This year saw the fifth annual River Festival in Glasgow, centered around the Science Centre and the SECC on opposite banks of the River Clyde. Taking place on the Glasgow Fair holiday weekend, 19th & 20th July, this was my first visit to the River Festival, and indeed the first I remember ever hearing of it happening! The weather was “sunny intervals” and really quite windy at times down at the River Clyde. After I made a quick sneak preview visit to the festival on the Saturday afternoon I made plans to stay down by the river for all of Sunday.
As well as Silk Screens and Beach Vollyball, the River Festival itself had many visiting ships and boats ranging from the tall ship Loth Lorien to fisheries ships. The Fleetwood trawler Jacinta & FPV Norna berthed next to the Science Centre while the NLB Pole Star and two Royal Navy Hunter class minesweepers, HMS Quorn & HMS Middleton, tied up next to the Finnieston Crane. Other smaller steam powered & pleasure boats including the famous Clyde Puffer, Spartan, lay along the quayside on both sides of the River Clyde. Adrenaline and speed fans were kept happy by jet ski racing and freestyle displays from Lee Stone & Dan Ashcroft throughout both days as well as the chance to take to the water for powerboat & zapcat rides.
The atmosphere was great all the way from the Science Centre tower, past the Millenium Bridge and BBC Scotland to Bell’s Bridge and across the river at the Crowne Plaza hotel. The only negative being the chill in the wind when the sun hid behind clouds and the events at the SECC carpark and even more so at the Tall Ship Glenlee feeling somewhat disassociated from the rest of the festival. The display of modern & vintage fire engines felt somewhat out of place at a river festival, although I guess the water theme justifies their welcome attendance! It was a great day out with loads of photo opportunities and I’ll definitely keep and eye out for the River Festival 2009.
[flickr tag=riverfestival]
