A POPULAR festival which has been held on and around the canal in Skipton each May Day Bank Holiday weekend since 2001 has come to an end.

The three-day Skipton Waterway Festival was originally organised by the Canal and River Trust(British Waterways then) and Pennine Cruisers for around five years. However, Pennine Cruisers owned by Ian and Pam Clarke, then took on the event as they saw how much the local boaters and town enjoyed it. The non-profit making event relied solely on donations and sponsorship from the community.

Leanne Kendall, from Pennine Cruisers who helped organise the event with Pam said: “Before the final decision was made to not go ahead with the festival in 2022 we contacted the town council, district council and BID group to say about our concerns. We got a few replies basically saying ok thanks for letting us know it wont be going ahead, but no one stepped up and said they really wanted the festival to go ahead. If they had we may well have been talked round.

“However due to the locks at Gargrave being closed for so long - September 2021 to next week - a lot of boats would not have been able to get to us anyway.”

A statement on Pennine Cruisers website adds: “This is not a decision that has been made lightly and it is one that is made up of many factors.

“Given Covid and the last two years we feel that we need to put the running of our business first, to prioritise our needs whilst we recover from the pandemic.

“We don’t feel we would have the level of support needed both in actual manpower, financial and general support from any of the major parties that we rely on to make the festival viable. Some of this is due to major changes within the organisations, some due to a knock-on effect of the pandemic and some due to the fact that we feel what the Waterway Festival brings to Skipton isn’t appreciated as much as it should be.

“The Waterway Festival was missed in 2020 and 2021 due to restrictions around Covid. It will be missed in 2022 as a knock-on result of Covid but also as it hasn’t got the commitment and support needed to go ahead.

“We do want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for the support you have shown to the waterways festival over the years and to us as a family and a business.

“I realise this information will be a huge disappointment to many, especially members of Craven Cruising Club who were hoping to celebrate their 75th Anniversary as a club at the 2022 waterways festival. For this we truly apologise.”

Up to around 10,000 people would visit the festival each year over the three full days; many revisiting. As well as entertainment there were craft and charity stalls, food/concessions and children’s activities as well as guaranteeing increased footfall to the rest of the town’s businesses and hospitality venues.

They added: “Maybe given time people might understand what the festival actually brings to the town so there may be hope for an event in future years.”