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Fund Britain's Waterways - Photo Reports

Thank you to the organisers of FBW events and activities who have kindly sent us some photos, a small selection of which are below.  Please send your photos to us at info(at)fundbritainswaterways.org.uk

Fund Britain's Waterways - Photo Reports

Campaign Flotilla Journey 2025

At Lichfield Cruising Club

Lichfield Cruising Club hosted an event over the weekend of 24th and 25th May.  The photo shows members of the Club along with crew of the flotilla boats outside the clubhouse. The event was attended by the Lichfield Mayor Claire Pinder-Smith, Ken Hudson President of Lichfield Cruising Club, Joan Surplice Commodore, Eric Wood President of Lichfield and Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust, Bob Williams Lichfield and Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust, Des Barnard (President) and Hazel Owen (chair) of the Association of Waterways Cruising Clubs.  [Photo by Hazel Owen]

 

 

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On the Oxford Canal

Right – Supporters outside Tooley’s Boatyard, showing the FBW boaters Van Hinchcliffe and Shirley Sefton with Matt Armitage and staff and volunteers from Tooley’s, plus Verna Smith (former IWA South East Region Chair and Trustee of Tooley’s Historic Boatyard Trust) and Sue O’Hare (IWA Deputy Chair and FBW steering group member).  Below – Sue O’Hare, Shirley Sefton and Van Hinchliffe from nb September Sapphire in the FBW flotilla, and Verna Smith.

Left – Flag at Tooley’s Boat Yard, Banbury [by Ian Marr].  Below – Flag waving on a bridge at Oxford [by Shirley Sefton].

 

Visit to Lionhearts Cruising Club – 16th and 17th May

[Photos by Phil Marsh]

On the Thames

Left- Above Folly Bridge in Oxford [by Ian Marr].  Below – Flag at Goring [by Shirley Sefton] and support from Old Father Thames [by Ian Marr]

Right – Culham Lock.  Below – Sandford Lock.  [All three photos by George Seward]

Left – Moored above Caversham Lock [by Andrew Phasey].  Below – Flags in Windsor [by Shirley Sefton].

THIRD CAMPAIGN CRUISE TO THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT – 7TH MAY 2025

The flotilla of 26 boats assembled in Limehouse Basin on Tuesday 6th May, including a pair of working fuel boats, a historic narrowboat, a Dutch barge and privately owned narrowboats from across the country. On the morning of Wednesday 7th May the boats locked down onto the Thames in groups and cruised upriver to the Palace of Westminster. Once the whole flotilla was reassembled and the Parliamentary viewers and FBW representatives were in place on the terrace just before 11am, the boats sounded their horns to cheers from supporters on Westminster Bridge, making their message audible inside Westminster as well as outside.

The boats then headed downriver past Limehouse to West India Docks, where they moored for the night. A hot debrief was held aboard the ship belonging to new FBW member Theatreship before the boaters had some well-earned rest. On Thursday 8th May the flotilla divided between different routes north, with one group going up the Thames and the Oxford Canal and the other back up the Grand Union canal for the next event at Association of Waterways Cruising Clubs member Lionhearts Cruising Club on 17th May.

[Photo: Flotilla outside the Houses of Parliament – by Liz Rayner]

There is a full photo report here.

Limehouse Basin

Boats gathered at Limehouse Basin on 6th May, ready for the campaign cruise past the Houses of Parliament on 7th May.  [Photo by Ian Marr]

On London’s Canals

Owing to damage to City Road Lock, the flotilla split up after leaving IWA’s Canalway Cavalcade on 5th May. Some went along the Regent’s Canal through the lock and moored at Hackney overnight, and some went to Brentford via the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal ready to go down the tidal Thames to Limehouse on 6th May where they all planned to meet up in readiness for the cruise to the House of Parliament on 7th May.  Right, boats at Brentford [by Hazel Owen].  Below, boats at Hackney [by Ian Marr].

FBW supporters at Canalway Cavalcade

[Photos by Allyson Marr]

At Paddington Basin

Right: FBW project manager Stephen Busby with a banner at Paddington Basin, and below, campaigners at Paddington Basin [both photos by Allyson Marr]

Reception at St Pancras Cruising Club

The photo left shows the Mayor of Camden Councillor Samata Khatoon and the Commodore of St Pancras Cruising Club Colin Parlett welcoming attendees.  Photos below show, left to right: Stephen Busby (FBW Project Manager), Hazel Owen (AWCC National Chair), Ros Daniels (CRT Director London and South East), Colin Parlett (Commodore SPCC) and Andrew Phasey (RYA representative on the FBW steering group), and boaters at the reception.

On the Grand Union Canal, heading south

Right – FBW campaign flotilla boat coming through Bridge 200B on the Grand Union Canal [by Claudia Jacklin].  Below – Four FBW campaign flotilla boats moored in Hayes on 29th April [by Jo-Sharples]

Left – the final boats in the flotilla reach Berkhamsted [photo by Jo Sharples].  Below – boating through Berkhamsted [photo by Ian Marr]

[Photos right and below by Brian Sharples, and boats moored at The Globe, just north of Leighton Buzzard, by Hazel Owen]

Left, near Yardley Gobion on 14th April [photo by Rachel Eglinton].  Below; boats moored at Taverners Boat Club, near Cosgrove, later the same day [photo by Allyson Marr].

