Winter 2011 Issue 353

SWALLOW CRUISERSWharf Lane, Lapworth. B94 5NRTelephone/Fax (01564) 783442Email: theboatyard@live.com

Bridge 27 on the Stratford on Avon Canal

Open seven days a week, including Bank Holidays

VISIT OUR CHANDLERY FOR YOURNARROWBOAT AND CRUISER EQUIPMENT

Agents for MARINE MART fittingsSafety work and other repairs undertaken

Most makes of outboard and diesel engines serviced and repairedCalor Gas Diesel Pump-out Coal

Promote the Society and look good in one of our PoloShirts. Most sizes. Only £15. Available at Meetings

NEWSLETTERwww.stratfordcanalsociety.org.uk

The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal Society

Front cover: Wharf Road Bridge No.27 Christmas 2010Photo Alasdair Lawrence

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Stratford upon Avon Canal Society meetings are usually held on the third Fridayof each month from October to April at 7.45pm.

We meet at Wootton Wawen Village Hall which is situated in the village of WoottonWawen, very near to the A3400. All are welcome. Admission to meetings is charged at£2 per person. This also covers tea/coffee etc.

From the south, leave Stratford on the A3400, pass under the aqueduct at Wootton, pastthe village store on the left and then the road takes a 90-degree turn towards Henley inArden. At the apex of the bend, turn left onto the B4089 towards Aston Cantlow/Alcester.On the corner you will see the Bulls Head pub and the entrance to the village hall is 100yards from the junction, opposite the pub car park.

From the north, leave Henley in Arden on the A3400. As you approach Wootton Wawen,the road goes down a slight hill and then takes a 90-degree turn to the left. On the apexof the bend, turn right and follow the instructions as above.

The objects of the Society are to promote the fullest use, maintenanceand improvement of all Inland Waterways of Great Britain, and in

particular the Stratford upon Avon Canal

Newsletter No. 353 Winter 2011

Join the Society - Membership rates are now £10for any number of members living at the same address, per year.

Send a cheque (payable to ‘Stratford-upon-Avon Canal Society’ together withyour name and address to the Membership Secretary (details inside back cover).

The Committee and Society may not agree with the opinions expressed in thisNewsletter; we encourage the publication as a matter of interest. Nothing printed hereincan be construed as policy or an official announcement unless it is so stated. The Societyand Committee accept no liability whatsoever for any matter in the Newsletter.

Date for final contributions for issue 354 is 1st March 2012

Small Ads, for sale or wanted, are welcome. Send details to Clive Henderson. (inside back cover)

Joint ChairmenAlasdair LawranceWaterside House, Wharf Lane,Lapworth,SOLIHULL B94 5NR01564 783766alawrance1@me.com

Jeremy Scanlon1 Canal CottageOld Warwick RoadLapworthSOLIHULL B94 6BA07973 483724jeremyscanlon@googlemail.com

TreasurerOlwen Blackborow50 Billesley Lane,Moseley,BIRMINGHAM B13 9QS

Membership SecretaryClive HendersonThe Bridge House,Church Lane, Lapworth,SOLIHULL B94 5NU01564 78367207836 523118bridgehouse@onetel.com

Newsletter EditorDusty MillerFurze Hill, London RoadSHIPSTON ON STOUR CV36 4EP.Contributions to the newsletter to:brassokid@googlemail.com

Minutes SecretaryJack Priestjack@mistweave.co.uk

Other Committee Members:Arthur Beeston24 Stratford RoadWARWICK CV34 6AS01926 491558art.beeston@sky.com

Steve Burt6 Pear Tree Close, SOLIHULL B90 1LP0121 244 8439steve@3mph.co.uk

Dan FarrellPO Box 1402STRATFORD-UPON-AVON CV37 9GR01789 413119

John Glock33 The MaltingsLEIGHTON BUZZARD LU7 8BS01525 382311john.glock@hotmail.co.uk

Joan McAdamFlat 25, Mason House, Green Lane,Shirley, SOLIHULL B90 1AF07776 400530katiman@hotmail.co.uk

Malcolm Sadler3 Swallow Close,STRATFORD-UPON-AVON CV37 6TTTel: 01789 205571Malcolmsadler@live.co.uk

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9th December Christmas Meeting, Social evening Including Members Arts and Crafts - Show and tell!

