No 224  March 2019

ERW T AY A S W

M Y U S T E IE U M S O C THE WATERWAYS MUSEUM SOCIETY

President: Di Skilbeck MBE

Vice Presidents: Tony Hales CBE, Alan Jones, Tony Lewery

DIRECTORS Chairman Barbara Kay Vice Chairmen Jeff Fairweather, Will Manning Interim Treasurer Chris Kay Secretary Chris Kay

Other directors Di Skilbeck MBE, Nigel Carpenter, Dave Ditchfield, Barry Green, Lynn Potts, Bob Thomas, Cath Turpin, Mike Turpin MEMBERSHIP SECRETARIES Dave Ditchfield & Ailsa Rutherford CONTACTS TO WHOM CONTRIBUTIONS SHOULD BE SENT RE:PORT Editor Ailsa Rutherford 01352 756164 14 Tai Maes, Mold [email protected] Website Steve Sunley EMAIL CONTACTS Pending changes to email addresses, please send all communication via the Chairman: [email protected]

Those not on email can contact: Waterways Museum Society, c/o National Waterways Museum, CH65 4FW Telephone 0151 355 5017

The Waterways Museum Society is a company limited by guarantee, registered in no. 1028599. Registered Charity Number 501593 Visit our website www.waterwaysmuseumsociety.org.uk

Contributions for RE:PORT which is published four times a year are always welcome. Copy date for RE:PORT 225 – Sunday 19th May 2019 All views expressed in RE:PORT are those of the contributors concerned and should not be taken as being the policy of The Waterways Museum Society, The National Waterways Museum or The and River Trust.

cover: Gifford back in the water with a proud Di Skilbeck photo: Andy Cox RE:PORT Number 224

Dates for your Diary

     March     

...continuing until Sunday 24th March NWM From Grave to Cradle – An exhibition of how the Museum and its partners successfully lifted 11 boats out of the water in October 2017 – the largest ever movement of historic vessels in the UK.

...continuing until Sunday 26th May NWM Unlocking – This exhibition explores William Jessop’s importance in canal engineer- ing and for the town we know today. It features original architectural drawings by Jessop for the produced in 1794. Lego activities support this exhibition on 5/6 April and 5/6 May.

Tuesday 12th IWA Branch AGM followed by Martin Buck, Waterways Chaplain of “Workplace Matters” – Martin is talking about developing a national network both rural and urban along our waterways.

Friday 15th WMS Tug France-Hayhurst – The former Trustees tug France-Hayhurst was built by WJ Yarwood in Northwich (YN 613) in 1938. Cathy Roberts describes its history, how she uses the boat and her visions for its future.

Tuesday 19th EPL&FHS The Working Life of a Museum Curator – Margaret Harrison, Collections Manager, National Waterways Museum, will talk about the boats there, with an emphasis on curating them, along with various aspects of research. This will be followed by the Society’s AGM.

Saturday 30th March to Thursday 30th May NWM Flow Photos – 60 photographs from the national photographic competition on the theme of water run by the Trust and Future Water Association. Intended to raise awareness and encourage debate about water in all aspects as seen through the lens. Make your own pin-hole cameras on 9th & 11th April, 28th & 30th May.

     April     

Tuesday 9th IWA Ken Pye, Managing Director of Discover Liverpool – Discover the history of Liverpool Port, its docks and the dockers, its rise, fall and rise again.

Wednesday 10th onwards NWM Harry Arnold – A display of Harry’s photography, chosen by his family, reflecting six key themes – the museum, Saturn, canal restoration, leisure market/hire boating, journalism/photo journalism and campaigning – IWA, Waterway Recovery Group.

Tuesday 16th EPL&FHS The Local Chemical Industry, including Odex/Racasan – speaker, Tony Cox 3 Number 224 RE:PORT

Friday 19th WMS The Way Forward for the boat collection at the NWM – Margaret Harrison, Collections and Interpre- tation Manager, will lead a discussion about the next steps in the development of the Museum, as we strive to make it relevant to a wide range of audiences and increase its appeal.

Friday 19th to Monday 22nd NWM Easter Boat Gathering – For the last 41 years the colourful spectacle of the Easter Boat Gathering has marked the official start of the boating season. The 42nd event, full of boats, music and more will continue this grand tradition. See inside back cover for further information.

     May     

Friday 17th WMS Adventures in the Lime Shed – Management of the Ellesmere Port large object collection by Dave Russell

Tuesday 21st EPL&FHS Bowater and Bridgewater Mills – various speakers

Saturday 25th to Sunday 26th NWM Bikes and Boats – Following last year’s success, the museum is once again recreating the popular early 1900s Bike Carnivals of Ellesmere Port from the town to the museum. On the Saturday, you are invited to decorate your bike and join in the activity workshop and on Sunday morning join the parade from Whitby Park to the Museum where there will be lots of bike and boat activities going on. Free entry all weekend.

     June     

Friday 7th June to Sunday 3rd November NWM Water Marks – the largest exhibition to date of work from Markmakers Artists. Having researched the museum site, its location and connection to the wider world, the collections and the waterways archive, the artists have produced curiously intriguing works using a wide range of media and engaging approaches.

