Huddersfield Examiner
The following story featured in the Huddersfield Daily Examiner on Wednesday, July 13th, 1960

The swan which holds stately residence on the dam at Clough House Mills, Birkby, had her privacy invaded yesterday afternoon when some boys from Fartown Secondary Modern School launched two canoes which they had built during woodwork lessons.  Mr P Bower (woodwork master) who was in charge of the group, said that it took about nine months to complete the canoes, but the boys worked on them only for two and a half hours a week during term time.

Yesterday was the big day - the day of the launching, when the boys would find out whether they were indeed the craftsmen they thought they were.  As it turned out they could be proud of their efforts, for, under Mr Bowers' supervision, they had turned out two craft worthy of any canoeing club.  The balance was perfect and they were certainly watertight.

The canoes were named Satan and Gogo - and go they certainly could. They are of canvas construction stretched over a wooden frame, and are mainly the work of four of the boys; Roy Ogden, John Casson, Stuart Smith and Clive Layton - all fourth year pupils at the school.  The four boys who own the canoes now plan to sail them on the canal if they can get a licence.  So the swan and ducks in the dam will again have the peace and quiet to which they are accustomed.