Knobsticks Autumn 2015

KNOBSTICKS Autumn 2015 IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire

Hazlehurst Junction Bridge before and after repainting.

Photos: Alison Smedley

Editorial (or lack of it) I’ve no space for an editorial, but I just couldn’t leave out this picture of what can happen to even very experienced boaters.

They got the rudder trapped between the bottom gates when ascending Upper Thurlwood Lock and down she went. RCR attended quickly and raised her in under two hours. Thanks to Malcolm Bridge (who was caught in the queue) for the picture. I’m glad our stern fender protects our rudder!

Skittles Inter-Branch Contest — Please help us win again!

As usual the competition will be between our branch, Lichfield branch and Shrewsbury District & North Wales branch. Each branch will field as many teams of 4-6 players as their attendance permits.

Date : 10th October 2015 Time : 7.30pm Location : Stafford Boat Club Refreshments : Fish and Chips followed by Trifle (both standard and sugar free) Cost £7.50 to be paid on the night

Why not come along and join in the fun. No experience necessary.

Please confirm bookings to me by 3rd October 2015 Tel: 01606 835 606 Mob: 07976 318 356 Email: gillian.watson@me.com P.S. We won last year, so do come along and help us to retain the trophy.

Gillian Watson

Branch Stall at 2015 Stone Food & Drink Festival — Help needed !

We will be taking the stall, nails and displays More details will be circulated by email via to Stone on Saturday 3rd October only IWA Head Office. Let me know if you this year. We will be at the bridge near can come along.

Canal Cruising.

Gillian Watson

The Branch Stall at Middlewich 2015 — A Report We attended the Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival on our usual pitch on 20th and 21st June 2015, taking the sales stall and the nail game. We ran both activities from 9am to 5 pm both days.

Volunteers were: Alan & Ann Chetwyn, John Watson, 9 Middlewich residents (Margaret 1, Margaret 2, Callum, Joan, Charles, Ann, Graham, Hannah and Old Peter) + Hana Brocket from Barclays Bank.

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Takings were very similar to previous years and Barclays Bank’ community engagement project, being represented by Hana Brocket, will donate cash to match the takings.

Weather was good; the stand was busy throughout both days; several membership forms were issued, and many Knobsticks magazines given away to those who expressed interest in the branch.

Gillian Watson KNOBSTICKS

Chairman’s Report they want to dispose of. Anyway, after having to stop half a dozen times to clear the prop of assorted wire, clothing, rope, etc. we eventually reached the central area, which as I mention above is very pleasant and enjoyable to visit. It seems that there is something happening most weekends and we were able to enjoy Dragon Boat racing one weekend, which was great fun to watch.

Our journey also took us to Warwick which is always a great place to visit with some really wonderful coffee shops to enjoy (a special interest of mine!).

Hello again. I hope that despite the somewhat variable weather we have had over the past month or so you are all managing to enjoy the summer season; whether boating, walking, cycling or whatever else you might be doing.

Many of you will no doubt have already had your holiday and I hope that each of you managed to have a relaxing time wherever you found yourselves. We have now completed our main boat trip for this summer which started during May and, with several breaks along the way, finished back at my marina in July. We were blessed with a lot of good weather which made cruising that much more enjoyable.

Our journey this time took us first to Birmingham, and to Gas Street Basin, which has really changed out of all recognition from my early memories of the area. Now the centre is a thriving and attractive place to visit, unfortunately the outskirts are still a challenge. It is such a pity that there are still people who seem to regard the canal as a convenient dumping ground for anything Autumn 2015

Two other places we visited for the first time were the Black Country Living Museum and Dudley Tunnel / Limestone Caves, both of which I would highly recommend for anyone who hasn’t already visited.

Meanwhile of course, it has continued to be a busy time for the branch with our work party programme now having 6 regular monthly work parties as well as the additional work parties associated with our annual Himalayan Balsam Bash campaign, I shouldn’t let the occasion go by without thanking all those branch members who both lead and support these events as they really do make a difference.

It is good too to report some recognition for all the hard work, and you will be pleased to know that the IWA Himalayan Balsam campaign has been selected as one of the finalists for this years CRT Living Waterways Awards. Whilst this recognizes the national campaign, the work we do in our area is an integral and important contributor. Indeed the judges visited the Caldon Canal during this years campaign as part of their assessment, and thanks to Alison, Julie and Rob for hosting the judges during their visit.

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Chairman’s Report The Macclesfield Canal, which sits equally between our area and Manchester IWA, has also been recognized recently with the prestigious Green Flag Award which covers the entire 26 miles of the canal. One of the significant points mentioned by the assessors in making the award was the significant contribution made by volunteers to the canal environment.

