Great Ouse Branch Ouse News - Summer 2018 Newsletter covering the Great Ouse and tributaries Frequent visitor to Ten Mile Bank Photo: Amanda Cornish Campaigning for the conservation, use, maintenance, restoration and development of the Inland Waterways. Contents: Branch Committee Branch News Chairman s Corner Letter to Editor Regional Chairman Lock Etiquette AGM Report RSPB Visit EA - River News St Neots - 1968 Reach Fair Building a Scow p2 p3 p4 p6 p7 p9 p11 p12 p14 p20 p24 p26 The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Inland Waterways Association or of the Great Ouse Branch. They are, however, published as being of interest to our members and readers.
Ouse News Page 2 Great Ouse Branch Committee: Committee members may be contacted by email: e.g. an.other@waterways.org.uk Chairman: Keith Alderton Tel : 01366 727236 Secretary: John Hodgson Tel : 01234 344884 Treasurer: Enid Hodgson Tel : 01234 344884 Ouse News Editor: Carole Alderton Tel : 01366 727236 Sales Officer: David Anderson Tel : 01480 477227 Membership Officer: Peter Webb Tel: 01353 658581 Volunteer Co-ordinator: Gail Mead Tel: 01359 232603 Member: Stephen Foote Tel: 01763 838936 Member: Derek Bradley Tel: 01353 661601 (Authorised to examine all private boats and in addition, residential boats provided they are fitted with a gas bubble tester) Additional contact : Ely Boat Chandlers - 01353 663095
Ouse News Page 3 Branch News Winter Meetings are at 8.00 pm at the North Lodge Pavilion, North Lodge Park, Milton, CB24 6UD. THURSDAY 25 TH OCTOBER 2018 Talk by Dave Hearnden (Moose) from the Waterway Recovery Group. This will include not only the work of the WRG, but arrangements before, during and after the Festival of Water at St Neots. THURSDAY 22 ND NOVEMBER 2018 We welcome the following new members to the branch. We hope you will introduce yourselves to us when coming to an event or meeting: Marion Stanton, Ulverston Geoff & Jan Parrish, Ely Members who have moved to the branch: Ken & Tricia Jordan, Loughton Mrs G Trigg, Potton, Mr & Mrs M Dowson, Bedford This will be a Waterways Quiz, together with a Fish and Chip Supper. THURSDAY 28 TH FEBRUARY 2019 An illustrated talk on The River Great Ouse from Ely to Denver.by Mike Petty, Cambridgeshire Researcher, Lecturer and Historian. THURSDAY 28 TH MARCH 2019 This will be our branch Annual General Meeting, together with an update from the Environment Agency.
Ouse News Page 4 Chairman s Corner I am writing this having just returned from a very pleasant two-week trip on Watermist. This time we travelled south down the GU and along the Aylesbury Arm, spending a couple of nights as guests of the Aylesbury Canal Society in their splendid new marina. These canal stalwarts have for many years made visitors very welcome, offering free use of their facilities to all boaters navigating the arm. Nineteen years have passed since we last visited Aylesbury and I am pleased to say that very little has changed (apart from the new marina and clubhouse) and this very rural canal is still just as attractive as ever. It is hard work though, with 16 narrow locks in 6 ¼ miles! Our one disappointment was CRT s late start cutting back the vegetation at locks. At the time of our visit in mid-june the grass was waist high, obscuring the lock edges and hiding the mooring bollards - an accident waiting to happen if ever there was one! We were also disappointed to find that CRT had scheduled 3-off 24-hour planned maintenance stoppages in one week on a small section of the GU. In the summer for goodness sake! It would seem that the EA are not the only navigation authority with maintenance problems. By the time you read this, strong stream advice permitting, we will have moved our boat down the Northampton Arm, along the Nene, across the Middle Level to Denver and up the Little Ouse to our temporary summer mooring close to home at Hockwold. This will provide a convenient point from which to set off for the IWA Festival of Water at St.Neots in August. Preparations for the festival are now well under way and early bookings for boats, tents and caravans indicate that it will be be a very well attended event. Over 100 boats have booked mooring places. Day visitors travelling by car will also be most welcome and will be able to pay at the gate. The branch committee are once again calling for volunteers to give a hand and take a stint at manning our stand over the 3-day event.
