Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival

Fri 17th June  Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival

We had a very quiet night, despite being in Middlewich. We couldn’t hear any traffic or machines. Great.

We made sure we emptied our cassettes early, as the Elsan point is in the stage and eating area.

We saw on Facebook that Chris and Sally on Kairos were heading in our direction from Stoke-on-Trent.  A few moments later we had a message from Chris and we agreed to meet up later. 

Hazel had woken up with a severe pain round her waist, and then was ill. We suspected a kidney infection like she had before in Aylesbury, so we tried to call the local doctors but couldn’t get through, so we called 111.  After a lot of questions, she had an appointment at 2.40pm.

James put up the BCF banner and went to spy out the land. He found the Boar’s Head pub, and the main stage. He also found the surgery, plus a cut through that would save time for Hazel. 

He wanted to walk back along the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union to see if there were any boats we recognised. When he came to the steps down from the road to the canal he found a peculiar stone stile to cross railings. Not handy if you have any fitness issues or bags of shopping.  No boats we knew. 

Lines of moored boats

 Silly stile at the top of the steps

Hazel went for her appointment and was told it might be kidney stones, and to get it checked out back in Aylesbury when we return in November.

Chris and Sally arrived for a cup of tea and a chat, and we all went to the entertainment area for the boater’s supper.  It was all very laid back, with food arriving much later than planned. The meal was good – chilli, tacos, rice, guacamole, beans and salad.  The drinks were served from an old Fellows, Morton and Clayton open working boat. There were a few good ales apparently, but the only cider was Strongbow.

Chris and Sally

The floating bar

The band was Coda, an Irish harmony group of seven guys. They had a few instruments between them – guitar, whistle, drum, and mandola, none of them with pickups, so they had to use mics.  They were very good, but hard to hear, because there was some difficulty with feedback, so the volume could not go up to where it should have been.  This was coupled with people standing up in front of us, chatting loudly and facing away from the stage, not listening to the music. Why were they there?  We moved later and sat in front of the stage where at least we could hear, but it was quite chilly.

Coda playing at Middlewich Narrowboats

When the band changed and a drum kit with electric guitars arrived we decided to return to the warmth of the boat, from where we could hear the music anyway.

No boating today

Sat 18th June    Middlewich

Busy boating scene by Middlewich Narrowboats

We had decided that we would save water by avoiding washing up, which means eating out during the festival.  We went for breakfast at a cafe we had spotted in Wheelock Street. It was very busy but we found a table. James had a full English, and Hazel had Salmon with cream cheese and scrambled eggs, which was a huge plateful. It set us up for the day.

While we were there, the procession started. We had bands, dancers, gymnasts and drummers going past. It was very entertaining.

 Drummers in the procession

We returned to Middlewich Narrowboats and saw Lazlo Baby on the stage there. They performed music which sounded Eastern European or Israeli. The drummer was a guy we had met on the Huddersfield Canal just before Stalybridge.

Lazlo Baby

We went to the boat to collect our instruments and walked along the towpath and over the canal to the Boar’s Head where there was meant to be an acoustic session starting at 1pm. Nothing happened so we watched Morris sides until about 2.30pm when another couple arrived and we started. They played melodeon and clarinet. Then a guy with a fiddle turned up. We sang quite a few songs and finished at about 5pm.

Morris musicians

We walked back to the boat to park our instruments, collected our chairs and went to the main stage where we had a Thai meal and watched Na Leanai who were excellent. Again it was spoilt by loud voices from people who weren’t there for the music, standing facing away from the stage, drinking and joking with their mates. 

We found Chris and Sally there and we stayed for the next acts, Sultans of String, and Gaz Brookfield. We returned to the boat for a rest, and then James heard a beautiful voice and went to see who it was – Megan Lilly Delaney. Only a teenager, she has real potential. Sadly she didn’t have any CDs with her.  James met a lady who had been at Northwich Folk Club.

No boating today

Sun 19th June  Middlewich

We went to the main stage for the service at 11am led by churches together. They had a large choir and a keyboard, and they were making a joyful sound. The Anglican vicar led it, and the Catholic Priest spoke. It was just what was needed for the event. Chris and Sally were there, and Pauline Wainwright.  We also met Barbara on the Waterways Recovery Group stand, and agreed to meet her later at the Boar’s Head.

Sunday’s choir from Churches Together

We went to the King’s Lock pub to see Na Leanai again. They were meant to be on at 1pm, in a marquee behind the pub, but they were delayed until 1.45 because another band was playing on the grass in front of the pub.  We went to the chip shop and had some huge fish. We didn’t need the chips, so we gave them to the members of Na Leanai. We bought their CD.  Lovely harmonies and instrumental work.

 Na Leanai

We returned to the town to see some art work in the church and a photographic competition in a hall. Then to the main stage in the rain to see Richard Digance, who was very good. Entertaining songs, with brilliant guitar work.

Richard Digance in the rain

Later we were once again in the Boar’s Head for an acoustic session that was meant to start at 6pm. Barbara arrived after her duties were over. It got going finally at 9pm, when a load of people all came in at once, including several brass instruments. It was an excellent time. We left at 11.30pm and it was still going.

Boar’s Head session

Back at Middlewich Narrowboats there was drinking still going on until the small hours.

No boating today

Next week: back up the Trent and Mersey heading for Liverpool