The media descended on the Swansea Canal today (23rd August) to report on the visit of John Evans, the man who buried a lock (under orders, I must add) 43 years ago under the site of a Highways Depot in Pontardawe Road in Clydach, and the man who will give us invaluable advice in restoring it.

At 8.30 am we were interviewed by Gilbert John for a live link with Good Morning Wales, and then at 10.00am BBC Wales reporters Jacob Ellis and Ben Price arrived with a cameraman to film the Swansea Canal Society volunteers and Rhodri Bowen of the Canal and River Trust, lifting the slabs over the buried lock. John Evans peered into the lock and saw the water flowing through the bottom of the lock that he so carefully repointed in 1973 before its interment.

At 11.00am Dean from ITV Wales was next on the scene. He interviewed John once again and we re-enacted the opening of the slabs for a second time.

Finally, Jacob, on behalf of S4C, interviewed our two Welsh speakers, Kelly and Mike  Frost, whose home backs on to the canal in Trebanos and whose business, the Green Grocers shop in Pontardawe is just yards from the canal in Pontardawe.

If we thought this was the end of the celebration of John Evans return to Lock 7 we were wrong. He had to make a speedy return home to Hay-on-Wye in time to be interviewed by phome for the ‘Good Evening Wales’ radio programme.

You can see the full ITV Wales TV report on:-

http://www.itv.com/news/wales/2016-08-23/man-who-filled-in-canal-40-years-ago-brought-back-to-restore-it/

Thank you John. Star for the day.