“Headwaters” – a book by BCNS member Phil Clayton

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …