Stoke Bruerne Family Festival - Ian "Rosie" Rose

(Boat Sickle - posted by Alan)

(Very retrospective post for Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th June 2016)

Making our way own from the tunnel.

I'm firmly in "catch up" mode here, but am trying to at least record the various events we appeared at in 2016, in what has proved to be a difficult year, both for family reasons, but also because of difficulties with both boats, and a need to get work done on them.

Preparing to tie up at the museum.

Since we first owned "Sickle" we have never yet failed to put in an appearance at what has latterly been re-badged as the Stoke Bruerne Family Festival - a title that now gives a clue that it is as much about fun and fund-raising as it is about heritage, although a selection of historic boats is always guaranteed.

For the last two years we have been asked to provide "Sickle" as a platform for the entertainments,  and we have been a somewhat unconvincing Viking long boat for the last two years. 2014 Vikings here, 2015 Vikings here.  This year, we were told that the young men and women who had been very convincing Vikings were largely off doing other things, but would we carry an entertainer who is a Pearly King.  Well it's different, but of course we would!

Yes, we have no bananas.

Ian Rose, (aka "Rosie"), proved to be a popular entertainer well received by the crowds.  For all but one performance we were able to promenade him and his son-in-law, (who played spoons and banjo, and was his roadie and sound man), down the cut, but the usual conflicts between this and our involvement in New Moon Morris meant that for the final performance "Sickle" was simply left tied up outside the museum.


It was enormous fun actually, though I imagine our "street cred" in the world of historic boat ownership is now even more shattered than it was after the Vikings.

There's a video recorded by our son David here.

I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts.

Oh, and when we quizzed "Rosie" about whether he was a genuine Londoner, he said "no, I come from Peterborough!...) 
Also, as already mentioned, Cath, David and I were also there as part of New Moon Morris.  More on this in my next posting.