Some of the best moments along the towpath come when a familiar bridge suddenly becomes a stage for the campaign — and that is exactly what happened this week at Hoole Lane Bridge in Chester.
A flag-waving welcome at Bridge 123A
Over on the Fund Britain’s Waterways Facebook group, Shirley Sefton shared a wonderful photograph of Hoole Lane Bridge — number 123A on the Shropshire Union Canal in Chester. The bridge sits directly beside the historic Hoole Lane Lock, in an area with a medieval trackway origin and views of the prominent, blue-topped Boughton Water Tower and the urban industrial heritage of Chester. In the picture a campaigner stands up on the bridge, proudly waving the Fund Britain’s Waterways flag while a narrowboat — flowers on the roof and all — slips through the arch below. It is a small, cheerful scene that captures exactly why so many of us love these waterways.
You can see Shirley’s original post over on the Fund Britain’s Waterways Facebook group.
Why the campaign matters
Fund Britain’s Waterways is a coalition of more than 160 organisations speaking up for the hundreds of thousands of people who use and love Britain’s canals and rivers — boaters, walkers, cyclists, anglers, wildlife lovers and the towns and villages that grew up along the water. Bridges like 123A, and the locks beside them, only stay open and safe with proper, sustained maintenance, and that takes reliable, long-term government funding. Without it, the closures and costly repairs that already disrupt so many journeys will only become more common. That is why the campaign keeps flying the flag — quite literally — at spots like Hoole Lane.
If this photo brought a smile to your face, please add your name to the campaign by signing the petition at change.org/p/fundbritainswaterways, and help spread the word with #FundBritainsWaterways.
