May 2025 Endeavour by The Inland Waterways Association

Endeavour

Northampton

Branch

Newsletter — May 2025

FAREWELLRICHARD!

In May, Richard Parry made his sixth and final visit to the Northampton Arm to view the resurfaced towpath that our volunteers, and staff from Cummins, supported by local CRT staff, have been working on for several years.

Richard’s first visit to see us was for the unveiling of a mosaic plaque on the sanitary station at Gayton Junction to commemorate the 200th birthday of the Arm. Over the years, he has visited to unveil a mosaic bench, two largescale murals and the mosaic nature trail.

During his visit this time, he congratulated the Branch on all its hard work and dedication since adopting the Arm in 2013 and on bringing in much needed grant funding from Cummins Power Systems.

Good luck Richard for whatever “endeavours” the future holds for you!

(Richard’s speech can be watched on our Facebook page).

waterways.org.uk/northampton

It’s that time of year when all the canalfestivals start. They are plentiful in this area, starting with the Crick Boat Show over the late Bank Holiday in May. This show started in Braunston but moved to Crick as it outgrew the space available, and, a few years, later it restarted at Crick Marina where it has been held ever since.

This year, over the weekend of 7th and 8th June, there is the 75th anniversary of the 1950 Festival of Boats and Arts (which was held at Market Harborough, Leicestershire). This was the first boat gathering which was the start of IWA annual boat shows. It was first held in Market Harborough in 1950 when over 100 boats attended. Its 75th anniversary is being held this year at Foxton as the Basin at Market Harborough is now private moorings with finger pontoons so not suitable. There will be a cavalcade of boats going down the locks and a cruise to Union Wharf in Market Harborough.

Next, is the Historic Narrrowboat Rally and Festival at Braunston Marina on the 28th and 29th June with parades on the Grand Union Canal to the turn and back. This is probably the largest show of historic boats on the canals. This Historic Boat Rally was first held in 2003 and this is its 21st rally, which sees more boats every year attending More about this starting on page 11.

Buckingham Canal Society have their Cosgrove Festival and Craft Fair which takes place this year over the weekend of 19th – 20th July with floating market trading and charity stalls, historic boats and a Craft Fair in Cosgrove Village Hall. More info at www.buckinghamcanal.org.uk/events-and-news/annual-festivalevents.

Fenny Stratford Canal Festival on 2nd and 3rd August with historic boats, floating market trading and displays.

Please support these Festivals and enjoy your Summer!

May

24th –25th Crick Boat Show at Crick Marina

June

7th 8th IWA Harborough 75 Celebrating 75th anniversary of IWA Festival of Boats & Arts. Details on page 22

28th 29th Braunston Historic Narrowboat Rallyat Braunston Marina. Details on page 11

July

19th 20th Cosgrove Festival and Craft Fair. Details WWW.buckinghamcanal.org.uk/ events –and-news/annual-festivalevents.

August

2nd & 3rd FennyStratford Canal Festival with historic boats, floating market, stalls and displays. Details diane.witts@waterways.org.uk

16th How Canals were built.Find out how bridges, tunnels, locks and canals were built. FREE FAMILY EVENT at The Canal Museum, Bridge Road, Stoke Bruerne NN12 7SE

Branch Chairman’s Jottings

byBernardMorton

I hope you’ve all been enjoying our lovely Spring weather and have taken the opportunity to get out and about around our inland waterways. I was reading some interesting weather statistics that stated that this is the UK’s sunniest Spring on record with 47% more sunshine than usual. Also, rainfall has been well below average with the UK receiving only half that of a normal Spring with northern England receiving a meagre 25%.

It is not only farmers and keen gardeners that are bemoaning the lack of rain, boaters in the north, particularly on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, will likely have worrying times ahead.

FAREWELL RICHARD.

In early May, I was very pleased to be able to welcome Richard Parry (CRT CEO) to the Northampton Arm once again. The occasion this time was during a task party finishing off the restoration of the towpath between Locks 13 and 14 – a project that has seen our volunteers, ably supported by staff from Cummins Power Systems, tackling sections each Spring over the past four or five years. This has been a major undertaking covering a length of towpath of around 450-500 metres and would have not been possible without very generous grant funding from Cummins over the years.

I reminded Richard that this was his sixth visit to the Arm with the previous ones involving the unveiling of various pieces of artwork along the 4 ¾ mile length. It was good to be able to thank him for his support for our work and to be able to wish him well with his future endeavours as he leaves CRT after 12 years.

Richard spoke at length about how our adoption had become exemplary among adoptions and how he had very much enjoyed his visits and the opportunity to thank our hardworking volunteers.

Interestingly, two days after Richard’s visit, CRT announced details of his replacement. Campbell Robb will be the new CEO bringing a wealth of experience from across the charity sector and “experience of strengthening organisations to respond to challenges and opportunities” to quote from CRT’s press release. There was no indication of any experience of canals/inland waterways/boating so I guess we will have to reserve judgement while he settles into the role.

