The civic message from The Right Honourable George Grubb, Lord
Provost of the City of Edinburgh, follows on from 'Union 10', a
similar tenth anniversary celebration on the Union Canal in
Edinburgh last September. Then, a flotilla of boats sailed from
Edinburgh Quay to The Falkirk Wheel and an estimated 12,000 people
came onto the Union towpath or visited The Falkirk Wheel to watch the
spectacle.
On Monday, the Edinburgh boats will travel along the Union
Canal, through The Falkirk Wheel and onto the Forth & Clyde
Canal where they will join the 80 strong 'Forth & Clyde
10' flotilla gathering at Speirs Wharf, Glasgow, over the
course of the week.
The Forth & Clyde 10 flotilla will then leave Speirs Wharf
at 9:30am on Saturday 24th September.
The flotilla, which is believed to be the largest ever seen on
the waterway, will travel to The Falkirk Wheel where the first
boats will arrive at noon on Sunday 25th.
In the open letter entitled, 'To Our Glaswegian
Friends', The Right Honourable George Grubb, Lord Provost of the
City of Edinburgh, says:
"The canal's noisier replacements, the train and the car, may be
our first choice for speed nowadays, but they do less justice to
the timeless relationship between Scotland's two principal cities.
The canal also serves as a reminder that we need to maintain the
links between us.
"Archibald Spiers of Elderslie, the chairman of the committee
that oversaw the creation of the canal, poured a hogshead of Forth
water into the Clyde as a symbol of the union in 1790. Today, our
joint efforts have a more tangible form, in the work that both
cities do to develop a strong future for Scotland, whether in
transport, economy or culture.
"But symbolism remains important and through this letter we wish
Glasgow the very best as we follow Union 10 and mark the 10th
anniversary of the reopening of the Forth & Clyde Canal
together.
The civic message will be carried by Re-Union Canal Boats which will depart
Edinburgh Quay at 12noon on Monday alongside The Four Sisters Boatel
and Zazou
Narrowboat Café.
During the Forth & Clyde 10 event, staff of Zazou will play
an extra special role, being on hand to pour a welcome cup of tea
or coffee for the boaters as they sail along or to those coming
down to the towpath to watch the flotilla.
The full Forth & Clyde 10 flotilla will include vessels of
all shapes and sizes, from sleek yachts and motorboats to
traditional barges, steam boats, a mini replica puffer and
caraboats (combining caravan and boat).
The oldest boat in the flotilla, Hetleven, a large Dutch barge,
is over 100 years old. The stunning Ratho Princess was built in
1923 and one of the small steam boats, Aurora, harks back to
1910.
At The Falkirk Wheel on Sunday, there will be a full programme
of entertainment. As well as the Seagull Trust's annual Teddy Bear Parachute Jump,
visitors will be able to listen to a host of musical bands, ranging
from a capella to accordion, rock band to a brass trio.
Forth & Clyde 10 was organised by the Lowland Canal Volunteer
Group with the support of British Waterways Scotland.
Participants include Re-Union Canal Boats, Edinburgh Canal Society,
Zazou Narrowboat Café, The Four Sisters Boatel, The Seagull Trust, the Forth & Clyde Canal
Society, Bridge 19-40 Canal Society, Linlithgow Union Canal
Society. The flotilla will also include a number of private
boats, some of which will be making the journey from south of the
border.
Ronnie Rusack, Chairman, Seagull Trust Cruises and
member of the Lowland Canal Volunteer Group,
says:
"Union 10 was such a spectacular success last year and so many
people came out to watch the flotilla. It's fantastic to see all
the boats along the Union Canal taking part in this year's
event.
"Anyone looking for an extra special day out should come along
to The Falkirk Wheel on Sunday 25th and watch the full flotilla of
80 boats arrive and enjoy all the great entertainment on
offer."