Winding WaysA Newsletter from the Leicester

Branch

Issue 56Winter 2010

National Chairman to address A.G.M

Soon after the Association’s a.g.m. in September last year we asked the newly elected National Chairman, Clive Henderson, if he would attend our Branch a.g.m in February. At that time February probably seemed a long way off and he readily agreed. Whether or not, in the cool light of day, he regrets that decision, as it eats into his busy schedule, you’ll be able to find out on 11th February.

Not only will Clive take part in our a.g.m. as the required “Representative from Head Office” but he has kindly agreed to be the post meeting speaker when he will address us on his “Reflections” and host a question and answer session.

Please come and support both your Branch of the Association, and the Chairman, and take the opportunity to question him on any aspect of the association’s activities. Remember the time and place: 7.30 p.m. on 11th February at The Wheatsheaf, Thurcaston, LE7 7JN

(ACTING) CHAIRMAN’S BIT

Firstly a plea (one of many in this issue!) for you to attend the branch a.g.m. on 11th February. I fear that, once again, the branch is almost at crisis point. With our Secretary retiring the committee is critically low on numbers and still urgently needs some ‘fresh blood’. I know that I have made this request before but PLEASE would you urgently consider whether you could spare just one evening every five or six weeks and have the chance of making a real difference to our waterways scene. If you would like any more information or to discuss the matter, or just want a nomination form, then please don’t hesitate to contact me at jandwevans@talktalk.net or ‘phone 01509 416647 . . . . go on . . do it NOW . The future of our branch really is in your hands!

As you will have read elsewhere in this issue we are fortunate in having Clive Henderson, our National Chairman, to address , entertain and inform us, both during and after the business part of the meeting. It promises to be a most interesting evening; please try not to miss it.

Having mentioned our retiring Secretary, I would like to pay tribute in this column to all the time and hard work that he, David Hastie, has put into the Association in general but especially the Leicestershire Branch, since its formation. A reluctant (acting) Chairman could not have wished for a better Secretary; reliable, organised, sensible and tireless . . . . in fact all the things I am not! He will be a hard act to follow and I’m sure he will still be around to help out where he can, between extended cruising and family visits overseas,. If you can read this in New Zealand David: “Thank you for all you have done for the branch over many years”

I would also like to take this opportunity of thanking Martin Gilding for responding to my request in the last issue and standing in for David in the short term, looking after the secretarial duties for the time being.

As this issue of Winding Ways comes together, I am very much aware, as an ‘oldie’, that frequent reference is made to web-sites and e-mail. To those who are not ‘computer enabled’, I offer my sympathy and understanding. Like others of my generation I ignored this intrusive technology for some time hoping that it would go away . . . . . but it didn’t . . . and it’s here to stay!

I might not have realised it at the time, but I was fortunate in having children of the right age at the right time, and by various means they nursed me into computer (semi) literacy. I now realise what a wonderful recourse IT offers and would encourage others, who find themselves beyond the prime of life, to give it a go.

You are loosing out if you don’t use it; there are some excellent and cheap books and courses to get you going, so why not make a resolution for 2010! Meanwhile, and what this paragraph set out to say, if you don’t have the facility or ability to look at any of the web-sites mentioned, let me know and, within reason, I’ll send you the information for which you search!

John Evans, Chairman ( Acting )

Help Needed at FestivalsWe have a real concern that we won’t have enough man-and-woman-power to adequately fly the IWA flag at the Loughborough Canal Festival on May 1st and 2nd as well as the Leicester Riverside Festival on June 5th and 6th. There is so much that we could do if there were enough volunteers to help us do it! From raising funds from sales and games to recruiting new members and from championing our cause to engaging with young people.

The latter we see as particularly important; if we can instil in youngsters an interest in the waterways, it will hopefully teach them to respect the navigation and everything that moves upon it, for life; they are, after all, tomorrow’s custodians of the system. So please come and play your part and help us run the WoW* scheme at both of these events. All we are asking is for you to give a few hours of your time during one or both of those weekends; no qualifications or specialist knowledge required! Please contact any Branch Officer for further information.

*For information on WoW take a look at www.wow4water.net

Leicester Line Leaflet due for Revision

Our popular and much acclaimed Guide to the Leicester Line has to be updated from time to time to reflect the various changes that take place along the navigation. These can range from the change of name of a pub to alterations in safety procedures in times of flood.

We are currently undertaking such a review and would be pleased if you, our members, would record any noteworthy changes and pass the information to Beryl McDowall as soon as possible.

