Thursday 27th September 2007 ~ AROUND BRITAIN'S INLAND WATERWAYS

Mike Abbott ~ summarised by Chris Hurricks

Appeared in Journal 514

Mike is a man of many parts when it comes to transport interests but his great enthusiasm for the inland waterways showed through very clearly in his talk. 26 members and friends (including two from Idaho) were treated to a very comprehensive review of the existing navigable canals and waterways in the UK, the speaker having cruised around 90% of the circa 3000 miles available.<

Mike has been a member of the ITS for 40 years and he had had his first waterway holiday at the very start of that period so was well qualified to speak on the subject. After a brief potted history of the canal network, bringing out the now virtually complete changeover to leisure use we started with a relatively local view - the A12 bridge over the Chelmer & Blackwater - which of course nobody recognised. Two slides from our late President, Jimmy James, of a motor and butty at Cosgrove on the Grand Union in 1951 were the first of many on that famous and lengthy waterway. Mike is a member of the Inland Waterways Association and has been involved in some of the restoration work they have undertaken currently at Creeting & Baylham locks.

A shot of a horse drawn barge on the Grand Western Canal showed us the correct method of doing this i.e. with the rope attached to a mast one third the way along the vessel. The wonderfully scenic Peak Forest Canal contrasted with scenes on the Norfolk Broads, nowadays full of what Mike called ‘tupperware’ boats. Hotel boats were shown on the Kennet and Avon and we were treated to a guided tour of his own boat (actually a one twelfth share), the Vanguard. These were just to whet the appetite before a full survey of all English and Welsh waterways. It is impossible to mention them all but I am sure nothing was left out; along the way we learnt how to operate locks, how to deal with flights and staircases, the dangers of boats being caught by projections in locks, inclined planes, ‘legging’ through tunnels, guillotine and stop locks.

Mike’s photography was excellent and the varied scenery alongside these waterways was beautiful portrayed from idyllic rural scenes to the rubbish filled and highly industrialised Walsall Town arm. The Chelmer & Blackwater had never been nationalised and for the past two years it had been run by the IWA. That body are now restoring the Basingstoke Canal but not the tunnel as it is home to a rare breed of bat. In commercial days steam power was used and the famous restored coal fired narrow boat, the President, and its butty were seen at the London end of the Grand Union. The Kennet & Avon, connecting London and Bristol by water, was heavily featured, its lengthy restoration being a triumph and the Devizes flight, 29 locks in two miles, was mentioned as being very hard work. Various ITS canal trips and holidays in the 70’s and 80’s were shown with certain well known members being prominent. Canal tunnels are always interesting and Blisworth tunnel on the Grand Union, at 3057 yards one of the longest, raised a few questions from the audience. It is a ‘wide’ tunnel and two 6’ 10’’ boats can pass, an eerie experience as I can testify with journey time end to end being 26/28 minutes. At Moira we saw part of a recently restored canal before the water arrived and in Birmingham, a city allegedly having more canals than Venice, numerous shots of the Birmingham Canal Navigation (now 100 miles in total from its former 160) were shown. Many canal scenes have changed dramatically during the last 40 years and the before and after of the famous Gas Street Basin, not far from New Street Station, illustrated this very well.

Gloucester Docks, where the ‘Onedin Line’ was filmed, was followed by the still commercially used Gloucester & Sharpness canal, similarly on the Manchester Ship Canal where a lock was shared with a commercial vessel. Views were shown around Tewkesbury and Stratford upon Avon and of the previously derelict Stourbridge Canal, now restored by enthusiasts. Of course we had to visit the Llangollen, reportedly one of the busiest and most popular waterways in the country, and other canals, some under restoration, in the Principality. Next to the North West with views of Macclesfield, Whaley Bridge and around Marple followed by scenes on the Caldon Canal adjacent to the Churnet Valley Steam Railway. A five sail windmill near Maud Foster saw us visit Boston while the final slides were back in industrial Manchester with the Duke of Bridgewater’s palatial residence being shown and his pioneering work with canal construction in the late 1700’s explained John Day gave the vote of thanks for what had been a superb evening’s entertainment, no doubt encouraging members to explore our wonderful waterway system.

Front Cover.The latest demonstrator to arrive with Ipswich Buses is YN07 EXP, a Scania Omnicity very similar to the native batch which is currently undergoing modifivations and warranty work. Photo by Fred Ward

Rear Cover.Two of Suffolk CC's latest arrivals. PN57 CUK is photographed on the Embankment in London during a private hire to the capital, for shopping and theatre goers. AO57 DFP is the new minibus, purchased principally for training duties to meet the next regulations for this class of vehicle. Photo by Fred Ward.