Knobsticks - Winter 2023

North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch

KNOBSTICKS

Winter 2023

Wardle Lock: Bywash culvert repairs (on left) + Getting ready to replace the bottom gates [See pages 2 + 14-15] Photo: Roger Evans

Editorial I will start with photos of the access tower at my local lock (Wardle Lock) which is closed for repairs. These photographs were taken from a temporary bridge across the centre of the lock. See also cover and pages 14-15.

The menu for our New Year Dinner has just arrived (see centre pages 12-13). It is actually their Christmas Fayre Menu, which normally finishes on Boxing Day, but they have decided to allow us to have our choice from it anyway. Do read the booking instructions on page 11 and place your orders by 12th January.

Above: Top of Access Tower Below: Bottom and Floor of Lock

Finally (as I am running out of space), here is a photograph from Sarah Jones (read about her on the next page). The note which came with the picture simply said “Bridge 98 (at Meaford Top Lock) has been hit again – but the missing stones aren’t around. (Could be in the canal?)”.

Roger Evans Page 2

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Chair’s Report the branch area. We would welcome one or two more committee members too – we only meet formally 4 times a year, with everything else being discussed by email or WhatsApp between meetings, and involvement can be as much or little as you want. Let me know if you might be interested in getting involved.

Dear Branch Members, At our last committee meeting it was great to welcome new member, Sarah Jones, who has volunteered to get involved in heritage-related matters in

Next year will see the 50th anniversary of the reopening of the Caldon Canal after its restoration, and it would be great to have a few more people involved in the plans to celebrate the anniversary.

It was lovely to see a fantastic turn out for the latest branch talk, where Steve Wood showed a selection of archive photos of our local waterways that we hadn’t seen before. We hope to see more of you at the remaining talks over the winter, and at the branch New Year Dinner which this year will be in the village of Stanley, close to the Caldon Canal reservoir of the same name.

Regards, Alison Smedley Branch Chair

Obituary — Barbara Wells We are sad to report the death of former branch committee member, Barbara Wells. Barbara moved to the Stoke-onTrent area from Kent about twenty years ago, and joined IWA around the same time.

Barbara was elected on to the Branch Committee in 2010 as Social Secretary.

For the next 8 years she efficiently and quietly organised an interesting social programme, with a wide range of speakers and topics for the monthly autumn through to spring social Winter 2023

meetings. She also organised the branch dinner for those years, in a different venue each year moving around the branch area.

Barbara continued to support the branch meetings even after she had stepped down from the committee, and her presence at our Friday evening talks at Stoke on Trent Boat Club (where she was also a member) will be missed.

Alison Smedley Branch Chair Page 3

Waterways for Today : Benefits to People need) for the Government’s Levelling Up funding.

Through regeneration opportunities, such as a new Leek Canal Study funded

by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council from Levelling Up money, the waterways can be opened up to new sectors of local communities bringing greater inclusivity and diversity.

Our local waterways provide lots of opportunities for getting afloat and "messing about in boats" to improve your physical and mental health.

The final instalment of our four part series from IWA’s recently launched report – Waterways for Today looks at the benefits that the waterways bring to the lives of individual people. Previous instalments looked at the benefits to the economy, environment and local communities.

The benefits for individual people highlighted in the report focus on improved physical and mental health as well as creating better places for people to live. Living close to a waterway creates a sense of place that helps people to better enjoy their local area. By their very nature, waterways are often located in the centre of large towns and cities and can cut through some of the most deprived areas.

This is certainly true in our own branch area where we have our canals passing through very rural communities as well as the city of Stoke-on-Trent and its neighbouring towns. Stoke-on-Trent is among the 20% of most deprived areas in the UK, according to the English Indices of Deprivation, and even Leek counts as Category 1 (highest level of Page 4

Improving Physical Health The inland waterways provide incredible opportunities for outdoor activities such as walking, running, cycling, fishing, sailing, canoeing, rowing, paddleboarding and volunteering. Waterside routes are free and accessible to all, offering flat gradients on good-quality paths. The Covid-19 pandemic brought significant numbers of people to the waterways for the first time and many continue to make improvements to their physical health by getting out and about and undertaking healthy outdoor activities.

