TPT September 2024

MBE for canal craftsman

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September 9, 2024

Lucy Wood reports… FOR more than 30 years, Phil Speight has perfected his skills as a traditional canal craftsman – and now, having been made an MBE by King Charles in this year’s Birthday Honours, he hopes the honour will help increase awareness of heritage crafts. The recognition, he said, is a lovely acknowledgement’ of…
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MASS OBE AWARD: Sort of…

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September 7, 2024

WHILE some people are awarded an OBE by King Charles, a group of National Waterways Museum volunteers have been given an honorary title of their own – they are now members of the Octogenarian Boating Ensemble. The idea came when Jeff Fairweather turned 80 on New Year’s Eve last year and discovered that nearly 20…
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1930’S BOAT: Now a seat…

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September 6, 2024

CHESHIRE’S Overwater Marina saw a different type of launch when its workshop team unveiled a painstaking conversion of a piece of boating history. The stern of Saxon, a hand riveted cast iron open day boat first built for the London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS) Company, has been restored and converted into a seating area…
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SUCCESS: ABC’s Apprentice Scheme

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September 5, 2024

CHARLOTTE Ginger is one of four ABC Leisure Group employees enrolled in a new apprenticeship scheme, and she is already reaping the rewards. The group, which owns and operates 18 inland waterway marinas, has partnered with leading training provider Paragon Skills to launch the scheme, supported by the National Apprenticeship Service. Charlotte is the office…
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PYTHON WORKBOAT: Gets some new volunteers

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September 4, 2024

AS PART of a programme of activities to support staff well-being, the Bassetlaw Community and Voluntary Service (BCVS) team spent the day volunteering on the Python workboat on the Chesterfield Canal between Shaw Lock and West Stockwith. A total of 17 BCVS staff took part in two sessions; the morning team joining Python under blue…
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HOLLINGWOOD HUB: Green Flag awarded

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September 3, 2024

THE Chesterfield Canal Trust is celebrating after receiving a Green Flag Award for Hollingwood Hub – the eighth year in a row that it has received the accreditation. The hub, four miles from the centre of Chesterfield next to Hollingwood Lock, is home to the trust, from where it runs boat trips, towing demonstrations with…
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RATCLIFFE LOCK: Temporary repair

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August 31, 2024

REPAIRS to Ratcliffe Lock, on the River Soar in Nottingham, have been conducted to ensure that boaters can use it during the summer holidays. The Canal & River Trust was due to replace the aged gates last winter after boaters reported difficulties operating them, but wet weather meant the River Soar was in flood for…
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HEROIC EFFORTS: On the Shropshire Union

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August 29, 2024

THE steady progression of restoration work on the Shropshire Union Canal has seen the working party move ahead of schedule – and members also discovered the remains of a haunted ‘ghost’ ship! Members of the Shropshire Union Canal Society working party met in July to upgrade the towpath in the area of Crickheath Wharf, constructing…
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ROTARIANS: Helping Montgomery Canal Volunteers

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August 26, 2024

A COMMUNITY group is hoping to help speed up the closing of the Shropshire Gap. Enthusiastic members of Borderland Rotary have seen at first hand the work to restore the Montgomery Canal and, in particular, the section known as the Shropshire Gap which covers two miles from Crickheath Basin to Llanymynech. The group, which included…
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GREEN FLAG STATUS for waterways

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August 24, 2024

Almost 750 miles of waterways managed by the Canal & River Trust have been honoured with the prestigious Green Flag status by Keep Britain Tidy. CANAL & River Trust has retained all its existing 736 miles of Green Flags, with waterways maintaining the standard required for the international quality mark for parks and green spaces.…
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‘INHUMANE’ RULES: NBTA want rethink

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August 22, 2024

The National Bargee Travellers’ Association, which represents thousands of itinerant UK boat dwellers, calls for end to the Canal and River Trust’s current enforcement policy. THE trust which manages most of the UK’s inland waterways has published the full results of its Boater Census first conducted in 2022, which highlights the issues and challenges faced…
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