No 229  June 2020

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, Ellesmere Port CH65 4FW Telephone 0151 355 5017

The Waterways Museum Society is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England 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 230 – Sunday 16th August 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 Canal and River Trust.

front cover: Some of the many visitors attending the opening of the Museum in June 1976 Number 229 June 2020

Chairman's Report I hope this summer edition of RE:PORT finds you safe and well. It has not been an easy time for us all but has been particularly difficult for those who have lost loved ones. Our thoughts are with you. What the effects of this virus has demonstrated very clearly is that life is never predictable. Regrettably, this is also true with regard to the society. As a result of difficulties in finding members to take an active role to run the society, as a limited company and charity, the Directors have reluctantly agreed that there is no other option but to close the society down next year. Enclosed with this copy of RE:PORT is a letter that I have sent to all members explaining the demise of the Society. We want to manage the closure in a planned, responsible manner so that we aren’t forced into voluntary liquidation which would mean that we would potentially lose control over the disposal of the society’s assets, the main one being Gifford, our historic horse drawn narrowboat tanker. Discussions with Canal & River Trust are in progress with regards to our assets and business activities. For example, one of our business activities, publishing Waterways Journal is an important contribution to supporting the museum’s accreditation status and is something, that we would like to see continue. We are also talking to the Trust about what the future prospects might be for a newly formed group or society arising out of the ashes of the old one. If you have any particular views with regards to this, please do send them on to me so I can forward them to the group who are looking to the future. The timetable for the closure will depend on the outcome of the discussions with Canal & River Trust but in any event, it is anticipated that the general activities will cease no later than 31st December 2020. Therefore, in these circumstances, subscriptions will be free from 1st October 2020 and so I would ask you, as a matter of importance, not to make payment to us. In particular please cancel your standing orders. Your current

STOP PRESS As we proof read this edition, we have heard that the Museum will aim to re-open mid to late July. It will be a very different environment and the emphasis is on all staff, volunteers and visitors feeling comfortable and safe. We will post more details on our website as time progresses

3 Number 229 RE:PORT year membership cards will be valid until the Society’s AGM in February 2021, as will the password into the Members' area. Aside from the problems the Society faces, it is a very strange world we are now living in. The museum closed its doors at the end of March to the public and volunteers. During April some staff were furloughed and a skeleton team are in place to ensure the building and collections are safe. Archives volunteers have assisted in continuing to an- swer individual’s queries as they work from home and Museum Times has been sent out weekly to staff and volunteers. As I write this, there appears to be no indication from the government as to when museums will be able to open their doors although work is ongoing at the Trust regarding risk assessments linked to Covid 19 although priority is obviously being given to those functions linked with the waterways and boat movements etc. However, a MARS (Museums and Attractions Recovery Strategy) team has been set up to start working on what will need to take place on the weeks running up to open- ing and beyond for all attractions. This group involves representatives from attractions, finance, facilities/buildings, health and safety and collections and archives. One of the participants is Andy Widdowson who joined the Trust as Head of Visitor Attractions De- velopment in May. His main remit is to explore ways of increasing visitor numbers and commercial income at all trust visitor attractions and he will be working closely with the teams at Anderton and the museum initially. A warm welcome to Andy. Society business has continued with monthly management meetings being held via Zoom – somewhat of a challenge in the early days but we are all getting a little more computer savvy these days. In fact, as we are not sure whether the museum will be open to us for our Friday talk in September, we are exploring the options of offering the talk via Zoom or a similar application. We are still going through the security side of things as I understand some talks/meetings have been “Zoom-bombed” by pornographic images – not something we would want to promote! Please refer to the Members’ page on our website nearer the time for details. With the Easter Boat Gathering being cancelled, we couldn’t officially launch the latest edition of Waterways Journal but copies are available through mail order by going to the society’s website. We are also offering people the opportunity to purchase an elec- tronic version (pdf) rather than a hard copy and it will be interesting to see what the level of take up will be. Lastly, we also hope to issue a final celebratory edition of RE:PORT which will reflect on the last 40+ years of the Society, so if you have any photographs or memories that you feel should be included, please send them to us. We cannot guarantee we will be able to put everything in but our Editor, Ailsa, does enjoy a challenge! Thank you for your support over the years and here’s to the future, whatever that may be. STAY SAFE. Barbara Kay

4 RE:PORT Number 229

ERW T AY A S W

M Y U S T E IE U M S O C

Dear Member June 2020 It is with a very heavy heart that I have to announce that the Directors have agreed that the Society will have to close its doors at the end of the year after being in existence in one form or another for well over 40 years. However, many things have changed over that period; its role at the museum, declining membership and the increasing difficulties in recruiting members to take an active role in running the Society. Half of the twelve Company Directors who make up the management committee will be standing down at the next AGM in February. Despite published requests over the last few months, no new members have put themselves forward to be co-opted onto the committee with a view to standing as Directors next year. Furthermore, none of the remaining Directors feel able to step up and take on the key officer roles left vacant by those who are retiring. Therefore, sadly the Society has no option but to plan its closure now to avoid having to go into voluntary liquidation next February and thereby potentially losing control over the disposal of its assets, principal amongst which is Gifford our historic horse-drawn narrowboat tanker. Discussions are underway with the Canal & River Trust with a view to agreeing a possible transfer of the Society’s main assets and activities to the National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port where the Society is currently based. The outcome of those discussions may have an impact on the timing of the Society’s actual closure but I will consult you further on the detail of any agreement that emerges.

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The immediate impact of the Directors decision will mean that the current memberships will be extended at no extra cost up until the AGM in February 2021. Please retain your existing membership cards which will still be valid at the museum during that period. Please ensure that any standing orders or direct debits set up for October to pay for next year are cancelled. Any accidental future subscription payment made will be considered as a donation to the Gifford maintenance fund unless a specific claim is made for reimbursement. The method chosen to dissolve the Company will be by means of making a formal application to Companies House to be struck off the register due to inactivity. This means that the Society will effectively have to become dormant from the 1st November 2020 if a satisfactory agreement on asset disposal can be reached with the Canal & River Trust. In other words, all the normal activities of the Society will cease from that date. This will include financial transactions, retail sales and meetings. It will also not be possible to make gifts or donations to the Society after that date. It is with great regret that the Directors have had to make this decision but by planning the close down in this way, it will help secure the best home for all our assets and activities so that the work of the Society can hopefully live on in another form. In fact, part of the discussions with the Trust will revolve around what the future prospects might be for any newly formed group or Society arising out of the ashes of the old one. I will keep you informed of developments during the coming weeks and months. Yours sincerely Barbara Barbara Kay Chairman

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Collection in quarantine The National Waterways Museum may be closed to the public, but a small team is still working to care for the historic vessels and objects which make up the collection. Two members of the collections team have been working to care for the historic vessels float- ing at the museum. On a normal day the boats and objects greatly outnumber the team which regularly looks after them, but without our team of collections volunteers, this is even more apparent during the current crisis. The boats have been the primary focus, particularly Shad which has been keeping the staff on their toes during lockdown. However, the staff are also caring for the objects, continuing with all the daily tasks that would have been undertaken outside of lockdown and helping care for the Water- ways Archive. Not only has the team been focused on looking after the collection at Elles- mere Port but we have items on display and in storage all over the country. Coordinating the care of a collection across several sites and stores is not easy and we have called upon Canal and River Trust teams in the regions, e.g. Gloucester, to help us continue to care for our boats and objects in these areas. Becky Peacock Collections Manager

A lonely Shad 7 Number 229 RE:PORT

National Waterways Museum: boat rehoming The boat rehoming process is still progressing even with the shutdown of the Museum. Like all museums, we face huge challenges in looking after the large number of objects that we have in our care. Following a review by an expert panel, the Trust made the difficult decision to re-home several of the vessels in the collection. With limited funds and storage space, the need to reduce the number of boats whilst retaining the historic integrity of the collection, resources have become paramount. The vessels identified for rehoming, range from the iron hulls of icebreakers to a salmon fishing boat. In January, the rehoming process took a positive step forward with the confirmed rehoming of four boats from the collection. Chiltern, a wooden motor narrowboat built in 1946 by Fellows, Morton and Clayton and Marple, an icebreaker, have found a new home with the Saltisford Canal Trust. Marsden, an icebreaking and maintenance vessel will be rehomed with the Huddersfield Canal Society at Standedge.Stratford an iron riveted boat that worked on the southern part of the Stratford Canal has found a new home with Coombeswood Canal Trust. The team at the National Waterways Museum are continuing to work with these groups during the current crisis to progress the rehoming of these vessels. The second phase of our boat rehoming process is live and information about the boats can be found on the National Waterways Museum website (https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/refresh/media/thumb- nail/41302-further-information-on-the-boats-we-are-rehoming.pdf). Some comments from organisations involved: The Saltisford Canal Trust are pleased to be given the opportunity to have two historic hulls from the National Waterways Museum. The plan is to display these hulls in a ‘mock-lock’, already constructed on site in Warwick with full signage of their history to inform visitors to the Trust. These hulls will form an important part of the educational and heritage objectives of the charitable trust. Alan Lorentzen, Saltisford Canal Trust In partnership with our Canal & River Trust colleagues at Standedge Visitor Centre, Huddersfield Canal Society is pleased to be able to accept the offer to provide a new home for the boat Marsden. Our interest in the acquisition stemmed from its former use as a tunnel inspection vessel in the years before the Huddersfield Narrow Canal was restored to through navigation. Standedge Tunnel in the 1970s before restoration Alan Stopher, photo: Chris Griffiths Huddersfield Canal Society

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Friday night meetings With Covid-19 restrictions still in place as we publish this edition, and the uncertainty regarding how the Museum will operate in the future, Committee members put their thinking caps on regarding Friday night talks. We hope to embrace technology, as mentioned in the Chairman’s report, and hold the scheduled September Friday night talk as a webinar (a presentation via the internet). There are a number of issues to be resolved but, if things go as planned, an invitation to ‘attend’ this virtual meeting will be published in the Members’ area of the WMS website with full instructions regarding what you need to do to participate. Presenting the talk in this format does, of course, have the additional advantage of enabling members who live too far afield to attend normal meetings to share in the experience. The password to access the Members’ area of the web site is shown on your current membership card, but if you have mislaid this please contact us via the website, or by emailing either the Chairman or Editor and we will send you a reminder. Friday 18th September Festival de Loire d’Orleans – An illustrated talk recounting the adventures of the WMS team who took part in this river festival last September – Chris Kay If things go as planned, and there is sufficient interest from members, then a fur- ther webinar will be held in October.

Friday 16th October The effect of the Bridgewater Canal on the village of Moore from 1773. Its purpose, motive power – horses, steam packets to noisy Widdops and much more. An illustrated talk by local resident Alan Jones, a vice president of WMS.

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John Bebbington The death of John on April 19th 2020 from pneumonia has de- prived WMS of a committed and hard-working volunteer. His particular skill was wood working and he made several items for Gifford. In some cases, like the false luby, he designed the item as well as making it. John was always cheerful and I well remember when we were taking the top off a sealed barrel, the hilarity which followed the release of the top, when we were enveloped by sherry fumes. In addition to the luby, John made a stand for the barrel so the deck is protected but the stand was made to accommodate the curve on Gifford’s deck. The new top of the barrel involved many of us as we had to coat it with linseed oil for several weeks, then for several months and then annually – and John always checked that what we were doing was correct! I visited John over the years and was always fascinated by his workshop, he had a huge variety of tools and obviously made items for several friends. His wife, Audrey, was a super cook so any visit usually resulted in home-made cake or biscuits. During the last couple of years of his life, John suffered from dementia and was cared for at home by his wife Audrey. He developed pneumonia and was admitted to hospital where, sadly, he died two weeks later. Our thoughts and condolences go to Audrey and the family at this sad time. Di Skilbeck

Eileen Coulter We were very sorry to learn of Eileen Coulter’s death in April. Eileen was born in 1931 and grew up in Longford, near the Coventry Canal. As a child, she knew nothing of her roots as a descendant of John Griffiths who had a carrying company based in Bedworth, Warwickshire. She spent many years researching the history of her family and I enjoyed working with her on a Waterways Journal article about the Griffiths family of Bedworth and my subsequent visits to see her and her late husband Alan at their home in Little Neston Eileen was a longstanding member of the Society and became an enthusiastic member of the Waterway Archive team, always willing to have a go at some obscure research or lend a hand as much as she could. The archive was happy to accept her very comprehensive research files on her waterways family history, which have already been consulted from time to time by researchers coming to the archives. I attended her funeral as a friend as well as representing the Society and the Wa- terways Archive team. Cath Turpin 10 RE:PORT Number 229

Norman Mitchell It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden death of Norman Mitchell on Wednesday 3 June, following a fatal heart attack. Norman was a great supporter of the National Waterways Museum in Gloucester, working as a volunteer there for many years and Chairman of the Friends Group.

