At the age of 90 the Queen is getting a bit past being able to do the washing up, hoover the carpets and steamrinse the corgis and so a National Campaign to ‘help her out’ is being offered to her cheerfully obliging subjects. ‘Clean for The Queen’ is a general excuse to clean up the country (That’s the whole UK, no-ones suggesting we sweep English litter under Hadrians Wall and Offas Dyke..) so that on the Queen’s 90th Birthday the place will look just as it did when the Normans first imposed Feudalism here in 1066.

To find out more about the Queen and her Cleaning scheme click here.

Saturday 20th February

You can all do your bit- I’m assuming ..’if you want to’….but first off the mark here in Westover is the Inland Waterways Association Volunteers who are organising a major litter pick on Saturday 20th February along the Canal before rubbish get partially buried by the early spring vegetation growth along the towpath route through the town.

Spokesman Mike Slade says “We also plan to get at the rubbish floating around the Docks. Despite doing so a few times during the Winter it is beginning to build up again. On the last two Wednesday’s some our IWA Volunteers have assisted C&RT staff in replacing the rotten lock gate bridge timbers with new planks. These are the centre gates between the two dock basins. We have a similar Event in Taunton where we plan to do a litter pick in the Frenchweir area of Taunton on Sat March 5th.

Tidying the Towpath

“The plan is for Volunteers to meet at 10am at the IWA cabin in the car park at Bridgwater Docks (TA63EX) and to do a litter pick along the canal towpath through Bridgwater” says Mike   “We will drive Volunteers to various points on so that we cover the stretch of the canal between the Docks to Old Taunton Road and out to Crossways Swing Bridge. We will also cover the footpath on the opposite bank where accessible. Black sacks when full will be left near the various road bridges so that they can be collected easily later by vehicles.Volunteers are advised to wear old clothes and suitable for the weather also to wear sturdy boots and shoes. As usual let me know if you plan to attend please at the very latest by 6pm on Friday 19th February and please include your latest contact telephone number when replying.If would like more information please ring me, I will be very happy to help.”
Mike Slade can be contacted on Mobile07977263840 or Email mike.slade@waterways.org.uk