The Canalway Cavalcade is the face the Waterways presents to London, so it's potentially the most influential event, at least in the way it alerts the non-boating public to the canals.
Perhaps I'm getting jaded, but it doesn't seem as energetic as in previous years. The gardens on the north side of Browning Pool were sealed off this year - they are being repaired.
I was intrigued to see the Church of Scientology was an exhibitor. How did that one slip past the organisers? Their tent was full of orange-anoraked 'ministers', who were giving 'free stress tests' to show visitors, and I wouldn't mind betting that everyone who took the test was found to be close to mental disintegration. I shouldn't be so cynical, but I'm wary of the evangelising of any religion, especially one that isn't really a religion. But if there are boating Scientologists, I don't see why there can't be a Scientology stand, in my view. However, are there any boating Scientologists? Is the a Boating Scientology Fellowship?
Brian Jarrett was there with his 'pop pop boats'. He's been a regular fixture at most major boat shows over the years, and I'd have thought that every child in the land would have seen them by now, but he's still surrounded at every show by captivated children. He seems to hand the boats out like candy, and their parents seem to hand him fivers like pennies. Here's how to make your own pop-pop boat, but you may well feel it's easier just to hand Brian a fiver.
What startled me most about the Cavalcade this year was the price of the street food. At least a pop-pop boat gives hours of fun, but a hot dog or a burger - weight for weight the price of a Ferrari - is gone in sixty seconds. This year, for the first time, I witnessed the £5 hot dog.
£5. You heard me. It doesn't matter that it was a 'posh dog' - organic or wholefood or whatnot - at that price I think it ought to be jolly well fortified with illegal substances! The best food, for me, was at the Caribbean Hut, although even a tray of their jerk chicken with rice an' peas (yum yum) was £6.50. Eating out is expensive in London these days, even when the eating's truly out.
Peter was there, selling his toys, puppets and AS Folding Bikes. As I've said before, the bikes are damn good value at (mostly) under £150, but they still have those irritating jerky derailleur gears which are always in the wrong gear when you start off. He always looks clever when he folds up one of those bikes in ten seconds, though. I photographed the folding sequence last year, but dammit, I've lost all my photos of the Cavalcade from last year.
I stepped aboard the new British Waterways information boat. It's a shiny, black broadbeam 'narrowboat', it's got a wheelchair ramp to the gunwale, then a stiff couple of steps down into the well deck, and more steps inside. And it's full of brochures, and there's a reception desk, and some private rooms up the back which I presume are full of more leaflets and which they don't rent by the hour. What more do you want to know? Well, there's a great big 'squarial' at the front which apparently is a wireless internet link to the adjacent BW HQ so they can surf the web when the boss isn't there. This boat replaced the old Little Venice Toll House office, which closed last year. The Toll House is still dark and empty, still unlet.
I was struck by the colourful brilliance of Beverley Clarke's crafts stand. She's school of Phil Speight, and her work does have something of his clean, bright approach.
Many of the restoration societies (WRG and the various canal societies had stands there, but most of them seemed to be 'clobber' stalls, full of books and second hand stuff, with no real placards or name badges. I got to chatting to a couple of guys on one of them, and they turned out to be on the BITM (pron. 'bittum') stand. This stands for the 'Wergie's' 'Bit In The Middle', meaning all those the southern midlands waterways encompassed by Braunston, the Cotswolds, and the Grand Union down to the Thames.
But it was really hard to tell some of these organisations apart - you knew they were kindly souls giving their free time to raise money and help out, but you couldn't help wonder which was which.
Hint to BITM and others: distinguish yourself! When people come to your stand, they want to know what Americans call the 'elevator pitch'; that is, what is is it that you are all about, in thirty seconds or less?
I suppose the magic of the Cavalcade is really all about those splendid narrowboats moored end-on to the towpath. If you've not been there before, you'll walk along and try to peer in to the boatman's cabins and wonder what on earth possesses people to take up canal boating, especially in such a circumscribed space as the average narrowboat.
Wandering around a back street, I was approaching a crowd gathered on one of those London Walks, and stumbled across a paving slab, nearly losing my balance. I recovered my balance, but not my dignity, in front of twenty or so tourists. As I walked past, I recognised the guide, a smokey-voiced actress called Emily. I've seen her before, and she does a good tour. My stumble interrupted her spiel and she asked me "Did you have a good trip?"
"Yes, thanks. I'm going again in the fall", I shot back. The crowd erupted with laughter (American-accented, I realised), and Emily smiled and said "very quick, I like it!". So did I - I felt good to trump her.
I met my dear Christine late in the afternoon and we had dinner at the Cafe Laville, overlooking the portal to Maida Vale Tunnel. This has to be one of the most exotic restaurant views in London, and very affordable. I've cruised underneath it so many times and it looks expensive, but I was surprised how quiet and cafe-like and cheap not too expensive it is inside. You can have just a coffee and pastry if you like.
Afterwards, while Christine nipped home for an early night, I just had to see the illuminated boats. The Little Venice gathering is the premier canal boat light parade, or rather it was until the Birmingham's Christmas festival started last year (with a thousand-pound prize).
But something went out of the lights in Little Venice this year, and there were few 'ooh-ah' moments. It's hard work doing an illuminated boat and there are no financial incentives in the London show, so I can understand it.
Perhaps the most arresting was the bright diamond-blue display on one of the three Boater's Christian Fellowship boats. It was the only boat truly to light up the basin.
I thought I'd be the first blog to post something about the Cavalcade, but I was beaten to it a few minutes ago by Wongablog. Wongablog's got some great photos.
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