The Canal & River Trust internal newspaper

TheSourceIssue 41 | November 2015

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My work, my life James Clifton

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What is this? Identify this picture in The Source for a chance to win a £25 voucher

As more than a thousand years of loyal service were celebrated, chief executive Richard Parry told staff: “There is no doubt that our organisation would be poorer without the commitment you have given over so many years.”

Praising the remarkable achievement of colleagues celebrating 1,030 years of service between them, chief executive Richard Parry said: “It is a great privilege to be here to show my appreciation for your service. I know each of you will be able to look back at countless things you have done and been proud to be part of. You have all made your mark in various ways on the network we have today, you’ll be able to identify things that – if you hadn’t been here – wouldn’t have happened.

“I want to acknowledge the role that your partners and families have played – it is only possible to dedicate such long service with their forbearance, patience and active support. My thanks to all of them.

“You have all seen

much change over the years – canals restored, technology introduced, working practices reformed, priorities shifted. I hope that most of the change you’ve witnessed feels like progress. But I’m sure you’ll agree that the core of what we do remains unchanged, timeless almost – the passage of boats over water, the movement of people and goods, the function of the locks and bridges, the appeal of the towpaths as a place to enjoy the wildlife and environment in our care. These are the special things that you have done so much to preserve and enhance.

“The past three years have perhaps been the most significant and exciting of all as we created the Canal & River Trust. There is so much that is now made possible by our new status, by the independence we have and the relative certainty of our funding.

“I am confident that we can look forward to a very bright future. But I know that that future is only available to us because of what you have done in the past, when

things didn’t always look so bright; that it is thanks to you and other long time servants of our waterways that we can cherish and build on what we have today; that the experience, knowledge and commitment in this room is rare indeed, and very, very special.”

Twenty five of the 35 long serving members of staff enjoyed dinner and a disco with their guests at the Thorpe Park Hotel and Spa in Leeds. They were presented with gifts ranging from bikes and TVs to cameras and experience day vouchers.

Long and loyal service celebrated in style

You have all made your

mark in various ways on the network we have today ... you’ll be able to identify things that – if you hadn’t been here – wouldn’t have happened.

Richard Parry

25 YEARS’ SERVICERob Arrowsmith principal hydrologist; Peter Birch national environment manager; David Crane regional engineer; Paul Fox senior project manager; Des Harris principal works engineer; Paul Kelly senior project manager; Adam Loftus workshop craft operative; Stuart Mills property director; Bev Minett technical administrator; Colin Perkins principal project manager; Steve Pullinger head of tax &

accounting; Stephen Richings M&E operative; Annette Simpson education & interpretation manager; Nick Smith national waste & contamination surveyor.

35 YEARS’ SERVICEHelen Backler assistant finance analyst; Maria Capitano principal business support analyst; John Cottam construction supervisor CRT direct services; Paul Edwards team leader

West Midlands; Graham Holland national asset strategy manager; Keith Johnston estate surveyor; Mike Marshall customer operations manager North East; Linda Milton senior project manager; Karen Morphet customer support co-ordinator South Wales & Severn; Brian Parker waterway operative South Wales & Severn; Steve Scott waterway inspections operative East Midlands; Peter Topliss M&E operative North East; Ian

Williams workshop craft operative; Howard Wilcox principal engineer.

45 YEARS’ SERVICEBarry Bradding team leader South East; John Butel workshop craft operative; Antony Gill craft operative ICT direct services; Ronald Ingram craft operative ICT direct services; Fred Smith construction operative ICT direct services.

45 years: l to r Antony Gill, Ron Ingram, Richard Parry, John Butel and Barry Bradding

25 years: l to r Stuart Mills, Peter Birch, Rob Arrowsmith, David Crane, Bev Minett, Richard Parry, Paul Kelly, Des Harris, Colin Perkins, Nick Smith and Paul Fox

35 years: l to r Maria Capitano, Karen Morphet, Graham Holland, Keith Johnston, Ian Williams, Richard Parry, Mike Marshall, Linda Milton, Howard Wilcox, Peter Topliss, Brian Parker and John Cottam

Focus: Residential heritage properties project

pages 4-5

2 The Source | November 2015

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Liz Waddington Editor, The Source

T: 01908 351860 DD: 1060M: 07710 175445 E: Liz.Waddington@canalrivertrust.org.uk

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TheSource

News

News in brief

Competition:

Media stars

A measured start for L&L bicentenary celebrations

How to enter:• This is somewhere in this month’s The

Source. Tell us what it is and where it appears and you could win a £25 voucher.

• If more than one correct answer is sent in, the winner will be picked at random.

