Southside News June 2009
South Dock Surrey Quays: Trent Barge Gainsborough Trader 2004 Photo: A Smith
The Newsletter of the South London Branch of the IWA Campaigning for the conservation, use, maintenance, restoration and development of the Inland Waterways
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Welcome to the June Edition of Southside News It’s been a busy time since our last edition and many of us in South London Branch were involved in Canalway Cavalcade at Little Venice during the May Bank Holiday weekend. The event was very successful, with 140 boats, 55 trade stands and nearly 5000 more people attending this year than last. A big thank you to everyone who gave up their time and contributed to this wonderful festival. The Information Stands on the South and Paddington Towpaths and the IWA Marquee did brisk business the entire weekend and, by informing people about South London social events, attendance increased substantially at our 6th May gathering, when Adge Roberts gave his presentation about The Portsmouth & Arundel Canal. You can read more about the past and future presentations in Alan Smith’s Social Meetings Calendar and Report on pages 5 and 9. If you’d like to help Alan Eggby run the Branch Stand, or would like to support us by attending the events we take it to, see Alan’s programme on page 6. Do make sure you don’t miss the cruise we are planning on the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation on 4th October and get your booking form in soon. Many of you appreciated the article about the remaining visible bits of the Croydon Canal in February’s Southside News, so I’m sure you will be equally interested to read Brian Andrews’ item on the other waterways in our patch starting on page 10. ‘Learning Afloat’, Tideway Adventurers’ joint project with South London Branch, was also successfully launched at Canalway Cavalcade and held its first sessions on 9th and 10th May. We are delighted to be involved in this type of activity, which is open to all - not just under 25s. Mike Simmons’ report of how it all went is on page 15. Finally, we were very shocked and saddened by the sudden demise of our friend and Committee colleague, Andrew Mann, to whom we have written a tribute on page 17. I hope you enjoy this June edition and would welcome any contributions, news or comments you may like to send to me. Enjoy the waterways this Summer and we look forward to seeing you at our next Social Event!
Christine Smith Publicity Officer & Newsletter Editor IWA South London Branch
The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Inland Waterways Association or of the South London Branch. They are, however, published as being of interest to our members and readers
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Contents
Page
A Message from the Branch Chairman
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Social Meetings Calendar 2009-2010 Forthcoming Branch Activities
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South London’s Social Meetings Report South London Branch Waterways
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A Run up the Arun
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Learning Afloat at Little Venice
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Making a Donation Go Further
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A Tribute to our Friend and Colleague, Andrew Mann
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Who’s Who - contact details
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How to Find Us
Back Cover
Canalway Cavalcade at Little Venice 2 - 4 May 2009
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Photo: C Smith
A Message from the Branch Chairman At the AGM in March Libby Bradshaw and I were re elected to the Committee as Deputy Chairman and Chairman respectively. I also retain responsibility for Sales and the Branch Stand. Mike Simmons was also elected as Children and Young People’s Officer. Under the IWA Reorganisation London Region has now been joined by three other branches: Lee & Stort, Chiltern and Hertfordshire - to whom we extend a warm welcome. With the main fund raising session now with us, we will be out and about with the Branch Stand - see the Branch Activities Report on page 6 for more details - and would like to see others helping more with the fund raising. The June Social Meeting will be the last until September but we have two cruises in the programme. Social Meetings will continue until November, with a Christmas Dinner in December. Please remember, if you require any books or other items from the IWA, if we order them via the Branch we make money for Branch funds. Place your order through me or any Committee Member. Enjoy the Summer on the Waterways! Alan Eggby, Branch Chairman
Alan with Helen Whitehouse at the Information Stand on the South Towpath at Canalway Cavalcade, Little Venice Photo: C Smith
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South London’s Social Calendar 2009 - 2010 The following South London Branch Social Events will take place at 7.30 for 8.00 p.m at: The Primary Room The United Reformed Church Hall Addiscombe Grove Croydon CR0 5LP How to get there? Please see the map on the back cover. Wednesday 3rd June
Presentation on ‘The Massey Shaw Fireboat’ by John & Margaret Bell from The Massey Shaw Marine Vessel Preservation Society
Wednesday 9th September
Presentation about The Higher Avon by Roger Clay from The Stratford & Warwick Waterways Trust
Wednesday 7th October
Presentation: ‘Joeys, Joshers & James - A BCN Miscellany’ by Phil Clayton from the BCN Society
Wednesday 4th November
Presentation: ‘History & Restoration of the Thames and Medway Canal’ by Brian Macknish of the Thames & Medway Canal Association
Friday 11th December
Christmas Dinner - Caprini Restaurant, near Waterloo Station
Wednesday 6th January 2010
Talk about Raymond, the last wooden working boat, by Steve Miles of the Friends of Raymond
Wednesday 3rd February 2010
Talk about ‘The Wilts & Berks Canal Restoration Programme’ by Ken Oliver (previously scheduled for February 2009 but cancelled owing to bad weather.)
