Monthly Archives: September 2023

meet the reverend chris upton

meet the Reverend Chris Upton

as he becomes national leader for the waterways chaplaincy

The Waterways Chaplaincy is a community of trained volunteers who walk the towpaths and river banks of the country, offering a friendly chat and any assistance needed by a boater or towpath user who asks for help.

Waterways Chaplains -Chris Upton was born in Northumberland but was brought up on Mersea Island, Essex. He says that the island, with its tides, mud and warm Essex weather was an idyllic place in which to grow up and he remembers seemingly endless summers of picnics on the islands of the Blackwater and Colne estuaries. His mother taught him to swim in the
sea, which he enjoyed all year round, and to sail. At first it was dinghies, then yachts, up and down the East coast and beyond. When he was not in or on the sea, he took long walks along the sea wall, appreciating the ever-changing distances.

He was not brought up as an active church goer and says being dragged there once a year on Christmas morning was quite enough, but he came to faith at his secondary school, a boarding school with a Christian ethos which meant attending chapel four times a week. Initially, this all left him unresponsive but, in order to escape some French homework, he attended a mission event, led by a team from Christians in Sport. Three nights later he took the plunge and decided to give his life to Christ.

From then on he became very involved in the school’s Christian Union and started leading services in the chapel. He says there was not a microphone in sight so he had to project his voice to reach over 500 pupils, which ability has been of great value.

Whilst at Newcastle University as an undergrad, indulging his love of boats “and all things watery” by studying Naval Architecture, he also led the Christian Union. He met his wife at a freshers’ fayre Christian Union event. She was part of the drama group looking to attract new members and he was unable to resist! They married the
day after his graduation and together went to Jamaica for a year, working as teachers in a small school in the mountains.

Returning to Essex for five years, they set up home and raised a family. During this time, Chris worked in a variety of jobs that included fisherman and boat builder, but he ended up combining church youth work with painting and decorating.

In 2000 he felt drawn into the ministry and they moved to landlocked Haworth in West Yorkshire, where he served as student minister at West Lane Baptist Church. ‘Student minister’ means that he was on day release whilst studying theology at Manchester university. He became the sole person in charge of the church, like a curate but with no senior cleric in place to guide him. He says, “It was daunting but I learnt fast and the congregation were very forgiving!”

Chris is still in Haworth 23 years later but no longer as church minister. He is still a ‘reverend’ and an accredited Baptist minister but has moved from pulpit to pew, “which is taking a little time to get used to”. However, it has opened up new areas of service and in January this year he started as church funding officer for the national charity Christians Against Poverty. This is only a part-time role and dovetails well with his new work for the Waterways Chaplaincy. He is also helping a number of clergy as an accredited pastoral supervisor.

Chris also enjoys running, cycling, fixing things and helping to lead the local community cinema. He finds that the beauty of the natural world with its space and silence clears his mind and speaks to his soul, which he says is very needed on occasions!

Chris is excited about the future and where the Lord will lead the Waterways Chaplaincy under his leadership. We wish him fair weather and happy sailing!

a ghost story for Christmas

a ghost story for christmas

The boat gently rocks, water lapping on the hull. It's late and dark. Somewhere nearby an owl gently hoots. Then, in the blackened stillness, the boat starts to move. A passing boat? An uninvited boarder? Or perhaps one of the hundreds of ghosts and spectres on our waterways.

Richard Hill investigates...

Perhaps one of the most famous waterway ghosts is that of Christina Collins. Christina was murdered on 17th June 1839, aged 37 years. Her body was found in the Trent & Mersey Canal at Brindley Bank near Rugeley. Three boatmen, James Owen, George Thomas and William Ellis, were convicted of her murder. Two were hanged, the third transported. At the point where Christina's body was taken from the canal, there was a flight of sandstone steps (alongside the more recent concrete steps). Christina's blood ran onto and down the steps, and even today it is believed that on occasions, traces of her blood can still be seen. These steps became known as the 'Bloody Steps'. It is believed that a ghost makes presence here. Christina's ghost perhaps, or perhaps that of one of her murderers.

Another well-known ghost is that of Kit Crewbucket, a lady boggart of canal tunnels. She has often been reported as haunting the Harecastle Tunnel and sometimes is believed to be the spectre that appears in Crick Tunnel.

the bloody steps near Rugeley

crick tunnel

At Astley in Manchester, a grey lady appears searching for something near the canal. She may be the ghost of eighteen-year-old Ann Mort who died of a broken heart after her parents banished her suitor because he was a Catholic. In Cheshire, a hideous figure wearing a black shawl emits a terrifying cackling laugh at Buttermilk Bridge. This is the ghost of a woman who sold buttermilk to the navvies constructing the canal here. In Chester, where the canal (which was dug into part of the moat) passes near to Northgate, the last Roman sentry can still be seen guarding the entrance to the city.

The Shropshire Union has plenty of eerie hauntings. At Bridge 39, the famous double arched bridge, a black creature is said to appear as a phantom. This is the ghost of a boatman who was drowned here in the 19th century.

Boatmen are reported to have always feared Betton Cutting near bridge 66 of the Shroppie. Perhaps their fear is justified by various reportings over the years of a 'Shrieking Spectre'. A more recent phantom is that of an American pilot who appears in the Shroppie between Wheaton Aston and Little Onn at the spot where he crashed his plane during the Second World War. Another wartime pilot, but this time headless, appears on the south bank of the Coventry canal, between bridges 90 and 91.