• Email: liz.waddington@canalrivertrust.org.uk • Or text the answer and your name to:

07710 175445• Closing date: 4 December 2015

Last month’s picture in this popular competition was the badge on the red jacket on page 6. The winner, picked at random from all the correct entries, is boating co-ordinator Lin Ingley.

What is this?

Online expenses systems supports our volunteers The new online expense system is a fast and easy way for volunteers to recover their out of pocket expenses. New volunteers are added directly into the system once their time has been recorded in ThankQ. If you work with volunteers who would like to be added or know volunteers already in the system who would like further support email volunteer.expenses@canalrivertrust.org.uk or phone 0303 040 4040.

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Autumn parliamentary reception Last month we held a reception for MPs and peers in the River Room in the House of Lords to introduce our new chairman Allan Leighton and update parliamentarians on the work of the Trust. We were delighted to be joined by Waterways Minister, Rory Stewart MP, who talked positively about our successes since becoming a Trust, and actor and boater Timothy West who shared some of his anecdotes from his holidays on canals.

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Easynet freeze on worksSky Network Services, which manages the Easynet system, will be putting in place the usual freeze on works over the Christmas period. With the exception of emergencies, we will not be allowed to carry out works which may affect the Easynet system from 06:00 on 16 December 2015 until 06:00 on 6 January 2016.

Mark Mills

Supervisor Mark Mills spoke to BBC Hereford & Worcester about the operation to recover a car that accidently rolled into the River Severn in Worcester after the handbrake was left off.

Senior project manager Tim Brownrigg spoke to BBC Radio Leicester about the removal and scheduled repairs to White Horse Bridge which needed a 100-tonne crane to take it off site.

Project manager Richard Spencer spoke to BBC Radio Stoke about the repairs to Bosley Reservoir.

A letter from head of museums Graham Boxer was printed in The Times about the inspirational engineers who built the canal network – in response to an article the paper ran earlier in the week about a shortage of modern-day engineers.

Tim Brownrigg

Waterway manager North West Chantelle Seaborn and bicentenary project manager Sarah Knight with a Leeds & Liverpool Canal mile marker in Wigan

A project to replace lost mile markers along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal starts a year of celebrations to mark the bicentenary of the completion of Britain’s longest single man-made waterway on 22 October 1816.

The heritage mile marker project is one of several events along the 127-mile canal that include a new choral symphony, the pioneering Desmond Family Coast

to Coast Canoe Trail, the Super Slow Way arts project and dozens of festivals and events.

Waterway manager North West Chantelle Seaborn explained: “The Leeds & Liverpool is a special waterway and to leave a lasting legacy we are launching #EveryMileCounts. We’re working with local communities to refurbish badly damaged or replace lost mile markers.”

Richard Spencer

Graham Boxer

Birmingham-based community group Wassifa Inspire will transform a three mile stretch of canal in central Birmingham with a series of gardens and artworks celebrating black and Caribbean culture in the city. The project is part of a pilot project in the north west and west midlands and was made possible through a grant of £249,000 from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and a £127,000 donation from the players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

Community engagement co-ordinator Nick Cleaver (back) and Wassifa Inspire volunteers whose ambition is to get more local people involved in caring for local heritage

Three miles of waterways adopted by Birmingham’s Caribbean community

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First winter open days draw the crowds Nearly 2,000 members of the public queued up to climb down into Newark Town Lock on the River Trent which had been drained to allow for the gates to be replaced.

This was the first of a national programme of 15 free, public open days as part of the Trust’s five-month, £45 million restoration and repair programme this winter. The open days give the public the rare chance to see up close some of the finest examples of working industrial heritage in the world, whether climbing down into famous locks in Camden and Bingley in West Yorkshire, or walking through an aqueduct in Wales’ picturesque Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal. Full details on our website.

l to r Ready to greet the visitors at Newark Town Lock open day are waterway operative Daniel Lowe, construction supervisor Julian Rasen, joiner Joshua Hindson and Ben Hughes (agency)

These boots are made for boating… A traditional canal art painter who keeps his boat on the Lee & Stort Navigation in London managed to

get his hands on waterway operative Roy Whitbread’s workboots with this result...

WINNER£25

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Rochdale Canal gets big community clean up A three piece suite, a lorry wheel arch and 50 bags full of rubbish were collected from the Rochdale Canal during a community clean up – part of an event which joined forces with Marks & Spencer’s ‘Spark Something Good’ campaign of community events across Manchester. Fifty volunteers cut back overgrown vegetation, cleared litter and painted lock gates and railings to help improve the overall appearance of the canal.

News

Formal consultation began on 12 November with active members of the Waterways Pension Fund (WPF) on proposals to close the scheme to future accrual on 30 September 2016.