We have known Norman for a long time in several of his capacities, apart from Chairman of the Friends at Gloucester. Like me he represented Museum perspectives at CRT National User Forum meetings. When we took our boats or visited Braunston boat shows, Norman for a long time commented extremely knowledgeably and often humor- ously on the historic boats taking part in the parade. He would know something about every one of 50 plus boats and their owners. Norman took over the running of the well-known and successful family business in Gloucester when his father died in 1977 and ran it successfully as Chairman for many years He and his wife cruised extensively and not only was he a proud owner of a Russell Newbery engine, he was actively involved with the Russell Newbery Register (RNR) and at the heart of organising their annual rallies. The 21st in 2018, like the first back in 1998, was hosted by the Museum at Ellesmere Port. When these were at the Port and working with RNR we got to know Norman in his efficient, hardworking, and again humorous capacity. Graham Boxer, as Head of CRT Collections and Archives has also written in Museum Times of his and the Trust’s appreciation of Norman and all the support he has given as a volunteer over many years. We would all like to express our deepest sympathy to Pauline and family. It is a trite phrase to say he will be missed by lots of us – but it is true. Mike Turpin

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Waterways Journal Volume 22

Bridgewater boatbuilding at Bangor-on-Dee – Part 2 The background and history of the Duke of Bridgewater's Boatbuilding enterprise at Bangor-on-Dee were explained in Part 1 of Paul Sillitoe’s article in Waterways Journal Volume 21, but the additional information in Part 2 brings the whole venture much more alive. Paul delves into the quantifying and valuing of the boat build at Bangor and traces the lives of the Bangor flats and identifies the problems of wooden boats. How much of the original survives during the life of the boat? The risks of misattribu- tion have been researched, using trade directories, Bridgewater accounting records, Cheshire quarter sessions and the Liverpool shipping register. He explains why so many boats were needed and why it was so important to have a plentiful supply of the correct timber. He has made good use of records from 18th to mid 19th centuries, which had been collected, interpreted and deposited in the Waterways Archive by Alf Hayman. In his research of the Bangor flats to the middle of the 19th century, Paul has drawn on individual accounts of each vessel which tell much about life and happenings on the boat. A spreadsheet which details the lives of the flats from build to final event is very useful. He has also followed the records of families connected to the Bangor boat builders, which give an insight into the trades represented at Bangor and into the social life of the area. This article has been meticulously researched and presented in an interesting way. The number of notes and references indicates the depth of research which has resulted in this fascinating article. Preston Brook: mission boats, school boats – evidence and conjecture The title here is the clue to Alan’s research. The first section deals with a boat,Vulcan which is likely to be fitted out as a school and teacher’s dwelling house at Preston Brook. The plans are there and the layout is described in detail but Vulcan does not appear to be the Preston Brook Mission boat and other searches have not found references to Vulcan. The initials on the plan are GF. Alan leaves us in suspense at this time and explains the importance of Preston Brook as a transhipment port with its connections to Manchester, the Potteries, and the River Mersey. Alan gives us a good insight into religious practices at the time and the drive to supply churches to communities. By 1860 Lord Ellesmere had a large establishment at Preston Brook and In 1856 a watermans’ church and school had been opened near Pres- 12 RE:PORT Number 229 ton Brook so there was a demand for the boat church and school to be kept open on the boat Sedan. The initials on the plan of Vulcan were those of George Forrester, engineer to the Bridgewater Trustees from 1859 to1879, so the plan must have been prepared during his tenure. Was Sedan a misspelling of Vulcan and was she the school boat? This account is fascinating and deals with a subject not widely reported. The organ- isation of the Church of England is dealt with in an interesting way and includes personal details about clergy, including Charles Dodson, and livings. It also includes the opinions of the gentry who were concerned about the morality of the boatmen. The account includes aspects of social history. It is thought provoking but still poses the question, what was the name of the mission boat? Pleasure boating in the Mersey area in the 1950s – Part 1 Cruising clubs are an interesting aspect of social history and their development is often overlooked. Joseph Boughey examines the growth of pleasure boating in the post war period. He details how ships' lifeboats were often converted for holiday use. Joseph poses the question: why should anyone trouble with the history of the Wir- ral Cruising Club? This was the fore-runner of many cruising clubs and campaigning or- ganisations and, thanks to these, the inland waterways system did not totally disappear. He lists clubs which developed in the Mersey-Weaver area and comments on the division which arose between the leisure boating for cruising and the sailing and powered boats centred around racing. There was a further division based on ‘class’ and the desire by some to exclude those from artisan backgrounds and keep the riff-raff from exclusive facilities. Much of this social history is demonstrated by the Wirral Cruising Club, which was formed in 1949 on the East Float of Birkenhead docks. Most of the members were from Wallasey. WCC held its first dinner in 1950 and by the end of the 1950s it had disappeared. This seems a strange occurrence and hopefully Joseph will explain this in part 2. This is an interesting account of a little known aspect of boating which was to have far- reaching effects, out of the ashes of WCC has arisen a major pastime and a contributor to the tourist industry. The Company Minutes of Thomas Clayton (Oldbury) Limited An account based on company minute books does not sound exciting, but Cath Turpin has managed to put life and people into these records. Cath takes us through the life of this company and documents its highs and lows, always showing the human interaction with the lives of the Clayton family, closely inter- woven with the fortunes of the company. The account is a masterful piece of research where mundane facts are turned into a fascinating story. The inclusion of letter headings, photographs, and signatures give the feel of a prosperous and well organised company. Information about the cargoes emerges, when contracts are gained or lost, and fluctuations in the tar market were discussed. The minutes detail the organisation of the company and changes in management. Reduction in Government subsidies in 1945 were noted. 13 Number 229 RE:PORT

Most of the reports of meetings are full of interesting details, fixing of salaries, pensions for long service, investment when the company’s bank balance was sound. From 1964 the decline of the carrying trade became apparent and the compulsory purchase of the site of the Oldbury premises for the M5 motorway over the site sealed the fate of the carrying company, which closed on 31st March 1966. The Company was voluntarily wound up at an An Extraordinary General meeting on 23th June 1979. This is the final document in the minute book and marks the demise of a long established and prosperous company, but the effects of progress cannot be stopped. I found it sad that such a successful and upright company should finally disappear. The City Road Basin and its people in the 19th century Giles Ayres‘ article charts the rise and fall of City Road Basin which mirrors the rise and fall of canal carrying. He includes a lot of detail to illustrate these changes and has produced a fascinating and well researched account. He points out the importance of linking the canal system to the City of London and to the Port of London and includes a description of the Basin from the Morning Post of 1822, which comments on the number of streets built to accommodate the dock workforce. He describes the traffic which used the basin: it is interesting that it was used by Thames Sailing barges as part of short distance traffic. Giles lists the goods carried by ‘fly’ boats and destinations are supplemented by information from missionaries. He gives us an insight into the working patterns of boat people and in particular the situation regarding the Sabbath which is discussed in detail. The establishment and work of boatmen’s chapels and missionaries from as early as 1827 are described. He comments that as a result of changes in transport the land at City Road Basin was redeveloped as an industrial area and the trades that moved in were not related to boating By the 20th century, canal transport no longer featured in City Road Basin apart from FMC. Di Skilbeck