     Meeting information     

WMS meetings are held in the Rolt Centre at the NWM More information about Museum events can National Waterways Museum, starting at 7.30pm. be found at www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/nwm There is a bar and we have a raffle. Everyone is welcome. IWA – Inland Waterways Association meetings are held in the Rolt Centre at the National Waterways EPL&FHS – Ellesmere Port Local & Family History Museum, starting at 7.45pm. Society meetings are also held in the Rolt Centre, starting at 7.30pm. Annual membership is £12 and visitors are welcome at £4 a meeting

4 Number 224 March 2019

Chairman's Report In the middle of February, we had our AGM which is an opportunity to reflect on what we have achieved over the last twelve months and to look to the future. The last twelve months has certainly been a year of change – we have a new name, a new constitution, a new logo, new officers and even Gifford has had a major refur- bishment. The Society has been reinvigorated through the establishment of sub-groups. Each of these has now developed an action plan with a view to not just continue what we already do but also to develop new ideas and implement them. Whilst it has been a year of change, we have also continued delivering on our successful ventures including publishing both Volume 20 of Waterways Journal and quarterly RePorts, organising interesting talks through the year for our members and visitors, writing articles for the waterways press, giving talks to external organisations and maintaining our web-site. We could not do this without the support and hard work of our members so a huge thank you to all those involved. During last year, we missed Gifford but now that she is back in the water, we have been looking at how we can use her more, both at the museum and on the canal network, to share the story and promote the Trust and museum. The Society has been given the opportunity to take her to the Festival de Loire d’Orleans which usually attracts over 750,000 visitors and is from 18 to 22 September this year. Whilst the official theme of the festival is “A Flotilla from the Thames (England)”, the organisers wanted to have some- thing relating to the canal network and we are currently looking into the detail of this to see how feasible it is. We are currently looking for crew so if you are interested please let Jeff Fairweather know or email me at [email protected]. Accommodation and expenses will be provided courtesy of the festival organisers and the society. We would also like to take Gifford out to events during the year so if France is a bit too far for you, but you are interested in something more local, please let us know. Non-boating supporters welcome. In the shorter term, we are looking forward to the traditional Easter gathering and more details about this can be found later in this newsletter. Easter will also see the unveiling of a joint society and museum exhibition to celebrate the life of one of our Vice-Presidents, Harry Arnold, who sadly passed away last year. There will be a display of Harry’s photography, chosen by his family, to reflect six key themes with one theme being the museum. In addition, there will be space in the display for people to leave their memories of Harry. On a lighter note, Volume 21 of Waterways Journal will be available, fresh off the press. 5 Number 224 RE:PORT

As with any organisation, we need new people to get involved who can bring fresh ideas to the table and get more involved and hands-on with the work the society does. We are always looking for people to help care for Gifford, undertake administrative type work such as proof-reading, book-keeping etc, help to tidy and look after the second-hand book shop and generally “muck in”. We would love to hear from you – come and talk to me or one of the committee members over a cup of coffee. Barbara Kay

Membership Matters Welcome to new members R Turner, Dr L Ward, and P Gallagher A reminder to members that subscriptions for 2018/19 were due on 1 October 2018. For those who do not pay by standing order, cheques should be made payable to “The Waterways Museum Society” and sent to: The Membership Secretary, Water- ways Museum Society, c/o National Waterways Museum, South Pier Road, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire CH65 4FW. Subscriptions for 2018/19 are as follows: Category of Membership Annual Subscription Full Membership £16 Family Membership £25 Students/Juniors (age 12-18) no voting rights £10 Senior Citizens and Unwaged £10 Single Life Membership £350 Family Life Membership £550 If you are a UK tax payer and don’t already Gift Aid your subscription, perhaps you would like to consider doing so now. There is no extra cost to you, but the Society will receive an extra 25p for every pound of your subscription. Please contact the Society’s Treasurer at the address given above for a Gift Aid form.

Letter to the Editor Re Bradley swing bridge, as mentioned in RE:PORT 223; there are a number of photos in the Draper collection which I deposited in the Archive. The four I have attached show the traditional wooden bridge being replaced by a steel one in the winter of 1937. There was a regular bus service over the bridge, and the local authority took over responsibility at this time, installing a bridge capable of carrying heavier buses. The engine in the mill at Bradley, seen in the background on one photo, has been preserved at Bancroft Mill in Barnoldswick. 6 RE:PORT Number 224

On the Leeds & Liverpool Ca- nal, it is easy to find those bridges which are not the responsibility of CRT. Bridges on the canal received numbers sometime in the late 1960s or early 1970s, when there was a national survey looking at the condition and ownership of canal bridges. Prior to this, L&LC bridges had names, but subsequently they were given numbers. If the bridge also has a letter after the number, or just a letter as in Liverpool, that bridge is not the responsibility of CRT. The clause preventing the construction of swing bridges in the 1790 L&LC Act did have a sentence allowing for their construction if the landowner agreed, hence there are a couple in the Hyndburn area. Most of the bridges in Liverpool were originally swing bridges, and these were replaced as the city de- veloped and road traffic increased. On the Skipton Pool, the term pool being used for a pound on the L&LC, the swing bridge at Farnhill was replaced by an overbridge in 1840 at a cost of £519-3-7. Bridges on the L&LC are inter- esting in that their design changes over the forty years it took to build the canal. I once looked at those between Church and Whitebirk, all built between 1801 and 1810, and they have detailed differences in the way the stone was dressed. I suspect that it would be possible to identify the contractor or stone- mason responsible for each bridge with a little research. Mike Clarke 7 Number 224 RE:PORT

