Ditchcrawler - June 2015

The Magazine of the North Cheshire Cruising Club

CELEBRATIONS FOR

JUNE

BIRTHDAYS

1st Diane Sinclair – STEDI ALKEE

3rd

Viv Thorpe

8th

Martin Tattersall – QUANTUM

15th David Taylor – CAMPSIE LASS

18th Alan Fosbrook – CYGNET

20th

Lawrence Maloney

20th Michelle Wright – FLEUR DENISE

22nd

Edna Roberts – CINDY

22nd

Tim Taylor – FOXY LADY

29th Clair Webster – ROWTON MOOR

ANNIVERSARIES

1

St Val & Colin Buckland

2nd

Barbara & Adrian Palmer

3rd

Diane & Steve Sinclair – STEDI ALKEE 13

th Sheila & Tim Dawson – JAMBALAYA

26th Barbara & John Palmer – LOCK STOCK & BARRELL

27th Maggie & Derek Jones – CAPTAIN FLINT

28th Glenys & David Critchlow – WILD ROSE

CELEBRATIONS FOR

JULY

BIRTHDAYS

5th

Ron Axon – SHROPSHIRE LASS

11th Max Longton

12th Bob Blane - PAPILLON

15th Chris Pennington - DESTINY

16th George Griffin – LA VIE EN ROSE

18th Ian Spooner – LAZY DAYS

22nd

Babs Roberts

24th Jean Hunt – TAT

ANNIVERSARIES

1

st Lorna & Phil Maloney

5th

Ann & George Grifffin – LA VIE EN ROSE

17th

Lynne & David Taylor – CAMPSIE LASS 27

th Jean & Max Longton

28th

Audrey & Keith Meecham

CELEBRATIONS FOR

AUGUST

BIRTHDAYS

1st Jan Tattersall – QUANTUM

14th Pete Stonard

20th Phil Maddocks – MERSEY WATERS

25th Bob Lamb – MOONFLEET

27th Steve Clifford – BENNY

ANNIVERSARIES

1st Estelle & Ian Bruce – MOONLIGHT SHADOW

11th Lisa & Craig Jones

22nd

Denise & Keith Wright – HIRONDELLE

26th Liz & Lawrence Maloney

Commodore's Letter

Hi everyone, I am afraid that the good Spring weather we had earlier has been very poor recently. On the trip to Chester we only had one B.B.Q and most days we had the fire lit on the boat. I hope it will be better for everyone out cruising which ever direction you are going, some have gone to the Thames, others to Liverpool. If you wish to join us going to Stratford please let me know. On August Bank Holiday weekend we will have the Annual B.B.Q at the Club. The Bar will be open on Friday night and I am hoping to arrange entertainment on Saturday night Edna

From The chairman

Bonfires at Whiteley.

The board have asked me to remind members who intend to have a fire on the green at

Whiteley that these should only be lit in the area directly in front of the gate and well away

from the canal bank. This is to minimise any risk to moored boats or their occupants and not

to cause a smoke nuisance to boats or houses opposite the green.

Also, please do not cut any surrounding trees, branches or vegetation down to fuel your fire.

Garry Dockerty On behalf of the board.

Help Needed

As discussed in the open meeting recently the club is still struggling for volunteers to help out

with the running of the club. A big problem is with private functions which are great earners

for the club but a problem to manage without help, mainly cleaning the room before and

after events at weekends. If any members can help on the odd weekend for a couple of hours

when we have functions it would be a big help. Please let me or Brian know if you can help,

the bar is also lacking in volunteers to, so feel free to speak to John on that one. Thanks

Bill Jewsbury

Club Nights

Dear Members,

As you will recall through the last winter period club night was changed from Thursday to

Friday and has now reverted back to Thursday again. After a long discussion about the success

of this venture is has been decided that Friday nights were more suited to the majority of the

members for a variety of reasons. It has therefore been decided by the board to adopt Friday

as club night starting from the first week in September. That means that Thursdays will

continue for the moment but end on the 27th of August and the 4th of September will start the

Friday night sessions.

The Board.

Boat for Sale

Nauticus 27 Cruiser for sale

5 berth, 1.5 inboard BMC Diesel engine,

£8,500 Ono. Very good condition, inside & out

Full inventory available

Ring to view

Maria Bailey - 07791 327130

Pete Wright - 07785902552

[email protected]

Meandering on The Macc

Whilst hastily getting our house ready for sale the spring cruise was on the back burner but we

worked hard and decided we would have a week local and stay on the Macc aiming to be home

to have an agent around on the Friday, giving us 7 days on the boat. So it was the early train to

Stockport for me with Gill following in the car for my 4pm estimated finish, pit stop at Aldi for

supplies, back to work at 5pm to drop off the van key left in my pocket! then crawl to the NCCC

through bank holiday traffic. Boat loaded and bikes securely strapped to the back we headed to

Marple where we actually managed to moor, I fished while Gill prepared a meal including fish

and duck (no canal products were used). In the morning we walked to the shops for amazing

homemade sausages from the butchers and to visit the charity shops which is the only reason

we go shopping, hence this holiday actually being a charity mission, who needs sponsored

walks when you can just buy junk! We set sail at midday to Bugsworth where we bumped into

