ALL the signs are that thecanal should be buzzing

with boats this summer. Diesel is the cheapest it'sbeen for years, most hirefirms report healthy bookingsfor the summer holidays andNorbury Wharf, like otherbrokers is selling boatsalmost as they arrive.And yet...As Norbury's ManagingDirector Simon Jenkins sur-veys the Shropshire UnionCanal outside his office yearsof experience suggest it isnot quite as busy as usual.“Where are all the boats” heasks? “We are having a goodsummer in terms of our holi-day boat bookings and thatseems to be a commontheme around the system;but the canal itself seemsreally quiet, considering weare in the middle of the mainschool holidays.”Simon has begun to wonderwhether private boat ownersare starting to do what somehave threatened for yearsand avoid the school holi-days when they take theirboats off their moorings.“Are private boats and hireboats starting to avoid eachother at this time of year,” he

asks? “I remember people used tosay that 'I'm not going boat-ing while the kids are off' butI used to take this with apinch of salt. “But is it true and are morepeople doing it, or is there abig trend change and we aregenerally just seeing fewerboat owners using the canalsfor peak time holidays?”Simon says he's truly puz-zled as all the other indica-tors suggest a highly popularcanal like the ShropshireUnion should be seeing con-voys of boats enjoying thebeautiful landscapes andattractive villages.“Boat sales are superb at themoment so more people arebuying and prices are stable. “We have seen some of thebest levels of hire boat book-ings for years, and theweather has been largely

sunny and dry.“Yet I think it was mar-ginally more busy onthe canal before theschool holidays start-ed. Perhaps more pri-vate boat owners areavoiding the peakschool weeks and thatwould could work outwell for everyone, withmore space in popularspots for hirers whoare running long daysand the same beingtrue for people takingholidays on their ownboats outside the peakweeks.”Time will tell whetherthese summer holi-days are a blip or atrend and whether anychange will benefitboaters of all types asthe load is spread overa longer season.

IISSUESSUE 43 - 43 - AAUGUSTUGUST 20152015

Quieter peak weeksmay mean holidayseason is spreading

INSIDE THIS ISSUERecycling bins for Shroppie page twoHistoric aqueduct to get safety rails page threeMore boats for sale - check them out page four

Norbury is normally very busy at this time of year

But this summer is

quieter than usual

Norbury News 2

New engineer’sboating blood

BargainsBargains

DIESELDIESEL- Our fuel is- Our fuel isthe cheapthe cheap--est at aest at acommercialcommercialboatyardboatyardon theon thewaterways -waterways -and FAMEand FAMEfree. It canfree. It canchange on achange on aweeklyweeklybasis but itbasis but itis now at: is now at:

BATTERIESBATTERIES- - 110amphr110amphrbatteriesbatteriesJUST JUST

each wheneach whenyou buy fouryou buy fouror more inor more inthe samethe sametransaction.transaction.£69.00 each£69.00 eachif soldif soldsingly.singly.ECOFANSThe originalThe originaland best fanand best fanfor yourfor yourstove just stove just

55.9p

£64.95

£114.50

The new chair of theCanal & River Trust is a

bit of a professional atheading big organisations.The current chair, Tony Hales,isto retire in September and AllanLeighton – already chair of theCo-Operative Group,Entertainment One Plc, OfficeLtd, Pace Plc and Wagamama,and formerly CEO of Asda Plcand chair of the Royal Mail -will take over. He joined theBoard in September 2014.Lynne Berry, deputy chair of theTrust said: “He takes on therole at such an exciting time asthe Trust looks to build on thefirm foundation that has beenbuilt under Tony’s chairman-ship. His vast experience andinsight, combined with hisbelief in the importance of our

canal system to public life, willgive us further impetus as wecontinue to realise the potentialof the Canal & River Trust totransform places and enrichlives.”Allan Leighton said: “As a keencanal walker and towpath run-ner I have been passionateabout these special blue placesfor years. I’ve been impressed

by the work of the Trust’s staffand volunteers and am reallylooking forward to working withchief executive Richard Parryand his team to build upon thestrong financial foundation andfantastic support that the Trusthas to secure the waterways’contribution for future genera-tions.”

