JUNE A young family near lock 15 photographed by John Clark

Transcription

1 JUNE 2018 A young family near lock 15 photographed by John Clark

2 This month s update from Mike Stone (Chairman) Thank you to all who sent their wishes for my speedy recovery following my recent heart attack. I am now recuperating and feeling much improved although the medics tell me that it will be at least three months before I get back to my previous active life. Since last month s edition much activity has happened on the Grantham Canal and, dear readers, we thank you for your continuing support. May Bank Holiday weekends have significantly improved our funding position; obvious excavations have started the project to restore the slipway at the depot; new toilet facilities are being constructed to particularly benefit the less able; the Leaders of South Kesteven District Council spent a day with us and were impressed by the abilities of volunteers; the Information & Sales stand attended the Newark Show and several other events; a start was made on clearing rubbish from the canal east of the A1. Oh, and I nearly forgot, new gates are nearly completed at the head and tail of Lock 15 and the weather encouraged people to charter The Three Shires. It was a busy month but we could achieve more if we could get just a few more volunteers. Perhaps you have an hour or two you could offer? Go on! Take a risk and call our coordinator Christina. We would welcome your call. Many thanks to Tony Jackson, John Clark & Dave Cross for these photos Bridge Page 2 Our second event is a joint walk with the Derby & Sandiacre Society, and will take place on Tuesday 26th June. We will meet for 7pm in front of the Council House in Derby, from where we will walk along the River Derwent to Darley Abbey

3 NOTES FOR YOUR DIARY Date & Time Event & Venue Tues 5 th June Earlsfield Canal Clean up Sat 9 th June Bingham Town Fair Sat & Sun 16 th -17 th June Grantham Carnival Sat 16 th June Cotgrave Festival BR, CC Sat 23 rd June 1.00 Barnstone Festival Family Fun Day, Unicorn s Head, Langar Sun 24 th June Summer Sunday Boat Trips Fri 29 th June 6.30 Talk: Soar Boating Club, Normanton on Soar Sat 30 th June East Bridgford Village Show Sat & Sun 30 th June & 1 st July Lady Bay Open Gardens Weekend July 2 nd 6 th Schools Week at Woolsthorpe Depot Mon 9 th July 7.30 Rangers Meeting, Depot Tues 10 th July 2.00 WRG Family Weekend Planning, Depot Sat 14 th July Radcliffe Carnival Sat & Sun 14 th & 15 th July Rempstone Steam Fair Sat & Sun 28 th & 29 th July Belvoir Show & Wheels in the Field, Great Gonerby Sun 29 th July Summer Sunday Boat Trips Thurs 16 th Aug Talk: Grantham Stroke Club Fri 17 th Sun 19 th Aug WRG Family Weekend at Woolsthorpe Tues 21 st Aug 2.00 Talk: Colsterworth WI Thurs 23 rd Aug Skylarks Festival, Holme Pierrepont CC booked Sun & Mon 26 th 27 th Aug Bank Holiday Event lots of help needed Sun 2 nd Sept Grantham Fire Station Open Day Wed 5 th Sept Talk: Trent Valley Probus Sat 8th Sept Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days Picture the Past, Woolsthorpe Depot, short boat trips, etc. Sat 8 th Sept Harlaxton Village Fete changed date CC, KD Mon 10 th Sept 7.30 Talk: East Midland Canoe Group, Boathouse, Barrow on Soar Thurs 13 th Sept 2.15 Talk: Nottm National Trust, Mechanics Institute Sat & Sun 15 th & 16th Sept Heritage Open Days in Denton Church 4.00 Sun 23 rd Sept Hedgehog Welfare Fundraiser, Foston Village Hall Tues 25 th Sept 2.30 Talk by DLB West Bridgford Library Sun 30 th Sept Summer Sunday Boat Trips Wed 3 rd Oct 1.00 Talk: Horsington WI, Horsington Village Hall Mon 8 th Oct 7.30 Talk: Gonerby Hill Foot WI Sun 14 th Oct Discovery Day 2018 Mon 12 th Nov 7.30 Rangers Meeting, The Plough, Stathern Talk bookings are already coming in for 2019! If you hear of a local event from a coffee morning to a Steam Fair where we might raise awareness and funds for the society, please let me know communityandevents@granthamcanal.org or Rosemary Gibson Bridge Page 3

