WRG East Midlands

This is the full version of an article which appeared in edited form in the Shobnall Shoveler.

Waterway Recovery Group – East Midlands Branch

In addition to looking after Tardis at the IWA National Festivals John Baylis, the Quartemaster, has run East Midlands Branch of Waterway Recovery Group since its formation in the 1970s.  Initally intending to work on the East Midlands canal restoration John took over the restoration of Frankton Locks on the Montgomery Canal for the late Graham Palmer and most of the work of WRG EM went on these locks with visiting work parties from the Erewash Canal Preservation & Development Association, WRG North West, South Yorkshire & Dukeries IWA, the Trent & Mersey Canal Society and a few WRG Canal Camps.

When work at Frankton and Aston had finished John carried on at Langley Mill working in the joint WRG & ECP&DA workshop making metal goods for various organisations. These included grappling hooks for BW and WRG, fitting mooring rings on the River Trent in Nottingham and on some canal sites, and making piling parts, and security equipment for the ECP&DA lock cottage at Sandiacre. John also designed and built the prototype spring loaded lock for BW to use on the Erewash Canal. Since John fitted out and took over the latest Tardis WRG EM has modified the back ramp and fitted handrails, made the steel stillages for transporting some of the heavier timber from the Festival to its store in Runcorn, and made and repaired steel tent pegs and flag pole bases used at Festivals. Much of this was done as a donation to Festivals.

When the IWA took on the restoration of Inglesham Lock on the Thames & Severn Canal, John was asked to make some specialised piling fittings for the work on the boat landing stage; the result of his efforts which cost nearly £600 can be seen at the IWA Marquee. This has been donated to the Inglesham by WRG East Midlands and John is grateful to the ECP&DA and MPR Metal Gates of Mansfield for their assistance in the manufacture and galvanising.