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No 93October 1980
 .1
Inside front cover --
 2
 6
COMMENT - HELICOPTER HITCH
Probably the year's most spectacular event on the canal, expected to make TV and
national press headlines, had to be abandoned early in September after several weeks
of negotiations.
A combined military services operation, with a Puma helicopter from 33 Squadron based
at Qdiham, was planned to air-lift the four lock gates built by apprentices at the Royal
Aircraft Establishment to Lock 20 on the Deepcut flight.
The idea was the brain-child of Frank Jones, Job Creation co-ordinator at Deepcut. And
thanks to the enthusiastic co-operation of RAF Odiham together with other military units
and the R.A.E., an unusual training exercise and valuable contribution to the canal's
restoration was all but done.
All but an unbending insurance company who wanted a £2,500 premium to insure the helicopter. Maybe that's the going rate for insuring £710,000 worth of flying machine, but is the risk really that great to quote a figure the Society could not possibly afford?
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MORE ON MONEY MATTERS
The Society is in a healthy financial position with over £10,000 on deposit, some say too healthy. Should money given to a charitable organisation not be spent on furthering its purpose, in our case, restoring the canal?
Other people hold a more cautious view. That any organisation is only as viable as its
financial position is sound. And looking at a few practical considerations, the Society
is currently tendering for two more mud barges likely to cost £2,000; we're considering
the pros and cons of building another trip boat, and now have the responsibility of
paying the wages of two full-time workers on the canal.
Should we spend up to the hilt? And if so, what are the priorities? Or should we save it for a rainy day? We would welcome your views, so please drop us a line, or give us a call.
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MORE WORK EXPERIENCE PROJECTS
A grant to employ six jobless school-leavers and a supervisor on canal restoration has been made to Hampshire County Council.
The 12-month scheme will be centred on Ash embankment clearing undergrowth and digging drainage ditches.
0ver the County boundary, Surrey hope to get a Work Experience Scheme to work on puddling the canal bed with clay being transported by the Society's railway to the eastern end of Ash embankment.
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PHOTOGRAPHS FRONT COVER
Worm's eye view of two young passengers from the 'John Pinkerton' exploring the ruin of King John's Castle at North Warnborough.
INSIDE PAGE
(Top) The Colt Hill end of the new Odiham by-pass under construction
(Centre left) Job Creation clerk, John Mosedale, moulding a lock-side bollard
(Centre) The new Job Creation workboat moored in Deepcut Lock 28. (Centre Right) S.C.C, Canal Warden, Les Foster, making a bump piece for the top cill of Deepcut Lock 16.
(Bottom) Part of the 200 audience who enjoyed the Mikron Theatre Company's presentation at the Fox and Hounds, Fleet.
(All photos, except inside top, by Clive Durley)
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WORKING PARTIES Peter Cooper
One of the really big jobs remaining to be completed (maybe the biggest job) on this canal is lock restoration, and the biggest flight of locks is at Deepcut. This is, in fact, one of the biggest volunteer canal restoration jobs in the South of England, presenting a rare opportunity for volunteers to involve themselves in a major, vitally important, piece of canal work.
A11 of this must be well known to all members of this Society, but to look at working party attendances at Deepcut, you'd never think so. Society working parties meet there every weekend, and typical attendances over the past year or so, have been about 2 or 3 on a Saturday, and 6 or 7 on a Sunday. So in a month, by simple arithmetic, the Society puts in around (3+7) x 4 = 40 man-days work. Allow for the few dedicated souls who work at Deepcut more than once in a month, and we probably have about 25 Society members working there during the month. This represents one per cent of the Society membership of 2,500. which is a fairly underwhelming level of support.
Some will say that with the Manpower Services/Job Creation team working at Deepcut, volunteers don't need to contribute. But we can never be certain, from one year to the next, that the grants supporting these teams will continue. The Society, in addition, early on made committments to provide contributions of volunteer labour, and the Society must obviously keep its promises. Besides, the work will be finished, and the canal reopened, that much quicker if volunteers supplement the efforts of the full-time team.
But it is not too late! The work continues, and we hope that chamber restoration at Deepcut will be complete around the end of the year. After that the whole operation will continue on the nearby flights at Brookwood and St. Johns. You still have a chance to come along and make your contribution to this outstanding endeavour.
Details of these and other working parties arc given below. It is usually adviseable to contact the leader of your working party a few days before attending, just in case of last minute changes of plan.