Finally, in terms of awards, the town of Congleton is once again hoping for success in the North West “Britain in Bloom” competition. As part of the assessment the judges visited the local station and canal area to see for themselves the work that our regular volunteer work party is undertaking. They gave a very favourable response to what they saw. We have to wait until October to find out the results.

So as you will see, and no doubt read in this edition of Knobsticks, we are a very busy branch really making a difference to the environment around us. However, unfortunately, we still rely on a relatively few number of people that make this

happen and so and without apology, I once again repeat my request for more help.

Even if you feel you can only offer a minimal amount of help then this would be great.

We still urgently need more members to volunteer to sit on the branch committee and also, if at all possible, to support the regular work parties in any location convenient to yourselves.

If you feel you can help in any way, however minimal, then please let me know. If you would like more information on any of our work parties then the leaders’ contact details are on the back cover. If you would like more information regarding committee involvement then please contact myself .

Well, I guess that is enough from me for the moment and so I will finish my Chairman’s report by wishing you an enjoyable rest of the summer, and hope that you enjoy reading all the interesting articles that follow in this edition of Knobsticks.

Regards,

Bob

Lock 37 - A Strange Tale

The Trent and Mersey Canal takes a varied course south from its shadowy summit in the ferrous depths of the Harecastle Tunnel, past Westport Lake with its vociferous wildfowl, modern and Victorian potteries at Page 4

Steelite and Middleport, the wasteland that was Shelton Bar and the soulless regeneration of Festival Park, before dropping through five locks that nestle in the heart of the Six Towns. Etruria deep lock and its shallower companion are numbered 40 and 39. They form part of the picturesque industrial scene beside a boatyard and a bone mill, still supervised by master engineer James Brindley, his statue retired to a sheltered housing scheme and his wig powdered white by disrespectful pigeons.

Twyford Lock - number 38 - is unremarkable, though below it the waterway passes KNOBSTICKS

Lock 37 - A Strange Tale ominously between the living and the dead.

Modern housing faces a graveyard; longdead generations sleeping beneath their marble covers a sombre reminder of mortality as the flat-dwellers rise and draw their blinds to each new dawn.

At the neglected southern boundary of the cemetery you reach the unlovely and unloved lock 37 where, crushed beneath iron girders straining under the main line to Manchester, the canal descends from a landscape of dereliction into darkness.

Corroded railway bridges bleed rust through faded, blistered paint, tattooed with mindless daubs of vandalism unworthy of the name ‘graffiti’. Livid green algae cloaks the walls of the lock chamber, flaying away in sheets of slime as the water level falls and the tattered wooden gates open to the unquiet waters ahead. A seething by-wash boils and hisses in the gloom and thin, bony stalactites reach down from the blood red girders of the bridge while, too close above your head, trains howl and screech like angry demons. It is always a relief to be through this dismal lock; to duck carefully under the skull-splittingly low railway bridge while peering through the dank gloom beneath, before motoring briskly away into even the dullest wet day’s light.

Mr and Mrs Entwhistle’s first attempt on lock 37 unexpectedly ran into trouble. A shuddering and clanking from their narrowboat’s propeller and the realisation that though the water level was falling steadily and levelly, their vessel was not, caused a moment of panic before Mrs Entwhistle loyally followed her husband’s instructions to close all the paddles and then carefully refill the lock. With the prop still sluggish, they towed the boat backwards through the grey morning’s light spring rain Autumn 2015

and moored in the pound above. The skipper delved about in the weed hatch, removing a quantity of fabric and fluff that might once have been part of padded jacket, but a second attempted descent took them no closer to the bottom of the lock, before the propeller snagged and the boat began to tilt again.

Surmising that there must be an obstruction beneath the surface hindering the boat’s descent, they refilled the lock, reversed again and called out the Canal and River Trust, whose lads made the gruesome discovery that lock 37 had been the portal to Purgatory, if indeed there is such a place, for one Mickey Mulligan.

In death, as in much of his forty-seven years of life, the fates had conspired against Mickey Mulligan. Lock 37 usually leaks to empty through its moth-eaten mitred gates, but the crew of the last boat ascending on the final evening of his life must have left one of the top paddles raised in their haste away from this God-forsaken spot, allowing the lock to stay full. Mickey might yet have found a full lock less deadly than a drained one, had his tattered rucksack and the pockets of his ragged anorak not been stuffed with stolen goods, but these had dragged him to the bottom without even a brief scrabble for freedom; the post mortem revealed none of that lurid slime from the lock’s cold walls under his nicotine-stained nails.

