A Finger in the Dyke

Oops - I was meaning to photograph the storm breach to the embankment of the Trent & Mersey Canal at Dutton Hollow today as my last call. Sadly, I got delayed on my mobile and was late arriving at the rendezvous at nearby Canal & Rivers Trust HQ in Northwich. Left high and dry and without a paddle, so to speak.

I was coming back from two visioning away days with the Trust's other Manchester & Pennine Partnership members. Quite an assortment of backgrounds and individuals we were too, and all giving up time as volunteers.

With this good cause at heart, please permit me this waterways-related blip today. It was taken whilst I was waiting in their car park like a 'Billy-No-Mates' (or a Little Dutch Boy looking for a leak to stick his nose finger into, more like). This then, is a shot looking upstream on the River Weaver (which has also flooded recently) towards Northwich town centre.

Postscript: With a transfer of government assets into the charitable sector, the new Trust has replaced the old statutory corporation British Waterways previously tasked with managing the fabric and use of 2000 miles of canals and navigable rivers in the UK - most of which are now 200 years old.

This breach, and others like them, are a huge drain (literally) on the limited resources of the Trust. It has only got 15 years funding to get it's business plan in place, and needs to become sustainable and stand alone financially thereafter.

An Emergency Appeal for the Dutton Hollow breach is asking for urgent donations here on the Canal & Rivers Trust website.