We are in the final stages of arranging for the erection of the aqueduct trough. Anyone driving over the new A5 bridge just east of Brownhills will have glimpsed the abutments and centre column which stand ready to receive the superstruc-ture. There is still much for the Trust to do before everything is in place and I hope that in the next issue of Cut Both Ways we will be celebrating completion of this very exciting but demanding project.

However, we must still consider the financial aspects. We know that we now have the funds to cover the costs of fabricating and installing the aqueduct - we could not have gone ahead if this had been in doubt. The David Suchet Appeal has been brilliantly successful and has attracted support from a huge range of supporters but it is still £18,000 short of what we need. We will have to draw down on our reserves to make up the shortfall and this must affect our budgeting in other areas. This is not an ideal situation but is, currently, our only option. We will have to husband our resources even more carefully than usual until the reserves can be rebuilt. Our particular need at present is buy land and we must be sure that no opportunities are missed in this area. The David Suchet Appeal remains open and we hope that our supporters will go that extra mile for the Trust and contribute the final £18,000.

One of my duties, and an enjoyable one it is, involves receiving cheques from major supporters at good photo-opportunities. The cover of the last Cut Both Ways pictured me at Braunston collecting two cheques each for £1000. At the Crick Boat Show in May I was very happy to receive a cheque from the Inland Waterways Association for £15,000 from Tony Harrison and Liz Payne. IWA has already contributed generously to L & H and the knowledge that this money was on its way to us gave us the confidence to order the aqueduct trough.

Meanwhile, Trust Council has been aware for a long time that our whole restoration programme has been seriously skewed by the need to concentrate on the challenges of the M6 Toll. We recognised the need to plan for peace so that we would be ready to move on once the "war was over". This fitted well with the need to have a document which set out our aims and objectives very clearly to support funding applications.

Directors Rob Davies and Mike Smith, after detailed consultations with other Directors and Trust Officers produced a document titled "A Strategy for Completing Restoration" which sets out the Trusts approach to gaining the political and financial support we will need to finish the job. Further work, particularly on the detailed planning of the many remaining structures, will be required and the Planning Team has been augmented by Vice Chairman Phil Sharpe and Mike Battisson.

We now aim to take this to the main organisations whose help and partnership we will need to take our work forward. It has already formed the basis of a presentation to the Chief Executive of Lichfield District Council. Progressively we intend to take it to the Chief Executive of all the local authorities through whose areas the canals pass and then to British Waterways and the Waterways Trust.

FLOOD RETENTION SCHEME Local members may have read in the Rugeley & Cannock Mercury about a proposed flood retention dam threatening the line of the Hatherton Canal (see also Press & Publicity). This is a matter which was of considerable concern to the Trust for 6 months but, now that the immediate threat has passed, the story can be told.

The first we heard of their proposals was at a meeting in November 2002 when we were told that they were about to apply for planning permission to build a flood retention dam alongside the A5 and across the intended restoration line of the Hatherton Canal as protected in the Local Plans. This would supposedly have avoided the need for downstream channel improvements at Littlewood by intercepting floods before they reached the motorway. As well as requiring changes to our canal alignment and increasing costs, it was obvious to us immediately that the proposal was fundamentally flawed, and this was confirmed when we eventually persuaded them to give us a copy of their consultant's report. This had been based on a very narrow brief, with virtually no data, and its recommendations were illogical and had apparently been pre-determined. It seemed clear to us that the proposal was a panic reaction which not been thought through. Far from reducing the flooding, our analysis was that it would actually extend the periods for which the A5 and the motorway were impassable ! Furthermore, the Littlewood channel improvements were part of the Government approved scheme and the arguments for not carrying them out were largely spurious.

CAMBBA's Environmental Manager, would not listen to reason and the planning applications to both Cannock Chase and South Staffordshire were submitted in February, to which the Trust responded with strong objections. This does appear, however, to have triggered an internal review because when CAMBBA were asked by the local authorities in March to respond to our criticisms they declined to defend their proposal, and shortly afterwards started work on the Littlewood channel improvements which they had claimed the scheme was designed to avoid. We subsequently learnt that their Environmental Manager had 'left the project'.

