ISSUE 124 Summer 2019

The “Friends” is Registered Charity No. 800282

Just add water! Clearance work has started along this isolated sectionof the Stroudwater Navigation near Fromebridge.

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EditorAngela Marks

13 Six Acres, Upton-St. Leonards, Gloucester GL4 8AYEmail: pandamarks@virginmedia.com

The Friends’ website: www.friendsofgwm.co.uk

The ‘Friends’ is Registered Charity No. 800282

Please send copy for the Autumn edition of Llanthony Logbefore September 1st.

Thank you

Page 3 Chairman’s Report Page 10 More from the Library

Page 5 Janet Illingworth-Cooper Page 12 The pain of Painswick stream

Page 6 Boaters’ Crafts News Page 16 An early season cruise

Page 7 March Talk Report Page 18 What are Katakanus?

Page 7 Alney Island Walk Event Page 20 Operation Dynamo

Page 8 Pat Harper Page 22 Friends’ Activities Programme

Page 9 April Talk Report Page 24 Contacts

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It has been a fairly uneventful year… untilrecently! As Friends of the National WaterwaysMuseum, Gloucester we have continued to supportthe museum in any way we could, whether it was

financial or simply lending a helping hand when required. More about ourachievements later.

At our committee meeting in March we received the shock announcementthat the Head of Museums for the Canal & River Trust, Graham Boxer, ismoving to take on another role. Graham has helped the Friends in the fewyears he has been with us, supporting us with the various requests wehave put to him. Meanwhile, it was announced that we shall have aninterim Head of Museums, Mark Evans. We Friends have arranged ameeting with Mark but details of that will be too late to include in myreport.

Sadly, I have had to accept the resignation from the committee of twolong standing members: Maurice Boye, our Speaker Secretary and NickDutton, Front of House spokesperson. Maurice has done an amazing job inseeking out speakers to come to the Museum to talk to us through thewinter months. This is not an easy task, especially now when the cost of aspeaker has risen quite a lot. Nick has been solid with his support andeven when things have been a little fraught, he is there with his keen witand dry sense of humour. I and the rest of the committee will miss them,my grateful thanks to both of them.

Recently we liaised with Museum management and agreed to fund thepurchase of several fold-up chairs. These are positioned around theMuseum for use by visitors when, for example, stopping to view one ofthe many videos on display. Thanks to our new Treasurer and diligentcommittee the Friends are in a sound financial position. There is always aneed for financial help and it is reassuring to know that funds areavailable to assist if required.

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One of the reasons we are in such a good financial position is thecontinued work done by the Craft Group. Once a month theydemonstrate their crafts at the Museum, plus the rope machine isbrought into use with young children eager to operate it to make theirown skipping rope.

Last year Jill Ruiz from the Craft Group came up with a novel idea. Sheencouraged Friends and Volunteers to form a group, with each personadopting an exhibit, then coming in on a regular basis to keep it clean.This has developed into a social occasion, whereby the group appearsabout every six weeks to spend a few hours cleaning and chatting.Visitors to the Museum love to see them at work and spend time talkingto individuals, thus learning more about life on our waterways.

Last year we began a new theme ‘Growing the Friends’, which providesan opportunity to visit somewhere and to socialize, also encouragingnon-members in the group to join the Friends. We had two successfulvisits last year: one to walk across the Severn Bridge (there and back)and the other to Gloucester Cathedral. This year we have plans: to visitthe Severn Area Rescue Association lifeboat station at Sharpness, awalk around Alney Island, a guided walk around Sharpness Docks andother events. Details of these can be found in Llanthony Log and at thispoint, I must thank Angela and Patrick Marks for their continuingsupport in producing a superb magazine.

I finish with personal thanks to Pat Harper. Pat is someone with a vastamount of energy, always ready to help in whatever way she can. We,the committee, were concerned that by losing Maurice as SpeakerSecretary, we would struggle to find speakers. Not so. Pat has alreadybooked a season of speakers beginning in September, so we should beable to produce a programme card during the summer months!

