Modern Times.

Sunday, 10th March 2013.
Kings Bromley Marina.

Living in the twenty first century isn't all bad, despite what some people would have you believe.

First, modern surgery, my mother (85 next month) had her knee replacement operation on Friday at 11am, at 2.30pm she was sat up in bed eating lunch, on Saturday afternoon she was moving around the ward under her own steam with the aid of crutches and talking to Jayne on the phone.

So that's two new knee joints in twelve months which allow's her to keep her independence.

The second bit of modernism concerns volunteers taking over the simpler maintenance tasks on the canal system, although volunteers have been restoring canals and rivers for many years these were mainly on specific restoration projects, since The Canal and River Trust (CRT) took over last year and started encouraging volunteering for more general jobs people in hi-viz jackets are popping up everywhere.

On Saturday I joined other volunteers from The Braunston Canal Society and The Friends of Raymond and set to work clearing overhanging trees and bushes from a section of the Grand Union Canal at Braunston, we started at the Stop House by the marina entrance and worked down towards the main road bridge. 

 

Loading up outside Braunston Stop House.

Friends of Raymond used their 1936 working boat Nutfield and CRT supplied most of the other equipment including hedgetrimmers, lifejackets and other safety gear.

CRT also supplied a workboat which, being like a large punt is ideal to use as a work platform. (Thats probably why it's called a workboat !!!)

Once the boats were full the load was taken to a pre-arrange dumping site by the junction, this is the second load.

 

 

This is now the view from the Stop House looking past the water point back towards the A45 road bridge.