Open Boat Day & Peace Walk (Sunday 27-09-2009)

Cameraboy (Coldboy of late). | 02.10.2009 19:25 | Cambridge

Last Sunday not only did the weather smile on what is rapidly becoming an emerging Cambridge tradition in the form of the latest Open Boat Day, but the so did public, as they turned up by the score to conduct their own public inspections of some of the city's floating homes.

Many people attended Open Boat Day...

A local river resident, possibly Ship's Dog.

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BoatCam(tm) #1

BoatCam(tm) #2

Doing Penants...

Breakfast room on the river.

Caged, but are they dangerous..?

WheelCam(tm) #1

WheelCam(tm) #2

A possible solution to the lack of Cambridge gig venues..?

A bevvy of boating babes with their kissers around Kazoos.

Des River Res!

Art reflecting life on Georgina.

No breach of the peace was committed during this event!

Open Boat Day was started a few years ago as a response at the time to pressure from local authorities and a certain University to 'move on' riverbound residents to places outside of the city limits. One suggestion at the time for how this might be achieved was the imposition quite draconian levies in form of mooring licences.

Fortunately these plans were scuppered, but the Open Boat Days continued, due to the massive amount of public interest they generated from landlubbers who gained an insight into this alternative way of living.

As ever, the floating homes I saw were both interesting and of course immaculate, and their owners all friendly and welcoming. Each year there is also usually a 'plein air' musical performance of some kind, and this time was no exception, with a band of ladies performing on the back of a boat (where else?), using all manner of instruments, including Guitars, Congas, their voices...and at one point becoming an ensemble of Kazoos!

There was also a nautically themed exhibition of paintings, drawings and photographs showcasing the talents of local artists on the Riverboat Georgina.

As the afternoon was drawing to a close (the 'boaters' shut their homes to the public at 4:00pm), I happened to see a rather strange sight on the opposite bank of The Cam...a gigantic white cloth bird, chaperoned (and in part physically supported) by a couple of dozen walkers heading towards Jesus Green.

Seeing a photo opportunity in the making, I hastily made my way over the footbridge onto the Green to find out what was happening. It turned out to be the conclusion of a 17 mile long Red Balloon Peace Walk (for the UN international Day of Peace), which had started a few hours earlier in Ely, and which I saw the last few minutes of as the walkers were reaching their final destination on Jesus Green under a collection of bright white Gazebos.

So, you might say it was an interesting afternoon.

In case you're wondering why this story is being posted so late, I've been quite ill this week, but thought this story should still be 'filed' on the basis of it being mainly about a grassroots organised event.

Day of Peace:

UK Indymedia

Open Boat Day & Peace Walk (Sunday 27-09-2009)

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