National Festivals and Rallies

The Highlight of 1950 was undoubtably the National Festival and Rally of Boats held at Market Harborough. A hundred boats attended. An event that would soon become a major annual gathering and showcase for the IWA.

Early in 1951 it was decided the IWA did not have the resources to mount another Festival & Rally of Boats at Market Harborgh (or elsewhere) but that they may hold the event again in 1952. However, the Association were successful in ensuring that narrowboats were moored on the Thames at the Festival of Britain and that their arrival obtained publicity for the cause.

In 1952 it was decided to hold another National Festival and Rally of Boats at Market Harborough but difficulties in raising funds and oppostion from the Market Harborough Advertiser caused the plan to be dropped. The Inland Waterways Association held a rally at Brecon.

Although no National rallies were held in 1955 the Midlands Branch organise a Rally at Banbury and the North-Eastern Branch a Rally at Skipton.

A National Rally of Boats was held at Coventry in 1957, the first to be called a "National" since 1950. This was run by David Hutchings and other Midland Branch Members.

In 1960 IWA National Rally was held at Stoke-on-Trent and a protest cruise was held at Dudley Tunnel to counter proposals to close it.

The 1961 National Rally held at Aylesbury was a great success and attracted more publicity than any other rally for many years. Boats attending received a duckling plaque specially drawn by Peter Scott.

IWA 1962 National Rally held at Stourbridge to draw attention to the poor state of the Stourbridge Canal and to oppose plans to close the waterway. The rally was held in defiance of British Waterways claims that the participates had no right to use the canal or to clear the obstructions to navigation. The result was that a record number of boats attended the rally and much favourable publicity was obtained.

In 1963 IWA National Rally was held at Little Venice on the Grand Union - Regent's Canal.

The restored Stratford-upon-Avon Canal was the venue for the 1964 IWA National Fesival at Stratford-upon-Avon to mark the reopening of the canal by HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. The Festival was held from 9th to 15th July, instead of the normal August time, to coincide with the Royal opening.

The deteriating state of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal and concerns for its future led to the 1965 IWA National Rally being held at Blackburn. Mr & Mrs Joe Skinner were awarded the Alfred Ritchie Challenge Cockerel for the best working boat.

IWA 1966 National Rally was held at Marple on the Peak Forest Canal and on the threatened Cheshire Ring. It attracted a record attendance of 250 boats.

About 350 boats attended the 1967 IWA National Rally at Leicester (see photograph) which was offically opened by the Lord Mayor Sir Mark Henig.

To counter the exclusion of the Aintree to Liverpool section of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal from the designated "Cruiseways" and to improve the image of the canal in Liverpool IWA held their 1968 National Rally in the city. Around 170 boats attended.

An estimated 500 boats attended the 1969 IWA National Rally in the centre of Birmingham.

IWA National Rally in 1970 was held at Guildford on the River Wey partly to give a boost to the campaign to restore the nearby Basingstoke Canal. 380 boats attended and 50,000 people visited the site prodicing good TV and press coverage.

In 1971, IWA Silver Jubilee year, the National Rally was held at Northampton on the River Nene. As part of the campaign to save the "remainder" waterways rallies were also held at the Tame Valley Canal on the Birmingham Canal Navigations, the Rochdale Canal in Manchester, the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal, Caldon Canal, River Ouse (Yorkshire), Erewash Canal, Bidford on the Upper Avon, Bristol Docks and at Sheffield on the Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation.

Over 500 boats attended the 1972 IWA National Rally at Lymm on the Bridgewater Canal.

The 1973 IWA National Rally at Ely on the River Great Ouse was attended by 255 boats and visited by about 30,000 people.

IWA National Rally held at Nottingham on the River Trent in 1974 and attracted over 600 boats. Drawing attention to the nearby Grantham Canal restoration was one of its objectives.

IWA 1975 National Festival at York on the River Ouse was sponsored by Shell. The first year since 1964 that the event was called a Festival rather than a Rally.

A downturn in the economy meant that the 1976 IWA National Rally held at Peterborough on the River Nene did not have a sponsor and the drought caused an entry of 382 boats to translate to just 142 arrivals. Despite this 33,000 people attended the Rally.

The 1977 IWA National Festival was held at Reading on the River Thames had over 370 boat entries.

The 1979 IWA National Rally was held on the River Weaver at Northwich attracting a record 622 boats and over 30,000 visitors.

IWA National Waterways Festival was held at Lea Bridge on the River Lee in 1980. About 500 boats and 25,000 people attended.

IWA National Rally and Waterside Arts Festival for 1981 was held on the Aire & Calder Navigation at Leeds with 410 boats, including many commercial craft, in attendence.

