Today’s gathering was something of a rerun of last Tuesday, again making the most of the improving weather. The main team met at Hebron Road with a smaller group in Coed Gwilym Park.

At Hebron Road work continued to clear the huge pile of rubble behind the building. Lance, Colin, Chris M, Duncan and Phil sorted through the debris, putting rubbish to one side and passing decent bricks to Alan T who cleaned off any remaining old mortar and stacked them for future use, and what a pile we now have!

Our young volunteer Rowan was as keen as ever, breaking up large lumps with a pickaxe and shovelling dirt and gravel into a barrow for disposal, as Gordon joined in to help. Several weeks of effort are paying off as the area starts to look much tidier.

At the front of the building Sharon (modelling some very natty dungarees!) and Alan W, joined later by Carly, stained the wooden gates that hadn’t been touched since they were installed some two years ago. It was fiddly work doing all the rails, but they look splendid with their new protective coating.

Gordon had acquired a surplus table from his rugby club, with more available if needed. With a quick rub down on the legs and a coat of black Hammerite, it looked as good as new and it, and maybe a few more, will serve us well until we can get new furniture for the Canal Centre.

Meanwhile at Coed Gwilym Park, Bob and Aled carried on with their big boat repairs, removing rusty old screws from the handrail supports and putting in new fixings to make the rail secure.

John Grav got ‘tricky with the sticky’, re-securing several of the cycle tyre bow buffers which had come unstuck as the canoes were slid into the water during the week (a lesson learned for future canoe launches!).

At the already attractive flower borders near the canoe store Christina and Moira were joined by Jan, who generously turned up with yet more new plants, and the three of them pottered away for several hours. With spring firmly here the borders are already looking magnificent.

Jan and Alan W provided the selection of cakes this week, and smashing they were too! We did a bit more work after coffee, but after all that lifting and digging in the warm sun we were happy to pack up by 1pm with another productive morning under our belts.