Membership Matters

Welcome to New Members:

Robert Geoffrey Martindale - Hull
Paul Hazlehurst -Warrington
Mr MND Coleman - Newton-le-Willows
Geoff Jones—Liverpool
Brendan Farrell - St Helens

Sales Stall

The first outing of 2007 was on a freezing cold day at the end of March when we took advantage of a free charity stall on Ormskirk Market. Local shoppers seemed slightly bemused by this out of town and largely unknown (to them) society but they took an interest and found some bargains and the cold and wet was worth braving. Thanks to Andrew Lawton for getting up early to help and to David Long for getting unintentionally wet in the process.

The caravan was spring cleaned and ready to go by bank holiday at the end of May.  We were invited for the weekend to the Federation of Bridgewater Cruising Clubs Rally at Runcorn. We arrived on Friday evening in gloriously hot sunshine but woke on Saturday morning to clouds and rain. These persisted all day on Sunday and unfortunately curtailed what should have been an excellent summer holiday themed event.

Bank holiday Monday found us at the Willow Park Craft Fair. This is always a well-attended event with enthusiastic, interested visitors and the society benefited from some excellent fund raising.

The visit of World Canals Conference delegates to Spike Island on a Thursday in June gave us an opportunity to set up a small stall in the visitor centre and sell SCARS' items etc.  A basket of horse brasses went well and several of our overseas visitors vied with each other to take away pockets full of them!  The following Sunday we had our annual stall at the Boat Jumble, thanks to Halton Borough Council.

The annual town show at St Helens was re-vamped this year as the St Helens Festival and took place at the beginning of July rather than the end.  After a week of rain, conditions at Sherdley Park were made worse by the movement of vehicles and equipment and setting up in the mud was a challenge.  The crowds came out to enjoy the sun on Saturday and still came back in their wellies on Sunday!  We enjoyed the new look, two-day event with the caravan and sales stall on the showground and also a display stand set up by Peter Keen in the Transport Heritage 2007 Marquee.  Thank you to Dave Smallshaw and Neil Forshaw for their help.

There are several more events booked between now and the end of September including the National Festival to be held at St Ives on the River Great Ouse this year.  If any one has any unwanted toys, bric-a-brac or books, which they could donate for the stall, I would be grateful, stocks are seriously depleted at present.  Also, as it is 2007, I have run out of supermarket type carrier bags and a stash of those would be useful too.

Cynthia Greenall

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