We are crammed to, above and beyond the gunwhales (“gunnels” if you prefer) this week, as I’m frantically stock making and collecting ready for FAB next weekend.
FAB, Folk and Boat Festival is an annual shindig in Middlewich, that’s been going since 1990. It brings together the towns long canal history – boats have been transporting salt and coal and other goods along the Trent and Mersey through the town for over 200 years.
Not only do heritage boats form an important part of the festival, but more modern boat traders create a floating market on the towpath, and some, like us and The Hippie Boat won’t be floating this year but static. We are at Middlewich Wharf and The Hippie Boat are on the main event field.
Middlewich is a location familiar to boaters passing through from either the Trent and Mersey or coming across from the Shropshire Union via the Middlewich Branch and Wardle Canal. The Wharf (or top wharf as it’s also known in some guides) stands at the top of the flight of three single locks. Its historic canopy is a beautiful feature over the towpath at this point (and a welcome moment of shelter for those of us walking dogs or rushing with a windlass between the flight and King’s or Wardle Locks.
Middlewich Wharf is now a family-owned business for Samantha and Paul Donnelly. It is their family home and also home to a wide range of services for boaters – diesel, pump out, water, Elsan, laundry and a chandlery plus a dry dock, a brokerage selling boats, but also the base for a fleet of luxurious hire boats – Floating Holidays. It’s an ideal place to start and finish a canal holiday because it allows you so many options in terms of where to travel and what to see – the Four Counties Ring, Cheshire Ring and Llangollen Canal as well as jaunts up the private Bridgewater Canal.
This weekend Middlewich Wharf will also be hosts to a wonderful range of music plus a bar, and we will be running a Moving Crafts stall with our work and also art and music from the one-and-only Kat On Board. If you’re at FAB come and say hello – we’ll be around from Friday afternoon until close of play on Sunday.
The musical line up at the Wharf is great as you can see, and we can’t wait to be part of this FAB festival again. It really does live up to its name with music at places and pubs across the town, activities for children (and dogs), families and individuals. The floating market wends its way from near Big Lock and this year includes Star Crafts and Embroidery, Beanie Boat with wool and amazing soaps, plus two cheese boats and loads of others currently making their way to Middlewich.
We’re hugely grateful to Middlewich Wharf for hosting us this year, it’s so good to be a part of this vibrant, fun Festival even though we can’t have the boat there. It doesn’t seem so bad being fairly static when such generous friends enable you to get involved in community events. Being static actually seems to be advantageous in some respects. Local to where we are I’ve been fortunate to have items taken for sale by local cafe self, and had the opportunity to get involved in their events.
And now… wait for it… whilst we’re here for a bit, I’ve taken the plunge and enrolled once more as a student! Learn of what and why next week!
Pickingupducks 