Restoration Blog

A quick catch-up from the SDC team

by: Ian Moody

The regular Tuesday and Thursday volunteers have been doing sterling work tackling the bankside vegetation upstream of Wallbridge, supported by workboat Jasper.  A small team have been over at workboat Flea at Saul junction, taking advantage of the postponed launch date to get some paint on her.

Last Wednesday we had a visit from Severn Trent Water, the first of four visits over the months.  They parked so many STW vans at Brimscombe Port that the Port manager worried that there was a major water incident on site!  Scrub bashing at Gough’s Orchard was the task and, despite some truly appalling weather, great progress was made.

Last weekend we had the first of various weekend visits at Whitminster from WRG and WRG-affiliated groups.  This time it was Newbury Working Party Group. Once again, the weather was appalling, somewhat different from the “scattered light showers” in the forecast.  The visiting groups are continuing the work from two years ago, clearing any trees and vegetation that are obstructing the line of the canal. 

Unfortunately we did not manage to get workboats Jasper or Stuart into the water in time for the weekend so we had to make do with a quite unstable backup – a sailing dingy hull. No t great, but better than nothing.