Swindon Reports
| Dragonfly Branch Report Spring 2007 (No104) |
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January and its time for Swindon's open Branch meeting. Every year we open our normal branch meeting up to all those members that support us all year round but do not attend our regular branch meetings. Again this year the response was overwhelming with over 100 members of the Swindon branch turning out plus invited guests that included 3 Town Councillor's, 4 members of the Crapper Family and 4 members of the Council of Management. It required a dozen of the Swindon branch members to organise and run the evening and a big thanks goes to each one. Everyone attending said what a great evening it turned into. Such was the success that we are already looking for a bigger venue with parking for next years event. After opening the meeting I asked Ken to give an overview of the Lottery Bid for the North Wilts Canal, and the Swindon Central Route Survey. Support for his report came from Rob Bluh Leader of the Swindon Town Council who gave us his hopes and aspirations for the canal in the forth coming period. Oliver our W.P.O. was next up and he used a D.V.D to show the work that had been done in the last year and what was needed in the future. Jan bless her had lost her voice talking to so many people on the phone about the meeting and the organisation of it but she battled on in true war time spirit to give her report on forthcoming events and publicity. I then ran a very successful Irish Bingo Game which raised a further £98 for the branch funds before we stopped for a very well presented repast and a chance for members to talk to each other. In the second half we showed a D.V.D called A Walk Through Time In Swindon, Showing how it looked then and now. Keith Walker did the Intro, I did the voice over, and Richard our Dragonfly Editor compiled the footage and the pictures into a brilliant piece of computer work. So successful was the D.V.D. that we intend to make a new one for next years meeting about the North Wilts Canal, Its history and its future. The D.V.D we have made is now on sale and you can read how to buy it here in Dragonfly. Please note that when you order a copy state that you need D.V.D.+R or D.V.D.-R as some machines will not run both. We also ran a raffle with 14 prizes and finished with another game of Irish Bingo (great fun, if you would like to know how it works give me a call). January also brought us 17 items in the local press, periodicals, and free sheets. This is just what we need right now, Maximum Publicity at every opportunity, We need to be in the public eye at every chance we get so if you think we are missing a chance let me know.On this note after our Town Central Display in December we had another on 24th February.These are always a great attraction and we get to meet hundreds of shoppers on a Saturday, Well worth the effort. February and at long last the contractors have begun work at Moredon to build the wing walls of the Moredon Bridge.This project has taken a long time and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, to get off the ground but it has now become a reality thanks to the Crappers Land Fill Tax Money. Ken did most of the paper work, Eddie did the engineering and plans, and Ray has project managed it on the canals behalf since the contractors moved in. All in all a great achievement by everyone that helped in bringing this idea into a reality. We knew it was too big a project to take on ourselves but had to swallow hard at the £130.000 price tag. If this inspires you to get on board please come along to our meetings, We need all the help we can get and it really is great fun to learn new skills like hedge laying etc. We are out there most Sundays from 10am to 5pm, Though some like myself usually slop off about 1 to go to the pub but if you can give us a couple of hours it would be much appreciated. |