The Chester Packet Jan 2012

Chester Packet 1 January 2012

Issue

No 56

Spring

2012

THE INLAND WATERWAYS ASSOCIATION

CHESTER & DISTRICT BRANCH

Members of the Branch Walking Group take a look at the Manchester Ship Canal

at Latchford Locks

INSIDE—THE LATEST NEWS FROM

MERSEYSIDE AND WEST

LANCASHIRE BRANCH


OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE President Richard Drake, BEM

North West Region Alan Platt, 013527 2064; [email protected]

Chairman

Branch Chairman Brian Phillips, 01244 300025. [email protected]

Vice Chairman Bill Sinclair, 01244 319890; [email protected]

Secretary Gillian Bolt, 0151 678 9300; gillianbolt:@waterways.org.uk

Treasurer Ron Evans, 01928 788673; [email protected]

Webmaster, Region Mike Carter, 0151 608 6113; [email protected]

Committee Representative

Editor, Chester Packet Margaret Pitney, 0151 608 6487; [email protected]

Chester Branch Committee is pleased to welcome Liaison Officers from Merseyside & West Lance Branch:-

Dave Smallshaw 0151 924 2036; [email protected]

Colin Greenall 01744 73174; [email protected]

BRANCH CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

The Country has recently lost one of its characters, Sir Jimmy Saville, a true

eccentric, one part showman and entertainer the other part deeply caring for

others. He used his connections with the rich and famous via his showbiz persona

to raise funds to help others. He volunteered as a porter at Stoke Manderville

hospital, worked at Broadmoor and ran an incredible number of marathons

allegedly raising the sum of £40 million. His epitaph written by him said “It was

good while it lasted”.

I am not planning to hang up my windlass just yet but I thought what would I

write for my epitaph? “It‟s a hard life but worth the effort” is what I came up

with. Why?

This modern life gives us so many advantages over our predecessors, the main one

being choice. We don‟t have to run miles chasing game to obtain a meal, we go to

the shops and choose from a wide variety or stay at home and order over the

internet and have it delivered. We don‟t have to scour the neighbourhood to obtain

fuel to keep warm, it is piped into our houses as electricity or gas. We don‟t have


to go out to seek entertainment, it comes to us via the television or with a CD we

have a complete orchestra to play for us. True we have to find the money to pay

for these things but in general we take them for granted.

Going to the boat reminds me of a bygone age because everything is more hands

on, I have to make sure the water tank is filled up or there is no water, I have to

collect coal and firewood or there is no heat, I have to empty the toilet, this is a

real eye opener as it‟s amazing how much waste a person produces. I do this

because I want to, not because I have to. Our predecessors had no choice, it was

a hand to mouth existence.

Today it is easier to sit back enjoying the comfort in the knowledge that others

are toiling to ensure these necessities of modern life are brought to our door. It is

a rude shock when the binmen or postmen go on strike or a gas or water pipe

bursts.

IWA and the Waterways need people like Sir Jimmy Saville who are prepared to

do a bit extra, enjoy the comfort but now and again embrace the hardship and

contribute to everyone‟s wellbeing by volunteering. The rewards are not

monetary but a sense of achievement.

A warm welcome to the members of the Merseyside and West Lancs Branch.

This has been amalgamated into the Chester and District Branch effectively

doubling our membership. This also increases the area the Branch is responsible

for, bringing with it a number of challenges. The Branch will now deal with two

BW Waterway Managers, an increase in planning applications from more local

authorities plus the need to be aware of the condition of many more miles of

waterways. These challenges can be met with your help. Please be our eyes and

ears and report in anything which is good or detrimental to your local

waterways.

A big thank you to those who responded to my previous article “Can You Hear

Me Mother”; a total of fourteen members supplied their email addresses.

Fourteen out of over three hundred members may not sound a lot but it‟s the

biggest response I have received since I started writing in the Chester Packet. So

don‟t be shy, please feel free to get in touch with your Branch with any

concerns or suggestions you may have. Communication has become more

relevant so if you have not already done so please let IWA have your email

address.

A Happy New Year to all our members.

Brian Phillips [email protected]


REGION CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

Things continue to move apace on the political front, as they must if the target date of

April 2012 for the new charity is to be achieved. Firstly the title and, even more im-

portant in these publicity driven times, the logo has been announced. .

The perceptive will note that the word „and‟ has been sidestepped in favour of an amper-

sand to avoid the acronym becoming CART, which would keep Sue Day of the Horse-

boating Society happy but could lead to unfortunate comments

Things continue to move apace on the political front, as they must if the target date The

perceptive will note that the word „and‟ has been sidestepped in favour of an ampersand

to avoid the acronym becoming CART, which would keep Sue Day of the Horseboating

Society happy but could lead to unfortunate comments.

