Steady Progress

Yesterday felt like the first day of Spring, so hope and optimism must be in the air.

As some of you will know, we are asking for members to send their loan pledges for the Peterborough Arms. We are working flat out on this project. We are very, very grateful to the people who have already made their contribution. If you would like to make a loan, please contact us. Similarly, if you would like to contribute but cannot commit to the loans we have asked for, then a donation of whatever amount would be very welcome. If you have not made a Gift Aid declaration, and can do so, then that is very helpful as we can reclaim extra for the tax you have paid, so we can claim an additional amount equal to 25 percent of your donation.

There is a lot going on in and around Swindon. We continue our discussions on the route back through the middle, and in the shorter term there are projects being worked on. It is very encouraging to see that the branch is re-organising; the next branch meeting is taking place tomorrow, at a new venue, the Broome Manor Golf Club at 7.30pm, so anyone interested in helping or simply finding out what is going on would be welcome.

This week will see the publication of the independent consultants study into the economic impacts of the new waterway at Melksham. This study, which was jointly funded by the Trust and our partners Wiltshire Council and Melksham Town Council, is expected to demonstrate a positive impact. We look forward to the full results!

Following on from the major success of the Heritage Days organised jointly with Chippenham Museum in February, the next note for you diaries is the two open days on the canalside at Pewsham, on 20th and 21st June. The first day is aimed at schoolchildren, and I am delighted to say that we are already fully booked. The Saturday is open day for the whole community. We are very pleased to have Heritage Lottery funding for these events.

Chris Coyle