North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch
KNOBSTICKS Autumn 2017
Clearing vegetation off the core-stones from the nearby pumping station during the Waterway Recovery Group’s first ever family weekend camp. Photo: Alison Smedley
Editorial can be done whilst sitting in a comfortable chair (rather then outside digging with a spade) so please do consider offering your help. Conversely if you would rather be working outside, then the Trent and Mersey Canal Society are still looking for people to repaint their iconic mileposts. Almost all the mileposts in Cheshire have been completed, and a start has been made in Derbyshire, but nobody has yet offered to do any of the Staffordshire ones. If you would like to get covered in black and white paint (and even occasionally carry an incredibly heavy tin of zinc primer) then please contact me. I just have room for Alex Melson’s picture of a new mooring ring being installed (by the “Concrete” method). Read about the “TieBack” and “Kemfix” methods in Alison Smedley’s article next issue.
On page 10 you will read of “the rise and fall of the 'infamous' Nail Game”. As there wasn’t room on that page for a picture to remind readers what it looked like, here is a photo (taken by Alison Smedley) of it in action at Etruria in 2016. I also have to apologise to Alison for postponing (with her approval I hasten to add) her article on “ringing the ring” until the next issue. This was to make room for an important article about the Cheshire Locks Project, which starts on page 14. As Steve explains in that article, we really do need help in getting this project moving forward again. Most of this help Page 2
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Deputy Chairman’s Report As I write this in the first week of August, I’m wondering whether Summer is ahead or behind us. I have just returned from a couple of very wet, but hugely enjoyable, weeks boating on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal as a member of the Pennine Explorer cruise. I’ve written a piece for IWA’s Waterways magazine about this, so won’t repeat it here other than to say that those of you who are walkers or boaters and don’t know the area really should make the small effort to explore this remarkable waterway which is pretty much on our doorstep - much of it being only an hour by car from the centre of our branch area. As well as boating I walked a good proportion of it at the end of each day. Much of the canal follows the line of the railway and we met quite a few groups of walkers who use the train to get back to their starting point. It really is not like any other waterway I have visited and I’m already thinking about a more leisurely return, possibly the year after next. On my return from Huddersfield, I was pleased to be able to attend a reception hosted at Westport Lake Visitor Centre by Trustees of Canal & River Trust. This was part of a two day visit to the area and gave Trustees an opportunity to see local waterways. There was much discussion about the opportunities presented by the City of Culture bid, which many of you will know has now reached the final five in the shortlisting process. Councillor Abbie Brown, Deputy Leader of the City Council, gave a speech in which she emphasised the continuing importance of canals to the City. The Council and CRT have recently confirmed the details of around £1m programme of works on both the Caldon and Trent & Mersey which will begin in the Autumn 2017
next couple of months. Improved moorings and facilities for boaters and signage for visitors are among a wide range of improvements which will make the city a more appealing place for visitors on foot, bike or by boat. Many of you will know that I am closely involved with the Uttoxeter Canal restoration. This branch and Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust have been very active in the Crumpwood area over the past few years, with monthly work parties about to begin their fourth year. We have also had numerous visits from Waterway Recovery Group over the past few years, most recently a couple of weekends ago when we hosted the first ever family camp. There is a report on this, starting on Page 8. CUCT will be hosting WRG visits again towards the end of this year, after which we will be inviting people to come and look at what we have been doing. Members of the Trust, including myself, will be on hand to explain more about the canal and our vision on a date to be confirmed in Spring 2018. More information about this event will be made available nearer the time via the Trust website http://cuct.org.uk Our area is well-blessed with interesting opportunities for volunteering. As well as the Uttoxeter and the long established Burslem Port Project, members may recall that the branch started to promote improvements to the Cheshire Locks a few years ago. Also known to many as Heartbreak Hill, this flight of 26 locks between Harecastle Tunnel and Wheelock forms part of both the Cheshire Ring and the Four counties ring. 24 of these locks were duplicated in the 1830s, making the longest run of paired locks in the country. Page 3
Deputy Chairman’s Report Our previous investigations established that reopening a couple of of the paired locks was quite achievable and thanks to the efforts of the local BW/CRT maintenance teams locks 65 and 66 have been back in use for some time now. Unfortunately the remaining closed locks were all found to be very significant engineering projects and our attention was distracted by projects elsewhere so there has been little thought given to this project for some time other than the now well established work parties led by John Brighouse. We would like to re-establish the project and are looking for people who might be interested in becoming involved. See page 14 for more details. Finally, you may recall that in the previous issue I listed all the waterways in our branch
area. Thanks to those members who quickly responded to point out that I had missed a number out! I mentioned the Newcastleunder-Lyme Canal and Sir Nigel Gresley’s Canal, but should have added that these two were to be linked by the Newcastle Junction Canal and an inclined plane down Occupation Street in Newcastle, though the latter was never built. Having mentioned the Burslem Branch Canal I should really have included the Norton Green and Foxley branches of the Caldon Canal. Finally, how could I have forgotten the Hall Green Branch, given that it is a navigable waterway? Are there any more in our area? Our boundaries are Middlewich, Bosley and Sandon, plus the Caldon and Uttoxeter canals. Steve Wood Deputy Chairman [How about the Wardle Canal ? — Ed]
Burslem Port Workshop (on June 28th) Peter Brett Associates held an information checking workshop on June 28th at the Middleport Pottery. Most of the people who had attended the earlier consultation were present but unfortunately, David Hughes from the City Council had been called away to deal with an urgent matter. The session began with a short presentation. This was essentially a read through of the briefing notes which had been circulated in advance and did not add anything much to what most attendees would already have known. This was followed by a guided session where people were asked to respond to questions set by Nick Skelton from Peter Brett Associates. Roger Savage, Graham Hill, Eifion Jones and – later – Bryan Carnes, representing Burslem Port trustees, acted as facilitators to each of the four groups. Page 4
There was some useful discussion within the groups. Most people continued to be upbeat with regard to the Burslem Port project. Mark Nutting from Furlong Mills was quite defensive of their interests and thought that it would be difficult to justify the cost of the project. The officers representing the City continue to be negative about flooding issues and the question of relocating the waste transfer station. We thought the workshop was successful from PBA’s perspective but they did not give any hint of what their conclusions might be. For that, we have to wait for another event to be organised in late September when PBA will present their draft proposals. Roger Savage KNOBSTICKS
Uttoxeter Work Parties June This work party had to be cancelled because of predicted extreme weather, but we rescheduled it for the following Thursday. We concentrated on huge amounts of Himalayan Balsam that carpets the area at this time of year. A small group also used the tirfor winch to remove some of the tree stumps at Carrington’s Lock July We worked on a couple of different tasks. A small group cleared vegetation in an area at the far end of the part from Bridge 70, where we will be felling trees later this year. The larger group continued the balsam bashing around Carrington’s Lock. A small exploratory dig was also done at one of the sluices at Crumpwood Weir to see what state the stonework was in. Like most of the rest of this structure it was in remarkably good condition. Upper end of Carrington's Lock, showing 1970s culvert and roadway. Photo Steve Mitchell
Chris exploring the sluices at Crumpwood Weir. Autumn 2017
Our volunteer Steve Mitchell has made great progress at Carrington’s Lock this year and Steve took advantage of the drier weather and low water levels to explore more of the bottom of the lock. The stonework is in remarkably good condition. We continue to be surprised by the condition of this lock. A year ago it was almost invisible, surrounded by dense trees, but now it is largely uncovered. It is so sad that one corner of the structure was lost when a roadway was laid in the 1970s. This road has water pipes under it and represents one of the biggest challenges to restoring the canal. August We took advantage of the last chance this year to clear Himalayan Balsam, tidying up around Bridge 70. (Article and uncredited Photo:) Steve Wood Page 5
Cheshire Locks Work Party (IWA NSSC + TMCS)
All remaining work at and around lock 41 was completed in July. This included painting a towpath bridge and railings just below the lock (Photos: Margaret English) and cutting
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back vegetation to expose the Macclesfield / Trent & Mersey sign post (Photo: David Clegg). A second coat was also added to some of the work done last month.
