January to April
Some weekends for Training and Familiarisation Days. To find out more, please see our Training and Familiarisation Days in 2008 document. If you are interested, please fill in and return our training application form
Monday February 4th 2008
Horseboating Society Committee Meeting, 7.00 pm
Navigation Inn, Bugsworth Basin, Derbyshire, SK23 7NE.
Sunday February 17th 2008
Northern Counties Heavy Horse Working Society Training Day
At Mick Gorry’s farm, Downyfield Farm, Middleton, Morecambe, Lancashire, LA3 3JU
Tel: 01524 858356.
Saturday February 23rd 2008
Memorial Service for Charlie Pinney, at Bettiscombe Church, Dorset, 2.00 pm.
Saturday March 1st, Sunday March 2nd 2008
Midlands Heavy Horse Association, Timber Snigging and Riding Event,
c/o Sue Merrill, near Kinver, Worcestershire. Contact: Jayne Bradley, 07966 253927
Saturday March 8th 2008
Horseboating Society Training Day with the Boat Museum Society.
With horseboat Gifford at the National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, CH65 4FW.
Wednesday March 12th 2008
British Urban Regeneration Association (BURA) Awards Ceremony.
Imperial War Museum North, The Quays, Trafford Wharf, Trafford Park, Manchester M17 1TZ
The Horseboating Society is amongst the finalists for an award.
Saturday March 15th, Sunday March 16th 2008
Shire Horse Spring Show, East of England Showground, near Peterborough, PE2 6XE.
Sunday March 16th 2008
The Horseboating Society AGM and EVENT DAY.
The Canal Museum, Stoke Bruerne, Northamptonshire, NN12 7SE. 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
See www.nwm.org.uk/stoke for directions.
10.00 am: Museum opens.
Optional morning activities: visit the Canal Museum and/or join the practical group comparing sets of boathorse harness.
12.30 pm: Lunch in the museum café or local pubs or bring your own.
1.30 pm: The Horseboating Society Awards Ceremony. (David Blagrove will present the awards.)
2.00 – 4.00 pm: THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
March
Horseboating with Maria from Ashton via Marple to Bugsworth Basin for an Easter boat gathering and return.
Wednesday March 19th 2008
Guide Bridge, near Ashton to Top Lock, Marple.
Thursday March 20th 2008
Top Lock, Marple to Bugsworth Basin
Friday March 21st to Monday March 24th 2008
Easter Boat Gathering, Bugsworth Basin, Derbyshire.
Friday March 21st 2008
Horseboating with Saturn from Chester to Ellesmere Port.
Friday March 21st to Monday March 24th 2008
Easter Celebration, The Boat Museum, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. Horse boat Saturn attending.
Saturday March 22nd 2008
11.00 a.m. Shropshire Union Fly Boat Restoration Society AGM, Tom Rolt Centre, The Boat Museum, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.
p.m. Horseboating Society boathorse harnessing demonstrations.
Friday March 21st to Monday March 24th 2008
The Historic Narrow Boat Owners Club Easter Gathering, The Canal Museum, Stoke Bruerne, Northamptonshire.
Tuesday March 25th 2008
Horseboating with Maria from Bugsworth Basin to Marple.
Wednesday March 26th 2008
Horseboating with Maria from Marple, Top Lock to Guide Bridge.
Saturday March 29th, Sunday March 30th 2008
Midlands Heavy Horse Association, Spring Working Event,
at Umberslade Farm, Butts Lane, Tanworth-in-Arden, Solihull, Warwickshire, B94 5AE
Contact: Jayne Bradley, 07966 253927
Monday April 14th 2008
Winter Talk for the IWA Manchester Branch by Margaret Myatt about her horseboating holiday on the Montgomery Canal with Bywater Cruises.
7.30 pm for 8.00 pm start at Dukes 92, Castle Street, Castlefield, Manchester, M3 4LZ.
Thursday May 1st to Sunday May 11th 2008
Horseboating: From Guide Bridge, near Ashton under Lyne, to Slaithwaite and return, via Ashton and Huddersfield Narrow Canals, with “Maria”, built 1854 (154 years old).
- Thursday May 1st : Guide Bridge to Lock 8w, Huddersfield Narrow Canal
- Friday May 2nd: Lock 8w Heyrod to Lock 21w Uppermill
- Saturday May 3rd: at Saddleworth Museum, Uppermill
- Sunday May 4th: Saddleworth Museum to Diggle Fields, above Lock 32w; then legging through Standedge Tunnel to Marsden
Also: guided walk with boathorse over tunnel top.
Event organised 11.00 am – 4.00 pm at Diggle Fields, Ward Lane, Diggle.
- Monday May 5th: at Tunnel End
- Tuesday May 6th: Tunnel End, Marsden to Slaithwaite
- Wednesday May 7th: Slaithwaite to Huddersfield
- Thursday May 8th: at Huddersfield
- Friday May 9th: at Huddersfield
- Saturday May 10th: Huddersfield to Slaithwaite
- Sunday May 11th: Slaithwaite to West Slaithwaite
- Monday May 12th: at West Slaithwaite
- Tuesday May 13th: West Slaithwaite to Tunnel End
- Wednesday May 14th: Through Standedge Tunnel (as part of tunnel convoy) then to Uppermill
- Thursday May 15th: Uppermill to Lock 8w
- Friday May 16th: Lock 8w to Guide Bridge
Saturday May 10th 2008
A special reception to celebrate the completion of Life On The Cut. This project has three parts: a piece of theatre by Mikron Youth Theatre, a short film, telling the story of the waterways and an interactive educational DVD-Rom. Horseboating Society members who were involved to attend at Standedge Visitor Centre, 6.00 – 7.30 pm.
Wednesday May 21st 2008
All-day workshop/course at the Black Country Living Museum
Speakers from the Horseboating Society, the Shropshire Union Flyboat Restoration Society and the Packet Boat Duchess Countess Trust.
30 places available free. Contact Harriet Devlin 01952 435969.
Thursday May 22nd, Friday May 23rd 2008
Education Days with horseboat Saturn at Middlewich, working with school groups and a traveller group.
Saturday May 24th to Sunday May 25th 2008
National Trail Boat Rally, Mid Devon Showground.
Horsedrawn passenger barge rides available on the Grand Western Canal with the Tiverton Canal Company from the Mid Devon Showground.
Monday May 26th 2008
Crick Boat Show – WoW activity with toy boathorse.
Saturday June 7th 2008
The National Waterways Museum, Stoke Bruerne, Open Weekend.
Young Farmers’ Club legging Blisworth Tunnel with Angel, belonging to Sheena Bourne. Horse over tunnel top and working the locks.
Sunday June 8th 2008
Horseboating with Saturn from Audlem to Nantwich.
a.m. Boathorse harnessing demo
p.m. Flotilla for the Cheshire Year of Gardens, floating flower festival, descending the bottom three locks at Audlem en route to Nantwich.
Friday June 13th to Sunday June 15th 2008
Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival.
Sunday June 15th: Boathorse harnessing demonstrations.
Monday June 16th, Tuesday June 17th 2008
Horseboating with Gifford from Middlewich to the Cheshire IWA Anderton Boat Rally.
Saturday June 21st, Sunday June 22nd 2008
Cheshire IWA Anderton Boat Rally – WoW activity with toy boathorse.
Sunday June 22nd 2008
Chiltern Open Air Museum, Working Horse Day
Newland Park, Gorelands Lane, Chalfont St. Giles, Bucks, HP8 4AB
Friday July 4th to Sunday July 6th 2008
Saul Festival, horseboat Bride with Gypsy Queen on display.
Sunday July 6th 2008
Life on the Cut
11.00 am – 3.00 pm
around Portland Basin, Ashton under Lyne
canal horses and horseboat Maria, boathorse harnessing demonstrations
August 2008 * crew needed! *
Horseboating with “Success” to IWA National Festival at Autherley.
• Aug 12th: Weston Wharf, Trent & Mersey to Walton on the Hill/Acton Trussell
• Aug 13th: Walton on the Hill/Acton Trussell to Calf Heath
• Aug 14th: Calf Heath to Autherley
More information here (Word document) or here (.pdf file).
Wednesday August 20th 2008
Netherton Tunnel 150th anniversary.
boathorse Prince in attendance, on display, no horseboating
Friday August 22nd 2008
Horseboating with “Kildare” from Wolverhampton to IWA National Festival at Autherley.
Kildare will be horseboated down Wolverhampton Locks to Autherley Junction for/with the Friends of President.
Friday August 22nd to Monday August 25th 2008
IWA National Boat Festival at Autherley Junction, near Wolverhampton.
WoW activity, possibly harnessing demonstrations, horseboat “Success” in attendance