TheThe CanalCanal BoatBoat ProjectProject M a y 2 0 0 6 V o l u n t e e r s N e w s l e t t e r Maids are May when they are maids, but the sky changes when they are wives Shakespeare As You Like It 1599

News From the Chairman’s Desk Derek

Hi everybody! I hope you are all feeling invigorated and raring to go in the new season, although I imagine that after the tremendous efforts put in by so many of you during the winter months in preparing our boats crewing will be welcome relief!!

My thanks to everyone for all your hard work and dedication and I am sure you will agree that the boats look in good fettle.

We did have some outside help from mature students from the College, who are undertaking an access course to higher education and chose us for a project they were involved with. They decorated the interior of ‘Rose’ and recovered all the cushions as well as replacing all the curtains. I am sure you will be pleased with this minor, but very significant, refit. They took a real pride in the work they did and my sincere thanks were given to them at a presentation of their work, held a few weeks ago.

I’m sure you will all have met Doreen, our new manager, by now and I think it is fair to say that it seems that she has been with us for ever if the contribution she has made already is anything to go by. A lot of the intended, well meaning, work that many of us hoped would be done has now crystallised because somebody is able to carry it out. I do hope she hasn’t been awed by the task ahead and I look forward with confidence to the ‘inner stability’ her efforts will make.

We have been successful in securing financial support from the Harlow Recreational Trust to the tune of £25K for our new operational base on the riverside and the work on this will take place shortly.

Building problems with the new boat have delayed its delivery and it will certainly miss ‘Little Venice’ this year. Never mind, it can be enjoyed by all of you and our clients somewhat later. A new date for the official launch will be announced as soon as we can find a suitable date.

The ‘Project’ is on a high at the present, I believe, due to careful planning, imagination and damned hard work. However, we can never rest on our laurels and we must be conscious all the time that outside factors could jeopardise that (position). I was amazed, for example, at a meeting I attended recently to discover that organisations are doing risk assessment exercises on the effects of Bird Flu if the Pandemic hits us in eighteen months time, as some experts predict. If it all comes to fruition then the use of our boats could stop for a while, having catastrophic effect on our income, as was the case some years ago with ‘Foot and Mouth’.

A cheer for the new season, a welcome to all our new volunteers, a thank you to all our partners and supporters and safe enjoyable crewing to you all. Dates for Your Diary Practice Days Thursday 4th May RW from Enfield Mike Motts Sun 7th CC Training (River) Banny Tue 9th CC Training (River) Banny Tues 9th Rose of Essex Mike Motts Wed 17th May Red Watch Dave Crowe Sun 4th June Stort Challenger Dave Crowe Thur 8th June Rose of Essex Bob Dunkley

Forum et cetera Monday 8th May Boat Forum 7.30 Tuesday 9th May Meeting for skippers 7.30 Doreen & Dave

Friday 19th Noon Copy deadline for newsletter Banny

Working Parties th Thursday May 4 Monday May 8th Thursday May 25th st Wednesday May 31 th Monday June 8 Please come to all or some of these to paint, make tea, make a nuisance of your self but please do come.

Stort Day, Breaks Slowly Ken Unfortunately we have had to reschedule the completion as a result of various minor problems, largely with late deliveries and subcontractors not cooperating fully with Dave Thomas. Fortunately we have not widely published the date of the official launch (which will also have to be rescheduled) nor sent out invitations. I have now agreed that Dave can have longer to arrange completion of the fit-out and installation of equipment, systems etc. We will then have a couple of days for commissioning trials (after the Canalway Cavalcade). Final coat of paint will then be applied, at which time any remedial work following the commissioning trials will also be completed. A week in will be needed drying & hardening time for the top coat so that we can start the journey to Harlow. This of course includes the Spring Bank Holiday period: not sure whether that will be an advantage or disadvantage from a volunteer perspective. Where do Skippers go in the Winter Time?

It would seem that at least three of them go to catch pike in Hallingbury Marina, five in one day (provided you do believe fisherman’s tales). The aptly named vessel “On Yer Pike” has lived up to its name; I wonder what Norman Tebbitt would have made of it? Surely not what he intended?

