Boats getting in position at the
entrance to the Rochdale Canal in Castlefield, Manchester.
Photo by Martin Clark
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An outside broadcast for BBC News 24 is taking place on the
right, with local organiser Graeme Bridge at the microphone.
Photo by Martin Clark
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Organiser Graeme Bridge writes :-
All attending considered it a very successful event. We had
about 26 (mostly Bridgewater) boats which considering the awful weather earlier
in the day was a very good turn out. We were fortunate that BBC News 24 crew
were in attendance all day and sending back reports almost hourly to the News
24 studio.
I set the scene (in the hat) in the first report shortly
after 9.00 am though it has to be said everything is a brief sound bite and the
reporter has his slant on the way he want the interview to go. I think I got
the right message across thanks to the SOW team. I then did a couple of
interviews for BBC Radio, one to go out on in the "PM" prog on Radio 4.
Next came an interview with IAN STEWART local MP who was
joined by Sue Day from the Horse Boat Soc who in her traditional garb added
some colour to the scene.
Others interviewed were Branch Chairman IWA and our "celeb"
boater Mathew Corbett, some local boaters also had their say.
The regional ITV (Granada) then appeared about an hour late
and so we went through the whole horn sounding, placard waving thing again for
their benefit.
Local press photographers rounded off the "media" bit and
the willing volunteers set to work filling petition forms.
Thanks and very well done to all who helped.
I think that this must be one of the best campaigns ever and
shows what can be achieved with modern technology and everyone pulling in the
same direction. Many congratulation to "the team" and all who supported them.
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