Crikey. One of the boatiest villages on the canal network is hosting a complete boating extravaganza this weekend! It’s a boater’s heaven. I just won’t know what to look at first!

Traders and stalls

Vintage gifts, country market produce, jewellery, rugs, wood turning, cakes, sweets, photos, cards, books, flower baskets, canal art and the lovely Cheese Boat! A range of gorgeous cheeses sold from a narrowboat: two of my favourite things combined!

Historic Narrowboats

Some that I know: Towcester, Ara and Archimedes have all delivered fuel to my home in my years of living on a canal boat. Some that I don’t know: A rebuilt pair from the famous Samuel Barlow, and many classics from the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company and Fellows, Morton and Clayton. A history enthusiast’s dream!

Cockney Knees Up

The Navigation pub is holding a Beer Festival on Friday, Saturday and Sunday culminating in an old fashioned Cockney Night knees up on Sunday evening starting at 5pm.

What else?

Live music, canal craft demonstrations, live theatre, water based pyrotechnics, heritage walks, model boats, a fish and chip van, cream teas and much more.

The popular Gala Weekend has been running since 2006. It’s fifty years since the Canal Museum first opened (the first canal museum in the country) so this year will be quite a celebration! Photos and info on the Friends of the Canal Museum website.

If you can’t make it this weekend check out our quick guide to canal festivals and come and chat to us at an event this summer. We offer free advice on buying or selling a boat.

Image credit: Thanks to Martin Clark for making this image available with a Creative Commons licence.

Peggy
www.narrowboatwife.com

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