Bear Essentials Issue 46

BEAR ESSENTIALS The Newsletter of : -

IWA Warwickshire Branch Issue No. 46 – August 2016

Old Balls Please:

As part of our on-going commitment to make boating in Warwickshire easier, safer and more enjoyable for all; we have asked CRT-South East to give their blessing for us to equip the tops of the GU’s unique Ham-Baker ‘candlestick’ paddle-gear with old tennis balls. This would be a no-cost, easy-fix way to ensure that - particularly in poor light, or when viewed against dense foliage - boaters could better ascertain

The Exception That Proves The Rule.

One morning in July – having ‘overnighted’ on the offside moorings at the top of the Wolverhampton ‘21’ – my wife Pam and I had just breakfasted when “curse it!” a boat came past us heading for the top lock. Ah well, no hurry now - they’ll all be ‘against’ us.

Some 20 minutes or so later, as we approached the top-lock, we were surprised to see that the boat was only just leaving, and the lady of the crew was very gingerly crossing the top gate. I ‘turned the lock’ then walked down the towpath to ‘set ahead’. As lock 2 came into view I could see that they were still slowly filling it. I walked past them saying that I’d walk ahead, and set 2 or 3 more locks for them. The man on the tiller nodded his thanks. On my return he said to me “This is the first time she’s done any locks, but I’ve told her it’ll be good for her ‘cus it’ll get a bit of weight off, and make her a bit fitter” !!

I returned to the top - where Pam had brought our boat into the lock, and where a whole new situation had arisen (see page 4). Some time later we resumed the main task of the morning, and by lock 4 we’d again caught up with our new found ‘friends’.

the state of a lock in advance, and whether paddles had been left up in error. At present this lack of paddle-state visibility is just one of a number of unfortunate differences between the general state of this CRT-SE section of the northern GU – compared with that managed by CRT-WM. So come on MK – as a mixed-doubles team - let’s do it !

An editorial story: We soon got into a ‘sort of’ routine – working ahead to prepare, and always trying to work their off-side gates and paddles – for which ‘the wife’ was very appreciative. We found that he had bought ‘his’ boat 3 weeks ago, and his only experience was when ‘his mate’ helped him get it up ‘the 21’ a few days earlier.

On longer flights we change roles after several locks, and when Pam ‘came back’ from her first foray ahead, she reported that she’d been greeted by his comment “Oh, he’s sent the understudy has he” !!

We later noticed that ‘the wife’ had taken to her cabin, but ‘himself’ attempted to plough on alone.

Fortunately it soon started to rain, and he decided to moor up for a while. He waved us on and thanked us for our help and information on “the etiquette of lockworking”. I must admit that I was somewhat surprised that the word etiquette was part of his vocabulary.

In 40 years of boating this was quite the most blatant example of male chauvinism we had come across – something totally unknown among all the boating couples that we’ve met along the way. It was exceptional, but surely a perfect example of an exception that proves the rule.

Ian Fletcher.

Bear Bones:

Bear in Mind:

An outline of upcoming activities.

Our Autumn / Winter Programme of Activities Unless otherwise stated, evening events take place at:

The Sports ConneXion, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Coventry CV8 3FL Wednesday September 14th 2016: at 7:30 pm.

An Update and Overview of CRT– with a Midland Focus.

by Ian Lane, Waterway Manager, CRT West Midlands.

Our popular and efficient local manager will tell us all the things that we didn’t know about the operation of the Trust.

Sunday

October 9th 2016: Another Hatton ‘Haircut’.

Meet from 9:45am for a 10:00am to 1:00pm. session.

As previously, please park and meet at Oaklands Farm Kennels, CV35 7DZ - for on-going off-side maintenance work.

Please wear appropriate clothing. Tea & coffee will be available.

Wednesday October 12th 2016: at 7:30 pm.

