Hereward Autunm 2010

PETERBOROUGH BRANCH

HEREWARD AUTUMN 2010

www.iwapeterborough.org.uk The IWA charity registered number 212342 The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Inland Waterways Association or of the Peterborough Branch. They are, however, published as being of interest to our members and readers

Photos: Editor

CHAIRMAN’S LETTER Dear All, This time of year always produces the greatest amount of brainpower for the shortest chairman’s letter. The reason being that most of our committee and membership are away boating and as a result nothing happens. Oh if only that were true!

However the truth is that there is an awful lot going on at all levels. The saga of Welches Dam and the Old Bedford has been discussed at IWA by both Navcomm and the Board of Trustees, and some positive steps have been taken. This is purely as a result of continued pressure by your Branch committee.

The IWA nationally continues to campaign both for a single navigation authority under the working title of a Waterways Conservancy, and lobby parliament to ameliorate the effect of the impending “cuts” to the waterways’ budgets which are expected at the forthcoming Government Spending Review, due in September. .

The branch has a cruise organised to storm the Old Bedford Tidal doors over the weekend of 18th/19th September with more details given by our Secretary on page 2.

I’m sure that many of you will have seen pictures in various waterways publications of our S O S cruise and the publicity generated as a result has been very useful. It all helps build the case that we can present Nationally to the Government that waterways matter.

It really is brutally simple, we use the waterways, if we won’t fight for them who will?

Alastair Chambers

Opposite: The picture display shows views of the Historic Narrowboat

Rally held at Braunston in June. There was a wide array of craft in attendance which occupied most of the canal and marina area. There were also arts & craft and society stalls, a horseboating demonstration, entertainment and most importantly a real ale tent!

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OLD BEDFORD AND OLD BEDFORD SLUICE CRUISE

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s indicated in the last Hereward the branch intends to mount an official cruise through the Old Bedford Sluice and along the Old Bedford. The Environment Agency has agreed that it will have all elements necessary to make a successful cruise available for the period of 17th to 20th September. Having consulted the Salters Lode lock keeper over the tides and taking account of practicalities like the need for some of you to work (!), it has been decided that the official cruise should take place on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th September. High tide on those days is in the afternoon but they are some of the lowest high tides of the year which perversely should make it easier to establish a level with the waters in the Old Bedford and facilitate easier access to that river.

The plan in outline is that craft should gather at Salters Lode on the Saturday morning and then, as directed by the lock keeper go out of that lock in convoy straight into and through the Old Bedford Sluice. Thereafter the rest of the day will be taken up cruising along the Old Bedford, probably mooring overnight on the out or return journey at Welney. The return through the Sluice will take place during Sunday afternoon.

We do appreciate that the need for the passage through the Sluice to take place in the afternoon will provide logistical difficulties especially for those who work. To endeavour to assist it may be possible to find moorings in the Salters Lode area for those returning on the Sunday. This would enable crew to collect their craft and return to their home base during the following weekend. It would also serve to reduce the number of craft passing through the Sluice at any one time if the number of passages could be spread. For this purpose it may be possible to arrange for those who have the time to pass through the Sluice and into the Old Bedford on Friday 17th September. This would, of course, give those interested some extra hours on the Old Bedford itself. Please let us know if you wish to take up either of these options. We are anxious to make the event as “user friendly� as possible.

As this is an official IWA event it is necessary for those taking part to complete a formal entry form. Please contact Alastair for a copy [alastair.boater@virgin.net or on 01778 344438]. You must obviously also ensure that your own boat insurance is in order!

Nigel Long 2

EDITOR’S NOTES

D

espite all the doom and gloom about spending cuts, recession and job uncertainties, the waterways seem to be as busy as ever.

We had a couple of weeks out in late June-early July and went up to the Midlands via the Grand Union, Northern Oxford and Coventry Canals to Fradley Junction. On the way back we detoured up the Ashby.

