We were delighted to welcome not one school but two to the Swansea Canal last Tuesday (19th July 2106). They were here to  try out our raft canoe, the single canoes and the double and single kayaks on the one mile section of canal down to Lower Trebanos Lock. In the morning 26 pupils and 3 teachers from Waunarlwydd Primary School arrived at Coed Gwilym Park in gorgeous  summer weather.  The blinding sunlight on my mobile screen can be the only excuse for me failing to see that my thumb was on the edge of this group photo of  the pupils, teachers, volunteers and, of course,  Sue’s dog. Apologies to all.

They all had a  great time on the canal even though for some it was their first time in a canoe or kayak. Steering is always the main problem but once they grasped the correct way to hold a paddle and  how it affected the direction of the bow, they were soon making great progess up to Trebanos.

When they had all returned and disembarked safely, their places on the boats were taken by 29 pupils from Cwmtawe Community School. These were older pupils and  many had canoed before.  They too were thrilled to be on the water and were soon racing each other to Trebanos.

We thank both schools for making use of our  wonderful canal. We hope to see them again in the near future.

As the children enjoyed themselves on the water, the staff of Fountains were busy clearing the reeds and weeds from the channel to ensure that the canoes are not caught up and grounded, and that water flows easily to the Vale Inco Nickel factory who use the canal water in vast quantities. So our canal is both a leisure amenity and an indispensable industrial tool.

Blog and photos by Martin