CanalKen Blog: May 2016

Tuesday 31 May 2016

Headlines for the week ending 30 May

Out and About

Branches

Swindon and Boat Team: Cheque presentation at Waitrose

Rod Bluh, Chairman of WBCT received the cheque from Waitrose Wichelstowe store manager Dan Morehead.

Waitrose has donated £7,000 to WBCT as a contribution towards the installation of the landing stage.

Rod Bluh said: “The Trust is delighted to receive this contribution from Waitrose towards this great facility, which has enhanced the canal side at Waitrose Wichelstowe and has allowed many people who visit the store, to access the canal and discover the pleasures of enjoying the canal environment from our trip boat Dragonfly. We are very grateful to Waitrose for their generous contribution, and look forward to working with them again in the future.”

Dragonfly and crew plus Swindon Branch event team were there for the day and kept busy.

NEV Consultation figures in:

Out of the 369 responses sent to SBC, 330 related to the canal and the vast majority of those were from Trust members and supporters.

Fantastic result! Well done everyone.

RWB:

Good news: 8 cygnets have hatched with our two resident swans as proud parents.
Suggestions for canal related names for the babies to our facebook page please, and more photos to look at.

MCC: Pewsham HLF Bid

Bid finished and submitted: well done to Val and team! A lot of work, done well and on time.

MCC: Chippenham Folk Festival

Very successful 3 days with stand and Damselfly at this popular event. Many thanks to all who helped including 3 members from F&L Branch. And weren't we lucky with the weather!

WBCT Executive

Strategy and procedures still the focus of much work, including policies and procedures in various Director's portfolios.

Destination Lacock

Results for the funding appeal:
Total as at 27.05:£32,926
Keep going:we are getting there!

Find out all about the W&BCT by:

Read “On the Button”, our monthly email newsletter, available on request from the web site and read about us in Dragonfly, our quarterly journal: next issue due out shortly, and look at our web site (new web site coming soon): www.wbct.org.uk

Monday 23 May 2016

Headlines for the week ending 20 May 2016

Out and About

Branches

Swindon and Boat Team: Cheque presentation at Waitrose

All planned: cheque will be presented by Waitrose to WBCT representative at 11am on Friday 27th with Dragonfly taking centre stage.

Peterborough Arms:

Work continues on the Community Rooms refurbishment. Walls and woodwork now sanded and cleaned, floor made good, and first wall has been plastered. Hope to start on disabled toilet very soon.

RWB:

5 RWB members attended a Volunteer Fair at RWB library on Wednesday 18th May, held by Cricklade and RWB Area Board. Met some existing members and talked to a number of interested people.

Working party are busy weed cutting from the boat above the Lock at Chaddington. Much more water than last year with the water from Studley Grange, and more vegetation under the water that we need to control.

East Vale:

Event stand at Fawley Park Steam Festival, Henley over the weekend. Many thanks to Sir William and Lady Judy McAlpine for the invitation to exhibit. Great weekend and many thanks to members of East Vale for attending over the three days.

Foxham & Lyneham:

Members helped set up our marquees for Dauntsey Parish Council's "Party in the Rec Ground" and attended to recruit new members.

MCC: Pewsham Top Lock Project

Work started on Top Lock project using Area Board funding. Fund raising for Lock Keepers Cottage is about to start. Look out for Prize Draw tickets in next Dragonfly.

Fund raising race night held on Saturday 21st at Melksham Conservative Club. Fun and excitement had by all!

WBCT Executive

Attended Chiseldon Parish Council Annual Meeting to present the case for the inclusion of the canal in the New Eastern Village development. Packed room and general support for the canal.

Strategy and procedures still the focus of much work, including project life-cycle document.

Destination Lacock

Results in at end of second week for the funding appeal:
Total as at 20.05:£31,159
Over half way there! Well done everyone.

Find out all about the W&BCT by:

Monday 16 May 2016

Headlines for the week ending 13th May

Out and About

Branches

Swindon and Boat Team:

Organising a presentation of a funding cheque from Waitrose at Waitrose landing stage, Wichelstowe for 27th May. Dragonfly will be there entertaining the VIPs

Joint F&L, MCC & RWB Teams:

Plans progressing for the Peterborough Arms BBQ & Exhibition on 18th June. Marquees have been sourced just in case of less than perfect weather.

RWB:

More water than usual in canal at Templar's Firs. Railway track just higher up had flooded and the line was closed by Network Rail in the pm. Possible cause, according to Network Rail: flow of run off from nearby new housing. That's what we said would happen:its time LA's listened to us about drainage! Good thing there is a canal to take the water.

Volunteer Fair at RWB library on Wednesday 18th May. 6 pm to 7 pm. RWB Branch talking about Studley Grange Wildlife Trail and looking for volunteers.

East Vale:

Attendance at first event on Saturday at Faringdon. A very busy day with lots of interest about the canal. And lots of positive comments about NEV and the consultation exercise. Pity the consultation wasn't still open!
Next event: Fawley Park, Henley on 21st & 22nd May. Event organised by our President, Sir William McAlpine and Lady McAlpine. We are looking forward to it. Canals and steam, what's not to like!

MCC: Pewsham Top Lock Project

On-site project meeting held on Sunday May 8th (hot day so under a tree!) and the PID was approved at Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday May 11th.

Race Night at Melksham Conservative Club 17 Bank Street Melksham, SN12 6LE on Saturday 21st May. Starts at 7.30 pm. Contact Branch for more details.

WBCT Executive

Board of Trustees meeting held on Wednesday 11th May. Lots of hard work getting ready.

Destination Lacock

Results in at end of second week for the funding appeal: £27,642 from 262 donors
Nearly half way there!
Many thanks for your support so far.

Melksham Link Consultation

Email request to members asking them to respond to Wiltshire Council and support our revised planning application went out using new email listing. Thank you to all members who updated their email details from recent Dragonfly request. We can tell you about everything that is happening much easier now.

Find out all about the W&BCT by:

Monday 9 May 2016

Headlines week ending 6th May

Out and About

Branches

MCC team still working hard on the HLF bid for the Pewsham Locks project. Due in by 1st June. Visit by Keith Falconer, Chairman of Association for Industrial Archaeology, to Pewsham Locks to help assess significance of site. He confirms very rare industrial survival.

Joint F&L, MCC & RWB Team: busy preparing for the Peterborough Arms Event on 18th June.

East Vale event team to man stand at steam fair and fund raising event at Fawley Park on 21st 22nd May. Event organised by Sir William and Lady McAlpine

MCC Race Night at Melksham Conservative Club 17 Bank Street Melksham, SN12 6LE on Saturday 21st May. Starts at 7.30 pm. Contact Branch for more details.

WBCT Executive

Very busy getting ready for BoT, dealing with PIDs and continuing strategy work.

Destination Lacock

Results in at end of first week for the funding appeal: £15,579.
£45,000 still to go!
Many thanks for your support so far.

New Eastern Villages Consultation

Many thanks to all those who responded... we gave SBC NEV team, and their email system, a few problems with the number of responses!
More details later.

Find out all about the W&BCT by: