We did it!

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see page 6 for details

September 2013West Riding Branch

Chairman’s Thoughts

I hope you have all had a good summer and are looking forward to the start of our open meetings on 13 September, when we will be entertained by Adam Comerford with a talk entitled “Water Management within the Canal & River Trust”.Perhaps he will be able to explain why locking locks saves water and why we run out of water so regularly on our local canals.

The full list of meetings is on the back cover – note that the Christmas meeting has been moved to the first Friday in December – Friday 6 December.

The Branch has had a busy time since the AGM. The display stands have been out to several sites and we have had a number of successful working parties – see report on page 6. And we had the second annual boat gathering at Thwaite Mills. This was successful again – reports and pictures are on page~. We have also attended various meetings relating to waterways within our area, including the CRT NE Partnership meeting “ Changing Lives Together” workshop.

Several people have been very busy with all this and have given the Branch lots of support, for which we give them all our thanks. The IWA is a membership organisation, run by members for the benefit of the waterways. We hope that we have used the resources we have in the best way for our waterways, and the Branch committee will be considering soon what we should be doing for the IWA in our area in 2014. It would be good to know what you all think we should be doing. Offers to help with the to-do list would still be very welcome and I have included it again lest the good weather in the summer was too much of a diversion.

While reading that, you may like to put some thoughts towards our new project with partners in Leeds. There is a wealth of facilities in the city, and boaters tell us there is a lack of moorings available to visit them. We hope to make the city a boaters' must-see-destination on a par with that city at the other end of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal: that's the one with that Yellow Submarine in the picture. We are having meetings and discussions and visiting the waterside

locations which we would like to see filled with visiting boats. What do you think is needed and where? If you have boated through Leeds, tell us what you found,

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and whether you thought Leeds gave a fitting welcome. If not, can you say what you look for in an inner-city mooring such as Birmingham or Manchester. All comments will be gratefully received to help the project.

The IWA National was at Cassiobury Park, Watford in July. This year we had no volunteers to take the West Riding gazebo and display stands; rather than leave our waterways unmentioned, we borrowed an IWA gazebo and took our stands to display the waterways covered by the North East CRT Partnership, and which did not need a permanent presence to explain it to visitors. See page 12.

We have been doing several activities in direct partnership with CRT; as custodians of a large part of our waterway network, it's their job to say, among other things, the type of paint we should be using on the mileposts and how they should best be rubbed down. This does not mean that we will avoid saying they are wrong when we think they are. For a lots of things, especially improving the canal environment and attracting more people to the waterways, we are after the same thing, so it seems sensible to pool resources when we can. Hopefully we will be in a better position to give constructive criticism when it is needed.

Elaine Scott, Branch Chairman

To do list

● Assemble MilePost● Arrange adverts for MilePost● Find Speakers● Check Planning Applications● Organise Raffle● Get members to provide raffle prizes● Ring new members to welcome them● Organise working party in Leeds● Organise working party at Salterhebble● Put up posters in Leeds● Put up posters in Salterhebble● Go to meetings● Report on meetings for MilePost● Support Barnsley, Dearne and Dove Canal Trust● Etc.

Could you help with any of this? Have you any ideas about what the Branch should be doing?All thoughts to me, please

elaine.scott@waterways.org.uk or 07980 9538803

Region Chairman's Thoughts

It's an honour to be continuing as Regional Chairman for another term of office: thanks to those from each of our branches, and from the Region Committee, who nominated me.

And it's also a privilege to be wielding the paintbrush blacking the numbers on the Leeds and Liverpool mileposts. It's most fun on a sunny afternoon, it's useful for passing boaters cyclists and walkers who like to know where they are: and more importantly it's a token of the progress of the culture change from British Waterways who strangled such volunteer activities in so much paperwork as to make them, in practice, impossible.

And for a third view of activities on our waterways, picture this scene below Woodlesford Lock on the Aire and Calder. A hireboat waiting to go up sets off for the lock, forgetting that the boat coming down will need the space to leave; attempting to regain the towpath with the engine pushes the bows further out, and throwing a rope has passing gongoozlers vainly pulling the stern to the bank while the bows drift even further around. This left the descending boater barely enough waterspace to squeeze by, and it's the cheery wave of toleration for this idiotic boat-handling that makes the canals worthy of all that volunteer effort above. Of course the floundering steerer was, as Sir Humphrey put it, “one whom your present interlocutor is in the habit of defining by means of the perpendicular pronoun”.

