avvies N Volunteers restoring waterways No 217 June - July 2006
waterway recovery group
Contents
In this issue:
Chairman s comment Camps preview the second half of the
4-5
...are always welcome, whether hand-written, typed, on 3½" floppy disk, CD-ROM, DVD or by email. 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. Digital / computer scanned photos also welcome, either on floppy / CD-ROM / DVD or as email attachments, preferably JPG format. Send them to the editor Martin Ludgate, 35, Silvester Road, London SE22 9PB, or email to martin.ludgate@wrg.org.uk. Press date for No 218: July 1st.
6-9 summer Canal Camps programme Camp Reports Easter on the Lichfield and the WIlts & Berks, plus Canalway Cavalcade 10-17 Diary Canal Camp and working party dates 18-20 Progress roundup of the latest news from 21-25 restoration projects around the country Camp Report from the National Campaign Rally 26-27 on the Basingstoke Canal Logistics accommodation bucket abuse! 28-29 And now it can be told how it all 30 started - with piano-smashing WRGBC WRG s own boat club 31 Obituary the late great Bill Crockett 32 Letters the mysterious Blaenau Navigation 33 Navvies News do you want to cook for 140? 34 Noticeboard 35 Backfill A strange story from the USA 36
Subscriptions
And next time...
Contributions...
A year's subscription (6 issues) is available for a ....we hope to include some camp reports from minimum of £1.50 (please add a donation if pos- the first of this summer s Canal Camps, the latsible) to Sue Watts, 15 Eleanor Road, Chorlton- est news on our autumn activities including the cum-Hardy, Manchester M21 9FZ. Cheques to Bonfire Bash, a Dig Deep update, and the full directory of WRG and Canal Society contacts. "Waterway Recovery Group" please. Visit our web site www.wrg.org.uk for all the latest news of WRG's activities Cover photo: London WRG rebuilding the towpath wall above Lock 26 at Tamworth Road on a section of the Lichfield Canal that was buried in somebody s garden until last year. (photo by Martin Ludgate) Below: Latest addition to the WRG fleet - a new 9-seater. The number plate commemorates the late Ernie H Pull
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When we re not restoring canals...
Editorial
...we seem to spend quite a lot of time working at boat rallies, waterways festivals and similar events. In this issue you will find reports from The Inland Waterways Association s National Campaign Rally on the Basingstoke Canal, and one from IWA s Canalway Cavalcade at Little Venice in London - plus the odd photo from the National Trailboat Festival on the Northern Reaches of the Lancaster Canal. And elsewhere in this issue there is an article encouraging you to come along and help at the National Waterways Festival at Beale Park on the Thames. And in the last issue was an appeal for volunteer help at the Cotswold Canals Trust s Saul Festival. You might wonder why we spend so much time at festivals when we could be digging out derelict canals, rebuilding locks, restoring bridges or all the other jobs more usually identified with WRG. Well, if it ever got to the point that we were spending more time on festivals than digging canals, you d have a point. But if you look at the events listed above, nearly all of them have a direct relevence to waterway restoration. The Trailboat Festival is part of the campaign to reopen the disused Lancaster Northern Reaches and re-connect them to the rest of the waterway network. The Campaign Rally has a major role in the fight to save the Basingstoke Canal (one of the biggest volunteer restoration projects of the 1980s and where many of our current volunteers cut their teeth) from possible closure, which would be a disaster for the restoration movement. Saul raises the profile of the Cotswold Canals - and also raises a lot of money for the restoration work. This year s National Festival will be just down the road from the Wilts & Berks Jubilee Junction project - with the opportunity to provide a lot of good publicity for the Wilts & Berks restoration. Even Canalway Cavalcade, which isn t directly linked to any restoration projects, raises money for waterways - and also provides London WRG with a chance to do some fundraising and recruiting. So by supporting these events with volunteer labour, we re helping them to raise money to support the projects that we work on - which keeps us supplied with useful work, and keeps the restorations moving forward. And that s quite apart from the fact that by supporting festivals we are helping our parent organisation the IWA, which supports us with an annual grant each year.
Except when we re building barbecues... Those who view WRG s festivals activities with suspicion might look even more dubiously at some of our recent activities on the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation, where London WRG recently spent a weekend - among other things - building brick barbecues for boaters. Not exactly mainstream restoration activity, even if it did mean we could keep our hand in at bricklaying. But once again there s a purpose to a not-terribly-relevant seeming job. The Chelmer, scene of one of our earlier successes when volunteers completed restoration of the top end of the navigation in the early 1990s, nearly went bankrupt recently and was only saved by an IWA takeover. It now needs a lot of work to put it on a secure footing - and keeping boaters on-side on a waterway where there are precious few boaters facilities is an important part of this. Get them to support the navigation (and by the end of our weekend several of them had come out to help us) and it could be a real success story. Don t, and you ll end up as popular as BW are among many of the more cynical of boaters. If that means canal restorers building barbies then so be it - and Doug Beard will welcome any help if your group has a spare weekend. So I guess what I m saying is: yes, restoration is what we re about, but sometimes work that might appear only very vaguely connected with restoration can also make a lot of sense in the long run.
When we are restoring canals... Fear not - there is still lots of real restoration work for us. See the article on pages 6-9 for the very latest on this summer s Canal Camps - you ll find an excellent variety of work, including bridge repair (Wilts & Berks), lock restoration and rebuilding (Mon & Brec and Wey & Arun and this year s new site, Lord Rolle s Canal) and building a brand new junction (Wilts & Berks). And when you ve decided which camp to go on, send your booking form off straight away! And once you ve been on one of these excellent camps, you might just feel inspired to write me a camp report for Navvies! In which case, the sooner you write it, the better. Not only will it still be fresh in your memory, but we might even squeeze it into the next issue.
And finally... My thanks to Robert Goundry and David Thompson for responding to my appeal for help with restoration progress reports from canal societies for Navvies. This issue includes the first results of their labours - a 5-page progress section covering an interesting range of projects. I hope you like it - we ll do our best to make these reports a regular feature of the magazine. Martin Ludgate
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Chairman
Campaign rallies: Do not assumethatmudequalsdisaster Chairman s Comment No time for much waffling and navel gazing in this issue, you will be pleased to hear, as life is very much the traditional blur just before the main summer Canal Camps season takes off.
But as with all the best rallies, do not assume that mud equals disaster. This was a campaign rally after all and some determined political barracking meant that there was plenty of discussion going on at the official opening (including amongst a rather bemused selection of French mayors on an exchange trip from the Canal d Orleans), and plenty of campaigning amongst the local populace. Additionally there was a decent turn-out from the boaters who realized that just by showing up they had done their bit and settled down to show that they didn t come for the bright lights and fancy entertainments, just the ability to moor up and enjoy a sociable drink with new and/or good friends. My thanks to all those who worked so hard to get things set up and keep them running smoothly.
Martin Ludgate
The good news is that we have picked up our new van D16 EHP (see photo on p2) and managed to get it sign-written and ready for its first outing in under a week (many thanks, as ever, to Neil Ritchie at Contract Signs, who at one point was offering to meet us at a motorway junction to sticker the sides of the van so long as it wasn t raining too hard !). The biggest problem was that the new all-singing, all-dancing DIGITAL tacho-graph was supplied without an instruction manual resulting in much scratching of heads as euro-friendly icons and helpful interactive user dialogues were puzzled over.
Those that knew Ernie Pull (who is commemorated in the number plate) will no doubt find it appropriate that EHP s first official outing was at the Basingstoke Campaign Rally at Brookwood. Actually EHP could only look on from the sidelines as it was far too shiny to actually take on site, and, to be honest, it was such a mud-bath that dumpers and Land Rovers were more the order of the day - I finally extracted the marquee contractor s trailer late on Tuesday afternoon by pulling it out with a 7-tonne excavator.
London WRG build a barbecue (see editorial on page 3)
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An extra pleasure was the party to celebrate 40 years of the Surrey and Hants Canal Society good to see lots of familiar faces there, all using that special selective memory that we all appear to get when we approach 40! One of the other jobs for our new van will be during the National Festival at Beale Park where it will pop across to Essex, collect the new memorial stone to our founder Graham Palmer and deliver it up to Oswestry ready for its installation by Graham Palmer Lock on the Montgomery Canal this autumn (exact date to be announced). Again for those that know of Ernie s early work with London and Home Counties Working Party Group this is a very appropriate job for EHP. And just to complete this looking back at the way we used to dig I rushed back from a site visit to Lord Rolle s Canal to take part in the IWA Diamond Jubilee dinner at Stratford. It really was rather good and my compliments to the Arnold family. It was a great chance to reminisce and revel in the history of the IWA with lots of dirty laundry on display.
Chairman
we have managed to get ourselves in a bit of a pickle... Some of you may well have heard some rumblings regarding costs at the National Festival. It is true that in order to try and be fair and equitable to all the different groups of volunteers that work at the National we have managed to get ourselves in a bit of a pickle regarding the issue of the wristbands that allow access to the site during the festival. Whilst we really are trying to work this out, it is unfortunately the case that (because the system was applied before this problem was spotted) we will have to run it this year. For those booking on the full camp this will not affect you at all; however for those just booking for a few days, it will mean you may have to pay a few extra pounds. This decision was taken with all the best intentions, and as the situation is still fluid we will try and put an update on the website outlining the situation. Finally my thanks to everyone who gave a donation in memory of Bill Crocket - the money is now sitting in our bank account and at the next meeting we will try to think of a fitting way of using it (hmmm just how many toasters can we buy?)
Martin Ludgate
Hope to see you on site, or a big field in Beale Park, this summer. Hugs and kisses A job for this summer s Canal Camps: Lock 2 at Allt-yr-yn on the Mon & Brec
Mike Palmer
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Camps preview
...in which Liz promises openplan showers on Camp 0607... What are you doing this summer? Hopefully the answer is that you re going on a Canal Camp or two. So to help you decide which one(s) to go on - and maybe, just maybe, to get your booking forms in soon - here s the third in a series of Camps Preview articles to give you the latest on what s happening. This time we re concentrating on the second half of the summer. But first, here are a few bits of late news about the first few camps which we covered last time... OK let s get the bad news out of the way first: sadly due to the expected work not being available, the Chichester Canal Camp (0603, scheduled for June 24 - Jul 1) has had to be cancelled. But the good news is that the splendid leadership team of Spencer Collins and Steve Big Boy Barrett have been persuaded to take on running Camp 0605 the following week on Lord Rolle s Canal instead. And anyone who booked on Camp 0603 will also be offered the option to switch to Camp 0604 on June 24 - Jul 1, also on Lord Rolle s Canal with Chris Wicks and Alice Bayston in charge. And speaking of Lord Rolle s Canal, the work has been confirmed as being a fortnight of pressure-washing, re-pointing stonework, dismantling and reerecting scaffolding (not because we re put it in the wrong place, but because we ll have finished one side and want to start on the other) on an old tidal sea-lock by the Torridge estuary, in deepest rural Devon.