The WPF is a defined benefit (‘DB’) pension scheme, of which a little over half of the Trust’s current workforce are members. Other staff are members of a defined contribution (‘DC’) scheme, or no scheme at all. The proposals are to close the scheme to future accrual and put in place provisions for an enhanced DC scheme which is affordable for the Trust and fair, equitable and consistent for all staff.

The proposals would not affect any pension benefits that members accrue up to this point – these are safe and cannot be changed – and do not affect retired or deferred members of the scheme.

Active members of the WPF have been sent detailed information on the proposals and are encouraged to attend one of a series of planned roadshows. The consultation closes on 29 January 2016. The report on the outcome of the consultation is anticipated in March, subject to the matters raised during the consultation.

MoU breaks new ground on protecting waterways

An agreement between the Trust and Natural England (NE) strengthening mutual collaboration to protect England’s canals and make them more accessible has been reached.

The ground-breaking Memorandum of Understanding was signed by chief executive Richard Parry and James Cross (NE chief executive) on the banks of the Pocklington Canal – the focal point of an ambitious £460,000 bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to protect its special wildlife and make it more accessible to visitors.

Designated as a SSSI (Special Site of Scientific Interest) for its rare aquatic plants, breeding birds and outstanding variety of dragonfly and damselfly, it is a success story which the Trust and NE hope to replicate across the canal network, as they work together to encourage communities to take a more active role in canal management.

Richard Parry said: “This agreement will make it quicker and easier for us to improve our waterways for those visiting and living nearby whilst using our collective expertise to protect some of our most cherished, and in some cases, vulnerable species.

“It’s a great endorsement of our work across England & Wales and we very much look forward to being able to work even more effectively with Natural England.”

l to r Ecologist Phillippa Baron, James Cross (NE chief executive), Richard Parry and Simon Christian (lead conservation and land management advisor, NE)

Manchester & Pennines Waterways staff and volunteers (and not forgetting M&S’s clean up mascot Percy Pig)

Consultation about proposed changes to the Waterways Pension Fund begins

takes to London’s canals

If you’ve seen the latest James Bond film, Spectre, you may not have realised that the hidden entrance to Q’s top secret underground workshop on the River Thames outside MI6 was actually shot on the Regent’s Canal in Camden.

Filming & campaigns executive Cassie Clarke was approached a year ago by the location manager looking for a ‘watery underground location’. Dead Dog Basin – underneath the Grade II listed Interchange building in Camden – fitted the bill.

Cassie explained in her blog on our website: “The film crew spent three weeks transforming the damp underground basement and dock. Because the building is listed everything went through heritage advisor Florence Salberter to make sure no lasting damage was caused.

“On the day a huge film crew descended

on Camden, with paparazzi everywhere waiting for Daniel Craig to emerge from Dead Dog Basin on his high speed RIB (actually travelling at 4mph). Smaller boats were shaken to create the effect of wavelets on the Thames in the still canal water.”

London customer operatives Stewart Qureshi and Tim Mulligan were also on hand to help boaters through the locks and keep everything running smoothly.

Strategy sets out plans to protect water supplyA document setting out our plans to protect our water supplies for the next 35 years has been published. Developed after extensive consultation, it sets out our work plan for the next five years and looks as far ahead as 2050 to understand the longer term pressures and challenges. Key concepts and definitions are explained, such as hydrological units (waterways supplied from the same water sources), navigational drought (a period of time where a shortage of water in a hydrological unit leads to restrictions or navigational closure), levels of service (the frequency we would expect a navigational drought to occur) and navigational drought closure (when, as a result of drought at a particular location in a hydrological unit, navigation is possible for fewer than five hours a day, over seven or more consecutive days). Our approach to three key issues for our customers – lock leakage, side ponds and dredging – is also explained. The strategy is available on canalrivertrust.org.uk

Olympic trials held on the River Witham More than 320 boats and 400 competitors, together with their coaches, gathered in Boston to take part in Olympic rowing trials on the River Witham.

Run like clockwork under the watchful eye of the GB rowing team performance director, Sir David Tanner CBE, the 2016 Rio de Janeiro hopefuls enjoyed perfect conditions. Sir David thanked the Trust for the use of the river which he said was ideal for such trials because of its width and weed-free conditions. Hopefully those putting in the fastest times will turn out to be gold medal winners for Team GB.

A lighter litter haul from Milton Keynes

Volunteers from the Milton Keynes branch of the IWA (Inland Waterway Association) grappled a motorbike, a washing machine and a ‘very nice’ electric bicycle, amongst other assorted junk, from the Grand Union Canal during an autumn clean-up recently.

The volunteers were joined by head of boating Mike Grimes, waterway development & engagement manager South East Sarah Brown, volunteer leader Miriam Linforth and volunteer development co-ordinator John Highmore. A spokesman for the IWA,

thanked waterway operatives Jamie Cull and Brian Eales, particularly for their contribution on the dredger and added: “Encouragingly, this was the lightest haul for some time: perhaps regard for and appreciation of the canal as a valuable local asset is widening.”

