Registered Charity No. 702429

CUT BOTH WAYS Issue No. 53 - AUTUMN 2007 Other Reports

Become a member of our 500 Club for the chance to win prizes of up to £400 every three months! 50% of the 500 Club income will be retained for capital expenditure essential for restoration of our two canals… and 50% paid in prizes to its members. The “500 Club” could contribute up to £3,000 a year - or even more - whilst, for just £12 a year, Club Members get four chances of winning prizes of up to £400 - or maybe more each time!

The “500 Club” now has 211 members and the Trust would like to thank them all for their support. The winners of the September draw are:

The “500 Club” Capital Fund has been established to raise funds for capital expenditure on land purchase and rebuilding structures on the Lichfield & Hatherton Canals.

For an annual subscription of £12 Club Members are allocated 1 chance in each of 4 successive quarterly draws. Based on a membership of 500, the maximum prizes will be:

If there are more or less than 500 members, the prizes will be proportionally increased or decreased. So the more 500 Club members we have, the higher the prizes. If you want to subscribe, you can download an application form from the 500 Club Page or write to Mavis Moore, 88 Spring Lane, Whittington, Lichfield WS14 9NA.

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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. Look out for the yellow sign.
Our own work parties are supplemented by WRG and ‘Dig Deep’ weekend visits. We generally work from about 9 am to 4 pm and more help is always welcome, even if you can spare only a few hours. Check for additional dates or the latest plans with Bob Williams on 01543 671427 (Email: Bob Williams) or keep checking this web site where any changes will be shown.

Work Party Dates:
September:	Sunday 1, Essex WRG Sat/Sun 1/2, KESCRG Sat/Sun 15/16
October:	Sunday 7
November:	Sunday 4
December:	Sunday 2

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.

For details of Waterway Recovery Group Subscribe to Navvies (minimum (£1.50) from Sue Watts 15 Eleanor Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester M21 9FZ

Work Party News
“Count your blessings, name them one by one” is a familiar hymn whose theme we might apply when we had the benefit of five different volunteer groups, not to mention fine weather, for Lichfield Canal visits during September. See the photographs in this issue.

1-2. Essex waterway recovery group of eight spent two useful days at Tamworth Road on tree and hedgerow management, brick laying and preparing Pound 25 for seeding with grass as part of the interim landscaping scheme.

4-5. Jaguar & Land Rover [JLR] brought the first group of five from the Manufacturing Engineering division under their Corporate Citizenship Scheme to work on three projects relating to the Lichfield Canal at Darnford. The brook needed flood relief pipes laid across the access track; the heavy grille over the inlet to the siphon culvert needed a lifting mechanism; the lift bridge badly needed thorough repainting, all presenting challenges that tested their skills.

11-12. JLR fielded a second group of six to follow on from the previous week and start two more demanding projects at Tamworth Road; rebuilding a derelict trailer and using it to move tons of donated stone (see CBW 52, page 24).

15-16. Kent & East Sussex Canal Restoration Group [KESCRG] brought a strong team of fifteen to undertake additional projects, particularly Lock 26 bywash at Tamworth Road, designed to integrate with the JLR work.

18-19. JLR made their third visit with eight more work-hungry volunteers to complete the earlier projects and continue work done by KESCRG. One took on the job of improving our old dumper, and might even bring his “big crawler digger” to work on site!

Throughout all this, the “home team” made considerable advances with setting out the more exacting parts of Lock 26 bywash to a specification advised by Severn Trent to cope with future flood flows when the land drain is eventually removed.

It was pleasing to welcome back our friends from “Essex” and “KESCRG” - not all of them from so far away – who put so much effort into working with our own regulars. “Many hands make light work” runs the saying, but equally we could say they get so much more done!

Also, we are very grateful to the Jaguar Land Rover Group organiser Owen Pontin for devoting so much preparatory time to organising the teams. It must be said the “engineers” are a fantastic bunch of very willing workers who will tackle almost anything, but agreed beforehand as distinctive projects they could call their own. Integrating these with ongoing activity worked well and together great strides were made with the Trust’s programme of work. It was said you all enjoyed yourselves, so can you please come back next year?

Essex WRG work on preparing Pound 25 for seeding with grass		Essex WRG busy with tree and hedgerow management above Lock 24
JLR engineers bring a derelict trailer to good use on the Tamworth Road site		Refurbished trailer used by JLR team to move tons of donated stone
Darnford Brook culvert inlet grille in need of attention to provide access		JLR team install Darnford Brook grille counterbalance frame made by IROBB Ltd
Brian Kingshott appreciating JLR team repainting Darnford Lift Bridge		Completed refurbishment of Darnford Lift Bridge & its surroundings by JLR team
JLR team install pipes to relieve Darnford Brook flood overflow		KESCRG team leader Eddie Jones helps with tree relocation at Tamworth Road
KESCRG team consultation during work on Lock 26 bywash		KESCRG help with organising masonry stock at Tamworth Road
Brian Davis designing a new outfall from the Lock 26 bywash		L&H brick-laying team build up Lock 26 bywash to flood dimensions
Chase Demolition Solutions Ltd donating bricks from an old Cannock building		Chasetown Civil Engineering Ltd delivering the bricks to Tamworth Road
(photos by Bob Williams)

HATHERTON CANAL
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) for details of meeting places.

Monthly work parties: Sundays; 16 September, 21 October, 18 November, 16 December.

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.

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