All aboard for Waterways festival in Newbury

The history of the Kennet and Avon Canal was celebrated at the weekend as a family favourite returned for the first time in four years.

Thousands of visitors turned out for the Newbury Waterways Festival on Sunday, with around 10 boats making their way to the stretch of the canal next to Victoria Park.

More than a dozen stalls set up around the park, including a stand set up by the canal trust – which organised the event – displaying information on the history of the canal, while families also took to the pond for pedal boating.

The event culminated in the immensely popular Duck Race, as dozens of residents lined both sides of the canal to see if their yellow rubber duck had secured glory.

Festival director and chairman of the Newbury branch of the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust, Julian Foley, said the bi-annual event had gone “exceedingly well”.

He said: “We haven’t been able to do this for four years, so it was fantastic we could do it today and we’re extremely pleased with the number of people we’ve seen here.

“It was a good representation of the kind of boats there are on the canal and we’ve had a few here on the tow path where people been able to go on board and have a look inside.”

Mr Foley, who first joined the trust in 2014 as he liked “being outside, being active and boating”, said the event was an important way of celebrating the canal.

The canal was built in the 18th century as a way of safely transporting goods from London to Bristol, avoiding the treacherous sea route.

Mr Foley continued: “The festival is a way of celebrating the canal which is an important of Newbury’s heritage, and making people aware of what a fantastic amenity we have in the town for people to use.

“It’s an important part of our heritage – Newbury wouldn’t be the town it is now without it and it’s not made enough use of.”

One of the boats at the event was the Stargazer, which can often be spotted next to the park along with owners Dave and Claire Eves’ and his three dogs – Labradors Treacle and Diesel and Wilf the Spring Spaniel.

Mr Eves bought the boat with Claire last year and named it after his first steam engine, meaning this weekend was his first Waterways festival.

He said: “Today has been good – the lovely weather has helped and there’s been lots of interest in the boat.

“Lots of people have wanted to come aboard.

“We only go out on it for holidays and weekends – because we’ve only had it a year and had commitments with work, we’ve only been up and down the same stretch of canal, but we’re planning on going up the Oxford Canal.”

Julie Myers is the skipper of the Falcon Adam, which is owned by the Thames and Kennet Narrow Boat Trust and dedicated for use by youth groups.

The narrowboat won the best presented award after being covered in pictures of cakes and ice cream that had been coloured in by children.

Ms Myers said: “It’s been great and has been non-stop showing people round the boat.

“The duck race was very exciting and it’s gone really well.

“This is our third year here and we’ve won all three years.”