Subject: Friends of Regent's Canal - Next Public Meeting, 23rd May 2012

Dear Friends,

Our next public meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 23rd May (7pm to 9pm). It will take place at the London Canal Museum.

We will firm up the agenda in a few weeks time, after the London elections are over, but one topic that we are likely to address is a "Vision for the Regent's Canal". We are entering a new era for the waterways, with lots of unanswered questions, and it is important that we are not all going in different directions. This is a chance to discuss whether our long term aims are to revitalise the use of the waterways as a sensible means of transporting non-perishable goods or whether the canal should be treated as a "nice-to-have" ornamental water feature. We can also discuss the type of architecture and communities that might exist along the canal in 15 years time. I hope to be able to circulate some ideas before the meeting and I will welcome contributions from others. This is absolutely not an academic exercise; our ideas will need to be fed to the champions of the new Canal and River Trust, who are on a very steep learning curve.

Turning back the clock 200 years, we will also want to discuss our plans for recognising the start of construction of the canal. We have already started to think about ideas for some commemorative plaques, so if you have a particular interest in this then please let me know, and we can arrange separate meetings to explore the detail.

If there is anything else that you would like to include in the agenda, or if you want me to explain anything mentioned above then please get in touch.

Best wishes,

Ian Shacklock
Chair, Friends of Regent's Canal