REPORT This Issue's Chairman's Report Is Written in the Somewhat Unusual Circumstance That When You Read It, I Will No Longer Be Chairman

Number 203 December 2013 THE BOAT MUSEUM SOCIETY

President: Di Skilbeck MBE Vice-Presidents: Alan Jones, Harry Arnold MBE, Tony Lewery DIRECTORS Chairman Chris Kay 07952 032935 Rosecroft, Bromborough, Wirral. CH62 6ET Vice-Chairman Will Manning 01244 403194 5 Westminster Court, Philip Street, Chester. CH2 3BF Vice-Chairman John Yates 01939 234754 8 Market Street, Wem, Shropshire. SY4 5EA Treasurer Barbara Kay 07952 032935 3 Rosecroft, Bromborough, Wirral. CH62 6ET Membership Barbara Catford 0151 353 8758 17 The Looms, Parkgate, Neston, Wirral. CH64 6RE Secretary Lynn Potts 0151 625 1244 58 Frankby Road, West Kirby, Wirral. CH48 6EF Terry Allen 0151 334 8058 8 Shetland Drive, Bromborough, Wirral. CH62 7JZ Ken Catford 0151 353 8758 17 The Looms, Parkgate, Neston, Wirral. CH64 6RE Stuart Gardiner 01928 733040 5 Greenacres, Frodsham, Ches. WA6 6BU Steve Stamp 0151 334 5714 24 Wirral Gardens, Bebington, Wirral. CH63 3BQ Cath Turpin 0151 632 5446 1 Market Street, Hoylake, Wirral. CH47 2AD Mike Turpin 0151 632 5446 1 Market Street, Hoylake, Wirral. CH47 2AD OTHER CO-OPTED COMMITTEE MEMBERS Andy Wood [Re:Port Editor] 0151 334 2209 34 Langdale Road, Bebington, Wirral. CH63 3AW email: [email protected] Sue Phillips 07745134160 8 Newbury Way, Moreton, Wirral. CH46 1PW Martyn Kerry 07715816768 8 Newbury Way, Moreton, Wirral. CH46 1PW Bob Thomas 01928 733061 32 Springbourne, Frodsham, Ches. WA6 6QD Ian Posnett 07414983946 5 Cygnett Close, Great Sutton, Ches. CH66 3TB Jeff Fairweather 07909990880 6 Thornton Road, Ellesmere Port, CH65 5DF CONTACTS TO WHOM CONTRIBUTIONS SHOULD BE SENT Publicity/ Ailsa Rutherford 01352 756164 14 Tai Maes, Mold, Flintshire Museum Times CH7 1RW. email [email protected] Website Sue Phillips 07745134160 8 Newbury Way, Moreton, Wirral. CH46 1PW 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.

The Boat Museum Society is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England Number 1028599. Registered Charity Number 501593

he National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, CH65 4FW. Telephone: 0151 355 5017 Visit our website www.boatmuseumsociety.org.uk Cover: Netherton Tunnel has towpaths on both sides, and was originally lit by gas. Number 201 RE:PORT

Number 203 December 2013

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT This issue's Chairman's Report is written in the somewhat unusual circumstance that when you read it, I will no longer be Chairman. I am standing down from the 1st December after two years in office and Jeff Fairweather will take up the role as the new Chairman. I think Jeff will do an excellent job in guiding and supporting the work of the Society. He will also continue to lead the task of identifying the new emerging role for the Society in its partnership working with the Canal & River Trust and the task of delivering the implementation of any new procedures that are agreed. I have looked back to my first Chairman's Report written two years ago to see if my initial thoughts about the opportunities and challenges that I was about to encounter did materialise in reality, and whether there were any other issues that arose which I did not foresee. Reflecting on that period, I think that the move to the Canal & River Trust in July 2012 has been of significant benefit, and the Museum itself has certainly benefited from a huge capital injection of over £1.5m for building maintenance and renovation over the next twelve to eighteen months. Any new large organisation which rises out of the ashes of an old one will go through a transition period, getting to grips with the changes necessary to operate efficiently in the new environment. This has been the case with the new Trust but progress has been made in identifying those areas which need developing and we have supported the Trust in putting them into practice. There is still a little way to go yet but the new Trust's Chief Executive, Richard Parry, has already started to review how effectively the Trust is operating in practice, and we have also seen a number of recent management rationalisations within the Museums and Attractions Group introduced by Debbie Lumb, who is the Head of the Group for the Trust. I am very pleased that, throughout the transition process, the Society and its members have provided very positive support in their involvement in

Contributions for RE:PORT, which is published four times a year, are always welcome Copy Date for RE:PORT 204 - 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 203 both the work of the Museum and the Trust. One issue which has been particularly highlighted during my period of office has been the steady decline in the membership of the Society. By contrast, there have been a good number of new volunteers coming forward to work at the Museum, but few of them have gone on beyond their first year's free membership to join the Society. Part of the work that Jeff is leading on is targeted at identifying the reasons for this decline and bringing forward opportunities to stimulate new membership. On a final note I would just like to pay tribute to all the active members of the Society who make it a living, breathing, dynamic organisation. Without your active involvement, the Society could not operate or command the respect that it does within the Canal & River Trust. Chairmen will come and go, but that dedicated body of active members is the crucial element in making the Society a success. I wish you all a Happy Christmas and very best wishes for the New Year. Chris Kay Plan to Transform Welsh Canals CANALS IN WALES could become world class tourist attractions over the next decade, as well as provide jobs and support for the country’s economy. Edwina Hart MBE, Minister for Economy, Science and Transport, welcomed the proposals from Glandŵr Cymru the Canal & River Trust in Wales which unveiled a ten-year strategy to support its ambitious aims at the Senedd in Cardiff. The aims in the next decade include supporting the restoration of 17 miles of the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal, to connect the Brecon Beacons to the sea. The £70m project would provide jobs and training as well supporting the nation’s 200-year industrial heritage. Dr Mark Lang, chair of Glandŵr Cymru, says, “Now, with the waterways outside Westminster control for the first time since the Second World War, we want to ensure they are at the very heart of supporting Welsh business [and] tourism.” Two Jolly ‘Tars’: Spey and Gifford at Chester 25th July 2013 Norman Stainthorp AN HISTORIC SITE, the old Chester Canal, on the line of the defensive ditch outside the Roman Fort, a base for the famous 20th Legion for hundreds of years until the collapse of the Roman Empire around 400 AD – but wait, what is this? – only a little less historic, but more precious because a sight more fleeting – a pair of Thomas Clayton ‘tar’ boats making their way south from Ellesmere Port. Visitors to Chester, travelling thousands of miles to see historic Chester, looked blindly down from the Northgate, not realising the significance of the two boats - 4 - Number 203 RE:PORT passing beneath their feet. Below them was a recreation of a once humdrum, almost daily sight of Thomas Clayton tanker craft, which from the 1920s until the mid-1950s, had carried oil products from Stanlow Oil Refinery on the Manchester Ship Canal, near Ellesmere Port, to various industrial sites in the Midlands, such as the Shell Mex Depot at Langley Green, not far from their home base at Oldbury Junction, known by the boatmen, as ‘The Crow’ on the Birmingham canal old main line. The Clayton oil traffic was particularly significant to the history of the canal port at Ellesmere Port, as it was one of the last regular traffic through the Port, hanging on until as late as the mid-1950’s, after which the Port [Photo: Norman Stainthorp] fell silent until the beginning of leisure traffic in the 1960’s. After years of benign neglect, the remains of the Port was recognised for its architectural and historic value to be saved in the 1970s, as a home for NWMIN’s collection of former working canal craft. (NWMIN was the forerunner of BMS) To see a pair of boats like this briefly recreating the traffic that had been part of the scenery for nearly 50 years, was, because so fleeting, a more fragile historic sight than the historic walls they were passing. The motor, Spey, privately owned, is powered by a 15 nhp Bolinder semi-diesel engine, with its distinctive irregular exhaust note, created by the ‘on demand’ hit-and- miss fuel supply system; a sound beloved of all true canal boat enthusiasts. To hear it echoing off the Roman fortress walls, paired with this Society’s former horse drawn tanker boat, Gifford evoked a truly memorable scene. The crew of Spey had brought their boat to Ellesmere Port in order to pair up with Gifford to attend the boat festival at Audlem on 27-28th July on the Shropshire Union main line outside the ‘Shroppie Fly’ pub. Spey was one of the craft which attended the opening of the then Boat Museum in 1976 and has towed Gifford a number of times since, including on the Thames in 1977. After the event, Spey towed Gifford back to Ellesmere Port - empty of course as they would have been when travelling 'down north'. Spey then continued on its summer voyage, with the Caldon Canal being its next destination. There are some events, such as this, that make all the expense and effort of restoring both the canal port and the historic craft that passed through it, seem truly worthwhile.

