A rather wet experience

Tuesday, 05 October 2010 13:00

But nobody fell in the canal!

It as a very wet day but thanks to a good friend we were able to travel to Banbury by car to experience the sights and sounds of Banbury Canal Day.

Narrowboats attending the Canal Day with Tom Rolt Bridge in the background

This year it was celebrating the "Centenary of Tom Rolt and his lifetime achievements". Sadly though, the only reference I spotted to Tom Rolt, apart from the blue plaque was a Tom Rolt quiz in the window of one of the moored narrowboats. The answers were in an adjacent window, upside down!

This blue plaque at Tooley's Boatyard was recently unveiled

Tom Rolt began his epic canal journey on narrowboat Cressy from this historic boatyard in 1939. The book he wrote, "Narrow Boat", is the ultimate travelogue for any keen narrowboater! As I write, the books sit on the shelf opposite me (we have two copies a 1965 reprint and a 2001 paperback!). They are a continual reminder that we owe our current ability to cruise our wonderful inland waterways, in part, thanks to Tom Rolt.

Talking about Tooley's, they have a new "gadget" - a "Fuel Polisher". No, not a duster and spray but a machine that filters diesel and takes the water and microbes out. This is the machine and look at what it can do!

One of the stalls that were down in the dry dock (dry with a short narrowboat in it!) was the "Muddy Waters" books sale point, together with the author Dan and illustrator Stephen. If you have never seen or heard of Muddy Waters you have missed a treat. The Oxfordshire narrowboat and his friends from Thrupp get up to all sorts of exciting adventures.

The Muddy Waters Team

Our Great Nephew, who is four in a few days, absolutely loves them and I always read them too! It reminds me of the many, many happy hours I spent with Craig reading the Thomas Tank Engine Books! He knew them by heart and I couldn't make a mistake as he was always able to correct me even before he could read!

Despite the rain we had a good day - it always helps to share these occasions with good friends and make some new ones. We (or rather John) patronised the Hook Norton Beer Tent to sample the Cressy pint, brewed specially for the day. We watched the Morris Dancers - it was a little like the Black and White Minstrels as you can see.

This very tall person was watching out for trouble - it is not very often I have to raise my eyes above John to speak to someone!

Stilted policeman

We ended the day in the Mill Arts Centre - a good place for a drink, meal and music. Next weekend it is the Banbury Folk Festival and we bought tickets at the Mill. We have returned to this neck of the woods just in time, methinks! More music to look forward to whilst moored in Banbury, we hope! 

Oh yes, and those pumpkins on Clattercote Wharf? (from yesterday's blog)

Narrowboat Arbour has the answer!