The festival

27/6/2018


We  happened to be in Braunston last weekend, for a historic boats' festival, held annually.

The village sits at the junction of the Oxford and Grand Union Canals, an old, sleepy village up the hill from the junction, a traditional butcher selling veg, milk, and oh, meat, a cafe, small supermarket . From the village,  old rights of way lead down to the canal, thronged with boats, some moored 4 abreast.  Old working boats,  70' long, paired with a butty, unpowered, same length. Many steam powered, others with old precious shiny engines,  emitting a slow chug chug,  distinctive, the heart beat of the craft.

Poirot aka David Suchet opened the festival, Tim West and Prunella Scales aka Mrs Basil Fawlty were wandering in the crowd. Two retrievers shared an ice block. Black faced Morris dancers wearing all black, helmeted, pheasant feathered.  A brass band.  At night 2 clever women staged a play based on the barge women in WWII, the Idle Women aka Inland Waterways workers.

We met up with the Cap'n 's cousin and husband from Kent,  with their dog, which made a fascinating day even more memorable.

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