chairman ’ s comment

“Everyone realised they had missed the basics of sitting round a table and sharing good food, good thoughts and good laughter with good friends.”

I note in this edition Martin choses to raise questions about “should we be working on navigable waterways?” Which, after my comments in the last edition of Navvies, might make you suspicious that “things are afoot”. Well I can assure you that this is not the case, there is no conspiracy going on here – it is genuinely a coincidence that we have raised the same questions so close together.

So that’s any conspiracy theory put to bed – now onto the real news...

You will read on Page 8 that Martin’s Canal Camps 2023 Update article starts with “As we go to print we’re still finalising the 2023 programme of Canal Camps. But in the meantime here’s an update on what’s likely to be happening... “.

Well here is the stop press: we have actually got a finalised programme and, in a blatant abuse of privilege, I am using my part of Navvies to reveal it to you. Yes, on the opposite page to this diatribe is the schedule of WRG Canal Camps for 2023.

Now it does come with a few disclaimers – but then all of our schedules do, no matter what year. And I can’t really do anything about that BUT I can offer what I hope are two reassuring thoughts for you to ponder as you see where we (and you?) will be working this summer.

The first is quite simple – we have worked really hard on all of these camps and, when the WRG Board was discussing them, it was clear that they were very determined to get them right. Now the Board always has that mindset anyway, but the care with which they discussed every pertinent detail for each and every camp clearly showed to me not only that they care about all of them but that they know that a successful year of Canal Camps is important, both for each one of us but also for the whole Restoration Sector.

The second is similar – yesterday we held our Annual Leader Thank You meal. It was a little different to normal in that we held it in a village hall and the WRG Board provided waiter service. I usually get to say a few words of thank you while everyone waits for pudding and, given the last few years, I thought I might struggle for something encouraging. But as I looked around at all our leaders inspiration came to me: I simply said “look around you everyone doesn’t this feel good?”.

There was a momentary silence as everyone looked around and realised that yes, they had missed the basics of sitting round a table and sharing good food, good thoughts and good laughter with good friends. Followed by laughter, applause, cheers and mutterings of “Oh yes!” and “Damn right!” It is, of course, a cliché to say absence makes the heart grow fonder but what I saw and heard yesterday was a group of people determined to ensure that their 2023 Canal Camp will properly capture that spirit of having a wonderful time, doing wonderful things with wonderful people.

So that my reassurance for you – a great set of Leaders and Cooks who are determined to run great camps, and a Board of Directors that are determined to support them. And, before anyone tells me off, I’m sure I could say the same about our Regional Groups as well.

Mike Palmer