2013 11 sfp

Autumn 2013Shroppie Fly Paper Page

Branch Calendar 2014This A4 calendar is full of fantasticphotographs of local scenes from theShropshire Union, Llangollen andMontgomery Canals and the River Severn.You can see it before you buy onw a t e r w a y s . o r g . u k /shrewsbury/2014_calendar. The perfectChristmas present or stocking filler for allcanal enthusiasts and nature lovers.

The calendar is now on sale at Aqueduct andOverWater Marinas and at the ShrewsburyChristmasCardShop inNovember for £4.50.If you are unable to visit one of these outletsthen please send a cheque for £6.10(including P&P) made payable to IWAShrewsburyDistrict&NorthWalesBranch to:Wyndcliff, Pen-y-Garreg Lane, Pant,

Oswestry, SY10 8JS. However it might beadvisable to phone first (01691 830403) tocheck copies are still available. The 2013calendar sold out very quickly and next year'scalendar hasmuch improved picture quality sois proving much more popular.

P l e a s es u p p o r tthe sponsors who have made it possible tokeep the price down: Anglo WelshNarrowboat Holidays, Aqueduct Marina,Bluerhodfa Consulting, web design andhosting, Cheshire Cat Narrowboat Holidays,Maestermyn Group (Canal Holidays andNarrowboat Inn), M & L Canal Services andMobile Marine Engineer, Mercia Marine (boatinsurance), Midway Boats Ltd, Moors Farm

B&B and Holiday Cottages, Morris Lubricants, OverWater Marina, VenetianMarina. If you visit or use one of the services provided by our sponsors pleasemention the calendar and hopefully they might sponsor again in the future.

Front cover: Bridge 31, New Mills Lift Bridge at Whitchurch in early July Photo: Michael Haig

Shroppie Fly PaperAutumn 2013

The Editor's cut...

After a summer indulging in the unfamiliar applicationof sun cream, your editor finds himself once morecontemplating the inner workings of desktoppublishing software and marshalling his diligentcorrespondents as we launch into this autumn editionof your branch magazine.

We have excellent news in this issue. Long-awaitedannouncements from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF)have confirmed that three of the restoration projects inour area are to benefit fromdevelopment grants.Details of theMontgomeryCanal,Shrewsbury Flax Mill and Llangollen Chain Bridge awards are on pages 8, 13 and15. These Monty and Flax Mill grants represent significant progress towards adecision by HLF to allocate the full funding requested for the projects.

Meanwhile the events team has been busy. The first of our upcoming events,announced on page 12, is our AutumnTalk onNovember 11. In the absence of theestimableJuliaBradbury (our friendsatShrewsbury&Newport CanalsTrust seemtohavesecured thebragging rights to hermembership),wehave turned toanotherTV presenter and documentary maker – the almost equally elegant though folliclydifferentiated Richard Vobes, a.k.a. The Bald Explorer. Whether or not you haveseenRichard’s entertaining and informative documentary on the restoration of theShrewsbury & Newport Canals, his stories about the making of the film promise tomake this a ‘don’t miss’ evening.

Details of ourMarchAGMarealso in this issueonpage7–atChirkMarina inWaleson St David’s Day, no less! As well as the essential business of reporting to you,our members, on your branch’s affairs, we have lined up another fine speaker andwill be able to enjoy the entertainments at Chirk Marina’s annual Open Day. Do tryto make the time to join us.

In a different vein, next spring we are planning our very own private brewery visit(sorry, it’s the visit that is exclusive to us, not the brewery!). See page 22 for theSocial Secretary’s call to action.

There is much more as well, including our Valentine's Night Quiz, but for the rest,as they say, Please Turn Over.

Next Copy Date: March 1, 2014 Printed by Downstream Print, Nantwich

Autumn 2013Shroppie Fly Paper

The Branch CommitteePresident Michael Limbrey, Greenfields, Weston Lane, Oswestry SY11 2BD

01691 654081 [email protected] Position VacantVice Chairman David Aylwin, Wyndcliff, Pen y Garreg Lane, Pant, Oswestry SY10 8JS

01691 830403 [email protected] Chairman Alan Platt, Argoed, Pen y Cefn Road, Caerwys, Flintshire CH7 5BH

01352 720649 [email protected] & Dawn Aylwin, Wyndcliff, Pen y Garreg Lane, Pant, Oswestry SY10 8JSMembership Sec. 01691 830403 [email protected] Denis Farmer, 8 Kingbur Place, Audlem, Crewe CW3 0DL

01270 811157 [email protected] & Peter Brown, 34 Waterside Drive, Market Drayton TF9 1HUPlanning Officer 01630 652567 [email protected] Officer Carolyn Theobold, nb Albion, The Wharf, Norbury Junction ST20 0PN

07976 250681 [email protected] Alan Wilding, Priory Lodge, 154 Longden Road, Shrewsbury SY3 9ED

01743 359 650 [email protected] Editor Michael Haig, 17 Nantwich Road, Woore, Crewe CW3 9SB

01630 647517 [email protected] Secretary Val Haig, 17 Nantwich Road, Woore, Crewe CW3 9SB

01630 647517 [email protected] Members Hugh Appleton, Ann Appleton, 1 Maes Dinas, Llanfechain, SY22 6YR

01691 828124 [email protected] Farmer, 8 Kingbur Place, Audlem, Crewe CW3 0DL01270 811157 [email protected] Hughes (General Secretary Committee for Wales)Ty’n y Coed, Arthog, Gwynedd LL39 1YS01341 250631 [email protected] Wilding, Priory Lodge, 154 Longden Road, Shrewsbury SY3 9ED01743 359 650 [email protected]

Branch Web pages www.waterways.org.uk/shrewsburywww.facebook.com/pages/IWA-Shrewsbury-Branch/388651831206061

Shroppie Fly PaperTheShroppieFlyPaper is the newsletter of theShrewsburyDistrict &NorthWalesBranchof The InlandWaterways Association with a membership of about 390. Nationally the IWA has about 18,000members and campaigns for the conservation, use, maintenance, restoration and development of theinland waterways. For further information contact any committee member.

Copy for the Shroppie Fly Paper is welcome by email, on disk or in manuscript form. Photographsmaybe in any common computer format or as prints. Please supply a stamped addressed envelope if yourequire photographs to be returned. ‘Letters to the Editor’ intended for publication are invited, as arecomments for the Editor’s private guidance. Copy and letters submitted for publication may be edited.

The InlandWaterwaysAssociationmaynot agreewith theopinionsexpressed in thisBranchnewsletterbut encourages publicity as a matter of interest. Nothing printed may be construed as official policyunless stated otherwise. The Association accepts no liability for any matter in this newsletter. Anyreproduction must be acknowledged.

