Dear Martin It was interesting to read Tim Dodwell s letter. However, it does seem to imply that there was a sort of drift into WRG from the IWA London & Home Counties Working Party Group, rather than a positive idea or effort to form, or found, it. This is far from the case as I was very much involved (with others of Graham Palmer s close friends) in discussions about the founding of the group. It was agreed that there should not be a formal membership, which is one reason by the word group was chosen rather than something like society or association - and that it should be based on subscribing to Navvies Notebook. The other main reason for breaking away from L&HCWPG was that Graham, with others, did not agree with what was happening in IWA and wanted the new group to be independent of the Association. (When was there ever a time when somebody didn t agree with what was going on in IWA?) A situation that remained until for financial reasons there had to be a formal WRG Board operating under the IWA umbrella. He also felt that WRG should have a separate campaigning voice. I can clearly remember my particular recorded contribution to the founding, which was when Graham rang me at a very late hour (this was one of his regular habits) and asked me should the name be Waterway or Waterways Recovery Group. I said the former, as the latter sounded like a double plural. So, to all you who have over the years have got it wrong by adding an s , blame me! A particularly memorable weekend, when there was much discussion about the future of WRG, was that of the 11-12 July 1970 when the IWA national AGM was held at its usual London venue. Three of us from the old IWA Midlands Branch committee - Tom Henshaw, Russ Godwin and myself - headed south to ask a few awkward questions and do a bit of stirring about what we perceived as a lack of IWA campaigning. For newer readers, Tom Henshaw was (and is) of Ashby Canal and Ashby Canal Carriers campaigning fame and Russ Godwin was to become my partner in Waterways World and is one of the few enthusiasts to ever personally buy a length of canal. We kipped on the floor at 4 Wentworth Court, Finchley - soon to become one of the most famous addresses in waterway restoration - and known among some as Palmer Towers or among Graham s intimates as The Piggydrome . Graham s mother Edie took all this catering for itinerant waterway enthusiasts in her stride and was to become one of the key figures in the distribution of Navvies and in WRG. Graham s dad, Arthur, had little choice but to go along with all this. John Liley, Editor of Motor Boat & Yachting (there were no commercial waterway magazines then) asked me to write about the AGM and my critical report is a matter of published record. A.P. Herbert chaired the meeting, at which - although he is one of my favourite writers - can I tactfully say that he was past his public best. My report didn t go down too well and was one of the subjects of an IWA Council meeting held at the Guildford National Rally - where, as Tim says, WRG was officially launched . Later - on Graham s suggestion - I was put up for IWA Council, effectively on a WRG ticket, and duly elected. But that s another story. On the Sunday after the AGM Graham, Russ, Tom and I went off to inspect the working narrow boats dumped the Wendover Arm, which led to us being involved in the founding of The Narrow Boat Trust. 1970 was a significant year in that, further north, a group of us were also involved in founding the North West Museum of Inland Navigation; to become The Boat Museum at Ellesmere Port. Something that Graham also offered much encouragement to. There is much yet to be written about the founding of WRG and the many talents of Graham Palmer - including as a writer, photographer, artist and traditional painter - and sometimes a pain-in-the-arse! When somebody has the time. I have some of Graham s files and his original set of Navvies, which I have kept up to date. It would be good to hear the early recollections of Graham s other close friends and WRG lieutenants of the early days such as Meg and Mike Day, John Felix and Colin Butler. Regards Harry Arnold
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