Buying Waterways Journal Vol 22 There are 3 ways that Waterways Journal Volume 22 can be bought: Ѽ By mail order at a cost of £11.50, including P&P. Please download an order form from the Waterways Museum Society website: waterwaysmuseumsociety. org.uk Ѽ In the shop and the Volunteer Hub at the National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port at £8.99 when the museum re-opens after the lockdown. Ѽ As a PDF at £5.00 – please contact us via the contact details on the Water- ways Museum Society website: waterwaysmuseumsociety.org.uk Back numbers are available at the price quoted on the web site and the volumes which are out of print can now be obtained as a pdf at £5 each.

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Book review Barrie Trinder – The Midland Canals in 1871: the evidence of census Barrie Trinder has been known for his extensive writings on industrial archaeology and Shropshire for almost 50 years, but he reminds readers in this latest book that he recalled the canal in Banbury, where he lived in youth, in the 1960s. He has written about the Severn, but here turns attention to the whole canal sys- tem of the English Midlands. His approach has been to examine transcripts of the 1871 census for areas which featured much waterways transport, record- ing details of boats and crews. This could have been just a descrip- tive catalogue, useful in itself, but this has also been subject to analysis. Successive chapters follow different groups of waterways, describing history and routes in outline, and then exploring evidence of boatpeople and canal workers, and sometimes boat names where these apply. For instance, on the Shrop- shire Union between Norbury and Hurleston, four named boats were found at Tyrley Locks and four at the Market Drayton warehouse, but none at Victoria Wharf. One puzzling feature is the presence of many misnamings – “Whalley Bridge” and “Romily”, for instance, on the Peak Forest Canal, and oddities like “Bellan” and the Shrop- pie Fly at the base of Adderley Locks. Perhaps proof-reading has been to blame, as Dr Trinder has been well known for meticulous attention to detail. This does not detract from an interesting and well-illustrated account. In some ways, the most interesting chapter is the final one, “Reflections”, in which Dr Trinder attempts to discern general patterns. He discovered 1905 boats on the Mid- lands canals which were occupied, 833 of which had all-male crews; only 21% (403) had large families. The family-crewed boat was a minority in some parts of the Midlands, but at its greatest significance on the Shropshire Union, with 140 out of 211 boats. He concludes that boatpeople were misinterpreted by “demonisers” like George Smith, and “romantics” like Tom Rolt: “We probably best understand boatpeople if we regard them simply as a segment of the English working class, neither particularly heroic nor excep- tionally vicious”. This book has set a number of challenges, one of which would be to use other sources, like newspapers, directories and genealogical sources, to fill out the evidence provided in the 1871 census, upon which he has broken the ground. Another is to take other censuses – soon up to the 1921 census, and to follow through a similar process; while some of the people and even craft could be followed through into comparative studies of all available censuses. This could fill many idle hours or even years, and help to enlarge our understanding. Joseph Boughey

Robert Boyd Publications, Witney, 2019, 232pp ISBN 978-1-908738-35-6

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Radiant and Regulus We have owned Radiant and Regulus, a pair of Grand Union narrow boats, for many years and moored, operated, and displayed them at the Museum. It is with great pleasure that we would like to announce that Matt and Rebekah Par- rott and family are taking over Radiant and Regulus as a pair. After 30 or so years at the Museum, Matt & Rebekah Parrott and their daughters Eliza and Martha on Radiant the pair will enter a new and Regulus at Northwich Dry Dock phase in their life. We know that they will get as much pleasure, enjoyment, and the occasional challenge as we have done, and we know that they are in very good hands. Matt and Rebekah run Northwich Drydock, so the boats will be based where they were built 85 years ago, this coming December A summary of their history, time at the Museum and their travels will be published in the next edition of RE:PORT Cath & Mike Turpin

Looking back – 1973 Soon after we moved to the Wirral and before we became involved with NWMIN (the North Western Museum of Inland Navigation – later renamed the Boat Museum Society and now the Waterways Museum Society) we joined the North West Society of Indus- trial Archaeology and History (NWSIAH). In sorting out our ‘stuff’ we have come across a Newsletter of that society from 1973. There is a lengthy piece by Frank Howard on ‘The Measurement of Abandoned Coastal and Inland Craft’ (before the digital age) as well as the following article on Scorpio by Paul Rees. It was one of the very first boats in the Museum collection and arrived at the Museum by low loader from Liverpool on the opening weekend. Scorpio Scorpio, photographed here in Burscough Dry Dock in 1973 is one of the boats of the N.W. Museum Navigation. She is a Leeds and Liverpool Canal boat, with lines 16 RE:PORT Number 229

very similar to those of a short boat but she is 72 foot long. At this length she could not pass above Wigan (where the locks become short) but could use the canal to Stretford, and therefore she is normally known as a long boat, or Liverpool Sider. Being long and having a 14ft. beam she could carry about 70 tons of coal – trade in which she spent all her working life. Built as Helena about 1890 for the Wigan Coal and Iron Company for work on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal she exceeded the normal short boats of that canal which restricted her operation to the lines below Wigan. She was probably horse drawn in the early years at least, although we do know that the W.C. and I. Co. used steam tugs from a very early date. About 1920 she was sold to Thomas and William Wells of Wigan, again coal carriers, and no doubt continued working much as she had always done, plying between Liverpool and Wigan, Leigh, Manchester, Runcorn and Rochdale. Extensively rebuilt, she was sold in 1948 to John Parke and Sons of Litherland and renamed Scorpio to fit in with that firm’s policy of ending names with an ‘o’. Other boats of theirs were Jumbo and Angelo. Until 1971 Scorpio continued to carry coal, with operations being taken over by the British Fuel Company in 1963 when the major traffic was in coal carrying between Leigh and Boothstown to Westwood Power Station, Wigan. In 1971 Mr K. Williams, a member of the N.W.M.I.N. bought Scorpio for the sum of £2 and being refused permission to keep her on the Bridgewater, donated her to that museum. Under N.W.M.I.N. auspices she was transferred to Burscough on the Leeds and Liverpool in December 1971, where she has remained ever since, while members of the N.W.M.I.N. and N.W.S.I.A.H. have been attempting to put her into suitable shape for preservation and exhibition.

