P OCTOBER 2016

This month’s update from Mike Stone for our boat licenses. Oh yes even on to volunteers who deliver results more (Chairman) the Grantham where we do all the promptly! The nights are drawing in and this work our craft still have to be licensed! Oh I was in trouble in the September signifies that the Society volunteers who Richard Parry, CEO of the Canal & River Trust edition! I thanked the ladies for their look after the canal between made a surprised visit on the day and was excellent cakes not intending to be Woolsthorpe and Grantham will be most impress with what he saw at both labelled sexist! However, some cakes planning their winter work schedules. Woolsthorpe and at 15. Over 700 were made by gentlemen who There were jobs which couldn’t be visitors came of which 80 visited Lock complained their contributions had undertaken in summer for several 15 and about 120 enjoyed a cruise on been overlooked. Next time I enjoy a reasons, some due to birds nesting; the Three Shires. cake at the depot I will ask who made it some as the volunteers were crew on so that I may direct my appreciation the trip-boat, and weed cutting because appropriately! The cakes which I saw, the boat needed restoration after and a few I tasted today were super! sinking. A lot to achieve this winter and Thanks to all the bakers of whichever not necessarily the best time of year to sex! do it but life is like that! Of course the Thank you all, young or old (ok those in teams at Lock 15 will still be restoring the middle as well), female or male for the lock which is, once again, rising reading Bridge and supporting the from the rubble thanks to their Society. commitment. Did you enjoy Discovery Day? I hope so! The Society was well supported by a range of voluntary organisations whose Discovery Day Update - presence helped the organising team to I have just been told that the overall event put together a programme which Cheque being received by Stan Harbidge, (GCS raised £2582 - a big “well done” to all. appealed to all visitors. Treasurer), from W. M. Mr Sunil Silva, of the Doric Lodge, Grantham. The group also includes, Mike Stone, (Chairman), Rosemary Gibson, (Community & Events), Tony Jackson, aka “Aye Up Me Duck”, (Discovery Day Organiser). NOTTS & DERBY BRANCH We were delighted to receive a donation to our Public meetings. Non IWA members funds, which will be used to meet winter will be very welcome to attend. maintenance cost of our tripboat, from Meetings 7.45 pm at the Poppy & Pint, the Doric Lodge, Grantham for which we thank their Master and members. We Pierrepont Road, West Bridgford, were also grateful that The Castle NG2-5DX permitted visitors to use local facilities th and a field for car parking. Thursday 17 October A visit from River Canal Rescue, We have received many comments about the orange fencing at Locks 17 & who perform a similar service for 18. At both some repairs are necessary boaters, to that provided by the We thank Nick Boles MP for finding time in to prevent leakage and back in April the AA, RAC, etc., for motorists. his busy schedule to open the event. GCS were asked to undertake the task. Further information from: Tony Jackson planned the day and was We commenced in May and were then [email protected] told to stop as CRT would undertake the supported by many other GCS members who rd made it happen. He did well to order repair in July. So far nothing has Sunday 23 October sunshine! Our unique canal Dirty Duck happened and nobody can tell us when Castle Lock to Meadow Lane Lock, Race saw the yellow perils try, some it will! Regrettably the matter is out of Canal clean up from unsuccessfully, to avoid the hazards of our hands so it is likely the orange fence 10.00 - 16.00 the by-wash and helped the Society will still be there for weeks to come. I Further information from: raise funds towards the payment to CRT say in future CRT should leave matters [email protected]