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Cheshire Locks Work Party (IWA NSSC + TMCS) An extra session was arranged to do the railings on the steps up to the Macclesfield Canal. They were all rubbed down and one
Autumn 2017
side was repainted before rain intervened. (Photo: David Clegg) John Brighouse
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Waterway Recovery Group’s first ever family weekend camp Families enthusiastically joined in with volunteers, undertaking activities such as clearing Himalayan balsam (followed by a competition for the best sculpture created out of this invasive plant), removing vegetation off the core stones from the boreholes for the nearby pumping station [See photo on Front Cover — Ed], and making and installing bat boxes for the resident bats near bridge 70 on the canal. Others carried out an exploratory dig for the base of the old towpath bridge across the River Churnet. Steve Wood, Deputy Chairman of the Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust, said “We are very pleased to have hosted WRG’s first ever family volunteering weekend, and the Trust is very happy with the amount of useful work that was carried out by the families over the two days. It was great to Himalayan Balsam clearance. Photo Alison Smedley Waterway Recovery Group’s first ever family weekend camp took place over the weekend of 22nd & 23rd July in Staffordshire. Hosted by the Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust, and supported by IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch, the event saw six families spending a weekend carrying out a variety of tasks around Crumpwood near Denstone on the Uttoxeter Canal. Seven young people aged between 9 and 12, accompanied by their parents or grandparents, enjoyed the residential weekend canal camp staying in nearby hostel accommodation. Part of the fun for the families was the experience of helping the WRG team provide catering and refreshments for the group and joining in with evening games and Creating sculptures with the Himalayan Balsam: activities. A Staffordshire Knot. Photo: Alex Melson Page 8
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Waterway Recovery Group’s first ever family weekend camp
The completed bat boxes ready for installation near Bridge 70. Photo: Jenny Hodson introduce young people to volunteering on would like to hear from any canal society canal restoration projects, and to see the interested in hosting a weekend. Families families enjoying each others company in the interested in booking a place should look beautiful surroundings of the Churnet out for details being announced early next Valley”. year.” Press Release One of the young people taking part said: “It was a really great weekend because we got to make new friends and have fun. My favourite activity was the Himalayan balsam sculpture competition because it was easy to pull up and it also helped the environment.” Jenny Black, WRG’s volunteers coordinator, said: “Following the success of this weekend WRG intends to organise a number of family camps next year, and we Autumn 2017
End of camp photo.
Photo: Steve Wood Page 9
The Rise and Fall of the 'infamous' Nail Game In the final year of the second millennium our Branch organised the highly successful Rally 2000 at Etruria. As part of our activities at this event, we had a couple of fund-raising “games” running alongside the sales and displays stands. Both of these games (the “Sand Game”, and a treasure hunt based on a diorama of the railway and canal at Consall), while raising useful amounts of funds, were very labour intensive. It was, therefore felt that we needed to look for an activity that was easier to run. The answer lay with (who else?) Millie Osborn, who was running a game to raise funds for the Beatrice Charity. After agreeing with Millie that we would not compete with them at events, our then committee member Steve Gay constructed a similar game and the “Nail Game” was born. Since that time, it has accompanied the Branch to almost every event that our stand attended, often raising three figure sums over the weekend. For many years, this was largely due to the efforts of the late Jim Ridgway, a stalwart member of the Branch. Jim would “work” most of the day and had a “patter” which, whilst driving his colleagues to the point of insanity, seemed to enchant children who were unable to resist having a go (and not just the kids!) - so much so that many of the local children at Etruria would come looking for Jim in order to have another go at the game each year. This happy situation continued for some years until Jim's health unfortunately deteriorated. Since then, a number of willing volunteers have helped to keep the momentum going. Gillian Watson even recruited some of her neighbours for the Page 10
Middlewich FAB Festival. However, we have never been able to match Jim's achievements. To show our appreciation of Jim, he was presented at one of our annual dinners with a working miniature replica of the Nail Game (much to his amusement!). Sadly, in recent years, it has become harder to find people who are both willing to operate the game and fit enough to do so. Not everyone enjoys this sort of activity and it is unfair to ask people to do things in their own time that they are uncomfortable with. As a result, the Nail Game more or less fell out of use. Recently, I discovered that there was some enthusiasm within the Trent and Mersey Canal Society for having a similar nail game of their own. Therefore, at our June committee meeting, it was agreed that we should donate ours to the Trent and Mersey. This was duly done in time for the Middlewich festival where it was put into use with some success. Hopefully, it will go on raising useful sums for a long time to come. It is good to know it has gone to a good home. You raised thousands of pounds for us so, THANK YOU NAIL GAME and GOODBYE. Alan Chetwyn The Trent and Mersey Canal Society made just over £50 at Middlewich with the Nail Game, despite being new to the idea. It is currently on its way to Ilkeston for the Festival of Water over August Bank Holiday, where they hope to do even better — Ed. KNOBSTICKS
