Only a few weeks to go until River Canal Rescue’s 25th anniversary celebration! The free family-friendly party is from 1-7pm on Sunday 8 June, at the Stafford Riverway Link Grounds, Baswich, Stafford, ST17 4FR. Near RCR HQ (br 101 on the Staffs &Worcs canal).
Bringing together the local community, boaters, past and current RCR members, staff and families, everyone is welcome to this fun day out.
There’s live music from traditional and Dixieland jazz quartet, the Bill Bailey band; country/folk and Irish traditional songs from Kevin O’Regan; country & western and rock n roll covers from Johnny Flinton; a high-octane rock/indie performance from Blitz, and pop/rock/country /indie sessions from the Oss Road band (their name is the black country/Birmingham slang for the canal towpath – the Oss Road/Horse Road).
The Bill Bailey band. Courtesy of Living Heritage Events.
Food & drink options include: Indian and Caribbean, bbq, pizza, crepes, toasties, donuts, candyfloss and ice-cream, plus cocktails, real ale/cider, wine, iced/bubble tea and frappes.
Crafts, wood carving, art, books, antiques, confectionary, raffles, prize draws, tombolas, holistic head spas & facials and honey tasting are on offer courtesy of roving traders and stalls. Children’s activities include: fairground games, a bouncy castle/slide, face painting and a chance to meet the local police.
Keen sponge throwers have an opportunity to give some RCR engineers a soaking while they’re in the stocks and RCR’s Key Diesels team will be providing short engine familiarisation courses. Look out for the ABC marinas, Penkridge chandlery, Canal & River Trust, River Canal Rescue, Fund Britain’s Waterways and Stafford Riverway Link stands.
All proceeds from the day will go to the Stafford Riverway Link – a charity working to connect the Staffs & Worcs Canal with the rivers Penk/Sow, enabling navigation onto Stafford town centre. The SRL is running a buy a brick campaign, to help pay for a towpath and farm traffic bridge over what will eventually be the connection between the Staffs & Worcs Canal and Baswich mooring basin.
The winner and runners-up of RCR’s national story-telling competition will also be announced. Deadline the end of May, first prize is £700 towards a CRT licence, runner-up £300 in chandlery vouchers and third-place £200. Find out more here
Mooring is available on the Staffs & Worcs Canal and parking at RCR’s Baswich HQ. If you’d like to party with RCR, please register your interest by clicking here, so the team has an idea of numbers.
