‘Trad’ boat festival returns for 42nd year

THOUSANDS of boating and vintage car enthusiasts descended for the Thames Traditional Boat Festival on Fawley Meadow, off Marlow Road, over the weekend.

There were about 150 boats on display at the 42th annual event, including a number of Dunkirk “Little Ships” which took part in the evacuation of 1940. They paraded up and down the river on Saturday and Sunday.

Alaska, a steam launch built in 1883, was one of the highlights and offered regular trips on the river throughout the festival. It is the oldest working passenger steamer on the River Thames.

Lady McAlpine, who chairs the festival, said: “I’m jolly relieved the festival is finally happening again. It does look different and we have lost some traders who didn’t turn up – covid has definitely made a difference and we had to change the date and we couldn’t get some of the traders we wanted because of that. But it was on so that’s the important thing.”   

For the full story and pictures, see this week’s Henley Standard.