Communications Update – 19th September 2014
New Round Up
Here is a selection of non-Scottish Referendum related media coverage from the
past week:
The BBC website (14/9/14) has a report on invasive species and quotes Trust
ecologist, Mark Robinson, about terrapins
BBC TV series Street Patrol UK (11/9/14) featured the Trust’s graffiti clean-up along
the Regent’s Canal. Towpath Ranger, Dick Vincent, describes how he’s working on
projects that are about turning the canal from routes that people just travel through to
places they can enjoy.
BBC Radio Wales (12/9/14) had a light-hearted preview of last weekend’s
Canalathon event on the Mon & Brec
The heritage open weekend at Ellesmere Yard was plugged a number of times on
BBC Radio Shropshire (13/9/14), including an excellent interview with heritage
advisor, Kate Lynch.
The Evening Standard (16/9/14) reported on a pollution incident on the River Lee
which caused a giant foam wave to float downstream
The Trust’s recent angling survey received a warm response in Angling Times’
letters of the week
Time Out ran a two page feature on living afloat on London’s canals, concluding that
“life afloat isn’t all Rosie and Jim”. “Imagine all the problems of a house, plus all the
problems of a car. Think you could deal with that yourself?”
BBC1’s ‘Escape to the Country’ (16/9/14) featured scenes from the Kennet & Avon
Canal, Devizes
Blue Peter is filming at Standedge Tunnel on Wednesday as part of feature on the
Trust and our canals that will be broadcast early next year
We are going to tell the media about volunteer work to restore an unusual hovel on
the Kennet & Avon Canal
On social media:
Richard Parry’s latest live Q&A session took place on Facebook this week and
attracted a huge number of questions, with Richard answering well over 100 in the
two hour period. A wide range of topics were discussed, with many calling for the
session to become a regular occurrence. Catch up on the action here.
September Events
Bat walks
22-25 September
7pm-9pm
Do you know how many bat species we have in the UK? Come along and find out
how to find these amazing mammals.
Everybody is welcome to join us on a night walk to discover bats in your local area.
You'll get the chance to find out all about bats and which bats live in your area, you'll
also be provided with detectors to assist your bat-spotting!
British bats are entirely harmless so don't be shy. Wrap up warm and wear suitable
shoes for walking.
So we can manage numbers, please contact us to let us know you're coming. Please
email Paul Wilkinson.
Locations
Monday 22 September - starting at 19:10 - Earlswoods Lakes, Solihull, B94 5JH
Thursday 25 September - starting at 19:10 - Gailey Reservoir, ST19 5PU
Small donations welcomed.
Alternatively go bat spotting in your local area, here are a few tips -
How to spot bats
Summer is one of the best times of year to spot bats and if you’d like to spot some of
these captivating creatures then make your way down to your nearest canal or river.
Some of our 200-year-old tunnels, bridges, and aqueducts are home to countless
bats and if you plan your visit properly you’re almost guaranteed to see something
flitting across the water.
Bats are easier to spot during the summer months as they’re out and about hunting
for insects. They’re fascinating to watch as they dart about catching their prey and
showing off their agility. If you want to enjoy a night out with a difference then take a
look at our guide to spotting bats and head out to the water.
Read the full article here
Three Mills Lock
20 September
11am – 4pm
Join us on Saturday 20th and discover more about the Three Mills Lock in Bromleyby-Bow
Learn more about the history of the Three Mills Lock. This first come, first serve
event will give you the opportunity to walk around the locks with members and
volunteers who will be able to answer questions you may have.
Three Mills Lock is located in Prescott Channel. The construction of the lock is the
product of a £20 million project started in March 2007, and completed in 2009. It now
allows boats to access the Bow Back rivers and to control the tidal water levels
above it.
You will also discover more about the lock, the construction, the fish pass and the
weir. Regular tours will be taking place, however it is on a first come basis. Last entry
is 15:45.
Family fun day at Hatton Locks
21 September
11am – 3pm
Come and have a fun afternoon with the kids at the historic Hatton Locks.
There are lots of fun and free activities on offer in the scenic canalside setting of
Hatton Locks.
Activities include:
Hook a duck
Step aside historic narrowboat Swift
Build a canal (not a real one!)
Canal trail
Crafts
All activities take place near Hatton Locks cafe.
Pay and display parking.
Wheelchair access.
Learn the traditional craft of Roses & Castles painting at The Canal
Museum Stoke Bruerne
20-21 September
11am-4pm
Take part in this 2-day painting course to learn the traditional craft of Roses &
Castles - the decorative art used to decorate working narrowboats.
For more information, prices and availability please contact
Louise.Stockwin@canalrivertrust.org.uk
Nature walk and canal trip by Dewsbury Water Linked
27 September
10am
Join Russ Hedley to learn about the creatures that live in and around our canals.
The walks will be fun and aimed at the whole family.
Walks will last around an hour and a half.
For more information and to book a place, please contact
jane.halladay@groundwork.org.uk
To find more events over the coming months visit the Events calendar on our
website
Restoration
England and Wales are crisscrossed by thousands of miles of derelict canals and we
want you to go out, rediscover them and get involved with your local restoration
groups to bring these much-needed spaces back to life.
Cotswold Canals - Thames and Severn, Siddington Bridge
At the height of the Industrial Revolution, thousands of miles of canals were built to
transport goods and raw materials around the country. They were the envy of the
world and helped to establish Britain as an industrial powerhouse.
Sadly over time, with the growth of road and rail, sections of the network fell into
decline and were almost lost completely but for the intervention of dedicated and
visionary volunteers in the mid-1900s.
Thanks to the tireless efforts of restoration trusts and societies, over 200 miles of
canals have been restored since the turn of the millennium. These restorations have
brought prosperity to communities, boosted property prices and helped local people
to lead active, healthy lifestyles.
We want more people to appreciate the importance of these historic canals and play
their part in supporting and championing the heroic efforts of local canal restoration
groups.
Get involved
All the restoration projects are dependent on the passion and energy of volunteers.
Droitwich Towpath Taskforce
Together with the many waterway trusts and societies we welcome volunteers who
want to make a difference to their local area and get involved with our restoration
work.
Many of the opportunities are advertised on our website so if you are interested in
becoming more involved in then please take a look at our volunteering pages or use
our restoration map to find your nearest project and the relevant contact details.
Explore your lost waterways
We've put together a map of the lost waterways of England and Wales. You can find
out all about the current and potential restoration projects in your area and a link to
your local waterway society. Visit the map
History
Narrowboat crossing the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
Many of our canals and rivers were built at the height of the industrial revolution and
stepping foot onto one of our towpaths is akin to stepping into a living museum
where you can touch all of the exhibits.
Our canals are home to over 2,700 listed structures, 50 scheduled ancient
monuments and five UNESCO world heritage sites. Just by walking along a 20
minute stretch of towpath you’re likely to pass numerous heritage structures ranging
from smaller iconic items such as milestones, to working structures such as lock
gates and swing bridges. Read More
Our canals and rivers are also lined with truly magnificent structures such as the
Pontycysyllte Aqueduct and Anderton Boat Lift. If it’s size that matters to you, the
canals are a great place to view historic engineering projects on a grand scale.
One of the best features of our heritage-rich canals is that they’re free to visit. You
don’t have to pay a thing to come and walk along our towpaths and see 200 year old
infrastructure at work. Why not use the search facility on the website and plan a day
out by the canal?