This weekend is the IWA’s popular Canalway Cavalcade, which held at Little Venice in London since 1983. Record numbers of people came out to enjoy last year’s event where there were over 130 colourful canal boats, many decorated with bunting. Visitors can enjoy real ale, Morris dancing, live music, and stalls selling crafts and chandlery. Don’t miss the illuminated procession of boats and a live band playing from the band stand.

Canal festivals are held in England throughout the Spring and Summer and can vary in size. At some events there will be dozens of moored boats, and fields are made available for camping and car parking for hundreds of visitors.

There are often opportunities to buy sugar mice and coconut ice! There are also watering cans, coal scuttles, Buckby cans, mugs, coasters and wooden spoons, all with traditional roses and castles painted on them. But apart from the crafts, the friendly atmosphere, restored historic boats, folk music, boat trips, stalls of every description, trade stands and of course the beer tent, it’s the people that really make a festival. As you wander around a canal festival you will notice that there are many different types of visitor.

1) The Dedicated Festival Goer

This gentleman has tattoos, a waistcoat and a black hat with two feathers and half a dozen canal festival badges on it proving which years he has attended before. He’s probably headed for the classic cars exhibition.

2) Those Dressed Up For Charity

The three men dressed in sacking each with a box hanging around his neck are actually Ye Olde Fruit Apparatus, a human fruit machine. Dip into each box and if you find three pieces of matching fruit it's the jackpot!

3) The Band

The band in the beer tent tonight are The Geezers. They will be playing both kinds of music, rhythm and blues, and the real ale will be served by volunteers from the Lion Hearts Cruising Club.

4) The Lads

There is a group of lads who are spending the festival beside their tent in the car park so that they can listen to their car stereo really loud. These boys are also often seen on hire boats enjoying a stag do.

5) The Liveaboard

Note that the boat with flower pots, a bicycle and fire woodon the roof with washing hanging off the tiller is a live-aboard boat. Their chimney emits a comforting spiral of woodsmoke.

6) Gongoozlers

People who don't have boats enjoy standing at locks and watching boaters wind the paddles and open the gates. They sometimes ask questions, like: Is that your boat? Do you live on it? And; is it cold in the winter?

7) Heritage Enthusiasts

The sun-tanned people wearing neckerchiefs and brown cord trousers are from working boats. These are seventy two foot historic boats that travel with a butty of the same size selling fuel to live-aboards or doing contract work for the Canal and River Trust. These people have very beautiful boats decorated traditionally, and they sometimes liveaboard in a tiny boatman’s cabin.

What kind of boater are you? Are you on this list?

Meet the boaters from Boatshed at The Canalway Cavalcade in Little Venice, London, 2nd – 4th May 2015. See the full list of festivals where you can find Boatshed Grand Union this summer at: Canal Boat Festivals 2015: The Ultimate Guide.

Peggy

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