CUTCUT BOTHBOTH WAYSWAYS Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust Issue No. 100 Summer 2019 ay Wha eeth rf L tr Lichfield td S Heart of the Coventry Canal . TEL:01543 414808 MOBILE:0782 4848444 FAX:01543 414770 www.streethaywharf.co.uk 7-DAY CALL OUT SERVICE GEN SETS FITTED DIESEL AND SOLID FUEL STOVES FITTED BOTTOM BLACKING REPAINTING AND SIGNWRITING NEW BOATS FULL & PART FIT-OUT SUPPLIED ALL MECHANICAL / ELECTRICAL WORK FULL CHANDLERY STRETCHING AND REBOTTOMING GAS SAFE. CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE ALL STEEL WORK AND TANKS Support the boat yard on the “Lichfield Ring” Boat Transport, England, Europe Cranage Arranged Site Surveys Complete Service for DIY Repairs Boat Hire Boat Fitting Diesel Pump Out Mooring Boat Sales Laundry Trent & Mersey Canal V.A.T No. 133609427 Chairman’s Column We are celebrating two huge achievements in this edition of Cut Both Ways: Our 100th Edition thay Whar Being awarded The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service: a genuine honour which ee f L reflects that we have the most amazingly dedicated volunteers one could ever imagine r t having and they tackle the very diverse activities which make LHCRT one of the t d foremost and most successful Canal Restoration groups in the country. S . Our editorial team had the great idea to select articles from the previous 99 editions, and you will see their selection in the following pages. Overall they exemplify how, over the Trust’s 31 years existence it has consistently faced and overcome challenges, gone from strength to strength and acquired and transformed derelict land into beautiful havens for people, for wildlife and eventually for boaters and thus also economic advantages through tourism. What struck me overall from reading these back numbers was the number of recurrent themes, the foresight which directors and officers over the years have had and, of course, the achievements. A few examples: Summer 2004: The late and much valued Chairman, Brian Kingshott, wrote “what a rejuvenated BCN will do for Brownhills .... look for help from Walsall MBC”. What prescience! Here we are now in 2019 talking with West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) – watch this space, and keep your fingers (and toes!) crossed! That prescience is evident particularly with the installation of the aqueduct (see August 2003) and the Birmingham Road culvert (Autumn 2006) The article from Autumn 2004 includes for the first time the word “Ecology”, meaning how living organisms interact with their environment: the Trust has done so much over the years to improve the environment, with the Heritage Towpath Trail and habitat enhancements for flora and fauna wherever we work. Of these articles and almost at their chronological extremes are references to the Hatherton Canal (Spring 1996 and Autumn 2015) These both sum up the dilemma we face, and the determination that despite the difficulties we remain committed to restoring both. Finally, Spring 2018’s report of “The Big Lift, The Beast from the East and Storm Emma” shows exactly how amazing LHCRT is, why it has The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service and how it continues to turn threats into successes. Chris Bull, (Chairperson) If you have received this magazine and you are not a member please consider joining the Trust. For more details contact the Membership Secretary (details on Page 30) Summer 2019 Page 3 Spring 1993 Whether you have purchased this magazine out of curiosity, or whether you are an ardent canal enthusiast, we hope that you will find something of interest - if not then please lets us know. In this edition it is important to stress what we are all about. The northern Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) are the residual part of what was once an extremely intricate transportation system - the canals of the Midlands were the veins and arteries of the industrial revolution. Although these canals venture well out into rural solitude, the only way back to the main canal network is to return to the centre, as routes northwards have been closed. It is unfortunate that for this reason more people do not brave some of the less pleasant parts as the northern reaches of the BCN are rural and splendid in their isolation. We believe that the best way to promote greater use of the BCN is to open up at least one through route, preferably two. The Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust Ltd has been the steering group for the project since 1987. Recent successes in securing funding and breaking the “credibility barrier” mean that it is now time for a membership arm - “The Friends of the Lichfield and Hatherton Canals”. We will support and raise funds on behalf of the Trust, who will remain the steering group for the projects. John