WOLDS WATERS

The newsletter of the East Yorkshire

Branch

APRIL 2015

Weed cutting on the Pocklington Canal

East Yorkshire Branch

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INLAND WATERWAYS ASSOCIATION

EAST YORKSHIRE BRANCH

Chairman’s report for 2014 presented to the Branch AGM Friday 20th

March 2015

I am pleased to report that we have enjoyed another year with stable

membership and a modest contribution to our branch funds

BRANCH COMMITTEE

We have had excellent attendance at our bi-monthly meetings where

we plan the year’s social events, stall outings and receive reports from

the committee members about the waterways in their areas.

I thank all our committee for their help and support throughout the

year.

We continue to maintain good relationships with the Canal & River

Trust, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Yorkshire Wildlife

Trust as well as the local waterway societies.

This has been especially important during 2014 as we, together with

support from others within the IWA, have been working hard to bring

about the re-opening of Elvington/Sutton Lock on the River Derwent.

Good progress on this issue has been made and we hope to see

positive actions in the coming months.

If you would like to become more involved by joining the committee

you are welcome to put forward your name tonight. There is always a

space for willing volunteers.

MEMBERSHIP

As mentioned above, our membership has remained steady

throughout the year. We welcome our new members and remember

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those who are no longer with us. I would like to mention in particular,

Bob Huntsman who died in December. Bob was a member for 40

years. For much of that time he was a committee member and a

regular at our social meetings. His enthusiasm and energy will be

sorely missed.

SOCIAL MEETINGS

We hold eight indoor social meetings each year as well as two outdoor

events and our annual dinner.

Attendance at our social meetings was slightly down on the previous

year and we hope it does not fall away further. Our two outdoor

events, a walk in June and a trip on the River Hull in July were very

enjoyable. Please do try to support these this year. Watch for details in

our magazine. Our annual dinner was held at the Trout Inn Wansford

where we will be again this year. As well as an excellent meal there is a

chance to see the Driffield Navigation.

WOLDS WATERS

Our branch magazine, Wolds Waters is published three times a year

and superbly edited by Barry Robins. If you have any articles, stories,

pictures or comments you think could be interesting to our readers,

please forward them to Barry. His details are in the magazine.

VOLUNTEERS

We are always looking for extra help with our various activities It could

be helping on the Beverly Beck litter pick, manning our stall at events,

balsham bashing on the Pocklington Canal, getting involved with the

waterway societies or fundraising for our branch. Whatever you can do

you will always be made most welcome.

Roger Bromley

Branch Chairman

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Inland Waterways Association

East Yorkshire Branch

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on

Friday 20th March 2015

at Cottingham Methodist Church, 8p.m.

Present: Roger Bromley (in the chair), Jack Wootton (Treasurer)

and Chris Stones (Secretary) plus 17 members including Peter

Scott (Region Chairman) and Elaine Scott.

Apologies: Adrian Koster (PCAS), Jenny Burns and David

Hamilton (Driffield).

Minutes of previous meeting (Friday 21st March 2014): These

had been circulated before the meeting. Proposed as a true

record by the members attending. These were then duly signed.

Report of the Chairman: This had been printed and given to

those members present at the start of the meeting. An

opportunity was given for members to comment. Acceptance of

the report unanimous. One point: Barry would like lists of events

that are happening in various societies i.e. PCAS etc, this is for

the next branch magazine.

Report of the Secretary: This had been printed and given to

those members present at the start of the meeting. An

opportunity was given for members to comment. Acceptance of

the report unanimous.

Report of the Treasurer and presentation of the accounts for

2014: Jack went through the accounts that had been circulated.

Balance was at year end £2958-90. Surplus for the year of

£554-24. Thanks to Jack from everyone. Accounts accepted.

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Election of Committee Members: Alistair Anderson (Web

Manager) and Chris Stones (Secretary) were retiring by rotation.

Both re-elected unanimously.

A.O.B: None.

Address of the Region Chairman: Peter Scott spoke about

matters concerning IWA now and in the future. He answered

questions from members at the meeting.

Date of next meeting: Friday March 18th 2016.

N.B. It was a very enjoyable AGM especially the input from Peter

and Elaine Scott with their joviality. It made it a very relaxing and

informative evening.

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Money Matters

This is a very brief summary of information given in the annual

accounts presented by our treasurer, Jack Wootton, at the AGM.

Our opening balance on 1st January 2014 was £2404.66. The

closing balance on 31st December 2014 was £2958.90 showing a

surplus over the year of £554.24. By far the greatest part of this

surplus came from the income from the branch display and stall

which some of our very faithful members have taken to various

events in the area.