There are many opportunities for people to improve their physical health in our own branch area with our several canal reservoirs with great paths around them (such as Knypersley and Rudyard) as well as our network of canal towpaths.

A study led by Glasgow Caledonian University between 2001 and 2017 focussed on the impact of regeneration along the Forth & Clyde Canal in Glasgow. It found a decline in mortality rates among people living close to the canal, restored with Millennium funding in 2001, compared to people living further away.

Better Mental Health & Wellbeing The waterways offer a chance to connect with nature, take time out, relax and unwind. They also provide opportunities for shared social experiences. Walking the dog along the towpath, strolling with KNOBSTICKS

Waterways for Today : Benefits to People friends and family, watching the wildlife, photography, boat trips and visiting canalside pubs and cafes all provide a sense of wellbeing. Volunteering can also improve mental health through a renewed sense of purpose, making new friends and satisfaction of a job well done.

allowing people to appreciate and enjoy the areas they live in. Local authorities need to embrace the trend for providing waterside homes and business premises as well as supporting the growth in residential boating. Redevelopment of the waterside should include residential moorings and facilities for boaters as well as providing for the wider local Research carried out for Historic community. One of the things that your England found volunteering on heritage branch committee does is comment on projects contributed to participants’ planning application proposals, to wellbeing in six areas: purpose, being, encourage waterside facilities to be capacity, sharing, self-nurture and self- included in developer’s plans. actualisation. These findings are all underpinned by the heritage setting, To read the full IWA Waterways for which again we have plenty of in our Today report or to read the case studies branch area when you get out and about related to all 12 benefits of the wateron the towpaths. ways please visit: https:// waterways.org.uk/waterwaysfortoday Better Places to Live Waterside locations are perfect for Alison Smedley

Whatever the weather we hope you find time to get out and about to walk the local towpaths this winter.

Winter 2023

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Burslem Port Pot Luck!

-or- Discoveries in the wharf warehouse building!

I was mistaken in my last report as since then I have learnt that the Burslem arm of the canal was built by the Trent and Mersey Canal Company in 1805.

Originally we thought that the wharf warehouse was built in the early 1800s but we now know from old maps that it was built between 1850 & 1870. So, with that in mind, I took my friend Chris Wakeling to have a nosey inside. The building is currently in the ownership of Ron Garlic of Potteries Waste & Recycling, which explains the mountain of bright yellow skips everywhere. The surprise on the ground floor was the vast array of industrial gas meters.

Venturing up a rickety set of stairs to the first floor, we came across a vast empty area full of dust & cobwebs. In the gloom at the far end I could just make out a cardboard box on the floor. I discovered in this a pile of unglazed cups & saucers.

Clearing these out, I then came across some glazed jugs. Now, being a Stokie, the first thing you do is turn them upside down to inspect their bottoms! This I did and found the inscription “Woods Ware, Iris, England”.

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Woods Pottery obviously used this warehouse as it was not far away. I’m guessing that these jugs were made in the 1950s. Please don’t tell Ron, but Chris and I took one each as a historical record! Sadly Chris has died since our “pot luck” discovery.

Off our Trollies!

So, on a dreary Friday morning I reluctantly set off for our fortnightly work party wondering what would be in store for us this time. Well, apart from graffiti sprayed over our information boards, the main issue was litter – that which Stoke appears to generate more of than anywhere else I know. So, after filling three bin bags full of empty beer cans and pop bottles etc, the boot of my tiny car was so full that I could only just close the lid.