On the way out we went through Braunston on the weekend of the Historic Narrowboat Rally and as we left the bottom lock we cruised straight into the morning parade.

Whilst Sands Green is getting on a bit it’s not exactly ‘historic’ but we were welcomed by all involved and even got a mention on the tannoy! There are some of views of the attending boats inside the front cover.

As we cruised north we were caught up by many of the entrants making their way home and the sight of the bow of an unloaded Large Woolwich riding high in the water on your stern is a big incentive to move over and wave ‘after you Claud!’. We got behind one these going down Atherstone. It was being single manned by a friendly ‘Brummie’ and as we waited at the top lock we thought we would have a slow descent.

No way! His technique and skill were such that the two of us couldn’t catch him!

Makes you feel a bit inadequate doesn’t it!

Another indicator that seems to be bucking the economic trend is the proliferation of new marinas. It doesn’t seem so long ago that people would almost kill for a mooring but there seems to be plenty of capacity now opening up, certainly on the main cruising routes. This must be a good thing in giving boaters a choice and allowing a move from time to time to explore pastures new. Adequate capacity should also keep costs down on the basis of supply and demand.

We noticed how mother nature soon takes back what is rightfully hers. The first time we cruised the Coventry Canal through Nuneaton and Tamworth in the late 1980’s it was like the face of the moon! Remains of the many collieries that once thrived in that area were plain to see and greenery was in very short supply. Now the many spoil tips have seeded with saplings that have matured into established woodlands and the route forms a very pleasant cruise.

Hawkesbury Junction (or Sutton Stop) is a favourite stopping off spot—if only for a few pints in The Greyhound. I had a stroll The Greyhound - Sutton Stop over the site of the old Coventry Power Station and all that remains is a large mound of earth sparsely populated by some weak vegetation struggling to seed in the no doubt polluted earth. From the top of the hill you can see all over the skyline of Coventry. It was a co-incidence that on returning home, the Waterways World lying on the mat contained a photograph of the same spot with the power station in full fury!

The Ashby Canal goes from nowhere of 3

£7.95

note to nowhere in particular and takes 22 miles to do it. Nevertheless it is a pleasant canal and easy going with no locks on the currently connected section. We always go right to the end at Snarestone even though there is nothing much there. The lady who mans the Ashby Canal Trust sales hut always likes to chat and we were pleased to note this time that a start has been made on extending the truncated canal along the dry bed towards Measham. It is only a pilot scheme involving a short extension to trial Extension work on the Ashby ground conditions and construction methods, but Canal at Snarestone at least something is happening! Water levels on the Ashby were well down and was no place for deep draughted boats. Certainly the guys from the Braunston ‘do’ would have struggled.

Speaking of water supplies, our friends in the North West are somewhat miffed.

They have a hosepipe ban and the Leeds & Liverpool Canal is closed from Wigan to Gargrave with reservoirs down to 10% stocks. Yet whenever we ring it always seems to be raining up there! Must be the wrong type of rain! Enjoy the Philip rest of the summer.

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STUART HOLMES BOAT SAFETY EXAMINATIONS PETERBOROUGH BOATING CENTRE Chandlery

Diesel - Calor

73 NORTH STREET STANGROUND, PETERBOROUGH Tel: 01733 566688

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DOG in a DOUBLET SLUICE

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he Environment Agency is refurbishing Dog in a Doublet sluice and lock downstream of Peterborough on the River Nene. Work costing £1.2m is being carried out on a jammed mechanism on the sluice to ensure that reliable operation can be guaranteed. The lock will be closed to boats for just over a week in October to replace the electrical operating system and to prepare to make it automated. Dog in a Doublet sluice, built in 1937, forms the upstream limit of tidal defences for the River Nene. It also controls upstream river levels through Peterborough.

Environment Agency project manager Elisha Tafirenyika said: "At present, the sluice is not fully operational because the north sluice is jammed and is in a deteriorating condition." The Environment Agency said it had timed the closure to coincide with the end of the boating season to try to minimise disruption to river users.

