Transport history awards for two waterways titles
TWO waterways history books feature among the award winners in the Transport History Book of the Year Awards for 2020.
Passing Through, the Grand Junction Canal in West Hertfordshire, 1791-1841 by Fabian Hiscock was among 11 titles shortlisted in three categories and the judges awarded a special prize for only the second time in the awards’ history to The Story of the Rebuilding of the Upper Avon Navigation by John Grundy.
Now in their 17th year, these awards were initiated by the Railway & Canal Historical Society in 2004 to encourage the writing and publishing of wellresearched, interesting and readable books in the field of transport history.
Their continuation has been ensured for the foreseeable future by a generous legacy left by the late David St John Thomas, author and co-founder of the publishing house David & Charles.
Judging of the awards proceeded as normal during the early months of 2020 but unfortunately the customary presentation evening had to be cancelled because of the coronavirus epidemic.
In the Canal & Waterways History category, two titles were shortlisted. Fabian Hiscock’s winning book is published by Hertfordshire Publications, an imprint of University of Hertfordshire Press.
Passing Through, the Grand Junction Canal in West Hertfordshire, 1791-1841 poses the question: what impact did the Grand Junction Canal have on the area of Hertfordshire that 25 of its 92 miles passed through? To investigate, the author restricts the study to the period up to 1841 because by this date the London & Birmingham Railway was open and beginning to exert its own influence.
The opening chapter describes the economic and social scene nationally as it was in the 1790s. A north-south divide was beginning to open up in England, with mineral wealth, the beginnings of industrial development and urban migration in the north whereas the south, London excepted, remained largely rural, agricultural and self-sufficient.
This study then considers in detail the situation at that time in west Hertfordshire, before comparing expectations with the reality of the canal’s arrival and how the various sectors of society were actually impacted. Although originating from an academic study, the writing is fluid, readable and commendably free of academic jargon.
The other shortlisted canal book was The Midlands Canals in 1871, the evidence of census by Barrie Trinder, published by Robert Boyd Publications.
Unique record
Awarded a Special Prize for an unusual publishing initiative, the story of the rebuilding of the Upper Avon navigation by John Grundy is privately published by David and Alison Higgins
Following the restoration of the
Lower Avon river navigation from Tewkesbury to Evesham and the southern part of the Stratford Canal, the missing link in the waterways network of the West Midlands was the Upper Avon navigation, from Evesham to Stratford-upon-Avon. A trust was formed, and David Hutchings, who had played a corresponding role in the Stratford Canal restoration, was appointed project manager.
With a staff of three (a crane driver, a welder and his part-time secretary) he achieved the reopening of the navigation largely using voluntary labour, working parties from prisons and borstals and, for certain specialist tasks, the Army.
In addition to the engineering aspects, Mr Hutchings had to negotiate with landowners, the drainage authority and the various tiers of local government, overcoming concerns about new weirs and increased flood risk, invasion of private property by citydwelling boaters and a myriad of other issues, not to mention fundraising.
John Grundy was a trainee design and technology teacher and through the involvement of some relatives in the project, was persuaded to write his university dissertation about the restoration which had lain in an attic for 40 years until a chance conversation made David Higgins aware of its existence.
David had already been concerned to create a memorial to David Hutchings, who had died in 2005. He therefore had the dissertation and supporting documentation professionally scanned, printed and bound, with copies placed in appropriate archives and libraries as a resource for future historians and researchers.
John Grundy was a diligent researcher. The supporting documents include his correspondence with those from whom he sought information – David Hutchings himself, Robert Aickman (who declined assistance because he was ‘already in touch with two people who say they are writing books about our project’), innumerable local government officials, river and drainage authority staff, archivists, newspaper and magazine editors, the list goes on.
There are transcripts of previous legislation, going back to the order of 1635 allowing William Sandys to make the river passable, and a 19th century legal judgment about abandonment. There are many maps, plans and diagrams and photographs of work in progress and work completed, also an album of press cuttings.
This is not a conventional history book. One judge remarked that it looked like the contents of a filing cabinet but it is also a unique record of history as it was being made. Those two other books mentioned by Aickman never materialised and the judges felt that the combined efforts of John Grundy and Mr and Mrs Higgins to tell and publicise the story were deserving of recognition by the society.
John Grundy is planning to have another batch of his book printed. Anyone interested in acquiring a copy can express an interest by emailing upperavonstory@gmail.com
The cost is anticipated to be around £40 plus post and packing.
Finally, one book was chosen from the three category winners to be the society’s overall Transport History Book of the Year. The judging panel awarded the title to London’s District Railway by Michael Horne.
www.rchs.org.uk