Mark Horton to open festival

THE well known television archaeologist, Mark Horton, who appears on Coast and other programmes, is to open the Cotswolds Canals Trust's Stroud on Water Festival in June.

The festival is being held over the Jubilee weekend June 2/3/4th, and the organisers promise it will be the best family event in Stroud for years, with Stroud District Council making it its official Jubilee event, and are sponsoring a firework display on the evening of 4th June.

Lots of music

The festival is family based and is sited at Marling School, with entertainment from 12noon till late each day and music booked including Emmet Brown, Saturday, Willie and the Bandits, Sunday and on Monday evening Meet on the Ledge, plus  many supporting acts throughout the day.

Entertainment for the family will include Climbing Wall, Play Bus, Children’s crafts and the Biggest Bouncy Castle in the UK (over 30m long) and a fairground.

For the adults there is a Real Ale Bar, Pimms Bar and catering and yes—Jubilee teas.

Television screens

There will be television screens around the site so people may sit down to watch the events and enjoy the surroundings, and of course trip boats to give the first cruises on the canal.

Martin Turner, Chairman of the festival enthused:

"Stroud has the opportunity to celebrate the new canal, the Jubilee and find out what a wonderful facility they now have with the canal."

The fireworks at the end will be set to music such as Rule Britannia, Jerusalem and the National Anthem, as a great finale to the festival.