Thank you to our committee and a special thanks to all our members,who continue to support the Friends… without you there would be noFriends.

Chairman

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JANET ILLINGWORTH-COOPER

I would like to take theopportunity to say a few wordsabout Janet, who sadly passedaway in March. Friends who havesupported the Museum since thebeginning will remember Janet, afounder member of the Friends,as a strong character whotirelessly fought our corner.There was a time when she spentmany hours onmarketing/advertising for theMuseum, working very hard atkeeping the profile of the Museumin the public eye long before websites, facebook and such like. Iknew Janet for many years as shehad been a keen supporter of myCraft Group and I have fondmemories of her dressed as aBoatman helping on the ropemachine. Janet returned to live in

Canada 8 years ago where she devoted herself to her love of paintingand continued to show her work through various Artists Associations.We kept in touch through email as she liked to keep up with news aboutthe museum, especially as she was still receiving Llanthony Log afterbeing made a life member. She returned to Gloucester several times tovisit friends and we would meet outside the Museum and go for a coffeeand chat.

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We are well into planning our return visit to Braunston Historic boat rallyat the end of June, and when Pat sent off our request for a place in thecraft tent, we had very nice comment back saying that our group’spresence last year brought colour and cheerfulness to the whole event,and that they will be making a donation to us. We are very proud to berepresenting the Museum and are working hard to make it anothersuccessful year. We still have enough funds left from the donation to thecraft group from The Craft Guild, to help with the cost, as this is aperfect opportunity to promote the Crafts of the Narrowboat people.As well as our usual last Sunday in the month we have been in the museumdemonstrating on Gloucester Residents’ Weekend when there was freeentry, and also a day in the school holidays. We have been given theopportunity to do our demonstrating in the shop/cafe area and this hasproved to be very popular with us and the visitors, especially for thosewaiting for a boat trip.

Unfortunately we had to cancel our April rag rug workshop through lack ofinterest as it fell right on Easter which we didn't realise when we decidedon dates last year. We will be choosing a much earlier date at thebeginning of March next year. We still have a few places for our October13th workshop this year if anyone is interested.

Our talks are going well with a full calendar this year and requests arenow coming in for 2020. As a result of us giving our talk to The LocalHistory Association Forum in December 2017 we have done several localhistory groups with comments from one thanking us for 'such aninformative and colourful presentation' and another 'that it was asplendid evening - one of our best in 28 years'. Praise from these groupsmakes all the voluntary hours the 4 of us put into these talks very muchappreciated.

If your are having your wardrobe spring clean please pass on any Tshirtsyou don't want especially coloured ones for our rag rugs. You can just dropthem off at the museum, thank you.

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For our March meeting we were pleased welcome back Graham Hobbs fromthe Cotswold Canals Trust to give an interesting talk on the ‘Golden Valley’of Stroud.

Graham began by outlining the history of this area since time began. Seacreature fossils have been found as well as that of a dinosaur. Then camewe humans, between 4,000 to 2,500 years BC. The progressive age cycleswere explained including the bronze age, Romans, Saxons and the French.

The River Frome runs through the valley which helped with the constructionof the canal especially with the bed of natural clay here too. Today the areais not renowned for sheep farming, but during the period of the writing ofthe Domesday Book they were. Associated with the sheep were many millsinvolved in the woollen trade.

Graham finished his talk by showing present day images of the canal.

The next Friends event is onSaturday the 15 June, when therewill be a walk around Alney Island.Alney Island is surrounded by theSevern, and although it is onGloucester's doorstep many localpeople know nothing about it and

have never set foot on it. Part of the walk goes through Llanthony Lock- now filled in! - which was part of the Hereford & Gloucester Canal.We meet at 2.00pm in the County Council Car park off CastlemeadsWay - parking £2 all day - and we hope we shall have time to end atthe Museum should you want a cream tea.

Just a reminder that we have the opportunity of visiting SARA(Severn Area Rescue Association) and their new lifeboat on the 7thJuly, and, still at Sharpness, we are offering you a guided Docks Touron the 21st July. Details of both will be sent to you later on.

