NumberNumber 207 207 DecemberDecember 2014 2014 THE BOAT MUSEUM SOCIETY President: Di Skilbeck MBE Vice-Presidents: Alan Jones, Harry Arnold MBE, Tony Lewery DIRECTORS Chairman: Jeff Fairweather Vice-Chairman: Will Manning Vice-Chairman: Chris Kay Treasurer: Barbara Kay Barbara Catford Lynn Potts Terry Allen Sue Phillips Bob Thomas Cath Turpin Mike Turpin CO-OPTED COMMITTEE MEMBERS Martyn Kerry 8 Newbury Way, Moreton, Wirral. CH46 1PW Ailsa Rutherford 14 Tai Maes, Mold, Flintshire, CH7 1RW EMAIL CONTACTS Jeff Fairweather [email protected] Barbara Catford [email protected] Ailsa Rutherford [email protected] Lynn Potts [email protected] Andy Wood [Re:Port Editor] 34 Langdale Road, Bebington, CH63 3AW T :0151 334 2209 E: [email protected]

The Boat Museum Society is a company limited by guarantee, registered in Number 1028599. Registered Charity Number 501593 On production of a current BMS membership card, members are entitled to free admission to the National Waterways Museum, Gloucester, and the Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum. Visit our website www.boatmuseumsociety.org.uk

The National Waterways Museum, , Cheshire, CH65 4FW, Telephone: 0151 355 5017 http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/national-waterways-museum

Cover: Bunbury Locks [Photo: © Steve Daniels Creative Commons] Number 207 December 2014

Chairman’s Report

The Boat Museum Society (BMS) is the successor of the North Western Museum of Inland Navigation (NWMIN), which was the original body of volunteers who founded and operated the Boat Museum at Ellesmere Port which subsequently became the National Waterways Museum (NWM). The principal aim of the BMS is the preservation of the historic boats, artefacts, skills and knowledge associated with waterway life. The last time I wrote in RE:PORT I expressed my concerns about the boats, and I genuinely believe the best future for the Museum lies with visitors having an enriched experience, by seeing boats moving around and exhibits come alive but, as important as all that is, I am sure you will agree that the BMS is more than just being about plugging leaks, keeping boats afloat and looking good. The volunteers in the Pump House, Boat Yard, Power Hall, Craft Group, Archives Site Maintenance, Boat Activity Group, Porters Row, and Tour Guides all work quietly behind the scenes, giving their time, knowledge and skills to the Museum and sharing their experiences, not only with each other but also with thousands of visitors, schools and groups that come to the Museum, thus enhancing their visitor experience and awareness. The signing of the new Memorandum of Understand (MOU) earlier this year with CRT has given us a great opportunity to work together, remember what we are all about and build the foundations for the future. In order to keep the site alive we have to recognise that nostalgia isn’t what it used to be. So we have to work much harder to make the connection for newer potential volunteers, members and visitors. Whatever walk of life you come from the opportunities, interests and knowledge available to you within the Society is vast and comprehensive. BMS has

Continued over…

Contributions for RE:PORT, which is published four times a year, are always welcome Copy Date for RE:PORT 208 - Wed 19th February All views expressed in RE:PORT are those of the contributors concerned and should not be taken as being the policy of the Boat Museum Society, the National Waterways Museum or the Canal & River Trust. - 3 - RE:PORT Number 207 promoted awareness and enjoyment of Britain's inland waterways and heritage for almost 40 years. Its loyalty and dedication to the museum and our waterways heritage cannot be questioned, some say it has become the conscience of the museum, but are we still getting it right? It is very easy to get so set in our ways that we forget to step outside of the box occasionally and take a good look in at ourselves. So in order for BMS to continue to support the museum and promote awareness and enjoyment of Britain's Inland waterways in a positive and constructive manner I would like to take this opportunity to ask you for your views and opinions on BMS, it’s visions and aims. What can we do for you? Are we heading in the right direction? Are we getting it right? Do you have any opinions about what the Society does well, or not so well, and where we could make improvements and changes? I would like to hear from you. ([email protected]) We need your support and membership. 2014 has not been an easy year for any of us. It has been a very bumpy ride for both CRT and BMS. It is very easy to cut and run when things aren’t going your way but I think we can all be extremely proud of ourselves in the way we have pulled together and resolved most issues/problems through a process of sensible and constructive dialogue. I would like to thank all of our volunteers for their hard work and commitment throughout the year. I particularly want to thank Bill Darch, who has almost become a volunteer lead “without portfolio”, for his patience, tolerance and understanding during the restoration and repairs to the Pump House and Accumulator Tower. Hang on in there Bill, hopefully won’t be too long now. I would like to thank all of our members, wherever you are, for your continued support.

I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and very best wishes for the New Year.

Chairman – Boat Museum Society & Boat Museum Trust Friday 19th December

BMS has a very special celebration. During the first part of the meeting Chris Kay will be telling us about the True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty. That will be fascinating. Then after the extended break, with the usual buffet (finger food please), tombola, card swap & natter, we will be commemorating: Forty Years On since work started at Ellesmere Port towards the establishment of the Museum. It was on the first weekend in December, 1974 that Tony Hirst led the first Working Party on the site. Those who were there, can’t believe where all those years have gone! If you were there, come along and bring your photos and memories to share.

- 4 - Number 207 RE:PORT

The Caldon Canal WHEN JAMES BRINDLEY'S GRAND TRUNK CANAL was nearing completion in the early 1770s, it became obvious that its water supply was inadequate. In particular, the summit pound in Stoke-on-Trent was most likely to run dry in summer. The obvious answer was to build a branch canal to make use of the rain that falls on the Staffordshire moorlands where there were also large reserves of limestone which would provide regular cargoes. Brindley was sent to survey the line but his health was failing and soon afterwards he died, after which Hugh Henshall his brother-in-law took over. He decided to take the canal through the Churnet Valley to Froghall. This had the additional advantage that it would be able to serve the coal mines in the area, while bypassing the town of Leek. It was planned to connect the limestone quarries at Caldon Low, from which the canal got its name, by a railway. The canal was dug as far as what is now known as Froghall Old Wharf between 1777 and 1778, when the canal and railway were opened for business. Today the wharf has a visitor centre run by Staffordshire County Council, which has a good display of archive photographs showing it in its heyday, when the place echoed with the noise, and was covered with the smoke from the large lime kilns which line the wharf; very different to today's bucolic silence. Because of trouble with the railway the idea was not a success. As a result, a new Act of Parliament was necessary in order to rebuild the railway on a different route and to extend the canal through a tunnel to the railway's new terminus at Froghall Wharf. After all that it quickly became obvious that the Canal on its own would not be able to supply enough water to meet the Trent and Mersey's needs. In fact, the Caldon itself had insufficient water for its own traffic. The solution was to build a two and a half mile long reservoir at Rudyard, north-west of Leek, to supply the summit level at Hazlehurst. The original intention was to connect the reservoir with the Canal with a simple feeder channel. However, the people of Leek, unhappy that the Canal had avoided their town, took the Leek Tunnel opportunity to remedy the [© Martin Clark CC] matter. They persuaded the Canal Company to make the feeder between the southern edge of the town and the Canal at Hazlehurst navigable, with a further length leading to a basin in Leek itself. This new branch was never all that busy, being used mainly for carrying raw materials to and finished products from the mills in in