London 2012 gold medallist Katherine Grainger

l to r Jamie Cull (GUS customer ops) and Brian Eales (GUN customer ops) were on hand to help collect the rubbish pulled from the Grand Union Canal

Fundraising moves to a business bargeThe fundraising team has moved out from The Toll House, Little Venice to a business barge moored outside Holborn Studios at Eagle Wharf Marina on the Regent’s Canal. The team has settled in well and is ready to welcome colleagues in need of a hot desk for a few hours (please phone first) at Holly, 49 - 50 Eagle Wharf Road, London N1 7ED

4 5The Source | November 2015 The Source | November 2015

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Trust staff doing their bit:Check out the back page

James Clifton Enterprise manager (South)Milton Keynes

» Joined on 16 May 1991» Hobbies: cycling, cooking, I bake

my own bread and I make my own cufflinks

» Favourite holiday destination: I recently celebrated a big birthday with a trip to Peru, hiking the Inca Trail

» Volunteering: I volunteer with visually impaired people

» People may not know: I cycled 1,000 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats for Pepper Children’s Cancer Charity. I’ve also run a marathon and swum the Channel (many lengths in an indoor pool)

James Clifton facts:

Focus: Residential heritage properties

I joined British Waterways as an environmental planner in 1991.

At the time I was the only chartered town planner in BW and advised waterway managers on the Kennet & Avon, Oxford, Grand Union and London waterways, as well as the property experts across the whole organisation, including those in Scotland.

I have since been in several other roles. At the moment I am enterprise manager covering South East Waterways, which means I obtain outside funding and support strategic partnerships. A typical day involves writing briefs for our technical teams to evaluate and price, going to meetings with funders – like the Heritage Lottery Fund and local authorities – to discuss existing or future projects, together with general progress chasing. Having worked with the press office for many years, I am also occasionally asked to represent the Trust on radio and television interviews. My projects are mostly towpath improvements, but also restoration and interpretation at sites like the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal, Foxton Locks, Stoke Bruerne and the Iron Trunk Aqueduct at Cosgrove.The highlight of my career: Appearing on breakfast TV when BW announced a series of restoration projects. Mine was the lead item – the £200m Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Park. I was brought down to earth with a bump, though, when I learned that my young children had changed channels, as they thought it was boring.The low point: A presentation to a hostile meeting of 75 people. A colleague bringing all of the projection equipment, including my notes, got stuck in traffic, and I had to do it with absolutely nothing in front of me.

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My work, my life

Thurlwood Steel Lock

Our Heritage

Modern steel engineering structures on canals are not usually viewed as heritage. But some are deserving of a second look. One such is, or rather was, Thurlwood Steel Lock, which was built in the late 1950s to replace one of the paired locks on the Trent & Mersey that was failing due to subsidence caused by brine pumping.

Thurlwood was an experimental naked steel lock that could be jacked up when further subsidence occurred. It might have been modern, but it was very much in the functional tradition; it had impressive guillotine gates, visible culvert tubes and loads of metal steps and railings. Strung with bunting, it opened in 1958, but it was unreliable, often out of use and took longer to fill than the original lock. Boaters tended to avoid it and its maintenance was shamefully neglected.

Thurlwood Steel Lock would have had a 60-year design life and with proper maintenance could have lasted for more than 100 years. Had it survived it would certainly have become a listed building. Instead, in 1988 it was demolished and cut up for scrap; a sad end for an intriguing ‘age of austerity’ lock made of metal. Especially when you think of Thomas Telford’s Beeston Iron Lock; a scheduled monument that is still in everyday use after 187 years.

Nigel Crowenational heritage manager

Thurlwood Steel Lock with bunting Whitsun 1958

(Waterways Archive)

Residential heritage properties project (or saving the family silver)

Facts & figures

» Number of properties in the project: 41» Number of listed properties: 33» Number of properties in conservation

areas: 24» Refurbished properties to date: 13» Average cost of refurbishment per property: £84,600» Number of heritage consents gained: 9

Returning historic

properties to their former glory is expert, painstaking work. Much of the new work is often indistinguishable from the old, but that is good conservation, and this project demonstrates that to the full. Nigel Crowe, national heritage manager

It is a charitable objective of the Trust to protect and preserve our waterways heritage for public benefit. Some of the best loved heritage assets we own are residential properties: cottages and houses built by canal companies to accommodate their staff, including lock keepers, bridge keepers, tunnel-keepers and lengthsmen.