- 5 - RE:PORT Number 203 STOP PRESS At last - On Friday, 8th November the long awaited and successful craning into the water of Box Boat 337 and Ferret's craning out took place. A BIG crane was used - first 337 went in, then the iron BCN joey, 'Phoebe' was moved to where 337 had been and then Ferret came out. By the end of the afternoon, Ferret was being pressure washed. 337 didn't take in a drop of water and looks magnificent. It sounds simple, but needed considerable logistical organisation. Well done everyone. More photos and film on [Photo: Martyn Kerry] NWM Facebook page. Classification of UK Inland Waters AS WE KNOW, the UK has over 4,000 miles of inland waterways. Construction requirements and levels of safety equipment that must be carried on vessels in the UK are depend on the nature of the waters in which the vessel operates. Compared with mainland Europe waters suitable for commercial traffic are minimal. There are no national construction requirements for private pleasure vessels. The Navigation Safety Branch (NSB) of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency categorises inland waters as A, B, C or D. This includes canals, non-tidal rivers, tidal rivers, large, deep lakes and lochs, and estuaries. ‘Inland waters’ includes any area of water not categorised as ‘sea’ - e.g. canals, tidal and non-tidal rivers, lakes, and some estuarial waters. Inland waters are classified as follows: ● Category A - narrow rivers and canals where the depth of water is generally less than 1.5 metres ● Category B - wider rivers and canals where the depth of water is generally 1.5 metres or more and where the significant wave height could not be expected to exceed 0.6 metres at any time ● Category C - tidal rivers, estuaries and large, deep lakes and lochs where the significant wave height could not be expected to exceed 1.2 metres at any time ● Category D - tidal rivers and estuaries where the significant wave height could not be expected to exceed 2 metres at any time These categorisations determine the waters not regarded as sea for the purposes of most Merchant Shipping legislation.

- 6 - Number 203 RE:PORT Passage to Wigan Harry Hignett THE FOLLOWING was a notice placed in the “Liverpool Mercury” in the early years of the 19th Century. Liverpool to Wigan in just two and a half hours! On the majority of British canals the canal-owning companies did not own or run a fleet of boats, since this was usually prohibited by the Acts of Parliament which set them up to prevent monopolies developing. Packet boats carried packages up to 112 lbs in weight as well as passengers at relatively high speed. The boats were horse- drawn until later in the century, and the horses were changed at Halsall and Maghull. The boats were owned and operated by individual carriers, or by carrying companies, such as Lawson's of Burscough:. In 1847 an Act of Parliament allowed the Leeds and Liverpool Canal Company to transport goods along the canal. The Company bought out the struggling private carriers to form a large carrying department which could undercut the railways for transporting bulk cargoes such as coal and stone. The Wigan Packet sails every morning (except Sunday) at Eight o'Clock for WIGAN and the intermediate places where it arrives at Four o'Clock the same afternoon viz. From LIVERPOOL at Eight o'Clock in the Morning, amd arrives at the Red Lion, in Maghull at Half past Ten o'Clock Halsall Warehouse at Twelve o'Clock. Burscough Warehouse at a Quarter past One o'Clock. Appley Warehouse at Half past Two o'Clock. Wigan at Four o'Clock.A horse-drawn packet boat passing To sail from Wigan at Seven o'Clock in the Morning.under Burscough Bridge Arrives at Appley Warehouse at Half past(The Eight windmill o'Clock. has long gone.) Burscough Warehouse at at Quarter before Ten o'Clock. Halsall Warehouse at Eleven o'Clock. Red Lion, Maghull at Twelve o'Clock. Liverpool at Three o'clock in the Afternoon. Rates and Fares by the Liverpool and Wigan Packets. Six Miles and under, Front Room 6d. Back Room 4d. Twelve Miles, and above Six Miles (excepting to Maghull going from Liverpool, being a place for changing horses), the same price as for Twelve Miles, 1s. Front Room, 8d. Back Room. Twelve Miles and above Eighteen Miles, excepting to Halsall Warehouse, for the same reason as above), Front room 1s 6d, Back Room 1s. Twenty-four Miles, and above Eighteen Miles, Front room 2s. Back Room 1s 4d.

