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Those members who knew Joe will be saddened to hear of his recent death. Joe was a much appreciated supporter of the Society in many ways, entertaining us with anecdotes and experiences drawn from his long familiarity with the waterways - indeed he spoke to an appreciative audience at the January Meeting this year. Joe also took a great interest in Phoenix as Mike Butler relates elsewhere in this issue. He was a great charactor with a deep fund of knowledge about canals and boating and will be sadly missed.
For several years Margaret Savage has done sterling work as our membership Secretary, maintaining the membership records and making sure that we remember to pay our subs. Magaret has decided to relinquish the post and so we are looking for someone to take over the job. Please contact me if you are interested to discuss what the post involves. I'm sure all members will join with me in expressing our thanks to Margaret for doing the job in a most efficient way for such a long time. Thanks also to Brenda Ward who has kindly volunteered to step into the breach on a temporary basis while we are looking for a full time Membership Secretary.
This year's BCN Clean Up, based at Sneyd, was another success. I can report that once again the Society was well represented and Phoenix with her new extension was busily engaged. Special thanks are due to the two Johns, Edmonds and Embling, worked through both days, filling, steering and unloading Phoenix. Seven massive skips were filled as a result of the efforts of all the volunters over the weekend. That's one and a half more that last year. On the way back to the Pumphouse with Phoenix we took the opportunity of holding our own mini-cleanup between Ocker Hill and Ryders Green and succeeded in liberating another hold full of rubbish from the Walsall Canal. It's always good to see some new faces on our work parties - but there's still room for a few more!
Thanks to the kindness of Gillian Benham, the Society now has a small library. Gill has donated her late husband's collection of books to the Society and Brenda Ward has devised a borrowing system for them. The books are kept at the Pumphouse and are available for any member to borrow.
Back in 1977, I was a member of the friends of the Black Country Museum Mining Group work party which rescued the twin haulage wheels from the underground haulage house at Sandwell Park Colliery. The mine was connected via a tramway to the concrete coal chutes which have stood by the Old Main Line since construction in 1937/38. I was shocked the other week to recieve an emergency stoppage notice from BW, issued 13th March, advising that the canal was to be colsed between 20th & 31st March for "Demolition of adjacent coal shutes which are in a dangerous condition".
This was a bit confusing as the BW Waterscape Website was still announcing that "we hope to be able to preserve them for future generations" using Heritage Lottery Funding. Following a storm of protest two meetings were held to sort out the future of this "major part of Sandwell's industriak heritage".
Our Vice President Ron Cousens was due to attend the latest meeting but it was cancelled. As I write(24th March) British Waterways are seeking further advice and English Heritage are involved.
The latest word, for the time being, is from BW's Eugene Batson......The HLF funded feasibility study was undertaken. Please note this was not an 'inhouse' job as conspirators amongst us would like to believe. The study showed that while keeping the chutes was desirable, the cost of £1/4m could not be justified and would not be secure through a further phase of HLF funding. The study showed that the structures were in an increasingly unsafe condition."
Should BW invest in their preservation or spend money across the network? The fact is that the outcomes of the study were not communicated. The first anyone knew was when an operational statement was issued concerning the effects on navigation. This is clearly unacceptable, and as a result the demolition has been suspended pending a full report from English Heritage.
BW's Chief Executive, Robin Evans, has now taken an active interest in the coal chutes.
Mr Evans says: "We are pleased that an English Heritage expert in concrete structures has been able to visit the site at short notice and carry out a further survey of the condition of the coal chutes. It is clearly important that the right expertise is brought to bear on the distinctive building and we look forward to recieving English Heritage's recommendations.
"Whatever the outcome of this report I can categorically assure everyone that the site will be professionally recorded and the full involvement of all interested parties secured in discussions about the coal chutes future. We are keen to interpret the site so that future visitors can understand and learn about the past coal mining industry and its relationship to the waterways network."