With the opening of the summer season canoe hire almost upon us, it was time to get the canal shipshape for the public. Our first Sunday Opening will be on Easter Sunday April the First. We start hiring at 10.30am in Coed Gwilym Park.

The best way of colleecting all the plastic waste, litter and broken off tree boughs in the channel is in the very stable rafts that we make by tying two canoes together. With four aboard each raft, two paddle, one steers at the back and one collects the rubbish. The large builders bags are excellent for keeping the bottom of the canoes reasonably clean.

Next to the the canoe store Toby and Gareth were making an informal hedge by layering a horse chesnut sapling that was getting caught in the park railings. If we can get it to grow laterally from the bent boughs it will survive.

As ever making the place attractive also involves the never ending task of litter picking on the towpath. John is an unsung hero at this. So he deserves a picture all to himself.

   Thanks to Veronicc Fuller for the great pictures.