Buckingham Canal – Past, Present and Future.

by Athina Beckett. Buckingham Canal Society Athina is an IWA and WRG stalwart who will describe how the present fine walk or cycle ride will become a great cruise.

Sunday

October 23rd 2016: Canal Clean-up in Warwick. .

Meet from 9:30am for a 10:00am to 1:00pm session.

Meet at Emscote Road Bridge, park in Tesco car-park.

Please wear appropriate clothing. Tea & coffee will be available.

Wednesday November 9th 2016: at 7:30 pm.

Water Mills of the West Midlands.

By John Bedington – the former miller at Charlecote Mill.

Not least from John’s experience in renovating the mill, and restoring milling at Charlecote; we can no doubt look forward to learning something of both the architecture and technology of these buildings, the art and science of this age old process.

Sunday

November 20th 2016: Meet at 10:15 for 10:30am A Walk to India, The Isle of Wight and a Pub. Meet at the CRT car park adjacent to Calcutt Boats, Tomlow Road, Napton, CV47 8HX Grid Ref: SP 466 631.

Wednesday December 14th 2016: at 7:00 pm. * Note both time & venue Skittles & Food Evening at The Queens Head, Bretford, CV23 0JY Grid Ref SP 431 772. After last year’s successful event we’re off to try our hand at Northamptonshire skittles this time.

Pre-booking is essential.

Sunday

January 8th 2017: A New Year walk near Stockton: Meet 10:15 for 10:30am at The Boat Inn, Birdingbury Wharf, CV23 8HQ, Grid Ref: SP 438 651.

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Other Work Party Information* CRT-WM: Towpath task-force: a) Hatton - 1st Wed & Fri of the month b) Stratford - 2nd Thur & Fri of the month c) Lapworth - 3rd Thur & Sat of the month *Note: For our most up-to-date information please see the Warwickshire page on the IWA web-site. www.waterways.org.uk/warwickshire From the Volunteering page of the CRT website, go to the WM region for more details.

Carole’s Considerations.

Welcome to this my first full report as chairman, although the early events were in-fact organised under Richard’s guidance.

Following our Rugby clean-up reported in the last Bear Essentials we painted our third lock on the river Avon. This was the Stan Clover Lock at Luddington. We not only painted the lock, but also the historic David Hutchings bridge - that used to span the entrance to the Barge Lock at the bottom of the Stratford Canal.

We’ve received profuse thanks from ANT for our efforts, which seem to have stimulated them and their own volunteers to continue the lock painting programme.

We’ve also continued with the up-keep of the Hatton off-side path.

We strimmed the path & planted up the small garden below the footbridge - to add to the bulbs planted last year; and by the time you read this we will have held further ‘Balsam Bashes’ – continuing work started last year in Warwick.

I’ve produced a programme of talks that I hope will satisfy all members at least some of the time.

We’re continuing with the pub games in December, this time Northampton table skittles at the Queen’s Head, Bretford. It should be a great evening so please let’s try to get more attending than in the past. You must pre-book, as you also must for the January dinner (see programme card for details).

Jeff Biddle is coordinating an interesting selection of walks so again please let’s see some new faces.

Work parties are an essential part of the IWA ethos. We still see the same faces, for which we are grateful, but we do need more helpers. We’ve got our regular Leamington/Warwick clean-ups and Hatton offside clearance. But hopefully we’ll also be able to do more work in conjunction with CRTSouth East & on the River Avon.

Carole Nicholson Christmas Cards & 2017 Calendars Purchased directly through the branch save p&p and aid branch funds. Order at the September meeting or alternatively,

by 13th September by phoning: 02476 - 442701, or by e-mailing: info.warwickshire@waterways.org.uk

Bear-faced Lines: California here we come:

Random snippets from around our patch: Stan Clover remembered: As Carole mentioned in her column on page 2, April also saw us repainting our third lock on the River Avon. This time it was the Stan Clover lock at Luddington.