For the past five years a project has been running which has invested more than £1.1m in heritage-based repairs to residential properties with high heritage value to ensure they are maintained in a sustainable and useable condition.

At the start of the project, 41 historic properties were assessed by our heritage and property teams as being worthy of retention and refurbishment. The properties are spread across the country, from Saul Junction in the south west to Selby in the north east, and demonstrate a range of building materials and styles. Some are built of locally sourced brick or stone, others are rendered and painted white or cream. These properties also vary widely in terms of their current condition; some are occupied and well cared for, others are damp and empty and await refurbishment and new tenants.

Thirty-three of these properties

are listed buildings, including five at Ellesmere Yard that are listed at Grade II*. Another four are not listed but lie within designated conservation areas.

At the outset of each refurbishment a detailed specification of works is drawn up by our in-house conservation architect, Peter Chowns, who also prepares drawings and documentation for listed building consents. Our local heritage advisors and building surveyors help by doing historical research and preparing contract information, as well as checking the quality of work once it gets under way.

Each refurbishment is undertaken through the framework contract with Kier, who tender the works to a number of contractors before the best is chosen. Whilst cost is obviously an important part of the decision, equal emphasis is placed upon heritage competency and understanding of historic buildings, to ensure that all works are sensitively carried out.

It may not have as high a profile as some of our big stoppages, but the heritage properties project is delivering important benefits for the Trust.

These include:• Improving income and

sustainability by ensuring properties are kept in good condition to retain tenants and attract the highest rental income

• Reducing carbon emissions and power use by carefully installing efficient heating systems, introducing double glazing and insulating roofs and walls

• Creating better relationships with stakeholders and heritage authorities by demonstrating high quality management and repair of heritage assets

• Less future spend on properties by achieving a position where maintenance is properly planned and regularly carried out.

The public and the Trust’s supporters also benefit from seeing cherished heritage sites and buildings preserved in a way that was rarely possible in the 20th century. In the years following the Second World War, many canalside residential properties were demolished or disposed of as waterways declined and funds were scarce. Our predecessors were accused of

‘selling the family silver’. So it is heartening to see these historic houses and cottages improved, given a new lease of life and earning their keep as part of the unique working heritage of our waterways.

Nigel Crowe, national heritage manager

We are committed to keeping our best heritage residential

properties and, importantly, investing in their restoration, improvement and future care so that we can attract good quality tenants. This, in turn, helps us generate income to spend on the waterways. Stuart Mills, property director

Salterhebble Lock House, Calder & Hebble Navigation: after researching old photographs, inappropriate modern casement windows have been replaced with traditional small-paned sash windows, incorporating special ultra-slim double glazed units

Peter Chowns, MSc, RIBA, CA, IHBC is project manager for the residential heritage properties project. He holds qualifications in architecture and historic building conservation and is an expert panel member on the East Midlands Design Review Panel. Peter joined British Waterways in 2001 and has worked on a wide variety of architectural, design and historic environment projects. He is principal architect in the Trust’s urban design team.

Canal House, Middlewich: internal layout changes include moving the kitchen to a larger room and infilling an undercroft to the rear of the house to create more living space. Widespread interior dampness had caused structural problems which have been resolved. Natural sheep’s wool insulation and secondary glazing have helped reduce heat loss.Below left: architect's drawings for Canal House, Middlewich and below right: refurbished bathroom.

Left: Lock and Bridge House, Selby: hard cement render was removed from the rear of the properties and replaced with lime. New door openings provide access to the rear gardens, and modern windows have been replaced with traditional sash windows incorporating ultra-slim double glazing. Asbestos guttering was removed and replaced with cast iron.

Above: Cottages 1 and 2, Vale Royal, Weaver Navigation: widespread internal dampness had become a potential health hazard so all the internal plaster was removed and will be replaced with natural insulation board and a lime-based, breathable wall treatment.

Above: Cropredy Lock Cottage, Oxford Canal: modern casement windows have been replaced with more appropriate traditional side hung casements, double glazed to reduce heat loss.

Left: Stocker’s Lock Cottage, Grand Union Canal: this iconic cottage is part of a set-piece canal scene. Works included removing moisture trapping masonry paint, rendering with lime and re-painting with breathable mineral paint. uPVC gutters and downpipes have been replaced with cast iron.

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1,030 11 Dec 0%years of long service

celebrated visitors to first public open

day of the wintervoting for Council

elections closes increase in boat licence fees

for 2016

Canal & River Trust people

2,000

Environment matters

@CRTManPennineBig thanks Slaithwaite Scouts! Fantastic work on your #amillionhands canal adoption! @UKScouting https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CSkqezfW4AAGBLN.jpg

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@TheSource_CRT Saying goodbye, thank you and we’ll miss you to @canalrivertrust chairman #TonyHales http://ow.ly/PHBlz https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CSVC4_oWoAAtvFN.jpg

@TheSource_CRT Read @canalrivertrust’s Cassie Clarke’s blog about 007 filming on the Regent’s Canal http://ow.ly/TQFFv #Spectre #excitingstuff

Top Tweets of the month

In this column, I always like to reflect on the positive things we’re doing and those that I get to experience.

