Coming soon BCN Cleanup

The annual trolley-and-bike fest returns to the Birmingham Canal Navigations for the first time in three years. Will you be there?

BCN Cleanup:25-26 March

BCN Cleanup? What’s that? It’s a weekend spent throwing grappling hooks into the murky waters of some of the navigable but less-frequented parts of the Birmingham Canal Navigations network, and pulling out all manner of junk - old bikes, tyres (all sizes from baby buggy up to tractor), shopping trolleys, some objects that defy identification, and quite a few that make you wonder how they got there (we found a sword one year, and a coffin another time).

Why? Because away from the main routes of the BCN network, the quieter parts of the system are under-used with few boats visiting them. And that’s a shame, because they’re fascinating former industrial waterways that deserve to be better known, and their survival can be a benefit for the sometimes run-down areas they pass through in places. But there’s a danger that the lack of boats leads to more rubbish getting thrown in the canals, which puts boaters off visiting, and so on, until they end up unusable. So the annual Cleanup aims to break this vicious circle by targeting known blackspots and pulling out as much junk as possible.

Who? It’s run jointly by the BCN Society, WRG, and WRG’s parent body the Inland Waterways Association - and attracts volunteers from all these plus other local waterways groups. It’s also supported by the Canal & River Trust who organise work boats, skips and a loader to take away all the rubbish that’s pulled out. Anyone’s welcome to attend, either all weekend (WRG-style accommodation and catering are available) or just for the day.

When? Traditionally it takes place every year in March or April, although it hasn’t happened for the last two years because of the Covid pandemic. And it’s returning to that springtime slot this year, on the weekend of 25-26 March.

Where? This year’s Cleanup targets the Walsall Canal, covering the main length of the canal from Walsall Town Basin through to Ryders Green Locks. And the accommodation is at the Malthouse Stables outdoor resource centre in Tipton.

How to book? If you’re coming for the weekend and want accommodation and catering (£18.00 for the weekend), see the WRG website wrg.org.uk, follow the link to ‘Events’, and then ‘Birmingham Canals Cleanup. If you’re just coming for the day, drop an email to the WRG leader Chris Morgan at cbmorgan@sky.com or ring 07974 111354 and turn up at the signing-in point at the Canal & River Trust’s Ocker Hill Yard, Bayleys Lane, Great Bridge, Tipton from 9.30 onwards each day.