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The charity making life better by water

Meet Yvonne, Sue, Isobel & Holly

Friends laughing on the towpath

"We've lived here for 34 years, and crikey has it changed! We remember when Caen Hill Lock Flight was in total disrepair and nothing at all like it is today. In 1990 we were at the opening ceremony when the Queen came to open the lock! There were stalls selling tea and coffee, and we had a stall too, it was a great day.

There are lots of boats coming up and down Caen Hill now. We tend to avoid weekends because the towpath can get so busy, but it's lovely to see it full of water and busy again. Because we live here, it's all very normal to us and it's sort of amusing to hear people shouting in excitement "I can see a heron!" or something like that.

We're friends and we live at the top of the flight, so we walk up and down the flight together most evenings. This evening we've already been to the bottom of the flight and we're setting a good pace to get back to the top now. Sue's granddaughter is eight. She says going down ok, but it's a bit more difficult peddling back up on her bike. And we walk Holly here too. She loves it. But we have to watch out because Holly pinches people's picnics! Yes, she's a Labrador and they are porkers!"

Yvonne, Sue, Isobel & Holly, Caen Hill Lock Flight, Devizes, Kennet & Avon Canal

photo of a location on the canals
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