20th January Droitwich Canal restoration and Opening

17th February Angel Canal Festival, Beryl Windsor and Steve Burt.

16th March AGM

19th April (Thursday) Proposed visit to the Purity Brewery (details to be advised)

29th June Proposed date for the Society Midsummer Dinner

Unless otherwise stated, there is a £2 admission charge to SONACS Wootton Wawen meetings.Thisincludes tea/coffee etc.

W&BCS Meetings at The Boat and Railway PH, Stoke Prior.

6th December Noggin and Natter

7th February Local cargo carrying in the pre steam era Dick Churchley

2011/12 SonACS Programme of Events

IWA Meetings at The Sports Connexion, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, CV8 3FL.14th December Quiz and Social Evening

11th January New Year Dinner Pre booking essential

More about IWA Warwickshire activities - www.waterways.org.uk/warwickshire

BCNS Meetings at Titford Pump House, Oldbury.

1st December Christmas Social

5th January Life on the BCN in the 50/60s Graham Wigley

2nd February Photos of John Whitehouse Roy Kenn

Small ads: Luxury 2/4 berth narrow boat for hire Semi traditional stern Based at Streethay Wharf, Coventry Canal For details go to www.streethaywharf.co.uk Or phone 01543 414808

In now 20 years of ownership, I have been to some fantastic places by boatbut still get an immense thrill going under the final bridge into Stratford Basin.People have looked at me strangely when I say I’m going on holiday toWigan, Langley Mill, Worksop or Godalming!I also have a passion for far distant travel so have been across Russia by TheTrans Siberian Express, over the mountains by rail from China to Tibet, backpacked around Thailand and seen the sunrise over Machu Picchu.In the last couple of years my working life has also changed in that I tookearly severance from Royal Mail. I still have to do something to keep my mindfrom going too fuzzy so run a mail forwarding business for boaters, a websitebuilding company and I produce a guide to the pubs near to canal and rivernavigations – the research has been very enjoyable!As well as producing the website for the Stratford River Festival each year,I’m looking forward to 2014 when hopefully a large gathering of boats willagain be seen in Stratford to celebrate the 50th reopening of theStratford-upon-Avon Canal.

Does volunteering make a difference?

These pictures of the towpath at Kings Norton junction (bridge behind) were takena few hours apart and show what can be achieved. Murray Woodward (BW)organises monthly workparties and this was last month’s result.Contact Steve or Clive (pg18) if you would like to help.

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Many of you will remember the National Trust Acorn Camps that were run onthe southern section of the canal. The one of these I attended was a shock tomy system as it was run by a vegetarian, a shock to a meat eater! As I held adriving licence, I was allowed to drive volunteers around in a short wheelbaseLandrover for the week – what a fantastic experience and now looking back, itwas my first contact with Major Crick Grundy.My work life started to prevail however I was lucky to work for Royal Mail thatgave long holidays. I continued to hire every year. This was becoming a realpassion and, as I enjoyed transport in its widest forms, wanted to get moreinvolved.I think it was an article in Waterways World that identified work parties on theStratford canal (no internet in those days) and, as I enjoyed driving, contactedMaurice and Meg Frost, and drove from South London to Stratford area for theday in a Volkswagen Beetle. We have remember, that in those days, Londonwas quiet on a Sunday morning, and it’s not many miles from London toStratford and there were no speed cameras!I joined a working parties led by Maurice Frost through to Arthur Beeston andhelped to complete the moorings at Wilmcote over a few years as well asmany other tasks.

As life progressed, I continued to hire boats and started to be invited ontoother people’s boats to crew. In the late 80’s, I started to think about owningmy own boat and looked for a shortened ‘Josher’ but none were available. So,in 1991, after much planning and research, my boat ‘Bancroft’ was launchedbeing a length that would enable me to get to the far flung parts of the system.She is moored on The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal at Lapworth which hasproved to be a useful starting point for two weeks away from work.