- 5 - RE:PORT Number 207

Froghall Wharf [© Graham Hogg CC]

the town, together with coal for industrial and domestic use and some agricultural and domestic cargoes. The two arms of the canal enter the Churnet Valley on opposite sides of the valley occupied by the Endon Brook. To join the main line at the summit level and deliver the water to where it was needed, the Leek arm had to cross the valley on a high embankment. The summit level of the Caldon's main line then had to be extended along the side of the valley to meet it. The locks that had previously lowered the main line towards Froghall were replaced by a triple staircase at the new junction. However, this, proved to be oth a bottleneck and a waste of water. It was, therefore, replaced with a new junction further back along the summit level and a new section of canal was added, with three individual locks, which lowered the main line to pass underneath the Leek Arm, which was carried by a new aqueduct. After a few further problems had been overcome, the Canal was a commercial success. It was used to carry a wide variety of cargoes, including coal, limestone, ironstone, bricks, timber, pottery materials and agricultural products. It continued to be successful, even after it was bought by the North Staffordshire Railway in the 1840s. When ironstone was discovered in the 1850s, the Canal was kept busy carrying to the steelworks at Shelton. Supplying the steelworks also created a demand for limestone, for use as a flux, to remove impurities from the iron during smelting. The Canal's decline began after the First World War. Some industries, such as coal and ironstone mining, closed down entirely. As with other canals, rail and then road competition began inexorably to capture the traffics. By the 1950s, it was almost disused and some sections were derelict. Eventually, a closure notice appeared at Etruria in 1961. However, the Canal could not be entirely abandoned because the water supply was still needed for the main line of the Trent and Mersey. Eventually the volunteers of the Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust began the long process of restoration. After a great deal of hard work and a lot of money, the Canal was restored to navigation in 1974 and was upgraded to full Cruising Waterway status in 1983.

- 6 - Number 207 RE:PORT

Some issues remain; sections of the Canal are confined to narrow concrete troughs because of problems with leaks and slippage. The Hazlehurst aqueduct and embankment are in need of major maintenance. At Froghall, the tunnel leading to the New Wharf and the Uttoxeter Branch is too low for many boats. There are other difficulties at Froghall Old Wharf. Although the Canal itself is in good condition, the winding hole is too small for the longest boats. The biggest outstanding issue is the unsightly surroundings of the Wharf, in particular the Bolton's Copper Works site. Demolition work cleared many of the derelict buildings in 2008, but there is disagreement over what should happen to the site. There were plans for 200 houses and a hotel, but they were strongly opposed locally. Alternative plans for the Churnet Valley Railway to take over part of the site also seem to have stalled. A “mixed scheme of housing, tourism and employment.” seems to be the favoured option, now. It is worth noting that negotiating the sometimes tortuous course of the Canal is difficult for boat longer than 50-60 feet. Many of the overbridges are awkwardly positioned on bends, with the result that the arches bear the marks of many collisions, which must have begun as soon as the Canal was first opened for traffic.

Porters’ Row Cottages Re-opened with a Party FORMER RESIDENTS and their families, together with volunteers, joined Cllr Brian Jones the Mayor of Ellesmere Port for a ribbon cutting and street party to celebrate the work of the volunteers and contractors in restoring this much loved exhibition. John Inch, the manager of the National Waterways Museum said: “A past resident of Number five, Mr. Green, donated a photograph of a street party on VE Day to our archive, so we took the opportunity to re-create the image at the event. The guests were delighted to meet up again and also be in the photograph which for some was for the second time as they were here in 1945.” Porters Row was built in 1833 to house the growing number of dock workers and their families. Twelve houses were built, but only four remain today. They are some of the oldest houses in Ellesmere Port. A map in the Museum archive from 1835 shows only five streets in the town of which Porters Row is one. The houses were known as ‘Porters Row’ because they were mainly built for porters - the men who moved and carried cargoes between the boats and the [Photo: © David Dixon CC] warehouses on the dockside. Census reports

- 7 - RE:PORT Number 207 tell us that in 1851 there were porters, blacksmiths, shipwrights and watermen living in the cottages. Restoring the cottages involved external decoration including roof repairs, and re-lining the chimneys which enabled the fires within the cottages to be lit at the event.

Children from Porters Row celebrating VE Day with a street party. {Photo: Mike Green]

Many of the same people celebrated the restoration of Porters Row. - 8 - Number 207 RE:PORT The Boats Other People Care For

[Photo: © Keith Lodge CC] “Hadar”

Working Narrowboat Hadar is a replica of a Small Northwich narrowboat of the "Star Class", the original of which was built for the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company (GUCCCo.) by W. J. Yarwoods of Northwich. The GUCCCo. boats in the "Star Class" were named after stars or constellations. Hadar is more commonly known as "Beta Centauri". The replica was built by Roger Fuller Boatbuilders Ltd of Stone, Stafford- shire and completed in 2007. It is owned and operated by Keith and Jo Lodge who carry and sell house coal, smokeless fuel, kindling, firelighters, toilet blue/green, Brasso, Meashamware, ribbon & lace plates, rag-rugs and crochet-work. It was built to the newer width of 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 metres) rather than the original 7 ft ½ in (2.15 metres) and with a draft of 2 feet 6 inches (0.76 metre) rather than the original 3 ft 6 inches (1.07 metre) and a length of 70 feet (21 metres) rather than 71 feet 6 inches (21.79 metres) to make travelling the canals today easier. The colour scheme is that which the GUCCCo. adopted in 1937 in celebration of the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Hadar's engine is a very rare National DA2 built in 1949 by Trojan Ltd of Croydon on behalf of the National Gas & Oil Engine Company. The engine was part of an order of 18 to be made into generator sets by Auto Diesels of Uxbridge, for dispatch to Middle East Pipelines. It is one of only two like it known to be in the UK. The twin cylinder engine of 2789 cc and produces 30 bhp at 1500 rpm. Hadar carries the fleet number 48.

