8 / canals rivers + boats - may 2013

Tim Coghlan looks forward to this year’s historic boat rally coming to Braunston Marina in June.

The eleventh Braunston Historic Narrowboat Rally, to be held on 29th – 30th June, will be officially opened by guests of

honour, the celbratory actors and canal enthusiasts Timothy West, recently Eric in Coronation Street and his wife Prunella Scales – Sibyl of Fawlty Towers fame. For the occasion, they will wear traditional boatmen clothing. Timothy West quipped, ‘We are thrilled to be coming at last. We usually charge to dress up. But to support this unique and wonderful canal event, we will waive our fee in this case!’

In the now well established tradition, at 11.00 am on the Saturday of the Rally, Timothy West will steer President into the marina, towing its butty boat Kildare steered by Prunella Scales. Their entry will be fanfared to the sound of Braunston’s church bells and music on the quayside from the Bedford Salvation Army band – to acknowledge the Sallies great works in times past in serving

Celebrity canal enthusiasts Timothy West and Prunella Scales to open 2013 Braunston Historic Narrowboat Rally & Canal Festival

Helmer at the helm! Roger Helmer an MEP for the East Midlands, helming President. He opened the 2011 Rally, which that year featured President & Kildare and the surviving FMC fleet. (David Jowett)

Enter the Titan: The GUCCC Star Class Motor Corona enters Braunston Marina, after passing under Telford’s famous cast iron bridge, in the daily parade of historic working narrowboats. Corona is steered by its owner, veteran canal boatman Trevor Maggs, who has attended every Rally since the first one in 2003. (Tim Coghlan)

the poor working boatmen. (They are needed equally today in looking after the destitute living rough on the canals, and they will be a beneficiary from the Rally.)

Tim Coghlan said, ‘The popularity of the now well-established annual Braunston Historic Narrowboat Rally & Canal Festival, has never ceased to amaze me. It was first organised with our co-sponsors Canals Rivers + Boats in 2003, with the intention of being a one-off. The inspiration was to celebrate the re-launch of the last surviving steam narrowboat President, which had been out of action for some years due to major repairs’.

‘We billed the Rally as a Fellows Morton & Clayton (FMC) Rally, after the great canal carrying company of that name, whose fleet included President and its butty Kildare. And to make up the numbers, any other historic narrowboat was invited. It attracted what seemed like a lot of boats - all of twenty nine, nineteen of which were FMC - and

A close shave: Former IWA Chairman Clive Henderson (C ) joined the 2012 Sunday parade on former FMC Panther, whose female crew wear historic boatwoman costume. The boat is owned and maintained by the Coventry Canal Society and regularly attends the Ralllies. Panther is passing the FMC motor and butty Owl & Northolt. (Tim Coghlan)

that after much work and a lot of arm-twisting. But everyone wanted to do it again, and then again, and each year it has gone from strength to strength’.

canals rivers + boats - may 2013 / 9

EVENT PREVIEW - braunston historic rally

Restoration comedy: Boaters on Admiral (L) – see our front cover - and Stanton exchanging humourous pleasantries when passing on the canal in the parade of boats. Both boats have been subject to recent major restorations – in part inspired by attending the Braunston Historic Narrowboat Rallies. (Tim Coghlan)

The 2012 Rally attracted only 62 historic narrowboats – as officially certified by the Historic Narrow Boat Owners Club. Due to water shortages and lock restrictions, the numbers were well down on the record 113 that attended the 2011 rally, which had enjoyed the largest attendance of such narrowboats at any rally since the end of the working days on the canals. Nevertheless the boats still arrived from all parts of the English canals, and together made a spectacular sight - either packed into the Old Arm of the marina, or moored six deep in places on the Grand Union Canal outside. On parade, they looked awesome - something that has never been successfully replicated at any other canal event. Over six thousand visitors came to the Rally, some travelling from afar afield as Australia and New Zealand, Canada, the US and South Africa.

To keep this annual event special, there is a focus in alternate years between the large surviving FMC fleet - as featured originally in the first rally in 2003 - and all the other fleets

An Arm full: Historic narrowboats and visitors galore in the Old Arm of Braunston Marina. Despite the rain and lock restrictions, 62 historic narrowboats and some 6,000 visitors still attended the 2012 Rally, and the event luckily went ahead to schedule. (Tim Coghlan)

10 / canals rivers + boats - may 2013

EVENT PREVIEW - braunston historic rally

with Braunston associations - Samuel Barlows, Blue Line, Nursers, Willow Wren and the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company. The 2013 rally will again focus on the FMC fleet, and in particular President’s butty Kildare, which is now in its centennial year. It was built for FMC by Braithwaite & Kirk of West Bromwich in 1913.

All the historic FMC narrowboats will be moored in the old Oxford Arm in the marina. Other historic narrowboats will be moored out on the mainline, thanks to the support of the Canal & River Trust. The Rally is open to all historic narrowboats, and those attending will be invited to participate in those now famous daily parades.

The Rally will also include the famous Braunston beer tent, with its range of traditional beers and live music.

To help cover the infrastructure costs and to add to the public interest, trade exhibitors are invited to attend. Canal societies with whom the marina is associated are also invited – being offered free marquee or outside space. There will be an admission charge to the public of £10 per car. All profits will be donated, as usual, to canal and local causes, the main recipient being the canal charity, the Friends of President. The FMC Rally is sponsored by Braunston Marina and Canals Rivers + Boats magazine, with great support from the Canal & River Trust.

With the Rally infrastructure in place for a few days before, Braunston Marina is again sponsoring Day Star Theatre to perform their new satirical comedy The Awakening of Geoffrey Phelps on the Thursday night before (27th June at 7.30 pm). All ticket sales will be donated to All Saints Church’s, Braunston, for its £250,000 restoration appeal.

The engined Butty: The former FMC butty Hampton in fine livery and fitted with a discreetly hidden hydraulic-driven engine to preserve its ornate stern. (David Jowett)

Time for a knees-up on Fulbourne. (Tim Coghlan)

Loaded! A number of coal boats, still plying the canals, attend the rallies by way of a busman’s holiday and a trade get-together. Jules Cook of the coal boat Towcester says the Braunston Historic Narrowboat Rallies are the best event on the canals. (Tim Coghlan)

Boaters with modern narrowboats are welcome to attend, with first-come first-served online moorings on the Oxford Canal and Grand Union Canals north and west respectively of Braunston Turn. Due to the popularity of the event, boaters are advised to come a few days before if they want to be moored relatively close to the Rally.

Tim Coghlan, MD of Braunston Marina says: ‘The success of the ten Rallies to date has made this into THE Historic Narrowboat Rally & Canal Festival. Here’s hoping we see you there.’

Bearded in his lair: ‘Uncle Arthur’, President’s engineer for the 2011 Rally. He is well-experienced in steam as in his youth he worked as a footplate man on the railways. (Tim Coghlan)

Turn and turn about: Historic narrowboat Stanton heading for the Braunston Turn in the parade of boats, where a complicated turn is required. (Tim Coghlan)