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Thirty Miles and above Twenty-Four Miles, Front Room 2s 6d, Back Room 1s 8d. Thirty-Five Miles, or to Wigan or Liverpool, Front Room 3s. Back Room 2s. Each Passenger to be allowed 28lbs. Luggage, and if he has more to pay for it all shall exceed after the rate of 1s. per cwt. to any Part of the Line. VESSELS ON THE OLD NAVIGATION FROM LIVERPOOL TO MANCHESTER EVERY DAY Sisters Thomas Royle Endeavour John Langshaw Ellen Richard Yates William John Entwistle Peggy Thomas Holdsworth Tipping Joseph Rylance Markland John Yates Fletcher John Rylance Jnr Marsden John Rylance Snr Hardman John Pearson Bacchus Thomas Barlow Byrom William Perryn Chadwick John Hayes Gartside John Barlow Hope Enoch Lee Howarth Thomas Newton Irwell Joseph Yates Liberty John Longshaw Jnr Mersey William Clare St John Jonathan Rylance Trafford John Yates Venus William Yates Kent James Ward Mr John Wright, Agent, Liverpool Mr Peter Wright, Agent, Manchester VESSELS WHICH ATTEND HOWLEY QUAY, WARRINGTON Hamilton Isaac Tylor Allen James Heys Dispatch Henry Morris Industry Thomas Valentine Lion **** ****** Thames Steamers After the Clyde, the Thames estuary was the main growth area for inland waterways steamboats, starting with the Margery and the Thames in 1815, which were both built on the Clyde. Until the arrival of railways from 1838 onwards, steamers steadily took over the role of the many sail- and rowed-ferries. By 1830 there were at least 80 ferries on the river with routes from London to Gravesend and Margate, and upstream to Richmond. By 1835, the Diamond Steam Packet Company, one of several popular companies, reported that it had carried over 250,000 passengers in the year. The first steamboat to be constructed of iron, the Aaron Manby was laid down in the Horseley Ironworks in Staffordshire in 1821 and launched at the Surrey Docks in Rotherhithe. After testing in the Thames, the boat steamed to Paris where she was used on the River Seine. Three similar iron steamers followed within a few years. Few genuine steamboats are left on the River Thames: the steam launch Nuneham,a genuine Victorian steamer built in 1898, which is berthed at Runnymede and owned by the Thames Steam Packet Boat Company, operates on the non-tidal upper Thames. - 8 - Number 203 RE:PORT The Boats Other People Care For

Forget Me Not Forget Me Not, owned by the Wooden Canal Boat Society (WCBS), has gone through a number of changes over the years. It was built for Henry Grantham, a 'Number One' in 1927 who owned a house next to the locks on the Grand Junction Canal at Whilton, as well as a pair of boats. To confuse the historic record, he had a new boat built every couple of years, which would always be called either Forget me Not or Sarah Jane. In 1929 when it was only two years old, Forget me Not was fitted with an engine. Two years later the stern was rebuilt with a counter, so that the boat could tow a butty, which made it necessary to completely reconstruct the cabin. In 1941,on Henry Grantham’s retirement, Forget me Not was sold to the Samuel Barlow Coal Company and renamed Sarah. Many motor boats had a steel engine room, which could be unbolted and removed to allow the engine to be unbolted and lifted out for servicing. Forget me Not, however, had a wooden engine room which was more spacious . Originally there was no door from the cabin to the engine room. When Forget me Not was first motorised it is thought that it had a small 9hp

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Bolinder, which was inadequate for towing a butty so, when the counter stern was fitted in 1931, it was replaced with a 20hp version. (By comparison, most small cars have engines of at least 50hp.) Forget me Not and Sarah Jane would have carried about 50 tons of cargo between them. When Forget Me Not was converted again in 1959 the 20hp Bolinder was scrapped and replaced with a Kelvin 4 cylinder petrol/paraffin engine. This in turn was taken out in the early 1970s in favour of a Petter PD2 air-cooled diesel, which was the standard engine fitted by British Waterways to its narrow boat fleet. The current engine is a Perkins 4108, which originally powered a standby generator, and had to be marinised by Wooden Canal Boat Society volunteers based in Sussex. When the opportunity arises, the WCBS hopes to fit a Bolinder or a similar vintage engine. Thoughts of a Waterways History Heretic Part 1: Looking for Inspiration Joseph Boughey

OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS I have returned to the writing of waterways history and, in particular, to using archives. The latter has included our own archives at Ellesmere Port, but also in Birmingham, Kew, Wakefield and elsewhere. This short article contains some of my heretical reflections. “Heretical” sounds a strong expression for approaches that lie slightly outside the “accepted way” of working, but I must stress that my methods of working are personal to me. Guides to research, which are usually aimed at students carrying out research as an assessment task, tend to be a little more systematic and rational than many researchers, myself included, pursue. I am writing here because my aim is to encourage others to write and research waterways history, and to develop new ideas, so please do not let these heresies put you off. What books on research rarely discuss is why you should carry out research in the first place. Perhaps this is because if you have to complete research in order to have it assessed, or because some funding body requires a question to be investigated, this provides its own requirement, if not its own inspiration. But, once you can exercise choice over the subject of research, there is a need for inspiration. What on earth should you study? Unless you suffer from a strong sense of duty, you must find something that interests you, even (a greatly over-used phrase) excites you. Most research features processes that can prove dull and tedious, and if you are not committed to the result in the first place, you will probably give up. So there needs to be something about which, if you have not uncovered enough historical data, or have not yet developed a sound enough explanation, you will feel dissatisfied. This might be on a large scale – how about, for instance, the whole question of waterways under railway control? Or it could be on a smaller scale: when was a particular wharf on the Shropshire Union Canal

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From ‘Sun Pictures of the Norfolk Broads’. [British Library] built? Whatever the scale of question, you must be curious enough to pursue it. The initial trigger for inspiration may be unpredictable. There may be something in published works that leave a question begging. For example, to date I have been unable to discover when wherries on the Norfolk Broads (bar the Yare to Norwich) ceased to operate; there were still regular traffics in 1932, but they were seemingly gone by wartime. A photograph (or a series) may illustrate part of a story, or present a puzzle; some of the images in the many picture books, which sometimes have limited captions, may cry out for further explanation. I will write about the handling of files in archives in a later piece, but it is rare to spend a day examining files without a number of subjects and queries presenting themselves. For instance, I recently looked through a file relating to the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation (SSYN), one of many that been relocated from Gloucester, and found that this related to the work of the former manager of the SSYN, W H Pryce. As he was appointed in 1949 to advise the new public owners about potential for pleasure traffic on the waterways, this has a much wider policy interest. People, or their recorded words, may provide a beginning for research. Witnesses to the history of narrow boat carrying are now limited, as indeed are those who recall larger craft. Even those who recall early leisure boating from the 1930s onwards are dwindling in numbers. Fortunately, many oral history interviews have been carried out over the years, some have been transcribed and some published. These may evoke past eras, may provide puzzles and incongruities, or may explain what was previously unclear. You might feel that research could add further detail, or that comparative studies could be carried out – were experiences and practices similar across all the