The Inland Waterways Association is a non-profit distributing company limited by guarantee.Registered in England No 612245. Registered as a charity No 212342.


Rudderless...

It is fantastic news that plans to restore theMontgomeryCanal have taken another positive step with the awardof £160,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Thisis the first stage of a £3.7m bid prepared by theMontgomery Canal Partnership.

The bid includes match funding provided by severalorganisations including the Inland WaterwaysAssociation, Shrewsbury District & North WalesBranch. If the second stage is successful the fundsraised by our members selling cards, calendars* and organising 'lock-winds’ willhelp to restore this beautiful waterway.

I amalsopleased that theNationalAGM inSeptemberdecidednot to increase IWAmembership fees for at least another year. The Association had originally putforwardaplan toapplyan increase for2014 levelwith inflation.Members, however,conscious of above-inflation rise in many other areas including costs of boating,determined that IWA should show a lead and do better.

That was the good news now here is the bad. It is with great regret that thecommittee has accepted Carolyn Theobold's resignation as Branch Chairman.Wewere very pleased towelcomeher back to committeemeetings after her stroke(see 'From the Steerer' page 4 in the Summer edition) and understand that herhealthmust come first. However, we are not letting her go completely! Carolynwillstill stay on the committee and has agreed to take on the role of NavigationOfficer.On behalf of the branch committee, I thank Carolyn for all her hard work andenthusiasm while in office.

I have agreed to act as chairman until the AGM next March.

Elsewhere in this edition are details of the Maesbury Canal Festival 2014. Yes,work has started already and the web-site maesburycanalfestival.co.uk will soonbe up and running. Anyone that attended the previous festivals will soon bereceiving application forms.

David Aylwin - Branch Vice Chairman

•Talking of calendars, have you bought yours yet?


Region Chairman writes...

There are two issues of national political importancecurrently exercising the Association. The first is theeffect of the proposed HS2 rail development on thecanals. We are not a transport group as such andtherefore have no viewon themerits or otherwise of thescheme as whole. Although there are a number ofquestions being asked about its financial viability, whileit is still an ongoing project we will continue toinvestigate and campaign on the relevant points. Theproposed line has a crossing of the Middlewich Branchof the Shropshire Union and there is a potential impacton some restorations.

The other national issue concerns the postponement of the planned transfer ofEnvironment Agency navigations to CRT. This had been scheduled for 2015 andwas initially welcomed by the IWA as taking the national structure nearer to theRobert Aickman idea of a National Waterways Conservancy. It would also ofcourse expand CRT more into an overall navigation authority as opposed to arestructuring of the old British Waterways. The transfer is stated to be postponedrather than abandoned and we are campaigning to try to keep the idea in place aswe consider there is much merit in a national system.

On an internal note, you may well have read reports in the waterways pressregarding the IWANational Festival at Cassiobury Park inWatford. Despite beingheld in fine weather and in a picturesque location the event was not a success.There may be any number of reasons but in terms of the number of peopleattending and the financial outcome (announced at the National AGM onSeptember 28 as a loss of some £40,000) it was more than disappointing. Sincethen, yourTrusteesand theFestivalsCommitteehavebeen takinga longhard lookat the future of the event, and in particular at the proposed National at Stratford-upon-Avon in2014, aboutwhich therewasavery lively discussionat theAGM.Thecurrent proposals are that there will be a substantial IWA presence at Stratford,butthere will not be a National Festival as such in 2014. Options such as holdinga boaters rally over theAugust BankHolidayweekend are being looked at, and thelong term future is under review but it was agreed that the 'traditional' model is nolonger fit for purpose.

More positively, I am pleased to report that, despite the meetings and events thathavehappened, I havemanaged to get out andabout during the summer andhavehada couple ofweeks boating (inSeptember,when theweatherwasmixed)whichincluded a trip down the Monty and the Whitchurch rally.


Wehave experienced our best summer for quite some timeand apparentlywithoutthe water shortages that seem to traditionally accompany sunny weather. I trustyou have all been able to take advantage of the waterways and, as the eveningsdraw in, will manage to attend the events organised by your hard workingcommittee.

Alan Platt

IWA Shrewsbury District & North Wales Branch

Invite you to a talk on Saturday, March 1, 2014 by

Bob WilliamsLichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust

entitled"Lichfield & Hatherton Canals - Where are we now?"

at The Boathouse, Chirk Marina, Chirk, Wrexham LL14 5AD

Programme: 10.30am Coffee10.45am Branch AGM11.30am Talk by Bob Williams

Followed by an optional lunch and the opportunity to enjoy the marina's Open Day.


Notice is hereby given for the 2014 Annual General Meeting of theShrewsbury District & North Wales Branch of the Inland Waterways Association

to be held at The Boathouse, Chirk Marina, Chirk LL14 5ADon Saturday, March 1, 2014 at 10.45am

AGENDAApologies for absenceMinutes of the 2013 AGMMatters arising from the minutesBranch ReportTreasurer's ReportAdoption of AccountsElection of Committee MembersRegion Chairman's Report (including a question and answer session)

Themeetingwill be followedby a talk byBobWilliams. Wewelcomeall Branchmembers , particularlyanyonewho is interested in joining the committee or helping out at any of the events. If you are unableto attend theAGMbutwould like to join the committee orwould like further information, please contactthe Secretary, Dawn Aylwin, or any committee member. Contact details on page 4.


Membership Matters

We are delighted to welcome the following new members who have joined thebranch since the summer edition of thismagazine and look forward tomeeting youall at one of the forthcoming events:

Mr & Mrs Clayton from Porthmadog, Mr Cotton & family from Whitchurch, MrsCross from Tarporley, Mr & Mrs Dawson from Rhyl, Mr & Mrs Dickinson fromNantwich,Mr &Mrs Fowler fromNorbury Junction,Mr &MrsHill fromPontcysyllte,Mr Hynes from Church Stretton, Mrs Morton & Miss Gordon from Bala, and Mr &Mrs Wilbraham from Shrewsbury.

I recently discovered that at least one member did not receive the summer editionof this magazine. The Shroppie Fly Paper is sent out three times a year and if youmiss one please get in touch and I will post you a copy. The branch uses theaddress labels that are sent fromHeadOffice, is indebted to Clwyd Transport whovery generously stamp and subsidise the postage and finally reliant on Royal Mailfor delivery. So at which stage copies go missing is anyone's guess.

Dawn Aylwin

HLF Award Unlocks Further Monty Restoration

Seasoned supporters of the Montgomery Canal restoration have waited a verylong time for such good news as the recent announcement by the Heritage LotteryFund (HLF) that it will support a full bid worth almost £4million for restoration workwith a so-called ‘Phase 1’ award of £160,000.

