festival camp Little Venice

Reporting back from the Site Services volunteer team camp that helps to set up, run, and take down IWA’s popular Canalway Cavalcade festival

Canalway Cavalcade 2023 Festival site services camp

Canalway Cavalcade is a waterways festival held every year over the three days of the early May bank holiday weekend in Little Venice near Paddington, London, a highlight of the boating calendar in the south east, and a colourful and popular local attraction. The event is organised by the Inland Waterways Association (IWA) and aims to raise money for IWA, raise awareness of our work and campaigns, and increase membership.

The Site Services team, on site from the Wednesday before the festival until the Tuesday afterwards and a crucial part of making it happen, is made up of a group of volunteers lots of whom are also Waterway Recovery Group volunteers - but for the purposes of this event we are all IWA volunteers. It was estimated that about twenty thousand people visited the event, which raised some very useful funds for the IWA, quite apart from raising awareness of the capital’s canals. This is a little recap of some of the challenges and the fun of this year’s Work Camp.

Wednesday: A Tricky Start. As with any festival there is a huge amount of equipment which needs to be collected and brought to the site. Logistics are made trickier by the fact that many volunteers live considerable distances from London, and the equipment has to be picked up from three different locations. So while most of us started Wednesday by jumping on the train from Middlesbrough, Manchester, Bristol and other places, team leader Pete’s journey took him from Peterborough to Moose and Maria’s at Stanstead Abbots to pick up the event trailer, with the London WRG van that Martin had already brought up from East Dulwich. Bungle and Digger also used WRG vans to bring the two generators from the hire company and tow them into London.

So far so well. But John had the job of collecting the hire van from Enterprise and when he got to their Paddington depot found they didn’t have a single suitable van for him to use (with three sitting in varying states of repair in the car park), so they had to drive him a considerable distance South of the River to another depot. This meant that by the time John got to his first pick up point, IWA head office in Chesham, who were in the middle of their office move that day, he was quite considerably delayed.

We all started to arrive at Little Venice, greeted by Moose and Maria who had arrived by narrowboat and were handing out cups of tea and rock cakes. We were all in good spirits, happy to see each other again, excited for the week ahead and blissfully ignorant at this point of just how delayed John was. We started doing as many jobs as we could, such as unloading the Heras fencing and pedestrian barrier, and setting up our kitchen and dining marquee. But as time went on, we realised that John had the trolleys in his van and without them it was going to be quite difficult to complete many more of the set-up jobs, such as getting the huge amount of shopping that Anne had ordered from Sainsbury’s over to the work camp.

However, never scared of a challenge we improvised, using wheelbarrows and borrowing the cage trolleys from Sainsbury’s to wheel the food across to the work camp. John eventually arrived around 5:30pm which after a quick van unload (made easier with the trolleys that were on it), the kitchen could be finally plumbed up with a water supply (the pipe is part of the kit that comes from Chesham) and the store tent erected in preparation for the next delivery of event equipment.

Anne and Tracy had very kindly volunteered to cook for us for the week. Not only did they cook for us (which is no mean feat in a very simple field kitchen, in a marquee, next to the canal, for an ever-changing number of people, on a budget, and to very movable timings...) this year they went above and beyond in order to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Canalway Cavalcade by designing a themed menu [See below] for the week and creating themed decorations as well. The decorations, which included Paddington bear bunting, hanging Pirate decorations, tablecloths and table decorations made the work camp marquee feel very festive and were a welcome boost for everyone. Seeing Tracy sat preparing the decorations with a huge pile in front of her I suggested she rope in Paul and Dave to help, and as with everything we ever ask of them they willingly obliged, although I bet Dave regretted it after breaking one and getting ratted out to Tracy!

The hearty meal boosted our spirits after a longer than expected day and after the delectable moose-like dessert [Should that be mousse-like? Probably not... ], enjoyed from our improvised dining furniture (the tables and chairs don’t arrive until Thursday morning) we all flopped into our floating beds onboard narrowboats Merlin (Hillingdon Narrowboat Association), Ben

Themed 40th Anniversary

Menu

Wednesday: Spaghetti Bolognese, Fudge cake and cream (commemorating the WRG Van fundraising fudge stall)

Thursday: Chicken curry and rice, Eton Mess and mar malade cake (Paddington Bear)

Friday: Black bean hash with jacket potatoes, Sticky toffee pudding and honey cake (Pirates)

Saturday: Roast pork with all the trimmings, Curly Wurly cheesecake and rocky road, Fizz & Birthday cake (40th Anniversar y Celebration and nod to Curly Wurly bridge and cobbles)

Sunday: Chicken and leek cobbler, Tom Pudding (Boating)

Monday: Cottage pie, Rescue apple and maple traybake and rubbish cake (Rubbish and recycling)

Gorton (the Scout Boat), Pickles Folly (South West Herts) and Opportunity (Laburnum Boat Club).

