Tom Rolt anniversary today

Amongst the narrow boats arriving in Audlem for today's commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Tom Rolt – see details below – is Elland, said to be one of the oldest narrow boats still on the canal network.

Normally horse-drwan, the boat was being hauled down the locks yesterday by the crew and was moored overnight in the village.

Built for The Aire and Calder Navigation Company, the Elland dates back to the 1850s or 1860s – the exact date is unknown.

In 1939 Tom Rolt, a founder member of the Inland Waterways Association (IWA) travelled through the waterways of Britain in his boat Cressy and recorded his experiences in a book "Narrowboat" published after the war.

That book inspired Robert Aickman and others to form the IWA and jointly to fight to save the canals which were rapidly becoming derelict. Without their campaigning the canals would have been lost forever.

They were successful and we largely have them to thank for the benefits which the canals bring so widely for everyone and to Audlem in particular, today.

CentenaryThis year is the centenary of Tom Rolt's birth. To mark the occasion, the IWA are supporting a cruise by Ron and Mary Heritage in their narrowboat Heron over a similar route to that taken by Rolt all those years ago.

He stopped at Audlem and mentions the town as "a group of old houses, inns and shops clustering about a church perched on a mound". A description which many of our canal visitors might still agree with. He bought "Chorley Cakes and homemade treacle toffee" and continued on his way.

HeronThe local Branch of the IWA, the Shrewsbury District & North Wales Branch, will welcome Heron when it arrives here today 4th July 2010. There will be a short ceremony as they leave at around 2.00pm on Sunday the 4th to hand them a medallion and maybe some "Chorley cakes and homemade treacle toffee" and to wish them well on their travels.

The medallion will be incorporated in their display stand with those collected at other celebrations along their way and be shown en route to, and at, their final destination at the "IWA National Festival and Boat Show" at Beale Park on the River Thames over the August bank holiday weekend.

The Association hopes that Audlem Parish Council and people from Audlem will join them at the ceremony at 2.00 pm today.

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