RCTA Spring Newsletter

Dear Member,

Isn’t it lovely that the clocks have changed & the evenings are now a lighter allowing us to trade a bit longer when we choose to, we just need the rain to abate & allow the rivers to recede so we can all get on with our travels & trading safely.

Markets

All the planning & hard work undertaken by Lorraine Parker in her first season as Market Coordinator is starting to come to fruition, so far we have the two Easter Floating Markets at Linslade & Gt Haywood completed successfully with lots of happy customers, it’s now onto two new venues Startops, Marsworth on the Grand Union Canal in the south & Willington on the Trent & Mersey Canal in the Midlands.

There are still a few markets to be opened for booking over the next few weeks & a few places left at some venues, you can find details on the Events page of our website. 

If you think you know of a new venue in any area that would be suitable for a floating market please email Lorraine at canaltraders@outlook.com and she will be able to send you a Site Survey form to complete so she can decide if the site would be suitable.

A big thank you to Lisa Grainger who has taken on all the RCTA artwork this season & has produced the artwork for some super market flags as well as our posters & flyers.

Charity Donations

We received no further nominations for 2023 Charity donations, therefore the only donations will be to ‘Fund British Waterways’ to help their campaign & Canal & River Trust who we rely on for our market licenses & their support with stoppage signage etc.

Looking ahead to the future the committee are discussing the possibility of RCTA funding one Defibrillator a year at crucial points around the canal network instead of charity donations.

If you know of any possible locations that do not already have one & would benefit from an installation please let us know at canalatraders@outlook.com.

The Defibrillator project would involve working with CRT, local councils, property owners & the ‘Our Jay Foundation’. Read about the success of placing one at Hillmorton here.

We would love your feedback on this or any other ongoing waterway based projects we can use some of our excess funds on.

We will always ensure we have a good financial cushion & a complete years running costs remaining.

Advertising

Julie Tonkin our PR volunteer organised a fabulous full page advert & editorial which can be found on page 17 in the March issue of Towpath Talk. We are trying to embark on a campaign of higher public awareness for RCTA & it’s Floating Markets to help with footfall at the events & knowledge of our actively trading members.

Membership

Teresa Tunnicliffe our Membership volunteer is still working away with your renewals, new members, getting welcome packs & window stickers sent out along with reminding you to sent your updated traders licenses, PLI & EHO certificates in, without these up to date our system will not let you book a market so it is quite important to email copies of these things in. Teresa would also like you to make sure your profiles are up to date with correct email & postal addresses, any changes to your trading name/type of business or boat details, all of these things are important especially if you intend to book markets as they help with mooring plans & any market communications.

Featured Trader

Our most recent Featured Trader has been Julies Jugs Canal Art run by Martin and Julie from their boat NB Ruby Louise.

Martin is a Waterways artist and a narrowboat owner. Having left school, many years ago, with qualifications in drawing and art, he changed direction into engineering and kept the artistic streak as a hobby. Still life, landscapes and seascapes in watercolour have always been favourites.

Latterly this hobby has surfaced again into canal art. So, when the engineering gets too much, and he needs a break from repairing boats, steam engines, vintage vehicles and all things mechanical, he produces hand painted items and canalware to adorn narrowboats. From water cans, to jugs, bowls, mugs – and anything else which will sit still long enough. He has studied this art form for many years, researched artists and styles and has now developed his own.

Julie is his partner. They run the business together, as they both have a passion for the canals, and the traditional art which adorns the boats.

They trade mainly on the GU around Braunston, the Leicester Line, and the Oxford Canal (north and south). Occasionally they will venture onto the Coventry Canal as far as Fazeley.

Trading on the canals for the last 5 years, they paint traditional style roses and castle scenes. They try to paint traditional items if they can obtain them, but will also supply painted enamelware.

Martin and Julie also run canal castle scene and canal rose painting courses at locations throughout the network.

They also like to take commissions, so if you have an item on your boat which you would like updating or painting in full then please do let them know.

Their website is www.juliesjugs.co.uk. They can also be found on Facebook and Instagram.

If you would like to be a Featured Trader on the website  then just email some details about your business with photos to Tim Clarke at canaltrader@outlook.com.

So happy trading everyone, here’s hoping the rain stops & the pennies role in.

Sue Meades

RCTA Chair.

10th April 2024

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