Brecon Canal Trip July 2010

At the end of July 2010, Members of Newport U3A History Group travelled to Brecon by coach, and then boarded our very own narrow boat for the day, the "Dragonfly" for a glorious trip on the Brecon canal. The weather was fair, flowers around the canal basin were picturesque and everyone was in a holiday mood.

The guided tour was scheduled to take 2˝ hours, during which time we were served lunch (which was excellent). There were three crew members, plus a dog who leapt off the barge at every opportunity, knowing exactly when to return. Obviously a seasoned traveller! One of the crew gave us a short lecture on safety and then we had listened to a short history of the Brecon Canal, and the interesting characters who worked on it.

After an hour's sailing, we went through a lock, dropping some 12 ft then across a (mercifully short) aqueduct and shortly afterwards we were able to disembark and stretch our legs whilst the barge was turned round. Walking along the bank, we encountered a very small rodent (a shrew??) who looked petrified at all the giants in his path! We soon let him escape into the hedge.

We arrived back in Brecon exactly as planned. Some of us then went on to the museums and churches and others browsed the shopping area; most had a welcome cup of tea or ice-cream in one of the many cafés before leaving for home via the scenic route through the Brecon Beacons.

Another memorable trip organised by the Newport U3A.

We would like to thank The Big Lottery Fund for their support of this trip, and other projects through the year. Click on their logo below to go directly to their website.

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