Boating for free and Make a difference? Tools and refreshments provided.

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1 Chiltern Grapevine Issue 44 Boating for free and Make a difference? This month I have seen 2 initiatives from CRT that absolutely highlight the progress that CRT are making in moving away from the old BW attitudes; it shows CRT are both taking the value of volunteers seriously and are now fully behind the many restoration projects, including WAT! First this from a current CRT webpage; Fancy volunteering on Wendover Arm Can you help us tackle the overgrown vegetation of the Wendover Arm? We are looking for volunteers to help us remove overgrown vegetation using hand tools. By removing the growth we'll be making the canal more accessible & enjoyable for all. Friday 19th and Saturday 20th February from 10am 'til 2pm. Can you help us on either day? Tools and refreshments provided. Parking on the canal bridge (No.5), The Holloway, Drayton Beauchamp HP22 5LU When did WAT ever get that support from BWB? And this, which may interest some you as a real opportunity; Background/Introduction CRT are re-organising their workboat fleet into a nationally managed resource. This is associated with the CRT re-organisation about a year ago where the regional maintenance teams were transferred into central management. IWA, has been asked to assist CRT in monitoring condition and movement of the craft and will require good boating skills and practical knowledge of boats. CRT have approached IWA because our volunteers can provide such skills and national coverage. IWA Trustees approved volunteer support to this project at their meeting on 12 December Cont d on page 7 Chiltern Branch Newsletter Winter 2015/16

2 Chairman's Ramblings I have struggled with how to open this topic and how to get you to read to the end! Beryl and I have been members of the IWA since 1971, until 2003 our involvement was no more than paying an annual membership fee and hoping the IWA was doing whatever was necessary to ensure we could carry on cruising when we were not at work! We attended our first branch meeting when our friends, Gillian and Peter Bolt gave a talk, Green and Silver, on cruising in Ireland, which I think was in So, why this opening? Well we need some more of you to take the plunge and join us at our branch meetings; we have enjoyed a wide range of very interesting speakers on many subjects, some new to us and some we thought we knew! I wish we had taken the risk of attending a branch meeting earlier! PLEASE, make an effort and try attending a meeting; you will get a warm welcome and a pleasant and informative evenings entertainment; even consider the evening of the AGM in March; business is normally concluded within the 1st half hour and will then be followed by a ploughman s supper, a short talk and then a Q&A session with Vicky Martin, CRT, Waterways Manager, South East Region. We also need a couple of people to join the branch committee, please stay with me now! After 6 years of producing minutes and making sure the chairman knows the right procedure, Liz Norris is retiring from the committee and we need someone to take over! PLEASE, consider and talk to me, the task is not onerous and need only take about 6 hours a quarter, including 1 committee meeting. Judy Clegg is also standing down after 3 years; Judy has new family commitments that must now absorb the considerable time and energy she has given to promoting the branch. So what are your cruising plans for 2016? We are planning to attend the IWA Campaign Festival at Eldonian Village, Liverpool, June 11th and 12th; once again Chester and Merseyside branch are hosting this event, as they did at Chester in 2014; to anyone tempted, do go, C&M branch know how to put on a good show! The week before, we will be in Liverpool Docks for the River Mersey Festival, close by the Tall Ships (and of course the Liver Birds). We have also signed up to join a convoy, organised by Mike Carter of C&M branch, assembling at Ellesmere Port, we will lock down to the Manchester Ship Canal, then a short trip and lock out to cross the River Mersey to Liverpool; this should take about 3 hours. So, if my next article is from the Isle of Man then you will know that something went wrong!! Pages 8 and 9 are a blatant advertisement for what is now the IWA flagship event, a subject close to my heart as I was on the Festivals Committee for 5 years! Dave Chapman Page 2 CHILTERN GRAPEVINE