Wednesday 3rd March 2010
AGM - Speaker to be arranged
Wednesday 7th April 2010
Talk ‘Restoration of the Wendover Arm’ by Roger Leishman of the Wendover Arm Trust
Wednesday 5th May 2010
Talk about Hampshire Waterways by Peter Oates of the Southampton Canal Society
Admission is free to all, members or non-members, although we do request a contribution towards room hire and refreshments. For more information contact: Alan Smith, tel: 020 8255 1581 or email: smith.alanj@blueyonder.co.uk
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Branch Activities The Branch Stand has been out for the first two weekends in May. Over the May Bank Holiday weekend we ran the South Towpath Information Stand at Canalway Cavalcade. The following weekend we were again at Little Venice for the first ‘Learning Afloat’ session, where we ran the game and Sales Stand. During the rest of the Summer we have the following events booked (more may be added). Help is always welcome, so please contact any Committee Member if you’re interested. Sunday 24th May
May Fayre at Well Hall Pleasaunce Well Hall Road, Eltham - 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Saturday 6th June
Mottingham Festival Fete - 12:00 noon to 5:00 pm
Saturday 25th July
Full day cruise on Paddle Steamer Kingswear Castle around the Isle of Sheppey. For information only - booking now closed
Sunday 23rd August
BW Event at Mile End, Regents Canal - 11:00 am to 4:00 pm
Saturday 29th to Monday 31st August
IWA National Festival. Redhill Marina, Ratcliff on Soar, Nottinghamshire. 10:00 am to 6:00 pm (5:00 pm Monday)
Saturday 5th September
Great River Race - to be arranged
Sunday 6th September
Angel Canal Festival, City Road Lock, Regents Canal 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th September
Mayor’s Thames Festival, Potters Field Park, Near Tower Bridge. 12:00 noon to dusk
Sunday 4th October
Cruise through remote rural Essex on the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation aboard the barge ‘Victoria’. 12:45 to 17:00 For more details and booking form see opposite page.
Alan Eggby and Gerrard on the Branch Stand at the Tideway Adventurers’ Learning Afloat weekend 9th and 10th May at Little Venice Photo: C Smith
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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
CHELMER & BLACKWATER NAVIGATION CRUISE SUNDAY 4th OCTOBER 2009
Join us as we cruise through the unspoilt countryside surrounding the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation aboard the barge ‘Victoria’. She is a purpose built vessel, 58ft long by 12ft 6in wide, licensed to carry 48 passengers. Meet at Paper Mill Lock, Little Baddow, near Chelmsford in Essex, at 12:45 hrs. Victoria will depart from Paper Mill Lock at 13:00 hrs and will navigate to just beyond Hoe Mill Lock, returning to Paper Mill Lock - estimated time of arrival 17:00 hrs. Hot, cold and alcoholic beverages are available for purchase throughout the trip. A selection of food and snacks is available but need to be booked in advance. For menu details see booking form overleaf. Please note consumption of your own food and drink on the barge is not permitted, so if you bring a picnic this should be consumed before you board. Dogs are not allowed. The cruise costs £15:00 per person (no concessions). Individuals must arrange their own transport to Paper Mill Lock but if you have spare space in your vehicle please complete the relevant section in the booking form (overleaf) or contact Alan Smith (Tel: 020 8255 1581) who will do his best to co-ordinate a ‘car-share’ scheme. The trip is open to members and non-members alike and invitations are being sent to other IWA branches: Lee & Stort, Chiltern, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Reading & Guildford and Kent & East Sussex - so get your booking in now!
