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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 9h

We were delighted to welcome visitors from Lichfield’s twin towns, Limburg an der Lahn and Sainte‑Foy‑lès‑Lyon, for a canal tour. Volunteers shared the story of restoration, wildlife improvements and future plans, with guests amazed the project is entirely volunteer-led. #Lichfield #UKCanals

Visitors gather beside a canal basin during a guided tour, looking out across the water and surrounding wildlife habitat. Reeds line the water's edge, while trees and dense greenery frame the scene on a sunny day.

A group of visitors stands on a canal-side path, listening to a guide during a walking tour. Trees, shrubs and canal infrastructure surround the group, with brickwork, railings and water visible under a bright blue sky.

Visitors gather around the newly installed canal lift bridge at during a guided tour. The group listens to an explanation of the restoration work while standing on a path beside the bridge structure under a clear blue sky.

Visitors on a guided canal tour stand beside the restored canal channel at Gallows Wharf in Lichfield. The group waves to the camera from a towpath next to the water, with brick-lined canal walls, trees and historic wharf buildings visible in bright sunshine.

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 03/10/2026

For now, it’s a digger in the foreground, but look beyond the bucket… 👀 There’s the lift bridge in the frame, waiting patiently, as another piece of the canal takes shape. One day, boats will pass through here. For now, we dig. ☺️ #Lichfield #WeDigCanals #UKCanals

Orange excavator digging and grading red soil beside a concrete retaining wall on a fenced construction site. The excavator bucket is cutting into the earth, with a large mound of excavated soil in the foreground. In the distance, a white lift bridge is neatly framed within the curve of the excavator arm, creating a striking focal point. Trees line the left side of the site, while temporary metal safety fencing runs along the right. Construction materials and equipment are positioned beside the wall under an overcast sky.

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 02/10/2026

Dumper issues meant we couldn’t complete this week’s concrete pour, so the team switched focus to drainage. A 150mm connection and inspection chambers were installed, and the drain crossing onto our land was picked up. Now backfilled, with benching and covers to follow. #UKCanals #Lichfield

Construction team standing beside a newly excavated drainage trench and inspection chamber at Gallows Reach. An excavator, spoil heaps and boundary fencing are visible as drainage works progress along the site boundary.

Volunteer levelling drainage pipework in a trench beside a new concrete inspection chamber. Additional workers and an excavator are visible nearby as drainage connections are installed before backfilling.

Volunteer standing inside a new concrete inspection chamber while colleagues work in a drainage trench behind. Underground pipework is being connected along the trench, with soil stockpiles and an excavator visible in the background.

Long drainage trench running alongside a boundary fence and mature trees, with newly installed drainage pipework and an inspection chamber visible before backfilling. Soil stockpiles line the edge of the excavation.

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Reposted by Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust

John @postcards2025.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Skies over the Fosseway #BlueTue #ColorADay #lichfield #canals #staffordshire

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 30/09/2026

A welcome return from Natalie at Nationwide on Tuesday, volunteering through their CSR scheme. She joined our regular volunteers and helped ready another base for concreting and saw the big strides since her last visit. #Lichfield #UKCanals #WeDigCanals

Workers in high‑visibility clothing and helmets stand around a rectangular rebar frame set into an excavated area. The steel grid is supported on small blocks, ready for concreting. Temporary fencing and a brick retaining wall marked “18” sit behind the team.

Several workers in safety gear prepare a concrete foundation. One kneels to adjust rebar inside a wooden frame while others inspect the structure. An excavator and tools sit in the background, with temporary fencing around the freshly dug site.

A worker in a high‑visibility jacket stands over a rectangular rebar grid framed with timber, checking the reinforcement before concreting. The area is enclosed by metal fencing, with a corrugated retaining wall on one side and trees and construction materials behind.

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 29/09/2026

Lovely to see our duck family enjoying Darnford Moors Ecology Park. This section has only been in water since 2023, yet it’s already flourishing. 🪶 Thanks to support from Biffa Award #theLCF this section of the canal has become a rich, thriving environment for wildlife. 🌿 #Lichfield #UKCanals

A male mallard with a green head and yellow bill swims beside a female mallard with mottled brown plumage in a canal. The water is dotted with floating green leaves, and the bank is lined with dense vegetation.

