Saturday was the first public day. The delays in the set-up meant that the show opened slightly late - only about half an hour - and there was an excellent turn-out of visitors, despite the continuing muddiness underfoot. But during the day the ground was visibly drying out under the strong sunshine.
For the official opening, the VIP party arrived by boat, escorted by a flotilla of small steamboats. One amusing sight was the official boat backing into a crunch with one of the steamboats while manoeuvring into its mooring. This was closely followed by the site of the ladies of the VIP party changing into their wellies on the landing stage. At the opening ceremony, IWA national Chairman, John Fletcher referred back to his speech the year before launching the campaign against the DEFRA cuts. This year he pointed out that the Ministers concerned had been moved, and of Barry Gardiner he remarked "Never has a relegation been more deserved". He saw better prospects for an understanding with the new ministerial team, with whom he was about to have a meeting to discuss the "future architecture of waterways funding". After John's speech, the event was opened by Baroness Barbara Young, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, whose speech included a plea for continued integrated management of the rivers - not difficult to de-code as "Don't hand over our navigation responsibilities to BW". That evening brought an Old Time Music Hall, with Guy Morgan as Chairman, and Glen & Bruce Peckett, Dave Green and myself among the participants. That was followed by a Folk Club, starring Bruce Peckett and a group called Isambarde. The site-crew were up before the sparrows on Sunday laying plastic sheeting covered with wood chips to create dry walkways around the site. That day's turn-out of visitors was huge - the queues at the pay-gates seemed to last for ever and Security said they couldn't take the cash fast enough to wherever it had to be taken. Sunday evening's entertainments included another Folk Club session - this time a "come-all-ye" in which Bruce Peckett (again) and Anne Coleman were among the performers. They had a lot to contend with from loud music from a rather good Irish folk band in the main bar next door. At one stage the Irish band included that traditional Irish ethnic instrument the didgeridoo. That evening also brought the procession of illuminated boats, which, contrary to early indications, had a good turn-out of boats - or so I'm told, we were still in of portacabin printing the next day's newsletter at the time. By Monday the site had dried out almost completely, although bit of it were still a bit spongy. Once again we had a good turn-out of the public (although not as good as the day before). That day also saw the big annual fair in the town, but the two events seemed to support each other rather than compete. In fact the town had been extremely supportive throughout, with lots of local businesses providing sponsorship. One of the local policewomen patrolling the site remarked to me how pleasant the atmosphere in the town had been for the previous few days with all our boaters and campers around the place. It seemed to some of us that holding the Festival right on the edge of a smallish town worked very well. I particularly welcomed the fact that the town centre was only about ten minutes' walk from my porta-cabin, so could easily pop in there for a bit of shopping, or for a pub lunch during the set-up days before the on-site caterers were in business. -- Mike Stevens narrowboat Felis Catus III web-site www.mike-stevens.co.uk Defend the waterways. Visit the web site www.saveourwaterways.org.uk