Mr Tafirenyika said: "If the sluice were to fail, its tidal location would cause the upstream channel to become saline preventing water abstraction for irrigation, causing potential damage to the neighbouring Site of Special Scientific Interest and preventing us from being able to control river levels for navigation."

The work is expected to finish by January 2011.

Mill Drove, Ramsey Cambs. PE26 2RD Tel: 01487 813621 billfenmarina@tiscali.co.uk www.billfenmarina.com

Moorings occasionally available, £11.25 per foot per year + VAT, if paid annually.

Slipway for bottom blacking from £100.00 Chandlery, Fuel, Gas, Toilets, Shower We stock Rylard & Craftmaster Paints, Anodes, Coflex, Rust Konverta, Incralac etc.

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PROTECTIVE COVERS FOR ALL APPLICATIONS

Contact Ray Whitby Unit 3C Cromwell Business Centre New Road, St Ives PE27 5BG Tel: (01480) 462150 Fax: (01480) 493309 E-mail: ray.whitby@onetel.net Web:www.srobb.co.uk

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WORK EXPERIENCE AT FOX’s

ers Chamb r e d n a x

By Ale

I

n year 10 all students have to take part in a two week work experience programme, so where to go? As I’ve always loved boating and have grown up with boats I thought working with boats would be the next step, so I asked my Dad to ask Fox Narrowboats (Fox’s) if I could come and work there for two weeks and happily they said yes! So all that remained now was to stock up the boat, cleverly positioned in the marina, with food. Monday 17th May arrived and at 9 am I started work, wondering what I would have to do, and the answer was a lot. However this was a good thing because during the two weeks I learned an awful lot. I was shown how to drill and tap holes, allowed to black hulls, after pressure washing them. On Saturday, which is ‘changeover’ day for the hire fleet I was given the job of pumping out the boats and helped Matt with the re-fuelling. I was shown how to clean anodes. It involves a cement mixer, some water and a lot of gravel, it works! As part of work experience I was fortunate to be offered, by Fox’s, a place on a RYA Inland Helmsman course. I passed! That means I am the only one qualified to steer our Narrowboat. Having been fortunate enough to work with the friendly, skilled people at Fox’s I know now working with boats is definitely what I want to do, although there was thing I didn’t like… having to leave and go back to school.

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WELCOME The Branch offers a warm welcome to the following new members:• • •

Mr & Mrs D Ketchum of Chatteris Mr & Mrs G Knowles of Bretton Mr & Mrs A J Brown of Stamford

We look forward to seeing you at our Social Meetings over the coming Winter season.

The programme and details of the venue are included on page 12 of this issue.

Richard Fairman has taken on the role of Meetings and Publicity Officer and if anyone has any ideas for topics or knows of any interesting speakers for next season’s programme please let Richard know.

Contact details on page 16.

We hope you will please support our advertisers in return for the continued valuable support they give to the Branch in making this publication possible.

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NEWS SNIPPETS Sleaford Navigation The new lifting footbridge on the Sleaford Navigation finally opened on Saturday 3 July after several delays due to technical problems. The opening ceremony was performed in warm sunshine at Eastgate Green by Councillor Eddy Poll of Lincolnshire County Council and Chris Hayes, Chairman of Sleaford Navigation Trust. A new slipway and winding hole were also brought into use at the same time. The slipway has opened up a third of a mile of waterway to navigation up to the derelict Cogglesford Lock. Boaters intending to use the slipway should contact the Sleaford Navigation Trust on 01522-689460.

Councillor Poll, David Pullen (who has overseen the work on behalf of the trust) and stalwart of the Chesterfield Canal Restoration, John Lower were the first to pass through the bridge aboard John’s trailboat Schandelle.

