Branches Swindon Reports
Dragonfly Branch Report Summer 2008 (No.109)

Hi Boy's and Girl's, as I sat at my computer starting to write this piece I mentioned to my wife that I was amazed at the amount the branch had got through in the last quarter.Tell me about it she replied we have not had a holiday for nine months now and we are supposed to be retired and enjoying life together.

Taking her point like a well deflected blow I reminded her that we were off to Greece just as soon as I finished this report. It was only last week that I took you to Reading on a shopping trip I reminded her, Only because it has a canal she replied, Good point that, sometimes there is just no answer to her logic.

So where to start this report, I guess the shop is the best point. Ken has negotiated a further 6 month lease on the shop with the Council and on 12th April we had an official visit from the Mayor of Swindon and his good lady. This generated great coverage in the press for us yet again and my ugly mug was seen all over the Town once more. The back wall in the shop is now covered with press cuttings and we have had to start taking the older ones down to make room for all the new publicity we keep receiving.

All this coverage brings with it many benefits to the canal campaign but also a lot of negative responses in the letters page of the local paper. To try and combat this John and I go up to the Swindon Advertiser offices and put out a challenge in the paper to all of those that are opposed, We will pay to take them on a free trip to Banbury and Birmingham with a member of the press coming with us if they in turn will give the reporter their views on what they saw on their return.

Not one taker did we get from all those knockers of the canal but we did get a good response from the public who came into the shop and offered to pay to go on the trip which we hope to set up in the near future.

April Fools day and Brunel Radio are in Farringdon Road the preferred route of the canal asking people about the proposal to fit speed camera's in the canal when it is built to reduce the wash from the boats that travel to fast.

April 26th and we are running the shop attending a display and also have our music night all on the same day.
All goes well and the music night is a huge success yet again.

Our friends from the Swindon Concert Band do us proud once again and with the help of 10 members of the branch doing the organising we have a great night. The four ladies that help with the food and drinks get thrown in at the deep end when they realise they have to serve almost 200 people in less than 15 minutes, that's one every 8 seconds but they raise to the occasion with ease. We put on our largest display using all the boards we can find and also cover them both sides so that those waiting to be served have got something to look at whilst they wait.After all the expenses have been paid the branch makes £444 profit on the night.

Now as I am talking about getting in money for the branch funds this is a good time to mention the D.V.D Richard has now made 400 copies and they are still flying of the shelf in the shop.Strange to think that when we showed it at our open meeting I announced that we would make 20 copies just in case anyone wanted to purchase it.

So what else have we done in the last three months besides running the shop every Friday and Saturday, and running work parties on Sunday's
Well here are those I can remember and now you can see why my wife say's she sees more of the milkman than she does of me.

  • Ken / Roy meet the Labour Party in the Council Offices.
  • Ray gives talk and display to the Broadgreen Community Centre.
  • 10 members run music night at Christ Church.
  • Keith gives talk to the blind Association.
  • Roy / Keith give talk and display to the Cruise Bereavement Group in Bath Road.
  • Roy / Colin / John gives talk and D.V.D show to the Lawn community centre over 50s.
  • Keith takes display to Swindon's Duck race at Wotton Bassett Road
  • Roy / Colin give talk and D.V.D show to the Limbless Society at Walcot Dome.
  • Keith gives talk and D.V.D show to the Blackstone House Residents.
  • Roy / Gary / Richard get things under way for a new Canal Magazine with the local paper ( ongoing.)
  • Roy chases up members to get them to vote online for what Swindon wants in the future, of the five choices the canal gets the biggest vote with 36%.
  • Roy gives walk and talk to Busy Bee Magazine with story of the canal to be published before this article comes out.
  • Roy gives talk on Swindon Community Radio 105.5 on proposed through route in Swindon, (repeated later in week)
  • Roy gives talk on through route to Brunel Radio which is repeated every hour on one day.
  • Roy gives talk to Community Radio 105.5 on history of canal in Swindon. ( repeated later in week )
  • One of our members hears this report and not only writes to say how good it was but also includes a cheque for £25 for canal funds, thanks Percy.
  • We did in fact as a branch attend an event or display of some sort every 14 day's throughout the last year which is a staggering achievement for any group of people and this does not include meetings of the canal.

What no T.V coverage this quarter I hear you say what's wrong with you guy's.
Sorry if I have left anything or anyone out of this report but my wife is yelling at me to help close the suitcases.


Roy Cartwright
Chairman Swindon Branch.