Scorpio on dry dock in Burscough Canal & River Trust Waterways Archive 17 Number 229 RE:PORT

When she was transferred to Burscough her condition was extremely poor, with rotten timbers, rusted ironwork and absent caulking throughout. Not surprisingly she sank in the spring of 1972. Refloated she sank again, and the decision was made to dry dock her for extensive repairs. Thanks to the efforts of Mike Clarke and his motor short boat Pluto, she was docked at Burscough on Tuesday 12th September. Over the two following weekends volunteers worked on recaulking, rebuilding and retarring her seemingly vast hull. Undaunt- ed by the old lock keeper who Scorpio being craned in on the opening day of the Museum obviously knew Scorpio from photo Chris Griffiths her younger days and declared “Ayo, she’s a sinker that one”, the volunteers hauled her back to her mooring on the canal. Despite further weekend work on her superstructure Scorpio was not to be undone, and in the balmy heat of the summer shrank her timbers and sank. Raised again from the canal bed she remained afloat for less than a week; her sternpost had been damaged on her previous expedition to the bottom. Imagine the feelings of the volunteers and the incredibly hard to start Climax pump! We now come to the present. Scorpio floats, her sternpost leaks halted, her fore cabin re-floored and her ironwork orange bright with red lead. She’s presentable but there is a great deal more to do. There is one small problem: like many middle aged ladies she has suffered an increase of waistline over the years. Her beam, once 14'0" is now nearly 15'0" but locks are still 14'0". And there will be one final problem: how to get her 14'6" into the 14'0" caisson of the Anderton lift to raise her to her proposed final resting place!

Paul Rees, NWSIAH Newsletter, 1973 [Note: at this time in1973, Anderton was the proposed site of the Museum.] Cath Turpin

18 RE:PORT Number 229

Archive Discovery Tales from the Museum 1 - British Waterways’ first museum The Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne is a close descendant of the first British Water- ways museum, which seems to have been established on an informal basis in May 1963. I am not aware whether files relating to its founding and operations were systematically retained, but one thick file, BW53/95, records many details. This begins with the 1968 budget and runs to May 1971. The security provided by the Transport Act (which now made it unlikely that the Grand Union Canal, beside which the Museum was located, would be closed) enabled some thoughts of expansion, but it was still run on something like a shoestring operation. Museums rarely prove commercially profitable, and the 1968 budget makes this clear. Against an income of £1,200, expenses of £3,250 were anticipated, and these covered working expenses, not depreciation or any alternative uses to which the museum building could have been put. Reduced staff expenses in that year seems to have limited the deficit. A memorandum of 21 October 1968 showed that visitor numbers were increasing, from 14,000 in 1963 (after it opened in May), to 21,107 in 1966 (after a new third floor opened in March) and on to 24,186 and 42,000 for the first nine months of 1968. (The final total for 1968 would be 44,000). Intriguingly, the memorandum suggested that proximity of the birthplace of George Washington had brought many US visitors, while one-third of all visitors were school-children. There had also been a recent increase in “continental visitors”. The curator in 1968 was Charles N Hadlow, a former Grand Union engineer who lived at Stoke Bruerne, and a note shows that he was actively seeking to collect the seals of canal companies – a process that Charles Hadfield, who knew him, had begun in British Canals (1950). Mr Hadlow was proposing a £2 2s copyright fee for any re-use on such plac- es as hire firm brochures, which would be “all grist to the Museum Mill!”. Allan Blenkharn, Deputy Chief Engineer, responded by putting out an appeal to various offices. One reply referred to old documents stored in the old pumphouse at Gloucester. One was found at Wigan, but in a locked box behind padlocks with no keys! Interestingly, the Museum was then open every day bar Christmas, although there was a move to close on Mondays. Mr Hadlow envisaged the provision of a shop, a workshop and an extended car park. Admission charges had been 1/- (adults) and 6d (chil- dren), and it was proposed to raise the former to 2s from 1969. David Kinnersley, Deputy General Manager, agreed with the latter, stating that 1963, Charles Hadlow Canal & River Trust Waterways Archive 19 Number 229 RE:PORT

Stoke Bruerne in the 1950s Canal & River Trust Waterways Archive when prices were fixed, was “before all such places got into their present boom”. He sug- gested this would increase annual income by £1,250, although the Museum would still run at a loss. In a letter of 20 April 1969 to Hugh Irwin, the relevant Ministry of Transport officer (who might have received complaints), he pointed out that a cafe and shop were to be provided, and that these should prove profitable. A memorandum of 18 December 1969 from Sir Frank Price, now BWB chairman, pointed out that the Transport Museum at Clapham was “Breaking up and here are a lot of pieces which really should belong to Waterways”. He proposed to “make a deal with British Rail”. Hadlow replied that he had kept in touch with John Scholes, Curator of Historical Relics, and “waterways items in his stores” had been transferred, but not yet those used as exhibits. Mr Scholes’ response was that the move from Clapham to York, and release of the permanent exhibits, was not to start before June 1971, and these should be left undisturbed. In 1970 Hadlow had partly retired, to become “Museum Adviser” and Richard J Hutchings, then moving from Northwich, was “Manager/Curator”. On 17 June Hadlow wrote to ask about his “papers, plans, equipment and file records both personal and on duties which I have carried out in the past with no museum connection”. He sought to store these in a vacant office “in the dungeon”, stressing that there was now more space since the conversion of buildings at the rear (later used for the archive collection) for storage. He listed these items, which related to his past work, for instance with the Grand 20 RE:PORT Number 229

