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Saturday 3rd
What a fantastic day; the sun and fortune beamed. 200
people gathered from all sectors interested in the waterways, and 40 boats
moored up on Devizes wharf, a good half of which where not at the November
protest. Over 7 pages of petitions gathered on the day.
Michael Ancram MP gave an excellent speech. ALso supporting
us were the Devizes Major and Mayoress along with the Chairman of the K & A
Trust, the Membership and Marketing Director of the Trust, who is also the
Membership secretary of the Devizes Boat Club, past chairmen of the Trust, the
Chairman of the Devizes branch of the Trust, the Chairman elect of the Devizes
branch of the Trust who just happens to be the Chairman of the Devizes Boat
Club, members of the DBC, members of the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust loads of
members of the public and lots of dogs (and not one fight, that's between the
dogs).
The boat club sold hot dogs, burgers, soft drinks and ran
the bar all day, and upstairs in the Trust's wharf rooms prepared food and sold
teas and coffees, as the Wharf theatre could not do the honours this time as it
was the weekend of their 60th anniversary.
The evening carried on with a sell out supper and
entertainment from 'Meet on the Ledge' — a superb evening.
Across the cut, banners &
boats.
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Only 4 weeks old and so right.
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Cyclist, paddler, K & A Trust Director
and DBC Chairman.
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After the speeches.
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Sunday 4th
What a fantastic day for the water levels in the cut. It was
a deluge so breakfast was moved to the wharf rooms for those who survived the
previous day and loads did, not only boaters.
We had a good wind down session then cleared up, put
everything away and locked up. Retired to Unity where we did the
accounts and agreed to give the unsold soft drinks to the Trust for them to
sell (note that the beer completely sold out) and share what proceeds there
where between the Devizes branch of the Trust and the Devizes Boat Club, both
to be ring fenced for SOW endeavours.
The steady stream of boats, during the afternoon, leaving
the wharf in heaving rain and gusting winds must have made anyone who witnessed
it think, why do they do it or that we were absolute nutters.
Text &
photos by Elaine Kirby |
