waterwitch #144 autumn 2010
DESCRIPTION
Waterwitch Magazine of the Lancaster Canal Trust. Autumn 2010 Edition #144TRANSCRIPT
Autumn 2010 Edition
WATERWITCH MAGAZINE OF THE
LANCASTER CANAL TRUST
Number 144
The Lancaster Canal Trust (Registered Charity No.240957
Affiliated to the Inland Waterways Association Ltd.)
http://www.lancastercanaltrust.org.uk/
2
Two photos of the IWA National meeting at Beale Park
3
Front cover: The Tripboat, in its new paint job, at the Westmorland Show (see P6)
Welcome to this edition of the Waterwitch, since the last one summer has come and mostly gone and for many it was much warmer and drier than of recent times. There has been much
activity on within the Trust as members continued to support our various. Pat has sent in an extensive write-up of the IWA National at Beale Park, Alan Mather & Chris Jones have given an
insight into the trip boat operations this season, where due to the better weather and extra running we seem to be heading for a substantial increase in donations this year. The AGM was
highlighted by a very inspiring talk from our guest speaker Geraint Coles of the Chesterfield Canal Partnership, leaving us all to realise that for the Trust to really move forward we
desperately need to find ways to get somebody of his ability and drive employed full-time. It may be difficult to see how but it is not necessarily an impossible dream, just one that needs
working on.
We are indebted to Ken Broadhurst for deciding to run a Trust member visit next year to the Falkirk Wheel; many may have already been but still worth the trip. Members and guests will
get first chance to book the limited number of seats before it is opened to all. (see page 31).
There are a number of offers of help being requested for the working parties that are soon to commence and for help in restocking on a regular basis our fairly recently installed leaflet
holder at various point on the canal and which have proved so popular that keeping up with the resupply is a never-ending task for the ‘few’. So, come on, do offer to help – (see page 34).
Finally you will see on page % the news that regrettably the Trust is to increase membership
fees from next January. The rises may seem a bit steep but running costs do eat up more and more of our finances. This journal, which most members seem to enjoy in its fully colour
version, probably takes up at least half the current membership income for printing not to mention the postage. We are going to reduce the issues to 3 per year rather than reduce size
and quality of print. We hope members will continue to support us, and by receiving the Waterwitch keep up by written and visual means with all the Trust’s activities. I shall be pleased to receive any comments on any matter. The next Waterwitch should be out in early
January 2010, please don’t hesitate to send in article and pictures; it is your magazine!
Regards ED
Contents
Letter from the Editor 3
Chairman's Report 4
Summer Festivals 6
Boat Operation Managers Report 10
Fuelling Stops on the Lanky 12
Working Party Report 14
Trust's Annual Accounts 17
Canal Memories Ian Dunn 18
Helen‟s Puzzle 19
„You see there was this 19 year old lad‟…. 20
Bellringers go to Crooklands 22
Water, water everywhere 24
Notes from the Southern Canal System 27
Falkirk Wheel Trip 29
British Waterways Update 30
4
Those of you who didn’t get to the AGM in June missed a wonderfully inspiring event. I’m speaking not so much about
the business meeting itself but more about the talk which followed.
Dr Geraint Coles of the Chesterfield Canal Partnership gave us an excellent
account of their progress over recent
years. They now have several sections of restored canal, buildings restored and extended for use as office and training centre and the framework for a town
centre development at least as large as that proposed for Kendal Canal Head. All this is vividly shown on their works
programme chart, with its lines steadily turning from red (to be done) to green (actually achieved). We have much to
learn from them.
As an outcome of the AGM we now have Dave Slater as our Vice President, a new Treasurer, Peter Jones and a new Membership Secretary, Alan Mather.
Welcome to all of them and best wishes for carrying out their appointed tasks. Since the AGM Alan has also taken on
the role of Acting Boat Operations Manager, following the resignation of Frank Chalmers.
We have had a busy summer of
attendance at shows and events from as far south as Reading (IWA National Festival) via Preston (Haslam Park and
Riversway), Skipton, Crooklands (Country Fest and Westmorland County Show) and Kendal Torchlight Procession.
Also Waterwitch’s Brew, the mobile publicity and refreshment station, has
covered a variety of sites up and down the canal.
I’m very glad to report that the teams of
volunteers running the boat and the working parties are now sufficiently large and diverse to enable us to do both
activities concurrently. So for the first time for several years we have been able to do practical restoration work during
the summer months when we have longer daylight hours and a chance of better weather. We have also had two mid week working parties and I hope we
can expand on this. Our normal autumn / winter working party schedule commenced on 12th September with a
final visit to complete the restoration work on Sellet Hall Bridge.
More detail on most of these activities elsewhere in these pages.