There have been concerns, and doubtless whatever I say will not be effect them, that this

rebranding will divert precious funds from a cash strapped organization but we are in-

formed that the agency that designed the logo, and I understand they did not pinch it

from a well known brand of matches, did it for free. It is also stated that the matter of

relabelling vehicles, signs and other equipment etc will be undertaken as they fall due for

refurbishment or replacement. For example all new vans recently purchased have been

left plain white so that they can easily be badged up with the new artwork. I can state

from experience that this is now a matter of sticking transfers on rather than expensive

signwriting.

It will not escape your notice that the above is full of „I understand‟ and other escape

clauses; personally I am not particularly guided by presentation, or hope I‟m not, and

consider that the body of the entity is more important than the coat it‟s wearing. Whether

one likes the logo or not is a matter of taste; the official line is that the word

„Waterways‟ was ambiguous, and that there is a need to identify the new body as distinct

from the old British Waterways. The inclusion of Environment Agency waters into the

new body is still on track for 2015 and the initial dislike of the prospect by the Thames

boaters may well have been tempered by the swingeing cuts in EA‟s navigation budget

which are biting very deeply.

What does remain a regrettable fact is that the funding for C&RT still looks inadequate

and the IWA is continuing to press this truth on the interim trustees, and all interested

parties. At the autumn‟s party conferences, the IWA took the opportunity of some pri-


vate time with the Waterways Minister to press the point. The new Trustees have been

named I had a chance of a brief chat with John Dodwell, the „boaters‟ friend‟ trustee in

Cardiff at the Assembly All Party group recently, and he is well aware. That said the

even more savage cuts imposed on EA and other agencies shows that were the future to

lie within DEFRA as at present, the future would be far bleaker. However as I say the

funding issue remains critical and the IWA, both nationally and locally is campaigning

hard.

On a local front there has been a major change as well and I welcome the former Mer-

seyside Branch members to their first issue of this newsletter. The Merseyside and West

Lancs branch, to give it its full title, has not been prospering for some time, and so they

have become a „group‟ within Chester and District branch; the hope is that full member-

ship can be restored if there is enough activity to warrant it and the situation can be re-

viewed in a year‟s time, but in the meantime the members and National Trustees think

this is the best solution. Those with long memories will be aware that there was a single

branch some years ago, until Chester was active enough to stand on its own feet.

One of the most important elements of the new Charity is the establishment of the Area

Committees which will be consultative bodies advising the local waterways managers

and engaging with them, in the modern parlance, in the management of the area . There

will also be a separate national committee for Museums, reflecting the fact that the Wa-

terways Trust is to be integrated with British Waterways into the new charity, which

seems to me to make sense. If you think you can contribute by applying for these com-

mittees, the details will be available in November. In the BW North West area this part-

nership is already up and running but the rest of our region is covered by this second

tranche with the southern areas coming next year.

And finally as the days shorten and the temperature drops we move from activity on the

waterways to our winter meetings and social occasions; your branch goes to a lot of trou-

ble to arrange these and I recommend them heartily. In the spring we will also have the

round of branch AGMs and I hope to meet you there; meanwhile have a good New Year.

Alan Platt January 2012

The Editor is pleased to receive contributions to this newsletter from

members with or without photographs. Deadline for next edition of the

full newsletter is 3 September 2012. Shorter articles are welcome for the

Chester Flyer which is published in May—deadline 2 April 2012.


The horse-drawn narrowboat Saturn is the last surviving Shropshire Union Fly-

boat in the world. Over 100 years old, she is a unique survivor of the fast canal

boats that ran non-stop, day and night, to deliver perishable goods throughout

north-west and midland waterways. A full history is available on request. The

Shropshire Union Fly-boat Restoration Society is a registered charity set up to

restore a fly-boat and in a partnership with British Waterways North Wales &

Borders Waterways – as The Saturn Project – has fully restored Saturn to her

originally historic glory. She now operates as an educational and promotional

facility, teaching new generations about horse-drawn fly-boats, their history and

traditions and also publicising Britain’s waterways. Saturn was fully restored at a

cost of over £80,000.

Saturn Project receives £4,000 Grant

The Saturn Project has received a major grant of £4,000 from The Waterways Trust.

The grant will be mainly used towards the Shropshire Union Fly-boat Restoration Soci-

ety‟s (SUFBRS) future educational programme, including visual aids, for which a Her-

itage Lottery grant application has recently been turned down.

Funding will also go to the provision of special white cloths - with the dual purpose of

being a traditional fitting on cheese fly-boats and will also provide wet weather shelter

for school visits. Part of the money will also be used for the future plans by SUFBRS

for more horse boating and go towards the cost of Saturn’s planned maintenance.