Every, Weekend Decpcut Flight
Despite the disappointing attendances by Society members, progress here has been very
good. This is partly because most of the Society's working parties are now concentrated
on Lock 19, but even more because of a number of recent well-attended working parties
of visiting groups, who seem to manage good turn-outs at Deepcut. even if this Society
can't.
At Lock 19, the biggest job going forward lately has been the reconstruction of the top cill, and the completion of this task on 31st August has very largely been made possible by the contributions of the London WRG and Kent and East Sussex IWA visiting groups. The second chamber wall was also completed around this time, but a lot of jobs still remain to be finished on this lock, including brick-laying on recess walls and wing-walls, and casting of hollow-posts.
No new volunteer work has been done yet on Lock 17. It has been decided instead that one Society party shall remain at Lock 16 and complete the final jobs like laying quadrants, installing bollards, and fitting collars, in readiness for the eventual fitting of gates.
You will also see a change in the list of working party leaders. Some months ago
these pages reported positively the final appearance of Peter Jones on Deepcut working
parties. Now, in the manner of Dame Nellie Kelba, he is returning to make further
appearances. (This is not to say that Dame Nellie Melba worked on the Basingstoke
Canal - at least, there is no record of it).
The co-ordinator of all volunteer work on these locks is MIKE FELLOWS on Wokingham 787428, and for further details you should contact him, or one of the working party leaders listed below.
1st weekend of the month - 4/5 Oct, 1/2 Nov, 6/7 Dec - Lock 19 TONY GOULD on 01-877 8092.
2nd Weekend of the month -11/12 Oct, 8/9 Nov, 13/14 Dec - Lock 19 PETER OATES (Southampton Canal Society) on Botley 3844.
2nd and 4th Sundays of the month - 12 Oct, 26 Oct, 9 Nov, 23 Nov, 14 Dec - Lock 16 ALAN GRIMSTER on Brookwood 6127.
3rd Weekend of the month - 18/19 Oct, 15/16 Nov, 20/21 Dec, - Lock 19 JULES WOOD on Farnborough 515737.
4th Weekend of the month - 25/26 Oct, 22/23 Nov - Lock 19 - PETER JONES on Aldershot 313076.
5th Weekend of the month - 29/30 Nov, -- Lock 19 MIKE FELLOWS on Wokingham 787428.
In addition, the party from St. Johns will be working at Deepcut on 19 Oct., 16 Nov.,
and 14 Dec,. Further details from KEN HALLS on Woking 23981.
Plant maintenance, keeping the dumpers, pumps, etc. used in this work in running order, is another task where helpers would be welcome. Further details from JIM CHISHOLM on Wokingham 785146.
Every weekend Dredging in Hampshire
The dredger is now well clear of Barley Mow winding hole, and heading off towards Fleet. A new dump site at Goddards Field is shortly to be used, reducing the distances to be travelled by mudboats very greatly and, we hope, speeding up the work a great deal. At the same time it is planned that the Smiths dragline will be replaced by the Priestman. Extra helpers here would be most welcome. Further details of this work from BRIAN BANE on Hook 3627.
Every Weekend Railway Group at Ash Embankment
Clay has now been tipped up to the site of the new overflow weir on the embankment, and this represents at least a third of the job done. A third locomotive is expected to arrive shortly, and the engine shed is now fully in use. There is also now a Hants C.C. Smalley arrived to assist the Massey Ferguson in the clay-loading operation. Some further track has been laid, leaving the last 250 yards to be installed.
This job still needs large numbers of unskilled navvies to tip clay and do other labouring jobs. But also there is a call for people who would like to make a continuing committment to helping run this operation, doing things like driving locos, loading clay trains, and a number of maintenance jobs. This work continues every Sunday, and re far as possible every Saturday too. For further details, contact STAN and DAVID MELLER on Camberley 32096 or JOHN PEART on Farnborough 46554.
2nd Weekend of the month Lock 5 - Woodham
11/12 Oct, 8/9 -Nov. 13/14 Dec.
The new chamber wall is now about half complete, and continues to be the focus of attention at this lock. Watch this space for news of further startling progress, and
for further details contact PABLO HAWORTH on Byfleet 42081 .
3rd Weekend of the month Lock 1 - Woodham
18/19 Oct, 15/16 Nov, 20/21 Dec.