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I wanted to make a rag rug, but Ididn’t have the confidence to start onmy own. I’d been to a session atanother museum several years before,where we listened and watched butdidn’t do much actual hands-on, sowhen I turned up at the NationalWaterways Museum to learn aboutvolunteering there and spoke to JillRuiz I was beguiled into the Boaters’Crafts Group because they wouldteach me how to make a rag rug.

I’m still not sure how from wanting tomake a rag rug I ended up as EventsOrganiser. I really think I must blameJill. Firstly she got me into her groupwhere we demonstrate the crafts ofthe narrowboat women in the Museum

on the last Sunday of every month, then onto the Committee as secretary– “it’s only four times a year, not much work at all”!!!. She followed this bygetting me to become one of the group which gives talks twice a month onthe Lives of the Narrowboat Women and Children, and then, full circle, shegot me to help with the rag rug workshops. So from wanting to make a ragrug, I’m now one of the three who show other people how to do it.

One of our concerns as a Committee is that we appear to have a dwindlingmembership; we looked at what we were offering the Friends, and decidedthat we should be giving more to our faithful Friends than just LlanthonyLog and our annual series of talks from September to April.

We have been very lucky in that Graham Boxer is very keen to increase ourFriends membership, and, for example, we are now able to hold our talks onSabrina 5 in a much nicer area than where we were holding them.

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I do hope that you will find the our events we are offering in 2019 (set outin this edition of Llanthony Log) to include something you and yourfamily/friends/neighbours want to come along to. As you know, we wantyour friends to become our Friends - a thriving membership will help us tohelp the Museum, which is what the Friends are all about.

We began the evening with our AGM, which was well attended and no doubtthose present were looking forward to the talk about Gloucester pubs. Theofficial business of the AGM was dealt with before we introduced ourspeaker, Gloucester Civic Trust member Colin Youngston, who promised us apub crawl with his talk of ‘A Tour of Gloucester Pubs’.

Colin began with a short introduction to the pubs of Gloucester from earlytimes before beginning a visit to three of the ‘Gate’ streets of Gloucester.Where better to start but Northgate Street with the famous New Inn, onceboasting as having twelve bars! Farther down the street is the NorthendVaults, opened in 1869.

In Westgate Street stands the now closed Fleece Hotel, which was especiallypopular in the 1960s with drinkers using the Monks’ Retreat bar in the cellar.Further down the street we have the Union Inn. Before the Union Inn was apublic house, it was a tailor’s shop…which inspired Beatrix Potter to write herbook ‘The Tailor of Gloucester’.

Who can forget the impressive building that once was the Bell Hotel inSouthgate Street? It was sadly demolished in the 1960s. Café René and theRobert Raikes’ pub are popular drinking establishments near to The Cross.Further down the street is the Whitesmith’s Arms and opposite is the TallShip (previously the British Flag).

Finally, into the Docks where apparently the beer is very good at Tank as wellas The Lord High Constable of England pub, commonly referred to asWetherspoons.

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Continuing our extracts from Joseph Priestly’s 1831 Historical Account of the NavigableRivers, Canals and Railways throughout Great Britain we look this time at the oldest of ourlocal canals:

3 George II, Cap. 13, Royal Assent 15th May 173032 George II, Cap. 47, Royal Assent 5th April 1759

16 George III, Cap. 21, Royal Assent 25th March 1776This canal commences at the River Severn, near Framiload [sic], in the county of Gloucester,and from thence runs in an easterly direction by Witminster [sic], near which it is crossed bythe Gloucester and Berkeley Canal; it thence continues an easterly course, crossing theStroudwater, by Eastington and Stonehouse, and terminates in the Thames and SevernCanal at Wallbridge, near Stroud. The length is rather more than eight miles, with a rise of102 feet 5 inches.The first act of parliament relating to this undertaking was passed in 1730, and is entitled‘An Act for making navigable the River Stroudwater, in the county of Gloucester, from theRiver Severn, at or near Framiload, to Wallbridge, near the town of Stroud in the samecounty’. It appointed certain persons therein named undertakers for effecting theprovisions of the act, and authorized their taking the following

For all Coals, Corn, Malt, Grain or Meal of any Sort, carried on the Stroudwater s. d..between the River Severn at Framiload and Wallbridge, near Stroud ………….… 3 6 per Ton

For all other Goods, Wares and Merchandize ……………………………….… 5 0 ditto.

