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Canal Club: Work Parties.
West Challow: August 06

Aha, here is the gate which I didn't help to install! I missed a workparty, due to misinterpreting the Minutes from the monthly meetings, oops, and without me the fence has been completed across the horses' field, complete with strong gate so that we can get machinery down to the Cut without letting the horses in.

Here we are arriving, with instructions to finish scrub-bashing all the way along from where we left off last time, along to the Challow road bridge.

Come on Vic, don't look so worried about burning that stick - it's not edible.

Malcy goes for his gun. Oh, only the matches. Phew! OK, let's get the fire started then.

Hmm, guess all that dead wood is a great deal drier than the stuff that we normally burn. Whoof!

A short time late, four disconsolate WilBerks look at where the fire used to be.

Here's Phil, standing on more-or-less dry mud, in the same spot where, back in June, Malcy had to wear waders. Yes folks, it's been a dry summer, despite the rain.

Bob and Malcy decide to dig up some of the roots of the indestructable willow to see if we can kill it for once and for all.

As the damp old roots show some reluctance to burn, Bob brings out the oh-be-joyful to get things going.

Ah, that's better.

Come on, the fire's dying down again, let's bash some more scrub. Here's Steve, back from the frozen north for a visit, finding the smallest twig available:

And here's Graham laughing at me laughing at him for having charcoal all over his face!

Other people have innumerable photos of us having teabreaks - I have innumerable photos of us stood watching the fire.

Well, deciding that it doesn't really take 6 blokes and me to watch a fire, half of us are sent on to the Challow Road bridge end of the cut to clear it back, and set a new bonfire.

Phil never misses an opportunity to talk to the public - here, the tenant of one of the canals-side cottages pops over for a chat.

As did these lovely ladies, who were most intrigued by what we were doing!