Closing date 17th August - places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis Directions: Paper Mill Lock, North Hill, Little Baddow, Chelmsford, Essex, CM3 4BS http://www.papermilllock.co.uk/victoria.htm Grid reference:
TL 777089
From A12 take A414 to Danbury, turn left along B road through Little Baddow to Paper Mill Lock
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# CHELMER & BLACKWATER NAVIGATION CRUISE SUNDAY 4th OCTOBER 2009 13:00 - 17:00 HRS Name: ....................................................................................................... Address: .................................................................................................... Daytime Telephone: .................................................................................. Evening Telephone: .................................................................................. (a)
I require ............................. (number) of places on the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation Cruise @ £15:00 per person
(b)
I require ............................ (number) of plated Ploughman’s lunches (crusty bread, cheese, ham & pickles) @ £6.25 per person)
(c) I require............................ (number) of Ham sandwich rounds ............................ (number) of Cheese “ ............................ (number) of Paté “ ............................ (number) of Egg Mayonnaise “ (served with a cake or scone) @ £6.50 per round (d)
I require ............................. (number) of Cream Teas (includes scone, jam, cream and tea or coffee) @ £4:95 per person
I enclose a cheque for £...............................TOTAL (a + b + c + d) Made payable to ‘IWA South London Branch’ I have ........................................(number) of spare places in my vehicle and could pick up from ................................(location) at ................................................................ (time) Please cut out and send your completed booking form and cheque, made payable to ‘IWA South London Branch’ to the following address, to arrive not later than 17th August 2009: Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation Cruise IWA South London Branch Social Secretary 41 Jubilee Avenue Twickenham TW2 6JA 8
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Social Meetings Report Following the AGM on 3rd March, Les Etheridge Deputy National Chairman, IWA spoke about what is happening nationally in the IWA. He gave a very interesting account of the events of 2008 and plans for 2009. He mentioned the restructuring of the IWA, the Head Office move to Chesham, various campaigns on issues affecting the waterways and funding for Woolsthorpe Lock on the Grantham Canal, which BW had refused to repair. Looking forward to 2009, Les stressed the importance of influencing future government policy on the waterways. He then answered questions from the audience. On 1st April, Dick Skeet gave an excellent presentation on the Herefordshire & Gloucestershire Canal, its chequered history, progress on restoration and future developments. This was very well received, as it is a canal which doesn’t get much publicity.
Herefordshire & Gloucestershire Canal, Over Basin 2001
Site of lock from Over Basin to River Severn 2001
On 6th May, Adge Roberts from the Chichester Ship Canal Trust gave a very detailed presentation about the Portsmouth & Arundel Canal (of which the Chichester Canal was a part). We saw what can be seen on the ground and some drawings and photos from the past. Considering its relatively short and unprofitable life, it is surprising how much can still be seen. The Chichester Canal is, of course, in use from the basin to the former junction, with every prospect of restoration to Chichester Harbour. Alan Smith
Chichester Canal: Poyntz Swing Bridge 2005
Portsmouth & Arundel Canal: Yapton Bridge 2005
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Photos: A Smith
South London Branch Waterways I have often heard it said that IWA South London Branch has no waterways apart from the tidal Thames and its creeks. This is not strictly true, although sadly most are now defunct. Anyone that has been a member of the South London Branch for a while will know of its campaign to promote public awareness of the Croydon Canal, although this particular canal was one of the earliest casualties. The canal began life as the Croydon and Rotherhithe Canal. It eventually linked with the Grand Surrey Canal which, in turn, linked with the River Thames at Rotherhithe. It opened in 1809 and had 28 broad locks in two and a quarter miles, including a staircase. It couldn’t compete with the railways when they arrived and closed in 1836, much of its bed being used by the railway that replaced it. What little remains of the canal that can still be seen were summarised in the February edition of Southside News. The Grand Surrey Canal was authorised to run from Rotherhithe to Mitcham, with a possible extension to Portsmouth. In the event, it was only ever built as far as Camberwell with a branch to Peckham, although it did feature in two alternative ship canal projects to link London with Portsmouth. Eventually both of these lost out to the Wey & Arun Junction Canal and the Portsmouth & Arundel Canal, which provided the missing link. Work started in 1801 but its builders concentrated on the more lucrative docks near its entrance at Rotherhithe. These became known as the Surrey Commercial Docks and opened in 1807. The Canal itself was completed to Camberwell in 1809, following pressure from the promoters of the Croydon Canal to complete the line to the junction with their canal. The branch to Peckham opened in 1826. The Grand Surrey Canal survived until 1971. Although still traceable over much of its route, it has now been filled in and parts redeveloped. The Surrey Commercial Docks became Surrey Quays, although the original dock, Greenland Dock, and the entrance lock at Rotherhithe still exist. The Royal Arsenal Canal, also referred to as the Ordnance Canal or the Woolwich Canal, was a short waterway built using convict labour in 1814-16. As its name suggests, it served the Woolwich Arsenal. With the demise and redevelopment of the Woolwich Arsenal, much of it disappeared, but a short length still remains, along with the entrance lock, Broadwater Lock, to the west of Thamesmead. This was the scene of a tragic accident in 2007 when a boy fell into the lock. He survived but a young man who jumped into the lock to save him was not so lucky as there was no means of support in the lock at that time. A similar accident took place four months later but, by then, chains had been provided in the lock and all survived. Inevitably there have since been demands to fill in the canal and lock, which is a shame as it could have been redeveloped to provide facilities along this section of the tidal Thames below the Thames Barrier. There is a group of canals, clearly marked on street maps, in Thamesmead itself. These, however, were never navigable in the normal sense and were built as part of the drainage system and as a water feature. As such, they are not of primary concern to the Branch unless they become fully navigable in the future. Grand Surrey Canal Office Greenland Dock 2004
