Historic canal boat returns to town
An historic canal boat arrived in Ellesmere last weekend to the delight of the town's arts group.
Saturn, the last remaining Shropshire Union flyboat, built in 1906, arrived at the town’s Canal & River Trust’s Maintenance Yard. She will be moored there for large parts of the summer, including the weekend of June 3/4 when Fizzgigs be putting on a show called ‘Bridging the Gap’.
Saturn, originally horse-drawn, was towed to the Yard by another special boat, a motor called Beatty, built in 1937, owned by Nick and Liz Grundy.
Nick’s grandparents are part of the Llangollen Canal’s rich history cruising the waterway on board Heron, a wooden cruiser.
"It is thanks to the efforts of those pioneers that the canal stayed open, for us to enjoy today," Kate Westgate, Fizzgigs member, said.
"It was down to the efforts of canal engineers like William Jessop and Thomas Telford that the canal exists at all – as Fizzgigs is exploring in its latest production," Alison Utting, director of ‘Bridging the Gap’ said.
The free, fun-filled, family-friendly show will be performed at 2pm and 4pm June 3 and 4.
John Yates, Chair of Saturn Flyboat said of the arrival in Ellesmere: "She looks at home, she feels at home, she is at home,"
Details of all Fizzgigs activities can be found online at fizzgigs.co.uk.
