A lovely, sunny, mild March Tuesday. At last a feeling of spring. The focus of our volunteer efforts today was Coed Gwilym Park, or thereabouts, as we split the team into a number of smaller groups to tackle jobs both upstream and downstream of the canoe store.

Rowan, Sharon, Lance, Chris, Gill, Gareth and Carly cleaned the steps leading down to the towpath at Coed Gwilym Park and then the party split to clear the towpath south and north of the bridge. The leaf mould and top soil will make great compost so it was barrowed down to the two garden beds by the Canoe Store for later use.

The raft was launched to clear fallen trees across the canal in preparation for the Easter opening of the Canoe and Kayak Season. The crew aboard the raft cleared floating debris and fallen branches on the off-bank, including one particularly large piece which John Grav hauled out onto the towpath.

Gordon, Alan T and Phil discussed ways to remove a broken branch of a tree dangerously close to the Canoe Store roof.

Bob took the chance to clean out our spare boat on the opposite bank, which had amassed a cargo of water and leaves and was sitting rather low in the water.

Gill, Gareth, Sharon, Mike C and Carly tackled slippery patches outside the Heritage Centre, where drying puddles had left a layer of mud on the paving blocks. This was a hazard well worth removing.

It is always heartening to see so many volunteers turning up to the Tuesday Work Parties. At tea break today we counted 24 happy souls tucking into some lovely cakes made by Margaret Gwalter.

We were also very grateful to receive a gift of six bird boxes. Alan W put them up in the trees around the canoe store and we hope to see birds nesting in them this year.

Ronnie and Mike F painted the Canoe Store doors prior to adding the announcements of prices and conditions etc. of hiring the craft. John Gw held up the chock pull so it didn’t get painted black. Margaret was busy putting cord on the whistles and attaching them to the buoyancy aids.

A very busy, satisfying and sunny morning.