One of the Chairman's roles is to represent the Trust at meetings and functions. It is always a pleasure to do this and to meet a wide range of people. Those I talk to seem to fall into two very distinct categories. There are those who know all about our work, are enthusiastic to see us succeed and may well be members. Then there is the great majority who, amazingly, have never heard of us. This great division reminds me of advice I was once given when given the task of promoting and advertising an organisation. I was told always to assume that nobody had ever heard of you. Advice I suspect stems from the 14th Army, known as the "forgotten army" which fought in Burma in the Second World War. General Slim told them that not only were they forgotten but that nobody had even heard of them. As many will know, this was good advice. I live in Shropshire and many of my neighbours cannot find Lichfield on the map let alone any canals, open or under restoration.

We must remain fresh and enthusiastic about the Trust and be as keen to seek support now as we were when we started or when the problems of the M6 Toll seemed insuperable. Meanwhile, it is sometimes reassuring to be among good friends. I was recently invited to be a guest of Brownhills Waterside Carnival. This involved very few duties apart from presenting prizes to children who had done well in the art competition. It reminded me of my old day job and running prize day. However, the main pleasure was being greeted by so many people who are supporters of the Trust and who can see what a rejuvenated northern BCN will do for Brownhills. I was introduced to local councillors who urged us to look for help from Walsall MBC and who clearly want to be better informed on our project. I met Richard Shepherd who is the MP and he too was very encouraging. It was a very happy day and one to give all of us a lift.

I based myself at our sales caravan which is proving such a useful asset. Mike Brown and his team were busy all day. We were well placed, just by the trip-boat queue, and business was brisk. We hope to use the trailer more at the many events we attend. We owe much to our marketing team whose members give up so many weekends to visiting events both great and small all across the Midlands. This is a load which falls on a small number of our members and I know Mike Brown would welcome help from more members. Please get in touch if you can spare a little time. I know people are often put off from volunteering for this fearing they could not answer the questions the public ask. This is never a problem - there is always someone else nearby to support you.

In our last issue I also appealed for volunteers. So often such appeals fall on stony ground but I was delighted when several members got in touch and offered their services. It is reassuring that someone is actually reading what I write but, much more significantly, we still have a considerable pool of untapped talent which we must continue to bring forward. L&H is a very broad church and there is a niche for anyone who wants to help. The request for help remains live - we need all the help we can get.

Meanwhile, the annual National Waterways Festival, run by the Inland Waterways Association, will be held this year at Burton on Trent, over the August Bank Holiday weekend. One of the aims of the event is to focus attention on local restoration schemes with L&H prominent among these. We are already towards the top of the league of restoration organisations where membership is concerned. We now have some 1500 members and this number continues to grow even though we are not hitting the headlines as we were a year or so ago. We need to grow this number to increase our income and our lobbying power. The big event at Burton will be a great venue for our sales team to do just this. Come and help!

Closer to home, the Trust is involved in an event planned for Huddlesford Junction in early October. Celebrating C18 Lichfield is a four day event which will focus on all aspects of Lichfield in the 18th Century. Our canal reached the city in 1797 and we are delighted to be involved in this. Working with several other organisations, including Lichfield Cruising Club, there are plans to up-grade the finger-post at the junction and add an arm which will point towards Lichfield. All such events serve to underline the work of the trust and to establish a public perception that full restoration is now inevitable.

SECRETARY Following our AGM, the next Council meeting in May as usual re-elected the principle officers and confirmed the roles of all our other directors and officers. One change though is the election of Sue Williams as Company Secretary, taking this over from Bob Williams who had been 'Acting' Company Secretary for some time. Whilst not usually an onerous role, we are currently working on some minor amendments to our Memorandum & Articles which is a painstaking process and we are grateful for Sue's help at this time. Sue of course remains in charge of our web site and Chris Pattison remains as our Minutes Secretary.

• Fund-raising, including approaching grant-giving trusts, charities and companies;
• Surveying, design work and project planning for engineering contracts;
• Liaison with utility companies;
• Local working parties.

