1957-2007 Coventry Canal Society Magazine

50 years Of caring for canals

Visit our website www.covcanalsoc.org.uk

AUTUMN 2007 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

25-27 August 2007 Society's Golden Jubilee Celebration Weekend; At-Home Event at Wyken Basin with stalls, games, barbeque, bar, refreshments and evening 'entertainment'; members' boats caval- cade to Coventry Basin [details Tom Conway]

07-09 September 2007 Society Golden Jubilee cruise to visit Tamworth Cruising Club at Kettlebrook and join in their Boaters' Weekend [details Tom Conway]

16 September 2007 Society canal clearance; join at Wyken Basin at 8.45 am or Sutton Stop at 9.45 am; finish 4.00 pm at Sutton Stop; return to Wyken Basin at 5.00 pm [details Brian Pope]

22/23 September 2007 Panther attending Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust Boat Rally at Lichfield Cruising Club, Huddlesford, together with exhibition stand to celebrate Society's Golden Jubilee; volunteer crew needed to, from and at the rally [details Tom Conway, Tony Mann]

07 October 2007 Society canal clearance; join at Wyken Basin at 8 am, Sutton Stop at 8.50 am or Swan Lane Wharf at 10.30 am; finish 3.30 pm at Sutton Stop; return to Wyken Basin at 4.30 pm [details Brian Pope]

20/21 October 2007 Workparty day, Wyken Basin; 9.30 am start [details Property Managers]

03 November 2007 Bonfire evening, Wyken Basin; 7.30 pm start; entertainment, bar [details Tom Conway]

04 November 2007 Moorers' meeting at Wyken Basin; 10 am start; open forum to discuss events, issues and plans with members of your Execu- tive Committee

05 November 2007 Copy date for winter edition of magazine

10 November 2007 ? Crane lift of boats out of water, Wyken Basin [date confirma- tion and details Eugene Austin]

25 November 2007 Society canal clearance; join at Wyken Basin at 8.45 am or Sutton Stop at 9.45 am; finish 4 pm at Sutton Stop; return to Wyken Basin at 5 pm [details Brian Pope]

08 December 2007 Christmas Evening at Wyken Basin; games, entertainment, members' postbox, bring food to share, bar [details Tom Con- way] Through the Chair We have achieved fifty years as a society on August Bank holiday weekend, 2007 and I feel we must reflect why and how this has‘come about’. How many dedicated members have given their time and on many occasions their hard earned money to the society, which is continuing today. The committee members, who have, over the years had the foresight and ability to ‘retain and maintain’ the Coventry Canal, create a ‘constitution’ to live by and the develop- ment of the Wyken basin moorings for members which is today ‘second to non’ on the canal system. The many tales told by members who have years of involvement with the society, their travels to help other groups, the queens award, the many rallies attended for fund raising and creating an ‘high awareness’ of the Coventry Canal Society around the country, has been accom- plished, Today we have a very active body of people who will continue in this vein, hopefully for many years to come. The new 20 year lease, the acquisition of ‘Panther’ which is being re- stored, whilst still working and a healthy Balance sheet, all mean that we continue to get stronger with time. We have a ‘happy ship’ at the moment, which is reflected in support, not only for their desig- nated duties, but also in their attendance at social gatherings and ‘in house’ activities. A recent trip to Lichfield cruising club (originally the northern arm of the society) where we were made very welcome and the continuation to Fradley junction was very well received by many of our members. When they have carried out the trip on Easter Monday into the Cov- entry basin, they will qualify for their jubilee year certificate for cruising the full length of the Coventry Canal, and a Bridge 1 certificate depicting the trip. Our canoe section is growing and is extremely well run by its own committee and we con- tinue to enjoy (through this magazine) their exploits. I would like to thank I.W.A. for their involvement in the formation of the Coventry Canal Society in 1957 and their continued support over the years, also A.W.C.C. with whom we are still actively involved and British Waterways who we work very closely with throughout each year. We also have a good working relationship with the Canal Rangers, based in the Coventry Basin. I would like, at this stage, to thank my current committee for their management skills and support over the last six years I have been in office, which I believe have made a major input towards our present strong position. Also a big thank you to our Magazine editor who has changed the whole concept and attitude of articles to improve PR for us. And finally, none of this could have been achieved without the total support of all of our members. Let us keep ‘flying the flag’ It is with regret that I have received the resignation of Eugene, due to the pressure of work, the traveling time and extended hours this entails. He has been in the above position and a member of the Executive committee for five years and has carried out his duties to the benefit of all ‘moorers’ and is regarded as a friend by many. On behalf of the Executive committee and all members of the Coventry Canal Society we wish him and his wife Jane a ‘quieter life’. Allen - Chairman

Wharf House

vourite inners “Fa W Boat t” at Crick Boa 05 2003 & 20 Narrowboats Show Boat Builders and Chandlers

The Chandlery stocks a wide range of products which we are constantly expanding. We are boat builders ourselves, and we specialise in advice

We specialise in advanced electrical systems for boats Come and see us at Bottom Lock, Dark Lane Braunston NN11 7HJ r Tel: 01788 899041 Fax: 01788 891535 %fo s 0 nt er 1 ou mb www.wharfhouse.co.uk isc e d S M CC

MEMBERSHIP NEWS by Brian Pope

The new members named below are welcomed to the Society and we look forward to meeting you at social events, boater's gather- ings, working parties or out and about on the waterways: Name(s) Interests/Notes

Mark & Jane Cashmore Moorer; 40' nb Worth the Weight Simon Collyer Canoe Section member Ciaran Davis Canoe Section member Peter Davis Canoe Section member Paul Shelvin Canoe Section member Paul Thompson Canoe Section member

Paid-up membership for 2007 has now exceeded the 200 level with a total of 207 (family membership being counted as two members). Committee changes.