BRANCH MEETINGS.

A visit to Weedon Ordnance Depot has rounded off our 2024-25 season of interesting talks. Unfortunately, this visit coincided with Richard Parry’s visit so Sandie and I were unable to go but I’ve heard it was a very interesting tour with tea and biscuits provided! Great Ouse Branch sent nine people and two joined from Peterborough Branch, so it was a really good turnout with small groups being taken around by very knowledgeable guides.

We have been giving some thought about the way ahead for these meetings. Tying in our AGM with a Quiz doesn’t seem to work very well in terms of attendance. So, in future, we are looking at holding our AGM via Zoom and maybe running a Quiz as a standalone event. Would you be more likely to come to a Quiz without the AGM? Please let me know your thoughts (my contact details are on page 30 of this issue.

ANNUAL DINNER.

We were disappointed that turnout for our annual dinner in 2024 was low and have been reviewing what to do for this year. Sandie has been doing a survey recently about whether a Saturday or Sunday lunchtime gathering would be preferable to more people – and 98% were in favour of such a change . It seems that people are reluctant to turn out on dark, winter evenings as evidenced by turnout for our monthly branch meetings.

So, we are earmarking Saturday 22nd November for our annual dinner – or should that be annual luncheon? Please let me know your thoughts about this change using my contact details at the back of Endeavour. It would be a shame to bring a halt to this event which is one of the few occasions where we get to meet you, our Branch members. Further details, booking forms and menu options will appear in August’s issue of Endeavour and on our website in August.

BOATING PLANS.

We are busy finalising our plans for boating this summer which include Stratford-upon-Avon, the rivers Avon and Severn, the Staffs and Worcester canal, and the BCN. Hopefully, there will be plenty of water around by the time we set off – fingers crossed! We would also like to do a trip down the River Nene to Peterborough later in the year – again water levels permitting. We used to moor on the Nene at Titchmarsh and I remember that too much water, bringing strong stream warnings and lock reversals, were more common than low water levels.

I wish you a great summer wherever you go. Stay safe and enjoy yourselves.

TASK PARTY DATES

June 11th. July 9th. August 12th. September 9th. Contact: stokebruernecanalpartnership.org.uk

June 12th, 28th. July 10th, 26th. August 14th, 30th September 12th, 27th. Contact clive at braunstoncanalsocity@gmail.com

Full steam ahead for the Braunston Historic Narrowboat Rally and Canal Festival

28th - 29th June, 2025

Tim Coghlan writes: We are again holding our own very special annual canal event – the Braunston Historic Narrowboat Rally - in its regular slot over the last weekend in June. This year, it’s the twenty first time we have hosted the event - so definitely something to celebrate. We are now putting all the final preparations in place. With the threat to government funding, the waterways need to have something to celebrate – something to look forward to – and hopefully this event will be a showcase for our wonderful waterways heritage.

We will also be celebrating the major restorations in recent years of the Narrow Boat Trust’s ‘pair a boats’, the motor Nuneaton and the butty Brighton – both thanks to generous legacy donations. And also the comple-

Nuneaton and Brighton in the parade of boats and will be opening this years Rally Tim Coghlan

We have invited Sir David and Lady Suchet to perform a ‘Poirot double-act’ for the opening of the Rally and the renaming of marina entrance bridge as ‘Peter’s Bridge’. They are both vice-presidents of the IWA and have each opened various rallies of ours in past years – but never together!

For this year’s opening, Sir David and Lady Suchet will both wear neartraditional boatmen’s costume, with Sir David steering the motor Nuneaton, towing Lady Sheila on the Brighton – the traditional boatman husband and wife steering arrangement. They will proceed from the Grand Union Canal into the marina pausing under the recently re-restored Horseley Ironworks Bridge. Pausing there, they will firstly rename the bridge – unveiling its new plaque – and then jointly declare the 2025 Rally open. For this challenging navigational task, the Suchets will have a little help from members of the Narrow Boat Trust, of which I have the honour to be patron.

We have already received an encouraging number of early bookings, seventy so far - and they just keep coming. This could well be a vintage year, especially with the number of butties, which could reach a record. These leviathans of our canal-carrying past are THE making of the Rally, which, as for some years now, will probably be the largest gathering of them anywhere on the waterways.

The Rally was originally conceived late in 2002, to celebrate the completion

What the Braunston Historic Narrowboat Rally is all about!