- 11 - RE:PORT Number 203 waterways? This may, of course, lead to further interviews; or to pursue an interview may begin to open up questions. I recall the latter in an interview of a long-deceased figure, who explained the official reaction to a much-vaunted IWA trip through the Huddersfield Canal in 1948. Above all, the canals themselves can inspire research; simple fieldwork can raise all sorts of questions. For instance, the top gates of the narrow locks at Ellesmere Port are mitred, as are those at Bosley on the Macclesfield and two on the Ashton Canal. Why, when all other narrow locks have single top gates? Peter Brown of Market Drayton (and the CRT Heritage Advisory Group) has published on this question, showing that locks on the Birmingham & Liverpool Junction originally had mitred top gates. But there are many mysteries, like the reasons for the widened chamber partway down the “Bratch-type” locks on the Cefn flight in South Wales. Despite many speculations, this has never been resolved definitively. Beyond localised queries, a more general knowledge of waterways may inspire other questions: why did waterways take particular routes with specific engineering works, what prevented most from being widened and developed? Unfortunately, inspiration is only the beginning of what may be a lengthy process. There will be a need to explore the “literature”, what has already been recorded and published; more and more sources to explore, and interpret; to write sections, review, question, and finalise a written account. But if there is no initial inspiration, it is unlikely that you will begin research at all. It may, of course, be that your first inspiration proves fruitless, that you can find nothing that satisfies your curiosity; or that, as research progresses, this throws up new inspirations. It may well prove to be a journey with discoveries rather than a neat process of investigation, interpretation and reporting. The Kilbagie Canal The Kilbagie Canal was one of the first canals in Scotland in the Canal Era. It was a little over 1 mile (1.6 kilometres) long with an aqueduct and ran between Kilbagie and the port of Kennetpans. It opened in 1780 and was in use until 1861, when it seems to have been replaced by a tramroad. The Canal, which was south-east of Alloa, Clackmannanshire, ran to Kilbagie from the wharf at Kennetpans on the river Forth. A distillery had originally been founded at Kilbagie by John Stein round about 1720, and whisky was produced there until 1845. After that date the Kilbagie Chemical Manure Company used the distillery site to produce chemical fertiliser until the late 1860s. The buildings were then used by J A Weir for the production of fine papers using esparto grass pulp. Kennetpans was built largely on marshland that had been reclaimed from the River Forth by depositing coal ash from the salt pans. By the middle of the 16th Century, salt manufacturing had become firmly established in the area and there were outcrops of easily mined coal nearby, that fuelled the process of salt making by evaporation. One of the other reasons for the success of the coal pits at Kennetpans was that the coal could also be exported from its small port. The other export, of course, was whisky from the Stein’s Kilbagie Distillery. - 12 - Number 203 RE:PORT Fens Waterway Link FOLLOWING ON from the article on the Bedford-Milton Keynes Link in the last issue of Re:Port, the Fens Waterway Link promises to be one of the most significant waterway developments of recent years. It will open up 149 miles (240 kilometres) of waterway - 50 miles (80 kilometres) of new waterway and increase access to 100 miles (160 kilometres). The new waterway is intended to be sympathetic to the character and history of the Fens, to intricately link with its water environment and to promote a better quality of life. It will connect the navigations of the Trent, Fossdyke and Witham with the Nene, which in turn connects with the Ouse, Middle Levels and the Grand Union Canal to Nottingham. The Link will connect the cathedral cities of Lincoln, Peterborough and Ely, as well as the market towns of Boston, Spalding, Crowland and Ramsey. In association with other waterway regeneration schemes, the Link will create a new circular waterway for recreation, tourism and the environment through the Fens. The Link represents the most significant development of the inland waterways network of the UK in two centuries, and will be the biggest waterway enhancement scheme in Europe. It will compliment other waterway projects in the region, creating new links between the existing stretches of navigable waterways. The Link will revitalise the region and create a leisure and tourism destination of national and international importance. The Link will be a focus for investment in the region and provide new employment opportunities. [Map: Fens Waterways Link]

- 13 - RE:PORT Number 203 Raining on Roosevelt's Parade In a letter, held in the archives, the American President Theodore Roosevelt recounts for the amusement of his 10-year-old son Quentin some events of a state trip he made down the Mississippi, and includes some amusing illustrations of incidents that took place along the way. Roosevelt, who was interested in developing a policy to encourage the use of the inland waterways for carrying goods, made the trip as part of this initiative. Putting aside the serious purpose of his trip, his letters to his children show Roosevelt's characteristic enthusiasm for the small matters of the trip: the history of trade on the river, the workings of the steamboats, and interactions with people along the way. Roosevelt took a lifelong pride in his ability to remain undisturbed by irritating situations. The self-portrait in the letter to Quentin letter shows him grinning in spite of the rain while making a stop in St Louis. Recounting the incident to another of his children, he wrote: “The procession was in a drenching rain, in which I stood bareheaded, smiling affably and waving my drowned hat to those hardy members of the crowd who declined to go to shelter.” (There was obviously no Marine holding an umbrellas over him!) IWA 2014 Campaign Festival in Chester

THE INLAND WATERWAYS ASSOCIATION is to hold a National Campaign Festival on the Shropshire Union Canal in Chester over the weekend of 6th-8th June 2014. The Festival, hosted by the IWA Chester & Merseyside Branch will be held in the Tower Wharf area to promote the use of the neglected Dee Branch arm of the Shropshire Union Canal. The vision is to see a lock in the old mill race at the end of the weir, to give visiting boats access to the River Dee up to Farndon. Brian Phillips, IWA Chester & Merseyside Branch Chairman says, "We are delighted with the national support for our waterways festival in Chester in 2014. The event will raise awareness about the neglected Dee Branch, raise funds, and demonstrate how a vibrant waterway can boost the local economy." The last Rally held by the Branch in Chester was in 2010, at which there were over 100 visiting craft of all shapes, sizes and ages, as well as traders of all kinds. The IWA Chester & Merseyside Branch has been working in partnership with the Chester Canal Heritage Trust (CCHT) and the Canal & River Trust (CRT) to develop a waterway strategy which would be a key element in the Chester One City Plan. A suggested vision document has been presented to Chester Renaissance.

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The vision will be a key element in safeguarding the Dee Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal and improving access to the upper reaches of the river Dee. This branch runs for one furlong from the Shropshire Union main line to the River Dee. It passes through two locks before turning to the north, It was authorised by the Chester Canal Act of 1st April 1772. Normally, 48 hours notice is required to navigate on to the Dee, which is only possible at high tide. illustrations of incidents that took place along the way.

[Photo: Tuesday Night Club]

Book Review “Water”, Steven Solomon, published by Harper Collins; £18.99.

TO WRITE a history of water was a good idea. Since life depends on water, it has been man's constant compan- ion from the moment his forebears emerged from the sea and, you could say, even before. Human affairs have therefore been intricately related to water. But man has mistreated his friend, and now, it is said, the world faces a water crisis. There is too much of it in some places, too little in others. It has been acidified, dirtied and squandered. It should no longer be taken for granted. The first three-quarters of Steven Solomon's book is an account of the ascendancy and decline of various civilisations, seen through a watery lens. The survey starts in

- 15 - RE:PORT Number 203 antiquity with Egypt, Mesopotamia and the areas round the Indus and the Yellow River. It runs through the Roman empire, the building of China's Grand Canal in the seventh century and the Islamic era that followed. Then come the stirrings of mechan- ical development in medieval Europe that preceded the invention of the steam engine in Britain, the arrival of the industrial age and the mass production, and consumption, of the American century. Along the way the reader learns about aqueducts, dams, canals, waterwheels and devices for lifting water, as well as sanitary inventions, naval battles and maritime voyages of discovery. The thesis is that enduring civilisations are underpinned by effective water control. Burslem Branch Restoration THE BURSLEM BRANCH of the Trent and Mersey Canal was opened in 1805 and was three-eighths of a mile long with no locks. As we reported in Re:Port in March this year, the Branch was closed by an embankment breach as long ago as 1961. Backed by the Trent and Mersey Canal Society and the Stoke-on-Trent Branch of the IWA, and with active support from the local housing regeneration body “Renew North Staffordshire”, and the then British Waterways, the “Burslem Port Project” began with the aim of restoring the Branch and creating an attractive stopping place for boaters passing through or visiting Stoke-on-Trent. In 2011 the Burslem Port Trust was formed. The Trust’s vision is “to make a major difference to the quality of life in Burslem and Middleport through a major regeneration project”. When completed the project will include the re-opened Branch and a small marina in a newly-constructed pool at Furlong Mills. Recreational facilities will be provided in the heritage buildings on what is, at present, a waste transfer site, and outdoor and sports facilities along the side of the canal. The Slater Street and the former Co-operative Bakery sites will see a new residential redevelopment.

The Branch in the 1960s after the breach

[Photo : www.thepotteries.org]

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Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor Containers on boats are older than those mentioned in Di Skilbeck’s article (Re:Port 202). On John Kemmett’s Canal in Gloucestershire boats ran on each pound and cranes - not locks - were used at each change in level to lift container boxes out of boats on the lower level and into boats on the upper level. This was in 1759, years before James Brindley’s ‘starvationers’ (see Chapter 7 of my ‘Stroudwater Canal’). Yours sincerely Michael Handford

20th Century Voices A FASCINATING PROJECT that a number of us are involved with at present writes Cath Turpin is the recording of “20th Century Voices” - interviewing people who have memories of the canals and their boats, Ellesmere Port, the Museum and the numerous people involved with the waterways during the 20th Century. The archive already has recordings made during the 1980s which are invaluable in telling us stories and memories of many people, but that was 30 years ago and it is great to be able to add to this. Recently, we went to Wheaton Aston to record John Blunn, who is a good friend of the Museum and a regular visitor, particularly at Easter. With five elder sisters, John was born into a boating family in his grandparents' house in Albion Street, Wolverhampton in 1934. His parents had been working for Fellow Morton & Clayton and returned to boating soon after his birth, as his father was unable to find any other work. John told us about working for FMC and later for Thomas Clayton (Oldbury Ltd.) and Barlows. His wife Mary Nixon was also also from a family working for Claytons and her grandfather Steve Dulson worked the last horse boat on the Stanlow, Ellesmere Port to Oldbury oil run. He described a number of the techniques they used and has said that he would like to come and pass on his boating knowledge as part of the boat training we do at the museum. John also told us about their life after they came off the boats; working in a factory in Coventry, later moving to Wheaton Aston when he returned to the canals working as a pile driver for British Waterways. John has never been far from the canals and boats and is still a regular boater. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience and it was a privilege to be able to record

- 17 - RE:PORT Number 203 JAM ‘OLE JAM Norman Stainthorp I RECENTLY POLISHED OFF the last of my jar of ‘Jam ‘Ole’ jam, and very nice it was too. It was produced as a fund-raiser by the group responsible for restoring the ex-S E Barlow, ex-Blue Line butty boat Raymond. They have acquired the title of the former Kearsley & Tonge jam-making firm, who had their own short canal arm off the Grand Union Canal at Southall – known to the boatmen as ‘The Jam ‘Ole’. Raymond did not, of course, carry jam. The boat carried coal from the coalfields near Coventry to fuel the boilers that made the jam. This has led one to wonder whether Museum boats might have products to sell that reflect their former duties. Gifford for example, might sell small tins of 3-in-1 type ‘Gifford oil’ and thus reinforce the message to visitors that the huge decked-over hold once carried various oil products. Mendip could perhaps sell powdered milk (Marvel?), or crumbly chocolate (Cadbury’s flake?) as a reminder of the famous boatman, ‘Chocolate Charlie’. who steered this boat for many years, carrying milk products from Knighton on the Shropshire Union to Cadburys at Bournville on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal. There is, I recall, from my days in offices, a special chocolate bar especially wrapped in a green label available to charities to sell as a fund-raiser. Perhaps that would suffice as a reminder of Mendip’s trade. Many boats such as Shad were involved in the two-way trade from Ellesmere Port to the Potteries around Stoke-on-Trent. The boats carried raw materials such as Cornish clay, kaolin, lime and bone-ash from the Ellesmere Port sheds and warehouses to Stoke-on-Trent, returning with the finished products, packed in crates, to the crate warehouse, situated where the ‘Holiday Inn’ now stands. As a reminder of this perhaps, specially ‘made in Stoke-on-Trent’ earthenware or ‘china’, mugs might be sold when visiting rallies and similar canalside events. To really ‘push the boat out’ perhaps small bags of modelling clay could also be sold as a reminder of the two-way trade. With the honourable exceptions of boats selling bagged coal and diesel, most of the ex-working boats visiting or moored at the Museum have forlorn empty holds, with no indication to visitors of what they once carried.

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Perhaps these suggested token cargoes might go some way to redress the balance by giving visitors a reminder of the loads that such boats carried for so many years, and raising some extra funds for restoration at the same time. From “Museum Times”

Play Area The 3rd October saw the opening of the “Ducklings Play Area”, at the NWM, our new under-5s facility. The maintenance volunteer team beavered away for weeks helping to prepare the room. The Mayor of Ellesmere Port officially opened the play area. Bob, Di and Christine attending and chatted to people about our education activities. The play area will be open daily for visitors as well as being book-able for small groups. Changes within CRT Just over a year ago the Museums and Attractions (M&A) became part of the Canal & River Trust and much has changed in that year! We have seen everything from small like new uniform up to bigger changes like extra funding for buildings or learning lots of new Trust processes. Debbie Lumb, Head of M&A, has spent the year learning how the sites operate and appreciating all the fascinating and worthwhile work colleagues and volunteers do. The M&A Group - the work that all colleagues, volunteers and supporters do - has been recognised for its importance in helping the Trust to achieve its aims in customer care, education, volunteering, youth engagement, families, heritage and the environment. We have treasures that no-one else has, tell stories no-one else can tell and do it all with an enthusiasm and passion. Education Update September was a very busy month with schools visits, training days, preparation for the opening of the new play area and promotional work through mail-outs, newsletters and school assemblies. One of the highlights was the costumed interpretation training that ten volunteers took part in. The two days of training focused on how best to interact with the public when in costume, developing characters, sto- rytelling and leading guided walks. The group is aiming to prepare a guided walk, led by costumed characters by the end of this year. - 19 - RE:PORT Number 203