As a voluntary organisation we are totally dependant on people freely giving up their time and making available their talents to help achieve our goals. A few of our directors are retired and in effect work almost full time for the Trust, without which we would be struggling. But the number of active members never seems to rise in proportion to total membership and we have only a few more active members now, with a membership of nearly 1500 and rising, than when membership was only a few hundred. Where are you all ? Of course, we appreciate that 'armchair' members contribute valuable funding and support, and that most of our members have competing pressures of work or family or other interests; but jobs can be subdivided and even a little time, regularly given, can make a big difference. Please don't feel guilty if you can't help, but do feel inspired if you can!

WATERWAYS 2025
Just in time for our press date, British Waterways have published their long-anticipated vision report for future restoration and new waterway projects, titled "Waterways 2025 - Our Vision For The Shape Of The Waterway Network". Whilst expressing support for all the currently more than 100 restoration and development projects, it concentrates on 18 priority schemes that will contribute most to enhancing BW's network and which could be completed by 2025. These projects on which BW will focus its support are categorised as Priority One, similar to the previously announced 'Tranche 2' schemes, and Priority Two which includes the Lichfield Canal. The full list is: -

Priority One: Ashby Canal (to Measham), Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway, Bow Back Rivers, Cotswold Canals (Phase One), Droitwich Canals, Fens Waterway Link, Liverpool Canal, Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal, Montgomery Canal, Northern Reaches Lancaster Canal, River Carron Navigation. These 11 projects include the 9 'Tranche 2' schemes announced in Unlocked & Unlimited in 2002, except for Foxton Inclined Plane which is now regarded as a heritage/ development project rather than a restoration, and with the addition of the Ashby, Fens Link and Carron.

Priority Two: Ashby Canal (to Moira), Cotswold Canals (Phase 2), Grantham Canal, Lichfield Canal, Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal, River Leven, St. Helens (Sankey) Canal, Wendover Arm, Wiltshire & Berkshire Canal. The first two of these are continuations but the other 7 projects are for the first time now publicly identified as priorities for BW support.

In addition there are 3 Priority Three schemes identified; Slough-Windsor Link, Higher Avon Extension, and Wey & Arun Canal, where completion within the timeframe is much more uncertain. However, the report acknowledges that circumstances can change, for better or worse, over 20 years and BW will keep its strategic vision under regular review. Currently the B&MK scheme is proving difficult although it remains a priority.

The report explains the assessment process and the criteria used. These are Need (- economic, social, market, local support), Sustainability (- financial, environment & heritage, technical feasibility) and Network ('pressure valve', network extension). The Lichfield Canal scores High on economic benefits to the northern BCN, on market opportunities, on local support, and on network extension. It rates Medium for social benefits, for environment & heritage benefits, and for technical feasibility - highlighting the completion of the aqueduct but the need to resolve other road crossings, fragmented land ownership and water supply. Only on funding uncertainty does it rate Low; but the overall assessment is clearly positive and compares well with the other scheme assessments.

Nor is the Hatherton Canal ignored; the summary says "Restoration of the Lichfield Canal between the Coventry Canal and the under-used northern Birmingham Canal Navigations. This will form the first stage of creating a new canal network in the region through providing a further link to the Staffs & Worcs Canal by restoring the Hatherton Canal."

This official recognition for the feasibility and importance of our twin projects is most welcome and we look forward to working more closely in partnership with BW in future to help achieve their 2025 vision. The full document can be viewed on the new BW website www.britishwaterways.co.uk/waterways2025 and printed copies will presumably also be available.

Past Events: March Coffee Morning and Bring & Buy. Easter Week-End. At the home of Eric & Doreen Wood, Whittington Wharf. Once again a huge success. Our grateful thanks must go to Eric & Doreen for their generosity and untiring enthusiasm over the week-end, and to everyone who gave their valuable help to do all the hundred and one things that needed to be done. Many thanks to Derek & Margaret Beardsmore for their coffee stall which was an added attraction and also for their donation to the trust. We are also grateful to Coates Butchers of Alrewas for their generous sponsorship in providing the beef burgers and sausages for the barbecue. The Saturday evening was rounded of with a hot pot supper and music provided by Chris Pattison and friends. Sunday morning proceedings started with breakfast for about forty followed by the judging of the Easter Bonnet Parade, the raffle and the cutting of the Easter cake. A staggering £ 1300.00 was raised over the week-end. See News 2004 for photos. Raffle Prize unclaimed at Eric's Easter Coffee Morning: Pink Ticket No 937.