Alan (nb Sarah) who talked us into going for a pint or 3 with Chris and Doris, we left the pub to

go and barbie our sausages then went back to the pub for more! Sunday brought wind and rain

and a full English aboard Sarah. We decided to move to a more sheltered spot we hadn't

moored at before, so back in the shed we settled down with dvd's and a nice meal! Monday

arrived with sunshine so we got supplies and headed to Poynton, Tim and Sara (Foxy Lady)

were painting and said they may see us sometime this week as they want to go out. I spent

hours fishing at the wide spot at Poynton catching nothing so as we settled in for the evening a

familiar boat(Foxy Lady) arrived and squeezed into the gap next to us then joined us for drinks

till 1am. We decided to walk the 2 1/2 miles into Poynton at 10am, visit the charity shops

and Asda then have lunch in the Kingfisher which is a great pub and a Wetherspoons, so steak

Tuesday was a bonus! After a taxi to the boats we sailed to Bollington for a quick stop at the

Bridge end charity shop which is a short walk from the aqueduct where we found Kevin

(Nautilust) visiting. Back on board we sailed to Gurnett and its shallow mooring's,we met

Quantam,Stedialkee and Calluna all enroute to the Thames, we fished, fell asleep then had the

last hour in the newly refurbished Olde Kings Head which was very nice. Tuesday arrived with a

10am sail to Macclesfield to then walk into town and visit many more charity shops, a great

butcher, Aldi and a pub! After another full taxi back to the boats we had a lovely cruise to

Whitely Green for a bbq, but as we arrived the heavens opened so Tim and I fished then

cooked under my fishing umbrella while the girls kept warm on the boats, just as the food was

ready the rain stopped so we were able to sit outside and talk and fish till nearly midnight.

Thursday arrived with sunshine and our visitors Gill's mum and aunty from Oz arrived to cruise

back to the arm with us wearing there party hats, the sun shone all the way home. When we

got back we unloaded and I removed the bikes which were still secure a week later and we

headed home. We also did a few charity shops on Friday in Crewe then a lot in Chorlton on

Saturday so a very charitable week was had. To those new to boating and the Macc canal it's

amazing what is on our doorstep and we have only touched on a handful of interesting places

this week so if we all share our trips in the Ditchcrawler we can all enjoy what's around us.

Bill Jewsbury (Taylor Maid)

Friday July 24th Summer Cruise Strafford on Avon [ River Avon & River Severn

] Aprox 4 weeks

Friday August 28th to 31st Bank Holiday To be arranged

Marple Locks Festival is Sunday 5th July 10 am to 4 pm

Marple Locks Festival will be happening this summer,its a bi-annual event

celebrating and raising money for The Marple Locks Heritage Society, last time

we had a spot promoting the club and it was a good event. I think it would be

good for us to support this event again so if anybody wants to organise

something on behalf of the club for the festival then please let me know. I don't

know dates yet but thought i'd put it out there. Last time we had a gazebo with

old photo's and club leaflets. Thanks

Bill Jewsbury

We intend to spend as much time as possible on the water during

July and August getting to know ‘Daydream’ and hopefully benefiting

from some good weather so the next edition of Ditchcrawler will be in

September. We wish you all good cruising and look forward to

catching up at seasons end.

Jen & Bern

CHANGE OF DETAILS

If any members have changed their address or phone number please could you

let me know.

Pam Russell

Gas, Diesel, Electricity

Just a reminder to members that gas, diesel and electric cards can be purchased

from the club via Brian Bowker. Although there are no set selling times just ask

Brian or ring him and he will arrange your goods. Payment is by cash, cheque or

bank transfer. Cash sales have a £50 limit.

Bill

Vacancy for Quartermaster

There is a vacancy in the club for a Quartermaster, this involves being responsible

for NCCC items such as burgees, pens, patches etc and running a small stall on

club nights (at least once a month) selling anything that members may find useful,

new or used. If interested speak to Bill Jewsbury or Pam Russell.

Bill

Licences

Can I remind everyone to get their licence application to me to give me time to check and contact you if there are any errors to rectify. I have had a couple of applications reach me on the last day of the month which does not give any time for corrections.

Let hope we have a lovely summer for crusing. New fees listed below. Jen Budworth

Jen

UPDATE – RENEWING YOUR LICENCE

If you have registered your email address with CRT you will now receive your

licence reminder via email. You will need to print off your letter and send to me in

the usual way although I would be grateful if you could enclose an envelope with

your name and address as the new form does not contain these details. Once

your licence renewal has been processed CRT will email your licence to you asking

you to print off for display on your boat. If you have not registered an email

address with CRT you will receive your renewal notice in the usual way. Any

queries please give me a call.

Jen

Licence information below -

Rust Bucket Month 1

The first few days it never stopped raining, being a cruiser back with no pram cover plus a side

entrance the engine room filled up as fast as Allan emptied it.

The good news is we had lots to do inside if it was wet and lots to do outside if it was dry.

So whilst it rained we got rid of the dirty carpet on the walls the mucky mattress, curtains and

dinette cushions and covers and rusty radiators.

