10 years of Dragonfly

Ten years ago this week, Dragonfly was launched (on the Kennet & Avon Canal at Semington), named by our Patron HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, then brought by lorry to Swindon & craned into the canal by what is now Waitrose but then was green fields! Sadly, Covid 19 has prevented the grand re-launch we'd planned, but at least she's back in the water and will very soon be operational. Whether we can run trips depends on the Covid situation in these ever-changing times - watch this space!
 

Dragonfly in the bare metal, under construction, July 2010. Thanks to Tim Pyatt for the photo

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Sept 8th - Camilla christening the boat with beer - traditional for narrowboats

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Camilla at the helm - note the tape over the boats' name; it will have been removed later that day. Tim Pyatt is beside her, John Laverick in front.

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Sept 9th - arrival at Swindon - this site is now the mini-roudabout by Waitrose

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9 tons of boat being lowered by a suitably large crane. Today, the Waitrose building would be in the left hand side of the picture

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Dragonfly (name now visible) about to enter the water. Note the green field beyond - the land level was later raised before the Hall & Woodhouse was built.

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Finally in the water - how different it all looks now!

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