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Cheddleton Waterway Community Day, on the Caldon Canal dawned bright and clear making setting up for our Waterways Community Day a breeze. The volunteers from Inland Waterways Association Stoke on Trent branch, Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust, Stoke-on-Trent Boat Club, the Beatrice Charity - the trip boat for children with a need to get afloat - and Cheddleton Flint Mill Industrial Heritage Trust who all converged on the Flint Mill car park – snugly sandwiched between the Caldon Canal and the River Churnet - were all of one mind: get the gazebos up before the rain comes down! And it did come down! Rain in bucket loads!

But this did not deter walkers and boaters of all types from turning out. In readiness for the noon start, the Sailability volunteers from Rudyard Lake arrived with their new bright pink sailing dinghy – specially adapted so that youngsters such as wheelchair-bound Tilly Griffiths can enjoy the freedom of sailing on this beautiful inland waterway reservoir.

By noon four canoeists from clubs around Stafford had already been and gone. They launched directly into the River Churnet, shot the weir that helps build the head of water for the Flint Mill’s two water wheels and headed downstream to where the river and Caldon Canal become one. Their destination was Consall Forge via both Environment Agency and British Waterway navigations!

Throughout the afternoon about 350 people visited the event and explored the flint mill. Some climbed aboard nb Vienna, one of two historic narrow boats amongst the dozen boats that lined the canal either side of the winding hole below Cheddleton church (the other being motor boat Ben). These craft were joined by three model boats and another ‘canal’ canoeist who paddled up just before the 2pm photo-call.

The rain was unrelenting as visitors and volunteers adorned with “call off the cuts” placards assembled on the towing path, where they were joined by Staffordshire Moorland’s MP Charlotte Atkins to face three local newspapers who had braved the weather along with waterways press. Charlotte had emerged from her canal-side Advice Surgery (rain-swept tent) where she spent the entire afternoon hearing from constituents and visitors about how important the canal is as part of their day-to-day life and business livelihood.

For instance, nearby canal-side Restaurant Castro’s highlighted the importance of passing trade from boaters and canal walkers who return to enjoy the restaurant in the evening. All helping to secure jobs in the local community – along with other businesses such as the almost canal-side village Post Office. This type of information will help support the campaign the Staffordshire Moorland’s Labour MP is leading in Parliament – having laid down the initial Early Day Motion calling upon Government to reverse the cuts in funding levels imposed upon British Waterways and the Environment Agency and to ensure secure, long-term funding for inland waterways.

197 signatures were gathered on some ever-so slightly damp Constituency Petition Sheets, interesting contacts were made that will no doubt help to further local canal campaigns - and the last word goes to Stoke on Trent Boat Club who called in a 6.30pm to report they were mooring up having cruised ‘home’ to Endon, “A great day despite the vile weather.”

Hope everybody else had as much fun - very very very wet, but well worthwhile!

Julie Arnold,
Event Co-ordinator