Navvies 191

avvies N Volunteers restoring waterways No 191 February - March 2002

There will be

a restored canal opened

through here with boats on it

infourmonthstime...

waterway recovery group

Contents

In this issue:

...are always welcome, whether hand-written, typed, on 3½" disk (please include hard-copy) or by e-mail. Photos also welcome: slides or colour or b/w prints. Please state whether you want your prints back; I assume that you want slides returned. Computer scanned photos also acceptable, either on disk or as e-mail attachments, preferably JPG format. Send them to the editor Martin Ludgate, 35, Silvester Road, London SE22 9PB, or e-mail to editor@navvies.demon.co.uk. Press date for No 192: March 8th.

Editorial It's Good News Week!

3-5 Chairman The importance of being trained 6-7 Photos wanted for next year's brochure 8-9 WRG NorthWest is 25 years old!

10-11 Cromford a new worksite soon?

12-13 Logistics and the kit schedules 14-15 Cleanup book now for the Walsall...

16 Stamp bank stamps and recyclables wanted 17 Diary camps and working parties 18-20 Letters to the editor 21-24 Camps Christmas on the Wilts & Berks; New 25-27 Year on the Basingstoke Get Trained with IWA, WRG and BW 28-29 Accommodation hovels we have known 30 Coming soon events at Lichfield and Lapal 31 Bankside the serial returns again 32 Bits & Pieces and the WRG Boat Club 33-34 Noticeboard 35 Backfill MKP Fabrications!

36

Subscriptions

And next time...

A year's subscription (6 issues) is available for a minimum of ÂŁ1.50 (please add a donation if possible) to Sue Watts, 15 Eleanor Road, Chorltoncum-Hardy, Manchester M21 9FZ. Cheques to "Waterway Recovery Group" please.

...a report from the Cleanup, a Dig Deep update, some forthcoming work on the Caldon Canal, more on this year's Canal Camps... and whatever else you send in... (maybe a load of letters slagging-off 'Navvies'? I can but hope.)

Contributions...

Visit our web site http://www.wrg.org.uk for all the latest news or WRG's activities Cover photo: It's true! These two lines of WRGies are standing approximately where the banks of the Rochdale Canal will be when it's re-excavated through the site of the Failsworth Co-op in north Manchester - and the entire canal is on schedule to be reopened on July 1st. Photographed by the editor during the bus tour on the WRG North West 25th anniversary weekend. (see p8-9) Below: three miles away and thirty years ago Harry Arnold photographed 'Ashtac', the Big Dig that launched the restoration of the Ashton and Lower Peak Forest Canals, leading to the reopening of the 'Cheshire Ring' in the mid-1970s.

page 2

To quote one of our glorious leader Mike 'MKP' Palmer's favourite phrases: "It's all going terribly well" Originally I was going write one of those long, boring, whinging editorials that I know you all love reading, where I go on at length about how it's not worth editing 'Navvies' if nobody's going to write anything for it, and even when they do write anything they invariably send it in so long after what's laughably referred to as the 'press date' that I get grief from John Hawkins because the magazine's always late at the printers.... and if I ever actually sent it to press on the press date with all the contributions I've received on time it will probably consisted of a single sheet of paper with "bugger all" written on it in big letters... which should at least help to fill the Letters Page next time with people moaning about the bad language...

Manchester area canals: 1972 Irwell Stretford & Leigh branch

MANCHESTER

Man. Ship Canal

Editorial

But then Jen's 'Logistics' piece (see p14) arrived (late I'm afraid, but at least she's got a good excuse: she's been busy helping with the Canal Camps brochure that you will receive in this issue) and I thought she'd done such an excellent job of moaning that any whinges of my own would pale by comparison.

So I thought I'd write something cheerful for a change. Because there's quite a lot to cheer about right now.

Firstly, canal reopenings are in the news. As mentioned elsewhere, as part of the WRG North West 25th birthday party we were treated to Hudd. Broad a tour in two vintage double-decker buses of some current and recent progress on canal restoration. And just like buses - you wait ages, and then all of a sudden two transPennine canal reopenings arrive one after the other! The Huddersfield Canal opened last year; the Rochdale is set to reopen on July 1st this year.

Thirty years ago (see photo opposite and maps left) the Ashton Canal had only just been saved from the threat of elimination; now it's all set to become the central link of over 70 miles of formerly-derelict canals that Hudd. Broad have been restored to navigation in Manchester and surrounding areas. And there will be more to follow, with the Manchester Huddersfield Bolton and Bury - and then what next?

Narrow Maybe the Stockport and Hollinwood branches of the Ashton, or the Manchester & Salford Junction, or perhaps a couple of new canals to link Bolton or Bury with the Leeds & Liverpool Canal? Far-fetched?

Maybe not, when you think of what's hapPeak Forest Bugsworth pening elsewhere in the region...

Peak Forest

Bridgewater

Macclesfield

Manchester area canals: Rochdale 2002 Irwell Stretford & Leigh branch

Ashton MANCHESTER

Man. Ship Canal Bridgewater

Macclesfield

Which leads us to the next bit of Good News...

Hudd. Broad Manchester area canals: Rochdale 2022?

Hollinwood

The Ribble Link: Britain's first new waterway for about a century is set to open on Man. Bolton Branch July 12th, bringing the Lancaster Canal into & Buiry Huddersfield Irwell the national network for the first time. Also in Narrow the north west, the official reopening of the Stretford & Ashton Anderton Lift is set for March 26th. An a little Leigh branch MANCHESTER further afield, the restoration of the Millennium Link - the Forth & Clyde and Union canals in Man. Ship Scotland - will culminate in the official openCanal Stockport ing by HM The Queen on May 24th of the Peak Forest branch Bugsworth brand-new Falkirk Wheel boat-lift that reBridgewater Macclesfield connects the two canals together.

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Editorial Reopenings on the Ashby and Montgomery Canals But the good news isn't just about reopenings of entire canals: a couple of significant shorter lengths of waterway have reopened recently.

What will eventually be the northern terminus of the Ashby Canal at Moira is now open, with a brand new basin and a new lock (the first on the canal) to take the restored length under a main road; the next stage will be to extend southwards from there, to meet up with the current limit of navigation at Snarestone.

And on the Montgomery Canal, the opening of the Burgedin to Ardleen length has shortened the 'missing link' between the restored English and Welsh sections of the canal. A further narrowing of the gap should occur in the not-toodistant future with the reopening of the section through 'our' locks at Aston, past our current worksite at Maesbury Spillweir, and into Maesbury village and beyond.

Still on the subject of the Mont and the 'missing link'... at Maerdy, on the Welsh side of the border, a new road-junction improvement scheme was planned, and unfortunately it didn't make any provision for the restoration of the canal - despite such provision being official government (or in this case Welsh Assembly) policy these days. Apparently because the junction remodelling (a new roundabout) wasn't actually directly on the line of the canal, and the existing culverted road crossing was to remain in use, that meant that technically the road scheme didn't impact on the canal restoration. Although in practice it would make future reopening of the canal far more difficult and expensive, because the proximity of the roundabout would make reinstating the original bridge unacceptable, it offered officialdom a chance to weasel-out, to save a few pounds now at the expense of far greater costs in future.

But then, just as I was sharpening my pen ready for a blistering editorial saying exactly what I thought of Cardiff welshing on its responsibility to the future of its waterways... they changed their mind! Thanks to a lot of campaigning and letterwriting by many individuals and all of the bodies involved in the restoration of the Mont, the plans have been put on hold so that an investigation can be made into whether the road scheme can be altered to take account of the canal. More good news!

Recent reopenings: the Ashby Canal gets its first lock and a new terminus basin at Moira...

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You may have noticed that among all the current reopenings that I describe above, there don't seem to be many mentions of current WRG work sites. And you'd be right - mostly these are professional contractor-built schemes financed by Lottery grants, local authority money or similar, not volunteer projects. But you can be sure that all of them began as volunteer schemes (and I'm equally sure that all our current volunteer projects will one day see multi-million pound funding and contractors at work) - with the exception of the Anderton Lift, which we have contributed to in a rather different way. Which is a sneaky way for me to get round to another bit of good news...

The Anderton Abseil has succeeded in its aim of raising ÂŁ10,000 towards the restoration of the Lift, making WRG a 'Gold Patron' of the appeal.

But meanwhile, back to some of the restoration schemes that do involve volunteers, and that don't yet feature in the list of forthcoming reopenings.

And in particular, three canals that we might well become increasingly familiar with. Which is also good news for us, because they all look like being interesting places to work...

The 'Mon & Brec' - the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal to give it its full name (oh, all right, the Monmouthshire Canal and the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal to them their FULL name!) has been chosen as the site for this year's Bonfire Bash weekend, and also sees its first Canal Camp for several years. Although the Mon & Brec has been under restoration for a number of years, progress is accelerating and WRG involvement looks set to increase with the start of work on the flight of locks on the Crumlin Branch near Rogerstone. Apparently the flight is an absolutely stunning piece of engineering - and there are 14 locks, so there should be enough work to last us some time...

Editorial And four more new work sites to look out for...

The Grand Western Canal hasn't seen much WRG involvement for 10 years - almost long enough for my headache from overdosing on the local scrumpy to wear off - but this year there are two weeks of Canal Camps there. The canal is a fascinating piece of industrial history: it was equipped with one inclined plane boat-lift and a whole series of vertical boat-lifts. We won't be restoring these just yet - this year's camps will be working on restoring a cutting with towpath. This should provide plenty of work (and training) for dumper and excavator drivers, and plenty of good publicity for the restoration - and may well be the start of a greater involvement by WRG here too.

Another project that's been going for quite a while, but hasn't seen much WRG support for some years, is the Grantham Canal. All this is set to change this year. A flight of three locks at Cropwell Bishop will give us some opportunities for scrub-bashing, some traditional chamber clearance and later some lock rebuilding work.

A Canal Camp is planned for September, but weekend working parties by regional groups will also be welcome.

Finally, one to watch for the future. A new restoration scheme on a canal with lots of historic interest, plenty of good scenery and support from the local authorities and BW, promoted by an experienced canal society based on the adjacent waterway: that's got to be good news. Read about the Cromford Canal on p12-13, and watch out for some volunteer projects starting there in the next year or two.

And that brings us to the last bit of good news - this is the end of this lengthy Editorial column.

You won't have to read my outpourings for another two months.

And it's good news for me, too - I won't have to write another one for two months... err... one month... errr... Blimey! it's only three weeks to the next press date! ...and the Mont opens from Burgedin to Ardleen. Photos by Harry Arnold Martin Ludgate

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Chairman "The Training Weekend is for everyone" Ooops - me and my big mouth!

I said that it was dangerous to say in the January issue that the Canal Camps brochure will be enclosed and it certainly was. However this time it definitely will be enclosed and I hope you like it.

I mentioned last time how enthusiastic the committee was about this year’s programme - I hope you can see why. A great range of work on interesting sites - book now to be sure. In particular note the Droitwich Camp this Easter: this is the culmination of all our work last year and should see the locks complete with paddle gear, gates, coping stones and lots of water in (hopefully) the right place.

We have carefully considered the replies to our 2001 feedback survey and there were several comments that there was not enough opportunity for training. This is, of course, a perennial problem - there is always the trade off between the short-term solution of "let those that can do it, do it" and the long term view of training people so that everyone can "do it".

So in this issue of 'Navvies' we hope to spend a bit of time discussing the various possibilities for training with WRG. For ages the only real opportunity was "on the job", you came along and picked up tricks over the years.

The date is the 11/12th May and the location is not quite confirmed yet but it will be in the Midlands. Accommodation and food will be provided and it is always a real good time and a great benefit. People feel more confident going on their first camp knowing they have some useful skill.

Still with training in mind, last year the IWA launched its Training Award Now it has been pointed out that this is probably not the best name for it as it sounds like it is an award for people who have done some very good training.

That is not the case - it’s an award so that people can do some training.

YES - IT IS £750 IN CASH FOR YOU TO DO ANYTHING YOU LIKE WITH. Ok so that’s not exactly true, there are of course a few conditions going with it (see page 29), but it is a cash award given every six months to allow you to gain skills. Perhaps 'Training Scholarship', 'stipend' or 'bursary' would be more correct (but we can’t change it now, we’ve got the forms printed!)

So what sort of training would qualify for the Training Award?

Firstly there are the real posh courses such as offered by British Waterways’ skills centre at Hatton. Regarding heritage brickwork and that sort of thing, £750 would get 1 person a City & Guilds Certificate in Heritage Skills or 15 people through a day’s course in brickwork repair.

Then there are all the other technical colleges, night schools, CITBs, manufacturers, voluntary organisations, etc. all over the country offering a qualification.

