East Yorkshire Branch – April 2012 Newsletter

East Yorkshire Branch

BRANCH NEWSLETTER APRIL 2012 BRANCH OFFICERS Chairman

Roger Bromley

01482 845099

Social Chairman

Paul Waddington

01757 638027

Secretary

Chris Stones

01482 875894

Treasurer

Jack Wootton

07840 984840

Programme Secy

Roger Bromley

01482 845099

Membership Secy

David Stones

01482 875894

Planning Officer

Bob Huntsman

01964 550320

Website Manager

Alistair Anderson

01482 801825 07796 890009

Other members

David Hamilton Barry Robins

A message from Roger Bromley, our new Branch Chairman I was honoured to be elected as your Chairman at the committee meeting following the AGM. I am very much aware I follow an excellent Chairman, Barry Robins, who has fulfilled this role admirably for nearly twenty years. He has represented our Branch at many venues over the years and served on the Region Committee for some time. We will no doubt miss his guiding hand and understanding of the problems facing the Waterways in the future. I am very pleased he remains on our Committee as I am sure I will need to turn to him for advice from time to time.

We are pleased to welcome David Hamilton as a co-opted member to our Committee. David is Chairman of the Commissioners of the Driffield Navigation and will be able to work with the IWA in trying to resolve some of the issues which they are facing. I hope David will be able to tell us much more about his plans in a future newsletter.

As well as Barry’s retirement as Chairman we also are sad to see Joan Muspratt retiring as Membership Secretary and Committee Member. Joan for many years has been the welcoming voice to our new Branch Members.

Joan, together with her husband, Gordon has represented our Branch at many shows and events and has been most successful in raising funds and the profile of the IWA. For her sterling work I am sure we all wish to thank her and wish her a very happy retirement!

Details of the other members of the Committee can be found on cover of this newsletter.

You will note in the Branch Programme, we have a Special Event for Saturday September 15th. We have booked Mikron Theatre to perform ’Losing the Plot’ for us. This will be held at the Darby and Joan Hall in 2

Cottingham as our usual hall for social meetings will not be large enough.

We hope you will turn out in numbers to support this occasion. Tickets will soon be on sale and can be obtained from me or any Committee Member.

Numbers are limited so get your name down quickly!

Details of your Branch, Committee Members, events etc. can be seen on our Branch Website. http://www.waterways.org.uk/branches_regions/north_east_yorkshire/ea st_yorkshire/east_yorkshire Roger Bromley -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Newsletter costs The recent increase in postal charges means that well over half the cost of distributing the newsletter is in postage and if Head Office do not increase the per capita payment each newsletter will be sent out at a cost to branch funds.

PLEASE if you have e-mail facilities do consider receiving your newsletter electronically. Contact Roger Bromley at roger@roger.karoo.co.uk

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New Horizons Trips from Melbourne are operating again on Sunday afternoons.

A pleasant ride out with a short trip on the boat and a chance to meet with other canal enthusiasts and to preach the gospel to those on a first visit.

Visit the PCAS web site.

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Forthcoming special events Friday 15th June A walk along the Market Weighton Canal with an opportunity for a fish and chip supper at Newport. Meet at 7.00 pm at the car park near Faxfleet (turn left off the A63 between Newport and Gilberdyke).

Sunday 29th July A full day visit to the Grantham Canal, starting at Woolsthorpe. Please book and sort transport and meals with Roger Bromley.

MIKRON THEATRE Present

Losing the Plot A comedy set in an allotment 7.30 pm at the Darby and Joan Hall, Finkle Street, Cottingham Tickets Adults ÂŁ10, Concessions ÂŁ8, available from Roger Bromley tel: 01482 845099 Raffle and refreshments East Yorkshire Branch, Inland Waterways Association

Please publicise the above event among your gardening friends and local Gardening Clubs/Allotment Societies. We would appreciate prizes for the raffle. All profits will be used to support restoration on local waterways.

Sunday 2nd Dec Branch Christmas meal at Cottingham Parks Golf and Leisure Club, Woodhill Way, 12 for 12.30 pm. We have made this change in the hope that a daytime meal may encourage other members to join us.

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The Restoration of Beverley Beck

The Beck, an ancient tidal stream or creek was deepened, its banks straightened and strengthened and its course altered over a period of 1000 years. Efforts to improve the depth of navigation proved to be a neverending battle because of silting. In 1802 a lock was constructed at the junction of the Beck and River Hull canalising the navigation to canal head.

The Beck could now accommodate laden barges and keels with over six foot draught to the head of the Beck. Grovehill Lock, Beverley, was built by William Chapman, one of the great canal engineers of his time, 1749-1832.

When it opened goods imported included coal, agricultural products, sand, lime, timber, bark etc.

On the 13th Feb 2003 the County Council voted to spend money on improving Beverley Beck after concerns were raised on pollution by residents and the state of crumbing canal banks with the risk of flooding to low-lying industrial areas. A scheme was submitted to regenerate the Beck through a 3.5 million pound funding partnership.

