   
COMING OF AGE
Over 21 years of Canalway Cavalcade
In 2000 we celebrated the eighteenth annual Canalway
Cavalcade and so marked the event's coming of age. In May 1983 the Inland
Waterways Association organised a National Waterways Fortnight during which
each Branch and Region of the Association was asked to provide a range of
activities to promote public awareness of the waterways.
Here in London, a campaign to get London’s canal
towpaths re-opened to the public had recently been completed and we wanted to
mark this with a celebration of the re-created Canalway. So Canalway
Cavalcade was invented as one of the activities for the Fortnight arranged
by what was then IWA’s London Branch. That first event involved a
gathering of boats here in the Pool of Little Venice. The central feature was
the arrival by boat of all the Mayors of the Boroughs through which
London’s canals pass. They had been brought from their home Boroughs in
two boats, one from the East and one from the West, timed to arrive at Little
Venice for the opening ceremony of the event.
That first Canalway Cavalcade was felt a success
and it was decided to repeat it. It is now well-established as an annual event.
A few years later it was decided to fix the date at the May Day Bank Holiday to
gain all the advantages a three-day weekend would offer.
The event has grown steadily. In the early years all the
participating boats would fit into the Pool, so there can’t have been more
than about 70 or 80 of them. In recent years, with anything up to 150 boats
taking part, the event has spread an ever-increasing distance along the
Delamere Terrace moorings to the west of the pool.
Following the coming of age in 2000, the Inland Waterways
Association decided that Canalway Cavalcade had grown to the extent
that its status should be that of a national event. For 2001 it was run by an
organising committee responsibly directly to IWA Council, but from 2002 onwards
the event is being organised by National Waterways Festivals, a wholly-owned
subsidiary of the IWA.
The physical shape of the event has changed a lot over the
years. We used to use Browning's Pool and the Paddington Stone Wharf site. Now
the moorings stretch a long way westwards along the Paddington Branch, and
southwards towards Paddington Basin. Much of our land-based activity now
takesplace in and around the Paddington Central development, wth direct access
from Paddin gton Station. We also now have the use of the amphitheatre in
Sheldon Square for our entertainers.
We have always welcomed a good variety of boats.
Privately-owned narrowboats have, not surprisingly, dominated the scene, but we
have also welcomed many cruisers (more so in the early years, are cruiser
owners on the canal a decreasing minority?) and the occasional barge. There are
various community boat projects in and around London, which provide access to
the waterways for young people, the disabled or other community groups. These
projects have always been particularly welcome at Canalway Cavalcade,
either with their boats or with fund-raising stalls. The event’s profits
have been donated to such projects and to the restoration of derelict
waterways.
Historic narrowboats have always made a good display at our
event. In the last few years we have welcomed some which still work for their
living - in some cases they have come loaded en route to a commercial
destination. We ourselves have used water transport to bring some of our
equipment to the site, often in historic craft, and this year is no exception.
In 1999 for the first time our rubbish-clearance service was also provided by
water, thanks to Messrs Wood, Hall & Heward and Powerday plc.
Boats come to Canalway Cavalcade from all parts.
The majority come from in and around London, and from the Grand Union canal,
but “around” covers a pretty wide range! Quite a few boats come from
the Rivers Lee and Stort in Essex and Hertfordshire, and we always have a
contingent from the River Wey in Surrey and some from the Kennet & Avon
Canal in Berkshire. In 1999 we were visited by a modern working boat,
Stokie, from the Kennet and Avon, then based near Bath. More distant
places from which boats have come in past years include Birmingham, Liverpool.
Derby, Runcorn (Cheshire), Gnosall (Staffs) and Sowerby Bridge (Yorks).
Our trade show has also grown and flourished. Many of our
traders come back year after year and really seem to enjoy the event.
Musical and dramatic entertainments have always been part of
the event. The pageant of decorated boats on the Saturday afternoon has always
been accompanied by Trad Jazz, but the illuminated boats on the Sunday have
enjoyed a variety of musical accompaniment over the years. Folk musicians and
Morris Dancers have taken part in most years as well as a variety of other
musicians. The Fulham Brass Band were regulars for a number of years, and we
have had the pleasure in the past of listening to a steel band, a string group
and a saxophone quartet. Daystar Theatre were with us from our early years
until they gave up canal touring. More recently they were joined here by
Keeper’s Lock, who are now among our regulars. We are pleased that the
puppet-theatre barge, May Brent, is always here at this time of year and
puts on special performances for Canalway Cavalcade, and we have also
welcomed a Punch and Judy boat in recent years..
We are also very fortunate in having the London Waterbus
Company and Jason’s Trip based here and running public boat trips which
link into our event.
Canalway Cavalcade is three different things all at
once. It is a rally for the boaters, marking for many of them the start of
their summer boating. It is a neighbourhood party and a major tourist event
with many visitors from all parts of London and an increasing international
presence. In 1999 we were even asked why we hadn’t sent a Press Release to
the Los Angeles Times!
Over the years we have had good reasons to be grateful to
many organisations who have supported us financially or with goods or services.
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