We ve got a very full program of work to keep us busy, and are looking for lots of willing volunteers to help with towpath laying and fencing plus there will be lots of opportunities to operate big machines including dumpers, excavators, rollers and a skid steer loader. We are particularly looking for instructors for these machines, even if you can only attend for one or two days! Accommodation is on-site and boasts the height of modern luxury open-plan living including showers, sun-patio and panoramic views of the adjoining rugby field. The fully equipped kitchen comes with all mod cons including a Harri T and even a dishwasher! We also have a full social calendar including Cider Farm Tour & Tasting (Woohoo!!), Punting in Oxford, and some jolly good outdoor Rounders/Frisbee/Football/BBQ activity. And don t forget we ve also got a fortnight of camps (0608 and 0610, July 8 - 15 and July 15 - 22) on the Mon & Brec in South Wales led by Rob Daffern and James Butler, followed by a third week on the same site (July 22 - 29) run by our regional group WRG BITM (please book this week via BITM rather than using the normal booking form - see p18-19 for details). There s been a slight change of plan: we re not working on the Fourteen Locks flight, but a mile or so further down the canal at Lock 3, near Allt-yr-yn, in an area apparently known as Little Switzerland . God knows why - I don t recall seeing any cuckoo clocks, cheese with holes in, skiing or lonely goatherds but it certainly is a really attractive part of the country, especially when the sun shines. Which, despite what you might have heard about the Welsh weather, is actually quite often. We ve got a stone bywash channel to rebuild, and a lock-chamber to patch up, on a bit of canal that could see some boats on it in a very short time.
Liz Wilson
Another bit of bad news is that Camp 0607 (scheduled for the Wilts & Berks Jubilee Junction project on July 8 - 15) has also got the chop. But the work s been rescheduled and we re confident that we can complete it in the remaining three weeks starting with Camp 0605 on July 1 - 8, when your leaders are Ed Walker and Liz Wilson, so let s hear Boats through here by August 30th! The Jubilee Junction site what Liz has to say about it...
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And now for the rest of the summer... ...and we ve got a couple of serious construction jobs planned for the later part of the camps programme. We ve already mentioned one of them (the Wilts & Berks Jubilee Junction); the other is on the Wey & Arun Canal. Last year we spent three weeks in the blazing heat on the Wey & Arun building Sussex s biggest suntrap - otherwise known as the new Loxwood Lock. This is part of a major project to get the canal back under the B2133 main road, which crosses the canal only a couple of feet above water level. By building a new lock, we can drop the canal low enough so that it fits under the road. Clever, eh? But what happens when you get to the other side of the road - another new lock to bring it back up again? No, that would play havoc with the canal s already not-too-plentiful water supply. So instead, the entire canal is being dredged out about 1.7 metres (or about 5ft 6in) deeper for a few hundred yards (or slightly less than a few hundred metres) until it arrives at the top of Brewhurst Lock. This lock will have to be reduced in height by about 1.7m to match the new level of the canal - and that s our job for this summer.
Camps preview
Raising the profile of volunteers by lowering the bed of the canal Oh and the good news - just in case the weather s the same as last year, there are some trees around Brewhurst Lock to shade us from the heat. And accommodation as usual is at Kirdford Village Hall, very convenient for the Foresters Arms and... well, it doesn t really need to be convenient for anything else, does it? After that, we ve got a choice between the Wilts & Berks and... err... the Wilts & Berks! So, not much of a choice there, then? On the contrary: it would be difficult to find two more contrasting volunteer projects anywhere on the waterways...
The first week (Camp 0609, July 15 - 22) is led by our friends in NWPG, the following week (0611, July 22 - 29) by KESCRG with Ian Williamson and purple Steve Davis at the helm, and the Wey & Arun Canal Trust will be in charge for the final week (0613, July 29 Aug 5). But please note: you don t have to be a regular volunteer with any of these groups to attend their camp - all camps are open to anyone who wants to join (and anyway half the folks involved in these groups seem to turn up on WRG camps as well!)
WACT
Rebuilding the lock chamber walls, top sill, ground paddle culverts, gate recesses and everything else involved in turning a deep lock into a shallow one is a pretty serious construction job. This one will really show the folks who think we re not to be trusted with anything more complex than litterpicking and grass-mowing what volunteers are actually capable of.
Brewhurst Lock: our job is to reduce its height by 1.7 metres
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Camps preview
The Wilts & Berks: build a new junctionorrebuildanoriginalbridge At Abingdon, Camps 0615 and 0617 will be carrying on from where Ed and Liz left off on the IWA Diamond Jubilee project to build a new canal junction where the Wilts & Berks Canal meets the River Thames near Abingdon. The original route of the canal goes right through the middle of Abingdon, which unfortunately means that it s been fairly seriously built on during the 90 years since it shut. But a mile or two to the south of the town is some nice open countryside where it would be relatively easy to build a new canal and there are even a couple of former gravel quarries that would make nice mooring basins if you linked them together with new bits of canal.
Meanwhile some twenty miles further west along the same canal at Steppingstones Bridge, a very different project will be under way. The bridge is, not to put too fine a point to it, buggered. No, I take that back - it s well buggered. The arch has either collapsed or been demolished, one abutment has subsided, and the other needs major rebuilding - which will be the main job for Canal Camps 0616 on August 5 - 12 (led by Mike Palmer and Becky Parr) and 0618 on August 12 - 19 (led by Adrian Fry). This is the absolute opposite to the Jubilee Junction job: rather than building something new, we re rescuing an 18th Century brick arch bridge from the last stages of decay. The Wilts & Berks has lost many of its original structures, and many miles of its restored route will be on completely new alignments where the old line has been obstructed. All the more reason, then, to try to restore those original structures that do survive, rather than simply trashing them and rebuilding in concrete. In many ways the two W&B projects are complementary. And both are equally important in contributing to the eventual reopening of the canal, and in demonstrating what volunteers can achieve.
Mike Palmer
Martin Ludgate
So that s what we re doing - digging out a new length of canal to connect the first of these flooded quarries to the Thames. There will be a lot of excavation, some steel piling by the actual junction and also some more environmentally friendly bank protection along the line of the canal, plus laying towpaths, putting up fencing and signs, and generally making it look like a real canal in time for the official opening on August 30th - that s right: two months after the major work begins, the first boats are due to arrive. Scary or what?
Camp 0615 on August 5 - 12 is led by Harry Watts assisted by Corinne Watson, then Izzy Gascoigne and Nina Whiteman take over for Camp 0617 on August 12 - 19. The accommodation will boast the same luxury facilities as described earlier by Liz - apart from the lack of a Harri T in the kitchen. Instead, a Helen G will be installed for the first week, then a Mark B (the real chef!) will be plumbed-in for week 2.
Steppingstones Bridge on the Wilts & Berks
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The bywash of Mon & Brec Lock 3 at Allt-yr-yn
It wouldn t be a Camps season without an IWA National Festival Site Services camp, and this year it returns to the Thames at Beale Park with Dave Moose Hearnden and Ed Higgins in charge. So over to Moose for some details... Hi all, yes it s me again. YES I am on the scrounge. Now Little Venice has been and gone, I m now starting to bring my skills(!) to bear on the National. Yes the one at Beale Park, between Pangbourne and Reading: the Inland Waterways Association s National Festival. Obviously I am after volunteers - we always need volunteers! But firstly for those who cannot understand why we (ie WRG) are working on this festival, here s one reason. We in WRG spend quite a bit of money working on restoration projects. Who pays for the projects? Well, sometimes they might be supported by National Lottery money, some money might come from a Heritage organisation, while other funds might be raised by a Canal Society. And a chunk of it could well come from the IWA funding through the restoration grants and appeals that they run. And a successful National Festival can raise a lot of this money. So remember that without the IWA and Festivals such as the National, there might not be the cash to keep us working on restoration projects - not to mention the support of IWA through insurance etc. Another aim of the Festival is to bring local awareness to what people have on the doorstep. How many of us have a museum or some piece of history near where we live, but never been to have a look at it? Bear in mind that this year s Festival is very close to the Wilts & Berks Canal which needs local support to match the volunteer work and funding that WRG and IWA can bring, and you can start to understand why this and the other festivals are so important. This year it s the 60th year of IWA, and it would be nice to get some lapsed WRGies out of the arm chair: out with the zimmer frame and come down and have a get together in the festival. So with Jude s help we are planning to have a gazebo/marquee, set away from our normal position near the IWA stand) which can be used as a meeting point for us red shirts. If we have enough volunteers we will try and have some Wrgies perhaps cleaning plant the dumper, Blue etc and when that s all done we perhaps can clean the tools of our trade from the kit trailers. The aim is to give a place for WRGies to be able to relax for a short while, if we have the heatwave there will cold drinks (squash, no beer!) to refresh you. (so I can get more work from you!) If it s not so warm we ll have a Burco for tea and coffee. The work will be the usual National Festival work fencing, banners, tables and chairs etc - and as usual the more volunteers the easier it will be.
Camps preview
...and Moose says Get your bookings in (but don t we all?) Hopefully my next comment will relieve some people: car parking this year (again) is being looked after by our own Adrian Fry. I know he has contacted some people regarding helping in the car parks, but remember you still need to book in for accommodation (ie through Head Office). I will be running the team system again as used last year and at Burton: it seems to work and most people seemed happy. It would be nice to get the lapsed WRGies (with or without zimmer frames) working on site - last year two WRGies who hadn t been seen at a festival since 2000 (?) suddenly appeared. I must admit I did have to show Little Ben and Spence how to lift fencing blocks, but after a day they got the hang of it. Now the important bit that some Wrgies seem to forget... Please book in through Head Office. It makes it much easier for us to organise the camp. If you are not sure of how much time you can give then give rough dates etc to Head Office, so we know you are coming. You can pay in cash at the festival but do at least tell us you are coming. And if anyone is thinking of bringing a tent or caravan, then book early. I have several people who have already booked in caravans and tents, so to avoid disappointment please get in early and request a pitch as there is only limited space. Only 3-week workers will be allowed awnings on the caravans. If you do not book in your caravan or tent in advance, you will have to use the sleeping marquee or camp in the camping field. For those interested I might have a little advance job for a few people on the weekend of 5th and 6th August. The work is setting up the moorings on the river for all the hordes of boats that are coming. Over 75 mooring planks are needed: the IWA Water Space team will be doing most of the work but like most things a couple of volunteers will not go amiss to spread the workload out. Not sure about over night accommodation: the WRG Compound will not be up and ready at this time, but there might be space on a boat. I will look into it if we have some takers. The work will involve working near water, so life jackets will be provided. For more details contact me on email moose@wrg.org.uk or Tel: 07961 922153.
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Camp reports ...reportingfromtheEastercamp at Tamworth Road, Lichfield
Despite all, work progressed well throughout the day. Excavation of lock 24 progressed apace whilst concrete was poured and levelled with unprecedented zeal. As the day drew to a close lock 24 was secured and the excavator returned under the expert guidance of Spencer - to the compound by DofEer Kate. Kate (enthusiastic - though disappointingly lacking in bunny ears - DofEer) says: No one died! [NB The author was of course hoping for a nice Aren t canal camps great! type comment. Sadly one wasn t forthcoming.]
Camp 0601: Lichfield Canal This was not the greatest camp in the world: This was just a tribute... Saturday The camp began in a flurry of not very much excitement at all. The Kit was counted (despite Alice s assurances that she packed the trailer only last Thursday things were missing), vans and trailers checked, food bought and Thermarests, sleeping bags and airbeds abound. Catherine (the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, enthusiastic DofEer) says: It is mildly scary, to say the least coming to a camp where you know nobody. But everybody immediately includes you and puts you at ease. It just remains to be seen if I can last 10 days of hard work. After receiving sage health and safety advice from leader Phil and via video Mike Palmer, the camp moved en masse to the KESCRG accommodation. (It should be pointed out at this juncture that KESCRG were working on the same site over the weekend. They also had rather nice accommodation, with what we hoped was a working oven.) Needless to say Eli produced a marvel from the kitchen which was enjoyed by all. After a brief interlude to sing Happy Birthday to Martyn, all proceeded to the Bowling Green public house, where the rest of the evening passed in a happy haze of alcohol and conversation.
