DA Tel: 01507 605496 www.louthcanal.org.uk

Melton & Oakham Waterways Society

Richard Booth, Sysonby Knoll, Asfordby Road, Melton Mowbray LE13 0HP Tel: 01664 503330 www.meltonwaterways.co.uk

Sleaford Navigation Trust

Steve Hayes, 10 Chelmer Close, N Hykeham, Lincoln LN6 8TH Tel: 01522 689460 www.sleafordnavigation.co.uk

Trent and Mersey Canal Society

10 Long Lane, Middlewich, Cheshire CW10 0BL. Tel: 01606 834471 www.tamcs.org.uk

Rescue practice at Holme Slalom course. See report page 15.

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The Editor’s Flotsam and Jetsam An underlying theme of this issue of “Aegre” is the valuable contribution that volunteers can make to almost any activity, given the right spirit of co-operation from all those involved.

In just the last couple of months I have had the opportunity to look at some of our canals and rivers at relative leisure, both on board a boat, and as a “gongoozler”, taking an interest in all those strange things that boaters do.

help. Do join in something to suit you.

It is fun, you meet nice people, and maybe get your boots and hands dirty in a good cause.

The concrete examples in the articles in this issue, such as the volunteers keeping drainage pumping stations working (page 23) are also a valuable reserve in real emergency - and show the willingness of the official body involved to put money and effort into “facilitating” the volunteer effort.

At other times I have seen things done Another example of professionals by those “in the business” which have going that extra mile came my way on surprised me because of the willingness of those involved to go beyond simply responding to the requirements of the job. Perhaps because of the newspaper approach that “only bad news is news” we tend to get a bit pessimistic sometimes.

Later on we have an illustration of co-operation between an official body, concerned with drainage in the marshes, and teams of volunteers.

These are not really navigable waters, except perhaps in a canoe or kayak, but the long-standing mutual help is a lesson we could all learn from.

There is also a report from Fradley on volunteer help with the locks there.

Amongst our Branch reports there is more scope for volunteers. Leicester in particular, and also Notts and Derby in the near future, need your

RCR in action Aegre 136 - Summer 2013 Page 5

the Trent and Mersey. Sitting quietly by a bridge watching the sun go down, we saw a boat moor close by, apparently in a bit of a rush to do so, and with strange noises coming from the engine. A lady emerged with a copy of the Nicholson book, and asked “Please where are we?”. This we were able to tell, and it emerged that they had engine problems and needed to call “River Canal Rescue “ for help, and of course had to say where they were by bridge number.

This was now about 5.30 in the afternoon.

vious page). The problem was solved, advice given to avoid a recurrence, and odd small helpful things done along the way, all in return for a cold drink from the boat owners. He finally left as darkness was falling, having worked a good two hours beyond any usual “going home” time. Good job, courteously done.

I am not advertising RCR, but in case they needed any, it was also interesting, on a separate occasion, to see about nine white vans of RCR assembled, and about a dozen of their people “messing about in boats”. It turned After a short wait, but gone 6 pm, a out to be a training session on what to young man appeared along the towdo in case of a drifting boat, maybe path with a heavy bag of kit. He asked with an unconscious person on board. various questions of the boat owners, The whole procedure seemed to be who had invited us to stay along, and very thorough, and reminded me of attacked the cooling system of the the type of training the RYA do for engine which was plainly overheating. safety boat handlers and CRT do for This turned out to be due to lack of volunteers. water, in turn due to two subtle leaks.

All this took time, and in the course of the work he recovered a screwdriver Best wishes for the rest of the season, F which had been dropped in the cut by stay safe and enjoy the waterways. the client (see our picture on the prePeter W

Picture Credits We are most grateful to all of the following, who have contributed photographs or other illustrations to enhance this edition of Aegre: Ian McDonald; Dave Carnell; Mike Snaith; John Baylis; Rod Auton; David Brown, and as noted for specific articles. Some photographs in this issue are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic Licence. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/.

The authors concerned are: Gayton Engine - Kate Jewell, Fradley - John Carver. Other attributions: Staythorpe - FW3WhiteLabel. Betjeman statue F Railway Technology.

W Aegre 136 - Summer 2013 Page 6

News from Leicestershire (Notes from a new chairman)

As you may recall, John Evans wrote his last piece for Aegre under the banner of Retiring Chairman, and he was only retiring because he was unable to continue. He has been one of my friends for many years, a friendship that was cemented by IWA membership. What a fantastic Chairman he was and he fought long and hard to try to get more of our members to participate in our branch activities, and in particular to get others to come along and join the committee.

I feel strongly that it is unreasonable for us to expect a speaker to travel what could be a considerable distance, at night, after a day at work and possibly through bad weather to address a mere handful of our members and guests.

Please try to support us in our future meetings.

Nobody volunteered to join the committee at the AGM and it closed with just Jim Evans, Herbert Eppel, and me on the committee. Having been on the committee since the first steering group meeting that led to the formation of the branch in Leicestershire, I have been persuaded to take on the chairmanship again, despite the fact that I am absent boating for half of the year.

We held a crisis meeting in the hour before the AGM and decided we would try to keep going, and have since had two other meetings at which Debbie & Andrew Shephard and Michael Handford volunteered and were co-opted onto the committee.

As a first step we intend to run meetings, arranged by the Shephards, on alternate months with the first on October 10th at The Gate Hangs Well when Phil Clayton will talk about the BCN. This year our always popular Christmas party will be organised by Debbie & Andrew in the form of a Fish & Chip supper and a quiz on December 12th (bring your own drinks), venue to be confirmed. The following meetings are our AGM on February 13th and then on April 11th. Both of these are at The Gate with topics yet to be confirmed.

Dear friends and fellow branch members, please give us some support. As I have said at meetings, I love the meetings as through them Carol & I have met some really lovely friends with whom we share a common love of the Aegre 136 - Summer 2013 Page 7

waterways. If you have never come to a meeting you don’t know what or who you have missed. If you have been before, why not come again. If the topics of the meetings don’t sound interesting, perhaps they are poorly described for they are almost invariably good talks, but if you want a talk on a particular topic, let us know and we will try to arrange it.

We are hoping to minimise our postage costs and greatly appreciate it if we can send information to you by email. Some of you have let us have your email addresses; it would be wonderful if more of you could do so. If you email the revised membership information to IWA Head Office at membership@waterways.org.uk they will amend their records so that when we circulate our members by email it will be sent to you. Please do so, and please join us at our October meeting and find out what you have been missing.

We have had several of our members helping out in volunteer efforts on the waterways. Beryl has a group that keeps Mountsorrel Lock looking good.

Others of us have been to some of the CRT arranged regular sessions on the cut. I have tried to arrange our own sessions but have had insufficient response to set them up but if more of our members come forward I will be pleased to fix up sessions. If you want to help, contact me and I’ll be only too pleased to talk or email about it.

I look forward to seeing many of you very soon, and especially to welcoming you to our meetings. My email is ian.mcdonald@waterways.org.uk and my phone is 07950 003383.

Cromford Canal Meetings All social meetings are held at Ironville Church Hall (SK435518) at 7.30 pm unless otherwise noted. For any queries contact Mike Kelley on 01773 833425. A contribution of £2 is asked for, except at The Hayes, where tickets are £3.

September 16th. Fame within five miles of Alfreton, by Ray Sunderland.

October 21st. Black Diamonds, by Wendy Freer.

Leawood Pump steam days are planned for August 3rd, 4th, 25th and 26th; October 5th and 6th, and November 2nd and 3rd.

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Lincolnshire Happenings

Boat Watch Scheme As promised in my last report we can bring you up-todate with contact details of the Lincs Alert Boat Watch scheme. At the AGM held at Lincoln Boat Club initial discussions were held with the Police on this community reporting and messaging scheme. Since then liaison has taken place with CRT East Midlands, the Environment Agency (Nene and Lincolnshire Waterways), Lincolnshire Waterways Partnership, RYA East Midlands and a number of Boat Clubs and Canoe Clubs. It is very encouraging to report support from all, as well as very useful advice from Cambridgeshire Police, who run a similar scheme. And of course boats can move from one region to another. Work to provide boaters with an information pack is nearly complete, and it is hoped to have a launch event later this year.

To get advance information you can speak to the Watchline Administrator on 01522 558146 or via the website www.lincolnshirealert.co.uk. Even if you are resident outside the Lincolnshire area you can still join if for example your craft is moored within the County.

River Levels and Silt Levels The earlier prolonged dry weather had allowed the land to dry out and the low water levels on the River Witham in particular are being gradually raised to normal summer depths. To prevent flooding of land and property during the extremely wet times the EA ran off the river and its adjoining waterways.

On the River Slea large amounts of silt that had built up over a number of years have been dislodged and passed through Taylor’s Lock (Bottom Lock) chamber into the Kyme Eau to Chapel Hill. The buildup of silt and a large submerged log in the lock prevented the mitre Aegre 136 - Summer 2013 Page 9

gates closing. The Slea Navigation Trust enlisted the help of the Police Diving section to remove the debris as part of their training programme. A job well done, in good time for the May Boat Gathering. However with further wet weather the chamber had again to be used to relieve water levels in the Slea and once again silt had to be removed to allow use of the mitre gates.

South Kyme Boat Gathering Cancelled.

Sadly the Boat Gathering at South Kyme on the River Slea had to be cancelled due to the sand bar and accompanying silt blocking boat access to Taylor’s Lock.

An unsuccessful attempt was made on the Thursday before the Bank Holiday by narrow boats Ida-Way and Nell, aided by EA staff running water through the lock chamber. Both boats became firmly stuck across the channel. Initial efforts to free them failed; however success was achieved by the EA Land Rover fitted with a winch. Ida-Way tried again later but was not successful, having to be towed off with the aid of a 60 foot rope by Nell.

Despite the disappointment involved, the Village Festival went ahead over the weekend. Boat crews moored at Tattershall and travelled there by car from the river.

Correspondence alerting the EA to the problem has resulted in an on-site meeting taking place with the Trust. They have suggested working in partnership with the Trust in maintaining the lock island vegetation. This would free up volunteers’ time for work on other sites.

A separate meeting with the Parish Council raised the impact on the village of boats being unable to attend the event, and also concerns at bank erosion being caused by the inconsistent and rapid run-off of water. In both cases the EA stated they did not have funds for silt removal unless damage to properties was involved. They would however assist in obtaining consents for third party removal. The silt coming from land could possibly be returned to bank for fields.

Planning A number of planning applications have come to light that could impact on the waterways. Three in the Sleaford area: 1) renewing the rail bridge to the north of the town; 2) a canopy that projects over the towing path and water as part of the Leisure Centre revamp, and 3) installation of hot water pipes, below bed level, from a new straw burning power station. After negotiations, it appears that these will have no detrimental effect on navigation, and they have been approved.

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In Boston plans for a ÂŁ3 million off-line marina of a hundred plus moorings with all the usual facilities has received the consent of the Council.

Still with future developments, Lincoln Council has produced plans for a cycle and footbridge connection, north to south, across Brayford Pool and midway along its length. This would give easier access from the University to premises on the north side such as bars, restaurants and cinemas..

Shortly after this the University has produced plans for another phase of building work. Some of this would be on land adjacent to Lincoln Marina moorings and car parking. The effects of this is are not known until further details are released.

Wild Life We occasionally hear reports of otter sightings but rarely are they photographed. Thanks to an early riser this one was spotted at 5 am. Thanks to John for the picture.

Other waterways In addition to the Kyme Eau (Sleaford Navigation) there are a number of other navigable waterways leading south of the River Witham and connecting with sections of the historic Car Dyke. The Timberland Delph is one such. Three boats returning to Lincoln, following the disappointment of failing to reach South Kyme Boat Gathering, travelled along it. An account of their trip is reproduced below from David Tomlinson who had travelled from Stafford.

Dave Carnell.

Timberland Delph Cruise. May 5th 2013.

An impromptu chat amongst boat owners at Tattershall Bridge moorings, following the South Kyme Festival, led to three narrow boats exploring the Delph on their way back to Lincoln from the River Slea.

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Having eased through the entrance doors, Nb “Kyme” led the way, Nb`s “Wigford” and “Nell” followed. The Delph is wide and straight, the high banks however prevent any view of the surrounding countryside. We found a good depth of water.

We cruised within 200 yards of the end, where it joins the Roman Canal - Car Dyke, the last 200 yards being shallow and somewhat overgrown.

At 55 feet Nb “Kyme” winded without difficulty; skipper Steve Hayes thought that a slightly longer craft could also wind. We were able to moor against the bank, no need for gang planks.

Following a welcome “cuppa” and cakes we enjoyed an uneventful return journey to moor overnight at Kirkstead Bridge. It was a very satisfying cruise on 6 ½ miles of waters previously unknown to many of us.

David Tomlinson.

Aegre, Aegir, Eagre, Haygir... 2013 We are grateful to the Environment Agency for their predictions, shown up to September 1st. There are also aegres in the mornings of September 19th to 22nd. These times are for Gainsborough, and are GMT so don’t forget to correct for BST, but it can be up to thirty minutes earlier depending on possible strong winds, for example. Stockwith should be about 20 minutes earlier than Gainsborough, and Owston Ferry about 45 minutes earlier. This seems another quiet year, because of the way the moon phases and the equinoxes fall.

For more details EA have a very useful leaflet giving some of the folklore and recommended viewing places, like Derrythorpe, Gainsborough itself, Morton, Stockwith, and Susworth. PH.

Date July 23rd July 24th July 25th July 26th July 27th August 21st August 22nd August 22nd August 23rd August 24th August 25th

Time 8.17 9.01 9.44 10.28 11.11 8.02 8.43 21.22 9.23 10.04 10.45

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Forecast Small Medium Large Medium Small Small Large Small Large Medium Small

British Inland Waterways on the air It is commonplace these days to see boats on our waterways with television antennae or satellite dishes, and sometimes you will hear people using VHF channel 74 on the Trent to talk to lock keepers, but occasionally you will also see larger arrays on a boat, or hear people chatting by radio, but not via a mobile phone. We are very grateful to John Rogers for this background.

A number of amateur radio operators actually operate from aboard craft on the British Inland Waterways, where the water gives us a good ground plane and low electrical noise levels allow contacts not possible from our usual bases (shacks).

We are interested in organizing British Inland Waterways on the Air in a similar manner to Railways on the Air, initially as an opportunity to rag chew with fellow amateurs operating on or close to Inland Waterways. The suggestion is to hold it on the weekend of the Inland Waterways Festival and to try to illuminate as many of the inland waterways as possible.

BiWota brings together the users of the canals and rivers in the UK and amateur radio enthusiasts. The launch event was in 2011, when 44 boats joined in, some at Burton but communicating with others all over the country. The first event in 2013 was at the Pelsall Canal Festival on the Wyrley and Essington Canal, part of the Birmingham Canal Navigations. This festival on June 13-18 celebrated the 200-year old canals which thread the large plateau of land forming the UK West Midlands. Amateur radio station GB2BCN operated alongside the 100 or so narrow boats which rallied together at Pelsall.

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July 19-21 sees the National Waterways festival at Cassiobury Park on the Grand Union Canal at Watford. This weekend will be the official BiWota event in 2013 and we hope to have more stations on the air across the country than the 44 we achieved for the launch event in 2011. Stations wishing to participate should consult the BiWota site at www.biwota.org and use the forum to register their intentions. We hope to run a special event station from a boat or caravan at the festival in Watford. If you are interested please contact John (M0JAV) on m0jav@lowgables.co.uk In our region there may be radio operation from a number of sites, communicating with Cassiobury and others “on the air”. They include nb Amazon on the Ashby Canal; a Sea Otter at Foxton; John Rogers, the organiser, from Blue Water Marina; nb Arizona at Barrow-on-Soar; and Dave Moore on the Chesterfield Canal. Keep an eye open for boats with antennae bigger than the usual TV equipment. The usual friendly greeting is “73s”, derived from the days when all radio communication was by Morse.

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News from Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Finally summer has arrived and the warmer weather means it’s a pleasure to be out and about on the waterways. Looking back to April and our final illustrated talk of the Spring season we went out on a high. Nigel Lowey presented a captivating story of the history and recent restoration/redevelopment of St. Pancras station. How many people know the original design with the tracks and platforms at high level and associated storage area beneath was because of the Regents Canal. The tracks had to be high to maintain navigable height over the canal crossing at the station entrance.

However, from the additional cost of building the tracks at that level came the benefit of the storage space beneath. Thoughtful design ensured all the supporting columns on the ground were precisely placed to enable beer barrels to be intensively stored between. Over time the ground floor area became the basement stores and the Burton-on-Trent brewers were able to develop a roaring trade to London and the money rolled in to the railway.

You can also trace the wonderful books of Thomas Hardy back to St. Pancras station. At that time Thomas Hardy was a trainee Surveyor/Architect working on the station building. The nearby church cemetery was in the way of the works and one of his tasks was to oversee the exhumations and reburial of a large number of bodies. This unsavoury task put him off a career in the construction industry and he became the author we know today. Moving forward to the current redevelopment and restoration the attention to detail is amazing, right down to the statue of the Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman, whose coat tails blowing in the wind intentionally match the profile of the arched roof above. Nigel’s presentation was truly fascinating and the evening really captured the imagination of the audience.

In mid May branch members visited the Newark Heritage Barge project and learnt about the Trent barge Leicester Trader and trading on the River Trent.

The project aims to purchase and restore this last available Trent-sized Aegre 136 - Summer 2013 Page 15

dumb barge and establish on board a comprehensive archive dedicated to River Trent history and heritage. We learnt about the history of trading on the Trent, the craft, the people, the way of life and the cargoes, as well as the story of the restoration barge itself. Albeit none of the original barges remain, Leicester Trader (built in 1953 by Richard Dunston of Thorne near Doncaster) is the last to be built and one of the few to remain in near original condition.

She is now being devotedly restored as funds permit. We were shown around the craft, the museum, the displayed archive and were given an insight into the skills required to guide and manoeuvre 82’ 6” by 14’ 6” steel barges by ropes, rudder, poles and a great deal of skill and strength. A captivating evening which showed how the Trent was used for trading in the past and how much we are missing out on today with so much under-use of the Trent and so much over-use of roads.

Mid June then saw branch members visit Staythorpe Power station on the banks of the River Trent near Newark. The station was recently converted to gas turbine electricity generation and reopened in 2010, after some of the heaviest machinery and large indivisible units were transported to or close to site by waterborne freight along the Trent.

For those not used to large industrial units this was an enlightening and fascinating evening as the sheer scale of the operation became apparent. A brief illustrated presentation explained the generating principles and the schematic layout of the site. When someone shows a picture illustrating a gas turbine coupled with an electricity generator and a steam unit utilising the turbine exhaust gases and says “this is a large unit” it doesn’t at first sink in, until you go on site and into a building the size of a football pitch and look up in awe to see it! And this is only one of the four generating “trains”! Once again a very interesting visit with a lot seen and a lot learnt.

Late May also saw us dust off the exhibition stand and attend the Erewash Canal Preservation and Development Association’s 40th anniversary of the Great Northern Basin restoration and 45th anniversary of establishment. It was a sunny Bank Holiday weekend and great to see so many boats at the head of navigation on the Erewash canal. There were a large number of people in Aegre 136 - Summer 2013 Page 16

attendance, and we were fortunate in the allocated position for our stand, right

by Langley Bridge lock and adjacent to the Ice Cream vendor.

We split the stand into two sections, a local waterways area and a Wild over Waterways area. The WoW tent entertained a large number of children throughout the weekend and a big thank you goes to Mavis White for hosting activities over such a sustained period. Although we had fewer people visiting the local waterways area it was good to see so many members stop by to pass on their news. The highlight of the weekend however, was probably the reenactment of the opening ceremony of 40 years ago when a local Brass Band played excellent music on board two breasted-up historic working narrowboats rising up in the lock. A special occasion and ECP&DA are to be congratulated on both organising the event and all the hard work that has gone into preserving the Great Northern Basin area and the Erewash canal since the restoration all those years ago.

The Great Northern Basin at Langley Mill was also the destination for the Friends of Cromford Canal’s new trip boat Birdswood, where it is currently being fitted out in preparation for duties on the Cromford canal at Cromford wharf. Readers may recall our branch donated funds to FoCC last November to aid the purchase and refitting of a trip boat. The historic narrowboat butty Birdswood has therefore been purchased. She cruised to the Great Northern Basin for final refit before being transported by road along the final few miles to Cromford. The refit, as well as attention to the hull, entails refurbishing the seating, repainting and the replacement of the diesel engine with an electric motor on the rudder. The latter item is to comply with environmental requirements. On completion the boat will operate as either electric powered or horse drawn from the wharf at Cromford to High Peak Junction near Leawood Pumping Station. The picture shows Birdswood in transit on the Erewash canal on the way to the boatyard at the Basin. It is anticipated the refit will be Aegre 136 - Summer 2013 Page 17

complete and the boat in service at Cromford in August. I personally can’t wait to take a trip on that part of the Cromford canal at the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage site.

side without catastrophic impact on existing or restoration project waterways.

The second issue is the planning application for a Hydro Electric On planning matters there are two Power scheme at Holme Lock on the topical issues receiving attention.

R. Trent. A previous application was Firstly the draft HS2 rail line will submitted some years back and we affect many waterways in the area. had concerns about the effect of the On the way from Birmingham to turbine on water flows and the potenLeeds it is planned to cross the R. tial to pull craft off line when travelSoar navigation near Ratcliffe on Soar ling downstream entering the lock. and Redhill marina, before crossing Concerns were also expressed about the R. Trent downstream of Thrump- water being diverted to the turbine at ton weir, then Cranfleet cut, before the expense of the canoe slalom and slicing through Long Eaton and then raft course at the nearby Sports Cencrossing the Erewash canal twice, tre. Our picture on page 4 shows the near Sandiacre. That said, existing Rescue team in practice at Holme. I waterways seem to be at least am pleased to say that this application acknowledged in the HS2 project but seems to have taken those matters into it is much more problematic further much greater consideration and analynorth for the Chesterfield canal restor- sis. The new scheme will be smaller ers. Their restoration plans are not than the previous one and detailed taken into account and the current discussions have taken place with the impacts are major, with several cross- National Water Sports Centre as well ings of the planned canal track and as Canal and River Trust (CRT) and problems with HS2 access roads and the Environment Agency. The new the location of new rail sidings and scheme is for a turbine of 18 m3/sec infrastructure for maintenance and size which is relatively small. (For building purposes. We are therefore reference: the existing scheme at Beein close contact with IWA’s core ston is 65 and the one proposed for response group on this issue, provid- Gunthorpe about the same). The ing input and following their lead as design ensures that the canoe slalom required. Much work will be required and raft course always have priority to bring this matter to a satisfactory for water over the HEP scheme. At conclusion for the inland waterways the same time navigation concerns but it is hoped that over time everyhave been addressed by installing a thing will ultimately nestle side by wooden navigational fender/boom

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across the mouth of the old lock channel from the bull nose at about 45 degrees angle back upstream. Supporting struts for the fender would be piled into the channel bed (at a 45 degree angle).

