IWA Milton Keynes Branch Clean-up fills two 16-tonne lorries

Branch members were joined by volunteers from The Parks Trust, Buckingham Canal Society and the Electra Community Boat. The event was supported by Canal & River Trust, and was sponsored by hire boat operators Wyvern Shipping Co Ltd. Canal & River Trust lent its usual pre- and post-event support, but was unable to field staff or volunteers at the event itself.

Wyvern Shipping also provided a tug, hire-boat Mallard, to tow the hopper, from which volunteers dragged the canal with grappling hooks to retrieve sunken items. The hopper also received bags of rubbish collected by volunteers walking the towpath. A Buckingham Canal Society workboat that was to collect any rubbish from the far side of the canal was unfortunately disabled by an underwater obstruction on the first morning, but there was little to collect. Much appreciated refreshments at each break were provided by the tea boat that led the convoy.

The usual mix of discarded items were found, including several supermarket trolleys, six tyres, four electric hire scooters, three bicycles, an outboard motor, a plastic barrel, a motor bike frame, two folding chairs, traffic cones, a damaged and abandoned dinghy, timber and domestic rubbish. Four sunken boats were seen during the Clean-up. Some silting of parts of the route was noticed.

At Cosgrove, the rubbish was unloaded on Monday 13th from the work boats by contractors Smith Recycling Ltd for disposal. Although the total load was probably about 7 tonnes, it filled two 16-tonne grab lorries due to its bulk.

There were fewer volunteers on hand than some previous years - around 18 on the first day, 12 on the second - as, fortunately, the amounts to be cleared have reduced over the years because the clearances have had a very positive effect and have encouraged other local community clean-ups in the area.

IWA Milton Keynes Branch Chairman Tim Armstrong said, "There was enough rubbish to keep the volunteers happily occupied without being overworked. My thanks go to everyone who took part, whether organising, litter picking. working on boats or providing refreshments." IWA Milton Keynes Branch was founded in 1976, fifty years ago. Its first Clean-up is believed to have taken place in 1977. In following years, one-day Clean-ups were staged irregularly at spot locations in Milton Keynes, until 1997, when they were expanded to become highly organised two- or three-day yearly or twice-yearly events. The Clean-ups help to keep the city's stretch of the Grand Union Canal safe and attractive for all users afloat and ashore, but it is sad that some people still treat the canal and its surroundings as a convenient rubbish dump.

[The main photo shows a hopper and tug at Bridge 71b - by Pete Bickers]