However to be blunt we found that we just weren’t learning fast enough and so the Training Weekend was born. This is not just stuffy training lectures or building practice walls then knocking them down again - it’s a fun weekend were you can learn the skills that give you access to more work on site.

And don’t get stuck on the traditional skills other areas are just as important - what about first aid? How about a night school course in quantity surveying? Food hygiene is essential.

No one can go anywhere without an environmental assessment these days - how about getting the qualifications for that?

The details of this years event should be elsewhere in this Navvies (see p28) but please understand that the Training weekend is for everyone; if you’re a volunteer with the Nitts and Stuffs navigation and have never dug with WRG, or have yet to go on your first Camp or you have been around for years and only seem to dig with WRG - the Training Weekend is for you.

And before you say that you couldn’t get the time off work there are other ways - St Johns have just launched their Lifesaver Plus course.

An 18 hour course that will get you a qualification that means we can all work a little bit happier on site and your project can be seen to be responsible. The 18 hours can be done in a variety of ways - weekends, evenings, etc.

page 6

Contact your local St Johns to see how they are running the course closest to you.

The first winner of the IWA Training Award was Graham "Sparky" Robinson and we hope to have a piece by him in the next issue about how he's been spending the IWA’s money to ensure that societies can deal with trees responsibly - Tenko and Sparky have a WRG van during the winter months and they can be seen dropping them all over the place.

Chairman "You had to be up by 8.30 or the WI sold your sleeping bag..."

So I hope I have stimulated a few thoughts on training - traditionally the reward for the volunteer is looking back at a job well done. A little training makes this much easier.

There were only two good points to this particular accommodation: a huge range which Pete Stockdale loaded up with logs so that it glowed through the night and a pub just over the bridge.

Before I close, could I just make a plug for an event to look forward to...

Given the draughty, damp sleeping space there was really only one choice, WRG NW went to the pub and got really, really drunk.

Our fundraising working party and 'Race Night' at Lichfield on the 21st April. Further details are elsewhere in this navvies - I hope to see you there.

This, of course, follows on from our great success raising funds for the Anderton Boat Lift - see page 35 for the final totals raised by all the abseilers.

And finally... Martin appealed for Accommodation stories last time. A selection appear elsewhere in this issue, (see p30) but here are some of my own reminiscences: Firstly I should establish my credentials by saying that I can remember St Gregory’s Hall before they installed the Acrow prop!

This was in the days when you had to be up and out by 8.30 on the Saturday morning otherwise the ladies of the WI came in and sold your sleeping bag at the continual jumble sale that used to run and run. The early morning rush to cram everybody’s goods into the cupboard over the kitchen (the once place they couldn’t reach!) was a joy to behold. Those that were too slow had to buy their wellies back from some old dear.

This was during the Stratford Blitz when accommodations were limited only by Arthur Beeston’s imagination. We enjoyed nights in dance studios, boats and on one particular weekend a derelict cottage alongside the Grand Union. This wreck had very little roof and a major structural crack over the door.

Contacting the chairman: Mike Palmer, 3 Finwood Rd, Rowington, Warwickshire CV35 7DH Tel: 01564 785293 e-mail: mike.palmer@bbc.co.uk

I must have enjoyed it I guess because 15 years later I moved in just next to this pub. And the derelict cottage just over the bridge - well you won’t get any change from £300,000 these days.

(It’s no wonder people get interested in canals with profits like that, eh?)

Mike Palmer I'm afraid I cannot resist mentioning here that my computer took exception to the opening sentence of Mike's piece: apparently he should have said "My big mouth and I". ...Ed

Jim Norfolk I'm sorry to have to announce that Jim Norfolk, one of the earliest members of Essex WRG died on the night of December 13th. He was also our oldest member, being in his 70s.

Jim had not been out with Essex very often recently.

He suffered from a heart attack a few months ago.

While he was being taken to hospital, he had a stroke and spent some time in hospital. He recovered enough to attend the IWA Chelmsford Christmas Social evening on December 13th but was found dead the next morning.

For some months, Jim's picture appeared at the top of the Restoration article in 'Canal Boat' magazine during its early days. This was taken when he and Malcolm Bates had laid the coping stones at Wildmoorway Lock.

Essex WRG remember with affection his legendary 20:20 hindsight and his sense of humour, as well as discussions about Malcolm's pony tail and the effect on cross-channel travel caused by the demise of duty-free.

Our sympathies go out to Jim's wife Betty and his sons.

Dave Dobbin

page 7

Photographs Get snap-happy this year!

WANTED: Your Dirty Photos We can actually say, hand on heart, "With this Wanted: photos showing 'teamwork'... issue you will find your 2002 Canal Camps brochure enclosed." and be quite correct! But it is the camps brochure that prompts me to write this...

Why? Because every year we spend hours searching for photos that will be suitable to use in it and you would not believe how difficult that is! It is also the case that we end up with only a few people’s photos too, mainly Martin "Smile please?" Ludgate’s and Tim "Trigger-happy" Lewis’s. [...not to mention Digital Alan Lines ...Ed] The problem with this is that you then only have pictures of the digs/camps that they attend. We need more variety! But they do both take very good photos…

So when you’re having your annual spring clean (!) and are casually flicking through all those camp photos you took last year, or even in previous years, that have been sat in a pile collecting dust since you brought them back from the camera shop (that is normal, isn’t it?!) remember who would very much like to see them and let me know please. It is not only for the sake of more variety in the camps brochures but also for our publicity stuff too! It is much easier ...and "smiley-faced photos of to ‘sell’ prospective campers the idea of what we do and what they people happy in their work"... can expect to be doing if they come on a camp if we have smiley-faced photos, showing people happy in their work, staring at them from displays... or picturesque scenes of locks in water (the list goes on)... rather than just talking to them.

Perhaps a few guidelines as to what we would like are required…

Or as Martin says, "there’s no point in having loads of photos taken miles away from the main subject with no-one wearing a hard hat and everything blurred!"

[Martin wasn't actually implying that there are any WRG sites where nobody wears a hard-hat - there aren't. But Sod's Law says that you never notice until you get your prints back that at the very moment you took the photos, one person had momentarily taken their hat off to adjust it... result: one unusable photo! ...Ed] Firstly, subject matter. Fairly obviously things to do with Canal Camps are very much needed. In particular, accommodation ones – keep it clean tho’ please! – we never seem to have enough cooks piccies to choose from! Then there’s the even more obvious site ones – as filthy as you like... well, some of them are bound ...also "picturesque scenes of locks in- to be when all that mud’s in- ...and site photos "as volved! filthy as you like..." water"...

page 8

Teamwork is something that doesn’t always get shown in photos and is a very important part of camps/digs. And of course they don’t have to be taken on an actual camp, they may have been taken on a weekend dig somewhere. Other things we’re on the lookout for are face/head & shoulders shots on site, vans and trailers (OK so there’s a 50% reduction in your chances of snapping one of those at present!!!), and canal details such as mileposts.

The best photos for our purposes have a good contrast of light and dark (for the black and white inside pages) or are very colourful (for the cover) – the red t-shirt shot is always a winner - see front cover of this years brochure!

Different views and angles are always wel- ...accommodation come too, even shots taken on the diago- photos - is this what nal! Maybe if you have a digital camera you Jen means by can afford to take several different versions "keep it clean"?... of the same shot. As you may notice (it’s hard not to!), whilst idly thumbing through your copy of the camps brochure, there’s a bit of a diamond theme running throughout.

You need only ask Martin for the hassle factor us designers add by "having an idea"... try cropping photos to fit! Basically any shape that a photo will fit will do – it could be stars, triangles or hexagons next year! Is Mr Editor quaking at the thought of that? [I'm a duck, I'm a duck! Quack quack quack quaaaaaaack!!! Oh, sorry, did you say ...and remember Jen might 'quaking'? ...Ed] want to crop photos to a square, a diamond or even Panoramic shots are another format I’d like to use more of so all of you with APS cameras get 'em out... please! a hexagon...

The main thing is that we have a HUGE selection of jolly/ interesting (or just jolly interesting!) photos to pick and choose from and not have to put one in because there was ‘no other option’ or ‘all we had left’! So if you’re a budding David Bailey get your finger out... and put it on your camera trigger.

Get snap-happy this year and send me some lovely pictures, or just root out last year's or even ones prior to that if you think they’re cool! And I promise I will get them back to you quickly as long as you make sure I get your address.

You can send them to me c/o IWA Head Office, e-mail (quite small though please just for an idea ...or whatever other shape takes of what they look like. My her fancy next year... computer cannae’ take much more, Cap'n!) to logistics@wrg.org.uk or CD-rom if you’re feeling flash(!), or even just let me know you have some and bring them to show me at a camp or weekend somewhere!

YOUR PHOTO COULD BE HERE!

Please make the effort... I know there are some smashing phoAll photos accompanying this article tos out there! are by the editor - except the dodgy one of MKP in the showers which was SMILE! 'Just Jen' Leigh taken by Alan 'the pervert' Lines.

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NorthWest WRG NorthWest celebrate their first quarter-century...

WRG NorthWest recently celebrated their Silver Jubilee: their first 'paper chase' wastepaper collection of 2002 was followed by a party at North Cheshire Cruising Club, then on the following day by a bus tour of some of the restoration projects in the area. The following report is taken from North West News...

The main event was THE PARTY. The transformation of the club-room by white tablecloths and gold trim was something to behold and, after enjoying our meal, we settled back to listen to some songs of the 60s, well rendered by The Belmonts.

As the evening wore on, the band stepped up a gear or two and the lubricants (various wines and specially-imported real ales) took effect, the dance-floor became surprisingly well populated.

With the sound of the final Chuck Berry rocker dying in our ears, the room was quickly tidied, sleeping bags appeared, and soon the world was Z-shaped. They say that “nostalgia ain’t what it used to be” but the sonorous resonance originating from below stairs reminded many of “Sleepless in Stratford” - and most other places we visited in the 70s!

The 25 th Anniversary was a great weekend, starting with what must be the fastest paperchase on record. With 3 vehicles and nearly 30 volunteers, it was finished by 11.45 - before the chippie even opened. Saturday evening revealed unexpected cracks in the woodwork, allowing out some faces we hadn’t seen for a very long time.

Very enjoyable, if occasionally embarassing when one didn’t recognise a guy with whom one had shared the back of a Land Rover on Mont trips in pre-Transit days.

Various old and not-quite-so-old faces seen at the WRG North West 25th birthday party. (And can you guess what Mr Mac's trying to sell?) All three photos by David Kitching, who took some even more dodgy ones that might or might not be available for a suitable fee, payable in fermented malt beverages...

page 10

Sunday brought Mr. Mac’s bus trip, starring not one, but two, vintage buses. Our route took in the re-opened Huddersfield Narrow at Stalybridge and Uppermill, with glimpses of other locations between, and then progressed to the Rochdale, starting at the A627(M) roundabout where a long culvert (England’s newest canal tunnel?) is being inserted, returning to our starting point via the M60 crossing at Chadderton, the Failsworth Co-op site, the Newton Heath shallowed section and Dale Street.

Thank you to: Mr. Mac

- for having the idea and that of the bus trip.

Liz

- for organising and administering almost everything.

Malcolm

- for arranging the band, getting in the booze and planning the bus route.

Jim (1)

- for helping Liz and Malcolm

Tess & Co

- for cooking breakfast.

Brian

- for fixing things at the NCCC end, helping prepare the room, etc, etc.

Hazel & Jill

- for preparing the food.

Barry, Keith & Noel

- for staffing the bar

David, Dennis & George - owners/drivers of the buses.

Jim (2)

- for general assistance at NCCC.

Lots of you

- for washing & tidying up.

Highlights of the Sunday bus-tour: the recentlyreopened Huddersfield Narrow Canal at Stalybridge (top) and between Uppermill and Diggle (above); the soon-to-be-reopened Rochdale Canal at Dale Street Basin, central Manchester (below left) and at the site of the nowdemolished Co-op store that had been built on the line of the filled-in canal in Failsworth (below) Photos by Martin Ludgate.

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Cromford A 'new' restoration scheme in the East MIdlands Restoration: the Cromford Canal So why did the Editor put quotation marks around the word 'new' in the title above? Well, it's because the idea of restoring the Cromford Canal in Derbyshire (and a little bit of Nottinghamshire too!) isn't that new at all: two lengths of it have already been restored. But now it looks like there's a chance of the two restored sections being re-connected as part of a complete restoration of the 14½ mile main line of the canal.

Opened in 1794, the Cromford Canal ran from Langley Mill to Cromford, and formed part of a local network of waterways that connected it to Nottingham, Derby and the Trent. It was a heavily-engineered canal, with 14 locks, two aqueducts and no fewer than four tunnels (including the 3000-yard Butterley Tunnel) in its relatively short route.

