Tuesday January 18th 2005
Presentation by Sue Day: “Maria – The First 150 Years”, for The Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal Society, St Gregory’s Social Club, Farnworth, Bolton 7.30 pm
Saturday February 26th 2005
Launch of Saturn – Malkins’ Bank, nr Sandbach, Cheshire, Trent & Mersey Canal
Check exact details with The Shropshire Union Flyboat Restoration Society www.saturnrestoration.org.uk
Saturday February 26th 2005
(Ice permitting) Horseboating Maria from the Ashton Packet Boat Co yard to Portland Basin (1.5 miles)
Sunday February 27th 2005
AGM and EVENT DAY of The Horseboating Society.
Portland Basin Museum, Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancs. 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
www.tameside.gov.uk/museumsandgalleries/portlandbasin.htm for directions
Presentation by Sue Day: “Maria – The First 150 Years”.
Followed at 2.00 pm by the Annual General Meeting.
Click here to see the Minutes of the AGM.
Followed at 5.30 pm by informal pub supper at The Boat and Horses, Chadderton – Junction 21, M60
Monday February 28th 2005
(Ice permitting) Horseboating Maria back to the Ashton Packet Boat Co yard (1.5 miles)
Tuesday March 1st 2005
Informal pub supper at The Boat and Horses, Chadderton – Junction 21, M60, 5.30 pm, followed by
Slide Show by Sue Day – “Horseboating into the 21st Century”
for The British Driving Society, Lancashire Branch, in the Tower Room, The Boat & Horses, at 7.30 pm
Saturday March 5th 2005
AGM of the Historic Narrowboat Owners Club, followed by a talk by John Yates “We Destroy What We Love”.
At the Nottingham Yacht Club, Cranfleet Lock, Meadow Lane, Long Eaton. 2.30 pm
Details from www.hnboc.org.uk
Tuesday March 8th 2005
Pennine Inter Canal Society Quiz, The Jolly Carter, Bolton, at 7.30 pm. Captain & Team Required
Saturday March 19th 2005
Horseboating Maria from The Ashton Packet Boat Co yard to Marple Bottom Lock on the Ashton & Lower Peak Forest Canals, 10 miles, 0 locks, 2 roving bridges, 2 tunnels, 1 aqueduct
Sunday March 20th 2005
Horseboating Maria from Marple Bottom Lock to Marple Junction on the Lower Peak Forest Canal 1 mile, 16 locks
Horseboating Society Committee Meeting, Marple 3 – 5 pm. Members are welcome to attend.
Please check first – If it’s in a back cabin, space could be a problem.
Good Friday March 25th 2005
Horseboating Maria Marple Junction to Bugsworth Basin, on the Upper Peak Forest Canal, 7 miles 0 locks.
Easter Weekend Friday 25th – Monday 28th March 2005
Maria at Bugsworth Basin reopening (see www.brocross.com/iwps).
Saturday March 26th 2005
Maria may be carrying VIPs into Bugsworth Basin for the opening ceremony.
Easter Sunday March 27th 2005
Loading Maria with limestone to recreate her original purpose and the Basin’s original trade.
Easter Weekend Friday 25th – Monday 28th March 2005
Boaters’ Gathering with historic boats at The Boat Museum, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire
Several horseboats belonging to the Museum collection on view.
Saturday March 26th 2005
Shropshire Union Flyboat Restoration Society AGM, 11am.
The Rolt Centre, Boat Museum, Ellesmere Port. See www.saturnrestoration.org.uk for details .
Thursday April 14th 2005
Slideshow by Tony Lewery: “Saturn, Flyboat Restoration Project”, for the Macclesfield Canal Society, The New Liberal Club, Boden Street, Macclesfield, 7.45 pm
Tuesday May 10th 2005
Slideshow by Sue Day: “Horseboating into the 21st Century”, for Hadlow Green WI, The Memorial Hall, Willaston, Neston, Wirral, Cheshire, 8.30 pm
Saturday 18th to Wednesday 22nd June 2005
Gifford with the Boat Museum Society:
Sunday 19th: Middlewich Boat and Folk Festival, boathorse harnessing demonstrations.
Monday 20th: horseboating Middlewich to Church Minshull.
Tuesday 21st: horseboating Church Minshull to Nantwich.
Wednesday 22nd: school visit to Gifford, Nantwich.
Tuesday June 21st 2005
Horseboating Society Committee Meeting, Nantwich, evening. Members are welcome to attend.
Please check first – If it’s in a back cabin, space could be a problem.
Sunday 26th to Monday 27th June 2005
Gifford with the Boat Museum Society:
Sunday 26th: boathorse harnessing demonstrations at Nantwich Canal Festival.
Monday 27th: horseboating Nantwich to Beeston Castle Wharf.
Friday 8th to Sunday 10th July 2005
Maria to Tameside Canals Festival:
Friday 8th: horseboating Maria from the Ashton Packet Boat Co yard to Portland Basin (1.5 miles).
Saturday 9th: attending Tameside Canals Festival.
Sunday 10th: horseboating Maria to Marple Locks Heritage Society Festival.
Sunday July 10th to Sunday 21st August 2005
Many of these days (especially Mondays to Thursdays) will be used for horseboating.
A record number of 3 horseboats – Elland, Gifford and Maria – are to travel to the IWA National Festival at Preston Brook on the Bridgewater Canal.
Provisional plans / routes are:
Maria – Ashton, Lower Peak Forest, Macclesfield, Trent & Mersey, Bridgewater canals
Elland – From Barton Aqueduct along the Bridgewater canal
Gifford – Shropshire Union, Middlewich Branch, Trent & Mersey canals
Our member Neil Gore hopes to present his one-man show “The Flower of Gloster” en route.
Saturday 27th – Monday 29th August 2005:
IWA National Waterways Festival, Preston Brook, Bridgewater Canal.
Elland, Gifford, Maria and Saturn in attendance.
Activities – information marquee, theatre workshop / slide show, harnessing demonstrations and participation in “WoW” activities.
Robin Evans, Chief Executive, BW will receive The Towing Path Access Guidance, being produced in 2005 by The Horseboating Society in collaboration with the Boat Museum Society, British Horse Society, British Waterways, Institute of Heritage Architects, Inland Waterways Association, Shropshire Union Flyboat Restoration Society and Towpath Action Group.
Tuesday 30th August and early September 2005:
The return of Elland, Gifford and Maria to their various bases. Some of this will be horseboating, most buttying motor boats.
Sunday September 25th 2005
Blisworth Tunnel 200th Anniversary – Stoke Bruerne, Northants – Legging through the tunnel.