We are looking for a volunteer to become Secretary to the Trust Council. At present the main duties are taking, processing and disseminating the minutes following the monthly meetings of Council. These duties could expand as the work of the Trust progresses.

The Council meetings are currently held in Lichfield on the second Wednesday Evening of each month. This is an important post and would suit someone with a keen interest in the waterways. It does not require a detailed knowledge of restoration work.

If you are interested please contact Brian Kingshott - Park Cottage, Hopton Castle, Craven Arms, SY7 0QF Tel: 01547-530457
e-mail brian@lhcrt.org.uk

DAVID SUCHET PROMOTIONAL VISIT

For a day in late November, you could not have wished for better weather to stage major outdoor publicity by David Suchet for the Lichfield & Hatherton Canals. With so many film and TV engagements, at home and abroad, only at short notice could David let us know he was free on the 28th to hurriedly summon reporters from BBC TV, Carlton TV, The Daily Telegraph, Staffordshire Life and waterway magazines, the local press and other interested parties who rose to the occasion marvelously.

David's focus was very much on publicising the need to raise the final £100,000 to complete the Lichfield Canal aqueduct before the new M6 Toll motorway is opened to traffic towards the end of this year. After a photo-call at Lock 26, now virtually fully restored, CAMBBA (the motorway builders) seemed to relish the opportunity to escort a big group of visitors to the site of the aqueduct. Timing of the visit was perfect to witness two slender newly-cast columns standing majestically in the centre of the new road-bed, flanked by abutment foundations. It is with thanks to the co-operation of Highways Agency orders and Manifold Trust funding that the sub-structure is being built to full height.

The steel canal trough to span the motorway needs to be ordered now to ensure it can be installed later in the year without the added complication of having to work over a live six-lane motorway. The Trust is making every effort to close the £100,000 gap, both by raising funds and actively eroding the estimated costs. So very many members and other supporters have already given very generously to the David Suchet Appeal, and surely more will give yet as the remaining time reduces rapidly to finish the job properly.

David also visited the Hatherton Canal, gaining satisfaction from knowing it was donors to the Appeal who ensured that the first of two culverts at Churchbridge has been built to navigable dimensions, inspiring the Government to enlarge the second. It was announced that an ERDF grant of £267,250 (reported elsewhere in this issue) has been approved, based on the match funding value of the enlarged culverts. Local businessman, Fred Pritchard - gracing the occasion with a rare appearance of his "Poirot-like" 1937 Lagonda - spoke of the benefits the restored canal can bring to the Cannock area in future.

EUROPEAN GRANT FOR HATHERTON CANAL

Enthusiasts may recall Chris Coburn's "Progress Cruise" in 2000 which took L&H research into European funding all the way by narrowboat to Brussels! Inspiration was found in many examples of huge capital-intensive schemes on inland waterways in north France and Belgium, captured in the popular Laurence Hogg Productions video "Reach For The Stars", available on our mail-order list and website.

At about that time, a new six-year round of European funding was being formulated with very specific 'priorities' and 'measures' applicable in certain redefined "Objective Areas". Due to overwhelming bureaucracy, only recently, when almost half of the eligible period has elapsed have some grants become available! However, we are pleased to announce that we have emerged from two-years of preparation through innumerable local group meetings with an approval for a substantial European Regional Development Fund grant for the Hatherton Canal Regeneration Project.

Regular supporters will be well aware how much the BNRR (now M6 Toll) became a thorn in our flesh without including canal crossings. Thanks to extensive campaigning by the Trust, with exceptional help from people such as Chris Coburn, and more recently David Suchet, it became possible to sway the Government to change their policy to prevent future conflict between roads and canals. Mobilising the nation's supporters, David Suchet's Appeal broke the dead-lock by funding enlargement of one Hatherton culvert, inspiring the Government to demonstrate new policy on the second one. Let us again thank the many hundreds of donors all over the country who made this possible.

Jointly, these costs serve as match funding for a European grant of £267,250 for the eastern part of the Hatherton Canal which lies in the Cannock Objective 2 Area. This phase of the project covers three specific aims:-

• Professional Studies and Reports for engineering, water supply, environmental assessment, economic benefits, to be used for fund-raising.
• Additional construction for the canal around the motorway works.
• Acquiring key areas of land to secure the whole route.

To all Trust members and friends. Many of you have probably supported the restoration with donations, or participation in the David Suchet, the Brick and other appeals for funds. You may also have spent many a 'happy hour' cleaning bricks or barrowing concrete and rubble from one end of the locks to the other and back. Well, there is perhaps, one more way you can help, particularly if you are gardeners. Hopefully this way would be less stressful on the hands, back (and wallet).

As spring approaches and we start to prepare our gardens for the summer you may well find that Mother Nature has done her thing and saplings of wild trees and shrubs have started to grow in the flower beds. There may be Hawthorn, Holly, Rowan, Sycamore, Silver Birch or Lime. If you have a neighbourhood squirrel you may find Oak or even Chestnut. The usual response to this 'nuisance' is to turf them on to the compost or in the recycling bin. Next time, PLEASE DON'T, particularly if they are a metre or more in height. If you can pot them on using the large black pots surplus from last years visits to the garden centres please do so. If this is difficult please give me a call and I will transfer them with minimum possible stress to both tree and garden.

The objective is to help them mature before returning them to the 'wild'. The longer-term aim is to create a wild life corridor along the canal line from the Huddlesford end to Darnford lane. This will encourage wild life to cross the ecologically barren wastelands we know as golf courses. Apart from which it will hopefully look nicer - think Hawthorn hedge, Dog Rose and Honeysuckle!

Once the engineers have finished there are plans afoot to restore the various natural environments in this area. When the time is right there will be plenty of different work to do, so offers to assist in this important aspect of the canal environmental renewal will be very welcome. This type of restoration is particularly popular with many local authorities, engendering their continued co-operation and support.