The last few days have been tough
health wise. I was battling a bladder infection that really knocked me for six
and trying to cope with an upset stomach that has lasted quite a while. With no
bladder or bowel function, this is one of my worst fears as there is very
little I can do to prevent anything happening when I am walking.
It’s so easy to write, but hard
to explain to someone if things go wrong. The problem with these kinds of
potential incidents is not knowing the signs to prevent anything happening. My
walk with the Scouts on Sunday (Day 273) was cut short as it’s not so much
about me feeling embarrassed, but how I would worry about their perception of
me; I hope to leave young people I meet feeling happy, interested in BRIT and more
understanding of my aspiration to support young people post-trauma, so I would
prefer that their lasting impression is not about me having some kind of
accident.
Day 273 did work out well as I
was delighted to be invited to join the Llangollen Scout Group as they canoed
and kayaked along the Llangollen Canal http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/canals-and-rivers/llangollen-canal
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| On the water in Llandudno with the UK Scouting Association on Day 273 of my BRIT 2012 mile walk |
The Llangollen Canal is a navigable canal crossing the border between England
and Wales.
The waterway links Llangollen in Denbighshire, north Wales, with Hurleston
in south Cheshire, via the town of Ellesmere, Shropshire. In 2009 a eleven-mile
section of the canal from Gledrid Bridge near Rhoswiel through to the Horseshoe Falls, which includes Chirk Aqueduct and Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO.
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| A view of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct |
The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct which carries the canal over the River Dee is a stunning
sight. This remarkable feat of canal engineering is 125 feet high, and the
canal is unprotected on one side, giving the impression of a sheer drop from a
narrowboat, canoe or kayak.
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| Crossing the Aquaduct at Llangollen in Denbighshire with young girls from the UK Scouting Association |
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| Talking to a young scout who was also an Olympic Torchbearer for London 2012 |
The waterway, from which the modern canal takes its name, was built when
work to complete the Ellesmere Canal was halted in the
early 19th century. The Ellesmere Canal was to be a commercial waterway that
linked the Port of Liverpool to the West Midlands, however, due to a variety of
problems, such as rising costs and rival competition, the scheme was never
finished as intended. As the waterway never reached its proposed main source of
water at Moss Valley, Wrexham, a feeder
channel was constructed along the side of the Vale of Llangollen to the River Dee; the work created the Horseshoe Falls at Llantisilio.
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| Horseshoe Falls at Llantisilio |
The Llangollen line became the primary water source from the River Dee for
the central section of the incomplete Ellesmere Canal. As such it was not built
as a broad-gauge
waterway but as a navigable feeder branch. Eventually the Ellesmere Canal
became part of the Shropshire Union network in
1846.
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| Having a very happy time with the UK Scouting Association on Day 273 of my BRIT 2012 mile walk |
In the 1980s, British Waterways took the
decision to rename the surviving central sections of the Ellesmere Canal as the
Llangollen Canal. As a rebranding of Britain's industrial waterways as leisure
destinations, it has encouraged usage and promoted restoration. The Llangollen
Canal is now looked after by the Canal & River Trust. A link to their website
to find out more about their work and how you may wish to support them is here;
http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/canals-and-rivers/llangollen-canal
The Scouts from Llangollen http://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en-gb/DNAP-8RSENF
were great fun to spend time with and their adult instructors were superb. Their
professionalism, enthusiasm and dedication to their young scouts was a pleasure
to observe and they organise outdoor activities every weekend. With the
Llangollen Canal on their doorstep, they frequently take young scouts out
kayaking and canoeing.
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| Super support from the Scouts at Llangollen in Denbighshire on Day 273 of my BRIT walk(1) |
It was a delight to see the confidence of the young scouts grow whilst out
on the canal under the excellent supervision and safety of the Adult
Instructors and to see how they respected the water, the countryside and other
canal users.
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| Walking with Scouts on Day 273 of my BRIT 2012 mile walk |
I’m sincerely grateful to the Adult Instructors for being so understanding
to cut the walk with the young scouts short to save me any embarrassment and to
look after me so well throughout the day. I haven’t felt so shattered for a
long time and the bladder infection and stomach cramps seemed to have drained
me of energy, so a day on the water using my upper-body, followed by a short
walk gave me time to gain some strength back.
With best wishes,
Phil