IN THIS ISSUE 114
March 1984

Contents
Front pictures
Comment - Support the
  need for Slipways

Cover pictures info
Working Parties
Sponsored Walk
200 Club
Support 'Projects '84'
Bargain Breaks
New Vice-Presidents
Black Country coach trip
Shape of things Past and
  To Come

Canal Centre Length
  Re-opened

Westel Canoe Trials
Gongoozlers' Gossip

Contact the Society

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    bcnmsthd50 (12K)

No. 114March 1984

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Inside front cover --
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COMMENT - SUPPORT THE NEED FOR SLIPWAYS
As we closed for press, it was reported that Hampshire County Council has submitted planning applications for boat launching slipways at four sites along the Canal. Rushmoor Borough Council is being asked to approve one opposite the let-off weir on the western side of Farnborough Road Bridge. Further west, permission has been sought from Hart District Council for the construction of slipways at Colt Hill (Application No. HOC 11249/C); adjacent to the new by-pass bridge at Odiham {Application No. HOC 11250/C); and at Barley Mow Bridge, Winchfield (Application No. HOC 11248/C) Quite apart from the small boat owners who wish to use the waterway but have no way of launching their craft, the urgent need to have the restored canal navigated is clearly apparent.

It is a well known fact that boats help to maintain inland waterways by reducing weed growth and keeping the silt in suspension and so preventing it from settling and building up in deposits.

The need to get boats in use on the canal is now critical. Peter Fethney, Chairman of the "'John Pinkerton" trip boat company, recently warned that unless something is done about weed growth and silt, the "John Pinkerton" may no longer be able to operate on the upper end of the canal after this year's season. And at its last meeting, the Executive Committee expressed concern over the deteriorating condition of the western end, and called for H.C.C. to consider obtaining maintenance dredging equipment, as an urgent priority, if restoration of the canal is not to take "two steps backwards for each step forward".

The local authorities have now taken delivery of a new, and we are told, efficient weed cutting craft, so this annual problem now has a solution. But the increasing deposits of silt can only be eased by enabling more boats to navigate the canal. The problem needs to be tackled actively by maintenance dredging; construction of a silt trap at Wilkes Water where Broad Oak stream flows into the canal, and dredging the Greywell length of the canal from which silt is filling up the canal eastwards.

As a member you can help by writing to Rushmoor and Hart Councils (in the latter case quoting the Application Numbers) expressing your support for slipways — your letters do influence their decisions.

REMEMBER THE AGM IS ON SATURDAY, 5th MAY - PLEASE MAKE A NOTE. DON'T FORGET TO RENEW YOUR SUBSCRIPTION IF YOU PAY BY CHEQUE OR CASH - FORM ATTACHED.
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PHOTOGRAPHS
Top Right:
Pablo Haworth and voluntary members of his team start clearing Lock 4 at Byfleet.
Top Left: Pablo's working party putting the finishing touches to Lock 5.
Bottom left and right: Voluntary working parties driving piles in to protect the banks at Ash Vale.
(Photographs by Clive Durley and Dieter Jebens)
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WORKING PARTIES - Peter Cooper
The restoration of the canal has now moved into yet another New Year, and this certainly won't be the last New Year when we have to exhort volunteers to continue to support this work. The St. Johns working parties intend to make the restoration of this flight of locks an almost totally volunteer job, and the dredger team intend to take the steam dredger through to Fleet. Neither of these jobs is likely to be complete in 1984 so a sustained effort is called for: stamina is essential. There is, though, the consolation that by now over half the job has been done: we must now be on the downhill slope, even if it doesn't often feel like it.

The full range of working parties is listed below. It's usually as well to check with your working party leader a few days before attending just in case of any last minute change of plan.

St. Johns (or Goldsworth) Locks Every Weekend
At Lock 11 the return and flank walls are now complete and the bottom hollow posts installed. Work is now starting on rebuilding the top and bottom recess walls and this is now the biggest job remaining.

Lock 9 receives regular attention from this Society's working parties and also from some visiting groups. The first chamber wall is now about half way up and the bow wall has been built. Much of the bricklaying effort is concen­trated at the bottom end on flank walls and wing walls — a water outflow there necessitating a more extended wing wall than usual on the offside. Lock 8 is also worked on by visiting groups but here the work is still mainly at the demolition stage.

