Northern Navigation News Issue 15, Autumn 2015

The

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Northern Navigation News

Newsletter of the North Riding Branch of the Inland Waterways Association

City of York Council have been carrying out works to repair the towpath and river banks near Marygate Landing

Issue 15 - Autumn 2015

The Inland Waterways Association Selby Boat Centre, Boroughbridge Marina & Stanilands Marina (Thorne) are proud sponsors of Northern Navigation News

NORTHERN NAVIGATION NEWS AUTUMN 2015

48 Hours in York?

Photo courtesy of: Neil Ward

Unfortunately the prospect for long-term mooring in York does not look good. There is some good news in that the City of York Council has spent a fortune on renewing the banking along Marygate Landing, including mooring points(see Keith Chapman's photo on the front cover). However, there is no news as yet about additional moorings along St George's Fields, except a rumour that the banking will need a lot of remedial work before moorings can be installed. What it definite, though, is that CYC plans to enforce the 48 hour rule for mooring at Marygate in future. Does CYC have enough staff to enforce a rule which they have rarely, if ever, enforced in the past.

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Saga Continues The saga of the boaters' facilities slowly stumbles on. Still no proper facilities for the disposal of rubbish. The toilets, sluice and waterpoint are now all accessible with a CRT (BWB) key.

According to the City of York Council 'commercial confidentiality' covers the discussions between its officers and the owners of the restaurant and does not say anything more about the lack of facilities. Any feedback about the mooring restrictions or the lack of facilities, please to tonymartin451@yahoo.co.uk.

Recruitment of Lock-keepers On Wednesday 30th September 2015 there was an Open Half Day at Castle Mills Lock York, A demonstration of the lock with hands on experience for people interested in joining the Lock Keeping team. The demonstration was ably given by Michael Cadoux and Peter Hopwood. This was preceded by a talk given

by Tony Martin, the Head Lock Keeper, in the Lounge of the Masons’ Arms pub. He outlined the history of the Lock and described its operation.

During the demonstration, Tony talked about the use of the paddles whilst lowering or raising the water level in the pound, especially whilst a craft is in the pound.

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Over fifteen people turned up for the event, and four people agreed to sign up for Lock Keeping Training in the near future (watch this space). We look forward to welcoming our first Lady Lock Keeper.

The event was part of the annual 50+ festival.

The North Riding Branch (IWA) is now actively recruiting for the Lock Keeping team. We have had an agreement with IWA HQ in Chesham that anybody volunteering for the IWA is covered by IWA insurance. These volunteers will have to be logged and a record kept . Of course IWA membership is most welcome, but it is no longer obligatory.

Please contact Tony Martin on 0742-806-4863 or tonymartin451@yahoo.co.uk if interested.

Diary Committee Membership The next meeting will be on Monday 9th November 2015 at 2.00pm at Guppy's 18 Nunnery Lane, York, YO23.

This can be found opposite Nunnery Lane Car Park (pay and display). Doors open at 1.30pm.

Refreshments at 3.00pm. AGENDA below.

We are actively engaged in talking to the CRT over recruiting and training volunteers, such as Lock Keepers. New arrangements over producing our popular newsletter will have to actively pursued in 2016, so if you would like to have involvement in either activity or help with other activities, which will effect the future of NRB (IWA), then please e-mail Tony Martin or phone: You would be most welcome on Monday 9th November 2015 at 2.00pm.

E-mail: tonymartin451@yahoo.co.uk or 0742-806-4863.

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Agenda 1

Welcome/ Apologies.

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Minutes of Last Meeting (July 4th 2015)

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Matters Arising not on Agenda

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Financial Report – John Reeve

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National Trustees Proposed Action on IWA Branches – Peter Scott

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50 + Festival Events Feedback – Tony Martin

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Future of Newsletter

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Recruitment – All

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Meeting Cycle and Venue.

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A.O.B.

Gone Fishin'

by Brian Watson, former Lord Mayor of York Many people have many different ideas about the Lord Mayor and his role as the civic head of the City; it is hard graft and there are times when you have to wind down from the long hard days of meeting important people from all walks of life.

Some manage to get a spot of golf in, but this is difficult, as for some it means a long long walk and many minutes searching for lost balls; the tight schedules of the role of Lord Mayor make this method of relaxing a very difficult prospect, but I found the perfect solution --- fishing ! and the perfect place ---- the landing stage at the back of the Guildhall about 100 paces from the Mansion House ( the home of the Lord Mayor in their year of office). The stage was built many years ago for the mooring of boats of councillors and Aldermen of the City in those days

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River Foss Society formed in 1973 to protect and promote enjoyment of the river from Pond Head (Oulston) to Blue Bridge in York where it joins the River Ouse.

Please contact the Secretary for the the current Newsletterwith the updated Programme or see the website.At least one walk and one other event (talk, visit, litter pick, boattrip, etc) are organised monthly mainly from March until October.

Annual subscriptions :- Individual £8.00, Concession £6.00, etc.

