Attend the Canalway Cavalcade

An annual tradition since 1983, Little Venice's Canalway Cavalcade is on all weekend, celebrating life on the water. It is organised by the Inland Waterways Association in association with canal users from around London and the country.


We are told to expect fun for all the family all weekend, with boats, stalls, bands, kids’ activities, competitions, Morris Dancers, and a real ale bar. Let's just hope the weather holds out.

For more, visithttp://www.waterways.org.uk/events_festivals/canalway_cavalcade_2012/canalway_cavalcade_2012

_{^Picture by daveograve@^}

Drink at the Island Queen

An attractive little Mitchells & Butlers pub near the canal and Boris' house in Islington, your author has never had a disappointing visit to the Island Queen.


The pubs high ceilings, central bar, food and ales make it a pleasant spot, and the front area is especially nice on summers evenings. Though this isn't important on the autumnal evenings we are having at the moment, it's worth considering for next April.

For more, see the new rent-a-website which appears to have been rolled out to all M&B pubs at http://www.theislandqueenislington.co.uk/

Pop into the Towpath Cafe

Cycling along the Regents Canal this summer, your author has been pleased to note that at one of the trendier points, someone has opened a small cafe opening directly onto the towpath, with a few bench seats. More recently it has even gained a small pontoon with seats on it.


According to Time Out, it's the idea of Italian-American food writer Lori De Mori and her food photographer husband Jason Low, and as ideas go it's not a bad one. They tell us that the cafe is open 8am - dusk Tue until Fri, 9am until dusk Sat and 10am until dusk on Sundays, and that main courses cost about a fiver.

For the full review, see http://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/venue/2:26732/towpath

Explore East London by canoe

Your author spent a very pleasant afternoon last Sunday canoeing the canals of East London. The canoes themselves are available from East London Boats in Mile End and, unlike with their punts, you can carry them over the locks in the canal to cover more distance.


The owner tells your author some canoeists have even done a full round trip, continuing via the Lee Navigation to Limehouse Cut and Limehouse Basin, but last week's trip covered slightly less ground, taking participants from Mile End to the edge of the Olympic site via the Regents Canal, the Hertford Union Canal and the River Lee Navigation.

Despite initial fears from some of the group, it was largely disaster-free, with only one dead rat sighting, a wet leg for one of the participants, and a great pub lunch at Top O' The Morning in Hackney Wick.

Canoeists should come equipped with strong arms if they are intending to carrying the canoe over locks, as well as their best waving arms, as everyone seems a lot more friendly when you're travelling by canal. And watch out for the heavy weed on the Lee Navigation beside the Olympic Stadium. It can slow you right down, so approach with speed.

East London Boats operates on weekends only from the Eastern bank of the Regents Canal near Queen Mary University and the Palm Tree in Mile End Park. For more, see http://www.eastlondonboats.com/.

Wander beside London's Oldest Canal

Limehouse Cut links the Lee Navigation and Bow Creek to the Thames at Limehouse and, as a result of changes made in 1968, also to Limehouse Basin (formerly known as Regent's Canal Dock) and the Regents Canal. It is only one and a half miles long, but was completed as early as 1770, as a way to offer river traffic seeking access to the River Lee an easier route than the difficult one via Bow Creek.


Back then, the cut had to be built for sailing barges, and it can accommodate vessels up to 19 feet wide and 88 feet long, though this would no longer be possible as the original lock to the Thames has now been replaced.

Access for cyclists and pedestrians was improved in 2003 with the addition of an award winning floating towpath which is made up of 240 metres of pontoons at the Bow Locks end, and is a bit like new one on the Regents Canal near Kings Cross.

It's a pretty boring stretch of canal in places, and has been a prime site for development of new build flats for docklands workers in recent years, but it's nice enough, and it has an interesting history.

For more, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limehouse_Cut

Enjoy the Canalway Cavalcade

The Canalway Cavalcade is Little Venice's annual canal festival, organised by the Inland Waterways Association and held every year since 1983.


The Cavalcade takes place all this May Bank Holiday weekend, and, we are told, combines a boat rally with a trade show and a wide range of activities and entertainments. Expect to see bands, punch and judy shows, competitions, parades, a teddy bear's picnic, kayaking and more.

It claims to be London's premier canal festival, but as your author hasn't been able to make it along, and probably won't this weekend, he will let you judge for yourself whether it beats the likes of the Angel Canal Festival.

Today you can expect to see a real ale bar from 11am until 5.30pm, organised walks and music from the Fat Arthur Band and the Rhythm and Blues Brothers.

Your author thanks his friend Jon for the recommendation, even though it was by sarcastic text message. For more, see here

_{^Picture by daveograve@^}

Tea and cake at the Waterside Cafe, Little Venice

The Waterside Cafe in Little Venice is a pleasant little cafe half on the tow path and half inside a boat on the canal.


