Festival Times - February 2010

The following was published in the IWA's Festival Times newsletter and highlights our two months free membership on offer to all boats visiting this years IWA Festival at Beale Park.

River Canal Rescue (RCR) has long been a great supporter of IWA’s National Festival & Boat Show.  However, 2010 will see them taking that support to a new level.  

All boaters booking in for the 2010 show at Beale Park will – for the first time – be offered two months free breakdown cover from mid-July to mid-September.  During this period, RCR’s engineers can be called out as often as required and will provide engineering expertise to diagnose and repair any engine related mechanical problems.  The only costs will be a simple £35 call-out fee and the price of any spare parts that may be required.

David Pullen, IWA Festival’s Waterspace Director, said:

“This is an extremely generous offer and should be a significant incentive, particularly to any longer distance boaters who may be thinking of a Thames/London ring/K&A trip en route to the Festival at Beale Park. “

RCR is the UK’s leading waterways breakdown and rescue service and the National Festival organisers are sure that this generous offer will be very popular with visiting boaters, especially those who do not normally cruise on rivers.  Full information about the RCR offer will be sent out to boaters with their Festival packs in early June.

Stephanie Horton, RCR's MD, said that "as a company we've supported and worked with the IWA for many years, supporting the IWA awards for 'most enterprising journey', 'longest journey' and 'most enterprising non continuous journey' and we are keen to build on this, especially during the 2010 festival to celebrate the centenary of the birth of Tom Rolt."

The Beale Park Festival will take place alongside the Beale Park estate, Lower Basildon, Berkshire on the River Thames over the August Bank Holiday weekend, 28 – 30 August 2010 and is a great three day celebration of the inland waterways.

Attracting up to 600 visiting craft, including many historic vessels, with hundreds of trade exhibitors and live entertainment, the National Festival is a great day out for everyone.  The 2010 National will also celebrate the Centenary of the birth of Tom Rolt, one of IWA’s founding fathers who was passionate about waterways, steam railways and vintage cars and the organisers hope to reflect this during the Festival.

For further information please visit our website  www.waterways.org.uk and click on Events.

For further information about RCR please see their website www.rivercanalrescue.co.uk

RCR cover for festival boats.

River Canal Rescue, the UK's leading waterways breakdown and rescue service, has a long and successful association with the IWA and their annual festivals held across the UK. However boats attending the 2010 festival will, for the first time, be offered two month breakdown cover by RCR. The temporary RCR breakdown cover, for boats not already RCR clients, will cover a period from mid July to mid September during which RCR's engineers can be called out as often as required (but it's hoped not too often).

With anything up to 600 boats being catered for over the weekend of the festival, RCR can only provide breakdown cover and not crew relay or towing services however it is hoped that having enjoyed the benefits of membership - even for just an eight week period - boat owners will look to extend their membership to include all of the services available to full members. The cost of this temporary cover is nothing! The only fee's to be paid are £35 per call out (assuming the call takes no longer than a couple of hours) and any parts that may be required. Full details will be available from the IWA and included within the information pack being sent to all boats attending.

Stephanie Horton, RCR's MD, said that "as a company we've supported and worked with the IWA for many years, supporting the IWA awards for 'most enterprising journey', 'longest journey' and 'most enterprising non continuous journey' and we are keen to build on this, especially during the festival to celebrate the centenary of the birth of Tom Rolt."

The 2010 National Festival will be held at Beale Park on the River Thames at Pangbourne, near Reading over August Bank Holiday weekend. For more details on the festival visit www.waterways.org.uk and for more details on River Canal Rescues range of breakdown cover visit www.rivercanalrescue.co.uk

Awards at the IWA Festival.

This years IWA Festival provided an ideal opportunity to the winners of a number of trophies, to be presented with their awards by Stephanie Horton, River Canal Rescues MD.

The Nationwide Anglia Trophy for the most enterprising and non continuous journey running from the 1st January 2009 was won by Di and Reece Jones aboard NB Wandering Whimbrel who travelled an amazing 815 miles through 491 locks. Their journey took them the length of the country, including all of the Leeds Liverpool canal from Keadby to the newly opened Liverpool Link and Salthouse Dock. They also included a visit to the Anderton Lift and the River Weaver on their way to the River Soar ending up at the festival at Redhill.

The Robert Aickman Trophy, for the most meritorious and enterprising journey undertaken during the 28 days leading up to the start of the festival, was won by Tony Parks who sailed the 70' NB Tom Tug 154 miles, single handed from London with his wheelchair bound wife. Negotiating a 70' boat through all of the double locks, single handed while still attending to his wife's needs was felt to make Tony more than worthy of the award.

The AP Herbert Trophy for the longest journey during the 28 day qualifying period preceding the start of the festival was won by David Jarvis in NB Orchid 2. Over the 28 days he travelled 495 miles taking a route that began in Leicester and included the River Soar, River Trent, Keadby, Yorkshire Ouse, Selby Canal, River Trent back to the River Soar and then to Redhill.