- 9 - RE:PORT Number 207 A Skirmish at Shackerstone DURING OUR RETURN to the Ashby Canal in early September writes Andy Wood we were looking forward to the peace and tranquillity that are so characteristic of the waterway. The weather was warm and sunny. All was going well, and we were delighted to see a number of preserved working boats going our way. Not having kept up with ‘Waterways World’ and in the absence of any notices along the towpath, we were ignorant of the fact that there was a Family Festival taking place at Shackerstone at the navigable head of the canal.

[Photo: © Shackerstone Family Festival]

However, as we got nearer to Shackerstone we stopped to look at the paintings and prints that were being sold from her boat by the waterways artist Sylvia Hankin. It was from Sylvia and her husband that we heard that everything at Shackerstone was far from peaceful; a skirmish between those attending the Festival and a local fishermen looked likely to escalate. The Shackerstone Festival has been established for twenty years. However, the Shackerstone Angling Association appears to have been attempting to disrupt the Festival for the past five years. The anglers were said to be claiming that they had always had their annual club angling competition on that weekend, and that the large number of boats moored at Shackerstone would prevent the competition taking place. It seemed that, knowing that there is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) on the top length of the canal, one or more of the anglers had contacted the Quango, Natural England, and reported that boats attending the festival were causing damage to the rare bullrushes growing in the canalside SSSI. Natural England had imposed a requirement on CRT to protect the plants from the boats' wash and restricting the number of places along the towpath where there could be double mooring. In a robust statement, CRT said, “We can assure all boaters that there is no threat to navigation and no proposal to close the canal to boats. The canal was built for boats, and will continue to be enjoyed by boats; however we also have to recognise that it has become an important wildlife habitat and that we have to take a balanced approach.”

- 10 - Number 207 RE:PORT From The Archive IN RESPONSE TO a recent enquiry to the Waterways Archive writes Cath Turpin we have found a boat permit dating from as far back as 1842. The permit, No 394 was issued on 4th March, by the Proprietors of the Ellesmere and Canal for boat Tilston No. 9, with master Chas Jacks. The boat joined the Ellesmere Canal loaded with 16 tons 5 cwt of Felspar at the junction with the . It would have previously loaded somewhere on this canal, where there were a number of quarries.. The boat’s journey is recorded, going through the junction of the [Waterways Archive] Ellesmere Canal with the Eastern Branch of the Montgomery Canal and the three Aston Locks later on 4th March. On the 5th it passed through Frankton Marsh and Grindley Brook and on March 6th it was recorded at Hurleston, where it joined the Liverpool and Birmingham Junction Canal. The Proprietors of the Ellesmere and were only interested in the boat’s journey along their canal, so there are no further details of its journey. It was bound for ‘Stanley Mill’, but there is no indication of where this is. Another Blog From The Archive When I visited the archive one day at the end of September, Joseph Boughey was going through the Rochdale Canal Toll Book, 63, for December 1938 to November 1948. Between November 1943 and February 1944 a large number of Fellows Morton & Clayton (FMC) craft used the section of the Rochdale Canal between the junction with the at Castlefield in Manchester and the junction with the Ashton Canal at Ducie Street basin. A distance of 1 mile 330 yards. FMC was charged 7 (old) pence a ton for each loaded boat for covering this short but essential link. There is no indication of where the boats started or finished their journeys. The Rochdale Canal Company were only interested in the part of the journey on their canal.

- 11 - RE:PORT Number 207

I assume that there was a stoppage on the boats' usual route, which would probably have been via the Trent and Mersey Canal. The National Waterways Museum boats Shad and Ferret were two of the many boats in the records. 4 December 1943 Shad carried 5 tons 10 cwt of Aluminium and 9 tons 5 cwt of waste rubber (at a reduced rate of 6 pence a ton) from Ashton-under-Lyne to Castlefield., Manchester. 9 December 1943 Shad carried 14 tons 5 cwt of “Goods” from Castlefield , Manchester, to Ashton-under-Lyne. 22 December 1943 Ferret carried 30 tons 5 cwt of oil from Castlefield, Manchester to Ashton-uner-Lyne. 13 January 1944 Shad carried 14 tons of iron tubes from Ashton-under- Lyne to Castlefield, Manchester. 18 January 1944 Shad carried 5 tons of cocoa beans and 9 tons 10 cwt of oil from Ashton-under-Lyne to Castlefield, Manchester. 5 February 1944 Shad carried 14 tons 10 cwt of oil fromAshton-under- Lyne to Castlefield, Manchester.

What a varied range of cargoes. The names of the boatmen are not recorded.

Definition of a Life Jacket A personal floatation device that will keep an individual who has fallen off a boat above water long enough to be run over by it or another boat.

- 12 - Number 207 RE:PORT The Graiguenamanagh Boatmen: A Unique Community – Part I BY THE TIME Cistercians monks developed their monastery on the banks of the River Barrow in Co. Clare, Ireland, in the 13th century, the River had long been an artery of transport and communication. Settlement evidence on the Barrow Valley dates back to at least the New Stone Age. Early Christian settlements at St. Mullins, St. Michaels and Ullard no doubt used the river as a means of transport. Viking incursions up the river are recorded in 824/825 CE and 951 CE when they visited Teach-Moling - but not as pilgrims. In the later Middle Ages, traffic on the river was controlled from fortified riverside castles at Coolahill, Clogaralt, Tinnahinch and Cloghasta, both by the old Gaelic chieftains and also later by the Normans. In 1537, it was stated that Maloghlin O’Ryan, of Clohasta Castle, “do take excessive customs of all such boats as goeth to Carlow and Athy with wares and merchandizes of you men of ye towne of Rosse to ye value of £20 yearly above ye old customs”. The Monks of Duiske used the river for importing building materials (Dundry stone from near Bristol for example) during the construction of the Abbey and later it was by river that Abbey’s exports were channelled. The river by the late Middle Ages must have had considerable traffic of boats. On the sister river Nore it was stated in 1537 that “there be sixty boats belonging to Inistioge where the carriage of every boat was ever wont to be but 8 pence Irish”. In 1540 in a letter to Lord Deputy Billingham from Thomas Allan inrelation to a proposal to build a bridge between Duiske Abbey and Kavanagh’s County it was stated that five “claraneess (clarahauns) retained these twenty days past have brought more wood for the lime kilns than forty of their carts and wold to God it was stated all carriages laid by water”. By the 18th Century the river had developed as a very important commercial transport network with the newly constructed canals. Larger boats and the extended waterway network contributed to the growth of market towns like Graiguenamanagh, the first inland market town after the port of New Ross. Tighe’s “Statistical Survey” of 1810 recorded that Graiguenamanagh had sixty boats in 1790, with each boat employing four people. By 1800, while the number of boats had fallen to forty, they were of a larger capacity, able to make use of the improved navigation. The “Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland” of 1845 states that “the town enjoyed an advantageous situation for both inland and seaward tradeand it at one time owned all the boats on the Barrow”. The early boats, sometimes called “hack-boats”, were privately owned and the Barrow Navigational Company (BNC), which was responsible for the improvement in the river’s navigation, charged tolls at the locks to finance the cost of the improved navigation system. By 1849, the BNC acquired its own boats after legislation enabled it to act as couriers on its own canal. Many of the old boat-owners became employees of the