A single duck with brown plumage, a greenish head, and a yellow bill floats on calm water near a plant‑covered bank. Small clusters of oval aquatic leaves drift on the surface, surrounded by rocks and thick greenery.

Three ducks swim near the edge of a canal bordered by tall grasses and dense vegetation. Lily pads float across the water, and a towpath runs parallel in the background.

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 28/09/2026

Here's a sight you won't see every day! Our 14-tonne excavator making its way under the liftbridge. Not something you see on your average canal towpath! 😄 #UKCanals #Lichfield #WeDigCanals

A 14‑tonne orange excavator is positioned on a gravel construction site, with its arm raised beneath a white liftbridge. A worker in high‑visibility orange clothing operates the machine while several other workers in safety gear stand nearby, guiding the manoeuvre. Temporary fencing surrounds the area under a bright blue sky.

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Reposted by Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust

Community Foundation for Staffordshire & Shropshire @cfstaffordshire.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Today we are happy to announce the finalists of the best large village (south) category in Staffordshire's Best Kept Village & Community awards, sponsored by Housing Plus Group! Congratulations to Alrewas, Gnosall, Perton, Wheaton Aston and Whittington!

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 27/09/2026

... Margaret and part of the team also checked the towpath from Bobbie’s Bend to Ryknild Street after a public report earlier in the week, cutting back and tidying the full length. The same resident happened to pass by and was really appreciative. (No pics of that bit.)

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 27/09/2026

The Green Team, led by Margaret with John, Jane and a dozen DofE volunteers, had a busy morning yesterday. They made great progress bund weeding and tidying along Tamworth Road, clearing undergrowth and smartening up the whole stretch... #Lichfield #UKCanals #WeDigCanals

A group of volunteers in high‑visibility vests gather near a green metal structure, listening to instructions. Two strimmers lie on the ground in front of them. The scene is outdoors on a sunny day with trees and a fence in the background.

Volunteers in bright yellow vests work along a grassy roadside, clearing vegetation. Cars pass on the adjacent road and a brown directional sign stands nearby. The sky is clear and blue.

Three volunteers in high‑visibility vests work on a grassy verge, bending to clear vegetation. Dense green trees and a lamp post frame the sunny outdoor setting.

Several volunteers in high‑visibility vests work along a dirt path, cutting back vegetation beside thick woodland. The weather is bright with a clear blue sky.

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 26/09/2026

Did you know you can read all our workparty blogs on the website? They're full of technical detail and progress from the teams on the ground. Members see them first (about a month early) in Cut Both Ways, complete with all the photos. lhcrt.org.uk/category/blo... #Lichfield #UKCanals #WeDigCanals

Construction volunteers in high‑vis vests and hard hats level freshly poured concrete over a rebar base. They use long‑handled tools inside a fenced work area, with trees and a brick wall in the background.

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 26/09/2026

At Gallows Reach, as the inclement‑weather season draws near, the team is taking no chances - they’ve built another bund as a secondary line of defence at the second headwall. Hopefully this means they can continue to cast concrete bases, without fear of flooding. #Lichfield #UKCanals #WeDigCanals

A canal construction site set within a tree-lined area, showing a channel excavation between two reinforced concrete walls. The ground is covered with a grid of steel rebar ready for concrete pouring, and various tools and materials - including a wheelbarrow, buckets, bags of aggregate, and ladders - are scattered around. In the distance there are two bunds across the channel, made of sand bags. Soil banks and fencing surround the site, with trees visible beyond the perimeter.

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 25/09/2026

Great progress at Darnford Moors Ecolgy Park this week - they backfilled the towpath wall with concrete, and started filling the offside blocks too. Brilliant teamwork! #Lichfield #UKCanals #WeDigCanals

A partially built retaining wall made of grey concrete blocks runs along a towpath. A green cement mixer, wheelbarrow and a yellow construction vehicle sit in front of the wall. Wooden stakes mark the line of the wall, and behind it is a raised bank with vegetation, a wooden fence, and parked cars.