Rob Green Mike Motts

Funds Doreen We have joined Brown & Tiney’s Community Partnership Scheme. If you, or anybody you know, orders stationery or would like to order stationery from them, make sure they mention The Canal Boat Project. If they do we will receive 5% of any monies they spend with the company. This is a great way of helping the project to raise the funds with very little effort on the part of anybody! Even better if you take last month’s flier to them when you buy a cartridge they will donate 1£ to us. Who do you know? More people than you realise! Who can you suggest that you may be able to seek funding from for our project? If every volunteer comes up with one name and writes or makes a telephone call to that person explaining their involvement, what we are trying to achieve and asking if they would like to make a donation then we may be able to afford our operational base this year. You will remember Joe’s success rate is 12%. Let’s see if we can match that success rate and receive cheques in the post.

Mot’s was Innocent

As reported last month Mike’s useful pictures have aided the Police Inquiry into the break in at the centre, may be they were just taking the minibus for a wash? Sledge on the ice? Or for a Mot (I bet few of you know that Mike used to prepare cars for their MOT?

Work Parties Pete Since the retirement of our caretaker Tony Catchpole, a call went out for volunteers to help cover his workload. I decided that this was a good opportunity to become a little more involved with the project and a further step in my road to recovery and so volunteered to help co-ordinate the work parties. The first two of which have been a great success so my thanks to all those involved. Together we managed to accomplish a good deal of work. All the boats look very much improved but there is still much to be done to keep them in good working order throughout the coming season. I'm sure that with everybody's help, together we can make a success of this. To that end I would like to ask all volunteers for their ideas as to how we can best improve this vital part of our volunteer work on the project. More volunteers are needed in order to spread the workload and make jobs easier to complete in the limited time available between bookings. So if you have any bright ideas give me a call. My name has now been added to the contact list to facilitate this. In the next few weeks I will be contacting all the volunteers on the register in order to collate a list of relevant skills that will help in all areas of the project but especially with the work parties. So listen out for the phone, I promise to keep it as brief as possible so as not to intrude on your valuable free time. Our next work party is on Thursday 4th May 2006 so if you can spare the time be sure to come and join us. You will be made very welcome. Together we can make a difference. Competition Hilary has determined that Les was the winner, a bottle of wine is forthcoming, and a full list of submissions is as follows. For this month puzzle see stranger than fiction below. A Dew-drop Diamond Kimpton Diamonds And Rust Joan Baez All The Diamonds In The World Bruce Cockburn Diamonds And Rust Judas Priest Ashes And Diamonds Billy Bragg Diamonds And Tears Suzy Bogguss Big Blue Diamonds Jimmy Patton Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend Marilyn Munro Big Blue Diamonds Van Morrison Diamonds Are Forever Shirley Bassey Black Diamond Charlie Gore Diamonds For Nat Nat Adderley Black Diamonds The Corvaires Diamonds From Sierra Leone Kanye West Dark Diamond Elton John / Bernie Taupin Diamonds In The Face Of Evil Ugly Casanova Destination Diamonds Diamond Nights Diamonds In The Night Andy Shanks & Jim Russell Diamond And Glass Dulcie Taylor Diamonds In The Rough John Prine Diamond Creek Clarelynn Rose Diamonds In The Ruff Track Bangas Diamond Cut Diamond Achirana Diamonds Made Of Glass Little Annie Diamond Day Vashti Bunyan Diamonds Of Derry Margaret McArthur Diamond Dogs Beck / Timberland Diamonds On My Neck Smitty Diamond Dogs David Bowie Diamonds On The Inside Ben Harper Diamond For Disease Arsis Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes Paul Simon Diamond Girl Nice & Wild Dirty Diamonds Alice Cooper Diamond Girls Neil Diamond Emeralds And Diamonds Bottled Diamond Head Bryan Ferry / Roxy Music Field Of Diamonds Johnny Cash Diamond In The Back Ludacris Invisible Diamond Andy Tubman Diamond In The Dark Chris DeBurgh It Rains Diamonds Insane Clown Posse Diamond In The Rough CD Baby Jack O'Diamonds Bob Dylan Diamond In The Sleaze Beck / Timberland Just Another Diamond Day Vashti Bunyan Diamond Is Forever Jay-Z Lady Diamond Trad. Diamond Jig Trad. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds The Beatles Diamond Life Sade Nightfall Of Diamonds Grateful Dead Diamond Meadows T-Rex She Is A Diamond Rice / Lloyd Webber Diamond Mine In Madagascar Delores Gray She Loved Like Diamond Spandau Ballet Diamond Of My Heart Herbert Woolfolk Shine On You Crazy Diamond Pink Floyd Diamond On The March Snow Sebelius Some Days Are Diamonds John Denver Diamond Street Kimmo Hakola Sparkling Diamonds Nicole Kidman Diamond World Eric Ewazen The Bonnie Ship The Diamond Trad. Diamonds Anne-Louise Genest The Diamond Age Bill Josey Diamonds Bee Gees The Diamond Jubilee Blues Dizzy Gillespie Diamonds Janet Jackson The Diamond Sea Sonic Youth Diamonds And Guns Transplants This Diamond Ring Gary Lewis & The Playboys Starlight Diamond ? Welcome to the Diamond Horseshoe Betty Grable & Chorus Diamonds And Pearls Prince