Right – boat under Bridge 53 [by Jo Sharples].  Below – this boat passed an IWA Chiltern Branch trip boat outing on 14th April [by Paula Smith]

Left – boats descending Stoke Bruerne top lock [photo by Jo Sharples].   Below – boat under bridge [photo by Allyson Marr]

River Soar Navigation and Grand Union Canal Leicester Section – 5th to 10th April

Right – Boaters being welcomed by Canal & River Trust volunteers at Kilby Bridge on the Soar Navigation – by Hazel Owen.  Below, Banner at Kings Lock, Soar Navigation on 6th April – by Herbert Eppel, and below that, Canal & River Trust removing old lock gates at Birstall Lock on 7th April – by Claudia Jacklin

Left – Fund Britain’s Waterways and Canal & River Trust banners at Birstall Lock by Allyson Marr.  Below – Boaters at Soar Boating Club on 7th April – by Claudia Jacklin.  Underneath, video by narrowboat Super ‘B’ of the flotilla leaving the Soar Boating Club and continuing onto the Grand Union Canal Leicester section on 7th April.

Right – heading up Foxton Locks on 9th April.  Below – awaiting to head up the locks.  Both photos by Hazel Owen.

[Photo left by Brian Sharples, and below by Shirley Sefton]

Flotilla on the Trent 1st to 4th April

Right – boats in Hazelford Lock.  Above – boats travelling through Gainsborough.  Below – boats on the river.  And underneath that a video by Narrowboat Super ‘B’ of the combined flotilla cruising through Gainsborough on 1st April

Also, see the photo report on Chesterfield Canals Trust’s website.

Photo left: Early start at Keadby on 1st April – by Allyson Marr.

Below: Waiting in Keadby Lock – by Claudia Jacklin, and below that Boats moored outside Nottinghamshire County Hall on 4th April – by Anne Regan.

There is also some FBW flotilla content on this YouTube ‘followtheboat’ video

 

Strawberry Island to the Trent – 30th and 31st March

Right and below, the flotilla coming through Vazon Sliding Bridge on 31st March.  Sheffield University broadcast journalism student, Josh Herman, filming the flotilla on 31st March, with video underneath.  And below that, a video by Lincolnshire Explored & Exposed of the flotilla arriving at Keadby Lock on 31st March.

Setting off from Strawberry Island Boat Club – 29th March

The first boats to set off, as part of the flotilla of boats to the Palace of Westminster and beyond was assembled at Strawberry Island Boat Club, with a grand depart at 2:30pm on 29th March.  Further boats will be joining in as the flotilla makes its way south to London.

[Photos by Stephen Busby and Duncan Wright]

There is also a video report on the Flotilla’s Facebook Page.

May Day Bank Holiday Weekend of Action 2024

IWA Lichfield Branch

IWA’s Lichfield Branch’s stand at Fradley Junction (left) proved to be in just the right place to lobby support from many passers by.  And not content with one stand, the branch had a second stand at Great Haywood (inset below).  The busy canal junctions were prime spots for attracting some attention.

Swarkestone Boat Club

Swarkestone Boat Club’s campaign cruise to Shobnall Fields on the Trent & Mersey Canal made clear their campaign message, with boats appropriately dressed. This event almost had to be cancelled owing to damage to Barrow Bridge 16 on the Canal resulting from a serious vehicle strike, but Canal & River Trust managed to reopen the canal in time for the cruise to go ahead.

Norbury Canal Festival

IWA Shrewsbury District & North Wales Branch’s stand at Norbury Canal Festival, on the Shropshire Union Canal, had a clear campaigning message.

Electrika Boat Show

IWA’s stand at the Electrika Boat Show – promoting the environmentally friendly options for boating – also had a clear campaign message.

Leeds & Liverpool Canal

IWA Lancashire & Cumbria Branch’s stand at Johnson’s Hillock Locks, near Chorley, on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, suffered from some poor weather, but the branch team were undaunted and the right message was conveyed to all passers by.

Canalway Cavalcade

Fund Britain’s Waterways was the theme for this year’s Canalway Cavalcade, with boats travelling from across the country, and some went on to participate in the Campaign Cruise past the Houses of Westminster.

Broads Society Rally

The Broads Society held a well-turned-out rally at Acle, demonstrating that the concerns are not just about funding for Canal & River Trust – indeed the Broads Authority gets no funding from Government for its navigation function, and rising costs have led to steep licence fee increases this year.

[Photos by Mike Morcher of The Broads Society]

Ripon Canal

At one of the northernmost outposts of the connected waterway system, members of Ripon Motor Boat Club gathered in the City’s canal basin to inform passers-by of their concerns and to gather support.

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