This party are continuing to excavate the bottom cill, and are digging deeper and deeper, and encountering more and more water. They are finding interesting things about the foundations of the walls, which appear to be built on an elm base supported by pointed wooden piles. Demolition of the chamber walls has now started, in readiness for rebuilding. Further details of this party, which runs under the auspices of the Guildford Branch of the IWA, are obtainable from DICK HARPER-WHITE on Weybridge 42074 or PETER JACKMAN on Woking 72132.
Last Sunday of the month Bankside work in Hampshire 26 Oct, 30 Nov.
This party will, as usual, be doing bankside jobs, as they arise, on the Hampshire length of the canal. This work requires no skills and is suitable for family parties. Further details from DAVID MILLETT on Fleet 7364.
Every fourth Sunday Bankside work in Surrey
5 Oct, 2 Nov, 30 Nov
The epic towpath clearance job started last winter is now resuming. The section to be tackled is from Hermitage Bridge to Brookwood Bridge, and the suggested parking place is at Blackhorse Bridge. This work is unskilled and suitable for all ages and family groups. Further details from KEN HALLS on Woking 23981.
Various Weekends Wilderness Weir and Broad Oak
The big job here is to press ahead to complete Lower Wilderness weir, and volunteer bricklayers who like to work on a small scale are invited to participate.
At Broad Oak the main bricklaying construction work, carried out by the redoubtable Chalky White, is now well under way. There will probably be a need for some volunteer work here when the main job is complete.
For further details on both these projects, contact PETER MAINE on Camberley 24701.
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LETTER FROM AMERICA Paul Dyson
Having navigated most of the Basingstoke Canal in the early days of the Society, as well as many of Britain's waterways, I feared that I would raise the pleasures of inland boating when I moved to Los Angeles early this year. Unbeknown to me and most foreigners there are quite a lot of opportunities for river and lake cruising in the Western States of the U.S.A. I was soon to discover the delights of one of them.
Behind the mighty Hoover Dam, astride the Arizona-Nevada border and immediately west of the Grand Canyon lies Lake Mead. Formed by damming the Colorado River in 1936, Lake Mead is one of the world's largest man-made lakes. Up to 589 feet deep, the two branches of the lake provide 115 miles of cruising and space for water sports. Friends of ours had been to the lake last year and wanted to go again, the hire boat company had a pro-school vacation cheap rate, so six of us decided to go for a long weekend.
Lake Mead is about 360 miles from L.A. via Barstow, the Mojave Desert and Las Vegas. As the boat was available from 8am. we decided to travel overnight, leaving at about 11pm. With a 2pm stop in Barstow for gas, and 5.30am. in Vegas for breakfast and a few dollars on the black-jack tables, we arrived at Echo Bay st 7-30am, avoiding the heat of the desert. The hire boat base is at the end of a snakey road through real wild west country. Twenty five boats, expanding to fifty next year, are serviced here, and there are offices and a restaurant, facilities for private craft including a slipway, and no other buildings in sight for miles around!
The boats themselves are highly functional, hardly decorative. They are, in fact, catamorans, about 40' by 10', mainly g.r.p. with inboard petrol engines and a 'Z' drive. Steering is by wheel from the front. Ours was a 10 berth, but we were glad to have only 6 on board. Fittings and mod cons were strikingly similar to British hire craft, the main additions being a gas-fired barbecue in the forward cockpit, and an enormous ice chest. Summer temperatures here reach 120°F. We were content with a cool 90° in May.
The trip itself was very relaxed, good fun. There are few good moorings, the drill for overnight stops is to find some sandy beach and drive the fore end up onto it, using the mooring lines and stakes to form a secure triangle. My wife, Dianne, and I slept on the roof both nights. We had built a fire of driftwood on the shore, and were woken
in the night by coyotas investigating the flames, as well as the incessant plop-plop of fish rising.
The next day a sudden wind whipped up 3 foot waves and we had to labour across the lake against it to f:ird a sheltered mooring in a creek. We took a walk up the side of the valley, finding wild burrow (mule) tracks and startling many a lizard. Rattlesnakes can be a hazard!
The scenery is wild and barren. Prizes could be awarded for tree-spotting, and there are few other boats, except at weekends when the water-skiers appear. Nevertheless the slow speed, and the calming effect of inland water brought back many memories of still water boating in England. Maybe next year we'll try down river on Lake Navasu. I've always wanted to steer a boat under London Bridge.
