PETERBOROUGH BRANCH HEREWARD SUMMER 2010 SUMMER 2010 SUMMER 2010 SUMMER 2010 www.iwapeterborough.org.uk The IWA charity registered number 212342 The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Inland Waterways Association or of the Peterborough Branch. They are, however, published as being of interest to our members and readers
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www.iwapeterborough.org.uk The IWA charity registered number 212342
The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Inland Waterways Association or of the Peterborough Branch. They are, however,
published as being of interest to our members and readers
A selection of the
weekend’s events with a
‘feline’ Chairman
presenting the prizes!
Photos: Nigel Long
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Alastair Chambers
A s many of you will know the IWA has organised an ongoing protest
about Government cuts in waterway funding, part of our campaign being a series
of cruises. Some very eye-catching and well made banners were sent out from H.Q. and
we set about organising our contribution.
I was a little concerned as at one point we only had three ‘definates’. However I
need not have worried as come the Saturday morning a flotilla of 8 boats assembled at
Ramsey 40 foot. Banners and posters were distributed and fixed and we made a splen-
did show. Nigel arrived to take photos and at 10-30 prompt we set off along the 40 foot
toward the 16 foot. After about 45 minutes I noticed a boat following some way back,
we slowed down for Nigel to take more photos and lo and behold ‘Aboat Time’ joined
us to make nine boats. We attracted considerable interest from passing traffic, much
blowing of horns, waving etc.
We had a lunchtime stop just as we turned on to the 16 foot, the sun was shining and
it was all very festive, an assortment of dogs were exercised, some lunch was taken
along with a beer or two. When we set off again I made an executive decision and
‘shuffled the pack’ so those who been leading along the 40’now played tail end Charlie
along the 16 foot.
It stayed sunny and reasona-
bly warm all the way to the
gauging station which was the
official end of the cruise. A
number of hardy menfolk de-
cided to wander into the thriv-
ing cosmopolitan nightlife of
Three Holes for an evening of
wild debauched excitement.
All you need to know is that
we went to the Red Hart again.
Sunday it chucked it down. So
all set off about 10-30ish.
All in all I felt we had
achieved a good turn out, well
decorated with IWA banners
and had got our point across. It will take more than one cruise I am certain so watch this
space. Our thanks to all those who turned out in support of this noble endeavour.
CHAIRMAN’S LETTER
Richard Fairman has taken on the role of Meetings and Publicity Officer and if anyone has any ideas for topics or knows of any interesting speak-ers for next season’s programme please let Richard know. Contact details on page 16.
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ENVIRONMENT AGENCY ROUND-UP
I will first update you on several of the issues raised by me in the last edition.
Strategic Priorities for Water Related Projects in East of England The problem with this Plan was, you may remember, that the Middle Level system had
not been included amongst the list of Strategic Waters even though the Ouse and Nene
did appear in that list. Our complaints on this front resulted in a meeting held at the
MLC Offices at March at the end of April. Present were Nigel Tomlinson, Principal
Recreation Officer for the EA Anglia Region, Professor Ravenscoft from Brighton
University, Iain Smith, Clerk of the MLC and myself. It was readily agreed that the
Middle Level should have been included amongst the list of Strategic Waters and that
the references to it in the Plan needed to be amplified in a number of areas. The Plan is
to be redrafted and will be sent to Iain Smith and myself for further comment in due
course. In short, this is an area in which positive progress has been made. Welches Dam and The Old Bedford Here, things are not so positive. The latest information is that the Navigation Depart-
ment of the EA is not due to approach the EA Business committee for permission to
proceed with the repair of Welches Dam lock until late June at the earliest. You will
remember that on the last approach to that committee in October 2009 permission was
not granted and Navigation was told to do some further research. There is no way of
knowing whether Navigation will fair better on its next approach and consequently
whether work on the lock will be authorised. IWA HQ has been kept fully informed of
the situation in relation to this lock and is monitoring the position closely.
As to the Old Bedford/ Old Bedford Sluice, it has now been agreed that the Sluice
will be available for use over the long weekend of 17th to 20th September. The details
of the opening are still being worked out but we have been promised that all 4 elements
which are a pre-condition of making a successful cruise through the Sluice and along
the Old Bedford to Welches Dam and return will be in place for that weekend. Those
elements are, a) the dredging of the approach channel, b) the operation of the Sluice
itself, c) the dredging of the Old Bedford inland of the Sluice so far as this is necessary
and d) the cutting of weed with particular attention being given to the weed under the
pylons.
It is the intention of the branch to hold an official cruise during the period of 17th –
20th September. The exact dates for the event have still to be resolved but will be com-
municated in due course. In the meantime please make a note of these dates in your
diaries. As a special effort is to be made by the EA to facilitate this cruise we hope that
a large number of you will make the effort to join us, especially all those who have
wanted to undertake this cruise in the past but been put off by the prevailing condition
of the route.
At the meeting of the EA Regional Navigation Group held on 5th May a number of
issues were raised which were either new or about which we had not heard for some
time.
by Nigel Long
EA Transport and Works Order You may well have forgotten about this but the TWO, which has been awaited literally
for years, finally came into force on 6th April. The Order as issued looks considerably
different from the version as originally submitted to DEFRA. In essence all practical
provisions relating to the creation of a charging scheme and the application of charging
and registration to “adjacent waters” have been removed. What it does authorise is the
imposition on all craft on EA waters of the BSS and third party insurance requirements.
The detail of how the TWO will be implemented has still to be worked out. Charging Harmonisation The EA has for many years sought to create a scheme which would implement common
charging provisions for boats using any of its waterways. The process continues to
move forward and a paper was discussed at the RNG meeting. It is, I am afraid, the case
that there was little agreement amongst members. My understanding is that there has
been a similar reaction in other committees in which it has been discussed. I will not
bore you with the detail of the local discussion for it seems to me that there must now
be a doubt whether the dream of harmonisation can be achieved: only time will tell!
Charging on the Cam The Cams Conservators are looking for an increase in revenue. As you may be aware
the Conservators do receive an income from the EA in respect of EA registered boats
using their waters. The Conservators are seeking from the EA a bigger share of the
cake. The Conservators are also indicating that they will be seeking further monies
from boaters. It could become very expensive to navigate the Cam. At present there are
negotiations between the EA and the Conservators but you may expect to hear more of
this as the year progresses.
The Middle Level Aqueduct Iain Smith reported to the RNG meeting that contractors had found that the brickwork
around the aqueduct was in a bad condition and that some of the beams supporting the
trough and the bottom plates of the trough needed repair/ replacement. The result was
that a scheme which was scheduled to cost £90,000 would now cost about £250,000.
The only good news was that although there might be navigation restrictions in the area
of the aqueduct it was not intended that there should be any closure of the navigation
while the work was carried out.
M any of you who have provided the IWA with your email address will have re-
ceived from the Branch over the last two months a couple of emails providing
urgent local news.
Hereward is, as you know, published quarterly and there are often developments
which occur just after a publication date which have to wait for three months until the
next edition or which by the time of that edition are history and no longer relevant. The
Number 10 Petition was a good example of something which happened just after a pub-
lication date: it was impossible for us to notify all branch members of it in a timely
manner.
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E-MAIL ADDRESS UPDATE
4
£7.95
That is the problem which the Branch is seeking to tackle with its Branch News
Emails. They will not necessarily be sent out monthly. Rather, they will be despatched
when there is some development which it is important that we notify to you as a matter
of urgency.
The mechanics are that we draw up the email but for convenience it is despatched to
you by Headquarters. At present HQ has email addresses for about half of the branch
members: from anecdotal evidence we suspect that some of those addresses are not up-
to-date.
This brings me to the point of this note. If you wish to receive our Branch News
Emails then the IWA has to know your up-to-date email address. If you would like to
participate please send your email address NOT to the branch but to the National
Membership Officer,Tracy Higgin, at [email protected] A simple email
should do the trick!
Middle Level Plaques
A J Butler of London NB The Sharp End and Mr A J Wilkinson Bill Fen Marina NB
Acacia have received Middle Level Plaques for their journeys through the Fens water-
way system.
Nigel
We hope you will please support our advertisers in return for the
valuable support they give to the Branch in making this publication possible.
5
6
STUART HOLMESSTUART HOLMES
BOAT SAFETY EXAMINATIONSBOAT SAFETY EXAMINATIONS
PETERBOROUGH BOATING CENTRE
Chandlery Diesel - Calor
73 NORTH STREET
STANGROUND, PETERBOROUGH
Tel: 01733 566688
N ow that we know the outcome of the recent General Election
there will be tremendous pressure on funding and cuts and are
being threatened far and wide. The waterways will doubtless share in
the pain in some way or other.
Much is being said about the single Waterways Conservancy which was one of the
key aims of one of the original IWA founders, Robert Aickman in the campaigning
years of the early 1950’s. It will be interesting if, over 50 years later that aim comes to
pass.
Speaking of the IWA founders, this year marks the centenary of the birth of the other
founder, Tom Rolt and a series of events are taking place across the country in celebra-
tion. I first encountered LTC Rolt in my youth when my interest in railways led me to
read Red for Danger, his best selling book about train crashes. Although rather a mor-
bid subject I found it a fascinating read and still have the well thumbed paperback on
my shelf. After my interest in canals and boating developed I read Rolt’s autobiogra-
phy Landscapes trilogy and found we seemed to have a lot in common and shared
similar views on life in general. Like me Rolt served an engineering apprenticeship
during which he developed a keen appreciation of the skills and dedication of the
workforce in the often derided and under-invested field of heavy mechanical engineer-
ing. The company at which he was undergoing his training went bust and he was left
to move around to seek alternative employment. Still sounds familiar today doesn’t it!