Mooring above that lock, we headed for t'pub with the “home cooked food” sign outside: barman: “we're not doing food until s..” gave the thought “it's only half-past five and we'll not wait until seven” even before the end of the word “..eptember” had the revised thought about it still being July. The walk to the pizza takeaway gave time to be surprised at the complete absence of HS2-campaigning signs, in an area which

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might have to appreciate trains whizzing by on a very high embankment: however distant in time is the possible construction, and however fractured has the project's business case and its supporting political consensus become, the planning blight is immediate and began on the day the HS2 phase2 route was announced. (1)

The IWA is of course concentrating on the practical effects of HS2 on our waterways network: if any members care to volunteer their time to watch developments in our region and become our expert on the issues, please let us know. The Chesterfield Canal is much affected, and from their website we read how meetings with the engineering team have not yet reduced the proposed effects of the scheme, but have also failed to persuade them to update the maps they are using for consultation to ones that show the restoration that has actually been achieved at Staveley Basin. (2)

Our National Chairman's speech at our Festival in Cassiobury Park echoed Chesterfield's frustration at their loss of grants to the HS2-uncertainty with the observation that the eighteenth-century engineers surveyed their route by actually visiting it, usually on horseback. The Civic Welcome speech emphasised that none of the local Council Tax had been spent on the Festival. Maybe it's a matter of confidence: if the local council invest some local resources in us, we can more effectively bring valuable visitors to the economic benefit of the local community, at the same time giving a joint message to local residents that our Festival is worth attending. (3)

Whatever the reasons, too few people visited, and the financial outcome has been very poor: the final figures will be available in time for our national Annual General Meeting at Ettington on Saturday 28 September, to which all members are encouraged to attend, whether it's to hear about the National, plans for Stratford in 2014, or just to 'Note' that election for Regional Chairman which I began with. As IWA trustees we have some rules for making way for new people after six years in the job: it's a custom more honoured in the breach than the observance, but for me, my 65th birthday on 31st July 2015 would be an opportune anniversary to spend more time in my armchair, and it's also exactly ten years since I gave up paid work. There's still lots of campaigning we can all do before then! (4)

(1) http://tinyurl.com/mp201309-1 (2) http://tinyurl.com/mp201309-2(3) http://youtu.be/k-NqVKzOXkM(4) http://tinyurl.com/pjs-2013

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We did it!West Riding Branch Working Parties Summer 2013

As we reported in the last edition of Milepost we decided, with the encouragement of Alison Smedley, the IWA Head Office Branch Project Officer, to hold some working parties during the summer break in social meetings. All five were enjoyable and each had enough people to make a worthwhile improvement in the areas concerned.

We decided to concentrate on two areas, the first mile of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in Leeds City Centre and Salterhebble Locks on the Calder and Hebble. At Salterhebble we chose two Saturdays, hoping to attract passers by, and in Leeds, Friday evening with a hope to attract some who normally attend our social meetings.

So what was achieved overall?

We intended to do litter picking, weeding of cobbles and surrounding areas and some painting, with equipment provided by CRT. The first evening in Leeds was as wet as the first Saturday in Salterhebble and that was too damp for painting, so we concentrated on other activities and completed a fair amount of work. Thank all those who helped, especially during the dampness, which covered the signing-in sheets and blurred some of the addresses. So thank you – and you know who you were! Thanks also to Claire, Lucy, Matt and Katie of CRT for their assistance and for providing the equipment we needed.

At Salterhebble our second Saturday was on 27 July and again Shire Cruisers' nbOxford was on hand to provide tea and coffee. The weather was a lot better and most of the day was spent attacking Himalayan Balsam, which was greatly enjoyed by our younger participants, as well as cobble clearing.

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Our wettish evening in Leeds was followed by two dry ones. There was more litter picking, cobble clearing, garden weeding, and painting a fence, half a rudder, a mile's worth of mileposts and re-touching a notice (about our 1997 milepost work). We were based at Office Lock and spread out towards River Lock and Oddy Lock with our work. We had many positive comments from passers-by and some of our volunteers were attracted from the nearby residential and office accommodation.

What next?So that was the first mile done. Any takers for the next mile? We would like someone to look after each milepost. Do you have a favourite one? Would you like to paint it and keep it free of weeds, then send us a picture of what you have achieved? Paint and brushes and CRT's specification can be provided. Just let us know.

To keep up the work we really need local people to look after local bits of canals.

Leeds is a long way to travel from Sheffield! Any one who would like to take part in a working party please let us know.

Here is a list of regular working parties run by CRT North East in our area – go along and try one. If you enjoy it please let us know.