- 13 - RE:PORT Number 207

Graiguenamanagh, Co. Kilkenny [Photo: © Humphrey Bolton CC]

Company but some carried on as “hackmen” or “bye-traders”. Their boats carried a number preceded by the letter “B”. In 1895, Patrick O’Leary said that “the hauling of lighters or ‘Clarahauns’ even in the early part of the present century was accomplished by gangs of men on ropes, the trackway being only complete in parts for horses”. These men were called hauliers and were paid 8d per day. Horses were used to pull the BNC’s boats and up to 4 or 5 horses were needed especially when towing laden boats against the current in wintertime. In normal conditions two horses were sufficient to pull the boats on the Barrow. The boats at this period were the “long-tailed Barrow boats”, so called because of their long rudders, which were most suitable for steering the boat when going with the current. After 1865 steam tugs came into use on long stretches of the Grand Canal, which could tow up to six barges at a time. Horses were still used for short journeys. Steam tugs were used on the Shannon and on the tidal stretch of the Barrow, below St. Mullins. The Lady Annett worked the latter stretch of river down to Waterford and was manned by regular boatmen like Michael Bolger and James “Crow” Bolger. In the early 20th century, mechanical propulsion was introduced with the installation of the Bolinder semi-diesel engine in some of the old horse boats. In all thirty of the older horse boats were converted between 1911 and 1923 and were registered 1M to 30M (M for “motorised”) having previously had a variety of names and numbers. In 1925, after the success of the motorised horse boats, new steel hulled barges were built, with 15 HP Bolinder engines fitted as standard. All of the fleet of these boats were given consecutive numbers - 31M to 79M - and were known as the “second M” series. The early decades of the 20th century saw the river transport go into decline. The Grand Canal Company (GCC), who had acquired the Barrow Navigational Company in 1894 (for £32,000), was amalgamated into the new State Transport Company, CIE (Coras Iompair Eireann), by the Transport Act of 1950. (CIE had 800 employees and 55 barges at the take-over). However, the decline of canal and river transport continued - - 14 - Number 207 RE:PORT with only a short respite during the years of the 2nd World War. The Transport Act of 1958 authorised CIE to abandon the canal carrying service, and the boats finally ceased operation in December 1959. In a document, dated December 1959, outlining the compensation entitlement of the redundant boatmen, forty-one boatmen were listed from the Graiguenamanagh area. Redundant boat-men were given compensation in proportion to their years of service, and the position of responsibility they had held - masters, engine-men or deck-men. Essentially, men with less than five years service received a lump sum in proportion to their years on the boats - a deck-man, for example, with four years service got £189/15/7. The longer serving boatmen got a weekly pension. Master boatmen with a long service got up to £5/10/1 per week, and an engine-man with similar service got £5/8/3. This was the final dispersal of a community of boatmen who had travelled the River Barrow, providing a river transport service to Graiguenamanagh and its hinterland and to many of the riverside communities on the Barrow and other waterways for centuries. In the last two decades of the river transport, eighty-four individual boatmen worked on the GCC and CIE canal barges out of Graiguenamanagh. Some of the younger men would only have worked for a short time before the closure in December 1959. Others, foreseeing the demise of the boat transport business, left in the years leading up to the closure. Eighty-four men represent a large proportion of boatmen active in the last decades of the river transport. The economy of the Duiske/Barrow Basin was essentially kick-started by the influence of the Cistercian foundation, and provided a livelihood for a growing number of people in the vicinity of the Abbey. The twin towns of Graiguenamanagh and Tinnahinch on opposite banks of the river, which eventually combined under the name Graiguenamanagh were, over the centuries, to foster many small industries, which were to promote a variety of skills and livelihoods for the growing local urban population. The growth of small industries and the export of surplus farm produce provided the impetus for many years of a substantial amount of river transport. Pressure on Moorings in Little Venice LONDON'S CANALS, a crucial means of transporting goods before the railways took over, have been cleaned up and revived in recent years. Walking or taking a boat trip up the scenic Regent's Canal is now one of London's summertime pleasures. The Regent's Canal, originally built to link the Grand Junction Canal's Paddington arm with the Thames, was named after the Prince Regent, later King George IV. It was opened in 1820 at a total cost of £772,000, twice the original budget. It faced several engineering difficulties in its first year, but later became an important artery for cargo passing through London. Paddington Basin, a short walk from Little Venice, is currently being redeveloped on a scale to rival London's Docklands. In the days of the working boats, the two canal toll stops at Little Venice in Maida - 15 - RE:PORT Number 207

Little Venice by night [Photo: © N Chadwick CC]

Vale were used for gauging boats. This is the junction of the Regent's Canal and the Grand Junction Canal. Close to this point is Paddington Basin. The Little Venice Visitor Moorings stretch from Ha'penny Bridge towards the CRT facilities near the the Regent's Canal junction adjacent to Delamere Terrace. Breasting up of narrowboats is permitted on these very popular 14 day moorings. The CRT facilities by the Old Canal Office at Little Venice include visitor moorings, toilets and BW card-operated pump out, household rubbish disposal and recycling. Maida Vale itself is a residential district comprising the northern part of Paddington, west of St John's Wood and south of Kilburn. Part of the City of Westminster, the area is mostly residential, and mainly affluent, with many large late Victorian and Edwardian blocks of mansion flats. It is also home to the BBC's Maida Vale Studios. The Maida Vale area is usually regarded as being bounded by Maida Avenue and the Regent's Canal to the south. While Little Venice may not have quite the glamour of La Serenissima, but it has its own picturesque charm. The canal is lined with weeping willows, and flanked by graceful stucco Regency mansions, many of them designed by the architect John Nash. On a sunny day, there is nothing to beat sitting in a canalside cafe, as sunlight glimmers on the brilliant white columns of the houses. Houseboats and barges with fanciful names like Maurice, Old Badger and Scarlet Pimpernel in bright red, dark green or blue line the canal. Some have window boxes spilling over with geraniums, others elaborately decorated nameplates. Ducks and geese swim along the canal, and you may even see a heron or two. An island in the middle of the canal is called "Browning's Island", after the poet Robert Browning who lived nearby, and who is said to have coined the name 'Little Venice'. The London Waterbus Company operates a 50 minute service to Camden Locks on the Regent's Canal by way of the Regent's Park London Zoo with an hourly service both ways in summer from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. with a reduced service in winter.

