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Historic boat show celebrates 20th year

Braunston Marina Sir David Suchet wearing black cap and standing at the front of a yellow and blue dredgerBraunston Marina
Sir David Suchet with Diana the Dredger, which will be used to open the rally

A historic canal show which is regularly attended by celebrity boaters will be staged for the twentieth time this weekend.

The Braunston Historic Narrowboat Show at Braunston Marina in Northamptonshire is one of the biggest events of its kind in the country.

It attracts people like Poirot actor Sir David Suchet and the acting couple Timothy West and Prunella Scales.

The show traditionally begins with a boat parade which includes some of the oldest surviving working craft still in existence.

Braunston Marina Sir David Suchet with a black cap waving from a narrowboatBraunston Marina
Sir David Suchet has opened the rally twice before but had to pull out of this year's event

Sir David, best known for his interpretation of Agatha Christie's Belgian sleuth, Hercule Poirot, is an enthusiastic boater.

He has opened the Braunston Historic Narrowboat Rally twice and was also filmed at Braunston Marina for an edition of Songs of Praise in 1999.

Braunston Marina Sir David Suchet wearing a black cap and waistcoat aboard a narrowboat with Pam Rhodes and camera crewBraunston Marina
Sir David Suchet was interviewed by Pam Rhodes on the canal for Songs of Praise in 1999

Sir David was due to open this year's event, but a last-minute change to a filming schedule forced him to pull out.

His wife, Lady Sheila Suchet, has stepped into the breech and will lead the boat parade aboard Diana the Dredger.

Braunston Marina Lady Sheila with light-coloured hair aboard a narrowboat with the ownerBraunston Marina
Lady Sheila Suchet will open this year's rally

Diana was an old British Waterways dredger which was given to Buckingham Canal Society by Tim Coghlan, the owner of Braunston Marina.

Sir David performed the handover of the vessel.

BBC/Martin Heath Collection of narrowboats with people aboard the boats and on the towpathBBC/Martin Heath
The traditional parade of boats is one of the biggest on British Waterways

Mr Coghlan said he was looking forward to the 20th narrowboat rally: "We have already received an encouraging number of early bookings, and they just keep coming in.

"This could well be a vintage year.

"These leviathans of our canal-carrying past are the making of the rally, which, as for some years now, will probably be the largest gathering of them anywhere on the waterways."

The show also includes live music and a performance by Alarum Theatre, a touring company which celebrates the women of the canal.

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