The Social Secretary and Meetings organiser, Andy Tidy, has arranged the following programme of talks for 2025 Thursday 6th February 2025 Andy Tidy – The Ridgacre and Beyond Thursday 6th March 2025 Phil Clayton – River Thames – Every drop is liquid history Thursday 3rd April 2025 Martin O’Keefe …
Recording oral histories of people involved in canal restorations 1950 – 1990
The Society has been contacted by the Inheritage group, who, in working with CRT, are seeking to capture an oral history of those who were involved in canal restorations locally between 1950 and 1990. The aim is to record this important period in the history of Britain’s canals by talking to people who worked on restoration projects. If …
Coombeswood Canal Trust – Open Weekend 7-8th June 2025
The Trust is planning an Open Weekend for the 7th and 8th June 2025. More details will be released in due course.
BCLM Tug Gathering – 3-5th May 2025
A rally for Tugs, dayboats and IceBoats is planned to be held on the Black Country Living Museum Site. The event is scheduled for the weekend of 3rd – 5th May 2025.
BCLM Boaters Gathering – 20-21st September 2025
The Historic Narrowboat Club (HNBC) have announced plans for a Boaters Gathering to be held on the Black Country Living Museum Site. The event is scheduled for the weekend of 20th – 21st September 2025. The Black Country Living Museum would like to invite applications for Boats to take part in an event to re-create traditional canal scenes and activities …
Brownhills Canal Festival – 16-17th August 2025
The Brownhills Canal Festival is held on the third weekend of August each year, on the Wyrley and Essington Canal at Silver Street. The festival has floating traders, historic narrowboats, land traders and lots more. It is organised by the Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust Further details can be found at the LHCRT website –LHCRT
Black Country Boating Festival – 12-14 September 2025
The Black Country Boating Festival is an annual boating and community festival held on the Dudley No2 Canal at Bumblehole Local Nature Reserve. The festival is open on Friday evening 6 pm to 10 pm and on Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 5 pm. Further details on the event can be found on the website – BCBF
BCN 24 Hour Marathon Challenge – 24-25 May 2025
The BCN 24 Hour Marathon Challenge will take place again next year on the weekend of Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th May 2025. The finishing point will be Withymoor Island, where the Trust made a great job of hosting the finish line gathering in 2022. The format will remain similar to previous events. It is intended to …
Birmingham Canals Clean-up 15-16th March 2025
The Annual Birmingham Canals Clean-up weekend is a great opportunity to have fun and meet new people while clearing shopping trolleys, tyres, bicycles and even more exciting treasures from the canal! It is hoped this annual effort on the BCN will help keep the less well used parts of the BCN and Black Country network from getting choked up with …
BCNS ICICLE CRUISE – 11th – 12th April 2025 – Top of Perry Barr Locks
Following the success of our early season cruises to the Fens Pools in 2023 and the Parkhead Locks in 2024, the Society have planned another short cruise for 2025. BCN Society Icicle Cruise 11th-12th April 2025. We seek to coordinate a meeting point for boaters on Friday evening and are liaising with CRT about an activity on Saturday afternoon. More …