The towpath from Park House Bridge to Agecroft Road Bridge had become impassable in recent years (as noted in the Towpath Guide), and working with Waterway Recovery Group NW and Charlestown & Lower Kersal New Deal for Communities we were able to make it passable once again, though it still requires care in a few places. We are pleased to have new partners here, as we have not worked on the towpath in Salford for several years. There were substantial stands of Japanese Knotweed which required special treatment. The damaged milestone 3 was cleaned, though milestone 2¾ remains elusive. Salford City Council is going to remove the dumped tyres at Park House Bridge. The middle length was a jungle; trees in the canal bed were cut down, the coping stones cleared and cleaned, and part of the overgrown towpath cut back.

This is clearly a work in progress; we intend to return to this length next spring to consolidate the work already done. Our new Working Party Organiser is Steve Dent.

Our President, Fred Talbot, said: 'Volunteers can make such a difference to the environment; they gain something from their experience because they have fun.' Tim Field, Chief Executive of the New Deal Team, said: 'This is a great opportunity to draw attention to the canal which in future could take a more prominent role in the continuing regeneration of this area.'