Christmas Camp 2006 - Wilts & Berks Canal Our regular Christmas to New Year camp run on behalf of the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust provided a variety of sites, variety of jobs, and even variety of weather! Firstly, we enjoyed Rob Brotherston s company over Christmas itself, when Di was hedgelaying at Dauntsey, and Rob and I were able to clear away her brash and have a nice big bonfire - with a break, of course, for a big Christmas dinner, Sadly, Rob lost one of his dogs a few days before, but Mina tried to make it up to him with a big fuss. Others arrived on the Wednesday, and we all went off to Foxham to do some scrub bashing and another big bonfire, and cleared all the area where the bank had become somewhat overgrown. By Thursday, with another increase in campers, we started on Lock 4 at Seven Locks. The local work party had cleared back the bank on the towpath side on Christmas Eve, so after dumpering several loads of blocks, sand and cement up to the area, three of us were able to start blocklaying. Dave Rudland cut down several trees below Lock 2 (as part of the preparation work for laying the hedge next winter), and Alan Simister and I found plenty for our bonfire there. I had cut down a huge ash free growing by the side of the towpath above Lock 2 on Christmas Eve, and three of us spent Friday cutting this up for logs to sell for fundraising, and burning all the smaller branches. We were able to keep a bonfire burning through Saturday as well, despite the weather trying its best to damp it down! We had torrential rain on Friday night, but fortunately this was while we were tucked up snugly in a Swindon cinema watching Casino Royale, which was much enjoyed by all.
The Christmas camp on the Wilts & Berks Canal
We had plenty of good hot meals and home-baked puddings, courtesy of Di, and the big pot of spag bol. sauce on Saturday night even defeated Rob, so it made a tasty addition to the tomato soup for Sunday lunch, even if it was (in Luke s terminology) Y.M.C.A. - Yesterday s Muck Cooked Again. No less than five jigsaws were completed, and Rob was torn between jigsawing, scoffing food (including any sandwiches left over from lunch) and walking his dog. We thought that Boxwell must at times have had to cross his paws.... Puppy Mina had a whale of a time. Getting wet and muddy every day is her idea of heaven, and she certainly achieved that. I felt that this was more like a gathering of friends than a camp, and they made a great team. I think we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, and we got most of what we were hoping for finished, despite the weather. My grateful thanks to all. Rachael Banyard
Luke Walker
Saturday dawned dry and bright, and blocklaying was proceeding apace when the rain started again about 3 p.m. By the time we got back to the Foxham Reading Rooms, we were well and truly soaked. The same thing happened on Sunday, so once again we had to finish early, but we made the most of our time throughout the camp by being on site soon after 8.30 a.m. each day, and with a nice big breakfast inside us. Our loyal team even worked on New Year s Day until lunchtime, so after pretty well four days the blocklaying was up almost five courses right along the towpath side, with all the hollows filled with concrete as well.
Camp reports
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Chamber rebuilding work in progress on Lock 4
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