Saturday 10 September 2016

Black Country Boating Festival

No post yesterday as I didn't finish helping with fencing etc. until after dark and I was whacked out. We arrived at Windmill End on Thursday lunchtime, tied up and had lunch, then I went off to assist with whatever needed doing. This included stage erection, bunting tying, marquee erection, fencing etc. Oh, I've just remembered - I think I've already said all this. Anyway, yesterday was more of the same, plus tables/chairs shifting and cleaning And testing. I seat tested every chair in the beer tent.

Today the site opened to the public (where did all the traders' stands come from?) and I busied myself with litter picking/bin emptying for much of the time. Why do people drop litter?

David of Kew was making sure the boats game was working ...

... and Alison brought Josiah for a visit. Here are Frances, Eileen, Ally and Jan, with Josiah asleep in the buggy.

There are fewer boats here this year compared with last year. The view from Bumblehole Junction Bridge towards Windmill End Junction doesn't change, though.

After a good meal from the catering team (I had steak and ale pie; Jan had pork casserole) we sat outside talking, before the main band of the evening came on stage.

The Reflections were good, but loud (of course).

4 comments:

SteveB said...

We missed each other by a week!

Having spent time last week at Dudley, I've since been reading about the area's extensive railway system - the majority of which were the private colliery railways. All now gone along with the coal-mines, steel-works, limestone and ironstone quarries. The canals are still very much alive, and the rest is now country parks and merry hills.

Halfie said...

Sorry to have missed you. Which boat are you on?

SteveB said...

The Twelfth of Never based at Gailey, on our last summer fortnight. The boat will be sold in 2017. We covered rather a lot of BCN as described in my blog. Google 'Land-Locked Steve Bacon' to find it!

One day you'll be able to moor up at Royal Wootton Bassett when the canal gets restored behind our house - but we have a few bigger obstacles such as Swindon town centre and the M4 to negotiate before the Wilts & Berks is promoted from a series of elongated ponds....

Halfie said...

Steve, thanks, I've had a look at your blog. Very interesting - I like railways too, but in a much more casual way.