Editor's Note: Paul was a founder member of the Society and served on the Executive Committee
for some years. Thanks Paul, good to hear you haven't lost your interest in waterways.
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BASINGSTOKE CANAL DIARY OF NARROWBOAT 'HAWKE' Roy Mack
'Hawke' was a 70-foot wooden narrow boat with Bolinder semi-diesel engine, drawing 3 feet. Inscribed 'John Walley, Flint Merchants' it was purchased at Middlewich on the Trent and Mersey Canal. The journey south started on 1st May 1953.
6th July 1953 arrived Thames Lock, Weybridge.
12th July: moored below fist lock on the Basingstoke Canal.
15th July, Tom Hinke, lock keeper, arrived at 8am. and let us through the first two locks, to moor above SCotland Lock.. Work on building a cabin over the hold commenced.
14th August went for a cruise, bow-hauling the boat stern first as far as the Wey Navigation junction.
28th August: not enough water in the canal to enable us to get back to Scotland Lock.
26th September: gave up the idea of getting back on the canal, and took up moorings
below New Haw Lock.
28th November, to Woking. Left New Haw at 10.30, and reached Shearwater Lock No. 6 at 2.30. Used motor to reach the former gas works wharf at Monument Bridge. Turned
there, because the water was not deep enough to proceed further.
29th November, left Maybury at 10am, arrived at Sheerwater lock 11.15. Started down
the locks at 1pm and reached the bottom at 3pm.
28th April 1954. Moved to the Basingstoke Canal junction to act as night watchman for Rottinoff's contractors engaged in laying new pipes for the Rive Ditch under the canal.
21st August, towed tvo of Steven's barges, loaded with grain, from Thames Lock to Coxes Mill.
19th March 1955: Up the Basingstoke Canal, in company with 'Maid Marcia', 'Pyrford Pubber' and 'Quacky Ducky' (Wey Cruising Club cruise). Got stuck on mud underneath Wheatsheaf (Hospital) bridge in Woking and had to be pulled off backwards.
20th March: Woking to New Haw.
10th Maroh 1956: up the Basingstoke Canal in a small tug 'Wiven' accompanied by 'Maid Marcia'. Tied up at the top of Goldsworth Locks.
11th March: from St. Johns to Pirbright Bridge, arriving 1.30pm, (total time up the canal: 12 hours).
17th March: Pirbright to Sheerwater lock, with Robert Aickman of IWA on board.
18th March: down the 6 Woking Locks to New Haw.
22nd September: off to Rickmansworth on the Grand Union Canal, with narrow boat 'Lambourne' in tow for decking. New stern fitted to 'Hawke'.
15th December: started return journey to River Wey.
17th December. arrived back, still with 'Lambourn' in tow. Had to have a tug take us from Teddington to Weybridge because the current was too strong.
11th October 1958: sold 'Hawke' and helped the new owners move it to the Grand Union Canal - no more Basingstoke Caral trips!
Editor's Note: Thanks Roy for your interesting contribution. Has anyone else reminiscences of boating or commercial traffic on the canal?
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GRAND DRAW RESULTS
1st Prize: Week's holiday on a Narrow Boat - M.G.K. Rivers, Pyestock
2nd Prize: 12 bottles of whisky - Mrs. G.M.G. Gosling, Pyrford Woods.
3rd Prize: £50 of petrol - A. Stumpf 0923 37273
4th Prize: Hand made tapestry - W.K. Willis, Elstead
5th Prize: £20 of goods/services - C. Grimley, Farnham
6th Prize: Charter of John Pinkerton - Sturgeon, Harlow
7th Prize: Infra Red Grill - Mrs. Patrick, Farnham
8th Prize: Cona coffee set - D. Othem, Byfleet
9th Prize: Hand-made rug - G. Butterfield, Basingstoke
10th Prize: Rose plants - Bunting, Bagshot
11th Prize: Set of towels - R. Yates, Manchester
12th Prize: Bottle whisky - Curson, Ash Vale
13th Prize: Disposable Camera - J. Richards, London
14th Prize: Cigarette lighter - P. Denton, Long Sutton.
I have pleasure in announcing that receipts for the 1980 draw totalled £1725. After final expenses have been deducted I expect net profit will be in excess of £1400 (1978 - £1556, 1979 - £1697). I consider this a most satisfactory result in view of the economic climate and the slight but temporary drop in membership following this year's subscription increase.
I would like to thank the 620 members who sold tickets for their efforts but especially Jeremy Browne of Fleet, who sold 56 books and receives a £10 prize, and Mrs. Woolebridge of Greywell who sold 40 books and thus receives £5. There were a considerable number of members who sold in excess of 2 or 3 books - again thanks for your support.
I think the results of the past 3 years have shown that a draw is still one of the most effective ways of fund-raising. It enables many members who are not normally active make a positive contribution financially and at the same time indirectly publicise our aims.
The position of draw organiser for 1981 is still vacant. If anyone is interested in filling this rewarding and enjoyable post I would be happy to explain what little is involved and would ask them to contact me on Basingstoke 61579.
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APPRENTICES BUILD LOCK GATES
Lock 20 will be the proud possessor of a full set of gates thanks to the efforts of first year apprentices at the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough.
Working under the guidance of Sid Brown of the woodworking section, 8 apprentices of 40 Dept, RAE spent three months or so at the beginning of 1980 preparing the gates from timber supplied from the Job Creation stocks. Plans, together with technical expertise, were, of course, provided by Patrick Bere one of the Job Creation supervisors.
The RAE takes on various projects with the two-fold intention of teaching its apprentices various woodworking skills whilst at the same time benefitting the community. Building the lock gates not only involved learning about mortice and tenon joints (albeit on rather a large scale) but also enabled the apprentices to master the art of using original tools such as the adze which the RAE was able to unearth from its store.
The completed gates have now been sunk in the emergency water tanks at the RAE to complete their seasoning. They now await their transportation to the Deepcnt flight and, with a single bottom gate weighing almost 1-1/2 tons, this will be no easy task.
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SOCIAL JOTTINGS Joint Social Secretaries, Hampshire - David Millett, Fleet 7364.
Surrey - Mike Grist, Woking 71581.
Members are invited to bring their friends along to the Social Evenings and also to bring along potential new members to the Society.
FARNBOROUGH SOCIAL EVENINGS All at the TEACHERS' CENTRE, ST. ALBANS HALL, LYNCHFORD ROAD FARNBOROUGH (opp. Lloyds Bank) Bar, Coffee and Biscuits, Sales Stand.
Wednesday 26th November 7.15pm.
Chris Brazier, one of our Newsletter Editorial team, will show slides of Narrow Boat 'Bevan' and the exciting trip down the Manchester Ship Canal and across the River Mersey
described in the August Newsletter.
Note - third Wednesday
Christmas Social Evening with some competitions and folk music.
WOKING SOCIAL EVENINGS All at Woking Centre Halls. Coffee and Biscuits, Sales Stand.
The well known Inland Waterways author and broadcaster Anthony Burton will show slides
and talk about 'Back Door Britain'
Monday. December 8th, 7.45pm.
Film evening featuring two different films about ths Talyllyn Narrow Gauge Railway in Wales. the original of the 'Great Little Trains of Wales'.
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MIKRON VISITS THE BASINGSTOKE - Clive Durley
On Thursday, August 21st, the Fox and Hounds at Fleet wns the venue of a most enjoyable evening. In excess of 200 people were entertained (and, perhaps, educated) with a performance of 'Mud in Your Eye' by the Mikron Theatre Company, The story of the restoration of the canals was told in word and song with a greet deal of humour.
'Present' were Tom Rolt, Robert Aickmann, 'Super-hutch', the Garden Gnome and many others including even our own Robin Higgs. With a minimum of props and a maximum of talent and imagination the cast brought all these personalities to life and demonstrated the great efforts they had made to revive interest in the canals and their eventual restoration.
The Mikron Theatre Company was formed nine years ago to present the case for the water in such a manner that would attract attention. The cast travel the canal system in the 70-foot narrow-boat 'Tystley' and this year will cover nearly 2000 miles and give 150 performances in pubs, schools, Festivals and Rallies. The Company present two shows each year. The alternative to 'Mud in Your Eye' is, 'Where's Our Cut?', the story of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal.
Mikron has appeared on television on several occasions, the latest spot being on 'Go With Noakes' on B.B.C.
Mike Fellows - Mikron!s greatest fan - was instrumental in arranging their visit to to Basingstoke and David Millett organised the evening which fortunately was fine and dry. (How did you manage that, David?).
Mike Lucas, director of Mikron, closed the show with the remark that in five years time they would like to appear again at the Fox and Hounds and have 'Tyseley' moored along the towpath.