After another fantastic meal from Viv the cheesy mash being a particular hit a vote was taken on the week s activities and the camp moved onto the Fountain public house. Here Viv was kind enough to introduce Spencer to a charming and eloquent though inebriated local who was willing to share his thoughts on such issues as piranhas, Koi carp, genealogy, local history, frogs (eradication thereof) and the finer points of civil engineering health and safety. Needless to say this particular gentleman was none too impressed when Spencer proceeded to describe his accent as posh and concluded that that Man City and Man Utd were one and the same football club. Upon returning to the accommodation Ed was to discover that the DofEers were somewhat less innocent than they first appeared and was led horribly astray as the evening progressed. Monday The day began with Ed suffering the after affects of the previous evening s meanderings from the straight and narrow. Onsite the brick work proceeded well and a start was made on re-pointing the chamber of lock 25.
Sunday
Up on lock 24 the team uncovered a series of large coping stones. After much toil, digging, scraping and pulling two were liberated by the end of the day. Only another 11 to go!
With what will surely be the most enthusiasm of the camp; we awoke with the bare minimum of first morning hangovers.
So back to the accommodation to clean up, eat and get ready for the bowling alley in Burton. Which Ed assured us was chuffing grim! .
The weather was bright and clear on site as everyone set about their day s work. This is of course until Alice chose to sport sunglasses, when a day of intermittent hail, sleet and rain set in.
After a mystery tour approach to navigation by Alice we arrived at the bowling alley; as promised it was chuffing grim . Despite the less than salubrious surroundings a good time was had by all.
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Tuesday A day of unrelenting rain put paid to any hope of bricklaying. Catherine and Kate cheerfully endured a day brick-cleaning in the brew hut whilst work continued clearing lock 24. Due to an unfortunate sequence of drink spillage incidents Ed was presented with a Tommy Tippy child s drinking cup. Once he had mastered the sucking technique, it happily ensured that most of Ed s beverages made it safely to his mouth. After returning from site the opportunity was taken whilst we went to shower - to use the swimming pool at the local leisure centre. We returned much aggrieved to have been outdone by the Wilts and Berks camp that had been to a swimming pool with a wave machine! Before decamping to the pub the camp received an enlightening presentation on the restoration of the Lichfield and Hatherton canals. Wednesday Work on site finished at lunch today to allow us to visit the Marstons Brewery. A fantastic tour was rounded off in grand fashion with a pint or two in the bar. Alice had indeed successfully organised a piss up in a brewery!
Phill and Anthony continued their sterling work on the wing wall of lock 25. Unfortunately we had to leave site early to use the local showers which closed early over the holiday. Alas this meant a rather pleasant evening in the centre of Lichfield in a rather picturesque pub garden. It is indeed a hard life on a WRG camp! We then went back to the hall for our Curry Night. Unfortunately we lost DofEer Kate tonight, though she vowed to return for the final night party. Saturday Up at lock 24 the day was taken up removing a particularly awkward and heavy coping stone. The repointing of lock 25 continued as did building up the height of the pound wall between locks 24 and 25. That evening we proceeded to Eric s (President of the local Society) back garden. Here we enjoyed courtesy of Viv and Mark a lovely BBQ. We also had the pleasure of meeting up with Sue and Roger Burchett with a nice shiny newly painted boat Nackered Navvy.
We moved swiftly from the bar to the Coventry canal where we picked up a hire boat and enjoyed a leisurely cruise to the Plough . Being Viv s night off as cook, a fish supper in the car park was the order of the day. That evening Mark discovered the delights of the DofEers company. Thursday This morning Mark and the DofEers were elected to help Viv in the Kitchen! The rest of the camp returned to site and continued working. Come the evening the DofEers won the pub quiz it would appear that in the modern age knowing who to phone is more important than knowledge! Friday Despite the arrival of Chad and Nick, work continued apace on site. Two coping stones were removed from lock 24 and thanks to Chad and Nick the tents were erected for tomorrow s BBQ!
Bricklaying on the wall between locks 24 and 25
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The day also saw the arrival of vibrant pink T-shirts for Viv, Catherine and Ed. They sported a rather fetching motif inspired by our local friend from Sunday night in the Fountain . Sunday
Garry Clarkson, Laurence Herniman, Kate Smith, Richard Chris Tyler, Gav Moor, Boy Viv Thorpe, Spencer Collins, Adrian Fry, Mike Palmer, Martin Ludgate, Nick Bennet, Chad Reed and Steve Johnson for giving us the time they had.
Today Chad and Ed awoke without a hangover; apparently a first for a WRG event. This led to some unusually efficient work from the pair who reclaimed the bricks that had been spewed from lock 24. Adrian, Richard and Phil continued excavating lock 24, today without the annoyance of coping stones. The rest of the camp continued building up the pound wall between locks 24 and 25. Late in day Adrian gave Ed, Alice and Chad an impromptu lesson in how to use an excavator. Whilst Ed and Alice proved to be quick learners, Chad was all speed and no skill. Work was abandoned with great haste to allow the camp to make it to the showers before they closed for the holiday. After much sorting of tools and scrubbing of vehicles, beer o clock was called and the final night party began. This heralded the arrival of Kate who had not only kept her promise to return but had also brought cake! Retrieving buried coping stones from Lock 24
Acknowledgements Phil the bitch Rodwell for organising a fantastic camp! Alice Bayston for organising all the evening fun and frolics. Viv Watson and Mark Brooks for all our cracking food. Martyn Worsley most useful person. Jude s Mum for providing us with cakes for lunch everyday. Martin Ludgate
Catherine Bufton, Phill Cardy, Ed Higgins, Richard Thomas, Anthony Tidey for making it all the way through the camp.
page 12
Viv and Mark, providers of cracking food , in action on the barbecue
Camp 0602: Seven Locks, Wilts & Berks Canal: One down, one (nearly) ready to go You will, no doubt, be familiar with the Seven Locks project on the Wilts & Berks by now: it s part of the Dig Deep initiative this year, London, KESCRG and BITM have held digs there, and last year s October Canal Camp took place on the same site. It s a Good Thing: you can come back and see what progress has taken place - and progress itself is unusually dramatic by canal restoration standards, because work has been concentrated on Locks 2, 3 and 4. So for an extended period of ten days (taking in the Easter Bank Holiday weekend) The Other Easter Camp took place, with the express intention of laying waste to Lock 4, among other things. The leaders were to be Jo Smudge Smith and (fiancé!) Dave Taz Tarrant but Dave had recently scored himself a promotion and with it came a different work rota, so Yours Truly deputised where necessary. This mainly meant driving van RFB around and filling things up with the usual variety of fuels: dumpers take diesel, the brick saw takes 2-stroke, the genny takes petrol and the volunteers take tea, sarnies and cake. The cook was Harri T and the cakemaker in chief was Di. Lock 4 has been declared unstable and is to be rebuilt in new brick. The old bricks coming out have been piled up and are gradually being cleaned off and stacked onto pallets, as the local landowner has an idea that they might just sell on the architectural reclamation market. An army of navvies (some of which were already veterans of the chamber s clearance on Smudge-n-Taz s camp last October) reduced the walls down to waterline level (where a scaffolding deck had been installed) and passed the bricks up to another army of brick cleaners and sorters. This was repeated on a daily basis until It Was An ExLock. Meanwhile, at Lock 3, huge quantities of concrete backfill were poured into the trench between the permanent blockwork shuttering and the brick lock walls and the finishing touches were put to the brick coping at the tail end. Di also managed the stonework and clay-puddling job which saw the bankside married up to the wing wall on the towpath side.
Camp reports ...and the Other Easter Camp at SevenLocksontheWilts & Berks
The concreting was, to put it mildly, a backbreaking task as the lack of a small excavator meant that the aggregate had to be hand-loaded up into a dumper. After mixing, the concrete was dropped into a barrow and as a two-man lift brought the barrow up onto the retaining wall another person barrowed the mix into the trench. This happened barrow-by-barrow for about three days. Lock 2 s clearance continued, on the top end of it (the rest is under the road and the tail is still buried) with several enormous stumps coming out and bringing quite a few bits of wall with them. For reluctant stumps, we were fortunate to have Jonathan Todd on our camp. Now really, Jonathan should be cloned, drilled and added to each Kit, as when heavy, repetitive work needs doing, he will dispatch it with unbelievable ease and come straight back for more. There was one occasion, however, when even Jonathan went to fetch a machine, thus achieving stump removal and partial demolition of Lock 2 in one go.
Lock 2 at Seven Locks: Tirforing stumps out
page 13
Camp reports Mk2 learns a lyrically-simplistic song about sausages...
The Camp featured a wide range of ages and backgrounds from the Uni types to retired persons and the likes of me escaping office jobs. Robert Brotherston did his best to produce excellent brickwork on the wing walls by day and eat everything in sight by evening; boatowner and W&B regular Jeremy became rather stuck to the Lock 3 at Seven Locks: finishing the wing walls concrete job; a gang of three first-timers from Worcestershire had a go at anything (until we discovered that one was an ex-civil engineer and a master bricklayer!); Tim and Nick Snow put in a visit and once again became the formation concrete mixing team; John ate a dodgy pasty; Dennis did anything that came his way until it beat him (but he ll be back, I reckon); and Becca and Mark once again gave Lock 4 their all. Candi, wearing Ed Higgins red t-shirt (Ed was on The Other Easter Camp at Lichfield), mainly concentrated on Lock 4 (and shouted instructions to anyone who was listening from deep within) and Helena developed similarly strong leadership skills (but without the vocals) as she team-led the removal of the offside wall. Backing these two up was former paddler Paul, chuckling away as ever. Quietly and gracefully, another new recruit called Louise tried a number of things and found time to teach me the words to her lyrically-simplistic song about sausages. In return, I taught her mine. Richard played with tirfors in Lock 2, bricks in Lock 4 and an MP3 player in the van, whilst Rowena made fire, played with bricks and plugged her minidisc player into the van when Richard s MP3 wasn t already there. What these two don t know between them about cheesy music could be written on a postage stamp. Sideshows during the week included a trip to the permanent traffic jam called the Air Balloon roundabout, after which we snatched the last hour in Gloucester Waterways Museum. This was followed by piling into Costa Coffee for a very civilised caffeine fix and a fish-nchip restaurant for, well, fish & chips. This was rounded off with a visit to Over Basin, a previous WRG project of renown. There was the obligatory Skittles & 6X Fest at the pub with half a tun for a porch (never can remember its name; must be the 6X) and we also looked in at the White Hart at Lyneham excellent beer and quite possibly the only built-in Twister mat in a pub and the Foxham Inn, round the corner from the Reading Rooms which formed the accommodation. Oh, and several jigsaw puzzles were completed, though one remained sans sky! We rounded off the Camp playing games and giving many thanks to Harri T for cooking for us and Di for making a us cake every day, as frankly, without them, we never would have made it to the end. Lock 4 at Seven Locks: the chamber walls come down
page 14
Mark Mk2 Richardson
We don t just restore canals... WRG volunteers often get involved in helping to set up, run and take down various waterways festivals and other events around the canal system. These may be official WRG camps (like the one planned for the IWA National Festival at Beale Park on the Thames this August - see page 9) More often they are unofficial camps that don t appear in the Camps booklet but which will be advertised in Navvies (and are sometimes supported by one of our regional groups), and at which all volunteers will be no less welcome. Recently we have been involved in three of these: the IWA s campaign rally took place on the Basingstoke Canal, while the National Trailboat Festival went to the Lancaster Canal Northern Reaches this year. And in London, there was the Little Venice Canalway Cavalcade. Dave Moose Hearnden reports... Cavalcade 2006 This was the second time I was leading the volunteers for the Little Venice Cavalcade Festival. (Let it be known it is dangerous to get intoxicated at a meeting of WRGies otherwise you might find you have volunteered for all sorts of things. In this case it was Bonfire Bash 2 years ago - time just flies by!)