4 THE GRANTHAM CANAL HERITAGE INITIATIVE The lock gates are being fitted - and it isn't a simple job either! The gates arrive together with large pieces of timber, steel gate support brackets, a heap of tools and a load of skilled men. Gate anchor Lower gates fitted Upper gates being installed Many thanks to John Clark, Dave Cross & Jim Freeman for all these excellent photos Iona being presented with her apprentice certificates by the senior workers because she was unable to attend the official ceremony Bridge Page 4

5 THE WAY IT WAS By Mike Atherley Before the Canal Society was formed, previous owners of the canal had removed all the lock gates except Lock 1 and 9, all the others had a concrete weir built over the top sill to maintain water levels. Lock 9 being in the dry section and possibly having better gates was left intact until vandals undid the straps and allowed the gates to fall into the chamber. All the wooden swing bridges were replaced by fixed concrete decks, we did find the remains of No52 at Redmile which had been replaced by a metal rolling bridge but the decaying wood bridge was swept away during a dredging and clear up operation by B.W. The first 3 mile up to Orston Rd No1A was sold to the adjacent water company who rebuilt Lock 1 with 3 sets of new gates, possibly to stop flooding of West Bridgford. Two underwater concrete blocks were installed in the 20 mile pound to prevent loss of water if a breach occurred. The last mile was sold to South Kesteven and after the A1 all bridges were culverted and final 3 mile filled in. Notts County Council removed or flattened all of their hump bridges on public roads, one or two were left on tracks or private roads. Possibly the most iconic being Bridge 3a Gamston the "Meccano" bridge. Bridge 3a Leicester County Council did virtually the same but not as many and Lincs only Casthorpe Bridge No.64 and the Bridle Bridge No.63. It was thought that the main bus fleet company in the Vale were updating their fleet with longer coaches and these were grounding out on the hump bridges. So this made most of the canal un-navigable and cut off from the national system. British Waterways were empowered to keep a minimum of two feet of water in the section they owned but failed from Spencers Bridge No.24 to Manns Bridge No 16 because of severe leakages possibly caused by Gypsum Strata or poor clay lining. All of this would be a severe & costly obstacle for the new Society to tackle. When I joined in 1971 I think the Society had been in operation for about two years but had concentrated in building a good working team and had outdoor events across most of the vale, particularly Hickling, but had Hickling basin limited success with restoration work because of British Waterway s and the trade union attitude against voluntary work. It took a while before they were given an agricultural licence to work which only allowed towpath clearance and some surface weed, but no dredging or engineering work. It took many years until Dave Smith and his workmate Mike from B.W. joined the GCRS Committee and could relate back to their employers our roll in the future of the Grantham. We were told there could have been a National Strike by B.W. staff if we hadn't complied. The GCS committee had sourced the help of an IWA canal engineering surveyor, Philip Ogden, who came up with the figure of 1.75 million to fully restore the whole canal. More next time. Bridge Page 5

