Endeavour Feb 2018

Endeavour Northampton Branch Newsletter — February 2018 Mosaic nature trail is completed

LINKING GAYTON WITH FAR COTTON By the time you read this there is every likelihood that installation of the mosaic plaques at each of the 17 locks on the Northampton Arm will have been completed, writes Sandie Morton.

As previously reported in Endeavour, there are two mosaic panels at each lock one forming part of a nature trail and the other recording an aspect of canal life.

This is all part of a “grand scheme” to brighten and improve the environment The mosaics at Lock 6

waterways.org.uk/northampton

Continued on page 13

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EDITORIAL MUSINGS Things are certainly not what they used to be along the Nene Valley, in particular the Upper Nene Valley upstream from Thrapston. This reflective thought comes to mind following the reported announcement by the Nene Regional Park organisation of Nenescape, a five-year landscape project supported by a £2.6 million Heritage Lottery Fund grant. In a joint project with partners, it seems the plan is to celebrate, protect and conserve the natural and built heritage of the landscape along the river from Northampton to Peterborough – all very laudable.

For years the Nene has been recognised as one of the most picturesque, relatively unknown, navigable waterways in the country. Writers have been singing its praises for decades. Therefore I consider it appropriate, in view of these latest proposed developments, to reproduce again in Endeavour the article penned by Frederick Doerflinger in the 1971 Northampton IWA National Rally brochure. Some of you may recall this article in Endeavour in February 2011 when the Branch was gearing up to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Nene becoming fully navigable to Northampton from The Wash. Fred, an American who chose to live in Britain following World War 11, was an IWA stalwart, a member if its Council for several years and author of several waterways books. During the war he was a bomber pilot who recalled how he would navigate his aircraft over Europe by following the courses of rivers and canals.

He died many years ago, his passing proving a significant loss to the Association’s work at the time, for among his many talents Fred possessed a natural flair for generating publicity.

Today, the latest changes to the Nene landscape begin dramatically in Northampton with the near completion of the University’s Riverside Campus alongside Becket’s Park. A short distance downstream the changes are more familiar with the 1970’s straightening of the river where it passes under the A45 by-pass and the construction of The Washlands flood protection lake. Onto Wellingborough, the situation remains very much as you were until you hit the gigantic warehouse developments and the Rushden Lakes shopping complex where, however, a very popular walkway has been created around a former gravel pit.

I remember well what a perceived eyesore the valley’s gravel pit workings were in the post-war years, especially between Northampton and Wellingborough, and the heavy trundling lorries loaded to the gunnels with gravel and excess water spilling onto inadequate roads. “Let’s hope they will do something appropriate with the pits afterwards,” was the cry of the early environmentalists. Some of us imagined a local version of the Norfolk Broads linked by the winding river. Well, happily to an extent much of this has come to pass, if not the Northamptonshire Broads. The worked-out Continued on page 10

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DIARY DATES MARCH 13th 8pm IWA Northampton Branch AGM at The Walnut Tree Inn, Blisworth. Followed by Dean Hawkey — Daventry Canal Association 15th 7.45 IWA Milton Keynes Branch Meeting at Bletchley Royal British Legion, Melrose Avenue, MK3 6PU. Speaker: Author Roger Butler — Wonders of the Waterways 24th 7.15 Buckingham Canal Society AGM at Buckingham Community Centre, Cornwell Meadow, Buckingham MK18 1RP. Speaker TBA APRIL 10th 8pm IWA Northampton Branch Meeting at The Walnut Tree Inn, Blisworth. Speaker: Tim Coghlan — Canal Life and Times of David Blagrove

MAY

8th 8pm IWA Northampton Branch Meeting at The Walnut Tree Inn, Blisworth. Speaker: John Pomfret — Middle Danube and connecting waterways

NORTHAMPTON ARM TASK PARTY DATES February 20th. March 4th, 20th. April 1st, 17th. May 6th, 22nd.

June 3rd, 19th. July 1st, 17th. August 5th, 21st.

Contact: geoff.wood@waterways.org.uk or phone 01604 453932 BUCKINGHAM CANAL SOCIETY WORK PARTY DATES March 8th, 11th, 22nd. April 5th, 8th, 19th. May 3rd, 13th, 17th, 31st.

June 10th, 14th, 28th. July 8th, 12th, 26th. August 9th, 12th, 23rd.

Contact athinabec@aol.com or phone 01908 661217/07721 319404 STOKE BRUERNE CANAL PARTNERSHIP WORK PARTY DATES March 14th. April 11th. May 9th. June 13th. July 11th.

Contact: 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 A Happy New Year to you all! As I’m writing this towards the end of January, I feel it is just not too late to begin with such a greeting. With the days beginning to get longer and the snowdrops in flower in my garden, I’m tempted to think that Spring is on its way – though British weather has been known to do the unexpected, so we must be patient. Maybe we should be wishing for more rain to fill CRT’s reservoirs?