Speaking about the grant, The Waterways Trust chief executive Roger Hanbury said –

“We are delighted to be able to provide this support to Saturn. This project helps open

up the story of our waterways, keeping alive the traditions and culture of the canals for

future generations to enjoy and learn from. This grant has been made possible due to

the generous support of Tony Hales CBE.”


The overhaul of Saturn on Ellesmere Dock has just been completed and

SUFBRS would like the thank Craftmaster Paints for again providing the paint

and our partners BW North Wales & Borders Waterways for the use of the

dock. Boatbuilder Adrian Polglase and the Project‟s boat manager, artist Tony

Lewery, worked with and guided and directed the volunteers.

Despite the lack of schools‟ funding the Saturn Project has had another

successful year and is planning what looks to be a very interesting programme

for 2012.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT –

Harry Arnold 01283 790447 (m) 07885 310348 (e) [email protected]

Photograph courtesy of WATEWAYS IMAGES showing Shropshire Union Fly-

boat Restoration Society volunteers repainting Saturn on Ellesmere dry dock

It should be noted that the views expressed in this publication are not necessarily

those of the IWA. They are published as being of interest to our members and

readers. The IWA is a registered charity No.212342.

mailto:[email protected]


NORTH WALES AND BORDERS WATERWAY SPRING USER FORUM HELD

ON THURSDAY 13 OCTOBER 2011 AT DODINGTON LODGE HOTEL,

WHITCHURCH.

The latest British Waterways Customer Forum was attended by the

Branch Chairman and Vice Chairman. Some of the questions and

answers relating to Chester Branch area are given below:-

Q What is BW’s policy about consultations about facilities for

boaters, before such facilities are introduced, withdrawn or

changed?

R Yes, BW does have a policy called Local and Stakeholder

Consultation which covers matters of policy or policy

implementation if there were any key changes to facilities or the

installation of new ones such as the new service block at Tower

Wharf, where local user groups were consulted to discuss the

facilities required, which did not include a washing machine.

Q. SUC Dee Branch. The Waterscape website shows the procedure

for booking passage but apparently access is prevented by silt.

Can you confirm the situation?

R Although Waterscape does show the procedures for booking

passage access is currently prevented by silt. Discussions are in

progress with Cheshire West & Chester Council, the Environment

Agency and other parties to bring funding in to get this section re-

opened to navigation. However if these do not reach fruition the

information being given on Waterscape will have to be reviewed.

Q. Weaver Lock Manning in 2012. Is it anticipated that the Weaver

locks will continue to be manned and open as per 2011?

R We did attempt once again to work with both our full time staff and

our seasonal staff to look at increasing availability of the busier

locks on the Weaver at least through the summer months. There

was once again very little co-operation from the team in this regard

which will mean a stronger approach will be required over this

winter to establish what can be achieved next summer.

Q Official Visitor Moorings—time limits. Any progress since

April?


R Increased problems over the summer months have now forced

our hands and we have no choice but to commence the process

of installing restriction signs for the duration of mooring along

the navigation. It‟s just a shame that the few have once again

spoilt it for the many!!

Q Vale Royal Barge Lock—when will the lock be usable? R Work is scheduled to be commenced week commencing 14

November with completion by the end of November. Divers are

scheduled to attend the lock at the end of October to assist in

repair and reinstallation of sluice paddles to the lock. Completion

of these works will enable re-use of this lock.

CHESTER BRANCH WELCOMES THE FOLLOWING NEW

MEMBERS:

Mr Andy Wood, Wirral

Mr C Donovan and Mrs R Forrester, Cheadle

Mrs S Ingham, Wirral

Mr and Mrs J Pugh, Chester

Mr J and Mrs E McCavery, Liverpool

Mr H and Mrs G Carman, Northwich

Mr M and Mrs J Griffiths, Neston

Mr N Hughes, Birkenhead

Mr R M Hunter and Mrs P Lloyd, Northwich

Mr D Babbs, Chester

Mr T P Bardley, Chester

Mr P Hardy, Birkenhead

Mr P Wolf, Rode Heath

We look forward to meeting you all at our meetings at

the Boat Museum (see programme on Page 24) and on our

monthly Branch walks (details on Page 23)


Four Countries Festivals ~ 2011

In the last edition of Chester Packet we read about some of the

exciting venues reached by Branch members. This time Jeanne and

Derek Smith tell us about their summer, trailing their Wilderness

boat ‘Olive’ to canal festivals in England, Ireland, Scotland and

Wales. We start their story with England and Wales and will

continue in subsequent editions.

