Canal Workers Highly Commended In National Award Gairlochy Locks on the Caledonian Canal

18 August 2006

Local people asked to celebrate the achievement by taking a trip down memory lane

A small team of canal workers who look after the Gairlochy Locks on the Caledonian Canal have been highly commended in a prestigious national Waterway Length Award that celebrates the outstanding way they maintain the canal.

Up against stiff competition from canal workers from across the country, the team join an illustrious group of canal workers who over the last half a century have been acclaimed for the way they maintain the canal.

In being highly commended for the Waterway Length Award the team from the Highlands were nominated as maintaining the best kept waterway in the area before going through to the national final where they were up against teams from across British Waterways' 2,200 mile nationwide network of canals and rivers.

The team, Ian MacLaren?, Alec Francis, Dave Simpson and Scott MacMillan?, have cared for this part of the Caledonian Canal for a number of years.

Russell Thomson, Customer Service Manager, Highland Canals , British Waterways Scotland said : "I am delighted that the team have been highly commended in the Waterway Length Award. They are out on the canal bank in all weathers and the award is recognition of the excellent way they look after the Gairlochy Locks on the Caledonian Canal ."

Call for local peoples' recollections of the caledonian canal

To mark the 50 th year of awards acclaiming the work to look after the canals, British Waterways is inviting local people with memories of the Caledonian Canal over the last half a century to take a trip down memory lane by submitting their recollections, pictures and stories that will be collated with a view to holding a local exhibition. They will also be published on British Waterways' website www.waterscape.com.*

Please send memories and pictures of the Caledonian Canal from the last 50 years to: Memory Lane , c/o Jonathan Ludford, British Waterways, Willow Grange, Church Road , Watford , WD17 4QA or email jonathan.ludford@britishwaterways.co.uk. Please include a note with photographs detailing the approximate year and location of where the photograph was taken. Please also include a return name and address so that all photographs can be sent back to their owners.

ENDS

Issued on behalf of British Waterways Scotland by Wave PR. For more information contact Chris Bell or Alison Jack on 0141 303 8390.

Notes to editors

British Waterways cares for a 2,200-mile network of canals and navigable rivers throughout the UK and works with a broad range of public, private and voluntary sector partners to improve the social, economic and environmental benefits of the inland waterways. For more information visit www.britishwaterways.co.uk

Waterscape.com provides information on ALL of Britain 's waterways, and guides visitors through the complete waterside experience in an easy to use, fully comprehensive online resource. The site includes a full range of services including:

*Submissions may be subject to minor editing prior to publication on Waterscape.com