Message from theChairmen

Alasdair: Most of us would agree thatit's been something of a roller-coaster yearfor our waterways - the decision to off-loadBW into BW Mk2 and rely in the future onsignificant amounts of volunteer labour.Some have said that "At least it's better thanfull privatisation!", but of course the neworganisation will presumably still be

constrained by the 5-year contracts with contractors May-Gurney and Fountains. It is, of course,a poular myth that the private sector can do things more cheaply than the public sector;comparing like with like, the private sector must be more expensive because it must make aprofit for shareholders. The only way it can be 'cheaper' is to fiddle the figures, (as in PFI), oruse cheaper materials or not work to the same standards or, of course, a combination of these.In the case of labour costs, BW staff who are TUPE'd [Transfer of Undertakings (Protection ofEmployment) Regulations] have protected status as regards conditions of service and pensionrights, for example. However, what commonly happens is that the firm is subsequently takenover by another firm, (or goes into receivership) whereupon the staff are left with nothing, andwith no recourse to Government, Employment or Pensions protection legislation. Such is theway of the world these days.

Members are probably not aware that Valley Cruisers, who recently took over the site atWestern Road in Stratford, has new owners, David and Geraldine Moore from Banbury. Wewish them well in their venture and hope to see them at meetings in the future. (see pg 5 Ed).

Merry Christmas to all our readers, and have a splendid boating time in 2012.

Jeremy adds his end of season thoughts: They are more sober than seasonablethoughts. On 23 September, after being the centre of my life for thirty-seven years, Unicorn setoff along our canal without me. ( Note: I would be grateful for any information about her currentwhereabouts. Worcester?) It is difficult to adjust to a shore-bound life, hard to say if seeing theboats passing a few feet from our windows makes us feel better or worse.

The crew on my very first week on the cut, in May 1968, included my sister Jennifer.We celebrated my 32nd birthday in Llangollen. (A decorated cake, plus a Madeira cake and aloaf, set us back 8/6, or 42½ p in our debased currency.) To round my canal career off neatly, wecelebrated Jennifer's 72nd birthday in the Bancroft, after which she and her husband helpedwork Unicorn back up the so-familiar locks to Lapworth.

My boating since 23 September has been limited to a couple of hours on Nanshe withClive, Helen and a film crew. Keep an eye out for our star turn in April, as an eye-blink in theWarwickshire episode in a Counties of England series. They originally had hoped for a brisk runup Hatton and a glance at Stratford, but settled for locks 3 and 2, that swine of a lift-bridge, andthe heady excitement of a winding hole.

I am happy to have done one useful thing for the society: persuading my step-daughterJacky Priest to assume once again the burdensome office of Secretary.

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Editor's ReportThis year has been quite a year for ourwaterways. A number of things have happenedsome of which could change the way it has beenfor quite some time. The big issue, is of course,the proposed and forthcoming demise of BritishWaterways and the transfer of the Nation’scanals to a new charity. We now know that thenew trust will be titled Canal and River Trust,

CRT. The newlogo is also now public knowledge. Thewaterways press has covered how CRTis to be structured so I won't repeat thedetails. Suffice it to say that, inprinciple, we the users, should havemore say in how our waterways arecontrolled and managed.This year has seen one of the driestyears ever but even with Chasewaterreservoir out of action, the BCN and the

canals that are served with water from this huge pound have seen verylittle disruption. The Stratford Canal and in turn the GU, the W&B'ham,Stourbridge, Walsall Canal, Farmers Bridge Locks and theWolverhampton 21 all take water from this supply. BW should becongratulated in their very successful efforts to maintain water levels.Could the IWA National Festival at Burton on Trent this year be the lastof the big festivals? There will be no National in 2012 as much of thevolunteer workforce will be engaged in controlling the moorings at theOlympic games in London. There is certainly an argument for a returnto smaller, local and where appropriate, campaigning rallies.The Stratford River Festival, in which members of our Society areinvolved, has, in three years, become a highlight in the local waterwayscalendar - and a great tourist attraction for the Town. Again in 2012 wewill be holding our midsummer dinner on the Friday of the festival.Looking ahead and while talking of Stratford it should just be mentionedthat 2014 sees fifty years since the reopening of the canal and fortysince craft could once again navigate the Avon to Stratford.I would like to wish all our members a Very Happy Christmas and greatboating for 2012.

John GlockCommittee Member

Copy of Copy of NEWSLETTER COPY.eml

Little did I realise that whilst beingraised in the outskirts of London, withthe Dartford and Crayford Navigationas my nearest canal, that theStratford-upon-Avon Canal wouldbecome such a close friend in years tocome.I think my interest in canals came froma combination of digging them onKent’s sandy beaches and beingintroduced to canal holidays as ateenager. What do you do as a familyto keep two lively boys occupied onholiday and somewhere you can take the dog as well? Take them all on aboating holiday!As a family, we had our first boating holiday on the Norfolk Broads – boring asI remember, the only highlight being a frogman being called out to cut a ropefree from the propeller! What an excitement as an early teenager.We progressed to the River Thames but at that age, did not really understandthe expensive cruiser lifestyle and dressing for dinner each night.The next year we ventured onto the canals and hired from Anglo Welsh atWootton Wawen. We were disappointed when we arrived at the boatyard aswe were told we could not go north as a gate had collapsed so had to go southand we ventured onto the River Avon. We had some experience but only twoprevious holidays and this was a challenge – but a real motivator for thefuture.However, both myself, my brother and the dog loved it. I still clearly remembermooring in front of the theatre at Stratford. It was brought even more alive bythe Play for Today ‘Shakespeare or Bust’ which involved three YorkshireMiners hiring a boat and taking her from Leeds to Stratford with theiradventures which we, as a family, could associate.And so our canal adventures as a family continued. We liked Anglo Welsh sothe next year returned to Wootton and this time headed north – forsoutherners Birmingham seemed very strange as we were not well travelled.We ventured in a week to Windmill End, Stourbridge and Wolverhampton –friends still wonder why I go to these places for a holiday! We went to most oftheir bases to enjoy canal holidays including Great Haywood and Trevor. Notgoing away in the summer months meant that we could get two weeks at halfterms for one week in the summer – and we all wanted to keep coming back.

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have been restored I can appreciate the satisfaction gained fromhaving been involved in their restoration, but those people involvedmust be far seeing and dedicated.We were told there are several WRG camps organized during thesummer, code named 'Dig Deep'! and several weekend workingparties, after which the locks will have been cleared to allow therebuilding. After lunch we were to visit a lock which had been cleared ofdebris and was in an advanced stage of renovation. Jon recommendeda pub for lunch which was on the way to the lock we were to visit. Thiswas The Red Lion at Castle Eaton. We sat in the pub garden by a river,cooling off under the trees, for a welcome drink and lunch.I found the place from where we were to walk to Eisey Lock asinteresting as the restoration of the locks. People may have gatheredthat I am interested in old buildings. This was a huddle of old woodenbuildings by the name of Alex Farm. The most striking building was anenormous barn, cruciform, with a large, beautifully shaped high door ateach aspect. It is probably about 200 years old. This is being used as adepot to service the needs of the restoration. CCT is leasing it from theCo-operative, they are big land owners in the area with whom the CCThave developed a good working relationship.Eisey lock was more encouraging. Lock cleared, scaffolding, newbrickwork and clearly on its way to becoming a working lock. Jonexplained how the lock was to be finished, paddles, gates, sills etc.This was an encouragement after the early stages of the previous locksand a good point on which to end our day.Having had my offer of a contribution towards the cost of the petrolroundly refused by my hosts. They suggested I made a contributiontowards the Inglesham Lock Appeal. Remembering the report onClive’s speech at the 2010 IWA Chester Rally, when he announced that'The IWA want to extend the Thames at Inglesham. They are keen topresent an opportunity to get it open and create a useful link to thenetwork.' He ended his speech saying that if everyone who supportedthe cause donated £10 we could easily meet our target of £125,000. Ihave sent £10 to the Inglesham appeal.And so I take the liberty of giving the address for donations in caseanyone is interested. The Inland Waterways Association, IngleshamAppeal, Island House, Moor Road, Chesham HP5 IWA.It won't be ready for me to cruise in my lifetime but I like to imaginehow it will be for those who do have the opportunity.