Although they had totally undermined their own case, CAMBBA did not withdraw the planning applications and, despite the serious conflict with the Hatherton Canal Protection Line on their Local Plans, in May both authorities granted consent. Their failure to uphold the protected route is a great disappointment and concern to the Trust, and shows up some serious deficiencies in the planning system. However, shortly afterwards, in response to the aforementioned press articles, CAMBBA confirmed that they no longer intend to implement the scheme so, whilst we lost the battle, we have won the war. However, we obviously still have a lot of work to do with the local authorities, and the flooding issue has not been resolved. The challenge remains to persuade all parties, including the County Council and the Environment Agency, that a new canal channel can also help to alleviate flooding in the area and needs to be built as soon as possible.

Phil Sharpe

Boat Gathering, Easter Weekend On behalf of everyone who attended the Boat Gathering / Coffee Morning I would like to offer my thanks to Eric & Doreen Wood for opening their home and garden once more and for their tireless efforts to make the week-end another wonderful success. May I also thank everyone who helped in any way on a really wet and cold weekend. Total raised from Bric-a-Brac Stall, Cake Stall, Teas, BBQ etc.: £732. L&H Stand: £250 + 3 new members.

The Barn Dance in the evening was a great success; the band 'Mothers Ruin' made the evening go with a swing from the beginning. Pat Barton & Terry Robertson did a smashing job with their hot supper which was greatly appreciated. Derek & Margaret Beardsmore booked the hall and organised the bar and raffle. Phil Davies organised the coin rolling for the bottle of whiskey, which was won by a member of Stafford Boat Club. Total raised after expenses £712.
Total money raised over the weekend for the David Suchet appeal: £1,446

Kingdom Tours Visit, May Day Week-End
Thanks to Phil Sharpe who acted as Tour manager and Guide for the week-end. Chris Pattison opened up the Sandfields Plump House and gave a talk to our visitors. Bob & Sue Williams very kindly stepped in to man the display & sales stand at Sandfields as I was helping out at Langley Mill. Bob also gave a video presentation at the George Hotel in Lichfield on Saturday evening. Total raised from the visit £600.

Langley Mill Boat Gathering, Sat 3rd - 5th May
Jan Horton manned a lonely stand for most of the weekend with help from myself on Saturday and Jan's daughter Elizabeth on the Monday. Two new members were enrolled. Total raised £105.60

Ashby Trail Boat Festival, Moira, Sat 17th - Sun 18th May
Thanks to Trish Humphries & Jan Horton for turning out to help me on such a miserable week-end, Despite the weather we raised £232.

Lichfield Bower, Mon 26th May
The weather held and we had a very busy day. Our volunteers included Trish Humphries, Jan Horton, our daughter Anna, son-in-law Phil and very helpful granddaughter Jenny. Eric Wood very kindly ferried extra Bric-a-Brac and also donated plants to sell. Total money raised £262.

Crick Boat Show, Sat 20th - Mon 26th May
Rob Davies led the team, assisted by Bob & Sue Williams, Mike Brown, Hilary Smith, and two new members to our team, Paul and Merleen Watson. Our Chairman Brian Kingshott was presented with a cheque for £15,000 towards the David Suchet appeal by Tony Harrison, Chairman of the IWA Restoration Committee and Liz Payne, IWA Deputy Chairman.

Thanks to Laurence Hogg for making videos available throughout the weekend which helped to boost our profit. Net profit £1.500 including £500 towards the David Suchet appeal. Well done Team.

Tamworth Cruising Club Open Day, Sat 21st June
Once again May and I spent a very pleasant Saturday afternoon at TCC with the L&H display stand, a very worthwhile social event.

F M C Rally Braunston Marina, Sat 28th - Sun 29th June
Bob and Sue Williams manned the stand along with our two newest members to join the marketing team, Paul and Merleen Watson. They live at Market Harborough and feel they can be of most help when we are in their local area of Leicester and Northampton. Trade in Laurence Hogg's new videos The Bargee and Painted Boats was brisk along with other L&H merchandise. A total of £500+ was raised over the week end. Thank you Team.