England

We started the season with a visit to the Moira Canal Festival on the Ashby

Canal in South Derbyshire as they

have a very attractive site and it‟s

a favourite that we try to get to

each year, and we launched there

on Friday 20th May. We could

only manage to be there for one

day this year, as we had pledged

our support for the Hereford

Festival, which took place on

Sunday the next day so we

winched „Olive‟ out after the

Festival closed for the day on

Saturday 21st May.

We then made our way over to

Hereford, arriving around 9.00

pm, with just enough daylight to

launch and moor ready for the

next days‟ entertainment. Three

other Wilderness boats were

already there and our arrival just

about filled up the available

mooring space, as there is only

about ¼ mile of the canal in use.

The next day dawned bright, but

very breezy, nevertheless the

public turned up in their hundreds, delighted to see the canal once again in use

and a small trip boat made the most of the useable waterway, ferrying people

up and down all day.

Head of Navigation near Resolven, Neath

Hereford & Gloucester Canal trip boat to

Aylesbury Park, Hereford


Wales

On the Monday morning next day we had arranged to be at Neath (National

Trailboat Rally) for around 12.00 am, so we recovered „Olive‟ from Hereford

slipway at around 9.00 am and drove over the hills, along the Heads of the Valley

road to the launching site near Resolven. We encountered strong winds and road

works along the way, but managed to arrive at the slipway on time, which was just

as well as there was a reception committee waiting for us with press

photographers, to record the first ever pleasure boat to use the canal. We moored

at the Festival site for 2 nights, watching all the preparations, and on the

Wednesday, as it was a lovely sunny day, we cruised down to the start of the canal

at Neath. This involved going under some very low bridges, and through 4 locks,

but we arrived safely at the end of the navigable stretch around 12.00 pm, just in

time for the local press to take our picture, which they published next day in the

South Wales Gazette, much to the delight of the Festival organisers.

The Festival weekend, unfortunately, was rather wet, which meant the attendance

was down, although it did not deter the local people, who are used to the rain. We

had around 30 boats of different shapes and sizes at the Festival, the organisation

was superb and the entertainment included sheep herding, a male voice choir and

lots of music and dancing. We won a trophy for the best story board.

England Again We were home for most of June, so on the 1st July we towed the boat down to

Stratford-on-Avon for their festival, which was another fantastic weekend, with

good weather, lots of boats, a BBQ and free entry to the music site. As we had

also entered the Evesham Festival a week later, on the Monday we cruised up to

Alveston Weir, which is as far upstream as it is possible to go at present, and from

there we went all the way back down the Avon to the start of the navigation at

Tewkesbury, arriving mid afternoon Wednesday. This gave us time to look

around the Abbey and town, departing on the Thursday morning to cruise back in

time for the Evesham Festival where we arrived mid afternoon on the Friday.

DID YOU KNOW

THAT THIS NEWSLETTER IS NOW PRINTED IN FULL ON

THE IWA WEBSITE?

JUST CLICK ON THE ‘REGIONS AND BRANCHES’ TAB,

THEN ON ‘NORTH WEST’ AND ‘CHESTER & DISTRICT’

TO SEE THIS MAGAZINE IN FULL COLOUR


Association of Pleasure Craft Operators

Hotel Boats honour River Weaver Lock Keeper with top APCO award

The Hotel Boat section of the Association of Pleasure Craft Operators (APCO) has awarded their prestigious Lock Keeper of the Year award for 2011 to Bryn Jones, British Waterways‟ lock keeper at Saltersford Locks on the River Weaver Recipients are nominated and voted for by all APCO Hotel Boat operators so that they can recognise the support and assistance they receive from the people working „on the ground‟ as they take holidaymakers around Britain‟s inland waterways. The award was presented at the Association‟s recent national AGM, held this year in Llangollen at a hotel beside the River Dee, with views to the town‟s historic canal wharf and horse drawn trip boats. Neil Thomsett and Gill Cookson, joint Chairmen of the Hotel Boat section of APCO, presented the award to Bryn, who was joined by British Waterways North Wales & Borders colleagues Wendy Capelle (Waterway Manager) and Stephen Maguire (Customer Service Supervisor). Neil thanked Bryn for all his hard work, great humour and invaluable information, commenting, “The Weaver navigation is such a lovely river – beautiful Cheshire countryside, fascinating industry and the drama of descending the Anderton Boat Lift and entering the vastness of Saltersford Lock. Bryn is always on hand to answer holidaymakers‟ questions and help hotel boat crews as he works us through. Saltersford is a big deep lock and our safety is paramount for Bryn, whilst he imparts amazing statistics and history to our clients marvelling at the 1.4 million gallons of water the lock holds. Meanwhile he is a fantastic ambassador for the area around the Weaver, showering holidaymakers with tourism information and guiding us to local amenities. Plus anything he doesn‟t already know he will find out and pass on as we return up river! A great welcome, a wealth of information and fantastic support in maintaining our schedules as hotel boat holidaymakers enjoy the excitement of the River Weaver.” Bryn has worked for British Waterways for almost 30 years and has over 20 years experience as a Lock Keeper. He is familiar with the whole of the River Weaver navigation, working as relief lock and bridge keeper before taking responsibility for Saltersford Locks. Bryn was delighted to receive the award explaining, “I am honoured to win the award on behalf of the Weaver team, it is a first for the river and it is wonderful to hear how the experience of boating the River Weaver and the service that BW give is so appreciated by the hotel boat holidaymakers and crews.”