But gold is a remarkably heavy element and Mickey Mulligan was drowned in possession of a substantial quantity of it. In fact, once the items retrieved from a painstaking fingertip search of the reeking mud at the base of the lock were reconciled with those still in the dead man’s pack and pockets, the Page 5

Lock 37 - A Strange Tale police could account for all but one item stolen in the armed robbery on Mohammed Zia’s jewellery shop, eight days before Mickey was dredged out of the lock. What they couldn’t account for was how the proceeds of that crime came to be in Mulligan’s possession, when both the witness statements and CCTV suggested the suspects were two young men of Asian origin, a description which in no way matched the corpse in the canal.

Most likely Mulligan, a persistent but incompetent thief with addictions to fund and debts to pay, had stumbled across the haul when scouting his neighbourhood for unlocked doors or ill-fitting sash windows, and had stumbled again as he tried to shortcut across the lock on his get-away. Apart from where the boat had struck his already lifeless body, there were no wounds to suggest foul play, and his fall had surely been an accident; had anyone helped him into the water, they would certainly have searched and emptied his bag and clothes of the loot first. So the police publicly ascribed Mulligan’s death to ‘misadventure’ and privately attributed the shortfall between what was found and what was reported missing to an over-zealous insurance claim

by Mr Zia, despite his most earnest protestations that the missing necklace was a precious heirloom, purchased as a wedding gift by an important customer.

Delayed in the Potteries for a couple of days, Dennis and Marjorie Entwhistle completed their third and final descent of lock 37 on a bright spring evening, chugging on in their trusty Maisie Joan to the grim concrete of lock 36, where an angry dog barked them down onto the drain-like channel to the Trent aqueduct, and so on to Trentham and the last lock out of the city.

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Whichever route Dennis plotted to get them from there to Birmingham, the longsuffering Marjorie knew she would have to wind the paddles up and down on at least thirty more locks, and then the same again from there to Stratford, before she had to wrestle with those massive river locks on the Avon all the way to Tewkesbury and back up the Severn. It would perhaps have eased her labours if occasionally he showed that he appreciated her hard work; their ruby wedding anniversary had passed without card or present a week before as she had slogged up the Marple flight in biting sleet, windlass in hand, for no more reward than the offer of a nice cup of tea.

Dennis had in fact belatedly remembered the occasion, a little while after they first reversed out of lock 37. While groping about in the weed hatch, removing the remnants of poor Mickey Mulligan’s anorak, a glint that was not the brass of the propeller had caught his eye through the murky waters. The clanking noise he had heard in the lock was explained as he carefully and nervously disentangled an intricately formed necklace of thick golden chain that had wrapped itself around the prop-shaft. On a whim, and quite out of character, he slipped it into his pocket. It was hardly Marjorie’s usual style, being rather ethnic looking, but when he had the chance to examine it more closely while his wife was getting the groceries, he decided it could be worth a stroll into the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter to get the dents and scratches repaired.

It would make a perfect. if belated. anniversary present for ‘the Missus’, and she need never know it had cost him next to nothing and was only second-hand. ...

Story & Photo: Sarah Honeysett KNOBSTICKS

Himalayan Balsam work parties on the Caldon Canal

The campaign against Himalayan Balsam in the Churnet Valley continued this summer with six work parties taking place on the Caldon Canal (see Pages 18-19 for those on the Uttoxeter Canal). The work parties, which are jointly organised by IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch and the Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust, contribute to the Churnet Valley Living Landscape’s “Big Pull” Project, as well as the national IWA Himalayan Balsam campaign.

Work started in June with a summer evening’s work party between Froghall and Cherry Eye bridge.

This was followed by a weekday work party with 23 volunteers working on the stretch between Consall Station and Flint Mill Lock, in partnership with the Churnet Valley Railway and with assistance from the Personnel and Payroll Department of Michelin, who are based in Stoke on Trent.

On this occasion volunteers worked on both sides of the canal as well as from an aluminium work boat provided by CRT. Autumn 2015

A Sunday session, again using CRT’s aluminium boat, saw the canal below Cheddleton Locks cleared of the plant.

Another evening work party saw the Himalayan Balsam between Denford and Cheddleton tackled, while a family volunteering day in the first week of the school holidays had young people as well as older volunteers joining forces to clear the plant on the river section of the Caldon Canal upstream from Consall Lime Kilns.

A final evening session, for Cheddleton’s Light Seekers Youth Group, saw the Leek Arm cleared of Balsam between Hazelhurst Junction and Horse Bridge.

