It's Festival Time

And a very fine Festival it was. 

Shackerstone Village Festival was on the weekend of 6th and 7th September. The sun shone, the crowds turned out and the entertainment was grand. A very well organised event indeed.

Avid readers will both recall that there was a problem with boats attending the festival because Natural England ( a non-elected quango with too much power and sod all sense) decided a fortnight before the festival that mooring were to be restricted in number because of the need to protect, inter alia, wild life in the reeds that line much of this SSSI canal. Reeds that would not be there but for the canal which was built for....... boats. Hey Ho in the end it all seemed to work out ok though whether number of boats attending were down I know not. Nor do I know the ramifications for future boat attendance at the festival in particular or the Ashby canal in general .  Grrrrr!

Particular thanks are due to Cyril Blackford who looked after the boating side of things and did a grand job in adversity.

The festival comprised all sorts of jollity including a fun fair, Mediaeval Knights, Sheep and Lawn mower racing-these being two separate events. I suspect they would be more fun if they were combined

Lots of stores selling all kinds of stuff, a craft tent and a Beer Tent.

There was entertainment by a Steel Band and a Brass band-both excellent. There were traction engines which everybody loves and a dog training display - ridiculous waste of time.

On both days there was a flypast by a Spitfire which was wonderful and an aerial display team-equally marvellous. Now you might wonder why people would enjoy watching a display of aerials so I've added a few photos to explain.

In fact I've added loads of photos which are in the main self explanatory.

Running alongside the festival the excellent Rising Sun pub in the village also had a beer festival and each evening there was a get together of musicians, including many boaters. Mac on Griffin who is learning the Bhodran joined in and Peter B who joined the crew of Independence for the week sang on the Sunday and Monday evenings to much acclaim.

Jane W joined the party for the Saturday night and we all had a ride on the Battlefield Line, pulled by steam! Excellent

Also visiting were John and Bridget who came on their boat Riverdance. Thanks to the Natural England interference they finished up moored nearer Coventry than Shackerstone (only joking) but were able to join the festivities.

Bob and Jennifer came for the day on Saturday and Roy and Annie came on Sunday. Great to see them all.

A Traction engine outside the Rising Sun

Some of the Historic boats attending

Jane and Ady share a tincture on the train

Mac has a stretch at Shendon

Ady has made a new friend to drink with

Carrie and Jane reneact Brief Encounter

Sunset at Shackerstone 

Jane, Ady,Carrie and Mac on the bridge at Shackerstone

The Leicestershire Co-op (Snibston) Band

Bob and John look really happy to be here

Jennifer and Bridget talk to a dog.

I won this on a Tombola stall. Or rather, after losing 4 quid and winning nothing, they gave it to me. What shall we call him Florence?

The Beer tent beckons

I show Mac how to train a dog

Carrie and Jane are pestered by a particularly persistent Jehovah's Witless

Still here

On and on...

Thank God he's gone

Peter with kayak arrives delivered by Kay.

Peter is so busy with his luggage he fails to notice his wife in an embrace with the aforementioned Jehovah's Witless

Pluto-a present from Bridget -loves dried flowers.

Sorry about the glare on this one but anyway it's Peter singing; a snippet of which is below

The Aerostars  Yak Display team 

I didn't even know Yaks could fly!

They are, of course, radial engine Yaks being one Super Yak-52 and five Yak-50s. Now you're much wiser.

Enjoying the healthy option

Roy refuses to have his face painted

A boat called Joseph

The Wildcat Aerobatic Formation Display Team

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfire

Phase One Steel Orchestra

 

After the Lord Mayor's Show-a profitable weekend for The Rising Sun

Site Security with Guard Dog

When the festival was over we headed up to Snarestone, the end of navigation at present on the Ashby canal where we availed ourselves of the usual services before returning to Shackerstone Rising Sun for another musical evening though I must admit this was the "open mic" format which sent me happily off to another bar to watch England beat Switzerland. I did nip back in when Peter did his singing of course.

Please note the kayak on the roof. Shortly after this picture was taken it was nearly reduced to kindling when my light went out in Snarestone tunnel and I managed to hit both sides of the tunnel and emerge therefrom with Peter looking very worried

Then it was away south down the Ashby via Stoke Golding, Lime Kilns, onto the Coventry and back to Hawkesbury Junction canal

Breakfast at Sutton Cheney

Peter in pursuit

Peter makes a bid for freedom

A quiet mooring at Stoke Golding

Ady and Peter head for the pub.

We pass Trinity Marina as Mac uses the facilities

To the Lime Kilns for steak

The kayak -still in one piece

Peter jumped Ship at Hawkesbury on Saturday 13th where he was collected by Kay. They very kindly dropped me back to Shackerstone for my car which I then moved to Hawkesbury. On the Sunday we headed down the Northern Oxford to meet Geoff J. More next time........bye bye