Staying in Shropshire, but changing waterways, on the River Severn at Ironbridge, a phantom Trow can be seen drifting slowly. The boat is laden with corpses, piled high. At the tiller is a faceless hooded helmsman, believed to be transporting the bodies of plague victims.

Moving westward to the Llangollen canal and on moonlit nights, a figure can often be seen 'gliding' along the towpath on the Pontcysyllte aqueduct. The form often disappears suddenly, but has never been seen leaping off the aqueduct. At Clifton Gorge, where many have been known to end their lives by jumping off the Clifton Suspension Bridge, none have been reported as ghost stories. Yet the gorge has two known apparitions: one, a pilot who died in 1957 while attempting to fly under the bridge, the other of Brunel who designed the bridge. Brunel is said to haunt Leigh Woods nearby.

Boatman have always dreaded the River Wye near Hereford, particularly in the evening. What they feared was the experience of seeing the macabre 'Spectre's Voyage', for to do so meant certain death. Their fatal vision was that of a young shrouded woman, gliding past, against wind and flow.

The Thames, as one might expect, yields many apparitions. At Cheyne walk, upstream of Battersea Bridge is the ghost of a bear, believed to be one of the poor creatures forced into bear-baiting which took place here in the 16th century. Further downstream, below Westminster Bridge, echo the screams of pain of a figure jumping into the Thames from Cleopatra's Needle. Though never a splash is heard, the leap is often followed by wicked howls of laughter. At Limehouse, a ghost is seen at summer sunsets. This is the vicar of Ratcliff Cross who ran a refuge for sailors, and who murdered those with money. He dumped their bodies into the Thames at Ratcliff Cross Stairs. Much further downstream, in September each year, the screams of many can be heard at Thamesmead. These are the 640 souls who perished here when the pleasure steamer Princess Alice went down in 1878.

To Kent, near the confluence of the Thames and Medway, the Chatham Dockyard, Nelson is said to haunt the yard as is a ghost in the Flag loft. This is probably the youngest ghost, appearing since a supervisor who worked here died in 1990. The supervisor had an unnatural habit of digging his subordinates in the ribs if they did not work hard.

bridge 39 on the Shropshire Union Canal

The Iron Bridge at Ironbridge, Shropshire

And finally, to East Anglia, where there are many reported spiritual sightings and experiences. In Norwich, the cellars of the pub opposite Bishop's Bridge are said to have been used as dungeons in the 16th century. Hundreds were believed to have been imprisoned here before being burnt alive in nearby Lollards Pit. The ghost of at least one of these wretched souls haunts here. There are ghosts all over the Broads; a drummer boy drums on frosty nights at Hickling Broad. At Oulton Broad the ghost of writer George Borrow, dressed in long cloak and distinctive wide brimmed hat, can often be witnessed. At Ludham, opposite the confluence of the rivers Bure and Thurne, resides the ghost of a monk, who betrayed St Benet's Abbey to the Normans. At Nun's Bridge at Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, on a tributary of the Ouse can be seen the phantom of a nun and a monk. Both were killed, and their ghosts have been witnessed here. In nearby Holywell, a white lady appears in ‘Ye Olde Ferryboat Inn’ on the 17th March each year. She points at her own gravestone in the pub, before leaving and vanishing down the river.

Undoubtedly readers will know of more and many have written to the author about them. It is a chilling thought that so many exist.

waterloo and the water

tales of the old cut

waterloo and the water

I would guess that pretty much everyone is familiar with the battle of Waterloo in 1815, if only as a name synonymous with something this country practically made a sport of in the past - fighting the French.

This battle was the culmination of more than 22 years of on-off fighting, and although all of it had taken place overseas, the ramifications on the home front had been (and would remain) significant; more specifically for our interests, it directly affected the canals and some of it played out here on the wharf at Preston Brook.

The story starts some 30 years before the great bloodbath of Waterloo, in 1780 with the birth of a baby boy named John Pennington.

Birth registry for John Pennington

The Pennington family were fairly typical and reasonably well off; Thomas was farming while his wife, Jane, produced a child every couple of years. The building of the canal and the wharf had improved the local economy and they seem to have had the foresight to realise that the canal was going to be a steady employer for a respectable man, and so made sure their sons had a decent education.

This was a turbulent time for the country, with Britain at war with both America and France, and the country was starting to feel the pinch of funding constant warfare overseas and with the rapidly changing landscape as the industrial revolution started to pick up. We don’t yet know for certain what happened, but in around 1786 Thomas lost his land. Although the local records now record him simply as a labourer, we can be almost certain that it is him that is the ‘Peninton’ working on the wharf as an early porter.

John was apprenticed (possibly to his uncle in nearby Bartington) and learned the trade of smithing, while his brother William went on to be a farm hand, and Thomas went to be a book keeper.

What happens next we may never know the real answer behind. We can conjecture that he was friends with Joseph Bennett, another Preston Brook boy whose father had worked with John’s both on the land and at the wharf (indeed John’s sister Mary had been baptised on the same day as Joseph’s brother William), and Joseph, who had joined up in a few years earlier, had told him how great it was in the army. Or perhaps John got caught out with the King’s shilling at the bottom of a beer mug. Whatever the trigger, on the 27th March 1809, John joined the British army at Manchester and joined the ranks of men in the 16th Light Dragoons, a cavalry regiment.

John was a grown man when he joined the army, but Thomas Cookson was a lad of about 18 when he joined the same regiment. As can be seen in Jane Austen’s books; soldiers at this time, with their their smart uniforms and air of adventure about them, had a great deal of sex appeal. Work was becoming a little thin on the ground for unskilled labourers, and food was in short supply too. Thomas, a poor labourer’s son from Frodsham, probably didn’t need much persuading to join the army.