I have been pleased to represent the Trust for the last two years or so on the steering group for the Lune Aqueduct
Enhancement Project. This group comprises BW, Lancaster City Council, Lancashire County Council and LCT,
with officers representing engineering, heritage & conservation, environment & ecology, public participation, cycle path
and footpath interests. The planning work reached a milestone in early September with the submission of an
application for a £1 million grant to the Heritage Lottery Fund. We should know the outcome by the end of the year and,
if successful, the grant will pay for a
(Continued on page 5)
Chairman’s
Report
5
100 Club Prizes: 1st £25; 2nd £15; 3rd £10. Winning Numbers since last Issue
With the changeover of our Treasurer we have not been able to set up the new bank accounts due to delays at the Bank. We have drawn the numbers and they are being securely held until these problems are resolved. We will publish them all in the next edition
number of improvements to the
accessibility and visibility of this Grade 1 listed Aqueduct, including better links between the riverside path and the canal
towpath 60 feet above. The work will be carried out in conjunction with BW’s major engineering works for relining the
channel of the aqueduct and the
embankment as far as Caton Road over the next two winters, 2010/11 and
2011/12. Boaters, keep an eye on www.waterscape.com for details of the stoppages involved in completing this
task. Richard Trevitt
(Continued from page 4)
MEMBERSHIP NOTICE In common with many other voluntary organisations the costs incurred by the Trust inexorably rise year on year. We are not able to access the bulk of our savings since these are ring-fenced for the Northern Reaches restoration-based work. Therefore it is with regret that the Executive committee has agreed to increase membership fees. In order to avoid the inevitable administrative time and cost in making several small increases and in view of the fact that it is now some time since fees were last increased, the Executive have decided on one larger but we feel realistic rise that should last a number of years. Therefore, as from the 1st January 2011 the new membership rates will be: Concession £10, Adult £14, Family £20, Life £150, Affiliate £14
. Members who currently pay by standing order are encouraged, when renewing their subscription, to transfer instead to a Direct Debit . Subscriptions run from Jan 1 to Dec 31 New members joining after 31st December 2010 will pay the enhanced rates. A family membership includes joint membership by two adults and if necessary up to three children of school age. David Currington Secretary, LCT
6
Country Fest was held at the
County Show field at Crooklands
on the Spring Bank Holiday
weekend, 29th and 30th May
2010. Saturday was wet and
chilly - making it an ideal test
for our new pair of small
marquees which proudly bear
the legend of "Lancaster Canal
T r u s t " o v e r t h e
entrances. Sunday was a lovely,
sunny day and our marquees
were busy all day with visitors
who had come from a wide
geographical area and were
interested in seeing our displays and asking
many questions about the canal and the
proposals for its future restoration and also to
purchase items from our stall. The boat,
Waterwitch, ran both days and crews were
kept busy giving free rides to the
public. Some new members joined on the day
and many took membership leaflets away with
them.
The Annual Riversway Festival, which improves
each year, at Preston Dock is
now an established Event in our
calendar. The Trust attended on
Saturday, 24th July and our
volunteers were busy all day
answering questions from the
public and selling items from the
stall - at times struggling to
hear what visitors were saying
over the loud "music" being
relayed over the loud speaker
(Continued on page 7)
Summer Festival Reports
The two new Trust display marquees at the Country
Fest show during May 2010
Helen, David , Sheila and Beryl on duty
7
system. Sadly the still present algae in the
water prevented some of the activities taking
place which meant there were no water
skiers; a great disappointment to the female
members of the team!
Many thanks to our members, Cameron,
Doreen and Dorothy who came along on the
day and gave valuable assistance. BB
IWA National Festival
Beale Park Pangbourne
August 28th , 29th & 30th 2010
Without doubt the highlight of the waterways
events calendar is the Inland Waterways
Association‟s National Waterways Festival. It is
the event to see and be seen at, attracting
the great and the good in the waterways
movement and this year‟s event on the
Thames near Pangbourne, was no exception.
It was important therefore that the Trust had
a presence.
Gordon and I left home early Saturday
morning, 21st August, collecting our caravan
„en route‟. The journey went smoothly but
after 220 miles we were ready for a break.
Oxford was to be our base for the next two
nights, enabling us to arrive at lunchtime on
Monday at the camping site attached to Beale
Park showground, some 30 miles away.
We were lucky – although the winds were
fairly strong we did get our outfit sited and
the awning up without too much trouble.
Campers arriving on Wednesday were not so
lucky as they faced torrential rain all day.
Our lovely dry field turned into something of
a mudbath (doesn‟t this sound familiar for a
National?). Plans for a cruise on the Thames
were hastily shelved and we stayed indoors all
day.
By Thursday things were a little brighter, but
ground conditions were too wet to allow
exhibitors to take their vehicles on to the
site; their gear was either carried in or
many enlisted the help of Waterway Recovery
Group members, today‟s Navvies, with their
tractors and trolleys. We were joined in the
evening by our son Martyn, and by Mike and
Fran Valiant who had travelled to the event
on their boat from their home mooring on
the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.
Friday heralded the arrival of David and
Sheila Slater and the LCT team were complete.
The day was spent setting up our display. A
first for us at this event was power to the
marquee. Not only did this enable us to run
a kettle for the all important brews but also
the laptop we use for our talks programme.
David had put together a „powerpoint‟
presentation about the Lancaster Canal and
the Trust‟s plans for restoration, running on a
continuous loop. He had also bought a small
television which could be used as a computer
monitor. As this had a built in DVD player,
Gordon had been busy copying various bits of
television which have featured the work of
LCT from tape to DVD. Most of the day was
spent setting up the display followed by a
celebratory cup of tea aboard Mike & Fran‟s
(Continued from page 6)
(Continued on page 8)
8
boat. That evening Pat, Gordon, Sheila and
David headed off to the local supermarket for
supplies for the all important barbeque.
Saturday was our busiest day for enquiries.
Many of our visitors had either been on the
Lanky or were about to come to see us. They
were quite enthusiastic and many of them
had long conversations for 20 minutes or
more. We had fewer people “just passing”
this year - most were seriously interested in
the canal and our plans for the future. In the
evening the obligatory LCT team „après show‟
barbecue was enjoyed by all.
Sunday dawned bright and breezy and once
again we had a steady flow of visitors.
Unfortunately our marquee faced into the
wind and as it strengthened we got colder!
David gave a talk on the Lancaster Canal in
the presentation suite which was well received
and attracted more people to our stand.
Martyn left at lunchtime and so missed the
squall which hit mid-afternoon. Very heavy
rain and high winds meant much scurrying
around bringing in exhibits and closing the
marquee but we were the lucky ones. Some
campers were recalled to the campsite to
rescue tents and many on the showground
were hanging on to gazebos. It only lasted
about 40 minutes but things were a bit lively
for a while. Visitors returned and we were
busy until the close of the show.
The wind was still a nuisance on Monday but
it was much brighter. We rearranged the
layout of the stand and only opened one
front panel of our marquee, allowing visitors
to view, and ourselves to work, without the
constant discomfort. Trade was steady but
there were fewer people around.
