On 30th March, 16 members of the Trust went by minibus to the Duchess Theatre in London’s Theatreland to see our Vice-President in the leading role in “Man and Boy”, by Terence Rattigan. Jan Horton was in charge of a well-organised day which was highly enjoyable, even if the Chairman had a diary malfunction and arrived by train. The day started with a press photocall before the party embarked in the yellow minibus.

David Suchet’s performance has been very well received by the critics and their views proved unusually accurate. David was in fine form and played a part far removed from his own personality. We were all enthralled by the play. It was a wonderful experience.

Afterwards three of us were allowed past the stage door and up the forty odd steps to dressing room number one. David was removing his make-up but made us very welcome. He autographed a bottle of Möet & Chandon for auctioning on behalf of the Trust. We only stayed a few minutes to take a few photographs as there was an evening performance starting in under three hours.

Grand Prize Draw
A new Draw for 2005 was launched in February, a number of tickets being distributed with this issue for those who like a chance of winning valuable prizes whilst helping the Trust with fund-raising. There’s £250 cash to the winner and eight other prizes for those whose tickets will be drawn out during our social event next November. Call 01543 671427 to obtain more books.

Bob Williams

Visitors to the Trust's stand in 2005 can enjoy a 200-year history lesson in about 20 seconds from the large colour display depicted above. Keen readers of "Cut Both Ways" may bring to mind - or can refer to - No.38, Winter 2004 which carried an article on page 22 by our Vice-Chairman Phil Sharpe on the legal Abandonment of the Lichfield and Hatherton Canals in 1954-55. So our theme this year is recalling the last and LOST 50 YEARS.

It is hard to believe that eight years have passed since we celebrated the bi-centenary of opening the Wyrley & Essington Canal, Ogley Locks Section by unveiling a plaque which is on show at The Boat Inn near Muckley Corner. Whilst the Hatherton Branch was opened in 1841, it was not until 1863 that a connection was completed with the Cannock Extension Canal up to Hednesford. For over 100 years this Wolverhampton level provided an important lock-free link through the "Black Country" as far as Smethwick, supplying coal and moving goods for industry's growing needs. The whole of the Birmingham Canal Navigations flourished with 160 miles of waterways. However, industry's needs being more quickly served by rail and road led to diminishing use of canals. Legal abandonment was inevitably followed by closure of the "Lichfield" and "Hatherton" Canals.

In 1997 these canals were threatened by obliteration if proposals for the BNRR motorway went unchallenged. It took strong political pressure, extensive awareness campaigns and focused fund-raising appeals to mobilise the nation to support the cause led by the Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust. That's when you discover who your friends really are, especially our now Vice-President and three Patrons who did more than most to help overcome the problems. Now that the route of the canals across the M6 Toll motorway is secure, with grants won from European and other funds, progress is being made with land purchase, professional reports and construction work. It is fitting that this 50th anniversary will see more major obstacles overcome with detailed plans produced for reconnecting the Hatherton canal, and a new Cappers Bridge built over the Lichfield Canal. But those are still early stages in completing the scheme.

In 2004 British Waterways published a document called "Waterways 2005" declaring their support for 18 schemes now in progress. In it they say, "Restoration of the Lichfield Canal between the Coventry Canal and the under-used northern Birmingham Canal Navigations ... will form the first stage of creating a new canal network in the region through providing a further link to the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal by restoring the Hatherton Canal."

So those lost 50 years might be 70 years ... or more? The trouble with a gradual approach is that you have to keep restoring the restoration to defeat nature and other forces. Major funding is needed now to get that "first stage" completed sooner to realise the benefits from restoration to full navigation.

Bob Williams

WORKING PARTIES NEWS & DATES

LICHFIELD CANAL

To find our usual work site at Lock 25 on Tamworth Road (Grid ref. SK 130 083) take the A51 out of Lichfield and the site is on the right about 300 metres after Cricket Lane.

We are working one day or more on most weekends now, usually the Sunday, except for the third weekend of the month when it will generally be on the Saturday. Our own work parties are supplemented by some WRG weekends and a one-week Canal Camp in August. We are starting earlier now, from about 9 am onwards, and more help is always welcome, even if you can spare only a few hours. Check the latest plans with Phil Sharpe on 01889 583330 (Email: phil.sharpe@lhcrt.org.uk) or Peter Matthews on 01543 318933, or keep checking this web site where any additional dates will be shown.

