IN THIS ISSUE 122 Part 1 - Editorial Chairman's Report Restoration Roundup Secretary's Column How the Money Rolls In Part 2 - Horse-drawn Boat LLEP Manager's Report Hedge Laying Miscellany Trip Boat Matters News from The Granary Previous issues Contact the Trust

Wey-South issue 122  March - May 2002

PART 2 HORSE-DRAWN BOAT - Tony Pratt On the afternoon of September 22nd 2002 the first horse-drawn boat movement since closure in 1871 happened on the restored section of canal above Baldwin’s Knob Lock. Jenny and Rosie (photo: Liz Williams) The boat was Peter Boyce’s Solent Seagull, a 1950’s wooden clinker-built sailing dinghy, and she was representing “Caprice” the una boat that J B Dashwood used to travel the route in 1867. The horse was “Rosie” led by her owner Jenny Roberts of Godalming Packet Boats. The occasion was a reconstruction of a small part of the Victorian journey which forms the opening sequence of the video “The Lost Wey to the Sea” made by Jerry Laurence and Phillip Gardner and featuring the canal. Caprice (alias Solent Seagull) (photo: Liz Williams) It is possible that the last horse drawn boat movement through this lock, certainly of a pleasure boat, may have been the original “Caprice”, so there is a special significance to the event. The photographs, supplied by Peter Boyce, show his boat and Jenny with Rosie preparing to film the sequence and of course if you watch the video you can see the outcome. The Solent Seagull hadn’t floated for 20 years or more, and some effort was required by the application of suitable paint (kitchen vinyl silk!) and judicious glass fibre repairs to make her watertight - well almost! A carefully concealed automatic bilge pump kept the leaks at bay and the floorboards kept the feet of the crew dry. Peter hopes to show the modern "Caprice" at events during the year to publicise both video and canal so watch out for her. "Rosie" can be seen regularly on the River Wey at Godalming pulling Iona which can be chartered for party bookings.

LLEP MANAGER'S REPORT - Eric Walker (Loxwood Link Extension Project) Working in the Arun valley is problematic in winter as we again found out these past several months. As reported in the last Wey-South, Richard Julian started by putting up the connecting banks between the Drungewick aqueduct and the Drungewick Lane Bridge over the canal. The bridleway, surfaced with Fittleworth stone, looks really good and the grass was soon showing through on the topsoil. Ice, rain and subsequent flooding then slowed down progress so that by the end of January 2003 all the banks were just about in place. Part of the problem with this part of the work is that if the conditions are wet then the clay turns to slurry and will not form a bank until it dries out. The first day the contractor arrived to start fitting the parapet railings he was frightened by the height of the floodwater and went home! He was persuaded to come back the next day and the flood had gone. Aqueduct railings (photo: John Wood) Early in January Winston Harwood and his volunteers removed the bridleway fencing to enable Richard to get at the piles of clay and topsoil. At the end of January, Brian Crossley and his volunteers put some split-rail fencing from the road bridge to the aqueduct. With more kind weather the bridleway will be opened by the end of February, only four months late. More fencing and landscaping are yet to be done before the beginning of spring by the volunteers. As mentioned before, the towpath chatter has its place in the way of things, as it was before the days of the mobile phone. Then suddenly Bob Knight says “Sidney would, but could na’ ”. What brought that on we might never know. Except he and part of the working party had been there, (where?) Sidney Wood, putting in survey stations. Well once that starts who knows where such punning will lead. Did we hear the Chairman say the No Hope Bridge is now New Hope Bridge? Well let’s swing into action. At the last count I had over fifty actions. With the challenge from a Trustee, “I think there is a good case to rebuild the bridge by the Onslow”. We know it is feasible, but what are the full implications? This year we should provide a lot more answers to the question, “Is full restoration possible?” for actions speak louder than words.

HEDGE LAYING - Keith Nichols Some of you may remember that some 10 years ago the “Mile of Hedge” was planted. Unfortunately, lack of manpower meant that brambles and dog rose have taken over in some parts and tree failures have left more gaps. What to do? Hedge laying is an answer. So in the early Spring of 2002, I layed a section approximately 80 metres long below Baldwin’s Knob Lock after it had been cleared of brambles by another team. This was not the whole length as floods had knocked over trees at either end leaving very large gaps. Hedge laying (photo: Peter Foulger) October 2002 loomed with an intended BTCV course to be held that month so with due consideration between myself and Peter Foulger, we decided that Birch Copse to Baldwin’s would be the next section to lay, hopefully linking with that which had already been layed. BTCV’s hedge laying course was held on the 5/6 October when 10 novices started the job by laying 30 metres. An excellent start. Hedge laying consists of a number of tasks: Coppicing to obtain 600 5 foot stakes and 600 12 foot wands of hazel for the heathering (binding). Removal of 400 metres of stock fence and barbed wire. Removal of brambles and dog rose so as to be able to see what you are laying. Laying the living trees to make the hedge. Filling any gaps with dead cut material (dead hedging) and planting of more saplings to eventually take the place of the dead hedging. With a total to be layed of 400+ metres, the WACT Team started on 12th November. The team consists of 7 people but not usually all 7 working on any one day. One person can average about 10 metres a day so a minimum of 40 whole days are required plus time for the other jobs. By the end of November the total cleared was 86 metres and layed 42 metres. In December we managed another 116 metres cleared and 73 metres layed. By today, Friday 24th January, the grand total cleared and layed stands at 219 metres so we are over half way there. Unfortunately I have to go into hospital on 5th March and will be out of action possibly for all of March and April and the hedge needs to be finished by early May (because of nesting birds, flush of Spring growth and cattle in field). I hope to have another 100 metres Iayed by March which will leave the remaining 100 metres for the rest of the team. They may need help so if anyone else is interested in having a go please contact me on 01403 753882. Other things occurring whilst hedge laying includes spending time chatting to interested passers by, having the odd ‘nip’, burning the waste cut material and having baked potatoes or toast on the following day, having the odd nip, drinking tea or coffee, feeding the swans, having the odd nip, watching the moon come up (hedge laying in the dark!), watching the Bam Owl quarter the field, wading in flood water, having the odd nip and talking to the local Robin, so its not all hard work? P.S. It’s excellent PR as well. The Team: Roger Ashton, Phil Broadley, Bob Cox, Richard Emsley, Keith Nichols, Bob Potts, Ray Welsh. Clearance: Mrs Bucket Group and Eric Walker Group.

MISCELLANY Northern Christmas Supper Book Review Situations Vacant Shopping List Recycling News MWWP 10th Anniversary A Pair of Eyes in Sidney Wood Northern Christmas Supper - Iris Piggott In spite of Tim’s worries the Northern Christmas Supper was as successful as ever; in fact more so, as the larger number of 40 came to enjoy the excellent cuisine at the Alfold Barn on 29 November 2002. The number was quite a shock to Mr & Mrs McGuire, who had only expected 30 at the most and had booked another party to fill the remaining space. Maybe we can fill the whole room this year? The other booking was a birthday party and it was great for them to have an extra 39 voices (one forgot to come!) to give added volume to the song of good wishes. Thirteen members not known to those of long standing were mixed together in the seating — a system that seems to work well for all concerned. The innovation of a raffle based against the numbers on the seating tickets helped to raise funds. Much amusement was caused when the lady who had brought a bottle of wine for a prize won it herself. Iris Piggott was very happy to receive a pot of cyclamen (as described in gardening circles) which gave a pleasing display right up to the end of the year. (Iris has a complete set of Nicholson Ordnance Survey Waterway Guides plus maps of the Kennet & Avon she doesn’t need anymore. Free or a donation to the Trust. Iris Piggott, 77 Ashcombe Road, Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1LX Tel:01306 886521) Book Review New Book from the Surrey Industrial History Group (SIHG) The Wey Navigations, an Historical Guide — by Alan Wardle ISBN 0953812227 This book gives a detailed history of the navigations from the Thames to Godalming Wharf, the limit of navigation, covering over 300 years of commercial operation. Much use has been made of the archives of the Wey & Godalming Navigations and William Stevens and Sons. The book contains a number of illustrations as well as 37 pages of maps. Generous grants from Guildford, Runnymede and Woking Borough Councils made possible the printing of these in colour and the Surrey History Centre provided the archive maps. The book will be on sale from early May and SIHG will be holding the Launch on Thursday 8th May at the Surrey History Centre between 6.45 and 8.45 p.m. Copies will be on sale at £11.95. The History Centre is at 130 Goldsworth Road, Woking and everyone is welcome. No admission charge and complimentary wine/soft drinks will be served. Following publication, the book will be available, post free, from John Mills, 35 Trotsworth Avenue, Virginia Water GU25 4AN Situations Vacant Speaker Panel Would you like to join our small team of Speakers who give slide illustrated talks about the work and aims of the Trust to interested groups and organisations such as WI’s, Probus, Local History Societies etc.? This is an opportunity to meet many interesting people who wish to know more about the Wey & Arun Canal, and can be a very rewarding experience. The requests for speakers come mainly from groups in Surrey and West Sussex, but also from East Sussex, Hampshire and the Greater London areas. Obviously it is desirable that a speaker does not have to travel long distances to the venue, particularly on a dark winter’s night, and that is why we are looking to expand our present team. For example it would be marvellous if we could recruit a speaker willing to cover the Horsham, Crawley and East Grinstead areas. Naturally, training and provision of necessary projection equipment is available, but it must be remembered that the speakers do offer this service on a personal voluntary basis, with the main aim being to publicise the Trust. The groups do pay an appropriate fee to the Trust for talks, and some speakers take with them a small selection of sales items, such as our walk guide "Wey-South Path", which all helps to swell the coffers for our restoration work. For more details please contact, Tony Pratt at 28 Clyde Road, WORTHING BN13 3LG Tel: 01903 261991 Motor Mechanic / Engine Enthusiast Despite the fact we have just lost 5 dumpers (details elsewhere in this Bulletin), the Trust does have a number of other machines, pumps etc. that require attention and general TLC. Should a site manager need to use one of these, it should be up and running at any given time. So, if you are a retired motor mechanic or engine enthusiast, and can spare some time, we would very much welcome your expertise at the Trust’s Depot. For more details please contact, Colin Gibbs, 36 Meadowside Road, Cheam SUTTON SM2 7PF Tel: 020 8241 7736 Shopping List Our appeal in the last edition of Wey-South for crowbars, sledgehammers and loppers, fell on stony ground. Does anyone have any of these items, perhaps lying around in the shed or garage, completely redundant? If you can help then please phone Colin Gibbs on 020 8241 7736. As you may know, recent safety rulings (and our insurers) have resulted in the condemning of all 5 of the Trust’s dumpers. Some have already been disposed of, whilst the remainder will be joining the graveyard in the sky, at Charlie Muddle’s Adversane scrap yard. As a result, the Trust’s ability to move items around our worksites, and beyond, has been greatly reduced. Therefore we are desperate to obtain 1-ton and 2-ton dumpers, both with 4-wheel drive, fitted with roll bars. You almost certainly do not have one of these in the shed or garage, but may know someone who does. If you do, please give Eric Walker a call on 023 9246 3025. Recycling News The good news is that collections of old newspapers and magazines from our recycling skips at Loxwood and Crawley Down are now restored. Loxwood is being emptied weekly and Crawley Down monthly. Loxwood skip emptying (photo: John Wood) There is no doubt that we have lost some of our regular customers at Loxwood. This is a shame, as for the 12 month period from October 2001, our total income from the skips, including Recycling Credits from West Sussex County Council and Mid-Sussex District Council was £2,142.67. In addition, our merchants, Messrs Aylesford Newsprint, make a donation for every tonne we collect to Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital. Therefore can I make an appeal for more supporters, especially for the Crawley Down skip? Perhaps friends and neighbours would be interested in supporting this very worthwhile and easy form of fundraising. For more details please contact John Wood on 01903 75309. MWWP 10th Anniversary - Janet Phillips Champagne and Choppers Wednesday 15th January was the 10th anniversary of the first Mid-Week Working Party. To celebrate, Colin Gibbs made it a champagne picnic, complete with speeches - and soup thoughtfully provided by Iris Piggott. It was a grand affair with 18 volunteers present. MWWP 10th Anniversary (photo: Janet Phillips) Above photo: Four of the volunteers - Colin Gibbs, Jim Phillips, David ('Jock') Robertson and Peter Sterling - were veterans of the first working party. L to R: Colin Gibbs, Peter Wilding (who joined almost at the beginning) Jim Phillips and David ('Jock') Robertson. Missing from photo: Peter Sterling. The 267th working party met on Dunsfold Airfield. Here the canal forms the eastern boundary of the aerodrome. Our mission: "To clear the towpath". (Well, everyone has to have a mission nowadays). Despite a dampish morning, four fires consumed the brambles, branches