The Best Laid Plans...

...of mice and men... sometimes work! And they have for us over the past few months.

We had planned our presence at the IWA's National Waterways Festival at Preston Brook for over a year and, as you can read later, it all worked out to plan, and we were a major feature of the Festival, raising our profile locally and nationally. I am very pleased to record our thanks to all who made it happen: Andy Screen and Dave Smallshaw from SCARS, our partners in the Runcorn Locks Restoration Society and the River Weaver Navigation Society, and all from Halton Borough Council, especially Cllr. Keith Morley and Anthony Dooley, who smoothed the way before and on the day. Well done everyone.

Our other success story was the long-awaited return of our historic barge BARMERE to the water. This project began in 1988, when we decided to rescue her from being scrapped in Liverpool Docks. The story has been told in previous Newsletters, and an account of the move itself follows. Finding somewhere to park a 72'x14' barge, ashore of afloat, is no easy matter. No one, least of all Robert Heaton himself, thought the boat would be lying forlornly in his transport yard, overlooking the original Gerard Bridge Branch of the Sankey, for 15 years, when we looking for an emergency home for her in 1990! Thankfully, just when his company needed the space again, Halton Borough, through its representative on our Executive, Cllr. Keith Morley, said they would welcome it onto the Sankey at Spike Island. The move took a year to accomplish - but then it was done! Again, I am very happy to record our thanks to all involved: Halton Borough, Ainscough's Crane Hire (who provided cranage and transport at cost), and, of course, to Heaton's Transport.

Now, let’s see, what would we like to see as our lucky third triumph... a new swing bridge at Widnes... cleaning up the Viaduct at Earlestown... ?

David Long, Chairman, SCARS

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