All the roles please

This was the first patrol I've scheduled as part of a new scheme to organise events a little further in advance. Unfortunately as I was on holiday at the start, the notice didn't reach my team of volunteers until too late, so I was on my own.

Fortunately the HU is a very short walk, only a couple of miles. And the only major problem is overgrowth. You may recall that the foliage was last cut back at the start of last month.

The closed section of towpath, unclipped for some while.

Cyclist helmet trap!

Well, a lot of it is back. And it's beginning to get in the way, I had to report some overhanging bushes where they would catch a cyclist or unwary tall person on the towpath.

But good news! The paddles at Lock one and two have been repaired, and the tail gates of lock 2 made more secure. This will be a great help to the numbers of boaters using this route every weekend.

Also the bins at Victoria Park have a new contractor servicing them, Veolia. Hopefully this will put an end to the problems that were occurring there when bins were taken away in a contractual dispute the Trust had nothing to do with.

1 hour

This afternoon I was involved in an exciting bit of boat-helming-type volunteering that unfortunately has to be embargoed for a few days - more later.

3 hours