The Society's co-ordinator of this work is MIKE FELLOWS on Wokingham 787428 and for further details you should contact him or one of the working party leaders listed below:

Lock 9
(JW & TG) (AG) (PJ)

11/12 February, 12 February, 25/26 February, 10/11 March, 11 March, 24/25 March, 7/8 April, 8 April, 21/22 April.

Lock 11
(KH & PR) 4/5 February, 18/19 February, 3/4 March, 17/18 March, 31 March/1 April, 14/15 April.
(JW) Jules Wood - Farnborough 515737. (TG) Tony Gould - 01 941 3014. (AG) Alan Grimster - Brookwood 6127. (PJ) Peter Jones - Aldershot 313076. (KH) Ken Halls - Woking 23981 (PR) Peter Redway - Woking 21710.

Note that the weekend of 20-23 April is Easter, so you should contact PETER JONES or MIKE FELLOWS nearer the day to find out the exact working arrangements.

Dredging in Hampshire Every Weekend
The dredger returned to work on 10th December following recent overhaul and renovation of the boiler and crane and is certainly working much more efficiently now. Crew complaints are now restricted to being able to see what they are doing due to a lack of steam leaks! The annual boiler inspection and steam test have also been carried out and the dredger is now heading towards Double Bridge. Dredger and tugs are now being repainted and the Thames barge should return to service shortly. The dredger team would like to thank PHIL PRATT for providing them with a display board. They are, as always, on the lookout for more helpers who will be given full training. For more details contact ANDY STUMPF on Watford 37278 or BRIAN BANE on Hook 3627.

Bankside Work in Surrey First Sunday of the month - 5 February, 4 March, 1 April.
This Party expect to be operating in the Ash Vale section towards Mytchett. The work is quite unskilled, and you should contact BERT and BETTY SCAMMELL on Aldershot 23215 for details of exact work site and suggested parking locations.

Lock Gate Building Various weekends
The well-established party who have been building bottom gates for the St. Johns Flight have now completed the second gate of the pair for Lock 10 and are now starting on the bottom gates for Lock 11. They normally meet on the first weekend of the month - 4/5 February, 3/4 March, 7/8 April — further details from FRANK JONES on Deepcut 5711 (workshop) or Camberley 28367 (home).

The second, recently established party are building top gates for the same locks and are progressing with those for Lock 10. They meet on the fourth Sunday of the month: 26 February, 25 March, 22 April — further details from ALAN GRIMSTER on Brookwood 6127.

Lock 4 (Woodham) Second weekend of the month - 11/12 February, 10/11 March, 7/8 April
This party who have recently completed work on Lock 5 are now tackling Lock 4; they have achieved their first objective — they have found Lock 4 among the trees and shrubs around it. They have done the basic pioneering work, removing the intrusive vegetation, and are now starting on the demolition stage. Workers should park in the car park by Lock 3. Further details may be had from PABLO HAWORTH on Byfleet 42081.

Lock 1 (Woodham) Third weekend of the month - 18/19 February, 17/18 March, 14/15 April
Bricklaying continues to be the central activity at this lock. Both chamber walls are now above cill height and are going up at a rate, at best, of five courses per weekend. For further details of this party which operates under the auspices of the Guildford Branch of the IWA, contact DICK HARPER-WHITE on Weybridge 42074 or ROY DAVENPORT on 01 979 7075.

Piling Every fourth weekend - 4/5 February, 3/4 March, 31 March/1 April
The piling undertaken by volunteers at Anglers Flash, Mitchett, is about half completed and it is hoped to finish the job around the end of March. This party could certainly use some more volunteers and would particularly like to tempt out some who haven't been working regularly on the canal recently. More details from PETER JONES on Aldershot 313076.

Surrey Full-time team
The piling work at Mytchett Place Road is now complete and the team have brought a further touch of civilisation into their lives by completing a new toilet block by the lock gate workshop. They plan soon to return to lock reconstruction after a long break from this sort of work: they should be restarting work on the Brookwood Flight early in the New Year.