The Jabsco macerator toilet didn’t work it had been disconnected and a basic cassette toilet stood

alone in the bathroom. The bathroom unfortunately wouldn’t accommodate a thetford cassette so

the plan was to fix up the pump out, no easy feat as it had bits missing ,parts were ordered ,parts

arrived ,parts were wrong, parts were returned and new parts ordered , and eventually Allan got

it working . Jabsco were extremely helpful I cannot praise them enough no phone queue an

actual person on the other end who answered very quickly and knew the business.

Easter weekend proved fine so we battled on with the outside lots of grinding and starting with

the grab rails – to stop the rust running down the side of the boat .We even managed a sail on

Easter Sunday to Gurnett.

The chimney to the fuel fire had been leaking and we wanted to re-tile the hearth area anyway

but this little job ? turned into a major one.

It took hours to disassemble the fire and chimney and free the stove from its position,when we

removed the framework from the wall and began to knock off the tiles ,we were horrified to find

It hadn’t been fireproofed and the wood was burnt black. Thank goodness we had had a leak

otherwise we wouldn’t have discovered it and could have had a boat fire.

The radio worked so at least we had music whilst we worked.

One big thing we hadn’t bargained for was new windows the outsides reasonable a bit of

treatment around the frames and they<be fine , but the insides wre shot so bank holiday weekend

we are off to Crick boat show to see what deals we can do on 8 windows wish us luck!! we

would have loved to have sailed to Llangollen but alas and alack we will have to miss this one.

Sometimes it has felt like 2 steps forward and 1 step back but I guess that means we are making

progress.

Carole and Allan

The following is presented in its entirety as part was missed from the May

Ditchcrawler - Ed

Notes taken during the CRT Manchester & Pennine (South) Customer Forum

Venue: Macclesfield Rugby Club

Date/time: Wednesday 22nd April 2105 at 17-00 hours

Upon arrival at around 4-30pm along with two other folk I signed in, noting around fifteen or so names

on the guest list. One of the six or so circular tables was already occupied by CRT staff who prior to the

arrival of the majority of the guests were advised by David Baldicchino to split up and occupy different

tables.

Each guest was given an information pack containing leaflets promoting CRT’s services, notices of

stoppages, locations of interest and pre-printed responses to the questions which had been submitted

prior to the Forum. Whilst on the face of it this looked a ‘slick’ way of conducting the Forum it proved to

be otherwise. I moved to the table filled with the CRT staff prior to their dispersal and immediately

started to ask the occupants the questions I was responsible for pre-submitting. Though attempts were

made to give answers, those seated at the table weren’t in every case responsible for the answers,

hence discussion was limited. Many answers were provided by CRT staff who weren’t in attendance at

the Forum which gave me the impression that the event was to some extent ‘stage managed’.

Whilst the guests present occupied tables of their own choosing David Baldicchino’s earlier intervention

ensured that each table contained CRT representation. I shared a table with Brian, the skipper of the

coal boat Alton and George, who himself operated Alton prior to Brian before acquiring his current

traditional narrow boat which he uses for pleasure. The members of CRT staff seated with us were Paul

Bowerman (Rochdale, Ashton and MB&B Canals) and Keith Bernes whom I understand is responsible for

negotiating on behalf of CRT with other waterway stakeholders. The other tables also had a high CRT

presence, in fact I suspect that overall the guests were outnumbered by those working either directly or

indirectly for CRT. The reason for this became apparent with the arrival of CRT’s C.E. Rick Parry who

introduced himself informally to the guests occupying each table which I felt was an excellent gesture. I

suspect that David Baldicchino had instigated a ‘three line whip’ to ensure all his staff were in

attendance for the visit of Rick.

There followed a presentation by David Baldicchino during which questions were invited which in some

instances were fielded by other specialist members of CRT staff. For example there are difficulties with

the valve serving the Bosley Reservoir which are preventing CRT fulfilling their legal obligations

regarding the rate of ‘draw down’. CRT’s Civil Engineer Mary Body explained the difficulties in some

detail along with what is proposed to resolve this problem. During the presentation David Baldicchino

was emphatic that all boaters should report instances of running aground on the Macclesfield Canal to

him directly. This would identify ‘pinch points’ thus enabling a programme of ‘spot dredging’ to

eliminate these. Within the Manchester and Pennine region during the period between April 2014 and

March 2015 in total 514 volunteer days were recorded which translates to £250,000, representing a

truly commendable effort. During the presentation Rick Parry departed for another engagement

elsewhere.

After a break for refreshments the ‘Syndicate Table Discussion’ theme was concerned with how best

CRT may deal with anti-social behaviour. Following discussions, representatives of each table delivered

their findings. At around 7-30pm the Forum reached its conclusion, hastened no doubt by the arrival of

other parties who had booked this facility.

In total eleven questions were pre-submitted comprising five by my AWCC colleague Brian Pollard, two

by the Macclesfield Canal Society and four by myself. The questions and the CRT responses in each case

appear overleaf.

John Suggitt AWCC representative, n/b ‘Evenlode’

CRT Manchester & Pennine (South) Customer Forum – Macclesfield - 22nd April 2015 – Pre-Submitted

Questions

NAME /ORG QUESTION / ISSUES ANSWER

John Suggitt AWCC (NW)

1. Macclesfield Canal - Is the winding hole at the Adelphi Mill Bollington, North of Bridge28 still recognised as being for use by full length narrow boats despite the White Nancy restaurant boat and long term ‘end on’ moorings encroaching on this facility?