In all the locations that were being re-visited from previous years, there was a visible improvement in reduced growth and spread of the plant, enabling progress into new areas in an attempt to contain the growth of Himalayan Balsam along the canals in the Churnet Valley.

Article & Photo: Alison Smedley Page 7

Hazelhurst Junction Bridge Project

A week of fine weather in June saw the iconic cast iron bridge at Hazelhurst Junction on the Caldon Canal finally looking pristine in a new coat of black and white paint. The project had been quite a long time in the finishing, with a start having been made over a year ago on the IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch and Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust’s joint monthly work parties, but after being rained off a couple of times, and then having to move resources elsewhere due to other priorities (Himalayan Balsam, and then Cheddleton Top Lock in readiness for the Caldon 40 celebrations), the bridge remained less than a quarter painted!

Planning, of course, had started some weeks earlier with a site meeting with CRT’s Heritage Adviser Mark Clifford. He advised us about preparation methods and paint types because it is Grade 2 Listed. A work boat was sourced (1930s BCN Motor Boat “Ben” had recently been licensed and approved by CRT as a work boat for use on the offside veg clearance work over the winter, and CRT agreed that we could use that to access the underside of the bridge).

Rather than one volunteer having to be available to lead the project for the whole week, we allocated one day each to five

Therefore we decided to put aside a whole week for the project, and arrange a work boat so that we could paint the underside at the same time. The week agreed with CRT was the week commencing Monday 8th June, and what a week we picked! We had gloriously sunny weather all week, with just a few splashes of rain at the end of the day on the Friday!

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Hazelhurst Junction Bridge Project

hosted by Roger & Pauline Savage, and David & Cynthia Dumbelton. volunteer leaders. Once the project plan, with method statements, risk assessments and other useful information, was complete and approved by CRT, we were ready to go.

The preparation of the metalwork took a surprising amount of time, with careful scraping of the underside of the bridge (and collecting the scrapings so they didn’t end up in the canal), and wire brushing of the scalloped design of the parapets both being particularly time consuming. After the first two days spent in preparing surfaces, we started to apply the paint, firstly a zinc rich primer where bare metal had been exposed, followed by white or black Hammerite, depending on which bit of the bridge we were painting. As it’s a Listed structure, we had to keep to the same colour scheme, although it was interesting to note historic photographs showing it painted all white, all black, and numerous variations of black and white, over the years. One of our volunteers was a professional artist who undertook the tricky bit of repainting the “1842” date on the bridge.

By the time the end of Friday came around, rain was threatening and there was still a couple of hours of work left to do, but 4 volunteers returned on the following Monday afternoon to finish the last bits of painting, so within just over a week the bridge was finished.

We had 14 different volunteers in total, who contributed a total of 26 days work, and as can be seen from these photos it now looks much smarter, as the many boaters, cyclists and walkers were commenting by the end of the week. Our thanks to the numerous volunteers who came out and helped during the week, some of whom came for several days, and thanks to my fellow site leaders who all contributed to such a great project.

Article & Photos: Alison Smedley

A number of people visited the work party during the week, including, on the first day, Ian Dudson CBE, Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire, who with his wife, Jane, was enjoying a day out on the Caldon Canal Autumn 2015

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North Staffordshire Pensioners Convention Outing achieved at Kidsgrove, highlighting the items necessary for encouraging the public (including narrow-boat crews to moor-up) good lighting, good signage, CCTV coverage, designing/painting out anti-social graffiti.

Alan Smith drew attention to the superb local tow-path surfaces, and his 2 reports' recommendations, agreeing that good On Wednesday, 8th July 2015, 24 North signage was needed in some of the T&M Staffordshire Pensioners Convention sections in Stoke. Bernard Lovett reiterated (NSPC) members cruised from Etruria to the case for re-opening Etruria Industrial Middleport Pottery on LINDSAY and KEPPEL. Museum, with emphasis on a financial Our group included Cllr. Jack Brereton income structure broader than that purely (Transport & Environment), and Alan Smith of 'footfall' into the Museum. (co-author of 2 excellent reports Stoke-onTrent Canal Opportunities Study and Stoke-onTrent City Council Heritage & Design Team).

The aim of the journey was to highlight the need to coordinate the upgrading projects planned for North Staffordshire's wonderful inland waterways, and to promote their use, not just by Heritage & Industrial Archaeological Tourists, but also by local people.