North Walsham & Dilham Canal Branch members who heard Ivan Cane’s talk on the North Walsham & Dilham Canal last year may be interested to hear of further progress on the restoration. After a lull of 55 years a motor boat has returned to the top reaches of the canal after this stretch was bought by the Old Canal Company last October. The new owners have not only continued the restoration of Bacton Wood Lock but have also bought the ex -BW dredger Weasel for use on the canal.

The Weasel started her slow journey to the River Ant and then up to Wayford Bridge where she was lifted by crane to travel the final five miles by road to Ebridge Mill.

Hopefully as the restoration develops she will dredge her way back to Wayford Mill.

Meanwhile Weasel will be used by the OCC to dredge the pound from Ebridge to Bacton Wood. For this to happen a section of the millpond had to be cleared to enable Weasel to be launched and she then cut her own way through to reach the top of Ebridge Lock.

This is the first clearance on the canal since 1956 when the then owners, North Walsham Canal Company, employed their steam dredger to carry out the task. The East Anglian Waterways Association and North Walsham & Dilham Canal Trust continue their twice-monthly work parties along the full five miles of the canal. Further details can be obtained on their website www.eawa.co.uk.

Chairman Becomes BW Observer IWA Chairman Clive Henderson has been appointed as an Observer to the British Waterways Board. He will be entitled to attend all board meetings in this capacity.

This is an interim measure pending the selection and appointment of two Special Advisors who will sit on the BW Board with full powers but on an unpaid basis. The new members will provide support and advice on the proposed transition of BW’s canals and rivers in England and Wales into the civil society as a third sector trust with charitable status.

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BRANCH MEETINGS PROGRAMME - 2010/11

20 Oct 2010

Roy Chandler, Chairman of Essex Waterways Ltd on

‘Recent History of the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation’ 17 Nov 2010

‘Knotting & Splicing’ - a talk and demonstration by David Venn Bring your own mooring lines if you want to learn how to splice!

15 Dec 2010

Christmas Social

19 Jan 2011

Peter Root on ‘Crossing the Atlantic in his Self-built Boat’

16 Feb 2011

‘Annual Update on Environment Agency Navigations’

by Irven Forbes, Waterway Manager, Anglian Region

16 Mar 2011

AGM - plus Alvin Rowton on Beekeeping

20 Apr 2011

Peter Waszak on

‘Commercial Transport on the River Nene in the 19th Century’

All meetings held at the Peterborough & District Indoor Bowls Centre, Burton Street, Peterborough PE1 5HA commencing at 7.30pm

Members & Non-members Welcome

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EA BOAT REGISTRATION & REGULATION Recent Changes highlighted by Sue Cant

T

he law governing boat registration and related conditions for our waterways changed on 6 April 2010, when the Secretary of State implemented the Environment Agency (Inland Waterways) Order 2010.

The new Order will allow us to introduce one consistent approach for boat registration on our inland waterways in England, by updating historic navigation legislation in Anglian, Thames and Southern Regions.

As examples, the Order will allow us to: - require boats to comply with the Boat Safety Scheme (BSS) at all times, not just at the time of registration - require boats to have at least Third Party Insurance - access boats for inspections - request information - vary boat registration periods to suit customers better - vary / harmonise a number of our other registration requirements Failure to comply with the BSS, insurance requirements, making a vessel available for inspection or giving false statement are now all offences under the Order. Whilst we appreciate that extra requirements for information and provision of third party insurance may be an additional burden on many boaters, we do feel that these revisions are required to bring greater fairness and consistency of standards across all of our waterways, encouraging the widest application of safe and responsible use by all craft.

If you are already registered with us, or are just about to, it is unlikely that you will notice any changes this boating season. Until the next boating season we will continue to use our current paperwork and registration certificates. The new Order repeals or revokes some parts of our navigation legislation but we do not feel it is a good use of money to reprint existing registration certificates or licence plates.