It prospered for the first half of the 19th century, carrying mainly coal, before selling out to the Midland Railway Company in 1852, following which traffic declined. By the time the canal was abandoned by the LMS Railway Act of 1944 (incidentally the same Act that closed the Montgomery Canal) trade on the canal had more-or-less ended, and Butterley Tunnel was impassible.

By the early 1960s the rest of the Cromford Canal had closed, along with the Derby, Nottingham and Nutbrook canals - and the surviving Erewash Canal was threatened with closure.

Following a successful campaign to retain the Erewash Canal, the Erewash Canal Preservation and Development Association (ECPDA) restored the first lock and short length of the Cromford Canal including the Great Northern Basin at Langley Mill, to form a northern terminus for the Erewash: this opened in 1974.

page 12

Meanwhile a second restoration scheme was under way at the other end of the canal: support by the local IWA, the Inland Waterways Protection Society (better known for their work at Bugsworth Basin) and later the Cromford Canal Society, the length of canal from Cromford via the Derwent Aqueduct and Gregory Tunnel to Whatstandwell was restored and a horse-drawn trip-boat began operating on this section in 1977.

Unfortunately problems at both ends of the canal prevented further progress: at the southern end the obstruction of part of the canal by opencast mining, conversion of some of the locks into a flood-relief scheme and the construction of Langley Mill Bypass with no provision for navigation prevented extension beyond the first half-mile at Langley Mill; progress on the northern length ground to a halt with the breakup of the Cromford Canal Society.

ECPDA has now formed a new group - the Friends of the Cromford Canal - with the aim of restoring the 'missing link' length from Langley Mill to Whatstandwell, and are appealing for support for their proposals; physical support eventually: they envisage that much of the work will be done by volunteers.

Cromford Canal

Key

and connections Cromford Derwent Aqueduct

Amber Aqueduct

Whatstandwell Gregory Tunnel Hag Tunnel

Butterley Tunnel

Cromford Canal

Nutbrook Canal

Nottingham Canal

River NOTTINGHAM Trent

Derby Canal

Grantham Canal

Trent & Mersey Canal Upper Trent (formerly navigable to Burton)

N

Langley Mill

Buckland Erewash Hollow Canal Tunnel

DERBY

River (navigable) River (disused) Canal (open) Canal (to be restored) Canal (closed)

R. Derwent (formerly navigable to Derby)

Old route of Trent Navigation

River Soar

So what has the Cromford Canal restoration got going for it? Is it a realistic and worthwhile prospect for restoration? You won't be surprised that in the author's view the answer is 'yes' - but here are the pros and cons...

And apparently even the open-cast mining might be turned to the canal's advantage - a current opencast site could provide a hole for spoil from re-excavation of the canal to be tipped into.

The 'not-so-easy' bits:

The benefits: The scenery: its supporters say "anyone who has seen it will realise that this canal would rival that of the Llangollen or the Kennet and Avon in popularity, and certainly for its scenic beauty".

The history: the upper part of the canal passes through the (Derbyshire) Derwent Valley, which has been made a World Heritage Site thanks to its contribution to the Industrial Revolution. It passes close to Butterley Ironworks - which built the ironwork for St Pancras Station - and Arkwright's Mill in Cromford. And it'll be convenient for the Midland Railway Centre and the Crich Tramway Museum.

The 'easy bits': The northern length: already more-or-less navigable for the first few miles south from Cromford, and no real problems.

Ths southern length: apparently also no major problems... Yes, that's right - this is the length that was blocked by opencast mines, a new road and flood relief works. But a solution to the road problem has been found (see below) and the other problems are seen as relatively minor, as the route of the canal is still available for reinstatement.

A610 Bypass

Cromford Canal

Cromford restoration: the next step New length of canal and replacement lock

Route of original canal to be bypassed

Great Northern Basin

So what next?

The first physical restoration work is likely to be at the southern end, extending northwards from Langley Mill, including crossing the Langley Mill bypass road. When this was built - as mentioned earlier, without any provision for future navigation (which wouldn't be allowed now!) - it did make full provision for a railway line. This was a short freight-only branch that linked the Midland Main Line to Moor Green Colliery; ironically the mine and the railway both closed shortly after the new road was opened, leaving the brand-new bridge unused. A short diversion from the original alignment - including a new lock - will allow the canal to use the railway bridge.

The actual start of work is some way off yet, and will depend on planning and finance, although several local authorities have expressed support, and the project has attracted the attention of British Waterways (which these days is almost universally regarded as good news - I remember when it was seen by many as the 'kiss of death' for a restoration proposal!) and The Waterways Trust.

In the meantime, a public meeting about the restoration of the Cromford Canal is scheduled for 19:30hrs on March 13th at Ironville Church Hall.

Nottingham Canal (closed)

For more information - and to offer your support to the Friends of the Cromford Canal, because they need support for the restoration to get off the grounr - contact Mike Kelley on e-mail: mike@blackrocks.demon.co.uk or phone: 01773 833425.

Martin Ludgate (with additional information from Mike Kelley and Brian Dominic)

A608 Erewash Canal

The central section: most of the other problems are in the Ambergate-Butterley length. The Amber Aqueduct (which crossed a road as well as the river) has been demolished. Other parts of the line in this area have been filled in and in some places built on. But Friends of the Cromford Canal reckon that none of these problems are insurmountable.

Disused railway to Moor Green Colliery

Langley Mill

Railway

The Tunnel: Butterley Tunnel, around 3000 yards long, fell in around 100 years ago and is in a bit of a bad way. (Then again, so were parts of Standedge...)

page 13

Logistics "...This writing business. Overrated if you ask me..."

Umty-tiddly, Umpty-too According to the last issue of Navvies, I’m supposed to be reporting on the latest logistical news... um ...

Well, as Sparky puts it, "Nothing to report. Everything’s fine."

But as Eeyore would say, "Nothing to mention. Not that it matters. Nobody minds.

Nobody cares."

And it is on that note that this article may just start (If Anybody’s Bothered. Which I Doubt): There is no news on the trailer-front. No Surprise. What’s gone is gone, whichever way you look at it.

So a new one will have to be purchased for Kit A to have a home again. But I suppose we don’t have to.

After all, we can’t all have houses (!).

I have worked out the movements [see opposite] for both the vans and kit (assuming we have any).

[There was a long silence.] Bungle said it would be better to write it at the end of the year and then there would be no changes. How Like Him! However, as with every year, the Grand Plan is subject not only to the usual causes of blunders (plague, pestilence, acts of God etc.), but also to the slightest hiccup, the ring main going, or the most blustery of days (and we’ve had just one or two of those of late!).

It should be noted, hitherto – hitherto – a long word meaning – well, you’ll see what it means directly – hitherto, as I was saying, that NJF, one of our minibi, is just getting on a bit and rumours of her demise have been wildly exaggerated (there’s life in the ol’ gal yet!). It’s just what would happen.

If there's anyone interested (not that there will be) I also have fridge freezer (thanks Stella!) movements mapped out, including all the leftovers (no change there then!) and bits that get trodden on.

Like I said, Nothing to Mention. Nothing Important. This writing business. Pens and what-not. Overrated if you ask me. Silly stuff, nothing in it.

Enjoy yourself. Some can. I myself am looking forward to boredom.

The picture says it all...

"I’m not asking anybody," said Just Jen, "I’m just telling everybody. I can do painting and engraving of kit or we can play Brick Barbecue Jenga with a sledgehammer. It’s all the same to me." But then the replaced tools won’t be allowed on their next outing and they’ll sit in the corner and sulk. Pathetic, that’s what it is. And people will still whinge and moan about things but that’s how people are.

Mobile Logistics – "Mobile is just a state of being in Transit."

Some have e-mail addresses that don’t change, and some haven’t, and there it is. Perhaps now I can be one that has. A mistake, no doubt, but still, we shall see. Only don’t blame me if I’m wrong.

...Next time (I’ll pre-empt my report this time!): Find out what you can make with a shower curtain, a piece of string and some milk bottle tops...

Oh, and maybe (just maybe) an address will be found!

page 14

Just Jen (with most humble apologies and much gratitude to A.A.Milne and E.H.Shepard) logistics@wrg.org.uk

Canal Camps 2002: van, minibus and kit schedule No Location

Start date

Finish date

Kit Van

Minibus

1

Droitwich Canals

23rd March

1st April

B

NJF

X

Training Weekend

11th May

12th May

A.B RFB.VOJ GCW.NJF

2

Grand Western Canal

22nd June

29th June

B

VOJ

NJF

3

Grand Western Canal

29th June

6th July

B

VOJ

NJF

4

Saul Junction Boat Gathering

3rd July

10th July

C

RFB

GCW

5

Droitwich Canals

6th July

13th July

B

VOJ

NJF

6

Wilts and Berks Canal

6th July

13th July

A

RFB

GCW

7

Cotswold Canals (NWPG)

13th July

20th July

8

Wilts and Berks Canal

13th July

20th July

A

RFB

GCW

9

Cotswold Canals

20th July

27th July

B

VOJ

NJF

10 Basingstoke Canal

20th July

27th July

A

RFB

GCW

11 Mon & Brec Canal

27th July

3rd August

B

VOJ

NJF

12 Basingstoke (KESCRG)

27th July

3rd August

13 Ipswich & Stowmarket

3rd August

10th August

A

RFB

GCW

14

3rd August

10th August

B

VOJ

NJF

15 Wey & Arun Canal (WACT)

3rd August

10th August

16 Sleaford Navigation

10th August

17th August

A

RFB

GCW

17

Montgomery Canal

10th August

17th August

B

VOJ

NJF

18 NWF - Huddersfield

19th August

29th August

A.B RFB.VOJ GCW.NJF

19 Grantham Canal

7th September

14th September

A

RFB

GCW

20 Lichfield & Hatherton Canals 26th October

2nd November

B

VOJ

NJF

X

Montgomery Canal

Bonfire Bash - Mon & Brec

21 New Year - Basingstoke

VOJ

NJF

GCW

2nd November 3rd November

A.B RFB.VOJ GCW.NJF

26th December 1st January

A

RFB

GCW

Note: this schedule comes with the usual disclaimers: (a) Logistics will not be held responsible for changes to the schedule due to unforseen circumstances (b) Logistics will be delighted if some people help to reduce the chances of those unforseen circumstances being allowed to arise by volunteering their services to help get the kits from one camp to the next and (c) when we say 'NJF', we hope that we really mean 'NJF's successor'!

page 15

Well known for Asda trolleys - that invade in such quantities that they have actually supported a boat some way up a lock when it was emptied there are bound to be many interesting finds around here.

Cleanup The National Canal Cleanup returns to the Walsall Canal Announcing the return of the annual BCN fishing contest...

Once again British Waterways are supporting with the usual floating and road-based hardware, supported by Birmingham Canal Navigation Society’s work-boat 'Phoenix' and, hopefully, by Dudley Canal Trust. BW will of course be supplying the usual gloves that you all appreciate.

The 2002 National Canal Clean-up: Walsall Canal, Ocker Hill, Tipton: March 16th-17th

The overnight accommodation is expected to be Malthouse Stables in Tipton: please book in advance using the form on this page. BW’s offices will be the signing on point for day volunteers: these are located in Bayleys Lane, Tipton (A to Z map ref 4B 44) and are less than ten minutes drive from junction 1 of the M5. (Nearest railway station is Dudley Port).

Well, after a year’s absence, partly due to foot & mouth (What? In Birmingham? Well, they do have feet - and mouths that speak with funny accents...) the annual BCN clean up has returned.

This time we’re going to finish off the Walsall Canal after we started, but didn’t finish, 6 years ago.

Full details of the final arrangements, the accommodation and other information can be obtained from Brenda Ward at 9 Wylde Green Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B72 1HB (0121-3556351) or by e-mail babward@lineone.net. Advance notice from volunteers would be most welcomed.

Planned to take place over the weekend 16th & 17th March centred on BW’s new(ish now) offices which we tried to dirty some years ago (obviously we didn’t try hard enough because they are going to let us loose here again) alongside the Walsall Canal. Starting from Moxley and working right through to Ryders Green; as well as just ordinary canal, we might have the odd lock pound on the Ryders Green flight to clear out as well.

And finally what has Foot and Mouth got to do with it? Well last year, by way of a change, we were going to clean-up Pant on the Montgomery Canal but we had to cancel because of Foot and Mouth. Sod's law - the only time you choose to work in the country something happens that makes you wish you’d kept to the towns.