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Social Programme
North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch
PROGRAMME OF TALKS 2017 – 2018 Friday 13th October 2017 – 7:45 for 8 pm What am I doing here? A pictorial view of a life as a waterway writer, photographer and campaigner. The canals, boats, places and people, including local waterways. By Harry Arnold MBE. Friday 10th November 2017 – 7:45 for 8 pm Odd Sights and Sounds An eclectic collection of pictures, both historical and amusing, from home and abroad with Angela and Patrick Marks. Friday 8th December 2017 – 7:45 for 8 pm Cloud to Canal An Intriguing talk and slide show with Dave Rushton. Friday 12th January 2017 NO MEETING Friday 9th February 2018 – 7:45 for 8 pm Branch AGM + Birmingham Canal Navigations 1994 Our branch AGM (usually very short) will be followed by ... An interesting presentation, to be given by Alan Chetwyn, on all things to do with the Birmingham Canal Navigations 1994. Page 12
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Social Programme Friday 9th March 2018 – 7:30 for 8 pm IWA NEW YEAR ANNUAL DINNER Congleton Golf Club, Biddulph Road, Congleton CW12 3LZ Contact: Barbara Wells (see bottom of page) for more details. Booking form will be included with Winter Knobsticks in early December.
Friday 13th April 2018 – 7:45 for 8 pm Sir Peter Scott A designer, an Olympian, a wild fowler, a glider pilot, a skater, the Radio and TV voice of nature, and actor. Presented by his namesake Peter Scott. Friday 11h May 2018 – 7:45 for 8 pm Fenland Waterways The history of the fenland waterway systems in eastern England, and a tour around the currently navigable parts. Presented by John Pomfret. 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 911004 or 07710 418908) Email socialsec.nssc@waterways.org.uk or visit the branch webpages at:
www.waterways.org.uk
Autumn 2017
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Cheshire Locks Project
Thurlwood Steel Lock shortly before demolition
Photo: Š Harry Arnold/Waterway Images
History The 26 Cheshire Locks were built in the 1770s and raise the Trent and Mersey Canal from the Cheshire Plain at Wheelock to the summit level at Kidsgrove on the edge of the Potteries in North Staffordshire.
The two Pierpoint Locks, nos. 55 and 56, were never duplicated. It is not known whether there was a plan to pair these two but they are shallower than other locks in the flight meaning that passage was quicker and less water was lost so they may never have been considered. Below Wheelock, By the 1830s traffic had become so heavy water levels are supplemented by a stream that the locks were becoming a bottleneck flowing into the canal so the remaining locks for goods going to and from Stoke-on- to Middlewich and beyond were never Trent. Additionally, the high usage was paired. causing water supply problems on the summit. It was decided that the locks would Many people will remember Thurlwood be duplicated. This considerably reduced the Steel Lock, which opened in 1958. This time to pass through the flight and also remarkable structure at Lock 53a in Rode helped conserve water as the likelihood of Heath was designed to overcome boatmen finding one of the locks already in subsidence in the area. It was designed to be their favour increased, so water wasted in jacked up when ground levels moved. filling empty locks or emptying full ones was Unfortunately, the lock required significant reduced. maintenance and British Waterways Board could not justify the expense of keeping it Page 14
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Cheshire Locks Project going all the time. It was eventually cut up in 1986. There is no doubt that if it had survived this unique lock would be a listed structure today. The ends of the flight are also significant. At the top of the locks, we are only a few minutes walk from the famous Harecastle Tunnels. Less well known, at the bottom, are the historic stables at Wheelock Wharf. We jointly hosted an event on the wharf in 2013 with volunteers from the Shropshire Union fly-boat Saturn, where we were extremely fortunate in being given access to the stables, which remain in almost exactly the same condition as when last used by working boat horses over 50 years ago. These had not been opened up to the public for over a decade but owners CRT gave us permission to use them for this special event.
Wheelock locks 66 and 65 Autumn 2017
Along the 6 miles of the flight there are many less well-known features. A good example is the diversion of the canal at Church Lawton, where there used to be a staircase lock. The canal was diverted here when the locks were paired in the 1830s. This is obvious when it is pointed out, but many passers-by never notice it. As commercial traffic declined, especially after the Second World War, some of the locks suffered the effects of subsidence due to brine pumping and coal mining. Thurlwood no. 53a, was replaced by the steel lock, but others (nos. 51a and 62a) were simply filled in. Locks 42a and 57b fell victim to road widening schemes where new bridge piers blocked the line of the offside lock in each case.