Thursday morning started with sausage sandwiches and lots of cups of tea and then we launched into the festival set-up jobs. The Electrical team of Bungle, Digger and Jon headed off to start running the miles of cable around the site to power the traders, caterers, boats, lighting and PA system, after a discussion over the best plan to collect a package that had been delivered to the BBC (typical WRG logistics). Bungle having considered the options such as Tube, buses, walking, hire bikes, he realised that Darren on his daily run could be a good option. The rest of us started with one of my favourite jobs, using NB Opportunity to move tables and chairs across from one side of the canal where they get unloaded by the supplier to the other side where they’re needed for the entertainments tent and bar.

After tea break we started everyone’s favourite job of moving the Portaloos into position using pallet trucks which was the perfect time for our Duke of Edinburgh’s Award volunteer Steph to arrive (and probably instantly regret her decisions!). Later we assembled gazebos, marquees and market stalls as well as making a start on putting up some of the many banners around the site and moving the display equipment and stock into the IWA marquee. After dinner a number of us made our annual pilgrimage to The Warwick Castle for a few drinks.

Friday is all about final preparations. The Electrical team put up festoon lights in the bar, around the pontoon and over the horsebridge, and Martin, Sue and Verena joined us to help set up the Information Stands, hang banners and set out the mooring rope in time for the visiting narrowboats to start making their way into Browings Pool which is the centre of the event, and moor end-on to the towpath. Dave and Emma got the job of putting up the wayfinder signs around the wider Paddington area, Emma because she knows where the signs go, and Dave because his height meant he could put the signs out of reach of kids! The area for the stalls on Warwick Crescent footpath was fenced off and the required market stalls erected. Friday evening saw a packed-out bar tent for Martin Ludgate’s Boaters Quiz, with his glamorous assistant Helen, with proceeds going to London WRG funds for essential equipment for their weekend canal restoration working parties. A good time was had by all, especially those sampling the bar’s ‘special cider’.

Saturday morning started bright and early with all hands on deck to get the traders into place and set up before the show opened to the public at 10am. The traffic team consisting of Martin, Emma N, Steph and me had the additional challenge this year of our usual route around the top of the amphitheatre being taken over by contractors, meaning we had to walk the traders’ cars and vans a longer, narrower and trickier route to their pitches but using our radios to communicate between ourselves, and combined with the traders being very understanding, we were able to manage the situation successfully.

The breakfast fairy made her first delivery of the weekend (there is an almost constant flow of traders in and out through the site so limited opportunity to head back to camp for breakfast). The biggest vehicles like the fairground rides and ice cream van proved extra challenging and we all breathed a sigh of relief when they were in place.

Up on Warwick Crescent, the team of Pete, Karen, Paul, Dave, Moose, David and Darren removed the fencing to get the traders in place and distributed all the publicity materials, card readers and chairs to the information stands around the site. Amongst all the busy setting up activity on Warwick Crescent there was a case of mistaken identity which resulted in the coffee bike setting up in the wrong place but being the helpful hands-on kind of team we are, Pete volunteered Karen and Darren to push the coffee bike to its correct location, on the opposite side of the site, after some air (maybe not enough) had been added to the tyres! By 10am everyone was set up and ready to greet the public.

At 1.30pm Darren, Martin, Steph and I closed the horsebridge for the Opening Ceremony, with welcoming words from Canal & River Trust Chief Executive Richard Parry, IWA Chairman Les Etheridge who spoke about the newly launched IWA Campaign ‘Protect Our Waterways’ and Hamza Taouzzale, the youngest ever Lord Mayor of Westminster who spoke about the event being the 40th Anniversary since the first event in 1983 being many years before he was born in 1999! Immediately after the ceremony the Pageant of Decorated Boats, organised by Helen, commenced with loads of the narrowboats making their way into the pool, decorated to reflect the theme of the 40th Anniversary.

