This month's Gossip article

Each month, the Audlem Online team send a 500-word article about the village to the publishers of the Whitchurch Gossip and Market Drayton Gossip magazines.

These are widely (and freely) distributed in North Shropshire and many in Audlem see a copy, particularly of the Whitchurch magazine. Many of our readers, however, are outside their distribution area.

We thought you might like to read what we said about the village earlier this month in the April issues that were illustrated by Derek Jones's photograph of the Audlem Lass team.

Audlem Lass sails again

The Audlem Lass boat service between Audlem’s Lock 15 on the Shropshire Union canal and the Overwater Marina a mile to the north has resumed for the season.

It will now run on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays until the end of October. Services start at 10.00am from the marina and from Lock 15 at 10.15am.

The final trip of the day is 4.30pm from Overwater and 4.45pm from Lock 15 at the northern end of Audlem’s famous run of locks built by Thomas Telford and his last major project before his death.

The photo shows the team of volunteers who run Audlem Lass – don't worry, it's normally only two crew at a time for each trip so there's room for up to twelve passengers!

Audlem Lass raises funds for the the lifeboat charity, the RNLI. Thirty local businesses in Audlem have already supported this year's fund-raising with advertisements meaning most of the operating costs for 2012 are already covered.

This means, barring unexpected costs, all passenger donations will go to the RNLI. A donation of £1 for adults and 50p for children each way goes to the charity. Dogs and pushchairs are free.Last year, Audlem Lass' first in operation, saw over 4,000 passengers carried. You can also make bookings for special trips, for example up to Hack Green towards Nantwich, while school trips are provided for the schools visiting the marina and nearby dairy farm.

Whilst every effort is made by the Audlem Lass team to achieve the scheduled  times, during busy periods they may vary; to talk to the boat skipper call 07541 35 65 35.

To Charter the boat for a private event call 01270 811539 for details or email audlemlass@gmail.com" target="_blank">audlemlass@gmail.com

audlemlass@gmail.com" target="_blank">The 2012 Audlem leaflet has been published and lists all the major events scheduled for this year in the village. At the end of next month it’s the Audlem Music & Arts Festival which starts on 31st May and runs until Tuesday 5th June.

Over eighty acts or events are planned and it’s expected that thousands will enjoy probably the best free Festival in the area.Bank Holiday Monday 4th June also sees the Audlem Carnival, this year celebrating its 200th anniversary so, with music, art and all the fun of Carnival, it’s well worth a visit. There will be live music in the village’s three pubs and art exhibitions and other attractions to enjoy.

The 2012 Audlem leaflet also includes a selection of local walks with maps and directions. They range from leisurely routes of only a mile to hikes of 6 miles. All include a stretch of the canal towpath where there’s always much to see with 11,000 narrow boats a year passing through the village’s fifteen locks.

Other major events this year include the Queen’s Jubilee Party on the Park organised by the Audlem Special Events Team on 7th July with top tribute bands and the opportunity to picnic in style while enjoying the music. 

This article is from our news archive. As a result pictures or videos originally associated with it may have been removed and some of the content may no longer be accurate or relevant.