Camp reports Moose reports from the Little VeniceCanalwayCavalcaderally
No one is saying if you have not booked in you cannot come, but please think of the poor leaders - just try and give us as much warning as possible. Even if you only provisionally say you will be arriving. Now on to the important bit: the camp report but remember this was an unofficial camp... Most people turn up at the camp, by car, train or bus/coach, but because the accommodation is in boats Maria and I turned up in our narrowboat Daisybob, which means the journey that would take an hour by car from Stanstead Abbotts to the Grand Union Paddington Arm (right next to Paddington railway station in London) took rather longer. A cruise from our mooring at Stanstead Abbotts on the River Lee to Waltham Abbey took 3½ hours, then three boatloads of people from Sawbridgeworth on the Stort joined us. They included Gary, an old WRGie, (now with more grey hair), also Colin who helped Gary to bring his boat along last year and liked it so much decided to come back for more. Also an old chestnut in Andy Hubbard who was last seen at the National last year (and before that at Waltham Abbey 2000 National) and is now a trained paramedic, plus his girlfriend Jacky came along for the fun! And on the last boat was Mouse yes that s right MOUSE. (So many people got confused with MOOSE and MOUSE.)
Martin Ludgate
I think before I start this report I have an observation. Why is it that even after several emails and articles in Navvies, people still book in within a day or two of the event starting? I am for ever saying book in either through Head Office (for the National Festival) or through me (in this case for Cavalcade). I want everyone to turn up and enjoy themselves but at places like Canalway Cavalcade where accommodation is at a premium I cannot magic another boat out of thin air. For those who have never blessed the Cavalcade with their presence, the accommodation is on boats, so I have to work out what accommodation I have - and how many volunteers have booked in with me? Now you will understand the problem. I also had a problem that we believed that the main accommodation boat would take about 12 Volunteers but as proved this year that was not the case, and it would accommodate only 7 in toBungle at the controls of Opportunity tal. Why, I don t know.
page 15
Then on the Tuesday before the festival we took 10 hours to get from Waltham Abbey to Paddington Arm arriving a little after 19:30hrs. This included stopping at the Pirate Club, (a children s water activities centre), to load our accommodation boat with items left there for storage. Once I had arrived at Little Venice I had to make a dash to go to a meeting, leaving the others to sort out their own food etc, Maria would be traveling by train as she had to work during the day, and meet me at the meeting. Meeting over, it was back to the boat for me, to start preparing for the festival. Wednesday was a day of settling down and sorting out odds and sods, and the rest of the volunteers would start arriving. Thursday was the start of everything happening. Site 1 gave us an early alarm call so we were up for the marquee man, who started putting up his marquees by 7.00am, and we helped unload 185 chairs, 27 wooden trestle tables and 14 round white garden tables into a empty shop unit. This sounds easy but it was a lift and a long walk in the bowels of the Paddington Central area. The fencing arrived but we could not put up the compound until Paddington Basin had received their copy of the Health and Safety file, including all the risk assessments etc. but there was a delay..
Martin Ludgate from LWRG turned up with some catering kit that I had asked for including first aid kit etc. Things started to look good. Friday dawned and Jenny our cook turned up (Maria had been cooking and being Site 2 and WRG 2 all at the same time) The Tardis-shaped portaloos turned up and were unloaded. You know when the loos turn up every thing will be fine? Sometimes spanners are thrown in the works During Friday it was a case of some traders coming in, banners and signs being put up. One problem was we had no PLT (stands for poxy little trailer ), which has in its bowels fire extinguishers, 4-wheeled trolleys, 12 market stalls and more banners. PLT was to have arrived on Thursday but Malcolm Bridge, who was bringing it down from the darkest depths of the north, had a slight leak on his radiator on his car, and being unable to get a replacement had to wait while they repaired his.
Martin Ludgate
Bungle, that very nice chap, was bringing a hired-in trailable generator for the festival and we had an agreement that it would be in a car park underneath the towpath (yes it is really hollow underneath the towpath by the Paddington Central area). Bungle was due to arrive about 15:30hrs and in the morning things changed and we had no place to put said genny. With a bit of frantic diplomacy on Paddington Central s side and our Site 1 speaking to Monsoon s security with 5 minutes to spare we were given the go ahead. I had just received the OK that we could use the space when Bungle phoned up saying he was there.
Also I was told we could start putting up the compound, so up went the fencing, tables and chairs, then our boat and the Pirate Club boat could be unpacked as that had now arrived.
The pool at Little Venice full of boats for Canalway Cavalcade
The PA man came in the afternoon, to rig up the Public Address system for the weekend. Andy helped him set up, and cable-tie everything down. The PA boat was connected up when it was finally in position in the pool. Three volunteers were sent off to Laburnum Boat Club to fetch the boat Opportunity, calling at Camden Market to pick up six market stalls on the way back. They were back by about 15:00hrs so after a quick cup of tea it was time to load up Opportunity with security fencing and to take it to the BW site. By this time the Waterspace team were organising boats arriving from the visitors moorings and being placed in position in the pool, but the BW site is right were these boats were passing. A quick call on the radio and it was cleared so Opportunity went with crew to move and erect fencing. Oh what a fun time was had by all: traders had started to come in, only a select few, but it was enough. PLT and Malcolm arrived Saturday morning arrived it was very cold but at 07:00hrs we then had an influx of traders and market stalls had to be put together. The normal tables and chairs etc had to be delivered. At 10:00hrs the festival opened, and all the volunteers went back to the compound for a well earned cup of tea. All that was left was litter picking and the odds and sods, e.g. moving tables and chairs. Then at the end of Saturday, a bit more litter picking and tidying away things that might go missing overnight. Sunday morning: as my alarm went off I could hear the rain bouncing off the roof of the boat. Oh well, we had to start, and after a quick litter pick and placing out the chairs and tables it stopped raining and the sun could almost be seen coming out just as the show opened again. I was asked by Commercial if we could move five market stalls, as the situation they were in was not the best and it was decided we had a better position for them. These stalls were moved very quickly and were set up in time for the traders to come back and load their wares on top. Monday was jut the same: it was raining when my alarm went off but the rain stopped almost as the show opened.
After the rush of closing the event, taking back the items that go walkies like tables, chairs, fire extinguishers etc (and helping Malcolm and Bungle to do a kit check on the pasty wagon Land Rover as it was reloaded) we had the normal end of camp BBQ in the compound. We invited other volunteers who had helped to make the festival a success; some of these people I will be working with for the National. Shame we were so late. Packing up the event was almost identical to setting it up except in reverse. Three people went off with Opportunity and market stalls and then arrived back by train. Volunteers started leaving from Monday evening, with the last departing Tuesday after lunch. Several things come out of this festival:- Hurricane Bob from LWRG can be slowed down: just keep giving him work, and slowly he slows down. Tay - even though he was up first with Adam for directing traffic - kept smiling. (or was he thinking of ways to get his own back on me?) The lot from Sawbridgeworth could be convinced to work late on site, so everyone else could go for their Chinese meal. (Sorry Maria & I could not make it maybe next time). Rick and Taz are very active litter pickers. I think Shelia had warned Jerry (him from Commercial) that he was not to throw his radio to the fish this year, because he was made to sign for it (in blood!). Bruce (Shelia s other half, who are the parents of Elanor) who helped Bungle and Malcolm with the electrics. I was a bit worried because while on Daisybob having my yearly bath my boat was rammed by another boat not once but a couple of times. Assuming it was Bungle up to his normal driving I decided to have words with him later, but forgot about it. I was reminded about the incident by Bruce saying he has been awarded his first WRG ticket for boats - I asked when did he take this, and worked out it was while I was in the bath... I must thank all the volunteers: those from WRG and those from Sawbridgeworth. We were short on numbers but everyone with very few exceptions worked their cotton picking socks off . People like Elanor kept coming up to me asking for the next job, or saying you know where we are if more jobs come up . As I write this drinking a beer, I raise my glass to you all. Thank you. It leaves just to say thank you London WRG for the loan of the catering kit etc and big thanks go to Jenny the cook for all her hard work, all the other members of the Cavalcade committee. All you need to remember is it s a joint effort, next year will be easier, won t it??? And a big hug for Maria. Moose
Diary
Canal Camps cost £42 per week unless otherwise stated. Bookings for WRG Canal Camps (those identified by a camp number e.g. 'Camp 0604') should go to WRG Canal Camps, PO Box 114, Rickmansworth WD3 1ZY. Tel: 01923 711114. Email: enquiries@wrg.org.uk
Jun 24/25
London WRG
Wilts & Berks (to be confirmed)
Jun 24-Jul 1
Camp 0603
CANCELLED (was Chichester Ship Canal Camp)
Jun 24-Jul 1
Camp 0604
Lord Rolle s Canal Camp: Leader: Chris Wicks, assistant: Alice Bayston
Jun 30-Jul 2
wrgNW
Saul Junction Festival: Work party & Sales Stand
Jun 30-Jul-2
CCT
Cotswold Canals Trust Saul Festival: see www.junctionevents.org.uk
Jul 1/2
KESCRG
Wey & Arun Canal: Dig Deep project at Brewhurst Lock
Jul 1/2
wrgSW
Saul Junction Canal Festival: Helping with Site Services
Jul 1/2
Essex WRG
Wilts & Berks Canal: Dig Deep project on the Seven Locks flight
Jul 1-8
Camp 0605
Wilts & Berks Abingdon Junction Camp: IWA Diamond Jubilee project: Leader:
Jul 1-8
Camp 0606
Lord Rolle s Canal Camp: Leaders: ???????????????
Jul 1 Sat
Navvies
Press date for issue 218: including Canal Societies directory
Jul 6 & 10
wrgNW
Tameside Canal Festival: Swingbridge erection (Thu) and dismantling (Mon)
Jul 8-15
Camp 0607
CANCELLED (was Wilts & Berks Abingdon Junction)
Jul 8-15
Camp 0608
Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal Camp: Bywash construction near Fourteen Lo
Jul 9 Sun
WRG
Committee & Board Meetings
Jul 15/16
London WRG
Wilts & Berks Canal: Dig Deep project at Seven Locks
Jul 15 Sat
wrgNW
Paper Chase waste paper collection
Jul 15-22
Camp 0609
Wey & Arun Canal Camp: Brewhurst Lock (Dig Deep) project at Loxwood (led &
Jul 15-22
Camp 0610
Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal Camp: Bywash construction near Fourteen Lo
Jul 22-29
wrgBITM
Monmouthshire & Brecon Summer Camp: Dig Deep project near Fourteen Loc (led & supported by wrgBITM)
Jul 22-29
Camp 0611
Wey & Arun Canal Camp: Brewhurst Lock (Dig Deep) project at Loxwood (led &
Jul 29-Aug 5 Camp 0613
Wey & Arun Canal Camp: Brewhurst Lock project at Loxwood (led & supported
Aug 5/6
London WRG
Derby Canal
Aug 5/6
wrgSW
Wilts & Berks Canal
Aug 5/6
Essex WRG
Tool maintenance and catering trailer construction at Braintree.
Aug 5-12
Camp 0615
Wilts & Berks Abingdon Junction Camp: IWA Diamond Jubilee project: Leaders
Aug 5-12
Camp 0616
Wilts & Berks (Steppingstones Bridge) Camp: Leader Mike Palmer and Becky P
Aug 5-13
WAT
Wendover Work Week: Bentomat lining
Aug 12 Sat
wrgNW
Paper Chase waste paper collection
Aug 12-19
Camp 0617
Wilts & Berks Abingdon Junction Camp: IWA Diamond Jubilee project: Leaders
Aug 12-19
Camp 0618
Wilts & Berks (Steppingstones Bridge) Camp: Leader: Adrian Fry, assistant: ???