Ouse News Page 5 Our outdoor events programme started on a very wet, cold note with a visit to the RSPB Reserve at Lakenheath Fen in April. However, the 14 members who braved the weather to attend enjoyed a fascinating talk and a good sandwich lunch. The few brave souls who put on their wet gear were rewarded with a long enough break in the monsoon to have a quick tour of the reserve. By contrast, the crowds who attended Reach Fair over the Mayday Bank Holiday weekend enjoyed a full day of warm sunshine. As always, our model lock and other WOW (Wild Over Waterways) activities proved to be popular with the children. Our stand was also once again to be seen at Ely Aquafest in July. Peterborough Branch are hosting a campaigning cruise along the Old Bedford River to Welches Dam between the 19 th and 22 nd of August. Both local boaters and visitors to the Festival would be most welcome to take part. Please contact the organisers at https://www.waterways.org.uk/ events_festivals/campaign_cruise/old_bedford_river_campaign_cruise if you would like participate. On a sad note, Carole & I recently attended the funeral of John Sanders, a former long standing branch committee member. John made an active contribution over many years, including serving as publicity organiser at the pivotal rally held in Ely in 1973 to celebrate the restoration of the River Great Ouse Navigation. John was also a keen volunteer at the Prickwillow Drainage Museum. He was a Director of The Welding Institute for many years and was involved in setting up welding training throughout the world. We are, as usual, keen to welcome new committee members, not only to share the load, but also to bring new ideas to the table! I hope that you have a great cruising season and look forward to seeing as many as possible of you at St.Neots. Keith Alderton
Ouse News Page 6 Letter to the Editor Dear Editor Regarding the item in Ouse News Spring 2018 p10 The Littleport Riots. As Ely residents we have seen this tablet (pictured) on the side of St Mary s Church, Ely many times. Legend has it that all five were buried standing up in one grave! We have asked around but nobody can confirm that Littleport Parish Church also has a tablet with the wording May their awful fate be a warning to others Does anyone know better? Regards (Names supplied)
Ouse News Page 7 Chris Howes, Eastern Region Chairman: I m pleased to report that we have reconvened an Eastern Region Committee after an absence of several years. The Region s Branch Chairmen all met during March in a Church Hall in Huntingdon. Narrowly avoiding a mix up over rooms, I rescued Chairmen from inadvertently finding themselves taking part in a ladies Yoga session! We had a useful exchange of news and compared activities from the region s branches. The jury is undecided on an appropriate collective noun for such a collection of regional chairmen, but so far a gaggle or a wisdom have been suggested. News has recently come in of a serious threat to the proposed course of the Bedford & Milton Keynes Link, from the dualling of the A421 in Milton Keynes without leaving provision for the Waterway. The IWA supports the aims of the B&MKWT and considers this threat, which flies in the face of every local plan and Local Authority commitment, to be short sighted and ill considered. Milton Keynes Branch are leading the fight against it As I write, both the Rivers Great Ouse and Nene remain subject to Strong Stream Advice and are closed to traffic. I m impatiently waiting to take my narrow boat, Lily May, up the Nene to get to the Cavalcade in Little Venice on the early May Bank holiday. Hopefully by the time you read this, the waters will have abated and normal service resumed. 2018 is the summer of Festivals in the Eastern Region, including the Bedford River Festival in July, and the IWA s own Festival of Water in St Neots over the August Bank Holiday. There can be no better year to stay local to our region, and I hope to see as many of you as possible, particularly at St Neots. May I wish you all happy and safe boating and a glorious summer!