Photo: Š Harry Arnold/Waterway Images Page 15
Cheshire Locks Project Between 1965 and the start of our Cheshire Locks Project in 2009, four other locks closed temporarily. These are the two at Wheelock, nos. 65b and 66b, and Church Locks, nos. 47a and 48a. Two of these locks were only closed because the pound between the locks is so short that water management became problematic. In addition, the Thurlwood Steel Lock was dismantled in the 1980s due to difficulties in operating it. Since 2009, the two locks at Wheelock have been reopened. Lock 66b was refurbished and reopened in 2010, with Lock 65b following in May 2012. [See photo on previous page—Ed] Locks 63a and 63b at Malkin’s Bank closed at various times due to subsidence but after substantial rebuilding of the central pier and one side of 63a they are now both open again.
WRG camp at Lock 47a, 22 April 2010 Page 16
The Project The initial idea of a Cheshire Locks Project came about in 2009 because boaters had been expressing concern about maintenance problems on the flight. A team from this branch boated through the flight with local British Waterways managers and looked at both maintenance problems and assorted opportunities to improve the area for visitors. As well as useful conversations about maintenance issues, it was soon realised that there were opportunities to involve volunteers in the area and a significant amount of work was done looking at how the project might progress. A volunteer team from the Waterway Recovery Group carried out an investigation and undertook stabilisation works at the closed Lock 47a in 2010. The lock was found to be in a worse condition than was
Photo: Steve Wood KNOBSTICKS
Cheshire Locks Project previously hoped. It was clear that any restoration of this lock would need a rebuild of the central pier and one side of the lock. This would mean a substantial stoppage at both locks and would require funding of around £750k so the idea was put on hold indefinitely. A walk of the flight with engineers from British Waterways produced a list of small and large projects which might be undertaken by volunteers. A meeting and site visit was held with Heritage Lottery Fund, but it was decided not to proceed with a bid at that time. However, these discussions did lead to us establishing a IWA/TMCS volunteer work party in 2012. This regular event continues, with John Brighouse now leading the group who carry out a wide range of tasks along the flight.
There will more than likely be a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund at some point. There will certainly be partnership working with CRT as the project is developed. All these tasks need volunteers to get them going. If you might be interested in becoming involved in any of the ways described here, or indeed if you have any other ideas about the project or the area, please get in touch. What about “Heartbreak Hill”? The name Heartbreak Hill is sometimes used by boaters when referring to the flight. It has been reported that this name was used by working boat crews but we believe it to be more recent than that, having apparently been coined by John Gagg in the 1970’s, when researching one of his books of canal photos. Steve Wood
The opportunity We want to promote the area to visitors, to look at ways to improve it and to tell the story of the locks and the canal. To do this we need volunteers to become involved. We would certainly like to put in interpretation at key sites such as the ones mentioned above but we might also look at something more substantial. One idea already suggested has been to recreate the iconic steel outer frame of Thurlwood Steel Lock. This may or may not be viable (or desirable) but volunteers with ideas and enthusiasm could help move this or other parts of project forward. We have documents, maps and photos which need to be looked at and organised, but know that there is more information in archives at CRT, the country records office and elsewhere. We specifically want to involve the local community and make them more aware of the canal in their area. Autumn 2017
Locks 58 and 57
Photo: Steve Wood Page 17
The Boating Adventures of Sonning Bear Part 1. Sonning finds a home
carried him up there, to have for dinner later. The bear had seen them catch other furry animals out in the fields, which were not much smaller than he was. In front of his tree was a little patch of green grass and, in front of that, there was a big, shiny river. The small bear watched as a big white bird which had been sailing along on the water started to flap its wings, then to run along the surface of the river and finally to lift into the sky. It flew over his tree and its wings made a funny whistling noise as they swept through the air. The bear had seen it eating grass and river weeds so he didn’t think it ate small bears. He waved at it, hoping it would rescue him before the forked-tailed birds saw him, but it didn’t seem to see him.
