Diary | Directory

Editorial Comment ~ Wendy Andrews.

Thank you to those of you who've offered to help with the Easter Cruises. Let's hope the weather is kind, despite which we will all enjoy the fun that's planned for the holiday weekend. It will be good to be back at the Onslow as a base and to see the trip boat, or maybe both trip boats, going through the re-opened Brewhurst Lock.

Looking ahead to the end of the month we need volunteers to help at the Annual Spring Meeting, which incorporates the AGM, at Shalford Village Hall on Saturday 28th April. There are 4 planned 'shifts' so no-one has to work too hard: 10.30-12 noon, 12 noon to 2pm, 2-3.30pm and 4.30-6pm. Would you be prepared to hand out drinks and biscuits, serve lunch and clear up? If so please contact Janet Philips  (janet@jphillips.org.uk or phone 01483 421 242). Volunteers are also needed for car parking and furniture moving. Please contact Julian Morgan  ( julian_morgan@weyandarun.co.uk or phone 01483 503 029) if you are willing to help.

Otherwise, please drop by the Restoration Stand on the day and try your hand at encouraging would-be volunteers to join a working party.

Note that the only "refreshments" available at Shalford Village Hall (except for those attending the new members reception) will be tea, coffee, juice and biscuits. Anyone needing anything more substantial should bring their own or visit one of the local pubs.

We have negotiated parking at Broadford Park which is less than 10 minutes walk from Shalford Village Hall. This is highly recommended for anyone who doesn't need to bring a car right up to the hall.

Finally, a reminder to Group Leaders to send their attendance records for the 1st quarter of 2007 to Colin Gibbs in the next 2 or 3 weeks - with thanks in advance

WTS Group (formerly TSG Group) ~ Eric Walker

Loxwood lock is nearing completion with the last of the quoins installed and the scaffolding removed. In the next little while we will be fitting the small back pump and its associated waterfall and getting the fence and grass onto the lock side alongside the towpath.

Behind the Onslow the construction of the wall alongside the fence around the pub's private garden and up to the road was completed. Also behind the Onslow and under the towpath, a drainage pipe and a duct for electricity were installed and the bridleway reinstatement completed as far as the fence. There were two major hold-ups in the last month, first the wet weather, and then the theft of the boom ram from our Hanix digger. That will cost us £500 to replace. Fortunately we didn't have to wait ten weeks to get the replacement from Japan. Rosie Sugar on behalf of the Boat Group, who were so anxious about the operation of the Easter cruises, wants to say THANK YOU to all those who worked so hard to overcome the difficulties and achieved so much. Many of the visitors to the site I have talked to cannot believe what has been done in such a short time. Well done to all!

David Kersley is helping to get the kit used by the group for their work from Loxwood into store at Tickners. This is in preparation for the Loxwood Canal Bridge construction and although there are several challenges in this regard, the prognosis is positive.

At the Bridge Crossing site there are a number of 'finishing off' jobs and preparatory tasks to do before leaping off into the next big challenge....

Tickners Heath Depot ~ (Colin Gibbs)

The group grew 25% last week, when Richard Watson volunteered to join Stuart on the technical side --- engine repairs and other skilful tasks which Andrew and I are incapable of doing. I'm delighted to report that Stuart has sorted out various recalcitrant machines, including a 2' pump, a mower, now on the Loxwood Link, and a small concrete mixer. A larger mixer is still behaving very badly despite some tlc. All sorts of gear is being returned from the worksites in Loxwood. We are finding space for most of it inside the sheds. Which reminds me - why I don't know, we still have 4 old engines and a rotavator taking up space. Despite much effort, advertising them, showing them to interested parties over two years, we still have them. Do you know anyone who loves playing with old engines, and at the end failing to start them? If you don't, I will dispose of them at the end of April.

Winston Harwood's Group ~ Lawrie Wraight

This month we successfully installed a low post and rail system to protect the grassed area next to the car park at the Onslow Arms. Work has now begun to landscape the high bank of the canal, opposite the pub. Prior to this we removed the surplus flexible membrane, behind the concrete banks, to allow the soil level to be corrected and eventually planted. Further work took place to improve the appearance of the shrubs etc. alongside the towpath, which goes to Brewhurst lock.

An attempt was made to drive our dumper across the muddy fields to Lordings Lock. Unfortunately the engine became temperamental, then stopped completely, preventing us from getting the dumper out of the mud. Some work was done by other members, but the main task of fencing had to be abandoned. However we have been able to start installing boundary fencing on the new Bramley route.