2. Macclesfield Canal - Are the new mooring pontoons at Macclesfield to be located sufficiently far North of Bridge37 to maintain the current line of site through the bridge arch which is positioned on the apex of a bend?

3. Upper Peak Forest Canal - Is Wood End Lift Bridge (Bridge24) to be re-built and if so what is the extent of any stoppages in connection with this work?

4. Upper Peak Forest Canal - Is

the length of towpath

It is our view that this site is not a formal winding hole. Historic paperwork and diagrams for the area dating back to the 1800’s indicate that this has always been a wharf. We accept that some have customarily turned here and there is no prohibition of that now if space permits. The bend in the canal towards the bridge is wide so there shouldn’t be a problem. There are plans to rebuild and replace the bridge May/June time. Approx. 3 weeks on site during May to replace the bridge foundations and approx., 2 weeks on site in June to install the new bridge. The towpath would need to be temporarily diverted and we are liaising with the local Council regarding this. We are working with our contractors to try to achieve a ‘navigation restriction’ only basis during the works but are awaiting their advice on what they need in order to efficiently complete the work. A restriction basis would also be dependent on how the work progresses and any issues developing during the works. The works currently being undertaken are between Brick changeover bridge and Strines Aqueduct, they are all works on embankment sections. The section of towpath you are raising concern with is in a poor condition, but is not an embankment and so wouldn’t be as

between the junction with the Macclesfield Canal (above top Lock) and Brick Bridge (Bridge 19) scheduled to be piled during the current round of bank upgrading?

great a risk as the embankment sections. It is not planned to do this work at this time although we are pushing to see it included in the future programme. The problem is that the project will be enormously costly and can’t be done by piling due to the high level of rock on the ground.

CRT Manchester & Pennine (South) Customer Forum – Macclesfield - 22nd April 2015 – Pre-Submitted

Questions

NAME /ORG QUESTION / ISSUES ANSWER

Bryan Pollard AWCC (NW)

1. Trent & Mersey Canal - Decision on unpowered craft through Barnton & Saltersford Tunnels, we need final decisions.

2. Trent & Mersey Canal - From Middlewich to Anderton there are many saplings (say 1” diameter) on the towpath side. They are too big to cut with the strimmer, should these have been cut down as part of any contract with Fountains?

3. Trent & Mersey Canal - Half a mile from the Salt Barge pub towards Anderton Boat Lift, the bank has subsided down to water level. Are there plans to rectify this issue, could any remedial action include the provision of additional mooring rings? ( raised in October ’14 water is still washing over the towpath)

4. Trent & Mersey Canal - New Marina (Towpath side near

Our Safety Advisor has been through the tunnel and advised new signage with instructions for unpowered craft which have been installed. Saltersford Tunnel is timed and unpowered craft should abide by the timings. Barnton has line of site and unpowered craft should follow the same safety rules as powered craft with the use of headlights. These are due to be cleared by Fountains around the middle/end of April. There are 3 crest raising priority notifications in this year’s programme in this area close to the Salt Barge. We anticipate that this will involve towpath improvement works in the location of the crest raising works. While these are in the programme this year we don’t have a confirmed date yet for the work to go ahead. ) ) ) ) Both of these marinas are due to open in Autumn of this year. Dates ) to be confirmed. ) )

Orchard Marina Rudheath) This marina looks very near completion, when will the Marina be open for boaters?

5. Trent & Mersey Canal - New Marina (at Billinge Green Flash). Work has started on this Marina, when will the Marina be open for boaters?

CRT Manchester & Pennine (South) Customer Forum – Macclesfield - 22nd April 2015 – Pre-Submitted

Questions

NAME /ORG

QUESTION / ISSUES ANSWER

Macclesfield Canal Society

1. Macclesfield Canal - In 2013 the society submitted a survey report listing (among other things) locations which would benefit from spot dredging. Since then a number of these locations have got worse, especially bridges 20 and 50, in which craft with standing drafts of less than 2ft 10ins are regularly getting stuck. When can we expect to see these sites dredged? What can we as a society and other users do to help get resources for dredging on the Macc?

2. Macclesfield Canal - There is a particular problem of rubbish disposal in Congleton, where for boaters approaching from the Stoke on Trent direction, it’s very easy to miss the facility at Etruria. This is leading to fly tipping and abuse of council litter

We continue to push for spot dredging of the Macclesfield Canal to be included in the programme but have not been successful in this year. We are aware of the new concerns and will make sure these continue to be highlighted. We have asked for people to tell us when they get stuck but receive very little first-hand feedback about this. We would urge people to email us and report problems to [email protected] Thank you for the feedback on this, we will review. What particular sites should be targeted? Whilst this is an ideal location for a bin store, there may be an issue with access for the collection lorry due to the slope. This hasn’t been raised before. Now that it has we will ask our contracts team to review and advise on likely costs. It is not planned this year so there is no

and dog mess bins. Can improved signage be placed at visitor moorings directing moorers’ to the nearest waste disposal facilities? Can refuse disposal for boaters be installed at Buglawton Wharf (perhaps by a Watermate lock to prevent abuse)?

certainty that a site could be developed this year but we will investigate.

