Newsletter Archive

Issue 303 - October 1996

September 1996

This month's Newsletter

Archive Index

November 1996

WATER DOES FLOW UPHILL

Pumps to recycle the water used by the Caen Hill Flight of locks at Devizes on the Kennet & Avon Canal came into operation on 1 August enabling the longest flight of broad locks in the country to be open to boats seven days a week for the first time since 1951. The Caen Hill Backpumps, part of a £1 million 3 year scheme, are capable of lifting 300,000 gallons of water every hour over a distance of 2¼ miles to a height of 235 feet.

The backpumping system of recycling the water used at locks will finally resolve the problem of inadequate water supply, which has dogged the Kennet & Avon Canal since it opened in 1810. When completed the full backpumping scheme will include pumps at Bath and Wootton Rivers. The recent press coverage included articles in both The Times and the Independent.

BW newways August 1996

Cheers!

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Over 150 nominations were received and a total of 97 pubs were visited and judged in the first British Waterways Canals Alive! Pubs Awards.

Pubs were assessed for range and quality of food, facilities for families and - most importantly - efforts made by the pub to attract boaters and towpath users. Judging has now been completed (it's a lousy job but someone had to do it!) and the Regional Winners and Highly Commended pubs have been chosen:

SCOTLAND
Winner	The Lock Inn, Fort Augustus (Caledonian Canal)
NORTH
Winner	The Navigation, Wakefield (Calder & Hebble Navigation)
Commended	The Colliers Arms, Halifax (Calder & Hebble Navigation)
NORTH WEST
Winner	The Dusty Miller, Wrenbury (Llangollen Canal)
Commended	Dukes '92, Manchester (Bridgewater Canal)
	Waterside Inn, Leigh (Leeds & Liverpool, Leigh Branch)
WEST MIDLANDS
Winner	Boat & Railway, Bromsgrove (Worcester & Birmingham)
Commended	The New Navigation, Warley (Birmingham Canal Navigations)
EAST MIDLANDS
Winner	Clock Warehouse, Shardlow (Trent & Mersey Canal)
Commended	The Mill House, Braunston (Grand Union / Oxford Canals)
LONDON & SOUTH EAST
Winner	The Globe Inn, Linslade (Grand Union Canal)
Commended	The Rowbarge, Woolhampton (Kennet & Avon Canal)
SOUTH WEST
Winner	The Barge Inn, Seend Cleeve (Kennet & Avon Canal)
Commended	The Barge Inn, Bradford on Avon (Kennet & Avon Canal)
	The Pilot, Hardwicke (Gloucester & Sharpness Canal)

BW newways August 1996

IS YOUR BOAT GOING TO BE IN IT?

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All boat owners are being asked to help with the research for a new book - the "Inland Waterways Boat Listing". Owners - private, shared ownerships, commercial operators, navigation authorities, hire craft operators, builders, museums, clubs and societies - are asked to spare a few minutes to send in an entry for their boat(s) to this major new publication.

Owners are sure to like the idea that their boat will find its way into a published document for posterity. They surely will not want to be left out! The "Listing" itself will be published next year and will be fascinating record, a useful reference or simply a boatspotters' tick list (could be a valuable means of keeping younger boaters occupied on holidays, perhaps!).

A comprehensive information sheet with a straightforward questionnaire is available for the asking. Some boat and waterway societies and some waterway businesses may have these available. Otherwise drop a line asking for one or more copies as soon as possible to IWBL, 8 Clover Close, Narborough, Leicester LE9 5FT. (NB: IWA members will have received a copy with their magazine.)

Compiler, Douglas Maas (an active member of national and local waterway societies) says, "I do hope that many fellow boaters will see the interest and value in this project and take part in the research for it. The Questionnaire contains full information and makes plain that a whole variety of different boats will be included. I also intend - given the reasonable success of the venture - that the waterways will benefit from the publication; full details will be in the book".

Notice received by the Society

September Meeting

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Tony Conder's 'In Cressy's Wake' was an impressive talk: an entertainment and a history lesson.

Tony did not just review the book 'Narrow Boat' and the trip which author Tom Rolt and his young wife, Angela, made on the waterways just after their marriage. He also brought his studies of other books and news of the period together to present a complete picture surrounding the Rolts and the waterways in those times just before and at the beginning of the Second World War.

He showed pictures of the time and compared them with modern slides, pointing out the changes, some good, many bad, that have taken place over the years.

We were immersed into the atmosphere on the canals at the time of Cressy's voyage, then suddenly brought up to date, especially on developments with which our speaker was not in agreement.

We were reminded by the talk to photograph and record as much as possible, for one day our pictures may be like Rolt's book - the reminders of the times when scenes that we felt were worth keeping were still there.

Subscription Offer

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Our Chairman has received notice of a subscription offer for the new waterways magazine Canal Boat and Inland Waterways. Members of the Society can order a one-year subscription to Canal Boat for the standard price of £23.40 and receive a free gold-plated miniature carriage clock worth £19.50.

