A festival celebrating our stretch of the river saw people of all ages take to the water in a variety of craft on Saturday, with others joining in from jetties and river banks.
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Audience at Priory Road jetty. Photo: Louise Owen
From Riverside Park to Bitterne Manor and St Denys, music drifted through the air from performers often playing from makeshift stages set up on private jetties, from boats, and from greens around Pettinger Gardens and Riverside Park.
Spectators made their way from act to act by canoe, kayak, rowing, sailing or motor boats, many belonging to the local boat club.
Frog Farm ("Follow us on Bandcamp ... Soon") play from a Priory Road garden by the river. Photo: Louise Owen
It was promoted by St Denys Boat Club, in association with anyone else who decided to get involved, particularly those living in houses with riverside gardens, houseboat dwellers, and those who just like to get out on the water or enjoy events at the shore.
It had been rescheduled from August 22 because of strong winds, and Saturday saw the sun shine and far safer conditions.
A family prepares to set sail from St Denys Boat Club
Only in its second year, in 2019 All Aboard was timed to coincide with TriFest, the land-based Riverside Park community festival which was cancelled this year because of the difficulty of enforcing social distancing.
But there’s plenty of room to keep your distance on the Itchen, and some went to town, decorating their craft and wearing fancy dress.
“Somebody just said ‘what’s this in aid of’, and I said ‘it makes us enjoy the river’,” said a mermaid, who rowed up to our boat for a chat.
Wayne Mitchell from St Denys Boat Club
Wayne Mitchell, vice captain of St Denys Boat Club and bitternepark.info’s skipper for the afternoon (and a man with an enviable knowledge of the river) said they’d been very busy launching club boats and helping members of all ages take to the water for the day.
“These kinds of events: they bring people together and revitalise the community,” he said.
“It’s a nice club. It’s a very family-minded club now ... the club’s become a lot more inclusive now. We have more children and families down here now. We’ve invested in more paddle boards and more kayaks. That’s the most popular thing now. Sailing is still popular, but not quite as much. And rowing a little bit.”
A mermaid on the River Itchen
He said Covid, and a boom in staycations meant there’d been a surge of interest in activities closer to home. Wanting to get out on the river, and club memberships, had increased following the effective closure of the club during lockdown.
Whoever is this, lurking near the railway bridge?
The festival’s strengths are both that it encourages people to get out onto the water, if they can can, and what they may chance upon when they do: a mermaid in a rowing boat; a storyteller afloat in the middle of the river telling tall tales to kids in boats; an ominous troll lurking under the railway bridge; and a polar bear in a kayak – part of a giant puppet show about change and taking action, by Puppet Back Up performed at Janaway Gardens.
A polar bear on the Itchen. Photo: Claudia Friend
Families pull up to listen to storyteller Michael O'Leary on the river
Puppet Back Up at Janaway Gardens. Photo: Puppet Back Up
Exploring All Aboard
Richard Husband, a new club member kayaking by Pettinger Gardens paddled over for a chat.
He said he’d seen about five different acts: “There was a lovely violin player down there, folk singers down there, and really good folk singers up river as well. I enjoyed it.”
Richard Husband
“I think this is really good, because whatever happens, people can just enjoy the music, make a move if they’re not... hopefully they’ll do the same thing next year.”
Pete Harvey plays from a pontoon in Bitterne Manor
And Lizzie Jones from Puppet Back Up said it was great to be by the river and hear the music wafting across.
“It was lovely watching all the boats go by. And then I had a little trip with the polar bear on the kayak and just sort of realised that really you’ve got to be on the river, though. It’s such a great experience being on the river, and being able to drift between different sounds that are kind of calling out to you – the music.
“I think it’s amazing. It’s definitely a unique really special event.”
Puppet Back Up