DETAILS of a canal study course have been received from the Peak National Park Study Centre. The Course, which is being run from May 28 - June 1 covers both talks and visits to the Ashton, Peak Forest, Caldon, Huddersfield Narrow and Cromford Canals. The course director is Ruth Hawkins from the IWA. The cost is £89 for the week, all inclusive, and details are available from the Centre at Losehill Hall, Castleton, Derbyshire S30 2WB - Telephone 0433 20373.
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SUNDAY 20th MAY
HELP MAKE THIS YEAR'S SPONSORED WALK THE BEST EVER!
Spring may seem a long way off but it is never too soon to think about raising money for the Society. Recent sponsored walks have been very successful but it is time we raised our sights well above the £5,000 which was the target for the last two years. In 1984 the walk will once again be between Woking and Fleet (or vice versa) and a full description is given in the enclosed booklet. You can join at either end or from any of the marshal points and how far you walk is entirely up to you. Please ensure that 20th May is noted in your diaries and start to line up sponsors now. We would like to see a really large turnout by SHCS members this year.

Once again we are inviting other organisations and schools to join us on a 50:50 basis — many who walked with us in 1983 have promised to return this year. Since they will have raised something like £2,000 for us and the same for themselves, the presence of others on our walk is very helpful. If you know of any groups, companies, social clubs and so on which might be interested in participating, please sound them out and then inform Vie Trott (Woking 68607) or Derek Truman (Fleet 3435).

If you cannot walk yourself, please sponsor someone who can or offer to help as a Marshal — ideally we should have four at each of the marshal points in the middle of the walk (2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon) and rather more at each end. Vie or Derek would be very happy to answer questions or to take offers of help.

P.S. Woking Cinema Club raised £145 for us in 1983, Fleet Lions £130 and Crown Life £180, not £70 as reported in the last newsletter.
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200 CLUB RAISES £500
The Club raised about £500 for the Society in 1983 — somewhat less than the previous year. There were 24 prize winners of whom those in the December draw were:
Mr. H. Pullen - £41 .00; Mr. V. Trott - £21 .00; Miss D. Maynard - £10.00; Mr. T. Nevill - £10.00. We were very grateful to all those who have renewed their subscriptions or joined for the first time in 1984. This is really a very simple method of helping the Society particularly if you are not in a position to participate in some of our other activities. If you are not already a member you can still join but since late entrants will only be eligible for five draws, the subscription will be £10.00 or ten monthly payments of £1.00 by standing order. If you still have the application form (at the back of the December Newsletter) please send it suitably amended to Derek Truman, 91 Tavistock Road, Fleet, Hants, or phone him on Fleet 3435 for an extra form. (The amend­ments are simple — substitute "£10" for "£12" and "April" for "February" and "£10" for "£12".) Do not forget that you can have more than one subscription and that you do not have to be a member of the Society to join.
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TRIP BOAT CREWS "TRAINING" OPEN DAY
Members interested in steering, crewing or running the galley /sales counter on the John Pinkerton are welcome to come to Crew Training Open Day at Colt Hill on Saturday 14th April at 11.00am or 2.30pm. No experience is needed. Further information from the Crewing Manager — Alan Prince (Alton 86538) or Crewing Assistant Manager Roger Cansdale (Fleet 6964).
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SUPPORT "PROJECTS 84"
Many members add a donation for the Society's general funds when paying their annual subscription. To give those people the opportunity to choose a specific project currently needed by the Society and to encourage other members to help us finance one of a number of projects the following four items are priority aims:
a) Langman's Bridge
One of the original brick-arch accommodation bridges at Goldsworth, St. Johns is intact but badly in need of repair if it is to survive. The parapets, in particular, are in need of urgent attention.

Those members who have seen the similar bridges at Broad Oak and Cowshot Manor, Pirbright, will appreciate the value of restoring these distinctive and attractive crossings which are so much a part of the character of the canal.
Cost of restoration by Contractor: £5,500.

b) Woodworking Tools
The Society now has a team of regular voluntary carpenters building lock gates at the Deepcut workshop. The Team was started by MSC co-ordinator Frank Jones. At first only one or two people attended now and again. Today working parties number six or more and meet regularly twice a month. So far two gates have been con­structed by weekend volunteers and a further four are underway.