...or "how can I win the dirtiest WRGie of the year?" contest. (Dave Dent hasn’t found an award in his cupboard for that one yet, but it’s got to be much better than baking a cake, and much more fun to judge)

waterway recovery group

Vaughan Welch

in association with BCNS and IWA

I would like to attend the 2002 National Canal Cleanup on Mar 16-17 on the Walsall Canal Forename:

Surname:

Address: e-mail: Phone:

Any special dietary requirements?

I require accommodation Friday night / Saturday night / both nights I enclose payment of £ (pay cheques to 'WRG') for food (cost is £8 for whole weekend, based on £1.50 for lunch each day, £1.50 for breakfast each day and £2 for Saturday evening meal) Do you suffer from any illness, such as epilepsy or diabetes, about which we should know, or are you receiving treatment or under medical supervision for any condition? YES / NO (If yes, please attach details) In the unlikely event that you should be injured, who should we contact?

Name:

Phone:

Signed (parent's signature also required if aged under 18): Please send this form to National Cleanup bookings, WRG, PO Box 114, Rickmansworth WD3 1ZY

page 16

IWA / WRG Stamp Bank The Stamp Bank aims to raise money for waterway restoration through finding a market for things which people normally throw away. Part of the trick is collecting together bulk – if you have enough of something, it can be worth a commercial organisation buying it – but sometimes it is a case of finding the right market.

Used postage stamps can be sold in different ways. For current UK issues, the value is only there in quantity – we can sell these by the kilo to dealers if enough are collected together. The rarer the stamp, the greater its value and overseas and older stamps are separated and sold to the trade or through philatelic organisations.

The annual target for stamps is £1,000 and this has been consistently exceeded for the past few years. Money from the sale of stamps is normally donated to the restoration of the Montgomery Canal in Wales.

Although named Stamp Bank, we collect many items, and for some time we have been asking for post cards and phone cards, as we are aware that there is a market for these. Unfortunately, so far we have been unable to find someone with the necessary knowledge to turn these into cash, other than older postcards, so the collection mounts in anticipation of finding an outlet. If anyone can help, please get in touch!

Many people think that the old trading stamps Green Shield and the like – are no longer any use, but this isn’t the case. The trading stamp companies still exist and will exchange stamps for goods – provided we can keep up with the frequent changes of address of the companies! We receive part filled books and loose stamps and put the two together to obtain items which can then be sold or used as raffle prizes to raise funds.

Vouchers which trade for items (remember 'Tiger Tokens'?) can be collected together to buy worthwhile items. Unfortunately cigarette companies can no longer put coupons in their packets, but in the past we have bought substantial raffle prizes and even items like steel tape measures and spades which can be used directly for restoration.

Just because a promotion has finished doesn’t necessarily mean the coupons are useless; if a sufficiently impressive quantity can be collected and the right person in the marketing department found, a ‘good cause’ can often receive goods suitable for selling or raffling at events. There are likewise outlets for items of bric-a-brac – North West WRG, BITM and Ipswich IWA are all expert at relieving unsuspecting punters of their cash for all manner of things on their sales stands at rallies, and donations of such items are always welcome.

Stamp bank Save your stamps and recyclables for canal restoration How many people come back from holiday with a pocket full of foreign coins and find that the travel agent will only exchange surplus notes?

Stamp Bank collects such coins, and a contact in the Chichester Canal Society is able to make the necessary exchange into something more appropriate for spending in this country. Likewise discontinued sterling coins and notes are accepted.

The main bulk item is scrap aluminium in any form – foil trays, milk bottle tops, drinks cans, ring pulls taken off steel cans, old saucepans and various assorted items discovered on restoration sites!

These are transported to York where the Pocklington Canal Amenity Society have an arrangement with a local scrapyard to handle what would normally be uneconomic quantities.

We have two new items for which we are acting as ‘post office’ – used computer print cartridges and die cast metal models.

Print cartridges can be sent to us to help the Wilts & Berks Canal; a contact with a recycling organisation can turn them into cash. Likewise, a collector/trader is offering us cash for old metal models – Dinky Toys, etc – in any condition; or even in bits! It’s time to turn out your old toy cupboard!

Please address all donations to IWA/WRG Stamp Bank, 33 Hambleton Grove, Emerson Valley, Milton Keynes MK4 2JS. Larger/heavier items can be dropped off if you are passing; alternatively, given time I can usually arrange for some devious means of transporting goods around the country – please call 01908 520090 or e-mail steve@morleytowers.org.uk. Goods can also be left in the Stamp Bank barrel at the National Waterways Festival and other events; again, check for details.

The amounts raised may not be spectacular, but there is often the need for small donations for minor projects and raffle prizes can be used to ‘unlock’ greater sums. Stamp Bank is a ‘painless’ way of assisting the waterways cause and all contributions are welcome.

Steve Morley

page 17

Canal Camps cost £35 per week unless otherwise Bookings for WRG Canal Camps (those identified camp number e.g. 'Camp 0201') should go to WRG Camps, PO Box 114, Rickmansworth WD3 1ZY. Tel: 01923 711114. Email: enquiries@wrg.org.u

Diary Feb 23/24

wrgBITM

Wendover Arm: Jungle bashing at Drayton Beauchamp. Leader: Graham Hoth

Feb 23/24

London WRG

Basingstoke Canal

Feb 23 Sat

wrgNW

‘Paper Chase’ waste paper collection

Mar 2/3

wrgNW

Lichfield Canal

Mar 2/3

Essex WRG

TBA

Mar 8 Fri

Navvies

Press date for issue 192

Mar 9/10

NWPG

Wilts & Berks Canal: : Dig Deep project, rebuilding Summit Lock, Wootton Bas

Mar 9/10

KESCRG

Basingstoke Canal: Dig Deep project, installing backpump system at St Johns

Mar 16/17

WRG/IWA

National Clean-up: Walsall Canal: Southern end - based at Ocker Hill. Organis See page 16 and please book using the booking form if you want overnight ac

Mar 16/17

London WRG

National Clean-up: Walsall Canal (see p16)

Mar 17 Sun

wrg

Committee & Board Meetings at the Malthouse Stables, Tipton

Mar 23/24

wrgBITM

Lapal Canal: Jungle bashing.

A massive clean-up along the mile-long infilled stretch from Weoley Castle to S

Mar 23 Sat

wrgNW

‘Paper Chase’ waste paper collection

Mar 23-Apr 1 Camp 0201

Droitwich Canal Camp: layinjg coping stones, rebuilding final wing-wall, backfil

Mar 29-Apr 1 WACT/Dig Deep Wey & Arun Canal Easter long weekend Apr 6/7

London WRG

Wilts & Berks Canal: Dig Deep project, rebuilding Summit Lock, Wootton Bass

Apr 6/7

wrgNW

Boat Museum, or Ribble Link: venue to be confirmed.

Apr 6/7

Essex WRG

To be arranged

Apr 13/14

NWPG

Basingstoke Canal: Dig Deep project, installing backpump system at St Johns

Apr 13/14

KESCRG

Thames & Severn Canal: Dig Deep project at Valley Lock.

Apr 20/21

wrgBITM

Wey & Arun Canal: Leader: Graham Hotham.

Apr 20/21

LHCRT

Lichfield Canal: Working party timed to coincide with LHCRT “Walk the line of t and for assistance with marshalling the walk on Sunday. Accommodation at Ma

Apr 21 Sun

wrgNW

Lichfield Canal Walk: Assist with organising Walk (Sunday only)

Apr 27/28

London WRG

Hereford & Gloucester Canal: Installation of water supply at Over Basin

Apr 27 Sat

wrgNW

‘Paper Chase’ waste paper collection

May 3/4/5/6

KESCRG

Little Venice: provide site services for London IWA's Canalway Cavalcade festi

May 4/5/6

NWPG

Wey & Arun Canal

May 4/5/6

wrgNW

Wilts & Berks Canal

May 8 Wed

Navvies

Press date for issue 193

May 11/12

WRGTrain

WRG Training weekend:venue to be announced. See p14 for details and pleas

May 11/12

Essex WRG

To be arranged

May 18/19

London WRG

To be arranged

May 18/19

KESCRG

To be arranged

May 19 Sun

wrg

Committee & Board Meetings

May 29 Wed wrgNW

page 18

Possible help with Pennine Link Festival

e stated. by a G Canal

Please send updates to Diary compiler: Dave Wedd, 7 Ringwood Rd, Blackwater, Camberley, Surrey GU17 0EY. Tel 01252 874437. e-mail: Dave.Wedd@wrgBITM.org.uk.

uk am.

Dave Wedd

01252-874437

bookings@wrgBITM.org.uk

Tim Lewis

020-8367-6227

wrgtim@netscapeonline.co.uk

David McCarthy

0161-740-2179

David McCarthy

0161-740-2179

malcolm.bridge@btclick.com

John Gale

01277-654683

EssexWRG@cs.com

Martin Ludgate

020-8693-3266

editor@navvies.demon.co.uk

sett

Graham Hawkes

0118-941-0586

grahamhawkes@btinternet.com

.

Answerphone

01622-858329

Kescrg@btinternet.com

ed by BCNS and IWA with the help of BW, Coombeswood Canal Trust, Longwood Boat Club and WRG. ccommodation.

Brenda Ward 0121-355-6351 babward@lineone.net Tim Lewis

020-8367-6227

babward@lineone.net

Mike Palmer

01564 785293

mike.palmer@bbc.co.uk

01252-874437

bookings@wrgBITM.org.uk

Dave Wedd Selly Oak. Leader: Alec Gunner.

David McCarthy

0161-740-2179

ling, landscaping and general finishing-off at Hanbury Locks. Cost: ÂŁ45 for 9-day camp.

ett

.

Bill Nicholson

01844 343369

billnicholson@lineone.net

Tim Lewis

020-8367-6227

wrgtim@netscapeonline.co.uk

David McCarthy

0161-740-2179

malcolm.bridge@btclick.com

John Gale

01277-654683

EssexWRG@cs.com

Graham Hawkes

0118-941-0586

grahamhawkes@btinternet.com

Answerphone

01622-858329

Kescrg@btinternet.com

Dave Wedd

01252-874437

bookings@wrgBITM.org.uk

the canal� guided walk. WRG volunteers requested for site-work including bricklaying at Tamworth Road site artin Heath Hall.

John & Jan Horton 01543-262466 j.horton@horton100.freeserve.co.uk

val

se book early!

David McCarthy

0161-740-2179

malcolm.bridge@btclick.com

Tim Lewis

020-8367-6227

wrgtim@netscapeonline.co.uk

David McCarthy

0161-740-2179

Answerphone

01622-858329

Kescrg@btinternet.com

Graham Hawkes

0118-941-0586

grahamhawkes@btinternet.com

David McCarthy

0161-740-2179

malcolm.bridge@btclick.com

Martin Ludgate

020-8693-3266

editor@navvies.demon.co.uk

Ali Bottomley

0191 261 5913

John Gale

01277-654683

EssexWRG@cs.com

Tim Lewis

020-8367-6227

wrgtim@netscapeonline.co.uk

Answerphone

01622-858329

Kescrg@btinternet.com

David McCarthy

0161-740-2179

malcolm.bridge@btclick.com

page 19

Diary Canal society regular working parties

Mobile groups' social evenings (please phone to confirm before turning up) London WRG: 7:30pm on Tues 11 days before each dig. 'Jugged Hare', Vauxhall Bridge Rd, London, Tim Lewis 020-8367 6227 or e-mail wrgtim@netscapeonline.co.uk.

NWPG: 9:00pm on 3rd Tue of month at the 'Hope Tap', West end of Friar St. Reading.

Graham Hawkes 0118 941 0586

Regular monthly or weekly working parties: 3rd Sunday of month BCNS Jeff Barley 2nd Sunday & following Wed. BCS Cosgrove Athina Beckett Anytime inc. weekdays BCT Aqueduct section Gerald Fry Every Sunday ChCT Various sites Mick Hodgetts Mon & Wed mornings CCT Cotswolds Dudley Greenslade Every weekend (Sat OR Sun)CCT Cotswolds Neil Ritchie 1st Sunday of month CCT Cotswolds: summit Mark Welton Wednesday evenings CCT Cotswolds: East end Keith Harding 4th Mon of month, 6pm CMT London Canal Mus. Martin Sach Every Saturday DCT Droitwich Canal Jon Axe Second Sun of month FIPT Foxton Inclined Plane Mike Beech 1st & 3rd Sundays GCRS Grantham Canal Colin Bryan 2nd Sat of month GWCT Nynehead Lift Denis Dodd Tuesdays H&GCT Oxenhall Brian Fox Wednesdays H&GCT Over Ted Beagles Saturdays H&GCT Over Maggie Jones Sundays H&GCT Over Paul Brown Every Sunday if required IWPS Bugsworth Basin Ian Edgar 1st Saturday & 3rd Wed. IWA Ipswich Stowmarket Navigtn. Colin Turner 2nd weekend of month IWA SBC Maesbury, Mont.