The industrial buildings and warehouses which were at the head of the canal had been demolished and luxury homes had recently been built along both banks of the Beck and the waters were believed to contain dangerous toxic chemicals which had been allowed to flow in and settle over many years.

Towards the autumn of 2003 regeneration work began with the strengthening and stabilising of the Beck sides followed by dredging to remove large quantities of contaminated mud. In February 2004 work started to improve the edges and land alongside the canal to provide a pleasant canalside walk.

The boatyard at the eastern end of the beck catered for privately-owned pleasure boats, some in the water and others on hard standing. The owners of the boatyard and the boats were concerned about the condition of the lock which had not been regularly maintained. Was all this money to be spent on 5

making the Beck safe and attractive but nothing be done to make it easier for boats to gain access to the improved waterway? A waterway like the Beck needs boats to give added interest and attract more visitors.

The boat owners decided to form an association to bring these issues to the attention of the County Council. So Beverley Beck Boating Association was born and the first meeting with officers of the East Riding of Yorkshire County Council took place on 20th April 2004 to discuss improvements to navigation including repairs to the lock and provision of pontoons for mooring. Then followed regular meetings with council officers which resulted the restoration of the lock with the first boat passing through it on 9th May 2007.

Since that memorable day two dry summers showed the need for some way of replenishing the water level in the Beck and two low- powered pumps were installed, controlled by sensors, to pump water back into the Beck.

BBBA, Beverley Beck Boating Association, has grown in strength arranging social cruises and activities for its members as well as maintaining contact with the County Council.

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Supporting BBBA 27th May

Joint litter pick along the Beck with East Yorkshire IWA. Meet at Foresters Arms at 1.30 pm.

3rd June

Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Boat Gathering. Lots of boats at Beck Head with lots of entertainment and meals at the local pubs – but book your meal in advance. The IWA gazebo and display will be there so pay us a visit.

Details of all the BBBA activities are on www.BBBA.org.uk 6

Inland Waterways Association East Yorkshire Branch Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on Friday 16th March 2012 At Cottingham Methodist Church 8p.m.

Present: Barry Robins (in the chair), Peter Scott (Region Chairman), Jack Wootton (Treasurer) Chris Stones (Secretary) and 18 members.

Apologies: Rose Wootton, Joan and Gordon Muspratt, Howard and Hilary Anguish and Andrew and Jenny Brett.

Minutes of Previous meeting 18.3.11: These had been circulated. Proposed as a true record by Roger Bromley seconded by Paul Waddington. Accepted unanimously, then signed accordingly.

Report of the Chairman: This had been printed and given to those members present at the start of the meeting. An opportunity was given for members to comment. Acceptance of the report unanimous. A special thanks to Joan for her hospitality at committee meetings and for her role as membership secretary.

Report of the Secretary: This had been printed and given to those members present at the start of the meeting. An opportunity was given for members to comment. Acceptance of the report unanimous.

Report of the Treasurer and presentation of the accounts for 2011: The Treasurer Jack Wootton went through the accounts, a copy of which had been circulated to members at the beginning of the meeting. As there were no questions from the floor the accounts were accepted.

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Election of Committee members: Chris Stones and Barry Robins were retiring by rotation and Alistair Anderson, who had previously been coopted onto the committee, were to be re-elected. Further nominations were invited from those present but none were forthcoming. Re-election of Chris, Barry and Alistair accepted en-bloc.

A.O.B: Barry had asked members present if they wished to have refreshments first at social meetings instead of in the middle or end of a talk. The outcome from this was to try having refreshments first at our April social meeting.

Roger thanked Barry on behalf of everyone present for his hard work and support as chairman over the past years.

Address of Region Chairman: Peter Scott had discussed IWA matters at the AGM of the Region Committee earlier. The chairman thanked Peter.

Date of Next meeting: This is to be Friday 15th March 2013.

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BRANCH FINANCES At the AGM Jack Wootton our treasurer went through the annual accounts for 2011 which showed that our funds stood at ÂŁ2661.96, an increase of ÂŁ135 over the previous year. This was largely due to the surplus from our January meeting last year. Some of these funds are already promised/earmarked for three of our local waterways and may be required at short notice.

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INLAND WATERWAYS ASSOCIATION EAST YORKSHIRE BRANCH Chairman’s report on the year 2011 presented to the Branch AGM on Friday, 16th March 2012.

MONTHLY SOCIAL MEETINGS Once again we have had a good range of topics covered at our monthly meetings at Cottingham. There must have been something to appeal to every waterways enthusiast. We are grateful to Roger Bromley, ably assisted by Andrew Brett, for the thought and effort put into planning these meetings. We have been pleased to see some new faces but we are still a little disappointed by the attendance, whilst being aware that this is a widespread branch and travelling long distances on winter evenings can put people off. We are grateful to Chris Stones and all those who help her with the refreshments. They do a great job but as a consequence miss out on the socialising which is a valuable part of our monthly meetings.

