Devizes Branch - Update

Winter has seen the branch and boat crews provided marshals for the Devizes Lantern Festival, with Santa being escorted from his grotto on the Wharf to the Market Square by hundreds people with home-made paper lanterns.  Our Carol Service was led by Sue Rodd and accompanied by the Town Band, and the branch’s usual “We survived Christmas” party was a great success, held in the Café on the Wharf.  

A new event ‘Canals and Coffee’, an informal meeting in the Café on the first Sunday each month, has brought together a few friends, but more would be very welcome. The branch needs a few more active members if we are to make an impact – volunteers with trades or admin experience, for example, or simply willing workers! Do make contact if you’d be interested in helping. We particularly will need a new Branch Secretary as Val is stepping down.

Winter maintenance is well underway on Kenavon Venture, and hard-working volunteers will soon be putting everything back together ready for the first cruise on Mothers Day. 

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:  There is a skittles match against the Wilts and Berks on Saturday 16^th February in Melksham. All welcome. Details on the events calendar.  Dates for a quiz night and on-board cheese and wine party will be circulated as soon as finalised.

We hope to improve our e-mail communications, so please ensure we have your up to date address.  We will duplicate all this information onto the branch notice board outside the office in the hope of maximising the number of members able to access it.  Postal mailings are simply not economic these days.. 

Finally, please note Bank Holiday Monday May 6^th in your diary.  Devizes Branch will have a stand in the Corn Exchange at the Lions May Fair, with a focus on recruitment and fund raising. We have been offered a remarkably generous gift as a raffle prize – a week in a canal-side holiday. If you have canal-related books, memorabilia or small objects that could also be used as prizes, or sold on the stand, these would be very welcome.

Paul Jakeman

Chairman, Devizes Branch

Reading Branch Annual Dinner

Kennet &Avon Canal Trust Reading Branch

All welcome

Weds 13 March 2013

7.00 for 7.30 p.m.

‘The Traveller’s Friend’,

Crookham Common Road,

THATCHAM  RG19 8EA

0118 971 3156

A carvery of

ROAST RIB of BEEF

HONEY & MUSTARD ROASTED GAMMON

ROAST CHICKEN QUARTERS

or

STILTON & VEGETABLE CRUMBLE

Served with seasonal vegetables with roast and boiled potatoes

Wide choice of delicious desserts

or

Cheese & biscuits

£12

Contact Andy James, 3 Caroline Court, Bath Road, READING RG1 6HW

with cheque for full amount  - by 26^th Feb - and details if  :

Vegetarian choice or Cheese & biscuits or Special diet

Please ring Andy on 0118 950 7965 if circumstances change

Call for Nominations for John Gould Award 2012

Just as a handful of inspired engineers built Britain's canal system in the late 18th century, so too did a handful of inspired individuals rise to the challenge of saving the system from threatened closure in the 1950's. In the case of the Kennet & Avon Canal, the efforts of John Gould of Newbury are the stuff of legend, for it was he who inspired so many to embark on a 40-year restoration campaign that ended with the reopening of the waterway by Her Majesty the Queen in 1990.

Born in Newbury in 1913, John Gould began his love affair with the waterway as a small boy playing with toy boats on the River Kennet, which flowed past the backyard of his grandfather's harness shop in the market square. Little did he know then that he would become involved in the canal throughout his adult life - as canal labourer, crewman, boat proprietor, hirer, skipper, trader, agent and, most unexpected of all, as one of the waterway's saviours.

For over 40 years, John Gould devoted his considerable energy and expertise to the restoration cause. He played an active part in the Kennet & Avon Canal Association (later to become the Trust), acting as secretary of the Newbury Branch and as a Trust Council member, typically turning up to meetings wearing his favourite duffel coat, complete with windlass poking out of his pocket! He ran his hire boat business until the late '70s and even after retirement he continued to manage moorings in Newbury and act as a British Waterways agent. In 1986 he was made an Honorary Life Member of the IWA and in 1992 was awarded the MBE.

In 1997 the Kennet & Avon Canal Partnership (established to oversee the HLF Grant, awarded to BW and the K&A Canal Trust to complete the restoration of the canal) invited John to unveil a plaque at Newbury Lock recording a public vote of thanks for his dedication to the waterway.

At the same time, BW donated a trophy, to be called the "John Gould Award" and presented annually to a person or group who has "undertaken noteworthy actions or deeds for the Kennet & Avon Canal in the past year". The award is made by the Chairman of the K&A Partnership, acting on advice from the Trustees of the K&A Canal Trust.

Nominations are sought for the 2012 award. These should be submitted to the Chairman of the K&A Partnership, Rob Dean via Jean Cook trustadmin@katrust.org.uk by the 28th of February 2013, and should be accompanied by a 1-page submission summarising the reasons for nomination.
(Biographical notes on John Gould compiled with acknowledgment to David Harris, Elaine Kirby, and Waterways World, May 1999)

Trust Council Minutes December 2012

Click below to read the Trust Council Minutes December 2012

http://www.kennetandavontrust.co.uk/trustcouncilminsDec12.pdf

The K&ACT's 2012 Annual Members’ Survey

The 2012 Annual Members’ Survey can be downloaded here. If we have your email address we will send you a link to the survey.  Therefore, please only fill in this survey if you have not provided us with your email address.

Please note that if you answer ‘no’ to Q4, you should proceed straight to Q7.

Once you have filled it in, please send it to:

Rebecca Wells, assistant administrator

The Kennet and Avon Canal Trust

Couch Lane

Devizes, Wiltshire

SN10 1EB

 

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Sarah Chidgey at: chidgey.sarah@yahoo.co.uk.

 

The deadline for responses is 15^th January.

Amended Stoppage: Kennet & Avon Canal

Locks 68, 69 & 70

Monday 5 November 2012 - Friday 4 January 2013 UPDATE (11 December 2012): Works at Froxfield are progressing well, and water management challenges arising from intense rainfall events toward the end of November were successfully managed. The gate replacement works are running to plan.

The lock chambers are in worse condition than anticipated; with the scaffolds in place it has been possible to assess the full depth of damage. It has been necessary to break back to a depth of 500mm (approx. 20 inches) in places.  To date, over 6,000 bricks have been used to repair the chamber walls; in total the lock wall repairs will require around 12,000 bricks.

Although the brick laying is likely to be complete by the 21st December, time will be required to allow the lime mortar to cure. The use of lime mortar is important for repairing these historic structures correctly, but the recent dip in temperature could lengthen the curing time.  This section of the canal will therefore remain closed for the Christmas period; reopening will be reviewed during the first week of January.  Although this decision will doubtless cause some inconvenience to people in the short term, my priority is ensuring the long term durability of brick repairs that are intended to last the next 50 years and beyond.  Thank you for your patience and continued support of the Waterway.

MARK STEPHENS
BEng(Hons) CEng MICE

WATERWAY MANAGER
Kennet and Avon Waterways

Wasing Estate donates land for Aldermaston’s new cycle pathway

Aldermaston’s new cycling route, which links Aldermaston Wharf to the village, was officially unveiled on Sunday 25^th November in front of over 200 villagers and cyclists.

The pathway, named Wasing Way, as the majority of land, nearing 2 kilometres, 5 metres wide, was donated by Wasing Estate, provides a safe route, avoiding the busy A340, between the two villages which were before only accessible by car. Not only does the pathway offer safety to walkers and cyclists but also creates a link between the national cycle path network and those using the towpath along the Kennet & Avon Canal that runs through the Estate, offering safety for barge users who will now be able to moor up and safely get to the local shops for provisions. 

West Berkshire Council oversaw the construction of this new pathway and plans were largely managed by the cycling charity Sustrans. Aldermaston Parish Council chairman Dave Shirt said:

“When this project started we had nothing but a blank piece of paper: We got in touch with Sustrans, and boy did they help us. They helped oversee everything from planning through to land negotiation. We are extremely grateful to Wasing Estate, who gave us the land at peppercorn rent, also to AWE who provided the finance, and to West Berkshire Council which managed the actual construction”.

The Parish Council hope that this new pathway will encourage more people to get on their bikes reinforcing the already strong sense of community in the area by offering a new way for people to get together.

John Pattison, Chief Executive of the Wasing Estate stated “This initiative is a model development from a community, showing how it can work together, with numerous stakeholders, to produce something for the benefit of all, which will have lasting benefits to the community. In particular it provides a safe transit for the communities in Aldermaston village and at the Wharf. Making them together, more than ever, a fully connected Parish where facilities at either end of the cycle path can be easily accessed. In particular the journey to school for the youngsters in the community will keep them clear of busy main roads”.