Busy canal towpaths on Saturday

Our area has been selected to host a national angling competition next Saturday involving 450 competitors.

Jean Stainthorpe, a local resident, tells a fishy story

In 1973 an enterprising young computer programmer named Alan Wright, working for British Rail in Crewe, won the Division 1 National Angling Championship, which was held on the River Witham. As his team leader I had the honour of presenting the Championship Cup and the Daily Mirror Trophy. The photo alongside appeared in Rail News, then a prestigious source of news to the rail industry (remember this was well before the days of the Internet and social media). A Dabber (ie born and bred in Nantwich) he later moved to the Nottingham area and I saw him only occasionally at staff reunions.

Alan later won the Division 2 National Championship on the River Soar in 2003.

Imagine my surprise when, recently, on my early morning dog walk along the canal at Audlem, I encountered him and his angling friends fishing the canal in preparation for the Division 2 Angling Trust National Championships which are taking place on the Shropshire Union Canal on Saturday 14th September. (The HQ will be Barbers Cattle Market in Market Drayton).

Approximately 45 teams of 10 will complete between Shebden and Hack Green. The match pegs will be down to Adderley, with the final 2 sections either side of Coole Pilate.

So locals may wish to avoid walking those towpaths for a few hours!

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