There are a couple of committee changes to report. As many of you will know, Eddie and Caroline Jones have recently sold their boat to take up a live on the open road, (i.e. they have bought a Motorhome). As a consequence, Eddie’s place within the Property Manag- ers has fallen vacant. Never ones to look a gift horse in the mouth when one of our num- ber expressed and interest in filling the post, Rob Townshend was immediately co-opted on to the committee. Following normal practice, Rob will stand for election formally at the AGM in March.

Eugene Austin has resigned from the committee and his position as Harbourmaster for personal reasons. If anyone wants to know more about standing for this post, then please make contact with our Chairman, Allen Wilson.

There is no doubt that both Eddie and Eugene have worked very hard for the benefit of our members ably supported by Caroline and Jane. Both will be hard acts to follow and we will miss their efforts. We wish Rob well in taking on the role that Eddie filled so effectively. In the meantime if any- one has any issue they would normally have discussed with the Harbourmaster, please contact initially, Allen Wilson.

Application of 'Smoke-free' legislation

The Society has been advised that the 'Smoke-free' law introduced by the Health Act 2006 applies to enclosed premises occupied by the Society and vehicles including boats carrying out Society business. Consequently from 01 July 2007 smoking has been prohib- ited in all buildings and stores at Wyken Basin, in the Canoe Section premises at Coven- try Basin and in all vehicles and cabins of boats when they are being used for Society purposes. To ensure that all members are aware of the law and its application to the Soci- ety a copy of the Smoke-Free Policy adopted by the Executive Committee is enclosed with this magazine.

A sheltered area has been set up a immediately outside the Bert Dunkley building at Wyken Basin for those who wish to smoke when attending functions in the building.

Inside Outside Braunston Boat Show June 23rd/24th 2007 By Vivienne Pitts

I was lucky enough to be allowed to tag along with Panther on her trip to the Braunston Boat Show. The weather as usual didn’t let us down, we had rain and yet more rain, this continued all over the weekend!

Although wet, the weather didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits. Ant, Brian Pope and yours truly all arrived at the same time. It wasn’t long before Brian and me were hard at it building Brian’s stand, and Ant doing what he does best - dishing out the orders.

After we had finished our building work, Brian’s stand looked brilliant. It was a shame that we had been allocated a tiny poky corner, which was much overlooked by passers by. I took a quiet moment on my own to browse the interesting literature and pictures, and was very impressed. On sale we had leaflets of varying sorts and Coventry Canal Society Brasses.

Brian had borrowed a marquee from his work place I think, and was worried about whether it would hold up in the rain or not. You can imagine our relief, when the mar- quee held up to the rain remarkably well, as some of those pictures looked rather old.

In no time at all a voice over the tannoy announces that the first parade was shortly to start, I couldn’t believe how quickly the day was going or the fact that I only had 5 minutes to get Panther’s tiller and pin sparkling. Ant as usual was taking great delight in organising Brian and myself. I was half wondering if I had unwittingly enrolled in the army, Sergeant Mann in hot pursuit of Brian and me!

President took the lead on the first parade of the day, and if my memory serves me right Panther was in second place. Brian was at the helm and I was on push off watch, some areas were barely wide enough for Panther to squeeze through. I was very im- pressed with Brian’s steering.

I think I was expecting a quick fly by when we went out on the parade, but it was like being stuck in watery traffic jam. Although we were going nowhere fast, the atmos- phere was electric. I found myself chatting and laughing with people whom I’d never met before, as if we were old friends.

On the second parade Brian did a spot of hedge trimming en route, I picked the vegeta- tion from Panther in between showers. On our return from the second and last parade of the day on Saturday, there was a bit of a mix up and another boat had taken our space. Lucky for Panther we were under cover - as the rain set in for the night. We said cheerio to Bryan and then sat in the dry drinking wine and watching the rain.

On the Sunday we had a visit from Country file, and there was a rumour going round that they wanted to interview one of us. Brian refused to be interviewed point blank, which put Sergeant Mann in overdrive. In actual fact Country File didn’t come to us for an interview, and when I saw the programme the following week I was bitterly dis- appointed. Ant and I sat watching the T.V. just to see the camera pass over Brian and Panther. I felt quite sad considering all the work and canal clearances the Coventry Canal Society do for the countryside.

Tim Coglin (owner of Braunston Marina) rode shotgun on Panther taking pictures and waving to his adoring public - and I made him a cup of tea! We chugged sedately along, Panther picking her way carefully through the three abreast boats. This year was the biggest gathering, there was 74 historic narrow boats.