For example this month’s photo is from the national angling canal championships junior section in October when I met Holly Nicholls and twenty other enthusiastic young anglers.

The past few weeks have also – to select a few examples – given me the opportunity to visit our excellent and popular winter open day at Newark Town Lock; attend our parliamentary reception with the new waterways minister (Rory Stewart MP) and other supporters at Westminster; drop in on a conference for

some of the brilliant volunteers who lead our community adoptions; spend a day out with the chief executive of Natural England on the Pocklington Canal, where we signed up to work together more closely; and speak to our new intake of apprentices at their recent induction.

These things are all a great privilege and a pleasure to be involved in. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to face up to more difficult things. That’s what we’ve done in announcing the start of a consultation about closing the waterways pension fund to future accruals from next September: that will affect just over half of our employees who

are members. It’s been very tough to confront this, but it is the right thing to do.

The deficit in the pension fund – inexorably rising, with the long term risk that the Trust faces growing – cannot be ignored if we are to safeguard our waterways’ future. So we’re proposing a good new alternative pension scheme for all. One that will be affordable for employees and the Trust alike, whilst ensuring that the benefits all our pension fund members have accrued to date are safe and protected.

The announcement comes shortly after we’ve finished the Growing our Trust workshops. Whilst this might

seem like unfortunate timing, there is in fact a common thread – both changes are critical to our long term future; to make us financially secure, and fitter as an organisation, for what we face in the future. As we discussed at the workshops, we have to change how we do things – working together better, communicating more effectively, involving others in what we do – if we are to meet the challenges ahead.

The commitment and purpose that we started to build at the workshops has to continue; together making the Trust a great place to work for each of us; giving all employees a

fair reward, whilst also giving us confidence in our future, with resources available for the work we need to do, to keep our great inland waterways in the condition we all want to see forever.

Richard’s reflectionsChange is critical to our future and to our waterways

l to r Richard Parry with Holly Nicholls at the national angling canal championships

Huddersfield Narrow Canal dredging project

Bringing waterways back to life one stage at a time

Seven weeks of dredging on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal began in September. The £330,000 project – which included £16,000 of tree work – was to dredge 4.5 kms from lock 6 to lock 20.

The dredging, carried out by Land & Water Services, is estimated to remove 4,874m3 (6,800t) of silt – 5,000t of which was transported by lorry to the Trust’s permitted dredging disposal site at Battyeford in the north east. The Battyeford site had received dredgings in 2013 so some serious earthmoving was required prior to the deposition so that it would allow for the extra 5,000t. During the excavation of the now dried dredgings from 2013 some old artefacts where dug up – old glass bottles and hollow clay balls (one of which appeared in the October edition of The Source.)

The use of the Battyeford site for disposal has saved the Trust an estimated £108,000 in disposal and haulage costs. This is on top of the extra carbon emissions which would have been necessary if the dredgings were taken for disposal at landfill.

The dredging was managed by Mark Weatherall with input from the North West Waterways team. Environmental issues including tree removal, invasive weeds and waste disposal were overseen by members of NE and NW environment team.

The long, but worthwhile, process of restoring a waterway is not straightforward. Along the way there is a variety of things that need to be done – water management, establishing land ownership, securing planning consents and fundraising – to name a few.

There are more than 70 restorations at various stages in England and Wales. Some are at the very start with just a vision and are looking for guidance. Others are more advanced with engineering surveys and detailed designs, but are missing some of the basics such as ensuring the line is protected or getting evidence as to why the restoration should happen.

Restoration assistant Kate Langley explained: “Undoubtedly, there’s loads of enthusiasm out there, but we need to channel this energy. A framework has been created which we hope will provide direction. We worked with the Inland Waterways Association to develop key work stages, with associated core tasks and outputs. The stages suggest a broad order of work and are linked to the RIBA work plan to ensure compatibility with construction projects.”

