Pelsall – a great success

Pelsall this year was an outstanding success. While the weather made its gesture (30 seconds after the opening at 12:00 on Saturday, the heavens opened up) – but though heavy while it lasted, it didn’t last for long. After a few subsequent minor attempts at a little rain, the weather stayed gorgeous for the rest of the weekend.  I believe …

BCN Marathon Challenge results

Hot off the press, here are the Marathon Challenge results. Congratulations to Richard and his team on Tawny Owl for an outstanding result! 1         Richard Powell on Tawny Owl with 635.2  points 2         Tom Murkin on Diesel And Dust with 609.8  points 3         Sarah Edgson on Canis Major with 554.6  points 4         John Mosley on Firefly with 513  points 5         …

Soho Loop Workparty – 16 Feb 2013

The work party on the Soho Loop was a major success – much rubbish and scrap metal retrieved from the canal bed. Some of it needed serious effort to get it off the canal bed – Mike Powell’s “Anson” provided a good test of the breaking strain of synthetic line hauling a shopping trolley buried deep in the mud.  (The …

The start of the BCN Society

The BCNS came about not from a ‘Big Bang’ theory but more like a creeping inevitability.  It all began with the Government publishing a White Paper on the canals in 1967. Barbara Castle was Minister of Transport and we all expected Labour to champion the waterways cause. Most people were happy with the White Paper. BCNites were not.  At a …

Graham Whorton

It was with great sorrow that we learned of the passing of our previous Chairman, Graham Whorton on 26thJanuary 2012 A long standing member of the BCN Society, Graham offered his services as Chairman at the end of 2007.   He immediately oversaw the celebrations for the 40thanniversary of the Society and the 1858 Dudley Canal improvements. In 2009, Graham …

Pelsall Festival 2011

Gary Perry, Mayor of Walsall opened the Canal Festival organised by the Society at Pelsall Common on 11th & 12th June 2011. After more than 10 years absence the Pelsall Canal festival was a great success.  Around 160 boats, including over a dozen heritage craft, lined the Wyrley and Essington Canal and the Cannock Extension. There were over 60 stalls, …