Inaugural Liverpool Boat Show

[NigelJ]

This is a devastating decision to have made. Remember, when this is talked-away and smoothed-over, no-one, but no-one, cancels an event of this magnitude, at such short notice and after so much hype, unless they are facing absolute disaster. And is it just the 'economic climate'? Who's been organising this festival? For such a major event, given such a high profile by everyone from Liverpool Ccity Council to British Waterways, has someone messed up? What other major public event is being cancelled this year? Well,ok, maybe more to come, but let's wait and see. And, let's face it, this is the same day that David Cameron has been loudly proclaiming the Big Society is where the community steps in. No connection? How long can this Big Society run away from its responsibilities?

[gaggle]

For anyone who booked to visit with the boat , the latest info on efforts to salvage something.

 

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2011/02/21/liverpool-boat-show-to-be-salvaged-as-smaller-local-event-92534-28204543/

[Ange]

We visited the BW Wigan Office today to see if we had any chance of booking the Liverpool Link in that period now that the show has been cancelled (we're coming back over the Ribble on 21st April and hoped to visit Liverpool straight after). They confirmed they are trying to salvage what they can out of it - they've put a lot of work in that would go to waste otherwise.

 

We're on a reserve list in case anyone drops out, both for the Link and Eldonian basin. Otherwise we'll see if we can find somewhere to moor just outside the city (Maghull / Melling?) and take public transport.

[gaggle]

BW can and should make an effort to get any boats they can down to use the £500,000 worth of pontoons that got put in place to cater for the boats that would have been on show .

If these pontoons are now not going to be used for the show boats then any canal boats that wish to use them should be allowed full use of them , they are ours to use surely if bw paid for them.

Lots of mentions on local radio the last couple of days that narrowboats are still going to attend and bw need to get the arses at wigan into gear and allow as many as possible through the link , i have never known the wigan crew to even attempt to encourage a mass of boats down the link or even to eldonian village , once in five years i have seen the eldonian full ,that was the coal and cotton rally.

Off to wigan myself tomorrow to ask what part they are going to play in any attempt to salvage something from the cancelled show , its not like bw "us" have not invested money already on facilities that on the face of it are not now going to be used.

[Ange]

Best of luck gaggle - let us know how you get on

[gaggle]

THE collapsed Liverpool Boat Show is being revamped as a scaled-down local event.

 

Liverpool City Council is desperate to keep the spirit of a boat show alive in the hope new backers can be found for next year.

 

If all goes to plan, nine tall ships, two river regattas, a shanty festival, comedy festival and other public activities will be staged.

 

The revised show will stretch between the Echo arena, Albert Dock and the Cruise Terminal as originally planned, but minus the boat sellers and other exhibitors.

 

It will be staged during the abandoned boat show’s dates of April 29 – May 8.

 

Liverpool Boat Show organiser Marine Industry Events (MIE), organisers of the first Liverpool Boat Show cancelled it last week, citing the “damaging effects of the economic climate in the leisure marine sector impacting on exhibitor take-up for the event”.

 

It said 50 exhibitors had pulled out of the event after the London Boat Show struggled to attract interest from buyers.

 

The nationally-marketed Liverpool Boat Show aimed to rival established events at London and Southampton. It hoped to attract 300,000 visitors and pump £30m into the local economy.

 

Judith Feather, Liverpool City Council head of events, said MIE would not be involved in the revamped smaller 2011 show or future efforts .

 

Ms Feather hosted a meeting of local interested groups on Friday, at Merseyside Maritime Museum, to pool suggestions for the stop-gap 2011 event.

 

 

Today, Liverpool City Council leader Cllr Joe Anderson was chairing a further meeting to consolidate ideas on what can be done.

 

Ms Feather said: “All signage for the Liverpool Boat Show is being left in place.

 

“The idea is to leave the door open for any other commercial entity to come in so there will be another bigger boat show.

 

“This year there’s no intention to put on a boat show as originally planned, as there’s no funding available for a 300,000 visitor event by the city alone.

 

“Instead, we’d rather make 100,000 people happy having a great day out with a maritime theme.”

 

Ms Feather said the tall ships Stavros S Niarchos, Pelican, Zebu, Ruth, Glaciere, Spirit of Fairbridge and Greater Manchester Challenge would attend as planned. She added: “We also hope to complete contracts with two Dutch tall ships Astrid and Oosterschelde which were scheduled to come from Rotterdam.

 

“Ironically, the locally-based people had pulled back as the boat show was a national event.