MacMurray’s Canal was a short canal of just over a quarter of a mile in Wandsworth. It consisted of an entrance lock, two lifting bridges and a basin and it linked the Ram Brewery to the Thames. It became disused after the First World War. It was the basin for transhipment from barges to the Surrey Iron Railway, the first railway built in this part of the world, which preceded even the Croydon and Grand Surrey Canals – in fact, all three of these received their Acts in the same year of 1801. The basin was sold after the Surrey Iron Railway closed in 1846. It was proposed to make both the River Wandle and the River Mole navigable but no work was done. The River Wandle was used for navigation over part of its length and the arrival of the railways made it commercially unviable.
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The Dartford & Crayford Navigation lies at the eastern extreme of the Branch and is still navigable, although its lock is derelict and badly in need of restoration. It was opened in 1844, is about two and three quarter miles in length and basically consists of the River Darenth, as far as Dartford, and its tributary, the River Cray. The lock lies just before Dartford itself. At the mouth of the Navigation, where it joins the Thames, is a barrier similar to that in the Woolwich reach and built at the same time. As with the Thames Barrier, this is passable unless conditions bring it into operation. The Navigation was extensively used until the 1970s by Bowaters, the paper manufacturers, who owned the large factory at its head. When IWA London & Home Counties Branch became SE Region in 1974 and split into smaller branches, this waterway formed the boundary between London Branch (as it then was) and Tonbridge Branch (which later became Kent & East Sussex Branch). Each of the new branches assumed that the other was looking after it and, as a result, some of the Navigation was lost and the lock became derelict. Since that time Kent & East Sussex Branch has assumed responsibility but the Cray section is definitely on our patch and the Darenth section still forms the boundary between the two Branches. This waterway could become a very useful resource in this part of the world if the lock near its top end were restored. As stated, Kent & East Sussex Branch now look after the Navigation’s interests by default but it would, I believe, be of great benefit for the two Branches to combine to restore the lock and encourage the redevelopment of its basins as a water centre or small marina. There was one other commercial canal undertaking in the Branch area, although little is known about it. I am aware of its existence as the result of a talk given to my IWA branch in 1975. The speaker had decided to combine his interests of caving and canoeing and had explored the insides of many derelict canal tunnels across the country before Health and Safety made such activities contentious. In the Reigate area, a local lord quarried chalk from the nearby North Downs. He built an underground waterway through a series of large interlinked caverns, although it does not appear on any contemporary maps. The speaker gained permission to enter the canal and travel its route through the caverns recording what he found. At the time of construction of the M23/M25 junction, the road engineers could not understand why it took so much poured concrete to build the foundations, they just kept pouring. As a result, the construction was delayed by several weeks and cost considerably more than expected. The reason was readily apparent in one of the canal caverns, for it now contains a huge plume of concrete spreading from floor to ceiling. Besides providing a smile to those in the know, the tale serves to pinpoint the canal as somewhere in the vicinity of Merstham. For information on many of the waterways listed, see www.canalmuseum.org.uk/history or www.londoncanals. co.uk. Brian Andrews
Grand Surrey Canal: Peckham Branch - Willowbrook Way Bridge 2004
Greenland Dock: Surrey Quays 2004 Photos: A Smith
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A Run up the Arun The River Arun must rank as one of England’s loveliest rivers, cutting through the South Downs (soon to be a National Park) on its way to the sea at Littlehampton. It is navigable for 25 miles, all tidal. While well used by small craft, larger craft are less common as the river is tricky to navigate, as Christine and I discovered on a trip in May this year. The tides produce very strong currents. If there is too much water, you can’t get under the bridges. (Arundel Bridge has only 4 ft. headroom at high water and Houghton has only 3 ft. These are notional, of course, as in times of flood or high tides, the clearances will be reduced). If there is too little water, you go aground on “The Pies”, mud banks in the centre of the channel between Houghton Bridge and Bury. Since the demise of the Arun Navigation, above Arundel Bridge, the Environment Agency is responsible for the banks to prevent flooding but not for navigation. Below Arundel Bridge, the Littlehampton Harbour Board is the authority. Our skipper for the trip made an early start from Littlehampton to clear the bridges but arrived too early at The Pies, which were clearly visible. We had to anchor until the flood tide covered them with sufficient water to enable us to proceed upstream.