IWA at NECThe association will have a stand at The Caravan, Camping and Boat Show which runs from 23rd to 28th

February at The National Exhibition Centre. This show can be well worth a visit, especially if you have other outdoor interests as well as boating in all its forms. Why not make a day of it . . and make yourself known on the stand!

Melton & Oakham Waterway Society

A Happy New Year from all at MOWS.

Developments at Thrussington Lock

The owners of Thrussington Mill have now acquired the lock cottage, lock and access channels. As MOWS members they have approached the society and given us permission to survey the whole site with a long-term view of full restoration. This generous offer fulfils several criteria insomuch that the owners will ultimately have a wonderfully historical frontage to their new property, will arrest further decay and the society will be able to show what can be achieved. Initially, a ground and lock condition survey will have to take place as, although the ground anchors remain, the brickwork of one side wall has completely collapsed. Future work parties will, with the owners’ permission, take place as and when river levels permit (see our website for details) and a full report with photographs appears in our current newsletter.

Dredge Out Your Spare Cash

MOWS Secretary, Richard Booth, has put together plans for converting one of our existing work boats (“Mole”) into a multi-functional dredger by utilising the HIAB crane unit and hydraulic outrigger legs from a builder’s merchant delivery type vehicle. A clamshell bucket goes on the ‘business end’, whilst a take-off shaft from the power unit will propel the boat along via a standard z-drive unit. Applications for funding grants have gone out and already we have the promise of substantial sums towards the total cost. IWA Leics Branch has also generously contributed but, if we are to succeed, more will be needed. Therefore, can I launch an appeal to anyone, corporate or individual, who feels they would like to help financially and aid your local restoration scheme. Contributions can be sent to Hugh Butler, Courtyard House, 10 Main Street, Frisby on the Wreake, Melton Mowbray LE14 2NJ, e-mail 2butlers@tiscali.co.uk, tel 01664 434549.

Forthcoming Work Parties 2010

Sunday 28 FebruarySunday 28 March

See website for venue and further details.

Mick Clowes, Chairman MOWS

SOCIAL EVENTSBy Beryl McDowall

We held our Christmas Meal at the Wheatsheaf Inn at Thurcaston on Thursday, 10th December.  We had a 'full house', with all forty available places being booked.  Members enjoyed a three-course meal, and there was ample opportunity to meet up with old friends, and make new ones.

Unfortunately we had to make the decision to cancel the January Social Meeting, because of the weather. Our speaker, Mary Matts, was snowed in at Foxton, and many parts of Leicestershire were experiencing treacherous driving conditions.  John and I discussed it, and decided that it was not sensible to ask people to travel, especially as fog and ice were predicted.  

The February Meeting will take place on Thursday, 11th February, at 7.30 p.m. at The Wheatsheaf at Thurcaston (Full detailson the back of your Social Programme).  We will begin with our Branch Annual General Meeting, followed by the Regional AGM.     We are lucky that our National Chairman, Clive Henderson, is coming to this event. Once the business has been completed, Clive will give a talk entitled "Personal Reflections."  We hope as many people as possible will come to this meeting, and show that Leicestershire is a thriving branch of the IWA.

Our meeting on Thursday, 11th March will be held at Thringstone Community Centre, The Green, Thringstone, LE67 8NR, beginning at 7.30 p.m., when David Stevenson will give a talk on " The South Pennine Ring."  

Anyone for the Thames?As you are probably aware, The National Waterways Festival returns once more to the Thames this year. As illustrated in a previous issue, it is becoming more and more difficult to find locations that are able to satisfy the increasing demands of a major event of this kind. It doesn’t seem long since we were last at Beale Park, but it has to be said that it offers an ideal site and experience has shown that, when there, a profit can (almost) be guaranteed!

Branch members have already sent a ‘block booking’ for half a dozen boats which should ensure moorings not too far away from the centre of activities. If there is anyone who would like to join us please get in touch with a committee member for more information. Perhaps it should be made clear that this doesn’t necessarily entail cruising down to the Thames in convoy . . . . . but there is always that possibility if you enjoy company!

NORTHERN CANALS ASSOCIATION

The informal meeting place for waterway restoration in England and Wales north of

Birmingham.

President: Keith GibsonChairman: Chris Hayes

Spring Meeting Sunday 7th March 2010

Hosts: The Foxton Inclined Plane Trust

Lubenham Village Hall,Laughton Road,

Lubenham, Leicestershire, LE16 9TE

Programme10.0 Coffee10.30 Introduction and welcome from the

Foxton Inclined Plane Trust.

‘British WaterwaysTrust and the Future of British Waterways’ – Simon Salem, British Waterways.

‘Save Our System’ updates from Clive Henderson, IWA National Chairman.