The bid, put together by Canal & River Trust on behalf of the Montgomery CanalPartnership, an umbrella group comprising 14 partner organisations including theIWA and MontgomeryWaterway Restoration Trust, will enable the reopening of a1¼ mile stretch of navigable waterway from Maesbury to Crickheath, towpathimprovements from Welshpool to Llanymynech and the extension of the naturereserve at Aston Locks.

The significance of the Phase 1 award is that, without it, favourable considerationof full bids is unlikely whereas, having achieved a Phase 1 grant, the prospects ofsecuring the total bid application are immensely improved. The £160,000development fundingwill, amongst otherwork, enableCRT to employ a temporaryproject manager and a community development officer to manage a range of


volunteering and educational opportunities.

Following the latest announcement, Reyahn King, Head of HLF West Midlands,said: “This project will help bring the canal back to life as well as preserving rarenatural habitats found along its course. This is a great first step.”

Long-time restoration campaigner andour branch president Michael Limbreycommented: “Over previous years,grants from many sources together withdirect voluntary work have enabledimprovements to much of the towpathand the reopening of half the canal.

“Since thecanal hasbeen restored to themain road at Redwith, volunteers havebeen coming from all over the country towork on the next length. This lotteryproject includes extending therestoration to Crickheath, the next pointat which boats can turn. It will be veryexciting to see boats there nearly 80years after the canal breached.”

Previous contract restoration work ended at Redwith Bridge a few years ago andthe subsequent section to Bridge 84, Pryce’s Bridge, has been under restorationby volunteers from the Shropshire Union Canal Society with re-watering plannedfor May 2014. In addition, in recent years IWAWaterway Recovery Group (WRG)volunteers havebeenworkingon thenext length, rebuildingwharfwalling, clearingthe channel and testing experimental relining. The extension to Crickheath willleave less than two miles of further restoration to reach the Welsh border.

The line of the Montgomery Canal extends 35miles fromWelsh Frankton in NorthShropshire toNewtown inmid-Wales through thepicturesqueSevernvalley. Itwasabandoned after a breach in 1936, near its junction with the Llangollen canal, wasnot repaired due to low usage. Restoration has been underway for the past 45years, beginning in 1969with thework ofWRG (before it was formally named that),as well as SUCS and local residents. Readers may recall a 1986 move to ’Unlockthe Montgomery’ at a total cost of £14.5million for the whole length includingrebuilding 13 bridges and off-line nature reserves!

Alan Wilding

The current scene at Crickheath north ofBridge 85

Photo: Alan Wilding


Shrewsbury and North Wales hit century at Hurleston

Shrewsbury District &NorthWales Branch held its annual lockwind on July 27-28,choosing Hurleston Locks for the second successive year.

In mainly sunny and hot conditions,branch volunteers assisted morethan 100 boats to transit the locks inthe course of the weekend. Andmuch to the relief of all on such abusy weekend, no boats got stuck –a regular hazard in the very narrowbottom lock!

Our lockside gazebo did a brisktrade selling homemade cakes andpreserves as well as the branch’spictorial calendar for 2014,

sponsored by canal businesses in the branch area. Fresh local strawberries withcream proved particularly popular, especially with the passing holiday boats.

Wendy Capelle, WaterwayManager for CRT’s North WalesandBordersWaterways, visited thelockwind over theweekend and theIWA volunteers were ably assistedthroughout by CRT’s seasonal andvolunteer lock keepers on site.

We are very grateful to all thosewho made such generousdonations during the event,enabling us to raise almost £500 forbranch funds. Unfortunately our

stocks of items for sale ran lowwell before the close onSunday evening, otherwiseour fund-raising would have been even more successful!

We would also like to thank all the IWA members who contributed time, produceand bric-a-brac for sale and we would love even more support next year. Even ifyou did not have the opportunity to be there this year, we hope you will be able tocome and join us on a future occasion for this very sociable and fun event.

Michael Haig

A busy scene at the junction below Lock 4

Photo: Michael Haig

Photo: Michael Haig


Tugboat Ted

It has been an eventful summer for bears and humans. The last time I wrote wewere all desperate for some warmer weather as well as getting used to the idea ofselling Leo. The cold spring was putting potential buyers off but, in June, wesuddenly had offers and Leo was sold!

Being boatless takes some getting used to for all of us but trips in the campervanin this summer's weather have helped to compensate.

We think that the branch outing tothe Ellesmere Boat Museum withthe Friends of the MontgomeryCanal started the heat wave. Wecouldn't believe our luck whenabout 20 canal enthusiasts met onJuly 7 - the most "perfect" day for along time. Volunteers at theMuseum pulled out all the stops tomake the visit good and guides toldus about the buildings and some ofthe boats as well as opening thearchives. It was disappointing thatthe steam engine couldn't operateas planned but the company andtheweathermade it a good day out.

Ethelted and I were proud of our knitted friends who were present at the lock windand the Whitchurch Gathering of Boats to help raise funds for the branch. Theywerewilling to re-locate for 50p a time. A bonus for uswaswhen Leo's new ownersturned up and bought a bear to go and live on the boat - we know he will be happy!

Audlem has had a busy summer as usual. With music festivals, open gardens andthe transport festival, which this year had about 40 working boats present - thevillage was buzzing!

The Shroppie Fly, which has one of the prime positions on the wharf, valiantlysupplied a limited menu under difficult circumstances. Its kitchen is due for anupdate very soon and we wish the new managers, Mandy and Jordan, good luckfor the future. The improvements are due to be finished by October in time for thehumans to enjoy the pub’s open fire and improved facilities over the winter.

Some of Leo's bears head for a happy new home.

Photo: Denis Farmer


Shrewsbury District & North Wales BranchPresents

"Making a TV Film About an Abandoned Canal"A talk by film producer and TV presenter

Richard Vobes'The Bald Explorer'

Join us on Monday, November 11, 2013 at 7.30pmat

The Narrowboat Inn, Whittington SY11 4NUnext to Maestermyn Marina on the A495 between Welsh Frankton and

WhittingtonIf you wish to eat at the pub before the talk please contact The Narrowboat Inn on 01691 661051

for table reservations - food service begins at 6.00pm

“Richard Vobes' enthusiasm for heritage and history is obvious. His films include a visitto Welshpool Lock and a longer feature on the restoration of the Shrewsbury & Newport

Canal : with such an enthusiastic speaker we are in for a good evening!”Michael Limbrey - IWA Branch President

“For my latest film, the biggest challenge was trying to tell the complicated story of theShrewsbury canal network in as simple a way as possible for a lay audience, but without

alienating the enthusiasts.”