Keith Nichols' Group ~ Keith Nichols

From the Harsfold team, hello everyone, on 28th March. Well, the 1st quarter is nearly over so it's almost Christmas again! To get in quick (forward planning) Merry Christmas to all and sundry. (Note from the Editor - Keith and his group tend not to work in the summer!) The team has finished the southern 70m of planted hedge, which was all I had planned to do in the 06/07 season. It went down very quickly despite us having to act as shepherds (where does that go on the hours return?!) and round up 20 itinerant sheep. Not a single bird is trying to nest here and the Blackthorn is held back (buds started to show today) so I made a decision to continue into the 114m Blackthorn spinney. To date we have layed 23m of this. The temperature range has been from 24.6°C on March 28th to 5°C on 18th and 20th March with a wind chill of approx -5°C making it feel freezing so the early start to spring has gone on hold for a while.

Whilst we have been here we have seen: 9 swans circling in formation (hard hats everybody?), long tail tits, buzzards, a few lapwings, 1 RED KITE very close up, lots of frog spawn, plus rooks and gulls en masse, and today, blackcaps, coal tits and great tits. It is so peaceful here that it's like being on holiday so if anyone reading this hasn't got down to Lordings/Haybarn yet please do so as it's a cracker of an area.

Well. I'm off to the southern Spanish hills and mountains for wildlife, tapas and the odd drink so see you on Friday 13th April.

Planned dates for April are Friday 13th, Sunday 15th, Sunday 22nd, Monday 23rd and Tuesday 1st May (at some point on these dates hedge laying will cease)

Conservation ~ (Michael Joseph)

'Grasp the nettle' they said, so I did, and now I'm the new Conservation Officer.

My first priority has been to plan the sowing and planting of the Onslow Pound which is now well underway. I have also been taking a critical look at the canal from a conservation angle. It is important that I appreciate the difficulties faced by the workforce and listen to all the concerns on this subject which have been sent to me for consideration. There will be some changes to the way we have worked in the past but only with good reason. I will be joining the groups from time to time where I shall explain our aims and objectives and discuss how they can be achieved. WPN will also feature a conservation topic each month.

I agree with Keith Nichols' comment last month that we need to restore a canal with something to see. We only have to put the habitat in place and the wildlife will come to us. Nothing could be more rewarding. Conservation is vital to the Trust. Yes we need biodiversity but we also need new members, we need to save time, effort and money on maintenance and we need to impress landowners whose permission we seek. Conservation is the key.

Mid Week Working Party ~ (Peter Jackman)

Another busy month for the team! With the exception of 3 trees on Mr Covey's land which we have yet to drop, we have completed scrub and tree clearance between Compasses Bridge and Fastbridge. Then we went back to the airfield side at Dunsfold Park and spent a whole day getting out 3 trees, including the roots, which had blown over in the wind. (We still can't work north of Fastbridge because of the cows in the field). Another busy day was spent at Brewhurst Lock, under Graham Baird's leadership, moving topsoil and clay and seeding the towpath side. Please get in touch for April venues.

Maintenance Manager ~ (David Jessop)

On three Saturday mornings in March volunteers have been working to transform the steep, slippery bank opposite The Onslow Arms and the towpath. Michael Joseph had the idea of planting wild flowers where at present mainly brambles, nettles and thistles grow. So, clinging to the slope, with only cold water below to cushion any fall, the weeds were grubbed out using hand forks and trowels. Michael brought some wildflower plants (Cuckooflower or Lady's Smock, Hairy Bitter-cress, Primrose, Greater Celandine, Foxgloves and Ox-Eye Daisy) from his own collection and these were planted in chosen spots. An intrepid volunteer was tied to a rope to carry out the planting on the lowest areas and water from the canal gave the little plants a good start in their new home. Further work involved ladders to climb down the bank to reach the planting spots which, being in hard clay, meant a little hard work to make a hole for the plants. Some flowers will appear this year and the rest will take another twelve months before we see their colours. Eventually, after further planting and a little tender care, the bank will be worth looking at and a suitable back-drop for the expanse of water you see from the road.

We are very pleased with progress, keen to continue the job and, of course, see the results. Also, a small team moved a quantity of logs from Brewhurst Lock to the depot. The logs were numerous and heavy so that most of us finished the morning with arms that appeared longer than normal but then we did get to 'play' with a boat on a fine spring morning.

NEXT MEETING: We meet again on Saturday 14th April at 9.30 am in the Trust car park at Loxwood. Future meetings are likely to be at fortnightly intervals. At present, it has to be a case of 'watch this space' until a regular series of tasks evolves. I'm working on it! If you would like to join us, please contact me.