I would like to take the opportunity to introduce myself as the new owner ofValley Wharf on Western Road, Stratford upon Avon (formerly known asWestern Road Wharf). I have recently bought the narrowboat hire companyExcellence Afloat at Valley Cruises which is based at the wharf in Stratford. Mywife and I have owned a 45ft narrowboat, moored on the Oxford Canal, formany years, but a commercial involvement in the inland waterways industry isa new venture to us.I feel that it is appropriate that I should make contact with the society andwould welcome the opportunity to have a chat, and perhaps to meet withyourself and members at some point.

The Valley Cruises hire fleet, based at the Springwood Haven marinanear Nuneaton and also known as 'Excellence Afloat', has been sold as agoing concern.

Press releaseThe business remains operating as before. The new owners, David andGeraldine Moore, themselves private boating enthusiasts from Banbury, saidthey had long admired the company, and intend to keep operating the existingfleet of 12 boats at Springwood Haven for the coming year.They also hope to expand the fleet of five boats based at the old StratfordCourt canal boatyard in Stratford-upon-Avon, which Excellence Afloat acquiredlast year. In particular, they hope to introduce a greater variety of boats to theStratford base. The current fleet there are described as 'too similar', and DavidMoore says he hopes he can introduce some smaller and larger boats tomatch the variety at Springwood Haven.

www.valleycruises.co.ukEmail - enquiries@valleycruises.co.ukphone 02476 393333 or 01789 264224 - mobile 07990 513567

Letter From David MooreExcellence Afloat at Valley Cruises Ltd

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A Grand Day OutA visit to the Cotswold Canals continued

We picked our way round the piles of spoil and the rampant vegetationto see the next lock. The last boats had gone through the locks in 1911.The debris within the locks was the result of decades of neglect. Theamount of backbreaking work that needed to be carried out was mindboggling.

Jon gave us detailed explanations of the work being carried out and thework still to be done. He is obviously dedicated to the project. There isa road and turning point to be laid, for vehicles working on the site,dredging and construction of a boat landing, preparation for stop planksand more vegetation removal. The trees having had to be removedbefore the spring nesting. (There are voles to be taken intoconsideration as well as birds!) Having cruised on several canals that

Christmas Caption Competition

Clive with a microphone, addresses his audience at Stratford but what is hesaying (or maybe singing)? The best suggestions sent by email to the editor(details on page 18) will appear in the next issue.

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r

Major Christopher Barnes Grundy MC“Crick”

16th September, 1926 - 4th November, 2011

It is with great regret that the Society has torecord the death of Major "Crick" Grundy MC.During the National Trust guardianship of theSouthern section of the Stratford Canal, MajorGrundy managed both Packwood House atLapworth and the canal.His first encounter with waterways was at anearly age during the 30's when his family wasone of the first to discover the leisure benefitsof canals spending holidays afloat.After the war and a most successful militarycareer serving in the far-east and beingdecorated with the Military Cross, canals againwere to become his life. He and his latebrother Martin joined the campaigning cruiseswith Tom Rolt and Robert Aickman.When The Stratford Canal was re-openedfrom Kingswood to Stratford he took on theonerous task of management andimprovement but always without the necessaryfunds to do as much as he wished. When Ilived at lock 40 he often left his daughter, Jemima, at the cottage to playwith my daughter while he attended to some urgent breakdown in theflight, which could involve anything from a displaced cill, a sunken boat ora blocked culvert which often meant a headfirst crawl in the wet and darkto free a jammed log. One of the biggest causes of problems in those dayswas the lack of water. There was a limited metered supply from BWBwaters much of which disappeared through rat holes that had beenburrowed during the days of dereliction consequently the Wilmcote flightwas always short of water and boaters used to flush water down causingdebris to wedge behind gates. I remember Crick saying "The canal wouldrun very well if it wasn't for boats!"After the canal was returned to BW and reunited with its northern sectionthe Major returned to work with his old regiment, The Kings ShropshireLight Infantry.The canal was represented at the funeral by members of the StratfordCanal Society, the IWA and Peter Chamberlain and Peter Pascke who hadboth worked on the canal.Our thoughts and condolences go out to Hope and Jemima atthis sad time.The illustration was reproduced from the order of service at the funeral.

