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The Magazine of the Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust Issue No. 82 - Winter 2014/15 BREAKING NEWS! - SEE INSIDE Peering out through the vegetation, a glimpse of the David Suchet Aqueduct; our ultimate goal on the Summerhill Section, 1-Jan-15 (see pages 14-17) HAY WHAR EET F L TR LICHFIELD TD S Heart of the Coventry Canal . TEL:01543 414808 MOBILE:0782 4848444 FAX:01543 414770 www.streethaywharf.co.uk 7-DAY CALL OUT SERVICE GEN SETS FITTED DIESEL AND SOLID FUEL STOVES FITTED BOTTOM BLACKING REPAINTING AND SIGNWRITING NEW BOATS FULL & PART FIT-OUT SUPPLIED ALL MECHANICAL / ELECTRICAL WORK FULL CHANDLERY STRETCHING AND REBOTTOMING GAS SAFE. CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE ALL STEEL WORK AND TANKS Support the boat yard on the “Lichfield Ring” Boat Transport, England, Europe Cranage Arranged Site Surveys Complete Service for DIY Repairs Boat Hire Boat Fitting Diesel Pump Out Mooring Boat Sales Laundry Trent & Mersey Canal V.A.T No. 133609427 CHAIRMAN’S COLUMN BREAKING NEWS! AY WHA There is a great deal happening at the moment. The pace of progress is ratcheting ETH RF up with some dramatic activity about to happen. As ever, everything depends on E LT finding funding for specific projects and we have had many disappointments over the TR D years. Yet another occurred last summer when the prospect of an SIB Community . Group grant for work on the towpath trail was dashed (see Money Matters in this S issue). Then, last October this suddenly became active again and the same funding, of £336,000 was made available. This is a wonderful opportunity but it came with several stings in the tail. All the funds have to be spent by March and there are VAT commitments which are difficult to handle. However, we have seized the opportunity and our directors and officers are working flat out to get everything in place in time. We will publish all the details in the next CBW but in the meantime, the focus of activity will be on the section of the Lichfield Canal between the Boat Inn and Barracks Lane just west of the aqueduct near Brownhlls. There is land to be purchased, a demolished culvert at Crane Brook to be reinstated and contractors to be found to build the towpath trail over this whole section. There is much to be done here and a rapid transformation can be expected. There are exciting plans to establish the Heritage Towpath Trail over this whole section. It will mean that we could start major works in addition to those at Tamworth Road and finally show that our aqueduct does have relevance and was not a wasted effort. We recognise that only by opening up our canals to the general public can we demonstrate what a valuable asset they can be to everyone. More people will be able to see at first hand where the canal actually is and what it can do for everyone and not just for a few privileged boaters. An exciting prospect indeed. OTHER DEVELOPMENTS I frequently and rightly, often pay tribute to our directors and officers who do so much work for the Trust, most of it out of the public eye. To obtain funding, to get planning permission or just keep the routine work going is infinitely more complex than it was even five years ago and we are often made to feel that swimming through shark- infested treacle must be easier. My mind ran briefly to the annual bog-schnorkeling contests held annually in Mid-Wales. However, progress is being made on several fronts. We are now holding detailed discussions with HS2 Ltd on the engineering Our Vision To reinstate the historic Lichfield Canal and Hatherton Canal for the benefit of the community. The natural wildlife corridor from Huddlesford to Hatherton will provide a valuable amenity for walkers, cyclists, boaters and visitors to use and will bring prosperity to the area. This project will also provide an opportunity for young people to learn about our history, our heritage and our environment. Cut Both Ways Winter 2014/15 3 CHAIRMAN’S COLUMN requirements to construct a navigable route for the Lichfield Canal from Huddlesford Junction to Lock 30 where the deviation has been forced on us. So far these have gone well but vigilance is essential as well as attention to detail. We are grateful for the support we are receiving from CRT and from IWA. That said, I must again draw attention to the tremendous work done by Terry Brown and his team at Tamworth Road. This project has turned into an extended slog which has required great dedication for all those who have turned out in all weathers to aim at early completion. A new machine has greatly aided the puddling of the clay but it is physical labour which is at the heart of the progress made. Things are not helped when the thieves break into our works compound yet again. Work has also gone forward on refurbishing Lock 26 where there is much underpinning and void- filling to be done. We recognise that the locks are 200 years old, were neglected for years and then infilled. However, it is clear that construction standards were not as high as one might have expected and that foundations were, to say the least, skimped. However, we are on course to get Lock 26 ready to be our first restored and fully functioning one. We are fortunate to have a team of volunteers which is so dedicated and has so many practical skills. FUTURE PROSPECTS We hope that when this work will come to fruition we can really “bring the boats back to Lichfield” as we have been promising for a quarter of a century. We are in the early stages of making a bid to hold the annual IWA Trailboat Festival in 2018 or 2019. This would be a very demanding undertaking but would greatly raise the profile of L&H. If the building of HS2 goes ahead the disruption at Huddlesford is bound to be very considerable and to last over many months if not years. For some time now we, with Lichfield Cruising Club have held a major biennial event at the Junction. This could well prove to be impracticable during the building of the new railway. Our team could well be redeployed to a trailboat festival and draw in help from further afield. As always, we try to look for an opportunity even when it is effectively disguised as a threat. As we are now announcing, we, with Lichfield Cruising Club, will be holding another Heritage Gathering of Boats at Huddlesford for three days from Friday 18th September, open to the public over that week-end. The operating group has had several meetings and we hope to build on the strong foundations laid in recent years. We look forward to another great event. Please put it in your diaries. TEAMWORK With so much work going on it is reassuring to see that we are slowly attracting new “activists” to our team. With so many sad losses from our supporters in recent months we need to top up our team if we are to maintain momentum. I sometimes feel that by maintaining an “upbeat” tone to my column I give the impression that we are “ok as we are”. While we achieve a great deal we are really punching above our weight. We need a steady supply of new people who can bring their own skills Cut Both Ways Winter 2014/15 4 CHAIRMAN’S COLUMN to our work. In future, we intend to be fair to our new arrivals and discuss with them exactly what we mutually agree they can best do. We must not allow volunteers to drift away and must nurture them and make them feel valued. I write this on a cold January afternoon. I have removed the Christmas tree and taken down the cards. It can be a low time of the year but at L&H we have so many reasons to be positive. We have achieved great things over the years, often against heavy odds but the challenges currently before us give us the opportunity to achieve even more. After so many years of steady, even slow progress I sense that there is a head of steam building up. I am sure that by the end of 2015 we will be amazed by how much has been done. It is a new year but an old project which will need all the energy we can pump into it. My thanks to everyone for all that has been done in the past 12 months. Northern Canals Association Three Directors attended the autumn meeting of like- minded canal restoration enthusiasts across the north half of the country which was hosted by the Bugsworth Basin Heritage Trust at nearby Chinley, High Peak on 12th October 2014. A stimulating keynote presentation was given by Richard Parry, Chief Executive of Canal & River Trust who compared CRT progress so far with the way forward. Professional Archivist Heather Roberts gave an interesting sight into “Practical archiving for waterway restoration groups”. The main message seemed to be to put a date on everything you hold! Following the usual round- up of reports from Trusts and Societies, a visit to the site of Bugsworth Basin showed the Trust’s amazing achievement in bringing the former major industrial site back from dereliction to a new life for all to enjoy. Brian Kingshott(chairman) Cut Both Ways Winter 2014/15 5 DONATIONS TO THE TRUST We gratefully acknowledge the following donations for amounts over £20 from 1st October to 31st December 2014.

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