On a fine April Sunday, guided by members of the Lapal Canal Trust, a dozen or so branch members walked part of the line of the old Dudley No.2 Canal – now renamed the Lapal – from Selly Oak, through Weoley Castle and California to the Woodgate Valley Country Park.

The task of full restoration through to Hawne Basin and Coombeswood is a daunting one – not least because of the need to cross the M5 motorway; but 40 years ago similar sentiments were being expressed about both the Huddersfield and Rochdale canals - and just look what happened there. However, the prospect of reaching California is not just far more realistic, but it could even be achieved within the next few years – and that would make a really interesting, south Birmingham, detour off the Worcester and Birmingham Canal.

Tomorrow the world: A few days after visiting California (as above), Richard & Jackie Sanders set out on what was tantamount to a ‘world cruise’ – en-route visiting Melbourne and Boston, and almost reaching New York.

Being in Lincolnshire, Boston and New York are reached via the River Witham. But Melbourne is much further afield, and, being on the Pocklington canal, is accessed not via Panama or Suez, but the tidal River Ouse and the River Derwent. As this photo of Mad Hatter shows, their Derwent experience was, shall we say, ‘interesting’.

The electrics that operate the sophisticated radial lockgates that separate the Derwent from the tidal Ouse at Barmby had failed in the night, and so when the Ouse ebbed so did the Derwent. They were awakened in the early hours by a prominent list to port – but fortunately, after a quick temporary re-moor were OK. All they then had to wait for was the next tide – and an EA electrician.

Some 50 years or more ago Stan was a ‘leading light’ on the inland waterways scene here in the midlands – and in the late 1960’s was the chairman of the then IWA Midland Branch. He was also an active participant in the restoration of the Southern Stratford canal, and by the late 1960’s he was also a ‘Foundationer’ of UANT - and ultimately became one of its chairmen.

While on-site, members also re-painted the former Barge-lock bridge - created by David Hutchings to span the exit from Bancroft Basin onto the Avon. It was taken to Luddington for safe storage in 2008 – following the Bancroft redevelopment. This truly historic structure now stands all forlorn on dry land - waiting for a gap to bridge.

If any members have any ideas as to where on the Stratford canal or the upper Avon it could be realistically employed, could they please contact either the Stratford Canal Society or the Avon Navigation Trust.

Man of The Match: As no one else immediately springs to mind for the MoTM award this time. It has been decided to give it to Ferrous Ned – or is it Ned Ferrous ? for his (literally) unflinching and uncomplaining service provided over the last year, in all weathers, to boaters using his lock (31) at Lowsonford.

He will be sorely missed by SonAC regulars, and although something of a cliché, in this case it is quite true to say his type will never be seen again.

Important Information!: June saw yet another tragic death of two boaters from CO asphyxiation – the 3rd such double-death from CO in 3 years. To read how to avoid such tragedies yourself please visit: www.boatsafetyscheme.org/stay-safe

Bear with us:

Friends and Neighbours.

Regional Round-Up.

Another editorial story:

Saltisford Canal Trust:

Recently, at Wolverhampton Top Lock, a somewhat dishevelled looking young man of ‘non-Caucasian complexion’ staggered towards your editor - his right-hand holding a handkerchief over his right eye, and his left-hand holding his phone out to me - saying, in heavily accented English – “please, please”. I guess that he’d been beaten up - and had phoned 999. The woman ‘at the other end’ was having difficulty trying to establish, what had happened, who and how he was, but above all where he was.

Heritage Open Days weekend: The Saltisford Canal Trust is again taking part in the Heritage Open Days weekend on Saturday 10th and th Sunday 11 September - from 10 am. until 5 pm. @ Budbrooke Rd, Warwick, CV34 5RJ.