Stranger than Fiction Now this is spooky, but only works if you read the web based version, Instructions in English (the site is in French). Think of a 2 figure number e.g. 54. Subtract each of the two digits in the number from the number you thought of. e.g. 54 - 5 - 4 = 45. Look up the corresponding symbol to that number (54) on the chart on the web site. Now concentrate hard on that symbol. Finally click on the grey square.... virtual mind reading! Can you explain it? testedeouf.htm

Answers on a post card to banny National News

NCBA AGM 28th March 2006 Hillingdon Boats Circa 25 members attended from around the country to approve your association’s accounts and elect new officers and to move forward for the coming year. Paul Bryan (new chairman) presented an NCBA vision for the future using the four pillars of the NCBA  Training in General (TiG)  National Voice & Profiles (NV&P)  Organisational Standards (OS)  Networking Pathways (NP)

The visions for the coming years were considered as follows; TiG reengaging with the membership (that’s you of course) NV&P the need to think further ahead than the “where does the next funding crust come from?” OA to consider ethical funding for the future NP to create membership pride in the association BW Corridors Group The BW Corridors Group met at Hatton on March 29 with a full agenda, formal minutes will be provided by Amanda Strang BW External Relations officer before the October meeting. The briefest of summaries is thus:  motorcycles on towpaths o guidelines have been drawn up but . problems arise when blocking the towpath (this prevents horses/wheelchairs access) . suggestion of blocks to prevent motorcycles but at a spacing to allow wheelchair access  Horse access o BW have installed flights of steps which horses cannot negotiate o useful guidelines for horse access presented by the Horse Boating Society  Towpath harmony o (an oxymoron?) comments upon the Countryside Agency (CA) guidance on shared paths o copies of the guidance available free from CA website o better slowing mechanisms needed under London canal bridges (cyclists just ding & dash through)  Shared facilities o towpath surfaces suitable for some uses unsuitable for others o historically many were cobbles and should be replaced o possible introduction of an "oyster" card for facility use  Towpath mowing guidelines o frosty weather has prevented some towpath work o tree pruning is subject to different guidelines o some parts of BW plant trees/shrubs which go against the need to access towpath for towing o different widths of clearance to suit different localities  Visitor safety o BW are keen see their forms used by all o use of the forms allows action to be taken o anti social behaviour to be reported to police to ensure crime/incident number is generated o incident number eventually results in police action o BW would like one agency to deal with incident reports on all waterways  Avian flu o BW has five levels of planning should this ever become a real problem o level five is for world wide pandemic in which case use of towpaths is an irrelevancy  Horse boating o excellent document is available from the horse Boating Society o it was noted that horses do not bend in middle hence curvature of bends is an issue  Dog fouling o apparently this is a biological rather than a nautical problem