We stock Rylard & Craftmaster Paints, Anodes, Coflex,
Rust Konverta, Incralac etc.
EDITOR’S NOTES
continued on page10...............
8
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Rolt took up a career in writing and went on to ’live the dream’ on board Cressy and
make the infamous voyage which is recounted in his book Narrowboat. We have
cruised many of the canals Rolt traversed and moored at many of the places he writes
about, with Church Minshull on the Shropshire Union Middlewich Branch always be-
ing one of my favourite spots.
Rolt became disillusioned with canals and left Cressy to throw his enthusiasm into
the salvation and restoration of the Tallyllyn Railway in Wales. The saga of this phase
in his life is recounted in his book Railway Adventure. Preserved railways are also one
of my passions so again we have much in common. In my college days I travelled into
Manchester with a good friend and workmate in his 1932 MG Midget and I have to
admit that is the closest I have got to sharing one of Rolt’s other interests, vintage
sports car racing. I feel I would have liked Tom Rolt if we had ever met and will make
an effort this Summer to attend some of the centenary events.
Have a good season in whatever way you enjoy the waterways.
Editor’s Notes—continued from page 7
Richard Benyon MP for Newbury (on the K& A) was appointed as Parliamentary Under Secre-tary of State Defra on 14 May 2010. Mr Benyon served as a Shadow Minister for the Environ-ment, Fisheries and Wildlife. He is a riparian landowner and farmer on the Kennet and a for-mer soldier and founder of the charity Help for Heroes. He is a vice president of the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust and a keen angling supporter.
Philip
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I am delighted to be able to tell you that as one of the longest, harshest winters for
decades was drawing to an end, work to construct Northampton Marina com-
menced at the end of February 2010, with the trimming and removal of rotten and
dangerous trees around the lake. Over 120 tonnes of wood have been removed from
site and chipped. The chippings will be air dried and sold to biomass power stations. This has opened up a view of the river from Victoria Promenade that local inhabitants
of Northampton tell me has not been seen for the last 25 years. It hints tantalisingly at
the view yet to come when the marina is up and running in 2011. At the time of writing (beginning of May 2010) the lake has been gravity drained
through filter channels so as not to disturb the very fine silt contained within the lake.
Nearly 500 fish have been removed and relocated to the main river. The dredged silt
and material from the two islands is being transported a mile downstream by barge,
where it is being used to strengthen river defences. In a few weeks time the lake will be re-flooded and work will start to create the moor-
ings. Northampton Marina will offer a combination of 80 long stay and short stay
moorings, six of which will be for residential use, and will also provide a permanent
mooring for the St John Ambulance trip boat. The moorings will be built on floating
pontoons and each boat will have access to water, electricity, and wifi from pedestals
located on the walkways. Moorings will also be available for the operators of com-
mercial leisure boats, such as hire boats and water taxis. The facilities building will utilise renewable energy sources, have BREEM rating,
provide toilets, washrooms, laundry, elsan disposal, waste disposal and recycling fa-
cilities. It will also allow the full time marina manager a panoramic view of the marina
at all times. CCTV cameras will also pan and zoom into the site. A chauffeur driven electric powered buggy will transport boaters between a drop off
point at Northampton Lock, where temporary parking provision will be made, and
their boat. Long stay parking is available at the local car parks and secure on-site bicy-
cle storage will be provided. Whilst the general public will not have direct access into the marina, a ‘viewing area’
with seating will be created at the end of the lake near to the old boathouse. Boaters
will gain pedestrian entry to the marina by a swipe card or similar electronic system. The creation of Northampton Marina is one of the first steps in making Northampton a
more exciting destination for current and future residents as well as visitors and the
boating community. Putting Northampton on the map as a waterways destination is
important to the town’s regeneration – the River Nene is a valuable natural asset. Al-
ready the project is acting as a catalyst for wider regeneration of the river corridor in
Northampton.
NENE DEVELOPMENTS—NORTHAMPTON MARINA
by Sue Cant
Planning permission has recently been granted for a floating restaurant at Midsummer
Meadows that aims to open in 2011, and later phases of the Becket’s Park project aim
to deliver new landscaping, lighting, cafes and restaurants, providing a busy, exciting
link between the town centre and the waterside. Final landscaping of Northampton Marina will be soft and verdant. Certain areas
around the marina pool will be replanted with native species of trees and shrubs, and
water margins will be planted with native species, to encourage biodiversity and wild-
life. The marina is scheduled for completion in March 2011, which as I am sure you all
know is the 250th anniversary of the River Nene becoming navigable from the Wash to
Northampton and 40 years since the IWA National Festival was last hosted by North-
ampton. Recent discussions with the IWA National Festival Committee have again
made us hopeful that these significant dates, the creation of Northampton Marina and
wider waterside regeneration of Northampton will encourage the National Festival
back to Northampton in 2011. You can follow the progress of Northampton Marina construction works on our Visit