He decided that, although he was hanging in a tree and swaying backwards and forwards in the breeze, he probably wasn’t a leaf. He could see that he had furry paws and a furry tummy. He could just about focus his eyes close enough to it to see that he had a furry nose too. He realised that he must be an animal of some sort. He was, in fact, a small beige bear. He was wearing a blue and white striped jersey and it was this that held him in the tree. A long twig was threaded through the back of it and the small bear was suspended underneath. The small bear couldn’t remember how he came to be in the tree. He thought someone, or something, must have put him there, but he had no idea why. He wondered if one of the big birds with big, sharp beaks, nasty claws and forked tails had Page 18
‘Oh dear!’ said the bear. He wondered if the river might have put him in the tree during a flood, but he couldn’t remember being carried along in the water and although he was a little bit damp, he thought he would be wetter if he had been swimming for his life. There were people out on the river but they weren’t swimming. They were in boats. Some of the boats were very big with lots of people on them, being noisy. Some were very small and fast, moving over the surface of the river like pond-skater insects, with the people in them pulling long wooden sticks backwards and forwards. Some were sleek, white boats with smartly-dressed people on them, laughing loudly. Some were long, thin boats which sat low in the water. They were brightly-painted in all sorts of cheerful colours and some even had flowers or vegetables on the roof. One of these boats was coming close to his tree. It was blue with a cream-coloured roof and there were red flowers growing in pots on the roof and painted on the side. A man jumped KNOBSTICKS
The Boating Adventures of Sonning Bear off it, holding rope. The boat stopped moving and another person got off. The small bear waved at them but they didn’t see him. They were too busy knocking metal sticks into the grass with hammers.
he saw that the beak was actually a human nose and the eyes were human eyes, and he wasn’t being held in a claw but a large, tanned hand. Another large hand was unthreading his jersey from the tree.
‘On dear!’ he said again. At least with people this close to his tree, the small bear thought, the fierce birds would stay away. There were some more boats along the bank, also tied by ropes to metal sticks. The small bear realised that the sticks stopped the boats from drifting away with the current. The people came and went from the boats, going over to talk to each other and having picnics on the grassy bank. The people from the blue boat stayed close by it all afternoon, cleaning it and watering the plants on the roof.
‘There’s a teddy bear in this elderberry bush!’ said the person holding him, who he recognised as one of the blue boat’s people. She was tall enough to reach him easily and was talking to the man who had jumped off with the rope. ‘A what, love?’ he said. ‘A teddy bear!’ The small bear was held out for the man, who wasn’t quite so tall, to see. ‘What a dear little chap!’ he said. ‘I wonder how he got up there?’
‘I wonder if they’ll stay here for ever?’ the bear thought. Even if they didn’t see him in his tree, they would keep him safe just by being there. They stayed all night. When it started to get dark, the people went inside their boats and lights came on in the windows. The small bear though it looked very cosy inside the little blue boat. Even when the lights went out, he could still see the shape of the boat, dark against the silvery sheen of the river under the stars. The small bear fell asleep, still swaying gently in the breeze that rocked his branch. He started dreaming about travelling down the river on the little blue boat. Very suddenly, he woke up. ‘What’s this?’ said a voice, close to his face. The small bear opened his eyes in panic. Something had seized hold of him round the middle. There were two big green eyes staring at him, either side of what he thought was a huge beak. ‘Oh no! One of the big birds with the forked tails has got me!’ he thought. Then Autumn 2017
‘I expect a child dropped him and someone else found him. They must have put him up there for safe keeping, in case the owners came back to look for him.’ The tall lady frowned. ‘Perhaps we should leave him there?’ ‘No! Don’t leave me!’ said the bear, but the people didn’t seem to hear him. ‘He’s a bit soggy,’ said the man, poking the bear’s tummy. ‘He must have been there for several days as it hasn’t rained recently. If someone was going to come back for him, I think they would have done so by now.’ ‘Then we’ll take him with us!’ said the tall woman. She smiled at the small bear and carried him onto the blue boat, which was making a sort of rumbling noise. There was a big red and white ring on the roof. She sat the small bear in it while she and the man hit the metal sticks on their sides with a hammer and pulled them out of the ground, keeping hold of the ropes. The man threw his rope onto the front of the boat and got onto the back with his metal stick, the woman got on with her metal stick in one hand and the rope coiled up in the other, and the man pushed a little lever, which Page 19
The Boating Adventures of Sonning Bear changed the boat’s rumbling noise so it was higher and a little louder. The boat started to move away from the grassy bank. ‘Fancy that being Yuri Geller’s mansion!’ said the woman, pointing back at a huge house behind a high fence, a little way from the bear’s tree. ‘And the gardener said George Clooney and Theresa May have houses here too,’ the man said. ‘You don’t think this little fellow belonged to anyone famous, do you?’ The small bear had no idea who any of these people where or what famous meant.