o AWCC (D Pearce) provided update o some sites even include the plastic bag o emptying the bins mechanisms to be re visited  Poor consultation o IWA (R Squires) was very indignant about un consulted price rises (Moorhen in particular) o in general prior consultation smoothes the passage for BW changes Crewing Opportunities Day Date Boat from to details Skip Skip 2 Crew Thu My 4 RW FROM ENFIELD opportunity opportunity opportunity Sat My 6 SC 13:00 17:00 CHIPS Les Hunt opportunity N/R Fri My 19 DT 10:30 14:30 Herts Aid Bob Dunkley opportunity opportunity Sat My 20 SC 11:00 17:00 Eastsiders opportunity opportunity N/R Sat My 20 DT 14:00 18:00 Kate Vale opportunity opportunity N/R Mon My 22 SD 10:00 18:30 Harlow Stroke Geoff Hill John Shackell opportunity Fri My 26 SC 12:00 18:00 Avenues Trust opportunity opportunity Sat My 27 SD 10:00 18:00 Maureen Pearman opportunity opportunity N/R Tue My 30 DT 10:00 14:00 Harlow College opportunity Edd Moore N/R Wed My 31 DT 14:00 18:00 Harlow Photo opportunity opportunity Wed My 31 SD 14:00 18:00 Accuro opportunity opportunity Thu Ju 1 DT 11:30 15:30 Kadimah Centre opportunity opportunity Sat Ju 3 SD 11:00 17:00 Eastsiders opportunity opportunity N/R Tue Ju 6 SC 10:00 16:00 Harlow VIP Club Peter May opportunity Jared May Tue Ju 6 SD 11:00 14:00 Trinity Community opportunity opportunity N/R Wed Ju 7 DTSD 10:00 16:00 Harlow Blind Club Peter May Kathy Challis N/R Fri Ju 9 RoEDTRW 10:00 14:00 Churchgate School opportunity opportunity Fri Ju 9 SD 11:00 15:00 Beane River View opportunity opportunity opportunity Sat Ju 10 SC 10:00 Saved By The Bell opportunity Lyanne West Sat Ju 10 RW 10:00 Saved By The Bell opportunity Kathy Challis Sun Ju 11 RW 18:00 Saved By The Bell opportunity Kathy Challis Mon Ju 12 DT 10:00 14:00 Fiona Langridge opportunity opportunity Mon Ju 12 RW 11:00 15:00 Alan Bailey opportunity opportunity Mon Ju 12 SD 10:00 14:00 Fiona Langridge opportunity opportunity Wed Ju 14 SC 11:00 15:00 Epping Forest College Peter May opportunity opportunity Wed Ju 14 SD 10:00 14:00 St Clare Hospice Geoff Hill opportunity Kathy Challis Wed Ju 14 RW 12:00 12:00 Avenues Trust opportunity opportunity Thu Ju 15 DT 11:00 15:00 Spencer Close Day Centre Geoff Hill opportunity Thu Ju 15 SD 11:00 15:00 Chigwell Disabled Group opportunity opportunity opportunity Sat Ju 17 SC ? Avenues Trust opportunity opportunity N/R Sun Ju 18 SC 18:00 Avenues Trust Peter May opportunity N/R Sat Ju 17 DT 11:00 17:00 Eastsiders opportunity opportunity N/R Sun Ju 18 DT 10:00 18:00 Alison Smith opportunity opportunity N/R Sun Ju 18 SD 10:00 18:00 Alison Smith opportunity opportunity N/R Contacting Us Alphabetically Who Telephone # Mobile # Email address Banny 01279 771 552 07860 669 279 [email protected] David Crowe 01279 434 471 07973 432 113 [email protected] Derek Fenny 01279 866 671 - [email protected] Doreen Goodall 01279 424 444 - [email protected] Ken Watson 01799 526 794 07866 544 677 [email protected] Les Hunt 01279 424 444 07801 260 579 [email protected] Michael Motts 020 8527 6455 07932 190 643 [email protected] Pete May 07932 705433

Canal Boat Project, PO Box 5768, Harlow, CM20 2XB. Tel: 01279 424 444. Newsletter Edited by Banny, Telephone: 01279 771 552 Fax 776014 e-mail [email protected] The opinions of the contributors or editor do not necessarily reflect those of the Project