Gifford Out of the water in December 2017, back into the water in 2019!! Gifford has had an epic journey – she started travelling to Ade’s yard at Alvecote in Sep- tember 2017. She was towed by Spey and therefore went to the rallies into which Spey was booked. She went from Ellesmere Port to Bollington, Macclesfieid and then came back down and eventually got to the Black Country for their event at the end of Septem- ber. She stayed for a month at the Black Country Living Museum with Spey. She was then towed to Ade’s yard at the end of October. When I visited her in December no visible work had occurred, but there were many measurements being taken and orders being placed for materials, as well as a compre- hensive survey of the boat. In January 2018 work had begun on fixing the bottom boards. As the size of the new opepe boards was larger than the old boards, this meant that fewer were required and therefore there were fewer seams to caulk. I visited Gifford monthly, or twice monthly, during 2018 as the nature of the work altered. The finding of fungus between the shearing and the outer boards in part of the tank meant a lot of wood was removed and, following George Monger’s advice, a strong anti-fungus potion was applied. The other bad area was the fore end where the fungus had really invaded and this necessitated the removal and rebuilding of the top starboard side of the boat. On several visits, it appeared little had happened but Ade is meticulous and took great care to rebuild and re-fit the boards. I have stood by him for over an hour as the same board is fitted and refitted until he feels it is the correct fit. This was not easy as Ade was having to build down into the boat so that the top structures were well supported. I have watched Andy working under the boat, fixing the massive bottom boards and Ade carefully refitting the fore end, but came the day of colour when Andrew started to paint the cabins and Gifford began to look more alive. Latterly, Phil Speight put on the lettering and the roses and that surge of colour made the old Gifford re-appear.

Preparing for Gifford's lift photos: Andy Cox 8 RE:PORT Number 224

I am sorry I missed the AGM but there was no way I was going to miss Gifford’s return to the water which was timed for the same day. There was great activity on Thursday 14 February as the yard was cleared prior to the arrival of the crane. At 8.30am the crane arrived and was carefully positioned so Gifford was lifted gently and returned to the water. Her space in the boatyard was then occupied by Ilkeston. We celebrated Gifford’s relaunch with cake and champagne and then got on with various tasks. I spent the afternoon washing down the inside of the back cabin whilst Ade fitted the refurbished cabin doors and worked in the tank. Andy started to power wash Ilkeston and reconstructed the fencing around the yard. I came home on Saturday feeling very elated and relieved that all had gone so well. Di Skilbeck

Prestigious award for Gifford Gifford has won the Ken Keay Award for the second time The Ken Keay Award, named in memory of the well-known Black Country boatbuilder, is given annually by the Historic Narrow Boat Club to the most improved wooden boat. Gifford previously won the award in 1995. I have followed Gifford’s restoration progress for a year and a half. Last Friday, 15th February was an exciting moment when Gifford was put back into the water but this was eclipsed on Friday 22nd when I received an e-mail informing me that Gifford had won the Ken Keay award for the best restored wooden boat. At the award ceremony on March 2nd, we were shown two pictures of Gifford, one showing the fungus and the other showing Gifford, resplendent in her new paint. At this point the assembled company realised that Gifford had won the prize. Ade and I went forward to receive the silver trophy and the packed room burst into loud ap- plause. I was very thrilled as this award was a very fitting tribute to the hard work put in by Ade and Andy (Andy could not be present at the ceremony). I feel very privileged to have watched the progress of the restoration work. Gifford had gone to Ade’s for new bottom boards and a repaint but the discovery of the fungus meant deconstruc- tion of the fore-end as well as the stern stank. Gifford looks wonderful sitting in the water but, to me, the reconstruction work is more impressive … and cannot be seen!! Di Skilbeck

9 Number 224 RE:PORT

From Planet Archive Hello, and from all at The Waterways Archive belated best wishes for 2019. I’m sure it will be another busy year and there’s much to look forward to. There’s been quite a lot going on already. I recently promoted the archive at the event held in Sheffield on Fri- day 22nd February to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Sheffield & Tinsley Canal. On the same day in 1819 60,000 people turned out to celebrate (actually I’m somewhat surprised that there were 60,000 people in Sheffield in 1819 available to celebrate). Apparently as the day (in 1819 that is, not 2019) progressed and the ale flowed freely, public order broke down somewhat. There was none of that this year, though the sun shone all day and many hundreds of people came down and enjoyed a flotilla, dra- ma, a creative walk, food and drink. I reflected that it was an interesting example of the repurposing of . Standing there for a few hours looking at lots of happy smiling faces, many of them waving purpose-made Canal & River Trust Sheffield & Tinsley anniversary flags, it struck me that this was a happy combination of preserved industrial history and modern-day leisure use. There’s no reason the two can’t fit together! The site at Victoria Quays comes over as a kind of living museum: look in one direction and you can see the original 19th century warehouses and canal company offices and look in another and there’s the flyo- ver carrying roaring city centre traffic and above it the 21st century trams. Two centuries of transport at a single glance. Unlocking the Severn We’ve also been giving some support to the Unlocking the Severn project, which brings together partners CRT, the Severn Rivers Trust, the Environment Agency and Natural England. The project, made possible by significant levels of external funding, will restore 158 miles of river for the shad, a species of fish I must admit I’d never heard of before, and had hitherto failed to connect with the historic boat of the same name. The project will also benefit a range of other species of fish too. The has a claim to being the main artery of the industrial revolution. Britain’s industrial revolution may have brought many benefits to the world, but it also choked the natural heritage of some of its rivers by installing civil engineering features such as weirs. This caused the significant decline of species including the shad, eel, salmon and lamprey. The movement of fish will be greatly enhanced and a viewing station (think Penguin Pool at Zoo but for freshwater fish) will be installed at Diglis Island. The project is currently running workshops with county record offices working with the resources they hold relating to the Severn and there will be one of these in Ellesmere Port too (we’re setting a date) before much longer. It’s a lovely project and a comforting re- minder of the ability of humankind to correct the damage we’ve caused for our natural heritage in the past. John Benson