Visiting Groups ~ (Graham Baird)

I have nothing to report this month as there have been no working parties. The next one is on 21st and 22nd April when Newbury Working Party Group will be visiting and we shall be having a clear up session at Brewhurst Lock

Monday Working Party ~ (John Empringham)

Monday Group had a further enjoyable day helping to clear the Loxwood navigable section between Drungewick Lane bridge and Drungewick lock getting ready for the new boating season, our thanks to Peter Wilding for his help and guidance. We also had our first visit to all our regular road crossing and other sites at which we 'keep up appearances'. On the first visit to Run Common it was interesting to see what had been deposited there during the winter, this time we recovered most of the parts of a washing machine!

In April we will be out (at least) on the first and third Mondays of the month. (2nd and 16th April)

In March we will be out on the first and third Mondays of the month.

Loxwood Link Maintenance Unit ~ (Peter Wilding)

To take advantage of the surplus water at the end of February an extra board was added to the Drungewick overflow sluice to try to flush the duckweed down over Drungewick Lock. However the strong water flow was matched by a strong southerly wind which held back the duckweed with the water ineffectively flowing underneath it! Then someone removed the board so end of experiment...

20mm of rain on 4th March and again overnight 5th/6th March produced a new canal feature - the Long Meadow Lake, very impressive but very little rain in the three weeks since is a reminder of our summer droughts and effect on canal water levels. Being submersed, plus the duckweed, affected the level sensors controlling the back pump which nearly emptied the Long Meadow winding hole. This revealed another large branch which has now been removed and with the sensors modified the water level can return to normal.

May Upton made its way back up to Brewhurst to remove logs from the offside below the lock and with the assistance of two new helpers the offside trimming has been completed. The primroses are appreciating the extra light after being covered by brambles. May Upton will now make its way back down to Drungewick to finish the offside trimming and to replace the damaged wooden fenders at the plant crossing and aqueduct.

If you do not attend regularly, please contact the site manager before joining a work party.

First & third Mondays of the month
'Mrs Bucket' - Keeping Up Appearances, Details from John Empringham

Most Tuesday mornings
Maintenance sessions at Tickner's Heath Depot Check with Colin Gibbs

Every Wednesday; Mid-Week Working Party, Check with Peter Jackman for confirmation

Every Wednesday
Loxwood Link maintenance, Contact Peter Wilding

Every Wednesday, Thursday & Sunday
Mainly construction work. Meet at the Onslow Arms, 09.30., Contact Eric Walker for details

Every Thursday
Winston Harwood Group. Contact Lawrie Wraight for details.

Some Saturdays Conservation and Maintenance Get in touch with David Jessop

April: Fri 13, Sun 15, Sun 22, Mon 23 and Tue, May 1.
Keith Nichols Group, Check with Keith for last minute changes to dates and for venue

April 6 - 9: Easter Cruises Contact Rosie Sugar

April 28: AGM at Shalford Contact WACT office

May 13: Small Boat Rally at Loxwood Contact WACT office

WACT Office, General enquiries, 01403 752 403 email: office@weyandarun.co.uk
Wendy Andrews, W P News Editor, 01403 752 170 email: wendy_andrews@weyandarun.co.uk
Turlough Bamber, Restoration Manager, 01483 421 305 email: restoration@weyandarun.co.uk
David Jessop, Maintenance Manager, 01403 269 384 email: david_jessop@weyandarun.co.uk
Eric Walker (Loxwood Area) 02392 463025 email: ericwalker@onetel.com
Peter Jackman (Mid-week Working Party) 01483 772132
John Empringham, (Mrs Bucket) Keeping Up Appearances, 01483 562657, email: john@empringham.com
Dave Junkison (Lordings Lock & Aqueduct) 020 8941 0685
Peter Wilding (Loxwood Maintenance) 01483 422519, email: peter_wilding@weyandarun.co.uk
Colin Gibbs (Tickners Maintenance) 020 8241 7736 email: colin-gibbs@blueyonder.co.uk
Don Gibson (Midweek Walks) 01903 201375
Lawrie Wraight (The Winston Harwood Working Group) 01903 721404
Bill Nicholson, Visiting Groups, 01844 343 369, email: bandsnicholson@tiscali.co.uk
Graham Baird, Brewhurst Lock Reconfiguration, 01403 262 515, email: graham@gbaird.plus.com
Conservation Manager 01403 783 485 email: michael_joseph@weyandarun.co.uk