- 16 - Number 207 RE:PORT

Organised by the InlandLetters Waterways to Association, the Editor the Canal Cavalcade takes place annually over three days of the May Bank Holiday weekend. This colourful event brings all the fun of the country fair into the heart of the city. Narrowboats travel from all over the country to attend the Canalway Cavalcade boat rally, and fill the hidden gem of London that is Little Venice. Following feedback from boaters and boating groups, this past summer the Canal & River Trust trialled a range of temporary changes to the moorings at Paddington Basin and the Little Venice Pool to meet a wider range of mooring needs. The changes provided more room and facilities for visiting boats. Creating new trade moorings in front of Paddington Station was intended to bring vitality and vibrancy to the towpath and make the most of the area's popularity with visitors. At a consultation with boaters Sorwar Ahmed, Boater Liaison Manager at the Canal & River Trust, said: "London is an extremely popular destination for visiting boats, both traders and leisure cruisers alike, not to mention the many people who make their homes on the capital's canals. We need to make sure that we are making the best possible use of the limited space available to meet their different mooring needs". One boater at the meeting pointed out, "Most boaters live aboard or boat for four weeks a year, [but] there is now a problem with the amount of people who aren’t boaters buying a boat because they can’t afford to live on land." Another boater asked, "What is the difference between a boater and someone who lives on a boat? Some people are lucky to have a mooring; some people can’t afford one or are on a waiting list." Jon Guest, CRT’s London Waterway Manager, replied, "We understand the demand for more long term or residential moorings in London. We are looking at opportunities to create more moorings in London where we can – with capacity for around 50 berths identified, but there will always be constraints in London given the pressure on space generally." Hooray! Government Changes HS2 Route

THE SECRETARY OF STATE for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin MP, announced on 1st October that the Government is adopting proposals by the IWA and Canal & River Trust (CRT) to re-align the route of the planned HS2 railway line. The IWA reported that the new route will avoid much of the popular and historic Fradley Junction to Woodend area of the Trent & Mersey Canal, and the need for a large work site alongside the Coventry Canal between Streethay and Huddlesford. Assurances have also been given that HS2 will ensure that restoration of the Lichfield Canal can continue. Since publication of the original route, which included several canal crossing points in the area around Fradley Junction in Staffordshire, IWA and CRT have been working closely together, commissioning the engineering consultancy Hyder

- 17 - RE:PORT Number 207

Consulting (UK) Ltd to develop an alternative alignment of the route. Hyder’s report set out a feasible and preferable alternative alignment largely avoiding the canal, substantially reducing embankment heights, noise and visual intrusion, and potentially saving the project millions of pounds. The Government’s decision to move the line away from the canal is welcome news for the waterways, for visitors and for the local economy. It represents a growing recognition of the waterways’ unique environment and heritage, and the important role they play as antidotes to the stresses and pressures of modern life. Les Etheridge, the National Chairman of the IWA said: “IWA has been campaigning for several years for a better deal from HS2 on waterways especially at Fradley. It’s great that our pragmatic approach has been taken on board, saving this iconic location and providing assurance, which we need to see detailed, to protect the important Lichfield Canal restoration.” Richard Parry, the Chief Executive of the Canal & River Trust said: “The Government’s decision to move the alignment of part of the HS2 route away from the canal at Fradley Junction is fantastic news for boaters, current and future visitors to this much loved rural canal, and for all the 12 million people who come to enjoy our waterways every year. We have worked tirelessly with the IWA and local groups to achieve this change and we applaud the Minister for listening to our powerful arguments; it is absolutely the right decision.” While the change of route at Fradley Junction is a major achievement, IWA and the Trust has promised to maintain their efforts to mitigate other negative impacts of, and maximise the regeneration opportunities presented by, HS2 along the entire route. As well as continuing direct engagement with HS2 Ltd and other stakeholders, both organisations have used the petition process, an agreed Parliamentary procedure, to ask formally for the Bill to be amended. Assurances are being sought on the design quality of any waterway crossings and on the use of landscape planting to mitigate the visual impact, while supporting the local landscape character and promoting bio-diversity. Provision for the safeguarding of heritage assets, protection from noise pollution and vibrations, and commitment that the role of the waterways in flood defence will not be compromised by HS2 are also being sought. The IWA say, “We will continue our joint campaign to achieve the best possible outcome for our historic canals and the communities whose lives they enrich”. English Heritage Inland Waterways Report

CHANGES in the ownership and management of England’s canal network from the nationalised British Waterways to the charity Canal and Rivers

- 18 - Number 207 RE:PORT

Trust make this an appropriate moment to establish a national context for improved understanding of the heritage assets of canals and river navigations. As with the national overview of railway buildings, this is a forthcoming project and will be carried out through the National Heritage Protection Commissions programme. This report commissioned by English Heritage addresses the range of heritage assets that are found under inland waters. The focus is on bridges, locks, aqueducts, tunnels and culverts, including structures that are under the water. The report considers the significance of such assets and their archaeological value. Heritage assets and their components under inland waters have, until now, received relatively little attention in England. The report concentrates in the first instance on designated heritage assets such as scheduled monuments and listed buildings. The presence and significance of non- designated assets and hitherto unknown assets are also addressed. It considers the threats to heritage assets in inland waters, their management, and the potential for greater awareness and appreciation. The report focuses on non-tidal waterways, including canals but with an emphasis on navigable rivers. Examples are drawn from across England but especially from a study area comprising the catchment of the rivers Kennet and Bristol Avon, including the Kennet and Avon canal. The project forms part of the wider work of the National Heritage Protection Plan on understanding heritage associated with lines of transport or communication. The report concludes, “Particular attention could be directed to the following types of heritage asset: Inland watercraft, Shipbuilding, Trade (inland ports, wharves and quays), Fishing […] Ferry sites, Lock complexes on river navigations, Mill weirs, Culverts, Drainage […] and churches in vicinity of rivers. A free copy of the report can be downloaded from: http://www.english- heritage.org.uk/publications/heritage-assets-in-inland-waters/

Weir at Osterley Park, Grand Union Canal [Photo: © Stephen Craven CC]

- 19 - RE:PORT Number 207 Europe Trials LNG for Inland Waterway Vessels

THE Eiger-Nordwand is the first inland waterways vessel in mainland Europe to be retro-fitted with engines fuelled by Liquid Natural Gas (LNG). This pilot vessel represents an important step in the EU-supported “LNG Masterplan Rhine-Main-Danube” project, which involves trials to assess the use of gas as a shipping fuel in the European inland waterway network. The objective is to promote the use of LNG as vessel fuel. The Executive Director of the European Innovation and Networks Executive Agency, Dirk Beckers says.“This is only a start. The LNG Masterplan is a prime example of the opportunities we have ahead, to develop new technologies and new fuels. I am confident that this project will continue to deliver benefits to inland waterways by analysing and testing [...] LNG. It is rapidly emerging as a more environmentally friendly fuel for the shipping sector and its uptake is strongly encouraged by the European Union.”