As the rally came to a close President sounded his whistle several times, causing Chi- quo to compete against him, the noise between the two was ear shattering.

Sergeant Mann was out on patrol “again”, and I noticed Panthers tiller pin in Brian’s hand hmm, I wonder where one might shove that?

RML Services & Products Mobile Marine & Industrial Engineers Engine Servicing & Repairs Scheduled servicing to complete overhaul 12-36 volts DC electrical work From fault diagnosis and repair to installation of wind generators and solar panels

tes & r Bespoke Steel Fabrication quo you Free n all Everything from small brackets to storage lockers All work ice o adv cal & done by hani Engine guards to security products-made to measure mec on friendly, icati fabr experienced s We are boaters—We understand boats need & qualified engineers Call Richard on: 0777 217 31 61 EBERSPACHER HEATING SPECIALISTS Safety Matters by Andrew Hill

As I am writing this on the last day of June it is raining as it seems to have been forever, I have nearly a month in the Namibian desert to look forwards to in September. My Brother reckons there has been no rain on his house for fifteen years, bet it rains while I’m there.

I am often asked ‘What do I need to do for you to be able to check my boat’ and ‘What condition does it have to be in’ The answer to Both questions is very simple. I inspect any boat as it is presented to me. Warts and all, That is my job to see the boat in its actual state and to see if it complies with a checklist of standards. As for what you have to do, that also is simple. Make sure that I have access to all areas of your boat, And that you have sufficient water and gas to run the water heater and cooker for several minutes (Phil on Perch at the Lime Kilns reckons that chocky biscuits puts me in a good mood) but I deny that.

The check takes about 45 minutes and then the paperwork takes over an hour so I allow 2 hours for a test and I’m not to far out at that. When I arrive at a boat I generally have a walk around the outside, you will see me taking note of the name and number and the air vents, but there is more to it than that I am also looking to see that it is safe to go on, (Things such as holes in the hull) And if things go badly wrong how do I get off. Once inside I generally start with the fire extinguishers, or if it looks like rain soon maybe the engine area, but wherever I start I will eventually look all over the boat. I am told by BSS to check all areas where there may be things like gas bottles and petrol stored, and I see them at times. In truth I would rather find them than go onto a boat that has been ‘prepared’ for me that way we can discuss an alter- native place. The book says that gas lockers should be free of items which can damage valves, pipework or are sources of ignition. On my previous boat the gas locker was situated on the stern deck and made a handy seat, also it was very convenient for storing mooring pins and the like including paint on a regular basis. But I’m a good boy now this boat has its gas locker right in the bow and I only store rope there. My gas bottles are strapped into place to prevent them from tipping in the event of hitting a lock gate and allowing liquid LPG to pass through the regulator and also to avoid strain on the hose between the regulator and the pipework. It is the boat that I’m inspecting there really is no need to do as one lady did and wash the curtains just for the inspection. By the way I do look at curtains near to the cooker and fires to see that they have no scorch marks so in a lot of ways I would rather see the boat as it is. Basically my job is not to criticise so much as to comment and try to make the waterways a bit safer for all of us, today boats are for enjoyment and for many people they are home lets try and keep them safe

I recently went on a boat and there was a flat screen TV with a freeview box and a DVD. I didn’t take a lot of notice until the owner said that it was all 12 volt. He went on to say that they came from Curry’s and was supplied with a 240 volt transformer plug which he had cut off so that he could use it on his boat’s system. He did tell me the price I think the lot came to less than £200. That seems to be a lot more sensible than the cost of a normal boat tv, and space saving into the bargain.

I have recently been asked to look at a small boat with an air cooled engine situated in the middle of the boat. ‘It runs for around an hour then stops dead’ When I got to it it was all boxed in with a tiny vent to the outside. Yes it was seizing up, The owner had just bought it and said that the previous owner had fitted this engine just before he sold it. I ended up towing the boat to Nuneaton to have engine cooling ducts fitted and the engine repaired. I wonder which cost the most, the repairs or a survey? The rest of the boat was none too hot either.

Have a good summer season, I have to start packing, no don’t think I will need wellies! Paddlers Tales by Nigel Wooltorton – Warwickshire Avon, Irish Sea, French Haute Alps and not forgetting the mighty Nene. As we look back at the canoeing adventures of the spring of 2007, the underly- ing theme was rain and plenty of it. The Doggy paddle held in May was in aid of Guide Dogs for the Blind. The course was 19 miles first on the River Leam and then on to the Avon down to Stratford. We made our fashionably late arrival and checked in at Leamington. By the time we had driven down to the finish, left one car and got back to the start everyone had gone! Sarah and Mike were paddling their tourers whilst Mike Fitz and I were in the wild water racing boats. There were fewer entries than last year, however I met some work colleagues who took 5 hours to finish the course. We were aiming to get down in less than 3 hours.

The day started off with drizzle, which was pleasant down to Barford. Here we split into two groups. After the drought of April, the flow was building and we sped through the twisty section after Barford, gradually hauling in the slower boats as we fell in to a rhythm. By Hampton Lucy the rain was getting noticea- bly heavier. A pause at Charlcote as we literally jumped the boats over the links holding the buoys that formed a river barrier upstream and then downstream, to keep the deer herd in the park.