The River Arun Estuary at Littlehampton
Arundel Castle from the River
Littlehampton holds happy memories for both of us from Sunday School outings in the 1950s, taking speedboats from the river out to sea, spending pennies in the amusement arcade and, of course, the wonderful beach. We met our skipper Colin Huggins, on his sea going boat, ‘Ebb Tide’ on the Harbourmaster’s pontoon. Heading upstream, the swing bridge has long since gone, being replaced by a footbridge with an opening section for masted craft. As with so many other places, commercial activity has been replaced by waterside apartments. The river has very high banks which get progressively lower towards Pulborough, an indication of the tidal range. The little collection of boats at Ford, marks the entrance to the long-derelict Portsmouth & Arundel Canal, the subject of the talk at our May social meeting. Ford railway bridge was formerly an opening bridge for sailing barges, but was fixed in 1938 when the line was electrified. The various bends give spectacular views of the Roman Catholic Cathedral and castle, also a riverside windmill. Access to the town is difficult by boat as when the trip boat operator ceased operations, he took the pontoon away. A new mooring with steps is, however, shortly to be provided. We passed the well-known Black Rabbit pub tucked under the Downs, before the river takes a sharp bend to the left through the Offham Cut, built by the railway in 1861/2 to avoid having to provide two swing bridges across the river. This means the village of Burpham is no longer on the main channel. Another cut was made at South Stoke which also runs west of the railway, but this was built by the Arun Navigation in 1839, well before the railway was even thought of.
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There are moorings at Houghton Bridge, together with tea rooms, a pub, Amberley station and the Chalk Pits Museum, well worth visiting for its industrial archaeology exhibits. Beyond here we came to The Pies and from this point on, there is no right of way along the bank so, the only way to see this part of the river is by boat. About a mile before Greatham Bridge is the junction of the canal section opened by the Arun Navigation in 1790. This bypassed the long loop to Pulborough, saving about three miles. Its unique feature was Hardham Tunnel, the only one on a river navigation in Britain, although there are several examples in mainland Europe. Our trip ended at Pulborough, where there is a very steep slipway for launching small boats, but ‘Ebb Tide’ had to anchor in the channel – to get ashore would require use of the dinghy. Here we met the members of the Solent & Arun Branch of the IWA and Arundel Boat Club and joined their Small Boat Rally for the trip up to the tidal limit at Pallingham. The old bridge at Pulborough, with its limited headroom, still exists, next to the modern A29 bridge. Upstream at the water treatment plant at Hardham, is where the canal cut-off mentioned above rejoined the river, via the River Rother. Soon after, we passed the entrance to the Rother Navigation, opened to Midhurst in 1794, but disused by 1888. This is one of the few waterways which doesn’t seem to be the subject of any restoration proposals. We passed through the historic Stopham Bridge, with its enlarged arch for navigation, and stopped for a drink at the White
Houghton Bridge
Alan and Christine set off with Nigel Edwards in the dayboat
Hart, a delightful spot which is now bypassed by the A283. There is still no towpath up here, so it feels very remote. Part of the river has been dredged and is quite wide – in other places it is narrow and nearly impassable due to overhanging trees and bushes. Although any work done by the Environment Agency is to aid water flow, happily it also has the effect of improving navigation. From Pallingham, the Arun Navigation once continued by a canal section parallel to the river, through three locks to Newbridge. This was opened in 1797 and in 1816 the Wey & Arun Junction Canal met it end-on to complete the London-Portsmouth inland water route. The Wey & Arun closed in 1871 but the Arun Navigation up to Newbridge lasted until 1888. Both sections are being restored by the Wey & Arun Canal Trust as part of the ambitious long-term aim of re-creating “London’s Lost Route to the Sea”. We were able to navigate the river past the overgrown entrance to Pallingham Lock and walk over to see the restored canal bridge and overgrown remains of the barge drydocks, before returning to Pulborough. It had been a long, but very rewarding day, cruising a river that is probably little known except to local enthusiasts. Our thanks go to the Arundel Boat Club (www.arundelboatclub.org) and Solent & Arun Branch of IWA for making it possible. Alan Smith