BMS Fundraising Ian Posnett wrote a short piece earlier in the year for Museum Times about some upcoming fundraising events. The need to raise funds for the continued success of the Society remains a pressing one for us all. Fundraising is not and never will be a one person event. Its success relies on all of us playing a part. That part may be offering to run an event locally where you live. It may be supporting someone else’s event. Alternatively, it may simply be by shopping through the Give As You Live initiative. The “Give as you Live” programme to date has only six members signed up. With Christmas fast approaching and shopping centres are becoming busier by the day. Using “Give As You Live” makes more and more sense. No queues at checkouts, no hassle for parking spaces etc, etc. Why not be a part of “Give as you Live” and without effort help us to raise urgently needed funds. I would like to urge all members of BMS to do their online shopping through “Give as you Live”. Thousands of top retailers including Amazon, Play.com, John Lewis and Expedia have signed up to donate a percentage to The Boat Museum Society LIMITED every time we shop online through “Give as you Live”, so please visit the website and get started. Shopping through “Give as you Live” is just as secure as shopping online normally, and won't cost you a penny more. The only difference is the difference it could make to our donation total. Registering is easy and you don’t have to disclose any more than basic information such as, name and email address. Once registered, you will have access to over 2,500 retail outlets, all of whom will give us money when you shop with them. In case you are wondering about the name with LIMITED on the end of it, this has been done for administrative reasons to clearly differentiate us from organisations with similar sounding names. When you register please make sure you select the correct name for your chosen charity. If anyone has any questions please feel free to contact me by telephone 07414983946. Events in December Carol Concert by the Wirral Singers and Ringers on 6th December. Tickets are available from the Museum for £7.00 per person. Santa Cruises: three trips a day on 7, 8, 14, 15, and 21-24th December. Help needed. A Christmas Canal: 21st and 22nd December The Boaty Theatre Group’s take on “A Christmas Carol”. Building works: Phase 1 won’t now start until January 2014 as Steve Bosworth is having to focus his time on Stoke Bruerne. Collections: Ruth Darling, Audience Development Officer, will be giving a presenta- tion on the Ellesmere Port Exhibition to the Staff and Volunteers Meeting in January. Heritage Boatyard: Work on Shad is being finished off and the trainees will now start work on Ferret as she has been craned out of the water. Boat Activity Group: the Group hope to carry out boat movements on both Saturday and Sunday in the future.

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Planning is in process for boat movements in 2014 that are away from EP. One idea under consideration is to leave a boat in a safe haven and then do outreach from there. Front of House: The summer staff contracts all ended in October, but all but one member (from personal choice) is continuing on a casual contract. Health & Safety: The visit by Tony Stammers and Steve Aspell had gone well and they were very impressed with the improvements made in the HBY. John Inch attended the Ellesmere Port Residents Conference and had given a presen- tation to 100 residents. Once again, many of them had no idea about the range of activities taking place at the Museum. Steam Tug Adamant ALTHOUGH NOT A GENUINE ORIGINAL this boat, built and owned by Phil Martino, is probably the closest working example of a steam canal tunnel tug on the waterways today, not least because both the hull and engine date from the end of the 19th Century. The hull was built from the stern ends of two horse-drawn Birmingham iron ‘Joey’ boats built in the late 1880s or early 1890s, although the counter and cabin top are modern. The Cochrane of Birkenhead compound steam engine is well forward so that the funnel in the correct steam tug position. It has been said that the original tunnel tugs were little more than a floating steam engine, with the machinery occupying nearly half the boat’s length, so that they had enough power to tow a string of up to twelve narrowboats at a time. Adamant's engine was probably built in the 1890s, but certainly before 1902 when Cochran's moved to Annan in Scotland. The engine's early history is not known, but it is likely to have been used for a yard launch. The cylinders are 4 inches diameter for the High Pressure and 8 inches for the Low Pressure, both with a 5 inch stroke. At 200 rpm the engine produces between 5 and 7 hp and drives a 24” propeller. The engine also drives a number of pumps: a feed pump, a circulating pump to pass cold canal water through the condenser to cool the exhaust steam, an ‘air’ pump to extract the condensate from the condenser and a 5-way oil pump for engine lubrication. The pumps are chain driven. The engine has “Stevenson’s Link” reversing gear, which changes the valve events to reverse the direction of rotation, so no gearbox is needed. It is operated by a vertical lever at the front of the engine. Steam is supplied by the boiler, which was built in 1986. It is of the type known as a “Vertical Fire Tube”, 3 feet in diameter by 3 feet high with one hundred and seventy 1 inch diameter tubes carrying the hot gas from the fire up through the water. The coal fire which burns at the bottom on a 2 foot diameter grate, surrounded by a “water wall”. There is normally enough natural draft to produce the steam required although there is a steam blower for extra draft. Additional water can be supplied from the canal by means of steam injectors. The normal boiler pressure is round about 100 psi, with a maximum of 125 psi. The boat uses remarkably little coal - about three bags a day including lighting up - or some 75-80 kgs. Adamant has a minimum crew of a steerer and an engineer. The boat's home base

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is on the Grand Union Canal at Stockton, War- wickshire, and it can often be seen around the Mid- lands canal system. Adamant is also listed in the Historic Ships [Photo: J Paylor, Blisworth Images] Register. A Tug on the River Thames AT THE BMS meeting on October 18th writes Di Skilbeck we had a talk in two halves from Tim Leech; the first on restoring his tug, Kennet, and the second on its participation in the Jubilee Pageant. Tim is a boat engineer and does refits, repairs and servicing at his dry dock at Dutton, just the right person for the job! In 2009 Tim bought the 1931 Thames Conservancy tug, Kennet and in 2011 he started work to refurbish and restore her prior to her joining in the Jubilee pageant on the River Thames. The boat is 35 feet long and 9 feet wide, and now has a 3 cylinder Gardner engine which Tim said he had built up from bits. In her working life, Kennet towed dredging barges on the Thames and finished her working life in 1970. She then had an eventful life:- done up and painted Disney style, attended Henley Regatta, sold to a film producer and given a posh wheelhouse, loaned to Gloucester Museum, visited the NEC in Birmingham and then spent time on the River Trent. Her condition deteriorated and in 2009 she was bought by Tim and brought to the River Weaver. At this time she still had a powerful Kelvin engine and managed to pull steam tug Kerne. The Kelvin engine was taken out and replaced by a smaller engine which was mounted transversely to create living space. The stern was decluttered and restored to the original layout. A new deck hatch was made and beautifully stained and varnished. Tim applied for a place in the pageant in August and in December heard that he had a place. This spurred on the restoration. Some corrosion was treated by welding-on patches but, at the stern, where the hull had not been protected from rainwater, new plates were riveted into place - this involved Tim in making 200 rivets! The prop shaft needed replacement so Tim fashioned a new one from the old shaft. Much of this work was carried out at Dutton Dry dock which meant that Kennet had to squeeze through Dutton stop lock and then go through Preston Brook Tunnel - this was the first run of the engine! The boat went up the Bridgewater to Hesford Marine where she was lifted out and taken by road to Watford. Tim and Liz followed quite a bit later by car only to find the - 22 - Number 203 RE:PORT boatyard was locked so they spent the night with Tim’s sister. From Watford via Brentford the boat made her way on to the Thames and joined the other pageant vessels at West India Dock. Security checks were carried out, including passport checks. At a given time the day before the pageant, the boats locked out on to the Thames and sailed upstream and took their places on trots (buoys) near Putney Bridge. They were moored here for the night but there were water taxis available to take crews ashore if they so wished. All the boats were given a Jubilee flag and, on pageant day, at a given signal moved down river. ( The Thames barrier was closed so there was no tidal flow.). The pictures Tim showed us gave a superb impression of the pageant and the variety of craft: life-boats, steam launches, canoes, rowing boats, tall ships, naval craft, Dunkirk little ships, [Photo: Commons Getty Collection] as well as other tugs. Among the photos, we had a glimpse of the Tim Leech and Kennet Royal party on their barge and also the masses of people who thronged the riverside and the bridges. The boats had to sail slowly as the pace was dictated by the rowing boats. Some of Tim’s photographs showed how the weather deteriorated as the procession sailed downriver; it did not deter the crowds but many of the crews got very wet and cold. At the end of the pageant the boats returned to West India Dock and the next day was fine so, after a few days rest Kennet sailed up to Marlow where she stayed until she was brought back home. This talk gave us a fascinating insight into the restoration the boat needed, and was complemented by the pictorial record of how it was tackled. Tim’s pictures conveyed the atmosphere of the pageant and gave an idea of the organisation behind the event. It was a very interesting and memorable talk. Sucessful Droitwich Restoration After 38 Years THE DROITWICH CANALS, which opened in 1771, in Worcestershire, fell into disuse by 1939. Campaigner Max Sinclair, who set up the Canals Trust in 1973, received the English Heritage “Angel Award” for Best Rescue of a Historic Industrial Building or Site. Seven miles of waterways finally re-opened last summer. The canal used to be integral to the salt trade which was the mainstay of the local economy of Droitwich in Worcestershire. However, like many canals, by 1939, unable to compete with the rise of the railways, and then of motor transport, it was abandoned and became overgrown and silted up. - 23 - RE:PORT Number 203

