Reflections: DYCA Santa Cruises!

The highlight of last year was the DYCA Santa Cruises. 

We provided 12 families with a canal experience culminating in a trip to Santa's Grotto to receive their present. They were escorted by young ambassadors (from the very first day of the Horse Boat Project). Performing Arts students dressed in a 1940’s theme to show what it would have been like in the war at Christmas. I am delighted to say that these students are now wanting to do more on the waterways.

Volunteers staffed the boats, moorers set up the grotto, cakes were baked and refreshments provided for the guests. Most rewarding was the comments, not just from the children but from the adults too:

A support worker, through her emotional tears said, “He does not engage, but here he is loving the canal and smiling for a camera!”

A moorer said, “I have been on the canal for 9 years and this is the most wonderful community – I want to be involved.”

Museum Staff, “This is brilliant – to transform a shed into a grotto!”

Volunteers, “We should be doing this all year round!”

School staff, “This is the best grotto I have ever seen!”

Family support worker, "What a brilliant site – we could do so much here.”

Leeds Waterfront Festival

Recently, I had accepted an invitation to the Inland Waterways Association boat gathering as part of the Leeds Waterfront Festival. Merlot was already moored at Thwaite Mills so I drove over. The site was abuzz with activity as I opened up Merlot and started to soak up the atmosphere.

I was promoting the N.C.B.A. and had a range of conversations with different people who were interested and supportive of our aims. It was very easy to demonstrate the value of community boating with colleagues from Safe Anchor Trust providing free boat trips over the weekend.

 
I had taken the opportunity to invite my fellow director over but it is very difficult to hold a meeting when I kept disappearing to photograph the celidah band singing shanty songs on the rear of Amy Hudson. A beautiful atmospheric setting with the wind blowing in the rigging.

Canal Connections is developing a relationship with our neighbours at T.S. Ark Royal and it was interesting to see the many different facets that the Cadets were helping with. Traffic control over the bridge, safety boat on the river, general support and supervision throughout the site.

I took a trip on Safe Anchors new boat and was impressed by the attitude of the Cadets as they took control of mooring. They were rewarded by a boat trip and I was able to see at first hand how they very quickly adapted their seamanship skills into crewing on the narrowboat.

As I walked around the site I again saw Cadets learning new skills as Chris supported them in making a fender – the older generation (!) passing on their skills. I spoke with Elaine who had organised the event. She was giving brass rubbing demonstrations but our discussion generated thought for next year in teaching young people how to learn and pass on these skills at next years festival.

I continued wandering and found the display of classic cars, a healistic reader using an old Romany caravan, and a display of creative arts which had been made over the weekend.

 

As I returned to Merlot the navigation was filled with Sobriety, a Humber barge, passing the Humber Keel. 2 similar boats providing access, education and conservation to support future generations but in different ways.

 

Heritage is about caring for the future as much as remembering the past and there were so many examples over the weekend that reinforced the ethos of Canal Connections – it’s not just a boat.