Last year over 2000 people visited central Birmingham to enjoy the floating market: A three day event organised by The Roving Canal Traders Association. Traders who both live and work on the canals arrived in Birmingham by boat to sell their arts, crafts, jewellery, palmistry, poetry and food. This weekend the floating market returns to Birmingham. There will be 24 trade boats moored along the towpath near the National Indoor Arena selling everything from food, clothes, books, gifts and souvenirs, to canalware and arts and crafts. This year’s three day event begins on Friday 27th June.

More Canals Than Venice

You may have already heard the often-quoted fact that Birmingham has more miles of canals than Venice. There are 35 miles of waterways in Birmingham and just 26 miles in Venice. Birmingham’s surrounding area offers many navigable adventures such as the 21 locks of the Hatton flight, the drawbridge at Shirley, the Cadbury factory at Bournville, the Netherton tunnel, the Dudley No1 Canal and the beautifully rural parts of the Staffordshire and Worcester and Shropshire Union.

Whether you’re planning to head to Birmingham or some other canal event this summer there is always a good selection of canal-themed things to buy.

Shopping

Books are my own addiction. I quite like books about canal history, and some of them are packed with photographs of the working boats and boater families. I enjoy finding out how canals that I know well have changed over the years, and seeing if there are still buildings and bridges that I recognise in the photos. You may also like books of practical tips such as boat electrics, engine maintenance and boat refurbishment. Alternatively there are ‘how to books’ about painting and folk art, boating novels or memoirs and travelogues with boating themes.

No canal festival or floating market would be complete without painted canalware. Items decorated with the canal folk-art of roses and castles range from coal scuttles to wooden spoons, and Buckby cans to teapots, milk churns and watering cans.

Festivals

Floating markets, canal festivals and waterside fetes tend to be popular with both boaters and local communities, usually offering boat trips, live music, beer tents and a good family day out for all.

Coming up in July is the food and drink festival at Droitwich Spa, Hebden Bridge Arts Festival, The Rochdale Canal Boat Gathering, Ware Boat Festival, The Stratford River Festival, Knowle Canal Boat Rally, Blackburn Canal Festival, Cosgrove Canal Festival and The Standedge Tunnel Country Fair. For more details check out the Canal and River Trust Events Calendar.

Roving Traders such as The Cheese Boat, The Book Barge and The Floating Salon have made boating their business all year round. If you’d like a business that revolves around boating or boats then maybe brokerage could be for you?

Boating Business

A Boatshed business could earn you £80,000+ p.a. We’ve made great headway in becoming the worlds largest brokerage, we’re now seeking enterprising people to join our ranks. All business models include training and support, marketing materials and access to the ground breaking Boatshed™ System. Find out more at BoatshedBusiness.com

You may also like:
How to buy a boat – the process / Thinking of selling your boat? / Make Boating Your Business / 2013: Our amazing year! / Get started with your own Boatshed business / More news articles and stories.

See when the next boat auction is.

New here? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to hear of new listings, and regular boating, sailing and brokerage news.