Key documents, providing models of good practice and, hopefully, inspiration, are available on our website’s restoration pages under ‘key documents’. Kate added: “If you think any documents are missing,

please get in touch.” The interactive stage-by-stage resource can be found under ‘Restoration work stages’. www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/restoration

Original paddle gear Stroudwater Navigation

Rob

ert P

aget

7The Source | November 2015

RetirementsBest wishes for a long and happy retirement:

George Ballinger, head of asset management & performance, after 22 years’ serviceNeville Payne, waterway operative North Wales & Borders, after 41 years’ serviceJohn Sidebottom, craft operative construction west, O&AM, after 17 years’ service

Leavers Goodbye and good luck:Dominic Barlow, waterway operative Kennet & Avon, after three years’ serviceVivien Davis, cleaner Sawley Marina, BWML, after 13 years’ serviceEmma Eaton-Knight, architectural technician BWML, after eight months’ serviceRosie Etteridge, licence processor BLT, after 18 months’ serviceEmiko Farnham, museum assistant Canal Museum Stoke Bruerne, after three years’ serviceCatherine Higham, museum assistant National Waterways Museum, after 15 years’ serviceDiana Loureiro, waterway operative South East, after seven months’ serviceKelly Radley, internal communications & customer services manager, after 10 years’ serviceDanielle Wynne, mobile technology support specialist ICT, after two years’ serviceAnd goodbye and thank you to our seasonal staff

Starters Welcome: Elizabeth Baird and Anna Gallen, waterway heritage trainees, construction westChris Bell, apprentice bricklayer, north east, construction north Jean Benn, enforcement officer, enforcement north, WiganSonia Blackett, youth development officer south, community engagement, WiganMatthew Bond, Amie-Beth Sabin and Kenneth Knight, waterway heritage trainees, constructions midlands

David Bonilla, Adam Cluny, Vanessa Coakley and Daniel Keeling, waterway heritage trainees, construction north Timothy Booker, operations team leader, South Wales & SevernWilliam Davies, carpentry apprentice, construction westMark Francis, general manager BWML southStephanie Furniss, duty manager, Canal Museum Stoke BruernePaul Gaughan, works engineer north, asset management & performance, LeedsGrant Gibbons, waterway heritage trainee, North West Waterways Megan Gilkes, waterway heritage trainee, construction southAmy Jeffreys, apprentice customer service assistant, Bath Marina, BWMLCarl Johnson, asset engineer west, asset management & performancePhilip Kyeremanteng, environmental scientist south, Milton KeynesAmy McEleney, customer support co-ordinator, South East WaterwaysDanny Matley, youth development officer north, community engagement, WiganThomas Matthews, group finance analyst, LeedsAndrea Perthold, cleaner Sawley Marina BWMLMichael Rawle, customer service operative, East Midlands Waterways Victoria Roberts, PA to finance and marketing, communications & fundraising directors, Milton KeynesTasneem Trunkwala, customer support co-ordinator, South East Waterways Limehouse Basin, BWMLAnd welcome to our seasonal staff

Exams & Awards Congratulations: A busy year for volunteer development co-ordinator South East John Highmore

who has gained his diploma in social media & online reputation management and his inbound marketing methodology certification.Education co-ordinator north Katie Hutchinson has passed her certificate in outdoor learning.

Movers & ShakersCongratulations:Principal utilities surveyor Nick Pogson has been appointed head of utilities following Richard Mercer’s decision to retire. Nick will take up his new role with effect from 1 December. Recruitment for the head of water development role will start before Christmas and is likely to extend into thenew year.

MarriagesCongratulations:Education co-ordinator north Katie Jackson married John Hutchinson at Bispham Methodist Church in Wigan on 25 July 2015. The couple are honeymooning in Mexico. Digital media manager Victoria Peckett married Daniel Spires at Little Brington, Northamptonshire on 3 October 2015. The couple spent their honeymoon in Singapore and Bali. Ecologist, North East Waterways, Phillippa Baron married David Shipp in Skipton on 10 October 2015. The couple spent their honeymoon in the Lake District. Project manager Sian Ferry married Rich Palmer in Whitstable, Kent on 17 October 2015. The couple will honeymoon in Laos and Thailand in February.

BirthCongratulations:GIS specialist Matt Shephardson and his partner Lorna on the birth of their daughter Marnie Bella on 27 October. Marnie weighed 9lbs 14oz and is sister to Jakob and Alfie.

Your news

Let us know your news:liz.waddington@canalrivertrust.org.uk Canal & River Trust people

Is your picture on Gateway?You never have to look yourself up on Gateway. After all, you know your job title and phone number. But please take a moment to check that all your details are correct. If they aren’t, fill in the Gateway / ICT / phone book form.

And while you’re there, upload a picture – in an organisation with a wide geographic spread such as ours, it’s a great help to communication if people can ‘see’ who they’re emailing or phoning. And it fits with our Open value. It’s fairly straightforward, there’s a guide at Gateway / ICT / upload your photo.