I immediately told her “Wolverhampton Top Lock”. Her response shouldn’t have come as a surprise, but it did. When she said, “Where is that please.” all I could say was “It’s about 100 yards north of the station, sandwiched between the ring-road and the railway line”. She went on to say “Can you give me the name of the street that it’s in please”. I had to say: No, we’re not from around here, we’re boaters just passing through, but if you can’t locate it from my description, we’ve got an ‘AtoZ’ on the boat - I’ll get it.” We did, and found that it was in a detached part of Broad Street that led to Wednesfield Road. Soon after, the ambulance and paramedics arrived on the scene. They took over, and we continued on our way down the flight – as on page 1.

The episode started me thinking about an incident at Bascote locks several years ago. It could have proved disastrous but for two passing cyclists. They had an OS map with them – which they knew how to use. An ambulance was on the scene within 20 minutes – a remarkable result considering the remote location of those locks.

Following that incident Warwickshire Branch undertook an exercise not only to Grid Reference every lock and bridge ‘on the patch’, but also - for the really remote rural locations - to Grid Ref the start of the path or track to the location from the nearest public highway.

Not only did we make sure that the emergency services had copies of this info, but also Warwicks & Northants Air Ambulance – who were particularly grateful for the Grid Ref. data.

I have now discovered that some 20 years ago a police officer, who was an IWA member, carried out a similar exercise in Birmingham.

The questions therefore arise, what has happened to this info? was it disseminated? was the data just confined to Birmingham? or did it cover the whole of the BCN – or even the wider West Midlands ?

Fortunately this newsletter is read by our friends and neighbours in IWA B,BC&W branch, in the BCNS, and in CRT-WM. Channels already exist for them to talk to each other so, when they’ve done so, I hope that ‘they’ will then talk to the WM emergency services about ‘refreshing’ this info. (perhaps adding postcode locations?).

Also, as part of a longer term sign replacement policy, perhaps CRT-WM could consider incorporating Grid Refs and/or post-codes on lock and visitor mooring signs - as indeed has already been done on other urban locations on the CRT network.

Ian F.

Attractions include craft marquee, model boat displays, boat trips on Saltie II, and animals for the children to meet.

Admission is free, and refreshments will be available.

Warwickshire Branch will welcome members and visitors alike to a display of examples of our Branch activities over the last 12 months.

Black Country Boating Festival: This boat gathering and community festival, now in its 31st year, will be held at Windmill End, Netherton – from Friday 9th to Sunday 11th September. Further information from www.bcbf.com - or via the BCNS website. (see below)

Banbury Canal Day: This year’s festival will again take place on and around the Oxford Canal in the centre of Banbury - at the Quays Shopping Centre and Spiceball Park. It will be on Sunday October 2nd – between 10:30am and 4:30pm. _____

No BCNS Bonfire This Year: The BCNS has informed us that, for reasons beyond their control, there will be no bonfire at Smethwick this year. However, it will be replaced by an end of season boat-gathering at the Titford Pump-House over the th weekend November 4-6 , and held in conjunction with their AGM. Further info. via: www.bcnsociety.co.uk

The IWA may not agree with opinions expressed here in this newsletter, but encourages its publication as a matter of interest.

Nothing herein may be construed as a matter of policy, or an official announcement, unless otherwise stated. The Association accepts no liability for any of the material contained herein.

The IWA is a registered charity (No. 212342), founded in 1946.

Supported by donations & members’ subscriptions, it campaigns for conservation, use, maintenance, restoration, & development of the inland waterways of England and Wales - for the benefit of all.

Registered & General Office: - Island House, Moor Road, Chesham, Herts. HP5 1WA. Phone: 01494 - 783 453.

Website :-

www.waterways.org.uk.

Editor: Ian Fletcher, Phone :E-mail : -

4 Village Hall Cottages, CV47 9QH 01926 – 815 413. newsletter@waterways.org.uk

For local contact on all other Branch activities please e-mail: < info.warwickshire@waterways.org.uk > For up to date info. between BE editions visit our web page: < www.waterways.org.uk/warwickshire > Please inform Head Office of any e-mail address changes.