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Ouse News Page 9 Lock etiquette on the Great Ouse! As I moored at Brampton Lock in my 50 foot steel narrowboat the lock was set against me. I moored, and as I went to lower the top guillotine gate, a marvellous shiny fibreglass cruiser arrived at the lock behind me. I was surprised to see it as I hadn t previously been aware of anyone following me up the river. I opened the heavy sluices on the bottom gates, and with the lock slowly emptying, returned to my boat and moved her up the moorings to better allow the newly arrived cruiser to share the landing stage. However, she showed no interest in mooring, preferring to hover below the lock. Not once during the 900 locks I had been through that boating season had a two man crew left me to do a lock single-handed, and certainly not when they clearly wanted to share it! When the lock was empty, I opened one of the gates and brought my boat into the lock pen through the single gate. This either meant the waiting boat had to let off its crew and open the other gate to get in the lock or that I had to walk the length of the lock, cross a bridge, walk back down the lock, open the gate for them and then walk all the way back a third time. Oiy you open the gate the woman on the boat shouted at me. I pretended I hadn t heard. Open the other gate she shouted again. I cupped my hand behind my ear. OPEN THE BLOODY GATE she shouted and stamped her foot on the deck of her boat! I looked at her in a quizzical manner. Please she added. I beamed at her, gave her a friendly thumbs up and went to open the gate. You may be surprised to hear that the look she gave me as they finally entered the lock was far from grateful!
Ouse News Page 10 I returned to my boat and left them to close up the lock and fill it. However when they went to open the top guillotine gate the timer broke and automatically added an hour to the wait time, effectively trapping us in the lock together. The women on the other boat phoned the EA who turned up fairly quickly, but we still enjoyed 20 minutes of stony silence in the lock together. A few days later I ran into the same EA engineer and narrated the tale of my unhelpful lock mates. He was familiar with the boat and suspected that after a good lunch, and the odd glass of red wine, they specialised in getting other people to work the locks for them, and had probably been waiting for a boat to come through, so as to piggy back with the other boat s crew working the lock for them. (A visiting boater name supplied)
Ouse News Page 11 Branch Meeting with the AGM 22 March 2018 The meeting started with the AGM which was, as usual, despatched with its traditional efficiency. The attendance was disappointingly small with only 21 members present, including the committee. The minutes of the 2017 meeting were quickly approved and there were no matters arising from them. It has been the practice over a number of years for the Chairman s, Secretary s and Treasurer s reports to be circulated to members ahead of the meeting. This has worked well and so was adopted again this year. It has the happy effect of saving time as members have read them in preparation for the meeting. That s the theory and one or two members may have actually done so. You never know - you may be that member! Gail Mead and David Anderson had both come to the end of their three year term of office and both were re-elected for a further term. Sharon Oliver, who had been co-opted to the committee during the year as the functions organiser was substantively elected to the committee. Unfortunately Sharon has not found it possible to continue because of other commitments and has stood down from the committee. There was no other business and the meeting was closed by the Chairman having taken a full six minutes! Following the meeting there was the traditional update from the Environment Agency and this year we were pleased to welcome Irven Forbes after an absence of several years. He gave us an insight into the ways the Agency now impart information about their work, strong stream advice, cautions etc principally via social media and the Agency s own web site. He also indicated the methods used to upload and update this information. John Hodgson Branch Secretary
Ouse News Page 12 Visit to RSPB Lakenheath Fen Nature Reserve Saturday 28 th April 2018 was a wet miserable day like the few days before it. As we travelled to Lakenheath water was standing on the roads in large puddles. Fourteen of us arrived for the visit, and after a hot drink, David White the Visitor Experience Officer gave us an informed talk about the reserve. The site is run by five employees with the help of volunteers. The RSPB bought a square mile of land in 1995 and created Lakenheath Nature Reserve. At the time the site was an arable farm, and carrots were grown on the land. Prior to this the land was used as a poplar forest for making matches. The poplar trees attracted golden orioles, a bright yellow bird about the size of a blackbird. When the land was sold for farming the RSPB bought a small plantation of poplars in which the birds could breed. Sadly the birds no longer breed in the poplars and have moved south, unlike most other species that are moving north as the climate warms. This has happened all over Europe not just at Lakenheath. After the purchase of the land by the RSPB came the task of restoring it to fenland by planting reed beds. One of the aims being to provide a home for bitterns and there are now several booming males on the reserve. A bonus was the arrival of two breeding pairs of cranes. The birds arrived by themselves and were not introduced to the site. We were told that one of the best places to see the cranes was from the train as the railway runs along the southern side of the site. After the talk we all partook of a splendid buffet lunch organised by Carole. It was still raining after lunch, but some of the group set off on a guided walk where they heard the bitterns booming and saw marsh harriers.
Ouse News Page 13 Those that stayed behind in the visitor centre watched their progress as they appeared and disappeared among the vegetation and were entertained by the birds visiting the two bird feeders outside. Many small birds visited these feeders including reed buntings and gold finches. Unusually there were three robins; two visited one bird table whilst the third visited the other. Robins hate each other and even the young have to have brown breasts to avoid being attacked by their parents. Another unusual visitor to the bird table was a male mallard duck. Outside a kestrel was hovering and the sound of a cuckoo could be heard. The reserve has a good population of cuckoos due to the large number of willow warblers whose nests are used by the female cuckoo in which to lay her egg. Once the walkers returned, we all said our goodbyes and set off for home. It has to be said that Robin Adams had the most complicated journey and set off to get the train at Lakenheath station, a request stop. It is to be hoped that the train stopped to pick him up and that he got back to his home safely. Enid Hodgson
Ouse News Page 14 River News from the Environment Agency Waterways Operations Team Leader (Gt. Ouse and Stour Navigations) Winter Works It was, in comparison, a really light year for winter works on the River Great Ouse in 2017 into 2018. There were a few jobs carried out, such as the sweep arms replacement at Eaton Socon Lock (as in the before and after photographs). We also worked on dredging the Old West River at Twenty Pence and de-silted the locks at Denver and Salters Lode as well as the tidal entrance onto the Old Bedford River. There were also a number of bushing programmes on the Bedford Ouse. However, looking ahead to after this season and this coming winter, the programme is looking like it will focus more attention on the River Great Ouse. Beyond this time we are expecting a significant reduction in our Capital Grant in Aid so the programme the year after (2019/20) will likely be much lighter again. Currently on the cards for the coming season and winter are: 1. Denver Lock: De-watered inspection and repair of the below water elements of the lock chamber and lock gates. Inspection of the associated assets (landing stages). 2. Bottisham Lock: De-watered inspection and repair of the below water elements of the lock chamber and lock gates. Inspection of the associated assets (landing stages). 3. Downham Market Mooring: Replacement of the mooring. 4. Hemingford Lock: Replacement of the downstream landing stage. 5. Hermitage Lock: De-watered inspection and repair of the below water elements of the lock chamber and lock gates. Inspection of the associated assets (landing stages). Stabilisation of ground slabs and pathways throughout the site resulting from ground settlement.
Ouse News Page 15 6. Offord Lock: De-watered inspection and repair of the below water elements of the lock chamber and lock gates. Inspection of the associated assets (landing stages). 7. Denver East Moorings: Replacement of leased mooring structures. We will update river users by means of navigation notices as to when individual works are scheduled and for any associated advisory notices, restrictions or closures. You can find out more and subscribe to receive these notices via e-mail on our Teamup shared calendars at: http://bit.ly/rgtousenavnotices Or for River Advice for Boaters at: http://bit.ly/riveradvice4boaters Eaton Socon Lock before and after work
Ouse News Page 16 Pump Out Token Introduction & Tap Devices Information Boaters and river users are being informed that after the current boating season during the Autumn and Winter of 2018 the existing public pump out facilities operated by the Environment Agency on the River Great Ouse will be switched over to token operation ready for the 2019 boating season. This will affect the Environment Agency pump outs operated at Westview Marina in Earith, the Ely Waterfront Willow Walk and Denver. These are some of the last pump out units on the inland waterways network to move to token or paid for operation which will help to offset the operating costs for these facilities and enable the Environment Agency to stand a better chance of providing these sorts of non-statutory facilities further into the future. We also hope it will encourage greater responsible use of these facilities as they remain incredibly expensive to provide, maintain and operate where the vast majority of break downs and outage time is caused because of the unusual items finding their way into the pumps. Items such as rags (clothing), bottles, tin cans and drinks cans have all been retrieved from these pumps and items such as non-return valves etc. have been completely demolished by them in the past. The Environment Agency provides these facilities as we recognise they are much needed by boaters on the river and in short supply. Addressing the market failure of private operators to provide these facilities is another reason, where private entities find it is not economically viable to provide these pump-out facilities themselves. However there is no obligation for the Environment Agency to provide such ancillary facilities and, at times, when funding is becoming ever tighter, yes even in the light of registration fee increases, we have little choice but to introduce tokens in an attempt to offset the costs involved with pump outs. We are busy at present recruiting a network of additional navigation agents on the river system in order that you will be able to buy pump-out tokens nearby to where they are located throughout the week.
