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AGM 2022
Our 63rd Annual General Meeting was held on Saturday 24th September at The Guildhall in Lichfi eld. Thank you to those who were able to a end the event either in-person or on Zoom. We had a good turn out and members were enthusiastic about the launch of the Waterways for Today report which was well received. Following a presentation about the report, the AGM commenced and members had the opportuni to take part in voting on key issues including the appointment (and re-appointment) of trustees. We also presented the National Awards to volunteers and groups who have made a signifi cant impact through the work they do and their overall commitment to IWA. A special thank you to the Lichfi eld & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust who did a short presentation a er the awards ceremony and also took members on a 2-hour guided walk a er lunch. We also thank the members of IWA Lichfi eld Branch and other volunteers who helped out at the event.
New Trustees
The new trustees appointed at the AGM are Rick Barnes, Charlie Norman and Mike Wills. They join the board of trustees led by our Chair, Les Etheridge whose co-option in May 2022 was confi rmed and he was reappointed as a trustee for a further term of one year. Existing trustee Dave Chapman was also reappointed. Other trustees are Rt Hon Sir Robert Atkins, John Butler (Treasurer), Nick Dybeck (Depu Chair), Sue O’Hare (Depu Chair), Rebecca Hughes and Hannah Sterri .
Rick Barnes
Rick was introduced to the inland waterways as a young child, enjoying numerous family day trips out on the water and walking the towpaths. It was a boating holiday in the early 1980s around the BCN, Stratford and the River Avon that captured Rick’s interest in the unique diversi of the inland waterways, the industrial architecture, the people and the stunning scenery. Many waterways holidays later, Rick has now owned a share in a boat for 6 years.
Shortly a er universi , Rick started volunteering with the Waterway Recovery Group in 1998 and has worked on many projects around the country including Droitwich, the Ribble Link and Lancaster, Grantham, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, Monmouthshire and Brecon and the Cotswold canal restoration schemes. Rick has been a member of the association since 2001, a member of the former IWA Festivals Commi ee and the Finance Commi ee, and was a trustee and depu National Chairman until early 2022. Rick remains active in the restoration movement and is a member of the WRG board.
Professionally, Rick is a programme manager and chartered engineer with over 25 years of experience in the delivery of complex engineering projects and strategic in astructure programmes across a range of sectors. Charlie Norman
Charlie fi rst lived on a wooden Norfolk Broads cruiser in Thames Di on in 2008 and has since owned two boats. The latest, a small narrowboat called Susie, is moored on a beautiful bend on the River Stort with time happily spent between the sleepy Stort and buzzing Hackney. Tracing a love of anything riverrelated back to fond childhood memories of The Wind in the Willows, Charlie cares deeply about the health of our waterways, volunteers with Plastic Free Hackney and other local environmental initiatives, and became involved with IWA in 2013 a er receiving Waterways magazine. A er writing to the editor to fi nd out how to become more involved, a stint at Cavalcade led to many years of volunteering with IWA. With a political and environmental communications background, Charlie currently works for a chari that uses the law to defend the human rights of LGBT people globally. Having previously worked at Friends of the Earth, the European Parliament, and the Campaign to Protect Rural England, Charlie brings a broad background to the role of trustee, not least the skills picked up as a bookseller for many years. Charlie holds degrees om Goldsmiths Universi of London and the Universi of Cambridge, and is a Fellow of the Royal Socie of Arts.
Mike Wills
Mike has been fascinated by the inland waterways since his teens. Studying economic history helped develop his passion, and his early experiences included digging out a disused lock and helping to raise a sunken wooden narrowboat that was converted into a houseboat. Regular towpath walks and dozens of narrowboat holidays helped him to introduce lots of his family and iends to the waterways. In 2019, he purchased part of a worsted mill and wharf on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal and subsequently restored it to create a four-storey house that reveals as much of its canalside history as possible. In truth, this is probably a lifetime project as work continues to be needed and the 200+ years-old building keeps revealing new secrets.
Mike is a chartered accountant and has worked as a senior civil servant, a tax partner in a medium-sized practice and, since his 45th birthday, as a non-executive director or consultant in various companies ranging om gold refi ning and electronicproduct recycling to pet food manufacture and insurance services. His most recent experience has been in se ing up, running and subsequently selling a specialised school and he is currently a Non-Executive Director and Trustee of a Housing Association. He has almost completed the maximum time that he is allowed to serve under the regulations applying to the Housing Association and will retire om this role in December 2022.