By the end of the show we had dealt
with 300 serious enquiries and taken
over £100 for Trust funds, which
i n c l u d e d g u i d e b o o k s a l e s ,
memberships and donations. One was
a magnificent payment of £50 for a
guide book. We always said they were
worth their weight in gold!!
Sincere thanks must go to David,
Sheila, Martyn, Fran and Mike for
their invaluable help over the three
days. Most of us are home now but
Fran and Mike have a longer journey by boat
– that‟s if they can get home! No water in
the Leeds and Liverpool makes boating a bit
difficult.
One person we must say a special thank you
to is Paul Shaw. Paul was part of the
Waterways Recovery Team, all volunteers, who
(Continued from page 7)
(Continued on page 9)
All set up and ready to go!
9
put the show site and all its services
together, keep the show running
including the all important job of
cleaning the loos and return the site
to a green field after the event. He
kindly transported all our large
exhibition boards, tables etc. for us
and without his help we would have
really struggled to get all our
equipment to Beale Park
Next year the show is nearer home at Burton
– on – Trent at the end of July..
PC
Stop Press
The Westmorland Show
9th September 2010, Crooklands
The day before we went to print the Trust
was again represented at the annual
Westmorland Show. On a good dry day there
were plenty of people about and from fairly
early on members manning the Trust‟s stand
were kept very busy chatting to members of
the public.
Our tripboat was again in operation on the
adjacent stretch of canal and was heavily
booked up for most of the day. It looked
fine in its almost completed decorative
repaint, just the name to go on the bow very
soon!
(Continued from page 8)
(Continued on page 31) At the Westmorland Show
10
Boat Operation Manager’s Report
It is a pleasant sunny evening
in late August and I am sitting
in my caravan looking along
the canal towards Millness with
the last rays of evening
sunshine on the top of Farleton
C r a g .
Re ce nt ly
there has
been no
w a t e r
e nte r ing
the canal
from the
P e a s e y
B e c k
f e e d e r
and for
last weekend‟s boating it was
six inches below the normal
level, which made it extremely
difficult to turn at Millness on
the Saturday.
On the Sunday public trips
were between Crooklands and
the winding hole to the north
only. The Trust has spoken to
BW about the situation and
thankfully things have been
restored to normal.
May was a good month for
W a t e rw i t c h w i t h 5 7 7
passengers carried, but June &
J u l y w e r e h o w e v e r
disappointing due to the poor
w e a t h e r l e a v i n g f e w
passengers around and the
crews going home wet
through.
At the time of writing it looks
like August will be a great
month with 5 charters plus
normal trip days. The charters
have been
a real
p leasure
for both
trippers &
crew. A
s p e c i a l
thank you
to Bill
D i x o n
who came
on duty at
short notice to cover for a sick
member of the crew
This year, as a trial, we
commenced running trips on 3
Saturdays in the holiday
period; if these days prove
popular will consider operating
more Saturdays next season.
Mechanically Waterwitch‟s
engine is running well. There
are no leaks of fuel, oil or
water, the new stern gland
does not leak and, now that
the boat is moored facing
south, there is no ingress of
rain through the engine
cooling air duct. The bilge in
both engine room and cabin
11
remains clean and
dry.
H o w e v e r , t h e
coupling between
the reverse gearbox
and the propeller
shaft is defective.
This coupling is
part of the boat‟s
original equipment
but Neil McGarry states that
“with a little attention and
tightening, plus no high speed
running, the coupling will last
until the end of the season”.
Boat skippers have been, and
are being, instructed “no full
throttle”. We hope to carry
out remedial action at the end
of the season at minimal cost.
We hope to carry out some
more assessments of trainee
steerers in October after the
boat is fixed. The need for
training up new members is
vital as currently we only have
14 qualified
skippers from
a crew list of
30 volunteers.
This season
has been the best yet in terms
of donations taken due in no
small part to the mainly
exce llent weather and
increased days of operation.
Chris Jones, who has taken on
the re sponsib i l i ty fo r
arranging our Charters,
informs me that up to the end
of August the following
Charters had taken place.
Crosscrake Brownies (Mary
Shaw),
Kings Church Kendal
(Linda Sutherland),
(Continued on page 33)
Some happy
faces from the
charter visit by
the Crosscrake
Brownies
12
The City of Lancaster has many fine establishments where boaters and canal
walkers alike can refuel their appetites with some fine ales and pub grub. You can’t get much nearer to the canal than
the impressive Waterwitch. It is a long narrow building which is not unreasonable given that it was originally
built as a stable block for the canal packet boat horses. It therefore has plenty of window seats if the weather is
bad but on a good day it is possible to sit right next to the water.
The pub part of the Mitchell's group,
underwent a makeover in 2008 and now
(Continued on page 13)
Fuelling Stops on the Lanky
Lancaster City Centre
The Waterwitch and
The Borough
The special one third glass trays at the
Waterwitch!
13
offer a fine range of well kept real ales.
Normally there are 7 to 8 beers plus Weston’s cider. The pub opens from 11.00am to 11.00pm daily and food is
served daily till 9pm (till 8pm Sunday). But not 3pm to 5.30pm Mon - Friday. A Deli board is also available.
In true real ale fashion they positively
encourage you to try their full range without overindulging buy the use of one third glasses conveniently presented on
their uniquely designed carrying trays.
If you need a change or just to
stretch your legs then the next recommended central Lancaster stop, (it’s no co-incidence that I’m a
member of the Campaign for Real Ale), has got to be The Borough in Dalton Square.
This free house has seven real ales on hand pump all local to North
Lancashire and Cumbria. Like the
Waterwitch it is also in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide and offers a 30p per pint
discount to card-carrying CAMRA members. Open daily for breakfast at 9am and alcoholic beverages from
10.30pm it remains open until 11.30pm (12.30pm Fri-Sat). Good locally sourced food is also available from 9.00am
breakfast through to 9.30pm daily.