and logs. MWWP 10th Anniversary (photo: Janet Phillips) By the afternoon, it was possible to get a clear view down the now open towpath towards the golden setting Sun. The dark shapes of the trees were reflected in the water as was the nearly-full Moon as it rose. Colin has personally led 257 of these working parties, driving all the way from Cheam, collecting and putting away the tools, staying behind until all the fires were safely burnt down and above all ensuring that each day is useful and fun. Thank you, Colin. A Pair of Eyes in Sidney Wood - Jim Phillips, Vice Chairman Members may know by now that WACT has a 20-year lease on the Canal where it runs through Sidney Wood. Members who walk in that area (to the south west of Dunsfold Airfield) will know how attractive it is, with the canal winding through oak and beech woods. WACT will be judged by how well we look after that part of the summit level; if we leave fallen branches in the canal, or hedges overlapping the towpath, it will give a poor impression to passers-by. We need a pair of eyes in a Member who walks in Sidney Wood to report to the Granary if there is anything amiss. A phone call is fine — so nothing formal. The Trust will ensure that correcting action is then taken as it is very dispiriting to the reporter if nothing happens. If you can offer a pair of eyes to observe Sidney Wood from time to time during the course of your walks, please get in touch with me. Jim Phillips jim@phillips-family.freeserve.co.uk

TRIP BOAT MATTERS - Skipper Licensing Free boat trips for New Members 'Santa' trips go from Strength to Strength Special boat trips on 11th May ZK Crew / Volunteer Scheme Skipper Licensing - Dusty Miller (Jennie Tomlinson, WAEL Operations Manager, desperately needs new crew/skippers what with the refurbishment of John Smallpeice and the new aqueduct. This article by Dusty sets forth a plan to alleviate one of the obstacles) As we gear ourselves up for the 2003 season, it has become very clear that we will need to increase the number of skippers and crew for our two boats. Mike Anderson and his team are looking at ways of doing this. At a recent meeting of the WAEL Board it was decided to offer to meet some of the financial costs of becoming a skipper. At the moment to become licensed by the Marine and Coast Guard Agency (MCGA), you are required to take a Boat Masters Test Level 3. The initial test costs £126 and the renewal is £30. If you are under 65 years the renewal is every five years and is required annually after 65. On top of this it is necessary for a Medical Test to be undertaken once every five years below 65 and annually after 65. This all makes for a big outlay, particularly for those with a fixed income. We already have the services of a local GP and a member of the Trust who kindly conducts our medicals at no charge. This is a big saving and we are very grateful for his support. In order to relieve the cost of the BML to prospective skippers we now will pay the difference between the cost of a new licence and a renewal to any new skipper completing 10 trips. Thereafter 50% of the cost of renewal will be paid to all skippers, subject to a further 5 trips being completed. In current terms that means that a new skipper will be able to claim back £100 after ten trips and £15 after further renewal and 5 more trips. This with the offer of a free medical should remove the onerous costs from skippers. There may well be some who would generously not wish to claim this money and this of course will enable more of our earned money to end up with the Trust. I hope this is clear to everyone. Should you have any queries, please contact Mike Anderson or myself for clarification. Free boat trips for new members - David Isted, Publicity Manager. Members who have joined during the past year are invited on a free trip aboard Zachariah Keppel on either the 22nd or the 29th March at 2pm. A trip along the canal will show you some of the work being done by volunteers and contractors and will give you all the opportunity to discuss some of the projects we are undertaking during the forthcoming year. Please phone the office on 01403 752403 to reserve your seats on either of these dates. Looking forward to meeting you. 'Santa' trips go from Strength to Strength - Tony Pratt “Zachariah Keppel” Christmas trips broke all records once again with more than 700 passengers enjoying themselves over the 5 days that we operated, bringing the annual passenger total for 2002 to over 5,000 for the first time. The profit from "Santa" trips for WAEL to transfer to the Trust was £2,860. These results were achieved by a huge effort by the volunteers involved, a total of 360 hours being worked by the 40 enthusiastic members who contributed on the days, supported by many others who provided mince pies, publicity, present packing or just good wishes from the towpath. Inspiration for the project came from Anthony Woolhouse, aided by his wife Trina who provided the unsurpassed mulled wine and also the display set-pieces. Dusty Miller and the WAEL Directors organised boat and sales personnel, and the Office Managers took the bookings, sent out tickets, and completed the faultless paperwork as always. Santa cruises (photo: Tony Pratt) All the trips were sold out 2 weeks before they even started, an amazing achievement. Father Christmas performed his onerous task with good humour and enthusiasm despite occasional and quite unjustified musical slurs on his lifestyle expressed by some passengers via a slightly modified sea shanty (What shall we do with the drunken Santa?) The event is becoming much more than an enjoyable outing for families and is assuming the mantle of a social occasion where WACT members and their friends call by to wish each other well, and to see the restored canal at its best, providing a unique experience for young and old. As has become traditional we were joined by a host of furry (or otherwise) cuddly creatures along the banks and trees of the canal. Highlights included a group of bears ski-ing, and another group enjoying their private patch of snow, those well known monkeys going about their swinging business, and several tea-parties of like creatures half hidden in the undergrowth. Did anyone spot the bright parrot at long stop beyond the boat turning point? Many letters and calls of thanks from our customers attest to the success of the whole exercise, and all those involved can be justly proud of their contribution. The next production is at Easter, and bookings are now being taken. This means helpers are also needed, particularly for the role of Easter Bunny. Please call and the office will direct you to the relevant contact. Special Boat Trips for 11 May To coincide with the Small Boat Cruise there will be a series of special trips as follows: Zachariah Keppel will depart at 10.00 am from Onslow wharf for a trip of up to 3 hours to include the first “official” transit of Drungewick Aqueduct. All passengers will receive a certificate recording the event. Cost will be £15 per head with no child fares available. John Smallpeice will depart from below Brewhurst Lock at 11.00 and 14.00 to give 2 hour trips to view the Small Boats, cost will be £8 per person; again as these are specials no child fares available Pete Wynn will be available for self-drive day charter for up to 4 persons at £75.00 plus VAT, and may join the cruise. All bookings to the Office, please. ZK Crew / Volunteer Scheme - Jill Paterson Do you like the idea of a “free” boat trip on the Loxwood Link on a regular or occasional basis? Do you enjoy meeting and talking to new people? Do you fancy helping to raise the profile of — and funds for — the Trust? If so, have you thought about joining the team who skipper and crew WAEL’s trip boats? You probably know how gloriously pretty and peaceful the Loxwood Link can be on a sunny spring day. You’ve no doubt experienced the fun of working with a small team of people with a single aim. It’s possible that you get to chat about the Trust’s work with all sorts of interesting people. You might have had a chance to enjoy the light workout involved in locking several times in an afternoon (who needs a gym?!). And you may be familiar with the astounding range of plants growing alongside the canal and the wildlife in and on it (did you ever see such a size and variety of dragonflies elsewhere?). But have you ever explained how a lock works to a child who is going through one for the first time? That’s a remarkably rewarding experience! For me, these have been some of the reasons why my time crewing on the Zachariah Keppel for WAEL over the last four years has been so enjoyable. WAEL run scheduled boat trips for the public every weekend and Bank Holiday from April through to October, and take private charter trips whenever we can. During peak times (June and July) this often means at least daily. Each trip requires a skipper and two crew members who work as a team to provide a safe, smooth, informative and enjoyable cruise for passengers. The pool of volunteers each help out as often — or infrequently — as they are able and agree specific dates and times in advance with the “crew coordinators”. We are always pleased to welcome new members to the team — particularly so at this time as we are looking forward to being able to take advantage of the aqueduct for the first time, with new trip options planned this year. If you are interested, please contact Roger Harbut on 01903 872272. He’ll talk you through the details and arrange a session for you to become familiar with the boats and the routine. Oh, I should probably admit that there are days when it is cold, it rains, there are fewer passengers than you’d like or the lock gates or paddle gear seem a little stubborn. So it’s not always idyllic — but the average is definitely on the positive side and at least on those ‘less good’ days you know that the rest of the team are in the same boat — quite literally! Staff Volunteering Award Scheme - Jim Phillips Hon. Treasurer Trust members who do voluntary work for either WACT or WAEL may be able to get their work “paid for” at £5 an hour by their employer. The money comes to the Trust. The larger employers are usually those that operate the Scheme, but some smaller companies do so as well. If you put in hours on the canal, please see whether your employer is in the Staff Volunteering Award Scheme. We need all the help we can get to pay for restoration.

