Coming soon actual work party dates

coming soon... probably...

In the closest thing yet to the revival of an actual diary of forthcoming events, we try to give you a rundown of stuff likely to be happening soonish...

Coming soon... probably...

As you’ll realise if you’ve read the last few issues of Navvies, there’s been more than one ‘false dawn’ recently when we promised a programme of canal camps happening soon, only to have to admit in the following issue that the latest twists and turns in the Covid saga had meant that we would have to put them on hold again. And then in the following issue we had to break the news to you that actually some of the camps had happened anyway (but at too short notice to tell you in print), but that having missed them we couldn’t promise you any more. And although we were doing our best to plan some autumn camps, it seemed that circumstances were conspiring to stop them happening for a whole range of reasons from land ownership and work permission issues to problems booking suitable accommodation.

So please appreciate that any events listed here still have rather less certainty of taking place than they might otherwise - and check with our website, Facebook page, head office or the work party organiser to make sure things are going ahead.

Right, having got that out of the way, you might still be just in time for the...

Autumn canal camp: Burslem Port Project

Despite all the issues plaguing our plans for autumn camps, we have managed to organise one week on the Burslem Port Project. This is an old arm of the Trent & Mersey Canal on the north side of Stoke-on-Trent that’s been filled in since the 1960s but is planned for digging out and reopening as part of a local regeneration - and we’ll be working on opening a footpath in advance of putting the canal back. See our Restoration Feature on page 20 for more about it. Unfortunately by the time you read this the camp will have almost started - it runs from 24 to 30 October - but if you’re available and desperate to get back to a Canal Camp

(and let’s face it, lots of us are!) get in touch with head office to check for spaces. And if not, you might be wondering if there is a...

Christmas camp?

As we go to press we don’t yet have a site for a Christmas / New Year canal camp, but we haven’t given up on the idea. If you are involved in a local canal society which has suitable work for the time of year (i.e. non weather-dependent work, preferably scrub-bashing) and accommodation for a camp from around 26 December to 1 January, please get in touch. And then we’ll be looking for sites for...

Winter and Easter camps

As Jonathan explains in his Acting Chairman’s Comment, we’re delaying the planning of next summer’s camps a little, and hope to announce them in a booklet enclosed with the nextbut-one issue of Navvies in February. But in the meantime we hope to plan February and Easter camps, which we will advertise via the website and in the next Navvies if possible. But it isn’t just about week-long canal camps. Things are really starting to get going again for a couple of mobile groups...

London WRG and KESCRG working weekends

These two mobile groups based in the south of England are both getting back into organising their regular weekend working parties - and both groups welcome new volunteers. You can read all about KESCRG’s recent weekend dig on the Wey & Arun Canal in the report on page 23, and the good news is that they’ve put together a whole series of working party dates for KESCRG’s next year:

6 - 7 November: Wendover Arm 4 - 5 December: Possible joint Christmas dig with London WRG, maybe Buckingham Canal 5 - 6 February: working party, venue to be arranged 5 - 6 March: working party, venue to be arranged 2 - 3 April: working party, venue to be arranged [early June bank holiday weekend dig - dates to be confirmed] 2 - 3 July: working party, venue to be arranged 4 - 5 September: working party, venue to be arranged

For more details contact Ed Walker on ed@edwalker.eclipse.co.uk or see KESCRG’s Facebook group.

Meanwhile London WRG will be about to hold their first working party for over a year as this appears in print - it’s also on the Wey & Arun. And they have another London WRG dig planned for the following month on the Buckingham Arm:

23 - 24 October: Wey & Arun Canal 13 - 14 November: Buckingham Canal 4 - 5 December: possible joint Christmas dig with KESCRG, maybe Buckingham Canal

For more details contact Tim Lewis london@wrg.org.uk or 07802 518094 or see the London WRG Facebook group.

And finally, if there are no WRG or other mobile groups’ camps or weekends that you can attend, don’t forget that as ever there are plenty of...

Local canals societies’ working parties

A reminder that many local canal societies continue to run one-day working parties - and plenty of WRG volunteers have already started working on their local restoration.