As a further check one of the large passenger carrying vessels (Nottingham Crusader) was used to test the effect of the water flow by planned positioning near the Nottingham Sluice at Holme Pierrepont and carefully managing the flow through the sluice to safely mimic the effect through the turbine. At the proposed new flow rates no significant pull was felt by the Skipper on the vessel, so with the added protection of the above-mentioned fender, matters now seem to be satisfactorily concluded.

Looking ahead we are planning a canal clean up of the Nottingham to Beeston canal on Saturday 21st September and need lots of people to volunteer to help. CRT will provide a tug and hopper to collect any rubbish and we need people to help man grappling hooks to clear rubbish from the canal bed as well as litter pickers to tidy up the towing path. We will meet at Beeston Lock, where the canal joins the Trent and work from there, the full 4.5 mile length of the canal to Meadow Lane Lock, where the canal re-enters the Trent. Please be there for a 10 am start and we hope to finish at the other end by 4 pm. As this is going to require coordination please

contact branch campaign officer Alison Smedley (07779 090915 or alison.smedley@waterways.org.uk). I do hope we will be able to get lots of help as this canal has not received much clean up attention for many a long year, so please consider coming along and making a difference.

In October our Social Calendar restarts. October 18th will see Sean McGinley, Waterways Manager, East Midlands, Canal and River Trust presenting an illustrated talk on “The first 12 months of the Canal and River Trust.� So if you want to know how it has all gone, ask questions of or talk to an influential Canal and River Trust manager, you now have your chance. We and Sean are hoping for a large turn out and Danny Brennan (Chairman of the Local Waterways Partnership) may also attend to answer questions.

On November 15th Rod Pearson will be giving an illustrated talk on the Manchester Ship Canal and then December 20th we have our Christmas refreshments evening followed by a presentation from John Wilkinson on the Panama Canal. So put the evening of the third Friday in the month in your diaries and see the calendar of events on page 20. Do come and join us, everyone is most welcome, I look forward to seeing you there.

Mike Snaith

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Meetings in West Bridgford The Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Branch of the IWA is organising a series of public meetings. We are hoping to attract lots of new faces to the meetings and have arranged a very interesting and varied group of speakers.

Non IWA members will be very welcome to attend.

We meet on the third Friday of the month throughout most of the year.

Meetings are held at 7.45 pm at Rushcliffe Arena, Rugby Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 7HY. This is not far from the A60 (Loughborough Road) and the Arena entrance road is roughly opposite Greythorn Drive.

It would take about 25 minutes from M1 Junction 24 up the A453, Clifton traffic and 40mph speed limit permitting. Don’t be alarmed by a barrier at the entrance they will let you out again.

For SatNav equipped vehicles try 52° 55.328’ N, 01° 08.673’ W, or SK 57610 36424. Note that Rushcliffe Leisure Centre is a different place.

Saturday, September 21st 2013 Nottingham canal clean up. Meet at Beeston Lock at 10.00 am.

Contact Alison Smedley on 07779 090915 for more specific details, or see the back cover of this magazine.

Friday, October 18th 2013 “Canal and River Trust…..The first twelve months” an illustrated talk by C&RT’s East Midlands Region Waterways Manager, Sean McGinley.

Friday, November 15th 2013 Illustrated talk on the Manchester Ship Canal and some of the engineering issues that have arisen along the way, by Rod Pearson.

Friday, December 20th 2013 Mini Presentation by John Wilkinson, “The Panama Canal”. Followed by Christmas Refreshments.

Further information about meetings can be obtained by email, address :nottsandderbys@waterways.org.uk

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Lock Keeping at Fradley

Boaters who have been through the locks at Fradley recently may have been given a welcome hand by a team of volunteer lock keepers, there for most of the middle of the day. Particularly if you are single-handed, this is a real blessing. It can also avoid embarrassment caused by some of the many on-lookers being “willing to help”.

All these volunteers, part of a team of about a dozen, take it in turns to be on duty, often from about 10 until 4. All have been on a two-day course run by CRT. This involved the actual working of a lock, of course, tutored by a very experienced retired guy from CRT. As well as this there was first aid and what to do if somebody falls in, and general “health and safety” on the site, and what to do if members of the public ask questions. As well as the formal bits of the course, there were informal exchanges of experience, and very useful advice such as “if two lots of boaters disagree over who has priority at the lock, don’t get involved - leave them to sort it out”.

The whole scheme seems a very good idea with the holiday season arriving, and lots of hire boats on the cut.

Tom Freeland, Volunteer Co-ordinator for CRT Central Shires Region said: “Back in March we ran a two day course for our (Central Shires) Volunteer Lock Keepers at Fradley Junction, providing training in both Health & Safety and Lock Operation. Health & Safety was a full day's course, based on the Fire, Water, Save a Life course we send our staff on. The content of the course focuses on water safety, safe systems of work, tackling fires and other emergencies, and basic first aid.