(Editor's Note: A record collection of £125 was taken at the end of the evening)esulting in a profit for the Society of approximately £40.
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1980 SPONSORED WALK Peter Coxhead
Those members who happened to be on the tOw path between WOking and Ash Lock on Sunday 18th May, will, no doubt, have seen something of the 321 walkers who between them have pledged £5,578 towards Society funds. This venture was organised by the Events Committee at Woking who wish to thank all of those who contributed - sponsors, walkers and organisers - towards this tremendous total. Space does not allow us to list all of the outstanding individual achievements but two participants must be given a special mention, a nine year old boy successfully completed the journey both ways i.e. 24 miles - a magnificent effort for someone with 3.25 pence per mile on his head.
Also at the other end of the age scale, 79 year old Bill Wright who raised £227. This in itself is a very good contribution but it becomes even more so when it is realised that he broke his neck in 1949, his back in two places in 1969 and subsequently suffered three heart attacks leaving him with angina!
Our named walker, Robin Higgs, Chairman of the Society, has £135 against his name.
In conclusion we would remind all walkers that the target date for collection of all monies is 30th September, after which we will send round the heavy gang!
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TEN YEARS AGO.... (from the Society's Newsletter, Sept/Oct 1970)
* If the County Councils fail to restore the Basingstoke Canal to navigation throughout then their purchase of that waterway will be a waste of money' - quote by Capt. Lionel Monk, retiring chairman, I.W.A.
* The appeal for a Membership Secretary resulted in the appointment of Alan Babister who course, still holds the post. Happy anniversary Alan!
* Valuers were appointed by both the County Councils and the New Basingstoke Canal Company to survey the canal and put a price on it, prior to the two sides getting together.
* Quote from the latest annual accounts of the New Basingstoke Canal Company - 'In the opinion of the Directors the value of the company's land is approximately :£100,000'
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SOCIETY SALES STAND David Gay
The Autumn 1980 price list is enclosed with this Newsletter. A number of the items wil make excellent Christmas presents and, of course, the profits go to restoring the canal. Please make your purchases at the Society Social Evenings, at events where the Society is invited to have a stand or from me.
Letter to the Society from K.A. Tilbury, 3 Grange Road, New Haw, Weybridge, Surrey.
Dear S.H.C.S.,
I feel I must write to you as an avid supporter that I don't feel at all happy about the decision mentioned in the August Newsletter that Membership Cards are to be discontinued.
The main reasons I have for this are firstly that a Membership Card makes a person feel part of a Society, otherwise you feel as though you are just donating a certain amount of cash per annum and that's it. Secondly a Membership Card when shown to various hooligans (especially in the New Haw/Scotland Bridge area) who are causing damage, has a marvellous effect of instant dispersal.
Please, and I am sure that I speak for many of us, do not discontinue our proof of identification with such a worthwhile Society as the S.H.C.S.
Many thanks, Yours in anticipation, K>A> Tilbury.
Editor's Note: Has anyone else any views on Membership Cards?
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COUNTY COUNCIL ACTIVITIES
Little, if anything, has been reported recently about the County Councils' activities in restoration work on the canal - so, what are they doing?
Despite cut-backs in working hours and restricted mileage the four Hampshire Canal rangers have been busy levelling the towpath between Fleet Weir a quarter of a mile eastwards to Regent Street with the aid of the Council's new Kubota excavator. The work has involved felling several large trees along the way.
Apart from regular estate management tasks, such as filling pot holes, clearing trees and digging land drainage ditches, the rangers will be occupied for some time to come in levelling and widening 8 miles of towing path to the original 6ft standard width together with bank protection work.
They have also cleared vegetation from the towpath section between Colt Kill and Greywell during the summer months as well as through the newly restored Aldershot military camp length.
More recently, as reported in the last issue of the Newsletter, a section of the canal was drained between Coxheath Bridge and the Fox and Hounds pub in Fleet for the installation of a new culvert, Providing the good weather holds out it is planned to undertake tree clearance and dredging work in the section before it is re-watered.
Plans have also been made to level the towpath between Barley Mow and Baseleys bridges at Winchfield to give the Society's dragline, servicing the dredging operations, access to its new site at Goddards Farm.
The rangers also supply the Society's dredger 'Perseverance with fuel amounting to 1/2-ton of coal, 20 tons of logs and 180 gallons of gas oil it uses every month.