As the number of recruits increases, and tools need replacement, there is a steady demand for new planes, mallets, chisels and saws.
Cost £600.

c) Cowley Level
For the uninitiated, a Cowley Level is a surveying instrument for checking and establishing ground levels. In restoring the canal, involving substantial reconstruction work, the constant use of a Cowley Level is vital to check levels, for example, between the top of lock chambers and the adjacent canal banks to ensure correct water levels and avoid the risk of flooding.
Cost £175

d) Tree Planting Programme
An outstanding feature of the canal is the prolific number and variety of trees growing along its banks. Beech, Oak, Chestnuts, Ash, Willows, Scots Pine and Silver Birch to name the more common species. But old age, sometimes disease and where necessary, deliberate clearance for good reason means there is a constant need for regular replanting. Along the Hampshire length there is currently a need for selected trees to be planted at a number of locations.
Estimated cost £200

If you would like to donate something to one or more of the above projects (along with your subscription renewal) to help them materialise, please enter your donation on the form and circle the code letter of your chosen project/s.
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VOLUNTEER LENGTHSMEN WANTED IN SURREY
Thanks to Tony Rozelaar for running the voluntary lengthsman scheme in Surrey. We welcome Hugh Bird of Normandy who has offered to take over the administration of the scheme which provides both the County Council and the Society with a valuable source of information about any changes taking place along the canal.

Hugh tells us that three of the 18 lengths are currently vacant. Length No. 1 (Wey Navigation junction to Lock No. 3) Length No. 5 (Chobham Road Bridge to Step Bridge, Woking) Length No. 15 (Mytchett Lake Road Bridge to Ash Vale Station)

Each length is about one mile long, and requires a volunteer to walk it once every two weeks. If you notice any­thing untoward you are asked to note it. Twice a year Hugh Bird will contact you and arrange to go through the notes. If you discover anything which requires immediate attention, you are asked to contact Gerard Brierley. A set of aspects to look out for is provided.

Our thanks to the three lengthsmen who are relinquishing their sections for their contributions: Mr K. Tilbury (Nos. 1 and 5), Adrian Birtles (No. 15) and Chris Kew (No. 6). A welcome to Paul Thurston who has taken over No. 6.

Volunteers for the above three vacancies please to: Hugh Bird, Bramdene, Westwood Lane, Normandy, Guildford, Surrey GU3 2ES. Telephone: Guildford 811069.

.. . AND IN HAMPSHIRE
We are sorry to learn that Mr T.J. Nevill of Whitehall, Odiham has retired as voluntary lengthsman covering Broad Oak to Colt Hill. Our thanks to him for the years he spent keeping an eye on his length. Organiser of the 13 Hampshire lengths, Laz Hawker of 2 Rushmoor Close, Fleet, Hants. (Fleet 4448), would like to hear from a volunteer to take over from Mr. Nevill.
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MEMBERS BARGAIN BREAKS
Time for thinking about holidays is here again. Imagine cruising along a beautiful waterway, the buzz of bees as they go in and out of the wild flowers, the sun on your back and master of all you survey. Think of "The Return" and to that list you can add doing it at half the price!

"The Return" is the Society's 52' 6-berth holiday narrowboat fully equipped and licensed to cruise both the Thames and the Wey. A number of bookings have already been taken out but vacancies exist from 24th March (£95.00) through August (£195.00) to the end of the year. These prices include gas, fuel and car parking, but are subject to VAT.

Chris Brazier is able to give you further details and is also more than happy to take your booking on Aldershot 25460.
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SPRING TOWPATH WALK
Sunday 25th March 1984 at 10.45am at Brookwood Station. We will walk along the towpath to Curzon Bridge and then go over Pirbright Heath past Stanley's (of the Congo fame) old house, stopping at a very pleasant pub for lunch. We will be looking at a gem of a church rebuilt in 1784, where Stanley is buried. Finally, through a meadow and back along the towpath to our starting point. Distance about 6 miles. All welcome. Leader: Paul Garrett, Byfleet 41993.
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NEW VICE-PRESIDENTS FOR THE SOCIETY
It is announced with pleasure that the Society has invited three distinguished people to become Vice-Presidents and the invitations have been accepted with thanks.

