This year we are delighted to
announce that the canal festival will be hosting the annual meeting
of the Staffordshire &
Worcestershire Canal Society on what will be the 50th
anniversary of their first ever meeting.
Please visit http://www.swcs.org.uk/ for more
information on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal
Society
What will be at the Canal Festival this year?
Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal Society Meeting
The town centre canalside will host the annual meeting of the
Staffordshire & Worcester Canal Society whose members will be
mooring their boats up for the festivities. The picture on the
left is from their 2009 meeting at the Bratch Locks in Wombourne,
South Staffordshire.
You can expect to see over 20 boats moored up of different
shapes, sizes and colours - so come down and take a look!
Dreamcatcher Trip Boat
The Dreamcatcher will return to the festival again this
year offering cruising trips along the canal. The hour long trip
will head from the canalside by Debenhams in Kidderminster and take
a picturesque trip towards Stourport - passing through a lock on
the way - before returning to Kidderminster.
There is no need to book, just come to the canalside and buy
your tickets from the crew of the Scorpio. Boat trips will take
place approximately every 1hr 30mins, starting at 10am.
Scorpio Working Heritage Boat
Scorpio will also be back at the festival this year
offering visitors the chance to learn a bit about the
industrial heritage of the canals. Visitors will be invited onboard
the 75ft long working heritage boat by the knowledgeable
volunteer crew who will let you know all about what it was like to
live and work on the canals.
Canalside Square
There will be a hive of activity around the
canalside square located in between Debenhams and Frankie
& Benny's. As well as being the focus for the canal
boats it will have bouncy castles (even suitable for adults!), face
painting, charity games stalls, canal society stalls, and a
fairground organ. It will also host a number of live entertainment
performances over the weekend.
Music & Entertainment
As part of the Canal Festival there will a range of live music
and entertainment happening around the canalside and Weavers Wharf.
More details of performers and timings will be released shortly.
However, we can already confirm that the following bands will be
appearing:
Saturday 28th May
- Caradoc: a five piece Irish music
band playing a combination of modern and traditional with
world, rock, jazz, and funk influences.
Outside the Town Hall – 10:30 to 11:30
Circular Seating Area (by TK Max in Weavers Wharf) – 14:30 to
15:30
- Morris Dancers
Clark’s Square (outside Clark's shop in
Weavers Wharf) – 12:00 to 12:30 and 13:30 to 14:00
Sunday 29th May
- Fret & Fiddle: A great guitar, bass,
vocals and violin trio, which plays in the gypsy jazz
tradition.
Clark’s Square – 11:00 to 11:45
Outside Debenhams – 13:30 to 14:15
- Grumpy Old Guitarists: a Wyre Forest based
three-piece guitar trio playing a popular mixture of
Manouche (French Gypsy) jazz, blues, swing and jazz
standards.
Circular Seating Area – 12:00 to 13:00
Clark’s Square – 14:20 to 15:30
- Morris Dancers
Clark’s Square (outside Clark's shop in Weavers Wharf) -
times to be confirmed.
Blind Lemon
On Saturday evening there will be a special performance by
popular local band Blind Lemon at 8pm (doors
open at 7:30pm) at Kidderminster's Town Hall. This six-piece
band are renowned for their live performances and their unique
reworking of soul and R ’n’ B classics and legendary New Wave,
Ska, Pop and Rock hits.
Tickets are £8 each are available at the Worcestershire Hub
located at the Town Hall. Alternatively you can contact
the Hub by telephone on 01562 732928.
For more information about the band please visit the Blind Lemon website.
Other attractions over the
weekend...
St. Mary’s & All Saints Church
(Saturday & Sunday)
This medieval church dates back to the 15th century
and will be open to visitors over the weekend. It is a Grade I
Listed Building which is the highest listing and means that it is
of exceptional interest. It has a beautiful canalside setting and
we understand that it is one of the most photographs views on the
canal. It gets even better inside with fine examples of stained
glass, tombs and furniture. It is only a short walk to the Church
from the canalside square at the centre of the festival.
Kidderminster Street Market
(Saturday only)
The town's regular street market will open in its usual spot
along Vicar Street, High Street, and Worcester Street.
North Worcestershire Amateur Rabbit
Show (Saturday only)
Kidderminster Town Hall will be hosting the first ever North
Worcestershire amateur Rabbit show where pet owners are invited to
bring their rabbits along and maybe even win a prize in one of a
number of categories.
River Stour Charity Duck Race
(Saturday only)
A charity duck race will be held on the Saturday where you can
sponsor a duck and enter it in a race along the River Stour. Please
see reps from the Kidderminster Carnival Committee on Husum Bridge
in Weavers Wharf to enter. There is a chance to the win the prizes
and raise money for a good cause.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ATTENDED THE FIRST EVER CANAL FESTIVAL IN
2010!!!
Despite the poor weather, hundreds
of people came down to the canalside in Kidderminster over the
festival period to help celebrate this fantastic feature in the
town.
Please see the photos below to see
some of the festival highlights!
A hive of activity down at the canalside
The Severn Valley Samba Band getting people involved!
The Dreamcatcher on another trip down the canal
The Cheese Boat selling a fine selection of cheeses, chutneys and
pickles
The Scorpio working heritage boat inviting people on board to learn
about the industrial heritage of the canal
The European Market at Weavers
Wharf
The Kidderminster Male Voice Choir close the festival
If you have any questions please e-mail the Regeneration Team at
regeneration@wyreforestdc.gov.uk
or phone the Worcestershire Hub on 01562 732928.