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Photos: A & C Smith & members of the Arundel Boat Club
www.tidewaynarrowboats.com Telephone: 07875 841 423 email: admin@tidewaynarrowboats.com
Tideway Adventurers’ Narrowboats Theo and Merlin
Tideway Adventurers Narrowboat Project is a voluntary organisation and registered charity that was originally formed 25 years ago. The aim of the organisation is to provide low cost opportunities for children, young people, and community groups to go afloat on England’s historic inland waterways and to learn the many skills associated with boat handling and canal navigation. As well as gaining knowledge and understanding of the environmental value of our canals and rivers, it’s also great fun!! The Narrowboats – we have two 70ft long steel narrowboats, the 12 berth Theo and the 10 berth, Merlin both are moored at the Denham Yacht Station in Uxbridge. There is a skipper’s cabin at the stern of each boat with an extra berth in each. Both vessels have central heating, shower, flush toilets and galley with hot and cold water. Skippers provided, unless hirers have a narrow boat handling certificate. Groups wishing to operate the boat themselves will need to hold the Certificate In Community Boat Management. The project does not supply bedding, tea towels or waterproofs. Both boats carry the requisite number of lifejackets.
School, Community & Youth Groups
Half day (3 hours) Day hire (6 hours) Weekend (48 hours) 5 day hire 7 day hire
£80 (inc skipper) £150 (inc skipper) £300 £700 £860
Private & Corporate £120 £200 £500 £900 £1060
If the Project supplies a skipper a further £20 per day needs to be added for School, Community and Youth Groups and £30 per day for Private & Corporate hire. Prices include fuel, gas and first toilet pump out
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LEARNING AFLOAT at Little Venice 9th and 10th May 2009 After being much publicised at the Canalway Cavalcade event over the May Bank Holiday weekend, ‘Learning Afloat’ was launched the following weekend at Little Venice in London. The two 70 ft boats ‘Merlin’ and ‘Theo’, which were to be used for the training, were moored in the Paddington Basin. Alongside was the IWA South London Branch stand selling a wide range of books, maps and postcards as well as running The Waterways Game. This notorious wind tunnel was remarkably calm and, by midday on Saturday, the sun came out and those participating in ‘Learning Afloat’ and the passing public were able to witness the waterway at its best. During the two days 30 people of all ages went afloat. Some were just curious, others were thinking about buying or hiring a boat. All were struck by the skills needed to handle and manage a boat properly even on a canal - and that was before they were introduced to locks. After a short time aboard they were soon using some of the nautical terms and, with a little shyness, shouting the full length of a 70’ boat ‘let go bow’ – ‘shove off bow’ before steering out into the middle of the canal. Each session lasted two hours with an introduction to safety and boat systems followed by practical handling. After passing into the pool, participants were shown how to steer around the island and carry out some different manoeuvres, then it was into the Regents Canal towards Cumberland Basin. This took them through the Maida Vale tunnel which, whilst short, enabled them to experience steering in the darkness without hitting the side. Even though some of the younger children on board left the steering to Mum and Dad, seeing the Zoo and Snowdon Aviary from the water was a delight for them. This initial partnership activity between the South London Branch of the Inland Waterways Association and Tideway Adventurers Narrowboat project achieved all it set out to do. We now have to evaluate the event and decide on a strategy for the future but all agreed that, between us, we had introduced a group of people to the Inland Waterways who would otherwise have been ‘Gongoozlers’ and, who knows, they may be at Cavalcade next year with their own boat. Mike Simmons
Learning the ropes
Concentrated steering Photos: Charlie T Photographic
