“From the start of the restoration of this iconic lock to the end of the week we were treated to almost restaurant quality catering”
Camp report Cotswold Canals
Inglesham Lock Week 2: 20-27 Aug completed, and week three’s leader - who
was working locally and called to see us a It is said that an army marches on its stomcouple of times - said that reconstruction ach. Well, after this camp, the WRGies can would begin with his team. be added to the list, it being a week of two Not all of our team arrived on the Satinterests with the actual work being matched urday, but those there by then were ‘treated’ by the all-day wondering what grub would to a film about site Health & Safety, before a be served that evening. From the start of the visit to Eisey Lock to see that in its 99.9% restoration of this iconic lock to the end of finished state (gates excluded) and back to the week we were treated to an almost resbase for dinner. Base was Kempsford Village taurant quality style of catering. Hall, a first for that, and whilst it would be The chef for the week was Alan Watts, hard to beat Unit 4 Brimscombe Port Indus(ably assisted for a brief stay by his lady). trial Estate which I had the pleasure to expe‘Newbie’ Alan had served an apprenticeship rience last year on one of the last remaining with the previous week’s chef, although I camps at Goughs Orchard Lock, the facilities suspect that he has had loads of prior experi- were nevertheless adequate. The two ladies ence! During the week he made jam and on camp had exclusive use of their separate desserts using locally picked fruit (from the bathroom; in fact, Ju Davenport had her own lock site), together with bread and rolls, fruit “en suite”. The men shared 2 cubicles, 2 buns and flapjacks (supplemented by those urinals, and a wash basin the size of Barnie’s brought by Richard Tyler). He even eyed-up water bowl. However with tolerance and a road-kill deer, and I reckon if he had been patience we all got through the week. able to get it onto the carrier on his bicycle, Sunday morning was bright and clear, we would have had venison meals, with and after we gathered our clothes for our plenty left over for the following week’s after-work shower at nearby Highworth camp! All his superb offerings were made in Leisure Centre, off we went to the lock. an oven literally falling apart. The back Leader Martyn Worsley, deputy Ju, and ‘RAF cover plate was lacking its holding screws, so Martin’ Thompson laid out their plans for the when the door was open the back plate fell forward, bringing the shelves with it and, if he wasn’t quick enough, the dishes supporting our meals would have been on the floor. Due to his lightning reactions and skill, no meals were harmed during production, and despite all the sweated labour on the dig, nobody lost any weight! The dig itself could almost have taken second place to the quality of the meals, but much progress was achieved, and by the end of our week (the second of three programmed) signifiFirst things first: get the gazebo up! cant excavation had been
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