Just a start - with more to come

摘要

Thanks to the opening of the very first stretch of restored and re-watered channel, we no longer have to refer to "the former Buckingham Canal". Those were the words of Buckingham Canal Society Patron and Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow as he cut the ribbon (using scissors delivered by two canoeists who had paddled up the Great Ouse to raise funds for the Florence Nightingale Hospice) and officially opened the quarter-mile length at Bourton, just outside Buckingham. "You need fanatics sometimes," said Mr Bercow as he paid tribute to all involved in the restoration. At the same time, he pointed out that not only is this "a start" towards reopening the entire canal; it also has the potential to contribute to Buckingham's flood management measures.