IWA National Festival
iwa national festival boat show run inland waterway association one key annual event united kingdom inland waterway generally referred national serf several function publicity vehicle iwa inland waterway general raise fund iwa social gathering boater around country campaigning event four function event extent conflicting recent year campaigning aspect somewhat separated creation annual campaign cruise arguably gathering like minded people national influential festival brings together people country meet number except festival site original decision form waterway recovery group national association boat owner arose informal discussion held national first festival held inspired car rally tom rolt one founder inland waterway association attended prior second world war held market harborough location restricted narrowboat rally called market harborough festival boat art art element festival addition made robert aickman one element led eventual split rolt aickman however festival success one rolts innovation awarding trophy impressive service performance practice continued p herbert trophy awarded person traveled furthest get rally stan offley covered mile km passed lock route ellesmere port used manchester ship canal bridgewater canal leeds liverpool canal aire calder navigation river trent grand union canal much shorter route using trent mersey canal unavailable boat foot wide trent mersey lock foot wide like many early rally essentially campaign highlight poor state particular waterway case stourbridge canal connecting waterway decision hold stourbridge basin taken late david hutchings chairman rally committee approached british transport waterway operating arm british transport commission btc ensure stourbridge branch would dredged allow boat reach festival site faced refusal hutchings hired dragline excavator carry work british transport commission threatened legal action hutchings inland waterway association staffordshire worcestershire canal society proceeded stop action gained widespread medium coverage extremely critical btc btc abolished later year rally went ahead british waterway staff assisting boat decrepit lock two year later british waterway staffordshire worcestershire canal society agreed work restoring stourbridge canal dudley canal early example cooperation resulted canal lock reopening marple lock peak forest canal chosen site rally highlight condition access along macclesfield canal lock derelict could used cosmetic restoration began following year canal reopened first occasion national festival also campaign save threatened part waterway network held guildford river wey part reasoning festival proving popular limited number place sufficient display space water supply number boat wanting attend choice site universally popular rally saw formal launching waterway recovery group group volunteer traveled country carry restoration task derelict waterway management festival handled division inland waterway enterprise ltd called iwa festival limited company set manage various trading activity inland waterway association iwa launched new event called iwa festival water festival take place usually august bank holiday weekend held new location year statistic mainly taken iwa website incomplete called rally rather festival national event final column show overall membership iwa year question list waterway society united kingdom inland waterway association