Number 208 March 2015 1 THE BOAT MUSEUM SOCIETY President: Di Skilbeck MBE Vice-Presidents: Alan Jones, Harry Arnold MBE, Tony Lewery DIRECTORS Chairman: Jeff Fairweather Vice-Chairman: Will Manning Vice-Chairman: Chris Kay Treasurer: Barbara Kay Barbara Catford Barry Green Lynn Potts Sue Phillips Bob Thomas Cath Turpin Mike Turpin Andy Wood CO-OPTED COMMITTEE MEMBERS Nigel Carpenter Martyn Kerry Ailsa Rutherford Andy Wood [Re:Port Editor] 34 Langdale Road, Bebington, CH63 3AW T :0151 334 2209 E: [email protected] The Boat Museum Society is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England Number 1028599. Registered Charity Number 501593 Visit our website www.boatmuseumsociety.org.uk The National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, CH65 4FW, Telephone: 0151 355 5017 http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/national-waterways-museum Cover: Gilbert and Planet coming down Stoke Bruerne Locks, © Sylvie Maney 2 Dates for Your Diary Sat 7-Sun 8 Mar NWM Ellesmere Port Model Boat Club, Model Boat Show. Tue 10 Mar IWA 'Havana to Galapagos' - Cruising the Caribbean from Havana to the Panama Canal'. Captain Derrick Kemp. Sun 15 Mar NWM Waterways Craft Group. Meets 3rd Sun of the month 10.00-3.00 with the odd exception. Tue17 Mar EPLFHS AGM. Cath Turpin will give us a fascinating insight into the lives of the residents of Porters’ Row. Wed 18 Mar NWM International Guild of Knot Tyers, 11.00-2.00. Fri 20 Mar BMS “Water Management – too little, too much, just right”. Alan Comerford, National Hydrology Manager for the Canal & River Trust. Fri 3-Mon NWM Easter Boat Gathering and Sea Shanty Festival. Real 6 Apr Ale Festival, music, lock demonstrations, boaters’ games. Fri 3 Apr BMS Peter Brown “Death on the Shropshire Union”. Local newspapers of the past give accounts of interesting and some times gruesome events. Launch of Waterways Journal Volume 17. Tue 14 Apr IWA 'Fort Perch Rock, New Brighton'. What do local people know about its hilarious history? Derek Arnold, former Chief Engineer in the Merchant Navy, will be telling us about this iconic structure on the Wirral shoreline. Wed 15 Apr NWM International Guild of Knot Tyers, 11.00-2.00. Tue 12 May IWA 'Researching the lives of Narrowboat Families'. Cath Turpin has spent many hours tracing the families that worked the narrowboats which came in and out of Ellesmere Port. Fri 15 May BMS Gavin Hunter Wirral’s Mersey Coast. Gavin is a local historian and speaker with a great interest in the history of Wirral. Sun 17 May NWM Waterways Craft Group. 10.00-3.00. Tue 26- NWM Pirate Cruises May Half Term Thur 28 May BMS All meetings are held at 7.30 in the Rolt Conference Centre at the NWM CCHT Talks start at 8.00 pm in the Clubhouse at Chester Boughton Hall Cricket Club, Boughton Hall Avenue, Boughton, Chester, CH3 5EL. Free to members of CCHT, IWA & SUCS. Non-members £2.50 EPLFHS meets at 7.30 in the Rolt Comnference Centre at the NWM IWA Chester & Merseyside All meetings are held at 7.45 in the Rolt Conference Centre at the NWM Copy Date for Re:Port 209 - Wednesday 20th May. Views expressed in RE:PORT are those of the contributors, and should not be taken as the policy of the Boat Museum Society, National Waterways Museum or CRT. 3 Number 208 March 2015 Directors’Chairman’s Report Report 2013/14 I amam pleased pleased to to be be able able to announceto announce that that CRT CRT have haveappointed appointed Graham Graham Boxer asBoxer our new as the Head new of Museums.Head of Museums Reporting, writes to IanJeff Rogers, Fairweather Head of Customer. Graham Service, comes Grahamto us from will the be Imperialresponsible War for theMuseum National North. Waterways However, Museum looking at Ellesmereback, this Port hasn’t and beenthe Gloucester an easy yearWaterways for any Museum of us, and all of the designated museum and archive collections. Graham joins us on 27 April from themanagement, Imperial War staff Museum and volunteers in his role alike. as Director, Few of us accountable could have for predicted the overall the vision,amount direction of time andor effort operation that wouldof the Imperial be needed War to Museummeet the North emerging resulting challenges in record and visitor to deliver numbers the progressand their highestthat now ever is levelso evident. of media The exposure. working He relationship previously worked between for CRT, Liverpool NWM City and Council BMS andhas Liverpoolimproved Cultureand developed Company at anda rapid earlier pace at andSt George’s I see no Hall,reason National why that Museums shouldn’t & Galleries continue. on Merseyside The knowledge and Merseyside and depth Maritime of experience Museum. available within BMS about boats and heritage is well known, This hasn’ butt thisbeen year an easythrough year my for