We were here, there, and everywhere today. Dom and Bob completed the denailing of the roof timbers in the Hidden Lock site, and wheelbarrowed them up to the site office where they will be transformed into a tool store for our future activities their. They did not quite finish as someone commandeered their wheelbarrow to take canal dredgings  up the towpath to mulch the very dry and recently planted alliumas, primroses and solomon’s seal. I have no idea what a combination of silt and canadian pond weed does as a fertilieser but we will, sure as night follows day, soon find out. It was certainly used as top dressing on fields by the canal in days of yore so there is precedent.

DOMIINIC AND BOB IN THE YARD.

And here is Alan, drag-forking the aforementioned  invasive oxygenating weed out of the channel just north of the yard. It collects at the weir entrance and backs up towards Coed Gwilym Park bridge. Sorry about the video, blink and you’ll miss it.

Meanwhile, at the canoe store there were multiple activities celebrating National Go Canoeing Week:-

Paddle Boarding and Kayaks.

Sara, from SUPHUT brought four boards up from their base in Swansea to hire out while the Pontardawe Paddlers offered tuition in basic kayaking and canoeing safety. We thank Sara, and Warren and Ryan from the Paddlers, for their expertise.

Ronnie was not only helping out in the canoe store but managed to take part in the never ending wash hole repairs along the towpath. Here she is deciding how to sow some wildflower seeds on the dug up soil. At least I think that is what she is doing (digging is certainly involved).

Ronnie digging up sods (I think).

Mike and Sue were also activley involved  there, apart from when they paused to pose for me.

Andy would, on any other day, have been carting the sand bags up the towpath for the others to lay but he was given special leave of absence from these duties to show our special visitor around. Brian Jones, from Keep Wales Tidy (yes, that is what KWT stands for) was with us to decide if the Swansea Canal Society is deserving of a third successive Green Flag award in the Waterways and Parks section. We do hope we will be able to fly the green flags for another year on our wonderful canal.  Brian is clutching his little green Green Flag judging  book below on the right.

Thanks to Paul Rapsey and Martin Davies for being in three places at once for all the photos.