New chair for Canal & River Trust

THE people who migrateto Norbury Wharf tend to

have the canal in their blood– perhaps unsurprisingly asit is a business owned andrun by boaters, for boaters.That is certainly true of theengineer who has recentlyjoined the team, known to hisfriends as Spuggy. His father was born at SamuelBarlow’s boat yard in Tamworth,and his Granddad and his twobrothers worked for SamuelBarlow too.More formally Spuggy is MarkSpencer and he has beeninvolved in the marine industryfor many many years.Managing Director SimonJenkins said: “He has workedon some of the biggest hirefleets around as well as someof the smaller ones and hefound himself at a hire base ata remote location the other sideof Birmingham. It was quite an

isolated spot and there wasn’tmuch in the way of life, sowhen we approached him tocome up to Norbury it was justthe opportunity he was lookingfor.“Not that the night life here ismuch to get excited about, butthere is always something ofinterest going on. “Since being here he has fittedin like a glove and he is apleasure to work with. “He has a wicked sense ofhumour, he gets on with every-body, even Fred our oldwharf/blacking hand who canbe a handful at the best oftimes.“Spuggy knows his stuff tooand can be left to almost anytask on a boat, and if he does-n’t know he uses his tenacity tofind out what to do.“He is not afraid of hard workand is a welcome addition tothe friendly crew here atNorbury.”

Spuggy - or Mark

Spencer to strangers

Old boss - TOld boss - Tony Halesony HalesNew boss - AllanNew boss - Allan

LeightonLeighton

Boater demand has led to recycling bins oncanals and rivers at almost 100 sites around

the country.The Trust will be removing some of its generalwaste bins and replacing them one-for-one withrecycling bins. While many canals have recy-cling banks nearby, the Trust hopes that havingvisible, easy access bins will make it easier forboaters.The bins will be installed in north Wales andCheshire from mid-July, and will then be rolledout across the nation’s canals and rivers.Vince Moran, operations director at the Trust,said: “Recycling bins are great for everybody:they give boaters what they want and help send

out a message about how to get rid of your rub-bish responsibly and in the most environmentallysound manner. While our waste contractors dorecycle much of our waste at the end of the col-lection process, this is something that can’t beseen by the public.“Recycling bins provide a visual reminder to peo-ple to recycle as much as they can, and encour-age environmentally conscious behaviour. Pleaseuse the new bins as much as you can, and makesure you look after them, so they can be aseffective as possible.”The Trust has reduced its carbon emissions byan 26 per cent in five years and received accred-itation from the Carbon Trust.

Shroppie to get recycling bins

Norbury News 3

Get afloatGet afloatand tryand try

the fun ofthe fun ofboatingboating

Take a tripTake a tripon Victory,on Victory,

Defiant,Defiant,Bounty - ourBounty - ourday boats forday boats for

10 people.10 people.You canYou can

enjoy up toenjoy up to17 miles of17 miles of

the beautifulthe beautifulShropshireShropshireUnion canalUnion canal

with no lockswith no locksand 6 pubs! and 6 pubs!

