To cross that same river again, knowing you have seen it at source, is like sharing a secret with an old friend.” BCN Society Vice-President, giver of talks and burger bar gopher, Phil Clayton, has written a book chronicling visits to the sources of more than 50 rivers in Great Britain. Headwaters describes a series of walks ranging from long treks …
Ray Shill’s book “West Midlands Canals through time”
West Midland Canals through time – Severn Avon & Birmingham This little gem of a book from Ray Shill in every way lives up to what we have come to expect from him. His ability to produce the right illustration is never better shown than here. Available from local bookshops or from the publisher Amberley Books ISBN 9781445610733
Historic guillotine lock on the Stratford canal re-opened.
The recently restored historic Guillotine Lock on the North Stratford canal (Lock 1) at Kings Norton junction was re-opened by actor and boater Timothy West and the historic BW boat Scorpio on Tuesday 30th April (For the pedants amongst you – I know lock 1 on the Stratford isn’t on the BCN – but it is on one of the main routes in)
The Allen Register joins the BCNSociety at the Pelsall Rally
The BCN Society continued its long standing association with the Allen Register at the Pelsall Canal Festival taking place from June 14-16. The weekend saw the latest gathering of owners and friends of boats built by Les Allen and Sons (Bob and John) at Oldbury. For further details on the Allen Register contact Annie Jenner via this link.
Pelsall Radioactive?
The amateur radio station callsign GB2BCN will be amongst the many attractions at the Pelsall Rally on 15 and 16 June. Follow the link above for more information on the radio, click on the call sign link. To join in the rally, grab an entry form. Follow the BCNS on Facebook!
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 …
Latest plans for the Selly Oak Sainsbury’s endanger restoration of the Lapal link
Plans have been submitted and approved for the redevelopment of the Battery Site, at Selly Oak, where the Dudley No 2 canal joined the Worcester and Birmingham. If the Lapal Link is ever to come to fruition, this site is critical. For many complicated reasons, these plans are being modified. More details are on the Lapal Canal Trust website, the Bournville Village website …
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 …
Kings Norton Cleanup – November 2011
Congratulations to the team taking this out of the canal in November 2011 How on earth did anyone get these railings into the canal?
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 …