Union company up to 1948. Somewhat surprisingly, this was agreed to by Allan Blenkharn, but on the basis that Mr Hadlow would have to take personal responsibility for them. Tales from the Museum - Part 2: China, boats, tapes and gates In Part 1, I mentioned the collection of objects that began after 1968 at Allan Blenkharn’s instructions. One collection that was sent by Brian Haskins, Area Engineer at Northwich was a set of Weaver Navigation china for exhibition or “safekeeping”. This included dinner plates, tea plates, tea cups and saucers, coffee cups and saucers, a milk jug, sauceboat and three “Serving Dishes, Square. There was more than one Weaver set; some had been taken to the Chairman’s boat, Thomas Telford, moored at Sawley on the Trent. A further memorandum suggested that “a full set” had been “handed over to Mr Hadlow several years ago”. This had been sent to Watford in April 1969, but this was then sent to Stoke Bruerne in November. David Kinnersley submitted a memorandum in June referring to Sir Frank Price’s concern that all such china “which have insignia of the old canal companies on them” should be gathered into one place – Stoke Bruerne. Charles Hadlow’s view of boat preservation is shown by his note of 18 September 1969 to Blenkharn. This was inspired by a handwritten note of 28 August from Jack Rob- erts of Whitchurch, who had recounted that, four years before, he had seen the Hogarth at Worcester. Hogarth was the last “Trench” boat, built in 1913 for the Trench Locks on the Shrewsbury Canal. A short note suggested that if Hogarth still existed, it might be suitable for preservation – “It would be a pity to let her die if she could be saved”. On Sep- tember 18 Hadlow expressed doubt about this to Blenkharn - there had been proposals to preserve a hand dredger, a horse-drawn ice boat and a Worsley mine boat, showing these in the dry on land next to the Museum. While the costs of moving and repairs had prevented these preservations going ahead, models of the Worsley mine boat and the Duchess Countess had been made. Hadlow suggested that Hogarth could be pho- tographed and measured, so that models could then be made. Whether the owner and Hogarth were traced is not recorded. Those who recall the late Ike Argent, and also those interested in oral history recordings, might be intrigued by a long letter from Hadlow, now “Museum Adviser” about a tape recording of Ike at Long Eaton made on 20 October 1970. He had brought along retired colleagues, including Charles Loughty, Walter Turberfield, and Joseph Roberts. Hadlow was bemused when Ike sought to record his comments on a num- ber of photographs, but “within minutes diplomatically changed the pattern” and involved all four speaking. The older partic- ipants had been born on boats, providing A plate from the River Weaver dinner service “a pretty wide aspect of family boating NWM Collection 21 Number 229 RE:PORT over a fairly wide area”. Hadlow felt that this single recording would suffice to represent boatpeople, as others with experience in family boating would simply reflect a different area of operation. However, he did feel that “our old hands with 50 years service” in main- tenance and engineering should be recorded. He offered to bring down the tape recorder to Melbury House so that Blenkharn could hear it; he felt the tape would be damaged by modern postal processes if it was posted! He did not record Mrs Argent, who worked on the Shropshire Union in early days, but noted that she had raised 10 children! In November 1970 Hadlow let Blenkharn know about further reel to reel recordings. These were 27 hours of recorded speech, including traffic and traffic conferences be- tween 1959 and 1963, along with TV and radio recordings. The tapes included Ike Argent and jack James. It would be very interesting to know if these survived. Hadlow had used his own machine until 1966, and had handed over this and the tapes to his successor, Richard Hutchings. Guillotine gates from a Trench or Eyton Lock had been taken to Stoke Bruerne, but planning permission to re-erect guillotine gates had been refused, and these items took up much space in one of the out-buildings. In March 1970 Hadlow declined to take the remains of Castle Mills Staunch in Bedford, the last example of a flash lock. His view, that this had been well-documented, and that preservation would be costly, was accepted. One wonders where the Trench gates ended up. Joseph Boughey

A bit of Gifford’s history A bit of Gifford’s history: Clematis towing Gifford in 1973 From the (much abridged) log of Clematis In September 1973, the ex-FMC motor boat Clematis, owned by Alan Jones, towed Gifford on a return trip from Preston Brook up the Shroppie & the Staffs & Worcs Canal to Calf Heath. The object of the cruise was to take leaflets about the 'new' Boat Museum & de- signed by Edward Paget-Tomlinson/Tony Lewery and hand them out from Gifford on the move as other boats passed. Saturday 1st September 1973 18.30 tie up before bend at end of Birdswood. (Alan, Judy, Ray and Gill Phillips, their baby Sunday 2nd September 1973 Chris, Toby their dog, our cat Fi-fa) Fill up Clematis engine room and cabin bilges 17.30 Tie up by P Brook M56 viaduct. with canal water for extra draught to assist Ray and Alan walk to Tunnel End to pick up towing. Gifford. Chocolate Charlie in Lapwing tows 17.30 Tie up near Great Budworth Lake. Gifford back to Waters Meeting. Wind Gifford. 18.46 dep M56 to Tunnel End, given fresh Monday 3rd September 1973 tiller for Gifford by Tony Lewery. Moored up all day – Ray fixes up lights in cabins. 22 RE:PORT Number 229