Barry Tuffin 2nd weekend of month K&ACT John Rolls 1st Sunday of month LHCRT Lichfield John Horton 3rd Sunday of month LHCRT Hatherton Denis Cooper 2nd & last Sundays PCAS Paul Waddington 2nd Sunday of month SCARS Sankey Canal Colin Greenall 1st Sunday of month SCCS Combe Hay Locks Bob Parnell Most weekends SHCS Basingstoke Peter Redway 3rd Sunday of month TMCA David Rouse Approx 15th of month WACT Mid-Week group Colin Gibbs Every Sunday & Thursday WACT Devils Hole Lock Eric Walker Thursdays fortnightly WACT Maintenance Unit Peter Wilding or for general information on Wey & Arun contact their office on 01403-752403 1st weekend of month WAT Little Tring Roger Leishman Every weekend WBCT Wilts & Berks Canal Peter Smith Every Sunday W&BCC Dauntsey / Foxham Rachael Banyard

01543-373284 01908-661217 01288-353273 01246-620695 01453 825515 01452-854057 01453-872405 01451-860181 020-7625-7376 0121-608 0296 0116-279-2657 0115-989-2248 01823-661653 01432-358628 01452-522648 01452-618010 01386-443826 01663-732493 01473-730586 01691-670826/49 01189-666316 01543 262466 01543-374370 01757-638027 01744-731746 01225-428055 01483-721710 01474-362861 020-82417736 023-9246-3025 01483-422519 01442-874536 01793-852883 01249-892289

Please send any amendments, additions and deletions to Dave Wedd (address on previous page)

Abbreviations used in Diary BCG BCNS BCS BCT ChCT CCT CMT DCT FIPT D&SCS GCRS GWCT H&GCT IWA SBC

page 20

Barnsley Canal Group Birmingham Canal Navigations Soc. Buckingham Canal Society Bude Canal Trust Chesterfield Canal Trust Cotswolds Canals Trust Canal Museum Trust (London) Droitwich Canals Trust Foxton Inclined Plane Trust Derby & Sandiacre Canal Society Grantham Canal Restoration Society Grand Western Canal Trust Hereford & Gloucester Canal Trust IWA Shrewsbury & Border Counties

IWPS K&ACT KESCRG LHCRT LWRG NWPG PCAS SCARS SCCS SHCS TMCA WBCT W&BCC WACT WAT

Inland Waterways Protection Society Kennet & Avon Canal Trust Kent & E Sussex Canal Rest. Group Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Rest'n Trust London Waterway Recovery Group Newbury Working Party Group Pocklington Canal Amenity Society Sankey Canal Restoration Society Somersetshire Coal Canal Society Surrey & Hants Canal Society Thames & Medway Canal Association Wilts & Berks Canal Trust Wilts & Berks Canal Company Wey & Arun Canal Trust Wendover Arm Trust

Dear Martin Anderton Lift Feature I didn’t expect to have to write to 'Navvies' about such a subject, but we expect to read the ‘true’ stories of restoration campaigns in your pages; not those derived from the ‘edited’ versions that those latterly ‘officially involved’ in schemes seem to think that it is to their advantage to put about.

Letters The ups and downs of boat lifts...

The campaign for the reopening of the Anderton Lift did not start with the formation of the Anderton Boat Lift Development Group but was launched by the Trent & Mersey Canal Society: Almost immediately on the Lift’s closure, after we were ‘tipped off’ about the extent of the problem by the then local BW engineers.

I’m sure that some of your readers will recall the rallies at Anderton, public meetings in Northwich and the national petition – presented to the Prime Minister at No.10: all of which were organised by the society and supported by WRG activists, IWA and waterway society members at the time.

Best wishes Harry Arnold Without wanting to 'have a go' at Spencer Greystrong for what I thought was a very good article about Anderton - and I'm not blaming him at all if he used what turned out to be sources of incomplete information (in fact I should have spotted the omissions myself!) - I do agree very much with what Harry says. You may recall me complaining in the past about press releases and publicity material that concentrate on crediting the major players in the latter stages of restoration schemes when the big, high-profile engineering projects take place, sometimes to the complete exclusion of the earlier, less glamorous, volunteer phase - without which very few restorations have ever got started at all. With our improving relationship with BW, local authorities, TWT, EA and the other official bodies in recent years, I had thought that this was becoming a thing of the past. Let's hope that in all the publicity accompanying the four major (re)openings planned on Britain's canals this year, the contribution of the volunteer sector particularly in the early days - is neither deliberately nor inadvertently ignored. ...the Editor Dear Martin Further to the excellent article in Navvies 190, may I add the following.

The Somersetshire Coal Canal Society website gives more information on Robert Weldon’s Caisson Lock: http://rtjhomepages.users.btopenworld.com There was another attempt to construct a boat lift with the Fussells Balance Lock on the Dorset & Somerset Canal. A drawing may be seen on the Dorset & Somerset Canal website which may be accessed via the links from the above site.

This concept was developed by James Green and used on the Grand Western Canal at Nynehead, Somerset, the remains of which have been conserved and interpreted by the Grand Western Canal Trust.

Derrick Hunt Still on the subject of boat lifts, I'm afraid there's bad news concerning the four boat lifts still operating on the original (hydraulic) Anderton system on the Canal du Centre in Belgium, one of which appears in the photo on p6 of 'Navvies' 190. Unfortunately in January one of them suffered a major mishap - possibly the first since the lifts began operating - when a caisson began to rise with a barge in it, without the guillotine gates having been closed. This resulted in serious damage to both the boat and the caisson (see http://users.skynet.be/sky34301/lift_accident.htm for photos); the lift will be out of action at least for some months, and doubts have been expressed concerning whether it will ever reopen - given that the new lift under construction nearby that will replace all four of the old lifts (as part of a scheme to enlarge the canal to 1300-tonne size) is finally nearing completion. ...Ed

page 21

Dear Martin After being asked in ‘Navvies’ 190 to renew my 33rd Armchair subscription I came very close to tearing the orange slip up and binning a large quantity of waste paper. My bookshelves could usefully reclaim the space taken up by 120 ‘Navvies’ as I have spent most of my Post-Christmas break making up new shelving for the ever increasing piles of books.

What is it about Inland Waterways that seems to have been a problem right from the formation of the IWA and almost every other organisation related to it? I am probably as guilty as anyone in that I fell out with the IWA - at about the time I joined WRG - over its policy on Branch newsletters, preferring to put my subscriptions to a better use in terms of assisting waterways, but the continuing sniping which comes over in Navvies these days does nothing to forward that ideal.

Without any Armchair Subscribers the ‘Few’ would have to spend more time raising funds and less time doing what they do best, (and I don’t mean moaning!) My back is complaining now from assembling bookshelves and I would not be a lot of use on a building site at present. That is not to say that I will never set foot on a working party as I am aware of the variety of tasks tackled. (I do read 'Navvies' from the comfort of my Armchair after all) There must be as many varied reasons for not taking an active part in Restoration of Canals as there are people who do, but that does not make the couch potatoes any less important. Neither are they mutually exclusive. If WRG does not want my subscription I am sure there are other additional Waterway Societies which would be pleased to have my money. (I can think of two immediately as I had their literature stuffed into my hand at a meeting just before Christmas.)

Keep Navvies Black and White (unless sponsored). Use the subscriptions for what they are intended and resist the temptation to knock the less active subscribers. Keep the foul language where it belongs (which is not in ‘Navvies’) and try to maintain a sense of humour.

Mike Constable.

Dear Martin May suggest a cheap and effective two-colour process to solve your printing problems?

With the next edition of 'Navvies', you send every subscriber a cheap pack of felt tip pens. They then follow these instructions: 1. Use the red pen to colour in any vehicles or tee shirts.

2. Use the brown pen to colour in everything else.

3. Donate the rest of the pens to their local primary school.

'Navvies' in colour and great PR into the bargain. Brilliant!

Jon Sims Dear Martin As and armchair navvy who attended the Basingstoke Bash after a 10-year absence from sites, I was glkad to observe the continuity of behaviour inasmuch as Rhys Jones ended up in the canal just as he did at Maesbury on the Mont (accompanied, as I recall, by a 'girlie' on that occasion) in 1990.

Not wishing to 'add fuel to the fire' I won't comment on his letter in 'Navvies' 190, save to say that his was the first greeting I received on my reappearance in the ranks.

(And did I ever pay him back the fiver that I borrowed at Diggle?)

Yours.

Mike Adamson

page 22

Dear Martin Having read 'Navvies' since it was 'Navvies Notebook' I don’t think you need to use colour – the contents are sufficient on their own.

Navvies always was (or were?) incestuous and I don’t think it matters if I do not know the in-jokes and who people are as long as the overall content is interesting. My need is to know what is going on as well as being interested in how it is being done even if I no longer work. Please continue supplying that need with humour and facts.

If you want a story about a hovel... [...then you'll have to turn to page 30 - I've snipped out David's story and added it to the selection that I've received so far. ...Ed] You also refer to 'rust-buckets'. I was occasionally allowed to drive the first London WRG so-called 'vehicle'. I was happily driving down the M1, in the dark, in fairly heavy traffic with a load of people and equipment and was in the middle of the junction with the M10 when all the van lights went out!!

Best wishes David Gibson Dear Martin, Most of the minutes of our local canal group (the Wilts. and Berks.) are already sent as e-mails. Why not offer the distribution of Navvies via email as a PDF file for those who want it? That way people could have it in colour and the distribution costs would be less.

If the website version was delayed by a month (I know it is delayed at present but I don’t know how long for) then people would still be keen to pay their subs and get the 'in' news early.

Just a thought.

George ‘Bungle’ Eycott Dear Martin, After reading the letters from David B. Martin and Christine Johnstone (Navvies 190) Id like to make a suggestion. You asked for any thoughts, and here are mine...

Why not organise one or two ‘de luxe’ camps (at ‘de luxe’ prices) for the next Canal Camps season (i.e. 2003) to see if it will be supported by enough volunteers?

For myself, I must say that I don’t have any problems with the more basic accommodation. It’s normally just for one week - and after that I can enjoy my own bed much more!

Yours sincerely Bernd Schimansky Dear Martin I was quite excited to see I had not only been made plural in No 189 (Basingstoke Canal Camp report) but also Americanised. I am in fact Canadian but we still spell our name the correct way, don't we George... sorry... Jorg? I live in the Czech Republic and have recently discovered a canal (very short) there. I don't know whether it needs restoring...

But my point is that for those who live far away it would be nice to have maps and plans of the canals, which would tell us far more about the canal than the grainy almost indecipherable photos that you insist on reproducing.

Yours, Geoff (with a 'G') WIlliam (without an 's')

page 23

Dear Martin, As a recent recruit to WRG I am prompted to write in response to two letters in 'Navvies' 190.

Although an OAP living a long way away from canals, I am interested in all aspects of them: the history, the future and restoration.

Regarding the format of 'Navvies', I feel that everyone involved does a fantastic job within the budget available. It is informative, hilarious, and does what it is designed for. Colour, whilst attractive, would consume funds better spent on working parties. As you say, most people pay more than the minimum subs but are happy with the format. I would suggest that those pressing for colour either get sponsors or contribute the extra funds themselves.

Regarding working party accommodation: I am a gardening contractor and thus have all the chainsaws, brushcutters, long loppers etc and would love to get stuck in to some scrub-bashing, but being a light sleeper, allergic to alcohol, and too old to sleep on the floor, I just read about it in 'Navvies'! Decent accommodation however (which I would pay for) might tempt me...

Keep up the good work.

Derek Horsnell Some comments from the Editor on the points raised above and on the preceding two pages...

I hope that I have never implied that we don't value 'armchair' supporters: although 'Navvies' is and always has been primarily aimed at the active volunteer (and we are less likely to change the magazine's content or style on the basis of threats to cancel their subscriptions by non-participants in volunteer work) that doesn't mean we don't appreciate the input or listen to the views of those who don't or can't get involved in the physical restoration work. And I think Steve Pitt's comment last time about Armchair Supporters was intended to be tongue-in-cheek, given that he is something of an armchair (or editorial chair?) supporter himself; apologies if that wasn't clear from his letter. Our chairman Mike Palmer certainly appreciates their contributions to our funds: as he said a few issues back "While it may be the gift oif thousands of pounds that buys the pump, it's the 'Navvies' subs that puts the fuel in it. So for all those who have added a little extra in the envelope each year, my sincere thanks - and please do understand that you have played a very real part in every success that you read about in 'Navvies'."

On the subject of Canal Camps accommodation: from the letters received recently it does appear that the idea of a 'luxury camp' - with a better standard of accommodation at a higher price - might be a goer.