A determined paddler kept with us on the approach to Stratford which was full of activities. A calypso band were giving it plenty under the bandstand, triath- letes doing their final run and dragon boats racing opposite the Theatre. There were no event officials to see us finish but a spectator reckoned we were in the top ten. So after two hours and fifty minutes of downstream paddling we wea- rily turned to go back up to the Fishermans car park and our dry kit or so we thought?. One drenched runner pounding through the puddles on the river bank saw us and commented that she, ‘didn’t like water sports!’ Unfortunately we didn’t have the keys to Mike Sharman’s car so we took limited shelter under the tree until Mike and Sarah appeared half an hour later out of what was by now a deluge. We made the mistake of getting changed but by the time all the gear was loaded we were as wet as when we had been on the water!

Many of you will have heard of the adventures Coventry school kids have at Dol-y-moch in North Wales. Now it was our turn. John, Sarah, Mike, Nigel and myself jumped on a coach and headed off to North Wales with a bunch of teach- ers and partners. The Manor Park crew had the bottles open before we were on the A45. Mike even had to come to the rescue when they struggled with a cork screw. What a great way to travel, no worries about Friday evening traffic.

On arrival we found our bunkbeds and kitted out ourselves with P&H plastic sea kayaks and gear. A massive breakfast was on offer and then Phil took us through a briefing. Very strong winds with clearing skies meant the first session was to be on tidal estuary, getting used to the equipment. This included a dem- onstration of Phil's deep water rescue technique. In a nutshell, turn the capsized boat back up, help the swimmer in to the boatin 15 seconds or less and then pump like mad with his water pump. It worked well, getting the swimmer out of the water rapidly avoiding any dangers and the risk hypothermia whilst doing the usual x- rescue.

In the afternoon we went to Black Rock Sands, trying the long boats out in the surf. The hard part was turning before the next set came in and trashed you, sending you back sideways to the soup. The sky was blue, the wind still strong and the surf pound- ing in. Good fun, with lashings of hot chocolate to boot! We loaded up and went straight back to the centre in our wet kit to wash off the salt and dunk Mike in the out- door bath.

Sunday was calm and we loaded up the trailer for the one hour drive to Abersoch at the end of the Lleyn Peninsula. As we paddled out in to the bay the mountains stood clear on our left. No more than 100m ahead, two dolphins surfaced and swam for a few min- utes, an adult and young. Gauging our speed by reference to a marker buoy and a mountain top, we headed out round the Tudwell Islands. The first of which was owned by Carla Lane. On the more exposed side the sea was lumpy . Sea birds were nesting and seals popped up to monitor our progress. A large ferry glide took us between the islands and across the tidal flow eventually to the mainland. Here we had a go at pad- dling backwards into sea caves and round rocks, timing our movements to the swell. Stacey got it wrong and briefly ended stuck on a rock. To finish, we found a small sandy beach for lunch and hot chocolate, had a go at rolling and rescues and then headed home. A cracking weekend.

Whitsun bank holiday and it was off to France. Sunshine, wine, smelly cheese (if you like that sort of thing), big water, sounds good! Mike and myself left Coventry in the afternoon stopping en route to leave my daughter at Grandparents. We arrived at Dover with time to spare and took a walk along the promenade, Waterloo Crescent and the small boat harbour, including a Severn Series RNLI lifeboat, the biggest they have. This is the bit you don't see when you head straight for the docks. Bob, Ryan and Kyle drove past as walked back to the car.

The ferry swallowed coach after coach of school kids and despite being near the end to load, we found ourselves at the front of the starting grid for the other side. Ryan and Kyle loaded up with Beer, freeflow and bottled. We left the ferry at 12.10 a.m. and 630 miles later including many litres of diesel, tolls, cups of tea, lots of CD's, a few road- works, an amazing laser display in the middle of nowhere, 20 centigrade at one point in the night and Ryan driving one leg, we crawled in to St Jean Les Pins campsite in Guillestre, at mid day. Tired, we pitched tents, shopped, cooked and slept soundly.

Sunday and we woke to find rain clearing away! A local paddle was in order, so we found the boulangerie and then a small track out the back of the village, which de- scended precipitously to the Lower Guil near Mont Dauphin. A straight forward pad- dle out onto the larger Durance and finish. The helpful German at the kayak shop Good looking eh?

Bob, Ryan, Nigel and Kyle enjoy a French lunch,

Nigel Perry punches through the surf

Lunch on the beach got his table out for us to use, which he claimed was from the beer festivals! Sausage with ha- zelnuts got a mixed reception but the sun was out so we headed off down the lower Durance to Embrun and the Rabioux wave. Ryan and Kyle paddled well in the hole until Kyle got grabbed and it wouldn't let him go. It was't a wave! With the headwind and rain coming on it turned cold and we were glad for our fleeces when we got off to settle in for a wet evening. Fortu- nately the campsite building had a clothes hanger next to the boiler room. This was to be our saviour over the next few days, as the rain clung to the mountains.