Both pubs are well worth a visit, whatever the excuse1
Titus O’Newt
(Continued from page 12)
The bar at The Borough
14
The major restoration project set
up in August to repair Sellet Hall
bridge attracted 18 volunteers,
including small groups from the
Wild Boar Hotel at Crook and
Kirkham Open Prison. James
Richardson brought his JCB which
was useful for lifting materials for
transfer from the store and then
digging trial holes along the bed of
the canal. Sellet Hall bridge is
privately own as it is the first
bridge beyond the end of the
watered sect ion of canal.
Therefore the bridge is not BW’s
responsibility
In the meantime, work began on
carefully dismantling the parapet
walls, making use of the mini-
digger expertly handled by
Richard Ingram, and exposing the
roots of the stumps and erecting
the scaffold towers needed for
access. The tree roots turned out to
be more extensive than expected,
and in fact one huge root system
was exposed which linked the
stumps on both parapet walls. This
was only successfully removed
towards the end of the day (to an
immense cheer from us all!), and
the only rebuilding carried out was
the initial course to stabilise the
exposed areas.
On Sunday, 13 people continued
with the rebuilding of the parapets
and other areas where partial
collapse had occurred. This was
carried out under the guidance of
Martin Rigby, a stonemason who
had a lso super vised t he
dismant ling to ensure that
rebuilding was carried out to the
same detail as the original bridge.
The scaffold platform was also
used to remove ivy from the
bridge, and some of the brash from
the scrub clearance was burned.
Because of the additional work
which had been needed on the tree
stumps on Saturday, the rebuilding
wasn’t completed by Sunday
evening, so to make use of the
hired in scaffolding and mixer, we
decided to have an additional
working party which will now take
place in early September.
The winter working parties will as
usual be taking place on the
second Sunday of each month,
with the exception of December.
In December, WRG NW will be
holding their Christmas Party at
Over Kellet Village Hall over the
weekend of 4th-
5th, so we'll re-
a r r a n g e o u r
(Continued on page 28)
Working Party Report
15
L & R
The access
steps
carefully
cleaned up so now
they are
really
accessible
once more
Above: On a dreary day ear-
ly in 2010 the Sellet Hall
bridge looks very much in
need of some TLC
Below: The huge tree stump
has gone; the parapet rebuilt
and it just awaits the coping
stones to be replaced
Left: Our Chairman
Richard leads the as-
sault on the bridge
repairs
16
(Continued on page 32)
Right: The undergrowth & roots have been
cleared and the parapets restored using the tradi-
tional mortar mix and the original stones
Left: The West side with the tree roots having
grown right across the road and formed a
second growth on the parapet
Right: All growth gone and the parapet and bridge
abutment rebuilt .
Left: The original self set tree on the east side has
seriously damaged the bridge structure
Right: Again the very large stump has finally gone
and the badly damaged parapet has been
repaired.
Left: The years of undergrowth & root systems
have almost blocked the roadway
17
At the AGM last June it was sensibly agreed that the Trust’s Accounts should be published in Waterwitch for al l members to see. The Balance Sheet & Income& E x p e n d i t u r e a r e reproduced herewith. Space does not permit the
reproduction of the many
associated notes giving the breakdown of the figures. If any member has any query perhaps they might contact
the Trust’s Treasurer, Peter Jones, whose contact details
are at the back of this publication ED
18
CANAL NOTES
THE CANAL TO TEWITFIELD LOCKS FROM KENDAL 1
THINK IS ABOUT NINE MILES,. ON THE WAY TO THESE
LOCKS THERE WAS A WHARF AT CROOKLANDS TO
SUPPLY WOOD FOR THE COOPERAGE AND STEAM
COAL FOR THE GUN POWDER WORKS AT GATEBECK
IF YOU DUG DOWN A BIT PIECES OF COAL ABOUT
ONE INCH SQUARE APPEARED, THERE WAS A RAIL
WAY FROM THE WORKS TO MILNTHORPE STATION PARTS OF THE EMBANKMENTS AND THE
ABUTMENTS FOR THE BRIDGE CROSSING THE CANAL CAN STILL BE SEEN, THIS WHARF IS STILL
USED TO-DAY FOR THE SALE
OF COAL,
T H E W A G O N S T H A T
T R A N S P O R T E D T H E
GUNPOWDER WERE PAINTED
RED. THEY OFTEN CAME OFF
THE RAILS AS THE TRACK WAS
UNSTABLE ON THE SLEEPERS
SO THEY USED TO CARRY A
LONG PIECE OF WOOD TO
LIFT THE WAGONS ON TO
THE RAILS AGAIN.
I HAVE DONE A LITTLE
DRAWING TO SHOW HOW IT MAY HAVE LOOKED,
ABOUT TWO MILES FROM THE WHARF GOING SOUTH, A PIECE OF LAND ON THE LEFT OF
THE CANAL WAS USED IN THE 19th CENTURY FOR TIPPING ALL KENDAL'S NIGHT SOIL!! THERE
MUST HAVE BEEN A TERRIBLE SMELL. THIS WAS TRANSPORTED IN A CANAL BARGE . 1 DO NOT
THINK THAT THIS WAS THE SAME BARGE THAT WAS USED FOR THE METHODISTS YEARLY
OUTINGS ON THE CANAL, I HOPE NOT. BUT YOU NEVER KNOW THERE WAS A FAIR BIT OF
COMPETITION AMONG THE FAITHFUL IN THOSE DAYS,
THE LOCKS AT TEWITFIELD ARE NOW JUST A SERIES OF WATER-FALLS BUT BEFORE THEY
BECAME OBSOLETE THERE
WOULD HAVE BEEN A LOT OF
NOISE AND BUSTLE, THERE
WAS I THINK A CANAL
KEEPERS HOUSE ON THE
NORTH OF THE LOCKS,
WHERE A FEW REPAIRS MAY
HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT,
HORSE SHOE CHECKING AND
THINGS OF THAT ILK,
WHEN THE PACKET BOATS
WENT THROUGH THE LOCKS
(Continued on page 19)
ANOTHER IN THE
SERIES
CANAL MEMORIES
by
IAN DUNN B.A A.T.D
19
THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN
ITINERANT TRADE PEOPLE
SELLING ARTICLES FROM
TRAYS AND THINGS, AND
ALSO BEGGARS HOPING FOR
A HAND OUT. SOMETIMES
THERE WOULD BE A BOAT
AT THE TOP OF THE LOCKS
AND ONE AT THE BOTTOM,
FOR SPEED OF COURSE,
PASSENGERS COULD EITHER
STAY ON BOARD OR WALK
DOWN OR UP THE CANAL AS
THE CASE MAY BE.
