Basingstoke Canal Society Page John Pinkerton Focus on Accessible Boating Association

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Basingstoke Canal Society

New Leadership Take the Tiller

The Basingstoke Canal Society is very pleased to share the news that longstanding volunteers Ian Moore and Tony Balchin have been confirmed as our new Chairman and Vice-chairman respectively. Ian and Tony bring a wealth of society knowledge and experience to their new roles, having previously held roles in the executive committee and working across strategy, managing our trip boats and lobbying.

Kitty II Project

We continue to fundraise for our new Kitty II trip boat but have made enough progress that we are happy to now consider and book a build date. Regular readers will know that we have been planning to replace our original Kitty with an all-electric boat that is much better adapted for the less abled and non-polluting for an environmentally-sound future. As part of this project we also plan to install several charging points on the canal in Woking, which will represent our first step towards making the canal fully electric for all users.

Welcome Return of Community Events

We’ve been delighted to see the return of lots of events following the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions. Basingstoke Canal Society volunteers have taken part in and supported over the summer include:

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee:

Thursday 2nd June was a superb sunny day that brought families out to Frimley Lodge Park to enjoy arena events and variety of stalls for the Surrey Heath Mayor’s Family Fun Day. Enthusiastic volunteers were there to join in the fun and cheerfully provide information about the canal and Basingstoke Canal Society.

Friday 3rd June, saw a small, but effective boat rally at The Fox and Hounds as part of the Fleet four-day celebration. ABA volunteers brought Dawn to the boat rally beside Don’s narrowboat, a visiting trail boat and a variety of local boats. The 26th Odiham

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(Fleet) Sea Scouts gave two canoe displays and there were continuous coming and going of paddle boarders on the water too.

Fleet Carnival: The 2nd July saw us pitching the BCS stand in a very windy and rather chilly Fleet park. The arrival of the carnival parade in the early afternoon brought families to enjoy a few hours of fun and festivity. The Buzzer Box and John Ross’ dinghy Elizabeth Rose brought Rosie & Jim enthusiasts to our pitch and also raised some funds for Kitty II. Visitors to the BCS stand were keen to chat about summer plans, took away information about boat trips and a few souvenirs of their day out.

Dogmersfield Fete & Flower

Show: Saturday 16th July - A very hot Saturday afternoon saw attendance numbers down on previous years. Never-the-less we were there, talking to locals and visitors alike. We spread out along a vacant space to made use of the shade from an extra gazebo and display information banners of the Basingstoke Canal Society.

Mikron Theatre Show:

We welcomed back the Mikron Theatre with its performance of Raising Agents, a celebration of 100 years of the WI. This professional touring theatre company is celebrating its 50th year of touring and performing in village halls, care homes, pub gardens, allotments and from British waterways from their canal narrowboat Tyseley! The Mikron performers have travelled south to the Basingstoke Canal for many years, supported by the Basingstoke Canal Society. They have entertained us at locations along our local canal, including The Fox and Hounds, Fleet and The Waterwitch, Odiham. On Tuesday 16th August at 7:00pm, they were at a new venue; The Mill House, North Warnborough.

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Still to come!

The Odiham Raft Race returns to Colt Hill at 11am on Sunday, 4th September, promising lots of fun for all – whether taking part or cheering from the banks.

Installation of Noticeboards: Our new noticeboards providing canal visitors information about the canal, its history and wildlife have now been installed. This marks the conclusion of a project to enhance visitors’ experience along the canal by highlighting points of interest along its length for which we raised £20,000. This is one of them:

Summer Boat Trips: The John Pinkerton trip boat operates from Odiham in Hampshire, running public, themed and chartered cruises. Trips last about 3.25 hours at the moment (always dependent on water level) and run through farms, woodlands and the occasional small settlement. The canal is well known for its dragonflies and damselflies which are abundant this time of year. Public trips ran on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday through August and continue in September, usually at 2pm but occasionally at 10am. A special themed public trip featuring an ABBA Tribute with fish and chips supper takes place on 9th September, followed by a Ramble and Cruise on 15th September. Information for times and prices for these trips and how to charter the boat for a special occasion or social outing is available on our website: https://basingstoke-canal.org.uk/book-your-trip/ All bookings are done online but for help email: jpbookings@basingstokecanal.org.uk, or call: 07506 864411 (10am – 6pm).

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Trips aboard the John Pinkerton II and Kitty

Boat Trips: Kitty public boat trips are at 11am, 1pm and 2.45pm. John Pinkerton II public boat trips at 2pm on the 1st May. There are several theme trips also planned. Charter trips on both boats so far booked are shown in the list of Scheduled Trips & Events. If you would like to charter on a day without a trip shown, please contact us at https://basingstoke-canal.org.uk or phone the Booking Team on 07506 864411 (10am – 6pm). Cruising in the peaceful surroundings of the Basingstoke Canal is a great way to relax. You can charter the whole boat for exclusive use by family, friends or work colleagues

Theme Trips - Special cruises from Colt Hill Wharf in Odiham

Fri 9th Sept. 7.00 – 9.30pm: A special evening cruise to the Sounds of ABBA with a Fish and

Chip supper. Emma & Jenny bring you a fabulous evening of all your favourite ABBA Hits with live harmonies and most importantly a whole lot of fun! Fish and chips is included in the ticket price and our galley is stocked with a wide selection of ales, wine, soft drinks and hot drinks for you to purchase throughout the cruise. Price £27.50.

Thurs 15th Sept 11.30 – 12.45 or 2.00-3.15pm Cruise and ramble, ramble and cruise or cruise

return with ploughman’s lunch. Enjoy an autumn day along the canal. The trip starts and ends at Colt Hill wharf. Walk and ride back or ride and walk back. If you just want to enjoy cruising through nature, then a return ticket is available. A ploughman’s lunch is included in the ticket price and available for all options. Price: Cruise & Ramble/Ramble & Cruise £12.50 or Cruise both ways £15.00.

20th Oct. 10.30am – 1.30pm. A leisurely autumn cruise with stops for artistic

opportunities. A leisurely morning trip on JP II. With stops along the way to take photographs, sketch or just enjoy the view, guided by a well known local artist. Bring along your camera or sketch book to capture what you see. A 3 hour cruise. Plenty of time to enjoy the canal and surrounding area. Price £12.50

If you have special dietary requirements, please note when booking, or contact the Booking Team. jpbookings@basingstoke-canal.org.uk.

Trips from Mytchett: Boat trips on board our friendly 12-seater boat Rosebud usually run at weekends and on public holidays from Easter to September. Please contact us for up to date information. Tel 01252 370073, email info@basingstokecanal.co.uk or check on Facebook or Twitter.