Our town is preparing for the biggest event of the year… Middlewich FAB Festival! It is always a very special weekend, and I love how the town literally comes alive for the big party. We have been watching the boats arrive into town, mooring up and settling in ready for the floating market and all the entertainment that is promised. There is a growing buzz of excitement, a certain low-level hum that is getting louder as the weekend draws closer.

In these days before the festival, my friends and I like to walk along the canal and speak to the visiting boaters and their dogs (very important!). We enjoy the calm before the storm, the quiet canal paths and empty streets, because we know that come Saturday, we will barely be able to step out of our front door without being bombarded by colour, sound and excitement. And we love…

It has been another beautiful weekend! I have done no work, but that doesn’t matter, because instead I took time out with family and friends to enjoy the annual Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival. I love this event, and have attended every year since we moved to Middlewich back in 2006 (I think). This year it seemed bigger and busier than ever, and the atmosphere was amazing. We saw lots of brightly coloured boats, both vintage and new, we enjoyed the dancing and music, and we browsed the assorted stalls selling anything from handcrafted wooden trinkets, to ethical clothing, to handbags made from recycled pallet straps.

I love the week leading up to the Folk and Boat festival. It is great fun walking along the canal on our daily constitutional and seeing the boats arrive. This year there was a boat selling sweets, which I enjoyed immensely! I…