3 Chiltern Branch Meetings 8pm start unless shown. Wed 24th Feb Grand Union s Cargoes and Families Terry Putnam With slides he took in the 1960s, Terry gives us an insight into the last hurrah of the boating families on the Grand Union Canal and the cargoes they carried. He, and like minded friends, wanted a photographic record of this vanishing scene. Terry, a primary school teacher, worked in London and Dorset, is a retired headteacher. He is also a railway enthusiast, and is an active member of the 'Friends of Upwey Station'. Wed 23rd Mar AGM followed by Vicky Martin - CRT, Waterways Manager, South East Region Branch AGM then a ploughman s supper after which, Vicky Martin will give an update on South East Region and then take questions from the floor. Wed 27th Apr Narrow Boats to Norway Clive and Gill Field A Narrowboat in Norway? Well Clive and Gill Field have been there, done that - and probably have the tee-shirt. Clive and Gill were detectives in Gloucestershire and Clive was in national security before retirement. Clive is now a volunteer with the Cotswold Canals Trust. Diary & Notices Chiltern Branch weekend Away 30 th Sept nd October New Members: we welcome Mr S Elliot Mr and Mrs J Kerr Mr and Mrs G Morrell Chiltern Branch -Committee/Volunteers: See opposite page. Wendover Arm Trust 19 th & 20 th February 2016, Overgrown vegetation removal Working Party at bridge 5, The Holloway, Drayton Beauchamp 5th June Wendover Arm Restoration Day at Drayton Beauchamp 4th September Wendover Arm Restoration Day at Drayton Beauchamp Canal and River Trust 13 th & 14 th February 2016 CRT Open Day at Stoke Bruerne 11 th September 2016 Two Arms on Two Legs - A Half Marathon to be organised by CRT on parts of the Aylesbury Arm, Grand Union Main Line & Wendover Arm. Rickmansworth Waterways Trust 21 st & 22 nd May 2016 Rickmansworth Festival Copy Date for the next issue Please send news items, articles, photographs and advertisements to the Editor by 5th April PLEASE Sign up for IWA Chiltern e-news The hardcopy version is normally available at our evening meetings. WINTER2015/16 ISSUE Page 3

4 From the Region Chairman Can I start by wishing you a happy 2016, and may the locks be with you. In November the National Chairman, Les Etheridge ed (all members who have given us their address) a request to support our campaign, to transfer the Environment Agency s Navigation to the Canal & River Trust, by writing to your MP. If you have not yet done so, the background to the campaign and how you can help can be found in IWA s website at:- ea_navigations This is an important campaign for the future of the waterways. If you did not receive Les s , or you have not registered an address with us, it would help us to keep you informed on the progress of the campaign and how you can help us, if you let head office have your details. Whilst talking about how you can help, if you were boating on EA waterways last year and have any photos showing maintenance issues it would be very helpful if you could send them to Alison Smedley at Head Office. She could do with some good photos showing overhanging vegetation, but any other maintenance issues, such as shallows marked by buoys, would be appreciated. As Region Chairman I sit on several IWA National Committees. One of these is Navigation Committee (Nav-Com) and I thought you may be interested in an example of its work. One of Nav-com s responsibilities is to produce IWA policy on many aspects of the use and maintenance of the canals. Last year we updated our Vegetation Management Policy to include hedge management. What we said was:- Where hedges are not being allowed to grow for the purposes of hedge laying, and excluding specimen or single trees, towpath boundary hedges should be regularly cut so that views are not obscured. We made this change because we believed that hedges were no longer being maintained, leading to stretches of canal becoming green tunnels Fine ideas, but not worth the paper they were written on if we could not get our policy accepted by navigation authorities! Late last year Gren Messham, Nav-com s Chairman, met the CRT National Environmental Manager to discuss IWA concerns over hedge management. As a result of the meeting we now believe CRT s future approach to hedges meets our concerns in a sustainable way. We will now need talk to the other navigation authorities and monitor the situation on CRT waterways, to see if they are able to deliver what they have said they will. If we do not see what has been outlined in practice, we will have to talk to them again. If you are interested, all IWA s Policies can be found on the website. They cover a range of subjects from Continuous Cruising to Waterway Riparian Owner Statutory Rights. They can be found at:- Finally you may have missed the Canal & River Trust s Council Elections. IWA has a seat on the council, so did not put up any candidates for the boaters section. It is good to see that one of the London Waterway stalwarts, Andrew Phasey, got elected as a boater s representative. The worrying thing is, the small number of boaters who bothered to vote for any candidate this time round. Paul Strudwick IWA, Chairman London Region Page 4 CHILTERN GRAPEVINE

