East Cheshire’s entry in the county’s floating garden competition has been judged the best, at the Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival.

Floral designers Chris Harrop and Heather Jackson spent a week decorating the 70-foot Lindsay in floral splendour for a launch event at the Bollington Floral Festival last weekend.

Superb summer weather brought out the crowds for the launch of East Cheshire’s floating garden at Clarence Mill, and the narrowboat spent the week making its way this week along the Cheshire Ring of canals to Middlewich.

The Bollington Floral Weekend, supported by Macclesfield Borough Council, saw the end of months of hard work by the designers. They decorated a  the Lindsey with planters and hanging baskets, many of which were donated. Taking the theme of an English Country Garden, with the Cheshire scene of Alice and Wonderland characters, the boat was given a colourful send-off along the Macclesfield Canal from Clarence Mill.

Macclesfield company Henshaws constructed the decking on the Lindsay,  and Warr’s the stonemasons provided flags for a central path down the deck. The narrowboat was lined with specially-produced flags made by RA Smartt of Bollington. 

The boat left Congleton on Wednesday and headed for the Trent & Mersey Canal, before arriving at Middlewich on Thursday, ready for the Folk and Boat Festival from 13-15 June.  It was then joined by narrowboats from Sale, Ellesmere Port and Audlem.

Chris Harrop says: “I’m thrilled at the win after all the hard work. We had such good weather during the week before as we transformed the Lindsay. There were so many great comments about it. The donated planters and baskets will be sold off in aid of East Cheshire Hospice, and I added more which will be sold in aid of Macmillan Cancer Care.”

Alice Ferguson, Macclesfield-based manager of tourism board Visit Chester & Cheshire, says: “It was great news to see the Lindsay being judged the best entry. It ends a great week which started with a perfect English afternoon, with crowds at the waterside, Bollington B Brass Band and the Morris Dancers performing. It was great to see a focus on the narrowboat and the Macclesfield Canal. I’d like to thank the community groups for donating baskets, Chris and Heather for their brilliant work on the boat, and the support of the public for coming down to make it so special."

Picture: Chris Harrop and Heather Jackson.