This annual festival is based around City Road Lock and Basin and along
the tow path to Packington Park. There will be a variety of stalls,
fun-fair, music, refreshments, boat trips and viewing of Community Boats.
In the Basin there is a regatta and a bell-boat race. Boat trips will be
available in both directions, going east, and west through the Islington
Tunnel to London Canal Museum where passengers can stop off to visit. On
the water there will be displays by Islington Boat Club and a Bell Boat
race between local community groups. On the towpath there will be around 70 stalls selling
everything from canalware and crafts, books, to refreshments. These give
many local and national charities the chance to raise funds.There will be
all sorts of music, walks and talks, and the local public houses will be
open! Everyone will enjoy attractions such as hawks and owls, bee keepers,
and a variety of music. There will also of course be a range of different
food stalls. Entertainment will include a range of musical performances both beside
the lock and around the festival site. There will be a fun-fair, and
various other entertainment! On top of this of course there will be a wide
range of boats attending, and a regatta in the basin, with bell-boat
racing. As the event is FREE we rely on funding and gifts
in kind from many sources including the Community Chest, City Road Basin
Limited, The Eric Evans Memorial Trust, The Morris Charitable Trust, the
GLA/London Canals Committee, Gratte Brothers Ltd, LBI Regeneration, and
Pollard Thomas Edwards Architects.We also have excellent support from BW
London, SPCC, the Inland Waterways Association and the London Canal Museum
and Islington Council.The Festival is run by un-paid volunteers who put in
approximately 1600 hrs a year. Our aim is to produce an enjoyable
day-long Festival celebrating the Regents Canal around the City Road Lock
and Basin area promoting the canal as an historic, local, community,
environmental and leisure asset for all to enjoy. Latest News from the ACF
Team THE MANOR
MAJORETTES The ACF team would like to thank all the volunteers
from all supporting organisations, as well as the essential band of
angels, that made the 2006 event again so sucessful-without them
there would be no event Planning for 2007 starts almost immediately, if you
would like to join in and help with plans or on the day at the 2007
event please contact Beryl Some
of the Angels wearing their T-shirts: They
are:- back row: Tony, Sheila, Henry PRESS
RELEASE – 23 AUG 07 21st
ANGEL CANAL FESTIVAL, SUNDAY 2nd SEPTEMBER 2007, 11am to
5pm ?> The
Angel Canal Festival is 21yrs old this year with the organisers pulling
out all the stops to celebrate.
The London Canal Museum is presenting Jim Lagden, co-founder, with
a Birthday Cake. Hanover School are joining in too and have submitted 178
entries into an Art & Literacy Competition devised specially for them
with keys as a subject. Hyde Housing and Rydon Construction too have come
up trumps and are providing a Climbing Tower at the Packington end of the
Festival Site which will be free. Another
special feature will be a 7ft Angel on wheels whizzing round the
streets. Also making their
first appearance will be two sculptures, a Swan and an Angel, both will be
decorated with re-cycled materials with the swan being towed along the
canal at the end of the event.
They were commissioned from local artist Martin Cottis of Monster
Creations, who has a workshop beside the City Road Lock, with funding
provided by Islington Community Chest. Also new this year is a Chinese
Ribbon Dancer who will perform and then hold a Workshop. The Manor Majorettes from Lewisham
will be making their first appearance too, twirling their batons and
marching. All the usual attractions will be present said co-ordinator
Beryl Windsor, stalls, boat trips, children’s fun-fair, hawks & owls,
live music, street theatre, Pearly Queens, food and refreshments, as well
as the Have-a-go-at canoeing, sailing and, by popular request,
pottery. Another
first is the free wrist-bands which are being offering to parents and
carers for their children.
Even though the children who have wondered away in the past have
never been lost for long, in view of current fears, we thought the bands
with a contact number written on, would get them back even
faster. We’ve
had quite a mixed year said Beryl with the brick hut alongside the canal,
used as a store during the year and vital Information Point on the day,
being broken into and vandalised in April plus all the contents stolen,
including our original Angel.
Had we not been able to find the money to repair it, it was due to
be demolished but, thankfully, the council have granted a reprieve. Ten days before the Festival, we
heard from the National Grid, that the major towpath works ongoing since
April will not be completed by 31st August, as hoped. This will not stop us said Beryl,
who was sure that, although a nuisance, it could be worked round and was
meeting the contractors soon to ensure it was minimised and safe. The
good news has been all the support and encouragement from our generous
sponsors and many departments of Islington Borough Council who have been
very helpful as have British Waterways. Now we just need some more
Volunteers and a sunny day to match the last 20
Festivals! Interested parties please contact Beryl Windsor on 0121
244 8439 or 07973 504 212 or British Waterways, Islington
Boat Club, Islington Narrowboat Association, St. Pancras Cruising Club, London
Canal Museum, Friends of Islington
Museum, Friends of Regent's Canal, London
Borough of Islington. Text from Martin Sachs of the London Canal Museum Photos from Pauline Lord, British Waterways, INBA and
other contributors.












Angel Canal Festival
Islington, London N1
NEXT FESTIVAL
Sunday 7th September
2008
11.00 a.m. to 5 pm,
adjoining City Road Lock, Islington
Free Admission.







Formed in 1999 in the Lewisham area, The
Manor
Majorettes are coming to twirl their batons at this year's Angel
Canal
Festival. They will be performing in front of the Prince of Wales
PH at
the junction of Danbury St and Vincent Terrace. See the FREE
printed
programme for performance
www.manormajorettes.com
CLIMBING TOWER
This will be located outside the Packington Community
Centre at the
Packington end of the Festival Site. With the City Rd Lock
behind you,
walk east, under Wharf Rd Bridge, past The Narrow Boat PH
for 100 yds,
turn left up the slope before you reach Shepherdess Bridge.
Keep a look
out for direction signs and also see the FREE printed
programme. Climbs
will be FREE thanks to Hyde Housing and Rydon
Construction who, in the
weeks following the Festival, will be starting
work on rebuilding the
Packington Estate.
www.the-warehouse.co.uk
'BAND OF ANGELS'
front row: Jessica, Justine &
Maxine.
beryl@angelcanalfestival.orgThe Angel Canal Festival is
Organised by the ACF Management Team comprising
