
Christine Conlin called in on the marina’s summer celebration on July 26th
It was like an Emma Joustra painting come to life. I stood on a grassy bank behind Aston Marina watching the Fun Day visitors milling about below me in the bright sunshine. In the foreground, they were trying their luck at skittles, welly wanging and a coconut shy while the youngsters hopped on a bouncy castle, pulled their weight on a horizontal bungee and operated (under supervision) a JCB digger.
The centre ground was occupied by a festive marquee, the queue for the hog roast and the picnic shelters which were playing host to facepainting and a wildlife display.

Shoppers emerged from the Farm Shop with bulging bags, and on the Bistro’s waterside deck, every table looked taken. Behind them gleamed the gaily-painted boats moored in the sparkling waters of the marina, where visitors could board the Marina’s own narrowboat for a trip down the canal.

It was the Marina’s second Fun Day and the organisers, the mother-and-daughter team of Rosemary and Helen Webb were well satisfied.
“The weather is on our side and we’ve had a great turnout,” Rosemary told the Gazette. “The boat trips have proved especially popular this year.”