The Eiger-Nordwand [Photo: http://www.maritiemnederland.com

As part of the project, a series of inland waterway vessels will be retro-fitted with LNG engines capable of substantially decreasing nitrogen oxides and particulate emissions, the main pollutants from inland waterway transport. The adoption of LNG powered engines will improve local air quality alongside waterways and ports. This is a win-win situation for business and society and improving the environmental performance of the inland waterways as a whole while de-carbonising the entire transport supply chain. The Eiger-Nordwand, owned by the German Danser Group is the first such vessel, and will allow assessing the feasibility and requirements of a large-scale deployment of LNG infrastructure and vessels across the European Union’s river and canal networks. The results of the project, due by December 2015, are expected to have a significant impact on LNG introduction and to promote this green means of transport in general.

- 20 - Number 207 RE:PORT Possible Bradford Canal Restoration THE REDEVELOPMENT of the centre of Bradford, Yorkshire, includes plans to restore the terminus of the Bradford Canal, which could lead to the restoration of the canal as a whole to reconnect with the Leeds- Liverpool Canal. The CRT's predecessor British Waterways carried out studies to check the feasibility of the plan and help to design the new canal terminus in the centre of the city. The restored canal would have 11 locks, cost £35 million and terminate as the centrepiece of a £350 million redevelopment in Bradford. The 3½ mile long canal which ran from the Leeds-Liverpool Canal at Shipley into the centre of Bradford opened in 1774, and was closed in 1866, when it was declared to be a public health hazard. Four years later it reopened with a better water supply. It finally closed for for good in 1922 and was subsequently filled in. After various delays the redevelopment of the city centre is finally under way. It will include the restoration of the terminus of the Bradford Canal, which could lead to the restoration of the full canal to connect with the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. In reintroducing the Bradford Canal to the heart of the city, The Channel will create waterside living in a canal-side village and new parks and recreational spaces. The development includes four areas. The Channel Urban Village would connect the city centre with the reinstated arm of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal on the north east side of the city. A mixed-use development above and around the Forster Square railway station would support the busy transport hub and include a new pedestrian link between planned and shops. The Cathedral Quarter Urban Village would be a new mixed residential community of townhouses and apartments. High quality pedestrian routes would link the area to the city facilities and Redevelopment in the centre of Bradford transport [Photo: © Phil Champion CC] interchanges. Located in the historic Little Germany area of the city centre, Festival Square is being redeveloped to become the focus of the area. Plans include creating more street level activity with cafes, bars and restaurants.

- 21 - RE:PORT Number 207

A feasibility study concluded that reinstating Bradford Canal is a realistic ambition, represents value for money, and would open further development opportunities along the canal corridor. The day when Forster Square is once more at the head of the canal seems to be a little bit nearer.

Membership matters Barbara Catford We would like to welcome the following new members: Mrs. C. J. Hales and Norman and Pauline Mitchell. Thank you to members who have renewed their subscriptions and also to those who have kindly sent donations. Charity Dock on the Coventry Canal

[Photos: © Nigel Cox CC]

CHARITY DOCK at Bedworth on the Coventry Canal is a well known sight to see. It is not so much for its beauty as a reminder of one of those dreams you have that is on the edge of a nightmare. Between Marston Junction and Hawkesbury Junction, the Dock is remarkable for its eclectic mixture of tailor’s dummies, vintage tin baths, plastic river cruisers and

- 22 - Number 207 RE:PORT

dogs with almost mountain climbing abilities nimbly traversing them. There are some boats that look as if they belong to someone. However, it seems to be a pre-requisite of mooring there that you share a passion for, or at least can live with, hoarding and displaying bizarre items from huge plastic Cornettos to pith helmets. The dock is a pantomime scene, but curiously not a living soul that isn’t a dog is to be seen. The dock has had an interesting history. An early Bedworth charity invested in farmland around the town to assure itself of a regular income and, when coal was found on its land and collieries were built to extract it, the charity became very rich. One such mine nearby was actually named the Bedworth Charity Colliery. The nearest point on the canal to the colliery was on an almost right-angled bend of the canal, where a wharf was built with a tramway connection to the colliery in order to transport coal for transshipping to narrowboats. The wharf therefore became known as Charity Wharf or Dock. At its height the Warwickshire coalfield had more than twenty pits and Bedworth was known as Black Bed'uth because of its links with coal. The Charity was among collieries at Exhall, Newdigate, Keresley, Griff Clara, Griff No. 4, Haunchwood, Arley, Baddesley and Birch Coppice. The Charity Colliery ceased production in 1924. More like a scrapyard than a boatyard the dock was run by the legendary Joe Gilbert, a man not noted for his efficiency, and the place was always full of people for whom he'd promised to complete some job which he hadn't yet got round to. It is not known exactly when Joe Gilbert and his brother took on the Dock. However, they were evidently in business when the butty Kildare, built for Fellows Morton & Clayton around 1913, was sold in 1955 to Willow Wren and was refurbished at Charity Dock. It was painted in Willow Wren’s green and gold livery and joined their fleet under its new name of Snipe. It was re-registered at Daventry on 26th November 1957 under the number 556. On its registration document it was noted that a new cabin and an engine had been fitted. Remarkably (given the appearance of the yard) the IWA includes Charity Dock in an online list that runs to just nine boatyards. There is a pump and a notice of diesel for sale but it is a moot point whether it still works, and even more whether a visiting boat could get anywhere near it. A number of boaters still recall old Joe Gilbert's method of dealing with a speeding boat , which was to throw half a brick at it. The back end of one of the boats has a stack of bricks, presumably ready for the Joe Gilbert's ghost of to throw! One boater says, “The dock may well be a well known landmark on the canal and worth a photo or two in passing, but I wouldn’t want to live anywhere near it!”

- 23 - RE:PORT Number 207 Where Could This Be?

THIS 1946 PAINTING by L. S. Lowry entitled “Barges on the Manchester Canal” writes Norman Stainthorp was sold in 2006 by the Edinburgh auctioneers Lyon & Turnbull for a record £1.05 million. The question is, ‘where is the scene?’ It is clearly not the Ship Canal, as the waterway in the picture is too narrow with low quaysides. Also, the vessels are more like river craft and Mersey flats. The buildings are reminiscent of Peter Froud’s old place at Preston Brook on the Runcorn Branch of the Bridgewater Canal, although if we take the picture literally, the ground in the background may be too high, although there is a suggestion of a canal basin (as at Preston Brook) beyond the cabin and mast of the nearer boat. Other thoughts are that, as Lowry worked for the Pall Mall Property Company in Salford, it may be somewhere on the lower reaches of the River Irwell. Any other thoughts on a possible location would be appreciated.