Health & Safety

REMINDER NOTICE

I have been informed by the Board that members and non members

are smoking at the top of the fire escape. Please note this is a non

smoking area. Could you please smoke at the bottom of the fire

escape or front entrance of the Club House.

Thank You - George Griffin : Health & Safety Officer

Of Interest to High Lane Residents

"Councillor Kenny Blair will be holding a monthly surgery in High Lane the

second Monday of each month at High Lane Village Hall between 6pm and 7pm

to discuss any issues you may have"

Thank you.

Regards

Pam

Archive Corner June 2015

Cometh the hour cometh the man! (continued)

In last month’s Ditchcrawler, I described how during a February week-end in 1961 the Hewitt

family travelled in their cruiser ‘Nippy’ from their moorings just above Marple Locks to the top of

Clayton Locks on the Ashton Canal. The purpose of their trip was in part to support a campaign

to highlight the very poor state of the Lower Peak Forest and Ashton Canals at the time, which

meant that it had taken them almost two days to cover eleven and a half miles and nineteen

locks. They were bound for Clayton Arm near their home and considering Jim’s work

commitments the following day, the time remaining to cover the further two miles and six locks

was fast running out.

Lock 15 Droylsden viewed from the tail of Lock 16 which abuts Edge Lane Bridge. The

steel reinforcing beams indicate the passage of heavy traffic in this area which hosts a

variety of industry, operational to this day

Having cleared Lock 15 ‘Nippy’ and her crew were confronted with a lock which had part of its

balance beam missing, which they were aware of due to their survey conducted on foot a

couple of weeks earlier. A pre-prepared length of steel tubing was clipped to the damaged gate

and ‘Nippy’ proceeded through Lock 14 despite the bottom gates having to be cleared of

debris. This took some time and was undertaken using the dingy which was unloaded, carried

round the lock chamber and re-launched below. .

Next, a really bad lock was encountered, this being Lock 13 at Crabtree Lane, Clayton which

required a combination of resourcefulness and physical effort to negotiate. Thanks to debris

which had been thrown in the canal by vandals, both sides of the bottom gates were badly

fouled.

James Hewitt tackled this problem by means of a sill rake off the dingy which he had launched

below the lock and following hours of clearing managed to manoeuvre it into the empty lock.

The bottom gates were then closed and the upper paddles were opened very slightly and the

dingy slowly ascended the lock enabling James to nail timber patches over the many gaps in

the gates, together with the large hole which had been noted in the earlier survey. By forcing

the gates open and propping them in the open position it was possible to get ‘Nippy’ through

the lock.

Lock 13, Crabtree Lane Clayton, the ‘Stawberry Duck’ pub is to the left of the lock whilst

the swing bridge has been removed. The distant Lock 14 had part of its balance beam

missing

Lock 12 looking west from Lock 13. Both sides of the canal are flanked with industry.

The subsequent Lock 12, was not passable without difficulty which included the removal of a

five gallon drum filled with bricks. Nightfall was fast approaching and being Sunday evening, in

readiness for work the following morning Jim returned home with his wife. The area is not

particularly ‘boater friendly’ consequently James remained overnight to ‘stand guard’ so to

speak.

Lock12 Clayton with Locks 11 and 10 visible below. After ‘Nippy had descended this lock

James Hewitt remained on board overnight to repel any ‘unwanted miscreants’

Lock 11 Clayton which was rendered impassable in the days following ‘Nippy’s’ descent.

Shortly afterwards a determined gang of canal enthusiasts physically lifted out the

cruiser ‘Bruce’ and carried her round the lock, re-launching her in the pound below.

At dawn on the Monday morning James began to clear the next lock, Lock 11 of debris using all

the mental ingenuity and physical dexterity he had accumulated since leaving Marple.

The BW staff based at the nearby Gorton Depot were asked to assist one two occasions but

declined to respond and having cleared Lock 11 with great difficulty, the final lock on their

journey awaited them, this being Lock 10, one of the deepest locks on the system which due to

its poor state of repair proved to be almost impassable.

A view of the junction with Stockport Branch Canal which joined the Ashton canal below

Lock 11, along which BW’s Gorton Depot was located. Lock 10 is visible in the distance.

Despite employing all the techniques within their capabilities it wasn’t quite possible to fill Lock

10 due to the leaking bottom gates which could not be repaired as the supply of timber brought

along for gate patching purposed was now exhausted. Thankfully a gang of men who were

recruited from a nearby factory lent a hand and their cumulative ‘brute strength’ was sufficient to

force the top gate open. Once ‘Nippy’ was in the lock with the top gate closed, the leaking

bottom gates caused the water level to drop rapidly with the bottom paddles in the closed

position and James quickly scrambled aboard.

Lock 10 at Clayton which was negotiated only with the help of a group of factory workers

Once Lock 10 was finally cleared, following the collective ‘sigh of relief’ by the skipper and the

crew, ‘Nippy’ was soon back within the relative sanctuary of Clayton Arm. No doubt they all felt

battered and weary thanks to their three day ‘marathon ordeal’.