Or stayOr stayashore inashore inour cosyour cosycottagecottagehomehomefromfromhomehome

The Canal & River Trustclaims it has been a record

year for the waterways with thehighest ever levels of interest invisiting, caring for and using itswaterways.Its annual report says:That 19.5million people made400 million visits to their localcanal or river.Volunteering with the Trust roseby 14% and exceeded 400,000hours for the first time – withvolunteers involved in every-thing from conservation andeducation to working as lockkeepersOver 100 community groupshave now ‘adopted’ theirstretch of canal – working withthe Trust to look after their localwaterway11,000 people are donatingeach month to support the

Trust’s work – contributing to£1.6 millionA small increase in the number

of boats on the canals – up oneper cent to 32,700 boats.It also says its income rose10% to £180 million, with £137million invested in what itbroadly describes as its charita-ble activities, including thespend on repairing and improv-ing the condition of the networkof reservoirs, aqueducts, locks,bridges, towpaths, culverts andembankments, the replacementof 150 lock gates and dredging130,000 tonnes of silt.Richard Parry, chief executive ofthe Trust, said: “We’ve estab-lished a strong financial founda-tion; inspired growing interest invisiting, caring for, and usingour canals and rivers; anddeveloped an ever-wideningrange of relationships with thirdparties willing to promote, fundand support us.

Record year on the cut

The Canal & River Trust plans

to install safety railings at

England’s highest aqueduct,

Marple Aqueduct, despite wide-

spread objections that doing so

is unnecessary and health and

safety overkill.There are currently no protec-tive railings to prevent peoplefrom falling from the aqueduct ifthey step off their boat onto theflat surface on the off side,across from the towpath. The Trust claims that, in recentyears recorded incidents,observation and reported anec-dotes have indicated that bothadults and children have putthemselves at risk, perhapsinadvertently, by stepping ontothe unfenced area with a sheerdrop of roughly 90 feet (27.4metres) down to the River Goyt.The aqueduct, which carries thePeak Forest Canal, is one ofthree historic sites to beopened up to the public as partof a £2.3 million ‘RevealingOldknow’s Legacy’ heritageproject. The Trust carried out a safety

review of the site and invitedmembers of public to commenton proposals to make the aque-duct safer.David Baldacchino, from theTrust, said: “This is the highestaqueduct in England andalthough warning signs discour-age access to the unfencedside, it is clear that the lack ofany fencing masks the signifi-cant risk that anyone steppingonto this area is facing.“We’ve had to weigh up therisks to public safety whilstmaking sure any safety meas-ures are sympathetic to the her-itage of the structure. I under-

stand that not everyone will besupportive of the installation ofrailings because of the impor-tant heritage aspects at the site. “However, in addition to ourpublic consultation, we havealso sought expert advice fromthe Trust’s navigation and her-itage advisory groups, who bothsupport action being taken,provided that we carefullydevelop a suitable design.”Designs for the railings are nowbeing prepared, guided by amajority preference outlined inthe public consultation for tradi-tional vertical iron rails.

Historic aqueductto get safety rails

Boat passing over the aqueduct without safety rails

Richard Parry

The Macclesfield Canal hasbecome the first ever canal tobe awarded Keep Britain Tidy’sGreen Flag Award.The 26 mile Macclesfield Canalis one of 239 parks and greenspaces across the North Westwho can fly a Green FlagAward, after being judged to besome of the best in the country. In their feedback report on theMacclesfield Canal, the judgesstate: “There is a developing

sense of a genuine joint effortbetween the Trust and the com-

munity in looking after theMacclesfield Canal. The impor-tance of both the built and nat-ural heritage of the waterwaysare now high on the Trust’sagenda.”Richard Parry, chief executiveof the Canal & River Trust, said:“Our aim is to encourage othercanals to take up the challengenow and to seek Green Flagstatus via the same rigorousassessment process.”