A construction worker in a yellow hi‑vis suit and white hard hat stands beside a retaining wall made of concrete blocks. In the foreground are bags of building materials, cement bags, a wooden pallet and a green mixer or tank. Behind the wall is a grassy bank, a wooden fence and a red brick building.

Several construction workers wearing hard hats and hi‑vis vests mix concrete at a worksite. A concrete mixer is in use, surrounded by stacks of concrete blocks, a yellow bucket and large green bags of aggregate. A partially built retaining wall and a sloped soil bank form the background.

Two workers in hi‑vis vests and gloves pour and compact wet concrete into hollow concrete blocks reinforced with steel rebar. One worker uses a wooden rod to tamp the concrete. The close‑up shows the rebar grid and the wet concrete being placed.

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 24/09/2026

... that should say "our volunteers". I think the "our" must have been dug out. 😂

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 24/09/2026

At Gallows Reach, volunteers have had a productive couple of days. They dug out for the next 5 m pad and concreted it, and then cleared the following 8 m section. #UKCanals #Lichfield #WeDigCanals

A construction area with excavated ground between two concrete retaining walls. Steel reinforcement bars are laid out across the centre, ready for concreting. The soil shows fresh machinery tracks, and tools, buckets and materials are scattered around the site. Safety fencing runs along one side, with trees visible beyond the works.

A freshly poured concrete slab sits between two retaining walls in an excavated section. An excavator bucket is visible to the right, with compacted soil and scattered bricks in the foreground. Construction materials and fencing line the edges, and trees frame the background.

An excavated construction area with reddish soil and machinery tracks between two retaining walls. Several shovels lean against the left wall, which has “18” painted on it, and safety fencing runs along the top. Bags of materials, a wheelbarrow and trees sit in the background, with vertical reinforcement visible on the right side.

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 22/09/2026

Can anyone help us move a 12ft x 12ft container (a bit like this one) between two of our sites? If you have suitable transport / lifting equipment (or know someone who does) we’d be grateful for your support. 🙏 #Lichfield #Staffordshire #UKCanals

A metal storage container sits outdoors on grass and dirt. It has corrugated sides painted olive green, with white double doors at the front showing rust and worn hinges. The container rests on a red‑brown metal base, slightly raised from the ground. Bushes and trees fill the background.

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 21/09/2026

Big shout‑out to our boat club friends: Wolverhampton Boat Club Longwood Boat Club Ash Tree Boat Club Their support helps us work towards reconnecting the Lichfield Canal. Clubs of any type can join us for £40 a year. lhcrt.org.uk/membership/m... #UKCanals #WeDigCanals #MembershipMonday

A three‑image collage showing different UK boat clubs.
Top left: several narrowboats moored at Longwood Boat Club beside trees and a small shed.
Top right: a narrowboat passing under a footbridge at Wolverhampton Boat Club, decorated with colourful signs.
Bottom: an aerial view of a single narrowboat travelling along a green, tree‑lined canal near Ashtree Boat Club, with a road and power lines nearby.

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 20/09/2026

I just drove past there so had a quick look. 👍

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 20/09/2026

Did you know that if you pin the #UKCanals feed - you get quick access to it via a tab on your main feed page? (Please give it a like too.) bsky.app/profile/did:...

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 20/09/2026

Lot's more Lichfeldians added to the #Lichfield starter pack... go.bsky.app/N2piiuD

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 20/09/2026

We've added loads more people to the canal vibes starter pack. Are you following them all? And if you're listed in it you should also appear in the #UKCanals feed (if you use the hasthag). go.bsky.app/UWQGSUu

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 20/09/2026

Another milestone at Darnford Moors Ecology Park as the final block goes in on the new canal wall. Bricklaying is up next. Great work! #Lichfield #WeDigCanals #UKCanals

A construction volunteer in a high‑visibility vest taps a concrete block into place on a newly built wall. A taut string line runs along the top for alignment, and the background shows fencing, a wooden post, and vegetation under a cloudy sky.