However, if you registered your boat on or after 6 April 2010 you should note this is under the registration provisions of the Environment Agency (Inland Waterways) Order 2010 and not any other legislation that may be printed on the documents you received.

Over the next few months we will be discussing how and when we introduce the provisions of the Order with national customer group representatives. We will send all annual licence holders further information on how the changes may affect you later this year.

For further information, please visit www.environment-agency.gov.uk/ waterwaysorder 13

Brian W. Smith Marine Surveyor Pre-Purchase Surveys Valuations—Insurance Surveys CE Compliance for Home Builds Contact Brian on: Tel: 01354 680341 Mobile: 07887 781649 E-mail: smith.marine@btinternet.com

Boat Safety Examinations Engine Evaluation & Condition Ultra-sound Osmosis Assessment Gas System Surveys

Member of the Association of Boat Safety Examiners - Gas Safe Reg. YDSA

ON THE WEB For those who like to surf the web here are details of some of the websites covering our neighbouring waterway societies and organisations.

Ipswich Branch: www.ipswich-iwa.co.uk • • Chelmer Canal Trust: www.chelmercanaltrust.co.uk • River Gipping Trust: www.rivergippingtrust.org.uk • Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway: b-mkwaterway.co.uk • River Stour Trust: www.riverstourtrust.org • Sleaford Navigation Trust: www.sleafordnavigation.co.uk • North Walsham & Dilham Canal: www.waterways.org.uk/

• • •

PricipalNavigations/ NorthWalshamDilhamCanalUn der Restoration www.granthamcanal.com www.iwa-cambridge.org.uk www.goba.org.uk

Grantham Canal: Cambridge Branch: GOBA:

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Email: gregbassam@gbwatersports.co.uk 15

INLAND WATERWAYS ASSOCIATION Peterborough Branch

COMMITTEE MEMBERS CHAIRMAN: Alastair Chambers 52 Hereward Way, Deeping St James, Peterborough PE6 8QB Tel: 01778 344438 e-mail: alastair.boater@virgin.net DEPUTY CHAIRMAN & SALES OFFICER: Graham Baughn PO Box 15, 10 Marina Drive, March, Cambs PE15 0AU Tel: 07578-753558 e-mail: w.baughn@tesco.net SECRETARY: Nigel Long 7 Georgian Court, Peterborough PE3 6AF Tel: 01733 553782 e-mail: nhlong@supanet.com TREASURER: Michael Slaughter 45 Elstone, Orton Waterville, Peterborough PE2 5JZ Tel: 01733 390598 e-mail: m.slaughter45@ntlworld.com MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY: Carole Chambers 52 Hereward Way, Deeping St James, Peterborough PE6 8QB Tel: 01778 344438 e-mail: alastair.boater@virgin.net EDITOR: Philip Halstead, 20 Cane Avenue, Peterborough PE2 9QT Tel: 01733 348500 e-mail: pp@halstead5.orangehome.co.uk John Dudley, 1 Bellmans Road, Whittlesey, Peterborough PE7 1TY Tel: 01733 202581 Roger Mungham Boatmans Cottage, Workhouse Lane, Upwell, Wisbech PE14 9ET Tel: 01945 773002 e-mail: rogerboatmans@talktalk.net David Biggs, Evelines, 85 High Street, Chatteris PE16 6MP Tel: 01354 696956 e mail: evelines85@hotmail.co.uk Roger Sexton, 2 Shaw Drive, March, Cambridgeshire PE15 9TB Tel: 01354 652329 David Venn, Bruffs Lodge, High Street, Nordelph, Downham Market PE38 0BL Tel: 01366 324102 e-mail:davidgvenn@tiscali.co.uk Richard Fairman, The Old Railway House, Cowbit, Spalding, Lincs PE12 0XD Tel: 01406 380575

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Fradley Nature Reserve Alwalton Lock

2010 has delivered a long hot summer—here are some images to remind us

Stanground

Coventry Canal Sunset