November 2006 - Canoeist Magazine

Laura Mackin photographs
Carol Spicer
Deputy Mayor Melvin Pitt and Lady Mayoress Abigail Pitt (his daughter) watch community development coordinator Paul Lester from
British Waterways and Chris Hawksworth of the BCU open the Brownhills centre.
New canoe centres
A new canoe centre was opened at Brownhills on the Wyrley & Essington Canal in June, funded by BW, the EU and the Lottery. It quickly
attracted its first graffiti merchant but the youngsters using the centre found the culprit and made him restore the damage.
The Helix is being promoted by BW Scotland, Falkirk Council and the Central
Scotland Forest Trust and has received a £250,000 Big Lottery Living Landmarks
development grant. It is hoped to build a new section of Forth & Clyde Canal
beside the River Carron. A canoeing and watersports centre is proposed for
siting between the canal and the M9.
Kayaks were just one activity experienced by visitors to the free Rockley Holiday
Park sponsored Poole Afloat weekend, the second time it has been run by the
BMF and Poole Tourism. More than 500 people took to the water on a range of
craft and experienced other delights from face painting to sea shanties by the
Wareham Whalers.
8
CANOEIST November 2006
Canoeist Simon Bamford has been appointed as
BW’s manager for London. This includes the build
up for the 2012 Olympics and waterways
developments likely to take place in east London.
The 45 year old was previously operations director
for Land & Water Remediation Ltd.
is to allow the canal enthusiasts to build a new canal
from scratch along the required longer line round the
outside at their own expense.
Further down the line, Swindon offers another major
obstruction. It has been suggested that the centre of
Swindon should be bulldozed now in case the canal
restorers get that far.
No end in sight for Oxford
For years there has been a hope that there will be
restoration of the Oxford Canal terminal basin, currently
a carpark. Oxford City Council’s hatred of private cars
would seem to give cause for hope. However, there is
more money to be made out of building and some see it
as a better bet than restoring one of Oxford’s tourist
attractions. A questionnaire circulated by the council has
been seen as strongly biased against canal use of the site.
Swamps to greet
new arrivals
Plans have been floated for a 9km barrage with road
and railway bridges between Shoeburyness and Grain
and Sheerness to hold back tidal surges. On the way
across the Thames estuary there would be three islands,
one connected to the south end of Southend pier.
Saltmarsh is the flavour of the month with large
expanses of it, up to 2km wide off the Isle of Grain.
How enthusiastically the residents of Sheerness would
Debbie Walker