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 20/09/2026

Our #Lichfield starter pack seems a little light - who's missing from it? go.bsky.app/N2piiuD

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 19/09/2026

Is anyone missing from our canal vibes starter pack? And are you following all the accounts on it? #UKCanals go.bsky.app/UWQGSUu

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 18/09/2026

We’re still looking for our new Environment Trustee. It's a role with real impact, boosting biodiversity and strengthening habitats as we restore Lichfield Canal’s blue‑green corridor. 🌿 #lichfield #UKCanals #WeDigCanals #Staffordshire lhcrt.org.uk/volunteer-op...

Young tree sapling protected by a translucent plastic guard, growing in a landscaped area with soil, yellow flowers, and a canal construction site in the background.

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 18/09/2026

Here's a preview of the steps we're building at Fosseway Heath, up the embankment to the McClean Way. This is where people have been scrambling up and down the steep bank, so it will be much safer once we've finished. #Lichfield #UKCanals #WeDigcanals #Staffordshire youtube.com/shorts/6RB8J...

youtube.com

Steps up to the track

YouTube video by Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 17/09/2026

At Gallows Reach this week, our volunteers dug out and concreted a slightly larger 5m pad. It was also getting a bit awkward to grade the sides, with the redundant big pipe sections still in-situ, so they removed the final ten sections. Yay! Great work! #Lichfield #WeDigCanals #UKCanals

Two construction volunteers in high‑visibility clothing stand at the end of a long excavated trench bordered by a concrete wall on one side and metal sheet piling on the other. The ground shows heavy machinery tracks, with a portable generator positioned near the wall. The workers appear to be inspecting an area of wet concrete, with fencing and construction materials visible in the background.

Several large cylindrical pipes lie on the ground beside an excavated trench, with soil and machinery tracks visible. Part of an excavator bucket appears on the right, indicating active work. A concrete retaining wall and metal fencing run along the site, with trees and cloudy sky in the background.

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 16/09/2026

You’ve seen the photos… now watch the video. A brilliant day with volunteers from The Co-operative Bank (part of Coventry Building Society) giving back by helping us, and making a huge impact. #WeDigCanals #UKCanals #Lichfield youtu.be/zBeeJjMhC7A

youtu.be

Corporate Volunteering on the Lichfield Canal

YouTube video by Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 16/09/2026

Tamworth Road is clear of spoil again (for now) so our Gallows Reach team can keep digging. Fast forward to 2028 and this will be a completed canal. 😃 #UKCanals #WeDigCanals #Lichfield

A freshly excavated, muddy track runs through a wooded area, with deep tyre impressions from heavy machinery visible along its length. Dense green trees and vegetation line both sides of the path, and a small gate with signage stands in the distance beneath a partly cloudy sky.

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 14/09/2026

Can you help us take down the “being” restored from this sign? Join us for as little as £10 a year - no digging required. You’ll get our magazine, e‑news, access to our FB group, and you’ll help show funders the support behind the restoration. lhcrt.org.uk/membership/m... #UKCanals #WeDigCanals

A weathered white metal signpost stands against a clear blue sky. The embossed text reads “Huddlesford Jnc – Being Restored By – Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust,” with the arrow pointing to the right.

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 13/09/2026

Our Green and Grounds team and DofE volunteers carried on Saturday after Thursday’s corporate group ran out of time. They tidied the Falkland Road bund, planted hedging, tackled brambles and cut the grass. Top work, team! 👏🌱 #WeDigCanals #Lichfield #UKCanals

Three people in high‑visibility vests work on a grassy roadside area. One volunteer bends down using a shovel to dig into the ground while others stand nearby observing. Houses, parked vehicles, and an open field are visible in the background.

Two volunteers wearing bright yellow vests marked “VOLUNTEER” clear branches and vegetation in an overgrown wooded area. One holds a rake while the other lifts cut branches. Dry leaves and twigs cover the ground, with a wooden fence behind them.