Assuming, of course, that we can find such accommodation. Any suggestions? Any more people out there who'd pay a higher rate for a week's canal restoration work with real beds to sleep in at night?

'Navvies' in colour? The consensus (or the nearest thing we are likely to get to a consensus) seems to be that in general, the content is more important than the appearance - it's not possible to justify the extra cost of colour printing, when there are so many other important things that we could spend the money on - unless somebody comes up with some sponsorship specifically for colour printing of some pages of 'Navvies'. Speaking of which - we have had one kind offer to sponsor one issue per year: we feel that the autumn issue is probably the best one, as it contains most of the reports from Canal Camps and other summer events and would be likely to benefit most from a colour section.

One way to get colour at no extra cost - and actually save us money - might be to do what 'Bungle' suggests and get 'Navvies' (with most photos in colour) as a PDF file (typical size about 1.5 - 2MB) by e-mail.

If you would be interested in receiving your 'Navvies' as PDF instead of by post, please e-mail the editor.

As far as the quality of the black and white photos is concerned, I think Geoff's description of 'almost indecipherable' is a little harsh in some cases, but I do realise that many of them aren't what you'd call top class, and again this is mainly a result of our low-budget printing process. I also take the point about maps for people who aren't familiar with the canals - I feel exactly the same when I read articles in other mags. I have included some maps in this issue, and as I am gradually building up a set of such maps of most of the canals we work on, it should be easier to include more of these in future. But what do the rest of you think - would you rather I ditched most of the photos, and used the space for more maps and more text? And remember that whereas most of the Camp Reports I receive come with some photos taken by the campers, I have to draw (or rather CorelDraw) most of the maps myself! (and Geoff - howzabout a map of that canal you found in the Czech Republic???)

And finally to Jon Sims: brilliant idea! Expect to see yourself appearing as a character in an episode of 'Bankside' any time now...

Martin Ludgate

page 24

Wilts & Berks Canal Christmas Camp 22nd - 31st December. 2001 The camp went very well, and we were very satisfied with the amount of work achieved.

However, we did not get off to a very auspicious start. Brummie Ken arrived unexpectedly on Friday night, so Di rummaged through the camp food kit, and emerged with some veggie sausages, which she put on the work surface while she prepared some vegetables.

Five minutes later, she turned round, and there wasn’t a sausage in sight At the other end of the kitchen, looking like a permanent fixture, and innocence written allover her face, our dog sat in her bed, happily licking her lips...

Sorry, Ken. Ken and I started on site early on Saturday morning, and the others were directed towards us as they arrived.

Our work was divided over the camp between the two sites: up from Dauntsey Lock, and Lock 3 of Seven Locks at Tockenham.

At Dauntsey, we were hedgelaying, thinning out the hedge, and stump pulling, and some huge stumps were heaved out of the towpath.

The main problem with working on this site now is the 1-mile trek up the towpath, carrying tools, although we had the Tirfor winches already up there in our Hospitality Suite (an old caravan). We also trashed our even older caravan, which was no longer needed, with bits of it being burnt, bits recycled (aluminium), and bits that were still useful being transferred to another home.

At Seven Locks, it was too cold for bricklaying, but we got 13-14 cubic metres of concrete poured behind the first chamber wall.

It isn’t possible to get a Readymix lorry up the towpath, but we’ve acquired a very large concrete mixer, now known as ‘Jumbo’, and with the help of our regular team of local volunteers, everyone worked flat out. When the first pour had set, and the shuttering bad been yanked out, we drilled holes in the concrete and inserted re-bar to tie it to the original pour, which was now six months old.

Camps Christmas on the Wilts & Berks Canal The next task will be to lay a pipe along behind the wall to create a drain, and then the concrete mixing starts all over again.

Lynne had to work over Christmas, and she and Nick were only able to join us on Thursday evening, but we were treated to her haute cuisine for Friday and Saturday, which was much appreciated by all. Di looked after us very well for the rest of the time. On Christmas Day, we worked until lunchtime, and after a visit to the pub, we relaxed back at the cottage before Di produced a full Christmas dinner, after which we retired, round the fire, well satisfied.

We decided to go to the cinema, with the obvious choice of either ‘Harry Potter’ or ‘Lord of the Rings’. The Chippenham cinema was closed on the Monday (Christmas Eve), so we trooped off to the multiplex at Swindon: 12 screens. Five of them were showing ‘Lord of the Rings’, at staggered half-hour intervals throughout the day, but every one was full, so it was ‘Harry Potter’, which was hilarious and enjoyed by all.

We tried for the other one at Chippenham on Friday, arriving half an hour before the performance, but it was already full. We eventually managed to get in to see it on Saturday, after Di had rushed in an hour early to join the queue!

I think that those of us who were Tolkien addicts enjoyed the film more than those who were unfamiliar with all the weird goings-on.

Katy, after her initial disgrace, managed to enjoy herself, racing around getting wet and muddy every day, and collapsing in an exhausted heap on my sleeping bag each evening.

All in all, a good time was bad, and some significant progress was made on two sites on the Wilts & Berks Canal.

Rachael Banyard page 25

Camps New Year on the Basingstoke Canal...

Each day started must the same with the cries of "BREAKFAST" at 7.30am, to which we dragged ourselves out of bed half-asleep, and joined the line of WRGies to see what delectable delights awaited us. Breakfast consisted of toast, sausages, bacon, eggs, tomatoes and beans - a major improvement on my student diet of oversleeping and drinking out-of-date milk. We were now prepared for the unknown....

Camp 0123: Basingstoke Canal 26 Dec - 1 Jan This year's WRG New Year Camp was held on the Basingstoke Canal. New volunteer Rachel reports...

I’ve been boating since I was 8, and felt the time was right to put something back: I therefore joined the Waterway Recovery Group - but nothing prepared me for what awaited me...

Ratter than spend New Year with friends and family, my friend Katie and myself thought the perfect way to spend the festive season was injuring ourselves on holly with a bunch of perfect strangers. Instead of sitting at home relaxing, eating and drinking in a nice warm house, we spent 6 days cooped up in a church hall. My apologies to all whom had to suffer my snoring and the echoes of my duet with Martin of 'American Pie', plus my talks with Katie at 1am...

page 26

Just to make things more interesting, some of the 'scrub' needing 'bashing' was underwater (above), and some of the trees showed a certain reluctant to fall down (below). Photos by Alan Lines

Having dragged on our work clothes (4+ layers, gloves) and located some hard hats, we piled into the minibus, which Dr Steve drove very capably to the site. Our mission for the day was to cut down as many trees as possible and BURN them!!!!! Not exactly, the plan was to scrub-bash, somewhere along the Basingstoke canal. This involved clearing brambles, holly and cutting down SMALL trees (got that, Lois?). This was very entertaining: I never expected tree cutting could be such fun! Who said mindless destruction wasn’t enjoyable?

Lois and I did however have a battle royal (successful) with one particular tree: Alan has the photos to prove this. We were well fed and watered during the day by Karen and her team (who did a great job) with soup, sandwiches, cakes, crisps and fruit all available.

Thoroughly cream-crackered having discovered muscles I didn’t know I had, we headed back to the hall and promptly collapsed on our beds. After and ‘invigorating’ shower, we were ready for dinner. This was another enjoyable meal (I don’t even get fed this well at home!). Katie and I put on the war-paint and partook of a little ‘light refreshment’ at the local inn, in company with the rest of the group. This was the perfect opportunity to relax and get to know those we had been working with during the day. Last orders rang through our ears too soon and we trooped back.

A few of us stayed up for a ‘night-cap’; Katie and I apologise for our lack of volume control on the first night (think we made a good impression).

Camps "...to cut down as many trees aspossibleandBURNthem!!!!"

Katie and I would like to thank: Clive and family for organising the camp and looking after us, Marshmallow Man (you know who you are) and Chris for the endless talks, bloke-if-I-could-remember-yourname-maybe-Dave, for the trousers, Richard and Timmy for sheer muscle, Mim and Lois for being mad enough to make this their first camp as well, Brian for the home-brew, Alan for the photos, Martin for 'American pie', Alice for shopping centre fun, Dr Liz and Ian for roping us into other camps already and everyone else we’ve forgotten.

We both had a terrible time, are still receiving counselling and never coming back. Only joking - have been to a weekend camp already.

So sorry - you're not going to get rid of us that easily!!

Rachael and Katie

New years eve was surprisingly different! We started ‘light refreshments’ earlier and finished later. The New Year's Eve party was fancy dress, on a 'Harry Potter' theme. We donned our costumes, and by some magic I won in tandem with Alice, my dog. My creative skills are now in demand nation-wide (Lesley).

New Year: Rachael (left) Jenny & Dave (right) as Hagrid McGonagall & Dumbledore respectively (Martin Ludgate)

page 27

Training Three ways to improve your navvying skills...l Get trained!

As Mike Palmer says in his Chairman's Page this time: "the reward for the volunteer is looking back at a job well done. A little training makes this much easier".

So we thought we'd use a couple of pages of this issue to give you some more information about how you, the 'Navvies' reader can get some training - whether you're a Canal Camper, a volunteer with a weekend group, someone who works with a local canal society... or somebody who hasn't been out working on canals at all yet, maybe because you don't think you have any useful skills...

So here are three opportunities for training...

The WRG Training weekend: May 11th-12th - venue to be announced The annual WRG training weekend takes place over the weekend of 11th-12th May, at a venue to be announced, in the Midlands. We'll be providing instruction in all the usual areas: manual skills (eg bricklaying), machinery operation (such as dumpers and excavators), vehicles (minibuses, vans and trailers), plus surveying / levelling, First Aid, and hopefully some more theoretical subjects too.

But rather than give you a long list of subjects that you can choose from, we're asking you to get in touch with us and tell us what you want to be trained on - because (a) exactly what we can train you on depends on which site we end up using and (b) it also depends on what you want to learn!

Training in surveying and levelling available at the WRG Training Weekend... (Martin Ludgate)

page 28

So please contact Ali Bottomley at 27, Claremont Road, Spital Tongues, Newcastle upon Tyne. NE2 4AN, or phone: 0191 261 5913.

And please don't delay: there is a lot of organisation goes into the WRG training weekend, and the sooner we know how many people want training and what they want to learn, the easier it is for us to plan the weekend so that everyone gets what they want out of it. So get in touch with Ali now!

The IWA Training Award The Inland Waterways Association Training Award was set up in 2001 to assist with the cost of training in skills associated with inland waterway restoration.

Since the early years, restoration projects have gradually become more and more complex, requiring volunteers to operate large machinery, conduct extensive surveys and deal with increasingly demanding legislation, all to the very highest standards. The IWA Training Award reflects this change and aims to promote a more skilled workforce.

The criteria for the award are set deliberately wide, and encourage applications from individuals as well as canal societies who may wish to organise training for a group of volunteers.

Although there is a list of ‘preferred areas’ (see guidance notes), applications will be accepted for any area of training.

The Award is presented as a bi-annual prize of up to £750. Applications are welcome throughout the year, with deadlines for each award being 31st March and 30th September

Other courses cover environmental aspects of waterway conservation, including hedgelaying, towpath management and control of nuisance species.

All courses run for either one or two days and each provides participants with a good level of ‘basic training’. A key aim of each course is to raise awareness of sustainability issues, in particular the need to balance contemporary uses with natural and built heritage values.

Of particular interest to 'Navvies' readers, BW will also be inviting waterway volunteers and others to a one day course, which will give an introduction to waterway maintenance with regard to the built and natural environment. This will provide WRG volunteers and others interested in waterways with an insight into key areas such as vegetation management, use of lime mortars, and pollution prevention. BW hope to hold this course in March (exact date to be finalised) and to provide it free of charge.

Most courses offered are being accredited by City & Guilds and participants on these will receive a ‘City & Guilds British Waterways Heritage Skills scheme’ attendance certificate.

The full list of heritage skills courses is as follows. Non-BW people are welcome on all courses, but those marked ( ) are also being offered specifically for non-BW people:

*

Basic masonry repairs ( ) (2 days)

*

Dry stone walling (2-4 days)

Any award will be granted to either the restoration group or individual concerned upon proof of expenditure (i.e. copies of receipts, invoices).

Historic metalwork ( ) (2 days)

For an application form and accompanying guidance notes, please contact IWA Head Office, PO Box 114, Rickmansworth WD3 1ZY or e-mail ian.wingfield@waterways.org.uk

Heritage and engineering (1 day)

*

Cleaning and surface treatments ( ) (1 day)

*

Brick repairs and repointing ( ) (2 days)

*

Lime mortars ( ) (2 days)

*

Rural carpentry ( ) (2 days)

*

British Waterways Heritage Skills Centre

Supervising conservation projects (1 day)

The British Waterways Heritage Skills Centre in the former Grand Union maintenance yard at Hatton Yard near Warwick offers practical and theoretical courses covering all elements of waterway heritage conservation. All courses are open to the public and the centre welcomes members of waterway groups and societies including WRG.