Page 1 Community and Events 2017 and to ALL of those who have helped Fri 27th Jan 8.00 Talk: Faraday Ladies, out throughout the year. Diary Grantham We have Discovery Day at this end of For further details, offers of help and Wed 1st Feb 2.00pm St Anne’s, Radcliffe the year because the summer dates of events near you, on Trent months are so busy. We might Mon 13th Feb 10.00 Talk: Bracebridge please contact Rosemary Heath U3A consider something different next [email protected] Tues 14th Feb 7.30 Talk: Radcliffe on Trent year. We won’t be able to rest on our or phone 07971 173069 Methodist Ladies Tuesday laurels after D Day because we still Group have plenty of talks to attend. OCTOBER Tues 21st Feb 12.00 Talk: Radcliffe on Trent Offers to organise or help with Wed 12th 2.15pm Talk: NFOP Grantham Probus th different events or venues to Branch, St John’s Church, Grantham Tues 28 Mar 2.00 Talk: Keyworth U3A Sun/Mon 16th /17th Apr Bank holiday short Rosemary th Thurs 13 7.00pm Talk: IWA boat trips [email protected] Leicestershire Branch, Wed 19th Apr 2.00 Talk: Sage Cross Ladies Gate Hangs Well, Syston, Leics Club Mon 24th 7.30pm Rangers Meeting, Tues 14th Nov 2.00 Talk: Ascension Ladies Stathern Fellowship Wed 15th Nov 2.00 Talk: East Leake Local AGM History Soc’y NOVEMBER Please make a note in your Sat 12th 10.30 Talk:Melton & Oakham diaries of The Annual General Waterways Society EVENTS ROUNDUP Squeezing this abbreviated update Meeting of the Society which will DECEMBER in with Discovery Day preparations. be held on Tuesday 29th Tues 13th 7.00 Friends of Cotgrave A busy September was enhanced November at the Memorial Hall, Country Park, Cotgrave Futures with the help of David Lane, Chris Building Wallace and Tony Pitman attending Cropwell Bishop commencing at Sat/Sun 17th & 18th Sainsburys fund John Deere Celebration Event while 7.30pm. raising event -details to follow Rosemary and Tony where doing Further details will be provided other things. Many thanks to them in due course.

Your comments, news items or photos are always very welcome To contact us please send your email to: [email protected]

Page:2 ROUND & ABOUT While I’m on the subject of the Vale’s with Louise dairies, I thought I’d mention that all Stilton shops on our doorstep three sponsor an annual 10k and 24k I had my first encounter with Stilton road race called the Stilton Stumble, cheese at a young age and a long way which raises money for two local from the Vale of Belvoir (I grew up in charities. This year’s race is on Sunday Cumbria, then Kent). It was one of my 16 October and will take runners along dad’s favourite cheeses, so there the country lanes between the dairies’ would always be a big slab of it in our villages. It’s too late to register to take fridge at Christmas and on special part, but I’m sure the runners would occasions. I didn’t like either the look appreciate a bit of road-side support if or the smell of it back then, and you’re in the area that day! The society, or more correctly Woolsthorpe steered clear until long after I’d flown *** the nest. In fact it’s only relatively Depot, hosted the autumn meeting of the Congratulations to Harlaxton for coming Northern Association last month. recently that I’ve become a complete second in Lincolnshire’s 2016 ‘Best convert to the King of Cheeses. This group consists of representatives of Kept Villages’ competition (in the all the canal restoration societies in the Now, here I am, living within a few category ‘class II medium sized Northern half of England. miles of three of the six Blue Stilton villages, population 501-2000’). The Delegates were treated to presentations dairies in the country, namely village was also runner-up last year on the developments Cropwell Bishop, Colston Bassett and and has an excellent record for doing (David Lyneham-Brown), volunteer Long Clawson, all of which have their well in this competition, which has own shops. I feel so lucky to be able to been held annually since 1962. training (Lucie Holmer), and HS2 and its impact on canals, particularly the buy these delicious and award Harlaxton is home to Harlaxton Manor, winning cheeses from the actual sites (Robin Stonebridge). which is now a college owned by the An excellent ploughman’s lunch was where they are made! The University of Evansville in Indiana Cheesemaker’s Shop owned by the served by Mary Noble and her assistant USA. You might be interested to know and after receiving updates from the Cropwell Bishop Creamery is that the college presents occasional various societies present, the delegates particularly well stocked, not only with lectures which are open to the general walked to Lock 15 to see progress. the dairy’s own cheeses, but also with public and free to attend. For more chutneys, preserves, crackers and information, visit even cheese boards and knives. Plus www.harlaxton.ac.uk/academics/lect it sells hampers at Christmas - a great ures.cfm gift idea for a cheese-loving friend or family member. If my dad was still Louise Lambert alive, I’d certainly be ordering one for www.the-write-words.co.uk him! Did you know? ● By law any cheese labelled ‘Stil- ton’ can only be made in the three counties of Derbyshire, Leicester- shire and . ● It takes 136 pints milk (78 litres) to make one 17 lb (8kg) Stilton cheese. ● Over one million Stilton cheeses are made each year. The Cheesemaker’s Shop in Cropwell Bishop ● More than 10% of output is ex- ported to some 40 countries world-wide.