Work Party Dates:
April:	London WRG Sat/Sun 2/3, Sunday 10, WRG BITM Sat/Sun 16/17, Sunday 24
May:	Sunday 1, Newbury WPG Sat/Sun 7/8, Saturday 14, Sunday 22, Sunday 29.
June:	Sunday 5, Sunday 12, Saturday 18, Sunday 26
July:	Sunday 3, Sunday 10, Saturday 16 Sunday 24, Sunday 31
August:	Sunday 7, WRG Canal Camp Sat 13-20, Saturday 20
September:	Sunday 4, Kent & East Sussex CRG Sat/Sun 10/11, Saturday 17, Sunday 25

Peter has also arranged some Wednesday evening sessions again over the summer, starting about 5pm on the following dates:

May:	4, 18;
June:	1, 15, 29;
July:	13, 27;
August:	10, 24

ALL SITES: Bring old clothes, stout footwear, work gloves, and refreshment. Hard hats and basic working tools can be provided as necessary, although you are welcome to bring your own.

KESCRG also helped at Tamworth Road, moving several loads of bricks round from the storage area to Locks 25 and 24, and moving materials at Lock 26 away from the bywash hedge to give access for laying. On Lock 25, the towpath-side quadrant wall brickwork and concrete infilling has since been completed, and the quadrant had also been backfilled with soil by WRGNW. Re-bricking the ladder recess has also continued. On Lock 24, preparatory work on the lower wing walls of Lock 24 included digging out the foundations and breaking out old brickwork and ironwork in preparation for rebuilding. The landing stage copings on both sides were replaced with assistance from Newbury Work Party Group in March.

Peter completing the quadrant wall copings at Lock 25
Trust and Newbury WPG volunteers rebuilding the wing walls at Lock 24
Photos by Phil Sharpe & Bob Williams

Hedgelaying has continued with completion of the towpath hedge alongside Lock 24 followed by the hedge alongside the bywash at Lock 26. Further clearance work in Mrs Attwood’s Garden included removing the smaller sycamore tree. On the first visit by WRG Forestry in December it was not possible to remove the large triple-trunk sycamore due to the exceptionally strong winds, but Graham Robinson returned in early March to practice his tree climbing skills and take it down for us. The logs are being donated to keep various home fires burning whilst the smaller branches and brash from hedge-laying was moved down to below Lock 26 and recycled on site. Various trees brought up from our nursery storage at Darnford Lane have been replanted behind the hedge between Lock 25 and the A38.

Graham Robinson taking down the triple sycamore tree in the garden
Photos by Phil Sharpe

With Mrs Attwood’s permission, excavation was started during March in the corner of the garden near Lock 25, using our JCB3 and dumpers, and the spoil moved to build up the towpath at Lock 26. However, a worsening internal hydraulic leak forced retirement of our JCB to Peter Magee’s rest home for old vehicles for some nursing care. Fortunately we had already arranged the loan of the WRG JCB803 ‘Blue’ for a month, although when delivered at Easter this too was not in the best of health. However, it enabled us to start uncovering the towpath wall through the garden during the London WRG visit at the beginning of April, with the spoil being taken down a temporary ramp below Lock 26 to a dump near the A38. Other work done that weekend by a productive combination of the visitors and our own navvies included good progress on bricklaying and concreting the landing stage platforms at the tail of Lock 24, retrieving and cleaning old bricks, moving new bricks around, bagging rubble, clearing rubbish, etc.

Mike and Keith start the excavation in Mrs Attwood’s garden with our JCB, and uncovering the towpath wall through the garden with ‘Blue’
London WRG rebuilding the towpath side landing stage and concreting the offside landing stage at Lock 24
Photos by Phil Sharpe

Our plans for the next few months include more excavation, levelling, concreting, bricklaying and pointing, plus the usual large variety of other tasks.

And the everlasting brick cleaning goes on ....

HATHERTON CANAL

The hedgelaying at Saredon Mill Bridge was finished off in January and trees previously felled from the towpath near the M6 were disposed of, whilst the picnic table and benches received their annual coat of creosote. In February we moved up to Cats Bridge and started clearing a small forest of willow trees growing in and overhanging the canal from the offside bank, working from the fishing pool track with the agreement of their bailiffs. This is a considerable task which continued in March, and with an extra work party at Easter on a particularly muddy section, but more remains to be done to complete it through to the old Bridge 7. Our tirfor proved its worth in winching out the larger branches, but problems with the reversing mechanism prompted us to get it serviced which revealed several other faults, all now being fixed. However, the growing season is once again with us and towpath mowing will as usual become a priority.

Our regular date is the third Sunday of each month, from 10 am, with some occasional extra days as required. Contact Denis Cooper on 01543-374370 (work) or Phil Sharpe on 01889 583330 (Email: phil.sharpe@lhcrt.org.uk) for more details.

Monthly work parties: Sundays: 15 May, 19 June, 17 July, 21 August, 18 September.

ALL SITES: Bring old clothes, stout footwear, work gloves, and refreshment. Hard hats and basic working tools can be provided as necessary, although you are welcome to bring your own.

To restore the Lichfield Canal and the Hatherton Canal to re-open waterway links between Staffordshire and the West Midlands, for the benefit of the environment, amenity and prosperity of the people of the Region and to enhance the nation's inland waterway system.

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