Wendover Arm Trust Open Day, September 2014
The scene at Drayton Beauchamp Church where refreshments were served and guided tours of the work site started
The work site at Bridge 4 where bank profiling and lining can be seen
Hundreds of visitors came to see our volunteers in action
Our second Restoration Open Day of 2014 was held on Sunday 7September. The weather was delightful and it certainly brought out the crowds with an estimated 200 visitors coming throughout the afternoon. The deputy mayor of Tring, Mrs Roxanne Ransley came early to drum up support for the canal restoration and also to encourage visitors to sample the refreshments and to buy a grand draw ticket or two!
Four big groups of eager visitors including families with young children, were taken on a guided tour of the restoration site to see how we spend your money restoring the canal. The youngsters loved seeing the big machinery scooping the earth up in the digger bucket ready to be laid on the canal banks. Restoration Director, Roger Leishman stood on the footbridge armed with a loud halo to explain how the canal is being restored on the long dry stretch from Drayton Beauchamp to Little Tring.
At Drayton Beauchamp Church copious cups of tea, umpteen slices of cake and dozens of ice cream cones were snapped up in record time, leaving many disappointed such was the demand. (sorry!)The Trust sales and membership stand was very busy recruiting new members and selling books, Christmas cards and tea towels.
Towards the end of the afternoon, James Griffin from Wyvern Shipping Co picked the winners of our Grand Draw, the first prize being a weeks canal holiday donated by James on one of his boats based on the Grand Union at Linslade. This fundraising raffle has raised a fantastic sum for restoration in excess of £4,000.
The Restoration Open Day would not have been possible had it not been for the scores of volunteers who gave up their time and for the support from Rev Elizabeth Moxley and landowner Bob Woodman who allows us to use his field for car parking.