April
A.G.M. Whittington Village Hall. Saturday 17th April.
45 members were present. Thanks to the ladies who manned the sales stall and organised the refreshments.
Total raised £100.00.
Following refreshments, a site visit was made to Lock 25 & 26 at Tamworth Road.

May
Chasewater Park Festival Monday 3rd May.
Debut for our Mobile Display Unit. Not a terribly busy day but it demonstrated our interest in supporting the Chasewater Country Park. Our members attending this event were given a free steam train ride on the light railway. Total raised at this event £70.00. See News 2004 for photos.

Ashby Canal Festival held at Moira Furnace 15th-16th May.
Many thanks to Bob & Sue Williams for taking over from me at the last minute due to my illness. Also thanks to Trish Humphries, David & Mavis Moore, for all their help over the week-end and to Peter & Pat Magee for towing the SMART trailer (Shows, Marketing And Retail Trading) to Moira and bringing it back on the Sunday. Total raised £252.71 gross.

Ashby Canal Festival (photos by Bob Williams)

Crick Boat Show Saturday 29th to Monday 31st May.
A good team and a lot of hard work. The team was led by Rob Davies, assisted by Brian Kingshott, Bob & Sue Williams, Trish Humphries, David & Mavis Moore. Total raised £1,122 gross.

Lichfield Green Hill Bower Monday 31st May.
Congratulations to Peter & Pat Magee, they were awarded 2nd Prize of £150 for their L&HCRT Narrow Boat 'Cut Both Ways' in the Bower Parade and a silver cup to keep for a year. Peter also donated the £25 expenses awarded by the Bower Committee. Due to their hard work and imagination £175 was raised for the Trust. See News 2004 for photos.

Meanwhile in Beacon Park the team were manning the SMART trailer along with two gazebos selling Bric-a-brac. Many thanks to Jan Horton, Trish Humphries, Anna & Phil Davies and Barry Kenn, for all their hard work. Total raised £302.02 gross.

June
BCNS Open week-end Titford Pump House Saturday 26th June.
Cold and wet on Saturday very poorly attended. Total for day £28.85.

Brownhills Canal Festival Sunday 27th June.
A much better day weather wise, and we were able to have the SMART trailer on site. There was much local interest about the M6 Toll crossing at Churchbridge, the new route to Grove Basin and the Aqueduct at Brownhills. Total raised £109.10 including a donation of £28.00 from the Friends of The Wharf.
Many thanks to Barry Kenn, Trish Humphries, Trevor Morris and Keith Grice.

Historic Boat Gathering Braunston Marina Saturday 26th - Sunday 27th June.
Weather not good on Saturday but nice and sunny on Sunday. Bob & Sue Williams ably manned the stall. Draw Tickets sold £93. Total gross £347.

July
Saul Junction Saturday 3rd - Sunday 4th July.
Draw Tickets sold £100. 2 new members. Many thanks to Bob Williams and his team.

Saul Junction Festival - held annually on the first weekend in July and well worth a visit (photos by Bob Williams)

Our press and publicity report this quarter covers April, May and June 2004.

The generous donation of a sales trailer from the Huddersfield Canal Society to the Trust was reported in CBW39 and has since been suitably acknowledged in the press. In April The Lichfield Post had "Gift of display unit for canal restoration group" with a picture of the hand-over, and the Express & Star reported it twice (!) with "Canals in boost for tourism" and "Canal trust can show off its waterway work". The Lichfield Mercury combined pictorial reports of the trailer and of our Easter gathering at Whittington Wharf in "Weekend of fun afloat for waterway campaign", whilst The Post pictured and summarised the event as "Fun fundraiser for canals". The well-used photo of the trailer hand-over also appeared in colour in the June edition of Waterways World as "Recycled mobile".

Our Vice-President David Suchet continues to attract welcome publicity to our cause, featuring in a full page article in The Birmingham Post in April headlined "From Death On The Nile to New Life For Canal", highlighting the achievement of the aqueduct and the attractions of Staffordshire's canals. The launch of a new publicity leaflet for 'Staffordshire - The Canal County' was announced in The Post in May as "Campaign to put our waterways on the map", providing another opportunity to mention the Trust. The Express & Star in "Canals trust is seeking helpers" picked up on our Chairman's plea in CBW39 for more help with our land and engineering work.

An attractively illustrated 4 page colour article by Alan Barnes entitled "A Calmer 'Relief Road' in the Making" was published in the May edition of Old Glory magazine, bringing news of the Trust's project and achievements to a wider audience in the transport and industrial heritage restoration community.