 

“Now we need to bring them forward to create a programme especially for the two weekends.”

 

AND DAYS LATER THE LIVERPOOL ECHO FURTHER REPORTED-

 

THE defunct first Liverpool Boat Show is to be re-branded as the “Spring on the Waterfront” event for this year.

 

Liverpool City Council is pulling out all the stops to stage a scaled-down replacement version of the boat show over the same dates of April 29 to May 8.

 

Liverpool City Council leader Cllr Joe Anderson and Liverpool Vision chief executive Max Steinberg yesterday hosted the first of weekly meetings for all interested local parties to build a new programme.

 

While the down-sized event will lack the major boat sellers and exhibitors, it will retain the peripheral activities.

 

Cllr Anderson said: “We’re making good progress on a replacement event and with our partners will develop a memorable 10-day waterfront event.”

 

Mr Steinberg added: “We’ve made great strides in seven days.”

 

 

BW AT WIGAN today stated that no one from BW WIGAN or BW in general have attended these meeting "to thier knowledge" and until others put forward idea,s as to what may or may not happen on BW WATERS in the south docks they will not allow other boats passage through the link to use the south docks facilities such as the pontoons which are now in place and will more than likely lay empty during any revamped event that may take place.

Why exactly BW are not involved in discussions about events taking place on thier waters at an early stage is a mystery to me.

BW wigan also stated today that no booking for passage through to eldonion village and presumably anywhere else past bridge 9 will be entertained during the period the cancelled boat show , well not until someone tells them if any other plans can be made.

What BW WIGAN did manage to confirm is that they dont have manpower to let boats through the link and that water used to go down stanley locks onto the link is lost into the docks and water needs to be preserved.

So the same old usual rush to do nothing that would encourage use of the link or increase in the activity they themselves may have to endure.

[TimYoung]

All,

 

Shortboat Severn will be coming across 28th April from Ellesmere Port.

 

Tim

[Josher]

Liverpool council paid £125,000 to Boat Show a month before cancellation

 

Liverpool Daily Post Apr 4 2011 Here

 

 

THE city council handed over £125,000 to the organisers of the Liverpool Boat Show – a month before they pulled the plug on the event. Officials are now in negotiations to recover some of the money paid to London-based Marine Industry Events (MIE) in January. The money was handed over as part of the city council’s agreement to sponsor the 10-day event, which was expected to generate millions for the local economy.

 

MIE cited the recession trading conditions and the recent London Boat Show’s poor performance, when it pulled the plug on the Liverpool event in February. James Gower, event director of MIE, said the money had been put towards installing new pontoons in the Albert Dock complex and that the firm had incurred significant losses because of the cancellation.

 

Last night deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition Cllr Flo Clucas said the council should have been more careful with taxpayers’ cash. But Labour’s cabinet member for culture Cllr Wendy Simon insisted the money had “not been wasted” as new facilities were now in place for the long term.

 

The defunct boat show is being re-branded as the “Spring on the Waterfront” and will go ahead on the same dates – April 29 to May 8 – as a scaled down form of what was originally planned. Last night Mr Gower said: “The funding for the boat show included our own personal investment and has left a legacy for Liverpool. There is now effectively a brand new marina [at the Albert Dock complex]. It is there in place and ready should anyone else want to come and run an event, and it cost substantially more than the investment Liverpool City Council put in.”

 

British Waterways also contributed £500,000 towards the new pontoons.

[gaggle]

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2011/04/06/programme-for-liverpool-waterfront-spectacular-unveiled-92534-28466145/

 

update as to some things that are going on.

[TheWilk]

"a Royal Wedding salute performed by historic canal boats"

 

Gutted. My boat isn't historic.

 

*snigger*

 

From the comments:

 

"What a fantastic way of showing the Royal Prince that Liverpudlians are united in celebration of his marriage to Kathy. Though there have been few applications for street parties, this will constitute a mammoth event that will bring out the very best in Merseyside community spirit. A 'ten day wedding knees-up' as it's being dubbed in the southern popular press - does it get any better!"

 

How do I fit torpedoes on my narrowboat?

[Ange]

 

 

How do I fit torpedoes on my narrowboat?

 

[muddywaters]

Here are some pictures from it taken Monday 2 May

 

http://www.myspace.com/themusicmanonms/photos/albums/liverpool-boat-festival-may-2011/1023793#mssrc=SitesPhotos_SP_AlbumCover_ViewAlbum