Midlands gets Boat Show

Up to 350 boats and 25,000 people are expected to flock to Wolverhampton as a national waterways festival makes its first stop in the Midlands for more than 10 years.

The three-day National Festival and Boat Show will take place at Autherley Junction in Pendeford, where the Shropshire Union canal joins the Stafforshire and Worcestershire, during the August bank holiday weekend next year.

The Inland Waterways Association runs the annual event to raise awareness of local waterways. Officials this week handed the trophy bearing the names of the cities the festival has previously visited to Wolverhampton leisure and culture chief John Reynolds at the Wulfrun Hall.

The gleaming gold Kingfisher Tiller Trophy, made from the tiller of a narrowboat, will remain in the city until the festival next year after which it will be handed to the next city chosen to host the event. Councillor Reynolds said: "It is a great honour for us to have been chosen. It will be a great event for the whole family and good for the local economy."

Festival administrator Sandy Jones said: "The festival is run by volunteers but still costs £250,000 to put on and we use lots of local businesses and traders, so most of that money will be pumped in to the local economy.

"We are trying to show people the canals which are on their own doorsteps and providing an enjoyable event for the whole family."

A range of attractions will be spread across the six-acre site. Call festival chairman Ian West on 01564 230104.