It goes without saying that as it was a work party Tuesday, it rained! But there was still an excellent turnout of volunteers ready to grapple with a host of wet tasks.

David G kicked things off by giving the gates behind St Benedict’s church a good coat of wood preserver. Meanwhile inside the Buried Lock site John Gw tested a chain hoist he had repaired, by hanging it from our latest modern art installation ‘Wheelbarrow Up A Post’! Pleased to say it worked well and no fine art was damaged in the process!

Gordon continued adding stone facing to the wing-walls of the by-wash, which are looking great, and Alan T laid more blockwork on the boat basin walls as backing for the later stone facade. As usual Andrew mixed the mix and Duncan provided the blocks.

There was plenty of pruning and trimming needed along the towpath and at Coed Gwilym Park. Helen and Ronnie tackled the path, including a big outcrop of nettles and ivy towards the Clydach lock, and Moira and Christina did more garden maintenance in the canoe store area of the park, where the borders are looking verdant and fabulous!

While Chris M and Gill discussed completing the final stretch of retaining wall along the front of the raised shrubbery bank, which makes it look quite attractive – Sharon was actually doing the work!

Mike F, John Grav and Duncan were hard at it using smaller stones, debris and mortar as back-fill behind the iron slag facing, which our vols have been installing along the by-wash wall. The plan is to eventually turf this portage path as part of the ‘green corridor’ through the site.

We were grateful to Friends of Coed Gwilym Park for gifting us a ton of topsoil. Alan W, Gareth and Aled took a motorised barrow and some big bags and transported it back to the buried lock site.

Never let it be said that our one Canal Society Member from Nottingham does not get his hands dirty when he makes a visit to the Swansea Canal. We may have planted only a few wild flowers, but by golly, that soil is unforgiving and back breaking. Thanks to Trevor Dawson, on his hols from Beeston, for braving the elements and, with the help of the top soil deliveries and assisted by Martin, for getting something into the ground. Long may these ox eye daisies, red valerian and wild strawberries flourish.

Alan T added more courses of blocks to the stop-plank abutment in the dry dock.

Gill and Christina cut back vegetation encroaching on the towpath.

Coffee break in the site office was welcome respite from the showers. Fortified with cake courtesy of Alan W, we returned to finish our jobs as best we could before heading home with the rain still falling.

As always our hardy team achieved a lot despite natures best efforts to frustrate us, and we’re sure to be back next week for more of the same.