Hitch ride in historic steamer at 'Trad'

THE oldest working passenger steamer on the River Thames will be among the star attractions at this year’s Thames Traditional Boat Festival in Henley.

Visitors will be able to have a trip on Alaska, which was built in 1883 and is part of the National Historic Fleet, alongside the likes of HMS Victory and Cutty Sark.

The festival, which will take place at Fawley Meadows next weekend (July 14 to 17) from 10am daily, features the largest display of traditional boats in Europe and attracts thousands of visitors.

Among the regular attendees will be a fleet of Dunkirk “Little Ships” from the 1940 evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force. 

Visitors will have the opportunity to board Windsor Belle, a traditional Edwardian steam boat. 

Other attractions include an amphicar from the Sixties and a historical naval craft CMB 9 Motor Torpedo Boat.

The “Trad” also comprises a range of music, food, trade and craft stalls with The Crooked Billet dining experience also returning.

Bric-a-brac and various spare boat parts will be among the items which will on sale in the festival’s marketplace.

The festival, which was originally titled the Tradional Boat Rally, was first held in 1978 and was aimed at boat enthusiasts.

Since it’s rebirth in 2015 under the guidance of Lady McAlpine of Fawley Hill, the festival has evolved into a more inclusive event and not solely for boat owners.

On the Saturday and Sunday, organisers are encouraging boat owners, traders and visitors to adopt “period dress” from the Victorian and Edwardian eras up to the Fifties to coincide with the age of the boats and “embrace the spirit of the event”. 

For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.tradboatfestival.com