The Editor adds a description given by Tony Lewery, which may help to identify the nearer of the two boats: “Mersey Flats were originally carvel-built round-bilged sailing barges, with a single mast rigged fore and aft with a gaff mainsail and large jib to the stem head.” However, although the rig in the painting conforms with his description,

- 24 - Number 207 RE:PORT the shape of the stern and the cabin is nothing like a Mersey flat; the further boat however does look more like a flat. Finally, it must be borne in mind that Lowry was a creative artist and not interested in faithfully documenting scenes that inspired him. Incidentally, City Centre Cruises, Manchester offer a variety of cruises aboard the luxurious restaurant boat L S Lowry on the waterways of Manchester and Salford. Departing from Castlefield in central Manchester and then cruising along the Bridgewater Canal to the lock at Pomona, the boat then goes through the lock down on to the and the River Irwell from where they cruise to Salford Quays to view the developments that have taken place in what used to be the Manchester Docks, which include The Lowry Complex and The Imperial War Museum (North). Obituary – Sonia Rolt Joseph Boughey writes: Sonia Rolt, who died in October at the age of 95, was one of the last survivors of the “Idle Women” who crewed carrying craft, mainly narrow boats on the Grand Union, under the wartime scheme. Idle Women reflected a badge “IW” which stood for “Inland Waterways”; this provided Sonia’s introduction to waterways, and she found that the women were anything but idle. Several of the “Idle Women” wrote books about their experiences but, regrettably, Sonia did not. She married the boatman George Smith (1915-2012) and stayed on the waterways after the scheme ended; she was almost the only middle-class person to join working boatpeople in this way. Sonia met Tom Rolt in 1945, before the Inland Waterways Association was founded, soon joined the IWA, and then its Council in 1948, while still a working boatperson. She was the only Council member who was actually employed in carrying by boat, as opposed to enthusiasts like John Knill, who organised small carrying businesses, or others like Tom Rolt and Charles Hadfield who were very knowledgeable in varied manners. As a working boatperson, she understood not only the problems of many boatpeople but also that trade possibilities were confined to limited routes. She was a leading member of the IWA sub-committee formed to consider how conditions might be improved for Working Boaters, but its useful work

- 25 - RE:PORT Number 207 was curtailed by the actions of Robert Aickman, who Chaired and dominated the IWA at that time. He succeeded in forcing out members who did not agree to campaign for the revival of carrying on all inland waterways, but his real motives were to rid the IWA of people of whom he did not approve. Sonia, along with Tom and Charles Hadfield, found this intolerable and chose to be expelled in 1951. This has been recorded as a controversy over “priorities”, but this was a play on words, as to focus on matters that looked to be readily winnable was not to admit failure in other areas, just to view these as lower priority, to be taken up later. Sonia had, regretfully, left George Smith, and in 1953 married Tom Rolt, by whom she had two sons. Their attention passed from the waterways to other, related areas of conservation; Tom and she worked together on the revival of the Talyllyn Railway in until 1953, and then moved to the Rolt family home in Stanley Pontlarge, in rural Gloucestershire; Sonia would live there for over 60 years, supporting Tom as his writing career developed. He became heavily involved in the growing field of industrial archaeology, and the condition of their historic home brought a practical interest in building conservation. They did revisit the waterways, first on a trip in the late 1950s and later in the 1960s. Towards the end of Tom’s life in 1974, they were re-admitted to the IWA, and travelled on the Canal du Midi. Ten years later, Sonia formally opened the Tom Rolt Centre at Ellesmere Port. Sonia would outlive Tom by 40 years, and her role in preserving his work and its influence must be stressed. Her efforts ensured that his works mostly remained in print, and she brought his final volume of autobiography, renamed Landscapes with Figures, to publication in 1992. Without her efforts and influence, the extensive commemorations of Tom’s centenary in 2010 would not have come about. Oddly, Sonia maintained that she had read Narrow Boat rarely, and that High Horse Riderless (1947) was a “young man’s book”. Her own (only) book, A Canal People (1997), provided extensive commentary on the photographs of boatpeople around Sutton Stop taken by Robert Longden. Her role as guardian of Tom Rolt’s legacy should not obscure or devalue the significance of her own personal involvements. As with her other conservation activities, much of her work took place behind the scenes, but a biographical study would demonstrate her extensive contributions. Maybe one will be forthcoming in due course? Thoughts of a Waterways History Heretic (Part 5) Sources: The Canals of the British Isles

BOOKS ABOUT waterways history can be divided into those that intend to instruct and inform the reader about waterways history, and those that simply take waterways history as their subject writes Joseph Boughey. The latter include many valuable works, including ones that analyse history rather than merely narrate it. Less kindly, one could divide books on waterways history into the more and the less serious!

- 26 - Number 207 RE:PORT

On this occasion my heresy has extended to an excursus, to consider a single series of books that aimed to inform, and which were decidedly serious. I will deal with other sources later, but here consider The Canals of The British Isles, published between 1955 and 1977. I have already gone out on a limb by asserting that relevant entries in this series should, at least, be considered. In principle, the series contains essential narrative accounts of every canal, and most navigable rivers, in the British Isles. The principal source for these was the canal company records deposited in the (then) British Transport Historical Records; notes on these for the books by Charles Hadfield (most of the English and Welsh volumes) can be found in his archive, but these do limit the absolute need to consult the original records. This does lead to a bias, towards the main era of canal company development, with less emphasis on railway company ownerships and the period after nationalisation. Yet, if you are (say) exploring some aspect of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal’s history, to ignore entirely the coverage in The Canals of the would seem strange. These are better on narrative than on analysis, although much is thrown up that could assist more analytical approaches. There are waterways that are not covered, such as the Royal Woolwich Arsenal Canal, of which Hugh McKnight discovered and supplied details after the only edition of The Canals of South and South East England. Brian Goggin’s excellent website http://irishwaterwayshistory.com/ includes details of various navigations not included in the South of Ireland volume, while a number of Scottish waterways and several in the Llanelli area were discovered after the 1960s, and not in the relevant volumes. To add more details to fill out the narratives, and to include newly discovered waterways, would be one useful task for researchers. The volumes provide useful, if not essential, reference works, but there are minor inaccuracies and some puzzles, such as the incomplete account of the Caistor Canal in Eastern England. Clearly, much has taken place since 1985, when the last revision of any volume (bar British Canals) took place. Charles Hadfield himself thought that the history of the postwar period would merit new separate volumes. To consult this series to research details of carriers, of boats and working lives and conditions, for personalities, or for the history of pleasure boating, would be to make a start, but only a limited one. For instance, no mention is made of the distinctive “Cuckoo” narrow boats on the Chesterfield Canal, while a large carrier like the Samuel Barlow company receives no mention in East Midlands. Referencing in the series is limited, given the reliance upon BTHR archives. However, all the authors were (still are, in three cases) experts in their areas, and abided by careful standards. The summary tables provide factually accurate summaries – if limited when the postwar period, and the dates when traffics ended, are considered. There may well be more to add to their narratives, but I do not depart from my view that these should be consulted as research commences.