But that was only the start! Venturing up to the far end of the canal line to its junction with the Trent & Mersey, Peter and I discovered two large and three medium fairly new looking Morrison’s supermarket trollies just abandoned in no particular way. As you will see from the photo we have rescued them and assembled them in military fashion at the end of Luke Street where our “Burslem Port” sign sits. Morrisons have been informed, so I hope not to see them next time!

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Burslem Port “Two Saints Way” Having contacted the Ramblers Association, the current signage for this has been removed and from meeting them on site (in the rain) I have learnt that it has been redirected to avoid the route of the Burslem Arm. A shame in a way as it avoids a more charming overgrown and rural footpath within the city!

Future work party dates December 8th + 22nd January 5th + 19th February 2nd + 16th March 1st + 15th + 29th April 12th + 26th

Winter 2023

A wonderful Xmas for you all and remember to lose all those extra pounds.

Time on a work party does the trick!

Dave After-thought To find Woods pottery in a old warehouse which we wish to bring back to life as a possible exhibition space for pottery ware brings a new meaning to our challenge!

So, I have included below a photo of the possible layout of the first floor as an exhibition space, with some pottery right at the front of the picture!

Dave Broome

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Cheshire Locks An extra work-party at Lock 43

make some good progress on the metal fence by the lock.

During the very settled and dry week commencing Monday 4th September, 3 members of our group helped the volunteer lock-keepers at Red Bull to prepare and paint Lock 43 (gates, rails, ground paddles, paddle gear and the railings between the lock and the Red Bull pub beer garden).

Thursday 19th October

Thursday 21st September We made good progress today at Lock 53, despite heavy canal traffic and the weather closing in on us. We applied Hammerite to the lock and approaching mooring posts and a second coat of white Sadolin to the gates etc. That still leaves some white and black Sadolin work to be done as well as some black Hammerite. All prep work is completed.

We’d expect to complete the lock on our next visit and, if we have the numbers, to Page 8

Again we made good progress at Lock 53 (Thurlwood Top Lock) despite depleted numbers. Four volunteers enjoyed dry and mainly sunny weather for most of the day enabling us to complete all the metal fittings on the top and bottom gates including paddle gear. Heavy rain over the previous couple of days had left the gates too damp to paint (the beam ends had been painted in September) so we then moved on to wire brushing and sanding the metal rail fencing running alongside this single lock.

Black and white Hammerite paint was then applied, the uprights painted black and the cross bars white to enhance the appearance of this previously all black fencing. Six sections were completed before a sharp rain shower brought an end to the days efforts at 2:45 p.m.

Tony Walker and John Lawson Photos: John Lawson KNOBSTICKS

Cheshire Locks 2023. It's been a difficult year due to the vagaries of the English weather and other less foreseen circumstances.

Four of us continued the work on Lock However, we managed to complete Lock 53. Thankfully, the weather turned out 59 at long last, Lock 54 and (nearly) much better than anticipated and we Lock 53. Not bad, considering that were able to make great progress by included 2 double locks and lots of prepping and applying Hammerite paint lockside furniture (including extensive to the metal fence on the towpath side. fencing, mooring posts, bench etc.). And The fence is pretty extensive, so still not forgetting the additional work much to be done yet. We also finished carried out by some of you on the Red some outstanding metalwork on the lock Bull locks. So I think we can justifiably itself. Sadly, the wooden beam on the give ourselves a big pat on the back. upper gate was still too damp to apply Sadolin. So, next time we congregate in I must add thanks to Grace for her enthusiasm and commitment since she January, we'll have plenty to do. became our Volunteer Supervisor. So Just to confirm, as per usual there will that's it for now except to say “Best be NO work party in December (You Wishes, Good Health and Good Luck to have my permission to take a well- you all for 2024”. Hopefully see you all earned break ). So I think this is the in January. right time to sincerely thank you all on Tony Walker behalf of John Lawson and myself for Photo: John Brighouse the sterling work you've done during Thursday 16th October

Winter 2023

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Stone Heritage old fire station building. We have had an initial meeting with the recently appointed manager for the centre; potential sources of material about the canal were discussed plus ideas for events that might be held to gather more memories and images. Please do get in touch if you would like to be involved or have something to contribute. Please email sarah.jones@waterways.org.uk .

