Bob Abell News At Ten, Marple Locks Festival.

Marple Festival report......Sunday 3rd July 2011

 

The lovely weather was a fine start to the day!

Found the event field eventually.....Would have made life easier if "Memorial park" was mentioned on the blog......and....."off Garth Lane" too!

 

Got there at 9.00 am to find that all the setting up was completed. So that was a another nice start!

It is lovely, quiet and peaceful at this time of the day and strolling round the multitude of stands was very pleasant.

I now realise, I should have come in the camper with Joyce and Rosie......They would have had a nice time......Blame the Wimbledon final!

 

The club stand was very close to the canal, and handy for carting the models to the water for a sail or two, barge traffic permitting, and also, next door to the food tent.....Having brought a bagfull of butties and stuff, I felt somewhat miffed!

 

The Memorial Park is a very pleasant site for the Festival and is full of local history, which I am always interested in. The park was originally part of a giant mill complex called Hollins Mill. The mill was demolished only about 40 years ago, leaving the Big House, (Hollins House) which is now the Council Offices, standing.
The parkland was given to the Marple public is memory of four sons of the family, lost in the Great War.

 

Anyway, enough of the distant past, let`s get back to reality and the show!

There were lots of stalls to stand and stare at......Our impressive club complex, the lovely "Save the Donkeys"......Wood turning and Hobbies fretwork stall......a few historical canal preservation societies and Stockport Heritage were there too......Did you know that on Vol 24, the front cover was painted by the writer?......Yep!....Sure did!

 

More stalls.......Football comp for the kids, lucky dips and Tombola, French bowls, coconut shy. Splat the rat stall, Robinsons Dray horses, barge pulling horses, gardening section....etc...... Did anyone spot the strange flower bed?.....A normal flower bed, but it also had...tomato plants, pea bushes, full of peas!....lettuces and onions!......Somebody had a sense of humour?

 

The canal itself was very interesting, the locks were in full swing, can`t imagine where all that water came from!  Most of the barge owners were dressed in contempary costume and the work horses were lovely gentle creatures and nice to talk to.

 

A few brave club members managed a sail, but the water level was far too low for easy boat launching.

The sun beat down all day and I was forced against my will, to seek sustenance in one of the many refreshment houses in the town!

 

Alas, five hours of wandering around in the heat, finally took it`s toll on my poor little legs.......So I sneaked off home!

 

Bob

Long way down

Aikaido

Boating area

Breeses and horses

Club corner

EST Donkeys

Country singer

Football

Fret worker

Geoff Gartside

Martin and John

Stick-em-up

Stockport Heritage

That a way

Time for a brew

Trio

Can't ask for a better report than that hey.

Thanks very much Bob.

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