More Visitors to the Sankey - 2

The World Canals Conference 2007

In the middle of June, at the start of our very damp summer, Liverpool hosted the annual World Canals Conference. Delegates from the UK, Eire, USA, Canada, France, Serbia/Montenegro and elsewhere packed into the Crown Plaza to hear talks on, amongst other things, restoration partnerships, sustainable regeneration, community rewards. Officers and members from SCARS, and Halton and St Helens Councils were all in attendance, and will have taken home some food for thought - particularly thought-provoking was the speech from Walter Menzies, chair of the Mersey Basin Campaign on prospects for the lower reaches of the Mersey.

The middle day of the conference was taking up by site visits and Spike Island was first, and last, on the itinerary, depending on which coach you were on. Half of the Exec Committee were on hand with Cllr Keith Morley and Steve Barr to host the visitors, and after SCARS Chairman Rev David Long had said a few words on the history and future prospects for the canal, a continuous Powerpoint slide-show provided entertainment for the few who didn't fancy a guided stroll round the island with SCARS members. The drizzle did not seem to dampen the enthusiasm for the morning group, but the party for whom we were last on their list had clearly had a busy day and some of them seemed to have more than half an eye on getting back to their warm hotel rooms in Liverpool !

It was good for the Society to be part of event and a few new connections were made that might prove useful over the coming months and years. The 2008 conference is on the Rideau Canal in Canada so maybe not so much that we can contribute there.

Andy Screen

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