During the Covid 19 pandemic shut down the normal Trust work parties were
shut down, with the exception of a small Trust team who have carried out safety
inspections and some necessary key and emergency works.
The Trust is now
carefully reopening work parties
but under strict control measures to ensure the site is a safe place to work, to
avoid transmission of Covid 19, these measures include written guidance which
has been sent to all working volunteers and a Covid 19 Tool Box Talk which has
and is being given to all returning volunteers on their return to work. Since the
beginning of June 2020 we have carried out Covid 19 Toolbox Talks with 26 of our
volunteers returning to Trust work parties.
There is something in the air and we don't like it... Over the last few weeks we've been the victim of increasing spates of vandalism. We've had two benches damaged, plaques ripped off memorial benches and most recently bird boxes ripped from trees. The taps have been broken off our bowsers and all the water lost. The vandals had previously opened the taps and let the water run out, so we tried locking the taps to prevent this. Now they have smashed the fitting,the tap and the plastic housing which goes into the tank. The tank is now useless. These are not cheap to buy and without them we can’t get water to site.
Back at Gallows Reach on the weekend of 12th July we didn’t quite manage our
1000 tonne target, due to a failed tyre on our own 6 tonne dumper. We had to
resort to our faithful 3 tonne dumper with the 9 tonne machine from Green
Power. We got to a good point however which is now starting to resemble the
rough shape of the canal. It will still need more digging to remove the last of
silt and sludge which was buried deep under the back fill.
Peter was also busy installing a wooden fence along the top of the bank with
the a few DofE volunteers who are slowly starting to come back to help after
the lockdown period.
Thanks to all those who participated in this weekend and a big thanks to
Adam Westwood who loaned us his digger again.
5th July. The team have worked hard over the weekend. We are estimate
1000 tonnes of material has been dug out and transported further along the
canal. It will then be taken by road to one of our other sites where we need
material to fill ground.
Huge thanks to Adam Westwood (www.westwoodbuildingservices.com) who
arranged the loan of the 9 tonne dumper from Greenpower Plant Hire Ltd and
for giving up his weekend to come and drive his own machine and help to dig
out. This has been a big help as it would have been a massive task for our
smaller excavators.
Thanks to Steve on the loaned dumper and Harry for manning our own
dumper, and to Adrian for keeping the tipped heaps levelled off and sorting the
access ramp at the wharf with Peter.
We have had some really nice comments from the locals and many visitors
today so it makes it even more worthwhile. Jeanne also joined us in her very
own battle with the weeds and has done a great job of tidying the planted
areas of the wharf. They are digging down to expose the drainage pipe laid in
the canal bed when the canal was abandoned. The spoil will be stored
temporarily along Tamworth Road and then moved elsewhere along the canal
route.