Ouse News Page 17 Once up and running, we will place notices on the facilities and a map/ list of local agents where you can go to purchase a token. Currently for 2018 the pump out tokens are 10 per token which will give you a long enough period to empty the holding tank of inland waterways craft. The tokens are also the same as those used on the River Nene Environment Agency Navigation so you will be able to use all tokens on both rivers. You may also note additional metal work on our water supply taps on this and other navigations. These are being dictated by water regulations and have to be fitted to maintain legal compliance. Please don t be tempted to alter, remove or damage these devices as they are a legal requirement and if continuously damaged or removed may jeopardise the provision of the facility for the future. Where fitted please be patient as it is likely it will take longer than usual to fill water holding tanks and try where possible to keep any hoses, below the tap level to ensure the water doesn t vent and fills tanks at the maximum achievable capacity. Thank you for your co-operation and patience. Summer of Festivals The Environment Agency made a return to the Crick Boat Show this year to kick off the official summer of festivals on Anglian Waterways. There s a busy events schedule, not only on the Great Ouse and River Nene but also on our smaller navigations such as the River Stour. If you re attending one of these major events why not pop by and pay us a visit. If you d like a poster to display to let others know of the events please get in touch. We have attended or will be attending: 1.Crick Boat Show 2. Ely Aquafest 3. Bedford River Festival 4.IWA Festival of Water We will also be present at numerous other events and festivals on our rivers whilst we have staff out and about at weekends over the busy summer months, so please say hello if you see us or one of our dedicated volunteers out and about! Paul Separovic
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Ouse News Page 20 First Rally of Boats, St Neots - 1968 Our first rally was held at St. Neots on August 30 th to September 2 nd in conjunction with the St. Neots Carnival. The river was not the friend it might have been, it had flooded the Regatta Meadow during the early part of the week before the event and thus rendered that meadow unusable for the week-end, which was a disappointment as it kept the crowds from watching our events on the river and took the Carnival events which should have been in that meadow to the Priory Park on the other side of the town. Forty-two boats entered the Rally, more were held downstream by high water levels making it impossible to come through the bridges. We felt most sorry for one entrant who came from the Lea Navigation through London on to the Grand Union, down the Northampton Arm, down the Nene and through the Middle Level only to be stopped at St. Ives by high water. The week-end was a full one. The events really started on the Saturday evening with the Rally Dinner-Dance. Through the kindness of Samuel Jones & Company Ltd. and Mr Peter Jenkin, the managing director and a member of the Society, we were extremely fortunate to be allowed to use the canteen at the Paper Mill, St. Neots, which overlooks the river. The dinner was held on Saturday 31 st August at 8 p.m. The Trip to Roxton Lock. It was always our intention that the St. Neots Rally should not be just a boat rally, but that it should also focus attention on the Society s next objective, the reopening of Roxton Lock. At a very early date it was decided that the best way of achieving this would be to take a party of invited guests on a trip from St. Neots to Roxton so that they could see it for themselves.
Ouse News Page 21 Sunday 1st September was the day selected for the trip and soon after 11 a.m. the party set out from the landing stage by the new bridge in St. Neots in six boats belonging to members of the Society. The fleet passed through Eaton Socon lock speedily in two lockings, special helpers having been laid on, and soon reached Tempsford Bridge, which is the virtual head of the navigation for most craft at present. The boats moored just upstream of the bridge, where the River Authority had kindly carried out special weed clearance work, although one boat got almost as far as the old Tempsford staunch. The passengers disembarked and proceeded on foot to a marquee that had been erected near the Anchor Hotel. Here a small fleet of runabouts was to have been laid on to carry the visitors on the last stretch actually up to the lock, but unfortunately river conditions were such that the depth was too shallow to permit this. Nothing daunted most of the male members of the party set out to walk to the lock, the ladies however voting unanimously that the marquee was their destination. By this time a steady stream of rain was falling, but after sheltering in a wood, jumping over two ditches and climbing fences the party reached the lock. Meanwhile the Chairman had commandeered one of the runabouts and after a creditable feat of navigation by the driver had managed to ferry the Mayor of Bedford to just below the lock. At the lock Mr H van Oosteram, the River Authority s deputy engineer, kindly explained the proposals for the new lock, the sluices and the measuring equipment. The party then returned to the marquee to join the ladies and to enjoy an excellent buffet meal, after which the trip back to St. Neots was made. The Rally Boats were reviewed by the flotilla on their return to St. Neots. In the evening the Rally paraded twice up and down the river with each boat illuminated. There were several trade floats, the most spectacular being the Galleon presented by the White House Boat Club; best illuminated boat was Mistress Quickly Niagra Falls.
