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Sunday, 29 July 2012

Sunday on the Mon & Brecon Canal, South Wales

Sebastopol to Griffithstown

Spring blossom


The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal is beautiful at any time of year.  Today its still green and fresh from the excessive rain during June.   The sound of trickling streams and babbling brooks is everywhere as water cascades from the mountain or drains from the canal through its overflows.

Another length of the footpath has been tarmac'd, making walking and cycling easier, but it somehow takes the atmosphere away and changes it from when I was a child.

At four years of age I joined the Sunday school at the Baptist Chapel in theneighbouring village of Griffithstown.   Firstly my cousin used to call and take me (she was five years older).   But when I fell into the canal complete with woollen winter overcoat, trying to see the fish she was pointing out, they must have thought better of the idea.

Every Sunday Mam would walk me down the road as there was no pavement, and with perhaps twenty cars a day using this road, it was considered quite dangerous.  After a few yards we'd reach the Crown bridge with its entrance onto the canal.   From there I would walk along the towpath to the next bridge and up the road to the chapel.


After service I would make the reverse journey home, taking care on the unpaved road.   During my walk I would pick wild flowers, examine insects on the pathway, listen to the birds, talk to the ducks and admire the swans.
A photograph taken on a mobile phone can have atmosphere...


These days there are no swans on the canal, and no unaccompanied children.   How sad.

http://www.mon-brec-canal-trust.org.uk/news.html

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