As one of the organisers of this year's Cavalcade, I feel I have to respond to Barry's criticism; and I'm afraid in doing so I am going to be critical of Barry. Why? Because although he's been to at least two, he doesn't seem to have got the hang of it yet. You see Barry, it's not like the National. Or going to the pictures. You don't just pay your money and get entertained. Cavalcade is a unique event where the participants are the audience. It's just a little neighbourhood festival that's got big with thousands of people from London and elsewhere visiting; but essentially, at heart, it's a boat festival which (thank God) hasn't yet been taken over by commercial interests.
OK, there were only 6 boats in the Saturday procession. So was yours one of them? Or were you in the illuminated procession Sunday evening instead? Did you enter the boat handling competition? Or at the least put a bit of bunting on your boat? Did you in fact do anything to help the event except turn up at it and expect the rest of us to entertain you? I'm sorry to be so harsh, Barry; but after dozens of us have spent the best part of a year to put on this event in a climate that sometimes seems to be like trudging through treacle, it makes me cross that someone like you can be so... well, selfish about the whole thing. If you want a better Cavalcade, then roll up your sleeves and help make it one; I'm sure someone, somewhere, can find a job for you. But just don't stand on the sidelines sniping. That isn't the way of Cavalcade. And incidentally, because I know you haven't been boating very long, it isn't the way of the cut either. Steve [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
