Dear Roger — my sincere apologies! It would appear you have been doubly unlucky in contacting us, as both the first user of the online Stalls Application and then, the first person to inform me that the Contact Form isn't working! 

I can only surmise that your application was made whilst I was debugging the form because the two later entries that day were delivered successfully by email. Fortunately your details were recorded in the database, as follows:

bizname: wrg/nw (waterway recovery group - north-west branch)
biztype: Charity
name: Roger Evans
addr: xxxxxxx (hidden)
town: Middlewich
zip: xxxxxxx (hidden)
stall: Outside - grass
wares: Very large selection of 2nd-hand books (mainly general plus some specialised Canal, Topography and Industrial History). Other 2nd-hand goods (Videos, LPs, toys, general bric-a-brac). In previous years our contact person was John Foley (whose name you may remember), but I have taken over the sales stall bookings.
email: rogermartinevans AT hotmail.com
method: email

I have now passed this info to Sherry (sherry AT d247mb DOT org) — can I ask you to send an email with your phone number (this field has more recently been added to the online form).

Next: the Contact Form ...
Following your news I discovered that we've received no recent emails by this method so I went to investigate. It seems to have been a glitch with mailing engine so I've switched to using a different one until further tests can be conducted on the original — I've since tested it with both Firefox and IE7 browsers and it's working. Many thanks for bringing this to my attention at this important time of the year, approaching the festival.

Before anyone says "Why not use the Contact Us" form, whenever I try that all I get is a new window containing the message "Please make sure the form is complete and valid".

I filled in an online Stalls Application on 3rd April (date taken from copy I printed out), but have heard absolutely nothing yet after nearly 4 weeks.

Can anyone confirm that it has at least been received, or give me a contact telephone number or email address so that I can check myself?

I'm looking for some specific digital pics taken at last year's festival, at the King's Lock Fringe event on Saturday afternoon, 17/6/06, or at the Amphitheatre Fringe event on Sunday morning/afternoon, 18/6/06? Specifically of Happenstance, the reformed ceilidh band that includes yours truly and local, Ian Murfitt — got any?

I know that pics were taken at both events but I haven't seen any of us — am only looking for the purpose of posting a pic to publicise our appearance at this year's festival at the Friday night family ceilidh in the Civic Hall, with Dave Hunt as caller.

If you can help please reply here or drop me a PM (you'll need to register in this forum) or, email me direct at: gadge AT d247mb DOT org — thanks in anticipation!

Hi - thanks for your enquiry - if you download a boaters booking form off the website and send it back to me that would be great!! Regards Kate

Is it possible to reserve a mooring for two 70ft Community Boats? I'm thinking of bringing up some groups of young people to the festival.

Narrowboatworld: The Boat Safety Scheme to go private and cost of certificates to double
The Boat Safety Scheme, that overlooks the safety of boats, is leaving the umbrella of British Waterways and becoming self-financing from 1st April, and costs will increase dramatically.

From this date the cost of certificates to examiners will double, from the present £11.25 to £24, excluding Vat.

It was ten years ago that the scheme was first launched to support the licensing requirements of the Environment Agency and British Waterways.

In its ten year existence, the Boat Safety Scheme has provided safety advice and information to navigation authorities and individual boaters, operated a verification service through its examiners and continues to develop safety checks as modern safety principles have evolved.

Commenting on the move to become self-financing, Graham Watts, Boat Safety Scheme Manager, explains:

“It’s always been the intention for the scheme to eventually stand on its own two feet when it comes to meeting the running costs of this important safety aspect of the inland waterways. The Scheme won’t plan to make a profit, but nor does it aim to make a loss, it just simply aims to cover its costs and continue to offer credible and improved customer service to all navigation authorities and thousands of individual inland waterways boaters.”

Since being established in 1996 the scheme has been supported financially by both the Environment Agency and British Waterways. In the last financial year this support, both as direct assistance and assistance in kind, equalled nearly £200,000.

We are told the Boat Safety Scheme has reviewed its work over the last 18 months and 'identified areas where it can operate with ongoing greater efficiencies while ensuring that quality assurance systems and administrative processes remain robust'.

Do we know who's on when and where yet?