Green flag award for canal

Norbury News 4

Boats for saleBoats for sale

Pied-a-Terre64-foot semi-traditional narrow boat built by CCL boat builders in2007 and fitted out by the owner to a very good standard. Powered by a reliable Beta marine diesel engine with a hydrauli-cally operated PRM gearbox. Boat Safety until March 2019. Lastblacked November 2013. Last survey report November 2011. There is very modern galley with the usual appliances and thenthe impressive large open saloon complemented by side openingdoors. This is a good example of a well looked after boat and a superblive-aboard with plenty of kit. Be quick it won’t be here for long.£47,500

Swn-y-Ddraig

50ft traditional stern built by Eastwood engineering, and poweredby a 1.5 BMC diesel engine. The boat has a current boat safetyuntil July 2018, the boat is laid out internally with a bedroom at therear, with a drop down cross bed, a shower room with wash handbasin and pump out toilet, then comes the galley withthe usual appliances and a 12volt fridge.Then there’s is a large open plan saloon with a solid fuel fire whichprovides the heat for the boat, a front door then leads out on tothe front deck area, the boat is wired for both 12v and 240 volts, italso has an inverter.

£24,500

HollyBuilt by one probably one of the best known Black Country boatbuilders of the modern canal age, Les Allen and sons of Bilston,in 1991.She is 45 foot long with lovely lines and cruises through the watereffortlessly. Professionally fitted out by Dave Smith of Allen boatsto a very good standard. Entering the boat through the rear doors there is the engine roomwith the engine under deck boards; a door leads through in to thebedroom with permanent double bed, then comes the bathroom.The galley sits alongside the saloon and has seating and solid fuelstove. The boat is powered by a 1.8 BMC engine with hydraulical-ly operated gearbox, the boat has been docked and maintainedby us since it was purchased by its current owners.

REF 10358

BRUNSWICK - 45ft cruiser stern all steel boat built in 1987 byLiverpool boats. Powered by a very good BMC engine under alarge cruiser deck.The saloon area has fixed seating and there’s an L-shaped galley.The bathroom has a large shower area and pump out toilet andthere’s a double bedroom. It’s pretty much ready to enjoy.£24,995

REF: 10361

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REF 10353

Ref 10354

Minerva

35ft all steel cruiser stern narrowboat, powered by a reliable twincylinder air cooled Lister diesel engine.The boat is a bit like a Tardis, from entering the rear doors stepstake you down in to the bedroom with two bunks with a showerroom opposite. Then comes the galley with cooker and hob, sink and fridge, thenthere is the saloon with fixed seating which makes in to anotherbed, a solid fuel stove, and corner cupboards.Front half glazed wooden doors lead out on to the front deck, theboat has just been docked and blacked and is ready to go, with avalid safety certificate until 2017. The fitout was carried out by the present owner who is a joiner/carpenter and this can clearly be seen by the quality of the join-ery.

£15,000

REF: 10359

Boats hardly arrive with us for sale before theyhave

gone again, we are literally selling them faster than

we can re-stock.

If you want a quick sale for your vessel why not get in

touch with us at Norbury Wharf?

Our brokerage rates and service are difficult to beat -

we charge just 5% + VAT of the sale price to sell your

boat with a minimum charge of £1,250.00 + VAT.

We offer a six month rolling contract, when your boat

will be advertised in most major waterway publications

and on the internet. We will also advertise your boat at

our busy location where we have an extremely high

through-put of potential buyers.

Moorings are free whilst your boat is for sale. Our com-

bined knowledge of living on boats and the sale of them

is extensive and our friendly team are always here to

help make the process very easy for both buyers and

sellers alike. All monies are handled securely through

our escrow accounts.

Interested? Then contact Simon or David now on 01785

284292 alternatively email us on:

info@norburywharfltd.co.uk

GEMMA MAY - Its not very often we get lovely little tugs come on the market butwe have one here, it is a 39 foot tug style boat built in 2003 butlaunched in 2006. Built by Dave Coultard boat builders, it hasfalse rivets and nice lines, it has been fitted out by its presentowner to a good standard, and is powered by a 3 cylinder Betaengine (only 120 hours from new).Entering the boat fromthe rear there theengine covered byboards, then you enterthe galley. Then comesthe L shaped seatingarea in the large saloonthat converts to a dou-ble bed, The boat is inneed of some tidyingup, but priced accord-ingly.£24,999. Ref 10360