The first is John Humphries who has been well known to the Society for many years and is a member of the Board of the Thames Water Authority and also serves on the Inland Waterway Amenity Advisory Council (IWAAC).

The second is Lieutenant Colonel Sir James Scott, Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire and until recently was the Chairman of the Basingstoke Canal Joint Management Committee.

The third acceptance was received from Michael Mates MP, who is the Member of Parliament currently representing the East Hampshire constituency (which of course includes a substantial length of the canal).
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Dear Editor,
I always read your Newsletter with interest. I was born in Fleet and as a young boy spent a lot of time fishing and catching crayfish in the canal. I also remember the last of the longboats operating and the teams of men employed to drag out the weed using large iron rakes that had no handles but were taken across the canal by boat then pulled back across by ropes with a man on each rope.

Monday, 9th April Based on his recent "Towpath Book" Christopher Howkins will give a talk using slides of his own sketches and drawings to illustrate what can be seen when walking the towpath of the Wey Navigation from Weybridge to Godalming. This presentation is not to be missed and copies of Christopher Howkins' books and prints will be on sale. The author has kindly agreed to autograph those that are sold.

FLEET SOCIAL EVENINGS: All at the Prince of Wales (Baronial Room), Reading Road South, Fleet.
Wednesday 29th March 7.45pm A slide illustrated talk will be given by our Chairman Robin Higgs who is also Chairman of the Mid-Hants Railway Preservation Society on the progress to date on the Railway project. Work on the final stretch from Medstead and Four Marks to Alton is to start shortly.
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COACH TRIP TO THE BLACK COUNTRY MUSEUM AT DUDLEY PLUS A CRUISE INTO THE DUDLEY TUNNEL
Sunday 6th May.
A visit has been arranged to the Black Country Museum at Dudley which has established itself as one of the fore­most museums of its kind in Britain. See the electric tram and life in a 19th century village, the canal boat dock, museum ironworks, coal fired bakery, a working Anchor forge, and many other exhibits. During the day a 11/z hour cruise into the Dudley Tunnel will be made to view the massive chambers and branches, using the Dudley Canal Trust's electrically powered boat. Altogether a fascinating day out. Cost £6.50 inclusive, and the start and finish will be in Fleet.

To reserve your seats, please telephone Rosemary Millett on Fleet 7364.
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WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS
McLaughlin family — Ash
Mr. A. Hyde - St. Johns
Coates family - Gt. Bookham
Crutcher family — Mytchett
Mr. R. Lane — Knaphill
Mr. A. Dungate — Hounslow
Mr. M. Frost — Frimley Green
Mr. S. Glason — Surbiton
Mr. R. Steeden -Church Crookham
Mr. P. Thurston - St. Johns
Miss V. Smith — S. Warnborough
Seekings family — St. Johns
Bowden-Smith family — Church Crookham
Mr. C. Wall - Pirbright Bristow family — Reigate Heath Morris family — Bracknell Mr. A. Cavender — Maidenhead Mr. A. Butcher — Ashford, Middx. Whitaker family — Tadley Main family — Farnham Mr. P. Rolfe -Ash Drage family — Farnborough Mr. A. Horwood — Byfleet Lt. Cdr. Caesley — Dorchester Harvey family — Horsell

STOP PRESS
The Society's Trip Boat "John Pinkerton" made a net profit of £10,502 last season and net proceeds from operating NB "The Return" were £1,668. Congratulations to all involved in making a total of £12,170.
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THE CANAL, THE SHAPE OF THINGS PAST AND TO COME - Stan Knight
The spirits of generations of Basingstoke boatmen danced on Chequers Wharf, Crookham Village, on the night of Tuesday 4th October 1983 with nostalgic glee. That afternoon a barge had arrived! The wraiths of the early 18th and 19th century watermen were surprised to see that she was built entirely of iron, just like that newfangled bridge that Abraham Darby had constructed across the Severn a few years back. The horse and the tow line were of steel too but the method of arrival was so familiar, the man at the tiller keeping her in the centre of the cut against the vectored pull on the line. No barge had passed this way since the narrow boat "Tipton" arrived in 1927 to be sawn in half by Mark Hicks and "Badge" Neville, thence to silently moulder away in the winding hole by Canal Cottage. She was a tiddler beside this metal monster. The ghosts were puzzled; never in their 190-year collective memory could they recall her passage up to Basing: yet she had come from the west!!