In October the team of volunteers who restored the canal, removing 300,000 tons of mud in the process, won an English Heritage Angels award for their work. The annual competition celebrates the work of local people working to save England's heritage. Max Sinclair, whose initiative it was to begin a campaign, back in 1963, to restore the Droitwich Canals, was presented with the prize at the Palace Theatre in London. The narrow Droitwich Junction Canal, linked to the Worcester and Birmingham Canal opened in 1854. The broader Barge Canal, which had opened in 1771, was initially more successful. However, by 1830, Photo: CRT business began to decline when a source of brine was found at Stoke Prior, to the north-east of Droitwich. Since 1973 thousands of volunteers have raised funds and undertaken the restoration of canals and towpath. In 2000, the first three locks on the Junction Canal were fully restored. Further funding, including £12.7million from the Heritage Lottery Fund, saw the restoration of nine broad locks, the building of a new bridge, just over half a mile of new canal and four new locks and five miles of canal were dredged. Finally, after 38 years of restoration, the Droitwich Canals were opened in July 2011. The Droitwich canals now form part of a navigable 27-mile ring through Worcester and Droitwich.

Shropshire Union Minutes. UNTIL NOW, if you wanted to consult the complete minutes of the Shropshire Union Executive Committee, you had to go to the National Archive at Kew. There have been copies of a number of these in the Waterways Archive at the Museum for some time, but this collection is not complete and much is very fragile. Recently, Peter Brown has photographed a full set of these and deposited them in the Waterways Archive. As Peter says, there is a massive amount relevant to the development of Ellesmere Port, especially in the 1870-90 period. This has involved a huge amount of work by Peter and his wife Quita, not only in the recording itself but in processing the images so that they are easily readable. We are very indebted to them for this. If you wish to study these minutes in the archive, please make an appointment with Archivist Linda Barley: [email protected]

In a History examination an American high school student wrote, “The invention of the steam boat caused a network of rivers to spring up”. - 24 - Number 203 RE:PORT

The Boat Museum Society 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 21st February 2014 at 7.30pm

AGENDA 1. Apologies for absence. 2. Resolution 1: To accept the Minutes of the AGM held on 15th February 2013. 3. The Chairman’s Report. 4. Resolution 2: To receive the Annual Report of the Board of Directors’ for 2012- 2013. 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 2013 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 14th February 2014.

Friday 6th December 7.30-9.00 pm Christmas music and carols performed by the Wirral Singers and Ringers in the Museum’s Waterside Café. Coffee/tea and mince pies included in the price of the tickets (£7.00 pp)

- 25 - RE:PORT Number 203 Horseboating Society TV Stars THE HORSEBOATING SOCIETY was filmed horseboating on the Bing- ley Five Rise and Three Rise for Channel 4 at Bingley in October. The programme was a documentary for the series “Walking through History” presented by Tony Robinson (Time Team/Black Adder). Tony had been filmed on a historic walk along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, from Liverpool to Wigan. Within the documentary they wanted to interview someone with a horse-drawn boat to evoke the “historic” age. As a horsedrawn boat could not be provided between Liverpool and Wigan in October, the film crew and Tony Robinson went to Bingley instead, at least on the same canal and to the very horse and boat which travelled from Leeds to Liverpool in 2012. The boat’s crew took some sheets down on Elland as requested so that the film crew could get on board the boat, only for them to change their mind and do all their filming from the bank! This did give them a more flexible approach at the locks as the filming could be done from either side of the locks. Filming on the towpath was quite hard as Tony Robinson approached from behind, at the bottom of the Five Rise, calling out a question, and then a discussion took place on the move as the horse-drawn boat approached the Three Rise. Some cyclists approaching from behind, found their way blocked by the film crew who were filming Bilbo pulling Elland, and Tony Robinson in discussion. Words were exchanged in exasperation as the film crew asked the cyclists to get out of the picture, and when they objected Tony crossly told them that they should see it was difficult for the filming to take place. The joys of shared towpath use and/or filming! Tony joined Bilbo on the Three Rise to see how the boat’s crew were improvising in the absence of the lock furniture which once existed on the several staircase locks between Leeds and Bingley. Originally there were small pulleys on the balance beams, around which the towing line was placed so that a horse could pull the boat from one lock into the next when going down locks. The horse would walk on the level ground next to the lock chamber in the opposite direction to which the boat was going. This technique of using a pulley is demonstrated at the Parkhead Festival in the Black Country every two years. HBS has to improvise as there are no pulleys left on any of the several staircase locks in the Leeds to Bingley area. So the towline is passed round a circular metal bollard at ground level beside the lock instead of round the original pulley at the height of a balance beam level. HBS has been experimenting, learning, and perfecting this technique. This was the third time that Bilbo had pulled on these locks downhill. On the two previous occasions he had been somewhat confused but had tried to help with guid- ance. On this occasion he was an absolute star, remembering and knowing what was being asked of him. He has to walk slightly uphill, slightly sideways, because of the location of the bollard instead of the original pulley. How wonderful it would be if CRT or the L&L Canal Society would replace the lock furniture so that we could demon-