5 Canal and River Trust SE region Firstly I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year! Whilst most people were enjoying the seasonal festivities, the local waterway and call out teams were battling the elements to keep our waterways safe and in good working order. We experienced disruption on the Grand Union South over the New Year week as a result of flooding, storm damage and equipment failure. Thankfully this was not on a scale experienced up north, but it still required daily flood management attention and diligence. Looking back at my first 8 months in post and it certainly has been a period of change with a new Chair, some new directors and the emergence of new directorate - Customer Services and Operations - headed up by Ian Rogers. And from January, the Waterway teams and Community Engagement move into the new directorate joining with Boating and Licensing, Customer Service and Museums. One of the great advantages of the new structure is that most of the customer facing teams in the Trust have now been brought together as one directorate. This will help us to become more customer focussed as an organisation and I believe it s a positive step forward. We are in the middle of our winter works programme, which will see 3.5 million spent on canals and rivers across the South East as part of a national 45 million programme of essential restoration and repairs. I attended my first stoppage in December when we held an open weekend at Banbury Town Lock. It was a rare opportunity to venture to the bottom of the lock, see the original brickwork up close and learn about the repairs undertaken. Over the weekend almost 1500 visitors flocked to the event, including the local MP and a lady whose grandfather helped rebuild the lock after it had been bombed during the war. It was heart-warming to see the enthusiasm of the staff and volunteers in engaging visitors in our work and ensuring that everyone had an enjoyable and safe journey into the lock. Our next open weekend, takes place at Stoke Bruerne on 13th & 14th February, when we will be having another stoppage to carry out essential repairs. Plans are also underway for a Fish Rescue event for local schools before the pound is drained, which is particularly exciting. If you would like to get involved with our winter works, we are currently recruiting volunteers to help us remove overgrown vegetation on the Wendover Arm. Task Days are planned for Friday 19th and Saturday 20th February from 10am - 2pm. Tools and refreshments are provided and parking is on the canal bridge (No.5), The Holloway, Drayton Beauchamp HP22 5LU. For more information contact Miriam Linforth on Over the next few months we will be working with local volunteers and adoption groups to undertake signage audits at key locations. It is an opportunity to review current provision, to consolidate and declutter and roll out the new corporate signage scheme. So look out for the shiny new signs when you are out on your travels in the months ahead. STOP PRESS Image shows volunteers helping to fix recent flood damage; recent floods have devastated the peace of our waterways, affecting lives and local communities. PLEASE go to CRT flood appeal page at and give whatever assistance you can. Vicky Martin, Waterways Manager, S E Reg. WINTER2015/16 ISSUE Page 5

6 A look back at a very full year This time last year, we were congratulating ourselves on carrying 1,000 passengers in our first six months of operation. In 2015 we trebled that number and over the whole year, carried more than 300 groups on day trips as well as hosting several residential trips for disadvantaged teenagers. A Waterways Experience is all about getting involved, not just passively watching There s always a welcome for practical types to help maintain the boats and boat base. Wednesdays throughout the year, you ll find the maintenance team at work at the Nash Mills base. Come and say hello if you re interested in joining. The lunches are particularly good! We invite each group leader to send us feedback, generating scores of testimonials like this one... I was really impressed by the boat, crew and back office. It made the day the best it could have been. The crew was extremely friendly and integrated the guests into enjoying the running of the boat, helping with locks and steering. All in all a very professionally run day and I would not hesitate to book again in the future. With three broad beams to keep looking smart, it s a bit like painting the Forth Road Bridge for Dave Lee. Where would we be without him?! We ran our first Enable holiday in August, much to the delight of participants and their carers I ve got a new daughter! Sandy s confidence has grown, she s not as demanding and is far more independent with her own care needs she has the confidence to shower and dress herself and will do many more things for herself. Going on the trip has really made a difference to her development. Sandy would be keen to go on trips in the future. See page 14 Page 6 CHILTERN GRAPEVINE

7 Boating for free and Make a difference? (Cont d) CRT Proposal CRT workboats will be organised centrally to co-ordinate the fleet on a more strategic basis. At present the utilisation rate of many of their craft is extremely low as previously each region, or even each waterway, had their own boats. Many of us will have personal experience of seeing workboats tied up for months or years on end with no obvious usage, often neglected and in doubtful usable condition. From April 2016, all workboats will be held centrally under what will be called 'Hire Desk' and hired to regional maintenance and construction teams. Such an approach will ensure the maximum use of the fleet, more efficiency from increased utilisation, better maintenance, more strategic capital investment and a greater appreciation of the cost of ownership. Logistics 1. Under this approach, some craft will not be on hire at least some of each year and these will need to be checked on a regular basis. 2. When boats are hired, they may need to be moved by water. We are setting up a team of about 25 volunteers across our 7 regions. Volunteers will always work in pairs. Day to day requests will be managed by the IWA HO Volunteer Team. Further information There will be no hire bases. Hire Desk will be run by one person, largely sat at a desk in front of a computer, probably at Hatton. He or she will control the fleet, which will be spread out around the country. In total there are 243 powered craft, 162 hoppers, 53 dinghies and 50 pods including tugs, hoppers (dumb barges) and both wide and narrow beam craft. Long term there will be a reduction in numbers of craft so that in time the fleet will mainly be recent builds and fully re-conditioned craft, but for the immediate future will still include older craft. CRT will provide additional training and boat handling upskilling appropriate to the type of craft in the fleet. All volunteers would be assessed. The work that involves moving craft around is new as CRT have never really shared craft around the country on an organised basis before. IWA support will enable CRT to do maintenance work on the infrastructure more efficiently. IWA volunteers would be covered by CRT insurance and operating protocols. This will also allow IWA volunteers to access and move the craft when required for IWA direct volunteer work parties. Volunteers routinely use CRT craft already, so using them for IWA work parties would not be new. November 2015 David Pullen East Midlands Region Chairman WINTER2015/16 ISSUE Page 7

