Watch it again

The third series of waterways television programme Locks & Quays is being made available on the Internet as each programme is broadcast, which may be of particular interest to those outside the Granada ITV area, at www.itvlocal.com/granada/documentaries/

Scroll along the drop down menu until ‘Locks & Quays’. An episode is added each week until the final broadcast in the current series, due on 7th March. The first two series (20 programmes), which were transmitted by Granada in 2006 and 2007, are also available to view. Locks & Quays is also due to be shown on ITV in the Yorkshire Television area from 3rd July.

The current series of Waterworld is also being made available at www.itvlocal.com/central/documentaries/

Scroll along the drop down menu until ‘Waterworld’. Likewise, an episode is added each week until the final broadcast in the current series, due on 7th March, but programmes from the previous series have not, so far, been made available.

Jam 'Ole Run 2008

There have been six re-enactments of the Jam 'Ole Run (from 1995 - 2006) organised by Tim Coghlan. This year's run will have a new organiser, Tom Stewart, and if you want to come with your boat there may still be room, so send him an email.

What Tom would really like is plenty of people to see them off at 9am on 18th October. One boat will be carrying supplies to Tesco's at Bulls Bridge (just a stone's throw from the Jam 'Ole) and the Press will be there for publicity.

In the old days, the working boats (many based at Braunston) used to carry coal from Atherstone to the Jam 'Ole, doing the return trip of 246 miles and 194 locks in a week. This re-enactment starts at Braunston goes to Atherstone and then goes south to the Jam 'Ole before returning. The actual schedule is as follows -

Saturday: Braunston, depart 9am - Atherstone
Sunday: Atherstone - Weedon
Monday: Weedon - Marsworth
Tuesday: Marsworth - Rickmansworth
Wednesday: Rickmansworth - Willowtree Marina
Thursday: Willowtree Marina - Marsworth
Friday: Marsworth - Stoke Bruerne
Saturday: Stoke Bruerne - Braunston (mid pm)

This is what the Jam 'Ole
probably looked like in
the 1970ies. The bridge
over the entrance is now
at the entrance to the Cowroast Marina.

This is the view in 1997.
Factories have been built
where the boats used to
moor and only the change
in the concrete capping
shows where the entrance
used once to be.

Working boats gathering
at Braunston getting ready
to set off on the 2004 Run.

Top Lock Cottage sold

We know BW are strapped for cash but it is sad that soon there will be no BW staff living next to the flight. Joe and his wife will soon be moving out. Who, I wonder, will then be responsible for keeping the top pound filled with water - the level falls because the top lock (Lock 6) has a smaller drop than Lock 5 so water is lost from the pound every time a boat passes.

Land Slip

A land slip earlier in the summer was caused by heavy rain and caused the Braunston Tunnel to be closed for a few days. A (in the pictue, right) shows the "cliff" left by the falling earth and B shows the reduced canal width which resulted. Boats can, with care, still get through but cannot pass at this point and it is not easy for boats to see if another boat is approacing from the opposite direction. It is now too shallow for a wide-beam boat to get through. The towpath has also been slightly damaged.

Its November 12th and the firm "Soil Mechanics" are drilling for soil samples to find how best to stabilise the landslip. It will be some time before work can begin.

View of the tunnel entrance
from the towpath. >>

The foliage has now (14 Dec) been cut back giving a
much better view into and out of the tunnel. >>

Mooring at a price – £25 a day

A boater who had a Winter Mooring last winter has stayed ever since on the 48-hour mooring. He says that he cannot move because another boat collided with him and damaged his fresh water tank. The water which leaked out damaged his engine. BW feel he has had more than enough time (at least 6 months) to get the necessary repairs done and have now given him a bill for £1000 being £25 a day for the past 40 days. With BW being so strapped for cash one is a bit surprised that they have not charged him even more.

Canal Blockade, 3rd March 2007

The Blockade of the Grand Union Canal at Braunston was a huge success with a magnificent turnout of boats, boaters and digitaries. Here is just a small collection of pictures to give a flavour of the event.

