November 25/26 1995
Despite the Bugsworth reputation of moving things from A to B (sometimes via C and D), and back again, we had a good turnout for the weekend of about 25 volunteers.
I wonder if this was due to the legendary history of the local hostelry. Which would probably be why I got told off for trying to persuade everyone that we ought to leave the pub on Friday evening at about 12.30.
Down to business. The main work for the weekend was to remove some coping stones along the basin so that the (very dry) stone walling beneath them could be repaired, and then the copers replaced.
The stretch that we were working on was in quite a state, which appears to be mainly due to frost damage, and also from the growth of vegetation.
Once we got into it quick progress was made with the removal of the copers, and we nearly managed to annihilate Jon Smith when a small section of copers and walling made a break for it. But it wasn’t to be!!
We also had channel building duties in a rather water logged area next to the site; finding a hole in the dam (as the water pipe doesn’t go all the way through) so that the basin could be flooded from the canal if and when need be (supervised by Ralph who was at that time suspended from heavy duties thanks to one of his car crashes); and, finally, moving stones from where they’d previously been moved to so that work could progress in rebuilding the walls we’d just demolished.
An excellent bit of rebuilding was done by Chris and co., although time, and a lack of people proficient in this type of wall building, meant that we left some work for the locals. - I suppose they’ve got to have something to do.
Lastly I must explain that a “slippery nipple” is, in fact, the name of a drink. I’m led to believe that there are several variations of it, the one we had being Baileys and Creme de Menthe.
It should not involve baby oil, although, thanks to our “friendly” landlord Sam, I received an awful lot more of the latter.
I hope that everyone had a good weekend, including blowing up all those balloons on account of it being Anne’s birthday, and cutting out stamps for Neil?!!
The weather was good (even some sunshine), the beer was interesting, and I managed to survive the mickey-taking I got for continuing a Bugsworth tradition of returning from the pub in the daylight hours of Sunday morning!!!!
CJ