10 RE:PORT Number 224

Unlocking William Jessop On 1st February we opened our latest temporary exhibition at Ellesmere Port, Unlocking William Jessop. William Jessop was a gifted and well-regarded engineer, who was chosen by the Ellesmere Canal Company to be their Chief Engineer. Jessop designed the canal and plotted the best route for it, choosing the spot that is now Ellesmere Port on the Mersey. The exhibition celebrates William Jessop’s contribution and importance for canal engineering, which is often overlooked, and displays original architectural drawings pro- duced by Jessop for the Ellesmere Canal in 1794. In 1793, when the Grand Junc- tion Canal Company engaged William Jessop as their principal engineer, he was considered ‘from his experience and abilities looked upon as the first engineer of the kingdom’. How come then so little is known about him? When he was appointed as Chief Engi- neer by the Ellesmere Canal Company, Jessop was already an experienced canal builder. As well as canals, bridg- es and aqueducts, Jessop was also a An original Jessop drawing of lock gates for the Ellesmere Canal skilled builder of docks and harbours Canal & River Trust Waterways Archive but despite all these achievements, he is often overlooked. William Jessop was never elected to a Fellowship with the Royal Society, an honour given to other engineers such as John Rennie and . William Jessop was born on 23 January 1745 in Plymouth. His father, , was a shipwright. He was good friends with the engineer . When Josias died, William Jessop was taken on as a pupil by Smeaton. He proved himself to be gifted, particularly in maths and science. Smeaton hired him as his apprentice between 1759 and 1767 after which Jessop was then his assistant until 1772. John Smeaton was involved in a huge variety of projects and was the first man to call himself a civil engineer. This training taught Jessop to be a harbour, drainage, canal and river engineer. Jessop went on to work as an engineer in his own right. He assisted Smeaton with the Calder & Hebble and the Aire & Calder Navigations in Yorkshire. Jessop’s first big project was the completion of the of Ireland connecting Dublin with the River Shannon. In 1773, Jessop was elected a member of the Smeatonian Society, the first engineering society formed anywhere in the world. He became the ‘go to’ engineer for major projects such as the and the during the period known as canal mania. William Jessop’s name has not had the lasting fame it deserves which is attrib- uted to his modesty. Some of his works have been credited to engineers who acted as his assistants. Whilst Jessop was Chief Engineer to the Ellesmere Canal Company, the company appointed the relatively unknown Thomas Telford as General Agent. Together 11 Number 224 RE:PORT they worked on one of the most iconic structures on the canal system we know today, the . Sometimes historical evidence just simply doesn’t exist and there is much debate about who was responsible for the final design of the aqueduct. Whilst Telford had a heavy involvement in the design, and had already designed a cast-iron aqueduct previously, Jessop would have had any final say as Chief Engineer: this debate continues within the exhibition. As well as canals, bridges and aqueducts, Jessop was a skilled builder of docks and harbours. He constructed on the , the first large wet docks in the Port of London. In 1809, he enlisted the help of his son, Josias Jessop, to build a Floating Harbour at Bristol. This led to the expansion of Bristol and becoming a major industrial and commercial port. Jessop also found time to be a partner in Butterley ironworks and became mayor of Newark, twice, when he lived there from 1784 to 1805. William Jessop died at his home, Butterley Lodge, in 1814. He is buried in Pentrich churchyard, Derbyshire. The exhibition is open until Monday 27th May 2019, and there will also be a series of workshops and events, which include: LEGO – Big Build Friday 5th and Saturday 6th April The LEGO Master, Steve Guinness, will be here with his business The Brick Guys, building an impressive scale model of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct which will be over 3 meters long. Come along and get involved, helping him to construct this fantastic LEGO model. LEGO – Make and Take Sunday 5th and Monday 6th May Come and join LEGO Master Builder Steve Guinness, who will teach you how to make an awesome mini model of our very own boat Centaur. Take it home at the end of the workshop and it may inspire you to create a whole marina full of boats! Opening the Gates to William Jessop Sunday 10th March and Sunday 7th April One-hour family bookmaking workshops, at 11am, 1pm and 2.30pm, with artist Jeni McCon- nell. (Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult.) The sessions will concentrate on making the book form – per- haps you’ll find time to fill your pages with on-site drawings and creative writing after the session.