Meanwhile, here’s a picture from the late Harry Arnold’s Waterway Images collection, taken on 15 April 1978. What Photo © Waterway Images was this Stone site used for? And what is Our Branch has been invited to get it today? involved in the new Stone Town Heritage Centre at Crown Wharf, in the Julie Arnold

Notice of Branch AGM The Inland Waterways Association NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE & SOUTH CHESHIRE BRANCH AGM Notice is hereby given that the 50th Annual General Meeting of the North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch of The Inland Waterways Association will be held on: Friday 8th March 2024 at 7.45 for 8.00 pm at Stoke-on-Trent Boat Club Endon Wharf, Post Lane, Endon, Stoke-on-Trent, ST9 9DT AGENDA 1. Apologies for absence.

2. Approval of the minutes of the last AGM and any matters arising from these minutes.

3. Report from the Branch Chair.

4. Financial Report from the Branch Treasurer.

5. Election of members of the Committee.

6. Any resolutions requested by members of the Branch notified to the Branch Secretary in writing at least six weeks prior to the AGM. NOMINATIONS for the BRANCH COMMITTEE Committee members, including those current committee members reaching the end of their 3 year term and wishing to seek re-election, will be elected from the floor at the AGM for a term of 3 years. We welcome any branch member who is interested in joining the committee.

The AGM will be followed by some more of Alan Chetywn’s home movies.

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Social Scene The 2023/24 social season is well time you are reading this but, just in case underway as I write this item, with our this issue of Knobsticks is out earlier first two meetings having taken place. than expected, here are the details.

There will be a range of questions (not At our first meeting, in October, we just waterway related) and seasonal welcomed Bowman Bradley, Chair of the prizes. You would be very welcome to IWA Sustainable Boating Group as guest bring a small amount of Christmas fayre speaker. Bowman’s excellent presenta- to enjoy and share with friends and tion was thought-provoking, and colleagues. included a discussion of the options becoming available to replace fossil fuels Next we have our Annual Dinner to look for both the propulsion and heating of forward to on 26th January. The full boats. Bowman explained that while menu is printed overleaf on pages 12-13. increasing numbers of new boats are The price (£19.99 for 2 courses or being built with electric propulsion, £25.99 for 3 courses) includes tea or HVO (hydrogenated vegetable oil) seems coffee + mince pies. Note that we are to offer a greener option than diesel for not asking for a deposit in advance this older craft. The group campaigns for year, just that you pay the restaurant the many more waterside charging points, full amount on the night! This means both for electric boats and to allow diesel that there is no need to send me a boats to recharge their batteries without cheque, so booking can now be done running their engines while stationary electronically instead. Simply email me and for deeper dredging, since boats by January 12th at the latest with operate more efficiently in water that is your booking details: names and your not too shallow. It was a great shame choices from the menu (but don’t forget that more members were not present to to include your choice of option where hear him and join in the discussion there is one specified in the menu e.g. afterwards, but there is more infor- “cream or custard”). Please email me at mation about the group and their work socialsec.nssc@waterways.org.uk (which on the IWA website, including a useful will keep all the bookings at the same list of tips for the boaters among us to address!). If you don’t have email then make our own boating activities more you can telephone me instead (see sustainable. number on page 23), but only phone after New Year please.

Unfortunately, I missed our second meeting (Steve Wood’s presentation of archive photographs of our local canals) I’ll finish with a reminder that our in November, but it was very well- speaker on February 9th is our own suported and very much enjoyed by Alison Smedley, taking us to waterways everyone who attended. There was somewhat further away than those Steve apparently plenty of discussion and was showing, with a talk about her reminiscence about the pictures, giving recent visit to South-east Asia and the Steve some new insights into them. Mekong River – just the thing to warm Hopefully we can get him back next us up if it’s a chilly or damp evening! season to share more of the collection!

