Leonard Stanley Wine Circle with Clive and Jill Ford of the Cotswold Canals Trust

NEW Chairman, Eric Winnington welcomed a well attended hall of members despite a cold wintery evening.

It was also great to welcome two possible new members, Janet Reimes and Chris Smith.

We are all looking forward to the Club’s Christmas Dinner on December 20, at The George at Frocester and final transport arrangements were sorted out.

Our 2018 January meeting will be the ever popular Burns Night which would not be possible but for the volunteers who prepare, cook and serve and for the people who make the wonderful selection of puddings.

Our speakers for this meeting were Clive and Jill Ford of the Cotswold Canals Trust who both gave an extremely good insight into the original use of the canals in this area.

Although we know about the work the Trust does through its many volunteers, we learnt so much more of the History, Heritage and the Future of the canals.

Clive is a very articulate and knowledgeable speaker who not only was full of facts on the canal system itself, but also of the wonderful work the volunteers have done and are still doing.

With the aid of old and new photographs and paintings, he and Jill brought it all to life.

Everyone enjoyed seeing the items shown by Jill which were dug up in the silt from Dudbridge Lock.

We are so lucky to be able to use the towpaths for recreation, as well as conservation of wildlife and to see the progress of the restoration of the Cotswold canals as a navigable route – all of which is aided by volunteers.