Falkirk Wheel Opens 2002

2000 - 2002

Other headline news at this time was the possibility that the Millennium Commission would approve a multi-million pound scheme to re-open the Forth and Clyde Canal and the Union Canal to provide a waterway link from the centre of Edinburgh through Glasgow to the Clyde at Bowling and also linking the Forth to Grangemouth. Happily, the outstanding achievement, The Millennium Link, which has been Britain’s largest canal restoration, was opened by the Queen in May 2002. The work brought into being one of the pioneering engineering feats of construction in the world the Falkirk Wheel, which was designed and built as a boatlift to connect the two canals at their intersection at Falkirk, and replacing a flight of 11 original locks. The Millennium Link Scheme also allowed the re-opening of the Union Canal through Wester Hailes to be completed and this work was celebrated by an assembly of 30 boats close to our site at Calder Crescent. (BB)

2002

The highlight of this year took place on Friday 24^th May at the completion of the Millennium Link at the Falkirk Wheel which was opened by Her Majesty the Queen. The weather could have been kinder to us as there were many rain showers and high cold winds. The spectators seated around the New Port Downie must have been quite wet, though British Waterways supplied wet weather waterproof ponchos to everyone that wished to have one. The Seagull Trustees, volunteers and their guests were very lucky, thanks to Ronnie Rusack and some of the Bridge Inn staff on board the Pride of the Union, who fed and wined us so well. In between showers we managed to get outside onto the Wheel’s Bridge construction where we enjoyed an excellent programme of Scottish Country dancing by the school children, and the music of the Band of Royal Marines Scotland and the RAF Leuchars Pipes and Drums.

It was a very proud moment for us to see the Govan Seagull leading the flotilla of boats to go onto the wheel and down onto the Forth & Clyde Canal. The Pride of the Union was the second boat onto the Wheel, followed by the St John Crusader II. It was a happy and memorable day and certainly one that no-one would have liked to miss. (Norman Simpson)