Grand Unveiling of the Maureen Shaw Panel at Wardle Lock
23 March 2013
Over a hundred people turned up at Wardle Lock, in Middlewich, on 23 March to join in the unveiling of a commemorative panel about the life of Maureen Shaw and the working boat community. Maureen had, of course, lived in the Lock Cottage at Wardle with the result that it was often referred to as “Maureen’s Lock” and she was well known to both visiting boaters and the local community.
(Wardle Lock is on the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal).
Fiona Bruce, MP, (current holder of the IWA’s Parliamentarian of the year for her support for the inland waterways) kindly opened the speeches, reminding people about the historical background and including the courageous role played by working boaters during the Second World War. This was then followed by Gillian Watson’s personal memories of Maureen during her latter years. Maureen’s daughter, Sharron Underwood, had flown in from Thailand
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| Fiona Bruce MP with Maureen's daughter, Sharron |
Kerry Fletcher, Heritage Officer for Middlewich Town Council, brought display panels which showed aspects of the town during the times of the working boats and also gave more details of Maureen’s life story.
When Maureen Shaw died in 2012 there was a strong feeling amongst the boating community and others that her life, and that of the working boat community, should be commemorated in some way. An appeal was launched at the Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival in the June, and by Autumn a good proportion of the £1800 needed had been donated - mostly by individuals but also by boat clubs and societies from all over the country.
Peter Bolt headed up the project, assisted by Gillian Watson – both of the Inland Waterways Association and the Trent & Mersey Canal Society and 23 March 2013 saw the culmination of nine months of effort, design work and construction.
The panel was made by Photocast, Liverpool and included two images of working boats, by Sheila Webster, the well known waterways artist from Audlem. The frame was made by Heap & Partners of Birkenhead who donated their costs. The whole unit was installed by the C&RT Small Tasks Team Volunteers, prior to the unveiling.
The aim was to ensure that boaters and other visitors to the lock would be reminded of the role that the working boats and families had played over many years and particularly Maureen’s story. She had been well known throughout the boating community and had given many talks about her early life on the boats – all from memory as, like many who worked on the boats at the time, she had never learned to read and write. Hers was an extraordinary life - which is now recorded for future generations.
Peter Bolt would like to thank all those who supported the project, both financially and practically and who came along for the unveiling – despite the bitter weather. Without their help, it would not have happened.