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Slipway set dressing complete The Slipway was a flurry of activity mid-February as Whetton & Grosch arrived on site to work with staff and volunteers in installing the set dressing on the slipway, in the Car- penters’ Workshop, Superintendent’s Office and the Mess Room, to create a living history feel to the displays. All the details in each of the huts have been carefully researched to make sure they are historically accurate and tie in with the augmented reality app which is set in 1911. I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the volunteers who have helped with the preparation and installation this week and have come in extra days to ensure that the project was completed. Zofia Kufeldt Collections Assistant

Clockwise, from top left: Mess Room Superintendent's Office A view of the "dressed" Slipway Carpenters' Workshop 13 Number 224 RE:PORT

The Horse and Jockey Inn, Dock Street, Ellesmere Port Between 1840 and 1847 Dock Street was developed by Samuel Provis, a speculative building contractor who leased land in Queen Street, Church Street and Dock Street from the Marquis of Westminster. They were the first buildings to be built outside the immediate Dock Estate, and included the building that is now the Horse and Jockey Public House, first shown on the 1850 plan (no. 6 on Archive File). The building was originally (1874) occupied by a Butcher, Joseph Platt, who com- bined the business with ‘Out Door’ or Off Licence beer retailing, permissible since the 1830 ‘Beer Act’ allowed the brewing and selling of beer from domestic premises. The building later continued as an unnamed Ale House with beer then supplied, from 1888, by the Birkenhead Brewery, later selling mild and bitter from Banks’s Brewers of Wolverhampton which would have brought a taste of home to the ex-‘Black Country’ employees of the Wolverhampton Corrugated Iron Co. who brought their business and employees to Ellesmere Port around 1900. The Ellesmere Port Business Directory refers to the premises as a ‘Beer House’ under various proprietors from 1869–1937. The 1939 Directory includes the name ‘Horse and Jockey’ for the first time, with Thomas Ballard as proprietor.

14 RE:PORT Number 224

Horse & Jockey laundry photo & sketch: Norman Stainthorp

Alongside are nos. 3 and 5 Dock Street, originally built as dwellings, later to become ‘knocked through’ as a Chinese Laundry Laundries at that time were commonly worked by Mandarin-speaking Christian Chinese refugees fleeing the Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901). The 1914 Business Directory shows no. 3 Dock Street as a laundry proprietor, ‘Wing Hop Changh’. Some may recall the George Formby song Chinese Laundry Blues about Mr Wu the Laundryman – still to be heard online. The 1923–8 directory shows a change to ‘Fong Him’ as laundry proprietor. (The later post-war wave of Chinese immigration was mainly Cantonese speaking, escaping from the Maoist Peoples Revolution, who tended to establish Chinese restaurants, rather than laundries). In the early 1960s the Brazier Brothers acquired part of the laundry at 3 Dock Street, as well as 1–8 Porters Row (built 1833 as part of the Dock Estate) and demolished them in order to move their motor cycle repair shop from the other side of Dock Street (now under the motorway) and build a retail garage and filling station. In 1962 the property was transferred from Birkenhead Brewery to Threlfalls Chester Ltd. The remaining parts of no. 3 and no. 5 then became incorporated into the Horse and Jockey pub. Why then the name Horse and Jockey? Perhaps it indicates a link between the sta- bles at the rear of the premises and the horse racing circuit at nearby Hooton Hall (now 15 Number 224 RE:PORT the Vauxhall car factory). Racehorses often travelled to events by rail and may well have been stabled at the Horse and Jockey over night, en route from Ellesmere Port Station to the Hooton circuit. There is, however, a reference in a book of Cheshire slang which irreverently calls the Sovereign coin a ‘Horse and Jock- ey’. This relates to the ‘tail’ side of the coin which depicts St George slaying the dragon, a design by Pistrucci – first seen in 1817 and still used on sovereigns today. The premises continue to trade today displaying a white rendered frontage that incorporates parts of the former laundry and the stables at the rear. On close examination of the front wall, the former laundry window and door (now a Reverse of the sovreign coin window), of no. 5, can be discerned by changes in the render. The yard in front of the stables is the ‘tag end’ of Church Street which continues on the other side of the motorway. This pub and the former Ship Canal offices and bank next door are all that remain of a once thriving Dock Street. Decline first began in the 1920s when the Co. ceased carrying. There was a revival during the Second World War due to the presence of US servicemen from Liberty ships on the Ship Canal. After the War, the decline resumed through the 1950s until the whole street was swept away by the motorway embankment in the 1960s, leaving the Horse and Jockey to be the only pub to be found on a motorway exit slipway. The landlord, that many Boat Museum volunteers will remember from the 1970s onwards, was Albert Simpkins, who served little more than Banks’s Mild and Bitter to a few faithful locals. After him in 2008 the pub became a free house. John Holmes was the landlord who introduced a wider range of beers and lagers and transformed this former run-down local into a community pub with live groups and opportunities on Fridays for local budding musicians. John Holmes has recently retired but still drinks on the premises and keeps an eye on the place. The premises are now owned by a Mr Scott Ward of Birkenhead. The licensee is Ms Gabby Lawton who operates the pub on a day-to-day basis. Potential custom has been increased with displaced bikers from the former Knot public house, in Whitby Road, as well as displaced customers from the former Grosvenor Arms, in Upper Mersey Street. The building of apartments on the corner of Dock Street and Oil Sites Road, around the former Canal Port Gauging Dock may also be providing additional custom. Do call in if you wish to experience a traditional Ale House the likes of which have long since disappeared from elsewhere – long may it continue! My thanks to Tommy and the other ‘regulars’ at the Horse and Jockey for their as- sistance. Further reading – Pubs of Wirral Part 4 by Ian Boumphrey ISBN 978-1-899241-38-5 Norman Stainthorp

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The Fly Boat Fly boats were specially designed fast narrow boats which, in the 1840s, plied between Ellesmere Port and Birmingham via the Shropshire Union Canal. Travelling day and night, they were timetabled to do the journey in 29 hours leaving Ellesmere Port at 2 o’clock on Monday and Thursday mornings. They specialised in transporting perishable cargo but also took passengers. We are grateful to Mike Eyers, a member of the Ellesmere Port Local & Family His- tory Society for providing this poem.