IAN DUNN
(Continued from page 18)
HELEN’S
WORD
SEARCH
LANCASTER
CANAL
BRIDGES
Can you find the 33
bridges in the maze below. If you want
a real challenge then
cover the names up
and use the Trust’s
Canal Guide to pick
them out!
Answer page 32
20
First of all may I apologise for not be ing able to attend the AGM this year. As I write these notes I am moored at Cropredy on the Oxford Canal heading for the Thames. I am grateful that the Editor has agreed to publish these musings, which were also read out by him at the AGM. As you may know in 2013 the Trust will be 50 years old, having been formed in 1963. I joined in 1964 and became active on the Committee. Six years later a raw but enthusiastic 19 year old joined us. His name was David Slater. It wasn‟t long afterwards he was putting the Trust‟s case for restoration in front of Granada‟s cameras as part of a documentary they were making – quite a baptism in the art of canal campaigning. In 1969 David married the gorgeous, pouting Sheila! I was Best Man and I recall one of the wedding presents was a bottle of Lancaster Canal water (1969 vintage). Whether David still has this bottle and whether it has now fermented and matured only he can tell you.
He has spent 41 years as an active committee member holding positions as Public Relations Officer, Secretary
and Chairman. This is an enormous achievement and one of which we should all be grateful and he should be proud. It is indeed a record most unlikely to be surpassed. Throughout these years he was an essential thread of continuity as committee members came and went.
In the early years, of course, we had no computers or mobile phones, indeed most of us had no telephones at home! We had to resort to using public phone boxes to contact colleagues at their places of work. Contact was also maintained by post.
Another aspect of David‟s work has been, from the very beginning, his continuous input into ‟Waterwitch‟ by way of articles and comment. I believe that since he joined there has not been one issue of „Waterwitch‟ that did not contain an article by him. This, again, is quite an achievement. I would also like to point out that for many years „Waterwitch‟ appeared four times a year – quite a lot of writing – with no facility of printing photographs which take up space.
Indeed, as editor, I took the then editor of the BW magazine to task for „space filling‟. For example, six workers were presented with long service awards and six different pictures were printed – of each recipient – and the beaming chairman, instead of one photo of all of them. A group award photograph appeared the following year! David & I became involved, for quite a time, in trying to save the Inland
(Continued on page 21)
You see, there was this 19 year old lad........
By John Gavan
21
Hello! The Lancaster Canal Trust extends a very warm welcome to
the following new members and we hope to see you at some of
our events:
Waterways Amenity & Advisory Council (IWAAC) from abolition. This was at the time of Ted Heath‟s government that had drawn up a list of Quangos to be abolished. (We‟ve come full circle ED). The chairman if IWAAC at that time was David Wain. I recall making a spoof quote by him in „Waterwitch‟ – “I‟m taking my last quango to Paris!”
Anyway , as a result of our efforts a meeting was convened at Count y Hall, Preston at which interested parties, including the local IWA, passed a unanimous resolution opposing the abolition Similar meetings around the country eventually forced the Government to change its mind.
Being Chairman or Secretary of the Trust is time consuming if the job is to be done properly. Giving lectures and slide shows, organising trips on the canal, having a stand at boat rallies, liaising with British Waterways and Local /authorities – the list is endless. For 41 years David has shown gusto, enthusiasm and drive. I am sure that, like me, , you are proud of him. As a result you, the members, are honouring him tonight with the post of vice President and both David & Sheila with Life membership. I personally would like to congratulate him on this achievement – he certainly deserves it. Thank you
John Gavan.
(Continued from page 20)
J Sims C Byrne
N Johnson S Bennett
Z Metcalfe L Birchell
D Bevzeva I McCullough
Mr Landles M Peet
J Johnston I Young
M Adkinson H Wilkie
G Fitch I Fair
22
As a bellringer at St Johns church in Lytham, I have often left them one short when crewing Waterwitch on a Sunday morning so I thought it was about time I organised a charter on the boat for my fellow ringers to make up for it. We decided on Sat the 14th August as we had no weddings to ring at on that day, but thought maybe we could combine a ring at a church near to the boat, so I contacted a nice lady called Rachel at St James church Burton in Kendal.
