Society chairman Neville Kenyon gives his annual report for 2007
Your Society has enjoyed another successful year. We have continued to work closely with our partners in the three local authorities – Tameside, Oldham and Kirklees (Huddersfield) – and British Waterways. Perhaps the two most significant advances during the year have been our move from Ashton under Lyne to the Transhipment Warehouse and our major contribution towards an improved arrangement for boaters using the Standedge Tunnel. The latter has been a controversial issue since the re-opening of the canal in 2001.
Continued pressure from the Society, particularly by HCS Council member, Keith Noble, has persuaded British Waterways to reconsider the methods for Tunnel transit. It is now likely that boaters will be allowed to take their vessels through the Tunnel accompanied by a BW pilot instead of the current, expensive method using electric tugs. We have not yet been successful in persuading BW to allow Tunnel transit for more than two days each week in the season but we continue to negotiate for extra passage days.
We have managed to regularly produce quarterly issues of the Society magazine, Pennine Link and we thank Editor Alwyn Ogborn and Society Administrator Bob Gough for ensuring that we maintain a lively and interesting periodical.
During the Season, Bob and Marketing Officer, Claire Bebbington organised some well-supported members' events including a Treasure Hunt in Marsden which we intend to repeat in 2008 but this time in Uppermill.
Trevor Ellis and Eric Crosland have continued to lead the HCS volunteers' team but have been frustrated by the increasing number of health and safety regulations that are an inevitable feature of so many aspects of modern living. We continue to donate bridge plates for BW personnel to fix along the length of the Canal.
The annual Photographic Competition was again a success and a 2008 calendar was produced featuring the winning entries. Sales of the calendar were encouraging although promoting them entailed a great deal of employee and volunteer time and effort.
A highlight of 2008 will be the launch of the Towpath Guide which Bob Gough has been researching for several years. It promises to be a best seller and Council agreed that your Society would be prepared to subsidise the overall cost in order to promote the use of the Huddersfield Canal by walkers.
Your Council is mindful of its high level of responsibility for ensuring that our waterway maintains and increases its appeal to all users. British Waterways manage it to the best of their ability but the Society exists to put the heart and passion into championing a unique and beautiful resource.
I wish to thank all our loyal members and welcome those who joined during the year. I offer my thanks also to our Treasurer, Steve Picot and all the members of HCS Council of Management and to our employees Bob and Claire for their major contribution to yet another successful year in the life of the Huddersfield Canal Society.
Neville Kenyon