A waterway for everyone

One of the interesting things that I observe happening is the increasing recognition of the wider part that the canal can play in the life of the communities through which it passes.  I can see this happening in the canal Trust itself.  For many years the canal Trust has been focused, very understandably, on the restoration of the canal as an end in itself, but gradually we are having to come to the realisation that, while that may be enough to fire the enthusiasm of the members of the Trust, and the wider canal movement, it is not enough in itself to gain the wide-spread support among the whole community that we need if we are to achieve restoration in a reasonable timescale.  We have to convince the majority of the population that the canal will bring benefits to them.  Fortunately we can show that the canal will in fact bring a vast range of benefits - economic, social, environmental, educational, and in personal well-being.

I can also see it happening in the wider community.  To be honest, for many years we have been regarded by a lot of people as a slightly odd bunch of enthusiasts, doing something which might or might not be worthwhile, but of little real relevance to the rest.  That is now changing to a much more general recognition that what we are about is of real importance and relevance.

That came over to me on Wednesday when a number of us, including our consultants working on the Melksham Link from MRG Studio and Barker Langham, manned a stand focusing on the Melksham Link at the 'Time for Wiltshire' all-day forum organised by Visit Wiltshire.  This is the body charged with developing the importance of tourism in Wiltshire, and promoting Wiltshire as a tourist destination.  The day itself was interesting, with a number of thoughtful (and humorous) presentations; it also gave us the opportunity to make connections with a number of other organisations with which we could collaborate on the Melksham Link.  But the thing that really struck me was that Visit Wiltshire itself, and other tourism-related organisations, see us as serious contributors to this whole topic.  Our plans for the Melksham Link really seemed to catch their imaginations, and put us among the serious participants in this field.

A meeting with a very different purpose and feel came the following day.  Paul Lenaerts and I gave a presentation on our plans for the Melksham Link to the Regional Forum of the Angling Trust.  As you might imagine, the members present expressed some serious concerns about our plans, and the possible impacts that the building of the canal might have on angling.  Although in some ways it was a little uncomfortable, I thought it was a helpful evening.  It gave us an insight into where there concerns lie, and we now have the opportunity to address them at least in part before we finalise our thoughts.  We also made contact with some of the leading people involved, so at least we know where to start a dialogue when we have to.

On Friday Kath Hatton, Eddie Thomas and Peter Hanson went to the Studley Grange site for a walk-through with the team from Land Water Services that will be doing the initial vegetation clearance.  Overall the impression was that it would not be anywhere near as far-reaching as we might have feared in terms of having to clear trees and hedges.  They are very keen to start work as soon as possible, and by the time you read this they should be under way.

And of course all the other work continues too - fund-raising, discussions with local authority officers, engineering designs etc.

Finally there is even time for socialising! - I understand that the boat group very much enjoyed their 'pub evening' at the Peterborough Arms, making full use of the skittle alley, and playing a host of pub games. 

This week also sees the MCC branch Charity Auction, which promises to be an enjoyable evening.  On Sunday, Kath and I will be attending the meeting of the Southern Canals Association, building links with other canal societies, and learning from the experience of others.

Chris Coyle