Camp 0206: Wilts and Berks Canal 6th-13th July Never has so much been achieved by so few in so short a time... Seriously, I was delighted with the success of the camp, in that all the targets we had set ourselves were finally completed by the second Saturday – even if it take until that evening, and David James and Phill Cardy stayed on to help with the finish. This particular target referred to the new lift (bascule) bridge installation at Foxham, where the groundwork and preparation had been the work of previous camps.
Camp reports Wilts & Berks: Installing the bascule bridge at Foxham The actual installation did throw up a few problems, but at least the deck was in place that day. The finishing touches were done with Mick’s help by Phill and Rob Brotherston, who were by then on another camp down the canal at Summit Lock. Rob had also been on our camp. What devotion to duty – and I am very grateful.
We had been hoping that the bridge might have been ready for the June camp, but this couldn’t be, so we were determined not to disappoint the navvies hoping to participate in its installation on this camp. The manufacture and testing of the bridge at the bridge builder’s workshop (Mick Gillman) were completed the previous week, and it was then dismantled ready for painting. Four of the campers started off on the Sunday morning with this job, all masked and gowned, and managed to finish the first coat by the end of the day. The plan was for the second coat to go on on Monday, and installation on Tuesday. WRONG... Above: Seven Locks:the last of the concrete backfill is laid. Below: It rained nearly all day on 'dressed to paint'. Photos by Jeremy Yearron. Monday, and on Tuesday the morning was washed out, and we all poured into the minibus and headed for the Railway Museum in Swindon. Mick Gillman was working on a job somewhere in the Midlands Wednesday to Friday, but he transported the bridge parts down to Foxham anyway on Tuesday, so we could at least go ahead with painting later in the week if it cleared up. Fortunately, this was possible, and Mick turned up on site 10a.m. Saturday to start the reassembly, with the help of Phill and David.
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