Examination of injured soldiers - Thomas Cookson

We don’t know for certain how much they knew of each other, but we know that at the Battle of Waterloo itself Private John Pennington was in the Centre Squadron, F Troop under the command of Captain King, and Private Thomas Cookson was in the Left Squadron, A Troop, under Captain Tomkinson.

The gory details of the battle of Waterloo are easily available online for those who wish to be put off their dinner, so I won’t go into them here. For our story here, what is important is that our players came out the other side of it alive, and with all their appendages mostly intact.

Joseph Bennett was forcibly discharged in February 1819 when his regiment disbanded and no one else would take him as he was ‘lame’ on his left foot after it had been crushed. His next move appears to have been to come back to the area and take up as a boatman. We have a description of him: 5’5, with light brown hair, grey eyes, a round face, a ‘sallow’ complexion and a noticeable limp.

John Pennington stayed with the regiment for another 17 years after the battle, until he was forcibly discharged due to a rather unpleasant inguinal hernia. His movements are difficult to track but it seems he comes back and spends some time with his brother before vanishing off the radar.

Thomas Cookson was the first one to leave the army, and he too comes back to Cheshire a changed man. How he meets her we don’t yet know, but he meets Mary Millington, a canal labourer’s daughter in Moore. Mary is a woman with something of a past herself, with a teenaged son born out of wedlock, but they marry and move to Frodsham just in time for the birth of the first of their 2 sons.

Frodsham didn’t suit the family all that well and, perhaps thanks to a few words in the right place from his former comrade, Thomas gets a job at the wharf as a porter.

The wharf at Preston Brook was a busy, hard working place but, probably due to the large proportion of the workforce being firm Methodists, disabilities were worked around.

Thomas’s hearing grew progressively worse as the years went by until he was almost completely deaf, but he was a competent lip reader so the wharf just kept him where no one could sneak up on him. Even as a frail man of nearly 80 they found him light work to do, coiling ropes and sweeping floors. Interestingly, in 1871 he has Thomas Bennett and his family lodging in his house. It’s not for certain yet but it’s quite plausible that this is the nephew of Joseph Bennett.

With this small selection of veterans sat in such a busy corner of the waterways, it’s no stretch of the imagination to suggest that it was here our final character in the story emerges.

John Hopwood was baptised at about a week old in Wrenbury, appropriately enough on April 1st, and, like many boaters, he’s rather illusive as far as paperwork is concerned. Before 1857, the only probably glimpse we have of him is when he gets accused of stealing someone’s trousers in 1839.

Census - John Hopwood

We know that he was an intermittent boater working between London and Manchester on the fly boats, with regular stops off at Preston Brook. In 1857 he was a widower with a 5 year old daughter. Somehow, he catches the eye of a young lady nearly 20 years his junior and that’s when it seems that the stories start.

It probably started innocently enough by John telling his new sweetheart he had been a soldier, rather than a trouser thief, but in 1861 Hopwood was working for the Shropshire Union co on “General Havelock” and was insisting to everyone he was a decade older then he actually was so he could back up his claim that he wasn’t just a soldier, but he was also a Waterloo veteran.

newspaper cutting 1899

A decade later and he’s now on “Pacific”, and moored up at Grindley Brook. His daughter from his first marriage, Elizabeth, had married James Wildey the previous year (the Wildey family would later go on to be written about by ‘Questor’ for the Wolverhampton Express and Star) and it was around then that Hopwood started insisting that he had beaten Deaf Burke, the bare knuckle boxer, and that was how he’d got his broken nose.

In 1881 he’s master of “Dudley” and he’s now telling everyone he was born in Bengal and he’d also spent a few years travelling around with the circus before he came to the boats.

Something happens in the next few years that makes the Shropshire Union Co ask him to give their boat back, and by 1891 his youngest son is working in the Ifton colliery at St Martins to support him and his parents. This son, also called John, must have been having a hard time putting up with his father’s tall tales, not least of all with the none-existent army pension, and on one occasion went out, got blind drunk, refused to leave the pub and ended up being arrested and fined 10 shillings.

Unfortunately for Hopwood, his son died that year and left him with only his wife to support them by doing washing. She then died in 1895, and Hopwood took himself off to the workhouse and carried on embellishing his life story.

Hopwood died in 1900 having convinced everyone, including himself, that he was 101. There were doubters though, with one man noting that it was “people like (Hopwood) that convinced the world of the bargee’s habitual condition of lying”!

exploring the pocklington canal

a canal wanderer

exploring the pocklington canal

Pocklington Canal

Pocklington Canal – Multimedia: Exposure photography, collage and acrylic by Dawn S Art

A broad canal in the North Of England which connects Pocklington, a market town in East Yorkshire, to the River Derwent. The canal is currently being restored and so far, 7 miles, from the river to Bielby Arm. The canal is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest with its site, attracting biodiversity with its rare aquatic plants and a wide variety of dragonflies and damsels.

Pocklington Canal

Canal Head, near Pocklington in East Yorkshire

Last year, my Dad and I walked part of the canal, most of the stretch yet to be restored, from Pocklington Canal Head, outskirts of the town, to the Melbourne Arm. It is good to see some of the locks restored and see the remaining ones that are planned. It was a pleasant walk being surrounded by the Yorkshire Wolds countryside and seeing swans on the canal. We walked approximately 6 miles as we walked back from Melbourne Arm to the Canal Head.

