IWA Beale Park

[DHutch]

Is anyone going to the at Beale Park with us and emilyanne then?

- August bank holiday.

 

The 2006 Diamond Jubilee Festival promises to be a great family day out – with arena and site entertainments, hundreds of exhibitors, trade and craft stalls, live bands and a wide variety of catering outlets. There will be many new boats to visit, people to give advice and opportunities to boat with our “Get Afloat” activity as well as a full programme of WOW (Wild over Waterways) children’s activities to keep the younger members of the family entertained.

http://waterways.org.uk/festivals/Beale06/beale2006.htm

Looking for a taste of life afloat? Then come along to the Beale Thames Park Boat Show 2005. Whether a boating enthusiast or a complete beginner, Beale Park Thames Boat Show offers a choice of boats, both for buying and for trying out for free.

 

Boats range from dinghies and dayboats to classic craft, narrowboats and contemporary cruisers. The event will also showcase the UK’s top wooden boatbuilders.

-The show is a fun day out for all the family with lots of attractions and amusements. Tickets to the show also include half-price entrance to the award-winning Beale Park wildlife centre next door.

 

Further Information:

Beale Park Thames Boat Show 2005 is supported by the Environment Agency, Thames Boating Trades Association, The Wooden Boatbuilders’ Trade Association, the Small Boatbuilders’ Trade Association, the Electric Boat Association and the Steam Boat Association.

 

Beale Park is an award winning charity, voted Best Bird Centre of the Year 2004 and Berkshire Family Attraction of the Year 2004 by the Good Britain Guide 2004. Established 45 years ago and now a charitable trust, the park covers over 300 acres of organic water meadows and is a Rare Breeds Survival Trust approved centre. There is a wonderful collection of birds and animals, paddling pools and much more. Beale Park also has the national Collection of Model Boats.

http://www.visitthames.co.uk/bealepark/

 

 

Daniel

[cheshire~rose]

Is anyone going to the at Beale Park with us and emilyanne then?

- August bank holiday.

Daniel

Looks interesting Daniel, Thanks for the links. Maybe just my ignorance but despite visiting the website for the event I did not have a clue where Beale Park was! maybe someone ought to point that out to the organisers? They are looking for volunteers! Maybe a good reason to spend a weekend down there? will certainly consider it.

[NB Willawaw]

Beale Park is in Lower Basildon just downriver from Goring on the Thames.

Its a 400 acre park set up as a charitable trust by Gilbert Beale and has a big bird colection - oh back to parrots on the Thames again !!!

 

www.child-bealetrust.co.uk

 

They also have another earlier show there in June:

 

June Boat Show

Edited January 8, 2006 by NB Willawaw

[Keeping Up]

Is anyone going to the at Beale Park with us and emilyanne then?

- August bank holiday.

Daniel

'Keeping Up' will be there.

 

For anyone else going on the Thames this year (looks like a popular option from all the topics about it) don't forget you can get one third off a Thames licence if you book into the Festival.

 

Allan

[gaggle]

so what is the licence needed and how much is it?what periods of time can the licence be bought for 6-9-12 months?

also to get to the location from say wigan how long in days would it take to cruise there.?

[alan_fincher]

also to get to the location from say wigan how long in days would it take to cruise there.?

 

If you start now, you should be OK

 

Seriously though, using "Canalplan AC", depending upon where exactly in Wigan you start, and how fast you expect to progress, it looks like each direction would take about 13 to 14 days, (based on 9 hours cruising per day).

 

Unless you cruise completely non-stop, I think you'd need around a month for the return trip, (and you could go, say, by the Southern Oxford, but then return via the Lower Grand Union).

[Bones]

Are they going to do something to make it easier for boats to moor in the area?

[Keeping Up]

so what is the licence needed and how much is it?what periods of time can the licence be bought for 6-9-12 months?

also to get to the location from say wigan how long in days would it take to cruise there.?

A Thames visitor's licence is needed, the price depends on the size of the boat. They come in 1-day, 15-day, or 31-day flavours, it's only the 31-day one that gets the rally discount of 33%. The pricing is not pro-rata, I think the 15-day licence is about 75% the price of a 31 day one (so is more expensive than the discounted 31-day version). The prices and application forms should be on the EA website but the pdf download doesn't seem to be working at the moment so it's maybe better to phone them on 0118 953 5650 (but don't buy it from them, you need to apply for it on your rally application form if you want the discount).

 

For my boat (67 ft) the normal price for a 30 day licence would have been around £120, so the discount is worth £40. Booking the boat into the rally cost £25 so it has to be worth it.

 

Allan

[Jon]

It doesn't look like I'll be making it this year. I'm working the Sat+Sun days and the Mon on nights that weekend...

 

On well, there's always 2007!

 

Jon

[gaggle]

well going by what i have read about the thames and river cruising i think i need to learn alot before i attempt anything like this trip,i dont know the event or its location hence my enquiry.

[Bones]

well going by what i have read about the thames and river cruising i think i need to learn alot before i attempt anything like this trip,i dont know the event or its location hence my enquiry.

 

 

the thames is an easy cruise which caused me great surprise when I went down from the Oxford in summer. I had had a bad experience in the past, but with an appreciation for flow, and not being so stupid, as well as asking around some experienced boaters I found it much easier. All the channels are marked, but it does help to have a cruise book with all the information in it.

Edited January 12, 2006 by Bones

[DHutch]

They also have another earlier show there in June: June Boat Show

Yeah, i forgot the mention the dates, which are 26th to 28th August, Bank Holiday Weekend, 2006.

- And unlike the first, which is off the IWA for the exact event, the second quote referers to last years even, hence the date being 2005!

 

 

Daniel