Nominations for award
NOMINATIONS are being invited for the recipient of the John Gould Award 2012 by the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust.
The award is presented annually to a person or group who has undertaken noteworthy actions or deeds for the Kennet & Avon Canal, with this year's award covering work undertaken from January to December 2012. The photograph is by kind permission of the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust archive.
Inspired many
John Gould, from Newbury inspired many to embark on a 40 years restoration campaign that ended with the reopening of the Kennet & Avon Canal by Her Majesty the Queen in 1990. Born in Newbury in 1913, he began his love affair with the waterway as a small boy playing with toy boats on the Kennet, which flowed past the backyard of his grandfather's harness shop in the market square.
He played an active part in the Kennet & Avon Canal Association (later to become the KACT), acting as secretary of the Newbury Branch and as a Trust Council member, typically turning up to meetings wearing his favourite duffel coat, complete with windlass poking out of his pocket. He ran his hire boat business until the late '70s and even after retirement he continued to manage moorings in Newbury and act as a British Waterways agent.
Honorary life member
In 1986 he was made an Honorary Life Member of the Inland Waterways Association, and in 1992 was awarded the MBE. In 1997 the Kennet & Avon Canal Partnership (established to oversee the £25m Heritage Lottery Fund grant awarded to British Waterways and the KACT to complete the restoration of the canal) invited John to unveil a plaque at Newbury Lock, recording a public vote of thanks for his dedication to the waterway.
Nominations should be addressed to Chairman of the Kennet & Avon Canal Partnership, Rob Dean, via Jean Cook
The John Gould Award is conferred by the Chairman of the Kennet & Avon Canal Partnership, acting on advice from the Trustees of the KACT.