This weekend saw the Moira Canal Festival 2016, the annual local fundraiser for the Ashby Canal that has a fantastically varied series of events. I’ve written about the 2013, 2014 and 2015 events, and as with those and other previous years, I went along to see what was going on.
The trip to Moira is always pleasant for me, walking along the canal alongside the wildlife.
On arrival, the US Civil War reenactment team had made camp near the stage, and Confederate and Union troops sat on either side of the path.
They were audible not just through their very impressive canon – as well as their period weapons – but also through their music as their fife and drum played around the arena.
Also on the main stage was Greg Chapman and his Condensed Histories, who managed to tell tales like that of The Great Escape and The Battle of Bosworth using escapology, knife juggling and riding a unicycle. Hard to explain, but excellent. Here’s Greg as King Richard III being felled at Bosworth….
There were some excellent regulars there, with music, classic cars, boat rides and a flotilla of vessels, and of course, plenty of very good Morris Dancing.
For me, one of the stars of the show had to be the arrival of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Earlier today, a Dakota DC3 flew over, low enough to see a member of the crew waving from a door, on one of their three passes. Just magnificent.
Another fantastic event, and we’re already looking forward to the Moira Canal Festival 2017. In the meantime, here are a few photos.