Pressing business, Mr. Brown? Artificial, it is true If you needs must hurry down But the water flowing through To that wilderness of factory, waste and grime: Might have borne the kings of England on the Thames Yes, the stagecoach is a plague! You’ll feel regal in a barge But step on board The Hague Especially ones as large I’ll guarantee to get you there on time. As the Shropshire Union’s fast and flawless gems.

Me? Captain Smart, I am So you’ll join us for the trip? Ellesmere Port to Birmingham There’s Thomas with his whip We travel there and back, sir, twice a week Four times we’ll change the horse before we’re there. Eighty miles or so, each way Loaded down with ore and clay You’ll arrive there in a day Every laggard will make way Both mare and boat are waiting, swift and sleek. Nothing dawdling will stop up, I declare.

No potholes and no slush It’s nearly two a.m. No jumping out to push Mantling stars from stern to stem No grasping turnpikes every bumpy mile Stretch your legs beneath the canvas, take your ease No fearful cliffs and canyons Weather’s clear; there’s much to see No cheek-by-jowl companions And to keep you company I promise you, you’ll travel, sir, in style. Just fifteen tons of ripening Cheshire Cheese.

Alan Davis, 1966 The train? A troubling notion Locomotion by explosion; Just consider the uncertainties of steam Air thick with coal and cinder Your beard, sir, likely tinder Compare that with the pleasures of a stream…

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Christmas Concert 2019 The Wirral Singers and Ringers gave their annual Christmas Concert on Saturday Decem- ber 8th. The varied programme of Christmas music, readings, piano solo and community carols was enjoyed by all. This was the 30th year of the Concert and in celebration of that, Graham Boxer has very kindly given an annual pass to each member of the Singers and Ringers. The smooth running of the evening was helped by the staff and volunteers. Many thanks to them and, in particular, to all our performers. We look forward to next year!”

Waterways November 1966 The British Waterways staff magazineWaterways regularly had a piece: Out Shop- ping with Daisy Jones. This was in the November 1966 edition: An unusual canal boat at Little Venice When I took my young nieces down to join the Zoo Water Bus at Paddington recently, we had a few minutes to spare before Charlie Green brought Water Nymph along-side, so I thought I’d find out more about an interesting looking boat called Peter Pan moored nearby. I got chatting to her young skipper, Michael Hollis, who told me that she used to be Samuel Barlow’s coal boat Kent. She was converted by Blue Line Cruisers Limited at Braunston last year and is now a beautifully fitted-out vessel, which her owners, Peter Pan Foundations 18 RE:PORT Number 224

Limited, use for demonstrating and entertaining their customers all over the canal system. Their own factory is near the canal at Market Harborough and Peter Pan has already been to Warwick, Birmingham, Leicester, Oxford, Chester, Altrincham, and innumerable other places. The floating salon idea came after the firm’s Managing Director, Mr S. C. Gobey, had a canal holiday.

Breach on the Cannock Extension After the recent breach on the Middlewich arm, which has now been successfully repaired, you might be interested in how a breach on the Can- nock Extension Canal was dealt with in 1960 and reported in the BW staff magazine,Waterways in the following September.

Fight to Save the Canal

Our men in the midlands have had an experience of a lifetime. And they have proved they’ve got what it takes.

In July (1960) the banks of the Cannock Extension Canal sank twenty-one feet in one week. It was probably caused by opencast coal workings nearby, and the whole problem is being investigated.

Twenty-one feet is a fantastic fall, as anyone with experience with subsidence will tell you. It was a frightening situation. But there was not much time to worry. Our men had to work, and work hard and fast, day and night. Otherwise the water would have been over the banks, flooding a wide area and endan- gering lives and property. And it could have been the end of the canal for a long time.

Thousands of tons of shale, clay and ashes were rushed to the site. Tipping lorries got busy; bulldozers got into action. Arclights went up so that the emergency work could go on through the night. 19 Number 224 RE:PORT

It was touch-and-go. But the men of the South Western Division made it. And they saved the canal. Special responsibility rested on the shoulders of the men in charge in organising the movement of materials and equipment, particularly at the peak of the emergency, when a wrong move could have spelt disaster. L P Wall, maintenance engineer based at Gloucester, was on holiday at the time, and on his return he hurried to the spot to find things well under control, and he speaks highly of the way the entire project was tackled. This certainly was the worst subsidence this 150 year old canal has suffered. Although in the early 1930s, over a period of towards three years subsidence was about twenty-four feet. The man who knows most about the canal’s history is Charlie Hinton, aged sixty, who has worked there for forty-one years. During the recent job, he was the only man to fall in the water; he was trying to push a lorry-driver to safety as clay fell from the lorry tailboard; the driver was safe, but falling clay pushed Charlie into the Canal. But he came up smiling for more!

