Magazine of the Huddersfield Canal Society
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ennine Link PMagazine of the Huddersfield Canal Society Issue 168 Winter 2009 Huddersfield Canal Society Ltd Registered in England No. 1498800 Registered Charity No. 510201 Transhipment Warehouse, Wool Road, Dobcross, Oldham, Lancashire, OL3 5QR Office Hours: Monday - Thursday 08.30-16.30 Friday 08.30-13.30 Telephone: 01457 871800 EMail: [email protected] Website: www.huddersfieldcanal.com President - David Sumner MBE Council Members Neville Kenyon Meadow Head, Tottington, Bury, Lancashire, BL8 3PP Chairman Tel: 01457 871800 Trevor Ellis 20 Batley Avenue, Marsh, Huddersfield, HD1 4NA Vice-Chairman Tel: 01484 534666 Steve Picot HCS Ltd, Transhipment Warehouse, Wool Road, Dobcross, Treasurer Oldham, Lancashire, OL3 5QR Tel: 01457 871800 John Fryer Ramsdens Solicitors LLP, Oakley House, 1 Hungerford Road, Company Secretary Edgerton, Huddersfield, HD3 3AL Andrea Fisher 53 Bayfield Close, Hade Edge, Huddersfield, HD9 2QX Boat Co-ordinator (East) Tel: 01484 686136 Alwyn Ogborn HCS Ltd, Transhipment Warehouse, Wool Road, Dobcross, Editor Pennine Link OL3 5QR Tel: 07973 269639 [email protected] Eric Crosland 44 Marina Terrace, Golcar, Huddersfield, HD7 4RA Council Member Tel: 01484 659748 Keith Noble The Dene, Triangle, Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, HX6 3EA Council Member Tel: 01422 823562 David Sumner 4 Whiteoak Close, Marple, Stockport, Cheshire SK6 6NT President Tel: 0161 449 9084 Keith Sykes 1 Follingworth, Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire, HD7 5XD Council Member Tel: 01484 841519 Vince Willey 23 Regent Drive, Mossley, Ashton-u-Lyne, Lancs., OL5 9NZ Council Member Tel: 01457 871800 Tony Zajac HCS Ltd, Transhipment Warehouse, Wool Road, Dobcross, Council Member Oldham, Lancashire, OL3 5QR Tel: 01457 871800 NON-COUNCIL POSTS Claire Bebbington Marketing Officer Bob Gough Administrator The views expressed in Pennine Link are not necessarily those of Huddersfield Canal Society Ltd 2 - Pennine Link ennine Link P Issue 168 You have to Admire a Manoeuvre or Two from Fred Carter in the Tunnel and Agree he is a Worthy Standedge Admiral II Stopher Alan Editorial 4 Itchy Feet Album 16 Chairman’s Remarks 5 Letter & Jidoku Solution 19 East Side Ramblings 6 Photo Competition Results 20 Volunteers 8 74 Club Members 27 Jidoku - 15 9 The Canal that Never Was 28 Heritage Day at Wappenshall 10 Obituary - Geoff Brown 30 English Abroad 12 Cover: Winter at Tunnel End - Paul Leeman Pennine Link - 3 Editorial The end of another I am always very indebted to Bob at the season with the office for his expert gathering of copy and usual memories of manipulating it into a Society magazine. the year’s activities For this Issue I am even more indebted, to be mulled since I have been deeply involved with over. One thing I the launch of Itchy Feet and time has been don’t think will be gobbled up at an alarming rate. Editing highlighted this year etc. has been a little neglected I am afraid. is a shortage of water. Rain, rain and more I am fully aware that a minority of people rain. Good for the canal, but not for the thought the launch would never happen, people who use it. Ah well! Still, we have but I have pictures to prove it on the centre a lot of input from very active members. pages. I write this piece on board our Andrea reports a very busy and successful permanent home with the communication trip boat operation, well done Andrea, by e-mail via a ‘dongle’. Peter Ruffley whets our appetite for the I intend to give a more detailed write-up German waterways, Paul White and John in the Spring edition with more pictures, Harwood relate historical facts on other (sorry if you are bored with the saga, that waterways. Trevor Ellis and his stalwart will be the finale). Copy for future Issues gang have been busy with maintenance, can be directly sent to the HCS office or via battling the elements and doing a job that myself at [email protected] often goes un-noticed, but is an essential background to the perception of the canal. You may have received requests to Thanks for these contributions. petition: http://www.waterways.org. uk/News/Number10Petition regarding Re-organisation at British Waterways Treasury plans to sell off British Waterways’ promises to be beneficial to the North West property portfolio to help balance the canals and particularly to the Canal Society, books. In addition to ‘signing’ the petition, having returned the Narrow Canal to one I urge members to write to their MPs authority instead of the East/West split of highlighting the folly of any move which the last régime. Our Chairman highlights will further reduce the income stream to this in his report. BW and its consequence on maintenance, The Winter edition would not be the regeneration and viability