Le Velocette Man

Hi Everyone, Twenty five years ago I was given a pair of nice old Lister ammeters (see attached photo's) as I was having a boat fitted out at the time, but they were never used. They have been in a box on the shelf in my garage ever since.They have 4" diameter cast steel faces with a diamond knurled finish and the word "Lister" cast across the front. The instrument faces are cardboard behind sealed glass windows and the rear 4 3/4"diameter flanges have a centre fixing stud, with brass knurled nuts to secure the wiring. Both are in excellent condition. I have trawled the internet but have never seen any with the word "Lister" cast into them. Can anyone tell me if they are unusual/rare and what sort of age they could be? Regards, Mick

Oboat Now the new bridge is in the old centre pillar has been used to display a "no entry" sign. There are also floats supporting a chain across the mouth indicating navigation is not possible at the moment. However, and I cannot say to much at the moment, a local landowner has plans to extract gravel from his field further up the Wreake,and move this to the gravel plant at Wanlip (which he also owns) The most eco-friendly way will be by boat and he will press for this, meaning any bridge obstructions will have to be removed. His later plans could involve turning the pits left behind into a marina. The whole area is close to being adopted as the sixth "hub" in the Grand Union/Soar parternership headed by Sir Peter Soulsby. Watch this space. Mick Clowes Chairman MOWS

Fuzzy and any other interested parties Not sure if you are aware but due to certain financial irregularities (I'll leave it at that)DEFRA or more specifically their minions the EA have been advised by government to "lose" their navigable waterways to save money. This means that in the near future these will be transferred to the new Canal and River Trust. The Wreake does not yet fall in the "Navigable" catagory, but more the "once navigable in with a good chance of restoration" bracket. Our recent AGM speaker was Lynne Berry OBE who is deputy chair of C.A.R.T and the question was raised as to how the Wreake becomes recognised as restoration friendly,and therfore transferred across to C.A.R.T where opinions on navigation are pro rather than anti and restoration money is available.She has agreed to do what she can by talking to members of council. Mows will lobby and press for this change A.S.A.P watch this space. Mick Clowes Chairman MOWS Ps Glad you like the new bridge - it's only taken 12 years to organise!!

To all you Wreake explorers, just a reminder that the AGM of the Melton and Oakham waterways Society, takes place at the Sysonby Knoll Hotel, Asfordby Road, Melton, this Saturday 10 November at 10.30am. Our guest speaker is Lynne Berry OBE, Deputy Chair of the new Canal and River Trust (Formerly British Waterways).Hope to see some of you there. Free refreshments after the meeting. You do not have to be a member to attend. Alternately why not view our Brand new website at WWW.meltonwaterways.org.uk ? Regards Mick Clowes Chairman MOWS

Hi FD Sorry for the slow reply to your e-mail. I use my work address and don't get to check it as often as I would like. In answer, no we don't have the act, but are searching for the company minutes. the 1877 ones should make interesting reading and sense of what inference the impending act had on the users. We have 1947 photographic evidence of farmers moving grain on the Wreake by boat (a sort of punt) and one or two afferdavits of users who have used it by boat and canoe. This is the type of evidence you need before going to court. Any such evidence can be sent to the MOWS secretary (details on website). Mick

Greetings, Not sure if a parliamentary act is exactly what's required. Maybe one of the more academic types could put us straight. In Melton the riparian owners are,for the most part, the Town Estate people, or to give them their correct title - Feffees of the Town Estate. We(MOWS)have fostered a good rappore with them to the extent that we share a boat, which they use to do bridge repairs etc. With their permission we can cruise and maintain the ring around the parks and the stretch down to Eye kettleby lock, a total of about 3 miles.Recently we staged a "Pork Pie Paddle" which was well attended. The scouts in Melton already have a canoeing section and we repaired their launching steps at the time we were building our slipway. They too are now one of our "friends of the river". At the Syston end the farming brothers who own the fields along the cossington side are skiing mates of our MOWS secretary, who were very interested when he told them that the average narrowboat pays about £1500 in moorings each year! And so it goes on....the woods above the railway bridge are owned by the stables at the top of the bank. With permission we cleared the footpaths and tidied the whole area - another friend made. If you think back 40 years tons of waterways were disused and abandoned, most by act of parliament. The Huddersfield, AKA "the impossible restoration", the Erewash, Rochdale, 40 miles of the Kennet and Avon and most of Birmingham were all but gone. But it didn't stop people fighting to get them back working. And now look, all back in use and being enjoyed by a new generation of leisure user. We should all be able to see the bigger picture and strive to put the Melton Mowbray Navigation back on the map. (May need a lie down now in a dark room!) Mick