Leeds Towpath TaskforceFirst Tuesday and fourth Saturday of the month 10am-1pmMeeting at Leeds Lock near the Armouries

Huddersfield Broad Canal Towpath TaskforceSecond Friday of the month 10am-3pmHuddersfield Broad, meeting points vary

Knottingley Towpath TaskforceFirst Thursday and second Saturday of the month 10am-1pmUsual meeting point at Knottingley Amphitheatre, Hill Top

And of course if there isn't one near you get in touch with your local CRT Volunteer organiser and ask when there will be one.CRT contacts

NE Claire.McDonald@canalrivertrust.org.ukNW Matthew.Taylor@canalrivertrust.org.uk

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IWA Thwaite Mills Boat Gathering 2013 (part of the Leeds Waterfront Festival)

by Rachael Pawley – boat resident at Thwaite Mills

Well, what a fantastic weekend at the boat gathering within the historical site of Thwaite Mills Museum. The glorious weather was complemented by an excellent range of activities and attractions that were enjoyed by thousands of visitors.

Families had plenty of activities to amuse the children, with games of mini golf, archery and sponge throwing. Once the energy had run out, children loved playing with the sand at the IWA/Canal and River Trust tent, having their faces painted or creating masterpieces with Sandy Kidz. Also on site was a bouncy castle, fairground ride and the Safe Anchor Trust ran hugely popular free boat trips all weekend to Knotstrop lock and back.

The West Riding Branch had a hugely informative tent, about the waterways, and with the International Guild of Knot Tyers gave impressive demonstrations of button and fender making techniques. The Yorkshire Association of Change Ringers gave people the opportunity to try their hand at bell ringing, and the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust attracted much attention.

In keeping with the historical location of the mill, which was open and running all weekend, there was a large range of exceptional historical boats and machines present. The 99- year old Humber Sloop, Amy Howson, greeted visitors with an

open sail and impressed them with a tour of her hull. Similarly, the Kennet, Rainbow Sprint, Vulcan and Riger all wowed visitors with a free tour. An appearance by the 147ft Fusedale, one of the commercial boats operating in the north east, completed the turnout in style, pushing the limits of the canal and locks. Visitors were also treated to historical gypsy caravans, a working Titan tractor from 1917 and a fully operational steam crane which demonstrated its power all weekend.

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After working up an appetite, the smell of cooking was irresistible to all and plenty of burgers and hot dogs were eaten. For those who like to shop, the sweets stall and charity stands selling vintage homeware was a welcome treat.

Sincere thanks and congratulations are extended to all those involved in the organisation of this excellent weekend, including The Inland Waterways Association, Canal and River Trust, Thwaite Mills Museum and the Sea Cadets who successfully organised the car parking. Here’s looking forward to next year’s event which is touted to be even bigger and better.

Elaine added: As part of the co-operation between CRT and IWA the tent with Explorers and Wild Over Waterways childrens' activities was manned by volunteers from both organisations. We shared the space, the activities, and a “Ducks and Swans” game which involved finding ten ducks (IWA Thwaite Mills) or ten swans (CRT Leeds Centre) and receiving a sticker if you could make two words out of the letters on the birds. We almost ran out of the forms to fill in but Thawite Mills did us some quick photocopying and our customers were satisfied. Certainly lots of duck stickers were seen being worn round the site.

Special thanks to Ray Harvey and William Jowitt for towing PEST – the trailer containing the marquees – around the country.

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The Boater's Quiz more by Rachael Pawley, quiz participant

Hosted by Elaine and Peter Scott, this excellent evening quiz was based on knowledge of waterways and recent related events. A unique opening round was brought to us with pictures around the bandstand, getting everyone up and integrating straight away; a fantastic idea considering the audience was a mixture of Thwaite Mills residents and IWA members. All the questions were just the right mix of difficult but achievable, although the cheat sheets were particularly well received! In the rare moments of silence you could almost hear the sound of brains ticking over.

The group found it particularly amusing needing to wait on the return of Peter from a shopping expedition as the answer sheet was safely tucked away in his head! Impressively, not only did Peter know all of the answers, but he provided plenty of additional background information about each question, demonstrating exceptional knowledge of the subject. Perhaps his specialist topic on Mastermind? Additionally, the group thoroughly enjoyed Elaine's dramatic recounting of their experiences in the 2007 flooding of Sheffield where they had a particularly sleepless night floating 8ft above the towpath!

There was stiff competition throughout the evening with friendly banter thrown between the four teams. Ultimately two teams were crowned winners and adorned with a golden box of Lindt chocolates to share between them, leaving two teams and three dogs particularly jealous. All in all a superb evening was had by all, with our thanks and congratulations extended to Elaine and Peter.