Lock 10 viewed from below. Its proportions resemble those of the summit Locks at

Etruria and Tardebigge. One can imagine the difficulties created by the depth of the

gates which leaked water at a similar rate to that flowing into the lock with the upper

paddles fully open.

Shortly after ‘Nippy’ had successfully returned to Clayton, the IWA announced that it was

organising a ‘Protest Cruise’ appealing for a number of pleasure craft to navigate the Aston

Canal at Whitsun. The Hewitt family responded to this proposal by informing the IWA of the

condition of each of the Ashton Canal locks they had navigated and the gate repairs needed to

assist the fleet of craft which were likely to take part in the ‘Protest Cruise’. At this time the

Hewitt’s received a somewhat threatening letter from BW’s second in command, condemning

outright their trip from Marple to Clayton on the grounds of water wastage and using locks which

were in a dangerous state. Moreover, were they to attempt the return journey by canal rather

than road they may face prosecution. Needless to say, the Hewitt family were aggrieved, but

more importantly their resolve was strengthened. Their strongly worded reply to BW described

work they had undertaken to make the trip possible whilst declaring their intent to make their

return journey to Marple by canal.

Subsequently, BW completed repairs to the lock gates highlighted by the Hewitt’s whilst a group

from the NCCC removed the remaining bricks from the bridge at Dukinfield, thus the stage was

set for the 1961 IWA Whitsun ‘Protest Cruise’. However, there followed a bizarre event that

could only be described as ‘totally inexplicable’. The bottom gates on Lock 11 were set on fire

by persons unknown and their remnants remained within the lock chamber, meaning that the

‘Protest Cruise’ could proceed no further than the top lock at Fairfield Junction. However,

undeterred by the seemingly impossible situation a group of ‘diehards’ with a cruiser from the

Midlands named ‘Bruce’ bow hauled their craft down the lock flight and lifted her out of the

water at Lock 11, manhandling her around the lock chamber to the pound below. After re-

launching her they proceeded to Ducie Street Basin, thereby making the last recorded passage

of a boat along the full length of the Ashton Canal prior to its restoration and re-opening during

the mid 1970’s.

What lied in store for the Hewitt’s and their plucky little vessel ‘Nippy’ now? This unfinished

story involving fact stranger than fiction is as near as you will get to a ‘cliff hanger’ in the rather

mundane world of ‘archives’, therefore I’ll leave you (no doubt with ‘bated breath’) until the next

edition of the Ditchcrawler, when the answer will be revealed. I hope you’re not disappointed!

John Suggitt, ‘Evenlode’

Ahoy There

Ahoy there! Pat here (one of your new members who helped run your bar last Thursday!). I wondered whether you could publish this A5 advert for me as members kept asking me what I did for a living (other than helping out at NCCC bar events) Mant thanks Pat Legg Owner soon to be of Two Hoots! 57 ft new build stern cruiser

The Last Voyage of Columbus

Day 1 (23.05.15)

Nic and I left the arm at 8am (a long time since that has happened) for a long and busy journey.

The aim was to make it to the bottom of the Macc today. Had a pleasant, if cold, run to

Hurdsfield when the fun started! The engine temperature started creeping up! The last time

this happened to the two of us we were on the Middlewich Arm and were enveloped in clouds

of steam which resulted in a call to Noel for help and bow hauling the boat a mile to the

nearest road access. (his tool box was too heavy to carry far!!) The water pump impeller had

failed. Visions of a similar catastrophe flashed through our minds, especially as the stern of the

boat was regularly shrouded in clouds of white steam/smoke. What were we to do? Having

cleverly set off without the club handbook the next step was to phone that font of all

knowledge, Brian, who we had seen moored at Whiteley Green with Ron. He didn’t answer

first time so an emergency call to Val for other numbers followed. Contact was finally made and

long discussions followed. After several phone calls back and forth a decision was made; Ron

and Eric Sutton would meet us at Fool’s Nook.

When we arrived at Fool’s Nook we found a previously unnoticed drip in the engine

compartment, along with a large amount of water. Worrying! Enter two men with large red

tool box (stage left). Eric and Ron were brilliant, the source of the drip was located and fixed,

thanks to Noel’s large collection of spares and Nic’s lip balm to grease a seal (we couldn’t find

the Vaseline!)and two damsels in distress were rescued for little more than a cup of coffee and

a chocolate hobnob. So on we went towards Bosley. We had a brilliant run down, making the

bottom in an hour and a half – in the sun. Next stop Hall Green; clear the prop, pour large gin.

Objective achieved by 7.30pm thanks to a lot of help from amazing club members.

24 Miles

12 Locks

Day 2 (24.05.15)

Is it really only day 2? Sitting here at the top of the Stone flight at 8.30pm drinking our second

glass of red wine it sounds perfect, but that doesn’t say the half of it. We were up at 6.30am to

make our way down to the tunnel and be sure of getting through in the first southbound

group! However........ when we started the engine the oil warning light wouldn’t go out. Help!

Is 6.45 too early to call NCCC rescue? Probably. After passing through the stop lock we decided

to carefully head towards the aqueduct, we sped up a bit and amazingly the light went out and

stayed out. We had found our own solution to the problem, go faster. We can do that!!