28 November 2011


Lock Keeper Bryn Jones (centre) is presented with the APCO Lock Keeper of

the Year Award by Neil Thomsett and Gill Cookson, joint Chairmen of the Hotel Boat section of APCO, with British Waterways North Wales & Borders colleagues, (right): Wendy Capelle, Waterway Manager, and (left): Stephen

Maguire, Customer Service Supervisor. Photograph by WATERWAY IMAGES

The APCO Lock Keeper of the Year award was founded in 1997, inspired by the service given by Esme Dowling, Lock Keeper at Napton locks 1957 – 1988. Recipients are nominated and voted for by all APCO Hotel Boat operators so that they can recognise the support and assistance they receive from the people working „on the ground‟ as they take holidaymakers around Britain‟s inland waterways.

For further information and interviews please contact: Harry Arnold - Waterway Images 07885 310 348 [email protected]


BOAT SAFETY REMINDER Boat Safety Scheme 64 Clarendon Road Watford WD17 1DA Tel: 01923 201278 Email: [email protected] Website: www.boatsafetyscheme.com Dec 2011 NR 002.11 Boater removes battery from his smoke alarm and has a close brush with death ‘Fit a smoke alarm and keep it working’, is the blunt advice from the Boat Safety Scheme following a recent boat fire where the owner was potentially only seconds away from death. The live-aboard boater had no early warning when he awoke in the middle of the night to find his home was filling rapidly with toxic smoke. The solid fuel stove in the saloon had set fire to the boat’s lining and he had previously removed the battery from his smoke alarm. By the time he had realised what was happening, he had to crawl out of the boat on his chest to keep below the level of the smoke. In less than a minute after his escape, flames filled the cabin as he stood on the towpath calling 999. According to the Fire Kills campaign, toxic smoke will affect your ability to breathe and cause you a drowning sensation; with just two to three breaths of toxic smoke in a boat fire, you could be unconscious, so every second counts when you need to escape. BSS Manager, Graham Watts said: ‘Whilst this boat owner has lost all his possessions, luckily he still has his life. Boaters have died from smoke poisoning when fires developed as they slept and a working smoke alarm could have alerted them to escape. ‘If you sleep aboard, give yourself a chance to escape a fire, fit a smoke alarm and test it weekly when you’re using the boat. Also if your alarm regularly goes off when you’re cooking, replace it with one that has a hush button that stops the alarm from sounding while you make the toast or fry the bacon! These alarms are cheap and easy to buy from online suppliers, DIY shops and supermarkets. ‘The alarm of choice is an optical alarm with a long-life battery, a hush button, and one that is certified as meeting either BS 5446:2000 Part 1, or BS EN 14604:2005, so it should carry a ‘Kitemark’ or ‘horseshoe’ certification mark. Also, if you can’t hear it in the saloon while you are in the sleeping quarters, buy two, one for each end of the boat.’


BOAT MUSEUM SOCIETY—Diary Dates

Meetings are held in the Rolt Centre at the National Waterways Museum,

Ellesmere Port, at 7.30 pm

20 January The History of the Daniel Adamson

The UK‟s oldest passenger carrying steam ship and her

return to passenger service. An update from Tony Hirst

17 February Annual General Meeting and museum update.

16 March The Hardman’s House, 59 Rodney Street

A speaker from the National Trust where E Chambre

Hardman, the Liverpool photographer lived and worked will

tell his story.

6 April Canal Heritage—what should we be keeping?

(Good Friday) Mike Clarke will look at a number of diverse aspects.

Followed by a discussion.

16 May A Brummagen Lad.

Barrie Stanton, who has been involved with boats in the

Midlands since the 1960‟s will entertain us with his

reminiscences.

CHESTER CANAL HERITAGE TRUST Wednesday 1st February 2012

Saltney – Railway Gateway to North Wales—An illustrated talk by

Geoff Pickard tracing Saltney’s railway history from early beginnings right through

to the mid 1960s.

Wednesday 7th March 2012

Tales from the River Lock— A range of speakers will tell the story of

the River Lock, which connects the Chester Canal to the River Dee, from its early

days to the present, and explain the efforts being made to keep it open for

navigation.