A person in a fluorescent yellow vest operates a red heavy‑duty mower, cutting tall grass in a residential field. They wear ear protection, and trimmed grass is visible behind the machine. Modern brick houses and a blue car are in the background.

A person wearing an orange helmet with ear protection, a face shield, gloves, and a high‑visibility vest uses a brush cutter to trim overgrown grass near a wooden fence. A road with vehicles and industrial buildings is visible in the background.

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 12/09/2026

The team had run out of spoil storage space at Gallows Reach and is only half way through constructing the canal section up to the lift bridge. So they had a 'muckshift' this week to create more temporary storage space. They've cleared about fifty metres so far. #UKCanals #WeDigCanals #Lichfield

An orange excavator sits on freshly dug earth beside a road, its bucket lowered toward the ground. Deep tyre tracks run along the cleared dirt path, where a second piece of construction machinery is visible further back. Dense green trees and bushes surround the site, and traffic signs line the adjacent road under an overcast sky.

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 11/09/2026

Huge thanks to the Co‑operative Bank team who travelled from across the UK to volunteer with us. Over 20 volunteers helped clear towpaths and tidy open spaces along the canal at Fosseway Heath - a fantastic effort. 🙏 #Lichfield #UKCanals #WeDigCanals

A group of volunteers in high‑visibility yellow vests stand together on a dirt area beside a trailer branded “Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust.” Tools lie on the ground in front of them, and trees, a brick wall and a portable toilet are visible in the background.

Volunteers in high‑visibility vests clear overgrown vegetation along a brick canal towpath near a residential house. Cut branches are piled on the walkway, and the dry canal bed and surrounding fields stretch out behind them.

A volunteer wearing a helmet with face shield, gloves and a high‑visibility vest uses a brush cutter to trim dry grass on a roadside embankment. More volunteers and a passing car are visible further along the road.

Several volunteers in bright yellow vests work along a roadside verge, removing weeds and trimming vegetation. Brick houses and other residential buildings sit behind the grassy area they are clearing.

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 11/09/2026

I know! I felt it worth pointing out the error, but didn't want to seem critical. 😫

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 10/09/2026

Hey, don't want to be that guy, but... that's the old library building, not the one in Market Square. The one in the photo is currently bring concerned into apartments.

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Reposted by Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust

OpenBenches @openbenches.org · 09/09/2026

Bench 45283 openbenches.org/bench/45283 Rest awhile and remember the man who was loved by his wife and children so much. For the rest of our days, we will miss you. Tony Neale 26 July 1938 – 19 January 2025

openbenches.org

Rest Awhile And Remember The Man Who Was Loved By

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Reposted by Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust

OpenBenches @openbenches.org · 10/09/2026

Bench 45292 openbenches.org/bench/45292 In loving memory of Allan Dinshaw - "Dinsh". 'If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever.' 1976-2023

openbenches.org

In Loving Memory Of Allan Dinshaw - "Dinsh". 'If

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Reposted by Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust

Towpath Talk @towpathtalk.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Do you get involved in art on your boat? We'd love to see some of your work. Drop us a photo! Here's a painting by Towpath Talk follower Steve Brown, a friend's boat on the Mon & Brec Canal. 🫶

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Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust @lhcrt.org.uk · 10/09/2026

After the August flood, and the construction of bund mk II, our volunteers were back in business this week. They poured the next concrete pad. Only four linear metres this time but it's nearly a whopping eight metres wide. #Lichfield #UKCanals #WeDigCanals

Two construction volunteers in hi‑vis and helmets stand in a muddy excavated channel between concrete retaining walls. A reinforced concrete slab with exposed rebar sits in the centre, and a drainage pipe is set into the far wall. The ground is wet with machinery tracks.

A freshly poured concrete pad sits in a muddy construction area. A wheelbarrow and small generator lie in the foreground. Three volunteers in hi‑vis and helmets stand around the pad, with ladders against the left wall and fencing along the top edge. Trees and vegetation line the background.

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