What a busy day today! The mild, autumnal weather brought out the A-team of volunteers and we were soon hard at it, mostly in and around the Swansea Canal Centre.

First up, Bob continued to paint our large boat that currently is ashore in Coed Gwilym park. She is looking really splendid after many week’s hard work.

The first task at the centre was to tidy up some of the logs and brash left behind from the felling of the large willow. Martin and John Gr spent the rest of the morning there exposing some of the old canal stone wall and tidying the grassy bank.

John Gw organised the store and attached labels to the shelving. Hopefully we will now be able to find our kit.

Alan, Mike and Andy baled out Nellie, making her ready for the assault on the buddleia

The first big task was to clear the huge piles of weed that we had pulled out last week. Andrew, Phil, Lance, Chris M and Sharon undertook the back-breaking task but very well worth the effort.

The big task, that continued both sides of the tea break, was to clear buddleia and brash from the bank along the lane leading up from Pont John. Jan and Moira trimmed away merrily. Gordon, from Nellie, Andy and Chris M cut prodigious amounts of buddleia, that was then hauled across the canal and stashed away by the rickety bridge. Andrew, Alan, Lance, Phil, Sharon and Gareth worked their socks off. The final photo shows a job well done.

Tea break commenced with a minute’s silence in memory of our dear friend Alan Williams. He will be sorely missed by all that knew him. Ronnie, not able to be with us today, provided the delicious refreshments.

A proper volunteering day today. Good weather, good company and good outcomes. We leave you with a photo of one of next week’s projects – clearing the brambles beneath the bridge.