We arrived there about 1pm and rang the bells “up” six in all with the help of Rachel, we were dismayed to find out that the bells were rarely rung there as her family are the only ringers in the village and there was little interest in the bells from within the church itself. This seems to be a country wide problem as many churches are falling silent mainly due
to the lack of ringers, it’s an art that needs to be passed on and once the band is lost its hard to get one going again. For the record and for any ringers reading this we rang some called changes and some nice touches of Grandsire and Steadman doubles, then we rang the bells “down "again. At around 2pm we left Burton and drove over to the boat at Crooklands; before boarding we had time for a quick drink and comfort stop at the Crooklands hotel. At the boat we met
the smiling faces of Chris and Alan ready to welcome us aboard, this was to be their second charter of the day and the weather was holding up well. Once aboard it was decided we were going to cruise the whole length available to us with Chris steering and Alan as steward. I was a passenger today. The trip was pure bliss as lots
(Continued on page 23)
St Johns Bellringers go to Crooklands
23
of wild flowers were out due to the recent rainfall. We passed both sets of swans and signets and countless moorhen and coot with their young, the swallows were diving down in front of the boat, it seemed like they were showing off their amazing flying skills but I'm sure it was to
catch insects off the top of the water. We passed the winding hole north of Mattinsons bridge where we normally turn around and the excitement grew as the weed and overhanging branches closed in, I told my fellow ringers we were going into uncharted waters, and soon we reached Stainton the most northerly place on England's canal network, (hopefully not for too much longer) and turned around for our return to Millness to see the Motorway blockage. In no time at all two and a half hours had gone by and we were back at the stables to disembark, everyone had enjoyed every minute of the trip and
had shown great interest in the history of the canal and the work of the Trust. There were a few worried faces though when I said I'd be asking questions later to see what they had learnt. To round the day off we had booked a table at the Crooklands hotel, we all enjoyed a fine meal and a few
pints of real ale went down very well, we all agreed it was a day to remember and arrived home about 10.30pm, a nice cup of tea and then to bed as we have to be up early to ring at St Johns for Sunday service in the morning. I must add on behalf of
all the ringers a big thank you to Chris and Alan and the LCT for a great day out and I can highly recommend a charter on Waterwitch to any group who would like a memorable day out. Many thanks again, Neil McGarry.
(Continued from page 22)
24
August for us has come to mean
the IWA National Festival and the fun of greeting visitors to the LCT
event stand. We decided this year to travel to the show by water for the first time, and set off in June
from Skipton. Our planned route would take us along the Leeds-
Liverpool, down the Bridgewater and Trent and Mersey Canals,
along the Coventry and North Oxford and via the Grand Union
to the tidal Thames. Like a skein of wool being knitted up behind us, the water dried up
as we progressed along the Leeds-Liverpool. The low water levels
meant that there were restrictions in place at locks, and by the time
we arrived at Wigan, BW was only allowing one passage per
day down the flight. A stuck paddle at the top lock and padlocked gates at the bottom
slowed our descent but we eventually made it through. Not a
moment too soon, as we heard a few days later that the navigation
from Gargrave to Wigan would be completely closed within a
month if there was not enough rain; and there wasn’t! The
drought, however, did mean that
we were travelling in fine weather much of the time and so were able
to appreciate the beauties of the surrounding countryside. Our journey had its droll and
dramatic moments. At Croxton Flash we had moored up for our
afternoon cuppa when a passing boat missed the sign warning of
shallow water and ran onto the mud. The crew’s increasingly
frantic attempts to retrieve the
situation provided us with much amusement until we finally took
pity on them and used our boat to tow them back into the main
channel. On another occasion we had moored for the evening on a rural stretch of bank near several
other craft when a hire boat came t h u nd e r i ng p a s t , t o t h e
consternation of those of us buffeted by its wash. Their haste
was forgiven when they explained that they had a medical
emergency on board. A few (Continued on page 25)
Water, water, everywhere?
Fran & Mike go to the IWA National Festival
Statue of James Brindley in Coventry basin.
25
minutes later, the Air Ambulance helicopter landed in the cornfield
bordering the towpath and the casualty (a child who had suffered a head injury and was displaying
symptoms of concussion) was rushed ashore. We were relieved
to learn later that, although he needed stitches, his injuries were
not life-threatening. Our steady progress southward
was interspersed with forays off the main line. We took a side trip down to the Coventry Basin, our
visit coinciding with a fascinating exhibition at the Herbert Gallery
of Robert Longden’s photographs of working boat families in the
1940s.
Another sojourn took us up the Wendover Arm. We had watched
the restoration of this stretch with interest when we lived in
Buckinghamshire, and it was fulfilling to be able to finally cruise
up the partly restored navigation. Our imaginations went ahead of us
to the day when we will be able to
say the same of the Northern Reaches!
Our long cruises are never without their technical hitches. An annual occurrence, it seems, is the expiry
of our mains generator. This duly died at Tring, so had to be packed
up and sent off for repair when we arrived at Berkhamsted. At the
same time, the engine developed strange noises which we suspected
heralded the imminent demise of our drive plate. We ordered a replacement and booked an
engineer to meet us at Uxbridge, where we spent a noisy, dusty
(and expensive!) two days in a boatyard before being declared
fit to proceed.
Having studied the tide tables, we timed our arrival at Brentford for
August 11 to lock down onto the Thames the following day. BW
facilities here were excellent and,
as the loss of our generator had
(Continued from page 24)
(Continued on page 26)
Moored at the current terminus of the
Wendover Arm
Brentford Dock - overnight stop before the tidal Thames
26
rendered our on-board washing machine unusable, we took full
advantage of the laundry. Once down onto the Royal River, sunny skies allowed us superb views of
Kew, Richmond and Twickenham,
though the landmarks
fairly sped by as we
were swept along by
the tide up t o Teddington.
The water that had been in such short supply at
the beginning of our journey was seen here in abundance at the
s p e c t a c u l a r we i r s wh i c h accompanied every lock.
Perhaps we could bring a few bucket loads of the precious wet
stuff back with us. As I write, we
are moored up in a monsoon in Henley. Tomorrow should find us at
Beale Park to meet up with the rest of the LCT gang. No doubt, Waterwitch will be telling that tale
in the show report.
When and where will the story of our 2010 cruise end? Our plans to
return homeward via the River Trent and the Aire were thrown
into confusion by the news that BW had been forced to close the Leeds
end of our home canal too. Will we be doomed, like the Flying Dutchman, to wend our way
around the network, endlessly searching for a way back to
Skipton? It could bring a whole new meaning to our understanding
of the term ‘continuous cruising’!
Fran & Mike Valiant
(Continued from page 25)
Imposing buildings of Richmond-on-Thames
Passing under
Richmond bridges - and over its weir!