Monday and we woke with surprise to see a fresh layer of snow, dusting the trees and moun- tains around the valley. We headed high up the Guil valley to Aiguile, where the winter ski lifts start. We passed cars with several inches of snow on their roof! The worrying thing was the temperature outside the car. Just 4.5 centigrade and snow in the wind blowing up the valley. This was like the Dart in January, not the southern French Alps in early summer. It was too much for Kyle, being below his limit of 7 centigrade and he opted to sleep in the car, whilst we wrapped in as many layers as we had. Dipping our hands in the icy water as we set off was quite a shock. The little gorge was entertaining and tight in places. Mike managed two ends over one drop! As we approached Chateau Queyras and the fortress, with Guardian Angel cliff in the background, Kyle had woken up in time to see us off the water. We then went down the valley for a cool river bank lunch. The next section, known as the Middle Guil was more pow- erful. The water was at 83cm on the gauge, a good level with plenty to keep you alert. Bob boofed to safety, over the rock next to Perry’s hole, the scene of much drama two years before. The river was continuous and Mike carefully negotiated a route through the hazards. We got out and portaged the Staircase, a steep section with few clear lines, which was a grade harder again. We got in round the corner, as we set up for the run into Le Tunnel. Anticipation of the get out, before the next nasty drop, was too strong and when combined with a lack of clear landmarks from the river, meant we got out far too early. In the process Ryan managed to drop his paddle in the river which Bob saw and Kyle fished out in time. A close shave, if we didn’t have a spare set of splits. We saw a German kayaker on the bank, who said they had lost a boat at the end of the section. A sharp cut left was necessary to avoid a sticky hole. Easy when you knew about it! After inspection, we opted to portage the last hole before the river piles into the dam controlled lake. As we got changed, happy after an excellent paddle, knackered after 2.5 hours intense paddling, with the temperature rising, we watched another group sail through the same hole. Easy when you know about it!

That night, after another exploration of Mike’s culinary skills, Bob tried raw garlic, much to our amusement because he reckoned he couldn’t taste the cloves in the meals. The starry sky meant it was really a cold night. Those Asda sleeping bags weren’t quite up to the weather and alti- tude.

Tuesday we headed back towards Briancon but despite the warmer weather there was very little water in the Onde and Gyronde. We had a picnic at the pretty spot at the get out of the Onde and watched the Germans bounce down the rocks. Having never paddled the Gyr we walked up the river bank. Apart from two sections, it looked fast and tight. The two sec- tions were on more unstable river bed and probably changed regularly with the melt- water and storm run off. As an alternative we went to the slalom course so the boys could show their stuff with less rocks around. A French safety course was being run at the same time.

The evening tea included various beans, corgette and asparagus. The boys had never eaten so much veg. But we still hadn’t had a croissant!

Wednesday we headed south to the Ubaye, one hour to the south past the dammed Lake Serre Ponchon. From Le Lauzet to Le Martinet, another classic paddle with good water levels. Unfortunately Kyle managed to find one those rocks early on and there was plenty of blood, made to look worse by the water. He carried on despite allegedly losing his good looks and a thumping headache. An ice cream was the reward at the lake.

Thursday and there was no water on the Guisane above Briancon, so we walked through the old town and across to the bridge, high above the gorge. With the cloud and showers there was no water here either and the barrage was letting little water through. We headed back to the Lower Durance, thankful we had chosen by chance and because our usual campsite had not opened for the season, to base ourselves in this area. Again it was a cold wind that greeted us. The Durance was lower and the Rabioux more of a hole. No one played today. We passed the “Danger falling rocks sign” (unusual on a river) and Bob now led the way back! Another very wet evening and the boys planned to place the table football under the awning until they realized there wouldn’t be any tea!

The last days paddling and we went back to the lower Guil. There was a bit of a scare when big cat footprints were found on the riverbank but I thought the boys showed through. We loaded Bob’s boat up with all the safety gear we could find, when he wasn’t looking. A change from leaving the kit in the car! The river had dropped to 68 on the gauge. Climbers hung on to the rocks through Mont Dauphin. The sun even allowed us to finally dry out our kit before we loaded up with wine, chocolate and cheese from the supermarket. A final game of table football before an early start for home the next morn- ing.

The Lauteret pass, the next day, gave us a final reminder of winter, with snow blowing at the top, before a steady drive home to a warmer dry climate! Or so we thought!

The last trip was to the “mighty Nene”. Running at 2 cumecs, the water thundered down the course. Simon, Ed and Damien all paddled well on the water and sometimes under it. Not to be outdone, Will came to grief on the “big drop” and had to swim to the bank. The caption competition based on the photo at the canoe club is now open to entries. See you on the water.

1957– 2007 Fifty years of caring for canals. Coventry Canal Society Golden Jubilee

This was where the society was formed—by a group of enthusiasts battling against tremendous odds. The Inland Waterways Association, at short notice, agreed to change the venue of their 1957 National Rally to the Bishop Street Basin, in an attempt to save the canal from here to Hawkesbury and in so doing helped to establish the Coventry Canal Society A few snaps from the archives Editorial by tony Collins By the time most of you read this, I hope you will have partici- pated in the Bank Holiday weekend in celebrating the 50th Anni- versary of the founding of the society.