Mike previously spent some years as Chair of Governors of both a primary school and a secondary school. He retains a keen interest in education, in supporting and encouraging the younger generation to explore and develop their potential and maximise their interest in the world. He hopes to maybe also encourage them to take an interest in the inland waterways. His extensive business experience, along with his work with schools and charities, has provided a host of transferable skills that will benefi t the role of IWA trustee. However, what Mike really o ers is enthusiasm.
National Awards
Richard Bird Medals
The Richard Bird Medals were presented to members whose efforts and support are considered to have brought significant benefit to the association over a sustained period. Join us in congratulating our 2022 award recipients.
David Carrington David joined the Finance Committee in 2009 and became a member of the Investment Working Group, which he has chaired for the last 10 years. His financial advice and experience have been invaluable to IWA. David has also been a director of Essex Waterways since 2013.
Mike Elwell and Jane Elwell Mike and Jane Elwell were part of the supplies team for the old National Festival for several years. They have been key members of the Festival of Water team since 2014, where Mike looked after finances until 2018. Jane has taken on various roles over the years including supplies director from 2014 and then Chair from 2017.
Sue Schwieso Sue recently retired from the IWA Kent & East Sussex Branch committee. She joined the committee in 2005 and typically organised one event every two months from September to May. Sue has also been an active member of the Thames & Medway Canal Association with her husband.
John Hawkins John has been director of WRG for over 30 years, during which time he organised printed materials with help from his wife Tess (who has now sadly passed away). This involved, until recently, physically printing and collating Navvies and all WRG’s leaflets from his garden shed. John has also worked on many WRG weekends and camps on restoration projects.
Mike Slade Mike moved to Bridgwater around 2013, joined the IWA West Country Branch and became the volunteer co-ordinator. He manages almost 100 registered volunteers and runs weekly work parties on the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal. Mike and his volunteers have won several awards and accolades.
Christopher Power Award
This award is for a person, society or trust who has made the most significant contribution to the restoration of an inland waterway. This year, we presented the award to Terry Cavender from Buckingham Canal Society.
Terry regularly organises and attends work parties, chairs regular committee meetings and attends various events throughout the year to promote the canals. He also works to promote and apply for permissions to further the restoration of the Buckingham Canal. He is also a member of IWA’s Restoration Hub.
Branch Achievement Award
This award is for the IWA Branch that has made the greatest progress and achievement in promoting the Association’s aims and objectives during the past year. The Branch Achievement Award went to IWA Lichfield Branch this year, although there were many strong contenders including West Country, North Staffordshire and South Cheshire, Northampton and the newly invigorated West Riding Branch with their campaigning on Salterhebble Lock.
The IWA Lichfield Branch works in conjunction with CRT to cut back off-side vegetation in the winter months, and its planning officer responds to 200+ planning matters every year and is the IWA lead on HS2. Members man various national IWA sales and recruitment stands, have monthly meetings in winter, organise walks and publish the quarterly branch magazine.
Cyril Styring John Fevyer. Trophy
This is the association’s premier award. It is presented to an IWA member who has, in the opinion of trustees, made an outstanding contribution in furthering the association’s campaigns. The recipient of the Cyril Styring Trophy this year is John Fevyer.
John joined IWA in 1970 and has worked tirelessly at IWA events every year since he attended Earls Court Boat show in 1972. We think it fair to say that, due to John’s efforts over a long time, IWA has been able to reliably promote its campaigns countrywide in a way that would not have been possible without his superhuman and consistently reliable efforts.
David Carrington and IWA National Chair Les Etheridge.
Mike and Jane Elwell.
Sue Schwieso and IWA National Chair Les Etheridge.
John Hawkins with IWA CEO Jonathan Smith. Terry Cavender.
Pete Gurney, Chair of IWA Lichfield Branch.
Crowds flock
to Chester Canal's 250thyear celebration
The Chester & Merseyside branch was delighted to welcome over 1,000 visitors to this free event over the weekend of the 30th and 31st of July.
Blessed with improving weather and based around Tower Wharf close to the city centre, the opening ceremony featured Louise Gittins, leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council. The event had a waterways-education programme for children, trade boats, live music and the popular local Aspara dance troupe.