Basic masonry refresher (1 day)

The Heritage Skills Centre’s courses concentrate on applied, ‘hands on’ training and include working stone, mixing and applying mortars, mending broken ironwork and repairing historic carpentry.

For further details of British Waterways courses and dates, and for details of the Environmental courses also run at Hatton, please contact Karen Slatcher on 01788 566003 or e-mail karen.slatcher@britishwaterways.co.uk.

Introduction to archaeology (1 day) Historic conservation (½ day) Advanced masonry (1 day) Painting historic structures (1 day)

page 29

...and a memory from rather longer ago, thanks to John Dodwell...

"Best Described As BASIC" Regular readers of the Canal Camps booklet will recall that for many years the section on 'Accommodation' included the following words: "The standard of accommodation is best described as basic" The same regular readers may or may not have noticed that these words have been absent from the booklet for the last few years - mainly because (despite the fact that it still isn't exactly luxurious - see the letters pages for discussion on this subject) there are some rather better ways of describing most WRG accommodation nowadays.

But at the same time as we look forward to further improvements in the standard of accommodation in future, we thought we might ask 'Navvies' readers to take a look backward to when WRGies used to kip in the sort of dump that really was 'best described as basic'.

"One of my memories is kipping down on the wooden floor in the hold of narrowboat 'Laurel', an unconverted Josher working boat in 1965 near Windmill End on the BCN. Of course, I hadn’t heard of airbags or collapsible beds and I can tell you that those boards were very hard, even through a sleeping bag. This was after we’d cooked on primus stoves to get our supper. I recall that it was a cold January night but we were that chuffed at being on a real boat that all the hardships seemed worth while.

How did we come to get such accommodation? We were restoring the Stourbridge Sixteen Locks. Normally we stayed overnight in the homes of local enthusiasts. But on this occasion my brother Tim brought too many people up from London and so we had to find this basic accommodation.

By the way,Alan Smith ,who owned LAUREL then and still does, reckons the bilge smell he has to endure originated from that bad egg we dropped at Sunday breakfast!" ...and from David Gibson...

"I can remember a night at H********n Village Hall with Graham Palmer and Mr 'utchings. I had imbibed rather too well and spent most of the night in the toilet, which was next to the front door facing the village green.

I was dying happily and minding my own business when the police burst in and demanded to know if I was in charge and proceeded to interview me about what we were doing (mixed sleeping in the early seventies!). Apparently a neighbour had called the police because I had been exposing myself due to the lack of curtains. I eventually persuaded them to leave me in peace and they walked round the main hall falling over bodies.

Luckily we never did find out who had called them..."

Keep the stories coming in, please!

Starting with the following reminiscences from Jon Sims...

"When you asked for nominations for the worst ever accommodation on canal camps the old bakery at St Johns on the Basingstoke sprang immediately to mind.

But then you went and nominated it yourself. We took one look and decided it was worth the drive back to our old favourite, Victoria Hall at Ash. This had a magnificently over engineered clock in the tower which worked itself up to a frenzy before striking each hour. Those who had come along for a dirty weekend (as well as a dirty weekend) developed the knack of timing their performance to coincide with that of the clock so that the sound of one covered the sound of the other. Ah, what energy we had to spare in our youth!"

page 30

"All Canal Camps are provided with showers - either in the accommodation or nearby" (Martin Ludgate)

Saturday April 20th 2002: WRG Race Night ...at Martin Heath Hall, Christchurch Lane, Lichfield (by the 'Bowling Green Pub') Starting at 7:30pm.

For those who haven't been to a 'Race Night' before: it's just like a day at the horse-races, but from the comfort of your own home (or your temporary home in the village hall in this case!) with eight genuine races from various race-courses shown on video, accompanied by a proper commentary - just like the real thing.

And just like real horse-racing, you get the chance to blow lots of money on it... only unlike real horseracing it doesn't go into the pockets of the bookies, it goes to support a good cause... WRG and canal restoration!

Proceeds will go to kick starting the new WRG Van Fund to replace our ageing minibus NJF and to the David Suchet Appeal to raise funds for the Lichfield & Hatherton Canals. So come prepared with some spending money to back your four legged fancy and join us for a fun night - its very addictive!!

Also, it's bring-your-own-beer for the evening.

There will even be a small prize for fancy dress!!

Sponsorship any one of the 8 races is available before the event: Bids, minimum £25, to Jude Moore by 1st April 2002 (all details below).

The 8 highest bidders will be notified of their success and will have the privilege of naming the race (clean but amusing please!), watching it from 'the Royal Box' whilst enjoying a bottle of Bubbly, munching on some elegant nibbles and they will present the winnings to the triumphant owner.

Any individual, group or society can make a bid the bigger the better!!

Horses for the first 7 races are on sale now at £5 each, you get to name the horse and if it wins you are guaranteed odds of 3-1 - thats £15 profit in cash!! Plus whatever you win by backing it on the Tote.

The horses for the final race will be auctioned on the night with 50% of the total raised going to the winning owner or syndicate. - ooh the suspense!!

Plan for the weekend: Overnight accommodation is available at the hall Friday (from 22:30ish) and Saturday. John Horton has plenty of work on site if you would like to make a weekend of it and work will take place mainly on the Saturday.

Coming soon You've heard of Derby Day... now it's Lichfield Day! Food will be provided by Jude as long as you book in advance, (£8 for the full weekend) and we shall hopefully have lots of local trust members joining us on the Saturday night.

Sunday will be spent helping Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust with their Open day/walk along the canal: volunteers for minibus driving please - and Jan requests nice, clean, shiny people!!

If you would like to book for a fun weekend please contact Jude Moore on 01564 785293 or 07711 058898 or email: judith_moore@uk.ibm.com.

Please make sure you clearly state how long you will be staying for and which meals you require, and any diet requirements. [Such as 'I don't eat racehorse'? ...Ed] Cheques made payable to 'WRG' and sent to Jude at 3 Finwood Road, Rowington, Warks. CV35 7DH. See you there - Tally Ho! Jude Moore Also coming soon: for those who can't make the BCN Cleanup (see p16) on March 16-17... or for those who are so keen on clearing out the BCN that they want to do it two weekends in a row...

Lapal Canal Cleanup: 23rd-24th March Lapal Canal Trust (which is promoting the restoration of the derelict part of the Dudley No. 2 Canal) is organising a clean up of the infilled line of the Canal in the Birmingham area over the weekend of 23rd and 24th March.

This is a critical time for the project. We hope to kick-start the restoration of the Canal in Birmingham and generate a lot of publicity and interest in the face of a very real prospect that the Canal will be severed by a proposed relief road in the Selly Oak area of Birmingham.

We need volunteers! Overnight accomodation can be provided. Please feel free to e-mail me (david.carson@slaughterandmay.com) or contact WRG BITM who are supporting this event (see Diary pages).

David Carson

page 31

Bankside

Bankside Moorings

written written by by Bruce Bruce Tunnel Tunnel

Camp Leader Austin 'Oz' Collingwood glanced around the group of assembled campers in Bolminster Village Hall, trying in vain to spot a familiar face.

It was the start of the year's first Canal Camp on the Thames Berks and Andover Canal, and they looked like the usual mix of volunteers - some male, some female; mostly aged between late teens and late twenties, but several slightly older - but none that Oz recognised.

It wasn't unknown for the majority of volunteers on a camp to be 'first-timers', but usually there were a few 'old hands' around; still, the work was straightforward - towpath-laying on the Spaglingworth to Bolminster length of canal, and laying a concrete deck to strengthen a farm accommodation bridge. As long as the assistant leader Gordon Drake arrived, everything would be fine. There was no sign of Gordon yet, but that wasn't unusual: Oz wondered what the excuse for his late arrival would be this time - some mishap or other befell him on the way to most camps, and his nickname of 'Gordon-I-broke-mynose-three-times' gave some clue to his rather accident-prone nature.

Of course it was possible that the change of style in the new Canal Camps booklet was partly to blame for the lack of 'regulars'...

Firstly there was the 'modern' style intended to attract newcomers - and therefore more-or-less guaranteed to put off the old-timers. Oz remembered the comments in the 'Floundering Arms' pub when the first batch of them were delivered: "They don't make Camps Booklets like they used to..."

"I remember when it was just a grubby photocopied sheet of A4 paper..."

"A4? Foolscap more like..."

Not to mention the usual whinges about the choice of photos...

"Look - that one wasn't taken on the Wey & Arun Canal at all, it was taken on the Arun Navigation..."

"And as for this one - doesn't the editor know the difference between the Droitwich Barge Canal and the Droitwich Junction Canal?"

"It's a disgrace, that's what it is... When I was a lad..." ...although, to be honest, this time for once they had something worth complaining about. And it was mainly down to the designer's choice of more and more unusual shapes of photo frames.

page 32

Circular photos had made their appearance two years ago, last year diamonds, and this year the pictures had had to be cropped into a whole selection of shapes appropriate to the dates of each camp (cross-shaped for Easter, bell-shaped for New Year, crescent-shaped for Ramadan, pentangle-shaped for Halloween...) - it was becoming harder and harder to find photographs that were both appropriate to the subject-matter and the right shape for the photo frame.

The editor had been reduced to using whatever photos would fit, and tweaking them with his 'Corel Photo Paint' software to remove inappropriate details if necessary. And he'd ended up having to use a few that weren't canals at all: instead of just (as usual) pirating the best ideas from the Cathedral Camps, BTCV, National Trust and railway preservation society publications, this time he'd nicked half their photos too! Mostly they were fairly well disguised, but if you looked carefully the 'plant' photo appeared to show a steam-powered vibrating roller, and the 'accommodation' had cloisters and a spire...

Finally, there was the move towards making Canal Camps harder to get to. This might seem a strange idea, but the WRG committee had decided that the best way of ensuring a higher calibre of volunteers was to make the directions so obscure that only the most intelligent of navvies would find their way at all. This had begun a year or two earlier with the 'London tube map' style accommodation plans on the web-site, and had progressed on to giving the entire accommodation details in the form of a cryptic clue, a 'treasure hunt', or maybe a word puzzle written in rhyme. For example...

My first is in ‘shovel’ and also in ‘spade’ My second in ‘volunteer’, not in ‘unpaid’ My third is in ‘dragline’ and also in ‘dredge’ My fourth is in ‘trees’, but never in ‘hedge’ My fifth is in ‘brew-hut’ and also in ‘tea-break’ My sixth is in ‘site bog’ but never in ‘pee-break’ My seventh’s in ‘Tom’ (who might make a farmer, yet!)

My eighth’s in ‘Jervis’ and also in ‘Palmerette’ My ninth is a question, often asked in ‘Navvies’ My last is in ‘shark’ (which we all know that Gav is...)

I’m a place that the oldies remember with feeling And what's that big thing that's supporting the ceiling?

...so maybe the lack of experienced volunteers was because they were all too dim to find the camps!

Oz finally gave up waiting for Gordon and began giving his introductory talk to the volunteers...

"The work for this week will include demolition, piledriving, concreting, and some plant work - excavators, dumpers and vibrating rollers..."

"Demolition? Concrete? Pile-driving?" exclaimed a surprised volunteer, "I thought we'd be working with stained-glass windows and things like that..."

"Where are you going to find stained-glass on a canal?"

"Canal? Oz - I think you've come to the wrong place.

We're working on Bolminster Abbey - this is a Cathedral Camp..."

wrg bc: the WRG Boat Club Many thanks to all who sent friendly messages and their news to me over the festive season. It was good to hear from you and to keep in touch. It quite cheered me up!

By the time you get to read this it will be little late for my Happy New Year wish, but I can wish you all Good Boating in 2002 Hopefully you will be able to include some dig venues in your itinerary this Year.

There should be a few. The one on the Basingstoke in September definitely appeals to me, and it is good to have such advanced notice so I can plan ahead.

(It might not seem like it, but I do have a master plan for my travels, it is just that I get easily distracted!)

You will need to do some planning to fit it in, as it is a bit ‘out of the Wey’ AND you never pass it on the Wey to anywhere else, but it will be well worth the effort. I have not yet boated on the Basigstoke - dug on it, yes, but when I was knocking on the doors I was refused a licence as they were short of water at the time.

NEW NEW COMING SOON Our logo and club name plus (If you want) your boat name can be embroidered on clothing including fleeces, jackets etc and even on bags. More details about what is available and how to order when we get prices.