As I write, the Leicester Line is still experiencing problems and the Tring Reservoir levels are lower than are ideal.

Talking of CRT, since November’s Endeavour we have said a fond farewell to Vicky Martin, the Trust’s South-East Waterways Manager who has moved on to new Welsh pastures. So we begin 2018 with Tav Kasmi on secondment to the Manager role for one year and all sorts of rumours of impending reorganisation within CRT. I guess it’s a case of “wait and see”.

BRANCH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING. Our AGM will be on Tuesday 13th March but I’m sure you all have that date in your diaries already, don’t you? Please do come along and show your support for the Branch and its Committee members.

Hopefully we have been making decisions that you are happy with and, indeed, it would be good to know if this is the case. On the other hand, maybe you think we have taken some poor decisions – something we really do need to know! At present, we have two vacancies on our Committee. The longest standing one is for a Publicity Officer (formerly held by Lynda Payton). The newest vacancy is for a Meetings Organiser. Gemma Kinsey, who has done a sterling job since taking over from Graham Treagus in this role, has recently resigned from IWA as she feels, quite understandably, the Association’s campaign against the Environment Agency’s management of its waterways is incompatible with her job within the Agency.

We have been muddling along with Sandie trying to cover these roles on top of her Branch secretarial duties, but really do need to fill them as soon as possible. Are you the person we are looking for? Committee meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month from September through to May at The Boat Inn, Stoke Bruerne. We are a hard-working, dedicated, friendly bunch of waterway enthusiasts who are eager to welcome new people with fresh ideas. If you would like to talk over either role, please contact me by phone or email (my contact details are on page 34).

BRANCH BOAT GATHERING. Following disappointing attendances at our Boat Gatherings over the last 3-4 years, your Committee has been reviewing the future of this event. For many years the Gathering was the Branch’s major fundraiser which allowed us to support worthwhile projects within our Branch area. Recently, it has been a real struggle not only to attract boats to the event but also helpers to set up the necessary infrastructure. Initially we thought perhaps the Northampton venue was a

8 deterrent (the 17 locks on the Arm), so we moved to Braunston with the support of Tim Coghlan. Although this gave us the advantage of hard standing for marquees (no more mud) and power (no noisy generators), sadly the attendance was little improved. Last year we tried again by moving the venue to Stoke Bruerne and the date from the early May Bank Holiday to the middle of May – again, there was little improvement in those coming along. In fact we have reached the point where, if each member of the Committee contributed around £30 to funds, they would save themselves many hours of planning and an awful lot of hard work and worry!

As a result of this review, we have been examining a variety of other ways in which we could raise funds to allow us to continue to support worthwhile waterways projects. Amongst these we have debated lock ransoms, licenced raffles and a private society lottery (eg 100 Club). What are your thoughts? Do you have any ideas we haven’t considered? Would you support any of these? At the moment, the 100 Club (or 50 Club or whatever) seems favourite. Paul Lynam, our Treasurer, is investigating the feasibility of this idea as it seems to us to be relatively easy to set up and manage and would allow more of our members to participate than would be possible with our Boat Gatherings. Again, I really would like to hear your opinions, so contact me … please!

NORTHAMPTON ARM ADOPTION. Our commitment to our adoption of the Northampton Arm continues apace with regular, well-attended Task Parties by our volunteers and corporate partners, led brilliantly by Geoff Wood and Mick Butler.

Geoff and Mick, accompanied by a group of regulars, have just completed an inspection walk down the whole length of the Arm and, as a result, have a full plan of works for 2018. This is particularly important as the 2018 IWA Festival of Water will be at St Neots, on the River Great Ouse, meaning that any boats from the canal system wishing to attend will have to travel down and back up the Arm. We are all determined the Arm will look its best this summer.

If you haven’t yet experienced a Task Party led by Geoff and Mick you don’t know what you are missing – fresh air and exercise, fun and friendship, and a great sense of achievement of a job well done – not to mention free biscuits and tea/coffee. Why not give it a go? Forthcoming Task Party dates and contact details feature in Diary Dates on page 4 WORKS OF ART. Still on the subject of the Northampton Arm … do you realise it is fast becoming an arts attraction? A slight exaggeration perhaps but on the front page of this issue you will have read details of the innovative mosaic nature trail linking the mosaic mural at the beginning of the Arm with the mosaic bench at the bottom, which is nearing completion and which we hope will have been officially opened by the end of April.

One area that has been an eyesore for many years is under the M1 bridge, near Lock 12, where graffiti “artists” have run amok with their spray paint cans. Those of you who have been past this area recently will have noticed that the graffiti has been painted out (and very little new has appeared since). This has encouraged us to be-

9 lieve it would be possible to have here a large-scale work of art on a Northampton/ waterways theme. With this in mind, we’ve secured Marvin, an artist with Lemon Pop Workshops, to work with Year 6 pupils from Delapre Primary School in Northampton and lead the project. Our aim is for the children to come up with design ideas (as they did for the mosaic nature trail). Marvin will then use these to create a very large mural which the children will help paint after they have finished their SATs. This whole project is being funded from the John Faulkner Legacy and will, we feel, make a huge difference to this stretch of the Arm. JOHN FAULKNER LEGACY UPDATE. Since my last update on the Legacy, Friends of Raymond have been given £5,000 for new covers to Nutfield. These were much needed to prevent water entering the boat and damaging its bottom. They will also allow the crew to sleep on board when they take Raymond and Nutfield out and about on the system, thus saving accommodation expenses (also see article page 16).