6 Community and Events Update June 2018 The events season is now in full swing and at the team meeting on Monday 4 th June, we realised we need to try to tighten up the organisation of the team and to encourage members to volunteer to help. We had a wonderful turnout of volunteers and visitors for May Bank Holidays banking and from each. (Late May had fewer volunteers as some were on holiday.) All these efforts are much appreciated. We also gained a few more members to the society, and hopefully future rewards from boat charters and general good will. To expand the events team, we need to compile a list of people willing to help with internal events at the depot and/or external events taking the information stand out to fetes and fairs in the area. Putting gazebos up is no longer easy for a short person with an impinged shoulder who is not getting any younger. Commitments can range from an hour at the beginning or end of the day to help set up or take down, to spending part of the day with us engaging with the public, informing, inspiring and hopefully involving them. Where we can, we also do a bit of fund-raising, but the main purpose is to educate, recruit and network with interested people and organisations who might benefit the canal in any way possible. As always, the events diary is published here in Bridge and updated on the website, with reminders going out on Facebook and Twitter. If none of these methods of communication suit you, then please be proactive and get in touch with me yourself. Telephoning 500+ individual members is beyond my capability. If you can offer any time or energy to the Events Team, either frequently or occasionally, please get in touch and I will add you to the list. Rosemary Flora & Fauna along the Grantham Canal by James Faulconbridge June Bumblebees June is a peak month for wildflowers and the towpath is abuzz with pollinators taking full advantage of the pollen and nectar resources on offer. One of the most noticeable of the pollinators will be the bumblebees by now the large queens of spring will have established nests and many of the bees you see on the wing will be workers busy gathering for the benefit of the colony. We have about 19 different bumblebee species in the UK, and six species of cuckoo bumblebee, so named because they parasitise the nests of others rather than building a colony of their own. Many of our species have a limited range and you are likely to see seven species along the Grantham Canal. Tree bumblebees are one of the most distinctive a recent arrival in the UK, their orange thorax, white tail and black in between is unmistakable. Carder bumblebees are gingery brown with pretty banded tails. The black body and red tail of the appropriately named red tailed bumblebee is quite distinctive whilst the black and yellow banded typical bumblebees could be buff-tailed, white-tailed, garden or early. Identification can be tricky queens, workers and males (often appearing later in the summer) are often subtly different within a species although they tend to be variations on a theme. The queens are easiest of all, but workers and males can be more complex. If you re interested in learning more about bumblebees, I would highly recommend the Blooms for Bees website! Bridge Page 6

7 Online safety and security Since the recent hacking of TalkTalk user accounts, I thought I should look at online security. I ve spoken previously about Antivirus & shopping safely online but there are other measures you can take to help ensure your system is clean & personal data doesn t fall into the wrong hands. Keep your online account passwords private and more secure (especially and online banking) by using a combination of Upper & lower case letters & numbers also symbols for added security. Supplement your existing Antivirus or Internet Security, Trusteer Rapport from IBM is often recommended by banks as it integrates with your Web Browser & protects your information from being intercepted by Malware. visit: Be careful when installing software from an obscure vendor, if unsure then go to where you can search for software by name to check if it is considered safe or not. Computer Tech Tips by Giles We welcome Giles, a well regarded Web Designer and Technical Support Person, who has agreed to do a regular article for Bridge Ed Bridge Page 7 Make sure your Antivirus software is up to date and functioning correctly & never allow remote access to your computer unless you have specifically requested assistance from a trusted third party. Malwarebytes Anti-malware is free to download, it s upgradable but the free version is good enough used as a supplement to your existing antivirus, you can launch it and run a scan periodically as and when required. visit: General common sense and vigilance will always be one of the best ways to stay safe online. You re always going to be safer and more secure using websites from well-known sources like Amazon, John Lewis and Boots. Sometimes, as is the case with TalkTalk you do everything right but still your information isn t 100% safe, unfortunately there will always be those who will try & steal our data, fortunately if you are vigilant & your system is secure then chances are you will never become a victim of cybercrime.

8 Some more lock 15 photos + The bottom gated posed some problems but these have now been overcome after a few hours of hard work. The balance beams are still to be fitted. The top gates completed Many thanks to John Clark, Jim Freeman & Bob Taylor for all these photos No more swans in the new CRT logo! Bridge Page 8

9 SKDC Visit to the canal Thanks go to all the volunteers who put on a superb event for the visit to the canal by South Kesteven Disitrict Council on May 31st. From 10am to 4pm we hosted Councillor Matthew Lee, The Leader of the Council; Councillor Kelham Cooke, The Deputy Leader of the Council and Adrian Smith, Head of Communications. There was a genuine interest in our Society and its achievements from all three of our guests, affirmed by the leaders reaction when I told him that our ambitions for the canal did not stop at the A1. Matthew was very positive about a complete restoration of the canal basin and the rebuilding of the straddle warehouse to form the centre-piece of a major regeneration of the semi-derelict area so close to the town centre. Economic growth driven in major part by heritage development is a key component of SKDC policy and the canal is a key part of their approach. The boat trip from Harlaxton was highlighted by our attempts to enrol the councillors into the steering a narrowboat club which was pretty successful, with the occasional deviation from the centre line. Plenty of active wildlife with at least 2 pairs of swans with their new broods and mysteriously the Fire and Rescue Bridge Page 9 Brigade, with tender, were in attendance at Denton What. Why? - not a clue!! - but there is liquid reward for anyone who can solve that one!. Unfortunately the canal was about 85 mm below the Denton overflow and the by-wash at Lock 18 but The Three Shires made it. A reminder that we have serious issues to resolve. On arrival at Lock 18 Ian had the maintenance team and three boats in weed clearance mode. I explained our working fleet and its capabilities and by this time I think they were more than half inclined to believe my statement that our objective was to assemble a bigger fleet than CRT can muster. From Denton Wharf we had the company of Jayne Slaughter from CRT. Known for her technical knowledge and ability to describe issues in laymen terms she was of great help keeping our guests up to speed. After an excellent buffet at the Depot we walked down to lock 15 where the crane was pre-positioning the bottom gates. Jayne gave them real inside into the workings of the lock and the work done by our volunteers to effect the rebuild. We then walked on to Locks 14, 13 and 12 and explained the plan for Lock 14 rebuild. We shared with them our hope to complete the Stenwith section of the 7 lock Woolsthorpe flight. On behalf of Mike Stone and myself, congratulations and thank you. David Lyneham-Brown

