 
Newsletter No. 27January 1970
Ballot for Executive Committee
For the first tine, the society is to have a ballot to elect its Executive Committee for 1970. There are 12 nominations for the nine-man committee, six of whom are retiring members of the 1969 committee seeking re-election.
It is appreciated that many members may find it difficult to vote for people who are not personally known to them. To assist your choice, biographical details of all the candidates are given on Pages 3 and 4 of this newsletter. May we urge you to use your vote and return your Ballot Forms, so that the election is as representative of the
society membership as possible.
Voting procedure will be as follows:
1. With this newsletter, you will find a Ballot Form (printed on blue paper), Please put a cross or tick against the names of NINE candidates whom you wish to form the committee. To facilitate counting, please write in the space provided on the right hand side of the Ballot Form.
2. Return Ballot Forms when completed to the Membership Secretary, Mrs. F. Woolgar, 56 Connaught Crescent, Brookwood, Woking, Surrey, NOT LATER THAN FRIDAY, JANUARY 23.
3. Before posting, make sure that you write your name and address on the BACK of the envelope, so that Mrs. Woolgar can check it against membership records.
4. Write the word "Ballot" in the top, left hand corner of the FRONT of the envelope, so that Mrs. Woolgar can distinguish it from ordinary mail. The Ballot Forms will then be handed, unopened, to an independent scrutineer for counting, and the result of the election will be announced at the AGM.
5. Those of you who have family membership will receive two Ballot forms, for husband and wife to complete. These can be returned in the same envelope.
The candidates for the election have been proposed and seconded as follows:
| Peter Caiger | Proposed by: Les Harris; seconded by: David Gerry |
| John Dodwell | Proposed by: J.Woolgar; seconded by: June Sparey |
| Paul Dyson | Proposed by: Mrs. J. Dyson; seconded by: C.A. Dyson |
| David Gerry | Proposed by: June Sparey; seconded by: Les Harris |
| Les Harris | Proposed by: Fieter Jebens; seconded by: June Sparey |
| Robin Higgs | Proposed by: J.Woolgar; seconded by: R. Harrison |
| B. Humpidge | Proposed by: Les Harris; seconded by: June Sparey |
| D. Jebens | Proposed by: R. Snell; seconded by: W.A. Harmsworth |
| John Preston | Proposed by: John Bull; seconded by: John Adlam |
| June Sparey | Proposed by: Mrs. F. Woolgar; seconded by: B.M. Batchelor |
| Jon Talbot | Proposed by: Robin Higgs; seconded by: J. Woolgar |
| Jim Woolgar | Proposed by: Jim Fleming; seconded by: Graham Palmer |
We are sorry to lose the services of three members of the 1969 Committee who are not seeking re-election. They are Tony Harmsworth, Robert Harris and Dave Romaine. With marriage in view, Tony feels he cannot play a full part in committee work during the coming year, but he will be retained as our Technical Adviser and has offered his continued help and support. Robert Harris has been Treasurer for the past year and his art work has graced our publications; and Dave Romaine has actively organised working parties at Ash Vale. To all three we give our thanks for the hard work they have put in during their time on the Committee.
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COMING EVENTS
January 7-17: A reminder that the boat show is being held at Earls Court between these dates. Look out for the stands showing the work of the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust
and the Inland Waterways Association if you are visiting the show.
Sunday, January 18: Ramble to Fleet, from North Warnborough lift bridge, near Odiham. Meet 10.30am at the bridge, map reference SU 728 517 (Ordnance Survey Sheet 169). Nearest station Hook, 1 1/2-miles. A car shuttle service will operate between Fleet and North Warnborough for the return journey.
Thursday, January 22: Paul Vine, author of London's Lost Boute to Basingstoke, will be talking about the Basingstoke Canal at a meeting of London & Home Counties Branch of the I.W.A. held at the Albert public house, Victoria Street, London S.W.1. 7.30pm.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28: Annual General Meeting, Brookwood Memorial Hall, Connaught Road, Brookwood, Woking, 8.00pm. The Memorial Hall is down a narrow lane at the junction of Connaught Hoad and Connaught Crescent (on your left hand side if approaching from the Aldershot direction). From Brookwood Station turn left along Connaught Boad and the entrance to the hall is on your right. There will be a slide show after the meeting, and any members who have slides of the year's activities which they are willing to be shown should write to Dick Snell, Bridle Path Cottage No.2, Bridle Path, Ewshot, Farnham, Surrey.
Sunday, February 1: Machinery working party, Ash Vale Barge Yard, 10.30am.
Wednesday, February 4: Public meeting at St. John's Memorial Hall, facing St. John's Lye, near Woking, 8.00pm. This event is being organised in conjunction with the St. John's Residents' Association.
Wednesday, February 18: Members' meeting - Talk on the natural history of the Basingstoke Canal by Mrs. Heather Angell. North Warnborough Village Hall, North Warnborough, near Odiham, 8.00pm.
Monday, March 2: Waterways Brains Trust, organised by the Newbury Branch of the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust at The Plaza, Newbury, Berks. The panel will include Capt. Lionel Monk, chairman of the I.W.A. and Mr. David Kinnersley, former General Manager, British Waterways. Time: 7.30pm.
Saturday, March 14: An invitation to join the Wey Cruising Club for a meeting at which Mr. David Hutchings will be speaking on the restoration of the Upper Avon. 7.00 for 7.30 pm at the Prince of Wales Hotel, Woodbridge Eoad, Guildford (opposite Angel Son & Gray).
FOR YOUR DIARY
The Inland Waterways Association's Water Festival and Rally of Boats will be held at Guildford on August 7, 8, 9 and 10. Many helpers will be required in advance of the rally, and full details will appear in subsequent newsletters.
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PAST ACTIVITIES
Our thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Thorn for manning the stand at the Railway Enthusiasts' Club's Transpo' '69 Exhibition at Farnborough Town Hall, and to Peter Caiger for transporting our material. Thanks also to two young members: Peter Walker of Farnborough and Nigel Wakeley of Camberley who manned the stand on both days of the exhibition. Mr. Miller of St. John's loaned a superb model of a narrow boat, and Mr. Neville New loaned his ingenious modular narrow boat and cut out models for sale.
The publication of Robert Harris's book Canals and Their Architecture was celebrated
at a pre-Christmas party on December 13. Our thanks to Mrs. Harris for a superb tea, and a reminder that Robert's book can be ordered post free from the Sales Manager, Paul Dyson, 53 Wyke Avenue, Ash, Aldershot, Hants.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
With this newsletter you will receive the Agenda for the annual meeting and the society's audited accounts to December 31. Please bring both with you to the meeting. Due to a bout of 'flu, the Membership Secretary has been unable to complete renewal notices in time for the distribution of this newsletter. Members who know their renewal is due in November or December may like to send off their subscriptions now, otherwise they will receive reminders with the next newsletter.
CANDIDATES FOR COMMITTEE ELECTION
The following are seeking election to the 1970 Executive Committee. The names of those members of the 1969 Committee seeking re-election are marked with an asterisk.
Peter Caiger, 42 Orchard Way, Camberley, Surrey.
Mr. Caiger joined the society just over a year ago. He has served on other voluntary committees and has helped organise events such as the Camberley Carnival. His main society activities have been helping with the travelling display stand, attending working parties and assisting with the construction of the lock gates.
He is employed as a planning engineer and spends all his holidays on inland waterways.
John Dodwell, 19 Drill Hall Road, Chertsey, Surrey.
Mr. Dodwell is a 24-year old accountant with a London firm. He is assistant treasurer and fund raiser for the Inland Waterways Association, and liaised between the Association and both Houses of Parliament during the Parliamentary stages of the Transport Act last year.
He attends working parties on other canals all over the country, notably restoration work on the Stourbridge Canal and the Upper Avon, and he is a member of the Canal and Transport Marketing Board committee. He also helped start the IWA's Narrow Boat Fund, which provides capital to start narrow boat carrying where it is required. His interest in the Basingstoke dates back to 1962 when he attended the Woking Rally.
Paul Dyson, 53 Wyke Avenue, Ash, Alderahot, Hants.
Mr. Dyson has been a member of the society since its formation, and served on the committee until last year's AGM. Since then he has been the society's Sales Manager.
He is a 19-year old railway student. In his spare time he assists John James who runs narrow boat trips on the Regents Canal, and one of his hobbies is bread making.
*David Gerry, 10 Fairland Close, Fleet, Hants.
Mr. Gerry is a 35-year old production engineer, and has been chairman of the society since its formation. He is married with two young sons, and his interest in inland waterways began as a child when he explored the Lee Navigation with his father.
He was a founder member of Fleet and Crookham Amenity Society, and served on its committee for several years. Spare time interests are gardening, wine-making and photography.
*Les Harris, 198 Hermitage Woods Crescent, St. John's, Woking, Surrey.