And in proportion for a greater or lesser Weight or Distance

From the opposition of the millers, arising from the fear of losing their water, and othercauses, this act was not carried into execution, but in 1759 a second act of parliament,entitled ‘An act to amend and explain an Act made in the Third Year of his presentMajesty’s Reign’ was passed, which authorized John Kemmett, Arthur Wynde, JamesPynock and Thomas Bridge to carry into effect the provisions of the former act, and givingthem all the powers therein granted to the undertakers, they covenanting to complete thenavigation without locks, and consequently without loss of water to the millers. Thescheme by which these gentlemen meant to effect their purpose, was by shifting thecargoes into boxes, and at each mill to remove them into other boats by means of cranes;the plan however did not succeed, though it was persevered in to nearly the ruin of theprojectors.

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In 1776 another act of parliament was passed, entitled‘An Act to amend an Act, passed in the Third Year of his late Majesty’s Reign, entitledAn act for making navigable the River Stroudwater, in the county of Gloucester, fromthe River Severn, at or near Framiload, to Wallbridge, near the town of Stroud, in thesame country, and for giving other Powers for the Purpose of making a Navigation fromFramiload to Wallbridge aforesaid.’It states that the undertakers appointed by the preceding act had failed to complete thenavigation, and that certain persons had subscribed £20,000 for that purpose. The act,therefore, incorporates these persons by the name of “The Company of Proprietors of theStroudwater Navigation”, and empowers them to raise £20,000 among themselves, in twohundred shares of £100 each, and, if necessary, a further sum of £10,000, eitheramongst themselves, by creation of new shares, or by mortgage of the undertaking, andauthorizes them to take the same tolls and rates as the undertakers under the first act ofparliament were empowered to take, and which are enumerated in the foregoing part ofthis article.The tolls and rates are to be exempted from all taxes. Fifteen years allowed to thecompany to complete the navigation.No Boat of less than Twenty Tons to pass the Locks without Leave of the Company,except when the Waste Water runs over the Weir.The act of parliament, passed in 1783 for making the Thames and Severn Canal,restrains the Stroudwater Company from taking more than 2s 3d per ton for coal carriedon their canal, and passing to the Thames and Severn, and going thereon not more thanone hundred and fifty yards above the high road at Brimscombe, and 1s per ton only forcoal going more than one hundred and fifty yards beyond such road.

For all Flint, Brick, Stone, Clay, Chalk, Salt, Ores, Salt-rockand Limestone, passing more than One Hundred and Fifty Yardson the Thames and Severn Canal, above the Road at Brimscombe,and carried on the Stroudwater Canal either up ordown………………. ½ per Ton, per mile .For all Timber, Black Glass Bottles and Phials,and Crates of Pottery…………………………………………….. 1 ditto., ditto.For all Iron, Cast and Wrought, and all other Goods,Wares and Merchandize ………………………………………… 1½ ditto., ditto.

And in proportion for a greater or lesser Quantity or Distance

This canal has been of infinite advantage to the town of Stroud, and the clothing districtin the neighbourhood, by furnishing them with coal at a cheap rate, and conveying theirheavy and bulky goods to various markets; and from its connection with the Thamesand Severn, was the means of forming the first communication by inland navigationbetween London and Bristol, and the counties of Gloucester, Worcester and Hereford.

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When the Stroudwater Navigation was built, in 1776, Painswick Stream passed underthe canal and into the mill pond used to drive Lodgemore Mill, which is located justbefore the terminus at Wallbridge. From the mill the water from the stream flowedinto the River Frome. Painswick Stream was by 1838 navigable by small bow-hauledtub boats as far as Stratford Mill, owned by Joseph Biddle, which was located some500 yards north of the canal. In 1839 a 7ft wide arm was built at the end of the streamleading to a storage shed, from which the sacks of milled flour could be transferredinto barges at a lyeby on the Stroudwater for transport to the warehouse Biddles hadbuilt in Gloucester Docks.

