The Bow Knife  -  8

Newsletter of the ‘Duchess Countess’ Packet-boat Trust

Extracts from the Winter 2007 edition

     A Great Season

Many thanks need to be given to our great band of volunteers who have done so much in 2006 to keep both the Llanymynech Wharf Visitor Centre and our trip boat ‘George Watson Buck’ operational throughout the season.  For 45 afternoons at weekends between Easter and end of September 1329 people visited the Centre and, starting in May, ‘G.W.B. carried 689 passenger.   There were also private bookings, all of which needed to be staffed    We have a wonderful band of enthusiastic and dedicated band of volunteers.   There is always need for additional help; please contact John on 01691 830506 or packetboat@f2s.com

 

Photo courtesy of The Shropshire Star

 

 

 

Santa Cruise

December brought the opportunity to take a “Santa Cruise”.    Originally planned for just four ½ hour trips on both the 16th and 17th, additional trips had to be run on the 10th as well and also for an infants’ class during the week.   The cruises were enjoyed by adults (who were given mulled wine and a mince pie) and the children who received a personally addressed present from Father Christmas.   After expenses the 13trips in all netted around £450.    We are sure to be running Santa Cruises again next year if we can persuade that very important person to take to the water again.
.....and now for the BIG challenge.

We have successfully run the Visitor Centre for two seasons.   We made considerable improvements in 2006 to ‘George Watson Buck’, thanks to a ‘Community Chest’ grant from Oswestry Borough Council.  We have operated her successfully in 2006.  Now it is time to look to yet another, far greater, challenge.

Many people have asked when we are going to start re-creating ‘Duchess Countess’, the last of the canal packet boats.   We have been awarded a grant for a Consultant to take the initial steps to progress the re-creation programme and will bring to the project professional expertise.   The Consultants will adapt the business plans, drawn up in a somewhat amateurish way some years back, to re-create the ‘Duchess Countess.   They will also be responsible for building on our already good  relationships with the local community and locating possible.
We need to build on our success

Without your support and time over the past two years and longer, we certainly would not now be considering the re-creation of the ‘Duchess Countess’.  This is an exciting period, especially as the construction could be within the time scale expected for the “Llanymynech length” to be connected to the national network.  We can seriously work towards the ‘Duchess Countess’ being present and operational at the opening of the canal through Pant.

We invite anyone who would like to become a member and/or become a volunteer to contact us