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Grand Opening
of "Jubilee Junction".
August 30th. 2006
After months of
planning and weeks of work by
WRG, East Vale Branch members
and a highly skilled contractor, the day finally arrived. At
midday His Worship the Mayor of Abingdon, Councillor Peter Green,
and
Councillor Bill
Hanks, Vice Chairman, Sutton Courtenay Parish Council,
cut the ribbon to officially open the Jubilee Cut. After 29
years of campaigning by WBCT (formerly W&BCAG), and 92 years after
abandonment, the Wilts and Berks Canal was once again
connected to the rest of the waterway network. The weather was
good and the excitement great. Everything went exceptionally
well with boats queuing to travel our new canal. Afterwards at
the reception Ken Oliver, David Fletcher and John Laverick thanked
everyone for the help and support, they also spoke of the
exciting times to come.
The funding
for the Junction came from IWA, WREN, Vale of White Horse District
Council and Thames Water. At the Official Reception afterwards
the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust expressed their thanks to all these
organisation for making the first part of their "Dream" Come True.
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| Grand Opening 001 |
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Morning, August 30th. 2006 |
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Grand Opening 002 |
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Bob, East Vale Branch's
wizard, performs a secret
ritual
to ensure good weather for
the day's events.
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| Grand Opening 003 |
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People and Boats start to gather. |
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| Grand Opening 005 |
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A lot of interest from passing
boats. |
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| Grand Opening 009 |
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Some
of the
WRGies
returning
to the scene of their workcamps. |
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| Grand Opening 011 |
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"Jubilee" approaches. |
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Grand Opening 014 |
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Peter Green and Bill
Hanks cut
the Ribbon. |
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| Grand Opening 015 |
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We're back in business! |
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| Grand Opening 019 |
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EA launch "Windrush". |
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Grand Opening 020 |
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Here come the boats. |
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| Grand Opening 023 |
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Neil Rumbol with David and Audrey
Smith. |
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| Grand Opening 025 |
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You're not going to get stuck
today are you Chris? |
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Grand Opening 026 |
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No not today! |
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| Grand Opening 035 |
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Some of the last boats to be used
on the W&B canal were Skiffs, so it
is appropriate that they are here
today. |
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Grand Opening 044 |
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After the opening it was
back to the official
reception. |
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| Grand Opening 045 |
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Ken Oliver, Chief Executive of
WBCT, with John Laverick the
Chairman of WBCT. |
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| Grand Opening 047 |
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Dave Fletcher, President of WBCT. |
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Grand Opening 048 |
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Raise your glasses to all
the people who made the
project possible. |
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| Grand Opening 049 |
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Martin Buckland, the project
manager, with his souvenir plaque. |
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Grand Opening 050 |
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Plaques were also
presented to all our major
supporters. |
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| Grand Opening 053 |
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Peter Scatchard, centre, W&BCAG
(WBCT) chairman during the early
years with Neil Rumbol, right,
Founder and now a Vice-president of
WBCT
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Grand Opening 054 |
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Fleur de Rhe-Phillipe, Chair of
the Partnership |
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| Grand Opening 055 |
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Peter
Green |
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Grand Opening 056 |
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Jan Flanagan and Keith
Walker. |
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| Grand Opening 057 |
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Jan with Anne. |
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Grand Opening 058 |
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David and Audrey Smith. |
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| Grand Opening 059 |
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Liz Payne. |
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Grand Opening 060 |
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Peter Scatchard |
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| Grand Opening 061 |
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After the speeches there was time
to talk. |
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Grand Opening 064 |
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Keith with some of the
new display material
produced by John Minns. |
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| Grand Opening 065 |
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A very substantial plaque to mark
a very historic event. |
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| Grand Opening 067 |
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Some of the East Vale gang, ready
to get on with the next bit. |
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Grand Opening 068 |
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The canal will break
through into the gravel pit
to the left of this picture. |
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| Grand Opening 069 |
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Boats will then be in here.
(Our very own "Tixall Wide"?). |
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