12.30 Buffet Lunch13.15 Report from Societies, Trusts etc.16.30 End.

The cost for the day is £10.00 and cheques should be made payable to Northern Canals Association and should be sent, together with the tear-off booking slip, by Sunday, February 28th, to:-

Steve Hayes, Northern Canals Association, 10 Chelmer Close, Lincoln.

LN6 8THTel: 01522 689460 Email:

northern.canals@ntlworld.com

New Range of Association Clothing

The Leicestershire Branch has invested in a modest range of corporate clothing – sweatshirts embroidered with the branch identity. Hopefully, this high quality garment will be modelled and available for sale at a very reasonable price at the A.G.M.

Polo shirts and fleeces will also be available depending on demand.

New bridge at Birstall Lock

British Waterway’s contractors completed the new bridge at Birstall Lock before Christmas last year, later than planned but definitely worth waiting for. The work included the upgrading of the towpath from the steel ‘White Horse’ bridge up to the lock, and the tarmaccing of the towpath Southwards from the lock to the weir.

View Southwards from White Horse Bridge

View Northwards

Branch Give Grant to MOWS

At the January Branch Committee meeting it was agreed to make a donation to The Melton and Oakham Waterway Society in response to their plea for funding a small dredger. It is intended that this will help to clear silt from the river in Melton Mowbray which would facilitate the return of small passenger carrying boats in the town. After acting Branch Chairman, John Evans handed a £50 cheque to MOWS Chairman Mick Clowes, he said that this was a token of the Branch’s support for the fine work that MOWS was doing; he had hoped that the donation would have been much larger but the treasurer had pointed out the limited funds available! The easiest way of accessing the very commendable MOWS website is to Google the name of the society

CressyCruise Re-enactment

You may have read elsewhere about the plans to celebrate the centenary of L T C Rolt’s birth by staging a re-enactment of the famous cruise of Rolt’s narrow boat ‘Cressy’ . This is the journey that was immortalised in Rolt’s book Narrowboat which triggered enthusiasm for the waterways and the founding of IWA.

Two or possibly more boats will be following the exact route taken by Cressy in 1939 and it is hoped that branches along the way will mount a suitable event to gain some publicity for our cause.

The cruise will pass northwards along the Leicester section and River Soar sometime between 1st and 15th

May. Regrettably the dates won’t allow a visit to either the Loughborough or Leicester Festivals but it is hoped that there will be a photo opportunity in Leicester to help promote both the festival and the Association.

Part of the plan is that large ‘medallions’, commemorating local history, will be collected at various points and transported onwards to The National Festival. It is planned that “our medallion” will be on display at the Loughborough event before being transported back to Market Harborough for formal presentation to the crew.

We feel that it would be appropriate, if possible, for the token to be carried from Loughborough to Market Harborough by water, so if you happen to be making that trip immediately after the Canal Festival (1st/2nd

May) do please let us know.

New Strategy Launched

The much vaunted “Emerging Strategy for the River Soar and Grand Union Canal” was finally and officially launched to a host of civic dignitaries and others at Walkers Football Stadium on November 24th.

The Strategy seeks to improve and promote all aspects of the waterway corridor between Kilby Bridge and Loughborough and has been officially adopted by The County Council, all boroughs through whose territory it passes, as well as BW, EA, IWA and other interested and influential bodies. These organisations have now formed ‘The River Soar, Grand Union Canal Partnership’ which is currently fine tuning a comprehensive Action Plan to take the proposals forward so far as budgets and other constraints will allow.

Watch this space!

For full details of the Strategy, and indeed The Waterways Trust, visit www.thewaterwaystrust.org.uk/projects/riversoar.shtml

Leicestershire Branch Committee

John Evans - Branch Chairman ( Acting )01509 416 647

David Hastie - Branch Secretary0116 260 8027

David Stevenson - Membership Secretary01530 458 257

Beryl McDowall - Social Secretary07710 029 247

David Brewer - Treasurer 0116 230 3144

Ian McDonald

Jim Evans

Charlie King

New Committee Members

The Committee still urgently needs new members, so if you think you might be interested, please do contact one of the committee to get more information, or have a chat at one of the socials. We just need you for a couple of hours every two months, usually on Monday evenings

Winding WaysWinding Ways is the newsletter of the Leicester Branch of the Inland Waterways. The next issue will be out February 2009. All contributions are welcome. Come on!! Please send to:

Andrew Shephard, 41 Roman Road, Birstall, Leicester, LE4 4BB

or email to:

andrewshephard@madasafish.comOpinions expressed in Winding Ways are not necessarily those of the Association, and the Editor reserves the right to edit or refuse to publish material submitted for inclusion.