Gallows Wharf, have you been there and seen it recently? Have you seen the replica 70
ft. narrow boat 'Willow Rose' moored along the Tamworth Road.? Then if not I suggest you
get down there as soon as you can to see the magnificent floral displays before they go
past their best. The Trusts volunteers, (not only those nicked by Peter Buck from our
ongoing work at the Fosseway), but also all those who have helped by the gift of their time
or the gift of plants and flowers,have really done a wonderful job. It will be hard for the
judging panel of the Lichfield in Bloom competition to be unimpressed with what they see.
As nearly always there are still a few odd jobs to complete. The steps up from the Wharf
to the London Road have yet to be completed, brickwork around one of the crane bases
also needs finishing, but apart from that the job is done. In fact well done! If you can't get there see more here.
With the completion of the workings at Gallows Wharf our team of merry men have
gradually been reappearing back at the Fosseway site. Here work has been going on
much as before. Endless bricklaying towards the reconstruction of the original towpath
wall continues. The extremely hot weather has made it difficult to get the cement compo
mix just right, The trick is to mix it on the wet side and by the time it came to be used it is
perhaps at about the right consistency. But the Fosseway site is not just about
bricklaying, lots of other work is being undertaken at the same time. The gorse bushes
alongside the bank adjacent to our storage compound /shed have been removed and burnt.
It was felt that they presented a fire risk. (They were burnt under strict supervision with no
risk of the fire spreading.)
Great progress has been made this month with the construction of the sandbag retaining wall adjacent to the railway embankment. This wall will have to be built up to the same height as the footpath along the canals westerly bank. It has to be substancial enough contain the water in the turning circle at the Faulkland Drive turn. The bank is being made from sandbags filled with a weak dry mix of sand and cement. Over a period of time the bags set to become a solid structure. A lot of back filling and compacting goes along with these workings.
Elsewhere the wetlands boardwalk is now progressing again. (Post Gallows Wharf), and the top planks are being screwed down. Puddling clay has been laid, albeit dry and unworkable pending a good downpour of rain.
For those of our visitors who think we have done a huge amount of work here this month, I have to confess that we have been blessed with a weeks work by the Wergies this last week. And also by a team from NCS, (a volunteer team of youths from 16 through to 17 year olds) It restores ones faith in youth when one can see just how hard these youths can and do work. The Wergies were also full of get up and go and made great progress on the reconstruction of the towpath wall.
Come August, we are into the Holiday period, but that is not an excuse for nonattendance. The only excuse for absence is that forwarded by' Big Brian' who is having his hip re-jointed and we have reluctantly allowed him a few days off. Good luck Brian, The rest of you, thanks for your help this July and see you next month!
Hugh Millington