In 1982 around 40.000 people and just under 500 boats attended IWA National Rally at Titford on the Birmingham Canal Navigations. The "National" had been held here in 1978 and this is the first time it had returned to a previous venue.

IWA National Rally was held at Wigan on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in 1983. Around 50,000 people and 428 boats attended.

A total of 514 boats and nearly 30,000 people attended the 1985 IWA National Rally held at Milton Keynes on the Grand Union Main Line.

As befitted the fortieth anniversary year in 1986 there was an IWA National Festival (instead of the usual rally) held at Brentford on the Grand Union Main Line. Around 450 boats attended and on the previous weekend about 70 boats cruised the London Ring.

After 3 years the 1987 IWA National Rally returned to Hawkesbury on the junction of the Oxford and Coventry canals. It attracted around 50,000 people and 530 boats.

The 1988 IWA National Boat Rally and Carnival was held at Castlefield at the junction of the Bridgewater Canal and the Rochdale Canal in the centre of Manchester. The Waterways for Youth "Waterways Passport" scheme was introduced.

The photograph shows the 1989 IWA National Festival at Waltham Abbey on the River Lee was sponsored by Volvo Penta. It attracted 525 boats and 50,000 visitors. The National Trailboat Rally was attended by 125 boats at Glasson on the Lancaster Canal. This highlighted the campaign for the Northern Reaches and the Ribble Link.

IWA National Festival was held at Gloucester on the Gloucester & Sharpness Ship Canal in 1990 and was sponsored by Volvo Penta and had Sonia Rolt, Charles Hadfield and Sir John Knill as Patrons. The National Trailboat Rally was held at Falkirk on the Forth & Clyde Canal.

In 1991 IWA National Festival was held at Windmill End on the Dudley Canal. 768 boats arrived and the police estimated that 385,000 people visited. A Campaign Festival, attended by 118 boats and around 10,000 people, was held in June at Sheffield to promote the Sheffield Canal and to get it upgraded from a "remainder" waterway to "Cruiseway" status. The National Trailboat Festival was held at Malthouse on the Norfolk Broads.

The National Trailboat Rally was held on the River Tone at Taunton in 1992. 520 craft and 375 caravans and tents attended IWA National Festival at Wakefield on the Aire & Calder Navigation. This event is still remembered for the mud caused by the wet weather and for the efforts of the Waterways Recovery Group in keeping the site in a usable condition (photograph by courtesy of Waterways World).

The 1993 IWA National Trail Boat Festival was held at Chelmsford on the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation. The National Festival was held at Peterborough on the River Nene where 78,000 people and 487 boats took part.

The National Trail Boat Festival was held in May 1994 on the Grantham Canal and an Inland Waterways Association National Campaign Festival was held Pelsall on the Birmingham Canal Navigations. IWA National Festival was at Waltham Abbey on the River Lee.

The 1995 IWA National Trailboat Festival was held at Linthwaite on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. The Inland Waterways Association's National Festival at Chester on the Shropshire Union Canal.

The National Trailboat Festival was held near Welshpool on the Montgomery Canal in 1996. IWA National Festival was held at Windmill End on the Dudley Canal.

The 1998 IWA National Festival was held at Salford Quays on the Manchester Ship Canal. An IWA convoy of 27 boats crossed the Mersey on the way to the Festival.

The photograph shows the 1999 IWA National Festival was held at Worcester on the River Severn.

Two Inland Waterways Association National Trailboat Festivals were held in 2000; one at Monmouth on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal and the other at Moria on the Ashby Canal. IWA National Festival was held at Waltham Abbey on the River Lee.

IWA National Waterways Festival for 2001 was held at Milton Keynes on the Grand Union Main Line and attracted 25,000 visitors, 347 boats and 320 caravans.

The 2002 Inland Waterways Association National Festival was held at Huddersfield on the Broad Canal. A lower than usual attendance of boats (191) reflected the size restrictions of the canal. The National Trailboat Festival was held at Tapton Lock on the Chesterfield Canal.

The National Trailboat Festival was held at Sunbury in 2003 on the River Stour. The Inland Waterways Association National Festival was held on the River Thames at Beale Park, near Pangbourne. It was visited by 32,000 people, 567 boats and 497 caravans and camping units.

The 2004 National Trailboat Rally was held at Newport on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal. The Inland Waterways Association National Festival was held at Burton on Trent on the Trent & Mersey Canal and even with some wet days attracted 24,000 visitors.

The 2005 IWA National Trailboat Rally was held on the Chesterfield Canal and the National Festival at Preson Brook on the Bridgewater Canal where the restored Shroppie Fly boat Saturn was one of the hundreds of boats attending.