Pocklington Canal

Pocklington Canal

Worth noting is the Bielby Arm, which is a nature reserve and worth checking out. We do plan to walk from Melbourne Arm to the River Derwent in due course. It isn’t a busy canal with regards to boaters and walkers so if you’re for quiet spaces and beautiful countryside, this is the canal.

Pocklington Canal

End of the Navigable part of the canal

We also enjoyed a drink in Melbourne at its village pub, The Melbourne Arms. Though more restaurant orientated, the pub is a pleasant place to go and just have a drink. A pleasant afternoon exploring this not as well explored canal.

Pocklington Canal

Pocklington Canal – Multimedia: Exposure photography, collage and acrylic by Dawn S Art

Pocklington Canal

Pocklington Canal

the blue planet expedition

the blue planet expedition

We have to know our planet to love it… then we can take care of it

Introduction:

Welcome to “The Blue Planet Expedition,” an unprecedented scientific project, with a mission to explore our planet’s ocean depths and coastal waters, to promote scientific research, environmental conservation, and human progress in finding solutions for the current environmental crisis. This report aims to provide an overview of the expedition, its goals, and the substantial benefits that sponsorship can bring to this remarkable endeavour.

The Expedition:

“The Blue Planet Expedition” is a ground breaking endeavour organised by a dedicated team of scientists, explorers, and conservationists. This audacious project focuses on deep-sea exploration as well as documenting our coastal waters. It aims to unveil the mysteries of the vast and largely unexplored ocean depths, as well as global coastal waters. The expedition will employ cutting-edge technology, including high-tech submersibles, state-of-the-art research vessels, and a team of renowned experts and scientists to push the boundaries of our knowledge and understanding of the marine ecosystem.

Mission and Goals:

The primary mission of “The Blue Planet Expedition” is to advance scientific knowledge about the ocean, its unique ecosystems, and the countless species that call it home. The expedition seeks to contribute to the global understanding of biodiversity, climate change, and the delicate balance within our oceans by conducting comprehensive research and documenting marine life.

Furthermore, the expedition aims to raise awareness about the importance of marine conservation and sustainable practices. By showcasing the beauty and fragility of the underwater world through captivating visuals and compelling storytelling, “The Blue Planet Expedition” strives to inspire action and encourage individuals, governments, and organizations to take responsibility for protecting our oceans.

deep sea diver

Deep sea diver in Cuba

What is the focus of the Blue Planet Expedition?

The Blue Planet Expedition is a global scientific mission in two Bali Catamarans. The assembled is comprised of  5 groups of professionals in their own right.

1. The Sailing group: Captains and Patrons of Yachts with vast experience will collectively direct the expedition along its global route from launch through to its ultimate successful conclusion.
2. The Scientists: Professionals in Marine Biology, Oceanography, Meteorology, Anthropology, Biology and Archaeology will observe, gather, collate, analyse and document the following issues:
3. The Creative team:  Professional cameramen, directors, producers, editors and sound engineers.
4. The Executive producers: Seasoned professional in Marketing, promotion, management and brand partnering.
5. The logistical team: Based at their headquarters in Cannes, France, they will administer the enormous logistical challenge necessary to complete the Expedition.

General Issues:

1. Superficial and deep marine currents: Variations in their velocity, direction, length, water density, route.
2. Permanent winds: Variations in their velocity, direction, humidity.
3. Seasonal winds: Variations in their frequency, velocity, direction, incidence, humidity.
4. Climate changes: Global temperatures, oceanic water levels, existing meteorological phenomena and newly discovered phenomena, earth activity.

underwater encounter, Cuba

whale, Dominican Republic

Quality of the oceanic waters:

Including:
Global oceanic temperatures
Acidification
Presence of plastics
Density of the waters
Components that threaten marine life

Marine Life:

Flora: Species in danger of extinction, consequences over other species, loss and decrease of habitats, new species, invasive species, other regional issues and its influences over the marine flora.
Fauna: Species in danger of extinction, consequences in the food chain, loss and decrease of habitats, invasive species: negatives and positives results, regional issues and its influences over the marine fauna.

Mouth of the main rivers:

Flow: Variations over the last 20 years, causes and consequences
Water quality: causes and consequences
Plastic presence: causes and consequences
Chemical components presence: causes and consequences

Coastline flora and fauna:

Quantity of species and their quality of life
Consequences of the climate, habitat and water changes

Coastline communities:

Ancient communities steeped in ancestral traditions.
New and mixed communities
Commercial activities along the coastlines and their influences over indigenous communities, including local flora and fauna.
Tourism: positive and negative influences
Subaquatic Archaeology: The importance of knowing and conserving our heritage.

Haiti Coral Reef

Egypt - coral reef

What are people doing to conserve our planet?

The audio-visual production team: Truly experienced professionals will create a series of 40 documentaries across 4 seasons of 10 episodes each. This is the principal product along with a children’s series and a selection of short videos of different lengths for various platforms that will be used as by-products.
The Partners: The diverse nature of the partners is to logistically and economically support the project with their vast experience in their respective fields, along with their worldwide international public relations, that will collectively benefit the expedition and its goals.

Expedition Purpose:

“The Blue Planet Expedition” expedition aims to explore the coastal waters and depths of earth’s oceans.
It will seek to advance scientific understanding, promote environmental conservation, and stimulate global action.
The expedition will highlight the correlation between various regions of the world, working together to achieve one ultimate goal.

Team and Technology:

The initiative will be led by a diverse team of experts from various disciplines using cutting-edge technology and research vessels to support the exploration efforts.

