Ricky rocks again as festival time gets nearer

Date:  17 May 2008

Fun, food and great music is on the cards again as we count down the days to the Rickmansworth Festival, the town's annual celebration of all things canals and environment over the final weekend of Ricky Week.

This year it's on 17 and 18 May with the usual array of canal boats moored up to four deep along the towpath, exhibitions, history talks and much more.  As always there will be an instant party atmosphere!

Visitors can also enjoy three live music stages featuring rock, Latin jazz and folk to name a few.  Last year's popular animal farm for youngsters makes a return and - new for 2008 - there will be a medieval cooking display.  Canal trips between Batchworth Lock and Stockers Lock are back, as is the battle in the boaters Tug Of War.

Batchworth Lock Centre will be open all weekend and there's another treat in store too - as historic former working boat "Roger" is re-united more than thirty years after retirement with his once "buddy" (butty) boat "Raymond".

The festival has now reached its fifteenth year and is much bigger compared to when it began - a fantastic feat for all the volunteer organisers at Rickmansworth Waterways Trust and financial supporters including Three Rivers District Council.

Although it's free to enter, the trust will again be collecting donations of one pound each from up to 20,000 visitors.  This will help to safeguard the festival for the future and help keep a surplus to support "Learning at the Lock", the trust's award winning education programme.

See you there!

Music:
Rock bands from West Herts College, rock covers band Wired, Steph West Celtic Harpist, Graeme Knights folk artist, Vela Latina Latin jazz

Food:
Beer, burgers and much much more!

Opening times:
10.30am to 10.30pm Saturday, 10.30am to 5pm Sunday (music stages start from 11am).  It's free to enter, but there will be buckets standing by for donations!

Contact details:
Batchworth Lock Centre, 01923 778382 or www.rwt.org.uk