From the West Midlands Waterways PartnershipBy coincidence, having ended my three year term as chairman of this society, I was interviewedand appointed to a position in one of two trial local waterways partnerships. These partnerships,along with the board of trustees and the council, make a significant addition to the structure ofthe new Canal & River Trust (CRT). The switch from BW to CRT is due to take place in April2012 and I'm impressed with Dean Davies and others in the Fazeley office who, far from beingaverse to change have grasped the new ideas and are working closely with us. We are currentlylooking through the West Midlands waterway business plan for next year. It is well prepared andmakes interesting reading (yes, really!) I’ve looked carefully to see where savings could be madeto avoid waste. Sadly one quite large figure is for Planned Reactive Work Costs and this coversgraffiti, flytipping and vandalism. Will the move to a charity encourage a greater sense ofresponsibility and ownership of this vulnerable public amenity? I hope so and look forward to aday when spending here can be reduced to zero.Boating members of the society will have had a letter recently from trustee chairman, Tony Halesinviting nominations for the CRT council. This is an opportunity for you to getinvolved in shaping the future - go for it!

On our return from Stratford, we stopped to chat to an ex-BW man (he's been TUPE'd*)who was cutting the grass on a ride-on mower and he neatly illustrated how up itself thepresent BW Management is. Fountains, the vegetation contractors cut the towpath grassevery 2 weeks in the season, which is what you would expect. Towpath moorings comeunder a different bit of BW and have a different budget, so they only get cut every 4 weeks.Going from one lock to another on the South Stratford, this man must perforce pass thesemoorings, but since the moorings, which people pay for, are to be cut only every 4 weeks,he must only cut up to where the moorings start, then lift the cutting deck as he drives pastthese moorings, only lowering it when he is beyond them! Two weeks later, it's OK, he cancut the moorings. For me, this amply illustrates the utter nonsense of sub-contracting/outsourcing and graphically tells us why our Waterways are in the shamblesthey are. In passing, coming up the South Stratford, we lost count of the leaking andunbalanced gates, as well as mostly very stiff paddles. On the plus side there were a coupleof very nicely re-built split bridges, but whether they were done by BW or contractors, Iknow not.At Br28, (Drawbridge Farm) we spied a van of a hydraulic engineering firm, and a new ramhas been installed at that bridge. (It came from The Drawbridge, where I think it dependedon counterweights, but I may be wrong). That will hopefully resolve the problem.*TUPE = Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment)regulations. Otherwise known as forced privatisation.

SonACS welcomes debate and here are twoviews of BW and the new charity CRT

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boats glided by on their way to Coventry with another load of chemicals fromManchester. All too soon we were back at Gailey top lock where Cornwall wasto be left. It had been a lovely summer's boating and I was sad that it wasover but I now had to enter the working world.

In September Ron North came to the sad decision that due to businesspressures he would have to sell Cornwall. A farewell cruise for friends andpast members of the crew from Gailey to Autherley and back was arranged. Ithad to be repeated several times to accommodate the large number of peoplewho had enjoyed being part of the crew of Cornwall over the years. For methe North family and Cornwall had not only opened up a new world to do withcanals but Ron had been instrumental in me starting my new career as anapprentice toolmaker with B.S.A. Tools at their Mackadown Lane works.Cornwall was bought by the Salvation Army and was taken over by Major FredFielding and his wife and daughter to become the mission boat for the canalboat people. I was invited to help move the boat to it's new mooring atCoventry and joined her at Kings Norton to go through the Stratford canalthus, rather sadly, reversing the original trip. In the next few years I visitedMajor and Mrs. Fielding several times on board the Salvo, as the boat wasnow called, at their base at Suttons Stop where they did so much good helpingthe canal folk. However as 1950 closed it seemed as if my access to boatingon the canals had gone.