In 1882 there was a breakout at Lodgemore that caused the canal to be closed for aweekend in August. By 1890 the state of the culvert under the canal was giving

Plan showing connections between Painswick Stream and LodgemoreMill Ponds in 1871

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concern, so in 1891 it was decided to add a weir at this point to allow repairs of theculvert. In 1893 Strachan and Co, the owners of Lodgemore Mill, asked the canalcompany if they could supply 10,000 gallons a day from the canal to their reservoirduring summer months, for which the canal company wanted to charge £15 a year.This was considered to be too much. In 1897 an agreement was reached withStrachan & Co for water to be fed from Painswick Stream into a larger Mill Pondto the north of the canal via 90 yards of 12” pipes, as well as via the weir andculvert to the lower one. The canal company retained the right to control theopening of the sluice, and charged Strachan’s £5 per annum for the water.In 1903 the culvert under the canal gave way, and the canal had to be closed on30th July while it was repaired, during which time Lodgemore Mill stopped work.The repairs cost £46 11s 1d.In September 1923 Percy Snape, Manager of the company, determined that UpperMill Pond was being filled with water derived from the Thames & Severn Canal,through two gaps in the canal bank, at the rate of 62,650 gallons per hour. But bythen plans were afoot to change the link between Painswick Stream, the canal andthe mill ponds. On 25th October 1923 Snape wrote to Messrs A S Cooke & Sons of Paganhill,Stroud, as follows:“With reference to the work you are now carrying out at Messrs. Strachan & Co’smills and the steps you are taking to prevent any water from the Painswick Streamgetting into the Lodgemore Pond, while I have no desire to do anything which mayinterfere with or do any damage to your works I feel bound to give you notice thatthe result of these steps must be to cause a considerable deposit of silt in the Canaland may be cause flooding of the banks of the Canal either there or lower down, ineither of which events my Company will have to hold you responsible for anydamage resulting to your actions.”By 4th February 1924 Snape was writing again, referring to his letter of 25th

October:“I have to inform you that as anticipated the Canal has become so silted up as toseriously interfere with traffic which will necessitate immediate dredging of thepart affected.This will be an expensive matter and I shall be glad to hear that you are prepared toindemnify this Company.”The first two boat loads of mud were dredged that week.On 28th May the Inspection Committee, on its annual review of the upper stretchesof the canal, reported that:“Owing to the Canal being so full of mud when the heavy rains of a week agocame, the Canal overflowed at the Dudbridge locks & cut the tow path completelyto pieces. Under the circumstances we think a claim should be made on theContractors at the work at Lodgemore Mills to compensate the Company for thedamage and cost of extra dredging.”

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Further light on the problems came in a later letter from one of those responsiblefor the dredging, who reported that:“It was on the 19 of May when the Meadow was under water for the first timewhen so much Grit came into the Canal and on 31 of May 1 of June the Meadowwas flooded and Stoped [sic] the canal at the Step Lodgemoor. [sic] It was thefirst flood 19 May that cut the towing path away at Dudbridge Locks”.On 4th June Snape wrote to Cooke & Son, referring to his letter of 4th February“I must call your attention to the fact that in spite of dredging going oncontinuously from that date down to the present time the accumulation of silt isso serious that yesterday the barge “Severn Bridge” was unable to be passed upto Lodgemore Mill with a load of coal for that mill.”On 3rd July 1924 Snape wrote to Cooke & Sons to complain yet again:“Members of the Committee made their annual inspection of the upper half ofthe Canal on the 28th May last when it appeared that section of the Canal fromDudbridge to Wallbridge was still in a very bad state in spite of the fact that fourof our men have been continuously at work in dredging this reach from 4th