- 27 - RE:PORT Number 207 COMMITTEE MATTERS LYN POTTS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER In September and October it was reported that the second stage bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for the Window On The World project has been submitted. In the Heritage Boatyard there is progress on Ferret and discussions are ongoing on continuing work with more trainees. The Boat Activity Group and Heritage Boatyard Committees have been merged and will include the Collections Manager. Mike Turpin is to represent BMS on the North Western and Borders User Forum.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Boat Museum Society will be held in the Rolt Centre at the National Waterways Museum (the Boat Museum), South Pier Road, Ellesmere Port on Friday 20th February 2015 at 7.30pm. AGENDA 1. Apologies for absence. 2. Resolution 1: To accept the Minutes of the AGM held on 21st February 2014. 3. The Chairman’s Report. 4. Resolution 2: To receive the Annual Report of the Board of Directors for 2013-2014. 5. Resolution 3: To consider and receive the Treasurer’s Report with the Balance sheet and Profit and Loss account for the year ended 30th September 2014. 6. The Report of the Membership Secretary. 7. Election of the Board of Directors. 8. Election of the Treasurer.

Any full member of the Boat Museum Society may be nominated and seconded to be a Director. In the event of there being more than 12 candidates in addition to the Treasurer a ballot will be held. All nominations should be received by the Secretary in writing by 13th February 2015.

- 28 - Number 207 RE:PORT

Have you joined the Boat Museum Society 200 Club yet?

Members of the club ensure a significant and steady income for boat restoration projects. Each month 50% of the total subscribed is paid in prize money and 50% goes into the Worcester fund. By joining the 200 Club, members who live too far away from the Museum to be able to come to help, or those who have other commitments, have the opportunity to make a regular contribution to the Society. You can buy as many numbers as you like at £1 each, the only proviso being that you are a member of the Society. The more numbers that go into the draw each month, the bigger the prizes. The 200 Club draw is usually made at the monthly Society meetings. You can join at a meeting, or by completing the form below and sending it with your membership fee to Graham Adshead, whose address is at the bottom of the page. Winners August Lynn Potts (15), Tricia Speakman (33), Steve Stamp (48) September Dennis Bushell (37), Pat Steward (5), Margaret Disbury (58). October Daphne Luff (38), Di Skilbeck (88), Ruth Brown (63).

Application Form - The Boat Museum Society 200 Club Name: …………………………………………………………………………………………..

Address: .….…….……………………………………………….….…….…………………..Office Use

Post Code: …………………………….. Telephone: ..…………………………………….

I apply for membership of the Boat Museum Society 200 Club and agree to pay the sum of £1.00 per month per number. Subscriptions are payable in advance for the months up to and including June or December. I am over 18 years of age and a paid-up member of the Boat Museum Society.

Signed: Date:

Please send the completed form with your payment to: Graham Adshead, 44 Seymour Drive, Overpool, South Wirral, CH66 1LU.

Cheques should be made payable to the ‘Boat Museum Society’. - 29 - RE:PORT Number 207 Dates For Your Diary

Wed 3 Dec CCHT The & Newport Canals and their restoration. A talk by members of the Shrewsbury & Newport Canals Trust on these historic and unique canals that once formed part of the Shropshire Union and might do again if the ambitious plans for their restoration prove successful. Tue 9 Dec IWA The Mersey Gateway team will update us on the progress of the new crossing between Runcorn and Widnes. Followed by mince pies, and sherry. Wed 19 Dec BMS A very special celebration. During the first part of the meeting Chris Kay will be telling us about the True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty. That will be fascinating. Then after the extended break, with the usual buffet (finger food please), tombola, card swap & natter, we will be commemorating: Forty Years On since work started at Ellesmere Port towards the establishment of the Museum. Tue 13 Jan IWA 'Journeys ' Over the Water' - the Mersey Ferries and their Destinations', Ken Pye. Ken s well known for his radio broadcasts, talks and walks around Liverpool. Fri 16 Jan BMS Ellesmere Port docks – How they changed between 1795 and 2015. Cath Turpin will tell the story of development, decline and regeneration, Using plans and photos from the Waterways Archive. Wed 4 Feb CCHT A look at the through the ages. The well known local historian and author Colin Edmondson on the history of the River Weaver and the salt mining that produced much of the cargo it carried, from 1670 to the present day. Tue 10 Feb IWA 'The Cotswold Canals, Past, Present & Future'..Martin Turner, Chairman of the IWA Hereford & Gloucester Branch with an update on the restoration. Fri 20 Feb BMS AGM and update on activities at the Museum with a guest speaker. See agenda elsewhere in RePort.

BMS All meetings are held at 7.30 in the Rolt Conference Centre at the NWM CCHT Talks start at 8.00 pm in the Clubhouse at Chester Boughton Hall Cricket Club, Boughton Hall Avenue, Boughton, Chester, CH3 5EL. Free to members of CCHT, IWA & SUCS. Non-members £2.50 IWA Chester & Merseyside All meetings are held at 7.45 in the Rolt Conference Centre at the NWM Saltaire No 167, moored above Lock No 36 on the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal. Built in 1936 for the GUCCC, Saltaire was originally paired with butty Saltley No 349. It was cut into two by BWB in the 1960s and currently exists as two separate boats both called Saltaire. The boat pictured has the original front end with a replacement motor stern end powered by a Lister HR2 engine. [Photo © Roger Kidd Creative Commons]

at the NWM Back in 1981 it was very rare to encounter any commercial traffic on the Leicester section of the Grand Union, but emerging from the tail of Watford Bottom Lock is the narrowboat Elstree, which is now privately owned. [Photo: © Dr. Neil Clifton Creative Commons] Printed byStroud Print, Units 8 & 9Stroud Enterprise Centre, Lightpill, Stroud, GL5 3NL.

Canal House at Purton Possibly designed in the early 19th century by the famous architect, Robert Mylne, to house the bridgekeeper. Similar houses, enlivened by doric columns, are a feature of the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal, which was opened in 1827, having been intended in 1792, to go from Gloucester to Berkeley. [Photo: © David Exworth, Creative Commons]