CANAL SOCIETY PLEDGES FREE BOAT TRIPS

The Bridge 19-20 Union Canal Society has pledged a weekend of free boat trips when the current stay at home restrictions are lifted.

Volunteers at the Society, like boaters across the country, had been looking forward to the start of the main boating season which normally runs from April to October.

Particularly disappointing was the cancellation of the annual Easter Bunny trips on the narrowboat Bluebell, which are normally one the highlights of the year on the canal. Families enjoy a short boat rides on the canal before disembarking to meet the Easter Bunny and go on an Easter egg hunt.

The society’s vice chair, Sue BedfordVisser, said that the trips had been fully booked in advance and that everyone had been refunded, but that they wanted to find a way to give people something to look forward to.

Children love getting “hands on” experience on board narrowboat Bluebell

“Sadly, national advice is also currently urging people not to use the canal towpaths for their daily exercise at this time as they are not wide enough to practice safe social distancing,” she said.

“Like everyone else we’ve had to put everything on hold but in these uncertain times we wanted to do something positive and would ask people to follow our facebook page for more information when boat trips become possible once again”.

The Bridge 19-40 Union Canal Society is a registered charity which offers public boat trips along the Union Canal. The society takes its name from the section of the canal in West Lothian upon which it operates, between Bridge 19, the first bridge in West Lothian, just east of the M8 after Linn’s Mill Aqueduct, and Bridge 40, just west of Philpstoun.

Follow Bridge 19-40 Union Canal Society on facebook at www.facebook.com/ bridge1940canalsociety