The importance of narrowboat Ernest
THE narrowboat Ernest is taking Bedfordshire afloat for the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on Sunday, 3rd June.
On board will be Deputy Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, Cynthia Gresham and her husband, Central Bedfordshire Councillor David McVicar; Marilyn Leask, a director of the Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterway Trust (B&MK) and a Professor in the Faculty of Education, Sport and Tourism at the University of Bedfordshire; together with Ernest owners and skippers John and Margaret Gwalter.
Rehearsals
During a recent cruise to Limehouse to take part in rehearsals on the Thames, Ernest was festively decked out in rows of bunting sporting the livery of the B&MK; red, white and blue; St Pancras Cruising Club—and Welsh dragons—the Gwalters' national flag. Margaret is chairman of the South Wales branch of the Inland Waterways Association.
The rehearsal was almost as exhilarating and exciting as the real thing, with international and national television and media crews keen to record film footage and interviews. In a few weeks' time Ernest will be among the 1,000 decorated boats taking part in the pageant—one of the largest flotillas ever assembled on the Thames.
Stretch over 12 miles
It is expected to stretch over 12 miles and at the flotilla's head will be the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and other members of the royal family on board the royal barge, The Spirit of Chartwell.
The pageant's aim is for every Lord Lieutenancy to be represented. After the initial Bedfordshire boat dropped out Ernest's owners came to the rescue and the commodore of the narrowboat flotilla fleet recommended its inclusion.
John Gwalter explained how initial disappointment turned to delight at being chosen to represent Bedfordshire.
Not selected
"We first applied to take part in the pageant as we thought it would be a good thing to publicise the South Wales canals, where we come from, but we were not selected from the many thousands of boaters who had applied.
"So when the selected boat for Bedfordshire dropped out, I was delighted to be asked, although at shortish notice, to represent the Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire and the Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway—a project to create a waterway we thoroughly approve of and are impressed by what has been achieved so far to create the link between the Grand Union Canal at Milton Keynes and the River Great Ouse at Bedford."