Objectives:

Coastal and deep-sea exploration to discover new species and study ocean ecosystems.
Document the impact of climate change and human activity on marine environments.
Contribute valuable insights for research, public awareness, and decision-making.

shipwreck, Balearic Islands

France - seal underwater

Sponsorship Benefits:

Sponsors will contribute towards the understanding of scientific progression in marine biology, oceanography, and climate science.
Will gain enhanced brand visibility, reputation, and a positive public image.
Will demonstrate corporate social responsibility and commitment to environmental awareness.
Collaborating with renowned scientists, researchers and conservationists to raise awareness of the Blue Planet Expedition project.

Outcomes:

The expedition aims to connect humanity with the oceans through scientific research visuals awareness and storytelling.
To inspire individuals, governments, and organisations in an effort to protect the earth’s oceans and ecosystems, highlighting the importance of knowledge in caring for our planet.

Overall Impact:

“The Blue Planet Expedition” will emphasise the collective responsibility in protecting and preserving the earth’s oceans.

Bioglobe was founded to support and promote the environment and we are proud to be facilitating the Blue Planet scientific expedition, which will set out to explore the coastal waters around the world, in order to document the effect of climate change and pollution on our coastal waters. The expedition has secured significant funding and we are charged with the task of securing the remainder of their budget in order for them to be able to complete the expedition.

+44(0)1604 807306
info@bio-globe.com 
https://bio-globe.com

melting

the boating bard

melting

It's as hot as hell in here
I'm looking for a draught
Got everything wide open
At my bow end and my aft

My fans are on full bore
To try and get a breeze
I'm sucking ice cubes frantically
whilst sitting on frozen peas

mandy mcdermott

I think I'm gonna ignite,
If I don't get a gust
I really need to chill out
Or I'll spontaneously combust

My feet resemble trotters
My face is rather red
My sun hat's made of leather
Think I'm going to boil my head

I'm glowing like a beacon
and dripping beads of sweat
I'm feeling rather moist but
my wipes are no longer wet

I've drank my weight in water
I've googled what that means
I'll die from hyponatremia
If I can't cool my beans

I've had an ice cold shower
Though I really don't know why
Got hotter with towel rubbing
When I should've just dripped dry

I need to stand in water
but there's a big hole in my bucket
I think I'll just jump into the cut
'Cos there's nothing else for it

water conversation

the boating bard

water conversation

I wash my dishes in a thimble full
And reuse most of my crockery
I wipe plates clean with kitchen roll
But I sanitize my cutlery

I invert my clothes to get more wear
Until they start to stink
I consider the use of the washing machine
Or a hand wash in the sink

I know of boaters who multitask
Do their laundry whilst they shower
Swish their smalls round with their feet
Saving water and pump power

 

water conversation

I can wet wipe wash for many days
But I won't tell you how many
I dry shampoo instead of wet
Don't flush when spending a penny

My teeth are cleaned in record time
I don't rinse off all the paste
Leave in conditioner's revolutionary
Saving also on water waste

I cook veg in the smallest amount
I braise and don't sous vide
I scramble eggs, don't boil or poach
And I've never bain-marie'd

I don't recycle the hot bottle water
when making myself a brew
That's just taking it a step too far
And will probably make me...
poorly

cooking on the cut – autumn 23

cooking on the cut

with Lisa Munday

autumn 2023

This Autumn is all about enjoying a late and welcomed Indian Summer, with warm watery sunshine days and so much beauty as the leaves start to turn and the air is filled with those earthy smells as the fields are ploughed. The dry conditions have been perfect for gathering the fruits and berries of the hedgerows. Jams and chutneys are a big thing for me at this time of year and this year I have made more chutneys than jams, along with pickles and compotes. The biggest tip I can give you if you intend making preserves and chutneys is to get ahead and save those jars throughout the year.

The hint of cinnamon and warm winter spices also comes into play at this time of year, along with a return of one pot meals, the harvest festival pumpkin and squash along with those sweet treats, parkin, pies and crumbles.

So, celebrating the bounty of Autumn before those October mists start to roll in and the days shorten, I can share a few of my favourite seasonal recipes.

HOME MADE PICKLES
Try pickling; more or less anything goes. My general rule for pickling is 3,2,1 which is three parts white or cider vinegar, 2 parts water, 1 part sugar. Gently boil the liquids and sugar, then pour over your ingredients before jarring. Typical ingredients for pickling are cucumber, radish, peppers, cabbage, onions, spring onions, carrots. Add herbs, mustard seeds or spices such as cumin or fennel seeds for flavour. Store in the fridge and use within a few weeks. These homemade pickles tossed through a salad make the humble lettuce leaf much more interesting, or are the perfect partner to cold meats, quiche and cheese.

BLACKBERRIES
When picking make sure they “pop” off the branch, avoid soggy fruit, the centre stem as you pluck the berry should be green and not grey or brown, leave the soft ones for the birds.

blackberries growing

blackberries

BERRY AND APPLE YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS
A Sweet and fruity twist on the classic Yorkshire Pudding
60g unsalted butter
65g light soft brown sugar
1 egg
60g ground almonds
1 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp apple sauce, homemade if possible
250g mix of mostly blackberries, add strawberries, blueberries and raspberries if you have them
6 ready baked Yorkshire puddings
1 tsp caster sugar
6 tbsp crème fraiche
Icing sugar to finish
Preheat the oven to 180 fan. Cream together the butter and 60g of the brown sugar until pale and fluffy, whisk in the egg and beat in the almonds and flour until well combined. Stir in the apple sauce and 100g of the fruit. Put the Yorkshires on a baking tray and spoon in the filling, top with 50g of the remaining fruit and bake in the oven for 25 mins.
Meanwhile put the remaining fruits and the remaining brown sugar in a pan along with the caster sugar and 1 tbsp water. Place over a medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes to make a sauce.
Serve each pudding with a spoonful of crème fraiche and a drizzle of the sauce, finished with a dusting of icing sugar.

