The first volunteering day of 2025 proved to be nice and bright but very cold. Unfortunately, several of our vols were on sick parade so a relatively small group met at the Canal Centre and started the day with a warming cuppa.

The main task for the day was to clear the huge pile of brash cut on the last session of 2024. As we couldn’t find our super-long extension cable, we had to set up the chipper outside the centre. Andrew and Martin trundled the brash to the chipper where Mike, Andy, Alan and others fed it. John then barrowed the chippings back to the compost pile. This task continued either side of tea and the final photo shows the last of the twigs going down the hatch.

Elsewhere, Alan and Paul fitted a new, hopefully watertight letterbox and Martin got on with a bit of gardening on the grassy knoll.

And finally, Andrew cut off a few boughs overhanging the towpath and he and Martin retrieved a traffic cone from the cut. No photographic evidence – sorry, chaps!

Tea was taken in the warmth of the centre with a selection of sugar-free cakes baked by Andy.

A good start to the year but lets have a warmer weather and a few more vols next week.