And can you answers these questions about the CRT and IWA? (round 4 of the quiz)

1 Who left from the top?

2 Who joined at the top?

3 What's the strap line? (found beneath the logo, starting with K....... , 5 words)

4 Who moved from the top?

5 Who moved to the top?

6 What's the strap line? (found on the letterhead starting with C...... , 11 words)

Clues on page 16, answers next edition 10

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Learn more about Apollo at our January 2013 meeting

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The National 2013 - Cassiobury Park, Watford

As I said, this year we had no volunteers to take the West Riding Gazebo to Cassiobury Park, so we borrowed an IWA three metre square marquee and took a display of the north east canals to show the southerners what we have up here. CRT lent us a really good pop-up map, and we combined the descriptions of the waterways given in the CRT North East Partnership publication “Changing Lives Together”.

The result was a display that could be left unattended for most of the time. For those who had questions when no-one was there, we offer the chance to “find this man” – who would answer either with his “IWA NE & Yorkshire Region” or his “CRT NE Partnership” hat on.

Interestingly, this was the only CRT presence on site – BW always supported us with a display stand - although we were pleased to welcome Richard Parry, the new CRT chief executive, Tony Hales CRT Chairman, Vince Donlan Head of Operations and a number of other senior people to take part in the opening ceremonies.

Elaine having fun on the Lavender boat Quote of the weekend “ somebody's stolen our rubbish”

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Some of our members did manage to get that far south and had a good time – Handing over the stamps collected by our branch and entering the decorated camp site competition.

The last flying Spitfire doing three circuits over Cassiobury Park13

Lafarge Traffic Finishes

Branford’s ‘Farndale H’Last barge to unload at Whitwood Wharf 29th July 2013

Photo Andy Horn

North East barge operators and waterway staff were stunned by the announcement in late July that Lafarge-Tarmac would be closing down its operation at Whitwood Wharf and would therefore no longer require barge deliveries. Branford’s ‘Farndale H’ discharged the last load a few days later on Monday 29th July. Local newspaper reports suggest that with the merger of Lafarge and Tarmac sufficient aggregate supplies are now available locally in West Yorkshire such that the long journey, whether by barge or lorry, from Nottinghamshire is no longer necessary and that sale of readymix plants supplied from Whitwood has reduced demand anyway. It appears that the readymix plant at Whitwood is to remain open and barge operators were hoping that Lafarge would at least allow a continued delivery from Besthorpe to Whitwood for that plant’s requirements. It appears that Besthorpe quarry has another year’s life before planning permission expires, though an extension could be sought.

Commercial Boat Operators Association Chairman David Lowe said ‘Of course we are deeply disappointed that Lafarge-Tarmac (CBOA members) have made this decision particularly as the Canal & River Trust’s Freight Advisory Group is deliberating a policy for the Trust in respect of its Commercial waterways and we are confident that the Aire & Calder Navigation will have a good future. Naturally we are doing all we can to support our members in the quest for alternative traffics.’ In fact CBOA quickly contacted port and wharf operators in the Humber area, and hosted a meeting of barge operators and owners at the Yorkshire Waterways Museum in Goole on 14th August to discuss options for the way forward.

David Lowe14

And ‘Farndale H’ going downstream empty through Castleford LockTuesday 30 July Photos Peter Scott

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Clues to quiz answers

1 2

R _ _ _ _ E _ _ _ _ R _ _ _ _ _ _ P _ _ _ _

3 K _ _ _ _ _ _ p_ _ _ _ , n _ _ _ _ _ & h _ _ _ _ _ _ _ c _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.

4 5

C _ _ _ _ H _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ L _ _ E _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

6 C _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ f _ _ t _ _ u _ _, m _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ a _ _

r _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ o _ B _ _ _ _ _ _' _ I _ _ _ _ _ W _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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Partnership Workshops - PeterScott

The CRT North East Partnership ran an workshop in the excellent surroundings of Wakefield's Hepworth gallery.

We had a poem from IanMcMillan and contributions from, among others, Tony Hales, Chairman of the CRT Trustees, Geraint Coles from the Chesterfield Canal Partnership explaining the benefits of the proposed Rother Link; Phil Crabtree, Chief of Planning at Leeds on the benefits that the canal corridor has for the Leeds City region, Hilary Brooke on the community project around the canal island in Mirfield.

The theme of bringing change to local communities through our waterways is one familiar to those of us who are already hooked on their various delights: we need to involve more people and the challenge is, one they are involved, to bring new money and energy to help us deliver the vision. That's why these events help to spread the word.

