Narrow boats in the basin

In today's blip narrow boats from many parts of the country bob and jostle in the Skipton basin of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. They have gathered there to take part in this year's Skipton Waterway Festival, an annual get-together for narrow-boat owners. (www.penninecruisers.com/festival.htm.) The festival takes place over three days every year during the May Day Bank Holiday. Today there was a fairground and bouncy castle for the kids, stalls selling all manner of goods for various charities, and, of course, food wagons along with entertainments provided by a live pop group, a disc jockey playing sixties music, Accrington Pipe Band, and dancing by the 400 Roses, a dance troupe performing a kind of fusion of belly-dance-cum-Morris-dance. (See journal entry for 13 April). All in all a jolly, lively hustle and bustle of activity. It wasn't cold, but it's a pity the weather wasn't just a little bit sunnier. But then, it is a British Bank holiday and at least it wasn't raining! The festival continues tomorrow and Bank Holiday Monday, with even more varied live entertainments programmed and there are promises of a competition for the best dressed narrow boat. This year's theme is 'Cartoons'. That should be fun!