For more information about Stilton cheese, visit www.stiltoncheese.co.uk. And to find out more about each of our local Stilton producers, go to their individual websites: www.cropwellbishopstilton.com, www.colstonbassettdairy.co.uk, www.clawson.co.uk. http://gurkhasquarerestautant.co.uk Harlaxton (photo by David Dixon)

Your comments, news items or photos are always very welcome To contact us please send your email to: [email protected]

Page:3 DISCOVERY DAY 2016

FUN FOR KIDS ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE FAMILY

FABULOUS FOOD

LE K WELL DONE R D A LE P K TONY S R A Y IE P A aka Z S D U O LL S H A VISITORS Aye Up Me W Duck FROM CALIFORNIA

Your comments, news items or photos are always very welcome To contact us please send your email to: [email protected]

Page:4 Correction to the Map included in our August Edition Flora & Fauna along the Grantham Canal by James Faulconbridge October – Autumn leaves October sees the familiar summer greens in the trees and hedgerows begin to phase into the reds, yellows and browns of autumn – a short-lived spectacle of colour before the onset of bare-branch winter. It is easy to assume that the colour changes are simply down to the leaves dying and dropping but this doesn’t explain why these colourful red-purple anthocyanin pigments are actively produced by the trees at this time. There are two main theories why the trees expend energy upon this autumn display of colour rather than simply dropping their leaves. One theory is that the anthocyanins are produced for their protective properties – the pigments shield the leaf from light damage at low temperatures and so help the tree to re-absorb vital nutrients such as nitrogen before the leaves are dropped and lost. The County Council does not currently have a protected route for a new river Another theory is that the crossing in Nottingham. The route was formally abandoned in 2011. pigmentation is a show of strength to would-be insect pests. The pigments Join Us on a Canal Clean Up are costly to make and are therefore an ‘honest’ signal – only a strong tree, capable of resisting insect pathogens, could afford to put its energy into producing these pigments. The insects therefore select to over-winter on a weaker tree which benefits both You may recall that our weed-boat ‘Osberton’ the insects and the stronger tree in an was a victim of the downpour in the summer. example of co-evolution between Thanks to dedicated work by a few volunteers pathogen and host. we are pleased to report that the craft is once Other theories are also proposed and more operational. the subject is still under investigation, We hope that it will start removing weed from but it is worth bearing in mind that the Nottingham Canal Cleanup the canal above Lock 18 in the near future. colours on an autumn walk along the This work will inevitably cause some floating Sunday 23rd October 10am to 4pm towpath are not just the leaves dying, weed on the canal until cutting is completed in but the trees putting on a show! Help improve your local area the new year. All welcome to come along for the day or just a few hours and support our Look how much raised so team cleaning up the canal through far! Nottingham. The strong support for Meet at Sainsbury’s, Castle Bridge the Grantham Canal Society by Road, NG7 1GX Sainsbury’s customers has already raised Further details from over £3,000 for the ‘Buy a Brick’ scheme. [email protected] The Society thanks everyone at Sainsbury’s who has contributed and helped to launch the scheme. Further opportunities to contribute will be happening in store later this month and throughout the year.

Your comments, news items or photos are always very welcome To contact us please send your email to: [email protected]

Page:5 THE WAY IT WAS canal restorers which stopped any Another event was in We had various requests and mechanical access to the lock Manchester, the Rochdale 9 opportunities to visit other canal side. What WRG had planned was series of locks. These were in sites during the quiet years on the to hire a very large/tall crane for private ownership and stopped Grantham, this was to gain the two days which could park on the Peak Forest cruising ring experience on mechanised plant the roadside and swing a 1 ton being formed. A tower block had and equipment, which at that skip in an ark without crossing the been built over one lock but it time we didn't have, learn new private land. The problem being was still there under the giant skills like bricklaying and concrete no visual sighting between the piling columns but no access mixing and also meeting new lock chamber and the crane driver with engine driven plant was friends. The sites we covered so a person had to sit on the lock allowed. The canal society had were mostly in England but some top gate and conduct the whole arranged for an electrically driven in Wales, they were usually over a operation. The silt was semi solid portable conveyer to be lowered weekend so we would try to arrive enough to stand on using 8 x 4 ft under the tower block, Rodwell Friday eve before the pubs sheets of timber and dig down to Tower, which would convey the closed. The first was Ashton near the invert filling a 1 ton circular rubbish to a point where a Manchester and followed by, in no skip which was whisked up co- dumper could collect it. particular order, The Rochdale ordinated by the observer and Unfortunately with all the Nine, Pocklington, Marple, then emptied into a waiting volunteers onsite the electric Bugsworth Basin, Erewash, dumper to be taken off site. The generator failed and the Droitwich, Wantage, Basingstoke, silt got more jelly like as you weekend could have been Montgomery, Stratford on Avon, reached the bottom but was wasted but quick thinking saved apologies for any I've forgotten. easier to dig into. As we reached the job. The conveyer was The hosts usually provided a the far end of the lock the walking removed and we formed a building to sleep in and main distance between the skip and barrow run in its place. The meals. Some sites we visited on the crud caused us to become towpath access is still the same more than one occasion and the tired so the leaders formed us today, through a door in a wall or accommodation could be very into two merry go round teams through a hatch in the base of basic to super modern. One site which speeded up the process the tower. On lock No.1 we had at Droitwich was an old tin shack and saved the day. The whole lock to drive dumpers through with holes in the roof, a pot belly was emptied over the two days Manchester centre to a special stove and usually frozen toilets if and no damage to private holding site. I still don't know if you were there in winter. We property. the police turned a blind eye. would take along our workclothes Mike Atherley and basic tools, depending on the planned work. I remember at Stratford, someone had backed a dumper into the canal and we volunteered to strip and repair it so we could drive it to collect stone chippings. There were some very memorable digs over the years, particular the Droitwich Broad Canal. One occasion WRG asked all groups to send as many volunteers to help clear Porters lock which was full of silt up to the coping stones. It is the same size as the Grantham locks. The problem being a dispute between the owners of the lock side cottage and the Working on the Rochdale

