A very pleasant morning in early February found Alan, Malcolm and David busy putting up a few more of Alan’s hand-crafted bijou family bird boxes in the Canal Society’s Nature Reserve in Coed Gwilym Park. The boxes have been successful in attracting robins and blue tits.

The rest of the work party moved up to Ynysmeudwy Locks to continue removing encroaching vegetation from the pound between the upper and lower locks. Gordon, Gareth and Alan quickly set up the block & tackle and the mechanical vegetation rake and got to work. Further up the pound, Rabbie, David and Martin used shovels and barrow to remove the unwanted vegetation. This is a messy business as the photo will attest.

Meanwhile Bob and Dominic were busy doing repairs to the timbers that secure the edge of the canal.

This week we had a visit by Clive Reed, the Society’s Heritage Adviser and stalwart long serving volunteer. He explained how the Ynysmeudwy Locks area was a hive of activity between 1875 and 1900 centred around the quarrying and trans-shipment of stone for the Prince of Wales Dock in Swansea.

We were also visited by David Viner, the CRT Heritage Officer, who called in to have a look at the work site. He was most impressed by the work being carried out by the volunteers. Just look at the fantastic result in the pound.

Our catering team was on the site with cake and hot beverages for all. Everyone joined in a rousing Penblwydd Hapus for Gordon, our chairman and leader who celebrated his 62^nd birthday.