February to 6th June during which period 34 boat loads (representing nearly 700tons) of mud were removed.Unfortunately it has been impossible to keep the men on dredging any longer asit is imperative that urgent work on other parts of the Canal should be attendedto.I may mention that in spite of the enormous quantity of mud removed the reachin question is still in a very serious condition, as will be evident from the factthat with an extra 9” of water in the reach a barge containing 54 tons of coal wason the 27th May only able to reach Lodgemore Mill by employing four men onthe line in addition to three donkeys and a double purchase block and tackle andit took 2½ hours to tow the barge from Gashouse Bridge to the mill.I am requested [by my Committee] to point out to you the very serious positionwhich must inevitably arise if the Painswick stream is not now allowed to passunder the Canal as it should do, especially having regard to the fact thatdredging has had to be discontinued.The loss to the Canal has been a very serious one as since the 4th February allthe ordinary work on it has had to be suspended in the attempt to cope with thisdifficulty and the amount expended by the Navigation in actual wages aloneexceeds £137.I shall be much obliged if you can let my Committee have an assurance that allextra cost will be made good by this Company.”After chasing the company for a response following a Committee meeting on25th July, Cooke & Son replied on 28th July, but by then the next Committee

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meeting was not to be held until 17th September. The company’s minute bookfor the 1920s show that the response from Cooke & Son was that they shouldcontact the scheme’s architects, Falconer & Baker. In October the minutesrecord that Mr Falconer had inspected the length of the canal and reported thatthe onus was on Cooke & Son. The Company’s solicitor, Mr Bloxham, wasinstructed to arrange a meeting with Cooke to discuss the matters.No reply being received from Cooke & Son by the end of that year, in January1925 the Committee instructed Bloxham to ask Cooke for £120 of the £137 6s8d cost. The minutes also record that:“It appeared from soundings of the canal on 6th October last that there was notsufficient depth of water in the pound to pass traffic, and in order to do so morewater was required on the overflow at the top lock at Dudbridge than there oughtto be.”In March 1925 the Committee decided to accept Cooke’s offer of £50 in fullsettlement of their claim. £25 of this was paid by Strachan & Co and £25 byCooke & Sons.

The material in this article is taken from the Letter Book and Minutes Books forStroudwater Navigation held in the Gloucester Archives that have been digitizedas part of the HLF-funded Stroudwater Reconnected project by the StroudwaterNavigation Archives Charity (SNAC). The plan is taken from D1180/10/10 inthe Archive’s collection of Stroudwater Navigation documents.

Maureen ofMiddlewichmentioned onnext page.

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It was decided to undertake a trip to Chester in March 2019. Our marinais situated on the Macclesfield canal, so the trip would include taking theTrent & Mersey canal from Hardingswood Junction to Middlewich, thenWardle lock and the branch to Barbridge, where the main ShropshireUnion canal leads down to Chester.

The weather was clear and dry at HallGreen Stop (9”) lock, where theMacclesfield canal joins a short branchof the Trent and Mersey canal. AtHardingswood junction, a sharp turn tothe left was needed to approach thefirst of the Cheshire locks. This widelyspread flight of locks is sometimesknown as ‘Heartbreak Hill’ as itconsists of 29 locks, several of which

are paired. At Middlewich, Wardle lock is approached by means of a sharpturn under a bridge. The lock cottage used to be occupied by Maureen, alady who had been born on a boat and who usually assisted boaters throughthe lock. She is sadly missed, but a memorial board remembers her.

In the early season, the canals are quiet with few boats moving. AfterBarbridge junction, the locks are wide. Below Bunbury staircase locks ahire firm had stuffed around fourteen boats awaiting the hire season. Thenext lock was Tilstone, where a curious black cat climbed up to the lockbeam and persistently got in theway of winding up the paddles! Thisis a very beautiful stretch of canal.

The busy railway between Creweand Chester accompanies the canalfor much of the way providing amodicum of interest to those soinclined, but it is never intrusive.