News from The Granary Jackie Blizard/Dorothy Shall/Susan Worsfold Last years remarkably successful boat season far exceeded our expectations and, apart from doubling the number of private charter bookings taken, the most amazing feature was the speed at which the tickets sold out for the Santa Cruises. All 725 seats were sold well in advance (by the beginning of December!), and we had many requests to run extra trips. The trips had already been extended to run on five days instead of four and this required many hours of commitment from a great team of volunteers. We were unable to oblige with any extra trips but maybe this year we will, once we have enlisted the help of all those members who have offered (or are about to offer!) to crew or skipper the Zachariah Keppel. The trips obviously give an enormous amount of pleasure to children and adults alike and we have received some very appreciative and rewarding comments. Many thanks for all the contributions of mince pies for the Santa Cruises. We still have some empty tins left in the office waiting to be reclaimed As soon as Santa had left the canal our thoughts turned to the return of the Easter Bunny! The details of the Easter Cruises are here [while still relevant] - if you are interested in booking tickets, do give us a call SOON! Also, if any members still have access to any unwanted cuddly toys which might be lurking at the back of cupboards or in attics, we would love to receive them - we do have a pretty good stock already but could always do with some more. If possible, please deliver them to the office in time for the 'decoration' of the canal banks for the Easter weekend. 2003 promises to bc an interesting year with the introduction, at some stage during the season, of a three hour cruise, and possible changes to the weekend public trips to take advantage of the aqueduct and longer section of restored canal. We are busy taking bookings for charters of the ZK (we already have 18 booked for the coming season), and we are anticipating greater use of the refurbished John Smallpeice. We also look forward to hearing from any members who are interested in hiring the Shetland boat, the Pete Wynne. We now have the facility to accept Credit Card payments by telephone, if required, which can reduce the amount of paperwork and speed up the booking procedure. There are going to be two training sessions on board ZK for all those who indicated on their membership forms an interest in helping with the trip boat. They are planned for Sunday 30th March and Sunday 13th April. If there is anyone else who would like to know what crewing the boat involves and would like to attend one of the days, please call the office on 01403 752403 or Roger Harbut on 01903 872272. from Dorothy Shall - On a sad note, due to work commitments, I shall be leaving the Trust later on this month. I can’t believe it is almost 3 years since I started as Office Manager. I hadn’t worked for a long time, and didn’t really know what I was letting myself in for! However any worries I had were quickly replaced with excitement and anticipation as I soon realised that no two days were ever the same in the office. I shall miss the conversations with the public who contact us asking if we are 'the people who run these boats?' and 'when will the aqueduct be finished?' But I shall especially miss the Trust Officers who pop into the office and have been incredibly kind to me throughout my time here. It has been a wonderful time to be involved in the Trust, as so much as been achieved recently. I shall have to become a member in order to keep in touch with the progress of the canal! Wey-South Editor: Tim Jolly All communication and copy either by post to: 2 Southdown Close Roffey Horsham RH12 4LD Or email to: tim.jolly@tesco.net Material published in this bulletin represents the views of the contributors and should not, unless specifically indicated, be assumed to be the policy of the Trust. Next Issue will be published in June. Copy MUST reach the editor by mid May please — note, later than usual. If at all possible please email copy by attachment in Microsoft Word format. However, typed / WP copy can be scanned and ASCII data on floppy disc is acceptable. Photos particularly welcome.

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Last updated March 2003