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Lock Operation is a half-day course demonstrating the most effective method for operating locks for safety and water management, and including an assessment of competence. We have also run this as a shorter one to one session for those lock keepers who could not make the original courses.

We are looking to run additional Health & Safety courses for volunteer lock keepers who missed the first sessions, and new people who want to get involved in lock keeping. We are also looking to get some of our more active volunteers on to the course, to help them with leading practical work parties, either under a CRT banner or for partner organisations like the IWA. As we are expecting there to be more demand for places, and others to come through the system as more people want to sign up as lock keepers, we are expecting to organise at least one more session later in the summer. These courses are not open to the public, as such, but we would welcome the chance to train up work party leaders and new volunteer lock keepers, so I would be happy for them to be in the public domain. Regards Tom” Tel: 01827 252010 Mob: 07789 033435 Fax: 01827 252062 Canal & River Trust, Peel’s Wharf, Evans Croft, Lichfield Street, Fazeley, Tamworth, B78 3QZ Follow Central Shires Waterway on http://twitter.com/CRTCentralShire Follow CRT Volunteers on http://twitter.com/CRTvolunteers and Facebook Please visit our website to find out more and download our ‘Shaping our Future document' on the About Us page.

Journals Received We are very pleased to acknowledge copies of journals from various canal and river societies and trusts. They include “The Portal” from Friends of the Cromford Canal; “The Packet” from the Derby & Sandiacre Canal Society; “The Cuckoo”, from the Chesterfield Canal Trust; “The Bridge”, from Grantham Canal Society; “Sleaford Navigation Trust” journal; the “Melton and Oakham Newsletter”; and “The Wharfinger”, from Louth Navigation Trust, as well as “Navigation” from our neighbours at West Midlands, the “Easterling” from our Eastern neighbours, and “Endeavour” from Northampton Branch. Anyone interested in receiving a copy of one of these journals should contact the relevant address given above.

For “The Cuckoo” contact the editor John Lower at 92a Tapton View Road, Chesterfield S41 7JY.

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Heritage in the Marshes Ever since the Romans connected the Witham and the Trent via the Foss Dyke and made the Car Dyke, men have continually changed the waterways of our land - mostly in the flatter counties of the east. Best known are probably the fenland channels of Ouse, Nene and Middle Level, but further north the work of the Lindsey Marsh Drainage Board (LMDB) has continued the tradition of keeping agricultural land usable and dwellings protected. Some of that past tradition still exists in the form of pumping stations no longer in regular use but looked after by the efforts of teams of volunteers. Some can still be used in case of flood emergency, as in 2007, and some may be visited to see the operation of the lovingly maintained engines. Here are some details of three, with their opening times, by courtesy of the LMDB and the volunteer teams.

ANDERBY DRAINAGE MUSEUM This is a pumping station built in 1945. There are two Ruston 10HRC twin cylinder oil engines which drive Allen Gwynnes 42� centrifugal pumps capable of pumping 4,500 litres of water per second. The station was built to drain some 9,200 acres of land, most of which is below sea level. The 10HRC engines together with the Gwynnes pumps are maintained to act as standby pumps in case of a failure in the new station on the north bank of the present basin, commissioned in 1992. This replaced the two oil powered engines and pumps with three electrically driven pumps.

The museum in the old building will be open on some Sunday afternoons from 2.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. Visitors to the museum will be able to see the diesel engines running as well as displays of old land drainage equipment and other bygones. Probable open dates this year are 21st July and 18th August but it is as well to check before travelling.

The museum is at Anderby Creek, near Chapel St Leonards, Lincolnshire, PE24 5XW, map reference TF545759.

Enquiries: 01507 328095.

E-mail: enquiries@lmdb.c o.uk

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GAYTON PRESERVED WORKING PUMPING STATION

The Station is situated in the parish of Gayton le Marsh on the south side of the Great Carlton to Theddlethorpe road (grid reference TF456880). It is a delightful white-painted small building with arched Victorian windows and cannot be passed unnoticed.

The Gayton Engine Pumping Station was built by H.M. Commissioners of Sewers in 1850 to pump the water from Gayton Fen and Marsh into the River Great Eau. Previously it had been drained by gravity through a set of sluice gates, known as Gayton Engine.

The power for pumping was originally steam, but in 1945 a diesel engine was introduced, and this is what survives in working order. The present pumping equipment is a Peter ”Atomic” 2-cylinder loop-scavenge 2 stroke ex-marine diesel engine, built in 1933, powering a 27” Gwynnes pump. A museum with articles of interest relating to land drainage is also on display.