There were nine trading boats at the event and all were well patronised. The pizza and cake-stand trade boats sold out by Saturday evening and had to restock for the Sunday visitors. The Saturday evening commercial BBQ stall holder was also delighted to have only one burger and three sausages left at the close of the evening!
Experts took visitors on guided tours of the historic inland port and explained the role of the Chester Canal in the waterway network, especially the Shropshire Union canal system from its opening in 1772 to the present day.
Although primarily a celebration for Chester, three other waterway restoration societies (the Montgomery, Sankey and Manchester, and Stockport canals) had stalls.
The event, possibly coming so soon after Chester was named the first Historic Inland Port in the UK, attracted several senior people from the Canal & River Trust. Councillors, and the local MP Chris Matheson, were also in attendance.
Jim Forkin, Chair of the Chester & Merseyside branch said, “As so many towns across the nation seek ways of finding a new purpose for their town centres and envy those with a canal or who want their derelict canal restoring, Chester is incredibly fortunate having both a canal and a navigable river within the city centre. The problem is that they are not joined up, but with a relatively small amount of capital providing a lock within the weir and maintenance of the Dee branch, boats could once again navigate out onto the Dee and up the river almost to the Welsh border with the economic benefits that would bring.”
Volunteers worked tirelessly at the event, safely mooring some 30-plus narrowboats on Friday afternoon and from 7.30 am Saturday erecting gazebos, banners and marquees. Unfortunately, several narrowboats failed to arrive as the route they were taking via the Anderton Boat Lift, River Weaver and Manchester Ship Canal to Ellesmere Port became impassable due to the closure of the Boat Lift on the day they were expecting to be lowered onto the River Weaver.
Sun shines on the Fenny Stratford Canal Festival
More than 10 trading boats and 14 land-based stalls, and the Milton Keynes Community Boat Electra, drew the crowds to the Grand Union canal towpath south of Watling Street, where the Fenny Stratford Canal Festival took place on 6th7th August. The event was organised chiefly by IWA Milton Keynes Branch for the second year running and has become an important fund-raiser for the branch.
The IWA stall included sales of IWA merchandise, a raffle, and our usual publicity and information point. The big waterway map forming the back of the gazebo was a useful talking point, sparking many comments and reminiscences from passersby. Alongside us, the Buckingham Canal Society offered their ‘retro recycling centre’, society merchandise and beautiful rag rugs. Other stalls and traders had, it seemed, every conceivable item on offer, including clothing, jewellery, fancy goods, food and drink. Each day, Electra provided 50-minute trips to Water Eaton and back: three trips on Saturday and five on Sunday. All places were sold out on both days. On Sunday, another electric boat arrived – James Griffin’s radio-controlled model narrowboat, complete with authentic engine noise. A tug-of-war between it and Electra was suggested but James was afraid that Electra’s wash might sink it! Also on Sunday, we were pleased to have a visit from Jonathan Smith, IWA’s interim Chief Executive Officer, who congratulated the branch upon a successful event.
Accommodating the trading boats was hindered somewhat because some stretches of the towpath are eroded behind the piling or overgrown in front of it, meaning uncertain footing at the water’s edge. Thank you to Diane Witts and all branch members who took part in organising the event or turned up to help on the day, and to the traders who attended. Special thanks are due to Lorraine Andrews and Penny Holloway for much behind-the-scenes work liaising with the traders. We are grateful also to Bletchley & Fenny Stratford Town Council for a grant for essential expenses. An early calculation of the profit from the event gives a figure of over £900.
Two volunteer awards
for the South West Branch
The volunteers of the West Country Branch were recently presented with two awards, which together amount to a significant endorsement of the work they have undertaken on the local waterways over many years.
The first award was presented by the Chair of Sedgemoor District Council at a ‘Keep Sedgemoor Tidy’ event on 1st July at the Canal Centre, adjacent to the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal on the outskirts of Bridgwater. The event recognised the achievements of several volunteer groups throughout Sedgemoor and included ‘Rage against Rubbish’, a volunteer group that organises a monthly work party on the waterways using kayaks.