Hi all Can I draw your attention to a canoeists website called "song of the paddle". Searching for "wreake"on this site has thrown up a whole thread on Navigation rights on the river. Has anyone been up as far as Ratcliffe Mill where, as reported, the Gate Hangs Well landlord describes "people threatened with a gun"? BTW the plan there is to bypass the mill by utilising the lower (roadside-broome lane) channel to proceed onward. Also worth knowing that the owner of Thrussington Mill further upstream is a MOWS member and welcomes anyone with a view to opening up the river corridor. These paddling lads seem keen too, so just like the mass trespass on Kinder Scout years ago, we should get everyone to "mass navigate" the Wreake!!! Regards Mick

Hi FD Just for everyones information, the County Council contractors, Tomlinson, commenced work on the rebuilding of the Wreake End Footbridge last week. They have started on the Cossington side, putting in some posts to support the ramp there. I presume they will duplicate this on the Fosse Way side ,with the main section of the bridge to be swung in after. They have gained acess through the field off meadow lane, giving a clear run to the corner nearest the bridge. When complete it should have ,according to their drawings 2.4m clearance over the middle 5m. Despite the fact that they intend (for the time being)to leave the centre pillar of the old bridge, this will mean that for the first time in over 135 years boats will be able to access the Melton Mowbray Navigation. Whether its legal to do so is another matter, but for now i'm just pleased that ten years of petitioning cajoling and pleading by MOWS has paid off. Disabled people too will benefit as wheelchairs can now cross, so everyones a winner! How long the brick pillar stands is a moot point as 15 tons of narrowboat takes some stopping! oops! I do hope some of our readers can make the opening ceremony (details when I get them). Regards Mick

Hi Melton navigation team, Refering back to the google earth pic, in the upper left you can spot the oxbow channel where it used to run in times of high water. This doesn't happen now, since the spoilsports at the EA have lowered levels a bit. Walkers used to skirt round this on the ploughed field side due to the 100m obstruction of thick brambles atop the riverbank. MOWS had several work parties there in about 2000 and cleared the way through which, due to many walkers has now become the main path. Thankfully the brambles have died back and are no longer a problem. They were tough to cut just with sacateurs, loppers and a simple brush cutter. If you look closely you can still see the scars on my arms. Ouch!! Mick

Hi again FD Re the location of the first lock on the Melton, well you wont be surprised to know I don't know! However it seems that the decent flat area under the railway bridge may have been used (in later years) for the mooring of boats setting the lock to go downstream. The navigation of course predated the railway, so what they did before that I'm not sure, but my best guess is that the lock wasn't far from the present "rapids". There was probably an overspill weir on the Syston side, as the towpath has always been on the Cossington side. My predesessor at MOWS, Richard Fairhurst may be able to shed more light on this than I, for he is indeed a learned man! For info, MOWS is at present pressing County Hall rights of way officers to repair and re-align the footpath from the bridge to the pub. It is in a terrible downright dangerous state and,due to fallen trees etc has "wandered" way off it's original line (MMN towpath)at the waters edge. Survey done in August, report presented early September. Something may happen soon but don't hold your breath. By the way, MOWS applied for a grant to put this problem right and guess where from..........County Hall! Somebody then realised we were applying for money from the very people who should be doing the work. Red faces all round! Regards Mick

Hi FD Trawling the net ,I came across your post about trying to navigate the Melton Navigation and Oakham canal. You mentioned the waterways society, MOWS 0f which I am now chairman. The new address is WWW.meltonwaterways.co.uk. You are correct saying the new bridge will go in soon, the last date I was given is mid October to November (they are very vague at county hall). Meanwhile we continue to clear the Melton "ring" of river and canal around the two parks in preparation for the 2015 IWA Trailboat rally. We have work parties on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month, and you are very welcome to join us. All details on website. At Rocks by Rail (the old Rutland Railway Centre)we are continuing to clear the Oakham Canal there to show people what it used to be like. Our AGM is in November and I am doing an illustrated talk in Melton in October. Again all stuff is on the website, along with contact Nos. You start at Syston, and we'll start at Melton, and hopefully we'll meet in the middle! Regards Mick