27
Our Vice President John Gavan has sent in some notes on recent past adventures:
“A” is for the Ashby Canal alongside
us which is where, in Leicestershire, the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 was located. It is also where BW has constructed special moorings for visitors to see the fine exhibition Centre nearby. Unfortunately it has very recently been revealed beyond argument that the REAL battlefield is some 2 miles away situated in some farmers fields. How this situation will be resolved is any one’s guess Further up the canal one comes across the three stones – Congerstone, Shackerstone and Snarestone. These are three Leicestershire villages and quite attractive ones at that. I had been using 1983 Nicholson’s Canal Guide which describes the villages having stores, post office and garages. Not anymore. They are now bereft of any facility, which illustrates how the power of supermarkets has grown in the last 27 years. Trust members would be jealous of the terminus here, the abandoned 9 miles to Moira is presently being fully restored. Of course they don’t have a motorway to bedevil the situation!
„B‟ is for Birmingham, Brindley Place
and the meeting of 5 canals. Between 3rd & 6th October this year any boater that enters this area will be stopped by the police and their boat thoroughly searched. The search is estimated to last at least 15minutes. This is all because the Tory Party Conference is taking place in the canal-side National Conference Centre. Boater wishing to enter between 6pm and 8 am will need the written permission of the Chief Constable.
„G‟ is for the Grand Union Canal which
has barge locks similar to the Leeds/Liverpool Canal – but with two differences. Lock working on the G.U. involves clambering over the gates – on the Leeds/Liverpool every lock has a footbridge. On the G.U many locks now only have ground paddles – new gates are not fitted with gate paddles. On the Leeds/Liverpool all locks have gate
(Continued on page 28)
Sol-y-Sombra (Sun & Shade) moored at Cosgrove on the Grand Union canal. Cosgrove is a nice village
in Northants. Typically all shops and stores have disappeared.
Notes from the Southern Canal System
28
paddles
„L‟ is for Lechlade. We travelled
there in May – it is the end of the navigable river. Lechlade is an unspoiled & attractive Cotswold town. In the centre is The Crown Inn – unusual for it has its own ‘micro’ brewery which produces a very acceptable bitter, called, appropriately, ‘old Lech.’
„P‟ is for Penkridge – on
the Staffs/Worcestershire Canal where I was somewhat bemused to read what appeared to be an official BW notice in the sanitary facilities block. Of course it didn’t take me long to realise I was reading a ‘spoof’ – but amusing nevertheless. Finally - a thought. New marinas are springing up all round the
canal system – some holding up to 400 boats. If, during the summer season, these marinas emptied just 10% of their craft onto the canals the whole system would jam up. Fortunately on our travels this year we did not have to queue for any locks and long may this be so! JG
(Continued from page 27)
working party to coincide with
this.
We should have held a working
party on 12th September to finish
off the coping stones at Sellet Hall
bridge, and in October we're
planning to spend some time
around the Millness & Crooklands
area, generally tidying up after the
summer.
The rest of the winter programme
will hopefully involve some
projects which will allow us to
progress the re-opening of the
canal, instead of the maintenance
aspects we've been concentrating
on in recent years. Watch this
space!
As usual, all help will be
gratefully received, and if you're
not already on the mailing list
please let me know if you're
interested in helping out on the
working parties
Paul Shaw
(Continued from page 14)
29
Lancaster Canal Trust
Outing to The Falkirk Wheel.
Saturday May 14th 2011.
It is proposed to run a coach from
Lancaster to Falkirk including: a fifty
minute trip through the Wheel and along
the new canal spur.
The coach (Messrs Bibby's) will leave
Lancaster at 7.30am (Subject to change !)
picking up at Carnforth, Burton, Holme
and Milnthorpe. A stop will be made at
Moffatt and on to Falkirk to arrive 12.00 to
12.30. £30.00 each person.
Further details will be sent when booked.
Due to time limitations we cannot accept
bookings for children. Please note we will
require a non
r e t u r n a b l e
deposit of £10.00
for each booking.
You will be
advised of your
final payment
later. PLEASE
BOOK EARLY.
Limit of 53 only.
Please contact
J.K.Broadhurst (01524 781604.) ‘Seatoller’, Vicarage Lane,
Burton in Kendal, Carnforth . LA6 1 NW.
Bookings for Lancaster Canal Trust Outing to The Falkirk Wheel.
Saturday May 14th 2011.
Please book _____________ tickets (Member of L.C.T.) Yes/No.
Mr/Mrs/Ms ________________________________
Address_________________________________________
Post Code ___________________ Phone No
Payment Deposit (£10.00 each) £______
(Payable to Lancaster Canal Trust)
The Trust, through Chris Jones our Grants officer, has been successful in obtaining a grant of £2400 in order that we can purchase and install a number of seats along the canal. The money has been kindly given through the Cumbria Waste Management & Environment Trust (CWMET) and has to be spent in the Holme/Burton. The Trust needs to agree the sites with CWMET and then our working parties can install them during the coming months.
A picture of the new seats the Trust will purchase
30
LUNE AQUEDUCT
ENHANCEMENT SCHEME
PROJECT
UPDATE
The magnificent Lune Aqueduct is
currently earmarked to be given a
£2.5m facelift as part of ambitious
plans to develop Lancaster Canal as a
key visitor centre and economic
generator for the North West.
Over the last two years, British
Waterways have been working with
partners from Lancaster City
Council, Lancashire County Council
and the Lancaster Canal Trust to
seek funding from external sources
to ca r ry ou t a se r ies o f
enhancements to the structure and
its surrounding environment which
will widen the appeal of the aqueduct
to local communities and
visitors.
The plans will make the Grade I
listed aqueduct – which carries
the picturesque Lancaster Canal
over the River Lune – more
accessible and visually appealing
to visitors, in addition to
underpinning the structural
integrity of the aqueduct for
decades to come.
