Co-operation as lock restoration begins

September 2017 - Colin Ogden's army – the Owd Lanky Boaters – has been storming through the undergrowth at Tewitfield Locks, near Carnforth, where they are working with Canal & River Trust to restore the locks, and Peter Underwood reports that the project is developing an unexpected atmosphere of co-operation and community spirit.

Working every weekend, since Canal & River Trust gave the green light to Colin's group adopting the lock flight, which runs alongside the M6 and is the start of the unrestored Northern Reaches of the Lancaster Canal, the by-washes and approaches have been cleared on three locks by Colin’s volunteer army, supported and supplied with equipment by Canal & River Trust.

Colin, with Captain Jack Sparrow, took a Sunday off to support the Burnley festival on the Leeds and Liverpool canal and also promote Northern Reaches Restoration CIC, the Community Interest Company, he has just formed to restore the locks and tunnel under the A 6070 before tackling the M6 crossing.

It would not be unfair to say that the Owd Lanky Boaters relationship with C&RT's NW waterways manager Chantelle Seaborn, has been a little fraught in the past but she not only paid a visit to their stand but stayed exchanging ideas for almost an hour and posed with the Captain Jack Sparrow lookalike who has become a symbol of Colin's campaign to reopen the Northern Reaches,

Meanwhile work continues on the Locks, and draws in more and more allies. Last Saturday Andy Kay of Triage Child Action NW, who called to consider a joint project with the group, finished up with a shovel helping Colin’s small army of volunteers.

Photos: (1st) CRT Adoption sign, (2nd) Chantelle Seaborn poses at Colin's Owd Lanky Boaters Group stand alongside Captain Jack Sparrow.