Left -

boats filled the canal from the bottom lock to Butchers Bridge (as planned) but so many boats turned up that the blockade extended to the main entrance to the marina.

Above & right - banners adorn many of the boats.

This run followed very much the pattern of previous events -- well it had to as it was a re-enactment of the last run which took place in 1970. The picture shows Nutfield, which was one of the boats on the 1970 run, leaving Braunston alongside Corona owned by Tervor Maggs -- a regular supporter of this event.

It was a great shame that Raymond (also on the last run in 1970) was unable to attend.
  

Lucy and Swallow in Braunston Lock 4 as they returned after a very successful trip.

Tim Coghlan (MD of Braunston Marina), who has organised these re-enactments since 1995 has said this will be his last. Those who take part very much enjoy the event -- perhaps someone will volunteer to take over?
Excellent! Tom Stewart has, the next one will start on 18th October 2008.

Lock-flight work - what happened in 2006

Work on the lock-flight started on 9 Jan and is scheduled to go on until 17th March. BW will be doing repairs to the lock gates – especially the mitres on the lower gates all of which are leaking badly. Repairs to paddles and brickwork will also be undertaken.

BW started work at the bottom lock (Lock 1) which has been well fenced off in accordance with Health and Safety Regulations. The lock and pound above it were drained but the pound has now been re-watered.

The first job has been to repair the vertical steel groves, set into the brick-work, which will carry the stop-planks. This should enable work to continue on the lock itself while the pound above is re-watered.

Separate contractor (Morrisons) will be installing permanent back-pumps. These will replace the temporary pumps used in previous dry summers. Work stated 10 days late but is now going well.

They started by building a causeway across the canal (left) so that the heavy machinery wouldn ot need to cross the rather weak old stone bridge.

15th March.

Morrisons look as if they are going to meet the deadline.

<< Left: starting to dig out the mud used to block the canal.

Right: dumping it in the nearest field.
I do hope they asked farmer Harrison!  >>

 .

. . Braunston Flight is open again!!

 . . . can you believe it !! No electricity supply has been provided and there are no pumps !!!
     What a shambles !!!
     What a disaster !!!

And in December 2007 we are still waiting!!!

A canal for Daventry??

Daventry District Council have produced a far-seeing "vision" for the future of the town. It reveals that "discussions have commenced with British Waterways about the prospect of bringing a new 'arm' of (the) canal into the town centre. This has the potential to change the way people feel about Daventry . . . ".

The plans envisage the arm ending in a "basin or marina near to the outdoor swimming pool". This is a very short walk from the town centre. The plan "would be funded from developments which are made more valuable through being near the waterside, although some grants may also be available."

Don't cast off yet --- this could well take decades rather than years.

Update from the IWA (Jan 2008)

Daventry District Council has appointed Hyder Consulting by to draw up plans for the proposed £13.5 million canal arm into the town centre and to consult local people.

Early ideas for a boat lift to form a centrepiece to the project appear to have been replaced by a series of six broad locks to raise boats as they approach the town. If built, the canal would pass along the southern edge of the reservoir in Daventry Country Park, and then alongside Eastern Way, terminating near Brook Street. The council’s Masterplan for Daventry shows the Eastern Way playing fields being transformed into a waterfront development – known as ‘the WaterSpace’ – with marinas surrounded by bars, restaurants, cinema and other leisure facilities.

Mr Finch has given himself up!!

Anthony Ernest Finch was released from prison on 31st October 2003. There were soon rumours that once more he was on the loose and (of course) wanted by the police.

But Good News he is now (Feb 2006) in jail again -- for 2 years -- after falling into Braunston Lock. Hurray!!!

BUT now, February 2007, he was released from prison and on 10th October 2007 there was news that boats at Ventnor Farm Marina, here at Braunston and also near Nether Heyford have been broken into and all the signs pointed to Mr Finch.

A 16-page booklet has been published by Braunston Marina entitled Finch - The Remorseful Day. Written by Tim Coghlan, it tells the story of the "exploits" of Anthony Ernest Finch and details of one of his court hearings.

It is now out of print but you can read the whole story here on-line – The Remorseful Day