The John Griff Column: Mooring up on Monday?

The coming bank holiday weekend brings with it the prospect of some great weather with sunshine and mid-twenties temperatures. The motoring groups will soon be putting out warnings of heavy traffic and possible congestion in a mad dash to get away – all very public spirited. But is getting away what we really need to do? And does it really have to be seen as being so mad? Maybe not.

There’s going to be a lot going on right here. From top fuel dragsters hurtling down the Santa Pod runway (noisy), Alpacas doing yoga at Hideaway Wood Farm (peaceful), featured events at Wicksteed Park (families) and a street food festival in Pitsford Quarry (gastronauts) – all of them are within half an hour’s drive or so of the county town. I’m barely scratching the surface of the smorgasbord of what’s on offer – because also taking place will be a trio of festivals co-located in one place and bringing thousands of visitors to site from all over the country at speeds between the national limits of 70 mph and 6 kts.

Kts?

Yes – knots. The Romans used to import shellfish for their armies up the River Nene, while exporting wine back to Rome using the same waterway. Northampton did more trade than did London for a time – the Thames got developed into the arterial route that it is while the junction of the Grand Union Canal and the Nene became something of a pinch point, annexing the East from the rest of the UK. Both continue to serve their purposes today though and are major carriers of vessels mostly associated with recreation and tourism. Now, and for over a quarter of a century, the Crick Boat Show has been celebrating the industrial heritage of the inland waterways which were once the only way to shift heavy cargos from place to place.          

As a child my parents hired a 55 foot long narrowboat and we motored along the Welsh canals, pausing every so often to take in local attractions, pubs and the multitude of locks which lifted or dropped us according to the topography of the land. Far from being bored as I initially thought I might be, I found myself constantly active, whatever the weather. It instilled a love of low speed travelling where the scenery passed at a gentle, walking pace and where a mug of coffee was all I needed as I steered us into the next lock, the boat gently vibrating to the accompaniment a puttering diesel engine. 2 years ago Lois and I chartered a wide bodied 40 foot cruiser on the Thames and did the same thing, setting off close to Runnymede and getting as far as Cookham via Windsor, before being obliged to turn around and retrace our route back to the marina from whence we had started. In 4 days we travelled about as far as we could have covered in 40 minutes by car – but that wasn’t the point. Not a cheap break away, it rekindled the same feelings I’d had as a teenager, challenged us to become boat handlers – and kept us active throughout.

At Crick this weekend there’ll be visitors and friends who started their journeys to be present weeks ago. They’ll be rewarded by beer and music festivals (think Slade and Blondie as headliners – or tribute acts to them at least) as well as a showcase of boats and all things boating for the increasing number of people keen to slow down and engage in a different way of spending time – if not a complete change of lifestyle for those committing to live aboard. Plenty do it – many of them evangelise about the good, the bad, and sometimes the ugly of that degree of change through social media. Sometimes it IS ugly – last December’s breach of the Llangollen Canal embankment saw boats sunk and lives literally turned upside down. Government spending towards the upkeep of the inland waterways is substantially less than it used to be and there are real concerns about the future. Climate change is having an effect on water levels and many areas are in need of dredging to make sure that the inland waterways remain navigable for users, be their tourists or people still making a living on the water. Recreational boating is worth tens of millions to the economy, so maintenance of the national asset is essential.

 At Crick, those challenges won’t be far from mind as a series of masterclasses and debates take place, as well as showing off the latest innovations and luxuries for life on the water that can be found. Imagine and aquatic Motor Show or the Farnborough Air Show for boats, and you won’t be far off what Northamptonshire will be offering throughout the Bank Holiday Weekend. I’ll be there – Lois has warned me not to take a credit card or chequebook in case I’m tempted all over again.

Too bad – I already am…