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The bad weather has messed us about, what a surprise!
All our plans for Xmas and New Year, and indeed since, have had to be abandoned or considerably altered, very little of the original planned work actually got done, nothing at Steppingstone Bridge!
Firstly the Xmas camp WRG volunteers were to take transport and labour to collect the coping stones from the site of the railway bridge demolition near Didcot, didn't happen! Instead they were diverted to the canalside park to do ditch and scrub clearance.
We need to get to grips with some ditch work here as one is all but blocked with earth and another is severely overgrown and partially blocked with fallen branches. Obviously we have an obligation to keep the ditches clear to prevent water backing up and flooding neighbouring land. The idea was to clear the edges of the ditches to allow our mini digger access to clean out the ditch, much progress was made but it is not finished. Please be assured that everything was done to protect the wild flowers there, indeed that is why it was done in the depths of winter. Whilst our digger is on site we plan to level the ground to provide a circular path around the far eastern end of the park so that walkers can access it safely. We also have a lot of hedge work to be done to keep the towpaths clear and all this has to be done before the bird nesting season so we are going to be pushed for time and labour - any volunteers out there? Especially a hedge layer, like to give it a go but ‘don't know how', we have the tools and trainers! We also have a lot of fencing to do and we could do with someone to look after environmental issues, please believe me canal restoration requires all the skills, physical and mental, known to mankind. There must be dozens out there that could help us, please spare a little of your time to come and lend us a hand.
Some of you will have noticed that our Branch Website is no longer available.
The main Trust website www.wbct.org.uk now includes all the information on all the Branches so you will find us there. Take a look, much has been added, many photos of the bridge etc.
More details call 01793 783024.
Alan Norris - Branch Chairman.
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West Vale