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Beeston Castle now appears, standinghigh above the rural landscape. Thereare two locks at Beeston, the firstbeing constructed from stone as usual,but the second, known as Beeston Ironlock, was built on running sand and hasa cast iron chamber. Unfortunately thishas distorted over the years, so thatonly one boat at a time may use it. Inaddition, it was leaking so badly at the

lower end that it needed at least twopersons to shove each of the topgates open.

The canal runs through pleasantcountry and in the unexpected sunnyweather the blackthorn and plumblossom were snowy white.

The old city of Chester is surroundedby a city wall which is skirted by thecanal as Northgate locks are

approached.

These are a triple staircase which dropboats down to a large basin where there ismooring and services available. The middleset of gates had been renewed during thewinter, but water was leaking below them,as can be seen in the photograph and,again, the gates were very tough to open.

Chester is an interesting city to visit withits Roman remains, race course, oldbuildings, shops and cathedral. Theexperience was enhanced by the beautifulweather.

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What’s happening on the 14th August? A new experience for most of you?Indeed, a special event just for the Friends of Gloucester WaterwaysMuseum.

We have an outing on the Stroudwater Canal, starting at Ryeford, accessedfrom the Ebley Road, Stonehouse, in low, small boats designed to beaccessible to all. You will be able to see the flora and fauna and theindustrial heritage from a different angle – bring your camera or yoursketch book or just sit back and enjoy it, when you’ve done a bit of paddling!People in their nineties have enjoyed being out in both types of boats. It’sgreat fun and very calming and relaxing.

Cotswold Boatmobility is a small community group offering the opportunityfor everybody to go out on the canal, whatever their age, experience, abilityor disability, with their friends and families. We have a group of volunteerswith skills and experience of working with people and /or boats. We takeregular groups and individuals and also have guests from care homes,

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disability groups and carers groups and others. We sometimes do specialtrips for art or music or other interest, a popular one being a batdetecting trip. Regular visitors come not only from Tetbury, Gloucesterand Stroud but also from Bristol and Cardiff. We do not charge and weare generously supported from community and individual donations. Allare welcome and ‘Freedom on Water’ is our aim.

The Katakanus are very stable catamaran canoes with six people in eachboat. You can get in, and out, however it suits you – from standing orsitting. You will have a paddle but you can’t get lost or left behind.The Wheelyboat is a small aluminium flat-bottomed craft, with anelectric motor and a ramp at the front so that wheelchairs and mobilityaids can be rolled straight on.

Come dressed for the weather – in August, you may need a sunhat andcream or to be covered up. We usually serve refreshments but you maylike to bring water. Or you could bring a picnic – it’s up to you! Bring yourcamera or binoculars or sketch book or relax and enjoy looking!

To book a place or to seek more information please contact Pat Harperby email: patharper28@yahoo.co.uk or by telephone: 01453 757412.

Oatcakes?Did you know that there is anoatcake boat on the Trent &Mersey canal at Stoke? Whenthere is a football match atStoke City Football Stadium,the boat will be at the canalside selling oatcakes. Theseare similar to a pancake, madewith yeast and delicious withbacon and egg!

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The long awaited first Friends’ event of 2019 ‘Operation Dynamo andthe Little Ships’ has taken place. Seventy-nine years ago, in 1940, theBritish Expeditionary Force were evacuated from Dunkirk. This firstoperation was code named ‘Operation Dynamo’ and involved many smallboats from England proceeding across the English Channel to evacuateour troops off the beaches of Dunkirk.

This event is all the more special for the Waterways Museum as ourvery own trip boat, QUEEN BOADICEA II was one of the small shipsused for the evacuation. Built in 1936 by Thornycroft’s of Southampton,QBII first sailed on the River Thames carrying passengers betweenWestminster and Greenwich.

‘QB II’ leaving Gloucester Docks at the start of the trip.

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Ian Gilbert standing in front of the special Dunkirk plaque aboard ‘QB II’

To explain the story of Operation Dynamo we were pleased towelcome Ian Gilbert, Hon Vice Admiral of the Association ofLittle Ships. Ian gave us a fascinating talk dispelling some of themyths, which have been created over the years.

Following Ian’s talk we all enjoyed a special trip aboard QUEENBOADICEA II along the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal.