Talks start at 8.00 pm in the Function Room at Chester Home Guard, Canal Street, Chester, CH1 4EJ

(Entrance and Car Park is off Canal Street, by the top of Northgate Locks, behind the Lock

Cottage, under the flyover.)

All welcome – CCHT and IWA members free, non-members £1.50


NO HIDING PLACE FOR LICENCE EVADERS

BW have reported in the latest edition of BW Monthly that two portable boats, to be based at Hatton and Northwich, will allow the enforcement teams to carry out offside boat checks where access is difficult. The battery powered boat can be carried to wherever it is needed on the back of a BW pick-up truck and launched in minutes. Training courses („Guddle training‟) are now taking place for the enforcement teams.

„JOIN US IN JUNE‟

a trio of canal based festivals for boaters to visit and enjoy:

Etruria Canals Festival 2-3 June

Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival 15-17 June

Northwich River Weaver Festival 21-24 June

"Join-Us-In-June" is a joint initiative by organisers of the

above events.

Full details will be posted on www.midfest.org.uk

Contact Dave Thompson 01606 833434 (office) Middlewich

Town Council

Further details on the Northwich River Weaver Festival can be found on page 22

http://www.midfest.org.uk


The Inland Waterways Association Chester & District Branch

The 26

th Annual General Meeting of the Chester &

District Branch of the Inland Waterways Association , will be held on Tuesday 13 March 2012, in the Tom Rolt Conference

Centre at the Boat Museum in Ellesmere Port.

AGENDA

1 Apologies for Absence 2 Approval of the Minutes of the 25

rd Annual General

Meeting and any matters arising from the Minutes. 3 Chairman‟s Report 4 Presentation of the Statements of Income & Expenditure & Assets, Liabilities and Commitments. 5 Notice of Committee size 6 Election to fill any vacancies on the Committee.

fFurther details concerning this meeting may be obtained from the website or by contacting the Branch

Secretary—details on Page 2.


You will have read on Page 3 our Chairman’s warm welcome to members of Merseyside and West Lancs Branch who are joining

up with Chester & District. On the next few pages we have pleasure in printing some news from ‘over the water’ which is of

interest to all of us.

“Mersey Flat” Matters

MANCHESTER SHIP CANAL Princes Foods has more than doubled its use of the waterway by signing an agreement to switch 6,500 20ft containers (TEUs) per year from road to barge after a successful trial. This will save 500,000 road miles and thus reduce its carbon footprint. The Liverpool docks to Salford Quays service started in 2007 and is best known for carrying Tesco‟s wine. The service doubled in capacity in 2010. Not everyone is happy! Councillors in Stockton Heath have been collecting signatures against Peel‟s plan to open a Port Warrington site and use the waterways for more travel – thus causing the bridges to swing more often. But not all support them and the local response is heartening, judging from a sample of on-line comments.... “when everyone is on about saving money and the planet wouldn’t it be good to reduce fuel on the roads, traffic and maybe even prices in the supermarkets by using a transport infrastructure that’s already in place instead of moaning about bloody bridges and don’t forget the jobs that it could bring to the town”

and “It is a working waterway and not a pretty waterway which happens to go through Warrington. If the canal was not used there would be no money to maintain it and it would fall into disrepair. I'm sure people would really start to moan about it then. We need the work and the money this will bring to the area together with keeping lots of traffic off the nation’s roads. The opponents of this just want their cake and eat it. They have a nice area to live in and a view of the water undisturbed by those nasty things called ships going up and down the waterway. We should be supporting this venture rather than trying to stop it!”

BURSCOUGH In October the Ormskirk Advertiser reported a new watering hole had opened in Burscough as the Packet House, formerly known as the Waterfront, has a new name and licensee with the lease being taken over by the Southport owners of the Bold Hotel. The emphasis will be on food and entertainment for families and couples and the primary aim is to upgrade the food on offer and they hope to supply plenty of local homemade and produced items being keen to support the local food industries. A full internal renovation has been complemented by external decking to form a canalside leisure ara. Further plans include an upgrade to

Good on them!


the building to provide accommodation in the near future. LYDIATE Rob Pattinson of the Advertiser reported in October that local residents were celebrating a “victory for people power” after the Lydiate Marina planning appeal was rejected.

PIER HEAD, LIVERPOOL Visitors to Liverpool are now able to see the city‟s iconic waterfront from a new and unique perspective. The 70ft x 13.5ft vessel “Floating Grace” is the new attraction as a pioneering restaurant canal craft which will offer tourists, as well as private hirers, the opportunity to cruise the new canal link and view the accompanying architectural highlights. Passengers will embark at Mann Island where the cruise will take them past the waterfront buildings into Princes Dock and up to Salisbury Basin and Stanley Dock before returning to the start point. They also intend to run match day cruises to home games at Goodison Park and Anfield. (They don‟t say which stopping off point they will use but that may mean the use of Liverpool Locks to reach the old Sandhills or Bankhall wharves). We wish the community social enterprise, Vauxhall Neighbourhood Council, every success in their venture.