In Surrey, the County Council hss been continuing dredging work. Having cleared Hospital Bridge towards Byfleet the Hymac excavator is now working westwards to St Johns. A start has also been made on towpath levelling.
At Heathvale Bridge, Ash, the Council has been using timber from their own mill to pile the banks, while in the vicinity of Ash wharf a start has been made to remove the silt dumped on the banks last year.
Silt has also recently been removed from the flash opposite the former boat-house at Frimley, and the nearby flood gate at the entrance to Frimley acqueduct has been renovated.
Apart from water supplied from the Hampshire end of the canal, Surrey's biggest source of water is the Cowshott Stream near Deepcut lock 17. The Council has been investigating clearance work needed to gain a maximum flow of water.
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DIARY
OCTOBER
5th Autumn coach trip and canal cruise, Mon and Brec Canal.
13th BWB film ahow 7.45pm. Woking Centre Halls.
31st Hallowe'en Farn Dance 8.00pm. Fleet Divic Hall.
10th Anthony burton on 'Back Door Britain' 7.45pm. Woking Centre Halls.
26th Slides on Tug 'Bevan' 7.45pm. Teachers Centre, Farnborough
8th Films on Talyllyn Railway 7.45pm, Woking Centre Halls
17th Christmas Social Evening 7.45pm. Teachers Centre, Farnborough.
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GONGOOZLERS' GOSSIP
WORKBOAT has been donated to the Society by the author Tom Chaplin of Riparian Owner Services.
ADVERTISEMENT has appeared in local newspapers inviting people to 'come and restore a canal lock this Weekend'. Is this money well spent or do you have other ideas? Why let the Editor know.
TENDER for a 62 foot mudboat has been accepted by the Thames Conservancy Division of T.W.A. Cost - £800. To be transported from Reading.
GRAIN is once again being carried from Tilbury to Coxes Mill, River Wey aboard the Murrell's Humber Keel, 'Clinton' and the Dutch barge, 'Annie'.
DONATIONS of nearly £20 received from Basingstoke Canoe Club and £10 each from Tim Dodwell and Mrs. D. Yeomans. Our grateful thanks to you all.
COMMITTEE has proposed that the canalside crane (see Newsletter 91) be permanently erected at Ash Lock cottage - subject to Hants C.C. approval.
FURTHER responses to the society's appeal for funds from local companies are : British American Tobacco, Woking - £200 and National Westminster Bank - £100.
LANDSCAPING has been completed by Hants C.C. at Crookham Wharf to provide car park and seats.
DREDGING between Coxheath Bridge and Glen Road in Fleet is due to start by the end of September now that culvert has been repaired.
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WOT! NO OFFERS
I am surprised to learn that David Millett has not been inundated with telephone callS in response to the request in Newsletter 91 for a replacement for David Gay as Society Sales Manager.
I cannot believe that amongst our talented membership there is not an energetic married couple who long to find fame helping the Society find fortune by promoting the Sales Stand at shows and fetes during the summer season and dealing with postal sales.
Seriously, David Gay has to relinquish this post by the end of the year so please flood David Millett on Fleet 7364 with offers of help and so ensure he is kept out of mischief in the evenings.
COPY DATE FOR DECEMBER NEWSLETTER : 1ST NOVEMBER 1980
Published by the Surrey and Hampshire Canal Society Limited, a non-profit distributing company limited by guarantee.
Editor: Dieter Jebens, Assistant Editors: Janet & Chris Brazier. Production: Diana Snow and David Wimpenny. Collation and Distribution: Janet and George Hedger, Clive Durley and helpers.
Editorial Office: 75 Middle Bourne Lane, Farnham, Surrey GU103NJ. Tel:Farnham 71523
Chairman: Robin Kiggs. 18 Barnsford Crescent, West End, Woking (Chobham 7314)
Vice-Chairman: David Millett, 14 Dinorben Close, Fleet, Hants (Fleet 7364)
Hon. Treasurer: Bryan Jones, 16 Bliss Close, Basingstoke, Hants (Basingstoke 61053)
Hon. Secretary: Mrs. Lise Hamilton, 2 Frome Close, Farnborough, Hants. (Farnborough 49651)
Membership Secretary: Alan Babister, 31 Elmsleigh Road, Farnborough, Hants (Farnborough 46147)
Working Party Information: Alan and Andrea Grimster, Brookwood 6127
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