Concluding, I commented on the badlyAfter lunch. BBC Radio Stoke interviewed graffitied walls and bridge structures around NSPC Chair, Janet Smallwood, Cllr. Jack Locks 36 (see page 4) and 37 (above) where Brereton and myself about the initiative. It no visitor would have a sense of safety. was pointed out that unlike Liverpool, There are also no modern non-towpath side Birmingham, or Manchester, our city has no moorings adjacent to Stoke railway station, purpose-built, full-accessible, 24-seat Day- nor well-landscaped canal backgrounds, Boat for use by locals or tourists. signage, or attempts to utilise waste or We were then joined by Trudi Barnard derelict sites.

(Regeneration Officer for Newcastle-under- Cllr. Brereton, Trudi Barnard, and Bernard Lyme Borough Council) and Dr Bernard Lovett were willing to form a Canal Project Lovett (Business Advisor from the Etruria Coordinating Group, though anxious not to Industrial Museum). Cllr. Brereton stressed duplicate the work of specifically targeted the need for 'joined-up thinking' by all groups. Also I was nominated to be the concerned with upgrading and promoting NSPC representative on the existing StokeNorth Staffordshire's waterways, and of his on-Trent City Council Canal Study group. commitment to this aspect of his wider We look forward to organising the first transport portfolio, welcoming the NSPC meeting to assess any impact, and 'feedinitiative to create awareness of our unique back' from our deliberations. We will also advantages for tourism, and the regenera- address, if invited, public community groups tion role of the Burslem Port Project. Trudi about the issues requiring their support.

Barnard explained what has already been Article: Jon Honeysett (Photos: Sarah Honeysett) Page 10

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The Blue Bell Hardingswood, Kidsgrove

Dave and Kay Washbrook welcome you to a true free house www.bluebellkidsgrove.co.uk Opening hours: Monday

Closed (except Bank Holidays)

Tuesday - Friday 7:30 to 11:00pm Saturday

1:00 to 4:00pm & 7:00 to 11:00pm

Constantly changing Real Ales from smaller breweries Farmhouse Cider and Perry Speciality bottled beers

CAMRA award-winning Pub Autumn 2015

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Social Programme

PROGRAMME OF TALKS 2015 – 2016 Friday 9th October 2015, 7.45 for 8pm The Hazel Project The “Hazel” project is the restoration of a 1913 built narrow boat to work as a well-being boat, providing time on the waterways for people suffering stress, depression etc.

Friday 13th November 2015, 7.45 for 8pm Milestones to Marple A digital presentation given by Dave Rushton on the history, locations and details of the canal milestones to Marple.

Friday 11th December 2015, 7.45 for 8pm Canal and River Trust Water Control and Scada in the 21st Century Nigel Taylor will give us an insight into how the Canal and River Trust utilises modern technology for water control and automation. He is hoping to explain what those little black kiosks do on the lock sides.

Friday 8th January 2016 NO MEETING Page 12

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Social Programme Friday 12th February 2016, 7.45 for 8.00pm IWA NSSC Branch Annual General Meeting followed by Time on the Lott Once again we enjoy another digital presentation of Patrick and Angela Marks’ trips – this time on the River Lot in southern France.

Friday 11th March 2016, 7.30 for 8pm NEW YEAR ANNUAL DINNER – Venue to be advised.

Contact: Barbara Wells (IWA NSSC Branch Social Secretary) on 01782-533856 or 07710-418908 for more details

Friday 8th April 2016, 7.45 for 8pm The Caledonian Canal A digital presentation by Phil Clayton on the history and tales of the Caledonian Canal.

Friday 13th May 2016, 7.45 for 8.00pm Cruising on Remote Waterways David and Jeanne Smith give us a digital presentation about the voyages of their Wilderness Trailer Boat on waterways that few narrow boaters see: Isolated sections of the Ashby Canal, Hereford & Gloucester Canal, Stroudwater Navigation, River Rother and a few more besides.

Admission to talks is FREE Donations to waterway causes welcome!

Refreshments available.

Non-IWA members are very welcome Venue (unless otherwise stated): Stoke on Trent Boat Club Endon Wharf, Post Lane, Endon STOKE-ON-TRENT, ST9 9DU For further information contact: Barbara Wells (01782 533856 or 07710 418908) Email bwwells@ntlworld.com or visit the branch webpages at:

www.waterways.org.uk Autumn 2015

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Burslem Port Work Party first time, we will be welcoming a group from Michelin who are joining us as part of the company’s community work. We have had groups from a church and from Community Payback, as well as our regular volunteers, meaning that 16 different people have so far been to one or more of our events, contributing around 200 hours of their own time so far this year.