Richard Vobes - 'The Bald Explorer'

'The Bald Explorer' appears on the Community Channel (Sky 359, Virgin Media 233, Freeview 87 and BT Vision)and online at www.BaldExplorer.com


Heritage Lottery Funding for Shrewsbury Flax Mill

A first phase of redevelopment work is about to get underway on the historic FlaxMill/Maltings complex in north Shrewsbury thanks to nearly £13 million of HLFfunding.

The Flax Mill opened in 1797, thesame year as the ShrewsburyCanal, and ‘tub boats’ brought coalto the county town, being muchmore reliable than the earlier riverboats, and they carried away goodsfrom the mill.

Themill buildingwasa revolutionary‘fireproof’ cast iron framedconstruction – the forerunner totoday’s sky scrapers. After nearly ahundred years as a flax mill thepremises became a maltings for asimilar period. The ShrewsburyCanal was linked to the nationalnetwork in 1835 but abandoned in1944.

The redevelopmentwill concentrateon renovations to the buildings toinclude a heritage centre andcommercial accommodation but asubsequent phase will providelandscapeworks in front of themainbuilding including along the line ofthe former canal.

Published artist’s impressions show a ‘water feature‘ but local enthusiasts,including theShrewsbury &Newport Canals Trust, are determined that this shouldbe nothing short of a restored section of fully navigable canal.

Progress can be followed on: www.flaxmill-maltings.co.uk

Alan Wilding

Above - The Flax Mill in a popular period postcard(courtesy of Peter Brown), and below - a montageimpression of how the restored scene could look(courtesy of Alan Wilding)


Tyrley Tattle

In the last Shroppie Fly Paper I gave details of the new cesspit which the Trust hadbeen installing by the top lock at Tyrley. This had not been in use long before thedrain from the Elsan disposal unit was blocked, probably by someone flushingsomething like adisposable nappy.However, thiswas soonclearedby contractorsand the new system now appears to be working well.

Anewproblem thenarose, justwhenouresteemededitorwas takingonwater fromthe Tyrley water point one Sunday in late August. A whistling noise was heardwhich was especially loud near the old waterways cabin and we surmised that itmight be the newalarm for the cesspit to indicate that it was full. I was able to speakto the duty manager at the Trust and he gave me permission to investigate insidethe cabin. It was indeed the alarm and it had a mute button, which enabled me toavoid having our sleep disturbed by the alarm sounding all night.

The tank was checked next day and was found to be above the level of the alarmandacontractorwascalled toempty it, all theway fromEssex!Aweek lateranothertanker appeared and prepared to pump out the tank, this one came from Prestonand had to go twice to Manchester to empty its loads. It transpired that it actuallytakes three tankers to empty the cesspit and the alarm will not turn off until it hasbeen fully emptied. It is a pity that the residents here weren’t told about the alarmas none of us really knew what the noise was about and it could have sounded forseveral days if the Trust hadn’t been notified.

Another more serious incident occurred here when a lady skidded on the slipperywet step at the bottom of the lock and landed in the cut instead of on her boat.Fortunately, shedidn’t suffer serous injury and theTrust quickly installed anon-slipgrating on the offending step to prevent a repetition of the accident.Water leakagefrom the locks on to adjacent walkways appears to be getting a more widespreadproblem as the system gets ever older. I’m told that the Trust do try to minimise itby pressure grouting the area but although this sometimesworks it is by nomeansa guaranteed cure.

The week preceding the August Bank Holiday, a peak time for pleasure boating,saw the 48-hour moorings here completely occupied by boats that stayed for farin excess of the 48-hour limit. Too bad for those expecting to stop here overnightand unsurprisingly just when the enforcement officer was on holiday - howdid theyknow?

As mentioned last time, my new neighbours’ narrowboat Armadillo has now beenmoored on the Wharf which, as predicted, has produced some interestingmanoeuvres by boats trying to turn. Nowwe are also looking to move house in the


not too distant future so perhaps our boat may not be replaced on the Wharf.

The late spring has had some unusual consequences in the garden with most ofthe produce later than normal. There is a huge crop of apples but very few pearsand the old damson trees too have borne a large crop. Unfortunately the samecannot be said of the much newer “Merryweather” tree which only managed fourfruits. It seems unlikely that it was due to poor pollination as the bees have beenout in force and have produced a very good quantity of honey, in marked contrastto last year when they had almost none.

On thewildlife front, weare getting a lot of fox activity andwehope that thiswill helpto keep the mice under control. As usual, the grey squirrels have stripped thewalnut tree before the nuts are fully grown. The only consolation is that we did pickagoodnumber of the immature fruits to pickle. Theyalso clearedourMirabelle treebut fortunately we had picked most of them before the squirrels noticed the fruit.

We now await the winter and look forward to seeing the bottom gates of the lockreplaced, as the existing pair are rapidly approaching the end of their life. Theymust havebeenmadewithabadbatchof timberas remedialworkhad tobecarriedout to replace rotten wood on one of the balance beams only a few months afterthey were installed.

Richard Hall

Lottery Funding for Llangollen

Restoration of the historic Llangollen ChainBridge has been given the go ahead thanksto a £350,000 grant by the Heritage LotteryFund.

The fundingwill allow for refurbishmentworkto begin on the bridge and reopen it to thepublic after being closed for 30 years.

The current bridgewas constructed in 1929, although the original was built in 1817by a local coal merchant looking to open a cheap transport route across the RiverDee and it enabled the passage of coal from the Llangollen canal across the river.The grant has been awarded to Llangollen Town Council and LlantysilioCommunity Council who have been seeking funds to carry out the bridge's repairssince2007.Following thecompletionofdevelopmentwork,madepossible throughHLF funding, a 12 month restoration project will now commence.

The Chain Bridge Photo: Peter Brown



Diary 2013

November 3 Rag Rugging course at Audlem Mill. For details and to bookcall Audlem Mill on 01270 811059.

November 11 Autumn Talk at 7.30pm the Narrowboat Inn, Whittington.Richard Vobes (The Bald Explorer) on "Making A TV Filmabout an Abandoned Canal" (The Shrewsbury & Newport).See page 12.

December 1 Winter Fair at Church Minshull Aqueduct Marina, 11.00am -4.00pm. Call Aqueduct on 01270 525041 for details.

December 7 Welshpool Winter Festival - Christmas street market, charityand craft stalls.

December 9 Branch Business Meeting at 7.00pm at the Narrowboat Inn,Whittington. Members are very welcome to attend but pleasereconfirm the date and time with any Committee member inadvance.

Diary 2014

January 4 Branch Winter Walk from Nantwich to Barbridge. See page 25.

February 10 Branch Business Meeting at 7.00pm at the Narrowboat Inn,Whittington. Members are very welcome to attend but pleasereconfirm the date and time with any Committee member inadvance.

