BUCKING UP...
Canal Boat|November 2020
We join Waterway Recovery Group’s first canal restoration working party in six months - as WRG’s volunteers help the Buckingham Canal Society get the project back on track after lockdown
BUCKING UP...

It’s a sunny Saturday morning in September and on a patch of grass a few yards away from the Grand Union Canal at Cosgrove, Terry Cavender of the Buckingham Canal Society is giving an introductory safety briefing to a circle of 15 or so Waterway Recovery Group volunteers, prior to the start of a restoration work party on Bridge 1 of the old branch canal which used to lead to Buckingham.

But would you recognise them as WRG volunteers? Where are the trademark red hard-hats and the WRG high-vis vests that usually distinguish the roving volunteers of the Inland Waterways Association’s practical restoration arm?

The answer is that we’ve been asked to bring our own personal protection equipment, to cut down on the amount of sanitising needed. It’s a small example of the various changes which have been made to facilitate the WRG volunteers’ first foray into canal restoration work in almost exactly six months, following a shutdown of their activities as the lockdown kicked in. Terry goes into various other Covid-related safety precautions: keeping two metres apart (as we are doing now, standing in a circle to listen to him) whenever possible and taking added precautions if we ever need to reduce the distance to one metre; cleaning, handwashing and hygiene; spraying sanitiser everywhere (he’s bought a joblot of wild rhubarb scented variety, spending £300 of a £5000 post-Covid recovery funding grant that BCS secured on a couple of thousand litres of the stuff); rules on sharing transport; safe systems of work; welfare (basically make your own hot drinks in disposable cups or your own mug, help yourself to a triple-wrapped pack of biscuits, and sorry, no cake sharing!) and so on.

Denne historien er fra November 2020-utgaven av Canal Boat.

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Denne historien er fra November 2020-utgaven av Canal Boat.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA CANAL BOATSe alt
HIGH AND MIGHTY
Canal Boat

HIGH AND MIGHTY

Acorns make the perfect store food for jays’ larders

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2020
TAKING THE PLUNGE
Canal Boat

TAKING THE PLUNGE

Why Chris and Sarah Atkin will never forget tying the knot

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2020
LABELLED WITH LOVE
Canal Boat

LABELLED WITH LOVE

Helen Tidy enjoyed one weekend moored next to The Beer Boat ... simply the perfect solution to collecting bottle tops for her next project

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5 mins  |
November 2020
MIDDLE THAMES
Canal Boat

MIDDLE THAMES

In the second part of our guide, we follow the Thames upstream from Reading through the steep sided Goring Gap and quieter countryide to reach Oxford

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5 mins  |
November 2020
THE GOOD OLD DAYS
Canal Boat

THE GOOD OLD DAYS

Robert Davies recalls childhood memories of a popular holiday destination and uncovers a reminder of the golden age of canals

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10+ mins  |
November 2020
FIT FOR PURPOSE
Canal Boat

FIT FOR PURPOSE

Terry Hibbard from Harworth Heating offers his expert opinion following our feature on onboard stove safety

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3 mins  |
November 2020
BUCKING UP...
Canal Boat

BUCKING UP...

We join Waterway Recovery Group’s first canal restoration working party in six months - as WRG’s volunteers help the Buckingham Canal Society get the project back on track after lockdown

time-read
10 mins  |
November 2020
ART ON THE WATER
Canal Boat

ART ON THE WATER

Graphic artist Katie Ruby lives and works on 32ft narrowboat Poppy

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2 mins  |
November 2020
Canal Boat

GO WITH THE FLOW

What makes a boat truly stand out from the crowd? Sometimes you just need a little finesse and a taste for adventure

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9 mins  |
November 2020
Canal Boat

A GLASS HALF-FULL AT BUCKBY WHARF

Tim Coghlan raised a glass on the Grand Union Canal as The New Inn reopened to the relief of regulars

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10 mins  |
November 2020