Northern Canal Association’s Spring Meeting 2022
Derby & Sandiacre Canal Trust
Sunday, 24 April 2022
Words and Pictures from Ivan Cane
I visited the Draycott Cottages the previous day, to check out the venue. Lines were still being painted in the car park and paint brushes wielded inside. The café was also busy cleaning its new kitchen and restaurant area.
39 delegates arrived on the day, with a full car park and an overflow along the restored “Golden Mile”. Once settled in the new meetings room, Chris Madge, (Chair, Derby & Sandiacre Canal Trust) outlined the development in Draycott including the restoration of the host building and progress with the adjacent canal. This was followed by a talk by the new IWA Volunteers’ Co-ordinator, Jonathan Green, who updated us all on Biodiversity Net Gain, with advice on how to make it work for canal restoration.
Bobby Cowling (Editor, Waterways World) then led a session on “Getting your message across in the digital and post pandemic world”. The morning’s session was concluded by George Rogers, (Development Manager, Chesterfield Canal Trust) who outlined the October 2022’s meeting content, centring on his involvement with the new Levelling Up and Towns Funding.
The new café kitchen provided an excellent buffet lunch, which also enabled much networking both in and around the buildings, between people who had not met up for some time. It also gave the opportunity to visit the Cottages’ “Heritage room” – a room that has been restored in its original state – whereas at the other end of the row, we were invited to inspect the new “holiday lets”.
Following lunch, the “Updates” session included presentations from:
- Bugsworth Basin Heritage Trust – Ian Edgar
- Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust – Julie Arnold
- Huddersfield Canal Society – Keith Sykes
- Lancaster Canal Trust – Nigel Hardacre
- Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust – Bob Williams
- Macclesfield Canal Society – Duncan Learmond
- Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal Society – David Barnes
The day rounded off with a Site visit, with DSCT volunteers guiding a walk on the wild(life)side, along the Draycott Golden Mile.
