Towpath Talk

Tenders sought for fishery management

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Web Editor

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November 6, 2023

MANAGEMENT of Harthill Reservoir near Sheffield has been put out to tender by the Canal & River Trust with a deadline of 12 p.m. on Monday, December 4. The upper reservoir is mainly used for specimen carp fishing but also has some specimen tench, bream, pike and roach. The main reservoir is currently undergoing engineering…
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Duck collector is not quackers

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Web Editor

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November 4, 2023

Words & photos: Les Heath WHEN Pete Gammond and his late partner Jeanette began collecting rubber ducks for their narrowboat Andromeda, her justification for their unusual hobby was: “The important thing is it makes people smile.” That was around 18 years ago and although Jeanette died three years ago Pete has ensured her legacy lives…
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New community barge gets royal sail of approval

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Web Editor

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November 3, 2023

WALKERS on the Sheffield & Tinsley Canal towpath were astonished recently to see HRH, The Princess Royal, steering a 57ft-long barge into Sheffield city centre. Princess Anne had flown in by helicopter to view the work of the Ethel Trust, an award-winning charity, providing day and residential waterways experiences for disadvantaged groups in South Yorkshire.…
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The ‘good, bad, and getting better’ bits around Marple

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Colin Wareing

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November 2, 2023

LET’S start with the bad; a wall on Lock 7 on the Marple flight of locks has moved, the one nearest the towpath side. A large hole appeared near the lock ladder and there is further movement visible to the other side of the ladder. The flight was closed to all boating traffic on August…
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Canal boss volunteers for a day!

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Web Editor

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November 1, 2023

CHIEF executive of the Canal & River Trust Richard Parry swapped his day job for volunteering when he joined the crew of Chesterfield Canal Trust work boat Python. The 94-year-old ex-British Waterways narrowboat is used for clean-ups along the canal, partially sponsored by CRT. It is crewed by volunteers and is usually out working for…
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Swansea Canal project reaches major milestone

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Mark Lancaster

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October 31, 2023

SWANSEA Canal Society recently reached a major milestone in its work to regenerate the historic Swansea Canal. After several years of work by society volunteers and supporters, a previously infilled section of the waterway in Clydach became a water-filled mooring basin. The newly completed basin was flooded for the first time during an event attended…
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A Spooktacular success at Mercia Marina

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Web Editor

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October 30, 2023

Spirits of the spooky kind were present at Mercia Marina for a weekend of witchcraft as many visitors headed to the Derbyshire destination marina to see Halloween displays and enter a ghoulish Halloween costume competition. Performers dressed as Wednesday Adams, Jack Skellington, Harry Potter, Zombie Bell, and Deadpool hit the Boardwalk to shop and scare.…
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Nominations invited to join Canal & River Trust’s Council of Members

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Web Editor

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October 28, 2023

The Canal & River Trust charity is inviting people to put themselves forward for election to sit on its Council. Those elected will serve a term of four years on the Council, which is responsible for the appointment of the charity’s trustees, provides guidance and perspective from different stakeholders, and acts as a sounding board…
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Blocked towpath cleared

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Colin Wareing

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October 27, 2023

Contractors have cleared the Leeds & Liverpool Canal towpath blocked by a fallen tree at the back of the Old Hall in Rufford, West Lancashire. The trunk did not help the effects of Storm Babet at ground level being fairly rotten. The tree was removed from the canal the following day to allow navigation to resume.…
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November 2023

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Arianne Davey

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October 26, 2023

Regularly topping 100 pages, Towpath Talk features everything you need to know about boats, marinas, wildlife, conservation, heritage and superb days out.
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First aid for all the family

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Web Editor

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October 26, 2023

WHETHER you’re taking a boating holiday with the family or just a day out with the kids, it’s always handy to have a first aid kit in your bag for those little mishaps. Dragon’s Den viewers may remember Mini First Aid securing an investment from Sara Davies. The brand is best known for delivering award-winning…
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Clearwater Boats trial new all-electric Wilderness Beaver on River Trent

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Web Editor

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October 25, 2023

I MET Laurie Lavender of Clearwater Boats at Farndon Marina where he was trialling the all-electric, 23ft long Wilderness Beaver, writes Alison Alderton. Now fabricated in Bilsthorpe, Nottinghamshire, the latest Beaver is assembled from three constituent parts: the roof, body and modified hull, now increased to 10mm thick glass fibre, to cope with the ‘rough…
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A fitting final boat

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Phil Pickin

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October 24, 2023

I’M NOT about to drop the bombshell news that Electric Dragon is the last boat from Ortomarine. Far from it; the company has an order book that takes it well into 2025. No, Electric Dragon was the last shell to be built by the renowned boat builder Jim Sparks, who for many decades traded as…
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Storm Babet canal damage: counting the cost of climate change

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Web Editor

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October 23, 2023

The Canal & River Trust, the national canal charity, is working across its 2,000 miles of historic canals and navigable rivers to respond to the damage left by Storm Babet. Hundreds of trees have been blown down, and the canal network has suffered structural damage, including towpaths washed away, a landslide on the Worcester &…
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