- 26 - Number 203 RE:PORT strate use of the pulleys once again. It is to the great credit of the L&L Canal Society that they have replaced many towpath rollers on the canal which HBS loves to use, to see and hear them rolling as the towline is used on bends of the canal. Porters Row Cath Turpin RESEARCH ON THE HISTORY of Porter’s Row and its residents continues. Recently I have been in contact with the Porter and Fordham families who lived in Nos 4 and 8, as well as a relative of the Disburys from No 6 and the Price family of No 1. Parish records of Christ [Photo:Waterways Archive] Church, just the other side of the motorway, which are held in Porters Row before the demolition of Nos 1-8 Cheshire Record Office (now known as Cheshire Archives and Local Studies) have filled in a lot of gaps, as have the school admission records. I have had a lot of funny looks when going round the Christ Church cemetery with my camera! Minutes of Ellesmere Port Borough Council, also held at the record office have information about the last residents and the slum clearance programme, under which Nos 1-8 were demolished in 1960. If anyone has any knowledge or knows anyone whose family used to have connections with the houses in Porters Row, I would be delighted to hear from them. At the moment I am collating all the new information I have and expect to be able to publish it soon. Committee Matters Lynn Potts September It was reported that Chris Kay is stepping down as BMS Chairman at the end of November. It was agreed to propose that Jeff Fairweather be elected as a Director immediately and to take over as Chairman after Chris steps down. This was agreed unanimously. Membership of the steering group is to include BMS Chairman and Treasurer plus 4 BMS members. The group will be involved in operational matters and develop the action plan within CRT framework. Membership is likely to be reviewed annually and the group will evolve. Jim McKeown has been appointed Heritage Boat

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Yard Manager on a temporary basis and Mel Darch has taken his place as Duty Manager. BMS will make a donation to the Boat Yard of £3000 for specific invoices next year. A date for lifting out Mossdale has yet to be set. Gifford was reported as needing a repaint next year. Di Skilbeck is looking into contractors and costs. A new procedure for accepting volunteers has been implemented. October Chris Kay and Jeff Fairweather are to have a meeting with Caroline Killeavy to discuss the concept of volunteering and how BMS fits in. Figures for the Gifford repaint have been given to Barbara Kay and Di Skilbeck has discussed the job with Dave Linney. There was a discussion about a mechanism to review BMS and its role in partnership with CRT. It was agreed to appoint a think tank, chaired by Jeff Fairweather, to discuss this matter and there will be a report produced. The committee expressed concern about artefacts being removed to other locations: it was agreed this needs careful monitoring. The question of volunteer expenses etc. needs to be resolved and rationalised.

Apology

The Editor wishes to apologise to long-term BMS member Steven Bradley for omitting to secure permission to use his photograph of the Islington Branch of the Ashton Canal in the previous issue of Re:Port.

Membership Matters Barbara Catford We would like to welcome the following new members: Mrs K P Andrew, Peter Arnold, Geoff Barlow, Doug Barrett, Georgina Bennett, Andy Blandford, Sarah Blundell, Peter Brindley, Ian Burford, Ronnie Campbell, Stephen Cardus, Katie Chew, Dave Deponeo, Jane Friday, Cynthia Green, Eddie Hafford, Colin Hargreaves, Gabi Heavisides, Peter Holmes, Christine Jones, Ken Jones, Gemma Lucas, Peter McOnie, Norman Peers, Valentin Requena, Brian Spencer, Harriet Taylor, Vicki Walker and Graham Wallis.

Subscriptions were due in October 2013. Thank you to all those who have already paid. Many thanks to members who have kindly given a donation with their subscription which is much appreciated. For new Membership rates see P31 of Re:port Non 202. You might have seen on the Society’s website that there is now a Members Only section which is in the process of development. You will find the Access Code on your membership card which is enclosed with this newsletter. (Life Members will be notified separately).

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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 and 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 Sue James (44) Di Ascott (81) Ruth Brown (63) September Michael Crompton (98) Mike Turpin (26) Liz Dilley (80) October Pat Steward (5) Graham Adshead(13) Di Skilbeck (10)

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 203 Dates for your Diary Wed 4th Dec CCHT “The Ellesmere & Chester Canal”. In its bicentenary year, a talk about the history of the Elles- mere & Chester Canal Company, from Peter Brown, of the Railway & Canal History Society. Fri 6th Dec NWM 7.30-9.00 pm Christmas music and carols performed by the Wirral Singers and Ringers in the Museum’s Waterside Café. Coffee/tea and mince pies included in the price of the tickets (£7.00 pp). Sun 8th Dec NWM 10.00 am - 4:00 pm Waterways Craft Group demonstrate the traditional crafts of the inland waterways. Tue 10th Dec IWA “From Boat Museum to National Waterways Museum”, Di Skilbeck MBE. Followed by sherry, mince pies and bumper raffle. 7th/8th, 14th/15th, 21st-24th NWM Santa Cruises, 11.00am, 12.45pm, 2.30pm. Tickets Dec now on sale Tickets £10 children, £8 adults Sat 21st-Sun 22nd Dec NWM “A Christmas Canal”, The Boaty Theatre Company. Tickets: Adults £5, Children (under 16) £2.50, Family (2 Adults, up to 3 Children) £14.00. Fri 20th Dec BMS Geoff Taylor and Ray Buss will be telling the story of ‘The River Lock' - the arm of the canal from Chester basin which used to take vessels on to the River Dee and hopefully will be able to do so again. Bring along a contribution to the buffet - finger food to share! Save on Christmas Card post age and bring cards for the 'post table'. Bar, Raffle, 200 Club draw, update on recent activities, etc. Tue 14th Jan IWA “The sinking of HMS Thetis”, Derek Arnold. Fri 17th Jan BMS Ken Catford, Forgotten Arctic pioneers: Seeking a sea and river trading route into Deepest Siberia. Wed 5th Feb CCHT “Canal Travels of the Bowles Family”. Films shot by John Bowles and family in the 1960s and ‘70s. Tue 11th Feb IWA “Historic Canalside Industry in Chester”, Ray Buss, CCHT Fri 21st Feb BMS Annual General Meeting plus CRT update. Wed 5th Mar CCHT “Robert Aickman - Hero or Villain?”. A talk by Joseph Boughey on the life and work of Robert Aickman, who was born 100 years ago and was one of the co-founders of the Inland Waterways Association. Fri 21st Mar BMS Joseph Boughey – Robert Aickman (1914-1981): his contribution to waterways history? Tue 8th Apr IWA “Cruising the Antarctic” Capt Derrick Kemp

BMS meetings are at 7.30 pm in the Rolt Centre at the National Waterways Museum. IWA Chester & District meetings are at 7.45 pm in the Rolt Centre, NWM. CCHT meetings start at 8.00 pm at the “Lock Keeper”, Canal Side, Frodsham Street, Chester. Ellesmere Port c1900 showing the coal drop from the Upper Level at Grosvenor Wharf to ships in the Lower Basin. Also visible is the incline for rail wagons from the Raddle Wharf to the railway tracks alongside the Grosvenor Wharf. [Norman Stainthorp]

An obviously posed photograph of Worsley outside Maida Vale Tunnel on the Regent’s Canal from an old postcard. It’s hard to imagine that six people were the normal complement of the boat! Jim, a Clydesdale boat horse belonging to the Tiverton Canal Company, which operates on the Grand Western Canal, in the care of the Head Horseman, David Poxon. [Photo: Tiverton Canal Company]