Further details can be obtained from Brian Evans.

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Joan Reed, when renewing her subscription, asked to be remembered to "any members that remember me - especially Norman - tell him I'm rapidly catching him up!"

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CREW WANTED 1997 for various journeys. Own boat. Please contact Mrs R Small, 1 Cheriton Road, Winchester, SO22 5EQ or at SCS meetings.

Inland Waterways Protection Society

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The IWPS has particular responsibility for the restoration of the Bugsworth Basin Complex to full navigation. It is unique within the restoration movement in that it holds a lease from BW, manages the site and must finance, from grants or its own resources, the complete reinstatement of the site. The volunteer Society is also the statutory Guardian of the Ancient Monument.

I have just received the latest newsletter from IWPS. As well as the latest information about Bugsworth, it includes an article on the Wendover Arm of the GU. Anyone interested may borrow this or any of the other Society magazines / newsletters we receive from me.

Peter Oates

Subscriptions

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Just a reminder that subscriptions became due in June. The Treasurer, Laura Sturrock, will pleased to see you at any meeting. Alternatively, you may send her a cheque payable to the Southampton Canal Society (her address is on the left). The cost is a miserly £5.50 for a single member or £8.00 for all the family.

Canal Society Library

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Our librarian, Sue Lewis, is waiting for your visit at any meeting to borrow any of the many interesting books on the waterways and related subjects.

She would like to thank those people who have recently donated the following to the library:

Video:
IWA Celebration on Romsey Canal

Jigsaws:
The Boat Rally
Summer on the Canal

Books:
Adelina by D W Horsfall (2nd copy)
Discovering Craft of the Inland Waterways by D J Smith
Cruising guide for Canal des Deux Mers and Canal du Rhône à Sète
Archive issue 9 (inc Aire & Calder Navigation)
Archive issue 10 (inc The Weaver Packets)

BRIARE AQUEDUCT

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On the 16th September, it was exactly 100 years since Eiffel's aqueduct, which still crosses the Loire at Briare, was opened. (The same engineer is also remembered for a tower in Paris.) Celebrations began in June when exhibitions were opened in the town and have been continuous through the summer months.

Annegret and I stayed 5 days in Briare, our third visit to the town - full name Briare-le-Canal, and in a place with a name like that we had to wear Southampton Canal Society tee shirts all the time (taking them off just for a quick wash through). Anyway, it pays to advertise. On visiting the tourist information office we found that one of the nice ladies working there, Mme Dominique Dulas, spoke excellent English and was very enthusiastic about inland waterways and would one day like to own a boat.

While staying at Briare, we loaned her the latest couple of 'Waterways Worlds', that we just happened to have in the car. She gave us some pamphlets with canal information, local information, history of the local canals and the aqueduct etc. She also gave us the same for the Canal Society. So to the point of the story, if you wish to see this information ask Sue Lewis at the library. (If you don't read French - then there are a number of maps and pictures!)

Annegret and I visited two of the exhibitions, enjoyed the sunshine, got the tee shirts, took the slides (Oh no! I hear some members groan).

Brian Evans

Graham Capelin

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Many of the longer standing members of the Society will remember Graham Capelin, a member of SCS for several years and living in Wandsworth. Graham is a close friend of our Secretary. He has not only visited us on many occasions in the past, but also given us a number of talks on his waterway travels.

Graham is a keen model maker and has loaned the Society his excellent models of BCN tug Lapal and BCN day boat Coseley for our exhibition stand. They were on display at the barbecue at Romsey School last May.

Unfortunately, Graham's health has deteriorated recently resulting in his having to give up work with London Underground as well as having to sell his 38ft narrow boat Morah which he moored in St Pancras Basin.

As part of Graham's changed lifestyle, he has had to reorganise his flat to facilitate easier tidying etc and it is with this in mind that he has given his models into Eric's safekeeping in order that they are available whenever SCS wishes to exhibit them. We thank Graham for this very generous gesture and wish him improved health during his retirement.

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The Society's Display Stand, last used at the Romsey barbecue, has been in temporary storage at Paul Herbert's house for well over a year. It must now be found a new home. If nowhere can be found, the stand will have to be dismantled and the efforts from a number of members to provide the display will be destroyed. After the appeal in July there were no offers of help. So if you have a little spare space in your loft, please contact Paul Herbert as soon as possible.

Several donations have recently been made by the Society's committee:

Following Tony Conder's talk at the last meeting, £50.00 has been sent to the National Waterways Museum at Gloucester.

The Chichester Canal Society have been looking for funds towards their trip boat Egremont and £50.00 has been sent to this local project to help with the purchase of fenders.

The Parliamentary Waterways Group is an influential all-party group of MPs who share an interest in inland waterways. They have recently asked the Society if we wished to send a representative to their meetings held in London every six or eight weeks. Eric Lewis will be attending these meetings for SCS for the next year.

DON SMALL

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It is with sadness that we report the recent death of our member Don Small. Our sincere condolences to his widow Ruth.

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