Morris (Chairman, Friends Of The Lichfield And Hatherton Canals.) Summer 2019 Page 4 August 1996 A word from Phil Sharpe The Vice-Chairman welcomes the Trust’s new membership, both those transferred from the “Friends” and new recruits, and indicates the way forward for Cut Both Ways, Welcome to the first edition of Cut Both Ways under new management. The “Friends” are dead, long live the Trust! The Friends Of The Lichfield & Hatherton Canals did a valuable job in building up membership and supporting the Trust, but we now have a new beginning under a unified structure. We thank all the Friends committee for their hard work in publicity and fund raising and welcome John Morris and Trevor Morris to the Trust Council. We also thank you the members for staying with us through “Navvies” readers know that and WRG recent difficulties and we hope in future are keen to help us. Could you be a to keep you more regularly informed roving reporter for the Trust? If so, apply through these pages about the Trust’s to the editor and the job is yours! All activities. contributions will be gratefully received. This edition is something of a catching Philip Sharpe. Vice-chairman, LHCRT up exercise, with several review articles explaining what we have been doing in WRG Uncovers Lock 18 the last year or so. Future CBW’s will WRG North West to continue excavating concentrate more on up-to-date news the tail of the lock and for driver training and plans for the future. But the best with our growing fleet. As the brickwork way to ensure that you can read what of wing walls and steps emerged we you want to hear about is to write it! were pleased to find that the only Contributions of all kinds are welcome damage was displaced coping stones. and needed (to the editor, please, not The “geographically challenged” WRG me). Make this your magazine as Trust Navvies Anonymous were determined members by sending us your opinions, to complete the job. Working round the reports of work parties, jokes, ideas for clock, they cleared the full length of fund raising, photographs, articles or the chamber down to the lower water advertisements. Let us hear from the level. Again, apart from limited areas, usually silent majority. Canal restoration the brickwork proved to be in excellent has a serious purpose, but it is also fun! condition. Summer 2019 Page 5 Autumn 2003 August 2003 AQUEDUCT The Lichfield Canal Aqueduct is complete and we are including colour photographs of the installation of the trough and walkways in August and the inauguration ceremony. This marks the culmination of 15 years of campaigning and nearly 3 years of fund raising to counter the severance threatened by the construction of the new motorway. We may not have got all that we wanted, or indeed that the public inquiry inspector recommended, but what we have achieved is 2 major culverts enlarged to navigable size for the Hatherton Canal and an aqueduct for the Lichfield Canal, and on the back of that more funding for engineering, economic and environmental reports on the Hatherton we know that we have still barely Canal plus some land purchase and, scratched the surface of what needs to we hope, some advance pre-cast bridge be done so that the celebrations, whilst units and finally, as explained below, a deserved and enjoyed, should give no new bridge on the Lichfield Canal. Not cause for complacency but provide a bad for a bunch of amateurs! However, spur to even greater endeavour in future. Summer 2019 Page 6 Summer 2004 CHAIRMAN’S COLUMN One of the Chairman’s roles is to represent the Trust at meetings and functions. It is always a pleasure to do this and to meet a wide range of people. Those I talk to seem to fall into two very distinct categories. There are those who know all about our work, are enthusiastic to see us succeed and may well be members. Then there is the great majority who, amazingly, have never heard of us. This great division reminds me of advice I was once given when given the task of promoting and advertising an organisation. I was told always to assume that nobody had ever heard of you. Advice I suspect stems from the 14th Army, known as the “forgotten army” lt reminded me of my old day job and which fought in Burma in the Second running prize day. However, the main World War. General Slim told them that pleasure was being greeted by so many not only were they forgotten but that people who are supporters of the Trust nobody had even heard of them. As and who can see what a rejuvenated many will know, this was good advice. northern BCN will do for Brownhills. I I live in Shropshire and many of my was introduced to local councillors who neighbours cannot find Lichfield on the urged us to look for help from Walsall map let alone any canals, open or under MBC and who clearly want to be better restoration.