Congratulation and best wishes to WRG NW on their 30 years and to Mr Mac who we all know is a smashing fellow and it is nice to think that ‘those on high’ think well of him too.

XXX Sadie Dean

NW Tools missing!

A recent check has shown that a number of WRG North West's hand tools (yellow handles) are missing. Of particular concern is the absence of all four of our wrecking bars. If anyone knows the whereabouts of any of this equipment, please let Malcolm Bridge (01706-378582; malcolm. bridge @btclick.com) or Jim Lamen (0161-494-5957; lizim@ukonline.co.uk) know.

Bits & pieces ...including the latest from the WRG Boat Club Lost Property 1 pair off-white, knitted gloves with rubberised palms.

Left in Mr. Mac's kitchen after the Paper Chase on 19th January. Please ring 0161-740-2179 to claim.

DroitwichCanalsTrustSummerFestival ...taking place from Friday May 31st to Monday June 3rd: a four-day beer and wine festival plus all the usual entertainments including DayStar Theatre, bath-tub raft race (all canal societies etc welcome to enter the prize is a barrel of beer), 'shopping trolley race' and other events. Canal Societies are welcome to bring their stall, trail boats, games and anything that will give them publicity, raise a few bob for the society and enhance the festival: all at no charge.

More details from Jon Axe of Droitwich Canals Trust on 0121-608-0296 or e-mail jon.wbcs58@virgin.net.

Canal Camps Schedule update: In case you haven't noticed, there have been several changes in the Camps schedule between the insert that appeared with the last 'Navvies' and the Camps Booklet that is enclosed with this one: Camps 5 & 6 have swapped numbers, as have 9 & 10.

Extra Camp 15 added on the Wey & Arun Canal and everything after that renumbered accordingly.

Lichfield Camp 20 delayed 1 week to 26 Oct - 2 Nov. Camp 21 at New Year now has a site: Basingstoke.

WRG 14th Book Auction: the winning bids by Lot Number: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

£31.50 £14.00 £15.00 £9.00 £12.00 £32.00 £7.00 No Bid £3.50 £5.50 £11.50 £4.00 £3.00

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

£5.25 £6.00 £6.00 £6.00 £5.50 £7.50 £12.00 £3.00 £15.00 £3.00 £7.00 £7.00 £6.00

27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35

£12.00 £6.50 £6.50 £12.50 £6.00 £7.00 £7.50 £4.00 £10.00

(2 copies £5 each)

36 37 38

£5.50 £5.00 £5.00

39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51

£25.50 £5.00 No Bid £4.50 £6.00 £6.00 No Bid £4.50 No Bid £4.00 £3.00 £4.00 £4.00

52 53 54 55 56 57

£1.50 £1.50 £3.00 £4.00 £2.50 £11.50

(2 copies £10 & £1.50)

58 59 60 61

£3.00 £3.00 £3.00 £1.50

Total £425.75

page 33

Bits & pieces 'Inland Waterways Enterprises'? What's that, then?

‘WRG Ltd is dead – Long live WRG’ Waterway Recovery Group Ltd has ceased trading – but there is no need to be alarmed. It is just part of an orderly restructure of The Inland Waterways Association’s subsidiary companies (of which WRG is one), for reasons of accounting efficiency, and Waterway Recovery Group (without the ‘Ltd’ bit) will be carrying on just as before.

IWA restructured its subsidiary companies, with effect from 31st December 2001. IWA (Sales) Ltd and National Waterways Festivals Ltd also ceased trading and the ongoing ‘businesses’ of all three companies have been transferred to a new company, Inland Waterways Enterprises Ltd. The new company has a single board of directors, but nearly all the business of the company will be run through three divisions, entitled ‘IWA Sales’, ‘National Waterways Festivals’ and ‘ Waterway Recovery Group’.

All of WRG’s activities will be managed by a group of ‘WRG Directors’ that will comprise exactly the same people who were members of the board of directors of the old company, WRG Ltd - although they will no longer be company directors. All the activities, assets, liabilities and on- going commitments of WRG Ltd have been transferred. Apart from presentation of accounts and formal documentation, the activities undertaken by WRG will carry on just as before, and if we hadn’t told you, we don’t suppose you would have noticed the change.

The reasons behind this restructure are primarily ones of accounting efficiency and to ensure WRG pays no more than the minimum amount of taxes required by the law. Any enquiries concerning this should be addressed to Neil Edwards at IWA Head Office (address at bottom of opposite page).

Last trip down the Ashton?

Thank you to all who responded to my request in issue 189 for help in tracing a magazine article about the final pre-restoration attempt to navigate the Ashton Canal in 1961. Unfortunately we still haven't tracked down what I was looking for: several people found a short piece in IWA 'Bulletin' No 64 about it, but what I was after was a longer, blow-by-blow account of the whole journey. Suggestions are that it may have appeared in either the Peak Forest Canal Society magazine, or in 'Motor Boat and Yachting', which regularly included canal stories in the days before there were specialist inland waterways magazines.

page 34

New on the Net... ...some very old camp reports. Arthur Dungate has been going through old copies of Surrey & Hants Canal Society's 'Basingstoke Canal News' and putting the articles on his web site - including the Camp Reports from the legendary KESCRG / SHCS Canal Camps of the 1980s. Follow the links from: http:// www.basingstokecanal1.freeserve.co.uk

Lots of assorted stuff available!

After the last edition of Navvies was published, I received an e-mail from a person who been reading about the theft of the trailer and its contents...

"I may be able to help make up some of the loss and help provide other items. My work takes me to various building sites, scrap yards, workshops, etc and I have in the past been able to provide the Cotswold Canal Trust (of which he used to be a member) with chain blocks, slings etc." Various items are then mentioned-"shackles, slings, water containers, shovels, Dexion, threaded bar, aluminium chequer plate, numerous nuts and bolts and timber etc." If anybody is in need of these sort of items he needs to have " a nice to get list" because he cannot re-visit these sites or ask for items "to be put to one side". n.b all of the items are removed with permision from the owners of the property!

If anyone is interested in any of these items, please contact me (see opposite page, bottom left) John Hawkins

Answers to the quiz last time...

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Ribble Link Bugsworth Basin Hatton TardeBigge Bulls Bridge Shropshire Union Northern Reaches

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Kings Norton Ellesmere Port Wakefield Paddington Arm The 'National' Foxton Limehouse

Thank you... ...to those splendid chaps at Land & Water dredging contractors for sponsoring this year's Canal Camps booklet. If you want your canal professionally dredged, you know which company to ask.

Planning next year's Canal Camps?

Already? Yes - if we're to get our 2003 Camps Booklet out on time, we need to start earlier. Mike Palmer will have more to say about it in the next issue, but in the meantime if you're involved in a canal society that might want a Camp next year... start thinking about it!

Get well soon... ...to Eddie Jones of KESCRG, who parted company with his appendix just as this issue was going to the printers.

Any overseas volunteers?

Regular Canal Camper Bernd Schimansky would like to make contact with any other Germans (and others from abroad) who attend Canal Camps, to exchange information, thoughts and experiences.

Please e-mail him at: B.Schimmy@gmx.de

MOVING HOUSE Abigail Jones has moved to: 47 Cross Oak Road, Berkhamsted Hertfordshire HP4 3EH Tel: 01442 875540 She says "Anyone passing through on the Grand Union is welcome to drop in for a cuppa!"

Steve Wyatt has moved to: 3b, Olive Lane, Halesowen B62 8LS. Tel: 0121 602 2463 Mobile: 07976 566997 Harriet Thomsett's phone number in Ireland was wrong last time. It should be: 00 353 21 4867661 Izzy Gascoigne has moved to: 27 Queen St, Kidsgrove, Staffs ST7 4AH Ian Edgar of Bugsworth has a new e-mail: ian@browside.co.uk Ken Bailey of Cotswold Canals has a new e-mail: Kenb.canals@Tesco.net Tom Jeffries now has a home phone: 01327 871 858 If you move house, please remember to ask us to change your 'Navvies' subscription details: write to Sue Watts (see below) or e-mail Edd Leethem edd@downstream.ltd.uk.

Navvies Production

Navvies is published by Waterway Recovery Group, PO Box 114, Rickmansworth WD3 1ZY and is available to all interested in promoting the restoration and conSubscriptions / circulation servation of inland waterSue Watts ways by voluntary effort in 15 Eleanor Road Great Britain. Articles may Chorlton-cum-Hardy be reproduced in allied Manchester M21 9FZ magazines provided that the Printing and assembly: source is acknowledged.

John & Tess Hawkins WRG may not agree with 4 Links Way, Croxley Grn opinions expressed in this Rickmansworth, Herts magazine, but encourages WD3 3RQ 01923 448559 publication as a matter of inhawkins@jote.fsnet.co.uk terest. Nothing printed may Editor : Martin Ludgate 35 Silvester Road East Dulwich London SE22 9PB 020-8693 3266

Noticeboard Anderton Abseil: the final(?) totals...

Spencer Collins £502.13 Nina Whiteman £321.28 Dave Wedd £402.78 Martin Ludgate £605.78 £339.28 Sue Burchett £834.78 Matt Taylor Ralph Bateman £763.28 George Eycott £414.28 Mike Palmer £415.68 Paul Cattermole £219.92 Lou Kellett £304.28 Glenn Shoosmith £988.28 Harry Watts £491.28 Katherine Davis £323.28 £222.28 Jen Leigh £292.28 Gavin Moor Dave Parish £229.28 Joanne Smith £1143.94 Izzy Gascoigne £232.28 Rupert Smedley £163.15 £10,000.00!

Viv Thorpe £790.48 Total As you can see from the above, by chasing around for a bit of last-minute sponsorship, we managed to exactly reach our target of ten grand, making WRG Gold Patrons of the Appeal.

In addition, each individual who took part is a Bronze Patron if they raised £500, or a Sponsor of the Appeal if they raised £240.

If you're feeling generous, there's still time for you to make a donation to help more of the volunteers reach these targets. Please contact Spencer Collins 07889 443397 or e-mail spencer.collins@wrgna.co.uk be construed as policy or an official announcement unless so stated - otherwise WRG and IWA accept no liability for any matter in this magazine.

Waterway Recovery Group is a division of Inland Waterways Enterprises Ltd., a subsidiary of the Inland Waterways Association (a registered charity).

Directors of WRG: John Baylis, Mick Beattie, Malcolm Bridge, Roger Burchett, Spencer Collins, Christopher Davey, Helen Davey, Roger Day, Richard Drake, Neil Edwards, Adrian Fry, John Hawkins, Jennifer Leigh, Judith Moore, Michael Palmer, Jonathan Smith.

Inland Waterways Enterprises Registered office: Secretary: Neil Edwards 3 Norfolk Court, Norfolk Rd. Rickmansworth WD3 1LT VAT reg. no : 788 9425 54 © 2002 WRG Tel : 01923 711114 Registered no 4305322 ISSN 0953-6655

page 35

Backfill

And not to be outdone...

Another of the WRG Chairman's profitable sidelines?

I am indebted to Izzy Gasgoigne for sending in the following advertisment: ...the previous chairman of WRG seems to have found something new to occupy him too!

Cowboys!

In case anyone is in any doubt as to whether the 'MKP' in question is indeed our beloved chairman Michael K Palmer, a quick look at their web-site www.mkp.co.uk tends to confirm our suspicions... "...MKP evolved from the already successful Ryeland Toolmakers... From this solid base of engineering expertise, steady growth has been achieved, and is on-going as MKP now competes and wins new business at home and in the international marketplace... A continuous growth has established MKP as a successful and competitive enterprise with a turnover predicted to rise to over £11 million by the year 2005... In April 2001, MKP received the Queens Award for Enterprise..."

PS I wonder if his 'Chairman's column' in this issue counts as a piece of 'quality presswork'.... or is it more of a 'welded fabrication'?

Meanwhile in the 'real' press...

I see from 'The Independent' that Roger 'don't restore the Wilts & Berks' Scruton (see Editorial in issue 189) has been accepting money from tobacco companies while writing newspaper articles in support of the use of tobacco products.

So don't be too surprised if you hear that the W&BCT have switched their attentions to restoring lock No 6, or to constructing the originallyplanned Marlboro branch of the canal...

page 36

There has been the occasional suggestion in these pages of a little bit of 'cowboy-builder' behaviour on the canals... in particular by those involved in building new roads and reluctant to provide navigable crossings for canals under restoration: "Oh, sorry mate - did I say £400 grand for a bridge?

Nah, what I meant to say was £800 grand. And then there's the cost of a skip and the van hire, that'll be £1.2 million all-up, cash on the nail, no questions asked..."

Thanks to Bob Kearney for sending in a workwear catalogue with some suitable headgear for them...