Photo Comerford Eamonn

of the then major restoration works to the steam narrowboat President, with the first Rally being held in June 2003. Narrowboats deteriorate in a water environment, and require regular maintenance, especially when old and steam -powered. President ran into trouble again in early 2019 when its boiler was condemned, requiring a new boiler and associated works. Besides the £80,000 needed, there was also the problem of finding a manufacturer to build it. Once there were hundreds of these boiler manufacturers across the UK, but now only a handful remain. The other problem has been the spec. and finding a engineering design company able and willing to produce one. Whilst it is hoped that President will be back in steam later this year, it will sadly again not make our Rally, where it has always proved a major attraction.

In the spirit of the original IWA Market Harborough Rally of 1950 – being commemorated in its 75th anniversary this year – our event has always been a double act going hand with its Canal Festival.

Our music-impresario for some years now, Janul, is already networking the amazing musicians she produces each year for the famous beer tent - the Dry Dock Inn – a mini-Glastonbury, without the mud.

There will be Morris Dancers, and children will again be entertained by Professor Diamond’s Punch & Judy Show in four productions during the Saturday.

There will also be the The Guild of Waterways Artists provided with their own marquee, sponsored by Braunston Marina. At least ten of its members will have their works on display, including the great canal artist Dusty Miller.

For many years now we have enjoyed hosting Alarum Theatre with their new productions on the Thursday nights before the Rally. The duo of Kate Saffin and Heather Wastie have now decided to call it a day. But on Kate’s recommendation we have invited the new Oxford Canal based trio, the Three Idle Woman, who will be preforming a number of their close-harmony canal song‘All Hands Together’. Their CD will be available for purchase on the night at £10.. Tickets at £10 – no concessions- are available beforehand from the marina shop and from the door on the night.. The event is sponsored by Braunston Marina and all ticket sales will be donated to the maintenance of Braunston Church, the ‘Cathedral of the Canals’ – where many former working boatmen ‘tied up’ for the last time.

And mentioning Kate Saffin, she will still be very much with us for the Rally. On her suggestion, she will dress as a traditional boat woman, and be ‘at home’ in an old working boatman’s cabin tied up in the Old Oxford Arm at the heart of the marina. Here she will show visitors round the cabin, explaining to them the mysteries of just how the boatmen families managed to live

and work in such a confined space – what they wore, ate, how they slept and the tough life they led.

The Rally will also have its usual trade marquee, which will be shared with a number of canal societies. At least two canal authors are hoping to launch their new books in that tent. Outside, there will be a number of good causes like the RNLI, to whom we give free space.

On the Sunday evening, to close the event, the Rally will again sponsor a candle-lit choral concert by Fiori Musicali of Elizabethan and early Jacobean music. The venue is across the meadows from Braunston at the ancient church of Wolfamcote. The concert aims to raise awareness of this redundant church and the funds needed for its preservation.

We are fortunate to be able to hold the event in our marina, including parking, with use of the canal outside for the parades of historic narrowboats, thanks to the CRT. The Rally is very much an outdoor event, with the some five thousand people who traditionally attend, spreading themselves out along the mile or so of towpath to watch the parades. So we should be able to hold the event in safety. Here’s hoping we have you onboard!

The Braunston Historic Narrowboat Rally is sponsored by Braunston Marina and TOWPATH TALK, with support from the Canal & River Trust.

WINNERS 100 CLUB DRAW

1st Prize £100 Rob and Helen Westlake

2nd Prize £40Adam Savory

3rd prize £25 Roger and Jane O’Dea

VISIT STOWE HILL WHARF FOR ALL YOUR

Proprietor Robert Gudgeon

 Full Repaints

 Hull Blacking/Stern Gear

 Inspection and Repairs

 Engine Repairs and Maintenance

 Complete Fit-Out and WoodworkAlterations

 Plumbing Installations and Repairs

 Electrical Installations and Repairs

 NEW — Fuel Polishing Service

 Stockists of Morris Oils and Grease

 Full range of Batteries always available (please let us know your requirements)

By road we are easily found, a few yards off theA5 at Stowe Hill towards Nether Heyford. By boat close to Bridge 26

ALL WORK UNDERTAKEN, FROM SIMPLE TASKS TO COMPLETE FIT-OUTS

YOUR ESSENTIAL BOATING SERVICES

NORTHAMPTONARM

Maintenance and another (final) bit of path

Paul Lynam writes: In February and March we continued with our use of our workboat Watford; we were joined by volunteers from the Braunston Canal Society and various CRT volunteers enabling the boat to be out 2 or 3 days in some weeks.

It was really good to have a reliable boat and good equipment and most days were kind to us weather-wise. In March, Watford went down the Arm, the crew clearing trees on the way, spending a couple of nights in the EA Northampton Marina. Many thanks to Dave Lee and Roger Ireland for organising the various days. We learned a lot and are now busy training up more Helmsmen and ensuring other volunteers are qualified to use chainsaws etc.