Tuesday 4th September 11.50 Meet up with relatives from Selly Oak. Wardle Lock – Dan Jinks, the then lock keeper at Autherley. and his wife, say Gifford was a good horse 12.40 dep Autherley towards Gt Heywood. boat. Jim Garnett had her also … Burton. Blinded and choked by stubble burning at 19.25 Tie up near Church Minshull. Moat House. 16.00 wind both boats at Ernest Thomas' at Wednesday 5th September 1973 Calf Heath. Cholmondeston – workmen shoring up Compliment house owner on his superb gar- bridge which is sagging. Their foremen says den but he gazes in rapture at our two boats he once hired a butty for bridge work from and utters 'superb boats'. Caggy Stephens but had to clean it out first because it had been used to house hens. At Autherley a very long six inch diam green plastic pipe rears up and is placed on Gifford 17.10 to 19.30 Took Clematis up Audlem to (it was later used for carefully taking Bolinder 21.15 Gifford by hand. bilge from William and still sits in our hedge Thursday 6th September 1973 at Moore). Also 'rescue' a nice step ladder Audlem to Adderley. from cut. A 'loud' ex boatman says he is 59 and re- Friday 7th September 1973 members Gifford being delivered new. He also 07.40 Bottom of Adderley (02.00 unknown worked for Midland and Coast Carrying Co. At motor nb goes past) first with all his family but when canals be- Stop at Shebdon-Tie up at Anchor Inn – Tug gan to silt up with neglect they got a house in Pensax (Bolinder) passes also George Page on Wolverhampton and he, his Dad and brother Malvern. had to make non stop return trips to Manches- ter to make it pay, as a full pay load could no Saturday 8th September 1973 longer be carried.. At one time he worked for 09.50 to 15.40 To Wheaton Aston Passed by a firm of millers on the Welsh Canal at Welsh Daffodil with Bolinder Hampton. They had about six horse boats and Ex T Clayton man talks about tar boats and carried grain from E. Port to the mill, more in Bolinders and explains how to tie butty to mo- winter than in summer as in winter animals tor making sure we re-tie after a few minutes. were kept indoors. He got paid 2/-6d a week Stop by A5 aqueduct and visit/ junk/antiques but it was a good firm to work for. Two men shed and buy 2 marble slabs, wash bowl, tiles, per boat, one would kip down while other chaise longue steered but horse knew its way. They travelled through the night with no head lights even 19.00 Tie up at Brewood. Chat with couple through trees and tunnels and steered guided who also don't have TV who enthuse about by tree tops. the two boats which remind them of their childhood. He had never seen a Measham tea pot on a boat-too costly and fragile. He did not like Sunday 9th September 1973 Sam Lomas and thought Chocolate Charlie a Pass Wolverhampton Boat Club and Vul- Gaffer's man because Charlie thought a strike can'ex FMC steamer. would hasten closure of carrying and merely 23 Number 229 RE:PORT lose people their wages… he (the boatman) Shannon. (these would be the old E type?) was a sergeant i/c waterways in WW2. Bridge 68 NB Sculptor passes. Another man approaches – although he At top of Adderley, whilst Clematis was going works in Oldbury, he has never heard of down, Gifford stopped at top. Countrywide Thomas Claytons nor that, until 1967, they hire boat Bosworth arrives at speed and had a yard at Oldbury and fleet of oil carrying bumps into Gifford and a bank boat. One of tanker boats. His wife arrived to complain he the sunbathers on its roof rebukes Gill for not was holding her up and dragged him away. throwing them a line. Monday 10th September 1973 Helicopters from base near Audlem fly low Passed by bank boat Apollo laden with sleepers. snooping on bikini clad girls. Shroppie is well dredged from Autherley to Audlem lock keeper opens gates for us. Was Shebdon but treacly near Hack Green and the last to live at the cottage half way up the Nantwich. New Cut needs dredging. flight – now taken down. He was born in 1912 At bridge 7 pass Apollo and men flaying hedg- at the now dismantled cottage at Hack Green. es and unloading sleepers. They offer £200 'If a gaffer' did not come (by mid-day train on for Gifford, one of them, aged 60, remembers the now abandoned GW line by the locks) no Gifford when he was a boy. gaffer would come that afternoon. At Brewood chat with Mike off trip boat David He said there were 'statutory horses kept at owned by Canal Transport Services. He left Audlem. When a tar boat got to Hack Green, school to work for Willow Wren, (Anderton) a boy would walk on up Audlem to bring a and Kellogs grain barges (well paid job). Met horse down from the top. He used to leave his wife tripping with boat David asked to be horses at the bottom of the flight to find their remembered to Tony Lewery. own way back to the top. He showed us some SUC minute books which One boy was drowned when he fell under a he once found in an abandoned warehouse tar boat at Audlem. by the cut at Chester. Thinks the working boat Moored at bottom of Audlem. Man on hire which passed in the night a few days ago was boat so enthused about Gifford he joined the Comet which had been to Chester to tow Betel- Museum Trust at once. geuse whilst the horse recovered after falling Thursday 13th September 1973 in cut. Strong winds make it hard to keep both boats Unconverted Epsom passes at Audlem but straight. Hire boat Bosworth (Anglo-Welsh) does not slow down. charges up at speed, tries to pass Gifford and Bridge 35 unconverted Ascot passes. Clematis, draws all water from under Clematis 'Cardboards' keep flashing past at speed ‘but I whose stern veers to left. Bosworth again am only doing 4 mph'. charges up and begins to ram port side of At Market Drayton an American off hotel boat Clematis, so Ray opens up Armstrong and Dabchick pointed at Clematis saying 'That's A washes Bosworth firmly onto the mud. Josher'. He was knowledgeable about narrow Bridge 99 approached very difficult bridge boats and Guiness boats in Ireland and said very slowly when Stentor approached at three Bolinders were lying idle at Carrick on speed, stuck in mud and veered across path of 24 RE:PORT Number 229

Clematis. Full reverse on Clematis but clang as with Shrubbie (Peter Shrubsall ) aboard. We Stentor knocked away. banter about 'our boats that are too big for Lock keeper at Wardle gets us to load bits of his canals' (a common 'accusation at the time). old Dormobile and take to tip at Middlewich. 12.45 A Shroppie butty Symbol and 2 other bank boats are reinforcing a 'slip' in Dutton Friday 14th September 1973 Woods (Birdswood) plus NB Hercules. Looks a Met man off hire boat at Middlewich locks like a candidate for another breech. who once drove Clematis for Alan Galley. Once, 13.25 Leave Gifford with Tony Lewery at Tun- loaded with 25 tons of stone near Kidsgrove nel End. he got wire round prop and could not reverse or stop before hitting a hire boat moored on Gifford 'earmarked' for proposed NW Museum the outside of a bend. He sank it. At 'murder' of Inland Transport at a site near Anderton. bridge 177 before flashes meet former Clay- All leaflets handed out to boat owners and tons Severn number 86 – not a Bolinder. gongoozlers. Saturday 5th September, 1973 Note: soon after this, Ellesmere Port was chosen as a site for the Museum. Just entering Saltersford tunnel when Choc Charlie on Lapwing comes through against us Alan Jones

Gifford’s voyage to Northwich Gifford needed her side seams and bottom seams checking. This involved dry docking, and being on dock for about a week so the dry dock by the toll house at the Museum could not be used. Chester dry dock is affected by the large hole which has appeared on the towpath so this meant we had to go to Northwich via the Ship Canal and the River Weaver. We needed a tow for Gifford and Mike and Cath Turpin offeredRadiant and also, Regulus, as these boats were poised for dry docking at a later stage. Before any journeys could be undertaken, there was the matter of form filling and payment. Mike dealt with all the paperwork which included certificates of seaworthiness, Ship Canal forms and setting up contacts at locks. The boats were prepared for their journey and so we had a day examining anchors, chains and ropes as well as ensuring we had the necessary safety gear on board. The plan was to travel three abreast and the Ship Canal was happy with this. We mustered at 7.30am on March 5th 2020 and went into the Ship Canal gut. There we lashed the three boats together with Radiant, the motor between the two butties. It was a cold start with frost on Gifford’s deck making it very slippy. Having got the OK from Eastham control we ventured on to the Ship Canal and had a smooth but cold journey up to the Weaver mouth at Marsh Lock. It was much more sheltered on the Weaver and it turned into a lovely sunny day. What a contrast to the previous stormy days when we were uncertain whether or not the trip would take place. 25 Number 229 RE:PORT