of future same without the results of our popular restoration schemes. Such a personal photographic competition. As always, approach would have significant weight judging has been a challenge. Personally, beyond the useful, but simple, vote on an I sometimes feel sad that particular e-petition. prints have to be put to one side in the As we gallop towards Christmas and 2010, elimination process. However, winners I wish all HCS members, friends of have been chosen and many thanks to Alan members and all and sundry who read this, Stopher for his input and résumé. Judge our a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY selection for yourselves on pages 21 to 25. NEW YEAR from all at HCS. It is heartening to have conformation of the Alwyn Ogborn enjoyment our canal brings to most people. The comments from new 74 Club members confirm our beliefs, i.e. it is hard work but well worth the effort. Thanks to all. 4 - Pennine Link Chairman’s Remarks It has been “all When one looks at the map of canals in change” at British England, it is extremely difficult to split Waterways them for management purposes into once again. convenient geographical regions. I imagine The Huddersfield that such a thought was furthest from the Narrow Canal has minds of the 19th century canal builders. now been placed In today’s bureaucratic culture a national within the new Manchester and Pennine management strategy would doubtless be Waterways unit. The good news! And, I the driving force behind where canals were believe it is ALL good news, that once again opened rather than the imperative of an our canal, both east and west, is under the efficient and cost effective transport system! direction of the same BW unit. Hitherto We wish David Baldacchino and his we have had the sometimes problematical team great success in their undertaking. situation where we had to deal with Wigan The list of problems with which they are for the West side and Leeds for the East confronted is immense and only aggravated side. To bring the two under the same by a chronic lack of funding. management will help to ensure a much greater degree of coordination. To me the David and Graham attended a recent only problem is that the BW office for our meeting of the Operations and canal is based in Stoke on Trent! Maintenance Agreement group which includes HCS, BW and the three local David Baldacchino, with whom we had our authorities through which our canal first meeting recently, has been appointed corridor passes. Each authority agreed manager of the Manchester and Pennine at the re-opening of the canal in 2001 Waterways which in addition to the HNC to make a contribution to BW for the includes part of the Trent and Mersey, maintenance and regeneration of the canal Macclesfield, Peak Forest, Manchester and its environs. The group meets twice a Bolton and Bury, and the Ashton canals. year to examine progress and assess value David assured me that his office, being for money on behalf of the local tax payers. adjacent to the M6 motorway is within easy Although both Tameside and Oldham travelling distance of all parts of our canal! Councils were represented, there was no Graham Lea is our new contact for one from Kirklees. I hesitate to criticise maintenance issues and he replaces Kirklees because they do give our Society a Iain Weston who is still with North West degree of support but compared with the Waterways based in Wigan. We took the other two authorities, their commitment to opportunity to thank Iain for his unswerving the canal tends to be more muted. They support to our Society and I could detect a do lend support to the visitor centre at moistening of his eyes when he told me of Marsden which is in their patch but the his move from his well-loved Huddersfield relative remoteness of the BW unit office Narrow and Peak Forest with which he in Stoke on Trent will do little to galvanise had been so conscientiously involved for either their councillors or officers to eight years. He is now responsible for the proactively promote the canal. Liverpool and Lancaster areas. continued on page 6 Pennine Link - 5 East Side Ramblings Greetings one and all! Another season Talking of Bob, I’d like to say how much finished and I’m happy to be able to I enjoyed his evening of Bulgarian tell you the takings are up by over 50% Culture along with the talented, on the previous year (2008 - £1,553, colourful Bisserov Sisters. Not really 2009 - £2,362). So, despite some poor knowing what to expect, I think just weather and quiet days, the crew and all about everything was covered. Talented who helped, kept the ‘Shuttle’ holding musicians, singers, acting that was funny her own and more, financial doom and and informative, and at least half of the gloom notwithstanding! audience cavorting round the Thomas Bourne Room like overgrown children.