Aug 22-30
Camp 0619
IWA National Festival Camp at Beale Park: Leader: Dave Moose Hearnden, as
Aug 26-28
KESCRG
National Festival: running Bhajee Stand
Aug 26-28
IWA
National Waterways Festival: Beale Park, on River Thames near Reading
Sep 1 Fri
Navvies
Press date for issue 219
Sep 9/10
NWPG
Mon & Brec Canal: Dig Deep project at Fourteen Locks
page 18
Please send updates to Diary compiler: Dave Wedd, 7 Ringwood Rd, Blackwater, Camberley, Surrey GU17 0EY. Tel 01252 874437. email: dave.wedd@wrg.org.uk.
p
Tim Lewis
07802-518094
london@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk
David McCarthy
0161-740-2179
nw@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk
Eddie Jones
0845-226-8589
eddie@kescrg.org.uk
Gavin Moor
07970-989245
gavin.moor@wrg.org.uk
Dave Dobbin
01702-544096
essex@wrg.org.uk
Ed Walker, assistant: Liz Wilson
enquiries@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk
Martin Ludgate
020-8693-3266
martin.ludgate@wrg.org.uk
David McCarthy
0161-740-2179
nw@wrg.org.uk
cks: Leaders: Rob Daffern and James Butler
enquiries@wrg.org.uk
Mike Palmer
01564-785293
mike.palmer@wrg.org.uk
Tim Lewis
07802-518094
london@wrg.org.uk
David McCarthy
0161-740-2179
& supported by NWPG)
enquiries@wrg.org.uk
cks: Leaders: James Butler and Rob Daffern
enquiries@wrg.org.uk
ks
Dave Wedd
01252-874437
& supported by KESCRG)
bookings@wrgBITM.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk
by WACT)
enquiries@wrg.org.uk Tim Lewis
07802-518094
london@wrg.org.uk
Gavin Moor
07970-989245
gavin.moor@wrg.org.uk
Dave Dobbin
01702-544096
essex@wrg.org.uk
s Harry Watts and Corinne Watson
enquiries@wrg.org.uk
Parr
enquiries@wrg.org.uk Roger Leishman
01442-874536
David McCarthy
0161-740-2179
: Nina Whiteman and Izzy Gascoigne
enquiries@wrg.org.uk
???????????
enquiries@wrg.org.uk
ssistant Ed Higgins
enquiries@wrg.org.uk Eddie Jones
0845-226-8589
eddie@kescrg.org.uk
Martin Ludgate
020-8693-3266
martin.ludgate@wrg.org.uk
Graham Hawkes
0118-941-0586
grahamhawkes@btinternet.com
page 19
Diary
Mobile groups' social evenings
(please phone to confirm before turning up) London WRG: 7:30pm on Tues 11 days before each dig. Usually at 'Star Tavern', Belgrave Mews West, London. Tim Lewis 07802-518094 or email: tim@timlewis.org.uk. NWPG: 9:00pm on 3rd Tue of month at the 'Hope Tap', West end of Friar St. Reading. Graham Hawkes 0118 941 0586
Canal SocietiesÂ’ regular monthly or weekly working parties Please send any amendments, additions and deletions to Dave Wedd (address on previous page) 3rd Sunday of month BCNS Jeff Barley 2nd Sunday & following Thurs BCS Buckingham area 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 Every Saturday DCT Droitwich Canal Jon Axe Last Sunday of month EAWA N Walsham & Dilham Kevin Baker 4th Sunday of month ECPDA Langley Mill Michael Golds Second Sun of month FIPT Foxton Inclined PlaneMike Beech 2nd weekend of month GCRS Grantham Canal Colin Bryan 2nd Sat of month GWCT Nynehead Lift Denis Dodd Tuesdays H&GCT Oxenhall Brian Fox Weekends H&GCT Over Wharf House Maggie Jones Wednesdays H&GCT Over Wharf House Wilf Jones Weekends H&GCT Hereford Aylestone Martin Danks Every Sunday if required IWPS Bugsworth Basin Ian Edgar 1st Saturday & 3rd Wed. IWA Ipswich Stowmarket Navigtn. Colin Turner 2nd weekend of month K&ACT John Rolls 2nd Sunday of month LCT Lancaster N. Reaches Will Warburg 1st, 2nd, 4th Sun + 3rd Sat LHCRT Lichfield Phil Sharpe 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 1st Sunday of month SNT Haverholme Lock Dave Pullen 1st weekend of month SUCS Newhouse Lock Mike Friend 3rd Sunday of month TMCA David Rouse Every Sunday & Thurs WACT varied construction Eric Walker Mondays (2 per month) WACT tidying road crossings John Empringham Tuesdays WACT Tickner's Heath Depot Colin Gibbs Wednesdays WACT maintenance work Peter Jackman Wednesdays WACT Loxwood Link Peter Wilding Tues, Thurs & Sats WACT Winston Harwood Grp Laurie Wraight Various dates WACT Hedgelaying (Oct-Mar)Keith Nichols 1st w/e of month (Fri-Mon) WAT Drayton Beauchamp Roger Leishman Every weekend WBCT Wilts & Berks Canal Peter Smith Every Sunday W&BCC Dauntsey / Foxham Rachael Banyard
Abbreviations used in Diary BCNS BCS BCT ChCT CCT DCT EAWA ECPDA FIPT GCRS GWCT H&GCT IWPS K&ACT
page 20
Birmingham Canal Navigations Soc. Buckingham Canal Society Bude Canal Trust Chesterfield Canal Trust Cotswolds Canals Trust Droitwich Canals Trust East Anglian Waterways Association Erewash Canal Pres. & Devt. Assoc. Foxton Inclined Plane Trust Grantham Canal Restoration Society Grand Western Canal Trust Hereford & Gloucester Canal Trust Inland Waterways Protection Society Kennet & Avon Canal Trust
KESCRG LCT LHCRT NWPG PCAS SCARS SCCS SHCS SNT SUCS TMCA WACT WAT WBCT W&BCC
01543-373284 01908-661217 01288-353273 01246-620695 01453 825515 01452-854057 01453-872405 01451-860181 0121-608 0296 01362-699855 0115-932-8042 0116-279-2657 0115-989-2248 01823-661653 01432 358628 01452 618010 01452 413888 01432 344488 01663-732493 01473-730586 01189-666316 01931-713317 01889-583330 01543-374370 01757-638027 01744-731746 01225-428055 01483-721710 01673-862278 01948-880723 01474-362861 023-9246-3025 01483-562657 020-8241-7736 01483-772132 01483-422519 01903-721404 01403-753882 01442-874536 01793-852883 01249-892289
Kent & E Sussex Canal Rest. Group Lancaster Canal Trust Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Rest'n Trust Newbury Working Party Group Pocklington Canal Amenity Society Sankey Canal Restoration Society Somersetshire Coal Canal Society Surrey & Hants Canal Society Sleaford Navigation Trust Shropshire Union Canal Society Thames & Medway Canal Association Wey & Arun Canal Trust Wendover Arm Trust Wilts & Berks Canal Trust Wilts & Berks Canal Company
Ashby Canal Restoration of Ashby Canal has progressed by leaps and bounds over the last year, with a new stretch restored, and approval given to reinstate a further 3 miles between the current terminus and Measham. May 2005 saw the official opening of a further restored length of Ashby Canal, between Moira and Donisthorpe. The 700 yards of canal to Donisthorpe completed reconstruction in the Moira area, giving a navigable link of nearly 1.5 miles between Donisthorpe Woodland Park, Moira Furnace and Conkers Waterside. Later in the autumn came the long-awaited news that work could now start on the Snarestone Measham section, bringing the prospect of a further 3 miles restored by 2010. On 14 September the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs approved the County CouncilÂ’s application for a Transport and Works Act Order to restore the canal - particularly significant because it is the first time this legislation has been used in this way.
Progress
...on the Ashby Northern Reaches and the Basingstoke... The order requires that works are ready to proceed within three years and be substantially completed within a further two years. February 2006 saw preparatory work begin on the new phase, with a range of studies and investigations set in motion. These include trial pits and test borehole drilling to establish the ground conditions for this major project, independent hydrological studies to establish water resources, an ecological study, an archaeological survey by Leicester University, along with ongoing design work by the County Council. The County Council is leading the canal restoration project, with grants and contributions from many local and national organisations among them the IWA which has provided ÂŁ8,000 grant towards the site investigation works.
The new and reinstated canal will run for just under 3 miles from the current canal terminus The Ashby Canal Assoto Measham, ciation run regular work where it will terparties in support of the minate at a new restoration. Details of wharf. From current activities are availSnarestone to a able from Rod Smith - see point near the Navvies Directory for conformer Ilott tact details. Wharf, the canal is to follow the Basingstoke Canal former course of (Surrey & Hants Canal the Ashby Canal Soc) with a new acqueduct over Brookwood: Work Parthe Gilwiskaw ties for the year have conBrook. The new centrated on the canal will then Brookwood Hospital Site, leave the route of in preparation for the the old canal to Campaign Rally in May. cross farmland Test borehole drilling for the Ashby extension to join the track Visiting Groups and Sociof a disused railety Volunteers have been way line to Measham, crossing the High Street working on the site since May 2005, completing on an aqueduct, sited where the old railway infrastructure and canal clearing in April 2006. 800 crossed the road. Once in Measham, the canal metres of old chain link fence have been removed, is to leave the disused railway line and rejoin the moved by barge and off loaded into skips. An acformer line of the Ashby Canal and terminate at a cess strip needed clearing before machinery could new wharf. be used for post removal and extraction.
page 21
Progress
...and the Grantham, Shrewsbury & Newport and Sleaford... Improved access into the Park from the canal was next on the agenda, a ramp was constructed at the halfway point with rails and revetments retaining the slope and providing a safety barrier around the seepage culvert. Other access points not requiring safety rails were constructed.
Grantham Canal The 29th-30th April bank holiday weekend saw the combined team of Essex and Northwest WRG together with the local GCRS team decimate the fast-regrowing willows left in the bed after the 2004 Bonfire bash on the Grantham Canal. Special permission had been obtained from BW for just these trees, as we were working within nesting season. Just within welly depth but with the help of the odd Youngman board, the combined group made impressive progress along the section.
The very hot and dry conditions in June 2005 were not ideal for surfacing the informal path along the north bank of the canal with stone. Path formation, stone laying and rolling teams moved along the path, dumpers supplied the stone to the laying teams from the jetty area. A total of 400 tonnes of stone was laid over two weekends in very hot and dry conditions; the stone had to be kept damp and the volunteers required frequent supplies of cold drinks. A permanent 20-metre jetty has been constructed from re-cycled felled timber from Deepcut. The BCA provided the wood from the sawmill at Deepcut and our volunteers constructed the jetty early this Clearing stumps from the Grantham Canal bed year completing it in March. The site has a Siberian climate in winter; cold hands resulted Our thanks from GCRS to Lynne (who sadly was in nuts and washers falling into the canal and burgled at home whilst away on the camp!) and slower progress than we would have wished. the rest of the team (including Mr Mac and his brew expertise). We look forward to meeting you February and March provided the opportunity for all again later in the year. bank side clearing, HSBC Volunteers and Swingbridge coppiced the low growth. WRG BITM Colin Bryan cleared the mature and overhanging trees marked for felling, also winching out stumps from the Stop Press: Bonfire Bash accommodation conbank. Tug and barge-supported tree removal and firmed. With kind permission of Trudy Brothwell, later clearance of overhanging growth from the Head teacher, St Hugh s CE High School, channel; Newbury Working Party and SHCS vol- Grantham NG31 7PX. unteers carried out this work. Shrewsbury & Newport Canals St Johns: The pump installation at St Johns was scheduled to start on 8th March; our volunteers Trust volunteers have now completed Phase 1 of are working on the flow meter chamber construc- the clearance work at Wappenshall Junction, tion so that the pump contractor can install the which lies at the joining of three historic canals meter required by the E.A. the Shrewsbury, the Newport Branch and the Trench Branch. The latter was a tub boat canal The pump will be powered by a generator for the that linked the industrial heartland of Ironbridge and duration of the Campaign Rally with electricity and surrounding towns and villages with the national towpath works following in August/September. waterways network.