Publicity for the Trust's new 'double ended' booklet "A Tale of Two Canals" was given by Canal & Riverboat magazine in June in a report on "L&H book launched at the NEC show", and in the same month Waterways World featured our web site as 'site of the month' with a very complimentary write-up by Jim Shead.

Another generous donation to the Trust, that of a whole boat load of 7,600 bricks, was reported in The Post in June as "Brick donation to rebuild our heritage" with a colour picture of them being unloaded by our volunteers at Streethay Wharf. Waterways World for July gave the full story of "A well travelled load!" with pictures of boats Radiant and Regulus heading for Streethay and of owners Mike and Cath Turpin handing over the first of the estimated 18 tons of bricks to delighted Trust members.

Radiant and Regulus on their journey to Streethay Wharf. See News 2004 for more photos.

Work Party News
Considerable progress has been made between April and June at our main work site at Tamworth Road, with further excavation and rebuilding work on both parts of the site. The continued excavation of the offside pound wall above Lock 25 was helped by the loan of "Blue", the 803 excavator from WRG, for 3 weeks in May. To make best use of it we organised extra work parties on 3 consecutive weekends, including 4 days over the bank holiday ! Thanks in particular to Keith, Bob and Simon for the driving and to everyone else who answered the calls for help at short notice, recovering a large quantity of bricks and hand digging the tricky bits. A huge amount of spoil has been shifted, I estimate about 800 tonnes, with the 803 and our own JCB plus the two dumpers. We have now uncovered the full length of the roadside wall and the entrance narrows to Lock 24. A combined visit of London WRG and Essex WRG in June also enabled more of it to be cleaned off so that we can assess the extent of the rebuilding required. This will be a considerable task, but we do have a sound foundation to build on over most of the length, and we plan to consolidate the brickwork on the Canal Camp in August and seek funding to employ contractors to undertake the main part of the rebuilding thereafter.

"Blue" continuing the excavation of the wall in May. Note absence of large tree!		It's in there somewhere! Bob and Peter rediscover the entrance to Lock 24.
Photos by Phil Sharpe

One challenge was to remove the roots of the sycamore tree which had been felled for us by the City Council's contractors as it was a danger to road traffic. After much hand digging by WRG around the roots which straddled the wall, it was finally prised loose by the JCB. Several smaller trees which were in the way have also been removed, with the agreement of the Darwin Walk Trust, City and District councils, in anticipation of which we had already planted replacements some years ago between the wall and the road. Another challenge has been to uncover the cache of huge coping stones and quoin stones from Lock 24 dumped in the bed when the lock was part demolished and the canal filled in. These will have to be removed before the adjacent section of wall can be rebuilt. Interestingly, the offside wall has proved to be full depth and the number of small coping stones recovered show that it must have been a wharf, conveniently situated alongside the road.

The combined forces of London WRG and Essex WRG attack the tree stump in June.		Large coping and quoin stones off Lock 24 uncovered whilst digging out the wall.
Photos by Phil Sharpe

All the excitement of the archaeological excavations, never quite knowing what we would uncover, has not distracted us from making good progress with rebuilding too. At Lock 26 the 8m section of towpath wall has been shuttered and filled with concrete, and below Lock 25 the bridge abutment wall has been built up to ground level, involving some quite tricky battered angles to the brickwork, ably completed by the London WRG contingent. They also managed to cut out about half of the ladder recess on L25 using a hired kango and our newly purchased generator, whilst Essex WRG helped clear out the towpath side bottom gate thrust block area and removed some tree roots. Numerous other smaller jobs have also been done, including moving and burning brash, clearing out the garage, repairing a puncture on the small dumper, and repairing the fences after minor vandalism.

Lock 25. Northwest WRG lay concrete to seal the top of the old brickwork, in April.		London WRG complete the bricklaying on the bridge abutment wall below Lock 25.
Photos by Phil Sharpe

As if this was not enough, we also had two well-attended evening work parties at Streethay Wharf to unload the 7,600 bricks, estimated at 18 tons, kindly donated to us by Mike and Cath Turpin from their boat Regulus. Every one was removed by hand from the boat and stacked on pallets and then transported to storage at Tamworth Road where they can be used for rebuilding work.

Photos by Peter Williams