IWA announces site for National festival 2008

March 30, 2007, 11:26 am

The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) have announced that the 2008 National Trailboat Festival will be held over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend of 24th and 25th May 2008 on the Grand Western Canal in Devon.

Neil Edwards, IWA chief executive, said, “We are delighted to be working with Devon County Council’s Canal Ranger Service, which, in partnership with various interested organisations and individuals, will be planning and managing the IWA event on this beautiful waterway.

IWA’s Waterway Recovery Group (WRG) has undertaken several Canal Camps working on both the navigable and derelict sections of this canal in recent years. The Festival will be a fitting celebration of all the work by many people to improve the canal for all waterway users.”

Good position to welcome boating activity

In the last five years, Devon County Council has spent several hundred thousand pounds dredging the canal thereby securing its future. The final phase of these works is presently under way in the section of canal between the Tiverton Basin and Manley Bridge, near Halberton, and so by 2008 the County Council’s section of the canal will be fully navigable and in a good position to welcome more boating activity.

Des Hannon, County Councillor for Tiverton East and Chairman of the Canal’s Joint Advisory Committee, said, “I’m delighted that we’ve been awarded this prestigious event for the Grand Western Canal. It’s also great news for canalside communities and Mid Devon at large. This will be a big event. It will introduce new visitors to Mid Devon. It will also involve lots of local people and local organisations in the preparations. Most important of all, it will be a fantastic weekend of fun for everyone in May 2008!”

Good news for canal and mid-Devon

Canal Manager, Mark Baker said, ‘This is fantastic news for the canal and we hope to attract all sorts of trailed boats from around the country. The event will offer several thousand local people the opportunity of a great day out enjoying a wide range of stalls and entertainments, whilst learning more about the canal.’

He added, “Waterways in the south west are currently experiencing a renaissance with regeneration schemes planned or underway at a number of canals and rivers. We hope to attract more visitors to these waterways, thereby benefiting the local economy; and to inspire more local people to consider boating and canoeing as a pastime.”

(this article was taken from waterscape.com)