Anyway, welcome to the autumn issue of the magazine. In this special year for us I hope to receive reports of the various activi- ties that you have engaged in to mark the anniversary. First I must welcome new contributors Jeff and Marilyn Cross, I am sure that most of us can relate to at least some of their experiences. Also a welcome return of Viv Pitts, this time reflect- ing on her dog Teal, who was always a part of her and Tony’s boating life, even to the point of helping to carry stuff down to the boat on embarkation day. In addition she has submit- ted a report of the goings on at the Braunston Historic Boats gathering, plus she has intro- duced Chiquo to us a rather noisy replacement for Teal. The canoe club never cease to amaze with tales of adventures in dangerous places. For a canal based section they certainly do get about. Andrew Hill has sent in his usual piece despite have thoughts about seeing his brother for the first time for years in Namibia.

I have taken the opportunity to include here some old photos that I had to sort out for an article for Canals & Rivers Magazine (see the November issue) . There are not many, I’ll bet who can remember the old arm into what became the Coventry Climax works, now the arm is buried under the blocks of flats at Drapers Field. I do remember that one of the plans for that development included re-instating a short section to form a basin. However like many such proposals, it no doubt fell foul of economic argument. Brian Pope reminds us that we are not exempt from the new anti-smoking laws and as a result a smoking area has been created under the eaves of the clubhouse. Perhaps the next development will be a serv- ing hatch so that smokers can get their drinks without having to endure the smoke-free at- mosphere inside the club.

I have put in a small piece about the Waterway Ombudsman Annual Report. Since the Om- budsman has to some extent had her teeth pulled, (The previous incumbent was too effec- tive, it seems), the office has lost a lot of it’s bite. Nonetheless, I suppose a weak watchdog is better than no watchdog.

A candid shot of the recent Bar-B Cruise at Cathiron The Waterways Ombudsman Annual Report 2006-07 by Tony Collins

A copy of the above mentioned tome announced it’s arrival through my door with a resounding thump. It gives details of rulings made by the Ombudsman in response to complaints made about BW. It is made clear that since re-organisation, the office of the Ombudsman in my opinion has no teeth. She, (for it is a lady, Hilary Bainbridge) cannot rule on whether a particular decision made by BW is wrong, only that in the implementation of the decision there was some maladministration. She had in 2006- 07, 108 enquiries, the last quarter being the busiest at 37 enquiries being received. Not all of these resulted in complaints being formally investigated. Work was completed on 26 complaints during the year, 14 of which were upheld in whole or in some part. Two cases were settled by negotiated outcome, one complaint was withdrawn after a very long and complex investigation. The remaining cases were not upheld. To give an idea of the numbers, last year less than a thousand people complained to BW, of those less than 100 contacted the Ombudsman and less than thirty submitted detailed complaints within the jurisdiction of the scheme.

A breakdown of the figures are as follows:-

Not relating to BW 28 Premature: BW’s complaint procedure not complete 51 Not in Jurisdiction 3 Eligible for investigation 26

A case by case summary of the eligible complaints can be found on the website, www.waterways-ombudsman.org Found in Recently I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D. – my inbox Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder This is how it manifests: I decide to water my garden. As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide it needs washing. As I start toward the garage, I notice my mail on the porch table that I brought up from the mail box earlier. I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car. I lay my car keys on the table, put the junk mail in the recycling bin under the table and notice that the bin is full. So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the recycling first. But then I think, since I'm going to be near the post box when I take out the recycling, I may as well pay the bills first. I take my cheque book off the table and see that there is only one cheque left. My extra cheques are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the can of Coke I'd been drinking. I'm going to look for my cheques, but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over. The Coke is getting warm, and I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke, a vase of flowers on the worktop catches my eye---they need water. I put the Coke on the worktop and discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morn- ing. I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers. I set the glasses back down on the wiorktop, fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table. I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I'll be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the lounge where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers. I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill. Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do. At the end of the day: The car isn't washed The bills aren't paid There is a warm can of Coke sitting on the worktop The flowers don't have enough water There is still only 1 cheque in my cheque book I can't find the remote I can't find my glasses and I don't remember what I did with the car keys Then when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was Busy all day, and I'm really tired. I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my email. Do me a favour. Forward this message to everyone you know, because I don't remember who the hell I've sent it to.

Don't laugh---if this isn't you yet, your day is coming!!

GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY, GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL AND LAUGHING AT YOURSELF IS THERAPEUTIC