Your committee has invited application from local waterway

societies to help finance their work. Money towards a particular

project rather than injection of funds to general activities is what

is on offer as it is felt the IWA members would like to feel ‘We

helped fund that’. It is expected that requests for finance will be

discussed at the committee meeting in May.

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ROBERT HUNTSMAN.

It was with deep sadness that we learned of the death, on

Jan. 4th 2015, of our long-standing member, Bob.

After joining I.W.A. in January 1974, Bob became a stalwart

of our branch and served on the committee for very many

years. It was only as a consequence of his declining health

in recent years, that he stood down.

Bob was born in 1924, and raised in East Hull. His father

worked in the shipping industry in the Hull docks. It may

have been this influence that sparked his first interest in

boating. It was then developed further when his family

acquired a holiday home on the East Riding coast.

We all know of his commitment to the inland waterways

movement. It's perhaps less well known that his boating

interest extended seawards as well. For many years he

aimed to plan a North Sea crossing to Holland in his own

boat. I recall, about ten years ago, being invited to crew for

him. I said yes, of course, but it never materialised. I think he

was always just too busy with other things.

In his teens Bob joined the A.T.S. This then led to

enlistment in the R.A.F. Trained in communications and the

infant Radar technology Bob had a wartime posting at Castle

Rock. He served with a squadron engaged in maritime

surveillance in the North Atlantic and Arctic waters.

It was at Castle Rock that he met his future wife Audrey, also

on a posting there.

With the end of hostilities they returned to Yorkshire and set

up home in Anlaby.

From his father, Bob inherited a keen entrepreneurial drive.

He now directed this into the food industry and secured a

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post with the Danish Bacon Co. as their area representative.

This led to their move to Cherry Burton, being more central

to his customers. He also saw an opportunity to establish

his own retail operations in the village with a dairy and

provisions outlet.

This grew and developed, eventually encompassing the

village post office. A key element in the local community

In 1974, tragedy struck. Bob’s beloved Audrey was killed in a

road accident. In the years that followed, although Bob

continued to grow his business, he also turned his attention

to the poor navigational status of the local waterways.

Particularly the River Hull, Beverley Beck, and most

significantly, the Driffield Navigation. In due course and by

invitation, he was appointed a commissioner of the Driffield

Navigation Authority ( forerunner of the D.N.T. ). He served

that body with tremendous commitment for many years,

devoting much of his time to it. By this time Bob had

become a key branch committee member. A vital link

between I.W.A. and all those involved with the 'Driffield'.

Bob will be remembered by all who knew him, as a very

dogged campaigner with an unstoppable conviction in what

he believed to be the best way forward.

It was an attribute that greatly endeared him to many of us,

myself included. However it's inevitable that holding and

exercising such conviction can sometimes put you on a

collision course with others who hold opposing, maybe

softer, views.

It was during the nineteen eighties that health problems

struck Bob. A series of heart operations became necessary,

leading to triple bypass surgery. This had far less effect in

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slowing Bob down regarding his waterway activities that it

would for most of us. Definitely a measure of the man.

The surgery seemed to have been very effective and he

picked up very quickly. He remained very active both in the

Branch and the D.N.A. right through the first decade of this

century.

Unfortunately, around five years ago, his health started to

deteriorate. He found it a more arduous task to be so

actively involved in waterways activities. This, very

reluctantly, led him to resign the position he had held on our

branch committee for many years.

I always found Bob to be very warm, friendly, and most of all

welcoming to newcomers. He always showed an interest in

projects that others were involved in. Advice and

recommended actions were freely available to all. He was

very practical and 'hands on'. I recall him once giving me

good advice about some building work I was doing.

Many of us in this branch will miss him greatly. If the I.W.A.

Is to prosper, we are going to need to engage more

members with the drive, determination, and sheer

doggedness that Bob brought to bear.

We extend our sympathies to Bob’s family.

Jack Wootton

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Waterways Museum , Goole

Sadly there are financial problems at the waterways museum

linked with the Sobriety Project and it may have to close. If

you have not visited the museum recently then now is the

time to put that right!

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World Barge Pulling Championship

Looking for an event to mark the start of the boating season, the

Beverley Barge Preservation Society have organised the World Barge

Pulling Championship on Beverley Beck on the 4th May, May Day Bank

Holiday Monday. Teams of 4 (men, women or mixed) will be invited to

pull the barge Syntan over a 200 metre course in the quickest possible

time. The barge has an estimated weight of 64 tons and it will be up to

the teams to decide their own tactics working within the rules of the

competition. The event is being held in conjunction with the NURSES

charity who will be holding their own event, the raft race, at the end of

July.

