Those of you foolish enough to try and follow our Town Councils activities via their web-site will be trying to work out how you can have a canal festival without canal boats.
Let me explain. It was just 3 years ago that the idea of having a festival (similar to 1966 when we celebrated 100 years of William the Conq being offered the crown of England at Berkhamsted Castle) only this time alongside the canal complete with historical boats etc. to illustrate another facet of our heritage. It was all going to happen to coincide with the millennium in 2000.

For one reason and another, it was put of until 2001 and moved from July to September. The reason was that a major canal event is happening in Blisworth the week before and they could pause at Berkhamsted on their way back to London (or wherever) and enjoy whatever we could offer.

I’m sure I’ve got this wrong, but appears the original 2 day event has been cut back to one day due to lack of interest and any boats that were coming for the weekend are being told not to bother. On the other hand, all the good things that were going to be spread thinly over two days, will now be concentrated in just one (or is that just the afternoon - or maybe just a a quick hour of fun and games).
I wonder if our Councillors actually had any idea of what they where going to do. They don’t even have the excuse of having to do everything in public as the number of ‘working parties’ has grown and the number of standing committees reduced. All are open to the public, but you just try and find out when and where the working parties meet and you will just be told ‘pop in and we will tell you’. With the web-site in full swing, what an opportunity to get the public more involved - but that wouldn’t do, would it?

Talking about web-sites, the Dacorum site really is a waste of space. Compare with even the County site and you wonder why they bother. Other towns with less going for them and less money do it much better. Oh well, such is life!