Marsh Lock was ready for us, we just had to dodge the debris! Bob Thomas was on the A56 bridge and took some superb photos. The Weaver is a very attractive and rural river at this stage and with blue sky and sunshine it looked at its best. We boated through Dutton Locks, a welcome loo stop for some! Dutton Locks were ready for us and so were the next locks at Saltersford. We chugged on, partaking of food and drink until we reached Northwich where we were greeted by Reuben Carter, Barry Green and Will Manning. The three boats were moored alongside Saturn, just below Hunts Lock. The boats were tidied up and ropes, chains and anchors were stowed away. I had plans to return to Gifford to get the Cuprinol on the deck but the mooring position made access very difficult---once you had got off the boat you stayed off!! We were grateful to the people who gave us lifts back to the Museum from where we went home. Gifford was due on dock on March 21st and because of the virus none of us could go to work on her in the dry dock. Ade and dry dock staff putGifford on dock where Ade and Andy checked the seams. Very little oakum was required but all the seams were hardened up and pitch and tar was applied. Gifford is now off the dock and tied up below Hunts Lock but none of us can get there because of the lock down. The brave crew for this epic voyage are as follow: Mike Turpin, Jeff and Liz Fair- weather, Nigel Carpenter, Bob Dean and Di Skilbeck. At the end of the trip from the Museum, all three boats were moored up at the Northwich Island. A few days later Gifford was moved through Hunts Lock and round to the top of the Dry Lock at Northwich (River Weaver). During the week of the dry docking all the old pitch and tar was burnt off using gas flame and scrapers by Ade. Once this had been removed, the chines, bottom boards and all seams were checked for any signs of deterioration. Gifford’s bottom boards and side planks were found to be in good condition. Where necessary, seams were recaulked with oakum.

Regulus, Radiant and Gifford approaching Acton Bridge photo Bob Thomas 26 RE:PORT Number 229

The final operation was to apply a new coating of pitch and tar, with special at- tention being paid to applying a good coating to each seam. There is a definite skill in applying the new coating in which Ade and his team are well versed in. Once Gifford was re-floated she was returned back to the mooring. Once the inland waterways are open again for boat traffic she will return back to the Museum probably towed by Radiant via the River Weaver and the Manchester Ship Canal. Di Skilbeck Nigel Carpenter

Restoration of Ellesmere Port Locks 1974 This account of the work done on the locks at Ellesmere Port was reported in the Brit- ish Waterways staff magazine, Waterways in October 1974, before the first working party to establish a Museum the following December. An exciting year for canal re-opening ceremonies with such restorations as the lower Peak Forest, Ashton, Caldon and Upper Avon Navigation. Almost hidden away among the welter of publicity-pulling restoration schemes is the work at Ellesmere Port locks. This flight of locks provides a vital link between the Shropshire Union Canal and the Manchester Ship Canal and was designated part of the cruising network in the 1968 Transport Act. Until recently, although the locks are on land owned by the Board, they were leased to the Manchester Ship Canal Company and it was necessary to obtain their permission on each occasion when boats wanted to use the flight of

27 Number 229 RE:PORT

locks. The poor condition of the locks and pounds made passage very difficult and consequently few boats went through. Earlier this year, under a new arrangement with the Manchester Ship Canal Compa- ny, the Board took over the day to day maintenance responsibility of the locks, plus a narrow strip of land on either side for access purposes. The first thing to do, of course, was to restore the flight to a reasonable condition. This task fell to Philip Williams, section inspector on the Chester Section and his men. The work had to be fitted in with other section work and it was also important to get it completed as early as possible in the cruising season so both length foreman Jack Picken in whose length the Port lies, and Doug Barlow - were involved at times. A great deal of the work was, of course, dredging. A lot of this could fortunately be done from the land by the Board’s Priestman Mustang fitted with a long reach gib. Lock gates and paddle gearing needed attention and this was largely the task of a gang led by foreman Doug Barlow including Bill Lovatt, Raymond Cornes, and Roy Johnson. One of the most interesting jobs in the bottom lock, was cutting new stop plank grooves. The existing planks, when in place, apart from being 18ft deep were on the skew across the lock, leaning from bottom to top and widening as they came up the lock. The lock sides tapered too - a three-way twist! No one seems quite sure why they were made like that, but they were certainly difficult to put in. It was, therefore, decided to put in a new cill only about 8ft deep keyed in to the existing structure using ready mixed concrete. There are five locks altogether — a wide and a narrow side by side at both top and middle, while the bottom is a single wide lock. Now that these locks are once again available for use, it is hoped that craft will avail themselves of the facility more and more. For one thing, it is as disheartening as it is a waste of money for all the work to be carried out in something of a hurry if only half a dozen boats per year go through. Perhaps the proposed North-West Museum of Inland Navigation will provide an added attraction. The original site for the Museum at Anderton is no longer being considered and one of the buildings at Ellesmere Port is now favoured. Unfortunately there has been some trouble with vandals playing with the paddles on the locks and wasting water which is hard to recover on the nine mile pound between Chester and Ellesmere Port, particularly in times of water shortage. Brian Haskins area engineer Northwich, therefore, has reluctantly had to lock up the top lock paddles for safety. Anybody wishing to go through the lock should please ring either the section inspector at Chester 25732; the length foreman at Chester 43993 or the area office at Northwich 74321. Persons wishing to take their boats on to the Manchester Ship Canal must still obtain permission from, and comply with, the regulations of the Manchester Ship Canal Company.

28 RE:PORT Number 229

London Canal Museum celebrates the opening of the Regent’s Canal canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson/regents200.htm The Regent’s Canal was opened with some ceremony on 1st August 1820. In 2020 the London Canal Museum hoped to celebrate this anniversary with a programme of events and exhibitions, both at London Canal Museum and other venues, but Covid-19 restric- tions may well prevent this from happening. In preparation for this, volunteer researcher Vickie Irwin contacted the Waterways Archive to see whether we held any documents showing the very early discussions for building the canal. Ailsa and Lucy searched our catalogue and found a possible source document and when Vickie visited the archive, pre-Covid-19, I found several more for her. Part way through the day there was a shout from Vickie from the Reading Room and I found her virtually hopping up and down with delight that she had found the exact information she had been looking for! Several visi- tors were in at the time and Vickie was able to do an impromptu ‘show and tell’ for them and to encourage them to visit the London Canal Museum events. These documents are from the early 1800s and so are interesting to see in their own right, in fact I hadn’t had occasion to bring them out of store before myself, so I got quite excited too! If anyone would like to see them, please get in touch with Lucy or myself. Linda Barley

Linda Barley [right] with Vicki Irwin and some interested visitors 29 Number 229 RE:PORT

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

Apr 2020 John Noton, Mike Crompton, Mike Turpin May 2020 Norman Lye, Ann Gardiner, Cynthia Green June 2020 Ruth Foster, Pat Steward, Tom Ormiston

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’.

30 Tony Hirst [left] and Di Ascott [right] as featured a report in the Ellesmere Port Pioneer