The Cafe has a range of cakes and teas on offer, alongside other drinks and snacks. It's actually no more than five minutes' walk from Paddington, so is perfect for if you're trapped there for an hour waiting for a train and need to escape.

The cafe is open daily from 9am – 5pm and you can also catch the waterbus and Jason's Trip from nearby up to Camden if you're looking to spend more time afloat.

Go punting in the East End

Your author doesn't usually repeat other people's posts, but he noticed something over on Londonist yesterday which is definitely worth sharing here. Apparently an enterprising young student at Queen Mary and Westfield College has started hiring out punts on the Regent's Canal.


Nothing that new, you might think, but as we learn from Narrowboat World, these are the first punts to be licensed on the canal by British Waterways, so this is something quite special. For just a 21 year old, fourth-year medical student David Carruthers should be commended for his forward thinking attitude, for it was he who approached British Waterways, and he who set up the enterprise.

It seems to have caught the attention of a lot of press outlets, who are revelling in puns involving ample use of the word "punters". The punts are allowed to run between Mile End Lock, Old Ford Lock, and Top End Lock on the Hertford Union, and, we are told, are available daily, weather permitting, at £15 an hour during the week and £18 an hour between 1pm and 6pm on weekends. You can also hire a chauffeur for an extra £12. It sounds ace.

_{^Dodgy photoshop picture combination by the author using originals from Flickr courtesy of Tony Moorey and Gill Wildman^}

Take a cruise on the Regent's Canal

Jason's Trip runs cruises on the Regent's Canal between Little Venice and Camden Lock every day. On the way, the boat passes through London Zoo, and past Lord's and Regent's Park Mosque.


Whilst trips are more frequent on weekends and bank holidays between June and September, their trusty 100-year-old canal boat boat works the route daily. The trip takes about 45 minutes each way or one and a half hours round trip, and on the Little Venice to Camden leg there is a live commentary.

Trips cost £8.50 return or £7.50 single. For more information visit http://www.jasons.co.uk/

Click here to see the Little Venice departure point on a map.

Watch a show on the Puppet Theatre Barge

On a barge moored at Little Venice, the Puppet Theatre has been playing shows since 1982. The theatre, we are told, seats 55 and 'has all the conveniences and facilities of a modern venue'.


Host to thousands of performances over the last 20 years, it also takes a tour of the Thames every summer.

Tickets to shows cost £10, and you can find out what's playing by calling the box office on 020 7249 6876 or 07836 202 745.

For more information, visit the website at http://www.puppetbarge.com/

_{^Picture borrowed from the Puppet Barge website^}

Go shopping in Camden Markets

Battered an bruised by fires and property developers, and frequently bringing about a feeling that it's not quite as good as it used to be, the Camden Markets are still a London institution, and are officially Europe's largest gathering of teenage kids dressed in as goths*.


Camden Lock Market was established in the 70s as a temporary market on a site which was intended to have a road built over it shortly afterwards. The road never came, however, and the market has been there ever since. The markets cover a vast range of tat, from second hand clothes, to art, food, glowsticks, furniture and many other things which you don't really need.

Whilst the nearby Hawley Arms has already recovered from the 2008 fire, the Canal Market *edit* largely reopened this weekend *edit*. The rest of the markets, with the exception of the area being redeveloped in the Stables Market, escaped the fire and you can still easily while away a couple of hours there, and if you get bored of the smelly goths, it's only a short walk to Regents Park.

For more information, visit http://www.camdenmarkets.org/.

<sub>*this may not be true, but it certainly seems like it

^Picture from Flickr courtesy of Wolfiewolf^</sub>

Go canoeing on the Regents Canal

The Regents Canoe and Kayak club is a proper canoeing club based on the City Road Basin of the Regents Canal, a short walk from Angel Tube Station.

On the second Monday of every month the club runs short introductory sessions for non-members. These sessions are aimed at either novices and experienced canoeists, to introduce them to the club facilities.

If you enjoy your introduction, the club then runs beginner's courses and organises regular trips more exciting locations.

The nearest tube is Angel and you should book a place by emailing the club on booking@regentscanoeclub.co.uk. Introductory sessions start at 6.30pm on the second Monday of the month and cost £5 for more information please visit the website at http://www.regentscanoeclub.co.uk/.

Click here to see the location on a map.

^{^Picture of canoeists on the Thames from flickr courtesy of thepatrick^}

Learn about London's Canals

One of the London museums one rarely hears much about is the London Canal Museum. Opened in 1992 in a former Ice Warehouse, the museum charts the history of London's man-made waterways.

It costs £3 to get in but it is entirely independent and self-funded so I'm more than happy to chip in. I just hope Canals are interesting enough.

The nearest tube is Kings Cross St Pancras and you can find out more on the website at www.canalmuseum.org.uk.