Wolds Waters - May 2021

WOLDS WATERS East Yorkshire Branch of the Inland Waterways Association

May 2021

Waterway enthusiasts come in all shapes and sizes!

(Driffield Canal Gala 2019)

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A Message from the Chairman We are producing this smaller interim newsletter to keep you informed about your branch and we will be in touch again later in the year – probably July – with details of our AGM which again will be in the Zoom webinar format, by which time we will hopefully have a clearer picture of how the “new normal” after the Covid Lockdown will affect us in the coming months.

We are facing a situation where we are struggling to maintain a working committee. As I have advised in earlier newsletters, I am looking to step down from Branch chairman, and Jack, our treasurer, is also waiting to retire from his position. He has kindly remained our treasurer during these difficult times for which I thank him.

Howard is again producing this newsletter but keeps reminding me that he is not our permanent editor, and I am grateful and thank him for his contributions, and Alistair would like a break from being our website manager, so you can see we would like some extra help to keep functioning properly.

As we come out of restrictions we must decide how we proceed with our social meetings. We have held two Zoom presentations during lockdown - from John Pomfret and Iain Campbell - which were extremely well received and attended by an expanded audience from around the country and even abroad!. Obviously, people who previously could not travel to our Cottingham meetings were able to join in online. However there is obviously a wish to resume physical social meetings as 2

soon as possible, although in reality it is likely to be 2022 before this happens.

We intend to hold our Zoom AGM on Friday September 17th and further details will be sent in our next communication, probably in July. At the AGM we will be hoping for some support with volunteers for the committee, and for those who may be thinking about such a step I can assure you that the work is not too onerous but is certainly rewarding, and will greatly contribute to the continuing survival of your Branch. We are presently the sole reasonably active branch left in the North East Region and it would be very sad if we were unable to keep carrying on.

If you have any comments or suggestions please contact me on the email address below roger.bromley@waterways.org.uk Please let’s work together to keep the branch active by giving your support in whatever way you can.

Roger Bromley Branch Chairman

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Can you help?

I do hope you are all enjoying the newly found freedom after the long awaited easing of the lockdown rules.

Following the imposition of the Covid restrictions during the last year or so causing organisations such as ours to severely restrict activities- especially our monthly social evenings, I am sure, like me, you may have wondered how much longer it would be before we could return to some semblance of normality. At long last, however, I think we are able to see the first signs of returning to normal, or at least as near as the “new normal” will allow, and elsewhere in this newsletter you will be able to read of our thoughts for the coming year, particularly concerning the AGM in September.

Over the last few years we have occasionally mentioned, both at Social meetings in Cottingham, and also in Wolds Waters, the growing concern over the need to recruit new local IWA Members to give the Branch the lifeblood needed to continue to provide a thriving IWA representation in East Yorkshire. We are proud to say that your Branch has been active in serving the needs of our members, and this is becoming more important than ever, especially in the North East Region of IWA, when you consider that East Yorkshire is now the only active Branch remaining. Please help us to continue with this service to IWA members in the community of East Yorkshire.

As Roger has said in his introduction we urgently need to recruit new members to the committee to provide 4

continuity, not least because we have long standing committee members who are about to retire at the next AGM, but also to bring forward fresh ideas and suggestions for Branch activities so we are once again appealing to you to put on your thinking caps to see if you can suggest anyone who might like to join us, either as a new member or even as a committee member. Now that we are able to meet with friends and family members it might be an ideal opportunity to ask them to consider becoming part of this active and friendly Branch, and we would make any new members very welcome, so that we can go into the future with some degree of certainty.

As a member, I don’t have to tell you what pleasures the Inland Waterways can offer; please take a little time to pass on that enthusiasm to others. We look forward to any introductions you may be able to give us; please contact Roger (contact details can be found earlier in this edition). We also invite you to give some thought to any ideas for speakers, activities you may want or any ways in which you think we may enrich your enjoyment of belonging to this, your Branch!

Howard

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Important News about the 2021 Branch Annual General Meeting.

Following our first virtual AGM in 2020, the AGM will take place in the form of a Zoom Webinar on:Friday September 17th 2021 at 7-00 pm AGM format and prior registration.

Please note that the AGM will be in the form of a Zoom Webinar so you will not need to use a camera or microphone, which I am sure is a blessing to some!

Please register your attendance in advance of the meeting by using the link which will be sent to you in the next Wold Waters, due out towards the end of July.

A copy of the 2020 Branch AGM webinar minutes follows for general information; please note that 6

inevitably some suggestions and proposals have fallen by the wayside because of the ongoing Covid restrictions. All other relevant information for the September Zoom webinar will be included in our July edition of Wolds Waters.

Inland Waterways Association East Yorkshire Branch Minutes of Annual General Meeting held by a Webinar Zoom meeting on Friday 11th December 2020 at 7p.m.

Present: Roger Bromley (in the chair), Howard Anguish, Alistair Anderson (Web Manager), Paul Waddington, Barry Robins, Iain Campbell (Deputy/Social Chairman), Chris Stones (Secretary), Jack Wootton (Treasurer) and Gemma Bolton from Head Office and 9 other members.

Apologies: None.

Minutes of previous meeting (Friday 15th March 2019): these had been circulated prior to lockdown to committee members and published in the special edition of Wolds Waters October/November 2020.