Brownhills Canalside Celebration, Sun 29th June
Thank you to the members who helped: May Brown, Phil Sharpe, Barry Kenn, and Keith Grice. There was much interest shown in our project and Phil Sharpe explained the progress so far to the Mayor of Walsall when he visited our stand. Sales went extremely well, including one new member and one renewal membership. We also received a donation of £50 towards the David Suchet Appeal. Total amount raised £277.79

Michael, Barry and Keith talk to visitors at the Brownhills Canalside Celebration

Forthcoming events
Birmingham Canal Festival, Gas Street, 25th - 27th July
Charity Stall, Walsall Market, Sat 2nd August
IWA National Festival, Beale Park, Reading, Fri 22nd - Mon 25th August
Wychnor Rally, Wychnor, Burton-on-Trent, Sat 23rd - Mon 25th August

Grand Prize Draw
Grand Prize draw is going well. Along with related donations the Draw has ex-ceeded £1500 but we still need to sell a lot more tickets. If you still have your three books of tickets from CBW now is the time to do something about it!

Bottom Blacking: Donated by Streethay Wharf, Lichfield
I am sure this has got to be the best odds ever for five pounds, so come on, have a go. You never know your luck, You have eighteen months from the time of the draw on 2nd of November to collect your prize.

MORE HELPERS WANTED FOR THE L&H ROADSHOW

FUN IN THE SUN AT THE LICHFIELD BOWER
Mike Brown, Trish Huphries, Anna, Jenny and Phil Davies and May Brown on the stand at the Lichfield Bower
(photo by Jan Horton)

Our press and publicity report this quarter covers April, May and June 2003.

In April, the press release for IWA's grant of £15,000 was the basis for "Canal project gets a major boost" in the Rugeley Post and other editions, and IWA's Waterways magazine for May also recorded "IWA Grant towards completion of Lichfield Canal Aqueduct". The May edition of Canal & Riverboat had news of "Canal trust orders M6 toll motorway aqueduct", with a picture of David Suchet on top of the centre pier, and also "L&H Trust in triumphant mood" in their NEC show report with a picture of the receipt of 3 large cheques.

A major colour feature on local canals in The Journal for May included 2 pages on the Trust with the headline "Bringing history to life - The canal restorers". Under "The canals are our heritage" an illustrated in-depth expose of our Marketing Chairman, Michael Brown and family made interesting reading, and another article featured Jen Leigh of Waterway Recovery Group - "My reward is driving big machines" - with picture to prove it !

The June edition of Canal Boat & Inland Waterways included a two page article on The Lichfield & Hatherton Canals, strangely titled "The little canals that could", but very well written and illustrated by Richard Fairhurst, as his last major contribution to the magazine before moving to a new job. An overall map, brief history and route description was accompanied by pictures of Huddlesford and Ogley junctions, the Hatherton Canal, restoration at Fosseway and Darnford, and the culvert and aqueduct site.

In May, the Express & Star reported David Suchet's visit to our AGM and the aqueduct site in "TV star David sees progress on canal work". They also ran a series of articles by Peter Rhodes on boating round the BCN etc. which prompted letters from me and from Douglas Birch giving the Trust a plug along with the Canal Celebration at Brownhills. Two articles in the Walsall Advertiser about the potential of the canal in Walsall "Canal revamp aims to rival Brindley Place", and in Brownhills "Canal project to bring millions in tourist cash", both highlighted the regeneration value of restoring the Lichfield and Hatherton canals. These prompted our supporter Councillor Richard Worrall to write two letters requesting donations towards the aqueduct, summarised by the headline writers as "Canal project needs cash, not fine words" and "Put your money where your mouth is" !

Potential problems for the Hatherton Canal restoration were reported in the Rugeley & Cannock Mercury as "M6Toll flood works put canal project route under threat", with quotes on our objection to CAMBBA's planning application which, though granted, is fortunately not now to be implemented. At the same time the paper reported more positively on "Progress on aqueduct delights star". Further troubles were picked up by "Canal project setback - tunnel ignored" in the Chase Post, although the reporting was very confused and it needed a letter from me to point out that whilst we regretted CAMBBA's unwillingness to provide for the canal under the railway and the emergency access road at Churchbridge, the two most important culverts had been achieved. A more encouraging report in the Express & Star "New building will preserve canal route" was derived from the piece in our last Cut Both Ways on the Shorade development.

Brash clearance, hedge trimming and towpath mowing have kept us busy lately on our regular monthly work parties, supplemented by some mid-week help with the mowing. Over the summer our Hatherton Canal work parties concentrate on towpath maintenance but in the autumn we will be carrying out a major scrub bash between Oak Lane and the M6 in preparation for the third and final stage of the Hedgerow Project.