Thursday, June 04, 2009

Jolly Boating Weather

On Sunday morning I managed to tear myself away from my chair in the shade and my lovely book (see my last post) for a couple of hours to visit the local Canal Festival which was based at the Etruria Industrial Museum (formerly the Jesse Shirley bone and flint mill) where the Caldon and Trent and Mersey canals meet - an ideal place for a canal festival deep in the industrial heartland of the potteries. We decided to park at Hanley Park and walk along the Caldon canal towpath towards the museum.


We walked past Stoke College and the student accommodation by the first lock and under the road bridge as we headed towards our destination.


There were loads of these pink flowers along the canal banks I feel I should know what they are but I can't place it - has anyone any ideas?

Below are a few scenes from the Festival. It was warm and sunny and people were strolling around eating ice-cream and thoroughly enjoying the weather, the atmosphere, the noise and colour.

As well as narrow boats there were vintage vehicles and steam engines, all being polished and displayed with pride by their owners.

These boats were on the Caldon Canal, the one below was on the Trent and Mersey Canal.

On the festival field there were many other activities like a fishing competition and archery, too.

Many of the canal trusts and waterways organisations had stalls and there was a music tent where local bands would be entertaining throughout the day.

It was just the ticket to rouse the spirits and a good way to spend a couple of hours on a warm Sunday morning and the last day of May.

9 comments:

  1. Sounds like a nice day out - my uncle has a narrow boat, I wonder if he was there. The flower looks a bit like valerian but isn't growing in the sort of place I'd expect it to be so I could be wrong.

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  2. I think it's Valerian.We have loads of it down here..usually growing in walls. ;-)

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  3. thanks, Rowan and Sal - it is valerian - now I have a name I've just looked it up - we saw loads of it yesterday in the walls of an old cottage and a ruin in Much Wenlock - white, red and pink colours - it's very pretty:)

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  4. This looks lovely. I once had a holiday on a narrow boat and loved it. We are heading over Stafford Way in a couple of weeks time so Ive earmarked a couple of places you have mentioned for a look. xx

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  5. It sounds like you had a delightful day, Rosie. The views you took of the area are wonderful. Thanks for the marvelous journey, I enjoyed it :D

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  6. It looks like a perfect English summer's day outing! I thought the plant looks like pink buddleia. I have this growing in my garden but maybe what I thought was Buddleia is in fact Valerian!!!

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  7. We have been the canal festival many times, always good fun and free too! Not often you hear that. Gorgeous photos as always.

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  8. We often walk along the canal, sadly we missed this and it was on our doorstep too!

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  9. A canal festival? How neat! Sure wish I could have attended... always wanted to slowly drift down the water on a colorful barge!

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