On the Saturday evening Anne and Tracy hosted a 40th Anniversary meal to celebrate the occasion, stepping up the decorations again, and providing a beautiful meal complete with a glass or two of fizz and a wonderfully decorated birthday cake. We also enjoyed our meal to the sounds of the very talented performers taking part in the Variety Night that was happening in the entertainment tent next door. Moose & Maria offered to do the last job of the day, fencing up the bar when it closes to allow us to have an early night which was gratefully accepted, and left the rest of the gang to enjoy ‘homemade spirits night’ which has become a bit of a tradition, fuelled mainly by Emma N’s homemade strawberry, blackcurrant, gooseberry and ‘whatever else she’s grown on her allotment’ gin.

Sunday: much the same as Saturday really with the traffic team doing what they do and the rest of the team opening up Warwick Crescent and readying the site for another day of the public. We were joined by Ricey and Cathleen who joined to bolster the troops over the second half of the camp. Over the weekend once the festival is up and running, we get to sit back and enjoy it with just a few jobs to do such as servicing the boats, keeping the Information Stands topped up with leaflets, litter picking, and Paul’s favourite job of helping the Punch & Judy man set up and pack away. The lovely weather meant that Rembrandt Gardens was packed with families enjoying the zorbs, circus skills, Punch & Judy and performances, as well as the kayaking and arts & crafts activities run by waterways charity The Pirate Castle.

Sunday night highlight: the illuminated boats

Another highlight of the festival is the Boat Handling competition with different categories for level of experience and challenge the handlers to do things like reversing around the island, pulling alongside the pontoon to shake hands with the judge, and rescuing an overboard passenger. Always up for a challenge, Adrian entered the competition using narrowboat Shaldon, borrowed from Dennis, ably assisted by Rachel and Steph, also giving Steph her first experience of handling a narrowboat.

Yet another highlight of the event takes place on Sunday night, the Procession of Illuminated Boats, where thousands of people gather around the pool at dusk to get a good view of the procession as the boats enter the pool to music, whoops and cheers all compered by Master of Ceremonies Craig Haslam. The boat owners who enter are such good sports, spending ages decorating their boats, and sometimes themselves, with miles of fairy lights and navigating the waterways in the dark which isn’t easy but we’re very appreciative of them for putting on such a good show for us to enjoy.

Monday is another full day of the event, and the last chance to enjoy the music of the bands, shop for souvenirs and gifts from the stalls, and sample the delights of the food stalls. It was around this time that Paul realised he’d got mixed up with the dates of the camp and booked his train home a day later than everyone else...

The Awards Ceremony took place in the afternoon which we helped prepare for by helping move the trophies and prizes and table up to the bridge from their prestigious holding location of Speedwell’s bathtub. During the day we take it easy to conserve energy for the big take down on Monday evening, just doing little jobs around the site like pumping out the grey water tank. Unfortunately the hose we use is getting a bit old and has a few little holes in it which made a fun new game of standing poised with buckets ready to throw them over the jets before they get you! It was time for Steph to depart to catch her train, having very successfully completed her DofE residential having learnt a lot including the art of mumping, how to steer a boat, exactly how portaloos are serviced, and how to get an Ice cream van into a very tight space.

The Monday night event take down started with a team briefing and 4pm and energy boosting bowl of cake and biscuits to see us through until dinner. A few of us used the leftovers to make little ‘snack packs’ for an extra boost. We were joined by Ian, Tim, Karen and Helen and the team made their way around the site packing down gazebos, marquees, market stalls, banners, informa- tion stands, lights, PA systems, cables, fencing, barriers and loading everything into the vans ready to leave early the next morning and get back in time for everyone to make their journeys home. Despite it being a late night, the team pulled together to get everything done, with Paul euphemistically describing it as ‘making memories’. And good ones they are too.

Tuesday: The final pack up and clearing of site! Most of the event is packed away Monday evening; however the workcamp still remains to strip down and pack into the trailer as well as loading up the Heras fencing for collection and moving the portaloos back around to where they were dropped off. It is a bit of a challenge to get as much done as early as possible, especially the labour intensive jobs as people slowly start dispersing to catch trains back home as the day goes on. The final van left site around 5:30pm.

A massive thank you to everyone who volunteered with us, whether for one day or all six, we couldn’t do it without you, but it’s the laughs that we have along the way together that make all the hard work worth it.

Emma Greenall