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Making a donation go further......... A couple of years ago, when we were considering donations that could be made to community groups, I suggested we could make a donation to the Pirate Club sponsoring someone to go on the Community Boat Management course. This would enable them to obtain the qualification ‘Certificate in Community Boat Management’ (CCBM) and thus skipper community boats. In addition to this I suggested that the person we sponsored should make a commitment to skippering the Pirate Club boats on a voluntary basis for a number of trips, yet to be specified. The value of this donation would therefore be two-fold; firstly the club would not have to pay to train another skipper, secondly the cost of trips would be substantially reduced by the fact the skipper was a volunteer. Once this plan was in place and agreed we decided to offer the opportunity to Allan Scott who had recently taken early retirement from the MOD. He is experienced in handling narrow boats, including being Waterspace Manager for Canalway Cavalcade! As you will see from his article below this has proved a very successful venture. Libby Bradshaw Approximately 20 months ago, the Branch gave me an opportunity to qualify for a Community Boat Skippers Certificate, on the proviso that I helped out, in due course, with crewing a community boat. Arrangements were put in hand with the Pirate Club at Camden and I duly turned up for the start of the course that ran for several days over weekends. There were three of us on the course with varying experience of managing narrowboats. Given this situation, we started from scratch learning about the various parts of the boat and engine, from ‘pointy bit’ = bow, to what the alternator did and how to assess that it was working properly. Having got the basics sorted out, we set off on our first foray onto the cut. Backing a 70ft narrowboat out of the moorings proved to be the first test of our lack of expertise. After much to-ing and fro-ing we manoeuvred the craft into the middle of the channel and set off for Camden Locks. From here on we learned all about managing the boat through the locks, steering around blind corners, coming alongside the towpath, negotiating tunnels and turning the boat around in mid channel, subject to width and depth of the canal. Subsequent weeks covered risk areas such as passengers falling in (waterways and locks), boat sinking, fire, engine failure and unruly passengers, all the time honing our boat-handling skills. The course was completed with a written and practical test which we all passed. I helped crew a couple of trips on the Pirate Club boats just to see how it all worked out with a party on board. Shortly after this, the telephone rang asking me to skipper one of two boats for a group on an office ‘do’. From then on, I have had a variety of groups from children’s and school parties to the Salvation Army shooting a film for one of their devotional videos. Most trips have lasted from 3 – 5 hours, which gives an opportunity to cover the canal from Little Venice to City Road lock, depending on what the customer wants (locks or cruising) and, of course, how much time is available. I have also run several trips through the Islington Tunnel in support of the Canal Museum. I am very grateful to the Branch and also The Pirate Club, for giving me this opportunity, and I hope to continue to cruise the London Waterways on community boats for some time yet. Allan Scott
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A Tribute to Our Friend and Colleague Andrew Mann At Andrew’s funeral, which several South London Branch Committee members attended, a moving tribute was paid to him by his close friend Richard Sudworth. Extracts from that memoir, his partner Rita Craft’s own memories and photos, and appreciations from his other friends and colleagues make up the following celebration of his life: Andrew was born in 1941 in Curacao, Dutch West Indies. His father served in the war and moved around accordingly, later settling in Brussels where Andrew was brought up with his two sisters. He attended Oundle Public School, followed by enrolment at the Middlesex Hospital as a medical student. He became a rugby international playing for Belgium - not Six Nations or Southern Hemisphere League but nevertheless a considerable achievement. By the 1960s Andrew had returned to London Steering lessons for a young friend, Jesse, in 1996
and worked as a courier on the Snow Sports Special Train - skiers did not fly in those days. He was keen on squash, had an intense interest in jazz, books, history, was a ‘bon viveur’ and had many friends. He was also caring and compassionate, as demonstrated by his weekly lunch time visits to his Austrian Jewish Grandmother, Mulzchen, and his Mother, Suzanne. In the mid 1960s he worked for Amnesty International, Which? Magazine and enrolled at the Sorbonne in Paris for a year.