We have been approached by Crusader Community Boating (formerly allied to St John Ambulance) who are looking to fund a new, more economical boat to allow them to operate one boat on the canal system and another on the River Nene. Since 2015, when they became a charity in their own right, they are funded entirely by donations, taking people with special needs on trips. A meeting is arranged to find out more details to present to our Committee.

CRT GET-TOGETHER. I hear that, once again, the CRT’s annual December gettogether at Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum to acknowledge the work carried out by volunteer groups in the Trust’s South-East Region, was a popular occasion. For once our Branch patch missed out but, even so, the 2017 Volunteer Organisation Recognition Award was received by a group very much close to home, namely the Old Woughton Parish Council adoption group at Milton Keynes. Thus we feel it is appropriate that Judith Howson should contribute an article about their activities on page 22 Previous winners of the Award have included Whilton and Buckby Locks Association, Blisworth Canal Partnership, Braunston Canal Society, IWA Northampton Branch, the Buckingham Canal Society and last year, the Stoke Bruerne Canal Partnership.

In making the presentation to the Old Woughton Parish Council group, Sonny King, CRT’s SE Volunteer Co-ordinator, revealed that over the last 12 months the number of volunteer groups in the Region had increased by 10 to 30. I am told he congratulated and generously thanked everyone involved. Might I add my personal congratulations, especially to our own Northampton Arm volunteers, who labour on in indefatigable style.

FUTURE PLANS. Are you, like us, busy planning your boating trips for 2018? We are looking to explore the Kennet and Avon early Summer. Here’s hoping we find more water and less debris than we encountered on the northern canals last Summer!

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IWA Northampton Branch NOTICE OF AGM NOTICE is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Northampton Branch of the Inland Waterways Association will be held on Tuesday, 13th March, 2018, at The Walnut Tree Inn, Blisworth, commencing at 8pm.

AGENDA: (please bring this agenda to the meeting) 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: 8:

Apologies for absence Minutes of previous AGM held on 14th March, 2017 Matters arising Chairman’s Report Treasurer’s Report Statement of Committee size Election of Committee members AOB

Under the IWA Branch bylaws effective from 12 November 2007, there is no restriction on the maximum size of the committee. Bernard Morton, Sandie Morton and Mick Butler retire by rotation and seek re-election.

It is no longer necessary for those who wish to stand for election to be nominated and seconded but all who wish to stand must agree to do so. Written consents from Branch members wishing to stand for election should be deposited with Branch Secretary Sandie Morton before the commencement of the AGM business. {signed) Bernard Morton, IWA Northampton Branch

EDITORIAL MUSINGS

Continued from page 3 pits, matured by nature over the years, have been landscaped to blend easily into the valley scene. Here and there praiseworthy commercial activities have been developed, such as at Stanwick Lakes. The walk from here to Thrapston using the disused rail track takes some beating.

And so I look forward to more details of this latest Nenescape enterprise, but to all concerned, do please, please ensure the initiatives envisaged are sensitive and in harmony. Optimistically, I believe they will be – as surely we all love the Nene Valley where, in 2018, definitely, “fings aren’t wot they used to be”.

RH

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Editor

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Introducing Chris Howes, the new IWA Eastern Region Chairman I’ve spent most of my life on and, often unintentionally, in the water, messing about in boats. A few years ago I graduated from small self propelled boats up to a larger motorised boat, when my wife and I bought a narrowboat which we keep on the Middle Level. The boat and I are these days rarely parted !

Having stood down after nearly 20 years as a local authority councillor, I welcomed the new experiences and challenges that came with boat ownership and IWA membership. I became a committee member of Peterborough Branch and have thrown myself enthusiastically into Branch activities, including work parties and the recent successful campaign cruise to Welches Dam. I have also been using skills acquired and honed in my days as a councillor to correspond with the Waterways Minister and challenge the actions of the Environment Agency regarding the possible closure of navigations. I’m now Peterborough Branch Chairman in addition to being Region Chairman.

Since my appointment, I’ve visited the active branches in our Region and reconvened the previously lapsed Regional Committee, which will now be a bi-annual forum for our branches to compare notes and share experiences, problems and solutions. I’m also hoping to attend the full set of the Region’s branch AGMs. Events this year in the Region include both the Bedford River Festival and the IWA Festival of Water in St Neots. I’ll be at both, hopefully on local IWA stands, so look forward to meeting many of you. I’ll also try and keep you up-dated on Regional issues through your local newsletter.

