Sunday 21st July

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From far and near (well, from deepest Llanmorlais and Gill’s back garden to be precise),  our motley crew of  under-used boats emerged blinking into the light of a glorious July  afternoon.’ Ada’ and ‘Nellie’,  ‘Mad River’, ‘Earnest 2’, and an assortment of kayaks, coracles, tubs and inflatables met up at the the slip way outside the Clydach Heritage Centre in Coed Gwilym Park.

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Some were towed in the manner of  an old  canal barge, others came in even more traditional ways. Here, Thomas,  Gordon Walker’s grandson,  manhandles his granddad’s  home made coracle.

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The Evening Post photographer arrived a little early so Gordon was corralled into his coracle (not an easy fit) for the publicity photos and rather unsteadily went round and round in circles.

Crowds of parents and children were drawn to the scene and were soon enjoying the safe waters of  the canal.

[singlepic id=69 w=320 h=240 float=none] Gordon’s willow hurdle master class was  a real draw and, after a few lessons,  people were having a go themselves.  Once finished we put them on board a boat and ferried them across to the other side where they were erected to protect the banks (the hurdles,  not the people, although that might have been really interesting).

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Not everyone was beavering away. Michelle  knows  that a Sunday is not complete without a good look at the Sunday Telegraph. So she gently floated downstream with Ian MacGregor (that’s the editor by the way).[singlepic id=68 w=320 h=240 float=none]

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A quintessential British Summer.  The Canal being used for its intended purpose.  Boats on Water.