Saturn made her usual start to the year with an appearance at Ellesmere Port for the AGM. Unfortunately Easter being early, it was extremely cold and windy at the Port with a reasonable splattering of snow but despite all this the AGM was well attended and it was good to catch up with everyone. From Ellesmere Port Saturn went to Norbury for the Shrewsbury and Newport Canal Trust event, we only had one fine day so the attendance wasn’t too good.

Saturn spent a week in Middlewich for a schools event which had been planned by Middlewich Vision/the Canal and Salt Project. Sue Yates spent several months planning this event with Kerry Fletcher from the Project. You will have seen the photographs in the June issue of the Saturn magazine. The week was very successful and this is certainly an excellent use of Saturn and volunteer time. We had nearly 200 children visiting Saturn experiencing how the boat families lived and worked on the canals and what cargoes the boats carried. During this week we also had volunteers from the Society showing different related skills - rope work, painting etc, together with Sue Day (SUFBRS and Horse Boating Society member) demonstrating horse harnessing. The event came to a close with three generations of gypsies arriving and being filmed with their wagon and horse, plus Saturn with boat horse, Bilbo, so we could all discuss our different ways of life.

From Middlewich Saturn went back to Audlem ready for the start of the Floating Garden Festival which was a very successful week-end. The weather was good and there were lots of activities on the wharf. Saturn was loaded with hanging baskets, fertilizer and beer barrels for transporting to Middlewich. Saturn left Audlem behind Sue’s boat horse, Bilbo, as far as Nantwich where she was then taken to Middlewich. This included stops to collect additions to Saturn’s load. Several events had been organised including visits from local schools and a museum group at Nantwich. The main school visit took place at Barbridge where we met up with Shad and Gifford, who were also taking part in the Floating Garden Festival. We had visits from two other school groups. Again, all the children were able to experience life on the boats and compare each type of boat - Shad and Gifford as well as Saturn, and how different boats were used for different cargoes and why.

The final leg was to Middlewich in convoy with Shad and Gifford. Our group of boats and flowers were given pride of place at the Town wharf, where a reception was held for us to meet with all the local dignitaries . There was a lot of interest in Saturn with many people taking time to view her cabin—we all then stayed on for the Middlewich Boat and Folk Rally.

The convoy then moved on to Anderton for an IWA Chester Branch gathering on the River Weaver. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t kind and several of the display tents blew away, but it was an interesting event with Saturn as one of the WOW activities. Mainly due to the poor weather, Saturn left on Sunday lunchtime - a fairly hairy trip up the Anderton lift as it was so windy! Buckden then took Saturn to Nantwich where she stayed until Thea took her to Audlem. There were group visits along the way in Nantwich plus one in Audlem.

Saturn was then joined by several other historic craft for a Transport Festival in Audlem. This is only a one day event every year but it was brilliant, very much helped by the excellent weather and again Saturn had many visitors.

From Audlem Saturn and Thea made their way to the National Rally at Autherley Junction which was a rather quiet event for Saturn. Then it was a hasty departure afterwards as Val Reade (Membership Secretary) had managed to organise a photo call for Saturn and boat horse, Buddy, to go from Willeymoor Lock to Val’s house at Grindley Brook. BBC ‘Look North West’ were televising walking the Sandstone Trail which ends at Grindley Brook, having followed the towpath from Willeymore. Only a short piece, but some good shots of Saturn and great publicity—I am sure many of you saw it.

We were then off to Maesbury where Saturn had been invited to attend Monty ‘08—a campaigning rally to focus on the restoration work being done on the Montgomery Canal.

We invited the local primary school to visit Saturn on the Friday. It was a terrible day—an absolute deluge. We contacted the school to enquire whether they wished to cancel but they still wanted to come—two groups of small children then appeared, all walking in the pouring rain for nearly a mile. Fortunately, we had use of a marquee for the activities and all the children visited the cabin and the hold of Saturn. It must have been a success as many of the children brought their parents the next day and it was interesting listening to them explain to their family about Saturn - I can assure you that they remember an awful lot! The rally site on Saturday and Sunday was like a mud bath, but even so it was a great success and a lot of fun.

Then to finish our year we visited the rallies at Ellesmere and Whitchurch. Saturn is a regular visitor to both these events and is always well received—by this time the weather had improved for both events.