What a contrast in the weather, as compared to last week! Today was pleasant and sunny to start with and ended up being very warm. The lovely weather encouraged a healthy turnout of volunteers, who were soon hard at work in the Buried Lock site.

The first job was completed before your cub reporter could rouse himself from his slumbers, hence the absence of volunteers from the photos! For tomorrow’s visit by board members of the Canal and River Trust, James Daley is intending to present his tippers and trucks as a guard of honour, so the volunteers cleared a space by moving joists retrieved from the Swansea Canal Centre and stacking them neatly, ready for recycling into a shed behind the canoe store.

The main task for the day was to start on a job postponed last week by the torrential downpour. Gordon and Gareth the Elder mixed the mortar, more stones were retrieved from the spoil heap and then they were carefully laid to create an attractive lining for the by-wash. Gordon had even thoughtfully cut several tally sticks to make sure the lining was precisely at the required width.

Elsewhere, Gordon made water-tight the barrier between the two sides of the grid. He just needs to add the sluice gate to complete the job.

Gill and Sue set off to clear rubbish from Pont John. It looks like they are filming their homage to “The Great Escape”.

Time for tea and chat, with delicious cakes baked by Gill.

After tea, Sharon talked to a bat boffin about creating a des res for the furry midgets in the Canal Centre, some of the volunteers cleared weed from above the sluice, John D cleared the sluice itself, barrowing away the debris, and the rest of the gang built more wall. It is looking fabulous, although there is quite a distance to go!