Sir, In your March 31 issue you were kind enough to mention the launch of FOXcan at the St Aldate's Parish Rooms (which, by the way, is an excellent venue).

There were two speakers: Mark Davies, author, lecturer and publisher, who gave a fascinating address on the history of the Oxford Canal, and Brian Roberts, Southern Chairman of the Inland Waterways Association, who spoke on the practicalities of restoring the canal basin on the Worcester Street car park site.

The evening ended with an enthusiastic question-and-answer session. Approximately 160 people made up the audience and a petition was started which the committee hope will eventually contain 6,000 signatures. FOXcan is non-political, but we stress that any positive input from any political or other source is welcome. It is also a non-profit making group, needing donations only to cover publicity expenses. The aim of FOXcan is to support the reinstatement of the Worcester Street canal basin and thereby to exchange a very dreary part of our city in line with the other new developments in the West End.

We hope, in due course, to provide volunteer working parties to help maintain the southern Oxford Canal. This maintenance is the responsibility of British Waterwards Board who try, manfully, to keep the canal in working condition, despite being woefully underfunded.

Representatives of FOXcan will be at the Diamond Jubilee Festival of the Inland Waterways Association, to be held at the Beale Wildlife Gardens, situated on the A329 between Streatley and Pangbourne, over the August Bank Holiday August 26-28, 2006. We hope to meet many more of our supporters there.

John Ashby,Chairman, Elizabeth Wade Honorary Secretary, FOXcan, Oxford