The UK's LARGEST inland waterways publication Towpath Talk Newspaper Magazine

May 2012 - Issue 79

Contents

Welcome to Towpath Talk

AS I write, the rain is pouring down and it is hard to believe that we are officially in drought here in the East of England. But following the wettest week since January, the problem has not gone away according to the Environment Agency’s latest drought report and lock restrictions remain in place on the Grand Union, Oxford and Kennet & Avon Canals.

While our hearts yearn for last year’s spring sunshine, our heads tells us that we need the rain even if it does put a damper on our outdoor activities.

Momentum is gathering for this year’s main waterways events, not to mention the London Olympics. This month David Scowcroft writes about his own preparations for the Thames Jubilee Pageant including a rehearsal on the river itself.

Continuing the London theme, Phillippa Greenwood and Martine O’Callaghan start their new Days Out series in the capital and Nick Woods takes a stroll down the Paddington Arm.

Peter Hammond reports on the opening of a new visitor centre on the Wey & Arun Canal while Harry Arnold brings us a taste of the Easter Gatherings at Ellesmere Port. I visited the Foxton Canal Museum for the first time and was impressed by the enthusiasm of everyone I met from the Foxton Inclined Plane Trust – let’s hope 2012 proves to be a landmark year for them and all the other trusts and societies with ambitious restoration projects.

Janet

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