Andrew, with Alan, Andy and the Waterways Game tub in 2007
When Andrew returned to London he became a student at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) studying Malayan anthropology, where he met his wife, Rosemary, with whom he had two children, Catherine and Fred. It was here that he became co-founder of the Children’s Rights Workshop - which was the start of his passionate interest in politics. Although he
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and his wife later divorced, he stayed in the same job at the Blackfriars Settlement. Andrew and Rita got together in 1991 and together they shared an interest in gardening, which allowed him to give full vent to his passion for roses. It was Rita who also introduced him to waterways, when she bought him a selection of canal books for his birthday, including some by Hadfield and Rolt. Once fanned, this interest led to several canal holidays between 1995 and 1997 and frequent attendances at the London Canal Museum lectures, the Pirate Club and South London Branch, whose Committee he joined in 2001. He frequently helped on the Branch Stand, including National Festivals and Canalway Cavalcade, and paid special attention to children playing the Waterways Game, taking great care to explain in intricate detail all the information on the tombola tickets. He also encouraged as many as he could to participate in the Wild over Waterways (WoW) children’s activities at Canalway Cavalcade. Andrew was always willing to campaign for wider recognition of the waterways. His regular appearances on the Branch Stand identify with that vigour. When he joined the South London Branch he became enthused with the idea that its only ‘canal’ should achieve its rightful place in local history and its route be recognised, albeit that the railway had done much to remove the relics of its existence. With his true flair, he picked up on the fact that, without Mike Stevens (the Branch’s original Croydon Canal activist) to take it forward, the Branch’s aim to get the route designated could be lost. Andrew identified that the key to getting local people ‘on side’ was to have a series of Historical Marker Boards to highlight key sites along the route. He did much research into how similar boards elsewhere were created and funded. He opened discussions with local Council officials and with the Heritage Lottery Fund, with the aim of making this vision happen. Frequent staff changes and reorganisation at the Heritage local office meant progress was not as rapid as Andrew would have liked, but he was not daunted by those minor setbacks and kept on the case. It was so sad that, just as it seemed the pieces of the ‘jigsaw’ were again coming into place, so Andrew was not well enough to progress them. All hope that his successor will be able to get the ‘pieces in place’ and those Historical Marker Boards along the Croydon Canal will become a lasting tribute to Andrew’s efforts to keep the memories of the Croydon Canal alive.
Andrew enjoying a chat at Bank Newton on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in 1995
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IWA SOUTH LONDON BRANCH COMMITTEE & OFFICERS 2009 BRANCH CHAIRMAN & SALES OFFICER Alan Eggby (Elected 2009-2012) 137 Strathyre Avenue, London, SW16 4RH Tel: (020) 8764 8194 e-mail: alan_eggby@lineone.net DEPUTY CHAIRMAN Libby Bradshaw (Elected 2009-2012) Ground floor flat, 61 West Side, Wandsworth Common, London, SW18 2ED Tel+fax: (020) 8874 2787 e-mail: libby.bradshaw@boltblue.com or libby.bradshaw@ursa.me.uk BRANCH SECRETARY Lesley Pryde (Elected 2008 - 2011) 2 Hepworth Road, Streatham, London, SW16 5DQ Tel: Home: (020) 8679 9866. Mob: 07787 372408 e-mail: cookielesley@tinyworld.co.uk BRANCH TREASURER & MINUTES SECRETARY Dorothy Robbie (Elected 2007 - 2010) 23 Porcupine Close, Mottingham, London,SE9 3AE Tel: (020) 8857 6367 e-mail: Dorothy.Robbie@ineedbroadband.co.uk SOCIAL MEETINGS SECRETARY & CROYDON CANAL CAMPAIGN OFFICER Alan Smith (Elected 2008-2011) 41 Jubilee Avenue, Whitton, Twickenham, Middlesex. TW2 6JA Tel: Home: (020) 8255 1581. Mob: 07774 890750 e-mail: smith.alanj@blueyonder.co.uk or chrisalasjubilee@googlemail.com PUBLICITY OFFICER & NEWSLETTER EDITOR Christine Smith (Elected 2008-2011) 41 Jubilee Avenue, Whitton, Twickenham, Middlesex. TW2 6JA Tel: Home: (020) 8255 1581. Mob: 07774 890750 e-mail: christine.smith@waterways.org.uk or chrisalasjubilee@googlemail.com EX-OFFICIO AS REGION CHAIRMAN Roger Squires 46 Elephant Lane, Rotherhithe, London,SE16 4JD Tel: (020) 7232 0987 e-mail roger.squires@waterways.org.uk CHILDREN’S AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S OFFICER Mike Simmons (Elected 2009-2012) Tideway Adventurers Narrowboat Project PO Box 51123 London SE13 6YH Tel: 07875 841423 or 07930 352388 e-mail: mike.simmons@lewisham.gov.uk or admin@tidewaynarrowboats.com MEMBERSHIP OFFICER (Non Committee) Jane Davey 30 Siddons Road, Croydon CRO 4JR Tel: (020) 8680 2213
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IWA South London Branch Social Meetings are held at: The United Reformed Church Hall Addiscombe Grove Croydon CR0 5LP
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 Road, Chesham, Buckinghamshire HP5 1WA Tel: 01494 783453 Web: www.waterways.org.uk
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