In March 2009, the HLF
awarded British Waterways a
£50,000 development grant to help
develop proposals for the Lune
Aqueduct project, Following guidance
from the HLF, and also through
carefully assessing the objectives and
needs of our project, development
works have been carried out. British
Waterways’ own Heritage expert,
Andrew Tegg , completed a
Conservation Management Plan
which will provide a framework for
the f u tu re p rotec t ion a nd
conservation of the structure.
These development works have
enabled us to shape the final plans for
the wider Lune Enhancement Project.
The stage 2 application was
submitted to HLF in August, and this
will hopefully result in the awarding
of £1m grant towards our vision for
the site. This comprises:
A relined canal channel;
Renew corroded trench sheet
wash walls;
A re-pointed stone aqueduct
trough;
Re-pointed open joints in
(Continued on page 31)
B ritish
Waterways
Update...
Lune Aqueduct
31
masonry arch;
Vegetation removal from the
structure
These crucial plans for the long term
protection of the aqueduct will be
complemented by a series of
additional enhancements that will
increase the appeal of the site as a
key visitor attraction for Lancaster:
A range of access improvements
to enhance linkages between canal
and Millennium Cycleway;
Towpath upgrades;
Interpretation and signposts,
providing information in relation to
the structures development and
historical significance;
Ecological improvements
including landscaping of the river
corridor
Provision of a new visitor car
park at Caton Road.
A full time project officer for the site
to run a programme of activities at
the Lune over a period of three years
The funding application now has to go
through an appraisal process by the
Heritage Lottery Fund that could take
up to three months to complete. It is
hoped that a positive decision will be
achieved by Christmas of this year.
It is planned that the engineering
works will commence early in January
2011, and the visitor enhancements
will begin to be implemented in the
Spring of the same year. SH
A great big thank you to all who
manned the marquee and tripboat
booking arrangements and to those
steerers who worked all day on the
boat. We gained some new members
and many signatures to our petition, so
a very worthwhile day. DC
(Continued from page 9)
Right: Alan Mather brings home another bunch of happy people
32
Coffee Morning,
23rd October, 2010 Elizebeth Gaskell memorial hall
Silverdale
10 to 12 noon
Usual Stalls, raffles etc
(Continued from page 16)
Below: The remains of the hacked down root stump which was temporarily left in
the canal bed!
Below: The extent of the lifting action of the growing tree can clearly be seen
33
THE
LANCASTER
CANAL
St. John's bell-ringers
Lytham
A family birthday party,
p lus tw o fami ly
outings .
Skippers and crew for
these trips were Alan
Mather, Frank Chalmers,
Neil McGarry, Peter
Simmonds, Bill Dixon,
John Acres, Chris Jones.
You do not need to be a
member to charter
Waterwitch, so if you
know any group or
individual who may be
interested in booking for
next year, even outside
our normal operating
months of May to
September, please ring
me (evenings preferably)
on 07816 874563.
Chris would like to thank
t h e g r o u p s a n d
individuals who have
booked charters, their
generous donations, and
to the volunteers who
have skippered and
c re w e d Wa te rw i t c h
throughout this summer.
AM
(Continued from page 10)
34
President
C.H.Bagot J.P. F.R.I.C.S.,D.L
Vice - Presidents
John Gavan
David Slater
Chairman
Richard Trevitt 2 Fern Bank, Lancaster. LAI 4TT (01524) 846303
Vice - Chairman
Helen Thomas 7 Bay View, Over Kellet, Carnforth, LA6 1DR
(01524) 735504
Secretary
David Currington 12 Sedbergh Road Kendal LA9 6AD (01539) 732599
Treasurer
Peter Jones 14 Blencathra Gardens Kendal LA9 7HL (01539) 739105
Membership Secretary
Alan Mather 15, Claughton Ave Bolton BL2 6US (01204) 521031
Public Relations Officer
Trisha Buzzard 07802438412
Waterwitch Editor
David Currington 12 Sedbergh Road Kendal LA9 6AD (01539) 732599
Working Party Organiser
Richard Trevitt 2 Fern Bank, Lancaster. LAI 4TT (01524) 846303
Grants Officer
Chris Jones Apt 305, Liberty House, Yard 5, Highgate, Kendal,
Cumbria LA9 4BU 07816 874563
LANCASTER CANAL TRUST Officers and Committee
August 2010
35
Arlen Hire Boats
Australian Canal Society
Beetham Parish Council
Burton - in - Kendal Parish Council
Bury & District Anglers Association
Catterall Parish Council
C.A.R.P. Ltd
Holme Parish Council Lancaster Canal Boat Club
Kendal Civic Society Natland Parish Council Newton with Clifton Parish Council Preston Patrick Parish Council Ramblers Association (Preston Area) South Lakeland District Council
Westmorland & North Lancashire
Long Distance Walkers Assoc
Waterwitch is copyright 2010, published by
The Lancaster Canal Trust (Registered Charity No. 240957)
c/o David Currington, 12 Sedbergh Road, Kendal, LA9 6AD
The Lancaster Canal Trust may not agree with the opinions expressed in this magazine but encourages publication as a matter of interest. Nothing printed may be construed as policy, or an official announcement, unless so stated - otherwise the Trust accepts no liability for
any matter in the magazine.
The editor retains the right to edit any article or letter submitted for publication.
The deadline for contributions to the next edition of
Waterwitch
will be December 31st 2010
Contributions may be e-mailed to
[email protected] Or by post to
David Currington
12 Sedbergh Road Kendal, Cumbria
LA9 6AD
Trisha Buzzard
07802438412
Publicity Officer & Trip Boat Committee
Alan Mather
Acting Boat Operations Manager
(01204) 521031
Beryl Bowcott
Chairman Recruitment & Promotions
Paul Shaw
Working Party Supervisor 07866 803351
Sandra Henstock
(L.C.B.C. Representative) (01253)764171
Affiliated Members
Printed by Kent Valley Colour Printers, Kendal. (01539)741344
Visit LCT website at: http://www.lancastercanaltrust.org.uk/
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS & OTHER TRUST OFFICERS
36