Recent achievements

It is now six months since we started work parties at Burslem Port, so a good time to pause and reflect on what we have achieved so far. We started in February, clearing up the rubbish after a boat fire at the end of the Branch Canal. Since then we have also cut back lots of vegetation along the length of the canal and adjacent sections of the Trent & Mersey Canal; exposed more of the towpath edge; cleared the pedestrian routes from Middleport; repainted the footbridge; and numerous other small tasks, not least of which is carrying out at least one litter pick a month.

When we started, we were meeting on the fourth Tuesday of the month. This soon expanded to add the first Saturday by request of volunteers who could not make the weekday events. This month, again at the request of our volunteers, we are adding an extra event, meaning three work parties in August. It is great to see such enthusiasm. Most of our volunteers had never been to an IWA work party before, yet most of them come back month after month and almost every event has had at least one new face. Next month, for the Page 14

The historic path which crosses the canal via the footbridge has been closed for much of the last year while building work went on for the nearby Baskeyfield House extra care development and the adjacent housing estate. As has been widely reported, streets in this area have been renamed with Robbie Williams song titles, so what was once Dimsdale Street is now Angels Way. The end of this road goes down a footpath and across the canal on a footbridge. Since it reopened in early summer, we have carried out a number of work parties in this area, cutting back the overgrowth, cleaning up the path and we are now part way through repainting the bridge. It is interesting to see the reaction of residents, many of whom are new to the area, when we tell them that we want to reopen the canal which used to run under this bridge.

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Burslem Port Work Party sorts of artefacts, not necessarily related to the canal but interesting nonetheless.

One of our volunteers, Dave, decided that he wanted to look for evidence of the towpath edge in front of the wharf. A test dig with an excavator in front of the warehouse in April 2014 had found evidence of clay puddle from the bed of the canal but nothing of the canal sides. To our great surprise Dave got lucky, and even more surprising was the discovery that unlike the every previously revealed section of towpath on the Branch Canal, this area had not been built up with concrete. This implies that the canal had not subsided in this area as it had elsewhere. Over subsequent work parties a significant length of the stone canal edge has been uncovered.

It is now clear, however, that the section closest to the warehouse has been lost. We need to do more work in this area to see what else we can learn and three of our group have focussed quite strongly on this task. It is quite hard work as the canal was infilled with builders’ rubble in this area, but it is very rewarding. We have discovered all Autumn 2015

Over the coming months we will continue to work on the paths, revealing the towpath edge and more vegetation clearance. We have had some useful discussions with landowners, including the City Council, and all have commented positively about the work our volunteers are doing. We are still some way from making firm plans to restore the canal itself but the work our volunteers group has been doing is making the area look more appealing for those who want to learn about the history, as well as those who just want to walk through what is one of the quietest spots in the City.

We welcome new volunteers, whatever your skills or energy levels. There is always something to do, be it litter-picking, painting, supervising the bonfire or getting involved with the more strenuous tasks. We meet at 10am on the fourth Tuesday and first Saturday of the month. Additional events will be publicised on the Burslem Port website www.burslemport.org.uk or you can subscribe to our email list which has the latest news. For more information contact me on 07976 805858 or Email me at steve.wood@waterways.org.uk .

Article & Photos: Steve Wood Page 15

Cheshire Locks Work Party Thursday 21st May

Spring had arrived in Church Lawton! The sun shone down on our team of eight volunteers, so we took advantage of a long dry day, and completed painting Lock 44 and half of Lock 45 on the Red Bull flight, along with all of the gardening tasks around and between the locks. It was a busy day for boaters and towpath users – all were most happy to praise our work and thank us for our efforts.

year it feels like an opportune time to reflect on the work done by our volunteers so far this year: Our team of committed regulars - supplemented by some recent new faces - have contributed 288 hours of painting and gardening to date, working through foul weather and, at last, some sunny spells.

Our June work party was very well supported by eleven volunteers. The sun eventually appeared in the afternoon, which was most welcome after a rather cool and breezy day for late June.

While most of us finished the painting, some of the group moved down to start preparation work on Lock 46. This looked like a big job and we needed to get stuck in in July to make it ready for painting. There’s also lot of work to do tidying the very overgrown setts and lock sides.

Our regulars were joined by a new volunteer so we had a team of eight to really get to grip with the work. Thanks to the team Lock 44 looks very smart.

Thursday 18th June Our sixth volunteer work party of the year.

We finished Lock 45 and began preparation of Lock 46. As we are halfway through the Page 16

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Cheshire Locks Work Party Thursday 16th July

move back to Harding’s Wood Junction and complete the uplift of the Kidsgrove locks.

