In attendance was Civic dignitaries on behalf of their communities, instigators of the re-opening, and the ladies and gentlemen involved in providing the brain and muscle to produce the physical re-construction.

Jim Swindells is the man in charge of the “Modern Navvies”, the guys who did all the graft, and Jim showed us his skills at the tiller steering the boat which transported John Craven (T.V, celebrity) to the point within the Lock where he was to “Snip” the ribbon.

Stan Flavel, (Lock keeper), who’s job is to make sure that everything goes to plan was joined by a gentleman who came along to witness the event, he was dressed in the uniform of an officer in the Merchant Navy and he is a member of the Royal Navy Association. I asked him his name and when he said “Harry Kershaw” a bell rang in my sub-conscious. “Are you the amateur long range weather man?” I asked, this he confirmed. Then followed a conversation about the weather so different from the usual form of having something to talk about, a group of us were treated to facts and figures which were intriguing. The weather on the morning was rather changeable, somebody asked Harry “When are we going to get some good weather?” Harry promised sunny days from the middle of July to mid September.
Tom Connor