Your comments, news items or photos are always very welcome To contact us please send your email to: [email protected]

Page:6 RANGERS UPDATE The Harby Country VOLUNTEERING Autumn is now upon us Show always makes me think of and its time to trim back The Darling Buds of May, it’s just the the vegetation. Steve Ball OPPORTUNITIES right size to not be too exhausting to has been attacking the brambles with his pruners between walk round and everyone has a Harby and Plungar, and CRT have been friendly word. Vintage farm out mowing the towpaths and generally machinery abounds, in contrast with tidying up. Tony Jackson reported a the latest monstrous combines tree across the towpath, which which, apparently can drive on apparently injured a cyclist, but he has autopilot – I don’t think they’ve quite now made it safe with the aid of his got to the stage where they can let WEEKDAYS AT LOCK 15 trusty pruning saw. ‘em loose on their own – but it won’t or It seems there have been a few pairs of be long! swans nesting along various stretches The sun came out on the Sunday, of the canal again this year, but Elise and just when you’re thinking life Tiplady has recently reported a dead couldn’t get any better – some swan in the Kinoulton area. Sadly it whispers they’ve got a cheque for seems to have become caught in the brambles. you! The Vale of Belvoir Machinery Chris Cob reported the sighting of a Group (VOBMG) hold an annual SATURDAYS WITH ONE OF mink near Cotgrave. He is now our tractor road run. This follows a delightfully circuitous route along the OUR WORKPARTIES chief leaflet dispenser, handing out If you can spare some time to over 100 in the last two months alone! byways of the vale from their base at Chris has also reported that someone Canal Farm Harby, to Hickling Basin join one of our teams then has removed some of the coping – with lunch at the plough – please email stones at Bridge 15. naturally! They so magnanimously [email protected] Finally, the substantial build-up of donate the proceeds to the society – or Duckweed between Harlaxton Wharf this year, to the tune of £100 [email protected] and Denton left an unsightly picture of Thank you! empty cans and Tony Jackson bottles floating A BIG THANK YOU to those on the surface. Bakers & Helpers who did sterling work during the Heritage Open Day on the 9th September at the Carpenter's Shop, Lock 15 & on The Three Shires - and also on the 25th September when the Grantham Canal Society Cherry Bishop, VOBMG presents 'dined' the Northern Canal the cheque to Rosemary Gibson, Association at the Carpenter's Events Team Leader, GCS Shop. Both were very successful ARE YOU A MEMBER events. Our water-borne Ranger Mark Whitney OF THE SOCIETY? Mary Noble did a great job of fishing them out, and is pictured here with his son who also We really need all the canoes on the canal. support we can gain Our grateful thanks to the following Remember, our Rangers could always in order to carry out the who have recently made a donation to use more support, so please email me restoration of this beautiful the Society: at [email protected] if you are Mr & Mrs Altham, Mrs R.Gibson interested in joining the team. canal. Mary Noble Mrs Snowden Visit www.granthamcanal.org Paul Dadford (Head Ranger) FOR DETAILS L.Shoebridge T.Kaczmerak

Your comments, news items or photos are always very welcome To contact us please send your email to: [email protected]

Page:7