We arrived at the North end of the tunnel at about 7.30am just as it started to rain heavily –

time for bacon butties and more coffee to gird our loins for the trauma to come (remembering

my last passage through!). Our leisurely breakfast was rudely interrupted by the tunnel keeper,

North end was going first and we were to be first boat in, get ready please, so we entered the

portal at 8.22am. The journey was impeccable no touches, scrapes or drama, hurrah! Feeling

proud we left the tunnel at 8.55 amazed at how ahead of ourselves we were. How little we

knew! We had just passed under the big road bridge going down the straight when Nic notices

the exhaust was smoking/steaming again and no water was coming through. We have learnt

one thing - this was not a good sign, so we stopped immediately. The daily round of phone calls

to various club members ensued and we tried our best to follow all instructions to no avail. It

was decided that the problem lay with the raw water inlet being blocked.

The decision was made to bow haul the boat (oh not again!) to Westport Park Lake, about half

a mile ahead. Here we were to be met by ‘NCCC Rescue’ in the form of Eric Sutton, Ron Axon

and Brian Bowker. Several phone calls ensued as they navigated round the mysterious roads of

Tunstall but they arrived, clutching the large red tool box and also, this time, a selection of bits

of bendy metal/wire. A frantic hour followed as they poked, prodded, blew and poured water

down the filter inlet, but no joy. It was well and truly blocked. As a last resort we turned the

boat and all stood on the starboard side while Brian, who had the longest arms, lay flat on the

towpath and reached under the boat to try and clear the blockage. After many attempts and

finally submerging even his nose in the water he emerged triumphantly waving a 9 inch square

piece of white plastic which had been firmly attached to the water inlet! This was the cause of

all our troubles. The consensus from all parties involved “I’ve never had that happen in all my

years of cruising” (why did it have to be us?).More coffee and chocolate hobnobs were

produced as a reward and we were sent on our way South.

After all this trauma we deserved the trouble free and speedy descent of the locks at Stoke and

the sun even came out by the time we moored above the locks at Stone just after 6pm.

Exhausted and definitely ready for a gin we wondered what tomorrow would bring.

15 miles

11 locks

1 tunnel

Day 3 (25.05.15)

Well what a boring, uneventful day. Val slept with the club handbook under her pillow for

nothing. The engine worked, the water ran and we didn’t need any visits from NCCC Rescue. As

instructed by Eric yesterday, we topped up the oil before leaving and headed off down the

locks at Stone by 8.45am. We had an easy run meeting a boat coming up in every lock. By the

time we reached Great Haywood we were glad we were travelling South not North as every

lock had a queue at the bottom. At Hoo Mill Lock there were nine boats in the queue and we

met another three between there and the junction. Fearing that a similar number would have

headed South off the Staffs and Worcs were relieved to find no queue at Haywood Lock. Our

luck held all the way past Rugeley, despite boats passing us heading North we saw nothing

going our way until then. However we made good speed and moored above Woodend Lock just

after 5pm, in time for a spot of boat cleaning and general maintenance and of course, a gin!

20 miles

10 locks

Day Four (26.05.15)

We set off from the mooring just after 8am having consumed bacon butties. It was another

fairly uneventful day, in that we have gone 2 days without breaking down, said while touching

wood. It was significantly busier today. We followed a single hander down the first locks at

Fradley but he turned off onto the Coventry Canal. However our speedy progress was to be

short lived. We had to wait a short time at most locks but arriving at Barton Turn we found

ourselves fifth in an ever lengthening queue. It was slow going and we thought the boats would

have spread out through the locks, especially as the one in front of us pulled in for water,

however we quickly caught up a Canaltime boat that took the art of going slow to a whole new

level. In tick over we rapidly caught them and had to keep knocking it out of gear. The growing

queue of boats behind us were equally frustrated. By the time we reached Tattenhill Lock there

were at least four of them drifting along behind us, all wondering what was going on. Having

made inexorably slow progress through that lock we decided that at the next lock we would

explain our predicament and try to pass them. At Branston Lock Nic attempted to help them

but was told in no uncertain terms that they were on holiday to learn and didn’t want or need

any help! So she left them to it. When they decided to stop at Shobnall we breathed a sigh of

relief, headed off to Stenson Lock and after an hour or so of boat cleaning had a pleasant meal

at the Bubble Inn.

18 Miles

14 Locks

Day Five (27.05.15)

Up early again today and left the mooring by 7.30am. We were going to have breakfast first,

but the golden rule of never let a full lock with an open gate go to waste was too ingrained in

our minds. (and we didn’t know where the Canaltime boat was !) So we set off down the locks.

The sun was shining and the wind had dropped.

On arrival at Swarkstone Lock our progress was halted by a sudden clunking noise and an awful

juddering. Oh no!! It was all going so well. Fearing the worst we pulled in below the lock to

investigate – visions of something dropping off the engine flashed through our minds. We

discovered we had a long rubber narrow boat fender, complete with 2 ft of rope and a wooden

block, round the prop. It took us 30 minutes hard work with a Stanley knife, and lots of

unladylike language, to remove it. This was our only issue on what was a beautiful, warm and

sunny day. We met a narrow boat at Weston Lock and shared with them the rest of the way.