Our routine maintenance work on the Arm has continued. We had a successful day with Cummins Power Systems volunteers helping clear the vegetation around Bridge 13 (the old Duston Tramway Bridge). Like many sites in our area no maintenance is carried out by the local council or any other authority on their land near the canal so its quite nice to set-to with a large group of willing volunteers and clear a good stretch of path.

April’s good weather enabled us to get an early start on our lock painting programme.

In mid April a small army of our own volunteers and Cummins Power Systems staff turned out to do the preparation works for the final stage of the towpath improvement works heading back up from lock 14. We have resurfaced the stretch from the Wootton Brook Bridge up to lock 13 and just beyond and we now had a couple of small stretches just below the M1 to complete. We would be a long way from useable road access here, so would try the approach used by many other projects (but never us) of moving the required stone by boat to the project site. The Morning of 9th May saw our two deliveries arrive bang on time and one behind the other (literally, two trucks 2 minutes apart). So far so good!

On Sunday 11 May a small group of us filled 100 bags of stone ready to lift on to the transport. Meanwhile, 2 others prepared the CRT Tug and flat (handily moored at Gayton junction) for the journey.

On Monday a crew took the boat down from Gayton to lock 7 to load the stone. From there a further trip down to unload onto the path above lock 13. Return and repeat. By mid Morning staff from Cummins had arrive to help;

their youth and energy is always a joy to watch!

By early afternoon we had laid and compacted about 40m of path. The boat crew set off on the climb back to Gayton to moor overnight.

Tuesday morning saw us set to filling 120 bags. Job done by 9.50 by which time the workboat was in sight. Loaded and off, we were then joined by a second group from Cummins for the unloading and path laying. All done and looking good.

We had heard that Richard Parry was retiring as Chief Executive of CRT. He accepted an invitation for a final visit to the Arm, accompanied by Linny Beaumont, Regional Director in CRT. They spent a while talking to our volunteers, and Richard reminded us how many visits he had made over the last

Filled bags ready to be loaded onto the flat, then transported down the canal to below the motorway Bridge where the towpath is being resurfaced. They then had to be unloaded but this is the best way as there was no nearer road access for the deliveries.

When you go cruising again let me know about your trip so we can all share in your experiences. This is where you can suggest new places to visit or to avoid.

Write a report about your cruise, let others know the good and not so good places to moor, eat, drink, places of interest worth visiting and anything else that might help others to enjoy that area. Let us know of any mishaps or interesting things that happened on your journey. Include pictures of your cruise, unusual things scenery and anything else that you want to add. I am looking forward to receiving your reports.

Or maybe you could tell us about the boats you’ve hired or owned.

Send your articles and stories to tony.clarke@waterways.org.uk

WHILTON MARINA CHANDLERY

Pay us a visit, just browse and see what we have to offer for all your boating

Open Monday to Saturday 9am–5pm

Tel 01327 844639 E-mail: marinachandlery@gmail.com

The Branch is collecting old printer, and/or inkjet cartridges for recycling. I would be most willing to take them off your hands. This form of recycling may not generate large amounts of funds but, as they say, every little helps.Please bring them to the Branch meetings or please email me to arrange collection on sandie.morton@waterways.org.uk

IWA Northampton Branch has a Facebook page. It is at https://www.facebook.com/IWANorthamptonBranch Members will find posts there about our talks, Task Party dates and much more, as well as being able to use it for discussion purposes. We’d like to hear your views. We also have a Twitter account @northamptoniwa where you can leave us a message or engage in discussion on what’s happening.

Please

BUCKINGHAM CANAL SOCIETY

The BCS held a very successful canal Christmas camp with nineteen people mainly WRGIES in attendance with people arriving on Boxing day and staying at the Quarries Scout camp over the Christmas holiday. With several WRGIES in attendance and some members of the WRG Forestry team present a lot of work was achieved.

WRG Forestry managed to cut down several trees at the start of the canal leading up to Bridge One which had become dangerous but they weren’t able to remove all these trees so made a return visit a few weeks later and have now cleared all the dangerous trees on the off side of the canal at Cosgrove. We then had another WRG visit but this time from BITM WRG to continue the work which took place over the weekend of 15th – 16th February.

At our Bourton Meadow site volunteers have been clearing brambles from the off side of the canal to stop them spreading into the reeds growing in the bed of the canal and this work has been going well. This site is where we are holding our Green Gym work parties and is looking particularly attractive at present having first had daffodils and now Marsh Marigolds starting to flower on site.

We have also started to get bookings again from outside companies wanting to join us for a ‘team building day’, so far we have fifteen groups booked in already this year. Last year we had thirty -three Corporate groups join us which

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Our AGM took place on Saturday 15th March with thirty-five people in attendance and we were entertained by Steve Morley who gave a very interesting talk on the WRG Canal Camps he and Mandy Morley had attended over the years.

Also it’s time to mention our annual Cosgrove Festival andCraftFair