apple and blackberry Yorkshire puddings

ROSEHIP SYRUP
Gather a few handfuls of rosehips and a handful of hawthorn berries and place in a pan, cover to 2cm above with water and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, then allow to cool. Strain slowly and patiently through a muslin (or strong kitchen roll) carefully squeezing out excess juice. Add equal amounts of sugar to the liquid, i.e., 100ml liquid to 100g sugar or honey, and reheat slowly. Once the sugar has dissolved pour the syrup into a sterilised jar or bottle to store for up to four months.
Use served over porridge or yoghurt in a morning, as a cordial with cold water or hot toddy with cider. Can also be taken neat off a teaspoon for winter chills. Apparently, rosehips are a great source of anti-inflammatory vitamins which can help relieve the symptoms of arthritis!

rosehips growing

MULLED HEDGEROW CIDER
1 litre apple cider
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs rosemary
50ml rosehip syrup
A few hawthorn or rosehip berries to garnish
Pour the cider into a pan and add the bay and rosemary, heat for 10 mins until warmed through. Take the pan off the heat and add the rosehip syrup. Pour into heatproof glasses or mugs and drop a few berries in to serve.

BLACKBERRY CHUTNEY
This is quick and easy to make and once left to mature for a couple of weeks makes a perfect accompaniment to meats, cheeses, sandwiches etc.
300g blackberries
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 apple peeled, cored and finely chopped
Pinch ground cinnamon
¼ tsp chilli flakes
½ tsp dried ginger or finely grated fresh
½ orange zest
100g sugar
100ml red wine vinegar

Cook everything apart from the vinegar and sugar until softened for about 15-20 mins. Add the vinegar and sugar, allow the sugar to dissolve and then boil before lowering the heat to simmer for 20 minutes. You know the chutney has reached the consistency when you can drag a spoon across the base of the pan and it leaves a clean trail. Ladle into sterilised jars and leave a couple of week before using.

One of my favourites is “Cheesy Chutney Toast”
Gently toast the thick sliced bread and then spread a layer of chutney over one side. Mix grated cheese with a dash of Worcestershire sauce, ¼ tsp English mustard and a pinch of cayenne pepper, sprinkle over the chutney and grill for a few minutes until melted and oozy!

Homemade chutneys and jams will store for a year when unopened in a cool dark place. Once opened they should be kept in the fridge and used within a month.

CABBAGE
Autumn also marks the start of cabbage season and I view this vegetable as a “superfood” providing many health benefits and versatility in the kitchen. From a vegetable alone to using in soups, stir fries, salads and casseroles, it’s always been a staple for me. Cooked in stock and finished with black pepper and butter makes it special, or sauteed in butter with a little lemon juice and fresh herbs, add a few chilli flakes for a kick or a dash of cider vinegar, garlic and smoked paprika give it a Spanish flavour, Indian spices and coconut milk or soy sauce, sesame and honey for an Asian twist.

One pot meals are always a favourite when cooking on board. I’m a big pastry lover, but if you want convenience then shop bought puff pastry makes a change. Use a flameproof casserole dish or a skillet for oven to table serving.

CHICKEN, GREENS AND MUSHROOM POT PIE
300g chicken, cut into small chunks
250g mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
The leaves from 3 thyme sprigs, or 1 tsp dried herbs
300ml chicken stock
100g crème fraiche
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
100g kale or the dark leaves of savoy cabbage
2 tsp cornflour
375g pack puff pastry
Egg to glaze

Use a shallow casserole bowl or deep skillet. Heat ½ tbsp oil over a gently heat and add the onion, cook for a few minutes until soft and add the thyme and garlic, then add the chicken and turn up the heat frying until golden and part cooked. Add the mushrooms and remaining oil. Add the stock, crème fraiche, mustard and greens and a generous amount of salt and fresh ground black pepper. Mix the cornflour with 1 tbsp of cold water and add to the pot, stirring well to thicken while over a low heat. Remove from the heat and cover with the rolled out puff pastry, pressing well round the sides to seal. Cut a slit in the centre to let the steam escape and then glaze with beaten egg. Bake for about 30 mins in a 180 fan, gas 6 oven. You’ll know it’s ready when the pastry is puffed up and golden brown.
A veggie version of the can easily be made by substituting the chicken for butternut squash or sweet potato.

pie

CABBAGE, BEANS AND FISH
Cabbage, white beans and fish also make a tasty one pot meal. Use a similar method to start off with onion, bacon, carrots, garlic and herbs. Add the shredded cabbage (savoy is best) and pour in about 4 tbsp white wine and ½ pint stock. Season well and simmer gently until almost cooked then stir in a tin of white beans such as flagelot or cannellini.
Dust the white fish of your choice with seasoned flour and pan fry, skin side down first for about 4 mins then flip over for a minute and place skin side up on top of the cabbage pot, lid on and finish on a very low simmer to steam the fish through until cooked.

cabbage greens and fish


BACON, POTATO AND ONION BAKE

5 rashers of British bacon, rind removed and roughly diced.
750g potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 -2 onions (depending on size) thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tsp mixed herbs
1 litre vegetable or chicken stock
1 – 2 slices (depending on size) wholemeal bread made into breadcrumbs
Savoy cabbage, finely shredded and steamed or boiled to serve.

