BANK HOLIDAY AT BURTON, by Mandy Knight.
Arrived Friday evening after a hectic journey, nose to tail traffic on the M25 and M1, but managed to put up our tents and find the boats ok, in a prime position opposite the festival site...
Saturday morning: Keir and Gill Gale have come to give a hand all weekend,and we all set to cleaning the boats and polishing them up, offending the show boats opposite at the same time when we bailed out the rain water that had accumulated, when they called over "don't get our boats dirty!" as they had J cloths in hand almost all weekend!!!
We had a steady stream of public throughout the weekend, showing plenty of interest and asking lots of questions...from "what size engine?...what thickness of steel?" to "do the crew go home everynight when moving the boats??"
The children were delighted that there was also a 1940's military camp set up opposite the boats so they had great fun watching them..
Christopher was yet again our chief tour guide for showing the boats and as he is only 11 he got plenty of praise from all the people that he showed...
Rob to was in his element and, I must admit, I think that we all enjoyed it but by Tuesday morning we were "all showed out!!!"
The weather held up for all most all weekend but for a couple of downpours which turned the festival site into a slushy mess...but did not put off the visitors...

Mandy Knight.