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Report of the Chairman: these had been circulated prior to lockdown to committee members and published in the special edition of Wolds Waters October/November 2020.

Report of the Secretary: these had been circulated prior to lockdown to committee members and published in the special edition of Wolds Waters October/November 2020.

Report of the Treasurer and presentation of the accounts for 2019: these had been circulated prior to lockdown to committee members and published in the special edition of Wolds Waters October/November 2020. Jack reported that the surplus was more than in 2018 and we had the highest level of income since 2015. It’s normally around 4 to 500 pounds. The bulk been from two main sources, our general social meetings £458 and merchandise sales of £512 (sale of Christmas cards and calendars.

Election of committee members: Roger Bromley (Chairman), Howard Anguish and Jack Wootton (Treasurer) were retiring by rotation.

Under the present circumstances they have now decided to restand and therefore have been reelected to continue their roles.

Any Other Business: None.

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Date of Next meeting: Proposed date of Friday 19th March 2021.

Question and Answers:Simon and Christine Hudson on their boat at Rawcliffe Bridge asked about activities, what if any have been arranged for 2021 Howard answered: that we usually have a monthly social meeting with various speakers, covering various topics.

Walks, locations of interest. Driffield Gala. The Pocklington Canal and Beverley Beck. If we had speakers on the Webinar we could have presentations and invite anyone to join in, practically anywhere in the world.

Paul then answered: About the societies including Beverley Beck.

Roger then mentioned the fact that Peter Hopwood from the Fosse Society, through York City council and IWA have volunteers to look after the lock in York.

Iain who is chairman of the Beverley Barge Preservation Society spoke about the Barge Syntan, the boats Sun and Mermaid. Hopefully these will be back in use when restrictions are lifted.

Howard did mention the fact that we usually have a branch Christmas Lunch, usually on the first Sunday in December. Maureen Bromley had suggested maybe having an Easter Lunch this time. (2021)!

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The Pocklington Canal was mentioned again. This time the fact that they do have working parties.

Roger had said that he would keep Simon and Christine Hudson up to date on branch social meetings and activities.

Pocklington Canal

Canal Head & Mill House

The Pocklington Canal Amenity Society has been fortunate to receive a substantial grant from the Commuted Sums Fund of the East Riding of Yorkshire Council. This has boosted the Sandhill Lock Appeal to more than £200,000, and appeal is now closed. The Society is still awaiting the necessary approvals for works

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to start at Sandhill Lock, and it is expected that these will be granted later this year.

The COVID restrictions ruled out all events in the first half of 2021, but a barbeque is planned for July and the usual Sunday lunch will take place in November. The tripboat, New Horizons, has started to charter trips with limited numbers of passengers, and will resume public trips when all restrictions are lifted. Working parties will resume at the same time.

New Horizons

New Horizons departing Melbourne with a happy group of passengers.

Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic New Horizons, the PCAS trip boat, remained unused until near the end of the 2020 season, when three trips were run for family groups. Nevertheless it was possible to do some painting and other maintenance during the summer months. The boat was then taken to Goole for the hull to be painted, funded by a grant from the Canal & River Trust. PCAS Chairman Paul Waddington is retiring and 11

is in process of selling the marina Goole Boathouse.

This is where our tripboat was fitted out nearly 20 years ago and has visited frequently over the years.

On 20 December there was a major breach on the Aire & Calder Canal and New Horizons had to remain at Goole until Ocean Lock was reopened to non-commercial traffic on 19 April. After months of uncertainty about being able to return to the Pocklington Canal we made the trip to Barmby at the first opportunity and the boat was moved from Barmby to Melbourne two days later.

We are now taking bookings for a maximum of six people from one or two households and several groups have already booked trips to Gardham Lock. Please contact Steve Ashby to book a trip: book.newhorizons@gmail.com Once coronavirus regulations permit we will be able to resume our popular short trips on Sundays and bank holidays and to carry larger groups on booked trips. The latest information can be found on the Pocklington Canal Amenity Society’s website and on Facebook.

Alistair Anderson

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Beverley Beck Activities Despite the difficulties of planning anything this year, Beverley Barge Preservation Society is hoping to have a limited amount of activities in the second half of the year from the beginning of June until October. These have to be treated as provisional at present as we will obviously have to abide by Government Restrictions.

Our main Open event will be based around the Heritage Open Days at the beginning of September when we would hope to have Syntan open to the public, and possibly boat trips on the Beck using Mermaid.

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We are hoping to have some trips from the Beck up the River Hull using Sun. At present it is likely that these may have reduced capacity from the normal 12 passengers and may have restrictions concerning catering. We are also hoping to have regular trips on Sunday Mornings on the Beck using Mermaid possibly initially using Household Bubbles. We have equipped the vessels with additional cleaning and sanitising equipment where necessary. As we move out of lockdown we will post information on the Society Website giving further information about dates, times and facilities. Our website address is www.syntanbarge.org.uk.

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In the meantime work is being carried out to all three boats to make up for the restrictions of the last 18 months and we are grateful to all members who have or currently are involved in this.

Iain Campbell

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The IWA Website is: www.waterways.org.uk Further details of the East Yorkshire Branch, are at:https://www.waterways.org.uk/waterways/branches/iw a-east-yorkshire or you can contact Roger Bromley, Chairman – at: roger.bromley@waterways.org.uk

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