摘要 : Last month I was in Market Harborough, on the Grand Union Canal. The arrival of the canal in the early 1800s meant that boats could deliver goods to the town. A town that flourished with the arrival of the canal. It has fallen sil... 展开 Last month I was in Market Harborough, on the Grand Union Canal. The arrival of the canal in the early 1800s meant that boats could deliver goods to the town. A town that flourished with the arrival of the canal. It has fallen silent now. The warehouses have been converted sensitively into accommodation and bars. Market Harborough is also the birthplace of the 'window smasher' narrowboat, named as such because of it's high bow. Whilst I know them as Harborough Marine boats, they were built by Mid-England Narrowboats who then became Anglo-Welsh Narrowboats.It will be interesting to see how many make the pilgrimage to the festival in June 2025. It will be the 75th anniversary of the Inland Waterways Association's Festival of Boats and Arts. It looks like it will be good fun! What I didn't know, was that Springer boats were also built there. Rather intrigued by the market towns, I pootled along to another market town; Market Drayton.Market Drayton is in Shropshire. The Market at Drayton existed since it was first permitted to do so in the 1200s by Henry III. There is still a market there, but these days, the town is better known for its gingerbread although I missed the ginger and spice festival which takes place in late September. 收起