Preheat the oven to 180 fan. Gently fry the bacon in 2 tbsp olive oil until starts to crisp. Meanwhile bring the stock to the boil in a large pan and add the potatoes, onion and garlic, push down to submerge, lid on, simmer for 5 mins. Drain reserving the stock. Layer the potatoes and onion in a shallow casserole dish adding the bacon bits, 1 tsp of the herbs and fresh ground black pepper to each layer as you go. Pour over about 300ml of the reserved stock. Mix the breadcrumbs with the remaining herbs and 1 tbsp olive oil and scatter over the top. Cover loosely with foil and bake in the oven for 40 mins, removing the foil halfway through cooking to crisp up the topping.
Serve with the tender savoy cabbage.

KERALAN VEGETABLES

Finally, most of us have a love of curries. We have done a bit of travelling in India over the years and the last trip was Kerala. We first got the idea of visiting this Southern part of India after visiting a wonderful Keralan restaurant when we were moored in Newark on the river Trent. Here’s a Keralan recipe which is more of a stew than a curry!

1 tbsp oil
Spice ingredients
2 star anise
2 cloves
2 bay leaf
1” piece of cinnamon stick
1” piece of fresh ginger
8 – 10 curry leaves (available in dried spices in the supermarkets)
2 small green chillies

Vegetable ingredients
2 shallots or 1 small onion
1/2 carrot
1/2 cauliflower
2 – 3 green beans
Small handful green peas
2 cans thick coconut milk
½ tsp fresh black pepper
Pinch salt to taste

Chop all the vegetables and blanch in boiling water. Keep in cold water until ready to add to the pan.
Heat the oil in a heavy pan and all the spice ingredients and onion until soft and golden, take care not to burn the spices. Drain the vegetables and add to the pan along with the salt and pepper. Add the coconut milk and mix everything together. Cover and cook on a very low simmer with the lid on, or in the oven for about ten minutes.

keralan vegetables

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my Autumn article, please feel free to email me if you have any questions or take a look at my “canal cuisine” page on Facebook. In the meantime we are working together to bring you more recipes through CanalsOnline Magazine.

return to the scene of the design

return to the scene of the design

architects review old proposals for canal improvements beneath the Westway Flyover

The smooth underbelly of the Westway Highway swings wide over the Grand Union Canal at Westbourne Park, creating a ceiling for the towpath and ½ a dozen canal boats moored below.

For architect Matt Hopkins, it's a sight to behold whenever he cruises into Paddington on his 70’narrowboat. But the breath-taking infrastructure has a troubled history; its construction in 1971 displaced over 3000 North Kensington families. Resulting controversy helped produce much more extensive neighbourhood engagement ahead of similar developments today.

In the half century since, the City of Westminster has responded to the Westway’s intrusion with a number of measures: A sports complex at Shepherd's Bush. Offices and shops at Portobello Road. But at Westbourne Park — where a football pitch length piece of land could support an all-weather market, musical performance, or whatever else the public wants — time stands still.

Why a place with such potential remains a destination for rough sleepers, scofflaw dog walkers, and occasional boaters refitting their interiors is a question I hoped to answer at a discussion Hopkins recently led featuring architects reviewing old proposals to re-imagine the space.

The discussion was part of a weekend program called "Building Dialogues" ̈the latest in a history of interventions for this persistently challenging spot. Besides an architectural discussion there was music, educational workshops and a visioning exercise for boaters and borough representatives. All to demonstrate the variety of programmes the space lends itself to, and which were last seen there during a month-long 2019 London Festival of Architecture installation.

I had been a participant in that, loaning my boat and its full length stage to the team who contributed the winning entry, the ̈Co-Mooring ̈, which for 30,000 pounds attempted to unite land and water, encouraging more and better interaction between boaters and visitors to the canal. Its lofty ideas collided with reality, however, when cyclists objected to its sinuous boardwalk and local hoodlums asked for money to not burn it down.

With more continuity, these might have been valuable learning experiences, except the final stakeholders ́ discussion atop Molly Anna was interrupted, and — with Covid around the corner — never resumed.

westway flyover

¨This place STILL needs love.¨ Architect Sophie Nguyen first drew attention to the canalside opportunities of the Westway with her 2017 LFA project.

Westway Flyover

A 2019 London Festival of Architecture competition produced the ¨ co-Mooring¨ to encourage more interaction with people on the canal.

Four years later we reviewed the list of 49 companies who had submitted proposals for the 2019 competition. Architectural firms KMBH, Sisters & Tiger, Merritt Houmoeller and Make:Good all had received £500 to further develop concepts to temporarily transform the space. Though none were ultimately selected, all wanted to publicly review their old plans and discuss what might still happen.

The architects sat on chairs sandwiched between a vendor selling samosa chaat and an upright piano wheeled in for the occasion. They joked about their professional lot...submissions for design competitions that never pay the bills...but to which they repeatedly succumb, stubbornly believing that the right mix of ingredients can turn urban blight into community gold.

Asia Grzybowska from Sisters and Tiger had driven the furthest, 5 hours from Cornwall, to discuss why no such alchemy had happened here. In a sterile space animated by graffiti but not a blade of grass she related the story of a garbage strewn median in Oakland, California, and how a surreptitiously installed ceramic Buddha had sparked a metamorphosis. People brought flowers. It became a shrine. Crime fell by 80%.

With sympathetic City of Westminster leaders showing renewed interest in canalside opportunities, could something similar happen here? Community-led, in lieu of major investment?

What user groups could be induced to adopt this space? What changes would inspire a similar transformation as Vietnamese pilgrims had brought to an unloved highway median in Oakland?