Sarah Honeysett Our Christmas quiz (on 8th December) will probably have happened by the Winter 2023

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Social Scene

North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch Friday 26th January 2024 – 7 for 7:30pm Branch Annual Dinner at The Rose & Crown in Stanley Cost: £19.99 for 2 courses, £25.99 for 3 courses (Includes Tea or Coffee & Mince Pies) Bookings to be received by Sarah Honeysett by 12th January See previous page for full booking details Starters Cream of Vegetable Soup (with a roll) Crispy Camembert Rounds & Cranberry Dip Orange & Duck Pate (with a brown toast) Creamy Garlic Mushrooms (with garlic bread fingers) Roast Vegetable Crostine (garlic toasted cheese or vegan cheese Prawn Cocktail (with fresh salad, brown bread & butter)

Mains Roast Turkey (with all the trimmings) Slow Roasted Beef Brisket (with creamy mash & seasonal vegetables) Vegetarian Sunday Roast (with meat-free sausage & all the trimmings) [Vegan] Poached Fresh C0d (with herb butter, new potatoes, seasonal vegetables & creamy parsley sauce) Roasted Vegetable stuffed Sweet Potato (with sour cream & side salad) [Vegan] Festive Bacon & Camembert Burger (with chips, onion rings, salad & cranberry sauce) Page 12

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Social Scene Turkey & Cranberry Curry (with chips or rice & a garlic coriander naan bread) Desserts Traditional Christmas Pudding (with Cream or Custard) Warm Mince Pie (with Cream) Winter Berry Crumble (with Custard) Double Chocolate Fudge Cake (with Cream or Ice Cream) Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (with Chocolate Sauce) Friday 9th February 2024 – 7:45 for 8pm Alison Smedley Adventures along the Mekong Friday 8th March 2024 – 7:45 for 8pm Branch AGM followed by Alan Chetwyn’s Home Movies Friday 12th April 2024 – 7:45 for 8pm Phil Clayton The Birmingham Canal Navigations Admission to AGM/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: Sarah Honeysett (01782 772295) socialsec.nssc@waterways.org.uk or visit the branch webpages at: www.waterways.org.uk Winter 2023

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Wardle Lock Winter Stoppage The Wardle Canal is at the extreme northern edge of our branch area, but very close to my house, so I wandered down there today (17th November) to see what CRT are doing there.

According to the official stoppage notice the lock is closed from November 6th to December 22nd. The work to be done is described as “A stoppage is required to carry out repairs to the failed by-wash culvert. Once we have repaired the culvert, we will be fitting new tail gates and carrying out some ladder modifications.”

The entire lock has been fenced off and there are 4 work-boats in attendance (3 below the lock and 1 above it). Work has

begun on fixing the by-wash, which has meant that the only pedestrian access to the lock-house has had to be closed off (so that the path and sub-soil cab be removed to reach the failed part of the by-wash culvert).

Therefore, very unusually, CRT have had to build a bridge across the centre of the lock to give access to the off-side and thence to the lock-house. I was delighted to be told that, as the bridge was built to full public Health and Safety standards, I was allowed to stand on the bridge to take some photographs (see also front cover and page 2).

Roger Evans

By-wash exit is left of centre. Pedestrian access to the lock-house was closed off by crowd barriers, and the ground excavated down to the failed by-wash culvert.

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Wardle Lock Winter Stoppage

Pump by bottom gate with 2 work-boats beyond (from temporary central bridge) Winter 2023

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The Boating Adventures of Sonning Bear To London and Beyond – Part 3

There were no damsons about in April, but it was sunny, calm weather, which If you have been following our adven- meant us bears could be out on the roof tures, you will know that we Boating for a great view of the surrounding Bears were travelling down to London countryside. (and beyond) this spring and summer.