Wishing you all happy and safe boating in 2018!

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Linking Gayton with Far Cotton

of the Arm, to encourage more people (walkers, cyclists as well as boaters) to visit the canal and to round off our plans to commemorate the Arm’s 200 th birthday in 2015.

You will recall these plans started with a mosaic mural on the sanitary station wall at Gayton Junction, which was followed by a mosaic bench at Lock 17 at Far Cotton in Northampton. These two works of art are now linked by the mosaic nature trail, funded from the John Faulkner Legacy.

The design and construction of all these projects is a collaborative effort involving Branch committee members, pupils from three primary schools – Gayton C of E, Briar Hill and Delapre - staff from Bellway Homes, the Canal & River Trust, our Task Party volunteers and even two Borough Councillors. Not forgetting David Bowers, from Mosaic Madness, who was key to all three projects and who kept us hard at work to achieve these masterpieces within the agreed timescales and budgets.

Plans are underway for an official opening of the trail in April. The children who designed and made the plaques will be our guests along with their parents, school staff, CRT representatives and maybe even an MP or two!

Following the opening, there will be the opportunity to enter the Nature Trail Challenge online. It works like this.

One plaque at each lock bears a letter which, put together in sequence, will spell out a phrase, starting at Lock 1. By submitting the correct phrase online, you will be rewarded with a certificate and maybe, for the first handful of entries, a small prize (if I can persuade the Commit-

The mosaics at Lock 5 depicting an oak tree

14 tee that this is a great idea). Obviously, you don’t have to complete the whole 4 ¾ mile walk in one go – young ones with little legs may need to break it up into manageable sections.

We are hoping that the Nature Trail Challenge will encourage more people, and especially children, to enjoy the unique environment of the Northampton Arm. Watch this space for fuller details about the Challenge and its start date.

This project has been a real team effort and, of course, playing a keen role have been our Task Party volunteers to whom I would like to express my sincere thanks for all their hard work.

Putting the finishing touches to the laying of the mosaics at Lock 14

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15 Rob Westlake, a volunteer with The Friends of The Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum, reports on ...

Sculptor’s Winter Journey Milton Keynes Parks Trust and the Canal & River Trust combined to stage an Illuminated Boats event to conclude the end of a year of celebrations to mark MK50 — 50 years since the New Town of Milton Keynes was designated. Funding was also granted by MK Community Foundation.

Pleasingly our team from the Canal Museum was asked to take Sculptor, the Museum’s floating exhibit, to MK to be part of this two-day event over the weekend of the 2nd/3rd December. A call for crew was made and on a dry and cool Friday morning, Sculptor got underway, heading initially up to the winding hole by the Tunnel entrance before returning in the low sunlight into Stoke top lock, where we joined nb Shannon with Geoff and Pat Wood. Mick Butler, Chairman of the Friends’ group, also joined us for the trip — all in all, a strong IWA Northampton representation.

Swift progress was made down the flight, stopping only at the bottom to replenish the water can, which made an opportunity for a team photo in the bright sunshine. A pleasant run down to Cosgrove, through Wolverton and we arrived at our allocated mooring – only to find that silt stopped us firm about three feet out from the bank. Another mooring was quickly found.

Next morning two crew members returned to add our festive lights and Christmas tree and by early afternoon the public started to walk along the ‘one way circuit’ to view the boats and the attractions. As dusk fell, the whole area was transformed into a festive scene, with illuminated artwork features, lit trees, parading decorated boats and a variety of seasonal music.

This was repeated on the Sunday but with larger crowds and, due to better site illumination, Sculptor was visited by many hundreds of people as she was the only historic narrowboat at the event.

Monday morning saw the crew return to proceed to the winding hole south of bridge 82 and then back to Stoke Bruerne.

There had been plans for another trip to Foxton for CRT’s Christmas event there, but as the Museum at Stoke Bruerne had a

special ‘free access’ event during that week, this trip was abandoned as we felt that Sculptor should be at her mooring for our local visitors.

All lit up at Milton Keynes for 50th anniversary celebrations

Sculptor at Milton Keynes illuminated boats event

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How John Faulkner Legacy is helping Friends of Raymond save Nutfield

By Nick Lake Maintaining and preserving the historic narrow boats Nutfield & Raymond requires constant work and regular funding, but 2017 turned out to be not only one of the busiest, but also one of The Friends of Raymond’s costliest years for some time. It began in January at Bates’ Boatyard at Bulbourne where Jem Bates, a leading expert on wooden boats, carried out essential work repairing and caulking Raymond’s hull and bottoms and rebuilding the cabin.

From Bulbourne, Raymond went on to Rebuilding Raymond’s cabin at Jason Clarke’s paint dock at Blisworth in Bates’ Boatyard early April where the new cabin was painted and sign-written. Finally, back at Braunston, the name and the cabinside castles were added in the style of the late Ron Hough by two of The Friends of Raymond’s talented members. So, by the start of the summer season, Raymond was resplendent in her new paintwork.

