After the end of last season's events stock continued to come in at a great pace and by the time the caravan was stored for the winter it was packed tight. A good start for this year's full programme of millennium specials we thought! On Mothering Sunday we were rudely awakened, not by the family bearing gifts, (they came later) but by Wigan Police informing us that the caravan had been burned out during the night and would we check the site and report to them. We found a shell of three sides, no roof and the contents scattered all around as the fire brigade had dragged them out for dousing. So, we reckon about 400 books have gone, a cupboard full of jigsaws and boxed games, several boxes of glassware, ornaments and the like, racks of tapes and CDs etc etc. Thankfully (at this time anyway) the Greenall loft and shed still housed a fair amount of donated items and so we had a good start, and others soon rallied round when they heard what had happened, so we were soon re-stocked ready for the shows booked for this season. We would still welcome further items of bric-a-brac, toys, books, glass etc to replace stock as it gets sold.
Having said all that, the sales team has already attended three events. Colin and Peter Keen started off the season at the Lancashire Local History Federation day at Lytham St Annes where suitable items accompanied the SCARS display boards and souvenirs. Several editions of "Loot" finally produced a replacement caravan and that had its first outing in the pouring rain at the North Cheshire Cruising Club rally over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend. The weather took its toll on the visitors but we had a fairly good start. Last weekend it was the turn of Broken Cross Boat Club who celebrated their 21st birthday with a rally. The rain was even more unkind on the Saturday but Sunday proved to be dry if muddy. This site has the added attraction of being next to the Anderton Lift and it was good to see work going ahead.
Canal Society stalls seem to get less and less at waterway events - it must be all these restoration schemes which are going ahead now. Perhaps soon it will be our turn and there will be no need for you to turn out your cupboards quite so often.