Retired: John Sidebottom Just married: Victoria Peckett and Dan SpiresJust married: Katie Jackson and John HutchinsonExam success: John Highmore

Just married: Phillippa Baron and David Shipp

Just married: Sian Ferry and Rich Palmer

New head of utilities: Nick Pogson l to r baby Marnie Shephardson with her big brothers Alfie and Jakob

Voting opens for Council electionsVoting has opened for election to the Trust’s governing Council. Everything you need to know about the Council and this year’s election is at www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/councilelections2015. Staff have been sent an email with a unique login and have until midnight on Friday 11 December to cast their votes. The results will be announced on 14 December and the elected candidates will take up their four-year voluntary post from March 2016.

8 The Source | November 2015

Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/TheSource_CRT

Catchy caption

Last month’s winner:“Let’s make something even Bear Grylls won’t eat!”Congratulations to Jake Kitchen, marketing & communications admin assistant, Milton Keynes

How to enter:» Email your witty caption to:

liz.waddington@canalrivertrust.org.uk » Or text your caption and name to:

07710 175445» Closing date: 4 December 2015

The Source is published by the Canal & River Trust (registration: 1146792) and a company limited by guarantee (registration: 7807276), First Floor North, Station House, 500 Elder Gate, Milton Keynes MK9 1BB Editor: Liz Waddington (liz.waddington@canalrivertrust.org.uk) • Printed by Warwick Printing Co Ltd 01926 883355

Patron: H.R.H. The Prince of Wales

References to and quotations from articles may be made providing an acknowledgement of source is given but requests to reproduce articles in full should be made to the Editor. The views expressed in the newspaper are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Canal & River Trust

Back to you

Thank you for sending in your funny pictures, which we hope to use over the next few months. Keep them coming.

Contact the editor with news of your charity activities,

hobbies and otherachievements outside work

This month’s picture is of programme manager South Wales & Severn Mick Black in the Gloucester office.

Another year clear!

The words that anyone who has been through cancer really wants to hear are: ‘another year clear’.

Last month, principal business support analyst Maria Capitano heard those very words. And in support of the ‘wonderful people’ at Breast Cancer Care, Maria organised a fund raising day – The Big Pink (cake sale, raffle and auction) – which raised just over £500 for the charity.

Maria said: “The work Breast Cancer Care does to bring people together, provide information and support, and campaign for improved standards of care is essential for those going through cancer. I want to say a big pink thank you to colleagues for joining in, dressing up, baking, donating and, of course, buying raffle tickets and cakes.”

Govilon office raises £57 for Children in Need

KEEP UP WITH THE NEWS: You can still get copies of The Source if you

leave the Trust (free by e-mail or hard copy by subscription). Contact the editor for details:

liz.waddington@canalrivertrust.org.uk

As The Source goes to press, there are only five weeks to Christmas.

So we make no apologies for reminding you that you could save up to 20% on your Christmas shopping by using reloadable store cards. They work just like normal gift cards except you can top them up again whenever you want.

And as a Personal Group Benefits member you can buy and top cards up at a discounted rate – up to 20%. Simply use them at the checkout or online just like any normal payment card.

Simply log into Your Benefits, choose a card, save money and then top up and save again.

Have a look at the offers available using the employee benefits app on your Trust mobile or on Gateway. And if you haven’t got a password, ring Personal Benefits Group on 0333 400 0544 quoting reference CRT.

Reloadable cards and gift vouchers

Employee benefits

£25 GIFT VOUCHERWINNER

Colleagues at the Govilon office raised £57 for BBC’s Children in Need with a cake sale, and then took Pudsey for a lunch time towpath ramble to work off all the extra calories. bbcchildreninneed.co.uk

l to r Jacqui Humphries, Emily Hayes Laura Lewis, David Morgan, Andrew Stumpf and Justine Lee taking a lunch time stroll in aid of Children in Need

Standedge team takes a step back in time for Hallowe’en half term weekLooking rather serious are (l to r) retail & catering team leader Oliver Craig, destination assistant Kate Rothery, seasonal boat operators Gina Tolson, Michael Simms and Howard Barnes and destination team leader Robbie Clarke. They dressed in traditional canal folk costume for Hallowe’en half term week at Standedge Tunnel. The costumes were all specially made by Loft Space resident maker Greenfusions.

Volunteer lock keeper, Bingley Five Rise Locks, Marcus Topham took this picture of the end of season gathering when customer operations supervisor North West Paul House (back row, seventh from left) took the opportunity to say thank you to operations staff, seasonal lock keepers and volunteer lock keepers on the eastern section of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal for all their hard work throughout the season. Paul says he had a number of complimentary emails from boaters about the service they had enjoyed going through the locks.

End of season gathering to say thank you – and please come back next year

Not such an Incy Wincy spider!Customer support co-ordinator Manchester & Pennines Tracey Jackson’s son Ryan made good use of a copy of the September edition of The Source when he trapped this huge spider before gently releasing it outside.

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