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Over 150 man-days of hard toil have been expended on the old Junction area, and it shows. The clearance work will prevent any further deterioration of this historic site, and has revealed the extent of the canal antiquities that still remain ready for restoration and regeneration of the area. To mark the completion, a group from the Staffordshire IWA, led by Alison Smedley, made a formal presentation of a cheque to the S&NCT the money to fund tools, hi-vis waistcoats and a first aid box for the working parties. On Friday 24 March, twenty volunteer workers braved the cold, wet & highly un-springlike weather to make a start on the clearance of Lubstree Wharf, just to the north of Leegomery, Telford, which is the terminus of the Humber Arm and still has water for 200 yards. Fourteen of the workers were trainee pilots from the Defence Helicopter Flying School at RAF Shawbury, while the other six were stalwarts from previous working parties at Wappenshall Junction. Sleaford Navigation Lincolnshire Waterways Partnership has offered the Trust a substantial proportion of the money needed for its Head of Navigation project to recreate the waterway s terminus in Sleaford including a new turning point and liftbridge. The Trust has also discussed the possibility of obtaining WREN funding to make up the balance needed. The new lift bridge installation will be project managed by the County Council Highways Department who are the owners of the current bridge, and already progress is being made with preliminary sketches being shown to the Environment Agency before being submitted formally.
Group photo and cheque presentation to mark the completion of the S&N Wappenshall clearance The Trust hopes that the new bridge, which will be much wider than the old one and therefore better for wheelchairs and pushchairs, will be in place by the end of this year or early 2007. The Trust have also been in discussion with WRG with a view to volunteer construction of the Winding Hole and Slipway in the Summer of 2007. As yet the talks are at an early stage but there do not seem to be any major problems so far. In addition, the Trust is absolutely delighted that the restoration of Navigation House won a commendation in the Waterways Renaissance Awards.
The low-level footbridge over the head of the Sleaford Navigation and its planned replacement
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Progress
...plus the Suffolk Stour, Sussex Ouse and Sankey Canal... River Stour Stratford St Mary Lock Restoration: After several years of deliberation and discussion, work started in 2006 on restoring the lock at Stratford St Mary on the River Stour, a navigation since 1705 that runs along the Essex / Suffolk border. There are currently three working locks on the navigation: two restored by the River Stour Trust , and the third a completely new lock built for the Trust.
Sankey Canal
Unlike the other former lock sites on the river, only at Stratford is there any substantial structure remaining. When this lock is restored navigation will be possible from the barrage at Cattawade (where the freshwater river joins the estuary) through the locks at Flatford and Dedham and the lock at Stratford to the confluence of the rivers Stour and Brett. We have decided to do as much of the restoration as possible using volunteers. The progress to date is as follows:
. . . . . . . .
The Society continues with its work to remove debris from the canal and tidy up its surroundings. At a recent working party in St Helens the following were recovered from the canal:-
· · · · · · ·
16 supermarket trolleys 6 bikes 2 pushchairs 1 computer 1 fisherman s umbrella Various bits of fishing tackle and, believe it or not... 1 horse s skull!
Some of the debris is pictured above!
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. . . . . .
On-site meetings and discussions with the Environment Agency and the local water Company (Essex and Suffolk Water) - it was the forerunner of the water company that last restored the lock - in 1928. Three Saturday work parties with average attendance of 15, mostly members of the Trust but also Ipswich IWA members. Many other smaller ad hoc work parties. Tool store on site (with many tools). Mess Room on site (caravan) cleaned out, awaiting checking and connection of gas hob for brew-ups. work boat providing ferry service to lock from Waterworks site. safety rails erected around whole lock. most tree felling accomplished on site - including clearance of main channel (which was blocked by fallen and overhanging trees). tree stumps removed. sandbag dams above and below lock constructed (to allow pumping out of lock and to protect volunteers). redundant power post removed. some spoil removed from just above and just below one of the lower gates - but gate not opened yet. lock sides cleared. some armorblock on the spillway cleared.
For further information please contact John Morris, 01473 822612, RST@the-morrises.net. The Sussex Ouse in brief... The Trust has managed to agree with local landowners that it should begin work on Isfield Lock, and work is scheduled to start on 13 May 2006. Additional volunteers are needed if the project is not to turn out to be very slow!
Wey & Arun Canal Next phase of the Loxwood Road Crossing: Many readers will be aware that in order for the restored canal to pass under the B2133 main road through Loxwood, it is necessary to lower the canal by 1.7m from the existing Brewhurst Lock on the south side to a new lock on the north side of the crossing. The new lock is now at an advanced stage of construction and the Trust members thoughts are turning to the next phase of work lowering the canal bed and towpath and also the lowering of Brewhurst Lock to accommodate the new water levels. Agreement has been reached with a local landowner to use the spoil arising from the excavation to raise the ground levels in a field adjacent to the canal. The timing of this operation is dependant upon the harvesting of oil seed rape in the field, and then relies on dry weather for the movement of the spoil. The work on Brewhurst Lock will utilise the resources of three visiting groups of volunteers - KESCRG, NWPG and the WACT camp teamp - who will spend their week-long summer camps in July working on this project, followed by weekends through the autumn, with the aim of achieving an adapted working lock by Christmas.
...not forgetting the Wey & Arun Canal The Trust is taking the opportunity also to lengthen the lock to meet modern design parameters. The walls will be faced with site-made precast blocks having a Fittleworth stone aggregate which gives a good match to the original coursed stone construction, and these will be backed with mass concrete. Probably the most time consuming task will be to extend the ground paddle sluices and the associated vertical shafts which will accommodate the new ground paddle gear. At the Onslow Arms end of the lowered pound it will be necessary to undertake some structural work to the banks to support the higher ground levels and provide space for moorings. So the coming months will witness a good deal of activity on the canal as this major project takes another step towards completion. All we need then is a new bridge to carry the High Street over the canal! Graham Baird
Martin Ludgate
The alteration work involves reducing the depth of the lock by 1.7 m by demolishing the copings and upper stonework, and completely reconstructing the upper cill area to suit the new water levels.
Progress
Tripboat Zachariah Keppel in Brewhurst Lock. By Christmas, this lock will have been rebuilt 1.7m lower
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Camp report
Supporting the IWA Campaign Rally on the Basingstoke Canal NO NO NO NO NO NO NO Parking on the field Or: WRG support the campaign rally on the Basingstoke Canal Although many of you may think at my age I should remember the good old days of campaign rallies I have actually only ever seen pictures and heard fond tales of fighting the weed and debris to reach threatened corners of the system for a rally. (Although I have just got used to calling the National a Festival.) So when MKP sent round a message about supporting Pete Redway at the rally in Brookwood Park near Woking on the funding-threatened Basingstoke I thought it might be a worthy cause to help over a Bank Holiday weekend. I duly dropped a daughter off to prepare onions with KESCRG for Wendover and drove to Surrey. On arrival I was politely informed the site was very wet so there was no parking on the field, but having persuaded the gateman I was there for the whole 3 days I was allowed to park on the tarmac outside the new sports hall which was the very comfortable accommodation: hot showers in all rooms, actually, home , away and referees changing areas, and a digibox telly in the lounge. I was met by a slightly flustered WRG Chairman, who having been told he needed to prepare for his speech at the forthcoming opening ceremony, was trying to find clean - or at least less muddy - attire, and have a shower. He is next scheduled for one in January 2007 for some reason that currently escapes me. Well there is a drought order in the South. I left Mike to his washing activities, donned my boots and trudged onto site quickly appreciating the premise..NO NO NO NO NO NO NO Parking on the field. A combination of 2 weeks rain, a newly mown area of rough terrain, and pre-rally vehicle movements, had resulted in a boggy site. Moose was even having to be circumspect, if that is not a contradiction in terms, with his mini-tractor and trailer but eventually had to be pulled out the mud by Rachel on the dumper, when he became over-ambitious. Moose of course blamed the fact the Kubota had grass tyres for the owner s croquet lawn, which were not suitable for rather this site s more testing conditions
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Jude was promoting WRG in what she believed was the WRG tent, however it was later to become at various times, the Entertainments tent for that popular group Leepers Kock sorry Keepers Lock, the changing room for the Irish Dancers (the organisers were sending them into the bushes behind the generator), the lunch room, the bar (thanks for the barrels Pete), a refuge for toads and creepy crawlies, and an overnight storage unit for exhibitors wares. Meanwhile the opening ceremony was underway, with a relatively clean MKP awaiting his moment whilst the IWA Chairman and local dignitaries accompanied by their French counterparts from Orleans, made their speeches. The only thing was the French gentleman spoke no English so the local Society Chairman casually announced he would translate, only to realise his O level schoolboy French could not cope. Vive le/la Entente Cordial. Fortunately a member of the crowd stepped forward and saved the day. That was that and MKP had been fooled, he was not required to speak he was just needing a shower after several days wallowing in mud setting up electrics and tents, as needs doing at these things. The rest of Saturday went steadily with a smattering of people enjoying the small array of stalls manned by their enthusiastic volunteers. Unfortunately the rain came just as the young Irish Dancers were in mid routine but they soldiered on as the staging wobbled under their energetic jigging. The rain helped spice up the mud and increase the resemblance of the exits to the Somme, which made getting the coffee and ice cream sellers vans off site even more of a challenge. Thank goodness that Pete Redway s son had a customised Range Rover with extra suspension that could dig deep ruts but still extract heavy vehicles. That would help for Sunday!!! There were an increasing number of references to Wakefield and Burton. After ferrying stallholders back to terra firma we retired to a feast prepared by Jude and Helen who fed us admirably despite there only being a griddle and a baby Belling cooker. The evening was spent in front of the telly with idle banter and reminiscences. Sunday was a better day; sun cream was duly applied before getting the stall holders back over the mud and the coffee van and ice cream man in situ. The sun brought out the public, the ice cream van did good trade, safe in the knowledge the Vintage tractor had volunteered to replace the dumper as his recovery vehicle at the end of the day.
Much of the day was spent helping set up the Surrey & Hampshire tent for their 40th anniversary party it was best that way as you should never trust an octagenarian lady with a gas Burco. More toads were rescued from under the sleepers that were used to stop the chairs and their users disappearing completely into the mud. It did not rain all day perhaps because the local churches (no Sign of the Vicar of Dibley) held their service in the middle of the site, but more people and the churning of the ground the previous evening had made the mud more hazardous. The vintage tractor man duly rushed over to the ice cream van at the closure of the day, and not withstanding his protestations that he still had customers, attached his ropes. Once the van was up to its axles in mud the front wheels of the tractor started to lift of the ground. It was left to the Range Rover to effect a recovery, increase the depth and number of ruts and thereby enhance the resemblance to the Somme. After another super supper we were all back on site to marshall the crowds for the illuminated boat parade. That all went smoothly except for the small boat that found the winding point too narrow and tried to sink a moored boat by rammingrumour abounds the steerer went to United Dairies rather than Specsavers for his night sights. An effort was then made to empty at least one of the barrels of beer.