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This is not a quiz! Whilst cataloguing a box of miscella- neous photographs in the collection, Dave Ditchfield (Archive Volunteer), has come across these two images which do not have any accompanying information. We really don’t know what, or where, this building might be, so if you have any ideas please contact Dave by email: dave.ditchfield@ canalrivertrust.org.uk

The Mystery of Bridge 5 In June 2004, Peter Brown, wrote an article for Cuttings, the newsletter of the Shropshire Union Canal Society, regarding a little mystery he had uncovered: the mystery was subse- quently solved by another member of the Society, Edwin Shearing. The mystery, and its solving, are summarised below. Bridge 5 on the Shropshire Union Main Line seems at first sight a perfectly normal bridge. Known as Upper Hattons Bridge, it carries a lane over the canal a couple of miles north of Autherley Junction (Map reference SJ890044). It is a beautiful Telford design, curving in every dimension, built harmoniously of local moderate quality sandstone. And it has a date on it: 1802. The contract for that part of the Birmingham & Liverpool Junction Canal was let to John Wilson in July 1830; it was reported as ready (but not yet filled with water) in July 21 Number 224 RE:PORT

1834; and it opened from Autherley Junction to Gnosall on 22 January 1835 (some six weeks earlier than the rest of the main line). Thus the bridge seems to have been built thirty years after the date inscribed on it. What possible explanations are there? ѼѼHas the numbering been altered by erosion or deliberate action? This seems the most likely explanation, but the numbers don’t look altered. The obvious change would have been for the ‘3’ to have been modified to look like an ‘0’ but close examination gave me no reason to believe this had happened. ѼѼWas the bridge built in that place in 1802 but originally over something else? This seems unlikely from the topography – and it would be a great coincidence for the bridge to be exactly the right size. Also it is almost exactly the same ‘Telford’ style as the next two bridges. ѼѼWas there a previous abortive canal scheme? This does not seem plausible. No such scheme is mentioned in Charles Hadfield’s Canals of the or any other source I have seen. ѼѼIs the bridge a reuse of one built somewhere else? ѼѼIs the keystone a reuse of one originally placed somewhere else? This seems a bit more likely. ѼѼWere the bridges numbered from the other end, and this was number 80, and someone later added the initial 1 and the final 2 under the mistaken impression that this was meant to be the date? This isn’t totally fanciful, as if they were originally numbered from Nantwich, the result is not far from right. ѼѼIs the date modern, carved by somebody with a warped sense of humour? In the absence of a more satisfactory explanation, this is a possibility, though the style of the ‘2’ in particular looks old. My thanks to Richard Hall for drawing my attention to this mystery – and to any reader of Cuttings who solves it. In response, Edwin Shearing wrote:

In the mid 1970s, my wife and I walked the towing path between Ellesmere Port and Autherley Junction, noting the various features of locks, bridges, wharves, cuttings, embankments etc, in convenient sections to reconnect with our car. Bridge 5 was examined and photographed on May 5 1975.

A minor road bridge, a Red Sandstone, of local origin, a typical Telford design with the arch soffit ‘V’ jointed (or ‘rusticated’); the key stones were prominent on either side, that on the north bearing the roughly tooled date 1832, certainly not a skilled mason’s style of figuring. Several of the voussoirs were slipping down out of position and generally the structure was worse for wear. The bridge had been limewashed or white painted as a navigational aid years before; the number plate (authorised by the Engineering Committee in September 1871 throughout the system) had disappeared and a wooden board carrying the painted number ‘5’ was mounted on the south face as a substitute. 22 RE:PORT Number 224

It was March 1978 when the bridge was seen to have been neatly repaired and this time the cleaned up key stone was observed to be re-tooled to read ‘1802’ as far as could be made out. I remember being concerned at the misleading interference and Bill Dean, the Section Inspector at Norbury Junction, was promptly consulted. While he was unable to produce documentation his recollection was that contractors had undertaken the repair job in 1976. It is a great pity the inscrip- tion was interfered with as there are very few dated structures of Company origin along the canal. A bridge was shown at this site in the SU Railways Deposited Plan of 1845 (at 16" = 1 mile) and there can be little doubt that this is the original. Peter Brown has recently completed his long awaited book entitled The Shropshire Union Canal: from the Mersey to the Midlands and Mid-, published by the Railway & Canal Historical Society, price £35. ISBN 978 0 901461 66 7

Norman Anglin – progress report Readers of Waterways Journal 15 will recall my article about Norman Anglin, who was something of a precursor of Tom Rolt, converting and living on board the narrow boat Russian in the 1920s. His story had only survived because of papers held in Warwickshire and articles that he had written for the Manchester Guardian. The story had leftRussian in some difficulties following floods on the Avon, and it seemed doubtful that any more details would emerge. I had since found an entry in the 1939 Register which recorded that Norman Ang- lin was then staying in accommodation in Church Stretton, but nothing more, and that seemed to be all that could be found. One unexpected source then presented itself, in the form of an informant from Somerset who told me that he had letters between Anglin and another early boater, C H Smith. Looking for another item – an entire collection, in fact – at the Archives, I espied a box labelled “Cyril Herbert Smith”. This proved to contain a manuscript of an account of a journey up the Avon in 1930, in which Mr Smith had encountered Mr Anglin. It was clear from this that Anglin was now based at Pershore, and Smith found that he was making a run down to Tewkesbury in Russian. A further source, one which continues to unfold as historic newspapers are scanned and searchable, is British Newspaper Archive. I had searched this and found the odd story that Norman Anglin had been on one of the first ships sunk in enemy action just after war broke out. However, a later search now uncovered details from a more local paper that revealed that Mr Anglin’s misfortune (the sinking was the second one that he had experienced) was the historical students’ gain. For the local paper had interviewed him in Pershore, and he explained many more details including comments on his life in Russian, 23 Number 224 RE:PORT and its fate. A further account explained what had happened in floods early in 1939, with the implication that the boat was fatally damaged then. As I hope to obtain more details from my informant in Somerset, I will leave the completion of the story until Waterways Journal 22 (Easter 2020). I suppose those who are too impatient to wait for this could find much of the story from British Newspaper Archive. My reason for writing this piece is to stress how extremely unlikely it is that any ephemeral details about an historic converted boat from the interwar period would have survived. Mr Anglin’s own writings, his encounter with Cyril H Smith, the misfortune of the sinking ship, and local newspaper reports have provided accounts that would not be available for most such people and boats. The survival of these details – and possibly more to come? - has been little short of miraculous. Joseph Boughey