If you’ve got a few hours spare and fancy helping out on a Thursday, please come and join our friendly team, you will be made most welcome. Please contact me first though, so that you know where we are meeting and working that month.

Article & Photos: Andy Hellyar-Brook We had a good turn out with nine volunteers putting in a productive day’s work where we completed a couple of finishing touches to Lock 45 and made great strides towards completing Lock 46.

It was a very busy day for boaters and we had to take a lot of pauses to pass the boats through and avoid wet paint issues. The weather was bright and sunny so, despite the interruptions, good progress was achieved with the paint drying quickly.

We plan to complete our uplift of Lock 46

by September so that the whole of Red Bull Flight (locks 44-46) will look at it’s best.

For our August work party we shall continue working at Red Bull on Lock 46 and then we will organize an opportunity to Autumn 2015

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Uttoxeter Canal Work Party Thursday 14th May

In the morning we completed the removal of small shrubs, self-set saplings and brambles from in front of Crumpwood Cottage. This has really started to open up the area and it is probably getting closer to how it would have looked in the first half of the 19th century, when the weir-keeper would have needed uninterrupted views of the weir and flood lock from his cottage windows.

It is planned that a specialist team from Waterway Recovery Group will remove the fallen birch from the weir during their reunion camp in November.

After lunch we moved up to Bridge 70, where we tidied vegetation from around the bridge using the original Caldon Canal Society’s slashers from when the Caldon was restored; they are still giving sterling service. We also worked along the towpath giving the tree stumps a ‘haircut’ to remove the regrowth. This is something we will need to perform on a regular basis, as if these epicormic shoots are allowed to grow too large it will become a much bigger task to remove them in the future. Due to the sensitive nature of the site we are unable to remove the tree stumps.

Throughout the day there were many walkers, all of whom stopped and chatted.

Without exception they were all extremely complimentary and appreciative of the hard work that has been done by all the volunteers. It is very nice to know we are adding something to visitors’ enjoyment of this part of the Churnet Valley.

Saturday 20th June It was a real pleasure to welcome two new faces for our first Saturday work party on the Uttoxeter Canal. We had drizzle for most of the day but didn’t let it dampen our spirits as we busied ourselves tackling the Himalayan Balsam on site for the first time this year. Working from the old pumphouse adjacent to Crumpwood Weir towards the line of the canal, we cleared a large expanse by hand-pulling, putting the plants into two large piles to compost down. Hopefully the seeds of native species will colonise the bare patches left behind.

Thursday 25th June Just five days later we were back to continue our assault on Himalayan Balsam.

This was a deviation from our usual work party pattern as the second Thursday in the

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Uttoxeter Canal Work Party month coincided with the week-long work party dedicated to painting Hazelhurst Bridge on the Caldon Canal; which many of our volunteers helped on. Carrying on from where we left off the previous Saturday we continued working along the line of the canal, finally reaching an area where it is still in water. Thankfully the weather was much kinder to us, starting off overcast but dry and brightening as the day went on, though luckily not too hot as long sleeves were necessary owing to much of the Himalayan balsam growing amongst the nettles.

Thursday 9th July

adjacent weir abutment. By far the tallest plants were those growing in the entrance to the lock, most were already over two metres tall and some were in flower, obviously benefitting from the fertility of the river silt. It is important that we eradicate Balsam from this area as, in the not too distant future, we would like to excavate the flood lock and associated weir sluice and would not want to spread the seeds elsewhere within the spoil. It was a warm and sunny day and we were glad to be working mostly in the shade cast by the large sycamore tree growing out of the flood lock wall; what is not welcome though is the damage its substantial roots are causing to the stonework.

Of particular interest was that, since our previous visit, someone – possibly anglers accessing the river bank - had ‘bashed’ some of the plants about 30cm from the ground; in just two weeks they were showing signs of apical regrowth from the lower nodes which could still flower and produce viable seed; proving that if Himalayan Balsam is tackled with strimmers or slashers early in the season the plants must be cut below the first node to prevent regrowth.

We focussed our efforts on tackling the Himalayan Balsam in the flood lock and a large area surrounding it, including in the gaps in the stonework on the top of the Autumn 2015

Saturday 18th July Unfortunately no volunteers turned up (other than me!). This could well have been due to the holiday season, so the remaining Saturday work parties scheduled for this year will still go ahead. Please support us if you can.

Article & Photos: Robert Frost Page 19

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Congleton Work Party towpath remains an issue, it is good to note that the amount of litter has reduced considerably from the start of our regular litter picking, from some dozen bags to now one or two per month.