To their modern counterparts, Tony Harmsworth on the iron horse and David James at the tiller, there was no mystery — just a job of work in the County's restoration programme but a job with more than a hint of pioneering spirit. The boat, a 70-foot Thames gravel carrier, had been introduced to the canal at Odiham a few years ago and had been worked hard carrying mud from the dredger working through Winchfield and Dogmersfield.

Unloading by dragline crane had damaged her internal structure, so it was decided to try to get her to Fleet where there is easy access for lifting out and welding.

The unknown quantity was Malthouse bridgehole, reputedly now the shallowest spot on the whole canal. Manager David Gerry remarked that stones to make big and little splashes for small and larger boys had brought the bottom close to the top! (I wonder who he had in mind?) He was not prepared to take even a small bet on the success of the operation! However, he did a spot of personal dredging at the worst point. One treasure which he recovered was a broken finger post arm to some place called "ROOKHAM".

On Wednesday morning the mooring lines were cast off, the farewells from the ghosts drowned by the spluttering tractor, and the iron ribs of old "Tipton" shuddered in her big sister's wash. Trouble came long before Malthouse; the Zephon Common swingbridge vandalised yet again had been robbed of most of its cannonball-sized bearings and had to be dragged aside and replaced by Tractor. An hour's delay! She jibbed for a while at the bend by Freelands Farm, but at Malthouse she entered the bridge like a lady: and then crunch — she stuck fast!

It was out with the winches and pulley blocks and from anchorages on successive trees she was gradually inched forward. In two and a half hours she was through! The rest of the journey was comparatively uneventful: she had taken 5 hours to cover 2 miles. During the next two days she was winched out of the water, and repairs are under way. Let's wish her luck on her return journey. ,P> Postscript
Tony Harmsworth and his crew have now returned to Malthouse bridgehole with the "Backacter" dredger, so the return journey and perhaps a visit from the "John Pinkerton" should go smoothly.
Editor's Note: See pictures in Newsletter 112.
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CANAL CENTRE LENGTH - GRAND RE-OPENING ON JUNE 9th
A grand ceremony to mark the re-opening of the 51/2 mile restorjed centre length of the Basingstoke Canal from Ash Lock to Deepcut Lock 28 will be the highlight of 1984. Plans are being made to get the "John Pinkerton" down the canal for the ceremony and a cruise for VIP guests headed by the Chairmen of the two County Councils. A flotilla of boats will follow the official boats down the canal, including many from the Steam Boat Association. There will be bankside exhibitions, displays and bands playing along the cruise route, together with recreational displays on the water at various points.

Full details of this exciting event will appear in the next Newsletter. For the present, members with trailable boats up to 25ft are invited to attend. Please apply for an application form for this memorable milestone in the canal's restoration history. Car and trailer parking space will be limited over the period Friday June 8th — Sunday June 10th, so prompt application is recommended. For those boating members who do not hold a canal licence for the Basingstoke, a special 3 day pass will be available. A unique brass plaque will be cast to commem­orate the event (cost to be advised). It is hoped to accommodate boaters who wish to camp near the canal, and to organise some entertainment on the Saturday evening.

Please contact Vic Trott, 21 Lime Grove, Westfield, Woking, Surrey GU22 9PW, for full details (SAE Please).
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THE 1984 WESTEL CANOE TOURIST TRIALS ON THE CANAL
It will soon be April again, and this is the month the annual Canoe Trials are held on the canal. This year they will be held on Sunday April 15th, based at Reading Road Wharf, Fleet, as usual and jointly organised with the Society. This event normally attracts around 350 canoes to the canal, and its popularity is due to the fact that canoeists of all ages can take part, be they expert or novice.

It will be over one of FIVE set distances 6, 12, 20, 30 or 40 miles with various time options in each distance category ranging from slow to fast times. IT IS NOT A RACE, and evey paddler who finishes qualifies for a certificate recording the time taken and every entrant will receive a memento in the form of an incised mug.