Mike Stammers Memorial Lecture For those who remember Mike and for those who don’t, the Centre for Port and Maritime History has organised another lecture in what is now an annual series rec- ognising the late Emeritus Curator of the Merseyside Maritime Museum (MMM). The series gives local societies – the Waterways Museum Society, the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire, Liverpool Nautical Research Society, Merseyside Industrial Heritage Society and the Royal Mersey Yacht Club – with all of which Mike was closely associated, an opportunity to celebrate his varied and generous contri- butions. This year’s lecture details are. Centre for Port and Maritime History - Mike Stammers Memorial Lecture Title: “Don’t think of emigrating!” Liverpool and overseas migration during the First World War. Speaker: Rachel Mulhearn, former Director of MMM When: Wednesday, 8th May 2019 at 6.15pm Venue: Merseyside Maritime Museum This year’s lecture will be held at MMM as is most appropriate for Mike and for this year’s speaker, Rachel Mulhearn, who followed Mike as Curator in 2004 and was Direc- tor of MMM from 2009 to 2012. WMS members probably know Rachel, now a cultural heritage consultant, in her recent role under an Esmee Fairbairn grant. She and Emma Chaplin undertook a research and development project on the Museum’s historic boat collection in 2016. As ever, all who can brave an evening over the water are welcome to the lecture.

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Book Review Richard Martin – Ships of the Chester River: Shipbuilding on the Dee from Chester to the Point of Ayr 1800-1942, Bridge Books, 2018 The subtitle of this book might suggest that it would be of limited appeal to readers whose interest was confined to inland waterways. The author has explicitly excluded boatbuilding on the canal in Chester (and also that of Crichton’s of Saltney and Connah’s Quay, which is covered by another book), and his emphasis lies firmly on shipbuilding. He stresses that many ships that were built at various yards from Chester and the River north of Chester were destined for ocean shipping, and never returned to the Dee. Yet there is much that should interest the inland waterways enthusiast. There were connections between shipbuilding for seagoing craft and inland vessels. Much of one chapter, covering shipbuilding in Queensferry, focuses on Abdela & Mitchell, which began work at Brimscombe Port on the Thames & Severn Canal in 1900, and opened its Queensferry yard in 1908. Whilst operations at the latter site ended in 1935, the final ship from the yard lasted until 1974. Besides barges that ended up in the Richard Abel sand trade on the Mersey, the yard also built the tunnel tugs Worcester and Birmingham. Other builders with canal connections included William Bishton and William Parkes, from the West Midlands, who built wooden ships at Chester in the 1850s and 1860s. The author states that while he began researches in 1969, he only proved able to com- plete these after retirement in 2012. The early start to his researches enabled him to interview people connected with trades that had ended in the 1930s; later researches reflected the online availability of newspaper sources, especially British Newspapers Archive, and of family history materials like the censuses. These, and many other enquiries, have enabled him to follow up the history of many of the 600 ships that were built during the period of study. The book’s layout is geographical, with extensive studies of Chester and then yards downstream at Sandycroft, Queensferry, Connah’s Quay, Flint, Mostyn and Talacre. Appendi- ces list every ship known to have been built on the Dee, and details of their later fate, when known. The density of detail enables an appreciation of the complexity of shipbuilding and the vessels’ subsequent uses and ownership. One clear feature is the financial precarity of shipbuilding enterprises, with many falling into insolvency and their owners pursuing alternative careers amid financial ruin. Another is the precarious and dangerous nature of shipping, with many Dee-built ships being wrecked in the Irish Sea and elsewhere. The book is substantial, comprising 272 pages heavily bound in paperback. Illustra- tions are limited by the main period, wherein few contemporary photographs were taken in the nineteenth century. One criticism is the lack of detailed maps, that could enable the identification of building yards; few signs remain today, and although the precise po- sition of facilities might be hard to pinpoint, greater detail would have been of interest. The history of navigation on the tidal Dee – which continues with the port of Mostyn and the Airbus traffic – is extremely complex and longstanding. This volume provides a further dimension to existing studies, and will prove useful if a comprehensive study is ever attempted. Joseph Boughey

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Have you joined the Waterways Museum Society 200 Club yet? Members of the club ensure a significant and steady income for boat restoration projects. Each month 50% of total money subscribed is paid out in prize money and 50% goes into boat restoration. 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 Lynn Potts, whose address is below. Winners November Lewis Phillips(59), Derek Speakman(27), Nick Dilley(77) December Liz Osborn(86), Mike Turpin(26), Peter Steward(1) January Pat Mayhew(24), Ruth Foster(71), Janine De Leie(15)

Many thanks to those who have so generously donated their winnings back to the Society, this is much appreciated.

Application form - Waterways Museum Society 200 Club

Name: ......

Address: ......

Post Code: …………………………….. Telephone: ...... I apply for membership of the Waterways 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 Waterways Museum Society.

Signed:.….…….………….…….….…….………………. Date: .…….….…….……………. Please send the completed form with your payment to: Lynn Potts, 58 Frankby Road, West Kirby, Wirral. CH48 6EF Cheques should be made payable to the ‘Waterways Museum Society’.

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