In my previous article, I took us as far as the filmset in the countryside south of Milton Keynes. This one is all about what happened on our way into central London and Little Venice.

In my last Knobsticks article, we had passed the film set climbing up into the Chiltern Hills. To get to the summit at Tring, you have to go up a flight of locks at Marsworth, which are next to some big reservoirs. I remembered coming down these locks in 2017, on my way to Staffordshire after being found beside the Thames by my human guardians Polar and Grizzly, as we picked damsons and I made jam!

Having reached the summit pound at Tring, we then had to start the long journey down again towards the Thames valley. The first lock down is at Cowroast. Here, we met a surprisingly tame heron, who seemed very keen that Mrs Chrissie got his best side in her photos!

I lost count of the number of locks we went through to get from there to Berkhamstead, where it was time to do Page 16

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The Boating Adventures of Sonning Bear some shopping and moor for the evening. This is a very pretty little town, which has lots of interesting canal-side buildings and a ruined Norman castle (which we explored properly on our way home).

When we stopped for the night, Endon Bear would check the flowers on the roof, dead-heading the auriculas and making sure that the fly-eating sarracenias had plenty of rain water - which they did, because we were having regular Polar and our friend Mr Alan, from the rain! other boat with us, were opening and closing lock gates all the next day too, as we came down through more locks to Apsley, then had yet another lock-filled day getting us to moorings just south of Rickmansworth. Plenty of exercise is supposed to be beneficial for humans, so we are sure this did them good!

We bears stayed in the cratch, just to be on the safe side, while our doggie friends tried to help their humans with the locks and with steering, though I do not know if their efforts were always appreciated!

Winter 2023

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The Boating Adventures of Sonning Bear We stopped one day for a look around a and many people find that living on a very pretty village called Denham. The boat gives them a happier life, though it doggies got an extra-long walk that day, must be tricky to find places to moor. across fields and a golf course to the village, and Hanley Bear got to test Grizzly's beer to make sure it was good enough for him.

Most of the boats were bigger and wider than ours and included Dutch Barges, wide-beam canal boats and even blobby orange lifeboats from oil rigs or seagoing ships.

The last few locks took us onto a long pound through new housing developments and modern factories to Bull's Bridge Junction, where the Paddington Arm turns off of the main line to Brentford. I hadn't been that way before and we were all excited to be travelling along a waterway that shares its name with one of the world’s most famous bears! We saw many more liveaboard boats along this section. Polar says this is because it is very, very expensive to rent or buy a house or flat in London, Page 18

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The Boating Adventures of Sonning Bear Although a lot of them look rather scruffy, others are brightly painted, though not always in traditional style.

One of our favourites was painted to look like a Tube train!

Because they don't move very much, they also end up being used as nesting sites by coots and ducks.

This gave the human crews a miniholiday, as there was a nice little restaurant on site, and there was a nice country park for us and the doggies to explore just next to it. When it was rainy, Hanley Bear taught us all to play chequers. Hanley is very competitive and always has to be the red team, for Stoke City. He is good at the game and usually wins - he even beats Polar occasionally!

Then it was time for our final day’s cruising into central London. On the Our humans had made better progress way, we saw modern apartment blocks than expected down the locks from the being made from pre-assembled Chilterns and were going to arrive too modules fitted together, like Lego! We early at Little Venice, so we checked in at didn't think we would want to live so Willowtree Marina, near Southall, for a high above the ground! couple of nights.

Winter 2023

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The Boating Adventures of Sonning Bear

Lots of the waterfront developments were designed with wharf-style features, like mooring rings or bollards, and one development even had an old narrowboat in a pool of water set into the landscaping! But the rings and bollards were too high for most boats to use and there were big "no mooring" signs everywhere too.

One thing I though was very exciting was a big aqueduct that takes the canal over the North Circular main road. I always find aqueducts amazing, if a little bit scary.