Meanwhile, 80-year-old motor boat Nutfield was giving cause for concern.

Several areas in the hull had worn thin and were in urgent need of replacement with new steel plate. We were advised that, after being repaired, the hold should be grit-blasted and painted with epoxy paint and that, to protect the steelwork in the future, we should arrange to cover it completely, especially during the winter. The problem with covering the hold was that Nutfield had no side cloths. And if we were going to fit side cloths, the boat would need new wooden gunwales and deck beam, which would also involve major repairs to the steel angles the gunwales are attached to.

With these costs approaching £10,000, and having already spent most of our reserves on Raymond, the situation was looking desperate. Then help arrived in the form of an offer from Northampton IWA of a £5,000 grant from the John Faulkner Legacy which was the lifeline we needed to allow us to go ahead with the work.

17 In August we delivered Nutfield to Brinklow Boat Services at Stretton Wharf for the work to begin. But, of course, nothing is ever straightforward with old boats. The grit-blasting blew a hole below the waterline requiring emergency plugging and more replating. And after 80 years’ service, Nutfield had to be forcibly pushed and pulled back into shape before the new gunwales could be fitted. But we got there in the end and, thanks to the extraordinary skills of Steve Priest on the steelwork and Rex Wain on the woodwork, aided by FoR volunteers doing the unskilled and dirty work like shovelling out the grit and painting the new wood, the end result is stunning.

Friends of Raymond volunteer Peter Copeland blowing grit with compressed air

Work is still in progress. Nutfield remains at Stretton Wharf awaiting the side cloths which should be finished in February, while Pete Boyce at Braunston is repairing rotten woodwork inside Raymond’s cabin. But we are on track to have the cabin fully restored and refitted and for the boats to be back together by April, ready to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Raymond's launch on 11th June 1958.

So, while we look back with satisfaction on a year of considerable achievement, The Friends of Raymond would like to offer sincere thanks to Northampton IWA, without whose interest and generous support much of this vitally important work would not have been possible.

Detail of Nutfield’s new gunwales and deck beam

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20 CHANGES AT BLISWORTH Update on the Blisworth Canal Partnership and Blisworth Festival 2018 The Blisworth Canal Partnership was set up in 2009 as a non-profit making community organisation run by seven directors, the primary purpose being to improve the canal environment within Blisworth Parish and to encourage its use.

The BCP formally adopted the length of the Grand Union Canal from Gayton Junction to the Blisworth Tunnel under the Canal & River Trust scheme and works closely with CRT, organising regular work parties to carry out a variety of maintenance and improvement projects.

But there has now been some re-organisation. The first work party under the aegis of the new group was held in late December and there will be more to follow. We will look to improve further the Blisworth canalside for all visitors to enjoy. We hope the hut by Blisworth Tunnel can be enjoyed by all of the local community in the coming years.

To help fund these works, the first Blisworth Canal Festival was organised in 2010 and has become a very successful and highly popular annual event. The 2017 Festival was spread across a number of close-by village venues and attracted an estimated 20,000 plus visitors. Profits are distributed amongst local and national charities as well as supporting the local canal environment.

But by September 2017, all serving directors of the BCP felt they had done their time and an open meeting was held to determine the fate of the Blisworth Canal Festival and, indeed, of the Partnership itself.

The meeting was very well attended and local support for the Festival was overwhelming, with many people pledging their continued support in one way and another. In view of this, a new group of seven people (mainly villagers) agreed to step in to continue the good work done so far, both in organising the annual Festival and in continuing to adopt the length of canal within the Parish of Blisworth. The new directors are: Mike Holton (Chairman), Nick Hobday (Company Secretary), Andrea Holton (Treasurer), Jack King, Jim McQueen, Colin Neal and Duncan Price.

So, the Festival lives on and the new organising committee have already started planning this year’s Festival. Their basic premise is ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!’. Their aim is to continue and build on the tremendous effort and dedication shown by Alan and Jan Andrews and their fellow directors of the Blisworth Canal Partnership over a number of years.

This year’s Blisworth Festival runs over the weekend of 18th /19th August (note: one week later than previous years). The key message from the new guys at the helm is that ‘it’s business as usual’. Although a few tweaks are likely for this year, at the time of writing this piece (early January) it’s too early to give details.

A new website (www.blisworthfestival.org.) is currently under development.

Colin Neal, on behalf of Blisworth Canal Partnership

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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 D & Mrs A Dunham, Welton Hythe Mr R Francis, Welford Marina Mr C Lumber, King’s Lynn, Norfolk Mr J R McDonough, Hove , East Sussex Mr P T & Mrs S A Smith, Upper Boddington Mr A Williams, Worthing, West Sussex Mr K Wright, Northampton

MEMBERS MOVED TO THE BRANCH Mr R Turvey & Mrs V Salem, London

We look forward to meeting you all at our Branch events 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.

The Inland Waterways Association is registered as a charity (No. 212342)

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.