February 14 Valentine's Quiz Night at the Narrowboat Inn, Whittington.Come and pit your wits against the other teams. See page 23.

March 1 Branch AGM and Talk at Chirk Marina. See details on page 7.

March 8-9 Boat Fender Making course at Audlem Mill (2 day course). Fordetails and to book call Audlem Mill on 01270 811059.

March 23 Rag Rugging course at Audlem Mill. For details and to bookcall Audlem Mill on 01270 811059.


April 6 - May 4 Canal Art Exhibition at Audlem Mill. www.audlemmill.co.uk.

April 14 Branch Business Meeting at 7.00pm at the Narrowboat Inn,Whittington. Members are very welcome to attend but pleasereconfirm the date and time with any Committee member inadvance.

April 17-21 Nantwich Jazz, Blues & Music Festival. www.nantwichjazz.comfor details.

May 2-5 Norbury Canals Festival. All boats welcome - boaters' mealand goodie bags. For boat bookings contact harbourmasterRay Buss at [email protected] or 07981 334282.

May 6 Branch private tour of Joule's Brewery, Market Drayton. Seepage 22 for more details and to find out how to book yourplaces for a fascinating and fun evening.

May 23-26 Audlem Festival - music and arts events across the village.www.audlemfestival.com.

May 24-26 Crick Boat Show, Crick Marina, Northants.www.crickboatshow.com.

June 6-8 IWA National Campaign Festival, Tower Wharf, Chester.Details from Rally Secretary, Lesley Taylor [email protected].

June 13-15 Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival. www.midfest.org.uk fordetails.

July 26-27 Audlem Festival of Transport and Gathering of Historic NarrowBoats. For boat bookings call Peter Silvester at Audlem Mill on01270 811059. Space is limited to 40-45 historic boats.

September 6-7 Maesbury Festival. Can you help? Please see the appeal forvolunteers on page 29.

Branch TreasurerWe still seek an enthusiastic and numerate volunteer to work with the existing Treasurerpreparing and keeping accounts for branch meetings and head office records with a viewto eventually taking over full responsibility. Call Denis on 01270 811157 for details.


CRT Stoppage and Repair Plan 2013-14

Canal & River Trust has announced its planned programme of repair works for thewinter period, requiring a number of stoppages across our branch area as listedopposite. For enquiries and information updates consult the stoppages pages atwww.canalrivertrust.org.uk or call the NorthWales & BordersWaterways regionaloffice through CRT’s central telephone number, 0303 040 4040.

On the Shropshire Union Main Line – there are no planned stoppages on theMiddlewich Branch – all stoppageswill take place beforeChristmas for the secondyear running. This has caused understandable concern, especially among somecanalside businesses.

In response, CRT has explained: “Our stoppage rationale has been to maintain aNorth-South route whilst accommodating major work schemes. Our major worksteam requested the maximum number of weeks possible to undertake repairs toboth Chirk and Whitehouse's tunnels on the Llalngollen Canal. This necessitatedmoving theShropshireUnionstoppages tobeforeChristmasandcoordinatingwithour neighbouring waterway units to plan their stoppages to maintain the North-South route. Next year wewill commit to undertaking stoppages on theShropshireUnion Canal post Christmas.”

Readers concerned about width issues atHurleston Lock 4 (which is well known as oneof the narrowest locks on the entire system)may be interested in this comment from CRT:“OurCentral EngineeringTeamaremonitoringthe bottom lock to fully understand the reasonsfor any current movement. We are alsoworking with a number of user groups and willbe discussing our findings and engineeringsolutions with them in December 2013.”

In fact, themeeting is scheduled for December10 and a representative from the branchwill bepresent.

On a positive note, the repairs at Hack Greento Bridge 86 and the lockmoorings below Lock2 are almost complete! Apparently there arestill some 'snagging issues' that need to be

addressed by the contractors, one of which is the surfacing around the bollards atthe lock mooring (see photo).

Lock mooring below Hack Greenbottom lock, October 7, 2014.


Shropshire Union Canal

Stoppage: Tyrley Lock 104 - 29 Nov 2013Replacement of bottom gates.

Stoppage: Adderley Locks 1 to 511 Nov 2013 - 15 Dec 2013Repairs to washwall between locks 2 and 3. Repairs to washwall between locks 3 and 4.

Stoppage: Marsh Lane Bridge 91 Safety Gate09 - 15 Dec 2013Replacement of safety gate.

Stoppage: Nantwich Junction Bridge 92 Safety Gate02 - 08 Dec 2013Replacement of safety gate.

Llangollen Canal

Stoppage: Pontcysyllte Aqueduct20 - 29 Jan 2014Repair to cast iron handrails. The towpath is also closed

Stoppage: Grindley Brook Locks 1 to 603 Jan 2014 - 07 Feb 2014Replacement of Grindley Brook Lock 1 top gate. Replacement of Grindley Brook Lock 4 top gate.General repairs through lock flight.

Stoppage: Hurleston Locks 1 to 410 Feb 2014 - 07 Mar 2014Refurbishment of bottom gates lock 4. Replacement of bottom gates lock 2. Replacement of top gatelock 1. General repairs within lock flight.

Stoppage: Red Bridge 5806 Jan 2014 - 07 Feb 2014Shropshire County Council to undertake brick work repairs to arch barrel. The towpath is also closed

Stoppage: Chirk Tunnel20 - 22 Jan 2014Undertake Principal Inspection of tunnel.

Stoppage: Whitehouses Tunnel20 - 22 Jan 2014Undertake Principal Inspection of tunnel.

Stoppage: Siambra-Wen Bridge 45W06 - 31 Jan 2014Denbighshire County Council to undertake repairs to bridge. The towpath is also closed

Stoppage: Val Hill No3 Bridge 6606 - 31 Jan 2014Brickwork repairs below waterline on the wet abutment. The towpath is also closed


Contrasting Cruising on the Monty

We took Tamarind on the Montgomery twice this year, in early July and again inearly September on our annual voyagewith our friend Bryan, alias TheCabin Boy.I have some wonderful memories of our July trip, of the tranquility and the feelingof being a part of nature. I also remember a lovely evening when we sat out witha chilled white wine and watched the canoeists for over an hour at Queens Head.

Our September trip started well.Amy, the lock keeper, had done asterling job painting and plantingover the summer and the areaaround Frankton Lockswas lookinggood. But we were warned by aboater coming up the locks towatchout for the weed and we soon foundout what he meant! Entering Astonmiddle lock, Tamarind’s propellerbecame completely fouled with

weed. There was nothing for it but to go down the weed hatch before we couldproceed.Twentyminutes later, aftera lotof effort bymy twocompanions,wewereon our way again.