Finally, with the onset of cold weather there may just be another attraction for hunters on the banks of the Sankey Canal The local St Helens Star reported that mink had been spotted by locals. One such spotter wrote in... “Just to let you know I recently spotted a mink near the canal. I was walking in to town and cut across Boardmans Lane and took the path that takes you behind the houses but level with the canal which is on your left hand side. The animal jumped out of the fence as I got near to it then ran swiftly back into the undergrowth. I was not sure as to what it was I saw, so when I went to the visitor centre at Sankey Canal to do a volunteer dig at the slitting mill I asked the rangers and they told me it was a mink and not what I thought it was....... an otter. I hope if we do have a lot of them around here and that everything will be done to protect them and clean the environment up as it is looking a little worse for wear.”

I don‟t know about protecting them as they can be devastating to local wildlife but we could always to with a canal clean up ...and if anyone‟s volunteering I know just the men to contact!

Cheers for now Dave Smallshaw

People in the area affected put together a petition of 250 names which was submitted prior to the appeal process and the decision was made as it contravened the green belt policy in Sefton. Other reasons in-cluded inappropriateness, harm to visual amenities, encroachment into the countryside and not maintain-ing openness in the process.


SANKEY CANAL REPORT

Brief History The Sankey Canal Restoration Society (SCARS) was formed in 1985. The principal aim of the Society is to achieve the full restoration of the Canal. To bring this about, the Society actively publicises and promotes the cause of the Canal, particularly in the three Boroughs through which it runs - Widnes (Halton), Warrington and St Helens. The Society supplements and supports the work the three Boroughs carry out themselves, particularly through their respective Leisure Services Departments, covering the canal‟s length. In their turn, the Boroughs have positive policies towards the Canal and its restoration. A Feasibility Study was completed in the mid-1990's. The Society acts as a consultative aid on various initiatives launched from time to time by the authorities. SCARS carries out a Restoration Programme throughout the year, often in conjunction with the Waterway Recovery Group which is the practical work arm of the Inland Waterways Association of which the Society is a corporate member. The IWA supports the Society's aims and is represented on its Executive Committee. From September to April, monthly Members' Meetings are held in Newton le Willows. These usually take the form of illustrated talks, covering the Sankey itself, restoration work on other canals in the country, and subjects of related interest to the Canal and the towns it served. During the warmer months, Guided Walks are organised along the Canal, and visits to other restoration projects are undertaken. The Society attends various Shows and Rallies in the region to raise the profile of Society activities and to further stimulate appreciation of the importance of the canal‟s contribution to the industrial and social heritage both locally and nationally. General News We were delighted to receive the news that Colin & Cynthia Greenall had been awarded the John Heap Salver (The prestigious IWA award for fundraising) at the IWA Annual general Meeting 2011.


Cynthia and Colin have been members of SCARS since its inception and for over 24 years have taken the Society‟s sales stall to various local regional and national rallies, not only raising over £30,000 for the restoration of the waterway, but also distributing and answering queries about the IWA and the waterway movement in general. Cynthia served for many years as the Society representative on the IWA North West Executive team, retiring last year, and Colin is still active at regional level and continues to head up restoration aspects on the Sankey Canal. Next Open Social Meeting St Patricks Club, off Newton Common Road, Earlestown , Thursday, January 26th at 7.30pm. “Boats and Boots to Woolston”. Discovering the Runcorn & Latchford Canal. All welcome. Contact [email protected] for further details.

Restoration Updates Mersey Crossing With the Governmental agreement to the new Mersey Crossing scheme, officers of the Society visited the recent exhibition in Widnes on the modified plans and looked for any detrimental effect on the waterway but found nothing untoward in the information on offer. Further investigations will become necessary when the detail in the actual construction planning process takes place. Blackbrook Heritage Site Work is nearing completion on the Stanley basin at the Blackbrook Heritage Centre. Following extensive work in landscaping the site new interpretation information has been introduced and public art works added to give the visitor some insight into the working origins of the site. SCARS has been party to the development of the site and worked in conjunction with St Helens Council and other local bodies on the project.

Dave Smallshaw



NORTHWICH RIVER WEAVER FESTIVAL

FRIDAY JUNE 22nd – SUNDAY JUNE 24nd 2012

Arrangements are now well under way for our forthcoming Rally, in

conjunction with our Partners, The River Weaver Navigation Society

and Developments of the Arts in Northwich (DAN)

Bookings for Boats are well up for this time of the year so if you

haven’t yet booked in please contact our Entries Officer, Mike Carter

– 0151-608-6113 Mobile 07795-617803 – e-mail

[email protected] to ensure you can get a mooring.