The second award was from Canal & River Trust and was presented by Steve Manzi, CRT Volunteer Development Coordinator for Wales and the South West, at a ceremony on 20th July held at the Victoria Park Community Centre in Bridgwater. This recognised the completion of 25,000 hours of volunteer activity on the Bridgwater & Taunton canal under the two 5-mile adoption agreements between IWA and CRT and illustrates the great support being given by IWA volunteers to CRT. The ceremony was attended by several volunteers and CRT staff.
Congratulations go to all the volunteers, past and present, on these great achievements.
Correction to the obituary for Brian Saunders
We want to make you aware of an error that appeared in the memorial notice for Brian Saunders in the Winter 2021 edition of Waterways magazine. We stated that Brian had passed away due to cancer. However, this is not the case. He did not have cancer at the time of his death and nor was he in remission. Brian sadly passed away after a very short illness that was not Covid-related either. We are sorry for this inaccuracy and send our apologies to Brian’s family who remain in our thoughts following his death last year.
WRG canal camp on BBC You And Yours
A Waterway Recovery Group canal camp on the Herefordshire & Gloucestershire Canal was featured on the radio during an episode of the You and Yours show on BBC Radio 4. Reporter Bob Walker went to meet a group of volunteers restoring a 600-metre channel of the canal in Gloucestershire, where he spoke to Camp Leader Stephen Rice. The episode was broadcast on Monday 25th July. However, you can still listen to it by searching for the episode name: ‘App Happy, Car Subscriptions and Hydrogen Boilers’ on the BBC Sounds website and skipping to 26m 25s into the recording.
IN MEMORIAM
Tony Hirst
In memory of Tony Hirst, IWA Vice President since 2000 and director of what was then known as The Boat Museum at Ellesmere Port from 1981 until his retirement in September 1999. Tony sadly passed away at the beginning of July.
He was also chairman of the Association of Independent Museums between 1990 and 1994 and held posts in many other waterways organisations. Tony was awarded the OBE in 1995 for Services to Museums. He was honoured but he never pushed or promoted the fact and never used the letters after his name. He always said the award belonged to every single volunteer as much as him.
Tony retired as Director of the Boat Museum at Ellesmere Port at the end of 1999.
During his retirement, Tony continued as a great supporter of many waterways organisations, including being a member of the government’s Inland Waterways Amenity Advisory Council and IWA’s Awards Panel. He was also a founding chairman of The Daniel Adamson Preservation Society until 2009 and then became its life president. Tony had a significant impact on the community and will be missed by many at IWA and other waterways organisations. Please visit our website to read Tony’s full obituary: waterways.org.uk/about-us/thecharity/in-appreciation/tony-hirst
IN MEMORIAM
John Baylis
Join us in remembering John Baylis, who died on 7th July 2022, just a few days short of his 82nd birthday. John was possibly the most influential character in the East Midlands waterways over a period spanning nearly half a century. He was an IWA trustee for 30 years, a deputy national chairman, and one of the most hard-working committee chairmen in IWA’s history during his 11-year stint as chairman of IWA’s Navigation, Technical & Amenity Committee. The hand of John Baylis was behind the early days of virtually every waterway restoration scheme in the East Midlands. He was one of Graham Palmer’s trusted friends from the early days of WRG. He served as a director on WRG’s board for 40 years and was WRG deputy chairman for most of that period.
John was a recipient of IWA’s most prestigious award, the Cyril Styring Trophy, he was awarded IWA Honorary Life Membership in 2010 and awarded a British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee honours list in 2012. He will be missed by many at IWA, especially those in the East Midlands area where John had such an incredible impact on our waterways. Please visit our website to read John’s full obituary: waterways.org.uk/about-us/the-charity/inappreciation/john-baylis
Successful return of favourite festival
The Festival of Water delighted crowds at Shobnall Fields in Burton upon Trent during the August Bank Holiday weekend.
In the arena, children (and adults) showed o their Giant Jenga skills, tried to kick footballs past the goalie, learned how to throw a rope correctly and were taught how to drive a digger.
The superb food choices ranged om delicious chunks of meat at the carvery, sausages and bacon rolls, Vietnamese street food, pancakes and ice cream to agrant Indian vegetarian bhajis, pakoras and spring rolls, while numerous stalls o ered everything om promoting charities to selling wooden toys.
The bar did a brisk trade with a great choice of beers, ciders, Pimms and Prosecco and there was a continuous programme of entertainment in the marquee featuring local artistes and festival favourites, including the acclaimed Lucy Ward, Miles & Margaret and Burton Folk Group.