On our way back up we had to clearweed out of Aston bottom lock beforewecould empty it and then clear an island offloatingweed from in front of the top gatebefore exiting the lock.

And, sadly, Tamarind shows the marksfrom the overgrown towpath and offsidevegetation, which I am reminded of eachtime we clean her.

We heard quite a few of our fellow boaters complaining of the same thing and acouple of them said that they would not be back on the Monty again, which is sadto hear. Alan Platt also reported a few grumbles about the state of the Monty fromhis late September cruise.

The problem has been drawn to CRT's attention so let us hope for improvement.

Val Haig

Paddlesport canoeists at Queens HeadPhoto: Michael Haig

Frustrating weed at Aston Locks! (Val Haig)


All in a Day's Work…

…albeit an unusual one, even by the standards of the locks at Hurleston.

On this particular day in early September, Martin, the regular lock keeper, waswalking up from the junctionwith theShropshireUnionwhenhenoticed somethingsticking out of the bottom gates of the next lock. The lock was full and the hire boatinside was almost ready to leave the lock to continue its journey. But on closerinspection Martin realised the object sticking out between the gates was a rudder!So, obviously, the boat was not going anywhere.

How the crew did not notice the weird angle of the boat as they filled the lock, orthe creaking crunching sound as the trapped rudder snapped, or the turbulencecaused by the boat readjusting its equilibrium in the water, is anyone's guess. Itwas just lucky the boat did not sink in the lock.

Smart thinking solved the potentially tricky problem of how to remove the rudderwithout it falling into the canal and causing a blockage. Martin emptied the lock,lowering the boat to a level where he could manoeuvre the broken rudder onto thebackof theboat, beforehauling thecraft byhandup the remaining locks in the flight.

Themoral of the story? Experienced lock keepers likeMartin areworth theirweightingoldand longmayCRTcontinue toemploy them tokeepourwaterwaysworking.

Dawn Aylwin

From the archives - An incline for milk churns?

In 1922 Cadburys asked permission to make a wharf of one boat’s length, on theoff-side of the canal in Grub Street Cutting, to the north of High Bridge. Thecompany also wanted to construct an inclined lift upon the slope of the cutting toenable fullmilk churns to be transferred frommotor lorries standingon the roadwayto canal boats, and the empty churns in the opposite direction. Themilk was to betaken to their Knighton factory, 3¼ miles away.

The Shropshire Union’s Executive Committee agreed, providing Cadburysundertook to erect andmaintain the wharf, including dredging the canal there, andto pay a rental of £3.10s a year. But was the wharf and incline ever built? Theredoesn’t seem to be any remaining physical evidence.

Peter Brown


Visit to Joule’s Brewery, Market DraytonTuesday, May 6, 2014 7.00pm

Next spring we have an exciting and original social event for you.

We have arranged a private visit for IWA members and their guests to Joule’sBrewery in Market Drayton on Tuesday, May 6, 2014. For some of you this maycoincide with your return journey from the Norbury Festival or indeed form awelcome extension to it.

The Joule’s Brewery is at The Red Lion pub in Great Hales Street in the centre ofMarketDrayton, about 15minuteswalk fromBridges 62or 63 (and iswell regardedfor its Slumbering Monk, Joule’s Pale Ale and Joule’s Blonde – Ed.).

The evening will begin at 7pm whenwe gather in The Mouse Room forregistration and an ale tasting.

The Brew House tour will begin at7.45 and the Brewery requests thatyou wear flat shoes because of themesh flooring. There are five flightsof stairs to climb to the top of themalttower so probably best to keep thesampling to aminimumuntil after thetour! The Brewery does say thatalternative arrangements can bemade for anyone unable to climb thestairs, so please let me know inadvance of any disabilities so that Ican arrange this with them.

After the 35-minute tour you will be invited to sample the ale from the BreweryHandpulls followed by a Brewer’s Supper which consists of a giant soft white bap,filled with roast pork from the Joule’s herd at Fordhill Farm, with homemadestuffing, apple sauce and Joule’s Ale gravy.

TheMouse Roomwill be ours for the evening and the Brewery Tap bar will remainopen until 11pm for puddings, coffee, drinks or more ale.

The tour will cost £8 per person, which includes ale sampling and the BrewersSupper. Any puddings or additional drinks will be at your own expense.

Joule's Brewery, dominated by the malt tower

Photo: Peter Brown


Ladies, if you (like me) are not a beer drinker, don’t be put off. Female friends whohave been on the tour tell me that it is very interesting and the Brewer’s Supper isdelicious. And, of course, being attached to The Red Lion pub, there are plenty ofalternative drinks available (though you will have to pay).

Please let me know as soon as possible if you would like to join us as we have toachieve a minimum of 30 people attending for the event to go ahead. The £8 ispayable before April 1, 2014 and cannot be paid on the night. Please makechequespayable to IWAShrewsburyDistrict&NorthWalesBranchandsend themto our Treasurer, Denis Farmer, at 8 Kingbur Place, Audlem, Crewe CW3 0DL.

To reserve your places at what promises to be a very informative and enjoyableevening, please e-mail me at [email protected]. If you don’t have access to emailyou can phone me on 07976 280174.

I hope to see you on the night.

Val Haig

St Valentine’s Quiz NightFriday, February 14, 2014 7.30pm

As usual, The Narrowboat Inn at Whittington will be the venue for the Branch QuizNight. No excuses for forgetting the date!

As you will know by now, Val Haig has agreed to take over fromme as the branchsocial secretary. However, Val and Michael will (very sensibly) be away for someof the winter months in sunnier climes so Denis and I have agreed to organise andset the quiz.

This year, in addition to the usual mix of challenging and not-so-challenginggeneral knowledge questions, we have decided to include a speciality round on…Wimbledon! This will be an individual round set by our resident Wimbledon ace,David Aylwin, and he is offering as a prize a tube of three of the finest tennis balls.

Itwill be theusual formatwithameal beforehand from6.30pm-prior noticeof thosewishing to eat would be helpful. The quiz follows at 7.30pm.

It is a long way ahead so make a note in your 2014 Branch calendar and join usfor a fun social evening.

Contact Janet Farmer on 01270 811157 or email [email protected].


Top Award For Canal Leader Bernie Jones

Shrewsbury and Newport Canals Trust (SNCT) chairman Bernie Jones has beenawarded the IWA Christopher Power Prize 2013. The citation reads:

“The Christopher Power Prize for the most significantcontribution to the restoration of an inland waterwaywent to Bernie Jones who was elected chairman of theShrewsbury&NewportCanalsTrust in 2011, andsincethen has led this challenging restoration which coversformer canals of about 40miles length running throughthree local authorities. The Shrewsbury Canal andNewport Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal runfrom Norbury Junction through Newport andWappenshall to Shrewsbury, and include the first castiron aqueduct at Longden-on-Tern and pass alongsideShrewsbury Flaxmill, the world’s first iron-framedbuilding.”

SNCT has over 1,100 members with active support groups centred at Newport,Wappenshall and Shrewsbury. In September 2013 the Trust submitted a HeritageLottery Fund bid for renovations to the historic warehouse buildings atWappenshall. Match funding support has been committed by the IWA.

Christopher Power was a young waterways restoration volunteer who diedtragically. The award comes from a cash fund set up by his family and presentedto the Association. The annual prize is accompanied by a cheque for £985 and theOtter Trophy.

It is planned to make a formal presentation at the start of a SNCT members’ boattrip at Norbury Junction on Saturday, November 16, 2013 at 2 pm but meanwhileBernie has already decided to use themoney to buy a newwinch for tree removalsalong the canal.

Alan Wilding

Erratum - Ellesmere marina plans

In theSummer2013 issuewestated (page14, 'MarinasUpdate') that theproposedcomplexwas "pendingaplanningdecision".Wearepleased to be corrected - noplanningapplicationhas been made. The reference on the Shropshire Council website has the suffix 'SCO',which means 'scoping opinion'. We shall be more careful in seeking the guidance of ourheritage & planning officer in future!

Bernie Jones

Photo: Alan Wilding


Winter Walk : Saturday, January 4, 2014

This year the annual Winter Walk will be from Nantwich Basin to Barbridge, adistance of about fourmiles. The towpath, which has a reasonable surface but canbe a bit muddy in places, takes us from the original terminus of the Chester Canalout into the South Cheshire countryside, past Henhull and Hurleston Junctionbefore arriving at Barbridge, where the Middlewich Branch parts company fromwhat is now the Shropshire Union Main Line.

This section includes plenty ofinterest, with four canals built bythree different companies. Asusual, historical notes will beprovided.

We shall park at the OldeBarbridge Inn, which is just off theA51 (CW5 6AY for sat-nav users),then take the 10.40am Arrivaservice 84 bus towards Nantwich.The bus stop is on the main A51road, some300 yards from the inn,so allow plenty of time. The pub’stoilets will be available from about10.15 before taking the bus.Whenassembled at Nantwich Basin we will aim to start the walk by 11.00am.

Wewill arrive back at theOldeBarbridge Inn, which has a good selection of above-average pub food and good cask beers from the localWoodlands Brewery, in timefor lunch.

Peter Brown

“Camera, Action!”

Emmaemailed fromSpunGold TV. Theywere producing a canal programmewithTimothy West and Prunella Scales and were looking for a local historian: would Ibe interested?

I proposed Chirk Aqueduct as a good location—an attractive site on the England-Wales border with plenty of visual history. We exchanged more emails as I triedto agree with her what I should talk about but after three times round in circles, stillwe could not reach a conclusion.

Barbridge Junction in 1959, showing the elegantwarehouse that used to straddle the canal.

Photo: Edwin Shearing


I was given the date and time, and it was agreed I’d be picked up at the Poacher’sPocket. Theneverythingwent quiet for a fortnight until the duedate,whenwedrewinto the car park, met cast and crew by their Chirk Marina hire boat and I wasequipped with a concealed radio microphone.

Instructions followed: first I had to pretendtoarriveandbegreeted, thenwhile theboatwas going along, I was to chat naturally toTimothy (steering) and Pru (sitting) aboutanything that might be of interest. All veryvague.

Anyway, chat I did, tryinghard tobenatural,only to be told that I was talking toomuch toTimothyand ignoringPru. Thiswasdifficultto correct, as he was giving me cues andshe wasn’t!

The biggest problem came when Mike, thedirector, said: “That was interesting —could youdo it again?” I couldn’t rememberwhat I’d been saying, and certainly found itdifficult to resume a natural flow!

With several stops, we went along ChirkBank and over the aqueduct, tying up at thefar end. Then I had to walk away (twice)waving at the appropriate point and finallysay goodbye (three times, with a change oflens).

Impressions? The size of the team: six inall, plus theman from theboatyard;TimothyWest’s concernsabout continuity (wasPru sitting or standing in the last shot, were his trousers a different colour shadewhen he changed them?); how easy it was to ignore the camera and its operator;the vagueness of what was wanted from me. Later, thoughts about what I didn’tsay, or didn’t say clearly. And the knowledge that my three hours will finish up asone minute at most.

Peter Brown

Four hour-long programmes will be broadcast on Channel 4, probably in spring. One will cover theLlangollenandMontgomeryCanals, theothers theRochdaleandHuddersfield, theKennet&Avon,anda French canal.

Above: Timothy West and Peter Brownstare down the local wildlife (courtesy QuitaBrown)

Below: Unusual sights at Frankton Locks(courtesy Alan Platt)


Church Minshull Aqueduct Marina summer events raise over£1,100 for charity

Church Minshull Aqueduct Marina held two very successful events over theweekend of July 20-21 and raised over £1,100 for its chosen charities, ThePowered Wheelchair Appeal and the Shropshire Union Fly-Boat Project.

Themoney was raised through a ‘Boaters’ Bash’, attended by over 150, featuringa fish and chip supper and a live band on Saturday evening followed by a ’FamilyFun Day’ at the marina on the Sunday.

The Fun Day was also strongly supported and included a dog show, the ever-popular Cheese Boat and radio controlled model boats in the marina, courtesy ofCrewe Model Boat Club. The 107-year old Shroppie fly-boat, Saturn was alsopresent, giving an opportunity to view the last purpose-built fly-boat afloat.

IWAShrewsbury &NorthWales Branchwere among the other stalls on site duringthe day, explaining the work of the IWA to visitors and launching sales of theBranch’s 2014 calendar (see also page 2).

Ceremonial Opening of Upgraded Towpath at WelshpoolOver £1 million has beeninvested to transform 14miles oftowpath along the MontgomeryCanal between Welshpool andNewtown, connecting thecommunities of Berriew,Abermule and Llanllwchaiarnand benefiting the large numberof walkers, cyclists, joggers andanglers who use the towpathevery day. The improvementshave been completed through apartnership between GlandŵrCymru - the Canal & River TrustinWales, Powys County Council and Sustrans with themajority of funding comingfrom the Welsh Government.

The route was formally opened on September 30, 2013 by Rebecca Evans AM.

Photo: Maggie Ellis


Come with the Wind

It blowethwhere it listeth, andquite a lot of that is over theWelsh hills. Theproposalto harvest that wind has been the cause of much controversy (not to mention thesubsidy in our bills, or what we dowhen thewind doesn't bloweth!). Of course, IWAis only concerned about the impact on the canal, andwe leave the larger questionsto others.