Despite some heavy rain and even hail stones the event continued and the weather even relented later on so a few more folk ventured out. The highlight of the event came late morning when we were asked to go and meet a trail boater who having booked and cancelled twice had decided to come at the last minute. As it was quiet on site we all 8 went along plus Bob (London WRG) who had popped in for a look around. We duly stopped the traffic to allow this IWA sticker carrying chap and wife to back onto the slipway. He then proceeded to entertain/annoy us by slagging off WRG s attempt at help at Lancaster where he had put his boat in the water at Easter,and by suggesting to Bob who had covered up his WRG T shirt and did not look as muddy as the rest of us, that he did not need the help of an interfering member of the public, despite the fact ten seconds earlier Bob had shown him how his strap holder came undone. He tried to generally order us about as if we were there for his sole benefit and when this met with limited success was very rude shouting instructions to his long suffering wife as she helped reverse the car and trailer down the slip way. He eventually accepted a suggestion that by going forward the boat would be snatched into the water we left him to it, reassuring him publically we would be around to help extract him, although privately vowing to be very busy when that time came. He may still be afloat!!! Basil Fawlty eat your heart out. Breakdown went smoothly; everyone got off site without incident and by the time I left about 6.30 all but the IWA marquee were down and the kit trailer was almost packed.
SHCS
Monday lived up to the weather predictions: it began to shower heavily as stall holders came on site. One pair of chaps who had toys made mainly from cardboard decided enough was enough and beat a hasty retreat to save their stock becoming too soggy and unsaleable. For me their parting words summed up the spirit of the event: We have never taken more than £75 in a day so we are over the moon to have taken over £100 on both days.
The ice cream man surprisingly reappeared despite the black clouds and the fact he had been up half the night cleaning mud from his van, but wisely took advice he should stay on the tarmac by the toilets rather than attempt to reach the site.
Some of the 140 or so boats that attended the Basingstoke Campaign Rally
Overall a great 3 days showing you do not have to have a super site to have fun but with some enthusiasm and purpose one can raise awareness of the need to keep the waterways open and maintained. Brian Bayston
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Logistics
The Price of Fish
It seems like a long time since I wrote anything for Navvies so I wanted to jot something down for you before the main camp season starts. I need to remind you all of the normal boring annual things (regardless of if you choose to remember or even read them at all!). Please don t forget the usual plea from me to keep the kits as clean and tidy as they should be when you receive them. In particular there is all the brick kit and anything used to mix muck or concrete including the cement mixers please one of them was terrible but thanks to Ed on the Lichfield Easter camp for sacrificing his toothbrush and tidying it up into a much better state than when it went out!
Remember why they are called accommodation buckets ?
At the end of the day it s equipment for YOU to use, so please just take a little time to think about the volunteers five weeks on who have to use it! Please keep it clean and mortar/concrete-free! Can I also ask that you don t clean the vans with the kit (or village hall!) mops please? I know reaching the high bits can be tricky but get something to stand on or just take them to the nearest jet-wash (which is by far the better option anyway although not always the most practical if you re out in-the-sticks !). We have a couple of very shiny vans at the moment so please try to keep them that way by not scratching the paintwork with grit-filled mops! Thank you. I grow tired of having to repeat myself (and I m sure lots of you are bored of hearing/ reading it!) but I also have to remember that there are some people who won t have read many Navvies issues yet! I d also like to draw your attention to the cost of various items in the kits so you may begin to appreciate what the upkeep of the kits entails (but don t worry, I m not going to list the entirety of the kits/cost per item it would use up most of this Navvies issue!). But I really wanted to start with saying a few thank-yous . Thanks to Alison and Alice for coming over to mine for a weekend to help with kit-sorting prior to the Easter camps, and again to Alice for joining me at the containers to finish off the kits immediately before those camps. A huge thanks to our friends John and Jan at Lichfield for letting us park VOJ and Kit B in their drive both before and after the camp much appreciated (and lovely to see you!)! Thanks to both Easter camps for sending me postcards. I look forward to receiving lots more in the summer when you re all out having fun! Thanks to Harry and Bungle et al for servicing the trailers so they re now safe to tow much needed and appreciated. And finally (for now), thanks to Bungle for PAT testing and all things electrickery-related you all thought I was bad not a patch on Bungle with his toaster issues! Not that I blame him. At least someone else gets a glimpse of what I have to put up with Which leads me neatly on to the cost of stuff: How, I hear you ask? Well, Bungle was whinging about toasters in the last issue and toaster elements were one of the items I was going to mention. I ve actually said it before but toaster elements cost over five pounds to replace every time someone sticks the knife in! Please use the toaster tongs provided and preferably don t jam the bread into the slot in the first place. Ta. After sorting the kits for Easter I came across an interesting thing now don t get me wrong, I want you to use the eyewash that s provided but could I make a small request please? Could you try to refill the white container in the (site) First Aid boxes with the bottle that s nearest to its use-by date please? I understand when there s an emergency you re going to reach for the nearest bottle (of eyewash!) and that s fine an emergency is an emergency! It s just that I found spare bottles of eyewash in various places and ended up having to throw at least four out! Which at five pounds a bottle is just silly and needless wastage. Over the last few years I ve included a couple of boxes of spare eyewash in the back of the vans (VOJ and RFB) to remove the hassle of you trying to replace any used ones during the season. Please could you all try to help us reduce this waste. Thanks.
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Now s my favourite bugbear accommodation buckets! Not the buckets themselves but the fact that someone always manages to sneak them onto site! THEY ARE NOT FOR SITE THAT S WHY THEY ARE ACCOMMODATION BUCKETS! This year you should find new ones supplied, but be warned I will stop including this item in the kits if you insist on taking them to site! Some (a certain colour!) of these cost nearly five pounds too as opposed to your average builders bucket which is about a pound! It has also come to my attention that the sack trucks (fridge-moving things for those who don t know!) have been on site too. There was definite evidence of cement dust in with the mud on their wheels so please don t do it! Please please please keep things meant especially for the accommodation off site (yes, that means all those brushes too!)! One item that does spend a lot of time on site as well as off is the mugs, and they get a lot of use too! Over the years countless mugs disappear into the canal aether, numbers dwindling as soon as they set base on camp. But fingers crossed, you should have some brand new mugs appearing at a canal camp near you soon - hope you like the new variety! Now for photos Things on this front are definitely better than they were before the digital camera really took off but that doesn t mean you can rest on your laurels! Oh no! I want you all to take lots and lots of groovy pictures and then send me them however you wish (details below). Thank you muchly. Any budding David Baileys or Harry Arnolds (!) out there? Get snapping! Thanks to Smudge and Taz for the first cd of pics of the year! And I know there s another one waiting for me from Lichfield too. Smashing, Guys! I couldn t finish without a mention of the passing of our favourite garden gnome, Bill Crockett! Alas, the Toast Baron is no more. We ll miss him lots, but remember him we shall. On that gnote Happy Digging!
Just Jen wrg logistics, 45 Glebe Road, Sheffield. S10 1FB logistics@wrg.org.uk
Caught red (or rather, blue) handed - using the accommodation bucket on site!
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And now it can be told...
A smashing time in Guildford! WHERE IT ALL BEGAN (The conception of WRG) News about the forthcoming campaign Rally on the Basingstoke Canal put the brain into recall: we had sort-of been there before. In 1970 the Surrey & Hampshire Canal Society had been formed for about two years. An IWA National Rally was announced for Guildford, to be held in the July of that year: one objective was to publicise the restoration of the Basingstoke Canal. At the same time there was some discontent (by working party/restoration members) with some of the IWA s policies. I can remember going to the AGM in London with 16 proxy votes. Afterwards we adjourned to a pub around the corner where we went into huddles from which emerged the embryos of the Narrow Boat Trust and a Navvies Group.
The Stand was assembled a couple of nights before, and then I reported back to Palmer Towers. Got to have a name says he and a logo . Half hour later another call Waterway Recovery Organisation . So we started to think about signs, when the night before the event another call said No - It s the Waterway Recovery Group The Rally was a great success from all points of view. The public spent money like it was going out of fashion. When the London Group arrived down in a couple of Dormobiles,one had two pianos in it. Apparently somebody had the idea of a charity Piano smash... In those days, old pianos were two a penny and people had problems in disposing of them. The Piano Smash consisted of two teams with sledgehammers, breaking the pianos up small enough to pass through the middle of an old Mini car tyre. Word got around about this and we asked can we have it in the arena as an attraction on the last day? Alas problems... Preservation, Environment, History... and all these things don t just apply to canals, they also apply to pianos according to the IWA/Rally hierachy. Lots of meetings and it was cancelled. The irony was that we then had to dispose of the pianos. There was a small Coucil dustcart that visited site every day, so we attempted to put them on it. Too big. Smash them up to get them on the wagon. Easy. All done. Jim Woolgar
I was responsible for oganising a Surrey and Hants Working Party stand at the rally. We were in the field, around the corner out of the way. So we had a lot of space. Some of the lads were at work making paddles for lock gates, there was a display of lock hardware, and prime position went to a large excavator on loan from Dragon Plant of Guildford. A week before the event, more instructions from Finchley control (Graham Palmer s place). The object and direction had now changed somewhat - Get a Scaffold tower and some hoarding boards!! Fortunatly the builder at Shalford Water Works came up with the goods. Where it began: the WRG display at the Guildford National Rally in 1970
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WRG BC News May 2006 We were all saddened to hear of Bill Crockett s death. Some club members, other WRGies and I attended his funeral. He was a great bloke and an inspiration to all of us who lack yoof . There is more about him elsewhere in this issue, so I will just say that we miss him, his positive outlook and sense of humour. I do apologise to all those that have been expecting communication from me as the boat club secretary. I epitomise our motto incompetence at its best *, and have managed to get all relevant paperwork in the wrong place when I am some where else and need it. Patience dear members and prospective members, everything comes to he who waits eventually... Saul Festival: Lots of members will be attending the festival, not all will be coming by boat. If you are there, please fly the flag and come and say Hello . If there are enough of us free, at the same time, then we can have a sociable get together. Beale Park IWA National Festival: We have a block booking for those who managed to get forms submitted in time. I look forward to seeing many members there. Please form an orderly queue as you rush to offer help! I am hoping to be able to sort out the day, time and possibly even the venue for the AGM while I am at Saul (but note* above). I may be able to chat to Important People who know things while we are at the festival.
The latest news from WRG s own boat club We are having a very busy year, so far, travelling between Lynx on The Shroppie (Where we had a most enjoyable gathering of friends and their working boats at Norbury for May Day) and getting Straw Bear to and along the K&A, not to mention other activities. Is it any wonder that I am even more befuddled than usual? Oh and another thing - those planning/wanting to cruise between Sharpness and Bristol. Malcolm Bridge is unable to make the trip so won t be organising things. You will need to do this for yourselves after all. Sorry. I look forward to hearing from members who got to other exciting events this year. Please send communications in PLAIN TEXT to sadiedean@vodafone.net. Empty wine bottles with notes in are not acceptable, full ones and a chat are! xxx Sadie Dean
David Jowett
Lynne, our Commode Door has attended a small gathering of members, albeit inadvertently, but these impromptu get-togethers are a great idea. Consult your lists of members and see what you can do.
WRG BC
Are you coming to Saul Festival?
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Obituary
I could tell many stories about Bill. The time he christened Jude s new BMW (he had helped to get rid of one and a half litres of scotch). The time he lost his wrist watch and so on.
The late great Bill Crockett, destroyer of toasters It is with great sadness that I have to tell you that Bill Crockett died on 5th April. Those of you who have joined WRG during the last 5 years won t have known Bill which is a pity as he was a real character. He retired from tool making at 65 years and after a couple of weeks decided to do something to stop myself going crackers . He tried various sorts of voluntary work but wasn t too impressed by their organisation. He then booked on one of our camps on the Mont... He was a bit concerned to find it was run by two young attractive females (Jude Moore and Rachel Parr). At the end of the first day he decided that all was very OK. I first met him on his next camp at Bude. We got on and he fitted in well although he was approaching 70 and the majority of the others were late teens early twenties. At the end of the camp Mick Beattie (the leader) told Bill to look after himself and he hoped to see him next year. Bill replied Don t worry I ll be here. I m saving the heart attack just for one of your camps ! That s the first time I d known Mick stuck for words...
He had a pacemaker fitted last June and was much better physically (He d never changed mentally). He was thinking of visiting some camps but thought that at 80 he d not be able to do much. This wasn t to be. His health deteriorated during the winter and he died of kidney failure. He was a real mate, always cheerful and full of fun. I phoned him in March he sounded still the same old Bill. Cheerio mate - you ll be missed. PS He never did tell us how to cook a six course meal in a six slice toaster without blowing a fuse! Roger Burchett
Mike Palmer
Bill duly arrived the next year at Bude. We used to be woken at 7.30 by the Pogues on Mick s ghetto blaster. On the Tuesday Bill woke us up at 7.25 with Jimmy Shand on a wind up gramophone. It sounded awful, mainly because he d not wo u n d it up properly so the speed varied.
He attended many camps and quite a few BITM weekends over the seven years he was active in WRG. About 5 years ago he had to stop due to prostate cancer. That was eventually got under control, but by then he d developed heart problems. The last time he came to a WRG camp was a visit to Beale Park festival three years ago. He d got his electric go-cart as he called it. After he d had a brew he found someone (Jen) had put WRG stickers on it. Well, it was brand new & red! He was really pleased and when I saw him last year the stickers were still there.
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Bill at the National Festival at Beale Park in 2003
Hi Martin The picture on the back page of Navvies 216 [see below] brought back memories. I spent one Christmas in the tunnel mess on the Festiniog Railway deviation helping to prepare for blasting for the new Moelwyn tunnel. The Christmas event was organised by the Northern Group, which numbered among it s members some refugees from the Dudley Canal Trust (remember 1973 :Tunnel Reopening At Dudley - TRAD?) One of the leading lights from the DCT was Chris Chitty, who I think bore some responsibility for the lock 57 notice. The sign was situated near a lake formed in the peat by excavating for the South approach cutting to the new tunnel. Apparently quite a few visitors were taken in due to the proximity of the hillside! Chris was well known for his reworking of traditional songs to fit the navvying context - The Legend of Brian Boru was not to be missed. There were other eccentricities at tunnel mess, including a sign from Oxford Circus underground station on the wall. My brother and my Mom were both Dudley Canal Trust and Northern group members. I have forsaken subterranean Dudley to look after nuclear power stations in Canada, but the canal connection remains as my brother still builds exceedingly good narrow boats in Stourbridge. Keep up the good work with Navvies, I enjoy reading about restoration progress even if no longer nearby. Andrew Harris, Whitby, Ontario Dear Martin Mike Palmer: is he mad or what? Judging from Navvies No 216 Mike is right at the start of his Chairman s column in thinking that it might be time for a change at the top.
Letters
BlaenauLocks,MKP ssanityand DavidStevenson sbankbalance He finishes his piece with musings on the BCN Cleanup where people had grafted for hours to drag crap out of the canal, eulogising that it was nice to meet some boaters there who wanted to put something back . Yes, lovely, throw it all back in, why not? Was there well camouflaged irony there or has he flipped? Some mistake, surely? Regards
Andy Overton
...and thank you to Frank Wallder for a slightly less subtle contribution along the same lines. ...Ed Dear Mr Martin Ludgate (WRG and bar) Do you realise that your organisation was responsible for the near early demise of an admittedly elderly, but still quite active, former IWA National Chairman? Imagine the effect of having to open an envelope at Breakfast time, which read: ** RENEWAL DUE** £2957.00 David Stevenson NAVVIES I was unsure whether to open the envelope or consult my Bank Statement first. Please do not scare me like that again and Yes! I will renew my subscription, when I have got over the shock! David Stevenson
A little-known Welsh lock flight (see Andrew Harris s letter above)
Do not fear. The 2957 is your Navvies subscriber number, not the amount you are expected to pay (although we do appreciate it if you add a donation) Nor is there any truth in the rumour that we are attempting to bring about the demise of David or any of our other older subscribers in the hope of receiving further legacies. ...Ed
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Navvies news
Cooks, brick-ties and a Mikron Theatre performance How about cooking for 160 people?! Something I have tried to do whenever I have led camps and similar is to bring new people on: either to encourage new people to be assistant leaders - and later, to lead camps themselves - or to help with the National Festival. Mostly I have been successful. But I have not so far helped to encourage someone to become a cook... I have always been lucky with cooks for my camps. At the Xmas bash, Maria has always volunteered; for Cavalcade Jenny Wilson has volunteered without me having to get her drunk first, and for the National I always have managed to sweet talk and with a lot of convincing, Al Moore has agreed, with poor Neil being dragged along..
Then we would hope taht the new volunteer will be capable of cooking breakfast the following morning. Obviously this can only work if you can work with Al, (you can guess what cooks are like in their kitchen) and Al can work with you, the new volunteer cook. So to that end if anyone who would like to have ago, please let me know, and I will speak to Al. Dave Moose Hearnden Stainless steel brick ties You might remember from issue 215 that Luke Walker of the WIlts & Berks Canal Trust was having trouble buying helix-shaped tie material used for tying new brickwork into old walls in anything other than unfeasibly large quantities. Luke has now bought a vast amount of this material and will supply it in smaller amounds to other canal groups, subject to them being able to arrange delivery from a (canalside) location in Warwick. Contact him on email: luke@lukewalker.me.uk. Mikron Theatre at The Wood A WRG-supported performance by Mikron Theatre Company as part of their 2006 tour of the waterways is once again booked for the 23rd July at The Wood pub, Rowington, Warwickshire (Mike Palmer & Jude Moore s local). BBQ, beer and red t-shirts in the beer garden - please let Mike and Jude know if you plan to come along as booking tables is highly recommended after last year!!
Steve Morley
But with Al s help, I have a plan. If anyone would like to have a go at assisting in the cook house for a National, please let us know. Because I know it could be daunting cooking for so many (about 160 over the weekend) so what we are proposing is this: if you volunteer then you will work with Al (and hopefully Neil, Al s other half) in the kitchen from (say) mid morning. You will help with shopping and planning etc and preparing the main meal, and hopefully understanding difficulties with me as a leader! (How the work changes on site can cause challenges for Another festival that WRG volunteers have supported recently was the IWA Nathe cook!) tional Trailboat Festival, held this year on the Lancaster Northern Reaches at Easter
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Contacting the chairman: Mike Palmer, 3 Finwood Rd, Rowington, Warwickshire CV35 7DH Tel: 01564 785293 email: mike.palmer@wrg.org.uk
Online Navvies subscriptions
Don t forget: You can now take out or renew Navvies subs online at www.waterways.org.uk/restoration/index.htm or at www.iwashop.com/ ecommerce/products.asp?cat=126
Directory updates A few changes to the canal society contact addresses that appeared in the last Navvies Directory in issue 215. There are new working party contacts for: Shrewsbury & Newport Canals Trust: Tam Hazan, email tamir_hazan@lineone.net. Sussex Ouse Restoration Trust: Paul Morris, Farmcote, Nettlesworth Lane, Old Heathfield, Heathfield TN21 9AP, Tel: 01453 863683. River Stour Trust: John Morris, 2 Stockton Close, Hadleigh, Ipswich IP7 5SH, email: jgmorris@btinternet.com The next full directory will appear in issue 218. Updates to the editor by July 1st, please.
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 Printing and assembly: the source is acknowlJohn & Tess Hawkins edged. WRG may not 4 Links Way, Croxley Grn agree with opinions exRickmansworth, Herts pressed in this magazine, WD3 3RQ 01923 448559 but encourages publication john.hawkins@wrg.org.uk as a matter of interest. Editor : Martin Ludgate 35 Silvester Road East Dulwich London SE22 9PB 020-8693 3266
Noticeboard Boat for sale Claire Moynihan of WRG BC is selling her wellknown narrowboat Blackadder. If you have £35,500 (or near offer) and are interested, contact her on 07971 183971 or by email to clairenbblackadder@yahoo.co.uk.
Congratulations ...to Stephen and Ruth Davis... on the arrival of Samuel Isaac weighing just under 9lb 4oz. Steve says We are safely back at home trying to work out how to make him work. Ruth won t let me take the cover off... Photos on http://family.jero.co.uk/c960629.html
Stamps wanted
Send used postage stamps, petrol coupons, old phone cards, empty computer printer ink cartridges to IWA/WRG Stamp Bank, 33 Hambleton Grove, Milton Keynes MK4 2JS. All proceeds to canal restoration. Nothing printed may 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).
Dial-a-camp To contact any WRG Canal Camp: 07850 422156 (Kit A camps) 07850 422157 (Kit B camps) Directors of WRG: John Baylis, Mick Beattie, Malcolm Bridge, Spencer Collins, Christopher Davey, Helen Davey, Roger Day, Neil Edwards, George Eycott, John Fletcher, 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 © 2006 WRG Tel : 01923 711114 Registered no 4305322 ISSN 0953-6655
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Backfill
Captions wanted... I wonder if any of you can suggest any captions for a couple of pics, the first of which, send in by Tas Kay...
WRG sweatshirt trumps US Security! by Jeremy Frankel As a number of you know, I have been living in the United States for the past eighteen years. Ever since that fateful day, September 11th, 2001, this country has been living under a heightened threat of potential terrorist activity. There are many more CCTVs observing our every move, and of course, many, many more security officers on patrol. During the first two weeks of April of this year, I traveled from Berkeley, California, where I live, to St. Louis to work on a professional genealogy project. While I was there took some time out to see the Mississippi River (yeah, they say it backwards over here) and the newest lock just north of St. Louis, at Alton - a 1200 ft monster; took ten years to build and a billion dollars worth of concrete and rebar! After touring the lock, a friend and I were driving down the Illinois side of the river (east bank) heading back to St. Louis. We stopped opposite the downtown area so I could get a photograph across the river of the famous Eads Bridge, which had recently reopened with a light rail running across the lower deck.
...appears to involve Dippy Claire and one of the big plastic barrels we use to store the hard-hats in. While the other, taken by the editor...
I jumped out of the car, ran across two tracks, ducked under a yellow caution tape and up onto a wooden platform that surmounted the concrete levee wall. I snapped a couple of shots and as I clambered back down, there, waiting on the road was a security van and two beefy guys loaded down with their typical security paraphernalia; dark glasses, walkie-talkie radios, handguns, flashlights, etc. One of them approached me with the obvious intention of either arresting me or giving me a right dressing-down, when the front of my jacket flapped open to reveal the magic phrase Waterway Recovery Group on my nice blue sweatshirt. His searing glare glanced down to read those silver words.
...features Liz Wilson, a tea mug and some sheep. And yes, it was taken in Wales - on the Mon & Brec. Suggestions to the editor please.
Next time...
All of a sudden the security officer s demeanour shifted several gears from one of hostility to that of Gee, well, if only you had called us ahead of time, we would have taken you around! Naturally I pulled out my best British accent and with profuse apologies and bucketfuls of assurance that I would certainly contact them the next time I was in town, I jumped back into the car and my friend floored the gas pedal.
We hope to bring you the WRG version of the novelty hit single from a few years ago Every- So let this be a moral to ya all! Always pack a body s Free to Wear Sunscreen. In the mean- WRG sweatshirt, cos you ll never know when it ll time here s a challenge: can anyone re-write either come in handy! Desiderata or the poem If by Rudyard Kipling (*) Jeremy G Frankel, Berkeley, California, USA with a WRG theme? If so, send your words in! (*) Probably the only major literary figure ever to have been named after a canal reservoir. But that s another story.
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