We arrived at Sawley at about 12.30pm and moored on the river opposite the marina. We then

proceeded to clean and scrub the boat within an inch of its life and throw away lots of rubbish

(that we thought was useful when we bought it!!). Customary gin consumed we settled down

for our last evening on board – end of an era, We will be glad to hand over tomorrow and get

home for a rest.

9 Miles

6 Broad locks

Total: 1 tunnel, 88 miles, 53locks ( 3 bottles of wine and ½ bottle of gin)

Pat Christopher and Nicola

We are all very sad to see Columbus leave the arm –Ed.

Boat Cleaning at Woodend Travelling Light !

Ron and Eric at work

The Last Lock

Volunteer numbers soar in the North West

The number of volunteers who help keep the canal system in good shape in the North West is rising…

For the number of volunteer hours has increased by 13.75 per cent over the past 12 months to a staggering 70,777 hours – or 10,111 days - in the Canal & River Trust’s North West and Manchester & Pennine Waterway areas.

This includes the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Lancaster Canal, Rochdale Canal, Ashton Canal, Macclesfield Canal and Peak Forest Canal.

Canals and rivers offer a unique opportunity for local people to get involved to help create a real community asset and to make their waterway a great place to take time out away from the hustle and bustle of every day life and enjoy the rich flora and fauna.

Huge range of tasks

Volunteers take on a huge range of tasks that are integral to the upkeep of the canal system, including helping to keep towpaths clean and tidy, cutting back the vegetation that grows along the canal and river banks, being volunteer lock keepers and looking after people visiting the North West on boating holidays.

Groups of volunteers, organisations and local businesses are also helping out by adopting sections of the canal, with 33 sections of canal in the region now being formally adopted and making a positive difference.

Over 75 different groups of all ages and interests ranging from Leeds & Liverpool Canal Society, Crooke Village Residents Association, Victoria Anglers, local businesses to ‘Can we Dig it’ a local hospital group whose patients volunteer as part of their recovery programme, are now working with the Trust, ensuring that the region’s historic canal system is maintained for future generations to enjoy.

A friendly face

Canal & River Trust waterway manager Chantelle Seaborn said: “We are very grateful to everyone who volunteers with the Canal & River Trust. They make the waterways a nicer place to visit, including providing a welcome friendly face for everyone using our wonderful waterways.

Quick & easy hot-and-sour chicken noodle soup

Prep:25 minsCook:15 mins

Ingredients

140g dried wholewheat noodles

1 tbsp groundnut oil

2 tbsp grated ginger

1 medium red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, chopped into small chunks

1 tbsp Shaohsing rice wine

700ml hot vegetable stock

4 chestnut mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water to make a paste

1 handful beansprouts

2 spring onions, sliced

Method

Bring a small pan of water to the boil and cook the noodles following

pack instructions. Drain, rinse under cold running water to stop them

cooking further, then drizzle over a little oil to prevent them sticking

together. Divide between 2 deep bowls.

Heat a wok over high heat and add the rest of the oil. When it starts to

smoke, add the ginger and chilli, then stir-fry for a few secs. Add the

chicken and stir-fry for 2 mins. As the meat starts to turn brown, add

the rice wine and cook for 3 mins more. Add the vegetable stock, bring

to a simmer, then add the mushrooms. Season with the dark soy, light

soy and rice vinegar.

Bring back to a simmer, then add the cornflour paste. Simmer and stir

until thickened. Stir in the beansprouts and most of the spring onions,

then ladle the soup over the noodles. Serve immediately, scattered

with the remaining spring onions.

NCCC Board of Directors 2014 / 2015

The Board

Chairman Garry Dockerty 01663 767810 [email protected]

Company Secretary Pam Suggitt 0161 427 9906 [email protected]

Finance Director Bill Jewsbury 07812 368887 [email protected]

Bar Director John Fenton 0161 998 0391 [email protected]

Land & Water Space Director

Eric Roberts 01457 855929 [email protected]

Membership Services Director

Pam Russell 0161 998 0391 [email protected]

Premises Director Brian Bowker 01663 763595 [email protected]

Director without Portfolio Geoff Lamb 0161 483 7943 [email protected]

Commodore

Edna Roberts 01457 855929 [email protected]

Company Officials

Archivist John Suggitt 0161 427 9906 [email protected]

Assn of Waterways Cruising Clubs Rep

John Suggitt 0161 427 9906 [email protected]

Ditchcrawler Editor Bernie Budworth 01925 764377 [email protected]

Food Safety Officer Janet Tattersall 01457 861085 [email protected]

Fundraising Co-ordinator Sheila Barlow 01663 765731 [email protected]

Health & Safety Officer George Griffin 0161 355 6830 [email protected]

Kitchen Supervisor Pam Russell 0161 998 0391 [email protected]

Licensing Agent Jen Budworth 01925 764377 [email protected]

Membership Secretary Pam Suggitt 0161 427 9906 [email protected]

Moorings Officer Bob Barlow 01663 765731 [email protected]

Quartermaster Vacant

Web Master Garry Dockerty 01663 767810 [email protected]

Wharf Supdt. Brian Bowker 01663 763595 [email protected]