role any as of Chairman us, management, I have been staff amazed and volunteers at the breadth alike. of Few other of usskills could and have knowledge predicted that the we amount have at of our time disposal. or effort We that continue would tobe beneeded an influential to meet theorganisation emerging challengeswhose members, and to deliverin conjunction the progress with that the now management is so evident. and To staff, the credit continue of CRT, to make NWM significant and BMS thecontributions working relationship to the day between to day operations us all has improved of the site. and developed at a rapid pace and I see no reason why thatThe shouldn’t Society continue.is not just about boats. It has a valuable role to play in historic waterways heritage,The research,knowledge education, and depth publications of experience and available providing within talks BMS to outside about groups.boats and BMS heritage frequently is well known, but this year through my role as Chairman I have been amazed at the breadth of other skills and demonstrates its tenacity, versatility and resourcefulness as an organisation doing its best for not knowledge that we have at our disposal. We continue to be an influential organisation whose members, injust conjunction our boats withbut thethe wholemanagement collection and staff,which continue has involved to make many significant hours ofcontributions meetings toto establishthe day to daypriorities, operations obtain of thefunds site. and to make decisions about spending the money wisely. TheThe Society major isworks not just on about the Toll boats. House, It has Limea valuable Shed, role Boat to play Hall, in historicPower Hall,waterways Accumulator heritage, research,Tower, Porters education, Row, publications Volunteer andHub providing and Rest talks Room to outsideunder the groups. direction BMS and frequently supervision demonstrates of Steve itsBosworth tenacity, are versatility now near and to resourcefulness completion. Margaret as an organisation Harrison, Collectionsdoing its best Manageri for, not just heads the aboats, team but of thevolunteers, whole collection staff and which conservation has involved experts many in ahours major of conservation meetings to establishstudy of priorities,all the boats. obtain funds and toI make would decisions like to sayabout a bighow thank the money you to is all spent our wisely. members, new and old, who have worked so hard Thealongside major theworks staff on and the managementToll House, Lime to achieve Shed, soBoat much Hall, throughout Power Hall, the Accumulator year. Cath TurpinTower, Portersfor her workRow, inVolunteer the archives, Hub andarranging Rest Room the Society under themeetings direction and and editing supervision the “Waterways of Steve BosworthJournal”, arewhich now remains near to completion.a “must-have” publication for serious waterways people. Thanks to Sue Phillips our websiteMargaret is Harrison vibrant ourand collections up to date manager and an isexcellent heading away team for of peoplevolunteers, to find staff outand aboutconservation BMS. experts in a major conservation/preservation study of all of the boats. ThanksI would to Andy like Wood,to say a“Re:Port” big thank isyou still to the all onlyour members, communication new and that old, goes who to have every worked member so hardand alongsideis an important the staff means and management for us to keep to inachieve touch. so Thanks much throughout to Ailsa Rutherford, the year. Cath “Museum Turpin forTimes” her work has inbeen the publishedarchives, arrangingevery month the Societyand kept meetings us up to and date editing with thethe widerWaterways museum Journal, and CRTwhich issues. remains We a “must-have”are very fortunate publication to have for seriousmembers waterways who will people. devote Thanks so much to Sue of Phillipstheir personal our website time is to vibrant, these aliveimportant and up communications to date and an excellent media. way for people to find out about BMS. Thanks to Andy Wood, “Re:Port” BMS is hasstill assistedthe only thecommunication Museum in thatmany goes events to every and memberthanks must and isgo an to important all those chance who helped for us toin keepa wide in touch. variety Thanks of jobs. to Ailsa Our Rutherford,Treasurer, “MuseumBarbara Kay, Times” for has front been of published house, fund every raising month andand keptorganising us up tothe date raffles; with Christhe wider Kay museum for tour andguides, CRT Lynn issues. Potts We as are BMS very Secretary; fortunate toBarbara have members Catford whoas Membership will devote soSecretary; much of theirBob Thomaspersonal timefor historic to these interpretation important communications and Santa’s grotto;media. Jane Lane for theBMS Craft has Group;assisted