The Wendover Arm Trust Working Party News, Issue 108, April 2015

The completion of the bund in Bridge 4A narrows at the March working party allowed us to cut a channel through the bund at the end of Stage 1 and, at 11am on Saturday April 11^th, start the flow of water into the next 450 metres of restored canal, over a quarter of a mile.

The re-watering was not an overnight event as it took about a week before the final Wendover water level was reached.

The re-watering was not made a major event for various reasons including not knowing for certain whether there would be enough water flowing from Wendover during this rather dry period. It was mainly attended by restoration volunteers and a few invited guests including our President, David Fletcher.

In April the first length of pipe capping from the manhole east of the bund was cast and this work will proceed during the rest of the year.

During the April work party the new cabin to be erected at Whitehouses was delivered and Tony Bardwell will be in charge of laying a base and putting the flatpack hut together during the May working party.

If you cast your mind back to the June 2013 issue of this newsletter you will remember that Phill Cardy brought along several young trees that Margaret Leishman has been repotting and tending until they are now 4 to 6 feet tall.

At the April working party these were all planted on the Herts County Council land farmed by their tenant farmer, Keith Slade, where they have allowed us to tip surplus spoil and asked us to reinstate trees that we had to remove to facilitate the tipping.

Restoration Handbook

Ray Orth and I have been reviewing the restoration handbook and have decided to print a revised version that excludes the technical data on restoration specifications and procedures so as to avoid regular updates due to changes and new procedures. In future the specifications and procedures will be issued to team leaders on encapsulated sheets as and when required.

We are currently proofreading the manual and hope to have it ready for issue during the summer.

6-monthly physical/financial report (see page 3)

Yet again the time has come round for this report. You will see that the Trust has now spent over ½ million pounds on Phase II. This is quite an achievement especially when you add the Phase I cost, a grand total of £909,360 in 18 (financial) years. Just over £50,000 a year!

What is also remarkable is that, bearing in mind the Trust has £400,000 still ‘in the bank’, £1,309,360 has been raised by the Trust since 1989 of which only about £310,000 has been in the form of grants and a bequest, i.e. the Trust has raised £1m to date plus the funds required for the non-restoration costs of running the Trust!.

The budgets in my report are still based on volunteers carrying out all the work but will need revising if it is decided to pay for contract assistance for some of the more arduous work such as earthwork and block laying. It is with this in mind that WAT/CRT as a partnership is applying for a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Work Party Supervision

After the Open Day in June Ray Orth hopes to be off on a well-earned break cruising the waterways with his wife, Jo, and will not be back until the August working party. In Ray’s absence Tony Bardwell will be running the work parties and I am sure that you will all give him your support.

Open Day June 7^th 2015

Margaret Leishman and her team of helpers are already organised to serve their usual drinks and cakes.

If there are any ardent cake makers among our readers they would be very grateful for any donations. Please ring Margaret on 01442 874536 and let her know in advance if you are able to ‘bake-a-cake’.

General Notes

We operate as a self-supervising group under CRT and all volunteers receive and sign for the Trust’s Restoration Handbook that includes full Health and Safety requirements for the restoration works.

The handbook is the property of the Trust; if you leave the working parties for any reason, please return your Handbook to either Ray Orth or myself.

Hard hats for use at all times and high visibility jackets to be worn on sites with mobile plant in use are kept in the store at Tringford and must be drawn/returned there.

One first aid kit is kept in the store and one in the Nissan Cabstar and each qualified first-aider will have their own kit with him/her when on site.

Also available in the store at Tringford are ear defenders and goggles that must be worn when using strimmers, angle grinders, concrete breakers and the like. CRT will supply hard hats, gloves and footwear with reinforced toecaps on request.

We normally work from 9am to 5pm (or dark if earlier!). There are breaks for morning tea/coffee, packed lunch and afternoon tea/coffee. We take our own food and drink.

WENDOVER ARM CANAL RESTORATION PHASE II

PROGRESS REPORT AS AT 5^th APRIL 2015

CANAL LINING

FOOTBRIDGES & VARIOUS OTHER WORKS

SUMMARY INCLUDING OVERHEAD COSTS

WORKING PARTIES

So you can plan your diary ahead, the following are the dates of future working parties in 2015: