Saturday 11 May 2013

Skipton Waterway Festival

Last weekend saw the annual Waterway Festival held in Skipton. It runs over three days on the May Day bank holiday weekend, so we decided to have a drive over there on Sunday.


This year, for the first time, there was a park and ride which meant we didn't have to hunt for a car parking space in the centre of town. The car could be parked at the Auction Mart where there were a fleet of vintage buses to take us right to the centre of the action. The park and ride which was funded by Yorkshire Water was free, but we made a donation towards the upkeep of the lovely buses.


There were lots and lots of boats which had sailed in to Skipton to attend the festival all lined up along the edges of the canal. Many sported bunting, and many were decorated to reflect this year's festival theme of cartoons.


I loved this Winne the Pooh boat, it had so much going on.



There was even a hunny inspired picnic at the front of the boat.


You couldn't fail to miss this Yellow Submarine boat, it was so bright and cheery.



We walked along the canal looking at all the effort which the owners had put in to decorating their boats, there were some fabulous creations.

I couldn't help but sneak a peek inside this boat as all the crochet goodness caught my eye.


I don't think this boat is sea worthy, it's a flower planter at the side of the canal.


As we sauntered along the canal, we came to the water wheel at High Corn Mill. This is a renovated mill which now houses shops and businesses. The mill now provides power, via the National Grid to twenty local buildings.


We often see ice cream vans, not so often ice cream boats. It looked to be doing a roaring trade.


Eleanor decided against an ice cream, opting instead for a snow cone from one of the festival stalls.


There were lots of events throughout the course of the day including a raft race. We watched from the canal basin and cheered on the contestants.



The Furness Morris Dancers kept the crowds entertained.



I loved their waistcoats, each one is different and hand sewn. They depict a scene relating to the area where the wearer comes from.


It was a great fun packed day with a carnival atmosphere. Different bands played to the crowds, who joined in singing and dancing in the sunshine. It was lovely to just sit and watch.

There was something for everyone there, including craft and retail stalls, catering units, children's activities including a bouncy castle, climbing wall and trampolines, and the RNLI Lifeboat.


The candy floss was very tempting, but I resisted.


Birds of prey are a regular attraction at these kind of events and I always make a beeline for them. This is a Buzzard. That beak could do serious damage.


This Little Owl is our smallest species, though it's not native to the UK.


All in all we had a wonderful day out. The sun was shining, there was plenty of entertainment and as we took a picnic, we didn't have to spend a penny, except for petrol to get there. I shall definitely mark it on my calendar for next year, it was a thoroughly good day out.

32 comments:

  1. Looks like you had a super time.

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    1. We had a wonderful day, I can highly recommend this festival, all good fun.

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  2. I'm glad you had a good day out, it does look fun & I wouldn't have been able to resist the candyfloss.

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    1. It was very hard resisting the candy floss, and lots of other goodies too, there were lots of yummy food stalls.

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  3. So much to see and do at this festival event. It certainly looks like you had a good day out. Our grand daughter would have loved to see the Beetles themed canal boat!

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    1. There was loads going on, something for everyone. The sun was shining too which is always nice for these type of outdoor events.

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  4. Oops - I meant The Beatles - not the creepy crawlies!

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    1. It certainly wouldn't have been very appealing to me had it been decorated as a beetle, yuck. I think it must have been the brightest boat on the canal.

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  5. What a fabulous day out, and a great idea to have the park and ride as I find it makes life so much easier.

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    1. It was a lovely day, so much going on. I always look for park and rides now, it's much easier than looking for a parking space in town centres.

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  6. Fantastic Photos! What a wonderful day out, I will pop that on my calendar for next year too. We love Skipton, my rellies live in Gargrave and my cousin works in Santander in the market place.

    Park & Rides are brilliant, we always use them if available it takes so much stress out of trying to find a parking space. I would have resisted the candy floss but not sure I would have resisted a trip into Whittakers lol

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    1. I'm sure you'd enjoy this festival, I know we'll definitely go again. I love Skipton too, the hustle and bustle of a town without it being too big a place. My mouth's watering just thinking about Whittakers.

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  7. That looks like such a fun day out. I must try and go next year. I love the look of the ice cream boat! x

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    1. I'm definitely going to mark it on my calendar for next year, such a fun outing, and it's on for the full weekend so a choice of days to go. I'm sure that Bella and Angus would enjoy it, there's plenty of things for children to do, and of course, Skipton itself is lovely too.

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  8. That's definitely my kind of a good day out, and I'd have a candy floss!
    I like the idea of a park and ride using vintage buses.
    Like you I make a beeline to the birds of prey. I've always been fascinated by owls, but sadly have rarely seen any in the wild.
    Thanks for a most enjoyable post with terrific photos. Flighty xx

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    1. The sad thing about the vintage buses is that I remember them from my childhood, makes me feel old. I've never seen an owl in the wild, though I've heard them. They're such beautiful birds.

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  9. This looks like a super day out. I would have made a beeline for the birds of prey too! This Festival seemed to have a bit of everything - a good idea to have vintage buses for the Park and Ride. I liked the comfy crocheted blankets on the barge as well.
    June

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    1. It was such a super day out, lots of things to do and see. I loved all the different boats, and you could actually go on board some of them and have a look round.

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  10. Yes, that is definitely our kind of day out. I love the canals and the birds of prey are always on my list of favourites. We saw them at Thorpe Perrow and loved every minute of it. I am always sticky beaking at crafty things that other people have too. My friend in Hipperholme sent me a photo of a Morris Traveller with a quilt on the back seat. (I love quilts and we have a Morris ute.)

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    1. Birds of prey are a regular feature at events like these now, they're always really well behaved too. I'm always on the lookout for crochet these days, I love to see what other people create.

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  11. Looks like a lot of fun, Jo. :o)

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    1. It was a lot of fun. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves in the sunshine.

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  12. When we holiday at a particular place in Somerset, we could hear the Little Owls hooting and could see them sitting on street signs! The waterways festival looks such jolly good fun and a lovely day out; I particularly like the rainbow-coloured snow-cone! Fab!

    Tash from vintagepretty.org

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    1. I've never seen an owl in the wild, though I've heard them. There's so many different kinds of owls, I keep coming across ones which I haven't seen before at events like this. Eleanor enjoyed the snow cone, it was certainly bright and colourful.

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  13. I haven't been to Skipton for years. We used to go to the market when my parents lived near there. Looks like you had a great day. Jx

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    1. I love the market but it wasn't there on Sunday, there was a farmers market though, but it was rather expensive I found. We had a great day out.

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  14. In my dreams I'd love a canal boat with crochet goodness and red polka dot everywhere.....
    This looks like really good fun! I might have to put it in my diary for next year as well!!

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    1. Those canal boats look so dreamy, don't they? I can just imagine myself sailing up and down the canal, bunting flapping in the breeze and crochet draped all over the seating. We were chatting to a couple from your neck of the woods who had come for a day out and didn't know the festival was on, they were wondering why it was so crowded.

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  15. Looks like a great day out, nice pictures. The park and ride is good we have used the one on the way to York.

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    1. We usually use the park and ride in York, it's so expensive to park in the centre, and the park and ride is much easier anyway.

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  16. Looks like a brilliant day out Jo. I have never been to the festival myself but I do like Skipton, its a lovely place.

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    1. I love Skipton, such a lovely little town, and there's often something going on there so I'm not surprised that it hosts the Waterway Festival. It was a great day out.

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