It was worth the trip to another iconic canalside location, the Lowry at Salford Quays in Manchester to attend the Manchester and Pennine Partnership event “It's About Time”. On a boating and engineering theme, Vince Moran, at that time acting Chief Executive of CRT, showed all the television coverage of the breach on the Trent and Mersey at Dutton, and Darrell Wilson, a Landscape Architect showed us the potential for transformation with artworks and light of the Rochdale Canal through central Manchester.

The Partnerships are certainly not the same as one another, and they aren't approaching the waterways in the same way that a campaigning IWA has. And it is another route to encourage more people to be involved in a complementary fashion for the Waterways

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People who help run the Branch 2013 / 2014Chairman (CM)Elaine Scott3 Moorbank DriveSheffield S10 5TH0114 230 187007980 953880elaine.scott@waterways.org.uk

Secretary (CM)Ian Moore2 Eric Street,BramleyLeeds LS13 1ET07989 112581westriding@waterways.org.uk

Treasurer (CM)William Jowitt35, Lowfield CrescentSilsdenBD20 0QE01535 657256

Membership Secretary (CM)Chris Pinder152 High StreetYeadonLeeds LS19 7AB01132 509371

NE&Yorks Region (CM)Peter Scott3 Moorbank DriveSheffield S10 5TH0114 230 1870peter.scott@waterways.org.uk

Minutes Secretary (CM)Liz Pinder152 High StreetYeadonLeeds LS19 7AB01132 509371

Committee MemberMike Tucknott4 Royds AvenueBirkenshawBradford BD11 2LD07885 951099

Speaker Finders

Volunteer needed

Telephone ContactAlastair Furniss0113 253 9401

Badges, Stamps & RaffleEllen & Ailsa Sayles

WebsiteDavid Mack

Answer to question in May edition of Milepost:John Dodwell's article about BACAT first appeared in the May 1974 edition ofWaterways World.

Do you know where this is ?

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Closing date for contributions for the next issue 15 December 2013

Directions to South Pennine Boat Club – information from the web site http://www.southpennineboatclub.co.uk/

By Road:Follow the A644 from Junction 25 of the M62 towards Dewsbury and Wakefield. Just before the Pear Tree Inn, turn right over the bridge labelled Battyford Toll bridge. The SPBC is on the left, through the gates before the second BridgeBuses:The 278 from Wakefield, Dewsbury and Mirfield for Brighouse & Halifax, stops outside the Pear Tree Inn. The 278 Bus from Halifax and Brighouse for Mirfield, Dewsbury & Wakefield stops across the road from the Pear Tree Inn. Buses to Leeds & Huddersfield (203) or Bradford (253) run from Mirfield town centre.Trains: Mirfield Station is about 1 mile from the club on the Huddersfield Line. It provides direct connections to Manchester, Huddersfield, Brighouse, Sowerby Bridge, Hebden Bridge, Leeds, Dewsbury and Wakefield.By Water:The SPBC is on the Calder & Hebble navigation by Battyeford LockTaxi:Station Cars Tel 01924 490 444Mirfield Cars Tel 01924 490 999 Central Cars Tel 01924 490 000

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Programme of Events for 2013- 2014

All meetings take place at 8pm on the second Friday of the month in the clubhouse of the

South Pennine Boat Club, Wood Lane, Mirfield WF14 0ED.

2013

Friday 13th September “Water Management within the Canal & River Trust” by Adam Comerford

Friday 11th October “Confessions of an ex-IWA Magazine Editor" by John Greenway

Friday 8th November "The IWA: past, present and future" by Les Etheridge, IWA Chairman

Friday 6th December Christmas Social and Members’ entertainmentsNote change of date

2014

Friday 10th January “Apollo” by David Lowe

Friday 14th February “Seesaws, slopes, slides and structures” - the principles behind canal science and engineering by Geoff Auty

Friday 14th March “The Work of the RNLI” by Colin Senior

Friday 11th April Annual General Meeting and talk

All the meetings organised by the West Riding Branch are Open andeveryone is invited. We are delighted to welcome any member of the general public and members are encouraged to bring their friends. To find out more about the waterways or the IWA come and join us at one of our meetings or visit the website http://www.waterways.org.uk

Front cover picture: Before and after mile posts Peter Scott

The views expressed in this publication are published as being of interest to our members and readers and are not necessarily those of

The Inland Waterways Association or of its West Riding Branch.

The Inland Waterways Association Registered in England no 612245 Registered as a Charity No 212342

Registered Office: Island House, Moor Road, Chesham, HP5 1WATel: 01494 783453

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