22 In December, Old Woughton Parish Council in Milton Keynes was named as the winner of CRT’s 2017 Volunteer Organisation Recognition Award in its South-East Region.

Parish Councillor Judith Howson reports

VOLUNTEERING AT OLD WOUGHTON Old Woughton Parish Council (OWPC) came into being in 2012. It is a small rural parish, only about a mile from north to south, in the heart of Milton Keynes, having at its centre the old village of Woughton on the Green.

OWPC’s aims are to work with local organisations and agencies, to improve the quality of our residents’ lives and encourage healthy living. There is much scope for enjoying outdoor activities, one of which is walking, in particular along the Grand Union towpath, but it was found repairs to this are often urgently needed, largely as a result of frequent waterlogging.

Sonny King, CRT’s SE Volunteer Co-ordinator, presents the award to Judith Howson

Thus it was a natural progression when asked by the Canal & River Trust if we would be willing to establish a group of volunteers to help with maintenance. Although I was the official councillor with responsibility for canal issues, I was very thankful to have a retired master builder, Richard Freeman, as part of the team. His enthusiasm and knowledge were a great help and encouragement to all of us. He not only knew what a wacker plate was, but also how to use one! Sadly he died suddenly last

23 Easter having left us a legacy of commitment to continue the work with energy and determination.

The team of volunteers started work in 2016, moving two tons of hardcore by shovel and wheelbarrow. The following month, three tons of hardcore were similarly despatched and subsequently four tons. On March 20th 2017 OWPC formally adopted the full stretch of waterway. We have a list of about 20 keen volunteers, 10 – 15 of whom turn out on a Saturday morning each month to do the work. We finish with a real sense of achievement, having enjoyed much conversation and laughter. On one occasion the team met to collect canal side rubbish and filled 16 rubbish sacks.

CRT support the work by arranging for the hardcore to be delivered and on the Saturday morning, they supply the comfort wagon, equipped with tea and coffee, as well as wheelbarrows, shovels and the aforementioned wacker plate. Individual volunteers also supply some equipment, so there is plenty to keep us all fully occupied. It is not unknown for four tons of hardcore to be moved, laid and ‘wackered’ in the space of little over an hour. A camaraderie has developed in the team and with so many willing helpers the time commitment is not huge. Much can be achieved in a short time when people are so willing.

We are thrilled to have won the VORA shield in our first full year of existence as an adoption group. Our sincere thanks go to all the willing supporters who have worked whatever the weather, as once the hardcore is delivered, it has to be laid in all conditions, even when it is wet and heavy and needs to be manhandled up steps!

“Much can be achieved in a short time when people are so willing”

The Inland Waterways Association is a membership charity that works to protect and restore the country's 6,500 miles of canals and rivers.

24 The first recipient of the John Faulkner Award, a new annual Branch award acknowledging the member who has made an outstanding contribution to the Branch, is Clive Joynson in recognition of his work, largely on the Northampton Arm. Here, Clive tells us about the pleasure he gets from his volunteering efforts

Volunteering – all in a day’s work My need for a more fulfilling retirement led me to look into the possible opportunities offered by volunteering. It became immediately apparent, after a quick Google on the subject, that I would have to narrow my search for something suitable from the myriad of options.

Having spent most of my working life inside electronics factories, escaping to the great outdoors had always been a source of pleasure. Hiking with a big pack in my younger days had now, in my retirement, become ultralight hikes and walks around my local area. My routes would often include sections of canal which I found especially enjoyable. It was always an opportunity to indulge one of my other passions, that of observing wildlife. The canals seemed to combine many of my interests, including a fascination with how and when they were built and who built them. As I found out more about the canals I developed a sense of gratitude to the group of people who had saved them from their decline into dereliction. I had been enjoying the fruits of their efforts. Little did I know to what extent that group were still active and that there was even more enjoyment to be had by helping them.

The Canal & River Trust website completed the picture. This seemed to be just what I was looking for. I enquired about local volunteer opportunities and CRT forwarded my details to the IWA Northampton Arm adoption group. At their invitation I attended the next Task Party day and became an IWA volunteer. It was October 2014.

Over 400 volunteer hours later I can safely say it was one of the better decisions of my life.

The opportunity proved to be even more rewarding than I had envisaged. Not only was I being allowed to get 'up close and personal' with the canal infrastructure but I had also become part of an enthusiastic team of like minded people. I had worked with teams before — but this was a team with a difference: they were not being paid.

They were all there because they wanted to be there. Speaking as an ex-manager, this was heaven. No issues with motivation or morale. A pleasure to be part of. The diverse life experience of the team members brought a wealth of knowledge and skills to bear on any problem we encountered as well as making coffee breaks very entertaining.

Of course, none of this could have happened without the good leadership of North-

25 ampton IWA volunteer Task Party leaders. Keeping all this willing energy focused and utilised takes time, planning and logistics. By providing a plan of tasks to be done, born out of listening to everyone's thoughts, they have allowed each volunteer to become a significant asset to the team. It allows all ages, regardless of experience or ability, to contribute as much time and effort as they feel they can. The only expectation they put on anyone is to have fun. I believe this is the reason for the success and on going popularity of this group.

