THE IWA’s Milton Keynes branch held its annual Canal Clean-up across the 10-mile stretch through Milton Keynes from Fenny Stratford to Cosgrove on April 10/11.
The usual mix of discarded items were found, including several supermarket trolleys, six tyres, four electric hire scooters, three bicycles, an outboard motor, a plastic barrel, a motor bike frame, two folding chairs, traffic cones, a damaged and abandoned dinghy, timber and domestic rubbish. Four sunken boats were spotted, and some silting of parts of the route was noted.
Branch members were joined by volunteers from The Parks Trust, Buckingham Canal Society and the Electra Community Boat for the event, which was sponsored by hire boat operator Wyvern Shipping Co Ltd and supported by the Canal & River Trust. Wyvern Shipping also provided a tug, hire boat Mallard, to tow the hopper from which volunteers dragged the canal with grappling hooks to retrieve sunken items. The hopper also collected the bags of rubbish gathered by volunteers walking the towpath.
A Buckingham Canal Society workboat that was to collect any rubbish from the far side of the canal was unfortunately disabled by an underwater obstruction on the first morning, but there was little to collect. Much-appreciated refreshments at each break were provided by the tea boat leading the convoy.
At Cosgrove, the rubbish was unloaded on the Monday after the clean-up from the workboats by contractor Smith Recycling Ltd for disposal. Although the total load was probably about seven tonnes, it filled two 16-tonne grab lorries due to its bulk.
Branch chairman Tim Armstrong said: “Although our numbers were small – about 18 on the first day and 12 on the second – there was enough rubbish to keep the volunteers happily occupied without being overworked. My thanks go to everyone who took part, whether organising, litter-picking, working on boats or providing refreshments.”
The Milton Keynes branch was founded in 1976, and its first clean-up is believed to have taken place in 1977. In following years, one-day clean-ups were staged irregularly at ‘spot’ locations in Milton Keynes until 1997, when they were expanded to become highly organised two or three-day yearly or twice-yearly events. The initiative, said the branch, helps keep the city’s stretch of the Grand Union Canal safe and attractive for all users afloat and ashore
