THE Friends of the Montgomery Canal has welcomed a new chairman. Elected member Brian Williams, who has a lifelong love of canals, has stepped into the role for the membership section of the Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust,
“In April this year, I retired as a Shropshire county councillor after 20 years of service,” he said. “This followed a working life as a civil engineer with my own company and a parallel ‘career’ of 30 years’ service in the Royal Naval Reserve, for which I was awarded the Reserve Decoration from the late Queen Elizabeth II.
“My wife died of cancer many years ago and for the past 11 years I have had a partner, Maureen, a widow with no children. I am fortunate enough to have three children, well scattered, and five grandchildren in their 20s, all making their way in the world.
“As I was already an elected member, from April 2024, of the Canal & River Trust, I wanted to use the time I had available on one other role, since I was no longer spending it on council duties.
“I had been the council-nominated trustee of the Monty and knowing that there was a vacancy for a secretary of the Friends, I offered to fill that position.
“However, on speaking to Christine Palin, I was surprised when she asked me if I would take over from her as chairman. Christine has served with dedication and competence for many years and that dedication has in no way lessened, but she wanted a change of responsibilities and is now our social secretary.
“My love of canals goes back to my childhood days in Timperley, near Altrincham, where our back garden ran down to the Bridgewater Canal, which was still busy in the 1950s with commercial boats. Much later in life I had a family home in Grappenhall, near Warrington, adjoining that same canal.
“I have never owned a boat but had many holidays on hired boats. My main interest now is the heritage and history of canal structures and, of course, the pleasure of towpath walks.
“Ellesmere Boatyard was in my ‘patch’ as a county councillor, so I became familiar with the CRT’s development of the site. I still get a thrill going up or down on the Anderton Lift, where we often take visiting friends to see its unique nature.
“We are fortunate to have the Pontcysyllte and Chirk aqueducts to remind us of the achievements of the great age of canal building and to inspire our restoration volunteers that they are following in the footsteps of Telford, Jessop and Brindley!
“So, how do I see my role as chairman? I am a firm believer in the principle of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t try to mend it.’ The Friends has a small and dedicated committee and I shall encourage and support it in all the events it organises to raise funds and those which it attends to publicise the Monty. With the committee members’ support, and bearing in mind their limited numbers, we may try to build further on current activities as we support with fundraising the work parties which are steadily moving forward to achieve a canal in water and navigable all the way to Llanymynech.”
The Friends is still in need of a secretary; visit https://themontgomerycanal.org.uk
