Foxton Festival Weekend.

Hi Folks.

We have had a very busy and interesting weekend. It all began on Saturday morning bright and early, when I went to retrieve our hosepipe from one of the exhibitors who came ill prepared for filling up their pool for Waterwalkerz. So I lent the organisers my hosepipe as did others. The pool would take at least eight, yes eight hours to fill, so it was fingers crossed that it was full when I went to get my hosepipe back.

Luckily a vintage fire engine had come to the rescue and filled the pool before the owners got there. Who goes to an event and expects others to do all the running around for them, whilst they go off home. Anyway got the hosepipe back after some searching. The festival opened at 10am and we all kept our fingers crossed that the weather would hold.

The craft tent looked fantastic with the stalls all filling up and people coming in to browse and hopefully buy, all our hard work on Friday had paid off.

We got to meet up with a lot of people we knew and people we had never met before but they follow us either on Hadar's blog or Facebook. It was lovely to meet Elsie from Elsie Barge Boaty Bits, she follows us on Facebook.

The festival site had a large fun fair which was very popular with the children, but probably not so popular with the parents because it was a drain on their pennies.

To go on the bumper cars alone was £4. I so loved watching the Gallopers, they looked so majestic and bought back childhood memories.

There were a lot of people there on Saturday, the food stalls were doing a roaring trade, even Keith and I had pasty and chips rather than walking back to the boat. In the beer tent they had live music, which was a little loud for the both of us. After we left the festival and walked back to the boat, moored in front of us was Gill and Don on NB Idduno, who were on their way back to their winter mooring in Market Harborough, but were staying for the festival, it was fantastic to catch up with them over a piece of Victoria Sandwich, which I had baked Friday night. We had arranged to go down to Bridge 61 pub that evening with Heather and Tony (fudge boat) and Tim and Ali (Antique boat) for a drink or two to celebrate Ali's birthday, so we invited Gill and Don along. After dinner we made our way down to bridge 61, where we had a fantastic evening, of chatter and laughter, in fact I have not laughed so much in ages. It also turned out not only was it Ali's birthday, it was Keith's today (Sunday) and Tim's Tuesday, so we celebrated those as well. We did not get back to the boat until gone 11pm and it was straight to bed.

Sunday and another lovely start to the day.

We were awake early, so I made us a cuppa and then set about making the back cabin fire up, which still had a few hot embers in the grate. With it being Keith's birthday, I cooked him a large breakfast which would keep us both going until lunchtime and beyond hopefully. Because it was Sunday I put on my 1930's Sunday best and at 10am we walked up to the festival site where the Vikings were revolting.

No I do not mean due to the smell or look they were getting into character to act out a battle over sheep or something. The crowds gathered and were very entertained by the battle and the encampment which was set up. We enjoyed another  nice wander around the craft tent chatting to some of the stall holders, who all seemed happy with how the event had been going.

Lunchtime arrived and we wandered back to the boat for a coffee and some cake, we were both still full from the large breakfast, but cake filled the gap. Andy a fellow boater came and said hello and joined us for a coffee. I then wanted to go and take some more photographs, because I had promised them to Ann who was the event director. Keith stayed on the boat and did his crossword.

The Fudge Boat was busy.

The Book Boat had customers.

 

Ali and Tim were enjoying another good day.

Trevor Maggs had the only historic boat at the festival, which was a little sad, but with the restrictions it was expected.

I fell in love with this beautiful carriage, which was here to advertise for weddings etc. Although I loved it, I could not see me on it to be honest, but hey it costs nothing to look. The company were taking people for rides down to Foxton Village on their other wagon.

A few times some very dark clouds came over and threatened. We had a few drops of rain during the afternoon, then as the event drew to a close the heavens opened, so all in all the weather behaved pretty well.
It was a great event, which we would come to again. So a huge thank you to the organisers.

I am now cooking some dinner. The generator is on and the washing machine is doing a load for me, so all is going well so far this evening. I have a feeling we will not be late to bed tonight, as I am already feeling shattered.

Chat soon xx