After two years of social distancing and pandemic precautions festivals are coming back to England this year! We are so ready to kick off the festival season with the return of our local St George’s Fayre, which will take place on Sunday 24th April 2022.
Pre-Covid this was an annual event in our home town of March, Cambridgeshire. You can expect the streets in the town centre to be pedestrianised, making way for a bustling street market and fun fair. The day begins with an opening parade at 10am, followed by live music throughout the day.
Fox Narrowboats will be offering river trips on board the March Adventurer day boat with a qualified skipper. Visitors can enjoy a half hour trip along the tranquil waters of the River Nene, leaving from the town bridge every half hour. This beautiful cruise travels through a park, continuing down the quiet Nene Parade.
If you don’t live close to March, you may like to book a narrowboat holiday to coincide with St George’s Fayre. Enjoy live music, dance performances, Punch and Judy shows and circus skills workshops. St George’s Fayre is delivered by Fenland District Council and a committee of volunteers; it’s one of four ‘Four Seasons’ events which usually take place in Fenland’s market towns throughout the year.
On previous years attractions have included sword dancers, stilt walkers, mini golf, birds of prey, traditional games, storytelling, a vintage fire engine, a duck race and knights in shining armour.
The patron saint of England is often associated with the mythical tale of St George and the Dragon. This story is loosely based on a real-life George who was a Christian soldier of the Roman Empire, born around 280AD. Legend has it that George slayed a dragon that was terrorising the countryside, intent on devouring a princess. The idea of George as the nation’s patron saint probably began in William Shakespeare’s time. In his play ‘Henry V’, the king’s famous battle cry is, “God for Harry, England and St George!”
A Fenland narrowboat holiday is the perfect way to soak up the history and heritage of England. After a day at St George’s Fayre you could set off by boat, to explore the charming villages of Upwell and Outwell on the Middle Level navigation. Grab some fish and chips and take them back to the boat. Then if you carry on along the River Ouse and River Cam towards Ely and Cambridge you will discover Oliver Cromwell’s House, Ely Cathedral and the colleges of Cambridge University. You may like to travel at a leisurely pace and stop at some cosy waterside pubs along the way. This is an idyllic way to take a break from all the challenges we’ve faced over the past two years.
Choose from week boating holidays (seven nights), midweek boating breaks (four nights), or weekend boating breaks (three nights). We have different narrowboats available depending on the size of your group, and you can view the different boat layouts here: Fox Holiday Hire Fleet.
Price Discount: Holiday price discount of 7.5% until 1st April 2022 (VAT at 12.5%). Act now to take advantage of the VAT discount.
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Image credit: St George’s Fayre March facebook page