In 1956, the whole of the system of drainage in Theddlethorpe and adjoining areas was rearranged and a new electric pumping station, one third of a mile to the north-east, was constructed immediately alongside the Great Eau. The Gayton Engine Pumping Station was kept in repair, on standby, until the effiAegre 136 - Summer 2013 Page 24

ciency of the new pumps was assessed. In the 1960s, the Drainage Board considered it would no longer be needed and the outfall to the river was filled and the Station abandoned. In the early 1970s the Board resolved not to demolish the Station but to carry out the minimal amount of maintenance on the building to preserve the engine and pump, in anticipation of interest being attracted and a voluntary Society undertaking refurbishment.

The present Gayton Engine Preservation Society was formed in 1992 as a registered charity to preserve the Station and open it to the public, succeeding the East Lindsey Marsh Villages Society. Membership is invited from the public.

For details call Mrs A. Freame, telephone 01507 443611.

Probable open days this year are 21st July, 18th August and 15th September, 2.00 p.m. - 4.00 p.m. Free entry, car parking and picnic site. Contributions and donations welcome.

QUINCEY’S PUMPING STATION

Quincey's Pumping Station at Thorpe Culvert houses two Ruston and Hornsby 9xHRC twin cylinder horizontal diesel engines, each producing 132hp at 235rpm and each coupled directly to a Gwynnes centrifugal pump. These pumps can move around 100 tons of water a minute.

This is a partnership between the Lincolnshire Oil Engine Club and Lindsey Marsh Drainage Board and is mutually beneficial. The Club keeps the machinery in tip-top condition and ready for action and the Board finances the building and machinery. The station has been called upon several times as a back-up for the electric pumping station next door and at such times the pumps are run by the enthusiastic members of the Lincolnshire Oil Engine Club.

During the heavy rainfall in 2007 both diesel engines were run to assist the pumps in the new electric station.

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The Thorpe Culvert Pumping Station was renamed by Lindsey Marsh Drainage Board in memory of Mr Dennis Quincey (founder of the Lincolnshire Oil Engine Club), to commemorate his dedication to the preservation, restoration and operation of this pumping station.

The Station will probably be open on Sunday between 10.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. on 22nd September, and visitors are also welcome on the following Sundays when the volunteers meet to undertake maintenance of the pumps: 11th August; 27th October; 24th November and 15th December. Please telephone to confirm opening dates and times. Map reference TF470615. For more information call Andrew Quincey 01205 871021, Frank Bateman 01205 356208 , Paul Gash 01529 305121 or Charlie Millard 07747 890611.

All these buildings and engines are of interest to many - architects, engineers, historians. They stand in the marsh as monuments to our forefathers who first wrestled with the flooding from the rivers and sea, embanking and erecting sluices to contain and direct the waters, and then lifting flood waters by winddriven and then steam-driven pumps into the rivers. Such work enabled a living to be obtained from land which otherwise would be marsh and bog.

But be careful!

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Chesterfield Canal Trust Events As ever, we have a very full programme lined up for the summer; highlights are: Besides its usual charters, our tripboat Seth Ellis will be doing trips as follows: July 27th and 28th - From the Hop Pole on Welham Road, Retford.

August 4th - Pirate Trips from the Hop Pole.

August 10th and 11th - From Drakeholes through the tunnel to Shaw Lock.

August 24th, 25th and 26th - From the Chequers Inn at Ranby.

September 14th and 15th - From the Bay Tree Café at Retford.

September 21st and 22nd - From West Stockwith.

September 28th and 29th - From Kiveton Park.

For all trips, ring 07925 851569.

Our new tripboat Hugh Henshall will be doing trips as follows: 25th/26th August and 15th September - From the Lock Keeper pub in Worksop.

28th/29th September - From Kiveton Park.

For all trips, ring 01246 477569.

Our tripboat John Varley will be doing its regular Sunday trips from Tapton Lock in Chesterfield, plus Full Day Cruises to Staveley Town Basin and back, 10 miles, 10 locks, on July 27th, August 7th and 31st, September 4th, 25th and 28th. Ring 01246 551035 for bookings.

On 11th September, we will have a Supporters’ Group Meeting at the Beehive pub in Harthill. There will be a talk about the Cromford Canal.

Non-members are welcome to come to our Supporters’ Group Meetings.

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Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Branch

Nottingham – Canal Clean Up Saturday 21st September 2013 - 10am to 4pm Starting from Beeston Lock, work will progress along the Beeston Cut and the Nottingham Canal to Meadow Lane and will include litter picking and pulling rubbish out of the canal. Volunteers are advised to wear stout shoes, old clothes and to bring waterproofs.

Meet at Beeston Lock, Canal Side, Nottingham NG9 1LX. Parking is available along Canal Side and Riverside Road. It will be useful to know numbers in advance, so please let us know if you can make it.

Contact: Alison Smedley, IWA Branch Campaign Officer 07779 090915 Alison.smedley@waterways.org.uk

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