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Museum gala’s timely reminder of transport by water

On the first day a delivery of 17 barrels of beer arrived on Cassiopeia direct from Marston’s Brewery at Burton-on-Trent for the village’s two pubs. Rachel Whillock, of brewer Marstons, said: “Beer and canals played a critical role in the industrial revolution, and share the same industrial heritage.”

At the same time Trevor Maggs’ newly painted Corona and Mike Askins’ Victoria arrived with full loads of bagged coal, which were transferred by hand during the festival to a working pair heading further north on the system.

In all, there were more than 30 working or historic boats and 50 or so modern craft at the event.

After a performance by the waterborne Mikron Theatre on the Thursday, Friday’s boaters’ night abandoned the traditional jamming session for traditional music from the Stony Stratford Folk Ensemble and a visiting group of musicians and dancers from Hungary. Not a popular choice with all the boaters.

When the public arrived on the Saturday and Sunday they were able to enjoy stalls, including home-made produce, antiques, a tombola, face painting, sweets, cakes and jewellery. There were also traditional craft demonstrations, including roses and castles painting; signwriting; traditional clothing and dress of the canals and on Saturday, a display of artefacts and memorabilia from the Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway, which once had a station at Stoke Bruerne.

On both days there were demonstrations of model boats and working boat handling skills on the water.

Saturday evening’s entertainment included performances of two one-woman plays by Kate Saffin of the Roundham Lock Theatre Company; including the real-life antics of two ‘ladies of the night’ who set up shop on a canal boat moored on the Oxford Canal just after the war.

Poor weather on Sunday meant the suspension of some planned activities.

Words & photography: Peter Underwood