The Bicentenary Celebrations recalling the 2005 Tunnel opening , Blisworth, Northamptonshire, UK.

   Here is a photographic account of the weekend celebrations at Blisworth on 18th and 19th June 2005.   We enjoyed the days, the community spirit and the weather without being inundated by the immense crowds which descended upon our sister village, Stoke Bruerne.  All pictures are presented at relatively low resolution.   Printed alongside each image is the local photographer's name.

Back to INDEX page                    This is Part I                            Part II 

Descriptions of historical boats - text only, the slide show died, unfortunately.

For the record, a low key celebration was held on 28th March 1955 to commemorate the 150 year anniversary
 Please use the Search Box on the homepage to get the most out of this website
Blisworth has not always been able to enjoy a rural calm.  The digging for ironstone a half mile away only ceased in 1966 and the bypass for the A43 was completed in 1992.  That was, at last, when we were quiet again.
Under High Street bridge.
Except at certain holiday peaks the canal-side has been rather quiet for many decades.

 

However, a major event

was planned for June 2005.

A committee of organisers from both Blisworth and the sister village of Stoke Bruerne had set up a festival of celebrations for a weekend to mark the bicentenary of the opening of Blisworth Tunnel.
In the days running up to the celebration weekend, dozens of narrow boats were being moored up - the owners looking forward to a major re-union.  The canal company had spent the previous four weeks carefully dredging the canal for a two mile stretch north of the tunnel.  Everything they found was carefully spread over a couple of large fields near Blisworth Arm.  The odour of the mud soon wore off though - thank goodness.
Maybe boat owners routinely carry a supply of bunting for such occasions - maybe the Inland Waterways Assoc. issued lengths to brighten up the scene.
It was noticeable that narrow boat people took this opportunity to meet with their land-based relatives - have canal-side picnics and informal parties going on till late when it had become considerably cooler.
Boats continued to arrive. By Friday they were double and triple moored near to Blisworth Mill.  For all the watery congestion, the village was never over-crowded.  Visitors from Stoke Bruerne were very impressed with the leafy and friendly feel of Blisworth - with not a single yard of double yellow lines to be found!

 

Traditional ornamentation was very much in evidence...

 

... both outside and inside the boats.  The Jack Russell calmly studies the photogapher.

Villagers arose early on the Saturday to make preparations. Here is Beryl Andrews with high-profile attire.  She is fixing commentary boards up and down the High Street to convey the feel of the village back in the year 1805.  She has written up the material in a small book available at the Blisworth Newsagents.

A sideshow which had a practical purpose and proved popular with villagers and visitors alike were a couple of vintage buses.  They plied between Blisworth and Stoke Bruerne offering a heritage round trip.  Return was possible by narrow boat through the tunnel.

It's very much like the school bus I once used!

Villagers came up with various fund-raising ideas such as offering teas and cakes in private gardens.  Eric and Brenda Warner's garden sported a modest photographic exhibition and a model train and rail circuit robust enough for kids to sit on.  In the Stoke Road allotment field, gardeners and helpers set up a stall to sell young plants and another to dispense cool drinks and sell homemade cakes.  The drinks were very welcome in the extreme heat.

Music was laid on at the allotments as well!  That is a 1920 "picnic gramophone" placed on the low table.  No power other than from careful wrist action was needed, to keep it wound up.

The gramophone proved to be surprisingly educational. Youngsters were amazed at the device with its need for a new needle for each playing of what seemed to be enormous black CD's that the grownups called 78's.  They also were surprised to find that there was a different tune on the other side . . .

Phil Cahill manned a stall on the green near Blisworth Mill - probably the coolest place in the whole village.  He presented his wares - "Poses & Castles" - traditional waterways paintings using enamels on tin, wood or papier mache.

As the morning warmed up, a modest crowd assembled at the north portal of the tunnel.  One asset that Blisworth demonstrated throughout the weekend was that anyone could easily get to the canal-side!  The down-side of being near the tunnel mouth was the layer of diesel fumes accumulated from heavy traffic over the previous few days.

 

Part II