The canal tunnel

Part 40 – Blast from the past

The canal tunnel
Jump to Mar 2025

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Note: Writing these Blast from the past posts every month has been hard work for me, particularly as my efficiency in researching and writing is slowing down as I approach 80-years-old. This has prevented me from writing on other topics that are also important to me. I plan to continue with Blast from the past but they’ll come out monthly in sections; next time expect some further sections of Part 40.

December 2025

On 2nd December Donna and I visited Bristol and Clifton Golf Club for the annual Christmas dinner for retired staff. It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces, older of course yet clearly still the people I remembered. Of course, as we age we all change under the influence of new experiences, getting to know so many new friends and aquaintances, yet all the old patterns and habits are still there, faces instantly recognised, voices still sounding the same, facial expressions just as remembered from decades previously.

There were some glorious skies during December. I captured this view on the evening of 12th, walking around Stratton. In December the sun sets early here in the UK where the latitude is fairly high.

JHM: I wrote about an amazing photo of a volcano in Chile; and considered the effect of fog. World events:  EU leaders approved a €90bn ($105bn) loan for Ukraine for the next two years; and Israel became the first country to recognize Somaliland.

< Nov 2025 – Jan 2026 > (Jump to 2011)

September 2025

I did a canal walk along part of the Stroudwater Canal with my friends Al and Phil. We began by taking a look at Dock Lock, east of Stonehouse, It was under repair as the canal restoration steadily heads towards Saul Junction where the waterway will be reconnected to the national canal nework.

We walked from Dock Lock right into the centre of Stroud, stopping for lunch and coffee next to the Canal at Ebley en route. It was mostly dry with the odd shower.

The second photo shows Albion Street in Stratton where a lovely double-rainbow jostled for attention with telephone cables and local properties.

JHM: I wrote about clouds reflected in water; and about a wooden jigsaw. World events: There was a serious funicular derailment in Portugal; and a UN inquiry found that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza.

< Aug 2025 – Oct 2025 >

March 2025

On 15th March I set off for a lengthy walk from the Daneway Inn near Sapperton, following the course of the Thames and Severn Canal to Siddington, then following the Cirencester Arm back to the site of Cirencester Wharf and meeting Donna in the town centre before walking back home. It turned out to be about a 15 mile walk including a few detours to see parts of the canal I would otherwise have missed.

I stopped for lunch and a rest at the canal roundhouse between the Coates Portal and the source of the Thames. I’d packed some sandwiches and a flask of water, found a dry section of old canal stone work, and enjoyed the view as I ate. It wasn’t hard to imagine the canal lengthman coming out of the roundhouse for a chat, and Thames barges making their way slowly along the canal, each following the plodding progress of its towing horse. The pace of life has changed so dramatically since those days!

JHM: I wrote about a new section of garden at Blenheim Palace; and a view of some invisible remains. World events:  Donald Trump paused military aid to Ukraine; and a major power outage caused Heathrow Airport in London to completely shut down.

< Feb 2025 – Apr 2025 >

To be continued…

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