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Ian Fletcher, local organiser, writes :-

18 boats attended. It should have been more, but some boats from Lapworth and Knowle were prevented from reaching the event by a large tree that had fallen across the canal near Rowington on Saturday pm. With some difficulty the more adventurous ones managed to cut their way past this obstruction, but were then thwarted by two dredging flats blocking the canal near Shrewley. These took some time to 'capture' and re-moor more securely. Despite these delays they pressed on and attended the event - before re-tracing their steps to do battle again with the tree before returning to Lapworth. Such boaters deserve our special thanks because with spirit like that we must succeed.

They came for a token blockade to raise awareness of the funding problems among the many members of the public who walk this famous flight at a weekend.

Although the core of the convoy was made up of AWCC members from Mid-Warwickshire Yacht Club, it also included a hotel-pair and a day-trip boat from Saltisford, a sailing dingy and a hire-boat - kindly loaned by Calcutt, and a number of intrepid individuals who braved the obstructions to arrive from Lapworth and Knowle. Pre-publicity helped to swell the numbers there, and over a three to four hour period some 340 names were added to the petition - including Philip Bushill-Mathews - West Mid Region MEP and county councillor

340 people signed the petition on the day. The estimated total attendance was 400 - 450.