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Ouse News Page 23 On Monday afternoon boat crews races took place and we were given displays on water safety by the Huntingdon and Peterborough School Sailing Association and Mr. D. Leaden of Godmanchester arranged a Frogman display for the Lifeguards who were present throughout the Rally. The Society s thanks are due to a large number of people who helped with the Rally, too many of them to mention by name, but in particular the St. Neots Urban District Council and the St. Neots Carnival Committee. We hope they will all take this as our thanks and appreciation of their kindness and efforts thus making the Rally the success it was. (The Rally was not without its news coverage. Three editions of Ouse Tidings Journal of the first river rally, St. Neots appeared dated, August 31 st, September 1 st and 2 nd.) Fifty years on - I wonder if anyone still has a copy? From The Lock Gate, journal of the Great Ouse Restoration Society - Volume II, No. 13, October 1968 David Mercer First Staunch on the Little Ouse at Thetford Picture provided by David Mercer
Ouse News Page 24 Reach Fair 2018 - IWA Stand Is our Membership Secretary Digging for Gold? Our model lock proved to be more popular than ever due to the hot, sunny weather!
Ouse News Page 25 Bridge Boatyard Bridge Road Ely, Cambs CB7 4DY email info@bridgeboatyard.com Website www.bridgeboatyard.com Telephone 01353 663726 Moorings in marina and on riverside in historic Ely. Close to rail station. Repairs and servicing Engineering and glassfibre workshops Slipway Suppliers of diesel, gas and coal Authorised Nanni dealership Gas safe engineer
Ouse News Page 26 Building a Scow My parents once gave me a copy of The Junior Week-End Book, published in 1939. This pre-dates me, as I was born in 1942. In the book there is a chapter entitled Boats and the Making of Them that starts with a Scow. I had always toyed with the idea of building this vessel, but had never got around to doing it. The opportunity came when I was informed by somebody that a second-hand canoe would cost me 1000. I considered that building a new scow would cost less than that. In the end, it probably cost more, but I did enjoy building it. However, operating it has been rather a different ball game bearing in mind that I have never been a very agile person. Being older does not help, but I manage.
Ouse News Page 27 I built the craft in the car park at Milton Court where I live. Fortunately the car park is not short of space. Although some of them may have had their doubts about it, most of the neighbours thought that it was a very good idea. The timber was sourced from Robins Timber of Bristol and delivered by Tuffnells Parcel Service. I was a bit daunted when it all arrived, but I thought that I had better get on with it. I felt a lot happier about it once I got started and it began to take shape. I had much help and advice, although the actual work of building the vessel was largely carried out by myself, apart from one crucial part that I had to pay a carpenter to fix. I thought that getting the boat on to the river would be a bit problematical. Many people had asked me how I was going to do it, but I was not sure myself. Fortunately I was able to pay somebody with a truck to take it to Orchard Moorings at Horningsea where it now stays. I have a Cam Conservators licence for it and have been upriver to Byron s Pool at Grantchester. I was very lucky to arrive at the locks at the right time when some help was available. There were Cam Conservators staff at Jesus Lock when I went upstream and the Cambridge City Play Boat was there when I returned. I also had help with it over the rollers at Mill Pool. I was able to share a lock with a narrowboat at Baits Bite on each occasion. I once had a tow from a narrowboat. I have also been down river as far as the Cam Sailing Club at Clayhithe. Robin Adams
Ouse News Page 28 The Inland Waterways Association is a non-profit distributing company limited by guarantee. Registered in England No 612245. Registered as a charity No 212342. Registered Office: Island House, Moor Rd, Chesham, HP5 1WA. Phone No 01494 783453.