For this and other activities of the Beverley Barge Preservation Society

including trips on the River Hull please see the Society website,

www.syntanbarge.org.uk

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Pocklington Canal News

Weed cutting

The non-navigable length of the canal has become progressively

overgrown with vegetation over many years. Weed cutting was

carried out by Aquatic Solutions of Rugby, contractors to the Canal &

River Trust in February, using two amphibious Truxor weed cutting

boats. The work has been funded by Natural England and the Canal &

River Trust. Cutting was done between Thornton Lock and Walbut

Bridge and then between Silburn Lock and Top Lock. Although the

work was carried out to improve the Site of Special Scientific Interest

for wildlife, the cutting between Thornton and Walbut locks will assist

with plans to make this length navigable, by showing the depth of

water available in this section.

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Lottery Funding

CRT has appointed Rachel Walker as Development Officer, who will

work with Jane Thomson in preparing a bid for £500,000 to be

submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund in November. Rachel used to

work at the Yorkshire Waterways Museum at Goole. Consultants have

been appointed to prepare a Visitor Interpretation Plan, based on the

consultation carried out by Marion Blockley several years ago. Another

consultant has been appointed to write a Conservation Management

Plan for the natural and built heritage of the canal. This preparatory

work is required for the bid to be considered by HLF and has been

entirely funded by HLF.

Boat Rally

PCAS will be holding a boat rally at Melbourne on the Pocklington

Canal over the weekend of 25/26 July and we encourage IWA

members to bring their boats to the canal for the event. Further

information including a booking form can be found on the website: .

Those who book in for the event will receive a commemorative brass

plaque.

Alistair Anderson

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Pocklington Canal Amenity Society 250th Anniversary Appeal

The Pocklington Canal Amenity Society today launched its appeal fund to raise £250,000 to restore a two mile section of the Pocklington Canal. Since the Canal Society has been able to prime the fund with £80,000 from its accumulated funds, the amount remaining to be raised is £170,000.

The money will be spent on installing new wooden lock gates for Thornton and Walbut Locks, and ensuring an adequate depth of water in the length, much of which is presently overgrown with vegetation. Other items will include measures to bring the locks up to modern safety standards, including the provision of lock landings to allow boaters to disembark before entering the locks.

The Society has chosen this year to launch its appeal as it is the bicentenary of the passing of the Act of Parliament enabling the building of the Pocklington Canal. It is proposed that the works will be completed by 2018, in time to mark the bicentenary of opening of the canal.

The project is being promoted with the support and encouragement of both The Canal and River Trust (the owners of the Pocklington Canal) and Natural England, which has a regulatory role, since the works are to be carried out within a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Work will be designed and scheduled to minimise interference with wildlife.

Appeal leaflets will be widely distributed in Pocklington and the

villages close to the Pocklington Canal. Support will also be

sought from the Society’s own members and from waterways

enthusiasts nationwide, as well as from charitable trusts. Further

information about the Bicentenary Appeal can be found on the PCAS

website: www.pocklingtoncanalsociety.org/appeal

Note: Don’t forget that the trip boat New Horizons is now

cruising at weekends from Melbourne.

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PROGRAMME Jan to April 2015 Venue (unless stated otherwise) Cottingham Methodist Church Hall,

Hallgate, Cottingham HU16 4BD 8.00-10.00 pm. Use entrance down side of

church.

Friday 17th April The South Pennine Ring An illustrated presentation by Iain Campbell

Friday 15th May Pocklington Canal – A Gem In The

Landscape

Rachel Walker, Pocklington Canal Development Officer will talk

about the development phase of the Heritage Lottery Fund

Project to develop the Pocklington Canal, and how Canal & River

Trust are working with their partners PCAS and Natural England.

She is highly likely to show you some pictures of her beloved

narrow boat ‘Ethel Rosina’ too!

Friday 18th June Evening visit to the Barmby

Barrage with the possibility of a pub

meal

July Cruise on the Humber?

Future meetings 18th Sept, 16

th Oct, 20

th Nov, 6

th Dec Christmas meal

at Wansford?, 15th Jan, 19

th Feb, 18

th March (AGM)

For more information about the Inland Waterways Association use the

website www.waterways.org.uk or contact Barry Robins on 01482

658254 or 07885941983. For more information on the above meetings

contact Roger Bromley on 01482 845099.

The Branch email address is roger.bromley@waterways.org.uk

This newsletter is edited by Barry Robins, 90 Carr Lane, Willerby, Hull HU10 6JU.

Note: The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily

those of the Association and should not be construed as such unless

so stated.