Our outdoor meetings were a trip on New Horizons in June and a cruise on the Calder and Hebble in July; both very enjoyable and worth the journey.

We held two more Saturday afternoon meetings at Sneaton Castle, Whitby, which were enjoyable, but as over half those attending had travelled from Hull for the day your committee feels that we have not achieved what we had hoped – offering a social opportunity for our more northerly membership – and should not plan any more gatherings unless the North Yorkshire Branch were prepared to take over and we would support their efforts. There was little response to the article in the January 2012 newsletter so we can only assume that most members are not interested.

Our Christmas meal was again held at The Back Door in Cottingham; another enjoyable occasion with a good meal. We thank Chris for organising this for us.

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SPECIAL EVENTS In January we had a presentation by the Yorkshire Film Archive with a change of venue to Willerby Methodist Church as this is larger than the hall at Cottingham.

This attracted an audience of over ninety and gave a boost to Branch funds. This money is being held for supporting restoration work on our local waterways. We have planned another special evening for Saturday, 15th September when we host the Mikron Theatre group. More details in the April newsletter.

YOUR NEWSLETTER Our appeals for members to produce or suggest articles have begun to bear fruit but we still need more suggestions. It would be good to have reports from members who have been enjoying the waterways, especially if they have done something different or have had amusing incidents. Has anyone been on a WRG working camp and feels able to write a report?

MEMBERSHIP It is important that we increase the public’s awareness of the waterways and where possible find new members. With the start of the new waterways charity IWA needs a large membership so it can have a strong voice as decisions are made. Joan Muspratt continues to contact new members when they join; a very important role.

YOUR BRANCH COMMITTEE Over the year your committee members have been loyal in attending meetings and there have been useful discussions on developments on local waterways including a rebirth of interest in the Market Weighton Canal and this waterway may be included in our visits for 2012. We receive regular reports on the Pocklington Canal and the Driffield Navigation and the funds from last January’s meeting are earmarked for support when a suitable use is found.

We would like to have some new blood on the committee; we have welcomed Alistair Anderson in the last year but would like to have more new members to broaden our experience. The committee meets about five times a year from 7.45pm to about 9.45pm so serving on it is not too demanding.

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I would like to thank all those who are actively involved in the Branch, particularly the Branch Officers. They work conscientiously and without them so much of what happens in your Branch would not take place.

RETIREMENTS The next committee meeting is on Wednesday, 29th March. This meeting we will be electing the Branch Officers. Two of our current officers are retiring. Joan Muspratt who has communicated with new members and made them welcome is retiring because of ill health; we are so grateful for all she has done, and for the hospitality she has offered for our committee meetings. As I intimated at last year’s AGM I am retiring as Branch Chairman but would like to continue on the committee. Recently I have not been able to give the time and energy to IWA matters and I know that there are others within the branch who will do a far better job. I would like to thank you all for the support and encouragement you have given me.

Barry Robins Branch Chairman

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Walks along the River Foss Once again our friends in the River Foss Society have organised a series of walks along the river with so much wildlife to see. They vary in length and often include the opportunity of a refreshment break. The society has members with an excellent knowledge of the area and the walks are led by these people so giving an informative as well as an enjoyable walk.

To find out more visit www.riverfosssociety.co.uk

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BRANCH PROGRAMME and other waterwa events Spring/Summer 2012 Venue (unless stated otherwise) Cottingham Methodist Church Hall, Hallgate, Cottingham HU16 4BD 8.00-10.00 pm. Use entrance down side of church.

Saturday 5th May

Open Day, Castle Mills Lock, York IWA North Riding branch

Friday 18th May

‘Beverley Barge Boatowners Association’

by Iain Campbell

Sunday 27th May

Litter Pick along Beverley Beck Meet at Foresters Arms at 1.30pm

Sunday 3rd June

Queen’s Jubilee Boat Gathering, Beverley Beck See inside, visit BBBA website

Friday 15th June

Our evening out enjoying the Market Weighton canal.

Details inside

30th June/1st July Sunday 29th July

Thwaite Mills Boat Gathering

Our full day out to the Grantham Canal. Details inside.

Saturday 7th July

York Rivers Festival

Saturday 15th Sept Mikron Theatre, ‘Losing the Plot’ See inside Autumn meetings 21st Sept, 19th Oct, 16th Nov, 2nd Dec For more information about the Inland Waterways Association use the website www.waterways.org.uk or contact Barry Robins on 01482 658254 or 07885941983. For more information on the above meetings contact Roger Bromley on 01482 845099. The Branch email address is roger@roger.karoo.co.uk This newsletter is edited and produced by Barry Robins, 90 Carr Lane, Willerby, Hull HU10 6JU Note: The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the Association and should not be construed as such unless so stated.

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