The tasks we undertake are varied and include edging and painting locks, vegetation control, rubbish removal, litter picking, repairing fences, removing obstructions to navigation and generally enhancing the canal experience for all. As most of my comrades will know, the physical nature of vegetation clearance makes it my favourite task but clearing away unsightly litter comes a close second. In certain places our continuous attempts to keep the Northampton Arm litter free is starting to cause less litter to be dropped. This is one of several impacts we have made that have been noticed by the local populous. It has been known for cakes and biscuits to be presented to us, along with many thanks for our efforts, by locals and boaters alike. Not that we need our team spirits raising but it all helps.

My volunteering has developed over the years to the point where, apart from helping with the logistics at Northampton IWA, I also help other canal groups at Stoke Bruene and Braunston. CRT supports all these groups by collaborating on larger projects and disposing of collected rubbish. Becoming a CRT volunteer as well has opened up new opportunities for me, like going on the road with CRT employees.

Pressure washing lock gates, clearing weirs, culverts, reservoir outflows and helping move work boats are all in a day’s work for a volunteer like me.

Clive Joynson receiving the John Faulkner Award from Branch Chairman Bernard Morton

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THE NENE – “Britain’s Most Remarkable River” A personal view by Frederick Doerflinger, author of “Slow Boat Through England” Reproduced from the 1971 Northampton IWA National Rally brochure To do justice in a few hundred words to the myriad charms as well as the bewitching idiosyncracies of the River Nene is a formidable task. For me the Nene is the most remarkable river in Britain and certainly the only one that has captivated me into awarding it an exclusive descriptive adjective.

Because no river anywhere presents such a winding course through such pleasant pastoral countryside. I call this limestone river the “nowhither Nene”. Forty miles as the crow flies it may be between Northampton and Peterborough but the navigable non-tidal Middle Nene loops so much that it’s 70 miles by water between the two towns and all of it, barring a few industrialised stretches, completely wild and unspoiled.

Admittedly between the Northampton Arm of the Grand Union Canal and the Dogin-a-Doublet lock that gives admission to a further 20-odd miles of tidal river there are just over three dozen of the stiffest locks on any inland waterway in Britain, thanks to those deliberately heavily geared guillotine and radial shutter lower gates.

Perhaps not when one is turning the windlass 180 times to open a radial shutter gate, but certainly in retrospect the lock work is a small price to pay for the enchantments the Nene has to offer even the mildly observant.

Until this very century the Nene has been a terrible rogue of a river chalking up a fascinating history as it greedily drained five-eighths of the county and then from time to time over the centuries made mischief with its surfeit of water. Modern engineering has curbed these periodic excesses, removed the fear from the people of the wide valley and made it possible for even beginners to safely navigate the Nene’s tamed waters.

Although the Nene has been deepened and straightened, gouged and locked, weeded, polluted and generally messed about much more than the average river, its beguiling personality still sparkles through undamaged and addicts like myself nostalgically brood over the river’s now contained power, waiting hopefully for a little to be unleashed as in by-gone days.

This does not mean that the Nene is no longer exciting. True there are no longer herons, geese, ducks, wild swans, teal and wigeon in their hundreds and thousands but there are still literally dozens of types of birds to admire and identify. The old

27 eel traps dating back to the Domesday Book have now vanished but there is still very good fishing. No more grain is brought by water to Wellingborough Mill and a commercial narrow boat is a phenomenon on the Nene today but you’ll meet friendly boating types at cruising clubs and on the increasing number of pleasure craft.

The Nene is till the river of “Drunken Barnaby” of Wansford-in-England and the “bride in a basket” legend of Castle Ashby House. Times change but there is no shortage of green and gravel banks, of reedy sweeping river, of 18th century and more ancient vistas, of saddleback towers and tall steeples, great houses and tithe barns, shady woods and avenues, rolling upland pastures, waving fields of corn, pleasant water meadows, lovely stone and thatched villages, picturesque mills, cheerful pubs and inns, richly ornamental churches, historic monuments, delightful flying and other bridges, backwater moorings and winding footpaths that lead to many more charted and uncharted beauty spots.

The homely sound of bells from Nene churches, the harsh and penetrating “kr-r-k” of the moorhen, the summer smell of water meadows under hay, the breath-taking sight of sunsets over a curving silver-red stream, the taste of duckweed in the water, the friendliness of the people in all walks of life – these are but a few of the memories that come rushing back to me when I think of the Nene.

But then I also recall the little tricks the Nene loves to play with her swirling floodwaters, her hidden stakes, her low bridges and often shallow banks. The Nene can still stir it up.

I recollect that in the days of Queen Anne, when the first Act to make the river navigable between Northampton and Peterborough was passed, the river was officially described as the “Nyne” or “Nen”. It was not until the days of George 11 that the spelling “Nene” was used in Parliamentary documentation and even then all three spellings were employed.