THE JOYS OF BOATING WITH JEFF AND MARILYN CROSS (aka CANAL LIABILITIES) “Let’s buy a boat” I said “Why” he said “Because it’ll be a nice relaxing way of spending the weekends” I said How wrong can you be!! I don’t know whether it’s the skipper or his mate but every time we go out something happens. We went to Lichfield and ended up sleeping in a swimming pool because the boat leaked, the engine packed up, the propeller sheared off and we had to be towed back to Tamworth. That was it. The boat had to go, so on E-bay it went and somebody else inherited the problems. Are we mad or what but, gluttons for punishment, we decided we actually liked boating so we bought another. This time nothing could go wrong, or could it? We decided to go on the bar-b-cruise and set off on Saturday morning full of optimism that this time, we would actually get to where we were going with no hiccups. The journey down was fine until we got to where we were going to moor. That’s where it all started to go so wrong!! First problem, no visible bank to speak of to but we managed to find one solid piece that we could, not without difficulty I might add, step onto. Once on dry land we set to and sheared off some of the grass to give us a bit more space to get on and off the boat. Everything going okay until we decided to test the electrics. That was a mistake. No power, no lights, no water, no anything. After much scratching of the head and a few expletives, the problem was solved. The batteries were flat. How could that happen when the engine was charging we asked ourselves. The problem was that it was only charging one battery and the other 2 that ran the power were not connected to anything. As if we were supposed to know that!! Nothing we could do so we set up, cooked the barbecue and then went to the karaoke. Midnight we made our way along the pitch-black towpath back to the boat. Our boat is quite high and we need a step to get on and off. Stepped onto the step which was quite slippy, lost my footing, landed up flat on my back in the wet grass with legs in the canal, being soaked up to my knees. Is this supposed to be fun? Although it was my fault at the time (as you can imagine) at least in the morning Jeff did concede that the boat had shifted a bit and there was a considerable gap between the bank and the boat. Next day, we set off back and we’d only gone 2 yards when there was a big shout “your engine’s not weeing, it’ll overheat”. Back we went where Vic (who couldn’t get down because of his dodgy knees) and Trevor (who couldn’t see a thing) were trying to find the hole so we could poke a pipe cleaner up the engine. Eventually managed it and set off again, engine now weeing well. Going well so far, until we met a narrow boat that decided he wanted more than his fair share of the canal. We went into the trees, a branch hit our windscreen and half of the windscreen promptly landed on the top of the boat. Couldn’t find anywhere to moor so we decided to carry on and fix the screen at the boat club praying that the black clouds overhead would stay either behind or ahead of us. No such luck. The heavens opened, we couldn’t put the canopy up and got soaked. This is still sup- posed to be fun by the way. Carried on, met another narrow boat who again wanted more than his fair share of the canal, went into the trees again and this time a giant branch was coming towards us. I ducked, the branch hit the windscreen, the windscreen fell off and hit me on the head. Jeff said at least there was no blood, never mind the fact I could have had concussion!! At last, we made it back to the safety of our mooring to probably do it all again in a couple of weeks. As I said, ARE WE MAD!!? Long Time no Speak by Viviene pitts “Greetings and Salutations” It has been a fair old while since I last graced your pages, well here I am gain - they do say bad pennies keep turning up don’t they?

A lot has happened in the months I have not been around, and I thought I would share some of them with you.

As most of you know, sadly we lost our beloved Teal in October of 2006, read his article called Golden Memories of a Diamond Geezer. Thank you to all of you who gave Ant and myself a kind word or two and expressed your condolences, it was much appreciated.

Silly old me, I’m sitting here at work (in my lunchtime of course) writing this article, and that last little bit left me rushing to the Ladies before someone saw my red eyes!

On a lighter note, and I literally mean “note”, I am still learning to play the cello. My tutor Sue, has the patience of a Saint as I sit there strangling the poor instrument. I am doing really well - I can even play three blind mice, guess I’ll be joining an orchestra soon then!

I am dabbling in making my own wine at the moment, my first wine is orange which I filtered into the demijohn 20th June. I made my wine the country way which involved chopping up sultanas, stirring in Marmite and juicing the finest oranges I could find. The mixture looked truly revolting as it “putrefied” in the brew bucket. Thankfully my wine looks completely different now as it sits in the demijohn, a good colour but very cloudy. If my wine is any good I’ll donate a bottle to the Christmas raffle - hope I don’t win it!

I know most of you have seen our new family member, but to those of you who don’t know about him, we now have a parrot. Our parrot is called Chiquo, he’s a Green Ama- zon and is three years old. Chiquo has had a bit of a rough ride in his short life, and after being unwanted by his previous parents, came to live with me. Although Chiquo will never be a replacement for my beautiful Teal, it is lovely to have a cheerful little person to share my home with. Chiquo runs out of his cage to greet me when I get home from work, and spends at least fifteen minutes chorusing like a choir boy.

Ant and I didn’t give Chiquo his name, had it been left to me I would have called him Gremlin, he’s green, prone to being naughty and likes the sound of his own voice!

Oh well, like the cartoon goes - That’s All Folks.

Golden Memories of a Diamond Geezer By Viv Pitts

There can’t be many dogs who can boast that they have jumped through the back window of a car, nothing unusual in that you may think - except that the window was closed at the time!

The above mentioned incident happened when the three of us were on holiday in Cornwall a few years ago……..

Ant and I were lucky enough to be invited to a nearby Church one evening to ring the bells with the locals. We left a sleepy Teal in the back of my dear old Maestro (also deceased) as we only planned to be about twenty minutes. After our ring we crossed the road to where my car stood, and I asked Ant why there was a pool of water near one of the back wheels. Ant and I looked at each other baffled. It was only when we reached the car that we both realized it was glass, and it was then that the awful reality of what had happened had hit me. With my heart racing, I ran to my car expecting a bloody mess and there sat Teal, smiling at me with his tail a- waggin. Teal always used to smile whenever he had done anything wrong. I didn’t have the heart to chastise him, I was so stunned at what he had done and also re- lieved that he was OK.