The hearings into the proposals for five onshorewind farms inmid-Wales continuein Welshpool. It is the UK's biggest ever such inquiry and is expected to last untilnext May at the earliest. Powys County Council, thousands of residents and anAlliance representing 21 local groups oppose theschemes, arguing that the turbines and pylons willdisfigure the landscape and have an adverseimpact on tourism.

Of course, with the wind farms comes theconnection to the national grid. The objectors triedto get the inquiry to consider that proposal too, butfor some reason it is acceptable to consider theimpact of the mid-Wales wind farms without takingaccount of the connection without which theycannot work. So National Grid – the convenientlynamed company which runs the national grid – hascarried on planning the connection frommid-Walesto existing power lines at Lower Frankton: you willremember that they cross the Montgomery Canalbelow the Graham Palmer Lock.

It is over two years since the pylon proposals firstcame to our attention. Then we had a preferred corridor. Now National Grid hasannounced its preferred route within that corridor. From the north, it would runsouth-west from a connection some 300 yards west of Lockgate Bridge, movingaway from the canal, perhaps half-a-mile at the greatest. Pylons and canal wouldconverge south of theA5, and the linewould benear the edgeof the nature reserveat Aston Bottom Lock, crossing the canal by ParkMill Bridge and then going southalong the foot of Woolston Bank. National Grid says that the route seeks to limiteffects on the canal and to reduce the effect on Maesbury Marsh as much aspossible.

From this point the pylonswould keep away from the canal until they come to curveround Llanymynech Hill to a second crossing byWilliams Bridge, where the canalis on an embankment between Carreghofa Locks and the Vyrnwy Aqueduct. (We

© Ed Isaacs | DreamstimeStock Photos


are concerned about this crossing. This is a very special area of the canal, withviews up to the quarries of Llanymynech Hill, the very reason for its existence, sowe will be making more representations in the consultation which follows.)

One last observation, that National Grid remains very interested in the newlydeveloped T-pylon. This is lower than the conventional lattice tower, and as thename implies has a simple T shape. NationalGrid is looking at how the pylonmightbe coated (camouflaged?) and has recently announced that they will be used ona new line in Somerset.

Of course, whatever the outcome of National Grid's plans, the project will onlyproceed if the mid-Wales wind farms get the green light.

Michael Limbrey

Volunteers Needed for Maesbury Canal FestivalSeptember 6-7, 2014

The magnificent support from our volunteer helpers in previous years has been a majorfactor in making the Maesbury Festival such a resounding success. To build on that, wenow need our volunteers' skills again, to take over the responsibility for various tasks atthe 2014 festival such as:

Road management: control the access to and from the site, which is over a verynarrow hump-backed bridge.

Car parking: there are two sites to co-ordinate and unfortunately all the scout andguide groups in the area have camps during that weekend!

Stalls: welcome stall holders on the day, show them where to go and check safety, riskassessments and insurance cover.

Boat trips: collect and redeliver the CRT trip boat from and to Ellesmere and run thetrips. Volunteer(s) will have to have a helmsman's certificate.

Raffle: Collect prizes and organise the raffle during the weekend.

Contact Dawn Aylwin 01691 830403 or email [email protected]


Whitchurch Boat Gathering September 2013

The Whitchurch Boat Gathering held on September 21-22 was a very enjoyableevent. It felt a 'happy' event but that may be because I was happy, as the weatherwas glorious. I thank all the kind people who arranged that for us. Several haveclaimed the credit.

The spaces for stalls on the towpath were full up quickly this year and we resortedto shoe-horning stalls in on the plan. In the event, a couple of stalls didn't show upwhich gave us some breathing space. It can be chaotic when everyone is tryingto unload gazebos and get the stalls set up, as the entrance to the towpath isrestricted. All adds to the fun! Thankyou to the IWAstalwarts for bringing your stall,it was good to see you all again. Jigsmith played for us all weekend, which was alovely sound to accompany the buyers and sellers and gongoozlers.

We were very fortunate, thanks to members of the Boat Museum Society, to havenb Ilkeston from the National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port, very capablytowedbynbCanisMajor. Fortunately Ilkestonhadnoproblemgoingdown throughHurleston though the less said about coming up, the better. The Shropshire UnionFly-boatRestorationProject also kindly attended,withSaturnablymannedbyBobJervis. I know that all the working boats had a lot of interested visitors.

For the first time, thanks to a few hot and sweaty volunteers, we were able to offerfree boat trips and they proved a great hit with the public. Many thanks go to Canal& River Trust for the loan of their boat. We also did a 'bridge wind' and provideda donation bucket for grateful boaters to express their relief at not having to windit themselves. The lift bridgeused to be incredibly stiff but aftermany visits byCRT,it seems much improved.

The dog show was well attended with many dogs sporting rosettes and gnawingballs after theevent. It is good that visiting boaters aswell as locals enter their dogsfor the show. It was a good-humoured event with all dogs on their best behaviour.

The theme for the Best Dressed Boat competition was 'the Romans', asWhitchurch was once a Roman settlement known as Mediolanum. The contestwas won by nb Plover, ably assisted by Iain MacTavish and Clair Butler. Iain hadgone to town with a phalanx of Roman oarsmen complete with shields and oars.Very fetching! Sadly only one other boat had joined in with the theme with a hugemosaic of all things Roman, which must have taken ages to complete and wasexcellent as well. Our quiz, held during the boaters’ social evening and alwaysenjoyable, also tied in with the ‘Romans” theme.

Lindsay Green


Whitchurch Gathering of Boats 2013Photos courtesy of IJM Images

Audlem Festival of Transport 2013The pounds were full at Audlem as 38 boats attended this year's Gathering ofHistoric Boats on July 28, held to coincide with the Festival of Transport in thevillage. Audlem's gathering is unique, being the only such event held in the

middle of a flight of locks.Photos by David Williams, captions from "Historic Working Narrow Boats Today" by David Williams

and Peter Silvester.

From left: Electra, Ant, Jake, The Northand Elizabeth. Electra and Jake wereboth Thomas Bantock boats. Ant wasbuilt in 1959 by E C Jones of Brentfordand The North in 1925 by Yarwoods.Elizabeth, built as a butty for carryingcoal in Birmingham, was converted in1936 with the addition of a mahogonyand iroko passenger cabin.

Cowburn & Cowpar boats Swallow, left,built in 1934 and operated until 1948 andSwan, breasted up, built in 1933 andoperated until 1955. Swan entered privateownership in 1964 and Swallow in 1982.

Ibex, built in 1926 by W J Yarwood &Sons of Northwich

2013 11 sfp

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