Special Talks in the Seminar Theatre
The Future of the Waterways
A challenging and thought provoking presentation by Peter Johns, Waterways World Publisher and Crick Boat Show Organiser, followed by a response from Richard Parry, Chief Executive of the Canal & River Trust. Our waterways have changed dramatically over the last 80 years from little more than a set of muddy ditches carrying the dying remains of commercial trade, to a vibrant modern leisure industry. That success brings its own challenges with growing maintenance costs and ever competing demands for funding and resources. If it was impossible to envisage the current state of the waterways in 1944, is it even possible to envisage what they might look like in 2104?
Attendance at this seminar must be pre-booked at the Show, with a charge of £5 – all of which will be donated to the Canal & River Trust to support their work in maintaining our waterways.
Fund Britain’s Waterways (FBW)
FBW was launched at the end of June 2023 to highlight the impact of insufficient funding for Britain’s 5,000 miles of inland waterways. Through FBW, more than 120 organisations, including IWA as a member of its steering group, are campaigning together for national and local government to act now and protect the public benefit and natural capital of our waterways. Come and learn about the challenges and progress with the campaign from the FBW team.
Special Talks in the Masterclass Theatre
The Challenges of Maintaining a 200-year-old Waterway
John Ward (head of project delivery) and Dean Davies (head of direct services) of the Canal & River Trust will share their experiences to give an insight into how Canal & River Trust construction projects are prioritised, designed, and delivered in the canal environment where even the simplest of repairs can pose difficulties with design, logistics, heritage, and temporary works.
Between them, John and Dean, spend almost £80m a year on repairing the historic structures and waterway networks for which the Trust are responsible. Whether it be replacing a lock gate, repairing a culvert, rebuilding one of the iconic canal arch bridges, or a major project like a reservoir embankment, there are many challenges their teams face in completing that work.
Meet the Vloggers
Are you a fan of Fran & Rich and their YouTube Channel ‘Floating Our Boat’? Come and meet one of the inland waterway’s most loved couples at Crick Boat Show, as they pair up with boat insurance providers Haven Knox-Johnston, for an open Q&A session at 4pm on Saturday 25th May in the Masterclass Theatre.
Learn about the continuous cruising lifestyle and how they became successful boating vloggers. Find out about their plans for 2024. No questions are off limits in this friendly ‘fireside chat’. Email questions in advance to marketing@HavenKJ.com and make sure to be there in person to join in the fun!