On Friday, 31st May 1940 ‘QB II’, commanded by Lieutenant J.S. SealRNR, sailed across the channel and made for Dunkirk harbour. There,they met heavy shelling accompanied by enemy air attacks wherebyQBII picked up three crew from a sinking launch. No log of events waskept but it has since been learnt that thirteen soldiers were rescuedand returned to our shores on QUEEN BOADICEA II.

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15th JUNE, 2019Alney Island, surrounded by the Severn, is on our doorstep and yet somany local people know nothing about it and have never set foot on it.We shall be taking a gentle walk on the Island including a look atLlanthony Lock, where we hope to have someone available from theHerefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal Trust to talk about theirfuture plans for this area.

7th JULY, 2019Again, we are grateful that Chris Witts, through his contacts, hasbeen able to arrange a visit to SARA’s new lifeboat and station atSharpness. This date is a Sunday and we hope that Friends will beable to join us afterwards for Sunday lunch at a local hostelry.

21ST JULY, 2019Sharpness is the subject of our next event, when we will have a touraround the Docks and the area, and again, if you enjoyed the Sundaylunch at the local hostelry on the 7th, enjoy another Sunday lunchafter this tour!

14th AUGUST, 2019Now for something completely different: we’re offering the Friendsthe opportunity of having an afternoon on the Stroudwater Navigation

Friends of Gloucester Waterways MuseumRegistered Charity No 800282

Llanthony Warehouse, Docks, Gloucester, GL12EH

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in one of 2 Katakanus, which are very stable catamaran canoes, plus aWheelyboat is available for any of our Friends who are in wheelchairs.This will be for a limited number who want the opportunity to be reallyclose to the water, close to the wildlife and to see our industrialheritage.

We hope you will find something in the above to interest you and,as usual, please help us make your friends our Friends.

Your editor apologises for her mistake when including times for theSevern Bore next autumn.

Thanks to Martin Bryan who pointed this out as follows:

“Seems the Severn Bore times you put into Llanthony Log are those for2018. The correct ones for September and October 2019 can be found at

https://www.severn-bore.co.uk/2019_times.html - but the bad news isthat the best ones are at night. September 30th is the best daytime

showing.”

See also Chris Witts’ website: www.severntales.co.ukhttp://www.severntales.co.uk/severn-bore-timetable-2019.html

The archives have been moved to Ellesmere Port. Archive enquiries should be made to:- The Archive Assistant, Ellesmere Port, email address:

archives@canalrivertrust.org.uk

Chairman Chris Witts 01452 52620215 Riversley Road, Gloucester GL2 OQUEmail: chriswitts@hotmail.com

MembershipSecretary

Hans Rackham 01452 52893912 Ryelands, Gloucester GL4 0QAh_m_rackham@talktalk.net

Treasurer Gill Bryan 01452 85999129 Oldbury Orchard, Churchdown, Gloucester GL3 2PUEmail: gmbryan29@gmail.com

Secretary Martin Bryan 01452 85999129 Oldbury Orchard, Churchdown, Gloucester GL3 2PUEmail: root@is-thought.co.uk

Meetings Pat Harper See below.

Boaters’ Crafts Jill Ruiz 01452 41831014 Althorpe Close, Tuffley, Glos. GL4 0XPEmail: jill.ruiz14@gmail.com

Fielding Engine Trevor Hill

Press Officer Chris Witts 01452 526202 Mob. 0790 302 183515 Riversley Road, Gloucester GL2 0QUEmail: chriswitts@hotmail.com

Research Hugh Conway-Jones

01452 312667Flat 27, 51 Friars Orchard, Gloucester GL1 1GDEmail: conway-jones@docks.plus.com

Engineering Team Vacant

Education Patsy Williams 07932 687572341 Westward Road, Ebley, Stroud, Glos. GL5 3TEmail: patsywilliams10@tiscali.co.uk

Front of House Vacant

Events Pat Harper 01453 75741244 Middle St. Stroud, Glos. GL5 1DZEmail: patharper28@yahoo.co.uk