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10 WAT and CRT lodge HLF bid to complete Phase 11 Concern having been expressed at the rate of progress possible by an ageing volunteer workforce, Canal & River Trust and Wendover Arm Trust are jointly applying for a Heritage Lottery Grant which could enable use of a contractor to supplement volunteer work, speed completion of the present phase of restoration, and more than double the present navigable length to about three miles, to the old A41, Aston Clinton (right). About 80 people attended a meeting on 3 November at Green Park to hear of progress on restoration and the proposed HLF bid. The meeting was chaired by John Dodwell (Trustee Director of CRT), and there were presentations by Chris Sargeant (Chairman WAT) and James Clifton (Enterprise Manager CRT), followed by a Question & Answer session. Key aspects of the bid proposals were outlined: Restore and re-water the remaining 1 1 / 4 miles of the dry section; Enhance 6 1 / 2 miles of towpath for walkers, cyclists and anglers (whole length of the Arm); Improve the linear waterway habitat in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty; Recruit a team of 100 volunteers; Navigable by 2017? Photo: Les Franklin. Outreach work, including telling the story of the canal's construction, explaining its natural heritage, community activities and sporting events Total project cost: about 1.6 million, with WAT funds covering 15%, HLF grant 85%. Following submission of the bid in November, a Stage 1 decision is expected in March. Detailed designs and specifications would then be prepared for the Stage 2 submission In November Work could commence soon after a favourable Stage 2 decision in March 2017, with completion around Winter Several interesting points came out during the Question & Answer session: It is proposed that the Arm beyond Little Tring will be designated "narrow", due to the restricted size of the old A41 bridge, which will need a fender to ensure boats travel through the centre. A narrows leading from the Little Tring winding hole would stop wide-beam boats from going further along the canal; otherwise they would have to reverse back. Whereas volunteers work seven days per month, contractors would work full time, and would also benefit due to not having to clear the site after every work session. Contractors could have access to work sites at several points along the dewatered length. Page 10 CHILTERN GRAPEVINE

11 WAT and CRT lodge HLF bid (Continued) Weedcutting and deepening at Wendover would improve natural water flow. Photo: Les Franklin. Pending completion of the restoration to Wendover, water flow could be increased by weedcutting and possibly by zoned deepening. Electricity used at Tringford Pumping Station will be saved when water from Wendover flows naturally. This potential saving of CO 2 gives the bid a desirable "green" image, and the cost savings could contribute towards maintenance. IWA MK Branch has sent a letter in support of the grant application, drawing attention to the years of effort put in by WAT volunteers. If you would like to add your individual support to the bid, visit Wendover Arm Trust's web site, where you can down load a sample letter and read how to send it in. Please go to Meanwhile, good progress has been made with the pipe capping towards White-houses. Spoil has been used to replace and consolidate the offside bank that had to be removed to enable the pipe capping to be laid. From the rubbish found during pipe capping work at Miswell Farm between Whitehouses and Bridge 4A, it is clear that the former Herts County Council tip there had overflowed into the canal bed in the past. The remains of the abutments of Bridge 4 have been exposed, and are in poor condition. Canal & River Trust has agreed to WAT's recommendation that they be demolished and removed, but first want a photographic/documentary record for their archives. Information from WAT web site, November 2015 This article is included courtesy of Milton Keynes Branch and was published in their January 2016 edition of Towpath Telegraph. No apologies for including this item again, it is similar to the note I included in the Autumn issue of Grapevine; PLEASE do take the trouble to go the WAT web-site, download the sample letter, update it to ensure relevance and forward to Chris Sergeant, Chairman, Wendover Arm Trust. WINTER2015/16 ISSUE Page 11