Mr. Harris is vice-chairman of the society and its social secretary, organising representation at fetes and arranging meetings. He was a volunteer bailiff under the scheme instituted by Mrs. Joan Marshall, former general manager of the New Basingstoke Canal Co. Ltd.
He has held two boat licences for the canal and works as a building surveyor in the valuation department of the Greater London Council. He has cruised extensively on inland waterways, and his hobbies are walking, cycling and tracing Roman roads.
Robin Higgs, 18 Barnsford Crescent, West End, Woking, Surrey.
Mr. Higgs is a 39-year old nurseryman and has been interested in the Basingstoke Canal for many yeara. He is a member of the Surrey Naturalists Trust and the IWA London Working Party Group, having taken charge of working parties in various parts of the country. During the Operation Ashton working party he was in charge of the machinery.
His hobby is collecting old agricultural machinery, and his ambition is to start an agricultural museum.
*Barry Humpidge, 48 Wood Lane, Fleet, Hants.
Mr. Humpidge is a 38-year old civil engineer (B.Sc., M.I.C.E., M.E.C.S.). He joined the committee after the last AGM, becoming interested in the canal when he moved to Fleet two years ago.
Married with four children, society activities have included editing a newsletter for affiliated organisations, and he is at present renovating a caravan for society use. Other interests are "mending kitchens" and music.
*Dieter Jebens, 75 Middle Bourne Lane, Farnham, Surrey.
Mr. Jebens has been a member of the society since its formation and a member of the committee since that date. He is 30, works in advertising, and is the society's Press and Publicity Officer. His duties include the design of society literature and Press coverage of events.
He represents the society on the London & Home Counties Branch of the Inland Waterway Association, and edited the booklet Basingstoke Canal: The Case for Restoration. Hobbies include writing and rambling.
John Preston, 24 Mulberry Trees, Russell Road, Shepperton.
Mr. Preston has been interested in the Basingstoke Canal since 1949. He is 40 and a motor engineer and his main interest is in restoration work. He joined the society at its formation, and has an amateur's interest in civil engineering and mechanical plant.
He is married, and hobbies include motor racing and antique clocks,
*June Sparey, 8 Beaufort Bead, Maybury Estate, Woking, Surrey.
Miss Sparey joined the society shortly after its formation, and has served on the committee since the 1968 AGM. Her interest in the canal goes back to childhood, when it was a good source of tadpoles.
She is a 27-year old journalist with an evening newspaper in Reading, Berks, and has been secretary of the society for the past year. She also edits the society newsletter. Other interests are growing roses, walking the dogs, motoring and Aran knitting.
Jon Talbot, 1, Madeley Road, Church Crookham, Aldershot, Hants.
Jon will be known to regular readers of the newsletter for his interesting articles. He is 32, married with two children, and works as a contract engineer in industrial electronics.
He first became interested in the canal when he moved to the area seven years ago, and he joined the society in its early days. His interests are writing, woodwork, and being a radio "ham" - call sign G3 MVY.
*Jim Woolgar, 56 Connaught Crescent, Brookwood, Woking, Surrey.
It was a letter from Mr. Woolgar, published in local newspapers, which really led to the formation of the society, and he was its secretary from 1966 to the beginning of 1969.
Aged 30, he is a water treatment engineer and has long been interested in canals, especially the Basingstoke. He was formerly a marine engineer. Married, with two children, he regularly attends working parties on other waterways, and organised a society working party on the Upper Avon in October.
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ADVERTISEMENT
Experienced Canadian canoe for sale. Has cruised on River Rennet, Ashton Canal and similar local waterways. Complete with paddles, two-seater. £20 - No haggling. Telephone Woking 65932.
ARCHIVIST
Following an appeal in the last newsletter, Miss Doris Potter, of 20 Pondtail Road, Fleet, Hants, has been appointed society archivist. Our thanks to the other applicants for this job. Miss Potter will be keeping our book of Press cuttings, so please send any cuttings which mention the Basingstoke Canal direct to her.
She will also be keeping old documents, photographs, postcards of the canal etc.
In this connection, our thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins of Farnborough for an original photograph of a boat which navigated the canal in March 1957.
ANY OLD ...
A reminder that cigarette coupons, trading stamps etc. can be turned into working party equipment if they are sent to Jim Woolgar, 56 Connaught Crescent, Brookwood, Woking. This also includes foreign coins. Old wheelbarrows and bricks will also be given a good home.
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Hon. Sec. & Newsletter Editor: Miss June Sparey, 8 Beaufort Road, Weybury Estate, Woking, Surrey. Tel: Woking 63095 (weekends only), 01-992-5167 (weekday evenings).
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