The volunteers also spent a good deal of time working on the area of land between the canal and the station which we plan to landscape with low maintenance plants during the autumn season. The accompanying photos show some of the hard working regular volunteers as well as the cleared area.

Eight volunteers supported the regular monthly IWA work party at Congleton on Friday 24th July. The volunteers carried out their regular litter pick and, although litter around the station area and along the

Over the coming months, the group will continue to litter pick as well as working to maintain vegetation growth along the towpath. We will also work with CRT staff on the ramp leading to the former lengthman’s cottage uncovered during earlier working parties, and undertake soft bank repairs in the area.

Article & Photos: Bob Luscombe

Autumn 2015

Page 21

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Serving 10 Real Ales & Scrumpy Cider Bar Snacks available Beer Garden Page 22

KNOBSTICKS

North Staffordshire & South Cheshire contacts President: Chris Skelhorne Vice President Roger Savage roger.st21@gmail.com Chairman Bob Luscombe 07710 054848 bob.luscombe@waterways.org.uk Deputy Chairman + Minutes Secretary Steve Wood 07976 805858 steve.wood@waterways.org.uk Treasurer Alan Chetwyn 01782 279277 (No Email) Secretary + Sales Officer Gillian Watson 01606 835606 secretary.nssc@waterways.org.uk 107 St Anns Road, Middlewich, Cheshire CW10 0AA Social Secretary Barbara Wells 01782 533856 socialsec.nssc@waterways.org.uk Publicity Officer Sarah Honeysett 01782 772295 s.honeysett@btinternet.com Newsletter Editor Roger Evans 01606 834471 newsletter.nssc@waterways.org.uk 10 Long Lane, Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 0BL Web-site Liaison Alison Smedley 01538 385388 webmaster.nssc@waterways.org.uk

Planning Andrew Hellyar-Brook 07926 204206 andy.hellyarbrook@waterways.org.uk Membership Officer VACANT (Contact bob.luscombe@waterways.org.uk) Stoke-on-Trent Boat Club Rep. VACANT (Contact secretary.nssc@waterways.org.uk) Navigation Officer VACANT (Contact bob.luscombe@waterways.org.uk) Burslem Port Work Party Steve Wood 07976 805858 steve.wood@waterways.org.uk Caldon Work Party + Uttoxeter W.P. Robert Frost 07743 628091 robert.frost@waterways.org.uk Cheshire Locks Work Party Andrew Hellyar-Brook 07926 204206 andy.hellyarbrook@waterways.org.uk Congleton Work Party Bob Luscombe 07710 054848 bob.luscombe@waterways.org.uk Other committee member: Julie Arnold 01538 361138 Maria Frost West Midlands Region Chairman Vaughan Welch 0121 477 9782 kvwelch@mypostoffice.co.uk

The Branch committee meets at 7:30 p.m. on the 2nd Tuesday of odd-numbered months at Stoke Boat Club, Endon Wharf, Post Lane, Endon, Stoke-on-Trent, ST9 9DU. All Branch members are invited to attend.

The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Inland Waterways Association, the West Midlands Region, or North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch.

They are, however, published as being of interest to our members and readers. Š The Inland Waterways Association - Registered as a charity no. 212342 Autumn 2015

www.waterways.org.uk/staffscheshire

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Join Us on a Canal Work Party

 Cheshire Locks (Trent & Mersey Canal, Kidsgrove to Wheelock) 3rd Thursday of each month, 10am to 3pm.

Contact: Andy Hellyar-Brook Phone: 07926-204206 Email: andy.hellyarbrook@waterways.org.uk  Uttoxeter Canal (Bridge 70, near Denstone) 2nd Thursday of each month, 10am to 3pm. also Saturday 26th September, 24th October, 21th November, ...

Contact: Robert Frost Phone: 07743 628091 Email: robert.frost@waterways.org.uk  Burslem Port, Stoke-on-Trent 4th Tuesday of each month, 10am to 3pm. also 1st Saturday of each month, 10am to 3pm.

Contact: Steve Wood Phone: 07976-805858 Email: steve.wood@waterways.org.uk  Congleton, Macclesfield Canal 4th Friday of each month, 10am to 12:30pm.

Contact: Bob Luscombe Phone: 07710-054848 Email: bob.luscombe@waterways.org.uk ——————————–——————–————————————-———————————————–——————————–———————————-—————————-—————

See the IWA website www.waterways.org.uk under “Events” for dates.

Volunteers are advised to wear stout shoes and old clothes, and to bring waterproofs (and a packed lunch and drink if staying all day) Page 24

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