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We went past more big blocks of flats and behind rows of yellowish London Brick houses. Then, suddenly, the big blocks had all disappeared and we had low-rise flats beside us, and very grand houses and posh houseboats across the water.

We had arrived in Little Venice, and our adventures in London were about to begin!

Article: Sonning Bear Photos: Sarah Honeysett KNOBSTICKS

VisitEngland graded 2-8 berth quality narrowboats.

Weekly hire and short breaks available.

Wide choice of excellent routes; E.g. Four Counties Ring, Caldon, Cheshire Ring.

Beginners and experienced crews welcome; Full tuition given.

Please ring for a brochure or visit: WWW.CANALCRUISING.CO.UK

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01782 279547

279547

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Winter 2023

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The Swan Inn Stafford Street, Stone Two minutes from bridge 93 at Star Lock

Serving Real Ales & Scrumpy Cider Beer Garden

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North Staffordshire & South Cheshire contacts President: Chris Skelhorne Vice President Roger Savage roger.st21@gmail.com Chair Alison Smedley MBE 01538 385388 alison.smedley@waterways.org.uk Treasurer Alan Chetwyn (No Email)

01782 279277

Secretary VACANT Contact Alison Smedley

Planning VACANT Contact Alison Smedley Membership Officer Mary Smith membership.nssc@waterways.org.uk Navigation Officer Jon Honeysett 01782 772295 navigation.nssc@waterways.org.uk Heritage Officer Sarah Jones sarah.jones@waterways.org.uk

Sales Officer VACANT Contact Alison Smedley

Burslem Port Work Party Dave Broome 07974 966253 dave.broome45@gmail.com

Social Secretary Sarah Honeysett 01782 772295 socialsec.nssc@waterways.org.uk

Caldon + Uttoxeter Work Parties Alison Smedley 01538 385388 alison.smedley@waterways.org.uk

Publicity Officer Sarah Honeysett 01782 772295 publicity.nssc@waterways.org.uk

Cheshire Locks Work Party John Lawson 07940 878923 john.lawson@waterways.org.uk

Web and Social Media Officer: VACANT Contact Alison Smedley

Other committee members:

Julie Arnold Newsletter Editor Roger Evans 01606 834471 West Midlands Region Chairman newsletter.nssc@waterways.org.uk Helen Whitehouse 01543 491161 10 Long Lane, Middlewich, Cheshire, westmidlands@waterways.org.uk CW10 0BL The Branch committee meets at 7:30 p.m. on the 2nd Tuesday of March, June, September & December 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 our Branch.

They are, however, published as being of interest to our members and readers. © The Inland Waterways Association - Registered as a charity no. 212342 www.waterways.org.uk/staffscheshire Winter 2023 Page 23

Join Us on a Canal Work Party

Our Branch runs 3 work parties each month, helping to maintain and restore our local canals :-

• Cheshire Locks (Trent & Mersey Canal, Kidsgrove to Wheelock)

(jointly organised with the Trent and Mersey Canal Society) 3rd Thursday of each month (except December), 10am to 3pm.

Contact: John Lawson Phone: 07940 878923 Email: john.lawson@waterways.org.uk

• Uttoxeter Canal work parties (held in partnership with Caldon &

Uttoxeter Canals Trust) are unfortunately no longer running due to lack of a work party organiser. If you are interested in getting involved (full training and support are provided) please contact: Alison Smedley Phone: 01538 385388 Email: alison.smedley@waterways.org.uk

• Burslem Port, Stoke-on-Trent

(working in partnership with Burslem Port Project) Alternate Fridays: December 8th + 22nd, January 5th + 19th, February 2nd + 16th, March 1st + 15th + 29th, April 12th + 26th Contact: Dave Broome before attending Phone: 07974 966253 Email: dave.broome45@gmail.com ——————————–————-—————————-————— 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).

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