The Site is quite large so we are hoping for many traders to attend.

If you know of anyone who might be interested please contact Lesley

Taylor on 0151-342-6651 – Mobile: 07941-492288 –

e-mail [email protected]

There is going to be lots of entertainment, Wild Over Waterways

(WOW) for the children and many historic boats will be attending

during the weekend so even if you cannot come by boat why not visit

the site and join in the numerous activities that will be taking place

during the Rally? Don’t forget Entry is FREE

If you are coming by boat don’t forget to book in to go down the An-

derton Lift as it could be quite busy leading up to the Rally

For any further information please contact:

Lesley Taylor

Rally Secretary

Details as above




BRANCH WALKS

FEBRUARY - MAY 2012

All walks take place on the 4th Thursday of the month commencing at

10.15 am and are open to IWA members and non-members alike. Each

walk starts and finishes at a pub. Anyone requiring lunch at the pub at

the end of the walk can book his or her meal just before we set out on the

walk. Halfway through each walk we stop for welcome ‘bring your own’

refreshments

February 23rd – Chester

The Grosvenor Arms, 32 Handbridge, Chester CH4 7JE is the starting point for this new walk

which initially takes us upstream alongside the River Dee on The Marches Way, a long dis-

tance footpath which stretches from the railway station in Chester to Cardiff. The return half of

the walk uses an attractive old carriageway called the Chester Approach. The walk is 4.2 miles

long, mainly on the level. Map reference OS Explorer 266 407 658

March 22nd – Dutton

From The Tunnel Top, Northwich Road, Dutton WA4 4JY the walk heads south over Preston

Brook Tunnel before dropping down onto the towing path of the Trent and Mersey Canal.

Leaving the canal the walk passes through Longacre Wood. Using footpaths, bridle paths and

lanes, the walk returns to the pub after a distance of 3 miles. Map reference OS Explorer 267

537 794.

April 26th – Daresbury

The Ring O‟Bells, Chester Road, Daresbury WA4 4AJ lies about 4 miles south west of the

centre of Warrington. From the pub, the walk heads for Daresbury Firs, a wooded hillside lead-

ing down to the Bridgewater Canal. The walk alongside the canal provides distant views before

turning uphill on a narrow lane. From the top of the hill, more level walking with open aspects

takes us back to the pub after a walk of 3.5 miles. Map reference OS Explorer 276 579 828.

Additional interest: the „Lewis Carroll‟ church is opposite the pub.

May 24th – Church Minshull

Another new walk starting from the recently refurbished and reopened Badger, Cross Lane,

Church Minshull CW5 6DY. From the pub this 3.3 mile walk heads south to cross the River

Weaver and the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal before circling to rejoin the

canal before passing through Eardswick Wood onto Cross Lane for the return to the Badger.

There are about 6 stiles on the walk: one or two are tricky to negotiate. Map reference OS Ex-

plorer 267/257 666 605.


CHESTER & DISTRICT BRANCH PROGRAMME

JANUARY—JUNE 2012

Branch meetings, except April 2012, are held at 7.45 pm on the

second Tuesday of the month in the Tom Rolt Conference

Centre at the

Ellesmere Port Boat Museum 10 January ‘Property Development and how to do it right’ Mike Coates, BW Investment and Development Officer—Property Marcus Chaloner, BW Urban Design Manager—Property 14 February ‘Chester and its Canal – an Ambiguous Relationship’ John Herson, Chairman of Chester Canal Heritage Trust 13 March Annual General Meeting followed by ‘How the IWA Saved the Route to the Canal Port and What Happened Next’ Norman Stainthorp, former Conservation Officer to Ellesmere Port Council, and Boat Museum guide

**17 April ‘The Yangste River before and after the Dam’

Audrey Smith, IWA Vice President and former Chairman

**Please note this is the third Tuesday of the month due to avoidance of Easter week

8 May ‘A Good Day for doing the Wash’ Jennifer and Peter MacGillivray from IWA Chester & District Branch 22-24 June Northwich River Weaver Festival To take place on the River Weaver, Northwich, on the site of the

Floatel, in conjunction with River Weaver Navigation Society,

Developmen of the Arts in Northwich (DAN) and Broken Cross Boat

Club. (See details on Page 22).

October-May Waterway Walks A Branch waterway walk and optional pub lunch will take place on the

fourth Thursday of each month except December. See details on

Page 23.

Details of other activities such as lock winds and canal clean-ups can be obtained from

the Branch Secretary, Gillian Bolt, Tel: 0151 678 9300

Documents

The Chester Packet Jan 2012