An hour later saw the three of us sitting in the car on the sea front eating fish and chips. It was a very cold evening, and Ant and I couldn’t help but laugh at Teal who sat there shivering with towels knotted around his neck in a bid to keep him warm. Well you will punch out the windows I scoffed at him - and I could have sworn I saw him scowl.

Teal also went into Newmarket General Hospital (once known as White Lodge Hos- pital) where one of Ant’s Aunties was admitted after a fall. The Sister in charge invited Teal inside, whereupon he made it his mission to see each patient in turn.

Teal used to love Saturday mornings. I would look forward to a lie in - but my boy had other ideas, oh yes, he would sneak up to where my head lay on the pillow and bark piercingly in my ear hole -boy did I move quick!

On holiday aboard Duchess, Teal liked nothing better than to dangle one of his Un- cle Ant’s slippers over the edge, threatening to drop it at any time. Teal knew that Uncle Ant couldn’t do anything about it because he was steering, and that Mum was too helpless with laughter to take the slipper from him. We all used to say Tealy Pitts wasn’t daft.

There are ladies who’s best friends are diamonds and pearls. My best friend and guardian was a very humble Labrador called Teal, who was brighter than any dia- mond in the world.

Tom’s Easy Quiz by Tom Conway Last time we ran an easy quiz from Tom Conway –here are the answers

1. How long did the hundred year war last?...... 114 years

2. Which country makes Panama Hats?...... Ecuador

3. From which animal do we get Catgut?...... Sheep & Horses

4. In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?...... November

5. What is a Camel hair brush made of?...... Squirrel fur

6. The Canary Islands are named after what animal?...... Dogs

7. What was the first name of King George VI?...... Albert

8. What colour is a Purple Finch?...... Crimson

9. Where are Chinese Gooseberries from?...... New Zealand

10. What is the colour of the Black Box on commercial air- craft?...... Orange

Tom told me that within two days he had a compete set of correct replies from Peter Mullin— in France!

Tony’s easy Quiz. Let’s see how much you know about the local canals. This is strictly for NEW MEMBERS, Old hands should know ALL the answers!

1. Who built boats at Hawkesbury? 2. Why is Suttons Stop so called? 3. Where is the Daimler Power house? 4. When was the first load of coal delivered to Bishop St Basin? 5. Which well-known canal restorer helped restore Wyken Basin? (He then went on to restore the Stratford on Avon Canal amongst others) 6. Why is the weighbridge office at the city basin an unusual shape? 7. Where was the original junction of the Coventry and Oxford Ca- nals? 8. How long is the Coventry Canal? 9. What original feature is now missing from Marston Junction? 10. Where was the “Longford Light”?

All of the answers are available from information given to you when you joined the society.

The object of the society shall be to promote and encourage, in all possible ways, the proper use and maintenance in good order of the Coventry canal and all connecting waterways.

The objective stated above was adopted by the Coventry Canal Society when it was formed in 1957. During the rebuilding programme after the WW II, the Coventry City Council put forward a plan that surrounded a modern traffic free centre with a ring road. This new road was to be built across the canal, which unlike the old medie- val city centre and cathedral had survived the blitz. Local members of the I.W.A. in- cluding David Hutchins, who worked for the council and Bert Dunkley, a local canal enthusiast, started campaigning to save the canal. The I.W.A. supported this campaign and at short notice switched its National Rally from Stourbridge, where dredging had already started, to the Coventry basin. The event attracted a large number of boats and thousands of visitors to the rally site. This interest in the canal was harnessed by the formation of the Coventry Canal Society with Bert Dunkley as its first chairman. The fight to save the canal took two long years during which time it was under contin- ual threat of being unfilled and built over. The Coventry Canal Society was very ac- tive in promoting the advantages to the city of a local canal. Eventually opinions changed and the future of the canal was secured. In 1958 the society rediscovered the Wyken arm, a disused and overgrown colliery canal just south of Hawkesbury junc- tion on the North Oxford canal. Society members cleaned out and restored the arm as moorings for members' boats. The first ever canal restoration project by volunteers. Members of the society and others were concerned about the Hawkesbury engine house falling into decline and set up the Engine House trust. Later the Trust was in- corporated into the Society and now the Pump House has been the subject of several planning applications for development – all of which have so far failed. The Society supplied most of the boats on the first two protest cruises during the early days of the Stratford canal restoration project. They also provided labour for the Stourport canal restoration work and later went on to become involved in the planning for the re-development of the Coventry City basin in the late 80's and the redevelop- ment of the canal corridor and the art trail in the 90's. Many members of the Society gave their time and hard work in the exploration, resto- ration and refurbishment of other canals throughout the country. The Society contin- ues to carry out monthly rubbish clearances along the canal. In 1994, the society was presented with a “Queen Mother’s Award” by the Tidy Britain Group at a special cere- mony in London. The Society boat Panther can be seen at many events throughout the Midlands, pro- moting both the Coventry Canal and the Coventry Canal Society. It also follows when attending shows like the Town and Country Festival, the society finds itself promoting the inland waterways of Britain in general. If you would like to join us then please contact us either via our website or by writing to: Brian Pope, 7 Frampton Walk, Coventry CV2 2JE