Sonia Smith &Bert Dunkleyon

Seen on our canal from unusual angles, canyou guess what these objects are?

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Mimas & RayArthur &Mrs. Stokes

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the basin was floodlit and a carnival atmosphere lasted well into the night. Totake pictures of the boats in the basin we had to get up at sunrise to beat thecrowds.The culmination of the rally was a grand procession of boats, headed by aslipper stern launch carrying the newly crowned Carnival Queen followed bythe Leicester Caledonian Pipe Band aboard John Knill's Columba. The mainmemories were of the colourful array of about 150 boats, the incredible turnoutof the townsfolk and visitors, and the perfectly regular beat of the Petter hot

bulb engine in the Mabel as shepassed with the passenger trips. Iwas so impressed by the rally Ijoined the Midlands Branch of theI.W.A.The boats now began to disperse,and it was quite sad to wave toone after another as they left thetown. We set off the next day toretrace our route back to Gailey. Iseem to think we made KilbyBridge the first night and atRatcliffe on Soar the next eveningwe walked along the old river inthe moonlight. Next morning aswe were going up the river Trentthe Skipper lost his pipe overboardas we approached Derwent Mouthjunction. We tried to do a U-turn inthe wide river and very nearlysucceeded, but we still failed tofind the pipe. Having beendelayed at Shardlow for severalhours, darkness had fallen by thetime we worked up Swarkestonelock. The rams head caught underthe bottom gate footboard and we

had to act quickly to free it. It was a relief to be safely tied up for the nightafter such an eventful day.Before continuing on our way the next morning we looked at the recentlyclosed Derby canal and regretted its loss. Tied by the Milk Factory aboveFradley that night we were awakened by the sound of an approaching boat. Inthe pitch blackness all we could see was the glow from the steerer's cigaretteand the odd spark from the hot bulb Gardner as a pair of Cowburn Cowper

My Early Waterway MemoriesWith Cornwall to Market Harborough continued

There were also a large number of ex working boats. Pride of place amongstthe conversions was Cressy. One of our party took our new copies of NarrowBoat to have them autographed by Tom Rolt. Roemah Obat owned by Dr.Dickenson from Nottingham won the award for the best narrow boatconversion. This boat, whosename means Doctors House inMalay, was his home, and was oneof the first boats we had heard of tobe connected to mains services atits home mooring. The convertedboats also included Beatrice,owned by Peter Scott, which wasused as the committee boat. Theharbour master, Cyril Taplin, hadhis boat Primrose at the end of thebasin. Other boats were Elizabeth,Long Moll and Wayfarer &Wanderer which had beenconverted into hotel boats forSloan's Nu-way Holidays. Amongthe unconverted private boats wasthe Hesperus owned by PatBingham, the Earl of Lucan.Cruisers ranged from the largeglossy riverboats to convertedlifeboats, river launches and thehumble pontoons. One of these,the Meandra, had come fromEarlswood, its stern paddle wheeldriven by a 1.5hp Lister hoppercooled stationary engine! Therewere also two prototype canal cruisers, the Cygnet from Bonds of Maidenheadand the Avonvale from Holt Abbot of Stourport.The whole town seemed to be taking part in the festivities. There was anexhibition about inland waterways, an art exhibition, a display by the SevernWildfowl Trust, then newly formed, and a special programme of canal films atone of the local cinemas. This included the premiere of the film Painted Boatsand a new film by the British Transport Commission. At night the towpath near

Dennis Burgin's Meandra

John Roger’s MabelDr. Dickenson’sRoemah Obat,

Tom Rolt’s Cressy