Ladbroke Grove’s musical community could play a role, suggested Ben Crockett and Jezmond Farran, musicians who waited to perform on the event ́s floating stage. Local legends Hawkwind, the first space rock band, had played there in the early 70s, demonstrating the enduring appeal of the place, the only covered — and therefore weatherproof — stretch of canal in London.

westway flyover

¨Building Dialogues¨ was funded by the Westway Trust to revive interest in the site.

westway flyover

Boaters, residents and representatives from the City of Westminster share their visions.

Fifty years later, what stymies a design that will transform this space? So that vendors can sell goods, boaters can responsibly dispose of rubbish, cyclists can fix their bikes and no one gets run over?

The chief impediment — the architects concluded — is the site's ́complicated ownership. Each team had had to speculate on what various entities would approve: the Highway Department which owns the overpass, the Canal and River Trust which owns the towpath, Great Western Studios which owns a sliver of land and the City of Westminster which owns the rest.

“The Borough,” Hopkins said on behalf of everyone, “is the only entity that will be here in 300 years. They need to convene the other stakeholders and see what modifications are allowable.”

  • Would the highway department allow public artwork and lighting on the underside of the Westway?
  • Would property owners allow a storage facility for items needed for pop-up events to encourage further use of the site? tables and chairs? bins and bin bags? work benches for boaters and cyclists to do repairs?
  • Would the bus facility allow lowering of the retaining wall and removal of barbed wire as elsewhere along the retaining wall? Opening up views and allowing light to penetrate?
  • Would CRT create a bookable mooring(s) for roving traders to sell items and act as caretakers? Could a uniform ground treatment be installed, to reduce conflict between users and allow for greater flexibility of use?

Hopkins cited the Royal Parks for demonstrating how a uniform surface and appropriate signage can induce cyclists to give way to crowds and during events.

With those questions answered architects could produce a final design to heal a historic wound and with it, perhaps, create a new paradigm for local government, CRT and private entities to collaboratively wring utility for canalside locations across London.

waterways management show and floodex

waterways management show and floodex

register for free entry

By pre-registering, you will be kept updated with news and notice of when full exhibitor list and seminar programme will go live. 

The Waterways management Show should be of interest to anyone who operates, manages or has responsibility for the upkeep of our inland waterways, including volunteers. It’s not about the boats and leisure activities around the waterways, but more about keeping and improving our waterways. The event runs on 22nd & 23rd November at Excel exhibition centre in London’s docklands.

The Waterways Management Show will be a must attend event for anyone working within organizations  around the planning, maintenance and management of rivers, canals, lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, harbours and marinas. This includes local authorities as well as commercial enterprises and volunteers. There will be a wide range of CPD accredited seminars, hosted by expert speakers, to attend free of charge to complement the exhibition stands and special features.

One of the presentations will be from Canal & River Trust, which is Canal & River Invasive Species Eradication Project, which we hope many will find interesting. There is a two day SuDS Theatre, a Floodex Theatre, which will be mostly Environment Agency presentations on the first day and a two day Waterways Management Theatre.

Canal & River Trust will have a stand at the show, with a working model and will be presenting in the Waterways Theatre. This important support will help tremendously in raising the profile of this important event and make a valuable contribution to its content.

waterways management show

waterways management exhibition stand

Apart from making a valuable contribution to water level management and thereby having a positive impact on flood incidents, there is a whole other world around our inland waterways, which embraces farming & estates, infrastructure, leisure facilities, real estate, flora, fauna and the general environment, that have an impact.

This event aims to showcase the best products and services that will be valuable in getting the job done, from the lab to the field. Visitors will be able to talk to experts, suppliers. educators and thought leaders across a range of subjects, leaving the Waterways Management Show better equipped to deal with the pressures of inland waterways and surrounding land management.

Other valuable contributors and supporters across the events include: Inland Waterways Association, Rivers Trust, Environment Agency, CIWEM, CIRIA with susdrain, Institute of Fisheries Management, CAMELLIA and National Association of Drainage Contractors. We are also delighted to announce CanalsOnline Magazine as our most recent partner.

There has been fantastic interest in this new event, that we see as the 'third leg of the stool', having launched Floodex, then adding the National Drainage Show, to present an event that truly showcases a holistic approach to water level management and aims to gather most of the interested parties under one roof, on an annual basis.

Being collocated with Floodex, means many interested stakeholders will already be visiting, but this is an event for many that are focussed on management, upkeep and restoration of our inland waterways, such as rivers, canals, lakes and reservoirs, as well as the fens, the land that surrounds them and other lowlands.

The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) will be presenting either their new recommendations, or an update on what the government has done since their last report. In the 2022 report the NIC recommended stricter controls on new property developments. They said that nearly £12bn of investment in drainage infrastructure over the next thirty years will be necessary to stop thousands more homes and businesses from flooding, due to inadequate drainage. Hopefully, the new report will be available, by the time the show comes around and will make for an interesting presentation.

moorhen on rubbish in canal

dredging

National Drainage Show Sits Perfectly Between two Other Events

There is a lot more to come for the National Drainage Show, which has the added bonus of being sandwiched between the Homes UK show and Futurescape, the commercial landscaping event, both of which will attract their fair show of developers, planners contractors and local authorities, who will then be welcomed to come into our event, if interested.

As a trade show, entry is free and you can register for a free ticket via  the website

All seminars are open and free to attend.

waterways management

For further information, please contact:

01327 876251
jon@floodex.co.uk
https://waterwaysmanagementshow.com/