Editorial - Keith Rogers

Usually the editorial is written whilst the days are getting shorter. Just for a ‘one off’ change it is being written as they get noticeably longer. Happily, this is an encouraging prelude to a good season with ‘President’.

Last year was a great disappointment of course, especially as so much work had been carried out on Kildare ready for the second half of the boating programme. I had felt quite virtuous having been over to the museum a couple of times to make my own small contribution to Kildare’s overhaul – with a paint brush!. One looked across at the ‘lifeless’ ‘President’ thinking how wonderful it is when a steam propelled boat or vehicle is lit up, steam raised, and is away on it’s journey. Alas, the journey was all too short. For me there was the added disappointment because the return part of the journey, from the National Rally at Beale Park , was tied in with the National Heritage Weekend, which involved me in considerable organisation.

All was not lost however, for Dave Stott said it’s a shame to cancel all the plans put in place and maybe another boat could stand-in for ‘President’. Eventually, with time running out, the Coventry Canal Society’s ex-FMC boat Panther came to the rescue. Included in this edition is a brief report on the weekend together with some photographs.

‘President’s’ boiler is now repaired, tested and re-installed.

So we now have our two boats in tip-top condition and with a great boating programme beckoning in ‘new’ waters. Looking forward, President’s centenary us just over the horizon and already the committee is out-lining some ideas to celebrate it in 2009.

However, they would like all members to get their imaginations into top gear for this very special occasion and submit their own ideas.

Keith Rogers