10 EARLSFIELD SECTION CLEAN UP On a very hot and sunny 15th May, 18 volunteers (including 3 PCSO's and 4 Fire Fighters, arriving with blue lights and sirens on) met to start the first canal clean up of the Earlsfield section of the canal. Work commenced at am with the Fire Fighters launching their inflatable pontoon that almost cover the width of the canal. They worked from that removing a large amount of litter and debris. The rest of the volunteers worked from the bank using grappling hooks, pole hooks and nets to remove litter, shopping trolley's, a bicycle, large logs and much more. A well earned lunch break arrived and we had to say goodbye to the PCSO's and Fire Fighters, but still plenty to do. The group worked through until 3.00 pm still removing all sorts of debris. All our efforts where followed by the Grantham Journal, filming for BBC Look North News (shown on 15th May) and an interview with BBC Radio Lincolnshire. Our thanks go to South Kesteven District Council for assistance with equipment, and removal of the large amount of rubbish by their operative Ian who also spent an hour clearing the canal with us. One last mention must go to local resident, Terry Hibbit who provided cold lemonade to some very hot and thirsty volunteers. Bridge Page 10

11 Thanks to everyone involved on the day. If you want to be involved in future work days, please contact me. ARE YOU A MEMBER OF THE GRANTHAM CANAL SOCIETY? THE COST IS MODEST! The annual subscription rates are as follows: Single Adult:. 20 Family:. 30 Under 18/Over 60:.. 15 UPDATE On Tuesday 5th June, 8 volunteers (including 2 PCSO's), spent another day working on finishing clearing the section of canal from Earlsfield Lane to Trent Road (Bridge 69 to 68a). Again we had the usual shopping trolley, tree branches and collected 10 bags of assorted rubbish. With this section finished at a well earned lunch break was taken before proceeding with the next section (Bridge 68a to 68 the A1). The team worked through until 3.00pm removing a baby s buggy, 3 car tyres, 3 pillows, an erect parasol frame and we collected another 10 bags of rubbish. This section will requires a lot more work on it, so if you have an hour to spare, why not join us on our next work day. Contact me and I will keep you informed of dates. Chris Cobb Head Ranger c_j_cobb@msn.com The benefits to the Society are enormous. Apart from the obvious increase in regular income, enhanced further by Gift Aid, we are then given a louder voice to talk to the local councils. The canal s corridor passes through more County & Borough Councils than you may think! If you are already a member could you persuade a friend to join? You will also be encouraging those who volunteer and support the Society in various practical ways. A membership form is available to download from our website - just click the join now tab. Bridge Page 11

