Are We History?

'ARE WE HISTORY?'

The question asked by local residents Jane and Pete Marshall on being invited to talk to our Society's meeting last Thursday.

So began a most entertaining evening as Jane and Pete related 35 years of travelling the waterways, which they interspersed with sketches.
One of Pete's first canal recollections was of fishing in Birmingham on The Grand Union Canal in 1966/7. Jane remembers holidaying with her mum on The Llangollen Canal in 1971.

The 70's was a significant decade for the waterways with the decline of their use for transport but the beginning of the leisure and tourism industry. This was illustrated by the change of name from British Transport Commission to British Waterways Board.
The sketch that followed served to emphasise this.

Whilst at college (Pete studying Drama and Jane Agriculture) they hired a cabin cruiser, with friends, on the South Oxford Canal and so the seed was planted for a life on the waterways.

The jerry boat Daystar was bought for £1,500 and they lived on it for 8 years. During that time, whilst on the Thames, Jane and Pete saw the travelling theatre Mikron perform (a company who over the years have visited The Bridge Inn)- and thus was born 'Daystar Theatre'.

In 1981, whilst stuck in ice for 3 months, Pete wrote the play 'Mr. Smith's Canal Boat Holiday' which they performed in local pubs. From then they were invited to the National Waterways Festival.

The 80's saw boat hire at its peak and the sketch that followed amusingly showed that, for newcomers, it was not without its trials and tribulations!
In 1985 Jane and Pete settled in Audlem (having previously performed at The Shroppie Fly) and in 1987 bought The Old Stables.

They would tour, with their 2 children, for 8 weeks in the summer and have performed the play 'Home Front' for 23 years.
Jane and Pete are now involved in Rural Touring Shows and hold plays and workshops for schools as well as Jane's painting workshops. An extremely versatile and talented couple!!

I'm sure everyone agreed with the vote of thanks given by Roger Wickson when he said that he really did enjoy it.
Thanks a lot.
Dorothy Jones

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