28 December 2018

A Grand Day Out
(Phase 1B)


by: Bob H.

I’m sure that most, if not all, CCT volunteers have heard of the Waterways Recovery Group or WRG.  But I wonder how many have joined in their activities at a work camp or a work party?

I confess that though I’d spoken to them quite a few times, I’d never joined them to work.   I had recently completed a chainsaw refresher course (A 5 yearly requirement by the CCT insurers). So, I decided that a day out doing more varied chainsaw work than our normal “routine” work (which I do relatively little of these days) would be a good thing. So today I joined a WRG group about 40 strong, on a continuing tidying up of the 1b section West of the A38.
 
I met here with Nigel, their CSO leader and soon we were underway trimming limbs and stems overhanging the Canal. We were careful not to remove any Ivy covered trees, we don’t want to disturb hibernating bats!

Ropes were attached


Fires stoked

Team tea breaks and lunch are taken seriously! 

Workboat Stuart provides access when we can’t reach safely from the bank 

And the end result reveals a full width Canal again

After such a Grand day out, I would recommend all volunteers, whatever your skills,  to spend time with such a bunch of folk.