Contacts :Secretary – Tel no 01904 760871, E mail m.burton599@btinternet.com Membership – Tel no 01904 769168, E mail membership@riverfosssociety.co.uk

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Please note that all views expressed in “Northern Navigation News” are those of the authors and may not represent those of the Inland Waterways Association.

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www.springespresso.co.uk when the office was solely for those who earned slightly more than the living wage. The stage is accessed by an passage under the buildings called Common Hall Lane - there is a large grilled gate that blocks off the passage at the stage end so I had to gain entrĂŠe by a route via the cellars. The fishing is defiantly worth the struggle, wonderful perch, marvellous bream, quality roach and in the cold weather a 10am regular visit by a large pike, never landed him but often had him on the end of my line trying to steal a fish I had caught.

Besides this was the wonderful experience of a boat trip cheering and clapping when they past as I caught one; of course there were some down sides such as pigeons flying out through the gate and not having the sense to remember the way back on returning, even one occasion when I went down there I found a large dead rat halfway out of the manhole cover on the

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stage, it was big but obviously miscalculated the weight of the cover. Another downside which emerged on an early visit was that when the boats started their engines the only fish they troubled were the ones in the keepnet as it was nearly swept away; the struggle I had with it was almost unbelievable, I never used it again!

I remember those as very happy occasions they could last from half an hour to a couple of hours but they were certainly worth it!

Brian

A view of York’s historic Guildhall from the River Ouse (Copyright Andrew Abbott/ www.geograph.org.uk)

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Trustees Pick Holes in IWA Fabric At a recent North East and Yorkshire Region meeting held in York, Peter Scott, the Chair outlined the proposals that the National Trustees were putting forward as changes in the structure and management of Branches as many were struggling with committee membership and people to carry out specific tasks, such as monitoring planning applications that affect the waterways in your area.

Shrinkage If a Branch can no longer sustain its existing geographical area, then it will have to shrink to a more manageable size. What happens to IWA members that live in the ‘holes’? Joining two or more Branches together has not, so far, been a success.

There was more than a little disquiet expressed by the attendees at the Regional Meeting in York recently and Michael Cadoux, the Chair of North Riding Branch (IWA) suggested that Regions take on the role of monitoring the ‘holes’ and making sure that any problems experienced by IWA members living in these areas are monitored. This was thought to be a good idea. Peter Scott said that he would pass the idea on to the members of the Trustees Board.

Personally, though North Riding is struggling to build up its Committee’s strength (see Editorial above), I feel that saying that if you can find someone to work on strategy and someone to look after the Branch’s finances, then you have a branch? Is, well ‘daft’. Surely, the number of IWA members living in the Branch area is the clear starting point. Currently 3 people at a Branch Meeting constitute a quorum. It usually comprises of the three main officers. This is clearly a recipe for ‘dictating’ policy to the wider membership. To shrink it even further is clearly not a sound idea.

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The overall IWA strategy is to go back to its reason for being over sixty years ago, which was to campaign for the waterways, and anything else is marginal, such as holding socials, talks, events and so on. The big change in the Waterway scene is the creation of the new national trust, the Canal and River Trust (CRT). It has to be clear cut as to who carries out which role in future. Who concentrates on what aspect of its activities. The CRT has found out the hard way that recruiting, training and retaining volunteers is neither a cheap nor cost free option. The NRB is currently talking to the CRT at Leeds about the need for a recruiting strategy, along with training and so on. Without ‘poaching’ each others’ people, some level of co-operation is desirable. We hope to hold a joint event in York in 2016.

I would like to hear from you soon with regards to the above, as it fundamentally changes how the Branch structure of the IWA functions in future.

E-mail: tonymartin451@yahoo.co.uk or text to 0742-806-4863.

Open Day at Naburn Locks on the River Ouse As part of “Heritage Open Days” the Canal and River Trust opened the workshops and forge at Naburn Locks to the public for the first time on Sunday, 13 September 2015. The restoration and opening is an ongoing project in the C&RT’s restoration programme. Thanks are due to their small team of volunteers.

On a pleasant autumn day with the grass cut and the whole area tidy, it was estimated that there had been 500 visitors who found plenty of information available, tea and coffee, live musical entertainment and C&RT staff and volunteers very willing to explain things and answer questions.

In the 1750s a lock and weir combination was built as the most impressive piece of engineering on an English navigation before

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1760. An island was created which had a water mill built on it.

In 1823 the Trustees of the Ouse Navigation built the fine looking Greek Revival Banqueting House nearby.

In Victorian times a new larger lock was built alongside the original one along with two lockkeepers’ cottages, offices and workshops. Traffic is now mainly pleasure craft mostly leaving the Selby Canal and going upstream on the tidal River Ouse to reach Naburn Locks and then the relatively safe, except in times of flooding, River Ouse to York and then possibly on to Ripon.

Peter Hopwood

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Staniland Marina is operated by the same company who runs the successful Boroughbridge Marina' in North Yorkshire. Simon Taylor and his team took over Boroughbridge in 2006 and have built it up into a successful operation offering many facilities including boat hire and sales etc.

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