DESPITE winter being a quiet time of the year on the canals, it would seem a lot has been going on at the Canal & River Trust’s Ellesmere Yard. Arguably the most significant news will be the arrival of Saturn, the heritage fly-boat and her companion craft Sweden in north Shropshire.
The Canal & River Trust has developed a new mooring for the craft with a licence signed by the Trustees of the Saturn Project, which formalises a very long-standing and supportive relationship between the two organisations. Nicola Lewis-Smith, North West enterprise manager for the trust, is delighted to have the restored fly-boat on site and moored at the yard each summer and autumn now.
She was involved in helping raise funding for its restoration process a decade ago through British Waterways.Nicola said: “The trust acknowledges the national significance of Saturn, enabling us all to step on board and hear the compelling stories of those who worked the canals during their industrial heyday of the 19th century.”In addition to the news about Saturn, around 30 volunteers have been busy at what is described as a ‘land event’.
The event, held in the field next to the yard, was held to plant a community orchard. Organisers say that more events of this type are planned over the coming year. A number of educational developments have also taken place, including a tie-up with the local Lakelands High School, which is setting up curriculum-based projects linked to the yard. As well as the local high school, Manchester University’s school of architecture is also undertaking projects connected with the yard.
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