Bear was called Paddington because he was found at Paddington Station. According to that rule, this little bear should be called Sonning, because that’s where we found him.’ The small bear couldn’t remember if he’d ever had any other name but he thought Sonning sounded quite dignified. He sat up a little bit straighter in the big red and white ring and looked around him. The boat was right out in the middle of the river now, passing all sorts of swimming birds, big and small, and was heading downstream with the current. The Thames twisted and turned, glinting in the summer sunshine. The small bear felt his fur starting to dry as the day grew warmer.
‘He’s part of Uppie’s crew now,’ said the woman. The small bear guessed that Uppie must be their nickname for the boat. He had read the words Uplander II and Kidsgrove on its side and thought Uplander must be the Sonning didn’t know what was around the boat’s name. next bend. He didn’t know the names of the boat people or where they came from or ‘What are we going to call him?’ asked the were going to. However, they were clearly man, looking at the little bear. The woman on an adventure of some sort – boat thought for a moment. ‘I think we ought to journeys are always adventures - and he was apply the Michael Bond principle for naming going with them! lost bears,’ she said seriously. ‘Paddington Sarah Honeysett
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Newcastle Road, Stone, Staffs. Tel: Stone (01785) 812688 Fax: (01785) 811317 www.stoneboatbuilding.co.uk email: sale@stoneboatbuilding.co.uk
The Swan Inn Stafford Street, Stone Two minutes from bridge 93 at Star Lock
Serving 10 Real Ales & Scrumpy Cider Bar Snacks available Beer Garden Page 22
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North Staffordshire & South Cheshire contacts President: Chris Skelhorne Vice President Roger Savage roger.st21@gmail.com
Web-site Liaison Alison Smedley (temporarily) 01538 385388 webmaster.nssc@waterways.org.uk
Chairman VACANT (Contact steve.wood@waterways.org.uk)
Planning VACANT (Contact planning.nssc@waterways.org.uk)
Membership Officer Deputy Chairman Steve Wood 07976 805858 Ju Davenport membership.nssc@waterways.org.uk steve.wood@waterways.org.uk Treasurer Alan Chetwyn (No Email)
Navigation Officer 01782 279277 Jon Honeysett navigation.nssc@waterways.org.uk
Secretary Judith Turner 07789 518816 Stoke-on-Trent Boat Club Rep. Rupert Smedley secretary.nssc@waterways.org.uk Sales Officer VACANT (Contact steve.wood@waterways.org.uk)
Burslem Port Work Party Steve Wood 07976 805858 steve.wood@waterways.org.uk
Caldon Work Party + Uttoxeter W.P. Social Secretary 07976 805858 Barbara Wells 01782 911004 Steve Wood steve.wood@waterways.org.uk socialsec.nssc@waterways.org.uk Cheshire Locks Work Party Publicity Officer John Brighouse 07808 878317 Sarah Honeysett 01782 772295 john.brighouse@waterways.org.uk publicity.nssc@waterways.org.uk Other committee members: Newsletter Editor Julie Arnold, Maria Frost, Rob Frost Roger Evans 01606 834471 newsletter.nssc@waterways.org.uk West Midlands Region Chairman 10 Long Lane, Middlewich, Cheshire, Helen Whitehouse 01543 491161 CW10 0BL westmidlands@waterways.org.uk The Branch committee meets at 7:30 p.m. on the 2 nd Tuesday of every month 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 2017
www.waterways.org.uk/staffscheshire
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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 Brighouse Phone: 07808-878317 Email: john.brighouse@waterways.org.uk Uttoxeter Canal (Bridge 70, near Denstone) (working in partnership with Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust) 2nd Thursday of each month, 10am to 3pm. Contact: Steve Wood Phone: 07976-805858 Email: steve.wood@waterways.org.uk Burslem Port, Stoke-on-Trent (working in partnership with Burslem Port Project) 4th Tuesday of each month, 10am to 3pm. Contact: Steve Wood Phone: 07976-805858 Email: steve.wood@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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