Nearly 100 boats, om traditional working boats to modern narrowboats, decked with bunting, fl ags and fl owers, were moored along the towpath and a racted a constant stream of admirers. The static display of illuminated boats was very popular.
Councillor Philip Hudson, Mayor of East Sta ordshire, who opened the festival on Saturday, said he was delighted to welcome IWA back to the Trent & Mersey Canal, one of the earliest to be built, with strong links to Burton. He hoped visitors would also visit some of the many easily accessible a ractions.
John Butler, IWA National Treasurer, thanked Councillor Hudson for the council’s support and all the volunteers who make the event possible.
Thank you to everyone who a ended the Festival of Water 2022.
The Awards Ceremony
Four awards were presented during the festival. • Best picture coloured by a child age 4-8 years was awarded to
Charlo e Green, age 6, while in the 9-13 years category it was awarded to Bella Whiting, age 9. • The Ray Dunford Trophy for the best illuminated/decorated boat was awarded to Jonathan Brown for his narrowboat Brown Trout, with commendations going to Peppertree, Alice and Bezzitoo. • The Offl ey and Slack Propeller Trophy, for the highest number of boats a ending the festival, was awarded to Sta ord Boat Club, with 9 boats. • The Festival of Water Harbourmasters introduced its special prize this year, to recognise the support of the local communi , some of whom decorated their back gardens to complement the boats.
Two bo les of wine were presented to Cyril Du on for his beautiful display of fl ags.
Lucy Ward entertains the crowds in the marquee. The Trent & Mersey Canal near Shobnall Fields.
Councillor Philip Hudson, Mayor of East Staffordshire with a happy festival group.
IWA response to CRT licence fee changes
IWA understands the extraordinary economic climate a ecting the Canal & River Trust and appreciates the reasoning for a second increase (of 4%) within one year. We welcome confi rmation that the trust will support boaters who may be struggling to pay their licence fees on a case-by-case basis.
However, IWA regrets that this second increase has been carried out without any consultation with users, noting that CRT has only now decided to focus spending on only navigation and legal requirements.
IWA is well aware of the pressures and costs of running a navigation as we operate the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation (through Essex Waterways Ltd) and make extensive use of volunteers for ongoing maintenance and repairs. Through the Waterway Recovery Group, we are experienced in repairs to, and maintenance of, waterway heritage in astructure. IWA believes CRT could make be er use of volunteers across its whole network to carry out preventative maintenance and repair work.
IWA’s Chair, Les Etheridge, said, “These are extraordinary times and, understandably, the CRT needs to take every action possible to support its waterways. Regre ably, planned maintenance will be deferred by CRT. IWA and the Waterway Recovery Group have already demonstrated to CRT that volunteers can carry out serious repairs and maintenance, and believe CRT has not taken full advantage of volunteers to support navigation.”
Her Majesty the Queen
We were deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Her Majesty the Queen in September. Her unwavering service and commitment over the past 70 years to our country and the Commonwealth will be long remembered.
Many in the waterways community will have fond memories of her unveiling the Kelpies in Scotland as recently as 2017. During the official opening, she also unveiled the Forth & Clyde Extension – the Queen Elizabeth II Canal – which is a new section linking the existing navigation to the Firth of Forth.
This wasn’t the Queen’s first involvement with the waterways however, as she attended many other events including: 1977 Silver Jubilee celebrations with a pageant on the River Thames in London 1979 Visit to the Boat Museum at Ellesmere Port to unveil a plaque 1986 The opening of the Stoke-on-Trent Garden Festival on board narrowboat Cactus 1990 The opening of the restored Kennet & Avon Canal 2002 The opening of the Falkirk Wheel linking the Forth & Clyde Canal to the Edinburgh & Glasgow Union Canal 2012 The Queen took part in the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant for her Diamond Jubilee 2017 Unveiling the Kelpies in Scotland where Her Majesty also opened the Queen Elizabeth II Canal, a new section which links the Forth & Clyde Canal and the Firth of Forth
Her Majesty the Queen opens the Falkirk Wheel. Her Majesty the Queen unveiling a plaque at the museum, Ellesmere Port in 1979. Cllr. F. Price, Mayor of Ellesmere Port & Neston, on right.
Her Majesty the Queen with Lynette Milward.