And to this day the pronunciation of the river’s name is a hot controversial issue with a sharp dividing line along her course between those who insist upon Nene as in “dean” and those who maintain that Nene as in “den” is correct.

And so I carry a torch for the Nene because she continues to flaunt both her charms and her vagaries. For bountiful beauty, for perfect peace and for noteworthy navigation the Nene surpasses all other rivers in England.

The River Nene demonstrates all its pastoral beauty

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Open daily 9am –6pm ALL YEAR ROUND Tel 01327 844639 E-mail: marinachandlery@gmail.com

JOB VACANCY IWA Northampton Branch ARE YOU THE PERSON WE NEED ON OUR COMMITTEE TO FILL THE ROLL OF PUBLICITY / GRANTS OFFICER? If you are interested in joining our team, please contact Bernard Morton, Chairman,

07785 375787 email benard.morton@waterways. org.uk

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BUCKINGHAM CANAL SOCIETY Once again I would like to thank IWA Northampton Branch for their very generous £10,000 John Faulkner Legacy donation (as already reported in Endeavour) which has helped us obtain a Government Rural Development Programme LEADER grant. This grant money will cover the costs of the materials to rebuild Bridge One at Cosgrove but all the practical work will be carried out by our volunteers. The work will take place over the coming year but a start has already been made with the canal bed dredged up to the farmer’s crossing. Plans were in place to re-water this section of canal as soon as possible but the weather has beaten us to it and because of the recent large amounts of rain we already have a canal in water!

Most of this year our volunteers will be working at Cosgrove to complete the rebuilding of Bridge One but we have additional help as we are now running extra work parties. Until very recently we ran three work parties a month on alternate Thursdays and on the second Sunday of each month. The Thursday excavator group now meets most Thursdays. Further, thanks to funding from Advizor, which allows us to employ two support workers, we are now running two extra work parties a week. Imogen Jackson is running a Monday work party and Mark Hunt runs one on Tuesday.

At Bridge One we have uncovered the remains of the stone and brickwork on the bridge and work has started building a base in the canal bed so that the full restoration work on the bridge can start. A lot of work was carried out on Sunday 14th January at Cosgrove where we worked to complete a firm base in the canal bed using sleepers to provide a platform which will allow our volunteers to start the work of rebuilding the bridge. All IWA Northampton members would be very welcome to come and see the progress being made at Bridge One and of course join our ‘bridge building’ gang We also have a responsibility to keep our two other sites, which are open to the public, looking good. So, on Thursday 11th January, I ran a work party at our Hyde Lane Nature Reserve site to complete a task started last year to install oak panelling along the towpath. This work is now almost finished and through the year we will continue to work on all three of our sites along the canal.

Athina Beckett DATES FOR YOUR DIARY BCS AGM Saturday 24th March at Buckingham Community Centre BCS Canal Festival Weekend, 21st – 22nd July at Cosgrove Lock

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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.

COMMERCIAL RATES 1/4 Page (box) £12.00 +VAT 1/2 Page (box) £25.00 +VAT Full Page £40.00 +VAT Other sizes by arrangement 10% discount for 4 issues paid yearly in advance 5% discount for 4 issues paid quarterly

CLASSIFIEDS (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

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 13th March

AGM followed by a talk by Dean Hawkey —Daventry Canal Association

Tuesday 10th April Speaker: Tim Coghlan — Canal Life and Times of David Blagrove

Tuesday 8th May Speaker: John Pomfret — Middle Danube and connecting waterways The next edition of Endeavour will be published in May 2018

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WHO’S WHO IN NORTHAMPTON BRANCH 2017/2018 Branch Chairman Bernard Morton 07785 375787/ 01604 858294 E-mail: bernard.morton @waterways.org.uk

Vice Chairman, Joint Task Party Organiser & Membership Secretary Geoff Wood E-mail: geoff.wood @waterways.org.uk

Branch Secretary Sandie Morton 01604 858294 E-mail: sandie.morton @waterways.org.uk

Treasurer Paul Lynam E-mail:paul.lynam @waterways.org.uk

Joint Task Party Organiser Michael Butler E-mail: michael.butler @waterways.org.uk

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

Website & Social Media Officer Sam Line E-mail: sam.line @waterways.org.uk

Committee Member Alex Madisons E-mail: alex.madisons @waterways.org.uk

Newsletter Tony Clarke 07939 977859 E-mail: tony.clarke @waterways.org.uk

Committee Member John Pomfret

COMMITTEE VACANCIES The positions of Publicity and Grants Officer and Branch Meetings Organiser are currently vacant. Volunteers required, please.

E-mail: john.pomfret @waterways.org.uk

Non-Committee post Endeavour Assistant Editor, Advertising & Distribution, Archivist Roger Hasdell 01604 248582

The Inland Waterways Association is a membership charity that works to protect and restore the country's 6,500 miles of canals and rivers.

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