The event started as a result of growing interest in the Canal as it was being restored and the first event was held in 1978. The long distance events use the canal between Fleet and Odiham and Fleet and Aldershot, and hope­fully this year the 40 mile event will turn at Deepcut. The Trial is probably the largest of its kind to be held on the canal system in England, and last year attracted canoeists from Holland and Belgium who thoroughly enjoyed the experience of canoeing in a narrow, winding, scenic English Canal.

The entry fee will be £1.90 and this will cover the canal licence, soup/cold drinks, the certificate and the memento of the event.

Full details and entry forms are available from: Jeff Simmons, 52 Ashgrove Road, Ashford, Middlesex TW15 1PJ (Tel: Ashford 07842 - 55085) or from Mrs Rosemary Millett, 14 Dinorben Close, Fleet, Hants GU13 9SW, Tel: Fleet (02514) 7364. Please enclose S.A.E. Entries close 1st April 1984.
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GONGOOZLERS' GOSSIP
GLAD to say that a permanent memorial to the late Percy Broomfield will be a bench seat, for which donations amounting to £116 have been received, to be erected at Lock 11.
HEAR that the backacter dredger has been used successfully to clear shallow canal bed around Malthouse Bridge, Fleet, so "John Pinkerton" can pass through.
FOLLOWING 'Mary Rose' of the canals in Newsletter 112, Stan Mellor reports an attempt will be made later this year, hopefully, to raise "Seagull" entirely.
£800 donation has been made by P.J.Tomlins charity (the Ashley Cook laundry family) which is much appreciated.
WASTE paper collection at St Johns has been stopped. Storage and handling costs made it uneconomic. No more paper thank you!
BOAT for sale: 20ft GRP cabin cruiser, ideal for use on local waterways. Sleeps up to 4 persons. 9V4 hp Evenrude outboard serviced last year. View on land. Special Winter price: £625. Contact: John Gunner on Hindhead 6357 evenings/weekends.
LICENCES for boats on the Canal available from H.C.C., Ash Lock Cottage, Government Road, Aldershot, Hants. Or ring Aldershot 313810.
CUSTOM built weedcutter bought by County Councils for clearing Canal. Tests showed it is much more efficient and cuts wider channel than old weedcutter.
SLIDES of 1983 Summer Work Camp at St Johns and other working parties required on loan to copy for the AGM in May and perhaps for the Society's lecture set. Ring: Clive Durley on Fleet 5694.
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COPY DATE FOR MAY NEWSLETTER : 15th March 1984.

Published by the Surrey and Hampshire Canal Society Ltd., a non prof it distributing company limited by guarantee, registered as a Charity.
Editors: Dieter Jebens, Chris de Wet. Production: Jo Evans and Dick Abbott.
Collation and distribution: Janet and George Hedger, Clive Durley and helpers.
Editorial office: 60 Middle Bourne Lane, Farnham, Surrey GU10 3NJ. (Farnham 715230).
Chairman: Robin Higgs, 18 Barnsford Crescent, West End, Woking. (Chobham 7314).
Vice-Chairman: David Millett, 14 Dinorben Close, Fleet. (Fleet 7364).
Hon. Treasurer: Peter Fethney, 5 Longdown, Courtmoor, Fleet (Fleet 5524)
Hon. Secretary: Philip Riley, Meadow Vale, Guildford Road, Normandy. (Worplesdon 234776).
Membership Secretary: Bob Trott, 24 The Greenwood, Guildford, Surrey GU1 2ND. (Guildford 570082).
Working Party Information: Peter Jones, Aldershot 313076 and Peter Cooper, 01 -993 1105.
Trip Boat: Ron Hursey, 119 Keith Lucas Road, Farnborough (Farnborough 519619)
Sales Manager: Aubrey Slaughter, 37 Fir Tree Way, Fleet (Fleet 23102)
Talks Organiser: Pauline Hadlow, Beaulah, Parkstone Drive, Camberley (Camberley 28367)
Exhibitions Manager: Phil Pratt, 26 Fleetwood Court, Madeira Road, West Byfleet (West Byfleet 40281).
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Last updated April 2005