12 Summer Cruise to West Yorkshire Pt 2 By Norman Woolley on his narrowboat Bruin As planned I left early the following morning from the centre of Manchester. I passed through the modern complex of Piccadilly Village then arrived at the first of the 18 locks. I found that a longer handcuff key was required to operate both paddles but at least one of the two paddles at each end of the lock could still operate with my shorter key. Many of the locks on the Ashton Canal were full of floating debris so I often moored Bruin in the lock mouth whilst it emptied and bow hauled her into the empty lock, which was less time consuming. It took over 5 hours to reach lock 18 at Fairfield Junction and decided to have a break before continuing to Portland Basin. Just after the junction with the Lower Peak Forest Canal on my right I travelled through a very narrow bridge then through a wide tunnel beneath a massive Asda store. At lock 1 a large Welcome to Huddersfield Narrow Canal notice board greeted me, together with a mass of floating rubbish! One factor on this canal was very noticeable, namely that the narrow part in the title, certainly lives up to its name with very little room through bridge holes and narrows. At lock number 2, I had the first glimpse of moorlands ahead and shortly after passed over the picturesque River Tame aqueduct. Stalybridge has excellent moorings, with shopping facilities nearby. I passed through the centre of the town and four locks later really started to enjoy more rural surroundings. I soon learnt that it is only the very brave who should attempt to navigate the Huddersfield Narrow Canal single handed! You have to book your passage through the Standedge Tunnel three days in advance; however it was taking me far longer to traverse the 111 locks working uphill single handed. Delays were also caused by having anti-vandal locks at every lock, some broken, together with silted pounds. It became necessary to rebook my tunnel passage a couple of times especially when it took 12 hours to traverse 21 locks. On my third day along the Huddersfield, I met my first boat on the move, very different to the more crowded southern canals. There were several unusual features at locks. One being the vent over the culvert for the top ground paddles which looked like a pepper pot. The other being the unusual paddle gear at Diggle with two bottom paddles and two top paddles located side by side on the off side, both having a different ratchet system. Lower paddles Upper paddles Bridge Page 12

13 DON T FORGET THAT IF YOU WISH TO VOLUNTEER YOU NOW MUST BE A MEMBER The Standedge Tunnel is the longest (5,000 m), deepest (194 m), and highest (196 m asl), canal tunnel in Britain. Several lengths of the tunnel are carved through solid rock, as well as brick lined sections. There are four parallel tunnels through Pule Hill, the canal tunnel, built in 1881, followed by three rail tunnels. The cross passages between all the tunnels are still in use with the passage of trains assists ventilation. One of the disused single track rail tunnels is used by the emergency vehicle shadowing boats through in case of evacuation. I decided to moor at Marsden for four days before starting my return journey back through Standedge Tunnel. Part three of my voyage of discovery will relate to my return journey back to Surrey. What a great Bank Holiday! Down at the Carpenters' Shop there were lots of visitors, great volunteers, delicious cakes, entertaining Mini Beasts & super tours of Lock 15. All complemented by beautiful scenery from the Trip Boat. THANK YOU to everyone who helped to make it that way. And we raised over Mary N Our grateful thanks to the following who have recently made a donation to the Society: Nigel Lee, Roger Bannister & those who made donations over the May Bank holiday weekend Bridge Page 13

14 Sunday 24th June Sunday 29th July Sunday 26th August & Monday 27th August Sunday 30th September 10 am to 4 pm Bridge Page 14

15 Some interesting photos from along the canal How did this happen? The Three Shires raring to go The new slipway building brought to a halt New life on the cut The new mooring point between locks 16 & 17 Many thanks to Ian Wakefield & Dave Cross for these photos Bridge Page 15

16 Data Protection Statement The Grantham Canal Society may ask for some personal details from its members and volunteers. This ensures that we can contact you and take account of your Health & Safety. The Grantham Canal Society takes our responsibility for looking after information seriously. We follow the data Protection Act at all times when asking for or handling your information including: Personal data shall be processed fairly and lawfully Data is processed only for the purpose(s) for which it was collected Data is adequate, relevant and not excessive Data is accurate and kept up to date Data is not kept longer than necessary Data is kept secure against unauthorised access and loss or damage Sometimes sensitive information may also be asked for e.g. health information. We will always ask for explicit consent before collecting or using this information. A copy of this statement will be brought to the attention of all members and volunteers. GDPR1805/R0 To UNSUBSCRIBE from receiving further copies of Bridge: bridge@granthamcanal.org putting UNSUBCSCRIBE as the subject VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES WEEKDAYS AT LOCK 15 or FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS WITH ONE OF OUR WORKPARTIES If you can spare some time to join one of our teams then please volunteer@granthamcanal.org or Ian.wakefield@granthamcanal.org Bridge Page 16