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13 Notice of IWA Chiltern Branch AGM Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Chiltern Branch of the Inland Waterways Association will be held on Wednesday 23th March 2016 at The Village Hall, Cokes Lane, Little Chalfont, Bucks HP8 4UD, commencing at 8.00pm AGENDA 1. Apologies for Absence 2. Approval of the minutes of the AGM held on 28th March Matters Arising 4. Report of the Branch Chairman 5. Report of the Branch Secretary 6. Report of the Branch Hon. Treasurer and presentation of Accounts 7. Adoption of Accounts 8. Business of the meeting notified under byelaw 1.3* 9. Election of Committee members 10. Address on behalf of the IWA Trustees 11. Any Other Business Note: Byelaw 1.3 provides that any member of a region or branch may propose business to appear on the agenda of an AGM of their region or branch, provided that notice of such business is delivered in writing to the Chairman of the region or branch at least six weeks before that meeting. (Input via will be accepted) Elizabeth Norris, Hon. Secretary, IWA Chiltern Branch. Nominations for election to the Chiltern Branch Committee must be deposited with the Hon. Secretary (Elizabeth Norris) 6 Tillers Link, Shephall, Stevenage, Herts SG2 9BA OR as an attachment to to liz.norris@waterways.org.uk by 5th March 2015 at the latest. Nominations can be made in writing or via attachment, in the format below, signed by the proposer, seconder and the nominee (all of whom must be paid-up members of the Association). (Name) is proposed as a committee member of he Chiltern Branch of the Inland Waterways Association for election at the Branch AGM on Wednesday 25th March Proposed by. Seconded by.. I agree to my nomination as a committee member.. The AGM will be followed by a Ploughman s Supper plus a Q&A session with Vicky Martin, South East Region Waterways Manager. WINTER2015/16 ISSUE Page 13

14 Chiltern Branch Meeting Venue Directions: Little Chalfont Village Hall is in Cokes Lane which runs south from a mini-roundabout junction with the main A404 road between Rickmansworth and Amersham. The hall is located by the Library and there is a Car Park. It is approximately 600m from Chalfont & Latimer railway/tube station. Access to the hall is on the flat and so offers easy access. There are also toilet facilities for disabled members. The Village Hall, Cokes Lane, Little Chalfont, Bucks HP8 4UD Chiltern Branch meeting venue Page 14 CHILTERN GRAPEVINE

15 You don t need to be on a Committee! There are those who do and those who don t get involved with volunteering. If you ve never tried it you will never know what you are missing. It will liven up your life, get you out of the house, give you some exercise, expand your social life whilst making some new friends, and not least you will have some good laughs. You will benefit from all these things and more, plus feel good that you have achieved something that benefits not only yourself but also others on our waterways! So why not come and join our festival team? preparing and exhibiting for the IWA at the Rickmansworth and Slough Festival in We need helpers for setting up before and packing up after the Festival. Can you help us with transport, do you have a van, MPV or trailer for transporting tents and jumble to and from the Festival. Are you knowledgeable about the IWA or the boating and canal scene; we have a position for you on our IWA stand. Have you got the gift of the gab, enjoy bartering to broker a deal; you will enjoy it on our Jumble stand. WoW (Wild over Waterways) we need volunteers capable of helping with these children s activities. IWA Sales stand, selling IWA branded promotional goods, maps, canal books etc. require sales assistants. If I have aroused your interest in any of the above mentioned activities please give me a call or send an e mail, then I or one of our team will get back to you with further details. I am looking forward to your call; or john.brice@waterways.org.uk Inland Waterways Association - Chiltern Branch NOTE: Photographs by article author or editor unless stated otherwise. The IWA is a registered charity (No ) whose work is supported by member's subscriptions. The IWA campaigns for development of Britain's waterways for use by all. The IWA may not agree with the opinions expressed in this Newsletter but encourages publication as a matter of interest. Nothing printed may be construed as policy or an official announcement unless stated, otherwise the IWA accepts no liability for any matter in this Newsletter. Advertising Donation Rates One Issue Four Issues Full Page Half Page Quarter Page Back cover 50% extra Members small ads 1 for12 words. Extra words 10p. Send payment with the advertisement to the Editor. WINTER2015/16 ISSUE Page 15

16 Get Here: By Boat: Just pull up outside! By Foot: On the towpath opposite Bourne End Marina. By Car: Park near Bourne End train sta on and cross over the railway bridge, then turn right along the towpath, The Bounty can be found about 300 metres away. Your Committee Chairman Dave Chapman Secretary Liz Norris Treasurer Ken Aylmer Programme Secretary Colin Bird Fundraising & Waterway Events John Brice Planning Officer & Membership Secretary Carolyn Leonard Publicity Officer Judy Clegg Newsletter Editor Vacant Website Editor Judy Clegg IWA representative to WAT (non-committee post) Jenny Brice