HOW IT
ALL BEGAN
Towards
the end of 1988 a small group of boaters, some of whom were Kennet &
Avon Canal Trust members, used to go to the Canal Tavern, Bradford on
Avon for a quiet Sunday lunchtime pint (6X of course).
They,
generally talked about the increasing number of boats using the Western
end of the K&A canal. As members of the K&A Trust they realised that
the Trust had no mandate to speak solely on behalf of boaters and so it
was suggested that they form a Boat Club.
They
believed that as boaters this would give them a voice in promoting
boating interests, and by giving them a legitimate reason for being in
the Canal Tavern it would keep them out of trouble with their wives when
they arrived home late for their Sunday lunch!
So
after several weeks of discussion they
decided to call the Club the Canal Taverners, the objectives of the CTBC
were determined to be:
The
landlord of the Canal Tavern gave them permission to hold meetings in
the Dundas Bar on any Wednesday evening and so in March 1989 the CTBC
was founded. Motto, ‘Panic Slowly’.
As
the canal opened up to through navigation in the early nineties, more
and more boats were using the canal, so much so that by the mid nineties
the Club’s membership rapidly increased from approximately eight in the
beginning to approximately 60 members at the present day.
WHERE
AND WHEN WE MEET
The
Club meets on the third Wednesday of each month with the exception of
December when there is no meeting. The Club’s Annual General Meeting is
held in January. All meetings are held in the Canal Tavern, 49 Frome
Road, Bradford on Avon and they commence at 8.00 pm.
Each
meeting is concluded either with an invited speaker or an activity such
as a quiz, or auction etc.
WHAT
WE DO
The Canal
Taverners Boat Club is a very friendly and socially active club with
activities arranged throughout the year. These include the Annual
Dinner & Presentation, Interclub Boules Competition , several planned and impromptu BBQ’s,
Invitation boat trip, a Sausage & Mash Lunch in the Canal Tavern
(Christmas/New Year).
Club members also attend the Bristol Harbour
Festival, Newbury Boat Festival, Wilts & Berks Canal Trust BBQ and the
Carol Service at Dundas, .
The Club produces its own
magazine “The Taverner” which is published three times a year and
includes articles written by Club members, items of interest about the
K&A canal, British Waterways and many more.
The Club is a member of the
Association of Waterway Cruising Clubs (AWCC), the National Association
of Boat Owners (NABO) and we are represented on the K&A Users Forum.
